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I believe so. I don't know how much Ormus knew, you'd have to ask Margulis that if you can get him to give you a straight answer. [Alright, so he can't resist a dig at Margulis.]

[Also, Gaignun was Dmitri's biggest pawn, he got literally possessed by the man.]

Still, what we did know was enough to bring us to blows, causing the death of many people on all sides of the conflict. [Here a sad note enters his voice and it gets a little distant, the signs of someone half getting lost in memories.]

I had no reason to ask him to define the true potential of the Zohars. He did, however, mention the death toll on his own side. (And I wouldn't be surprised if I'm now about to hear of your own losses.)

Hah, I bet he tried to make out that his own hands were lily white. Ormus, and the inner organization of U-TIC has killed as many, if not more, people on our side. Planets full in fact. Ormus is no cowering child in the face of the big, bad, Federation. [Can you say, 'Bitter'.]

(Planets?!)

He... claimed to have taken unethical actions that our own situation reminded him of, but didn't hint at having caused destruction on that scale.

[Yeah Edgeworth, planets.]

Ah...well, actually that does make me feel better that he said that. Maybe he has a decent bone in his body. Huh, never knew. [He's silent for a moment.]

I'm sorry if some things I say sound out of line, I have been used to fight against Ormus since I was little, and with the events of late my ability to remain unbiased is severely weakened. [He actually does mean 'used' as one uses an object.]

[Edgeworth's tone in his next question is strangely cautious:]

You say that you've "been used"... presumably by the father you mentioned, given one of your earlier statements. Given other things I've been told, I consider myself obligated to ask: was the entire intended point of your existence to be a pawn?

[The silence on the other end of the line at this question is much longer and heavier then the others so far in the conversation.]

I...yes. [He really does not want to admit this. It hurts to admit it outside of his own mind. And coming to Prospero, he'd really been trying not to think about it.]

[Edgeworth is silent for a long moment himself. Even after what Allen had said, that Gaignun and Albedo alike were created as super-soldiers, it was another thing entirely to hear that there was so much more to Gaignun's subjugation than that. The prosecutor himself had been raised for years with ill intent, his ego fattened so that he might yield the richest possible revenge when slaughtered, but he hadn't been conceived for any such goal.

There are many more questions he could ask about the conflict, many ways he could steer the conversation away from this obviously uncomfortable point and still learn... but he wasn't prosecuting anyone here. It wasn't his place to judge others for what happened, or what they believed happened, in their original lives; he'd come to that conclusion some time ago, if only because there was no way he could produce the necessary evidence to do so. Even if it was, war crimes were far out of his league. All that ultimately mattered here is whether he could trust Gaignun, Margulis, or both. Anything else worth saying, therefore, had to prioritize uncovering the truth of Gaignun's trustworthiness here and now.]

...Is there a reason why you would admit such a thing to me?

Because I'm sick of lying about it. For fourteen years I had thought I had escaped that fate, but in truth I didn't even know the half of what had been intended for me.

I ran from what I knew of my design, denied it, lied about it, and in the process I set up those I loved for pain when I only wanted them to know happiness. I thought I was a man, with a will, that I had changed the path set out for me.

...Being a man with a will does not necessarily spare one from the possibility of being played for a fool, Mr. Kukai.

I know...but if anyone's actions were going to lead me into ruin, I would rather them be of my own doing. I don't like being made into a marionette.

[He exhales sharply, clearly regathering his emotional forces. That had been a leak in a very carefully maintained dam and he was bound and determined not to let another crack show.]

All that I've told you Edgeworth, is the truth. If I have lied anywhere, it is only by accidental omission. Tell me, what else did Margulis say?

[He wants to know how much damage control he's going to have to do.]

Edited (grammer issues) 2012-05-25 03:55 (UTC)

You need not state the obvious, Mr. Kukai -- no one enjoys learning that they've been manipulated.

Other noteworthy claims that he made were that Ormus did not make the first move, that they'd been pressured to surrender their only planet for some time, and that the Federation opened fire on retreating Ormus ships.

[Groan, of course. Still, this is a less emotional topic for him and he's glad for the change.]

Like I said, the Federation considers Ormus a threat because they are not under their control. He does actually have a valid claim when he mentions that.

[He didn't really like either side of the war, though the Foundation was technically on the Federation side. The Federation didn't really like him either, trying the Foundation and Second Miltia for treason indeed! Trigger happy bastards.]

As for the retreating ships...they were circling like vultures around the debris field from a destroyed Federation science ship. The Durandal was sent to investigate what had happened since we picked up on their distress signal. Once it got there, the Durandal picked up the signal that a Zohar may have been in the area, giving the Ormus ships motive. All of this was in a period of tension and hostility with Ormus.

[He's not trying to make excuses, but he is trying to make the overall climate clear. It was definitely a cold war situation but he doesn't have that term to use.]

So you were, perhaps, too quick to judge in that particular situation?

Looking at it now, with the perfect vision of hindsight, I would be willing to concede to that. However at the time it was valid assumption. [He just won't mention to Edgeworth that the commander of the Durandal, his brother Jr., had a history of being somewhat rash and a little too happy to go hunt U-TIC and Ormus.] The Woglinde may have been on a science mission, but it would have taken a lot of fire power to have taken out, so it was either Ormus or the Gnosis. Ormus happened to have been there.

We found out later, from a few of the survivors that one of our contracted ships picked up, that it had been the Gnosis that had attacked the ship.

[Well, that was distressingly reminiscent of how he operated early in his career...]

Assumptions, however valid they might seem, are never sufficient reason to end or ruin lives.

No, they are not. [Contrary to everything it sounds like he's said, Gaignun did not take those lives lightly, and his decision to give Jr command over the 'practical' missions was not made off hand. It was war, and while ethics are still ethics...some circumstances call for certain actions. He will not deny, and he will not justify. He won't be a substandard politician and explain away all the bad things. They happened and he can't change that.]

In all honesty both sides of the conflict were in the wrong for various reasons. Old power does strange things to people. Both Ormus and the Federation took morally and ethically questionable actions, from the Durandal engaging the fleeing ships, to Margulis taking a little girl prisoner because she might have had subconscious information that he wanted.

(The question thus becomes whether I can trust anyone who would make such decisions -- a question that no one else can answer for me.)

...No further questions.

Then, if you'll allow me, I have one final statement.

I've never lied to you about my character. I want this place to be a good one for everyone, and to find out what our captors intend. I never mentioned any of this to you because I didn't feel it relevant...also my situation had changed. I'm sorry if this changes your opinion of me.

Like I said at the beginning however, you can believe me or not at your own desire. All I ask is that you do not pick up Margulis's habit of referring to me as 'URTV'.

Edited 2012-05-27 02:33 (UTC)

[Hearing something that he could just as easily find himself saying if Miki's rumors were to take hold is sobering.]

Even a criminal deserves more respect than to be referred to in ways such as that, Mr. Kukai. In any case, I have no particular reason to doubt most if any of your responses to his claims.

I'm glad you think so. There are those at home that once they find out you're not a normal human, you're a thing to them.

Well, I suppose our claims match up from what you've said. Neither of us hold much love for the Federation, but we were still on opposite sides.

So Mr. Ridgeley explained.

That you were on opposite sides and yet make claims that fit together so smoothly is a credit to both of you.

So Allen...ah. Well then, if he did then that's fine. [He kind of cringes at being compared with Margulis, but he wont say so because he knows Edgeworth meant it as a compliment.]

Edgeworth, sorry, one more thing. Why have this conversation over the phone? Wouldn't it have been better to have it face to face?

[Awwwkward.] Why would you say that?

Body language, facial expressions. There's a lot of information to be gained that you can't get with just voice alone.

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