There was a wall screen in the room and Nava was made to go through the encounter with Devin from two different viewpoints. It took twenty minutes. At the end of it, most of the SSF members were looking annoyed while Courtney appeared disappointed.
‘It’s subjective,’ Courtney said. ‘There’s not enough evidence here to charge Devin Girard, but I believe we must acquit Nava Ward based on what we can see in the camera data.’ Nava relaxed inwardly; again, this did not show. ‘I must caution you, Nava Ward, that making a habit of declining duels will negatively affect your academic record. I hope that we will not see you here again. Dismissed.’
Nava bowed her head slightly before turning without a word to head for the door. If she hurried, she would probably be able to wolf down some lunch before she had to rush to afternoon lessons. Still, it seemed likely that this was not the end of the matter and Courtney’s attitude to the situation had Nava wondering. Some research was in order, but that could wait until she was back in her apartment in the afternoon.
~~~
Devin Girard Sonkei was a bully. That had not come as any real surprise given Nava’s experience of him, but here she was looking at his duelling record and seeing clear evidence of his nature which no one could seriously deny.
Devin’s family, the Girards, was a minor family within the Sonkei clan, but they had been trying to rise up the ranks for a while. Marriages had been arranged and they attended all the right parties. Social media was a gold mine for that kind of information, but it was the duelling records that gave part of their game plan away.
Duelling was part of the legal code of the Clan Worlds and, as such, it was regulated. Nava thought it was not regulated enough, but regulated it was. Part of that regulation was that every duel had to have an official, independent witness and be recorded both as a video and in the form of a report. These records were all available to the public via a government web service. The Girards duelled a lot. They held their honour above everything, it seemed. Rarely did they lose a duel, which suggested to Nava that they were picking their opponents carefully.
Devin was a chip off the Girard block, with a soupçon of malice added to the mix. He was a fourth year now and he had, on average, fought a duel every month for the last three years. He never lost. Thirty-five duels, thirty-five wins. However, he rarely fought anyone on the combat stream and when he did, it was always late in the year when he could have worked out their strengths and weaknesses. He always fought blood duels, but he fought them with Concussive Force. In three years, he had killed seven students and put another sixteen in the school’s infirmary. Nava rubbed absently at the bruise on her right shoulder and reassessed her position on Devin. Devin Girard was not simply a bully – he was a murderer. He had deliberately engineered duels in order to kill people and no one appeared willing to stop him.
A chime from the door broke Nava out of her reverie. ‘Open,’ she said to the room as she rose to her feet to meet her guest. It was probably Melissa, come to see whether Nava wanted to do anything before dinner.
The sight of Mitsuko standing in the doorway was something of a surprise, though it did not register on Nava’s face. ‘Good evening, Nava Ward,’ Mitsuko said. ‘Might I come in?’
‘Of course,’ Nava replied. ‘Please excuse my meagre accommodation.’
Mitsuko smiled slightly as she walked through into the single-room apartment. ‘It is hardly what I’m used to. I assume you were thinking that? I live in one of the better blocks closer to the teaching buildings and this is far from how I’m used to living. Am I right?’
‘I’d imagine not, but I’m more referring to the fact that I cannot offer much in the way of refreshment.’
‘Ah.’ Mitsuko waved the comment away. ‘I don’t mean to take up much of your time anyway. May I sit?’
‘Of course.’
Mitsuko took one of the bench seats at the room’s table, Nava sitting opposite her. ‘I’ve come regarding Devin Girard,’ Mitsuko said.
‘Ah.’ They were the same clan. Was Mitsuko about to go down in Nava’s estimations by defending the man?
‘I believe you are a perceptive woman, Nava Ward. I believe you will understand what I’m about to say, but I consider it my duty to say it.’ That did not sound good. ‘Devin Girard will not let this matter go. The fact that you were able to persuade the SSF that his challenge was illegal will simply spur him to greater efforts. He will get his duel and his duelling style is…’
Mitsuko appeared to be searching for the right word, so Nava decided to supply a few. ‘Dishonourable? Lethal? Murderous?’ Mitsuko’s eyes widened briefly; that had been a little shocking. ‘I’ve reviewed his duelling record. He picks fights he’s almost certain he can win. He selects lower-status victims where possible and, when he believes he can get away with it, he kills them in duels which should be to first blood. His name likely shields him from the retribution he deserves. The Sonkei clan has no seat on the Clan Council, but they are far from powerless within the Clan Worlds, as you well know.’
‘You’ve done your research.’ That seemed like a tacit admission of the problem without actually agreeing with Nava’s assessment. ‘What will you do if he issues another challenge to you? Are you unwilling to defend your honour?’
‘I’m clanless. I have no honour in the eyes of the majority of people.’
‘Yes, but–’
‘I also have personal reasons for avoiding duels. However, if I am challenged by
