The Union Court of Great Tendor has sided with the People of Karnataka over the Deep Tendor Initiative – a renowned mining corporation with holdings across the sub-continent – in an upset few saw coming.

Great Tendor’s Union Court is not an impartial body. It governs disputes of the higher castes, such as princes and elves, and all 37 judges of the court are appointed by the Tendori Emperor. They will almost always side with the emperor’s wishes, it’s the strongest tool of control by the Imperial Family.

Prince Tipu is ‘merely’ the leader of a province going against one of the largest corporations in Great Tendor, so the verdict should have been clear despite the indisputable evidence Tipu put forward.

But the court ruled DTI must pay an immense fine for last year’s landslide, and while none of the corporate executives will be punished, Prince Tipu will have oversight powers on all operations in his territory.

It’s impossible to know exactly what sort of backroom politicking Prince Tipu needed for this verdict, but throughout the trial he was constantly giving speeches appealing to Protectorate sensibilities of justice. I reported on the trial throughout, and Field Marshal Kiskonski gave comments supporting Prince Tipu. It’s possible that the threat of widespread Protectorate disapproval forced the Union Court to throw him a bone.

“Our hearts weep for the people of Karnataka,” is all the CEO of DTI said in a statement.

“Justice has been done in this instance,” Prince Tipu said, “but there’s work to be done. DTI’s threats of termination were so effective because of Karnataka’s overwhelming poverty. Weakened through a century of unfair treaties, now ripped apart by rampant drug smuggling and organized crime, we must now go forth and address the underlying issues. A slap on the wrist is no conclusion.”