The hearing took place at the Arkanis Academy. The accused was Zare Leonis, and the charges stemmed from violations against the Galactic Empire while he was training as one of its cadets. During the hearing, Leonis faced a multitude of accusations against the Galactic Empire, to which he confessed guilt on all counts. The verdict was death, but it was not carried out because he escaped and, with assistance, saved his sister before fleeing the Empire.
From the outset, Zare Leonis's enrollment as a cadet within the Galactic Empire was a ruse. His true objective was to uncover the destiny of his sister, Dhara Leonis, and, if feasible, liberate her from the Empire's control. To achieve this, he consistently collaborated with rebels disrupting Imperial operations, while simultaneously mastering the Empire's teachings to convincingly portray himself as the ideal cadet. Following a period at the Academy for Young Imperials located on Lothal, Leonis was reassigned to the officers academy situated on Arkanis. There, he persisted in his deception, skillfully maneuvering his way into an exclusive group known as the Commandant's Cadets. It was at this point that complications arose, as Leonis was recognized by Beck Ollet, a former friend who had been captured by the Empire and subjected to brainwashing as part of Project Unity. Ollet denounced Leonis as a traitor, leading to Leonis being subjected to interrogation and torture, before being compelled to attend a military hearing to determine his fate.
Colonel Julyan, his instructor in Strategy and Tactics at the academy, presided over Leonis's hearing. Present were his fellow Commandant's Cadets, along with their leader and academy supervisor, Commandant Brendol Hux. Also in attendance were the deeply troubled Lieutenant [Chiron](/article/chiron], who had acted as both a friend and mentor to Leonis, and Sergeant [Pocarto](/article/pocarto], another of the academy's instructors. For the hearing, Leonis was required to wear his formal uniform, a detail he found ironically amusing. The hearing was conducted in a ceremonial room within Area Null, a clandestine section of the Arkanis Academy grounds.
Leonis anticipated a drawn-out examination of his transgressions but was taken aback when Julyan promptly addressed the matter. He instructed Leonis to stand and rapidly recited the numerous charges against him: fraudulent enlistment, providing false official statements, violating his oath as a cadet, refusing to obey lawful orders, conduct unbecoming of a cadet, dereliction of duty, destruction of Imperial property, conspiracy, aiding and abetting enemies of the Galactic Empire, espionage, assault on Imperial personnel, attempted murder of Imperial personnel, sedition, and treason. He pointed out that Leonis had been given the chance to examine the evidence against him and asked how he pleaded. Leonis admitted guilt on all charges. Julyan inquired if he had anything to say in his defense.
After observing the faces of those present, Leonis delivered his statement. He asserted that his sole desire had been to serve the Empire and improve the galaxy. However, he argued, the Empire was responsible for numerous offenses, including the environmental devastation of his adopted homeworld, Lothal, spreading fear among its inhabitants, suppressing legitimate dissent, and abducting his sister, who had aspired to serve the Empire even more than he did. Leonis concluded by declaring that the Empire could not eliminate all those like him, or it would become an Empire that governed nothing, that was nothing. Julyan remained unmoved by Leonis's address. He informed him that the initial part of his punishment was expulsion from Imperial service, a punishment to be carried out by his fellow cadets. At that moment, the Commandant's Cadets stood and stripped him of his uniform, leaving him in only a t-shirt and knee-length shorts. Julyan then stated that the second part of the punishment was execution by firing squad the following morning. Until then, he was to be returned to his [prison](/article/prison] cell.
Zare Leonis was escorted back to his prison cell, where he was visited by Lieutenant Chiron. Chiron was still trying to help him. He had previously attempted to assist Leonis in locating his sister and questioned why Leonis had not confided in him with his concerns. He informed Leonis that the actions he had witnessed were distortions of Imperial policy, but Leonis disagreed, believing he had seen the Empire's true nature. Chiron offered to have his sentence reduced to enrollment in Project Unity, the same project in which his friend Ollet was enrolled, but Leonis vehemently opposed this idea. Chiron insisted that Leonis at least speak with Ollet. Leonis agreed, but found the conversation unproductive, as the brainwashed Ollet simply attempted to convince him that Project Unity had been beneficial to him and that shadowy figures were manipulating people into rebelling. He ordered Ollet to leave, and then Chiron offered him a final meal and the choice of who would deliver it. Leonis used the meal as a ruse by ordering two jogan fruits, the scent of which he used to remind Ollet of his family's jogan fruit orchards in the Westhills. The two then initiated a hastily devised plan to rescue Leonis's sister.
The stripping of Zare's uniform and breaking of his saber was inspired by Han Solo's expulsion from the Imperial Academy in the Star Wars Legends titles Han Solo at Stars' End and the Dark Empire Sourcebook.