[Arianna gets up when indicated, smoothing her business suit down in front of her, and moving to face the jury. As she speaks, she sounds calm and collected, even entirely reasonable (diplomacy 37).]

Rafael Giovanni was a star on the rise. An up and coming record deal with Burt Becksworth's agency. A live concert event set to be broadcast around the world. He had the world at his fingertips, and all of it was cut short by a madman who tried to hurt the woman he loved, and her tragic death as he tried to protect her.

[A pause.]

Or - at least that is now the defense will present it. There is no denying that Rafael Giovanni shot Eterna Jade as she was being held hostage by Roger James. But the state intends to prove that the death of Eterna Jade was no accident. The prosecution will prove that this was a deliberate plan, crafted by Giovanni himself as well as his manager, Burt Becksworth - a man notorious for doing whatever it takes to keep his artists in the public eye.

We have the evidence to show Giovanni meeting with the mysterious man who took Eterna Jade hostage. Over the next few days we will show you that this unfortunate death is not the tragedy it is painted to be. It was a cold blooded, calculated murder.

You'll see that the only verdict is guilty.

[And with that, she'll return to her seat, waiting for the defense to present their case.]