FSE

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Everyone gathers around real or virtual windows and video screens to watch. The observation bubbles on top and bottom of the ship were both packed with people who wanted to see the planet the tigers came from. Everyone who was not actually running the ship was there and quite a few of the people who needed to be working were watching as the Infinite Horizon approached the planet's day side.

Neither the tiger-people nor the tree-dwelling monkey-people had developed any form of space travel before the invasion so there were no existing satellites or native ships in orbit. In fact, aside from a few geostationary communication satellites and a loan security gunship, the orbital space around the planet was empty.

As soon as the Infinite Horizon made its intention to gain orbit clear the security vessel started to maneuver to intercept. Neither ship opened communication channels until the Infinite Horizon was in orbit with the other ship matching their orbit a few degrees behind.

As the security vessel starts to broadcast, Zuhumi pushes the ship-wide communication button so everyone could hear.

The commander of the security vessel's voice cuts in mid-sentence, "...you are entering Corporation space and you are required to..."

Zuhumi, Aleya, Itico and Randa are stand in the center of the Infinite Horizon's control deck, in the commanding position to show up on the other ship's holographic viewer, if they had one.

Zuhumi takes a step back from his commanding position in front of the others, setting himself a half step behind Aleya, who is especially undressed for this occasion. In fact, she wears one of the dead slave collars and nothing else.

Zuhumi's action makes the other commander blink and cut himself off mid-sentence.

Aleya slowly reaches up and removes the collar and snaps it clean in half. She casually tosses it over her shoulder. She stands in front of the others completely devoid of clothing. Any youngsters who were watching around the ship had been tutored about why she was doing this and what it meant.

One of Zuhumi's staff steps from outside of the viewer's range and lays a robe over Aleya's shoulders and helps her put her arms in the sleeves. Once the garment was settled, Zuhumi steps up next to her.

Aleya's robe is split down the center and is decorated with Zuhumi's clan colors and symbols on one side and colors and symbols chosen by the tiger-people displayed on the other.

Aleya stands straight and looks directly at the commander of the security vessel. In her soft, almost purring voice she says, "You may recognize me as Randa, favorite of the CEO. I stand before you now as Aleya," she gestures to Zuhumi, "This is Zuhumi, commander of the Trader Clan vessel Infinite Horizon."

Aleya gestures to her other side to where Itico and Randa are seated in the viewer field and continues, "This is the actual Randa, the personality which used to inhabit my body, and her brother Itico originally of the planet of Mist, which is the planet we are currently orbiting." She pauses, but not long enough for the commander to speak.

"Your CEO is dead, most of the Board of Directors perished with him when his yacht was destroyed. Your Corporation has effectively been dismantled. None of the trading clans will conduct business with you, your associated vessels, or outposts as long as you remain affiliated with the defunct Corporation. You and all of your compatriots are invaders who have no legal claim to this planet. We have returned to claim the land that is our by right and by birth."

The other commander opens his mouth, closes it again, opens it once again and then gaves up. He turns away from the people on the bridge of the other ship and asks his own crew, "How long has it been since we last heard from headquarters?"

A voice mumbles in the background.

"Well, try to reach them now, use all avaliable channels."

The voice mutters something again.

"Well, try again!" The other commander's voice is showing stress and agitation because he is not hearing news that he likes.

This time the voice from out of the viewer is heard clearly, "All relays are dead. No messages are going to or from HQ."

"That's not possible!" he yells. His face turns an interesting shade of red.

More mumbling in the background is heard and he turns back to the camera. "I do not know how you did this but I am not leaving until I figure out what is going on! I will not abandon this Corporate asset!"

Zuhumi steps forward and nods to the other commander, "I am certain your CEO and Board would appreciate your dedication. I have transmitted authenticated data for these claims and a Wrongful Seizure suit has been filed against your former employer. Since they are no longer available to be sued, and you still claim ownership of this planet, the suit will fall upon your shoulders. This suit will be dismissed if you and your fellow invaders relinquish all claims and vacate the planet and system immediately. Even your greedy corporation have rules against forcibly taking over planets claimed as homeward by an intelligent species. A stricture which you are currently in violation of. I understand that the penalties are quite severe."

The other commander is raging by now and yells, "I could just blow you out of orbit and bury your pieces deep in the ocean!"

Zuhumi smiles and gently taps a finger on the wrist of his other hand. On cue, another voice interrupts the other commander's raving so he turns and listens. He asks, "How many?" He slowly turns back to the others with all of the color drained from his face.

Zuhumi does not give the other time to speak. He says, "My ship alone is better armed, better armored and better maintained than yours. I know, we have the schematics. If you attempt to destroy the Infinite Horizon, you, your crew and everyone remaining invader will be vaporized."

"I," he stops and tries again, "I can't evacuate everyone on the planet."

Zuhumi silently gestures to a video display of the other trader clan ships who now ring the Infinite Horizon. "You were a low level ship commander who ran a junker security vessel around a little-known planet of no importance. You would love to lift yourself up and get to an important posting at some assignment that means something. Let me tell you something, man to man. You will never reach any hirer then you are right now until you learn some negotiating skills."

The other commander reaches for something out of view and his hand pulls back into view holding a data tablet. He says, "I need to review the evidence..." His voice fades as the first video plays. This video was recorded by Zuhumi's first ship as the two vessels were approaching each other. The other commander drops his hand and the data tablet slips numbly from his fingers. The clatters to the deck and settles with the video still playing on a loop. The tiny yacht converting itself into a fireball over and over again. He doesn't look up when he says, "I don't know what to do."

Aleya says, "Give us back our planet. It was never yours."

A hand reaches into view and snatches the fallen tablet. After a few moments the tablet is handed back and the commander reads, nods an hands the tablets out of view again.

Before the commander can speak again, a communication officer speaks to him again. This time, the officer stands close enough to the microphone that he can be heard on the other ship. "Commander, everything checks out. You have a call waiting from Corporate Council and he's charging by the minute even as he's on hold."

The commander sighs and looks at the officer who remains out of camera range. "Tell him," he says quietly, "that with the dissolution of the Corporation all our contracts are forfeit. I am in no positions to contest the claims and therefore I am going to comply with the conditions of the suit. We all must immediately relinquish any claim we have to this planet and its resources."

The commander than turns to one side so he can address more of his bridge crew, then thinking of something he turns back to the communication officer and adds, "Tell him all that and then hang up on him." He then shrugs and turns back to the camera."

"My apologies," he says, "I have just been given a whole lot of stuff to do and it is impolite to keep you waiting. Of course, I will not stop your people from returning to your home. I appear now to be a free agent and will need to do a lot of negotiating. You do not need to see that."

He pauses, "I do not know how everyone on the planet will react. I will immediately transmit to everyone that the corporation has lost its claim to this planet and that we are required to evacuate. I can not guarantee that everyone will want to go."

Zuhumi nods slowly, "Tell them that every former corporation employee must make an effort to leave. They are considered invaders and have no legal claim to any material or property on the planet. Any indentured people must be released and that includes those of the tiger people who have been kept in captivity here. These are intelligent people who have had every right to defend themselves and their territories."

The other commander nods and signs off, looking a lot more tired and less confident than when he started the communication. As the viewers cleared the other ship moved forward of the Infinit Horizon in orbit and parked itself in a less aggressive orbit.

As the transmission ends, Zuhumi turns to the others. "Was the ship-wide turned off?"

The answer came back from somewhere on the bridge, "Yes, we cut off the intercom right after."

Zuhumi nods and goes to his console and types a message to put up on the intercom video screens. The message reads, "We will remain in orbit for a few hours before heading to the surface of the planet. Return to your schedules until then. We will let everyone know if anything important happens."

As Zuhumi finishes, he looks at the others again and say, "I would really hate to be that commander now. He technically does not own that ship. If he's smart, he'll claim it as abandoned salvage but then he'll have to reconstruct a new crew. It's all on him now. No corporation to back him up."

Itico and Randa head off the bridge to a specially designed conference room down the hall. They are joined by Aleya and several others. Zuhumi enters after a few minutes.

In the center of the floor where a conference table normally would have been was a low platform where a map of the planet below was being projected flat. Two technicians from the Infinite Horizon crew sat near each other at a console busily adding data and dimensions to the projection. As the ships traversed their orbits, they were sending back many sensor readings that mapped the planet. After a few moments, the surface of the flat projection started to shape into a topographical map, then settlements, facilities, landing fields and homes started to resolve themselves.

Itico and Randa watch, seated next to the projection.

"I have no idea where to begin," says Itico.

"I know," says Randa. "We don't really know where we're from or even if we'll find any family still alive."

Itico nods and asks, "Do you feel anyone?"

Randa shakes her head, "Not certain. Nothing definite."

One of the technicians stands and walks to the pair of tigers. She carefully sits down near Randa and says, "Excuse me. We have some records that I wondered I you would like to see." She flips her long braided mane over a shoulder.

Randa looks over at the seated equine and asks, "What do you have?"

The technician looks a little uncomfortable but takes a breath and says, "We have tracking data for the ship that took you from your home. We have been able to find locations where many of your kind were captured. If you would like to see."

Itico chuckles, "Are you sure your species isn't telepathic?" He asks the technician who blinks at the question.

Randa adds, "We were just talking about how we would find out where we were from."

The technician giggles a little, "Oh, I didn't know."

Rands nods, "Private channel."

The technician nods and smiles. "Well, we were given a lot of data to go through so it has taken a while but I think we can find out where you are from."

Itico lowered his head a little and softly said, "That would be most helpful."

Randa nods in agreement.

The technician consulted her tablet and then taps a few times. The projection next to the trio starts to change. Little ships appear on the map with their names floating over the little icons.

Itico and Randa study the new information.

Itico nods to himself and turns to the young technician. "I see two locations for the ship we were on."

The technician nods.

Itico asks, "Which one was the earliest location?"

The technician taps the screen of her tablet and one point on the map starts to pulse slightly.

Itico nods and thanks her.

"That's where we need to go," Itico says to Randa, this time using a public channel so the technician can hear.