“Too much going on.” Kalico snorted derisively. “It’s depressing to think that if he hadn’t killed the crew and Creamer, you might not have been fast enough to rescue me last night. It would have been nip and tuck if you’d been able to stop that shuttle.”

Talina gave a friendly punch to Kalico’s shoulder. “I’d have stopped it. Even if I had to shoot out one of the turbines.”

“That would have put you in good with The Corporation,” Yvette noted. “They’d have sent forty marines on the next ship, just to take you in.”

The rapping of a gavel—yes, a real one—carried over the noisy room. Must have belonged to Abibi. The sound brought everyone to attention.

Captain Abibi stood, using the microphone to announce, “Seeing that Supervisor Kalico Aguila is present, I call this court of inquest into session.” She looked around the room where people were seating themselves. First Officer Chin, looking nervous, straightened his dress uniform jacket.

“Board Appointed Inspector General Soukup,” Abibi began. “you have levied charges against Board Appointed Supervisor Kalico Aguila. Under her right, subject to Corporate Regulations and Legal Code, Title VII, Article XII, Section 4, the Supervisor has requested a hearing to determine the validity of the charges.” Abibi looked around the room, as if to communicate the gravity of the situation. “You may now enter your evidence into the record.”

Abibi seated herself.

Soukup, winced, rose, and faced the bar. The man looked to be in pain, but had refused additional medication lest it dull his senses.

“Here we go,” Shig said softly. “Hope it doesn’t turn into a bloodbath.”

The booing started the moment Soukup began lining out the legal violations incurred, starting with the sale of Corporate assets, properties, and equipment. Took him almost five minutes to cite each violation by code, section, and paragraph. As he did, the crowd got louder.

Talina turned, rising and pulling her pistol. “Hey! Shut your yaps! Or, by God, I’m coming out there to bust some heads.”

“Gonna be a long afternoon,” Yvette prophesied.

Chapter 77

  77  

To Kalico’s surprise, the list hadn’t turned out to be exhaustive. The majority of the charges stemmed from her sale of the Corporate assets and property to the Donovanians. Soukup cited another list of obscure legal code violations relating to her alleged negligence in the Maritime Unit catastrophe. Then came no less than sixteen infractions of law and dereliction of duty when it came to the repair and refitting of Freelander, which—according to Soukup—appeared to be a valuable Corporate resource. And all the while, he claimed, Kalico Aguila—in violation of seven different Corporate laws against profiteering and graft—was making herself the richest woman in the universe, and was even now adding Southern Diggings to her amassed fortune.

That brought howls of approbation from the crowd, including calls of “Damn straight” and “Way to go, Kalico!”