He then noted that Aguila had craftily, and with purposeful intent, ordered Colonel Creamer and his marines to be dispersed about the planet, diluting Corporate power, as was demonstrated by her prompt dismissal of Colonel Creamer, thereby taking control of the marines herself.

And, finally, he accused her of purposefully and maliciously sending him out on a malfunctioning shuttle, expecting full well that the A-7 would fall to its destruction, thereby eliminating any chance that Kalico Aguila would be brought to justice for her crimes.

All of the above, Soukup insisted, were but the tip of the iceberg when it came to Supervisor Aguila’s malfeasance, neglect, and arrogant abuse, not to mention abrogation of her responsibilities as a Corporate Supervisor.

Through most of it, Kalico remained seated, working on her nails. She was very much aware of the glances shot her way by Abibi, Chin, and Cinque. Through much of it, rumblings from the audience, outright catcalls, and hisses of disgust and anger came within a whisker of overwhelming the proceedings.

“Board Supervisor Kalico Aguila?” Abibi called, shooting nervous glances out at the crowd. “Do you wish to enter a defense concerning the allegations made by the Inspector General?”

Kalico stood, glancing sidelong at Abibi and her two judges. Then she shot a dismissive look at Soukup, who now sat, back straight, expression wooden. “Captain, would you repeat my title please?”

Abibi warily said, “Board Supervisor Kalico—”

“Board Supervisor,” Kalico interrupted. “The good Inspector General forgets that I was appointed by the Board. Nor was he present when I accepted that appointment. Perhaps I should remind him of why I was chosen for the Donovan mission. It had been years since word of Donovan had been received by the Board. The prevailing wisdom on Transluna was that rogue elements on Donovan had seized seven ships, that this colony was a pirate base being run by Supervisor Clemenceau. I was given the authority—by the Board—to come, see, and make a determination about the Colony’s fate.” She paused, glancing up at Abibi. “Captain, I believe you can corroborate my testimony on this regard?”

Abibi nodded. “I can.”

“Given. The. Authority.” Kalico emphasized each word. “Carte blanche. Allowed complete discretion. So, I came. I followed my directive and instructions to the letter. Discovered no pirates, no rogue Supervisor. Only a colony of people who’d survived by virtue of their guts, hard work, and surprising innovation.”

Whistles, cheers, and wild applause broke out behind her.

Kalico—a twisted smile accenting the scars on her face for the benefit of the cameras—waited until Talina had restored order.