Susan would have said it was my own damn fault, but I was set up. I should never have trusted Collin with the planetary research. Granted, there was nothing factually wrong in his report, but he did leave one little detail off. But I\'m getting ahead of myself.
I used to be a top trade negotiator for Amorex Shipping Inc. Routes that bring in eight figures to the company are (were) practically commonplace for me. I thought nothing of being asked to negotiate a regular grain shipment contract between Dominat and Groveto. The only tricky part was finding a place that representatives for both planets were comfortable meeting on (atmospheric concerns). Branchet seemed like the perfect place. Collin\'s report indicated that Branchet\'s atmosphere would not make either species uncomfortable in the short run and the local laws on slavery did not extend into the Federation neutral zone. What he neglected to tell me in the report was that they were in the final stages of applying for full federation member status, up from their current status of Protectorate.
Of course, you all know what that means. The only way a federation of several hundred planets can hold together is if the member planet\'s laws are all honored equally. This has special implications for the laws on slavery. Slavery is legal on any planet that makes it legal, AND the status of a slave cannot be reversed legally except under the laws of the planet where the enslavement took place or on the slaves home planet. Branchet was accepted as a full member in the middle of the negotiations.
But now she is a slave across the skies.
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