The Outcast by Christopher Nuttall

Author:Christopher Nuttall
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Galactic Empire, Science Fiction & Fantasy, Space Opera, Science Fiction, Space Marine, Adventure, Military
Published: 2013-06-19T05:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Four

And yet when the outside funds were withdrawn, the company simply crashed, unable to support its own weight. The results were often worse than if the government had stepped aside.

- Professor Leo Caesius. The Science That Isn’t: Economics and the Decline and Fall of the Galactic Empire.

“It’s a legal issue,” Salazar Hernandez said.

Sameena scowled. Hernandez was a good lawyer – Ethne had recommended him, back when she'd founded her corporation – but he reminded her of too many of the clerics back on Jannah for her to relax in his presence. He was handsome, in a bland sort of way, old enough to look mature and responsible at all times. And he smiled too much.

“Your husband took out a quite considerable loan to pay for his ship,” he explained. He seemed to feel the urge to explain everything, as if he was being paid by the word. “If your marriage is genuine, his shares in the ship would go directly to you; if your marriage was annulled, the shares would revert to the bank. They would effectively have a controlling interest in the ship.”

His smile thinned down. “Normally, I would not expect them to raise any objection,” he added. “You would have inherited his debt too and thus the bankers would still be paid. Now, however, they might make more if they resold the ship, hence their attempt to claim it back. No long-term thinking any longer, I fear.”

Sameena couldn't disagree. The bankers seemed to be aware that the Empire was slowly drawing back from the sector, leaving them high and dry; they wouldn't be able to claim back their money once the Empire was gone. Making a quick profit, even at the expense of considerable goodwill, might be all they had left.

“Right,” she said. “How exactly do they intend to challenge me?”

“By claiming that the marriage contract is invalid,” Hernandez said, simply. “Given that you signed it after his death, they could make a case that the whole situation was invalid. He could no longer marry you. Alternatively, they could claim that you’re lying about him insisting that you married him – or that you even forged his signature on the marriage contract. I’m afraid that his death and the lack of consummation means that the marriage could be called into question.”

“And if the marriage is annulled, the bank gets the ship,” Sameena said. She would still have her shares, but not enough to prevent the bank selling the ship onwards. “How do we oppose them?”

“You’d have to ensure that there was no doubt over what actually happened,” Hernandez admitted. “At worst, you would have to testify while under the influence of truth drugs.”

Sameena scowled. She didn't mind testifying about Brad’s death, but there were quite a few other details she didn't want to talk about, certainly not in public.

“The banks might also push for a flat ruling that the marriage is invalid,” Hernandez added. “You need to be prepared for that too.”

The case was heard two days

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.