Claim Check

                            By:

                         Fox Cutter

02/08/97:

"So what your basically telling me," I said to Sora, "is
that this guy own the whole of the solar-system we were in."

She nodded, settling back a bit in her chair. "Close
enough."

I rubbed my forehead. "I would love to hear the legalities
that lead to this turn of events." I muttered.

She shrugged, "You may, or may not. He did want to talk to
us both."

The he we were both talking about was the business man who
had paid for Sora's ill-fated trip, and also, because of his
'ownership' of the system, stopped any colonization there.
Which explained why it was left empty, even if it was there
closest neighbor.

Sora had apparently sent a report to him when we arrived on
the planet two days back, today he had insisted on talking
to both of us. So now, we where both waiting for him to call
us into his office.

I stretched my arms out, though making sure the cloak stayed
on, I didn't need to have it fall of, not at least until I
found a fold.

A project that was taking slightly longer then I had hopped.

At that moment, the secretary spoke up. "You can go in now."

Both Sora and I stood, and walked into his office. Inside it
was lavish, as well as huge, there was books and paintings
all over the place, as well as many things under glass all
around the room.

I frowned, this man had money, and liked to flaunt it. In my
history, I've never had a good run in with such a person.

The person in question was an elderly looking man, streak of
pure grey through his black fur, he had a slight hunch, and
it seamed to me that part of his left wing was missing. He
was sitting at a large chair behind a huge desk. As we
entered he waved us to sit down.

"Hello Graven, sir." Sora said, giving her head a quick nod.

He nodded back, then looked at me.

"Hello." I said, giving the same quick nod. It was the
equivalent of a handshake to Sora's people.

The nodded was returned, as he settled his paws on the desk.
"I am glad to see you survived Sora." He cast his eyes at
me. "Her report says that you fixed the radio in the
escape-ship. For that I am grateful to you Fox, I shall
endeavor to repay you for that."

I shrugged a bit. "No real need for that."

This caused him to lean back a bit. "No need? Young one, the
Kadrin clan is one of the most powerful clans in history. I
can do many things for you and your clan, resolve debts,
remove black marks, a thousand things. You'll need it
someday, and it shall wait till then."

He gave me a smile, then turned back to Sora. "Now, I did
read your report in full, and I am sorry at the lose of
Tranisken. He was the best pilot I ever had employed, but
that is not why I called you two here. Is there anything you
didn't put into your report? I really do need to know, I
promise it will not leave this room."

I resisted taking a glance at Sora, as I was sure he would
notice that, even though I did have on there equivalent of
sunglasses (I needed them to hide my eyes).

Sora shook her head, "Nothing at all Graven, sir."

He 'hummed' and nodded. "Well then, why don't you tell me
more about the accident that caused the crash?" He asked, at
the same time knitting his paws together just under his
chin.

"Everything about it was in the report."

His ears twitched just a bit, and I watched his fingers flex
as he tightened them. "Humor me." He said.

She sighed. "Very well, I was--" she started, when he cut
her off by looking at me and saying.

"You won't be needed for this, and I would like to keep this
conversation confidential. Please step outside."

This time Sora and I did glance at each other. She nodded a
bit, and I got up out of my chair and stepped back into the
waiting room, once again taking up a chair and waiting.

I sat there for about half an hour, every know and then I
would here an almost audible snatch of conversation, but no
more then that.

Eventually the door to the office opened, and Sora stepped
out, closing it gently behind herself. She had her wings
wrapped tightly around herself, and tears streaking her
muzzle.

She just stood in front of the door, shaking slightly, and
quietly weeping. I walked over next to her, wrapping an arm
around her. "What's wrong?"

"He took it all..." she whispered. "I can't repay it, so he
took it all."

I felt the bottom of my stomach drop through the floor. I
had a really bad feeling about this. I gently walked her to
one of the chairs, and got her to sit down. "I'll be back in
a few minutes." I said to her, then walked back over to the
secretary.

"Could you tell Graven that I would like to finish are
conversation." I told him.

He looked up, then hit the intercom, passing along the
message. A few seconds later he nodded. "Go one in."

I smiled, and said "Thank you." Then I turned, and pushed
open the door, at the same time pulling off the dark glasses
from my muzzle, so he could see my eyes.

He paused as I entered. "Now, care to tell me what
conversation we were having?" he asked, giving me a fake
smile.

I already had my paws balled up into fists, I just moved
them against my sides. "Let's cut the pleasantries shall we.
What the hell did you do to her?"

He shook his head, leaning back in his chair. "Oh, I'm sure
you could guess."

I frowned. "I'm not in the mood for games. You just tell
me."

He chuckled. "My my, you are a violent one. Do you have any
idea what I can do to the Cutter clan Fox? Do you? I can
have every single member discredited and destroyed in a
matter of minutes. It is not wise to annoy me."

I took a few steps more into the room. "I belong to no
clan."

He smiled, then stood and walked around his desk. "Really,
and yet you pass around a clan name? Oh, I am truly going to
have fun destroying you."

"I doubt you could do something like that." I growled.

He sat on the side of his desk. "I've destroyed clans bigger
then my own. You won't be a challenge."

I tilted my head and looked at him, getting a idea of what
to do. "You don't know what you're dealing with."

"I would say a youth that doesn't know his place."

I reached up, and scratched my neck. "You are a fool." I
said. Then as fast as I could, I undid the clasp of the
cloak, and took to steps forward, forcing it off my
shoulders, and onto he floor.

He paused, looking at me from top to bottom, then slowly his
eyes went wide. "Demon." He whispered.

I smiled to myself. It was the reaction I had hopped for. I
took a few more steps forward until I was right in front of
him. "Not quite, but as far as your concerned, it's close
enough."

He stood back up and looked my right in the eyes. "I'm not
afraid of you."

I tilted my head and smiled. Then grabbed him by the front
of his shirt, and pulled him even closer. "Good, it spoils
the fun. Now tell me, what did you DO to her?"

He smiled. "Simple, I called in an old debt her clan owed to
me. Her clan had to pay it or forfeit everything they own,
and she is the only member of her clan left, and now I own
her."

"Slavery," I growled.

He nodded. "Oh yes, and I doubt she'll every earn enough to
clear the debt even if she has a thousand children.
Three-hundred years of interest doesn't go away very
quickly."

I let go of him, giving him a hard shove so he fell back
onto his desk. "Three-hundred years?!"

He smiled. "Oh, it's easy to extend the amount of time you
can claim a debt, very, very easy." He sat back up on the
edge of his desk flexing his wings a bit. "Her clan is mine
until the debt is paid, or my line ends, and neither is
going to happen any time soon."

I crossed my arms, felling claws slip out of the tips of my
fingers. "I some how suspect you can let her go any time you
want."

He nodded. "I could, but I won't. You see, I have a rather
long line and you can kill them all. Not to mention, if I
should be killed, or even harmed, I will destroy her. You
may be a demon, but even you wouldn't dare harm me."

I frowned, he was right, there really was nothing I could
do. Bending down I picked up my cloak, and put it back on.
"Your right, I can't harm you, not yet. Believe me though,
you have NOT heard the last of me. You've just made yourself
a very powerful enemy, if your lucky, you'll live to regret
it."

He chuckled. "I have many enemies. You are not one to be
scared of."

I turned to walk out, then stopped. "It's not me you need to
worry about." I said then stomped out of the office, and
back into the waiting room.

Sora was where she had been before, still crying. Sitting
down next to her I held her. "It'll be ok Sora."

She shook her head. "No it won't, It can't be. There's no
way I can live like that. I'd die first."

I shook my head, and whispered. "There is another way."

She looked at me. "How?"

I smiled. "I could take you back to my home. You'll see a
lot more there then you would here."

She paused for a few seconds, then slowly nodded. "I guess."

I nodded. Leaving me with the problem of finding a way to
get there.