Chapter 99 My lawyer has had his license for a long time...

Wellingon smiled. Luke didn't like the smile. 

"If I may?" he asked the judge.

She nodded. 

" Well, the accuser started at the company earlier than my client. "

" And?" 

Wellington clicked on his cell phone and the image of Kia's employment contract appeared.

"I've highlighted the section." 

He pointed to a passage. 

Luke raised an eyebrow questioningly, wondering why it had so many pages. 

"As you can see, it says here that she's only entitled to what she's earned herself. If we go down... Access to the bank account here..."

He scrolled down.

"Ah here."

Luke looked, it really did say she wasn't entitled to Luke's money.

"This can't be real?" 

Wellington looked from the TV to the lawyer. Clicked on the last page where the signature of Kia and Uther could be seen. Clicked again and a video was played. Kia was seen standing in front of Uther's desk, even younger, more nervous. 

Luke watched the scene, Uther's office was now managed by the board, back then it had just been a desk with a chair. Tes had called it the execution room.

Uther held the contract in his hand. 

"You've read every page? "

"Yes," came from Kia.

"And you agree with every point?" 

She nodded. 

" Questions about the contract, passages you don't understand?"

" Why is that guy standing there filming?"

" Documentation, everyone is filmed during the contract. Paragraph 12 in the contract."

" I see..." 

" Any more questions?" 

" No..." 

"Good," he signs.

"Welcome to the group." 

Wellington paused the video.

The judge looked from the video to Wellington.

"May I ask where you got this?"

Wellington smiled.

"I was the cameraman, officially of course. Since I was employed there at the time the founder was active. More as a freelancer. " 

Kia turned pale as cheese, as if she was remembering something. 

" Let's see how my client got his contract. "

He played, Luke, still in uniform, was also seen in front of Uther with the contract in his hand. 

"You read every page? "

" Why am I ranked lower than Kia?" 

" Luke you are assigned as an operator, your wife is doing an administrative job. "

" I have commanded soldiers, managed army bases ... Planned and executed operations..."

" Sure, your reports etc... are also flawless, but" Uther put the contract down in front of him.

"Luke, I don't want a pencil pusher. You'll be doing the same dirty work as before. "

Luke groaned. 

"Then I'd rather retrain."

Uther tapped his fingers on the table.

"And what do you want to retrain for? "

"I can become a diving instructor, then I'll have more time ..."

"May I remind you that you tried that once? When you had that fiasco in Australia."

"I can't help it if they bring me back!" 

Uther leaned back, took thick bundles of paper out of a drawer and placed them in front of him.

" What's this? " 

"The reasons why you'll be working here as an operator."

" What kind of reasons?" 

Uther grinned and lifted several pages to the side.

" October 3, Operation Glass Goblet, October 17, Operation Burning Coyote ..." 

Luke groaned. 

" You really got those few out?" 

" Actually, all the ones you did, including John's or the buffoonery for the corporation. This one." 

He tapped the bundle with his finger.

"Is your military life Luke?"

"Really? Then what was my first rule violation?" 

Uther flipped to the last page. 

"Training report, let's see, lined up wrong, slept in class, oh here. Got punished for starting a towel fight. "

" They did that in...?" 

" Sure. Even how many times you threw up while running." 

Uther turned several pages.

" Ah, here's your first real rule-breaker. "

" If you're referring to the beating from the idiot..."

Uther grinned.

"No, even earlier, Luke, when you knocked that guy out in the boxing ring and he died a few days later."

Luke scratched the back of his head at the video.

"Really? ..." 

Uther grinned and put the bundle back in order. 

" Then why do you have something like that? The Council said they have my file under lock and key..." 

" I built backdoors into the system back then. "

Luke remained silent.

" You get the same salary as in the military Luke, better health insurance and benefits and leave." 

Wellington paused. Luke rubbed his temples.

Teheen looked at him.

"What?" 

" I only had leave while he was there," he said.

"What are you saying, Counselor? What do you mean by buffoonery? " came from the judge.

Wellington grinned.

"They were both hired by the founder like everyone else, had to read and sign the contract in front of him, and by buffoonery he means the PR appearances as a rabbit. He wasn't a big fan of it, thought it was unnecessary. " 

The judge tapped her desk thoughtfully and looked at Luke.

"I want to hear from you why you want your peace and quiet."

Luke looked at her and stood up.

" Honored Judge, my life as a young adult and adult has been dedicated to protecting the North Block and the Corporation. Met my ex-wife early, saw her through the ups and downs of marriage. Yes, was always on the go, but she knew. I didn't say anything about the infidelities either, because we both knew."

"So you were cheating? " 

"More stupidity being young from both sides. But later she was the initiator."

" Mr. Akim, if I ask you on day X, what was the intention of your marriage?"

" A divorce, I talked to her on the cell phone for 7 years, first she didn't pick up, then she didn't say anything. 

"And what did you say?"

"Actually always just: Hello I am, I hope you are well, when you are ready to get in touch."

"Is there any proof of that?"

"On day X, I only came for my mother's birthday. I had already finished with the marriage. "

Wellington cleared her throat, clicked on what appeared on the cell phone chronological listing of calls with test content.

She glanced at the list. 

"Who did they call with 400 points?"

" The moon."

" Why the moon? "

" That's where my quarters were, I could contact my family from there. "

" Did they?"

He nodded.

" What about calls from your ex-wife?"

" My cell phone was with security."

" Why?"

Wellington cut in.

" He got into a fight with security that caused injuries to his sister. That's why he was arrested by security and taken to a cell and the communication devices were confiscated."

The judge tapped something on her desk.

"Ah, here, arrest for breach of security, internal regulation."

She looked up.

"And then?"

"I was released, put on the next bus and deported. My family knew nothing about it. Even when I got my cell phone back, there was no message from her, my family didn't hear from her and she wasn't with them."

"Hhmm and why do they just want their peace and quiet? Don't they want the money back? "

"No. She lived in the house for years for nothing, which she then burnt down because of the insurance, wrecked my car. So through the divorce she has lost privileges that she had before and no longer has. So now she has to take care of everything herself. "

Kia grumbled from her seat. Luke looked at her.

"My client has suffered professional disadvantages because of him!" came from a lawyer.

Luke looked at him.

"It's her own fault. I told her before the row that she should invest more in her work and attend training courses. When did the crash happen? Oh, 15 years ago, when I stopped helping her with the reports because I was swamped with assignments. Office work that was meant for her job, not me. Why should I write her order evaluations, inventories, monthly reports? "

The judge taps her desk with a gavel.

"Quiet, Mr. Akim, out of pure interest. Why did you marry the defendant back then?"

Luke looked at Kia.

"Well, she and I were brought together by corporate interests at the time. Out of conflicts of interest that emanated from her family side. I married her to keep her safe from her family."

Kia looked at him angrily.

"What, isn't that true? Didn't your birth mother try to break you? Huh? Stranded you in the troop home and bullied you? I bought a house back then and got you. I paid for the furniture etc. You didn't, because you were in such a bad financial situation back then. My assets, what I had together. Came from bonuses for assignments, settlements for assignments that went so badly that I was told to shut up. 

As you saw, she joined the company earlier than me, higher pay grade than me. When we were both in the army, yes, my salary was higher because of my rank. In the Group, I had to explain and document every expense to the board. "

Luke breathed a sigh of relief.

"You're stingy..." came from Kia.

Luke looked at her.

"Me and stingy? Please. Every time I've been in hospital for some injury and been discharged, something has been broken or missing. Every year you asked me for something that you had worn or used. But when it came to getting something? Oh, cheap things from the supermarket or leftover items. So don't tell me you're cheap. "

"What do you mean by hospital?" 

"I've often ended up in hospital, sometimes with a hit in the chest, sometimes with a hit in the neck, concussion, hairline fracture in the bone or in the back, and since I knew from the first hospitalization that it wasn't coming anyway. "

"I've been busy..." she said.

"Sure. I was busy too when they shot you and the others up. Went to the hospital to see you anyway. "

He cleared his throat.

"I see, and what do you mean by the first time?"

" Well, I had overlooked injuries, collapsed. She was there when it happened and from what I hear, she blocked helping, so the doctor on the scene had to do it with others. She never once came to see me because she was busy. 

Your honor, my ex-wife, as much as I was happy with her as she was. I liked her looks, her snoring, her whining etc etc little things. I was satisfied. I didn't need styling, I liked her without makeup in the flesh. 

I mean, look at her, she looks younger than she really is. Bigger breasts than before. "

She looked at him angrily.

"Yeah? What are you trying to tell me that I don't know? That you were faking? That my cock is too small? Huh? "

He saw her eyes get big. Luke looked at Judge.

"I've heard a lot about her. But I was happy with her the person. I could say, yeah that's my silly nut who can't cook, who snores and drools in her sleep. Who has fluffier hair than a sheep. Who is completely gone when there are technical devices. 

You see, I didn't care that she had bad habits. I always liked coming home.

But she chose a different path than I did. "

The judge looked at him in silence, then at Kia.

"Name me both one bad habit. You first," she pointed at Kia.

Kia looked at her. 

"He's ... "

"And I want to hear about marriage, nothing to do with the media or work." Kia seemed to be thinking.

"As long as she's thinking. The accused his side. A bad habit."

" Unreliability "

" In what form?"

" Well, they agreed on alternating household chores back then, she never did that. Always said oops forgot, shopping soon. Appointments only came late. Parties only when it was important to her."

"Examples?" 

"Well, her wedding anniversary was never an important day for her. It was more like her birthday, where I could maybe wish her happy birthday once in the morning, give her a present that she had wanted months before, and then she went out to celebrate with friends. "

" I see, and how was it the other way around? "

" Nothing, maybe once, oh oops I forgot, a kiss on the cheek, a quick number and the topic was gone. "

The judge looked at him, looked at Kia.

"Did they find anything?"

"He was..." she gritted her teeth. 

" Not man enough ..."

The judge raised an eyebrow. 

" You're not calling him man enough? Prosecutor, when I read his name and hers, I thought he was going to appear in a classy suit and gold chain. Or behaving like he was at a press conference or a fighting tournament. But that " 

She pointed at him.

"He behaves, he doesn't smoke like he did at the conference or be an asshole. Prosecutor. "

Kia stared at her.

 "Then I stand corrected, he's a liar."

" Uh-huh, and what's he lying about? He's admitted that their marriage was a corporate marriage, he's admitted that he does dirty missions, he's admitted that he's active off Earth and believe me, accuser, my nephew is a technician on the moon and tells grandma that if Olle and the others didn't use translators, we'd be screwed. Defendant, how do they communicate with the aliens?"

"I had implants inserted, vocal cords and in both auricles. Then I learned language and memorized knowledge into the central system. So that I can speak the main language..." 

She looked at Wellington, who was sitting next to Luke at the table.

"Tell me, how do you know so much..."

Wellington stood up.

"Ma'am, it's because I'm an alien. According to intergalactic law, my client is allowed to hire an external lawyer even in planetary legal matters."

"I see, and..."

"Madam, I am very, very old. This is not my first time on this planet and yes, I also have a license recognized by the Ministry. If I may mention that. "

" And is that your true appearance? "

Welligton smiled.

"No."

"Then your true appearance, please."

Luke looked at Wellington with interest.

He was transforming, looking like a human now, except his skin was black as onyx, his eyes ruby red, his hair fiery blue. Shit, Luke thought, he was really showing what he looked like. Teen stared at him, chalk-pale. 

"Satisfied, ma'am?"

She blinked.

"Yes. " 

"Then why?" 

" Madam, there are protocols. They look like this to me. For the accused, the rules on the ground apply. "

She seemed to be thinking.

"One more question, since it's been bothering me all along that this is a closed trial. Who is the woman with the defendant?" she pointed at Teen. 

"Tzz the retard from the SUV," came the grumbling from Kia. 

Wellington grinned, grabbed Teheen by the back of the neck and lifted her up. 

"Well, she's an alien like me, you see, following protocol. So looking like a local. She's a high ranking person and enjoys diplomatic immunity. "

" I see... and what are you doing here?" the judge asked.

Teheen looked at her.

"Waiting for him to finish..." came the dry and emotionless reply.

"So, if you know him, is it true what the lawyer said about the tax system?" 

"It's true, the Ministry of Finance catalogs the populated planets, the more developed the higher the tax. Individuals who don't have ID and don't pay tax are prosecuted and have to pay the tax. "

"What about the people who fly there from here and have an ID from here?" 

Teheen looked at her.

"ID is only valid if the planet is connected, otherwise visas." 

The judge looked at her thoughtfully, then at Luke. 

"Defendant, why didn't you indicate that?"

" There is no field for Alien, only External."

The judge sighed.

" Counselor, can you please show me your license?"

" Of course." He let go of Teheen. He called up the picture of the license.

" It says here that you received your license in 1912..." 

" Of course!"

" That was a long time ago, Counselor."

" Just a moment!" 

He called up another document, dated after the first eruption from the Council, university degrees, employment contract with Uther.

She looked at it. 

" May I ask you how you got this through?" 

" It was all a mess back then your honor. I got a pass from the Council."

"And the Council knew you were an alien?" 

" Of course, the founder used my services for the contracts with the trading partners. The president at the time agreed. " 

She looked at him. 

"Counselor, why do I have the feeling that the Founder had a hand in this?" 

Wellington smiled.

She called for recess, Luke got up and went to the smoking area, sat down and lit a fag. Pulled out his handheld and played his assignment for the day, really wondering if Teheen had too much free time. Teheen sat down next to him.

"Didn't you say a lawyer was coming?" 

" Well, that's what he said. "

She looked at him worriedly.

" Don't worry, it's not the first time I've had to deal with him."

"That's exactly why Luke..."

The break ended and he came back in. Wellington was sitting at the table, typing away on his cell phone.

"I hope my payment's here," came from him.

"Sure, two bags and the teeth."

" 2? "

" That's all I got, that's premium."

Wellington nodded and looked at Teheen.

" Questions?" 

" Yes. Why?" 

Wellington grinned.

" To have a bit of fun, Teheen and," he tapped the coffee bag.

" I can't say no to coffee."

" Then why don't you buy it through the Trade Alliance?" 

Wellington waves it off.

"There are too many cheap versions and good ones ? I only get a small cup at a utopian price."

"You have money ..." 

" What many borrow ... " He looked at her. " Your little sister Teheen. So much money for such a dress tz tz tz."

Teheen growled. 

Wellington looked at her. 

" How much is it going to cost me?"

" I'll tell you when you get back." 

She growled. 

" I still have something I want ..." 

Wellington looked at her.

" And that would be? "

" You have his uncensored army file?" 

Wellington grinned.

" Sure, but we'll talk about the price later, Teheen."

Luke heard Teheen grind his teeth. 

The judge came in, looked irritably at the table where Kia and a lawyer were missing.

She looked at Luke.

 "Look, unreliability." 

A lawyer stood up.

" My client is ... "

The judge raised her hand.

" I don't care, I'm announcing now. "

She laid out papers.

" The charges are dismissed. The defendant is not liable to make any payments to the plaintiff under the law of the Northern Block, with the agreement and actualization of the marriage contract. The plaintiff shall pay the costs of the proceedings. "

"Please?" came from counsel."

The judge looked at him.

"Your client has done nothing to show that he is guilty. You refused to show the account, you refused to show the prenuptial agreement, you even claimed there was none. They lost."

"My client has a ri."

The judge looked at the lawyer.

"Your client has misappropriated other people's capital and assets, counselor. Assets to which she is not entitled under the marriage contract. Can your client repay everything plus the sum that was supposed to go to the defendant at the time? "

" How much? "

" That was 8 M plus what she took for years plus the costs for you. Can she pay that?" 

" No..." came quietly. 

"The defendant, do I still understand you correctly, that you don't want to pay back the assets?" 

"Correct, your honor."

She looked at him in silence.

"All right, then. As I said, attachment rejected, the plaintiff bears the costs of the trial. " She tapped her gavel and ended the hearing. Luke stood up and walked out with Wellington. In the hallway, he extended his hand to Luke.

"Now my payment."

Luke sighed, took two 4 kg coffee beans and the teeth out of the nano bag and gave them to him. He grinned.

"Always a pleasure doing business," and suddenly he was gone.

Luke scratched his head.

"Likewise. "

Teheen tapped his cheek.

"Aren't you afraid he'll come with more?" 

"Who knows, you need junk, right?" 

She nodded.

"What do you mean I lost?" Kia echoed from the hallway. Teheen looked at him.

He grinned and walked down the corridor towards the exit. They met Kia and the star lawyer in front of the exit. She looked at him, grumbling. 

"Yes?"

" I'm going to appeal."

" Saskia " She winced when he called her that.

" Do you know why I didn't want my money back? "

" Because you couldn't? "

Luke grinned.

" No. Because I wanted you to have something left to maintain your standard of living. You're living too large. "

Teheen looked at him uncomprehendingly.

Kia stared at him.

"And this is your new one? " he pointed at Teheen.

"Yes, you got yourself a new one too," he pointed at the lawyer. Looked at Teheen.

"The one who told me I wasn't allowed anywhere near his office and who shagged her there."

 Teheen looked at the lawyer in silence, then looked at Kia.

"Aha, she looks really different from the video earlier..."

"Had plastic surgery."

"That was a makeover!" came from Kia.

" Then something like this. " 

" My client will appeal and get the money ..." 

Teheen looked at Luke again.

" Money? Oh, they're persistent."

She looked at the lawyer after looking around and seeing no one. 

"That won't work," she said.

"Pah! " came from him.Teheen looked at Kia. "Correct, your honor."

She looked at him in silence.

"All right, then. As I said, attachment denied, the plaintiff bears the costs of the trial. " She tapped her gavel and ended the hearing. Luke stood up and walked out with Wellington. In the hallway, he extended his hand to Luke.

"Now my payment."

Luke sighed, took two 4 kg coffee beans and the teeth out of the nano bag and gave them to him. He grinned.

"Always a pleasure doing business," and suddenly he was gone.

Luke scratched his head.

"Likewise. "

Teheen tapped his cheek.

"Aren't you afraid he'll come with more?" 

"Who knows, you need junk, right?" 

She nodded.

"What do you mean I lost?" Kia echoed from the hallway. Teheen looked at him.

He grinned and walked down the corridor towards the exit. They met Kia and the star lawyer in front of the exit. She looked at him, grumbling. 

"Yes?"

" I'm going to appeal."

" Saskia " She winced when he called her that.

" Do you know why I didn't want my money back? "

" Because you couldn't? "

Luke grinned.

" No. Because I wanted you to have something left to maintain your standard of living. You're living too large. "

Teheen looked at him uncomprehendingly.

Kia stared at him.

"And this is your new one? " he pointed at Teheen.

"Yes, you got yourself a new one too," he pointed at the lawyer. Looked at Teheen.

"The one who told me I wasn't allowed anywhere near his office and who shagged her there."

 Teheen looked at the lawyer in silence, then looked at Kia.

"Aha, she looks really different from the video earlier..."

"Had plastic surgery."

"That was a makeover!" came from Kia.

" Then something like this. " 

" My client will appeal and get the money ..." 

Teheen looked at Luke again.

" Money? Oh, they're persistent."

She looked at the lawyer after looking around and seeing no one. 

"That won't work," she said.

"Pah! " came from him.Teheen looked at Kia

"You have to go to the core system for that, file the complaint there, not here."

"Yes, how do you know that?"

"Well, quite simply. Since you're trading with the other aliens. The law from there also applies here. Everything he" she pointed at Luke. 

"What is earned here falls under the tax system of this planet. Since the sphere of influence only extends to this planet. What he earns outside of it he has to pay taxes to the core system and since he has never taken orders from aliens here."

"How would you know that?" 

Teheen grinned.

"You really weren't listening in that room. I'm not from around here. You should never have gotten a divorce. You can't milk him anymore. If you want money from him that he earned elsewhere, you have to go to the core system, file a petition there on the spot, then press charges, then show up for trial with a lawyer licensed to practice there. But..."

She continued to grin.

"You can't go there, you don't speak the language, you can't read it and, above all, you can't afford the costs."

"Yes? How much will it be? "

Teheen looked at Luke.

"How much did that scrap cost you in orbit?"

"I think twenty trillion." 

" So cheap . " She looked at Kia.

" As expensive as the junk thing."

The lawyer looked at her.

"How do they know that? And how do they come up with a sum like that?"

Teheen grinned.

"Well, because I calculated the costs for them," he pointed at Kia. 

"That high. Simple, and I'll tell the trade alliance. That the charge from her won't be approved until we get there. "

She leaned towards Kia, shifting into her original form, with deep red skin. Luke gripped his face.

"I have the power and you," she tapped her fingers on Kia's chest.

" You won't get anywhere with the legal theater. Live with it," she tapped her chest again.

"You haven't managed to tame him, you haven't managed to bind him to you. From what I've seen, you've only gotten him with sex around you."

"You fucked him yourself," came from her.

Teheen grinned.

. "Yeah and he's doing good and you know it. What did you tell him, huh?" she pointed at the lawyer.

"Oh you're better than my ex, oh you have such a big one" Kia growled.

Teheen grinned wider, cocked her head to the side and looked at Kia.

The lawyer glared at her.

"You're alluding to my skin color?!" 

Teheen glared at him.

"Skin color? " She looked at Luke.

"Huh?"

"Can your species change color?" 

"No, it's more of a genetic thing."

" I see, that is?" 

"Depending on where the guy has lived, the skin has adapted to the environmental conditions over generations ..."

She looked at him thoughtfully, looked at the star lawyer, who had an African, Arabic touch. 

"So his ancestors come from the sun region, yes?"

"Sort of, yes." 

 She looked at the lawyer studiously. Shifted into her human form.

The lawyer was still staring at her.

"You racist!"

Teen grinned.

"Now I know what he meant in the documentary. Interesting. No wonder you're getting nowhere."

"What?" came from the lawyer.

Kia grumbled.

"She means the documentary by the idiot, that's all. "

Teheen grinned and grabbed Luke's arm.

"I'm keeping Luke."

"Tz do that," she grumbled and kept walking. When she was two meters away.

"And unlike you, I get foot rubs too." 

Kia looked at her venomously. 

" Ha bullseye " she grinned. 

" Does he give you foot massages? Or just a quick fuck and you throw the money into expensive equipment?" 

" What's it to you? "

" Oh, struck a nerve. "

"If you say another word, I'll report you!" came from the lawyer.

Teheen grinned wickedly.

" You can't do that, what do you call it?" she looked at Luke, then at the lawyer. "Diplomatic immunity if you attack me. I wipe out this planet, enslave the population, I have you castrated and you're there when ..."

" Luke patted his head.

" Yeah, yeah, turn it down. " 

He looked at the lawyer.

"Let her." 

He looked to Kia, who was still scowling at him, then looked to Teheen.

"Come on, you were going to get that present for your sister."

He walked past the two of them, stopping higher up on her.

 "Even if your lawyers laughed about it, I meant it. You were my sanctuary, I..." he smelled something on her, sneezed and switched back to his original form. He rubbed his nose.

Kia looked at him wide-eyed in horror.

"Wow, you have a new perfume."

"What?" she began. Luke looked at her hands. 

" You should have said I have too many sides. 

Kia backed away.

" You're not ... "

Luke smiled. 

"Saskia, 15 years here, almost 200 years where the planet wasn't connected to the galactic grid. Of course I'm the same. "

He pointed to the surgical scars.

" Here so I can talk to the aliens, they didn't think much of anesthesia. " He pointed to connections on the neck. He pointed to a spot on the ear.

"This is the bite mark from when you clawed me. When they gave you the wrong medication and you ..."

Kia's eyes grew wide. 

Luke looked at the lawyer, who was also staring at him in horror, and pointed to the burn scars.

"Those are from when I came out of orbit. " 

He switched to his original version, looking at his hands. Looked at Kia with a smile.

She backed away further.

"What, Saskia? "

" You're old!"

" No. According to the north block system, you and I are the same age. It still takes time for the files to be updated with the core system. So if you're still keen on my money."

Teheen punched him in the side. 

"I'll give you 28.5K for a fuck and you give me 29K for a massage. Otherwise, I'll give you a tip, go to the small massage studios. Not the luxury ones, they'll only give you the superficial one and charge you."

" How do they know that? " 

" Because it's not a secret. "

Kia walked away hurriedly, the lawyer looked at her in confusion and followed. 

Teheen looked at Luke inquiringly.

"Why did you show her your face?"

Luke looked at her.

"Was her perfume, come on I know where you can find some."