"Docking request denied. You are number 23 in the landing queue, Commander".
M. Volgrand, sighed and shut down his Hauler's engines prior to release the controls and let the autopilot to keep the ship in the same position. Goddamn luck, more than twenty pilots waiting to dock in Hango's dock, the smalles station he had ever seen. And of course, Volgrand was probably the only one carrying legal cargo, why else would any other pilot travel more than 6000 light seconds? The power generators he was carrying weren't that much profit to justify that.
Suddenly the radio crack up, incoming transmission from a nearby ship transmitting in all available frequencies. He accepted it, curious about what he had to say. "Hey, commanders, hit the station's broadcast, Senator Torval is freeing slaves again". Volgrand did that, and soon the mature's woman voice echoed in the cockpit.
“...vious years I am freeing 10,000 unregulated Federal slaves bought from private traders in Federal systems for their Christmas celebration. The barbarism of unregulated slavery in the Federation is unforgivable. The Federation needs to pass laws to regulate slavery rather than pretending the practice doesn’t exist.”
"It is good that someone in the Empire has some common sense!" said a man's voice through the communicator. "Slavery is probably the worst crime in the Galaxy"
"You're a moron" answered a female, "don't you see she doesn't deny slavery, but 'unregulated slavery'?"
There was some chatter as more and more pilots joined the conversation about the Senator's christmas' action. Volgrand listened, wishing to be able to light a cigarrette during the wait. But yeah, lighting one in an oxygen-rich atmosphere as the cockpit may actually be considered like the most stupid death a pilot ever had. 'Ah well, at least I can talk with those guys'.
"But actually... she's right", he said.
"About what? Freeing the slaves?".
"No. About regulating slavery".
There was a tense silence in the communicator. After all, they were in a system populated both by federal and alliance pilots, mostly of them absolute detractors of slavery... or at least, they would never recognize that they approved it publicly.
"Think about it, would prostitution cease to exist if it was banned? So, why do you think that slavery will stop existing if it is prohibited? Doesn't it still happen within the Federation borders?"
There were some word against Volgrand's opinion, and when he could talk again he said:
"If you have been flying along the Federation space you will have seen how its law works: I have seen traders being shot down by the federal forces for a bounty of a few hundred credits. Also, bounties over commanders that were not able to pay their debts. And how does their death benefit the empire, or even the people to whom they owed so much money? Nothing!"
The hud of the ship bleeped a green light, followed by the message: "Landing granted, please proceed to landing pad 3". Volgrand activated the engines and started heading to the place.
"If slavery has to exist, then it should be regulated, so the slave have a minimum of rights. And, for the benefit of everyone, certain criminals should be condemned to slavery, so they can pay back their crimes with their work. Death sentences for the minor crimes don't help anyone, and sending someone to jail to set him free completely broke will only force him to commit crime again."
With a soft 'thud', Volgrand's hauler landed on the pad, and the landing gear fixed the position. He contacted the command console, setting orders to sell his full cargo of power generators, and ordering to fill his cargo bay with refined iron. The countdown showed that the automated cargo bots would take about five minutes to complete the orders. Volgrand awaited for it, listening to the voice of his fellow commanders... specially those who disagreed with him.
M. Volgrand, sighed and shut down his Hauler's engines prior to release the controls and let the autopilot to keep the ship in the same position. Goddamn luck, more than twenty pilots waiting to dock in Hango's dock, the smalles station he had ever seen. And of course, Volgrand was probably the only one carrying legal cargo, why else would any other pilot travel more than 6000 light seconds? The power generators he was carrying weren't that much profit to justify that.
Suddenly the radio crack up, incoming transmission from a nearby ship transmitting in all available frequencies. He accepted it, curious about what he had to say. "Hey, commanders, hit the station's broadcast, Senator Torval is freeing slaves again". Volgrand did that, and soon the mature's woman voice echoed in the cockpit.
“...vious years I am freeing 10,000 unregulated Federal slaves bought from private traders in Federal systems for their Christmas celebration. The barbarism of unregulated slavery in the Federation is unforgivable. The Federation needs to pass laws to regulate slavery rather than pretending the practice doesn’t exist.”
"It is good that someone in the Empire has some common sense!" said a man's voice through the communicator. "Slavery is probably the worst crime in the Galaxy"
"You're a moron" answered a female, "don't you see she doesn't deny slavery, but 'unregulated slavery'?"
There was some chatter as more and more pilots joined the conversation about the Senator's christmas' action. Volgrand listened, wishing to be able to light a cigarrette during the wait. But yeah, lighting one in an oxygen-rich atmosphere as the cockpit may actually be considered like the most stupid death a pilot ever had. 'Ah well, at least I can talk with those guys'.
"But actually... she's right", he said.
"About what? Freeing the slaves?".
"No. About regulating slavery".
There was a tense silence in the communicator. After all, they were in a system populated both by federal and alliance pilots, mostly of them absolute detractors of slavery... or at least, they would never recognize that they approved it publicly.
"Think about it, would prostitution cease to exist if it was banned? So, why do you think that slavery will stop existing if it is prohibited? Doesn't it still happen within the Federation borders?"
There were some word against Volgrand's opinion, and when he could talk again he said:
"If you have been flying along the Federation space you will have seen how its law works: I have seen traders being shot down by the federal forces for a bounty of a few hundred credits. Also, bounties over commanders that were not able to pay their debts. And how does their death benefit the empire, or even the people to whom they owed so much money? Nothing!"
The hud of the ship bleeped a green light, followed by the message: "Landing granted, please proceed to landing pad 3". Volgrand activated the engines and started heading to the place.
"If slavery has to exist, then it should be regulated, so the slave have a minimum of rights. And, for the benefit of everyone, certain criminals should be condemned to slavery, so they can pay back their crimes with their work. Death sentences for the minor crimes don't help anyone, and sending someone to jail to set him free completely broke will only force him to commit crime again."
With a soft 'thud', Volgrand's hauler landed on the pad, and the landing gear fixed the position. He contacted the command console, setting orders to sell his full cargo of power generators, and ordering to fill his cargo bay with refined iron. The countdown showed that the automated cargo bots would take about five minutes to complete the orders. Volgrand awaited for it, listening to the voice of his fellow commanders... specially those who disagreed with him.