@bronzelion didn't remember me from Starlab 41665.1. Why would he have bothered to look at a random aiways that was of no consequence to him, when he had a starlab to inspect?

  "This is the one you say has my ship?" he asked, turning to @spaceglider and @roilapex, but mostly ignoring their government official, @rainygrove.

  "It is," @spaceglider replied, standing tall and confident.

  These two no doubt interacted on a semi-frequent basis. I couldn't tell if there was some lingering hatred there, but to an observer like me, the image of the two of them looked like mutual respect with a dash of caution and distrust. @bronzelion turned toward me next, visibly angry, but also curious. Without his helmet, I could now see his blue eyes looking me over, standing out against his bald head and dark eyebrows.

  "We aren't done discussing the virus," @rainygrove said, standing and stepping in front of @bronzelion so that she was between him and me.

  He pushed her out of the way with a quick shove to her right shoulder, sweeping past her. She stumbled, but caught herself, with @spaceglider stepping over to lend her a hand.

  @pixel_princess was next. She leapt out of her seat and was between us in a flash. @bronzelion pulled up mid-stride, but then I could see that he was prepared to push through her as well.

  Not this time.

  @pixel_princess shoved him first, with two hands to the chest, forcing him back a step. @bronzelion didn't like that, but he stayed put, snickering to himself.

  "How did this foot soldier end up with my ship?" he asked.

  @pixel_princess held her hand up behind her, signaling for me to remain quiet, but she kept her body square with @bronzelion, staring him down.

  "You may ask questions, but you must abide by the procedures of this summons," she commanded.

  By this time, the other members of the panel had started gathering next to her, forming a line, the six of them taking positions between @bronzelion and me.

  He grunted and moved to the open space between the rows of panelist chairs, turning back quickly to face me, now ten paces away. I imagined myself shooting an electrified grappling hook at his face. Let's see your smug face while I push electricity through that armor of yours!

  Then again, he might have dampeners or something to store the power rather than take damage. His fancy armor wasn't fancy for no reason. I could still send voltage through his face, though, with a well-timed shot to the noggin.

  The panelists from both sides slowly returned to their chairs, but they remained standing. @bronzelion stood impatiently, full of furious breaths.

  rainygrove: "The panel will now allow @bronzelion, Chief Master Sergeant of the Solar Union Starmada, to question the witness."

  I could tell it gave her great satisfaction to be the one to announce his permission to speak. It was obvious that @bronzelion was a dick, but there was more to their interaction than that. She probably saw him as a necessary evil. Regardless, watching him interact with @rainygrove and @spaceglider gave me hope that at least those two Burners could be allies, and hopefully were not connected to the virus.

  bronzelion: "I demand the return of my ship, Oblivion."

  That wasn't a question, so I shrugged and remained silent. He took a step forward, rage building, but then thought better of it and stopped. He looked to the panel on his left, then his right.

  bronzelion: "Permission to treat the witness as hostile?"

  Hostile? Oh, come on. You're the hostile one.

  The Solar Union assembly looked at each other.

  rainygrove: "Permission denied."

  Oh, that had him steamed. I was loving this.

  bronzelion: "I demand the return of my ship and the memories of those aboard. Not only has my ship been stolen, but the memories of its crew. May the panel and the audience gathered here take note. We had 89 aiways aboard that ship. This man here has stolen their memories. I want my ship, but there is no greater crime than to take our memories, during the peace treaty no less."

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  The crowd again reacted. The anger emanating from the Solar Union side was offset by the shock from the Outer System Alliance, as both sides learned the body count.

  I needed to say something.

  kittyboy: "I didn't kill your crew. They were already dead when I boarded Oblivion."

  I almost said your ship, but it wasn't his ship. In my mind, it was never truly his ship.

  kittyboy: "As for the memories, you are welcome to them. I have no doubt they were backed up to the ship. But I request that the panel inspect the memories of @bronzelion before allowing him to have them."

  @bronzelion looked at me like I was insane, anger and surprise washing over him.

  "You are in no place to make such a demand!" he bellowed aloud.

  "Follow protocol, please, David," came the response from @rainygrove, who now invoked @bronzelion's origin name, perhaps trying to quell his ego by reminding him he was once a simple human.

  A human dick, my brain said with a laugh.

  bronzelion: "The panel cannot possibly agree with this request. This man is a criminal and an enemy of the Solar Union. He can place no demands on us. He should be convicted and terminated."

  @rainygrove looked at me with sympathy.

  rainygrove: "He isn't wrong, @kittyboy. We will decide what action to take. You are here to give testimony about the virus, and you have done so. But you must also face the accusations of the Solar Union. Engaging in battle in violation of the peace treaty, confiscating a Solar Union vessel, the death of 89 soldiers, and the subsequent confiscation of their memories."

  So, there we had it. Those were pretty hefty charges.

  They would get information from me and then cast me aside. I wondered if this would warrant outright deletion, as @bronzelion had implied. I had been worried, but now the pit of my stomach sank. This might be the end, after a cycle of 773 deaths and reanimations, my ninth life in cat years. No more kitty.

  kittyboy: "Understood. I am prepared to return the memories. I had no intention of keeping them. But I am also prepared to offer evidence in my defense."

  spaceglider: "Then let us proceed. @bronzelion, you have made your position known. Please take your seat."

  @bronzelion wasn't satisfied yet, however.

  bronzelion: "You can have your trial, but I demand the immediate return of my ship, so that I may move my crew over and restore our memory gaps."

  I was worried when the Solar Union panel turned to one another, whispering back and forth about what to do. But the longer they talked, the more hopeful I got. The easy response was yes. Memories are the most important thing to us.

  Who would deny a request like that? I hoped it was those three: @spaceglider, @rainygrove, and @roilapex. Some of them clearly hated the taste of @bronzelion's thoughts in their mouths.

  I was wrong. Kind of.

  spaceglider: "We still have to discuss the matter of the ship, Oblivion. Its condition is of great concern to the council. We believe it should be decommissioned until further notice. However, @bronzelion, your request is not without merit."

  @bronzelion did not like that.

  bronzelion: "Decommissioned?!? You cannot decommission the most powerful ship in the fleet."

  spaceglider: "You've seen the reports. Until we are satisfied, Oblivion must remain here at Umbilicus Station."

  I never thought @bronzelion would say something I agreed with, and I never imagined he would help plead my case for me.

  bronzelion: "That was not the work of Oblivion, and you know it. It was this Darksider. He engaged in acts of war, using our own ship against us. It is clear and irrefutable."

  Okay, so he threw me under the Old Earth bus, but whatever. I was still surprised. I didn't think he even knew the word irrefutable, but he just used it correctly in a sentence. Life is full of surprises.

  @spaceglider looked at me and then @bronzelion and back.

  I smiled.

  kittyboy: "I think Oblivion is fine just the way it is."

  @bronzelion gave me his first I don't want to kill you look, sticking his jaw out as if to say, That settles it. Give me my fucking starship.

  bronzelion: "That settles it. Give me my ship."

  It would have been better with the curse in it.

  spaceglider: "Not yet. Here is what must happen."

  He looked back at the other delegates, and they nodded for him to go ahead with whatever they had planned.

  spaceglider: "@kittyboy, the memories of those aboard Oblivion are to be transferred immediately. And you are to hand over the ship, Oblivion. We will issue a public order so that we may all observe it. The crew must vacate within the next four hours. Solar Union personnel will oversee the transfer to ensure nothing is stolen. Anyone Solar Union property will be arrested."

  @spaceglider looked over at @bronzelion, making sure he was paying close attention to his words.

  spaceglider: "@kittyboy, you are to transfer command of Oblivion to me, as a representative of the Solar Union, until its fate can be decided. @bronzelion, you may use my ship, Omegaton, for the time being. Is this clear?"

  @bronzelion reluctantly conceded, but he remained standing there, looking fairly pissed off.

  Did my side, the Outer System Alliance, have any say in the matter? It looked like they didn't, but all eyes were on me, with @horus boring his mustache into my forehead from his seat behind them.

  It was clear, but that didn't mean I could do it, or that I wanted to, or that I would have - even if I had the choice.

  kittyboy: "No???"

  I shrugged and gave them the most I'm powerless to do anything about this look that I could muster.

  kittyboy: "You can have the memories, sure, but not Oblivion."

  spaceglider: "For the record, you are refusing to return a Solar Union ship, a ship that you have captured and used against us."

  @horus's eyes were going to pop out of his head, and he wasn't going to be able to catch them if he kept his hands on the top of his head, like he was doing now.

  kittyboy: "Yes???"

  spaceglider: "You are refusing."

  kittyboy: "Yes."

  "Guilty!" @bronzelion yelled. "You see. What else do you need to know? Terminate him, and give me my fucking ship."

  There. It's better when he swears. I probably should have taken the opportunity to bolt.