The shuttle dropped away from the Gild merchantman Zhernak and fell toward Mirl'da V.  Gild Captain Ruzuqkdae watched on the viewer as the shuttle disappeared into the storm clouds that completely hid the planet's surface.  He ground his teeth in frustration.  He was rid of the young Kererr, true enough, but too late.

"You piece of shit!" he snarled at the vanished Kererr.  "You whining insolent puppy!  The Puredorv kill each other in feuds all the time, yet you demand a Flotilla investigation of what happened here!"  Ruzuqkdae's nails were digging painfully into his palms.  He forced himself to unleash his fists.  He glared at the clouds below.

"Had he not demanded an investigation of the 'accidents,' I would already be on my way.  If he had died in one of those accidents, I would be on my way.  That other Kererr lord said Kurharay would be an easy mark, that he had lived too many years on Raaros to remember the ways of feuding.  A shooting on Raaros's Orbital, bombs, poison---- the young lord survived all of them!"

Ruzuqkdae shoved his bulk away from the viewer.  His mouth drew tight.  His thin mustache twitched.  Three passengers had not survived the accidents, and the Gild did not look well on the loss of paying passengers.  People were supposed to be safe on Gildships.  Gildships were supposed to be completely neutral.  Yet someone had brought Mirl'da V's feud aboard a Gildship.  The Gild would lose vast sums of money because the Zhernak had to stay in orbit around this backwater world while the Flotilla arrived, investigated, found the perpetrators, and tried him before a jury of his peers, assembled from wherever he was native.  Ruzuqkdae's career in the Gild was over. He would be lucky to get command of any deepspace ship after this.  If the Flotilla missed his connection to this fiasco.  If not...Ruzuqkdae shook his fist at the storm clouds below.

"I hope he gets you, young lord!  I hope he gets you and does his worst!"

Ruzuqkdae stomped off the bridge, his robe swirling around his legs.