one."
"Self defense," I said sitting up on the
couch. Kathy had slid off me while the officer had been
talking.
"Oh, do you mind explaining please?"
"Well, they attacked us and I beat them
up."
"Just you?" he asked looking skeptical
I stood up turned around and picked up the
couch, Kathy and all.
"Do I look like I need any help?" I asked
setting the couch, and a surprised Kathy, back down.
"I guess not, but what about the gun?"
"If I had needed it would I have left it
behind? Anyway if he hadn't pulled it, I wouldn't have broken his
arm."
"Well as we only found his prints on it and
no traces of Leopard, Wolf, or Fox. I'm inclined to believe you."
He smiled, "Plus he was wearing a holster, that was a big hole in
his story. But there is this matter of the broken arm."
"Officer," put in Karen, "It was self
defense, and he did draw a weapon. The law does give Raj here the
right to defend himself. Furthermore as there were three humans in
the party, a rather convincing argument could be made that he was
protecting us from the gunman."
He gave her a sidelong glance, "What are you
a lawyer?"
"Third year law student," she said
smiling.
"Hmmph, it figures. But we still don't like
to have these kinds of things happening around here. I'm still
going to have to get your names, and ID's. I suggest you keep out
of trouble."
"What's the big deal?" I asked as I handed
him my company ID tag, "So I broke his arm, that can be fixed in a
day or two. I didn't kill him."
"He just might get a lawyer and sue you,"
said the officer.
“He could try and make the argument that
breaking his arm was an excessive use of force against him.”
"But I thought we were allowed to defend
ourselves here?" I was definitely confused.
"Oh, you are. But he can still try to sue you
for assault, excessive use of force or whatever. And there ain't a
thing you can do about it. If say he was dead and you can prove
self-defense, then you're pretty much safe."
"I don’t think I want to kill some kid for
just being stupid, even if there was a gun involved.” To me that
just sounded really excessive. “So what do you suggest I do next
time?"
"Try not to break any arms, at least not if
they can identify you," he said with a wink. "But I wouldn't worry
about it too much. After all, you'll be off planet in a week or two
and we sure aren't going to supply him with your names. He's also
got a bad reputation and the judge will probably throw out anything
he tries to file."
"But if he's dead can't his family sue?" I
was still a bit bewildered.
"Nope, nobody can sue for another here. Also
while a human can sue an animan, you can't sue him back," put in
Kathy.
"Not exactly fair I guess," I sighed.
"No," said the officer, "But we're working on
it." He had finished taking Gabe's and my information. We told him
Dave's and he said goodbye and left.
"What was that all about?" Asked Dave
sticking his head out of the bathroom once the officer was
gone.
"Oh, just about our little run in last
night," answered Gabe.
"Do we have to go until the heat dies down?
Or do we get to enjoy our leave?"
"We stay. See Dave I keep telling you this
place is alright."
"Wait a second," I was still confused. "That
was alright? What's bad then?"
"Bad is where we have to beat feet for the
ship in orbit, and usually out of the local police's jurisdiction."
Said Dave.
"Real bad is where they stick you in jail or
worse," added Gabe making like he had a noose around his head.
"You guys have been in trouble like this
before?" asked Karen.
"Not me I'm new to the game," I said.
"I've seen it some before," said Gabe. "Dave
here's the one with the most experience. Right Dave?"
"Well," he said toweling off in the doorway,
"I've been around a few more places than these two and in a lot of
places we'd have had to have left town last night. Or we wouldn't
be leaving at all."
"I can't believe that," said Karen.
"I can." Kathy said quietly.
We all turned and looked at her. She
"Self defense," I said sitting up on the
couch. Kathy had slid off me while the officer had been
talking.
"Oh, do you mind explaining please?"
"Well, they attacked us and I beat them
up."
"Just you?" he asked looking skeptical
I stood up turned around and picked up the
couch, Kathy and all.
"Do I look like I need any help?" I asked
setting the couch, and a surprised Kathy, back down.
"I guess not, but what about the gun?"
"If I had needed it would I have left it
behind? Anyway if he hadn't pulled it, I wouldn't have broken his
arm."
"Well as we only found his prints on it and
no traces of Leopard, Wolf, or Fox. I'm inclined to believe you."
He smiled, "Plus he was wearing a holster, that was a big hole in
his story. But there is this matter of the broken arm."
"Officer," put in Karen, "It was self
defense, and he did draw a weapon. The law does give Raj here the
right to defend himself. Furthermore as there were three humans in
the party, a rather convincing argument could be made that he was
protecting us from the gunman."
He gave her a sidelong glance, "What are you
a lawyer?"
"Third year law student," she said
smiling.
"Hmmph, it figures. But we still don't like
to have these kinds of things happening around here. I'm still
going to have to get your names, and ID's. I suggest you keep out
of trouble."
"What's the big deal?" I asked as I handed
him my company ID tag, "So I broke his arm, that can be fixed in a
day or two. I didn't kill him."
"He just might get a lawyer and sue you,"
said the officer.
“He could try and make the argument that
breaking his arm was an excessive use of force against him.”
"But I thought we were allowed to defend
ourselves here?" I was definitely confused.
"Oh, you are. But he can still try to sue you
for assault, excessive use of force or whatever. And there ain't a
thing you can do about it. If say he was dead and you can prove
self-defense, then you're pretty much safe."
"I don’t think I want to kill some kid for
just being stupid, even if there was a gun involved.” To me that
just sounded really excessive. “So what do you suggest I do next
time?"
"Try not to break any arms, at least not if
they can identify you," he said with a wink. "But I wouldn't worry
about it too much. After all, you'll be off planet in a week or two
and we sure aren't going to supply him with your names. He's also
got a bad reputation and the judge will probably throw out anything
he tries to file."
"But if he's dead can't his family sue?" I
was still a bit bewildered.
"Nope, nobody can sue for another here. Also
while a human can sue an animan, you can't sue him back," put in
Kathy.
"Not exactly fair I guess," I sighed.
"No," said the officer, "But we're working on
it." He had finished taking Gabe's and my information. We told him
Dave's and he said goodbye and left.
"What was that all about?" Asked Dave
sticking his head out of the bathroom once the officer was
gone.
"Oh, just about our little run in last
night," answered Gabe.
"Do we have to go until the heat dies down?
Or do we get to enjoy our leave?"
"We stay. See Dave I keep telling you this
place is alright."
"Wait a second," I was still confused. "That
was alright? What's bad then?"
"Bad is where we have to beat feet for the
ship in orbit, and usually out of the local police's jurisdiction."
Said Dave.
"Real bad is where they stick you in jail or
worse," added Gabe making like he had a noose around his head.
"You guys have been in trouble like this
before?" asked Karen.
"Not me I'm new to the game," I said.
"I've seen it some before," said Gabe. "Dave
here's the one with the most experience. Right Dave?"
"Well," he said toweling off in the doorway,
"I've been around a few more places than these two and in a lot of
places we'd have had to have left town last night. Or we wouldn't
be leaving at all."
"I can't believe that," said Karen.
"I can." Kathy said quietly.
We all turned and looked at her. She
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