Max made plans to get the Archangel Suits to market that afternoon while most of the passengers simply enjoyed the relative peace and quiet of their vacation. But the point of an adventure cruise was that it was either moving or doing things, so he was also looking for an excursion destination for the passengers to enjoy.
The last one that they found was still unoccupied, and they could return there, but if possible, he would like to find them a new place to visit so that they would have all unique and new vacation photos to show off on their social media.
The search didn't take long. There was a suitable destination only a few systems away. Completely uninhabited but with plenty of plant life. This one was supposed to have a variety of mammals on it as well, but the notations in the records called it a zero-risk planet, suggesting that the local wildlife posed no threat to humans.
[Admiral Drake, make plans to travel to this location. I see an uninhabited but habitable planet in that star system, and I think a shore excursion would be exactly what our passengers would enjoy.] Max informed the vessel's pilot.
[I know that one. It is horrifically misidentified. The species on the planet are ten meters tall, venomous, and faster than a Comorian Raptor.]
That wasn't good. The Comorian Raptor was a bird of prey well known for its dive-bombing ability, moving close to a hundred kilometers an hour. Even as an extreme tour, they couldn't put guests down on a planet like that.
[What else do we have as options?] Max asked.
[Why not ask one of the Mercenary Groups? They often hold uninhabited planets out here, so we could visit almost all of the world and never see anyone if we stay away from their outpost. That would make for a great tourist stop, and it would earn some credits for our allies through docking and landing fees.] The Admiral suggested.
[Perfect. I will get on it and let you know what I find out.]
Max started sending messages to their new allies, looking for a suitable planet, while explaining that the visitors needed to be isolated from all chances of infectious diseases that the locals might be carrying since their varying biologies could be an issue in the unregulated environment of a planetary colony.
Aboard a ship, everyone was tested and quarantined and decontaminated every time they returned, but for citizens on a planet, illness and disease were just a normal part of life, and if it wasn't serious, it often went untreated as a minor inconvenience.
Minor to the locals, but to the aliens, it could very well be fatal, or worse, mutate and begin to spread through new species.
It didn't take the mercenaries long before Max got a plethora of replies, some more suitable than others. The one that really caught his attention was a note from the Stardusters. It wasn't a planetary excursion but an abandoned moon base. It still reported a habitable atmosphere, and for a small fee, they were willing to prepare and stock it for the visitors while maintaining sanitary conditions so that they could visit safely.
It also had a view of the remnants of a gas nebula at the edge of the system that constantly changed colors, providing a spectacular view from the moon base, whose orbit and polar location provide a constant view in that direction.
[What do you require for compensation in order to prepare the facility for our arrival? We will need it stocked with local plant life, as well as some data about the local phenomenon that you believe is worth noting.] Max requested.
[We request eight units of the Replicators and one Materials Printer. Our crew will prepare the mineral caves with safety markings, as well as clean the base and maintain the plant life before your arrival.]
Mineral caves sounded like a lot of fun for everyone to visit and a distinct change from the gravity slides and newly grown forest of Terminus.
[You have a deal, we will be there in seventy-two hours.] Max informed him, then relayed the location to the Admiral so that they could make way as soon as they had a flight path.
Soon after, he got a message from the various Border Nations, wishing them a safe trip, and Terminus was cleared to depart.
He was just beginning to relax again, enjoying the artificial sun, when two bodies appeared, blocking his view. One was a ship security guard, and the other was a woman roughly Nico's size but with cat ears and a tail.
When she turned to face him, he realized that she had more feline features than just the ears and tail but would still count as a demihuman. That must be one of the stowaways that they captured from an enemy ship not long ago.
All of the prisoners from that encounter should have been sent away to Rae 5 with the ships, so her presence here was a bit of a shock.
"How can I help you, and who do we have here?" Max asked.
"This is Trina, leader of the Felian stowaways. She has a request for you." The guard informed him.
"Oh? And where did you find her?"
The guard smiled at the memory before answering. "Same spot as last time. We found them in an energy conduit, where the power converters made it warmer than the ship's standard temperature."
"So, there is a whole group still here, despite the attempt to send them to Rae 5 for refugee status and housing? Alright, Miss Trina, what can we do for you?"
"We uh. Gimme a second." She stammered, then took out a crumpled bit of paper and stared at the notes for a while, then turned it over and stared at it again.
"Why don't you pass that to me, and I will see if I can read it?" Max asked.
"Thanks. I forgot the words."
Max took the paper and looked at the poor writing, scrawled in the human standard language, but the poor hand of a small child or illiterate.
[The Felian Delegation Officially Requests Asylum as an endangered species.]
"It says here that you want asylum. That means that you want to stay here and find somewhere safe to live." Max explained after reading the note.
"And food. There should be something there about feeding us too." She quickly added.
"Yes, that is part of the asylum request. The meaning includes all aspects of ensuring your care, including that we should take care of your basic needs and keep you safe. That means somewhere safe to stay, food, clothes, and showers if you like them."
The cat woman considered it for a while. "Can we have jobs too? Is that too much? We're really good with people. Well, we were before we were declared house pets, and the rebellion started."
The guard looked a bit sad that he wouldn't be able to keep them as a pet. Crouched down to plead with Max, she really did look like a large housecat wearing rags.
"Once you get settled in, we will begin an assessment. Most of our jobs require reading, but we might be able to get you jobs serving food and drink or maybe cleaning and running errands." Max agreed.
"Bring the rest of them out of the power conduits, and get them settled into crew quarters away from the Infantry. The infantrymen are a bit too high energy, and I don't want to hear about the Felians running away again." He ordered the guard.
"Got it, Sir. Trina, let's go get your people, and I will bring you to your new rooms." The Guard told her with a smile.
"Wait, first, stop at the stand and get some clothes for them. We can't have them running around in rags. It looks bad on us."
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