Ten minutes passed while Renaya alternatively pleaded, begged and raved. She came up with every race she'd ever heard of or been likened to, while Aodha blandly showed her images from his ship's database that showed their true appearance and that she looked nothing alike. She couldn't even plausibly claim to be an overgrown Vharax drone who'd lost its antennae. Maybe if she bound her breasts tightly and cut her fiery hair - though the boarding party would have to be drunk. Extremely drunk. Each time the silky automated voice of the ship's autopilot it felt as though it was a length of cloth wrapping lazily, slowly around her neck like a promise of what she was frantically trying to think her way out of.<br/><br/>The highborn followed the human from the galley - there really didn't seem to be anything else to do - and down to the living space where she shifted uneasily from one foot to the other. What did he... did he have another idea? She was<i>not </i>going to call him Master Aodha, and when he handed her a battered old datapad that proved to be prepared with a piece of administration she'd never actually laid eyes on before it took her a moment to realise the unspoken threat. Boiling up like a hissing cat, her voice rising as she spoke she retorted, "Look human, I am<i>not </i>going to sign away anything of the kind! If you weren't too cowardly to risk it I'm sure we could fly our way out of here, we're really not<i>that</i>close, and-"<br/><br/>The speakers gave a crystalline ping, cutting off her tirade before that familiar feminine voice spoke,<i>"Destination is now five minutes away. Proximity Alert. Pilot, please return to the cockpit."</i><br/><br/>And just like that she deflated, going a deeper grey as the arm she'd drawn back to throw reluctantly returned the datapad to where she could see it. "I can't believe I'm going to do this," she muttered. Blue eyes dulled with defeat lifted to his, and she gnawed on her lower lip and wavered on the precipice of decision. "If I do this, for real I mean... you're going to free me as soon as we get to where we're going, right?"<br/><br/>And then there was no time for conversation and she pushed the record button with her left thumb and began to read the fateful words, "I, Renaya San'tiorno Tehlu Brivine, Serilline, being of independent means and in my right mind, do knowingly sign myself into the ownership and possession of Aodha McToimilin, Human, for the rights, privileges and rewards noted under Appendix A." She didn't have time to review that, and it seemed to be standard text. "I do this wholly and irrevocably, knowing that with his compliant voiceprint I am become his property, a slave until such time as my owner may choose to free me." She pressed the button again and held the 'pad halfway out to him, her arm wobbling a little with nerves. There had to be another way! There just<i>had</i>to be, but she had no more time to think.