"Traders, it is done." The CEO and Director of ITC, the newest head of the Interstellar Trading Corporation, stood up to the camera. The broadcast was system wide, and on all ITC Fleet Command frequencies. "Forty years ago, the Empire promised my father and you, that if our corporation were to partner with Hurston Dynamics, our trading vessels would receive priority protection from the Imperial Navy via its contractors in the Stanton system. As one of the richest and largest mega trading corporations in history, we've had the duty to you, our employees, your families, our shareholders, and our customers, to provide the greatest protection such an arrangement could provide. The four major corporations in the Stanton system where a part of this security arrangement. Today that arrangement has been broken." "Last week, the MV Deepstar II, an ITC flagged vessel, was attacked by a pirate gang hired by none other than agents working for Hurston Dynamics. Our trading vessel was loading ores from an ArcCorp mining vessel, the Emily Bryant, at the 3rd Hurston Lagrange point when both ships were attacked suddenly and without warning. There were no survivors." "Thirty nine other ITC trading vessels have been attacked in the past year in Stanton, and in each case, security forces from Hurston were nearby, but somehow unable to respond. "This act of cowardice, or malicious intent on the part of Hurston Dynamics can not be overlooked, and demonstrates the failure of the Imperator's plan to rely on the four major corporate powers in Stanton to protect the interests of ITC, and that of humanity in general in this area of space." "Based on recent intel, the complicity of Hurston Dynamics is unavoidable, and this insult to justice, if proven true, is nothing short of a conspiracy to commit murder!" "It is for this reason, and others that we are redirecting the bulk of our security forces from local systems to Stanton. The Imperial Navy simply is not around. Their corporate hirelings likely see us now as a growing threat to their trading monopolies. Therefore the deal we had with the Empire is done, our cooperation with Hurston, over. Today we start protecting our own interests in Stanton, and the interests of all law abiding citizens. We shall eliminate any rival who threaten our employees, our families, and our prosperity." The leader walked closer to the camera. "Make no mistake, we will bring to justice those who attacked the Deepstar and our other ships. Our fleet will not be denied vengeance on those who wish to bully their way to everlasting power." The screen winked off monitors across the fleet, and the corporate ITC logo remained. Later that evening, news monitors in lounges around Stanton ran a report that ITC security forces were pulling out of Hurston Dynamics checkpoints and abandoning their Hurston patrols. News correspondents confirmed that Hurston Dynamics could not be reached for comment.