

## OMEGA

(Vol. 1)

### Exile

By

Stephen Arseneault

Published By:

Stephen Arseneault

Copyright © 2014-2017 Stephen Arseneault

" _When societal life becomes too easy, morals are often cast aside. Moral decay leads to corruption, which sets even the best-intentioned of societies on a path that is a downward spiral toward destruction. If ignored, depravity and chaos will eventually rule the day. Only when defenders of freedom and right stand firm can the trend be broken. Take a stand and be counted amongst the free, for chaos is not all fun and games!"_

S.A.

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This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
Books written by Stephen Arseneault

SODIUM Series

A six-book series that takes Man from his first encounter with aliens all the way to a fight for our all-out survival. Do we have what it takes to rule the galaxy?

AMP Series

Cast a thousand years into the future beyond SODIUM. This eight-book series chronicles the struggles of Don Grange, a simple package deliveryman, who is thrust into an unimaginable role in the fight against our enemies. Can we win peace and freedom after a thousand years of war?

OMEGA Series

Cast a thousand years into the future beyond AMP. The Alliance is crumbling. When corruption and politics threaten to throw the allied galaxies into chaos, Knog Beutcher gets caught in the middle. Follow along as our hero is thrust into roles that he never expected or sought. Espionage, intrigue, political assassinations, rebellions and full-on revolutions, they are all coming to Knog Beutcher's world!

HADRON Series

HADRON is a modern day story unrelated to the SODIUM-AMP-OMEGA trilogy series. After scientists using the Large Hadron Collider discover dark matter, the world is plunged into chaos. Massive waves of electromagnetic interference take out all grid power and forms of communication the world over. Cities go dark, food and water supplies are quickly used up, and marauders rule the highways. Months after the mayhem begins, and mass starvation has taken its toll, a benevolent alien species arrives from the stars. Only, are they really so benevolent? Find out in HADRON as Man faces his first real challenge to his dominance of Earth!

_Find them all at_ www.arsenex.com

# Chapter 1

### _______________________

For two thousand years, the Human-run empire known as the Alliance of Major Planets (AMP) brought peace and stability to the five galaxies surrounding the Milky Way. Advances in technology, and a strong set of fair laws, had allowed a peaceful expansion of Human ideals. Man's influence had reigned supreme, trade had flourished, and all species had taken benefit.

The great expansion of Man followed the defeat of an android overlord who had ruled those galaxies for hundreds of thousands of years. Peace and freedom were Man's legacy to the stars.

At its peak, membership in AMP totaled more than two trillion citizens. Those citizens occupied twelve hundred established planets, ninety-eight hundred lesser colonies, and eight hundred massive security stations, all linked by wormhole portals allowing immediate and unlimited personal travel between them.

Life in the AMP had been easy. No citizen had struggled for work, shelter, food, or care. Entertainment of the masses had become king, and with that crown came a population that was all too eager to accept those who pushed the boundaries of societal norms. As morals declined, corruption settled in at the highest levels of government.

For years, the governors of the wealthiest, most prominent planets had placed their cronies on the Council of Governance, the governing body responsible for making the law. The citizenry had gone about their daily happy lives, never realizing their rights and freedoms were being stripped away at a slow and steady pace.

That all changed when a powerful group of governors pushed aside a weak Council of Governance and established their own alliance, putting in place a new code of laws. As the pace of local restrictions had quickened, economies faltered. Riots and uprisings became commonplace. The once-idyllic empire was now ruled by a dozen powerful families who's only goals were further consolidation of power and self enrichment. Life in the AMP had changed for the common citizen, and it was in no way for the better.

For a decade, existence in the Omega sector had been plagued with the occasional disappearance of entire colonies. Investigations had been rushed, and the demise of the citizenry involved brushed aside as "a mystery." Life and survival in the outermost sector of the Triangulum galaxy had become anything but easy.

In the ultra-wealthy Alpha sector, Omega was commonly joked about as a point of exile for any who butted heads with those in powerful places. After several high-profile exiles, the joke had become less funny.

Knog Beutcher, three-star veteran detective, a man of honor and integrity, struggled to balance what was right and fair with what would keep him employed at his prestigious Alpha sector job. His struggles had only just begun.

*****

The ore hauler _Kilteddin_ had come to a stop. The six-kilometer-long vessel was transporting iron and chromium ores to the space docks at Andreus IV. I prepared for a standard inspection search as I piloted the _Daunte_ alongside. The powerful, sleek, Alpha sector detective's cruiser was immediately lost against the grand exterior of the _Kilteddin_ , one of the newest haulers from the Betagen shipyards. The _Daunte_ set down in a docking bay just below the forecastle.

As I stepped out onto the deck, I was met by Alda Kondore, the ship's captain and manifest administrator. "Mr. Beutcher, welcome to the _Kilteddin_. I have prepared the manifest logs for your perusal. If you would like to follow me to our guest lounge, you may look over the logs at your leisure."

"I appreciate the offer, Mr. Kondore, but I prefer to walk the ship as I perform my investigation, or should I say— inspection."

Alda Kondore, a Medorian, struggled to reach a meter in height.

Kondore gazed up in wonder at my two-meter-tall frame. "If there is any way I can assist you, Mr. Beutcher, I am at your service."

I noticed a twitch in Kondore's forced smile as he made his offer. It was a tell that immediately aroused my suspicion.

I held up my arm with a holo-display of the _Kilteddin_ 's storage-bay structure showing just above it. "I am most interested in the areas underneath these two bays, Mr. Kondore. What can you tell me about them?"

The administrator had an uneasy expression on his face. "Those are for ballast, Mr. Beutcher. This vessel is capable of setting down on a planet's surface if a sufficient water dock is present."

I nodded. "I understand that to be the function, Mr. Kondore. I would, however, like to see and inspect those spaces. Believe it or not, we have found it to be a popular hiding place for smuggled contraband."

As we walked the half kilometer toward the ballast compartments, Alda Kondore became increasingly nervous. I smirked to myself at how bad the common citizen often was at concealing the fact they were breaking the law. It was the cool and collected, hard-core criminal I feared most. A man in control of his emotions was a man who when cornered would take unanticipated and severe action. Three inspectors in the Alpha sector, to their detriment, had found that out during the prior twelve months. One of those individuals, Mar Hougis, I had known for twenty-seven standard years.

As we walked, a call came over my comm. "This is Beutcher. If this is not an urgent need, I would prefer to return this call after the inspection is complete."

It was the dispatcher, Hela Gruend. He had been with the communications office for fifteen years. "Sorry, Mr. Beutcher, the captain wants you to drop what you're doing and report to his office at once. He says it's important."

I stopped as I replied, "Tell the captain I'm in the middle of an inspection. I will return as soon as I'm finished."

Hela pressed a button on his console that set off an alert on my holo-display. "Sorry, Knog, the captain insisted that you come now, as in immediately. Inspector Hambrik will be following up with the _Kilteddin_."

I let out a grunt in frustration. "You tell Hambrik to make sure he checks the ballast tanks under bays five and six."

I looked over at Kondore, taking notice of an expression of relief. The contraband, whatever it was, would be hidden away elsewhere or jettisoned into space long before Hambrik arrived.

"Scratch that last thought, Mr. Gruend. Just ask Hambrik to be thorough."

I stepped close to Alda Kondore and scowled downward at his upturned face. "Looks like it's your lucky day, Mr. Kondore. I've been called away. Just keep this in mind though, as you move around whatever it is you're hiding. I am out here 24/7, I now know this ship, and I know your name. I'll be watching for you, Mr. Kondore. Have a good day." I turned and walked back toward the _Daunte_.

Shortly thereafter, I arrived in the captain's office. Captain Paq Wendell was a fair man. He was now a bureaucrat. He had risen through the detective ranks because of his hard work. In the Detective Corps, he was one of the few officers I had respect for.

The captain said, "Knog, have a seat. Coffee?"

I moved to a chair, "Yes sir on the coffee. I've been having trouble finding it in the stores. I'm running out of it on the _Daunte_."

The captain poured an extra-deep cup. "Price of this stuff has gotten outrageous. I think these new alliances between the families have a few trade kinks to work out. I don't know about you, Knog, but I have a hard time functioning without my morning shot."

I looked around the captain's office. His walls were covered with merit awards and news articles of some of the arrests he made as a junior detective. His favorite article was from the bust of a ring of smugglers who were sneaking Garronet Carrots into the colony at Meloso Prime.

A cargo bay had exploded due to a methane buildup from rotting contraband. A subsequent news photo of a star shower over the colony, caused by the carrots, sat in a gold frame that his coworkers had put together for him. The captain was well liked, and his sense of humor only added to his popularity.

"The crew of the _Kilteddin_ was smuggling, Captain. The administrator—"

Paq Wendell held up his hand as he walked to the traditional coffee pot in the corner of his office. Seconds later he handed me the freshly poured cup. "I'm doing you a favor here, Knog. The _Kilteddin_ belongs to the Motlin Corporation. And the Motlin Corporation belongs to Governor Salton's grandnephew Pietrus. You cause trouble on one of their boats, and you run the risk of a career-ending mistake."

The captain moved back behind his desk, taking a seat in his high-backed leather chair.

I blew the heat from the top of the cup, "Captain, the Governor's family should not be above the law, sir. If their crews are knowingly running contraband, they need to be caught and brought before the courts."

The captain set his mug down on his desk as he leaned back in his squeaky, well-worn, but comfortable chair. "The Saltons are the law now, Knog; they own the courts."

Paq leaned forward and lowered his voice. "We have to face reality here. AMP is dead, and it's not coming back. The Saltons own the Alpha sector and all who reside here. You're the best at what you do, Knog, but you need to wise up and play the game, or at least pretend to, or your ass is going to end up out in the Omega sector with Calloway and Hollerhan. Heck, Calloway lost thirty-six years of pension because he couldn't keep his mouth shut."

I sipped at my cup for several seconds before responding. "I appreciate what you're doing for me, Captain, but I can't turn my back on the law just to save my skin. The law, even under the Saltons, says all cargoes must be inspected, and all items not listed on the manifests are considered contraband. If the Saltons don't want me rousting their ships and crews, they need to change the laws."

The captain rolled his eyes as he held up his hand. "Fine, Knog, you go do whatever you want to. Keep in mind that your actions also reflect on those around you. Actions have consequences, even when you're doing the right thing. Just don't be so pigheaded that you end up taking others down with you."

I set my half-full cup down on the edge of the captain's desk. "Is that all you have for me, sir? If so, I would request that I be allowed to return to duty."

The captain scowled as he pressed the comm button on his arm pad. "Major Dentor. Mr. Beutcher is heading back out on patrol. See to it that he doesn't have any Motlin ships on his schedule of inspections."

The captain looked up at me as I stood. "We go back a long way, Knog. If you make my life difficult after we just had this conversation, I won't be there to back you up if you get in a pinch. Chief Detective Jamia has already let it be known that she has a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to perceived harassment of Motlin ships or crews. If she brings down the hammer on you, know that she will be swinging it hard."

I walked out of the captain's office with a poor attitude. So, this was it? This would be life under the Saltons? I had spent my entire adult life keeping order. It was a mission I enjoyed and a mission I looked forward to doing every day. I would not be compromising my principles for some self-appointed dictator and his family. This was my sector and I played by my rules, the rules of right and the rules of the law.

As I stepped up into the _Daunte_ , another call came over my comm. "Mr. Beutcher, your next assignment is to inspect a Hargrave salvage trawler. The _Belwitz_ is on its way to the Thalimus colony."

I shook my head in disgust. A salvage trawler heading to Thalimus? I wondered if this was what I could expect going forward. It was an inspection that would normally go to a detective who had not yet earned his first star.

I looked down at the three stars on my shoulder patch and wondered... why I had earned them? What were they worth now? A pay bonus? They certainly had not earned me assignments out to Thalimus. As it was it barely qualified as a colony anymore. A decade of riots had stripped it of all productivity.

I replied to the comm, "Thank you, Hela. I'll be expecting a data packet with information on the _Belwitz_."

Hela was silent before his response. "I'm sorry, Mr. Beutcher. We have nothing on the _Belwitz_ except its registry. She hails from the Gamma sector, sir. The Morden family runs that now, and they no longer release ship records. You will have to wing this one, Mr. Beutcher."

I shook my head and offered the deckhand on Bay-8 of Security Station V an indignant look as the ramp-way pulled shut and sealed.

After a short taxi out into space, I brought Portal Transfers up on my console. "This is Beutcher, F4558992-34, sweep me out to Thalimus Colony, please. Authorization code is VX722-B0KK."

A transfer portal swept across the _Daunte_ , leaving the ship fifty thousand kilometers from Thalimus and in line for an intercept of the _Belwitz_. I picked up my mug and stared at the empty bottom.

I grunted. "Well, mug, at least we still have our coffee, even though it's running low. How about I fill you up and we do a records search on the _Belwitz_ for public documents. I don't like boarding a ship blind, and you, you couldn't care less; you're just a mug."

Ship inspections could be a lonely job, and I often found it would break the monotony of an assignment if I had fake conversations with inanimate objects. Passing the time while keeping one's sanity was an everyday occurrence in the corps. An intercept and inspection of a large vessel could often take days.

As I sat waiting I glanced down at my shoulder. With my third star, I had earned the right to bring my family aboard the _Daunte_. The ship was one of the newer cruisers in the fleet, and the accommodations were first rate, but deep space was no place for a family, especially when the criminals I chased were sometimes hostile. Besides, with a wife and eighteen Grunta offspring, the _Daunte_ just wasn't big enough.

A document search on the _Belwitz_ returned a hundred fifteen items of interest. Most were nothing more than transition logs when jumping from the Alpha to the Gamma sector, or when coming through to Alpha from the other way. The three search items of most interest were from prior inspections.

Two of the inspections records showed minor infractions. Crew members had smuggled aboard banned items in their personal gear. A Pelomoni skull, the smallest of the Alliance's species, was found in a hygiene container, and a lizard-like creature from Deltan VII was kept in small box under a bunk.

The kexa, when cut in half, would grow into two such animals. They were voracious breeders and eaters. Within a year of their introduction on two new colony planets, the colonies had to be abandoned. The kexa had been responsible for the destruction of their fauna. With little foliage remaining, oxygen levels at each had begun to plummet.

The third inspection yielded a result that caught my attention. The _Belwitz_ had been caught carrying five hundred liters of bleurgh. Bleurgh was a highly addictive intoxicant that had become popular with colony miners. It was often brought in by the owners of those mines. One side effect was that a worker would often stay on station for days on end.

Bleurgh had been outlawed in the AMP for centuries, but had made a comeback under the ruling families. I had often wondered if those families were not fully responsible for its return, as the market for bleurgh among factory workers and miners made its trade extremely profitable.

The prior search and subsequent arrest of the _Belwitz_ 's captain had been dismissed over a technicality. A typo in the ship designation code allowed a suspect judge to dismiss the case. Captain Jergem Meyers and his crew of five had been released, and the ship, with the contraband cargo still aboard, returned to service. The arresting detective swore he had entered the code correctly; his demotion and loss of his first star said otherwise.

If the _Belwitz_ 's captain was again carrying bleurgh, I planned to bust him hard.

# Chapter 2

### _______________________

After a six-hour wait, the _Belwitz_ transponder came up on my holo-display. She was six hundred meters in length, not overly big for a trawler. As she came close, I broadcast an all-stop signal. The _Belwitz_ slowed to a halt.

I hailed the captain. "This is Detective Beutcher of the New Alliance security force. Please prepare your manifest logs for inspection. I will be coming aboard."

The captain replied, "We are carrying sensitive medical supplies to Thalimus, Mr. Beutcher. We have to maintain a clean environment. I'm afraid you will have to inspect the logs from your ship."

I almost laughed out loud. Who was this barge captain to try to pull something like that? I was a three-star detective, and my credentials had no doubt shown that on his console. Were the crooks getting so bold as to openly make such requests?

"Captain Meyers. I'm coming aboard. Open the gravity wall of your docking bay. Have your logs ready for inspection when I board."

The captain was silent for a several seconds. "I'm afraid I have to decline that request, Detective. We have a crewman with Duleria aboard, so I must maintain quarantine until we reach Thalimus Port."

I had to smile at the captain's audacity. "Mr. Meyers, you _are_ aware that I have full authority under the laws of the New Alliance to board and inspect that vessel. Please reduce the gravity wall on the docking bay so that I may land this cruiser on your deck. This time, Captain, I am insisting that you do so."

"We're having trouble with our open channel reception, Detective. I'm switching to a scrambled feed. Please enter 'X447' to continue receiving our broadcast."

This was something new. It was obvious the captain wanted to talk in private. I entered the code with the anticipation of finding out what it was he wanted.

"Mr. Beutcher, I know this may look bad, but I'm only trying to save us both our jobs. I've always respected the law, sir. I don't want either of us to pay the price for what others have dictated that we do."

I replied, "Captain, open that docking bay, or I'll be forced to shut down your core. You'll then have no choice but to turn yourself and your crew over to me for a full arrest. The _Belwitz_ will then be towed to Thalimus Port, where it will be impounded by the colony authorities."

The captain was silent for several seconds. "I'll level with you, Detective. This cargo is property of Camwich Mines, a subsidiary of the Motlin Corporation. The story I told you about the quarantine is true. I have six thousand miners on this ship, and one of them has Duleria. If you come aboard, that infected miner will be logged in your public records and I will not be able to dock at Thalimus Port to unload the rest. The people who pay our salaries will be extremely unhappy with us if that happens, Mr. Beutcher. I'm pleading with you to please not do this."

I looked down at my empty mug. "Would you have any coffee over there, Captain?"

Meyers replied, "I do. The last port I was at was overloaded with it due to some arguments about taxes and transfer fees. I have a good stockpile of it aboard this ship."

I was not one to outright break the law, but I was given discretion to bend rules while in the field; with three stars, my judgment would not be called into question. The quarantine problem the captain of the _Belwitz_ was having, if that was indeed his problem, was not a violation of any law. It was a protocol the Thalimus port authorities, and most every other port in the galaxy, enforced for health and safety reasons.

"Maybe we can work out a little trade, Captain. If you sell me some of that coffee, at a fair price, I will take the infected miner off your hands. My holding cells on this vessel are rated for quarantine."

"How do we make the transfer, Mr. Beutcher? If I allow you to dock, it becomes public record and the quarantine will be exposed."

I brought up the schematics of the _Belwitz_. "You have a dozen lifepods on there for your crew, Mr. Meyers. Blank out the transponder code on one of those, place your miner aboard, and set her afloat. I'll pick up the pod and extract the miner. You can recover it afterward."

The holo-image of the captain's face floating in front of me had a smile. "I will happily give you two crates of our coffee store, Mr. Beutcher. I'll pack them on the lifepod with the miner myself."

I held up my hand. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Mr. Meyers. I still have a ship inspection to report on. You send out the miner, and I'll come over for the inspection and the coffee. We both get what we need, and we can both be on our way."

The lifepod was jettisoned. I allowed it to float in free space while I performed the inspection. I cringed as I let slip a single digit in my report log for where the pod had been found. The _Daunte_ 's logs would show the correct location, but those logs were not read unless an officer's integrity was called into question over an arrest. Without an arrest in this instance, there would be no questions and the _Daunte_ 's logs would remain sealed.

I brought the _Daunte_ to a stop on the deck of the _Belwitz_. A smiling Captain Meyers came out to greet me with his manifest logs and two crates of high-grade Orientus coffee. Enough to last me for several months. The logs reflected one less miner in transport than had been there an hour before. The miner had been logged as having a burial in space after a natural death, an event that was not uncommon.

I again had a moment of pang as I looked over the manifest logs of the _Belwitz_. I abhorred any type of dishonesty; in the field, however, compromise was something that would allow all parties to continue on with their duties. Even though it was a minor transgression, it would weigh on my conscience.

After reviewing the logs, I insisted on a full inspection and was granted access to all sections of the ship. The miners were well cared for, and no contraband was found. I gave the captain his clean inspection report, paid a fair price of 120 credits for the coffee, and began to board the _Daunte_.

I turned back toward the captain with one last question. "Mr. Meyers, you had a run-in some months ago for supposedly carrying a load of bleurgh. One of our detectives was demoted because of that. What can you tell me about that incident?"

The captain looked down at the deck. "I was not aware of the cargo my manifest administrator had loaded aboard at the last minute. He was on the payroll of the Motlin Corporation, who had contracted for the remainder of the legitimate cargo. At the time I was OK with not having to pay the extra wage for a company worker.

"When the detective came aboard and the container was found, I was terrified. I have a family to support, Mr. Beutcher. If I'm stuck away in some prison for years, they would have to turn to the streets for food and shelter, or even worse, to the government.

"I've run an honest ship for thirty-four years, and I will do it for that many more if I can. Retirement is not something that happens often in the New Alliance. If I wish to take care of my family, I have to keep this ship moving."

"This is registered as a salvage trawler, Captain. Why would you be hauling miners?"

The captain shook his head. "Live cargo is not something I want to do, Mr. Beutcher. Contracts are hard to get, and you take what comes your way. Besides, with the slowed economies everywhere, salvage is not always in demand. I'm just trying to feed my family, nothing more."

I was a good judge of character, and the captain's expressions told me he was telling the truth. I nodded goodbye, and the hatch of the _Daunte_ closed behind me. I slowly taxied out into free space, recovering the lifepod and the infected miner as I went. A grateful captain recovered the pod shortly after its second release.

As the _Belwitz_ sped away toward Thalimus Port, I raised dispatch on the comm. "This is Beutcher. I'm transmitting my inspection report on the _Belwitz_. And I came across an unregistered lifepod out here. It had one occupant, and a med scan says they have Duleria. I brought them into quarantine for transport to the proper med facilities. Sweep me back to SS5 for the drop-off, and I'll then be on to my next inspection."

Hela Gruend replied, "Roger that, Mr. Beutcher. Expect a med team to be waiting at Dock-17. Hold your position for a sweep."

Twenty seconds later, the _Daunte_ was through a portal and back at the security station. I promptly moved to the assigned dock and unloaded the infected cargo.

Soon after, I was ready for a jump to the colony at Jarvis IV, a farming colony on the boundary edge of the Beta sector. The colonies near Beta were governed by the Magnus family. As they were close allies of the Saltons, I expected no trouble.

After my encounter with the _Belwitz_ , it had been two solid weeks of inspections without incident. As I finished up a routine check of a food transport, I received a call over the comm. It was Captain Wendell, and he had an odd smile on his face.

"This is Beutcher. What can I do for you, Captain?"

"I'm glad our little talk worked, Knog." The captain grinned. "I have Chief Detective Jamia here with me. We have a new assignment for you."

Jamia pushed into the camera view. "Mr. Beutcher. I was recently informed of your use of discretion in dealing with a freighter called the _Belwitz_. I received a personal thank-you from a Salton family representative. Your use of good judgment has already saved them half a million credits of wages for miners who would have been stuck in quarantine. I have authorized the captain to offer you a Citation of Merit, which will come with a generous credit award."

"Thank you, Chief. It seemed the only good call for a difficult situation."

Jamia nodded. "I appreciate the good attention it brought to our department, Mr. Beutcher. And given your record, along with this recognition, I have been asked to select a detective in good standing as a training partner and mentor for one of our newest academy cadets."

There it was, "Let no good deed go unpunished," as my father had always said. I had not been saddled with a partner since receiving my second star more than twenty-eight years before. I could only believe my deceitful, but ingenious handling of the _Belwitz_ matter was coming back to haunt me. The pang of discomfort over changing the digit in my report log returned.

Jamia continued, "As an additional award, you are to be given the next two days off from duty. If you had not already guessed it was you, Mr. Beutcher, I would ask you spend that time preparing the _Daunte_ for a new crew member. Jonias Salton will be joining your crew when you return to duty. Your assignment station will eventually be returned to Alpha Prime, and more specifically, the run between Caliphus and Beta Campus."

The captain said, "You hear that, Knog. Beta Campus! You'll have a chance to see the wife more than once every six months!"

I held up my hand. "While I appreciate the kind gestures, Chief, I am afraid I will have to decline. I don't work well with a partner. I'm not flexible enough when it comes to giving orders."

The Chief leaned in. "I'm afraid I must have misspoken, Mr. Beutcher. Somehow you misinterpreted what I just said as being an option. Now, I would suggest you go prepare your ship for another crewman, as Jonias Salton will be joining you in two days.

"Oh, and one more thing, Knog: you will want to do everything in your power to keep your new partner safe. If anything should happen while they are on watch with you, I will personally fly you to Omega Station SS241, strapped to the wing of my personal shuttle. Do we have an understanding, Mr. Beutcher?"

The Chief did not have a happy face. I glanced at the stars on my shoulder patch and then back at the Chief and nodded.

Jamia said, "Good, I'm glad we could come to an agreement. Sometimes a little restraint and patience can be a good thing. The _Daunte_ will be swept back here to SS5 for your time off. It begins immediately."

The Chief began to turn away and then looked back at the comm. "Oh, and Mr. Beutcher, know that the captain and I now have personal stakes in this assignment. I expect complete, timely reports on any inspections and on the training progress of our newest academy graduate."

As I began to respond, the Chief walked away.

Paq Wendell said, "You pull this off, and we may be looking at that fourth star, Knog. You screw this up... if the Chief doesn't send you to Omega, I will."

Before I could reply, the captain cut the comm link.

In frustration, I stood and looked down at my mug. "Well, mug, just keep this between you and me, but I'm not sharing my coffee with this Jonias. He can bring his own."

There was no cleaning to be done on the _Daunte_. I kept a tight, orderly ship. With two days to kill, I decided to spend some time looking up a few old faces I knew on SS5. Betty Chocks, a Human, owned a small bar and pub, and Ogu Farr, a prior detective and fellow Grunta, had gone on to own a salvage yard. I had known each for over forty standard years.

Betty had been a waitress at the pub when Ogu and I were in the academy. Ogu and I frequented Security Sam's while at the academy. The three of us had become fast friends. Betty had gone on to marry the bar owner, who had later passed away, while Ogu had dropped out of the service a year out of the academy to pursue salvage.

When I walked into Sam's, Betty was behind the bar cleaning. "So, they let anybody behind the bar nowadays?"

Betty smiled as she came out for a hug. "Knog, how's Getta and the kids?"

We talked for most of an hour about our families before the topic turned to the New Alliance. "I don't know what's in store for us, Betty. The managers at the security force have turned into a bunch of yes-men for the Saltons. They just saddled me with a new partner who is somehow related. These stars don't seem to mean anything anymore."

"There are a lot of unhappy people out there, Knog. Every day I overhear some new conversation about taking matters into their own hands. The criminal elements have gained a lot of followers. If you don't play by their rules, they can be just as ruthless as the Saltons' people.

"I had a longtime patron last week who was dragged from his home, beaten, and questioned before they let him go. Those were people from the security force. The local boss here then had his men do the same to find out what he was asked about. He's busy now packing his things and his family to move out to some remote colony."

I shook my head. "I'm not sure where it is he's going to go. The outer colonies are no better, and from most of what I've seen, they can be much worse. I saw a new security report two days ago that mentioned the disappearance of another colony. This one on the outskirts of Theta sector."

Several minutes later, Ogu Farr walked in, sitting on a stool next to them at the bar. Pleasantries were exchanged, and the conversation quickly turned back to the state of the alliance.

Ogu said, "I've had several lean years at the yard, wasn't moving much of anything, but that's all changed in the last few months. I've sold almost a quarter of my stock during that time. It seems someone is buying ship parts like there is no tomorrow, and they're paying premium."

Betty nodded. "You mention Theta. I had a guy in here the other day blabbering about a new shipyard they were building out there. He had about four too many shots in him at the time.

"If they are building one, I have to wonder how they could possibly compete with the Betagen docks. Betagen can turn out a kilometer-long hauler in four days' time. And with the economies on most worlds being sour, I have to wonder why anyone would be building ships, let alone a shipyard."

Ogu turned to face me. "You hear anything about that from the corps?"

"Other than that security report, I haven't heard of anything else mentioning the Theta sector. Of course, nobody talks with me at the office whenever I come in anymore. I don't know of any reason I would be avoided other than everyone is just looking out for themselves.

"If you make a bad or contentious bust, they've started calling in everyone you know for questioning. It's getting to where nobody wants to make an arrest for fear of having to go before the briefing board. Times are changing and not for the better."

# Chapter 3

### _______________________

An argument could be heard coming from the hallway outside Sam's. The three of us walked to the door just in time to see a woman squabbling with a station guard. After a heated exchange, she pulled a blaster and fired a bolt into his midsection. The neatly pressed uniform of the guard exploded outward as we ducked back through the doorway.

Ogu said, "Wow. The crazies have finally reached SS5. I come across a blaster in my salvage every once in a while, but that's the first one I have seen in the populace for a good eight or ten years."

I moved back to the door in time to see the Igari woman rallying a dozen friends to her aid. All were equipped with blasters of their own.

As Ogu came up and squatted behind me, I held up my hand. "Stay put. I think this fight is only getting started. This hall will be crawling with guards in about three minutes. If they see us peeking out from here, we'll be dragged in for questioning when the fight is over."

I looked out at the Igari guard, whose remains now lay scattered about the hallway floor. SS5 was Igari space, with fully 90 percent of its inhabitants being of the same species. The Igari were a meter and a half tall, with medium gray skin and hairless heads. Their normal facial expression was what others would consider a scowl. The Igari I knew had always been friendly and law abiding. What we had just witnessed told me that for some... their demeanor had changed.

When several minutes had passed, just as I had predicted, the security forces of the station began to arrive. The initial five turned into fifteen and then twenty. I poked my head out just enough to get a good look down the hall where the woman had gone. From my position, I could see several Igari hiding in wait for the guards to come their way.

As the security team organized and began to move toward our position, I pushed back inside the doorway. Betty and Ogu hurried back over to the bar, taking up stances that implied they were not interested in whatever was going on out in the hall.

I stood in the middle of the bar in indecision. This was not my fight, but I was an officer of the security force, and I was armed.

As I raised my hand up to my blaster, Ogu said, "Stay out of the fight, Knog. This is an Igari problem."

I looked over my shoulder. "I'm sworn to uphold the law. Too often we just sit by and let things happen when it's our duty to assist."

As I began to turn toward the door, an Igari guard stepped out in front of me. "Freeze! Move your hand away from that weapon!"

I began to explain. "I'm a detective. I'm on your—"

An ion bolt from a blaster ripped into his back, blowing the right side of his rib cage and his right arm from his body. The newly dead guard dropped to the floor.

The hallway erupted in blaster fire from both directions. I gathered Ogu, and we moved to behind the bar beside Betty. Two Igari guards fell in front of the doorway as the fierce battle ramped up. For several seconds, the blaster fire then went strangely silent as those involved repositioned.

Whumps and pops started again, this time coming from the direction of the guards. I moved out from the bar and again poked my head just far enough from the doorway to see down the hall. The remaining guards were being pushed back in our direction.

Ogu was again crouched just behind me. "What's happening?"

"The guards are getting their asses kicked is what's happening. Their team captain doesn't know what he's doing."

As I leaned out, struggling to see the action without fully exposing myself, I felt the cold tip of a blaster against the back of my neck.

A woman's voice said, "Stand up slowly and give me your weapon. You make a move, even a twitch that I don't like, and I'll open you up with a twenty-megajoule, life-ending jolt."

As I stood and turned to face her, the woman looked over at Betty. "You try anything from over there, Human, and it will be the last thing you do."

Betty raised her hands where they could be seen.

With a gruff voice, the Igari woman said, "What are you Gruntas doing here?"

I replied, "I was just having lunch with friends. What's happening out there?"

A second Igari took the blaster from my hand as the woman continued, "What's happening is not your business, Grunta."

She looked at the three stars on my shoulder patch and gestured. "My uncle was a three star back in the AMP. I know you must have earned those at about the same time, which tells me you're probably a decent person. He will be here in a moment. I'll let him decide what to do with you."

The fighting just down the hall from Sam's came to an end when the last two guards surrendered their weapons. It was an action that was punishable by death in the New Alliance. For the guards, it would mean the chance of living for at least a short while longer.

An older Igari turned the corner into the restaurant. "Shieka, I told you to stay back! You are too valuable to the movement to lose."

The Igari looked at the stars on my shoulder. "On my station we only had two detectives with three stars. That was before the New Alliance thugs took over SS6. Out of respect for you, I'm giving you a choice. Join us here today, renounce the New Alliance, or I'll blow a hole in you the size of that bar stool over there."

I replied, "There are three here who've achieved the rank you and I have. Two served their time with honor, while one has advanced through political means. Would my renouncement here make a difference?"

The Igari placed the tip of his blaster against my chest. "How'd you know I was once a three star?"

I smiled, as much as a Grunta could smile. "Your niece mentioned it only moments ago. I don't believe you are leaving me with any choice, so, squeeze the trigger or let me go."

The old Igari smiled. "Guts. I like it when a detective has the guts to say what he means."

The blaster fire picked up again down the hall.

Another Igari poked his head in the doorway. "Karna, they have heavy rifles and shields. We're starting to lose people."

The Igari woman looked at her uncle and then back at the other Igari. "Withdraw!"

The old Igari poked the tip of his blaster against my chest. "The time is coming where you will have to choose sides, Detective. Think hard about where you stand."

The Igaris turned and scampered down the hall as the rest of their fighters disengaged from the melee and fled. The hallway, along with Security Sam's restaurant, was soon filled with SS5 security forces.

Twenty minutes later, Paq Wendell was standing in front of me. "You had a weapon; why weren't you in the fight?"

Ogu stepped up behind me. "They stormed us and confiscated his weapon before he could draw."

Paq looked at Ogu with suspicion before looking me in the face. "Is that true, Knog?"

"I was reaching for my blaster when they entered."

Paq looked back at the door and then back my way. "I'm supposed to believe that an Igari outdrew you?"

Ogu began to speak again. "He—"

I held out my hand for him to stop. "Captain, they entered with weapons raised. The Alliance needs experienced detectives, not dead ones. If we're finished here, I would like to get on with my lunch, as I have yet to eat."

Paq squinted his eyes and looked away. The officers of the station security force had once been close partners with those of the inspection detectives. In recent years, the trust and brotherhood that had previously joined the two had been broken by the new politics of the Alliance. Each side seemed eager to belittle or turn on the other should the occasion arise. The captain, secure in my story, left before causing questions to be asked of his own actions.

When the commotion had fully ended, a single guard stood in the hallway as a coroner's crew cleaned up the remains of the fallen security force members. Twenty had perished in the fight. The single Igari citizen who had died as a result of a battle wound had been dragged away by his own. After thorough questioning by a guard force inspector, I was released and sat down for a meal.

Ogu said, "I've seen the news of riots on a few of the planets. That's the first discord, other than talk, I've witnessed on this station. And, that was far more than a riot. That was a planned assault."

Betty nodded. "I've heard a few grumblings of late, but nothing that would rise to the level of that. The old Igari sounded like he's planning a revolution."

"The people are unhappy," I said. "The government can only take so much from their families before they do just what we saw out there. The way things are going, I would expect to see more of this.

"I was just told to not take any ships under my inspection that were flying under the Salton family flag. That smacks of corruption. If we're seeing this kind of lawlessness here, imagine what it's like out in the far sectors."

Our discussion about the state of the Alliance went on for several hours. After settling up my tab and saying goodbye to my friends, I headed back to the _Daunte_. I would spend the remainder of my time-off on the ship alone.

A planned visit to see my wife and children, who were living on the planet Balimus II, not far from Beta Campus, had not been authorized. I would not be seeing them again for four months... when my current shift would come to an end.

As I approached my ship, I sent the code to open the hatch. A ramp-way dropped underneath and I climbed the eight steps up into the ship's hold. I turned and looked back down at the deck as a whiff of animal smell entered my nostrils. Most Gruntas had an excellent sense of smell, and I was no exception.

When I turned back, I was facing a 130-pound drooling beast. It was staring at me with an intent that was not friendly. It was a Human dog called a Rottweiler. Humans loved their pets, and the fact that a Rottweiler was standing in front of me told me there was a Human somewhere nearby. I took another sniff and detected just a hint of a perfume.

"Who's there? This is a government ship."

A short, thin, brunette Human stepped out from the cockpit. "You must be Knog. Sorry for the intrusion, but I got tired of waiting to be introduced. I was supposed to meet you here tomorrow. I'm Jonias Salton, by the way. And this is my friend Raptor. He's as friendly as they come once he trusts you."

The fresh graduate stepped forward and held out her hand for a shake. "I hope this doesn't get us off on the wrong foot. The Chief said you were a stickler for protocol. You were also their highest-ranking and longest-serving inspector; that's why my father chose you.

"He wanted his daughter to be safe. I suppose it will be in my favor to learn from the best, but I'm sure they're going to give us nothing but cream-puff assignments. I just wish they would let me have a little independence, that's all."

Jonias's tiny hand was swallowed up in my big Grunta palm. "Jonias, you really shouldn't board ships without asking first. I wasn't prepared for guests."

Jonias looked around. "Wasn't prepared? This place is immaculate. I've been on ships with a complete household staff that weren't as clean as this. Oh, and call me Joni. My father named me Jonias because he wanted a boy."

Joni walked over and opened a door. "Is this my room? I noticed it was kind of sparse, which is fine; I'll have it cluttered up with my junk in no time."

"Those are my quarters, and I would ask that you not invade my space further. The far door is yours."

Joni turned back with a sheepish smile. "That one? The big room? I would have thought you'd be in there; even the bunk is bigger."

I stepped forward and closed the door to my room. "I prefer this one. It's closer to the holding cell, where I can better watch over anyone I have taken into custody."

Joni gave an odd look. "You're taller than the bed is long in there. How is it you can sleep?"

"The personal sleeping habits of a Grunta are just that, personal. Now, if you would like to take possession of your room, please feel free to do so. I have work to do in the cockpit."

As I turned back, the Rottweiler named Raptor was standing in my way.

"Oh, you have to pet him. He requires a petting toll from anyone who wants to pass. No pet, no pass."

I leaned down and exposed my teeth with a growl. Most animals, and beings, would turn and flee at the sight of an unhappy Grunta. The Human dog stood firm, offering up a growl of its own.

Joni laughed. "Really, he won't move unless you pet him. And your little show right there—if he didn't like you, he would have been all over you like a raw borak steak. Just pay his fee and he'll move."

I reached down, placing the dog's head in the palm of my hand. I grudgingly spun my wrist from side to side and was soon rewarded as the fierce dog rolled slowly over onto his back with his feet up in the air, exposing his soft underbelly.

Joni said, "Wow, I've only seen him do that for my father. You must have a touch with animals."

I shook my head. "Gruntas and animals generally don't mix. We don't have pets, because most don't care for our pheromones."

I reached down further and gently scratched his belly. The dog turned his head away in a submissive gesture.

Joni laughed. "You better watch it, or he's gonna be humping your leg."

I straightened and proceeded to the cockpit, sitting in the plush pilot's chair in front of the holo-displays. I pulled up the coming schedule to see only a blank screen.

Joni was standing over me. "That's what I was just checking when you came aboard. I was hoping we could get an early start on an inspection."

# Chapter 4

### _______________________

Joni plopped down in the copilot's chair and spun it to face my direction. "Can we at least take her out for a run? I've logged over three hundred hours in the simulator for this ship. I know all the systems and how they work. I read everything I can when it comes to something I'm interested in. I've always been like that. Having to know everything."

"In the future, I would prefer if you asked before making use of the _Daunte_ 's systems. I try to keep things in good order so they are set to what I am expecting when I expect them to be. If I'm expecting the ship's gravity to be set at 1.1, I don't want to twist the dial a notch, thinking it has moved to 1.2, only to find it is only on 0.9. Those things will make a Grunta unpleasant to be around."

Joni threw her hands in the air as she spun her chair to face forward. "Oookay. Joni will keep her hands off the instruments. Say, I'm getting kind of hungry. What do we have to eat in the galley?"

Joni stood and walked back to the food store, whipping open the door. "Wait. Coffee! And this is the good stuff. I haven't had a cup in three weeks. You have two big crates of Orientus. I haven't had Orientus since my dad came to see me five months ago."

I stood from my chair and walked to the galley. "I thought Humans to visit their offspring on a more frequent basis. I have eighteen little Gruntas at home, but our breaks only come every six months. If you are a Salton, I would think they would keep you close?"

Joni offered a half smile. "Yeah, they stay close if you're in the family business. I don't have much of an appetite for politics, though. My little brothers, now they get the attention of their father, and our mother. Garrett is twelve and Rodney is ten. They are the two boys my father was hoping for. Don't get me wrong, he never mistreated me or denied me anything I wanted or needed. It's just, he has never been supportive of me doing what I want to do. I didn't get into the academy until he was good and fed up with me pestering him. And now, here I am."

I prepped the brewer for a cup of the Orientus. "Gruntas also encourage our young to select a worthwhile pursuit. However, when a field of study is selected, whether it be a pursuit of science or tunnel mining, we offer our full support. They may fail or they may select a new career afterward, but we push them to do their best."

Joni pointed. "Now that's a family I could get along with right there."

I topped off a mug and gently handed her the steaming brew. "We have our issues as well. There are only two periods in a female Grunta's lifetime that she is fertile. If she has not retained a mate, she will go looking among those who are spoken for. If the two females come in contact with one another, there is no stopping the savage fight to the death that will ensue. Gruntas mate for life, and a second mate is forbidden. In families where this has happened, the husband often works far away from home until the offspring have been raised."

Joni sipped at the hot coffee. "Mmm. Oh this is so good. You know, Humans don't have any restrictions on marriage. You don't like your spouse, you dump 'em and find another. Of course, that's not most Humans, it's just the ones you hear about. Take my uncle: he has three daughters by three different wives. He keeps looking for a son as well, and let me tell you, those three are anything but boys. They are spoiled and pampered beyond belief."

I poured a cup for myself, "And why is it that Joni had no interest in the easy life? I don't know of many who would turn that down to be an inspection detective."

Joni shook her head. "If I did that, my life would be nothing more than getting sent to events where I would be paraded around as if something special. I can't stand the lot of them. Just a bunch of rotten, selfish—"

A voice came up the ramp-way. "Knog? Are you up there?"

I took a sip as I sat on a stool by the counter. "Yes, Captain. Come on up. Miss Salton is already here."

The captain walked up the steps with a grin on his face. "Miss Salton? Detective Captain Paq Wendell. I've been looking all over for you at the guest quarters and your hotel. Is everything OK?"

As the captain made it to the last step, he froze in fear. Raptor was staring at him with the same leery gaze that had been cast upon me.

"Just give him a second to feel you out, Captain," Joni said. And I would advise you not to make any sudden moves."

The Paq Wendell stood in silence for several seconds. "Miss Salton, you have obviously met Mr. Beutcher. Is there anything at all that I can be of assistance with? Food stores? Upgraded bed linens?"

Joni shook her head. "Nope. I think I'm good right now, Captain, thanks. Oh, wait, could you go fetch a couple borak steaks for Raptor? He likes borak."

The captain nodded. "I can do that."

Joni held up her hand and made a _shoo_ gesture. "He hasn't eaten at all today. Is that something you could go do now?"

The captain raised his thumb. "Got it. I'll be right back, Miss Salton."

The captain glanced back at the dog and then hustled down the steps.

"I hate suck-ups."

"Take it easy on the captain. He's a good man. He's always treated his people fairly. If it comes down to the hard decisions, you'll be able to trust him to do what's right. Your showing up here under his command just has him a little nervous."

Joni held up her cup. "I like you, Mr. Beutcher. You don't have a problem with telling it like it is. And you haven't been drooling all over me like a Rotty puppy."

I raised my cup and then set it on the counter. "You have to remember, Joni, people fear your family. With the twitch of a lip or the wave of a hand, a citizen's life could be ruined or taken away entirely. You don't appear to be that way, at least not as of yet, but your family name brings a weight with it that most fear to cross."

I chuckled to myself.

"What was that? You laughed."

I nodded. "I was just thinking about your statement earlier, that you liked me. I kind of like you so far, too. You have that spunk or brashness, a fearlessness really, that will either take you to the top of the detective ranks or lead you to a horrible, early death."

"Well, thanks for the vote of confidence, Mr. Beutcher. I think."

Ten minutes later, the captain returned with a pair of raw borak steaks for the dog. Joni restrained her dislike for his repeated attempts at favor as I was given the task of feeding the dog. I held out the steak with a serious look on my face.

The Rotty drooled as the steak neared his mouth, but he didn't make a move on it. I dropped the steak on the floor as Joni and the captain looked on. The 130 pounds of canine muscle remained staring at my face. I stood straight and nodded. The steak was attacked with a savage ferocity.

Joni said, "I am impressed. That dog already respects you more than anyone I know, including me."

I looked over at the captain. "Sometimes restraint and patience can be good qualities, huh, Captain?"

The captain slightly squinted an eye as he tried to think of where he had heard that before.

Joni Salton stood. "Captain, we're taking the _Daunte_ out for a little run, if you don't mind? We'll check back with you when we return."

Joni gestured for Paq Wendell to leave. As he walked to the bottom of the stairs, he turned and looked back up. The Rottweiler continued to devour the steak as both eyes stayed on the captain.

"Mr. Beutcher, may I have a quick word with you down here?"

I took Joni's cup with mine and placed the two in the autowash. I smiled as I turned and walked down the stairs.

As I reached the deck, the captain pulled me to the side, out of Raptor's view. "Look, take her out for a run around the station a couple times or maybe circle around Gelnac Colony or something. Keep her close, Knog. You may not realize it, but there are forces out there that want her kidnapped or dead.

I believe that little insurrection we witnessed earlier was an attempt to somehow get to her, or at least to send a message to the royals. Don't do anything foolish out there. Just a clean run in and out."

So there it was. The ruling families were now being called royals. I wondered how long it would be before Harden Salton was crowned king.

I looked back at the narrow steps, on one side of the ramp-way that ran up into the _Daunte_. At the top sat a twenty-year-old girl who had more power at her disposal than most could ever dream of. Yet, other than humiliating any who sought her favor, she had no interest in having or holding that power. The more I knew about Jonias Salton, the more I liked her.

I placed my hand on the captain's shoulder. "I'll take good care of her, sir. If you'd like, I can leave the transfer transponder running while we're out there. If any emergency should occur, you could sweep us immediately back to here."

The captain shook his head. "Thanks for the suggestion, but that won't be necessary. Just try to keep her safe. And don't be taking any risks you don't need to."

As I turned toward the stairs, the captain's response seemed out of place. My offer of the transponder remaining on was a solid solution to potential problems. I was left wondering if I wasn't being told everything about her security. As I reached the top of the steps, I pressed the button to close the ramp-way.

Joni joined me in the cockpit. "So where is it we're going?"

I punched up the nav screen on the holo-display. After several swipes I had the planet Gelnac and the Gelnac colony floating in front of me. "Gelnac should be a simple run. There's a large comet moving in close to the Gelnac sun. We can do a flyby. It won't gain you any inspection experience, but at least it will be something of interest."

"Anything is better than sitting here."

"Other than the captain showing up, I haven't seen any security looking out for you. The captain made a good point that you are a high-value target. I would have thought you would have come with a bodyguard or two."

Joni offered a half frown. "They're out there, Mr. Beutcher. I have insisted they not be visible, and family security has responded with a team that is pretty good about not being seen."

"A wise move. You would draw unwanted attention from those who would do you harm. If only to get at your family."

"Here, out the viewport, see those three men loading cargo? That is the third time they have lifted that crate with the autopallet. See the supervisor up there behind the glass wall? I guarantee he was not working this dock yesterday. When you signal the bay controller with your flight plan, it won't be a voice you recognize. I would almost bet there's not a single person in this bay today that actually works here."

I nodded my head as I looked around. "You are right, I've been in and out of this bay for years, and I don't recognize a any of them. If it were me, I would be thrilled at the level of security that is being provided, but I can see how it might weigh on your sense of freedom to move about."

"I have no freedom, Mr. Beutcher. Was born without it."

"We're all individuals, and part of being an individual is being able to make your own decisions about when and where you go. I'm guessing you had to tell them ahead of time you were coming on the _Daunte_?"

Joni sighed. "Two hours' notice I had to give. They checked the ship, sent everyone home with cabin restrictions so they would not be seen wandering about. Their teams were moved into in all the places connected to this bay. If you noticed, there hasn't been a single ship docking in here since you came back."

Joni was right. Bay-17 was normally active throughout the day. I was normally good about observing my surroundings and should have picked up on that fact. I winced at how easily I had been distracted and made a note to myself to not be so again. Potential threats to my new trainee were threats to me as well.

With a flight plan filed, I gave Joni the controls for the taxi out of the bay. We lifted gently off the deck and maneuvered to the gravity wall and then out into space. Any other veteran could not have done it any more by the book than Joni Salton's first flight. We were soon moving rapidly away from SS5 toward the Gelnac system. On standard propulsion, Gelnac was a two-hour flight in the _Daunte_.

"That was an impressive first flight out for a trainee. I don't remember having one who wasn't as nervous as a Magonia parrot in a hat factory. That was a smooth transit, and I was impressed with the checks you were doing at the same time. Those are things I do as well."

"I don't want to be screwing up on my first time out. If I lose your respect, I lose what little trust you have gained in me today. That's something I learned from my grandfather before he passed."

I pulled up the nav display to look for ships in the direction we were going. "Grandparents are an important part of the Grunta culture. Since many fathers are often away for long periods of time during our youth, our grandfathers play a pivotal role with our young. They are often the man figure of the family during those early formative years. My grandfather, Movis, taught me to fly my first helocycle. I was the junior champion at my school for three years running."

Joni nodded. "Impressive. I was fifteen before my father allowed me pilot one on my own. I don't think my brothers have ever even wanted to."

I laughed. "Not really. I mean, I won, but it was not impressive. Of the twelve contestants, eleven were direct family. I would say my grandfather was satisfied, though. I was his only student during that time."

Joni reached over and smacked me on the shoulder. "Well, it was impressive to me, and I'm your only audience at the moment, so, way to go."

The flight to Gelnac passed quickly. Joni took the _Daunte_ in close to the comet's tail and then sped up to just even with the brightly glowing ball of ice. It was a spectacular sight from such a close distance.

After two spins around Gelnac and its two moons, we returned to SS5 in time for a late dinner. Joni was high-spirited, but unpretentious. Her lack of fear was something I would have to work on. Fear brought caution; caution brought safety; safety kept you alive when trouble arose. If Joni was to be an inspection detective, safety would have to be a priority.

# Chapter 5

### _______________________

The following day, we received our first inspection assignment. It would be a repeat flight out to Gelnac to inspect a newly arriving load of refrigeration units. The units would later be assembled for home use in a variety of different brands and models. Since the trade embargoes had begun, simple appliances had sometimes been difficult to acquire.

As we approached the target vessel, Joni said, "You know, those trade wars are all a joke. It's nothing more than the ruling families fighting over who makes how much."

"I don't follow."

Joni punched up a diagram of the freighter to be inspected. "Well, there are twelve ruling families in the New Alliance. Each has their own little empire of planets and colonies to oversee. They've all decided any trade imbalance with anyone else was unconscionable. Why should they be allowing wealth to flow out of their empire into another? That's the reasoning that went into all the embargoes, rather than working out fair practices that would benefit everyone. It's all about power and wealth."

Joni continued, "You can't get Orientus coffee here anymore because my uncle decided he didn't want profit going to the Galwich family. The tit-for-tat trade squabbles over simple items led to full-fledged trade wars, which led to the embargoes. In the last two years, that has spread to withholding of raw materials as well. In some ways it's a great opportunity for local entrepreneurs, but most lack the resources to start businesses producing the needed goods. Instead, everyone just goes without."

"You seem to be well versed in the economics of the New Alliance."

Joni laughed. "It's the family business. I despise politics and all this economic nonsense, but I do find it important to study. If I know how the trading systems work, I can better tell if a cargo is being smuggled, or if it's counterfeit. The longer these trade wars last, the more likely a cargo _is_ to be one of those two."

I closed my holo-display. "I'll let you handle this inspection, Miss Salton. I won't say a word until you have a report prepared to deliver to the ship's administrator. I'll follow behind and offer feedback when you're done. There is no better way to learn than by doing it yourself."

Joni smiled. "I appreciate that, Mr. Beutcher. Hopefully, this is just another confidence builder."

We pulled alongside the freighter and slipped through the gravity wall into the docking bay. The manifest administrator was waiting for us with his logs. The administrator smiled as he held out his data store.

Joni transferred the log and popped it up above her arm pad. "Fifty thousand refrigeration units. OK. Let's go have a look at your bays."

As I followed the pair, I continued to be impressed with Joni's professionalism and thorough inspection procedures. Twelve random shipping containers were opened when the inspection procedure had called out only four. Every nook and cranny of the freighter was inspected, with all the usual hiding places yielding no signs of contraband.

As we proceeded into the bunk room, she began searching through the personal belongings of the crew. I took note of an Igari crewman who fidgeted as she searched his gear. After finding nothing, she moved on to the next trunk and then a duffel bag. When the search was complete, she moved back in front of the nervous Igari.

Joni stared him in the face. "Mr. Jaqua. You do realize you're carrying a banned substance."

The Igari panicked and sprinted for the door. I was shocked by the quick response from the petite Human who was now under my tutelage. The doorway was seven meters away. Not only had Joni Salton caught the fleeing Igari, but she had subdued the subject on the deck with an arm bar and a knee to his back.

The slightly larger Igari was slowly pulled to his feet and returned to his trunk, where a small bag of Orientus coffee was found.

Joni held up the small sack. "Mr. Jaqua. I was only going to give you a warning that under order of the Salton family, Orientus has recently been banned. You might want to finish what you have before it gets confiscated."

I turned to look at the mortified captain. He had been warned to have a clean ship as a member of the Salton family would be performing an inspection. The ship was registered to the Motlin Corporation and was fully owned by the Saltons.

Joni handed the bag back to the crewman with a pursed smile before turning to the captain. "Captain, I know you know who I am, so this is how it's going to be. Mr. Jaqua is not to be punished for this in any way. I will have someone follow up sometime after this, and if I find any sort of punishment for this incident, I will have your license. Am I clear in what I'm saying?"

The captain nodded. "Yes, Ma'am. Mr. Jaqua has done nothing wrong and therefore will not be punished in any way."

Joni turned back to the still-shaking crewman. "Mr. Jaqua. I hope you're still able to enjoy the Orientus, but you may want to brew it up soon, before it goes missing. You can't get it in the stores anymore."

Jalla Jaqua replied, "Thank you for your kindness with this situation, Miss Salton. I'm new to the crew of the _Farengate_ , and I'm in desperate need of this job."

Joni looked back at the captain. "You do your job to the best of your ability, and I am sure Captain Haira will treat you fairly."

The captain nodded with a still-worried look on his face.

We moved back to the docking bay. Joni quickly had her report ready for the administrator and the captain. "You run a good ship, Captain; keep in mind that a captain is only as good as his crew. Treat your men fairly, and they will work hard for you, and a hardworking crew means better profits for the family. Take care, Captain, and have a good day."

I followed Joni back onto the _Daunte_ where we were soon back out in free space, heading toward SS5.

"I have to say I liked the way you handled yourself back there, Miss Salton: both professional and mature. I wish the trainees I had twenty years ago had been so cool and collected. Although, I'm left to wonder why you pounced on that poor fellow so quickly. We are on a ship in space."

Joni turned with her eyebrows raised. "Did you see the panic in his eyes? I didn't want him running out of there and purposefully jamming his hand into an ion stream somewhere, so I tackled him before he could hurt himself."

I nodded. "Quick thinking on your part. I would not have made that immediate leap. Now, on to the more important topic. Has Orientus really been banned by the family?"

Joni smiled. "Does it bother you that you have two crates of contraband in your storeroom, Mr. Beutcher?"

"I can hardly be out here busting captains and crews for contraband if I am carrying it myself. I try to go by the letter of the law. That's one reason I earned these three stars."

Joni laughed. "OK, well, I guess we need to remedy that situation right now. In the name of the Salton family, I hereby confiscate the two crates of Orientus in the store of the _Daunte_. Said contraband will from here on out be property of the Salton family and will be dispersed to the crew of the _Daunte_ , a government-owned ship, at the family's discretion. How's that sound?"

"Add that note to the ship's logs, and we'll be in good shape. I believe we should seal this edict with a cup of said coffee. Does that fall within the new Salton family guidelines?"

Joni again laughed. "I believe it does."

When I returned with the two cups of Orientus, Joni had the inspection schedule up on the holo-display. "Next up is the _Kuleroog_ , with eight hundred thousand tons of iron. I'm requesting a portal transit for this one."

I sipped as Joni managed the controls for our jump. Two minutes later we were parked in position, four light-years from where we had previously been. For only an instant, I noticed a blip on the tactical display. I checked the history logs and could not see any anomaly had been logged.

"Did you get a flicker on the nav screen right after that jump? I saw something, but the logs aren't showing a blip."

Joni shook her head. "I didn't pick up anything."

I set down my mug and stood.

As I poked away at a small device on the wall behind my chair, Joni asked, "What are you messing with?"

"It's a personal recorder. I keep my own records of everything I do in the cockpit. If a situation arises where my actions are in contention, I can review them to see what transpired. It has helped me to avoid mistakes by going back and reviewing what I've done. We sometimes develop habits that are not the best for us. In this instance, I want to see if it recorded the anomaly I thought I just saw."

Joni tilted her head slightly to one side. "Hmm. Interesting. I might find something like that useful as well."

"There. I'm transferring this to your display. Here, see this spike in the detector array. It was on-screen, but not recorded in our logs."

Joni stood and walked out of the cockpit, walking the cabin in search.

I glanced back from the cockpit. "What are you looking for?"

"Oh, never mind. I'll tell you later. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about that blip. My simulator display used to do that as well. Probably just some defect they never worked out of the designs."

The _Kuleroog_ pulled alongside our position.

As we walked around the cargo bay, Joni quickly pulled me between two supply containers. "Sorry about the brush-off about the blip, Mr. Beutcher. I believe that's a shadow ship my father has following us. The blip was from a portal jump it made to a nearby location. It wasn't in your logs because the ship's systems are fully under the control of my father's security teams. Everything we have been saying and doing is being recorded and analyzed by an entire team of people. When we get back aboard, I'll crash the system and do a clean basic reboot. We'll probably be contacted about it in about three minutes. If that happens, we'll be in need of a way to communicate privately."

Joni was right. When the inspection was complete and the _Kuleroog_ had pulled away, the security desk opened a comm for a routine check. As stated, she performed a crash-boot of the _Daunte_ 's systems.

Three minutes eight seconds later, the captain came on the comm. "Mr. Beutcher, this is Paq Wendell; just wanted to check in to see how things are going."

"We're about to jump back to the station, Captain. Miss Salton just performed another flawless inspection. We just sent the vessel on its way."

The captain continued, "I just noticed your logs aren't fully transmitting, Knog. Are you having a problem with the systems?"

I smiled at Joni. "We just had a simple reboot, Captain. I wanted to familiarize Miss Salton with the procedure. I'm sure the full system will be running shortly."

The captain was silent for a moment. "If you have any further issues, please let me know immediately, and thanks for watching over her, Knog; your efforts are appreciated."

"No problem, Captain. So far, she has been a pleasure to work with."

I winked as I closed the comm. The sweep taking us back to SS5 was completed moments later.

I looked over the schedule. "Next inspection isn't for another four hours; any interest in lunch?"

"Yes. I'm famished. What did you have in mind?"

The ramp-way dropped onto the deck of Bay-17. "I know a restaurant where we can get the best Kuriatan stew this side of, well, Kuriata. The owner is a friend of mine."

We continued our chat as we headed toward Sam's. I took note of the complete absence of any other beings as we walked. The halls had been cleared ahead of us.

Joni said, "You can see how lonely and boring my life can be, Mr. Beutcher. They probably have every citizen cleared out of here for a kilometer in each direction."

When we arrived at Sam's, there were a dozen other customers sitting having lunch. I took note that I did not get the usual stares that a Grunta received when going into an eating establishment. We were big, and we were very different from the standard Human or the smaller Igari who dominated SS5.

I directed Joni to the bar. "Bartender, can you let Miss Chocks know that Knog is here?"

The bartender looked at me inquisitively for several seconds.

"The owner, can you get the owner for me?"

The bartender shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir. She's out today. She should be back later if you'd like to leave a message."

I offered a half smile. "No need. I'll talk to her later myself. I think the lady and I are going to have a bowl of the Kuriatan stew. Bring me a bowl of thisen peppers on the side also."

I turned to Joni. "You like peppers?"

Joni winced. "Not especially. I'm not much for the spicy hot foods. Aren't thisen peppers supposed to be the extremely hot ones?"

I nodded. "I suppose they are for Humans. The oils don't react much with Grunta physiology, which puts them on the mild side for me."

As the bartender turned away to enter the order, I said, "I'm not putting much faith in the soup. I don't think the regulars are at work here today. This looks like a group from your security teams. I know the owner, and she's here each and every day. The bartender didn't even know who she was. I would suspect we'll be getting Kuriatan stew made by a security officer."

Joni laughed. "This is what I was talking about. I walk around in an insulated bubble. Just once I'd like to see the real world and real people. Half of the people at the academy were probably plants. You might be one of the only real people I know, Mr. Beutcher. You are real aren't you?"

"How many Grunta does your father have on his security teams?"

"None that I've ever seen."

The soup came out and was warm but flat. The peppers were thackeries, which any chef would never have mistaken for thisen.

I stood and transferred twelve credits to the bar register. "Let's go. We're wasting our time here. We can grab something from the _Daunte_ 's food store."

The halls were again empty on the walk back to the ship.

Just before boarding, I raised a question. "How difficult would it be to disable some of the devices on the _Daunte_? I'm getting a little irritated by the security overkill."

Joni whispered. "Ha! Now you are talking my language. I've spent the better part of the last five years trying to identify all the listeners and recorders that blanket the landscape around me. Give me ten minutes and I think I can find them all; I would need an energy broadcast sensor, though. Know where I might get one?"

"I have an idea. Go on up and keep Raptor company. I''ll see what I can do."

I made my way out of Bay-17 and was suddenly confronted by Paq Wendell. "Where you headed, Knog?"

"I'm heading down to Deck-97 to the salvage yards. I have a friend down there I want to say hey to. We've got some time before our next inspection. Didn't want to drag the poor girl along."

"Would that be Ogu you're going to see? The guy you were having lunch with yesterday?"

I nodded.

The captain sighed. "Well, try to keep it brief. I don't like Miss Salton being on that ship alone."

I again nodded as I hurried past the captain on my way. When I arrived at the salvage yard, I went straight to Ogu.

After a quick greet, I got down to business. "I need a sensor to sweep the _Daunte_ with. My new trainee comes with bugs. The Saltons really look after their own, and while that's fine from a security standpoint, both of us would like some privacy. I need something to sweep the ship that will tell me if we have a dead zone."

Ogu smiled. "I can do you one better. I have a detector for you to use, but I also have a scrambler that will mask either audio or ionics in an area from two meters up to ten meters diameter."

We walked toward a storage area as Ogu continued. "I would suggest you do the sweep of the ship and find a spot with the lowest sensor detection. Set this scrambler to the minimum setting at that location only when you want to have that private conversation.

"It's small enough to fit in the palm of your hand or a pocket. When your conversation is done, just turn it off. If those listening on the other end determine something is wrong and come to check the ship, they'll find everything working as normal. Just don't let them catch you with it."

I nodded. "That sounds doable. All I have to do with the scrambler is give it to my trainee. They won't be searching her, and I'm certain she would use the device judiciously. I'll need something else to take back with me in case they come questioning you as to what I purchased. Maybe a lumbar support for my chair. I tend to slouch, and that might actually be helpful."

Ogu laughed. "One lumbar cushion coming up. I have a size that will fit the chair of the _Daunte_ well. That ship may be new, but the pilot's chair is a standard model that has been in use for about fifteen years. I have a number of those supports."

I grabbed Ogu by his shoulder and gave it a quick squeeze. "Write it up as a normal sale so we have a record. I want this to look like I was just here as a customer."

"I'll lock away the few items I have that might not sit well with the authorities should they come searching."

I transferred the eighteen credits. "Sorry, I didn't intend to bring in heat on you."

Ogu again laughed. "Don't worry about it. If they come, it won't be the first time. I have a good system in place to keep myself looking clean and lawful."

I thanked Ogu and headed back to the _Daunte_. As I approached Bay-17, Paq Wendell was again waiting for me.

"That didn't take long."

I held out the lumbar support. "I've been wanting one of these for some time. One of those things you don't think about when you aren't in the chair."

"I could use one of those myself."

I stopped. "Captain, is everything OK?"

"This whole thing has me nervous, that's all. I can't say I like all the attention from the higher-ups. The chief has been leaning on me hard to keep a close eye on things."

I patted the captain on the back. "She's a smart girl, Captain. So long as she sticks with me, she'll be fine. I'm not one for sticking my neck out too far."

Paq Wendell took half a step back. "You? I know you don't go charging into trouble, but you have certainly found enough of it over the years. Those stars don't come to inspectors who don't poke their nose deep into the business of others. Keep her out of those situations, Knog. We can't afford the problems that will come if there's an incident of any sort."

I nodded as I turned to finish my walk to the ship. "She's in good hands, Captain. Go back to your desk and get some work done."

When I reached the top of the _Daunte_ 's ramp-way, Joni was waiting. Before she could speak, I raised my finger over my mouth. I pulled the signal detector from my pouch and handed it to her. She smiled and immediately got to work with her sweep. In fifteen short minutes, she had identified four listening devices and a weak signal zone by the galley oven.

I pulled out the scrambler, turned on the oven, flipped the scrambler to its minimum setting, and said, "This will be our spot if we need to discuss anything in private. Turn on the oven and then this device. It will give us a couple meters of talk space. You keep both of these, and if asked, you did not get them from me."

Joni nodded. "Oh, I'll keep them secure. Security doesn't go into my bags for anything."

She stepped up on her toes and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek. It was something I was not expecting. Most species would be hesitant to make intimate contact with a Grunta. If the tough gray skin on my cheeks could have blushed, it would have.

Joni smiled. "We have four bugs on this boat, aside from any official comm channels they're watching. I won't ask where you got these from, and I won't divulge that should I be asked. Now, let's get a new inspection scheduled so we aren't just sitting here."

The scrambler was turned off.

# Chapter 6

### _______________________

I brought up the scheduling list on the holo-display. A small freighter carrying fusion reactors for use in surface transportation was next on the list. We would not need to be in position for intercept for another seven hours. I posted a request and received an assignment to do a final check on a ship that was arriving at SS5 Bay-19.

The ship was carrying frozen produce and was requesting a portal transfer to the colony on Nars II. It was a private hauler under contract to the Motlin Corporation. After three hours of checking every possible hiding place for contraband, we gave a clean signal to the portal generation crew. Minutes after our leaving the ship, it was transported to the space around Nars for the delivery of its cargo. We returned to the _Daunte_ to wait for our next assignment to begin.

The following week of inspections went off without a hitch. Joni Salton was thorough in her efforts, and I only needed bring the occasional minor mistake to her attention. After an eight-hour inspection of a large ore carrier, we returned to SS5, landing in Bay-17.

Joni frowned. "Here we are, back at our own private docking bay."

Paq Wendell was waiting when the ramp-way lowered. On his third step up, he was confronted by Raptor looking down the steps with an unnerving stare.

Wendell said quietly, "I don't think that animal likes me."

Joni smirked. "He's just protective, Captain. Is there anything you need?"

Wendell shook his head. "No, I just have some news I thought you two might be interested in. They caught up to one of the Igari who attacked the guards in the hallway in front of Sam's. He hasn't divulged any names or the intent of the attack, but it's only a matter of time. The Salton security force doing the interrogation will use brute force if they have to. It isn't like the old laws of the AMP have to be followed anymore."

The chat, which was no more than a checkup, was over several minutes later.

Joni had a dejected look on her face when the captain had left. "Whoever that is, they're going to be ripped apart. And that will likely go for everyone they know as well. I sometimes wonder if a lot of people would still be alive had I just stayed put in the family compound on Alpha Prime. You know, it kind of weighs on your soul when you know people are being hurt and tortured in your name."

I placed my hand on Joni's shoulder. "One should only bear the responsibility for one's own actions. You have done nothing wrong and should not carry that burden. Have you spoken with the security force about this?"

Joni offered a half laugh. "They couldn't care less about what I think; they are just out here to protect me, and anyone who gets in their way will just get rolled over. I love my family, Knog, but they are not kind or fair or even the slightest bit remorseful for anything they do. They crave absolute power and will savage anyone who they believe to be a threat."

"In all fairness, the Igari who attacked were unprovoked. Those guards who died had families as well. While I may not agree with the methods your father's people will use to investigate, I do believe those responsible should be brought in to stand trial. Innocent lives have been lost."

After signaling Joni to move over by the oven, the scrambler was turned on. "Are you sure you should be talking about this with them listening?"

Joni looked toward the nearest bug. "This is about the only time they listen to me. Besides, they've heard me say that same thing a hundred times. You had a good response, and they won't question you about it. I, on the other hand, need to be careful I don't elicit a response from you that they don't like. You're the first real person I've been able to talk with in years. My friends in the academy, I always knew they were plants."

I smiled. "I just realized you've been calling me by my first name."

"Does that bother you?"

I flipped the scrambler to off. "Coming from you, no. Have a seat and I'll bring over a cup of coffee. We'll look over the next assignment and review the ship design for possible contraband locations."

Joni smiled and moved over to the copilot's chair. After several hours of light conversation and study, our next scheduled inspection was due. It was a medium-sized ore carrier that came with a destroyer escort. The carrier was too big for portal transfer, and the cargo too valuable to ship without a destroyer tagging along.

Joni asked, "What's so valuable about cesium ore that it has to have a military escort?"

"Cesium runs all the reactors in the Alliance. Without it, there wouldn't be any portals, and the propulsion systems on these ships would be very limited. I had an engineer once tell me that the run from the station out to Omirus colony would take nineteen months instead of the two days it takes us now. This whole alliance runs on cesium."

Joni leaned back in her chair. "Where does all the cesium come from?"

I pulled up a star-system diagram on the holo-display. "This is the only place I know of directly. A planet in the Holloway system. It has a molten core that is largely made up of cesium. I know there are other sources out there; this one is the closest to the Alpha sector."

"If cesium is our main power source, seems silly to only have a single warship guarding it."

"Other than the Alliance military, there are no other militarized ships in the galaxies of the New Alliance. You hear about the occasional pirate raid, but even they would have difficulty with taking on an ore ship of that size. Pirate activity is mostly limited to the small transport caught out in deep space, where they can get in and out quickly. It generally doesn't pay much, so the occurrence is rare. And pirate hostility such as that is dealt with quickly. SS5 has five ships just like this."

"That's a lot of space to cover."

"Ship traffic is more prevalent in the outer colonies than here. You can travel on foot to any of the planets, colonies, or stations through the portals, but if you want to leave civilization to the outer reaches, you have to have a ship. Did you know, most people live their entire lives without ever boarding one?"

"Hmm. I guess I never really thought about that. I've been so many places, through portals and on ships, that it never occurred to me that most people don't even travel."

I continued, "I believe most species, other than Humans, prefer a simple life where they get up every day and perform the same activities. We all have limited time in our lives; most prefer that time to be safe and secure, filled with familiar activities and events. Humans, on the other hand, are one of the few species who often seek adventure."

Joni looked over at me. "How about you? Is Knog an adventure seeker?"

"For a Grunta, I am. Our people prefer the familiar life. I found that while I do not have an outgoing personality, I do enjoy interaction with others. I suppose that's as adventurous as I get."

Joni poked at my arm. "So, you're saying you've never thought about venturing out to do some exploring? There are a lot of places to see out there in the Alliance. When I was young, my father would take us on the occasional treasure hunt to a faraway world. It's one of my favorite memories, before everything got so political."

"I chose the inspection service with the idea that I would get my adventures by meeting people from other species and other worlds. One of my favorite encounters was with a Gursen captain and his crew. The Gursen are the only species I have met who are from the Andromeda galaxy. Their movements about the ship were extremely slow and quite frustrating, but they were great conversationalists and kept me well entertained during my three-day inspection."

Joni laughed. "Three days? Now see, that's something I would enjoy as well. As far as galaxy meet-ups go, I've talked with other Humans from the Milky Way and from the Saw Blade. Interesting how we can live so far apart and still be the same. I guess a common language throughout the galaxies does that for us."

"It would seem."

"Of late, the families have really closed off the intergalaxy travel. I could see a time when those portals are shut down altogether. There's only a single portal going to each now."

I pulled up another diagram. "SS6 has the portal from here to Andromeda. They say the power it takes to keep the portal open is twice what most planets consume and a hundred times more than most colonies consume. A large part of SS6 is rumored to be nothing but cesium reactors."

Joni pulled up a diagram of the portal station on SS6. "One thing I find fascinating is the history of the portals. It was Humans that built all of these nearly two thousand years ago. Shortly thereafter, the secrets of just how they worked and how to construct them were hidden away. They built this fantastic transportation system and then locked away how they did it. My uncle has been obsessed with finding out how they operate. I think he has big plans for their use should his people ever figure it out."

"That power usage is also why we only sweep small ships like this one through portals. This cesium ore hauler we will be looking over— it has enough ore to keep SS5 running at its current level for thirteen years. Sometimes I wonder what would happen if the cesium stopped."

Joni cringed. "Now that's a scary thought."

The inspection time was soon upon us, and the _Daunte_ was swept to a waiting location in the path of the ore ship.

As the _Jasmire_ slowed to a stop, I raised her captain on the comm. "This is Detective Beutcher with the SS5 security force. Please open your gravity wall for boarding and a standard security inspection and search."

A voice responded, "This is the _Jasmire_. You are free to dock, Mr. Beutcher. We look forward to the inspection. Administrator Duggar will be waiting on deck with the manifest logs. We only haul one item, so the inspection should be an in and out for you."

I replied as I approached the docking bay, "Thank you, _Jasmire_ , we'll do our best to get you back on your way as soon as possible."

When the ramp-way had finished lowering, we stood. "Joni, from here on, it's again your inspection. Would you like me to follow along or wait here with Raptor?"

Joni smiled. "I would prefer if you came along. You keep me on my toes, and besides, I enjoy the banter you sometimes strike up with the administrators. I love the way you phrase your questions. The reactions and responses you get are priceless."

I nodded as we walked down the steps. "I find I can tell a lot about the individual if I ask questions they are not expecting. If you get back an immediate answer, it's probably rehearsed and they have something to hide. I like the confused look: that's a sign you are off base with any suspicions."

"This is the stuff the academy doesn't teach. Please, keep going."

"Facial expressions can give you information that doesn't get returned in an answer. Ask the administrator when the last time it was his manifest tally didn't match his cargo. If he's never had an issue, he may be slow to answer. If he's been skimming, he may come back with an indignant reaction."

As we stepped out onto the deck, the administrator was waiting. "Hello, Mr. Beutcher. I am Thaz Couberg. I have the logs here for your review."

Joni stepped forward. "Mr. Couberg, Inspector Salton. I'll be conducting the inspection today."

Joni loaded the logs. "Sixty million metric tons. Interesting."

The administrator gave no reaction.

"Mr. Couberg, have you ever had an instance where the manifest did not match your cargo?"

Thaz Couberg was silent for several seconds before answering. "I do not recall ever having an incident as such, Inspector. Has that been an issue with cesium ore? To my knowledge there isn't much use for it except for power generation."

Joni nodded. "Have you ever been arrested, Mr. Couberg?"

The administrator was stoic with his response. "I have not."

Joni pulled me to the side. "I didn't get anything out of him, Knog. What am I doing wrong?"

I shook my head. "The art of eliciting a telling response is something that will take you years to develop. It's not a simple question and answer. It takes finesse with the timing and the delivery, and with your body language and voice inflections. Observe."

"Mr. Couberg, have you ever been to the Andromeda galaxy? I understand there's a large black market for cesium there."

The administrator stopped, tilting his head to one side. "Cesium? Who would buy it? It's expensive to transport with all the shielding the hauler has to provide. And it's too easy to detect it in large quantities. I would think if you wanted to smuggle something, there are a lot of things that are in bigger demand than cesium. Is that becoming a problem?"

I shook my head. "Merely a conversation starter, Mr. Couberg. I enjoy hearing what transport crews have to say, as I believe they have the pulse of the alliance."

The administrator began to spill his guts on items he had seen smuggled. "As a directly flagged Motlin ship, the captain and crew dare not smuggle anything of value. Causing embarrassment to the corporation would earn you an immediate firing and a retroactive pay recovery in an attempt for the company to recoup any future losses the transgression may cause. The Motlin crews are paid well, Mr. Beutcher. Few would risk an infraction."

As we worked our way through the outer holds, Joni asked for radiation suits. We would be performing a full cargo inspection. The administrator gave a concerned response, which brought Joni to attention.

"Is there something we shouldn't see in the holds, Mr. Couberg?"

The Human administrator frowned. "Yes. Radiation. As a fellow Human, I just can't see why you would have an interest in going in there. You do know cesium is dangerous in this particular ore form. It has been processed into cesium-137 salts, which are quite harmful to living things."

"Thanks for your concern, Mr. Couberg, but I would like to do the inspection just the same."

"We have suits just over here. Let me notify the captain of this request. He will want to be present for it. Pull the suit on and zip it up. I will have one of my crew check it. Mr. Beutcher, would you like to inspect as well?"

I held up my hand. "No thank you, Mr. Couberg. I would ask that you have your crewman do a thorough check of the seal. I'm responsible for my trainee and would appreciate any extra effort on your part to ensure her safety."

Couberg nodded. "I will assist in the check, Mr. Beutcher. She will be secure."

With the suit on and tested, Joni was directed to the door leading to a decontamination room before entering the cargo holds. Once through, she began to inspect the cesium salts that were stacked on pallets of sealed containers.

The captain, Holland Juvis, an Igari, joined us.

Joni spoke over the comm. "You run a tight ship, Captain. I'm not picking up much, if any, leakage from these containers. Very little."

The captain replied, "I do my best, Detective. My crew and I have been working together for many years—"

# Chapter 7

### _______________________

The nav officer came over the comm as a rumble could be felt throughout the ore ship. "Captain! Ships are attacking our escort! Ion beams are firing from multiple directions!"

The captain turned and ran toward the bridge.

I headed for the _Daunte._ "Joni! We are under some type of attack! Stay put in that hold until I tell you to do otherwise. If I can find a way out, I'll call you."

"What am I supposed to do in here?"

I turned and jumped up the ramp-way in three steps. "Hide. If this is a kidnapping attempt, they'll be looking for you. I'll scrub the _Daunte_ 's systems for evidence of you being aboard."

I pulled up the nav screens and tapped into the ore ship's video feeds. Nine small but obviously powerful ships were circling the destroyer as they fired. Her engines had been crippled, and with each heavy ion bolt, a new weapons pod was taken offline. The destroyer was in trouble, and the fate of the _Jasmire_ was quickly falling from our control.

I said, "Captain, can you get this ship moving?"

The absence of a response was telling.

I opened a secure channel to SS5 command. "This is the _Daunte_ ; we are on inspection of the _Jasmire._ The escort destroyer accompanying us is under attack, and I believe the _Jasmire_ 's bridge has been compromised. The situation is critical. I repeat—"

I was startled by a deep and vicious growl coming from Raptor. As I slowly turned around, two Igari in black uniforms with their faces covered were standing at the bottom of the ramp-way with their weapons raised.

"Silence your animal or I will kill it. And you come down out of there."

I slowly stood and raised my hands. I placed a restraining leash on Raptor and stepped down onto the deck of the docking bay.

"Are there any other passengers on that vessel?"

"Just me and the dog. I was here to do a manifest inspection. What is this about? What's going on?"

The Igari waved his blaster. "We don't have any beef with Gruntas, but you might want to find a new employer."

The second Igari said, "This ore vessel is now under the control of the Free Alliance. Its contents are being confiscated as contraband of the illegal New Alliance. We do not recognize the corrupt Human rule. If you cooperate, when this vessel is secure, you will be released."

I lowered my hands. "I will cooperate."

The first Igari pointed to my waist. "Raise your hands. Konus, remove his blaster."

I again lifted my hands as the weapon was removed.

"Now, you can get back on your ship. That gravity wall is locked. If you try to leave or disrupt our operation in any way, we won't hesitate to kill you."

I lowered my arms and nodded. "I won't be any trouble."

I climbed back aboard the _Daunte_ and sat in the pilot's chair. The holo-display showed a flashing symbol where our comm channels were being blocked. I had no way of contacting Joni to let her know what was going on.

I looked back at Raptor as he sat on the deck behind me. "Well, boy, what would you suggest?"

The Rottweiler tilted his head slightly to the side and began to drool.

"Got nothing? Yeah, me neither."

There was soon commotion on the deck surrounding the _Daunte_. I brought up the external cams to a scene of Igari rebel soldiers herding Human crewmen from the destroyer into the docking bay of the _Jasmire_. After the last of the remaining 128 crewmen had been pushed into a corner and made to sit down, the _Jasmire_ began to move. Several minutes later, the destroyer's beacon went silent on my nav screen.

I stood and walked slowly down the ramp-way of the _Daunte_. A guard was standing on the deck nearby.

The guard said, "What business do you have down here?"

"I was just curious about the crewmen. What fate will befall them?"

The Igari took a step closer. "It is an unfortunate life coming for them. They will be sold in the slave markets on Arkana VII. I would advise you to return to your ship, or the same fate may befall you."

I had heard stories about slavery in the outer sectors. It was a practice that had long been outlawed in the AMP, but the New Alliance came with areas of lawlessness that the families deemed acceptable so long as the small criminal empires that had sprung up remained out of their business. History told of it being a shortsighted move on the part of the New Alliance rulers, as from these neglected and forgotten territories, rebellion would often arise.

"Arkana is in the Theta sector. That's the Karacken family. I'm surprised they would allow a force such as yours to raid into neighboring sectors."

The Igari looked at the _Daunte_ and replied, "Perhaps those living in their shining towers in the Alpha sector should come down and talk to the people."

I was struck by the fact that each of the Igari I had talked with, if for only a brief moment, was educated and well spoken. They were not the usual thugs one would expect to be involved in pirate activity. I began to think the Igari were well organized, far beyond that of a small rebellious force. They were taking cesium ore, the lifeblood of existence in the New Alliance.

The soldier said, "I would advise that you return to your ship. Your release may be coming at any moment, and if so, you will be asked to leave immediately."

As I slowly climbed the steps back up into the _Daunte_ , my mind was racing. Less than a hundred meters from my position, Joni Salton was trapped in a radioactive cargo hold. After sitting in my chair, I was startled by a growl from Raptor. A guard was standing at the bottom of the stairs.

The guard gestured. "Close this ramp-way, and the nav officer will have you on your way. Keep in mind, our issues are only with the corrupt and unjust Human ruling families. We will treat all others in a fair and just manner. We'll be passing near a rogue moon. You will take this ship to her surface and wait for two days before departing for the Alpha sector."

I nodded as I pressed the close button. The ramp lifted. Word from the nav officer soon came, and the _Daunte_ was hovering as I moved her across the deck and through the gravity wall into free space.

The Igari seemed to have no issue with my leaving. I suspected their desire was for me to carry the information of the raid back for the authorities to see and hear. No better account could be had than from the logs of the _Daunte_ and from an eyewitness.

I landed on the rogue moon to wait out the two-day period. The _Jasmire_ , with Joni Salton still aboard, soon disappeared from my nav screen. My heart sank as I feared for her life.

It had been six hours since the _Jasmire_ left my view. I was in a situation I was not prepared for. If I left for SS5, I would likely be arrested, interrogated, and perhaps imprisoned for having left Jonias Salton on the _Jasmire_ without putting up a fight.

I was still not in contact with the station, as the Igari had placed a comm obstructor on the moon's surface beside the _Daunte_. I would be waiting for the comm jamming to end before heading back to the station.

As I sat with my arms crossed, looking down at Raptor, a proximity alert went off on my holo-display. A small, sleek black ship was setting down beside me. Under a minute passed before a being in a jet-black space suit was standing in front of the _Daunte_ 's viewports, waving its arms.

I dropped the ramp-way, and the being proceeded up the steps and through the gravity wall. I reached to restrain Raptor, but the Rottweiler seemed to be excited instead of showing his usual anger.

When the ramp-way had closed, the being removed their helmet. It was a young Human male.

"Mr. Beutcher, I'm with the security force assigned to Jonias Salton. Please tell me she is sleeping in her quarters."

I sighed. "She's on the _Jasmire_. I couldn't get her out without a fight. She's in hiding, but she can't remain there for long."

"I was afraid of this. What are you doing here on this moon?"

I sat back in my chair. "I was directed to wait here for two days, until that jammer ceased to function. I was then to go back to SS5 and tell them what happened. The Igari who hijacked that ship, they don't know Joni is aboard."

The man held out his gloved hand. "My name is Garrett Rourke, Mr. Beutcher. Together, we're going to figure out how to get her off that ship."

"I am stuck here, Mr. Rourke. I was instructed to not leave, or the Human crewmen they had captured would be executed. They thought I might need a little incentive to stay after they left."

I looked down at Raptor, who continued to wiggle his short tail. "I would guess since this dog knows you, Joni knows you as well?"

Garrett Rourke shook his head. "No, sir. We've actually never met. I'm her first-line shadow detail. I'm not to interfere in her life in any way unless a security concern dictates that I do. I trained Raptor as a pup before her father offered him as a birthday gift. He comes from a long line of purebred champions that leads all the way back to Earth, the Humans' first colony. Rotties are, and have been, a big part of our family for two thousand years."

I nodded as I reached down to scratch his head. "A champion, huh. He has been a well-mannered dog. So, how do we get Joni back, Mr. Rourke? I can't move this ship."

The Human looked around the cabin. "If you have a storage container large enough, we can take Raptor to my ship. You'll come as well, and the three of us will then catch up to the _Jasmire_. How do we get her back? We'll have to figure that out on the way. Put on your suit, Mr. Beutcher; time is of the essence. Oh, and call me Garrett. My father is Mr. Rourke."

After emptying a container and placing a confused Raptor within it, we sealed the box. With a two-minute trek down the ramp-way and up into Garrett's ship, we were ready to lift off in pursuit. The _Daunte_ was placed into sleep mode as I pecked away at the holo-controls that floated just above my arm pad. As we lifted off, I felt a strong pulling sensation.

"What was that?"

Garrett smiled. "I like the sensation of motion. I have the inertial dampeners set to leave a fraction of a percent of natural inertia. I find it helpful when maneuvering through tight places to have a _feel_ for what I'm doing."

"Hmm. I've never considered doing such."

Garrett pulled the stick hard left, and the ship spun up on its side as it arced toward a new direction. "The gravity compensates as well to always give you a feeling of down. I used the technique in target practice, earning me the highest rating they had given in centuries during my training. I believe it was what landed me the shadow job. You're the first person I've divulged that little secret to."

"Your secret is safe with me. I do need to ask a question, though. Why did you bring me? You could have pursued that ship on your own. And why did you wait as long as you did before you revealed yourself?"

Garrett pulled up a screen on his holo-display. "The sensors on this ship are the best known to us. I had to wait until the _Jasmire_ was out of range because I don't know if they have sensors that are equally as powerful. I couldn't risk broadcasting to you either, as that would have been another possible detection point."

Garrett continued, "I brought you along because she knows and trusts you. She doesn't know me. And, because you've been on that ship. I also believe you to be in the same predicament as I am. If we don't get her back, there will be repercussions, career-ending repercussions, and possibly imprisonment or worse. It's in both of our best interests to bring her back."

I nodded. "If those ships remain on the same course, how are we to catch them without being detected?"

Garrett pulled up a new display. "This ship is made to shadow others without giving away that it's there. I couldn't make contact with you without breaking the integrity of my stealth abilities. With no outward broadcasts, I can take this ship within their confines without being seen."

I replied, "Can you land us on that ore hauler?"

Garrett nodded. "I can. Are you considering making an entry from an external hatch? You do realize they will be monitoring those, don't you? Any hatch opening will have their full attention."

I was quiet for a moment as I pulled the structural diagram of the _Jasmire_ up on my arm pad holo-display. "There is one hatch that won't trigger an alert. The bilge port. Smugglers like to use it for that very reason. The bilge is automated to purge when it becomes full or when the gases within become volatile. The port can also be opened from the outside during routine maintenance while in space dock. It's actually a big joke in the inspection service because every few years someone attempts to use it to smuggle goods off or onto a ship. It's watched closely while in port."

Garrett said, "So, how do we exploit it?"

"Even if you could park us on the hull beside it, I don't have the passcode required to make use of the external access point. So your guess is as good as mine."

Garrett smiled. "Let's see, _Jasmire_ , bilge port access. Here, A56JK794B."

"How do you know that?"

Garrett pulled up an image of the _Jasmire_. "This is a Motlin Corporation ship. I have all the codes."

I smiled. "You get me to that port, and I can get inside. There's a maintenance and internal disposal hatch that uses the same code. Get me on that boat and I will bring her out."

Garrett pulled up his nav display. "If they maintained course, we should be able to overtake them in about three hours."

As we continued on our way, I took the opportunity to look around the shadow ship. "What's her name?"

Garrett replied, "The _Jess_. When I took this job, I was given this ship right off the construction dock. There are only five ships like her. The Saltons spared no expense on her equipment. She is fast, and very agile when in an atmosphere. Her twin ion cannons pack a decent punch. She's silent and she has no transponder. I also have the passcodes necessary to command portal jumps without going through the normal process."

"Can you jump us to the point where we expect the _Jasmire_ to be?"

Garrett shook his head. "I'm afraid not. We have to be in communication with a portal for that to happen. Our last connection was where we jumped to. The generator maintains a microportal at that jump location until a signal is received to return or the ship that jumped leaves. When I left to go to that moon, the portal closed. I can't open another until I'm within comm proximity of a portal complex."

"Interesting."

"Haven't you ever wondered how you remained in contact with the station while in the far reaches of the sector?"

I returned a blank look. "I'm knowledgeable about comm channels and equipment, but that thought never entered my mind. I just assumed we had comm. In the forty years I have been doing inspections, I never had cause to move my ship more than a short distance from the jump point."

Garrett replied, "Well, with most of those years in the AMP, you probably had no cause to do so. The activity we saw today, this is new, and there is likely to be a lot more of it. The forces that oppose the families are growing, and most families are doing nothing to stop it."

"I've seen the beginnings of that on SS5."

"The old system worked well for everyone. I hate to say it, but even the Saltons are struggling to keep order. They aren't unreasonable, but they're making big mistakes with their people. Their actions smack of greed and corruption, which are two of the main ingredients needed for an uprising. There are plenty of Humans that don't care for them either."

I stood to stretch my legs. "That's an interesting viewpoint coming from someone who works directly for the family."

Garrett nodded. "Don't get me wrong, I like the paycheck. The Saltons treat their security forces with respect. If you move beyond the Saltons, though, there are any number of wealthy industrialists who require security details. With all the unrest, my services are in demand."

Our discussions continued as we closed on the _Jasmire_. I found Garrett to be a solid individual with high standards and a tireless work ethic. I also picked up on a hint of a fondness for his detail subject.

He had listened to and observed her for the seven years since he was given the position. During that time, Joni had transitioned from being a young teen into a well-rounded, intelligent, and beautiful woman. She could easily be the desire of most any Human male.

Our general discussions ended as the _Jasmire_ came into view on the optical sensors.

Garrett said, "We are in luck. Only one of those small Igari ships remains with her. I can swing in behind the ship and come up through her ion wake. That will easily mask what little signature we may have. Suit up, Mr. Beutcher. I'll be setting us down next to that bilge port in about two minutes."

I stood and turned to face Raptor. He was lying just under the back of my chair with a sad look on his face. "Give us a few minutes. We'll have her back."

I reached down to offer the customary head scratch and then moved on to putting on my helmet and checking my suit for seal.

I turned back to face Garrett. "How'd you come up with the name _Jess_?"

Garrett replied, "I began with J. S., and I would guess you could figure how that turned into _Jess_. It's not that I am infatuated with Miss Salton or anything. I just—"

I held up my hand. "No explanation necessary. Let's focus our thoughts on getting her off the _Jasmire_ and onto the _Jess_. Oh, and I need a blaster, if you have a spare. The Igari took mine."

# Chapter 8

### _______________________

The ramp-way opened and I walked down the steps, enabling my gravity boots as I went. When I stepped onto the hull of the _Jasmire_ , I had the strange sensation of flying. There was no wind or atmosphere, but the slow motion of the stars surrounding us offered the visual of movement.

I reached down to the access panel, and with a few taps on a keyboard, I had the code entered. The port opened, and a container full of debris exited and quickly fell back away from the ship. At a hundred kilometers distance, the debris container ignited, vaporizing its contents.

I swung myself around to the inside as the outer port door closed behind me. The port opened onto a set of tracks that led down to a debris packaging room where a new disposable container had moved into place. I moved to the access hatch that opened out to a hallway, leading out to the main docking bay. After entering the code, I slowly opened the door.

As I stepped out onto the hallway deck plating, Garrett said over the comm, "I've tapped into the _Jasmire_ 's video system. I'm setting the feeds going back to the bridge on a loop, which should allow you to move about freely, from a monitoring perspective, anyway. I'll monitor the true feeds and let you know if anyone is coming your way."

When I reached the end of the hallway, I peered around the corner into the docking bay area.

"I see two guards," Garrett said. "They're next to the hallway that heads toward the bridge. On the other side are the crewmen from the destroyer."

"That's what I see as well. The hallway back to the cargo bays is thirty meters from my position. I'll need a diversion."

As I peered around the corner for a second time, I caught the eye of a crewman sitting on the floor. I raised my hand slowly, putting a glove finger in front of my face mask. The crewman nodded. I pointed at myself and then across at the hallway I needed to reach. I then gestured toward the Igari guards. The crewman again nodded. I then gave a countdown from three to two to one.

The crewman whispered to several of the men around him and then stood and began to stomp his feet. The guards moved toward him in response, gesturing for him to sit back down. Two men sitting beside him stood and began to stomp as well. I took the opportunity to run the thirty meters to the other hall. As I reached an out-of-view position, the small riot subsided and the crewmen sat back down.

I quietly moved down the two hundred meters of hallway until I reached the turn that held the bay door. "Garrett, do you have access to the door monitors?"

Garrett replied, "I don't. That's why we had to use the bilge port to begin with. What do you need to open?"

I looked through the view portal into the sealed cargo bay. "I left Joni in the bay with the cesium. If she is still in there, we'll have to open the door to get her out."

Garrett looked over the video feeds. "We have another problem. There are eight more guards coming down from the bridge. Things might get a little unsettled in that docking bay for a bit. If they hang out, your chances of another diversion working are going to go way down. Somebody will be watching their backs."

I said, "How long before they arrive?"

Garrett replied, "I give you two minutes, three tops. That bridge is eighteen decks up, and the bay is a good distance from the bridge."

I punched in the code and opened the door. An alert went off on the bridge.

Garrett came back on the comm. "OK, looks like the squad leader just got a signal from the bridge officers. They are picking up the pace."

I ran through the cargo bay with my audio on full. "Joni! If you are in here, make yourself known!"

At the far end of the bay, in a darkened corner, a figure was standing on a high container, waving their arms.

I opened a comm to her last known channel. "Joni, come down! We have to get out of here fast. We only have another minute before the Igari will be all over us!"

In a surprising move, Jonias Salton jumped the six meters down to the deck and rolled out into a full run.

As I turned and we made our way back toward the docking bay, Garrett said, "You have just under a minute."

I waved my arms for the crewman, and another diversion began. We sprinted the thirty meters to the bilge room hallway unseen.

As I typed in the passcode on the hatch door, I said, "We're almost done."

The door did not open. I tried a second and a third time only to find it still locked.

Garrett said, "I have another alarm. This time it's on the door in front of you. They must have locked out the codes when that other door came open."

We were stuck. I pulled the blaster Garrett had given me and headed back toward the end of the hall.

After peeking around the corner, I said, "We need a way out of here, Garrett. I can't defend this position for more than a minute."

Garrett replied, "Working on it."

With time running out, I signaled the crewman for the third time. As he stood and began to stomp his feet, the Igari guards again moved toward him, gesturing for him to sit down. In a move that was out of character for my normal subdued nature, I stepped out and fired two blaster bolts into the backs of the Igari guards. The captured crewman stopped and stared for several seconds before reaching for the blasters that remained on the ground with the body parts of the two dead Igari.

I ran out and yelled, "Cover that hallway! There are at least eight guards coming down from the bridge!"

The two crewmen with the blasters sprinted to the elevator doors. When the doors opened, the Igari were caught in a deadly crossfire by surprise. The crewmen yelled, and a dozen of their comrades raced down the hall, laying claim to the newly liberated weapons.

I spoke over the comm to Garrett. "Get us out of here! The Humans are attempting to retake the ship."

Garrett yelled over the comm, "Get back in the hallway by the bilge. A shuttle is about to come through that gravity wall, and it's guaranteed to be loaded with troops!"

I took Joni by the arm as I turned to yell at the remaining crewmen. "Take cover! A shuttle is about to come through there with more troops!"

The crewmen began to scatter, with two running in our direction. I pulled Joni around the corner just as the shuttle came into view. As it settled, the ramp-way lowered and the first of forty-eight Igari stormed out onto the deck. A fierce storm of blaster fire erupted from the hallway to the elevators. A flurry of ion bolts was returned by the Igari as they spread out on the deck around the shuttle. Two blaster repeaters, the weapons of the shuttle, were then turned toward the hallway, with several bursts of rapid fire sent screaming down toward the elevators. The two crewmen that had joined our position huddled behind us.

As I turned back to check on Joni, an ion bolt exploded on the wall behind us. Shrapnel was sent flying, injuring one of the two crewmen.

I pointed. "Get down the hall and lie low!"

I turned back and fired two bolts out around the corner in the direction of the shuttle.

Garrett said, "Whoa! Nice shots!"

"I couldn't see what I was shooting at, just blind luck."

An ion bolt impacted the floor just in front of us. Another hit the wall across from us as the Igari began to spread out their formation.

I yelled, "Garrett! Get us out of here!"

Garrett replied, "Turn your ass around and get to the end of that space! I'm coming in!"

I turned toward Joni and ran for the back of the hall. The _Jess_ came sliding through the gravity wall with her twin cannons blazing. The shuttle was quickly disarmed and half of the two dozen soldiers surrounding it killed. Two additional blasts took out another three soldiers on the ground, and a third blast rolled up the shuttle ramp-way, taking out the remaining Igari aboard.

The Human crewmen stormed out of the elevator hall, catching the remaining Igari in a bad position. Thirty seconds after Garrett's arrival, the fighting had come to an end.

Joni and I ran across the deck toward the _Jess_.

I followed. "What were you doing out there that took so long?"

Garrett replied, "I came in behind the escort ship and took out her port engine. That shuttle emerged as she dropped back. I would imagine she can catch back up with a few repairs. So, we need to get out of here as soon as we can."

I looked around at the destruction that had just occurred. The two crewmen, one injured, slowly moved out of the hallway behind us.

As we reached the extended ramp-way of the _Jess_ , I stopped Joni. "Go up and wait. I'm going to assist the Humans. If they can take this ship, they can return home."

As I sprinted away from the _Jess_ , Garrett came on the comm. "Tell me you aren't doing what I think you are doing."

I replied, "I can't just leave these men. We have to at least give them a chance."

By the time I reached the bridge, the fighting was over. The remaining Igari had fought to the death, and control of the _Jasmire_ had been returned to the Humans. The ship's course was adjusted to take it toward the closest colony.

I spoke with the officer in charge. "Lieutenant, I'm going to need a favor from you."

The lieutenant replied, "Whatever you ask, sir. We're in your debt."

"I need you to erase the data recorders and have your men all tell the same story of what happened here. You're going to report that your men overpowered the guards and retook this ship, and we caught up after the fighting was over. I don't want any word of us instigating the fight; we were only here afterward."

The lieutenant gave a confused look.

"I have an important client with me, and it's in all our best interests that she not be involved. Just stick to that script, Lieutenant, and we'll all come out of this like heroes."

"Sir, at this point, these men won't have issue with anything you want us to do. We owe you our lives. Consider your request as already granted."

I thanked the lieutenant and returned to the _Jess_. Joni was sitting in a chair, while Garrett had locked himself in his sleeping quarters.

"What's going on?" Joni asked. "The pilot of this ship, he locked himself in his quarters and he won't speak."

"I'll fill you in on the way back to the _Daunte_."

As we lifted off the deck and taxied toward the gravity wall, the lieutenant came over the comm. "Just wanted to thank you again for your efforts, Mr. Beutcher. We should be at Hanton Downs Colony in two days. The authorities can take this ship from there."

"Thanks, Lieutenant, the drive of your men is what made this all possible to begin with. You were met with an overwhelming force and managed to come out of this with your cargo intact. We lost a lot of men today, but that comes with the line of duty we're all in. The best we can do for everyone is to continue on."

I landed the _Jess_ on the rogue moon beside the _Daunte_. A transfer of Raptor was made and the ramp-way closed.

After lifting off, I turned to Joni. "You're straight on the story, right?"

Joni replied, "Yes. The pirates attacked; we pursued and caught up after the action was over. I was never in harm's way, and I'm the one that insisted we follow. All the bases are covered if everyone sticks to their stories."

"We have to consider what happened. If your father believes this job to be even mildly dangerous, he'll pull you back close. All your schooling efforts will have been wasted."

Joni nodded. "I know. I'm just a little frustrated right now at thinking about everything that just happened. All that action, and I was only witness to a couple minutes of it. I pulled my blaster, but I never got off a shot."

"Well, I'm hoping what we did back there was the right thing."

Joni pulled her head back as if shocked at my response. "What? Why would you say that?"

I sat back in my chair, crossing my arms. "These people, it seems mostly the Igari, are not happy with your uncle's rule. The decisions being made by the ruling families are having far-reaching effects on the everyday citizen. People's lives, the lives of their families, their sustenance and survival, are all in jeopardy. Most can only be pushed just so far before they begin to push back. If your family doesn't begin to make wholesale changes, this is all only going to get worse."

"I've heard rumblings, but most are too scared to say anything around me. I appreciate the fact you speak out like you do. I'm not involved in the family's politics, but I do see some of the results. That attack—I was not prepared for anything like that. I felt like a coward just hiding away in that cargo hold."

I placed my hand on her shoulder. "Very few people will naturally act in those situations. Most have to go through extensive training, such as military drills, in order to know what to do. Others gain that knowledge through experience."

"You weren't in the military, were you?"

I shook my head. "No, but I'm old, and with age comes stubbornness. You just develop an attitude where you aren't going to take crap from anyone, and that spills over into your decision making. Sometimes that's a good thing, and sometimes not so much."

"You seemed like you knew exactly what you were doing out there."

"Believe me when I say I'm winging it. The captain took me off doing inspections of Motlin ships because I am not tolerant of those in power taking advantage of the system. I think the Motlin Corporation has a lot of smuggling going on, and their crews are taking advantage of the company name, expecting to be conveniently overlooked when contraband is found. That hard-nosed trait used to be sought after; now it's a hindrance to your career."

Joni smiled. "Well, if it's all the same to you, Mr. Beutcher, it's one of the things I admire in someone. What do you have if you don't have principles?"

"Unfortunately, you have what we are living with today."

Joni changed the subject. "Why won't you tell me who it was that helped us out back there? Whose ship was that? I'm guessing it was a bodyguard my father has watching over me."

"Some questions are better left unanswered. Just know that it's the reason we're both sitting here right now. While that assault wasn't because of you, had word gotten out you were taken during it, it would have spelled more trouble for your family."

Upon arrival at SS5, the captain was waiting on the deck of Bay-17. "Where have you been? Why did you not follow protocol?"

"Miss Salton just filed a full report. Just after our arrival, the freighter and its escort ship were attacked. It was Igari pirates. They overwhelmed the destroyer, capturing it and its crew. They took possession of the _Jasmire_ and left. Miss Salton insisted that we follow and assist. I tried to tell her we were not prepared to do anything, as our equipment is for inspection and not war. She, however, insisted, so we pursued."

The captain rubbed the hair on the sides of his head. "Are you nuts? We can't let her chase pirates out there! What if she had been captured!"

I shook my head. "She wasn't captured, Captain. We did our best to keep our distance. The crewmen of the escort managed to overthrow their captors, and the _Jasmire_ should be pulling into the Hanton Downs colony anytime now."

The captain replied, "Hanton Downs? That's a long way from where you were supposed to be."

I laughed. "I think you're letting yourself get too worked up. Miss Salton is here, she's safe, and the _Jasmire_ is back in the hands of the Motlin Corporation crews. If you read your report, you'll find that we were never in any real danger. I'm starting to worry about you, Captain. If you're worried about the Saltons, I believe they will be pleased with how all this turned out."

As I began to walk past Paq Wendell, he reached out and grabbed my arm. "Is that blood? On your back right here. That looks like dried blood."

I looked over my shoulder. "Hmm. We did board the _Jasmire_ after she was retaken. Perhaps I got that from one of the crew."

"Something doesn't pass the smell test here, Beutcher. You're too calm about all this. I _will_ find out what happened, and when I do, I'm going to be on you like—"

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "There you go again, Captain; you're all wrapped up in drama. Are you having hormone problems?"

Paq Wendell scowled. "Hormone problems? I'll—"

Joni Salton emerged from the _Daunte_. "Hey, Captain, did you hear? The _Jasmire_ got hijacked."

The captain's tone changed. "Yes, Miss Salton, so Knog tells me. It looks like everything worked out OK for you, though."

Joni nodded as she walked past the smiling captain. "I would have to say it was a great learning experience, Captain. Mr. Beutcher kept me safe, and I got to see the whole thing. How many of your detectives can say they were witness to a cesium ore hauler being captured by pirates?"

The captain continued his forced smile as Joni moved away. "I'm glad we could give you the positive experience, Miss Salton!"

Paq Wendell turned back to face me, poking his finger into my chest. "I've known you long enough to know that I'm not getting the whole truth here, Beutcher. Just hope the Chief doesn't get wind of anything that doesn't line up with that report."

I smiled. "I don't think the Chief will take any issue with Miss Salton's report, Captain. You might see if you can find a way to relax; you've been a bit too stressed lately."

As I walked away, the captain stared. I was certain our next inspections would be close to the station, if not just outside. It would not be the best training mix for Joni, but the alternative would be nothing at all.

# Chapter 9

### _______________________

Our next dozen assignments were as uneventful as could possibly be. Joni was beginning to get agitated at the lack of any real detective work involved with the cream-puff missions that made up our schedule. The pace was slow, and the inspections slower.

After a particularly docile check, Joni said, "Are random inspections ever done?"

"It used to be a common practice in the AMP. If you finished up with a ship, and another was in the vicinity, it was up to the inspector if they chose to call that ship in or not. I used to do it at least once per week back in the day."

"Why aren't they done anymore?"

"I'm not sure. If I had to guess, it's because detectives aren't interested in the extra paperwork. And if the ship you stop happened to be owned by a politician or one of the families, you get a hard time from command. Not worth sticking your neck out."

Joni nodded. "So, is it not legal to do them now?"

"There are no laws against it, or written procedures. Are you suggesting we do a random inspection?"

Joni grinned. "I'm suggesting exactly that. I think we should throw a hook out for the next ship that enters our space. Maybe we can catch something."

I agreed. The next ship to enter our vicinity was a personal cruiser belonging to the trade commissioner of Javax V. The Javax colony specialized in the mining of ores and the fabrication of steel used for shipbuilding.

When we stepped aboard the _Wrellis_ , the commissioner was indignant. "What is the meaning of this? I passed inspection on SS7 yesterday!"

Joni said, "In accordance with the shipping laws of the Salton Empire, random inspections are to periodically take place. I would like to offer you the option of reporting all contraband on this vessel before the inspection begins. I'm told the fines levied for such are substantially lower than those where contraband is _discovered_. Is there anything you would like to report at this time?"

The commissioner waved his finger. "I don't know who you think you are dealing with, Detective, but I have friends in high places, and when I report your names to them, I will be sure to let them know I felt I was being harassed!"

Joni smiled. "Commissioner, I am sure you are well respected in your colony. An arrest and a heavy fine would not be viewed as popular for an elected official. I will give you one more opportunity to declare any contraband you might have aboard."

The commissioner's finger turned into a balled fist as he turned for an electronic pad. "I'm going to scan each of your badges for my complaint!"

I stepped forward and my badge was scanned.

"Mr. Beutcher, I hope you don't mind losing one of those stars!"

Joni stepped up.

"And Miss... Salton."

The commissioner looked up with a worried expression.

Joni nodded and offered a wide grin. "You were saying, Commissioner? You have a complaint?"

The commissioner offered a half scowl. "I suppose the meaning of your smile is that my complaints will go unheard."

I said, "That's a good assumption, Commissioner. Would you like to take this opportunity to declare any contraband?"

The commissioner took several minutes to compile a listing of the illegal materials on his ship. The list included a number of banned food substances, including coffee, a dangerous pet, and a blaster rifle that far exceeded the power output limits placed on civilian sport and hunting weapons. When we said goodbye to the commissioner, he was sulking.

As the ramp-way of the _Daunte_ closed, Joni said, "Wow, did you see the hate in his eyes?"

"I would guess you enjoyed that immensely. Now, before we leave, I would like to consider using your discretion to try to flip the commissioner from someone who outright hates you to someone who might see you as a possible ally."

Joni squinted an eye. "Why would I do that? The guy was being an ass, and he's getting what he deserves."

"Our job out here is not to piss off every guy we find carrying a little contraband. It's to discourage the flow of the small stuff while we search out the big scores. I would bet your commissioner would be willing to trade information for a little discretion on our part."

"Information?"

"Any confiscation we made with cause will go in as public record. Mr. Thomas might be willing to cooperate if you were to offer to use some of your discretionary power in the name of catching the big crooks. We took his stuff. If we leave him with his dignity, he may actually be grateful. Besides, I would guess he would be one to favor having a Salton on his side."

Joni frowned. "Well, I'm certainly not on his side, but I get where you're going."

Joni opened a comm channel. "Commissioner Thomas, I have an offer you may want to entertain for a moment. It may be beneficial to both you and me."

"I'm listening."

"I have it within my authority to use discretion when it comes to the confiscation of what is considered _minor_ contraband. As I'm sure you understand, Detective Beutcher and I are in the business of preventing the large-scale flow of illegal trade goods—trades, which by the way, hurts your legitimate businessmen. I may be willing to remove the 'confiscation with cause' selection on my report of this incident, essentially keeping your name from being entered in the public record."

"Keep talking."

"If you were to offer knowledge, even hearsay, of any larger illegal transportation operations, I may be willing to use the discretion I just spoke of. I find it better to make allies and friends, rather than enemies when given the opportunity. Would you perhaps have any knowledge that might sway my decision on your case?"

The commissioner was silent for several seconds. "I may have something for you along those lines, Miss Salton. What assurances do I have you will keep your word should I offer you this information?"

Joni laughed. "I'm sorry, Mr. Thomas, I can offer no assurances other than to say I will take it under strong consideration. If the information you have is worthwhile, would it not be in my best interest to have you as an ally and not an enemy?"

The commissioner replied, "I suppose."

I was impressed by the way Joni Salton took on a senior politician who had made his living through making deals with others. Her offer was all possibilities with no promise. If the information was worthless, Commissioner Thomas had no one to blame but himself.

As the commissioner was released and we pulled away, I said, "You handled that like someone who had been doing it for years."

Joni smirked. "I've seen enough politics in my life to know how a negotiation goes when you have the upper hand. Now, we have this information; what are we going to do with it?"

"You're the acting officer. You came by this information through your thorough investigative activities. I believe that makes it your decision either to pursue this or pass it off to the captain for another detective to check into."

Joni shook her head. "Uh, no. I am not handing this off so we can get another squeaky-clean inspection added to our schedule. We have eight hours until we're due on the _Fromrider_ for an inspection of its seed cargo. I think we look into this now."

"Detective, set the course for the path of the _Angel's Fire_. If we bust a freighter loaded with bleurgh, you will get recognition, whether you want that recognition or not."

Joni pulled up the nav screen and set the course. "Bleurgh, the name alone should tell you to keep away from that stuff. I don't get why so many people enjoy getting blotto-ed. I like to be aware of whatever's going on around me."

"There are a lot of people out there who lack the drive and ambition you have. They feel trapped in their existence, and that substance offers them an escape. Some don't seem to care it is addictive and they will crave it for months after doing even a single dose.

"What I find strange is it has a nearly identical effect on almost all species. It's a near-perfect drug for corrupting the masses. It's cheap and easy to distribute. I heard some of the outer colonies offer hits as part of their weekly pay packages. Those workers will be enslaved to those companies for the rest of their lives."

As the _Angel's Fire_ came into view on the nav screen, an all-stop order was sent. An angry captain first refused to comply and was quickly persuaded under threat of a complete power system shutdown. Every ship in the AMP and then again in the New Alliance was required to have a shutdown circuit integrated into their systems. Noncompliance was met with an immediate confiscation of a ship and its cargo, and an arrest of its captain with a lifetime sentence imposed. In my forty years of service, I had never come across a ship without the circuit being active.

As Joni and I stepped out onto the deck, the manifest administrator met us with his logs. "We're on a tight schedule, detectives. You will find the logs in order, as an inspection was performed at SS9 only two days ago."

Joni said, "Thank you, Mr. Dapner. Now, if you could direct us to hold number four. We would like to perform a spot inspection."

Roger Dapner stood with a stunned look on his face. "Wha... what? Why number four?"

Joni smiled. "Either we can follow you to the inspection door, or you can lead us."

The administrator began to raise his hand to press the comm button on his arm pad. I took note of Joni having her hand on her blaster as she reached out.

Joni grabbed the administrator's wrist. "Alerting the captain will not work in your favor, Mr. Dapner. Full cooperation may yield a lenient judge if contraband is being transported by this ship. As detectives, we do have discretion over what we include in our reports. A favorable report can make a world of difference to your future if an issue is found."

I slowly shook my head in a warning to three crewmen who had picked up hand weapons in an attempt to defend their administrator. After I tapped my finger lightly on the side of my blaster, the three men stepped back into the shadows of a dimly lit maintenance area.

The administrator slowly lowered his hand. "This way."

Hold four had one large container sitting in its center, magnetically bonded to the deck plating. A quick scan yielded a positive result for bleurgh.

The administrator was read his arrest rights, and electronic handcuffs were powered on, binding his wrists behind his back.

Joni said, "The logs show sixteen crewmen on this ship. How should we handle this?"

"I would round up and bind the crew, set a nav course for the station, and ride this transport back to victory. That container has thirty thousand liters of bleurgh in it. That's a major score for any detective, let alone one who has yet to finish her probation period. I would ask this, how does your uncle feel about the transport of bleurgh? This ship is under subcontract to Motlin through a third party. You have to dig to find it, but it's there."

Joni shook her head. "From everything I know, my uncle has never been one to allow the open transport of anything like that. I know it shows up in the outer colonies, where inspections are performed at a much lower frequency, but this ship was headed for Gelnac. That's right in our neighborhood. Thirty thousand liters is enough to keep a quarter of that planet zonked for several months."

I looked up at the container. "I would guess most of it is headed for elsewhere. Either way, it stops here."

As I turned away from the container, I was confronted by a crewman wielding a large knife. I spun quickly to the left, taking a hard but glancing blow to my left rib cage. As my attacker passed me by, Joni dropped to the floor as she pulled her blaster. A single shot caught the assailant in the upper chest. As the ion bolt expanded, a spray of blood, guts, and bone fragments burst outward, covering Joni as she rolled away.

With the attacker dead, I turned my head back toward the door just in time to see a second crewman raising a blaster of his own. Before I could draw, Joni fired a second bolt that was just as precisely sighted as the first. The crewman exploded backward into the hallway as a third attacker came in from behind him. I dropped to my right knee, took aim, and negated his attempt at assault as my strike impacted and exploded from his right arm, knocking him backward, again into the hall.

I turned and grabbed Joni by the arm, dragging her as I ran toward cover behind the large container.

As I rounded the corner, I slung her petite frame around behind me. I released her arm as I turned back to face the door.

Several seconds passed before Joni stood behind me, rubbing her forehead. "What did you do that for?"

"I was trying to save your life."

Joni half laughed. "By slamming my head into that container? Thanks, but I think I would have done better out there."

As she finished her complaint, three more crewmen entered the room with their blasters firing.

I yelled out, "I would be careful what you are shooting at! This substance is flammable! You hit it and this whole ship goes up!"

Joni asked, "Bleurgh? Is flammable?"

I waved back behind me with my free hand. "Shush! I'm trying to buy us some security."

Joni winced as I again yelled, "I just sent an alert out for backup! Give up now, and I'll designate you as uninvolved crewmen in my report!"

As I peered around the corner, I could see the lead crewman directing the others toward the back of the tank. I turned back to see Joni was no longer behind me. In a moment of panic, I ran to the back side of the container. The two other crewmen were standing with grins on their faces and their blasters raised. I was caught.

I slowly leaned over to set my blaster gently on the deck. As I began to rise up, I was again caught by surprise as two ion bolts entered the crewmen through the tops of their heads. I was soon awash in a heavy spray of blood and brain matter as their heads and upper torsos exploded.

As I reached down for my weapon, the third crewman called out from behind me, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Before I could turn, Joni dropped from the top of the tank, hammering the butt of her blaster into the man's skull. Her blow was only glancing, and with an immediate reaction the man spun, striking her square between the eyes with the ball of his elbow. As he turned fully toward her, I reached and raised my blaster, placing a bolt hard into the center of his back. The spray of blood and guts once again covered Joni as she lay sprawled out on the floor, knocked unconscious from the crewman's elbow.

Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a glimpse of further movement at the doorway. It was the ship's captain, holding a blaster to the back of his nav officer's head.

The captain said, "You will have no more trouble, Detective."

Two additional crewmen then appeared behind the captain with their blasters raised. One moved in front of the captain to take control of the nav officer.

The captain lowered his weapon. "Is your partner dead?"

I looked down. "No. But she'll have a massive headache when she wakes up."

The second crewman with the captain moved in to place a hand on the still-cuffed administrator, pulling him to his feet.

The captain walked up to the container. "Is that what I think it is?"

I nodded as I placed my blaster back at my side. "Thirty thousand liters of addiction and torture. Can I guess your administrator and nav officers are new?"

The captain shook his head. "I've known each for at least a dozen years. It's sad to see what the lure of quick money will do to a man, especially with times getting as tough as they are. These two have been well paid, and each is only six years from a pension that would have given them a modest but comfortable life. I know their families."

I could see the look of distress in the captain's eyes as he looked at the remains of the crewmen. "They all had families. With this criminal activity, the company will not pay out any benefits to their wives or children. They were all good men."

I shook my head. "They were not all good men, Captain. They may have been at one time, but not when they died."

I turned back to help Joni as she began to wake up. "Thanks for helping me, Knog. Were you just going to let me lie there in that pool of blood?"

"I'm not a physician. I was always told to let a person wake up on their own after a knockout. If they don't wake up, you go for help."

Joni pinched the bridge of her nose as she squinted her eyes. "What happened?"

I laughed. "You took an elbow right between the eyes. Why didn't you just shoot him?"

Joni stood silent for a second as she gathered her thoughts. "I wanted him alive for questioning. I was expecting him to be the one knocked out. He must have had a skull that was an inch thick."

I turned to the captain. "Can you set a course for SS5, Captain?"

"I can. We have showers too, if you'd like to clean up."

I shook my head. "Thanks, but no. We have a shower on our ship."

I turned to Joni. "Go clean yourself up. I'll get started on our report."

Joni looked at me with a strained expression. "Our report? This was my bust, remember?"

I offered a smile. "You're correct. Captain, could you have your men bring her a towel? She would like to get started on her report."

The captain gestured to a crewman, who immediately turned and left the bloodied hold.

The captain looked back at the container and then back at Joni. "I would say someone might get a star out of this."

Joni shook her head. "I couldn't accept it, Captain. I've only been at this for about a month. I have too much to learn before I earn a star."

The captain looked back at the container. "Suit yourself, young lady, but capturing thirty thousand liters of blue death says otherwise."

Joni looked at the slash across the thick shirt of my uniform. "How about you? You OK?"

I pulled open the cut with two fingers. "I'm all right. You don't fight Gruntas with a knife; our skin is too dense. He gave me a good scrape, but nothing serious."

Joni again squeezed the bridge of her nose as she repeatedly blinked her eyes. "Thick skin, I'm kind of envious of that right now."

# Chapter 10

### _______________________

Upon our return to SS5, the captain was in a rage. "Who do you think you are! You can't keep putting her in harm's way! If she gets killed or even injured, we're going to be stuck cleaning the bilges of returning ships for the rest of our careers!"

"Captain, had I known it was going to be anything like it was, I would not have allowed it. She has to learn, though, and you learn best by doing. If we somehow get caught in a similar situation, she will now be more confident in her ability to act. That's something classrooms cannot teach."

The captain paced about. "I just don't know what to do with you two, Knog. The Chief has been all over me to keep you safe, but at the same time she is grinning from ear to ear over this bust. Her rookie, a Salton no less, just made a major bust. I have two dozen agents from the media standing outside those doors, clamoring for an interview with the rookie who brought in thirty thousand liters. If they find out that it was done by a Salton, they will go nuts!"

I nodded. "Well, Captain, you'll just have to make sure that doesn't happen. If her name hits the mainline news, she'll become a much bigger target. We'll have to have two dozen destroyers escort us wherever we go."

Paq Wendell stopped. "You have to take credit for this bust, Beutcher. With those stars, it won't be much more than a puff piece as compared to what it is in reality."

The captain raised the chief on the comm. After two minutes of private conversation, he returned and stared at me.

"Well?"

The captain shook his head. "The Chief wants credit for the department, and she wants to take advantage of the press while she has their attention. She's insisting that we change the reports to give you credit, and that I put you in for another..."

I leaned forward. "What was that, Captain? I couldn't quite hear what you said last."

The captain snarled. "I said, I have to put you in for a commendation! OK, you're probably going to get a fourth star for something that was a screwup!"

I laughed. "Wow, Captain. That must be painful for you to take. Look, if it's any consolation to you, this did happen under your watch, and you will now be responsible for two of the stars on my shoulder. I know you feel I'm a pain in the ass sometimes, but part of me is that way because of working for you. You're a partial reflection of your detectives, and if I'm not mistaken, your teams have been ranked at or near the top of the security service now since you took command. If this turns into another star, credit will be due to you as well."

The captain stopped his agitated movements and stared. "That's enough, Beutcher. I don't need my feathers fluffed this morning. Go work on that report, and you're confined to this bay until the chief has had a chance to speak with you. That goes for Miss Salton also."

I nodded as he turned back toward the bay door. "Got it, Captain, and thanks for the pep-talk."

I walked back up the ramp-way to Joni, who was putting the polishing touches on the report of her first major bust.

I sat in my chair beside her. "I'm afraid I have some bad news. The media got word of a major bust of bleurgh, and they're beating down the doors out there wanting to interview the detective responsible."

Joni made the motion of straightening her uniform. "I can handle the press; I've seen a thousand interviews given by my family."

I shook my head. "Your family is the issue. You can't take public credit for this, or the word will get out that a Salton is out there making busts. You will become a huge target for those opposed to your family. We can't put you in the spotlight like that."

Joni half smiled. "I'm OK with that. I'm not doing this for the publicity anyhow."

I again shook my head. "Unfortunately, this bust is a big deal, and the media already knows it happened. The chief wants credit, and she knows we can't put you at risk, so, they want the report rewritten."

"What? They can't do that! This is my bust!"

I pulled the report up on my screen. "Firstly, they can do that, and secondly, your name has to be removed altogether. Should the report go public, which it will as a matter of record, you can't be on it, as it would make you a huge target. My job here is to train you and not to get you killed or kidnapped. I have to agree with the chief on this one. You have to be scrubbed from the report. They've been doing that to all your others already."

Joni sat back in her chair in disbelief. "You know, for years now I have busted my ass in the classroom to try to be a detective. This is my accomplishment; this is exactly what I have wanted to do since I chose this line of work. And now, I pass my first, no, my second big test, and I can't take credit for either one!"

I turned my chair toward her. "Look, if it means anything, I know what you did and how you performed out there. You saved my life. Those two who had me caught—I was a dead Grunta. And that load of cesium ore—had you not had the instinct to go into that hold for a deep inspection, that ship and all those men would have disappeared.

"You have accomplished more in a month than most detectives do in their first dozen years. Because of your name, you can't take public credit. You did, however, accomplish both of those feats without getting you or your partner killed. Others may never know what you did, but you and I, and the captain, always will."

Joni stared at me. "They're making you take credit for this, aren't they?"

I replied, "It's the easy and logical choice. And just so you know, I did want you to have the credit here. In fact, I'm going to insist that we keep two copies of the report: one that goes in as public record, and yours, which the chief will deliver to your father. I know part of why you're here is because you want to show accomplishments of your own, without the family name being involved."

Joni looked back at her report, reaching up and pressing the delete button.

I said, "Why'd you do that?"

"I don't need to prove anything to my father. He already has confidence in me. Besides, if a copy of that was to somehow leak out, my cover here, not that I really have a cover, would be blown. I like this job, Knog. I like what we do, and I want to keep doing it. I feel free out there. Most people react to me as a detective and not as a Salton."

I nodded. "If it's any consolation, I already believe you to be as good a detective as any out there. And I should know; I have these three stars to back up that opinion. And while we're on the subject, the captain says the chief wants to submit me for a fourth star."

Joni threw her arms up in the air as she tried to contain a laugh. "Oh sure. I see what's going on here. You're stealing my bust to get that fourth star."

I again nodded as I pointed to her eyes. "You see what I said about being a good detective? I can't slip anything past you, can I?"

The fact that Joni was taking the news of her report so well spoke volumes to me about her character. She was a good detective, and I had no doubt that one day she would have four stars of her own.

For the next week, we were grounded in Bay-17 as the chief worked on her media campaign. Joni's father was filled in on the actual bust and gave his blessing to my receiving a fourth star. The ceremony was drawn out, with the chief speaking continuously to each of the media outlets. I was given a single line of speech to rehearse and was told to not utter another word besides what had been written for me. When the celebration was over, I returned to the _Daunte_.

Joni was waiting I came up the ramp-way, "Ah, look at you, four stars on that shoulder. Wow, that's an impressive sight."

I looked at the stitching. "This one on the end here, it's yours. I've never been one to want a partner, but as long as you're willing, I would be honored to have you as such."

Joni laughed. "Honored? Ha! You need me as a partner. How else are you going to get to that fifth and final star?"

I smiled. "No, it's an honor, Joni Salton. I had hoped that one day one of my boys would want to be a detective, but they have shown no interest in what I do. It's refreshing to see and to work with someone who shows your enthusiasm."

Joni smirked. "You aren't going to start tearing up on me, are you?"

"I promise to not do you such a disservice, Miss Salton. Now, if I'm not mistaken, the captain promised to have a new schedule posted by the time the award banquet was over. Let's see what further trouble we can get ourselves into."

Another week passed without incident. I could see the boredom building in the young detective as her attitude toward the ships' captains was nearing a point that would be considered unprofessional.

After one such encounter, once we were again aboard the _Daunte_ , I said, "I just wanted to say you have been doing an outstanding job with your searches; however, your interpersonal skills have begun to slip. It's one thing to be firm with an administrator or captain, it's another to border on being rude."

"Some people are just asking for it."

I nodded. "I wouldn't disagree, but we need to operate on a level above them. You're coming in here not knowing if a person is having a bad day or perhaps a bad month. Always being professional sets you apart from whatever their troubles are, which puts you in a position of authority. Most will recognize that and give you the respect this position commands. If they persist, you then have the discretion to apply whatever pressure you see fit, but always in a professional manner. When doing so, you leave little room for complaint."

Joni sighed. "So, you're saying I need to ease up unless given real reason to be a hard-ass. I can agree with that. It's just I don't know how many more of these cakewalk inspections I can do without exploding from boredom. Maybe it's time we used a little of our discretion for another random search."

"We have five hours until our next stop. We can scan for the next available ship in this area, or we could request a portal jump to somewhere more distant, although I doubt it would get approved."

"I say we put in a request. If they deny it, we can always stay local."

I raised the dispatcher on the comm. "Hela, this is Knog Beutcher. We're requesting a jump out to the shipping lanes near the Gonath system for a random inspection. I was looking over the public logs and noticed there hasn't been an inspection out there in twenty-eight days."

Hela replied, "I'll run it by the captain. Will let you know as soon as I have an answer."

I closed the comm. "I'm sure we'll hear within a few minutes. The captain has a call out to be notified immediately about anything to do with us."

Hela came back moments later. "You have approval, Mr. Beutcher. I will set up the jump. The captain would like a word with you first. He should be in contact with you any moment."

As I closed the channel with Hela, the captain hailed us. "Knog, I wanted you to know that I thought this was a bad idea. The chief, however, wants to give you a little rope on the chance you two bring in more good publicity. I think it's an asinine reason for approval, but you got it. Keep me informed of what's going on, and don't hesitate to call in backup if things get even remotely dicey."

I nodded. "Understood, captain. We'll do our best to not get shot."

The captain pointed a finger at the display. "Don't be screwing around out there, Beutcher. Everything I said before still stands. We can't risk an incident."

When the comm closed, the coordinates for the jump, as well as normal shipping schedules for the area, came over the data feed from Hela Gruend. I acknowledged with a textual thank-you and prepared for the portal sweep.

Joni said, "I say we just ask the chief next time. She seems much more reasonable than the captain."

"Don't sell the captain short, Joni. He's been out in the field and knows what can happen, while the chief is a political appointee."

Joni shook her head. "I thought the chief was an earned position? Since when are they appointed?"

"Since those working for your family deemed it a necessity. Most offices with authority over law, trade, or even movement of people are now controlled by appointees. There are a lot of veteran workers out there who moved up through the ranks only to find themselves out of a job. You Humans love your cronies."

Joni half scowled. "Hey, don't throw me in with that lot. Common sense tells you it should be the best person for the job and not your pet's groomer's cousin because you owe them a favor. If I was calling the shots, things would be different."

The _Daunte_ was moved to its new location near Gonath.

"We all like to think we would do things differently. The decisions that have to be made for governance on that scale have to be staggering when it comes to their effect on others. It's easy for us to say what we would do from here; our actions might be totally different if we were in that position."

A dozen ships came up on the nav screen. "Well, we aren't in that position, so I guess those problems won't get solved today. We have a slew of ships to pick from. I wouldn't have thought this was as active a system as it is."

I replied, "In my experience with the Gonath system, I generally have had to wait for several hours for a single ship. Let's move in a bit closer. I'll have portal command change the microportal location to follow us in case we need to jump."

After several minutes of observation, I said, "Those are all personnel transports except those two over there. Those are...gunships."

I opened a channel to security command. "This is Detective Beutcher. I'm passing in a video feed from the Gonath system. It looks like there's a large-scale movement of people going on here. I have two unidentified gunships that appear to be acting as escorts or monitors. I think we might be witnessing a raid on a colony."

Hela Gruend replied, "Mr. Beutcher, hold your position, do not approach further. Word just came through from portal command that the Gonath system portal is under blockade. I am going to request a sweep out of there for you, Mr. Beutcher. Please hold."

As we waited for our jump out, a gunship turned and sped in our direction. "Mr. Gruend, I hope they have a portal opening in the next few seconds."

I turned the _Daunte_ away and pushed the throttle to full. The gunship continued to gain on our position.

Joni yelled, "They're firing at us! Hard right! Hard right!"

I pushed the stick over. The two high-energy bolts streamed past our position, missing the _Daunte_ by only a few hundred meters. As a second set of bolts came our way, I pulled up on the stick, then over, performing a hard roll to the left. Again, the ion bolts missed their target.

As I prepared for another evasive maneuver, the "portal closed" indicator came up on the nav screen.

Joni said, "We just lost our way out!"

The second gunship soon joined the pursuit. "I don't think we can evade for much longer."

As I spoke, the twin cannons of the _Jess_ fired on the first gunship as Garrett Rourke entered the fight. His first shots damaged an engine, forcing the gunship to slow and allowing us to move beyond its effective range. The _Jess_ fired a long shot at the second gunship before once again disappearing from the nav screen.

Joni said, "You know, for years I have hated the fact that my father had some monkey following me around everywhere I went. Now, twice in the last few weeks, I've owed my life to it. As aggravated as that shadow has always made me, I'm now thankful they're here."

As we continued to speed away, the two gunships broke off and returned to their mission at hand. I set a course for the next-closest colony at Barrington Station. It was a two-day journey, but we would be able to once again establish a portal sweep back to SS5 from the Barrington system.

During our ride, I studied the nav recordings. "That's our third time looking over those gunships. We checked for broadcasts and found nothing recorded, the ships have no markings, and they're not a design I recognize any part of."

Joni replied, "We had a dozen of those transports showing on our sensors at any time. They were coming and going in a steady stream. That had to be a raid on that colony."

"That's what I believe too. What I don't understand is... this is the Alpha sector. Who would be so brazen as to raid an entire colony right here in the capital sector of your uncle's systems? I know our military ships only reside at the security stations, but where are they?"

Joni sighed. "As much as I hate to, I'll give my father a call when we return. They have to have some contingency plan for handling this type of thing. I mean, come on, that's a whole colony back there."

I slowed the _Daunte_ as we approached Barrington Station. "I don't believe it. Barrington is being raided as well. This is insane."

Joni said, "Gonath has two million citizens; Barrington is nearly double that. And they're all defenseless."

As we watched, a small freighter entered the Barrington Station system. One of the two gunships monitoring the raid moved into action. The freighter _Monak_ attempted to turn, but was easily caught by the much-faster unmarked warship. We watched in horror as repeated ion streams were sent through the untimely freighter. Her captain and crew and any others aboard were quickly dead.

The next-closest colony was another two and a half days' travel. I set a course and again pushed the throttle to full before the gunships monitoring Barrington Station turned our way.

Joni said, "Wow. I was not expecting this. These are peaceful colonies, 65 percent Human. Gonath is primarily a mining colony, and Barrington is all farms. I can only imagine the horrors of being torn from your homes without warning."

The ride back to SS5 was filled with discussion of the events that had transpired. How was it a sector as wealthy and powerful as Alpha was being raided? Gonath and Barrington Station were colonies on the edge of Alpha sector space. The edge of the Delta sector, which lay just beyond the two colonies, was as wealthy and peaceful as Alpha, and both were under the control of the Salton family.

As we set down and the ramp-way lowered, the captain was waiting with his hands on his hips. "No more risk taking, Beutcher. We can't keep putting young Miss Salton's life in danger! I had it out with the chief this morning, and she's now in agreement. You two will be sticking close to home here. I don't care if the biggest thing you bust is a Begrid trader transporting rotten carrots. You'll be staying within five light-years of this station. That gives you two planets and four colonies to police. You two are confined to that space until further orders."

I replied, "Glad to see you as well, Captain. Have you seen the video feeds we sent?"

# Chapter 11

### _______________________

Paq Wendell shook his head. "That information was classified before it reached my desk. The only word I have had is that the two of you left your portal space and the link was shut down. Whatever was on those video feeds had better be important."

"Gonath and Barrington Station were both under attack, Captain. We believe their entire populations were being carried away."

Before I could continue any further, two men in dark gray uniforms were standing beside us. "Captain Wendell, anything Mr. Beutcher just mentioned to you is now classified information. You would do well to forget whatever it is you just heard. If any attempt is made to spread that information further, whether it be through a 'how was your day' conversation with your wife or in discussion with your chief, you will be prosecuted to the fullest extent possible. Do you understand what I am saying here, Captain?"

The captain nodded as he looked back at me with confusion in his eyes. "I understand. We were just discussing—"

One of the uniformed officers held up his hand. "No further discussion, Mr. Wendell. The penalty for any transgression on this matter will be swift and severe. You would do well now to return to your desk and to your other daily matters."

The captain nodded, slowly turned, and walked away.

I looked at the officers as Joni stepped up beside me. "Miss Salton, Mr. Beutcher, I'm Major Carter, and this is Mr. Barnett. Please come with us."

We were herded into a conference room for a debrief. As we sat the major set a holo-display device on the table in front of us, powering it up. The man simply named Mr. Barnett stood silently by the closed door.

The major said, "Let me start by saying we are aware of the two incursions you witnessed. We are as shocked about them as you are. As I'm sure you are aware, this type of raid has happened before out in the outer sectors, but never in Alpha. I want to assure you we have formulated a response, and action is being taken as we speak. I am not at liberty to discuss the matter with you any further than that."

I looked at the major and then over at the silent man by the door. "I can guess we're not to discuss what we have seen with anyone, at any time, under the risk of severe penalty, as you just told the captain?"

The major replied, "You're correct, Mr. Beutcher. For the next week, the two of you will be confined to your ship while we figure this situation out. You do understand that no word of these raids can reach the public. The panic that would ensue would throw this sector, and most of the Salton sectors, into complete chaos. The people need to feel they are secure for our civil societies to function properly."

I raised my hand. "Perhaps if the Saltons were not taxing so heavily and confiscating resources, the people would not so easily be thrown into the chaos you speak of. They would willingly rally in support of the government."

The major pursed his lips for several seconds. "There is much you do not have vital information on, Mr. Beutcher. Sometimes actions that otherwise look suspicious or unfair have reasons behind them that you are unaware of. Regardless of your concerns, your silence is required under threat of the severest of penalties should you break that silence. Miss Salton, that goes for you as well."

Joni laughed. "You don't have to worry about me, Major. I don't have anyone other than Mr. Beutcher here that I would discuss anything with. I... we, will keep our silence."

I gestured toward the door. "I am curious, Major. The two of you wear the same uniform, and yet only you have a rank. That seems odd to me."

The major replied, "I'm sorry, Mr. Beutcher. I'm not at liberty to discuss anything with you other than to emphasize your need to be silent and that you will be confined to the _Daunte_ for the time being."

The major stood and held his hand out toward the door. "If you would care to return to your ship, Mr. Beutcher, Miss Salton, we will be on our way. Either I or Mr. Barnett will be in contact with you once any decision concerning your confinement has been made. Until that time arrives, your silence is required."

Our week in isolation was excruciating. Our coffee supply was running low with no way to replenish it. The captain had not been seen nor heard from. A single man in one of the dark gray uniforms remained standing at the Bay-17 door. As day seven turned into eight, Major Carter walked halfway up the ramp-way, stopping just before a growling Raptor.

Joni said, "It's OK, Major. Come on up. He won't harm you."

Raptor's expression quickly changed from one of hostility to one of light concern. The major took the last few steps slowly before stopping beside the muscular dog. Raptor leaned hard against the major to let his continued presence and concern be known.

The major replied, "Miss Salton, Mr. Beutcher. After much deliberation, the organization I work for has decided to offer each of you a position. We would like you to be our representatives with the Security Inspection Corps. You will be our eyes and ears in the Alpha sector and will report directly to us on incidents such as with the happenings of last week. There is no pay associated with these positions. And should you decline this offer, the fact that an offer was made or that our organization exists remains classified information with the same penalty for unauthorized dissemination as before."

I said, "You make it sound so appealing, major. I would ask only one question before offering an answer."

The major nodded. "Fair enough. What is your question, Mr. Beutcher?"

I looked over at Joni and then back. "Is this organization sanctioned by and under the authority of the Salton family?"

The major again nodded. "It is. I can go no further in description of the organization or of its mission without an acceptance of this offer from both of you. Before you answer, I would also like to add that once you have accepted, there is no going back. Members of this organization may only leave under a narrow set of circumstances. Death and severe disability are among those reasons. If such a case as this were to occur while you were under a direct mission for the organization, your direct family members would be cared for through a fund set up by the Salton family."

I turned to look at Joni. "I think I already know your answer. You would be in favor of the adventure that joining such an organization would offer."

Joni smiled and nodded.

I turned back to the major. "Miss Salton is interested, and I am as well. Our motivations may be different, but I believe they are equally valid reasons. Seeing the events taking place here in our sector has me disturbed. I feel it is my civic duty to help to restore lawful order in any way I can. If that's the goal of the Saltons, then I accept as well. If this is an effort to further tighten the grip on the freedoms of the people of this sector, I would like you to know up front that I will not be a willing participant."

The major reached out his hand with a smile. "I can assure you, Mr. Beutcher, your wishes and those of the Salton family are closely aligned. The two of you will be given instruction through your chief to attend a one-week-long security symposium on SS9. You will be taken through orientation during that time, with the final day being a study day. The study materials will be provided to you and sent back to your chief, validating the external reasons that you were selected to attend. In other words, your cover."

I asked, "Will we be attending in the _Daunte_?"

The major shook his head. "You'll be traveling through a direct portal to SS9. Your travel data will indicate you transferred through the eighteen normal hops to get there, but you will be going directly using the organization's systems."

I raised my eyebrows. "Does the organization have a moniker?"

The major nodded. "You'll receive communications through the Zed Corporation, although you are never to repeat that name. If asked, you will deny all knowledge of its existence. This will all be explained to you during your orientation. Now, I must be going. I would advise you enjoy the few free moments you have with the world as you understand it. That world is about to change. If you have family, call them. If you have friends, say goodbye, as you will likely be too busy to interact with them going forward. And remember, you can give no indication of what you're involved in."

Joni nodded. "Well, that should be easy. I'm intrigued, but still confused as to what this is all about. I was going to call my father and question him on what we saw out at Gonath and Barrington. Is that information still classified?"

The major slowly closed and opened his eyes as he nodded. "I'm afraid it is. You are both intelligent people; use discretion when talking to others and you should be fine. Keep in mind, though, once I walk down this ramp, you will be under surveillance by the organization from that moment on. Expect your orders to come within the next twenty-four hours. Best of luck to you both in your new journeys."

The major reached down and rubbed Raptor on the head before turning to proceed back down the stairs. As he walked across the deck, he was chatting away on his comm. The man in the gray uniform standing guard at the bay door opened it. The major walked through to never be seen by us again.

Joni said, "Well, that was kind of bizarre, but I have to say I am almost excited by the prospect of being in the know about what's going on out there."

I shook my head. "If you think they're going to tell us much more than the bare minimum, you're mistaken. We'll know only what they deem necessary for us to be able to gather the information they desire. Get ready to receive and enact orders that come in without reason."

Joni tilted her head as she looked back at her holo-display. "You sure seem to know a lot about what's coming our way."

I pulled up a list showing our dwindling coffee store. "I've had experience over the years dealing with organizations like what we just joined. They operate on a need-to-know basis and expect orders to be carried out as instructed. I cannot fathom this organization operating any differently. Their secrecy is what allows them to exist and have effect. Should the media catch wind of any such organization, they would no longer be able to operate. Hence, the need-to-know level of information they will provide to you."

"Hmm. I guess if you've never been in that situation, it doesn't make much sense to you. What you just explained—I guess I can see the reasoning behind it. There _is_ one thing I think we should do before we go any further."

I offered a half smile in return. "What's that?"

Joni stood and walked to the galley. "We should have a cup of coffee—you know, something to get the juices flowing, something to power us through the rest of the day. I'll be calling my father afterward, so I'll need the boost beforehand."

I laughed. "OK, a cup sounds like a reasonable first step. We'll need to acquire more, though, if we are going to save the New Alliance."

Joni returned with a full cup of the Orientus for me. "Hmm, save the New Alliance. I kind of like the sound of that."

"It may be more true than you know, so be careful what you wish for."

I spent several hours on the comm with my wife and children as Joni called her father. He was a secret board member of the Zed Corporation and was partially behind our recruitment and fast acceptance. He promised to give us a more detailed and private briefing after our orientation was complete. I looked forward to knowing a little of what we might be in for.

The following day, orders came through for us to proceed to SS9. We would be carrying nothing with us but the clothes on our backs. I wondered what would become of Raptor as we approached the gate to the portal complex. To my surprise, we were waved immediately through while the remaining travelers waited in line for their security checks. Traveling between portal stations had become a time-consuming event, while it had previously been a simple walk through to the other side.

As we moved forward with the crowd toward the first portal, a gentleman in a dark gray suit stepped in front of us. "If you would please come with me."

We followed. A door was opened by another gray-suited individual. We entered and proceeded down a long hall. An elevator door opened, and we were soon twelve floors below the main portal gates area. After a trek down another long hall, we were taken into a room with a ramp that went up into midair and ended.

Our escort said, "Please wait here. A portal will open at the end of the ramp. Please proceed through to the other side when it does. Have a nice day."

As the door closed behind us, a hum and crackle could be heard as a portal to SS9 was established.

I held out my hand. "I believe you Humans say 'ladies first'?"

Joni smiled as she offered a modest curtsy. "Why thank you, kind Sir. Raptor, you heard the man, let's go."

As we stepped through to the other side, the portal room was busy with sixteen other ramps in use. I took note of two Gandons, a Mulati, almost a dozen Humans, a Fantonian, and four Igari. A gray suit was soon standing in front of us.

I said, "Igari? What are they doing here? I thought they were part of our problem."

The man in the gray suit replied, "I am not at liberty to answer questions, sir. Please proceed to the check-in desk at the end of the hall for your registration. You will be fully briefed when your orientation begins."

Joni was the first to be registered. Hair, saliva, and blood samples were taken, as well as deep biometric scans. Every bit of physical information that could identify Joni as herself was captured. As the tech proceeded to attempt to draw my blood, his facial expression turned to one of confusion as the needle being used would not penetrate my tough skin.

I laughed as I raised my shirt. "Here, try under my arm."

I winced as the sample was taken. The underarm of a Grunta was a sensitive and vulnerable spot that we did not like to reveal. If we were involved in a fight, it was the one area we had to protect most. With the right pressure or a hard blow, a Grunta could become disoriented for several minutes. A major nerve bundle ran near the skin's surface. It was a Grunta weakness that was forbidden to be talked about.

We were next hustled through a sonic shower and changing rooms where our old clothes were destroyed and our new gray training suits were put on. The fit was good and the material comfortable.

When I stepped back out into the hallway, Joni was waiting. "Wow. You look sharp. Gray is your color."

I looked at my hand and then at the sleeve of my suit. "I don't know; some might say it's a little too much gray, but Gruntas are not known for their fashion, so I'll have to take your word for it."

Our next stop was a classroom setting. After several minutes of new recruits filing in, an instructor entered. Gernell Wofford was a stout Human woman with a constant scowl on her face.

Gernell said, "OK, listen up. Your lives as you knew them are over. You're going to learn things today that may be contrary to what you believe. It's important that you accept what you hear as the truth, as it's equally as important that you have faith and trust in the organization. Look around the room at the others around you. These people will be your new family for the next month."

One of the recruits raised his hand. "I thought this was only for a week?"

Gernell shook her head. "This class is the first. It was decided that a more extensive training regimen was required to ready agents for their first missions in the field. The situation out there is constantly in flux, and we have to roll with those changes if we want to be effective. If you're wondering about your covers back home, don't. The lengthened stay will all be handled for you. Now, how many of you are from Alpha sector?"

As I looked around, the entire class raised their hands.

Gernell continued, "Exactly. You're all here from Alpha, and you'll be returning to Alpha. Each of you was selected for the organization for your unique job skills. Whether that be transport pilot, portal gate operator, or food inspector, all your talents are vital needs. If we're to accomplish the mission before us, we need you to provide us with timely information and possible actions. Anyone who's here that thinks this is going to be fun and exciting, I will tell you now that you're sorely mistaken.

"This is serious business, and our performance will mean the difference between freedom and life, or captivity or death. There are forces at work against the New Alliance that could not have come at a worse time. I am sure you have all heard the rumors surrounding the closing down of the Andromeda galaxy gateway? The rumors I have heard are that the Dullex family is in a trade squabble with the Saltons. Other rumors say that it is just an effort to further restrict the movement of previously free citizens.

"I am here to tell you that it is neither of those two, or any of the other rumors you may have heard. Here is the shocker. The Alliance is under attack! That's right. Outside forces, forces that thus far are superior to our own, have invaded."

The room rustled with quiet comments as some of the participants muttered to themselves or their partners.

Gernell held up her hand. "There will be time for discussion later. For now, I need you to listen. The Andromeda galaxy is under attack from an external force."

# Chapter 12

### _______________________

Gernell pressed several buttons on her arm pad. A holo-display appeared, covering most of the wall behind her. "This is what we know. These ships, of unknown origin, have taken nearly 20 percent of the galaxy from the Dullex family defenses. Two security stations, just like this one, have been overrun. Thirty-nine inhabited planets and 126 colonies have been taken. We don't know if our citizens on those worlds survived, were slaughtered, or were taken away to be made slaves.

"We are taking measures to stop this attacking force. As some of you may have heard, a ship construction yard is being built here in the Theta sector. I know the rumors have been flying that it's privateers or other families, or even that it's the beginning of a rebellion. All those rumors are false. It is a construction yard being built to turn out warships for the New Alliance. The first of those ships will be ready in the next few months. Production should ramp up quickly after that.

"As I'm sure each of you would have to reason, ships need crews, and assaults or defenses need armies. You have no doubt by now heard of the disappearance of entire colonies in some of the remote sectors. This next bit of information may be shocking, but it is a necessity if we're going to be able to defend ourselves. The colony raids... have not been raids. Each of those colonies, and all their inhabitants, have been conscripted into the military service of the New Alliance."

Voices of outrage erupted as the horrifying thoughts of our own citizens being forced into military service sank in. I looked at Joni as her jaw dropped open.

Gernell again held up her hand. "Quiet! We have much more to tell you. That decision was made many years ago by the families, and it was a unanimous decision at the time. So, be outraged if you want, but know this: we have to fight a war, and it was determined, after studies were conducted, that a volunteer army of sufficient size could not be raised. Our people have been fat, dumb, and happy for far too long, and few are willing to put their lives on the line for the rest of us. Conscription, as unpopular as that might seem at the moment, is our only viable method for raising the forces needed to confront the current threat.

"I will also tell you that to date, those forces have only been successful at slowing the spread of the invaders. We are at war, ladies and gentlemen, a war that we are currently losing. Not a month goes by that a planet or a few colonies don't fall to the attackers. We must build up a military sufficient to stop their advances before the entire Andromeda galaxy is lost.

"That brings me back to you. Why are you here? You are here because agents of the invaders have infiltrated many of our sectors. The Alpha sector, your home, will become one of those sectors in the near future. Activity has picked up in the outer sectors already and is spreading inward. With this organization, we are attempting to control that infiltration before it becomes deeply embedded in our operations. If the invaders know what we are up to, they can respond with actions that are crippling to our most important efforts.

"Now, I will entertain only a few questions. If I deem the question of low importance, I will ask someone else for something of substance. Don't be offended by this action. For all of us, our time here is limited, so we must make the best use of it. Who would like to go first?"

One of the attendees said, "You mentioned missions. I work on an import/export inspection crew at our planet's, Grekan Prime's, portal transfer station. What sort of mission would I be expected to perform?"

Gernell replied, "Good question. At some point you may be asked to move cargo through regardless of its contents. You might think that means falsifying reports; it does. However, from time to time we will have need of moving cargo without it being tracked. You wouldn't want an enemy agent to know that a shipment of one hundred thousand ion amplifiers was heading to an outer colony. We will make every effort to make what you do seamless so that it doesn't attract undue attention. Next question."

A second attendee raised his hand. "I work in a manufacturing facility that makes sensitive parts. What sort of missions might I expect?"

Gernell placed her hands on the desk in front of her. "OK, each of you will be briefed on what to expect from your individual handlers. Next question."

I raised my hand as I said, "The colonists who have been conscripted into military service—what happens to their spouses, children, or other family members they may care for?"

Gernell nodded. "Good question. All able-bodied persons in a family are subject to the military service. We, however, are not barbarians. If there are children or elderly involved, the least able spouse is assigned a job in a support effort while the other heads for the front. Children are placed in day care or school wherever the spouse is deployed. The elderly are sent to a facility where they are cared for by a trained staff. I realize this may sound horrible to most of you, but we are doing the best we can. If we aren't able to get control of our own efforts here at home, the war in Andromeda will be lost."

No further questions were asked. I reasoned that for most of us, this was all too new and too deep for off-the-cuff questions. Gernell Wofford had completed her initial brief.

We were instructed to wait for a personal handler to come for each of us. Joni and I were unique in that we would be the only team among the fifteen new recruits. Only minutes had passed before the handlers began to come into the room. A short blob of a being with six stocky legs and a deep reddish-brown, thin skin slowly stepped up in front of us.

The blob said, "My name is Gretchin Coolies. You will follow me, please."

Gretchin turned and began to slowly walk. Joni had a bewildered look on her face as we followed the meter-tall, meter-wide, and two-meter-long being out into the hallway. I found it fascinating that neither of us could take our eyes off the rolling undulations of body fat that moved across her back as the naked being walked before us. The movement of each muscle started a wave that rolled across and then up her body, only stopping when struck by another wave or when reaching her thick neck.

Gretchin turned and snickered. "Don't be embarrassed. You aren't the first people to be mesmerized by my movement."

Joni replied, "I'm sorry, I don't mean to stare. It's just...mesmerizing, just as you stated."

Gretchin stopped. "We use that as a defense mechanism just before we viciously attack our prey."

Joni pulled her head back. "Wait. What?"

Gretchin laughed. "Don't worry, Miss Salton. We Simbrels are about as docile as they come. We do have a wicked sense of humor, though. Watch this."

Gretchin stopped and tightened all the muscles in her back at once. The rolling waves ceased, and her back became calm and smooth in appearance. In a single move, the Simbrel picked up both rear legs, sending a single wave from her hindquarters up her back and to her neck. She then began a series of quick moves that set up a continuous wave pattern that was again fascinating to watch.

After another complete back-muscle freeze, Gretchin said, "You should see me on the dance floor. Hahaha!"

Joni said, "I like her. I like her a lot. Thank you for the humor, Gretchin; that talk back there was a little intense."

Gretchin replied, "We only live once, Miss Salton. If we spend our lives worrying, we soon find that we missed out on a large part of living."

As we walked, I asked a question. "Miss Coolies, I believe you may be the first sentient species I have come across that doesn't have dexterous hands or some other method to grasp and hold items. How is it that Simbrels were able to develop and survive?"

Joni smacked my shoulder. "That's kind of rude!"

Gretchin laughed. "It's OK, Miss Salton. Gruntas are not known for being discreet. They say what's on their minds. Mr. Beutcher, I take no offense at the question. We are a symbiotic species. On our world, we were the brains, the educators, and the architects. We had a partner species who were dutiful and kind workers. The Horga found us to be extremely funny. We are also excellent entertainers. Out here in the Alliance, we find it easy to survive and to thrive with the help of so many available beings."

I replied, "That is interesting, Miss Coolies. I would have selected intelligence as being a powerful tool for survival, but it seems you have mastered the use of humor as well."

Gretchin nodded as we continued to plod along. "Every sentient species has special skills, attributes, and abilities that allow them to survive. You Grunta: raw muscular power, and extremely tough skin, and that thick skull. All effective tools, as one would say. And by the way, please call me Gretchin. We are likely to get to know each other extremely well over the coming years. I will be your trainer here and your handler once you leave."

The following four weeks moved by in a flash. Gretchin was a pleasure to work with. She took no offense at any question asked and laughed at my dry attempts at humor. It was easy to see how her species had survived as a symbiote. You couldn't help but like her.

As we walked back through the portal and down to Bay-17, Joni said, "The world has definitely changed. Some of what we have been seeing makes a lot more sense now."

I replied, "I would agree with some of that. I'm not as enthusiastic about what we have going on, or what they expect from us. I'll be using my discretion if I think any of the coming missions are getting out of hand. When we get out there in the field, we sometimes have to make split-second decisions. Some of those decisions may not align with the organization's goals."

Joni smiled. "I get what you're saying. I was never one to just blindly follow rules anyway."

As we entered Bay-17, Paq Wendell was standing by the _Daunte_. "Knog, Miss Salton, I trust your month-long boondoggle was enjoyable?"

I replied, "You should have a full report in your data store, Captain. I think you'll see how much we are already doing right. I think Joni derived more benefit from it than I."

The Captain looked at my arms. "What, not even a patch to show you attended? Look, Knog, I know we have been butting heads lately, and the Chief wants me to fix that. So, I'll be giving you a little extra rope to play with going forward. Just do us both a favor and don't hang us with it."

I nodded. "Got it, Captain. No hanging. Now, if you don't mind, I have a two-day pass to see the wife and kids, and I would like to make the best use of my time by preparing for that."

The Captain gestured toward the _Daunte_ 's ramp. "And Miss Salton, what will you be doing during your break?"

Joni looked at me. "I've been invited to the Beutcher compound, Captain. Knog is the first Grunta I have ever met, and I would like to get to know more of them if possible."

The Captain shook his head. "I think you might find them less than entertaining. Gruntas can be stodgy, stubborn, and all-around pain-in-the-asses. Enjoy your break, Miss Salton."

Raptor growled at the Captain as we walked by. "Why does that dog hate me?"

I replied with a smirk, "He's just a good judge of character, Captain, nothing more."

After settling into the _Daunte_ 's cabin, Joni said, "I wish we were taking the ship with us. I could use a little time out running around in her."

A voice could be heard at the bottom of the ramp-way. "Hello? Mr. Beutcher?"

I replied, "Come on up."

The gentleman in a gray suit stopped at the midpoint of the steps as Raptor moved into his view.

The man said, "Sorry to intrude, sir. I have been authorized to remove the recording devices from this ship. Since some of the work you will be doing will be for the organization, it was decided recordings of that information would become a liability to our cause."

Joni smiled as she said, "Recording devices? Why, who would have put such things on this ship?"

The man nodded. "We knew you knew they were here, Miss Salton. They're being removed now, and I'll be adding a program to your consoles that will allow the complete erasure of the ship's recordings should you find yourself in need of doing such. The recording will show as an ongoing fault with a faulty indicator. Should anyone call you out on it, you will easily be able to deny any knowledge of what happened to the recordings."

Joni stood. "I like that, Mr....?"

The man removed the first device. "My name is not important, Miss Salton. I will be removing all five devices."

Joni turned to look at me. "Looks like we didn't find them all after all."

"We're due at the portal gate in half an hour. Put together whatever you want to take with you."

When the organization agent had finished, he nodded and turned down the ramp-way. After gathering our things, we moved on to the portal gate for our transfer to Nubor Prime. From there we would make a jump to SS32 and then to Balimus II, the Grunta home world.

As we stood in line at the portal transfer station, I said, "Restricted travel is one of the biggest concerns to the populace right now. Everyone used to move freely through these portals. It was no one's business where you were going. I get the need for protecting these portals and for stopping the flow of rebellious movements, but it takes its toll on the regular traveler who has done nothing wrong."

Joni shook her head. "Well, if it was up to me, I would open them back up. All this standing in line is not helping anyone."

I picked up my duffel bag and moved forward a step. "If you really wanted to bring the economies of the New Alliance to a halt, a strike on one of these gates would have an immense impact on the citizen psychology. Who would risk travel or even shipping of goods through a portal that was a target? We just have to face the fact that this is the new normal."

Joni smirked. "I—"

A deafening explosion rocked the gate in front of us as a crowd of bodies flew backward. The very thing we were discussing had happened. I picked up a dazed and confused Joni and headed back down the hall along with several dozen others who had their wits about them. As we turned out into the main hallway, I leaned Joni against a wall. The steady stream of runners coming from the gate hallway soon turned from those who had only been knocked down to those with injuries. Panic and screams ensued.

I tapped Joni on the cheek. "Hey, you still with me?"

Joni shook her head slowly as she squinted and blinked her eyes. "What just happened? Are you OK? We have to go back and help those people."

I gently squeezed her shoulder. "You aren't going anywhere until that fog clears from your head. After that, we're heading back to the _Daunte_."

The sabotage of the portal gate to Nubor Prime came as a shock to those on SS5. Here we were on a government station for the New Alliance, a station that had been a symbol of peace and security for millennia, and an attack on civilians had just taken place.

All portal travel on SS5 was brought to an immediate stop. Travelers who were headed our way would have to find alternate routes. Those already on SS5 would have to hire ships for transport to the next live portal. Life as we knew it had taken another bad turn.

I closed a comm with my wife after assuring her that I was safe and telling her that all travel to and from SS5 through the portals had been suspended. She was disappointed, but understanding.

Joni said, "Most Human women would be freaking out right now. Are all Grunta women so calm?"

I nodded. "Our women are the examples we live by. They were once the fierce warriors that protected our people. That's not to say that our men were pushovers; they were anything but that. Our women, however, could be savage if they felt their families or their families' livelihoods were threatened. You never want to cross a Grunta woman."

Joni half laughed. "Hey, you could take half of the Human women and run them off with half a shake of your fist. There are those that will stand up and fight just as yours, and from what I understand of our beginnings, Human women could be thuggish if need be, but I think the years of peace and plenty under AMP have made them soft."

"You don't seem so soft, Joni Salton. You have a good fighting spirit."

"OK, well, I guess I'll take that as a compliment. So, when do you think we'll get our first mission?"

I shook my head. "Do you not remember the rules? There should be no mention of missions or the organization in casual conversation. It only takes one curious individual to blow our cover and to expose the Zed Corporation."

Joni pointed. "There, you just broke the rules twice."

I gestured toward the holo-display. "Look over the schedule log and see if the captain has posted anything for us."

After checking, Joni raised her hand in a fist. "Yes. It looks like they finally set us up with something. A freighter, supposedly carrying freshwater to a dry mining colony. It's not much, but at least it gets us out of here."

I looked at Joni. "You _are_ eager for action, aren't you?"

"I'm so eager I would gladly—"

A comm came over a private channel, interrupting our conversation. "This is Gretchin, sorry to hear about your break being cut short. As your first mission, you are directed to make the inspection of the freighter in a timely manner, and to then proceed to the Zebulon colony. You will receive further instruction when you arrive."

Joni replied, "Thank you, Gretchin. Anything else?"

Gretchin replied, "In due time, Miss Salton. Let's take this one on and see if we can finish it off first. Now, you two be careful out there. I will be in contact when you reach Zebulon."

The comm channel closed.

# Chapter 13

### _______________________

Joni said, "I know we aren't due out there for another hour; do you think we can get them to sweep us out early? I'd rather sit there and observe minor traffic than sit here and do nothing."

I opened a comm channel to dispatch. "Mr. Gruend. What's the chance you can get us swept out early to the intercept point for the inspection of the _Carlson_?"

Hela replied, "One moment, Mr. Beutcher. OK, it looks like we can work that. The transfer deck was down while they were doing a full inspection after the bombing. It looks like it's online again. I'll send you over to transfer control if you'd like."

Joni grinned as I replied, "We would appreciate that, Mr. Gruend. Send us over."

After a short time for transfer setup, we were soon sitting in free space just outside SS5. A portal window opened and swept across our location, leaving us in the shipping lane where the freighter _Carlson_ would be passing. After an hour of waiting, the ship was detected by our nav sensors. I broadcast the all-stop signal and began my quick study of the _Carlson_ 's layout.

As the ship approached, it didn't slow. " _Carlson_ , this is the _Daunte_ ; we are a New Alliance security vessel, and you are being ordered to stop for an inspection of your cargo. Please comply."

The _Carlson_ continued at full speed.

Joni said, "They aren't stopping."

As the _Carlson_ began to pass our position, I pushed the throttle to full and quickly matched speeds. " _Carlson_ , this is the _Daunte_ , please bring your ship to a stop, or we will be forced to shut down your core."

The ship remained unresponsive.

Joni said, "Have you ever shut down a ship before?"

I replied, "Once, early in the New Alliance. It was a group of AMP separatists. I hated bringing them in, but they were intent on running past me. Sad thing is, they weren't running any contraband, they were doing it as a matter of principle. The punishment they received was severe and in no way in line with their little protest. The new security chief at the time felt it necessary to hold them up as a lesson for the public to see."

Joni pulled up an image of the ship. "What exactly happens to the ship when you shut down the core?"

I pulled up a diagram of the power systems and transferred it to her holo-display. "We shut down the power core. It means all systems go offline. Lighting, environment, propulsion, everything stops. I just hope there's no one in the docking bay, as the gravity wall in there will shut down as well. Anything not tied down risks being blown out into space."

I again hailed the _Carlson_. "This is the _Daunte_. You have thirty seconds before we shut down your core. Please bring your vessel to a full stop and prepare for boarding."

The thirty seconds passed quickly. I reached for the core override and hesitated as I looked over at Joni. The button was pressed, and several seconds later the _Carlson_ went dark. I maneuvered the _Daunte_ into the docking bay and set her down on the deck.

As I stood, I said, "I know you're the trainee, but this is an unusual situation. I need you to stay here and keep the _Daunte_ secure. If anything should happen, just use your best judgment."

"I can do that. Could you at least turn on your helmet feed so I can see what you're up to?"

The video feed was switched on as the _Daunte_ 's ramp-way lowered. I stepped through our gravity wall as Raptor watched with a concerned eye.

When I reached the deck, it was completely dark and silent. "Gravity boots are on. I'm proceeding to the bridge through the bay air lock. It will take me a few minutes to get up there, as I'll be going up fourteen flights of stairs. No power, no elevators."

"Well, it's not like it will be tiring or anything. There's no gravity out there other than your boots."

After maneuvering my way up the stairwell, I passed through a door into a hall. At the end of the hall was another door leading onto the bridge. I slowly opened the door to the pitch-dark room.

As I stepped inside, I said, "I'm seeing a complete absence of any crew. I'm moving to the power station for a reboot of her systems. This is strange. You would never completely abandon your bridge. Do a full scan of the remainder of the ship and tell me if you have any bio-signatures at all."

"Roger that. One scan coming up."

As I moved in front of the power console, a small light brought the console to life. I entered an unlock code for the core override, and the ship's systems began to slowly come back to life. When the nav system was fully online, I entered an all-stop command.

"Knog, scan says there are no life-forms on here besides you and me. I am showing that all lifepods have been jettisoned. Looking in the logs shows the crew left eleven hours ago. There is one entry about blaster fire and then nothing else from the crew or captain. I'm not seeing anything about intrusions. I'd say whoever used the blaster was one of the crew already."

"OK, looks like we're on here by ourselves. The ship's course was still set for the colony. Bring up the manifest logs and meet me down in the bay. I want to check out this cargo."

After reaching the _Daunte_ , we proceeded to move to inspect each of the giant tanks that carried freshwater for the dry colony. The first nine of the sixteen large tanks checked as normal. On tank ten, Joni stopped and looked at the data several times.

"You got something there?"

"The water has looked perfectly fine in every tank. I just don't get why the pressure is so low. These tanks aren't under pressure, but the ship's gravity generators should generate some pressure down here at these spigots. I'm getting very little from it."

I pointed to the steps that led up to the top of the twelve-story tank in front of where we were standing. "Let's go up and have a look at the cleaning hatch."

When we reached the top, I opened the hatchway into the tank and was soon standing atop a catwalk that ran across the length of the top of the tank. The water level in the tank came up to within a few centimeters of the bottom of the catwalk.

I said, "Take a sample from here."

Joni leaned down, dipping the sensor into the clear, calm liquid. "Hmm. There is something in the water, but it looks inert. Let me bring it up on a visual. It looks like we have some type of little microcapsules suspended in it. I'm going to see if I can smash a few of those with my glove. Whoa! This stuff has enough cyanide in it to kill, well, to kill the whole population on that colony."

"Encapsulated cyanide?"

Joni nodded. "Why would someone do that?"

I pulled up the image on my arm pad holo-display. "I'd say someone wanted to kill off the miners on that colony."

Joni looked over the display with a confused expression. "Why encapsulate it?"

"Encapsulation is heavily used in pharmaceuticals. It offers a time-release mechanism, dispensing whatever drugs are needed on a strict schedule, rather than having the individual control the taking of individual doses."

Joni shook her head. "What?"

I pulled up and zoomed in on the image of one of the microcapsules. "This coating—it may take a week or two for the digestive bacteria in your gut to break it down. When your doctor prescribes medication for you, it generally comes in a single pill. You take that pill, and the medication continues to be released into your system for anywhere from immediately to an even spread across a couple of weeks, or even all at once a few weeks later. The miners would consume this water, and a week or two later they would all drop dead. The encapsulation would ensure that they all consumed it before it hit anyone."

Joni again shook her head. "Why would you want to kill off an entire colony?"

"That will be for the organization to find out."

Joni pointed to the water. "What do we do with all this water? We can't send it on."

I pulled up a nav screen on my display. "We could divert to the closest star and dump the contents. The freighter could be sent back to its origination point."

Joni pulled up diagrams of the _Carlson_. "Or, we dump one tank and use the ship's own water filtration system to filter out the capsules. We could have the valving reconfigured in about ten minutes. These freighters are versatile when it comes to configuration."

I laughed. "While that is all good in theory, it would take weeks just to filter a single tank with the ship's pumps and filters. However, I do see merit in filtering out the poison. The miners need this water supply. So, how about we just send it on its way with a message for them to heavily filter it before its use. If they decide it is better to dump it, then that will be their choice."

"I could live with that. We just have to be certain they know the issue."

"We set a software lock on all the tanks that can only be disabled after reading whatever message we have to leave. Simple to do, and it lets us get on to our mission at Zebulon."

After a quick reconfiguration of the valve locks, the _Carlson_ was sent on its way. We pulled into the Zebulon system several hours later than expected.

Gretchin came on the comm. "That was supposed to be a quick inspection. Don't worry over it this time, but we need to be on time for future tasks. The timing of most of these missions can be critical."

Joni said, "We had a problem with poisoned water. We posted notifications for the colony inspectors."

"Just the same. In the future, stick to your assigned schedules."

Our task was then given. We were to sit and watch as a steady stream of transports showed up to conscript the entire population of the Zebulon colony. More than eight million Saurians and three hundred thousand Humans would be taken away for the war effort. Our mission was to observe and report. When the last of the transports had departed from Zebulon, we were released to return to SS5. It had been an assignment that neither of us was fond of.

The two weeks that followed passed quickly. They were filled with standard inspections and no new assignments from the organization. As we prepared for an intercept of a freighter, new orders came in.

Gretchin said, "Hello, my two favorite agents. When your inspection here is complete, you are to proceed to an observation point of the mining colony on Dansk. This mission is another simple observation. Should all go well, the next task will have an elevated risk level."

I replied, "Dansk? Isn't that where that water run was going a few weeks ago?"

Gretchin replied, "Yes, and your discovery of the poisoning plot is why your next mission will be of a higher level. The higher-ups have really been impressed with the two of you. So much so that they are now considering having all agents operate as teams."

Joni turned toward me. "Looks like we saved all those lives on Dansk just to have them sent to the war front. I can't say we did them a favor."

"We did what was right. We can't help what happens afterward. I don't think either of us is in favor of conscription, but wars are fought with people, and if the other side has no interest in peace, you have to fight."

As we sat on station in the Dansk system, the transport ships again came and went in a steady stream. Three million hard-luck miners and their families were soon on their way to training camps where they would be committed to fight for our freedom and our way of life, whether they agreed to it or not.

The following week, we received a new assignment from the organization.

Gretchin spoke over the comm. "Good morning, team. Our task for the day will be to proceed to Arianus III to pick up a cargo for delivery to the Melok colony in Theta."

I replied, "How are we to get out to Melok? That's a month-long run from Arianus."

Gretchin laughed. "Not to worry, honey, we have you covered. You will be swept out to Melok from SS12 near Arianus. We'll have you back today."

Joni said, "It must not be much of a cargo if it will fit on the _Daunte_. Why aren't they sending it through the portals? If it fits on here, it will fit through them."

"Sorry, dear, my job is not to question why. There are any number of people assigned to making these decisions. We need to carry them out on our end if we want to contribute to the success of the war effort. Standard portal transfers have inspections, and even though we as an organization may have use of our own portals, that use is limited. The powers want this cargo delivered in this method, and it's up to us to do it."

I pulled up a nav map. "How do we get to Arianus from here? That's a three-day trip all on its own."

Gretchin hummed a tune into her comm as she transferred instructions to our displays. "You will be swept out to the C5 shipping lane coming into Arianus for a scheduled inspection. That inspection will be canceled before the ship is to arrive. You will proceed from there to Arianus Port-96, where the package will be loaded. It's then on to SS12 for a sweep out to Melok for delivery and then back to SS12 afterward, and finally back to SS5. You'll be back in Bay-17, all safe and sound, before you know it."

Our assignment went as planned. The inspection was canceled. We soon made our way into Port-96 on Arianus III. When the cargo master arrived at the ramp, he had two packages that were nearly a meter square.

I said, "We were only expecting a single package. Are you sure this is supposed to go to us?"

The cargo master replied, "I show two boxes, check, for the _Daunte_ , check. Yep, these are yours."

As the cargo master pushed the first box up the ramp-way, Raptor was waiting for him. Without hesitation, the man reached out to pet the large, muscular dog. I felt the urge to dive forward to save him, but Raptor did nothing more than wiggle his stub of a tail.

The Igari cargo master said, "I love Human dogs. Such loving and loyal creatures."

The boxes were deposited and the cargo master departed.

I turned to Joni. "Not much of a guard dog, is he? I almost choked when he just reached his hand out there."

Joni laughed. "They're smart animals. If you show fear or act in a strange way, they can sense it. That's when they react."

I looked down at the two boxes. "We have our cargo. I can't say that I like the fact there are two boxes instead of one. We we're told to collect a single package."

Joni pressed the button to close the ramp-way. "Let's just get them over to SS12 and get them delivered. Someone else can sort out why there are two boxes instead of one."

After a quick run to SS12, we were swept out to Melok for our cargo drop. When the cargo master of the port came out to collect our payload, he only had orders for a single package.

I said, "Are you sure you aren't supposed to have two?"

The cargo master replied, "Sorry, pal. Shipping docs say one box with the following identifier. I can't take in any strays."

Our sweep back to SS12 was quiet, followed by another sweep, returning us to SS5.

As we settled into Bay-17, Gretchin came over the comm. "I see that you're reporting the delivery as complete."

I said, "We dropped the package, but we have a problem. There were two boxes loaded at Arianus. We still have one of them sitting here."

Gretchin was silent for a moment and then replied, "Huh, well, what's in it?"

Joni jumped in. "How are we to know what's in it? Our mission wasn't to open boxes, it was to deliver one."

Gretchin laughed. "Wow, you two sure are high strung. I say we just open it up and have a look. We have to know what's in it to know who is supposed to get it, right?"

I pulled a cutting tool from my utility drawer. The seals were separated, and a pry bar was used to open the container. I picked up a smaller box from within, one of twelve, and set it on the deck.

Using the cutting tool again, I opened the smaller box. "Coffee? It's coffee. Looks like twelve cases of it."

Gretchin again laughed. "Coffee? Huh. Weren't you just running out of coffee? How lucky is that!"

I shook my head. "Was this of your doing? If so, what are we supposed to do with it?"

Gretchin sighed. "Oh, so sorry, Mr. Beutcher. I was under the impression that you already knew what to do with coffee. I'll tell you what we should do. We should consider this a bonus for you and Miss Salton saving the lives of all those miners. Without your efforts, three million of our citizens would have been lost in the war before they even got into the fight."

I replied, "So, this is a reward for what we did in the line of duty?"

Gretchin laughed. "Now then, it seems like you're finally catching on! Enjoy the coffee, Mr. Beutcher and Miss Salton. It is a well-deserved benefit for your service. Oh, and if you were wondering, I should have a new task for you immediately following your next inspection."

I said, "Getchin, the captain hasn't been around to see us much. Did something happen with him?"

"Well, to make things easier on the captain, a new pilot program was put in place for running inspectors as teams. You and Miss Salton are the first team to participate. As such, your schedules are being coordinated through the office of security for the entire Alpha sector. The trial is scheduled to run for a year, and the captain and your chief are no longer in the loop. Your chief was a little put off by the grab of her new stars, but she dropped right in line when a bit of pressure was applied from above."

I pulled up our scheduling screen. "So, you're now responsible for our complete schedule?"

Gretchin sent over our new task. "I hope there is no problem with that arrangement, Mr. Beutcher. I have enjoyed working with you so far."

I shook my head. "No sense in breaking up an effective team, Gretchin. Thanks for the coffee, and thanks for the new task."

Gretchin smiled over the video feed. "I'm thrilled that you feel that way, Mr. Beutcher. I would also like you to know that they will be ramping up our assignments going forward. The three of us will likely stay very busy."

Joni said, "I'm up for that. I get stir crazy sitting around here waiting all the time. Give me something to occupy my time, and I'm happy."

# Chapter 14

### _______________________

Our next mission was to inspect an enriched ore freighter. It was bound for a colony that specialized in the construction of small ship hulls. When the inspection was complete, we were to take a guest aboard the _Daunte_ for a trip out to the edge of the Alpha sector.

Our guest was a diplomat, and our destination was a classified research facility. We would be held in standby at the facility should the diplomat's mission be cut short. If all went well, we would have a two-day ride to the nearest security station with a portal jump back to SS5.

The inspection was swift and by the book. As we walked back to the _Daunte_ in the freighter's docking bay, a Human woman approached.

As she reached our position, she held out her hand. "Hello, I am Dr. Evette Wallings. I believe you are to provide me with transport?"

Joni shook her hand. "That would be us. Come on and I'll get you settled."

Joni looked at her with curiosity as we walked. "Hmm. I find it strange that you don't have any luggage with you. Not that it's any of my business, I just find it odd."

Evette replied, "That's OK, Miss...?"

Joni covered her mouth with her hand as if to admit her mistake. "I'm sorry, my name is Joni. And I didn't mean to pry about the luggage."

Evette nodded. "That's OK, I usually travel light. My legs are prosthetics, including my hips. I rarely sweat, so if I'm on a mission that lasts for three days, I generally do not take a change of clothing other than, you know, my privates."

Joni held up her hand. "Enough said already. So, you're a doctor. What degree?"

As we sat down and the ramp-way of the _Daunte_ closed, Evette replied, "Cellular biology."

Joni shook her head. "Hmm. I don't get the diplomatic connection there. I would think someone who was either political or in the diplomatic core would be doing this."

Evette smiled. "I'm not at liberty to discuss the reasons for my being here, Miss...?"

Joni offered a half smile in return as she set our course for the research station. "Just Joni. I prefer to be called by that name."

The two women continued to banter as we lifted out of the docking bay and throttled up toward our destination. After a short ride, our guest asked to use the restroom. I pointed her to a doorway back in the cabin.

When the door closed, Joni grabbed my arm and whispered, "Something doesn't seem right with her."

"What makes you think that?"

Joni shook her head as she looked back at the door. "First, she is traveling and has no luggage. Second, she said she had prosthetic legs and an arm. I did a scan; the arm checks out, as well as one of the legs below the knee, at least as not being biological, that is. Her other leg is her own, though. Why would you lie about something like that? And third, did you smell her? She reeks of body odor. This from a woman that says she doesn't carry extra clothes because she doesn't sweat."

I nodded. "Well, I would concur on the smell. I detected that the moment she reached us, but she isn't the first smelly Human I've encountered. As for your other reasons to be suspicious, all I can say is to keep an eye on her. Besides, Raptor seems to be OK."

Joni shook her head. "Raptor has been watching her like a hawk. He behaves himself unless he sees someone as a threat. While I don't know that she is a threat to us, I'm not sure about sending a smelly Human out on a diplomatic mission."

The door to the restroom opened and Evette emerged. Joni smiled and turned back toward her holo-display. The two-day ride was filled with quiet between Joni's attempts at soliciting an odd response from Evette Wallings. We landed in the research station docking bay and the ramp-way was lowered.

A man dressed in a white lab coat was waiting by the bay door. "Dr. Wallings?"

Evette nodded as she walked through the doorway.

As the door to the bay sealed shut behind them, Joni said, "Something isn't right with that woman. Every one of her answers was a generality. I don't know much about cellular biology, but I don't think she does either."

I laughed. "Aren't you the suspicious one. I'll admit that she is a bit quirky, but our job was to deliver her here. Not to screen her for being odd."

Joni pulled up the research station port administrator. "Hey, Sergeant, what are the chances you have a supply store here at the station?"

The sergeant replied, "We have one. It's fairly small and limited in what it carries. What are you looking for?"

Joni laughed. "Well, it's kind of for a personal female issue, if you know what I mean."

The sergeant nodded. "I believe you will find what you need in there. We have a number of Human female staffers here on the station. And sorry I asked."

Joni smiled. "Is it through the door? Where do I go once I'm through?"

"You'll come through to a security checkpoint. After that, turn to the right, and it's about forty meters down the hall. I'll flip the door so you can get through."

Joni slapped me on the back as she stood. "I'll be right back. Have to get some supplies."

I watched as Joni Salton walked across the deck and through the bay door at a fast pace. I didn't know a lot about the Human female anatomy, but I did recognize when a person I knew was putting on a show. I stood and walked back to her quarters, letting myself inside. After a quick search, I found what I was looking for.

I turned back to see Raptor staring up at me. "I'm not one to question her about her female issues, Raptor, but that box back there says she is not in short supply of those products. I think she's going to check up on Dr. Wallings. And I'm afraid that I'm going to have to go check up on her."

I closed the door to her quarters and proceeded down the ramp-way. "Sergeant, I hate to ask another favor of you, but I wouldn't mind checking out your store as well. I get a little bored sitting around here sometimes. Just looking for something to break up the monotony."

The sergeant laughed. "No problem, Mr. Beutcher. And if I could trouble you in return, I wouldn't mind a little tour of your ship when you get back. She looks pretty new, and we mostly just get old research clunkers out here."

I replied as I pulled the bay door open, "I think that's a fair trade, Sergeant. I'll let you know when I'm ready to give you a show."

As I came up to the checkpoint, I pulled out my security badge. The guard gestured for me to remove my weapon for safekeeping while I was on the station. I complied.

The lone guard then waved me through. "If you're looking for your partner, she headed to the store just down the hall."

I nodded thanks as I proceeded forward and turned the corner. Joni stepped out of the store, heading in the other direction as I approached. I quickly stepped into an alcove as she gave a glance back up the hallway in my direction. She soon disappeared around a corner to the left.

I made my way into the store, stopping in front of the clerk. "The young Human that was just in here—did she ask you for any directions?"

The man behind the counter pointed back behind himself. "She was due at some conference in the main room. I told her it started about a half hour ago; I'm guessing that you're late as well? Take the first left down the hall here and then the second right. The room you're looking for will be on the left. Can't miss it."

I thanked the clerk and headed down the hall. After peering around the first corner, I moved down the hallway to the second turn. I slowly looked around the corner to the right in time to see Joni peeking through a crack between the two conference room doors.

As she pressed her left ear to the door, I placed my hand on her shoulder.

She shuddered from the surprise and then swatted at the air in front of me as she scowled. "Shh. Something is happening."

I shook my head as I pushed past her through the conference room door. I expected to be told to kindly leave. Instead I was met with a moment's hesitation. The passenger we had just brought to the station was standing behind a newly dead gentleman with a short sword through his head.

Evette quickly withdrew the sword and flashed it in my direction. "I've got no fight with you, Detective. You and your partner back away over to that corner, and I won't have to hurt you."

I pursed my lips. "I'm afraid I can't do that, Miss Wallings."

I reached down and picked up a metal chair as the assassin lunged toward me with her sword. Swinging the chair in time with her lunge, I was easily able to deflect her attack, but I was unprepared for her counter.

As the short sword, which had been pulled from her prosthetic arm, passed beside my torso, she followed behind it with the remainder of her arm, which had an exposed ion conduit powered up and sparking. The jolt from the conduit knocked me from my feet.

In a seamless move, the assassin spun to the left, performing a second lunge at Joni. As I hit the ground in a cringe of pain, I could see Joni as she rolled backward, diving crossways over the table as she avoided the strike. In two long steps, the passenger we had known as Dr. Evette Wallings was quickly out the door and around the corner.

Before pushing myself back to my feet, I called the sergeant on the comm. "Sergeant! You have an assassin on the loose on your station! She just killed two of your people and is now out in your hallways. We caught her in the act in your main conference room!"

The sergeant hesitated for only a moment before the station lockdown alarm sounded.

As I got to my feet, Joni was at my side yelling, "You OK? I told you there was something wrong with her!"

I nodded. "I'll be fine. Just a little stunned, that's all."

Joni pulled at my arm. "Let's get our blasters and get after her!"

As we turned the corner toward the main hall, I caught a glimpse of the assassin as she rounded the far corner. She was headed toward the _Daunte_. The store clerk was just poking his head out into the hallway as we sprinted past. The lone guard at the checkpoint wasn't so lucky. A deep slash to his left shoulder had him sprawled on the ground and bleeding profusely. We grabbed our blasters from the storage container where they had been kept.

I pushed through the door to the bay, surprised that it was open. A lockdown should have had it sealed tight. As I sprinted for the ramp-way of the _Daunte_ , I heard a scream and saw the assassin tumbling down the ramp-way with Raptor's jaws clenched down on her right shoulder. I dove, knocking the blade from her hand as she attempted to free herself from the seemingly crazed animal.

I slid to a stop beside her, and with a single head-butt she was knocked cold. Raptor held firm until I coaxed him to release. The assassin we had delivered to the research station was now in our custody. Joni had her restrained as the remaining security staff of the station piled through the door into the docking bay. The wailing sirens of the lockdown were switched off.

When the assassin came to, I was sitting in a chair in front of her. "That was quite the show you put on back there."

Evette Wallings replied, "I wasn't expecting that dog to react like that after I had been on that ship for two days."

The security commander for the station, sitting just behind me, said, "Why did you kill Dr. Mitchell and Dr. Orongo? They have harmed no one."

Evette looked up with an angry glare in her eye. "You people are all pawns of the families. Those doctors were working on a biological weapon to use against the Free Alliance. It will kill millions of innocents if it gets released. How can you be supportive of those monsters!"

I said, "Commander, please collect all video and audio from your recorders. I would like everything you have for the past twenty-four hours. Someone on this station was helping Miss Wallings, which is why the door to the bay remained open when the alarm was going off. Miss Salton and I will be taking the prisoner back to SS5 with us for interrogation."

The commander protested, "She just killed two of our people! She isn't going anywhere until she answers some questions."

I turned to the commander. "Commander, I'm sure that you have a full understanding that as agents of SS5, we have the full authority to take her with us. I understand your desire to get the truth out of her, but that is better left to those on SS5 who are trained for this type of thing. Now, Miss Salton and I will be expecting that data by the time we board our ship. If you value your position as security commander, I'm sure you can make that happen."

Evette Wallings scowled at Joni and said, "Salton, what a foul name for someone to have. Somewhere in your past you are probably related to those murderous thugs."

Joni smirked. "I am. Harden Salton is my uncle."

The assassin's eyes grew wide and then squinted again in anger. An attempt to spit across the room was made, falling well short of its target. I took the prisoner by the arm and pulled her to her feet.

"Time to go, Miss Wallings," I said. "I'm sure you have a lot to tell to our friends on SS5."

I turned and looked at the commander, who was still seated in his chair. "I believe you have some data to retrieve for us?"

I glanced over at Joni with a smile. "Miss Salton may want to look that data over as we travel. Oh, and you and your other two officers here—it would be best for the three of you if there was absolutely no mention of a Salton being here. They are extremely touchy about such things, and you would be wise to prepare your reports so that the Salton name is not used. You may use 'Mr. Beutcher and his trainee,' if you like.

"And one last thing, there should be no idle chatter that makes use of the name. I will have an investigator, one who is unknown to you, come out to check for rumors about a Salton being here. If any such rumors are found to exist, well, I'm sure you can use your imagination on what might happen to the three of you."

The commander looked back over his shoulder at his men. "There won't be any mention of it, Mr. Beutcher. My report will be as you stated."

As we walked down the hall, Evette Wallings was seething at the thought of having a Salton standing just behind her. "Your uncle, the butcher—I would slit his throat with a slow and steady hand if given the chance. It would be the best gift I could give to all humanity."

Joni said, "My uncle is responsible for this sector's economy still thriving while so many others have faltered. In fact, all of those living under the Salton family are in a better position now than only a few years ago. When the AMP collapsed, he made sure that justice prevailed on the worlds and colonies that are in our share of the New Alliance. There would have otherwise been chaos."

Evette laughed. "So, you have bought into the family line of drivel! Your family, along with the other eleven families who now laud themselves over billions of others, are the very ones who corrupted the AMP and brought about its end! You yourself were born into this corruption, and in its wake of destruction is where you will die!"

Evette remained silent on the remainder of our walk to the _Daunte_. As we entered the docking bay, she pulled back a bit, coming to a stop.

I pulled at her arm. "Come on."

Evette said, "You will have no further trouble out of me if you allow me one private moment of prayer."

Joni replied, "Prayer? For someone who just murdered two men, that seems like an odd request."

Evette dropped down to one knee. "Please, only one moment."

She looked around the bay. "Where am I going to go? I promise I will be no further trouble on your ride back to SS5."

I released her arm. Evette bowed her head in silence for several seconds.

Joni reached over. "Come on, you. Time is wasting."

Evette looked up with an evil smile as Joni pulled her to her feet. "The rebellion lives and grows every day. When the Saltons are finally pulled down from their pedestal of power, the masses will walk all over them, grinding their bones into dust. I won't be there to see it in person, but I will be there in spirit."

Evette Wallings jerked her arm loose from Joni's grip and ran screaming at the gravity wall. In an instant she had passed through to the other side. Death came quickly.

Joni stood with her mouth dropped open. "I can't believe she did that."

The station security commander was standing behind me. "Nice work, Mr. Beutcher. Let's see how much information you get out of her now."

I replied, "Retrieve that body for me, if you would, Commander. The information still contained in and on her person will be valuable to the investigation. Place it in a body pod and have your men bring it aboard the _Daunte_. And Commander, the things I said before—you would be a wise man to follow them."

The commander again scowled as he turned and started barking orders at his staff. When the body containing Evette Wallings' frozen remains was aboard, we lifted out of the docking bay for our long ride home to SS5.

Joni was angry with herself. "I can't believe I let her jerk away from me like that. She should be sitting right there, answering our questions. Who's behind this rebellion? First they tried to grab a load of cesium ore, and now they're assassinating our scientists! All the while, we're trying to fight a war _for_ them. _Grrr_. It just makes me so mad!"

"When we get her body back to SS5, they'll trace her prior whereabouts and get some answers. What I don't get is why they had us pick her up in the first place. And from now on, if you say something doesn't seem right, I will give it credence."

# Chapter 15

### _______________________

After our arrival at the nearest portal station, we were swept back to SS5. The body of Evette Wallings was taken away for a complete forensics workup on her real identity. Her bio-signatures would be traced through every portal log possible. If she moved about in that manner, our investigators would have a good place to start.

A comm call came in from Gretchin. "Wow, gang, sorry to hear about your experience."

I replied, "Why were we sent to pick her up?"

Gretchin hesitated and then said, "The real Dr. Wallings was found stuffed in a storage bin on the freighter where you picked her up. It appears we have a mole somewhere in our ranks. Aside from the three of us, there were only a handful of others who knew of the doctor's transfer to the station."

Joni said, "The assassin said she did it because the facility, and the scientists she killed, were working on a bio-weapon to be used against the Free Alliance. What exactly are they, or were they, making at that station?"

Gretchin sighed. "I hope you are not buying into her propaganda speak, Miss Salton. That facility was indeed working on a bio-weapon. Only, they were working on the cure for it. The Free Alliance has used a deadly virus in a number of attacks against New Alliance citizens. It has been primarily used for killing small groups of researchers working on important projects for us. Many of those killed were innocent workers at those facilities."

Joni said, "If there have been attacks like this, then why haven't we heard anything about them?"

"Small, targeted assassinations are not something you want to advertise, Miss Salton. Not only would it weaken the government in the eyes of the people, but there could easily be panic and unnecessary anger and fear among the populace. We are attempting to focus our efforts on the war that is under way in the Andromeda galaxy. Distractions such as that would only work to undermine our focus."

Joni glanced over at me. "I don't think we give the people enough credit, Gretchin. If they knew about the war, they would not tolerate this Free Alliance uprising nonsense. The stakes at risk here are huge for everyone."

Gretchin nodded over the video of the comm channel. "The stakes are indeed high. Our intelligence and research tell us that the way we have chosen is the best avenue for us. It causes the least disruption in the daily lives of most of our people. That productive, happy population is what makes the wheels of the New Alliance turn, and it's that which will feed our efforts to stop the invasion taking place in Andromeda.

"The fact that you captured her at all is another feather in your caps. These assassins usually go out with a bang, if you know what I mean. They don't like to be questioned."

"I don't know; this one didn't seem to have an issue with telling us what she thought. I think she would have spilled her guts when we got her back here. Doesn't matter much now, though. How long has this Free Alliance scourge been around?"

Gretchin's image fidgeted on the screen. "They have been around since just after the collapse of the AMP. They have only gotten bold with their methods in the past year. When the AMP fell apart, there were winners and losers. These people were no doubt some of the losers and are very bitter about it."

I replied, "They seem a little more than bitter. Two attacks on SS5 have shown they are quite serious about what they want."

Gretchin offered a rare scowl. "They want to disrupt our war efforts. Some say they are allied with the externals we are fighting in Andromeda. Our research says they are just taking advantage of our focus being elsewhere."

Joni said, "One thing I don't get. There is no reporting on these incidents. That bombing at the portal station—I saw how it is being written off as a methane explosion due to some garbage that was being improperly stowed on the floor below. Eighteen people died in that. I would think the people have the right to know."

Gretchin laughed. "Oh, Miss Salton. You have yet to gain a full understanding of the world around you. Order is not kept by throwing the people into a panic. You may want to know all, but that does not mean that it is _best_ that you know all. What would happen if we released this as a bomb attack? People would stop traveling at other portals as well, the economies would falter further, jobs would be lost, and more people would fall into poverty.

"That is precisely the environment that the Free Alliance wants to work from. If you take a people, take their livelihoods, take their dreams, and leave them with no hope for a better future, therein you will find the seeds of revolution. Your family is trying to keep the New Alliance together, where everyone can prosper. And that, honey, is no easy task."

I raised my hand. "I realize we just got back. Do we have more tasks scheduled? If things are in as bad a shape as they appear to be, I would think it most useful to keep us in the field and working."

Gretchin smiled. "I'm glad you asked. You will be taking the _Daunte_ out to the new shipyards in the Theta sector for a few upgrades. Your little ship is to get all-new shielding and, for the first time, a complete set of offensive weapons."

"Offensive weapons. Is there a need for those?"

Gretchin nodded. "You yourself were witness to a successful raid against an antiquated destroyer. When a dozen small ships can overpower a ship of that size, it should tell you that there are hostiles out there with the ability to do the same to the _Daunte_ , only it would not take ten such vessels for that venture. Miss Salton's father has decided it is in the family's best interest to protect and arm the ship that carries one of their family members. You will not be getting sent into a fight, but you will be able to offer one should you have no other choice."

I shook my head. "While I see the merits, I don't know that I will be comfortable piloting a military vessel."

Gretchin laughed. "Mr. Beutcher, I have no doubt that you will find yourself very comfortable should the need to make use of your new shields and weapons arise. Once they are installed, you will be properly trained in their use before being sent back out. While the ship is being outfitted, you will begin your training in a simulation environment."

Joni winced. "Ugh, simulators again. I spent too many months in those things already."

Gretchin smiled. "I can assure you, Miss Salton, this experience will be much different than the last. Flying a simulated run while you are being fired upon by a hostile ship will be much different than chasing an unarmed inspection runner. Mr. Beutcher, should you fail the qualifications at the end of the training regimen, you will be returned to your prior post and asked to retire on a partial pension. A pension that would be subject to your continued silence about the organization.

"Miss Salton, should you fail to qualify, your father has stated that you will be pulled from the inspection service and forced to return home. You see, your new assignment comes with every incentive for you to succeed. I am sure you will both do well regardless; you _are_ on my team, after all."

Gretchin forwarded instructions for our assignment as she closed the comm. Joni sat back in her chair with an uneasy expression on her face.

I said, "While I'm not fond of the initial thought of an armed ship for a detective, I do have to say I agree with their reasoning. We'll just have to do our best to not rocket into every assignment with our guns blazing."

Joni shook her head as she offered a mild laugh. "I guess. I just see this as one more step toward escalating the violence in this sector. Are they going to arm all the detective ships? Will we suddenly be the political enforcers for anyone who sympathizes with the Free Alliance? I just see this as an indication that things are getting worse and not better."

I raised portal transfer on the comm. We soon found ourselves being swept through several portals before stopping just outside SS22 and the new Theta shipyard. As instructed, we proceeded to a docking bay and made our way to a section of the shipyard that would be our home for the next month. After stowing our gear, we made our way to the local lounge.

A waitress came to our table.

"The lady will have a Human beer, and I will have a Trellion freeze."

Joni said, "OK, first of all, we don't call it a Human beer, we just call it a beer. And a freeze? What's up with that? Seems kind of froufrou for a Grunta. I would have expected a hard liquor for someone who looks so big and tough."

"Grunta like our foods spicy and our drinks either hot, such as our coffee, or frozen, such as what I ordered. I don't see how that is an affront to my masculinity."

Joni laughed as a pink freeze showed up with a paper umbrella. "If you think that is a masculine drink, then I don't know Grunta very well."

I removed the umbrella and turned up the large, frozen concoction, emptying my glass in two swallows.

Joni raised her eyebrows. "How do you not get brain freeze from that?"

"Brain freeze? I'm afraid I don't know what you are talking about."

Joni shook her head. "Well, I guess if you can guzzle them like that, no one is going to accuse you of being effeminate. Your manliness is secure."

After several hours in the lounge, we each returned to our quarters for a night's rest. As with all nonplanet establishments, day and night schedules were maintained on a twenty-four-hour standard Earth time. Universal time, as it was called, was synchronized through all five galaxies.

In the morning, we grabbed a quick breakfast and a cup of coffee. We next made our way to the simulator room, where a Navy captain was waiting to give us training.

The captain said, "The accommodation for your dog is a first, Miss Salton. We don't see animals out here on the base unless they're on a plate and smothered with gravy."

Joni looked down at Raptor. "He won't leave my side, Captain. And you put gravy on him, and he's either going to eat your face or be your friend for life. I couldn't say which he would choose."

The captain laughed. "He looks like he might be a little tough to chew anyway."

The trainer looked up at the rest of the class. "I see we have eight of you in this month's course. Good. I'll be splitting you into teams of two for the first week. You'll be held responsible for the success of your teammate. Yell at them, scream at them, beat them about the head, within reason of course, just do whatever it takes to get them to remember the day's lessons. In a week, we'll switch teams and go through the same lessons again. At week three, for those who pass the initial qualifiers, you'll move on to the individual training."

I looked around the room and raised my hand. "Captain, my partner and I are detectives; are any others here of that profession?"

The other trainees chuckled as the captain leaned forward on his desk. "You two are a special project. If you noticed, using your _detective_ powers of observation, the others in this room are all in uniform. This is a military training facility, Mr. Beutcher. These men and women are military officers and pilots, captains waiting on their first ships. When their training is complete, they'll be flying their new vessels through a portal gate to the Andromeda galaxy."

Joni said, "We have a gate large enough to send a fighting ship through to Andromeda?"

The captain looked directly at Joni. "I can neither confirm nor deny the existence of such a gate, Miss Salton."

"You just stated they would be going through a portal gate."

The captain winked. "You're a quick one, Miss Salton. I can see I will have trouble getting anything past you in this training."

The other trainees again chuckled.

I stood and looked around the roomful of Humans that I towered over. "Captain, all we ask of you during this effort is we be treated with respect and allowed to train as the others. Our fight and efforts here at home are as important as those out in Andromeda."

Two of the trainees swapped comments under their breath.

I continued, "Over the last few months, Miss Salton and I have been witness to the destruction of a destroyer and the capture of a freighter loaded with cesium by the Free Alliance. It was my partner and I who freed the 128 crewmen of the destroyer who had been taken prisoner and who were destined for some distant slave auction. It was my partner and I who were witness to the terrorist bombing of the portal gate on SS5. It was my partner and I who, just last week, risked our lives to capture an assassin who had just killed two of our scientists."

I looked around the room. "I believe the two of us have seen more live combat than the others in this room."

I glanced down at the man sitting next to me. "Have you ever taken a life? Fired at a live, breathing target that was shooting back at you?"

The man sat silent.

"I didn't think so."

I turned back to face the trainer. "Captain, I would urge you to add a course in humility and respect to your list of things to be taught during our stay. You send these men out there with arrogant attitudes, and you're sending them to their early deaths. And when they die, they will take all the crewmen under their command with them, along with anyone else on their vessel."

The room was silent for several seconds before the captain sighed and raised his hand. "You have my apologies, Mr. Beutcher. You and your partner both. We pilots do have a tendency to be cocky and arrogant. It has been found that officers with those traits coming into training make the best pilots. It has also been found that those who learn humility and respect for others are far better leaders of men. So, if you're agreeable to it, I would like to do a reset with this class and begin anew."

I nodded. Joni grinned as I sat.

The first week of coursework went by quickly. There were no squabbles, no divisive or critical remarks about others. My speech on the first day had gained the common respect that I had sought out from the others. The captain who had been assigned as my partner was a hard worker and convicted in his desire to learn all that he could. He was also one of the officers who had been snickering about our being detectives.

As the first week ended, he held out his hand for a shake. "I apologize, Mr. Beutcher. All that at the start of class—it was arrogant, I was arrogant. This is the first time I've had to work directly with a non-Human. I thought we were the only ones who were patriotic.

"The other species I have known have always had those little differences about them that made me think we were very different. What I've learned this week is it doesn't matter if we are green or have six eyes. What matters is how we conduct ourselves in life. If I somehow manage to make it back from Andromeda, I would be honored to one day call you a friend."

I took his small Human hand in my own and shook it. "Likewise, Captain Perkins. And for what it's worth, I hope you _all_ return from Andromeda. I'll be needing someone to wax my ship when I'm in port."

The captain stood silent for several seconds and then smiled. "Huh, all week long and not a joke out of you, and then _bam_ , you take me down a notch. Who knew Gruntas had such a sense of humor?"

The instructor stood before the others. "This is the first class where all trainees passed the qualifier after the first week. We have moved more than sixteen thousand pilots through here in the last four years. You should be happy with your progress. And Mr. Beutcher, I want to thank you for that motivational speech on the first day. I will be using parts of that to inspire future trainees."

I nodded as the instructor continued, "Mr. Beutcher, I understand you and your partner are a team on a single ship; your remaining training will be conducted as a team effort. You will be staying here with me. The rest of you will move on to begin work with your individual instructors. Best of luck to all of you, and remember, everything you learn here can and will be used out there, so do your best to grind it into your skulls. You're going to need it."

As the others left, I said, "You really need to work on your inspirational speeches, Captain. They are much more likely to retain these lessons if you send them out of here charged up, rather than with a warning."

The captain nodded. "Duly noted, Mr. Beutcher. After your speech, I went back and took a look at your record. Impressive, to say the least. I took the liberty to put in a request to the Admiralty that you be evaluated to be an instructor here. Captain Perkins has been telling me all week how easy you made things to learn. He was blown away by your simplistic and yet effective organizational as well as communication skills. Those are the marks of a great instructor."

"I am humbled by those remarks, Captain, but there is much for me to do in the Alpha sector. And I have Miss Salton here to watch after. She has a tendency to get into trouble if left alone."

The remark earned me a punch on the arm. "Don't listen to him, Captain. I'm the one who has kept him from getting us either maimed or killed."

The captain held up his hand. "I see we have a sort of rivalry going here, so let's see if we can put that to use with a training course on a simulator. The simulator we'll be using has been modified with the same enhancements that are going into your ship. It should be ready for us in the morning. I took a look at the specs, and all I can say is wow. You will be flying a ship that could easily be on the front lines of the war."

Joni replied, "I thought we were just getting updated shields and an ion cannon. What have you seen?"

The captain waved his hand. "Come on, let's go take a look at her. She's in Dock-77. It's a short walk from here. Unless you had somewhere else to be?"

Joni shook her head. "We can eat later. I want to see her."

# Chapter 16

### _______________________

We followed the captain to a long viewport hallway that ran the length of Dock-77. The _Daunte_ was there, covered in scaffolding, with her exterior plating removed.

The captain said, "You can see right along there on the right and left sides of the fuselage, they're reinforcing the framework to support the two ion cannons that will be installed. They're the newest models, an order of magnitude more powerful than what was on that destroyer the Free Alliance destroyed.

"Over here, you can see them adding a second reactor/generator. Your ion drive is being upgraded to military grade, as is your nav system. Your commercial main computer is faster than our mil one, so it will remain as it was, with a second, redundant unit installed. If you look at the new hull plating they're uncrating on the end down there, you can see the difference in thickness from these old stacks over here. You should be able to take several direct hits from our best cannon before she cracks.

"You'll be losing about two cubic meters of interior space. They removed several of your galley cabinets. Other than that, you shouldn't notice any difference. One last improvement that you'll notice is with your steering thrusters. You should have top-notch maneuverability while in atmosphere. When they get her back together, she'll be one impressive ship. Most of us veterans here are a bit jealous."

I said, "Those cannon pods—will they be visible from the exterior? Will we look like a gunship?"

The captain shook his head. "Fully integrated into the hull. The amplifier tips are even hidden until they are armed. From the outside, you'll look like any other ship of that model, only slightly larger because of the thicker plating. Unless you're sitting side by side with another ship of your class, no one will know the difference."

We thanked the captain and continued to the cafeteria for our evening meal. Joni had a plate of leafy vegetables, something Humans called a salad. I had a plate of steamed Perrion lizards.

My last meal of Perrions had been several years before. I complimented the military cook on his preparation and presentation. Joni scowled at what she considered a disgusting sight as I peeled the skin from each lizard before dipping them in a spicy hot oil and then letting them slide down my throat.

Joni said, "I have had dinners with many species at family political functions, but I have never been witness to something so revolting. They almost look like they're still alive."

I laughed. "They are alive. The steam blanching only stuns them so they are easier to handle. They are wiggling in my gullet as they go down. It is a delightful sensation."

Joni shook her head as she was repulsed. "Please don't tell me any more, or I'll be spewing my salad all over this table."

I nodded.

The following morning, I met Joni in the hall. We walked the five hundred meters to the simulator room. The captain was waiting as we came through the door.

"Great. Come right over here and have a seat. In front of your chairs you'll see an immersion helmet. Put it on and fasten the strap. Other than having a slight bobble-headed feel, you should be ready to start your training. And Knog, sorry about your helmet. I know it's not the best fit, but it was the biggest we had. Almost every pilot we have had through here has been Human. Other than a handful of Igari, I haven't seen any other species. Your helmet was made for a Human with a really big head."

Joni laughed.

As the helmet powered on, an image of the captain and the room in front of us lit up. The helmet was a snug fit, but fully functional.

The captain said, "Strap yourselves into your chairs. They'll be moving as we go. It will add a bit of realism to the simulation. Now, for your helmet controls, you can adjust focus, brightness, and audio volume. Take a few minutes to find the settings you're comfortable with."

After fiddling with the controls, we were ready. The captain powered up a small box in front of us and donned a helmet of his own. A switch was flipped.

"First, we'll take a quick virtual tour around the ship. Just lean your head slightly forward to move forward and back to stop or move backward. Side to side will give similar results. Slowly lower yourself and gently spring up in your chair to simulate a jump in the air. I want you to walk around, jump up on top, crawl, get in as many movements as you can until you get a good feel for maneuvering while in the virtual environment.

"We won't be using movement for much of the training, but it does come into play during several scenarios. So, unless you want to be flopping around during some rather heated missions, you'll want to have good control of the environment."

We moved around, over, and under the _Daunte_ for twenty minutes before the captain waved us around and up the ramp-way.

"Walk around inside, get familiar with the new layout of your galley, and finish up by sitting in your chairs. We'll power up the ship's systems and take her out of the dock for a little run. After that, we start the training scenarios."

The first day's scenarios were simple recon runs. Fly out, gather intel, and fly back. On the second day, we got into a minor skirmish with two small enemy ships. Even though the ships outmaneuvered us, our defenses and firepower were superior. I managed to disable their engines as Joni kept us in the fight. On a similar scenario, we switched positions, resulting in the same outcome.

On each successive day, the forces we encountered grew in number and capability. By the end of the week, we were scheduled for a run-in with an enemy battleship.

After flying out to meet our adversary, I spoke as the immense ship came up on our nav screen. "Captain, I'm not a military man, but that ship looks a lot like one of our own. How are we to distinguish our ships from theirs?"

"Unfortunately, in the early part of the war, they captured many of our ships intact. There were many who surrendered without a fight. In much of this war, we've been fighting against our own. You'll find some modifications, but most will be largely intact. The enemy doesn't like to put their own ships on the line. And this issue makes friendly fire a much bigger problem."

Joni said, "So, how are we supposed to know if a ship is ours or theirs?"

"All we have to go by is the transponder code and their intent. I will say this up front: you will encounter friendlies in some of these scenarios, so you have to be doubly sure of who they are before you rip into them."

I shook my head. "Doesn't sound like a good scenario for our troops out there in Andromeda, Captain."

The captain sighed. "You have no idea, Mr. Beutcher. We get told very little about the fights from there, but what we have heard is disheartening at times. We've had at least one instance where two of our own fleets fought each other. Eight thousand men and thirty-six ships were lost before the fighting was stopped. We can't afford those losses when we're already losing battle after battle.

"As I said, though, we hear very little from the front lines, as there's only one gate going out to Andromeda, and only the occasional command ship comes back through. It's been six months without a ship returning at all. The portal itself is only open for the transfer, as it consumes a tremendous amount of cesium to power a wormhole of that size for that distance."

Joni said, "Why don't we just build more portals?"

The captain replied, "I wish we could. It seems the founders of the AMP created all the portals we have in existence today. Their designs were hidden away or destroyed, and the guts of what makes them work are sealed and protected against tampering. Should a seal be broken, some sort of blast happens that takes out the entire gate complex. It's not really a blast, so to speak, as what really happens nobody knows. The complex will disappear, leaving a massive hole where it once was. The original creators didn't want us messing with them or creating our own."

Joni flipped several controls on her holo-display. "If you think about it, if the bad guys had access to their own portals, they could bypass all authority with impunity. There would be a complete lack of order. They could pop in, take what they wanted, and leave, without you ever knowing what happened. There are just too many bad possibilities that could happen under such a scenario. I know my uncle has researchers working on portal generators, but they are far from any solutions."

The captain said, "While that may be true on a civilian front, we sure could use 'em in our fight. Having that control would turn the tide of this war and end all the death that comes with it. It would also bring the conscription we have going now to an end."

Our fights in the simulators continued to increase in scope and complexity. The enemy attacks became stronger and more frequent. Our tactics turned from those of primarily assault to almost nothing but defense. We were becoming proficient in dodging ion pulses and running from a fight that was beyond our ability.

On our final day of simulations, the captain powered on the equipment and said, "I've taught you everything I know to teach. Miss Salton, I would like to say that you are as good as any pilot we have had through here. You always keep your cool, and your decision making has been some of the best I have ever witnessed.

"Mr. Beutcher, you've been just slightly better than average, which is a good thing. You show a boldness and willingness to do whatever it takes to come out on top. Miss Salton can fly, but you have a great command of tactics. That's something that comes to only a few pilots naturally. I think the two of you will make a formidable team out there in the _Daunte_.

"In this last scenario we're about to undertake, you'll be placed into a simulation of an actual battle that took place only eight months ago. Your ship will be taking the place of one of the last ships to survive. Of the one hundred thirty-two ships in the fleet, only seventeen of our ships made it out. I'm sad to say, this battle is one of our best showings against this enemy."

When the simulation began, a star system with four planets came into view on the nav screen. We received the order to follow nine other ships to the last planet in the system. It was distant from the star and offered a blue-green color due to the high amount of methane in its atmosphere.

Our squadron was commanded by a Captain Dale Rogers. It was his third engagement, making him one of the most experienced captains in the New Alliance fleet.

Captain Rogers barked out a command. " _Freeton_ and _Daunte_ , I want you crossing the top of that planet in high orbit. _Harford_ , you'll be rounding the port side in an attempt to flush out any ships that might be behind there. Our job is to secure this planet and then work our way back toward to the others. We finally have a fight where we outnumber the enemy two to one. Let's take advantage of it!"

Joni replied, sending the _Daunte_ in just behind the _Freeton_. As we came into high orbit, Joni slowed the _Daunte_ 's speed.

I asked, "What are you doing?"

Joni flipped on a deep scan of the planet below. "I don't trust that murky atmosphere down there. We only see sixty or so ships out there; there must be others, and if they're not behind this planet, they may be sitting on it."

As we reached the topmost region, word came from the other ships in our squadron. "No ships on the back side, Captain."

Our orders were to proceed to the third planet to rejoin the next squadron in the fleet. Joni pulled the stick to port and the _Daunte_ quickly circled back. In a second move that was out of character, Joni pushed the _Daunte_ down into the high atmosphere for another scan.

I again asked, "And what are we doing now?"

Joni shook her head. "Back in the detective simulations, I came across a scenario where a pirate vessel was hiding deep in the methane clouds of a planet similar to this. Unless you got right down on it, you wouldn't pick up a signal. Something about the ionization of the methane that retards the detector's ability to distinguish signals. I missed the pickup and failed the mission. It was one of only two that I didn't complete."

"I wasn't aware methane could cause such an issue."

"According to my father, most people don't know, and they try hard not to advertise it. It's one of those dirty little secrets that the manufacturers think they can keep hidden from the buyers. It's insane to not tell your own forces they have a flaw. My father says it's because they don't want that secret leaking out to the enemy."

A buzzing sound emanated from the audio interface of the holo-display. Thirty-six fuzzy signals showed on the screen as the _Daunte_ screamed overhead. A dozen high-energy bolts rose up through the atmosphere toward our position as Joni pushed the throttle to full and rolled to starboard.

Joni yelled into the comm, "I have thirty-six bogies stuffed down in the atmosphere of planet four! We're taking heavy fire! Repeat, we're taking heavy fire."

I pulled up the weapons screen and punched in several parameters.

Joni turned and yelled, "What are you doing already! Try to get off some shots before we're dead!"

I flipped the weapons enable to on and fired several pulses at the point where the enemy ships were just beginning to emerge. A bright flash reflected through our view portals as Joni completed her starboard roll.

I barked out a command of my own. "Take us down into that atmosphere, now!"

Joni pushed the stick over as she screeched a reply. "Why? What are we doing?"

As we hit the atmosphere, I said, "Now, just fly at this level. If they choose to follow, I'm going to light them up. I adjusted the ion pulse so it should ignite that methane out there. That should add a big kick to anything we get lucky enough to hit!"

The first ship to pull in behind us was a destroyer. It was easily fifty times our size. The ion cannon pulses that struck our hull were diminished when fired through the ionized atmosphere of the planet. My first shot back scored a devastating hit on the destroyer, blowing a hole in its forward hull. The rush of igniting methane that passed inside was like an immense blowtorch. The decks of the destroyer burned heavily, as the forward bridge was one of the first decks to be consumed by the flame. The destroyer dropped back and was quickly pulled in by the gravity of the planet. Two smaller frigates soon took its place.

Joni's flying technique left me in awe. At almost every point of vulnerability, she turned or dodged or shot deeper into the planet's gaseous layers. I managed a solid hit on the second frigate, and it soon dropped from its pursuit. The remaining captain was as skilled in flight as Joni.

Our fight continued for twenty-two minutes before I scored a direct hit. At the same moment, an ion bolt found its way into our engine nacelle, causing the ion stream that powered it to compress, voiding the energy amplification that gave us our thrust.

We found ourselves sinking into the intense gravity field of the planet as our single engine failed to restart. Our comm with the remainder of the fleet was cut off by the dense layer of ionized methane that now surrounded the ship. Fifteen minutes later, the scenario ended as the gravitational pressure exerted on the _Daunte_ 's hull caused a massive failure in one of the newly installed external plates.

The captain sat with his jaw dropped. "How did you know to do that? Scan the atmosphere, I mean?"

Joni said, "By chance I picked an odd scenario during my detective's training for this ship. Our sensors have difficulty with ionized methane. I only found that out because my father toured the plant my uncle owns where the sensors are manufactured. He said it was a known deficiency that is not talked about, because it might reach our enemies. They don't have a fix for it yet."

The captain replied, "We've had teams of analysts going over the data from that battle for months. Scans of that planet had been done, but no hostiles were found. The extra ships seemed to come out of nowhere when the main fleet engaged. Even though it's a simulation, the admiralty insisted that we not know where they came from. The sixty-odd ships that were initially visible turned out to be more than three hundred. We got our asses kicked."

The captain pulled up the stats for the scenario. "Not bad. Your discovery netted thirty-eight kills on forty-two losses for us. The rest of the ships were able to back out of the engagement and safely flee."

The captain sat down and opened a direct comm to his command. "Admiral Simmons, I think we just unlocked the secret of the Danilus engagement. It seems our sensors have a deficiency."

The Admiral replied, "Well done, Captain. Now forget what you just found out. We can't let that information fall into enemy hands."

When the comm closed, I said, "It looks to me like the enemy may already have that information."

The captain shrugged. His job was to follow orders. The seemingly crucial information would remain with us.

With our combat training ended, we thanked the captain and boarded the _Daunte_. After we lifted out of Dock-77, it was a short ride back to SS22, and several minutes, and several sweeps later, we found ourselves settling into Bay-17 on SS5.

# Chapter 17

### _______________________

Gretchin came over the comm. "Congratulations! I hear you got high marks in the training qualifications, and that your instructor was impressed with both of you. It must also feel good to get back into the _Daunte_."

Joni replied, "It was a seriously enjoyable class, and I think we are both happy to have gone through it. We're more mission capable by far, and I feel like we could fly this ship in and out of just about any situation."

Gretchin smiled. "That is good news, Miss Salton, because we have a mission already planned out for you. You'll be swept out to the Corrigan system, where you'll turn off your transponder and sit in observance of all the traffic coming in and out of the area for the next two weeks. We're expecting activity from the Free Alliance in that system."

I said, "Couldn't that be handled by dropping a passive probe? Why tie up the ship for two weeks for surveillance?"

Gretchin replied, "I don't make the orders, Mr. Beutcher. I only forward them to you. I have to expect that the analysts who came up with this plan have their reasons. They are smart people, and they are experienced at what they do. All the resources, including you, are valuable to them, and we have to trust that they are making the best use of our team."

I nodded. "I guess I have to agree with that logic. That question wasn't directed at you personally."

Gretchin smiled. "No offense taken, Mr. Beutcher. Now, I'm sending over the data for the mission. If something were to happen while you are out there on station, please just use your best judgment to determine what you should do. We will not be leaving a microportal open for your return.

"I also took the liberty to check your food store manifest. You should be receiving a package on your ramp-way at any time. When you have that safely aboard, you may begin your comm with portal transfer."

The package was delivered shortly thereafter. A quick sweep had us parked on the far side of the last planet in the system. Our transponder was off and our signal emissions kept to a minimum.

I opened the food package that had been delivered and began to stock the galley shelves. "I see a large assortment of vegetables for the plant eater. I have borak, Callimo toads, and Damaree eel. The last two are a favorite of my people and are difficult to come by lately. I shall at least enjoy our meals while we're camped out here."

"Say what you want about Gretchin, but she does seem to go out of her way to get us those extras. I wonder if anyone else in the organization gets this kind of treatment?"

I stopped for a moment as a thought entered my mind. "Joni, what if there is no organization? No Zed Corporation?"

J"What do you mean?"

I set a package of borak on the galley counter. "What if the organization was all made up so your father could keep a team of his people around you at all times? I mean, think about it. We've encountered maybe a couple dozen people who are supposedly members of the organization. They could all just be members of your father's security team. The ship upgrades? Could just be your father trying to protect you further."

Joni frowned. "Now, why do you have to start out this mission putting those thoughts in my head? We'll probably be sitting here for two weeks, and I won't have anything to do but to think about that."

I laughed. "I apologize for my suspicious nature. I just find some of what's happened too coincidental to have just happened. You almost get killed, and suddenly we have a big ship upgrade?"

Joni shook her head. "Regardless, you've ruined this deployment."

I pulled another borak steak out of the box and set it on the counter. "Of course, there's always the possibility it is real and that we are going to need the upgrades because the missions are going to be far more dangerous."

Joni slapped her hands on her armrests. "What are you trying to do to me? I thought you were my friend. I'm starting to think you're just trying to screw with my head!"

I returned a half smile. "The original thought was genuine. I probably should have thought that through before mentioning it. We don't have any evidence to suggest it other than my flimsy suspicion."

Joni turned back to the holo-display, "Being suspicious is what we are, Knog. It's what detectives do. I'll try not to dwell on what you proposed, if you promise we can have a chat session about it after we're settled."

"I can agree to that."

The food was unloaded and stored. Joni moved our position to park us on a moon orbiting the fourth out of five planets. After two days of monitoring, only five ships had come and gone from the small colony on Corrigan III. Fifty thousand farmers produced enough Selian beets to keep half of the sector in full supply.

Corrigan III was a small world with a thin atmosphere. The carbon dioxide levels required for decent growth were supplied and kept elevated by a system of raised transparent tents. From high altitude, the planet appeared to be covered with large, shiny bubbles.

After a lengthy discussion with Joni, it was determined that we didn't have reason to suspect trickery on her father's part regarding the organization. Coordinating the events that had transpired and getting all the parties involved to say just the right things at the right time was too much of a stretch.

Joni settled back into her chair with a cup of coffee. "What do you suppose it is we're looking for out here?"

"At this point it could be just about anything. A fleet of ships, a single transport, flying space monkeys, we have no way of knowing."

Joni looked at me with one eye squinted. "Flying space monkeys? Where did you get that one from?"

I sipped on my own coffee. "When I was a child, a traveling Human circus visited our village. They had a trained monkey with them; they called it a flying space monkey, although it was just an ordinary Human monkey. I was allowed to feed it and to then shake its hand."

Joni laughed. "Human monkey? You mean Earth monkey? And that obviously left a lasting impression with you?"

I shook my head. "No, I think it was when he rubbed his bum afterward and then offered to shake my brother's hand. My brother was superior to me in almost every way, so it was an enjoyable moment for me."

"And did he shake the monkey's hand?"

"No, he did not. He scowled, looked at me, and walked away, never to mention it again. It was one of the few times I was able to best him."

Joni slapped her forehead with her palm. "Did you ever stop to think about what happened there?"

I tilted my head to one side. "What do you mean?"

"Your brother never shook the monkey's hand; you did. Do you think it was the first time the monkey had ever rubbed its butt?"

I set my coffee down on my armrest with a distressed look on my face. "Hmm. Thank you for taking that moment of bliss away from me, Miss Salton. I suppose that had never occurred to me."

Joni laughed. "OK, I think we're even now. You filled my head with a family conspiracy, and I ruined your flying space monkey story. What do you say we just sit quietly and observe for a while?"

I nodded. "I could agree to that."

The following day, a large freighter entered the system. It wasn't out of the ordinary for a freighter of that size to visit a farming planet. Joni pulled up the specs on the freighter as I looked on.

"The _Jurgens_ has been out here a half dozen times in the last year. I would guess that tells us the harvest cycle on Corrigan, if it was ever something you were interested in."

I pulled up data on the planet. "Actually, we should be very interested in that."

Joni spun around. "Whatcha got?"

"The harvest on Corrigan III is monthly. The last legitimate one was two months ago. That freighter is not here for a beet harvest."

As we watched, a small ship departed the surface, rising through the atmosphere and settling into an open cargo hold. When the hold doors shut, the _Jergens_ began to move.

I said, "I think we just got a reason to leave our station. Take us wide around that planet and shadow that freighter at maximum distance. If needed, we can close on her in about twenty minutes."

"That time is now seventeen minutes with our new upgrades. I ran the numbers yesterday when I had nothing else to do."

"I just don't want to spook them. That small ship might be difficult to track at max distance if they run."

Joni took the _Daunte_ in a wide arc around Corrigan III. We settled in at a distance that ran 93 percent of our sensor range.

After an hour of tracking, we had a firm destination locked in for the _Jergens_. The farming colony at Heremethia would be its next stop. A look at the _Jergens_ 's shipping records showed Heremethia to be a regular stop.

Joni said, "Why would they be hiding a ship in their hold for the trip? Space is a big place; certainly it could reach Heremethia without having to hide."

I scanned the route mappings for the journey. "Here, the shipping lane runs near SS29. The _Jergens_ had an inspection on the way to Corrigan; they wouldn't be due for one on the way back. If that ship wanted to avoid sensors, it would add at least three days to its travel, crossing multiple other lanes. I would guess they don't want to take a chance with whatever or whoever is on that ship."

"Well, if we wanted to be nasty, we could call for a random inspection when it's at its closest point to SS29."

I shook my head. "I don't think so. We're running with our transponder off, and the security force on SS29 would want to know what we're doing in their area. If we're going to take them, I think we need to do it before reaching sensor range of that station."

Joni pulled up the map. "OK, how about right here. It puts us a half day outside those sensors, and far enough from Corrigan that they can't call in any help."

I nodded. "There it is, then."

Twelve hours passed before our inspection point came into view on the nav screen. Joni pegged the throttle. As predicted, seventeen minutes later, we slipped in beside the _Jergens_.

I flipped on the transponder and opened a comm channel. " _Jergens_ , this is the _Daunte_ ; you have been selected for a random inspection. Please come to a full stop."

The _Jergens_ nav officer replied, "Where did you come from? We had nothing on our sensors."

I replied, "Under order of the New Alliance, you are ordered to come to a full stop immediately."

Joni said, "The cargo doors are opening!"

I reached up and sent the core shutdown signal. The _Jergens_ continued on its course.

Joni said, "That small ship is coming up. The shutdown was ineffective!"

I replied, "Roll us in behind the freighter's engines."

Joni complied. I pulled up the weapons screen as the small craft emerged from the freighter and sped off in a perpendicular direction. I powered up the _Daunte_ 's twin ion cannons and put them to use with a short burst into the freighter. Several explosions ripped through the rear of the ship as its propulsion systems were taken offline.

Joni then rolled to starboard in pursuit of the small ship. Seven minutes later, we had come within striking distance, and a second set of low-power ion bolts were released. The small vessel turned hard, causing a miss. Joni countered, pulling us in closer. A clean shot shut the runner down with minimal apparent damage.

After we pulled alongside and extended a grappling, the small ship was pulled to a stop. I slipped on my helmet and was soon tapping on the outer hull. An air-lock hatch was opened. I stepped inside.

An old Igari was standing inside waving his hand back and forth in an attempt to clear the smoke as he coughed.

I said, "I am Detective Beutcher of the New Alliance security service. Identify yo—"

I recognized the man's face. "I've met you before. Your niece called you Shieka. On SS5. You led an attack in the hallways that killed several guards."

The old Igari detective sat down as the environmental system cleared the air. "Ah, yes, you're the other three star. I see you've moved up. One of the guards on SS5 was going to betray us. It was unfortunate that others had to die. Such is the toll of a revolution. How did you do it? How did you get your fourth star?"

I looked at my shoulder. "I managed to thwart the theft of a cesium freighter. Rescued a ship's crew as well, and captured thirty thousand liters of bleurgh."

The old Igari nodded. "That was you. I can see how that might do it. Congratulations. If things were different, we might have been good friends. I'm sure you are just doing your job to the best of your ability. It's what I would be doing too if I didn't know."

I looked at the old Igari. "If you didn't know what? What I don't understand is why you're fighting the Saltons. There are bigger things at stake than our current form of government. There is a bigger war going on that the masses don't know about. We're fighting for our lives in Andromeda right now. Millions if not billions have already died, and you're here disrupting our efforts."

The old Igari pursed his lips. "So, they have already gotten to you. All is lost here, then. My time has come."

The Igari reached out. "I always thought I would get a fourth star. May I touch it?"

It was an odd request, but one that would only be understood by another veteran detective. As the Igari distracted my attention with his hand touching the stars emblazoned on my space suit, he pulled a hidden mini blaster from a compartment on the side of his chair. The blaster was placed under his chin and the trigger pulled before I could react.

The Igari's head exploded, splattering what had previously been his brains throughout the small cabin. My chest and arms were coated in a thin layer of remains as I was rocked slightly backward.

Joni spoke over the comm. "How are things going over there?"

I hesitated before replying. "I think he was the Free Alliance leader, or perhaps one of them. He just took his own life. We have this ship tethered; let's pull it back to the _Jergens_ and get this wrapped up."

After shutting down the heating system to preserve the remains, I moved back through the air-lock into free space. The blood and guts that adorned my chest were quickly frozen solid. I banged my fist on my chest plating several times and watched quietly as the frozen remains popped free and slowly floated away from my position.

The old Igari's body would be dissected by the medical teams back on the station, looking for any clue as to where he had been or where he was going. I thought it fitting that my fellow detective, no matter what his current occupation had been, would at least have a small part of him that remained in space, drifting between the stars that he at one time guarded from criminal behavior. I looked back and nodded farewell as I moved up the ramp-way and through the gravity wall.

Joni said, "What happened over there?"

I walked into the cockpit and sat down in my chair. "There was one passenger aboard, an old Igari. He took his life before I could get anything out of him."

An alarm sounded on Joni's display.

I asked, "What is that?"

"The interior of that ship just got roasted with a firebomb. I don't think there will be much for us to pull back to the station anymore."

Joni looked up. "You look kind of shook up. Did the Igari say anything at all?"

I pulled up my holo-display with an image of the dark, floating ship beside us. "He congratulated me on my fourth star and then asked to touch it."

"That's weird; he wanted to touch your stars?"

I nodded my head, still in disbelief. "Yeah, and then he blew his own head off. I tapped off his frozen remains outside before coming back aboard. He said that all was lost here and that his time had come. He also said they had already gotten to me."

"Who has already gotten to you? It sounds like the guy had already lost it himself."

"He wasn't nervous about being caught. He was calm and collected, very lucid in what he was saying. It has me thinking about what it is that we're doing out here. As detectives, what is one of the first things we learn to do before going out and looking for criminals? We learn the rules, of course, but we also learn all we can about those we are hunting. We know their reasons for what they're doing, we know where they like to hide, and we have a good sense of who it is we are chasing."

Joni replied, "Are you saying you think we need to know more about the Free Alliance?"

"Yes. Who the main players are, where they can be found in concentration, who is sympathetic to their cause. If we're out here trying to catch them, or at least stop them from disrupting the war effort, we should learn everything we can about them."

Joni sat back in her chair. "Know thine enemy. I've heard my uncle say that a thousand times."

"Precisely. When we return, I'm going to ask to be fully briefed on the Free Alliance. Had we known who we might be chasing, I might have prevented his suicide. We would have a high-value rebel in our custody right now. Instead we're just pulling his ashes back with us."

The ride back to the _Jergens_ was quiet. We dropped the small flier back in the freighter's hold and attached our grappling to the much-larger ship. Our progress would be slow. The normally eighteen-hour trip to the nearby SS29 would take three days pulling the freighter.

When we arrived, we were met by two ships that belonged to the Zed Corporation. The tow of the freighter would be logged as a rescue of a stranded ship. We heard nothing further about the freighter's crew, the Free Alliance rebel, or how he had come to be where he was.

We were told that our mission wasn't to question why things happened as they did, but to act on the information we had been given. It was not the normal process for a detective to follow. I was beginning to feel more like a pawn than a patriot. If we wanted answers, Joni and I would have to dig deeper on our own.

# Chapter 18

### _______________________

With the capture and death of one of the Alpha sector's most wanted, Joni and I were again given a three-day break. Portal travel to and from SS5 had been restored, and we soon found ourselves stepping through a portal on Balimus II. It was then a twenty-minute ride on a pair of rented helocycles out to my home. I settled into the Beutcher family farm and smiled as I looked around at the full and thriving livestock pens.

Joni spoke as she dismounted. "Wow, you have a nice farm going here. When you said _farm_ before, I thought you would just have a couple fields of crops."

"My wife is very driven and industrious. That gallig pen is new and I see it is full; she must be preparing to move them to market. They look healthy and fat."

As I walked toward our den, the word of my arrival got out and a herd of little Gruntas came pouring from its doorway. I was soon covered in Grunta youth, the last of which knocked me backward onto the ground. Joni giggled at the sight of all the wiggling, nubby tails and then scowled as the Grunta began licking their father. To me it was pure joy. There was nothing like the welcoming one received after a long time away from home.

When the excitement of the welcome had died down, I rose and brushed the dust from my back. My wife was standing in the doorway as I approached. We soon joined foreheads. My wife began to make that soft cooing sound that would fill my thoughts while I was away. Joni's smile over the cute and loving connection soon turned to shock as my wife began to savagely pound me on the chest and shoulders with her fists. It was the final sequence of the welcome-home process, and although bruised from the episode, I could not have been happier.

"I see you added galligs while I was away. They appear to be doing well."

Getta Beutcher smiled. "Yes. I used the pay increase from your promotion to invest in a gallig sow who was expecting. Your children have done an excellent job of tending to their every need. They should be going to market soon, and gallig is selling at a premium right now. With the struggling economy, people are shopping for the lesser meats. With the proceeds from the sale, I should be able to expand our small herd to a second breeding pen. Although, I have had thoughts of purchasing a breeding pair of dillets instead. The market for those is strong as well."

Joni looked around. "You have quite the farm here, Mrs. Beutcher. You must be proud."

"I am proud of Getta and the little ones. This is all their doing. My income has gone toward paying for our land. Getta is responsible for all of what you see here. It is a much different culture than that of Humans. Our women are strong, much like you, Joni Salton. Grunta men are not so driven. If our livelihoods were left entirely up to us, I'm afraid we might all starve."

Getta smiled as she said, "Grunta men are not good decision makers. Knog is an exception. Most have no ambition or direction unless they have a strong woman behind them. Those are the Grunta who thrive and prosper."

I replied, "It's true. In our history books, before the AMP or the New Alliance, they talk of our women as great warriors. We were a species that was in the great War of Wars before the Humans freed us all. Our ancestors settled here on Balimus II and have lived in peace and prosperity ever since. Our numbers at the end of the war were only in the hundreds of thousands. We now approach three hundred million. All because of our strong women."

Joni was shown the farm and introduced to each if my offspring. Conversations lasted well into the night. In the morning, the pleasant trip to Balimus had came to an end. After several portal jumps, we found ourselves back on the _Daunte_ , waiting for a new mission.

Gretchin came over the comm. "I take it the trip went well?"

Joni replied, "Knog's family is wonderful. They were all well behaved and well spoken, and even had a good sense of humor. I was glad I got to meet them."

Gretchin smiled. "It sounds like you had a good time. This morning, however, it's back to work for us. You two did well on your last mission. We were certain the rebel Shieka was moving through that area, we just didn't know how.

I said, "We followed on a hunch and just happened to get lucky."

"Now for our next mission. We believe a similar situation is happening in and around Zanus I. You will be swept over to SS6, after which you will make your way out to the Zanus system to observe. You may be out there for a month, so I again took the liberty of ordering supplies. I take it the last stocking was adequate?"

Joni replied, "We've been eating well, Gretchin, thank you. When do we leave?"

Gretchin sent over the mission data. "You may ask for the portal jump as soon as you have your supplies aboard. I would expect that to happen at any time now."

I said, "Can you give us any more info on what it is we're looking for? Send us some data on the Free Alliance. If we can study up on them, it will be a lot easier for us to recognize behavior that would fit what we would expect. At the moment, we really don't know anything about this movement other than what they call themselves."

Gretchin was quiet for a moment. "I will turn in that request for you, Mr. Beutcher, but for now, we will just have to use what little information we have available to us."

The supplies arrived and were stocked. Joni coordinated our portal sweep to SS6. As we mapped out our observation plan for the Zanus system, a thought came into my mind.

"I think we should go aboard the station before heading out to Zanus."

"That wasn't in the mission plan."

I nodded. "You're right, it wasn't. However, we've been given latitude to use our discretion, and part of our mission here is to sniff out the Free Alliance rebels. I haven't told this to anyone, but the rebel who killed himself was a three-star detective on this station. I think we should poke around and see what we can find out about him."

"If they find out you left out that _huge_ piece of information, they're going to be livid."

"Well, now you know as well, should we try to use it to gain knowledge about the Free Alliance? Or should we just call it in and let the organization handle it?"

Joni shook her head. "They aren't telling us anything, so I think we should reciprocate. Besides, it might be kind of fun to do some real detective legwork."

I furrowed my brow as we walked down the _Daunte_ 's ramp-way. "Real detective legwork? What do you mean by that?"

Joni rolled her eyes. "OK, maybe that wasn't the best use of words. _Real detective_ as in traditional sense of a detective, not that we aren't real detectives. I wasn't trying to—"

I held up my hand. "Relax. I was joking with you. I know what you meant."

"You really need to work on that dry sense of humor. I have a hard time telling when you're serious and when you're just jerking me around."

"I will take that thought under advisement."

We left the docking bay and headed to the nearest commercial section of the ship. I wore my uniform, while Joni walked beside me in civilian dress. When we reached an area of restaurants and bars, we split up with a goal of meeting back in two hours' time.

I walked into a bar and grill restaurant and sat down at the bar.

The Human bartender took my order. "What can I get for you?"

"Frozen fruit twist, please."

The bartender looked at me suspiciously. "OK, you know that has alcohol in it, though, right?"

I nodded. "I am familiar with it."

The bartender turned around to fill the order as he looked over his shoulder. "You're a Grunta, right?"

"I am."

After blending in several frozen fruits, the bartender turned back around with the frozen pink drink. "Here you go. Not that it's any of my business, but that doesn't seem like something a Grunta would drink."

I picked up the tall glass, and with two chugs the frozen concoction was gone. "I'll have another, please."

The bartender held up his hand. "Even though those look harmless, they're quite heavy on the liquor. You might want to pace yourself."

I half smiled. "Alcohol doesn't affect Grunta. I drink because I like the frozen feeling in my gullet."

The bartender nodded his head. "That would explain why we rarely see any Grunta at the bar. Not that there are many of you around anyway, but I would have pegged you as drinkers."

I looked down the bar at an Igari who was having one too many. I changed stools and sat beside him.

After watching him chug two shots and half a beer, I said, "Looks like you have something on your mind."

The Igari looked up. "My job is crap and my wife is leaving me."

"OK, that sounds like you have reason to be upset. Is it from the economy?"

The Igari nodded his head. "The economy is crap, my job is crap, and my wife is leaving me."

The Igari then looked back up at me. "Four stars. You don't see many cops with those."

I replied, "Well, I'm not really a cop. I'm an inspection detective. You know, I check ships for people smuggling stuff."

The Igari ordered another round. "Smugglers. How's that working out for you?"

I laughed. "Business is good, which means my job is crap. With this economy, everyone is wanting to sneak things around without paying their taxes on it. It used to be a cushy job, but now it's all work."

The Igari held up a shot. "Your job is crap!"

He turned up the small glass, downing the syrupy alcoholic mix inside it. "My job is crap. Did I tell you my wife left me?"

I nodded. "You did. That's crap."

The Igari smiled. "Hey, I like you. For a cop, you aren't so bad."

Before I could speak, the Igari fell off his stool, passing out on the floor.

The bartender came around from behind the bar. "He is in here every week, and every week he falls off that stool. I want to refuse him service, but the owners won't let me. They say they need the money and it's not their place to stop him from something he obviously wants to do. Can I get a hand from you? I want to put him in that booth over there."

I stood and picked the Igari up by the waist. Four steps later, I had him deposited in the booth the bartender had indicated. The Igari was dead to the world.

I sat back on my stool at the bar. "So, he's a regular. What kind of job does he have that he hates so much?"

The bartender laughed as he slung his rag across the bar. "He's a civil servant. He gives out business licenses. With taxes the way they are, everyone gives him grief when they find out what they have to pay. He says it's one of those thankless jobs where everyone hates him because he is the one who has to collect. I think there's a little of that and a little of him just not liking people."

"I can't say that I'm viewed as being popular with the public either. Either I'm holding someone up from getting to where they want to go or I'm locking them up for transporting illegal contraband."

The bartender smiled. "Sounds like you have a crappy job."

I shook my head just before chugging another frozen fruit twist. "No, I actually love my job. I'm just not very popular with the people."

The bartender laughed and served up a drink to another patron before returning. "Another?"

I held up my hand. "Don't want to get brain freeze. Say, you ever have anyone hanging out that is fed up with the New Alliance? I know I have all these stars on my shoulder, but that doesn't mean I like all the politicos who are now running our government."

The bartender shook his head. "I try to stay out of all that. Not good for business, if you know what I mean. People fall on one side of that or the other, very few in the middle."

I nodded as I held out my credit store for payment. After leaving a decent tip, I stood to move to the next watering hole. The bartender leaned forward on the bar. "If you are looking for the rabble-rouser crowd, you might check out the Gaxos Lounge. Go down four hallways and make a right. You can't miss it."

I nodded thanks as I left the restaurant. After a short walk, I found myself in Gaxos. Igari music was blaring, and a lively crowd of Igari men and women were packed around one end of the bar. I sat on a stool as close to them as I could without crowding their space. The four stars on my uniform quieted things down.

I ordered another frozen twist. When the bartender placed it in front of me and I chugged it down, the group of young Igaris burst into laughter. I ordered another round.

A thin Igari male then stepped up beside me, obviously trying to impress the females that were with the group. "I don't get you. Two meters tall and built like a borak, and you're slamming frozen drinks. Something doesn't fit."

I smiled. "Gruntas like frozen drinks. I just got a bonus at work. Bartender, give them a round of whatever they're having."

The bartender looked at the Igari standing next to me, who nodded in response.

The Igari said, "What's your name, and what are all those stars on your shoulder? You don't look like a cop."

I shook my head. "No, no cop. Just a ship inspector. I try to catch smugglers. It's a thankless job, and I sometimes wonder why I do it. My bosses are all political now. I've been thinking of retiring."

The Igari held out his hand. "Rolta, Fex Rolta's my name. I think you'll find a lot of like-minded people here when it comes to politics."

I downed my second round to smiles and laughter. "I used to have a great job. Now, with all the politics and new taxes, people are doing things they had never done before. It seems with this crappy economy, everyone is a smuggler. Sometimes I just want to wave them on through and skip writing all the reports. Most of them aren't real crooks. They're people just trying to get by."

Fex smacked me on the shoulder. "I hear you, brother. Two of my friends here, just out of university, and they can't find a job better than a retail clerk. We've been circulating petitions asking the governor to ease up. So far, it hasn't helped."

"Yeah, there are a lot of unhappy people out there. I don't think the decision making at the top is helping anything. The media tries to paint a bright picture, but word on the street says otherwise. I just wish there was something I could do."

I was laying it on thick, and the young Igari was eating it up. I wasn't one to deceive others, but there was a revolution in the works, and I needed insight as to who was behind it. After an hour of making friends with the group, I decided it was time to go check on Joni.

As I was coming out of Gaxos, I caught a glimpse of Garrett Rourke as he slipped into a store across the way. I followed him into the store, coming up behind him as he watched the door of a bar on the opposite corner.

"Picking up a few things in here?"

Garrett turned, startled at the sight of a Grunta standing behind him. "Ah, I was wondering where you were. I don't like her going into these places. Too many Igari sympathizers on this station. If they knew who she was, she would be grabbed before we could do anything about it."

"They don't know, and other than being Human, no one would suspect her of anything. She's practiced at not being known as a Salton."

Garrett raised his hand to his mouth. "Keep it down. You say that name, you're going to draw attention."

I grabbed Garrett on the shoulder and squeezed. "I'm glad you are out here watching after her. Say, while we're here, what can you tell me about the Free Alliance?"

Garrett shook his head. "I'll be honest with you: not much. I have put in numerous requests for information on them so I have a shot at staying a step ahead of any plans to grab her, but the management doesn't give any of that info out. They want me to just stick close and watch for anything unusual. It would be nice to be able to act sometimes rather than always having to react. As far as the Free Alliance goes, all I know is they're getting bolder and stronger."

I released Garrett's shoulder and walked back into the hallway only a moment before Joni emerged from the bar she had patronized.

"Any luck?"

Joni shook her head. "I got nothing. You?"

I nodded as we turned back toward the _Daunte_. "I had a disgruntled drunk and group of youths that were anti-government. They might be good for future prospects. I would say we've spent enough time here today. We might hit a few more places on our way back through. Let's get on out to Zanus."

# Chapter 19

### _______________________

We soon found ourselves setting down on a planet in the Zanus system. Our position on the dark side offered a clear view of the ships coming and going from the colony. A week passed with little of interest. That all changed when an Orwallian cruiser entered the system and set into orbit around Zanus I.

Joni said, "Now that is unusual. I've only read about the Orwallians. They don't like to leave their system. Something about their mother planet having an atmosphere about twice as dense as any other world. My father said they're the only planet in the five galaxies that knows how to manufacture the ion amplifiers that every ship uses in its power system. They're designed to disintegrate if tampered with in any way."

"That sounds like the portal gates. I wonder what the history books say about them. The bigger question, though, is what is an Orwallian ship doing here?"

I stood and moved back to the cabin. "Joni. Would you agree we need to be down on that planet if we want a shot at finding out what they're doing here?"

"I would agree with that. What do you have in mind?"

"We have two perfectly good lifepods on this ship. Take us out to a distance beyond standard sensors and send me toward Zanus. Someone will come out to pick me up."

Joni winced. "And if they don't come out?"

"We're covered. You just circle around and pick me up on the other side. If I can get a ship out to grab me, you come back here and sit tight. Wait for a signal to come pick me up. And just so we're in sync, if you have to come get me, I was ambushed while doing an inspection, my ship was destroyed, and I was ejected in the pod as a cruel joke.

"That pod has four weeks of oxygen; it will take me a day to drift in there and, if needed, a day to drift past. I'll drop the oxygen level in the pod down to three days' worth. Mock up an environmental log that says I have been floating for just over three weeks. I'll only take a day's worth of food with me so I am out when I pass near the system."

Joni pointed at one of the lifepods. "And what if I go in there and they ask why I only have one pod?"

I stopped. "Hmm. Good point."

I walked back and sat in my pilot's chair. "Take us out to a position just outside their sensor range. I'll think about it as we go."

An hour after our arrival at the new location, Joni put forth an idea. "Too bad we can't contact whoever it is that shadows me so we could borrow a lifepod."

I thought for a moment before responding. "Can you take a short trip to your quarters for a few minutes? I'll see if I can get a response out of them."

Joni shook her head. "You sure anyone is out there?"

"I would bet my life on it. I would also bet this ship has some kind of clandestine tracking device on it they can track. Otherwise, they'd run the risk of us losing them during a chase or a run. Head back to your room, and I'll see if I can coax a lifepod out of them."

When Joni had closed the door, I got on a general comm frequency at a low power. "Garrett, I know you're out there. We need your help. I need to get down to that planet without risking taking Joni with me. I need a lifepod with no ID on the transponder. And I need the oxygen level dropped to three days. I've been on your ship, and if I am correct, you have two such pods. I need one."

The comm was silent for several seconds. I continued, "Look, she knows you're out there. Maybe with a little working together, we can make your job easier. I'm not saying for you to reveal yourself, just jettison a pod and we will pick it up. If you don't, I'll have to take her down to the planet with me."

The comm was silent for several more seconds before a response came back. "Will I be getting this pod back?"

I replied with a smile, "I will personally guarantee it."

Garrett laughed. "Like that is something you could guarantee. I'll give you the pod on one condition."

"What's that?"

"You do as you just stated. I don't want her down on that planet. If you'll agree to that not being in your plans, I'll jettison a lifepod for your use."

I smiled. "I'll guarantee it."

Garrett shook his head. "Good luck with the Orwallians, Mr. Beutcher. I understand they are fiercely private."

"I only want to know what they're doing at Zanus. And I owe you one, Garrett."

A pod was jettisoned and I recalled Joni from her private quarters. "Let's get this thing programmed up and on its way. Can you think of anything about my story that's lacking?"

Joni thought for a moment. "You might add that it was a random search of a ship that had no transponder. Maybe you were invited aboard and ambushed. If you call me in to pick you up, I will just be the nearest security inspector ship. We usually travel as individuals, so that should be believable."

"I'm starting to feel a little more like a spy than an inspector. I think I might actually like that."

The pod was prepared, I boarded, and Joni sent it hurtling toward the Zanus system. I had a day of sitting in the cramped area a lifepod offered to a Grunta, but I was excited enough about the prospect of getting picked up that I pushed any discomfort to the back of my mind.

As I reached the border of the Zanus system, a comm came over the emergency channel. "This is Zanus control. We're picking up your emergency beacon; do you need assistance?"

"Yes! Thank goodness! I have been drifting for three weeks. My ship was destroyed. A pickup would be greatly appreciated!"

Arrangements were made and a small transport was soon sliding up beside my pod and pulling me aboard. It was an Igari who worked with the planet's security force.

I emerged from the pod. "Wow, am I ever glad to see you."

The Igari laughed. "I don't get that a lot, but thanks. You look to be in good physical condition. What happened to your ship?"

"I was doing an inspection of a trawler when the captain drew down on me. They fired a weapon at my ship, destroying it. I managed to overpower two of the crewmen who were about to execute me. I then dove into one of their lifepods and jettisoned it. I'm not sure why they didn't come back and blast me. They may have been on some type of time schedule with whatever they were running, because they seemed to be in a big hurry to leave."

The Igari shook his head. "The New Alliance is losing control. We've had two other attacks in this area in the last four months. The area around Zanus used to be about as quiet as they came."

I sat in a chair next to the pilot and held out my hand. "Knog Beutcher wants to shake the hand of the man who saved him."

The Igari reached out and shook, his tiny Igari hand disappearing in mine. "Maxin Cogla. Wow, I don't think I've ever seen a four star. You might be the only one in Alpha sector. How'd you manage that?"

"I've been at it for over forty years. I guess I racked up enough points during that time that someone wanted recognition for my accomplishments while I was under their command."

The Igari laughed. "I hear you. Unless it offers some benefit, the management won't stick their necks out for anyone. Look at me, sixteen years at this thankless job, and I'm still a corporal. Did they parade you around to show how proud of you they were?"

"They threw a whole banquet for me. What a ridiculous waste of funds at a time when we're having equipment shortages."

The Igari pointed back toward his cabin. "I have a head back there that hasn't worked in five months. I'm just glad all my runs have been short. I keep a five-liter bucket back there just in case."

As we approached the space dock in orbit around Zanus I, I said, "Hey, that looks like an Orwallian cruiser. I didn't think they ever left their own system."

"That's what I had heard too. I don't know what they have going on, but that space dock is locked down tight right now. We'll just be tagging up and going down to the surface using the normal shipping lanes. You should be able to get back to your base in a couple of days."

I replied, "A couple of days? What would be the holdup?"

Maxin Cogla pointed to the blip on his nav screen that signified the Orwallian vessel. "Our visitors are here for a big trade meeting or something. It's all been kept in the quiet, and all movement in and out of Zanus has been brought to a halt. Whatever it is, they said they would be finishing it up tomorrow."

I sat back. "I need to get back to SS5. There must be some way around this. I'll talk to the gate managers directly. There's a trawler out there destroying security ships, and my boss needs to know."

The Igari half chuckled as he shook his head. "I can tell you right now it isn't going to happen. The meeting has everyone jumping through hoops to please the Orwallians. I'll walk you over there after we get you checked in, but I can already tell you what the answer will be."

"I would appreciate that, Maxin. You've already saved my life."

Maxin smiled. "I tell you what, I'll even take you straight to the gate manager who is on duty, but if he says no, you have to come with me for a drink. I have a few Igari security friends I would like to show off those four stars to."

"I think I can agree to that. If I can't get out of here for two days, I'll need something to occupy my time anyway. I'd rather that time be spent with a new friend instead of sitting in some holding room."

Maxin grinned. "Oh, this is going to be a blast. Not that I don't wish you a speedy journey home, but my friends will be blown away by you. I don't think any of them have ever seen a Grunta up close, and I will say it now, when you stepped out of that pod, I was almost in shock. You are both big and intimidating."

I laughed. "I think you will find that Grunta men are fairly reserved. Our women are the dominant gender, and they're easily touched off. Are you familiar with the toughness of the hindquarter steak on a borak?"

Maxin nodded. "I've had my share of hind. You spend about two-thirds of your meal just chewing. Hahaha!"

"My wife likes to tenderize the whole hindquarter with her fist. She hooks it up on a rock wall and beats it mercilessly. Sometimes I think she does it just to let me know who's boss. The result is a tender piece of meat, though."

I looked at Maxin. He was sitting with his jaw dropped and his eyes in a distant gaze as he imagined a female Grunta pounding on a steak with her fist. We passed the orbiting space dock and dropped down through the atmosphere.

Zanus was a beautiful blue-green planet, with 60 percent of its surface being covered in water. Maxin leveled out the ship and set us down on a landing pad primarily used by security ships. With the Orwallians visiting, most of the security ships were out on patrol.

The ramp lowered and Maxin said, "Follow me. We'll get you logged in, and then I'll take you right to the person in charge of the portals today."

It was a short walk to the security office, where a full biometric was performed on me before I was released into Maxin's care. It was easy to see how eager he was to show me off to his friends: he grinned during our entire walk. As we rounded the corner of a long hall, Maxin opened an office door and walked through to a desk.

He said to the Igari man behind the counter, "Hi, Jamess, I would like to have a word with Saruta if possible."

Jamess nodded. "He's in his office. I'll buzz you through."

After two dozen Igari steps down the hall, Maxin turned into another office. Saruta Goka was sitting at a desk in front of a wall full of monitors.

Saruta turned and recoiled at the unexpected sight of a Grunta standing in his doorway.

"Saruta, this is Knog Beutcher; he's an inspection detective from SS5. I just plucked him out of free space in a lifepod."

Saruta sat silent and stunned as he looked suspiciously at the two-meter-tall giant that stood before him.

Maxin waved his hand in front of his friend. "Hello, Saruta. Mr. Beutcher here needs to get through the portal gate back toward SS5. Can you arrange that?"

Saruta's focus returned. "What? No. Nobody is going through the gates right now. Passes going off Zanus have been suspended, you know that."

Maxin pointed to the stars on my shoulders. "He's a four star, Saruta. Surely you can make an exception for a security officer. He has a band of outlaws to chase that destroyed his ship."

Saruta looked directly at Maxin. "Nobody goes through. I just told you that. I'm not authorized to allow Harden Salton himself through there. When our guests have gone, the gates will once again be opened for travel."

Maxin turned with his palms out to his sides and his eyebrows raised. "I told you he wouldn't allow it. Saruta was appointed directly by the governor, so there is nowhere else to go."

"Thank you for your time, Saruta. Mr. Cogla, I believe you have your zoo animal to show off to your friends."

Maxin's grin turned down. "Oh, I apologize if I seem a little too eager, Mr. Beutcher. It's just that you are an impressive fellow, that's all. I—"

I held up my hand. "It's quite all right, Mr. Cogla. I'm actually grateful to find someone who is so hospitable, given my circumstance."

I soon found myself following Maxin into his favorite watering hole. Three of his associates, who had just come off their shifts as well, were waiting at a table in the corner.

Two of the Igari men were looking up at me with big, round eyes as an Igari woman's jaw dropped open.

Maxin said, "Everyone, I would like you to meet my friend, Knog. I rescued him today. He had been drifting in a lifepod for over three weeks."

The Igari woman said, "Do you even fit in a lifepod?"

I laughed as I pulled up a chair and sat down. "I do. It's a little cramped in there, but I did all right."

One of the Igari men raised his hand. "You're a Grunta, right?"

Maxin scowled. "Beega, that's kind of rude. Yes, he is a Grunta. And stop gawking at him. Mr. Beutcher is stuck here for at least the next twenty-four hours while the portal is shut down. He's going to be staying with me during that time."

I turned to face Maxin.

"If that is OK with you, that is. I have a spare room at the house, and my wife wouldn't mind."

A waiter approached our table with a look of apprehension. "Can I get anyone drinks over here? Something to eat?"

"Do you have any frozen fruit drinks?"

The waiter slowly nodded. "We have one that is Earth coconut flavored that we call the Tropica Treat, and another that is made with red and white hassa berries that we call a Fruity Face."

"I'll have a Fruity Face, then. I like hassa berries."

The four Igari at the table and the Igari waiter looked on in stunned silence.

Maxin slapped me on the shoulder. "Hahaha! Who knew Gruntas had such a sense of humor!"

The rest of the table erupted in laughter. When the others had settled down and given their drink orders, the waiter pointed at me and then at the drink menu. I again asked for the Fruity Face. The table again erupted in laughter.

When the Igaris had quieted to a level where I could talk, I repeated my order. "One Fruity Face, please."

The waiter turned and headed to the bar with a story for the bartender. I turned back toward the Igari, and the table quieted.

"This is Mira, she runs our scheduling desk. This is Beega, he's a patrol pilot like I am. And this one, with the big head, this is Gubba. Gubba runs a small import/export business."

Gubba added, "If you want an ion amplifier for almost any appliance, I can get it."

"Ion amplifiers—you mean like the ones that are supposed to increase the efficiency of your kitchen appliances? I have seen advertisements for those on SS5."

Gubba nodded. "Those are probably coming from my competitors. They have a huge markup on them because they go through several middlemen."

Maxin pointed at Gubba. "Gubba has connections right on Orwall."

"Any idea why the Orwallians are here? They have the portals tied up so I can't get home."

Gubba leaned in. "You know they make the ion amplifiers for all the galaxies, right? It has made them extremely wealthy. I think they're negotiating with someone to buy all their production for the coming year. It has me very worried that my source will dry up. Amplifiers are 60 percent of my business. Of course, I'm hoping that is just rumor, but my source is on Orwall."

I thought for a moment. "Surely there is enough supply already out there that it wouldn't matter much. It's not like we are at war or something."

Gubba again leaned in. "We may not be at war now, but I believe one is coming. There is too much activity in the black markets, and too many rumors flying around. I heard an entire security station was taken over in Andromeda. Word out of there has been muted lately. I don't know, I wonder if the New Alliance is coming apart. I don't think most would be upset about that."

Maxin said, "If that were to happen, it would be utter chaos. The power grabs by the different political parties would bring many colonies to war. I prefer to have a central government. I just wish it wasn't all-powerful. It just makes corruption that much more likely."

Mira added her thoughts. "At least the AMP was a loose central government. The planets or colonies mostly governed themselves, levied their own taxes, negotiated their own trade. I know my job used to be a lot easier."

Beega said, "They have us out on patrol almost every day, and shifts are longer. Mr. Beutcher, how are things on SS5?"

"I hear rumblings of people not being happy. And the smuggling of goods has picked up. Who would have been so bold a decade ago to destroy a security ship and kill a detective? Something like that just didn't happen back then."

Gubba said, "I believe we are on the cusp of another revolution. This one won't be a quiet coup like the last one. I think it will be an all-out war to unseat those who are in power."

Gubba looked around nervously. "I shouldn't be talking about this. _We_ shouldn't be talking about this. The families have spies everywhere, and such idle talk might be taken as the beginnings of a conspiracy."

I leaned in. "I am a government spy."

The group was silent for several seconds. I began to laugh and was soon accompanied by several other nervous chuckles.

"I must apologize for that. Gruntas have a dry sense of humor. I was merely going for a laugh, and the joke obviously did not come across as such."

Gubba leaned back and wiped his forehead. "I shall have to remember that about Gruntas, Mr. Beutcher. My two hearts nearly both stopped at once!"

The banter at the table slowly picked back up as more rounds of alcoholic beverages were consumed. When the group broke up, the others departed with smiles on their faces. They had stories to tell to others about the Grunta they were friends with. Maxin was a kind and friendly host during the remainder of my stay. No further information was gained about the Orwalls and who they were negotiating with, if that was what was going on at all.

When the portal gates were reopened, I made my way to the nearest security station and waited for a pickup by Joni. Once back at SS5, I filed a report that contained the information I had gathered.

# Chapter 20

### _______________________

Gretchin spoke over the comm. "Well, how was your first time out as an intel officer, Mr. Beutcher? That was a gutsy move with the lifepod. And the higher-ups were impressed with your report."

"It wasn't like I was at risk. In fact, the group of Igari I connected with were very pleasant people. My cover story was tight, and the novelty of them being around a Grunta for the first time set them at ease with their talk. I don't know that I would have such luck elsewhere."

Gretchin smiled. "I think you're a natural, Mr. Beutcher. If they perceive the likelihood of your being a spy as small, they will tell you much more than otherwise."

Joni said, "Do you have any more outings scheduled for us like that one? I would love to give that a try."

Gretchin shook her head. "I don't know if that will work for you, Miss Salton. Since Humans, your family, are in control of this sector, it may be difficult for a Human to gain the trust of others. Knog is an outsider, even though he works for the government. Gruntas are viewed as very independent, placing them above suspicion to some degree. We have another assignment scheduled for tomorrow. Take the remainder of the day and relax. You have both earned it."

The following day, Gretchin had our new orders. We would be making a trip out to the Orwall system to perform random inspections. I had to wonder if it was the Saltons' way of telling the Orwallians to "watch it" or just that they were being watched. Either way, I didn't much care for being stuck in the middle of a potentially political dispute. Politics on such a grand scale had a tendency to get people killed. I didn't want myself or my charge to be one of them.

As we arrived in the system, Joni said, "OK, let's pick out a ship and get started. We have three to choose from. Two are outbound and one is inbound."

"Let's start with the inbound vessel. Chances are it is returning from a delivery and is largely empty. Is it a freighter, ore hauler, or transport?"

Joni shook her head as the ship came into full view of our sensors. "It's not any of those. It's a destroyer. Why would a destroyer be out here?"

I pulled up the display. "It's an escort. They must have a valuable cargo going out that needs protection. It could be a load of blaster amplifiers."

Joni gave a look of concern. "Why would we send a single destroyer for that after seeing what the pirates did with that cesium hauler? I would think that if it was blaster parts being shipped, we would have a more powerful escort."

"They might not want to draw attention to it, or perhaps that destroyer is one of the newly upgraded ones."

"I think we need to see what's on the manifest of the ship it will be guarding. If it's what we think it might be, then I think we should shadow them."

"It looks like they won't be escorting either of the departing ships. Let's pick out one of them for a search. We can follow after the destroyer when they leave."

We pulled alongside a small freighter and signaled an all-stop. The freighter complied, and we soon found ourselves standing in the docking bay. The manifest administrator came down from the bridge with a scowl on his face.

Balu Hossa, the administrator, said, "We just filed this with the port authorities. We have a tight schedule that we need to keep. What is the meaning of this inspection?"

The Orwallians were a short, stocky species who had a muscular build and a jet-black skin tone. Their eyes were constantly shifting, as they liked to be fully aware of their surroundings. As one of the first species to sign the AMP accords, they had been granted the responsibility of ion amplifier production.

It was said that only a handful of Orwallians knew the actual secrets to their manufacture. Those individuals led lives that were watched every moment from the time they accepted the job until their deaths. It was a high honor to know, and after two thousand years of guarding the secrets of ion amplification, those secrets remained fully under the Orwallians' control.

I transferred the ship's manifest to my arm pad holo-display. "As I'm certain you're aware, cooperation with random inspections is the law. The sooner you comply and answer questions, the sooner we can get you back en route to your destination. Let's start in the back with Bay-6 and work our way forward. It looks like you have a load of food stores designated. I didn't think Orwall was an exporter of agricultural product. I'm interested to see what it is."

Balu replied, "It's Bakka root. Some worlds treasure it as a spice. It has been growing in popularity in the past few years. Personally, I think it has a disgusting taste, but some people obviously disagree."

As we entered the storage bay, I selected a container for a scan. "I would think farming would be beneath most Orwallians. You have a lock on ion amplifiers; why would you need to be selling anything else?"

Balu huffed. "Until recently, we didn't have to. Our trade was robust and our product always in demand. The Saltons have been seriously restricting trade of late, and with the new tax structure we're struggling. For centuries we have been an importer of foods and consumer goods. With trade restrictions and new taxes, the prices of those products have gone up threefold. The common citizens are struggling to feed and clothe their families."

I nodded as the scan came back clean. "I had no idea Orwall had such troubles. I tell you, Balu, it's hard to shake off some of the old notions we had from the AMP. So much has changed in the last decade that you have to wonder where things are going. They can't keep going in the same direction."

With my statements, the manifest administrator of the _Callits_ changed his tone. Instead of anger at me, it was directed at the ruling family. I mentioned my stay on Zanus and the Orwallian visitors that had been there only days before. He was completely unaware of anything that wasn't being broadcast by the Orwall media. The common citizens didn't have time to delve into politics. They were just trying to survive.

The _Callits_ fully checked out and was soon on its way. I sat in my pilot's chair, writing up my report.

Joni said, "You were ripping into the New Alliance and my family pretty hard back there. Is that the way you really feel?"

I chuckled. "There was a little truth in there, but it was mainly an effort to build trust with Mr. Hossa. What I find interesting is the different perspectives I keep getting from each of these planets and colonies. The state of affairs is far from what we are led to believe by the SS5 media statements. If your uncle doesn't begin to make changes soon, I think we 'll be looking at an all-out revolution. Although, I don't think it will be an organized one. It could easily be every planet for themselves."

"My uncle has his team of handlers around him all the time that prevent anyone from speaking to him. I'll advise my father about this when I talk to him next. He meets with my uncle daily. They have to know what's going on out here. How could they not?"

I pulled up the nav screen with the other vessels in the Orwall system. "The decisions you make are only as good as the information you have. It could be his handlers are incompetent and ill informed, or perhaps they have their own agendas. What seems obvious to us might be hidden to them, as their time is spent with political operatives and diplomats."

Joni sighed. "Maybe it's time they had some new people around them. It just doesn't seem like it would be that hard to change things for the better."

"I believe I'll have a talk with my wife next time I speak to her. She should make at least the minimum of preparations for our family if something such as a rebellion or revolution comes. The Grunta are a self-reliant people, but just like every other planet in the New Alliance, our defenses come _from_ the New Alliance."

"On a different subject, we have a freighter coming out that's heading directly for SS6. Standard shipping lanes would send it past two other colonies, Amber Theft and Rollika, before reaching the station. It doesn't make sense to fly directly there; that's high-risk space with few travelers."

"Set a course for her, and we will check it out. That destroyer escort is just sitting there. We have time."

The all-stop signal was sent and the freighter slowed. Joni maneuvered the _Daunte_ into the docking bay and we were soon standing on the deck. The captain came down from the bridge with the manifest administrator.

The captain approached. "What is the meaning of this? We left port ten minutes ago!"

Joni replied, "Under the laws of the New Alliance, we have the right to search any ship at any time after it has left port. You have been selected for a random search. May I see your manifest, please."

The captain pushed the administrator behind him. "You may not. We are in Orwall space and under the treaty signed with the New Alliance. All traffic flows within our territorial borders are subject to the laws of Orwall only. We remain forty million kilometers inside that space. You are in violation of the treaty signed by the Salton family and the rest of the New Alliance. Get back in your ship and leave!"

"You have our apologies if that's true, Captain. Give me one moment to verify."

I pulled up information on the Orwall system and any shipping treaties that were in place. I was surprised to find the amendment to the treaty that the captain referenced.

"Indeed you're correct, Captain. It seems we have overstepped our bounds here. I apologize; we will withdraw immediately."

After boarding the _Daunte_ and exiting the docking bay, Joni said, "So, what do we do now?"

"We wait. The border of Orwallian territory is only forty million kilometers away. If the captain crosses that border, we'll inspect his vessel. If he chooses to stay, we'll have to keep an eye on him. I would have to believe he is carrying contraband of some sort. Otherwise, his schedules would have demanded he allow an inspection just so he could get it over with."

For an hour we sat beside the _Murwall_ as its captain kept her in place.

The general comm channel alert sounded. "Inspectors, this is the captain of the _Murwall_. I have filed a harassment complaint against your vessel. You continue to sit in place in a move to further intimidate us. If this harassment doesn't stop, expect a visit from an Orwall representative."

"That is your prerogative, Captain. However, we will remain in this position until such time as we choose to leave. When your ship crosses that border out there, you will be under our jurisdiction. At that point, this becomes _my_ sector, and we play by _my_ rules."

The captain huffed as he closed the comm channel. Fifteen minutes later, a diplomatic vessel was heading in our direction. When the ship had come alongside our own, I lowered the _Daunte_ 's ramp. A representative of the Orwallian government made the transfer and climbed the steps up through the gravity wall. Raptor stood at attention.

The Orwallian said, "Mr. Beutcher, my name is Abvus Molly. Captain Dwellony tells me that he informed you of the treaty rights of the Orwallians to govern our own territorial space. He has filed a harassment complaint against you; why do you persist in sitting here in violation of our laws?"

Joni wanted to speak. I held up my hand to stop her.

"Mr. Molly, we are not in violation of any Orwallian laws. Our inspection was premature; we apologized and left the vessel immediately. Our presence here is a lawful one. While the treaty allows inspection rights by your people in your space, it also allows free travel in that space for all. We are merely expressing our right to that free travel."

Abvus Molly frowned. "I'm afraid this will be the trigger for an unfortunate event, Mr. Beutcher. My people have had enough of the overbearing hand of the Salton family. A congregation is awaiting my return for a vote to rescind the treaty and to withdraw from the New Alliance. Your people will be notified of the outcome of that vote once it is done. If the path to secession is chosen, the price of ion amplifiers will skyrocket. The availability of those amplifiers will also likely be restricted in the Salton family sectors."

"If the Orwallians choose to secede, it will not be because of our presence here. I don't know what it is your captain has on that vessel, but once it leaves Orwallian space, it will be inspected. It has to pass through Salton family space to get anywhere else."

Abvus Molly smiled. "I'm afraid you underestimate the power of trade in a required commodity, Mr. Beutcher. In order to keep the flow of ion amplifiers moving out to the other families' territories, nine of the twelve families have already preliminarily agreed to a free trade and protection pact. Any attempt to stop the flow of ion amplifiers will be met with severe damage to the relations of the Saltons with the others at a minimum. Orwall will once again be a free planet, with its people in control of their own destiny."

The Orwallian representative turned back down the steps and was soon heading back to the planet.

Joni said, "This is not good news. The Alpha sector will be thrown into chaos without a good supply of amplifiers. They're a staple of everything that operates with ion power, which is everything. My uncle will have no choice but to recognize their freedom and embrace a new trade treaty, under _their_ terms. Having some control over the amplifier trade has been a big point of leverage for my uncle during negotiations with the others. If that vote goes through, we just moved from a position of power to a position of weakness."

"Take us in close to Orwall. We need to open a direct comm channel through those portals to SS5. They won't be able to stop the vote, but we should at least be able to give them a few hours notice about what's transpiring out here."

A comm was opened, and Chief Jamia was quickly on the other end. "Are you sure about this, Mr. Beutcher? If so, I have to move this information up the chain immediately. This is dreadful news."

"Sorry, Chief. I'm afraid it's true. I expect to hear the results at any time. There was word this was triggered by our presence here, but I have no doubt this vote was happening either way. I would expect trouble as well from Zanus and Cardello. They're the closest neighbors and are both close to the Orwallians. I would bet if you check ship travel records, the Orwallians paid a visit to Cardello as well."

Jamia sighed. "Let's hope this doesn't happen, Mr. Beutcher. It might start an avalanche of secessions. We could end up as a security station that has no real function. All our salaries, pensions, and benefits would vanish in an instant, as well as our jobs. Be careful out there, Mr. Beutcher. Things could get ugly in a hurry."

As the chief closed out the comm, Joni said, "Hey, that destroyer is moving out. I don't see any other ships going with it. I bet they're pulling out. The _Murwall_ is turning toward Cardello. Should I set an intercept course for her?"

"Send us out at a different angle. I want them to think they're in the clear. We can catch up to them in free space. I'm interested in what they have on that ship."

Half an hour later, we quickly closed on the _Murwall_. Joni broadcast the all-stop signal as we pulled alongside. The captain did not yield. I sent a signal for a core shutdown, and for a second time it was denied.

Joni said, "Wow, that's two ships with those circuits removed. No wonder they didn't want us doing an inspection. Looks like we'll have to go in there hot."

I brought up a diagram of the docking bay area. "Fly us in at this angle and swing the tail of the ship around over to here. I think we should expect some small arms fire."

Joni followed my command and quickly had the _Daunte_ positioned exactly where I had asked.

"Now, set those cannons to minimum and start taking out anyone who is threatening."

Joni replied as I stood, "Where are you going?"

I pulled on my helmet. "I'm heading to the cargo holds to see what's so important. If they start shooting, try to keep them pinned down over in that corner. I'm going down the ramp-way and out through this corridor behind us. If you can keep them from crossing that bay, I can pull a fast inspection of all eight bays on this boat."

As the ramp-way lowered, several ion bolts shot out from the corner opposite our own. Joni returned fire, pushing the crewmen and their weapons back down the hallway toward the bridge. I sprinted down the corridor and turned down the first bay inspection hall.

Once through the doorway, I had an immediate answer as to what the Orwallians were shipping. "Joni, I'm looking at cases of blaster tips. A quick estimate of this bay says there are four million of them in here alone. I'm heading to bay two."

"I have them corralled in the hallway for the moment. Make it quick, we'll want to get out of here soon."

I rushed to the second bay and found the same cargo as in the first. The _Murwall_ was transporting blaster tips, the main piece of a blaster weapon, toward Cardello. It would build enough blasters to outfit a rather large army. I skipped the remaining bays and hustled back to the _Daunte_ and up the ramp-way.

# Chapter 21

### _______________________

After pulling off my helmet, I sat in the pilot's chair. "We can't leave."

"What? Why?"

I pointed back to the bays. "We can't let those blaster tips reach Cardello. They could raise an army big enough to take over this sector. The security forces probably only have three or four million weapons in total. With the help of a few ships from the outside, this whole sector would fall hard. I can't see the Orwallians doing this on their own. One or more of the other families have to be behind it."

Joni fired a pair of bolts, keeping our new enemy at bay. "Well, what are we supposed to do about it?"

I looked at her and replied, "We have to take this ship. If we can't, we have to destroy it."

Joni said, "So, we're declaring war on the Orwallians?"

I shook my head. "I think war was declared when this shipment left their space. Check your comm logs. I would bet they've already called for help."

Joni pulled up the recordings from recent transmissions. The _Murwall_ had sent out a distress call to Orwall that would be reaching there at any moment. Some type of assistance would be coming to the aid of the _Murwall_ 's crew.

I stood and pulled my helmet back over my head.

"Where are you going now?"

I pointed toward the bridge hallway. "I'm going down that hall. Wait for my signal and then come in behind me."

Joni replied, "Are you crazy? There are at least half a dozen crewmen out there with blasters!"

I nodded. "That there is, but how many times have they hit this ship since this all started? Two, three times tops?"

Joni pulled up a strike counter. "Yeah, but that doesn't mean they were actually aiming at it."

I stepped over to the ramp-way and looked back. "I'm counting on it that they were. When I reach that far corner, get your helmet on and wait for my signal. They only have one way down here from that bridge, and it's that hall you have them trapped in. This freighter normally has a crew of six plus the captain. If you counted six, that means the captain has sent everyone down to fight. We take that hall and we take this ship."

I hopped down the ramp-way and sprinted along the near wall as Joni let loose a barrage of cover fire. When I reached the far corner, I pointed to my helmet and then back toward her. I then peeked around the corner with my blaster raised. Two crewmen were caught off guard. My blaster aim was spot on.

I called Joni. "Scratch two of the crew; get over here, and let's take this ship while we can."

Repeated fire emerged from the hallway, striking the floor in front of my position. Each attempt to fire around the corner was met with a flurry of fire from our new enemy.

I again called back to Joni. "I need you out here. What are you doing back there?"

"I'm clearing the way."

The _Daunte_ swung in behind me, lined up with the hallway. Four powerful bursts from the _Daunte_ 's ion cannons had the remaining crewmen surrendering their weapons. I sprinted down the hall and herded the four back to our ship and up the ramp-way. After a quick internment of our prisoners in the _Daunte_ 's holding cells, I was off to take control of the bridge. Joni followed close behind.

The archway doors leading onto the bridge were open. I moved slowly, checking possible ambush positions as I went.

I yelled out, "Captain! Give up now, and I can promise you safe passage!"

A voice came from the other side of the bridge. "I can't let you take this ship. It's too important to my people!"

"I count more that thirty million blaster tips in your hold, Captain. That's enough firepower to take control of this whole sector. I would bet your people already have enough blasters for your entire population. Moving weapons to another colony only has one purpose: revolution!"

"Revolution is inevitable. The Saltons are weak. It was only a question of when it would begin. We were only trying to ensure that any such revolution was not being fought on Orwall. We won't be subjugated ever again!"

I took two giant steps and dove behind a control console. The captain fired his weapon a full second too late. Joni was ready with return fire, striking a panel beside the captain and spraying him with debris. His blaster was disabled.

The captain quickly stood and dove against a far wall before rolling onto his back, flipping, and diving over the console onto my position. I was soon in a savage fistfight with a species that was almost a meter shorter than myself, but all muscle. The captain managed two strong punches to my jaw before I was able to take control with a return punch to his rib cage.

As the captain doubled over, favoring his right side, I raised my fist and brought it down hard on the top of his skull. The captain scowled and returned an equally hard blow. I was next kicked with a powerful leg, sending me sprawling backward. Separation was a mistake the captain should not have made. Joni Salton was waiting, and a blaster bolt quickly tore through his chest. The remains of the _Murwall_ 's captain slumped to the floor.

Joni said, "Are you OK?"

I nodded as I stood. "He was only able to strike me in the head. I'm fine."

Joni half laughed. "Only in the head? Well, I'm glad it was nothing vital."

I walked to the nav console. "We have to get this ship heading back into our space."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a shadowy figure slip into a nearby room.

I said, "Set a course to Adicus. I have something to take care of."

I walked toward the room with my blaster raised.

Joni set the course in the nav computer while looking over her shoulder. "Where are you going?"

I stood by the doorway with my finger raised up in front of my lips as Joni looked on. With a quick move, I reached around the doorway and grabbed for whoever was there. An ion bolt fired at the floor as a stunned Garrett Rourke was pulled out into the bridge room by the head. A slap by my hand sent the weapon to the floor. I pulled back my fist only to stop myself before landing a devastating blow to my new captive.

I lowered my hand and released his head. "Hello, Garrett."

Garrett Rourke leaned over for a moment, placing his hands on his knees as he regained his composure. "I had no idea you Gruntas were so fast."

Joni stood behind me with her blaster raised. "Who is this?"

I waved my hand for her to lower her weapon. "This is Garrett Rourke. He's your shadow."

Garrett said, "I came in when she left the ship. You two are making my life miserable, I hope you know. What am I supposed to put in my report for this?"

Joni replied, "So, you're the stalker my father hired. I suppose I should thank you for your help back on the cesium freighter. Knog said it was you who enabled a rescue."

Garrett stood. "I've been sworn to protect you, Miss Salton. And I have to say you are making that task increasingly difficult."

Joni laughed. "A girl's gotta live, right? Well, at least I finally get to meet the man that has been following me around for the last few years."

Joni held out her hand. Garrett looked at it, took it in his own, and raised it up for a kiss as he lowered his head.

Joni jerked her hand back. "What are you doing? I'm not a princess!"

Garrett turned red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry, I thought that was protocol. I have seen your cousins greeted in that manner a hundred times."

Joni offered a half scowl as she showed anger in her face. "My cousins are conceited, selfish, arrogant idiots. They treat others like they are property. I treat others with dignity and respect."

I said, "Dignity and respect? Like what you are showing Mr. Rourke right now?"

Joni offered a frustrated frown at my comment. "Well, no. I mean... OK, I'm sorry, Mr. Rourke. All that pompous behavior just gets my blood boiling."

Garrett laughed. "It's perfectly OK, Miss Salton. That spunk is one of the things I have admired about you for some time."

I could see in Joni's eyes a spark of interest as she contemplated whether or not the comment warranted an outburst or a smile. As Garrett Rourke reached down to retrieve his weapon, I could see Joni Salton looking him over. She turned in time to notice the raised muscle over my right eye socket. Her cheeks flushed red as she turned away.

Our capture of the freighter proved a devastating blow to the congress that was meeting on Orwall. A vote to secede was postponed, as a major ally could not be armed. As we pulled into the space around Adicus, two destroyers came out to meet us. The cargo was turned over to Salton security forces, and the _Daunte_ , with Joni and me aboard, was swept back to a waiting reception on SS5.

As we walked down the ramp-way, a crowd of forty security personnel from various positions were gathered in Bay-17, with Chief Jamia standing in front.

The chief said, "Mr. Beutcher, I just wanted to offer my personal thanks as well as the thanks of everyone in the office today. You have been invited to attend a gala in your name at the Salton compound on Alpha Prime. This is big, Knog! Our funding has been increased by 5 percent for next year and possibly more for the year after. I will of course be attending with the two of you."

Joni rolled her eyes.

I replied, "That's a nice offer, Chief, but we have a lot of work to do. This whole sector is bulging at the seams and may burst open into full revolt at any moment."

The chief stepped forward with a frozen smile and soft voice. "This isn't an option, Mr. Beutcher. And please don't make references to the state of the sector in front of the others. Some pieces of information have not been released to the public yet."

I shook my head. "My apologies, Chief. However, I don't think you or anyone else here has any idea about what's going on out there."

The chief continued her smile. "You can fill me in later. For now, I need the two of you to get cleaned up for our visit to Alpha."

After only three hours back on SS5, we were whisked through a portal to Caliphus, then on to Beta Campus and SS1, before stepping through a final portal onto Alpha Prime. I had been in orbit around the capital planet several times, but never on its surface.

When we emerged from the portal station, I was in awe of the gleaming white, sleek architecture of the buildings. They were definitely not designed with function over form. Alpha Prime was a city of high minds and artistic touches. The tall white spires of the buildings reached up toward a deep blue sky. The gravity on Alpha Prime was at 96 percent of standard. I felt as though I had an extra hop to my step.

Joni pointed. "It always cracks me up how you can always tell the locals from the visitors. The locals all walk flat footed, while the visitors bob up and down."

"I guess that definitely makes me a visitor."

Joni laughed. "Your brain figures it out and adjusts after about a week. It will also make you a little uncomfortable for a day or two when you return to standard grav."

Rounded white transports soon pulled up with a Human attendant to escort us aboard.

As I sat in a plush white leather seat, the attendant presented himself. "My name is Garsee. I will be your host for the ride to Salton City. Can I offer anyone a beverage?"

I raised my hand. "Do you have anything that is frozen and fruity?"

Garsee shook his head. "I am sorry, sir, I have a variety of liquors, beers, and other common beverages. Can I interest you in one of those?"

"No thanks. If it's not frozen, I'm not interested."

Garsee offered a pursed smile. "My apologies, sir. Had I known, I would have made preparations."

The attendant then turned and whispered into his arm pad.

I turned toward Joni, who was giggling. "What?"

"Sometimes you crack me up, that's all."

When we arrived at the Salton compound, I was surprised by the modern green panels and reflective glass windows that made up the building exteriors. Green was the national color of the Gruntas. The buildings were interspersed between marble and stone water features, and beautifully manicured gardens flowed throughout. I almost felt at home in the surroundings.

We were dropped at an alcove and escorted into the building where we would be spending the day. The hallways were decorated with green-and-white marble, while the floors were highly polished wooden planks. Earth lilies and various other flora adorned baskets that hung from the ceilings.

As we walked, I said, "I like your family's taste in color and design. It reminds me of some of the nicer buildings back home."

"That was mostly my aunt's doing. She loves green and white, and anything that has a naturally clean look to it. I didn't miss it when I left, but I kind of like the feeling it's bringing back now."

We turned the corner into an open room where Joni's cousins and her father were waiting to greet us. Joni's father stood tall over the petite girls, whose dresses were opulent and frilly. Her father wore traditional Human business attire, a dark gray suit with a green-and-white handkerchief in the pocket. Her brothers stood to either side of their father.

Joni stepped up for a hug from her father as her brothers and cousins looked at her security uniform and scowled.

Joseph Salton said, "I keep hearing about the things you're accomplishing out there. You're making your father and uncle proud. You're out there doing what we cannot, and we're grateful for it."

Joseph Salton turned toward me and extended his hand. "And this must be your partner. I want to personally thank you for your contributions, Mr. Beutcher. The capture of those blaster parts was a move that probably prevented a rebellion and revolution. You were invited here because I just wanted to say 'thank you' in person."

"You're welcome, sir. And I would like to add that I could not have done it without your daughter. She has accomplished more in a few short months than most inspection detectives accomplish in their lifetimes. I would guess she gets much of that from you?"

Joseph Salton shook his head. "No, she would get that from her late mother. She was not one to sit around and be waited upon. She would go out and do things herself if she felt they needed doing. That's the same spirit this one has. And I couldn't be prouder of her."

Joni rolled her eyes as she looked at her scowling siblings. "Knog, I would like to introduce you to my brothers, Doff and Crand, and my cousins, Priscilla, Biffiny, and Sosia."

I bowed as I gently took each of their hands. "I am certain your family is proud of you as well."

The cousins' false smiles faded as it became apparent they couldn't decide if my comment was genuine or dubious. I looked back to a grinning Joni, knowing I had accomplished what I intended.

The gala in our honor was full of stuffed shirts and overdressed Humans. It was a full showing of the pomp and circumstance that Joni detested. I was given a two-line speech to recite after my introduction, and was then paraded around the room for the shaking of a thousand hands. No mention of the actual incident that was cause for the gala was made before the crowd. Only passing references were made to my gloried past as a four-star inspection detective.

# Chapter 22

### _______________________

When the tour of dignitaries was complete, Harden Salton entered the room. After a thunderous applause, the room went quickly silent.

Harden Salton said, "Governors, Senators, and other honored guests, we are here this evening to celebrate this Grunta man for what he has done for the New Alliance. His efforts have strengthened our position at a time of unrest in many sectors. Mr. Beutcher represents the backbone of the Alliance, and tonight we honor him with an accomplishment that has only been awarded four times, not only in the short history of the New Alliance, but also in that of the former AMP. Mr. Beutcher, may I present to you this fifth and final star!"

I was completely caught off guard. I looked over at Joni, whose eyes were wide. I stood in stunned silence for several seconds before she began to clap her hands. As the crowd joined in, I stepped up to the podium.

Harden Salton continued, "Mr. Beutcher, for your many years of outstanding service to the New Alliance, and for your recent efforts to established a stronger relationship between our colonies and planets, I award this fifth star. I personally thank you for your service. I would also like to honor you with this Salton family pin. You will find it opens many doors in our sectors. And if it doesn't, just give me a call, and I will take care of it!"

Harden Salton was all smiles as the crowd erupted in laughter and applause. I had a sudden taste of what had soured Joni's outlook on the whole ruling-family affair. Her father and uncle were politicians. They kept a close group of friends in powerful positions and rewarded them often when things went their way. I had a sickening feeling the New Alliance was indeed doomed if the other families conducted their business in a similar manner.

As the gala began to wind down, I took note that every waiter or waitress who carried a tray of refreshments had several frozen drinks on the tray. I grabbed a Frozen Fruiteda from the next passing waiter and downed it in two gulps. The cold sensation was refreshing and took the edge off my otherwise slightly contemptuous attitude.

After Harden Salton made his way into a back room, the remaining crowd thinned out quickly.

An attendant came over to our small group. "Mr. Beutcher, Mr. Harden would like a word with you in private. Please come with me."

I followed the attendant into the same room that Harden Salton had gone into only a few minutes earlier. He was seated in a lounge chair that looked out over the outside gardens.

Harden Salton spoke. "Mr. Beutcher, I can't thank you enough for capturing that Orwallian freighter. That could easily have been the beginning of the end of the New Alliance."

"May I speak frankly, sir?"

Harden nodded. "Of course. Say whatever is on your mind."

I cleared my throat. "I believe your empire, or whatever you would like to call it, is in real trouble. The people are unhappy; taxes and restrictions on movement are increasing every day. If you want the Salton planets and colonies to stick together, you need a unifying reason, something that makes them want to be a part of it. At the moment, they don't see any real advantage."

Harden shook his head. "I've stated such to my advisers a hundred times over, but they keep going back to the same thing. We have a war to fight, Mr. Beutcher. The other families don't see the danger in losing the Andromeda galaxy to an external force. I do. The taxes and restrictions all have purpose. We have to build an army and a navy. For centuries there has been no need for such. The setup of the security stations ensured peace and tranquility in the AMP. The AMP never had an external threat."

I continued, "Perhaps it is your approach. History shows that conscripted armies make poor armies. If a soldier's reason for fighting is only to stay alive, he will only commit his full efforts at the moment his life is threatened. A volunteer army is far more powerful and motivated to succeed."

Harden held up his right hand and waved it around. "All of this is not so simple, Mr. Beutcher. The New Alliance treaties state that no armies shall be raised. Security is to be provided through the security stations as before. The others fear that if we each raise armies, we will war amongst ourselves. I believe them to be correct on that, but how are we supposed to defend ourselves from an outside threat?"

"Aren't you already raising an army through conscription?"

Harden nodded. "Yes, but they don't know that. There is no evidence of an army in this sector. They're taken through to Andromeda, and after a few weeks' training they go right into battle. It sickens me to send so many to their certain death, but we have no other way to try to slow the attackers down.

"I have two of the other families almost convinced to join the cause. I fear they are only stringing me along, as their spies can see we are losing control here at home. I'm stuck as to what to do. Every option seems worse than what we are already doing."

I sat silent for several seconds as I thought. "I looked around in your ballroom out there this evening. What I saw told me that you only have loyal followers so long as you're keeping them in their high lifestyles. True loyalty cannot be bought, Mr. Salton. It has to be earned. There has to be a reason people support you that's beyond a simple payout. Those loyalists will always go to the highest bidder at the worst possible moment."

Harden looked at me. "Are you saying I should fire my staff and shed my ungrateful friends?"

"I'm saying a leader will naturally draw good people to his service. You should be taking the advisement of those who surround you and use that to shape your decisions. Knowing the motives behind those advisers should be taken into consideration. If those motivations aren't pure, you should seek other council."

Harden offered a half laugh. "It seems I have to go to the people for any sound advice, Mr. Beutcher. Would you consider joining my staff as a personal adviser?"

I held up my hand. "I'm not well suited to politics, Mr. Salton. I think you'll do well if you stick to what your gut and common sense tell you to do. The masses of the people loved the AMP. You might try returning some of your policies to match those that were in place then, and at the same time shed some of those leeches who are attached to your treasury.

"When others get wealthy through government service, it's at the expense of everyone else. Your actions are what will bring back the people's respect. In your dealings with the other families, gaining their respect through the strength of your economy is what they will follow. If you're struggling, they will look to take every advantage."

Harden sat back in his chair as he looked out over the gardens. "Wise words, Mr. Beutcher. I'm glad we had this talk. I do have one question, though."

"What would that be?"

Harden continued, "You are calm and collected sitting here next to me. Are all Grunta like that?"

I shook my head. "The Grunta are much like the Humans in that regard. Personalities range from those who will not listen, to those who will not act, to those who do too much and those who don't do enough. I think those are universal traits in most sentient species.

"As for me, I came to the conclusion long ago that while your station in life might command some level of respect from others, you as an individual have to earn the rest. You and I both came into this life as equals, infants dependent on others for our survival. What we have accomplished, _and_ how we treat others, determines how much respect we earn. You and I both know what is good and right. Make your decisions based on those ideals, and the masses will flock to your support."

Harden Salton had one final thing to say before his departure for an important meeting. "I also want to thank you for taking care of my niece. I'm very fond of her, and I want her to be kept safe. She is young and strong-willed. Try to keep her from getting herself in too deep. If I am to one day pass all this on to another family member, she is the only one who shows enough guts to make the tough decisions."

I departed the meeting with more respect than I had come in with. Harden Salton was in a precarious position, not only with his own people, but with the other families as well. I felt his biggest problem was those he had surrounded himself with. He was in need of a wholesale replacement of his staff and friends. It was that need that would be the most difficult to satisfy. We departed soon after the gala ended for SS5.

As we rode in the transport toward the portal gates, the Chief said, "I don't know what to say, Knog. A personal meeting with Harden Salton. That has to be the accomplishment of a lifetime."

"As it turns out, Mr. Salton is no different than anyone else. He has the same struggles, and the same things make him happy. He just needs to surround himself with a better group of people."

Jamia shook her head. "OK, I can tell you right now, you're going to have to watch what you say. Those other people can be ruthless and won't have issue with doing away with anyone who gets in their way. They're powerful in their own right."

Joni said, "Knog is right, Chief. He needs to clean out his cabinet and bring in people who aren't so political. Of course, that will never happen. That's the only support he has right now, and they'll go running to the other families to betray him if they think he is going to make any changes they don't like."

The chief leaned back in her chair and took a deep breath. "I'm just saying you need to watch who you repeat that to. I've been in this politics game for a while now, and I know how dirty it can get. Just watch yourself; don't needlessly make enemies."

The remaining ride was mostly silent. I walked up the steps into the _Daunte_ and smiled as I rubbed a waiting Raptor on the forehead. The assistant we had hired to watch over him was eager to leave.

I asked, "How was he? Did he give you any trouble?"

The assistant moved slowly over to the steps and only turned to answer when he had reached the deck. "Please don't ask me to do that again. He just stared at me the entire time. I felt like I couldn't do anything, or he was going to attack. I've been sitting in that chair with my hands in my lap for nine hours. I would thank you to not call me again."

Joni came up the steps as the hired assistant departed. "He's leaving in a hurry. Looks like he's in some discomfort."

I laughed. "I think the poor guy was too intimidated by our furry friend here to get out of his chair the entire time we were gone."

Joni shook her head. "Raptor wouldn't hurt a fly unless one of us or this ship was threatened."

Joni leaned over to rub Raptor behind the ears. "You're just misunderstood, aren't you. Can't get anyone to play with you, poor thing."

Joni looked up at my shoulder. "Wow, five stars. You're truly in a unique group now. I may be a little intimidated by that myself."

I sighed as I sat in my chair. "The last two should be a different color."

"Why do you say that?"

I brushed the stars with my fingers. "Those two weren't earned, they were political awards."

Joni shook her head as she laughed. "Please. If anything, those are the two that you did earn. You stopped the pirating of a shipload of cesium, you pulled thirty thousand liters of bleurgh from misuse, and this last one, you stopped a revolution. I'm sorry, but those last two stars were earned. You're just too humble to accept that, which is a good thing, by the way."

The chief was eager to parade her new five-star detective around the office for all to see. She was instead directed to get us back out in the field. I sat back in my chair wondering what would be coming our way. With the state of the New Alliance, I was certain we would see action soon enough.

Our next assignment was a week on Cardello. We would be spending our time in the main shipping terminal where all interstellar cargoes were being loaded and unloaded. I wondered if our time could not better be spent elsewhere, but I also had to believe the intel people who had given us this assignment had reason to do so. I made an effort to check that every manifest matched the cargo it supposedly listed. I was not making any friends.

Joni had spent most of her time in the transport office, ensuring that the manifests coming out to me were not being altered in any way. Again, her every request was being made to angry glances. After the first contraband had been found, the captains and manifest administrators cleaned up their acts. In my mind, it was exactly the way every port should have been run. An independent team of auditors would bring smuggling through the main ports to a halt.

Five days into our assignment, I saw a small freighter coming in from Orwall. I was eager to get a look at its cargo. As the ship was landing, a Cardellian came out to meet me.

"Mr. Beutcher. You and your partner are to accompany me to a meeting with the port authority administrator. He would like to have a short discussion with the two of you."

I pointed at the Orwallian freighter. "I would be happy to meet with the administrator after this inspection."

"I have been told to escort you to the meeting and that any inspections could wait until the meeting is over. The administrator sends his assurance that no ships will be loaded or unloaded in your absence. The meeting is to be brief."

I looked back at the freighter and then back again at the Cardellian. "We come straight back here when we're done."

"I will bring you back personally."

We arrived in the conference room and were seated at the table. The Cardellian offered to get us a beverage. We both declined. We were then informed the administrator was on his way.

Joni said, "We finally get a ship in from Orwall, and they drag us away. I can't say I like that."

"I find it suspicious as well. I know the administrator to be a busy man, but I have to wonder if his not being here is just a delay tactic while they're unloading that cargo."

Ten minutes passed while we waited patiently for whatever purpose the administrator had called the meeting. I was agitated to the point of getting out of my chair to walk toward the door. The Cardellian was waiting just outside.

"I apologize, Mr. Beutcher. Administrator Ballis was held up in a meeting that ran long. He should be here momentarily."

I returned to my chair with an angry expression on my face. "If he isn't here in the next three minutes, we're going back out to that shipping bay."

The Cardellian nodded.

Three minutes to the second later, the administrator entered the conference room. "I am so sorry. I was delayed in a discussion about meeting our shipping quotas. It seems your checks have slowed things down to the point of delaying some shipments. However, you're not to worry over it, we are making adjustments."

I said, "Why did you call us in here?"

The Cardellian standing at the door stepped in and whispered to the administrator.

The administrator smiled and said, "I just wanted to thank you for doing such a thorough job. It has brought many of the captains in line with policy, and for that I would like to thank you."

Joni frowned. "That's it? You called us in here for almost twenty minutes for that?"

The administrator raised his hands as he smiled. "That is all. I just wanted to thank you personally for your service."

We stood and exited the room, moving in a hurried walk back to the shipping bay. When we arrived, I caught a glimpse of a container being pushed into a warehouse. I was certain it had come from the Orwallian freighter. I was also sure the Administrator would not allow a search of the warehouse. Our jurisdiction ended in the shipping bay itself.

Joni retrieved the manifest log for the freighter and joined me as we boarded. "What do you want to bet the bays are empty."

I replied, "Pull up the manifest, and let's see what it says."

The log was soon floating in the holo-display over Joni's arm pad. "I see a count of fifteen hundred utility amplifiers and five thousand kilograms of that Bakka root you mentioned before. This is a small freighter, but that is a ridiculously small cargo for this ship."

The cargo holds were inspected, and they matched exactly to the manifest logs. I was certain there was other cargo that had been unloaded; however, I had no proof. The Cardellians had worked the system to move in a cargo from Orwall. I could only guess it was a load of the same illegal blaster tips we had confiscated before.

I punched a few numbers into my holo-display. "Given the size of that empty cargo space, I would say they have enough tips to build anywhere from two to four million blasters."

I pulled up a list of shipping schedules. "I see that an identical-sized freighter, listing the same cargo, just landed on Zanus about an hour ago. I think we'll be seeing our revolution anyway. The New Alliance will have enough weapons to counter a spread by these three rebel planets, but they won't be able to prevent a revolution here. I think it best we pack up and head back to SS5. We may only be weeks away from something getting started, and the Cardellians are going to become very unfriendly the closer that time gets."

We departed the freighter and walked back to the _Daunte_. A request was made for a sweep back to SS5. The request was quickly granted.

Gretchin was waiting with a new assignment. "Hello, gang. We are moving you to Adicus, where you will meet up with a liaison. They will fill you in on what's expected in the coming weeks. Your report from Cardello is troubling, to say the least."

I replied, "I just hope our report was in time for the organization to do something about it."

# Chapter 23

### _______________________

We were swept out to Adicus where we landed the _Daunte_ and stowed it in a government-controlled lot at the main spaceport. Adicus was 94 percent standard gravity. I once again found myself hopping along as I walked. Our liaison met up with us in the government lounge adjacent to the lot.

Morris Brassel held out his hand. "I've been expecting you. Welcome to paradise. Morris Brassel."

I shook his hand. "Thank you, Mr. Brassel."

Morris shook his head. "Not so formal around here. Everyone just calls me Mo. If you do the same, there will be a lot less confusion on my part."

Joni took his hand. "Mo."

Mo pointed to the door. "If you don't mind, I'll get started as we walk. I have an office on the other side of the spaceport."

As we stepped into the hallway, I said, "What is it we are supposed to be doing here, Mo?"

"What? They didn't tell you? How am I supposed to know?"

After several seconds of laughter, Mo continued, "I'm just jerking your chains. I have the assignment locked away up here in my head. Now if I can just remember where I put the key."

Again the silence was defining.

"Boy, you two are a tough crowd. I guess I'll have to be all serious with you, because my attempts at humor are all bombing. Anyway, here's what we have. I have a friend who tells me that he knows where there is a large stash of blaster tips just waiting to be turned into weapons.

"I figured I needed help before trying to conduct any type of raid. I was hoping for more than two people, though. The warehouse in question has several hundred people working there. You two must be something special if that's all they're sending."

Mo looked up at my shoulder pad. "What the...? I don't think I've ever seen four stars. Let alone five. I guess you are something special, then."

I shook my head as I replied, "Nothing special, just in the right place at the right time, that's all. You said we'll be raiding a warehouse? Do we have diagrams of its layout? How many people are there, for what shifts? How many of those people are security rated or have weapons?"

Mo smiled. "I have all that and more waiting in my office. I've made it my business over the last two weeks to gather all the intel I could. I have shipping schedules, manager names, I even have the codes to break into the environmental system. What I needed was help, and I'll have to say that only two people showing up is a bit of a shock."

Joni replied, "You said this is only an unconfirmed rumor right now. I would think if you tried to barge in there with a group of people, you might end up with a small war on your hands. They probably just sent us to confirm the rumor. We can call for backup then if needed."

Mo shook his head. "Well, unless you have a magic wand, you aren't going to get close to that place. They have it locked down tight."

As we turned the corner into Mo's office, I said, "We came in under a government security flight, so we're unregistered. Do you know if the warehouse has any jobs posted? That would seem the easy way in."

Mo nodded. "I investigated that possibility. Almost all the workers are Igari. There aren't any Humans, and I think they would be suspicious of any that applied. Gruntas are a different story. They usually aren't involved in nefarious projects. Do you have any warehousing skills? Shipping, scheduling, billing, or accounting? They might even have need of a computer tech or programmer."

"The limit of my warehousing skills would probably be loading boxes. I'm familiar with manifest logs, but only from an inspection viewpoint."

"OK, hard labor it is. I don't know if you're familiar with warehouse box lifting and stacking, but it is a physically demanding job. Most will only last a few weeks before they quit. They might actually appreciate the brute strength of a Grunta in there. I'll get started on arranging a complete background for you, previous work references, a new name, and a reason for coming to Adicus. I'm thinking you're migrating and looking for a place to plant your family."

I crossed my arms as I leaned back in the chair. "For what reason would I migrate?"

Mo shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe the world you're coming from doesn't have work. It shouldn't be hard to find a cover that fits that scenario. Adicus is doing well right now because it's harvest season. If the job is only temporary, well, that will work for us too. I would suggest you go out and tour around the city that surrounds this spaceport. You _are_ going to have to ditch those stars and this girl."

Joni scowled. "Hey!"

Mo laughed. "No disrespect intended. It just won't do him any good to be seen with a Human."

"Well, what am I supposed to do while he's in the warehouse?"

Mo smiled. "You and I get to be the bad Humans. We will press for inspections, look for records, try to find any off-duty workers to pump for information; you know, the usual stuff. Meanwhile, Knog will be our eyes and ears on the inside. We just need a good name for him."

Joni raised her hand. "Oh, let me name him."

Mo looked over at me. I shrugged.

Joni continued, "I'm thinking something like Bogg Huber."

Mo replied, "Knog, that sound like a Grunta name?"

I nodded. "It would do. I've heard of Chuber. Huber could easily be a variant of that."

Mo punched away at the keys on his old-style terminal. "Bogg Huber it is. Welcome to Adicus, Mr. Huber. Now we just need to outfit you with the proper clothing and a credit store. I have a much older model here in my desk. I'll get it activated and throw a couple hundred credits on there. Just enough for you to survive until you hit your first payday."

"You seem confident I will acquire a job in the warehouse."

"Like I said, it's harvest season around here, and they're always short of physical labor this time of year. It used to be that automated machines would do most of the harvest, but years of weak economies have most of those machines sitting idle and in need of repair. A strong back and sure hands are king around here now."

Joni said, "If you're wanting to build trust, you should talk bad about my family. That shouldn't be too hard for you, since you've met them."

Mo looked at me with an inquisitive look. "Your family? You're saying you're of _the_ Saltons?"

Joni laughed. "Uncle Harden says I'm his favorite niece."

Mo sat back from his desk. "Well, this changes everything. I can't have you going in that warehouse as a hostile. What if they were to grab you?"

Joni shook her head. "I would assume we could come up with a name for me as well. And forget about me being a Salton; treat me like you would any other detective."

I said, "How about something like Jetta Squirrel?"

Joni snarled. "I'm not going to be called Jetta Squirrel."

Mo laughed. "Actually, I think it's kind of catchy. And it would certainly throw off any suspicion, because who would make such a name up?"

I nodded. "I think it fits. Jetta Squirrel, warehouse inspector, junior grade."

Joni winced. "Junior grade? How am I going to command any respect with that?"

Mo looked off in thought for moment and then returned. "I have to say, Bogg. I like it. The odd name and a junior title, it gives her reason to be unreasonable, which is what we want. I'll work up a full ID for you on that, and I'll have you being transferred here as my assistant from SS14. I know a few detectives there who can set up the cover for me. We'll have to give you housing, clothes, the works."

The remainder of the day was spent in Mo's office with the door closed. An aide came in with the biggest clothes he could find at a thrift store. I walked down the hall to change. When I returned, Joni burst into laughter.

"What's so funny? I kind of like these clothes."

Joni shook her head. "A flowery shirt? Really? You look like you're on holiday, not out looking for work."

"This is common dress on Ketcheran IV, where I supposedly come from. Besides, how many Igari are going to laugh at a Grunta?"

Mo looked at Joni. "The fact that he stands out will help him to blend in as well. Spies don't like to be noticed, and _he_ will definitely be noticed. So, Mr. Huber, here is your credit store. You have 213 credits to your name. I would suggest getting a dumpy apartment two blocks from the warehouse in the Heretic Place rental community. Believe me, it sounds even better than it is. It would be where someone looking for a job at the warehouse might stay. They rent by the half day also, so you might even split an apartment with someone on the other shift.

"When you leave this office, go down this hallway until it ends, turn left, and work your way through the storage area. Tell the guard that Mo said to let you out into the alleyway. Once you're out that door, you're on your own. I'll enter your information into the job site, so all you have to do is walk in the door there tomorrow morning.

"If you don't get hired, just come back to this office. Otherwise, I'll meet you in three days at the Cardo Lounge; it's six blocks west of the warehouse. Be there when your shift ends and sit at the bar."

As I stepped up to the door to leave, I turned back to the desk and nodded goodbye. "Mo, Jetta."

I left the office to a half-scowling Joni. I made my way to the exit door. The guard let me out into the alley as planned. I was now on the streets of the Adicus capital city, Chursey. It was everywhere I had never wanted to be.

The people of Chursey were overwhelmingly Igari, as was nearly half of the Alpha sector. With my flowery shirt, I was the object of many a chuckle, but they were all careful to not anger the big Grunta who was passing them by. The walk over to the warehouse district was eighteen blocks. I enjoyed the walk even though my springy step brought even more curious looks.

The Heretic Place rentals weren't much more than a shantytown. Cheap plastic one-room "villas," as they were called, held a stand-up shower, a small commode built for an Igari, a sink, and a hot plate for cooking. There was no refrigeration unit, and the bed was a half-meter short of my needs. The unit had four walls, a door, and a metal roof with no insulation.

Nights on Adicus were cool, but I was a Grunta, so I didn't much care. We weren't cold blooded, but our thick skin insulated us from extreme cold and heat. Cool nights would not be a problem. Besides, I was an out-of-work Grunta with only a few hundred credits to his name. The Heretic Place rentals would be exactly where I would stay if that life was my current situation.

The landlord gave me a key and told me I would have to work out my sharing arrangement with the Igari worker who worked the night shift. Adicus ran on twenty-two-hour days, and shifts ran eleven hours on, eleven hours off, every single day. If I got the job, I would be expected in before the other worker left; unless we bumped into each other at work, we would never see each other. Again, I didn't much care, as I was not looking for immediate friends.

I walked the distance to the Cardo Lounge and ordered up a frozen drink. When the eight credits were deducted from my credit store, I cringed. I looked around at the sad faces of those who toiled all day only to drag themselves to the watering hole for a few hours of cheer before heading home to do it all over again tomorrow.

The following morning, I was up and out of the shared rental before the Igari returned from his night shift. I walked into the front of the warehouse and into the office area. The Igari who worked the personnel office was called out to meet me for an interview. His initial shock and intimidation were soon overridden by my easy demeanor and my apparent eagerness to work. When the warehouse supervisor came out, he was all smiles at the sight of the big Grunta standing before him.

I was given a badge and encouraged to start work immediately. I did. When the shift ended, the other loaders asked if I wanted to go out for a drink. As I held my credit store up to the pay module, I nodded in agreement.

We met at a bar just around the corner from the warehouse. My new coworkers were all too eager to show off their new monster of a box loader. Two hours after the evening began, the other workers began to stumble out, heading for their respective hovels. I walked back to my rental and plopped down in the short bed.

The following morning, I had no issue with getting up and heading for work. I stopped at the local market and loaded up on foods that would bolster my energy. The workday flew by, and I was again invited out for a drink by the crew. After the first few rounds, they began to loosen up.

I said, "So, Dotta, what is through those red doors we're told to stay away from? Do they have live animals back there or something?"

Dotta laughed. "Live animals? Hahaha! No, we're just told not to discuss it. I keep waiting for the security forces to bust in there and find a thousand liters of bleurgh or something. I don't want to be around if that happens."

Kanki said, "They're probably lacing the water with it to make us work harder. I heard they're going to be asking for double shifts."

Lodexa added a comment. "My cousin says it's weapons for a rebellion."

The other Igari suddenly went quiet.

Dotta leaned in. "We told you to not say that out loud. If that's what's back there, we may all be involved in it one day. Until that happens, I don't want to jeopardize my job. If the wrong person overhears you, they will send in security troops and shut the place down."

"Do the people here resent the ruling families as well? There was a lot of unrest in the colony I came from. Everyone says they're responsible for the bad economies and that we would be better off without them."

Dotta replied, "And what do you think personally, Bogg?"

I took a big swig of the cheap swill they called "goocha." "I think they tax too much and line the pockets of their friends with the proceeds. The common man suffers. We suffer."

Dotta reached out and patted my shoulder. "We suffer. That is exactly true. What I fear, though, is that if a rebellion does come, we will all suffer further before things get better."

Lodexa asked, "Why would you think that?"

Dotta sipped his goocha. "I think that, because with a rebellion you will create a power vacuum. The first to fill that vacuum are usually those who are most bold and most cruel. They take what they want when they want it, only at our level that means they're taking directly from us. If a rebellion comes, it needs to be organized. Still, though, many may suffer. Our warehouse, for instance: we move items for import and export. Without the Alliance, goods will not move until new trade relations are created. We will be the first to suffer in a rebellion."

I looked at Dotta. "It sounds like you've put a lot of thought into this."

Dotta nodded. "More than you know. But we must be rid of the ruling families; they're bleeding us dry. Are any of you prepared to take up arms should a rebellion happen?"

The others were silent.

Dotta turned to me. "Bogg, would you come down on the side of the rebellion or the families, or would you just sit on the sidelines like these mooches?"

Kanki said, "Hey, I never said I wouldn't join. I probably would, but I know nothing about fighting. What would we be using, anyway? The security forces have blasters."

Dotta sat back and crossed his arms. "And what if the rebels had blasters as well; would you participate then?"

Lodexa added. "If shown how to use one, I would use a blaster. Pew! Pew! Pew! Hahahaha!"

The group, excluding Dotta, erupted in laughter.

Lodexa slapped Dotta on the arm. "Oh, come on. There is no rebellion today, only goocha!"

The revelry continued for another half hour before the group broke up to go home. Dotta remained in his chair, with an unhappy look on his face. I stopped at the lounge door and returned to my chair.

"Do you really think we are that close to a rebellion?"

"Yes, and those idiots will struggle to survive in its aftermath. They'll be given the scraps left over from those who fight and take power. When those scraps run out, they'll be left to beg."

I sat forward in my chair. "I do not wish to beg, Dotta. I have a family to feed. If this rebellion happens, I will be cut off from them, and I cannot leave now because I am broke. How would I prepare for this rebellion should it happen? What could I do to secure a position with the rebels?"

Dotta shook his head. "You get right to the point, don't you, Bogg. I've always heard that Gruntas say what they feel, when they feel it. I had joked it was because they were big enough to say what they wanted, regardless of how they felt. Now I know it is the other. Tomorrow, after our shift, meet me at the Hagu Street exit. We will talk."

# Chapter 24

### _______________________

I had backed myself into a corner. On the eve when I was supposed to meet back up with Mo, I would be conversing with a possible rebel. The meeting with Mo would have to wait.

The following day, there was a commotion in the front offices.

As I lifted several boxes onto a pallet, I said, "Dotta, what's going on up there?"

"It's that same snoopy inspector who has been here several times in the last few months. It looks like he has an assistant now. A Human. No good can come from that."

I lifted another box. "Are they trying to get to what is behind those red doors? Aren't they security? Can't they just go back there?"

Dotta shook his head. "The Alliance treaty only gives them inspection powers at the port. They come in, they yell, they scream, but they cannot go beyond that front counter."

"Do you think they know what's behind the red doors?"

Dotta offered a half laugh. "They will know soon enough."

I gave Dotta a confused look. He switched focus back to our task at hand. Fifteen pallets of Bakka root, which had been repackaged, was being prepped for shipment off world.

When the shift ended, I met Dotta at the exit door as he had directed. We walked as he talked about the state of affairs on Adicus. It was the same story as on many other planets. The economies were shrinking; people were becoming desperate. And on Adicus, the only jobs to be had were seasonal. In two months, I would be looking for work that could not be found.

"You would have done better to migrate elsewhere, Bogg. Adicus cannot provide for you and your family. I have sometimes thought of leaving myself. Certainly, there must be another colony that has work, that is prosperous, but my searches have found none. Besides, this is my home. I should stay and fight for it. If that means taking up arms, then so be it."

"So, it is arms in the warehouse. How were they acquired? And what could you possibly do with maybe a few dozen blasters? I can't imagine anyone being able to get their hands on more than that. The security forces will possibly number in the thousands."

Dotta shook his head as we continued our walk. "The rebellion will not lack for arms. What is needed is manpower, and that manpower needs to be trained. I believe you have a good heart, Bogg. If a rebel group did exist, would you be willing to join their ranks? To fight alongside them should the time for rebellion come? I have heard that the Grunta were once fierce warriors."

"I hope I don't disappoint you, Dotta, but Gruntas were indeed once a fighting species. We were one of the original sixteen species in the War of Wars that took place two thousand years ago. We were even one of the first species to join the AMP. But it was not Grunta men who were the fierce warriors. It was our women. Grunta women can be savages during wartime."

Dotta laughed. "I never knew that. I just assumed it was the Grunta men. Either way, I suspect you would make a far better warrior than most Igari. They are big on talk and small on action. You seem to be the opposite."

"I like you, Dotta. You say what you feel as well. If I'm to be trapped here on Adicus when a rebellion happens, I want to be part of it. This New Alliance has stolen from the people for far too long."

Dotta stopped walking. "What if I was to say I could take you to a meeting tomorrow night, where much of this is to be discussed? If you're not interested, I must ask that you remain silent about all our discussions. Should it be found out that you were talking with anyone else, there are those who would act with malice."

I looked around. "Who would I talk to? I know you, Kanki, and Lodexa. I don't even talk to or trust my landlord. As I said before, I like you, Dotta. You've treated me with dignity and respect. I should return that favor if given the chance. As to the meeting tomorrow night, count me in. If I go and choose to withdraw afterward, my silence will be forever maintained."

Dotta shook his head. "If you go, there is no backing out. There are too many lives at stake here. It would not be permitted. You're either all in or all out."

I nodded as I faked being in thought for several seconds. "Count me in. I have no way to leave this planet. If a rebellion comes, and I'm on the winning side, Adicus could become my new home. If rebellion comes and I am on the sidelines, I could very well starve to death in the aftermath. And should I join the other side and they win, the economy here would only worsen, and I would be an outcast and traitor to the local people. I think my path is clear."

Dotta smiled. "I think you've made a wise choice, Bogg. You can join my squad."

I tilted my head. "You have a squad?"

Dotta held out his hand for a shake. "Sergeant Dotta Briggae! The first warrior in my family history going back two thousand years!"

I smiled. "And a sergeant, to boot!"

As we continued to walk and talk, I began to feel guilty about the part I was playing. I was working for the other side, but I genuinely liked the Igari named Dotta Briggae. Had the circumstances been different, he would have been one that I could easily accept as a close friend.

When we parted ways, I headed for the meeting with Mo. I sat at the bar by myself. Mo sat down on the stool beside me several minutes later. I avoided looking in his direction.

I told Mo of what I had accomplished and what I expected to be the truth about the red doors at the warehouse. I told of the upcoming meeting and that we should definitely wait before taking any action.

I hoped to get firm confirmation of the weapons at the warehouse. With that information in my report, we would have the authority to move in and search. If we were successful, another rebellion would be put down before it could begin. My new direction was to contact Mo in the same place after the meeting the following night.

The next morning at work, I found Dotta standing in front of me with a red face. "I confide in you, and you run straight to the security force!"

I gave an apprehensive look. "It wasn't like that! He approached me and kept asking questions. I didn't know what else to do. I just denied knowing anything.

He kept asking about the red doors and did I see anyone going in or out of there. I told him no, which is the truth. I came here looking for work because the security forces where I was were shaking everyone down for money. I could not afford to feed my family. Now I am stuck here in the middle of this mess, and the security forces are once again trying to bully me. What am I to do? I told him nothing of you."

Dotta backed off from his indignant stance. "I was afraid it would come to this. They're questioning everyone, and it's only a matter of time before someone who knows something cracks and spills their guts out of fear. I am sorry that I was angry with you, Bogg. Things are really beginning to heat up. Tonight's meeting may set things in motion that we can't stop."

When the shift came to an end, I followed Dotta out the southern exit. Three blocks later, we entered a small abandoned business. Several years before, it had been a thriving retail store that sold imported housewares.

That business had dried up with an increase in taxes and a faltering economy. Imported items became a luxury at a time when the middle and working classes were shrinking. Fading pictures of exotic creatures wrapped around everything from pottery to curtains adorned the walls. I sat beside Dotta in a row of folding chairs.

Within fifteen minutes, the room had filled to more than several hundred. All but one of those were Igari.

The first speaker stepped in front of a makeshift podium. "Fellow Adicans. It has come to our attention that an effort is being made to inspect the warehouse on Modicus Street. We cannot allow this to happen. I know that many of you have been waiting for the day we take back what is rightfully ours. For those who are apprehensive about conducting such an effort, it's time for you to step up for your people. Tonight we begin that effort!"

The room erupted in cheers and applause. As the others stood, I remained in my chair so as not to tower over those who stood around me. I could see the excitement in their eyes, and I envied their spirit. They were going to do what I had partly wished for, but could never do on my own. I knew the Adicans to be true in their cause, but I was sworn to uphold the laws of the New Alliance.

The meeting was short, with the final direction given to the excited mob. They would proceed to the warehouse where the insurrection would begin. From there they would spread outward to preplanned launch points. Five other warehouses with arms existed in the capital city, with two such warehouses in every remaining city that housed any security forces.

In the faces surrounding me, I could see excitement, fear, anxiety, and anger. Was this it? The beginnings of the end of the New Alliance? If Adicus were to fall, Orwall, Cordello, and Zanus would follow immediately behind.

For all I knew, a dozen other colonies were waiting to do the same. Perhaps the huge store of blaster tips that I had captured had all been a ruse, a decoy, part of a plan to ready the colonies for all-out rebellion. Before the darkness in the city turned again to light, I was certain I would find out.

I found myself jogging alongside Dotta as the soon-to-be rebels hustled toward the warehouse. I slowly fell back in the crowd and slipped down an alleyway as the others rounded the corner to Modicus Street. I sprinted down the alley and out onto the next roadway for a six-block all-out run to the bar and lounge where Mo was waiting. I burst through the doors nearly out of breath.

Mo came up behind me. "What is it? What's happening?"

I took several deep breaths. "It's starting. They're at the warehouse now. We need to act if we're going to stop this!"

Mo pulled up a holo-display over his arm pad. "This is a report stating that the warehouse has arms. Sign it here and hit send. The security forces here will be called into action immediately. We have to get to my helocycle so I can get you outfitted with the proper gear. Let's just hope they haven't started by the time we get help!"

The helocycle was parked just down the street. Mo opened a pod on the back and pulled out an arm pad, a blaster, and a chest deflector. It would offer the minimum of protection, but I was happy to have it.

Mo climbed on the small personal bike. "Get on. We're hitting that warehouse. If we are lucky, they haven't busted open any containers yet."

I climbed on and the helocycle lurched forward, scraping along on the ground every few feet as it struggled to keep us in the air. By the time we reached the warehouse, Joni was pulling up on a bike behind us.

Joni jumped off, taking a stance. "What's the plan?"

I pointed toward the door. "We get in there and hope they haven't started distributing anything!"

The three of us ran toward the door with our blasters raised.

As Mo reached for the handle, I yelled out, "Wait!"

Mo stopped. I continued, "Don't you find it strange there isn't anyone guarding this place? No lookouts? I don't like it."

Mo opened the door to a hail of blaster fire. Before he could step back, a full bolt struck him center chest. The isolation gear he wore kept the bolt from ripping him apart. A consequence of that protection was a brutal concussive impact, throwing Mo past us and into the front lot.

I pointed at the helocycles. "Get on that cycle and get out of here! It's a trap!"

I took two large steps, grabbing the injured and unconscious Mo by the arm and pulling him up in front of me. As I jumped onto his helocycle, it bottomed out hard on the ground. Joni turned and fired several bolts from her blaster as the front door to the office area began to open. Screams could be heard as the ion bolts did their dirty deed.

I turned the helocycle and followed Joni out of the front lot while firing back at the door. Several bolts struck the buildings around us as we moved up the street and out of sight.

I pulled down a side alley and stopped. "I think Mo stopped breathing!"

I laid him out gently on the ground as Joni covered the alleyway entrance.

"What do we do?"

I checked for a pulse but found none. Mo's rib cage had been sufficiently crushed to the point where I could not perform the old tried-and-true CPR. I attempted to blow air into his lungs. It became apparent that nothing could be done when his lungs did not fill and the air dispersed into his abdomen.

I picked up his lifeless body and turned back toward Joni. "Get on the bike and let's get out of here. They'll be spreading out through this district and encircling that spaceport. If we don't make it back to the _Daunte_ , we'll either be dead or captured. And I am not sure they're in the mood to treat those of the security forces with any kindness. Especially since I was a spy among their ranks."

We sped down the alley and turned up the next street, heading away from the warehouse. Mo's helocycle continued to struggle as his body lay slumped across my lap. We turned onto Spaceport Way. I could see the brightly lit government buildings rising up a kilometer away. As we passed Modicus Street, several ion bolts struck behind us as the surging crowd of Igari rebels spread outward from the warehouse.

When we had reached a point only two hundred meters from our goal, the lights of the government sector went dark. We quickly pulled to a stop as a flurry of blue ion streaks lit up the dark sky. The rebels were in front of us, and the assault on the security forces was under way.

I said, "Down that alley to the left! We have to get ahead of that mob before that complex is completely cut off!"

A quick run down to the next throughway showed a passage that was open. We managed another hundred meters forward before the section in front of us turned into a storm of ion blasts. A second side jaunt brought us to a street that ran deep into the complex. We pushed our helocycles to the limit in a final attempt to get through to our kindred fighters.

As we approached the main avenue that sat perpendicular to our direction, the ion blasts began to strike the buildings to each side of us.

I yelled, "Have to get through that intersection, or we aren't going home!"

Joni raised her weapon and fired two bolts at Igari rebels that were in the street in front of us, but facing the other way. Their bodies exploded with their remains crumpling to the pavement. I fired at an approaching rush of Igari, which drew a hail of return fire. I was first to make it through the intersection. Joni was not so lucky.

An ion bolt struck the tail end of her cycle, sending her spinning out of control and crashing into a barrier on the roadside. I fired repeatedly in vain as my ward, my trainee, lay motionless on the roadside. As the pavement around me erupted in sparks and flying debris, I pushed the throttle of the helocycle to full and maneuvered in close to the buildings on my right.

As I approached the first government building, a second hail of ion bolts shot past me, heading back out toward the intersection. I pulled up short and dove over a stone barrier, leaving Mo's crumpled body in the street. I fired repeated bolts toward Joni's direction in an attempt to drive off the attackers.

Two security agents were soon kneeling beside me, firing at the oncoming mob.

I yelled, "I have to get back to our other agent out there!"

As I began to stand, the agent to my left grabbed my arm. "That's suicide!"

I pointed down the road. "That's Harden Salton's niece out there! If they get to her, she's as good as dead!"

I jumped the barrier and attempted to run in a zigzag pattern. Fifteen meters into my run, an ion bolt caught me hard in the chest protector. It was a blow like I had never felt. My lungs squeezed tight, compressing the air within, knocking me backward onto the street. For a moment I lay in a confused state. A hail of ion fire sizzled through the air above me in both directions.

For only a minute the security forces pushed back the rebels. I felt hands grab my arms and begin to drag me backward as they grunted under the physical stress the heavy mass they were pulling exerted on their Human muscles. I attempted to speak as I pointed down the street toward Joni, but the words would not come out of my stinging lungs.

I was soon on a stretcher, with four Humans hauling me back into one of the buildings as the rebel force regrouped and once again surged down the road. I could still see into the street through a window. A medic of sorts gave me a quick shot to dull the pain. As I glanced back to see Joni's position being overrun, I closed my eyes. If she was alive, her fate now rested with the enemy.

The fighting continued into the night, with one building falling to the Adicans after another. We were outmanned and outgunned. I was shuffled into a room where one casualty after another was being brought to see if they could be patched up. I stood only to have the lone medically trained person in the room tell me to lie back down.

I said, "I'll be OK. My chest is sore, but nothing is broken. Where's my blaster?"

The nurse called me to her side. "If you can stand, then get over here. I need pressure on this wound while I try to cauterize this artery. This guy is going to bleed out in a hurry if we don't!"

I moved over to apply pressure as the nurse used a heating laser to attempt to stop the bleeding. The smell of burning Human flesh filled the air as she worked.

I covered my nostrils with my other hand only to have the nurse pull at my hand. "You can go; he's a goner. There's a stack of blasters over there with the other gear these people were wearing."

A moan from another patient called the nurse away. I picked up a blaster and started out into the hallway. The blaster fire was drawing near.

I moved down the hall in the direction of the _Daunte_. I exited the building as the windows in most of the third floor above me blew out. I flipped my chest protector around in time to shield most of the glass from impacting my skin. My tough Grunta hide did the rest.

I stood up and sprinted toward the next building only to start taking fire before I reached the door. At a forty-meter distance, the ultra-deadly ion bolts caused minimal damage to the face of the building around me. The untrained Igari were poor shots at best.

Once into the next building, I began to build up steam with my run. My lungs ached with every breath, but my strength was beginning to return. I continued my sprint from building to building until I reached the complex that housed the _Daunte_. I stopped for a moment to clear my lungs of the fluids that wanted to fill them. My Grunta body was trying to heal itself. My running and heavy breath were working against that natural process.

I soon faced a group of Humans that were running in my direction.

The lead Human yelled, "Go back! They're in the parking deck! That whole complex will be overrun is being overrun!"

I continued forward, pushing my way through the onrush.

The last Human looked back and yelled as he ran, "You're a dead man if you go in there!"

I continued into the now-dark ship-parking complex. The low glow of the emergency lighting showed the dimly lit way. I made my way up to the third floor deck, where the _Daunte_ was parked and waiting. Using my arm pad, I punched in the codes to lower the ramp-way and start the ion generator. I could hear the blaster fire echoing up from the floors below as the Igari rebels forced their way through the building.

As I turned the last corner, the _Daunte_ came into view. It was a sight that brought hope, a hope that I could survive the night and somehow return to rescue my partner, if she was still alive. I raced across the deck toward my ship as the rebels emerged from a doorway on the far side. Ion bolts lit up the mostly darkened deck as I weaved and dodged my way to the ramp-way.

I let out a long, hard breath as I reached the top step. A happy Raptor stood up to greet me as I hurried past him. I plopped down in my pilot's chair and brought up the nav screen. The ramp-way closed. The Igari rebels could no longer hurt me.

I lifted off and began to taxi toward the throughway to the launch port. I didn't bother to fire my twin cannons, as I was now secure in my ship. The now-tiny ion bolts struck the _Daunte_ 's hardened exterior, melting into the armor that surrounded me without effect.

When I reached the throughway, a violent explosion rocked the building. As the structure shook around me, the decking in front of my path gave way. The pathway just above, now without support, came crashing down upon it, along with the remaining sixteen decks above it.

The exit, my way to the launchpad, was blocked. I brought up the weapons screen and fired several rounds into the debris. My attempts at escape only worked to make the remaining supports of the building unstable.

In a last attempt to free myself, I turned and fired at an exterior wall. My hopes we soon quashed as the deck above collapsed, closing the hole that had only briefly opened. I turned the _Daunte_ in a slow circle as I looked out on the flood of Igari rebels who now filled the deck.

I had the urge to open up with the twin cannons, but my conscience said that the fight was over. My senseless slaughter of a people who only longed for their freedoms was not worth any reward the Saltons could pay. A sixth star would not have been received with honor.

I sat for several seconds looking out at the hundreds of fighters that gathered before me. When my eyes locked on the gaze of Sergeant Dotta Briggae, I set the _Daunte_ gently down on the deck and lowered the ramp. My fight with the Igari was over.

# Chapter 25

### _______________________

I walked down the ramp with Raptor by my side. Dotta was standing with his blaster raised.

I said, "I will go peacefully. All I ask is for someone to care for the dog."

Dotta replied, "I should kill the animal just because of your deceit, but punishing the innocent is not what we are about. We only desire our freedom from the oppression of the family you work for."

I nodded. "Believe me when I say I somewhat sympathize with your cause. Much of what I said to you before was true. They have made a mess of the Alliance. Their policies have been out of line with what would be best for the people. I know none of that sounds genuine coming from me, but it is the truth."

Dotta lowered his weapon as he stepped forward. "You will be held with the other security forces until it is decided what will be done with you. Most of us are just people who want for our freedom. We want for the possibility of a better life for ourselves and our children. We are not savages. As prisoners of war, you should be treated well."

"I will be no further trouble, Dotta."

Dotta looked down at Raptor. "One of my neighbors, when I was a child, had a Human dog. It was a friendly and loyal pet. He would sometimes let me watch over it when he and his family were away. I will watch over your dog, Bogg. Until your fate is decided."

I bowed my head briefly in thanks. "My name is Knog, Knog Beutcher. My home is SS5, where I am a five-star inspection detective. And I know you may not believe it, but I am gladdened to see that you came through this revolution unharmed. Your people will need fair and competent leaders, and you are one of those individuals."

I slowly reached down and gave Raptor a quick rub of his head and a scratch behind his ear. The dog walked alongside me as we moved to a holding room in a nearby building. The rebellion on Adicus had lasted all of two hours in the capital city. The entire planet had been easily overrun before the sun rose again on our location. It had been a well-organized revolution.

I asked Dotta if he could locate my partner, Jetta Squirrel. He offered that he could promise nothing but would give it a try.

The following afternoon, he returned. He stepped through a doorway as I stood from the bench on which I had been sitting.

Dotta said, "Your partner has not been found. I wish I could say she is OK. Much of that which surrounds us is still in chaos."

I nodded. "I thank you for your efforts, Dotta."

The Igari sergeant looked at the other security officers in the room. "Our new ruling council has offered asylum to any low-level security officers or any other officers that have been living on Adicus for more than three years. We will be in need of establishing our own security force, and the training they can offer will help immensely in that effort. We are serious about maintaining a fair and free society. I believe our ruling council to have the best interest of all at heart. This is our chance to prove what it means to be an Adican. You will each be given the opportunity to accept in a private interview."

"What is to happen to me?"

"At the moment, it looks like repatriation."

I sat down. "And what about my ship?"

"I believe you and any others who wish to leave will be allowed to do so. We control the portal gates on this end. Those who are to be repatriated will be allowed to pass through. We do not seek war, and the initial discussion about free and fair trade with the remaining New Alliance planets and colonies is already under way."

I moved my hand over to my side as if to rub Raptor on the head. "And what of the dog?"

"The dog will remain here. I cannot offer reasons why, only that it was decided."

Dotta began to turn away before stopping himself to speak. "I will continue to search for your partner. I hope for your well-being when you return to SS5, Knog. And your ship—it is likely that it will be given back to you. The security ships that were stationed here on Adicus will remain here. All others will be returned as a gesture of our desire to be neighbors and not enemies."

Dotta turned away, leaving me to contemplate what I would say should I return home. Joni Salton was missing. I had no idea if she was alive or dead. I feared, if she lived, that she would be discovered for who she really was, a member of the ruling family of Saltons.

Another week passed before the first security officers were allowed to leave. The portal gate was heavily guarded on each end, and the transfer went smoothly. The following week, the throughway of the ship garage had been cleared. Dotta paid me one final visit. He offered no news on the fate of Joni.

I boarded the _Daunte_ and taxied down the throughway onto the launching pad. I was soon rocketing skyward. The pale blue of the sky quickly turned to the blackness of space through my viewports. I was immediately swept back to SS5. A group of Harden Salton's personal security officers were standing by when I walked down the ramp-way.

I was hustled away to a conference room, where I endured two full days of questioning about what had happened and where Joni Salton now was. Word came down that Harden Salton was furious that his niece had been allowed to be captured.

Shortly afterward, the beatings began. I feigned injury and pain as the Humans worked me over with their rubber batons, never knowing that my tough hide made their efforts only slightly uncomfortable. After a week of repeated beatings and intense questioning, I was released to Chief Jamia and Captain Paq Wendell.

As we walked back to the chief's office, Paq said, "You really screwed up on this one, Knog. The Saltons are livid, and we're all going to take a hit for this."

"I apologize for any reprisals that come your way."

The chief held up her hand. "I don't want to hear about it. You're dead to me, Knog Beutcher. The goodwill created with the Saltons has all drained away, and we are now the pariahs of the security service. I've had serious thoughts of pulling some bleurgh out of the evidence locker and making myself no longer care."

I again replied, "I'm sorry, Chief. Things just spiraled out of control rapidly. I did my best to protect her. Circumstances prevented that."

The chief turned. "There is already talk of a trial. And I can tell you it will not go in your favor."

For the following week, I was confined to a desk and told to not talk to anyone. A kangaroo court was set up, and I was marched before a judge.

After a short trial that was all prosecutor, the judge said, "Mr. Beutcher, on the charge of gross negligence of duty, I find you guilty. On the charge of failing to protect the charge in your care, a Salton family member, I find you guilty. On the charge of failure to report the arms stored in the warehouse in a timely manner, I find you guilty.

"As to sentencing. You will be stripped of all stars, rewards, merit citations, and any other decoration. Your pension plan will be reset to having five years of service, a generous concession, I might add, and all other benefits will be reset to that five-year mark as well. The demotion and stripping of benefits will also be accompanied by a transfer.

"As part of your sentence for the criminal counts, you are being transferred to the Omega sector. Because of the training already invested in you, you will be given the title of associate inspection detective. You will be assigned to the security station SS241, where you will perform ship inspections for no less than ten years. Should you leave this service, or fail to perform to the best of your abilities, a warrant will be issued for your arrest. You have three days to get your affairs in order."

So, that was it. I was heading to exile in the Omega sector. It was a harsh sentence, but at least I was alive. I would not be given time to visit home to be with the wife and kids. I would have to disclose my failures to my wife over a comm call. I was full of dread. They would continue to do well under her supervision, I had no doubt, but with my new salary, I would not be able to contribute to paying the household expenses. I would barely be making enough to pay my own.

After an hour of boxing up my belongings in my quarters, I made my way down to Sam's to meet with Betty and Ogu.

Betty came out from behind the bar as I entered through the doorway. "Knog, this is so wrong! I can't believe they're sending their best to the end of the galaxy. Ten years!"

I gave Betty a long hug. "I would gladly have given my titles and taken exile in Omega if it would bring back Joni Salton."

Betty replied, "Has there been any word?"

Ogu joined us.

I shook my head. "When the Adicans offered asylum to the security forces, they decided that for it to work, they had to withhold all information on those individuals. They claim to have returned all the bodies of those who died, but I never saw a listing for Morris Brassel. He died in my arms, but no body was returned. I'm saddened they did not return his, but it leaves the possibility that Joni Salton is not dead."

Ogu said, "Is there any talk of a mission to attempt a rescue?"

I sat down on a stool. "They cannot. The Adicans would not allow it. As I'm sure you heard, when Adicus fell, Orwall, Cardello, and Zanus quickly followed. Half a dozen other colonies are on the brink of doing the same. The New Alliance members are pushing for a zero response in order to allow things time to quiet down. There is already talk of treaties with this new four-colony alliance. With Orwall, they could become very powerful in only a short period of time. The entire New Alliance is dependent on them for ion amplifiers."

"Well, my friend, should you find yourself in need, you will always have a home here. I cannot offer much more than a base wage, but it is there if you want it."

I placed my hand on his shoulder. "I appreciate the gesture, Ogu. I would not care to burden you and your family with my troubles should that need arise."

Betty began to speak, and I held up my hand. "I don't need the same offer from you either. You are my two dearest friends, and I would never want to be a burden. The gestures are appreciated, but please do not make any plans to accommodate my possible future needs. When my time is over in the Omega sector, I will return to my home. The daily beatings by my wife will be welcome."

Betty and Ogu laughed. The remainder of the afternoon was spent chatting about old times, the things we had done and seen. When I left Sam's, I glanced back one last time to see my friends standing in the doorway. I wondered if I would ever see them again.

I spent the next hour on the _Daunte_. The collection of my things was over in ten minutes. The remaining time was spent moping about the cabin and sitting in the pilot's chair. She was a good ship, a strong ship. With her upgrades, she would be unmatched for many years to come. I was told she would be placed into military service, as the security force had no need for such an armed and armored vessel.

As I walked down the ramp-way for the last time, I patted the deck plating with my hand. "Well, girl, I will certainly miss you. Six years we've been together. Wherever you go, I hope your captain treats you well and your duties are worthwhile."

I stepped onto the deck of Bay-17 and was confronted by an unexpected visitor.

Garrett Rourke, wearing a hooded robe, said, "Mr. Beutcher, I was there when Joni was taken. I was looking down from the fourth floor. They took her away, but I could not follow. I will find her. I will do everything I can to bring her home."

"I would gladly join you, but I've been exiled to the Omega sector. I leave in two days for a ten-year sentence."

Garrett nodded. "I'm aware of your troubles. I'm here today to let you know I will not give up on finding her."

I looked at the hood over Garrett's head. "I'm surprised they haven't banished you to there as well."

"They don't know where I am." Garrett smiled. "When Joni was taken away, I knew the fate you and I both would suffer. When the fighting had stopped, I returned to the location of my ship and slipped away. Since it never had a transponder, I didn't have to attempt to hide from anyone but the Saltons' personal security force. Before leaving the planet, I disabled the half dozen tracking devices they had on my ship. As far as they know, the ship was destroyed and I am dead."

"You saw her taken away. Was she alive?"

Garrett frowned. "She was limp. They moved her out of sight, and I could not risk going after her with the hostilities still under way. I come here today, Mr. Beutcher, seeking your help. I need assistance in formulating a plan so I can get back to Adicus to find out if she's still alive."

I offered a slow shake of my head. "I will be forty-two gate jumps away from this sector. What could I possibly do?"

Garrett looked around to check the doors. "Do you have resources here who might be able to help? I know you have been on SS5 for many years."

"I can give you two names. You must make absolutely certain they cannot be drawn into any scheme that would find them in trouble. They are good people and will assist you in any way they could, if I asked."

"At this time, I just need sound minds to help formulate a plan. I'll take all the necessary risks. And I would risk a minimum of contact with them. I need a team that can offer solid opinions."

I provided contact information for Betty and Ogu. I asked Garrett to relay to them they did not have to participate in any way; it would be their choice. I also asked they only involve themselves in an advisory role such as Garrett suggested he was in need of. This was my mess; I did not want them to pay a price for my mistakes.

Garrett quickly turned away as Paq Wendell came through the bay doors.

As Paq approached, he looked over at the retreating hooded figure. "Who was that?"

"Just someone asking for donations."

Paq looked back as the cloaked figure moved out into the hallway. "Well, what are they doing in here? This is a restricted area."

"I can't say, and I have to add that I don't much care. I'll be out of your hair shortly. The _Daunte_ has been emptied, I reset the captain's code with a random number from the security computers, and she is now yours to do with what you will."

Paq replied, "She is already going to some Admiral to be his personal cruiser. We won't be getting a replacement ship for her, so the other detectives will have to make up the slack. You left us in a lurch here, Knog. The chief is mad, the Saltons are mad, I've been given a substantial pay cut, and the unit is disgraced. I hope you can do the same for SS241. I would like for them to take back the crown of being the worst security station in the galaxy."

I shook my head. "I'm sure Omega will take care of its own reputation, Captain."

I held out my hand. "Anyway, I just wanted to thank you for the years you have been over me. You treat everyone in a fair manner and are otherwise a very agreeable person. The security service is better with you than without."

Paq Wendell frowned. "Well, thanks for screwing that up too. I came down here just to give you a rash of crap and to vent. Now you've taken that away from me with your comments. For what it's worth, you were our best detective until all the politics entered the picture. I know you did your best to protect the Salton girl, but I don't understand what you were doing down there on Adicus. Why would you take that risk?"

I explained the extra effort we were putting in to try to stop the rebellions. Rumors needed proof, and with our success at capturing the Orwallian ship of blaster tips, the politicos thought it was a good idea. Had the rebellion been planned for the following day, we would have stopped it, and escaped unharmed.

When my two days had passed I sent my four boxes of belongings through the portal gate by shipping courier. Neither the chief nor the captain was there to see me on my way. A junior detective had been sent to do the dirty work.

As I stepped through the SS5 portal, my afternoon of portal hops began. Nine hours, forty-two jumps, and thirty searches later, I emerged from the portal onto SS241. My ten years of exile had begun.

~~~~~

# What's Next

### _______________________

This Human is asking for your help! In return for that help I have a free science fiction ebook short story, titled "THE SQUAD", waiting for anyone who joins my email list. Also, find out when the next exciting release is available by joining the email list at comments@arsenex.com. If you enjoyed this book, please leave a review on the site where it was purchased. Visit the author's website at www.arsenex.com for links to this series and other works.

The following preview of the next book in the series is provided for your reading pleasure. I hope you enjoy!

Stephen

(Preview)

## OMEGA

(Vol. 2)

### Guardian

### _______________________

As I walked into the hallway surrounding the portal gate, I took note of the filthy, grimy walls and trash on the floors. The wall panels in every station I had ever been on were sparkling white and the floors sanitary. I looked around and also took note of the lack of travelers coming to Omega. Most gates had a small crowd gathered to move through them. I checked the time and saw it was 8:00 pm. universal time. A time when traveling would be at a peak. A single traveler walked past me carrying a duffel bag over his shoulder.

I was ordered to wait for someone from the security offices to pick me up. After two hours with no contacts, I found myself walking the halls and asking questions of passersby. With another hour of search, I was given the direction I required.

As I walked down the hallway to the security office, I stopped at the entrance doors. There, clearly marked on a glass pane, was the standard New Alliance security emblem. The door itself was not on its hinges, but instead stood leaning against the hallway wall. The other door, which remained hung, had a crack in the glass that ran from the top left to the bottom right.

I walked into the offices and after asking for the captain, was pointed toward a far door with stacks of paper lining either side. As I stood at the office entrance, I knocked on the door.

A grumbling, five-hundred-kilogram Gragorian looked up from behind his desk. "What do you need?"

"I'm your new detective, Knog Beutcher."

Gragorians had four arms. And their large, blubbery torsos were topped with a pointy, round head that sloped downward into their massive upper bodies.

The captain nodded. "Yeah, you're Butcher, right? Have a seat. I'll be with you in a minute."

The captain held a lit stogie in his upper right hand as his upper left hand scratched the side of his head. His two lower arms were in use, trolling through a stack of documents on his desk.

"What's with all the papers, Captain?"

The Gragorian looked up with a scowl. "It's my job, that's what it is, a never-ending stream of processed pulp being shoved onto my desk. Every station in the galaxy has equipment for computerized records. In Omega, we get whatever's left. And in the last ten years, even less. Baxter out there is the only one with a working computer, and that's because he salvaged his own parts."

He nodded toward the outer office. "You'll learn a couple of things quickly around here, Butcher: nobody is going to help you with your work, and this ain't paradise. Hahahaha!"

The detective captain took a puff from his stogie. "My name is Rexigal Hollif. Nobody calls me Captain, just Rex. You will decide on your own assignments, and it's your job to carry them out. I only care about one thing. If you bring in a report, I want to sign it and throw it on one of these stacks. If I have to read it, I'm going to be mad. If someone comes in here questioning it, I'm going to be mad. If anything at all comes up about that report that requires my attention, other than me signing it, I'm going to be mad."

Rex stopped writing and placed his two lower hands palm down on the desktop. His upper left hand took the stogie while his upper right began to scratch the other side of his head.

"So, tell me what you've learned so far, Butcher."

I looked around the room at the stacks of papers. "That you're going to be mad?"

The captain hesitated, then bellowed out a laugh as he pointed at me with his non-stogie hand. "Why is it they keep sending me the smart-ass ones? Well, welcome to the garbage pit of the galaxy, Butcher. If you want to wait out there by that desk for a couple of hours, Meli will be in. She can set you up with a station. When you're settled at your desk, she can give you directions to your ship. When you get back from checking that out, you're ready for your first case."

I raised my hand. "First case? You don't have any training for new officers? Something to show us the sector and what we can expect out there?"

The Captain again bellowed, "Training? Hahahaha! You're a riot, Butcher. Look, when you get your ship, it comes with a maintenance attendant. If you need your hand held, he or she can show you the ropes. Now, get out of my office before I get mad... hahahaha!"

I sat in the chair by Meli's desk for three hours before she came strolling in. She looked like someone had taken a Human clown circus and fused it together with a Rappelon fashion show. Everything was shining and sparkly. Her wide lips were painted a bright red, and her high heels were covered with flashing iridescent lights. She was a Magonia, a common species in the Omega sector. They were not the brightest of species on the intelligence scale, but they very much liked to be noticed.

Meli sat in her chair and turned my way. "You must be the new guy. I've got a sharp eye; I can tell these things. Let's see here, it says you come all the way from Alpha. Wow! Who did you kill to get sent here?"

Meli began to laugh with a snicker that turned into an all-out snort. "OK. That desk over in the corner, it used to belong to Hal Boban. Hal won't be needing it anymore, so that one will be yours. If you want to clean it up, that's up to you. None of his reports were complete, so the captain just says to pitch them. I figured I'd leave that for you if you're so inclined.

"After you get settled, come see me again, and I'll take you down to Bay-68. That's where the other four detectives can be found when they're here on station.

"Your maintenance guy is Gomelander; everyone calls him Go. Hal always had good things to say about him, other than always calling him a moron. Come to think about it, I don't think Hal really liked anyone, so the kid must have done something right. If you need to know where anything is, just ask Go.

"Now, on to your quarters. Your housing is on level 99, hall F, room 17. That's a bad draw. Level 99 does not have the best of crowds. I wouldn't walk around with my credit store visible if I were you. I personally know several people who've been robbed down there. Probably why most of the detectives just sleep on their ships.

"If you have any further questions, then don't ask the captain; he gets mad. And don't ask me because I don't care, and it's not my job to care. You five detectives work out your own schedules. When you're done with an assignment and ready to give a report to the captain, make sure all he has to do is sign it. Go tend to your desk, and when you're ready, I'll take you down to Bay-68."

The desk in the corner was stacked high with papers. I wondered if it was just the dumping ground for anyone who didn't want to walk down the hall to the recycling chute. I scoured the office for a cart with wheels and was soon making repeated trips to the chute. Fifteen minutes into my effort, Meli stood and walked out of the office.

An hour passed before I had the top of the desk in order, a second hour before the drawers and surrounding shelves had been emptied and dusted. I was delighted to see that my desk came with a lock and a key. I again scoured the office, this time in search of supplies. After not finding any, I turned to the old tried-and-true method of office pilfering. When I was satisfied with my haul, I closed and locked my desk. Meli was nowhere to be found.

Under my own initiative, I wandered out into the hallway. After asking numerous personnel who seemed to be aimlessly walking about, I received directions to Bay-68. The detective offices were on level 16. The elevator only made it down to level 54 before mechanical issues prevented it from going further. I descended the remaining fourteen flights on foot.

When I entered Bay-68, I was taken aback by the scattered ship parts and greasy floors. The blue arc from a welder sparked brightly as a maintainer worked on a ship. Three ships were in the bay. Two Human men sat in lounge chairs beside two of the ships. The maintainer worked on the third.

I walked over to the two men. They seemed disinterested.

As I came to stop beside one of them, I said, "Can I guess you're a detective?"

The man looked up from the electronic magazine article he was reading. "What the? Hey, Gerald! Get a load of this guy! What are you supposed to be? I thought dinosaurs went extinct back on Earth millions of years ago. Hahahaha!"

Gerald looked up from his afternoon nap, grunted, and pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"I'm the new detective, Knog Beutcher. And if you were curious as to my species, I'm a Grunta."

The man looked up. "Grunta? Whatever. And I think that's junior detective, isn't it? You have to earn your rank around here if you want to be called a full detective."

"Is that ship over there mine? Is that Go?"

The man looked over at the maintainer and yelled, "Roger! Hey, Roger!"

When the maintainer turned to look back, the man I was standing over made a sawing motion with his hand under his chin. The man turned to move away from the ship just as another maintainer came through the hallway door.

The second, younger man yelled, "Hey! What are you doing! Thief! Get away from there!"

The man in the chair beside me snickered. "Yeah, that's your ship over there. And that noobie carrying the bag with the squeaky voice, that's Go, your maintainer. Good luck with that moron."

I walked over to Go as he looked over the damage the other maintainer had done. "Jerk was trying to steal our wing modulator!"

"Wing modulator?"

Go nodded. "Yeah, it's a piece of gear I added that will help absorb small blaster fire. There are a lot of illegal small arms out there and a lot of crews who'll shoot at your ship if you get on their bad side. I don't like patching blaster holes, so I came up with the modulator. That jerk Roger will rob you blind if you turn your back."

I pointed at the man in the chair. "Who's the detective I was talking with?"

Go sighed. "That's Malcom Barber. He's a waste of oxygen. He does nothing all day, rarely takes his ship out, and when he does, he always comes back flush with credits. I think he shakes down the legitimate captains out there. Most will give up a hundred credits without argument to avoid being harassed. The other one is Gerald. He leaves and comes back but never talks much. I don't think he's turned in a report in two months. He mostly just sleeps.

"The other two who aren't here are Carter and Boglio. Boglio is a Magonia. You met Meli. Boglio's the male version of her. All flash and no dash. Carter seems to be about the only normal guy out here. He minds his own business and turns in at least one report a week, and his maintainer, Elissa, well, she's kind of hot."

"Hot?"

Go nodded. "Yeah, well, you know, Human hot, cute, attractive. I don't know what she's doing out here working on ships. I would have thought some rich guy would have grabbed her up. I think she comes from a rich family too. Whatever, I like having her around to look at. And she treats me nice, so, she's hot."

Go walked over to the hatch on the side of the ship. "Want to see her? I call her _Mabel_ , but you can call her whatever you want, since she's your ship."

Go popped open the hatch and pulled it to the side. "There you go!"

I stepped in and immediately noticed the low ceiling. It was a full meter shorter than the one on the _Daunte_ and a half meter short of its new captain's height. I bent over as I stepped up into the cabin.

Go followed. "This is your bunk on the left. Your galley is here on the right. Your restroom and holding cell are here in the back. I mounted this fold-down guest chair in case you ever wanted to take someone else along. And there is your captain's chair. I'm told that seat is real Earth leather. I couldn't say for sure, but it's real comfortable to sit in."

I pointed to the console in front of the pilot's chair. "Do you have an understanding of all the dials, gauges, and meters in this ship? I'm used to a consolidated view on a holo-display."

Go smiled. "Yep, I'm the maintainer; I have to know what everything is and what it does, if I want to be able to fix it. You said your last ship had holo-displays? Wow. I think we're about five hundred years behind Alpha sector out here. Alpha, that's where you came from, right?"

I nodded. "My ship was about three times the size of this one. I could stand up fully inside her. You would board her from a ramp-way beneath. She had two holding cells that were as big as this cabin. The restroom was separate. And there were two bunk rooms."

Malcom spoke up from behind us. "Kid, don't let the dino jerk you around. Captain said this is what all the detectives in the Alliance fly. They may get newer parts in Alpha, but they aren't any better than we are."

I turned toward Malcom with an irritated stare. He held up his hand as he backed out of the ship.

I looked to Go. "I think _Mabel_ suits her. If you like _Mabel_ , we'll keep it."

Go's eyes got big. "Really? You like it?"

"I think she looks like a _Mabel,_ and she feels like a _Mabel_."

Go stuck his head out of the hatch as Malcom walked away. "Ha! It's _Mabel_! He likes _Mabel_!"

Malcom looked back as he walked. "That's because he's a dinosaur! Oh man... I crack myself up."

As Go turned back, I said, "Is she ready to fly?"

"Absolutely. That's my job, to keep her ready to go whenever you need her."

I sat and leaned back in the pilot's chair, reaching over to unfold the extra seat Go had mounted to the wall. "Let's go for a ride, then."

Go stared at the chair. "Really? I get to go?"

"Well, seeing as how I don't yet know how to fly this thing, yes."

I looked at the controls that spanned from the near left to the far right across the console. The graphic display in front of me showed several lists. I had no idea of where to begin. Powering up and launching the _Daunte_ was almost completely automated.

I looked down at the open floor space beside my chair. There were four bolt holes where I would have presumed a copilot's chair would have been.

I pointed down at the floor. "Did that used to have a chair bolted down there?"

Go replied, "Yeah, Hal wanted it removed; he usually had a little refrigerator there instead. I think Roger broke in and stole the fridge a few weeks ago. It's probably on Malcom's ship right now, but I can't see in there to verify it."

I turned back to Go. "Do you still have the chair?"

Go shook his head. "Malcom's sitting in it."

I nodded as I stood up and hunched over. "Let's go get our chair back."

Go leaped up, giddy with excitement. "I sure am happy to be your maintainer, Mr. Beutcher. I think things are finally looking up around here!"

I walked over and stood next to Malcom with Go eagerly standing behind me, sporting a big grin. "Mr. Barber. I believe you're sitting in my chair. I would like it back now."

Malcom replied as he looked at his magazine, "It wasn't bolted down. Rules of the bay say that makes it fair game for whoever can put it to use. And as you can see, I'm using it!"

Go reacted. "That's our chair, get out of it!"

I turned back to face Go. He went silent.

When I returned my gaze to Malcom, he continued to swipe through his magazine.

"I'm asking you to please get out of my chair."

Malcom shrugged. "Hmm."

I leaned in close to his head and let out a low growl. "I want my chair. Either you get out of it now, or I pull you out by your head."

Malcom showed a sudden nervousness. He stood and held out his magazine in a 'take it' gesture. I picked up the heavy leather-and-steel chair with one hand and turned back toward the _Mabel_. Go was beside himself.

As I walked away, Malcom said, "I should report you for threatening me!"

I laughed. "I'm sure the captain will want to hear all about that. You should go up and tell him right now."

Malcom turned toward Gerald. "Gerald, did you see that? The dinosaur took my chair!"

Gerald glanced up, chuckled, and pushed his hat back over his eyes.

I carried the chair into the cockpit. "How long to get this bolted in?"

Go replied as he headed for his tools, "Give me three minutes."

The scrawny Human was in and out of the cockpit several times in the three minutes he had budgeted. On his third trip, the lights on the chair arm lit up and the console recognized the copilot's controls.

Go smiled. "All set!"

I pointed back. "Button up that hatch, and let's take her out."

We soon lifted off the deck. Go walked me through the steps for exiting the gravity wall into free space beyond.

I asked, "We don't have to file flight plans? And what of portal sweeps? Do we call them in if we have the coordinates?"

Go laughed. "Portal sweeps? You're dreaming; we haven't had those in fifteen years. Something was broken when the AMP was in charge, and no one out here could fix it. If we want to actually go somewhere, we have to actually go there, I mean fly there the whole way."

I pushed the throttle to full and was surprised by the acceleration of the old ship. _Mabel_ , for a rusty barge, still had some guts left in her.

After an hour of tutorial, I brought the ship to a stop. "Should we do an inspection?"

Go replied, "What? Now? I don't know, I've never been out here for one of those."

I laughed. "Well, I think it's time you saw how the professionals do it. Pull up the nav display and pick out a vessel."

Go eagerly complied. "How about this tug? He's not even hauling anything. That should be simple, right?"

"Tug it is. Set us a course for intercept, and we'll see what she's hauling."

Fifteen minutes later, we were pulling alongside the space tug. "Captain of tug WXM44788A. This is Detective Beutcher of the New Alliance security force. You have been selected for a random inspection. Under the shipping laws of the New Alliance, I am ordering you to a full stop for the undertaking of that inspection."

Several seconds passed before a response came back. "What? Who is this? I'm not even hauling anything."

"Captain, come to a full stop, or I will be forced to shut down your core."

Several more seconds passed before the tug began to slow. I pulled the _Mabel_ alongside and connected with a universal docking collar. I crossed through the docking tube with Go close behind.

The captain was standing in a small cabin area with his arms crossed. "What's the meaning of this? I paid my shipping dues to the security force last week."

I looked at the captain. "I apologize if some misguided detective has been shaking you down, Captain. I am only here to inspect your tug. Now, may I have a copy of your manifest logs?"

The captain laughed. "Manifest logs? I don't think I've had manifest logs in a dozen years. Nobody requires them, so nobody carries them. You've got to be new to the force."

I shook my head. "Forty-plus years, Captain. Only those years were in a sector where the rules were generally followed. I'm not sure there are any rules out here."

"You want rules? You cross the slavers and you'll see what the rules are out here. Take that as a warning. They will kill you dead if you mess with their business."

"I'll keep that in mind, Captain. The design of this tug shows two sets of storage lockers and a bilge tub. If you can show me to each of those, we'll try to get this over with and get you on your way."

The captain complied. The locker searches turned up clean. "This is the bilge tub. I don't think you're getting in there, though. I don't know why anyone would want to, but it's rusted shut."

I inspected the leaky seal. The captain was right. The bilge tub had probably been rusted shut for as long as he had been flying the tug. After signing a log, I thanked the captain for his time and moved back through the docking tube.

As we pulled away from the tug, I said, "That was a standard inspection. Shorter than most, but largely the same. When we get back, I'll write up the report and list you as an attendee."

Go was all smiles on the return trip to Bay-68. When the _Mabel_ set down on the deck, the detective named Carter was standing just outside of his ship with his maintainer.

I walked over and introduced myself. "Mr. Carter, Knog Beutcher. I'm the new detective."

Carter continued to look at whatever his maintainer was doing. "Yeah, whatever, congratulations or condolences, take your pick."

I continued, "I wanted to ask you a few questions, if you don't mind. I just had a tug captain warn me about the slavers. Is that something I should be worried about?"

Tom Carter turned around with an agitated look on his face that quickly turned to surprise. "Look, I...whoa, hello? Nobody said the new guy would be Grunta."

"I'm sorry if I startled you, Mr. Carter. Now, can you tell me anything about the slavers?"

Tom Carter puffed up his chest. "Hey, nobody was startled here. I just wasn't expecting a Grunta. And as for your slavers question, yeah, you don't want to mess with those people. I think they have ties going up to the station Governor, so you cause them problems and you're going to disappear, and no one will care.

"And stay away from the Dallex colony and any ship heading to or from there. I hear that's where they do most of their trading. If a ship's registered for a Dallex pickup or drop-off, you're going to want to steer clear of it."

"I appreciate your candid response, Mr. Carter. I'm sure I'll have further questions for you from time to time."

Tom Carter nodded as he turned back to his ship. "Sure, no problem."

As I began to turn away, Carter looked back for one last word. "Oh, and if you ask anything at all of Malcom, he's probably lying to you, hoping you'll screw something up. He's one of those guys that thinks bringing others down somehow boosts him up. You're best off just not dealing with him at all if you can."

I nodded. "Thanks for the information, Mr. Carter. I'll keep that in mind."

As I walked past Gerald in his chair, he said, "I heard you asking about slavers. Let me just tell you they are bad news. Detective Hal, the guy you took over for, got his throat slit by them because they thought he was nosing around. Hal didn't want anything to do with them. I think he butted heads with Malcom one too many times, and Malcom set him up. Just watch yourself around Malcom. He plays dirty."

~~~~~

Once again, this Human is asking for your help! If you enjoyed the book, please leave a review on the site where it was purchased or downloaded. And by all means, please tell your friends! Any help with spreading the word is highly appreciated!

Also, I have a free science fiction eBook short story, titled "THE SQUAD", waiting for anyone who joins my email list! By joining, also find out when the next exciting release is available. Join at comments@arsenex.com. Visit the author's website at www.arsenex.com for links to this series and other works!

Take care and have a great day!

Stephen
