“That I, a funny little gesticulating animal on two legs, should stand beneath the stars and declaim in a passion about my rights – it seems so laughable, so out of all proportion.”

–Bertrand Russell

“All right, let’s set the monitors up over by the door.”

Naskia grabbed a couple suitcases and carried them toward the doorway.

“The door? Doc, you’ve got no damn tactical sense. Put them in the dining area, away from the door. That gives us a chance if our perimeter’s breached.”

Naskia paused, sighed, and began moving toward the small dining area in the suite.

“Tactical sense or not, I know that we need a Sigmat-5000 port, and there isn’t one in the dining room. There is one by the door. Petal, set up there.”

“Belay that, buttercup. Doc, I hate to pull rank, but as Secretary of Defense for Avalon, I think it’s my call. We can run cable or somethin’.”

Naskia set down the suitcases, and rubbed her temples.

“It doesn’t really matter what your rank is, I’m neither Avalonian nor in the military.”

“You know,” Naskia said, “If you guys want ….”

“Look, Doc, I appreciate your being here, but we need a clear chain of command.”

“I wasn’t aware this was a military operation. It seems to me that we need technical knowhow more than the understanding of how to blow things up. I would suggest that perhaps….”

Niall did not finish the sentence. He found himself instead rising rather rapidly upward, as did Darren; his field of vision quickly spun, as Naskia turned the two men she held to face her.

“Boys,” she said. “It seems to me that the woman who’s actually doing all the manual labor here is probably the one who’s in charge. Unless you’d like to try to set up headquarters by yourselves. Which is fine by me. Otherwise, stop bickering! Niall, eyes front.”

Niall drew his gaze upward.

“Now apologize to Darren.”

“Sorry,” Niall mumbled.

“Darren, apologize to Niall.”

“I’ll do no such….”

“Darren!” a voice called from below. “Say you’re sorry.”

Darren looked down at Lysis, who was staring up at him with a highly amused expression. “Sorry, Doc. Sorry, buttercup. We’ll play nice.”

“Good,” Naskia said. “Thanks for the backup, Lysis.”

“Any time. They’re worse than the kids.”

Naskia set the two men on the ground, and muttered she was going to go set up in the bedroom, which any sensible person would have realized immediately was the right place to do so; Darren took the opportunity to talk to Lysis.

“Now, y’all know to come back safe.”

“Of course I’m coming back safe. I’m not leaving you to raise our children.”

“Aw, hell, we only got four. That ain’t hard.”

“We have six.”

“George and Ike can take care of themselves,” Darren said, pulling her close, and kissing her. When they broke, he said quietly, “The kids’ll be fine. The grandkids’ll be fine. I won’t. Come back safe.”

“I will,” Lysis said. “As long as you stay safe too.”

“I’ll do as good as you’ll do, Lys,” Darren said with a grin.

“Well then, I’m glad Pryvani agreed to take care of them in case anything happened to us,” Lysis chuckled.

“What did my wife agree to?” Zhan asked, checking his weapons one last time.

“Nothing. Take our youngest kids if Darren and I both buy it.”

“Oh, right. Yeah, try not to buy it,” Zhan said. “Amelia is too much like her dad.”

“Don’t I know it,” Darren and Lysis said simultaneously.

“Don’t worry, though,” added Lysis. “Odds are if I buy it, you do too.”

“Hey! That’s a load off. Rixie, you ready?”

“I am,” Rixie said. “Sorcha just texted, she made the drop, by the way.”

“Good,” said Darren. “That should get everyone nice and riled up. Lysis, Zhan, get into position.”

The two walked over to Rixie, one on each side of her; the boots she wore both had hidden compartments, just the right size for a human. “You need any help?” she called down.

“No, easy enough,” said Zhan, as he pulled himself into the musty leather compartment. Turning on his short-range communicator, he added, “Check, Zhan, in position.”

“Check, Lysis, in position. Rixie, love you, but any reason we needed the mesh backing? I didn’t really need easy access to see what’s going on inside your boot.”

“Check, Alex, sorry guys, that was my request to Tapp when she was designing them. Seemed like a good idea at the time.”

“Ah. You haven’t spent much time in here, have you?”

“Um…kinda the contrary, Lysis. It’s not too bad.”

“Check, Rixie, if you’re all finished complaining about the way my feet smell, can we head on out?”

“I’ve been quiet about it.”

“Yes, well unlike those two, Zhan, you have manners. Mr. Secretary?”

“Good hunting, Rixie,” Darren said. “Now, buttercup, are you sure that – oh, okay, yup, you’re sure.”

* * *

“So that’s where we are, sir,” said Kir, as he motioned for the Navarchos to enter the command center. “We have no reason to believe the humans made it into the base….”

“Correction, Centurium. We have every reason to believe the humans made it onto the base. Your search team has seen no signs of them anywhere else on this rock; even this much later, even in therm suits, even dead they’d be radiating so much heat we’d spot them from a kilounit away.”

“But how would they get in?”

“How many airlocks were activated just yesterday on the west side? If it’s at least one, they could have made it on base.”

Kir sighed. It was bad enough he’d been asked to transfer command of the base to Navarchos Bass, but since his shuttle had landed two cycles ago, Aertimus had been casually going through all the mistakes that had been made over the last couple of days. Kir feared that he would be lucky to survive this with his job.

“Don’t feel too bad,” Aerti said. “They’re smarter than we give them credit for. A lot smarter. And they’re driven. If, say, Opito Starati was being held captive somewhere, what wouldn’t you do to try to rescue her?”

“Humans don’t have the same drive to protect that we do, though,” Kir said.

“That’s true,” Aertimus said. “But that doesn’t mean they love any less, or care any less deeply. They show it slightly differently, but believe me, I’ve known enough humans to know that they’re no less willing to jump in front of a blaster than you or I. Major Nejem has told you that this will draw her comrades in; I tend to agree with her.”

“You sound like you disagree with the Navarchos Imperii.”

“I have my orders,” Bass said, not quite disagreeing with Kir. “I’ll carry them out. But we need to carry them out wisely. If the humans are on base, we need to get them secured as much for their own safety as ours. They are dealing with a base with completely different tech than they’re acquainted with; that doesn’t mean they can’t break it, though. And frankly, I’m worried about the reaction of the rank and file if they catch a human. We’ve moved to single-black; everyone’s on edge. We do not want this to spiral out of control – at least, any further out of control than it is.”

“All right. I’ll have station security begin sweeps for humans.”

“Any currently registered on base? Other than Major Nejem?”

“Let’s see…fourteen pets. One in the pet shop – unfrozen, bred on Archavia. All papers up to date for them. Then two checked in from a ship that landed needing repairs – they were en route to Myxar. Got their registration here somewhere,” he said, flipping through his pad, and then froze. “Oh, you’re kidding me.”

“Centurium?”

Kir flipped around the pad, displaying the registry of a pet named Alex. Aerty looked back, and shook his head, a bemused smile on his face. “Okay,” he said, spinning it and turning it back to Kir. “Good to know. Well. I should get a move on.”

“What about….”

“We’re going to assume it’s a coincidence, even though it obviously is not. But if you should happen to run into her….”

“Yes, sir.”

“I’m going to go meet with Major Nejem. I’d like Dr. Geen to look her over.”

“She’s in very good shape. The vet….”

“Is a vet. Dr. Geen is taking a leave from the Gyfjon at the end of the year to take over as the Commissioner of Medicine for the Dunnermac Science Council. He’s got twenty years’ experience treating humans. I want Dr. Geen to look her over.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Kir, this is going to go easier if you don’t fight me,” Aerti said. “Really. I don’t blame you for this debacle. My goal is to help you secure the situation and turn things back over to you as quickly as possible. Helping me do that helps my report state that you’d done as well as you could before I got here. Do you understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good. Dr. Geen will meet us at the holding area. Come on,” he said, getting up from the desk.

He paused as the communicator chimed. “Navarchos Bass? Navarchos Imperii Solis for you.”

“Send him through,” Aerti said, sitting back down. “Navarchos Solis! Good to hear from you.”

“Navarchos Bass. Centurium Oden. Good morning. I received your report that you’ve moved your flag; it is acknowledged, Navarchos.”

“Thank you, sir. I was just getting ready to have Dr. Geen look at the detainee, ensure she’s in good condition; if you ask me to move her, I want to be sure she’s ready to move.”

“Good. I assume that you feel, as I do, that we must assume the humans are on the station? At least a few of them?”

“Aye, sir.”

“Good. I fear that allowing the humans to freely operate has allowed us to lose full control of the situation. Perhaps it is my fault; I should have taken a harder line sooner. No matter. Navarchos Bass, we have given the humans plenty of time to depart. I want you to take down their ship.”

“Sir?” Aerti said, leaning forward.

“Take it down. Bring it aboard if you can, and if they show even the slightest resistance, blow it out of the sky. The longer we allow the humans to operate that vessel, the greater the chance of something going wrong. Understood?”

Aerti tried not to let his feelings show. “Aye, sir.”

“Excellent. Oh, and Aertimus – no need to warn them. We’ve given them enough warning.”

“Aye, sir. Titan Station actual out.”

Aertimus leaned back, and sighed.

“All right,” he said, after a long wait. “I’ll be back within the hour.”

“Aren’t you going to tell the Gyfjon to take their ship down?”

“One hour, Kir,” Aertimus said, sharply. “I want to have a plan in place before we go after them. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dismissed,” he said, and he headed out at a quickmarch. He needed to talk to someone before he called Solis back. For he couldn’t do this.

He couldn’t shoot their vessel down. At some point, he really did need to resign his commission in disgust.

But that was not a decision he could make on his own.

* * *

“I like the Dunnermacs,” Alesia said, doing a cartwheel on the table in the market. “They’re always so calm. Unlike some people I know.”

“Pretty cheeky for a pet,” Sorcha said, smiling. “Still, you show promise. I never knew you could walk on your hands. Maybe we should have you dressed in something other than a handmade tank dress, though.”

“When we were kids, I’d do this naked,” Lessy said, flipping over. She grinned. “You know us humans. No shame.”

“Right. You want some of this?” she said, offering a bit of a ground meat sandwich to her friend. “It’s greasy, but good.”

“Letting your human eat off your plate? Not very responsible of you. You’re gonna spoil me, master.”

“That’s ‘mistress,’ Lessy, and we’d probably better dumb down your side of the conversation.”

Alesia sighed. “You’re right, mistress. Just hard. Harder than I thought.”

“Why?”

“I don’t get to show off at the end,” Alesia said, taking care to eat messily, and keep her speech monosyllabic.

“Oh, I get it. No ‘big reveal,’ where you show everyone what you really can do, right?”

“Right. Just me. Being your pet.”

Sorcha smiled at her friend. “You’re a lousy pet, you know. Nothing but trouble.”

“That’s not nice to say to her!”

Sorcha looked over her shoulder; a young cadet, obviously in her first or second year at the academy, was standing with her hands on her hips.

“I wasn’t being serious,” Sorcha said. “I tease Lessy a bit, but I love her to pieces. Don’t I, Lessy?”

“She does!” Alesia said, comically pulling on meat so hard she fell back, landing on her backside. “Owie! Sorcha!”

“Careful, Lessy!” Sorcha giggled. “Here, pull yourself up. There’s a good girl. You like the sandwich?”

“It’s yummy.”

“How long have you had her?” asked the cadet, who was grinning.

“Oh…what, four years now? My mom bought her for me when I was in high school. She was so cute back then! Just a little girl. Now she’s all grown up, aren’t you?”

“I am!” Lessy said. “But not as big as you.”

“No, Lessy, but very big anyhow!”

“Sorry,” the cadet said. “I just hate when people are mean to humans. Poor things, if people get one, they really need to treat them well. Like family. You know – they’re like your kids, almost.”

“Exactly,” said Sorcha, as Lessy pretended to curl up in the shadow of the sandwich to try to nap. “I don’t know how you could be cruel to a human. I’m Sorcha, by the way.”

“Svenna Botlan,” the cadet said, shaking Sorcha’s wrist.

“You want to grab a chair?”

“Just for a second. I have to go train in a minute. With the Navarchos on the station, the schedule’s all crazy.”

“Navarchos? Really? I hadn’t heard. Our ship just put down for repairs yesterday.”

“Oh, you were on the Galatea? Do you work for Pryvani Tarsuss?”

“Word gets around! I’m just an intern. I’ve met her, like, twice.”

“Is she as weird as she acts in public?”

“You would not believe what Sen. Tarsuss is like in private. But that Navarchos – I thought Titan Station didn’t have a flag officer?”

“Not usually, but I guess it has something to do with…um, sorry…I guess that’s not something I can tell you.”

“Military secrets?”

“I guess. Seems silly to me. But I’m just a cadet.”

“Know the feeling. There’s all sorts of stuff I can’t tell you that I’ve heard about Ms. Tarsuss. Most it is just silly.”

“Exactly! Anyhow, I love your human. She’s adorable.”

“Thanks! She thinks so.”

“It’s nice to see her so comfortable with you,” Svenna said. “I always feel so bad – yesterday, I saw two stray humans. Tried to catch up to them, but they’re slippery, you know.”

“I do. Try catching her for a bath.”

“Bath?!”

“Shh…no bath, Lessy. Go to sleep.”

“Well, I mean, they almost had to end up in the market somewhere, but who knows where. I just wish I’d been able to grab them. I know, they were probably scared, but I just wanted to take them home, get them a hot bath and some food, and let them rest. You know? Give them the love they deserve.”

“I know,” Sorcha said, absently running a finger over Lessy’s hair.

“Well, I’d better go. This isn’t the day to be late,” the cadet said, getting up. “Like Navarchos Bass is going to be personally inspecting the environmental controls.”

“Right,” said Sorcha, taking a bite of her sandwich, then almost choking on it. “I’m sorry – did you say Navarchos Bass?”

“Yeah! He’s taking command for a few days, I guess. Anyhow, if you’re stuck on the station for a few days, give me a call. I’d love to see little Lessy again!”

“An’ I wanna see Svenena again!” Lessy said, looking up at Sorcha, who was paler than usual. She needed her friend to focus.

“Um…absolutely!” Sorcha said, turning and smiling. “I’ll see whether they need me tonight, and if not, I’ll call! Regular comms, right?”

“Right!” Svenna said. “Have fun on the station!”

Sorcha looked down at Alesia, eyes saucer-sized.

“Headquarters, Sorcha,” she murmured after a long while. “We have a situation.”

* * *

“Hey, Rixie.”

Rixie turned toward the familiar voice. She was surprised it had taken this long for him to track her down.

“Well, well,” she said with a grin. “Centurium Oden. Long time.”

Rixie pulled him in for a gentle hug, taking care not to have it impact Alex. “So how are things?” she asked, innocently.

“Busy,” Kir said. “Can’t talk for long, unfortunately. Sorry about the deposit, by the way – I didn’t realize it was you.”

“And why would you?” Rixie said, aware that two humans had just successfully departed from her shoes. “Not a big deal, it took some doing, but it was just a matter of getting Pryvani’s attention.”

Kir nodded. “So I saw you were headed out to Myxar?”

“Yeah,” Rixie lied. “Can’t tell you exactly why.”

“Suppose so,” Kir said. “I imagine half of your job is keeping Pryvani Tarsuss’s secrets.”

“Half? I wish it was only half. Anyhow, long story short, Pryvani has some reason to be concerned, so she’s sending Nas Freeman out to look at their comms.”

Kir chuckled. “Pays to be rich, doesn’t it?”

“Yup. Why send a tech when you can send the designer? Anyhow, wouldn’t be shocked if our ship’s problem is due to tampering – like I said, there are some things going on. If your guys find it, will you let me know?”

“Of course,” Kir said, with a smile.

“So what has you all frazzled?” she asked, innocently.

“Oh…you know. The usual. Can’t tell you exactly what,” he said.

“Yeah, I remember how those usually go. Good luck,” she said. “You’ll probably need it.”

“You too,” Kir said, with a grin. He wasn’t falling for her act, not for a second. But Rixie was a very old friend, and if Pryvani Tarsuss wanted to have someone on Titan Station for some reason, he wasn’t going to be the one to get in her way. Especially as he knew Rixie would play it by the rules. Well, at least enough that he could ignore when she didn’t.

“Great. Anyhow, know you’re busy – but if you want to catch a drink tonight, let me know,” Rixie said.

“Sounds good, Rixie,” Kir said, patting her on the shoulder. He headed off toward his office, when his pad chimed. He looked at it, and raised his eyebrows.

* * *

“I can’t do it, Eyrn. I won’t.”

Eyrn leaned back in her chair in the cramped flag stateroom, watching her husband pace back and forth, back and forth. She’d witnessed her husband make it through dozens of crises with complete sangfroid.

Aertimus got frustrated. Angry. Annoyed. But worried? Never.

“You’re going to have to stop,” Eyrn said.

“That’s what I think, I have to quit.”

“No,” Eyrn said, sharply, “stop pacing. Aerti, it sucks, but if you quit, what happens?”

“Well,” he said, “Kir would take command of the station, Lemm would probably get the fleet for now….”

“And would they be in any better position to make this not happen than you would?”

“Probably worse. Solis would send a new flag out as quickly as possible.”

“Exactly,” Eyrn said, finally standing up and physically stopping him, turning his shoulders to face hers. “Aerti, as long as you’re an officer, you can influence things. You quit, even when you have every right to – and you do, I know that – and you’re just giving Solis a clear path to do what he wants to do anyhow.”

Aertimus looked past Eyrn. “I know. But I can’t order Lauryna to shoot down an unarmed craft full of explorers. That’s an unlawful order. It’s monstrous. If I don’t resign….”

“…then you have to find a way to make that order lawful. To do just enough to keep Solis off your back without destroying any chance for a sane future. You said this to me yourself, Aerti, two days ago. It’s no less true now.”

Aertimus hugged his wife tightly. “I can’t help thinking what Nas would say, or Niall, or Sorcha. And I may find out very soon.”

“When they find out, they’ll understand. You can explain it when you see them next.”

“Well, that could be tonight. They’re on the station.”

“What?”

“Pryvani’s too good. I hoped she’d read between the lines of the warning, and try to talk to people in the government. She must’ve decided to send people here to get intel.”

“What…what are you going to do?”

“What can I do? At some point after we take down the Lem, they’re going to become a pain in my arse, and at that point, given we’re at black alert, I’ll have no choice.”

Eyrn groaned. “Oh, honey. Sorcha is not gonna take that well.”

“Sorcha? I’m worried about Naskia.”

“Sorcha’s got a better left jab.” Eyrn smiled sadly. “Aerti, you don’t have a choice. No matter how bad things get, I’ll stand with you. But if you quit now, you’re condemning the people on the Lem to death, surely as if you order the attack yourself.”

“I know,” he said. “But I don’t have to like it.”

“No, Navarchos,” said Eyrn, standing on tiptoes and kissing his cheek, “You don’t. Now, you know where my sister-in-law is? I think I’ll drop by for a visit.”

* * *

Darren, Naskia, and Niall looked at each other, none of them quite sure what to say.

“Shaka,” Naskia finally said, which seemed to fit the mood.

“So what, HQ, abort?” Sorcha said over her commlink.

“No, don’t abort,” Darren said. “Dollars to donuts Aerti knows exactly why we’re here. Greet him with a smile.”

“Rixie, check-in; Kir certainly does,” Rixie said. “Just talked to him. He wasn’t buying the cover story for a second, but he’s at least letting us continue on. Hopefully, that’s Aerti’s approach as well.”

“Isn’t Aerti being here a good thing?” Niall asked. “I mean, he’s not going to blow humans out of the sky.”

“He ain’t the Emperor,” Darren said. “If he’s ordered to take a hard line….”

“Well, we’ll see what happens,” Lysis said. “We’re in position; we’ll get you as much information out of the command center as we can.”

“Uncle Captain won’t go against Earth,” Sorcha said. “Right?”

“I hope not,” said Naskia. “I don’t want to have to kill him.”

* * *

“…and so I say, let us not waste any money funding foolish temporal mechanics studies! If I’m wrong, then may I come back from the future to tell myself so!”

The crowd chuckled, and the majority caucus voiced its support of the Floor Leader; Rodrec Zeramblin (Wedney-Majority) was a big, barrel-shaped man with a booming voice and a bald head that had a tendency to glisten when he got worked up. But he had a quick wit, and behind closed doors he was a master dealer. He’d ascended to Floor Leader eighteen years ago, and it appeared he could win yet another term next year, provided he stayed on his game.

Of course, that meant doing what Floor Leaders have done since time immemorial – not repeating mistakes. He shook his head at the chair, who had noted that the only Aspire caucus member who had asked for time for a question was the Representative from Tannhauser West; after Armac had embarrassed him last week, there was no way he was going to take another question from her.

Ah, the Dunnermacs wanted to ask a question. That was safe. They would ask something about science or the Great Ocean or perhaps krill exports. And he’d look good, answering their questions like they were full, equal citizens of the Empire – which, of course, they were.

He motioned to the Dunnermac section of the independent caucus; the chair nodded. “The chair recognizes the Representative from Dunnermac North Sea.”

“Thank you, Madam Chair,” Maybel Zimm said, rising from her seat, vocal translator turning her squeaks into comprehensible Archavian. “Mister Floor Leader, may I ask a question?”

“Of course,” Zeramblin said. “That’s why we have Floor Leader’s Questions.”

“Indeed,” said Zimm, whose smile would have appeared to a human or Titan as open and warm. Of course, humans and Titans can’t see ultraviolet light, and so they’d miss the subtle bioluminescence that suggested Zimm was instead quite pleased with herself. As well she should be; she knew the reaction her question would get.

“Mister Floor Leader, is there a reason that you have not informed this body that Earth has sent a spaceship and crew to Titan?”

The floor erupted in a thousand side conversations. The chair struck the bell repeatedly. “Silence! Silence! There will be silence in the Imperial House!” she cried.

When the floor had gone silent, the chair turned to the Floor Leader. “The Representative from Wedney may proceed.”

“Thank you, madam chair. It’s very simple, Representative; I haven’t told you because it hasn’t happened. If it did, obviously I would let this body know.”

“Interesting,” said Zimm. “I am unsure whether you are truly unaware of this or whether it is your intent to obfuscate….”

“Point of order! Point of order!” called sixteen different members of the majority caucus, but the Floor Leader waved them down; if Zimm was gonna call him a liar, the best thing to do was let her hang herself.

“I can assure you, Representative, I would never lie to this body, or to any citizen of the Empire.”

That brought derisive chuckles from the minority caucuses, but Zeramblin ignored them. “If the military is aware of a human ship in orbit around Titan, they haven’t told me. Of course, that’d be ridiculous anyhow. Next you’re gonna tell me that the shaars have warp drive.”

That brought laughter from the majority.

“I believe you,” said Zimm. “That is to say, I believe you do not know. Which is why I ask unanimous consent to display data sent to us earlier today from the Great Ocean Science Commission’s research facility at Titan Station.”

The chair looked to the Floor Leader, and the Floor Leader looked back, speechless.

No way. Solis wouldn’t screw him like this.

“I have no objection to seeing it,” said Zeramblin, finally.

“Thank you,” said Zimm, slipping a datacube into her desk, which brought up holoprojections throughout the chamber of a tiny vessel in orbit around Titan. With the projection came an explosion of chatter from the floor.

When the body was quiet, Zimm proceeded. “This data was provided to the research facility by a passenger en route to Titan; she had seen this vessel and was curious about it. As you can see, it is a little more than eleven units long, and less than two units of draft, most of that appears to be light-collection panels; as configured, I am not sure whether any known sentient species other than humans could possibly operate it.”

“Ridiculous,” said Zeramblin. “How do we know this is real?”

“Objection! Floor Leader insinuates that Great Ocean scientists are not trustworthy! Outrageous!” Rep. Blrrr said; nobody was quite sure whether it was with anger or not.

“I do no such thing!” Zeramblin shouted – and it was hard to tell if he was being angry or polite. “I have the greatest respect for the Dunnermac science council. I just….”

“I can understand your skepticism,” Rep. Zimm said. “We have taken our own measurements; they confirm this ship’s existence.”

Zeramblin shook his head ruefully. “How do we know they’re from Earth? Maybe it’s some Titan pulling a prank.”

“These markings,” said Zimm, enlarging the baby blue flag on the Lemm’s stern. “This appears to be a representation of Earth; these markings in white appear to be a polar projection of the planet’s continents. It is similar to what is described in literature as the banner of the United Nations, which is a superorganization of Earth’s nation-states.”

“I see. I see,” said the Floor Leader, mopping his brow. Solis was going to pay for this. Gorram assleak. “All right. Well, Representative, let me first say how much I appreciate the Dunnermac Science Council’s work here, and your sharing it with us. I do wish I’d seen it earlier, perhaps before the session…but that’s…anyhow. I also want to apologize to the members, I am just as surprised as you. Representative…if I may respond to you with further information at this evening’s floor session….”

“But of course, Mr. Floor Leader. But of course. We want you to be able to give us the best possible information. In the meantime, we ask unanimous consent that all this data be made publicly available in the legislative record.”

“Without objection, so ordered,” the chair said.

No other questions were asked after that, primarily because the Floor Leader stormed off the floor, barely containing his rage.

* * *

As Zimm was showing her data to the House, the Gyfjon was moving on an intercept course.

“Commander Tam, do we have visual?”

“Aye, ma’am, they have not shown any deviation from their course.”

“Thank you. Time to intercept?”

“Three minutes.”

“All right,” she said. “Open a channel.”

Aertimus Bass had been clear – the Navarchos Imperii had told him that there was no need to warn the humans further. Of course, he hadn’t said that they couldn’t do so. Just that there was no need.

He left it up to the Gyfjon’s captain to make that decision, based on the safety and well-being of her crew.

“Terran Space Ship Lem, this is Captain Lauryna Gwenn of the Imperial Starship Gyfjon. We have been ordered to take your ship into custody for violation of the Terran Protection Act. You are ordered to stop engines and to not deviate from your course. We have a translator on this channel and can understand you; please signal that you acknowledge this order.”

There was silence for a moment, before the channel crackled to life. “Gyfjon, this is Shang Xiao Xú Mùlán of the TSS Stanisław Lem. We do not accept your jurisdiction over this solar system and we order you to immediately return our crewmate, and immediately begin preparations to withdraw from this solar system.”

“Captain Mùlán, I understand and sympathize with your position, but my orders are clear. We are to take your ship in; if you resist, we are to destroy your vessel. I do not wish to destroy your vessel. You should be able to see the Gyfjon; this vessel is still one of the fastest in the Imperial Fleet, and carries weaponry that your people have not even begun to contemplate. Your ship is no match for us. Please, stop engines and maintain your course.”

Xú sighed. “First, my family name is Xú. I’m assuming yours is Gwenn. Second, Captain Gwenn, I have a member of my crew who has been abducted by your people. You are saying that you are going to take the rest of my crew into custody. If the situation was reversed, would it matter how badly your ship was outclassed?”

Gwenn smiled. “Captain Xú…I am sorry. Believe me, I understand. But if you had been ordered to take me into custody, an order from the supreme commander of your fleet…what would you do?”

Xú nodded. “I understand, Captain Gwenn. Good luck. You’ll need it. Xú out.”

Xú punched a comm button. “Dr. Chandrasekhar, are we ready?”

“Yes, Shang Xiao. The weapon can be detonated at your command.”

“Good. Captain-Lieutenant Bobrova, evasive maneuvers.”

And the Lem altered her course.