swinging her head in Ken's direction.
"The Mobius has picked up the drive wake of a small unidentified ship, most likely an alien probe heading this way. My guess is that it has already informed whoever sent it that a large gathering of ships is just sitting out here."
"Great!" exclaimed Doug. Turning to Falnath he said, "If that probe is from our friends who attacked Mintaka you had better find a way to turn your time stasis machine off or we may just have to leave it here."
"You will not," an authoritative voice announced. Stricklen looked around and, following the stares of the others in the room, located the speaker. He appeared to be a Lamaltan as he was enclosed within a bulky environment suit and had been standing along the back wall of the conference room.
Lamaltans could not survive in an oxygen atmosphere but instead required a mixture of methane and ammonia at a temperature of several degrees below zero. They were one of the more bizarre life-forms making up the Alliance.
The figure stepped forward and, to the horror of the crowd, unsealed his suit. Poisonous, frigid gas did not, as everyone expected, pour into the crowd. Instead of a Lamaltan, a darkly metallic clad figure stepped out of the environment suit. He stood 173 centimeters tall and, except for his face, appeared to be completely encased within black armor. A special issue blaster was magnetically clamped to his left side.
Dark, penetrating, cybernetic eyes seemed to stare into every corner of the room at once. Everyone recognized him as a peacekeeper — a cyborg invested with the authority to maintain the law throughout all planets of the Alliance. They were the equivalent of a galactic police force. This particular peacekeeper was either Human or a race closely resembling one. Ken was surprised since peacekeepers rarely traveled in secret.
"I am Sorbith, a Saulquin by birth," the peacekeeper said, stepping up to the head of the conference table and assuming command of the meeting. "This technology must remain in the hands of the Alliance. All efforts to protect it must be taken. Falnath, you are to concentrate your research efforts on finding a safe way of shutting down the stasis device. Captain, find a way to remove the device from the alien ship and place it in your shuttle bay. This will allow your defense shield to protect it in the event of an attack. I choose your ship because the Mobius is not only an obvious target, but if needed, it will be used to provide for your escape."
The orders of a peacekeeper were to be obeyed without question and without delay. Falnath murmured an agreement and left the room. "This meeting is over," Stricklen said. "Doug, I want an emergency staff meeting in ten minutes. Sorbith, may I have a word with you in private?"
On the way to the captain's quarters, Stricklen received a message via the wrist-com. "A second drive-wake has been detected sir. It has been identified as a Seeker class scout belonging to a peacekeeper named Sorbith. The ship claims its owner is aboard."
Stricklen brought the bridge up to date on Sorbith's appearance and instructed them to inform Fleet Commander Trisk of the nature of the incoming ship. Once inside his stateroom he turned to Sorbith and said, "I would like an explanation as to why you were aboard the science ship posing as a researcher. Peacekeepers normally do not work undercover unless there is a very good reason for them to do so. I have had suspicions that the Alliance has been withholding information from us and your actions have strengthened that opinion. If this is true, then I would like to lodge a formal protest. I cannot adequately protect something if I do not know what it is I am protecting."
Prior to the formation of the Galactic Alliance, the FTL-capable races had created an organization known as the Consortium. This organization was held together by a complex set of interlocking treaties. The Consortium, however, was fundamentally flawed. This had been
"The Mobius has picked up the drive wake of a small unidentified ship, most likely an alien probe heading this way. My guess is that it has already informed whoever sent it that a large gathering of ships is just sitting out here."
"Great!" exclaimed Doug. Turning to Falnath he said, "If that probe is from our friends who attacked Mintaka you had better find a way to turn your time stasis machine off or we may just have to leave it here."
"You will not," an authoritative voice announced. Stricklen looked around and, following the stares of the others in the room, located the speaker. He appeared to be a Lamaltan as he was enclosed within a bulky environment suit and had been standing along the back wall of the conference room.
Lamaltans could not survive in an oxygen atmosphere but instead required a mixture of methane and ammonia at a temperature of several degrees below zero. They were one of the more bizarre life-forms making up the Alliance.
The figure stepped forward and, to the horror of the crowd, unsealed his suit. Poisonous, frigid gas did not, as everyone expected, pour into the crowd. Instead of a Lamaltan, a darkly metallic clad figure stepped out of the environment suit. He stood 173 centimeters tall and, except for his face, appeared to be completely encased within black armor. A special issue blaster was magnetically clamped to his left side.
Dark, penetrating, cybernetic eyes seemed to stare into every corner of the room at once. Everyone recognized him as a peacekeeper — a cyborg invested with the authority to maintain the law throughout all planets of the Alliance. They were the equivalent of a galactic police force. This particular peacekeeper was either Human or a race closely resembling one. Ken was surprised since peacekeepers rarely traveled in secret.
"I am Sorbith, a Saulquin by birth," the peacekeeper said, stepping up to the head of the conference table and assuming command of the meeting. "This technology must remain in the hands of the Alliance. All efforts to protect it must be taken. Falnath, you are to concentrate your research efforts on finding a safe way of shutting down the stasis device. Captain, find a way to remove the device from the alien ship and place it in your shuttle bay. This will allow your defense shield to protect it in the event of an attack. I choose your ship because the Mobius is not only an obvious target, but if needed, it will be used to provide for your escape."
The orders of a peacekeeper were to be obeyed without question and without delay. Falnath murmured an agreement and left the room. "This meeting is over," Stricklen said. "Doug, I want an emergency staff meeting in ten minutes. Sorbith, may I have a word with you in private?"
On the way to the captain's quarters, Stricklen received a message via the wrist-com. "A second drive-wake has been detected sir. It has been identified as a Seeker class scout belonging to a peacekeeper named Sorbith. The ship claims its owner is aboard."
Stricklen brought the bridge up to date on Sorbith's appearance and instructed them to inform Fleet Commander Trisk of the nature of the incoming ship. Once inside his stateroom he turned to Sorbith and said, "I would like an explanation as to why you were aboard the science ship posing as a researcher. Peacekeepers normally do not work undercover unless there is a very good reason for them to do so. I have had suspicions that the Alliance has been withholding information from us and your actions have strengthened that opinion. If this is true, then I would like to lodge a formal protest. I cannot adequately protect something if I do not know what it is I am protecting."
Prior to the formation of the Galactic Alliance, the FTL-capable races had created an organization known as the Consortium. This organization was held together by a complex set of interlocking treaties. The Consortium, however, was fundamentally flawed. This had been
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