"Searches in the 10th Quadrant have revealed nothing." Deish turned to glance at the screen. "Continue into the 9th Quadrant." "Where we received the last transmission from." "If they did not end up in the 10th then perhaps they never made it across the 9th." "It is so vast Parentia." "You know that I don't care how long it takes. FIND THEM!"
"The Jade Dynasty will not like an intrusion from us into their worlds. We have already had encounters with the Vendaran outposts. Their vessels were destroyed. A reminder to the Jade should they ignore the peaceful intent on our part.
We do not desire conflict, just to search for that which is ours.
Niese watched the fleet move towards the Jade Dynastic worlds. Sichwa the main planet. The orbiting satellites taking note of their presence. Signals from them broadcast of peaceful intent.
Galactic peace markers in place. Would they dare to ignore them. The Jade were an unpredictable race. A race spawned from the Humana cross breeding with the Ishaa. All of the traits that were disliked re the Humana and the more ameniable of the Ishaa. A strange mix and yet? Remained volatile.
"We have two Jade cruisers approaching us. A Monarch class 6 Parentia." "An envoy sent by them, no doubt to question our use of the peace markers. Keep weapons on standby level 2."
Shaju was the commander of the Jade Surrata. An elite force that operated between the Jade worlds, to protect their worlds from those who they deemed to be invasive, threatening, hostile. This show of force from these whoever they were flying peace markers? He was suspicious of them.
Experience had proven not to trust the show of such peaceful intent as anything but a show. The vessels were of a type he had not seen before. The main flagship was massive. Not as big as an A class Galacia Federa Venture class but still huge.
So they wanted to send probes into the planets. Searching for something but they would NOT say what? A lot of secrecy. Examining one of the probes sent to them. No weapons, a shield to protect it and a transmission device to relay imaging. Invasive? Deish had told him. "It is focused on finding what we are looking for, nothing else. It will only transmit, when it finds, what it is searching for.
Shaju was not convinced. Bebisu his second in command was aware of his concerns. "We can monitor the probes, any of them transmit we will know. If the transmissions are frequent, I think we can safely assume they are lying to us.
"Tell them we will allow them to deploy the probes, they must let you have the codes so you can monitor them. Warn them that if we find any violation of trust on their part, we will destroy the probes."
"Accept their terms. Send them the codes and deploy the probes." Shaju watched Bebisu as she acknowledged everything was in order. Nothing untoward. Probes deployed. Those below forewarned. Not to interfere or intercept the probes. What, he wondered are you, looking for?
|