Wing Commander Robb Brindle, her friend and lover, called from the launch bay, speaking with forced formality. "Elite Remora squadrons ready for departure, Platcom. Should I deploy them, or wait until the Yrekans make a move?"

"Crack open another coffee tube while you wait in the cockpit, Wing Commander," Tasia said. "Once they see what we've got, the Yrekans should fold their cards."

"Platcom, there's significant spaceport activity below," her scanning ensign said. "The colonists are mobilizing ships... a lot of them." The woman touched a pickup in her ear. "The Grand Governor has sounded civil defense alarms, calling for evacuation, getting civilians to shelter." The officer blinked wide eyes at Tasia. "They think we're going to nuke them."

"Shizz, they should know better than that," Tasia said. "Yreka's a Hansa colony, and we're the EDF." But deep in her heart, she wondered how far Admiral Willis would go.

The Admiral sent a hail down to the Grand Governor, but her folksy voice did not diminish the threat. "Ma'am, this is Admiral Sheila Willis, commandant of the Earth Defense Forces here in Grid 7. I'm supposed to protect this sector of space, but it seems you're forgetting who butters your bread. Are you there?" She waited a moment for a response. Tasia imagined that the administrative center of Yreka was scrambling in panic down below.

Willis continued. "Now, I've brought along a few of my ships to remind you that your planet is a signatory to the Hansa Charter. Take a look, and you'll find everything right there above the dotted line. You've sworn your allegiance to the King."

Her voice took on the tone of a disappointed grandmother. "But it appears you're hoarding stockpiles of ekti, obtained through black-market suppliers. You should be ashamed of yourselves. The Hansa is faced with an extreme crisis, and King Peter has asked for the cooperation of all his subjects in centralizing resources. Why would you go and refuse? Your stardrive fuel has got to be turned over to the EDF so that we can allocate it for the greater good and use it to protect humanity."

Though her words were meant to be conciliatory, Willis's tone was stern. "Now, we don't want any hard feelings, but the law is the law. The King is willing to forgive you, so long as you comply immediately. Let's not make a mess of things."

After she ended her message, a fuzzy projection appeared, a hologram whose poor resolution demonstrated the outdated nature of the Yrekan comm systems. The Grand Governor was a tall, thin woman of clear Indian descent. She had dusky brown skin, almost black eyes, and thick blue-black hair that hung in long tresses to her waist. She had a curved nose and full lips turned downward in a frown.

"Admiral Willis, I am afraid we cannot comply. Our own survival dictates my decision. I am appalled that the EDF would threaten a loyal Hansa colony. Yreka has already sacrificed much in this war effort. We have given all we can, and we require ekti supplies for our survival."