Sword of the Alliance (Stardancer Book 3)

War is a serious violation of the Alliance's colony charters, so when the Stardancer is sent to investigate rumors of a conflict on the distant colony of Gledig, they're not expecting to be mired in a web of deceit, treachery, and tragedy… one involving not just the colony, but pirates and a missing Fleet officer. Even worse, the evidence suggests Fleet itself might have had a hand in creating the situation about to erupt on the ground.

But while the conflict might have been decades in the making, time is running out for Gledig, and only Fleet can save the colony from the culmination of the forces working against it now.

The fate of thousands hangs in the balance. Can the crew of the Stardancer redeem the honor of the Fleet... before it's too late?

Genre (setting): space opera (Pelted)
Tags: civil war, reconciliation, secession, suspense, action, forgiveness
Rating: R for violence and intense action/suspense, implied adult situations

Excerpt from Chapter 1

“Gledig Colony was established fifty-seven years ago by a group of mixed settlers in the Banoge Sector. Its current status is Good Standing . . . and also Indentured.” First Commander Taylitha Basil stood beside the holographic display as it rotated a round, blue-and-brown world for the officers in the briefing room. A Karaka’An like Alysha, the feline was short, stocky and had a head of fiery red hair to complement her brown coat and blue eyes.

Taylitha continued, “It's unusual for colonies not to have earned back their outlay capital within thirty years. That Gledig has required twice the amount of time is in itself suspicious. The colony’s profile indicates that they have very little in the way of heavy industry build-up, and remain unprofitably agrarian. There has been very little export traffic and absolutely no tourist traffic either.”

“Peculiar,” said Alastar Virgil, Second Commander.

“Very,” Taylitha agreed. She stopped the planet’s spin and pointed at three beads of light.

“The planet has three satellites in synchronous orbit: two multi-purpose satellites handling global communications, weather and positioning and one Well satellite specifically for FTL network communication with the Alliance. They have no orbiting station.”

Taylitha leaned over and grabbed a solidigraphic projection of a standard colony ship, pulling it into view. The motion rotated the planet. Taylitha tapped the ship and said, “Like most colony vessels, Gledig’s was designed to be disassembled for useful scrap, in this case for mining equipment . . . which leaves Gledig with no registered space-capable vehicles.”

“Even local space?” Alastar asked.

“Even local space,” Taylitha replied. “All space-capable vehicles belonging to Alliance citizens are required to register with the Bureau of Operational Vessels. There are no such vessels with Gledig's originating tag. This doesn’t mean they can’t have such vehicles . . .”

“Just that they’d be illegally operated,” Laelkii interjected.

“Right.”

Alastar frowned. “How do they maintain their satellites without a fleet of ships?”

A rueful smile curved Taylitha’s lips as she gently rotated one of the satellites by its outstretched sensor array. “As far as I know, the answer to that is . . . they don’t. I polled all three, and many of the standard functions you’d expect from such satellites don’t respond . . . so either they were disabled, or they don’t work anymore.”

Alastar muttered, “Inefficient.”

Taylitha nodded and continued. “Gledig’s registered government is a republic and hasn’t grown past the point where it requires more than a planetary governor, elected every two years, and a chamber of five representatives. One court services the entire population of the planet and is seated at the capital, Daleth.” Taylitha spun the projection like a globe and stopped it on the largest continent, pointing at a gray smudge which cleared immediately into a round dot and developed a floating translucent blue tag with ‘Daleth’ hanging on it in black sans serif. “The last census indicated there were just over twelve thousand people on Gledig, mostly clustered in the capital and in two outlying townships.”

“That’s it?” Laelkii asked, eyes widening.

“That’s it. According to the records, their lack of population growth is due to a low birth rate.”

“Is it now,” Alysha said quietly, speaking for the first time.

All eyes in the room turned to her. Taylitha’s right ear canted sideways to match her faint, lopsided smile. “That’s what they say, Captain. But I suppose we’ll find out.”

Alysha nodded. “Thank you, Commander. Very nicely done.” She leaned forward, settling her elbows on the table. “We’ve been ordered to have a look around, but not much else. FC does not want us negotiating peace if we find a war.”

“So much for the Terra 12Bs,” Laelkii said.

“Interesting reading,” 'Star agreed from the corner of the table. “They do specify that we have the jurisdiction to intervene if we judge that waiting for diplomats may result in ‘intolerable loss of life’.”

“One would hope the settlers of Gledig have not gone so far,” Alysha said. “The admiral was adamant in her instructions. I gather that if indeed there is a civil war, FC is more interested in studying the phenomenon than in having it immediately resolved.”

“That’s rather cold-blooded,” Laelkii muttered.

Taylitha propped an elbow on one of the planet’s blue spots, which immediately popped a tag near it that read ‘The Dorough Sea’. “This is a pretty unusual call, though, Laelkii. If it’s true, I wouldn’t mind knowing what inspired these people to it.”

“The same things that have always inspired wars throughout history,” 'Star said. The gray-brown Karaka’An sat in a posture not unlike the captain’s, her fingers laced together and the bottom of her chin resting against her thumbs. “Resources. Greed. Fear. Pride.”

“Whose history?” Laelkii said, ears flattening. “Not ours.”

An uncomfortable silence descended.

Alysha said, “The admiral left us with one additional assignment.” She tapped the table with two fingers. “Computer. Display my attachment.”

A woman’s face appeared, floating in the center of the table. A more humanoid Asanii like Laelkii, she had fawn-brown skin and long black hair drawn severely back from her face. Her eyes were dark blue, the right marked with a comma-shaped black mark over the eyelid and brow.

“Apparently FC has lost track of this woman, Lieutenant Commander Svetlana Karishenikov. She was last seen heading for leave on Gledig.”

Laelkii frowned. “Do you think she’s there?”

A wintry smile crossed Alysha’s lips. “I think she’s gone ground.”

“Gone ground!” Taylitha exclaimed. “Surely not.”

“On the surface it wouldn’t seem likely,” Alysha said. “Her service record is stellar. The commendations her commanding officers have attached to her official file are numerous and glowing . . . as one might expect for a woman who has attained her rank so quickly. But the admiral neglected to mention that Gledig is her homeworld.”

Taylitha straightened and Laelkii’s ears flattened to her head. Even Alastar was moved to lift a brow.

“We’ll keep an eye out for her,” Taylitha said at last. “But it would be a pity for someone as promising as she would seem to be . . .”

“To be involved with whatever it is, yes,” Alysha said.

“A Fleet officer missing and rumors of a civil war,” 'Star mused. “An interesting confluence of events.”

“Very interesting,” Alysha agreed. She stood. “Unless there’s anything else?”

One by one they shook their heads.

“Then let’s be on our way.”

“Aye, sir.”