PART A: Return to Mega Primus

<Transtellar Spaceship TPS-2 "President McKlintock">
        "This is your captain speaking. We're now on final approach to Transtellar Spacelines' Mega Primus facilities. Please ensure that your personal safety systems are secured in preparation for landing. Thank you. "
        Captain Markus Ligatto yawned. It has been a long trip from Venus, and while the spaceship's crew tried their best, there wasn't much they could do about the tourists worn out by all the delights Venus had to offer. One of the tourists' attempt to smuggle a rock worm in her luggage had provided a bit of excitement when the creature ate through her carry bag , but the ship's crew had dealt with it efficiently - first the incinerator, then the carbonized remains were spaced out the airlock. Apart from that in the past two days, the ship's atmosphere had been almost stiflingly quiet.
        It had been nice to be out of the city for a week or two. He didn't have to sleep with one ear cocked for the alert, and when he picked up a weapon, it wasn't to shoot someone. Megapol's weapons proving grounds on Venus had been a real eye-opener. Some of the systems in development he couldn't wait to see available for the officers on the street. Of course, unless something extraordinary happened, it will be a year or two before Megapol decides that the systems under development were ready for use.
        "This is your captain. We have now landed at Transtellar Spacelines. Please remain seated until your section's safety systems have been released.
Welcome to Mega Primus, and we hope to have you fly with Transtellar again soon."
        Ligatto was impressed. While he was thinking about his trip, the pilot had managed to put the six hundred ton spaceship down into the docking bay without a single bump. Back at Judgment Central, even grav assisted landings tended to make you feel as if you were dropping out of the air for a moment. And on operational drops, the custom built heavy duty landing gear on SWAT gun ships have been known to break. Maybe they could recruit the pilot. At this, Ligatto smiled. Transtellar paid well. Unless the pilot had a bent towards flights where his ass might get shot off any moment, he doubted Megapol could match Transtellar's bid.
        With a slight click, the harness unlocked itself, and retracted back into the seat. Ligatto stood up slowly, and stretched. All around him, other passengers were packing up their datapads and getting pieces of gear out of their overhead lockers. Megapol personnel always traveled light, carrying a few personal belongings and maybe a change of duty uniform. Anything else that they needed could be supplied from the local Megapol facilities, from a toothsonic to a local casual outfit. This was an effect of Megapol's policy of transferring people all over the place from the time they were in the Academy until they retired. It ensured that officers don't get too comfortable and cozy with the local criminal elements, as well as giving them a wide range of experience. Ligatto has been in Mega Primus for the past three years after a number of tour of duties in the colonies, and in six months, his current tour of duty in Mega Primus will be over.
        Only six months to go, thought Ligatto as he made his way to the hatch and stepped through. It was actually an unusually long tour. Most Megapol officers transferred out after two years. Being SWAT qualified, he had been given the option of staying in Mega Primus if he wished. Well, even SWAT gets moved around a bit. He will miss the Group, but a new commander will be chosen, and the Group will continue on. Lieutenant Martinez was shaping up well, and no bad news had come out of Mega Primus during his absence, so she was doing her job. All she needed was more experience in command now.
        When the airlocks opened, the smell of Mega Primus rolled over him. No longer was it the slightly stale air recycled over and over aboard the spaceships, laced with the tang of ozone and the whiff of burnt plastics. Instead, it was a clean smell - something green, something alive, and bringing to mind of wide open spaces and wide stretches of water. Mega Primus boasted the best air quality in the solar system, since it was one thing that doesn't get recycled. Instead, giant intakes suck in the air from the outside the city and channel it through immense filters until the computers decide the air is good enough for the citizens of Mega Primus to breathe.
        Ignoring the gravways, he chose to walk to the Customs. As a result, other passengers who had left the ship behind him now caught up and then whipped by. Most looked curiously at him, one kid jeered, but Ligatto ignored him. Each Transtellar spaceliner can carry up to seven hundred passengers, and while Transtellar's accountants would be wincing from the current flight being little more than half full, it was still nearly four hundred people that needed to pass through the Customs. Add that to the fact that Mega Primus was the only place to insist on humans manning the Customs, it meant half an hour delays at the Customs while bored officials looked you over and decided whether they will let you into the city. This particular oddity of Mega Primus is because Transtellar doesn't run the Customs - Mega Primus does. While other colonies contract Transtellar to do their vetting for them, Mega Primus' Senate pointed out there was a fundamental conflict of interest if whoever decides if people can go to places is also responsible for taking them there. Which means it was in Transtellar's interest to give people permission to enter Mega Primus.
        As he approached the Customs, Ligatto reached into one pocket and took out his Megapol passport which was a police blue edged in red. He ignored the queues, and walked up to the gate marked "Official Personnel Only". The Customs agent on duty took his passport, passed it through the scanner, and then ran a biosignatures match between the Ligatto and the one registered in the passport. The Customs agent nodded, and disabled the stun field to let Ligatto into Mega Primus. As Ligatto passed through, he could feel the eyes of the ordinary passengers on him. Without a biosignature chip in their passport, they have to wait while the city computers made up its mind while trawling through a sea of data to see if there's anything that they can find to reject the current applicant. Mega Primus was carefully balanced and controlled city, and while colonies look for excuses to let people in and spend money, Mega Primus looked for excuses to keep them out of its ecosystem.
        The passenger terminal was big. It also had carpets. A stark contrast with the utilitarian domes of the colonies, it reinforced on the new arrivals from off world the impression of "You're in Mega Primus now, and we do things different from the colonies". There was quite a lot of people about, waiting to receive their friends and acquaintances from the flight, but what caught Ligatto's eye was someone he recognized. It took a moment for his training to kick back in after the two week break, but in his mind, he scanned through memories and came up with a name: Lachlan Dawson.
        "The man's X-Com... what's he doing out here in the public ?" Wondered Ligatto. "And he's with.... "
        Ligatto had to avoid looking too hard at the woman who was accompanying Dawson. She was good looking from any standards. And it was natural beauty, rather than the sculpted look of those Mega Primus citizens who could afford to use Sanctuary Clinic's medi-bays. There was a suggestion of strength in the way she stood, and her body, while well proportioned, was lithe, and reminded him of a panther he had seen once in a holovid. From the way her eyes roamed the arrival lounge, Ligatto could tell that she was alert. With the ease of experience, he quickly merged into the crowd of people waiting for the flight's arrivals. All good police officers were curious by nature.
        While he watched, Ligatto and the woman waved. Turning slightly, he saw a young woman wave back. The files in his head flipped quickly again, and he identified her as Marie Voisin, Dawson's fiancé. So she was finally leaving Mega Primus, thought Ligatto. Good choice, what with the city being under threat by aliens and the gang wars. The girl stopped waving, turned, and began walking towards the departure lounges. Ligatto turned his attention back to Dawson, and saw that they were leaving as well. As the two went out of the door, a sudden feeling of unease came over Ligatto. He felt watched. He looked around, and with a start, realized that there were plainclothes watchers all over the terminal. They were good, but he had taken counter surveillance training and knew how trained watchers worked, and where they would take up positions to stay out of the way while getting a good field of view. And right now, there were watchers all over the place. This by itself wasn't unusual, since Transtellar was responsible for the spaceport's internal security, but as a SWAT officer, it was part of his job to know Transtellar's security plan. Usually it was so that he could bring his men in and bolster the weak points, but right now, Transtellar had their own people in position, and he could tell it was on high. This was very odd, since if there was an alert, he would've been informed by Judgment Central so he could either assist or stay out of the way. It wouldn't do for a Megapol officer to draw on a suspect and have Transtellar security take him down.
        He'd received no alert warnings however, yet Transtellar was on a high risk alert. He looked around, but could see no potential warning signs, and he had not identified any likely problem characters back aboard the ship. That meant it was the departure people worrying Transtellar. He checked, and with a sinking feeling saw a couple of Transtellar uniformed security talking to the girl named Marie Voisin. As they escorted her away, the girl looked back, and even from the distance he was at, he could tell that she looked frightened. This wasn't something that she had expected.
        "Oh fuck. " Swore Ligatto. There will be hell to pay if Transtellar interferes with X-Com people. He'd better get this sorted out right now.
        "Excuse me sir. " Said a voice behind him. Ligatto started, and turned around. There was a pair of Transtellar uniformed security waiting.
        "Yes ?" He asked.
        "You'll have to come with us sir. "
        "What for ?" Ligatto demanded. There was something about their attitude he didn't like.
        "Our security supervisor wants to see you. "
        "Strangely enough, I was just on my way to see him. Let's go then. "
        The two security officers remained expressionless, but one of them gestured for him to come with them. As Ligatto moved, he noticed that the other officer had fallen in behind him, into the position usually used when escorting someone who might no cooperate - such as someone who doesn't want to be escorted to wherever he's going.
        As they went towards the security office, Ligatto, out of the corner of his eye, noticed that the girl Voisin wasn't also being taken to the security office. She was in fact being taken to the gravlifts for the underground parking levels. That wasn't the usual way Transtellar dealt with people they have a problem with. For one thing, the suspect containment cells where problem people were held until Transtellar sorts out the problem or Megapol units came and took them away were in the security offices.
        "Hang on, I need to talk to someone. " Said Ligatto. He'd better ask what those two security were doing before they get out of sight.
        "Unfortunately that is impossible. You have to go to the security office. "
        "Look, I am Megapol, all right ? I just need to talk to those two guys with the girl over there. " Ligatto showed them his Megapol ID, and began to move, before one of the Transtellar security officers put his hand on his shoulder and with some force, pulled him back.
        "You must come with us. " Insisted the officer.
        "Get your hands off me. I am Megapol, and I have jurisdiction when it comes to the security of the city. " Snapped Ligatto. The girl and her escorts were nearly at the lifts. He reached up and pulled the security officer's hand off his shoulder.
        At that, the security officer's expression changed from impassive to aggressive, and they both slapped their hands to their stun rods.
        "Sir ! If you will not come with us peacefully, I am afraid... "
        "Get this in your head. I am MEGAPOL. Just hang on a second while I sort something out !" Said Ligatto angrily, and headed for the gravlifts.
        He heard the crackle of stun rods being activated, and barely got out of the way as one came down in an arc which would've hit him on the head.
        "Watch the rod ! You could've killed me !"
        The two security officers did not answer, and moved in on him.
        Ligatto had plenty of experience with the stun rods, and like a lot of Megapol officers, knew every level of charge a stun rod could do. In the recent city unrest, they had a lot of practice. And right now the two security officers had the stun rod charge set to the highest, which was the level Megapol used for really dangerous criminals, such as those high on drugs or have wired nerves. A head blow could kill him outright.
        When the next blow was aimed at his head, Ligatto realized that these two were seriously trying to kill him. Nobody aimed at the head deliberately, since even a light touch on the foot was enough to take a normal man out. And these two were no amateurs with the rod.
        "What's up with you two ?" Demanded Ligatto as he backed away. Their only answer was an attempt to stick the rod in his face. "You two nuts ?"
        There was no answer. It was as if they were totally focused on trying to kill him.
        Around him, Ligatto could sense other people closing in, some in uniforms, some the plainclothes Transtellar security. This wasn't good. They weren't trying to stop the two aiming the stun rods at his head either. He decided he'd better get the hell out of here right now and explain later. These Transtellar security officers weren't interested in talking at the moment. He looked towards the exits, and saw that the Transtellar people had it secured. This wasn't going to be easy. He probably needed a weapon to get through them, and he didn't want to use his Lawpistol.
        Ligatto made up his mind, and in a lightning move, kicked one of the security officer's legs from under him, and with a wrench of the falling man's wrist, ripped the stun rod from his hand.
        "Back off !" Snarled Ligatto. "You better authenticate with Megapol my authority, or when the shit hits the fan, don't say I didn't warn you !"
        The fallen security officer got to his feet, and showed no signs of having just had his wrist broken. Instead, the man's left hand was going for his sidearm. Ligatto responded immediately, and slammed the stun rod against the man's shoulder. The man spasmed, and crashed to the floor, unconscious. With the charge on high, he's going to be out for an hour and have a splitting headache when he wakes up. Tough shit,  thought Ligatto.
        The remaining officer was not affected by his partner's fall, and attacked with his stun rod. SWAT officers trained almost religiously in close combat, and Ligatto was no exception. With a shower of sparks, he used his stun rod to knock the other man's stun rod away, then drove an elbow into his face. The security officer staggered back, his nose spurting blood, but then he found his balance and charged forward again.
        Ligatto dodged aside, and tapped him on the back with the stun rod. The man went down like a rock.
        By this time, the other Transtellar people were getting close. Ligatto held his Megapol ID high, and called out:
        "I am Megapol okay ! I don't know what came over this two, but... "
        They weren't listening, realized Ligatto. And a few had their guns out.
        "Shit. "
        Ligatto ran for it. A few tried to stop him, but his SWAT training  was more than a match for them. As he reached the exit, a laser beam flashed by, burning a hole in the transparent plastic. He hit the deck with more lasers sizzling over him, then he got up and dived through the open doorway. As he rolled left to get out of the line of fire, he felt something sear through his shoulder.
        He looked down, and saw a gouge in his shoulder. Around him, people were screaming in fear as more lasers flashed out of the doorway. A woman was bowled over by a shot, followed by a man who took a laser in the knee. Ligatto struggled up, and ran for the line of waiting airtaxis. He needed to get out of here until things settle down with Transtellar.
        As he reached the taxis, a Transtellar security officer put a laser through his other shoulder.
        Ligatto went down, knocked over by the force of the hit, but he rolled with it, screaming as the gouge in his shoulder tore against the plascrete. Blood splattered on a pair of Venusians just about to get into an airtaxi, and they shrank away. Seizing the opportunity, Ligatto hurled himself through the open airtaxi door, followed by a volley of lasers which scarred the airtaxi's panels.
        "What the hell ? Get outta here !"Yelled the surprised cabbie.
        "Megapol ! Get me to Judgment Central !" Ordered Ligatto, gritting his teeth against the pain.
        "I ain't takin ya no where !" The cabbie scrabbled at his door, and fell out. Once outside, he yelled "Security ! There's a crazy in my cab !"
        "Shit !" Swore Ligatto.
        "That is not a valid destination. This unit is currently waiting for a driver. Please use another taxi. "
        The cab's AI had kicked in when the human driver had jumped out, and this reminded Ligatto.
        "Megapol emergency override. Priority red. Authorization code is Oscar Delta Zero Five Two Nine Three One Lima !"
        "Authorization code accepted, priority red. Destination is Judgment Central. " Answered the cab. The doors closed with a hiss, and the cab shot forward. With a scream of maneuvering jets, it punched out from the taxi cabs and hurtled for the distant Judgment Central, wreaking havoc on the traffic patterns around the spaceport as it went.

<SWAT Group Five, Judgment Central>
        The preparation in the ready room was nearing completion. The banner with "Welcome Home Captain !" was in place, and when the sound system didn't bring down the roof, it was declared ready to rock and roll. A few SWAT officers were adding final touches to the wall using spray cans, but some of the officers have already started in on the punch, and were singing an incredibly obscene song to the tune of Megapol's corporate anthem, "To Serve and Protect".
        That was when the alert came.
        The room fell silent as the klaxon cut through the music, and everyone froze in place.
        Lieutenant Martinez was the first to react, acknowledging the alert by slamming a palm on the comm panel.
        "This better be GOOD !" She snarled.
        The worried face of a communications technician appeared, and he blanched as he saw Martinez's expression.
        "We... We.. " He gulped, then managed to start again. "We've got a priority red authorization in the system. "
        "Get Group Two on it. We're busy !"
        "You sure ? The alert comes from a Captain Ligatto.... "
        At this, the room erupted. Officers shot like cannonballs for their lockers, and there were quite a few collisions. Martinez ignored the chaos forming behind her, and kept her cool.
        "The Group will handle it. I want direct feeds to our command center right now. What kind of situation do we have here ?"
        "The feeds are online as of this moment. The alert is coming from an airtaxi inbound to Judgment Central from the spaceport. We've got preliminary reports coming in from the spaceport, and they are telling us that the captain went on rampage and assaulted company security. They are telling us to back off. "
        "Dream on. " Martinez snorted. "We look after our own. And if the Captain went crazy, he'd have good reason. What's the ETA on the airtaxi ?"
        "Three minutes... it's a priority red, and speed overrides are on.... hang on... the alert just got canceled. "
        "What ? Who canceled it ?!" Demanded Martinez.
        "Checking.... oh shit. It wasn't one of our people... and there's no authorization either. The alert wasn't canceled, it just stopped broadcasting. "
        "What's the airtaxi doing now ?"
        "It's done an one eighty and is heading back to the spaceport. "
        "Any units within range for intercept ?"
        "Negative. I am trying to override the airtaxi's AI, but it's not talking...."
        "Patch me through to Operations. I need to talk to the chief. "
        "You've got it. " Answered the technician, breathing a sigh of relief. .
        "Before you do that, I want an APB out to all units. Get them to keep an eye on anything happening around the spaceport. "
        "Yes ma'am !"
        While waiting for the Ops Admin to respond, Martinez started snapping out orders to the Group. People were told to stop gearing up and get their butts over to the holoterminals and get the command center online. Others were told to start acting like SWAT officers and get their armour on before charging out the door with their submachine guns.
        "Yes, lieutenant ?"
        Martinez snapped a salute as she turned around to face the holo of the Chief of Operations, the man responsible for all SWAT activity in Mega Primus.
        "Sir, we've got a priority red alert from Captain Ligatto. It's gone missing however, and we think there's been foul play. "
        "What do you suggest ?"
        "Immediate action. "
        The chief's expression hardened.
        "That will not be possible. Transtellar is considered a friendly organization to the Government. "
        "But sir ! The captain... "
        The chief interrupted her.
        "Lieutenant, until we have direct evidence that Transtellar is hostile against Megapol objectives, there will be no hostile operations against Transtellar facilities. We will investigate the situation. "
        "What if the captain is in danger, sir ?"
        "During the investigation, if you must act to preserve life, then that must be your primary consideration. Do you understand me, lieutenant ? "
        "Yes sir !"
        The chief cut the comm link, and Martinez paused to consider her next move. What would the captain do in her place ? Something sneaky, no doubt.

<The Senate>
        As usual, the Senators arrayed themselves around the conference room according to their personal views on the issue at hand,, with the aye and nay blocks facing each other across the expanse of polished oak. One of the neutral Senators commented to another about a sense of deja vu, for it was the same people on the same sides, and the subject up for discussion was once again X-Com. Even the green wallpaper was the same as last time. The atmosphere was one of subdued tension as the opposing Senators faced off. The past few weeks have a nightmare for the government of Mega Primus and its elected heads. Events beyond their control were happening, and at stages it seem as if full out civil war will break out. All of them knew that Mega Primus could not afford a civil war at this moment in time. The city was already expending valuable off world financial reserves to import raw resources to compensate for the continual departure of registered citizens, and if the city degenerated into war, then there will not be enough assets to rebuild the basic recycling infrastructure. Mega Primus will slowly wither and die.
        "Peace is the only way. " Said Senator Merylsnot. "People are dying, and an entire block of flats was flattened by X-Com. Keep this up and we will lose the support of the people entirely !"
        "Unless X-Com manages to kill them all first !" Growled Senator Griffiths. "Landis, you and your little pet X-Com is driving people away from Mega Primus - current population decline is at four percent per month, NOT including civilian casualties. Already Evonet reports that the Recyclotoriums are not receiving the minimum sustainable biomass, and the city is being drained white importing off world bio resources. This war must cease !"
        "Are you blind ?" Snapped Senator Dupont. "Or has the falling sales from your companies driven all intelligence from your head ? There can be NO PEACE ! The aliens aren't INTERESTED in a peace settlement, favourable or otherwise. X-Com reports tell us that the aliens don't seek cooperation. These aliens will turn us into a slave race of mindless zombies, puppets to whatever malignant entity drives the aliens' efforts !"
        "That's just X-COM's propaganda ! They are a bunch of trigger happy maniacs, and you know it ! " Yelled back Griffiths. "And they've duped us all into paying for their excesses ! A hundred and twenty thousand dollars a week they are costing us ! And so far what have we seen but willful destruction of life and property ?"
        Dupont eyed Griffiths coldly.
        "If we want to survive, we must be willing to pay the price and make the sacrifice. You might not have realized it, but Griffiths, we are at war !"
        "And who declared this war ? X-Com !" Snapped Griffiths. "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - xenophobia and paranoia seems to have taken root, just for starters. We will bleed the city white fighting an enemy that doesn't even exist - or one that has been manufactured !"
        "What are you implying, Griffiths ?" Demanded Landis. "That this alien invasion was engineered by X-Com ?"
        Griffiths sneered.
        "You said it, Landis, not me. "
        "Then you are a fool, and a blind one at that !"
        Griffiths started to spit a rejoinder when the doors slid aside to admit Senate Leader Satsura. Satsura took note of the two Senators confronting each other, and waited until the two had subsided and backed away from each other.
        "Good. Let's get this meeting under way... " Satsura began to say when the doors opened again behind him.
        "What's the hurry, Satsura ?" Interrupted a smooth voice from behind. Satsura turned, and saw Mappelthorpe coming through the door.
        "No hurry, Senator. We're pleased that you could make it to the meeting. We all know what a busy schedule you have for today. " Said Satsura affably.
        There was a flicker in Mappelthorpe's usual mask, but he smiled.
        "Of course the will of the Senate is always my first priority, Senate Leader. How could I not answer its summons ?"
        "Easily. " Remarked Landis offhandedly, attracting a cold glance from Mappelthorpe.
        Satsura didn't miss the exchange, but gestured for Mappelthorpe to take his seat. Without any further remarks, Satsura went to his own seat, and sat down.
        "Well, you've all received a copy of the agenda. Once again, at our esteemed colleague Senator Merylsnot's urging, we are convened to decide the future of X-Com and its activities in Mega Primus. A yes vote would signify your support for allowing X-Com to continue with our official sanction. A negative vote would mean the termination of the city's contract with X-Com, along with the  withdrawal of all government support. "
        "Terminate the contract ! They are no better than the gangs !" Declared Senator Merylsnot.
        "You are out of order. " Said Satsura.  "Computer, delete that comment from records. "
        "Affirmative. Last Comment from Senator Merylsnot has been deleted. " Responded the computer keeping the records of the meeting.
        "Good. Now I would invite Senator Merylsnot, the originator of this issue to present her views. "
        Merylsnot was an angry red at this slight, but managed to keep her temper in check. It wouldn't do to offend Satsura.
        "I think we have all seen what X-Com has done with their 'freedom of action'. Leveled an an entire block full of financially disadvantaged families. Before that, they also destroyed Cyberweb's corporate headquarters. Over the past few weeks, under the guise of alien alerts, they have also caused immense property damage in the hundreds of thousands. All this against some purported alien menace !"
        Landis signaled his intention to speak, and Satsura nodded for him to proceed.
        "Once again Madame Senator insists on only presenting only half the picture. I find it difficult to comprehend her motives. X-Com has whenever possible tried to minimize their impact on the city, and their report of the situation at Lovecraft Block convinces me that they had no other choice. "
        "Yes, the problem is, that it is THEIR report. " Snapped Merylsnot.
        "I must remind you... " warned Satsura.
        "Sorry. Please, do continue, Landis. " Apologized Merylsnot, sarcasm dripping from each word.
        "You are too kind. Since you doubt X-Com's report, I would like to bring to the Senate's attention a Megapol incident report filed the day after the destruction of Lovecraft. Rescue personnel were on site looking for survivors when two of their personnel was attacked by some kind of yellow crab like organisms. Megapol officers report that there did not seem to be any physical damage inflicted, and the organism fell away a few seconds later 'deflated' and almost immediately began to decompose. "
        "Obviously incompatible with Earth-based life forms. So is this the terrifying alien threat that we have all been conned into believing ?" Demanded Senator Aprielle, looking up from her delicate manicure.
        Landis spoke before Satsura could intervene.
        "What happened afterwards may interest you however. Megapol police officers approached the two rescue workers to offer assistance and check up on their welfare, but the two rescue workers turned on them, and fatally wounded one of the Megapol officers with the laser cutter she had been using to cut away debris. The other officer had his left arm severed at the elbow. Nearby officers opened fire immediately, instantly killing the two rescue workers. "
        The Senators were disturbed.
        Satsura saw that Mappelthorpe wanted to say something, and gave him the go-ahead.
        Mappelthorpe took his time before starting, and looked at Landis with an expression that one might use to examine a piece of bad art.
        "Yes, Landis, of course it seems as if the alien creatures might have something to do with the transformation of dedicated rescue workers to suicidal cop-killers. IF those creatures actually exist. The disaster scene was under a Megapol security clamp, and there are no independent sources to  the backup that report. So whether aliens were involved is doubtful. And since it was a Megapol report... " Mappelthorpe curled a lip in a sneer. ".... I would say you were misinformed. "
        "Or someone is lying, Mappelthorpe. " Answered Landis, looking directly at Mappelthorpe, challenging him.
        "Yes, perhaps. " Returned the sneering Senator. "Maybe your friends in the Mutant Alliance should be called to verify the truth ?"
        "They have nothing to do with this, Mappelthorpe. But they did have some problems with spies. Pity that whoever sent them had no idea how easily mental conditioning can be broken by skilled psionics. "
        "So there are those amongst the Mutant Alliance who practice psionics ?" Countered Mappelthorpe. "That carries an automatic shoot on sight order, and if perpetrator is captured alive, death sentence. "
        "Industrial espionage is prohibited by law - and you wouldn't go as far as to silence Megapol contracted psi- investigators will you ?"
        "Silence ? What do you mean, Landis ? Are you suggesting that I might sink so low as to send hired killers after your friends ?"
        "No... I doubt you would be so honourable. " Returned Landis.
        "Cease your bickering. " Ordered Satsura. "We are here to discuss X-Com. Unless of course you two wish to initiate a Senate Inquiry ?"
        Landis glared at Mappelthorpe, who simply looked back with aristocratic disdain. Landis finally looked away.
        "Not at this time, Senate Leader. " He said.
        "Mappelthorpe ?" Asked Satsura.
        "It will be unnecessary. " He said archly.
        "Good.... now, does anyone else wish to speak out for or against the motion ?" Satsura asked the other Senators. Several hands were raised. Satsura knew it was a long debate. Probably another stalemate in the end. He also knew whatever the Senate decides, X-Com will continue to operate, with or without their support. X-Com were optimists in that they believe once they have beat the aliens, the world will get back to normal. At the current rate however, even he had to admit that there won't be enough world left if they succeed in defeating the alien menace. Maybe they could hold out for two more months. After that, Mega Primus will have to be rebuilt from the foundations up if humans wanted to stay on Earth.

<Somewhere in Primus South>
        Marie shivered, and pulled the thin blanket about her more for comfort than any warmth it could provide her. She didn't know why they had taken her here, but she suspected that Lachlan was in danger. She couldn't remember much about the place they had taken her to after the dark tunnels somewhere in the slums, but the people there had made sure she understood that Mega Primus was not a safe place to stay. She could see in Lachlan's eyes that he didn't want her to leave, yet he had told her that she must go back to Luna. But now she was someone's prisoner, and probably still in Mega Primus, although she couldn't be sure since they had blind folded her when they put her aboard the hovercar back at the spaceport.
        Her cell seemed to have been a cargo container. It wasn't particularly big, and all they had left her was a thin foam mattress, a jug of flat tasting water, and a small chemical toilet in the corner. Apart from that, the walls were bare metal, with a small glow panel fixed to the roof. If it wasn't for the glow panel, she would be in the dark since there was no opening  in the container wall or door. She had pounded on the door and walls, and yelled for help, but there had been no response at all from outside.
        Suddenly, the glow panel went out.
        Marie huddled into the corner, and waited.

<SWAT Group Five, Judgment Central>
        Tempers were frayed as the wait drew on. Transtellar was now denying ever having one Captain Markus s Ligatto on its passenger lists, and Megapol attempts to access their records were being blocked. The airtaxi with blood stains proven to belong to Ligatto was discovered burnt out out in the wastelands, but there was no sign of the captain. Analysis of the airtaxi records showed that it had been wiped, and the AI along with it, which meant the airtaxi had been flown under remote control when the priority red was killed. But there was no evidence of who or what was controlling the airtaxi. A Megapol search team had gone through the spaceport, bulldozing Transtellar protests, but had turned up nothing. Transtellar had complained to the Senate, and now the Senate wanted to know what the hell was going on.
        Martinez fumed. She had the firepower to go in and level Transtellar, but she couldn't act unless she could be sure that the captain was being held by Transtellar. She had personally led the search team, but apart from a few suspicious looking laser burns in the passenger terminal, there was nothing out of place. She had even ordered a sweep of the hangars and parking levels, but there was simply no sign of the captain anywhere. She suspected that Transtellar had moved him out of the spaceport and into the city, but Mega Primus was a big place, and Ligatto could be anywhere. Anywhere at all.
        "Lieutenant, I think we might have something here. " Called one of the SWAT officers monitoring the holoterminals.
        "Bring it up. "
        A holo of the spaceport and its surroundings came into existence. A moment later, traffic began to flow.
        "We can't get Transtellar's data on vehicle movements in the area, but I got the computers to compile one from our surveillance systems in the area along with the city traffic control records.  I set the simulation to start from five minutes before the priority red alert came on. " The officer adjusted the focus, and brought it closer to the spaceport.
        "This is a minute before the alert. I told the computer to filter out the standard departures such as scheduled deliveries and pickups, as well as hovertrucks that are following the city supply and demand AI directives. "
        "Leaving only the independent operators and airtaxis. " Summarized Martinez.
        "Yes ma'am. In the beginning, I put the focus on any unscheduled activity after the captain's airtaxi returned to the spaceport, and this is what the computers
came up with. "
        The little vehicles on the holo winked out one by one to be replaced by red paths, each representing the movements of a single vehicle, all of them starting from the spaceport.
        "There's fifteen vehicles that left the spaceport during the time frame we're interested in. Of those, twelve were easily accounted for since they were personal transports for corporate executive and I could verify that they were indeed just carrying normal passengers. The remaining three were cargo carriers, which isn't unusual since they could be doing courier work. "
        "Any of those three look interesting ?"
        "I can't tell at this moment. I can't get their manifests, since they are Transtellar vehicles. They all went to one warehouse or another, but the computers there aren't saying anything, since they are Transtellar systems as well. The whole system is self contained. Any of those three warehouses could be where they moved the captain to. I am not totally sure however. I am still getting the computers to keep running taps on any movements around the spaceport. "
        "Damn. " Cursed Martinez. "Get the hackers concentrating on getting the reason behind these three truck movements. While they are at it, see if you can dig up any interesting movements relating to these three warehouses for the past... say, few days. "
        "I'll get the computers on it. Anything else ma'am ?"
        "Get more monitors watching the spaceport. There's something odd going on with Transtellar. Ops doesn't want trouble right now, but we need to be prepared. "
        While the officer passed on the orders, Martinez looked at the holo with narrowed eyes. They were missing something here. Why was Ligatto in danger ? The captain had just come back from off world, and nobody messes with Megapol, much less Megapol SWAT. Transtellar must have a good reason, but right now, she couldn't think of anything that the Group has done recently that would tick Transtellar off.

<Tranquility Spaceport,  Luna>
        Major Culloden's presence at the airlock could only be described as looming. Most Lunar citizens (Luncits for short, or derisively, Lunies) were taller than the average Terran since the gravity was only one sixth that of Earth's. The Major was no exception, except while most Luncits were rather slender, he was solid. Lunsec uniforms were not cut to be tight fitting like the Venusian Militia, but somehow the Major simply filled out his uniform. A scar which traced its path along the right side of his face completed the effect, and reminded the passengers coming off the spaceship that Luna's current reputation as the safest colony in the solar system was built by a security company which has the reputation for having the meanest, most trigger happy, and the most paranoid employees. Even Marsec could only claim two of those traits. Lunsec had fought a full out war to retain control of Luna, and it showed.
        Right now Culloden was annoyed. That is, by the usual standards, translates to royally pissed off.
        "Where the hell is the girl ?" He snarled.
        His companion, Sergeant McCain, kept his eyes on the passengers filing off the spaceship, but replied: "She has not come out yet sir. " Like Culloden, he was built like massive human battering ram - and looked as if he has assaulted his share of castles.
        "I can see that. Where is she ?"
        "Should I go in and check sir ?"
        "Do it. "
        McCain walked up the ramp, the passengers muttering but parting like water before him. One slower than the others collided with the sergeant, but bounced off without the sergeant seeming to notice. A Transtellar hostess frowned at the airlock, but schooled her features into a bright sunny smile as the sergeant approached.
        "How may I help you sir ?"
        "Looking for a girl. Name's Voisin. "
        "Please wait while I check with the computer. " The hostess turned and flipped open a panel on the wall, revealing a commpanel. She tapped a few keys.
        "How do you spell that please ?"
        "Voisin. Victor Oscar India Sierra India November. "
        The hostess was flustered. "Erh.... in normal Standard that is... ?"
        The sergeant glared at her as if she was some kind of mutant. He decided to make a concession since she was a no-good civilian after all.
        "V. O. I. S. I. N. Voisin. Hurry up. We don't have all day. "
        "Voisin. Of course. " The hostess muttered something under breath, but tapped hurriedly at the keypads when the sergeant growled. "I am sorry sir but we don't have any passenger by the that name. "
        The sergeant leaned forward. "You SURE ?"
        The hostess blanched. "That.. That's what the computers say.... " Something seemed to struck her. "Voisin.... please wait a moment, I think there was some kind of problem back at Earth... let me get my supervisor. "
        The hostess fled from the airlock, leaving the sergeant to glower at the  remaining passengers as they hurried past. A moment later, another hostess came to the airlock. The previous one was nowhere in sight.
        "You are looking for a female passenger named Voisin ? I presume that is Marie Voisin ?"
        "Yeah. Marie Voisin. That's the name. She should be aboard. "
        "May I ask why you are interested in her ?" The hostess was made of tougher stuff than her junior, and she'd seen her share of happenings aboard Transtellar's spaceships. Sometimes humans and alcohol just don't mix.
        "You may not. " Growled the sergeant.
        "Well, pardon me, but we don't just give out passenger information... "
        "Let me be VERY clear. I want to know WHERE Marie Voisin is RIGHT now. "
        "Is that a threat ?" The hostess was getting annoyed with this caveman-lookalike, and her left hand began to move towards the button which will summon Transtellar's own security personnel.
        "No. " The sergeant's right hand slapped to his sidearm. "THIS is a threat. Right now I am making a REQUEST. And if you touch that alert you will accidentally trip and fall down that ramp, for a nice long break at the Clinic. " There was something about the way he said "break" which chilled the hostess's spine. She glanced around desperately, but by now all the passengers have gone, and the rest of the hostesses had heard about the presence of McCain at the airlock and weren't going to come out until the all clear is sounded.
        "I shall make a complaint ..... " declared the hostess, but she deflated as she realized who the complaint will go to. And her own company wasn't about to risk bad relations with Lunsec over a minor "accident".
        "Well ?" Growled the sergeant.
        "We really don't have such a passenger. If she isn't on the records, then she isn't aboard this ship. If she is, then we would've noticed. And we didn't have any attempted stowaways on this flight. There was something odd back on Earth though... " The hostess paused, wondering whether she should give out the confidential company information, but caught the look in the sergeant's eye. It reminded her about the "break".
        "... there was supposed to be a Marie Voisin aboard. She was checked in and confirmed for the flight, but when we got to the final call, Security told us that she won't be coming aboard, and told us to delete her entry. It's very unusual... "
        The sergeant didn't wait for the hostess to finish. He did an about turn, and headed down the ramp.
        The Major's temper had not been improved by the wait.
        "Well, where the hell is the girl ?" He demanded.
        "She never got aboard. I think she's still back on Earth. Transtellar Security told the crew  to cancel her seat. "
        "And X-Com says they saw her off at the spaceport. So who fucked up ?"
        The Major glared at the spaceship ahead of him with a venom that he usually reserved for deserters and recruits who didn't have their bunk squared away.
        "What do we do now sir ?" Asked the sergeant. "Search the ship ?"
        "Don't bother. We're going to be watching this ship so hard that those girls won't be going to a bathroom alone. Right now we better give X-Com the good news.... "
        "Oh shit. " Muttered the sergeant.
        "..Exactly. Then we going to find Dawson's girl. The man may have been too soft, but he did his job. And the Director owes him a favour. Hell, we all owe him a favour. Let's go. "
        "Yes sir !"

<X-Com Base "Westland">
        The message from Luna didn't go down well.
        Stella Thornton, as the Commander of X-Com forces in Mega Primus, read the message she had received from Lunsec again just to make sure she hadn't misread it the first time. The message's content did not change.

 "To: CiC X-Com Mega Primus Earth

Package did not arrive as expected.
Package did not board flight.
Transtellar Security involvement reported.
Investigating. Standby.

Adam B. Aldrin,
Director, Lunar Security Corporation."

        She contemplated the display for a moment longer, then hit the comm panel. The duty technician's holo came up.
        "Yes ma'am ?"
        "I want Dawson in my office. Now. "
        "He's in a psi-sim at the moment ma'am. "
        "I said, NOW. "
        "Yes ma'am !" Gulped the technician, even as Stella killed his holo.
        Stella spun in her seat to look at the map of Mega Primus on the wall behind her desk. She found the sizable Transtellar Spacelines facility, and glared at it.
        "What did you do with her ?" She demanded.
        The holo of course didn't reply, and she didn't expect it to. She preferred to find her own answers.

<The Senate>
        None of the neutral senators had so far shown any sign of changing their votes, and the two opposing sides remained evenly matched. Senator Griffiths was making a long speech about something, but most of the senators weren't listening. It was nearly lunch time, and everyone was tired.
        "..... the senseless violence that is disrupting the social and economic life of this city must cease for us to recover. It has gone on long enough, and it is time to call of the maniacs in X-Com and let saner counsel prevail !" With that, Griffiths nodded self-importantly and sat down.
        One of the nay senators managed a "Bravo !", but everybody else was either looking out the window or discussing the lunch menu with their secretaries. Griffiths didn't notice. He knew he had made one of his longest speeches, and was still puffed from being able to recite from memory the past five months' results economic productivity survey.
        Satsura looked around to see if any of his fellows wish to comment. Landis, the keen young Senator, was still wide awake, but didn't seem inclined to speak. There was no point arguing with Griffiths, since the man had inherited most of his father's money and less than half of his brains.
        "Thank you for your presentation, Senator Griffiths. As there does not seem to be any one ready to respond at this moment, I call this meeting to a halt and we'll break for lunch. I am sure we all have other matters to attend to do in the afternoon, so we shall reconvene to discuss the X-Com issue tomorrow. "
        Satsura tapped on his control panel and opened the doors. With sighs of relief, the Senators stood up and made their way out.
        Landis nodded to several of fellow aye senators as he left the room, then saw Mappelthorpe standing in the corridor, talking with a few of the nay senators. Mappelthorpe noticed Landis as well, and he curled his lip slightly Landis returned the favour with a look of disgust, and headed for the lifts. Behind him, he could hear Mappelthorpe say something, and the nay senators laughed uproariously. Landis' mood turned foul.
        "Landis, wait !" Called someone behind him.
        Landis turned, and snapped a sharp "What ?" before realizing he was talking to Senator Aprielle.
        "I am sorry, Senator, didn't realize it was you. " Apologized Landis. Senator Aprielle was the subject of much speculation amongst the city's aristocracy.  Rumours say that she was only twenty three, and was one hundred percent non-nano modified natural. Which means out there, in one of the Procreation Parks, a gene-engineer can be very proud of his handiwork. Of course, the rumourmongers also noted that it was a pity that the guy didn't have a clue when it comes to picking the right personality.
        Aprielle gave him a smile. "I am not offended. Griffiths' droning can test the patience of a saint. "
        So can you, thought Landis, and blushed again. He quickly recovered himself.
        "How may I be of service to you ?" He said politely.
        "Senator Landis is known as a champion for S.E.L.F and the Mutant Alliance. " Said Senator Aprielle. "And a staunch supporter for X-Com involvement in Mega Primus. "
        Landis wariness grew. Senator Aprielle voted with the nay faction on the X-Com issue.
        "Guilty on all accounts. " Landis bowed slightly. "It is a pity of course that such worthy courses are not championed by more. "
        Senator Aprielle did not miss his point, but she remained unconcerned.
        "Yes, it is indeed a pity. Especially the issue of the two minority political groups. They could do with more public support and positive exposure in the media, do they not ?"
       So, it was some kind of deal that she was after, thought Landis.
        "That is true. You have to admit that since the cease-fire, both of organizations had kept their peace. Maybe Sensovision would be fair enough to report on it. "
        "That could be arranged, but don't you think this matter should be discussed somewhere less.... public. "
        "Well, I guess Benito's over in the Presley District..." suggested Landis.
        A look of horror flashed over Aprielle's patrician visage, but she managed to rein her smile back in place.
        "Honestly, Landis ! If I didn't know you better I would've thought you were serious !"
        "Erh... I am.... they do good food for only twenty credits per dish. "
        "Landis dear, you are a Senator now. And Senators don't dine at ... Benito's when they discuss business. "
        "Well, what do you suggest ?" Landis was rather offended. Some of his beset stories had come from a dinner at Benito's. Most of his informers and sources considered Benito's to be posh.
        "My place. " Said Aprielle.
        "Pardon ?" Landis wasn't sure he heard her right. He'd never heard of a restaurant by that name.
        "I said, dinner over at my place. Just you and me. And that minor concern of mine. "
        Somewhere in the back of Landis' mind warning bells were ringing. But he couldn't really politely refuse. While other Senators could get away with calling each other names, he couldn't afford to offend anyone of them outright. Accidents could happen, and Senator Aprielle could certainly cause a few, and not just everyday traffic ones.
        "If that doesn't cause any inconvenience.... "
        Aprielle smiled.
        "Of course not. Let's make it tomorrow at six then ? After the meeting ?"
        "Erh... sure.... "
        "Very well. Oh, and don't turn up in a tuxedo. It's only an informal affair."
        "Right. Nothing formal. "
        Aprielle smiled again, and then swept past him. Landis looked around in red faced embarrassment, and knew the other senators had noticed the exchange.
        As Senator Dupont walked by, he inclined slightly and said: "I am going to rip Griffiths apart tomorrow.... and good luck, Landis old boy. You'll need it. "
        Landis could only nod wordlessly. He wondered if this was what flies felt when they get stuck on flypaper.

<Somewhere in Primus South>
        Marie woke with a start. She thought for a moment that she had just woke up from a nightmare, but when she saw the plasteel walls, she knew it was no nightmare. She was still someone's prisoner. They've turned the glow panel back on, she realized. And what had woken her was the sound of people talking.
        "Help !" Called Marie. "Get me out of here !"
        She banged on a wall, and winced as the unyielding surface jarred her arm.
        There was a clank at the door, then a male voice outside snapped: "You in there, shut up !"
        Marie cowered in the corner. She had hoped against hope that maybe the people out there were cargo loaders, or just someone who wasn't with her captors.
        There was another clank at the door, then opened outwards. Marie was nearly blinded by the outside light after the dim glow of the glow panel.
        "You ! Stay in the corner !" Ordered an unseen voice with not a trace of sympathy.
        There was a few more muffled orders, then two man dragging a third between them came in. They dropped their captive with a thud on the floor, then another man came in an tossed a small first aid kit to Marie. It hit the wall, then dropped onto her head before finally clattering onto the floor, scattering its contents. The men laughed.
        "Patch him up girlie. If he dies, it's gonna be the worse for you !" They laughed again, then left her prison. The door swung shut again with a clank, then more noises as they secured it.
        As the sounds of the guards faded away, Marie unfolded slowly from her corner and ventured closer to the man. There was the smell of something burnt, and when Marie's eyes readjusted to the dimness, she realized that it was the man's wounds. From what she could see, it was some kind of laser burn. On closer examination, there were actually two injuries. One of them was a bloody scrape which had since clotted, but the rough handling from the guards had opened the wound and it was bleeding again. The unconscious man's other injury was worse, a laser hole right through his shoulder blade which was even now oozing a clear fluid. Like most colonists, Marie knew how to apply basic first aid. She gathered up the scattered contents of the first aid kit, and got to work, beginning on the hole.
        Neither of the injuries were likely to be life threatening, but she wished the man could get some proper medical attention. As she worked, she wondered who he was. Something about her patient reminded her of Lachlan. There had even been one occasion when Lachlan had staggered home, half delirious, with a a laser wound like this in his shoulder. But that time she had been able to get Lunsec to send out an ambulance. They wouldn't tell her how he came to be staggering home half dead when he was supposed to be working at the spaceport either. And in Mega Primus, Lachlan had been badly hurt again when the hovercar crashed in the slums. Something told her that more happened to her and Lachlan after the crash, but it was all blurry.
        Marie sighed as she sprayed the antiseptic foam into the hole, then slapped a skin seal over both ends of the hole. She prayed that Lachlan will come through alive. As an afterthought, she prayed that her current fellow prisoner will survive too. After all, he and she must be on the same side if they were locked in the same cell.

<X-Com Base "Westland">
        Dawson sat alone in the cafeteria. It was well into the afternoon, and the last of the lunch time crowd had long since departed to go about their duties. There were still a few technicians from the repair bay about, but like the combat teams, they kept no set schedule. These technicians were still bleary eyed from the latest batch of vehicle casualties after another encounter with the alien crafts classified as a "Destroyer", but they weren't so far gone as to disturb the Captain.
        A shadow fell across the table, but Dawson did not seem to notice. He did react when a hand was placed on his shoulder however
        "Go Away. " He growled.
        The hand removed itself, but the presence remained. A moment later, the unwelcome interloper in his grief spoke.
        "So, they took your girl did they ?" It was the voice of Sergeant Jonlan, with its characteristic sneer. "No big deal. Plenty of others around the place. "
        Dawson did not reply, but there was a sharp intake of breath.
        Jonlan's eyes narrowed.
        "Yeah, one girl goes missing... no big deal. Doesn't mean anything to anyone except you. "
        Dawson looked up. His eyes were bloodshot, but something deep within them began to burn. Jonlan appeared to ignore the warning signs, and curled a lip.
        "So, our great rookie turned captain of X-Com has a broken heart. Well, maybe he should call it a day and find a nice place to cry into his pillow. ""
        Dawson exploded from his seat, and a clenched fist shot for Jonlan's face.
        The sergeant merely tilted his head to one side, and Dawson's killing blow flashed harmlessly by. In return, the sergeant slapped the enraged Dawson across the face.
        "Oh yeah, tough boy now ? All that Lunsec training makes you top dog ? Your lay for the week goes missing and if you have to tear me apart to find her, you gonna do it right ?"
        As Jonlan spoke, Dawson's wild attacks continued. But for every move, the veteran sergeant had a counter. An elbow to the throat was countered by a shoulder, a kick at the knees met with a stamping boot. The attacks became  wilder as Dawson's frustration and fury grew, but Jonlan batted them aside as if they were feathery caresses.
        "You've forgotten what you are here for ?" Growled Jonlan "You aren't the only one around here who has lost someone. But none of them is throwing a tantrum like you, none of them is a weakling like you !"
        Without any warning, Jonlan suddenly struck back. Caught off balance, Dawson took the hit right on the jaw, and sailed across the table to crash into a row of chairs.
        Jonlan simply stood there, then crossed his arms over his chest.
        "Come on rookie. I can take some more. I've seen Lifetree's academy nerds who are tougher than you are !" He laughed.
        Dawson lay crumpled amongst the chairs for a moment, but then picked himself up. He flexed his right arm questioningly, then turned to face the sergeant. The sergeant had to fight to keep from taking a step back. The madness which had fueled the previous assault was gone, replaced by something else. Something cold and calculating. The sergeant tensed, and went into a defensive crouch.
        "Come on Dawson. Prove it to me you are a fighter. Prove it to me you are worthy to wear the uniform you are wearing now ! Prove to me you got what it takes to get your girl back" Snapped Jonlan, without relaxing from his stance.
        The two combatants confronting each other were like frozen statues, staring into each other's eyes, challenging the other to make the first move.
        "I could kill you. " Said Dawson suddenly.
        "You could try. " Answered Jonlan.
        Dawson relaxed, and stood up straight.
        "That was pretty stupid what you did, sergeant. Assaulting a superior."
        Jonlan snorted.
        "Self defense. You went for me first. "
        Dawson laughed.
        "You old jackal. Thanks for the wake up call. "
        "You are welcome Captain. Sometimes officers need reminding that they ain't rookies no more. "
        Dawson rubbed at his jaw, and winced,
        "We are only human, sergeant. Any news yet ?"
        Jonlan's face darkened.
        "There's shit splattered all over the wall behind the fan now,  Captain. Lunsec is investigating the situation, and their message says that they believe Transtellar did something at the spaceport. "
        Dawson groaned.
        "Investigating ? That's Lunsec company talk for a recon by fire ! There's got to be a full SDU on the way down by now ! They will start by ripping the spaceport apart, and if they don't find Marie, they'll start pulling the rest of Mega Primus into bits !"
        "Close sir. The Commander managed to cancel their plans for a full SDU, but they are sending people down to act as consultants. "
        "Any idea who ?"
        "A Major Culloden's leading the team. "
        "And a sergeant McCain is with him. "
        "How do you know ?" Jonlan was slightly startled.
        "You see one of them, the other's waiting to blow your head off. They're so hard-core that if you put them in a room full of shamblers, all you gonna see is shamblers coming through the wall and doors. "
        "Lucky they are on our side then. " Said a voice.
        "Commander !" The two X-Com soldiers came to attention.
        "At ease. Looks like you tow had been having a little.... workout. "
        "Yeah, you could call it that, ma'am. " Answered Jonlan.
        The Commander turned her gaze on the captain.
        "Well, you heard the news about your friends from Lunsec coming down here. "
        "Yes ma'am. But if at all possible, I would advise you to... "
        She cut him off with a wave.
        "They are on their way already. We can't reject Lunsec's offer. After all, we involved them, and we can't tell them to back off now. You know your people. They always want to see things through. "
        "I am sorry ma'am, for causing all the problems..."
        "It's a lesson to us all. Never assume anything, and never forget our enemies are always waiting. At least we know that there's something rotten about Transtellar. Might just as well when we have the resources to deal with it. " She paused, then clicked her fingers.
        "Ah yes. Captain, you will be our liaison with the Lunsec team. We'll be relying on you to keep them in check. And you will also make sure that they don't come to any harm. "
        "Harm, ma'am ? To those two ?" Dawson began laughing.
        "I see you are coming to grips with the task at hand. " Nodded the Commander approvingly. "The shuttle should be here in a few hours. Captain, you may go and see to the preparations for our guests' arrival. "
        "Right away ma'am. " Dawson snapped off a salute, and hurried away.
        "What did you give him, Jonlan ?" Muttered the Commander out of the corner of her mouth.
        Jonlan shook his head.
        "Just roughed him up a little to make him realize that it wasn't the end of the world, and that he still has a job to do. "
        "Good work. " Nodded the Commander approvingly. "Although...... I think the Captain may bear careful watching. He may get over eager, and with those two Lunsec troubleshooters, things might get a bit.... hectic. "
        "I'll see to it. And now, if you would excuse me, I better get to the medi-bay. "
        "What's wrong ?"
        Jonlan grimaced.
        "The Captain's no glass-jaw. I think I cracked something in my hand. "
        "Get it looked at right away then. If anything comes up, I will be in the intel section. "
        "Yes ma'am. I'll pass on the word. "

<X-Com Base "Westland" Intelligence Section>
        The hydraulics pushed the blast door shut with a clang behind her, and Stella found herself once more in the hub of X-Com's intelligence gathering operations in Mega Primus. The place was buzzing with activity, but most paused to have eye the new arrival before returning to their work. Stella looked around, surveying this secretive part of her domain, and saw the liaison officer.
        This time it was a young slight woman who looked barely out of her teens, although the slightly grey tinge to her skin was unmistakably that of an android. Her eyes however were almost as large as that of a sectoid and the azure iris glowed with an inner light.
        "Good afternoon, Commander Thornton. " Greeted the android. "You can call me Alita. What can we do for you today ?"
        "Give me an update on Marie Voisin. What has our sources turned up so far ?"
        Androids could manage passable imitations of facial expressions, and the one that she was using now was "Worried".
        "The news is not that good. There's a lot of activity related to the kidnapping going on right now, and we have to be careful not to come to the attention of ...others. "
        "What kind of others are we having problems with ?"
        "A fair share of them is mercenary. Lunsec's called in the chips on quite a few secondary corps and some of their own city Intel people are moving around and digging for info. Transtellar's running what seems to be a cleanup operation, and so far they've managed to 'crash' their ticketing system and lose all passenger information for today. There's something else that might be related too. I'll show you. "
        Alita led the way to a spare holoterminal, and with a deft hand brought up, from the rather fuzzy quality and unusual viewpoint, the display of a security monitor. She tapped at the control panel and set the holo running.
        "We managed to rescue this segment of data before Transtellar's security people either sealed it or wiped it. Look over there, near the door... "
        Stella concentrated, and frowned.
        "It's out of focus, but I could swear that's me and Dawson. "
        "Right. Watch what happens next. "
        The security camera's focus changed, and was now concentrated on the Stella and Dawson. It was also tracking them directly, until the door closed behind them as they left the spaceport.
        "They noticed us, but nothing happened... "
        "Wait. The holo isn't finished. " Said Alita.
        The holo played on, and the security monitor's focus changed again, and this time was fixed on a face in the crowd.
        "Hold it.... that's the SWAT Group Five commander isn't it ?" Exclaimed Stella. "What's he doing there ?"
        "Yes. He is Captain Markus Ligatto. He just came back from Venus. He was on leave there. Coincidental I think. The arrival and departure dates were set when Megapol booked the seat. But what's interesting is what happens next. "
        As they watched, Ligatto's head turned to look at something. He began moving back against the flow of the crowd, looking worried, but the next moment he was intercepted by two uniformed Transtellar security officers. What she saw next left Stella feeling very very worried.
        "Do we have any more holos like this ?"
        "We have some other holos, but they badly fragmented and will take us some time to piece together.. But Ligatto was definitely hit as he went through that door. We can't tell how severe the wound is, but there was a fair bit of commotion when a Megapol code red was issued from an airtaxi before someone canceled it."
        "And how does this relate to our problem ?"
        "We are not one hundred percent sure on this, but we think that Ligatto might've seen what happened to Voisin. After all, you saw her go through the customs, and she definitely wasn't aboard the ship when it left the spaceport. So in that time interval, something must've happened to Voisin. And Ligatto probably saw it, which was why Transtellar tried to take him. "
        "So what's happening now that a SWAT captain has gone missing ?"
        "Megapol's hit the roof. They've pulled in the leash on all of their usual snitches, blitzed a lot of shadier places around the spaceport, and Group Five is taking it personally and running their own Intel effort. "
        "That's a lot of activity. How does it affect our operations ?"
        "Frankly, it's bad. Half our current resources are being diverted to cover our tracks, and we are trying to keep our people from being trodden on in the stampede. "
        "Tell me what I can expect from the alien sentinel network. "
        "Down to  thirty three percent. However, the raised alert level of the rest of the city however gives us around fifty percent effectiveness in secondary detection. "
        "What about the search for Voisin ?" Demanded Stella.
        "We're on it...  it's more difficult than we thought. We've lost contact with a lot of our higher level Transtellar contacts, and the rest know nothing. We've got people combing the city for her, but like I said before, it's difficult moving around without tripping alerts right now. "
        "Concentrate the search on anything that has to do with Transtellar. Luxury apartments, warehouses, anything. They must be holding her somewhere, and Transtellar probably had something to do with it."
        "Right. I'll get my people on it. There's something else that is worrying ma'am... "
        "Out with it. " Said Stella.
        "This maybe nothing, but we've lost five agents attached to Senators in the past week. Government security was more thorough than usual."
        "Five ? That's a damn lot. Who were they tasked to ?" Asked Stella.
        "Three were from Senator Aprielle's staff, while the other two were from Landis'. One of the ones watching Landis was a hybrid as well. The sweep also took out several others, most of whom we already tagged as non friendly Intel assets. "
        "Do we have any backups ?"
        "That's the problem ma'am... they got all of the ones watching these two Senators. We've got people on all of the other ones except Mappelthorpe and Satsura, but at this moment we only have ELINT intercepts and external surveillance. We just don't have anyone close to those two right now. " Alita grimaced.
        "Looks like someone is planning something, and don't want us to know about it. " Concluded Stella.
        "That's what the evaluation was too. What do you think we should do ?"
        "If you Intel people did your job, the Senate  won't know who those agents were from. But if as you say those sweeps were more thorough than usual, then you better find out why. Senator Aprielle won't be too concerned since she doesn't trust her associates anyway, but Landis, being the idealist that he is, will be very wary. As a journalist, he might have access to sources we don't know about when screening his new employees and contacts. Up the secondary surveillance on him but keep our people clear. "
        "You've got it Commander. That's pretty much covers the current situation. Anything else that you would like to know about ?"
        Stella considered for a moment, then clicked her fingers.
        "I've told Sergeant Jonlan to keep an eye on Captain Dawson who will be liaising with the Lunsec people. If you can spare the resources, give him some backup. "
        "I'll see that he gets them. " Answered Alita. "Is that all, Commander ?"
        "For now. " Replied Stella. "All this trouble we're having is making me very edgy. We've got the best soldiers in Mega Primus, but that won't do us any good if we're too blind to know where to send them. "

<Somewhere in Primus South>
        Pain. Darkness. Confusion. More pain.
        Surprise. A burning sensation. Coolness. Cold.
        A woman's voice. Argument.
        "You fools. I am only interested in the girl !"
        Then a man's voice -
        "But Senator.. "
        CRACK!
        Sound of body falling to the floor. A grunt of pain.
        "I told you before, NEVER use my rank. "
        Another man's voice.
        "We'll have him dealt with. But we do have the commander of Megapol's best SWAT group in our hands... "
        The woman's voice again. Shriller.
        "And what am I supposed to do with him ? He is of no use to me ! And now you've alerted the entire Megapol !"
        "He saw the operation.... "
        "Dispose of him. Anyway you like. You KNOW how delicate this operation is. There was no need to bring a cop, much less a SWAT cop, here ! "
        "But Transtellar..."
        "Transtellar or not, it is I who is in charge of this operation. Or maybe you would like to complain to HIM ?" There was a pause.
        When the woman finally spoke again, it was more calculating.
        "I am giving you a chance to prove your usefulness to me.... there are plenty of others who are willing to do your job with none of the lip. "
        "Everything as you wish. "
        A swish of heavy fabric, hiss of an automatic door.
        Silence.
        The pain returned. Burning.
        The first man, rather indistinctly, spoke.
        "Are we really going to get rid of the cop ?"
        "Just put him in with the Senators' new pet for now. If Megapol finds out about this, he'll keep the SWAT maniacs from blowing our sorry asses away the first chance they get. "
        "But Janus, if she finds out... "
        "I can handle the bitch. It's HIM we have to worry about. "
        "But... "
        The second one's tone became menacing.
        "Our people have no reason to suspect ANYTHING. They won't talk, and if you know what's good for you, neither will you ! Now shut the fuck up Boron or I'll give you a black eye to go with that fat lip. "
        Pain. Splitting pain.
        "The cop's coming around. Get me the spray. "
        Coolness. Dampness.
        The pain fades. The world fades.
        Falling... falling.... falling.....

        "You are awake !" Said a woman's voice. "How are you feeling ?"
        Ligatto grunted. He felt like someone had run over him with a steamroller. He opened his eyes, and saw a vague outline hovering over him. A feminine outline.
        "Next time set the medibay to dose me with something snappy before I wake up, doc. "
        "Medibay ? What are you talking about ?" Asked the vague outline.
        As Ligatto's eyes came into focus, he saw the concerned face of Marie Voisin. He looked beyond her, and grimaced. So it wasn't just a nightmare after all. He definitely wasn't back at Judgment Central, and there was no medi-bay to patch everything back together again.
        "Help me up. " Said Ligatto.
        Marie put an arm behind his uninjured shoulder, and managed to prop him against the wall with the blanket behind him.
        "Any idea where we are ?" Asked Ligatto, taking stock of the situation. What he saw wasn't too promising. Looked like a converted cargo container, and like all cargo containers, this one was designed to keep things in.
        "I am sorry. I don't know. I don't even know why I am here. " At this, Marie bit her lip to stop herself from crying.
        "I do. You are Lachlan Dawson's girlfriend. " Said Ligatto.
        "How did you know ?" Gasped Marie.
        "It's my job to know things. " Said Ligatto. "Not that I even know where I am at this moment. "
        "Are you a spy ?" Asked Marie, wide eyed.
        "No, of course not ! What gave you that idea ?" Ligatto was rather offended. He considered himself a professional police officer. "I work for Megapol. "
        "Oh, a policeman. Why are you here ?"
        "Probably because I saw you get kidnapped by those Transtellar security goons. They probably sat up and noticed when they saw me watching and the computer coughed up the fact that I was a serving Megapol enforcer. "
        "I am sorry... I didn't mean to cause any trouble. " Apologized Marie.
        Ligatto laughed, and shook his head.
        "It's my job to deal with trouble. It's my fault for letting you end up here. " He turned his head, and looked at his patched shoulder. "Looks like I should be apologizing for inconveniencing you. Thank you for fixing up my shoulder. "
        "It's nothing. But you should really see a doctor soon. "
        "I've had worse. But thanks for your concern. I am a bit thirsty, is there anything to drink         ?"
        Marie gave him the water jug, and Ligatto sipped at it carefully. It seemed to revive him slightly.
        "Now our priority is to get out of here. " Declared Ligatto.
        "How ? It looks airtight !"
        "If it was airtight we would be dead now from asphyxiation. Luckily they put ventilation slots in the door. " Ligatto struggled to his feet, and made his way over to the door. "No lock on the inside... deadbolt on the outside then. Simple, yet effective. If we try escape, it will have to be when they open the door. Have they brought food or anything else yet ?"
        Marie shook her head. Ligatto considered this.
        "Well, it looks like all they did was cut the vent slots in the door. There's no slot big enough to pass food through, so this must've been a rush job. They'll have to open the door to give us food. How many guards do you think there are ?"
        "When they brought you in two of them were carrying you while there was a third looking on. "
        "At least three then. But for food and water it will be either one or two. I could take them out easily if it wasn't for this shoulder... "
        "They've got guns !"
        Ligatto smiled. It was a smile that suggested it wouldn't matter if those guards had Retribution missiles.

<SWAT Group Five, Judgment Central>
        The atmosphere in the command center was tense. To have one of their own disappear into thin air was against everything they've been taught to believe. When an officer goes down, they were usually surprised or caught in a firefight. Neither was foreign to the veterans in SWAT. But to a unit that prided itself on cooperation, comradeship and knowing the enemy, the disappearance of their commander came as a shock. Kidnappings were something that happened to civilians.
        Martinez was no exception. She simply hid it better than others because she was expected to set an example. Somewhere deep inside her heart she refused to believe that Captain Ligatto, the best that Megapol had ever fielded in the war against crime, could've been taken - alive. He must've been overwhelmed by sheer numbers, fighting against impossible odds. But there was no evidence ! Transtellar Spacelines' management had, grudgingly, granted them permission to search the spaceport. They saw the shot through plastic door panels, a few laser burns. Talking to the civilians around the place turned up a few inconclusive interviews, and all they could say was security pursuing a man and that shots were fired.
        Transtellar insisted that the man they had pursued was an off-worlder wanted for murder, and that he had been shipped back to Saturn on the first available flight. Requests to see the records were refused - first because it was sensitive company information, then because the computers had gone down from a virus. Airtaxi operators knew nothing - they were all Transtellar employees anyway.
        Transtellar had no motive !. That was the point which frustrated Martinez. On her request, the chief had queried Venus, but the office there returned a negative on any high risk information that Ligatto might've been entrusted with. Add that to the fact Ligatto had been out of the city for the past two weeks meant that he couldn't have been involved in anything this extreme.
        They were running out of options. Megapol doctrine states that in a hostage situation, the hostage's survival is measure by hours, possibly days, and in more extreme cases where there the potential gain is high, months. But if the family /relatives/parent organization does not receive a ransom demand within twenty four hours, the hostage is either dead or being held for information. In either case, survival rate drops dramatically as time goes by.
        Ligatto couldn't be dead. Yet there was no reason to take him alive. There was no reason to take him at all ! The paradox of the situation was driving Martinez crazy.

<Transtellar Shuttle LS20>
        "Good evening. Welcome aboard. " Smiled the hostess, and glancing at the displays, she extended a hand to show the new arrival to the right aisle. "Your seat is on the left, in the blue section. We hope you will have a pleasant flight. "
        "Good evening...... AAARRRRGH !" The hostess' scream brought security running as she bolted off the ramp, knocked over several passengers on the way, and disappeared through the emergency exit.
        Transtellar security was followed by a heavily armed team of Lunsec troopers allocated to spaceport defense, but both groups halted in puzzlement. Apart from a few irate passengers picking themselves and their luggage off the floor, there doesn't seem to be anything wrong. Another hostess came quickly to the hatch, and a quick discussion with the security teams saw them moving back out of sight and the queue to board the shuttle reassembled.
        "What came over her ?" Growled one passenger waiting in the queue.
        "I think she was the one I talked to about Voisin. " Answered his companion.
        "Sergeant, you should work on your people skills. "
        "Yes sir. "
        The rest of the embarkation process went off without a hitch. Thirty minutes later, the daily Lunar shuttle service to Earth lifted off, with Major Culloden and Sergeant McCain aboard.

<Mappelthorpe Estate, Primus West>
        A very pleasant morning, thought Senator Mappelthorpe. The sky was a pleasant blue, and the sun warmed without being over bright. He let his eyes roam over the perfectly laid out gardens below, and smiled in satisfaction. Roses bloomed, as they should, and the grass was green, which they should be. As Mappelthorpe sipped his coffee, he admired the handiwork that his wealth could buy. The sky was blue because the estate's ion shields had been tuned to the appropriate wavelength. The sun was perfect because it was a holo projection, and the gardens were immaculate because countless nanos had worked on it during the night. Mappelthorpe was a man who enjoyed nature, and he did not intend to let a few trivial problems like rain, clouds or wind affect his enjoyment.
        He set his coffee cup down carefully, and started on his usual breakfast of poached eggs. As he ate, he let his mind wander over the events of yesterday. The snatch had gone perfectly. He let a slight smile form in appreciation of his own handiwork. After all, who else could've managed such an operation, from right under the nose of the X-Com commander herself ? He had not hesitated when his allies in Transtellar had reported the X-Com's presence. He'd laid plans for such a snatch long ago - it didn't matter who it was - once through the customs, he or she would be in his hands. The beauty of the plan however was that not even his spies at Transtellar knew where the captive was being taken. That was left up to the discretion of one of his current accomplices. The woman was dangerous,  but she thought she stood to gain by cooperating with him.
        At this, Mappelthorpe let out a low chuckle. Senators always thought it was their own influence which allowed them to gain the seat. That to some extent was true, but without him or Satsura, none of them would have been even considered. So far the old fox Satsura had managed to stay one step ahead of him, but the old fool's support of X-Com will see him toppled and Mappelthorpe elevated in his place.
        The approach of his butler did not go unnoticed.
        "Yes, Tyrne ?"
        The butler bowed, and presented a comm set.
        "A private call, sir. "
        "Very well. " Mappelthorpe gestured for the butler to put the comm set on the table. "You may go. " When the butler was out of the solarium, Mappelthorpe flipped open a panel in his seat's armrest, and the solarium's plascrystal walls turned opaque. There was a faint electric cackle as the counter surveillance systems activated, and when a small green light lit up on the arm rest, Mappelthorpe picked up the comm set.
        "Well ?"
        A woman's voice came through. Mappelthorpe's good mood went down a notch.
        "Everything went according to plan. What do you want to do with the bait ?"
        "Everything went according to plan ? Then why Megapol crawling everywhere ?"
        Silence on the other end.
        "Something unexpected... my people is on it."
        "Remember, if anything goes wrong, it is your head. "
        "If I go down, so will you... "
        "Don't be a fool. I am sure your sister... "
        "Don't bring my sister into this !" Snapped the woman. "I'll rather die than get a cent from that stuck up bitch !"
        "Let us not discuss these unpleasant matters. After all, what could go wrong ?" Mappelthorpe changed the topic smoothly. Not that anything the woman may do could touch him. It always paid to keep one's acquaintances friendly.
        The woman was breathing heavily, but she backed off.
        "Of course. The great Mappelthorpe. What could go wrong indeed ? But if you don't keep your end of the bargain... "
        "Please ! You may call me anything you like, but never a cheat ! I would not let a few credits stand between our.... understanding. "
        "You know my position very well Mappelthorpe. I cannot afford to miss out on those contracts. "
        "And I would sorely miss your support in the Senate. "
        "I am the one taking all the risks, Mappelthorpe. And if tonight doesn't go as planned, then... "
        "Relax. Just play along. Everything will be in position when the times comes. Just play your part, and I am sure everything will turn out satisfactorily. "
        "Damn you, Mappelthorpe !"
        The commset display turned red to show that the connection had been ended.
        Mappelthorpe leaned back in his seat, and wondered what to do with the Senator. She was indeed in a precarious situation, and he'd thought it worthwhile to offer his assistance. It was interesting how the most impressive appearance of wealth may be merely a facade. For her to be so desperate as to involve herself ! Well, it made his own plans so much easier and safer to carry out.

<Atlantis Apartments, Primus South>
        Landis' morning was not as impressive as Mappelthorpe's. A minor journalist, he didn't have a mansion like the other Senators. He had been voted in by popular acclaim after accidentally stumbling on the rather sordid Teapot Clone affair, and while he had the support of the Mutant Alliance,  S.E.L.F and of course, his weekly paycheck from the Senate, most of that money went to pay for the increase in home security and need for information that his high office entailed. In fact, Landis suspected he was probably in the red. But somehow it all balanced out by the end of the week.
        His breakfast was a hastily put together sandwich of bread and synthspam, washed down with some tepid cordial. With that out of the way, he grabbed his datapad and headed for the door. Pulling on his shoes, he tapped the disarm code, and the door locks disengaged one after another. Now that he was a Senator, he was the target of all sorts of crazies. The other Senators could sleep easily in their fortified estates, but Landis was in a rather seedy part of the city. If he bothered to look out the window all he would see would be the tall Water Purification plants and squat warehouses. It had been nice looking at the blue bottle like purification plants in the beginning when he moved in, but not from twenty meters away.
        "Good morning sir. " Greeted one of his bodyguards as he opened the door.
        "Morning Ashley. " Answered Landis. "Giacommo as talkative as usual I see. "
        "Don't mind him sir. He just doesn't handle mornings too well. "
        "Must've been a late night then ?" Smiled Landis.
        "Must be. Or not enough coffee. " Grinned Ashley as she looked up and down the corridor. Satisfied that the way was clear, she then nodded to Giacommo. A short swarthy man of Mediterranean origins, Giacommo was a start contrast with the Nordic Ashley. The two got on well however, and it was rumoured after their tour of duty as Senators' personal bodyguards, they'll retire and get married. There was no faulting their dedication however.
        Landis' role as the spokesman for the two major minority groups attracts the attention of a few crazies, and Giacommo had been on the receiving end of two assassination attempts. Ashley herself had narrowly survived a car bomb which detonated just before she was about to start performing a routine search for car bombs. With true professionalism Giacommo had grabbed Landis and bundled him into a nearby airtaxi, escorting him to safety. It was only later that Landis found out Ashley had been barely alive when rescued, and the sniper lying in wait had killed two paramedics during the rescue before being taken out by a Senate Security sharpshooter.
        As they headed down the gravlift, Landis noticed other members of the SS lurking about. Even after all these months he was still unsettled by how pervasive the SS can be when necessary.
        "Don't worry about them sir. They are just doing their job. " Said Ashley.
        Landis nodded.
        "But there's just a lot of them aren't they ? There must be over two hundred agents in the Senate Security to protect all the Senators !"
        Ashley shook her head.
        "We have more than that number of people in the department, but there are under a hundred of us qualified for Close-range VIP Protection. And around twenty of those are assigned to the response team. "
        Landis was surprised. He had always though the SS, with such an important job, would have a lot of people.
        "But there must be more than twenty people here ! What about the other Senators ?"
        Ashley shrugged.
        "They don't get SS protection unless they are in the Senate building. They have their own security detail, and they don't like outsiders. Most of their security people will stay with them for life. They don't trust people like us. We would just get in their way. And to be honest, they are probably better off. "
        "Why is that ? I mean, no one can question your dedication... "
        Ashley smiled sadly, and Giacommo muttered something under his breath.
        "Money talks, sir. And sometimes, it can be very persuasive. Such as that car bomb. "
        "What ?! You mean someone... "
        "Please, we don't like to talk about it. " Interrupted Ashley.
        Giacommo suddenly spoke up.
        "Sometimes the pay isn't enough to make it worthwhile to do one's duty. "
        Ashley shrugged.
        "There you have it sir. The SS isn't all it's cracked up to be. "
        "I am lucky to have you both with me. " Said Landis sincerely.
        "Just doing our jobs. " Replied Ashley. "Here comes the car. I'll be in the next car. "
       As Landis got into the car, Ashley and Giacommo exchanged a glance. Without a word, Giacommo got into the car after the Senator, and closed the door behind him. Ashley watched the aircar head for the ramp, and leapt agilely into the next one.
        "Let's go !" She said to the agent driving.

<Transtellar Spacelines spaceport>
        Dawson was not taking any chances. He'd brought along a few other Xcom agents for insurance. Somebody out there was operating covertly against X-Com, and he had lost Marie here yesterday. He did not intend to whoever it was get another chance.
        "Lunar shuttle two zero is now disembarking. Lunar shuttle two zero is now disembarking. "
        "What are they like ?" Asked Tatyana. "Back in Megapol I heard they were supposed to be tough. "
        "The two we're meeting today will live up to Lunsec's reputation. In fact, Lunsec tries to live up to THEIR reputation. " Said Dawson with a grimace.
        Lanzman popped another stick of gum and chewed.
        "Can't be that tough. If they are that good, why aren't they with us ?"
        "Lunsec has different priorities. " Was all Dawson would say. "Hey, you two, get back here !"
        Tatyana and Karin looked up guiltily from the display window, and rejoined them.
        "Sorry Captain, it isn't often you get to see something like that. " Said a contrite Tatyana,
        "And it looked like real silk too !" Added Karin.
        "Maybe you two want to get busted to base security ?" Demanded Jonlan. "The thought that you are on duty never crossed your mind ?"
        "Easy on, sarge ! We're just here to meet some folks from upside. We ain't at war yet !" drawled Lanzman.
        " I've known you since you had a walkie talkie as a pacifier.... " Said Jonlan. "And Lanzman, you might be the best radioman the Captain ever had, but it cuts no ice with me if you got the biggest mouth... "
        "That's got to be the Major and Sergeant !" Exclaimed Karin, trying to head off an explosive confrontation. The others turned, and saw the two man coming through the customs like icebreakers. The customs officer barely slowed their progress. He'd realized it was no time to jerk these two around when he saw them taking out the distinctive metal grey passports issued to Lunsec officers.
        "That's them all right. " Said Dawson. "They've probably seen us by now.... yes... they are coming our way. Better look smart people. We don't want to give them a bad first impression. "
        "Great, now we gotta kiss their.. " Muttered Lanzman before Karin elbowed him as Jonlan turned his head slightly to glare at the squaddie.
        Up close, even Lanzman had a lump in the throat. The two Lunsec officers simply radiated a presence.
        "Good to see you again Dawson. " Growled Major Culloden. "It's been what... six months since you left us ? And who are these fine looking troopers ?"
        "Closer to seven now sir. Here's Jonlan, my XO. The sloucher over there is my comm tech, Lanzman. The ladies are Speransky and Krausse. People, this is Major Culloden and Sergeant McCain. "
        The Xcom troopers nodded in acknowledgment. They weren't here to be parade soldiers, and salutes were only used for formal ceremonial occasions.
        "Your people look sharp, Dawson. You haven't lost your touch. " Said Culloden.
        "They are good people sir. Hows McCain's new Rats turning out ?"
        "You heard about the reformation of the Rats ? You X-Com types are sharp ! Let the sergeant tell you himself. Well, McCain ?"
        "Not as good as your old crew, but will do. " Rasped McCain.
        "That's high praise, McCain. You sure they deserve it ?" Laughed Culloden.
        "That's what I tell the recruits, sir. "
        Dawson smiled.
        "They must've been pleased. "
        McCain made a noncommittal grunt. Culloden laughed, and said:
        "He told them that after two laps of the Mare Imbrium mines in full combat gear, then told them to do one more because he'd expected them to be as good as your crew, and was disappointed. "
         Dawson grimaced.
        "They must've been cursing your name. "
        "No. I got them cursing yours. " McCain cracked a smile.
        "Okay, enough of talking about old times. Where to now, Dawson ?"
        "Base. You've got a meeting with the Commander. "
        "Heard a lot about her upstairs. Good things too. Lead the way. "
        As the two Lunsec officers left with the Xcom party, they were watched by several pairs of eyes.

<The Senate>
        Mappelthorpe took the news with ill grace.
        "Lunsec ? What are they doing here ?" He demanded of the holo. "No, forget it. You are dismissed. I will find out myself. " He terminated the connection, and stood for a moment behind his desk.
        "Lunsec. Why are they here ? Oh damn. The damn girl must've had a reception party on Luna. And her boyfriend... DAMN."
        He swore at his carelessness. He wasn't afraid of Lunsec, but he was going to have to move more carefully. He'd once tried to expand his operation to Luna, and it had got shut down within a week. He still wasn't sure how Lunsec had caught on so quickly. The morning had gone from marginally acceptable to worse. Megapol had set up roadblocks on all roads in and out of the city proper, and he'd lost two of his psiclone orders from Psyke. That was a minor problem that money could fix, compared to the random searches that Megapol was conducting throughout the city traffic. He did not want  to have the cargo he had planned for relocation discovered in transit. On top of that, Lunsec was in the city.
        Angrily he stabbed at the comm panel, and his secretary's holo flickered into existence.
        "Two Lunsec officers just came into the city on the Lunar shuttle. Get me their files. "
        "Yes sir. Anything else ?"
        "Find out what the hell has Megapol stirred up. "
        "Right away sir. "
        Mappelthorpe continued to pace his office. He wondered if that damn Satsura had anything to do with this. Maybe this was to put him off balance before the meeting. Well, Satsura wasn't going to get the satisfaction of unsettling him.

<Somewhere in Primus South>
        Ligatto woke to find the woman sleeping with her head against his shoulder. He moved carefully to avoid disturbing her, and reached for the water jug. He had no idea how long they'd slept, but his shoulder seemed to hurt less, and his throat felt like he'd been sucking on plasma fumes.
        "Oh, I am sorry !" Said the girl suddenly, and she jerked upright. "I didn't mean to... "
        "It's all right. I am sorry for waking you. I was just getting the water... here, do you want some ?"
        "Thank you. " Said Marie. She took the jug and took a long drink. "I was just so tired that I nodded off... "
        "It's all right. Better than the plasteel. Or even the toilet. " Smiled Ligatto.
        "Ewwww.... " Marie wrinkled her nose at the thought, then suddenly turned crimson. "Ummm... umm... I think I need to use it.... "
        Ligatto understood, and turned away.
        "Go right ahead. "
        Behind her fabric rustled, then there was silence. A short while later, fabric rustled again.
        "Thank you... " muttered Marie.
        "Well, it's your turn to turn your back. " Answered Ligatto.
        "Oh.. " Marie went and sat near the door, and while Ligatto attended to his bodily functions, tried to peer out the ventilation slots.
        "Anything ?" Asked Ligatto when he finished.
        "It's too dark outside. " Replied Marie.
        "Here, let me try. " Ligatto sat down and tried to look out the slot, but it was simply too small. Instead, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath.
        "What are you doing ?" Asked Marie.
        "Trying to figure out where we are. Give me a moment. " He took another deep breath.
        "Are you all right. ?"
        "Yeah, I am fine.... nothing distinctive about this place. Something oily, something slightly musty.... " Ligatto paused for a moment, then put his ear next to the ventilation slot.
        "Can you hear anything ?" Asked Marie, with sudden eagerness.
        Ligatto did not answer, but suddenly struck the door with his hand.
        CLANG.
        "I can feel echoes. We're obviously inside somewhere. Some where with a lot of space. Probably somewhere that hasn't be used for a while. A warehouse, maybe. Apart from that, I can't really tell. "
        "That's amazing !" Exclaimed Marie. "You must have a nose like a dog and the hearing of a cat !"
        "That's pushing it. I am just trained to be able to interpret what my senses tell me. Mega Primus' zoning laws only allow certain type of buildings, and you can tell most of them from their smell and sounds. Factories smell of metal and oil, and is usually noisy. Hospitals smell of antiseptic obviously, while a Procreation Park tend to have citrus scent for some reason. "
        "I never knew that. You must be a very good policeman to pay so much attention to details like that. "
        "I am pretty good at what I do. " Admitted Ligatto.
        "What is your name ? You know Lachlan, but I don't think I've ever met you before ?"
        "I wouldn't think so. I've heard of Mr. Dawson, but we've never really met. My name's Markus Ligatto. "
        "Pleased to meet you. " Marie extended a hand, and Ligatto shook it carefully.
        "Well, Mr. Ligatto, what do we do now ?"
        "Plan.... "
        He was interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps. The footsteps stopped outside the door, and a bored voice spoke.
        "You two awake in there ?"
        Ligatto motioned for Marie to stay silent.
        The guard outside called again, then there was a CLANG as something struck the metal door.
        "Wake up ! Food !" Snapped the man.
        "Whaaat ?!" Answered Ligatto as if he was half asleep.
        "Get off your sorry asses and go stand by the far wall. "
        "Right. Right. " Ligatto decided that this wasn't the right time, and went over to the far wall with Marie.
        "Okay, I am coming in. No funny business or my friend here will light you up  like a Christmas tree. Forgot about you guys' breakfast, tough shit. Work with me, keep me happy, and I might remember you people next time. You get me ?"
        "Loud and clear. " Answered Ligatto.
        There was a clank as the door was unlocked, then the man tossed in two mealpacks. The door slammed shut again, and the deadbolt clicked into position again. The heavy footsteps went away again.
        "What do we do now ?" Asked Marie. "I thought you said we are going to try escape when they open the door ?"
        "After we eat. I don't think neither of us had anything to eat since they got us yesterday morning. Taking them on now would be foolish, if not suicide. There was two guards out there, I can tell from the footsteps. They are making sure that we know the rules, and that if we don't play by them, we miss meals. "
        "They have no right to treat us like this !" Said Marie angrily.
        "Relax. They'll get what's coming to them. I promise. Now let's eat and get some energy. "

<SWAT Group Five, Judgment Central>
        "Lieutenant, wake up. " Said someone as he shook her shoulder.
        Martinez snapped awake, and looked around.
        "What's up Stoner ? Any news of the Captain yet ?"
        Stoner shook his head, but motioned towards the door. Martinez's eyes turned to the door, and she came out of her seat like a cannonball, came t