Free Aliens Vs. Humans (Aliens Series Book 4) by T. Jackson King

of Tau Ceti and its seven planets. The view from the outer edge of the system showed the brown and white disk of comets and asteroids that ran from 10 AU out to 50 AU. The Arbitor’s two red eyes looked directly at Jack. “Human, the claim of a Rules of Engagement violation is this. You contacted the Melagun sextupeds before they reached their outermost planet with an occupied spaceship. And you failed to offer them a personal Challenge to Combat. As you Humans were offered in your Sol system. You repeated this violation of the rules at two other juvenile systems occupied by the BooMak and Niktoren peoples. What is your response?”
    Jack had expected this. “How do you know we humans contacted any juvenile species before they reached their outer planet?”
    The dino gave a quick snort. “As you should have learned from your Nasen Trade contact, every juvenile system in this star arm has a Sentry probe planted near their outermost planet. The probe records the moment when a neutrino-emitting spaceship arrives within a planetary diameter of the outer planet.” On the front screen the Arbitor holo changed to show first the BooMak star system, then the Niktoren system, then went back to Tau Ceti system. “When that happens, the probe emits a neutrino alert signal that goes out to every Hunt star.”
    “We did not receive such a signal,” Maureen grumbled.
    The dino glanced at her. “Then you did not ask the proper questions of your Nasen informants. They could have given you the proper neutrino signal frequency to receive such alerts.” The Arbitor looked back to Jack. “What matters is that a probe exists at the outer boundary of every juvenile system in the space you call Orion Arm. It alerts other Hunters when a juvenile species reaches the stage proper for a Challenge to Combat under the Rules of Engagement. It also alerts every Arbitor ship when an outside spaceship is detected coming into a juvenile system. As you Humans did here and in the systems of the BooMak and Niktoren. Do you admit this violation?”
    Jack felt the weight of Old Roy and had a fleeting wish this confrontation was happening in person. Between him and the Arbitor. The two-handed sword was long enough to pierce the dino’s scales and slice into its heart. Course he might get squashed when its dying body fell on him.
    “We deny the claim of violation. We did contact the Melagun, BooMak and Niktoren peoples before they reached their outer planets. But our contact was in keeping with the spirit of the Rules of Engagement.”
    “Explain!” growled the giant dino.
    Jack showed his teeth. “We plan to release these three peoples from our Hunt territory. So they can face a future Challenge to Combat by another Hunter of the Great Dark. We humans chose to contact these three peoples in order to help them prepare for such a challenge. Now, they know of the Hunters of the Great Dark. They know of the Rules of Engagement. And they are willing to fight for their right to travel among the stars!”
    “Yes!” cried Benaxis in an infrasound rumble.
    “We will fight any Hunter!” cried Bulaken of the North.
    “Stampede them we will!” grunted Thoughtful/Progenitor.
    Jack waited for the response of MakMakGor. Who had heard the AV words of his three Alliance allies over the neutrino comlink pickup. But a second dino came up to the T-rex, put its mouth close to its ear orifice and said something that did not transmit. The Arbitor arched its body upright almost as if it were going to jump into Jack’s Pilot Cabin, brushing the other dino to one side.
    “No! You Humans cannot interpret the words of the Rules of Engagement!” it shouted through its sharp white teeth. “Our system is simple. No juvenile species is contacted by any Hunter until that species reaches its outermost planet! Upon contact by a Hunter, the juvenile species is offered a Challenge to Combat so it can prove whether it is a predator, or subject people prey for a true Hunter! You