Free In Earth's Service (Mapped Space Book 2) by Stephen Renneberg Page B

thousands of silver hexagonal prisms: two
equal flat sides connected by six square surfaces. Each prism was hundreds of
kilometers across with a circular hole at its center for ship docking. They’d
been constructed from Pelani’s now vanished planets and moons and from material
drawn from nearby star systems. Some orbitals floated alone, others were mated
side to side forming massive honeycombs in space or were joined end to end
creating long multi-segmented super prisms. It was a simple, infinitely
expandable design that had served the Tau Cetins for eons.
    The silver prisms were the productive base of the
Tau Cetin Civilization in this part of the galaxy, synthesizing everything they
required with automated efficiency. A handful of human ambassadors had toured
similar creations in the Tau Ceti system itself, the epitome of the model
followed by the Pelani System, only on a vastly larger scale.
    “Three thousand, four hundred and sixty one orbitals,”
Jase said impressed, “and over eighty seven thousand high velocity visual contacts.”
    “That we can see,” I added, certain their system
defenses were invisible to our sensors.
    A powerful signal suddenly blanketed the Silver
Lining’s comm system. There was no image, just a terse audio message that
blared from the speakers.
    “Access Treaty provisions governing probationary
species prohibit entry to inhabited systems class two and above. As no
exemption has been provided, you are required to withdraw immediately. Failure
to do so will result in relocation of your ship to the nearest human system and
a formal protest being lodged with your government.”
    “Not very friendly, are they?” Jase said.
    “They’re not friends or enemies. They’re Observers.”
    Observers were the arbiters of interstellar law,
the supreme representatives of the Galactic Forum and the greatest
technological and military powers in the Galaxy. They were meant to be
impartial in all matters, although sometimes I wondered if the Tau Cetins
didn’t bend the rules just a little when it suited their interests. And with Earth
only twelve light years from Tau Ceti itself, the TCs had more of an interest
in us than if we’d been at the other end of the Orion Arm and we had no option
other than to seek good relations with them. Proximity to such a powerful civilization
made some nervous, but there were undeniable advantages in progressing from the
stone age to the stars under the watchful, generally benevolent gaze of a
galactic superpower.
    “They’re half a click above us,” Jase said,
orienting our optics toward them.
    A sleek, silver dart appeared floating in perfect
synchronization over the Silver Lining . It was small by their standards,
hull polished to a mirror sheen with no visible sign of weapons or shields, but
that meant nothing. Whatever armament it carried would be formidable, making
this a very short conversation if I couldn’t convince them to change their
minds.
    I switched off the ship’s intercom. It was
normally open so Izin knew what was happening on the flight deck, but any
electrical signal would be easily read by the Tau Cetins. “Go tell Izin to stay
in his stateroom. He’s not to use the intercom or anything electromagnetic.”
    “Right!” Jase said, sliding off his acceleration
couch.
    Izin’s ancestors had attacked the Tau Ceti System over
two thousand years ago. If there was one species the TCs had cause to dislike,
it was the aggressive and ultra-advanced Intruders – although that wasn't why
I was ordering Jase off the bridge. Trying to hide Izin’s presence from the Tau
Cetins was pointless, as they would already know everything about us. What I wanted
was to talk to them in private.
    When Jase was gone, I transmitted a tight signal
at the patrol ship. “I request diplomatic entry to Ansara. My recognition code is
as follows…” I said, then recited an ambassadorial code from the vast array of
security clearances stored within my bionetic