Qet Contact (2180)

By B.B. Irvine

Qet Contact (2180): On PORTAL Platform diplomatic duty, Captain Xiu-Li Chen and her first officer, Commander Ecurba, foil an assassination attempt against the Qet-Qeta, the leader of seventy eight billion Qet, then escape back to SAS JAGUAR with a wounded Ecurba.
This is merely the first action of a complicated Qet political process, going on in parallel to the Assembly Of Sentients negotiations about the planet below them, now known as Deepstrike.
On the human side, Assemblyspeaker Braxton Thurgoode and PORTAL Plat Chief of Security, Commander Yasmin Sinclaro, quietly cover up the corridor left awash in Qet blood (and some of Ecurba’s). What part did Thurgoode play in the attempt?
The process will include further intrigues, and the forging of bonds between Humans and Qet, including those of marriage ("political") between Commander Ecurba and Qet-Sia Pathfinder, the daughter of the Qet-Qeta.

• Language: English
• Publisher: B.B. Irvine
• Release date: Oct 2, 2012
• ISBN: 9781301151776

B.B. Irvine

B.B. Irvine was born in New York City in 1959. He graduated from the High School of Music and Art N.Y. (1976 music), New York State University at Stony Brook (1980 B.A. liberal arts), and in 1982 received a certificate as a Physician Assistant from the Bowman Gray School of Medicine in North Carolina. He has worked in settings including emergency medicine, AIDS research, and addiction treatment in New York City where he lives. In 1994 he earned a second degree black belt in Tae Kwon Do from Grandmaster Richard Chun. His novels and screenplays evidence his knowledge of people and frequently weave medicine, science, history, romance, and martial arts into the action.

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Qet Contact (2180)

Spacer Series Book 06

by B. B. Irvine

Copyright 2022 B. B. Irvine

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Chapter 01 - Qet Set-Up

PORTAL Platform

Deepstrike System, HD-19373 (Iota Persei)

23 October 2180 - Tuesday

XIU-LI

Two Qet warriors boarded the platlift: security officers. They nodded at the two humans already inside of it, turned to face the door, and looked down at the floor as it slid shut.

Captain Xiu-Li Chen and her first officer exchanged glances.

"Are you ready?" said the bigger Qeti, in Qetlin.

"I have not strayed, Qet-Qeti, replied the other, who was the Qet Security Team Chief. I follow the path."

Xiu-Li looked at Commander Ecurba. Is Major Charlie Ten on watch?

Ecurba thought about the question for a second, then nodded. Yes, Captain.

Okay. I’ll want to talk to Major Ten when we get out.

Aye-aye, m’am. I’ll set that up the moment we get out.

Good. Xiu-Li nodded and smiled at Ecurba and the taller Qet, watching her from the corner of his eye. She was operating on the assumption that the Qeti (male Qet) had nanotranslators for Human Standard, but might not know that she had ones for Qetlin. So did Ecurba; he was too bright to let on, but it was still too soon for him to realize exactly how odd those words had sounded. They were all en route to the Assembly Of Sentients Portal Chamber, to meet an important Qet party there and escort them up to the Universal Reception Hall for a reception.

Except Xiu-Li now had a feeling these two escorts intended to kill the important party.

1.2

NORCLIP Platform, Sol System

16 August 2180

The Admiral had been in a fine mood nearly two and a half months earlier on the day in August when he dropped the bomb on his newest Captain. He was quite proud of the honors implied by the mission Xiu-Li was being given, and he had no choice but to carry on, no matter how upsetting the news might be for her personally – but he still hadn’t been certain what reaction to expect.

Captain Xiu-Li Chen was finishing the last provisioning check with Quartermaster Kimonetti when the page came. She excused herself and jumped a monorail around the Northern Ecliptic Command Division Platform. Admiral D. Bert Matisou had taken Division command in June, and JAGUAR’s first mission flight in mid August had just brought Admiral Matisou out to NorClipComDiv NORCLIP Plat, positioned one Standard Unit (150 million kilometers, the old Earth to Sun astronomical unit,) north of Earth-Sol.

She got off the monorail at the Admin Section and presented herself to the Admiral, who looked quite pleased, and asked her to sit down. Take a seat, Jool.

Bad news coming, Xiu-Li. But not pulse pounding news.

The Admiral smiled. Understand you’re ready for ops?

Xiu-Li swallowed. The ship was now ready for service. The first deep space destination of her new starship, SAS JAGUAR, was the planet now called Deepstrike, at HD-19373 (Iota Persei). A platform being built in the Deepstrike system by the Space Alliance Systems (humans) was the designated site of the interface portal with the Assembly Of Sentients, and JAGUAR would carry a team of specialized space construction workers and equipment out there.Ops was a special missions service… Aye, sir, we’ve just finished topping up.

He looked down. You know we’ve... Mmm... It’s been some time since the first Valley Survey, and I think we should talk about a second one.

Icicles filled her and her pulse stopped – until it stuttered back to a chilly pounding warmth. Xiu-Li felt goosebumps run from her ankles up her legs and back, across neck and scalp. She gasped.

Admiral Matisou shot her a glance. Xiu-Li sat there, perfectly composed, as usual, and he wasn’t certain if he’d even heard it. But he saw she had deduced enough to know, and he looked down – damn it, there goes my speech, and I don’t know if her intelligence makes this easier or harder to hear.

An ambassadorial mission with the Qet, sir?

She had saved him again. Matisou nodded. The Qet will be represented – they have contested our claim to sunstar Iota Persei and the planet we’re all now calling Deepstrike. Councilspeaker Braxton Thurgoode will represent the Space Alliance Systems as the Assemblyspeaker for Humanity when the Joint Survey Field Report is accepted, and the Assembly Of Sentients fixes the sphere of our stewardship. Thurgoode thinks your presence might help the process, and he made it plain he wants Space Fleet advice. He smiled. It’s difficult to deny a cooperative negotiator a very reasonable request.

Yes, sir.

Admiral Ray said he could think of no one else with the skill and the balance of experience you would bring to this endeavour, and I agreed. Do you forsee any problems?

None from our side, sir. She snuck a deep breath. Her bones felt so cold! I think we can keep this civilized. I appreciate the nice compliment by Admiral Ray.

I will convey your civilization comment to the Assemblyspeaker. His office is contacting Ecurba to review quarters and so on. Admiral Matisou sat down, rubbing his eyes. There has been a private request from the Assembly, made on behalf of the Qet.

Here it comes, Xiu-Li. She swallowed, licking dry lips.

He read off his desk: "Ahem. ‘The presence of Qet-Jooli would be highly valued, as past actions are regretted.’ "

Qet-Jooli? Xiu-Li blinked. "The last time they were calling me... Mm, it was ‘not-Qet’ and then ‘N’Qet-Jooli.’" Past actions are regretted...? True enough.

Matisou looked at her and smiled slightly. I asked the Traders about that. It seems that for your actions, you have been elevated to Qet status. The Qet do this as a tribute. He sighed. I mean, Space knows, you deserve it... Now, don’t get angry, Jool. You and Aria did a hell of a job surviving the encounter to warn us all about them in detail.

She looked down and scowled. Those... She looked up, tears in her eyes. Oooh! Xiu-Li balled her fists. Why do they have to be so damn reasonable about this? She opened her hands and sighed. "I can’t even be angry at them, fekkdamnit!"

Well... You took care of a couple of the really bad ones every species has.

I guess so, sir. She did not seem convinced.

The official set of Qet data indicated that IWG-SS JOHN A. WHEELER’s Qet Encounter in 2173 had been with a faction of political killers, criminals who were fleeing Qet justice, whose violent behavior did not represent Qet policy or feeling about humans. A point of factual observation carefully de-emphasized (or plain left out of the mix) was that the incident did reflect a culture in which there had been support for the faction and their bloodthirsty practices. "Reflected – does not necessarily represent – a violent culture, said one diplomat in an answer correcting the eager, bright eyed, young mediaWeb interviewer. The analogy in this diplomatic view was that humanity wouldn’t want to be judged as a whole on the basis of one encounter by aliens with a gang of human thieves who try to kill and steal goods from anyone who crosses paths with them, period. Further, finding the 2173 encounter in Qet records made available in full" was supposed to represent the openness the Qet were showing during the A.O.S. hearing.

This rush to move on to the records meant no human had ever asked exactly what percentage of the seventy eight billion Qet did favor the bloodthirsty faction. The snap acceptance of Qet records made available in full meant the next area of de-emphasis was the score of other, ship-based incidents which were not being reviewed and which the Qet denied had ever happened. As there were no official Qet records of any other encounters with Hoo-mons, thus nothing else they felt they had to give any access to, the Qet had permitted no other access to data except that regarding the Qet Encounter in 2173.

Although the diplos now made it seem like all those lost human ships were due to the Conflict (and were then able to change the subject because humans didn’t want the A.O.S. or Qet to think about the Conflict anyway), the Fleet had taken forensic review of all hulked ships very seriously. Captain Aria Threnody had run the forensic review office out of IWG Research and Development Division at the Gem Isles (Procyon A/B). Neither Qet nor any human diplos wanted to mention the number of human hulks left behind with obvious Qet weapons damage, (presumably inflicted by follow-on Qet renegades, of course).

Matisou and Chen were good Fleet officers; their job now was doing what the pols or dips in authority asked. Both knew armed conflict would be hideously destructive for humanity, no matter who prevailed. Anyway, with A.O.S. watching, the Qet were really looking for the best deal here; they were not going to directly attack any humans at this point in time...

Xiu-Li had taken a deep breath. What sorts of duties do you think we should prepare for? Any immediate considerations? A tactical and security discussion had followed, plus advice on parties (receptions in the diplomatic world) and the quartering of Thurgoode’s entourage (which was going to stay on at the platform after the Conference, along with Thurgoode). It would be an interesting transit, nearly nine weeks in hyperflight to travel the 34.3 lightyears from Earth to Deepstrike, at HD-19373 (Iota Persei).

That transit itself was unremarkable overall, and the best time of Xiu-Li’s life. She had taken nearly three weeks to strike the best balance between being serious Captain Chen, who was in charge of JAGUAR and the lives of her crew, and someone who could flop on her butt during sparring in martial arts class while trying too hard to be clever, laughing at herself along with everyone else. She had even become a regular at the weekly Stooge Working Group, and had discovered many other silly comedy productions over one hundred seventy years old yet still silly funny. Some of the references were obscure but over the past seventeen decades fans had annotated the lines, while sight gags and simple set-ups would always be funny, no further explanations needed.

Then, as JAGUAR was starting its realspace approach to Deepstrike from ten standard units out, a distress call from SAS ROSALIND FRANKLIN had diverted them, and delayed the arrival of the Assemblyspeaker Of Humanity at PORTAL Plat. In the event, Thurgoode had been a staunch supporter of every single thing they had done during the ROSALIND FRANKLIN rescue/recovery mission. After their group of starships were attacked by human rogues during the recovery and rescue operation, Thurgoode had especially praised their tactical plan and use of force, because the protection of the innocents was a theme much talked of when it came to the Assembly Of Sentients promotional schemes, presentations, speeches, and other ideas now in vogue. This had been a big relief for her first officer, Commander Ecurba, and for her as well, since Ecurba wouldn’t be taken off JAGUAR as punishment for just doing his job (and enough powerful people were just upset enough with him that his genius wasn’t going to get rewarded by being promoted to captain either – although she had heard Admiral Estefan Tejeda reportedly advanced that idea, to reward his willingness to try tactical ingenuity over a safety protocol for a safe defeat.)

A lot had happened on the way here to PORTAL Plat, but she’d spent many an off moment thinking about her visit to Admiral Matisou just before leaving NorClipComDiv Platform, now nine weeks ago, and what they had discussed and prepared for.

Inter-Qet warfare, and planning for it, had not come up once (or ever, in Xiu-Li’s mind), and she had thought about the Qet often over the past seven years – and last nine weeks.

1.3

23 October 2180

Xiu-Li looked over at Ecurba. He was blandly studying the plat-ads, reading over the platlift’ss scrolling menu. Her usually easygoing first officer was now just as tense as she was, even if he had no real idea why she had just given him a Condition 10 (Charlie Ten) signal, indicating an urgent security situation. He knew it was Qet related, but not why.

Intra-Qet warfare, thought Xiu-Li. Interesting thing to overlook, and done despite historical evidence that the Qet political process still permits assassination as a tool. How did we forget that? How did I forget it?

The two Qeti stood silent. From behind, they were impossible for her to read.

Why do I have this feeling? She had seen the smaller one (who was only Ecurba’s size, three or four centimeters taller than Xiu-Li), leading the whole Qet security detail at the Monday evening reception after JAGUAR’s arrival bearing Councilspeaker Thurgoode, the Assemblyspeaker for Humanity. That was why it would seem quite reasonable to most humans that these two Qeti were also the honor escort for the big reception today… Yet the smaller one seemed deferential to the bigger one (who was at least fifteen centimeters taller and broader than Ecurba, and a much more typical bodyguard type then her first officer) – this is silly!

No. I understand Qetlin. I’ve heard it before. I know what I just heard; it was much weirder than usual. Qet-Qeti? – I have not strayed? – I follow the path? Weird.

Heads up, kiddo! No, it wasn’t based on much – but what path would a guard stray from? Was she being oversensitive? Or was it experience at work? Maybe the term Qet-Qeti didn’t mean something like King or Leading Male, and just meant bossman? The only tactical question is whether it’s just these two involved, or if these escorts are in on a plan, and waiting for reinforcements to strike...

They were typical Qet warriors: very good looking males, tall, stocky, bulked with muscle. Even big Qet were graceful, looking and moving like large fleet footed cats (they weren’t furry, of course). They had pronounced heart-shaped faces with high cheekbones and eyes with vertical pupil slits, and they all moved with a puma-like powerful lightness. These two were not visibly bearing arms, but part of diplomacy meant having armed bodyguards, so there were armed Qet on the platform. Assume the leader and the bigger guy are armed. One would have some sort of gun, maybe both; both would have blades on them, for certain.

I wish I had a blade on me! thought Xiu-Li. But even folded up, her own butterfly sword or sheathed qetcla would clash with her dress uniform. She took a deep breath, smelling the slightly cinnamon-musk scent of Qet. It was impolite to stare, and any weapons they had would be in their front tunic pockets, which she couldn’t see from the back of the platlift. I’m just over-reacting, she thought. Looking for trouble because of my own...

Her own what? It was past history, wasn’t it? It was almost ten years ago, (well, seven years), it was all resolved, or would be soon (even if she still saw those renegade Qet in her dreams, eating Markis Karaff alive, killing Julissa Martines, planning to kill Xiu-Li next... And as replays of the reality, not an imagination-based nightmare of hers).

She knew there were many who did not trust her for this assignment (feeling she would either be too aggressive, too frightened, too numb, or would, experience adventitious symptoms of post trauma disorder), while others, and they had been vocal, would have refused any sort of contact with the Qet at all. When she had received her orders from Admiral Matisou, he had mentioned both he and Admiral Ray (the SAS Fleet Operations C-in-C) couldn’t think of anyone else with skill and balance of experience to attend the first official Qet Contact, but it was much more likely no one else wanted to risk taking the job. It looked like a real three striker.

First, there was the diplo and his staff on the way out (a career peril for captains who liked to party) –

Then there would be some time at the Platform on system duty (more diplos, plus scrutiny from the public as well as Assembly Of Sentients) –

And then the actual Qet Contact – a meeting, probably more than one, with what InterWorld Group records appeared to indicate as being sentient intelligent aliens of the human killing and eating type.

Not a trip many captains thought would get them very much, personally; there were much better missions to volunteer for. If Xiu-Li was now right and these two honor guards were about to try and kill their subject, the proceedings would be explosive. If she was wrong... Well, she would look alarmist and silly, and might even get pulled off the special duty. Hmm – why is this now sounding like a win-win for me? Xiu-Li looked at Ecurba.

The platlift door opened. The corridor ahead led to the Assembly Of Sentients Portal Chamber at the other end. All four exited, Ecurba raising his Data Pad and Transmitter (DPaT ) up to signal in their situation –

There were no other doors or access hatches except the platlift now behind them. Originally designed to make this area more secure, it now meant they were essentially locked in with the two Qet escorts, and whoever came out of the Chamber at the far end. As Ecurba raised his DPaT to speak, the Chamber hatchdoor slid open, and a tall Qet female with two male escorts just behind her walked through it. Even from a distance, her regal bearing and incredible beauty are striking, heightened by the silver and gold threads of her finely filigreed light cloak reflecting the lightglobes.

Behind them the Portal Chamber hatchdoor slides shut.

Several things happen at once:

The two Qeti directly in front of Xiu-Li and Ecurba flick their arms. A blade appears in the right hand of the shorter Qet Security Chief. The slightly taller Qeti has a roughly magpistol-shaped weapon in his right hand.

One Qeti escort, who trails both of the other escorting Qeti and the Very Important Qeta, steps up and sticks something into the back of the escort just in front of him. That Qeti gags loudly in agony and stiffens.

The Qet female drops into a crouch, looks both ways, then jumps at the trailing escort Qeti, who pulls a bloody ceramic blade out of the other escort’s back.

The dying Qeti topples over.

Xiu-Li steps forward to the shorter Qeti escort in front of her, the Security Chief, who is closest to her. Reaching up, she drops her hands over his head, then Xiu-Li grips the Qeti’s jaw in one hand, his scalp in the other, and twists his head around hard and fast, snapping several vertebra, the broken bones tearing apart his spinal cord. He gasps in shock, jerking slightly as he goes limp and falls backward and onto Xiu-Li, staggering her.

Ecurba drops his DPaT and grabs the taller Qeti’s right gun hand, twisting it, breaking the wrist. The big Qeti snarls and flicks his left arm – a ceramic blade appears and he slashes it down Ecurba’s side. Growling, he grips Ecurba across the shoulders with his bent right arm, and gets the blade ready to gut the human.

Nearby, just out of reach, Xiu-Li tries to push free from the dead Qet Security Chief’s body in her way, as she watches with helpless rage –

The Qeta closes the distance in one bound, leading with the blade she has seized from the assassin she has just killed. Qet-not scum, she says, in good Standard, as she punches the blade through the big Qeti’s face, deep into his brain.

Ecurba falls free at Xiu-Li’s feet as the big Qeti crashes against the wall and down it, where he briefly thrashes on the deck and dies.

Heart pounding, Xiu-Li dropped to her knees beside her first officer. Ecurba’s uniform was red with blood, but he was conscious, breathing easily (slashed but not punctured, thank Space!) and angry. Xiu-Li now looked up at the Qet female. Are you injured, m’am?

I am not injured, Qet-Jooli. Is your officer badly hurt?

No, m’am, growled Ecurba, looking up at both of them. He was furious!

Xiu-Li pressed on Ecurba’s side. Badly enough, Ecurba! I’m taking you back to the ship. He looked at her, saw her eyes flick slightly toward the Qet female, then back to his, and he stopped scowling. Sorry, m’am. He sat up.

Xiu-Li rolled her eyes. I think if you hold your arm like this...

Got it. Ecurba swallowed, started scowling again. Well, if he’s angry, he’s not going into shock. She squeezed his shoulder. Hang in there just a second. She looked at the Qeta. How do you want to proceed?

The Qeta was looking down the corridor at the Qeti escort who had been stabbed in the back and lay dead in a pool of blood. She looked at Xiu-Li, and the sadness in her bright blue eyes was deep. Yes; perhaps this might best be seen as an internal argument among these four, she said softly. She looked at Ecurba. Human Ecurba – your actions preserved my life. I thank you. She looked down at the three assassins. It appears I am not safe on this platform. My political entourage has been joined by those of a... A more cowardly flock. She looked back at Xiu-Li. I fear for my daughter, Captain Chen. May she ‘visit your ship’ while I make my inquiries?

It was a point of history and diplomacy now. Xiu-Li swallowed. It would be an honor to grant your party haven, m’am.

The Very Important Qeta formally bowed. Thank you again, Qet-Jooli. Now, how may I assist you?

1.4

Judging by media reports, Xiu-Li was part of an assignment only idiots would ask for.

Larger Humanity had become aware of the first Qet Encounter in 2173 only a few years earlier, with the 31 December 2178 Year End Day release of the holovid EIGHT DEAD FRIENDS as a bloody, sobering, case-realistic docu-drama introduction, and they had not been nearly as receptive to the Qet as they had been to the Traders.

The Traders had arrived on 1 January 2179 at the Triplet (the Proxima Centauri colony complex), on the very next day, made even more startling because of the timing. So was the vast difference between furry biped creatures a meter tall, evolved from something like sea otters, (who wore vests full of pockets and talked a lot, all the time), and the shadowy, violent, snake eyed Qet creatures (no matter how exotic and good looking some – almost all of them – were), who had actually eaten humans alive…

Since Qet did have exotic good looks, their violent potential was less than obvious. But that was subtext; the previous official line (for five years, until mid 2178) had been total denial of the Qet’s existence… With tacit support in many places for rapid technological development in defense against Qet weapons, and offense against their ship defenses.

The Traders who showed up at The Triplet (Proxima Centauri) had rather casually confirmed the Qet as clients, and did not seem frightened or nervous about them, but they dodged most questions via fascinating tangents. Nevertheless, the Qet had worried just enough people that Humanity now had some ships and weapons that might give them a slight chance of surviving small scale encounters with three or four Qet ships.

The Traders, on the other hand, had been the toast of The Triplet, and then the whole HumanWeb. Their reception had been very positive; they were omnivores and evolved from otter-like creatures, so they were felt to be cute from the start, while the rumored Qet diet and vertical pupil was too reptillian for many human brains to relax and get snuggly (unless they liked snakes, or cats, or beautiful eyes).

Xiu-Li could appreciate why no one wanted this job, but the rumblings about her fitness for the mission puzzled her. JAGUAR had arrived at PORTAL Plat just a day earlier, on 22 October 2180, to discover that almost nine weeks was quite long enough for the identity of the SAS captain bringing the Assemblyspeaker out to become well known, and the subject of wild speculations; her past duty against the Qet was reviewed. Holovid demands for EIGHT DEAD FRIENDS indicated a whole new viewing cycle. The Traders had confirmed it as a fairly accurate recounting, because the Qet had told them details during early discussions after the Qet challenged Human rights to the Deepstrike system on 9 August 2180.

Was she not to be trusted because she was bent on revenge, or because she was going to give the house away, as one mediaNet put it?

It was so stupid – she was just a courier ship captain, not involved in the negotiations, not flying in a recognizable tactical ship – Xiu-Li had no house to give away, and nothing to match a Qet ship in a fight (although her first officer felt they might have quiet, highly classified parity). Admiral Ray and Admiral Matisou did trust her, and she knew this was a mission which had to be done, and she really was the only one to do it. Xiu-Li was operating their special diplomatic missions courier ship, and she was one of two survivors of the first Qet encounter. She happened to have some experience with the species, and she wasn’t flying in a big flashy GREATSTAR class deep space ship, which might both set the wrong tone in negotiations and become something to lose for a relatively new captain, pressurizing some decisions in certain directions. She had nothing to lose in terms of her career, and she evidently had a Qet Name to bring to the setting (which had impressed the whiskers off the Traders).

The Traders had connected Humanity with the Assembly Of Sentients and served as initial reference. The Traders had no interest in territory, just the goods and materials being made for trade – they went from system to system, eventually getting a local Belt asteroid habitat once the system finally tired of the time gaps without easy access to the Traders. That pattern had put Traders in asteroid colonies on the outer shoals of every sentient intelligent’s planetary or other significant Belt resource system worth circling, and might preserve their species forever.

Species like Humans or Qet, however, were extremely territorial. Although the nearest Qet planet was at Qetstar 67 (it was a G2 star in Leo Minor, 155 light years from Sol system), there had been at least two Qet visits to HD-19373 (Iota Persei), now called Deepstrike, a human colony planet... Or was it?

That’s why we’re here... The Qet had raised a question, based on the encounter here in 2173, which they now implied had been a Qet colony scouting visit. The Assembly Of Sentients would soon be ruling on that, but discovery of old human graves (and the absence of any Qet) had seemed to clinch it, according to the Chairleader of the Space Alliance Systems Council, who was the A.O.S. representative in communication with the Assembly (and per the Traders, who were gossips and traded information and gossip as well as goods).

As for the graves, the oldest were seventeen years old, dating from the second Free Navigation Survey of 2163-65, undertaken by IWG-SS CALIPER and IWG-SS JUPITER; flash flooding had overtaken a survey party, and the five who drowned had been buried on the planet where they lost their lives exploring. Among the dead were Commander D. Bert Matisou’s wife, and their dog; Lieutenant Commander J. Takaguchi was on the burial detail. CALIPER had pushed on to complete the survey of the lovely, promising planet. Then in 2173 when IWG-SS JOHN A. WHEELER returned for a second survey (now with Captain Matisou and Commander Takaguchi), they witnessed alien starships fighting each other in the outer system, while their own survey party of ten encountered a pack of Qet criminals which killed eight of them. During the 2173 Qet Encounter, eight more humans had been buried on the planet.

That Qet visit in May 2173 had ended with all of the dead Qet being taken on board a Qet ship, which subsequently blew up. In forensic terms, humans had a greater claim to the planet, as they had left behind evidence of a colony presence (specifically, a domesticated canine, buried with its owner,) while the Qet had left only bad memories for Xiu-Li Chen (an ensign on JOHN A. WHEELER at the time), and the still grieving families of the eight dead crewpers.

The 2173 Qet Encounter had coincided with the violent emergence in human space of a political group-cult calling itself the Organization of Planetary Projects, striking in each of the dozen star systems and on the nine main InterWorld Group planets comprising the HumanWeb. At that time the entire Qet Encounter was deliberately put in total informational limbo by Admiral Custer Beria, in charge of the Northern Ecliptic Command, and the InterWorld Group had spent most of its time and resources on fighting the O.P.P. The Qet had remained a largely unknown entity (a future threat is how the crew of JOHN A. WHEELER had seen it since then) for nearly a decade (well, for seven years so far...)

Then the Traders stopped by at Proxima Centauri in 2179, and Humanity was very publically and officially put on notice it was not alone. The Conflict between the cult-like Organization of Planetary Projects mercenary militia and the 11 system InterWorld Group had ended abruptly once humanity realized it might have bigger problems than itself (especially after Nixon LaRoosh of the O.P.P., demonstrating how good humans were at making trouble, declared war on the Traders, thus hastening the fall of the O.P.P., the resulting Peace, and his own legal classification as Wanted Dead.)

The Traders were never ones to speak ill of a client, but they always grew very solemn and much less forthcoming when the word Qet came up. The phrase most often used was, Aggressive but fair. Humans had no doubts about the aggressive part, but the fair part had yet to be seen.

As the space civilization roughly to the north of Earth, the Qet had to be met and their measure taken, and some sort of dialogue begun to establish the limits and boundaries of each species sphere of space, as it was defined by the Assembly Of Sentients. It was felt that both tasks could be accomplished at the same time, and so Assemblyspeaker Braxton Thurgoode was now at the A.O.S. Portal and contact site on the new PORTAL Platform at Deepstrike HD-19373 (Iota Persei) for negotiations and review of the survey done by SAS-SS OLDUVAI and an A.O.S.-Qet team, the basis for the eventual A.O.S. ruling.

To keep things low-key, Assemblyspeaker Thurgoode and Space Fleet brass decided not to send him out in a huge ship of war or with a large escort. SAS Space Fleet Commander in Chief Admiral Chandrasekhar Ray suggested Thurgoode take the new courier ship SAS JAGUAR, which was actually built for these missions – as Thurgoode soon learned from Admiral Ray’s new Northern Ecliptic Command Division C-in-C, Admiral D. Bert Matisou. Thurgoode had been impressed with the foresight in building a tactically tough courier ship and readily agreed.

It’s still just another mission, Xiu-Li. Right? At the time, she had expressed her thanks to Admiral Matisou at the NorClip Platform send-off, feeling a chill despite her dress uniform. It was a fairly typical transportation job, but would end with an atypical situation: a meeting with the Qet. It was unclear how long they would then stay on post with Assemblyspeaker Thurgoode; no one knew when A.O.S. would deliver the final judgment or what negotiations (if any? with who?) might actually be like.

Thurgoode had been an impressive figure, a former Belt miner with a keen eye for engineering and an enjoyment of straight talk – despite advanced fog-making abilities when politics required them. He knew who she was, and he was honestly impressed – which to her meant a lot, coming from a man who had spent years crawling in hard vacuum through operating asteroid mining shafts in vacuum and building any number of structures. That was the most hazardous daily job she could imagine, combining so many ways to get killed that... Anyway, it was part of his charm, and he worked it.

She’d watch out, but during a long haul transport, it had been quite nice to be charmed. Thurgoode had even arranged screenings of the holovids EIGHT DEAD FRIENDS and HELLHOLE 2176 for two Friday Night Holovids, with Thurgoode turning the first one into a sort of seminar on the Qet, the Assembly Of Sentients, the Human Sphere, and the need to demonstrate effective stewardship of it. Xiu-Li had spoken about what she had learned when it happened, and since, but didn’t stay to watch FRIENDS. She did not even go to the showing of HELLHOLE 2176, which was about the Conflict (human versus human carnage, and Xiu-Li’s own mission within the madness of that day at Van Maanen’s Star was a major part).

He had donated both to JAGUAR’s permanent database library; she had finally gotten to see HELLHOLE 2176 on her own, which Xiu-Li had enjoyed much more than she expected (EIGHT DEAD FRIENDS had, in retrospect, shattered her for days after finally seeing it last year).

The transit itself, outside of the holovids and parties, had been most pleasantly uneventful. It was too nice a cruise ship for Braxton Thurgoode to resist throwing various honors dinners weekly. That had been a great way to forge the crew together (for many, it was their first long trip and first out of Sol System posting) and keep a check on homesickness over the nine weeks it took to travel from NorClip at Sol to HD-19373 (Iota Persei), 34.3 light years north.

Then had come the emergency call from SAS ROSALIND FRANKLIN, just short of arrival at the Platform.

During the subsequent rescue, Thurgoode and his entourage had stayed out of the way and let the crew get on with it. Her first officer, Commander Ecurba, had screened