Agent MacArthy prefered not to
be seen near Klargia, so the Crew went to visit him at Starbase Alpha. MacArthy hoped to meet Meliar,
and suspected him of framing Councilor Nichols' hotel. MacArthy had received a message
from Kordivan. Kordivan asked to meet him on at Zaxton, an uninhabbited
system between the D'nyarri and An-Pharr Pachekki to discuss information on
Councilor Nichols. MacArthy was concerned that Kordivan would risk sending
such a direct message, but was willing to risk going anyway. To remain
incognito, he asked the crew to transport him to the meeting. The crew agreed,
in exchange for some information: what Nichols was up to, and what the
D'nyarri are planning. According to MacArthy, Nichols
intended to encourage the Kaa to attack the K'tharr. He needed them to attack
in sufficient fourse to overwhelm the K'tharr fleet, but in weak enough force
that the ships under his control (politically or privately) could tip the
balance. Using this threat, he would replace the current Alliance with a
permantent and binding central government. His actions durring the War would
almost assure him of the new Presidency. As part of his arrangement with
the Kaa, he was to return to them the Precursor Stasis equipment they had
left on their abandoned Starbase. The Kaa intended (among other things) to
use the Stasis Fields as captor mines. It was unclear exactly what Nichols
asked the Kaa for in payment for his services. Kress now believes his dream
(cf. Precursor Fudge Ripple) was a result of Nichols'
plan. The K'tharr are unwilling to surrendor their sovereignity to anyone,
and would therefore refuse to join the new Alliance. Left to their own, they
resort to orbitally bombarding the Kaa... Again according to MacArthy, the
D'nyarri invasion (cf. Dulce et Decorum Est) is for the
sole purpose of recovering a crashed alien spaceship for the Heraldris system.
The massive ship, of a configuration totally unknown to Fed Int, Klargia or
the D'nyarri, has thus far been unnoticed by the Kaa. FedInt would prefer
to covertly dismantle the ship and slip to slowly back to Alliance space, but
the D'nyarri timetable now makes that impossible. The crew has revealed their
possession of the Tk'Mara Stasis Field to MacArthy; he was previously unaware
of its existence. Kordivan arrived at the meeting
in a full sized cruiser of unknown origin. Although he appeared over a com
channel, he did not recognize the Klarg Star Shipping Company in their battle
armor. Suspecting a trap, the crew pretended to flee the cruiser; clearly
outgunned the Klarg Star activated its Stasis Field in direct proximity
to the cruiser. Its reactionless drives were shorn off and destroyed, but it
was able to launch two probe drones prior to its breakup in orbit of
Heraldris-IV. Two slightly smaller ships of similar design entered the
system shortly after.Continue to Episode 16, back to Episode 14, or return to the Main List.