Genesis 2, p. 9

“You’re sure?” Mansel asked.  His Navigations officer nodded. “Yes sir.” “Fine then.  Set a course for the Ralgia system.  Translight speed.” As Lieutenant Commander Broadaway left Stellarcartography to go fulfill his mission, Mansel and Vaughn continued to look at the map. “This guy is smart,” Commander Vaughn conceded.  “He knows his stuff.  He’s dangerous.” “That’s why he’s still alive,” said Mansel.  “We’ll just have to be smarter.” “Any plans as of yet?” Mansel shook his head as he continued to stare at the stellar map.  “No, not yet.  I hate to say it, but I think he’s got the upper hand here.  Too many places to hide—behind the moon, behind the planet itself, in the nebula.  Too many independent variables.”  He looked at his Executive Officer.  “Too many random things to base a plan off of.” Vaughn nodded.  “You’re right.  Let’s get back to the bridge.  Lamb might be getting comfortable in your chair.”                                                                            *** “Approaching Ralgia Five, Captain,” Lieutenant Commander Broadaway announced. Mansel, at his usual position behind his chair, nodded. “Take us out of translight.” The Explorer came out of translight speed a million kilometers away from Ralgia Five’s moon, Calibros.  “Go to yellow alert,” ordered Commander Vaughn.  “Start scanning for traces of K’Tesh’s ship.” “Yes sir,” responded Lieutenant Talaj.  “Approach slowly, Broadaway,” said Mansel.  “125,000 knots should do.” “125,000 knots, aye sir.” The Explorer slowed its rate of closure on the planet.  Lieutenant Talaj began her scan of the immediate area. The ship came upon the moon, Calibros. “Scan the moon, Lieutenant,” said Mansel.  “Can it sustain life?” They waited as Lieutenant Talaj scanned the planet’s surface.  “The planet is capable of holding human life sir, but not suited to the needs of those from Uranus.” “Can that idea,” said Mansel, leaning heavier on the back of his chair.  “I guess it’s safe to say—” He was cut off from finishing his sentence.  The Explorer rocked turbulently as it undercame heavy firepower. Mansel got to his feet and hopped in his chair.  “Red alert!” he yelled to Lieutenant Commander Lamb.  “Full shields!” “Aye Captain!” called the Tactical officer.  “The game is afoot!” Mansel’s first real test as a starship Captain had come.                                                                            *** Ralgia System 13:37 2185 K’Tesh had known that the UNSF would come after their precious ambassador. Now that he had gotten their attention, he could finally present his list of demands. K’Tesh was hesitant that the UNSF would find his newly erected base.  Their Intelligence units were fools, and starship captains even worse. In case of the rare event that the UNSF would, however, find his new base, he had taken precautions.  On one side of the planet, the side opposite the way the Explorer had come, he had placed proximity bombs far away enough from the planet to learn of the ship’s arrival and adequately prepare himself.  By coming the way they had, the Explorer had escaped immediate death, and probably hadn’t known. On the side of the planet they had come from, though, K’Tesh himself had hid, just out of site on the far side of Calibros.  While the Explorer had cautiously approached Ralgia Five, K’Tesh had snuck in behind the engine wash of the Explorer, making him nearly impossible to detect.  After he was certain he was undetected, he launched a salvo of missiles at the Explorer’s aft.  At the moment, he was busy loading another salvo of missiles as the Explorer came about to face its unseen enemy.  Since it was only he on his small ship, the Valentine, he himself had to load and be the gunner.  In a nearby corner, bound and gagged, was the UNSF ambassador Chad Wilson.  Currently, the ambassador had been tied up and thrown in a cage with no possible moving space.  He eyes widened when he saw the new UNSF ship on K’Tesh’s viewscreen.