The Team returns to Penzance Station to recover, where they are visited by their patron, Admiral Susan Webber. She has recognized that secrecy has hampered the team's efficency so far, and immediately brings everyone up to date. The secret of the mass driver on board the Ulysses is unveiled to one and all. There is a reason for her candor: recently, there as been a mass driver attack on a far off League of Non Aligned Worlds planet. Earth does not want to be blamed for this attack, so has finally admitted the loss of the mass driver to the other governments involved.

Admiral Webber is joined by Agent Anders of the Alliance Investegation Division. The AID has been collecting information on a vast criminal conspiracy for years. The team's recent adventures have been more data added to this file. Anders describes that the conspiracy can be recognized for its ruthlessness, and sudden and complete taking control of the underworld. Anders expresses fear that this conspiracy is so strong, it is almost like an underground government! Anders and Webber have joined forces to combat this conspiracy. The AIB contributes thier extensive data and experience to the case, and the Special Investegative Team has far wider jurisitction to investegate on alien worlds. Anders adds one member to the team, a person the team met in passing earlier, as the AID represenative on the team.

The team travels to the place the Mass Driver was recently used in an attempt to track it down and finally complete the mission their team was organized for in the first place. The planet Neuremic is the homeworld of the Pacheki race, and is located on the far side of Narn space. They arrive to discover that the capital of the planet was completely destroyed by a mass driver attack. The surrounding cities and event the space station are full of desperate refugees. The team begins their investegation, despite being hampered by yet another run in with their Minbari rival. The team's investegation reveals that the following factions might be the cuplrit:

The Democratic Party: This planet was led by a monarchy, and the destruction of the capitol killed all but a very few in line for the throne. The Democratic party has been fighting for a more representational government for some time, so many of the natives believe them to be responsable.

Sir Lebel: This knight is in charge of the Pacheki space defence forces. It is suspicious that his defences did not detect and stop the mass driver attack, but he explains that the detection systems were sabotaged.

Lord Green: Lord Green is next in line for the throne now that most of the others have been killed in one blow. His domain borders the capitol, and he has been offering extensive relief and humanitarian aid to the refugees. However, the team notes that his relief efforts are perhaps a calculated political move. In addition, Lord Green has been shipping many of the refugees up to Sir Lebel's cramped space station "so that they can be closer to offworld aid," hampering Sir Lebel's efforts to keep order.

General Vorpath: This general seems to be trying for a military coup. Lacking higher authority, he has seized control of most of the planet's military. However, he is hampered because he is not a member of the aristocracy.

The team learns that the asteroid used by the mass driver has the exact chemical composition as the asteroid belt surrounding Penzance Station! Then they remember that the alien ruins in that system had asteroid hits. They deduce that the criminal conspiracy captured the mass driver leaving Emanazdeen, took it to Penzance \ Station, assembled it and tested it on the nearby alien ruins, then loaded it from that asteroid belt and much later attacked here. The team also gathers evidence causing them to believe that Sir Lebel is the culprit behing this attack. He may have given money to the Democratic Party, who in turn perhaps hired the criminal conspiracy to bomb the capitol.

At this point a Narn fleet moves in in order to "protect the common folk from attack, as their government has proven incapable of protecting them." The people widely fear that this is a prelude to becoming annexed by the Narn. The team reveals what they know to General Vorpath, who agrees to help them return to the space station to confront Sir Lebel. As they lift ship, fighting between the Pacheki defence force and the Narn fleet breaks out.

to Stories page.