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beaming with
pride. “The house started out pretty standard for a dome dwelling, but my
mother and Aunt Val have been adding personal touches over the years.”
    She pointed to a wood framed door to the left of the foyer. “Right
this way, Commander.”  I followed her into the room where I found Breth already
seated at the head of a large table. When she saw me enter, she excitedly directed
her two attendants to start serving food.
    She’d changed clothes since our first meeting in the hangar, and
was now wearing a low cut, black dress with an expensive array of diamond
jewelry around her neck. Matching pieces adorned her ears and wrists—the
diamonds sparkling in the light from an impressive chandelier overhead.
    The interplay between the stark blackness of the dress, the bright
red color of her hair, and the smooth white skin was very distracting.
    In a good way.
    “There you are,” she smiled. “Please, have a seat.” She gestured
to the chair on her right while Lesa took a seat at the far end of the table.
    “Thank you,” I said. “Captain Stinson will be here in a few
minutes.”
    “Of course,” she said, leaning forward. “Have you had any luck
with the ship?”
    “Some. We’ve found evidence pointing to Harrakan Station as a possible
source of further information. We will be leaving shortly to investigate.”
    She made a disgusted face. “Do you really think my sister is
there?” She frowned before continuing, “I suppose it’s possible. It wouldn’t be
hard to believe someone from that cesspool was involved in a kidnapping.”
    “At this point, I honestly don’t know what happened, but it’s a promising
lead and will hopefully get us closer to finding her.” I looked her in the eyes,
and with that outfit it was difficult, “I need to examine her lab and personal
console—with your permission of course. I’d like to see who she’s been dealing
with lately, and what she’s been working on.”
    Breth fell back into her seat. “That’s easy. For the last six
months she has been on whatever secret project the Sentients have set her on.
She’s refused any and all other offers of work.” She looked pensive. “Even her
humanitarian efforts, Commander.”
    “I take it that would be unusual for her?”
    “Oh yes,” she said. “I have never known her to neglect her charity
work.”
     “Are you privy to the details of her arrangement with
Sentients?”
    Before she could answer, Stinson entered from the foyer and the
servants returned through an opposite door, carrying trays of food.
    “Miss Evans, Commander.” Stinson gave us each a small bow.
    “Please do sit down, Captain.” Breth motioned for the servants to
hurry up and deposit their burdens and leave.
    Taking the proffered seat opposite my own, he stated,
“Everything’s ready to go, Commander. I’ve detailed some of my officers to
begin interviewing the staff in our absence.”
    “Excellent, Captain. Now where were we…ah yes, the Sentients.”
    “There isn’t much to tell I’m afraid. They contacted Val about six
months ago to arrange a meeting.”
    “And she didn’t think to inform Sector Security?” I said
incredulously.
    She bristled, as if personally insulted. “Absolutely not! They
made that a prerequisite for any meeting.” She lowered her voice. “You have to
understand, Commander; my sister is the preeminent geneticist in the galaxy,
and the Sentients are the genetic mystery left unsolved. She couldn’t
say no.”
    I shook my head, they were a mystery alright—a deadly one. “Then
what happened?”
    “She met them. Right here in the dome! I don’t mind telling you
that when their ship entered orbit I wasn’t happy. I was terrified in fact. But
Val just kept telling me how terribly important it was to help them.”
    “Help them? Help them what?” I asked.
    “I can’t say. She wouldn’t tell anyone. She locked herself in her lab—just
the three of them. It was strange to say the least. I can tell