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for that missing ship, if it is found I wish to be advised immediately.”
    “Yes, Sire.”
    It was his dismissal, Kerawan bowed and left. He wondered if he should have told Gluck about his agent on the missing ship. Perhaps it would be best to wait, who knew when information like that could come in useful. The man had been ordered to report to Kerawan on a regular basis, he hadn’t heard from him since the ship went missing. He had his suspicions about the Orphexians, after all, who else would have the power to subvert an Axian warship now that Rescom was thoroughly beaten? He still wasn’t certain of the allegiance of the mysterious women of Orphex, it would be useful to find out while they still had the power to destroy them. Kerawan was aware that he was playing a dangerous game of politics with all factions, but that was the point, wasn’t it? Politics was the best game in the universe, the only game. No matter which side you played on.

    System Standard 2728.1218 Planet Isolde
    The controller looked up from his screen. “It’s the Prophet Ramak, Sir, they just appeared out of hyperspace, they’re calling for clearance to enter the outer atmosphere in preparation for a landing.”
    The supervising officer, Lieutenant Pell, looked bored, he was almost at the end of his shift and he was thinking about his date for tonight, the beautiful young cadet who was here on Isolde as part of her flight training.
    “Yes, that ship is on the arrivals roster, assign a dock and give her clearance to come right in.”
    “But, Sir, we had a signal from Axis Nova, isn’t that the name of the ship they’re hunting for?”
    “What’s that? I didn’t see a signal, show it to me.”
    The controller brought it up on his screen, Pell looked at it with a sense of growing horror.
    “By Ahura, it’s Rescom, they’ve taken over the Prophet Ramak, our orders are to blast it out of space. Sound the alarm, get the gun crews to their stations.”
    The man reached for the red button and the sound of the alarm klaxon echoed around the spacedock. Blast shutters started to slide down into place, sealing off the control room from the outside world. As Pell watched the screens he saw the tactical board light up green as all of the guns came ready.
    “What do I say to the Prophet Ramak, Sir, they’re asking for clearance again.”
    The officer panicked, “Tell them to go and fuck themselves, I don’t care. Are the gun batteries all online? Fire, fire, kill that ship before it gets any nearer!”
    On board the Revolution, they were waiting for landing clearance, Gehlen looked across at Blas.
    “They still haven’t answered my request for landing clearance, Captain.”
    The attack warning abruptly sounded and the screens started tracking the concentrated bursts of fire that surged up from the surface of the Planet Isolde.
    “I think that means no, Commander.”

Chapter Two
     

    Ahura announces victory, and throngs of believers shout the happy news. Enemy leaders and their armies flee, while the believers of the prophet Axia divide the plunder. Though they lived among the outer planets, now they are covered with silver and gold, as its wings cover a Spican Ricabird. The God Ahura scattered the enemy leaders like a blowing sandstorm on Nabucco I.
    Excerpt from the Scrolls of Axia – Part IV The Conquests of Axia

    System Standard 2728.1219 Above Planet Isolde
    “Main drive emergency boost, corkscrew to port, put maximum power to the starboard shields, crew to battle stations.”
    The klaxon horn echoed around the ship and every crewman found the nearest handhold as the Revolution went into the first violent maneuver of the corkscrew. Most of the incoming fire went wild and missed completely, the ship shuddered as it was struck by a salvo of high intensity plasma artillery. It seemed to stagger in space and then shrug off the sledgehammer blow as it continued corkscrewing away from the enemy fire.
    “Damage reports, are any of our