IN A GALAXY ON THE BRINK OF CIVIL WAR...

the Brotherhood seeks to keep the peace through diplomacy, subterfuge, and control of both technological advances and the carefully gathered knowledge of countless worlds. But now Speaker Archon, formerly a privateer and currently head of the world of Star's Rest, has brought news of a discovery which may prove a great boon to humankind or a catalyst for its destruction.

So the Brotherhood ship Boaz, carrying diplomats representing all the human planets, stations, and colonies, is launched on a journey to distant Star's Rest. Only Archon and his daughter know what awaits them there. And neither they nor Captain Carrasco can anticipate the treacherous games of intrigue and betrayal about to be played out aboard Boaz. Yet the greatest danger is that they will actually survive to reach Star's Rest and the alien Artifact. For this creation of a long-vanished civilization has been waiting patiently for millennia to lure humans to extinction.…

"RED ALERT! ALL PERSONNEL TO STATIONS! THIS IS NOT A DRILL!"

"Status?"  Bryana called to her fellow First Officer as she raced for her station.

"Bogeys … closing," he gasped, fumbling to pull his combat armor on.

Carrasco bolted through the hatch, already armoured for zero g. He vaulted into his command chair and stared grimly at the main monitor. "Just like Tygee … damn!"

Tygee? Where Carrasco lost Gage? Bryana's heart almost stopped. Not … another … drill? "Oh, my God!"

Then Carrasco's orders jolted her from the paralysis that glued her horrified gaze on the two bogeys. And while Boaz pitched under Carrasco's hand, fighting to avoid the deadly blaster bolts raking her, Bryana sought to keep the enemy targets centered. She shot again and again, watching the bolts pass harmlessly above both her targets. Ignoring the damage control information filtering in, she lowered her guns, shooting again, until finally she saw enemy shields flare and ripple.

At last a bogey flared, dying brilliantly as Boaz connected. Confident now, Bryana fired again and whooped with joy as the second ship flared and disintegrated under her deadly guns.

"Bogeys destroyed," Carrasco said calmly. "Misha? Damage control report? Misha?"

No answer.

"Boaz?" Carrasco asked. "What's our prognosis for survival?"

"Zero, Captain," the ship replied.