Engagement part 2 by Ronald Faltus

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We are under contract, paid to eliminate the terrorist threat in this sector. Destroying three of their attack craft could go a long way to crippling their organization. Don't you agree?"

Saline let the question bounce around in her head before she answered. Her instructors at the academy always stressed that the GPS wasn't a police force meant to protect the masses. It was more of a high end security firm that sold its services to the mega corporations that could meet their fees. But after two months on the Azorean Grey, she had begun to learn that sometimes turning a blind eye to the innocent was not possible. How in good conscience could one be expected to allow people to die just to fill a contract? The sense of relief and gratitude that the captain had expressed toward her for their help, made her almost feel that they were doing more than just a job, doing something that had made a profound impact in the lives of the Sable's crew. If they had acted any differently, they would all be dead now. Could she live with that?

"No, not entirely. I mean, we are out her to find and destroy the terrorist operation, but that doesn't mean we should sacrifice innocent freighters to achieve that end."

Aswaud smiled, more than satisfied with her answer. Stroking his hand through his long ebony hair, he looked down at the file that she had placed on his desk. "Especially, when we have the chance to learn something about their tactics. I assume this is your evaluation of the action report." Opening the folder he leaned forward and began to read her synopsis. "Tell me what your appraisal of the attack is."

Myers cleared her throat, drawing herself back into her polished persona, rebuilder her guard that she had temporarily let down. "Well, it was a textbook maneuver meant to pull us away from the target. But the placement of the missile transport was far too precise. To be in position to be exactly between us and the sun when we dropped out of distortion space, they would have to know exactly which vector we were approaching the system form. Which means, they knew that we were stationed Eifrinti, waiting for the distress call."

With the thousand of ship coming and going form the shipping hub, it wasn't all that surprising that the terrorists could have a ship in orbit keeping tabs on them. Aswaud had already thought of that possibility before today, but it wasn't till after the missile transport appeared that he was sure. "Well, we will just need to find a new place to hide out and wait for the next..."

"Sorry sir, but its more than just that." Hesitantly she spoke, not comfortable yet with interrupting her superior. But a nod form him signaled her to continue. Leaning over the desk she pointed out a highlighted section of her report. "When we reverted to normal space, the two fighters had already broken off their attack and were heading for the edge of the planets gravity signature. I can only assume that not only did they were we were coming form, but also knew exactly when we were going to get there."

Aswaud mulled over the numbers, and quickly understood what the young Lieutenant was driving at.