She strode into the Captain's office, like a prosecutor onto a courtroom floor with a winable case. She began without preamble, "Captain Dokka Tkarro, I am Inspector Gaya, of the Judge Advocate General's office. I report to JAG Chief Inspector Hera Kragg directly. I have the authority to order you and your crew to co-operate in any way to facilitate my investigation into the accusations and allegations this crew and you have made against the Sky-Marshal Zolf Rienz and his office, and against the office of Military and Scientific Development." She looked over at Kael Oran, sitting on the coffee table in the small meeting area and asked, "Why is this man not saluting?" Captain Tkarro said, "He's a civilian contractor. He doesn't need to obey military protocols. We'll help your case in any way we can." Kael said tiredly, "You need to copy the memory of my scanner, here. You can't HAVE my scanner, but you can copy it. I included my observations and opinions as to origin of the bomb and it's iterations in wiring. Not being an ACCREDITED professor of technical archeology, you'll need to back up my suppositions with a second opinion." "Mister Oran, you needn't tell me my job. I will ask you questions in a little while. If you could leave your scanner with me?" She was frosty, but polite. Kael looked over at her. He asked, "You got a warrant?" She shook her head, "No. No need of one came up." Malbess said to the back of his head, "Kael, she needs the evidence in it." He stood up. "No warrant, no scanner. If you want to download it's memory, I'll be within calling distance! This scanner is NOT leaving my sight. Forgive my paranoia. I've almost been killed today by sabotage, possibly by someone in the military. If you'll excuse me." She raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Dismissed." After he left, she turned to Dokka and said, "Paranoia? Justifiable, in my opinion from what I've read in the files. Captain, the number of civilians involved in this is rather high. Also, CHILDREN? Forgive me for asking, but...?" Dokka said flatly, "Some of those children have proven more valuable than a platoon of soldiers. We are going to be leaving known space for the mother galaxy after we get the survivors of the USCOMM Mauler back to Balaam, and those alien telepaths off this ship. We might be gone for years. That is a sacrifice that each crew member must value alone. The Cyclops see no problem in taking there children along with them, feeling they are as much in danger on the front-line as on the planet." "That was proven in SPADES! Hell, I would have been safer on a battleship, than on the ground yesterday! Loyalty is measured in the field, not by being part of the military. These people will fight alongside of us and give their lives If we need them too." Malbess said, "THAT is one of the motives why someone in Fleet is trying to blow us up! I have sources in the Friggian Intelligence Service that tipped me off to a surveillance system, implanted on Space-Battleship one by someone in the SKy-Marshall's office. We found the bomb by LOOKING at that same system!" The JAG officer paced for a moment and looked at them, and said, "MilSciDev is sending a System Defense Battle-cruiser out here to pick up your guests. Admiral Kashak is commanding her. I hope to have all the evidence in hand before he arrives in three hours. The System Defense TSMD Corvette I commandeered to get me out here is no defense if he pulls something. We are a people of Law, but the law can't save us if no one follows it." Captain Tkarro said to the screen, "Replay 'Toxic Bomb'." Gaya watched Toxic smack some alien woman in the head with an android that went off like a nuclear bomb. Dokka asked, "You want to talk with her? She's in the galley, eating a cake. NOT vaporized at ALL!" Gaya gasped in shock. She whispered, "Maybe...HE should fear you and this crew, more than the LAW!" --TO BE CONTINUED!--