TADJ35

==Chapter 35 - The Adjudicator==
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FSS Hanse Davion
Avalon Class Cruiser
New Sytris Star System
3160
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thumb|FSS Hanse Davion, Avalon Cruiser type WarShip
"One more thing.  As Prince's Champion, I'm in charge of military affairs for hundreds of worlds." Erik Sandoval Groell said, "I have also not-very-cleverly inserted myself into this international activity to keep the First Prince from taking the risk of being out here himself, instead of doing his job running the Realm...so i got all the diplomatic traffic, including these."  He pulled a set of orders from his brief-case, and a set of rank pins from his jacket.  "Admiral, would you do the honors?"
"Aye, Sir."  Anh took the pins from him, and applied them to the flaps on Carlissa's 'working blues' jumpsuit, taking the Lieutenant pins in their place.  "Congratulations, Commander."
"That's two ranks up." Carlissa said.
"You're making first contact with a possible hostile sovereignty.  If I could have talked your Aunt into a three rank jump to Kapitan I would have done so." Erik said, "The best I could manage was two ranks up, but Her Majesty promised to lean on Admiral Ngo for the last bump, when time allows."
Carlissa came to attention, and saluted. Erik and Anh return her her salute.
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KCGS Cham Nguoc
Sampan IV-Class Cutter
Taussen Star System
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"Mum.  Looks good on you."  
"I took your  boat, can't you at least be pissed about it?" Carlissa asked.
"You're a Ngo. You're right where you belong, in that center seat, mum." he said.
"I didn't take you for a feudalist." she replied
He laughed.  "Ship's ready for transition, Mum."
"RTO, prep our greeting messages to go off as soon as we're clear of the emergence wave. I don't want to be shot before I finish throwing up..." she checked to make sure the barf-bags were in easy reach, and fully stocked. She then engaged the ugh catheters in case the jump sickness hit as hard as she suspected it would.
"All hands, stand by for non-combat entry."  she ordered.  "If they shoot us on sight, at least we'll die comfortable."
''
"All stations report, ready." her XO noted.
"Nav helm to my console...and stand by, this is going to su-"
[dIsCoNTiNuItY.............]
She was falling in the void. Surrounded by squamous howling rage and madness.  The bright line was all she had. The only safety, as she was struggling to avoid their grasping maws and smothering grapple in the colorless void.
The hunger and the rage battered her with hurricane forces, underlying a mad piper's keening and the drum of her own heart..it went on forever, forever's worth of forevers...and then the exultant shout of a trillion voices cut off as she fell into the light-
[dIsCoNTiNuItY.............]
"-ck, HNNNNNGOOOOOGHHHAHHGG!!!"  The bag caught most of her vomit, faster than she could have grabbed it, only a few sprays and droplets missed it-splashing and tumbling before being caught by the suction hose in von Peterson's hands.
"S..status?" she struggled to ask.
"Oh holy ******..." muttered sensor tech
"Bi-big screen..." she moaned.
On the 'big screen' display, the forms of dozens of cruiser-level warships showed. All arrayed broadside-on, with their weapons pointing at them. Their formation was a half-globular array, creating a perfect crossfire with no viable path of escape.
"That is a lot of ships...holy shit." Clarlissa said.
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