What seemed a blue-uniformed captain of the Exarch's Guard stood before the ruler of D'Lin, pistol on his hip, black boots gleaming."Problem?" said Y'Gar. He touched the neat pile of papers on his desk. "Processing is almost complete. There's been no resistance, little suspicion ...""The problem isn't on D'Lin," said the AI. "Yet. Our ships intercepted an incoming craft of Fleet origin. It was destroyed.""Fleet? The K'Ronarin Fleet?" said Y'Gar, alarmed. "But you said they never came into this quadrant—that it was prohibited.""A prohibition that's been rescinded, it seems," said the AI. "Where one has come, more will follow. We haven't enough ships to stand off a flotilla—not until our vanguard arrives. We must finish operations tomorrow morning.""Assemble and process, what, a thousand people? By noon?" Y'Gar shook his head. "Logistically impossible. We're not a machine society, U'Kal. Notification alone requires an entire day."The AI walked to the glass doors, hands clasped behind his back.
