“However, the wars with Terra had also depleted the resources of the Veen tremendously. Those races which had been allied to them only by virtue of the Veen’s superior knowledge and strength saw an irresistible opportunity to supplant the Veen in the hierarchy of Empire. The result? The Time of Conflicts, which resulted in the breakdown of the Empire, the final elimination of the once-proud Veen, and after considerable bickering and fighting, the formation of our present Federation—in a much more primitive form, of course.”
He returned his gaze once again to the blue-white planet circling below, its land areas blurred in the shifting golden haze which was the by-product of the Shield. They had already locked in to the Shield station on the planet’s only satellite. “Unfortunately, the Ban still remains.”
Rappan broke away from his console for a moment. “Look, we’ve been through all that. The supposed rule states that the penalty for breaking the Shield either
WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE . ..
partially, or completely, is death, for all those concerned. But that murfted law is millennia old!”
“And still on the books,” retorted old Alo, the Commander Second.
“I know, I know!” said Rappan, adjusting a meter. “Which is one reason why every being on this ship is a volunteer. And if I thought we had a choice I’d never have commandeered the Tpin for this trip. But you know as well as I, Alo, we have no choiceV We’ve been fighting the Yops now for nearly three hundred sestes, and been losing ever since we started. Oh, I know how it looks, but the signs are all there. One of these days we’ll turn around for the customary reinforcements and pifft, they won’t be there! That’s why it’s imperative we find new allies . . . even if we have to try Terra. When I was a cub, my den parents would scare us away from the Gn>un/-fruit groves by saying: ‘The Terrans will get you if you don’t watch out!’ “