been known for a while that Shee-Yar was heading into a rapid
decline.  Like any other militaristic society, they tried hard to
cover up that fact by rapidly advancing their military, and quickly
escalating conflicts to justify it.
Galactic Government, which until then had been fairly isolationist and
concerned mostly with trading interests, had been faced with the
Shee-Yar behaving aggressively toward its trading partners.  Most
of its partners were not nearly advanced as the Shee-Yar, and were no
match for them.  Because of that the four Companies of the Trading
Alliance found their bottom line hit hard by the encroaching Shee-Yar.
highly advanced Trading Alliance always had powerfully armed ships to
combat rampant piracy that the weak Galactic Navy couldn’t seem to
curb.  So the Galactic Government authorized the Trading Alliance
to destroy any Shee-Yar craft in its trading territory to insure the
safety of its trading partners.
led to Six Week War.  While the Shee-Yar were seriously outgunned
and outclassed by the Trading Alliance ships, the Shee-Yar outnumbered
them thousands to one, and they thought nothing of taking out their
losses on the helpless trading partners.  The Galactic Government
acted again, finally authorizing its Navy to blockade the Shee-Yar
Empire.
the blockade ended the war, as Shee-Yar ships could no longer return
home to resupply, and they began to surrender to the Galactic
Navy.  Unlike the Trading Alliance ships, however, the Galactic
Navy was bound by Galactic Law and the Rules of Engagement to return
the Shee-Yar and their ships home via Wormhole Anchor.
Shee-Yar remained within their borders after that, silently.  It
was discovered later, though, that they hadn’t given up - they
increased military spending, and began outfitting their ships and their
troops with salvaged Parody Master technology.  They knew that had
to upgrade after an unseen and powerful enemy had cheated them out of
their conquests.  Their plan was to take Earth first, and then
seek revenge against their other enemies.
was as much as the Company Research Team could figure out from what was
left.  Every living person on Shee-Yar had been killed, in the
style of a hunter butchering his prey.  Not a weapon of mass
destruction, or any kind of pathogen.  No obvious evidence of what
race or faction had done it - it was as if one independent person
murdered everyone, which should have been impossible.  It was a
sobering and frightening scene.
receiving the news, the Galactic Government temporarily suspended the
salvage rights, and asked that the Research Team withdraw, in the
interest of preserving the investigation.  After conferring with
the local office of the Intergalactic Order of Librarians, a quarantine
was placed upon the planet, to be enforced by four cloaked Galactic
Navy destroyers.  There were races which specialized in
investigating this kind of thing - it was both far beyond the
capability of the Trading Alliance, and not terribly profitable for
them either.  The investigation had been outsourced.
floated invisibly five thousand feet above where the Lair Mansion used
to be, and the usual activity aboard the Cruiser had ground to a
halt.  They were currently doing a few spectrum analyses. 
Energy signatures later showed that an outside influence had taken the
Lair Mansion out of the current dimension.
if we can’t find this Sir Mumphrey Wilton?”  the First Officer
asked.  “Evidence shows he’s extra-dimensional right now.  We
can’t stay here and wait for his return...the Company will want to know
where we are and what we’re up to.  We’re costing them money.”
Shen Rae leaned back in her office chair, the crisp blue tunic of her
uniform crumpling as she reached over the lounger’s arm.  
know.”  she said.  “I’m going to have to request a
tele-meeting with the Director.  Convince him how important this
is.”  She shook her head sadly.  “We’re talking about
intergalactic war here.  Losing trading partners and potential
trading partners who are putting all their resources into survival.”
you saying Earth is a potential trading partner?  But it’s off
limits--”  First Officer Jai Yoon worried about what her Captain
was saying.
Shen Rae rotated her chair back and forth thoughtfully.  “It’s the
current Nexus, though, and it’s neutral.  If Earth loses Nexus
status it may lose it to a non-neutral party.  Right now there are
two ways it can lose that status...ruling of the Cosmic Order, or--”
its destruction.”  Jai Yoon finished for her.  “And we can’t
stop the Cosmic Order...so we have to protect it from destruction.”
Mumphrey is the last known commander of its military forces.  He
must accept our protection, which we must maintain in a way that none
of the non Trade Alliance members will detect us.”  Shen Rae noted.
Rae looked at the glass case as well.  “Only you and I know about
those.”  she said.  “And my father.  They are another
reason we must speak with Sir Mumphrey...it’s just fortunate he’s also
their military leader.”
it wasn’t for your father we would be in serious trouble with the
Company.”  Jai Yoon mused quietly.  Her smiled
returned.  “I remember when we were younger, and he let you borrow
one of the Gliders the Company gave him.”
Rae pondered that for a moment, as she rocked in her chair
gently.  “Then they may need our protection from invaders more
than ever.”