Interlude 1 Captured Scolux Lab Far side of Luna “Welcome back Platoon Leader Coron.” stated with military precision if not pleasure by Squad Leader Tron. “Squad Leader have you learned anything from the Scolux computers?” “Very little, very little. The encryption wasn’t as difficult to break as I expected but have you ever tried to translate Scolux?” “I can’t say that I’ve ever translated any alien language. I’ve enough trouble trying to understand the dialect they use on Gorfta’s southern continent. What have you found out?” Why is he trying to be funny? “Only the title of the project Platoon Leader.“ Tron returns to military precision at the implied reproof by his superior officer. “Well what is it?” asked by an impatient and very tired officer. “Sorry sir, ‘The development of soldiers who can reproduce amongst themselves.” “What does that mean?” Can that possibly be the proper translation? I know Tron is a talented JILA but this operation isn’t anything any of us expected to have to deal with when we followed that Scolux transmission to this moon. “I think, and I’ll know more when I’m able to translate more of his experimental notes, that he was trying to find a way of letting soldiers reproduce even after they use a FTL ship. If they could manage that deed it would give them a tremendous advantage in the war. I also think that he was using natives from the planet below this moon as his experimental subjects.” reported the Squad Leader. “Even the Scoluxers wouldn’t do that. It’s against every law, of every space faring species, to use planet bound natives in any way. If this were to become public even the Trelongory would renounce their alliance with the Scoluxers. Get back to work Squad Leader; try to find out the details as soon as possible. I’ll return in another week. We’ve determined that there aren’t any Scolux locations on the two planets sunward from this moon. We’ll go to the next planet outward and the asteroid belt next. I don’t think that there are anymore Scoluxers in this system but we have to be sure.” All it takes is one mistake and my career is ruined . “Hopefully I’ll have more when you return next time.” stated by an under officer who hoped his superior would soon depart.