*ACTION* arresting developments

Who: Jay, drive room staff

Where: Drive Room

When: While Jay was in the drive room

Jay did a double take as the bodies of several Space corp marines drifted past the main view screen.

"What the hell? where did they come from?"

"Someone blew up the one of the docking umbilicals from the Space Corp ship" said the officer on the tactical station. "Someone on our side."

"Who the hell did that?" Jay said "I ordered non-lethal force where necessary! Get someone down there to stop whoever it is! We're not gonna win any favours if we start killing our own guys en-masse!" the tactical officer nodded and sent down a message to security, giving them something else to worry about, on top of the invading marines.

Rosette and Rufus entered the drive room. "Captain!" Rosette said loudly, "We spotted some marines heading this way, we got past them, but it won't be long before they breach the driveroom."

"Dammit" Jay said, glancing at the view of the dusty ball of rock that was the Hymenoptera homeworld that was on screen. So close.

Before Jay could do anything, the drive room doors burst open, and a group of Marines entered, Rosette raised her weapon, but quickly lowered it when ten weapons were pointed at her.

Jay raised his hands above his head. "Take me, don't punish my crew, they were following my orders."

"Very well" said the lead marine, he was clearly the leader of the operation as he was the most decorated. He stepped forward toward Jay, clutching a set of energy-cuffs in one hand and pointing his pistol at Jay in the other.

"But let me ask you this" Jay said "Do you want to be responsible for them wiping out mankind? For them razing our cities to the ground, killing anyone who gets in their way? For the millions of lives that will be extinguished by them? We've seen what they can do. New Ibiza is gone because of them, there were 20 million people on that planet, Aeron, Plebe, all gone. Do you want Earth to be next? DO YOU WANT THE BLOOD OF THE HUMAN RACE ON YOUR HANDS?"

"There will be more bloodshed if you start this one-man war Chrysler?"

"Do you really believe that?" Jay rebuked "Do you honestly think they'll leave us alone? How many times have they launched unprovoked attacks on us? Slaughtered civilians? Destroyed our starships? Killed entire planets?"

The sargeant stared Jay in the eye.

"This isn't just a personal vendetta Sarge. This is for the sake of the survival of ourentire race."

"I... I have my orders..." said the Sargeant. He knew Jay was right, he just didn't have the courage to break a direct order from command.

Fortunately, he didn't need to, as his radio crackled into life, it was the captain of the Space Corp ship "Sargeant Marshall, this is Captain Wells, stand down."

"Sir?"

"I said stand down. Chrysler is right."

"But sir, our orders?"

"To hell with our orders Sargeant, my wife and kids were on New Ibiza when the Hymenoptera attacked. Captain Chrysler, what's the plan?"