The Velorian baths, Spa and springs lay in the sunshine of the large pool of light that broke through the tree canopy that surrounded the buildings. The reception building was made from the local tress and a few composites. Sion was waiting behind the desk there were several potted plants and a few tables and chairs around. Most of them were made from cloned bamboo from the forest world of To'Van. The world was very much untouched, it had been as long as records could say. The aborial planet had been left alone for centuries.

Nightwalker, Lyra, Silver, Tarin, Leta and Jacen came into the reception area. Sion was Night's friend and had know her for a while. He had recently taken leave to get over a incident that had happened some months ago.

"Hello Night, are you and your friends here for the spa?" asked Sion."

Actually Sion, we want the works" replied Night.

"The works, alright I hope your already" chuckled Sion as he keyed in the information into a small computer console.

"There were a few things I wanted to talk to you about Night" said Lyra as the group broke up. The young herm was starting to feel a little odd and shi wondered about many things.

"There should be someone with you soon. If you would go to the changing rooms we'll get started" commented Sion.

Nightwalker, Lyra, Silver and Leta went into the female changing room. Leta worked with Lyra in hir bakery and the two were good friends. Tarin and Jacen went into the male changing rooms. Both were open spaces with a few lockers and other devices including a small com on the wall. Crime was know on Foxarn but not as much as other planets. The group had soon changed and padded out into the spa baths.

Winter sat in her quarters the ship was nothing less than massive. The flagship of the fleets the Deliverance was six kilometres long. The ships hull shone a off white in the light of the far distant stars. Winter tapped the desk she was sitting at and then turned on a small viewscreen. A young Fox came on screen and gave a quick salute. He and only a few others knew who Winter was. To the others she was a guest of the ships commanding officer.

"Empress how may I help you?" asked the Fox.

"Get me a hypernet connection to the President of the Confederation immediately" replied Winter.

"By your command" replied the Fox.

Winter waited while the connections were made. They would go though a secure system to the president. The viewscreen came to life again. On it was a large white polar bear. Winter quickly looked him over, it was obvious the bear was getting on in years and his term in office had not helped him grow old gracefully.

"You are the president of the Confederation?" asked Winter.

"Yes I have that honour" replied the bear.

Moving slightly Winter came to full height in the chair.

"I am Emperess Winter undisputed ruler of the Voran system. You know very well who I represent. I offer a immediate truce and peace treaty with the Confederation. This Imperial Alliance threatens us all we should unite under a common enemy" commented Winter.

"Very well I will have the Confederation Council vote on your proposal. You'll have a answer in five solar hours. For now our ships will pull back to the boarders" answered the bear.

The group of Lyra, Silver, Night, Leta, Tarin and Jacen had been in one of the largest spa pools any of them had ever seen. All had been massaged and given everything the spa's could offer.

"Well that was rather enjoyable" commented Jacen.

"Oh yes certainly it was, The spa's are famous through the whole Confederation" smiled Night as she lay back in the warm water.

"I have to say it was the height of pleasure. We were treated like kings and queens, I wonder what the moon will be like?" questioned Lyra.

The group left the water and padded to a set of tables and chairs. They took a look at the menu and some went off on their own of a few moments. Lyra took a seat as she wasn't feeling hungry. She watches as the group approached with a few trays. Lyra sighed gently as several things were on her mind. After all these people had done for her, at least she did owe Silver, Night and Tarin a full explanation, most of what she had said was true. In the back of her mind she wasn't sure if they would be upset or not. She had no connections with Gal-Tech in fact she had never heard of them before now. Ask Tarin, Silver and Night and the others sat down Lyra spoke up.

"I have something to tell you all, first I haven't been very truthful with you. I'm sorry about that, I am who I said I am but I'm also more connected to a well known fortune. I was unhappy with many things, that's why and how I got to be where I was when Tarin and Silver found me and rescued me" commented Lyra.

"May I ask what fortune?" asked Tarin.

Lyra blushed under hir fur, shi moved lightly and looked to Tarin.

"Trans-medical Pharmaceuticals" replied Lyra.

"You mean your father is Marcel Lightmane?" questioned Jacen.

Lyra looked up and nodded to Tarin and then to Silver, shi sighed gently.

"I'm not proud of it, he always wanted me to do as he wanted, not what I wanted to do" replied Lyra.

"Like to control things then?" asked Jacen.

"Yes I'm afraid so, he was very controlling in many ways. I'm... well I just had to get out of there" replied Lyra as shi swept hir hand through hir hair.

"Lyra?" asked Silver.

"Yes Silver?" answered Lyra.

"Why don't you go home, you might find you father has changed. You know your father might just love you anyway, no matter what. I lost my father and mother when I was young. Please think about this... it's to late when they are gone" Silver commented as she looked to Lyra.

"I.. I'm afraid what if they don't accept me?" asked Lyra with a slightly nervous voice.

"I'm sure they will be glad to see you all the same" commented Night.

"I don't know.. perhaps I should try and find out" replied Lyra.

Tarin was watching Jacen and then to his chronograph on his wrist. He looked up and sighed a little.

"If we're to catch the lunar shuttle for the moon we should go now" pointed out Tarin.

"Alright let's get going then" answered Lyra.

The ship the group had boarded was about sixty feet long and had two decks. It also had a red stripe down the middle. Lyra, Silver, Night, Leta, Tarin and Jacen had already taken their seats. The ships anti-grav's came on line and left the plasti-create runway as cool blue aqua jets roared from the rear of it. As it entered the planets lower atmosphere it's ion drive came on line and was in space within a few moments. The ship headed for the nearest moon which had a large colony and open parks all over it. The moon had been completely transformed for over two hundred years. Thee was a natural park under a dome where the luna surface had been left untouched and a small lunar lander sat there. The park was a site of historical importance and had been left like that for a long while.

The ship started to decelerate towards the moons' surface and it's anti-grav's came back on line. As it landed the ships communications came on-line.

"All passengers please stand-by to disembark, Starmaker Starliners wish you a pleasant stay"

"Well we can make for the park or the hotel we booked at the concourse" commented Jacen.

"I'm sure we could all do with the rest" replied Tarin.

"Well it is rather late if we go by standard time, I'll hire a ground car and we can head for the hotel" said Night as she padded off.

"Sounds like a great idea to me" yawned Lyra as shi stretched.

Night soon returned with a large ground car it looked like one of the old people carriers from Evoran II. The group got in and sat down and soon the car was on the main highway into the large city. After they had found the hotel the group slipped away into their own rooms

The thing that was on Ringtail's mind was Silver and Tarin. She only heard of them and not meet in person. It was because she was away at a elders meeting, she was just touching her hundred and eighth birthday. Every three years the elders meet, normally it was a time of going over what had happened and to talk about where Foxarn should go. As a founding member of the Star Confederation it had a big say in what went on. It had been a long month and she sighed as she considered Tarin and Silver. She wondered if they were endangering her family and clan at all. Family and clan members were everything on Foxarn, it had been this way for hundreds of years if not thousands. Ringtail would finish up today and return home after that she would take up her seat in the Star Confederation Council.

Perhaps it would have been fair to say what had come next was a maelstrom of trouble for Tarin, Silver and Nightwalker. As Nightwalker woke up in her room all she could hear was a viewscreen next to the low bed bleeping loudly, it's noise filled the room and it was what had woken her from a deep slumber. She keyed her access code into the small key pad next to the viewscreen, it flickered on and a grey mouse in a Police uniform.

"Are you Foxtaur Nightwalker?" asked the mouse as he quickly pulled what looked like a data padd into view.

"Yes I left this hotel as a contact point should anything happen" replied Nightwalker as she stretched.

"I have some bad news I'm afraid Miss Nightwalker, it's about your cousin Starwalker. I'm afraid he's been captured by a person calling himself Darkstar. He wants the persons known as Tarin and Silver or well..... I doubt you want to hear that" replied the mouse.

"I see and did this Darkstar give you any other instructions?" asked Nightwalker in a calm voice.

"Yes he said he would contact you in a few hours on band....seven-nine-one-four-two. It's a untraceable band I'm afraid. We're dispatching a squad car to you" replied the mouse as he shifted in his chair.

"Thank you, I think I best tell the others" commented Nightwalker as she turned the viewscreen off.

The man who was called Darkstar was a young canine. All this to his mind wasn't about the money offered by Gal-Tech for Silver and Tarin. Certainly the money would help his current situation, it was about revenge really. Revenge was pure and simple after all to most of the galaxy. The canine's real name was James Thorn the only surviving member of his family. It was about the death of his father and mother aboard a starship constructed and designed by Tarin's Father Jo'Ral. The ship had for some inexplicable reason had been breached to vacuum on it's maiden voyage. It was supposed to be a trip around the solar system and back to the dry dock. Not long after it had been breached to vacuum the ships power core had gone critical and had breached destroying the ship.

Joral had been investigated and exonerated from all charges and blame. Some had voiced that the investigating officers had conducted a witch hunt to find someone to blame when there was no one at fault. The result of the ship hitting a warp field eddy was totally unexpected. Even with all this James still blamed Jo'Ral and if he could not get at the father then he would take his revenge on Jo'Ral's family.

"So now what?" asked Tarin as he looked around the room. He turned his attention back to Silver.

"Now we go get Nightwalker's family member" replied Silver.

"Well we know something from the recording of his last message that the kidnapper sent to the station. I've ran it through a few computer programmes I've made. It sounds like they are in a large room possibly underground. Background noise suggests somewhere near a space port. It could be in or near the space port there is a sound of a cargo hauler so that narrows it down to two ports. Only Taran and Soven space ports handle cargo right now. Both are used by Trans-Galactic Shipping" finished Tarin.

"Alright we'll have to do this through the department. Sound and body heat detectors should work well. The next thing is wait till he comes back on with his demands" replied Silver.

"That's just it he's already made his demands, he wants you and me" replied Tarin as he looked to the horizon.

"I see I guess we know why he wants me but you?" asked Silver.

"It's something to do with my family, to be exact my father" answered Tarin.

"I see well we best see what we can do, we can't hand ourselves over. The department doesn't give into kidnappers" commented Silver as she walked over to join Tarin.

"We're relocating to police ground station, support and mission planning are waiting there for us" replied Tarin as he turned around.

The Morovan Galactic police station was a buzz. Normally there were thirty officers and support staff in and around the station, but right now it was near a hundred.

Tarin and Silver were waiting in an office. They were waiting for the section commander. A youngish white mink came in, she was wearing a captain's uniform she came around the large desk and sat down.

"Take a seat Lieutenants" comment the MInk.

"Thank you Captain" replied Silver as they sat down.

"I'm Captain Alerta Lordon, I've read both your files, your very excellent officers with a lot of potential. I also see your well known in certain circles. We'll be taking into groups of fifty officers and comb both starports. After this a general Anyo wants to speak to you both" said Lordon.

"We understand that but I think we best get going" replied Tarin.

Starwalker moved lightly trying not to hurt hirself from the electro-binders around hir feet and hands. At the moment shi was on the floor eating and thinking a little. Shi was hoping that rescue was on the way. There was no way to escape from what shi could see.

"Well whoever you are I know your looking for money. I know you said it was about revenge but money comes into it. Well your not very talkative, isn't it about time you told me your evil plan?" asked Starwalker as shi finished eating.

"Be quiet you don't need to know my plans" replied Darkstar.

"Well then what's your real name, I doubt it's Darkstar. I'm Starwalker"

"You don't need to know my name it's safer for us both. Now shut up and go to sleep"

'This one's a tripped laser cannon ready to go off. I best be careful I think' thought Starwalker.

The Doran space port stretched out for over two kilometres. There were several cargo and passenger carriers including Trans-Galactic Movals and Trans-Galactic Shipping. Already fifty officers were combing the area, they were sweeping the port buildings and cargo containers. Tarin and Silver were busy with one of the scanning units. With them were was a Foxtaur tod named Jesse Riverwalker. Jesse had only a few months ago left the police academy.

"Anything being picked up yet?" asked Jesse.

"Nothing as yet because all we're getting is background heat and sound. We're going to try the next section" commented Silver.

"Alright, starting sweep of next area, just a second I'm picking up a large amount of body heat. It's four meters underground, it's about four hundred north west of us" said Tarin.

"Alright, lets signal the others and surround the building. We'll take it slow and quite."

"That's great this building only has two pints of entry, it means chance of escape is very little. We can cover both entry ways without much of a problem. Timing will be the key I guess, we'll have to go at the same time to catch whoever is inside" advised Jesse.

"Blue three to blue two, I detect two heat signatures, one possible target and the victim" came a voice over Tarin's com.

"Understood Blue two" replied Tarin.

"Blue Leader to Blue teams, all blasters to stun, stand-by to engage" came over the com.

"I copy that Blue leader" replied Tarin.

"All Blue teams, go, go, go" the com called.

Tarin, Jesse and Silver waited near the door to the chamber, Silver threw what looked like a flat rounded black circle at the door. As it connected there was a flash, band and the door lay on the floor inside the chamber from the other side came a small pillar like object that blew up with a loud report and a blinding flash. The two groups ran inside and just before they did so a bright green beam lanced out of the other door. The teams entered and Darkstar was found on the floor with a blaster nearby.

"Go ahead make for your blaster nothing would give me greater pleasure than turning you into free floating atoms" growled Silver.

Darkstar made a grab for the blaster. Before he could get it, Silver's boot lashed out and caught him under the chin and sent him sprawling. She then kicked the blaster as far as possible away from him.

"Blue Two, to blue leader I have a officer down" came over the com.

"Must have been that single blaster shot he got off. The medics should be here soon" Jesse mentioned.

Darkstar was taken into custody and not long afterwards taken away. Tarin gently wrapped Starwalker into a large silver blanket. Shi was taken away to see a doctor and then back to hir family. Tarin., Silver and Jesse made there way back to a repulsor van and climbed in the back with three others.

"Not a bad day's work really" commented Jesse.

"Stick with us kid and you'll do fine" said one of the other much older officers.

General Anyo drummed his fingers on the desk in front of him. He remained standing and waited. The general had fought in the Empire wars that had ended some forty years before, with the creation of the Star Confederation/Empire neutral zone.. The door to the room slid open and in with Tarin and Silver came Captain Aleta.

"These are the two you requested to see, General. Please don't be long as we have to de-brief them as soon as possible" commented Alerta.

"Than you Captain, I'll try and be brief" replied Anyo.

Alerta slipped out the room. As the door closed Anyo looked at Silver and Tarin.

"Ghost Squadron what do you know of their history?" he asked.

"Ghost Squadron's history starts really with the battle of the Boran Nebula Run. Two fighter wings against two capital ships of the Empire. From the engagement there were over thirty fighters in two wings, they were red and Green squads of the two hundred and third fighter group. The Capital ships were destroyed but only three fighters of Red Squad survived. Red Squadron was reformed after that" replied Silver.

"That's correct, go on" answered Anyo.

"Ghost Squadron was formed after that, then there was the battle of Solaris Rift. A half dozen fighters survived. A few months later came the battle of Evadane. Evadane was where the Star Confederation and Empire's main fleets meet. The Empire suffered great losses in ships and lives. Only four of Ghost Squadron survived it" answered Tarin.

"I lost a lot of good friends at Evadane. Ghost Squadron is being re-built we take all the missions others won't touch, we're very selective on who we pick. Only the very best are invited to join. We recruit from all services and you two made it through the selection system. I'm asking if you would like to Join Ghost Squadron?" asked Anyo.

Silver turned to Tarin and watched him for a few moments. He smiled to her, Tarin turned to Anyo.

"We'd be honoured to" they both replied together.