Pinkgothic played:

Taneli Ulfsson and Yasmin Kasabian

News had spread like the ripple of a wave after hitting a certain threshold. Argider Virgo is gone. All communication dropped from the sample planet. The ripple travelled through the systems subtly at first - research systems weren't on most people's radar - until it caught Bhaskar Cygni. Until it caught the Aspen Wisp.

"What the hell happened?" - "Who reported it?" - "Avani have sent out a search party, Adino haven't the resources to spare nor vested interest. No news yet." - "Why isn't Helios looking, isn't it their research going on there?" - "Where did this information come from?" - "Nephele government hasn't reacted, but none of Bhaskar has any tensions with any of the systems at the moment, we could get away with a search of our own." - "No results from Avani. They're expected back early tomorrow. They haven't reported in yet." - "The whole system." - "A civilian outpost and five vessels, four of which were last reported in orbit."

Within her office, Kasabian quietly, rhythmically knocked the knuckles of her fisted right hand into her left hand's palm. "Right, I want to know what's going on." She shook her head in deep concern, then brought up that previously fisted hand to count a list, finger extending for each point, but without that she was paying much attention to her gestures. "We have a gaggle of clones in the belly of our ship with no concept of where they're from. We've had an alien refusing to register as alien simply... appear on our ship. I've collected two more clones caught by our executive net. And now we've lost connection to Argider. I don't care if it's probably not related, I understand that, but I am decidedly not waiting for people with more patience to try and diagnose what went wrong. If we're at the heart of this, I need to know."

Ulfsson, still standing firmly at attention, watched his concerned superior and nodded solemnly, slightly uneasy with the thought processes currently presented to him. "I'll send one of the Zircon scouters there. Who do you want to spare for the mission?"

Kasabian grimaced. "I don't care. Although, that's not altogether true: I'd like Lieutenant Cheshire, since he's always shown exceptionable skill with scouting - but as long as we have someone there reporting on the situation, I'm entirely sated. But make it a two man mission. Put one of recruits with it if you're iffy about availibility, especially if this spills over into something that needs us as active military.

"I don't want anything missed. I want them on their guard."