Most inhabitants of the Frontier see the United Planetary Federation and various megacorporations as benevolent organizations working toward a united goal of protecting the public and improving the quality of life in the Frontier. Sadly, our goals--which are far from united--lie more along the lines of protecting the public from the truth, and improving our position of power in the Frontier.

Yet despite it all, I have always had a sincere concern for the people, and a steadfast desire to do what is morally right. Perhaps, in retrospect, it is this very part of me that proved to be my greatest downfall.

I would surely be courtmartialed if any of what I am about to recount came to public light. Yet I have kept this record, in hopes that someday I may rectify the evil for which I am responsible, or at the very least that I may someday have the moral courage to publicly admit my role in all of this.

More than a handful of inquisitive citizens have asked themselves how the United Planetary Federation could possibly function. Where does the money come from to pay the wages of the largest military body in the Frontier sector, or to maintain a starfleet that dwarves any planetary militia?

The Federation planets are indeed required to provide financial contributions to the UPF, but that alone wouldn't begin to cover the astronomical cost of our operation.

Most of the public believes that the UPF exists solely due of a cooperative, altruistic desire to protect the Federation from the Sathar.

In the beginning, that was true.

The Federation would not have survived the First Sathar War had true heroes like Vincent Morgaine not gathered forces from all the quibbling planets and created a united fleet to battle the invasion force.

The planets were more than eager to assist in the face of such a potent enemy. But it became apparent that with time, memories of the war would fade, and the desire to pay for such a costly united fleet would wane.

It was during this period of uncertain future that UPF funded research scientists discovered inertium.

Inertium is a substance we still don't fully understand. It appears to defy many of the laws of physics as we know them. Needless to say, this substance was invaluable in developing new technology, and in fact, many Frontier machines and devices today use inertium to accomplish their tasks.

The biggest limitation of inertium is its limited supply. To date, no one has been able to manufacture the substance artificially. The substance has only been found on the planet Morgaine's World, and even there in very limited supply.

The UPF took initiative, funding extensive inertium detection and mining operations all across Morgaine's World and stockpiling it all under UPF control. As megacorporations realized the importance of inertium, and the possibilities that it opened up to their lines of products, they also realized there was only one place to acquire it: the UPF storehouse.

Every inertium based product sold by a megacorporation required a purchase of inertium from the United Planetary Federation. The system seemed to guarantee the constant and continual finanicial stability of the UPF, regardless of external threats.

But this source of revenue wasn't enough.

Rumors were building that the Sathar were preparing for yet another full scale attack. The UPF needed a large fleet of warships to meet the threat, and it needed it fast. The income from inertium could easily maintain the UPF as it was, but it wouldn't pay for a new and gigantic fleet of starships in the short period of time required.

That was when I made the deal that started all the trouble...

"The Pan-Galactic representatives will be here any minute," said Greenora, Head Councilperson of the Council of Worlds. "What are you going to do about it?"

"Don't worry about it," I replied. "With the fleet of starships the Pan-Galactic Corporation has built for us, we can guarantee our safety from the Sathar forever."

"That's not what I'm talking about, and you know it." Greenora's amorphous Dralasite skin puffed with rage. "What are you going to do about the price you promised to pay?"

"I said don't worry about it."

But I knew id wouldn't listen. Nor would I. As a Vrusk, I had been trained all my life in the tactics of careful business strategy. Yet today, I stood at a total roadblock.

And Greenora could sense that. "If I had known you were going to promise our entire store of inertium in exchange for your new fleet, I would have stopped the deal before it happened. Without its income from inertium, the UPF can't continue to function."

"The Malthar said id would find a way to handle the situation," I explained. "Id was the one who suggested making this deal in the first place."

"How can you still trust that slimy blob of filth? Everything id has ever done has caused you nothing but trouble."

I stood tall and took a breath to compose myself. "If all I needed were valor and courage, I wouldn't have to ask for anyone's help. But when I am dealing with others who work through treachery and deceit, I need the help of an expert in treachery and deceit."

"Well, I don't see id here today!" retorted Greenora. "And look, the men from the Pan-Galactic Corporation have already arrived."

Two humans in decorated blue uniforms stepped into the conference room. I knew them well, and liked neither. The shorter of the two, Braire Zar, did most of the talking, while the other, Chang Kim Lee, carefully observed all that went on.

"Your fleet of starships is ready," said Braire. "The time has come for us to collect."

"Very well," I said, as Greenora stood behind me in silence. "Name your price."

Braire made a facial expression of feigned astonishment. "Have you forgotten so soon? We already agreed upon the price. You agreed to provide us with your entire stockpile of inertium."

"The inertium isn't for sale," I said. "Choose something else."

"Chazziz, are you reneging on your promise? We spent incredible resources and put our company at risk to provide what you asked. And now, on a whim, you refuse to hold up your end of the bargain? It would be unfortunate if we had to take matters into our own hands."

By then, the Head Representatives of the various UPF coalitions had arrived on the scene.

Padua Geeno, head of the Yazirian Coalition, did not take Braire's words lightly. With a lithe motion, he placed himself in Braire's path and set his palm on the handle of his blaster. "Is that a threat? Why don't you bring your pitiful forces out and see how they measure up to ME?"

"Stop!" I ordered. "I will not tolerate violence among us. If we cannot stand united as a Frontier, the Sathar will surely prevail."

"You are starting to see reason," sneered Braire. "Now give us what you promised."

"Why is the inertium so important to you?" I asked.

"For the same reason it's important to you," said Braire. "We stand to make a lot of money by selling it."

I then noticed Chang give Braire a knowing glance I didn’t understand at the time.

I was about to say something, when the door to the conference room slid open. In tromped a Dralasite of humongous proportions, surrounded by four armed Humans in black attire.

"It's about time you showed up!" I said. "What are we going to do about this deal we made?"

"We?" said the Malthar. "I don't remember making any deal."

I advanced toward the obese Dralasite and lowered my voice. "I only made this deal because you said you could find something else to offer them by the time the fleet was built."

"I never said I would any such thing," replied the Malthar without bothering to lower ids own voice. "I only said I would think about it. But to find something of equal value to the only supply of inertium in the Frontier...How could I promise something that might not be possible?"

"I told you not to trust this creature!" boiled Greenora.

The Malthar gave Greenora only the briefest of glances.

"Hold," I said cautiously. "The Malthar's advice is most valuable when id is hesitant to give it." I turned to the Malthar. "So, is this all you have to offer, after I alone befriended you and trusted you?"

The Dralasite lowered ids head. "I don't understand why I am always so unappreciated. All this time I searched for a suitable replacement, having no concern at heart but your own welfare. But when I asked what would be of more value than the Frontier's only inertium supply, people only laughed at me."

The Malthar paused, and then continued. "There was only...one person I found who might have said differently."

The room fell silent.

"Well, who?" I was forced to ask at last.

This was the cue the Malthar was waiting for. "A...young Yazirian, Hilo Headow was his name. Little more than a junkie, really. He somehow ended up stranded on Starmist. I am told the Heliopes on Starmist have artifacts that can provide pleasures more than sufficient to make a Yazirian junkie forget that his life is trash. He lived by these pleasures, but never satisfied, wanted more and more. Even the Heliopes laughed and scoffed at him.

"One day a small group of Heliope children took a pleasure artifact Hilo wanted, and they playfully ran away from him. Hilo became furious, but despite his efforts was not able to catch the children.

"It was then that a glimmer of sunlight leaked through the toxic clouds and brought to life a crystal, mounted reverently on a pedestal of stone. Distracted for a moment, Hilo asked what the crystal was. The Heliope children explained to him that the crystal was a remnant of an ancient civilization, and that the Heliope people had ceremonies where they would worship it.

"Hilo said that a plaything for the Heliopes would be of even less value to him. But the children told him he would not speak that way if he understood the true power of the crystal. Countless secrets of ancient technology were stored in the crystal, and someone owning that crystal could learn those secrets to his own benefit.

"But to be able to use the crystal would require a transformation by which the person forever denied himself of all the happiness and extasies of life. A pleasure addict like Hilo could never benefit from it."

The Malthar made a dramatic pause.

"But the Heliope children were wrong," continued the massive Dralasite. "Hilo was at the end of his rope, so to speak. Even the most powerful of the artifacts brought him little satisfaction. Hilo decided if he could not gain lasting pleasure in life, he would take what he COULD get. Ignoring the children's cries, he grabbed the crystal and forsook joy in all its forms. He has since tapped into the secrets of the artifact, and built himself quite an empire I might say."

"What kind of empire?" I asked.

"Your Pan-Galactic friends could tell you," said the Malthar with a clever smirk. "Hilo Headow founded and now directs the Streel Corporation, the biggest competitor of the PGC. You didn't think the Streel boys were smart enough to come up with all those new inventions by themselves did you?"

I stood there, soaking it in. "So the innovative products that have made Streel so powerful were built from stolen alien technology?"

Meanwhile, Chang was whispering in Braire's ear. "Our covert teams have reported Hilo having something of this nature. This crystal would be far more valuable than the UPF's inertium."

Braire spoke up. "We will accept the new Streel technology as payment for the fleet of warships."

"Ridiculous!" I objected. "How can I give you what isn't mine?"

"Very well," replied Braire. "We are taking your inertium. By force if we have to. If you procure the technology for us, we'll give you back the inertium. If not, we're keeping it permanently."

I wanted to stop them there, but I knew they had a legal right to inertium, and that any resistance on my part would be unjustified.

I told Greenora that we would somehow adapt. The UPF would get its income some other way. And it would purchase the inertium it needed from the Pan-Galactic Corporation.

But when we sent a purchase request to the PGC, it came back denied. The next was denied as well, as was each request after that. Even when we offered to pay an outrageous sum, the PGC refused to share its inertium.

I told Greenora that we would live without the inertium.

"Impossible," id replied. "Our warships need a constant supply of inertium to survive the stress of space acceleration. Without it, any maneuvering beyond that of an old freighter would disable the crews and tear the ships apart. Without inertium, our entire starfleet is nothing but a sitting target for even the smallest Sathar attack."

Having exhaused every other avenue, I finally went against better judgment and contacted the Malthar via subspace radio.

"I need your help," I pleaded. "Already, more than half our fleet has been grounded for its own protection. We can't defend ourselves anymore."

"The PGC knew you needed inertium to survive," explained the Malthar. "That's why they were so ready to make a deal by which they could take it from you. They plotted the UPF's death from the start."

"But without the UPF the Frontier is open to Sathar attack!" I said.

The Malthar was ever calm. "Without the UPF, the Pan-Galactic Corporation is free to do whatever it pleases, take over the Frontier if it wants to."

"We can't let the UPF fall apart like this!" I was hollering by then.

The Malthar shook ids bulbous head. "It's a pity, really. I only wish there were something we could do to stop it."

I sat there for what seemed like hours, the Malthar waiting patiently. I couldn't escape the fact that there was no other solution to our problem. "The UPF will NOT die!" I said with newfound resolution. "Meet me at Truane's Star. We're going to make a visit to Mr. Headow."

With the Malthar's help, we were able to slip past security and help ourselves into Hilo's luxurious office.

He wasn't there, but there was another Yazirian moaning on the floor.

The Malthar helped him up. "Yorel," said the Malthar, somehow knowing the Yazirian's name. "What happened here?"

The Yazirian's face and body were badly bruised. "I don't know you," he spit out. "Just leave me alone!"

"I'll do better than that," said the Malthar with honey coated tones. "I'm going to help you. Did Hilo do this to you?"

Yorel wiped the blood from his lower lip. "He made me build some sort of belt for him. I knew there was something special to it, so I tried to keep it for myself. I found out what the belt can do only too late. Hilo caught me trying to hide the belt, and he took it from me. Putting it on, he touched a control on the belt, and suddenly I couldn't see him anymore. He took advantage of his invisibility and beat me hard."

I stepped forward. "Is Hilo always this cruel?"

I could see from his eyes that the Yazirian still had a little defiance left in him. "Most of us here used to be quite happy. We worked for small companies, building new tools and gadgets. When Hilo came around, he crushed all the local businesses out of the market. All of us were out of jobs, and had no choice but to work for Hilo at Streel. He makes us work long hours in cramped working places with poor lighting. He pays us practically nothing. And if we don't please him, he--"

The Yazirian's voice cut off suddenly. And with good reason. The office door had just slid open, and Hilo was about to step in.

"Keep the production rate up this time," he was hollering behind him. "Next time the stunstick won't be at a non-lethal setting!"

The richly dressed Yazirian looked forward, seeing the Malthar and myself. "Yorel, who are these intruders!"

"We got word of the great works you were performing here," said the Malthar, seeing Yorel dared not reply. "We wanted to see for ourselves."

"I know all about the both of you," grunted Hilo. "So, the Malthar is associating with the high and mighty UPF directors these days. Are you as false a friend to them as you were to me. If so, I have nothing to fear from them."

I frowned, but the Malthar seemed to make nothing of Hilo's comment. "I've heard stories of a crystal you obtained, which gives you secrets of an ancient alien technology."

Hilo smiled with contempt. "You can believe what you want. I built this company to what it is in a few short months. Not you, nor the UPF, nor any other force can stop me from attaining my full potential."

I spoke up. "And just what is that potential?"

A dark evil boiled in the Yazirian's eyes. "These Streel employees, they're not workers. They're slaves. MY slaves. We grow in strength each day, and soon nothing in the Frontier will be able to match our power. Beware the night when the forces of Steel step out of the darkness."

The fierce pounding of my heart could be heard in my voice. "You will NOT enslave this society we fought so hard to protect!"

The Yazirian's gaze met mine. "You won't have any say in the matter."

The Malthar advanced toward Hilo, ids voice still nothing more than conversational. "Assuming you have such a crystal, I hope none of your men serve you in envy. It would be unfortunate if one of them were to snatch the crystal from you."

"I see right through you," said Hilo. "You want me to pay for your protection. Well, I don't need protection from the Malthar or anyone else. I've had my best engineer, Yorel, build this belt that makes me invincible to any sort of attack."

"That would make you very powerful," admitted the Malthar with a nod, "if it were true."

"You don't believe me," said Hilo with a sneer.

The Malthar crossed ids upper pseudopods. "I'll believe it when I see it."

"Very well," said Hilo. "Watch and learn."

He handed an automatic pistol to me and touched his belt. "Shoot me," he said.

"What?" I replied.

"Shoot me. Don't ask questions!"

Reluctantly, I set the pistol to single shot mode, and at the Yazirian's insistence fired a single shot. To little avail.

"The inertia screen generated by this belt makes me practically immune to projectile attacks," stated Hilo.

"Impressive," noted the Malthar. "But no doubt a laser beam could cut right through such a shield."

"Wrong," said Hilo. "Watch again."

With another touch to his belt, Hilo asked me to fire a laser pistol at him. I set it to the lowest setting and fired. A brilliant silvery flash stopped the blast in mid air. I had never seen anything like it!

"I call this an albedo screen," said Hilo. "Impressed?"

The Malthar's eyespots widened. "You can see that I am. But you've forgotten something. A reflective field would be of no effect against...say...a sonic disruptor."

"I've thought of that too," said Hilo. "Here's a sonic disruptor. Shoot it at me as soon as I signal you. You won't be able to hear me once I turn the screen on. It blocks sound in both directions."

Hilo touched his belt and I prepared to fire.

"Now!" cried the Malthar.

It took me a moment to realize that the Dralasite wasn't talking to me. One of the Malthar's black clad bodyguards ran into the room from behind Hilo. With a swift motion he advanced to the Yazirian's back and struck with a hypo sprayer.

Hilo shivered to the effects of the powerful staydose, and collapsed to the floor.

The Malthar's rubbery lips curled with smug satisfaction. "A pity your sonic screen blocked out the sound of your attacker behind you."

"What do we do now?" I asked.

"If Yorel's story was true, there's some sort of holographic camouflage screen on this belt as well. If the guards here can't see Hilo, they won't mind if we leave the premises with him."

Back in the UPF conference room, Hilo was snarling like a wild beast. "I'll get my revenge! You'll regret this!"

I wasn't in a pitying mood. "We're doing nothing more than hold you prisoner the way you would have held the Frontier prisoner."

The Malthar, in all ids massiveness, knelt beside the bound Yazirian. "Before you get your revenge, you must first get your freedom. The sooner you give us what we want, the sooner you will have your freedom, and the sooner you can have your revenge."

"What do you want?"

"All your technical blueprints," said the Malthar.

The Yazirian hesitated a long time. "Very well, free my hands."

The Malthar did so. With a few taps on his chronocom, he waited for the data transfer to complete. "There," said the Yazirian, releasing the device to the Dralasite's pseudopods. "They're stored in the chronocom's memory."

The Malthar removed the Yazirian's belt.

"Hey!"

"This is part of the ransom," declared the Malthar in ids typical soothing tone.

I looked the poor creature over. "We also want the crystal you stole from the Heliopes."

Hilo pierced me with an icy gaze. "How typically hypocritical. You accuse me of stealing the crystal when all you want to do is steal it yourself."

I would have no more of this. Forcing the Yazirian to the ground, I pulled the crystal from his purse.

My next words were nearly a chant: "With this, I would be the most powerful military leader in the galaxy."

"Now Chazziz will return the crystal to the Heliopes," said the Malthar to Hilo.

"No!" I cried, my compound eyes glazing with power. "I claim this for ME!"

The Malthar smiled.

"If it's the crystal you want, take it," said Hilo. "But know this. Just as I forever denounced happiness to find its power, so you will know no happiness from it. Anyone possessing the crystal will see nothing but hardship and destruction, and anyone not owning the crystal will burn from murderous envy to have it...until it is at last in my hands again."

The door opened, admitting a small troop of UPF soldiers.

"Get this piece of garbage out of here," I barked.

Greenora then entered the room. "The Pan-Galactic men are here, just as you ordered."

"Bring them here," I said.

Braire rushed in, followed closely by Chang.

"Here is the price you demanded," I said, handing the data-filled chronocom to Braire.

"That isn't all the technology," said Chang. "Give us that trinket as well." He was pointing at the Malthar.

The Malthar reluctantly gave up the defensive screen belt.

"Now where's our inertium?" I demanded.

Braire's eyes fell to my hand. "Give us that crystal and we'll consider the debt paid."

"No," I said, hiding the crystal behind my back. "This is mine."

Braire insisted. "Give us the crystal, or it's no deal!"

"Take whatever you want, but the crystal stays with me!" With these final words, I stormed out of the conference room and into my office.

I sat there, brooding in my chair, when a strange chill crawled across my shoulders. A dazzling light began to fill the room. I snatched my pistol out of its holster, already knowing it would do me no good.

The sparkling colors solidified into a humanoid form of blinding light.

A woman's voice spoke, shaking my frame with its power. "Give up the crystal, Chazziz."

"Wh-who are you?" I demanded, once my breath had returned to me.

The voice echoed through my head. "I see what is. I have seen all that was. And I see what is to come. We are known in your language as Tetrarchs, and we have been observing your race since its inception."

The raw energy pulsing from this creature silenced my voice entirely, leaving me able to do nothing but listen as she continued.

"A sequence of events has begun that shall lead to the ultimate destruction of the Frontier. The crystal in your hand holds a great evil, already responsible for the annihilation of the entire Clikk race. The evil shall claim you as well, if you insist on keeping it."

I tried to ask the woman to tell me more, but she vanished before I had the chance. I was then hit by a feeling of such cold. I couldn't resist the shivers and spasms taking over my body.

What did she mean? I wondered. What sequence of events would destroy the Frontier? What was this evil she spoke of?

After a long moment of reflection, I slowly forced myself to activate the communicator on my desk. "Greenora, send the Pan-Galactic men to my office. They...they can have the crystal."

I watched Braire study the sparkling white gem while Chang finished overseeing the delivery of our inertium.

"It's all there," confirmed Greenora. "I had my men double check it."

I watched as Chang approached Braire. Although they were out of earshot, I could see them arguing about something. Chang tried to grab the crystal, but Braire pulled it out of Chang's reach. Even from this distance, I could see that both men were viciously upset as they boarded their shuttle to leave.

An hour later, I sat again in my office, contemplating the events that had occurred.

Greenora stretched ids head through the open doorway. "You did well, Mr. Prime Minister. We now have the mightiest starfleet in Frontier history, and we are again in control of our inertium supply."

"But at what price?" I asked.

"Don't be hard on yourself. You couldn't have handled the situation better!"

"Couldn't I?" I asked, almost in a trance. "I wonder."

I was looking at the message I had just received.

"Dear Mr. Prime Minister. I thank you for your timely resolution of our agreement. At the same time, I also regret to inform you that there was a shuttle accident on our way to the main passenger liner. I was lucky enough to have made it through without harm. But I'm afraid Braire died as a result of the accident. If you have any needs in the future, please feel free to contact me directly. Sincerely, Chang Kim Lee."

Yes, Chang, you would have your crystal. It was out of my hands now.

I repeated the words, not even looking to see if Greenora were still there.