“Do you agree that the invasive species scenario is the most plausible, Jing?” asked Supreme Commander Lazeros, as soon as the security meeting had dispersed, and they were alone.

 

“Yes. several of our native species could inflict this kind of damage on the Rhemanian ocean,” said the elderly advisor.

 

“But which one? And how the hell did this happen?” growled Lazeros.

 

“We are scrutinizing the logs of every one of our ships that has visited Planet Rheman and will interview the crew members until we find out.”

 

“Meanwhile, I am stuck between a rock and a hard place,” sighed the supreme commander, running a hand over his hairless head. “The Council suspects I arranged this accidental release of a predator to trigger the war I lobbied for and which they refused to authorize.”

 

“And the Rhemans suspect that this is no accident, but a plot to force them into breaking the peace treaty we just signed with them,” added Jing. “Meanwhile, if the predator’s advance is not arrested, Planet Rheman’s ocean could die with catastrophic consequences for the planet. A conundrum indeed.”

 

“Continue with your investigations at full speed, Jing. And keep me informed.”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

* * *

 

Lazeros chided himself for not looking forward to seeing his only child. He knew his no-nonsense military attitude stoked the teenager’s rebelliousness. The commander steeled himself and entered Sunnie’s quarters.

 

She was engrossed in a Simudrama and failed to acknowledge her father’s arrival. Lazeros punched the exit key on a control panel and the Simudrama dome lifted off her head.

 

“Thanks, dad,” said the teenager sulkily. “I was just getting to the best part.”

 

“You can pick it up later. I don’t have much time.”

 

She shrugged in a so-what’s-new manner.

 

“We’re in the middle of a crisis, Sunnie,” he implored.

 

“Right,” she replied and idly searched her communicator for messages.

 

The conversation proceeded much as anticipated. He asked about school; she dismissed her lowly grades. He cajoled her to improve; she was disdainful. Exasperated, he tried to steer the conversation to safer ground.

 

“How is Terry?” he asked peering into the enclosure that housed Sunnie’s pet.

 

“Fine. Sleeping. She sleeps a lot.”

 

An unwelcome thought suddenly popped into his head. “How often?”

 

“Pretty much always.”

 

“I’d love to see her.”

 

“Why?”

 

“Just curious. Can I lift the cover off her shelter?”

 

“No, dad, you’ll disturb her.”

 

“But they are practically comatose when asleep.”

 

“Just leave it, dad, okay,” Sunnie insisted, and quickly positioned herself between the enclosure and her father.

 

His unwelcome thought mushroomed into a nightmarish vision.

 

“Sunnie, is Terry alright?”

 

“Yes,” scoffed his daughter. “Why wouldn’t she be?”

 

Lazeros knew she was lying. He mentally ran through the possibilities. If the animal was dead Sunnie had no reason to conceal the fact. Quite the opposite. Its escape would elicit a similar reaction – unless the creature absconded on another world, like Rheman.

 

“You know best. I’ll come and see you later,” he said, backing off.

 

“Fine.”

 

Lazeros paused at the door. “By the way, I never asked. Did you enjoy the trip to Planet Rheman?”

 

Sunnie was clearly uncomfortable with the question. “It was okay.”

 

“Good. I enjoyed being with you.”

 

She shrugged non-commitally.

 

Now he knew. Sunnie had joined him on the trip to sign the peace treaty with the Rhemans. It was an opportunity to spend time with his recalcitrant daughter in a new environment. Lazeros guessed that despite dire warnings no pets were allowed, Sunnie sneaked her pet terrorpin aboard the spaceship and the creature escaped during their visit.

 

Lazeros and his team were housed in sumptuous apartments on the edge of the small planet’s only ocean. Female terrorpins are benign creatures until it is time for them to give birth. The reptilian animals can delay birthing many years until they find an ocean, at which time they transform into vicious, serpent-like marine creatures. With no natural predators on Planet Rheman to thin their ranks, Terry's many hatchlings would multiply rapidly, and being extremely territorial proceed to attack any creature that moved. He guessed that the pet's multitudinous progeny were wreaking havoc on the ocean’s delicately balanced ecosystem, to the alarm of the Rhemanian government.

 

“If Terry is sleeping so much perhaps she is ill. I can arrange for an animal medic to visit if you like.” said Lazeros from the doorway.

 

“No! No!” said Sunnie. “She’s fine. Just getting old.”

 

“Very well. See you later, darling.”

 

"Okay," said Sunnie., clearly impatient for her father to leave.

 

* * *

 

“The simulation I ran is eerily similar to your new theory, sir,” said Jing.

 

“Explain.” said the supreme commander.

 

Jing described the scenario. The depletion of Rheman’s ocean would continue apace as terrorpins continued to multiply. Rhemanian's government would assume it was being provoked, cancel the planet's peace treaty and declare war.

 

“A war I always regarded as inevitable anyway,” said Lazeros.

 

“So, what is your strategy, sir?”

 

“Start preparing in anticipation of the declaration,” said Lazeros. “When they see we are ready for war, we offer to neutralize the terrorpin infestation which will be near critical levels. I believe they will settle on our terms. The Rhemans are untrusting, but they are also pragmatic."

 

“An ingenious plan,” said Jing.

 

“Thank you. I will present it to the Council shortly, and this time I believe they will agree to implement war status.”

 

“The unintentional terrorpin scourge is most fortuitous,” observed the advisor.

 

“I suppose that is one way of looking at it,” said Lazeros casually.

 

“May I ask what convinced you that terrorpins are the invasive species on Rheman? We failed to find evidence of an accidental release from any of our ships.”

 

The commander eyed his longtime trusted advisor. “Let’s just say it was a combination of intuition and connections.”

 

“Ah! Intuition and connections. A powerful combination. Especially family connections,” nodded Jing with a wry smile.