A/N: Here begins a story that has been bugging me for quite some time. It shows a slightly darker side to the Confederation in my Reunion AU. Reviews are appreciated and missed when absent.

Disclaimer. The Dragonriders of Pern is a trademark and copyrighted by Anne McCaffrey. This is fan fiction which garners NO MONEY AT ALL for the author of this fiction.

Chapter One

The cryo-stasis tube disengaged and opened. The ship immediately raised the oxygen levels in the cabin and increased the temperature to thirty seven degrees. The sole occupant of the ship, Derek Nosk, slowly began to awake. Shortly he found himself fully awake and he rose to a sitting position. After being sure he had his balance he carefully stood. Everything seemed to be fine.

He went to the food synthesizer and ordered chicken broth, double protein and a glass of water.

Shortly he began feeling uncomfortably warm and went to the environmental controls. They showed that the temperature was thirty seven degrees. Such a temperature was necessary when waking from cryo-sleep, but it wasn't comfortable after the sleeper had awakened and regained full use of his faculties. He lowered the temperature to a comfortable twenty three degrees and soon began feeling better.

While he was eating he checked his position. Six AU's from the photosphere of a G2 yellow. He had the onboard computer check the star patterns to determine his location.

He stared at the readout in dismay. Alpha Sagittarius? Also know as Rukbat. He was sure he knew the answer to his next question, but he wanted to confirm it with the computer anyway.

He called up the records for Rukbat fully expecting to see INTERDICTED – INIMICAL TO CARBON BASED LIFE FORMS.

What he saw, instead, was a shock.

RUKBAT THREE – EARTH CLASS PLANET CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING HUMANS. HOMEWORLD OF SENTIENT DRAGONS AND THEIR RIDERS WHO ARE THE ANCESTORS OF ORIGINAL SETTLERS.

'Sentient dragons? And their riders? Why would a sentient being let another ride him, her or it?'

He called up all information on the government structure of this planet. Maybe these dragons would grant him asylum.

Ten minutes into his reading, he ordered the computer to set a course for Rukbat three. It took him another twenty minutes to complete reading the records. It did help being able to snap pictures in his mind.

S'tal was on sweep patrol on blue Tamath when the he heard his dragon say, I'm seeing something. Doesn't look right.

S'tal looked down and saw something but he couldn't make out what it was. There was no distress sign.

Tamath ajusted his eyes and then gave his rider the picture.

"That looks like some kind of ship," he told his dragon. "It looks like one of the earth shuttles but I shouldn't be able to see it at all from this altitude. Let's land beside it."

Tamath began landing procedures.

As they approached, S'tal could see that it was a dragonlength and a half long and about half that wide. It was sitting on six struts that had pads where they touched the ground.

Someone is inside, Tamath informed his rider.

How many, love?

Just one, Tamath returned. I think. I can feel one person and he seems to be in that thing, whatever it is. If there are more, I can't feel them.

Tamath had landed and just as S'tal was dismounting, a door on the side opened up and a set of steps extended.

S'tal approached cautiously with Tamath keeping his head close to his rider.

A young good looking man appeared in the door. He looked to be no older than eighteen or nineteen turns. He saw Tamath and stopped, his mouth falling open.

"I'm S'tal, rider of blue Tamath. May I be of assistance?"

"He let's you ride him?" The young man seemed incredulous.

"Of course he does. I'm his rider. Are you from Earth?"

"Yes. I'm Derek Nosk. The computer said this was the home world of sentient dragons and their riders. Why would a sentient being let another ride him?"

Because that's the way of things. Derek's eyes widened. No one else will ride me without his approval.

"Did you just speak to me, dragon?"

Yes I did. You seem different than other humans I've met.

"Tamath is being unusually chatty today. He doesn't usually speak to humans other than me. No matter. May we be of assistance?"

Derek nodded. "I'd like to request asylum."

"Asylum? What's that? I don't understand."

"Political protection. They are going to want me back and I don't want to go back."

"I don't have the authority to give such protection, but my Weyrleader would. I have to tell you, if you are wanted by the Confederation authorities for wrong doing, you're wasting your time. We don't like criminals any more then the Confederation does."

"I am not a criminal," Derek stated emphatically. "Could you take me to your leader? I'll explain everything to him.

He has been mistreated, Tamath told his rider.

"My dragon says you've been mistreated," S'tal informed Derek. "Is this true?"

"Depends on how you define mistreatment. I haven't been physically harmed. But I was not free to leave or go where I wanted."

"Confinement without reason is indeed mistreatment," S'tal said. "If you have committed no crime, confinement is wrong and unconscionable."

"Well that's what happened, so I guess your dragon is correct."

S'tal mounted and held a hand down to Derek. After he was seated and secured, Tamath launched himself into the air.

D'vid had just finished lunch when Sulanth told him blue Tamath said his rider needed to see the Weyrleader.. He had Sulanth direct Tamath to land on his ledge.

He was waiting when Tamath landed carrying his rider and another young man who appeared to be dressed in contemporary Earth clothing.

They dismounted and then S'tal spoke. "We were on sweep when Tamath noticed something unusual. We landed and saw what appeared to be a ship a dragonlength and a half long and about half that in width. This man was inside. He says his name is Derek Nosk and he said he would like political protection. Tamath said he has been mistreated."

D'vid looked skeptical. The craft fit the description of a private yacht. "Political protection? From what?"

The young man spoke. "Are you the Weyrleader he spoke of?"

D'vid nodded. "Yes. And you are Derek Nosk?"

"Yes sir," Derek replied. "I would like to speak to you in private."

D'vid nodded again and turned to S'tal. "You are dismissed, rider. Thank you."

"Yes sir," S'tal replied. He mounted Tamath and then they were gone.

"Come in, young man. Would you like some refreshment? We don't have coffee, but we do have something similar. It's almost coffee with cinnamon."

"I'll try some," Derek said.

They entered D'vid's office and he poured two cups of Klah. He handed one to Derek who sipped it without adding any sweetener and lightener. His eyes widened appreciatively. "This is very good. Thank you."

"You're welcome," D'vid responded. Sitting at his desk, he continued. "You told my rider you wanted political protection?"

"Yes sir. I wish to request political asylum."

"Why do you need asylum? If you've committed crimes..."

"No!" Derek cut him off. "I am not a criminal. Well, I did cause some minor property damage while I was escaping and I did appropriate, without permission, the yacht your rider found me in, effectively stealing it, but I have been confined all my life and committed no crime to deserve it."

Something was wrong here. "Who was holding you prisoner?"

"The Confederation of Sentient States."

"What?" There was no way the Confederation would hold someone without him being convicted of a crime. "What crime were you accused and convicted of?"

"None," Derek said. "I am an experiment. One they didn't wish to let go."

D'vid stared at the young man in shock. An experiment?

"I find this very hard to believe," D'vid told him. "I come from Earth myself." He told Derek of how he was a security guard for the captain of the Bonaventure and how he was chosen by a bronze dragon when they were invited to a hatching. "What you are saying goes against everything the Confederation stands for."

"Not many know of Project Epsilon. I was treated with Mentasynth while I was still a fetus. Growing up in the Institute wasn't so bad. I could watch screen and read all I wanted. But when I turned eighteen and expressed the desire to leave and start life on my own, they told me that that wasn't possible. They had invested too much. I learned later that they were wanting to find out the long term effects of Mentasynth."

"Mentasynth?" D'vid exploded. "That's illegal! And how would you know what their long term goals were? I can't believe, if you are telling the truth, they would have just told you."

"I hacked into their computers. I have a knack for computers. I can hack into almost any system and not leave any trace I was there.

"So when I saw what their long term goals were, I initiated my own long term goal; to escape, whatever the cost. Took me more than a year to plan it and for the opportunity to arise, but I did it. And now that I have done it and escaped from both the Institute and Earth, I request political asylum."

D'vid shook his head. He was going to have to accede to the request, at least provisionally.

"Very well, I grant you temporary asylum. We will have to contact the ambassador from Earth and see what the Confederation government has to say. If they want you back, you can ask for, and will be granted a hearing to plead your case of why you should be allowed to stay here."

"And who will sit as judge?"

"Most likely the Masterharper. He arbitrates disputes between Lords, that is, territorial governors. He's a fair man. And he doesn't bow to pressure against what he knows is right."

Derek nodded. "I'll take you at your word."

Ambassador Evans was doing routine paperwork, make-work actually. She had been shocked when her brother had told her the story of Derek Nosk. She had returned to landing and dispatched a message on the first liner leaving for Earth. That had been three days ago. She had received a message via the dragon net saying that her message had been received and to stand by. She had been standing by for three days.

A knock sounded on her door. "Come in."

A dragonrider entered. "The weyrleader of Ista sends his regards. He requests status concerning Derek Nosk."

"Tell him I'm still waiting. He'll know as soon as I know."

The dragonrider bowed and exited.

Three hours later there was another knock. "Come," she called out.

A middle aged man in a business suit entered. He was carrying an attache case "Ambassador Evans?"

"Yes. Who are you?"

"Thaddeus Michaels. Special envoy from the Confederation. I am here to retrieve Derek Nosk."

"It isn't as simple as that Mr. Michaels," Evans told him. "Mr. Nosk as requested political asylum."

"Requested perhaps. I find it hard to believe it has been granted."

"He has been granted provisional protection by the Weyrleader of Ista Weyr pending the Confederation's response."

"Isn't the Weyrleader of Ista your brother?"

"What in the name of all the stars does that matter?" Susan flared. "If you have a complaint about my work, you may take it up with the Secretary of State."

"I am concerned that the fact he is your brother might be clouding your judgment."

"What is clouding my judgment," Evan explained, "if my judgment is clouded at all, is the fact that Mr. Nosk was held against his will when he committed no crime. You come to capture a sentient being and confine him for experimentation?"

"He did cause property damage and he stole a yacht," Michaels reminded her.

"In response to unlawful incarceration of a sentient being. If I had my way, he would be pardoned for those minor wrongs. And before you say anything, it wouldn't matter if my brother was Weyrleader, President of the Confederation or a simple laborer."

"Scientific study is sometimes distasteful, but there is no other way we can learn," Michaels said.

"If the only way to learn," Evans countered, "is to imprison a sentient being guilty of nothing more than existing, then we don't need to learn whatever that would teach us."

"What you or I think is irrelevant. The Confederation wants him back. You have a duty to the Confederation. Please inform the Weyrleader of Ista Weyr that Mr. Nosk is to be prepared for transport."

Susan nodded curtly. She took a writing stylus and penned a message. She sealed it in an envelope and with the message in her hand, rose and exited the office followed closely by Michaels. She approached the man sitting at the reception desk.

"I need this taken to the Weyrleader of Ista Weyr with all haste," she told the man.

"Yes ma'am," he replied. He took the message and went into an ajacent room. Shortly he reappeared with a young rider carrying the message.

"I need you to wait for an answer," she told the rider.

"I understand, Ambassador."

They followed the man outside where he harnessed his green dragon and mounted. The dragon crouched and launched herself and her rider into the air. At the appropriate altitude she disappeared between.

"Now we wait," Evans told Michaels. "Can I offer you some refreshment?"

"No thank you. I am to retrieve Mr. Nosk and return as quickly as possible. My passage is the dragon scout Duluth. How long do you think before he returns with Mr. Nosk?"

"I would say quite a while," Evans said. "Actually I don't think he will return with Mr Nosk at all."

As Michaels was opening his mouth to protest, she raised her hand.

"Mr Nosk has indicated he would contest extradition. That, of course, will mean a hearing before the authorities of Pern."

"That is unacceptable!" Michaels stated.

"It will have to be acceptable. Unless you want to violate the First Imperative. Last I checked, such a violation carried a sentence of ten to thirty years in a Confederation prison."

"You're enjoying this, aren't you," Michaels accused.

"Actually, I will enjoy seeing justice done. But no matter, I will perform my duties as ambassador to the fullest. And no one; not you, my brother or anyone else will interfere with that duty."

They settled into an uneasy silence as they waited.

There came a knock at the door.

"Enter," Susan called.

The rider who had been dispatched with the message entered.

"The Weyrleader told me to give you his reply personally." The rider proffered a folded sheet of paper sealed with wax.

The ambassador took the sheet and nodded to the rider. "Thank you. You are dismissed."

After the man left, she opened the message and read it. Then she handed it to Michaels.

Michaels read aloud. "'Derek Nosk reaffirms his request for political asylum and request a hearing to officially contest extradition. D'vid, Weyrleader, Ista Weyr.' Damn it! My superior are not going to be happy about this. Not at all."

"I know you have a job to do, Mr. Michaels," Evan said, "but there is nothing we can do. Unless you want to abrogate the sovereignty of the Pernese government. I'll see that you get a free ride to the Harperhall. It is most likely that the the one hearing this matter will be the Masterharper. I have to tell you, your chances don't look good. He negotiates disputes between Lords. He is a reasonable man who will probably judge this by our laws, not his. Mr. Nosk is a Confederation citizen after all."

"Well, I'll just have to convince him that it is in everyone's best interests that Derek Nosk be returned."

A/N: Well that's it for this chapter. See you next time. Don't forget to review.