Commonscape By: Griffin Copyright notice: All characters belong to their respective owners, all original characters and plot elements belong to me.

Note: Most of the Andromeda crew is current as far as about a month ago. Farscape crew is a bit older.

Summary: The Scarren Empire learns of the Peacekeeper Coalition and looks to reinforce their own positions for a possible strike against the now divided Peacekeeper military.

Opposition's Enemy

In the depth of space, near the border of Scarren and Peacekeeper space, where military patrols were frequent and merchant traffic rare, a pair of courier ships met.

One was crewed by Scarrens, their pilot nervous as they docked with the slighter smaller ship that had come from the other side.

The other ship had a small crew of Sebatian ex-military from the Independent Planets.

They had once been respected in their home systems, but money and promise of power had corrupted them and they were now in the pay of the Scarren Empire.

The two captains nervously watched for any sign of Peacekeeper patrols that might attack. They were dangerously close to the Peacekeeper base at Sacrasi and marauders were not rare.

If one of the peacekeepers were to discover them, the whole Independent get one of the Scarren outposts near the border, they would overrun the ships stationed there.

"We must make some answer to this," Admiral Taril of the Home Fleet said angrily.

"Indeed," High Admiral Salin said with a nod.

"We shall assemble a probe to determine whether or not this 'Alliance' is a myth. We shall also assemble a force that will strike at the Peacekeeper base of Fredis, where their Coalition gathers as we speak. We shall strike with overwhelming force and bring the Peacekeepers to their knees."

* * * * * *

One Scarren cruiser and a squadron of Strikers passed along the outer edge of the Peacekeeper territory toward the Independent Planets. They would seek to find out what this new Alliance was going to do and whether they would be a threat to the Scarren Empire.

The leader of the force, Captain Likas, frowned as his ships sliced through the silence of space. He had not envisioned himself as the leader of a force to scout out a potential new force in this part of the galaxy. He had wanted to lead the forces of the attack that would bring the Peacekeepers down.

He shook his head as he checked a report from his Charrid commander, informing him that the attack forces would be available if they were to dock with another ship.

The Charrids were always trying to find some way to get into better favor with their Scarren commanders. Sometimes they were useful. Sometimes they were just annoyances sent to make sure the Scarrens had some expendable bodies.

Likas just hoped that he could find this Alliance, determine their intentions and return in time to rejoin the strike force against the Peacekeepers. That was incredibly unlikely but it was something the Scarren could hope for. * * * * * * Admiral Elir of the 2nd Fleet Command laughed slightly as he stood on the command deck of his dreadnaught as it was in orbit of the Scarren outpost planet of Kilan Jornas, while 2nd fleet prepared to launch its attack on Fredis.

He had under his command more than half again the strength of a normal task group and twice the normal compliment of Strikers. He strolled down the command deck, the warriors at their stations observing the sensory data coming in from different parts of the ship.

He had six solar days before all of his ships had gathered and the supply train was formed in preparation for the strike.

The strike group was slated to strike one of the minor outposts near Fredis where they would establish a temporary outpost. From there they would strike the Peacekeeper base and hold it long enough to strike the other minor outposts around its periphery.

Once that was completed the strike group would gather at Fredis and make their way straight through peacekeeper territory back to the Scarren Empire.