Dome of Slavery — Bryan Smith

WHAT DO YOU DO WHEN LIBERATING HUMAN SLAVES IS AGAINST THE LAW? Colonel Kendrick Landry and other central characters from "Feral Planet" return for more classic sci-fi space adventure. It is the 25th Century. The starcraft Aurora travels to planet Alpha Centauri B-III and the Aurora commander Colonel Kendrick Landry discovers that descendants of the colonization crew of the Green Horizon, Earth's first interstellar starcraft, are living in centuries-old enslavement to a lizard-like race. The First Intergalactic Alliance does not permit liberation of the human slaves because the planet is not a member of the Alliance and subject to Alliance law. Alliance law, however, would sanction the Aurora's defense--including even offensive action against the lizard government, permitting its overthrow by human resistance fighters on the planet--but only if the lizard government has attacked first. Without the knowledge or consent of Colonel Landry, head-strong Major Will Adams devises a scheme to provoke an attack by the lizard command and so justify a retaliatory pre-emptive strike. The lizards attack with surprisingly devastating force. Now the command and crew of the Aurora will be fortunate to ensure their own survival--let alone assist in liberation of the lizards' human slaves. "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Lord Acton (from epigram to Dome Of Slavery)