Conflict in Shadow

Captain Felicity Roberts (From Captain James Heron First Into The Fray) commands the Star Freighter Mancunian. The ship is actually a Q-ship operated through a false front by the Fleet Security, Intelligence Section, Special Operations. Outwardly a large freight liner, the Mancunian carries a range of communications eavesdropping equipment, surveillance equipment and powerful scanning units in concealed sections of her hull. Her crew is unusually large, and includes Marines. As part of her disguise she does carry special freight. And sometimes passengers, though these are often Fleet Agents in disguise.

With the war between the Earth governments World Treaty Organisation Council and the Intercorporate Consortium now gathering pace, Captain Roberts and her crew are tasked with gathering intelligence. Their task covers both the activities of the growing Consortium war fleet and that of the Johnstone Xenobiological Research Institute which is conducting illegal and highly unethical biological 'research' on humans and alien species. Into this mix comes a group known as the Pantheon - specialist assassins who kill their targets in creative ways and work primarily for the Consortium.

The story runs parallel to Harry Heron: No Quarter though it only touches on those events where the Mancunian's people uncover intel on them.

Opening on the colony planet Terra Nova with a team of Fleet agents whose task is to take Erwin Horton, son of the 'Speaker' of the Colony's Parliament to safety. His parent is holding out on the Consortium's new 'Governor' and blocking their complete take over. Erwin is in danger of being used as a hostage to force her to fall in line. It is now up to Commander Olsen and Lt Ella Herbst to get him safely off the planet. To do so, he and Lt Herbst must take a torturous and very hazardous journey in disguise while Cdr Olsen sows mayhem to keep the enemy off the trail. Erwin's journey leads him into contact with the Head of Fleet Security, and the opportunity to join the Fleet.

In space the Mancunian has her own adventures as she visits Consortium held worlds delivering goods and agents and gathering intel, in the process learning of an assassination being planned by the god 'Heimdall'. The attempt to prevent the assassination and to uncover the identity of Heimdall (The assassin responsible for the murder of James Heron's wife), leads back to Terra Nova ... and ultimately to the assassin being 'rescued' by the Mancunian. Unmasked by Felicity, he is taken into custody by Fleet Security.

On Terra Nova, Cdr Olsen finds himself rescuing three more young people, one the son of the Consortium's head of admin on the planet. The Consortium's forces are defeated, and Korinna Horton once again becomes involved in the government of the planet. Commander Olsen decides on a change of role, and will stay on the planet as Head of Security.

On her return to Earth, the Mancunian finds herself following a ship toward the Earth Transit Gate which has no hypercoms and identifies it as the missing Twee Jong Gezellen. Her intervention prevents the TJGs destruction and the story winds to a conclusion with a marriage on Terra Nova, Captain Roberts promotion and Erwin Horton starting his career in the Fleet.