Less than half of the estimated four million stars within the 400 light-year diametered Terrestrial Empire have ever been visited. The unknown can emerge from within the sphere of the known.
Pre-Empire, Nicholas van Rijn exploited this fact. His trade pioneer crews did not venture beyond known space but instead explored previously unexplored planetary systems on the near side of the frontier - where no other exploratory expeditions were looking.
In the Imperial period, the colonized planet, Vixen, is suddenly attacked by a fleet that must have originated in an unknown planetary within known space. Since the Dispersal of Ymir interpenetrates both Terran and Merseian spaces, Vice Admiral Fenross suddenly suspects that the Ymirites have instigated the attack. Who knows what might be happening in the space that is supposed to be known?
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
And the problem posed by the unknown suddenly erupting from what was THOUGHT to be known can happen right here and now on our Earth. Just think of the coronavirus pandemic, for example! Hardly anyone outside was aware of new disease in December of 2019.
Ad astra! Sean
Drat! I meant to write: "Hardly anyone outside of CHINA was aware of the new disease in December of 2019."
Ad astra! Sean
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