Blood and War

In a galaxy of aliens the human race had settled over a hundred worlds before it let the Emerging Planets Court - six alien species who sat in judgement on all galactic newcomers. Though their goals were liberal, compliance enforcement was ferocious; few dared to defy the EPFC. To insure obedience, the EPFC placed observers on each ship of the candidate species. And so, the human fleets found themselves under the eyes of the Mromrosii - stern overseers who expected unquestioning obedience. Even the Petit Harriers, the peacekeepers and trouble-shooters of human space, were forced to admit the Hromrosii to their ships. The Harriers' mission was already tough enough. They had to settle planetary disputes, negotiate treaties with alien species, and protect human interests throughout the galaxy - come war, disaster or interspecies rivalry. They understood the EPFC's goals. They even agreed with most of them. But they also knew that sometimes the only way to enforce the rules was to throw awaay the rulebook. The problem was convincing the Mromrosii.... (adapted from the back cover of the Baen Books first edition)