W.E.B. Fox 
A Thief »s Plight: Part 2 of the Watchers Trilogy 

Lana is back to her old tricks, stealing from the rich to give to…well, to give to herself really. And once again she has drawn the wrong kind of attention, this time from sleazy casino owners and small-time drug dealers…not to mention self proclaimed  »survival » experts, who have an unhealthy obsession with sniper rifles. It is now up to Chris and Dunc to find and save the young thief, before she makes one final, fatal mistake. Meanwhile, General Anders of the Special Defence Force is on an urgent mission. A thousand innocent people are dead, killed when their liner is ambushed in deep space. The motive is elusive, as are the identities of those who committed the atrocity. What is clear, however, is that Anders » former commanding officer, a certain General Thyrod, is somehow involved, and that a strange, alien artefact lies at the heart of the mystery. Aided by his unorthodox ship and crew, Anders must now solve the crime before more innocent lives are lost.