by Saxon Andrew
• • •
“Sir, it appears the Brotherhood warships that left a week ago have returned.”
“You sound a little tense, Drum.”
“Sir, they brought back more than a hundred and fifty of those new model warships the Brotherhood is building.”
Tal shook his head, “Jab told me that they can see us on their scanners.”
“If that’s true, attacking them to launch a missile barrage will no longer be a viable option.”
“Thanks, Drum. You and your scouts are doing an outstanding job.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
Tal turned to Ka, “It appears our attacks are coming to a screeching halt.”
Ka nodded, “I heard.”
“We’ll still approach their planets but allow them to chase us away.” Tal paused and then pulled Jee and Rachael up on his monitor. “Play time is over. The defended Brotherhood planets now have ships that will detect us a long way out from the planets. I want you to divide your forces and launch hit and run raids on the Berserkers. Don’t allow your ships to be endangered. Launch the Tees and get out.”
“This is going to give them more time to build up their fleets,” Jee replied.
Tal smiled, “But perhaps not enough time to make a difference.” Tal ended the contact and asked, “Ka, have you heard anything about Ryshana?”
“Her baby was born a week ago, Tal. She weighed a little over seven pounds and both of them are doing fine.” Tal sighed and Ka added, “Jab not being there was a huge disappointment for Ryshana, but she’s holding up.”
“Tell her to remain on the Brazil until we go to pick him up. Make sure she understands I will not go without her.”
Ka nodded and stood up. Tal’s eyes narrowed and Ka smiled, “Just telling her over a communicator won’t cut it. I’ll have to do this in person.” Tal nodded and Ka left the bridge.
• • •
Jab watched the woman start moving and then start moaning. She opened her eyes and Jab lifted her head, “Swallow these.” The woman looked at him and he saw her immediate fear. “Open your mouth!” The woman complied and Jab put two pills in it. He held the glass of water up and she swallowed them. He didn’t have any pain pills from the colonies but the Brotherhood’s pills were just as good. He put her head down and Jab asked, “You’re going back to sleep momentarily and before you do I need you to answer a question.” The woman stared at him and Jab asked, “Why are you refusing to take a mate?” The woman was silent and Jab pressed, “I don’t want to kill you but it’s time to tell the truth. Why?”
“I swore when my mother and older sister were killed that I would never send children out to become a tool to be disposed of.” The woman stared at him and added, “I know saying this is grounds for killing me, but I no longer care if I live or die.”
“Actually, saying that is what will save your life,” Jab responded. The woman’s eyes closed and Jab went back to the chair. He thought about changing to his normal appearance but then his uniforms wouldn’t fit; Borgt was a lot bigger than him. He got up and fixed a sandwich. He looked outside and saw that it was getting dark. He thought about Welden and felt bad at what was going to happen to him. But…he was the one that ordered Borgt to go out and punish Ryshana. Even though Welden treated him well, he could never forgive him for what the original Borgt did to her. Tal was wrong about how long it would take the spores to start taking their deadly toll. He estimated eight months before the process would begin but it was clear Welden was showing signs of the disease at five months. He wondered if he had done a good job carrying out the mission to deliver the spores around the planet. Tal didn’t tell him much about what was going to happen but said the first signs were fatigue and a slightly red skin tone. Welden was clearly showing symptoms. Tal also said that it would not cause pain. He lowered his head and prayed he was right. He glanced at the woman on the bed and wondered how Ryshana was going to react to her. He sighed and went to the other bed. The genetic shot would remove the spores from her body but she could easily be infected again by spores in the atmosphere. He had injected her with the antidote and still questioned himself why he did it.
• • •
The Order Giver appeared on Tal’s monitor and he asked, “Are you trying to contact me?”
“I am. I promised you that I would get your warships in close enough to attack your home world. Now is the time it needs to be done.”
“Now?”
“Yes. Get your fleet moving to the planet and my ships will meet you and blast a path in to the planet’s surface.”
“My scouts tell me that there are a huge number of Invader warships and small ships surrounding the planet.”
“That is true. But they’re continuing to build ships and it will only get harder if we wait,” Tal replied.
“I will gather our ships and start moving toward the planet tomorrow.”
“We’ll be waiting for your arrival.”
The Order Giver stared at the dark monitor and knew this was going to be impossible but this human was keeping his promise. He wouldn’t have blamed him for not bringing it up again, but he did. Now was where he would go out and meet his final destiny.
• • •
Eight hundred Crayen warships arrived the next day and Tal had his fleets form up around them. Tal contacted the Order Giver as they approached the planet, “Are you ready?”
“What’s going on with the Invader’s small ships. Most of them appear to be just drifting in space. I’ve never seen them so out of formation.”
“The pilots of the ships that are out of formation have died,” Tal replied.
“WHAT?!”
“We used a biological weapon against them and it’s only a matter of time until all of them die. But you insist on attacking the planet and there are still huge numbers of them still alive. We should be able to fight our way in for you to attack the planet.”
“Are you suggesting that all of them will be dead shortly?”
“By our estimate, they should all be gone within another month,” Tal answered.
The Order Giver stared at Tal in silence for a few moments and then asked, “If that was your planet, what would you do?”
“I don’t believe I could bring myself to nuke it and blast it from space. I just couldn’t bear seeing…” Tal’s voice trailed off.
The Order Giver looked at his monitor at the thousands of drifting Berserkers and it was clear that many of the Invader warships close to the planet were also drifting in space. “So, there’s not a good reason to do this?”
“I made a promise and I intend to keep it. If you want to go and blast everything they built off the planet, we’ll make it happen where you can. The ships that are still alive are quite numerous and it will not be easily done,” Tal said softly.
“If we do this, it will probably cause all the animal and sea life to be destroyed,” The Order Giver said under his breath.
“Those are the consequences of using nuclear weapons, Order Giver.”
The Order Giver stared at Tal and asked, “What about the other planets they’re defending?”
“This was the last planet we used the weapon on. All of the invaders at the other planets are dead.”
“Will this weapon you used be a danger to us?”
“No, it was developed to only attack members of my species.” The Order Giver stared at Tal and he added, “The weapon will not survive if there are no living members of my species to infect. In another two months it will degrade and fall apart.”
The Order Giver lifted his communicator and ordered, “All ships will turn around and head back to our port.” His announcement was greeted with angry shouts and he listened until they died down. “One month from now we will return and take back our Holy Planet. At that time, we won’t need the black ships to assist us. Turnabout, now!”
Tal ordered, “All ships move away from the Crayen fleet.” The ships surrounding the Crayen fleet turned and moved away.
The Order Giver looked at Tal on his monitor, “You kept your word and removed them. I hope I will see you again.”
“I promised none of our ships would ever go to your space,” Tal replied.”
“No you didn’t!” Tal’s eyes narrowed and the OG added, “You promised not to come without an invitation. I think our civilizations can mutually benefit from getting to know each other.”
Tal smiled, “I really hope that can happen.” Tal watched the Crayen fleet disappear and Tal activated the general frequency, “All ships will set a course for the new colonies.”
“What about us, Tal?” Ka asked.
“We’re going to pick up Ryshana and go looking for her husband. I pray he’s still alive. Tal activated Jee’s frequency, “You are in command until I meet you at the colonies.”
“Tal, you should allow me to go with you.”
“I’ll contact you if you’re needed, Jee. Take the fleet and give them some time off.”
“Only after I hear from you!”
Tal nodded slightly, “Fair enough. I’ll be in touch.” The Zak’s Jil turned and went to maximum-speed toward the Brazil. He had another promise to keep.
• • •
The Supreme Fleet Commander fought to sit in his chair. Most of his crew was dead and he was the last survivor on the bridge. He realized that the black ships had used some sort of disease on the conquered planets and there was no cure. He prayed the High Cleric was also infected; it was the only way his civilization would survive. He knew he was right and that the Creator had nothing to do with the ridiculous mission he was taught. Just before he closed his eyes, he prayed to the Creator that his son and family would survive.
Chapter Twenty-One
Jab sat on a rock in front of the cabin looking out at the forest in the distance. He thought about taking the small ship out to see what was happening around the planet but rejected the idea. If things had gone off the rails, it would be a dangerous place to go. He wondered if anything was happening at all, but Welden was showing symptoms and he was one of the first to be exposed to the spores. He decided to stay put and wait it out.
The woman came out of the cabin and walked over to him. She had remained mostly silent over the last three weeks and he expected her to continue it. But she sat down and asked, “Why are you keeping me here?”
Jab glanced at her and turned back to the forest before answering, “I’m hoping I can keep you alive.” The woman tilted her head and pursed her lips showing she didn’t believe him. Her expression changed when he added, “I’m also hoping to keep me alive as well.”
“Why are you worried? You’re a senior law enforcer.”
Jab sighed, “Things aren’t always as they appear. Do you remember anything about when the women attacked you?”
“I don’t remember anything. I was asleep and something hit me in the head…my next memory was being here.” Jab took his communicator and pulled up the images. He handed the communicator to her and she glanced at it. Her mouth and eyes flew wide open. “There’s three more images you might want to see.” She flashed through the images and she was stunned speechless. Jab reached for the communicator and she handed it back to him. She was shaking her head and Jab said, “That’s how I found you.”
“But…but…”
“I used a drug to repair your body. By the time you regained consciousness, you were back to normal.”
She stared at Jab and finally stated, “A drug like that does not exist in the Brotherhood.” Jab nodded. “Where did you get it?”
“I brought it here with me.” Jab turned to her, “I can’t take you back to your community, they will finish what they started. There’s a lot happening here at the moment and I’m hoping we can wait it out and stay alive. Only one person knows I’m here at this cabin and I don’t think he’ll be telling anyone.”
“Why did you save me?”
“I wish I could give you a good answer. It would have been better if I didn’t.”
“I thought you had come to my house to take me away for punishment. I’ve been wondering when you were going to do it.”
Jab sighed and turned to her, “You will not be harmed. We have to wait it out and hope we’re rescued.”
“By who?”
Jab shook his head, “That will have to wait. I am curious about one thing.”
“What is that?” she asked.
“You said you would never accept a mate that was part of the Brotherhood. Is that all you won’t do?” She stared at him in silence and Jab asked, “If you could hurt the Brotherhood, would you do it?” She continued to stare at him and he repeated, “Would you?”
“I’ve said the same prayer every night since the day they murdered my mother and sister.”
“What is that?”
“That one day every cleric and everyone who believes in them will rot in hell!”
Jab turned back to the forest and said, “I’ve heard that before.”
The woman glared at him and said with venom, “But they didn’t mean it like I do!”
Jab chuckled, “They probably meant it more. They’re actually out killing members of the Brotherhood,” Jab nodded toward the sky, “somewhere out there.”
“Who are you?”
Jab shrugged, “Someone trying to keep us alive. It shouldn’t be much longer before we see if I’m successful.” The woman stared at him wondering what he was talking about, but he wasn’t saying.
• • •
Welden lay in bed and learned that the High Cleric had passed away an hour earlier. For the moment, he had accomplished something he thought would only happen in his dreams; he was now the High Cleric. He didn’t enjoy it long; thirty minutes later he died. His last thought was wondering about what was happening to Borgt.
• • •
All order broke down in the cities as the population discovered that a plague was sweeping the planet. The medical industry fought hard to find a way to stop it but failed at every turn. They isolated the spore that was causing the disease but it resisted every treatment they tried. Soon, people began shooting anyone that tried to enter their homes to prevent being infected. It was all wasted effort; the spores were airborne and there was no keeping them out. Anyone that showed symptoms were immediately killed but it did no good. The major cities descended into hell as billions collapsed and died in the streets. The massive riots began with a scream and ended in a whimper. Soon, even the whimpers grew silent.
• • •
The Zak’s Jil arrived far outside the brotherhood’s home world and the massive fleets surrounding it had drifted into disorder. Tal looked at the long-range scanner’s monitor and saw a brilliant flash at the planet. He turned to his scanning officer, “WHAT WAS THAT?”
“Sir, one of the warships in close orbit fell into the atmosphere, their orbits are starting to decay.”
Ryshana looked at Jab with a fearful expression, “He could be killed by falling ships. We must go in now!”
Tal turned back to the monitor and asked, “Start scanning those ships for life forms.”
After fifty minutes, another flash was seen at the planet and the scanning officer turned around, “There are a few ships indicating some of the crews are still alive but not enough to operate their ships. I don’t understand how every Berserker shows no life on them and some of the warships do, but that appears to be the case.”
Tal ordered, “Go to battle stations. Open fire on any vessel on our course still showing life on board. Move the ship into close orbit and start scanning the planet for life forms.”
The Zak’s Jil threaded its way through the thousands of ships drifting in space and none of them showed any movement. One warship was hit with a heavy missile as they moved close to the planet but it was the only one attacked. The Zak’s Jil began moving around the planet and the scanning officer found no humans alive on the surface. After an hour, Ryshana began crying. Ka stood up and put her arms around her and hugged her.
Sudden
ly, the scanning officer looked up, “I have two humans on the scanner, Sir.”
Tal’s eyes narrowed, “Two?”
“Yes Sir, a male and a female.”
Ryshana’s head came up and she jerked her head around, “Did you say a man and a woman?”
“Yes, Sir. They’re located out in the middle of a forest.”
Tal shook his head, “That has to be him. Ryshana, go to the shuttle and check it out.” Ryshana’s expression was a mix of relief and anger. She ran from the bridge’s exit and Tal yelled, “Don’t forget…”
Ryshana interrupted him, “I know what to do!”
Tal looked at Ka and she raised her shoulders. Tal tilted his head slightly. “This should prove to be…interesting.”
“Ryshana does appear to be a little…disturbed, wouldn’t you say?” Ka replied.
“To say the least.”
• • •
Jab sat on the rock thinking about not being present when Ryshana had their baby. She was due four months ago and he hoped they were doing well. Suddenly, he heard a powerful sonic boom high overhead and looked up. The thunder blew out over the forest shaking the trees. Whoever caused it was coming down at high-speed and wasn’t using the engines to avoid making the boom. He smiled slightly, they must have determined that there was a woman here and he made a mental bet that Ryshana was flying the ship.
The woman came running out of the cabin and Jab raised a hand, “It came from a ship moving into the atmosphere above us.”
She looked up and asked, “Is it the one’s you’ve been expecting?”
“I hope so. We’ll see in a few minutes.” The woman stood behind Jab staring at the sky and fifteen minutes later, they saw a black colored ship coming down out of the clouds in front of them. Jab smiled, it was a fleet shuttle.