The crowd was silent. Sten could feel the electricity in the air. All of the various races were looking at each other and thinking. Danielle had made it all the way to the ground level when she heard a young Vgrig child yell at the top of his voice, “Danielle, I choose one destiny for all of us.” Danielle reached up and extended her hand to the young Vgrig who took it in his talons and shook it. As she turned and continued her walk she could hear the crowd gathered around the young Vgrig start chanting, “One destiny, one destiny, one destiny, one destiny,” until the chant had been taken up by all on one side of the arena. Then the crowds outside the arena took up the chant followed by the remainder of the crowds in the arena. It became a roar and for all the various races that had watched the event over their communication devices on all the worlds of the Alliance, they too began chanting with the crowds at the arena. Across the Alliance billions come out of their homes and gathered to chant in the streets. They could finally see their future and now they could feel it. As the broadcast from the worlds of the Alliance was shown, they could see that they were not alone. They had other worlds and other races to be their brothers and sisters. The billions of the Alliance demanded “One Destiny” for them all.”
Sten sat on the speaker’s platform and watched his console that showed world after world where the chant was taken to the street and yelled. The crowd at the arena had begun shaking hands like Danielle demonstrated with the young Vgrig. Sten thought to himself, “You were right Dgzh. I have never talked with her. Now I have. I don’t think that I or anyone else in the Alliance will ever look at the universe the same way after this moment. I guess now I must answer the question that the Humans asked the Cainth, “Well, what do we do now?” Then he had an inspiration and began smiling. He watched the Human ship lift and move skyward and thought, “We’ll be seeing you again, soon.”
Tag was sitting in a conference room with Kosiev, Dorg, and Danielle. All of them had jumped to Ross after Danielle’s speech and were listening to Klas as he told them what had happened to his world. Atlas provided Tag with video of the attack and the assembled leaders watched as Klas narrated the events. Atlas had loaded the Alliance language into Klas’ link so he could speak without an interpreter. “We prepared for the first attack for a full two cycles and were able to defeat them initially. They first attacked with 900 ships but we were able to destroy them. None of them escaped and they fought down to the last ship. The monsters do not know the meaning of withdrawal. We were hoping that we had gained time to rebuild out losses but it just wasn’t to be. Within sixty rotations, the fleet you see here on this screen came. We were completely overwhelmed.
Tag stood up and said, “Stop the video for a moment.” The screen stopped with one of the huge transports filling the screen. “You said you had been preparing for two cycles; your race didn’t have star drive technology, how did you know they were coming?”
Klas looked at Tag and said, “We have not been a peaceful race. We warred among ourselves and our nations had extensive military forces. A race came to our planet and asked if they could meet with our assembled leaders. We attacked them initially but they just shrugged off our weapons and continued to request a meeting. Our nations agreed and they landed and told us about the monsters. They asked if the leaders were willing to go with them to see what was coming and after much argument the leaders were marched at gun point into the Aliens ship. They were then taken to a planet that was under attack by the monsters and saw firsthand what they did to planets they conquered. We were then told that the monsters were moving on a direct line to our world and would arrive within three cycles or earlier.”
“Why did they come to warn you?” Danielle asked.
“They said that we could not win because the monsters were too numerous. They said they had warned us so that we could build ships to possibly save some of our people. They said that after the monsters finished with us that their world would probably be next.”
“What did this race call itself?” Kosiev asked.
“They were called Dremel.”
“Continue with the video,” Tag said. For the next hour the leaders watched as the Pydres world was being harvested and destroyed. They saw the savagery of even babies being devoured alive by the plants.
Finally, Danielle said, “I’ve seen enough. What are we going to do about this? I know they’re a long way from us, but do we wait until they grow so big they can’t be stopped, if they’re not already.” The room was silent.
“Perhaps we can make life difficult for them,” Admiral Dorg said.
Everyone in the room looked at him and he said, “Why don’t we go find these Dremel and give them an Asteroid shield to see how those little weeds deal with it. Perhaps it will cause them to become occupied with something other than one world after another.”
“Atlas,” Tag thought, “do you think we can find them?”
“I already know where they are. I passed their world on the way in to the Pydres planet. They have built some huge transports to escape but nowhere near enough to save the bulk of their population. I’ll give you the coordinates and you can pass them on to whoever you send to investigate.”
“Thanks, Atlas.”
“One more thing, Tag. I’m going to give a series of coordinates that jumps thru three other galaxies before arrival at the Dremels world. Don’t run the risk that they might be able to trace your jump line. Don’t hesitate between jumps; do them as quickly as possible in the event they follow you.”
“Understood, Atlas.” Tag then stood and said to the assembly, “I know where the Dremel are located.”
Kosiev looked at Tag and thought, “It has to have something to do with that ship that brought him back from the Alliance system. He and I need to have a heart to heart discussion about that.”
“I suggest we send one of our ships to open a dialogue with them. However, we need to avoid going straight to the plants galaxy in the event that they might be able to trace jump lines. I’ll provide the one chosen to go with coordinates that goes on a roundabout route.”
Dorg stood up and said, “I’m the one that should go.” Even Kosiev was surprised by that statement. “I have a blood debt to make up and if I can help save this race from destruction, it might in small part make up for my prior actions. I humbly request permission to lead this mission.”
Danielle said, “I agree with you Admiral. I must insist that you go in one of our best ships. I know your Cainth Dreadnaughts are deadly but they can’t match the speed and jump ability of our new ships. We have one that is just being commissioned and I think you’ll agree that it’s appropriate to take her; her name is Rossville.”
Dorg couldn’t speak. His emotions were so strong that he could barely breathe. The room remained quiet while he composed himself. Even Klas could see that something very significant was happening. Finally Dorg said, “It would be my honor to make her my ship; I will protect her honor with my life.”
Tag looked at Kosiev and asked, “Do we have any asteroids ready for transport?”
Kosiev said, “We have eight having their jump systems installed now; they should be ready within six months.”
Tag looked at Danielle and said, “Then when they’re completed we will jump the asteroids into a neighboring galaxy to the Dremel and Dorg will proceed to the planet and open a dialogue. He will then make the decision about whether or not the Dremel can be trusted with our technology. We’ll have to tell anyone that asks that we have top secret plans for the asteroids and crew them with members of your crew, Admiral Dorg. Let’s hope the plants delay for that long. Good luck.”
Tag thought to Danielle, “I hope we have enough time. This video has me concerned.”
“We will save the Dremel. They didn’t have to run the risk of telling the Pydres but they did. I’m sure they are worth saving. See if you can’t speed up the asteroids.”
“I have already contacted the ship yards.”
Chapter 19
Sten stood on the
platform facing the Assembly Members who were the chosen representatives of their worlds. Unlike the previous meeting, they sat quietly in their seats waiting for him to start the meeting. Finally, he stood up and stood before them looking at them and thought what a blast they were about to receive. He almost wanted to smile. He had discussed his plan with Headman Dgzh and after he got over the initial shock, he started laughing and told Sten he was behind him one hundred percent. Now was the time to drop the bomb. “I welcome you again to our meeting and I’m sure all of you have had time to process what we heard yesterday and have talked with your home worlds about what direction they would like to go. Unfortunately, I also have had time to think about all I heard yesterday and I’ve come to the determination that things must change for my world. After discussing it with my local government, we have made a decision about my world’s future. With that in mind, I hereby resign my position as State Leader and I also wish to announce that my world has resigned its membership in the Alliance and has formally asked to become a member of the Stars Realm and petition Queen Danielle to become my world’s ruler. That request has been sent to Terl, Tgon-Gee, Thomas Gardner, and of course, Queen Danielle.
The Assembly was stunned and then they jumped up and started roaring their shock at Sten. He stood there and listened to it for twenty sems then pressed a button on his console that sounded a tone that penetrated the voices. Slowly, the members quieted and sat down. Sten again looked at them and said, “The Alliance is an institution that is so broken that even should we decide to work together, there’s 2000 years of history that works against us that prevents it from being what we heard yesterday. There are more than 800 worlds that all think they are alone against the rest. Even though we want to become what the Human Queen described yesterday, look around you at your fellow representatives; are you willing to trust them?” Sten saw them look at each other and begin to understand what he was saying.
The Spejk representative then stood up and said, “Then what’s the answer? How do we overcome ourselves and our prejudices?”
“I asked myself that same question last night and finally it dawned on me that the only way to insure that my people would follow that vision was to make the visionary our ruler. We have to give up our independence from everyone and become a part of something bigger than we are. The trouble with how we’ve been ruled is that we have all done as we please except when the Alliance called us to kick the groad out of someone who stepped too far out of line. We are used to that and in our current structure we just won’t be able to resist the call to act in our own self interests to the exclusion of everyone else. Can’t you see it? I saw Cainth, Glod, and Humans willing to die for each other. I want to be a part of that. I want to know the peace of being able to trust my allies to know they are truly committed to my safety. I am asking to become a part of that.”
The Members looked at each other and finally one member stood up and said, “You’re right again State Leader. To become a part of something; independence must yield to becoming dependent. We lack the willingness to trust each other, but I believe all of us can trust the Queen that spoke to us yesterday. By submitting to her, I have no fear of anyone else. She would defend my world. Do any of you doubt that? State Leader, place my worlds name on the request you’ve sent to the new Stars Realm.” Suddenly, many members were asking for inclusion.
Sten sounded the tone again and this time the room became instantly silent. “Here is what I am willing to do and what I think we should all agree on. I am going to petition The Stars Realm for the opportunity to join them as a member race. If the Membership here agrees unanimously to also petition for membership, then each of the eight hundred and twenty members, and the seven races that are not members yet, will bow to the Queen and pledge their world’s allegiance and loyalty. You have five drags to contact your home worlds and get agreement on what we’re doing. That is all the time you’ll be given.”
The members stormed out of the chamber to contact their leaders to see what they wanted to do about this new development. Five drags later all the members were back in their seats. Sten again stood up and said, “What is your wish. I will call each members name and you will declare your intent; Spejk.”
“We declare for the Queen.”
“Felang?”
“We declare for the Queen.”
Sten continued down the list until all members but one was polled. All voted for the Queen. He saved the Vgrig for last. If there was going to be trouble, it would come from this warlike race. “Vgrig?”
The Vgrig representative stood up in his normal warriors dress and looked at Sten. “My race still kills each other in tribal wars. It is a glory to die killing one’s enemy. The best thing in a warrior’s life is his first kill. My world watched the Human Queen’s message and the ones that cried the most after they heard it were the Mothers who have had to watch their children die in needless duels and wars. The mothers of my world that are worshiped by their children have declared that they will no longer send their babies to die. They will kill them first. They also declare that any child of theirs will be killed if the stupidity is not stopped. The Grand Leader of my world declared that he would not give in to a bunch of cowardly mothers. Those cowardly mothers walked into our central chamber and killed him. His own mother struck the killing blow. I tell you this because we declare for the Queen but we will need your patience in changing our ways. We will pledge to defend all of you. We wish to be your brothers.”
The Assembly went wild. The entire floor turned to bedlam. Former enemies embraced each other and for once, everyone knew what it felt like to be part of a bigger vision. Sten watched and then sent his request to Tgon-Gee and Terl. He had not sent one like he told the assembly but had waited to see if they would join him. Now, the Humans had to accept them.”
Tag received a com from Tgon-Gee and was surprised to find Terl on the screen also. “What’s up?” he asked.
Tong-Gee paused and waited, and then Terl said, “We have a development.”
Tag had become proficient at reading their expressions and said, “Nothing serious I hope.”
“State Leader Sten had just communicated with us with a formal request.”
Tag said, “We’re not going to fight their battles for them!”
Tgon-Gee said, “It’s nothing like that. They have notified me that all 829 races that make up the Alliance have voted to end the Alliance today.”
Tag was stunned. “They can’t do that; they’ll all turn on each other without the threat of reprisal.”
Terl said, “They have also voted unanimously to join our Stars Realm and individually pledge their loyalty to Queen Danielle.”
Tag was speechless. He didn’t know what to say. “Darling,” he thought.
Danielle responded immediately, “Yes dear, what is it?”
“You might want to listen in on this conversation. Please com my console immediately.”
Tag said, “I’ve just requested Danielle to join us in this conversation and also requested the Director of our government to also join us. When did you get this request?”
“It was delivered to both of us about twenty dregs ago,” Terl said. “I immediately commed Tgon-Gee to see what he thought we should do about this. This is not a decision we can make on our own.”
Annihilation: The Power of a Queen Page 24