Ashes of the Realm: Book 04 - The Return of the Realm

by Saxon Andrew

  Tag slowly shook his head, “That was thousands of years ago. It’s probably long gone.”

  “It won’t hurt to see.”

  Tag shrugged and teleported in to the planet. As they entered the atmosphere Tag said, “How long has it been since we came here?”

  “More than several thousand years; why do you ask?”

  “Central City doesn’t appear to have grown much from when we lived here.”

  Danielle nodded, “With literally billions of planets available to colonize, population pressures disappeared after the Eight Legs Invasion. When you couple it with the desire of most planets to have humans as part of their populations, I don’t find it surprising at all.”

  Tag nodded, “You’re probably right. Ok, we’ve flown by the Space Port and had our transponder registered. The school is about four minutes away. Hold on.”

  The speeder dropped out of the traffic lanes and moved toward the four thousand feet tall buildings below. It came over the top of a long row of the high rises and Tag saw a patch of green in the middle of the giant structures. “Tag focused on the ground and saw a small building in the middle of a green park with trees and sidewalks running through it. He looked at Danielle and said, “According to my board, that is the former sight of our high school.”

  “Take us down.”

  Tag brought the speeder in and they were both shocked. The building in the middle of the park was the same building where they went to school. Tag landed on the street and saw a line of security agents more than three hundred yards away surrounding the school. They stepped out of the speeder and a young man walked up with a device in his hand, “I see that you have the approved transponder for today. Please follow me, Mr. and Mrs. Ashford, and I’ll open the building for you.”

  Tag looked at Danielle and shrugged. They followed the man across the grounds and he used a key to unlock the side door to the school. Tag looked and saw the bushes he had hid behind so long ago. Danielle looked at the young man and he said, “After you came and took Tommy and Wes, this site was named a historical monument. It has been maintained in its original state and is the most visited place on Earth. President Coronado thought that you might come here so she ordered all visitations stopped to clean the facility and to restore some of the area that’s showing wear. There’s really nothing wrong with the building but she assumed you wanted some privacy. If I can be of any further service, I’ll be waiting by my vehicle.”

  Tag said, “What is your name?”

  The young man smiled and took off his hat revealing his bright red hair, “Eric McAnn. One of my distant relatives was a close friend of yours, Your Grace.”

  Tag went over and gave the young man a hug, “He would be very proud of you. I miss him every day.”

  The young man hugged him back and said, “Thank you. He wrote a lot about the relationship you and he had. He loved you a lot.”

  Danielle took Tag’s hand and they stepped through the side door and went thousands of years into the past.

  • • •

  Tag said as they entered, “Notice how the door opens inward; when the inspector arrived to investigate the theft of Leila’s test I hid behind this door and threw a rock at that locker to distract him and escape.

  As they walked down the hall Danielle said, “This is the room where you were interrogated by the truth field. We were sitting in those two chairs when I asked you to take me out. Remember?”

  Tag smiled, “Like it was yesterday. This is the classroom of Bert Graham where I stole the test.” They walked down the hall and entered the lunchroom. They looked at each other and without saying a word walked across the room and sat down at a table near the far wall. Tag put his arm around Danielle and she snuggled close to him. “Eric asked me out first.”

  “Yes, but he didn’t get you to go.”

  “No, he didn’t. After shaking your hand, I had eyes for only you my love. I can still feel the shock after all these centuries.”

  They sat there in silence and held each other for an hour. Finally Tag said, “This is why we’re fighting.”

  “So that others can find the love we were given.”

  Tag nodded, “I miss all those that are no longer here but I know in my heart that we have lived this long to struggle for peace.”

  “You’re right. I’ve seen enough. Let’s go home.”

  As they walked toward the exit Tag looked up and laughed out loud.

  “What’s so funny?”

  “That guy, Bill Clinton; you know; the one with the funny hair. His picture is still here.”

  Danielle shook her head, “The more things change…”

  “That’s the truth.”

  “Seeing it is what I’m good at.”

  “You are the best!”

  Just before they opened the door to leave Danielle put her arms around Tag’s neck and kissed him. She felt it all the way down to her toes. Tag held the kiss for a long moment and said, “We need to hurry and get home.”

  Danielle laughed as they left the building.

  “Did you enjoy your visit?”

  “Yes, we did Eric. Thank President Coronado for us; we’re leaving now.”

  “I hope you don’t mind that we recorded you entering the building. The people of Earth never get to see you and that recording will brighten their day.”

  Danielle stared at Eric, looked at Tag, then turned and said, “Follow me.” She took Tag’s hand and pulled him to the speeder. She put some clear liquid in her mouth and gargled. The yellow stains disappeared from her teeth. He pulled a device from the speeder and pointed at her hair and the dye disintegrated. Tag took off the false stomach and put it in the speeder.

  “What are you doing?”

  “You’ll see.”

  Tag and Danielle walked up to the line of security agents and saw a large crowd gathered. There had to be more than a thousand people and half of them were school age children. Danielle walked up to the major in charge of the agents and said, “Major, please allow these people through your line.”

  The Major looked at Eric and he smiled and then nodded. Eric yelled, “Those of you who are here with passes to visit the memorial and had your trip canceled, please step through the line.”

  The visitors that were gathered taking pictures of the building from a distance looked at each other and began walking forward. Eric got on his com and said, “We need back up. Now!”

  As the people walked through the line of security agents, they looked up and saw a thousand troop carriers arrive overhead and armored warriors began dropping around the school. One of the children started crying and Danielle rushed up and picked the little girl up. The crowd looked at her and it took a few moments before they recognized the most famous face in the universe. Danielle looked out at the crowd and said in a loud voice, “My husband and I are going to take you on a tour of the school where we first met. We are going to share our memories with you and we truly hope to make this visit memorable.”

  The crowd was stunned but then began cheering their good fortune. The photographer that had recorded them entering the building joined the group and recorded the tour. Several people passing by heard Danielle and recognized her. The arrival of the troops caused a high level of curiosity about what was happening and a crowd began arriving and asking what was happening. Then the word was given that Danielle and Thomas Gardner were conducting a tour of their school.

  Eric smiled as the crowd grew almost faster than he could imagine. He laughed, “The Gardners were always able to draw a crowd.” By the time the tour ended more than six million people had gathered at the site to try and see the Stars Realm’s Royal Family.

  Danielle addressed the crowd after the tour and Tag realized that this was the real reason for the struggle. He saw the emotions of the huge crowd and knew that this would not be their last trip home. It was the love of those they represented that made it worth it. If Tgon-gee had still been alive he would have seen Tag’s aura growing at a tremendous ra
te. Creation’s first warrior had now been fully released.

  Danielle finished her address and came into Tag’s arms and a blue flash exploded out of them and rushed out to the limits of Creation. Danielle looked up into his eyes, “It appears our power has been held in trust by the people of Earth. It has now been given to us. I know why we had to come home.”

  Danielle hugged him as they teleported straight to Ross leaving the speeder behind to become one of the relics placed in honor at the site. A recording of their visit was placed in their school and became a part of the tour. Earth’s most visited memorial got even busier.

  • • •

  Trey and Cassie felt the psychic blast blow past them and they looked at each other, “What was that?”

  Cassie closed her eyes and said, “That came from Tag and Danielle. It appears there was power in them that had not been released.”

  Trey said, “How could that be?”

  “It makes sense, my Love. It would only be given to them when they were ready. They are the original tool of Creation and now they are forged and complete for the fight ahead.”

  “That means we need another ship.”

  Cassie focused for a moment and said, “They have already requested that Twig build a fifth.”

  Trey thought a moment and said, “Well, there goes my Commander-in Chief. Things are starting to happen quickly. I think the war is going to happen sooner than I thought.”

  “The evidence does seem to point that way.”

  “We need to get the new warriors to start their quest. The Algeans have completed their support fleet and they can fight independent of the Realm indefinitely with those ships.”

  “How many are trained and ready?”

  The first two divisions are ready to go with six more completing their training within five weeks.”

  “Have you selected their Commanders?”

  “Jingos and Maddy will command the fleets. They have chosen their own staffs.”

  “Has Timmy and Virze found them targets?”

  “They have prioritized a list of more than twenty. I’ll go ahead and approve the first mission immediately after the announcement by Danielle.”

  Cassie nodded and wondered if they were ready.

  • • •

  Cassandra entered the coordinates on her board and said, “Jess, are you ready?”

  “I’ll engage the drive after I notify the crew we’re teleporting.”

  Junior looked up from his board and said, “Why are you going back to the Captor’s former Home World?”

  Cassandra smiled and said, “I’m not really sure. I just remember finding myself during that war and that is where I discovered my power to save life. Tommy and I were able to save the Captors instead of having to destroy them and it is one of the things I’ve done that makes me feel good about myself. I want to feel that way again.”

  Junior smiled, “That’s reason enough. I studied the history of the Captor’s war and I think I really started thinking about you then. I was amazed at all the things you did which just seemed to be impossible. The creation of that new universe was amazing.”

  Cassandra smiled, “Yes, it really was.”

  Alex announced, “Teleport in three seconds.”

  The Juliette Robbins broke back into space and the Crew of the Juliette was shocked by what they saw. Even Junior was stunned, “I had no idea how big that structure really is.”

  “It’s not as big as it once was. We’re take pieces of it over time to use in other wars. We also blew some pretty big holes in it during our war with the Captors.”

  “I know about that but the videos just don’t do this justice. Those ship berths are gigantic.”

  “The Captors were huge. Of course the Eight Leg main battleships were larger but the Captors dwarfed every ship in the Realm’s fleet.”

  The Juliette hung in space, looking down on the giant red structure that covered most of the planet below it. Cassandra relived the escapes after her attacks and the many close calls with being destroyed. She saw them in her mind and remembered Tommy’s amazement at her developing psychic powers. She smiled at the memory and thought about the thousands of Captors that came back to life when they entered the newly created universe. Then Junior shocked her back into reality.

  “I’ve always wondered what happened to the Alfont and where Atlas and Dianna went. The gift of the Red Reactor was also what saved us against the Eight Legs.”

  “What did you just say?”

  “I said the Red Reactor was a great gift from the Captors.”

  Cassandra said, “Jessica, do you have the coordinates of the Captor’s Universe?”

  “Yes, why do you ask?”

  Cassandra hit the blue button on her board and the alarm klaxons started wailing, “Battle stations, all hands to battle stations.”

  Alex said, “What are you doing?”

  “We’re going to visit the Captors to return the gift.”

  Junior, Jessica, and Alex all said, “What!” simultaneously.

  “What happens if the Captors are attacked in that new universe? They didn’t have a universal drive when they left and there would be no way for them to escape. We are going to give them a universal drive and I need the engineering team to package one in a force field to protect it from the heat.”

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  “Whether I do or not is not relevant; we are going to do it.”

  “You know they were told we would not come to their home.”

  “Of course, Junior, I’m the one who told them. Now get your board set up for possible combat and prepare to jump as soon as the drive is packaged.”

  Jessica sent a private thought to Alex, “Is this a good idea?”

  “She’s the boss, Jess. If we start questioning her orders, we will never become an effective team. Where she leads, I will follow. I trust her.”

  “That’s all I need to know, Alex.”

  Junior looked at his board, “All stations report in manned and ready.”

  Alex said, “The universal drive is in a shuttle with a fifth level force field.”

  Cassandra pressed the ship wide frequency and said, “You will not fire your weapons unless you are ordered to do so. Even if we are fired on, you will hold your fire.” Cassandra looked at the central display and said, “Teleport on my mark, Jessica. Ready…mark.”

  The Juliette appeared in a universe that was bright and hot. The red gasses from the explosion that started the universe had cooled some due to the fifteen thousand years that had passed. Cassandra saw thousands giant Red Ships coming at them at high velocity. Cassandra thought, “I am here to communicate with the First Male and the First Mother.”

  Everyone on the ship heard, “Hold your fire. Surround the intruder and wait for my arrival.”

  Junior looked at the giant ships that were from three to five thousand miles wide glowing bright red and was even more amazed that the early Realm had survived against them. The Juliette’s three mile wide hull looked like a gain of sand against their vast size. He watched and he saw the biggest ship he had seen so far moving in on their location.

  “Who wishes to communicate with me?”

  “I am the one that opened this universe for you to escape.”

  “You told us you would not come here.”

  “I know and I ask your forgiveness for not keeping my word but I felt I needed to bring you a gift.”

  A different voice said, “What kind of gift?”

  Cassandra smiled, “Hello First Mother. Your gift of the Red Reactor saved my civilization against the Eight Legs. I want to return the favor.”

  “We don’t need a new reactor.”

  “It’s not a reactor. I’m delivering you a Universal Drive that will allow you to leave this universe to visit others should you so choose.”

  There was a long moment of silence and then they heard, “There’s more to it than that. What is the real reason?”

  “Mother, t
here is going to be a war starting shortly and all of Creation is going to be at stake in the outcome. We are going to have to face an enemy billions of years older than your species and we are uncertain of the outcome. If those beings come here to attack you, I want you to have a way to save yourselves. Your continued existence is important to me.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I killed so many of your children in our war; and my husband risked our lives to make your escape happen. I feel responsible for your continued safety.”

  The Red Ships were silent for a long time and finally the First Male said, “You sound like the two white ships that came trying to save their ken.”

  Cassandra said, “What two ships!?! Were they like the ships you brought here with you?”

  “Yes, they came to try and persuade our prisoners to change their ways.”

  “Are they still here?”

  “Yes, they requested we place them in the energy field with their ken and we complied with their wish.”

  Cassandra took a deep breath and said, “Have you developed a universal drive?”

  “No, we have not. We saw no need for one.”

  “I am launching a small ship toward your location. Inside it is a universal drive that you may copy and use. I pray you never will have to use it but I want you to have it.”

  The First Mother said, “Thank you for your gift. And thank you for this new home. You are welcome to visit us anytime you choose. We now know what the term friend means.”

  “I thank you. Would you mind if I visit the two ships for a little while?”

  “One of us will need to go with you.”

  “I understand.”

  “First Male, would you escort our guests to the location. You should also take your personal guard.”

  The giant red ship turned along with a hundred others and started moving away. Cassandra said, “Jess, follow those ships.”

  Jess stared at the size of the giant ships and said to Alex, “Did you fight against those ships?”

  “Yes, but that was before I became intelligent. I was little more than a machine back then.”

  “Even so, my respect for you just reached a new high.”

  “You fought the Black Ships. That is also impressive.”