by Terry Frost
A little over an hour since their last communication with Allen, they found Jeeves’s hornet and that wasn’t all their sensors showed. As promised, they called their commander. Only this time it was Colonel Hammer that made the call.
“Admiral, Colonel Hammer. We’ve found Jeeves’s hornet but that isn’t all we found, sir. There are a vast number of small heat signatures coming from a massive forest near the Commodore’s craft. Sensors show one signature that is probably Commodore Jeeves but we are also showing a huge heat sig only a mile from the one we think is the Commodores.
“Captain Slain is about to land and we will begin our search. As soon as we locate the Commodore, we will report back.”
“You do that, Colonel. I will be waiting to hear from you. Allen, out.”
The Striker set down on a long stretch of beach along the Greatest Lake’s shore. They parked the Battlecruiser about 100 yards from the hornet. The two officers checked their blasters to make sure they were fully charged and Hammer suggested they each carry a quassrifle just as a precaution.
“Looks like we aren’t going to need the Rover, Jak.”
“Yeah, that forest is way too dense for anything but walking. Reckon we will be hoofing it.”
“I have to admit I’m not too thrilled to be on foot with so many heat signatures showing up on our sensors. If there is one saving grace, it is that if the larger signature is that of the Commodores, he is less than a couple miles from our location.”
“Well, Kenner. There is one other saving grace and that is if the sig is Jeeves, it means he is still operating and whatever it is he is in the middle of, hasn’t harmed him.”
Chapter 14
Captain Sokolov called Admiral Allen and gave him the Perseus team’s latest report. Elated to hear about all the life forms beginning to show up on the planet, Allen informed them they needed to be aware of what seemed to be an extremely large storm heading in their direction from the north.
It wasn’t long after signing off that they saw the approaching storm first hand and Captain Sokolov spoke: “That looks to be one mean frikin storm, comrades. We are going to get as far away from that monster, and quickly I might add.”
Sokolov turned the Perseus on a heading south by southwest and stayed on that heading for over a hundred miles. Even that far away their scans showed they still couldn’t turn back on a northerly heading, so the captain decided to head for more of a westerly direction to see if they could eventually circle around the behemoth.
As they flew southwest, then west, there were several large flocks of small to large birds flying away from the approaching storm as well. With the mountain range well to their east, the topography changed into mostly a flat terrain with intermittent stands of trees.
One stand, in particular, held unusually tall trees standing between one hundred to a hundred and fifty feet tall. The trees resembled the towering fir breed of tree prevalent in the states of Washington and Oregon.
Major Hoser spoke: “With Colossus continuing to sweep this planet, I don’t see the harm in us taking Perseus down to the surface so we can do some ground level surveillance in the Rover. Once the big storm has passed the canyon we should land somewhere near the forest and check out those long-necked animals as well as those huge boars.”
“I suggest we continue on with our orders, using our sensors until we hear from command. Unless you want to be the one to call Admiral Allen about your request, Major,” Sokolov said.
“I’m not in command of the mission, Mikal, you are.”
“You are correct, Brik. So just continue monitoring the sensors, please.”
With an audible sigh coming from the major, he continued doing as ordered, and without him seeing Captain Sokolov’s face the captain held a huge grin for a second or two.
****
Speaking to the Putu, Tinko, Commodore Jeeves asked, “Would you mind telling Jeeves what is this Sabo?”
Tinko had a nervous look in his eyes and said, “Sabo big teeth. Sabo hunt Putu and Bapi. Putu warriors kill one Sabo many seasons ago. Jeeves want see?”
“Putu have Sabo carcass?”
“Tinko not know carcass. Tinko shows Jeeves Sabo.” And without another word, Tinko asked Jeeves to follow him. As they went slowly from branch to branch, Jeeves knew Colonel Hammer was probably more than upset that he hadn’t reported in, and thought to know Jak as I do, I am sure he is probably heading to my moon to find out why I haven’t reported in. I better try to call him.
Captain Slain and Colonel Hammer were standing in front of the magnificent forest and were about to start into it when Hammer’s comlink chirped.
“Colonel Hammer.”
“Colonel, this is Jeeves. I have some very interesting things to tell you about my discoveries on Commodore’s Moon.”
The nerve of this guy. Commodore’s Moon. I’ll moon his ass. “Why in hell have you not reported. We have been calling you for hours and I wouldn’t want to be you when I tell the admiral we’ve found you.”
“If you must know, Jak, I’ve been a little busy. I have discovered a new alien race and though they resemble tree-dwelling animals, they do in fact have a language my universal translator can translate.”
Colonel Hammer and Captain Slain had to admit the news was quite interesting, but Hammer wasn’t going to let Jeeves get away with deflecting his responsibility for a proper protocol on the matter of communications.
“We will talk about your wonderful discovery when we meet up with you. Can you come to us? We are standing by your hornet.”
“I can as soon as I finish what I’m doing with Tinko. By the way, Tinko is one of the Putu warriors. Putu is the name of the aliens.”
“Jeeves, I’m losing my patience with you. What is so important that you can’t come to us right now, damn it.”
“Tinko is taking me to see the remains of what he is calling a Sabo. “I’m not sure but I think it is a Sabertooth Tiger. The Sabo is the creature the Putu are going to feed the remaining two Bapi they captured, that was instrumental in stealing a few of the Putu’s littles and fed to the Evil Eater.”
Slain and Hammer’s heads were spinning. What they heard was too much information for two guys that had no idea who was a Bapi and what the hell were littles and an Evil Eater?
“Commodore, we have your location and I’m ordering you to stay put until we reach you. You’ll have to tell Tinko your people are coming to meet with you. Besides, Captain Slain and I want to see this carcass and find out who the hell are the Bapi, what is a little, and what is an Evil Eater.”
“Negative, Colonel. Trying to make it to me in the dark would be a danger to you and Captain Slain. I have first-hand information there are possibly a few vicious animals running the forest floor. Go back to the Striker and I will come to you at first light. Jeeves out.”
“Did you hear that, Kenner? Just wait until the morning comes and I dismantle that damn robot.”
“Yeah, I’d like to see you try to dismantle the Commodore. He would kick your ass so badly if you tried, and wait until I tell him you called him a lowly robot.”
“Okay, I might have lost my head for a minute. Let’s get back to the Striker, and you will not tell Jeeves I called him a robot.” It was dark so Hammer couldn’t see Slain’s grin.
Chapter 15
The Humans were enjoying the excitement of their discovery of the best candidate so far of a new homeworld. Their long and arduous journey on board the generations starship Colossus since they left Mars had not shown much promise until now.
But little did they know their Daakie friend's homeworld of Daak was being decimated by an attack force of the Hive so large, the powerful Daakie was being soundly defeated. The battle had raged on for fifteen days and millions of Daakie had lost their lives and homes. Their capital city had been nearly obliterated and only forty-one Zurguts was all that remained to try to protect their king.
The Hive had brought more than three-hundred Hive nests to the battle, and th
ough the Daakie had eighty Zurguts which had destroyed their fair share of the Hive nests, they were outnumbered at a ratio of three to one.
While visiting the Daakie, Admiral Allen and the crew of Colossus had no knowledge the Daakie had that number of their prized Battlestars. King Gaakin didn’t divulge that information to the Human admiral, which any military commander would have done themselves.
Where all those Hive nests came from was anyone’s guess and it meant one thing for the future of Humans, and probably of possibly millions of civilizations throughout the universe. That is to gain the knowledge of the location of the Hive’s actual homeworld. The importance of that knowledge would be absolutely critical for any future plans to negate their ability to build more nests.
Admiral Allen had suspected their discovery of a Hive command center was just that, a localized command station and not their homeworld. Allen was spot-on with his assessment of the command center and at the time Daakie Military Commander, Caid Tikit, didn’t agree and told Allen so. Allen prayed Tikit was right and he was wrong, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that his own assessment was the right one.
In the presidential palace, and standing in King Gaakin’s shelter, was a small number of high-ranking officers, Burseq Maalik being one of them along with Gorvik, the king’s nephew and heir to the Daakie throne.
Several officers were arguing about what to do next, then suddenly, King Gaakin silenced them. Before speaking he coughed deeply several times and needed help to sit down. Once seated he did not raise his head but spoke softly.
“The Caid and I have agreed on our next and final move. The day before this last day of battle, I ordered Caid Tikit to assemble our last few means of transport to be filled with a few carefully selected members of our race.
“Burseq Maalik, they are waiting for you along with three other Zurguts to escape this world so the Daakie race will have a chance to continue on after this dreadful battle is done. My last order as your King is for you to take Science Officer Faadin, and my nephew, with you on your Zurgut as commander of the last of our fleeing race.”
Several began objecting to the king’s command, as well as Maalik. “Your Grace. I can not leave you here. You, along with everyone else that remains will most assuredly be terminated by the Hive. I beg of you, Glorious One, come with us. If you will not come, then do me the honor of allowing me to stay by your side until I draw my last breath. Order the Caid to command our people’s escape.”
“It is written in Daakie law that whoever has the rank of Caid will stay with the king during his final hour. I am dying, Maalik, and we are almost out of time. Save our race and save their future king. Go now. Leave us,” the king said.
But before a noticeably shaken Gorvik could leave, King Gaakin grabbed him and pulled him close, and in a very weak voice said, “Go now, nephew. Honor your king. I have never doubted you would become a great ruler.” He released the young prince from his grasp, handed him his crown and scepter, then waved him to go.
On their way out of the shelter, Caid Tikit followed Maalik, Faadin, and Prince Gorvik to the exit. He took Maalik’s arm and said, “Find the Humans and Admiral Allen. They will be your best hope for our remaining people.”
Tikit backed away and the two military commanders made the customary Daakie handshake and with their other hand, made fists and hit their chests. Maalik and his entourage hurried in the direction of the waiting transports and the remaining three Zurgut Battlestars.
Once they reached Maalik’s commanding Zurgut, they quickly boarded. Explosions were happening in the air and on the ground as the remaining Daakie air and ground forces were engaged in their losing efforts.
One of the transports had taken a direct hit and all two-hundred souls were instantly killed. That left eight more and Maalik needed to get them skyward immediately. The sky was filled with Hive fighters and Hive nests, and Maalik held hope against hope he and his fellow Daakie wouldn’t perish before they were able to leave Daak’s atmosphere.
As the fleeing Daakie took off, Maalik suddenly had ten more Zurguts firing on the Hive as they lead Maalik, the other three Zurguts, and the eight transports off the planet. Maalik had time for one thought other than the immediate command of his Zurgut, and that was thank you Caid. I know the Zurgut formation in front of me was one of your last orders.
Chapter 16
Back inside the Striker and before turning in for the evening, Captain Slain called Admiral Allen to report they had communicated with Commodore Jeeves. When Allen began asking for details on Jeeves’s reason for the delayed response to being hailed, the admiral was not pleased with Jeeves for not being forthcoming to the questions asked by Colonel Hammer.
“With it being completely dark at the time we communicated with the Commodore, he insisted that Colonel Hammer and I wait until daybreak to meet with him. He was several miles deep in the huge forest and said he would come to us in the morning.”
“Did the Commodore have any details about what he had been doing all that time?”
Jak couldn’t wait to see Kenner’s expressions when he told the admiral that Jeeves said he had found a new alien race that could communicate with him but wouldn’t give us any details until tomorrow.
“Yes, sir, we did. But, but…Yes, sir. I will personally make sure that he does. Thank you, Admiral.”
Kenner saw Jak smiling and said, “Yeah, Yeah, laugh it up, Jak. Next time you will be the one to give the admiral news he isn’t going to like. He ordered me to make damn sure the Commodore checks in with him the second we have our hands on him. He repeated himself and said to make damn sure, damn sure.”
“Think I’m going to give General Dubois a call and see how the scanning is going on the planet they’ve been orbiting all day, and now into the night. I’m not about to ask Allen.”
Jak made the call and found out everyone in command was extremely excited about the scan results so far. He told Jak the old man said he thought it could be the one. He also said it would be a grand idea for the three of them to finish up on the moon and get back to Colossus.
Light of day was just breaking over the horizon and Captain Slain and Colonel Hammer were already up drinking coffee that Hammer made. Jak loved his coffee really strong and Kenner was having a hard time drinking it.
“This crap will put hair on a bald monkey’s ass, Jak.”
“Don’t like my coffee? Well, you can make it the next time.”
“Damn, Jak. All you have to do is push the simulator button and it will brew a perfect cup every time. But no, Colonel Jak Hammer has to have it brew twice.”
“I still don’t know how the hell the USC allowed you to be a Battlecruiser captain.” As soon as Jak finished his statement his comlink chirped.
“Hammer.”
“Open the bay door, Colonel.” The call was from Jeeves and he was standing near the back of the Striker. He was holding something in his right hand that was curved and a shaded white color.
Captain Slain pressed the panel to open the bay door. When the door fully raised, Hammer and Slain were standing at the back of the ship. Hammer was ready to rip into the Commodore but he didn’t get a chance because Jeeves started immediately walking to the front of the Striker and was talking rather quietly to himself, completely ignoring the other two men.
Neither Slain or Hammer followed Jeeves, and stood there and watched the bumbling Jeeves turn right a couple feet from the cockpit and disappeared into the small but functional break area. The two men looked at one another and Slain said, “What the hell was that?”
“Might be that the aliens are controlling him, not. Let’s see what the good Science Officer is concentrating so hard on.”
Hammer and Slain walked into the break area and Jeeves was holding an animal’s tooth, a very long, curved, animal’s tooth. He was holding the tooth four or five inches in front of his face as if he was scanning it.
“What you got there, Commodore? Is that a horn or a tooth. If it’s a tooth, then
you must have found them, what did you call it? A Sabo?” Hammer asked.
“No, Colonel. This is not a Sabertooth Tiger tooth. This tooth is a couple million years older than any Sabertooth Tiger fossil record.”
“You mean to say your analytical mind told you how old the tooth is?” Captain Slain asked.
Jeeves stopped peering at the artifact, turned his head and looked at Slain and said, “I’m not as simple as Humans, Captain. I’m ions ahead as far as intellect, stamina, strength, speed, and extremely more advanced analytically.”
“Well, super-intelligent being, would you mind giving the captain and me your analysis of the ancient predator?
“More importantly, Colonel, this fossil means there has been life on Commodore’s Moon for millions of years. The species I discovered is mathematically probably one of the oldest intelligent species in the entire galaxy.”
“That is the second time I’ve heard you refer to this place as Commodore’s Moon. Is that what you named it?”
“Yes, and I’ve named the lake just outside the Striker the Greatest Lake.”
“Did you take that name from the Great Lakes on Earth?”
“I may have borrowed the title, but this lake is different. It is grander and greater than all of the Great Lakes combined. Hence the name, Greatest.”
“Regardless of what you’ve named things on this moon, we are ordered to report back to Colossus and you my friend will hold court with a very upset Admiral Allen.”
“Why would the admiral be upset with me?”
“For forgetting one high priority order while out on a mission, any mission. Not reporting in during designated times.”
“I did do that, didn’t’ I? I’m sure the admiral will not berate me too badly once I tell him what I’ve discovered. Or who I’ve discovered, is more to the point.”
“Well, strap in Commodore. We are leaving your moon and heading for Colossus,” Captain Slain said.