“Stall for a few days and the sisters will join you. It’ll even out the odds,” suggested Serenity.
“No. I want everyone to stay where they are. If this turns out poorly, I don’t want it to reflect on the Sisterhood or on Aerianna. It’s also one of the reasons I had Xara kidnap my husband.” Egg could hear the other three laughing. “What’s so funny?”
“You, you crazy lady. It’s one thing to go to war against the Federation, but it’s just nuts to make your husband insanely angry. And, he will be.”
“Can’t be helped. Besides, I have just the news to bring him around. It’ll melt is heart.”
“Like what?”
“He gets to hear it first. So, that takes us back to the reason I called. How can I split the beam from seven ships’ cannons to a hundred of the bad guys simultaneously?”
“That’s an easy one,” replied Jax’x.
“Before you begin, let me get the weapons expert up here along with Kreed. No use in me trying to retell your instructions.”
A couple of minutes later the two arrived. Zwam introduced her mechanic. “This is Gilly.”
Egg was momentarily taken aback. Gilly looked amazingly like AyBee with a few less arms and tentacles. “The General tells me you’re an expert on the disruptor weapon.”
“I had never seen anything so harmonious, your Ladyship.”
Egg smiled. “Harmonious? In what way?”
“Every part works in perfect concert with the next and the whole thing produces a tuneful electromagnetic resonance. It is wholly pleasing.”
It was obvious this fellow was intelligent. “What do you think of this ship?”
“I could spend my life tinkering with all the systems. It is glorious.”
“Well, when this is all over, maybe I can arrange for you to come to Aerianna and apprentice with some of my friends. They are incredibly bright and the scientific and engineering projects they work on would be endlessly fascinating to someone with your abilities.”
“You would do that for me?”
“That’s what friends do for one another.”
Gilly looked at the General who nodded approvingly. “You do me a great service, your Ladyship.”
“Well, I expect you to become a great asset to your world and to our new alliance. Your first assignment is to listen to my friends who will talk to you through this dragonetta. They will tell you how to split the beam from your weapons so we can hit every Federation ship simultaneously.”
He looked at the mechanical birdie and his eyes lit up. “May I take it apart when we’re finished?”
“EEK,” screamed Ziz. “Touch me and I’ll peck your eyes out.”
Egg laughed. “Sorry, Gilly. Ziz prefers to stay in one piece.”
Chapter 7 – Check and Mate
After the incomprehensible instructions from her resident geniuses, which Gilly seemed to understand with no problem, Egg sent the mechanic to put the process into action. Kreed was going to go with him to ensure it was done right.
“No need. He can handle it. Can’t you Gilly?”
“Yes, Your Ladyship.”
“Then go. Besides Kreed, I want you here as part of my war council.”
“Your Majesty?”
“Yes Zwam?”
“Your kindness to my mechanic . . . is that part of leadership?”
“Sorry?”
“You took time to understand him as a person. In just a few moments you were able to connect with him on a personal level. You offered him the one thing that he treasures above all else – the opportunity to learn. In all likelihood, he is now more loyal to you then to me. Was that your purpose?” It wasn’t meant as an accusation.
“Not at all. He’s part of this crew and he’s doing invaluable work that may save us all. If I’m going to trust him with our lives, I need to take the measure of the man. His answers were wonderful. I got an immediate sense of his abilities. Besides, he’s willing to die for the greater good. I had a chance to offer him a tangible reward. That’s probably a better motivator than the unquantifiable idea of respect that you and I are trying to obtain.”
“I have learned one lesson above all others in our time together. You do not take kindly to compliments. I will leave the one I desire to express clinging to my tongue, out of respect.”
Egg smiled at the phrasing. “Thank you. Okay guys, I’m pretty sure that after I defeat the Federation’s fleet, I can get everyone involved to the bargaining table. I’m just missing one little thing.”
“Let me guess,” responded snarky Sparky, “You have nothing to bargain with.”
“Yeah. That seems to be a bit of flaw in the grand scheme of things.”
“Egg, or should I say Queen Eloise . . .”
“Thanks for reminding me, Skotti. I’m going to get even with every one of my sisters for getting me elected Queen. There’s no place in the universe you can hide without me finding you. Be warned and be scared.”
At those words, Zwam sat straight up in her chair as if she was getting ready to do battle. Kreed saw it and said, “She’s teasing her friends.”
“Truly? She sounded serious.”
“I am serious,” interjected Egg. “But I’m also kidding.”
“I am confused.”
“She does that a lot to us.”
“Skotti, finish what you were going to say.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Hey, mister, I know where you live too.”
“Sorry, Egg-o. Better?”
“Just finish your thought, please.”
“Sorry. Anyway, there’s a nice sized black hole not too many millions of miles away from the Outer Reaches.”
“I know.”
“As it turns out, it’s the only one we can tap for power.”
“Explain?”
“The technique used by the Rak’nex only works if you are close enough to the source. If we build a Space Tunnel on the Outer Reach’s planet closest to the Black Hole, we can harness infinite power at an incredibly small cost.”
“Why can’t you use the Space Tunnel on Aerianna?”
“Even though it allows you to move great distances in an instant, it still is a great distance. To harness the Black Hole, we have to be close enough to refocus and reharmonize the energy so it can be transferred wherever we want.”
“So once the Outer Reaches does its thing, we can go directly from there to Aerianna or Splendora and bypass all the other planets in the Federation?”
“Exactly. If the Federation wants some of that power, they have to play by whatever rules you set.”
“I could just kiss you, you wonderful, wonderful man.”
“Hey, I’m right here,” complained Serenity.
“Then you can watch.”
“I’d rather swallow my tongue.”
“Skotti, that’s just unbelievably great news. You and the other two, and K’ssss if you need her, should start working on the specifications and a timeline. I’ll want at least a brief outline within the hour. Is that possible?”
“It won’t have much detail, but yes.”
“Then you three get to work. I have a Federation to defeat.”
“Egg.”
“Yeah, Jax’x?”
“Be careful . . . for both your sakes.”
“Both?”
“Good luck . . . momma.”
*****
Ziz went quiet as the others cut communications.
“Egg, how did Jax’x know?” asked Kreed.
“Because she’s too smart for her own good. I said I had special news for my husband that would calm him down and melt his heart. She figured out what that meant.”
“It must make your job as leader of the Sisterhood much less difficult when you are surrounded by such intelligence,” observed Zwam.
“Actually, that’s a good point. A leader doesn’t have to be the smartest; she only needs smart people on her team.”
“You are a fascinating creature, your Majest
y.”
“That’s what I tell my husband all the time. He doesn’t always agree.” To the captain she said “Kreed, send a message to Meggy. Tell her we think Kru-Ella is a traitor. She needs to either prove the woman’s guilt or her innocence.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“Oh, tell her that I recommend she use Rap’tor to ferret out the truth.”
“Yes, Ma’am.”
“And stop calling me Ma’am. I’m younger then you, old man.”
Kreed smiled. “Yes, Ma’am” he said as he left.
“Your Majesty, may I ask another question about leadership? I am terrible sorry if I have become bothersome.”
“Don’t be silly. How else will you learn if you don’t ask? What’s your question?”
“You just used humor on the Captain. Is that a leadership technique?”
“It could be. Laughter is one of the great reactions that one person can elicit in another. It almost always creates an instant bond . . . though it may not last very long. In this case, Kreed is a personal friend, a trusted naval office, and the significant other to my best friend. Our bond is pretty unbreakable. I was just being playful to show that I’m confident in what we’re doing. He’ll pick up on that and in his own way pass it along to the crew.”
“Fascinating. Though in your list of reasons for your bond you failed to mention his obvious admiration for your skills as a leader.”
“I wouldn’t go that far. I’d say he’s pretty certain that I’m not totally nuts.”
“Is modesty another trait of a good leader?” The woman had a million questions and seemed determined to get every one answered.
“Modesty is not an act a person puts on to win the loyalty of others. That’s not modesty; that’s deception. People may be fooled for a while, but eventually they’ll know they’ve been had.”
“So your modesty is?”
Egg hated these discussions but she took a deep breath and answered, “My modesty is my absolute certainty that I’m not special . . . not by education, not by ability, not by heredity. I’m just me trying very hard to do the best that I can at those things I believe are incredibly important – like helping people that need help. You know what’s ironic? Some folks think that people who need help are bad in some way. I believe that those that can help but refuse to do so are worse than bad – they’re horrible. I don’t intend to be horrible.”
After a half-minute stare, the General said, “Someday, I fervently wish that I will be able to call you friend.”
“Good news . . . today is your lucky day.”
*****
“Your Majesty, the Queen Regent would like to speak with you.”
“Thanks, Captain. Pipe it to my room, please.”
A moment later, Meggy’s face appeared. The first words to spill out of her mouth were, “Egg, what are you doing?”
“Hi to you, too.”
“You declared war on the Federation?”
“Oh that . . . yeah.”
Meggy squinted at her friend as if the other girl’s image was out of focus. “You are the Queen of Aerianna; you cannot simply declare war on our allies. We swore allegiance – a legal oath. What you have done is disastrous. You have put our entire world at risk.”
“If you calm down, I’ll explain what’s going on. If you’re still too upset, you can call me back later.”
Meggy didn’t know how to react to Egg’s words. They seemed so inconsistent with how the girl normally spoke to her. “I should remind you that technically, I still outrank you . . . at least until your coronation.”
“I should remind you that first and foremost I am the Leader of the Hameggattic Sisterhood. In that capacity, no one outranks me. Second, I did not put my name forward for consideration for Queen-hood and have yet to decide if I will accept. Third, I am your sister and sister-in-law, not to mention your friend. Anyone of those three relationships should warrant at least a fair hearing before you condemn my actions.”
Meggy stared at Egg while she fought her warring emotions. She was mad as she had ever been, confused, disappointed, afraid, bewildered to name just a few. Strangely enough, the one emotion that finally won the battle was joy and she startled her friend when she laughed loudly.
Laughter is always contagious and Egg’s mouth turned up in the smallest of grins. “What?”
“You are a wonder; a marvel of the universe.”
“One does what one can,” came Egg’s teasing reply. “Why did you laugh?”
“Because if there was ever a doubt that you are worthy to be Queen, your words dispelled that notion. Anyone can stand up to their enemies, but only a few can do the same to their friends.”
Egg rolled her eyes at the presumed compliment. But she wanted to keep things from getting too serious. “There is one flaw in your analysis of my qualifications to be Queen. The last two – that would be you and your mother – are beautiful. People instinctively like pretty faces – which, I’m sure you’ll agree, is sadly stupid. On the other hand, I’m just your plain Jane. I don’t measure up by half.”
“Your ridiculous modesty clouds your judgement. Just ask my brother; he would vehemently disagree.”
“If he didn’t, he would be sleeping on the couch. His vote doesn’t count. Anyway, can I tell you what’s going on and what I need you to do?”
“Please. And I do hope that what you have to say is convincing. If the Federation ends up throwing you in prison . . . or worse . . . guess who becomes Queen?”
“No idea.”
“According to the law my mother enacted, if the primary vote-getter cannot serve, the person who came in second would become Queen. In this case, that would be . . .?”
Egg interrupted with, “Let me guess . . . Kru-Ella?”
“Indeed.”
“You’ve got to hand it to her, she’s no fool.”
“Not a fool, but definitely foolish. Please, finish your tale.”
Egg explained the situation between the Outer Reaches and the neighboring planets of the Federation. She even played back a recording of her conversation with the President. “Bottom line, Zwam and her folks have a legitimate legal case against the Federation. Their moral case is even stronger.”
“Then why not fight this battle in a court of law?”
“It could take years to litigate and, at best, it would buy them some temporary relief. But as Kreed reminded me, you can’t legislate prejudice.”
“He is a good match for our sister, is he not?”
“If anyone can keep that dumb smile on her face, I think it’s him. Anyway, I figured that an overwhelming military victory would gain the Outer Reaches, if not respect, at least their undivided attention. But to be honest, my plan was half baked.”
“Then you got lucky, correct?”
“Yeah. How did you know?”
“You always get lucky . . . that is truly your super power.”
“What happens when that luck runs out?”
“It runs out for us mere mortals. You represent all that is good in this universe. As long as that is true, your lucky streak will continue.”
“You sound awfully sure about that.”
“I feel it in my very soul. Now, continue your story please.”
“Right. So, as luck would have it, Zwam’s people traded with a passing fleet of star explorers who were in need of supplies. They received seven disruptor weapons in the trade. These things render most mechanical and electronic devices inoperable for a short period of time.”
“Ah, your secret weapon.”
“Yup. There’s no way that the Federation will be expecting such advanced technology. The next bit of luck came from my trio of trouble – Jax’x, Skotti and Serenity. They told us how to split the weapon’s beam so we can hit multiple targets simultaneously. Without that, the Federation ships would probably blow us out of the sky while we retargeted.”
“A rather important bit of luck.”
“Indeedily-do. However, the last bit of luck
was downright cosmic. Turns out there’s a black hole sitting just beyond the Outer Reaches. Long story short, it’s the only one where we can use the Rak’nex technology to tap into that infinite energy source. From those planets, we can redirect the energy to wherever we want.”
“Or not want, I presume. If the Federation does not play nice, they will not be given access to this power source. This is your ultimate bargaining chip to play when you negotiate a peace treaty.”
“Bingo.”
“And what would you have me do?”
“Now we’re back to your first concerns. I want you, on behalf of Aerianna and the Sisterhood to denounce what I’m doing. Issue an arrest warrant or whatever you do to apprehend criminals like me. Maybe you even reject the election results in light of my behavior and declare the vote null and void. Do whatever you have to do to make a legal case that you are in no way condoning, aiding or abetting my aberrant behavior.”
“Putting a bit of distance between you and us, as it were.”
“Exactly.”
“I cannot promise that. I will talk to the other Monarchs and my parents to get their advice before I take any action.”
“Your call. So, are you still angry with me?”
“Let me put it this way. When I grow up, I want to be you.”
“Meggy, that’s so sweet but that’s a truly lousy ambition. You can do way better.”
“I refuse to argue. Before I let you get back to your war, I have a couple of items. What shall I do with Benny?”
“Tie him up and lock him in his room. Just kidding. Make sure he stays put. But do me a favor and ask him for his opinion on all of this. At least he’ll feel like he’s made some contribution.”
“I will. And, what of Kru-Ella?”
“We need hard evidence. I think Rap’tor is our man to get it.”
“You have grown quite fond of him, have you not?”
“Want to hear something weird? I have a feeling that he’ll be my Storm. I actually get good goosebumps when I think of it.” She, of course, was referring to the magical and legendary relationship between the late Prince and Rose.
“Though he is more Benny blue than Storm white, it will be perfect. It would be like coming full circle in the story of Mobius, Rose’Alynnia and Flying Girl. I do approve.”
Gracie - Box Set #6, Part 2 of Ever After [an Egg and the Hameggattic Sisterhood novel] Page 27