by Terry Frost
“Hurons!” How in God’s name can that be? That is an actual tribal name of an American Indian tribe. Excuse me, Alias. You caught me off guard with that bit of information. Continue, please.”
“Well, if that blew your mind, then wait until you hear this about their leader that Colonel Hammer said is known as the Ancient One.”
Chapter 20
The Ancient One, his Warrior Chief Two Hands, the other warrior, Colonel Hammer and Captain Slain had finished eating a delicious meal prepared by the six beautiful Huron females and Kondiaronk sent Two Hands on an errand to bring back a pet of Kondiaronk’s.
Kondiaronk stood up as did the rest of the men there and asked everyone to follow him out of the large hut. While standing outside, Chief Two hands came walking up with a massive animal that resembled an African hyena, but much larger, with a rope hooked to a collar around the animal’s neck.
The Ancient One held out his arms and said, “Ah, come say hello to my friends, Nassar.”
Neither Jak or Kenner cared anything about meeting the vicious looking carnivore but held steady while trying to not show their fear. Nassar walked up to Jak first and sniffed him, then sniffed Kenner and walked over to his master and sat at his feet looking up at him.
The Ancient One stroked Nassar’s head and said, “Come, Nassar, we shall walk with my friends awhile.”
He turned to look at Two Hands and said, “My friends and I need to talk. I will return soon.”
Two Hands facial expression showed he didn’t like the Ancient One walking with the two men, but something told him he wouldn’t come to any harm, so he just bowed his head slightly and walked away.
“Come now, tell me why you and your kind have come to the world of Huron.”
Kondiaronk removed the lease from the beast’s neck and the three men and one huge hyena began walking away from the village heading for one of the rivers that ran north and south.
“Our home, which you call Mother Earth has taken her landmasses back. The Earth has warmed and our glaciers have melted. Nothing other than a few valleys in the high mountains is left for our kind to live.
“We colonized the Earth’s Moon then did the same on a planet known as Mars. But Mars doesn’t have the kind of air that our kind needs to breathe. So, after many years we were able to build a ship capable to take us to the stars so we can find a new homeworld.”
Kondiaronk stopped walking and while looking at Jak and Kenner said, “I am sad that so many lives have been lost because your world reclaimed her land. But if I am, to be honest with you, I must ask, how does it feel to have your land taken from you like your kind did to my people?”
Jak and Kenner didn’t know how to respond to the Ancient One’s question and had to pause for a while to search for the answer and Kondiaronk sensed their quandary. The Ancient One knew the question would be difficult for them to respond to with an answer that would please him. But he stood silent while waiting for their response.
“What we did to your people is unforgivable. All I can say on behalf of Captain Slain and myself is, we had nothing to do with taking their land. The stronger groups of people have always seemed to never have enough and have taken advantage of their strengths at the cost of those weaker. It is the nature of all living things that live on the Earth and has been that way millions of years, even before our kind was around.”
“Come, Nassar lets go back to the village so my guests can return to their ship.”
Surprised that their walk only lasted a few short minutes, Jak and Kenner turned back and followed the Ancient One and Nassar without commenting. They walked in silence until they reached the village. Once there, Kondiaronk stopped just short of the stairs to the main hut and spoke.
“Colonel Hammer, Captain Slain, I have enjoyed our visit, but now is the time for you to go. I ask that you tell your superiors that there is no place for your kind on Huron. I trust what you said comes from your heart, Colonel Hammer. But I do not trust your kind and because of what you call Human nature, I cannot in the interest of my people, allow you to make Huron your new home.”
“But there is so much we would like to learn from you, Ancient One. Can we not stay long enough to learn more about you?” Captain Slain asked.
“Your people need to find a new home and that should be your consideration. I decided to allow time for us to visit but now it is time for you to do. I must tell you that though you might think the Huron is nothing but a small band of people and could easily be run over by more powerful people, and to a point, that would be correct.
“But I am much more than I have allowed you to see. If you doubt me, then ask yourselves how it is possible my people and I have managed to live here unscathed for many millions of years? There is a reason I am known by my people as the Ancient One and that is I am thousands of years older than you Humans. I forbid you or any of your kind to return to Huron. If you truly wish to find a new home for your people, then you will comply with my wish. If you do not respect my wish you and your kind will never see a new home.”
The Ancient One turned with Nassar at his side and walked up the stairs, then went inside as the two warriors closed the doors behind him. Two Hands walked up to them and said, “You come now. We take you to your ship.”
Jak started to plea with Two Hands but decided against it. While walking back in the general direction of their shuttle Jak was thinking this is going to be one time that I hope the general and admiral will listen when I tell them we need to log the planet in our records and get the hell away from Huron.
Captain Slain jumped in the pilot’s seat as Colonel Hammer took the co-pilot’s seat. Slain fired up the shuttles' engines as Hammer called General Dubois.
“Colonel Hammer calling General Dubois. Come in, General.”
“Dubois, here.”
“General, we are returning to Colossus. If you would, please inform the admiral that I need to come to debriefing upon our return. We found our visit to Planet Huron to be an interesting one, but the Ancient One gave us a warning and I need to share that with you and the admiral. Hammer, out.”
Shuttle One had returned to Colossus and Colonel Hammer, Captain Slain, General Dubois, and Admiral Allen were in Room Forward and Colonel Hammer was beginning to tell his superiors about their trip to Huron.
“That is a fantastic story, Colonel, but are we to believe this Kondiaronk is more than a million years old?” asked Dubois.
“Believe it or not, General. But Colonel Hammer and I were there and there was an unexplainable sense about the man, spirit, or whatever we might call him. Myself, I don’t know how in the world he knew what he knew about the Earth and I tend to think we should do as he asked,” Captain Slain said.
“I have to admit there is a lot of unanswered questions I have in regard to the Ancient One. But the universe is a very big place, as we have known it would be and there has to be another planet out there that we can lay claim to without taking the chance of being destroyed by some long living Indian spirit. So, log the planet into our archives Colonel, and we will plot a course for the Red Star Jovan but won’t go there until Commodore Jeeves returns with his report on the Hive homeworld.
“Before you and Captain Slain leave this meeting, I do have some excellent news to share with you two, while you were on Planet Huron. A few hours ago we were informed by High Mage Cina that Doctor Stavens flu virus had been successful in killing every member of the Hive in and around Planet Daak.”
“That is some excellent news, Admiral. What about the Hive homeworld? Do we know if the virus managed to infect their homeworld?” And if I may, how did you come to know about the virus’s success?”
“A few hours before your return, I was paid a visit by the High Mage and that is how we learned about the virus. By order of Empress Katin, she was to go to the Helo System and find out the answer to the homeworld dilemma. I sent Commodore Jeeves and one of the Predators your Katin sent to watch over us to follow the High Mage and report back.”
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br /> “We can only hope the virus made its way to the Hive homeworld. Now, if you wouldn’t mind, sir, Captain Slain and I haven’t had any sleep in quite awhile.”
“By all means, Colonel. Take the rest of the day off and report to my Ready Room for a briefing on our next flight plan. Dismissed.”
Both saluted the admiral and general, turned and walked out on their way to a much needed few hours of sleep. Since Jak wasn’t on the Colossus when High Mage Cina came to bring the news, she didn’t have a chance to give him the personal message from Empress Katin about their baby moving inside her.
Chapter 21
The Aborian Raptor and Predator carrying Commodore Jeeves had come out of FTL at a point nearly fifty-thousand kilometers from the region of the Hive homeworld. At that distance the probability of the Hive nest’s sensors detecting their presence was low. By order of the High Mage, both ships immediately cloaked and proceeded slowly in the direction of the Hive.
Remembering back to the day she reviewed the recording of the Hive homeworld brought to her by Commander Lurcie, High Mage Cina saw the first of the three planets that were bustling with Hive activity during the recording.
The Raptor’s sensors began showing hundreds of markers on its screen, indicating many spaceships ahead. But to Cina’s surprise, none of the markers were moving through space and were not showing engine heat signatures, meaning they were powered down.
Standing next to Cina was Commodore Jeeves, who had teleported to Cina’s Raptor, and he too was looking at the same screen. As soon as the Raptor came within eighty-kilometers of the first planet they noticed there was no activity coming from the planet as seen before in Commander Lurcie’s recording.
More than a dozen nests had collided with each other and were twisted, tangled, clumps of metal. The High Mage ordered one of her warriors to zoom in on one of tangled two nests. When the warrior zoomed in they saw several hundred aliens floating in open space.
“It is my observation that the virus has, in fact, reached their homeworld, High Mage,” Jeeves said.
“I concur, Commodore. We will make a complete orbit of this planet, then move on to the second one. Lieutenant Zita, one orbit around the planet, please.”
The Raptor completed the orbit and the High Mage and Commodore were satisfied that nothing of the Hive was still operating or none of the aliens were alive. Cina ordered her Lieutenant to proceed to the next planet.
Two and a half hours later the second planet began to show up on the Raptor’s sensors. Thirty minutes later and the planet covered most of the bridge’s viewscreen. The area around the planet looked very similar to the first planet, as space was filled with dead nests, alien fighter ships, three Command structures, and a couple dozen transports. Cina ordered her lieutenant to bring the Raptor to a position only fifty kilometers from the planet.
As the Raptor came within the targeted range something obvious caught Commodore Jeeves’s attention. He notices the planet was filled with dark lines streaming through the cloud base. Jeeves postulated the black lines were smoke caused by many fires on the planet’s surface.
He pointed the black lines out to the High Mage and said he thought the smoke was from those ships that crashed when pulled into the planet by its gravity. He also informed Cina that he was certain the death of the Hive at this location hadn’t taken place that long ago.
Since the Raptor was cloaked her crew was enjoying a non-threating view of the carnage that must have taken place when members of the Hive began to die, leaving their ships unmanned. Just before Cina was about to order a full stop of her ship, two operating Hive nests came into view directly to the Raptor’s forward right side.
Only the two nests weren’t alone. A ship no one had seen before was tucked in behind the two star-shaped nests. The ship was less than half the size of the rotating nests and constructed out of a none-reflective material not seen before by the Aborians, Daakie, or Humans. The mysterious ship was shaped like a cylinder with a cone nose and wings the shape of a shark’s dorsal fin, indicating it was a fast flyer.
The High Mage immediately ordered her crew to prepare to uncloak and begin firing the ship’s proton torpedoes at the Hive ships. Right before giving the order the three ships jumped away from the planet.
Jeeves turned to Cina and said, “That is not a good sign. And what type of ship was that with the nests? I’m quite certain the nests did not detect this ship. It leaves me to wonder, where did they go, and why are they not dead as well?
“I am considering the same questions, Commodore. There could be many different explanations for those two nests not being affected. I’m also wondering if we just saw a ship carrying the Hive queen or a new species of alien that came to the aid of the Hive.
“But, the best explanation could be they were somewhere else in the galaxy when the virus began killing their kind. How long did Doctor Stavens say the virus could remain effective before it ran its course?”
“An infected Hive member could conceivably infect another for around seven days from the day it was initially infected. My concern is, has a few of the Hive determined that their kind has died from a spreadable disease and just isolated themselves from those showing signs of the illness?”
“We don’t have any way of confirming your suspicions, Commodore. But if that is the answer, then another question could be, how many had come to understand the same thing?”
Cina ordered her lieutenant to plot a course for the third and final planet inside the Hive homeworld. This time she was going to have her ship remain at a higher threat level when closing in on the last planet.
Several hours later the Raptor had gotten within sensor range of the third planet. This time the area was extremely cluttered with a wide variety of dead Hive ships and nine Command structures. There was no pinging from the sensors indicating any heat signatures from operating ships or alien fighter craft.
“Look at all those ships. We need to plan a mission to come back and explore them for possible technological advancements, then before leaving we should destroy them,” High Mage Cina said.
“I would ask that you allow me to explore one of their nests while we are this close,” Jeeves said.
“That is not what we were ordered to do, Commodore.”
“Understood. But when would there be a better time to do it than right now, High Mage?” Jeeves asked, then thought to ask to go against orders?Some of Colonel Hammer’s personality must have infected my neuro processor.
“I understand the reasoning, Commodore, but that is not our mission and I didn’t become a High Mage by undermining my Empress’s commands. It's time for you to get back to your ship. We have our recordings and I have to report back to Abor and my Empress.”
Begrudgingly, Commodore Jeeves walked off the bridge and went to the teleport station, and as soon as the Raptor decloaked, he teleported back to the Predator.
Chapter 22
Admiral Allen had just been informed the Aborian Predator carrying his Science Officer had just come out of hyperspace. He asked Lieutenant McManus to inform Commodore Jeeves he wanted him to come to Room Forward as soon as he was back on board.
A half an hour later, Commodore Jeeves walked into Room Forward to find Allen, Petrov, Hammer, and Doctor Stavens waiting for him to arrive. Hammer was thinking about saying something snide to the Commodore but remembered the last time he did something like that he was admonished by Allen and told to keep his remarks in line with their discussions at the time.
“Good to have you back, Commodore. I’m hoping you have some positive information about the virus and the Hive homeworld. Do you?” Allen asked.
“Excellent news, sir, as you will all see once I playback this recording disc.”
Allen had already brought the large viewing monitor down from the ceiling in anticipation that Jeeves would have a recording of the Hive homeworld. Jeeves walked over to the screen and inserted the disc, then stepped out of the way so everyone would have a clear view of the
recording.
They sat in silence for the forty-five minutes it took for the total recording to playback. Allen looked at Petrov and gave the Vice Admiral a positive head nod before speaking.
“Doctor Stavens, we all are in your debt. Even though we saw two Hive nests and a possible ship carrying the Hive queen jump from the area, I would say your virus was a monumental success. No one knows the Hive’s total numbers, but what we’ve seen here today, coupled with their destruction in and around the Daakie homeworld, has really put the hurt on the insectoids.
“Now maybe we can move forward with our efforts of finding a new home for our people without having the Hive breathing down our necks. This is a great day for our fledgling group of space explorers, including the Daakie, Nawi, and the Aborians. Let’s get back to the task at hand which will be exploring the Jovan System and its Red Star. You are dismissed.”
When they got up to leave, Allen asked Doctor Stavens to stay behind. As soon as Colonel Hammer walked out the door slid closed. Allen walked up to Victoria and said, “I wanted to ask if you have any plans for tonight. I feel energized by the great news Commodore Jeeves brought to us and am wondering if you would like to spend some time celebrating with me?”
Victoria reached up and put her hand behind Alias’s neck and pulled his head down to hers and gave him a hot, steamy kiss. She pulled back after their lips parted and said, “Is that a good enough answer for you, Supreme Commander?”
****
Back on Planet Abor, Caid Maalik was anxiously waiting for High Mage Cina to return from the Hive mission. He was informed by Tage Doni the High Mage was scheduled to arrive in less than an hour. Maalik had been invited to the High Mage’s debriefing, which was to take place in the living area of Empress Katin’s quarters.
Little did any of the Aborian’s know that Maalik had some great news to share with them, and that news being Queen Junal had gone into labor. It was time for the next Daakie heir to be born. But he would not share the news until after the debriefing.