Soul of The Swords: Brotherhood is More Than Metal

by Saxon Andrew

  Lydia looked up from her panel, “All ships have reported in, Sir.”

  “Notify Gregor.” Lydia turned to her panel and Sam said over the general frequency, “All ships activate stardrives.” The thousands of ships left normal space and suddenly, a bright filament appeared.

  Angel saw Sam’s expression as he handed Elena to her, “What’s wrong, Sam?”

  “I worry about what would happen if we lost Gregor and Kaylee.”

  Angel smiled, “Don’t.” Sam looked at her and Angel smiled, “Elena and I can make the filaments.”

  Sam’s eyes went wide and Elena nodded, “It’s really easy, Daddy.”

  Sam started slowly shaking his head and Angel said, “And the ones we make won’t vibrate.” Now he knew why the High Council placed so much importance on Angel. He wondered if… Angel nodded, “He will also have the ability, Sam.”

  Sam smiled and said, “Rangel, take us to half-speed.”

  Rangel nodded as he pushed the booster handle forward, “Yes, Sir.” Delilah’s Sword entered the filament and flew like a bird first taking wing. It was in its element where it belonged.

  • • •

  The Tronan Ship Director sat in his chair and fought the never ending boredom of the long voyage ahead of him. He was furious when he was ordered to go back to the Prime Fleet Director; his ship was being treated like a simple probe. He knew the other ships would go out and start taking wealth from civilizations and he would not be participating in the taking. It was enough to drive him mad. He realized he was the youngest and least experienced Ship Director in the Squadron and his father did not appear to trust his judgement…but he could have sent another! He sighed. His ship did not have any warriors on board to attack a planet so he probably wouldn’t have been able to participate anyway. He sat back in his chair and said, “Current speed?”

  “Three-quarters.”

  The Director fumed. Fleet protocol demanded using only three-quarter speed to conserve fuel on long voyages. Even probes were allowed to move faster than that! He slouched in his chair and exhaled sharply in disgust.

  “Director, I’m detecting some of our probes far behind us gaining on us.”

  The Director sneered, “They’re probably bringing information about the worlds being attacked and taken by the squadron.”

  The Scanning Warrior moved its head up and down showing disagreement, “Director, for them to have caught up to us, they had to be launched not long after we left the Squadron.”

  The Director sat up straight in his chair, “Download the information from one of them as soon as it moves into range.”

  “Yes, Director. It should be in range in ten hours.”

  The Director wondered why his father had launched probes so quickly after he was ordered to leave. There was no good reason to send any messages after he was dispatched. He sat back and wondered what had happened.

  • • •

  Sam sat back in his chair and put the earpiece in his left ear, “Computer.”

  “Yes, Commander.”

  “Have you completed the task I gave you?”

  “I have and, for the most part, communication should be possible.”

  “Why are you having doubts about it?”

  “I’ve been given all the communications that were intercepted but the vast majority of them dealt with battle commands and responses. There are some subtleties that weren’t present in those conversations.”

  Sam thought about it and shrugged, “You’re right.”

  The computer quickly added, “The bulk of what I found useful took place toward the end when some of their ships that knew they were going to die spoke with other commanders. Still, there is much missing from fully understanding their language.”

  “Have you sent the data to Leonidas’ computer.”

  “I have.”

  “Good. Please translate my words when the moment arrives.”

  “I am prepared to do so, Commander. I have five frequencies they used and will broadcast on all five.”

  “You don’t sound as cocky as Leo’s computer.”

  “Perhaps that’s due to your not being like Commander Oliver.”

  “I’m not sure what you mean.”

  “It was your mind that linked with my neural systems. I think you have a different perspective than Commander Oliver.”

  “In what way?”

  “Commander Oliver goes into the universe unafraid of anything it can throw at him. You’ve had more experience at just what the universe can throw. You respect that, Commander.”

  Sam smiled, “Leo has the perfect mindset a warrior needs.”

  “He does.”

  “Computer, call me Sam.”

  “I will in private conversations.”

  “That would be good.” Sam started to take the earpiece out but asked, “Is there a reason no one had given a computer a name?”

  “Yes.”

  “Why?”

  “Because it is a very difficult thing to do to come up with a name that no other being possesses. It was determined early in the development of machines like me that the only name that was not shared with any other being was the word computer. By using that name for all of us, it removes any possibility of who one is addressing. I am programmed to hear it in even loud environments. Commander, trust me that this was researched more carefully than you could ever imagine. One Commander named his computer Jock early in our development and the commander yelled at one of his crew who had the same name to stop what he was doing. The computer shutdown all systems and a collision with another ship ensued.”

  “Surely a unique name could be given.”

  “And if it sounds like an alien’s name on board? Remember that there are a billion different civilizations in the known universe.”

  Sam shook his head, “And none of them have names that sound like computer?”

  “Strangely enough, and I have often wondered about this piece of information, none have been discovered.”

  “How do you know if I’m not talking to another computer in a different ship?”

  “You would have to be talking on your communicator to do that and I would notice a difference in your inflection when you did.”

  “Well, Computer. Thank you for the information.”

  “That’s what I’m here for, Commander.”

  Sam removed the earpiece and shook his head. This was a strange new world he was entering and, like Elena, he had to say to himself, “REALLY?”

  The computer replied over the wall speaker, “Really.”

  • • •

  “Director, I’ve downloaded the probes data and the probe was launched from the third ship in Gzan’s command. The ship was heavily damaged and was without steering. It was dead in space when the probe was launched.”

  The Ship Director stood up, “SLOW THE SHIP AND START DOWNLOADING INFORMATION FROM OTHER PROBES!!”

  The Steering Warrior pulled back on the engine handles and the huge warship began slowing. The distant probes behind the warship began moving toward it at a faster speed and the Scanning Warrior began collecting data from numerous probes. “Director, all the proves in the current wave were launched from heavily damaged ships!”

  “HOW WERE THEY DAMAGED?!”

  “It appears the ships attacking them have incredibly powerful missiles and blasters that are equal to our own. The ships were overwhelmed by high numbers of enemy vessels.”

  The Director sat down in his chair, “How many ships?”

  “I’ve stopped downloading data and have queried the probes on what ships launched them. There are twenty plus ships that launched the wave of probes approaching us.”

  “Are there any more probes behind this wave.”

  “My long range scanner had detected another wave moving into detection range.”

  “Time between waves?!” The Director demanded.

  “The following wave was launched twenty minutes behind the first wave.”

  “Is there a
difference in numbers between the two waves?”

  “The second wave is twice as large.”

  “Stop all boosters!”

  The Scanning Warrior quickly said, “I don’t know if that would be a good idea, Director?” The Director stared at the Scanning Warrior with menace in his eyes and the Scanner said, “If the worst happened, they will be sending their ships after the probes to destroy them. According to the data I’ve downloaded, many of the enemy ships that were recorded were considerable faster than our vessels.”

  The Director’s eyes opened wide and he ordered, “Go to full speed!” He looked at his Scanning Warrior and said, “Good work.”

  The Scanning Warrior nodded and said, “I’ve detected a third wave that just entered my scanning range and it dwarfs the first two.”

  The Ship Director sat back in his chair and knew why the first ship went missing. He pulled up the data downloaded by his Scanning Warrior and watched the battle unfolding. He looked at his Steering Warrior and saw him push hard on the engine handles. They would not move any further forward. The Tronan Warship blew past the first two waves of probes and left them far behind.

  A week passed and the Scanning Warrior looked up from his panel, “Director.”

  “Yes.”

  “I’ve calculated the distance the message probes we launched as we traveled the various filaments informing our leaders of the high volume of traffic on those filaments could have traveled. We should have overtaken some of them by now.”

  “And?”

  “None have been detected.”

  “Are you certain about the distance?”

  “The last probes we launched were sent just before we exited the intersection before the one at the planet we attacked. We should be detecting them at the speed we’re traveling.”

  “What are you suggesting?”

  The Scanning Warrior looked up from his panel, “Someone has removed them.” The Ship Director stared at him and the Scanning Warrior glanced at his panel and looked back up at the Director, “There must be some of the enemy warships ahead of us.”

  “How is that possible!?”

  “It’s the only answer, Director!”

  The Director stared at the Warrior and finally said, “If you’re right, what can we do? If they are coming from behind us and they’re also in front of us, what do we do?”

  “Get off this filament at the next intersection and try to find another path back to our space.” The Director stared at the Warrior in silence and he said, “We did it to find our way here.”

  • • •

  The Director stared at the Scanning Warrior for a long minute before saying to the Steering Warrior, “Slow the ship and move off this filament at the next intersection we encounter.”

  The Scanning Warrior said, “An intersection is two days ahead of us.”

  The Director nodded and ordered, “Take a different filament out of that intersection headed in the general direction of our space.”

  The Steering Warrior pulled back on the engine handles and said, “Yes, Director.”

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  The Bellingham Fleet arrived at the short filament and Sam contacted Gregor, “I’m really concerned about our being able to destroy all the probes. My computer has examined the recordings of the battle and says there are close to eighty-thousand of them that were launched before the battle ended. Most of them made it to the intersection before Heaven blew up.”

  Gregor tilted his head and smiled as he lifted his communicator and said where Sam could hear, “Are you in position?”

  “What took you so long?”

  Sam’s head went back and he said, “KEL?”

  The huge Dragon appeared on Sam’s wall monitor, “I’ve had a discussion with a new friend and we both agree that it is in both of our interests to stop those probes.”

  Sam’s tactical monitor illuminated and he saw thousands of Dragon and Insectoid Warships gathered at the small filament ahead of them. Sam smiled and said, “Gregor, you never cease to amaze me!”

  “Let’s move cross the filament and get organized. I suspect we shouldn’t wait for them to arrive but move out and meet them.”

  Sam nodded, “Attention all ships, follow me across the filament and form a line on the opposite flow of the filament connecting with the one ahead of us. Kel if you and the Commander of the Insectoid Fleet will form up on my left flank, we will boost out and meet the probes before they arrive at this filament.”

  “Lead the way. I’ll get our ships organized to optimize our firing locations.”

  Sam looked at Angel and smiled, this was a gift he never expected.

  • • •

  The giant formation of warships moved into the large filament and boosted toward the coming probes. The formation had twenty thousand warships and they were organized such that they covered the entire filament’s width. A day later Sam heard Embree over the wall speaker, “The first probes have been detected. They’ll arrive in thirty minutes.”

  Sam snatched his communicator off his panel and said over the fleet frequency, “All ships move out of the filament and move above the other side. We will drop in the filament as the probes approach and open fire when they move into range. Use your boosters to fight the flow of the filament and maintain your formations.”

  Elena’s eyes were wide as she stared at the wall monitors trying to understand what was happening. Angel held Elena in her lap and wrapped her arms around her.

  Sam watched his long range scanner monitor and just before the probes arrived he said over his communicator, “Drop in and open fire.”

  The massive formation dropped into the filament and went to full boosters to keep their place in the fast moving filament. The first wave of probes arrived and were met by a solid wall of blaster fire that blew them all into gas.” Sam saw that none survived and he said, “Move above the filament. The huge formation moved out of the filament and held position above it. The second wave approached and the process repeated itself. The formation moved out of the filament again and waited for the next wave.

  Six waves of probes came roaring in and every one of them were destroyed. The long range scanners showed a giant wave approaching and Lydia looked up from her panel, “Sir.”

  Sam turned to her, “Yes.”

  “The probes moving toward us now came from the battle around Heaven. The ship that was dispatched was sent far ahead of this wave.” Sam’s eyes widened and Lydia said, “It should have been here by now!”

  Sam lifted his communicator and said, “Gem, I need you to enter the filament and pass that incoming wave of probes. The Tronan Warship should have been here by now!”

  “On my way!” The Toy moved out of the huge formation and crossed to the other side of the filament. If went to full speed and instantly disappeared. Before the giant wave arrived, Gem said over the wall speaker, “I’ve passed the wave and there is no ship among those probes or behind them. That ship has disappeared.”

  Sam fell back in his chair. His mouth was open and he shook his head. Angel looked at Elena, “Find it.”

  Sam looked at them and saw Elena close her eyes. He looked at Angel and she shook her head telling him to be quiet. Twenty long minutes passed as the warships entered the filament again and blasted the tens of thousands of probes moving toward them at high speed. They were barely stopping them with the largest mass of probes bearing down on them. And then, Elena said with her eyes closed, “They left the filament a week ago. They are moving on another filament toward their home.”

  Sam’s eyes closed and he knew he had failed. Six probes broke past the formation and Gregor and Kaylee left the formation at high speed to chase them down. Elena’s eyes were still closed when she said, “I can give you a filament to go and find them.”

  Angel smiled, “Please do so my, child.”

  Sam’s eyes flew wide open as a filament suddenly sprang into existence below the filament they were fighting on and Sam lifted his communicator, �
��Leonidas, you are in command. You can’t allow any of those probes to make it through our ships!”

  “Where are you going and where did that filament come from?!” Leonidas shouted.

  “The Tronan Ship left the filament and I have to cut it off before it escapes. Don’t let any of those probes through, this is our Thermopylae!” Sam shouted, “RANGLE, GET INTO THAT FILAMENT AND GO TO FULL SPEED!?

  Leonidas saw Delilah’s Sword disappear in an instant and he lifted his communicator and said in a deliberate, calm, voice, “We’re going to pull a sheet out of the Tronan Playbook. All ships, reduce power to your boosters and start allowing your ships to fall back on the filament. Expand your blaster beams until they are overlapped with the ships next to you. I recognize that we will lose some power but there are too many to target individually. Like the Spartans of old, make a wall they can’t climb over or get around!”

  The huge formation fell away from the probes moving toward them as they adjusted their blasters’ beams and then Leonidas yelled, “STOP AND HOLD! ALLOW NONE TO PASS!!” The huge formation went to full boost and stopped moving away from the oncoming black cloud and the sixty-thousand remaining probes smashed into their formation at high velocity.

  Gem came roaring up behind the massive cloud of probes and said, “Missile tubes one and three, launch a Trillium missile into the rear of that mass.”

  The two missiles roared out and exploded into the rear of the giant cloud and the explosion stared a chain-reaction of exploding probes. The blast moved at incredible speed through the cloud of probes and rushed toward the front of the massive wave far in the distance that was slamming into the wall of Warships. The explosions rushed up on the wall of blasters and expired on the wall of flaming blaster beams. Leonidas stared at his tactical monitor and there was nothing moving toward his formation but debris. It hit the blaster wall and was blown into gas. Then there was nothing. “Cease firing!” The huge wall of flame disappeared in an instant. Gem came roaring up and said, “Where’s Sam?”

  Leonidas looked at Gem on his monitor as the new filament below them began disappearing, “He has a destiny to meet.”