by Saxon Andrew
“I’m from the civilization that you’re planning to send out your fleets to find. I really hope you’ll listen to reason and put those plans aside.”
The Mosan looked at his Military Liaison who shook his head, “We are not detecting any ships in our domain.”
“Then more appropriately, where are you?”
“I’m close enough to see your planet through my viewport. Now before you go all crazy and start scrambling all your ships, you and I should discuss a few things.”
“I don’t believe you’re as close as you say.”
“I’ll offer proof shortly but before we start shooting at each other, we should see if there’s a way for us to stop this nonsense.”
“Why would I pay any attention to what you want?!”
“Well, I assume you don’t want to see any harm to your planets. And before you start yelling, your planets deserve anything that might be done to them.”
The Mosan shook his head at the arrogance of the being speaking to him, “And just why is that?”
“Because you’ve gone out and destroyed thousands of planets with intelligent life on them. Your entire species should be eradicated for what you’ve done. But, no one has actually given you a reason to stop that behavior.”
“And you think you can?”
“Before it comes to bloody conflict, just consider this. What if my civilization could eradicate every warship in your fleets and destroy all your planets, would you stop your destruction of intelligent life?”
The Mosan grunted, “I see no reason to discuss the improbable or the impossible.”
“Just for the sake of conjecture, what if I could do it? Would you stop attacking planets?”
“I guess if I had a blaster held to my head, I would do what I was told. Are you the ones that destroyed the civilization on the other side of the core?”
“Actually, we didn’t. It was in our plans to eventually remove them but they invaded the close spiral galaxy and the civilizations there came and did it for us. We did destroy about a million of their ships that tried to flee to another galaxy but the bulk of the work was done by warships sent from the other galaxy.”
“Why did you want to kill that civilization?”
“It was pretty nasty. Not as bad as you, but pretty close. They conquered thousands of planets, enslaved their populations and killed them on a whim. You on the other hand don’t enslave planets but you do kill them wholesale.”
The Mosan was starting to feel nervous. This civilization had scouted him. They knew what they did to intelligent life they encountered. “It appears you know much about us but we know nothing about you.”
“And that is how it’s going to stay. I’m here to try and prevent your extinction and quite frankly, I’m hoping at some level you get all arrogant and give me the excuse to eradicate your species down to the last one.”
The gathering of Grelk Leaders looked at each other nervously. The Mosan wanted to feel angry but this being showed no doubt in its voice about what it could do. “You mentioned at the start of this conversation that you would offer proof.”
“It always comes down to someone having to die, doesn’t it?” The Mosan was silent and Stella said, “I am going to reveal a hundred of our warships in a moment. How many of your ships do you think you’ll need to destroy them?”
“Less than half that number.”
“Then here’s how we’ll continue this conversation. Send a thousand. If you send more than that, our conversation is over and your species is dead. Do you understand?”
“That’s ridiculous.”
“Then send two thousand if that makes you feel better.”
The Mosan’s eyes went wide and he suddenly saw a hundred small warships appear on the huge wall monitor. They were less than eight hundred miles away from the planet. “Should we attack them with our fleets?”
The Mosan held up his huge arm, “No. Select two thousand ships and attack them. Notify all other ships that if any other ships attack I will kill the crew and every member of their families!”
• • •
Admiral Edisen hit his communicator, “Alright lads. Start hitting them and keep hitting them as soon as they make a move to attack.”
• • •
“Don’t you think you might have overdone it?”
“No, Poul. Either our blasters can kill them or we’d have to run. This way we’ll find out.”
“You could have said a hundred or two hundred.”
Stella smiled, “Yeah, I guess I could. But he made me mad.”
“How do you think you made him feel?”
“What? Was I discourteous?”
“If I had a head I’d be shaking it.”
• • •
Two thousand giant black and silver warships moved out of the ranks of the millions of ships surrounding the planet. They moved in and surrounded the hundred small warships at extreme range. Stella watched them and pressed the communicator, “Whenever you’re ready, call it off.”
The Mosan’s eyes narrowed and he yelled, “DESTROY THEM!!”
The command was just out of his mouth when a hundred of the giant Grelk Battleships were hit with a brilliant white beam that flashed through their force fields and sliced down from the top to the bottom of the giant battleships. The hundred ships fell apart into two pieces as another hundred were hit. Then the numbers of brilliant beams numbered more than eight hundred and the Grelk Battleships were being cut apart before they could move into range to fire their weapons. The number of surviving Grelk Battleships was down to less than two hundred in a matter of minutes and they attempted to flee. They were all destroyed before they escape.
The Mosan’s mouth was wide open. Those final two hundred ships were more than a hundred miles away from the tiny ships that killed them.
• • •
Stella waited and there was silence on the frequency. After ten minutes she said, “I have more than four million of these ships arriving here within a few hours. I suggest you start telling me why I should stop them.” Again she was greeted with silence. “I know the location of all twelve planets your species inhabit.”
“ENOUGH!”
“You don’t need to yell. We’re having a simple conversation between two reasonable beings.”
“What are your demands?”
“I think you weren’t listening. I told you to tell me why I should stop my ships’ arrival? I’m not making any demands. You have to convince me that allowing you to live is worth doing. There are thousands of planets with billions of beings you’ve killed that cry for justice. Persuade me or die.”
The Mosan looked at the gathering and said, “We should fight them to the death!”
His son stood up and shot him in the chest with a hand blaster. The gathered leaders looked at him in shock and he looked around the room, “I am here to defend my family and our species from destruction. Do any of you see it differently?” No one spoke; he still held the blaster. He walked to the front of the room and said, “We will never attack another civilization except in self-defense.”
“That’s a start. Isn’t this a different voice?”
“I just killed my father because he was refusing to be reasonable. I assume that this conversation needs to be conducted between reasonable beings.”
Stella’s eyes widened and she smiled, “That’s an even better start.”
“Then we will not attack anyone without clearing it with you first. Further, if we go out searching for planets to colonize, we will do it in unarmed scout ships.”
Stella muted the frequency, “Is there something I’m forgetting, Poul.”
“No, that pretty much covers everything. However, you might tell them that I’ve found more than twenty dark stars that will meet their needs.”
“Really?”
“I’ve been around this galaxy so much that I have everything in it pretty much catalogued.”
Stella nodded and unmuted the communicator, “Your agree
ment is acceptable. However.” The Grelk Leaders knew something terrible was about to be said. “We’ve found twenty dark stars with suitable planets to colonize. We will also require that you remain on this side of the galactic core.”
The Grelk Leaders were shocked silent. The new Mosan said, “Were you the ones that led us to the last planet?”
“We were.”
“We will do all that we’ve agreed on and will remain inside our territory.”
“Then our conversation is done. You should be aware that we will be keeping track of your behavior and any attempt to develop technology to defeat my ships will be seen as a violation of this agreement.”
“You will not have to worry about that. The planets you’ve found will occupy our attention for centuries to come.”
“I’m sending you the location of those dark stars now. Admiral Edisen, withdraw your ships and notify the Fleet to abort the invasion.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Stella leaned back, “Poul?”
“I’ve sent them.”
Stella shook her head, “I guess we’re now free to start what we’ve been delaying. It was settling this issue that stopped us from moving forward.”
“When will the first ship go through?”
Stella sighed, “Soon.”
The End
Books by Saxon Andrew
The Annihilation Series:
Love Conquers All
The Power of a Queen
A Rose Grows in Weeds
Tommy’s Tale
Searcher
Demon’s Sacrifice
Finding Keepers
Prequel-Psychic Beginnings
Searching for a Hero
Dahlia’s Deception
Ashes of the Realm:
Juliette’s Dream
Greyson’s Revenge
Death of an Empire
The Return of the Realm
Lens of Time:
The Pyramid Builders
Planet Predators
Pray for the Prey
The End of Time
Star Rover-The Worst of Time
Star Rover-Running Out of Time
Lens of Time-Chosen To Die
The Fight for Creation
Life Warrior
Scout Warrior
Ultimate Warrior
Star Chase
The Lost Prince
Nowhere to Run
Nowhere to Hide
Probe Predators
Jesse’s Starship
Mike’s War—
Joshua’s Walls
Nemesis
Revenge is Best Served Hot
The Search for Orion
Trapped in Time
The Time Takers
Taming A Planet
Exinction
Escape to Earth
Running From Fate
Fighting for Space
Defending Holy Ground
The Legacy of a Conqueror
Living Legends
The Sequel Series to Escape to Earth
Defending Earth
Searching for Death Feeders
Discovery Means Death
The Death Prophecies
The Coming of the Prophet
The Eyes of the Prophet
Also an audiobook at Audible.com
Love Conquers All
The Power of a Queen
A Rose Grows in weeds
Tommy’s Tale
Searcher
Demon’s Sacrifice
Finding Keepers
The Lost Prince
Copyright © 2015 by Saxon Andrew. All rights reserved. Screen Writers Guild no. VQEA3E380432.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
First Electronic Edition: December 2015