by Saxon Andrew
“He and Seedel sold ten-million pairs of jeans and fourteen-million pairs of boots. He named the clothing line ‘Royal Wear’.”
Tag stopped laughing and said, “Do tell.”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t seen Jimmy and Lola wearing them!”
“I haven’t seen Jimmy and Lola since they were named our successors,” Danielle interjected.
“Well, you may not be fashionistas but you are being imitated by millions of Bristone residents, particularly the young adults.”
Tag looked at Danielle, “We need to get out more.”
Danielle chuckled and nodded, “Indeed we do.”
Tag felt better about Danielle speaking to the residents of Ross. It had been a long time since she laughed this hard and this much; it felt good.
• • •
The survivors on Ross were shocked by the arrival of the Stars Realm’s Queen and were stunned, as hundreds of giant transports began moving out of orbit and landing on the planet. The hundreds of thousands of Red Warriors that exited the giant transports and spread out around them caused severe concern over what was happening. Was Queen Danielle conquering the planet? They’d have to wait three-hours to learn what their fate was going to be. Millions of them began gathering around monitors that were still operational.
About three-hours later, Danielle changed into a form fitting blue and crimson jump suit before taking her seat on the bridge of the Kosiev. Tag looked at her and said, “Va-va-va-boom. You’re gorgeous!”
Danielle smiled and said, “Alex, keep Tag out of the message.”
“WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT?!”
“Tag, you need to look the part of the Ultimate Warrior and you don’t. Image is everything, if you want to make an impact.”
Tag glared at her and immediately activated his red armor. He left the helmet off and asked, “Will this work?”
“Why didn’t you use that when you and Kogo were attacked?”
“Honestly, I was so focused on escaping, I forgot about it. I haven’t activated my armor in thousands of years.”
Danielle smiled, “Sit in your chair next to me and Alex, include both of us in the message. By-the-way, how does the communication traffic appear?”
“No one on the planet is on the channels. It appears they’re waiting to hear what you have to say.”
“How much time is remaining?”
“About four-minutes, Danielle.”
“Activate the communicator at the three-hour mark.”
“The red light on your console will illuminate at that moment,” Alex replied. “The cameras are in the wall monitor and you should look at it as you speak.”
Tag reached over and squeezed her hand. Danielle glanced at him and winked. She turned back to her console and waited until the red light on her console illuminated. She looked up, saw an image of her and Tag appear on the wall monitor, and began speaking.
• • •
“I know my sudden appearance has many of you frightened at what my intentions are in returning to Ross. We did not come here to harm you and you can relax about being punished for the actions of your former government. But all of you need to know that you are just as guilty as your former leaders and I am more disappointed in your prior actions than I can put into words. You elected the power-hungry leaders that attacked the Cainth, Earth, and Glod civilizations and did nothing to make them pay for their behavior. You turned your backs on the members of the Realm and stood by while they were forced to pay exorbitant taxes to be defended, all the while accepting those taxes as payment to keep those leaders in office. Ross was always the gleaming gem in the Stars Realm’s Crown and set an example for all the other members of the Realm to follow for thousands of years. Now, you’re pitiful. You allowed Castle Gardner to be robbed of its defenses and did nothing to stop it…”
“THAT’S NOT TRUE!!” a young voice yelled.
Danielle’s expression turned nasty and Tag closed his eyes and lowered his head. Everything was going so smoothly. He sighed as Danielle sneered, “WHO SAID THAT!!”
A young girl, about ten-years old, appeared on the wall monitor, “I did, Your Majesty and you are horribly wrong!!! Both of my parents were murdered in the riots trying to stop the desecration of the castle.” Danielle stared at the monitor in silence, as the angry young girl continued with tears in her eyes, “I’ve been taken in by a family, after all my relatives were murdered at the castle by the Government’s Red Warriors, Your Majesty. It took the destruction of Castle Gardner to finally wake us up. My parents told me that some things were worth dying for and defending Castle Gardner and the history it represented was a cultural imperative. They died for what they believed in. We revolted against the government but didn’t have the weapons to win, thousands died in the revolt. The Black Ships attacked during the revolt and millions more died in the razing of the city.”
Danielle stared at the monitor and asked softly, “What’s your name?”
“Cassie Gardner, Your Majesty! My parents named me after a Heroine of the Realm!”
“What’s your full name!”
“Cassandra Lenora Gardner. My family was descended from you! WE DID FIGHT FOR YOU!! You trivialize their sacrifice by your remarks!!”
Danielle stared at her on the monitor and looked up, “Alex, I want her teleported here immediately!”
The young girl suddenly appeared on the bridge with fear on her face, but with a defiant expression as well. Danielle stood up from her chair and went to her. She wrapped the young girl up in her arms and shook her head. The young girl was shocked but then, held on to Danielle and wept. More than a billion inhabitants watched their monitors around the planet in silence.
Finally, Danielle stepped back and said, “I came here for the express purpose using Ross to lead the defense against the enemies attacking our universe. I came not really caring what happened to the people living here but…” Danielle looked down at Cassie, “You have redeemed your people and showed me I was wrong. I was unaware of the revolt and the loss of your family saddens me more than I can express.” Danielle took a deep breath and looked up at the monitor.
“I’m going to give you a chance to fight for freedom from the evil creatures attacking us, provided you can once more accept the principles we founded the Realm on. If you can do that, this is where I will establish my new capital. I intended to only build military installations on Ross and ignore you, but we will assist you in rebuilding the city that was destroyed. If you are willing to join me in this struggle, I am willing to forgive all past transgressions and move forward from this moment. It’s your choice to make.” Danielle looked at Cassie and said, “If you are willing to accept Tag and me to be your parents, we will make you part of our family.”
Cassie’s eyes were wide open as she looked at Tag. Tag nodded and added, “I’d consider it an honor if you agree.”
Cassie lowered her head into Danielle’s chest, “I do. I will…I mean, I accept.”
Danielle looked back up at the monitor, saying, “Let me know what you decide.”
The monitor went dark and Tag deactivated his red armor and put his arms around Danielle and Cassie. He never anticipated this happening. He didn’t sense it coming and knew their life had just underwent a radical change.
Alex said to Grace on their direct connection, “Just when I thought I have seen it all, something like this happens.”
“Alex, you accepted me back after I left you. You are very much like them.”
Alex flooded Grace’s data banks with his thoughts. She accepted them and they were lost in the moment.
• • •
Later, Danielle took Cassie to look at her quarters on the Kosiev and Tag activated his communicator, “Admiral Mongovie, what’s going on?”
“It appears a revolt has broken out among the inhabitants, Your Majesty.”
“What?”
“It appears many of the former City Leaders around the planet are resisting answering Danielle’s call.
” Tag shook his head slowly and Kelly continued, “Some of the old leaders have been killed by the inhabitants and most of the others have been incarcerated. New leaders are being chosen and the survivors have started celebrating your return to Ross. It seems they are accepting Danielle’s rule.”
Tag smiled, “Keep me informed, Admiral.”
“I will. What about our orders to begin building the defense installations.”
“Follow them! We’re going to need the reactor installations to keep the Field Ship at full power.”
“Yes, Sir.”
Tag changed the frequency, “Fleet Admiral Solomon, contact the transports and have the Senior Red Warriors under General Turner’s command to move out to the surviving communities around the planet and start getting them organized to assist in building the defense facilities.”
“Sir, we didn’t bring any materials to rebuild the city.”
“No, we didn’t, but we brought enough engineers to get the smelting facilities rebuilt to provide the materials needed to start the process.”
“Yes, Sir. Someone is going to have to take command of this process, Sir.”
Tag nodded, “I have just the ones to do it.”
“Thank you, Sir. My plate is full having to get the warships organized to fight off any attacks by the Black Ships.”
“I know, Solomon. Get the Warriors out and I’ll assign others to lead the reconstruction.”
The monitor darkened and Tag pressed another button on his console, “Have you been listening to my communications.”
“We have.”
“I am placing you in charge of getting Ross moving forward and organizing the inhabitants to build the defenses, as well as starting to produce the materials to rebuild the cities.”
Jimmy looked at Lola and replied, “We’ll start communicating with the inhabitants once the new leaders are chosen.”
“Where are you going to start?”
“We’ll organize the construction of the defense facilities first and then start rebuilding Castle Gardner.”
Tag smiled, “That’s an excellent plan. Let me know if you need our assistance.”
“I need the Kosiev to broadcast the recordings of the attacks taking place around the Realm’s universe so the inhabitants can see what we’re up against,” Lola suggested.
“Let me know when you’re ready for us to start broadcasting them.”
“We will, Tag.”
Tag raised an eyebrow as he saw Danielle walk on the bridge, “She’s sleeping. She’s suffering from severe malnutrition and lack of sleep.” Danielle sat in her chair and turned to Tag, “How old do you think Cassie is, Tag?”
Tag shrugged, “She looks like she’s nine or ten years old.”
“She’s thirteen, Tag.” Tag’s expression showed his shock. “She’s been scavenging for food with the other survivors since the Black Ships attacked Ross three-years ago. Most of Ross’s surface is covered with large metropolitan areas and there isn’t much land available to farm. Cassie and her adopted family are barely surviving on what food they can scavenge in the cities.” Danielle looked up, “Alex, do you have any idea how many died on Ross when the Black Warships attacked?”
“More than three-billion, Danielle. The attack didn’t hit the entire planet but it prevented transports from coming to Ross to deliver the food stores needed to feed the population. Ross was heavily dependent on those shipments.”
“How many survivors are there?” Tag asked.
“There were two-billion after the attack but more than five-hundred-million have died in the aftermath,” Alex answered. “It’s about a billion now.”
Danielle’s expression turned hard, “Alex, contact General Turner and tell him I want the transports unloaded immediately, sent back to Bristone, and to load them with food stores to deliver to the survivors on Ross. Ask Jack to request James to load as many transports remaining on Bristone as possible with provisions and get them moving to Ross.” Danielle looked at Tag, “Are you ok with my decision concerning Cassie?”
“She’s really brave, Danielle. Most adults would never interrupt an angry Queen to challenge her.”
Danielle smiled, “I know, but that’s not an answer.”
“I support it one-hundred-percent. This means we have another Cassandra in our lives.”
Danielle’s smile was instant, “We do, don’t we?” Tag stood up taking her in his arms, “This was the right thing to do. The survivors on the planet saw you taking them in your arms when you hugged Cassie; it is what will bring us together.” Danielle hugged Tag tightly and closed her eyes. Now she had something to fight for and things would never be the same.
Chapter Six
Root stood in the wilderness and watched the giant Dark Energy Creature moving toward the planet. This one was the largest he had seen. It moved down toward the planet’s surface and began slowly moving toward the Kelt’s capital city. It was invisible to them but he could see it in his mind. The edge of the creature was just two-hundred yards from where he was standing and he was thankful he had put in the additional distance from the city. He began hearing the death cries from millions of Kelts living in the city and their wails broke his heart. As the creature moved slowly along the planet’s surface, Root’s sorrow turned to rage.
He was forbidden from using telepathy but there were no orders stopping him from making direct contact. He decided that living with this memory wasn’t worth it. He rushed forward and stopped ten-feet from the edge of the passing creature. His rage grew as he extended one of his branches into the edge of the creature, as he released his mind to attack the creature’s brain.
He immediately fell to the ground and the giant creature came to a complete stop. Both lost contact with their bodies, as their minds went to war for control. Root intended to destroy the creature’s mind but found that impossible. He decided to do what every Algean feared most…he completely united his mind with the Dark Energy Creature’s mind and didn’t care if he lost himself in the effort. No Algean in their long history ever attempted to unite minds with another species and he had no idea what would come of his decision. Root’s mind was more developed than the simple intellect of the creature but the creature’s mind was more powerful. The fight was on and both experienced horrific pain. Root lost his identity, as well as all track of time. He saw the content of the giant creature’s memory as it flooded into his consciousness and sensed the creature’s mind being flooded with his memories as well. The monumental struggle seemed to last forever, until finally, all he saw was darkness.
• • •
Root twitched and began feeling something very strange and quickly determined it was excruciating pain. He was flat on the ground, as his senses returned slowly, and he saw that his branch was still extended into the outer edge of the creature. He suddenly realized that he was different; his mind had been radically changed. The creature’s mind was now part of his intellect and his brain was a new form of hybrid, two-minds existed in him. He could sense all the DEC’s in the Realm’s Universe and understood their thoughts. He also understood why they killed intelligent beings. The thing that fascinated and sickened him simultaneously, was that the creatures had no idea of the harm they caused. They were innocents who did not have any concept of right and wrong.
“What have you done to me?”
Root heard the creature and replied, “I joined my mind with yours.”
There was a pause and he heard, “We have identical minds.”
“It appears we do.”
“You were angry I was tasting the beings here.”
“I was far past anger.”
“I can see that.”
Root hesitated and asked, “What are you going to do now?”
“I’m experiencing something I don’t understand,” Root heard in response.
Root looked inside his mind at the part of his brain that was the creature and realized what it was experiencing, “What you’re feeling is sorrow.”
&
nbsp; “What is that?”
“it’s what you’re feeling.”
“I don’t want to experience this, make it stop!”
“It’s what happens when you realize you’ve done something terrible.”
The creature remained motionless and eventually thought, “I’ve killed.”
“Yes, you’ve killed.”
“I didn’t understand what that means.”
“Find the part of you that is me. You will find the answer there.”
Root felt the part of his mind that came from the creature suddenly experience a wave of sorrow that caused it to try and kill itself. He immediately interrupted it and stopped what it was doing, “You didn’t know. You can’t blame yourself for doing something you don’t know.”
Root remained lying on the ground and felt the terrible misery going through his mind. Hours later, his hybrid-mind began to meld into one. He pulled his branch out of the creature and managed to stumble erect. He looked up at the sky and said, “Another is coming.”
The creature mentally nodded, “It feels my sorrow,” as Root heard the incoming creature ask, “Why you still?”
“Because I want,” the hybrid-creature answered. “This mine; you go now!!” The incoming creature turned and moved away at high speed.
“Thank you for that?” Root commented.
“I will remain here and prevent any more death.”
“I must go now,” Root replied.
“I know.”
Root wasn’t using telepathy. Whatever the creature thought, he heard and visa-versa. Their minds were connected and their thoughts were identical. It was like hearing your thoughts in stereo. The giant creature began rising and moved quickly away from the planet’s surface, until it arrived in orbit. There it stopped and remained in place.
Root turned and began walking toward the capital city. It took a month to arrive, where he found millions of decaying Kelt bodies scattered everywhere. Many Kelts from around the planet flew in weeks earlier to bury the dead but they stopped when the first responders entered the creature’s body and died.
He and the creature wept at what they saw as he searched the city, until he eventually found a small operational starship at the spaceport. He tenderly removed the dead Kept from it, boarded, and lifted off the planet. He didn’t know where they were but he decided the best place to start looking was in another galaxy. The creature part of his mind had revealed to him, during the struggle, all that had happened during its life, as well as recent memories from other creatures, which told him he was on the right track. The small ship arrived in orbit and disappeared as it teleported away.