by Saxon Andrew
“In three…two…one…” The port flew open and Jingle leapt out. She ran toward the front of the house and jumped over the four-foot- high fence. She saw the guard stand up. He shook his head to get the cobwebs out as Jingle arrived in front of him. The idiot wasn’t wearing armor. She balled up a fist and slammed the guard under the chin. His head snapped back, and he dropped his shoulder blaster as he crumbled to the ground. Jingle then kicked him in the side of the head to make sure he stayed out and said quietly, “Go, Go!”
Gerald went to the door, lifted a pot and took a key to the door. He unlocked it and took off his head cover, “LENA!” A woman came out of a bedroom and then rushed into Gerald’s arms. Jingle entered and said forcefully, “GET THE CHILDREN. YOU MAY ONLY TAKE ONE THING WITH YOU!”
The woman ran into the bedroom and came out carrying a baby in a pink blanket. Gerald came out of another bedroom carrying a small boy who was wiping his eyes.
Jingle looked at the woman and she said, “I brought both of my new-born children home in this blanket. It’s all I need to take.”
“Ringie move in so the port is next to the porch!!” Gerald and Lena saw the fence suddenly crush under something and a circular opening appeared in front of the porch. Jingle took the baby from Lena and said forcefully, “GET IN!!”
Gerald picked up his son and jumped over the steps and landed in the port. He put his son down and grabbed Lena under her arms who was coming up short of the port. He pulled her in, and Jingle made the leap easily and handed the baby to Lena. “Get us out of here, Ringie!!” Just before the port closed, they heard sirens moving close by. Jingle shook her head, “I thought they might be watching this house by satellite. Ringie, status.”
“I have numerous security aircraft moving this way. There’re also two warships moving around the planet toward the capital. Do you want me to remove them?”
Jingle blew out a breath, “No, the debris would only fall into the city and possibly kill innocent people. Just move around them and head toward New York at maximum speed.”
Jingle turned to Lena, “Take a seat next to me and Gerald, you and your son can sit on the floor. By the way, you might want to get out of that stealth suit.”
Lena held her baby and son in her lap as Jingle shut off the interior lights. The light from the console was the only illumination and they watched the planet moving at high-speed below them. Ringie moved out from under the two incoming warships and Lena saw the planet disappear as brilliant stars appeared. Gerald came forward dressed in his clothes and Jingle smiled, “Take my chair.” Gerald sat down and looked at his wife, “Thank you for coming without delay.”
“I knew by your expression we didn’t have any time. I’m so thankful to see you.” Gerald leaned over and kissed her.
Jingle waited a few moments and then came forward, “Sorry, I need my chair.” Gerald stood up and sat down in front of Lena’s chair. Jingle pressed her communicator, “Alex, I have them on board and I’m headed to New York.”
“That didn’t take long. Did you run into any trouble?”
Jingle smiled, “Not even a little bit. Get the message sent to Mike and I’ll see you at Fleet Operations.”
Jingle saw Gerald and Lena staring at her. Jingle waved a hand, “He worries too much.” They laughed and Jingle raised her shoulders, “I’m just saying.”
• • •
Alex saw Admiral Glennon appear on his monitor and said, “Sir, I have some recordings for you to preview while I’m headed to Fleet Operations. I’ve included some data at the end of the recordings that Jingle and I would like to discuss when we arrive.”
“What is it all about?”
“View the recordings and we’ll discuss it when we arrive, Sir.” Mike looked to the right as the data arrived in his computer and nodded. Alex landed the Rapids at the spaceport outside Fleet Operations and as he exited the port, he saw Jingle landing beside him. “Holy Moly!” Jingle exited the ship with Gerald and his family and Alex said, “How on Bucket did you catch me?!”
Jingle ran up and hugged him, “Ringie has some legs!” Jingle turned to Gerald and smiled, “Come with us. I’m sure Fleet Admiral Glennon will want to speak with you.”
“Am I in any trouble?”
“No, Gerald. You told the truth and didn’t have to be prodded to do it,” Alex replied. “We’ll be taking you and your family back with us to Bucket and we’ll find a place for you there.” The group turned and headed into the towering building.
Chapter Seven
Mike was waiting for them in his conference room and Alex introduced him to Gerald and his family. Mike smiled and shook their hands and hugged the children before starting the meeting. The first thing he said when he sat down was, “Admiral Berringer, this man was planning to attack the Union.”
Jingle looked at him and said, “Mike are you that stupid?” Mike jerked his head to Jingle and she glared at him, “At the first opportunity, Gerald told us everything that Overland was planning! He told us who the leader of the group on board the shuttle was and his position among the traitors. He wasn’t prodded, he immediately volunteered the information and it told us all we need to know to bring the President of Overland up on charges! When you couple that with them holding his family hostage, you should be thanking him for telling us what was happening!”
Mike held up his hand, “All of that is true but he will not be warmly received in the Union because of his association with the plot to destroy it!”
“He’s not staying in the Union! He’s going back to Bucket with us and live there!!” Jingle replied.
Mike closed his mouth and said, “You really like him, don’t you?”
“You would to if you weren’t so stiff necked,” Jingle replied. “You need to remember that you once considered me a traitor to the Union as well and how do you feel now?!”
Mike smiled slightly and turned to Alex, “I understand that he was a commander on one of Overland’s warships. You may consider drafting him into one of the fleets on Bucket.”
“Mike, what you just said was to pull my chain!” Jingle said angrily. “He won’t be joining the Navy.”
Gerald, Mike, and Alex looked at Jingle in surprise and Jingle said, “His days of being away from his family are over. There’s a job waiting for him on Bucket and I’m hoping he’ll take it.”
“What job is that?” Alex asked.
“He’s going to be hired as a manager at the Watering Hole. Dolly still needs someone she can trust to run things when she and Joesen aren’t there.” Jingle turned to Gerald, “It pays rather well, and I know you’ll enjoy meeting everyone who are the movers and shakers on Bucket.”
Gerald smiled, “I really have no issues fighting to defend humanity. I see that as a good purpose of my life.”
“That might be true, but you are going to have to testify against Overland’s President and you need to keep a low profile until some time has passed before you will be accepted into the Navy. Besides, I think once you get to know Joesen and Dolly, you won’t want to stay in the military.”
“What do you mean he’s going to have to testify, Jingle?”
“Mike, I really hope you aren’t intending to go in with the Union’s Navy to handle this issue.”
“They’re threatening us! Of course I’m going to do something about it.”
“Mike, you’re planning to go in and attack a planet that is part of the Wilds’ Government. What do you think that will cause the other planets in the Wilds to think of the Union? This is their problem and they will have to handle it. Otherwise, you’ll rekindle all the hate and distrust the Wilds once felt for the Union. You must allow them to handle this issue.” Mike stared at Jingle in silence and she continued, “Send all the evidence we’ve collected to the Wilds’ Assembly and leave it up to them to handle it.”
Mike looked at Alex and he nodded. He turned back to Jingle and said, “Stay here. I need to talk to the President of the Union about this.”
Mike s
tood up and Alex quickly said, “Before you go!” Mike turned to him. “Did you get all the names of the recruits that are involved in this plot?”
“Yes and all of them have been quietly arrested and incarcerated. We’ll decide what to do with them after this issue is resolved.” Mike turned and left the room.
Gerald watched Mike leave the room and said to Alex, “I was afraid he was going to arrest me.”
Jingle spoke up, “The Forbidden Wilds is not the only one that harbors distrust. The Union also doesn’t trust the Wilds. I’m sure once the Union’s Council learned about this plot he was ordered to arrest anyone associated with it. He didn’t like it, but he played his role and will take the recording of our confrontation for the President to view. He’ll recommend that our suggestion be followed, and the President will agree. The Council will then follow the President’s lead.”
Gerald turned to Alex, “Is she right about this?”
“I wondered why Mike went after you but now it makes sense. Jingle has read this perfectly and you are out of trouble now. If it takes Jingle and me resigning from the Military to make sure, we’ll do it.”
“I wouldn’t want you to be forced to do that.”
Jingle waved a hand at Gerald, “The President will never allow that to happen. He’ll fold like a cheap tent to prevent our leaving the service. However, I don’t think it’ll come to that. He’ll do the right thing and absolve you of any wrong doing.”
Gerald looked at Lena and saw the worry on her face, “Don’t worry about this, Love. I did join the plot and I’m responsible for my actions.”
“But you did it under duress!!”
“Even so.” Gerald looked at Jingle, “You’ll take care of my family if I’m arrested?”
“You know I will. However, if you’re arrested, then we are going to make sure the entire Union knows about this travesty of justice. Trust me, you will not be arrested, there would be hell to pay and I believe Mike knows that.”
Rollie stuck his head in the room, “Admiral Glennon says the meeting is going to take longer than planned and you should go and get something to eat. He’ll let you know when he’s coming back.”
Rollie stepped out and Jingle lifted her communicator. She spoke quietly for a few moments and then turned to Alex, “We’re going to the Rapids to have lunch.” Alex’s eyes narrowed but he nodded. They arrived in the landing bay and Jingle turned to Alex, “Ringie is taking Gerald and his family to Bucket with a message to Dolly.”
“What?!”
“It’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission, Alex. The fact that Mike is taking so long to get back tells me that the President is not listening to him about arresting Gerald.” Jingle turned to Gerald, “Board my shuttle with your family and the ship will take you to a very close friend of mine. Stay with her until we arrive.”
Gerald’s eyes narrowed but he followed Jingle’s instructions. Once they were on board the scout ship, it lifted, disappeared, and flew out of the landing bay. Alex sighed, “Mike isn’t going to like this.”
“Let’s worry about that when the time arrives, shall we. Possession is nine-tenths of the law.”
• • •
Mike finally contacted them and ordered them to report to his office. They entered and Mike’s eyes tightened, “Where’s Barrow and his family?”
Jingle looked surprised, and she pulled it off well, “I sent them to Bucket to start their new life. What’s the problem?”
“I TOLD YOU THAT ISSUE HASN’T BEEN RESOLVED!!”
“I’m sorry, I thought it had. However, they have arrived on Bucket by now and they’re settling in to their new accommodations.”
“JINGLE! YOU…”
Jingle interrupted him, “Admiral, you saw the Barrows have a young baby and son. They’ve been held at blaster point for weeks and they need some time to decompress and get over what they’ve been through.”
Mike closed his mouth and lifted his communicator, “The man and his family have been sent to Bucket, Sir.”
Mike moved the communicator away from his ear and Jingle asked, “May I speak with him?”
Mike said, “Admiral Jingle wishes to speak with you.” After a moment, he held out the communicator to her.
Jingle took it and said, “Mr. President, was that speech you gave to the Wilds’ Government all a lie?” Mike and Alex could hear the President from where they were sitting and Jingle interrupted him, “YOU SAID THAT FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN EIGHT CENTURIES, MANKIND WAS UNITED AGAIN AND YOU LOOK FORWARD TO WORKING WITH THEM TO CEMENT THAT RELATIONSHIP!! NOW AT THE FIRST SIGN OF TROUBLE YOU INTEND TO ATTACK ONE OF THEIR PLANETS!! WERE YOU LYING OR NOT!?!” The communicator was silent, and Jingle added in a calmer voice, “They are going to have to handle this issue, Mr. President. And what if they decide to do nothing about it? The Union can decide that no more recruits from the Wilds will be allowed to join the Union’s Navy and they can’t say anything against that decision. The plot has been thwarted and won’t happen again. Put the onus on them to act and see if they intend to live up to their word to work with the Union. You’ll get a lot more benefit from using this event to find out about that than attacking Overland, who really doesn’t represent a threat to us now that we know what they’re planning.”
There was a long moment of silence and then they heard Jingle say, “Sir, I’m sure there’s someone better qualified…no Sir, I’m not refusing to follow an order…but…Yes Sir.” Jingle sighed and handed the communicator back to Mike.
“What’s going on?” Alex asked.
Jingle shook her head, “The President has ordered me to take the evidence we’ve collected and present it to the Wilds’ Government. He says that if I believe it’s the right thing to do then I should be able to get their agreement to do something about Overland.”
Alex stared at Jingle as Mike said, “You’ve stepped in it this time Jingle.”
Jingle sighed, “It appears I have.” She paused and shook her head but then said, “Admiral, I need your assistance collecting some information.”
“What do you need?”
Jingle told him and Alex spoke up, “I can do that with my ships, Sir.”
Mike smiled, “Then get on it, Admiral Berringer. And Jingle, I hope you can pull this off or all the trust we’ve built will be lost.”
Jingle huffed out a breath before replying, “Yes Sir.”
• • •
Jingle contacted the former Executive of Barrow and requested a meeting of the Wilds’ Assembly to bring a complaint against one of their planets. If anyone else had asked, the request would have been turned down. But the new President knew Jingle had saved Barrow and because of that, he agreed and set the meeting eight days later.
“Jingle, shouldn’t you tell me what’s going on?”
“Mr. President, I don’t want you to be biased and the representatives will know if you know anything in advance. Please allow me to present our complaint and make your decision then.”
The President stared at her on the monitor and then smiled, “I owe you. I hope this isn’t a huge waste of time.”
“So do I Mr. President.”
• • •
The monitor went dark and Jingle asked, “Did you get the frequencies for the monitor in the Wilds’ Government Chamber?”
“Yes Jingle,” Brooks replied.
“I want you and Jangle to take all the evidence we’ve collected and organize it into a remote that operates that monitor. Program it for our wall monitor and I’m going to present it to you. I want both of you to try and shoot holes in it; that will help me be ready for the real thing.”
Alex listened to Jingle and knew she was in deep trouble during her first presentation. Jangle and Brooks made her look really bad and brought into question everything she presented. Finally, Jingle said, “Alex, you should go home and be with Belle. You’re making me nervous.” Alex hugged her and took Ringie down to the planet.
• • •
The d
ay of the meeting arrived, and Jingle was led into a huge chamber by two armed guards and she took her place behind a podium to the left and below the President. The Assembly was murmuring among themselves; they had been told that the Union was issuing a complaint against one of their planets. Jingle saw they were obviously a cross-armed audience. The President sounded a low tone and the Assembly grew silent. “The Union has requested we hear a complaint against one of our member planets. I agreed to allow you to hear it and I’m turning the floor over to Admiral Jingle so she can present evidence to support the Union’s position.” The President looked out at the Assembly and saw their expressions. “And if any of you are wondering, I’ve not heard what this is about. Admiral, you have the floor.”
Jingle looked out at the Assembly and saw the Overland Representative was sitting close to the front of the huge room. She also saw that the representatives present didn’t like that one of them was being accused of anything. “The Union has uncovered a plot to one day destroy the Union. One of the planets in the Wilds has been sending agents to infiltrate the Union’s Navy and once all the wars are over, to take control of Union Warships to attack and destroy our fleets. Once that was done, they would then attack the planets in the Wilds and subjugate them. They then planned to conquer the Milky Way and rule it.”
The room was deadly silent and one representative yelled, “Just who is planning this?”
Jingle looked at the Overland Representative and replied, “OVERLAND!”
The Overland representative jumped to his feet and yelled, “You’re insane!! There’s no truth to this accusation!”
The room burst out into loud shouts and the President sounded the tone again. When the room was silent, he turned to Jingle, “Present your evidence. The Assembly will remain silent until the evidence is presented.”