by Saxon Andrew
“I’ll send my representatives so we can see about ending this conflict between us.”
“I look forward to that.” He looked up into the sky and watched the giant starship disappear over the horizon. Two lessons came out of the sky; one of hatred and one of love. Both of them delivered messages that needed to be heeded. There was a lot of work to do to heal old wounds but maybe the invaders’ blasters had cauterized most of them. It was time the planet came together and found peace.
• • •
Gregor looked at Sam on his monitor, “She came through it ok, Sam, but she deserves another medal for her actions. I don’t know what it is about Tronan Heavy Blasters but Elena destroys them at an incredibly fast pace.”
Sam shook his head, “I thought you ordered her to stay with her unit.”
“Have you tried ordering your daughter to do anything, Sam.”
Sam rolled his eyes, “Yes…she’ll agree and then do what she wants.”
“Exactly. We’re just going to have to let Elena be Elena.”
“I suppose. How are the other landings going?”
“Some are tougher than others but we’re winning. We have air-superiority and better armor. I have currently have fifty-transports dropping on twenty-five planets. I have ten-transports held in reserve to support any landings that need it. So far, so good.”
“Keep me informed, Gregor.”
“I will.”
Sam looked at his wall-monitor in Fleet Operations Command Center. The SD’s would be arriving at the Tronan Leader’s Planet in two days. He leaned back and shook his head. Randy defeated more Tronan Warships than anyone simply by broadcasting a message. Who would have believed it?
• • •
“PRIME DIRECTOR, WE’VE DETECTED A LARGE NUMBER OF ENEMY FORMATIONS APPROACHING ON ONE OF THE FILAMENTS.” The Prime Directors face turned almost white until he heard, “IT APPEARS THEY ARE BEING PURSUED BY MORE THAN FOUR-THOUSAND OF OUR FLEETS.”
“WHAT?! SHOW ME!!” The monitor changed and an image of the enemy formations appeared with a massive blob of white blips right behind them. “Contact our fleets and tell them to smash the enemy formations as they leave the filament. The fleets here will be sent to hit them head on.”
“We are unable to get a transmission through, Prime Director. There is some kind of field that is preventing our messages from getting through.”
“They know what to do. They’ll see my fleets here moving in to block their escape. Get the Fleets moving toward that filament!”
“Yes, Prime Director.”
• • •
Bcref sat in his chair and saw the jumping off point in the filament closest to the Prime Director’s Planet was getting closer. He thought about the argument he had with Acree about going on this mission. He finally persuaded Acree by saying that the crew on his original ship needed to be represented in the coming invasion.”
“Bcref, I depend on you to help me lead.”
“Acree, our crew must be represented in the attack on the Prime Director. I will be going to fight for all of us that settled here. It is my being there that will purchase the atonement and forgiveness we all crave and need so desperately.”
Acree had sighed and said, “Go and help us find deliverance from our shame.”
• • •
Bcref wondered what would have happened had he not come on this mission and used the image of him on the warship to provide the proof of the Great Lie’s existence. But he did come. He didn’t want to think about destiny and its place in creation, so he put it out of his mind. But he knew if he survived this fight, it would be coming back to haunt him. What were the odds? He shook his head and pushed it out of his mind again.
• • •
Bacref was leading eight-hundred-thousand Tronan Crewed scouts that had launched from the fifty SD Fleets. They moved into a gigantic Ronco and moved out in front of the Tronan Fleets that blew by the SD Fleet’s transporters that had moved outside the edge of the filament and followed thim into normal space in front of the five-thousand Tronan Fleets defending the Prime Director’s Planet. The Scouts blasted into the middle of the giant mass of warships and thousands of fleets tried to get out of the path of the approaching Ronco. They knew the destruction it could cause and the Tronan Fleets following the Ronco in burst into the disorganized enemy fleets and mauled them.
The last of the Tronan Fleets finally left the filament and the SD Fleets fell in behind them. Matthew looked at Doris, “Admiral, how are we going to be able to distinguish between the enemy and our allies’ warships?”
Doris shook her head, “I have no frigging idea!”
Gem said, “Jek? That’s a good question.”
“Let them handle it, Gem. We’ll intervene, if needed, but they need to do this.”
“It’s really that bad?” Leonidas asked.
“What if you discovered all the things you had thought were good about you were all a lie due to someone deceiving you. It’s not really that hard to understand how they feel. Add to it that they’ve been physically conditioned to follow their leaders without question.”
“What about that conditioning, Jek.”
“Gem, it appears the shock of learning the truth erases it. The shock to their minds is unbelievable and the conditioning fails in the aftermath. All that’s left is shame.”
Randy said, “It’s really not hard to see which ones are ours.”
Everyone looked at him on the monitor, “They appear to have no fear and have no issues with ramming another ship. Now all the defenders are getting out of their way. I can’t say I blame them…our allies are ferocious. Being an aggressor is a more powerful position than attempting to avoid an enemy.”
Gem was shaking his head, “I wonder what that Tronan Prime is thinking about now.”
• • •
“ORDER THEM TO ATTACK THE ENEMY!!”
“Prime, whenever I make a contact with those rogue fleets, all I get from them is cursing about the Great Lie. Do you know anything about that?” the Senior Science Director asked.
The Prime was silent and the Military Director asked, “DO YOU?”
The Prime’s eyes lowered and he said, “You’ve all heard about fleets disappearing! It appears someone has started a lie that we can live on animal and plant life. That lie has caused great angst among our warriors.”
The Science Director looked at the Prime, “Is that true?”
“IS WHAT TRUE?”
“Is it possible for us to survive on plant and animal life.” The Prime Director was silent and the Science Director’s eyes narrowed into slits, “If it is true, then what does that say about us?”
“It must be a fabrication produced by the enemy!”
“Do you have any evidence of this fabrication?”
The Prime looked at the Science Director, “One of my agents took a recording from a traitor.”
“Do you have it?”
The Prime was silent again and the Military Director pulled a hand-blaster, “YOU WERE ASKED A QUESTION!!”
“YES, I HAVE IT!!”
The Science Director politely said, “Please play it for us.”
The Prime stared at the blaster pointed at him and then took a recorder out of the arm of his throne. He hesitated and saw the blaster’s barrel brighten. He inserted it into the player on his console and everyone in the room turned to the wall monitor.
• • •
The Combined Planet’s Admirals watched the conflict raging around the Prime’s Planet and Emily said, “I just don’t see how that planet is able to survive. The entire planet is covered with urban sprawl; I don’t see any farmlands or means of feeding them.”
“That’s the reason for the Great Lie,” Jek said. Everyone looked at him. “They don’t need farms or animals to feed them. They ship in all the protein collected from defeated civilizations and it’s stored in giant distribution centers to feed the population. The Leaders of this civilization must have had extreme d
ifficulty feeding their populations and one of them came up with the idea of collecting food from other planet’s populations. Once they started this process, they eventually convinced their populations over time that it was the only food they could process. That original leader became the most powerful in his civilization and the killing was on its way. Over the centuries, that lie was perpetrated until it wasn’t ever challenged. That lie allowed the leader to have entire planets designed just for his enjoyment.”
Desiree said softly, “I’ve looked at scans our Ghosts took of their planets and they all are pretty much like that one. All one need do is stop the delivery of defeated civilizations and they’ll starve to death pretty fast.”
Gem shook his head, “If we win this, we can’t allow that to happen.” Everyone in the room jerked their heads toward him and even Leonidas’ mouth had fallen open.
Jek casually said, “Uhhhh…Gem…that doesn’t sound like something you might recommend.”
Gem looked at the others staring at him in silence and he sighed, “I know. Ordinarily, I’d just say nuke them all.”
Leonidas’ mouth closed, “That’s the Gem I know.”
Gem sighed, “I’ve seen something in the Tronan that have learned about this lie. If they were even a slightly aggressive species, their reaction to this lie wouldn’t be so severe. They’re impacted by it so hard because at heart, they aren’t a violent species. They are all victims of this Great Lie. They just didn’t know the truth. I can’t in good conscience believe they should die for what was done to them.”
“Why the sudden change, Gem?” Jek asked.
Gem sighed heavily and shook his head before saying, “I lost my crew due to my stupidity. They have been with me from the beginning and I realized that I loved every one of them.” Gem looked up at his monitor filled with faces, “I also realized that I loved all of you as well. Ana told me afterwards that I’ve always been the one to suggest ‘kill them all’! She said that everyone has someone who loves them. These Tronan also have others that love them as well. They don’t deserve to die for someone else’s stupidity like my crew did.”
Desiree nodded, “I don’t see any way for that to be avoided. If our Tronan Forces are victorious here, you know they’re going to turn on their planets.”
• • •
The Prime Director watched the recording and knew there was trouble facing him. The Science Director turned to him and casually asked, “Why have you not shared this with us?”
The Prime Director sneered, “Because it is all a sham and fabrication by this new enemy! None of it is true! There is no proof it is reliable!”
The Military Director had holstered his blaster and he turned around in his chair with eyes that were moist, “When you ordered a squadron sent out to investigate the loss of that single warship, I’m the one that chose the squadron to make the trip. My third-son commanded that squadron and my Grandson went with him to be trained. That young Ship Director is my Grandson.” The Military Director lowered his eyes, “Please explain to me how this enemy could have used an image of him to fabricate this video?”
The Prime Director’s eyes widened and he yelled, “ALL OF YOU WILL LEAVE MY ROOM NOW!!”
The Science Director stood up and said, “Our conditioning is gone.” The Prime Director’s eyes flew wide open as the twenty Senior Directors stood up and moved toward his chair.
Chapter Twenty-Four
The Admirals were still discussing what was coming when they heard over their wall speakers a communication their computers intercepted. “ALL FORCES DEFENDING THE PRIME DIRECTOR WILL CEASE FIRING YOUR BLASTERS AND ALLOW THE ATTACKERS TO DESTROY YOUR SHIPS!”
Gem snatched up his communicator, “JEK, CALL OFF THE ATTACK!!”
Jek thought to all the attacking Tronan Scouts and Tronan Warships, “Break away, I repeat break away and reform your units now!” Jek could hear the reluctance of the Tronan Fleets in his mind and he pressed the thought, “IF YOU ARE FIGHTING WITH US YOU WILL FOLLOW OUR COMMANDS, NOW BREAK OFF YOUR ATTACKS!!”
It took two-hours for the forces to separate. Once they were facing each other from a short distance, Leonidas said, “Jek, find out what’s going on.”
“I’d rather Gem do it.”
Gem started and said, “Connect me with the Tronan Leadership on the planet.”
“You’re on their frequency, Sir.”
Gem nodded and said, “Why have you ordered your fleets to allow us to destroy them?”
An older Tronan appeared on the monitor in every vessel around the planet, “We have killed the Prime Director.”
Gem saw the shock on the old Tronan’s face and asked, “Why did you do that?”
“We discovered he was deceiving us. We stomped him to death.”
• • •
Leonidas looked at Desiree and winced, “I bet that hurt!”
Desiree waved a hand, “He deserved worse.”
• • •
“What was he deceiving you about?”
“We looked into the ancient records and found that every Prime Director from the beginning knew that we did not need to consume intelligent life to survive. They have made us into something repulsive. We do not deserve to live.”
“You didn’t know this?!” Gem asked.
“Do you think we would have gone along with this monster if we did?!”
Thousands of warships that were defending the planet began receiving a copy of Admiral Hummel’s recording from the attackers. Soon, all of them had it and Jek had to shut down his telepathy at the overwhelming wave of sorrow moving through the millions of giant warships. Many of the defenders wailed at those that knew about the Great Lie did not share it with them; defending the Prime Director only added to their great shame. The attackers began to feel shame at their failure to spread the truth to their fellow warriors. They wept with them and felt added shame.
• • •
Gem looked at the old Science Director and shook his head, “What are you going to do with this knowledge.”
“All of us are hoping you will come and kill us. Our shame is the greatest of all; we’ve worked with the Prime Monster to spread his evil across the universe.”
“You won’t get off that easy,” Gem replied. “Now you are going to have to lead your species out of this nightmare and into a better future.”
“WE DON’T DESERVE A FUTURE. I’M SENDING YOU THE COORDIANTES OF THE PRIME MONSTER’S PALACE. PLEASE COME AND END OUR SUFFERING!!”
Gem shook his head, “WHY SHOULD YOU SUFFER LESS THAN THE MILLIONS OF WARRIORS GATHERED HERE LONGING FOR ATONEMENT?! YOU DON’T DESERVE AN EASY ESCAPE FOR YOUR ACTIONS!!”
The old Tronan lowered his head, “What will you have us do. None of us are equipped to command any longer.”
Admiral Agnew interrupted the conversation, “We are sending one of the Tronan fighting with us to you. He is one of those that was on the first Tronan Warship that we allowed to live and move to a new planet to colonize.”
“WAIT JUST A FREAKING SECOND!!” Bcref shouted.
Doris said, “Shut-up and do your duty to your people!” Doris turned back to her monitor and said, “He will come down and lead you. You will leave your planets and use your warships to move your populations to the worlds that you destroyed. There, they will learn how to live off the land and will never forget what price was paid by the civilizations you destroyed.”
Jek contacted Bcref telepathically, “You must do this.”
“I REFUSE TO WORK WITH THE MONSTERS!!”
“You were once one of them not so long ago, now knowledge has freed you. They are no longer monsters; they are suffering an unbearable shame. You can atone for your past by doing what is right.”
“Someone else should do this!!”
“Do you think Acree should leave his new world to make this happen?”
Bcref shook his head and said, “Bring Acreb to do this?”
“He’s getting old and it’s going to take a long time
to make this happen.”
Suddenly, they heard a chat begin over the wall speakers. It was coming from the Tronan Warships that attacked the Prime Director’s forces. It started small but soon overwhelmed the speakers’ ability to handle the noise, “BCRAF, BCRAF, BCRARF, BCRAF…”
Jek thought to him, “They need someone that was with the original crew, who learned the truth, to show them the way into the future.”
Bcref was crying and he said, “I’ll try.”
“That is what your species needs most to survive.”
Bcref nodded and moved his scout from the front of the giant formation and the defending warships joined the chant.
• • •
The SD Fleets turned and left the Prime Director’s star system. They entered the filament and Gem said, “I’m sending your SD Fleets out to support Gregor’s Ground Forces.”
“What about trying to save them?” Leonidas asked.
“Unfortunately, if we send our Tronan Warships to remove them, they’ll attack their ground forces and kill them anyway. And they will not listen to anything we try to communicate with them. This is part of the price of war; they’re going to have to be removed by force.”
Leonidas sighed and said, “You’re right.”
Gem nodded, “I’m sending you your assignments and you should coordinate with Gregor when you arrive.”
• • •
Eight months later, the SD Fleets left Tronan Space. The invaded planets were freed and Bcref had the migration from the Tronan Planets to other worlds where they could survive. Desiree looked at Leonidas, “I understand that most of the planets the Tronan invaded left some of the populations behind.”
Leo nodded, “They did but on a lot of them, they didn’t make it; the planet overwhelmed them. But the animal life was left pretty much untouched and the conquered worlds will have what the Tronan colonists will need to survive. Bcref is doing an outstanding job of getting the populations moved. The warships are dropping off their crews and are being used to transport the colonists.”
Desiree nodded, “Those giant troop transports are doing the bulk of the work.”
Leo sighed, “I really expected to come and remove their civilization from creation. It appears I was rather short-sighted. The Tronan really are a peaceful civilization at the core of their being.”