by Saxon Andrew
“Yeah, but…”
“Do you think that once her people get a taste of our civilization that they’ll want to return to being farmers? If they remain here, they remain human.” Kyle turned and saw Nicole jumping up and down impatiently for the elevator. “I suspect that it will be after her lifetime before we could go and take her planet back from the feeders.”
Kyle turned around and looked at Bart, “What did you do before you started bartending?”
Bart smiled, “I was a Major in Fleet Intelligence.”
Kyle laughed, “That explains a lot.”
“You’ve blown my cover.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll keep it secret.”
“See that you do. I like the dumb pretty boy bartender image.” A young Kerit female walked through the door up to the bar and smiled. She leaned across the bar close to Bart and said, “Please tell me you still have some tequila?”
Bart looked at Kyle and he laughed, “You can give her my stash.” Bart smiled and took out a glass. The Kerit continued to lean over the bar. She was incredibly beautiful in human form. All of them were. He looked at the elevator and saw Nicole was gone. She was also beautiful. He sighed and wished he hadn’t given away the tequila.
Chapter Ten
Kyle lifted his wrist unit, “Admiral Charles.”
“Yes Sir.”
“Will you have my ship provisioned to take out for trials?”
“It’s already provisioned and the reactor is at full power, Sir.”
I’ll be there shortly with one of the Kerits to take on an extended voyage.”
“Uhhh…”
“What’s the problem?”
“Sir, High Leader Grengel has ordered me to report if any of the new ships are going to be taken out longer than two days.”
“Then follow his order, Admiral. You report directly to his staff and the order is reasonable.”
Nicole looked at Kyle, “What’s going on?”
“I suspect the Leadership is somewhat concerned about my taking chances.”
“Should they be?”
Kyle jerked his head toward her, “Now why would you say that?”
“You intended to attack that lone Feeder Warship.”
Kyle stared at her and shook his head, “Now there you go making sense. Cut it out.” Nicole laughed as Kyle said, “I have some questions about that once we’re in space.” Nicole stopped laughing. “Don’t get upset. I just don’t understand some things that happened and you can help me make sense of them.” The shuttle touched down and Kyle looked out the viewport. “Let’s go meet a real heroine.” Nicole’s smile immediately returned.
Kyle’s wrist unit vibrated. He stopped walking toward the huge building and lifted it. “Good evening, High Leader.”
“Don’t you think it’s a little late to be running a trial on your ship?”
“Actually, it’s really hard keeping track of day and night in space.”
Kyle saw Grengel shake his head on his wrist unit’s small display, “Admiral Charles tells me you may be taking an extended voyage.”
“If everything checks out, that’s exactly what I’m going to do.”
“What is your intention?”
“I’m going to try to see just how much space the Feeders control. I have no intention of attacking one of their ships and will attempt to avoid all contact with them.”
“Couldn’t you delegate this to one of your subordinates?”
“Actually, all the members of my Leadership Team are involved in getting the fleets modified and there is only one Kerit trained to go out and do this.” Kyle looked at Nicole as he spoke, “And you’re aware that she refuses to go with anyone else.”
“Is she still being stubborn about that?”
“Would you like to speak to her about it?”
Grengel shook his head, “No, I could see she was adamant when I looked at her thoughts.”
“High Leader, we have to get a map of the Feeders Territory. We also need to see if they have more than two fleets.”
“How do you know they have two?”
“I thought Amber gave you everything that happened?”
“Up to where you destroyed the probe.”
“A Feeder Fleet was moving toward the probe just before we destroyed it. They left with the opinion that it self-destructed.”
“The timing of the destruction seems to be…”
“Problematic.”
“Yes.”
“I’ll try to look at that, Sir.”
“Did anything else happen I should know about?”
“I targeted a ship to attack but my crew was of the opinion that the Feeders sending one Feeder Warship into the void was questionable. They were of the opinion that it might be a trap. They were right.”
“Did Miss Legune help you avoid it?”
“She’s taken the name Nicole Legune, High Leader. And yes, she sensed the ships waiting in ambush.” There was a long pause and Kyle said, “Sir, I have Nicole and one of the greatest computers in human history going with me. I believe we can do this.”
“Be safe.”
“Sir, my computers will not be broadcasting our situation to you on this trip.”
Grengel threw up his arms. “Do what you must!” The wrist unit’s display went dark.
“You made him angry.”
“He knows I’m right. He’ll think it through and be ok.”
“How do you know that?”
“Because I know him. Let’s go meet Willow.” Kyle turned toward the facility and Nicole followed him.
Clarissa met them at the huge hangar door and Nicole stopped dead in her tracks, “YOU!”
Clarissa looked at Nicole and smiled, “Yeah, me!”
Kyle turned to Nicole, “Oh, didn’t I tell you.”
“No, you did not!?”
“Admiral Charles was a fleet officer when you met her.”
“She sure didn’t dress like one!”
Clarissa’s smile vanished, “No I didn’t. And you made a point of telling me. So why don’t you pull your claws in and let’s do what you’ve come here to do.”
Nicole stared at Clarissa and blew out a breath, “I apologize for my behavior, Admiral.”
Clarissa smiled, “You were right to say what you did. I was making a fool out of myself; thank you for your honesty.” Nicole smiled and Clarissa stepped aside, “Commander, your ship is waiting for you.” Kyle looked inside and saw the brilliant silver ship just inside the entrance.
“The disruptor cannons look different.”
“The barrels are four feet longer and half the diameter of the barrels they replaced. They also have forty times the range of the old disruptor beams.”
“How long will it take you to paint the ship green?”
“No time at all. Why do you want to do that?”
“The Feeders know the ships we used against the Legends were silver colored and I want all the ships painted when they come in for updating. I don’t want the Death Feeders to connect our ships with the war against the Legends.”
“Yes Sir. We’ll have your ship done in thirty minutes.”
Kyle nodded and headed toward the open port. Nicole hesitated and then ran to catch up. Clarissa watched them go and shook her head. The alien had a thing for the Commander. She wondered if he knew. Heck, everyone had a thing for the Commander. How could you not if you ever spent time with him?
• • •
Kyle arrived at the open port, paused, and then entered. He saw Nicole come in a moment later as he turned and headed toward the bridge. The two hundred and fifty yard long ship was beautiful with its sleek lines and brilliant silver hull. The port was only fifty yards from the bridge and he arrived in less than ten seconds. “Welcome back, Commander.”
“It’s good to be back, Amber. Are both of you active?”
“I am active, Commander.”
Kyle detected a tone in both computer’s voices and he started to speak but Nicole squealed,
“It really is you, Willow?”
“Yes. You must be the Kerit I’ve heard so much about from Amber?”
“I am and I’ve read everything in the databanks about you. It was you that brought Lukas Axel to Earth even against his wishes. You are the one that got Earth to where it is today!”
“Wait a moment! I did what I was programmed to do. It was Lukas that made the difference.”
“But for your pushing his going to Earth, it would have never happened.”
“Thank you. I really only did what was logical.”
“Kyle is intimidated by you.”
“What?”
“He sees you as the genuine heroine of the fight against the invaders.”
Amber spoke up, “Is that why you haven’t come to see us since our modifications?”
Kyle stared at Nicole and shook his head, “You just can’t keep your mouth shut, can you?”
“Kyle, this is Willow!!”
“I’m aware of that.” Kyle sighed and looked up, “Yes, Amber. Willow’s presence made me feel quite small and I just didn’t know how I would talk with her.”
Willow quickly said, “I thought your absence was something else.”
Kyle shook his head, “No, I worry that you’ll see me in all my faults and frailties compared to the heroes of the Alliance you’ve worked with in the past. I’ve come to ask why you chose to be on my ship.”
“I would have chosen to be on Michael’s ship but Lukas was still alive at that time and I couldn’t leave him. After he died, the Alliance was at peace and it took me some time to get over Salud and Lukas’ passing.”
Nicole shook her head, “They died more than forty years ago.”
“And we’ve been at peace for eighty years. I didn’t see where I was needed.”
Kyle lowered his eyes, “Until now?”
“Yes, until now.”
“You don’t think I can handle what we’re up against?”
“Not at all; I think you are the only one that can.”
Kyle’s eyes opened wide, “What?!”
“You are aware that I am telepathic?”
“You were the first ship given that ability by the Silver Ships.”
“I was. And over the decades I’ve learned how to refine that skill and use it to remain current on what’s happening without being noticed doing it. It’s what you’ve done so far that convinced me that you need me on your ship.”
“I’m not sure what you mean?”
“Why don’t you and Nicole sit down and I’ll explain.” Kyle looked at Nicole and walked to his chair. She walked with him to her console and he raised his eyebrows.
“Willow will be handling the weapons, I’ll sit next to you.” Kyle shrugged and raised the chair out of the floor next to him and activated the console in front of it.
“So, where have I made mistakes?”
“Actually, there’s too many to list but I’ll go over the biggest.” Kyle shook his head and Willow quickly said, “You made these mistakes because you don’t know enough about the enemy you’re facing.”
Kyle sighed, “That’s why I’m going out. I need to see what we’re facing.”
“The first mistake you made was accepting the role of First Commander.”
“What!! What choice did I have? Hensel set me up where I couldn’t refuse.”
“He did not force you to accept the position at that moment. Did he?”
“I’m not sure what you’re saying.”
“Grengel told you that a First Commander was needed immediately. You could have told him that you didn’t know enough about the Death Feeders to be effective.”
“But he insisted on my accepting it.”
“What prevented you from telling him that Kyley would take the position until you could learn enough about the enemy to make good decisions? You could have pointed out that you and Kyley share common genetics and she could start getting the Alliance ready and, when you returned, you would take the position.”
Kyle stared at the wall and, after a long moment, he sighed, “I guess that might have worked.”
“Hengel was surprised you didn’t push him to do it that way.”
“What would be the benefit of doing it that way?”
“Kyley would have led the preparations getting the fleets ready and would be intimately familiar with what was done. She would be better prepared to help you if war breaks out. Now she’s only following your orders.” Kyle was silent. “It would have also freed you to go out and do what needs to be done to scout the Feeders and not worry about taking risks. Kyley would be there in the event something happened and you were killed.”
“That’s reassuring.”
The second biggest mistake was going to Nicole’s planet and removing her people.”
“What?”
“You dug up bodies that had been dead for years. The Feeders could have quickly determined it was a subterfuge if they took the time to closely examine the remains. However, they sent the ship away so quickly that they lost that chance.” Kyle nodded and Willow paused, “I wonder about that.”
Kyle nodded, “Me, too.”
“There’s been some things that happened at a very fortuitous moment. Nicole pointing out that there could be Feeders ahead of the probe, that the single warship the Feeders sent out could be a trap, Nicole telling Grengel that thought blockers should be used, and… I think you see the picture.” Kyle nodded. Willow paused and said, “After the war with the Legends, Chris and Michael had a meeting on a planet where Chris and Allison were living to avoid seeing them. I listened to Chris and Allison’s thoughts and discovered that they had found a long series of events that happened at a perfect time. They believed it was too much to just be accidental.”
“They never said anything about it.”
“They must have told Michael and Jan. They left that planet and when they arrived on Earth, all of those connections were gone.”
“WHAT?”
“I believe that Hensel removed them.”
“Why?”
“Because there is a species that is manipulating us to prepare us to fight the Feeders. I looked in Hensel’s mind years ago and learned he had communicated with them and told them to leave us alone. He called them Nudges.”
Kyle looked at Nicole as he said, “Do you think they’re doing it again?”
“I do and I think Nicole feels them.”
Nicole stared at Kyle and said, “They do not want their presence known.”
Willow said, “Why?”
“I sense their species was practically exterminated by the Feeders thousands of years ago. If their presence was known by the Feeders, they would stop everything and attempt to find the surviving Nudges.”
“Hensel must have told them to start doing it again.”
Kyle tilted his head, “Why do you say that, Willow?”
“Because he learned from looking into Nicole’s mind that the Alliance was woefully unprepared to take them on. He must have realized he made a mistake stopping them.”
Kyle looked at Nicole, “Do you speak directly with them?”
“No.”
“Why didn’t you tell me about them?”
“They made it clear they didn’t want you to know.”
“Why?”
Nicole shrugged, “They didn’t say but it doesn’t take a genius to know why.”
Willow laughed, “You’re right about that.”
Kyle stare at her and leaned back in his chair, “It would cause me to doubt everything I do.” Nicole nodded. “I’d be constantly waiting for something to show me what to do?”
“I suspect they only intervene when a catastrophic decision is going to be made. They don’t involve themselves in normal day-to-day decisions.”
“Why do you say that, Willow?”
“Because Hensel called them Nudges; I suspect they don’t make their presence known directly so they won’t be sensed by the Feeders.”
“They’re listening to
us now.”
Kyle looked at Nicole. “That means we can’t operate without the new force fields in operation.” Nicole stared at him and after a moment nodded. “Amber.”
“Yes, Kyle.”
“We’re going to have to establish protocols where if my mind is invaded by a Feeder, you will have to kill me instantly.”
Nicole shook her head, “No!”
“Yes! The same goes for you.” Nicole shook her head hard and then stopped. She blew out a breath and sighed. “They’re telling you that’s how it has to be?” Nicole looked at Kyle and nodded. Kyle looked up, “No one can be told about this.”
“I agree Kyle.”
“Willow, connect me with Grengel.”
“What are you going to do?”
“What I should have done from the start.”
Kyle waited a moment and heard, “What is it, First Commander?”
“I am stepping down from my position and I’m appointing Kyley to take my place.”
“WHAT?!”
“Grengel, think this through. I have to go and see what we’re up against and you know the danger associated with that. If the worst happens and I’m killed, you’re going to have to replace me. Who would be the best one to do it?”
“But…”
“I’ll take the position back when I return but in the meantime, Kyley would be getting valuable experience in the event she has to replace me. She’s going to be in charge in my absence, anyway. I don’t want her to be unprepared if something happens. She needs to learn how to coordinate all the various departments in Fleet Operations.” Grengel was silent and Kyle said, “You know this is a good decision!”
“Did Willow come up with this?”
“She wondered why we didn’t do it.”
“I have to confess that I did as well.”
“Will you handle this?”
“You will take the position again?”
“I will.”
“What about Amelee?”
“She will take over Ground Operations and I’d suggest you tell her to get with Fleet Development and start training our ground forces on tactics to attack the Feeders on planets they’ve conquered. Weapon development for our ground troops has got to be a high priority. This is not going to be a war fought only in space.”
“What about the Fleets?”
“I recommend you put Admiral Clarissa Charles in command of the support and war fleets.”