by Saxon Andrew
Tommy shrugged and said, “I don’t know; do you think I’m psychic or something?”
Wes laughed out loud and walked out to the floater that Danielle had just landed in front of the center. Life was good.
At least it was good until the following morning; when Tommy and Wes entered the School Director’s office and were greeted by a Captain from the Fleet Academy along with one of the boys that they had fought five years earlier. Wes said under his breath, “Oh, crap!”
Tommy thought to him, “I hate it when you say that. It always means trouble.”
The Captain looked at the two boys and said, “Good morning, my name is Captain Lowery and I’m certain you remember Cadet first class Edward Jones.”
Tommy furrowed his brow and said, “Nooooo. He’s not familiar to me.”
Wes chimed in, “I don’t know him either.”
Captain Lowery looked at the two young boys and said, “Ed why don’t you tell them why you’re here.”
Edward looked at Tommy and Wes and then stood and walked over and shook their hands. Tommy and Wes were confused and Tommy was not willing to violate the privacy of the captain and cadet by looking in their minds to find out what was going on. He had learned early in life that to do that was totally unethical. Edward said, “Five years ago three of my friends and I attacked you in front of the school. This wasn’t something that happened rarely; we did it a lot. You kicked the crap out of us and then you shook our hands and cautioned us not to do it again. After I went home, I thought about what you had done and what you said and I determined that I was going nowhere with my life. Those boys weren’t real friends; they were just bullies with a lot of issues. I decided to do something with my life. I worked hard in school and I was in the first class of accelerated students that entered the academy three years ago. This year I have been selected to be Cadet Commander. In my acceptance speech I told my class mates about the two nine year olds that taught four twelve year old bullies some comeuppance. When I told them that you moved too fast for me to actually see, the Captain decided to bring me here to meet you. I just want to thank you for the lesson you taught me.”
Tommy said, “Don’t mention it.” Then after a pause he said, “Please.”
Wes started snickering, looked at Tommy, and said, “Well, a fine mess you’ve got us into now.”
Captain Lowery said, “Smile while you can but I have a squad of Naval Marines here and we’re placing you under arrest.”
Tommy sat down and said, “Did you call anyone before you came here to get approval for your actions, Captain?”
Captain Lowery said, “No, I have the authority to make an arrest.”
Wes said, “and we are being arrested for….?”
Captain Lowery said, “We’ll determine that after we examine you.”
A large group of students had gathered outside the office to see what was going on. They had never seen this many armed Naval Marines at their school. Linda Kay was outside crying because she knew Wes was inside.
Tommy sighed and said, “Captain, are you sure you want to do this. You don’t know the bag of goomba you’re about to open.”
Lowery looked at Tommy and said, “Just who are you to talk to me that way?”
Tommy looked at Wes and said, “It has been a lot of fun but the Captain’s right. Someone other than us needs to talk to him.”
Wes shrugged and said, “You tried to warn him.”
“Rose,” Tommy thought.
“Yes, Tommy. What’s wrong?”
Tommy quickly filled her in on the situation and Rose said, “Hang on, I’ll be right there.”
“Is that really necessary?” Tommy thought.
“Like Mom said; I need to get out more.”
Tommy looked at Captain Lowery and said, “Sir, you are about to get a call on your com.”
Immediately Lowery’s com buzzed. Lowery looked puzzled and then pressed his com and said, “This is Captain Lowery.” Tommy and Wes watched as Lowery’s face turned white. He couldn’t say a word and remained frozen as he listened. After two minutes he lowered his arm and looked at the two boys and said, “We are to remain here.”
Tommy smiled and said, “It’s not fun being surprised is it Captain?”
Edward watched the proceedings and furrowed his brow. Tommy said, “Don’t go anywhere Edward. The fun is about to start.”
Within two minutes the entire school was surrounded by more than two thousand security floaters that roared in and disgorged five thousand armed agents that immediately lined up facing out keeping anyone from coming near the campus. All of the students and teachers watched what was happening and were scared. Linda Kay wailed, “What have they done now?”
Tommy said, “A credit says she arrives here in less than twenty minutes.”
Wes laughed and said, “You must think I’m crazy to make that kind of bet; you’re watching her right now.”
Edward said, “Watching who?”
Tommy looked at Captain Lowery and asked, “Do you want to tell him?”
Lowery just stood there still in shock.
Suddenly the boys heard a loud commotion outside and Tommy said, “I didn’t think she would get here first.” Wes just shrugged.
Misty Nicole, the Director of Earth’s Government, burst onto the school grounds and started shouting at the School Director, “Where is he?”
The director said, “Who?”
Misty shouted “Tommy Gardner.
The school director said he didn’t know anyone by that name.
Misty looked at him and said, “Then get inside and stay out of the way. Misty turned and walked to the line of security agents to organize security.”
Suddenly the school grew dark. Everyone looked up and there floating over the school was one of the newest Megaships. Fifteen minutes later a huge shuttle left its landing port and settled to the ground, the doors opened and a company of fully armored Naval Marines filed out in full battle armor followed by a company of Cainth Warriors in full ceremonial dress, and a company of Glod Warriors all armed with their swords and blasters. The three companies exited and began an intricate maneuver. They formed a corridor and then everyone saw the most recognized face in the galaxy standing in the shuttle entrance with Misty Nicole coming back from the security lines to meet her. Tommy thought to Wes, “Rose sure knows how to make an entrance.
Tag and Danielle were at work when Tommy sent them a thought and said, “Well, it looks like the gig is up. Rose is coming to remove us from the school. It seems our little fight five years ago has come home to haunt us. You might want to come here and help extricate us from the proceedings.”
Tag looked at Danielle and said, “Let’s go home and gather our things and go meet our children.”
Danielle smiled and said, “You know we never expected it to last this long, they’re leaving anyway in five months to attend the Fleet Academy. They’ll have time to relax until their entrance.”
Tag sighed and said, “Yeah, but I still wish they had been able to finish their school year.” Tag and Danielle left their jobs and took their floater at high speed home. Danielle quickly washed the brown dye out of her hair and removed the yellow color from here teeth while Tag packed their belongings.
As they loaded the floater, Danielle looked at Tag and asked, “Are you going to shave that mustache before we leave?”
Tag twirled the end of his mustache and said, “No, I kinda like the look. Besides, we need to prevent a riot when we get there; you might want to wear something to cover your hair.”
Danielle smiled and looked around their living quarters and found a scarf to cover her head then said, “I’ve really enjoyed the last few years. I’m going to miss it.” They both looked around and then turned to go to their floater.
Several of their neighbors came out and Jim, who lived next door said, “Where are you going in such a hurry?”
Danielle looked at the gathering group and the neighbors immediately noticed that when sh
e smiled at them her teeth were perfect. They also saw her blonde hair was perfect just before she covered it with a scarf. All of them started talking among themselves and Danielle looked at Tag and then said to the group. “We want to thank you for making us feel welcome over the last few years. We are going home and we would like you to come visit us when you have the time. Please write this number down, 101059, and tell whoever answers that you’ve been invited to come see us. Transportation will be arranged for you; I only ask you give us about four weeks to settle in and do not give this number to anyone else.”
Every one smiled and came over to hug the departing couple who had been great neighbors. Tag and Danielle boarded their floater and lifted to head toward Tommy’s school.
Jill Jekins looked at the other neighbors as they left and said, “I wonder where this com number goes.”
Joe Daniels looked at her, ‘Call it and see who answers. Put it on speaker so we can all hear it.”
Jill entered the number and it buzzed once; a voice said, “Castle Gardner, I see you’ve called Queen Danielle’s private number, how may I help you.”
Everyone turned at once and looked at the floater as it got smaller in the distance; then started celebrating their good fortune. They were invited to Castle Gardner. Everyone ran home to tell everyone they knew just who had been their neighbors. They were going to Castle Gardner.”
Tag and Danielle arrived at the school just after the shuttle landed and saw a crowd had already gathered outside the school grounds. The first reporters were arriving and though no one knew what was going on, the arrival of the two thousand security floaters meant something serious was going down. The Gardners parked their floater a block from the school just before the airspace above was shut off to all aerial traffic. They then walked through the crowd and politely walked up to the line of security agents. Tag said to a huge agent that he would like to be allowed to cross their lines and go to the school. The agent looked at him and said, “No one is allowed past this point. Back away from our line of I’ll have you arrested.”
Tag smiled at the agent and then raised his com, “Rose, we are at the security line and we have been refused entrance to the school.” The agent furrowed his brow and would have questioned who he was talking with but the entire company of Glod Warriors broke ranks at the shuttle and ran through the security line to arrive directly in front of Tag and Danielle where every one of the agents in front of them were forcibly moved away from the couple standing there. The agent saw that the Glods had pulled their swords and were surrounding the couple he had just spoken with. Once the area was clear around them, the Glod Warriors bowed in unison and raised their swords to the woman standing there. The huge crowd grew deathly silent; no one moved. Then the leader of the Glod Honor Guard said, “My Queen, we have missed you so much. Is there any command you care to give us.”
Danielle removed the scarf that was hiding her hair, walked up to the huge Glod Warrior, placed her hand on his shoulder and said, “Rise, my most excellent warriors and please take us to my son.” The Glod rose, turned, and escorted Tag and Danielle onto the school grounds.
The crowd heard what was said and the reporters put it out on the news channels that the entire Royal family was at a school in Central City. The rush to the site was immediate and overwhelming. In less than ten minutes more than half a million people arrived.
Misty Nicole had just turned sixty years old and in all that time she had never witnessed the recklessness that people showed trying to get close enough to see the Gardners. She stopped her rush toward Rose and lifted her com and said, “I want the military to clear the airspace around this school for a distance of forty miles. All air traffic inside that perimeter will be grounded immediately. Jump in the marines to keep order here in the city.”
Tommy and Wes sat calmly in the office with Edward and Captain Lowery. Tommy walked over and turned on the monitor on the wall and tuned it to a local news station. They immediately saw an aerial view of the school showing the massive crowd that was gathering. As they listened to the news announcer say that no one knew why but the entire Royal Family appeared to be at the school. Tommy started changing channels and the only thing showing was the crowds at the school. One view showed a regiment of armored naval marines jumping in on their suit jets and start restoring order in the crowd. Five minutes later the military transports arrived and more than 40,000 armed drop troops started dropping into the crowd.
Wes watched the monitor and said, “There is going to be some angry people when their afternoon soaps are preempted by this.”
Tommy said, “Not really. Something like this doesn’t happen very often.” Tommy then looked at Captain Lowery and said, “I bet you didn’t plan for something like this to blow up in your face, did you?” Captain Lowery was still pale and in a semi-state of shock. He knew his career was over. Tommy walked up and said, “Well, Captain Lowery, I am pleased to meet you. My name is Tommy Gardner and this is my best friend Wes McAnn.” Tommy held out his hand and Lowery reached out and shook it. Tommy then turned to Edward and said, “Ed, I’m sure I speak for Wes when I tell you that we are proud of what you’ve accomplished. It makes me feel proud to know I had a small role in it.”
Edward had been watching the madness of the moment and said, “Your last name is not Ashford?”
Tommy smiled and said, “No. That was a name my mother used while she was working undercover at my father’s school when they were teens.”
Edward then said, “You’re Queen Danielle’s son, aren’t you.”
Tommy looked at Captain Lowery and said, “Yes I am. I was undercover here until the Captain here blew our cover.” Lowery flinched at Tommy’s remark.
Edward looked at the two boys and said, “Outstanding! I had my grump kicked by a Gardner. My story just got better.” Captain lowery looked like he was going to be sick.
Rose walked down the ramp from the shuttle and saw her parents being escorted by the Glod Honor Guard. She changed direction and walked quickly toward them. Danielle saw her daughter and ran to her and embraced her. Rose held her mother tight and thought to her, “Mom, I have missed you so terribly much. I’ve missed you so much it hurts.” She held on for a long moment and then went to Tag and wrapped her arms around him. Tag picked his daughter up and swung her around. Rose was truly happy for the first time in eight years. Tag put her down and Rose reached up and wiped away her tears. She said to her parents, “I’m not acting very royal.”
Danielle smiled at Rose and said, “This is exactly what royalty should look like. We are family and this is what families do when they’ve been separated for a long time.”
Tag said, “Let’s go get Tommy. Rose, we will follow you.”
Rose smiled at her father and turned and moved toward the school. As she walked toward the entrance she saw Misty Nicole coming and she was moving quickly toward them. “Oh, crap!” Rose and Danielle said at the same time.
Misty Nicole came up and bowed to the Gardners and said, “Welcome home. It’s good to see all of you.” Then she looked sternly at them and pointed her finger, “Are you aware that we need some time to prepare for your arrival? Look around you; there are more than a million people gathered around this school and the crowd is getting larger. I hope you don’t disappoint them and not say something to them before you leave. It’s going to take us weeks to get this mess straightened out. I don’t know if traffic can ever be restored to normal.”
Tag, Danielle, and Rose just stared at the woman confronting them not knowing what to say. Then Misty smiled and said, “I don’t care if it takes months, it’s worth it just to see you again. Then she walked forward and hugged all three.”
The students in the school that had gathered outside the Director’s office were pushed aside by security agents and told to sit down. Rose saw their treatment and said in a voice that penetrated the room, “You will leave the children alone.” She then pointed to the security agents that had pushed the students and said, “Comm
ander Durk, please escort these agents off the school grounds and see that they don’t return.” The Cainth Commander moved forward with ten warriors armed with their four swords and looked at the agents; they moved quickly out of the building. Rose came forward and said, “Stand up. I want to meet you. The students were in awe. Here was the person that had almost single handedly ended the war with the Algeans when she was their age. The students stood up and stared at the Queen of the Stars Realm. “My name is Rose Gardner and these are my parents. What are your names?” Each student bowed and told her their name. Rose smiled and shook each of their hands. Rose stepped in front of a pretty girl with long black hair and the girl said, “My name is Linda Kay Johns and I’m so happy to meet you Your Majesty.”
Rose smiled at her and said, “Are you the one that Wes likes so much?”