by Saxon Andrew
“The restaurant is still open.”
The Ambassador started walking again, “It had reservations more than six months in advance before the invasion. Good food will always draw a crowd. Lovely is known for its wonderful meals.”
Grant looked at Cinny, “Do they have a selection called Galactic Conquest?”
The Ambassador stopped, “Where did you hear about that?”
Cinny said, “A friend of mine on the Admiral’s ship says they had it on Lovely and it was really good.”
“I thought the restaurant that made it was destroyed.”
Cinny’s eyebrows came together, “Maybe she said that one of the locals said it was really good. I just remember her using its name and I thought if I ever landed on one of Lovely’s planets, I’d ask about it.”
The Ambassador shrugged, “The restaurant on Lovely that served it was destroyed in a nuclear attack by the Yellow Raiders. Removing them is one good thing Earth has done. However, the restaurant we’re going to tonight does serve it.”
Grant stared at the Ambassador, “Can we afford it?”
“If the restaurant charges you for it, they’ll probably pay a huge price in taxes when the new Human Ambassador arrives.”
Grant saw Cinny’s eyes widen, “When do you expect them to arrive?”
“They should have been here now but I guess they’re having trouble finding someone to replace the one that was killed.”
Grant started walking faster and they arrived at the restaurant quickly.
• • •
Whippet went through the front door with little effort. He went to the computer and used a small scanner to look at its processors. The password Cinny sent him would only shut the system down. The password to activate proved to be elusive. It took twenty minutes to ferret it out and another five minutes to get the system running. He inserted a chip into the external receiver and hit download. The light on the chip started flashing and Whippet went to the door and looked through the glass down the street toward the restaurant. He tapped on his communicator and let Cinny know he was going to need some more time.
Cinny took her communicator out and casually glanced at it as the Ambassador was standing up to leave. Cinny smiled and said, “You haven’t told us why you chose to be a representative of Earth.”
The Ambassador stared at her and his expression changed, “Do you honestly think this was a choice.”
Grant said, “If not, what was it?”
The Ambassador sat back down. “I was the former planetary Governor. I was captured early on when the Drop Troops arrived here and was told that I would be the Ambassador. My family and I would be accountable for anything that happened out of line.” He stared at Grant and Cinny for a moment and shook his head, “You are here to spy on me and report back on my performance, aren’t you?”
Grant looked at Cinny and she heard his thoughts and nodded. “In a manner of speaking, yes, we are here to spy on you.”
“What do you mean, in a manner of speaking?”
“We are here to steal the ship assignments from your computer and while we’re eating here, one of my associates is downloading the computer’s contents to a chip.”
The Ambassador stared at them for a moment and burst out laughing. “For a moment there, you had me going.”
Cinny smiled and said, “We do tell a good story. But just to humor us, why don’t we stay here a little longer.”
The Ambassador’s smile evaporated and he lowered his gaze, “If I go back now, will I catch your associate in the act of stealing the computer’s contents?” Cinny looked at Grant, turned back to the Ambassador, and shrugged. “Who are you? Really?”
“It is our intention to stop Earth’s conquests and to free the planets it has invaded.”
“But you’re from Earth?”
Grant sighed heavily, “We’re human, but we’re not from Earth.”
The Ambassador stared at them and said, “Are you from Avalon?” Cinny and Grant were startled by the question and the Ambassador smiled, “Ahhh, I see that got your attention.”
“How do you know about Avalon?”
“The information in my computer contains information about it. I think it wasn’t intended for me to see, which tells me that when the new Human arrives I’ll be restricted from using it. I’ve only been able to go through the contents since the first Human Ambassador was killed. I discovered something else that was interesting.”
“What is that?”
“The Ambassador was killed by one of their Dragon Warriors.” Cinny’s mouth fell open. The Ambassador looked at Grant and saw his hard expression. “You don’t look like you’re surprised.”
Grant raised a shoulder, “I wondered how they managed to get the troops to the scene of the murder so quickly. In hindsight, it fits in with their brutality.”
Cinny looked at Grant, “What are you saying?”
“They set up the Ambassador to be murdered by one of their own warriors. They sent the drop troops in with the battalion of Dragons to teach a lesson to all the planets they’ve invaded.” Grant paused, “What about the sniper?”
“They took his family hostage and threatened to kill them slowly if he didn’t cooperate. If he had started screaming about being used, that colonel would have cut his throat.”
Cinny’s eyes narrowed, “So they deliberately killed those two hundred civilians before they allowed their captive to reveal himself.”
Grant nodded, “I suspect the Ambassador was probably someone who ticked off the leaders on Earth and was set up for this.” Grant shook his head, “Their quick arrival bothered me but broadcasting it to all of the conquered planets required massive advanced planning to happen. How could that happen so quickly?”
The Ambassador watched the back and forth and said, “The two of you don’t appear to be in Earth’s employ.”
Grant shook his head, “We’re not. And a good way to show this was all fabricated would be for us to shoot the next Ambassador they send here and see how long it would take them to react.”
“They would come and kill more innocent civilians.”
“That’s the only thing that’s stopping me from doing it. How could they find the shooter if they don’t arrive for hours?”
“They’d just blast the continent it happened on.”
Grant nodded, “You’re probably right.”
Cinny felt a vibration and said, “We can go back now.”
The Ambassador stood and said, “I won’t mention your visit.”
“That would be good, Governor.”
“I like that title better than Ambassador.” He stopped walking and said, “What do you intend to do now?”
“That’s still up in the air.”
Cinny took her communicator out of her pocket and looked at Grant, “Ana says there is a subspace disturbance on its way here. We have three minutes.”
Grant looked at the Governor, “We have to go. Good luck.”
The Governor started to say something but the two humans standing in front of him disappeared in a blur headed toward the Embassy. He saw two streaks go flashing into the atmosphere and shook his head. It was impossible for anyone to move that fast. He stared at the sky and smiled.
• • •
“Ana, we’re taking the scooters out of here and jumping away. How long do we have?”
“Fourteen seconds.”
“We’re jumping in twelve. You and the other ships jump away now.” Grant and Cinny arrived at the top of the planet’s atmosphere and disappeared two seconds before a giant Earth Battleship emerged into normal space. The Sensor Officer looked up from his console, “Sir, I think I’ve detected several small subspace signatures.”
“How big were they?”
“They appear to be the size of a scout?”
The Captain thought for a moment and shook his head, “It’s probably scouts sent here from the fleet to keep an eye on what’s happening. Now that we’re here they’ve left.”
“Why would fleet be interfering in Ground Activities?”
“That’s why we won’t find out anything by reporting it. They’ll just deny it and make us look like we’re trying to stir up trouble between the branches.” The Sensor Officer shrugged and erased the recording. The Captain pressed his console, “Get the Ambassador’s shuttle ready along with his personal bodyguard.”
• • •
Two hours later, the Governor walked away from the Embassy having been given his walking papers from the new Ambassador. He breathed a sigh of relief at learning that his family had been released from the prison holding them. Now they would only face the danger of living on an occupied planet that everyone else had to endure. He looked up at the sky and wondered what was coming. It didn’t bode well for his captors. He knew who the two young humans were. Their story was in the information about Avalon. He saw in the data that Earth believed they had been killed. It appeared the conquerors weren’t as all-powerful as they presented themselves to be. He heard the blasters discharging up the hill from the Embassy where the troops that arrived with the new Ambassador were removing the owners of the beautiful homes for them to use. They should have just walked out…but it was so hard to just turn your back on what you’ve worked for your entire life. The blaster fire diminished and it appeared many of the homeowners had fled. This was going to be the new normal living under the bondage of a brutal civilization.
Chapter Four
Grant sat in his command chair while Cinny sat in his lap. Whippet inserted the data cube into the console and went to the other command chair. Grant looked up, “Ana?” There were several moments of silence and Grant lifted Cinny and stood up. He walked over to the data cube and put his hand on it, “Ana, are you alright?”
“Yes, give me a few moments.” Grant kept his hand on the data cube and looked at Whippet who shrugged. “Whew! The viruses on that cube were real monsters.”
Grant released his breath and shook his head, “You had me worried.”
“The programmers of that system inserted a bevy of viruses that would take over any system they enter and broadcast the location to Earth. It took some time to eliminate them.”
Grant sat back down and Cinny moved back into his lap. Whippet looked up, “Did you find anything that can help us?”
“Yes, I think so. All of Earth’s Warships are listed by their numerical designations in one file and another file has the recording of when Earth attacked the Raider Colony on Avalon.”
Cinny shook her head, “Why would they ever put that in a computer?”
“I don’t think they know it’s in there. The file is protected by a major security program that makes it virtually impossible to access.”
“You were able to do it?”
“Yes, but I had to have the computer help me break through. I don’t think a normal computer could crack it. The same thing is true with the viruses. The computer helped hold off the attack while I removed them. I honestly think that Earth is expanding so fast that they’re just copying this program from their mainframe to all the computers being sent to the conquered planets. They don’t have time to really check what’s going out.”
“Is there anything else we can use?”
“The discussion with that Dragon Colonel setting up the attack on the Ambassador is on it.”
“How did that happen?”
“The Embassy Computers are set up to record any transmissions on their planets. Evidently, the plan was put together two days before the Ambassador was killed. He should have been paying attention to the file it was in.”
Whippet shook his head, “I don’t think he would have seen it.”
Cinny looked at him, “Why not?”
Whippet smiled, “Ana, how many transmissions were recorded the day of the transmission?”
“Fifty six thousand.”
Whippet nodded, “That file is there to be accessed by another computer when searched for critical data. I suspect the new Ambassador has instructions to seek it out and remove it.”
“I hope you’re wrong about that.”
“Why?”
“If we broadcast this, they will know we had to take it within twenty four hours of the event. They’ll deduce that someone was on the planet and they’ll start looking at every recording device around the Embassy to see who was around.”
“You’re right. They’ll probably see the local Ambassador at the restaurant eating with two humans and they’ll go after him. He probably will be punished along with his family.”
Cinny shook her head, “Boy, I’d really like to use this.”
Grant shook his head, “This is something that will have to wait. If something happens to the Governor, then we’ll look at doing it. We can’t put him in danger after him not blowing the whistle on our presence. We can’t lower ourselves to Earth’s immorality.”
“I did see the log on list for the recording of Avalon’s destruction and it does appear that most of Earth’s General Officers have not seen it.”
“What about the Admiral commanding their fleets?”
“His name is not on the list.”
Cinny looked at Grant, “What are you thinking?”
Grant looked up, “Where is the Admiral at this moment?”
“He’s on his Flagship above Lovely. It appears Lovely is not taking their new conquerors very well.”
“Is there any way to send the video to his personal communicator?”
“We’d have to get close to his location. I’m sure I could intercept the frequency he uses; he has to use it a lot to direct the Fleets.”
Grant looked at Cinny and then said, “Ana, have you found ship numbers we can use to avoid being challenged if we make an appearance?”
“The ship computer has been sorting through them and has come up with some that look interesting.”
“How so?”
“It appears that three hundred flights of scouts have been given total freedom to go out and search for trouble. There are four ships in each flight and they don’t answer to any flight controller. They choose their own search areas.”
“What happens if someone attempts to contact them when they see us?”
“That’s the problem. Someone may simply welcome them to the area and find that they’re nowhere near.”
Whippet shrugged, “We could go out and remove the ones we want to replace.” Grant and Cinny turned and looked at him. “I’m just saying. We have their communication frequencies beside their ship’s designations. We go out and remove them and take their frequencies. If anyone calls them, we’ll receive it and answer.”
“Ana, is there any code word they use to identify themselves?”
“No Grant. Earth doesn’t even consider the possibility of anyone capturing one of their ships. It would be…unthinkable for them. That might change if we pull it off.”
“So you’re in favor of doing this?”
“I’ll pull up the Commander’s frequency of several of those groups and listen as they report in. If one looks promising…”
“We’ll see what we can do.”
“Exactly.”
Cinny looked at Grant, “Is there any way we can bait them to a location?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, you know they’re out looking for trouble. Why don’t we put a shuttle in subspace near their location?”
Grant looked at Cinny and looked up, “The shuttles won’t stay in subspace, will they, Ana?”
“No, they won’t.”
Cinny signed and Grant said, “No, the idea is a good one.” He thought for a moment and said, “Is there any way a ship can be forced out of subspace?”
“If another ship bumps into it, it will cancel the jump fields on both ships and they’ll enter normal space.”
Grant nodded and said, “Do all the ships the spiders collected still have their original designations on their hulls?”
“They do.”
“What about having the Spiders take
one into subspace and park it there. They’ll hide and wait for the scouts to arrive. Since those ships are still radioactive, I think the scouts will all emerge into normal space to take a look at it.”
“What if one stays in subspace?”
Grant looked at Whippet, “Then you’re going to have to bump it into normal space.”
Whippet stared at Grant, “That may not be as easy as you think.”
“I have confidence in you; you’ll pull it off.”
“What if they scan for bodies on the ship? They’ll know something’s wrong if the ship is empty.”
Grant thought for a moment and activated the Nemesis’ force field. He pressed a button on his panel and said, “Slippy, are there still any ships at the site where you took the others?”
Slippy nearly jumped off the Nemesis’ hull but managed to get himself under control. He said, “I thought we were under attack!” Slippy calmed down and said over his leg communicator, “We left thousands there.”
“Could you possibly board one of them and jump it to a location and keep it in subspace? I’ll also need you to leave the bodies on board.”
“Sounds like you want to use it as bait.”
“You’re very perceptive. I’m impressed.”
“I’ll contact Father and have him send a team out to collect one. Once they have it, I’ll let them know where you want them to go.”
“That would be good.” Grant looked up, “Ana, find us a target.”
“Working on it now.”
“Ana, Cinny and I are taking a short trip while you’re looking.”
“Where are you going?”
“We’re going to the Orion Constellation to see if the Orion is there.”
“That’s pretty obvious isn’t it?”
“We know but we need to go see if it’s located in the sword. The ships name is Orion’s Sword and we should at least take a look. It’s the only clue we can see.”
“You know there are millions of stars you’d have to search.”
“We’re going to take a look at the stars around the sword’s point. I agree that if that Admiral that hid it was half bright she wouldn’t have put it there, but…”
“You should go and see.”