by Saxon Andrew
“What do you think they’ll do if they think they’ve destroyed our ship?”
“I can answer that.” Kogo looked at Jimmy. “I can hear their thoughts and the Commanders of those ships plans to start attacking close-by civilizations once they’ve finished handling us.”
“Grang, how much further do we have to go until we arrive at the limit the Gardners have given us to approach Creature Space?”
“We’ll be on it in another hour, Kogo!”
“Set up the ruse for fifty-minutes. Allow the closest Black Ships to move closer and when their blasters start hitting our force field, set off the explosion.”
Dela added loudly, “Grang, when you push the Primes and shuttles out, shed half of our remaining fuel out with them.”
“That’s going to be a pretty large blast, Dela.”
“That’s what I’m hoping; then jump out under the cover of the Masking Field as soon as the Primes and shuttles move outside the force field. We’ll have to depend on one of their blaster beams to set it off.”
“That shouldn’t be a problem. We’re already being hit by hundreds of them.”
Lola looked at Kogo and pulled her harness tighter. Kogo saw her and pulled his tighter as well.”
“I’m going to activate the psychic force field the moment the masking field activates. We should be fine,” Grang announced.
“That’s a good idea, Lola. Count it down before we arrive at the jump point.”
“Will do, Kogo.”
“I’m going to start the force field flickering two-minutes before we jump,” Grang announced. “That should cause them to fire every blaster they have.”
Kogo nodded and kept his eyes glued to the monitor. He wasn’t shocked at the numbers of Black Warships pursuing them; he’d seen more while running from them in the other universe. But the vision was still something to shock most beings.
“Two-minutes,” Lola announced. Kogo took a deep breath and listened to the count down. “One-minute.” Time seemed to drag and then he heard, “Thirty-seconds.”
“Pushing the Primes and shuttles out of the landing bay,” Grang announced.
“Fifteen-seconds.”
“Pushing forty-penetrators out of their tubes.”
“Five-seconds!”
“Fuel is being dumped now!”
Kogo kept his eyes on the monitor and then the Black Ships disappeared to be followed by a giant explosion far behind the Grang. “Activating the dimensional drive now.” The explosion disappeared and they saw the Defense Facility appear on the monitor. Kogo would have fallen back in his chair but he was strapped in too tightly.
“Welcome back. We’ve been worried about you.”
“Thanks, BC,” Jimmy replied.
“The Gardners have requested all of you to come to the main conference room as quickly as possible.”
Kogo released his harness and said, “Grang, teleport us to the meeting.” Dela was teleported out of her harness along with Jimmy and Lola.
They appeared in the giant conference room and saw Tag and Eyes sitting at the front. Tag smiled and shouted, “It’s good to see you!” A moment later, Danielle, Sprigly, Seedel, Tegan Gee and Newton appeared. They rushed forward and hugged the crew. Eyes stood up and Tag thought, “Sit down! If you start pacing they’ll know somethings up.” Eyes grumbled a low growl and went back to his belly.
After a few minutes, Kogo looked at Tag and asked, “Why were we summoned here?”
Danielle turned to Tag, “Did you call a meeting?” She saw Tag’s expression and her expression changed, “What’s going on, Tag.”
Tag said where everyone could hear, “Come down to the front table and take a seat.” Danielle walked down and sat down next to him and asked, “Why have you turned off your telepathy module?”
“I’ll tell you in a moment.” Everyone was sitting, except for Eyes, who was still reclined on the floor. “I’m going to ask a question and I want everyone’s honest opinion. Each of you will answer the question in turn and there will be no interruptions while this happens.” Tag stared at the group and they saw he was deadly serious. “If Danielle and I die while getting the Dark Energy Beings to come to the Black Fleets, who will take our place to lead our forces. Sprigly, you will answer first.”
Sprigly stared at Tag and then looked at Seedel, who could only raise her branches in a shrug. He turned back to the group and said, “There is no one that can take your places.”
“Why not?” Tag asked.
“No one here has your talents and has the respect of all the different groups that make up our coalition forces.”
Tag turned to Newton, “Same Question.”
The young Spider was rapidly going up and down on his legs showing his agitation, “The unity we now have would fall apart. I know my species is here because of our debt to your family. The Glod and Cainth are also here because of their oaths to follow you.” Newton looked at Kogo, Dela and Tgen-Gee, “Meaning no disrespect, I can’t see your two-species working together effectively without the Gardners.”
“Kogo?”
“I was thinking the King of the Bristone Empire could do it but he isn’t really the warrior type. He’d be forced to turn to others to lead and there’s no one else for him to turn to that all the others would trust.”
“Danielle?”
“Why are you doing this, Tag?”
“Answer the question.”
“I will not allow you to do this!”
“Do what?” Dela asked.
“He’s planning to go alone to draw those beings to the Black Ships. That will never happen!!”
“Tag, may I interject something to this meeting?”
“Go ahead, Grace.”
“It’s my understanding that for this to happen, you are going to have to use your talent to move faster than things in real time, right?”
“That’s correct, Grace.”
“Well, you’ve demonstrated that you have to be in physical contact with Danielle for our ship to move at those speeds.”
Danielle interrupted, “She’s absolutely right about that!!”
Tag took a breath and said, “Grace, the Kosiev will not be making the trip either.”
“The hell you say!!” Alex interrupted. “Just what do you intend to take if we stay behind!?!”
Danielle was furious. She grabbed Tag’s arm and snapped, “You’ve been deliberately hiding this plan from me. I’ve never deceived you!! Why would you betray me like this!!”
Tag looked at her hand gripping his arm and then looked into her eyes, “Because of the way you’re acting now. I knew you’d refuse to accept it and would lose your composure once I mentioned it.” He took her hand that was tightly squeezing his arm and held it, “Danielle, who are we?”
“THIS IS NOT HAPPENING, TAG!!”
“Who are we, Danielle?” Tag persisted. The room was deathly silent and Danielle refused to answer. Tag said softly, “We were created to be a tool for Creation. Our purpose is to save life. That is the only thing that has kept us going over these thousands of years we’ve been fighting aggressive civilizations. If we refuse to go where Creation leads us, then we’re lost and so is all the life in our universe.”
Danielle lowered her head in despair and Eyes said softly, “Danielle. Tag has been in direct contact with Creation and he must do what he’s planning.”
“But you won’t be able to use your talent without me there,” Danielle said through tears that were running down her face.”
“I’ve taken a Prime out and I can use my talent in it. It’s five-percent of the Kosiev’s size and I can easily move into the field I need.”
“Tag, I can’t do this!! I just can’t!!”
Sprigly looked at Newton and saw him moving up and down. “You kept this from me!”
Tag turned to Sprigly, “I ordered him to do it.”
“Well, if you’re not planning to take Danielle, why did you have two-chairs put on board that Prime?!”
/> Everyone in the room looked at Tag and he remained silent. Dela said sternly, “Why two-chairs, Tag.”
“Because I’m going with him.”
Dela jerked her head around to Kogo and said, “LIKE HELL YOU ARE!!!”
Kogo’s eyes softened as he said, “Do you remember when I refused to allow the Grang to be destroyed?”
“DOESN’T MATTER! YOU WILL NOT BE GOING WITH HIM!!”
Danielle watched them and knew exactly what Dela was feeling. Kogo reached over and took all four of Dela’s hands in his. “I told you at the time that the crew was more important than any good sacrificing the Grang could accomplish. I didn’t know what that meant until Tag made his announcement. Creation has chosen me to go with him.”
“FOR CREATION’S SAKE WHY!?!”
“Because he is going to be focused on flying the Prime and won’t be able to operate the weapons; he can’t do both. I am chosen to go and operate the Prime’s weapons arrays.” Dela began crying as Kogo pulled her into his arms and said, “Dela…think back to when we first met the Gardners. Danielle told us that we were chosen to play a part in what was coming. Do you remember?” Dela was weeping but managed to nod. “This is that role.”
“I can’t let you go.”
“Dela, is my life worth more than all of our species and all the trillions of beings that are going to die in our universe? If we don’t go, then we’re going to lose this fight.”
Dela looked into Kogo’s eyes and said shakily, “Is the voice telling you this? Are you certain about this?!”
Kogo nodded, “I am.” Dela fell weeping into his arms.
Danielle turned to Tag, “Are you certain about this?”
Tag held her close and nodded, “You must stay behind and lead us.” Danielle looked at him but he shook his head, “No, you don’t have the talent needed to make this happen. You’re the one that commands and I’m the warrior that fights to make your commands happen. Your role is far more difficult than mine. You must remain behind and be the one to lead the fight.”
Danielle was weeping, “You know that if you die, I will be joining you soon afterwards.”
Tag pushed her back slightly and looked into her eyes. After a moment he said firmly, “That’s fair. I wouldn’t want to live without you, either. But I want your promise that you will finish this fight before you do. Will you promise me that?” Danielle wept as she nodded.
Eyes watched them and said, “I pray that if my moment comes I will be strong enough to do what’s needed.”
Tag looked at him, “Everyone in this room has the strength to do what’s needed; that’s why you’re here.” Tag looked at Kogo holding Dela and he said, “We’ll be leaving in two-hours.”
Sprigly shook his head, “Tag, the Prime doesn’t have the new scanner installed. You won’t be able to see those creatures.”
Tag looked at him, “I can see them. I’ve acquired a new talent.”
“But Kogo can’t?”
Kogo looked at Newton, “Tag can link his mind with mine and I’ll see what he sees.”
Tag looked at Jimmy and Lola, “The two of you are developing your talents at an incredible rate. I need you to support Danielle in my absence.”
“We’ll do all we can, Tag.”
Tag took Danielle’s hand and led her out of the conference room. Kogo and Dela were ahead of them. They had two-hours to say good-bye.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Thele sat in his office and glared at the large wall monitor. For the last two-months, it had been filled with views of the riots that broke out all over the planet when the defenses were being stripped from Castle Gardner. Millions had died in the riots, even though Thele ordered his warriors to avoid harming the crowds. The Red Warriors tried to maintain order but the ferocity of the crowds forced them to use their weapons to hold them back from the Assembly Building. The Castle was left in little more than ruins after the theft of the weapon and defense technology. But the Assembly Building was now protected by the most powerful defenses in the Realm.
He realized that the new fabricated history is what led to the riots. Painting the Gardners as almost Gods made it impossible for the citizens to accept the sacrilege being done to Castle Gardner. It was in the middle of the riots, that the first Black Warships arrived. Every warship the Realm possessed attacked the first Black Ships to arrive and all fifty Black Ships were destroyed but the price was enormous; ninety-percent of the fleet was destroyed. Now, a thousand giant black ships were in orbit above Ross. The surviving Realm Warships were blasted out of existence quickly and then the real carnage began.
Thousands of civilian starships tried to teleport away from the planet but they were followed instantly by a Black Warship and destroyed. He could still hear the screams of the ones fleeing on the ships over his communicator as they were blown apart. Curan and Merele had made their escape weeks before and he should have gone with them. But he just couldn’t give up the power he possessed. Now, there was only the Black Ships. Curan had sent him an original history of the Stars Realm before he left and he had been reading it while the Castle was being dismantled. The Cainth had attacked and killed thousands of humans when the Alliance attacked Earth millennia ago and it appeared Ross was going to be attacked again.
He jerked his head up and saw a line of Black Warships moving into Ross’s atmosphere. They moved over the giant metropolis around the Assembly building and opened fire with massive blaster beams. The wave of fire swept through the city vaporizing the tall crystal buildings and collapsing them on to their foundations. The Black Warship’s beams moved directly toward the Assembly Building and the entire structure shook violently. He could hear the Representatives screaming in the main assembly hall but saw the force field was still holding. He jerked his head to the monitor as Defense announced an additional fifty-black ships moving in above the giant building. They all opened fire and Thele stood up. The force field above the giant building was growing white and then…there was nothing.
The Black Warship Commander stared at his monitor as the long line of warships in his unit moved forward blasting the giant city and saw a large open space in the giant city surrounded by green. He looked at the scanner’s results and frowned; there were no advanced metals or substances in the area and he ordered, “Save your power to hit something valuable; ignore those ruins.”
“Why are they in the middle of the city, Commander?”
“You can’t figure out the mentality of aliens. There’s nothing there of value and I don’t what to have to go back and recharge our blasters until I’m forced to do it. Save the power for something we can use; ignore those ruins.”
The Warships flew over the ruins of Castle Gardner and then began firing again into the giant city. Billions were dying in the flames.
• • •
Tag held Danielle and she looked into his eyes with anguish, “Tag! If something happens to you, I’m done being a tool!”
“You promised…”
“I’ll keep my promise but this is the last time!”
“I love you so much, Danielle.”
She hugged him tightly as he kissed her deeply. He broke the kiss and turned to climb up the ladder into the Prime’s small landing bay. She watched him go and wanted to wail her anguish but forced herself to remain strong. The danger he was moving toward was unimaginable and she prayed for his safety. He didn’t need to leave seeing her crying. Kogo climbed in behind him and Dela walked over to Danielle, “Do you sense anything?” Danielle shook her head. Dela stared at the Prime and said, “I didn’t promise to wait.”
Danielle turned to Dela and wrapped her arms around her as the Prime lifted and flew out of the Defense Facility’s giant landing bay, “I need you to help me, Dela. We’ll go together if it comes to that. Will you wait for me?” Dela looked into Danielle’s eyes and nodded. “Before this is over, I am going to make them pay!!”
Dela nodded, “Spoken like a real warrior, Danielle.”
“It was yo
ur example with Kogo that gave me the strength to do this. Like I said thousands of years ago, ‘Love Conquers All.’”
A focused thought entered her mind, “Danielle!”
“Yes, Seedel.”
“Ross is under attack. I’ve just received a splinter and it doesn’t look good.”
“I’ll be right there!”
• • •
“Kogo, power up your weapon panel.”
“Why now? It’s going to take us some time to arrive, isn’t it?”
“No. I’m going to use a talent I discovered long ago to get there. We’ll be arriving in less than an hour.”
“Where are we going?”
“I’m not going to the front of their advance. I’m jumping in to a galaxy behind the front of their advance and make our presence known.”
“But that will put large numbers of those creatures behind us.!”
“We must have large numbers of those creatures pursuing us to get the fight started.”
“Tag, I know you can see possible futures. Are we going to survive this?”
“Why do you ask?”
“Because Dela is going to die if we don’t survive this. I could see it in her eyes.”
“I don’t see any possibilities, Kogo. This is a creation event and my talents don’t work in them. Danielle will also die and I promise you I’m going to do everything possible to survive this.”
“What’s this black slider on my panel?”
“This Prime has Coronado Power Cells on the hull. Don’t use it unless it’s absolutely necessary. I don’t want to reveal it if it can be avoided.”
“What will it do?”
“Put a super-heated field around the hull.”
“Will it stop them?”
“No one knows.”
“If I can see them, I can hit them with the blasters.”
“Can you operate your panel with your eyes closed, Kogo?”
“I can.”
Well, close your eyes and I’m going to link my mind with yours. Are you ready?” Tag asked
Kogo close his eyes, “Yes.”
The Prime leapt away from the Defense Facility and Kogo was shocked at the speed they were moving. Tag thought, “I’m using the teleport system now.”