The Staff of Ira

by Carl Sheffield

  Ba said, “Build more.” Ba sent word to the other planets. After all was said, he had a fleet, he would strike again. Ba thought this time he would prevail over all. Ba thought it would be worth it.

  Ships come and went bringing messages from different planets. The chief justice of Plano sent a word that he was rebuilding his planet. The message said he wanted nothing to do with this war. Ba sent the chief a reply.

  “Join me or I will destroy you.” Ba sent a ship every ten days to blast the surface of Plano. Month after month of raids, the Plano chief sent a response.

  “I will join you, just give me time to rebuild my city.”

  In Ba’s message, “You have six months.”

  The chief of Plano took a daring chance. He and the captain of his ship took a late-night flight to the planet of Boldlygo. Just outside the sensors, a called was made to the floor of the planet. Moments later, two ships appeared from nowhere.

  “Follow us” was the message as the ships went through space escorted to the surface of the planet. Landing on the north staging area, they were met by sentries. The chief justice and the captain of the Valorian ship walked down the ramp. Ren and Henery waited with the sentries. Behind Ren was the girls. Something outsider could not understand, why females would fight in a war. He asked that question. He also was answered.

  Plano chief asked for a council. Tressa and April escorted them to the chambers where they were made to wait until morning.

  29

  The morning came too early. I lie in the arms of my King. I have loved Omega and only him for so many years. You could say since I was a child, even before I knew what love was. Omega pulled me to him. He was staring into my eyes.

  Omega asked, “Kira, what is on your mind? I can tell you are troubled.” I told my husband I wondered what the Palatonian want. Kissing me on the lips, something he always did well. Omega made me want to make love, I told him so.

  Omega said, “My love, let’s go to the chambers.”

  I pulled him down. “Not yet,” I said. “I want this.” One hour later, we walked to the chambers with a different look on life, or at least I did. I thought with a smile, I guess you could say it was a woman thing.

  Omega and I entered the chambers. The girls had replenished it. I sent a sentry to bring the guest to the chambers. The chief of Plano started to speak. Omega held his arm up.

  Omega said, “First, have a cup of this drink, it’s a man’s drink.” Mr. Sams had brought all the supplies to the hanger. Tyler oversaw the coffee. Omega loved the coffee with the sugar as he would say. Sugar was something we did not grow here on Boldlygo. Old Lee said, there was no reason why we could not grow coffee. Maybe someday, we will.

  Omega asked, “Sir, did you enjoy your coffee?”

  The chief said, “It’s was good, yet it was different.” The chief stood in the middle of the floor.

  “Please,” He said, “I have no ill feeling of you. You did what you had to do. If I had thought of it, I would have done the same thing.”

  Leah broke in. “You did try, sir.”

  The chief said, “Yes, I guess I did.”

  “What is it you want here?” Leah asked.

  The chief turned to Kira. “Look, I wish to speak to the queen and king.”

  Omega said, “When these girls speak, you are speaking to us. They hold more power than us.”

  Kira said, “Sir, that’s why it’s called a council. Now sir, what is your say?”

  The chief thought it would be easy for him to come here and talk. Have it his way it didn’t take long for him to find Kira was not a pushover.

  The chief said, “I want nothing to do with this war. You have shown me you are far more powerful. I just want to rebuild my city. Ba has sent ships every ten days to destroy all we rebuild.”

  Mekon said, “Fight back.”

  He replied, “I do not have the ships or the manpower to fight back. I seek now what you once had: PEACE! The Valorian captain wants no more of this war. He speaks very highly of Dorn. Ba has given me six months to rebuild then join him, or he will destroy me. I want a truce between us. I would seek your protection and join you. Maybe you could give us the help we need to rebuild as you did long ago on the moon.”

  Kira stood. “We do not have the ships or the manpower to rebuild your planet or protect it. We have our own to protect. I feel you should have stopped this long ago when this King Ba and Bas came to you.”

  The chief said, “Then do as you did to my planet. Go there hidden, destroy Ba as you did to me, I beg you. I promise you they will return and strike me again.”

  I listened to them as they talked. What they said made sense. I thought that’s what we should do. I feared that’s what they wanted us to do. Maybe they were waiting for us to leave.

  I asked the chief, “How many ships did you save? Can your ships cloak?”

  He said, “Only two.”

  I told him, “Take one of them, go to the Pegasus galaxy, explore it. You can’t be detected in stealth. Look around, see how many ships they have.”

  “I would like another cup of this coffee,” The chief said. The council was over as all stood.

  Fax asked me, “Dorn, what do you think, old friend?” I told Fax I don’t trust them.

  Fax smiled and said, “I never did.” Ren said the same.

  Ren said, “I remembered my father and his father dealing with Plano. My Opa had a trying time with them. My father said my Opa found Garf calling to him from the moon. Ject went there. They started the friendship that has lasted for hundreds of years.” I listened to Ren talk. I called for Mi to bring the George Washington to port. The girls met the ship with coffee, mostly to see their men.

  Mi said, “Dorn, we need a ship full of this stuff.” I agreed. I told him I’m not going after it.

  Mi said, “I’ll take Aries, Candance, my wife, and son.”

  “I need you here,” I said.

  Mi said, “I was only joking.” Yet I knew he wanted to go.

  Kira asked me, “Father, how long?” I told her I was not sure. We would wait until the Valorian ship returned. Fax’s troops came in from the valley. They could not stop talking about the beauty of the valley.

  Kira said to everyone, “This is my planet six thousand years ago. I was chosen to be Queen, Maoke said this. How? I’m not sure, he must be all-powerful. I’m ashamed I’ve never been anywhere on this planet, except here.” She looked at me then to Leah. “I’ve never been to the falls of the Marder-to-go’s.”

  Tressa said to her mother, “You may have never gone to the falls, mother. I say here now, you were chosen to be queen, ruler of our planet. I say to you of all the greatness you have done for our people. I could not have gotten where I am today if not for the greatest mother in one’s world.” I saw a tear fall from my daughter’s eye as she took her daughter in her arms. All the girls went to her. I went to the lab. I met with the chief justice as he brought all the men to the hanger.

  “Dorn,” he said, “I thought you could not die here.”

  “You can’t,” I told him.

  “Dorn, why did Fax’s men die?” I told him they were not natives of our world.

  Then he asked, “Your wife, Dorn, could she die?” I told him she has the native blood of Mekon. She was born on Earth Yet she is native. I told him to bring the men around. I wanted to talk to them. The food baron brought food and drink to all.

  Omega told them of the great job they did, the friends that were lost. We asked Fax if there was any way we could help them, help their families.

  Fax answered, “They will be fine, Dorn. It was an honor to help. Dorn, as you know there has never been a war fought on my world; we have over the years prepared for this. Remember back Dorn when we become friends, I told you then I have watched this planet and wondered how many more wars will be fought before it all ends.”


  I looked across the staging area. “I hope no more, Fax. I hope no more.”

  Fax took Shasta on his knee. “I hope their future is a great one. Maybe someday, Kikki will give me a grandchild. She has her ship for now.”

  “Yes, Fax and a great job she does with it,” I said. “She took out two ships. Bota and Ozo took two ships also.” I saw Ozo come from the west road across the city then went straight up. I’ve seen Ira do this many time when I was a small boy. Bota took the staging area then came to us.

  Bota said, “It was a good fight.”

  “Yes, we were lucky there’s no damage. Fax lost several men,” I said.

  Bota said, “I’m sorry for that, sir. Ozo did good, he’s a good captain. Dorn, after this, Maoke said I must return to the city. I’m going back to Earth with Ozo. There is several that will go.” I told Bota if that was his wish, there’s something he must see in the city.

  “Dorn, what is in the city I need to see? You know, I helped build the city,” Bota said. Leah stood by me. Then she asked, “Bota, can you read the old print?”

  Bota said, “Yes, I can. Why do you ask?” Soy stood beside Leah, she wanted to know what it says.

  Bota said, “Then let’s go.”

  Everyone waved and bowed to us as we walked through the streets of Ratio. People would ask who Bota was. Some would fall on their knees, did the fight bring the people out, or was it something else?

  Bota said, “Maoke sent me to help.” I was glad he was here. Standing at the building, Bota looked at the writing on the wall.

  Bota said, “One will come from the city. A child born to power, with a female and the power of the staff. He will move us to new stars, new moon, new sun.” Bota touched his chin, lost in thoughts, then replied, “This can’t be.” Bota said under his breath, “Maoke, he did this over six thousand years ago. This writing is on the Great Wall. How did he know?”

  Leah asked, “Great one, did you read what Soy read?”

  Bota told Leah, looking at Kira, “This will be your son Zin, and Tressa. Mya gave Tressa all her power. Tressa is more powerful than Maoke.”

  Kira said, “Then she is the most powerful person on the planet.”

  Bota replied, “No, Kira. There is another. No one will be as powerful as Zin. Now it makes sense all the training. Zin and Tressa will move this planet. Maoke, Ira, Kayla has found the way to do this. The power has been given to them.” Leah and Kira looked at each other. “What about us? How can they do that?”

  Bota said, “You will see, there is nothing we can do. It has been written.”

  “Dorn,” Bota said, “Because you are the leader of your people, you must say goodbye to everything you know. I myself will take the ship of Ozo. I’ll go to Earth, take anyone that will go. This will be a one-way trip. Your friends, the Xonians, you must say goodbye to them. I don’t know when it will happen; soon, I’m sure.”

  In my thoughts, how do you do that as good of a friend as Fax has been? Walking back to the lad, I told Mekon what Bota said.

  Mekon said, “There is one way we can say goodbye to him. Give him all the ships.” I looked at Mekon. “What if we need them in the new place we go?”

  Mekon said, “Dorn, if Maoke is going to have this planet moved, we won’t need them.”

  I asked, “Mekon, is it possible to move a planet?”

  Mekon said, “Remember back when your son Zin was five years old?”

  “Some of it,” I said. “I told you then he was studying quantum physics. Well Dorn, you’re going to see it happen. He has found a way to move through a wormhole as to say.”

  I said, “I don’t know what that is. I just got used to the jump on the ship. I need you to explain.” Well, Mekon did, I still didn’t understand.

  I was in the lab early morning talking with Bota. It had been two weeks since the Valorian ship had left. A call came in from Wald. The Valorian ship had returned. In council, we listened as the captain explained what he had found. He told Kira and Omega they are planning another attack. They have as many ships as before.

  “The first attack, we fired first. We were in cloak as they come from hyperspace. They were not expecting it. This time, they will be. I think we should take it to them. We don’t take all the ship, just a few. Most of the ships stay here, just in case they’re watching,” Bota explained.

  Fax said to me, “Dorn, Ren, Kira, Omega, I truly hate to lose our friendship. My eight ships, the six from the moon, we will go. It will be my gift to you. I’ve said before if anyone wants to come to my planet, I will welcome them. Since our friendship has begun, I have learned so much from you.”

  Kikki said to Kira, “We have elected three women to our council, thanks to you. I will go with my father with the Great one leading as you did on Plano. I feel it will work, Kira.” Again, I saw a tear in Kira’s eyes.

  Kikki turned to the girls. “I will always remember you as the three, forever in my heart, and in my world. I will write of you.” Kikki turned to Bota, “Now great one, if you will prepare to lead us, this will give your people the time they need to ready themselves for their trip.”

  Bota left for the Pegasus galaxy to destroy all he could. Eleven days later, Ozos’ ship landed on the pad. Bota and Ozo returned with the ships from the moon. The word was given, they were successful.

  Bota said, “They destroyed the city, the mine where they extract their metal for the ships. Several ships that were in port; everything was destroyed. We come from stealth. Veronian ships were waiting. Fax and Kikki took four ships, Ozo took two.

  The captain of the moon went to the surface. We fought in the air; it will be a while before they come again. Maybe Zin will return before then. Before I leave, I must see Tressa.” Kira sent a sentry to the home of Tressa. Brad brought her to the chambers. Bota told Brad he must speak to her alone.

  Bota took Tressa to the Great room. I have no idea what was said to her.

  Leah took my hand. “Dorn, Tressa is strong, very strong.” I told Leah of the fight she had with Pam, Lori’s friend on Earth. I told her she made a wave with her hands and Pam disappeared. I could see Brad was mad. Moments later, Brad and Tressa left the palace. I heard Brad asked Tressa of the meeting with Bota.

  Tressa said, “It was family business.”

  Brad said, “I want to know.”

  Leah and I spent the day with the girls and children at the small park in the city. Several natives would come with their children.

  Leah said, “Dorn, I’m going to the cabin, I want tea.” I took Shasta in my arms as we said good evening to all.

  Ellie said, “I will be glad when this was is over.” I said the same.

  The suns had set behind the Marder-to-go’s when we returned from the park. Leah made tea, a knock on the door. I looked at the door, Tressa stood.

  “Opa.” She started to fall. I called to Leah, hurry! Leah saw Tressa lying on the floor. I picked her up, laid her on the bed. For several minutes, Tressa was lifeless. I sent for Mea. Tressa raised up on the bed as Mea came into the room.

  Tressa said, “Mea, something is happening to me again.”

  Mea said, “Dorn, I find nothing wrong.”

  Tressa said the same. “You won’t find anything. It’s as my body is changing again as it did going to Earth.” Tressa closed her eyes as if she was asleep.

  “Mya, why? I don’t understand.” A faint wind blew through the window, everyone felt the presence of Mya.

  A voice called to Tressa, “Tressa, come with me, take my hand.” Several minutes later, a glow surrounded her. Moments passed, the wind moved out the window as it had come. Tressa was standing in the room with tears in her eyes.

  Looking at the sky. “I only wanted to love Brad and have my baby. Now this,” Tressa said. She looked at me and Leah. “I must wait now for Zin, he’s coming.” Looking at Brad, Tressa said, �
�I’m sorry, Mya gave me this power, it’s my destiny. You must return to Earth, Bota will leave soon.” Lying on the bed, Tressa closed her eyes, went to sleep.

  Two weeks went by since that night in the cabin. Leah and the girls work with Tressa every day. Brad couldn’t believe what was going on. Coming to the lab, he told me he wanted this to stop.

  “I’m tired of being without her.”

  Tressa comes home today. I told Brad, “Go back to the city. Tressa told you to go back to Earth, you declined.”

  Having tea, I sat thinking since Bota left with Ozo. We had not seen outsiders. Maybe they got the message; I knew it was coming. Bota left with sixty-five people going to Earth. The crew and returnee met with Kira and Omega. They knew it was going to be a one-way trip. Kira gave them a small bag of stones; she said goodbye. Bota left knowing he could never return to this location.

  Leah said, “Dorn, I see trouble with Brad.” I told her of the account in the lab.

  Leah said, “Tressa was doing as Mya. She said she read this in the archives.”

  Kira had called for council on the next morning. Leah and I walked to the cabin, walking past the lab, looking across the pads. Mi had his ship on the pad; all the ships were there except three. Aries and Tressa were in front of the cabin.

  I said to them, “What a surprise.”

  Tressa said, “Opa.”

  I’m not sure how long it will be before Zin returns. I suppose we should continue this training.

  Leah stood by Tressa. “I will say this, you’re where you’re supposed to be, waiting for my son to return; as his mother and me.” I told them as Leah came to my side. Looking to the Marder- to- go’s, I feel as Tressa. I’m not sure how long it will take my son to return, I only know we will be here waiting.

  THE END

  Through the many Journeys of Dorn, this second book marks the of the journey. Considering the future of the planet, I see that salvation will come.