by Saxon Andrew
Lens of Time Book Six
Star Rover
Running Out of Time
Contents
Introduction
Chapter One • Chapter Two • Chapter Three • Chapter Four • Chapter Five • Chapter Six • Chapter Seven • Chapter Eight • Chapter Nine • Chapter Ten • Chapter Eleven • Chapter Twelve • Chapter Thirteen • Chapter Fourteen • Chapter Fifteen • Chapter Sixteen • Chapter Seventeen • Chapter Eighteen • Chapter Nineteen • Chapter Twenty • Chapter Twenty-One • Chapter Twenty-Two • Chapter Twenty-Three • Chapter Twenty-Four • Chapter Twenty-Five
Epilogue
Books by Saxon Andrew
About Saxon Andrew
Introduction
Dat sat on a rise at the edge of a vast plain and looked at the huge herd of Cape Buffalo. The Herd had been brought in two weeks earlier and appeared to be taking to their new environment. Dat shook his head as he stared at the powerful beasts, “Do you think you can handle them?”
“One of our youngsters tried a few days ago and we had to go and retrieve two of his arms. He’s healing and I think he’s learned his lesson.”
Dat turned to the large black being sitting next to him, “What happened?”
The former Master rolled his head down to eye level and sighed, “He lacked experience. He was under the mistaken belief that all the others would run away when he wrapped up one of them.”
“And?”
“Twenty charged in and taught him he was wrong.”
“You say he’s going to be alright?”
“He’ll be fine but now he has something to prove.”
“Are you going to stop him?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?”
The large black creature shrugged, “That’s how we learn. He’ll find a way to do it…eventually.”
Dat looked back out at the herd, “How would you have done it?”
“I would have wrapped it up, killed it quickly, and gone into the soil before the others arrived.”
“That sounds like an unfair way to hunt them.”
“It is and we won’t be doing that; it takes all the fun out of the hunt.” The large creature paused for a moment and turned to Dat, “Have you thought about my offer?”
“I have.”
“And?”
Dat looked at his former enemy, “Do you really want to take this risk?” The huge black creature looked at Dat and his head rolled up to the top of its body. Dat shook his head, “I’m serious.”
“It’s who we are, we live for the hunt.”
“But you’ll be taking on warriors in armor with high powered blasters.” Dat pointed at the herd, “And like these buffalo, they’ll come after you in huge numbers.”
The black giant’s smile was instant, “I really hope they do. It will be marvelous.”
Dat shook his head, “I need a name for you. And I don’t think calling your species Masters is appropriate now.”
“I don’t think you could say my name.”
“What is it?” Dat heard the clicks, whistles, and hoots and raised a hand, “Ok, ok, you’re right.” Dat thought a moment and smiled, “How about Blacky?”
The creature actually laughed out loud, “That’s what you called me the first time you ran from me.”
“It is.”
“Blacky it is.”
“What should I call your species?”
Blacky smiled, “We tend to call things by what they are.”
“And?”
“Call us Predators.” Dat leaned back and Blacky said, “Would you rather be chased by a Master or a Predator?”
“Put like that, I suppose Predator is a much more intimidating name.”
“It is our hope to intimidate your enemies.”
Dat thought a moment and shook his head, “Predator is too severe. I’m going to change Masters slightly and call your species Madators.”
“Madators??”
“Your species is a Master Predator. I’ve never encountered a species as dangerous as yours. Most of my people won’t make the connection of combining the two words and I think it’s a name that fits. Like our ancient matadors, you also like to toy with your chosen prey. It’s a name that won’t scare anyone who comes into contact with you.”
“You can call us a cabbage and we won’t care; Madator it is.”
“Blacky, I know how lethal your species is and it scares the crap out of me to free you. How do I know you will not turn on us? After all, we killed most of your species in our war. Your planet was the only one we allowed to live.”
Blacky put one of his long black arms on Dat’s shoulder and pointed out at the giant herd with another, “This is a gift you’ve given us. You’ve allowed us to live and you ensure our safety. We owe you big time. Your civilization will be safe from us along with any of your allies.” Blacky looked out at the vast plain and smiled, “We have no desire to rule anyone. This planet provides us with everything we need and this is our home. We do worry about your civilization’s survival and we’ll do everything in our power to ensure your victory over your enemies. We are not forced to hunt. We choose to hunt and we select our prey. You know we can help you. You should also consider what the basic nature of a predator is.”
“What do you mean?’
When have you ever seen a predator upset over another predator being killed? The initial thought is, ‘More for me’.”
“Yes, but your species is intelligent. Surely the deaths of most of your species would be cause for revenge?”
“Not really. I only worried about my world and my family. I didn’t concern myself with the survival of all the other planets. We worked together to ensure our family’s survival; but that was all. If it weren’t for outside pressures exerted against us, we would have fought among ourselves for territory. You allowed us to survive; that means more than you know.”
Dat stared at Blacky for a long moment and took a deep breath. He shook his head, blew it out, and looked out at the herd, “I will take this to my leaders to discuss.”
“You should take me with you.” Dat looked at Blacky with narrowed eyes. “Trust is easier when the one asking for it is known and not feared. You also need to see that I can mix with your citizens and not represent a danger to them.”
“Can you really do that?”
“Yes, I’ll need to eat before we leave.”
“How long are you able to go between meals?”
“About three or four of your months; six months if needed.”
Dat looked at the ground and stood up, “I’ve seen you keep your promises and you’ve demonstrated your understanding of honor. Plan to leave with me by night fall.”
Blacky smiled, “I’ll meet you here.”
“That would be good.”
“Dat, there is one thing you should know.” Dat raised his eyebrows. “I will not allow anyone to harm you or your mate.”
“Why?”
“You are the ones that saved us.”
Dat smiled, “I don’t think it will come to that, Blacky. I’ll see you this evening.”
Blacky watched Dat walk away and knew that life was having the unexpected happen when you least expected it. He left the field and went to find his next meal. Later, he reported to the other leaders and their happiness of being pitted against worthy opponents was obvious. They started bobbing up and down at the anticipation of the coming hunt. The leader of the other major tribe looked at him, “You will restrain yourself.”
“I have given them honor.”
The Leader smiled, “As well you should. Please let u
s know what they decide.”
“The warriors that are of age should start training, now.”
“Are you so certain they’ll use us?”
Blacky smiled, “We are a tool they have to use to survive. Just make sure everyone is ready to go. The first ones chosen will be critical to future decisions.”
Chapter One
The King looked at his Fleet Admiral, “When will the first ships be ready?”
“The hulls have been laid for the first units and the engines should be installed within the next week.”
“Our probes have discovered that the Union has won their war in the distant galaxy. They’ll be turning their attention to us quickly; we need to be ready.”
“I’m hoping you can delay them on the diplomatic front.”
“How so?”
“Call and request a meeting to discuss where we stand with them and see if you can drag the meetings out. We won’t need much time to get our initial fleet completed and after that…”
“I’ll see what I can do.”
The Fleet Admiral nodded and left the King’s Throne Room. Now, if the new technology worked, he would have title along with a planet to rule soon. He hoped the King could buy him enough time to build the ships needed to hold off the small white Union Ships. He walked out into a clear day with bright yellow clouds floating high overhead. The palace was huge behind him and he turned and looked at it. Who knows, maybe the King would have an accident and he could make a move to take the throne. He continued to stare at the palace and then shook his head. He was being stupid. He was not royalty and the throne was as distant as the closest star. It was unreachable. He saw his shuttle door open and he walked in, glancing at the beautiful sky one more time.
• • •
Dat arrived with Blacky in Admiral Hull’s office and the Admiral did a triple take at the huge Madator. She stood up and reached for a button to call Security. Dat quickly said, “Admiral, this is Blacky and he has volunteered his species to assist us in taking back the planets that the Grillen invaded.”
Katherine stared at the seven foot tall creature and shook her head, “Dat, you should have discussed this with me first.”
Blacky’s head rolled down his chest until it was eye level with the Admiral, “You don’t have anything to fear from us, Sir. We are committed to making sure your civilization is protected and continues to flourish.”
Kat eased forward, sat back down and kept her hand on the security button, “Is that so?”
“It is; you saved us and gave us a home we’ve grown to love and cherish. We’ve never liked the role of being a conqueror and now we can live in peace.”
“Then why are you electing to fight for us?”
Blacky’s head rolled back up to the top of his body and he smiled, “There are two reasons, Sir.”
“And they are?”
“We know that if your civilization falls, we will be attacked on our new planet by whoever defeats you.”
Katherine nodded, “That’s probably true; what’s the second reason?”
“We do love a good fight.” Katherine frowned and Blacky quickly said, “However, we will never fight with you or your friends. We just feel that since we are now a part of your civilization, we should take part in defending it.”
Katherine started shaking her head and turned to Dat, “Is this a good idea? You know how dangerous his species is. And I’m not so certain that he’s a part of the Union. They’re more like prisoners.”
“A blaster is dangerous as well, Sir; unless you’re the one holding it. They’re prisoners because of how dangerous they are. I believe we can use them against our enemies.”
“Just how is his species going to survive against modern armor and weapons?”
Blacky quickly said, “We’ve done it before. That’s how we captured the first warships we used to defend ourselves against the civilization that was blasting my planet from space.”
“Do tell.”
“My species has been attacked so many times we’ve lost count. We were happy to stay on our home world at peace but every time a space faring civilization found us, they made it their goal to eradicate us. I guess they feared our capabilities.”
“As well they should!”
“We eventually determined that the only way to ensure our survival was to conquer our galaxy and forbid any one from developing advanced technology. That is where you stepped into the picture.”
Katherine stared at the black creature and shook her head, “We killed billions of your species. How can you work with us after what we did?”
“You didn’t eradicate us. You allowed us to continue to live and that proves to us that we can trust you to defend us if we’re attacked by an outside force.”
“We would certainly do that but I find this hard to fathom.”
“If you will defend us, we will also defend you against outside aggression. You won’t find any creature in creation better at taking control of a planet’s surface than my species.”
“And you don’t have any ill will toward us for what we did?”
Blacky sighed at Kat’s sarcasm, “Admiral, my species has been attacked so often that we’ve grown inured to seeing our populations killed. The thing that makes you different from all the other attackers is that you were not determined to destroy every one of us. You’ve proven that our well-being is one of your priorities and we think it’s in our best interests to make ourselves an asset that you value. If we can prove to you that we can make a difference in your survival, we will be accepted into your civilization as equals instead of prisoners.”
Kat looked at Dat and he shrugged. She looked at Blacky and said, “Are you able to restrain your predatory instincts?”
Blacky smiled, “It’s like the citizens in your civilization that go hunting. They take a weapon out and pursue their intended game. When the hunt is over, do they go back into society and shoot anyone they encounter? No, the hunt is an exercise that is separate from their normal day to day existence. We can live in your society without endangering anyone around us. However, we do enjoy hunting. We’re the perfect ground troops you need to take back those invaded planets; and quite frankly, we’d love the opportunity to do it.”
Dat smiled, “Admiral, Blacky had proven to me that his species knows the meaning of honor and they keep their promises. I really believe he is being honest.”
“Do you honestly think they can match up with an armored Grillen Warrior?”
“We might give them a few tools to make it easier.”
Blacky and Kat both said at the same time, “What!”
“We need to see what talents his species brings to the table but I believe Belwen can develop some toys that will make a difference.”
“Dat, should we run this by the government for approval?”
Dat sighed heavily, “Sir, it appears they are pretty much leaving our survival up to us without getting involved. They have chosen to remain hidden and I can’t really say I blame them. We’re going to have to do this alone.”
Kat nodded, “I’ve pretty much made the same determination.”
Dat said, “It’s really up to us to make the decision, Sir. Do you have a plan to remove the Grillen Warriors from the invaded planets?”
Kat stared at Dat and sighed. She turned to Blacky and had a smirk on her face, “Raise one of your right arms.”
Blacky’s eyes narrowed on his face and Dat showed him what to do. He raised a long black arm and Katherine said, “Do you solemnly swear to defend the Union against all enemies, both foreign and domestic and to follow the orders given to you by your officers and leaders. Do you promise to follow our laws and customs and give your life, liberty, and possessions to ensure the Union’s survival?”
Blacky smiled, “I do.”
Katherine blew out a breath, “I don’t know what will come out of this but you are now a member of our military and I am tasking you with getting your people ready to fight for our civilization.” She t
urned to Dat, “Take him to Belwen and see what he can cook up.” She turned back to Blacky, “I will come to your planet when your warriors are ready to swear their allegiance and enlist them in our armed forces.”
“Thank you, Sir. I’m honored to fight for you.”
Katherine shook her head and Dat nodded toward the door. Blacky followed him out and six hours later he was left with one of the gentlest creatures he had ever encountered.
• • •
Dat arrived at home and found Gresha singing in the kitchen. She rushed forward and gave him a hug that almost sprained a few ribs “I just took Blacky to meet the Admiral.”
“Is that his name?”
“He allowed me to choose it.”
“It fits; he did love chasing you.”
“Katherine swore him into the military.”
Gresha stepped back from Dat with her brow furrowed, “Is that a good idea?”
“I don’t know…I think it is…but…I don’t know.”
“Well, if it helps, I hated him at first but now I find him entertaining.”
Dat smiled, “I know; it’s like sitting with a giant crocodile telling jokes. You know it should be biting your leg off but it never happens.”
“A croc wouldn’t stand a chance against him.”
“That’s what makes it even more ironic. He makes an excellent point that we are not equipped to push the Grillen off the planets they invaded. We could really use their help.”
“I don’t know how he would fare against an armored warrior with a blaster though. He couldn’t penetrate the armor with his beak.”
“I’m not so sure about that; he insists he’s done it before. Anyway, Katherine ordered me to take him to Belwen to see if he could come up with some toys.”
Gresha tilted her head, “Now that should prove interesting.”
“Tell me about it; what’s for dinner.”
“Chicken and rice.”
“It smells great. I’ll go clean up.” Gresha kissed Dat and went back to work.
• • •
Blacky had gone with one of Belwen’s engineers and picked up six other Madators. They were brought back to Belwen’s lab and had been subjected to an examination that was as long as it was thorough. Blacky was tired of extending his arms and legs. He couldn’t tell an arm from a leg by the time Belwen finished.
