Solarans 1: The Gift From Aquarii

by Don Koch

 

 

 

  Nikolay reported the new development to Andy and updated Paulo on the development. He indicated that he wanted Estella's read on General Tosl when they returned. In the meantime he was going to act as though the General's version of the facts was the reality.

  # Task Force A Flagship in orbit at Grell #

  # Saturday, August 13 #

  Nikolay, Anya, Fass and Ela were having a meeting with General Tosl and his senior staff, Generals Noitca, Saedi and Raef. Aston was listening in to advise when necessary. The meeting was in the General's conference room at his headquarters.

 

 

 

 

  Aston added,

  < General, do you ever have a situation where you are considering several options in approaching an issue and you ask yourself a series of 'what if' questions? What if I do this, how will the other party react? What if I do that, how will the other party react? Only one of those options is reality, the one you select. The other option selected is not reality.>

 

 

  The lights went on. The General was shocked. It could be seen in the General’s face and those of his staff.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  # Diplomatic Courier in Orbit at Fair #

  # Later that day #

  On arriving in the Fair system, Paulo's ship entered orbit above the planet and determined a point of contact. He decided that his initial contact would be Fair's Chief Executive Vill Tomas. Paulo's ship was undetected.

  The startled Chief Executive looked around and seeing nothing stated,

 

 

  ent. Just leave us sufficient room to land.>

 

  They arrived invisibly to see the layout and then slowly turned visible.

  About then a side door opened and a little girl dashed in straight to Estella. They immediately embraced and the little girl said,

 

  The Chief Executive visibly slumped, He then dismissed the security detail but they insisted that one remain.

 

 

 

 

  After everyone was settled in, Paulo proceeded to tell them how the Solarans had come about, how he had been recruited, the Solaran efforts on Earth, the discovery of the Lotan survivors and how a task force was due in the Aquarii system that day to look for survivors. He then gave them a complete update on the Grell invasion fleets and their capture. He related the discussions underway on Grell to redirect their approach.

 

 

 

  Paulo went on to describe the Solarans previous encounters with the Slegna.

  One of the advisors gasped,

  Vill said,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  The three disappeared as they teleported back to the ship, They then immediately left orbit bound for Grell.

  a good source for additional Solarans.>

  Chapter 27 - Encounter

  # Task Force B Flagship in orbit at Lota #

  # Saturday, August 13 #

  All ships in Task Force B entering the Aquarii system were cloaked. All sensors were seeking any signal that might emanate from either the Sorzan vessels or from a Lotan vessel. There were several indicators on Lota itself which was a mess. There was substantial damage from energy beam bombardment and fortunately that was nonradioactive. As they rounded the planet, three ships were found alternately firing on a location on the planet. Sider sent a team of Solarans to the attacking ship. They visibly boarded the ship and ordered the vessel to cease firing. There appeared to be no one in command of the vessel. They refused to stop firing, so the Solarans destroyed the firing controls for the ship's weapons. The firing continued and then someone triggered the self-destruct mechanism. That destroyed the ship but did no harm to the Solarans.