by Saxon Andrew
“What, what, what…”
“Thorpe’s up to something. He’s making a planet-wide announcement tomorrow evening. Go and see if any of our Admirals want to be here to hear it.”
“On my way.” Sherry watched the Scout disappear behind its drive-field and disappear from the orbit of Mars. What was the General up to?
• • •
“Rory, I think someone in our Command structure should go and evaluate what’s going on.”
“Meredith, I hate to keep sending him out but Dean is the one that should go.”
“I’ll notify him and send him in one of our Speed Scouts. He’ll need to get moving.”
“Get it done.”
• • •
Dean arrived on the Babylon with Ginger holding their daughter. “I’ll get back as soon as I can, Gin.”
“I know how much you like going out, Love. Enjoy it and don’t feel rushed; we’ll be fine.”
“That was before Connie. Now I don’t like leaving as much as I once did.” Ginger kissed him and he climbed up into the Speed Scout.
Dean took the Scout out of the landing bay and turned toward Earth. He activated the powerful drive-field and went to full thrust on the Scout’s four engines. The Scout lept away at an incredible speed.
• • •
Sherry Meeks kept the long-range scanner going and saw there was only an hour before the announcement was to be made. She looked at her passive scanner screen and saw something moving her way as an incredible speed. That had to be one of the new Speed Scouts. She sent a static-burst and the object turned her way. Fifteen-minutes later, the Speed Scout came to a stop, and made contact with her left wing. “It’s good to see you, Sir.”
“You’ll need to patch me in to your scanner, Lieutenant. This Scout hasn’t had one installed yet.”
“I’m surprised one exists, Sir. I thought they were a few months out from coming off the assembly line.”
“This is the original prototype. Do you have any idea about what’s going on?”
“No, that announcement just keeps repeating itself over and over. I’m sure there is a high level of stress and anxiety on Earth about what it is.”
“Thorpe is doing that intentionally. He’s planning something major.”
“I guess we’ll find out what it is in a few minutes.” Dean nodded and looked at his monitor. The two-scouts were powered down and were hanging motionless in normal space outside their drive-fields. It would take four-minutes and forty-seconds for the announcement to reach Mar’s orbit at the speed of light. They could have stayed in their drive-fields and heard it instantly but there was no good reason to run the risk. Dean saw the chronometer hit Eight PM Earth time and waited for the announcement to arrive.
• • •
Thorpe looked at his Intelligence Service Leader, “Are you ready, General?”
“We are, Sir. Every news agency and TV channel on the planet has been preempted and will be carrying the video. We’ve also preempted every radio station as well for the audio.”
Thorpe smiled, “I have my speech ready to follow the video. Just point to me when I should begin.”
“I’ll allow the producer to do that, Sir. He’s the one in the lime-green colored shirt standing next to the center camera.”
‘Isn’t that…”
“Yes, Sir. He won the Academy Award for Best Producer this year.”
Thorpe looked at General Greene, “I’m impressed.”
“Yes, Sir. I will do my best on everything you ask, Your Majesty.”
Thorpe smiled, “Hold that thought.”
“Yes, Sir.”
• • •
Dean stared at his monitor and then saw it illuminate with a giant Defense Satellite exploding above Earth.
Chapter Twenty-One
“Five-years ago Defense Satellite Churchill was viciously attacked by a highly-advanced Alien Civilization and it fell on New York City. Millions lost their lives in the attack. Not long afterwards, other Defense Satellites were lost and more cities destroyed by the Alien Monsters. In their last attack on our planet, they deliberately destroyed our most important city in Japan and close to a billion of our brothers and sisters died in the horrendous devastation that followed.”
• • •
Recording after recording of the destruction played and Dean said, “He’s playing on their fear.”
“He’s doing a good job of it, Sir,” Sherry replied. Dean nodded.
• • •
“But George Thorpe was not sitting idle in his efforts to defend you from this ravenous species. He had his Fleets out taking on this enemy and thousands of his warriors were giving their lives to keep you safe.” The video showed thousands of giant derelict warships hanging dead in space ahead of Rory’s Fleet. “We are proud to announce that you will no longer have to live in fear of these carnivorous creatures; George Thorpe has eradicated them and they are no longer going to kill us. Earth is safe again and here is the man that made it happen.”
The Producer pointed at George and he said, “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve wept at the loss of life on Earth to these Aliens. I’ve dedicated my life to protecting all mankind from Alien attacks and I am ecstatic that my forces have finally prevailed against them. You, your families, and your friends will no longer have to look at the skies in fear; we are all safe again and I know those that died can now rest in peace knowing those they left behind will live…”
• • •
“What’s he doing, Sir. He’s already their elected leader.”
Dean sighed, “Elected leaders can be voted out of office. He’s doing something else.”
“What?”
“I’m not sure. We need to move in closer and listen to the various news services after he stops crowing.”
• • •
Three days later, they knew. Sherry shook her head, “Surely they won’t do this.”
“Earth is being played like a que-ball by a professional pool shark.”
“He has refused the title.”
“Come on, Lieutenant! As they say, the third-time is the charm.” Sherry was amazed at the Admiral’s insight. Exactly one-week after the announcement, George Thorpe accepted the crown and announced his coronation would take place in Japan to honor those that died for him to have it. He told Humanity that the new Earth Empire, unlike the Roman Empire, would last forever and would be invincible.
“I seem to remember someone else saying that, Sir.”
“You’re right, Lieutenant; Hitler declared the same thing when he took control of Germany. However, Thorpe has done what no one else ever has.”
“What is that, Sir.”
“He’s taken control of the entire planet.”
“What happens now?”
“Thorpe will consolidate his control and then he’s going to do something that will give him an excuse to attack the Colonies. But that won’t be right away. He must get his men in critical positions to insure he has total control. Once he does that, it will be the Colonies turn.” Dean shook his head and said, “Lieutenant, keep track of the countries that are given to Thorpe’s Men to rule. Tell the Scouts that relieve you to continue the process and send us communication probes as the process encompasses the continents.”
“Yes, Sir,” Sherry said in a soft voice.
• • •
The Coronation went off without a hitch. It was spectacular and had a certain grandeur that made Earth feel like true Royalty was now going to protect and care for all of them. Thorpe even made an appeal immediately after he was crowned Emperor George Thorpe the First. He dropped his middle name not liking how it sounded. He looked out into the hundreds of cameras and said, “I know there are many of you who desire to join my warriors in protecting Earth from harm. If you ae willing to swear your loyalty to my forces, I will welcome you into our band of brothers.”
Haley notified Thorpe that millions of young people had come in to recruiting stations to sign up.
Thorpe told Haley that he now had his police force and he needed to get those volunteers separated from their families and indoctrinated in military camps. Baron Haley welcomed them in as Knights of Earth on a glorious quest. They were told their quest was to bring Emperor Thorpe’s vision into reality where Earth would begin a golden age where everyone was equal and treated alike.
The new recruits were treated like Royalty and praise was heaped on them about their wisdom in choosing to fight for a just and righteous cause. They were told over and over that the Emperor believed in them and would always be their defender.
They were also told that there would be those that would fight against the new World and that some of them may even be in their families. But now their family was the brothers standing beside them in ranks and traitors had to be eliminated to prevent the Emperor’s vision from taking too long to come into being.
The most ardent believers were taken and trained to fight in the new fleet. They were praised for their intelligence and willingness to fight for the Emperor. The trouble with the young is they are inexperienced in the ways of the world and want desperately to believe in something more than themselves. Any one older than twenty that volunteered to join were turned down. They were borderline capable of thinking for themselves and the new Emperor would not take a chance on them. It was his young Knights that would solidify his power. Thorpe’s Barons moved the new Knights away from their homes so they would not be confronted by anyone they knew. In less than six-months, Thorpe’s Knights were ready; but the rest of the world wasn’t.
• • •
Baron Kitchens was on Thorpe’s monitor, “Tell me again how you set this up, Baron.”
“We went in to the city and confiscated the steel mill. We fired the workers and replaced them with volunteers wanting to support our cause. We will only have to feed and house the new workers saving us a huge expense. However, the owners of the mill, along with the fired workers are stirring up trouble.”
“Very good, Baron!! I assume you’re going to clean this up.”
“First thing in the morning, Your Majesty.”
“Record what happens so I can see the results.” Kitchen’s smiled and Thorpe ended the contact. Now he’d see if his young Knights were ready or not.
The Knights were airlifted in at night to the steel mill. They landed on top of the building and went down to the first floor where they settled in for the night. Some young women came out of the second story offices and began mingling with the young men.
One of them walked up to a Knight and said, “I was too afraid to leave after work. I feared they would hurt me.”
The young man looked at her, “No one is going to harm you.”
“But there’s so many of them and they’re so angry.”
‘I promise you, you will not be harmed.” The young woman smiled and kissed him on the cheek, “Thank you for protecting us.”
• • •
This cajoling was taking place among the Knights through the evening and by the time morning arrived, they were prepped and ready. The young women were airlifted away from the mill as the Knights were ordered into their armor. The women had another appointment in another city with a new group of Knights.
• • •
The Owners and former workers were standing outside the front entrance to the mill screaming their anger at what the Emperor had done. The Colonel commanding the Battalion of Knights spoke to them over their combat helmets, “We’ve told you that there would be traitors to the Emperor’s vision and now they are starting to sew their poison. Those outside cursing the Emperor must be removed and everyone working with them. Are you ready to carry out your Emperor’s will!!”
“YES, SIR!!”
“You’ve been trained how to do this and now you will use that training to secure the world for peace and equality. On my command, you will open fire on the dissidents and leave none alive!”
“YES, SIR!!”
The front of the mill had a giant rollup door more than eighty-yards long. The battalion was in formation behind the door and the Colonel looked at his Master Sargent and nodded. The Sargent pressed a green button and the giant door began rising. “Power your weapons.” Every Knight pressed the power button on their shoulder blaster. Raise weapons!” The battalion raised their blasters and as the door moved over their heads the Colonel yelled, “FIRE!!”
The protestors saw the huge door going up and wondered what was going on. As soon as they saw the armored warriors standing in formation they screamed curses at them. Their screams didn’t last very long. The entire front of the protestors was incinerated. The second Volley burned more than six-hundred more before those in the back of the huge gathering turned and ran. “Forward!!”
The Battalion marched out of the building and began firing at individual targets. Each of them had an identity of one of the escaping protestors in their armor’s software; a ship high above the scene had marked every one of the protestors with a marking beam. “Leave none alive!!”
The Knights marched through the dead and dying and fired their blasters into any that were still moving or wailing in pain. They moved out into the city following the protestor assigned to them. The last one was killed hiding in a closet in his home; he was killed in front of his wife and children.
This time, the protestor’s families were unharmed to provide a lesson to future attacks. That afternoon, when the families of the protestor took to the streets to scream their loss and weep for their dead loved ones, the Knights were ordered back in and they surrounded the new protestors; none were allowed to live, even the children and babies were burned.
As the Battalion formed up to be lifted out, the Colonel said, “I hope all of you have learned that in the future, you will need to remove the dissident’s families during your initial attack. If you don’t, they will spread their poison into others that believe in the Emperor’s cause. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Sir!”
The Colonel praised them all the way back to camp and medals were awarded to those that showed efficiency. The Emperor came and thanked them in person. These Knights were now his.
• • •
The atrocity never appeared on any news channel. It was shut down by the Emperor’s Censors at every station. One reporter had to be shot to stop the video of the massacre and it was replaced with another video showing puppies that needed adoption. In the city where it happened, a video of the protestors attacking the Knights was show on the local channels. There was so much confusion that no one really knew what happened. The fake-video showed young women bleeding from horrific wounds and Knights were shown being killed by the protestors. The Knights in question, never saw the video. They were back in camp and isolated again with their officers. The residents of the city wondered how something like this could have happened.
When the press is controlled, everyone is powerless. It took another seven-months to indoctrinate the Knights. The true-believers among them were promoted to command, which only encouraged all of them to exceed the viciousness of their commanders. The only way for a young person to live with being evil is to be convinced they are acting righteously.
The Knights grew to be feared by all of Earth’s population. No other force in Human History was so depraved and that represented a lot of evil to exceed. The Huns, the Mongols, Hitler’s SS and all the others did not come close to the wanton killing being done by the Knights. There would be no salvation for them, they were beyond being saved. They were little more than a weapon without a soul; and their ranks were growing.
• • •
Rory looked at his War Admirals after showing all the reports coming in from Earth and said, “It appears the personnel on the Defense Satellites are being replaced by the Emperor’s Knights. The old sailors are being retired and sent home. The same is true of the Ship Commanders in Thorpe’s Fleet. These new fighters will not back down and will die to follow Thorpe’s orders.
“We knew it was going to be a
fight to the death, Admiral.”
“I know, Admiral Kuchen; but they will be willing to crash their ships into the Colonies’ cities. We are going to have to stop them when they launch. Fighting them in our territory is no longer an option.”
“What’s the latest on what we’ll be facing, Admiral?”
“Dan, Thorpe has more warships than we do but I believe our new ships are better. Wiping out the ship building facilities helped more by taking out most of the Techs he had to use than slowing down his construction capacity. He does have four large Carriers and they will have to be primary targets; their Attack Craft do carry nuclear missiles and they can devastate the Colonies given the opportunity. We do have an advantage that none of his ships have actually fought in combat. We will have an edge in experience.”
Dean looked around and said, “We do have our own Knights to use against him.”
Rory looked at Dean and lowered his eyebrows, “I don’t like that, Admiral.”
“I don’t either, Sir. But, I don’t see another way to blow a hole in their Defense satellites, do you?”
Rory stared at him and Meredith said, “We’re working on it.”
Dean shook his head, “I ask myself what I would do if Thorpe managed to kill my family in cold-blood. I believe I would be right with them in wanting to do as much damage as possible to the one that did it. You’re not doing those sailors a favor by refusing their requests. Their lives are spent in sorrow and turmoil. They are the only way for us to get at Thorpe.”
Rory looked at Ginger, “Do you agree with this?”
“Sir, there’s no way we can fire on those satellites. Their computer guided disruptors will hit anything fired at them and destroy the ship that fires along with any missiles they launch. They are what’s stopping us from getting at him.”
“Sending my sailors out to commit suicide is not something I can accept!”
Dean looked into Rory’s eyes and didn’t blink or break contact, “Thorpe is sending thousands of suicides out to attack the Colonies. Sometimes, one must do what is distasteful to defeat evil. Refusing to do what needs doing only endangers others that we’re charged to defend. I know if I were in their place, I’d want to end the terrible existence I live in and make my life count for something. It’s that hope that keeps them alive, Admiral.” Rory stared at him and Dean said, “I think if you would meet with them, you might have a different point of view.”
