by Saxon Andrew
Gresha looked at him, “You’re able to do that?”
“I’m a creation, remember. I can do a lot of things that might surprise you.”
Gresha stared at him and motioned him to a chair. She sat down at her desk and intently stared at him. “What do you want?”
“I’ve been spending time with the civilization that builds weapons for the Humans to use to defend themselves. I’ve discovered that the beings in that civilization could never use the weapons they produce. That really caused an issue with me but the fact is that is the reality of the situation.”
Gresha nodded and said, “So, what has you stumped?”
“The people on my planet are just like the builders. They could never fire a weapon at another life form; but you fired at me without even hesitating. I’m having difficulty understanding how you were able to do it? Did you know I wasn’t a life form when you fired?”
“You are a life form. You may have been created but you are alive.”
“Then how did you manage to fire that blaster at me?”
“It was really quite easy. I just pointed it at you and pulled the trigger.”
“You didn’t find it a difficult thing to do?”
“Not at all.”
Rayz stared at Gresha and said, “You would be able to fire on a Master?”
“Even faster than I fired on you.”
Rayz shook his head, “I just don’t understand how. We weren’t able to do it. It can’t be as easy as you say.”
“What you really want to know is what’s happened to change me. Am I an aberration or are all our people like me now?”
“That’s what I need to know.”
“They are all like me. I recall working in the fields with my neighbors and we all dreamed of killing a Master. We entertained each other with the many ways we could make them die slowly. I’d kill one in an instant and I know everyone in the community would as well.” Gresha saw Rayz confusion and sighed, “You never knew pain. You still don’t.”
Rayz looked at her, “I’m not sure what you mean.”
“My ancestors, your creators, never experienced pain and horror. As a result of that, they could never cause others pain. It was outside of their experiences. Their descendants have known nothing else. We know what pain and horror is first hand and we would like nothing more than to give it back to those that have been killing us for so long.”
“You’re saying the Masters have taught you to kill?”
“They have certainly given us the desire to visit on them what they’ve done to us.”
“And what happens if all the Masters are killed?”
Gresha smiled, “Then we make sure there are no Masters still out there in the universe. We will join the humans in making sure our children will be safe.” Gresha saw Rayz tears and said, “You weep for the loss of our innocence. It’s a shame you couldn’t weep for the loss of our lives.” Rayz lowered his head and disappeared. Gresha felt a little satisfaction at Rayz sorrow. The coward deserved it. She went back to her study but also felt sorry for the creation of her ancestors. She forced herself to focus and went back to work. The Fleet Trials were in three days and she wanted to make a good showing. She thought a moment about Rayz and then put him out of her mind.
• • •
Rayz walked over the hill and saw his parents digging in the field. Everyone straightened up and watched as he walked up to his father and took the shovel. His parents hugged him and for the first time in their memory, Rayz hugged them back and kissed them on the cheek. He then took the shovel and started digging. He continued to work until darkness approached and he left for their dwelling. He looked up at the darkening sky and saw the first stars appear. He sighed heavily and didn’t find them as beautiful as he once did. He entered his home with his parents and closed the door as night fell.
• • •
The Moet looked at his friend on his display and said, “Do you understand what we’re doing here?”
The citizen of the planet that had once been a member of the Alliance smiled, “It’s really simple. Are you having problems with it?”
“I guess I am, Nedah. They say the system should be used to find the thruster lines on the monster’s ships and I should skip in and fire on them close to that line.”
“That’s how I understand it.”
“Well, what if another ship is next to them with those automatic beams where they can hit you?”
“Then go to the side where there isn’t a ship.”
“But what if there are ships all around it?”
“Then pick a ship out on the edge of the formation that doesn’t have one there. Hit it and then hit the next one on the edge.”
“Ok, you’ve helped a lot.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. You figured this out immediately. You were making sure I saw it. Thank you for being concerned about me, old friend.”
“Just be careful.”
“I’ll do my best. You do the same.”
“I will.”
• • •
Gresha stood at attention and Admiral Hull presented her with the Arvolo Trophy named after the Union’s greatest pilot and Admiral. She smiled and said, “It appears you and your husband are keeping the trophy in the family. Congratulations on your victory in the competition and I know you’ll make a great Rover. Gresha saluted and smiled as Kat pinned the medal on her uniform. Gresha took her seat and Admiral Hull looked out at the new graduates. She adjusted the microphone and said, “You are about to take part in one of the largest exercises we’ve ever conducted. You will be charged to reduce the number of ships an enemy of the Union has to attack us. Follow the command system you’ve learned in class and don’t get greedy. Hit your target and get out. All of you are too important for us to lose you without exacting a price for your ship. Congratulations and you should now go and take your ships to your assigned group. Good luck and make us proud.”
• • •
Gresha boarded her Rover and said, “Cyanna, where are we going?”
“You’ll have to ask Newton.”
“I have received the coordinates; however, there are so many units forming up that Fleet doesn’t have who our commander will be. They are currently assigning attack vectors and say we should jump to our assigned coordinates and ask.”
“Get us out of here and skip to our coordinates.”
“On our way, Gresha.”
Chapter Eighteen
Gresha arrived at the coordinates and was surprised at what she saw. There were ten white ships that were at least a mile long. Newton said, “Gresha, we have a request for identification.”
“Send it.”
Gresha saw the ten ships were gathered in the center of a massive gathering of ships. What were those ships? They looked familiar but she couldn’t recall where she saw them. Suddenly Dat appeared on her display, “Welcome to my little party.”
Gresha’s smile was instant, “I was hoping I would be with you.”
“Actually, you have been promoted to Senior Captain and you will be in command of twenty ships that are my personal bodyguard. It appears Admiral Hull thinks her Admirals need protection. She chose you believing that you would do more than the average bear to make sure nothing happens to me.”
“She’s right. Dat, what are those ships?”
“They’re actually relics of the fleet that fought in the First Galactic War. “They’ve been modified to perform a task that our Rovers can’t do.”
“What is that?”
“Destroy a planet.”
“Are you saying those ships are more powerful than a Rover?”
“Yes and no; they’re able to handle more hits than a Rover but don’t possess a beam as powerful as a Rover’s dark matter beam. Their original reactors have been replaced with thirty dark matter reactors whose sole purpose is to power their force fields long enough to launch an ancient weapon called a Light Wave Penetrator.”
“Is it capable of destroying a planet?�
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“It is. It will actually destroy their ships as well. However, we are limited in how many we have to use so it will be up to the Rovers to take on their fleets until we can get enough of the old ships commissioned again.”
“The ships here are going to be used to clear the way to the planets you want to hit.”
“Very good, Gresha; that’s exactly what we’re planning. Jon and Jill also have ten Jukebox Class Ships as well. Our opening salvo will be to go after thirty of the Masters’ home worlds.”
“How many do they have?”
“We know about fifty thousand. This will just be a drop in the bucket but we hope it will cause them to recall the warships they sent to search for us.”
“Are you going to be on one of those ships?”
“No, I’m going to be directing our ships. Your wing will stay with me.”
“Do those ships have skip drives?”
“They do; they’ll be able to keep up.”
“Dat I need to get with my Wing and get them organized. Will you send me their frequencies so I can get that started?”
“Cyanna already has them. Call me when you get it done.”
“Yes Sir.” Dat laughed and ended the contact. Gresha knew that Admiral Hull didn’t want them separated. Worrying about each other would be a distraction. This would allow Dat to focus on the task at hand. “Cyanna, get the Wing on my panel.”
“I’ll contact them now.” Gresha looked at the list and saw that half of the Wing had won a fleet competition at the Academy. The other half had placed at least second or third in one of the competitions. She hoped they wouldn’t feel slighted reporting to a brand new graduate. She felt better when her second in command assured her that her scores at the Academy were better than anyone in the Wing. He seemed to be sincere when he told her he looked forward to learning from her. She laughed when he said, “Besides, I think you’re a good filter between us and the Admiral.”
• • •
An hour later Gresha sat on her ship and looked out at the millions of gathering Rovers that were skipping in. She thought about how much she had changed over the last year and found herself wanting to be with Dat. It wasn’t going to happen soon. He was as busy as a one legged man running from a bear. There was a lot of movement but not much progress. She wondered about the weapon that was going to be used on the Master’s planets. She thought a moment and said, “Cyanna, what do you know about this super penetrator?”
“It’s called a light wave penetrator because it is massive at forty thousand pounds. It accelerates to 95% of light speed in less than fifty miles and has the gravity field removed immediately before impact, returning its mass to normal.”
Gresha thought a moment and said, “Oh my God!”
“You’re right. When you consider that the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs on Earth was only traveling about thirty miles a second, this penetrator is a much higher order of catastrophe. Although it’s nowhere near the mass of most large asteroids, traveling at 175,000 miles per second converts all its mass into energy when it hits. It truly is a planet killer.”
“That large ship is vulnerable without weapons to defend it.”
“Actually, our scientists have taken a look at another medium sized penetrator and have determined that it should be able to penetrate the force fields of the Master’s main battleship.”
Gresha thought a moment and said, “Why did the Union stop using them?”
“On paper, the Rovers should be able to withstand the Master’s beams but you saw something the Union missed.”
“What is that?”
“The dark matter field has weak points in in. Fleet has tried to use more particles in the field but it doesn’t stop the holes. It’s those holes that allow the Master’s beams to kill our ships.”
“I thought Dat said the big ship uses a dark matter field?”
“It actually uses three of them. The possibility of a hole in all three force fields lining up at the same moment is remote. It takes thirty dark matter reactors to make them work but it should be able to withstand most attacks. However, there is a limit.”
“Oh?”
“Fifty ships hitting it with all their beams might break through. However, the medium penetrators it carries will play a role in keeping ships away from it.”
“Why doesn’t it just use beams?”
“Beams require massive amounts of energy. Some of the reactors would have to be taken away from the force fields to install them and then the purpose of having them is defeated. Firing a penetrator that has its own energy does not weaken the force fields. The Penetrators have a dark matter field around them which only lasts for a hundredth of a second, allowing the penetrator to make it through the ship’s three force fields without being damaged. Once it’s clear, the gravity field activates and the penetrator accelerates away.”
Gresha thought a moment and said, “Are we going back to large battleships again?”
“Probably, but those ships once carried more than seven hundred small ships that launched before it entered battle. I suspect the Rovers will continue to be the Union’s scouts and front line attack craft but it appears the old Juke Box class of Starship is being brought back on line to handle the heavy lifting.”
“Will it carry small ships?”
“I suspect there will be a few but most of the former launch tubes for the small ships have been converted to penetrator launch tubes. Small ships will launch out of its landing bay.”
“Thanks, Cyanna. Newton, is the Wing in their positions?”
“They are and they’re linked to your command circuit.”
“Have you checked the link to Einstein?”
“I have and we will be locked in to his drive board. We’ll go wherever Dat goes and will maintain our positions around his ship.”
“We need to perform a trial on that to make sure it’s functioning properly.”
“Einstein has agreed to make time for that when Dat gives in and goes to sleep. Stein thinks he’s pushing himself too hard.”
“He is; I’ll see if I can’t talk some sense into him.”
“Loree has asked me to see if you’d try. They’re worried about him taking on too much.” Gresha nodded and smiled.
• • •
Dat looked at Gresha on his display and said, “You need what?’
“I’m responsible for protecting your ship and I’m concerned that my command system is not functioning properly. I need you to come to my ship and check it out.”
“Can’t the computers do that?”
“They can go only so far. You have the most experience and I need you to do it, Dat. Do you not care about my feelings on this?” Dat watched his display go dark and he fell back in his command chair. “Good grief.” He shook his head pressed his panel, “Jon, can you get Jill to take over working with the support fleets. I need to take a moment to check on an issue.”
“Sure, she’ll take them off your panel in a moment.”
“Stein, take me over to Gresha’s ship as soon as Jill takes control of the fleets.”
“She has it; we’re leaving now.”
Stein moved over next to Gresha’s Rover and connected their small landing bays. The two bays pressurized and Dat stepped through the port and found Gresha waiting for him. She ran forward, wrapped her arms around Dat’s neck, and kissed him. He returned the kiss and started to back off but then got into it. Gresha took his hand and pulled him toward her quarters and he thought about resisting but only for a moment. An hour later he was asleep in Gresha’s arms. Gresha looked up and said, “Cyanna, you and Stein run the trial.” She kept her arms around Dat and watched him sleep. She could see he was exhausted and she stayed with him until he woke twelve hours later. He was angry at losing time preparing for the attack but saw that Jill had things under control. Gresha brought him breakfast in bed and he didn’t finish all of it before he had fallen asleep again. She took the dishes and left him sleeping. Ten hours later, Dat w
as back to his normal energetic self and he kissed her tenderly before he left. “You did this on purpose.”
“You’re no good to anyone if you’re exhausted. I’ll do it again if necessary, so take care of yourself.”
Dat hugged her again, “I love you so much.” Gresha held him close and then watched him leave. She went to the bridge and looked up, “How did the trial go, Newton?”
“We had some real issues when multiple skips were done but we’ve got them ironed out.”
“Show me what happened.” Gresha watched her display and could still feel Dat in her arms.
• • •
Rayz was in the second room of his home when he heard the door crash in. He instantly became invisible and rushed into the main living room in time to see his parents snatched out the door. Each of them was bound by two of the Master’s long arms. He rushed to the door in time to see hundreds of Masters running away from the community toward their shuttles. He was shocked into immobility. It was daylight and the Masters had come and taken hundreds from the community into their shuttles. The last time he saw his parents their faces were paralyzed in fear as the Master clutching them disappeared down the hill. He forced himself to focus and ran after the Master holding his parents. He arrived in time to see them taken into a shuttle and the port slammed shut as the shuttle lifted. He felt horror at what he saw. This was the first time he had lost those he had lived with. Right behind his anger, he felt a new emotion…rage. He watched the shuttle jump away and he saw it arrive at a huge Master Warship. He jumped into the shuttle and saw his parents were bound and lying on the floor. He turned and slammed his arm into the Master that had taken his parents and felt glee when it was shocked to death when his arm sent a full charge into its body. He grabbed his parents and lifted them off the floor. He looked through the walls of the shuttle and found the warship’s reactor. He fused the coolant lines and disappeared. The giant ship hung in space for a moment and then exploded. The investigation that followed the explosion determined it happened due to a faulty reactor. Rayz arrived back in his parent’s home and untied them. They stood and rushed forward and embraced him. He held them and wept. He had just killed more than five hundred Masters on the ship he destroyed. It surprised him that his tears were not for them but for the safety of his parents. Later, he sat in his room and understood how Gresha had been able to shoot him…three times. He felt real enjoyment at killing the Master that took his parents. Now even he was unworthy of using the ships…or was he?
