by Saxon Andrew
• • • • •
Jodie and Mios were sitting in the student center watching the giant monitor on the front wall. There were four smaller monitors surrounding the huge screen showing the tactical positions and individual scans of the participants in the war game. The seniors were jeering the underclassmen and the noise was incredible. “Do you mind if I join you?”
They looked up and saw Nicole standing beside their table, “No, by all means.”
Nicole said, “I assumed it would be safe; he’s out there and not here.”
“Oh stop being a martyr. We like you and you’re avoiding Ping; not us.”
Nicole smiled and shook her head at Jodie, “How do you think he’ll do?”
Mios said, “I think he’ll win.”
Nicole sighed and shook her head, “Those four horsemen have been working together for three years and I’ve watched recordings of their exercises. They have defeated the best the Academy has thrown at them. I suspect they’ll win this exercise as well.”
Mios stared at her and frowned, “I wish you had told me this earlier.”
“Why?”
“I bet all my money on Ping.”
“Is it too late to change the bet?”
A loud buzzer sounded and Mios looked miserable, “It is now.”
• • • • •
The countdown hit zero and the four seniors immediately teleported across the war games space in a wide diamond formation. They emerged into normal space just in time to see Ping appear at their former location. The next minute was spent with them swapping places. The four would teleport and arrive to find their quarry had teleported to their former location.
Avery shouted, “This is stupid. Move out into the middle of the zone using our ship drives. Keep him in your scanners.”
They accelerated out into the middle of the game zone, watching Ping to see where he would flee. Ping stayed in his position and watched them arrive at the center of the zone. Jon watched Ping hold his position and said, “What now, Avery?”
“Expand the diamond formation and lock your scanners on the area he’s currently occupying. Have your ships set to automatically teleport to the coordinates picked up by your scanners. We’ll come at him as soon as we enter normal space.” The four started moving in on Ping using their thrusters and just before they moved into range of their weapons, Ping disappeared and suddenly, he reappeared to the left side of their formation just out of weapon’s range. In an instant, he teleported to the opposite side of their formation and then back to the other side. The four seniors had set their systems to automatically teleport to the coordinates they scanned and they found themselves bouncing back and forth between the two coordinates.
• • • • •
Jodie watched as the four ships were bounced from side to side and smiled, “It looks like Ping is showing them they can’t use their automatic systems.”
Every cadet in the student center swiveled their heads to the left then right then back to the left. Soon the laughter started.
• • • • •
“Teleport back to our start point, NOW!” Avery teleported away and felt a cramp in his neck from the volleying back and forth in open space. “That creep played us for fools.”
“Have you ever seen that tactic, Jon? Well, I haven’t either.”
Mark said, “I guess that rules out using our auto-systems. What do we do?”
“I think we have no choice but to split up and take him on by pursuing him into a place where one of us can take the shot.”
“What pattern do we use, Avery?”
“Wide weave. If he attacks one of us the other three will teleport in and take a shot.”
“Lead the way.”
Avery moved out from the other three as they moved out parallel to his path and began weaving up and down, side to side. Avery knew the gaming zone was kept just small enough to prevent a ship from simply teleporting away to avoid combat. If multiple ships were spread out, there wasn’t much room for a ship to teleport to safety.
Jon watched the small ship being herded toward the edge of the gaming zone and knew time was running out for their quarry. Suddenly the ship disappeared and entered normal space directly behind Avery’s ship. The other three came roaring in to lock their computers on the target but he teleported away before they could acquire lock. Avery had no way to fire at the small ship directly behind him. He looked up and saw his three partners roaring in on him at an unbelievable velocity.
The only thing that saved the seniors from a catastrophic collision was that they had worked so closely together…but it was close. Avery managed to hit his teleport button a moment before Mark blew through his location.
The four managed to gather their wits and form a diamond formation again and Charles said, “This is no longer funny. That was close.”
Jon keyed his com, “Do you think he did that on purpose?”
Avery was still shaking from the close call, “What do you think? I think we’ve gotten ourselves into a quandary here lads.”
“What do you mean?”
“All he’s done so far is avoid us; do you think he could attack us if he chose?”
“What are you saying, Avery?”
“I’m saying we stay in our diamond formation and pursue him and hope time runs out on this exercise.”
“Avery, we can take him.”
“By all means tell me how?” Silence greeted the question, “I thought so. Let’s go after him.”
Ping avoided the four easily and watched as they turned for another run. “Are you just going to run and let time run out?”
Ping looked at the Controller on his side panel and said, “It’s never good to attack a diamond, Sir.”
“What if an enemy comes at you in that formation above Earth? Are you going to go O’le, like a matador, and let them fly by to nuke the planet?” Ping stared at the Controller for a moment and then took a deep breath. He nodded and the Controller smiled and disappeared from his panel.
The four chased Ping toward the far boundary and waited for him to teleport away. Suddenly, Ping’s ship teleported directly behind the senior’s ship on the left wing and fired the weak war game beam at it. In less than half a second, Ping teleported behind the rear of the other two ships on the other wing and fired on them before they could react and jump away. The only senior still flying in the exercise was Avery.
• • • • •
The student center was rocking with most of the seniors yelling that the underclassman was a coward. The sudden hits on three of the four senior ships silenced the room. Even Ping’s classmates were stunned by the sudden reversal. Mios looked at Nicole and saw how wide her eyes were.
• • • • •
Avery went to full escape mode teleporting randomly around the game zone attempting to shake Ping off his tail. Nothing was working. Every time he entered normal space, Ping’s ship was close behind him. He felt his wrist unit vibrate and he punched the activate button as he teleported. “I didn’t want to do this but you really left me no choice.”
Avery knew it was Ping on his wrist unit but couldn’t take his eyes from his panel to verify it. “It looks like you have the upper hand here.”
“I don’t want to do this and shame your group. I’m willing to allow you to get a shot at me.”
“Just how would I do that?”
“I’ll come up behind you and you use the reverse teleport I used to beat you the first time. You’ll emerge directly behind me and we can end this.” Avery started laughing. “What’s so funny?”
The conversation took place as the two ships screamed around the game zone disappearing and reappearing at an incredible pace. The piloting skills on display were remarkable.
“I’m here because of pride and arrogance. Those are two friends that can get you killed. We thought we are indestructible and now here we are. I will not have this exercise given to me. The only way for this lesson to have meaning is to suffer the effec
ts of losing. I insist you do your best to win this; I can tell you right now, that’s what I’m going to do.”
Avery listened to the silence and heard, “You are much more than I thought Mr. Smith.” Avery’s buzzer went off and he knew that the underclassman could have ended this exercise at any point of his choosing. He turned his ship around and headed back to the space port where he found the other three seniors waiting on him.
The three rushed up as he exited his ship and Jon yelled, “He was given a better ship!”
Avery scowled at Jon and shook his head, “Oh, grow up. He kicked our butts and you know it. Our arrogance is what did us in. We’ve stopped working on getting better because it was so easy to win the games. Be thankful we’ve been shown how much we have to learn and enough time to work on it before we graduate.”
Avery turned and walked toward Ping’s ship that had just landed. The three seniors looked at each other and Charlie smiled, “You know he’s right. Let’s go take our medicine.”
• • • • •
Ping exited the ship and saw Avery walking up. As he arrived he stuck out his hand, “Congratulations; you deserve the victory.”
Ping smiled and shook Avery’s hand, “It wasn’t easy.”
The participants knew that everything being said was being fed to the student center. They tried to hear what Avery said as he leaned in close and said something in Ping’s ear.
“You know as well as I do that you could have ended this before we made our second teleport. You reduced our shame by drawing it out and for that, I thank you.”
Ping smiled, “Thank you, Sir. I hope to fly with you one day.”
Avery nodded, “Count on it, if I have anything to say about it.” The other three arrived and shook Ping’s hand. Ping knew their anger was gone. The Fleet Controller showed up and said, “Congratulations, Mr. Kendel.”
“Thank you, Sir.”
“Are you going to tell me how you did that?”
“No Sir.”
The Controller stared at Ping with a serious expression and then broke out into a huge grin, “I didn’t think you would.”
• • • • •
Mios and Jodie were jumping up and down at the huge bet they had won. They were singing and dancing in a circle. Nicole remained in her seat and stared at a close up of Ping on the giant monitor. His eyes were on fire and she shook her head. Why did she refuse to believe him? This was more evidence he was right. She looked down and thought about the implications if he was right. She smiled and looked up at the monitor again, staring at the handsome cadet with the striking eyes. He knew…and it appeared he was OK with it. She shook her head and her smile became huge. She jumped up and started dancing with Mios and Jodie.
Chapter Seven
The next two years flew by at the Academy and, as everyone expected, Ping won the coveted Kosiev Distinguished Warrior award for the highest rated Pilot. Mios and Jodie graduated with honors and were married just before they left for their first assignment. Ping was sent to the Fleet Admiral’s strike fleet where he joined the best Searchers in the fleet.
Nicole returned to Ross where she rejoined the Royal Family and performed the duties of her position. Prior to leaving, she contacted Ping on his communicator. “I assume you’re off to fight for the Realm.”
“I am; what are you going to do?”
“My father would only allow me to attend the Academy if I promised to return and carry out my official duties.” Nicole paused, “Ping, when am I going to be able to come see you?” Ping’s expression turned serious and he was silent. “What are you thinking?”
“That’s not ever going to happen, Nicole.” Nicole was shocked speechless. Her mouth fell open and she couldn’t think of anything to say. Ping saw her shock and felt awful but he continued, “I refuse to have my destiny controlled by outside forces. I will be free to make my own decisions.”
“What am I supposed to do about this!?!”
“Go and live your life. You’ll be fine.”
“Are you that incredibly naive? There will never be happiness if you walk away.”
“I’m sorry; I’ve made my decision.”
Nicole’s wrist unit went dark and she ran to her room and cried. He was sentencing her to a life of loneliness and despair. She hated him for his selfishness. She boarded the Royal Yacht a day later and left for Castle Gardner. Even Victoria couldn’t remove the gloom from her older sister. Something had died in her and her family mourned the loss of the daughter that had once brought joy to everyone she encountered. Nicole became little more than a lost spirit counting the days of a long troubled life ahead of her.
• • • • •
Ping felt the storm inside his mind after speaking with Nicole but he forced it aside and refused to listen. He forced a smile and went to say goodbye to Mios and Jodie.
• • • • •
She stood up and pounded her hand on the panel, “I can’t believe it! That piece of scum is not worth the uniform he’s wearing. Are you sure he’s the one!?!”
“I am and I must confess that this is a surprising development.”
“You’ve got to be wrong; too much is riding on him.”
He shook his head, “No, he’s the one.”
“You have to have made a mistake. Please tell me there’s someone else.”
“Give him time; perhaps he’ll come to his senses.”
“There’s not much time left.”
“I know.”
• • • • •
Lex looked at the Algean on his display, “Have you found out anything?”
“It appears whoever is attacking our ships has developed technology specifically designed to defeat our ships.”
“I’m not sure what you mean?”
“The reading from the Searcher’s destruction indicates that the weapon being used by the attackers is designed to defeat technology that falls within the frequency range of all Realm developments. They would not be as effective against other civilizations.”
“How could they have developed weapons that are only targeted against us?”
“The only answer is they have studied our ships and developed their weapons from that examination.”
“But we’ve not lost any ships. No one has ever captured a Searcher intact.”
“That’s the only answer. They have to have taken possession of a number of Searchers.”
“Why do you say it has to be more than just one ship?”
“Because you have to destroy some items in order to determine if what you’re doing is working. They have to have at least a thousand or more.”
Lex was confused, “Where would anyone ever have access to a thousand Searchers?”
“Has the Realm ever lost a thousand of those vessels?”
Lex shook his head and started to respond, but then it hit him, “The Realm hasn’t.”
Sprigly looked at him knowing he wasn’t saying something. “But…”
“There was someone else who lost millions.”
Sprigly looked shocked for a moment and then got it, “The Dukes.”
Lex nodded and picked up his communicator, “I want all ships notified that I am issuing a Crimson Priority Order. We are going to start a search.”
Sprigly said, “Uhh, excuse me, Admiral.”
Lex looked up from his display, “I suspect the Cats should be able to find what you’re looking for.”
Lex stared at Sprigly and then rolled his eyes, “Cancel that order.” He turned off his communicator, “Will you contact them and tell them what we need?”
“I will, Admiral.”
• • • • •
Three weeks later, fifty thousand Searchers arrived in open space between galaxies and found the vast derelict ships. There were millions of Rovers scattered over a wide expanse of open space. Ping, Mios, and Jodie were three of those assigned to go and inspect the ghost ships. The air was somber on all the ships of the Realm. The presence of death was palatable
and the horror the pilots that flew those ships endured was unimaginable.
“Ping, this is horrible.”
“Starvation is not a good way to die, Jodie.”
“Why didn’t they leave?”
“The pilots knew if they used all their energy to accelerate as close to light speed as possible, they wouldn’t get halfway to another galaxy. The system that allowed them to be located worked with the teleport systems and once the Algean device destroyed those systems…well, they would not be found.” Ping paused, “I guess they decided they would rather die with their fellow warriors than in isolation flying toward a place they would never reach.”
“This was pretty cold blooded to maroon them out here.”
Ping sighed, “Mios, these fleets were gathering out here in secrecy to go and attack the Milky Way and the Algean’s Galaxy. They did what had to be done. These ships were traitors to the Realm and were going to destroy it.”
“Did they know what they were doing?”
“History says most of them didn’t; but their allegiance was to the Dukes first and the Realm second. They would have followed their orders.” Ping paused and then said, “The Bristone History says their communication systems were operational and that millions of the planets left behind, after the two galaxies of the Realm left this universe, listened to their distress calls for more than a year before the frequency they were using was shut off. There was no way to find them and there were no operating teleport systems left behind. These ships were doomed and there was no escape.”
