Escape to Earth 3: Defending Holy Ground (34 page)

The Royal looked out and saw the Drogen standing. He said, “You may speak.”

“Why has a human been chosen to lead our forces instead of one of our own?”

The Drogen sat down and the Royal stared at him. “Who has suffered the most from the invaders? Who fought them and prevented them from attacking us?”

Chris said, “May I address the assembly?” The Welken looked at Chris and after a moment said, “I recognize the Human Representative.”

Chris looked out at the huge assembly and said, “The Fleet Admiral commanding the Welken forces had the same question. I had a demonstration done to help him answer that question.” Chris turned and pointed a device toward the monitor. The image changed and the assembly saw a small ship glowing in space. A hundred Welken Battleships surrounding the small ship suddenly opened fire with every disruptor and blasted the small ship’s force field. The assembly watched in horror as the force field failed and the disruptors continued to fire. The small ship continued to absorb the blasts and after what seemed like a long time, its force field reappeared.

Chris looked out at the assembly who were sitting in silence. “I’m of the opinion that we might be able to handle this invasion without your help. It’s the next invasion where we’ll probably need you and this one presents a good opportunity for your fleets to practice for the next one. The point is, we are going to have to work together so that we don’t get in each other’s way. That one ship you’ve just watched could destroy your battleships faster than you can imagine and we have quite a few of them. It will be those small ships that hit the invaders head on and we intend to use your fleets to clean up the mess we make. If you would prefer to hit them head on and we clean up after you, I’ll certainly entertain the motion.”

The Drogen Representative stood and the Royal recognized him again, “I now understand why they were chosen. Thank you for educating me.”

Chris looked out at the assembly and smiled, “I suspect most of you are worried about my species dominating your planets after this is over. I certainly understand why you would think that way after all the centuries of attacking one another. However, that time is over. We have absolutely no desire to conquer anyone and I would hope after all that has happened, that you would think the same way. We will live together in peace and fight together to defend our galaxy against any enemy that attacks us. The time of mistrust and suspicion is over.”

The Welken Royal looked out at the representatives and said, “I asked the Humans to allow us to be an ally before the first invasion. They told me that if I did, the invaders would attack my planets and destroy them. They refused my assistance to prevent my worlds from being attacked along with theirs. They are better than we are and, quite frankly, I trust them more than anyone in this room. I will gladly follow their lead and know that they are looking after my welfare as much as their own.”

Chris looked out at the gathering, “The question is, are you ready to live together in peace or not?”

The Drogen Representative stood and yelled, “I choose peace!!” In a moment, thousands of others joined him shouting for peace. The Royal looked at Chris and, after a moment, bowed to him. The room grew silent and they heard him say, “I and my people will follow your lead wherever you choose to go.”

Chris was shocked at the deference and said, “We will do this thing together.” The room began cheering and the training of the Fellowship Fleets began the next day.

• • •

The giant fleet of green colored warships were moving quickly through space toward the distant spiral galaxy. The Great Talon wished his civilization had not been chosen to replace the Progen as the lead tool of the Legends. Those orange, arrogant beings had deliberately been working against his efforts. He looked at his monitor and leaned back in his chair. At least they were now going to have to go and straighten out the other galaxy. That should keep them occupied. He hoped the fleets that were stranded there would survive until the Orange Warships arrived. It wasn’t promising. That galaxy was a huge container of violence. It had been invaded more than eighty years earlier and it was still far from being tamed.

His communication Wing stood up and shouted, “I have a message from the Leaders!”

The Talon saw the Wing’s fear and said, “What?” just as the center of his giant fleet exploded into a giant disruption in the void.

• • •

The six Attack Fleets opened fire on the oncoming invader formation and the entire center of the giant formation exploded. Thousands of invader warships were blasted in to huge disruptions in the void while tens of thousands of other ships were damaged and kicked out of the void into normal space where the Fellowship Fleets waited for them. The large battleships rushed in on the Invaders and began firing their disruptors at the damaged green warships before they could raise their force fields. Normal space was one huge fleet battle that covered an area a third of a light year across. The explosions were horrific and thousands of the invaders rammed each other attempting to escape the carnage. More than six hundred thousand green ships were drifting vapor clouds or part of a vast debris field but still the carnage continued.

Chris watched the battle taking place in normal space and had an antenna extended into the void. He saw the massive attack taking place in the center of the invaders long line of ships and in less than fifteen minutes, the six Attack Fleets blasted their way through the line and out the back of the huge formation. The six fleets then turned and flew over the top and bottom of the Invader Fleet to prepare for anther assault on the long line of Green Ships.

Suddenly, Chris saw every green warship in the void turn and scatter in all directions. The vast cloud of green ships filled the void across a distance that extended further than his scanner could see. Attacking that vast cloud was going to be impossible to do major damage to the surviving invaders. The only possible thing to do was to release every pod to go out and attack individual ships. “Chris, they’ve turned and are headed back toward M-87 at their highest speed.”

“Barbie, take us into the void.” The B-Pod left normal space and Chris listened to the thoughts of the invaders. He finally found the one he was searching for and thought, “Hey, why the rush to leave when we were just getting to know each other?” The Great Talon heard the thought and ignored it. Chris shook his head and thought, “It seems like such a waste of your time to come this far and then just up and leave. Why don’t you get it together and let’s try this again?”

The Great Talon witnessed the destruction of his ships in the center of his formation and thought, “After what you’ve done to my ships in your first attack, I suspect continuing this would be incredibly stupid. However, I have a more pressing issue at the moment and you are not it.”

Chris’ eyes narrowed, “You are wrong about that. I intend to destroy every ship you brought here. It’s going to be more difficult to kill them one at a time but make no mistake, none of you will survive this. I don’t believe there is any issue that is more pressing than your death.”

“All of the planets in my civilization are being attacked at this moment by hundreds of thousands of warships from another galaxy and none of them have warships to defend them. Thousands of them have been bombarded with nuclear missiles and more are being attacked every moment. I don’t know if we can get back in time to save any of them but I have to try.”

“Why would you leave your planets undefended? That is sheer stupidity. Besides, the Orange Ships are there. They can defend your planets and you can stay here and play with us.”

“They’ve refused to do it. They say they only have enough warships to defend their own planets. Do what you must, we are going home!”

Chris stared at the display and shook his head. “Barbie, pull up a view from one of the probes in the Green Civilization.” Chris saw the display change and saw a thousand grey colored starships move in on a planet and launch missiles; the surface of the planet exploded in massive nuclear blasts. He watched a huge city on the surface as it was vaporized. The missiles were hitting the planet’s surface and would cause a massive release of radioactivity into the planet’s atmosphere. He started shaking his head and thought, “How can I let you escape? You’ll only come back to attack my galaxy.”

“You’re probably right. If the Legends order us to do it, we’ll have no choice.”

“There is always a choice.”

The Great Talon hesitated and then thought, “Yes, I suppose there is.”

Chris saw the six Attack Fleets turn and spread out. Barbie said, “The Fellowship Battleships are entering the void to join in the attack.”

Chris looked at the secondary display and saw the millions of Fellowship Battleships entering the void and turn to give chase. The being’s thoughts he heard were not greatly different from many humans he had listened to in the past. Audrey said, “What are you going to do?”

Chris watched the green ships fleeing for their lives and the Pods accelerating toward them at an incredible speed. He shook his head and thought, “Jinks, call off the attack.”

“WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?”

“Lukas told me I’m the senior officer, do you recognize my authority?”

“But this is asinine. We can destroy them.”

“I’m ordering you to call off the attack!”

“I’m recommending you be brought up on charges of treason!”

“Do what you want but issue the orders!”

• • •

The Great Talon saw the millions of large battleships and small warships moving in on his fleets and then, they suddenly stopped, turned away, and moved back toward the spiral galaxy. He heard in his mind, “I hope you can save some of your planets. If you come here again, we will finish what was started today.”

“Like you said, there is always a choice. I thank you for the one you made.”

• • •

Audrey looked at Chris, “Was this the smart thing to do?”

“I don’t know. It was the right thing to do. I can live with the consequences.”

“Not if they choose to execute you.”

Chris blew out a breath, “If it comes to that, I can accept it.”

• • •

The Grey Warships were wreaking havoc on the Green Civilization but the fleets from M-86 arrived and flew into the battle. The ensuing fight continued until the giant invasion fleet arrived and the grey ships fled. Fifty thousand civilized planets were still burning and the radioactive levels killed most of the life on them within a few weeks. The fleets that arrived just in time from M-86 were heavily outnumbered and were mauled by the invaders that showed no mercy, nor did they ask for it. It was a fight to the death and there were no winners.

• • •

The Great Talon arrived and the invaders fled before the numbers skipping in to face them. A scout team followed the skip traces of the Invaders and discovered they had come from M-84. The Great Talon knew the Legends had ordered some of his ships to go there and teach them a lesson they wouldn’t forget several years earlier. Well, evidently they had been successful.

The Talon that had left M-86 was confronted by a black colored warship. The Legends wanted to know who had authorized the fleets in M-86 to leave and the Talon accepted the responsibility. The Legend’s ship blasted his vessel into ashes. It was the Talon’s arrival that saved thousands of planets. The Green Leaders and all of the people on every planet felt rage at the Legend’s actions. The Legends were considering killing him as well but the recording of the attack on his fleet revealed that to continue it would have been suicide. The Progen replaced them as the main tool and the Green Leaders, warriors, and planets were given time to rebuild and for their rage to grow. The Great Talon suspected that the Legends were unaware of what they had done. He smiled, there is always a choice.

• • •

Chris heard his speaker activate and say, “You will report to the space port on Earth and place yourself under arrest.”

“By whose order?”

“Lukas.”

“I will leave immediately to do so.”

Jinks watched Chris’s pod accelerate away and wondered what possessed him to issue the order to call off the attack. The Fellowship was going to demand someone’s head and it appeared that Chris was the one that was going to pay. What was he thinking?

“Admiral.”

“Yes, Budge.”

“I’m glad you called off the attack.”

“For God’s sake why!?”

“Those ships do not represent a threat to us. I don’t feel good about killing those that can’t do anything about it. That’s nothing more than murder.”

Jinks shook his head, “Take your fleet and return to Earth. Your Pods really are incredible.”

“They are, aren’t they? See you on Earth.”

Jinks looked out at the massive disruption made by the hundreds of thousands of invader ships that had been destroyed in the void and looked at the casualty reports. No ships had been lost. He started shaking his head and thought about the millions of green ships that had turned and ran from his fleets. Budge was right. His thoughts flashed back to Iraq and the wounded Iraqi soldier he had not fired on. The soldier had an arm blown off by a tank round and was in bad shape. He should have killed him; it was war. But he didn’t. Chris had just done what he did. He felt shame at his overwhelming desire to kill every one of the ships in that giant fleet. But that shame wouldn’t save Chris. He knew he should have called off the attack and prevented Chris from having to do it. But he was in the middle of a blood lust. “All fleets, return to your home ports. We’ll be in contact about what to do next.” Jinks was sick to his soul and he needed Sarah in is arms. He knew she was worried about him.

Jinks watched the massive ship gathering break up in the void and start accelerating away. He remained staring at the huge disruption and thought about the lessons learned in the fight. It was several hours before he said, “Jester, take us home.”

The End

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