Ashes of the Realm: Book 04 - The Return of the Realm (30 page)

“Why do you not want to use the warrior’s fleets?”

“With the updated Searchers and the Algean Attack Ships, we’ll have enough to take on the Demon’s Fleets and just adding more ships will make the coordination impossible. I’m not worried about the Demon Fleets; it’s the Demon’s Ships that will determine our success or failure.”

Tag nodded and turned to his communication panel to set up the planning session. Trey looked at Cassie, activated his armor, and teleported out.

• • •

He arrived at the clearing on El Prado at midnight. He saw the stars overhead and then looked around and jumped back. A giant Northern Mountain Cat was lying on the ground not ten feet from him.

“I was wondering if you were ever going to get out of that meeting.”

Trey was startled by the response, “How do you know about our meeting?”

“We can listen in on anything we choose anywhere in this universe. I really expected you back before now, but I see that you’ve been busy organizing the war for our Mother.”

“Our Mother?”

“You met her at the Temple.”

Trey turned off his armor and sat down. The huge cat’s mind was incredibly clear and its thoughts were precise. “Has she been communicating with you?”

“We are in constant contact with her.”

Trey lowered his head and sighed, “I hear her so seldom.”

“Your role is different.”

Trey looked up sharply and stared at the two hundred foot long cat. It was relaxed and staring at him. “Are you saying that you have a role as well?”

“I am and you are going to help us fulfill that obligation.”

“Why do you have an obligation?”

“Every creature in creation has an obligation to our Mother. She selected us because we are needed to guide those that are fighting for her.”

“I’m not sure what you mean?”

The cat looked up at the stars and smiled. Trey thought that smile was the most dangerous expression he had ever seen. “Your armies are out fighting the evil that has threatened her. However, your actions are directed against adversaries that are small in comparison to others that are causing much more harm. It is our role to guide you to the ones that must be confronted first.”

“Do you have a name?”

“My name is Pride.”

Trey smiled at the giant and looked up at the stars and heard music. He closed his eyes and found peace. Pride listened with him and waited. Three hours later Trey said, “I will have what you need here in one rotation. Are you sure you have what you need to make this happen?”

“We possess the needed knowledge. We need your technology to make it work.”

“Will you share this technology with us?”

“That is also part of our role. We can no longer allow evil to continue to grow and you and your armies must understand that the Mother’s Principles do not include those that willingly violate them. In your terms, the cancer must be destroyed and removed from her body. You should make sure your warriors understand that and recognize the necessity of it.”

“Do you think we’re a problem?”

“Yes; the Spiders and Zord know what must be done but you hold back from doing the right thing. That will stop.”

“Won’t that corrupt our souls?”

“When the cancer is removed, what happens to the body?”

Trey remained silent and the cat said, “The body heals.”

Trey said, “We will not kill the innocent to remove it.”

“That’s why we are here to guide you. Neither will our Mother.”

“My mate said to tell you hello.”

“I was wondering if you would remember that. She is also one of the Mother’s Chosen. Tell her we send our honor and loyalty.”

Trey furrowed his brow and the cat said, “She is more than both of you know and her time is yet to come.”

Trey lowered his head and said, “I’ve seen us defeated by the Demons.”

“You’ve seen what you needed to see.”

Trey had questions surge into his mind but the cat stood and said, “Your questions will be answered at the appropriate time. Now go and meet your destiny.”

The giant cat loped away and Trey was left with the vision of the Demons closing in on the last two Psychic ships. The others had been destroyed. Trey remained looking up at the stars until sunrise and then teleported back to Ross and Cassie.

T
he Fourth Councilor sat in his ship and activated the main systems. The orange field instantly lit up and the scanners went active. He knew he was going to die and there was no way to avoid it. If he attempted to escape, the Council would be able to track him anywhere he went. They were also slaved into his board and would activate his self-destruct if he disobeyed. He felt his anger but knew he would do the same thing if he were in their place. The ship dropped away from his home and jumped out into the outer atmosphere of the planet. He set the coordinates for the former Family’s location and hesitated a moment before he pressed the drive pad. The giant orange colored ship disappeared.

The First Councilor looked at the two others on the display and said, “I will watch this from my ship.” All three dropped into their ships and jumped above the planet. The Controller watched his display and activated his ship for fast escape. He didn’t have permission to leave his post but he was taking no chances. He had actually stolen double the amount of Remid and knew he would be safe for thousands of turns if he was forced to run.

The Fourth appeared outside the dark galaxy and felt his fear double. He was almost paralyzed but the First said, “Quit stalling and make contact.”

He pressed his communication panel and said, “I humbly request to communicate with the Family.” He had his hand on the drive control expecting to be instantly attacked, but only silence came from his panel and no ship appeared to attack him. He pressed the panel again and said, “I humbly request an audience with the Elders of the Family. Please respond.” Again there was only silence.

The Three Councilors were confused by the lack of any action by the Family. The First said, “Enter the Home and make your request again.”

The Fourth knew that this was his last act. He crossed into the Dark Galaxy and once more activated his panel, “I humbly request a meeting with the Family’s Elders.” Once more nothing happened. The First said, “Scan the Galaxy.”

The Fourth was confused. He should be dead by now and it appeared he was being ignored by the Family. He activated his scanners and fell back in his chair stunned, “All of the family’s planets are uninhabited.”

The Thee Councilors were shocked. The First said, “Go to the Family’s first world and tell me what you detect.”

The Fourth entered the coordinates and jumped. He arrived above a barren wasteland. Everything was destroyed. He ran scans of the planet and waited while his computer analyzed the return. He scanned ten other planets that were used by the Family and found that they were all carbon copies of the one he orbited. The four Councilors looked at the results of the scan and the First said, “They’ve been destroyed.”

The Second asked, “How can that be? How long ago did this happen?”

The Fourth ran another scan and said, “More than one and a half turns. My scanner indicates that all of the structures on the planet were destroyed by one of the Family’s ships. There is no indication that any of their ships were here when that happened.”

“What would that indicate?”

“First, the Family must have left in their ships to go somewhere else. It appears one ship was left behind. Aha, I’ve found it.”

“What happened to it?”

“It appears to have been destroyed by a ship with a blue colored beam.”

The Controller said, “About one and a half turns ago we detected a blue flash. Could the one that made that flash possibly have done this?”

The Fourth said, “Perhaps that explains why all the ships were gone.”

“What do you mean?”

“What are we doing at this moment? Aren’t we searching for the source of the recent blue flash we detected? What are we going to do if we find it?”

The first said, “We are taking our ships to destroy it.”

“Perhaps they found it, but were unable to destroy it and were killed in the attack. The sole survivor destroyed all of the Family’s structures so no one else could come and take the Family’s technology.”

The Controller said, “They must have divided their forces to attack.”

“Why do you say that?”

“You know the power of the Family and there is no force that could have taken them on unless they divided their forces. They must have been destroyed piecemeal.”

The Fourth ran an intense scan of the planet and suddenly a signal from something buried deep in the planets crust pinged his board. He activated the frequency and saw the red face of a Family Member. The face stared at him from the display and after a long pause it said, “I assume you have locked in the signal by now. I don’t know how long it has taken you cowards to come here, but you must be told what happened to us. We discovered that a universe had dropped out of the matrix after we detected a blue flash. We were ordered to search for that universe and eventually found it. I’m rushing because I know they will be coming for me shortly so pay attention. That universe was protected by five hundred ships that were powered by the blue force. The family attacked and they were destroyed. I was left behind because of injuries I sustained in an earlier fight. I’m including the coordinates of that universe in this message.”

The Red Being looked away and said, “They’ll be here in a moment. The ships they used to defeat us were taken by the species that created them and that universe no longer has them for defense. You can destroy them if you act quickly. You must avenge us.” The Red Being looked away and snarled, “I must hide this message before they come. If you don’t destroy them, and you give them time, they will come and destroy you.” The screen went dark.

The Four Councilors sat in silence and finally the Controller said, “The coordinates of that universe is one of the ones we destroyed after the spores were released against us.”

The First said, “Then our problem is solved.”

The Third said, “I’ve just scanned that universe and it appears there is a galaxy that was missed.”

The four turned to their displays and saw the large spiral galaxy with huge emissions of high technology emanating from it. The first looked at the Fourth and snarled, “How did you miss that one? Are you that incompetent?”

The controller said, “That galaxy wasn’t there when we destroyed that universe.”

The First was shocked by the comment and said, “Show me.”

The Fourth knew he owed the Controller another debt.

“No, it appears it was not there. How do we explain this?”

“The Family Member said they moved a universe too hide it. I suspect moving a galaxy wouldn’t pose a problem for them.”

“Do you detect any ships with blue energy?”

The Controller focused his board and said, “Yes…there are five of them.”

“Only five?”

“Yes, First Councilor, there are only five.”

The First began thinking and said, “Fourth, come back and join us. We need to decide our next course of action.”

The Fourth took a deep breath and felt his tremors. His close brush with death left him shaken. He set the drive and jumped out of the dead galaxy.

• • •

“Cassie, I need to share something with you.”

“What is that, Trey?”

“Look in my mind and see if you can tell me what this means.”

After five minutes Cassie took Trey’s hands and said, “I think there is something wrong with the two messages here.”

“I agree but I can’t for the life of me determine what it is.”

“You didn’t see which ship survives with us at the end?”

“No, I just see it’s still there fighting off the millions of Demon Ships rushing forward.”

“I think that is a blessing.”

“You’re right; I don’t want to know.” Trey paused and said, “What did the cat mean by your importance?”

Cassie took a deep breath and said, “You have to look at it in terms the cat would understand. He is fighting for Mother.”

Trey furrowed his brow and slowly shook his head, “I still don’t see it.”

Cassie reached forward and took his hands, “Trey, I’m pregnant.”

Trey’s mind slammed shut. His thoughts turned to mush and he couldn’t say anything. He stared at Cassie with his mouth open and she said, “I haven’t told you because we are going to have to lead the fight against the Demons and you will resist putting us in danger; however, you must do it or we are all doomed.”

Trey started slowly shaking his head but Cassie said, “We have no choice. We will both win this fight and give our child a chance to live or we flee from it and turn our backs on those we are sworn to protect. We will become what you hated about the Realm. Don’t get scared on me now.”

Trey reached forward and pulled Cassie into his arms. Cassie whispered, “The safest place in this universe is next to you. We must do what we are chosen to accomplish.”

Trey sighed heavily and said, “Creation has a funny way of planning things.”

“I notice you aren’t laughing.”

Trey mouth turned up at the corners and he said, “Perhaps I’ll be able to laugh in a hundred years.”

Cassie chuckled, “Perhaps we both will.” Cassie laid her head on Trey’s chest and said, “So you’re sending the Defense Facility to the cats?”

“Yes and they have begun teleporting to it yesterday.”

“Do you know what is being done with them?”

“They’re being fitted for a new type of armor. BC tells me that he doesn’t understand how it operates but it is on an entirely different order of magnitude in speed and power. He also says the armor for one of the giant cats is lighter than a glove our warriors use.”

“How is that possible?”

“Obviously the cats understand the laws that govern Creation better than our scientists. Pride has agreed to download the information after his family is fitted.”

“Then you need to order BC to take the Facility to the armor fitting ships.”

Trey tilted his head and said, “I’ll make that happen. We need to board our ships. I don’t think we have much longer before the Demons arrive.”