Saxon Andrew - Escape to Earth-The Legacy of a Conqueror

“No, you don’t.”

“I also don’t have your mental skills.”

“No, you don’t.”

“There’s not much time to get these new ships built either.”

“No, there isn’t.”

“Pat, that’s enough of the word no”

“Yes, it is.”

Lukas laughed and shook his head, “I really haven’t wanted to like you but darn it, I just can’t help it.”

“Hey, I’m a very likable being. Would you like to see my resume?”

“I don’t have time to read it and if you say ‘No, you don’t’ I’m going to tell the Legends where you are.”

There was a pause and Pat said, “You’re very observant.”

“That’s just as bad.”

“You didn’t say I couldn’t say it.”

Lukas laughed, “I’ll talk to you later.” Lukas thought about the revelation for an hour and then pressed his panel, “Trevor, Amanda, please report to my office at your earliest convenience.”

Trevor looked at Lukas, “Is something wrong?”

“I want you to go to Eden and convert all of our facilities there to building the new ship. I’m going to have Jinks and Stoney to start selecting the pilots who will be flying them. I’ve talked with Admiral Simmons and she says the new ship is a bear to learn how to fly.”

“It is.”

“Then I’m having all of our flag officers to start working on the simulators immediately. Allison also told me that having more than one computer was necessary.”

“She told us the same and we’ve incorporated her suggestion into the design. It’s slowed us slightly, but we are making progress.”

Lukas stared at Trevor and saw Amanda looking over his shoulder, “I don’t want to do this, but I’m going to be forced to separate you. One of you will go to Eden and the other will stay here and keep the building going. I’m also bringing in enough of our building contractors and Engineers to build other plants on Earth.”

Trevor looked over his shoulder and saw Amanda’s distress. “Sir, we work better together.”

“I know that, Trevor. How am I going to get Eden on board and make sure we don’t fall behind here without sending one of you there?” Lukas saw him pause and look at Amanda, “Look, if one of you go to Eden in one of the new ships, you could come back almost instantly and spend every night together.”

Trevor looked at Amanda and saw her smile. “You’re right, Lukas. We’ll do it your way.”

Lukas nodded and pressed another button, “Jinks, I need you and Stoney to come by my office.”

“We’re on our way.” Lukas leaned back in his chair. He thought for a minute and pressed another button.

“Yes Sir.”

“Admiral Goddard, I want you to keep your fleet at M-84 and make sure none of the planets there are attacked.”

“Sir?”

“The Sentinels are defending Eden. First Commander has promised the civilization he attacked that he would defend them.”

Jason tilted his head and said, “Yes Sir. How much longer will we be here? The crews are missing their families.”

“I’ll relieve your fleet in another week. You’ll come back to Eden for a month and go back.”

“Yes Sir. I’ll notify my fleet.” Lukas nodded and ended the contact. He thought about what he was considering and didn’t like it. But he had to at least leave the possibility open. He shook his head and looked out at the spaceport.

“They’ve been really busy!” Chris nodded. Allison extended an antenna out of the barrier into normal space and made a ping scan. Chris looked at her and tilted his head. She shrugged, “I know we can see normal space above us but I’m wondering what they have waiting for an intruder.” Chris nodded and looked at the large monitor over the front viewport. Thousands of ships were moving at maximum speed toward the antenna’s location in the void. Allison pulled it out of normal space and sighed, “We should be able to see them without the antenna in a moment.” She was right, the mass of ships blew past the antenna and came to a stop a hundred miles past them.

“Their detection system is pretty good.”

“Not as good as the Orange Ships.”

“Why do you say that, Barbie?”

“The Orange Ships that detected our probe’s scan outside M-87 only went a few miles past the antenna’s location.”

Allison nodded toward the monitor, “They’re coming back.”

“Were the Orange Ships moving as fast as those ships, Barbie?”

“No.”

“Then the jury is still out on their capabilities.”

Allison nodded, “I think you’re right, Chris.” A moment later, thousands of ships appeared above them in normal space. “This really looks familiar.”

Chris laughed and listened to the thoughts of the crews in the void and focused on finding the leader of the ships. He finally found him.

“…and I did not open fire on the location, Commander but there’s nothing here.”

“It could be hiding behind that black cloud they use to hide their ships.”

“If it is, it’s no longer here. We could see the swirling of the cloud if it was this close.”

“Spread out and see if you can find anything. Don’t open fire without direct orders to do so.”

“Yes, Commander.”

Allison looked at Chris, “Why are they withholding their fire?”

“It appears that whoever is in charge here has ordered them not to do it.”

“Why would he do that?”

“I really don’t know.”

“Chris, we now have about a hundred thousand ships swarming in the void below our current position and an equal number above us in normal space.”

Chris looked at the void below the barrier and saw massive numbers of warships moving around them. “Gene, where did you detect those ships coming from?”

“Pretty much from every direction.”

Chris nodded and focused on finding the being that communicated with the leader of the ships in normal space. There were so many thoughts that he couldn’t locate him. “Barbie, can you isolate the thoughts of the one that communicated with the ships in normal space?”

“I’m listening to him now.”

“Link me in with him and put the conversation on the speakers.”

“Commander, that has to be one of the Progen ships that’s come here to scout us.”

“Prove it is by finding it.”

“We must destroy it before it can skip away and report on our location.”

Chris thought, “We are not a Progen ship.”

The being’s thoughts immediately froze and then focused on Chris, “Who are you?”

“I come from a galaxy the Progen attacked.”

“How can you prove that?”

“I will not do that by revealing my ship and open it to attack.”

There was a long pause and the Commander thought, “Have you been here before?”

“I have.”

“Was it your ship that we chased away?”

“It is.”

“Was that the only other time you’ve been here?”

“My leader was here years ago scouting the change of the Orange Ships to the Green.”

“Did that ship he was on do anything while it was here that would allow us to see it?”

“It destroyed two Green Warships pursuing a Black Ship that ambushed some of them.”

“THAT WAS ONE OF YOUR SHIPS?!”

“Yes.”

“STAND DOWN. ALL SHIPS STAND DOWN AND RETURN TO YOUR ASSIGNED POSITIONS!”

“But Commander!”

“Do as I order!”

Chris looked at Allison and she was shaking her head. What was going on?

The being thought, “I was in command of that Black Warship and your leader saved my life along with my crew. We were dead and the two Green Ships chasing us exploded just before they opened fire on my ship. Please accept my thanks for his actions and please tell him as well. I would not be here without his intervention. I’ve been hoping I would one day find out who did it.”