Annihilation: A Rose Grows In Weeds
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Authors: Saxon Andrew
Saxon Andrew
Contents
“G
et Mikado and Ren-Bir on the com,” Dorg ordered. The two ship captains appeared on his display and Dorg said, “We have a Plant scout that just jumped into the system on the other side of the sun. I am sending you the coordinates of the ship and I am planning to jump in and surround that ship with our three vessels and fire immediately on emergence from null space. The Dremel are going to detonate a nuclear weapon on an asteroid close to the scout and we will all jump one sem before it goes off. Have your jump officers synchronize their systems with Rossville and use your primary beam and two needles. We’ll begin the operation as soon as the plant ship crosses the jump limit by 15 minutes, any questions?”
“No sir,” they both said and broke connection to ready their ships.
Lt. Glensh looked up from her display and said, Sir, the scout has crossed the jump limit and is one drag inside it.
“Klas, tell the Dremel to launch the missiles on my mark, we will jump at 14 sems after launch. Ready, mark; please count down the launch for us.”
“Ten sems, nine, eight, seven….two, one, fire.”
“Mark 14 sems and jump; ready weapons,” Dorg ordered.
The time counted down and Glensh said, “Jumping now.”
The three megaships jumped and broke back into normal space surrounding the Algean Scout just as the nuclear explosion detonated. “Fire now,” Dorg yelled!
The scout was hit by three 5,000 foot wide primary beams and six needles. The 6,400 foot long scout disappeared in an explosion that didn’t even leave rubble. Nothing remained of the huge ship bigger than dust motes and expanding gas.
“T
ag,” Danielle thought, “it’s time.”
“What?”
“Our little one is telling me that it’s time.”
“Call the doctor, get to the medical facility, oh my god, call Leila to come help you, I’m on my way.”
“Take your time, Darling. The baby says it will begin in three hours so I should begin preparing.”
Tag just sat stunned, “Danielle, can the baby communicate in words?”
“Not exactly, but her meaning is clear.”
“You just said her, is it a girl?”
“Yes she is, better be thinking of a name.”
“I’m on my way.”
Tag ordered the Captain of The London to jump the megaship straight to Earth. They had been testing the new ship on its first field trials and it had performed marvelously. “We have Admiral Kosiev on a channel for you sir,” Lt. Thomas said.
Tag pressed his com and said, “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to discuss Admiral Dorg’s upcoming effort to contact the Dremel. I’m concerned about him going in only one ship. He’s going into hostile territory and I don’t want to run the risk of losing him; he is after all a Cainth warrior and is reluctant to run from a good fight. If the Plant fleet is there he could bite off more than he could handle.”
Tag stared at his console for a moment and said, “Let’s have a conversation with him prior to him leaving. He will probably know we’re trying to protect him but I agree with you, we still need to do it.”
Kosiev thought for a moment and said, “If we position it right, he won’t.”
Tag laughed, “Five credits says he’ll know immediately.”
Kosiev smiled, “You’re on.”
“Sorry I have to run, Admiral but the baby is due to be born in three hours and I have to hustle to be with Danielle.”
“Congratulations, you better hurry to the medical center. How do you know you have three hours?” Kosiev asked.
“The baby told her.” Tag cut the connection and jumped on a shuttle to take him down to where Danielle was waiting for him.
Kosiev looked at the blank screen and shook his head, “The baby told her? I will never get accustomed to that family.”
Danielle sat in her bed and held Tag’s hand. “I love you, Tag. I was so lucky to have found you.”
“Danielle, I’m not completely certain that it was luck. Think about all that could have happened to prevent our meeting.” Danielle started to protest but Tag raised his hand and said, “Wait, hear me out.” Danielle sat back and folded her arms. “I’ve never explained to you how I’m so good in martial arts. You’ve seen firsthand how quickly I can respond to an attack. Do you know how much thought goes into my reactions?” Danielle raised her eyebrows and Tag continued, “None, absolutely none. It’s like my body is taken over by a power that I don’t control. I can see all that is happening but it’s like I’m a spectator to what’s taking place. This gift I was born with actually controls me in those attacks. I have been thinking about you and I for some time and I had an insight; maybe my gift and yours sensed each other and placed us in circumstances that would bring us together.”
“Tag, get real. How could that have possibly happened?”
“Think about it Danielle. Why did you ask me out? I would have never asked you. Think real hard, was it an impulse you couldn’t fight. You’re beautiful and I’m just average. Every red blooded male in our school was chasing you but you were attracted to none of them and some of them were really great looking. I was also in love with Leila at the time but my attention turned to you when you touched my hand in the lunchroom when we met. Am I really that wrong?”
Danielle thought back to the moment she met Tag. Leila had brought her over and introduced her to him and his best friend Eric. Eric, who was very good looking, immediately asked her out but Danielle ignored him and only looked at Tag. She gave herself several reasons for asking him out but she had to admit that after he took her hand in his and she felt the little shock that always happened when they touched and then looked into his eyes; she had no interest in anyone else from that point on.”
“Tag, are you saying destiny made this happen and we had no free will?”
“What I’m saying is that how could the two strongest psychics on Earth end up together by chance? Perhaps the universe made this happen so that this child would come into existence. I don’t even want to think about what her purpose would be and I haven’t talked about the odds of me crash landing on the moon right next to Atlas’ cave. There’s just too much coincidence that defies all logic.”
Danielle just closed her eyes and thought about all that Tag had said. Her talent of seeing the truth was screaming at her that he was right. There were too many coincidences. What or who made this happen? “You’ve got me wondering about this but perhaps I better wait until after this is over to talk with you.” Suddenly, Danielle doubled over and her water broke. Tag grabbed her hand and then let the doctors take her into the birthing room. He opened his link to her and let her know that he was right there with her. He sat down and shared the intimate moments of their child being born.
Tag thought in his deepest thoughts, “I’m anxious to hear what she thinks but it can wait. Whatever the reason, it can’t be bad if it gave her to me.” Tag then closed his eyes and leaned back in his chair and joined Danielle in the birth of their Daughter.
Tgon-Gee and Dorg were sitting in the waiting room while Danielle was delivering. They had jumped in as soon as Leila told them it had begun. Tgon-Gee had made Leila promise to tell him when it was time and Leila knew that a broken promise to a Glod was never a good thing; especially not to the Crown Prince. Five hundred pounds of a seven foot six Glod warrior was best kept as happy as possible. Tgon-Gee had then commed Dorg and asked him to come immediately. Dorg jumped to Earth on the Rossville, sent Tresk to Ross to pick up Klas, and then took a shuttle down to the medical center. Dorg ran into the waiting room, looked at Tgon-Gee and asked, “Why is it so important for us to be here? You act like its life or death.”
Tgon-Gee raised his head and said, “Dorg, do you remember when you once said that you’re glad that Tag was on your side and I corrected you by saying, no, we had better be glad that we’re on his?”
“Yes, why?”
“The foundling being born today will sense us here and sense our love and protection for it and its parents. I have seen its aura; and I want to make sure the foundling knows that we are willing tools for it to use. Dorg, you have no idea of the power this child will posses. I only pray that its spirit is like its mother’s and not warrior like its father’s or ours.”
Dorg could see the Glod Prince was nervous, “You’re really afraid, aren’t you?”
“Dorg, you would be too if you understood the power being born today. I wanted you here to protect your people just like you protected mine when the Alliance attacked the Humans. The foundling will have a special place for us because we are here. You do not want to miss this moment.”
Dorg looked out the window of the waiting room at a beautiful spring day on Earth and thought about what Tgon-Gee was saying. Dorg and his race were skeptical about psychic powers. Their main claim to fame was being one of the most aggressive warrior races in the galaxy. However, he had seen firsthand how everything that Tgon-Gee had said had been verified by subsequent events during the war with the former Alliance of Worlds. Tgon-Gee said that Tag could not be defeated and Tag had gone out and proven it defeating five Glod martial arts champions bare handed with no weapons. He also knew from first-hand experience that every time his race had challenged the humans they were beaten when this young human led them. He thought about it and it came to him that without Tag and Danielle’s wisdom and forgiveness that his race would probably be extinct now. They had given his people, and him, another chance. He knew in his deepest feelings that he would give his life for the two humans and their race. He also discovered at that moment in the deepest part of his being that he would do the same for their child. He looked at Tgon-Gee and said, “Thank you. I will always value your trust in me to have me here with you today. I will protect this family with everything I have.”
Suddenly both Tgon-Gee and Dorg felt something in their mind that was like a warm glow. Tgon-Gee smiled and said, “The foundling hears you and accepts you.”
Dorg no longer needed to be persuaded about anything psychic. He could feel the child in his mind and he held on to that warm glow as long as he could.
Tag was sitting in the room with Danielle and their new daughter. He could actually see the psychic field that surrounded the two of them and he wondered at what psychic talents their daughter would have. Danielle and the baby were asleep in the bed with the baby lying on her chest. As Tag watched them, Danielle without opening her eyes said, “She’s beautiful isn’t she?”
“Just like her mother,” Tag said tenderly. “She’s got blond hair just like you.”
“But she has your eyes, Tag.” Danielle quit talking and used her thoughts to speak with Tag. “You’re wondering about what we were discussing before the baby started coming?”
“Yes, I am. I think you may glean why we ended up together.”
“This is probably going to sound crazy but it feels right to me.”