Ashes of the Realm: Book 04 - The Return of the Realm (29 page)

T
he Five psychic ships had been completed and the five couples commanding them sat in the Map Room of Castle Gardner. Trey said, “I’ve called for this meeting because I’m concerned about the Demon’s inactivity over the last year. They should have done something by now.”

Danielle said, “They’re doing something, but we just don’t know what it is. We need to try and find out.”

“How do we do that?”

Trey shook his head and said, “I’m not really certain, Paul. We can see when they move large numbers of ships out of their galaxy but we’re blind to what they’re doing on their worlds.”

Cassie sent a thought, “Kreej, are you still at the defense facility?”

“I am, Your Highness.”

“Will you teleport to Ross orbit and take part in this conversation?”

“I’m here.”

Tag gave a start, “That was fast.”

“We don’t need to input coordinates into a mechanical device. We just go where we think.”

“I’m still impressed.”

Trey said, “Kreej, we’re not certain about what the Demons are doing in their dimension. Something is going on or they would have left to contact the Red Demons. Do you have any ideas?”

“Why don’t you just go look and see?”

“They would see our ship as soon as we arrived and I’m uncertain if one ship could handle the numbers that would attack. We also don’t want to show them our psychic vessels and allow them to work on a counter.”

“Do you know what kind of scanning devices they use?”

“Not really. I assume they can track any ship that enters their domain.”

“What about organic ships?”

“I’m not sure about what you mean by that.”

“If I remove all my weapons, I could go there and take a look. Most scanners are not set to detect life forms in space. I should be able to hide behind a psychic screen and see what’s happening.”

Trey looked around the room and thought, “AK, I want you to turn on your scanners and see if you can detect Kreej in orbit above Ross.”

“Exactly where above Ross is he located?”

“Can you not detect him?”

“He’s not on my scanners.”

“Kreej, how is that possible?”

“When you released us, we discovered that the psychic energy in us prevents us from being seen on any electronic scan. I can’t tell you how it works, but we’ve learned that it does. Our ability to change color prevents us from being seen visually.”

“AK, use your psychic scanner.”

“Trey, I used all my scanners the first time. If he’s there, he’s not showing up on my scans.”

Danielle said, “That makes sense.”

Everyone turned toward her and Cassie said, “I know I should know the answer, but I don’t see it. Why does it make sense?”

“Creation had brought into existence different tools to bring balance back. It would make sense that those different tools would have different uses. It is reasonable to assume that the Zord are the invisible scouts of Creation. They would naturally be invisible to anything in Creation.”

“That’s how we see it, Your Majesty.”

Trey tilted his head and said, “I’m reluctant to send you alone into the Demon’s lair, but we need to know what’s happening. I want you to jump out of there at the first sign of trouble.”

“I’ll be careful. I’ll be back after I see what’s happening.”

“Kreej, I mean it; don’t take any foolish risks.”

“When one is at war there are no foolish risks, Your Majesty.”

Trey was not certain about what to say but by the time he thought of a response, Kreej was gone.

• • •

Kreej appeared in the outer edge of the Demon’s Galaxy and looked around. If these Demons had the same early warning system as the Red Demons, he should draw a crowd as soon as he entered the outer edge. He moved forward and crossed into the Galaxy’s gravity. He waited and nothing happened. He jumped three light years into the Galaxy and waited. Again, nothing happened. Well, time to see what they’re doing. Kreej looked out at the edge of the huge galaxy and set his vision for the telltale glow of a force field. He detected a large emission two hundred light years around the edge and jumped close to the system. He arrived in the outer planets of a fourteen planet planetary system and saw more than a hundred Black Ships above the fourth planet.

He looked closer and saw that the planet’s surface was covered with orange. He looked closer and saw the inhabitants were farming the Demon’s pods. He allowed his gaze to wander and found the huge burial depressions where hundreds of thousands of bodies were stacked. He looked at the ships in orbit and saw thousands of shuttles leaving the surface of the planet and docking with the giant Black Ships. He looked out into the galaxy and saw another force field emission fifty light years away. He jumped to the planet and saw a planet that was completely orange in color. The only shuttles were those gathered around the Black Ships and they entered the large landing bays. The Black Ships then jumped away. Kreej jumped into orbit around the planet and saw that there was nothing alive on the planet. Everything had been killed by the orange spores. The planet’s surface was a wasteland of blowing orange clouds.

He started to jump away but saw a huge structure on the northern continent. He closed his eyes and extended his psychic field and looked at the ruins. He slowly withdrew his senses and sighed. He looked into the interior of the galaxy and saw ten more planets with force field emissions. He jumped and checked each one and then moved back out to the edge of the galaxy and extended his psychic field over half of the Demon’s Galaxy. It was then that a huge number of orange ships began appearing around him. He jumped away as more than ten thousand Demon Ships arrived.

• • •

“Scan this area and find whatever it was that came here.”

The Demon Ships scattered and combed every inch of the area that the disturbance had originated. The eldest Demon waited and grew frustrated at the failure to find anything. After three days had passed he contacted the First Councilor, “We arrived within a glek of the disturbance reading, but have not found anything.”

The First knew the ships had done a through scan. “What do you think was there?”

“I have no idea. Whatever it was, it left no trace of any propulsion system or magnetic reading indicating the presence of metal or energy. There is nothing here.”

“Go back to your stations.”

The Demon Ships disappeared and the First thought about what had happened at the edge of his domain. He decided that he would worry about the disturbance after the Family was contacted. He was now prepared to make the contact and his ship was fully stocked and ready for escape.

• • •

Kreej arrived back at Ross and contacted Tag, “I have scouted the Demon’s Galaxy.”

“Stand by until I can get the others here, Kreej.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

Tag sent a message to the five crews and they started arriving immediately. Jake and Valerie arrived first because they were in the castle but Paul and TK were right behind them. Cassandra and Junior appeared right after Trey and Cassie. Trey said, “Kreej, what did you learn?”

“The Demons have been using the planets in their galaxy to farm the pods. They have now finished their harvest and most of the planets are now dead wastelands.”

Everyone sat down and was stunned by the statement. “They are worse than I ever thought. The species that they used to build their ships was also destroyed. I looked at one of their manufacturing facilities on one of the dead planets and all the inhabitants had died from the harvesting. They felt nothing for those that they used to help them.”

Danielle said, “They assume they can always use compulsions to force other planets to do their will. They’ll just move to another galaxy when the conflict is over and resume their destructive ways.”

Trey thought a moment and thought, “Weed, Seed, I need you at Castle Gardner now!”

“What are you thinking, Trey?”

“The end game is about to start and we need to make our preparations, Tag.”

“I think what you’re considering is the right thing to do.”

Trey smiled, “You already saw it.”

“I did, but I knew you would as well.”

Danielle said, “Ok, now you’ve got me; see what?”

“We need to concentrate our forces.”

Danielle furrowed her brow and then nodded, “You’re right.”

Cassandra said, “For those of us with limited capacity, would you mind explaining what you’re talking about.”

Weed and Seed appeared in the Map Room and Danielle said, “Just pay attention and you’ll see.”

The two Algeans bowed and Trey said, “Please rise. I need you to implement some plans and we don’t have much time to make them happen.”

Weed said, “What do you need, Your Majesty?”

“I need you to move your galaxy to another universe where the Demons will have a lot of difficulty finding it.”

“Why should we do that?”

“Because I don’t want to divide our forces to defend two locations; I also believe that if we lose this battle, it will be your galaxy that will continue the fight.”

“We will not abandon you, Your Majesty.”

“You are not abandoning us, Weed. All of the Algean Ships will remain here to fight the Demons. We can’t effectively defend two galaxies. Your galaxy has millions of planets that are still not developed enough to fight in this war and will be defenseless against the Demon’s Black Ships. Most of our worlds have heavy defenses around them and stand a chance against their fleets.”

Seed leaned back and said, “Then we request to stay here with the Empire.”

“Request denied; we are depending on you to keep the fight going if we fail and your people need you to lead that fight.”

Cassie sent a private thought to Greyson, “Please bring Timmy and Virze to the Map Room on Ross.”

“We’ll arrive momentarily, Your Majesty.”

Weed said, “Your Majesty, we left you and saw our universe destroyed. How can we leave again?”

“To save Creation against these creatures if we fail. We’re counting on you to make sure our loss will be revenged.”

Danielle said, “You know he’s right. You must do as he says and we will honor your species for doing it.”

Weed and Seed bowed showing their acceptance but everyone felt their sorrow. Timmy and Virze appeared in the map room and Trey walked up to them, “I need the two of you to take the Algeans to the universe where the Empire was hidden.”

Timmy stared at Trey and said, “I will show them where to go, Your Majesty.”

“No, Timmy, you will take them there and stay with them.”

Everyone saw Timmy’s expression harden and Trey turned from him and said, “TK, where is Mariah?” Timmy’s expression immediately changed to confusion.

“She’s at home on New Hope.”

Trey turned back to Timmy and said, “I want you to go to New Hope and pick up Mariah, Carter, Jenna, and CJ.”

TK stood up and said, “What are you doing?”

Trey said, “Cassie and I are children from our parents and Carter. Mariah and CJ are also children from the same bloodlines. They will possess psychic abilities that are like ours. If we die in this fight, they will be the future leaders of the Empire. They must be protected at all costs. Do you not see that?”

Paul reached up and pulled TK back to her seat and nodded, “He’s right, my Love.” TK took a deep breath and nodded.

Trey turned back to Timmy and said, “I’m depending on you, Virze, and Greyson to protect those children and not allow anything to harm them. Do you understand?”

Timmy stared at Trey for a long moment and Virze said, “We will make sure of their safety, Your Majesty.”

Trey put his hand on Timmy’s shoulder and said, “I’m counting on it. There is no one better in the Empire to teach them what we stand for and what the Empire means.”

Timmy looked at Paul and TK and said, “We will make sure of their wellbeing.”

TK stood, went to Timmy and Virze, and hugged them, “Trey’s right; there’s no one better for them.”

Trey turned back to Weed and said, “You will take the Defense Facility with you. Make sure all the information on our weapons is in its memory banks as well as the history of the Realm and Empire.”

Weed said, “It sounds like you’re expecting to lose this war.”

Trey lowered his head and said, “I’ve had a vision of just that. However, losing a battle does not lose the war. You’ve got to make sure our fight is not in vain.”

Weed and Seed stared at the five couples and said, “We will not let your efforts be for naught.” He turned to TK and said, “Our oath extends to your child and we will protect her.”

Trey looked around the room and said, “We will board our ships and prepare for the Demons to arrive. Tag, I need your help in organizing the fleets.”

“I’m on it.”

“Jake, you and Valerie make sure the planetary defenses at our member’s planets are at full power.”

“Cassandra, I need you to make sure Alex has the field that prevents the Demon Ships from escaping is still operational.”

“Alex, do you have the system he’s referring to?”

“No, but I have the information on it in my databanks. I’ll stop by the Algean’s main ship building facility before they leave and add it to my inventory.”

“We don’t have much time. Tag, you need to get Jingo and Grang with their fleets and set up the operational plan against the Demon’s Fleets. I’ll notify Admiral Stem to bring the Algean ships here and join you in the planning session.”

Cassie looked at Trey, “Where are you going?”

“I need to talk to a tool.”

Cassie smiled, “Tell them hello for me.”

“I will.”

“Before you go, are you making any arrangements for the White Warrior’s fleets to participate in this?”

“No, Tag, I’m not. They will continue to take on the aggressive civilizations where ever they might find them.”

Twig said, “You might consider selecting another universe and we’ll move the planets that support their efforts to that location. If there is constant movement between their fleets and our galaxy, it would make us easier to locate.”

“You make a good point, Twig. Will you get with Jingos and Maddy and make that selection.”