Dahlia's Deception (The Annihilation Series) (21 page)

“Why?”

“We’re going to have a child.”

Ping’s blinked three times. “We should get married.”

“No, we don’t do that here.”

“WHAT?”

“Do you remember when I told Tess that I was committing myself to you and she welcomed you to the family?” Ping nodded. “When two people commit themselves to each other, they are consider bonded by my community. Everyone, except you, knows we’re bonded.”

“What do you mean? I know we’re committed to each other.”

“You know that but you didn’t know what it meant. It’s the same thing as being married in your society. Now you really know; you can back out if you choose.”

Ping pulled her into his arms, “You know that will never happen!”

“I know; I just needed you to hear you say it.”

Ping held her tight and said, “Do you know…”

“It’s a girl.”

“I hope she has your looks; she’ll be so beautiful.”

“I just hope she has your eyes. Her name will be Nicole.”

“No it won’t!” Dahlia looked up at him with narrowed eyes. “Her name will be Dolly just like her mother. I won’t have it any other way.” Dahlia stared at him. “I’m serious, Dahlia!”

Dahlia smiled and knew in her heart that Ping had answered her question. Now she could allow herself to give it her all. He was completely in the present and she knew he would never go back to the past. She had bonded with him but she didn’t know if he knew what that meant. Now she could let go and live in the present with him.

• • •

Tess, Dean, and Vickie were ecstatic at the news. The planet received the news and they celebrated the coming arrival of another member of the Royal Family. They had learned from the warriors that Ping was leading their defense of the planet and he was starting to grow to legendary status. The rise of Dahlia in the fight for survival caught the planet’s imagination and she was also becoming a Royal that everyone wanted to know more about. Tess actually cried when she knew she was going to be an aunt. The baby would not go lacking for love.

Victoria celebrated with the others and when she found a moment, she slipped away and went to the stream. She sat down and stared into the water for a long time. Then she looked up at the sky and said, “I know you’re watching. I need to speak with you.”

A moment later, Danielle appeared, “What’s bothering you?”

“I need you to tell my father that I am going to marry Dean. He can plan a ceremony if we ever make it back to the Realm…but I can’t wait any longer.”

Danielle slowly shook her head, “Vicky, are you sure about this? You’re only seventeen.”

“Were you sure about Tag?”

Danielle stared at her and then said, “We were separated when he had to flee the government’s efforts to capture him; that time was the most miserable in my life. I didn’t see him for several years.”

“I’m sure everyone asked you the same question.”

Danielle nodded and sat down beside her. She stared out at the water flowing by and after a moment said, “Do whatever it takes to find happiness. I’ve learned that there is so much danger in our existence that life is fleeting…even at the long time we’ve lived, it’s not enough.”

“I do love him with every part of my being, Danielle. I felt it the moment I saw him on the spire gazing out at Ross.”

“I knew it as soon as I shook his hand in high school. I’ll tell your father.”

“Thank you.”

Danielle stood with Victoria and gave her a hug. Danielle smiled and said, “I’ve always been amazed at how great the leaders of the Realm have been over the centuries. You are really remarkable.”

“None of us can ever match the first King and Queen, Danielle. I’m not blowing smoke; it’s the truth.” Danielle smiled and disappeared. Victoria took a deep breath and suddenly Dean appeared.

“I’ve been worried sick; I couldn’t find you.”

Victoria moved into his arms and whispered in his ear, “I am making my commitment you to as of this moment. There will never be anyone else in my heart but you.”

Dean leaned back and looked in her eyes, “Vicky, you’re going to rule the Realm one day…”

Victoria put a finger on his lips and said, “Shhhhh…first I’m going to be your mate. Everything else pales to insignificance to that.”

Dean tilted his head and looked into her eyes with a look that showed his love for her. “I am also offering you my commitment, if you’ll accept it.”

Vicky pulled him close and said, “I do and I’m moving in with you tonight.” Dean didn’t ask her if she was sure. He knew she was. When they returned to the celebration Dahlia was the first to see the difference in them. She nudged Tess and she looked at the couple as they walked into the room, “Well. It looks like both of you have found love.”

“We’re twins, it’s inevitable.”

“Do you think they’re expecting….”

“NO! They have not shared the same quarters. I suspect that is probably changing now.”

Tess stared at Dean and Victoria as they moved out on the area cleared for dancing and saw how Dean held her, “I suspect you’re right.”

• • •

Sprigly came rushing into the room and looked around. He saw Ping and rushed over to him and began talking with him. Dahlia saw them and immediately saw Ping’s expression change. She said, “Excuse me, Tess.” She rushed over to Ping and heard him asking Sprigly a series of fast questions.”

“When did this happen?”

“It started an hour ago.”

“Do you know what’s coming through them?”

“I have no idea but the portals are huge.”

“Can you tell if the portals are strong enough to penetrate the barrier to the Realm?”

“At their current power, it would be close.”

Dahlia said, “What’s going on?”

Ping looked at her, “A huge number of blue portals have appeared in the Five’s territories. They’re not coming from the Realm.”

“Then who?”

“We have to find out. This is not something I have considered happening and my sense of danger is off the chart. I didn’t see this coming.”

“What are the Five doing?”

“They are mobilizing their ships and sending them out to meet whatever is coming through. We need to get the population underground and keep them there until this situation resolves itself.”

Dahlia ran over to Tess and told her what was going on. She looked over at Ping and he nodded. She started shouting and the huge control room became quiet. “We are immediately going to Invasion status and we need to start our citizens moving underground now! We have a threat of imminent attacks. Get moving and make it happen.”

Dahlia looked at Ping who was staring at the ceiling, “Do we need to go out and see?”

“No, I can watch what happens from here. I can see the portals forming. He looked at Dean and Victoria who had rushed up to them and he said, “Order our Mites to teleport out to dead star systems and to go to communication silence. They will remain there until we issue an all clear.” Dean nodded and rushed over to his terminal. Ping looked at Dahlia, “Get Pare under the nemite barrier now.” Dahlia nodded and disappeared. Ping looked back up at the ceiling and wondered what horror was going to emerge from those portals. Whoever was coming, they weren’t afraid of the Five. That worried him a lot.

• • •

The Rageon Ruler looked at the Beast Master and said, “I’m getting my fleets organized and sending them out to the Portals opening in my territory. I would suggest that all of us begin our efforts defending our own civilizations.”

“There are more than two hundred thousand that have appeared inside my domain and more than seven hundred thousand more in the other four territories.”

“Do you want to spread your forces out that thin? You need to be responsible for defending your subjects.”

The Master hesitated and said, “You’re right. I’ll notify the Chinga if you’ll contact the other two.”

“Done, get moving and stay in touch.”

The display went dark and the Rageon looked at his panel. More than four hundred thousand portals were starting to glow brighter in his territory. He saw his fleets start jumping to them and was thankful again for the Fleet Admiral’s competence. He knew the new portals were not used by the ships that invaded the first time. They were a different color. This was a new enemy. It had to be an enemy because of the number of portals being opened. He looked at his main display and saw one of his fleets arrive at a portal and move into the formation used by the forces in the other space he invaded. His respect for the Admiral grew even more and he decided at that moment that if his civilization survived, the Admiral would be his successor. His son didn’t have what it was going to take to defend his people.

• • •

Ping heard the sirens going off on the surface high above the hole and knew their volume had to be incredible to be heard that far underground. They must be sending their vibrations through the tubes linking the facility with the surface. The sound ended abruptly and he knew the tubes to all the military facilities had been sealed off. Two hours later he heard Dean yell to Tess that all of their citizens were underground.

He continued to stare and watch one of the portals in the Rageon territory. It continued to grow brighter…and larger. It was soon larger than any portal used by the Five to invade the Realm; he wondered what was so big as to need a portal that large. Three hours later he found out and the answer was stunning.

T
he Beast Master was thankful the portals took so long to form. It allowed him to move all of his ships out to the ones in his domain and allow him time to reorganize and distribute them evenly. The blue portals finally stabilized and the Beast stood up and went closer to the large wall display. Nothing happened for fifteen minutes and he began to wonder what was going on…then the portal exploded with thousands of small ships flashing through at high velocity. They exited the portal at every conceivable exit angle. Many of them were vaporized by the combined fire being directed by the Black Fleets holding position just outside the portal’s entrance, but many of them made it through the ranks and were coming back around to attack the defenders from the rear. Defenders peeled out of the ranks and went to face the incoming blue ships and soon the space around the portals looked like a massive dog fight with collisions happening frequently. The Beast stared at the portal and the small ships kept coming. Was there no end to their number?

• • •

Ping watched the battles and Pare took it from his mind and played it on the wall monitor. Dahlia stared at the display and shook her head, “Those portals are placed in the optimum location to invade the Five’s Major Planets. They have to have scouted them in the past.”

Ping shrugged as he continued to stare at the two dead aliens, “They had to do it with probes. Their ships are clearly visible.”

Dahlia’s brow furrowed, “Sprigly, how long would it take to completely survey the Five Domains?”

Sprigly looked away from the display and thought for a moment, “They would have had to use millions of probes or take thousands of years to do it right.”

Ping watched the Blue Ships continue to stream out of the portals and tilted his head, “Or they could just not care.”

Dahlia looked at him, “Why?”

“They may have enough warships to just not worry themselves about what they face.”

Sprigly leaned back, “No intelligent being would ever launch an attack of this magnitude without seeing what they were getting into.”

Dahlia looked back at the display, “Then they must have been scouting the Five for a very long time.”

Sprigly said, “Or they attack every universe and are taking on the easiest first.”

Ping started shaking his head, “We are not easier than the Five.”

Dahlia stood and grabbed Ping’s face and made him look at her, “Their weapons work against the Five. They have a force field that operates; but that force field may not operate in the Realm’s Universe.”

Ping stared at Dahlia and began shaking his head. He looked back out at the massive battles shaping up at the portals and then turned and went to his panel. He set it to receive and said on a Realm Frequency, “Are you seeing this?”

Danielle appeared on the display, “We are.”

“What are you going to do about it?”

“We don’t know enough to make a decision.”

Ping stared at Danielle and said, “I’ll find out what you need to know.”

Dahlia pushed him from the side, “OH NO YOU’RE NOT!!”

Ping looked at her and said, “Will you get your mind in gear? You see the truth; tell me another way.” Dahlia was frightened. Ping saw her fear and sighed as he shook his head, “And you’re right; you can’t go with me.”

Sprigly watched them and said, “Go where?”

Dahlia stared at Ping in defiance, “He’s planning to go through one of those portals to see what’s on the other side.”

Danielle shook her head, “That’s entirely too dangerous.”

Dahlia screamed, “TELL HIM ABOUT IT; MAKE HIM SEE IT!”

Ping looked at Danielle, “You don’t know the intentions of those invaders. The only way you can find out is to take a look at where they’ve been. You’re supposed to see the truth; tell me I’m wrong.” Danielle could only stare at Ping in silence.

Ping grabbed Dahlia by the arms and looked into her face, “I have a daughter that is going to shortly co-inhabit this universe with those creatures. I will not sit by and leave her survival to chance…do you understand!?!”

Dahlia started shaking her head, “I can’t go with you.”

Ping pulled her into his arms, “No, she can’t go with me. At least you see the truth in that.” Dahlia pushed back and looked at Sprigly, “You have to go with him and not allow him to take any unnecessary risks.”

Sprigly leaned forward, “Even if I didn’t want to go, my curiosity would force it on me.”

Ping looked up and said, “Pare, has the Searcher completed the nemite coating?”

“It has.”

“Is the copy of your processors still functional?”

“I’m still there.”

Ping turned to Dahlia, “If what you suspect about the Realm’s weapons is accurate, we should take the Searcher and go now before this invasion really kicks off.”