Dahlia's Deception (The Annihilation Series) (9 page)

Ping stared at Dahlia and after a moment he shook his head, “There are trillions of lives in the Realm.”

“And there’s only half a billion on my planet.”

“Where is this going?”

Dahlia sat down and looked at Ping, “Do you remember when we first met that I had almost convinced you that I was not the one you were searching to find?” Ping nodded. “The first Queen of the Stars Realm appeared and cleared up the misunderstanding.” Dahlia paused and let Ping think about it for a minute and she said, “How was she able to appear at just that moment?”

Ping stared at her with a puzzled expression and then his eyebrows came together, “She had to be watching our conversation.”

“She’s watching us now and she’ll probably interrupt us in a moment.”

“Why would she do that?”

“Because I am going to ask you a question that she will not tolerate you answering.”

“What question is that?”

“How did she get here?” Danielle and Tag Gardner immediately appeared on the bridge of the small ship. Ping saw them and thought about Dahlia’s question. Dahlia quickly said, “And how are they keeping an eye on us if they aren’t located here in my universe.”

Danielle smiled, “You know, when I first met you, I thought you weren’t very special.”

Ping was getting angry, “You told me she was the one I was trying to find.”

Danielle shrugged, “How would I know that? I just knew that you needed to believe she was so that you wouldn’t run out and get yourself foolishly killed.” Danielle turned back to Dahlia, “You are more than I thought you were.” Danielle turned to Ping, “You need to leave here now and go with us.”

Ping’s smile was almost a grimace, “Not until I finish my conversation with Dahlia.”

“You’ll regret doing that.” Ping looked at Dahlia and she nodded. Danielle’s expression showed her surprise, “You’re not going to insist on telling him?”

“No, I really want him to be happy.”

Tag was leaning against the wall in the small ship shaking his head. Danielle turned to him and he said, “Would you walk away from me without knowing?”

“That’s different.”

“How?”

Danielle struggled for an answer, “It just is.”

Ping looked at Dahlia, “Why shouldn’t I hear what you have to say?”

“Because the end result will be the same whether you hear it or not.”

“What end result?”

“You’ll leave me.”

“Then why did you start this conversation now?”

“I don’t know if I could live without you if I didn’t tell you now. It’s only going to get harder if I delay any longer.”

Ping stared at Dahlia and tried to understand what was going on. He just couldn’t put the pieces together. “Tell me.”

Danielle stepped between him and Dahlia, “Ping, she’s being remarkably honest and you should listen to her; you would be much better off if you just walk away now.”

Ping raised his arm and moved Danielle to the side, “Tell me.”

Dahlia looked at Tag and then back to Danielle. “I didn’t see it at first but I just couldn’t figure out how she had managed to appear at the most critical moment of our first meeting. She had to be watching you; all the time. I thought about that and I knew that was impossible.”

Ping said, “Why?”

“Because they have to sleep and I know they wouldn’t sleep without the other present; at least not for very long.” Dahlia looked at Tag and Danielle, “After all, their love is legendary.” She turned back to Ping, “That meant they were keeping tabs on you another way. If something happened that required their attention, they were immediately notified.”

“If not them; who?”

“Their ship’s computer.”

Ping turned to Tag, “The Alexander Kosiev.” Tag raised his index finger to his brow and made a small salute. Ping said, “The Kosiev is a psychic ship.” Tag sighed and nodded. He turned back to Dahlia, “Go on.”

“If they have a psychic computer that is telepathic, it can hear our thoughts and would never take a break from its duty of keeping track of us.”

“Why would they want to keep track of us?”

“Ping, how do they come here?”

Ping stared at Dahlia and thought about the question. He said, “It can’t be through a portal; it would be detected and it would weaken the barrier between the two creations.”

Dahlia nodded, “If they aren’t using a portal, they have another mechanism that allows them to move between the two creations.” Ping looked at Danielle and she shrugged. Ping turned back to Dahlia and she said, “That made me suspicious.”

“About what?”

“If they have a process to move here without weakening the barrier, why didn’t they give it to the Realm to send their ships here to defend my Planet against the billions arrayed against it?”

Ping jerked his head around and glared at Tag who said, “We can’t allow that to happen.”

Dahlia tore his attention away from Tag when she said, “They made a choice and you are going to be forced to make the same choice.”

“What choice?”

“They know that it’s just a matter of time before the Big Five Civilizations here develop another portal that would allow them to reenter the Realm’s universe. They can’t send the Realm’s ships here and weaken them with the anticipated invasion of their Creation by the Evil Five located here.”

Danielle shook her head, “How long have you known this?”

“I had it figured out about six weeks after I met you.” Danielle shook her head in amazement.

Ping stared at Dahlia, “There’s more, isn’t there?”

Dahlia sighed, “Why do you think they’re sending the Mites here for us to attack the Five’s Fleets?”

Ping put the pieces together and blew out a breath, “They want a distraction to slow them down from attacking the Realm.” Dahlia shrugged and nodded. Ping turned to the Gardners, “The Planters are just pawns.” Neither of them gave any indication of what they were thinking.

Dahlia said, “Ping, we could build ships for a hundred thousand years and never be able to match the evil civilizations here. It’s only a matter of time until they find a way to see our ships and then they will follow one here. My planet will cease to exist along with all of my people.” Ping knew Dahlia was right. He slowly shook his head and saw the Gardners didn’t like what they were doing but felt they had to do it. Dahlia jerked his attention back to the present, “I’ve decided that we will no longer be their willing stool pigeon.”

Tag stood up from leaning against the wall, “What do you mean?”

“I’ve discussed this with Tess while Ping was gone and we have decided that we will no longer attack their ships.”

Danielle shook her head, “We’ll just send the Mites in to do it without you.”

“Not if we close the portal.” The Gardners were shocked by Dahlia’s revelation. “We can move underground and, without our distraction, the Five will invade the Realm and we’ll just hide until a winner emerges. Even if the Realm loses, the Five will be so weakened, we can build enough ships to maybe match them and hold our own against them in the future.” Dahlia watched Danielle look at Tag and share a knowing look. She shook her head and sighed.

Ping said, “What?”

“They just confirmed that they’re not trying to delay the Five so the Realm can build up their forces.”

Ping looked at Tag and Danielle and saw they were stunned by Dahlia’s statement. “Then if that’s not the reason, what are they doing?”

Dahlia slowly shook her head in sorrow, “Ping, if the Realm started building ships at their highest capacity, they would never be able to match the Five in ship construction. The Realm will always be heavily outnumbered by the Five.”

Ping started shaking his head, “We have the Algeans and they are incredible in their construction capability.”

Dahlia flinched when Ping said we. She shook her head, “The Algeans live in one galaxy. Every one of the Five has conquered thousands of galaxies and ships are under construction in all of them. The Realm will never be able to match their numbers or their construction sites.”

Ping looked at Tag, “What are you planning?”

Tag looked at Dahlia and said, “Ask her; she seems to have all the answers.”

“They’ve going to bring some kind of doomsday device to my universe and release it.”

Ping looked at the Gardners and saw Dahlia had hit it out of the park. That was exactly what they were doing. Suddenly, a giant Pulsating Blue Ship appeared above the planet. Dahlia looked at the Gardners and shook her head, “You’re too late. We’ve already destroyed the portal.”

Tag said, “Alex?”

“She’s right; it’s been blown away by explosive devices.”

Ping turned to Dahlia, “That’s why you said I would be leaving either way.”

Dahlia’s tears were falling but she refused to let it stop her from speaking, “The only way you can go back home is to leave with them.” Dahlia looked up at Ping, “Now do you understand why I was so upset with Dean? His pain is going to be too much for him to bear. I knew what was coming and wanted to spare him. That’s why I yelled at him. He doesn’t deserve it.” Ping slowly nodded. Dahlia said, “After she finished yelling at him, Tess told him what we were going to do and offered to send him through the portal before we destroyed it. He was forced to make a choice and, though he’s heartbroken, he chose to remain here and do his duty.”

Danielle looked at Ping, “What is she talking about?”

Ping looked at her she saw his disgust, “I guess you make sure you don’t spy on me when I’m near the King.”

“There are still psychics on Ross that would see us.”

“Princess Victoria has announced to her father that Dahlia’s brother is her chosen mate.”

Tag looked at Danielle, “Oh Crap!”

Ping looked at them, “I know Victoria and, when she finds out the portal on Earth is closed, she will have a portal opened so she can come here and be with him. What do you think will happen when the Five detect that portal? They’ll invade faster than you can imagine. I suspect that whatever device you’re building is not ready or you wouldn’t need the Planters to delay them.”

Danielle shook her head, “We’re going to have to tell the King what’s happening. That portal would cause the Five to come before we’re ready.”

Ping smiled and walked over to Dahlia, He lifted her chin and looked into her eyes until she raised them and looked into his, “There are times when what you know to be true is all a lie.” She stared at him, with her tears falling, as he said, “The only reason I would go back is to tell the King what’s happening and see if we can stop them from their stupidity. No other reason exists that would ever make me leave you.”

Danielle said, “What do you mean?”

Ping never looked away from Dahlia face, “You’ve lost your way. I was created for this moment in time and Dahlia was put here for me to find. You no longer believe in the forces that made us. I will not be going with you. I will stay here with the woman I’ve grown to love.”

“If we don’t act, trillions will die.” Ping looked at them and shook his head.

Dahlia jumped up and wrapped her arms around Ping. Ping pulled her close and said to the Gardners, “Make whatever plans you want; we will overcome them…and you.”

Tag slowly shook his head, “We have prayed so many times that you are right about this; however, the danger is too close and you do not possess the necessary tools or skills to stop the Five.” The Gardner’s disappeared.

Dahlia held Ping tight and kept her head pressed against Ping’s chest as she looked out of the viewport at the giant Blue Ship. She saw it start pulsating into a brilliant light….then it was gone…and Ping was still there. She closed her eyes, “I’ve fought so hard not to love you, Ping.”

Ping leaned back and smiled, “It’s time to stop fighting.” Dahlia’s smile was beautiful and Ping kissed her for the very first time. The green light that flashed out of them was brilliant and both of them wondered what had happened. It was going to be a while before they learned. The thing they learned immediately was that they didn’t need Pare any more to hear each others’ thoughts.

Dahlia closed her eyes again and smiled, “I’ll never deceive you again.”

Ping just held on to her and thought he heard Nicole’s laughter. He shook his head, “Dolly, your deception was necessary and you revealed it at the perfect time.”

“Perfect time?”

“I had to love you before you could. I had to let Nicole go first.” Dahlia kept her eyes closed and knew he was right. Then Ping said something that set her mind to thinking furiously, “Do you think Dean going to Ross was just an accident? Is Victoria’s love for him merely random chance? He had to go to Ross so I could stay here with you.”

Pare and Dahlia were shocked by his comment.

T
ess saw Dahlia and Ping suddenly appear in the control room and she pulled a blaster out of her holster and pointed it at Ping. Dahlia stepped in front of him and smiled, “You should put that away, Sis.”

“I see an enemy of our people here.”

“No, you don’t, Tess. He chose to stay here and fight with us.”

“He’s one of their High Royals; why would he betray his Realm by doing that?”

Ping said, “My destiny is to come here to stop the Five. I can’t do it if I leave here. I am a product of this Creation, not the Realm’s.” Tess lowered the blaster but kept it in her hand. Ping slowly shook his head, “Tess, come on, you couldn’t fire it fast enough to make it past my armor; so relax.”

Tess stared at Ping and saw Dahlia had remained in front of him. She shook her head and put it back in her holster, “Did you tell them?”

Dahlia walked forward holding Ping’s hand and pulled him to a conference table away from the rows of panels and displays, “I did and they confirmed I was right.” Dahlia holding Ping’s hand did not go unnoticed by Tess and Dean.

Dean looked at Dahlia, “What happens now?”

Ping said, “We continue attacking the Five.”

Tess’ brow furrowed, “I thought we were going underground until the war with the Realm started?”

Dahlia looked at Ping and wondered what he was saying. Ping shook his head, “We know that if the war starts with the Realm, it won’t prevent the Gardners from launching whatever they’re planning.” He looked at Dahlia and she shrugged.