Escape to Earth-Living Legends (2 page)

“Yeah, I caught a few waves. What’s going on?”

“Michael, if you ever injure yourself, I’m going to…”

“Don’t worry, Luke. You’re just jealous you’re not as good.”

Luke looked down his nose and raised his eyebrows, “You can’t be serious!”

“Just say where and when.”

“I will if we ever resolve our issues with the Legends.”

“Something’s happened?”

“Hengel intercepted one of the transmissions from a Legend Elder.” Michael’s eyes narrowed and Luke saw Audrey walk in. He stood up and went to greet his half-sister. Michael smiled. He wondered why Allison had insisted her first child be named after his mother. Chris was against the idea but she told him he could name the boys but that the girls were hers. If he didn’t like it, he could just shove it.

Michael shook his head and saw Audrey look at him. He nodded and she smiled. She was eight years younger but she looked fabulous. She had her mother’s eyes and Chris’s blonde hair. Stoney Jr. walked in with Josh right behind her. Josh was Allison’s second child and his half-brother but he was a full brother with Audrey. He had his mother’s red hair and Chris’ blue eyes. Both of them had the Welken-Human hybrid brain and were telepathic. All of the new team members were not allowed to manipulate their DNA to age faster than their normal rate. Chris and Eve were the last ones to do that.

Speaking of that, where was Laney? Eve and Nudge’s daughter was never late. She was always the first to arrive. He saw the elevator door open and Laney walked out with the Welken Royal and his Fleet Leader. The Johan and Myot rulers were right behind them along with their Senior Commanders. Something big must be happening. When the door opened again and the First Leader of the Green Civilization and the High Leader of the Goran emerged, he knew it was big. Laney must have been asked to meet them at the spaceport and bring them to the meeting. The old Fleet Operations building had grown too big to be next to the spaceport’s landing area. The new building was built about a mile inland twelve years ago. He was glad the officer’s quarters remained next to the beach.

• • •

Luke stood up and smiled, “Thank all of you for coming on such short notice.”

The Welken Royal nodded, “Have you decided what to do about this?”

Luke looked around the room and said, “Some of those present haven’t seen what we’ve collected. Please allow me to bring them up to speed and we’ll discuss our plans after that.” Luke pressed a button in front of his chair and the attendees heard the conversation between the two Legends. It ended and Luke looked around, “Hengel has just sent in the images he collected. I want all of us to see them before we start discussing what they mean.”

Luke pressed another button and the gigantic wall monitor came on. A small light appeared in the center of the monitor and then grew larger as the ship scanning it moved toward it. The small light quickly resolved itself into a planet and it continued to increase in size. The planet finally filled the monitor and everyone was stunned. Luke looked at Michael and saw him sit back in his chair and blow out a breath. Michael saw Luke staring at him and he shrugged and leaned over and whispered as the recording continued, “You know they were going to eventually do something like this?”

“Why?”

“It’s exactly what we’ve done over the last twenty years.”

“Nothing like that?”

“My mom said that size is not always the determining factor of what makes a warship dangerous.”

Luke saw the video had ended and looked at the assembly, who were all staring at him. He stood up and pointed at the frozen image of a gigantic warship, “The vessel that the Legend is having built is as large as a small moon or large asteroid. Hengel couldn’t move in any closer to record a better scan. I think the Legends are starting to detect energy in the barrier.” He heard the gasps from the Alliance Leaders.

The Johan said, “How did he determine that?”

“He skipped in closer initially and started recording but a fleet of Black Ships began moving toward him. He backed out and after ten minutes, they turned around. They evidently detected something but didn’t know what it was.” The Welken Royal shook his head. Luke continued, “The images he managed to take aren’t as good as we would like but we can see that the disruptor emplacements on that ship are actually larger than the ones we faced on the Legends’ Planet in M-87.”

The Goran Leader thought, “Can we stand up to it?”

Luke changed the image and the assembly saw another ship that was nearly half the size of the monster. “I don’t know if we can and the ship on the monitor now has to be the new warship model that the Legend Elder mentioned. Once he completes building the monster, he intends to build thousands of the other model.”

Michael shook his head, “They don’t build things in the thousands. He’ll be building millions.”

Luke shrugged, “A million starts with a few thousands.”

Michael smiled, “Touché.”

The Green High Leader shook his head and ruffled his feathers, “We don’t have anything large enough to take that thing on. It would be like attacking a small planet.”

Michael nodded, “That’s intentional.”

Everyone looked at him and the Myot Ruler said, “Educate me. Why do you say that?”

Michael looked at Luke to answer him but Luke sat down and turned to him. Michael’s head went back slightly and then he turned to the Myot Ruler. “We can build ships that big if we wanted. However, we determined early on that the barrier is not large enough for even our former battleships to enter. We would give up our speed advantage as well as our ability to hide in the barrier if we built larger ships. That’s why the new ships are so much longer than they are tall. The ability to enter the barrier to avoid an enemy’s firepower is more important than building something like that. Our current Battle Pod is as large as we can build and still use the barrier.”

“Can our new ships withstand a salvo of those disruptors?”

Michael looked at Audrey, “I don’t know. That’s something that will have to be determined before we face them in a major fleet action.”

Luke said, “What would you do about this, Michael?”

Michael looked at him and chuckled, “That’s pretty obvious.”

“Illuminate me.”

Michael looked at Luke shaking his head, “Come on, Luke! We’re going to have to go and blow that ship apart before it’s completed. The Legend won’t start building the other huge ships until that one is completed. He said as much.”

Luke stood up and looked around the room, “Do you see why I made the suggestion?”

Michael’s head went back and saw many in the room nodding. “What suggestion? You didn’t tell me anything about a suggestion.”

“It had to do with you.” Michael’s eyes narrowed and Luke looked back at the gathering and said, “Is there any disagreement?”

Kyel shook his head, “I think he’s right; and it’s obvious. All of us see it has to be destroyed before it’s completed.”

Luke smiled, “How would you go about destroying that ship, Kyel?”

Kyel looked around and said, “I’d send enough Battle Pods to get the job done.”

Luke pulled the image of the giant black ship back up on the monitor, moved the view in closer, and pointed at the solid wall of black ships surrounding it. “So you would fight your way through those ships to hit it?”

Kyel looked at the massive numbers surrounding the giant ship and took a deep breath, “I don’t see another way of doing it.”

“And if the Legends can detect our ships in the barrier?”

Kyel nodded, “They will be at battle stations before we arrive. However, we don’t know for certain they can detect us.”

Michael shook his head, “Yes we do.” Kyel looked at him. Michael looked at Luke, “Do you have a recording of the ships moving toward our scout?” Luke pressed buttons on his panel and they saw thousands of Black Ships move away from the planet. They watched them accelerate directly toward the scanner recording the image and Michael said, “There was nothing else in that area of space they’re moving toward except our scout. They lost the signal when it moved further away and they probably ruled it out as a sensor error. But they did detect something.”

Luke looked at Michael, “How would you do it?”

“First, I want to know about that suggestion you mentioned.”

“Answer the question Admiral Stone!”

Michael’s face grew angry. Luke had never pulled rank on him before. “Yes sir.” Michael looked at the assembled leaders. “I would have a Sentinel go into normal space out from that planet and broadcast his presence. Matter of fact, I’d probably send ten of them. Once the Legend Elder sees them, he’ll order his fleets to place themselves between him and them. Once the ships move out, we move in and hit the monster.”

Kyel looked at Michael and shook his head, “You are so much like your father.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

Kyel sat back in his chair, “My objection is removed.”

Michael looked at Luke, “What objection!”

Luke looked at Michael, “The Leadership have chosen you to command our efforts against the Legends. You will turn your fleet over to your second-in-command and assume the position of First Commander.”

“I’ll do no such thing! I’m not old enough.”

“You’re older than most of us?”

“Then I’m not as experienced as Kyel and the other Leaders that fought in the first war.”

The Welken Royal stood up, “It’s not experience that makes the difference. It’s being able to see the things that everyone else misses.”

Luke smiled, “Trust me on this, he doesn’t miss much.”

Michael’s eyebrows came together in anger, “You should call Dad out of retirement and have him take the position.”

Audrey stood up and said, “We asked; he didn’t say no; he said hell no! And then he suggested you for the position.”

Michael looked at his sister, “Audrey, you know I’m not up to this!”

Audrey slowly shook her head, “Michael, you were in Dad’s mind long before any of us. You are the only one of his children to see his thoughts during the last fight with the Legends. You saw how his mind functioned and how he developed his strategies. We weren’t there then and by the time we came along, he didn’t think about it anymore. It brought back too many dark memories of what he did. You think like him. What you just suggested is exactly how he would plan to take on this new Legend Warship.” Laney listened to Audrey and looked at Stoney and Josh; both nodded. They agreed with Audrey.

Michael looked at Luke shaking his head, “You outrank me. You should be the one to do it!”

Luke closed his eyes for a moment and then opened them. He turned his head slightly and looked Michael in the eyes, “Why didn’t my father accept command instead of your father?” Michael stared at Luke and saw his sadness. Michael couldn’t think of a reason and he shook his head. Luke took a deep breath and blew it out, “He didn’t do it because he knew he didn’t have it in him to make the really hard decisions. He knew he might hesitate at a critical moment and that could prove fatal. He was an excellent planner and tactician. I am my father’s child…just like you are. My father was a great leader but your father was a great warrior. What all of us need at this moment in time is a warrior to lead us. I’ve seen a warrior’s spirit in you for as long as I’ve known you. This is something you must do.”

Michael lowered his head and forcefully blew out a breath, “Do you not remember what my father did to the Goran?”

The Goran Leader said, “We forgave him and we are safer now for it having happened.”

Michael looked at the High Leader and said in a soft voice, “But he never forgave himself.”

The Goran Leader smiled, “That knowledge will serve you well in your new position. I think I have the right to say that we need someone that can do to our enemies what was done to us. I know that you will do what’s necessary and do it with compassion.”

Michael lowered his head and Luke said, “When do we do this First Commander?”

The room was silent and waited as Michael struggled with his emotions. He finally looked up, “We wait until they start installing the reactors. There’s no reason to do it now. We should allow them to waste as much time as possible building it.”

The room began cheering. Michael took a deep breath and wished to be a child again building a sand fort with his mother. He stood up, forced a smile, and then lifted his arms. The room exploded even louder.

• • •

The room broke up into small groups with all of them congratulating Michael. Hengel and Averel walked up to the Goran High Leader and waited for him to finish speaking with the First Leader of the Birds. He finally turned around and Averel nudged Hengel. “High Leader, will you approve…”

“I bless your union and will officiate the ceremony before I leave.” Hengel looked at him in bewilderment. The High Leader smiled, “I’ve been watching the two of you for quite a while and you belong together. You should have seen this long before now.”

Averel nodded, “I told him.”

“It wasn’t his fault, Averel; he almost worships you. He couldn’t get up the nerve.”

Averel glanced at Hengel as she spoke to the High Leader, “I want to eliminate the word ‘almost’.”

Hengel said, “Hey, hey, I’m standing here!”

Averel gave him a big hug and said, “We know.” Hengel shook his head.

Michael walked up and said, “Am I interrupting something?”

“Hengel and I are going to be united.”

Michael smiled, “It’s about time.”

Hengel shook his head, “Am I the only one that missed this!?” Averel looked at him and nodded.

The High Leader said, “What do you need, First Commander?”

“I would like to meet with all the designated Fleet leaders from each civilization. Who is leading your forces?”

“We’ve chosen Talel.”

Michael tilted his head, “Where have I heard that name before?”

“He was the baby your father allowed to live along with the rest of our leaders.”

Michael’s soft smile was instant, “I look forward to meeting him.”

“I happen to know he is looking forward to it as well.”

• • •

Chris sat on a beach on Eden holding Allison’s hand. She looked up and said, “Audrey just contacted me and said Michael reluctantly accepted the position.”