Nowhere to Hide (35 page)
Authors: Saxon Andrew
Drey was exhausted and shook his head, “Darling, I’m too tired to guess.”
“The sense of the Milky Way being invaded within two years just went away. I no longer feel it.”
Drey smiled, “I suspect that feeling was due to the possibility that some of the Invaders attacking here would escape and go after another group to come and attack.”
Dee thought a moment and nodded, “That’s exactly what it was. When are you coming home?”
“I’ll be there in ten hours. We have to handle the loose ends here in M87 and send our fleets back to the Milky Way for some deserved time off.”
“Andi and I are excited at seeing you; please hurry.”
“I will.”
The display went dark and Drey leaned back and closed his eyes as he reflected on all that had happened. The battles with the million plus Invader attack groups had not been easy. Many Alliance ships had been lost attacking time after time. He opened his eyes and pulled up a picture of Max and Claire on his display. He saw them in each other’s arms smiling for the camera. They never had their wedding. They had both died together going in to protect one of their squadrons. It was that engagement where the Invaders first overloaded their reactors and exploded their ships as the Alliance pilots roared in. More than two thousand attack ships had died in the giant explosion. But the survivors learned how to read the building energy field and get out before it detonated. But it worked the first time and the Alliance lost two of its best Admirals.
Kregen had also died going in to protect Marissa. He saved her but lost his life in the effort. She fought like a demon for the rest of the campaign. Drey knew she was hoping to die in the conflict but fate watched over her and left her alive to live with her grief. Drey shook his head; maybe time would heal her wounds. At least that idiot Bang had finally learned about Mikki’s affection for him and they were getting married as soon as they made it home. They deserved their happiness. They made a huge difference in the final outcome.
Drey was bone tired and weary. Doc said, “Ian wants to speak with you.”
“Put him on, I’m too tired to push the button.”
“Well, I guess it’s over. What are you going to do now?”
“Ian, I’m resigning my commission and retiring to spend the rest of my life with my family.”
Drey, you can’t do that; I need you.”
“No you don’t; Admiral Robinson can handle everything that needs doing. If trouble rears its ugly head, I’ll consider getting back in it.”
“Those probes are going out to contact other Invader fleets.”
“Yes, but they can only get there at the speed of light. I suspect you and I will be long gone before they even get a third of the way to their destination. We’re safe for the moment.” Drey paused, “Are you ready to take your rightful place in the Union?”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s time for you to take the crown and start the Union preparing for what’s coming in the far future. Albert is good but he doesn’t have the knowledge or drive to do what needs to be done. You have to assume the Crown.”
“I don’t want to do it.”
“You never have; however, we can lose our drive to survive if peace causes us to lose our way. You have to do it.”
Ian stared at Drey for a long minute and said, “The only way I’ll do it is if you move to the Capital and help me get the planets organized around developing the technology we’ll need.”
“Ian, I’m so weary of this.”
Ian smiled, “After a month of sitting around the house, you’ll be begging for something to do.”
“I sincerely doubt it.”
“We’ll see.”
Six weeks later, Drey, Dee, and Andi moved to New Euclid and Drey became Ian’s Prime Minister. Evidently, he knew Drey better than Drey thought. Two years later, Cole and Argel confirmed the string theory in the grand scheme of things and all the modern warships were immediately antiquated. The Alliance became something every being in creation would have to tread lightly around. Twenty years after the last Invader was destroyed, Junior and Andi married. Ten years later, they were elected King and Queen of the Union. Two thousand years after the wedding, the Invader’s probes arrived at their final destination and started broadcasting.
The End
Running Out of Time
K
atherine stared at her monitor and watched as the forty dark grey ships flashed in on the squadron of Rovers and opened fire. The hundred Rovers scattered but twenty six of them exploded in huge red explosions. The survivors turned on their attackers and started firing at them but their beams were shrugged off by the Grey Ships. “Where did those ships come from?”
“They lifted off the planet they invaded six months ago. The squadron of Rovers were sent there to hit their ship building facilities on the planet.”
“Those ships are light years ahead of their other ships.”
“Yes Sir, they are. We’ve started taking a close look at the planets invaded in the Red Zone in M87 and we’ve discovered they were chosen for a reason.”
“What is that?”
“It appears all of them have an abundance of an ore that is used to build those ships. They’re starting to build those ships in huge numbers and it appears we can’t match them with our current technology.”
“How would they know about that ore?”
“We don’t know, Admiral. However, if we don’t slow them down, we’re in big trouble.”
Katherine stared at the display as the other Rovers were killed. Only ten ships managed to escape. “Get Dat Arvolo here now!”
Katherine stared at a still of a small Grey Ship that spelled doom for the civilized planets in the Milky Way. If an answer to them wasn’t found quickly…Katherine shook her head. Where did they learn how to build that ship?
The Annihilation Series:
Ashes of the Realm:
Lens of Time:
Coming Soon
Running Out of Time
Star Chase
Nowhere to Hide
S
axon Andrew is the number one Bestselling author of the Annihilation Series. He is a former school teacher, coach, social worker, and business owner. He has written five science fiction series and all twenty books have been a top ten bestseller on Amazon. His stories are done in the style used by writers during the Golden Age of Science Fiction and can be read by any member of the family. Like most space operas, his stories take place on a stage as big as the universe and his characters are larger than life. Amazon has ranked him in the top ten science fiction authors in America. He lives in Tampa, Florida and spends his days dreaming of stories to satisfy his avid readers.
Copyright © 2013 by Saxon Andrew. All rights reserved. Screen Writers Guild no. VQEA3E380432.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.
First Electronic Edition: June 2013