The Fight for Creation: Book 01 - Life Warrior (17 page)

• • •

Jon sat back in his chair and stared at the casualty figures. Dern said, “We actually lost more warriors percentage wise when we fought in units.”

Jon looked up and said, “I see that. Did either of you have a warrior teleport in and save you?”

They both nodded and Teg said, “It seemed that one was always there to assist whenever I needed help.”

Jon nodded, “It happened to me as well. What do you make of that, Teg?”

“It’s clear to me that our armor is all linked in a much more efficient fashion than when we’re fighting as a unit.”

Jon stared at the figures again and then looked at Dern, “We need to start finding replacements for those we lost.”

Dern said, “I’m ahead of you on that. I found more than two thousand that can join us. We just didn’t have room for them.”

“Who’s going to handle the training?”

“Captain Calso.”

Jon looked back at the figures and said, “He’s a good choice. Are we scheduled for another rescue?”

Teg looked at his wrist unit and said, “Not at this moment. I suspect it will happen like it did this time and we’ll have to leave on short notice. Incidentally, our inventory of weapons has been replaced. I also took the liberty of ordering more hornets.”

Jon nodded and said, “You need to get some of the super hornets as well. There were some rather large warships dropping in on us and we could have used them.”

“I’ve specified they be included in the rearming.”

Jon looked up and sat back again, “I know I’m getting bogged down in details that I know both of you can handle. I just hate we lost so many warriors. I can never get used to seeing them die.”

Dern looked at Teg and then said to Jon, “It appears the assignment computer acted up again and the forces designated to teleport in with us were rerouted elsewhere.”

Jon slammed his fist down on the table and snapped, “Why can’t they get that corrected!?”

Teg looked at his two brothers and said, “I’m not at all certain that the computer did this.”

Dern and Jon looked at Teg and he continued, “I suspect the other unit was sent elsewhere so we could discover the new tactics we used.”

“Come on, Teg. Where do you get that?”

“Think about it, Jon. What circumstances would cause us to release all our Warriors to fight individually? We would have to be heavily outnumbered in order for us to make that decision. Do you disagree that this new battle pattern is more effective than when we’re operating in units?”

Jon looked at Dern, “What do you sense?”

“I don’t know if Teg is right but this much I can say with certainty. If we had fought in units we would not have teleported away and left our fellow Warriors. If that had happened, we would have lost the majority of our forces.”

Jon thought about what he heard and his eyes narrowed, “Who says the assignment computer caused this?”

“Admiral Mandel suggested it; he had no other way to explain how the other units were sent elsewhere.” Dern paused and said, “Jon, one of the Algean Elders went in the system and repaired the damage done by the one that was after you. He pronounced the system clean. I find it hard to believe that one of their adolescents could have done anything an elder wouldn’t have found.”

Jon looked at his brothers and said, “If what you say is true, that leads to another conclusion.”

Teg looked at Dern and saw his puzzlement, “I’m not sure what you mean, Jon.”

“The force that created us is growing stronger in this Creation. It’s expanding and making things happen.”

Teg said, “It’s because of the swords.”

“Huh?”

“The Cat said that it could see the power field from our swords extending into space above the planet. The swords must be a channel for the energy from our Father’s Creation to enter here.”

Dern said, “If that wild idea is true, then the power has expanded into multiple universes.”

Jon shook his head, “Slow down. The two of you are confusing me. How do you suppose it has expanded that much?”

Dern looked at Jon and said, “Where is the assignment computer? It’s not located in the universe we just fought in.”

Teg and Jon stared at Dern and finally Jon said, “All of this is purely hypothetical. It could have just been the computer running another program that was inserted.”

Dern shrugged and Teg said, “What feels correct, Jon.”

Jon stared at Teg and said, “We need to talk with a Cat.”

• • •

Molly stood in front of her platoon and said, “At ease.” The forty survivors stood at ease and stared at their new commander. Some of them wondered why she was promoted. What had she done to deserve it? Molly saw their reservations in their expressions. She didn’t really blame them. She said, “Activate your armor and make a diagnostic check on your systems.” The Warrior’s activated their armor and Molly immediately noticed several things as soon as their armor appeared. “Jackson, your auto-cannon is damaged. One of the power coils in the ejector is burned out. Trele, your secondary scanner is also damaged. You need to go and select another one.” She stared at the platoon again and said, “Begel, were you hit by an enemy blaster?”

“I was briefly hit by one, Sir.”

“What does your weapon check show?”

“It says everything checks out.”

“The third hornet in your magazine is activated and will explode as soon as it ejects. You also have several mini-penetrators on active. Set your armor on active and teleport it out of the station. Keep your connection to the helmet active.”

“Sir, the system says there’s nothing wrong.”

“Private, then just humor me for a moment. Teleport it out now.”

Begel stepped out of his armor and it closed up behind him. He said, “Det..”

The suit disappeared and the platoon went over to the viewport. Molly saw the armor a hundred yards outside the ship’s force field. “Private, fire three hornets from your armor.”

Begel entered the command into his wrist unit. The platoon watched as two hornets shot out of the armor and then they watched the armor explode into fragments. Molly said, “I was afraid of that. It didn’t clear your force field before it detonated.”

The platoon all turned and stared at Molly. She said, “I’m sorry about the destruction of your armor, Private Begel. Please leave and replace it and your weapons.”

Begel went to attention and saluted, “Yes Sir, I’ll be back as soon as I’m operational.”

Sargent Dvret said, “Lieutenant, if you have a moment, will you take a look at my systems. I also took a blaster hit.”

Molly’s platoon no longer had any doubts about their new commander. Molly for her part didn’t understand how she could see things the armor’s systems had missed. She looked at Dvret and said, “Your force field generator had been degraded. You need to go get a new one.”

P
ride looked at the three brothers and smiled. Jon said, “We have some questions and hope you can help us find the answers.”

“You no longer need to speak; I can hear your thoughts.”

The three brothers were shocked. Jon said, “Does that mean we are now part of this Creation?”

Pride sat on his haunches and said, “No, it just means I can now hear the melody from your father and it allows me to hear your thoughts as well.”

Jon looked at Dern and said, “Does that mean the field you saw around us has expanded?”

“I’m surprised you see that. It is still expanding and in twenty years will fill all of this Creation.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means our mother has found a mate. Her melody is now filling your father’s creation as well. We are being united.”

“Is that a good thing?”

Pride smiled, “More than you know. However, you are not yet ready for the details. You still have to grow into your powers and that is not going to happen quickly.”

“Don’t you think we need to know who and what we are?”

“No, and your father agrees.”

Jon stared at the Cat and said, “It was our growing field that caused us to be dropped alone on the last planet wasn’t it?”

“It was.”

Teg said, “Can you tell us why our father chose to intervene in this creation?”

The Cat whipped its head around and stared at Teg, “Now you have shocked me. You are close to seeing the truth…but I’m not telling you anything else. You will discover what you need to know when the right time comes.”

Jon stared at the Cat and then looked at Teg. He turned back to the cat and said, “Our father needs our help as well.”

The cat slowly shook its head in wonderment and then disappeared.

Jon’s wrist unit buzzed and Jon saw Amet, “Yes, Captain.”

“Sir, I have a Lt. Molly Masters and one of her privates that requests a moment of your time.”

“What do they want?”

“They won’t say, Sir. Lt. Masters says it’s something that has her totally confused.”

Jon looked at his brothers and said, “Don’t leave yet. Let’s see what’s going on. I might need your insights. Send them in, Captain.”

A pretty brown haired woman and a Krptin entered Jon’s office. They came to attention and saluted. Jon returned their salute and said, “At ease. What’s on your mind?”

Molly looked at Jon and thought he was too young to be an Admiral. She banished the thought from her mind and said, “Private Begel has made a discovery and I didn’t believe him at first so I went and confirmed it for myself. I think it’s something you should be made aware of, Sir.”

“What is that?”

Molly nodded to Begel and he said, “My armor was damaged in the last battle and it was necessary for me to go to the main armory to activate a replacement. I took a shuttle and the replacement went well.”

Jon said, “Go on.”

“Sir, you know they have a storage facility not far from the main armory that has all of the old equipment and weapons used by the Realm in the past?” Begel stared at Jon.

“I’m aware of that facility.”

“Sir, I can always hear my armor’s melody. However, when I left the armory, I passed close by that facility and the melody of my armor was drowned out by music I head coming from that facility.”

Jon’s eyes immediately narrowed. Teg looked at Dern and they sat down. Molly said, “Private Begel told me about what he heard and I took a shuttle back to the facility.” Molly paused and then said, “Sir, I could hear the melody as soon as I entered the Armory’s system. Something in that facility was calling out to me so loud that it was almost deafening.”

Teg said, “Private, you couldn’t have your armor repaired?”

Jon looked over at Teg and wondered where he was going with that question. Begel said, “I didn’t know the armor was damaged. My system diagnostic check said everything was working properly but Lt. Masters saw that one of the hornets in my inventory was damaged and was already activated to explode.”

Teg looked at Molly and said, “And what did you do?”

“I saw the third hornet in his armor was defective. I had him teleport the armor outside the ships force field and manually fire three hornets. The third one exploded his armor.”

Jon said, “How were you able to see weapons inside the skin of his armor?”

Molly shook her head, “I have no idea, Sir.”

Jon pulled up Molly’s data on his display and said, “I’m sorry for your loss, Lieutenant.”

Molly’s expression darkened and she said, “We never should have planned a wedding, Sir.”

Jon nodded at her and said, “How long have you been able to do this?”

Molly stood a bit straighter and said, “It started right after Jeremy died, Sir.”

Dern said, “Did I hear you correctly that the music was deafening?”

“Yes Sir.”

“Private, was it deafening to you?”

Belgen looked at Molly and then turned to Dern, “No sir, it was just louder than the normal music I hear.”

Jon looked at Molly and saw her sorrow. He knew how she felt. Molly saw his expression and said, “You have lost many more than me that you cared about, Sir. There is sorrow enough for all of us.”

The corner of Jon’s lips turned up slightly and he said, “Lieutenant, I am going to take a look at that facility and I’ll want you to go with me. I’ll notify you when I’m leaving. The two of you are dismissed.”

Molly and Belgen came to attention, saluted, did an about face, and left Jon’s office.

Jon looked at his brothers and said, “Teg, why did you ask that question?”

“There are forces operating that we can’t see. I just wanted to see what caused that private to have to go to the armory.”

Dern said, “The Lieutenant appears to have a strong connection to the trace.”

Jon tilted his head, “Yes she does. Do you think this has something to do with what we’ve been thinking about?”

Teg said, “It must; I believe that’s why they came at this particular moment.”

Jon started tapping his foot on the floor and the two brothers smiled. Jon did his best thinking when he tapped his foot. “I’ll go and check this out once our replacements are up to speed.”

“Why are you waiting?”

“I just sense I should.”

Dern and Teg nodded and teleported out.

Jon couldn’t get the image out of his mind of the broken hearted Lieutenant. He wondered if he showed his sorrow as much as she did.

Molly and Belgen went took the shuttle back to their platoon and Molly thought about the young admiral. She saw that his loss paled hers in comparison. He grieved for the hundreds killed and Molly had only lost Jeremy. She decided that if he could go on with his life in the mist of all the death around him that she could do the same. She took a deep breath and said a final goodbye to Jeremy. She suddenly noticed the shuttle needed a new reactor coil. The music around her rose in volume.

Jon sat at his desk with his head in his hands when he suddenly heard the music get louder. He jerked his head up and wondered what had happened. He stood and went to the bridge to check on what fleet was planning for the coming week.

• • •

Dern thought, “Tegen, do you think we’re ready for what Jon wants to do?”

“How can I know? We don’t know what we’ll be facing and it’s that lack of knowledge that frightens me.”

“What! You’re frightened?”