Ultimate Warrior (The Fight for Creation (Book Three)) (30 page)

The Illineg warships were two miles in length but were dwarfed by the new arrival. It was five hundred miles long and about a hundred and fifty miles wide. It had a purple glow around it and Ken saw that it wasn’t a ship. It was a living entity. It had a triangular shaped head that had two globular eyes that were each about forty miles wide. It had eight legs tucked up under it and long black wings pulled in to its body. It appeared to have an iridescent shell enclosing it that changed from blue to yellow and red as it moved. The head moved constantly as it looked at the millions of green ships as they broke from the globular formation and fell on the giant creature firing their massive black beams and launching millions of missiles at it. Ken saw the beams hit the creature and just disappear. The shell surrounding it didn’t even change color as millions of black beams stuck. The millions of missiles hit the purple glow around the creature and just disappeared. Ken rewound his display and played it back in slow motion. The missiles hit and just disintegrated into nothingness. He went back to the live feed and saw the giant being turn its head toward the closest green ships around it and spit thousands of white balls at its attackers. It then began moving at an extreme rate of speed spitting white balls at every green ship around it. Ten more giant creatures arrived, flew through the first creatures purple field, and white balls filled the space around them.

Ken watched his display and brought one of the green ships in for a close up view and saw one of the white balls hit it. It blew through the ship’s force field and hit the ship’s hull just behind the bow. The entire ship disintegrated in less than a second. More than five hundred thousand of the Illineg ships jumped away but for more than one and a half million, it was too late. Nothing remained of them; no gas, no debris, no wreckage, nothing.

Ken watched as the original creature disappeared and the other ten disappeared moments later. Ken had seen the original creature’s pattern and he looked up into space. He closed his eyes and followed it as it moved through the Illineg universe, stopping less than a hundredth of a second at each Illineg home world. Ken waited and after three days the creature returned to its universe and arrived at a giant construction hanging in open space. There were at least a billion of the creatures surrounding the structure and when the original being arrived they began moving in an intricate pattern around it.

Ken watched the pattern not understanding what was taking place and them it came to him. The scout had returned with what it had found. The giant creatures flew through its purple field and disappeared. They had locked on the pattern of the Illineg and were leaving to attack. Ken looked back at the Illineg universe and saw the first of the giant beings arrived at one of the Illineg home worlds. Every Illineg creation was disintegrated; every ship, every satellite, every structure on the planet, and finally, every individual Illineg on the planet’s surface. The planet was not harmed and only the Illineg were destroyed. The animals and plants weren’t harmed. Where once there were massive cities, only bare earth remained behind. Even the pavement had been disintegrated. Ken watched as every Illineg in their universe was killed by the giant, swarming, creatures. He watched the last planet die from the Algean Construction Facility. The last Illineg to die was on a disabled ship that was waiting for assistance in a different universe. Once those giant creatures locked on the pattern of a creature, they could see it anywhere in creation. He walked off the ship into Pixie’s arms and knew what death looked like. He handed the recordings from his scanners to Sprigly, “See what you can learn from this.”

Sprigly nodded and left for his office. Pixie held on to Ken and he wrapped his arms around her. Pixie held her head on his chest and whispered, “We’re nothing in comparison.”

Ken reached up and stroked her hair, “We’re still here; that’s something.”

• • •

Ken and Pixie sat in Sprigly’s conference room and watched the display showing the thousands of Illineg home worlds being destroyed. Ken shook his head and had great difficulty understanding how the strange creatures were able to only destroy the Illineg and their creations. “Sprigly, do you understand how they do this?”

Sprigly leaned back, “No, I don’t. I can see what they’re doing but I don’t understand how it happens.” Ken looked at the young Algean and he continued, “These creatures remind me of a former enemy of the first Realm.”

Ken said, “The Captors.”

Sprigly shook, “You’re right. They appear to be very much like the Captors but without their limitations.”

Pixie said, “What limitations are you referencing?”

“They are not bound to a ship. They can see all of creation without the need of an energy nexus. They also do not exhibit any intelligence. All the behavior I’ve seen appears to be driven by instinctual behavior. They are both incredibly simple and complex simultaneously.”

“They’re not the same type of creation as the Captors, Sprigly.”

“I know that Commodore. The Captors were more like honey bees. These creatures are more like hornets.”

Ken frowned, “I thought hornets were much larger than bees.”

Sprigly leaned forward, “They are. Thirty hornets can kill forty thousand honey bees in a hive. Remember, the Captors became part of their ship. The bulk of their ships were not the Captor, but the construction it inhabited. These creatures are much larger than the Captors. They don’t inhabit ships for the simple reason that they would have to have intelligence to build them.”

Pixie said, “Why haven’t these creatures expanded outside their galaxy?”

“I believe that they are held there by the nest. They cannot go outside their own galaxy and leave the defense of their home.”

“They left to kill those Green Ships?”

Ken said, “Hornets will chase anything that threatens them or their nest and will not give up the chase. They are tenacious and unlike bees, can sting multiple times. If anything enters their domain, they lock on it, absorb the intruder’s pattern, and then go out and kill every being in creation with that pattern. Once that pattern is removed, they will be forced to return to their nest.”

Sprigly said, “That appears to be their attack procedure. The good news is that they only kill the beings that have the scanned pattern.”

Pixie shook her head, “I still don’t understand how a life form can be that powerful and why they haven’t expanded outside that galaxy.”

Sprigly brought the image of the construction that was built by the creatures on the display and said, “I think I have an idea as to why they’re restricted to their galaxy. I believe that they were created inside the star at the center of the system where their nest is located. That star is unlike any star in my system, and trust me; I have almost all of the stars in creation in it. That star has some kind of metal inside it that is unique to that star. I believe that the creatures require exposure to that star’s energy in order to survive. If they are away for a prolonged time, they will die. It is that dependence that causes their aggressive defense of it against any creature that enters their space.

Ken shrugged, “If their bodies can withstand the heat of a star, there’s not much in creation that could harm them.”

Sprigly stared at the display and said, “They are not evil.”

Pixie looked quickly at Sprigly, “How can you say that?”

“They are only doing what they have been made to do. They build a home and desire to be left alone. Unlike the evil species that go out and attack innocent civilizations, that species only attacks an invader. They are no different than a hornet’s nest that will attack anything that threatens it. Unlike a hornets nest that goes out and attacks honey bee hives for food, these creatures are fed by the energy from the star.”

Ken said, “They have been created to remove evil from creation and they only do what their instincts direct them to do. They are innocent as far as even understanding good and evil. They have no choice in attacking anyone that enters their home. It’s programmed into their instincts.”

Sprigly looked at Ken, “So what are you going to do now?”

Ken sighed, “The Illineg are the first to start their expansion but the other two aren’t far behind. I need to go and see the next species and determine the best way for them to visit the Hornets.”

Sprigly said, “You came close to being caught; is the next species more advanced than the one just destroyed?”

“The next two are very dangerous.”

“Are they more advanced? You avoided the question.”

Ken looked at Pixie and then turned to Sprigly, “Eyes says that they are as far ahead of the Illineg as the Illineg are from us.”

“Then your last plan won’t work.”

Ken shook his head, “No, I suspect it won’t.”

“Do you need a different ship for this one?”

“Have you ever heard of the boxes within boxes scheme?”

Sprigly tilted to the left, “Humans used to give presents by putting increasingly smaller boxes inside each other until the last box was opened with a valuable present inside. I think, if I read my history correctly, it was often quite irritating to the receiver.”

“Well, I want to be an irritant to the next species and I need to see if you can build a box inside a box.”

“Tell me what you want.”

Ken told him and Pixie did a double take. She looked at Sprigly, “Can that be done?”

Sprigly actually did a shrug with his branches, “It would only work one time but I suppose you are only going to use this ship one time.”

Ken nodded, “That’s the plan.”

“Let me see what I can do. Since we have some time, I can make sure it functions properly. I’m going to assume you are going to provide the field for the inner box.” Ken nodded and Sprigly said, “It won’t take long to open this present.”

Ken shrugged, “That is my fervent hope.”

Pixie looked at Ken, “Can’t you just do this automatically without being present?”

Sprigly said, “No, it must be delivered to just the right spot at just the right moment. Someone has to be on board setting the coordinates.”

Pixie looked at Ken, “We will not wait here.”

“Where would you like to go?”

“I guess Ross is out of the question?”

“There will be too many questions there.”

“That also eliminates Bristone.” Ken nodded. “What about Glod?”

Ken smiled, “I’ve never seen the Quilleron Temple. That would be a great place to visit. I’ve always wanted to touch the two swords.”

“I don’t know if they will allow you to do that. The Glod are somewhat protective of them.” Pixie paused, “However, I might be able to pull a few strings and make it happen.”

Ken smiled, “If all else fails, contact Telah Dorg; she can help us.”

Pixie’s eyes widened and she smiled, “Now that is a good suggestion.”

• • •

Jason looked at Mica Robbins and said, “We have a rather nasty civilization that is moving in on an innocent planet that hasn’t discovered jump technology. Can you get your fleet moving within twelve hours?”

“Yes, I’ll issue the orders now.” Mica paused and said, “I’ve not heard anything from the Zord or Cats. Is something going on?”

“Duke Robbins asked me the same question yesterday and they have not responded to a request for information from him. I’ll see if I can’t find out what’s going on but I need you moving now.”

“I’m on it.”

Jason watched the display go dark and sat back in his chair. He had contacted Eyes and asked why there was a no contact and was told that he would be informed about what was going on at the appropriate moment. He contacted the King and was told that he had been given the same statement. Something big was happening and it appeared the Cats weren’t going to reveal it to anyone. He thought about it and placed a call to Commodore Clarke. He was interrupted by Eyes, “The Commodore is not available for assignment at this moment.”

Jason realized that the Cats were keeping close watch on the Realm. “What’s going on?”

“This is not something the Realm should be involved in, Admiral. You will be told at the appropriate moment. Until that time, you should refrain from any investigation unless you want the Realm destroyed. Is that clear?”

Jason felt fear take hold of his mind. “I understand.” Eyes thoughts ended and Jason knew that something big was about to happen and Clarke was right in the middle of it. He was still sitting at his desk when Sam contacted him.

• • •

Sam ended his call with Admiral Mirabal and looked at Jixie, “Where is Pixie?”

“I don’t know, Sam.”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“I’m not able to see her when she’s with Ken. He has a field that blocks my ability to see them.”

“Jason is of the opinion that they are involved in something that is extremely dangerous. Do you know what they’re doing?”

Jixie struggled but knew that she just couldn’t lie to her husband. She sighed, “They are in the process of taking on the most dangerous species in Creation. Ken has been designated by the Creator to perform the tasks of removing them.”

“ARE THEY CRAZY?!?”

“Sam, they told me to stay out of this.”

“I don’t care what they told you. We need to know what’s going on.”

Jixie stared at Sam and said, “I’ll do what I can to find out.”

Sam sent a thought to Eyes and did not receive a response. “Jixie, get on this. The Cats and Zord are not communicating. I’m not going to sit by and watch my daughter get killed.”

Jixie nodded and looked up at the ceiling.

P
ixie and Ken stood at the two pillars at the entrance to the Quilleron Temple on Glod. The honor guard of Glod Warriors stood at attention as Ken grasped each sword and felt the history in them. He saw the two blades buried more than two feet into each pillar and knew that Thomas Gardner had thrown them into the pillars more than five thousand years in the past. He was humbled by all that had happened from that event.

Ken released the swords and he heard Eyes in his mind, “You need to leave Glod. Duke Robbins has issued a command that anyone in the Realm that sees you or his daughter is to report it immediately.”