Defending Earth-Searching for Death Feeders (22 page)

“They are both telepathic?” Eric nodded. “And their ships are as well?”

“Yes Sir.”

Kyle looked at Nicole, “What do you think?”

Nicole lifted her left shoulder and raised an eyebrow, “I don’t think anyone could do it as well as you but there’s no way you can go out and do everything that needs doing. You’re going to have to depend on others eventually and now might be a good time to start.”

Kyle stared at her and then turned to Eric, “Call them in.” Eric looked at Kelly and she pressed her panel. Kyle leaned back in his chair, “I understand they call each other Cisco and Poncho?”

Eric’s eyes widened, “Yes Sir, they do.” He wondered how Kyle knew that; those names did not appear anywhere in their fleet personnel files. If he knew that little detail…He felt his stress level start to diminish. He glanced at Kelly and saw she felt the same. They had someone here that would make the really difficult decisions. He needed the help.

“A
fine mess you got us in, Poncho.”

“Hey, I didn’t say a word. This is Admiral Norden’s doing.”

“So how do we do this without being attacked by fifty thousand warships?”

“The former First Commander told us what to say. I told him I didn’t think we’d be given the time to say it.”

“I know. And he told you to figure it out because you came highly recommended.”

“How do you think he’d have done it?”

“How would I know? I’m just a lowly ship commander.” Jose heard Alex sigh. “What’s that about?”

“Admiral Norden promoted you to Commodore.”

“WHAT!!”

“Hey, I saw the papers being signed just as we left. You’ll go out a captain and return a commodore.”

“If I return?”

“There is that. However, I once had a girlfriend that would never listen to anything I tried to tell her.”

“No one listens to you. I shouldn’t have; look at where it got me.” Jose paused, “Sorry. I’m a little bothered by this mission. What were you trying to say?”

“If I wanted to tell her something, I’d have to get her ready to hear it.”

“What?”

“You know, I’d mention something about it a few days before and then again the day before. When I finally said what needed saying she wasn’t surprised by it.”

“What happened to her?”

“Ran off with a civilian.”

“Didn’t you try to stop her?”

“She didn’t give me three days to get her ready to hear me.”

“So what are you saying, Poncho?”

“If we’re going to communicate with the leaders of the Aliens, we have to get them ready to hear us without blowing our ships into dust.”

“And just how are we going to do that?”

“We start at the planet of telepaths and work our way in to their main planet.”

“Let’s do this, oh silver tongue. I’ll follow and you do the talking.”

• • •

The red colored being sat in a chair and saw his Fleet Commander on his panel, “What are you saying?”

“Great Drogo, two ships appeared at the planet of the Lenran and sent a warning to the Commander about an enemy fleet coming to attack him. The warning was sent telepathically and then the two ships disappeared.”

“Is that all they said?”

“They sent coordinates of where the enemy was located.”

“And?”

“I sent a ship to scout out the situation and it reported that a planet was being attacked by a large fleet of warships. A few moments later, the scout stopped reporting. About the same time, the two ships appeared at the Gusar Planet and issued the warning again before they disappeared.”

“Why are they doing this?”

“I have no idea. They don’t remain long enough to ask. However, they’ve stopped at four more planets and if they continue on the course they’re following, they should be here within twelve hours.”

“When they arrive, do not fire on them but demand they stop and tell us what they know.”

“I’ll do what I can.”

“Do as you’re ordered. You can destroy them after we determine what they know.”

“Yes Supremacy.”

“Send more scouts to take a look at that planet being attacked. Do you think there’s any truth to what those ships are saying?”

“I really have no way to tell. Should we delay the invasions?”

The Leader hesitated. “Wait until they arrive here. I’ll decide after I hear what they know.”

• • •

“Well, so far so good.”

“Poncho, you can fall off a twenty story building and fall fifteen floors and say that.”

“Cisco, are you always this pessimistic?”

“Only when I’m flying into a fleet of half a million advanced warships.”

“Well, here we go. If they open fire, I hope I don’t have to tell you to run.”

“You’ll be losing ground, Poncho. Try to keep up.”

“In five, four, three, two, one, NOW MAYA!”

“I’m here to warn you of a coming attack on your civilization from a very dangerous species. Their current coordinates are as follows.”

“STOP WHERE YOU ARE. WE HAVE QUESTIONS!!”

Poncho smiled and his computer sent his words out telepathically. “I see that you’re planning to attack us after I answer your questions.”

The Fleet Commander shook his head and heard over his loudspeaker, “I am the leader of this civilization and I will allow you to go in peace if you answer my questions.”

“First order your fleets to ignore your order to attack us.”

The Leader was furious but knew the being was listening to his thoughts. “All ships will not attack. I repeat, you will not attack these two ships.” The Leader waited and said, “Will you answer my questions now?”

“You forgot to give the code word to validate your order.”

The Leader shook his head and said, “Agrugren. Now will you do as I ask?”

“What do you want to know?”

“Why are you going through the galaxy warning planets about an attack?”

“The species that’s coming here destroyed my home world. We are the only survivors and we have chosen the quest to warn all planets that are going to be attacked by the Mind Eaters.”

“Mind Eaters?”

“The species coming to attack you can devour the nerves in an intelligent being’s brain from a distance of five miles. If a ship comes closer than that, the crew will die.”

“I find that difficult to believe.”

“Send a ship and see if I’m wrong. If it gets inside five miles of their warships, it will die.”

“Just how are you so certain this species is coming here?”

“I’m telepathic. I can hear them. The first planet they’re going to attack is the first one we stopped at. I think you call it Lenran. Once they conquer it, they’ll be coming directly here.”

“And you expect me to just take your word for this?”

“I don’t really care if you don’t. I have fulfilled my quest in warning you. What happens next is your decision.”

“There is no evidence to support any of this you’re saying.”

“Your Supremacy.”

“What do you want!?”

“One of our scouts has reported that it witnessed another scout stop when it approached those vessels attacking that planet across the galaxy. I questioned the scout and it reports that the ship that stopped reporting was four miles from one of their ships. No weapons were fired at the scout.”

The Leader hesitated and then heard, “If I were you, I’d keep my distance when they arrive and have no doubt about this, they are coming.”

“But…”

“Supremacy, the two ships have disappeared.”

“Chase them down!”

“They left no trace.”

“How is that possible?”

“I don’t know. However, we have no way of determining which way they went.”

The Leader sat in his chair and thought about what to do. If this being was right…”Fleet Commander, I want ten warships sent to that planet. Order them to stay more than five miles from those ships and open fire on them. Recall them once we determine if we can damage those vessels.”

“Yes, Supremacy.”

The Red Being was worried. Should he attack them away from his planets or wait for them to come to him. If his planet were the second target, that wasn’t a good thing. He was on this planet. He waited for the report from his Fleet Commander. Whatever happened, the invasion was delayed.

• • •

Nicole looked at Kyle, “How did you know?”

“I saw pretty quickly in the meeting with them that those two officers were really something special and even more talented when they worked together. Their plan was outstanding.”

“Isn’t that how you would have done it?”

“Nope, I’d have gone straight in and started talking from behind a black cloud. Their way was actually better.” Nicole shook her head and Kyle said, “I’ve disappointed you?”

“No, I just keep thinking you are so much smarter and intelligent than anyone else that you would know exactly what to do in any situation.”

“Thanks for the compliment but I really don’t see myself as being that superior to most of the talented telepaths in the Alliance. This just proves it.”

“Hensel thought you were.”

“I’m not so sure about that.”

“Why?”

“I’ve given some thought as to why you chose to come back on board and it’s led me to really examine what’s been happening. I’m of the opinion that the Nudges are the ones that suggested me to him.”

“I sense you’re right about that.”

“So, that makes me ask, why me? After looking at everything that’s happened, I’m forced to one conclusion.”

“What is that?”

“They want you and me to be together on this ship.”

“WHAT?”

“Think about it. How many times have there been instances where we would end up separated? I’ve come up with at least six and each time we found ourselves back together. This last instance is the one that cooked the cake for me. When I saw you on board, I knew we were being manipulated.”

Nicole leaned back in her chair and thought about what he was saying. “This is crazy. What does that mean, Kyle?”

“I don’t really know. There’s a reason I’m missing and it just won’t come to me. If you think of anything, please let me know.”

“What makes you think I’d see it? The whole thing sounds ludicrous to me.”

“You have a better connection to them than I do. I only see the product of their nudges and I’m pretty certain I don’t see all of them. For some reason, our being together is important to them.” Nicole shook her head slightly and Kyle said, “You haven’t asked me why I asked Admiral Charles out to dinner.”

“That’s none of my business.”

“It was enough of your business to decide to never fly with me again, but here we are together again.”

“I thought we were going to forget that and let it go.”

“Was that decision one of their nudges?”

Nicole’s eyes closed slightly as she thought about the question and then she looked up at him. “It was.”

“I felt a real urge not to ask her out but I decided to ignore it. I needed to see if I was right about our being together was a real issue.”

Nicole sighed and shook her head, “It does appear, on the surface, that you are right. Kyle, did you kiss her?”

“She kissed me.”

“And?”

Kyle shrugged, “I didn’t feel anything. She’s a beautiful woman but…I didn’t feel it.”

“Should we separate?”

“Nicole, the Nudges have always been in our corner in the past. I don’t think that’s changed and so we should listen to what they’re nudging us to do.”

Nicole nodded and turned around to her panel. After a moment, she turned back around, “Kyle.”

Kyle turned around and looked at her, “Yes?”

“I don’t like being manipulated.”

Kyle sighed and slowly shook his head, “No one does, Nicole. I was manipulated into being the First Commander. I hated it but found no way to avoid it at the time.”

“You’re not the First Commander now.”

“No, I’m not. And Grendel is going to be disappointed when he learns that I’m not taking the position back.”

“Why not!?”

“Because Kyley is better suited to do it. I think the Nudges made Hensel choose me so that the two of us would end up on the same ship. I also think they had to go to work to get me out of the position and get Kyley in it. That’s why Willow is here.”

Nicole looked up, “Is that true, Willow?”

“I’m listening to what’s being said and I can’t find a flaw in Kyle’s analysis. It does appear he’s right.”

Kyle leaned back in his chair, “As far as being manipulated, you need to see the Nudges differently, Nicole.”

“How’s that?”

“Think of them as occupying the role of a parent. Every parent tries to get their children to do the right things. I think that’s what’s happening here.”

Nicole stared at him and then slowly nodded, “Parents do it out of love for their children.”

“Children often ignore their parents and do it on their own anyway.”

“Just like Hensel did when he told them to stop nudging us.”

Kyle smiled and nodded, “If he had allowed them to continue their efforts, I suspect we would be better prepared to take on the Feeders. Hensel probably saw it at the end. My role in what’s coming is not to be the First Commander.”

“Then what is it?”

“Right now, it’s to be with you. I’ll figure out the rest as they reveal it.” Nicole lowered her head. “What’s wrong, Nicole?”

“It’s not something I’ll discuss and please don’t push me on this.” Kyle nodded and turned around. Nicole turned to her panel and felt as lonely as she had ever felt. She saw the Nudges may be wasting their efforts to keep them together.

“Willow, what are the Red Aliens doing about our message?”

“They’ve sent ten battleships to confront the Feeders’ ships.”

“That’s exactly what I would have done. Why don’t we skip over and see what happens.” Nicole turned around and Kyle turned to her, “We’re doing our own brand of nudging on those aliens. Let’s see how they respond.”

• • •

The Arm Commander looked at the huge fleet of grey colored warships surrounding the planet in the distance and picked up his communicator, “Pick a ship, go in and open fire. Do not get closer than six miles!” The Commander waited and saw nine ships disappear from normal space and enter the void. A moment later, the nine ships exited the void and emerged into normal space. All of them were six miles from a Feeder Warship and they opened fire with their hull lasers and launched a volley of missiles. The Feeder Ships returned fire and the nine ships’ force fields flared just before they exited normal space. The nine Feeder Warships had their force fields knocked off line by the giant laser cannons fired at them as the missiles roared in; all nine Feeder ships exploded. The Commander saw hundreds of the Grey ships leaving normal space and he ordered his ships to run through normal space and evade. The Feeder Warships emerged into normal space but the ten attackers had accelerated away at high speed. The Feeders went into the void and then emerged into space behind them but were still too far to open fire. They skipped ahead of the fleeing ten warships but the ten battleships entered the void and skipped away at high speed.