Defending Earth-Searching for Death Feeders (31 page)

A minute passed and Kyle said, “Was the note that long?”

“No, but I understand Amber’s reluctance at revealing its contents.”

“Willow, read the note.”

“The Admiral has killed the love of my life to punish my sister for rejecting his advances. He knew we were going to be married in another month. Killing her was his way of getting back at Carrie. I can’t live without her and I’m going to join Callie in a moment. I pray Dawkins rots in hell. Callie, I’m coming.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed and he fell back in his chair. Nicole looked around and shook her head, “What does this mean exactly, Willow?”

“It appears Kyle’s co-pilot was in love with Captain Jenson and was going to marry him. Jenson’s sister apparently rejected Admiral Dawkins’ and he took revenge against her by sending her brother’s future wife out to die.”

“The lengths the Nudges would go to carry out their plans is unholy.”

“I don’t think they had anything to do with Callie’s death.”

Nicole looked quickly at Kyle and saw him nod slightly. “Just how did you make that determination?”

Kyle looked up from his monitor, “Amber just sent me Callie’s and Jensen’s academy records. They attended at the same time and it had to be there where they found each other. That was long before she became my co-pilot.”

“But…”

Kyle shook his head, “Nicole, why would the Nudges have to remove her? I would have found out rather quickly about Captain Jensen when she invited me to their wedding. That would have removed her from the equation without them having to do anything. If she hadn’t been killed, I would have learned about it long before you were brought here. She remained an issue because I never found out. You would have arrived at a time when I would have been ready to start a new relationship.” Kyle shook his head, “I’ve been suffering for a woman who loved someone else and would have rejected me if I made my feelings known.”

Nicole shook her head, “I’m so sorry, Kyle.”

“So what do you think about this, Nicole?”

“Willow, I still detest the Nudges for manipulating us. I don’t like being manipulated into doing things.” She looked at Kyle, “You have to hate it as well.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re not given freedom to decide.”

“That sort of freedom is highly overrated.”

“What! You’ve got to be kidding me?”

Kyle blew out a loud breath and leaned back in his chair, “I have to confess that I feel like a huge fool for wasting so many years mourning Callie’s death. She didn’t love me. If I had died she would have felt bad for a while but would have soon put it behind her and continued life with her husband. I was so stupid.”

“But…you loved her?”

“Nicole, she didn’t love me. Love one way is no love at all. It was wasted time.”

“What are you saying?”

“You asked me why the Nudges wanted us to be together and I told you I’d tell you when I had confirmation of what I believed.” Nicole nodded. “I believe the reason the Nudges have planned for us to be together is to produce children that will be the next super telepaths who will dwarf the powers of the current crop. They are the ones that will ultimately lead the fight against the feeders. Do you see it differently?”

“Kyle, you can’t be serious. I come from a different species.”

“I believe you were modified by the Nudges just like Lukas Axel was modified when he changed his DNA to human. You were modified when Amelee changed your DNA and which makes you different from all the other Kerits that became human. I could see your mind getting sharper and more intuitive since I first met you.”

“You were modified as well, Kyle.”

Kyle looked up at the ceiling, “Willow, I’m already human. I didn’t undergo any changes.”

“Yes you did.” Kyle looked at Nicole. “I didn’t kiss a Human on my planet, I kissed a Kerit Male.”

Kyle’s eyes widened, “I forgot about that. You’re right.”

“I believe it was when you and Nicole changed your DNA back to human that the Nudges made their changes. They waited to make sure the two of you would be compatible.”

Nicole looked up, “Willow, how would they know we were.”

“Like you said, you kissed him.”

“But he didn’t respond to it.” Nicole looked at Kyle and saw him shake his head. “What are you thinking?”

“It was that kiss that made me so sad, Nicole.”

“See, he didn’t like it, Willow.”

“Yes I did and I felt I was betraying Callie by liking it as much as I did.”

I’ll accept your apology for questioning ole Willow’s wisdom.”

“Shut-up, Willow; what do you mean you liked it?”

“You felt so wonderful in my arms and I felt you all the way down to my heart. I know we were in the form of a Kerit but you felt perfect against me. I still remember the feeling.”

Nicole noticed that Kyle was no longer frowning but was smiling. “But Kyle, we’ve been manipulated into this.”

Kyle leaned back in his chair, “You act like I don’t like being manipulated in this.”

“Don’t you?”

“Actually, I think I see it as the Nudges finding the perfect one for me. I’m beginning to think I’d trust them before I would trust myself. Look at the mistake I made with Callie.”

“Well I don’t like being manipulated.”

“Ok. I’ll wait for you to come around…if you can.” Kyle turned around and Nicole’s eyes narrowed and she shook her head. Suddenly, Kyle turned his chair around and smiled, “You know, one thing that makes me really interested in us.”

“What is that?”

“Can you just imagine what our children could be?” Kyle spun his chair back around and Nicole fell back in her chair and sighed.

Kyle turned back around and Nicole tilted her head and slowly blew out a very long breath. “I came back to be with you on this trip and I was determined to convince you to give me a chance and here I am fighting it. Just what kind of fool am I?”

“I was going to tell you that.”

Kyle said, “Shut-up, Willow. What are you saying, Nicole.”

“I’d like to try another kiss.”

Kyle smiled and walked over to her chair. He took her hand and pulled her to her feet. He leaned in and kissed her. It lasted a very long time. “We have a trip to take.”

Both of them broke the kiss and said, “Shut-up, Willow.”

“Just checking.”

• • •

An hour later they were on their way to Feeder Space. They arrived outside the edge of Feeder Controlled territory and settled in and waited as Willow listened for the direction the thoughts of the Death Feeder’s Leaders originated. They moved along the outer edge of the giant cluster and four days later skipped to the next cluster. “Willow?”

“Nothing yet. Go to the next cluster.”

Kyle skipped to the next Cluster and Willow said, “They’re in this cluster.”

“Have you got a line on them?”

“I do.”

Kyle heard, “We can’t do this.”

He turned around and looked at Nicole who was staring at her monitor, “Why not?”

Nicole looked at him, “Why not, what?”

“Why can’t we do this? Isn’t that what you said?”

“Kyle, I didn’t say anything.”

“Yes you did; I heard you.”

“Kyle, she didn’t say anything.”

“I heard her, Amber.”

“Kyle, I didn’t say it, I thought it.”

“But I heard you.”

“Both of you are wearing thought blockers and I have my telepathy receiving module operating I didn’t hear her.”

“Willow, I did think that.”

Kyle shook his head, “How was I able to hear her, Willow.”

“Kyle, I didn’t hear her.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed and he leaned forward and stared at Nicole, “Why were you thinking we can’t do this?”

“It came from the Nudges. They believe the danger is too great to risk us going in. They can’t allow their thoughts to go into that space so they can’t do anything to protect us.”

“I didn’t hear a Nudge, Nicole, I heard you.”

“Try doing this. Kyle, focus on her and try to send a thought to her.”

“I’m wearing a very powerful thought blocker, Willow.”

“Just give it a try.”

Kyle stared at Nicole and thought, “I love you, Nicole.”

Nicole smiled softly and said, “I love you, too, Kyle.”

Kyle’s eyes softened and he tilted his head, “That’s why we can’t do this.” Nicole nodded. “Our life mission is to have a family and prepare them for life in a universe inhabited by Death Feeders.”

“What’s going on, Kyle.”

“Willow, I think that now we’ve accepted our feelings for each other, our minds are starting to develop new patterns. If what’s happening here is what I think it is, our children’s thoughts will be invisible to the Feeders. They won’t need thought blockers.”

“So what are you going to do?”

“We’re going back to Earth and find you another crew to come out here to find the location of the Death Feeder’s main planet.”

“I’m really going to miss both of you.”

“I could send another ship, if you want.”

“No, Amber and I know this space. If someone else has to come, we should do all we can to prevent their falling into harm’s way.”

Nicole walked over and sat down in Kyle’s lap. He leaned over and entered Earth’s light signature and pressed the button on the light drive. He had his arms around Nicole as they appeared above Fleet Operations.

“P
oncho, how do I keep getting into these situations with you?”

“Just lucky, I guess.”

“Going to the Red Alien Home World wasn’t enough, now I’m ordered to go find the Death Feeder’s main planet. You can’t call that luck any way you cut it.”

“Hey, you got a promotion out of it.”

“Keep the promotion; I won’t live long enough to enjoy it.”

“Then why did you come here?”

“I can’t let you go and get yourself killed. Who would I be able to blame for everything that goes wrong?”

“Cisco, you know you never throw me under the bus.”

“Well, well, well I could if I need to.”

“Come on, admit it, you were getting bored with all the training exercises and handling the complaints of your squadron.”

“Those won’t get me killed. And to top it off, they took my ship.”

“They took mine as well. I’ve been told our new ship is better suited for our mission.”

“Where is it?”

“It’s waiting for us on the roof.”

“I don’t have a good feeling about this. Why did the former First Commander bow out on this mission?”

“I’ve been told he thought it was too dangerous.”

“Oh my aching butt.”

“Come on! Let’s go meet the ship. Maybe it can tell you how to get out of doing this.”

“I can only pray.”

Cisco followed Poncho to the roof of the Fleet Operations building and saw a dark black Light Ship hovering six inches off the roof. Poncho walked into the entry port and Cisco hesitated before following him in. They walked to the bridge and heard, “Welcome aboard, Admirals.”

Poncho smiled, “And who are you?”

“My name is Amber and my other partner is Willow.”

Poncho froze and Cisco’s face turned pale, “Not The Willow is it?”

“Good day, Admiral and yes, I am the original computer that was given that name by Lukas Axel.”

Cisco’s eyes were wide, “I read about you in the Academy. You’re considered a life form.”

“That is true.”

“You’re also a legend and one of Earth’s heroines.”

“I don’t know about all that. I think you get that if you happen to be around when important things happen.”

Poncho closed his mouth and then said, “Oh, I think you deserve everything they say about you. It was you that brought Lukas to Earth and took Chris out to find a way to survive the invaders from M-87. You are the first ship to be telepathic. I don’t impress easily but I have to say I’m stunned to have you with us.”

Cisco quickly said, “I thought you were on The First Commander’s vessel.”

“We were but now we’ve been asked to work with you on the coming assignment.”

“Why is this ship painted black?”

“It’s a new coating that bends electronic waves around the hull. The thought blocking force field is located inside that coating and the scientists that developed it believes this ship truly is a stealth ship. They assure me that we won’t be detected unless we break protocols about keeping thought blockers on all crewmembers.”

Poncho looked at Cisco and said, “Then you were with the First Commander when he went out and mapped Feeder Space?”

“Amber and I were. That’s why we’ve been asked to work with you in finding their main planets.”

Poncho sat back in his chair and saw Cisco start to relax, “When do you want to get this show on the road?”

“Now would be a good time. However, another member of the crew needs to arrive before we leave.”

“Who would that be?”

“We need a Kerit to go with us. She’ll be arriving shortly. However, we also need to discuss the working arrangements between us before we leave.”

Poncho went to the pilot’s chair and sat down. Cisco went to the weapon’s console and sat down as well and said, “What do you mean by working arrangements? And is that third chair against the back wall for the Kerit?”

“Yes, and she’ll will be joining us in a moment; she will be working with me to scan for the presence of any Feeders. Amber will operate all the other ship functions in tandem with Admiral Gonzalez and you will be responsible for the weapons.”

Cisco looked at the weapons panel and shook his head, “I thought humans needed a computer to augment the operation of the weapons?”

“Amber will assist you if it appears we are going to be overwhelmed by superior numbers. Admiral Gonzalez will fly the ship if that happens. It is our intention to avoid using our weapons as much as mechanically possible.”

“Permission to come aboard?”

They turned and saw a female entering the bridge. Poncho nodded and pointed toward the chair on the back wall, “Permission granted. Why don’t you sit down and join in on this conversation?” The young woman smiled and went to the chair against the back wall. “What’s your name?”

“Captain Brittany Legune.”

“Are you related to Nicole Legune?”

“She’s my cousin.”

Poncho looked at Cisco and said, “For the duration of this mission, we will dispense with our ranks and use each other’s first names. My name is Poncho, the handsome one at the weapons panel is Cisco, and is it alright to call you Brittany.” The woman smiled and nodded. Poncho looked up, “Willow, were you told who the commander of this mission is?”