The Home Leaders were studying the views of the fleet battle between the strangers and their tenth fleet. They had already seen the harvester’s fleet destruction and that was why they had sent the half fleet to trap the strangers before they could get back to the limiting band. Now they knew; the effort to trap the strangers was wasted effort; they could escape anytime they chose. The leaders dug their feet deeper in the soil and thought about the current situation. “What do we do now,” one of the younger leaders inquired?
No one else spoke and it remained that way for several moments. The Elder Leader said, “We cannot trap those ships but we can do something about what they are trying to do at the planet. I recommend we send the half fleet in to remove the strangers and continue our removal of the food source.” The other Leaders shifted from leg to leg and finally one of them said, “We need new technology if we’re to prevail against those ships.”
The Elder Leader said, “Go waken the scientists in their grove and show them these views. Instruct them to develop new methods to defeat these ships. Also send in the half fleet to remove them from the system.”
The Younger Leader inquired, “What do we do if the half fleet is destroyed?”
“Then we send in a total fleet. If necessary we will destroy the planet with our most powerful missile. We will not allow these strangers to intrude on the Commons space. Set up our tracking ships to determine the line those ships leave on and ready a ship to follow them on that line.”
A Plant Elder swayed and said, “We have to be close to where they jump out to read the coordinates. We cannot get to the planet, read the coordinates and jump from that point because we can’t jump inside the null limit.”
The Eldest thought and said, “You’re right. We have to be prepared to go to one of their jump points outside the limit to get a direction on their escape.”
The half fleet leader looked at his board and saw the instructions that had just arrived. “Attention all elements, spread out and move in toward the planet; I don’t want a concentration of ships for them to mass launch against. Leave enough room between ships to use your energy weapons to defeat those stranger’s missiles. Once in system we will surround the planet and destroy those constructs.” The huge fleet began their movement toward the planet that was 20 hours away.
“Sir,” Colson said, “the Algean fleet is moving in system. They should be here within twenty hours. They are spreading out with twenty miles between ships.”
Mikado looked at his display and said, “They learned not to mass together. It won’t be as easy next time.” He looked at the landing operations and commed General Wiseman, “General, we are going to jump out of system shortly. We are going to leave the Empires under the forts screen for support. Is there anything else we can do?”
Richard Wiseman looked at Mikado and said, “Admiral, just get back with relief as soon as you can. There are several million Plant Warriors dirt side and they won’t be happy that we crashed their party. I thank you for the ground fort and screens; they should make a big difference in holding the plants off us.”
“Are you thinking that they will come to you or will you have to go to them?”
“Admiral, all their food was destroyed with their fleet. This continent is basically stripped bare and we’re the only food available. Oh they’ll come or they’ll starve.”
Mikado knew the Marine General was right. “General, I shall return as quickly as possible; you hold out until I do.”
“Yes sir. That is my intention.”
Mikado broke connection and asked Colson, “Are all ships ready to jump?”
“Yes Sir, they are, however, I’ve noticed something interesting.”
Mikado raised his eyebrows and asked, “What is that, Mr. Colson?”
“The fleet moving into our system has left 1000 ships evenly spaced around the system at the jump limit.”
Mikado thought for a moment and then said, “What do you think is their purpose?”
Logan looked at his display and then said, “I believe that they are there to get a line on the direction we jump out of the system and then those ships are to try and follow us to determine our origin.”
“Do we still have that old program that makes multiple jumps thru different galaxies?”
“Yes Sir, we do. I can download it to all our ships and reduce the time between the jumps to one second. Matter of fact if you’ll give me an hour I can modify it so that every one of our ships jumps out in a different direction and none of them toward our home.”
“Make it happen, Mr. Colson.”
One hour later the 4,238 SR ships jumped from the system in four thousand different directions. The 1000 ships set up to track the line of departure were overwhelmed with the data and failed to follow any of them. By the time they picked one at random and followed it; the trace in the other Galaxy had faded.
The Home Leaders were once again dismayed by the tactics of the strangers. “Next time we will have as many tracking ships as they have ships. Next time we won’t miss.”
Chapter 11
Tag sat in Danielle’s office holding their daughter. He felt a warm glow and he knew it was coming from her. He knew he would never tire of looking at Rose and the same could be said for staring at Danielle. Danielle finished talking with Leila about her schedule and came over and sat beside him. “She’s got your eyes Tag Master. They’re so green that they look like they’re on fire.”
Tag smiled and said “It looks that way but she’s has your beauty. Just look at her smile and that beautiful blond hair.” Rose stood in his lap and bounced up and down on her legs smiling at her father.
Danielle just smiled and leaned against Tag’s shoulder and sighed, “She also looks like she’s going to be taller than I am.”
“Danielle, I need to discuss what you suggested to me just before Rose was born,” Tag said.
Danielle straightened up and looked into Tag’s eyes and said, “It has you bothered doesn’t it?”
“Yes it does but not for the reason you think?” Danielle arched her eyebrows and Tag said, “You might be right in what you believe but I think there is more than you see.”
“Such as.”
“What you suggest about our DNA leading us to each other makes sense even if it is hard to fathom but there are issues that trouble me. If our DNA was leading us together because we are the perfect match psychically, then what about before?”
‘What do you mean before?”
“I was going to end up with Leila. I had known that since the second level. I stole her test booklet because of that love. Everything changed to you after that theft took place.” Danielle started to respond but Tag held up his hand and said, “I know what your response is going to be but Danielle, I was firmly fixed on her, so much so that finding you was a tremendous change for me. I just want you to consider another theory.”
“Ok, shoot. I’ll keep an open mind.”
“I fell for Leila one night in the second level when I could see her in my mind looking at my picture in our school annual. I just assumed that it was part of my psychic gift that I could see her because she was thinking about me. She was more than two miles away from me at that moment. I’ve done a lot of thinking about this and quite frankly, I’ve not seen anyone else that far away thinking about me.”
Danielle furrowed her brow and said, “Maybe those circumstances haven’t happened again.”