It makes it even more depressing to see how they lost their way.
Trey nodded, There is that. Trey looked at his display and said, Lets go home.
Greyson exited the ship and teleported out of the ancient, dead, monument to a species that had been forced to slavery.
Carter!
Yes, Jenna.
I need you to come home now.
Why, whats going on?
Cassie had formally requested a meeting with Mom and has asked us to be present.
Did she tell you why?
No, and shes being evasive about answering.
Carter took a deep breath and Jenna said, You know something!
No, I dont but Im afraid were about to lose our little girl.
What do you mean?
She just turned eighteen and I know she has been studying for as long as I can remember to prepare her for becoming an adult. I know shes told you that before.
She had but I didnt put any weight into that remark.
Jenna, when has she ever said something she didnt mean? She was preparing herself for something and Ive always wondered what it was. I suspect she is going to tell us today.
Jenna thought about what Carter was saying and began to see where Cassie was headed, Shes found something.
Or someone.
Shes never mentioned being attracted to anyone.
Did you when you left to join the Searchers?
Thats because there wasnt anyone at that moment. I met you years later. Jenna paused, Do you think this has something to do with her psychic abilities?
You know it does.
Come home now. The meeting is in two hours and I need you here.
Carter was watching the current class of Naval Academy Graduates take one of their final ship trials. He looked over and Maddy and said, I have to go. Ill look at the recordings later.
Maddy nodded as Carter activated his armor and teleported home.
Queen Ashley Talben sat on her throne and looked over at Glen beside her, Do you know what this is about?
No, I dont.
They looked up as Jenna and Carter teleported in and turned off their armor. Ashley stood and rushed forward to hug her daughter, Welcome home, its been too long.
I know, Mother. Theres just so much happening.
Do you know what this is about?
No, I was hoping you did.
She didnt tell me. She formally requested a meeting to discuss her Royal responsibilities. Beyond that, I dont know anything.
Before they could say anything else, Cassandra was standing in the Middle of the room. Ashley turned and Cassie bowed. Ashley was going to rush forward to hug her Granddaughter but stopped and returned to the throne and faced the room. Carter and Jenna bowed with Cassie and Ashley said, Please rise and tell me what brings you here today.
Cassie looked at her parents and nodded toward some chairs to the right of the throne. Cater took Jennas hand and pulled her over and sat down. Jenna remained standing until he reached up and grabbed her by the shoulder and pulled her down. Cassie smiled and turned to her Grandmother, Your Majesty, I am abdicating my place on the list of succession today.
Jenna jumped up but Carter pulled her back down and whispered, Sit down and be quiet! Hear her out before you do something outrageous.
Jenna gave him a stern expression but saw he was more serious than she had ever seen him. She usually got her way but she saw that this was not going to be one of those moments, And if I dont?
Ill spank your bottom here in front of the Queen.
Jenna was shocked and she saw Carter wasnt smiling. She sat back and fumed.
Cassie watched her Mother and smiled. She turned back to the Queen as Ashley was trying to restrain herself from laughing at Jenna. Ashley looked at Cassie, Why are you asking for that Princess Cassandra Reese?
Because I will never be available to fulfill that obligation, Your Majesty.
Carter took Jennas hand and squeezed it. She looked at him and he shook his head, Wait.
Tell me what is going to happen to prevent you?
I am going to be leaving in twelve hours to join my husband in protecting the Empire.
Ashley glanced at Jenna and Carter and said, Husband, I didnt know you were married.
Im not. Youre going to perform the ceremony momentarily.
Jenna jumped up from her Chair yelling as Carter looked at the ceiling and shook his head. You are out of your mind! Just who do you think you are coming in here and telling us what were going to do?
Ashley looked at Jenna and said, Thats what I felt when you did the same thing at age twelve telling me you were going to be a Searcher.
Jenna looked at her Mother and suddenly knew what she had felt those many years ago. Her fear for Cassie was overwhelming and she looked back and forth between Cassie and her Mother, Mom, I cant.
Neither could I. Now sit down, behave, and listen. Ashley turned back to Cassie, Tell us whats going on?
Cassie looked at her Mother and slowly shook her head, Mom, youve known this was coming. Dont tell me you didnt know. Look inside and see. Cassie turned back to the Queen and said, I am the end product of an evolutionary chain of events. I am a direct Female descendent from Danielle Gardner. Every one of the couples in my familys history had a daughter and I am the last of the chain. The psychic power has been growing with each generation and it has now reached the absolute maximum level and must be released. Ive known this day was coming since before I was born. I have been preparing for this moment my entire life and I am so excited and anxious for it to happen.
What do you mean by being released?
I am going to touch my husband and we will both be released.
Ashley looked at Glen and said, Who is the one that will release you?
Scotty Robbins.
Jenna looked at Carter and he nodded, You knew?
I suspected but never knew for certain.
Just what does Mr. Robbins have to say about this?
He doesnt know were going to be married momentarily but Ive been communicating with him since the night he became telepathic.
When was that?
The night his parents died and Bristone was destroyed. We have been in each others mind pretty much every moment since then.
Why didnt you tell us?
Because we both knew that we could not come together until this moment. He had to prepare himself and I had to get ready as well. Telling everyone about this would have distracted us from becoming what we needed to be.
Cassie looked at Jenna and said, I love him with all my heart and soul, Mother. I always have and he loves me as well. This is an event that was put into motion thousands of years ago when the original Stars Realm was formed. Everything that has happened was for the purpose of Trey and I coming together.
Cassie looked at her Father and said, You are also a part of this. You are a third evolutionary chain that is critical for us in this moment.
Carter slowly shook his head and said, I wondered about that. I just couldnt figure out what my destiny was going to be. Ive always been troubled by being so different from everyone else.
You are what we will have to have to be able to control the massive power that is going to be created. Without you present, all of creation could be destroyed. You are the catalyst for the releasing.
Ashley looked at Jenna and saw that her anger was gone and she was confused. Ashley said, Cassandra, this all sounds like some kind of mystical hocus pocus.
Cassie looked at Ashley, bent her arm, and pushed her hand toward the ceiling. A bright blue beam shot out of her hand and blew a ten foot wide hole through the hardened roof hundreds of feet overhead. Cassie never lost eye contact with the Queen while the beam was fired. Trey is more than a thousand times more powerful than I am at this moment. When we are joined, our power will grow more than seven trillion times the power of that beam.