Silence ruled the plain. Jake waited and after ten minutes heard a Glod Searcher yell from the back of the formations, “My sword belongs to the Queen.”
Jake said, “If you choose the Queen over the Realm, move out of your ranks and form up behind this reviewing stand.”
Slowly at first, a few hundred moved forward. Jake saw that the majority of them were Glod. Then the Humans began leaving the formation and walked with their Glod brothers, shaking their hands. The Cainth rushed out and joined the Searchers moving behind the reviewing stands. Then it became a mad rush and all of the assembled warriors ran to join those that were forming up behind the reviewing stand.
Jake tuned and faced the Searchers and said, “I know you had great difficulty making that decision. However, you have shown your loyalty to the Realm. The Royal Family is the Realm, and anything else is not what binds us. The Realm is facing two threats. The first are the creatures currently invading. The second are members of the Realm who have decided to take the throne. There will be a civil war if we defeat the invaders, and it will commence as soon as the war ends. Ross will be attacked and destroyed.”
The Searchers started talking amongst themselves. Jake waited until silence returned. “I tell you this with a heavy heart. However, we must defend the Queen and you will be given a task to make sure she is safe. If I am wrong, and I truly pray every day that I am, then nothing will happen. However, I need you prepared for the worst. I ask you, what is your choice?”
The mass of warriors screamed, “We fight for the Queen!”
Jake smiled and said, “First we have an invader that requires we remove as a threat. Before we start that process, I want to share the words of a being that was a part of the invaders’ leadership.” Jake sent a vision of the meeting with Values so that all could see what the species attacking the Realm represented. Jake said at the completion of the vision, “This species has no heart. They deliberately killed theirs, and they have no remorse, no kindness, nor any regard for any other life form. We have no choice but to try and remove this threat to creation. You’ve seen recordings of the worlds they’ve enslaved and consumed. We are charged to end this evil, and we cannot back away from this responsibility.”
“A Glod on the front rank yelled, “How are we going to carry out that charge?”
Jake smiled, “We have constructed some ships that, we believe, will kill their ships. You are going to be teleported momentarily to a planet where you will be assigned one of these ships, and an Algean will be there to teach you how to pilot it. The information will be downloaded, so the training should be completed within seven hours. We will attack the Keepers Fleet that is forming in their universe to jump into our universe to carry out their attacks. Admiral Dodd will meet you at your ships and has command over those ships sent to the Keepers’ universe. Once we handle that hurdle, you will be released to find any of their ships in that universe. Thirty percent of you will remain in our universe under Admiral Busigleore’s command, and look for any of their ships that are here and destroy them. Once they are removed, you will receive your assignments to protect the Royal Family. You will be joined by the rest of your brothers when they finish with the Keepers’ universe.”
Jake pressed his com, “Send the coordinates, Sprig.”
Every Searcher on the plain felt their coms vibrate. Jake said, “Teleport to the coordinates on your com to board your new ships and begin your training.”
One of the general officers yelled, “Ateeennnnshun!” The hundred thousand Warriors came to attention and saluted Jake.
Jake returned their salute and said, “Dismissed.”
One moment the plain was covered with thousands of Warriors; the next it was empty.
“Junior, are you ready?”
“Sprig has given me one of those new weapons, Jake. We can’t get close, but we should be able to see what’s happening and defend ourselves if necessary.”
“Well, let’s go visit the Keepers Fleet and see what they do when we snatch their food source away.”
“Jake, are you sure these ships will do what you hope?”
“I’m not, but their designer was. That Demon tried to keep them from us knowing the Keepers would ultimately kill us. He wouldn’t have done that if they weren’t what we hope they are.”
“How does this weapon work? What if we’re attacked by huge numbers?”
“Questions, questions, questions. Let’s just get on with it.”
“OK.”
Manny looked at the main screen on the wall of his ship and shook his head. The twenty million transports paired off with twenty million Searchers was a vision he would never forget. They filled the space of the universe they had jumped in to assemble in advance of their mission. The teams had practiced on planets in this universe for more than eight weeks, and he knew that they were ready. He also knew the spies from the Brez Division would never know about Jake’s plans until it was over. He smiled and knew there was going to be a price to pay after the fact, but that would be faced at the appropriate time. The Keepers were going to get a wakeup call in another ten minutes.
He keyed his general frequency and said, “We are going to make history today. You will be performing the task of liberating millions of worlds from their slave masters. This is what your oath is all about. You know what must be done, and it must be timed precisely. Make sure you make the grab exactly ten minutes from my mark. It must be timed so that the Keepers won’t have time to respond.
Those of you that are transporting the freed communities have the coordinates of the planet where you will deliver them to the Algeans. They are waiting to tell them what has happened. Searchers, make sure the Captors’ energy ball is set for ten seconds after you pull the screen and get out of there. Upon completion of your assignment, you will report to your normal posts.”
Manny hit a button on his console and said, “Are you ready?”
Sprig answered, “We are excited about today’s event. We are waiting for the transports to arrive.”
Manny keyed the general frequency again and said, “Searchers and Sailors of the Stars Realm, make the Realm proud. The operation will commence ten minutes from my mark. Ready…mark.”
The forty million ships disappeared and Manny teleported back to the Realm to await the return of Brez Searchers, “This should be interesting. Let’s hope everyone will listen to reason.”
Ron Kune teleported in to his assigned planet in full stealth mode and entered the atmosphere over the horizon from the Keepers’ garrison. He accelerated and hit the teleport field key as soon as he sighted the captured communities. The field formed underground, and he set his ship down on the surface and waited as the countdown continued. There was a Keepers’ ship in orbit above the garrison taking on food stores for transport to the home worlds. That ship might pose a problem during his escape, but it would be too late to stop the rescue of the population.
He looked at his board and saw there were thirty seconds left to make the grab of the teleport screen. He checked the Captors’ energy ball and set the timer for teleportation and detonation. “Time to go!” With two seconds remaining, he lifted his ship, hit his thrusters, and watched as the terrain screamed by in his display. He roared over the six communities, stiffened the teleport field connection, and went vertical, pulling the silver teleport field out of the ground and over the population that was staring at the small white ship as it roared into the sky. Their view was brief as all six communities disappeared from the planet’s surface.