A searcher said, We are not the strongest, you are.
Yes, but that is a recent development and we dont go out and conquer other civilizations. We would be easily missed by a scout looking for the qualities needed. Youve conquered hundreds of civilizations. They would find you rather easily.
Grace listened in on the Searchers private frequency and many of them were angry. She heard one of them say, Well thats over as far as Im concerned. I cant believe Ive given an oath to the lying scum.
Shhhhh, you might be heard.
I dont care. Are you blind?
Rehoben looked at the display showing the giant Ship and then turned to Scotty, If you arent here to take our kingdom, why did you come?
Why, to go to war with you.
Silence descended on the channel like an impenetrable fog.
Jilico felt his fear, Youre going to war with us?
Well, not really.
Rehoben saw Jilicos relief. He shook his head and looked back at Scotty.
Then what?
I want you to send ships out to attack intruders in your various systems and fend off attacks to your Province. The attacks will be imaginary but I need your Defense Command to issue orders and receive reports just like a real war was taking place. We will attack your ships outside the jump limit at Olympos but not fire a beam strong enough to damage your ships. We will then jump away and your ships will chase after us. It would help if you have some damaged ships we can destroy to make it look real.
Why would we do that?
Because as long as the invaders think there are still powerful civilizations fighting for control of this universe, they will delay the invasion. Weve got to have time to try and develop a counter to their ships.
How long do you think we can make them believe this charade?
Decades if we keep bringing in new enemies that are also fighting each other.
Jilico said, And if I dont agree to participate in this?
Then well go to war for real and my ships will come in and periodically kill some of your ships. Well free all the worlds youve conquered and the reports coming in will be real.
Jilico sneered, Its easy for you. Your world isnt their first target.
I will move your planet to another location the moment that ship starts your way.
Once more there was silence until a lone Searcher asked, Are you able to do that?
Yes, I can.
The Searcher said, Im asking your ship that is also a Searcher. Can he do that?
Yes he can and we have already moved more than three hundred planets.
Scotty said, That was smart. Searchers dont lie.
I meant no disrespect, Your Majesty. I just had to make sure.
Jilico flinched when he heard one of his ships use the honorific to this stranger.
Rehoben said, I can make this happen, Your Majesty.
Jilico just stared at him.
Scotty said, You cannot ever say anything on an open channel that the invader would hear to let them know what were doing. Ill give you a com code where one of your ships can leave your system and contact us to schedule the attacks on your planet. Just give us the time and the details and well make it happen.
Jilico looked up at the giant ship on the display and said, Then we will play this game.
Rehoben looked at Scotty and said, I think your first attack should be tomorrow at midday. I will send twenty freighters out to the jump limit that have been scheduled for decommissioning. You may destroy them all. They will be escorted by fifteen ships that will chase you away. I will then send ships to search for you that will send scheduled transmissions back to reinforce the strength of our attacker. Does that meet your needs?
Yes it does.
Admiral Hulent, I need you to get the right people in our Command Communications Center that you can depend on to make this look real.
I will be one of them. Ill make sure we do our job.
Jilico said, It looks like Daulun dodged a bullet.
Daulun is dead. Hes been replaced by his brother. There will not be anymore forced shipments from his kingdom.
Jilicos eyes narrowed but then he looked up at the display and shrugged.
Scotty said, Admiral, Im leaving your fleet to your command and I thank you for your patience. King Borders, I will be taking you back to your Palace and leaving you there. Thank you for helping me to defend us against this coming menace.
Rehoben looked at the blonde haired warrior and knew that he was not one that would tolerate deception. Olymposs continued existence depended on not breaking their agreements. He just hoped Jilico understood.
Scotty looked at Virze, Take them home.
Jilico looked around and saw he was back in his personal office. He had been returned in less than three seconds. Rehoben was staring at the display on his desk and saw that no alarms had been tripped. Jilico saw it as well and sighed, Ro, lets go to war.
Yes, Your Majesty.
Chapter Eleven
Niles took the Bristone out of the Defense Facility and looked at Toland, Im not sure I like this ship not using a force field. I feel almost naked.
Toland looked up at the ceiling and then back at his display, Well, thats what trials are all about. You didnt have to volunteer for this.
I know, but if were going to develop our ships from this model, I owe it to the Emperor to give it the best chance of success.
Even if you die in the testing?
Even if.
Well, our target is four hundred thousand miles ahead of us.
I thought we were its target.
Same thing.
Yeah, sure.
Toland adjusted his scanner, Emperor Robbins is out there with Grace watching what happens. Lets make it count.
I just wish they werent using a Searcher fitted with the beams of a Zeta for our first effort.
If we cant withstand that beam, then all this technology is going to be wasted. Its been ten years and we cant just start all over again. You know we cant waste time.
Well, lets hope we survive this. Niles took the controls and steered the ship on the correct heading and hit the teleport console. The Bristone appeared two hundred yards from the old Searcher and was immediately fired on by the unmanned ship. The huge white beam struck the Bristone and its entire hull turned bright white and then a beam erupted from its surface and struck the Searcher. The white ship vaporized into nothing but a cloud of gas.
Exercise over.
Niles looked at the gas cloud and shook his head, Thats it?
Yep.
Congratulations, Bristone. Your trial has been a success.
Toland hit the com, Thank you, Your Majesty. What do the scans reveal?
The beam that struck you was the strongest in our arsenal. The beam you fired back was ten times stronger than the one that struck your ship.
Actually, all I did was designate that ship with a cursor on my display.
Thats all it takes, Toland. Good work, you can take it back to port.
Toland turned off his com and looked at Niles, Whats wrong?
I dont know. I was hoping there would be some kind of back and forth between our ships. After all the years of preparation, this was anticlimactic.
Say that when youre facing one of those invaders.
It might be nice to invite them to a pub to discuss old times before we designate them with a cursor.
Think they would go with you?
After weve shot the pants off em they would probably order the first brew.
Ummmmmm. Make mine a beer.
Niles smiled and turned the Bristone to teleport to the Defense Facility.
Greyson, what are you doing?
I thought I would take a little time and get familiar with the new scanners Ive been given.