Dgzh was stunned. He didnt want to believe what he was hearing but as she talked he recalled all the hate that members of the Alliance had toward one another that had been building over the cycles. He listened to world after world threaten each other in the State Leaders office but were prevented from venting their anger by threats of Alliance intervention. The bullying of the stronger members and of the Alliance itself was the nature of being in the Alliance; he knew she was right. His planet was one of the few worlds that was predominantly agricultural and had a limited fleet. If the Alliance weakened, many would take the opportunity to seek vengeance against past wrongs and would take his world for its agricultural value. He felt an overwhelming sadness grip him and then said, Will you let me know if any other future is seen?
Danielle could feel his pain and felt badly for Dgzh. I will headman. Peace to you and your people, she paused, I know your race is not up to defending itself if the war starts but we will pray for you.
Tgon-Gee escorted him back to the shuttle and saw the depression that had gripped the headman. The Crown Prince felt a profound sadness for Dgzhs future. He remembered how he felt fear before he had joined the Cainth and Humans. Just before Dgzh boarded his shuttle Tgon-Gee said, Headman, when the war starts, I will have six of my ships go to your home world and try to protect it. Maybe your people can be saved. We will not just stand by and let your world die.
Dgzh smiled at the huge Glod and felt almost a kinship to him. The Glod stuck his hand out and Dgzh took it and shook hands with the Crown Prince. Just as he started to board the shuttle the Glods com beeped and Danielle said excitedly, What did you just say to the Headman?
Dgzh and Tgon-Gee both looked confused. Tgon-Gee said, I promised him to send six of my ships to his world when the war broke out to try and save his people.
Danielle was laughing out loud, New futures, new futures, there are hundreds of new futures and the two of you caused them with your agreement. Its possible to save the worlds of the Alliance. Come back Headman and lets explore the possibilities.
Tgon-Gee and Dgzh looked at each other almost in shock and then they both smiled. You heard the Queen, he said. Lets go save some worlds.
Dgzh said, This time I bow.
Chapter 16
The Safety Prime Council was meeting over their com network. The leader, Mikne was repeating what the state Leader had told him and he replayed all the video taken of the prior Human battles. The last video he presented was of the 300 new battleships that had jumped in to the Alliance Central Government Planet. They all watched the ships appear around the planet then disappear as they jumped. This caused immediate discussion between the council members. Most refused to believe that it could have possibly happened. Science has proven that close proximity to stars prevented Star Drives from working.
Mikne interrupted the meeting by saying, Enough! The ships jumped in next to the planet. We dont know how they can do it but they can. We dont understand how they put a screen around their planet, but they did. We dont understand how their ships are so much faster than ours, but they are. I can go on and on but the reality is that we have now run into a race that is technologically superior in all categories. The State Leader resigned and quite frankly I was in the middle of ordering his execution when what he said broke thru my consciousness. I delayed the order and starting taking a good look at the battles weve had with these Humans. Mikne paused and looked at the other nine members and said, We are so accustomed to overwhelming any opposition that it never occurred to us that there was a possibility that a single race would be strong enough to beat us. After the fact we now know that they had numerical superiority in every battle but hid it to make them look weaker than they are. It is also clear that they had many more ship building facilities than the two on their home planet. I want to show you something.
Mikne started a video of the Human ship named Washington that was surrounded by seven dreadnaughts. The council watched as the Human ship blew two of them into rubble with its two primary beams then struck the other five with small intense beams that went right thru their screens. There was a short delay and then all five dreadnaughts started blowing apart. I dont know what was in those small beams but it is death to any ship it hits. Seven dreadnaughts killed in less than 30 seconds. Now look closely. The video brought the image of the Washington closer and closer until the hull filled the screen and then moved with a view of a small part of the ships surface filled the screen. Notice those small circles that cover the ships surface is where their screens and energy weapons appear to emanate. We estimate that they are smaller than 2 degs. Now look at the new battle ship that jumped into the central planet. The view of the new ships hull was clear. This new ship is twice the size of the old one and the circles on its hull are easily twenty times larger than the previous ships. If we assume they are twenty times stronger than the old one, then what will it take to kill one of these new ships. Also keep in mind that if it gets into trouble, it can jump to safety where ever they are and jump back in to continue the attack.
Mikne, are you saying that we cant defeat these Humans, one of the others said.
Im beginning to have my doubts. The real question is do we even try. The Humans said they will destroy any fleet that is formed to attack them and punish the ones responsible for sending it. Do any of you volunteer to have the fleet to form in your system?
There was universal silence until Harauk broke the silence by saying, Ill do it. Send the order out to all the members to send their ships to my system. Ill teach these humans to fear us.
Mikne looked at Harauik and knew that most of the Alliance heavy handed tactics originated with the Hargons. They were the original world that organized the other nine into what was to become the Alliance. Are you sure this is what you want to do?
Harauik screamed into the com, Place the orders now! We attack immediately.
Mikne said, As you wish. The other eight members showed their concern but would not cross the old Hargon.
Tag, Danielle thought at him.
Yes Dear.
Ive just received word from Dgzh that a call up for ships had been issued by The Safety Prime Council and that failure to respond will be considered treason. The Hargons system is where they are to report. Dgzh also says that more than 600 Alliance warships have refused to answer the call and are forming up instead at the Central Alliance planet. The number refusing to go is increasing every minute. Our sensors from the drone we left in their system when we jumped in have intercepted messages from numerous Alliance members that indicate that they have chosen not to Attack our race again. The original 600 ships have now grown to more than 4,000. We have had the Saratoga jump in to the Hargon system where 9,000 ships have reported. It appears that the bulk of the ships in the Hargon system are from the fleet that stayed in the outer system during their last attack. The ships at the Central planet have many of those crews we released. It appears they heard our message and understood it. Tag, what are we going to do? This could trigger the war.
Lets see what the Hargon fleet chooses to do first. Once we determine that, well plan our reaction. Relax, Dear. We can do nothing yet, wait and be patient.
Tag commed Kosiev and said, Admiral, I need you to form the fleet up and issue one of two plans. We are going to fight the Alliance here and then go to the offending system or we are going to defend the Alliances Central Planet. Either way, immediately after the battle starts I want the fleet to be prepared to implement Kidnap Sixteen.