Author: J. W. Murison
Date: 2016-06-09T18:00:00+00:00
Keywords: Science Fiction; space adventure; aliens; Space Opera; steven gordon series
Description: Book three in the Steven Gordon series takes us in to the heart of the Modloch Empire. Humanity quickly becomes ensnared by galactic politics. The people of Earth have to choose a single representative and the President of the United States is elected. He leaves his office and rushes to the aid of the fleet, now trapped within the Modloch Emperor's web. He picks up the UK King and his new wife on route, and together they begin a campaign to win the heart and minds of the Modloch Emperor and his people. Humanity is at last coming of age, but its enemies have not forgotten the devastating losses
Publisher: Createspace Independent Publishing Platform

The Modloch Empire

J W Murison

Copyright © 2016 JW Murison

All rights reserved.

ISBN:

ISBN-13:

DEDICATION

In memory of Don Michaud

1937-2016

When you talk to a fighting man my son, stand tall and hold your head high. Look him straight in the eye and let him see the metal that lies deep within. Treat him with respect and you need never feel afraid. For this man shall forever stand between you and those that would do you harm. He will give his life if need be to keep you and yours safe. For those fighting men that made it through the wars, there will be no parades of remembrance. There will be no statues, no names inlaid in gold on the roll of honour. Yet he will not complain, for his battles were won and he returned to those he loved and who loved him. This was reward enough. If you come across a place where one of these fighting men were laid to rest then lower your head, close your eyes for a moment and give thanks. Honour and revere them, for these are the men that saw the battle won.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I would like to thank Jeannie Michaud for her continued support of my writing and novels. Thank you for the new covers Jeannie and know that my heart goes out to you and your loved ones.

Contents

CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 24
CHAPTER 25
CHAPTER 26
CHAPTER 27
CHAPTER 28
CHAPTER 29
CHAPTER 30
CHAPTER 31
CHAPTER 32
CHAPTER 33
CHAPTER 34
CHAPTER 35
CHAPTER 36
CHAPTER 37
CHAPTER 38
CHAPTER 39
CHAPTER 40
CHAPTER 41
CHAPTER 42
CHAPTER 43
CHAPTER 44
CHAPTER 45
CHAPTER 46
CHAPTER 47
CHAPTER 48
CHAPTER 49
CHAPTER 50
CHAPTER 51
CHAPTER 52
CHAPTER 53
CHAPTER 54
CHAPTER 55
CHAPTER 56
CHAPTER 57
CHAPTER 58
CHAPTER 59
CHAPTER 60

CHAPTER 1

The infernal noise banged on for hours. Strange soldiers in strange uniforms, marching to strange musical instruments that the Human ear could not appreciate. It was the official handing over of the giant city ship to the Modloch Emperor. There were a few Humans who wished for the city ship to be retained by Earth’s forces, but those in power knew the importance of getting rid of the hard won goliath.

This was all supposed to have taken place weeks before, on the day the Humans crossed the great barrier. It had started well enough; however, within a few hours of crossing the barrier the Modloch ambassador to Earth, the only survivor of the Burning Winds crew, collapsed. Panic had ensued. The ambassador had been whisked away into isolation and the city ship abandoned to the Humans. The Emperor had retreated hastily to his own personal battle cruiser, the biggest in the Modloch fleet, and the Humans had endured a six week quarantine. Things had been very tense to begin with and the Humans had been unsure of whether they were going to be attacked by the Modloch fleet.

The ambassador had been diagnosed with the plague, the same one that had cost billions of lives thousands of years before. Despite this he had recovered after a few weeks, and was now almost completely fit again. The Modloch had sent suited doctors onto all of the Human’s ships and conducted tests on a sample number of each crew. No Humans showed any signs or symptoms of the strange plague. On board the city ship, teams of Modloch had proceeded to decontaminate the whole city.

It had been decided that the official ceremony to hand over the city ship would take place at the Modloch home world, and both fleets had set course. They had arrived a week previously, and preparations for the handover had begun.

As no one else came down with the strange plague tensions had begun to ease, and both fleets began the journey towards the Modloch home world. Another problem had arisen though. The Modloch Emperor refused to negotiate with the team sent alongside the fleet, or even with the designated ambassador. To that end a leader had to be chosen on Earth to represent the whole planet and rushed out to join the fleet.

Earth had chosen the current American president, who turned his administration over to his vice president and rushed out to join the fleet. He wasn’t the only representative of Earth to arrive. The first thing the President had done was to invite the British King. It was a very shrewd move on his part. The Modloch Emperor finally felt he had someone of equal status to talk to.

The King and his new bride had been presented to the Emperor the evening before, with the full pomp and ceremony deserving of the occasion. The two monarchs had immediately hit it off. Now they sat side by side in their full regalia chatting easily as the ceremonies unfolded before them.

Now it was the British King’s turn to describe what was happening to the Modloch Emperor as the Humans began their part of the ceremony. The massed pipes and drums of the Scottish division began the show and there was an immediate wailing of distress from the gathered Modloch nobles. The Emperor stilled the noise with a disapproving look, and the distress soon turned to curiosity as the Highlanders came into view in all their finery. Right after them came the soldiers of the Highland division; the Modloch were captivated as they marched past in review. After them came soldiers from many different nations, and of course the special display teams. The whirling silvered bayonets left them all dazzled.

The grand affair was held in front of the old command centre, the grandest building on the city ship. It had now been moved to a secondary command centre and the original building was being converted into a royal residence. In front of it, stands had been erected for the purpose of this grand event. It was set in tiers. The highest was for the Emperor and his guests. From there they stepped down. Military commanders, then nobles and round the side of the large square, the top families of the Modloch nation.

Steven Gordon and the men of his unit had been given a place on a tier low down on the main stand. It was a mark of respect for their part in the battle to capture the city ship. Steven suspected that if it hadn’t been for Lady Jane’s status and her relationship to the King, they well may have never been invited at all. He stood with Komoru at his side. He was in a kilt and she stunning in a pink silk Kimono. It had been a wonderful spectacle and Komoru had especially enjoyed it. Steven’s eyes flicked up towards the Emperor’s grandstand. The Emperor was obviously laughing at something the King had said. Isobel sat next to the King and at her side sat Lady Jane. She wasn’t the only one from the ship’s company to be sitting in the royal box. Mya also sat in the box, slightly to the rear of the Emperor in the place that would have been reserved for his brother Gairloch, who had died many months ago on the African plain, back on Earth. Gairloch wasn’t the only one who was smitten by the tiny Mya. The Emperor himself seemed to have fallen under her spell.

Steven’s only interview with the Emperor had concerned the passing of his brother. Steven had to answer a barrage of questions while the Emperor interrogated him.

When Steven had returned to his ship he had Babes search for every piece of information she could on Gairloch’s visit to Earth. Steven edited it into a documentary style film and sent it to the Emperor. The Emperor has sent a personal note of thanks, something which was considered a great honour in the Modloch Empire.

The men around Steven were all dressed in the new fleet dress uniform. All except Charlie, who was dressed in the full dress uniform of the Gordon Highlanders. Although he was now a full crew member, he was still legally in the Scottish army.

Buzz Anderson sat to Steven’s right, his eyes gleaming at the spectacle. Behind them sat the officers of his crew. In the third row were the bridge crew along with Charlie and Sergeant Kelly. Kelly was wearing his 1945 dress uniform that babes had made for him on the day he met Gairloch. There was a vast contrast in the medals worn by the two men. Both uniforms were adorned by sergeant stripes.

The last event was the final of the Brickwoods Trophy, a Naval Gun Competition that had been going on for over a hundred years. This year there were finalists from each branch of the service. It was a competition unique to the British forces, and many had never seen the spectacle before.

Hundreds of men ran onto the square and set up the obstacles. The three teams took up their places while a commentator described what was happening and the history behind the competition. By the time he was finished, a silent expectation hung over the gathered crowed.

A flashbang started the race. The gathered Modloch howled with glee as the guns were taken to pieces and ran over the course. As the last gun fired off its three blank rounds of the competition, the Modloch people came to their feet and stomped their appreciation. Even the Modloch Emperor had come to his feet and was clapping in a Human fashion, which many of his people copied. The King also stood to clap his appreciation of the race.

A senior officer presented a replica of the prestigious Brickwoods Trophy, and again the crowd showed their appreciation.

With the ceremony over, the Emperor addressed the gathered dignitaries and nobles. He thanked all those who took part in the ceremony to celebrate the forming of this new alliance between worlds. The celebrations would conclude with a royal banquet that evening at the palace.

CHAPTER 2

Back on board their ship Steven had sought out Charlie. He wanted to know if Charlie had picked up any of the Emperor’s stray thoughts. Charlie admitted he had been able to pick up one or two, but apart from enjoying himself the Emperor had given away nothing of use. Steven returned to his own room, frustrated at his lack of progress. For weeks now they had been stuck in the shadow of the fleet while he had been pushed farther and farther away from the centre of power. That in itself didn’t bother him. In fact it pleased him no end. However, before he waltzed off into the unknown, he had wanted to know exactly what the Modloch Emperor was thinking. To that end he had taken Charlie with him when he was interviewed by the Emperor, but Charlie had been stopped at the spaceport and not allowed on board the city ship.

Steven took off his jacket and tie and slumped onto his seat. He spun it round to face the wall and sent a silent command. The wall in front of him began to shimmer and the Modloch planet in all its glory was revealed to him. It reminded Steven of a green marble he once had as a child. Bands of different greens encircled the world. The top and bottom of the strange planet were white capped. They already knew that the planet was larger than Earth and had no wobble. There were no seasons here, and most of the water was trapped at the poles. There were occasional large water-filled lakes that resembled inland seas, but there was nothing like the great oceans that existed on Earth. At one time the centre of the planet had been a vast desert, but now it was a solid green band. Technology had long since defeated the great singing sands. White bands of clouds radiated out from the great white poles, adding to the marble like effect of the planet. Steven thought it was beautiful and could sit for hours trying to make out the details below. Vast cities stretched along the edges of the bands. At night time they resembled rings of fire.

There was a slight buzzing in his ear and Hailey’s voice spoke in his mind. ‘Captain, the President is here to see you, will I show him to your quarters?’

Steven was surprised, ‘Yes please Hailey.’

A few seconds later the ex-American President, new Earth President, descended into his living quarters. Steven got up and met him halfway across the floor. They shook hands warmly.

‘Good afternoon Mr President, this is an unexpected pleasure.’

‘It has been a while, Captain Gordon.’ His eyes flicked up to the view, ‘Oh wow... may I take a moment?’

Steven smiled, ‘Help yourself.’

The President went over to the sitting area. ‘Is this a window?’

‘Not really, the ship can make her hull translucent, you are actually looking through a section of the hull sir.’

‘Amazing! Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be standing looking down on an alien planet, and it is all thanks to you.’

Steven shrugged, ‘I don’t know what to say sir.’

The President shook his head, ‘I don’t suppose you do. I don’t think I would know what to say either if I were in your shoes. However, the fact remains that Humanity owes you a great debt that can never be fully repaid.’

‘I simply did what I believed had to be done sir.’

‘I know, and we didn’t make it easy for you either. My predecessor especially.’

‘Water under the bridge now sir.’

‘Glad to hear it, still it leaves a sour taste in my mouth, and that of many Americans.’

‘If it wasn’t for your cooperation sir, we could never have got the fleet ready.’

The President smiled, ‘I let you salvage rubbish from old landfill sights. Hardly a great contribution. In fact you solved a growing problem for us as well.’

‘America did far more than that sir, and is still contributing. A lot of Americans died in the war. I will never forget that.’

‘Do you feel responsible for their deaths, Captain?’

‘To some extent, yes sir.’

‘Without you, none of us would exist by now. Every war is a tragedy. You did not start it, neither did mankind, but we won it. The first battle anyway. I realise that you pulled us kicking and screaming into a new era. However we are here now, and I believe you are being pushed to the side-lines. I don’t like that. The question I would like answered is: what would you like to do now? Do you want to take a political role in what is to come or not? I for one will make sure that you will get any job you wish to undertake.’

Steven smiled, ‘I have no political aspirations at all sir.’

‘Then what can we do for you?’

‘Release me from the military bonds I have been placed under.’

The President grinned, ‘You mean let you please yourself what you do?’

Steven smiled back, ‘Just about, aye.’

The President laughed openly, ‘How about we send you on a mission to discover new life and new civilizations?’

‘To boldly go where no man has gone before,’ Steven finished the line from the old TV series with a laugh. ‘That would suit me fine sir.’

The President mulled something over for a few moments while he studied the planet below.

‘You can’t really just go around wherever you want, can you?’

‘No not really, but it’s far more difficult if your ship is designated as a military vessel.’

‘I see. Would it help if you and your ship were designated ambassadorial?’

Steven consulted with Babes, ‘Actually it would. According to our data banks, those designated as ambassadors, even if they do not belong to the great alliance, are accorded special dispensation when it comes to traveling through different sectors of space.’

‘Good Will Ambassador to Earth it is then,’ the President offered his hand and Steven shook it. ‘Congratulations Captain Gordon on becoming our newest ambassador. I have no doubt that you will do us proud.’

‘I am sure we will all do our best not to let you down sir.’

‘Now that is out of the way, I have a rather unpleasant task to perform, concerning a member of your crew.’

Steven’s good mood evaporated, ‘Who would that be sir?’

‘A Scottish soldier that has been placed under your command. A Sergeant Charlie Morrison.’

‘It’s Murison, not Morrison.’

A note had crept into Steven’s voice and the President noticed it. He held up a hand, ‘It came to my notice that certain members of our armed forces tortured the sergeant, causing him grievous bodily harm, and attempted to have him executed. I merely wish to apologise.

Steven took a deep breath, ‘I will give him a call sir. In the meantime, would you like something to drink?’

‘Coffee,’ the President suggested.

Steven sent a silent request to Charlie and fetched the President a coffee. They sat and watched the world below.

The President took a sip and sighed, ‘I hear this Charlie is a friend of yours from your younger days in Scotland.’

‘We were neighbours, we grew up together until my mother and father moved to the States. Most years I went to Scotland for a few weeks during the summer break. Charlie and I were really tight back in those days.’

The President nodded, ‘Was he in a bad way when you rescued him?’

Steven put his cup down, ‘Charlie is more cyborg now than he is Human. My ship saved him and repaired him, but it cost him. By the time those animals had finished, there was very little of him left that she could save. Hands, feet, eyes, all gone. The only reason he was alive was because of the stimulants they gave him. Just about every bone in his body broken. Masses of brain damage.’ Steven shrugged, ‘The list goes on.’

‘You mean she replaced his limbs with synthetic ones?’

‘Aye.’

The President shook his head, ‘I had no idea it was that bad.’

‘Babes, can you show the President some film footage of Charlie as he was when we rescued him?’

The President was forced to watch as Amanda Freeling, the ship’s doctor, listed all of Charlie’s injuries. When he turned as white as a sheet Steven stopped the replay. The President swallowed hard and Steven could see moisture gather round the man’s eyes.

‘Animals,’ the President choked, ‘how could they? How the hell did he survive that?’

‘It took my ship three weeks to heal and repair him, but Charlie has always been very strong.’

‘How is he coping now?’

Steven relieved a crick in his neck with a twist of his head and rubbed the area with a hand. ‘Our doctor believes he is suffering from PTSD; Charlie refuses to acknowledge it. He says he is fine. If you didn’t know him you wouldn’t know there was anything wrong with the man.’ Steven smiled, ‘He has changed though, he rarely smiles or laughs anymore.’

The President mulled something over for a moment, ‘Would you like him transferred? People with PTSD can be a bit twitchy and unreliable. No insult to your friend intended.’

Steven shook his head vigorously, ‘No; if anything goes wrong with Charlie, or if he gets hurt, there is no one else capable of helping him. That was one of the main reasons I had him transferred here.’

‘I understand,’ the President went into deep thought. ‘I read once that one of the worst things you can do to a soldier who may be suffering from PTSD is to remove him from his friends and companions, where they feel safe. You might want to consider taking on board some of his friends. Every ambassador is allowed an armed body guard for protection.’

‘That might be a good idea sir. I certainly have the space now the ship is almost twice the size it was. Aye, and those lads can fairly fight. Now we know there are a lot of hostiles out here, the extra manpower could come in handy.’

The President had a stupid grin on his face.

‘What is it sir, did I say something amusing?’

‘You speak with an American accent, yet you are talking like a Brit.’

Steven laughed, ‘I may have lost my Scottish accent years ago sir, but there are words I have never lost. My mother and father have never lost their accents and every argument in the house turned in to a Doric slanging match. That is the accent that is particular to the district they were brought up in,’ Steven explained.

‘I passed through that part of Scotland when I was a student,’ the President laughed, ‘it was certainly an eye opener.’

Steven joined his laughter, imagining the look on the young President’s face the first time he heard the Doric accent. ‘What’s really funny is the way the crew have picked up certain words from the other accents and dialects surrounding them. Bloody and bugger, seem to be the two most popular.’

The two men laughed.

CHAPTER 3

Charlie was dozing in his quarters when the request from Steven came. When he had returned from the ceremony he had taken his kit off carefully, gave it a quick clean and put it away. After exchanging his kilt for a pair of shorts he had slipped off into a dreamless sleep.

It took him a moment to orientate himself. ‘Tell Steven I will be with him shortly please. I am going to grab a quick shower.’

Charlie stripped off and caught himself looking in the full length mirror. He moved closer to it and touched the skin on his face. It wasn’t his skin, he knew that, but it felt real. He didn’t need to shower these days as he didn’t sweat, but it made him feel a little more Human. He didn’t need to shave either. The thick mat of hair that once covered his chest was gone, along with every other hair. His body looked buffed but Charlie knew it was an illusion. He would never grow old like others. He had been told that he could have children if he wanted to, but what woman would want to live with a man who would never age like she did?

Babes had told him that his brain would still age, but probably at a much slower rate now most of its functionality was redundant. It was no longer needed to regulate a body more cyborg than Human. Small computer chips the size of a pin head would do that.

Dark clouds began to form in the recesses of his mind, but he pushed them brutally away. He was alive and there were many that weren’t.

He took his shower and dressed in a tracksuit for ease and comfort. Going home on leave had been hard. He had personally known so many of those who had died on the city ship. Many parents and loved ones had sought him out while he had been on leave. Returning to barracks and the reforming of the regiment had been a relief at first. The familiar routine and training had been welcome. The feeling hadn’t lasted very long though.

Within a short time his super-Human abilities had been noticed, and very soon Charlie began to pick up unhealthy thoughts directed at him by those who were jealous or just ignorant. When the request from Steven had come through he had jumped at the chance. Now, stuck on the ship, he wasn’t so sure he had done the right thing. To be blunt, there was just nothing for him to do. The ship was manned by young professionals straight from the space academy – idealistic young men and women who were much brighter than he was, and he knew it.

His mind reading abilities had been kept secret and only a select few knew about it. He was grateful for that. Only God would be able to help him if the intelligence community ever found out. Over the months he had been able to get control of the ability and switch it on and off at will.

Buzz greeted him as he came onto the bridge, ‘How are you doing Charlie?’

‘No bad Buzz. Any idea what this summons is about?’

Buzz shook his head, ‘None, but I’ll warn you, the new Earth President is with him.’

Charlie hesitated for a moment, ‘OK, thanks for the heads up man.’

‘No bother.’ Buzz grinned cheekily and Charlie laughed at his attempt at a Scottish accent. He liked Buzz a lot.

Buzz watched Charlie disappear down into Steven’s quarters. Things had been a little tense between them at first, but they had soon grown to like each other. Buzz was glad he had been able to make Charlie laugh. It was a rare thing to see.

As Charlie descended into Steven’s quarters the President stood. Charlie switched on all his senses and was aware of what the President was going to say before the words even came out of his mouth. Charlie stood to attention.

‘Please excuse my attire gentlemen, I wasn’t aware of the company I would be joining.’

His pleasant response helped steady the President’s nerves a little. ‘Sergeant Murison. Obviously you know who I am, so I won’t beat about the bush as some folks like to say. I just wish to apologise for the behaviour of some of my people and for the way you were treated while in the hands of some of my fellow countrymen. I also realise that your actions with Orlath Canaries was exactly the right thing to do. In our haste to scrape together qualified men, we ended up scraping up some shit along the way. I know you will never be able to forgive us, but I just wish to convey my regret for what happened and thank you personally from myself and from the citizens of the United States for your service.’

Charlie took a deep breath, ‘Well this is unexpected sir, but I would like to reassure you that I hold no grievance towards yourself or any of your people for what happened to me. They were bad men sir, or shit as you so accurately described them. It didn’t even occur to me to regard them as American. As far as I am concerned, they were just plain bad. Rotten to the core. May I ask what happened to their masters?’

‘We are still trying to track them down. We now believe the Jamaican Warehouse incident was caused deliberately to help keep the area destabilized. From what I have been able to ascertain, it was all to do with gun running and drugs. It would seem that our two generals had their fingers in a number of dirty pies. Until you turned up and let the fox loose in the chicken coop, we weren’t even aware of what they had been up to.’

‘If I remember correctly sir, many American troops lost their lives as well.’

‘You are right Sergeant, we did lose some good men.’

‘All because of the greed of a few.’

The President nodded, ‘Isn’t it always the same.’

‘Please don’t blame yourself or your people sir, I don’t.’

The President smiled and offered his hand, Charlie shook it. ‘We will continue to hunt those responsible down Sergeant, and bring them to justice.’

‘Thank you for your concern sir, it is gratefully received.’

Knowing he was dismissed Charlie returned to his room.

CHAPTER 4

Lady Jane Montgomery Royce stood over the royal bed, her mouth for once agape in wonder. Isobel burst out laughing. ‘It is certainly King size.’

Jane regained her composure, ‘It is so big it is almost indecent. His Royal Highness will be pleased no doubt.’

‘He thinks we will get lost. These animals are much bigger than we are. I suppose it needs to be big enough to accommodate a cow.’

Jane’s scathing look silenced Isobel before she could go any farther.’

‘You will not refer to them as animals, cows or any other such term Isobel. They are sentient beings and should be treated with respect. It is a simple fact that they are all smarter than us, please try and remember that before you cause another war.’

Isobel sighed, ‘For God’s sake ease up Jane. We are alone.’

‘We may well not be Isobel. According to my sources, there could be recording devices in every room. You would do well to remember that. These people know nothing about us, so they will take every opportunity to gather as much information as they can about us. I sincerely doubt your royal status will save you from scrutiny. In fact it will most likely intensify it. Consider yourself and your behaviour as if it were under a microscope.

The King appeared at that moment and stopped in his tracks when he caught sight of Jane. The smile slipped a little.

‘Ah Lady Jane.’

She gave a sight curtsy, ‘Your Royal Highness. I was just telling Isobel that she should consider herself under a microscope.’

‘Yes of course, we most likely are. I have already said as much to Isobel.’

‘Then you need to reaffirm that sir. She doesn’t seem to be taking it quite as seriously as you are.’

‘Jane says they may have recording devices in here,’ Isobel whined a little.

The King looked around the room, ‘She could well be right. I did tell you to be on your best behaviour twenty-four seven Isobel.’

‘I didn’t think you were referring to our bedroom darling.’

‘I am afraid so Isobel. Lady Jane, do you have the protocols for this banquet tonight?’

‘Yes sir, they are on your desk. You seem to be getting on well with the Emperor.’

‘Remarkably well. The parade was a great success. They seemed to particularly enjoy the Naval Gun Race.’

Jane smiled frostily as usual, ‘I think we all did sir. Was there anything that seemed particularly offensive to the Emperor?’

‘Not that I am aware of. Although he did mention that he could do with a band of pipers. He thinks that having them march up and down in front of any potential rebels would be enough to frighten the hell out of them.’

Jane picked up a noted pad and began scribbling, ‘I did notice at the ceremony that they all reacted badly to the pipes. I will bring it to the attention of those that need to know.’

‘The Emperor told me that he enjoyed them thoroughly and apologised for his people’s reaction. I of course told him about the Scottish regiments. He was particularly fascinated by their reputation in battle. It helped of course that the Gordons were the first on to the city ship, and also took the surrender of the Albany at the very end. It may be a good idea to have one or two in my personal guard while on this trip. Keep them visible, and in the public eye as it were.’

Jane’s pen hesitated for a moment, ‘Steven has a friend of his on board who is a Gordon. He was at the ceremony today.’

‘I did notice. Do you know his name?’

‘Charles Murison, I believe.’

The king’s face split into a wide grin, ‘Charlie, Charlie Murison.’

Jane was shocked, ‘Yes sir, I believe that is what they call him.’

The King rubbed his hands together, ‘Excellent, he will make a great addition our party tonight.’

Jane’s shock deepened, ‘You know this man sir?’

‘Oh yes, the Gordons often provide the Royal Guard at Ballater. I have met Charlie a number of times. He also attended almost every ghillie’s ball while they were serving. He is a great dancer, and always made a great impression.’

Jane was doubtful, ‘Wouldn’t an officer be a better choice? I heard his commanding officer was in the thick of the fighting, and actually took the Albany surrender.’

The King’s face fell, ‘Have you met the Bear?’

‘I’m sorry?’

‘The commanding officer of the 1st Gordons. His nickname is the Bear.’ The King became thoughtful, and then smiled. ‘Yes, there was always a spark of competition between those two.’

Jane shook her head, ‘I am sorry your highness, I seem to have lost your train of thought.’

The King blinked, ‘Oh sorry! When the Bear and Charlie got together at the ghillie’s ball, they were always trying to out dance one another. You don’t want to get between that pair in a Dashing White Sergeant.’

Jane sighed, ‘I see. Shall I make enquiries as to their availability tonight on your behalf sir?’

‘There is no need for you to put yourself out Jane. In fact I will say no. What we will do is host our own party.’ He rubbed his hands together, ‘Yes that is a very good idea. We will host a ball of our own and invite the Emperor. In the meantime Charlie, Captain Gordon, and Lord Dunedin will suffice for this evening from your crew, along with those guests that have already been invited of course. You yourself will be joining us at the top table as part of the royal party.’

‘What about Mya sir?’

‘Ah, Mya is the personal guest of the Emperor and will be taking the place of his brother. She is actually a part of the Imperial family now. Tomorrow she is to be taken to the home and estate that she inherited from his brother.’

‘Did you get a chance to talk to her today sir?’

‘No I didn’t, the Emperor told me himself. He seems as fascinated by her as his brother was.’

Jane smiled grimly, ‘Mya has the most impeccable manners; I just hope she is coping will these people.’

‘I have never had the opportunity to meet her yet, but I hope so.’

CHAPTER 5

The music at the Grand Ball was no better than it had been in the morning. Many of the Humans had gagged at the food as it was put on the table. A soup that seemed to be made from silage bree was served first. The Humans were treated to a plant of some sort that most races could eat and was readily available. It was one of the vegetables that had been available on the Burning Wind, and was declared edible. Tonight it had been cooked to a soggy mess that resembled porridge.

The Royal table was raised high on a platform. Mya was almost invisible between two of the Emperor’s brothers, both decked in their military finest. The King sat next to the Emperor and the Queen next to the women of the Emperor’s household. Lady Jane was almost at the end of the huge table.

Steven found himself next to the President and they talked animatedly throughout the meal, enjoying each other’s company and picking at the food. Tapper was at a higher table with other nobles, while Charlie was way down at the bottom table with those just above common status. There were other military people at his table, mostly Modloch Officers. Of the lot, Charlie was the lowest ranked there.

Komoru sat at the same level as Steven but across the other side of the room. The giants siting opposite her ensured that they couldn’t see one another. Thankfully for Komoru, she had the President’s wife and daughter to talk to, both of which were eager to hear of her adventures so far.

The President was asked a question by one of the other political leaders and Steven took a moment to absorb the atmosphere. The banquet hall was the biggest he had seen in his life. The décor was extravagant, the architecture alien, to say the least. The roof must have been at least thirty feet above their heads and the single room a hundred meters square. Yet there were no supports or signs of any braces. The roof itself would have graced any cathedral with its high arches.

‘You seem fascinated by the ceiling.’

Steven turned his attention to the portly Modloch who had been slurping through the meal next to him and who Steven had been trying his hardest to ignore all evening.

‘Yes it is rather grand. I was wondering how it was supported.’

‘The material of its construction is extremely light weight, but that isn’t its secret. The secret is the central support that runs along the middle of the roof. It is like a big cross, can you see it?’

‘Now you mention it, yes I can. It’s a little thicker than the rest and runs in both directions. Oh! There is a number of them.’

‘Yes that’s right. The walls support the braces and the arches press against the braces. Those braces are completely ridged, no sag. In reality the walls don’t really support anything more than themselves. Those braces actually run down the walls and under the floor forming a ridged structure.’

‘I understand. Like a box or a frame. Each side supports the other.’

‘That’s right, and everything else is simply hung on it. I am impressed that a military man would be interested in architecture.’

‘I’m not a military man.’

‘Are you not the Captain Gordon that led the assault on the City ship.?’

Steven was shocked, ‘Yes, I was involved, but I am not military. How do you know of me?’

‘The Emperor has been trying to sell us this trade agreement for months now. To do so his propaganda machine has been working overtime. We know all about you from the battle reports submitted by our ambassador. There are documentaries depicting the whole story. It has been quite fascinating to watch. Did you not also rescue your people from that Black Planet?’

‘Yes, that is correct.’

‘Forgive me, but the documentaries depict you as a military man.’

‘Well that much isn’t true.’ Something was mulling over in Steven’s mind. ‘I thought the Emperor could just please himself about these trade agreements?’

The Modloch sat back chewing his cud while thinking over an answer. ‘Technically that is true. However a wise ruler should always have the backing of his people and his politicians. We have a governing body that is responsible for running the empire on a daily basis. The Emperor is our guiding light. Of course every one of our planets has its own governing body that has to answer to the main government and the Emperor. To deny the Emperor is usually fatal, if you try and push forward a policy he objects to. However such a thing is very rare.’

Steven was aware of much of this, however he hadn’t realised that the Emperor really needed the backing of his own politicians. ‘Are you a politician?’

‘No thank goodness. I am an academic. I teach celestial navigation at the Emperor’s Royal Academy here in the city.

Steven sat up, ‘Wow! Do you have any published papers or books I can purchase?’

The Modloch’s muzzle wrinkled in a manner that Steven recognized as a grin. ‘I teach hands-on navigation, the old fashioned way of doing things with a slide rule and a pen.’

Steven nodded, ‘I have a stellar cartography room on my ship and had one built back in my academy. It is a C.E.T.i. 110083.’

Now it was the Modloch’s turn to sit back and take notice of the man beside him. ‘Yes, that is the standard primitive unit that I teach on. It is a dying art I will admit, but if one wishes to be a navigator on any of the Royal ships then you must complete the course.’

‘I discovered the unit on an old freighter and had it duplicated. I am making all of my students learn on it.’

‘Your students?’ It was an inquiry.

‘Yes, over the past few years I have opened a number of educational institutions back on my home world, and a space academy not far from my base on the Moon. Since the emergency we have turned it into a military style academy. Students are under no obligation to join the Earth Defence Corps afterwards of course. However, at this moment, if you wish to cross the great barrier, it is the only way.’

‘Fascinating. Do you use the unit?’

‘Every chance I get. My ship had some papers on it and I taught myself how to use it. I translated those papers into an academic course that all our navigators must take and have had a unit built into all of our ships. As yet only the first of those capable of using it have begun to reach the fleet. Some proper instruction from an expert would be invaluable. If I could purchase any of your books or papers, I would be grateful.’

The Modloch was scowling now, ‘May I ask some personal questions?’

Steven shrugged, ‘Why not? Isn’t that what this whole evening is about?’

‘You have built academies, have a say on your world’s ship building. Are you sitting at the right table?’

Steven sighed, ‘I have built schools, academies, universities, hospitals, teaching hospitals, hotels, shopping malls, houses, space freighters and whole battle fleets. You name it, I have probably built it. I presume you would like an explanation?’

The Modloch was struck speechless for a moment. ‘You are under no obligation to explain anything to me Captain. I am, however, insanely curious.’

Steven laughed and launched into as short an explanation as he could. During that time the next course was set down in front of them. By the time they had finished the course Steven had finished his explanation.

The Modloch Professor sat quietly for a long time and Steven was beginning to believe he had lost him. The Professor eventually put his large fork down into his huge bowl and dabbed his muzzle with his napkin. ‘If what you tell is the truth then you are most definitely sitting at the wrong table. You should be up there with the industrialists.’

‘I am not an industrialist, though I do hire out ships and space in my malls. The money from those enterprises pays the staff in many of my projects but not all. The World’s Resource Unit has now taken over the running of the Earth Defence Force and the Academy. Individual countries pay for the members of their armed forces. In fact it is all a bit of a mess. Everything is so new. Being first into outer space from my planet gave me the opportunity to gather large quantities of precious metals and gemstones, much of which I converted into cash. The yearly interest from those accounts keeps everything else running pretty smoothly.’

‘How did you build all those things in such a short period of time?’

‘Builder technology. If it weren’t for that the Human race would now be extinct.’

The Modloch Professor sat back, ‘Ah yes, I see. Still, it must have cost a lot for the materials to build a whole fleet.’

Steven shook his head, ‘In real terms it cost us nothing. Earth was full of something we call rubbish dumps. Advanced reclamation and processing of the type you have is unknown on Earth. We simply reclaimed vast amounts of materials from rubbish dumps then converted the materials into whatever form we needed them in, feeding it all into the automated dock yards we had built. The huge landfill sites have been a sore in the side of every government on Earth since they were first conceived. They were only too happy to allow us to do whatever we wished with them as long as it got rid of their problem.’

‘Astounding, simply astounding. I do know what you are talking about of course. Once upon a time we had the same problem. Then advanced reclamation became a reality. There were many companies that got rich in discovering those old sites and reclaiming the materials within them. I understand completely where you are coming from. Are you still building ships?’

‘Yes of course. We now have a fleet that protects our home world and the solar system.’

‘You are still not charging your government for the privilege of building these ships?’

‘No. As long as I am getting the materials for free, I see absolutely no reason to charge them. After all, the survival of my whole race depended on it, and still does.’

A waiter took away their plates, and the President captured Steven’s attention for ten minutes. When he turned back the Professor began talking again.

‘Captain Gordon. I have little doubt that what you have told me is true. From a life time of being a teacher, I have come to recognise if someone isn’t being quite truthful – even those not of my own species. Please forgive me if I am being a little forthright.’

‘You have nothing to apologise for. I understand how hard it is to believe. I have trouble believing it myself. The Human race has thrust itself into the future with a gusto I could never have envisioned a few years ago. We were a divided race. Many countries fighting each other. Now we are one race in a densely populated galaxy, fighting for our right to simply exist.’

‘I was very sceptical about sitting at a table with a meat-eater, but I have to say that you have changed that view quite dramatically. A person of your integrity is very hard to come by in this universe. To do so much for no reward or gain is extremely rare. I would like to invite you to the academy at your own convenience.’

Steven was delighted, ‘I would love to come and visit sir. Would it be possible to take my partner and maybe sit in on a couple of lessons?’

‘Nothing would give me greater pleasure Captain.’

The waiters came back and disturbed them once more. They put a mushroom which floated in a brown liquid in a sealed glass in front of the Modloch Professor. When they were finished the Emperor made a small speech welcoming Humans to his Empire, cracked open the glass and downed the contents. His people followed suit. There was a communal gasp of delight.

The Professor finished shuddering, ‘Oh that was exquisite. You did not partake?’

‘I recognise the mushroom sir. It is from Earth and is highly poisonous to our species.’

‘How did you know we would like it?’

‘Nothing to do with me sir. It was your ambassador while he was on Earth. I have no idea how he discovered the mushroom.’

‘Did you know all of the food tonight was supplied by the Emperor from his own garden? All of the grasses come from your planet. I have to say it is the best banquet I have ever attended. How has it been for you?’

‘As banquets go, this is only the second I have ever attended. This one is by far the best in terms of splendour. In the terms of food, however, it comes a very bad second.’

The Professor howled with what Steven could only presume was laughter.

‘That was well put. If however the Emperor had produced meat at this banquet, it would have caused insult to all.’

‘I understand, but we don’t just eat meat. There are many different types of grasses or grass type species on our planet. From a few of them we make a thing called bread which is a staple in all of mankind’s diet. We discovered during our long journey here that the ambassador gained a liking for some types of bread, mostly wheat, rye and corn. We don’t kill all of our animals. From many we collect milk which we turn into other products such as butter and cheese. Something else our ambassador took a liking to. He couldn’t eat too much of it however as it gave him bad gas.’

The Professor laughed, ‘Your people get more intriguing every moment Captain. This evening has become an unexpected pleasure.’

CHAPTER 6

Charlie found himself laughing; the Modloch in front of him too barked a laugh.

‘Well if it isn’t the freak himself.’

‘Well well, Mr Ambassador.’

‘You can stow that Ambassador shit Charlie, just call me Chief.’

Charlie nodded, ‘You got your old job back then.’

‘With a bloody great pay rise as well. It’s good to see no one’s assassinated you yet.’

‘I heard they were considering throwing you out an air lock.’

The Chief Engineer of the city ship sighed, ‘It was bloody close. Lucky for me, by the time they had finished arguing about it, my condition had improved.’

‘Space plague huh? I thought they would have done you in for sure.’

‘It was so damn close it still makes me shudder to think about it. The law states that they should have cooked me, but I knew far too much for them not to try to heal me.’

‘You mean you kept that big gob of yours shut?’

‘Damn right I did.’

They both laughed, ‘Still, the Emperor kept his word and made me Chief Engineer of the city ship. Just so you know, I have never mentioned your special talent.’

‘You have my thanks for that Chief. I can control it at will now, so it is permanently switched off.’

‘Good to hear it.’ The Chief looked around, ‘Why the hell are you here?’

Charlie looked mystified, ‘I have no idea. We must be the two lowest ranked bodies here.’

‘I would say we are.’

‘You should have seen the faces of the Modloch officers sat around me when they realised what my rank really was. You would have thought I had shit in their hay.’

The Chief laughed, ‘Doesn’t surprise me none. Most of those here are nobles from noble families and that includes the military. I think the Emperor is trying to prove something.’

Charlie became serious for a moment, ‘You look like shit by the way. Was it bad?’

The smile slipped from the Chief’s face, ‘Never felt anything like it before. For a while I was praying to die.’

Charlie nodded, ‘Aye, I know that feeling well enough.’

The Chief looked round. The food was finished and the tables and chairs had been cleared away. Now the guests mingled with each other. They could see Steven surrounded by academics; he seemed happy enough.

‘Who else is here from the crew?’

‘Tapper is here somewhere. He was sitting with the toffs nearer the top of the hall somewhere.’

‘What are toffs? That didn’t translate.’

‘A term used for those of noble birth.’

‘Ah, I get it. Who else?’

‘Lady Jane.’

‘The white witch herself huh? I hope I don’t bump into her.’

‘No much chance of that. She is with the royal party. Her sister is married to our King, so she is well out of our reach.’

‘Good, I saw the pretty Mya up there as well.’

‘Aye she is here. I think that’s about it.’

‘So why the hell are you here and not some of your officers?’

Charlie shrugged, ‘I have no idea.’

‘Want to grab a drink and get out of this shithole?’

‘I could do with a fag.’

The Chief grunted, ‘Still smoking that disgusting weed. Well you had better not do it in here. You will set off the fire alarms.’ The Chief delved into his robes and pulled out a silver flask. ‘Shall we inspect the Emperor’s gardens?’

Charlie laughed, ‘Let me guess: Star Water.’

‘I promised I would give you a taste, didn’t I?’

‘You sure did.’

Charlie followed the Chief to a strange wonderland. He had never seen any of the plants before; they gave off a strange, heavy scent in the moonlight. With two moons, a full and a half moon, they could almost see the colours.

‘Do you have your tester?’ Asked the Modloch.

Charlie produced a small box and the Chief poured a drop into it. A green light came on. ‘Good to go. Fit for Human consumption. Told you, didn’t I?’

Charlie laughed, ‘You sure did.’ The Chief offered the first drink and Charlie took a sip. It was an unfamiliar taste but not unpleasant. Then came the kick. ‘Oh aye Chief. That isn’t bad at all.’

‘It doesn’t have the punch of that malt whisky you Scots are so fond of, but it still has a kick.’

Charlie lit up, ‘Aye, I would say as my first taste of alien alcohol, it isn’t bad at all.’

Charlie had just finished his cigarette when Steven’s voice sounded in his head. Charlie put the stub of the dead cigarette into his sporran. ‘Steven wants me. It seems like Tapper is on the hunt. I’ve told him we are out here in the garden.’ Charlie waited a few seconds for Steven to answer. ‘I have to meet Tapper at the side entrance we came out of.’

The Chief grunted, ‘Maybe we will find out what you are here for.’

Tapper met them just as they reached the entrance, ‘Hello Chief, good to see you again. Sergeant, the King wishes for you to attend his presence.’

‘What for sir?’

‘No idea.’

The Chief found himself drawn onwards as Tapper engaged him in conversation. The three of them arrived at the line in the hall that no one could advance beyond without royal consent. All three were ushered forward, the Chief almost panicking when he suddenly found himself in the presence of his own Emperor. He was just wondering how the hell he had got there when he was spotted. The smile that played around the Emperor’s muzzle wasn’t pleasant.

‘Ah! My Chief Engineer. Where have you been hiding? Are you recovered from your illness and ready to resume duties?’

The Chief almost choked, ‘Yes sire.’

‘About time too.’ His eyes swivelled towards Charlie’s. ‘So, you are what passes for a soldier in the Human world?’

Charlie had turned on all of his senses and clearly heard the King think, ‘Give the bugger what for Charlie.’

Charlie smiled, and looked one of the Emperor’s guards up and down. The guard shone like a new pin, and wore a decorative sword at his side. ‘Is that what passes for a soldier in your Empire sir?’

‘He is one of the elite. A soldier beyond compare.’

Charlie could sense curiosity in the Emperor.

‘Really?’ Charlie sniffed, ‘We have those too. I, however, am a common soldier. How about a little test of strength sir? Just a small one.’

The Emperor suddenly felt a rush of excitement. ‘What do you have in mind soldier?’

‘Let’s say I place my hand on his sword and try to prevent him from drawing it.’

The Emperor burst out laughing, ‘You jest?’

‘Not today sir.’

The Emperor gestured to the guard, ‘Gord. Come here. Did you hear what he said?’

‘Yes sire.’

‘What do you think of his chances Gord?’

‘I think the oxygen rich air is affecting his mind sire. I have no objections to this test of strength.’

The Emperor looked to the King, ‘Have you any objections?’

‘None at all.’

‘Gord, if you will.’ The Emperor commanded.

The guard presented himself and Charlie placed his hand over the hand guard and locked his fingers onto the scabbard. Charlie nodded and the guard tried to draw his weapon. The smirk on his faced soon vanished.

The Emperor frowned, ‘What’s wrong Gord, draw your weapon.’

‘I am trying sire.’

‘Try harder damn it.’

The guard used both hands, one on the scabbard. Still he couldn’t move it. He gave a great bellow as he tried one last herculean effort. The sword didn’t budge and Charlie’s expression didn’t change. He felt fear leap between the Modloch like a flame.

‘Enough.’ He suggested.

‘Enough.’ The Emperor confirmed. Their fear levels dropped as Charlie let go and stepped back. ‘That was quite an impressive display of strength soldier.’

‘There is one thing you have to take into consideration about the Human race sir.’

‘What is that?’

‘When you get fed up of listening to our fat politicians, get sick of listening to their endless whining and decide it would be far easier just to squash them and declare war on the Human race, remember it isn’t men like them that you will be fighting. It is men like me.’

The King coughed politely, ‘That’s enough Sergeant. No one here is proposing war.’ He turned to the Emperor, ‘You will have to excuse the Sergeant, he is a typical Scottish soldier. They can get a little carried away sometimes.’ He turned back to Charlie, ‘Dismissed.’

‘Yes Sir.’ Charlie took two steps back and saluted, ‘Gentlemen.’

The Emperor growled, ‘That didn’t translate. What did he say?’

‘It is a form of respect towards those of higher status,’ the Chief almost squeaked.

‘It is, is it?’

‘Yes sire.’

His eyes sent the Chief scuttling after Charlie. He turned to the King. ‘Why did you invite a common soldier to this evening?’

‘Ah! He was the first soldier on to the city ship and one of the last off. He and his men fought the entire length of the campaign without respite and took the surrender of the Albany. This is a little treat. My show of appreciation for their efforts. He represents all of the common soldiers that fought.’

The Emperor was almost growling, ‘I understand.’ He accepted the King’s explanation. ‘It is occasionally necessary to throw the commoners a few scraps from your table. Their gratitude is pathetic, but it can make them more loyal and fight all the harder.’

‘Exactly.’

‘It would seem that we aren’t all that different after all.’ The Emperor noted that his Chief Engineer had caught up with the Human soldier and by their body language it was clear that the two were familiar with each other, maybe even friends.

CHAPTER 7

Steven and Komoru spent a week in academic bliss at the royal institute. Steven had a list of questions and the Professor welcomed each and every one. Their presence also seemed to inspire his other pupils. Steven noticed there were seats for over a hundred, but only about a dozen were taken.

The Professor showed the pair of them around and they soon became aware of the prestige of the academy. His schedule was very light so he was able to give them a lot of personal tuition. After a couple of days Steven took Hailey in to see how she would fare. For the past few months Steven had been teaching her the basics. Hailey dived into the classes with as much gusto as Steven and Komoru, to the great delight of the Professor.

Their arrival didn’t go unnoticed though and at the end of the week they were called upon to attend the Dean of the institute. He eyed them coldly.

‘Captains Gordon and Kiazu, your reputations proceed you. It is a pleasure to see you here. However, I have had a number of complaints from some of the students and their patrons, to the effect that you and another member of your crew are receiving free tuition. That is unacceptable. The patrons of this institute are amongst the most influential in the Empire. As such I will have to put a stop to your visits.’

Steven and Komoru were devastated. Steven tried to reason with him. ‘With respect sir, in the short time I have been here we have learned so much. I was going to suggest that together we start a program to teach Human navigators. The Professor has informed me that too few pupils take his course and the institute is even considering cancelling the program. We can fill those seats and pay for the tuition of the pupils. As a race we are so far behind in the art of astral navigation. Yes, we have computers that do it, but I truly believe that the first generation of navigators should know the absolute basics. Only then can we truly begin to learn.’

‘You are correct about the institution wishing to close the department. However, the majority of us hold exactly the same view as you do. To which end as long as a single pupil crosses that threshold then the department will not be closed.’ He sat forward, ‘Your offer is very tempting. There is one major problem though. The Human race has no collateral or cash on this side of the great barrier. You may have rare minerals, metals and gems to trade but without a formal trade agreement in place with the Universal Mining Commission they are little more use than lumps of chalk. As an unregistered planet, any application will take years to process. Of course it would also undoubtedly fail. The last thing the commission wants is a glut of fire diamonds and precious metals on the market. That would drive prices down.

‘Many years ago, Captain, I majored in finance and economics. My first job when I left this institution was working with a major freighting company. As you can imagine, this opened my eyes to the way things are run on a universal level. I have to tell you that you and your people are heading for a major disaster. You would be better turning round and heading back to your own solar system.’

Steven wasn’t amused, and neither was Komoru. ‘Would you like to enlighten us?’ Komoru asked, ‘After all, we have the support of your Emperor.’

‘He is one Emperor in a vast ocean of emperors. We do have the largest standing fleet and probably the biggest empire, I admit, but that does not mean we are invulnerable or that we can flaunt the laws at will. Are you aware that there is a universal ban on the movement of any form of meat products within this galaxy?’

‘No sir I wasn’t,’ Komoru answered truthfully.

‘I would presume you have supplies coming from your own home world.’

‘Yes sir, of course.’

‘Every freighter and freighter captain is subject to universal laws. There is a universal force that polices those policies. That means that they can lawfully stop any vessel in any sector of the galaxy they wish, including ours. The only exemption are those freighters that are part of a military convoy. The penalties for transporting meat are severe, such is the dislike of meat-eaters. For a world like yours, with no official standing, that would mean internment for many years for the crew and most likely the destruction of the cargo along with the freighter.’

‘But we could simply escort them from the great barrier.’

He sighed wearily, ‘Your world has no official standing in this part of the galaxy. They could stop your military vessels at will if they wished to do so. Any form of resistance would bring whatever hell you primitives believe in down on your head. Neither could our Emperor stop it, nor would he. While you are part of the Modloch fleet you are all perfectly safe. The moment you start roaming around on your own, you become very vulnerable.’ He seemed to be about to conclude the interview. ‘There is one more thing that you may wish to consider. May I ask how your ships are being fuelled at the moment?’

‘By tankers from home,’ Komoru answered.

He half smiled, ‘Then you must have a lot of tankers. Your ships are modelled on our own so I know they can travel for months without refuelling, but eventually they will need to be. You will not be able to procure fuel here. I am quite sure that the Emperor might supply you with some, maybe for a while, but a fleet your size is expensive to run. Of course he could just let all of your ships run out of fuel and then rescue your people. Under the laws of salvage those ships would then become his property until you buy them back. Of course he also has the right to procure them from you if he so wishes. I can assure you the price he will pay would be nothing to the cost of building them. Then again, with no legal way of paying you, he could just keep them free of charge. Were you aware of that?’

‘No sir,’ Komoru admitted.

‘I didn’t think so. I am quite sure that you are having the adventure of your lifetime and I envy you from the depths of my soul. However, the galaxy is not a playground for children. You have no experts in galactic law and no real clue as to what you are really doing here. We are brought up with it. We are taught it from childhood. By looking at you I can see that our brains are much larger than yours and far more capable of retaining the knowledge required to survive out here. From what information I have been able to gather, your species is not ready to join the rest of the galaxy yet. Go home or learn fast.’

He picked up a tablet and a stylus, ‘If you can find a way of getting funds and a patron, we would be more than delighted to take pupils in from your race. I would suggest that you look farther than just astral navigation. Good day.’

CHAPTER 8

Steven went straight to the President. Of course, what the Dean had told them was the absolute truth. The President admitted that they had already approached a number of galactic banks and all had refused to open an account for the Humans.

The President sipped at his coffee, ‘The Dean was right to some extent. We can’t sell any of the precious metals or gem stones that we brought with us. We would be allowed to sell that which we have procured from our own home world if we receive galactic status. Normally when you receive galactic status you can deposit any amount you wish as collateral, providing that it came from your home world. That doesn’t include your solar system. I have a team of people wading through it right now, but it isn’t looking good.’

‘What about our supplies sir?’ Admiral Baxter asked.

‘We are going to have to ask for an escort from the Emperor.’

‘That means we are going to have to stop them on the other side of the barrier until we have a large enough number for a convoy sir. That will seriously delay the arrival of some essential supplies.’

‘I am aware of that. We are going to hold a large feast for the Emperor and what other dignitaries he brings with him from the other worlds. After that we may well have to return to our own side of the barrier, at least until we can build staging posts where our forces can cross over to refuel and resupply.’

‘Even then, any vessel we have, including our military ships, can be stopped and searched at any time by the relevant galactic forces.’ Admiral Baxter added. ‘Every single one of our ships has meat products on board.’

‘That is another thing we are going to have to address: non-meat products that will give our people the nutrients they require to function efficiently. The longer we are here, the longer we walk a tightrope.’

The Admiral agreed, ‘Aye sir, right now we are at the mercy of the Emperor and his goodwill.’ He shook his head, ‘I don’t like it one little bit. I wouldn’t trust the bugger as far as I could throw him. He has nothing to lose and everything to gain if our people fall foul of these intergalactic laws. To not submit to this galactic police force could bring Dante’s Inferno raging down round our ears. I don’t see any reason for the Emperor to give us fuel or rations, certainly not for free. Neither have we any way of paying for those supplies.’

The President sighed, ‘We are in a bind, with no real way out. Right now we have fuel and provisions for a number of months. By the time they begin to run out we had damn well better be prepared for what comes next.’

The President reached out, took a large pad from a pile, and looked around the gathering of top officials and officers. ‘I am going to write out orders and have them delivered to each of you. I want nothing discussed here, nor do I want any paperwork being put into any electronic device. Any plans from these orders shall be made on paper. Our friends and foes are far more technically advanced than we are. As far as we know they could be roving through our databases right now and we would never even know.’

He looked around at everyone to make sure he was being taken seriously. ‘Gentlemen, I want an escape plan. I imagine our food stocks would run out first, however I sincerely doubt that it would be in the Emperor’s best interests not to convoy our freighters to us. Nevertheless, I wish for this plan to be triggered by either our food or fuel resources reaching a level that will leave us vulnerable. I need your best men to calculate in the fact that we may well have to fight our way out. We know the Emperor is not shy about sending forces beyond the great barrier in pursuit of an enemy. The Burning Wind is a prime example of that. From my end I will have teams of lawyers and politicians look for loopholes in legislation that will give us a foothold in this part of the galaxy. I will also approach the Emperor and other heads of state about the position we find ourselves in, and we will see what solutions they offer. There has to be some form of limited access to banks while a legal application to join the alliance is being considered.’

‘Sir, if I may?’ It was an Australian General who had interrupted him.

‘General Crombie, isn’t it?’

‘Yes sir, commander of the Australian First Division.’

‘Please, go ahead General.’

‘How close are we to making an official application sir?’

‘This is what these celebrations are all about General. We require the support of at least half a dozen heads of state to make the application – half a dozen different races out of hundreds. The more support we garner the more chance we have of gaining access to this galactic family. We would need the support of over half before we could actually gain galactic status, and I suspect that day is a long way away. In the mean time we have to court those the Emperor puts in front of us; I suspect they will do as he guides them to do.’

‘So our first priority is to win over the Emperor?’

‘That’s right. We need to impress him on every level. Make him believe he can’t live without us.’

‘Dazzle him with bullshit sir.’

The President laughed, ‘Exactly. At this moment in time our biggest asset is the British King. They seem to be able to communicate as equals. He in turn is taking directions from us. He can approach the Emperor on an informal level that no politician possibly could. We deal with the politicians on an equal level and inside the Royal residence we have the King working on our behalf. That doesn’t mean it is going to be a cake walk. We hope for the best and plan for the worst.’

‘I can’t argue with that sir.’

‘Good, any more questions?’

There were a stream of them and the President worked his way through them.

When the meeting was over the President took Steven to the side. ‘Do you have the latest reports from the King?’

‘Yes sir,’ Steven produced a memory stick and handed it over.

‘Thank you Captain Gordon. I think I really need to meet with him soon.’

‘According to Lady Jane he wishes to talk to you as well sir. It seems he has grave concerns about some of the problems that were brought to light in this meeting.’

‘That’s great Captain. It’s good to know we are on the same page. I have to admit I wasn’t sure about bringing the King on board at first, but he has proved invaluable. He would have made a helluva politician.’

‘He is a very intelligent man with the benefit of the best education Earth can provide sir.’

The President studied Steven for a moment, ‘Of course that is exactly true. Thank you for reminding me of that. Your ship must have exhaustive data on galactic laws and treaties.’

‘Yes sir, she does.’

‘We need that information. Everything you have.’

‘There are terabytes of information sir.’

‘I don’t care, we need it all. Would you be able to sift through it and sort it into categories for us?’

‘Of course.’

‘Thank you.’

CHAPTER 9

Mya stood in the entrance hallway of the grand house frightened to go any farther. Two rows of servants lined the great hallway with their heads lowered. The giant at her side touched her gently on the shoulder.

‘Please enter Lady Mya, this is your new home.’

She took a deep breath, ‘It is too much. I can’t.’

‘Not to accept would be to dishonour Gairloch’s memory and last request. That would upset the Emperor greatly. The last thing you want to do is upset my brother.’

Her head came up and she had a tear in her eye. ‘What on Earth will I do with it?’

General Rannalld laughed aloud, ‘You live in it. When you are on planet of course. This is your home now. You will receive Gairloch’s pension until you pass away.’

‘You mean like his widow?’

‘Yes.’

‘But we were not.’ Her face took on a pained expression.

He laughed again, ‘No one thinks you were, woman. Gairloch never married. I remember he told me that one day he would find a woman worthy of our bloodline. When he did he would marry her.’ The giant sighed, ‘He never did. I think he was married to the fleet. Then in one of his final messages he changed his will. No one was more surprised than we were. Leaving everything he had to an unknown alien woman he hadn’t even married? But he had finally found a woman he deemed worthy of our great blood line’

‘Would I be able to request that the Emperor takes it back?’

‘You could, but why would you wish to do that?’

‘I do not deserve this. I did nothing to deserve this honour.’

‘You must have done something?’

She shook her head, ‘Nothing I can think of.’ It was very hot and Mya flicked her hair round the back of her head to the other side. Rannalld found himself mesmerized by the action.

‘We did no more than talk.’

‘What did you talk about?’

‘Everything. My home, his home. Our family. He talked a lot about the planets he had visited, and sometimes the battles he fought in.’

‘Were you not bored? Gairloch could be very long winded.’

‘I loved listening to him. He was very good at describing things.’ Her head canted to a slight angle, ‘He had to be good. Before I was abducted I had never left my home island. We had no electricity. We worked in the fields and collected fruit from the jungle to survive. We thought the stars were the souls of our ancestors. I had no idea they were suns like ours or that people lived on planets around them. I could not read or write until I joined the crew.’

Rannalld stared in wonder at her for a moment then shook himself. ‘Let us enter.’

Mya shook her head, ‘Please, I don’t want to.’

He reached down and gave her a gentle push, ‘Don’t be frightened. I will contact the Emperor and convey your misgivings. It may take a while and it is cooler inside.’

‘I am sorry, of course.’

He guided her through to the living room. Rannalld ordered refreshments, but Mya only asked for water. She sat on the edge of an enormous couch and looked around the huge room. It was much cooler inside. The room was spartan, almost bereft of furniture apart from the large seats. The central wall was obviously some form of viewing screen. A small table was produced from somewhere and a huge glass of water placed in front of Mya.

‘Thank you.’ Mya had to use both hands to lift it and the servant stared in horror at the contrast.

Her eyes sought out the only decorative piece in the room. A large statue of the Emperor. ‘Is that the statue you all dropped when you were drunk?’

Rannalld who had also been staring turned his head and suddenly burst out laughing. ‘That is the replacement.’

‘Yes of course. You all glued it back together and made a mess of it. In panic you decided to simply order another from the sculptor.’

Rannalld was still laughing at the memory, ‘It was Gairloch’s house warming. Would you like to see the original?’

‘You still have it?’

‘It is hidden in the cellar. Come.’

Mya followed him down. The cellar was well stocked and almost full. Behind the many wine racks, hidden under a dust cover, stood the statue. Rannalld whipped it off with a flourish and the two of them howled with laughter at the sight. In the end it had turned into a competition to see who could make the statue of their elder brother more hideous.

‘I swear if he ever saw this we would all be exiled.’

‘Gairloch said he never had the heart to get rid of it. Anytime he felt a bit down he came down here, took the cover off, and had a good belly laugh.’

‘All of this, of course, was a gift from the Emperor. We all received one once we had passed military academy. We had got drunk in the officers mess and returned here; the statue was waiting by the door and we decided to simply carry it in. I’m still not sure who tripped, but the statue went tumbling. It is made from a very brittle stone and must have shattered into hundreds of pieces. To deface anything with the Emperor’s face on it is a serious crime – smashing a statue of him is a disaster. We were all much younger then and panicked. Gairloch sent out for a dozen packets of glue and we tried to piece it all back together.’

‘He told me you raided the cellar here and were each sitting with at least a couple of bottles of wine at your side.’

Rannalld’s laugh echoed around the cellar. ‘That’s right, and the drunker we got the worse it got. We all fell asleep after it was finished. When we woke in the morning, we couldn’t believe what we had done. So we snuck it down here and ordered another. It cost us a pretty penny too.’

‘A secret shared among loving brothers.’

Rannalld felt his heart soar, ‘It certainly is.’

By the time the Emperor had replied, Rannalld had shown her around the house and the private garden. Mya thought she could have built four villages in the space.

‘You have to understand that everything belongs to the Emperor. We can decorate the house however we wish and the gardens are our own private affair. The rest of the land belongs to the Emperor and is none of your concern. Of course you are free to wander over it as much as you like. The boundaries of this estate are easy to see.’ He swept his hand round in a large circle. ‘They are bound by the hills you see surrounding us. There is a small villa on the edge of the mountains for when it gets too hot. We don’t have seasons as I understand you do on your planet but there are times when our sun goes through periods of higher activity. When this happens it can become quite unbearable at this latitude. That’s the best time to live in the highlands.’

‘The heat here doesn’t bother me. I lived in a jungle all of my life where the temperature was much hotter than it is here now. What bothers me most is the longer days. At home we have twelve hours of sunlight and twelve hours of darkness. Here it is eighteen hours of both.’

‘Ah, you mean Earth hours.’

‘Yes. What are those?’ She pointed to some strange plants that ran down the walls.

‘I did some research and the nearest Earth equivalent would be trees. They convert carbon dioxide into oxygen.’ He saw her frown. ‘Air you can breathe.’

‘Ah, I get it. I have heard people talk about that. I am afraid I have almost no education. To you I must seem a strange primitive.’

Rannalld suddenly felt awkward, ‘Actually it doesn’t bother me. I find it somewhat refreshing.’

She swished her hair, ‘In what way?’

He hesitated a moment, ‘I’m not sure really. Maybe it’s because of the way you don’t try and hide it. You are completely forthright and honest. When you live within privileged circles, there are a lot of people who pretend to be something they are not. They try and deceive to curry favour. It is exactly the same if you are trying to deal with politicians. We live in a world of half-truths and shadows.’ He lifted his hands to indicate the estate, ‘There are Modloch that would kill to be in a position like you. Yet you do not feel you deserve such a position in life. I am beginning to see what it is my brother saw in you. Did you speak to him often?’

‘He invited me to dinner a few times. After the meal we would sit and talk.’

‘You mean he sat and talked.’

Her laugh did strange things to his ears, ‘No, not all the time.’

His wrist communicator beeped and he read the message. ‘The Emperor has denied your request. I am sorry Mya.’

She looked round her, ‘I think he did this because he knew I had no home to go back to.’

‘What happened to your home?’

‘Not just my home: my family and people too. A nation called Japan invaded our islands. They were very cruel and harsh. Especially the officers. They acted like conquerors. They came through our village one day... one of them saw me and demanded that I be sent to his camp. I was frightened and my father decided to send me up to the chocolate hills to be with my great grandfather. None of us knew what would happen if we defied them.

‘They tortured my father and my people until someone revealed where I was. Then they shot them, murdered the whole village and burned it to the ground. They killed my grandfather when they found me as well as some of my cousins who were there. I was beaten and dragged back to his camp. They threw me in a hole in the ground for a few days. Then he came for me. He forced some of the camp women to bathe me and then I was supposed to submit myself to his lust. One of the women had left a knife lying and I had managed to grab it and conceal it under the clothes that they forced me to wear. They put me in his bedroom and left me there. He came in and sat down on a chair to take his boots off. He commanded me to remove them. I think that’s what he meant. I walked up and stuck the knife in his throat. As he fell to the floor I jumped out of the back window and ran into the jungle. I evaded them for days, but they caught me in the end. I was beaten and was being dragged back by my hair when we were abducted by the Albany.

‘When I finally returned to my village there was nothing left of it: a few sticks poking out of the ground, here and there the odd shard of pottery. The jungle had claimed the rest. I think maybe he visited my village before I did and discovered what I was to learn later. Maybe this is why he left his home to me.’

‘It sounds like Gairloch. He pretty much refused to believe anything until he saw it with his own eyes.

Tears filled her eyes and ran freely down her face, ‘He was so kind, but why?’

Rannalld was mesmerized by her tears, then felt an upswelling of emotion for his lost brother. They had always been close, always getting into trouble together. He touched the woman’s shoulder and she suddenly buried her face against him. A long mournful bellow escaped his throat.

She stepped back and dried her tears, ‘I am so sorry.’

He smiled at her in that manner they had, ‘It is OK Mya. Gairloch is greatly missed; but of all the things he did in his life, I think this is the most compassionate. Come back to the house. Let us eat.’

The meal laid down in front of them was inedible to Mya. She laughed at the big bowl of hay and the staffs’ eyes rolled in their head as Rannalld gave them a bollocking. She concentrated hard and laid her hand with the communicating device on the surface of the table. A few minutes later a steaming bowl of rice appeared and a few seconds later stir fried noodles and vegetables. The staff beat a hasty retreat and Rannalld was intrigued by the smells wafting across the table at him.

‘What is that?’ He inquired, ‘It isn’t meat is it?’

‘No, just stir fried vegetables and boiled rice. Rice is a staple, like grass is to you, and is normally eaten in the east and south of our planet, in the warmer climates. In the north and colder areas they normally eat a thing called potatoes. They are quite nice but I prefer rice. The noodles here are made from flour. That’s a type of grain.’

‘Oh! I was under the impression that you ate animals all the time. Grass is our staple but we also eat vegetables and some fruit.’

‘Would you like to try? I promise there is no meat.’

He took out a small device. Mya had seen them before. The device told the owner if food was consumable and everyone had one. The food passed the test and she passed a little into a dish. Rannalld thought the rice was quite bland, but the flavours from the stir fried noodles exploded in his mouth. It was all he could do to stop himself from grabbing the bowl off her.

He lowed comically, ‘Do you think you could ask for another bowl for me?’

Laughing, she requested another bowl of the noodles and vegetables. The small bowl did little to appease his appetite so he finished off his meal with the hay that was before him. It started a conversation about food that lasted for hours. She told him she liked fish and he admitted that they had fish, however they never ate it. Instead they were caught in vast quantities and used as a natural fertilizer. He had no idea if she could buy any.

She accused him of having double standards. They looked down their noses at Humans because they slaughtered animals for food. Yet they could slaughter millions of fish every year to fertilize their crops and nothing was said. The argument raged back and forth in a good-natured fashion for hours. He loved it when she won a point because she swished her hair and giggled.

Eventually an urgent buzzing required his attention. He hadn’t realised how late it was. He answered it.

‘I am afraid I have to go now Mya. I have told them half an hour. Before I go I will show you the upstairs.’

With a sense of urgency he took her up and showed her the master bedroom. It was almost as spartan as the rest of the house, but it was the bath that made her howl with laughter. She had never seen a bath so big.

She escorted him to the door. He stood there shifting awkwardly for a moment. ‘I have enjoyed spending this day with you Mya. There is much more of the estate to see, and of course the villa in the mountains. As I have been tasked with showing you your new accommodation, I request that I be able to join you tomorrow, if you have no other appointments.’

‘I have as long as is needed.’

‘In that case I shall come around midday.’

‘I shall look forward to it Rannalld.’ She took his hand and placed it against her forehead.

Somehow the gesture touched him deep inside. A servant closed the door and retreated. Mya was left alone and feeling overwhelmed.

CHAPTER 10

Mya concentrated hard and a few minutes later Komoru appeared at her side. Her head cranked round, trying to take in the grandeur of Mya’s new home.

‘WOW!’

Mya laughed, ‘I have no idea what to do Komoru.’

‘Are you here alone?’

‘There are servants somewhere, but I have no idea where or how to call them.’

‘Show me round then.’

A very quick and impromptu tour ended up in the large bathroom. Where Mya had laughed at the size of the bath, Komoru’s eyes simply glistened with delight.

‘How do you fill it?’

‘I have no idea.’

It didn’t take long for Komoru to work it out and show Mya. As it began to fill, Komoru had an idea. Five minutes later Hailey and Amanda Freeling arrived. ‘Is this what you are looking for Komoru?’ Amanda held up a bottle of foam bath that she had never been able to use then saw the running water. ‘Oh my God!’

‘Yes please.’ Komoru laughed and Amanda proceeded to pour in the foam bath.

They managed to work out how to call a servant and soon a pile of towels appeared. The female servant, although surprised by the appearance of the strangers, bowed low to Mya and left them to it.

Within a very short period of time all four women were stretched out in the bath.

The laughing faded out as the heat and the swirling water soothed their bodies.

‘Oh this is so good.’ Murmured Amanda.

‘It has been so long.’ Agreed Komoru.

‘Yeah.’ Was as much as Hailey could manage.

The bath water didn’t get cold and so they stayed in until their skin began to wrinkle. A fresh bought of laughter ensued when they tried the towels. They were so large.

Amanda wrapped herself in one of the towels. ‘This is sheer bliss.’

‘Isn’t it. These towels are so thick and soft,’ Hailey agreed. They had another laugh at the size of the bed and all jumped on.

‘Would you all like to stay the night?’ Mya ventured.

‘Thought you would never ask,’ Amanda laughed. ‘We can share this bed. It’s huge.’

Babes and Ico sent down some personal items and they were soon sitting around in their night gowns and doing each other’s hair. Conversation drifted back to the problems they were having. Mya felt a bit left out as she had little idea of the technical issues they were discussing. She found the intelligence of these women intimidating –they weren’t silly little girls sitting around talking about boys. Although they never used their titles, Hailey and Komoru both had doctorates in their chosen fields, while Amanda was a first-rate medical doctor and a top field surgeon.

Komoru, ever sensitive to the feelings of those around her, noticed Mya’s looming despondency and was smart enough to realise its cause.

‘Did you take food with you today Mya?’

She immediately perked up, ‘No, they tried to feed me hay! Thankfully Cookie beamed me down some rice and stir fried noodles and vegetables. They were delicious. Even Rannalld loved them. I thought he was going to steal my bowl off me when I first gave him a taste.’

The three women went quiet at the revelation. ‘Did you know that they are having problems coming up with a menu for this feast?’ Komoru asked her.

Mya shook her head, ‘No, why would anyone tell me?’

‘Do you know if he is coming back?’

‘Rannalld? Yes, he is coming back tomorrow to continue the tour of the estate.’

‘Could I ask you to make Rannalld a test subject for Human food? It has been so hard to find Modloch who are willing to try it.’

‘I am not sure if that is proper. He was very concerned that there might be meat products in the food.’

Komoru smiled, ‘We aren’t going to strap him down and force feed him Mya.’ They all laughed. ‘I suggest we send down a chef with as much fruit and vegetables as possible. You could ask him to taste things for us, to help us.’

Mya giggled, ‘I am sorry, it just sounded so horrible.’

‘That’s true,’ admitted Amanda, ‘I mean who wants to be a test subject. Official food tester sounds a lot better.’

Komoru laughed, ‘I am so bad. I am sorry Mya. I did not mean to sound so clinical.’

‘It’s OK. After this evening, I am sure he wouldn’t mind.’

‘We could send down Cookie?’ Komoru suggested.

Mya’s face fell, ‘That might not be a good idea.’

Their female senses rose to full alert. ‘Have you fell out with him Mya?’ Hailey asked.

‘No, but I think Rannalld likes me. If Cookie were here he would sense that we have feelings for one another.’

‘Uck!’ Ventured Hailey.

Amanda shuddered, ‘You don’t like him do you?’

Mya laughed, ‘I do like him, but I am not attracted to him.’

‘The Modloch are very territorial,’ mused Komoru. ‘If he does like you then Cookie arriving could very well upset him.’

‘We really need more than one chef anyway. There are many different styles of cooking on Earth. You should send down the best we have under Cookie’s charge. It would be better than just one man.’ Amanda suggested.

‘Of course,’ Komoru agreed, ‘and so many chefs would distract him and prevent him from becoming suspicious of Mya’s feelings for one.’

Mya agreed, ‘If it helps I will do it.’

They all thought it was a good idea and Komoru went through to the bathroom for some privacy as she talked to Steven about it. Within an hour a request had gone round the fleet and suggestions began flooding in. The duty to select the best was given to Cookie and he began to sift through his staff. It took him four hours of talking to different chefs on the intercom to make a decision on the dozen to take with him the following day. They were urged to take the best ingredients with them they could find. The following morning at six o’ clock they all gathered on-board Babes and were beamed down to Mya’s new residence.

CHAPTER 11

It had been a few days since Steven had pushed the panic button on the financial crisis and, despite hundreds of people working on the problem, still no solution had presented itself. Even the King had drawn a blank. The Emperor had simply side-stepped his questions, telling him not to worry about it.

As the meetings became more secretive, Steven dismissed Charlie. Colonel Howe and Beaver had taken over the duty of escorting Steven around the fleet. Charlie had been glad of the break at first but soon became bored. It seemed that everyone was busy and had some other job to do in their down time. Everyone except for him. Kelly had been requested as an instructor by the commanding officer of a new contingent of troops that arrived just a few days ago.

Charlie changed into civilian clothes for the first time in months and Babes beamed him down to a mall in the big city below. Strange beasts flowed around him. All knew he was of a meat-eating race and some females even ran from him in fear. There was more than Modloch present. Other and more colourful creatures wandered around the giant mall. He discovered he was being shadowed by a number of security guards. After listening to their thoughts for a few minutes he decided it might be better if he went back to the ship.

As he turned a corner Babes beamed him up. He could imagine the panic his sudden disappearance would cause the guards. Back on board the ship he soon became restless again and had Babes beam him over to the city ship. He found the Chief deep in the engine room.

‘Hey freak, what are you doing?’

‘Day off and bored to tears Chief, what about you?’

‘Trying to fix some of these generators you bloody Scots wrecked as you tore up my engine room.’

Charlie looked up at the damaged generators. They were huge. ‘Oh yeah. We would shoot a few holes in them to shower sparks down on the Albany that were hiding there. It flushed them out.’

The Chief scowled down at him, ‘Was it really necessary to take out so many of them?’

Charlie scratched his head, ‘Seemed like a good idea at the time. Can’t you replace them?’

The Chief snorted, ‘Yeah, will I just pop over to the Albany embassy and ask them to send over some replacements?’

‘Aye OK smartarse, I got your drift.’

‘We are having to fabricate parts from scratch. The trouble is some of the parts are so badly damaged we can’t replicate them. If the Emperor dropped off the outer rings, we would have enough power for the rest of the city. You don’t want to hear what he said when I suggested that.’

‘How much of the city have you power for?’

‘All of it until you activate the shields and weapons. Then just over sixty per cent.’

‘What’s the chances of you having to use them within your own borders?’

‘Not the point, Charlie.’

Charlie sighed, ‘Yeah I get it.’

‘Especially with the Emperor on board. Neither will we leave the home world until the work is complete.’

‘Can’t you just install some of your own?’

‘There are generators out there that could be converted, or we could have some custom built. It would only take a few days at most. Not going to happen though.’

‘Let me guess, the Emperor is a cheap bastard.’

The Chief barked a laugh, ‘How did you guess! So its repair and make do for now.’

There was a howl and a yelp from somewhere inside the generator. It was followed by a loud clang of metal; a large spanner slid into sight and stopped at their feet.

‘For the love of the three moons that orbit my arsehole! That’s the third time those idiots have dropped it.’ Charlie was still laughing as the junior engineers slid into sight following the same route as the huge spanner. The Chief ripped into them as they struggled to lift it. He stopped his tirade for a moment and eyed up Charlie.

‘Charlie, would you mind helping out a little? These two are just too big and clumsy to fit in there together and the tool is too heavy for one of them.’

‘No problems Chief, what am I looking for?’

The Chief pointed to the spanner, ‘It would be a thing that fits on the end of that,’ he sniffed.

‘So there’s only one thing in there that this will fit on to?’

The Chief sniffed again, ‘Yeah, right, you’ve never seen inside one of these have you. Sorry about that. It’s just a single bolt about four times your height. There is a ladder you can climb up to reach it on the inside. It holds on the top half of the generator. Once the nut is off, we can extract the bolt from this side, then split it in half so we can get into the guts of it.’

‘Right, I got ye.’

The two junior engineers seemed doubtful, but the look on their faces as Charlie took the giant spanner off them and casually slipped it over his shoulder was novel.

Charlie slid inside and didn’t take long to find the nut. He slipped the spanner on and gave it a heave. It didn’t turn so he put more pressure on it. It began to turn but Charlie noticed something. He inspected the nut carefully and shouted down.

‘Hey Chief, a couple of shots have welded this nut to the bolt. If I turn it any more it will sheer off.’

‘Don’t worry about it Charlie. We will just make a new set. Sheer it off.’

Charlie could clearly hear the two junior engineers laughing and grinned. After one mighty effort the large nut gave out with a loud squeal. The spanner and nut fell together and rolled out of the generator. Charlie could clearly hear the Chief laughing as he climbed back down. The two junior engineers stood with their mouths open.

‘Any more Chief?’

‘About a dozen Charlie, if you’re willing to help.’

‘Lead the way.’

‘You pair of useless buggers – get the team down here to remove that bolt.’

It only took Charlie a couple of hours to sort the rest of the bolts. Three he had to sheer off.

The Chief was laughing all the way to the rest room. ‘You just saved me a couple of days work Charlie. I think there is still some of that coffee you Humans like if you fancy a cup.’

‘Love one.’

The rest room began to fill up as the engineers came in for their break. One of the youngsters was listening to what passed for music. Eventually Charlie got a little pissed off with it.

He turned, ‘What the hell is that noise?’

The young engineer gave him a strange look. ‘Balliboo, it’s their new album.’

Charlie shook his head, ‘The latest and best of modern Modloch music.’

The engineer missed Charlie’s sarcastic tones, ‘They aren’t Modloch. They are Almalons.’

‘A whit?’

‘Almalons.’

Charlie turned back to the Chief who shrugged, ‘Never heard of that race. It’s not bad though. Where are they from?’ He asked the youngster.

‘It is a new planet in sector G5. It was colonized by miners and eventually terraformed. I think they are going to apply for Galactic status soon.’

‘Now that’s a wild sector, right on the frontier.’ The Chief added.

Charlie almost shrugged it off, ‘They won’t be getting paid for their music then.’

‘Why wouldn’t they?’ The youngster asked.

‘As far as I have been led to believe, new planets and their citizens aren’t allowed to have bank accounts. Something like that anyway.’

‘Doesn’t apply to artists,’ sniffed the young engineer.

‘How no?’ Charlie pushed it.

‘Well, because they are artists of course. It’s the same with all artists. They are pretty much free to come and go as they please. Don’t matter if they are musicians, painters, sculptors or actors. They are playing here in a few months. They wouldn’t come if they didn’t get paid.’

‘As long as they are part of the artistic community and their record company is registered with the galactic body that deals with artists, then they can go where they please. Most artists or their companies have bank accounts on every planet.’ Added another.

‘Sorry I didn’t know that.’ Charlie finished his coffee and the Chief saw him out.

‘We got another half dozen of these buggers scheduled for tomorrow Charlie. Do you have the day off?’

‘Looks like it.’

The Chief slapped him on the shoulder, ‘As soon as you can make it then.’

‘Catch you tomorrow Chief.’ Charlie was beamed away.

CHAPTER 12

Rannalld’s senses were being assaulted. Mya had been completely honest with him. In the morning he had shown her around the grounds but when lunch time came he very quickly realised that he could not do her request justice. He called in reinforcements, and within an hour half of his general staff had arrived. Cookie had thought they were going to have a lazy day, but with the arrival of the general staff, the whole damn thing kicked up a few gears and he sent for back up. Another dozen chefs arrived, but not to cook. They were needed to take notes and ask questions. The quiet home quickly turned hectic. The Modloch servants helped where they could, and Cookie had them transporting dishes back and forth.

Rannalld groaned as he climbed into the aircraft. ‘What have you done to me Mya. I can hardly move now.’

‘I am so sorry Rannalld. I did not think they would bring so much food with them.’

‘Most of it was delicious. Never mind, my staff will soon make short work of it. If there is one thing they do really well, it is eat.’

She laughed, ‘Where are you taking me now?’

‘We are heading towards your villa at the mountains.’

The craft took off and made for a distant point in the mountains. Mya was getting used to the uniform green strips of grass. Here and there large machines swept over the rectangular fields. As they approached the mountains, Mya noticed the terrain begin to change. She pointed down. ‘What is happening here?’

‘Every now and then you come across a parcel of land that simply refuses to drain.’ Rannalld explained.

‘Can I see it?’

‘Why?’

‘Please.’

He shrugged and relayed an order to the pilot who changed course. They flew back and forth across it for half an hour before she was satisfied.

He was watching her with great curiosity. ‘What are you thinking Mya? Nothing grows there except for water grass. Only the poorest would even contemplate eating that stuff.’

‘You said all this belongs to the Emperor; are you allowed to plant food on land like this?’

‘You mean there is a Human crop that would grow in such conditions?’

‘I think rice would grow here.’

‘Ah! That white dish you are so fond of.’

‘Yes that’s it.’

‘I don’t know, I would have to look into it.’

‘Do you think there is fish down there?’

‘I doubt it. The insects that thrived in such places were considered detrimental to the health of the people many thousands of years ago, and wiped out. When we killed them off, I think most of the species that lived off them also died off.’

‘Still, it might be worth a trip to find out.’

‘That it might.’ Rannalld smiled to himself. He had been looking for an excuse to visit her again, once his official duties had been carried out.

The craft resumed its course and they soon reached the mountain villa. Green fields stretched out on any flat piece of ground to be seen. Mya could see where fields had been carved out of solid rock. The higher regions were almost devoid of life, untouched. The villa itself nestled on a long ledge on the lower slopes of the mountains. High enough to be cooler, but not so high that the air was thinner. It was exposed to the sun all day long and sheltered from the prevailing winds. The grass fields that surrounded it were of a different variety to that which grew well on the lowlands.

It was a long, single story building. The flat roof had been converted into a garden, while the far side had a pool. There were no roads, and the only in was by air; or so it seemed.

The craft landed on the other side of the roof from the pool and the garden. They got out and Mya was immediately struck by the view. It was only a few steps down into the garden, where they were immediately surrounded by flowers.

‘These are the first flowers I have seen.’

‘They don’t originate from our planet and are self-propagating, I believe. I think it was a gift from one of our ancestors to his wife. She was from a different race and these were from her home world. The legend says that they were off world together on a cruise ship when they were attacked by pirates. When he fell in battle she was said to have taken up his weapon and protected his body. They both survived the attack, but she later died of her wounds. Her husband put a stipulation in his will that whomever took over this residence was on the pain of their personal honour to look after and protect this Garden.’ He paused for a moment. ‘Will you accept that responsibility?’

‘Yes, I will.’

‘Then this residence is yours also. If you had said no then we would have had to look for another residence for you.’

‘You are serious about this?’

He smiled, ‘That was a time of great conflict, when the galaxy and its inhabitants were much younger. We were at war with more than one species at the time. This was the residence of the fifth son, separate from the estate below that was in the possession of the second son. The wars took its toll on the royal family of that age. The fifth son eventually became the Emperor. There were no children to the off world marriage and he eventually took a Modloch wife. They had two sons and five daughters. He lived to a very old age, outliving his second wife as well. Eventually he stepped down to let his eldest rule. He spent the last of his days here, tending this garden. He commanded his second son to maintain it when he died. In doing so the two estates were joined, and a tradition started that has never been broken.’

‘What a wonderful but tragic story. He must have loved her very much.’

Rannalld grunted. ‘Trust a female. He was married to set an alliance. Nothing more.’

‘Oh really?’

He looked down at her and shifted uncomfortably, ‘Yes OK, it sometimes makes you think.’

‘I would hope so Rannalld. He fell protecting her and she gave her life to protect him. If that is not love then what is?’

‘Duty, devotion.’ Rannalld sniffed.

‘You aren’t married, are you?’

He sniffed again, ‘No. We don’t have the privilege of picking our own mates in the Royal Family. They are normally chosen for us by our sire out of political necessity. If we reach the age of thirty, however, and are not yet mated, we can choose a young female from among the top noble families, if we wish.’

‘How old are you?’

He looked away, ‘Forty.’

‘Aha! Are you waiting for love Rannalld?’

He snorted and snot flew out his nostrils, ‘Are you teasing me?’

She suddenly burst out laughing, and handed him a handkerchief. He wiped his muzzle in embarrassment. ‘Sorry.’ He tried to hand it back.

‘You keep a hold of it for now.’ She pushed the hand down and began to stroll through the magnificent garden.

A strange cry lifted her head. Mya gasped, ‘Is that a bird?’

Rannalld looked up, ‘It’s a hunting Greech.’

‘I thought there was no birds or predators on this planet?’

‘The Greech hunt small furry animals called Brunne. They eat a type of heather that grows near the tops of these mountains. As they don’t eat grass or grass seeds, no one thought to wipe them out. As a result the Greech also survived.’

‘I suppose where the heather grows the grass doesn’t.’

‘Exactly,’ he agreed.

‘Are there more like this on your planet?

’

He shrugged, ‘I don’t know. I have never seen any. I have never seen a Brunne either. It is just what I have been told.’

‘I think your planet is quite a sad world.’

He didn’t seem very happy at that but then he became thoughtful. ‘Gairloch liked to watch them. In one of his messages home, he said how your world was full of wonderful animals and birds, that it was beautiful. I have seen some of those documentaries too. I suppose I can see how you believe our world to be sad. Maybe poorer. However, when you have a population as large as ours, every scrap of soil that can be used to grow grass is needed. We sacrificed everything so that we could survive.’

‘Was there a lot of famine?’

‘In our early history, yes. Sometimes millions died. We learned to farm better. Build up to release more soil, and grow grass just about anywhere. When that began to fail we took to the stars, and so began the rise of the Modloch Empire.’ He looked directly at Mya, ‘Come, I will show you the rest of the villa.’

By the time they returned to the mansion, his staff had left. Cookie declared the day a great success and returned to the fleet with the chefs to help plan the banquet. Mya wasn’t left alone for long. The girls arrived as soon as they finished their shift. They were curious about the villa so Babes beamed them all up to it. There were no staff there and they took to the pool naked. It was built in such a way that it seemed about to flow out of the pool onto the great plain below.

They lined up against the edge and stared out in wonder. ‘It is hard to believe we are on a strange planet in another part of the galaxy.’ Komoru murmured.

‘It certainly doesn’t look anything like Earth.’ Mya agreed.

Amanda smiled, ‘We are making history ladies.’

‘It is all so strange,’ Mya closed her eyes.

‘I suppose it is, but I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.’ Hailey added to their reflections.

Amanda stretched her arms across the side of the pool, ‘Even if I die tomorrow, it will all have been worth it.’

Hailey smiled, ‘You have to wonder what is going to happen next.’

CHAPTER 13

Charlie was beginning to get a little pissed off. No matter how hard he tried to get in touch with Steven, no one would let him. He discovered by accident that Steven was back on board and headed for his quarters. He was stopped on the bridge by Howe and Beaver.

‘No one is to disturb him, especially you.’

‘It is important sir.’

‘Don’t matter,’ Beaver reinforced Howes. ‘Don’t know what you’ve done Sergeant, but you’re not to go near him or any other person in the high command. That’s a direct order from the Captain.’

Charlie’s eyes went cold and both men saw it. Neither were perturbed though. Charlie knew he could take both men out before they could blink, but he was far too disciplined a soldier. He came to attention, ‘Sir, I request that you at least pass on a message.’ He was looking at Howe.

‘Go ahead.’

‘I think I may well have found a solution to the problems they are having.’ He hesitated for a second, ‘The one with the banks. I’m not sure what to do next. I have a good idea, but I want to talk to him about it, and discuss the implications.’

‘I will pass it on,’ Howe nodded.

‘Thank you gentlemen.’

He was about to turn away when Beaver stopped him.

‘Sergeant, a bit of advice.’

‘Yes sir?’

‘You are far too regimented for your own good. One of the first things the Captain told us when we came on board was that if we saw a job that needed doing, then do it. It is as simple as that. As long as you let him know somewhere along the way what you are up to. In my experience, if it is to the benefit of the crew, or the ship, then there will be no problem.’

Charlie looked from one to the other and nodded. ‘I will bear that in mind sir.’

They watched him walk away. Beaver shook his head, ‘Like a fish out of water. If no one tells him what to do he’s lost.’

‘Give him a break Beaver, he is just a grunt. You know what it’s like. Give him time. You never know, he might become more than the sum of all his parts.’

‘He is a nice guy and a great soldier sir, but I think he has been a grunt far too long. Completely regimented, unable to think for himself. He hasn’t done a thing since joining the crew. Nothing other than what he has been told to do. It ain’t really enough.’

‘Maybe he doesn’t really need to do anything other than what he has been ordered to do. With all these youngsters on board, there is no real slack to pick up. Not like when we first arrived. The Captain sees something in him, so maybe we should give him a chance.’

‘He is the Captain’s childhood friend,’ Beaver shrugged. ‘Figures he owes him something.’

Howe shook his head, ‘No: he was smart enough to realise that Orlath was something different, and the danger they were about to place him in. It was Charlie who set the whole ball rolling. Let’s not forget that he paid for it as well.’

‘That’s true. They say there is very little left of him.’

‘Not much more than his internal organs. I believe. No one is really saying all that much about it.’

‘You going to tell the Captain?’

‘Oh hell no. Let’s see if the Sergeant can begin to pull his own weight around here.’

‘Sounds good to me.’ Beaver agreed.

Charlie returned to his bunk more than a little confused. Even a lengthy argument with Babes did no good. He felt like he was on a precipice, and felt the truth in Beaver’s words. He was swimming outside his own element. If he had been out in the field, in barracks, or even on a battlefield, Charlie knew he could trust his instincts to make the right decision. Twenty years of continuous training and fighting gave him that confidence. But this was no battlefield that he recognized, this was the kind of thing that even his own officers would know little about. He was smart enough to realise that it was his mind reading abilities that had prompted Steven to make the decision he had. Obviously what was happening now in the higher echelons was top secret and Steven felt a responsibility to that. Charlie knew it wouldn’t take much for him to find out those secrets, but he respected Steven’s decision.

He took out an old jotter he was once going to use to write out lesson plans for his NCOs. He made a number of careful lists: what he knew, and what he didn’t know. The what he knew list was almost blank. From there he went up to one of the briefing rooms. They had the computers and information systems he required. It didn’t take him long to hit a blank.

‘Babes.’

‘Yes Charlie.’

‘Do the Modloch have internet, and can you plug into it?’

‘They do have something similar.’

He read out a list of the laws he needed and quickly discovered that he would need a copy of the same laws from Earth. He felt a headache coming on but stuck with it. It would take two days for the information to arrive from Earth. That would give him time to go through both the Modloch and universal laws. Babes helped him understand the legal jargon from both worlds and the galactic laws. He also had Babes search through her musical database for anything that sounded similar to Modloch music.

Her analysis was very quick. In reality there was very little commonality between the two cultures. However, the Modloch were very fond of woodwind type instruments. They had instruments that sounded very similar to the clarinet, obo and bassoon. It gave Charlie an idea.

‘Babes, do you have any Glen Miller on board? Nineteen-forty, the big band era.’

‘Not much Charlie, but I know Sergeant Kelly has a large personal collection.’

‘Where is he just now?’

‘He is on board the freighter Lexington, training a new detachment of marines.’

‘Could you ask if I can go talk to him please?’

He didn’t have long to wait for a reply. ‘He says yes, no problem, but if you do come then come in working dress.’

Charlie sighed, ‘Did you tell him I needed a favour?’

‘Yes, but not what it was.’

Charlie dug out a clean uniform, ‘It looks like he wants a favour back.’

‘How do you know?’

‘Well if he had said uniform, I would have put on our pretty blue one, but Kelly has been around us Brits long enough to know what we mean by working dress. That would be combat boots and Denims.’

Once Charlie was dressed she beamed him over to the freighter’s reception area. He was welcomed aboard and taken to see Kelly. The freighter had been converted into a training ground; it was an instructor’s dream. There was even a full assault course on board the large ship.

They shook hands and Charlie’s escort left.

‘Hey Sarge.’

‘Nice to see you Charlie,’ he grinned, ‘I see you got the message.’

‘Yup.’

‘Hear you want a favour?’

‘I hear you have a shit load of big band music. I want to borrow it.’

‘What for?’

‘Have you heard the fleet’s in trouble? They won’t let us open any bank accounts, won’t accept our gold or anything else and we are strapped for cash.’

Kelly nodded, ‘You know how it is Charlie, shit flows downhill at the same rate as bad news. These marines call it scuttlebutt. They reckon the brass are running round in circles chasing their tails.’

‘That’s about the measure of it.’

‘You been taken off guard duty?’

‘Yup, Howe and Beaver have the duty now.’

‘Must be serious then. What do you think?’

‘There’s a couple of options. If the whole fleet bolted for the barrier we could leave the Modloch standing. If we managed to avoid conflict on the way out then we should be home and dry.’

Kelly shook his head, ‘Yeah that might work for the battle fleet. We have the same craft, and if we get even a twenty minute head start then we will beat them to the barrier. But not with these freighters. They will slow us down and the Modloch will be able to catch us with ease.’

‘That’s why I said there was a couple of options. The first is to leave the freighters and the second is to take them with us.’

Kelly took off his cap and ran his fingers through his hair. ‘If we take them, how would we get away?’

‘There is only one way if the brass thinks they won’t let us go peacefully.’

‘Hit them first.’

Charlie nodded, ‘Exactly.’

‘Shit! It would be like Pearl Harbor all over again, only this time we would be the Japs.’

‘Couldn’t have put that better myself, and look how that turned out.’

‘Yah ain’t shitting.’

‘There are a lot of parallels Sarge.’

‘I see it, but could they chase us across the barrier?’

‘Remember the Ambassador.’

‘Yeah, they have a whole damn planet of Modloch that could chase us all the way home. A few months to train them and we would be up to our armpits in blood again.’

‘That’s the way I see it.’

‘Do you think they will do it?’

‘All their plans are being put down on paper. Eyes only. In the event of a crisis point being reached, all captains will receive their orders in written form and by hand. That’s as much as I know.’

‘It ain’t looking good. Is there another option?’

‘That’s what I am exploring now.’

‘On your own!’

‘Yup, no bugger will listen to me Sarge.’

‘So what are you doing?’

Charlie explained it to him as best he could. Kelly thought it over before replying. ‘I don’t know Charlie, it sounds a bit thin.’

‘I know, but what the hell.’

‘You can have the music.’ He grinned, ‘But I want a favour.’

‘Aye, I thought as much. What is it?’

‘I want you to show these bloody marines how an infantry soldier can handle an assault course.’

Charlie laughed, ‘Is that fair?’

‘Don’t whop them too badly.’

‘Aye OK. Just enough to shred their dignity and make them beast themselves half to death.’

Kelly laughed, ‘That should just about do it

‘Let’s get it on then.’

Kelly stepped forward and began to scream commands. Men rushed from all over the assault course to join them. They lined up in ranks before the two sergeants.

‘I have never seen such a pathetic bunch of assholes in all my days. I wouldn’t have you in the infantry.’ He stalked up and down. Some he noticed were throwing curious glances at Charlie. He smiled, ‘Today I have decided to give you all a little demonstration as to how it should be done. The man you are eyeballing is a sergeant from an infantry regiment. A Scottish infantry regiment. He was one of the first men on the city ship during the assault and was our guide up to our forming up point. We met on the beachhead. He showed us how to gain entry and then led half of my platoon in an assault to out flank a heavily defended enemy position. The men he fought alongside said they would fight by his side anytime. There can be no greater accolade for any fighting man from other fighting men.

‘You pukes think you are the best of the best. You think you are better than the infantry soldier. You look down your noses at the infantry soldier. You do so because the people who instruct you also look down their noses at the infantry soldier.

‘Because you passed basic training back on Earth you believe you now belong to a brotherhood of heroes: go getting, ball kicking hard asses that believe that they are at the top of the fucking fighting tree. You are not. The infantry is.’

That brought forth a roar of good-natured derision from the assembled men that made both sergeants smile.

‘You don’t agree?’

‘Sir No Sir!’ they cried out in unison.

‘I see, a bunch of disbelievers. Today I will prove to you that you most certainly are not at the top of the fighting tree. You are specialists who should stick to the bloody jobs that you were created to undertake and leave the bulk of the fighting to the real men in the infantry.’

They replied with a roar. Now they were fired up he turned to Charlie. ‘Sergeant Murison, do you fancy showing these boys how to take an assault course?’

Charlie stepped forward, and looked the assault course over. ‘That’s hardly fair Sarge. They are a bit green behind the ears yet. It would be a bit like giving a child a spanking.’

They roared their objection. ‘They would seem to disagree with you.’

Charlie shrugged, ‘In that case, the six fastest step forward if you think you can beat me.’

Kelly burst out laughing as they all stepped forward. ‘Just the six fastest.’ He looked down at a tablet and read out the six fastest times over the assault course and the names of the men who achieved them.

They stepped forward. ‘Sir, the infantry sergeant has no equipment sir.’

‘What’s all this “sir”, “sir”, shit?’ Charlie asked.

Kelly shrugged, ‘Some kind of hang up from the island. I gave up trying to correct them. Want to pick some equipment Charlie?’

‘Aye OK.’ Charlie picked a man about his size. The man handed over his webbing and Charlie made a few adjustments. ‘I tell you what, to make it a bit fairer, I will take the section weapon. Oh and the rest of you take your equipment off. Feel free to strip down to your t-shirts.’

They howled with laughter. ‘Shut the hell up,’ Kelly ordered, ‘do you actually think he is joking?’ The laughter began to die.

Charlie took off his bonnet and shoved it inside his combat jacket. ‘I can assure you gentlemen, I am not joking.’

Kelly point to one individual, ‘Asswipe, give the sergeant that M60.’

The man stepped forward and tried to hand the weapon to Charlie. Charlie growled, ‘What the fuck do you think you are doing Soldier? Were you so badly fucking trained that you don’t know how to present a weapon to a senior NCO?’

Kelly stepped in, ‘Clear that fucking weapon asshole or I will shove it so far up your ass you will have to squeeze the trigger with your dick.’

The marine took a step back, ‘Yes sir, sorry sir.’

Kelly stepped back and addressed the six men, ‘Strip to your t-shirts.’ They obeyed but looked confused.

The marine cleared the weapon and Charlie checked it was clear. The M60 was handed over. Charlie adjusted the sling.

‘OK, I’m ready.’

‘Would you like to take a walk round the course first Charlie?’

‘No that’s OK, it looks fairly standard.’

‘OK line up,’ Kelly roared. ‘Charlie take the left hand lane.’

They lined up in their lanes. The marines were fairly cocky and began to shout their encouragement to their friends.

‘Get ready, go.’

Charlie went over the first obstacle neck and neck with the fastest of them. He stayed there until they were under the barbed wire entanglement. At the six foot wall he simply vaulted over it and got a short lead of about a meter. At the twelve foot wall he swung wide and then seemed to run up and over the wall.

There were shouts of disbelief from the watching marines as their comrades reached the wall and began to help each other across. By the time the first hit the ground Charlie had a good ten meter lead and slowly began to increase it. The men screamed their encouragement, but about halfway round it began to peter out.

Charlie went up and over the cargo nets, high walks and rope bridge, then over the six and nine foot leaps as though they were two. The last hundred meters was supposed to be a sprint but Charlie was so far in front he merely trotted to the finish line.

It was all Kelly could do not to burst out laughing at the looks on the marine’s faces. ‘How was it Charlie?’

‘It’s actually quite a nice course. Half a dozen times round should build you up a nice sweat.’ He cleared the M60 and handed it over to the slack jawed marine.

The first of them came in gasping for air and collapsed in a heap. The rest weren’t far behind. Charlie, who hadn’t even broken a sweat, sniffed loudly at the sight. ‘Are you sure they are fully trained Sarge?’

‘That’s what they told me,’ Kelly mused with a sigh.

Charlie put his bonnet back on and took off the webbing, ‘I don’t know. I expected to beat them, but not by so much. Your guys were in much better shape.’

Kelly shrugged, ‘These guys aren’t infantry Charlie.’

‘Aye that’s true. Still I think you need to bring the standard up a bit.’

‘Yup, I reckon so. Want to help?’

Charlie’s head came up, ‘Love to. Let me get this little job done first and I will be right with you.’

‘Great. I will tell Babes to give you access to my room, so you can get those CDs.’

They shook hands and Charlie left. Kelly turned back to the despondent marines. They had all managed to get back to their feet. He shook his head sadly, ‘Anyone here still think they don’t need any more training.’ There was silence. ‘OK, any of you fellas fancy another crack at the assault course?’

There was a great roar from the assembled men. Kelly lined them up and set them off with a smile. Motivation was a great thing and so much easier than screaming at the top of your lungs all day.

CHAPTER 14

Steven folded the latest set of plans up with a groan. Komoru, seeing he was finished, got up and placed the next set in front of him. Alongside she laid a set of notes she had taken.

Steven looked through the notes first, ‘You believe this one is unworkable?’

‘Yes I do. It is far too complicated to work.’

He just wanted to sign the plans and send them back but knew Komoru wouldn’t allow him to. She had taken much of the burden off his shoulders by looking over the plans first and making notes. He ploughed into the documents. An hour later they joined the growing pile with the recommendation that the plan be destroyed. Komoru had been correct.

She laid another in front of him. ‘No, I’m sorry, I need a break. Why do you look so fresh?’

She smiled, ‘I find the process invigorating, don’t you?’

‘No. I find it depressing.’

She shook her head, ‘Steven, you are looking at this with your heart. You must stop. There is a chance none of these plans will come to fruition.’

‘I am sorry, I just can’t seem to detach myself. How do you do it?’

‘Years of abuse and ridicule for agreeing with the scientific papers of a fourteen year old boy.’

‘Ah! I see. Was it really that bad?’

‘They were vicious and vile. Now, of course, they are all on board. You would think that... what is that British saying? Butter wouldn’t melt in their mouths?’

Steven smiled and placed his hands behind his neck, stretching. ‘That’s the one. How was the last paper you published received?’

‘With great aplomb. Now they are singing my praises.’

‘That’s good.’

‘They are two faced.’

Steven laughed, ‘Ouch! You haven’t forgiven them then?’

‘Not one of them. As Cookie says, they are definitely on my shit list.’

Steven thought that saying coming from Komoru’s gentle lips was hilarious. ‘It is hard to believe I missed all of that.’

He spun his seat round to face the wall and it shimmered. She sat on his knee and his arms enfolded her. They watched the world below in silence for a while.

‘Do you think it is beautiful?’ Komoru murmured.

‘Not really. Yes and no.’

She laughed, ‘That doesn’t make sense.’

‘Doesn’t it?’

‘No.’

‘It is my first alien planet. That makes it beautiful. Is it a pretty as our Earth? Not even close. Even from here everything is so uniform; that makes it ugly.’

She nestled farther into his arms, ‘I can see what you are trying to say, but I like it.’

‘Would you like to stay there for the rest of your life?’

‘No.’

‘Why not?’

‘Because it is ugly. From here it is beautiful. Up close it is so devoid of diversity. Yet there is still beauty.’

It was Steven’s turn to laugh, ‘It is beautiful, it is ugly. You are making about as much sense as me.’

A Modloch battlecruiser glided silently past. Steven sighed and Komoru got up. The wall became solid again and Steven turned back to the plans.

CHAPTER 15

The King and the Emperor escaped the clutches of Lady Jane and flopped down onto a couch with a sigh of relief. Both had discovered that the other was going to be reviewing the customs of the Croweens. A visiting ruler and an ally of the Empire had accepted the invitation to the feast to be held by the Humans. They had, however, some strange customs. The King had suggested that they shared the chore together. It was a decision the Emperor now regretted.

‘That woman has no fear. I haven’t been scolded like that since I was a child.’

The King laughed, ‘She terrifies me.’

The Emperor joined his laughter. ‘She needs a mate and children to keep her occupied.’

‘You would be surprised by the amount of people that agree with you.’

‘No I wouldn’t. It might take that sharp edge of her.’ They laughed again.

‘Order her to take a mate. Choose one for her.’

‘Do you honestly think that would work?’

The Emperor thought it over, ‘Maybe not. It might just make her worse.’

‘Exactly. We were hoping the brave sergeant Kelly might have made inroads before now.’

‘Ah, the hero from another time.’

‘That’s right. She at least seems to respect him, if nothing else.’

‘How do you know?’

‘When she wanted to ask Captain Gordon for a place on his crew, it was Kelly she approached to sponsor her.’

‘She must also trust him then.’

‘He is an honourable man. She knew he would convey her request.’

‘Is he not a commoner?’

‘Yes he is.’

‘Not good. You could commission him and give him land.’

‘No I couldn’t. I am afraid one of my ancestors lost the part of our Empire that he comes from many centuries ago.’

‘That makes it worse. Still.’

‘Yes. I wonder if we could give them a little nudge.’

‘Do their duties keep them apart?’

‘Very much so.’

‘Gairloch thought much of him. Maybe we could invite him to the function.’

‘That’s an idea, but how do we get them together?’

The Emperor smiled, ‘Oh that’s easy. One of the race that is coming is called the Delaney. They consider it obscene for single women to be unaccompanied.’

‘Oh yes, that’s good, I like that. Both of course are very duty orientated. They would accept it. After a stern talking too of course.’

They both roared at one another’s wit.

‘Barley water,’ suggested the Emperor.

‘Yours or mine?’ Asked the King.

‘Mine, we will keep yours for later.’

CHAPTER 16

Cookie sat down at the table bearing gifts. Tapper’s eyes flew wide. ‘Fancies, nice. I thought we had run out of cream.’ He was referring to the cream buns on the plate.

Cookie grinned, ‘It isn’t cream sir.’

Tappers smile faded and his hand hesitated midway to the plate. ‘Oh! Not more of that alien cuisine.’

‘I am afraid so. This particular product is called Lala and comes from the sap of the Lala tree.’

Tapper scowled, ‘Now I think you are talking Lala, Cookie.’

Cookie laughed at him, ‘I shit you not sir. First developed by a race called the Wolat, who have a more diverse diet than grass. It can be made into a butter, cream and there is even a kind of cream cheese. It is considered a bit of an acquired taste in these parts.’

‘You mean only the rich can afford it.’

‘No not really sir, the Modloch just don’t seem to like it. On the rare occasions they do eat it, it is normally like this with fruit. Try it.’

Tapper cautiously took one of the buns and took a bite. His face went through a number of different emotions. ‘It does taste a little barky, but highly acceptable. Nice find Cookie. Yes, I like that.’

‘All part of the job sir.’

‘Have you found much on the planet that Humans can eat?’

‘There isn’t much but grass and a few bland vegetables which were retained for medicinal value a very long time ago and survived the purges. One of them gives very bad gas.’

Tapper stuffed another cream bun into his face, ‘Yes, I think I tried that one.’

They both laughed, ‘Any word from the future Lady Dunedin sir?’

‘Well!’ he sighed. ‘We were hoping that when she joined the space corps she would be stationed with the fleet on one of the science vessels. Unfortunately she has been assigned to a vessel which is investigating the asteroid belt.’

‘That’s bollocks!’

‘Maybe, but that’s just the way it goes sometimes. To be truthful, I think she has the best job at the moment. The elements on this planet are very similar to those back home. Everything is already catalogued. Hardly the life of exploration I was hoping for really.’

‘Don’t worry sir, you know what it’s like. You have to go through all the normal bullshit before you can go have fun.’

‘That is true. How is your love life getting on?’

‘Well there is nothing getting on, if you know what I mean. Any and all pleasures shall only be revealed on the wedding night.’

Tapper laughed, ‘Oh hard luck old man.’

Cookie smiled and shook his head, ‘Actually I am handling it better than I thought I could. There is a certain comfort to the fact. I used to get paranoid if I was separated from a girlfriend for any length of time. With Mya, it just doesn’t enter my head.’

‘Oh! Actually I can see where that is a benefit.’ Tapper leaned forward. ‘I hear the dashing Rannalld has taken quite a fancy to her.’

The two burst out laughing, and laughed until their sides hurt.

CHAPTER 17

Charlie was becoming extremely frustrated with the time everything was taking. It took two days for everything to be rerouted to Earth. You couldn’t just slip onto the internet and Babes had no records of what Charlie had wanted to find out. All the layman advice he had gathered had been conflicting, so when a full copy of the copyright laws arrived he was more than pleased. After another day of research he wrote an email to Steven’s mum explaining his circumstances. She wrote straight back but it was another week by the time she had set everything up.

It had been a very long fortnight. The Chief had called on him to help remove all of the old generators, which were now coming back from the repair shop. The Chief asked again for help to put the first one back in and Charlie was more than ready to test his theory.

Babes had made a boiler suit for him and the Chief was impressed by his apparel.

‘I like that Charlie, what’s it called?’

‘We call them boiler suits. You must have seen them on Earth?’

‘I did, I just didn’t want to look stupid by asking.’

‘I could ask Babes to make you up a pair. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.’

He rubbed his hands together, ‘I would love a pair.’

The first generator was lugged into place. A number of Modloch had turned up to see if Charlie could replace the nuts as easily as he had removed them. All the nuts and bolts had been swapped for brand new shiny ones. Charlie wrapped a thick towel round the nut and heaved it onto his shoulder. There was a communal groan and a few laughs from the gathered company. More than a few had bet on Charlie not being able to lift the nut by himself. Those that had worked with him already, bet against them. With a great roar of laughter the Chief collected most of the winnings.

Charlie, unaware of what was happening, climbed up the ladder on the inside and lifted the nut into position. He tightened most of it by hand, then finished it off with the spanner which he had suspended from his shoulder by a strap. Sliding down and out, he was surprised by the din.

The teams set to reconnecting the generator while Charlie and the Chief moved onto the next one.

It was at their dinner break that Charlie was going to set his plan in motion. Most of the Modloch seemed to be in a good mood now and all treated Charlie with a growing respect. The young ones were playing their music again. Charlie took out the old fashioned boom box that Babes had made for him. Of course some were curious and much hilarity ensued when Charlie told them what it was. The young were almost rolling around on the floor at the size of the thing. Charlie took out a thermos and some sandwiches to eat.

‘Go on then Charlie, let’s hear what you Humans call music on your antique.’

The others switched their music off and Charlie felt nervous as he switched it on. If they hated it then everything he had done, all the work, the research, was worth jack shit! If there was ever a time for prayer then it must be now, he thought, as he touched the play button. His guts tightened as the first bars of ‘In The Mood’ began to play and they burst out laughing. He was almost about to fall back into despair, but the laughing began to peter out. Alien ears started to twitch as they absorbed far more than Charlie could hear. Heads began to bob and feet to tap. Charlie felt a sudden release in tension.

They almost bopped to ‘American Patrol’ but when ‘Moonlight Serenade’ and then ‘Moonlight Becomes You’ came on they howled in a strange way. It was one of the weirdest experiences of Charlie’s life.

He switched the player off and the howl of protests almost deafened him.

‘Get back to work, the lot of you.’

Some were asking Charlie where they could get a copy but the Chief chased them away. He regarded Charlie with cool eyes, ‘What are you up to Charlie?’

Charlie tried to look innocent. ‘What do you mean, Chief?’

‘Don’t come your Human crap with me Charlie. I can tell you are up to something by that stupid grin on your face.’

Charlie took a sip of coffee, ‘Are you aware of the problems we are having getting money?’

‘You mean the Human race, your position in the universe, that kind of thing?’

‘Aye.’

‘Of course I am, do you think I’m stupid?’

‘No I don’t.’

‘You do it through trade. You want to come into the great alliance? You have to be sponsored by about six or seven other races. You trade with them, and they give you the financial backing you need to go through the process.’

‘Aye, that as may be Chief, but I bet they don’t also have a bloody great battle fleet to look after while they are going through the process.’

‘True enough.’

‘What we have for trade they won’t accept.’

‘You mean like fire diamonds and that kind of shit?’

‘Aye, and the Emperor is already selling grass from the seeds we sent him. That leaves us a wee bit short of leverage.’

The Chief shrugged, ‘You should have been a bit more careful then, shouldn’t you? I told your people a long time ago to blow this ship up and negotiate your way into the alliance. They knew better though. Let’s cross the barrier with a bloody great war fleet and give the city ship to the Emperor, they said. Hasn’t that been a shit load of fun?’

‘Nothing to do with me. People a lot bloody smarter than me made that decision.’

‘Way I see it, they are going to pay for that decision sooner or later.’

Charlie detected a certain note in the Chief’s voice, ‘Like I said, out of my hands Chief.’

‘Right, but what’s all this about?’ You’re at it.’

Charlie held up his hands in surrender. ‘You got me. Did you like the music?’

‘Stop playing games Charlie.’

‘I can assure you, I’m not playing games. Did you enjoy it?’

‘It was amazing. Why didn’t I hear any of that when I was on Earth?’

‘Different era. Remember Kelly?’

‘Right, the hero out of time, a sergeant like you.’

‘That’s the one. These are his music discs. They were from his time, almost a hundred years ago.’

The Chief frowned, ‘Why is that significant? More to the point, what has it got to do with me?’

‘Do you know anything about the music business?’

‘Not a bloody clue.’

Charlie grinned, ‘Turns out artists don’t need an alliance.’

The frown deepened, ‘Young Gallus mentioned something about that the other week, didn’t he?’

‘He did that. He was right. What you need is a bona fide music company that has a license from its department of foreign affairs to trade off world.’

‘So?’

‘The artist goes to the company, the company then approaches another music company from inside the great alliance. They make a deal, the inside company sets up bank accounts for the company. Once the company has an account set up it can then distribute funds to whomever it wants: traveling executives, managers, artists, you know that kind of shit.’

‘You are thinking of setting up a company?’

‘Already done it.’

‘Right.’ The Chief’s mind began to race, ‘You have permission for your office of foreign affairs?’

‘Signed, sealed and delivered.’

‘What is it you are missing then?’

‘We need a patron.’

The Chief sat back and scratched his muzzle, ‘Not so easy. I don’t really know any rich people.’

Charlie shook his head, ‘You can be such a dick at times. Why would we need a rich person when we have you?’

The Chief froze mid-scratch, ‘I couldn’t be a patron. I don’t know much about it, but you have to be a person of privilege and power.’

‘You are an officer in the imperial fleet.’

He laughed, ‘A bloody engineer! Hardly qualifies. Nowhere near high enough in rank Charlie.’

‘Ah ha, you’re forgetting that you were an ambassador to Earth.’

‘No!’

‘A real ambassador, as decreed by the Emperor. It doesn’t matter if the world in question doesn’t belong to the your wee galactic family. I checked.’

The Chief felt a rush of anger, ‘Is this why you have been hanging about the past few weeks?’

‘Stop being a dick Chief, it was your guys that gave me the idea in the first bloody place.’

He shook his head, ‘I am sorry Charlie, that wasn’t warranted. Your right, I should have known better.’ He reached out and placed a hand over Charlie’s. ‘That was just the old soldier in me speaking. You saved my life, and I count you as one of my true friends. Even if you are a freak. Forgive me?’

Charlie laughed out loud, the sudden tension he had felt slipping away. ‘No problems. I would have probably thought the same.’

‘Two old soldiers eh!’ The Chief held up a colossal mug and Charlie knocked his small one against it. ‘Right Charlie, go through everything. Explain it all to me.’

Eventually the Chief agreed to help and began to make enquiries. It took a few days to get results but he managed to arrange an appointment for them both the following week. In the meantime, Charlie helped them refit the generators as they arrived back from the workshops.

CHAPTER 18

Komoru was striding back and forth in front of Steven’s desk waiting for him to finish reading the plans. He eventually sat back and pushed them away as if they were poison. ‘Wow.’

‘We are not endorsing those plans.’

‘No we are not, but they are brilliant.’

She scowled at him coldly, ‘They certainly are not.’

‘I mean from a tactical point of view.’

‘I know what you mean. It is a recipe for disaster. Knock out the Modloch fleet, capture the planet, attack the other Modloch fleets and bombard their planets from orbit?’

‘It is audacious, but it is a brilliant plan. The details are amazing.’

‘We would have every race on this side of the barrier against us.’

‘Of course we would, that’s why we can’t endorse it, and we will say that. The ramifications of this plan would most likely lead to the destruction of the Human race, but they are still brilliant. These two should receive some recognition for that.’

‘Who are they?’

‘Both Chinese, a General Han and Admiral Chen.’

‘Are you going to recommend them to Baxter?’

‘I certainly am.’

‘I don’t like it.’

Steven sighed, ‘I know, but they are very talented. We cannot afford to ignore this kind of talent.’

She rubbed her arms, ‘I know. OK, we refuse to endorse the plans but recommend that Baxter takes a look at them.’

‘Yes. Is this the last one?’

Komoru checked, ‘Yes, that’s the last one.’

‘Thank God for that. So what next?’

‘I was hoping for a day off. I am exhausted. I haven’t visited Mya for a week and I need a real bath so badly I can taste it.’

‘So that’s what you have been keeping secret.’

Komoru laughed, ‘I have not! I could ask Mya if she could lend us her villa in the mountains for an evening.’

Steven grinned, ‘I really don’t like to impose... but it sounds great.’

Mya was more than accommodating. She made sure the servants left early so the couple could have their privacy. They took easy to heat meals with them. It wasn’t quite the romantic dinner for two Steven had in mind but it sure beat what was on offer in the local restaurants. What he found really hard to cope with was the giant toilets that they had to balance on for fear of falling in. It was always a laugh though as well as a challenge.

Steven and Komoru languished in the hot bath for over half an hour. Komoru nestled into his arms while they leaned back and let the hot water work its magic. After a short nap they got up and had something to eat. Steven decided that he wanted to try the pool.

‘You look like you are enjoying that,’ Komoru shouted out to Steven as he completed his twelfth length.

‘I haven’t done this since I was a teenager.’

She laughed, ‘What do you think of the pool?’

‘Awesome, no chlorine, but the view scares the shit out of me.’ He swam to the side and took a deep breath.

Komoru laughed, ‘It is amazing, I love it.’

‘Looks like you are just going to swim over the edge.’

‘You don’t like it?’

‘Not really.’

‘I didn’t think you were afraid of heights.’

‘I’m not really. I suppose I’m just not used to it.’

She thought it was funny. ‘What do you think of this villa?’

‘You mean the architecture?’

‘Yes.’

‘It is fairly plain I suppose. Plush but nice.’

‘I like all of the polished stone. It looks so clean.’

‘Gairloch wasn’t much for decoration was he?’

‘The main house is the same. Very spartan. I think a lot of military men are like that.’

‘Some of the ones I have met had their houses full of memorabilia. Maybe that’s a habit they get once they leave the forces.’

‘Maybe.’ She half agreed.

Steven heaved himself out of the pool and grabbed a towel. Once dry he lay down on a large lounger; there was more than enough room for Komoru to snuggle up. They were both close to dozing off when Babes sent him a message. He sat up. ‘Time to get dressed.’

‘Why, what’s wrong?’ Komoru asked.

‘We are about to get visitors.’

She rolled into a sitting position, ‘Is one day off too much to ask?’

Steven sighed, ‘It is beginning to look that way.’

‘Who is it?’

‘General Rannalld.’

‘Is Mya with him?’

‘I have no idea.’

They were enjoying a hot drink when the flying machine appeared in the distance. It was almost silent as it came into land. Rannalld was carrying a strange looking case and was dressed in casual clothes. Mya leapt out, her eyes gleaming. She grabbed Steven’s hand and placed it against her forehead. ‘I am so happy to see you Captain!’ She repeated the process with Komoru.

‘I have a surprise for you Komoru.’

‘Oh! What is it?’

‘Fresh fish.’

Komoru’s demeanour changed completely, ‘Seriously?’

Mya nodded her head vigorously. ‘They use the fish from the sea here to fertilize the fields. Rannalld managed to get some for me to try out.’

Komoru took a deep breath, ‘I will send for an analyser and some rice.’

‘Then we can start cooking.’ Mya agreed. The two of them almost grabbed the case from Rannalld and ran towards the kitchen.

The two males watched them go. ‘I don’t think I have ever seen her so excited.’ Mused Rannalld.

‘I just hope they are edible.’ Steven added.

‘If not they will be unhappy?’

‘Oh aye, very unhappy and very temperamental.’

‘Not good Captain.’

‘Nope. So how can I help you General?’

‘Please, call me Rannalld, I am in civilian clothes and off duty.’

‘In that case Rannalld, call me Steven. Would you like a drink of something?’

‘I brought something. Let me retrieve it.’

Rannalld fetched his bottle of wine and they retreated to the living room. Rannalld knew where the wine glasses were. ‘This is lemon grass wine, I know it is consumable by Humans.’

‘I have tried it.’

Rannalld sat down and poured the wine. The glass was huge in Steven’s hands. He took a swig. It wasn’t too unpleasant. ‘So how can I help you?’

‘I wish to discuss a very personal matter with you.’

‘OK.’

‘I am not really sure how to start.’

‘Just come straight out with it. I am Scottish and that’s pretty much the way we like it.’

Rannalld took a deep breath, ‘When do Human women come into season?’

The question caught Steven flatfooted, ‘Ah! Right! I am sorry Rannalld, but there is no such thing.’

He shook his head, ‘I don’t understand.’

Steven scratched his head vigorously for a moment, trying desperately to collect his thoughts, ‘Right! How the hell do I explain this?’ Steven took a deep breath, ‘Human women go through a monthly cycle. It is a fertility cycle. An egg is fertilized by the male of our species in probably the exact same way as in your species. How often do the females from your race ovulate?’

‘Twice a year, however our years are longer than yours. When they ovulate they come into season. That lasts for about a week to two weeks.’

‘I am aware of that your years are longer. OK, our females ovulate once a month.’

Rannalld’s mouth dropped open, ‘They come into season once a month!’

‘No, not quite. They are simply fertile once a month. As far as I am aware the Human female is the only species, on our planet anyway, that conceals from the male – or can conceal from the male – the fact that they are ovulating and fertile.’

‘I have never heard of anything like that before. How do they fight the instinct?’

‘I think instinct certainly plays a large part in the reproductive cycle of any species. However, childbirth was at one time the single most likely killer of young women in our species. The mortality rate was very high. I don’t fully understand it, but the ability to conceal their ovulation could quite possibly have given our women the opportunity to avoid childbirth until they thought they were ready. I have to say that this is simply my opinion. You could talk to one of our doctors if you want.’

‘No, it’s OK. I am still having difficulty understanding. ‘How do you know when to mate?’

‘Humans mate when they feel like it. All through the year. I am not very experienced in this matter. I have only ever had one mate. There are men who have had many. I believe it depends on your sex drive. If you find a mate with a similar sex drive then you are very lucky.’

Rannalld shook his head, ‘Sex drive...’

‘It is linked to a number of different factors. One of the main ones is the level of a certain type of hormone. The higher the hormone level in males and females then the more they desire sex. I think normal is somewhere between two and three times a week.’

Rannalld seemed stunned, ‘Two or three times a week, for the whole year!’

‘Yes, pretty much. People with a high sex drive normally have it at least once every day, sometimes more. Or so I have been told.’

Rannalld rubbed his muzzle, ‘Unbelievable, mating for a whole year. What if they become pregnant?’

‘Well that then depends on the woman. I have heard that they can go either way. I had one friend whose wife simply wanted to kill him for the duration of the pregnancy. She wouldn’t let him near her. I had another friend whose wife went the exact opposite way. She wanted sex all the time, every day for the whole nine months.’

‘How did he cope?’

‘With great difficulty I believe.’

Rannalld suddenly burst out laughing, ‘I couldn’t even imagine it. Still, do you know anything about Mya’s sex drive?’

‘As far as I am aware she is still pure. Unmated; no one will know. She may have an idea, but I doubt if she would tell anyone.’ Steven sat forward, ‘I think if you are considering Mya for a mate, then you will have to take something else into consideration.’

‘What is that.’

‘The size difference between our races. More specifically your size,’ Steven pointed, ‘down there.’

Rannalld’s head went up, ‘We Modloch are known for our size and girth.’

‘That’s exactly what I was afraid of.’ Steven sighed, ‘Human women are very small down there. Each race is different. Mya is Asian, and a race of Asian that is known for being small. Both the men and the women.’

Rannalld shifted uncomfortably, ‘How big would the men be, do you suppose?’

‘Average about this.’ Steven demonstrated on his hand.

Rannalld snorted, ‘Is that all?’

‘I believe so.’

‘But didn’t an Albany mate with a Human woman? How did they manage?’

‘She was of a different race, where the men and women are much larger. Orlath was also a teenager and hadn’t reached full maturity.’

Rannalld’s head dropped, ‘We are about...’ He indicated the length on his arm.

‘That’s what I thought, if you tried to mate with her you could seriously injure or even kill her.’

Rannalld was silent for a long time. The sound of women laughing reached their ears. ‘It is such a shame. I have never met a female who was so wondrous. Those that I meet are always vying for position. She is clean of mind, body and heart. I can see why my brother thought so highly of her and declared her his benefactor. Did she really kill the man who was responsible for the death of her people?’

‘Yes, that is true.’

‘There is only one recorded incident of Modloch women taking up arms to protect their own. That was over a thousand years ago; the statue to their bravery still stands.’

‘I thought your females would have been quite fearsome.’

‘Our females are very submissive. Most would shield their young with their own bodies, but few have been recorded taking up arms. That is why there is none in our armed forces. Other species are different.’

‘The Albany females certainly fought.’

Rannalld nodded, ‘So I heard, as did many of yours.’

‘Humanity had a big hang up about that for many centuries. However, it is not unusual for a Human female to take up arms to protect her own.’

‘We Modloch admire that in a species. The sons of those females I mentioned earlier all became great warriors.’

‘They won their fight then.’

‘No, they all died. They put their children in a life pod and launched it. After that they fought to the death. The delay prevented the enemy from perusing the life pods until it was too late. The life pods reached one of our battleship groups that was racing to their recue. The fleet caught the enemy still surrounding the colony ships and wiped them out. On board one of the colony ships, the women were found clustered around the life pods with weapons in their hands, and a few prisoners told of how the women fought them for hours, until all were dead.’

‘Tragic.’

‘Maybe. As I said their sons grew to be great warriors, and so was born a belief that sons born of women of great courage shall also become great warriors.’

They were silent for a long time. Rannalld seemed sad. Occasionally laughter drifted out to them. Steven also caught the smell of frying fish.

‘Aren’t you going to join them? I think by the strange smell that the fish are edible.’

‘I was never a great lover of fish Rannalld.’

‘I thought meat was meat. If you ate one, then you ate all.’

‘No, it doesn’t work like that. We all have different tastes. With fish you either love it or hate it.’

‘Do you think Mya likes me as a friend?’

‘Komoru told me that Mya believes that you are a gift.’

His head came up a little, ‘She too is a gift.’

‘I take it you aren’t mated then Rannalld?’

‘Would I be inquiring if I was?’

‘Of course. I apologise.’

Rannalld waved a hand, ‘We males don’t normally mate until we mature fully. Thirty to thirty five years old. We like to marry young females who have just reached sexual maturity and came in to season for the first time. By then the males will have settled into their professions. This gives the females a clearer view of a prospective mate: who he is, what has he achieved in life so far, and what he might achieve in the future. They will let a male within their social circle know that they are willing to consider a mating.’

‘That seems a long time for the males to have to wait.’

‘Does it? There are females out there who will accommodate a young male and teach him the things he needs to know. Birth control is severely restricted. Mated women have free access, as do widows. Not that I am suggesting mated women cheat on their husbands. No need to. With all the wars we fight there are always plenty widows.'

Steven nodded, ‘The merry widow.’

Rannalld was surprised, ‘You have read the book!’

Steven burst out laughing, ‘No, it is a Human saying. It may well also have been a book at one time.’

‘Then it seems our races aren’t too far apart after all.’ They both laughed until their sides hurt.

CHAPTER 19

‘You look really out of place.’

Charlie wasn’t bothered, ‘Don’t care. I see you managed to get your ambassadorial robes out of the cleaners.’

The Chief snorted, ‘I wore them once then they were burned when I fell ill. These are replacements. The Emperor made me pay for them myself.’

Charlie checked the cuff links on his suit. ‘Well you’re not the only one that feels odd. This is my first suit.’

‘The first suit to ever be worn in the Modloch Empire. You look smart Charlie, but weird.’

‘Aye well, from what I have been able to find out, arty types dress fucking weird on every planet. We should fit right in.’

‘Still not sure this is going to work.’

‘It is all legal and above-board.’

They were sitting in a small room. Small trees grew next to the large window, which let in a lot of light. The seating was typically Modloch. For the Chief comfortable, for Charlie huge. A young female secretary seemed to be squirming in her seat.

‘By the way that female is rubbing her arse against that seat, I would say you were a big hit already.’

The Chief looked down his long nose, ‘Don’t be vulgar Charlie. It isn’t anywhere near the mating season.’ He looked back up with a bit of a sniff. A few minutes later he looked back at Charlie, ‘Do you think she likes me?’

‘It would seem you are quite famous and the highest ranked Modloch male that has passed through these doors in a while. She knows you are single and is at this moment having strange fantasies about you.’

‘You’re shitting me!’

‘What’s all the squealing about?’

‘I don’t know.’

Charlie shook his head, ‘OK, enough of that. Smile at her.’

The Chief couldn’t help himself and smiled. He was rewarded with one twice as big. She came to her feet, ‘Would you like something to drink ambassador? You and your, uh, Human thing.’

The Chief beamed, ‘I would love something. I would only feed the Human thing a little water though. They react badly to most of our drinks.’

‘We have Takana, or Elone.’

‘Takana will be fine.’

‘I will be straight back.’

‘I’m fine, nothing for me thank you.’ Charlie called after her as she walked away.

She hesitated for a moment and stared at Charlie, ‘Oh! OK Human.’

She disappeared and the Chiefs head snapped round, ‘Well?’

‘What’s a Heyostie?’

‘Why?’

‘She is wondering if you would accept one from a class of female like her.’

The Chief took a deep breath, ‘Honestly?’

‘What the hell is it?’

‘It is a form of greeting.’

‘Oh aye? Is that all it is?’

‘No, a female who has reached a certain age and has sexually matured will let a male of her choice know that she will consider a formal mating with him.’

‘Sounds a bit weird to me.’

‘It’s just how it is done Charlie.’

‘Aye well, considering the images I was getting from her mind, I think she is already on the honeymoon.’

‘Charlie... where have you been all my life?’

‘Rhetorical question?’

‘Obviously!’

The both laughed. She returned and handed the Chief his glass. Her hand lingered on his for a split second longer than necessary.

The Chief beamed, ‘Thank you very much.’

She beamed back, ‘A pleasure, ambassador.’

It was another ten minutes before she stood and ushered them into another room. Charlie thought it would have suited the offices of any music company back on Earth. It was certainly an over the top display of wealth, and the two soldiers felt out of place.

A grizzled old Modloch got to his feet and bowed low. ‘Ambassador, you grace this humble company with your presence. I am the owner Grotivh. When I heard you were coming today I took the opportunity to meet you personally. How may we be of assistance?’

‘I am acting as a patron for my friend here. His name is Charlie Murison. He wishes to approach you about selling and distributing Human music throughout the Empire.’

‘We don’t normally deal with outsiders Ambassador. They have to be exceptional. However, in honour of your greatness, we will certainly listen to his proposal.’

He turned to Charlie, ‘How do I address a Human properly?’

Charlie bowed low, ‘You do the Human race a great honour. Friends are addressed by their first names. As we are not yet acquainted, Mr Murison shall suffice.’

‘Then please take a seat and make your pitch Mr Murison.’

‘Thank you sir. I am an executive from the PD music company of Earth. It is my job to seek out new markets for our company.’

‘Don’t you mean your artists?’

‘No sir, I don’t. We are a public domain company. After a period of seventy years from the time a particular piece of music has been released, or from when the recording artist passes away, their music enters the public domain. We represent the families or descendants of those artists. Of course if there are none then the proceeds of any music we promote comes to the company.’

‘I see. Do you have a copy of your copyright laws Mr Murison?’

‘I most certainly do.’ Charlie produce a paper copy, beautifully bound by Babes, and slid it across.

The owner seemed frightened to touch it, ‘Is that paper?’

‘Yes sir it is.’

He snapped a finger, ‘Do I have gloves?’

Behind him sat half a dozen executives. One female got up and ran from the room.

‘Blayah, come here and witness this.’ He looked up, ‘Blayah is our copyright lawyer.’

Charlie produced an e-pad, ‘The top pages are in Human English while the Modloch translation is in the back half. This is an electronic copy that has been verified by our office of foreign affairs.’

The lawyer took possession of the e-pad while the female appeared with gloves. The owner put on the gloves and turned the pages with the greatest of respect. Paper was a very precious commodity; the owner himself had never seen it outside of a museum. He almost smiled.

‘The copy you are holding sir is for your own records. The company can take an electronic copy from my pad, or apply to our office of foreign affairs for a copy of their own.’

He sat back, ‘You are making a gift of this? It is too much.’

‘We consider it an expression of good will, and wish for you to accept it as it is given.’

‘I don’t know what to say. Thank you.’ He paused to wait for the lawyer to catch up.

‘This is all genuine sir. All of the electronic signatures required are in place.’

‘Thank you Blayah. With that in place Mr Murison, we can move forward. So your company deals with the music of musicians who are already deceased, and of which the copyright on their music has already expired.’

‘Yes.’

‘That saves both of our companies a lot of problems.’

‘Indeed.’

‘Of course, once they are released here, then copyright for that piece of music shall once more come into effect. This company shall hold the new copyright, which will prohibit the selling of that particular piece of music to anyone else on this side of the barrier. Do you understand that?’

‘Of course sir. We did our research before approaching you.’

‘Good. Now what do you have for us?’ Charlie took out the boom box. ‘Wait. We can only accept music in the form of a master disc that is legally registered with your company on your home planet.’

Charlie reached into his bag and produced a large golden disc in a clear case. ‘All ready sir.’

‘I see. Excellent. So this is a demonstration. Please, play your machine.’

Charlie opened his mind to their thoughts and hit the play button. The expressions on their faces was almost comical, but Charlie knew he had them.

He let them listen to a half dozen tracks before switching it off. He knew they wanted to listen to more. ‘You will be free to listen to them all at your own leisure once we have made a deal, and reject any you wish.’

‘Can’t we listen to more?’

‘No! You have recording devices in here and this music is public domain. If I let you listen to them all then you would have a recording of them all. You could then tell me to go away and then make a master disc of your own.’

He smiled, ‘I must admit the thought had crossed my mind.’

‘Then you would deprive yourself of a thousand years’ worth of recorded music. We would put a planet wide ban on any dealings with your company. I can assure you, whatever profits you gained by stealing this music would be overshadowed by the profits your rival company would gain from a genuine contract.’

He smiled, ‘That has to be one of the nicest worded threats I have ever heard. I will need to ascertain that you have more than six recordings and that they are all of the same quality.’

‘Choose a number between one and sixty sir.’

‘Can I pick six?’

‘If you want, however I will only let you listen to the beginning of the recording.’

‘Agreed.’

So they listened and bobbed their heads in time to the music. Charlie eventually switched it off and returned it to his bag. Then he placed the golden disc on the table.

The owner’s eyes gleamed, ‘We had no idea that Human music could be so entertaining. I believe the standard contract for people in your situation is three per cent of the profits.’

Charlie shook his head, ‘That is for individual artists who live outside the alliance of planets. We are not a single artist. We are a company that can bring you thousands of artists, hundreds of thousands of tracks. What we want is ten per cent – three for our patron and seven for the company. That is non-negotiable and, I believe, fair.’

The owner thought it over, ‘Hmm... We normally deal with a company just like yours, not the individual artist. Neither do you have an artist or artists to pay. I believe the three per cent quite enough.’

‘I’m afraid it is not, sir.’

His hands lifted from the table. ‘No, that’s it. No negotiation.’

‘You don’t quite get it. There will never be another company like ours on this side of the barrier. We are offering you thousands of tracks from thousands of artists. Any modern day artists will also have to come through us. On this master disc there are just under three hundred recordings. This era was called the big band era. On it are all the top hits from all of the top artists at the time. You can produce whole albums or sell them as individual hits. Up to you. This, however, only scratches the surface of the big band era. There are artists that weren’t big on our planet but may be smash hits on yours. Not only have we supplied music but we have also supplied film recordings for some of the bands.’

‘I still see no reason to pay you more than the three per cent. Neither can you guarantee that no other company shall come along and do exactly what you are doing with one of our rivals.’

‘At this moment, there are no other companies in existence that can take up this cross barrier challenge. No other companies have representatives on this side of the barrier, neither are they likely to have either. There is one other reason it won’t happen. One of our directors is also the head of the department of foreign affairs: Orlath Canaries.’

The owner seemed stunned, ‘That is illegal.’

‘Not on Earth.’

‘Ah of course. Canaries... he is the Albany traitor?’

‘He is no traitor. Orlath had a lifelong Human companion and mate. When she conceived, she was taken from him. Her and the child were murdered to provide the basis of a serum that would allow his former race to invade our solar system and attempt to eradicate our species. When the opportunity arose, Orlath escaped his former race and placed himself in the hands of our authorities. When we heard his story, he was formally offered the opportunity to become a member of the Human race. He accepted.’

‘Yes, and now he is the head of your department of foreign affairs.’

‘That’s right. Orlath holds a masters degree in galactic law. The only Human to do so.’

‘So how did you persuade him to come on board with you?’

‘I was the man who rescued him from his escape pod.’

The owner sat back and clapped his hands, ‘Very well done. How long?’

‘He has promised us ten years. There is another reason you only give three per cent – access to a gold master disc. Most non-galactic planets can’t get them.’

‘I did notice you had one. They are very hard and expensive to acquire.’

‘We are very resourceful.’ In fact, with the help of Babes, he had stolen it from a rival company to the one he was currently courting. Babes still wasn’t happy about it.

‘I see. If it doesn’t come up to our stringent standards we will discard it.’

‘It will.’

‘So what you are really offering is a ten year exclusive contract?’

‘Yes sir, we are.’

‘The normal contract is three years.’

‘Which is the length of time it takes for a planet to gain citizenship of this large galactic family and access the technology required to produce the master discs themselves. After that, if you wish to keep them, you have to up the percentage, which most refuse anyway.’

‘Well, once they are established they can then sell the music from their own home world.’

‘We are a race of meat-eaters, the chances of us being allowed to join your large galactic family are very slim. The experts think it will take at least ten years for the inhabitants of the planet Earth to gather enough sponsors for us to have even a slight chance of gaining intergalactic recognition.’

‘You really have done your research well Mr Murison. We will retire for a short while to discuss these proposals.’

Charlie and the Chief returned to the waiting room. ‘I think that went well.’ Ventured the Chief.

‘Shhh! I am listening to their thoughts.’

The Chief sat back, ‘Right.’ He waited for a few minutes, ‘Well? How is it going through there?’

‘They are all desperate for the music. Some are arguing about the percentage. They have no problems giving your three per cent. It’s giving dirty meat-eaters money that they don’t like. The owner is waiting to put the boot in,’ Charlie smiled. ‘Aye, he is actually considering firing some of them.’

‘Why?’

‘The company has been struggling for a while now. They have been selling off stock to keep buoyant. A little here, a little there. He thinks that this music will sweep the Empire and that it will forever change the face of music across the whole galaxy. The others can’t see that and are arguing over a few per cent. He is going to call his broker later and sweep up all the spare shares in his own company.’

‘There’s a good idea.’

Charlie swung his head towards the Chief, ‘You have a broker?’

‘Don’t need one.’ He whipped out an e-pad and began banging away on it. Half an hour later he had invested every penny he had on company stock. Charlie could only shake his head and hope that the Chief’s confidence was rewarded.

They were called back in to the boardroom over an hour later. ‘They are going to try and shake us down a few per cent, but the bottom line is that if it looks like we are going to leave, we get what we want.’

‘How are you going to play it Charlie?’

‘Both barrels, straight down their throat. Keep a straight face.’

‘Got it.’

The lawyer and other members of the board had taken the place of the owner. The lawyer had a strange superior look on his face, confident that he could bring the Human down a few per cent. The owner now sat behind, observing.

‘Please sit Mr Murison.’ The lawyer offered.

‘No thank you. I am not a very patient man. This is the bottom line. If you try to squeeze so much as a single hundred thousandth of a per cent out of me this discussion is over and I am going straight to your nearest competitor. Make a choice.’

It caught the lawyer and the board flatfooted, but not the owner. He sat forward, ‘Please sit Mr Murison while we conclude the deal. We are more than happy to give you what you wish. We have discussed it at much length and agree to your terms.’

Charlie and the Chief sat. The company agreed to open a bank account in name of PD Music and Charlie gave them a list of the board’s directors and the other executives that would require access to the bank account. The company director, Steven Gordon, could also issue cards to a half dozen others that he himself would name.

Two hours later Charlie signed the deal as the company’s managing director of promotions. The Chief took him to a small café. ‘It’s all I can afford for now Charlie, sorry.’

‘Isn’t like I can eat anything anyway Chief.’

He shook his head, ‘I keep forgetting you’re not one of us. Sorry, but I need to eat something.’

‘It’s OK, don’t worry about it.’

The Chief ordered some lunch and a big steaming plate of fermented grass appeared in front of him. The café owners seemed unsure of how to deal with their customers. The Chief dug in with a large wooden fork. Charlie wanted to hold his nose, but thought better of it. ‘Back in a minute Chief.’

‘Going for a smoke?’

‘Yup.’

Outside the café, there was a bench in a relatively clear area. Charlie sat on the bench and pulled out his cigarettes. He lit one up and took in his surroundings. In the small space between buildings he was surrounded by strange looking trees. The only traffic was commercial. Large containerized units slid past noiselessly. They weren’t unlike those you found on earth, simply larger. They seemed to be sliding along on some form of unseen magnetic rail. The air was clear and fresh. Here and there individual Modloch could be seen walking around. In this part of the city, every building was uniform. It was the height of them that was impressive. A transport system cut through the buildings at many different levels. There were even walkways. All were clean. No smoke, no fumes. A container stopped in front of him and began beeping. Everything stopped as it turned end on. Across the street a shiny door opened and the container slipped inside. The traffic began moving again.

Charlie was just thinking how clean and painless everything was when he was suddenly doused with water. He leapt to his feet and snapped round with a roar of rage, finding himself facing down the prepubescent daughter of the café owner, who carried a large water jug in her hand. She squealed in fear and Charlie immediately calmed down. He shook some of the water off, ‘What on earth are you doing?’

‘You were on fire,’ she squeaked.

Charlie shook his head and placed the damp cigarette into what he knew was a bin. As he closed the lid he could hear the suction whip away what he had placed inside.

The Chief burst out laughing at the sight of Charlie. He laughed even louder when he was told what had happened.

‘I knew sooner or later that filthy habit of yours would get you into trouble.’

‘Aye well, it’s no like I’m the first man in history to be doused with water for smoking.’

‘Who was?’

Charlie laughed, ‘Och, I think it was a man called Sir Walter Raleigh, hundreds of years ago. His man servant doused him with water as he was smoking his pipe. The man thought he was on fire.’

‘Now you are the first Human to be doused by a young Modloch maiden. A pretty one too. You might go down in history.’

‘Aye right!’

The manager shuffled in and when the Chief explained the situation he apologised profusely. The young maiden was also paraded in front of them and she also apologised. The Chief was still laughing. When they left the Chief was curious, ‘How come you never saw her coming Charlie? It’s not like you.’

‘I was completely switched off. I heard her, I knew who it was, I just didn’t realise what she was up to.’

The Chief shook his head, ‘What are you?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘You know damn well what I mean. You are stronger than three Modloch, stronger than any other Human, and you can read minds. What the hell happened to you? I know you were hurt and Steven’s ship healed you, but no one will tell me exactly what it did to you.’

‘Not going to either. The less anyone knows the better.’

‘You saved my life. I owe you. I would never betray you.’

‘Look, you basically know the gist of it. I was hurt and it took the ship to fix me. I’m not going to tell you exactly what it did to me. You know I can read minds. If I couldn’t, then I would never have found you.’

‘I know of no other being in this bloody universe that can read minds. You can’t tell me that those little bots you have floating around your body are responsible for that?’

Charlie took a deep breath, ‘I always had an ability to sense when some bugger was after me. I couldn’t read minds, but I could sense when someone was having thoughts about me or intended me harm. We Humans call it a sixth sense; I am not the only person like that. There are probably millions like me back on Earth. It is something we grow up with and accept. The thing is it doesn’t always work and you can’t actually read minds. The part of your mind that processes that information is what we call the subconscious mind, it has no direct link to your conscious mind. When I was injured, part of that was severe head trauma. Babes thinks that the medical bots discovered that part of my mind, mistook the blocked neurons as an injury, and opened them up.’

‘You mean they created a pathway between your subconscious and conscious mind.’

‘Pretty much.’

‘Wow. If my people find out they will probably catch you and dissect you.’

‘You think mine wouldn’t?’

‘Point taken. Just be careful my friend.’

‘Remember, if anybody asks...’

The Chief waved a hand, ‘Yeah I know Charlie. You’re a weirdo that likes studying body language.’

‘That’s the one.’

They both laughed.

CHAPTER 20

The chiefs of staff and the President had finally made up their minds which course of action to take. Steven was relieved by the decision but was still uncomfortable about the whole thing.

The fleet had enough fuel and rations for another few months. In the next month they would empty as many freighters as they could and send them back across the barrier, with a small Modloch escort to see them safely there. From there the President would announce publicly that the Earth’s fleet would return home. At that point the course of action would depend on the Modloch Emperor. If he turned against the Humans they would abandon the last of the freighters and make a dash for the barrier. They would do so without taking up arms against the Modloch race if possible. They would only fight as a last resort.

The best result would be for the Modloch Emperor to accept their decision and in good faith escort the Humans back to the barrier. For some reason, no one quite believed that would happen.

With the decision made, Steven was now free from the process and could turn his mind back to more domestic matters. He hadn’t even made it back to the ship when the first problem arose. They were on a shuttle away from the Burning Wind when the pilot’s voice came over the tannoy. ‘Listen to this everyone.’ Everyone laughed when the strains of Glen Miller’s ‘Moonlight Serenade’ came through the sound system. When it was finished he announced that it was racing up the Modloch music charts and was being hailed as the next Empire-wide number one.

‘How did they get hold of that?’ Buzz asked. Steven just shook his head.

Babes talked to both of them at once. ‘It was Charlie. He made me steal a gold master disc.’

‘What was that?!’ Steven had spoken aloud and received a few funny looks from the rest of the passengers. He shut his mouth and asked again with his mind.

‘Charlie set up a company and sold the music to the most prestigious music company on the planet.’

Steven was stunned, ‘Our Charlie?’

‘Yes Steven.’

‘How could he sell anything? Did they pay him cash?’

‘No, the Modloch have set up a bank account for his company.’

‘Why wasn’t I told about this?’

‘You wanted no communication with Charlie in case he read your mind by accident.’

‘Is it just Charlie that is involved?’

‘No, I believe he employed the help of the former ambassador. He gets three per cent and Charlie gets seven.’

‘When did this happen?’

‘Almost two weeks ago. I am not party to everything Charlie is doing. He can block me from his mind and I cannot read his thoughts.’

Steven was slowly getting over the shock and it was being replaced by anger. ‘I want the command staff assembled when I get back. I want to talk to them, and then I want to talk to Charlie.’

By the time the shuttle had dropped them off his command staff were already assembled. None of them knew anything about it. Steven was beginning to see red when he ordered Babes to ask Charlie to join them.

Charlie was using the ship to talk to the Chief; both were in high spirits.

‘That’s two payments already!’

Charlie laughed, ‘I know, it’s great, isn’t it?’

The Chief shook his head, ‘It is for me. You’re not getting anything. I feel guilty.’

‘Don’t be stupid.’

Babes interrupted, ‘Charlie, could you report to Steven? He is in the command briefing room.’

‘About bloody time. Sorry Chief, duty calls.’

‘No problem Charlie, catch you later.’

Charlie grabbed his briefcase and made sure everything was present. It only took him a few minutes to reach the briefing room. His first indication that anything was wrong was from the dour looks on everyone’s faces.

‘What’s wrong, has something happened?’

Steven sat forward, the anger on his face easy to read, ‘Charlie, do you know anything about a music company that was set up?’

‘Yeah that was me.’

Steven stood, ‘How could you Charlie? You know the whole bloody fleet is in dire straits, and you go cashing in on music that doesn’t even belong to you!’

Charlie didn’t even have to open his mind to know what was happening. He felt the first red hot flush of fury surge through his veins. He approached Steven and slammed the briefcase on the table. ‘If you werna´ so fucking paranoid then it would never have bloody come to this! The company was set up in your bloody name by your mother. The details are in this briefcase. You might want to go through it before you shove your big fat foot farther into the shit and I shove my fist down your bloody throat.’

Steven felt his anger begin to evaporate, ‘My mum!’

‘Aye, yer ma. You and Komoru are the directors of the company. We now have a bloody bank account. That’s what you were after, wasn’t it? I also named Buzz, Lewis, Mr Howe and Cookie as directors, and there are another half dozen you can nominate yourself. Each named director has access to the bank account. And as a matter of interest, I don’t. I have no access to the account at all.’ Charlie snapped round and walked away.

Steven got to his feet, the blood had drained from his face. ‘Charlie wait.’

Charlie flipped him the bird, ‘Fuck off Stevie.’

The door closed behind him. There was silence in the room. Steven became aware that everyone was looking at him. He sat back down slowly. An embarrassed silence seemed to press in and he didn’t know how to deal with it.

‘Oops!’ There were some nervous chuckles, ‘I am sorry about that everyone. It looks like I jumped to a bad conclusion before I heard all the facts. My mistake, one which I will endeavour to rectify. In the meantime I had better just discover exactly what Charlie has been up to. For now you can all return to your duties.’

They all filed out. When the last had left Buzz pulled up a chair.

‘I made a complete mess of that didn’t I?’

Buzz turned the briefcase towards him, ‘Let’s just find out all the facts before we go off half-cocked again. You might want to give Komoru a call.’

An hour later they had read Charlie’s report and began making checks on the information. Howe and Beaver were called in and they too helped check. In the end it was Komoru who confirmed everything by purchasing a couple of silk pillows on the equivalent of the Modloch internet. They all sat around the console breathless as she placed the order.

‘That’s it,’ she announced. ‘It will be delivered to the central space port in about two hours. If we want it transported up here we have to pay extra and set up some sort of beacon.’ She turned, ‘What do you think Steven?’

‘Is that an option for fast delivery?’

‘Yes but that is extra too. Half an hour guaranteed to the spaceport.’

‘Go the whole hog Komoru. Pay all the extras.’

‘Are you sure?’

He shrugged, ‘If the transaction fails then we will know within the hour.’

She saw the sense and clicked all the extras. ‘We have gained some form of points as a valued customer.’

‘How nice to know.’ Steven grunted. They all chuckled at the sarcastic remark. He stood up, ‘I think we should just about have enough time to have a cup of coffee. Babes, do you know what kind of beacon they are talking about?’

‘Of course. The code will be sent with the conformation.’

‘Here is the conformation,’ announced Komoru, ‘can you read it from the screen Babes?’

‘Yes, that is the beacon set.’

It was quite a tense wait. ‘A craft is approaching, my heart, and asking for permission to dock. They are also asking for a signature from Komoru.’

‘Inform the bridge to begin docking procedures please.’

‘Yes my heart.’

Komoru got up and left. Ten minutes later she reappeared, laughing as she struggled with a large container. ‘Give me a hand Steven.’

They manhandled the container into the middle of the room and Komoru opened it. She burst out laughing again as she removed the first pillow. ‘It is huge.’

Steven removed the second one, ‘Wow.’

Her eyes gleamed, ‘Feel the material.’

‘I am. It is something else, isn’t it?’

Komoru jumped on her one and it seemed to envelope her. ‘Oh I love this.’

‘But you know what this really signifies?’

‘Of course. If we can buy luxury goods then we can also buy fuel for the fleet.’

‘Yeah, but how much money have we got? How much is it for a tanker full of fuel?’ Buzz asked.

None of them knew the answer. It was Babes who answered. ‘The wallet the cards come in is also a secure communications link to the bank. If the card is in the wallet, turn it over and swipe the back.’ Steven did so. ‘There should be a security pin with the wallet. Once you put the pin in then hold the wallet in front of your face. It will perform a retinal scan then ask for a thumb print.’

‘Everything is in Modloch,’ Buzz complained.

‘I will guide Steven through the process.’ She did so and the wallet was soon connected to the bank. With her help Steven managed to look at the balance. He grunted, ‘Now we’ve got Modloch numbers.’

‘I will send information to the bank so they can update their software with English.’

Steven nodded, ‘Aye, we certainly need that. Can you explain this to us Babes?’

‘Three payments have been made into the account in the past two days. One yesterday and two today.’

‘Is it a lot?’

Beaver held up a pad he had been studying, ‘According to this, if sales recorded amount to less than one hundred thousand an annual payment will be made. If sales exceed five hundred thousand then automated payments will be triggered.’

‘When was “Moonlight Serenade” released?’ Steven asked Babes.

‘It will be five days ago at midnight, Modloch time.’

‘And it has sold over a million and a half copies already.’

‘Obviously,’ Komoru stated, cuddling into her pillow.

‘What about copyright?’ Howe asked.

Babes knew the answer to that one and flashed it up on a screen, ‘It has been over seventy years since the death of the original composer and the day it was broadcast for the first time. That makes the recording public domain.’

Howe nodded thoughtfully, ‘I see, and Charlie named the company Public Domain. Very smart.’

‘Was it seven per cent of the retail price?’ Steven asked.

‘It was,’ Beaver answered.

‘Still no good if we can’t read,’ Buzz stated the obvious. ‘Babes, can you find out the price of fuel and calculate out how many ships we could refuel at this very moment from empty.’

‘From empty we could refuel a hundred destroyers, thirty seven light cruisers, twenty-eight heavy cruisers and fifteen battleships, not including the Burning Wind. Or all the freighters within the fleet. There is also enough money to refuel our tankers. If the record keeps selling at this rate then we will have made enough money to refuel the whole fleet within a fortnight, as well as fill all our tankers to capacity.’

The bubble burst and they all began laughing and shaking hands. ‘Who would have thought a Scottish sergeant could pull our shit out of the fire?’ Buzz laughed.

Steven’s face fell. ‘Charlie. What the hell did I do? The President needs to be told this right away.’

Buzz could see Steven wavering between duty to the fleet and his friend. He slapped Steven on the back, ‘You go see the President, I will go see to Charlie.’

CHAPTER 21

The President looked exhausted, ‘How can you look so fresh?’

‘Good news has a way of perking you up, sir.’

‘Oh! What good news?’

‘We can scrap all of those plans sir. One of my men has found a way to open a bank account. Not only that, we already have enough money to completely fill all of our tankers.’

The President looked momentarily bewildered, ‘Then I think you had better sit down, Captain Gordon.’

Steven laid the briefcase down and began the explanation. He could see the President’s spirits rise as he went on.

‘Captain Gordon, can you explain to me how this didn’t proceed through official channels? Please understand I am not berating you or your man’s work. However, we now have a situation where by you and your crew hold almost all of the cards for this account – the ones who really need them are the quartermasters. I don’t think half a dozen for the entire fleet is quite enough.’

Steven sighed, ‘I have to apologise for that sir. I had no idea that my man was doing this. In fact, I had refused him an interview on a number of occasions.’

The President frowned, ‘Why?’

‘Quite simply because I was dealing with all this top secret stuff.’

‘I don’t see the relevance.’

‘I know you don’t sir. The man in question, however, is highly intuitive, and could be considered an expert on reading body language. He has a gift you might say. I dare not let him anywhere near me while dealing with things so highly classified.’

The President’s frown deepened, ‘He sounds like a man who would be better served as part of the intelligence community.’

A look of abject horror came over Steven’s face, ‘He would not serve the intelligence community in any capacity sir. In fact, he hates them with a passion, and with good reason.’

The penny dropped, ‘Ah! I think I know who you are talking about. The Scottish sergeant?’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Now it all begins to make sense. If it wasn’t for him we wouldn’t have Orlath.’

‘Yes that’s right.’

‘We are already deeply in this man’s debt, now even more so. Can the accounts be transferred to different people?’

‘I would assume so sir.’

‘We will deal with that later. The first thing to do is fill those damn tankers and begin refuelling the fleet.’

‘I agree sir.’

‘Do you think it will work?’

‘We have already made a test purchase.’

‘Just as a matter of interest, what was it?’

‘Captain Komoru ordered a couple of silk pillows.’

‘They have silk!’ He laughed.

‘I don’t know if it is real silk sir, it is just the translation. They were delivered within the hour. I have to say they do feel a lot like silk.’

‘I feel we should move immediately. Certainly before the forces that are against us find out we have access to funds.’

‘I agree with that sentiment sir.’

‘Until we get those cards transferred to more appropriate members of staff, you and your people will have to deal with, and pay for, the refuelling.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘This has also helped in another way.’

‘How so?’

‘Now we know what kind of music they like. I believe the marine band do quite a bit of Glen Miller. That will help with this big function we are supposed to be holding.’

‘It is a few weeks away isn’t it sir?’

‘Yes that’s right. The Emperor is fully booked up until that weekend. It also gives him time to groom the more reluctant of his allies.’

‘Maybe the music will help.’

‘I hope so.’

‘Will that be all sir?’

‘Yes please, Captain Gordon. I will issue orders from here. You get in touch with those companies who can refuel us. The quartermasters shall liaise directly with you.’

Steven stood, ‘That sounds good to me sir.’

The President ran a finger under a grimy collar; Steven noticed his discomfort. ‘Is something wrong sir?’

‘Weeks of being cooped up in one of these tin cans without fresh air. I’m not a fan of these sonic showers either. I know they get you clean but I just don’t feel clean. I would give my right arm for enough water for a proper bath.’

‘That might not be necessary sir.’

The President’s interest peaked, ‘You have a tub?’

‘I have a friend who has one. On the surface.’

‘Captain, you may well yet get onto my frequent diners list.’

CHAPTER 22

‘Earth vessel designated Tango Kilo Foxtrot Zero Five, please move into a stationary orbit now.’

‘Roger control.’

‘For the rest of this procedure we will refer to you as five. Confirm five.’

‘Five confirm.’

‘OK five, let me guess, you have never done a manual in-planet atmospheric refuelling?’

‘That is correct control.’

‘Understood five. Stay in the pattern we give you, at twenty thousand our automated controls will take over. They will land the ship, refuel it, and lift you off. Control will be handed back to you at twenty thousand again. From there follow the flight path we give you until you are clear of the atmosphere.’

‘Roger control.’

‘Switch on your identifier five.’

‘On control.’

‘Roger we have you. Begin your decent five.’

‘Roger control.’

Down on the planet, the Modloch in charge of the refuelling almost tossed his headphones away in disgust. ‘There hasn’t been a single galactic credited pilot so far.’

His partner snorted, ‘Makes you wonder how they managed to beat the Albany.’

Their supervisor stood behind, ‘They beat them because they are merciless meat-eaters. Hunters in a way you pair can’t imagine. You would be well to remember that, and keep the sarcastic tone from your voices when dealing with them.’

The first controller reseated his earphones correctly, ‘But sir, none of their pilots have even flown their ships in an atmosphere. Isn’t that illegal?’

‘It is only illegal if they are a part of the galactic alliance, and they aren’t. I will have a word with the relative authorities though. If they have the money to pay for fuel then they have the money to get proper training.’

‘They are paying for it aren’t they sir?’

‘As far as I am aware.’ He checked his pad and ran his stencil over it. ‘Yes, the moment they have finished refuelling we received payment. Courtesy of the PD music company of Earth. It is a good pay day for us.’

They happily went back to their work.

On board the Earth tanker designated five, the pilot was also feeling frustrated, ‘They sound a bit pissed off with us sir.’

The Captain sat back in his seat, ‘We can hardly blame them. We are supposed to fly in to ten thousand feet before their automated systems take over. As it is they are having to take over from twice the designated height.’

‘It’s not our fault we have never received atmospheric training sir.’

‘You’re right it isn’t, but they must be starting to feel a little frustrated. Remember that when you talk to them please. They have another twenty tankers to fuel up yet.’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Maybe they could give us the training?’ Suggested the co-pilot.

‘I will pass that remark upstairs. You never know.’

It was a busy week for the tankers. By the end of it they had full tanks, as did every ship in the fleet. The fuel companies weren’t the only ones to benefit. As the Human music took the Empire by storm, then so did Human spending power. Food companies that grew fruit and vegetables began to receive custom. Many of these companies were consider purveyors of luxury goods and came from off world. The Modloch economy received a healthy boost.

CHAPTER 23

The door must have buzzed for the hundredth time in three days.

‘Bugger off.’ Charlie growled at the intercom. A few seconds later it slid noiselessly open.

Buzz smiled and showed Charlie the back of his hand. ‘Skeleton key pass. Sorry Charlie but I am going nowhere. We need to talk.’

‘I’m no in the mood Buzz.’

‘Obviously.’ He walked in and sat on the only chair in the room. Charlie eyed him suspiciously. ‘He is very sorry Charlie and wants to apologise.’

‘He knew before he gathered all of the senior staff together who was responsible for the music company. He intended to embarrass me before them all. I understand he didn’t have all the facts because I deliberately withheld them from Babes. He should have hiked me in by myself Buzz. No paraded me like a bloody clown. That is unforgivable.’

Buzz sighed, ‘He is far from perfect Charlie, he is Human.’

‘Right, and I’m no!’

‘Don’t go there Charlie.’

Charlie slumped back against his pillows, ‘Whatever. It preys on the mind sometimes.’

‘I couldn’t begin to imagine. But you are alive.’

‘Aye I am that Buzz, and grateful.’ Charlie looked up at the ceiling, ‘It might no seem like it at times, but I am.’

Buzz afforded a smile, ‘Still fighting the demons?’

‘Every day and every night.’

‘Sorry to hear that.’

Charlie shook his head, ‘Buzz, you have never thought I belonged here, not since I arrived. Neither has half the crew, including Komoru. You are worried I take a banzai and wipe out half the ship. Those who know of my special abilities want to run a mile when I come close.’

Buzz cringed inside, ‘Can you give us time Charlie?’

‘I don’t look into peoples’ heads you know. I occasionally pick up the odd stray thought if a person is in a highly emotional state, but that’s it.’

‘Did you use your abilities to secure that contract?’

‘Of course I did. They are the opposition.’

‘Not the enemy.’

‘No one is an enemy unless I am told they are.’

‘You must have enemies.’

‘I’m not a child, Buzz. There are plenty out there who hate my guts and want to kick my arse. There are plenty guys out there I can’t stand and want to kick their arse. That’s different. An enemy is someone my government pays me to fight and kill.’

‘We have never really had a chance to talk, have we?’

‘There’s been plenty of chances Buzz, you just don’t like or trust me.’

‘You must be feeling pretty isolated.’

‘No really. I have Cookie. We have been friends for a long time. I get on well with Kelly and Lewis. It’s enough.’

‘You’re right, I really don’t know how to take you.’

‘I understand your reservations Buzz. Your ultimate job is to protect Stevie, or that’s what you believe it is. You have been doing it for years. You think I am a loose cannon, and know I am one of the few people who could actually physically hurt him if I got it into my mind to do so. Dr Freeling running around telling everyone that I am emotionally unstable probably hasn’t helped either.’

Buzz sighed, ‘Good point.’

‘She isn’t a bloody shrink, she is a medical doctor. I keep my shit wired tight Buzz, I always have, it is in my nature. It has nothing to do with bloody combat stress.’

Buzz found a crack appearing in his face, a smile forcing its way to the surface. ‘Is it my imagination or have you been giving her the run around?’

‘Every time I see her it is a hundred questions. It pisses me off.’

‘I will take that as a yes then. I think she likes you.’

‘She fancies the pants off me. Literally.’

‘Why don’t you go for it then?’

‘I am a sergeant, she is an officer in the same army. It just isn’t done old boy. That’s her thoughts not mine. Besides, I don’t think I could stands the avalanche of questions every day.’

Buzz laughed. ‘I see. So you really think I am still looking out for Steven?’

‘What are you doing right now? How many of these conversations have you had since you took on the job of his second in command? Let’s be realistic, Steven is brilliant, beyond brilliant, but his man management skills are in the shitter.’

Buzz rocked with laughter. ‘Yeah OK Charlie. There has been more than a few. You have to try and keep in mind that Steven has never had this kind of responsibility before.’

‘I get that Buzz. At least us two went through the process. Me in the army, and I hear your father made you climb the ranks before he put you in charge of his business.’

‘He certainly did.’

‘It’s almost three years since he took command of this ship Buzz, something should have rubbed off on him by now. Instead of teaching him, you’re just protecting him.’

‘Ouch. I felt that.’

‘When we were kids, I used to protect Steven from the local bullies, never from himself.’

‘Looks like it’s my turn for the ass kicking. You think I am being over protective?’

‘Look Buzz, you and I both know that Stevie is a great guy, a decent bloke with good morals. He is the kind of guy that blokes like us feel naturally inclined to protect.’

Buzz held up a hand, ‘I get it Charlie. You’re right. I’ve got used to protecting him from the unpleasant shit that floats around, and here I am still at it, years later.’

‘You know Buzz, I really admire you for the way you haven’t turned your back on him. Most guys would have. I never knew him during that time, but by what Steven has been telling me it couldn’t have been easy.’

‘It wasn’t easy. Especially the first few years after the accident.’

‘Aye but you never gave up on him.’

‘I always knew that he was in there somewhere. I admired him as a kid, and I admired the determination and the fight he put in to get back on his feet. Every time I was able to spark a memory, I got a little more of my buddy back. I suppose he is more like my little brother than a friend. I always doubted his decision when he picked me for this job.’

‘The way I see it is you’re the guy that’s been keeping it all together. I think he couldn’t have made a better choice.’

Buzz thought that over for a moment, ‘Guys like us, huh?’

‘There is no such thing as a bad job Buzz, just bad bosses.’

‘Steven isn’t a bad boss Charlie.’

‘He isn’t a bad person Buzz. I have heard them all talking you know, and looked into the minds of the malcontents. Some of them resent him because he is so bright. They are the ones who resent him for not having the same qualifications as they do.’

Buzz grunted, ‘He had the accident before he could finish college.’

‘Aye, well it might be time he considered doing it through open university. Many of them resent the fact that he is trying to teach them without the relevant qualifications.’

‘Hasn’t he got enough on his hands Charlie?’

‘More than likely, but it is all about perception, isn’t it? OK, the young folk coming aboard now are in awe of him.’

‘You mean the problem is with the older guys, like the scientists that are left?’

‘Most of them were gone before I got here, but the few that are left certainly feel that way. They don’t mind so much if it comes from Komoru. It would seem that she is a star in the scientific world even though, from what I can gather, she followed Steven’s studies as far as she could go. Then she began to develop them farther. I heard that in the three years he has been in charge of this ship that he hasn’t bothered to submit so much as one scientific paper. Komoru has submitted at least a dozen.’

‘Hey, Stevie has literally written a whole damn book on star navigation in the past year. It’s what they are teaching at the academy.’

‘Has he got the relevant qualifications? Has he submitted them for review, published them in whatever manner the science community requires?’

Buzz pressed his knuckles into his eye sockets. ‘Not that I am aware of. No.’

‘I think these folk are desperately looking for something that they can hold up and shout out, “Yes, he is one of us. Come learn about the universe.”’

Buzz sighed heavily, ‘I don’t think he likes the way they handled his papers, or the way they treated Komoru when she stood by them.’

‘So what? In the Army, if you challenge one of your officers, try and tell him he is wrong, then you had better be damn well sure of your facts, and have the evidence to back it up. If you do it right they will listen to you. They will even respect you for that. Of course they will then steal whatever the hell it was, get a pat on the back and probably promoted for it as well.’

‘Yeah, I’ve seen shit like that go down in my time.’

‘That’s the point I am trying to make Buzz. We have seen it, we know how it works, but Steve doesn’t. He has never had to deal with these kind of issues. Everyone has looked out for him all his life.’

Buzz opened his mouth then closed it again. ‘I was about to say we have never had to deal with the issues he has. You have though.’

‘I never lost my memory Buzz. It might have been a lot easier to deal with if I had.’

‘Yeah I get that. I suppose I have to take the blame for a lot of that.’

Charlie shrugged, ‘I don’t think this is the time or the place to start proportioning out blame. What is, is. Deal with it.’

A slow smile spread across Buzz’s face, ‘You know, I think I’m beginning to like you.’

‘Oh aye? I get that sometimes.’

Buzz burst out laughing. ‘You haven’t been sitting here for the past three days... what is it you Scots call it, um...’

‘Sulking.’

‘Yeah that’s it, sulking.’

‘Is that what everyone thinks?’

‘Pretty much.’

‘No, I’ve been working on a report for whoever takes on this music thing. I have been studying the kind of music that the Modloch and some of the other races like.’

‘Their music is terrible.’

‘Bloody awful,’ Charlie agreed, ‘but it’s much less about the music and more about the sound, comparing the kind of instruments that they use and those that we use that sound similar. From there I have compiled a kind of chart of the kind of music I believe they will like. Apart from that I have been in touch with Kelly and we are working on an advanced training program. As soon as I have wrapped this up I am going over to work with him.’

‘You could go back to working with Stevie. Now this crisis seems to be over.’

‘He doesn’t need me at the moment, not stuck here anyway. Kelly needs me more.’

‘You mad at him because he took Howe and Beaver with him, and left you here?’

‘Oh hell no! He did exactly the right thing.’ Charlie sniffed, ‘OK, he did it for exactly the wrong reasons though.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The shit he was dealing with was ultra-high secret. I know that. Thing is I’m a sergeant in the army. I have signed the official secrets act. No matter what I found out, I would never reveal the details to anyone. The stuff he was doing before he replaced me was so far over my head I would have drowned had I tried to make any sense of it. He replaced me with two high ranking officers who could advise him, who would know what he was talking about. Good move, great move even. The thing is he replaced me because he didn’t feel he could trust me. Bad move.’

‘Yeah, I see. Problem is, no one is really sure about your state of mind.’

Charlie shrugged, ‘I’m not a child. I have seen guys come down with combat stress before. I know the signs and symptoms. If I feel at any time that it’s getting to the stage where I can’t cope, I will be the first one to admit it. I know the shit we are involved in here is far too vital to be jeopardized by some idiot going off his nut. I keep my shit wired tight. If I begin to unravel, I can assure you, I will be the first to notice.’

Buzz smiled and stood, ‘What about Stevie?’

‘Want me to do it or do you want to do it? I won’t be anywhere near as nice as you will.’

Buzz scratched his head, ‘Let’s just see what Stevie does when I tell him you won’t accept his apology from me.’

‘That should be interesting.’

Buzz left Charlie to it. He had a lot to think about.

CHAPTER 24

The Chief sat in front of the Emperor in a state of high anxiety. The longer the Emperor sat and stared at him the more anxious he became. He wasn’t sure if it was the cold smile that didn’t reach the Emperor’s eyes which worried him the most or the fact that he was flanked by two of the Emperor’s executioners.

‘Are you happy with your post Chief?’

‘Yes sire.’ He nodded vigorously, ‘Very happy.’

‘Are you sure Chief?’

‘Yes sire.’

‘Then why is it I hear that you have taken yourself into the music business?’ The Chief could manage no more than a strangled squawk. ‘No answer? OK, let me go on. You see these Humans you are so friendly with? I had them right where I wanted them. Beholden to me. This side of the great barrier they couldn’t survive without me and my generosity. I would have to give them fuel, food, escort their freighters back and forth between the barrier.’ The Emperor waggled a finger in front of the Chief’s face. ‘I bet I know what you are thinking. You must be thinking, “Wow! How generous of my Emperor. The expense must be tremendous.”’ He sat back with a smile. ‘Of course you are right. It is expensive. Do you know what it isn’t as expensive as Chief?’ He leaned forward again, ‘I suppose I am going to have to explain this as you are a complete idiot. It isn’t as expensive as building a whole new battle fleet, training its personnel and paying them. I had a whole brand new battle fleet at my fingertips, and a race that quite frankly frightens the shit out of every race this side of the great barrier.’ He gestured with his arms, ‘A whole race of fearsome meat-eaters beholden to me and my generosity.’

The Emperor sat back and took a drink of water. The Chief’s eyes were beginning to roll in his head in panic. ‘Of course a few years from now, maybe light years from here, when I had enough trained personnel, I could have simply let the Human fleet run out of fuel. By the laws of salvage I could have gained myself a whole new fleet, free of charge. Now, with the Humans being able to buy their own fuel and food, I have no leverage. None. Nothing. All gone. All that generosity and goodwill flushed down the toilet. All because my Chief Engineer is a complete idiot. Thank you Chief. You know when I sent these fellows out to fetch you it was to drag you screaming into a quiet room where you were to be tortured and then executed? I was quite looking forward to the show.’ He smiled, ‘I was going to watch the highlights in my bath this evening.’ He sighed, ‘I was so looking forward to that. Another evening’s entertainment ruined, and all because of you.’

Foam had began to form on the Chief’s muzzle and his eyes were rolling uncontrollably.

‘Will someone give the idiot a drink of water before he faints.’

One of the executioners poured water into a glass and forced it into the Chief’s hands. He managed to gulp a few mouthfuls. The Emperor waited until he seemed to have gained some measure of control again.

‘Would you like to know what saved your life? Of course you would.’ The Emperor picked up a pad. ‘I received this from the owner of Dylastics, that wonderful engineering company:

‘My Emperor,

It is with the greatest joy that I supply your new city ship with the generators that you need. We have at this time four of our latest generators in stock. I have already started work on the other eleven units that you require. Please accept my apologies for not having everything that you need in stock. I assure you that I will endeavour to have them completed and shipped out to you as soon as they have been built and tested.’ The Emperor put the pad down.

‘The funny thing is Chief, none of my quartermasters remember ordering such a thing. Enquires were made and it turns out that my Chief Engineer paid for them himself, out of his own pocket. Out of the profit he made from his deal with that music company. Now why would you do that, Patron? I want an answer.’

The Chief took a deep breath, ‘Many of the generators are a complete write-off, sire. I asked for replacements but was told that there was no money for such things and to make do. It meant that your ship would not have been fully powered. In the extremely unlikely event that it is attacked, we would not have been able to supply full power to the shields and the weapons. I had no idea that I would make so much money from the music contract. As soon as I did, I ordered the new generators and paid for them myself. I could not let the ship leave here without you being fully protected, sire.’

‘Did something change since my last briefing on the state of the ship?’

‘I believe you ordered an extra hundred and fifty medium powered weapons and forty heavies to help defend the ship, sire.’

‘Ah! Yes, so I did. Are you telling me that there simply wasn’t enough power?’

‘Yes sir. The new generators supply twice the power of the Albany units. With all of the unfixable Albany generators being replaced by new units, we have more than enough power for all of our needs. You could have every factory working, and every light on, as well as fight and defend the ship. Once I had enough money I was going to purchase the last of the units we require to go fully operational, and a half dozen spare units as replacements.’

The Emperor picked up his pad again and scrolled through to what he was looking for. ‘I see you have spent every penny you have made so far on these generators. Paid for them up front too. You have also bought a great number of quality tools, a number of spare parts that our quartermaster can’t supply, and of course a crate of cheap wine.’ He paused, ‘Is that it Chief? The only thing you bought for yourself was a crate of cheap wine?’

The Chief was trembling, ‘I thought the wine was an extravagance sire.’

The Emperor groaned, ‘You wouldn’t know what a decent wine was if I hit you on the back of the head with a jar of it. How can I possibly kill one of my people who is so obviously devoted to his Emperor? At least, that is, until you have finished paying for all of those generators and installing them.’ He laughed wickedly at his own humour while the Chief trembled even more. The Emperor noticed and frowned. ‘You should be relieved to hear that. Is there something you are not telling me about this little deal of yours?’

The Chief shook his head wildly but the Emperor wasn’t buying it. He could smell the Chief’s fear growing with each passing second and knew there was something he had missed. He picked up his pad again and scrolled through it. He couldn’t see anything, certainly nothing jumped out at him. The Chief sat quietly in terror hoping he would never ask.

Despite the fact that the Emperor didn’t see it he still asked the obvious question. ‘Who is this Human you went into business with?’

The Chief almost fainted, ‘Charlie, Charlie Murison, sire.’ He gasped.

The Emperor frowned, the English words on the document held no meaning for him. However, it was a name he was very familiar with. His eyes turned colder and he found he almost choked on the name.

‘Charlie the commoner. Charlie the sergeant that made a fool of me and one of my guards at my own function.’ He got slowly to his feet. ‘ The Charlie that embarrassed me in front of the whole Empire and all of my guests?’

The Chief could only squeak a reply, ‘Yes sire.’

The Emperor leaned forward, ‘There is a Human saying. I believe it is: one step forward and two back. I have a very special moment planned for that Human. It involves a blaster and an incinerator, should he ever have the audacity to step aboard one of my ships.’ The way the Chief’s eyes began to roll in his head gave the game away. The Emperor felt a nerve along the side of his muzzle begin to twitch. He shoved his face close to the Chief’s, ‘He has been here, hasn’t he?’

The Chief could only nod his head. The Emperor sat back down, fury making his legs weak. ‘If he had come aboard this ship, I would have known. How?’

‘He beams across.’

‘You mean matter transportation?’

‘Yes sire.’

‘He has been coming aboard my ship without proper authorization?’

The Chief nodded and the Emperor rubbed his hands along his muzzle to still the twitching nerves. He leaned back and took a number of deep breaths. The executioners were ready to pounce.

‘Why was he aboard my ship?’

‘Just to visit at first sire, then he helped us change the generators.’

The Emperor tossed his hands into the air, ‘Well wasn’t that nice of him! Don’t we have enough engineers of our own?’

The Chief gulped, ‘Yes sire, but they found it difficult working in the confined space inside the generators. Humans are much smaller.’ His voice faltered, ‘Charlie didn’t mind helping. He had nothing else to do.’

The Emperor frowned, ‘What do you mean?’

‘He said he had nothing else to do.’

‘I thought he protected the diminutive Captain Gordon?’

‘Yes sire.’

‘Who is protecting him now?’

‘Two of his senior officers.’

The Emperor came slowly forward. ‘How long?’

‘A few weeks now, sire.’

‘Did he say why?’

‘I asked. He told me to mind my own business.’

‘Had he done something wrong?’

‘He didn’t act like it sire.’

The Emperor knew that there were often those who held vital information but just weren’t aware of it. With every other race in the galaxy, he had his spies and contacts. With the Humans, it was a blank wall. Tapping into their communications network had proved futile. Nothing the Humans were doing or seemed to be doing raised a red flag anywhere within his intelligence community. The Emperor was far from being a fool. In their position, he knew he would have been plotting and scheming. After spending so much time with the King, and after so many conversations, he knew the Humans were well aware of the predicament they were in. His intelligence community, however, seemed to be of the impression that they were blissfully unaware of how precarious their position was.

‘What hold does this Human have on you? Do you count him as a friend?’

‘Yes sire. Charlie saved my life. A damaged section of a walkway gave way under my feet. I fell and was trapped. I was dying. Charlie found me, climbed down thirty feet, released me, then carried me on his back to safety. We have been friends ever since.’

‘A powerful incentive for friendship indeed. Help me out here Chief. Take that one step forward into the light again. What don’t I know about the Humans? What are they doing that I cannot see? What do you think they are doing that I cannot see? Give me a reason not to execute you and pay for those damn generators myself.’

The Chief knew he was drowning and desperately clutched for a straw. ‘You said you wanted the Humans to be beholden to you sire, to depend on you.’

‘Yes I did. Go on.’

‘It won’t happen sire.’

‘Not now, no.’

The Chief’s eyes rolled dramatically and he grabbed for the glass of water. ‘Would never have happened anyway, sire.’ He managed to gulp.

The Emperor took a deep breath and asked calmly, ‘Why not Chief?’

‘The Humans are preparing to leave.’

‘What makes you think that?’

‘I am the Chief Engineer of the fleet sire. I receive all intelligence reports from my officers; many are at this moment working with the Humans and instructing them.’

‘I am aware of that. So you have received intelligence from your engineers that the Humans are preparing to leave?’

‘Yes sire.’

‘Go on.’

‘By my estimation, it looks like the Human battle fleet is preparing to make a run for the great barrier. A few days ago maintenance of the freighters was scaled back to near zero and all spare engineering staff rerouted to the battle wagons.’

‘So they are preparing to make a run for it and dump their freighters?’

‘That’s what it looks like sire.’

‘Did you report this Chief?’ The edge had crept back into this voice.

‘Yes of course sire. I knew how important the information was. I first reported my suspicions weeks ago to W1.’

‘Did you indeed!’ The Emperor reached for a communication device. ‘Put me through to intelligence W1.’

‘You wish to talk to them directly sire?’ Came the voice of his puzzled Secretary.

‘I most certainly do.’

‘Yes sire. Of course.’

When his communications device beeped he answered it. ‘Your glorious Highness, Major Achnereeona at your service. How can we possibly be of assistance?’ The secretary had obviously warned them who was calling.

‘I am sitting having tea with my Chief Engineer.’ He smiled evilly at the Chief, ‘He tells me he has been putting in reports about certain Human activities. He believes they may be planning to leave shortly.’

‘Yes sire, I know the reports. I marked them urgent and sent them directly to W5. Other reports coming into this station also backs up your Chief Engineer’s conclusions. They were all forwarded to W5.’

‘Thank you Major. I shall remember your professionalism.’

‘It is my honour to serve sire.’

The Chief almost pissed himself with relief. The Emperor was on a witch hunt now though and asked to be put through to W5. There he received the same information; they had kicked the intel up to W7, which was the highest level.

It was a general that answered his questions. ‘I am sorry sire, we have investigated all such reports. You are aware that the Human communications systems and computing abilities are extremely primitive; all of their ships are also of Modloch design. As a result we have been aware of every communication they have made since they arrived. There isn’t so much as a single communiqué to back up these reports, no matter how compelling they seem to be.’

‘Thank you General.’

The Chief expected to be blasted again, but instead the Emperor sat back and rubbed his jawline thoughtfully.

‘Could the Humans possibly communicate such orders verbally? No! Such a manoeuvre is extremely difficult without a proper plan. Even the most basic and simple of plan would be too much for a Modloch commander to memorize, let alone a Human. So how are they doing it?’

The Emperor had been talking to himself, speculating, he hadn’t expected an answer. As he calmed down the answer popped right into the Chief’s mind. ‘Paper sire.’

The Emperor’s eyes flicked downward and captured the Chief, ‘Sorry. What?’

The Chief fumbled in the top pocket of the boiler suit that Charlie had given him and produced a notebook. He slid it across the desk. The Emperor reached for it tentatively, ‘What is this thing?’

The Chief swallowed, ‘It’s an NCO’s notebook sire. I got it from Charlie. He said he has a small stock of them. They are issued.’

The Emperor opened it and frowned ‘What is this scrawl?’ He flipped a few pages. ‘It is your name, you’ve been scrawling your name on it!’

‘It isn’t as easy as it looks sire. Try it. The pencil is held in the top part, you simply pull it out.’

It was with a sense of wonder that the Emperor retrieved the pencil and tried to write his name. He howled with laughter at the results. ‘You are right Chief, it isn’t that easy.’ He closed it, ‘Why do they give their NCOs such wondrous and valuable things?’

‘The Humans are very primitive sire. They use paper for everything; I saw that on Earth. We were getting bags of what they call “mail”. It was all written on paper. Gairloch had it all burned because of the bacteria that was on them. We had a Human liaison officer who typed up some of them and sent them to us electronically. It is not outwith the Human’s ability to have an internally secure network where they dispense orders of this nature by courier, and printed on paper.’

‘We haven’t used paper for a thousand years.’

‘The Humans have vast forests growing to provide them with all their paper needs. They even reclaim it, shred it up and make new paper from it. Sire, they even use it to wipe their backsides on.’

The Emperor was mortified at first, and then saw the funny side. He howled with laughter but quickly calmed down and became thoughtful again. He tried once more to write his name in the notebook and laughed. ‘It is a lot harder than it looks, but strangely gratifying.’

The Chief kept his peace. The Emperor put the pencil back into its holder and reluctantly slid the notebook back across the table. It disappeared into the Chief’s pocket.

‘So the Humans have been preparing to leave and issuing orders on paper. Not a single one of my intelligence people realised that. They aren’t as stupid as everyone believes them to be, are they Chief?’

‘They are a lot smarter than the people on this side of the barrier wish to give them credit for sire.’

The Emperor stabbed a beautiful finger at him, ‘That is exactly the problem Chief. No one on this side of the barrier wants to believe they are smart.’

‘May I say something sire?’

‘You have at least earned that right Chief. Go ahead.’

‘I have been with these Humans a long time now. It is true that they are technologically and intellectually inferior to all species on this side of the barrier. Their ability to adapt to any situation, however, is vastly superior to any species we know, including our own. They are smart in a completely different way. Their ability to overcome their own shortcomings is undeniable.’

‘When you helped your Human friend to seal this deal, did you suspect then that they were planning to leave?’

The Chief’s head dropped, ‘Yes sire, I did. There was already plenty of evidence to suggest it. I also knew of the difficulty they were having and why they wished to leave. I thought maybe if I helped them Charlie wouldn’t leave, that they would be able to stay.’

‘If the venture was a success.’

‘Charlie tested the music out on my staff. They all loved it. I knew he was up to something then. I knew it would be a success or I wouldn’t have bothered. I didn’t realize at the time I would be doing something to displease my Emperor. I can do nothing more than apologise sire.’

‘Your apology is accepted Chief. You are in my eyes completely exonerated. We have all underestimated the Human race. I myself find them quite fascinating. I can see now the plans I had in mind for them were completely futile. None of them would have came to fruition. So how do we bind them to us Chief? Can you answer that question?’

‘Be a genuine friend to them sire. Charlie saved my life, yet I have found if I wish for his help, all I have to do is ask. I am the one beholden to him, yet this venture was the very first time he ever asked for my help. I didn’t feel obligated to help sire, I genuinely wanted to help.’

‘Is friendship so important to them?’

‘I believe so sire.’

‘With this single bank account, they now have a foothold in this universe. If I ordered it closed now, they would find out and begin to consider us an adversary. Until now they have had nothing they could offer any race. Our laws have until now prevented them trading anything they have of value. The thing is Chief, they don’t even realise what they have yet.’

‘Do you mean paper sire?’

‘That is exactly what I mean Chief. They cannot trade their precious metals or minerals. We hold the contracts for all seeds and grasses. This paper, however, is a completely different commodity. There are no laws or restrictions on it. They could also use their own banks for trade. It would mean a steady income of all universal currencies. Once they are established as a rare commodity trader, they would be allowed to open accounts here.’

‘How is that sire?’

‘Rare commodities comes under the same laws as music and arts.’

‘Ah! I understand.’

‘The thing is, if the Humans approach it correctly, they could earn enough money to actually establish a bank.’

‘You mean, if they have enough universal money to trade with sire?’

‘Exactly. Money likes money.’

‘There is only one thing though – one Human already knows the value of paper.’

‘Let me guess: Charlie?’

‘Yes sire. He had paper copies of copyright laws and a Modloch translation. The company owner told him how precious paper was. Charlie made a gift of them to the company director to help sweeten the deal.’

‘Very smart of him. In that case, I had better move quickly. It may take time for news from him to travel to the top. If I tell the King then he will go directly to the politicians. I can also help them establish trade properly and in a way that will be beneficial to the Human race as a whole. Do you think that will earn me their friendship, Chief?’

‘I think you are certainly on the right track, sire.’

‘Is there anything else you can think of that might help?’

‘Integration sire. Some form of joint task force. Training places in our academies and on board our ships. We are an aggressive species sire, but the Humans are more so. We work well together. They have another commodity that isn’t bound by any universal laws.’

‘What is that.’

‘Creatures they call pets sire.’

‘What on Modloch is a pet!?’

CHAPTER 24

It had all gone horribly wrong. When Buzz had told Steven, Charlie refused to accept his apology. Steven had tried again when they had met in the dinning hall. Steven had kept his voice low but Charlie had told him very loudly to stick his apology up his arse and walked out. He was now at a loss. Amanda firmly believed that Charlie needed to be hospitalised. The other diners had all looked embarrassed. Now he was waiting for Charlie in his office and had no idea what to do or what to say.

The lift slid down and Charlie appeared. He looked round. Steven expected him to be angry but he seemed anything but.

He stepped off the lift. ‘Now was this so bloody hard Stevie?’

Steven’s jaw dropped, ‘What?’

‘This, a wee quiet word. Was it so bloody hard?’

‘Uh... No.’

‘There you go. Just think how much embarrassment you would have saved yourself if you had just tried this a wee bit earlier.’

Steven wasn’t sure what to say, ‘I don’t really understand you Charlie.’

‘Let me put you in the picture. You found out I had sold music to a Modloch music company. You immediately jumped to the conclusion that I had been making a few bob on the side. You got pissed off and gathered all the senior staff together to give me a bollocking, and more than likely kick my arse off the ship. Right or wrong?’

Steven flushed bright red, ‘Something like that.’

‘OK, let’s throw a wee scenario at you. Let’s just imagine for one minute that when you found out and came to your conclusion you hadn’t acted like a tit and instead pulled me down here for a wee chat. I am sure if you had contained yourself for a few minutes, and said something like, “Hey Charlie, I heard you have gone into the music business bud, what’s going on?” I would have replied with “Hey Stevie, great news, I managed to get round all these bloody awkward laws and opened up a bank account for the fleet. Here let me show you the details.” Now how do you think that would have panned out?’

‘Oh... Well, better’ The penny dropped.

‘I would imagine so. How many times have you pulled that little stunt, bollocking people in front of others? Once? Twice? Many times?’ Charlie sat down in the chair opposite Steven. ‘There are ways of doing things properly Stevie, and you either don’t know them, or you are being an ignorant prick.’ Charlie sat back and waited for a reply.

Steven tried to gather his shattered thoughts, ‘I was just trying to apologise to you in the canteen.’

‘Aye I know. You tried to make an arse out of me Stevie, instead I made an arse out of you twice. It seems you didn’t learn your lesson the first time round. If you find yourself in a situation like this again you invite them down for a wee talk. Then if you think it necessary you bring in the big guns. After you have tried to find out all of the relevant facts first. Forearmed is forewarned and all that.’

Steven slumped. ‘OK, I get it Charlie.’

‘I’m glad you do Stevie. You never know, you might just stop losing so many people.’

‘You think?’

‘Oh aye, I do.’ Charlie leaned forward, ‘Do you think I’ve been idle since I arrived here?’ He didn’t wait for an answer, ‘I have spent twenty years in the army. It is my job to look after a platoon of thirty men, to wipe their noses or boot their arses when needed. I have broken in a half dozen sprog officers and treated them exactly the same. I like to believe that when they left the platoon they were better men for it. Now I have you. You and this ship saved my life and I owe you big time. When you brought me here you thought you were protecting me. Looking after me. I am going to return the favour, repay my debt by making you the best damn officer I ever worked with. I have been reading the minds of the people in this ship, and those you have come into contact with while I’ve been here. I’m not talking about raking through their minds like a thief in the night, I am talking about those thoughts that are pushed out, shouted out if you want, when you were in their presence.

‘You have absolutely no problems with the military contingent on board. They adore you. Think you are the bee’s knees. They like the way you make a decision and stick with it. They admire the way you put yourself in harm’s way and take no shit from anyone. They don’t mind if you bawl them out, they are used to it.

‘The civilians on board this ship view you in an entirely different way. Many think you are an arrogant arsehole. They are aware that you never completed whatever course you were doing at college before your accident. They are also aware that you have never bothered to try and finish it. Of all of the civilians on board this ship, you are by far the least qualified. You don’t even write any scientific papers, it is as though you deem yourself above it. None of that may be true of course but that is exactly how they feel. Of course, many of the positions on board this ship have been taken over by youngsters at the academy who have more of a military background, but there is still a core of civilians that have stuck by you. You may feel that you have nothing to prove, and that they and many others were fools for ridiculing you and those papers you did publish when you were young. You are now writing whole new chapters in astral navigation, but not a single thing have you put forward for your peers to peruse. Do you really think that is the right and proper thing to do?’

‘I don’t really have the time to piss about Charlie.’ Steven shrugged.

‘Don’t give me that pish: make the time. You are riding roughshod over these people Stevie, and you know it. You think you don’t care about roughing their feathers, and you won’t be the first genius to feel that way either. Before you go any farther though, why don’t you take a wee look at some of the history books, and find out exactly what happened to those people? It will always come back and bite you on the arse. They have their pride Stevie; they have worked very hard to get where they are today. They will turn on you and they can hurt you.’ Charlie stood, ‘Here endeth the first lesson. I want you to have a wee think about the things I have said and remember this one thing: I am no bloody genius, but I could see most of this without reading a single mind.’

He made it half way to the door, ‘Oh! by the way. Before I forget. The Modloch think paper is a precious commodity. They stopped using it a thousand years ago. They now only have it in museums. A single piece of blank paper can be worth thousands, and I can’t find it on the prohibited list either. You might want to have someone check it out.’

Charlie left and a few minutes later Buzz appeared, ‘Just come to check you were all right partner.’

Steven slid down in his seat, ‘Yeah I’m fine.’

‘Did you have it out with him?’

Steven shook his head, ‘Barely got a word in.’

‘You don’t look great.’

‘My fellow countrymen have a saying for how I am feeling, I think they call it being “reamed”. How could that have gone so wrong? I was supposed to be giving him the lecture!’

Buzz burst out laughing, ‘Yeah, that’s pretty much how I felt after talking to him.’

‘What did he say to you?’

‘Lots and lots and lots. I had the pleasure of his company for a lot longer than you did. There is one thing he said to me that keeps going round and round in my head though.’

‘What’s that?’

‘He said when you were both young he used to protect you from the local bullies, but he never protected you from yourself.’

‘Did you understand what he meant by that?’

‘Yeah I did.’

‘Is that why you decided that I should handle it myself?’

‘Pretty much.’

Steven sighed, ‘Do you think he is going insane?’

‘Oh hell no!’

‘Me neither. Thing is Buzz, I know exactly what he means as well.’

‘Was he the same way as a kid?’

‘Yeah, pretty much. He is a little more articulate now though.’

‘You know I didn’t really like Charlie to begin with. I really didn’t want to like him.’

‘I think there are a few others who feel the same.’

‘I think he has earned his spurs though.’

Steven suddenly sat up. ‘Oh shit!’

‘What!’

‘Paper.’

‘What about it?’

‘Something Charlie just said. We need to check it out.’

CHAPTER 25

Lady Jane sat uncomfortably on the edge of a large couch, her most treasured possession in front of her. She watched the Emperor with great suspicion. Her encyclopaedia of the Earth’s solar system sat between them.

Mindful of Gairloch’s precautions and of the bacteria the Chief Engineer had warned about, they had come ready. The book was put into a unit and sterilised before the Emperor would touch it. They just hadn’t realised how large the book actually was. It didn’t fit into the sterilising unit, and there was a frustrating half hour while they waited for one large enough. When the light on the top glowed amber The Emperor’s assistant had removed the book and then the box. The book was laid down in front of the Emperor. His eyes devoured it for a long time and he even wore a pair of dark gloves.

‘This is a book worthy of a Modloch Emperor.’

Lady Jane scowled, ‘It is my most treasure position sire.’

The Emperor’s eyes glanced up briefly, ‘I understand Lady Jane. I shall not harm it nor try to procure it from you.’

Her head bowed a little in acceptance of his word.

He tentatively opened the cover and was soon immersed in the delights of the book. By the time he had turned the last page the King had arrived and sat down to watch with a puzzled frown on his head. The Emperor picked it up and felt the weight in his hands. It felt very satisfying. He laid it down with a sigh.

‘Lady Jane, I am very envious of you.’

‘As I have said sire, it is my most treasured possession.’

‘Why? It is only a book?’ The King asked.

‘You truly have no idea what you have here do you?’ The Emperor asked him.

‘Obviously not. I don’t believe the Earth’s solar system is that remarkable compared to many others, so it must be something else.’

‘You are right it is something else. It is the book itself. If this was printed in the Modloch language you could almost name your own price. As it stands, it is still worth probably over a hundred thousand in any local currency.’

The King’s eye’s widened in shock, ‘Why?’

‘In this part of the galaxy we stopped using paper over a thousand years ago. A framed blank piece of paper can go for hundreds. Something of this quality is considered precious. You will only find something like this in a museum or in a private collection. One of my ancestors had quite an extensive collection. After a tragic fire the remains were sent to a museum. Anything like this is kept in a vacuum. No one is allowed to touch them.’

The King shook his head, ‘That is astounding.’

The Emperor leaned forward, ‘We have desperately been seeking a commodity that the Earth has plenty of but which isn’t banned by intergalactic treaties.’ He tapped the book, ‘This is it my friend.’

‘I am struggling to understand sire,’ Lady Jane interjected. ‘You have trees, don’t you? Why not just make paper?’

‘A good question. Our whole ecosystem is micro managed. The few trees we do have are genetically altered to produce oxygen. They are owned by their respective governments and it is a serious offence to damage or remove one. To be truthful they are not suited for making paper. The plants and trees that paper was once made from were removed and became extinct a very long time ago. This is a simple truth across the galaxy.’ He turned his attention back to the King, ‘Do you understand fully what I am trying to tell you?’

‘I most certainly do.’ The King stood, ‘I had better make this information available to our President; I will contact him directly. This will need to be managed carefully and in a proper manner. If there is any way I can repay you for this information...’

‘Oh, I can think of a number of ways. We will discuss it later.’

The two laughed and Lady Jane retreated with her book cradled protectively in her arms.

When the President heard the same information from two different sources within hours of each other he swung into action. He called for a meeting of his top men; it didn’t take them long to come to a decision. Priority messages were sent to Earth and the race was on. The President wanted the same encyclopaedia Lady Jane had, typeset in the various languages of the diplomats that would be coming to the big function. As yet there were still too few acceptances for the function to go ahead, but since the discovery of Human music numbers had slowly began to increase.

CHAPTER 26

Charlie sat and chewed on his piece of omelette. His eyes were locked on to Komoru’s, who fought with a huge pillow. Her head eventually managed to appear fully as she pushed down the edge of the pillow with her chin. Her eyes gleamed. Charlie’s eyes lifted and the huge Lewis who stood at her back nodded. Charlie returned the nod before returning his attention to Komoru.

‘Evening Komoru.’

‘Good evening Charlie. That looks good.’

‘It’s lovely, only Cookie can make a grand meal out of powdered eggs.’

‘That is true. I wish he were on my ship.’

Charlie laid his fork and knife down, splaying them open. ‘How can I be of assistance?’

‘I just wanted to thank you.’

‘What for?’

‘For what you did for Steven.’

Charlie frowned; it had been a week since their little discussion and he had kept out of Steven’s way since. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘Steven finished his papers. The ones he started so many years ago. We got word today that they were accepted due to the circumstances of his accident and injuries.’

‘What has that got to do with me?’

‘I have tried to get him to finish that paper a hundred times. You talk to him once and it is done. How did you do it?’

Charlie thought it over, ‘Some may call it a reality check, others might call it a royal arse kicking. Take your pick.’

She tilted her head slightly, ‘You have my admiration. I could not do it.’

‘You are only a genius Komoru. I am a fully-fledged drill instructor of a Scottish infantry regiment. I am afraid that, in the world of motivation, you are well and truly outclassed.’

Her tinkling laugh marched up and down his spine, making him feel uncomfortable, ‘So it would seem. I did not like you at first. Despite your friendship with Steven, I did not think you were suitable to be a member of these crews. You have since proved me wrong. The reason I am apologising is because you will know how I felt about you.’

Charlie shrugged, ‘I did not hold that against you Komoru. Even in the army, a man needs time to find his proper place, a little time to prove his worth.’

‘I can see that now.’ She stood and dragged the pillow round to his side of the table. ‘This is the first thing ever purchased by a Human from this part of the Galaxy. I got two. I think it only fitting that you take one of them.’

Charlie eyed the pillow with great suspicion, ‘I have no need for it Komoru.’

‘I am not offering it to you Charlie, it is a gift, and it would be very rude of you to refuse.’

Reluctantly Charlie reached out and took possession of it, ‘In that case, thank you very much.’

She clapped her hands, ‘Wonderful. I will leave you to your meal. Oh! Before I forget. You are invited down to Mya’s at the weekend. Babes knows the coordinates. Before you refuse, she has a real bath with hot running water.’

‘A real bath. Wow!’

She almost skipped away. Lewis grinned at Charlie and Charlie smiled back. He shook his head at the pillow and discovered his meal had grown cold. Cookie met him at the counter.

‘What’s up Charlie?’

‘It’s gone cold Cookie, can you nuke it for me?’

‘Nae bother.’ Cookie stuck it in the microwave and came back. ‘Hope yer no casting that wayward eye of yours at Komoru, Charlie.’

Charlie scowled, ‘I have never crossed that line Charlie.’

Cookie looked doubtful, ‘Really? I know your reputation.’

‘Aye, a reputation invented by arseholes like you.’

Cookie laughed, ‘A reputation well deserved.’

‘It’s not Cookie. Seriously, I have never stabbed a mate in the back, ever. Never will either. I have never even been out with a mate’s ex, let alone a lassie he was going out with.’

‘Aye well, I still don’t trust ye.’

‘Fuck you.’

Cookie handed back the heated food laughing.

Charlie finished his meal. He ignored the funny looks on his way back to his quarters with the giant pillow. He tossed it onto his bunk and jumped on top of it. ‘Holy shit!’ he exclaimed as he sank onto it. He allowed himself a smile. It was nice to feel a little more accepted.

CHAPTER 27

The huge teardrop-shaped ship blocked out the planet below for a few minutes. Steven’s heart raced. As the first ship slid alongside to dock another appeared. It slid alongside the first. Komoru appeared; she too was nervous. She was docked on the opposite side from the two goliaths. They walked hand in hand to the airlock. The roof above them had been raised considerably to accommodate their visitors. For two days Babes had been busily reconfiguring a part of the ship to act as a reception area for their guests. She and Ico were both anxious over the visit.

An honour guard without weapons was waiting.

They had to wait almost ten minutes for the airlock to open. In the doorway stood the two captains, behind them a half dozen crew members. It was the first meeting between Humans and the people who built these ships.

Lady Jane stood at the end and watched like a hawk. She had come back aboard to observe proper protocol was maintained.

Steven stepped forward and bowed, ‘I am Captain Steven Gordon.’

Komoru stepped forward and bowed ‘I am Captain Komoru Kaizu, Steven’s mate.’

The return bow was less respectful. ‘I am ambassador Moranichetth and this is my mate Patriciallahetth. When we heard there was some of our ships in the Empire with disgusting meat-eaters on board our government sent us to investigate. You will return these ships to us immediately. We have the equipment on board to remove all of the nanites from your bodies. These ships shall return home and be decommissioned. If you refuse then our ships will simply order yours to deconstruct with you aboard. They are much more powerful than yours. Your crew will perish in the process.’

‘Then that is what you will have to do ambassador. Good day.’ Steven answered curtly.

‘We will give you a few hours for consideration.’

‘No need ambassador. My decision is final.’ The ambassador turned away. ‘Before you go you may want to take these with you.’ Steven nodded and some of the crew produced the cylinders that held the essence of the previous crew and those of the crews that had died on the black planet. The ambassador gave a silent command and members of his crew stepped forward to receive the cylinders. They retreated and the airlock doors closed.

Steven slumped against the wall for a moment before finding Charlie, who was alone in a room nearby. ‘Charlie, are you sure about this? I can’t hear Babes anymore.’

‘Positive. They are bluffing. Babes says they are using a jamming signal but they can’t order her to self-destruct in the manner they have stipulated. In fact not in any matter at all.’

‘You can still hear her?’

‘Her and Ico.’

‘Is he OK?’ Komoru asked.

‘Worried you will do something rash. That’s all. You had better get back to the crews, they are getting nervous now. It’s a test Stevie. If you so much as try to raise your shields then you will have failed it. They will not kill us themselves, but they are not beyond putting a bounty on our heads. You really, really need to trust me on this.’

Steven clapped him on the shoulder. ‘I do Charlie.’

The Captains returned to their ships. When Steven arrived on the bridge it was to find everyone at their action stations. ‘Listen to me everyone and listen very carefully. The Builders will not take a life. They would not deconstruct the ship from under our feet. This is a test. If we so much as raise our shields we will have lost. Under no circumstances is anyone to take any offensive action.’

‘Are you sure sir?’ Howe asked.

‘I am positive.’

‘None of us can hear the ship.’

‘I am aware of that Colonel. The ships are fine. Our communications are being disrupted by the ambassadorial ships through the umbilical that they used to dock.’

‘Then may I suggest that we undock sir?’

‘No Colonel.’ Steven looked him straight in the eye. ‘May I have a quick word with you?’

‘Yes sir.’

Howe followed him out into the corridor. ‘Colonel, do you trust me or do I have lock down your terminal? I will if you force me to.’

Howe smiled, ‘No sir. In fact I have a project that I could be going on with. I will lock it down myself.’

‘Thank you, I appreciate your trust.’

Howe went in and locked down his terminal; then dragged Beaver away. With the two of them gone the crew began to relax a little. Some went to the canteen and others began to go about their normal routine. Buzz and Steven stayed at their posts. Charlie entered the bridge and sat at the other side of Steven. He kept his voice low. ‘I just came from Ico. Komoru has everything locked down. Our communications with the fleet have not been affected and they are expecting you to call for help.’

‘If we do?’ Steven asked, already knowing the answer.

‘Same deal, they are gone and we are in the shit with the Builder race. Ten minutes before the time is up they will try to frighten the crews into making a mistake.’

Steven nodded, ‘That’s why they left our comms untouched.’

‘Aye.’

‘Glad you’re here Charlie.’

‘Just doing my job Stevie.’ His head went up, ‘We got a wee lassie beginning to panic. I’ll hunt her down.’

‘Right. Anything else let me know right away.’

‘No probs.’

Ten minutes before the allotted time was up the ambassador got in touch with Steven through the same network that Babes used. Steven knew every member of the crew heard the message.

‘You have ten minutes before we order the destruction of your ships. We will allow you to abandon them peacefully.’

‘We will only abandon these ships when they are disintegrating around us. So either carry out your threat or leave.’

‘You have ten minutes.’

Members of the crew began to appear on the bridge. Someone mentioned calling for help and Steven stood to address them all. ‘Please listen to me everyone. The Builders are a non-violent race. Yes, they obviously don’t like the fact that we have two of their ships. But they would never risk the lives of anyone or any species in the manner they are suggesting. The original crew of this ship perished because they refused to fight back against those who tried to kill them. They want these ships back but the only way they can achieve that is if we abandon them willingly. They would then tow the ships back to their home world where they would be decommissioned. Stand fast and don’t panic.’

Steven sat back down and the minutes began to drag. It was five minutes after the deadline when the ambassador got back in touch. ‘You are an arrogant race. Remove yourself from these vessels, we have control of them.’

‘No you don’t,’ answered Steven, ‘you are merely disrupting our communications by the umbilical that joins our ships through the docking ports. All we have to do to re-establish communications with our ships is to undock.’

‘Then why haven’t you?’

‘Because you also have control over the docking port. To do so would mean wrenching ourselves free. The damaged caused would be minimal, but unnecessary. If you wish to talk ambassador then we will do so. If not then please just leave.’

The ambassador was silent as he thought it over, ‘Then let us talk. Please come aboard my ship.’

‘Before I do so I must inform you that I have ambassadorial status amongst our people. Even though we are not yet recognised as a sentient race this side of the great barrier our ambassadorial rights have been granted by the Modloch Empire and its alliance members.’

‘I see. If that is the case then I grant you ambassadorial rights and guarantee that no harm of any type shall befall you while on board my ship. We will receive you in ten minutes. Both captains only please.’

Steven looked to Charlie who nodded slightly.

‘We will be there in ten minutes.’

Steven and Komoru held hands as they walked on to the Builders’ ships. In their spare hands they held baskets. The ceilings were far higher than they were used to. Both loved the decorations on the walls. It gave the ships the feeling of homeliness. They were guided to a conference room, a very plush one. It was all both Humans could do not to stare open-mouthed. The ambassador and his mate were sitting at the table in beautiful silk robes.

He indicated two chairs, ‘Please sit.’ The Humans positioned themselves onto the large chairs. The ambassador looked from one to the other. ‘I apologise for the seating. I did not realise how inappropriate it would be. I would have got you a pair of children’s highchairs; however it has been quite a while since anyone in our crews have had children. We would normally entertain our guests with food. Unfortunately we have no meat aboard.’

It was the excuse the two captains were waiting for to place the baskets on the table. It was Komoru who took the lead, ‘We understand ambassador. We were aware of the tradition, and of how hard it would be for you to procure foods that Humans could consume. We took the liberty of preparing a basket for both races. Let me reassure you that there are no meat products. We Humans are omnivorous. Our world is full of wonderful fruit, nuts, berries, and vegetables that we consume. Our ships helped us select only those things your race can consume, along with a selection of grasses from our home world that you may wish to try.’

It seemed to catch them flatfooted. The ambassador’s opinion began to change as he observed the two diminutive creatures sitting at his table. They had obviously made preparations for the day. Komoru reached for the first basket with the intention of unpacking it, but the ambassador held up a hand to stop her and the baskets disappeared. A few moments later the contents appeared in dishes on the table, unpacked and unwrapped. They smell of newly cut grass permeated the room.

The ambassador and his mate inhaled deeply. Steven and Komoru took a few pieces of fruit, while their hosts began to devour the offering. There was a little of each for both. Babes had warned that if they enjoyed the meal they would go into a strange catatonic state for a short period of time after they had finished. Steven noticed they seemed to be falling into it while there were still a few dishes left.

The ambassador came out of it first, his mate a few minutes later. He blinked rapidly as his senses returned. ‘You didn’t eat much?’ It was almost an accusation.

It was Steven’s turn to take over. ‘We had already eaten only a short while ago. Besides, this was for your benefit.’

‘I see. To prove that you are not entirely animals.’

His mate came to and heard his words. She placed a hand on his arm. ‘That was insulting darling. I do not wish you to continue in this tone. It is unwarranted.’ His reply was a grunt; she turned her attention to Komoru. ‘That was an exquisite meal my dear. You and your mate are to be congratulated on your choice.’

Komoru bowed her acceptance of the compliment, ‘Thank you, my lady. We have had a lot of time to prepare for this meeting. Our ships helped us choose what would be most appropriate.’

‘They made a good choice. Tell me my dear, was one of those grasses what we refer to as the blue grass?’

‘Yes.’

‘Is it not illegal?’

‘No my lady. It is a native species of our planet and grows wild on the vast savannas in a country called Africa.’

‘Yet it is known in our part of the galaxy. How can that be?’

‘We are in a war of extinction with a race called the Albany. I am sure you are aware of that. When the Albany first discovered our planet and solar system they began to covet it. They took seeds from our planet and sent them across the great barrier. This blue grass, as you call it, was then cultivated in secret, the profits used to build a great fleet and the city ship you no doubt saw on your arrival. This fleet then invaded our solar system with the intention of wiping out every species on our planet and claiming it for their own. They conducted experiments on members of our race that they abducted, and used them to produce a serum that would protect them from the harmful effects of our sun.’

‘Thank you my dear. That was concise and straight to the point. We have already heard much of this story. However, it is nice to hear it from your point of view. The one we receive is far more biased towards your race than the Albany. It is also known that you defeated the Albany in a great battle.’

‘There was a number of battles, my lady. To this day the Albany have not sued for peace and still covet that which is naturally ours.’

‘Did you really murder all of those prisoners?’

‘No my lady, they were responsible for their own death. Suspecting foul play, we built a bio-dome on an asteroid, where we replicated part of the great plains. When they released an agent that would have wiped out Humanity, the bio-dome’s automatic defences came online and opened up to the vacuum of space. If they had been in their homes they would have been safe. However, the Albany prisoners believed that they were actually on Earth and had scattered to prevent detection and extermination by our armed forces.’

‘I take it you did not inform them that they were in a bio-dome and not on Earth.’

‘We were forced by the Albany and a number of other races to sign the Balang treaty covering care for prisoners of war. According to the treaty, we were not obligated to tell prisoners suspected of plotting to do us further harm that they were not on the planet’s surface, specifically if the prisoners had previously used, or had intended to use, weapons of a biological nature.’

‘You have evidence of this?’

‘Yes my lady, the Albany were being closely watched. We can supply you with any evidence you require.’

‘Thank you my dear.’ She turned to her mate, who had sat silently throughout the conversation, and squeezed his arm.

The ambassador took over the questioning and directed his remarks at Steven. ‘Captain Gordon. Although every ship we build carry weapons, we rely on our stealth capabilities for protection. We find the present configuration of your ships extremely disturbing. Would you please explain to us why they are so?’

Steven leaned forward, placing his elbows on the table with his hands clasped in front of him. ‘As my mate has already stated ambassador, we are involved in a conflict. One that if lost will result in our race becoming extinct. But we do not fight for that reason alone. Our planet is rich in its diversity of life: animals, flora, fauna, insects, birds, aquatics, the list is endless. Millions upon millions of different species all dependent on us for survival.

‘At this time we are a race alone amongst many that would see us die, simply because we eat meat. You may know that there is a bounty on the head of every Human. The Albany have not given up their desire to take our world. With a live Human specimen anyone can make themselves quite wealthy. With a dozen you could make yourself stinking rich. The Albany require live Humans to make serum from. A serum that allows them to live in our solar system. From one Human thousands of Albany can be inoculated.

‘We know from the experience of the crews that went before us that stealth technology is no guarantee of safety. After the battle over the city ship we realised that we could not even defend ourselves from an Albany destroyer, let alone any other fighting ship. In our journeys we may well be a target for every criminal in the galaxy. With no formal agreement to protect us, in reality any race who wishes to could attack a Human vessel and, if they capture it, turn the crew over to the Albany for a reward.

‘We will not allow that to happen to us. We will go down fighting. Those guns are there to give us a chance of survival should we ever be attacked. To date, they have never been fired.’

The ambassador nodded his understanding, ‘I see. Are you saying that you took no part in the battles?’

‘The crews did, yes, but the ships did not.’

‘I see, so you and some of your people actually fought on the surface of the city ship?’

‘Yes ambassador, the ships did no more than keep us supplied with food, water and oxygen during the fight.’

‘How much of this meal could you have eaten Captain?’

‘Everything except the grass and the mushroom in the jelly.’

‘The mushroom in the jelly. Ah yes, that was exquisite. How is it that you cannot eat it? It isn’t grass.’

‘There are many such fungi on our planet ambassador. Some of them are edible to Humans, however many species are actually poisonous to us. That species just happens to be one of them.’

‘Is there somewhere we can procure them?’

‘Not at the moment ambassador. Fortunately the mushroom itself is not included in the treaties that we have already signed with the Modloch Emperor. It may well be made commercially available in the future.’

‘How did the Emperor miss that one?’

‘It is neither grass nor seed, ambassador. I think someone brought it to his attention a few weeks ago because he tried to have it included in the treaties. We refused.’

‘That must have upset him.’

‘I believe it did.’

‘Your people didn’t gave in?’

‘No.’

‘Then there is strength indeed in your race.’ His head lifted for a moment as if he was listening to something. ‘It would seem our presence has finally been detected by the powers that be. We have been called to appear before the Emperor’s ministers. We have a small embassy on the planet and shall retire there for the present. I shall convey what you have told me to my people. I will also make general enquiries about your race amongst the Modloch. Until then you will be under no pressure to return the ships to us. I have to admit, as a race you aren’t as repugnant as I thought you would be.’

Steven and Komoru were dismissed; the visiting ships undocked then descended to the capital city below.

CHAPTER 28

Charlie was laughing so hard his sides hurt. He had just completed a four week training program with recruits that he and Kelly had cooked up between them and was enjoying a few days off before they began with a new batch. The Chief looked hurt. ‘What’s so funny Charlie?’

Charlie drew breath and looked up at one of the massive generators, ‘You got all that money and spent the lot on generators for your Emperor’s ship?’

The Chief shrugged, ‘So?’

Charlie wiped away a tear, ‘Are you happy Chief?’

‘As a pig in shit, as you Humans say. Aren’t they great?’

The Chief then launched into a descriptive frenzy that only another engineer could truly have appreciated. Charlie simply went along with it. In the canteen he was welcomed like a long lost friend. The latest Human release was playing on the radio and in a few weeks time there was going to be a whole album. He was there for a couple of hours before deciding to return to the ship. Charlie had agreed to meet the Chief later on the surface of the planet where they were going to visit a few taverns.

He went to the spot where he normally beamed from and found a Modloch officer there.

‘Who are you Human?’

Charlie eyeballed him, ‘Sergeant Charlie Murison. I am here at the invitation of the Chief Engineer.’ The officer consulted a pad. ‘I can’t find your name on here. Come with me.’

Charlie was forced to follow and cursed his luck. He wasn’t too worried though, the Chief would soon clear it up. The officer led him to what had once been the headquarters. Charlie was sure that it was now the Emperor’s residence. Only once he was inside did he get the feeling that something was wrong. By the time he searched the Modloch officer’s thoughts it was too late to do anything about it. He considered calling on Babes to simply beam him out, but quickly dismissed the idea. What would happen would happen.

The Modloch officer had no idea that he had been compromised. As they entered the final door Charlie pounced, going for his sidearm. Before the Modloch could draw it he found himself flying through the air. The officer smacked into the wall and was knocked unconscious. The trouble was, Charlie could see another dozen waiting for him.

The distraction was enough for Charlie to get the drop on them. Before they could move he had the weapon he had just taken off the officer pointed at the Modloch who sat alone at a big ornate table. It took both his hands to wield the pistol; his fingers didn’t reach the trigger.

The Emperor went very still. ‘Do you know whom you point a weapon at, Human?’

‘I remember you.’

‘Yet you dare point a weapon?’

‘If one of your men so much as move a muscle I am going to kill you.’

‘It would start a war.’

‘I would be dead anyway, so why would I care?’

‘Good point,’ the Emperor conceded.

‘So what is this all about?’

‘I have been told that you are rather intuitive. Why don’t you venture a guess?’

Charlie already knew, but decided to play the game. ‘Well my big friend Gord is here along with a half dozen others dressed the same way. I will presume that they are your personal body guard. The others are dressed very differently: tight black clothing with purple flashes and piping. Discrete, hard to see in the dark.’ He titled his head towards the Emperor. ‘Did you know that Humans always dress the bad guys in movies in black?’

‘No I didn’t.’

‘Here is another interesting fact. Did you know that at one time on Earth purple was the hardest colour to produce? As a result only royalty was allowed to wear it. Any commoner found wearing the colour was put to death.’

The Emperor found it hard not to smile. ‘That is very interesting.’

‘Isn’t it just? But back to what I am seeing here. A single chair, which I imagine is for me. One of your men in black has bindings stuck through his belt. Now let me see... Aha! The incident at the ball. I must have offended you with my wee demonstration. You must have taken it rather personally. You discovered I was coming aboard to visit the Chief and decided to right the wrong you believe I did you. Which means that these fellows in black are your private executioners. How am I doing so far?’

‘Remarkably well for a commoner. You are also exceptionally calm. Admirable.’

‘As are you, considering this is the nearest you have ever come to being killed. I don’t imagine there are many who have stuck a weapon in your face. I thought you would have been screaming like a little girl by now. I am impressed.’

The Emperor smiled, ‘So what do we do now?’

‘You’ll know about my neural link with my ship, so I presume you have some form of field surrounding this room or building to neutralize it. Which means I would have to get a fair bit away before I could actually escape.’ Charlie tilted his head again, ‘You know the motto of my regiment is “bydand”. It means stand fast.’

‘You mean you have no inclination to run?’

‘None at all,’ Charlie admitted, ‘I would far rather kill all of you and then everyone and everything I come across until I am killed myself.’ He paused for effect. ‘Did you know I come from a race that is famous for its fighting skills and tenacity in battle?’

‘Your King did tell me that, as a matter of fact. Now I am beginning to see what he meant. I have to question if you would actually do it.’

‘I would have absolutely no problem doing it. You know there are those who are still protest about the millions of Albany civilians asphyxiated during the battle for the city ship?’

‘Yes, there are those who say it was due to battle damage but others say it was done deliberately. You Humans seem to have no explanation.’

‘I have one: it was deliberate. We overheard an announcement by the Albany commander saying he had armed every single one of his people so they could fight us. He told them that if they captured even one of us, those involved would receive the serum first. If they died then their immediate family would receive it.’

‘Yes I am aware of that. It is on record.’

‘They did it too. When I found myself in one of the control rooms and discovered, with the help of our ship, exactly what controls I was looking at, I shut off the air to those sectors. My Captain tried to stop me.’

‘Captain Gordon.’

‘That’s the man. I think he still has nightmares about it. There are days when he simply can’t look me in the eye. Of course I did it in every other control room we fought our way to that day too.’

‘You admit this freely.’

Charlie looked him straight in the eye, ‘Why not? It isn’t like the dead can tell tales, is it?’

The Emperor seemed to lose some colour about the snout. He realised just what a precarious position he was in. ‘It looks like my own pride has led us down a very dangerous path.’

‘It has indeed.’ Agreed Charlie with a cheeky grin. ‘In fact it is a lethal path. I would say the only person that has any chance of surviving this is me. If I can live long enough to get outside your dampening field then I can get aboard my ship and alert our fleet before yours become aware that you are dead. Our commanders will have to attack your fleet, most likely destroy a large part of this city, and any city with military craft, dock yards, or space ports. We’d then make a run for the great barrier. Yup. I think this is going to turn out to be a very bloody day for the Modloch Empire.’

‘I could just let you go.’

‘I don’t trust you. You will then believe that the harm I have done you is tenfold to what it was this morning. Who knows, that may lead you to attack our fleet. I really couldn’t let that happen, could I?’

‘So our fates are sealed.’

‘Oh, I don’t know. I have to admit I was a little cocky at the ball. After all, you are an Emperor. I could start by apologising for my attitude.’

‘You were boastful as well. What was it you said? That it wasn’t men like those that we would meet in battle, it was men like yourself.’

Charlie cocked his head, ‘Did you find that boastful?’

‘I most certainly did.’

‘I was actually being very serious. I was trying to convey a warning to you. Those in political office can often lure people unacquainted with them into a false sense of security.’

‘So you were trying to do me a favour?’

‘In my very common way, yes. I imagine someone such as yourself would not feel threatened by us Humans at all.’

‘I have to admit this is the first time. I also have to admit I am still doubtful. Not doubtful that you could pull the trigger and kill me, that I am sure of.’

‘I don’t really like being called a liar. I have never killed anyone for it. But I do tend to get upset. I suppose I could prove it.’

‘By killing everyone?’

‘I don’t really think that would do anyone any good. I don’t fancy going down in history as the man who started a war with the Modloch race.’

‘It would most likely result in the end of your species.’

‘I would never be forgotten though.’

The Emperor laughed, ‘You have a point.’

‘Maybe, but you are the one who was trying to kill me in the first place.’

‘You insulted me.’

‘What if I was telling the truth?’

The Emperor hesitated, ‘You mean I should accept that you were trying to give me a friendly warning?’

‘Yes.’

‘I don’t actually think that would work. No, I think I would still feel insulted.’

Charlie raised an eyebrow, ‘You have a gun pointed at your head.’

‘I am just being truthful.’

‘I get that, and respect you for that answer. So how about if I prove it?’

The Emperor sighed, ‘By killing everyone.’

‘No. Ever heard of unarmed combat?’

The Emperor frowned, ‘Of course.’

‘You have a dozen men here: top troops, specialists even.’

‘Are you suggesting you fight them?’

‘Yup.’

The Emperor laughed, ‘But they would kill you.’

‘Then that should prove to you without a shadow of a doubt that I was lying, and I was being boastful. If this lot can beat me or kill me, I will accept that as justice for my arrogance.’

The Emperor didn’t want to die, but nor would he be shamed. His pride was riding high but his admiration was growing for the Human. ‘I think I can accept that.’

‘If I win, will you accept the fact that I was not being conceited or boastful, and was genuinely trying to convey a concern I had?’

‘You believed that I was not taking the Human race seriously enough?’

‘Very much so. You are arrogant. You think that if it came to a conflict your forces could wipe us out.’

‘Of course I do. We are Modloch, not Albany. Of all the races that inhabit this galaxy, we Modloch are the fiercest and most war-like.’

‘Which is probably why our races have so much in common. Yet I still fear you have no real concept of Human fighting skills.’

The Emperor sighed and threw up his arms, ‘Here we are again.’

‘Right, back to square one.’

‘Do you really believe that you can beat my men unarmed?’

‘Doddle.’

‘That did not translate.’

‘Easily.’

‘You call me arrogant!’

‘I am not being arrogant, simply stating what I believe is the truth.’

The Emperor thought it over, ‘I accept. If you can defeat all of my men in unarmed combat I will accept your apology through this trial of strength.’

Charlie took a deep breath to protest then thought better of it. ‘Fine. You can act as judge then. If any of your people reach for a weapon I expect you to shoot them.’

‘I don’t have a weapon.’

Charlie offered his and the Emperor’s eyes widened, ‘You are giving me your weapon?’

‘It is unarmed combat, I won’t need it.’

‘Are you a fool?’

‘No, just a very good judge of character.’

‘You seem sure of that.’

‘A moment ago you were prepared to die for your honour. I am taking a bet you would shoot yourself before you shot me in the back.’

The Emperor reached for the gun, took it and placed it on the desk in front of him. He turned his attention to his men, ‘Remove all your weapons. You will fight this Human, and if he happens to die during the fight, then so be it. However, before he dies I would really like to torture him for his arrogance.’

He turned his attention back to Charlie, ‘Who knows Human, if you fight well, I might even let you live. In which order would you like to fight them?’

‘One by one, all together,’ Charlie shrugged, moving away from the desk, ‘it won’t matter much in the end. As you have seen fit not to order my death I shall return the favour by trying not to kill all of your men.’

‘That is very generous of you.’ Charlie wasn’t sure if the Emperor had thought it or spoke it. His attention now was focused on his aggressors as they moved in.

The fight didn’t last very long. The Emperor was dumbfounded. One moment Charlie was in front of him and the next he was crashing into the two executioners who had made the first move. The two hit the wall. There was a crack as Charlie used a jumping turning kick to knock the first out then grasped the second one’s wrist to use him as a flail against his companions. He knocked two of them down and changed his grip on the one he was holding to the ankles. It was a bit awkward swinging the huge Modloch above his head, but he managed it a number of times, battering the three into unconsciousness. Charlie tossed the limp form away. There was one executioner left on his feet. The royal guard had bunched up together and were slowly retreating from Charlie. He knew they were gathering room to charge. The executioner tried to move sideways towards where he had thrown his weapons but Charlie read his thoughts: he was counting on his own Emperor not shooting him. As the executioner made a dash, the weapons suddenly disappeared from the floor in front of him. A second later he was being strangled by his own weapons belt. As the Modloch slipped into unconsciousness and sagged, Charlie snapped his neck like a twig.

The crack of bone made the Emperor jump. His eyes met Charlie’s and he felt real fear for the first time in his life. The Emperor eyed the twitching corpse. ‘I saw him reach for his weapons. If you had not killed him, I would have.’ He turned to his guards. ‘If any of you reach for a weapon, the Human has my permission to kill you. Do not disgrace me further.’ He turned back to Charlie, ‘Continue.’

The Modloch guard had locked together, three in the front, three in the back, almost like a scrum. A phalanx of horns and tusks were presented at him. Charlie backed away until he was a few steps from the wall. He checked how much head room he had and nodded at Gord, who was in the middle of the front rank.

Gord roared something that did not translate and the six charged with heads down. Charlie was impressed by their turn of speed. Gord’s horns were aimed directly at his chest, which meant they were bent low and well over their point of gravity. Charlie knew they could never hope to brake the momentum they had gathered. As they drew close Charlie took two steps and simply leaped over the top of them. Only Gord managed to lift his head. The Emperor cried out as they crashed into the wall.

Charlie had flipped while in the air and was already facing the backs of his opponents. A swift kick between the legs put one Modloch down and out of action. A kick right snapped the leg of another. The one to Charlie’s left made a grab for him but he snapped the arm as though it was a twig. Of the front three, only Gord was conscious. Charlie tossed the Modloch in his path away and reached down for Gord’s ankles. Gord bellowed with surprise as his feet were taken out from underneath him. Charlie took a step back, performed a couple of turns and launched Gord across the room. The unlucky Modloch smashed through the glass doors and crashed into the barriers on the balcony.

Charlie did a quick scan of the room but no one else had any fight left in them, so he followed Gord, who was lying completely winded against the guard rails. Before Gord could react Charlie had swung him up and over the balcony and was holding him by a leg with one hand. He began to hum to himself as he swung him to and fro.

The Emperor was in shock. He looked round the room at his shattered soldiers. His hand went instinctively for the pistol but hesitated. Drawing his hand back the Emperor got up and got up and joined Charlie on the balcony where he was still swinging the luckless Gord. By now Gord had got some of his wind back and was howling his indignation.

The Emperor looked over the balcony, ‘Are you going to drop him?’

Charlie looked up, ‘Och no. I just wanted to see if he would squeal like a wee girl.’

‘You mean like a young female?’

‘That’s the one.’

They both regarded Gord for a few seconds and burst out laughing. ‘Give him a little shake,’ suggested the Emperor.

Charlie obliged and Gourd’s howls increased. They both laughed.

‘Let him up, it is getting embarrassing now.’

‘Move to the side then.’

The Emperor did so and Charlie flipped Gord over the rail and into the room where he lay in a heap, trembling. The Emperor walked back to the rail and grasped it in both hands before looking down at Charlie. ‘I accept your apology Human. Now I understand the message you were trying to convey.’

It annoyed Charlie for a few seconds, but the Emperor had after all offered an apology. He shrugged and leaned against the rails, ‘No bother.’

‘Maybe I should ask your President for a Human guard,’ the Emperor spared a glance behind.

Charlie looked up at the Emperor, ‘In the history of your people has an Imperial Guard ever turned against their Emperor?’

The Emperor was shocked, ‘No, never.’

‘In that case I would stick to my own kind if I were you.’

It took a few seconds to sink in, ‘Ah! I see. Are there many men of no honour in the Human race?’

‘Enough to be a pain in the arse all the way through our history.’

‘It is a shame, but now I feel vulnerable. An unusual sensation.’

‘We could always help train your people. For unarmed combat I would recommend the Chinese. Their martial arts skills are beyond compare.’

The Emperor looked down at him. ‘You don’t recommend your own people?’

‘I would be doing you a disservice. I am just a common infantry soldier. Ask the King to arrange a martial arts demonstration for you.’

‘I will. You wouldn’t want to fight these Chinese?’

‘Only a bloody fool would want to.’

The Emperor sighed. ‘It is so hard to grasp; one species with so many different races. Or is it one race with so many different species?’

‘Not quite sure actually. I suppose now we consider ourselves as one people. That didn’t happen until your brother arrived with that bloody great ship of his. That made all the silly sods look up.’

‘Then the Albany did the Human race a favour.’

‘Certainly did. It made a change from killing our own kind.’

‘Do you feel guilt for the lives you took?’

‘In the darkest of nights and the longest of hours, I can still hear their silent screams.’

‘You took that decision on your own.’

‘Completely.’

The Emperor shook his head, ‘I doubt if any of my soldiers, especially one as lowly as you, would have taken that kind of decision by himself.’

Charlie raised an eyebrow, but let it slip. ‘It is one of the reasons my race has been considered so formidable over the centuries. Since childhood we are taught to think for ourselves. Make a decision, stand by it. If you get it wrong, take the consequences. Our history is full of men just like myself who saw an opportunity and took it. Not just in battle either.’

‘I get the feeling that not all races are like yours.’

‘Nope.’

There was a strange buzzing noise. The Emperor turned and surveyed the room. ‘My afternoon tea. If my servants see all these bodies lying about they will panic and sound the alarm.’

‘Tell them you are in a private meeting and to leave the tea at the door,’ Charlie suggested.

‘Good idea.’ They went back inside the room. The Emperor pressed something on his desk and spoke. Charlie went to the door. He watched the heat signatures of the servants leave and then opened it to retrieve a floating trolley. He pushed it over to the Emperor’s desk and laid a cup in front of him.

‘So, how do you like your tea?’

The Emperor smiled, ‘Just fill it to the top please.’

CHAPTER 29

It was a grand procession. Thousands of Modloch citizens lined the streets. They almost went hysterical when the Emperor passed by in the horse and carriage transported from Earth. Beside him sat the King in his finest regalia.

It was almost eight Earth months since they had crossed the great barrier. In the past two months the Humans had slowly gained a foothold in the Modloch Empire. A whole printing press and freighter full of paper had arrived from Earth. They had plans to install the press in the city ship after the presentations later that evening. Until then its arrival was being kept secret. The Modloch people were still going wild over Earth music.

The city ship itself was quickly beginning to fill up. The high and mighty paid premium prices for their new holiday homes. The tradesmen and service personnel who would look after them were also coming in droves. With the price of planet-based sites at an all time high, many off world companies had also purchased or rented property on the ship.

The Emperor had thrown the doors wide open. This was not to be a military base, rather a floating palace. A place of rest and relaxation. Every trader who entered was vetted thoroughly, as was every citizen from every part of the empire and beyond. There was little enough crime on the Modloch home worlds, but the Emperor knew that it was different where worlds collided; it was there that those with criminal intent tended to congregate. He wished for this grand city to be a place for all races, where all could live in safety.

The President of Earth had also moved down to the city with his staff. They now had their own embassy, homes and flats. The Emperor had decided to try a different method of attracting support for the Humans. His strategy on this day was twofold: in the afternoon, a grand opening of the city ship to all comers; that evening, a grand ball would be held, hosted by the Humans. He had invited every head of state, every Emperor, every galactic councillor he could. A huge amount of preparation had taken place.

The Royal Horse Guard followed the royal carriage with the Coldstream Guards marching behind in their red jackets and bearskins. Bayonets gleamed in the sunlight that streamed in through the atmospheric shield. The Modloch loved the pageantry and the royal wave.

Behind the royal parties came the ambassadors. The crowd surged away from them towards the horses and Human soldiers. By the time they got to the palace a ceremonial changing of the guard had taken place. Now bearskin soldiers stood next to Imperial Guardsmen. What passed for news crews beamed the whole thing around the galaxy.

The Emperor’s eyes gleamed, ‘These animals are very well behaved despite the noise.’

‘They are used to it.’ The King agreed.

‘I think they are magnificent. There is little I envy about the Human race, but this is certainly one of those things. My people seem to love them too.’

‘The Human love of horse goes back a long way. Many have been honoured as heroes.’

‘You mean in the same way as you would honour a Human hero?’

‘Yes, very much so. Before vehicles, man used the horse for all their transport needs.’

‘Did they fight?’

‘No, they simply carried their riders into battle. However they have been known to save a loved rider from a dangerous foe. Great feats of strength and heart. Some are intelligent beyond the status of simple animal.’

‘Tell me a horse story.’

The King thought it over for a moment. ‘Many years ago my great, great grand mother was in a carriage much like this one with the King of Tonga, during a state visit. Halfway down the mall one of the horses farted right in the King’s face. As you can imagine, the smell wasn’t very pleasant. Embarrassed by the incident my great great grand mother leaned towards him and apologised for the incident. “Oh! I am dreadfully sorry about that.” She said. The King of Tonga turned to her and said, “Oh, I thought it was the horse.”’

The Emperor was already laughing, and when he heard the punchline he almost choked. He was still laughing as they arrived at the palace. That was how the Modloch race saw their Emperor, laughing and obviously enjoying himself in the company of the Human King. That they walked together laughing like old friends as they ascended the palace steps was neither missed by them nor the rest of the galaxy.

As they reached the top the Emperor could not help but turn and watch as the horses passed by. The bands went last and he exclaimed at the size of the horses carrying the band’s kettle drums. The King knew exactly what was going through his mind.

The pomp and ceremony continued throughout the day. Kings, Emperors, and heads of state were all lined up in the great hall, in order of importance. It wasn’t missed that the Human King sat at the Emperor’s right hand. Traditional Modloch entertainment was the order of the day but the Humans had their spotlight as well. The US Marine Corps band played Glen Miller while display teams from different countries went through their paces. The display seemed to please everyone, especially as it ended with another naval gun race. Even the Kings and Emperors seemed to have picked their favourites and were cheering them on.

Everyone there already knew about the evening ball, but most had decided not to attend. What they didn’t expect was the delivery of hand written invitations in their own language on embossed golden cards. The cards were sealed in a decorative envelope; most didn’t know what to do with it until they saw the Emperor open it. They followed suit. Inside was a green acceptance ticket that the Emperor handed back to the young woman who presented it to him. ‘If you have no wish to attend just hand the card back.’ He told his guests.

It was the first time many of them had seen paper outside a museum. It had the impact that was desired and not a single card was placed back on the silver presentation trays.

CHAPTER 30

Lady Jane now had a small army of staff who fussed about and did her bidding. Protocol standards were on high alert. With so many different races and so many different standards set by each race, she thought it was a miracle no one had been offended yet. She in turn was helped by the Modloch master of ceremonies who had his own army of helpers. He helped keep her on track. He was a wizened old Modloch who had served the Emperor’s family for his whole life. A strange admiration had grown between the two.

Of course he thought it unfitting for a lady and the sister of a Queen to be doing such lowly work. Yet he admired her for it. She in turn enjoyed his no nonsense approach and his very high standards. Together they were a force to be reckoned with.

Behind the scenes Humans and Modloch ran in terror at their approach. All except for one.

Jane scowled. ‘Is it that time already Sergeant Kelly?’

‘Sure is lady.’

The master of ceremonies grasped her shoulder with his wizened old hand, ‘You have other duties to attend to my lady.’

She sighed in resignation. ‘Thank you Transalis. I shall attend them forthwith. I will see you again after the meal.’

He bowed, ‘I shall look forward to it.’

She took a moment to check her appearance and took Kelly’s proffered arm. Neither of the two seemed, from their outward appearance anyway, to be pleased with the arrangement. Kelly stood out as handsome in his second world war dress uniform. He was, however, a little self-conscious of all the medals he was wearing compared to everyone else. He had already received many strange glances.

They joined the line as they entered the dining hall. To begin with the guests weren’t quite sure what to do. The master of announcements explained what a buffet was to them and why this particular form of Human dining had been chosen for this evening.

The aliens sniffed the air as though they were in heaven. Kelly thought it smelled a lot like his old hayloft. Servants appeared and held plates for the guests. In fact they were more like large bowls. The Humans had added a little surprise: the bowls for the top guests were made of wood and many exclaimed delight. Each guest took a sample of the food offered then if they liked it had a little placed in their bowls. The bowls soon gleamed on the tables.

The Human guests peeled off to a different table where more edible fare was provided. Jane kept an open eye on the guests and was pleased to see that they returned to the tables many times. One sat close to her and Kelly. After chomping away for a good ten minutes he leaned over. ‘Kind Lady, could you tell me the name of this plant again?’

Jane eyed the hardy stalk in his mouth. ‘It is called sugar cane sir.’

‘Delightful, absolutely delightful.’

She wasn’t quite sure what species the guest was of. Nor did he look anything like any creature from Earth. Large molars showed as he chomped down on the cane. His mouth was beak-shaped but soft. His skin was a midnight black, and she could just make out some kind of hard scales sticking up out of his collar.

‘You should be careful sir. The sweet sugars that come from this cane are not very good for your teeth.’

‘That doesn’t surprise me.’ He slurped. ‘Nothing this good ever is. We have nothing like this on our world.’

‘My family used to grow a little of it.’ Admitted Kelly.

‘You don’t say. On government contract?’

‘No sir we owned our own land. A homestead really. We had enough land to grow crops to feed ourselves as well as a cash crop of sugar cane. It took in enough revenue to see us from year to year.’

‘Do you eat it like this?’

Kelly laughed, ‘Yeah we sure did. We can’t swallow it though, just sucked the sugar right out of it.’

‘Is this sugar you are talking about a by-product?’

‘It sure is. We get many different types of sugar. You get molasses, or you can refine it into white sugar and all the different grades of sugar in between. You can also turn it into alcohol.’

‘Now that might be something to try. Will we be provided with this later?’

‘When the dance starts, alcohol will be provided.’

‘What is the name of this alcohol from the sugar?’

‘Rum.’ Kelly provided. ‘Dark or white. I prefer the dark.’

‘I am looking forward to that now. Excuse me but my plate is empty.’ He flicked a wrist at a servant who approached and lifted his bowl.

Kelly looked round, ‘We seem to be a bit of a hit. The food anyway.’

‘It is hardly surprising.’

Kelly turned his attention back to Jane. ‘How so?’

‘Haven’t you been taking any notice at all?’

Kelly sighed, ‘I have a job to do lady. I have spent my days and nights stuck in a freighter in orbit. I think this is my third visit to the planet and it will be as brief as the last two. I haven’t had much time to investigate the cultural history of this planet or any other either. I couldn’t really care less about these people or their diet. I was, however, interested in your take on it.’

‘You really like the sound of my voice that much?’

‘I like women, and if I actually have to talk to one then I would rather it was an intelligent woman, and not some dumb broad who can’t think past her next pair of nylons or how she looks.’

‘You are not a nice person sergeant.’

‘Never claimed to be.’

Jane was eyeing him coldly but Kelly didn’t flinch. ‘From what I can gather, this world was once full of life as diverse as that on Earth. As the centuries passed the Modloch race became dominant. Slowly they pushed out any competition for food. The only animals to survive live in the most inaccessible parts of the planet and in an environment that will not support grass. Their success was also their own downfall.’

‘I remember someone saying it was the reason they took to space?’ Asked Kelly.

‘Yes, a bid to find other planets that could support life and produce grass for the masses. They did not fight with each other. Their only enemy was famine.’

‘Yeah. I was told that’s why they began to build upwards.’

‘Yes that’s right. Every yard upwards was a yard of soil they could reclaim for crops. Their diet was once a lot more diverse. Necessity led them to produce the fastest growing grasses that contained the most nourishment. Only the richest with their own private gardens could produce anything other than grass. That is why those of the upper classes tend to be taller and much better built that those of the lower classes.’

‘Because they can afford to have food other than grass?’

‘Food that gives them more nourishment.’

‘So we are giving the rich a new source of nourishment.’

‘I suppose you could look at it that way . Although in my opinion, if the Human race is to survive then we need to win these people over and take our place within this galactic family.’

‘Hearts and minds.’

‘In this case stomachs.’

They found themselves laughing.

Kelly’s eyes seemed to take on a faraway look; Jane noticed. ‘Are you OK Sergeant?’

‘What? Oh, sorry...’

‘You were miles away.’

‘Yeah sorry; just one of those moments that catch you by surprise.’

‘Would you like to share it?’

Kelly shrugged. ‘Nothing important really; had a kid in my platoon once. He was mad about all this science fiction stuff. Read all these magazines and trash novels about aliens. I don’t know how many times I told him to get his head straight and away from all that crap, or he was going to get his head blown off.’

‘What happened to him?’

‘He got his head blown off on Omaha Beach on the sixth of June 1944. Didn’t even make it halfway up the beach.’

‘I’m sorry to hear that.’

‘He wasn’t the only man to fall that day. He is in good company.’ Kelly took a deep breath, ‘I was just thinking: now I am in his world. He would have loved to have seen this place and all these different races. I just wish he had survived to see it.’

Jane felt touched. ‘War is so brutal and evil.’

‘Sure is. It’s just a pity that sometimes it is necessary.’

‘Yes there is that.’

Their mood was lifted a few minutes later by the arrival of Mya and Rannalld. Mya grabbed Jane’s hand and held it to her forehead, then did the same with Kelly; she was very excited to see them. She and Jane were soon deep in a conversation about her adventures. Kelly found he was being assessed by her companion.

‘I believe you met my brother Gairloch.’ He eventually offered. It let Kelly know exactly who he was.

‘Sure did. He invited me to dinner once with his officers.’

Rannalld nodded. ‘He wrote of the meeting, and of the common sergeant that had more combat experience than half the troops in the Modloch empire. I believe he admired you greatly.’

‘Your brother made me feel very welcome. I liked him.’

‘I would imagine there are very few men of your status who have met a grand admiral.’

‘You might be surprised by some of the people I have met.’

‘Maybe I would. I hear you have also met the Emperor.’

‘He has appeared a few times now, but he ain’t coming to see me.’

‘I hear you have also been aboard a number of my ships and at least three of my training camps.’

‘The Emperor asked us to review your men and compare them and their training methods to ours. Who are you, sir?’

‘I am Grand Marshal Rannalld, the commander of all of those troops. The funny thing is, I was unaware of any of those visits until after they had happened.’

Kelly realised his feathers had been badly ruffled. ‘You will have to take that up your with your brother sir. Our commanders did not think it was appropriate to oppose him.’

‘I have no doubt that your commanders also wished for a full report on the battle readiness of my men.’

‘Of course they did sir,’ Kelly didn’t see the point in lying. ‘We also sent the same report to the Emperor.’

‘Exactly the same?’

‘Exactly.’

Rannalld leaned forward on an elbow. ‘I still haven’t seen it.’

‘I think you will soon enough sir.’

‘Why do you think that, Sergeant Kelly?’

‘Because shit always runs downhill sir.’

The two women had fallen silent, feeling the undercurrent of tension between the two males. Mya reached out. It snapped Rannalld’s attention away from Kelly.

‘Is everything OK Rannalld?’

He took a deep breath, ‘Yes of course Mya, everything is fine.’ He turned back to Kelly. ‘Are our tactics so different to those you Humans use?’

Kelly thought the question over; more to the point, the wisdom of answering it. ‘From what I have heard the Modloch fleet tactics are far more advanced than the Albany. On that I cannot comment, simply because I have no idea how to conduct that kind of battle.’ Kelly took a sip of water. ‘However, if our armies were to meet in battle – Whether it be a land battle or a ship to ship affair – we would hand your asses back to you in a can sir.’

Rannalld was shocked. ‘Our infantry isn’t trained to fight on land, only in space. There can be no comparison there.’

‘From a Human perspective, it don’t really matter much sir. The simple fact is the tactics the Modloch employ are useless against us.’

‘In what way?’ Rannalld pressed.

‘The tactics used by your infantry or marines are very similar to those of the Albany. You all like to gather together in a big bunch and charge.’

‘That is how it is done, sergeant. Two beings, locked in mortal combat, the glory of the charge, shoulder to shoulder with your comrades.’

‘The Human race stopped fighting like that a long time ago sir. During the battle for this city we cut them down in their droves. In every open space we came across we would find thousands of Albany waiting for us. We went into cover, set up our section weapons and simply cut them down when they charged. Our losses were minimal. We lost more men in the tight corridors.’

‘Do you really have to talk about such things over a meal?’ Jane asked them.

‘Of course, forgive us ladies,’ Rannalld apologised. ‘We could change the subject Sergeant.’

‘If you wish sir.’

‘From what I have been hearing, you have met the Emperor a number of times.’

‘He has become very curious about our training methods sir, but it’s not me he talks to. It’s Charlie.’

‘I don’t think I have met him.’

‘It’s all a bit strange if you ask me. He will just appear, or ask us to meet him somewhere, and then afterwards we escort him to the palace where we are all thrown out except Charlie, who makes him a cup of tea.’

Rannalld shook his head, ‘He throws everyone out?’

‘Yeah. Me, his guards, everyone.’

Rannalld held up a hand, ‘He throws out his guards. He is alone with this Charlie?’

‘It is a bit annoying really. The guards won’t even talk to me, hell they don’t even look at me. When Charlie comes out they go back in.’

‘I find that unfathomable. I have never heard of the Emperor being alone with an alien.’ He turned to Mya, ‘Do you know this Charlie, Mya?’

‘Yes, he is very nice.’

‘What about you Lady Jane?’

‘I haven’t had much to do with him. I don’t think I have even talked to him. I do believe he and the Captain were childhood friends. During the assault on the city ship, I believe Charlie acted as his escort. After the battle was over, he was transferred as a permanent member of the crew. I believe he normally acts as the Captain’s escort. That is as much as I know.’

Rannalld was feeling panicked. ‘Is he reliable? Is the Emperor safe with him?’

‘Completely safe.’ Kelly answered offhandedly. ‘Probably far safer than he is with his own guards.’

‘I doubt that.’

Kelly looked him in the eye, ‘Look, I have no idea what the hell is going on between Charlie and your Emperor, neither do I give a damn. I will tell you something, Charlie is one of the best soldiers I have ever met. If you have any more questions on the subject, take it up with your brother or Charlie.’

‘Kelly, we are guests here and you are being rude.’ Jane snapped.

Kelly’s eyes turned cold and she felt them drill into her soul, ‘The point I am trying to make to the Grand Marshal is that he should find out the facts before he starts hurling insults.’

‘I don’t believe I insulted you Sergeant.’

Kelly’s cold eyes turned on him, ‘I told you the Emperor was safe with Charlie. You said you doubted that. Which means you called me a liar, and brought into question the character of a friend of mine. I was not joking, I was not speculating, I was being truthful.’

‘Gentlemen please.’ Mya stood and reached out, placing a hand on each of their arms. ‘This is not good.’ She felt the tension ease between the two a little. ‘Rannalld, Kelly is a man of great honour. He would not lie. Charlie too is a man of honour. Both are highly decorated, both war heroes.

‘Kelly, Rannalld is concerned for the safety of his brother, a brother he loves very much. I do not believe he meant to insult you. I myself have never seen the Emperor with less than at least half a dozen guards surrounding him. I am sure Rannalld was as surprised as I was to hear that he trusted himself alone with just one man, let alone someone from a different race entirely. I am sure he did not mean to call you a liar, it was simply a statement of surprise.’

Kelly shook off his irritation, ‘I suppose... when you put it like that. I am sorry Grand Marshal, I didn’t mean to go off half-cocked.’

‘I am not quite sure what that means Sergeant, but I think I get the general meaning. For my part, I did not mean to give offence.’

Mya sat back down, the crises averted. They settled down to eat some more. Rannalld was still having a difficult time with this new information and began playing with his food rather than eating it. Kelly eventually got fed up watching him.

‘With respect sir, either piss or get off the pot.’

The saying translated well enough and Rannalld barked a laugh. ‘I am sorry Sergeant Kelly, your revelations are praying on my mind. What is it exactly you and this Charlie do?’

‘We simply train soldiers sir.’

‘It cannot be that simple.’

‘Nothing ever is. After the battle for the city ship, I detected some areas where much of the training we give our soldiers could be adapted. I got no real satisfaction through the normal channels, so with the help of Captain Gordon I put an idea into action. He gave me one of his big freighters to play with. I turned it into a training ground. We have different kinds of assault courses and close quarter battle training facilities. We made an entirely new floor that we can adapt at will to simulate different ships and ship types.’

‘So the soldier doesn’t get used to the layout and use that to his advantage.’

‘Pretty much. If they know where the pitfalls are then they can adapt to them. Every time they hit that floor the briefing is different, the scenario is different, the layout is different, and they have to adapt quickly to the unfamiliar environment. If we think they are doing too well then we throw them a curve ball, something unexpected like cutting off the gravity, or simulating a hull breach so they have to go on emergency oxygen. We have a panel we can blow out which can toss them into space.’

‘Isn’t that very dangerous?’

‘We have very strict safety procedures. If so much as a single suit isn’t sealed then it doesn’t work. The troops love it anyway. We open a pinhole. That activates the warnings and they seal their suits. Once they are all sealed we simulate an explosion and open the hatch. The hatch locks back out of the way at high speed, and there is a net to catch them so they don’t get to far from the ship. If they hit the net before they regain control, they fail the scenario.’

‘That might be interesting to see.’

‘It is normally quite funny, that’s for sure.’

‘Do go on Sergeant.’

‘There isn’t much more to tell sir. It was pretty slow to start off with. I got the guys who I assaulted the city ship with to go through it, and after that word began to spread. A few NCOs came over on their days off and had a go. They persuaded their officers. Now one puts all his recruits through it first, before he allows them to join their unit. Like an extension training course. We are really quite busy. It was why I asked Charlie to join me.’

‘Why him?’

‘We are on the same page, that’s why. I am an expert in conventional warfare, small unit tactics, and he is an expert in unconventional warfare. We make a great team. He doesn’t have the same battle experience that I have, but he has enough. He is also more up-to-date with modern gadgetry and weapons.’

‘He works for you?’

‘I am in charge sir, yes. I also get help from other members of my crew. They just love to play enemy.’

‘I think I would like to see this for myself.’

‘We have a full training program going on now. Feel free to pop in. Just tell Mya when you want to come, she will let me know.’

CHAPTER 31

‘Emperors, Kings, Heads of State, Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. My Name is Michael Montgomery, and I am the elected representative of the people of Earth. I wish to welcome you all to this event. First and foremost, I would like to thank the Emperor of the great Modloch Empire, for allowing us to hold this event within his great palace. As a people we are humbled by your consideration.’ He bowed to the Emperor who waved a hand in recognition.

‘As you already know, this is a bid to win enough support to sponsor an application to join the Galactic Brotherhood of Races. To even reach this point is a milestone for the Human race. A few short years ago, we didn’t even know there was life on other planets.’

This brought forth a great guff of laughter from the audience.

The President also laughed, ‘I know. It all seems so stupid now. I for one always believed there was life in the great expanse of space. As did many other Humans. Very few of us, however, believed that the technology existed to travel the great distances involved. We were wrong. I was wrong. In fact we were very, very, wrong. Our first encounter of alien life was not another species but two self-aware ships in dire need of a crew. Those ships picked their own captains, two people they thought worthy of them. As it was, they were not only worthy of the ships but of the whole Human race.

‘They led us into the depths of space where they came upon what we called the Black Planet. It harboured a sinister secret. On the planet’s surface they found a building, and within the building, thousands of our fellow citizens. These people were being held there for experimentation.

Our sun is deadly to all other races from this side of the barrier. For anyone here but a Human, to cross the great barrier is a death sentence. A race called the Albany, however, lived long enough to discover our home world and the untouched wealth of our solar system. Their greed led them on a quest to try and bind the genetics of both our races together, so they could live in our solar system. They succeeded, though it cost the lives of thousands of Humans. Men, women, children, even babies were sacrificed in this quest. They have the audacity to call us filthy animals, but I will not linger on this matter.

‘You are all aware of Grand Admiral Gairloch’s story, how he came to our planet, of how we welcomed him in to our homes and hearts, and his joy at what he found. He called Earth “the crown jewel of the Galaxy.”

‘If it wasn’t for Gairloch, none of us would be here now. It was he who encouraged us to make this journey to your part of the galaxy, to cross the great barrier.

‘You may ask yourself why would he do that for a race of meat-eaters. What we wish to impart upon you is the knowledge that he gained. There is as much diversity in the Human race as there is life on our planet’s surface. Not all Humans eat meat. Indeed, my own daughter is a vegetarian: a Human being that refuses to eat any form of meat. But I am not going to try and gloss over this point. We do eat meat, I eat meat, yet what most of you don’t realise is that meat only makes up a small portion of the Human diet.

‘Tonight we invited you to a feast, of which all here partook. We watched carefully what food each race tried. You all sampled the grasses we provided. There were heathers which some of you tried. Some loved it, some hated it. Many of you tried the fruit, but not only tried it, went back for seconds. The mango, coconut, pineapple and lychees were devoured. A dozen different varieties of apple disappeared. You all loved the nuts, especially the walnuts, and let us not forget those mushrooms in jelly.’ There was a grumble of agreement from his audience.

‘It is a delicacy you will be glad to hear that Humans cannot partake of. You may have them all.’ That brought forth a polite ripple of laughter.

‘We knew you would like them because Gairloch and his crew loved them. These fruits, vegetables, nuts, berries and grasses are only a miniscule portion of what our planet produces. Yet this miniscule portion is still more than all of your planets can produce put together.’ That brought forward a grumble of discontent.

He held up a hand. ‘We know that in order to survive your races had to take to the stars at a far earlier age than ours did. Your planets were as once diverse. Yet to sustain yourselves, you were forced to reduce your crops to one or two types of grasses. You were forced to give up delicacies in order to feed your masses, to build high to save as much soil as possible. On each world you terraformed you did exactly the same thing.

‘We Humans have never had to do that. We have been able to preserve that which you lost. The reason we have been able to do that is twofold. To begin with, we cannot eat grass. The second reason is that we have to preserve the environment for the animals we do eat. Many of those also eat the same fruit and vegetables that we do.

‘However, mankind has gone much further than simply preserving the species we depend upon for our survival. Years ago we discovered that there were many species on our planet that were going extinct. We were destroying vast tracts of our world to produce areas that would sustain our domestic livestock, areas where there were animals that could only survive in that part of the world. They had adapted to eating vegetation that only existed there.

‘We decided to preserve those areas, to protect those habitats and the animals that depended on them for survival. We protected millions of square miles of wilderness where no domestic animals were allowed to go, where many of the species were actually dangerous to man.

‘In places where there were animals that were about to go extinct we captured breeding pairs and bred them in captivity. When there were enough we released their offspring back into the wild.

‘I am sure a few of you are wondering why I am telling you all this. The answer is simple: to show we are not the filthy meat eating scum that our enemies have portrayed us as. As the Grand Admiral said, Earth is a jewel. We don’t murder and eat everything in our paths. We believe in life and the preservation of our planet as it is. Many Human beings have endangered their own lives or even lost their lives in the name of such preservation.

‘There is one other benefit that we have reaped over the years, though we did not realise it at first. Many of the areas we preserved were very inaccessible. We would send scientists into these areas to monitor the wildlife and plant life there. They began to catalogue the different flora and fauna and send samples back. On doing so we discovered thousands of new species. These included new food sources, fruits, and medicines to help heal the sick.

‘Of course, it is easy for me to stand here and tell you how wonderful we all are. Where is the evidence?’

The President turned and lifted an arm. ‘Tonight I am going to present that evidence to you who have so kindly taken the time to hear our plea.’

A procession began. Large writing desks decorated in a Chinese style were brought in. Temporary stands adjusted to the height of each of the top guests and the desks were placed on top. Gold keys were laid on top of the desks. Many of the guests seemed frightened to touch them, but the Modloch Emperor showed them how. He held up his key, ‘I haven’t seen anything like this outside of a museum.’ Then inserted the key and turned it. Opening his desk made him cry out in joy. It persuaded the others to do the same. There were similar gasps of joy and wonder.

They found it hard to tear their eyes back to the President. ‘Honoured guests, you will find on the lid a detachable section you can simply pull away and dispose of at your leisure. Inside this section we have digital recordings that are compatible with most of your domestic devices. These contain documentaries on the subjects I have been talking to you about tonight. You will also find a selection of writing materials should you wish to take any notes.’

His narrative was interrupted by the Emperor who howled with glee as he wrote his name on an A4 blank notepad and showed it to everyone. A competition of sorts got up as they tried to follow suit. They howled with laugher at their own attempts. They also began to compare pens and the craftsmanship that went into making them. Then the desks were inspected and discovered to be wood with mother of pearl, silver and gold inlay.

The President was beginning to think that they were never going to quieten down. One of the alien Emperors noticed and called out to him, ‘Please continue Mr President. We may be a little over-excited at the beauty of these gifts, but we are still listening.’

‘Besides, we don’t want to be here all night, do we,’ The Modloch Emperor added to a gale of laughter.

The President bowled low while trying to suppress a laugh. ‘I was merely going to point out the contents of your writing desks. However, it seems you have discovered them for yourselves.’ They laughed at that. ‘You will find encyclopaedias documenting much of the work we have done to preserve the wildlife on our planet. They also cover much of the wildlife itself: birds, our great oceans, the vast savannas, flora and fauna.

‘The simple point is we are not filthy animals. We do not wish to be at war with any other race. We have art, music, textiles. We are not ignorant or stupid.

‘Since arriving in this part of the galaxy we have hit one stumbling block after another. Because we are part of very few treaties, everything you see before you is vulnerable. We know that many species now lust after our home world. If they succeed, the universe will only get more grass. That’s it. One or two species of grass. You will never taste the variety of grasses you did tonight again. You will never again taste an apple, pear, cabbage, carrot or turnip. They will be as extinct as we are and every other species on Earth.’

He could see they were listening closely. ‘Many believe that they can destroy us. Can you imagine what would happen if they did? How many other species would join the battle to rape our solar system? We wiped out an Albany battle fleet over three times our number. We took this city ship. We could, and many have suggested that we do so, just pull back behind the great barrier. We could build defences and battle fleets. We are not part of any treaty. If any one species decided to attack us, we could simply cross the barrier and wipe them out. If multiple species try it,’ he shrugged, ‘Same thing. We don’t care. Obviously there would come a time when the great alliance would have to take action. That would mean every nation would have to send a battle fleet into our territory to defeat us. Could you imagine that? We could very well lose. However, there is no guarantee that we would.’

A number of delegates laughed, but none of the leaders did. The President turned to those that laughed. ‘You would lose every single ship, every single body you sent across. Grand Admiral Gairloch entered our territory with a full thirty thousand Modloch. We found him within a few weeks of crossing the great barrier. By then almost half had already died.

‘At that time our sun was experiencing a rare period of low activity. By the time they reached our planet another few thousand were dead. If they had arrived during a period of normal solar activity, only a few hundred would have reached our planet alive. During a period of high activity, none would have reached it alive. Could you imagine a whole galactic battle fleet perishing before it even reached Earth? Yet you laugh.’

‘Mr President, is this a threat?’ It was the same one that had told him to go on speaking.

The President bowed low, ‘No your excellency, merely a fact.’

‘What will you do if no one supports your bid?’

‘We will simply retreat behind the great barrier. There will be no trade of any description with those on the other side. To be blunt your excellency, you have nothing we need.’

‘You would not trade anything?’

‘Nothing. Any incursion into our space would be considered hostile.’

‘Yes, and most likely it would be. My territory lies very close to the borders of an area we call the Sparse Lands. There are a number of meat eating races that have advanced technology within the region. Many attempts have been made to flush them out and eradicate them. They actually have special spits where they can roast my people whole, and alive. If we ever went to war with your people, would the captured suffer the same fate?’

The President visibly shuddered. ‘Absolutely not. Any Human partaking of such a meal would be incarcerated for the rest of their lives. We are a part of the Balang treaty on the treatment of prisoners of war. Regardless of what happens here or in the next few years, we will uphold the treaty. Any prisoners of war will be treated properly, regardless of race.’

‘I am glad to hear it, please go on.’

The President bowed low again. ‘Let us now take a step back from what might be. Most treaties begin with two parties looking at each other and asking a few questions: “what have you got that I like? Can I take it by force or do I have to buy it?”’ That brought a few laughs from the gathered nobles. The President smiled. ‘Of course, if you can’t grab it, or afford it, you may well be able to trade for it. Our solar system is rich in all kinds of metals and minerals, none of which we can sell or trade because of galactic restrictions and other trade agreements. So what do we have left that we can trade with? We already have a trade agreement with the Modloch Emperor for our grasses; so that is off the table. What do we have left? The answer to that is simple. The resources of a whole planet that has never lost any of its diversity.

‘As you can see before you, we still have paper, and use it. The desks that hold them are made from real wood. Before me sit some of the most powerful and richest beings in the galaxy, but I bet less than a handful have any real paper in their library. How many of you have real wood in your palaces or residences? Neither have I seen a piece of real glass since arriving here. We have textiles that will make you weep with joy when you feel them next to your skin. None of these are banned by trade agreements, simply because they have either never existed here or have long since been lost to time and necessity.

‘So what do you have that we want? I will be honest, absolutely nothing. We can’t eat your food, your textiles are inferior and our technology is now on par with yours. There is only one thing you have that is of any value to us, and that is your endorsement to join this galactic federation of planets. With your endorsement, we will keep safe that which we value most. That, my noble friends, is the planet we treasure more than our lives. The planet Earth.’

The President bowed low and he was applauded in many different ways. But he wasn’t quite finished. ‘Before I go, I would like to introduce to you a few of the other inhabitants of our world. Maybe once you meet them, you will understand our passion.’

CHAPTER 32

It had been a huge undertaking and a logistical nightmare. However, the ship named the Ark had arrived a few weeks previously. On board were a menagerie of animals from Earth.

Horses were brought in to the hall first, from the Clydesdale horses of the guards to a Shetland pony. The noble guests were invited down to meet them. The tiny sheltie was the hit of the parade and the Modloch Emperor fell in love with the Clydesdales. The horses were followed by camels and zebras. The koala bears and kangaroos proved to be a big hit, but they seemed a bit wary of the monkeys and for some strange reason found the sheep hilarious. The largest reaction was to the big cats.

The President asked them all to take their seats again. ‘So far you have met only a tiny proportion of the animal kingdom. All of them, like you, are herbivores. Some eat grass. Most eat leaves or fruit. There are, however, many predators on our planet. In their natural environment, they prevent the over-population of the other species. Even Humans are not safe from these animals. We are going to introduce you to a small selection of these predators. I would ask all of you to remain calm at all times. Please do not cry out or startle these animals. Even though they have been brought up in captivity, they are still, at heart, wild animals and predators. You can never truly tame a big cat. For your safety they will be flanked by rangers with dart guns. If they begin acting wildly we will dart them, which will render them unconscious. I implore you not to shout, jump about, wave your arms, or do anything that might startle them.’

A pair of ocelots were led in first, bringing only a few murmurs from the guests. The President had been replaced by a beautiful redhead in a safari outfit who described the cats.

A puma was brought in next and the guests seemed a little more impressed. They were even more impressed by the pair of cheetahs. However, when a single male Bengal tiger was brought in the atmosphere in the great hall changed dramatically; you could have heard a pin drop. Neither did the Tiger seem very happy. His tail twitched from side to side and he growled menacingly at some of the guests. His keeper scolded him soundly and the big cat apologised by rubbing his head against her. She gave him a big scratch behind the ears and he was happy enough to be led out. There was a loud sigh of relief as the door closed behind him.

The redhead hid a smile. ‘Our last big cats are a trio of African lions. We call them the Marx brothers because of their playful nature. Noble guests, I implore you to keep calm at all times. Please meet the kings of the jungle, the lords of the great African plains, the Lion.’

The appearance of the three black-maned lions sent a shock through every guest in the great hall. They sauntered in like they owned the place. None could deny their magnificence. When they reached the middle of the hall they decided it was playtime. There was a communal gasp as one swiped the feet from under his keeper and the lions all piled on top. The other two keepers had a hell of a time extracting their friend from the heap. When he was free he held up his hand to indicate he was OK. There was a communal titter of relief from the audience, which had an electric effect on the lions. They got to their feet and began to look round, as though noticing for the first time where they were. One began to cough, then the other two followed. It ended in full blown roars that shook the very walls. As the last roar rang round the great hall there was a long drawn out fart that could only have come from one of the gathered nobles. It was a moment that should have created a great deal of laughter, however they were too terrified to even twitch.

One of the lions wrinkled his nose and sneezed in a manner that could not be mistaken for anything other than laughter. His brothers joined in and, deciding they had caused enough mayhem, let their keepers lead them out of the great hall. The moment the great doors closed the hall erupted in noise. A deep primal dread had been released, catching all by surprise. Some it titillated, others it horrified, but none were immune to the effects of the lions.

The redhead keeper waited until the noise abated somewhat. ‘Noble guests.’ She immediately had their attention. ‘I can see by your reactions that you enjoyed the company of the big cats. Not all cats are as big though. There are hundreds of different breeds of cats. There are few places on our planet where they do not thrive, and as such both Human and cat have had a very long relationship. For the most part this relationship has reaped benefits for both species. We have not only taken them into our hearts but also into our homes. Noble guests, may I introduce you to the domestic cat.’

The doors opened and a host of keepers walked in carrying cats and kittens. The white Persian seemed to be the most popular, but the cute grey kittens also went down a storm. Some of them broke loose and decided to investigate the strangers themselves. A large black tom, shorthaired and sleek, took a particular liking to the Modloch Emperor. His face was novel as the black cat sunk its claws into him.

Its keeper was mortified but too frightened to approach the Emperor. ‘What is it doing?’ He gasped through the pain.

‘He likes you sir. He is just getting comfortable.’

‘He likes me! Are you sure?’

She flicked away a hair from her face. ‘Oh yes, positive. In a moment he will lie down and go to sleep.’ As if on queue the cat lay down and closed his eyes. ‘If you stroke him, he will purr.’

‘How do I do that?’

She demonstrated and he followed suit. The cat stretched and began to purr. The Emperor then turned to the British King, who was playing with a grey kitten.

‘This is such a strange feeling. Are these comfort creatures?’

‘Yes, we call them pets.’

‘Why?’

‘What you are doing is called petting. These are creatures you can pet, therefore pets.’

‘Do you have these cats?’

‘No. There is nothing more adorable than a kitten, however when cats aren’t sleeping or eating they are very curious creatures. They like to explore, jump up on things and rub themselves everywhere. Cats and palaces full of ancient delicate ornaments do not mix.’

‘Ah, I see. So what pets do you have?’

‘I have dogs and horses.’

‘Ah! I like horses. Have we seen dogs tonight?’

‘No, not a single one.’

‘Why not?’

‘I have no idea. I will ask when I get the chance.’

‘Can I keep this one?’ The Emperor asked the keeper.

‘I am afraid not sir. You wouldn’t be able to feed it.’

It took them a while to gather all of the cats together again. Once they were all removed from the hall the red head took her place on the podium again.

‘We have one final animal to show you. This animal is a herbivore, but I would ask you to please remain seated and quiet. My nobles, lords ladies and gentlemen, I give you the King of the great plains of Africa, Jambo, the African bull elephant.

The great doors swung wide and Jambo lumbered in to view. There were gasps of surprise, and the redhead had to intervene. ‘Please remain seated and calm.’

He filled the door, making his Human keeper look diminutive in comparison. Jambo’s great tusks swung low, close to the ground. A grey trunk tested the air and blew it across the olfactory receptors in his mouth. A great rumble began deep in his chest and filled the room. The beast then emitted a deep tone that the Humans could only feel rather than hear.

One of the nobles got slowly to his feet and, as Jambo passed, emitted a tone of his own, not unlike that of the elephant. The elephant’s reaction was instant. He swung round and spotted the standing noble. His great ears flapped and he trumpeted. Behind him the escort readied their tranquilizer guns. The noble emitted the sound again and the great beast approached slowly. Even though they were sat high on a dais the elephant still towered over him.

Everyone watched with bated breath as the giant reached out with his trunk. He took the scent from the noble and blew it into his mouth. Another deep rumble followed. The trunk came back and stroked his face. The noble reached up and touched the elephant’s trunk. Jambo responded by grasping the hand, while the noble reached up with his other; it was as though they were holding hands. It was a magical moment that showed on the face of the alien.

Jambo’s keeper called to him and the elephant took a few steps back, flapped his ears and trumpeted loudly before turning away. The noble was still on his feet as the massive doors closed behind the lumbering giant.

A great round of applause went round the hall and everyone got to their feet. The red head’s thanks were lost in the noise and she was replaced by the President once more.

He waited until the din abated, ‘Emperors, Kings, Heads of State, Lords, Ladies and Gentlemen. This concludes the petition from the planet Earth. What you saw tonight was only a fraction of that which we fight to protect, which we will fight to protect to our very last breaths. I sincerely hope that this has changed your minds about who and what we are.

‘As a single race with a single planet, we are no real threat to anyone. We have no wish to conquer anyone’s planets. We simply wish to live in peace, not under threat from races we have never heard of from a different part of the galaxy.

‘We realise the commitment we will have to make to join this galactic federation of planets. We are prepared to pay that price. Thank you.’ He bowed low. ‘We have more entertainment for you soon, but our little friends have left a bit of a mess behind. If you would all like to retire to freshen up a little, the grand ball will begin in an hour and a half. We hope you will rejoin us then. There will be a small buffet and a selection of wines, beer and other drinks for you try out. We will entertain you with music, dancing, and a flavour of Human entertainment from a number of different races. Thank you again.’ He bowed low and was applauded.

CHAPTER 33

The Modloch Emperor sank into his couch and picked up a cherry brandy. He took a small sip and shuddered. ‘You have to try this, but only a little. Human drink is very potent.’

His servants poured a tiny amount into the glasses of those present. As a unit, all of the rulers had retired to a room he had set aside for this very reason. They partook of the drink and seemed to love it.

The Emperor noticed that one had made no comment. ‘Marcus my friend, you look very thoughtful and very far away.’

The noble who had shared a moment with the elephant smiled. ‘I am far away Darrick. That great beast touched me somewhere deep inside.’

‘We shouldn’t get carried away by emotion,’ snapped another.

His nearest companion turned to him, ‘You’re just pissed off because you shat yourself when those lions roared.’ The room erupted in laughter.

‘I did not shit myself,’ he protested, ‘it was just a bellyful of wind from those strange fruits.’

The laughter increased, ‘I would still check my underwear before going out again.’

‘Did you see those damn things?’

‘We saw them, and felt their roar.’ the Modloch Emperor interrupted. ‘Hell my arse is still twitching.’ They all laughed.

‘It was a primal fear.’ Another added.

The Emperor turned to him, ‘Grand Chancellor Serrivelli, it’s not like you to voice an opinion.’

‘I was a Professor of History before I rose to office, and as such I do not have the clout that those who were born to rule do. But this is my area of interest. I have studied carnivores and herbivores. There was a time on all of our planets that the two were in balance. Of course we herbivores rose to become dominant. As such, we could not let such creatures live. When we had eradicated every species that could do us harm our populations exploded. Our numbers were controlled only by disease and famine. As the Human said, this led us to look to the stars far quicker than they. I would presume they only reached for the stars as a curiosity rather than a necessity.’

‘I think you are correct,’ the Modloch Emperor mused.

The chancellor continued, ‘There were meat-eaters on our planets, and at one time we were legitimate prey. When those big cats began to come in, I wanted to move closer to the person next to me. I felt the fear flow through me even though I had no idea what kind of creatures they were. The sight, the sound, the smell, triggered a primal reaction that all of us felt. I can still feel the thrill of it.’

The Modloch Emperor lifted a leg and farted, ‘I think we all do.’ They roared with laughter. ‘Still, the chancellor is correct. I know lots of people that would pay to be scared that shitless too.’

That brought a few nodding heads, but not all agreed. ‘I think they should kill them all.’ Announced the whiner.

‘I would have to disagree,’ the Professor countered, ‘they are of no threat to any of us, and their magnificence was obvious to us all. Emperor Marcus, you obviously felt a connection to the grey creature?’

‘The Elephant, yes. My species has a similar way of communicating as that low tone that it emitted. I am sure you all heard it. It is a form of communication we hardly ever use now, maybe only as parents to children when they are out of sight. Many years ago someone dug up a skeleton of a creature much like that of the elephant. It even had tusks, although somewhat shorter. It was declared a hoax by all renowned sources, simply because no one could envision how it fed. Yet there it was, an extending nose as versatile as a hand. What a wonderful creature. I don’t care about what any of the rest of you do, the Humans have my endorsement. I wonder if they would like to visit my planet and show off the elephant to my people. I am sure they would love it.’

The sceptic snorted. ‘You would let yourself be swayed by one creature?’

Marcus eyed him with thinly veiled disgust. ‘That was only the final piece of the puzzle for me.’

‘The cats did it for me.’ The chancellor admitted. ‘To preserve a species, many species, that can do your people harm takes a lot of courage, and a lot of heart.’

‘I would never vote for any species of meat-eater,’ snarled King Vison of the Catataracs. ‘They are filthy and disgusting, and none of us should support them. You disgraces us all by your words.’

The Modloch Emperor looked down his nose at the King. ‘You are a prick, Vison. If you weren’t part of the alliance I would have destroyed your puny race many years ago. Your people have no culture, no grace, no art. Your only motivation is greed and that crap you try and pass off as grass. You are also spokesman for the Albany, aren’t you?’

‘What if I am? They are herbivores like us and as such deserve our support.’

‘I wouldn’t support the Albany if their Emperor came down here and kissed my arse.’ Snorted the Modloch Emperor. ‘My people have had a lot of contact with the Humans. Despite being meat-eaters, they still have a thousand times more appeal than either your race or the Albany. I would far rather sit down to a bowl of walnuts and a cherry brandy than eat a ton of the shit your people produces.’

‘There is nothing wrong with our grass.’ He protested.

‘The last time my empire bought grass in bulk from your race was during the Haspsopot War. My father’s troops almost mutinied. He made me and my brothers sit down and eat a whole bowl of the stuff to make damn sure we wouldn’t make the same mistake that he did. I was sick for days afterwards.’ That brought a great deal of mirth from the gathered rulers.

‘When the Albany take the Earth they are going to convert it to the growth of blue grass. They will mass produce it and you won’t be able to sell it.’

The Modloch Emperor snorted. ‘It won’t grow over the whole planet you idiot. Tell me, what part of the Earth did they promise you for your support?’

‘What do you mean it won’t grow all over the planet?’

‘The planet Earth is tilted back on its axis and has a wobble. This creates seasons in the northern climes. The savannah grass only grows in the hottest regions round the planet’s central belts. I ask again, what part of the planet did they promise you?’

King Vison looked around to see everyone’s attention directed towards him. It was clear they all knew. In retrospect, it was pretty obvious. He sighed, ‘We were to get the northern hemisphere.’

They howled with laughter and Vison slinked back out of the discussion.

‘How long does this wobble take to act out?’ The Professor asked.

‘A whole Earth year. It is what their calendar is based on.’ The Modloch Emperor answered.

‘It may be speculation on my part, but would that not result in the diversity of the animals and in the Human race itself as it spread across the planet?’

‘You speculate correctly chancellor. I have had the same encyclopaedias you have for a few weeks now. That is exactly the reason for the planet’s diversity. With the Humans, those with the lighter skins live in the colder climes.’

‘It is a planet I would love to study. Unfortunately it would cost me my life.’

‘I think this is the point where we should discuss how much it would cost us not to admit the Humans.’ Spoke the noble who had challenged the President earlier.

The Modloch Emperor raised a hand. ‘Emperor Ne´ Langus. You were paying particular attention to that part of the Human President’s speech.’

‘I was, as should all of you. If we don’t admit them, then idiots like the Albany are going to continue to attack. Do you know the size of their forces at present Darrick?’

‘I will not lie Ne´. Since the war with the Albany, they have tripled the size of their fighting force. The Humans know about war, and know how to defend themselves. Only the largest of us now have fleets bigger than them. Combined we could probably knock them out.’

‘Yes Darrick, but at what cost? Especially if they pull back behind the barrier and react to incursions within their space. It will eventually lead to an all-out war with the Human race.’

‘Only if they attack home planets.’ Jumped in a lesser noble.

‘That was exactly the point the President was trying to make,’ growled Ne´. ‘They wouldn’t think twice about attacking our home planets. My biggest fear is that we gather a huge fleet to destroy them, and by the time they are halfway to the planet Earth, the whole damn force is dead. We would be handing the Humans the whole damn fleet. Then where would we be? In twice as much shit.’

The lesser noble sniffed, ‘Maybe they were lying about their sun’s activity.’

‘No they weren’t.’ Interjected the Modloch Emperor, ‘Gairloch did an intensive study on their sun. The moment its activity picked up it wiped him and the remainder of his crew out. I have all the data if anyone wants to see it. Ne´ is right though. They are a formidable foe and they have thousands of years’ worth of ground fighting experience.’

Ne´ looked round the faces. ‘As far as I am concerned, we either wipe them out here and now, or we take them on board.’

‘And if we miss?’ The Modloch Emperor asked.

‘Well, they will never trust us again Darrick. If I was them, I would begin a systematic eradication of every species on this side of the barrier. Which of course would lead to us sending a large force to their world.’

‘Which could quite easily end up in their hands.’ The Modloch Emperor finished the sentence for him.

‘Exactly.’

‘Well, you are the master tactician here Ne´, what do we do?’

‘Wait!’ Interrupted Vison. ‘What about a thousand years from now, when the Humans have colonies and planets this side of the galaxy? How would we stop them then Ne´?’

‘Glad you brought it up. I was going to suggest setting preconditions on the Humans becoming full members of the galactic family. The condition would be that they could hold no planet on this side of the great barrier. Their rewards would be something other than land or the right to build colonies in captured territory.’

They were silent for a while as they contemplated this. ‘That is completely unheralded.’ Vison ventured. ‘Do you think they would agree to it?’

‘If they aren’t lying about wanting to protect their home world.’ Ne´ answered.

‘I think they would grab at the chance.’ The Modloch Emperor mused. ‘They are very passionate about their planet. I have watched many of their documentaries. I picked the ones that I thought you would like the most. They are in the gift you received. It is a rare and beautiful world. Is there the possibility we could get it special status, like the planet Braun Veld?’

‘Why would we want to do that?’ Ne´ asked.

The Modloch Emperor shrugged, ‘Well why not?’

‘Braun Veld is protected simply because it is of no use to anyone. The soil is too alkali to grow decent grass. If it had been someone would have claimed it long ago.’

‘It is also a tourist spot, the go to place for mating ceremonies. It isn’t like we could pop down to Earth and spend a few weeks there.’ Marcus added.

‘That’s not what I am getting at.’ Ne´ answered. ‘If they were given special status it would mean that all creatures, including the Humans themselves, would be protected, which means that they wouldn’t have to join the council or even fight. As Darrick has pointed out, the Humans have extensive ground fighting capabilities. We don’t.

‘For more years than I care to remember we have been fighting a race of meat-eaters that frequently make incursions into our space. We have bombed their planets until we are blue in the face and it has made no difference. My troops are petrified of going on to the ground in case they are captured and eaten. I bet the Humans wouldn’t be afraid.’

The Modloch Emperor laughed. ‘They eat your people because you have killed all of their livestock and have nothing else left to eat!’

‘So what! They are completely carnivorous. We did not start the war. We sent peace envoys and they ate them. Sent us pictures too. Now they live underground where we can’t get at them.’

‘I see your reasoning Ne´’ The Modloch Emperor was sitting forward in his seat now. ‘Of course, with a species of meat-eaters as part of the great federation, they may well also help to bridge the gap between all of the races. Maybe they could help your enemy restock on domestic livestock and prevent farther attacks.’

‘I find this conversation disgusting. They are meat-eaters and you are suggesting helping them. This is intolerable.’

Their heads cranked round.

It was the Modloch Emperor who spoke first.. ‘President San Lo Tae´, you come late into the discussion.’

‘I may be one of the smaller fish in this pool Emperor, but I am mortified by the direction this conversation is taking. Using a race that should be our natural enemies to feed our natural enemies? This is simply intolerable.’

‘When I heard of the Humans, I reacted the same way. My initial orders to Gairloch were to wipe them out. However, he told me how they had offered to make his last days as comfortable as possible. They didn’t try to kill him even though Gairloch and his crew were the first aliens they had ever met. He felt they were genuine. They also told him that they had vast plains of the blue grass and of how it had been stolen by the Albany. To Gairloch, who had hunted the pirates selling the blue grass, it was a curiosity. Would it give us a lead into who was behind it all?

‘When Gairloch reached their world, he was amazed by the diversity of the wildlife and how hard the Humans fought to preserve it. He too was initially repulsed by them. But I think maybe you should hear Gairloch’s own words on the matter.’

He reached for a tablet and spent a few minutes finding the files. When he did the large wall turned into a screen. Gairloch was reclining on a comfy chair. His face was etched in pain, yet he had a stupid smile on his face.

‘My Emperor, my lord, my beloved brother. The sun’s activity this week has been very low, but still my crew fall to its deadly neutrons. But what a week! We travelled to the island of Britain in the northern hemisphere. It is the season they call autumn. The vegetation prepares for winter. Look at the colours of the leaves brother.’ Pictures appeared beside him that enthralled his audience.

‘This place is so damn beautiful, but a little cold. I met the British King. He has the same regal bearing as you do. He introduced me to a horse called Candy. She is a Clydesdale, the only horse big enough to carry me, and they have been teaching me how to ride. Today we galloped across the cut wheat fields. I could not stop laughing. A whole glorious afternoon riding through virgin woodland. I saw a golden pheasant. Brother, this bird’s feathers were the colour of gold! I thought they had painted it. The King laughed so hard he almost fell off his horse.

‘Oh brother, I so wish you could share this experience with me. I feel my words cannot convey enough feeling to describe it properly. We came across a farmer shooting crows. I was upset at first. They describe these crows as vermin that eat their crops, yet they do not eradicate them. I was confused. The King told me that although they were vermin, there was no need to eradicate the whole species. Despite their status as a pest, they had a right to live and breed. When their numbers become so great that they begin to do extensive damage to their crops, they go out and shoot a few to bring the numbers down.

‘He asked me about the pests on our world. The strangest thing happened, brother. I found it hard to tell him that we had wiped out every other species so we could grow more food for our people. I looked around at the birds in the sky, the animals in the fields and the horse between my legs and I choked on the words. I wasn’t sure if he would understand.

‘I have spent every night since wondering about our forefathers. Here there are groups passionate about their animals. I wonder, were there Modloch like them? I searched our archives but found no records. Did any single Modloch stand forth and try to defend the rights of the other species on our planet before we wiped them out? I had never even thought about it before.

‘We accuse these people of being savages because they eat meat. But because they can eat meat they do not need every square foot of the planet producing grass. They preserve the lives of the other species on this planet, whether those animals are good or bad for them.

‘When I eventually answered the King I could see the shock on his face. He did not accuse. He simply said he was sorry to hear we had to do that. His eyes were full of sorrow for us. For the first time in my life I felt like I belonged to a sub-species. Do you know how they control their numbers? They use birth control and place responsibility on themselves. I hear there is a country whose population became so big that the government ordered only one child to be born per couple. Could our ancestors not have done the same thing and preserved our worlds as they once were?’

‘I will leave you now brother. If I survive another week I will again regale you with stories of my adventures.’

The screen switched off and all were silent. The Modloch Emperor got up slowly. ‘I need to change. We will all meet again tomorrow afternoon.’

CHAPTER 34

Charlie stood with his arms crossed, staring up at the Bear. ‘I do not have to take your bloody orders any more. Two years! I’m oot, a civie, privately employed by the Gordon foundation.’

The Bear roared with laughter and poked him in the chest. ‘Two years Murison, I can still kick your arse for the next two years. You will obey my orders.’

‘Stick yer orders up yer arse. I will not make an arse of myself while doing the sword dance, just to make you look bloody good.’

The jocks howled with laughter as an officer appeared to tell them they were on in two minutes.

The ballroom was seething. Mya had loved the Chinese dragon dancing and Rannalld had been very impressed by the monks and their martial arts display. Rannalld cringed though when the pipes started up, as did many present. Mya though they were wonderful. ‘Oh! There’s Charlie. What is he doing?’

Rannalld’s eyes had locked on the large officer. ‘On the left?’

‘Charlie? No, he is on the right. The small one.’

Rannalld could hardly believe his eyes. ‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes of course.’

‘Ladies and gentlemen, the Scottish sword dance. The origins of this dance are lost in myth and legend. Most say it was created by the victor of a battle between two clan chieftains. They agreed to fight each other to preserve the lives of their clansmen; the winner of the fight would claim victory over the other clan. When the fight was over the winner took the two bloodied swords, laid them on the ground and proceeded to dance round them.

‘The dance was taken up by the clansmen and became a part of the Highland tradition. It is said that if the dance was performed before a battle and the dancer touched the blades then it was a portent of bad tidings. To complete the dance without touching the swords was a good omen for the coming battle.’

The dance began and both dancers managed to avoid touching the blades. When it was over the dancers bowed low and left. Rannalld got up. ‘I will be back in a few minutes Mya.’

The stage was then taken by the United States Marine Band and the party kicked up a gear. Dancers came on dressed in 1940s clothing. The guests seemed to love it. The stars of the show were Lady Jane and Kelly, who stood head and shoulders above the rest in his uniform.

The two of them had been practicing for over a week. For Kelly it was a case of remembering the steps while Jane had to learn from scratch. She objected to being raised off the ground so their routine had been changed slightly. Still they moved together like greased lightning.

Almost a world away from the dancers the Emperor and the British King got their heads together. ‘What do you think?’ The King asked.

The Emperor rubbed his hands together in glee. ‘I think we have done well. Let us hope that Kelly is man enough to take some of the sharp edges off the bitch.’

The two laughed together easily, ‘Well it won’t happen tonight if I know Jane. Kelly has his work cut out for him. Still a work in progress.’ He looked round. ‘It would seem they aren’t the only ones enjoying themselves.’

The Emperor followed suit. ‘Yes, our fellow rulers do seem to be relaxing a bit more. Our initial talks went well.’

‘Glad to hear it.’

‘I think some want to make a precondition.’

‘On what point?’

‘That Humans will not be able to take or hold planets at this side of the barrier. If they help take a world then their reward would be something different from the usual.’

‘Ah yes! If a coalition of forces take a planet or home world under direction of the federation, then that world or worlds shall be divided up equally, or in proportion to the number of their forces involved.’

‘Yes that’s it exactly.’

‘I see. They have reservations about us spreading across the galaxy.’

‘More or less. I am sure attitudes will change as the years pass. I suppose that is in your own hands. Do you think your people will have a problem with that?’

The King shook his head. ‘I can’t see it being a problem. In all the discussions we have held, it isn’t a subject that has ever come up.’

The Emperor smiled. ‘That is good to hear. It would be handy to know before tomorrow afternoon when we meet again.’

‘Are you giving them time to get round their hangovers?’

‘They are going to need it.’

The two laughed hard.

Behind the scenes the jocks were screaming in laughter at the banter between Charlie and the Bear. They were getting ready to go. Most of the entertainers had already left. Charlie could have got Babes to simply beam him aboard but he was enjoying the company and had decided to hang around with the guys for as long as he could.

He wasn’t aware of Rannalld’s presence until he was grabbed by the neck from behind. It was a fierce grip meant to incapacitate.

Rannalld’s world suddenly turned upside down, and he was dealt a disabling blow to his midsection. When his senses returned he felt the cold kiss of steel at his throat and an ice cold pair of eyes staring down at him.

‘You had better have a damn good reason for grabbing me like that laddie, or I am going to fix you permanently to the floor.’

Charlie had no idea who Rannalld was, but the Bear did. ‘Murison,’ he hissed, ‘let him up!’

‘Back off Bear, this is not your problem.’

‘It will be everyone’s problem if you kill him.’

Charlie turned his eyes back to Rannalld. ‘Who the hell are you?’

‘Grand Marshall Rannalld. Imperial Modloch Forces. Brother of the great Emperor.’

‘What the hell do you want with me?’

‘I wish to talk to you.’

‘Oh really? Is that how you go about talking to someone in your forces? Grabbing them by the neck?’

Rannalld hesitated, ‘No...’

‘Didn’t think so. Is it how you think you should begin a conversation with a Human?’

Rannalld sighed, ‘no.’

‘You had better damn well explain yourself then.’

Rannalld felt his anger rise. ‘I am a Grand Marshall, how dare you treat me so?’

‘You are a Grand Marshall of nothing to me. You’re not even in my army.’

The truth of his words began to sink into Rannalld. He had an ally though. ‘Murison, for God’s sake man. Let him up, that is an order.’

Charlie leaned over slightly. ‘Now him I have to listen to, so you listen very carefully to me. I will sheath my sword and let you up. If you make one more aggressive move towards me though I will cut you into a half dozen pieces before you can blink. Am I making myself clear?’

‘Perfectly.’

Charlie took a few steps back accompanied by a click as the sword was returned to its scabbard. Rannalld blinked. It was as though the sword had simply vanished. Rannalld realised as he got up slowly that the man had the ability to carry out the threat, and was no doubt still angry enough to mean it.

‘What is this all about sir?’ De Beer asked.

‘It is personal.’

His eyes snapped to Charlie. ‘What the hell have you done Murison?’

‘Buggered if I know.’

‘I have been informed that this man has had private audiences with my brother, the Emperor, without any of his guards being present. I wish to know if this is true.’

‘Mind yer own damn business.’

‘Murison,’ The Bear growled, ‘he is a senior officer, I don’t give a shit whose army he is in.’

Charlie snarled at him but backed down. ‘With all due respect to your rank, I gave my word of honour to the Emperor that I would never discuss anything he said with anyone else. I will not break my word. If he wished to discuss it with you, I am sure he would have done so by now. If you have any more questions sir, I respectfully suggest that you speak to him directly.’

Rannalld found he was breathing hard. He was going to get nowhere with this man and he knew it. ‘Then I will do that.’

‘One more thing sir.’ Charlie took a threatening step forward. ‘I know you Modloch Royals have a fondness for killing and torturing anyone that you think has slighted you or made you lose face. If you come after me, I will kill you, regardless of who your brother is. Am I making myself understood?’

‘Perfectly.’

‘Good day sir.’

Rannalld stormed off. He heard the officer reprimand his subordinate soundly to a wall of silence. When he was out of sight and sound, he stopped to compose himself for a minute. He rubbed the spot where Charlie’s elbow had crashed into his stomach. It still hurt like hell. He still didn’t know how Charlie had done it, or where the sword had come from. He was sure they had all been lying on a table a few feet away. Charlie’s last words had chilled him. There was only one member of the family who was permitted to torture someone. There were very strict protocols that none dared breach, including himself. By Charlie’s own words, he had pointed a finger straight at the Emperor himself. This could only mean that the two had a run in somewhere. Rannalld felt shamed and angry, but more than that he felt intrigued. When the time was right he would confront his brother.

Once Rannalld was out of earshot the Bear stopped shouting at Charlie. ‘What the hell was that all about?’

Charlie scanned the area for any sign that Rannalld could overhear him. ‘At that last ball, the king asked me to show up the Modloch Emperor. I stopped one of his guards removing one of those fancy swords they carry. I got a wee bit carried away and gobbed off. The Emperor didna like that very much so tried to have me tortured and executed. It was my own fault so please, say nothing. Anyway, I’m still here and I put a dozen of his guards in hospital. I got the drop on them basically and held a gun to the Emperor’s head.’

‘That’s a bad, bad situation Charlie.’

‘Certainly was, aye. It was what I said that had done the damage. Or maybe the tone in which I had said it. I offered to fight his men to prove that I had actually been... ach, what the hell’s the word?’

‘Genuine?’ Bear offered.

‘Aye something like that. No having a go or just being a prick.’

‘Genuine,’ The Bear sighed.

‘Anyway, after I leathered his men there was no one left to pour his bloody tea when it arrived, so I did it for him. That more than anything else seemed to prove to him that I was actually being truthful and respectful. Now he is always popping over when he is in the vicinity. He thinks if he studies me he can get a better handle on the Human race.’

‘Does he know about your special abilities?’

‘Oh hell no. He thinks all Humans are supermen.’

The Bear patted him on the back. ‘Maybe better that way for just now. What is it you are actually doing these days? Still guarding Captain Gordon?’

‘No. At the moment I’m working with Kelly, the World War Two vet.’

‘Heard about that. Try and keep your head down alright?’

‘I am seriously trying to sir. Shit keeps happening to me though.’

CHAPTER 35

The party had been a great success. The Emperor was immensely pleased with himself. The Human drink had flowed and the nobles had began to relax. Many had brought their wives and it wasn’t long before they tried the dance steps. Lady Jane had become an impromptu teacher. The wives, knowing she was with the royal party, had approached her for instruction. It wasn’t long before his own wife had persuaded him to have a try. All in all he had enjoyed the dancing immensely. His wife was happy, the wives of his guests were happy, so they too would be happy.

He was sitting checking the monthly profits from his savannah grass sales; they too were making him happy. Not only had the Humans added immense wealth to his Empire, they had also added to the flavour of life.

His servant arrived with tea, grass biscuits and a bowl of pickled walnuts. ‘The Grand Marshal is here to see you sire. Will I show him in?’

The Emperor glanced at the tray. ‘Well you have already brought an extra cup.’

The servant left; Rannalld marched in and saluted. ‘sire.’

‘Stop strutting about Rannalld and pour the tea.’

Rannalld smiled and relaxed, ‘Are we to be informal today sire?’

‘You have been sticking your nose in my business Rannalld, would you rather this be a formal meeting?’

Rannalld immediately tensed and decided to pour the tea. When they were comfortable the Emperor took a sip of tea, ‘I hear you almost got yourself pinned to the floor last night.’

‘I should have known that you would find out. I’m sorry. I heard that you were having private audiences with a Human without guards being present. I was concerned for your welfare and safety.’

‘So instead of coming to see me directly, you thought that you would challenge the Human instead.’

‘I thought it more expedient. He was nearer at hand.’

‘So how did that turn out for you?’

‘It didn’t, as you well know.’

‘The man you challenged is a stone-hearted killer Rannalld, you are very lucky to be alive. Can you imagine the problems that would have caused me and these negotiations?’

‘I did not think it through properly.’

‘Not good enough Rannalld, not for my brother, nor for the grand commander of my army. You acted with emotion, you acted without finding out the facts. I understand your concern was my safety, and that’s the only thing that is saving your life now. If it had been anyone else I would have had them executed. This business with the Humans is far too important to have it ruined by a random act of stupidity.’ He pushed the bowl of walnuts across to him and Rannalld popped a few into his mouth.

Rannalld munched away for a moment. ‘These nuts are truly glorious.’

‘I had them analysed and tested. Just a few of those nuts contains five times the nutrition a half bale of grass does.’

‘That is astounding.’

‘More so when you realize they are completely harmless to our race.’ He pushed the plate across. ‘Try one of these biscuits.’

‘Not really in the mood for dried grass biscuits, Darrick. Since when did you start eating them?’

‘I insist.’

Rannalld hesitated then took a biscuit. One mouthful was all it took to change his mind. ‘Oh wow! Where did these come from?’

‘What is our biggest logistical nightmare for any operation Rannalld?’

‘Food.’

‘Did you know that Human infantry men often carry up to five days worth of rations when they are on operations, mainly in places where they can’t be provisioned easily?’

‘Seriously?’

‘That biscuit you are eating is made up from Human fruit, nuts and grass. One of those has three times the nutritional value of a normal meal.’

Rannalld munched away. ‘I doubt if they would make you feel full.’

‘Is that important?’

‘Not really. Hardship is a soldier’s burden to bear. What else am I tasting here? It’s sweet.’

‘Something called honey.’

Rannalld took a sip of tea. ‘Wow! I can quite literally feel that kick in.’

‘Good, isn’t it?’

‘Very.’

‘Our scientists believe our men can survive, and thrive, on just three of these a day.’

Rannalld sat back in disbelief. ‘That is unheard of. Only three of these a day. Can you imagine the difference it would make to our logistics?’

‘Way ahead of you brother.’

‘Obviously. How did they come up with this?’

‘They didn’t, I did.’

‘Oh!’ Things began to fall into place for Rannalld. ‘You discovered this by talking to that Human Charlie.’

‘I was curious and asked about their rations. Next time I saw him he had a few of these breakfast biscuits on him, made from oatmeal and honey. My tester said they were edible, so I tried one. I was hyper all day. I talked to him about it. He is quite the one for history. He told me about something they called traveling cakes. They were made from oats, dried meat, fruit, nuts and bound together with either animal fat or honey and baked hard. I was intrigued when he said that his ancestors could carry enough of these for weeks and simply live off them. Just a few biscuits a day was required to give them enough energy to walk or run between thirty to sixty Earth miles.’

‘Fascinating. Did the Humans bake these for you?’

‘No, our own people did. Because I liked the breakfast biscuit, Charlie then brought me a whole selection of these things called breakfast bars. They too were edible and filled me with energy, so I requested some from the King who managed to get boxes full. I had our people analyse them and come up with an equivalent that our troops could eat. That is the result.’

‘I think it tastes too good for the common soldier.
They will think they are being spoilt.’ They laughed at that. ‘How much of this is supplied by the Humans?’

‘Just about all of it. The grass was taken from my own gardens, derived from Human seed. The rest was supplied by the Humans. A few of their chefs helped as well.’

‘So we will never be able to produce this?’

‘Not unless we get enough members to vote for their bid. If we don’t get enough then they will return to their side of the great barrier and almost all trade with them will cease. They have promised to remain friends with the Modloch Empire. They will also give us the legal right to distribute what we have already gained.’

‘Even so Darrick, I doubt if the Humans would give us all we needed for free.’

‘You have to remember that most of the nobles from around the galaxy have already tasted many of these ingredients. The chances are demand would outstrip supply.’

Rannalld paused thoughtfully. ‘So what is the solution then? Trade with Humans behind everyone’s back if they don’t get into the alliance?’

The Emperor shook his head. ‘No, the Humans wouldn’t trade. They know that at some future date we could well end up in conflict, and they aren’t stupid enough to trade with a potential enemy.’

Rannalld threw his hands up. ‘Then what the hell is the solution?’

‘Do you remember the bio-dome that the Humans built to house the Albany prisoners?’

‘Who could forget it? Miles of savanna grass blasted out into space.’ Rannalld hesitated. ‘We couldn’t afford to build such a thing. Wasn’t it tried thousands of years ago?’

‘For grass yes. Many cultures have tried it, but as you said, it wasn’t cost effective. Not for grass.’

‘But it could be for some of these other foods?’ Rannalld mused.

‘The Humans are already discussing it. Remember, their supply lines are stretched very thin. It is taking weeks, sometimes months, to get supplies from their planet to here. They have a number of problems though. The farther away from their sun they get, the less cost effective any bio-dome becomes.’

Rannalld shrugged, ‘Obviously. And the more artificial sunlight you need then the higher the costs.’

‘Exactly. The other problem is their meat source. There is no way they could farm animals on this side of the great barrier.’

‘Are you suggesting they tow some of their bio-domes through the great barrier and allow them to use our sun?’

‘For a modest price, or for bio-domes of our own.’

Rannalld thought it over. ‘Could they afford that?’

‘Really Rannalld, you need to pull your head out of that fat arse of yours and have a good look around. Do you know how much their battle fleet cost them?’

‘Billions I would presume.’

‘It cost them nothing Rannalld, not a penny.’

‘How the hell is that possible?’

‘Because one man is responsible for the whole damn thing. You have met Captain Gordon?’

‘Yes, Mya’s Captain. What of him?’

‘He owns everything. Their whole solar system is untapped, and he is the only one with the technology to exploit it.’

Rannalld’s mind raced. ‘Of course, they were a backward race until they got their hands on the Builder’s ships. So they are using Builder technology.’

‘It goes much deeper than that. Individual countries pay the wages for their soldiers.’

‘You mean they aren’t paid by the Earth Defence Force?’

‘Exactly what I mean.’

‘That will have to change.’

The Emperor agreed. ‘Sooner or later yes. No doubt one day they will have to start paying for the ships that are being built as well. In the meantime though, Gordon is supplying the Earth with all its needs. They give him free access to all their ancient dumps and their converters suck up the material and convert it into whatever they need. There are now three hydroponic ships with the Human fleet and more coming.’

‘It all hangs on their bid becoming successful.’

‘That’s right Rannalld, but from what the other royals and nobles were saying last night, that shouldn’t be a problem. Once their bid has been approved by enough members then it will go forward to the galactic council, which always takes years. Hopefully by then they will have constructed a number of bio-domes.’

Rannalld smiled. ‘Of course, if their ultimate bid fails then they may well just leave them here with us.’

‘They may well do that, but ultimately I hope their bid wins, and I will be working towards that, as will all of my people.’

‘Why Darrick?’

‘I like them, and they have a lot to offer.’

‘I can’t see it. Like it or not, they are meat-eaters.’

‘The Humans will have about seven years to prove their worth. A lot can happen in that time.’

‘I still don’t see it.’

‘We have changed, you have changed.’

‘I don’t think so.’

‘Don’t you supply your little Mya with fresh fish?’

‘They are just fish. We use them to fertilize the land.’

‘You are feeding a meat-eater. It doesn’t matter which way you look at it Rannalld, there are many out there who would deem that as illegal.’

Rannalld shifted uncomfortably in his seat. ‘I suppose I just don’t see her like that.’

‘As a dirty meat-eater? A few years ago you wouldn’t even have considered it Rannalld. A few years ago I wouldn’t have sat at the same table as one. But here we are brother. I suppose it helps that they aren’t one hundred per cent carnivorous. Contact with this race has changed us irrevocably. It will change others too. My larder is full of Human food.’

‘It is good.’ Rannalld sighed.

‘People will want to explore it too. Their President wasn’t lying when he said we had lost the diversity that their planet has. They can give us that back, and after yesterday the nobility will have a hunger for it. Word will spread. The curious will come calling. Not only that, they will have to come here to get it. We are recovering well from our civil war. Much of that is due to the Humans.

‘However, we are getting way off track here and I wish to discuss this with all of my brothers at a later date. So what was it you wanted to see Charlie about?’

‘I was simply concerned for your safety. It angered me to hear you were chancing your life being alone with a being from another race. I was just going to give him a warning.’

‘Threaten him you mean.’

‘Yes of course.’

‘Leave Charlie alone Rannalld. That’s an order.’

‘I still don’t like it. As a matter of interest, did you try and have him killed?’

‘I tried to have him tortured and killed for his insolence towards me.’

‘You obviously didn’t have any more success than I did.’

‘I had a lot more success than you Rannalld. For one I didn’t end up on the floor with a sword at my throat. It turns out it was a simple misunderstanding on both our parts. He apologised for his actions by offering me his life.’

‘How could he offer you his life when you were going to kill him anyway?’

The Emperor reached for his pad. ‘I recorded the incident. Watch this.’

Rannalld watched the recording with growing disbelief and horror. He even shouted out a number of times. When it was over he regarded his brother in wonder. ‘You had the opportunity to shoot him a number of times. Why didn’t you?’

‘Because he was testing me. Testing my word, and my honour. If I had touched that pistol, I could very well be dead.’

‘You did reach for it once. I saw you.’

‘That was simply raw, naked fear Rannalld, and I conquered it. I admit, it was the first time I had felt real fear. It took me quite unawares. I am actually quite proud of myself.’

‘I find the whole situation frightening. So what’s with this little tea ceremony you two have going?’

‘There is something quite thrilling about being served tea by the most dangerous person you know.’

‘You think you have tamed him?’

‘Oh no, I have not tamed him. As the Humans said, you can never hope to tame a wild beast. You may, if you are lucky, win its respect. If you are very lucky, its devotion. I believe I have won his respect.’

‘I doubt if you will ever win his devotion.’

The Emperor shrugged. ‘Maybe not Rannalld. Tell me what he said to you when you challenged him.’

‘He told me to ask you if I wanted to know anything. He had given his word not to talk about it.’

‘That is good. That is very good.’

‘You are pleased?’

‘Very.’

‘You deem it a test of his word.’

‘I most certainly do. Did he hurt you?’

‘Winded me badly. I have a few nasty bruises as well. That’s all.’

‘I am glad to hear it. It would be hard to maintain a relationship with someone who seriously hurt one of my brothers. The next time you see him I want you to apologise.’

‘Me? To a commoner? He assaulted me!’ Rannalld was shocked.

‘If you had approached him in a civil manner, you would have received a civil answer. More to the point, you should have approached me. Instead you decided to assault him. As far as I am concerned he is one of mine, therefore you assaulted me. You will be apologising to me as well.’

Rannalld knew he was beaten. ‘I apologise to you now brother, and I will apologise to the Human when I next see him.’

‘Good, now leave me. I have to get ready for this meeting.’

CHAPTER 36

The meeting was informal, the hangovers gone. Jovial laughter flitted around the room. It wasn’t very often they managed to relax like this, with persons of equal rank. The majority of them had known each other for most of their lives, meeting at various schools of excellence designed specifically for the children of nobles. Marcus, Darrick and Ne´ had attended a school of advanced military tactics together and were firm friends.

They were standing together in their own small group chatting about old times when King Vison and President San Lo Tae´ approached.

‘We have to take our leave of you, Darrick.’

‘What you mean is you voted no Vison. You realise you were the only two to do so?’

‘We know, but what real choice do we have? We both border the Albany, and much of our economy is supported by trade with them.’

San Lo Tae’ spoke up. ‘I will return the gifts to the Humans.’

‘They will not be accepted President. The King made that quite clear. Everyone is to keep their gifts regardless of how they vote. Maybe someday in the future, you will have time to read them and change your mind.’

‘As King Vison has pointed out, that is impossible. Is it true they will only trade with those who have agreed to support their bid?’

‘At this moment in time, yes.’

‘That is a shame. At this time the only support I can give is to not vocally speak out against them. I would suggest the farther their trade goods travel, then the more support they will probably gather.’

‘It would seem you have had a change of heart since yesterday.’

‘If this was not a political decision, I would throw my people behind yours and the Human race. However, as Vison has pointed out, we are in no position to help at this time. The Albany might be weak at the moment, but they are still getting funds from the illegal selling of the Blue Grass and have already started building a new fleet.’

‘Not for long. I am close to going into full production and will undercut the Albany by at least half. That should kill off their funds soon enough.’

‘Good luck with that Emperor. Watch your back though. The Albany are infuriated and dangerous. I have never seen them like this before.’

‘Thank you for your thoughts President, and I will convey your sentiments, if not your support, to the Humans.’

‘Thank them for the gifts too please. I am learning to write.’

Darrick laughed. ‘It is addictive, isn’t it?’

‘Strangely so, yes.’ He bowed and the two turned away.

The three friends watched them go. ‘It is no great loss.’ Ne´ offered.

‘No I don’t suppose it is. Still, it would have been glorious if everyone had said yes.

‘When are you going to tell the Humans?’

‘Later, after everyone has left.’

‘Have you told them about the restrictions yet?’

‘No I haven’t. I doubt very much if it will bother them.’

Marcus shook his head. ‘You could be wrong Darrick. There has never been such a restriction placed on any race. They might find it insulting.’

‘I would be surprised if they didn’t find it insulting on some level Marcus. In fact, it is downright discrimination. Yet this bid is the first from any meat eating race to even get this far. I think they will realise that and hold their peace.’

‘You could be right. What are your plans for them now?’

‘It will take a couple of months to have the bid ratified and recognised. Once it is they will have a few months to become familiar with intergalactic law and sign their compliance. Once they have signed it they will be bound by it.’

‘Yes, but what about their eating meat?’ Marcus pushed the question onto him.

‘There are laws concerning diet that should give them protection while petitioning to become a full member.’

‘They weren’t meant to cover meat-eaters.’

‘No, but the language is obscure enough to cover it. Once the bid has been accepted they will have to get themselves organised properly. I have set up a special team to guide them through the process, including setting up the proper departments.’

‘I think you are going to be kept busy Darrick.’ Marcus mused.

‘I’m sure I will. What about you Ne´? Are you looking forward to having the Humans help you patrol the borders?’

Ne´ thought it over. ‘The proportion of craft they will have to supply will be small, little more than a battleship and its accompanying destroyers. I may split them up to let them gain experience with the rest of the fleet, then maybe after a year or so let them rejoin. I think it will only be then that they will show what they are truly worth.’

CHAPTER 37

Kelly and Charlie sat on the oversized chairs with their legs swinging free. They were in the main palace complex waiting for some bureaucrat to see them. There had been complaints about their training program from some of the Modloch officers. As a result, they were asked to report to this department so that they could receive a lecture about what the Modloch body could and could not withstand. Of course, they could have simply sent them the electronic documentation. However, this was just the way things were done.

Kelly glanced at his watch, ‘How much longer? That’s an hour already.’

‘Beats me Jeb. Looks to me like we are being put in our place.’

‘Sure does.’

Charlie closed his eyes and began to listen to the minds that surrounded them. He was hoping to find out what the clown behind the door was up to. What he heard shocked him. His eyes snapped open and focused on two nobles he recognised from the evening before. They were being escorted by an entourage of guards.

As they went past, they glanced coldly at the Humans. Charlie got up. ‘I got to do something. Can you deal with this arsehole on your own?’

‘Sure, if I have to.’

‘You’re going to have to.’

‘Well whatever the hell it is, try and get back quickly.’

‘I will.’

Charlie began to shadow the two aliens. He kept well back and almost out of sight. He caught up with them as they reached a terminal.

‘Where are you going?’ Snapped a guard.

‘Space port.’ Charlie answered.

‘Wait for your own transport pod.’

Charlie crossed his arms. ‘I’m in a hurry.’

‘Don’t care Human, you can wait.’

‘There is plenty room in these pods for us all.’

‘We don’t share pods with dirty meat-eaters.’

‘Fine, then wait for the next one.’

‘Move!’ Threatened the guard.

‘Move me.’ Challenged Charlie.

The guard swung the butt of the long rifle he was carrying at Charlie’s head. Charlie caught the butt, grabbed the barrel and bent the weapon in two. He thrust it back at the guard who stumbled a few steps back. Another charged with a strange growl, thrusting his weapon at Charlie. Charlie forced the weapon out of his hands and thrust him aside. The second weapon received the same treatment. The guard had fallen against a wall and Charlie tossed the weapon to him.

The first guard was desperately trying to straighten his weapon out. The others began to move. ‘Enough.’ Snapped one of the nobles. He approached Charlie as a pod slowed to a stop.

‘Do you know who I am, Human?’

‘No. Do you know who I am?’

‘No.’

‘Excellent.’ Charlie stepped past them and into the pod. ‘Space Port, Tier Sixteen please.’

The noble followed him in. ‘Wait. We are going to Tier Fifteen and we are in a hurry.’

‘Please yourself.’ Charlie touched the control pad. ‘Space Port, Tier Fifteen then Tier Sixteen please.’

They crowded into the pod but put as much distance between themselves and Charlie as possible. One of the guards was giving Charlie the eye.

‘Don’t even try it son; there simply isn’t enough of you, and if those pair you are guarding are important, then you are going to find yourself in so much shit you will drown in it.’

‘Leave the Human alone.’ Growled the noble that had spoken to him before.

The journey only took five minutes and the alien group scowled at Charlie all the way there. They got off at tier fifteen and the pod moved on. Charlie pressed the pad. ‘Back to central plaza please.’

Kelly was still waiting. ‘Come on Jeb, let’s go.’

Kelly was suddenly alert. ‘What’s going on Charlie?’

‘We got bigger fish to fry than this tosser.’

CHAPTER 38

The shuttle pilot banked to ninety degrees and watched the sun appear from behind the green planet below. The beauty of the scene made his breath catch in his throat every time. Ex US Navy, Ex American Airlines, the crusty old pilot considered himself to be one of the luckiest men alive. He had applied for the astronaut training program but hadn’t been selected. When he had served his time with the navy he had been snapped up by the airlines. Five years from retirement he saw an opportunity and grabbed it. Space shuttle pilot. He thought that he could still pilot a fighter if need be but the space corps were looking for older, more experienced, pilots for their shuttles. After a thorough medical, they had snapped him up too.

He smiled to himself. The fighter jockeys sat on board their mother ships doing the odd combat air patrol. Furlough was rare. Here he was, up and down to the planet’s surface almost every day. Flying around the fleet. Visiting alien ships. There was always time to look around the space port or cities he visited. With his old digital Nikon at his side, his family drooled over his Facebook page. He also had thousands of new friends.

The shuttle entered the atmosphere with very little vibration. Once through he was guided into a landing pattern. With automatic safeties engaged in case of mishap, he landed the shuttle at the Emperor’s private airfield. His passengers alighted and stood in a small group waiting transport. He grabbed his old Nikon, and with permission snapped a couple of pictures.

Transport arrived and whisked his passengers away. The old pilot played the pictures back to himself. The President, King and Captain Gordon all waved at him with big smiles on their faces. He wondered how many likes and shares he would get for this picture.

The journey to the palace was brief. All were a little worried about the meeting. Steven was wondering about why he had been summoned. It had been a while since his personal meeting with the Emperor. They were guided into a drawing room. They found Human sized seats arranged round a large coffee table.

The Emperor relaxed in a large armchair. He stood. ‘Gentlemen, please, come and sit down. I have Human tea and cakes.’

‘Wonderful, shall I be mother?’ The King asked. They all laughed. They thought the smile on the Emperor’s face was a good sign.

Once the tea was poured the Emperor began. ‘I shall not keep you in suspense any longer. Your bid was successful. All but two of the delegates agreed to endorse your bid.’

There was a collective sigh of relief from the Humans. The Emperor went on, ‘I have to admit that the amount of endorsements you have gained is unprecedented. However, there is one important precondition you must agree to before they will endorse you. I told the King last night. Did he discuss it with you Mr President?’

‘Yes, briefly last night and I talked to the Earth council this morning. We filled in Captain Gordon on the way over. As I stated last night, we are not interested in any territory this side of the barrier. Our great, great grandchildren may well feel differently of course, but by then – hopefully – Humanity will be a full and trusted member of the galactic federation of planets.’

‘That is exactly the way we feel about it.’ The Emperor admitted. ‘Now that is over and done with we can proceed. We need the signature of three nobles from your planet and I believe you three are the best qualified to sign.’ He turned to address Steven specifically. ‘I know who and what you are to the Human race now. You will also become a goodwill ambassador. Your name and signature on this document will add weight to your position as an ambassador.’

‘Then I must thank your imperial majesty for his thoughtfulness.’

He nodded. ‘Your biggest assets are the foods and animals you enthralled the nobility with last night. I fear demand will far outstrip supply. You will have to get your priorities right. I will help you with that. In fact, I will put together a team to do just that. You have a lot to learn, and until your bid is acknowledged by the Council, you are still vulnerable. That will be the state of things until you have signed the terms and conditions that bind you to your bid.

‘The bid will be submitted to the council. It will be checked thoroughly. Each head of state which signed it will be contacted to verify their signatures and to make sure they have not changed their minds. Once that is complete you will receive a document containing the full terms and conditions. You must read and digest it. You will have at least six weeks to do so. You may take as long as you want. As your world does not have a single ruler then it must read and signed by the whole of the leading body of your planet.

‘You will be expected to draft new laws for your planet that reflect the treaty. That draft will have to be ratified by your leading body and passed into law before submitting it to the council for approval. Your draft may well be rejected; with recommendations of course. I have seen this part of the process take years. Your people cannot afford these kinds of delays.

‘Once you have done all of that and your bid goes forward, you will receive a copy of the intergalactic laws. Again, this is a process. You may of course object to certain laws you believe are prejudiced against your people. If you do, the laws may well be reviewed, and if it is found that the laws are prejudiced against your race, a new ruling may well be awarded, or special dispensation given. If it will affect no other race, that is.

‘After all of that, you will then be brought into the fold. A Human saying, if I am not mistaken. Unfortunately this is just the beginning of the journey. From that point on it is up to you to make friends. You will need the approval of a two thirds majority to gain galactic citizenship with all of its benefits.

‘Until then you will not be able to vote on anything. You cannot sell anything on the restricted list. I am afraid that means your precious metals, ores, minerals and gem stones will still be off the books. In an emergency, the galactic federation may well ask you for some of these resources. You don’t have to supply them. However, if you do, then you will be paid at a price that has already been set. Anyone caught dealing illegally will face the full wrath of the federation and risk your bid being cancelled. Keep a tight reign on trade. There are those who would lure your people into making rash decisions. Most of these are agents for the federation trying to catch you out. Personally, I would keep things as they are now. Don’t allow large companies their own vessels. Restrict movement of absolutely everything, and inspect everything leaving your planet.

‘As for your military, you will have to supply a proportion of your battle forces for integration into the galactic fleet. This will be in direct proportion to the territory you hold. As you only hold one planet your contribution will always be quite small. For the time covering your bid, it will be even smaller. Probably a small battle group. Most likely a battle cruiser and its destroyers, along with the unit’s supply vessels.

‘While any of your forces are committed to the fleet, they will come under the orders of the galactic federation. Their wages will be paid by the galactic federation, as well as fuel and uniforms. In your case you will have to supply your people with their own rations. Otherwise they would have been fed by the federation as well. Any form of dereliction of duty will reflect badly on your bid for citizenship. Make sure your people know that. There are very few occasions where you are allowed to question a commander’s orders. Make sure your commanders are aware of them. If your commanders wish to refuse an order then they must follow the proper protocol to the letter.

‘I spoke to Commander Ne´ before he left. Ne´ is an Emperor as well as commander of the fleet. He is also supporting your bid. I asked him what he would do with your forces. He told me to begin with he would split them up amongst the fleet. Your people will have to learn to work alongside other races. Training officers will be provided. As the Modloch race are your chief sponsors, the officers you will receive will be Modloch. I will also give you a Chief Engineer for each of your vessels and a small engineering staff.

After a year, Ne´ will reunite your force and let them work together as a unit to see how they perform and evaluate them. You will not be allowed to give orders, those forces are under the direct control of the federation. If you wish to withdraw them from the fleet, you must follow the proper protocol, and have a damn good reason to do so.

The Emperor paused. ‘This is a lot to take in, but I am sure you are already aware of most of it. Any questions so far?’

The President spoke up. ‘We have spent months setting up or departments on the guidelines of your advisors. I believe we are ready. May I ask you how Ne´ can be an Emperor and a commander of the fleet?’

‘Ne´ is the best of the best and always has been. We all knew from an early age that Ne´ would one day command the great galactic fleet. It doesn’t matter who you are or your position in life, if you are called to serve the federation, then you have to serve. Ne´ had no choice when he was called to serve. He handed the running of his planets to his brother and reported for duty.’

‘Could anyone be called to serve?’

‘It doesn’t quite work like that Mr President. Ne´ had extensive military training and a number of successful campaigns under his belt while he was a junior officer. His father gave him command of their home fleet. Ne´ quickly became bored and asked to be transferred to the galactic fleet. His father obliged and the rest, as they say, is history. He rose quickly through the ranks of the federation. When his father became ill he resigned and became Emperor. A few years later he was called back into service. Everyone knew it was going to happen. Ne´ was more than happy to return to the fleet. He spoke to you last night.’

‘Yes, I think I know which one you are talking about.’

‘Make sure you find out exactly who he is Mr President. He is extremely important within the galactic federation.’

‘Have no fear of that sir, I will. I also wish to thank you on behalf of the people of Earth for your assistance. We owe a debt of gratitude that we can never truly repay.’

‘You are already repaying me Mr President. The grasses you sent to me are already helping my Empire recover from a devastating civil war.’

‘Still, it doesn’t feel enough. Is there anything else we can do for you?’

‘There is actually.’

‘Please...’ Prompted the President.

‘We do not have space to grow any of the fruits and food that you have brought to us. You are also going to have trouble keeping up with the demand once your goods start to move. You have hydroponic ships in orbit now, and more on the way. Within a few months you will have enough ships to supply your fleet with most of the greens you need. I have been told that there are other types of agricultural ships that you wish to build. However, what I am interested in is a bio dome like the one you built simulating the great African plains. The one you used to kill the last of the Albany.’

‘For grass?’ Asked the President, a little puzzled.

The Emperor shook his great head. ‘Oh no.’ He pressed a pad and a few seconds later two of his guards appeared. One was carrying a bale of hay. It was wrapped in plastic, and even had labels on it. The other was carrying a round flat object. They put the bale down and the guard handed the round object to his Emperor. They bowed low and left. The Emperor pointed to the bale. ‘That is what it takes to feed the average soldier for a single day. What I am holding in my hand is the results of some experimentation I initiated. Using Human fruits, nuts and honey, I can feed a soldier with just three of these a day.’ He handed it over.

The King laughed. ‘I have never seen a biscuit the size of a dinner plate before.’

He passed it on; after Steven had a good look at it he handed it back to the Emperor. ‘Are you thinking of logistics sir?’

The Emperor nodded. ‘Yes Captain Gordon, that is exactly what I am thinking.’ He placed the biscuit on the table. ‘I couldn’t feed my people on them indefinitely. They aren’t filling. However, I could use them as combat rations or even emergency rations. These biscuits, just one of them, have more energy stored in them than a full bale of hay like that one over there.

‘It would give my troops a huge logistical advantage over any enemy. We wouldn’t need slow bulky freighters all the time. For example, an emergency task force, being sent out on a rescue mission, wouldn’t need to wait for a freighter full of rations, and then be restricted to its slower speed. If every ship in my fleet had a few weeks’ worth of these rations on board they could simply leave, right there and then. No delays. Of course, they would also be able to travel at their top speed. A freighter with normal rations could follow on later with its own escort, hopefully meeting the task force on its way home. Is this making sense?’

‘Yes sir, I am sure we all understand exactly what you are talking about.’ The President assured him.

‘I doubt very much if you could supply me with everything I need to manufacture these. Not in the quantity that I require. The easiest solution is a bio dome.’

‘Do you have a list of what you need sir?’ The President asked.

The Emperor proudly produced a piece of paper and handed it over. The President couldn’t help but smile at the scrawl. It was more like a child’s than an adult. He could see a lot of effort had gone into it. ‘This is out of my comfort zone.’ Admitted the President.

The King reached for the note and read it. ‘Most of this is fairly simple. There are plenty commercial growers. We have walnut trees in the UK, and no doubt there are plenty in the USA. The other fruits here are also readily available. I can only foresee one major problem.’ He handed it to Steven. ‘Can you spot it?’

Steven took the note and scanned it. ‘Yes sir, the bees.’

The Emperor frowned. ‘What is a bees? I didn’t ask for a bees.’

‘Bees aren’t a tree or a fruit sir, they are an insect.’

‘You can’t take any insects from your planet to here.’

‘Exactly, and that is the problem. You asked for honey.’

‘Isn’t that a fruit?’

‘No, it is a by-product from an insect called a bee. The bees produce the honey.’

It took a moment for the information to sink in. ‘Poop... you mean I have been eating insect poop!’

The Emperor looked as though he was about to lose it. Steven and the President didn’t really know how to answer but the King laughed out loud. ‘Don’t panic, Darrick old chap, you haven’t been eating insect poop. Honey doesn’t go through the bee’s digestive tract. A bee collects nectar from flowers and carries it back to the hive in a pouch, almost like a second stomach. An enzyme converts the nectar into a golden liquid which they place in a honeycomb. When the honeycomb is full they seal it with a wax. It is their winter food.’

The Emperor seemed to still be in shock. ‘So it isn’t poop?’

‘No, it isn’t poop.’

He had to think it over for a moment. ‘Captain Gordon, you are responsible for building all your planet’s ships, yes?’

‘That’s right sir.’

‘The bio dome that your people constructed too?’

‘Yes sir.’

‘Were they built to galactic specifications?’

‘Yes sir.’

‘So any insect or parasite detected by the on-board systems would be eradicated?’

‘That is correct sir.’

‘Your bees would not make it on board a bio dome alive.’

‘We have never tried sir. It was our one worry with the African plains simulation – we were sure the Albany would notice the absence of insect life and realise that it was actually a bio dome.’

The Emperor shook his head. ‘There are very few insects on our civilized planets. Most were eradicated centuries ago. It would have seemed perfectly normal to them.’

‘That is what your Chief Engineer told us sir. What size of bio domes were you thinking of?’

‘You will have to talk to my scientists. They will tell you how much we need for our forces. Maybe you could supply this honey from your home world. Would it be expensive?’

‘I have no idea.’

The King coughed politely. ‘Honey is already expensive at home. There isn’t a worldwide shortage yet, however environmental factors over the past few decades have led to a shortage of honey bees. Pesticides and natural parasites have killed them off in their millions.’ He looked to Steven. ‘I wonder if you could program a ship to recognise them as sentient beings? The bees really need a break. The ships could kill any parasites and, of course, there would be no need for insecticides.’

‘You mean it could act as a conservation program for the bees sir?’

‘Yes, you could start by building one for the Earth. We could maybe tanker the honey straight out of the ship if it is designed properly. If it is a success then we could build one for the Emperor, seed a new ship. Until we reach that stage we could fill tankers and ship them here to the Emperor. We could start a whole new conservation project. Rescue different species, harvest some of the more aggressive ones.’

‘Aggressive insects?’ The Emperor inquired curiously.

‘Oh yes!’ The King exclaimed. ‘They can be devilishly aggressive, especially when you harvest the honey. Some species are more aggressive than others. I have been stung a number of times. It is highly unpleasant.’

‘What do you mean by stung?’

‘Bees have a defensive mechanism called a stinger. They can inject poison into an attacker. It feels like fire flowing through your veins. Very painful and unpleasant.’

‘Can it kill you?’

‘If you are allergic, a bee sting can be fatal. Otherwise you have to be stung many times before it will kill you. I have always thought that beekeepers are a special breed of men.’

‘Beekeepers!’

The King hesitated. ‘Yes... People who dedicate their lives to bees and the collection of honey.’

‘Maybe you should find me a documentary on them.’

‘That would probably save a lot of time. In the meantime it is up to Captain Gordon.’

Steven nodded. ‘We have been talking about bio domes for crops like potatoes, carrots and that sort of thing. The effort, however, outweighs the necessity at the moment. We can supply our forces quite adequately from Earth. The freighters can carry perishables in a vacuum, we can also store them that way until required. Bio domes are only really economical if you have them around a sun.’

‘Yes Captain, but the point I have been trying to make is that you will need bio domes to produce enough food to supply your customers on this side of the barrier. You may well be able to cope to begin with, but a few months of increasing demand could tax your own planet’s resources. You are used to thinking about supply and demand in regards to only your home world. If your food takes off in the manner I believe it will, you may well be supplying dozens of planets. I am quite happy to allow bio domes from Earth to use our sun – especially if you supply us with what I have asked for. Of course, they would have to be placed in orbit on the other side of the sun from us. You could build your own planetoid if you wished. It would be mutually beneficial for both our races.’

Steven considered the argument for a moment. ‘I can see where you are coming from sir. However, at this moment in time my resources are under extreme pressure building up Earth’s defences. They have to take priority before anything else. However, I will see what I can do to bring the process forward.’

‘I would ask no more, Captain.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Back to business gentlemen. I have informed you of your bid’s success, as well as of your new duties and responsibilities. As your sponsor I have carried out my responsibilities under galactic law. Good luck.’ He passed a tablet over. ‘Please sign the bottom of the page. Each next to your names.’

They complied, passing a wafer thin stylus from man to man. The President noticed that their electronic signatures were as bad as the Modloch Emperor’s attempts at writing.

The meeting was over; the guards opened the door for them. The King stopped for a moment to have a private chat.

‘Have you set a day for leaving yet?’ The Emperor asked.

‘No, but now our bid has been a success, it’s probably a matter of days.’

‘Could you spare a weekend?’

‘I think so. The doctors don’t think that being in your part of the galaxy will make any difference to the child, and we should make it back home a month at least before she gives birth.’

‘Are you keen to get home?’

‘Yes and no. I just wish that you could experience Earth for yourself. This has been an adventure of a lifetime for me.’

‘A whisper in the wind tells me that it is a son.’

‘That’s just exactly what they are telling me.’

‘Congratulations. You know you should enrol him in the galactic schools here. I think he would do well.’

‘I have looked into it. He would be half the size of the others and our children do not have the same mental abilities as yours do. I fear he would be left lagging far behind.’

‘A shame. Still, join me on the royal yacht this weekend. I have a family weekend planned.’

‘I would love to.’

CHAPTER 39

When Steven arrived back aboard Babes it was to find the ship a hive of activity. He was asked to join his command staff in the stellar cartography room. He was surprised by what he found.

Hailey was plotting vectors from an unknown region of space; all the lines led straight to Earth.

‘What the hell is going on?’

Everyone stopped for a moment. Colonel Howe spoke up. ‘Glad you’re back sir. We have a big problem. The Albany are planning to attack Earth again.’

‘I thought they didn’t have a fleet capable of it.’

‘It isn’t a fleet sir. They are going to attack us using asteroids.’

Steven shook his head in disbelief, ‘How did we find this out? I haven’t heard anything!’

‘You will have to speak to Charlie. He is with the doctor, they are doing something with his brain.’

He found Amanda Freeling pacing outside her lab. ‘What is happening?’

She threw a delicate hand into the air. ‘I have no idea what that pair are up to. They threw me out.’

‘Who.’

‘Charlie and Babes. You have to go straight in.’

He found Charlie reclining in a chair with a strange helmet completely covering his face. It looked like he was unconscious. ‘What’s going on Babes?’

‘I am sorry my heart, I have been really busy. Charlie believes the easiest way to explain is to show you. Please sit on the chair beside him and place the helmet on your head. I am going to create a direct neural link between your minds. You will be able to visualize his memories. You will see what he saw, hear what he was thinking and, most importantly, hear what he was hearing.’

‘Is this safe?’

‘Perfectly.’

Steven sat down and placed the helmet on his head. He was immediately plunged into darkness. He began to feel panicky as he lost sensation of his body.

‘Stevie, is that you?’ It was Charlie’s voice.

‘Aye, where the hell are you?’

‘Give it a moment Stevie. Babes is going to pull you in.’

Steven blinked and found himself once more sitting in the med lab, yet it felt different. Charlie was sitting next to him, only now they didn’t have helmets on.

‘What’s going on, where the hell am I?’

‘Beats the shit out of me, Babes did explain it like, but it went straight over my head.’

‘Babes?’

‘Please remain calm and seated while I finish calibration my heart.’

‘Relax man, this is so cool.’

‘OK Charlie, you may proceeded.’

‘What you are going to see and hear are my memories. Babes is helping me retrieve them so we have a more accurate picture of what happened, what I overheard. You can view it on a screen or she can play them back in your mind like you are actually me.’

‘Wow! No... on a screen please.’

The whole wall in front of him changed. They were seeing things from Charlie’s perspective. Charlie’s eyes flipped back and forth. Then a voice could be heard. ‘This is a pain in the fucking arse.’

‘That’s me thinking Stevie, sorry about the language man.’

‘I can’t really kick your arse for thinking it, can I?’

‘How much longer Charlie? That’s an hour already.’ It was Kelly’s voice.

Charlie swivelled his head to look at him. ‘Beats me Jeb. Looks to me like we are being put in our place.’

‘Sure does.’

Charlie closed his eyes. ‘I wonder if I can hear this clown, see how much longer he is going to piss us around for.’ Steven noticed immediately that Charlie’s voice sounded different in his head to what it did in real life. He suddenly found himself fascinated.

A woman’s voice sounded from the speakers. ‘Oh, please, please hurry, these animals are stinking up my office.’

‘That’s the secretary.’ Charlie added vocally.

There was a loud buzzing and Charlie focused on a voice. ‘This means we are going to move the plans forward. Who knew so many would vote for the Humans. The Albany are not going to be pleased.’

Charlie’s eyes opened and locked on to a group of aliens walking down the corridor.

‘I wonder how many engines they have now? If I know Darrick, he will have everything in place to help them. We probably have as little as two months to finish the Humans off. That is barely enough time. They will have to launch within the next few weeks.’

‘What are those two doing there?’ There was a slight pause. ‘They are unarmed.’ There was a few moment’s silence. ‘Such a small race. It is hard to believe they beat the Albany.’

They passed by and Charlie got up to follow after a few words with Kelly.

The voice came back as Charlie followed the two. ‘I wonder what would happen if I refused the Albany, kept my mouth shut and backed the Humans. No, Darrick was right. Vison is a prick. He has probably already sent word. If I don’t they will probably turn on us. What other allies do we have? None that would or could help. I wonder how many asteroids they have towed out to the barrier now. What a shame all those wonderful creatures will die. That elephant was magnificent. I wonder how long it will live for. My people would have loved to have seen it. The Humans won’t know what’s hit them. Even if their forces catch one or two, even if they catch a hundred, there is bound to be one that gets through. That’s all it will take.’

Steven was not only hearing what the noble was thinking but also catching glimpses of pictures. The news filled him with dread, but he was also hooked. They came to the lift and Steven almost cried out when Charlie bent the weapons in two. He was even more impressed when they shared the same lift.

‘So now I know how they beat the Albany. This one is as dangerous as those giant cats were last night. What physical strength. Oh please stop trying to straighten that weapon, it’s embarrassing. Yet the Human isn’t gloating and he is getting the transport to stop at our destination first. How strange these creatures are. Fascinating.’

‘Don’t even try it son; there simply isn’t enough of you, and if those pair you are guarding are important, then you are going to find yourself in so much shit you will drown in it.’’ Charlie was eyeballing one of the guards whose violent thoughts were encroaching on Charlie’s eavesdropping.

‘“Leave the Human alone.” Yes, leave the Human alone. Soon all of his people will be dead. His mother and father, sisters, brothers, siblings, wife and children. Once their planet is gone they will have nothing left to bargain with and the universe will quickly eradicate them.

‘I wonder if he has a daughter. He looks like a mature male.’ There was a strange sigh. ‘Who am I going to marry Welina to? It’s hard to believe she came into season already. Where did my little girl go? Ardriod is the obvious choice, but Welina doesn’t like him at all. I have seen the snide little shit leer at her. It is obvious his only feelings are lust and power. Who else?’

Charlie’s mind shifted from his to the others he could hear in the lift.

‘Just try it Human.’

‘Please don’t let him attack.’

‘How did he do that? I have been shamed in front of my master. Will I be thrown off the Royal Guard? I will lose everything.’

‘Will thirty six engines be enough? They wanted a hundred and were going to launch them in waves of fifty at a time. Just one will pulverize the planet. They are not going to be happy. I thought it would be years before the Humans gained enough support for a bid. It isn’t our fault. Even the Albany weren’t in a hurry. They will be now. If we hit the planet after they have signed and accepted the galactic laws, we will all be in big trouble. It will take years for the planet to settle, but we have the technology to hurry it along a bit. I can’t believe they are giving us the northern hemisphere. Was Darrick lying? Is it too cold to grow blue grass? Now I know I can renegotiate. The Albany are as crooked as they come. Damn them. I’d love to see them getting chased by those big cats.’

The pod pulled into the space port and they got out without a backward glance. The connection was suddenly broken. Steven pulled the helmet off his head, blinking. He found Charlie sitting looking at him.

‘Wow Charlie, that was surreal. What is this?’

‘It’s a Modloch interrogation device.’

‘Where did you get it?’

‘From a buddy. Babes and I have been playing with it for a while now to try and understand my condition better.’

‘What did you tell the others?’

‘I told them I had overheard a conversation with my fancy new ears. It has been kinda hard to explain. Never mind, they bought it anyway. I thought you might like to see it from this perspective though.’

‘That was awesome. A bit freaky, but awesome.’

‘It is your baby now though.’

‘First we have to find out exactly what we are dealing with.’

‘You haven’t got time to find out Stevie. You need to start moving your chess pieces now.’

‘Don’t worry Charlie, I am aware of that. Don’t take that literally.’

‘Sorry Stevie.’

Stevie got up and Charlie followed. ‘I’m going to talk to Colonel Howe first, then get in touch with Admiral Baxter. I’ll need to recall the crew from wherever they are. Could you do that for me Charlie?’

‘No problems Stevie.’

‘I just got in touch with Komoru, she’s on her way.’

‘The ball is rolling.’

Amanda scowled at them as she regained possession of her own consultation room.

‘Do you know what surprised me the most Charlie?’

‘No, go for it.’

‘It’s how much you swear inside your own mind.’

‘Really?’

CHAPTER 40

Commanders John Logan and Alfie Lloyd sat at their ease in the officers’ lounge. The tedium of the journey was beginning to fray their nerves. For the first week they had caught each other up on the news from home and then fallen into a strange funk. For days they wallowed in their own thoughts. From there they began to talk shop and criticise various alien fighter manuals.

Alfie tossed down the magazine he was reading. John looked up from his kindle. ‘Don’t say it again, I’ll scream.’

‘Oh man, why don’t they shove us in one of those cryo units they got from the Black Planet and let us sleep until we get there.’

‘Stop whining for God’s sake! We are on the fastest transport ship they have.’

‘It’s got to be more fun on the home fleet. We have been sitting round Modloch for the better part of a year. A few patrols, the occasional exercise with the Modloch fleet. At least at home they do real patrolling, and you can go home at night.’

‘Only if your based on world.’

The tannoy blared. ‘Commanders Logan and Lloyd report to the bridge please.’

They passed a look. ‘Sounds interesting.’ Alfie offered.

‘Maybe they got sick of your whining and are going to toss you out an air lock.’

‘Yeah whatever man. Let’s just go see.’

When they reached the bridge they were shown into the tactical briefing room just off it. It wasn’t big, but this was a transport ship and not a fighting vessel.

The Captain was waiting. ‘Gentlemen, take a seat please.’ They obeyed. ‘Your orders have been cancelled. We are changing course to meet the Earth Defence Force Battle Ship the Sir William Wallace. The William Wallace is a training ship. However, the whole of the home battle fleet has been put on high alert. We are expecting an imminent attack by hostile forces. I have no other details. All I know is that you two are to be transferred, where you will both take command of a training wing. Go grab your gear. We will dock briefly and you will cross deck.’

Just over two hours later, they were both waiting by the airlock. They felt the shudder as the ships docked and within a minute the crewman was opening the airlock. They stepped aboard into a whole new world. The air was fresh and clean. Everything shone as though it was straight out of the factory. The crewman at the airlock was as smart as a new pin and saluted.

‘If you would like to follow me gentlemen, please.’

With a glance at each other they followed the young crewman. The door had a name plate, Captain J Wilson. What they didn’t expect was the electrifying red haired beauty behind the desk. Both men felt as though they had been punched. She stood and offered her hand.

‘Welcome to the Sir William Wallace gentlemen.’ Still a little stunned they shook her hand. ‘Take a seat please.’ Her body was full figured, her voice feminine. ‘I have to say I am tickled pink to have a couple of real astronauts on board.’

Logan couldn’t help but smile. ‘It is a pleasure ma’am. A bit puzzling, but a pleasure all the same. How can we be of service?’

‘We still aren’t sure of all the details yet. What we do know is this: the Albany are planning to fire asteroids at Earth, causing an extinction level event. They are going to be powered to faster than light speed by a pair of engines that they can retrieve once the asteroid is at the required velocity. We don’t know how many asteroids they are going to launch but we do know there are thirty-six engines completed. That means they can fire eighteen asteroids at us simultaneously.’

‘How the hell are we going to catch asteroids going faster than the speed of light?’ Alfie blurted out.

The Captain took a deep breath. ‘I was hoping you would tell me. The William Wallace is a basic training vessel. We teach troopers to fight in space and pilots to fly. We teach navigators to navigate and officers to command. We were involved in the battles with the Albany and the core crew, including myself, are experienced veterans. We could, if necessary, fight with the ship.

‘At this point we have enough qualified pilots and pilots that have soloed to make up two squadrons. Our training team will make up a third squadron, commanded by my own man. You two will take command of the other squadrons.

‘When our recruits leave here they go on to advanced training groups. Our recruits are mainly from Scotland and the rest of the British isles. However, we also get many from Canada and Australia along with the commonwealth countries. We don’t know how much time we have to prepare. I would appreciate it if you could begin training with your squadron this afternoon. Just take them out, evaluate them. Think tactics. Meet our training team. Settle in. You will be here for the duration of the emergency.’

She looked them up and down, ‘I can see your uniforms are well worn in. I don’t care about your flight gear, but I insist that you visit the quartermasters today at some point and draw a new uniform. The standards of smartness are the same for any training unit. I expect such seasoned officers to appreciate that and act accordingly.

‘I will update the senior staff every morning at nine sharp, and will call an impromptu meeting if anything new or valid comes in. Now, Ensign Shewan is waiting to show you to your quarters.’

CHAPTER 41

A single star shone brightly at the end of the long dark tunnel. A familiar trembling could be felt through the Star fighter’s controls. The display in front of him lit up with a strange rose hue. His eyes flicked over them. He pressed himself back against the head rest and activated the launch sequence. The star fighter snapped out into the deep black of space. He throttled back and waited. His radar screen activated and small dots began to form up on him one at a time.

He took a moment to look around. The beauty of it all was breath taking. They were much closer to the milky way, in fact it now had definition. Strange colours glowed in its deepest depths. There was a familiar bleep in his ears as the last ship joined the formation. He scanned his radar. With a stylus he marked three fighters that were out of formation and sent an automated signal. On board the wayward fighters the students were being told by a metallic voice to pay more heed and get back into formation. He watched as they struggled with the task and took note of the fighter’s designations.

His stylus danced over the screen. He chose to do a twenty degrees turn to port and sent the signal. Once all of the students had confirmed he tapped the execute and his ship turned automatically on to the new heading. Behind him the students’ ships followed their leader automatically.

Throughout the flight he keep feeding the students instructions. His biggest problem was keeping them in formation. At the end of the hour, he plotted the course back to the base ship and sent an automated signal. It was received and landing instructions were sent directly to his computer. He confirmed all instructions were uploaded to his squadron and led them home. During the whole flight not a single word had been spoken.

The lights of the landing bay were bright by comparison and he had to shield his eyes until they adjusted properly. He downloaded data on the flight to his tablet and undocked it from the fighter.

‘How did it go sir?’ Asked a member of his ground crew.

‘It wasn’t great, but better than I had hoped for.’

The two squadrons met in the debriefing room. They had to wait until the two new squadron leaders collated their information in a small room next door. When they came out the noise levels dropped to a strained silence. They also found the Captain leaning against the wall at the back of the room.

The two sat down together. Logan started. ‘We have already been introduced so I will just begin the debriefing. I am aware that, up until now, none of you have executed a tactical launch before. You are more used to your flight instructors screaming in your ears. It is a bit disorientating and you may even feel a little lonely. I don’t care – suck it up. We are now tactical. Radio chatter will give away your position to the enemy, and they are out there. If we run head first into an Albany warship, and you have been talking on your radios, I can guarantee that you will die. As will the whole squadron. We would run straight into an Albany broadside. Commander Lloyd...’

Alfie stood up and began drawing on a whiteboard. ‘When we attack an enemy ship, we do so as a single formation. The aim is to put pressure on the enemies shields and try to overload them, so the main guns from our base ships can penetrate them. Our combat jumps will be coordinated by our base ships, with every squadron from the ship attacking simultaneously. We will deploy decoy squadrons. Instead of half a dozen squadrons – or in this case, three – the enemy will have two dozen squadrons to target. They will not be able to tell the decoys from the real squadrons, unless of course someone speaks on a radio. Your commander may not have the time to cancel the attack. It is immaterial anyway. Once the enemy have your position plotted they can simply follow you around until you do attack. You would have to jump to a point outside the enemy detection range and be redeployed with the following wave. We were both delighted by the fact that everyone managed to follow the orders we sent without using their radios. Commander Logan...’

Logan stood up and began drawing. ‘The system we are using is directional ship to ship communication. I can type a message or select one. A selected message is a simple binary code of a few digits. Your ship will pick it up and relay the selected message. Typed messages, of course, would be longer, which means there is more chance of the transmission being picked up. Don’t make me do that. Orders from our base ship are transmitted to me the same way, as are all major transmissions during a battle. During a major engagement our base ships can, and will, take control of our ships and their firepower. Why do they need pilots then? Because it doesn’t always work out as planned. Shit happens in combat, ladies and gentlemen, that require input from a pilot.’

The had a small chuckle at that.

‘Our major problem today was formation flying. You have to get it right. If your nose is one degree off when we perform a manoeuvre you could end up thousands of miles away. You do not want to become lost in space. If you are in the middle of a formation and flying on the wrong vector, you could just as easily end up colliding with a fighter turning on a correct vector behind you.’ He demonstrated on the white board. ‘It is also another way the enemy can tell the difference between us and a decoy squadron. I know those that fell short today have just completed their first solo flights and have had no training in formation flying. Get into the simulators and stay at it until you can do it blind folded. You will not get a second chance. If anyone is not up to par on the next flight they will be dropped from the roster.’

He sat down again. ‘We have no idea what we are going to be facing out there. The worst scenario is we meet a fleet or a battle group. There is no best scenario. Neither do we know if we will be crossing the barrier or how long we are going to be going at it. Right now your instructors will be flying CAP patrols. It will be their job to keep all of us safe while we give you an advanced crash course on fighting tactics. As we will be traveling at speed to our patrol area, most of the training will be done in the simulators. However, the Captain has promised that we will stop for an hour every day to practice what you have been learning.’ He nodded to the Captain, who came off her perch and walked down in front of the two men.

She looked over the young faces. ‘We are privileged to have Commanders Logan and Lloyd with us. If you don’t know who they are then you probably shouldn’t be here.’ They all laughed at that. As astronauts and heroes, they were well known to every pilot on the planet.

‘You have an opportunity to learn from the best. It is a very rare opportunity. I sincerely hope you will all make the best of it. To keep you up to date, we are to help patrol an area of the great barrier ten thousand square miles across. We have assets in the area trying to pinpoint the enemy, but intelligence at this time is sketchy. We do know it is an asteroid attack against the planet Earth. We know there are three races involved: the Albany and two of their closest neighbours. They are going to launch asteroids at Earth that will travel faster than the speed of light. Where they are going to launch them from, or the makeup of the forces involved, we simply do not know. We don’t know if we are going to cross the barrier or try to stop the attack from this side. What we do know is that they only have a short window of opportunity to make the attack.

‘We know the Albany have ships that can reach the Earth in just a few short weeks. Their next fastest ships would take about seven to eight weeks, and after that months of travel. Only the first two options are open to our enemy. In about seven weeks time our bid to become a member of the galactic community will be passed by the great council. However, it will not be ratified until Earth changes its laws to reflect that of the galactic federation; our representatives have to read and sign all the paper work. We will have to appeal one or two of the laws, or so I am led to believe. So our enemy probably have a window of two to three months to hit us with everything they have. If they hit our planet after the treaty has been ratified by the council then it will have severe consequences for the three parties involved. From what little intelligence we have been able to gather, each asteroid has the potential to cause an extinction level event on Earth. That’s just one. We think they may well be throwing hundreds of them at us.’

She paused for effect and to let the news sink in. ‘Just one reaching Earth will kill everything and everyone we know and love. If two reach Earth then the planet will most likely shattered into pieces. Do you all understand the gravity of the situation?’

There was a few mumbled agreements. She held a hand to her ear. ‘I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you.’

‘Yes Ma’am.’ They roared back.

‘Good.’ She looked round the room then glanced at Logan and Lloyd. ‘I will leave you to it, gentlemen.’

CHAPTER 42

Steven had never quite seen anything like it. The asteroid field was huge. Everyone sat at their posts. Tension was high; it was so quiet Steven could feel his heart beat. The ships were completely invisible, even to each other. Every member of the crew looked straight out through the hull at the mass of asteroids.

‘Hailey avoid that patch of dust. We could be seen moving through it.’

Despite the fact that he had kept his voice low she was still startled and almost jumped a foot in the air.

‘Yes Captain.’

No one laughed. The ship lifted up and over a large dust cloud, then settled back on the same bearing. It was a slick manoeuvre considering she couldn’t see the console at her finger tips.

‘Well done Hailey, very neatly done.’

Her answer was a half-smile.

It was like floating through the asteroid field in a bubble of air, Mya thought. She sat leaning against Cookie. It felt good to be back on board again. Here life was more simple, but she had felt the tension within the crew rise to a strange height over the past few days. It had reminded her of the time the Japanese used to visit her village; it was the same sort of tension and it had unsettled her a bit. Cookie’s arm around her waist was a great comfort.

She felt she was getting a crick in her neck and sat up. Rotating her head she began to work the crick loose. As she worked her head backwards she caught a glimpse of something.

‘There Cookie!’

‘Uh! Where?’

‘Up there.’ Mya pointed. ‘No, it’s gone.’

‘What did you see?’

‘I don’t know, it looked square.’

Cookie concentrated. ‘Captain, Mya saw something above us, something square.’

The ship came to a stop and began to move backwards. Now they were both looking. Mya saw it first again. ‘There.’

Cookie saw it. ‘Right above our heads Captain.’

‘I can see it. Well done Mya.’

The ship rotated until they were looking at it head on. Mya had a big grin on her face and nudged Cookie. He burst out laughing and gave her a hug.

As they drew closer, more of the object became apparent. Steven was keeping his fingers crossed. It had taken him a while to work out the best possible places to pick asteroids from., calculating their distance from the barrier and the distance from that point to Earth. Still, the area he identified had been huge and days of searching had been futile. Komoru was miles away searching in a grid pattern along the edge of the field just like Steven was.

The large, square metallic object became clearer as they approached. It was one of the blades that Mya had seen. The object moved slowly out of the asteroid field. Steven thought it looked like a giant forklift. The asteroid came next on the blades, and then the body of the ship. It negotiated its way round the last few asteroids and began to accelerate.

‘Babes, are you familiar with that type of ship?’

‘I believe I have schematics.’

‘Do you have its top speed?’

‘Sub light. Heavy shields my heart. They do not extend over the asteroid. The asteroid is fixed by the use of heavy cables and, during deceleration, the tines of those forks you see bend upwards to help hold it in place. It will take most of the day to accelerate slowly to maximum speed and a day and a half to decelerate. From here it will take almost two weeks to reach the barrier at top speed.’

‘I imagine its destination will fall somewhere short of that. Plot its course and jump us ahead half a day at a time please.’

‘That is dangerous my heart. Half a day is too much. I suggest an hour only.’

‘That will take us forever!’

‘You have us running silent, no scanners. On a parallel course we will hit something.’

Steven sighed. ‘OK Babes. Pilot, Hailey, I am giving control over to the ship. Listen in everyone. Control is now forwarded to the ship. We will be making jumps of an hour distance. Many rapid ones. It will be disorientating. I suggest you lie down wherever you are and close your eyes.’

He kicked his seat back and closed his eyes. Beside him Buzz followed suit. ‘That’s a hellava chunk of rock they are planning to throw at Earth.’

‘It frightens the hell out of me.’ Steven agreed.

It would take the asteroid-towing ship a week to reach the base that was preparing to attack Earth, which was situated midway between the asteroid field and the great barrier.

‘It is a modified mining platform.’ Babes informed the crew. Steven could only shake his head in wonder. None of them had ever seen such a thing. It was almost a hundred square miles large. An asteroid was being placed onto the platform, while another was just being taken away. Ships both small and large moved around the area.

An Albany battle cruiser lifted off from the platform, the giant rock only taking up about half of it. Another battle cruiser of an unusual design took its place.

‘How much do you want to bet there is a bar on that station?’ Buzz ventured.

Steven nodded. ‘Makes sense they would have somewhere for rest and recuperation.’

A line of destroyers swept in and around the battleship and they accelerated away. Steven had seen enough for now. ‘Let’s get to the rendezvous position; we are way off course here. If we miss Komoru it will take us a whole day to catch up with her.’

They moved slowly and carefully away.

‘Sid, what was the comms traffic like?’ Steven asked Sid Tulane once they were safely out of the area.

‘Quiet as a church mouse Captain. They are obviously using direct line of sight communications. There was only the occasional ping from a craft that is out of sight.’

‘Do you think you could plot those pings?’

‘If you give me Hailey, I’m sure I could.’

‘We rendezvous with Komoru in four hours. Have the data ready by then. Hailey, go with Sid please.’

‘Yes Captain.’

Sid and Hailey walked into the stellar cartography room almost side by side.

Hailey took a deep breath. ‘What do you need?’

‘I need the area between the base and the barrier. Babes, can you give me the times we received the pings, the direction of them and intervals between them, and then plot them please?’

‘Sid, why do you call them pings?’

He shrugged, ‘Don’t know what else to call them, Hailey, and they sound a little like the old asdic sonar pings. You must have seen a movie or two when you were a kid. You know that navy, submarines, ping?’

She laughed. ‘Yeah, my father was a navy man. He used to watch all those old black and white movies.’

‘He must be very proud of you.’

‘So proud its almost embarrassing at times. What about yours?’

‘He died in Afghanistan when I was a kid.’

‘Oh... I’m sorry to hear that.’

Sid looked away. ‘It was a long time ago Hailey. I still miss him. I wish he could see all this. He was the reason I joined up.’

‘Did you join up so you could get revenge?’

Sid burst out laughing. ‘Oh hell no. It was to walk a mile in his boots. You know, see the things he did, experience the same things.’

‘To try and feel closer to him.’ Hailey mused.

‘Yeah I suppose so.’

‘Was he special forces too?’

‘Nah. I joined when a friend of mine did, we thought it was a great idea. He dropped out after a few weeks but by then I was hooked. I think I’ve only seen him once since. Last I heard from him, he had left the army and now works in a garage. Whole passel of kids. I’m kinda glad I stuck it out. I mean this is some adventure isn’t it.’

Hailey smiled brightly. ‘It certainly is.’

By the time Steven caught up with them, they had a number of lines plotted.

‘How’s it going Sid?’

‘We have plotted everything we have sir.’

Steven studied the chart. ‘Explain all this please.’

Sid pointed to the first group. ‘A ship sends out a signal to another ship. If they don’t know where it is they send out a ping. That ping will hold certain information, such as the unique identifier of the ship they are trying to contact, as well as their own identification, speed and direction. Only the ship that its intended for will be able to decipher the ping. It will send a ping back at the location the ship should be at. It sometimes takes two or three pings for both ships to be able to lock onto each other. Once they do then communication is line of sight only and no one else can listen in to their transmissions. It only takes a few seconds but ships can travel quite a distance in that few seconds. That gives us a chance to plot the direction that the ships are traveling in.’ Sid waved a hand and half the lines disappeared. All that was left was a number of parallel lines. ‘As you can see here, on this plot we get a bearing between the two ships. These two were running parallel to each other.’ He flicked his hand and the next plot came up. The lines spread out like a fan but crossed at a point near the second ship. ‘On this plot the ship nearest us is traveling towards the barrier while the far away ship is traveling along the barrier from left to right. What these plots don’t give us is the distance away they are. It isn’t until the ships patrolling along the great barrier contact other ships from other directions that you get a crossover. As you can see from this third plot, the first ship contacted another ship off to its right.’

‘I see it.’ Steven nodded. ‘The first ship is patrolling left to right and there is a point where it contacted the third ship. It must have been at the far left of its patrol route. I presume where the lines from the other two ships cross is the distance they are away.’

‘Exactly sir.’

‘It is still only three points of reference.’

‘No sir.’ Sid turned the display and Steven could see that the ships were all at different latitudes to each other. Sid also filled in every other contact.

Steven could see all the other lines converging. ‘That is damn good work. Sid, Hailey, well done. Would I be wrong in saying that there are three different areas of activity?’

‘No you wouldn’t sir. May I ask what we are going to do now?’

‘Of course you can. We are going to reconnoitre these areas, find out what the hell is going on and then report back to the fleet. From there we will take orders.’

CHAPTER 43

The base was a hive of activity. Ico sat high above, recording it all. The colossal asteroids were towed to the old mining base and two large parallel holes were drilled into their mass. From there they were towed to a staging area. At the staging area they were collected by military vessels and towed to their launch points.

At the first launch site, Steven and the crew watched as a large platform moved silently down the line of asteroids. He got up and made his way to his private room. Charlie was on the floor with his eyes closed and Steven lay down beside him.

‘Have they fired any yet Charlie?’

Charlie opened his eyes. ‘No, the Chief Engineer down there is stressed out to hell. They were supposed to launch a massive attack about a year from now. Their whole timetable revolved round it. That platform we are looking at is only three quarters built. They rushed the last part of its construction and now they are having problems. He has already had a couple of blow outs with two lives lost. They are just practicing loading the fuel and engines.’

‘A dry run?’

‘Aye. The engines are going to start arriving in about a week. They have thirty-seven now, with a promise of another three to be completed soon. He thinks they want to wait until they have all forty engines ready to go before they fire them. They only have twenty asteroids here now, they moved the excess to the other sites. That means that two sites now have the correct number of asteroids; the third site requires another twelve.’

‘How are the engines are going to arrive?’

‘By some kind of transport freighter that can carry four of them at time. This is the only platform that is designed to load the fuel and the engines.’

‘So if we destroy this platform then they are stuffed?’

Charlie shook his head. ‘Not necessarily. He has been contemplating using normal tugs to do the job. His commander wants to split the engines between two sites. It would take much longer, but it obviously can be done. The engineer would rather fire all twenty and move on to the next launch site while waiting for the engines to return. The fuel is arriving tonight. It is inert so we can’t blow that up.’

‘Yeah I know that Charlie.’ Stevie was silent for a while. ‘What’s he thinking now?’

‘He is wondering if he is going to miss the mating season; he thinks he is and is furious.’

‘Yuk.’

‘Don’t ask then.’

Steven laughed. ‘Do you understand how this platform works?’

‘Pretty much. That flat area over there is where they are going to put the fuel cells. They will be loaded like depth charges used to be. Colossal drums. They will roll forward and a ram will push them into the hole two at a time. Then the engine will be pushed in with that funny shaped ram down there. Once the engine is in they will activate it. The engine will anchor itself inside the hole. A big spike will come out of the nose of the engine and pierce both fuel cells.

‘Once both engines are in they can upload a launch sequence. If everything works, then the engines will engage and propel the asteroid towards Earth. The engines won’t create some kind of field. The word doesn’t translate in my head, I can’t pronounce it anyway. It will take a few days to gather speed. Once it reaches faster than light speed the engines will cut off. They will un-anchor themselves and those big fuel spikes will extend to their full lengths and push the engines out of their hole. Once they are clear of the asteroid, they will brake to slower than light speed and turn. They will then have enough internal fuel to return to their next launch point. Only this time they can accelerate quickly. Return time will be a fraction of the outward journey. I don’t really understand all the ins and out Stevie. Hopefully you can fill in the blanks yourself.’

Steven was nodding more to himself than Charlie. ‘I get it Charlie, don’t worry.’

‘Wish I bloody did! Wish I knew more. A couple of shitty O grades and a lifetime of army service doesn’t exactly qualify you for this kind of work.’

Stevie looked at his friend in a thoughtful manner. ‘You are more intelligent than you think, Charlie. In fact, you are well above the norm or Babes wouldn’t have given you an implant.’

‘But I have looked at some of the stuff you do. I wouldn’t even know where to start with it. I found it hard to grasp algebra at school, failed maths miserably, scraped by in English. I was OK at woodwork and history, but that was about it.’

‘So what are you good at Charlie?’

‘I would have said I was a bloody good soldier. Not the best, but a good all-rounder.’

Steven frowned. ‘What do you mean by “would have said”?’

‘I’m not me any more. I’m more cyborg than Human. What took a lot of effort before now takes no effort at all – from a physical point of view that is. I run about that assault course all day making young men look stupid and inept. It makes them push themselves to the point of collapse.’

‘Does it make them better soldiers?’

‘It makes them fitter, that’s all.’

‘Aye, but that’s important for a soldier isn’t it?’

‘It is if you are in the infantry. Not all soldiers fight. We had some Modloch in a few weeks ago and ran them ragged.’ Charlie laughed. ‘It was good fun. When this all went down we were about to be bollocked by one of their officials on what a Modloch soldier should and shouldn’t be asked to do on a physical level.’

‘Sounds like you and Kelly were having fun. You don’t like doing this, do you?’

‘Makes me feel like a spook, and you know how I feel about them.’

‘I’m sorry.’

Charlie shrugged. ‘We are getting good intel though. As much as I detest the intelligence community, they do serve a purpose.’

‘Aye, but those assets just aren’t in place yet.’

‘Exactly. So until they are, I’m just going to have to face my demons.’

‘How are you getting on with the Modloch Emperor?’

‘You heard about that?’

‘There is very little goes past me Charlie, you should know that.’

Charlie smiled. ‘I get on really well with him. He is a complete bastard, but I work well with bastards.’

Steven laughed. ‘He is a piece of work. He has done a lot for us though.’

‘Aye that may be, and I can tell you that he is totally onside now.’

‘You mean he wasn’t always!’

‘Oh hell no! He actually likes us now. Finds it hard to compare us to meat-eaters.’

‘They are big on that.’ Sighed Steven.

‘Keep him sweet Stevie.’

‘He is a pain in my arse.’

‘Why?’

‘Wants me to build him a shit load of bio domes so he can harvest honey and stuff.’

‘Honey! But there’s no bees here... oh right, is it about them damn biscuits he is obsessed with?’

Steven sighed again. ‘That’s the one.’

‘OK, I’m getting there. What the hell is a bio-dome?’

‘Remember the one we built to house the Albany prisoners after the last battle?’

Charlie’s head came up. ‘Aye, like a complete living environment – grass, water, the lot.’

‘Aye, except he wants walnut trees, bees and much, much, more.’

‘So what’s the major problem?’

‘Getting them to the Modloch planet. They have to be towed, and it could take centuries.’

‘Why?’

‘We can’t tow at faster than light speed. It’s complicated physics.’

Charlie made a face, ‘You mean I wouldn’t understand?’

‘Not a chance.’

An amused smile played around Charlie’s lips. ‘So, basically the problem you have is moving a huge chunk of rock at faster than light speed across our solar system, through the barrier to the Modloch system.’

‘Aye.’ Steven’s head sank onto his arms.

‘Forgive me for stating the obvious here Stevie, but would you mean bloody great chunks of rock like those asteroids out there?’

Steven frowned. ‘A good bit bigger. Wait, what do you mean?’

A look of friendly contempt crossed Charlie’s face. ‘For God’s sake Stevie, this lot are just waiting for a shit load of engines that can propel a sodding great lump of rock across the galaxy at faster than light speeds. Nick them you chump!’

Steven was bewildered for a few more moments. ‘Nick them? You mean steal them?’

‘Aye. They are coming in on a bloody great convoy of freighters. Hijack the buggers. Two problems solved. They can’t toss those bloody great asteroids at us and you can deliver your bio things.’

Steven suddenly sat up. ‘Oh Charlie, you are a bloody genius! Did anyone ever tell you that?’

‘Oh aye man, all the time.’

The two burst out laughing.

CHAPTER 44

Admiral Baxter’s head thumped from reading too much. Steven Gordon had given him a cracker of a problem. Eventually he called Steven in.

‘According to what I can find out, we can legally take action against a proposed threat to our home world. We would be well within our rights to impound the cargo. However, we would really need proof before we commenced. The good thing is that, because we aren’t a part of the federation yet, we don’t need to submit that evidence to the powers that be before we take that action. We can always do that later. The problems will come after. If we kill a lot of people other than the Albany then we could well lose support for our bid. As we are still legally at war with the Albany though we can kill as many of them as we wish.

‘There are four enemy battle groups. Two of them are Albany. One Albany battle group is on its own, protecting their asteroids and launch point on the far left as we look at it. The other Albany battle group protects the platform that is drilling the holes in the asteroids.

‘Do you know if it is Albany that are manning the mining platform Captain?’

‘No it isn’t sir. I believe it is a mixture of races.’

‘That means we can’t just blow it up. We need hard evidence as well. Where do you think the best place to get it is?’

‘I believe the best place for that will be with that first Albany battle group, the one protecting the launch point that is inserting fuel and engines. If we are lucky they may well have the launch codes, the coordinates of the target and return coordinates of the engines.’

Baxter nodded unconsciously. ‘That makes sense. We really need those launch codes. With those we can justify everything. I think it might also be wise to assault the Albany war ships with troops, just in case they are on one of those.’

Steven thought the Admiral’s suggestion over. ‘If we assault the ships sir, they will have the opportunity to delete the data. If we destroy the ships and extract their memory cores then we can hack them to find the information we need.’

‘We would risk destroying the memory cores though.’

‘No sir, they are well protected. Only a direct hit would take a core out.’

Baxter was nodding again. ‘That would make things much easier.’ He pointed to the next battle group. ‘We have never fought these people. Do you know much about them?’

‘Not much sir. They are native to this part of space and are led by King Vison. The Catataracs are not known for aggression but they can be fearsome in defence. I believe their king was the Albany’s mouth piece during the bid. Their economy is reliant on exports to the Albany.’

‘I wonder... if we gave them the opportunity to back off would they take it? What about the other race?’

‘The Ranagata are led by President San Lo Tae´ and are sympathetic to the Human cause, forced by circumstance to side with the Albany. They aren’t as advanced as either of the other races but are known to take a more aggressive stance.’

‘I see.’

‘Sir, do you have the forces to take on four battle groups?’

‘Oh aye. These battle groups aren’t large. In fact, we outnumber them about ten to one. These are just small battle groups, not an invasion fleet.’

‘Sorry sir, still learning.’

‘Can I ask how you come about your information Captain?’

‘No sir you can’t.’

Baxter was silent for a few moments. ‘OK Captain Gordon. You may not be under my direct command, nor I yours, however, I do not like anonymous information. I like to know its source and its credibility. For now I will accept it, but one day you will have to spill the beans.’

‘You will never find out the source of my information. To tell you where it came from would be to lose it.’

‘How on earth would your source ever find out?’

‘In exactly the same way they found out about this.’

‘Some form of super spy that only talks to you?’

‘Something like that.’ Steven replied.

‘I can see a solution begin to form here. Can I rely on the services of your ships and your men?’

‘Of course you can sir.’

‘Excellent. In the meantime, go back to your observations. I want their timings, patrol routes, everything worked out.’

‘Yes sir.’

CHAPTER 45

Charlie’s head had been sore for a couple of days and the doctor had confined him to bed in the med centre. She made herself scarce when Steven arrived.

Steven sat down on a plastic chair. ‘How are you feeling?’

‘I’m OK now. Turns out I had a wee bleed in the brain, but those nano bots have sorted it all out. Man, it felt like those damn things were having a party.’

‘They saved your life.’

‘Aye, again.’

‘I’m sorry I put you through that.’

‘No worries Stevie, we got everything we needed: times, schedules, rendezvous points, the lot. Has Baxter finalised his plans?’

‘Aye he has. You want a part? I could use you.’

‘Babes says all the bruising and swelling will be completely gone by tomorrow. So not a problem. What do you want me to do?’

‘I’m taking Colonel Howe and going with the main fleet to destroy the mining platform. We are going to beam on board and try to get as much information as possible before destroying it. Baxter will destroy the Albany ships that protect it. Another force is going to annihilate the other Albany and take control of the loading platform. They will also capture the freighters carrying the engines.’

‘That’s only two forces, isn’t it?’

‘Yup, that leaves the battle groups from the other races.’

Steven was counting them off on his fingers. ‘Baxter is hoping that if he gives them an out the Catataracs may well take it. He believes that the biggest threat will come from the Ranagata. President San Lo Tae´s son to be exact, Vice Admiral Ban Lo Tae´. A little research shows him to very aggressive. He’s trying to prove to everyone that he is worthy of following his father.’

Charlie’s head lolled back on the pillow with a smile. ‘Trying to follow in daddy’s footsteps.’

‘Pretty much. That’s where you come in. I want you to go with Komoru. They will beam you aboard the Vice Admiral’s ship to detain him, if possible.’

‘You mean hold him hostage?’

‘Call it what you like Charlie. You are obviously the best choice. You will be able to read his mind and know if he is complying or not.’

‘Who is on the team?’

‘Komoru’s special forces, along with Lewis and Kelly.’

‘Sounds like a good team. I’m in. So what are we actually going to be trying to achieve there?’

‘No hostile action. We don’t want to shoot them unless we really have to. As you know, the father is sympathetic to our cause and has a lot of friends. At this moment he isn’t actively trying to stop support for our bid, but if his son is killed or if he loses a lot of forces, he may well declare war on us.’

‘And try and persuade all his friends to do so too.’

‘Correct.’

‘Aye OK Stevie. How long we got?’

‘Two days. Kelly has schematics of their ships and is already putting Komoru’s guys through their paces.’

‘Right. I’m familiar with their ships already. Tell Kelly I will be there first thing tomorrow.’

‘Will do.’

‘You had better let the doc in, she is getting pissed off at our private little chats.’

‘I noticed. I think she is quite keen on you Charlie.’

‘She is.’

‘So why don’t you ask her out?’

‘Two reasons. The first being I am not of equal or higher rank.’

‘Seriously?’

‘This is the army Stevie, believe it.’

‘What’s the second?’

‘She wonders if I would be more like a vibrator than a Human man.’

‘Oh Charlie, too much information man! I’ll leave you to it.’

Charlie was still laughing at the horror on Steven’s face when Amanda came back in. ‘You seem in a better mood. Do you want to share the joke?’

‘Oh hell no!’

‘It would have been a dirty one then?’

‘It most certainly was.’

‘Then you may certainly keep it to yourself, Sergeant.’

‘I most certainly will ma’am.’

CHAPTER 46

The Albany battle cruiser finished the outward leg of its patrol and swung back towards the mining platform. Its destroyers followed it in formation. A shower of meteoroids flashed a warning on an operator’s console and he flicked on the cameras. This far from the sun, they could barely be seen; however, a little light reflected off a few. He zoomed in until he could see them quite clearly. Thousands of irregular rocks, made up of who knows what, whizzing round the universe, almost with a mind of their own. It was a rare sight as most were destroyed and pulverized to dust by any passing ship with weapons. Some planets in some solar systems did allow the occasional meteoroid shower to survive though, if it had some historical or cultural significance.

An hour later they arrived back at the mining facility to rendezvous with their partner battle cruiser and her escort. A light on his panel flashed. It was his opposite in the other battle cruiser.

‘Hey Joz, my panel has just lit up. What is coming in from your patrol area?’

‘Hi Maroz. It is a meteoroid shower. Nice one too. Don’t worry, it’s coming nowhere near.’

‘On vector 0004554667E?’

‘That’s correct my friend.’

‘Any idea what is coming in from 9990007399B?’

‘Where?’

‘You must have it Joz.’

The tired operator flicked on his screen, ‘OK I got it.’ He frowned to himself. ‘I have no idea Maroz, it looks like ships. What about the freighters with those engines?’

‘They passed us on our outer leg. They should be arriving at the launch point about now.’

‘Maybe they turned back? They are coming in from that direction anyway. Did they have their IDs switched on?’

‘Yes, of course.’

‘Then who the hell is this?’

It simply didn’t occur to either operator to sound the alarm, they were so used to the coming and going of many different ships. Both died while still trying to puzzle it out. The main part of the Human fleet appeared and fired at the same time. The Albany battle fleet simply disintegrated. On the mining platform a covey of Albany destroyers were also hit. Baxter ordered their engines to be taken out. Landing craft rained down from the Human battle fleet, and soldiers began an assault.

In the control room Howe, Tapper and the rest of his men suddenly appeared. An Albany officer talking to the Chief Engineer was shot where he stood with a cup of hot liquid in his hands. The Ranagata Chief Engineer was half scalded as the Albany officer dropped.

‘What the...’ His words were cut off as Howe’s pistol appeared in his face. He had half rose to his feet, now he sank back slowly into his chair. ‘Who are you?’

‘All you need to know is I am Human, and that we are here to destroy your facility before you can start hurling these asteroids at Earth.’

The Chief’s hand slid along the arms of his chair towards an electronic pad. He gasped as the cold muzzle of Howe’s revolver kissed the skin at the corner of his eye. ‘This is a firearm. Are you familiar with them?’

‘No!’ The Chief gasped.

‘They fire a projectile that will blow clean through your skull and leave a fist-sized hole on the other side of your head. Don’t touch anything.’

‘Why haven’t you killed me?’

‘Oh I want to. Makes my job much easier. However, we are not at war with your people yet. Don’t worry, once war is declared between our people, I will come back and finish the job.’

Beaver moved over to his side. ‘We are secure sir.’

‘Good! Tell the Captain.’

A few seconds later Steven appeared. With Babes’ guidance, he began to download as much information as he could get.

The Chief’s eyes swivelled to the large windows in the command centre. Outside the darkness of space was filled with flashing lights and large explosions.

‘You are killing all the Albany?’

‘Certainly are.’

‘They will seek retribution.’

‘We don’t give a damn. The only thing that is saving their arses just now is the fact that they are part of the federation. If it wasn’t for that their home planet would now be a radiated hell.’

The Chief glanced over at his people. ‘What are your intentions with us?’

‘If you behave, we will let you evacuate before we destroy this facility.’

‘Destroying this facility is an act of war.’

‘Do you think that helping the Albany destroy our home world isn’t?’

The Chief was silent for a while. Small tremors reached them through the super structure. ‘If one of those destroyers blow up, we shall all be killed.’

‘We know.’ Howe admitted. ‘That is why we are assaulting them with troops and not just blowing them up.’

‘Many things can go wrong.’

‘The sooner we are out of here the better then. However, we are not leaving until we have evidence of your collusion.’

A larger tremor reached them.

‘Then it would be in all of our interests if I helped you locate what you are looking for.’

Howe glanced at Steven, ‘Captain, this officer is offering assistance.’

Steven stood up from the console he was working at.

‘It would be appreciated, but if he tries anything different then you have my permission to shoot him.’

Howe flicked the muzzle of his pistol and the Chief got up slowly. He joined Steven. ‘You don’t need half of that. May I?’

Steven stepped back. It only took a few seconds for the Chief to locate the files Steven required. Babes confirmed that they were exactly what they were looking for.

‘This is what we need, thank you.’

‘I am merely trying to preserve the lives of myself and my people.’

Steven locked eyes with the aliens for a moment and could read the honesty in them, ‘You may evacuate. We will be blocking all transmissions for about an hour.’

‘I understand. Our life pods will sustain us for a few days. May I announce the evacuation?’

‘In a second.’ He waited until Babes confirmed the upload. ‘OK. You may do so now. Colonel Howe, get in touch with command and announce the evacuation. Mission complete.’

‘Yes sir.’

The Chief moved to a different panel; seconds later strange lights and a noise could be heard. When he turned round the Humans had gone.

He let out a sigh of relief. His staff looked round in wonder. ‘Well don’t just sit there you idiots, get the hell off the station!’

There was a mad dash for the life pods. He was a little slower than the youngsters that worked for him and three life pods had already taken off by the time he reached them. His second in command was waiting by the fourth. ‘You made it you old shit. Was beginning to think I was in for a promotion. What the hell is going on?’

‘You don’t know?’

‘I was fast asleep.’

‘You mean you slept through all those explosions?’

‘What explosions? It was the evacuation alarm that woke me.’

‘Let’s go, I will explain on the way out of this shithole.’

There were a dozen others on board, including an Albany. The Chief paused. ‘You are very lucky to be alive.’ He pushed past and squeezed into the pilot’s seat, his second in command took the seat next to him. ‘Launch sequence. Initiate.’

‘Initialising, sir. All ready to go.’

‘Let’s get out of here.’ He pushed the intercom. ‘I hope you are all buckled in. Launching now.’

They were thrown back against their seats as the life pod launched. The space around them was full of burning debris.

An unfamiliar female voice sang in their ears. ‘All escape pods please lay in a course of 18022345E and you will be escorted out of the combat area.’

His second in command eyed him enquiringly. ‘Just do it. Put up the rear view as well while you are at it.’

His second complied. ‘Going to tell me what is going on?’

‘That’s a Human fleet.’

‘SHIT! You mean they discovered what is going on?’

‘They certainly have.’

‘Heads will roll for this one.’

‘Not ours. We are just contractors.’

‘That may well be.’ He pointed to the rear view screen. The last of the Human troops were now clear of the facility and the battleships moved in to finish it off. ‘Looks like we are going to be out of work for a while.’

Space was lit up by a kaleidoscope of different coloured lights as the Human battleships concentrated their firepower onto the huge platform. It blew spectacularly. White hot metal was cooled instantly by the absolute cold of space and shattered into lethal shards that spun off in every direction. Most of it would end up being pulled into the asteroid belt.

The Chief Engineer smiled. ‘So the government will have to provide us with a brand new one. We will also be home in time for the mating season.’

His companion thought it over. ‘Will the company still pay our wages?’

A battlecruiser and its escort slid in behind them. Their shields lit up in small bursts as debris from the platform struck.

‘They have no option, we are on contract.’

The companion smiled and looked out the window at a big battlecruiser as it slid past. ‘That’s a Modloch ship.’

‘No, it’s Human. The dimensions are slightly smaller than a Modloch but it is based on the Modloch design.’

‘Do you think they will let us live?’

‘They killed all the Albany and let us live. That lot behind us are shielding us from debris. I think we are going to be all right.’

‘But the Humans are meat-eaters, aren’t you worried?’

The Chief shook his head. ‘Right now I’m more worried about what the Albany are going to do than the Humans. Besides, I hear most of them eat fruit and vegetables.’

‘They are omnivorous then.’

‘So I heard.’

‘Uh! Fancy living on a diet of fruit and vegetables and not grass. You would have to be a billionaire to do that. Not good for you either, I hear.’

The Chief gave him a doleful look. ‘I think you hear too much. Let’s just concentrate on getting out of here alive.’

The Humans shadowed the survivors until their mission was complete. When the Humans left, they were able to get in touch with their company and let them know what was happening.

CHAPTER 47

Baxter had the Catatarac battle fleet boxed in. As the Humans arrived they fired warning shots through the fleet. Someone on the other side quickly got the message, and ships that were charging their weapons suddenly stopped.

‘Sir, we are being hailed.’ An operator called.

‘Put it on screen.’

An ugly creature appeared. ‘Identify yourselves. No wait. Don’t bother. You are Admiral Baxter, a Human, are you not?’

Baxter was impressed and said so. ‘I am impressed that you know me. I am afraid you have me at a disadvantage.’

The creature seemed to smile. ‘You really don’t know the names and faces of your potential enemies? Maybe you are not as good as I have heard.’

‘The whole damn galaxy is our potential enemy. Would you have me remember the names of all its senior commanders?’

‘On that, you may well have a valid point. I am Admiral Valachean of the great Catatarac fleet. I don’t suppose there is any point in feigning outrage or even lying about what we are doing here. But why are we still alive? You outnumber us, and outgun us.’

‘As yet our planets are not at war.’

‘The moment one of those asteroids smash into your home world we will be.’

‘That is true. However, I can assure you we have enough forces and assets off world to reciprocate. We also know exactly who is involved in this little plot, and why.’

‘I see. You would target our home world?’

‘Every world you and your allies possess.’

An ugly hand scratched an ugly face. ‘Then you leave me with little choice but to withdraw all of my forces involved with this operation. Will you allow us to withdraw?’

‘In a short while.’

‘I see. So you are assaulting the other sites as well.’

‘We most certainly are.’

‘The Ranagata!’

‘Will be given the same options as you.’

‘How about the Albany?’

‘Not a chance.’

‘You will kill them all?’

‘If we have the time.’

‘You would do well not to shoot their escape pods Admiral. There are severe penalties attached to such crimes in our part of the galaxy.’

‘We are aware of that. For your personal information, we didn’t shoot any of their escape pods in our part of the galaxy either. We rescued everyone we found after each battle.’

‘Not that it did them much good.’

Baxter conceded the point. ‘That is true. Most perished within a short period of time, due to the effects of our sun.’

‘I have to say that you are a fascinating race. Even if you do look a little strange.’

‘I personally think you look piss pot ugly.’ It was out of his mouth before he could stop it and Baxter hoped that the words would not translate.

They did, only too well. Valachean suddenly burst out laughing. ‘You know Admiral, I was once voted the ugliest male on my planet, and the least desirable. Yet I have one of the most beautiful women on my planet as my mate. She was a fashion model. Do you know what that is?’

‘Of course.’

‘You understand it was my rank and standing in life that attracted her to me, not my looks. I am envied by many. Now I have six children. A little extravagant I know, but I do love them. Three of each. The girls have taken the beauty of their mother while the boys are almost as ugly as I am.’

Baxter looked round and quickly scanned the screens locally. Valachean noticed. ‘Relax Admiral, I am not trying to distract you. I am simply passing the time with small talk. You are jamming all our communications, after all.’

Baxter snapped his attention back to his adversary. ‘You must be a formidable foe.’

‘I normally am. This time though you have caught me flat-footed. It will never happen again, believe me.’

‘I do. I would also like to apologise for my remark. It was unkind and unwarranted.’

‘It may have been unkind, but it was not unwarranted. I am, after all, extremely ugly. Even to those of my own race. Have you got a family?’

‘No, I never really found the time.’

‘Married to the service.’

‘I suppose you could say that.’

‘We have a saying: those who give their life, love and soul to whatever service they choose in life, are often the most formidable in battle.’

‘I have often thought that there are far too many sayings flying about.’

Valachean laughed. ‘You and me both Admiral. I will say that I have to admire your intelligence services.’

‘Doing a little fishing are we, Admiral Valachean?’

It took a moment for Valachean to understand the remark and he laughed. ‘Yes, I suppose I am.’

‘Our intelligence was third party.’

‘You trusted it.’

‘Obviously. Just as well, too.’

‘Indeed.’

Baxter was curious, ‘May I ask how you and the Albany planned to take over our planet? After all, hitting it with an asteroid at faster than light speed would damn near obliterate it.’

‘Not quite Admiral. It would vaporise on hitting your planet, and the shock waves would obviously smash the mantle. Everything living on it would die in an instant. Yet planets are extremely resilient. We would leave it for a few years until the volcanic activity settled a bit, then we would simply terraform it. We have technology that would stop volcanic activity and repair the mantle. We would inject elements into the atmosphere that would settle the volcanic ash. From there we would remove any toxic gases from the atmosphere. Once that was completed and the planet settled we would plant oxygen-giving trees and then seed it with whatever grass we wanted. In a little under ten years it would be producing high yields.’

Baxter was shaking his head, ‘I find it hard to believe that any intelligent species would terminate every species on a planet as full of life as Earth is, just to grow grass for profit.’

‘Oh, you had better believe it Admiral Baxter. I admit, this would have been my first time. Yet those who came before me did it many times. Especially if the dominant species is a meat eating one.’ He leaned forward. ‘But please don’t take that to heart. They have also done it to other herbivores, if they were considered to be backward.’

‘You mean not technologically evolved enough to defend themselves?’

‘That is exactly what I mean.’

‘Have your people ever considered birth control to manage the population of your people so that they do not run out of food?’

‘Absolutely not. What a disgusting idea. Do Humans practice birth control?’

‘Yes we do.’

Valachean held up an ugly finger. ‘Of course, your race does not have a mating season. You just do it whenever you feel like it. Do you also have multiple partners?’

‘Some do. Some mate for life. Others change partners if they discover they can no longer life with a person.’

‘Ah yes, divorce. It is rare amongst my people. Yet it can happen. Tell me, do you really protect all those different species that inhabit your world?’

‘It is what we are doing now.’

Valachean leaned towards the screen as if to try and look into Baxter’s eyes, ‘The amazing thing is, you don’t seem like you are lying.’

‘I can assure you I am not.’

‘Maybe your species will bring a new enlightenment to the galaxy. If you survive.’

‘You had better hope that we do.’

‘If your planet falls do you think that the Modloch Emperor will still protect you? There is an unwritten rule in the galaxy, Admiral Baxter. A species without a home world is no longer a species of worth. Your people will be hunted down for the sake of sport. They will then be sold to the highest bidder to make serum from so that they can exploit your solar system.’

‘If that day comes then your species, the Albany and the Ranagata will all be rowing in the same boat as we are.’

‘Admiral, we have defences against such things. You may well be able to destroy one or two of our colonised planets, but never our home world.’

‘Do you really think that you can withstand the force of a hundred thousand asteroids?’

‘You jest. No one has those kinds of resources.’

‘We do. I invite you to scan my flagship. Check the materials it is made from.’

Valachean barely hesitated. Alarms went off behind Baxter as they scanned his ship. He ignored them. Valachean was handed a tablet and he quickly scanned it.

‘So you have a design spec flagship. I am impressed, but it is not unusual. Most fleets have at least one for their commander’s flagship.’

‘This isn’t my real flagship. I simply transferred my flag for this operation.’

‘I see, so you have more than one. So what?’

‘Scan my whole force.’

Valachean was getting annoyed and barked out an order. A few minutes later he was handed another tablet. You could easily see the shock on his face.

He leaned over the tablet. ‘Your whole force is design spec!’

‘No. Every vessel in every one of my fleets are design spec. That includes our freighters.’

Valachean was in shock, ‘No one goes to that expense, no one can afford it. Designers are notorious for designing a vessel to be the best it could possibly be. What is produced is a compromise between cost, materials and what the ship is designed to be used for.’

Baxter shook his head. ‘We use Builder technology in every step of construction. The process is completely automated. All we have to do is select the type of ship required and our shipyards spit them out. It doesn’t cost us a penny.’

Valachean was beginning to get annoyed, ‘This is a joke.’

‘I don’t make jokes. I have never been very funny either. If you don’t believe me, step aboard. I will give you proof.’

Valachean thought it over. ‘We are not at war, correct?’

‘Not yet no. You will be treated as befitting your rank, and as a guest.’

‘I will see you soon.’

The screen went blank and Valachean screamed for his shuttle to be prepared. Despite protests from his captains and staff, within ten minutes his shuttle had launched from his flagship.

Baxter was waiting for him. Valachean winced as he was piped on board. A hastily formed honour guard presented arms.

Despite being ugly, Valachean was well formed in height and limb. He hesitated beside one of the guards, his eyes sweeping over the man and his weapons. ‘What is that?’ He pointed.

‘That is a bayonet. You could describe it as a weapon of last resorts. We did consider doing away with them, however the rank and file objected most vocally. They are rather fond of them.’

‘I can tell by the smirks on their faces. Shall we proceeded, Admiral.’

‘This way please.’

Baxter took him to his quarters and into his sitting room. Valachean wasn’t as large as a Modloch and managed to wriggle into a comfortable chair. Baxter joined him and kicked back.

‘That looks extremely comfortable.’

‘Just lean back. This isn’t a formal meeting. Relax. Would you like some refreshments?’

‘You have food that I can consume?’

‘We have no grass, but plenty of fruit and vegetables that are consumable by most races. We also have various teas and soft drinks that I know you can consume.’

Baxter nodded to his steward, who was hovering close by; the man dashed off. They had entertained many aliens together and the man knew exactly what to do. Baxter picked up the remote control and switched the large television on. He selected a program from a list.

‘This a program on our ship building. Enjoy.’

The two admirals kicked back and watched the program while picking at snacks. When it was finished Valachean asked a few questions, which made Baxter pick another video. Valachean had to contact his ship to tell them he was OK. When that was finished Valachean sat in quiet contemplation.

‘You realise, of course, that you have given quite a substantial amount of information away to a potential enemy.’

‘Not really. You don’t have the coordinates of any of our assets. To do so, you would have to reconnoitre our solar system. The Albany are intimately aware of the Earth and have studied it in great detail, but not the rest of our solar system. To be frank, you do not have the resources to do much about it.’

‘Now I see the scale of the problem. I have to agree. I also see now why the Albany desire your solar system so badly. To be honest, what they are promising for our aid is nothing compared to the riches your solar system contains.’

‘More to the point, we could quite easily throw a hundred thousand asteroids at your home planet.’

‘I suppose you could. For myself, I am going to return home and have a very long talk to our glorious king. He really needs to be put in the picture.’

‘Your King was given a gift that should have put him in the picture a long time ago.’

‘I will ask him about it.’

‘You may wish to return to your ship now. You may also withdraw your fleet. Our operation is complete.’

‘You will destroy these asteroids?’

‘As soon as you are out of range we will pulverize them to dust.’

Valachean hesitated for a moment. ‘You don’t have any more of those snacks do you? Maybe one or two of those root beers?’

Baxter looked round, ‘Martin!’

His steward stepped forward. ‘I had a hamper prepared for the Admiral sir. It is with his men. It includes two six packs of root beer.’

‘Thank you Martin.’

‘Sir.’

Baxter accompanied Valachean to his shuttle. The two saluted in their own way. On board the shuttle, Valachean ran his hand over the hamper. ‘I wonder what material this is. Did you sweep it for devices?’

‘Yes sir. It is clean.’ The commander of his escort answered.

‘Then let’s get back to the ship.’ He sat down and the shuttle disengaged.

Within a few minutes the enemy fleet had jumped away and Baxter ordered the redeployment of his units, as well as the destruction of the asteroids.

CHAPTER 48

Grand commander Pan Lo Tae´, son of President San Lo Tae´, sat frozen in his command seat. The ships carrying the engines had arrived just moments before, and now he had the cold hard muzzle of a pistol stuck behind his ear.

Alarms began to sound on his ship. Bewildered crew men barked in alarm.

‘Tell them to calm down. Order your ships to raise their shields but not to charge their weapons.’

Outside a large Human fleet jumped in and surrounded the battle group. The loading platform had been moved to the centre group of asteroids and had forced the Humans to change their plans slightly. In fact, the change had made the Human’s plans easier.

‘Now!’ His aggressor ordered.

It took a bit of shouting but his captains and crew finally calmed down and obeyed.

There were two exits to the bridge. Lewis and a Japanese engineer ran a gel round the edges of the doors and a few seconds later they set it off. A bright light ran round the edges and the doors were welded shut.

‘I am going to presume you are Human.’

‘Correct.’

‘Do you know who I am?’

‘Grand Commander Pan Lo Tae´, son of President San Lo Tae´.

‘Dey doors are sealed Charlie’ Lewis shouted over.

‘Thanks Lewis. Keep an eye on them.’

‘Will do.’

The pistol in Charlie’s hand roared and an operator who was reaching for something screamed as his hand disappeared. Another operator had leapt to his feet but a solid kick from one of the Japanese special forces knocked him out cold.

‘NO ONE MOVE!’ Charlie roared.

‘Do as you are told.’ Growled Pan Lo Tae´. ‘If they wanted us dead we would already be dead.’ He sat back. ‘May we attend that man?’

‘Of course you can. If you have a medical kit on the bridge here.’

Pan snapped out an order and one of the operators rushed for a med kit. He was keenly aware of the amount of weapons that tracked his every movement.

‘What is the meaning of this outrage?’

‘Can the bullshit, Grand Commander. I’m not interested in a dialogue where you try to deny that you are planning to fire a shitload of asteroids at our planet. We are very aware of what you and your allies are up to. As we are not at war with your people, you are being spared, but one false move on your part and that will change in a heart beat.’

‘I had better just shut up then.’

‘That would be wise.’

On board Ico, Komoru was dropping off the assault teams that would commandeer the freighters. The last was just being dropped off as the fleet arrived. Tensions ran high while they waited on reports from her teams.

Within fifteen minutes life pods began to erupt from the freighters. A few minutes later life pods began to launch from the loading platform. She sent a signal to Charlie.

‘Grand Commander, I have just received a report that your people are beginning to evacuate the freighters and the platform. Would you like to despatch a vessel to pick them up?’

Pan looked up at Charlie. The heat from the barrel of his weapon had dissipated. ‘I will send them to one of my destroyers.’

Charlie nodded and stepped back.

‘Communications Officer. Direct all life pods to rendezvous with the Renar´ and ask its Captain to take on all life pods.’

‘Yes sir.’

The life pods had almost finished loading when half the Human fleet, along with the freighters, disappeared. The Grand Commander saw a chance. Before he could take another breath the muzzle of Charlie’s pistol pressed in behind his ear.

‘Are we having naughty thoughts commander?’ Pan froze. ‘If I was you I would wait a few seconds more before trying something stupid.’

As if on cue, another Human battle fleet, larger than the first, appeared. Pan sat back in his seat again.

‘Can you read minds soldier?’

‘I was chosen for this task because I am adept at reading body language. You tensed up as if poised for positive action. I assumed that, as you had just seen half our fleet disappear, you saw an opportunity to turn the tables on us.’

‘It must be extremely difficult to lie to a person with your talent.’

‘I can assure you it is.’

‘What do you intend doing with us?’

‘I have no idea sir, I am only a sergeant. You would have to speak to my commander.’

That probably infuriated Pan more. ‘May I speak to your commander then?’

Charlie raised his head. ‘Lieutenant Satto. The Grand Commander would like a word.’

Satto came over and bowed low. ‘How may I be of assistance sir.’

Pan sighed. ‘I wish to know what you are going to do next.’

‘You will be allowed to withdraw soon. We have no intention of firing unless you give us no other choice. We are not at war with your planet, nor do we wish to be.’

‘You do not consider this a hostile act?’

‘Of course we do. However, as yet you have been unable to carry out a direct attack. Therefore we do not as yet consider yourself an enemy. Our true enemy, the Albany, has already been destroyed.’

‘So your people are trying to keep ourselves and the Catataracs out of this conflict.’

‘I believe so.’

‘Of course you are. If you attack us, it would turn others against you and harm your bid for citizenship.’

‘I am only a soldier, not a politician. I cannot answer that question.’

Charlie leaned forward. ‘That would be a very bad decision.’

Pan froze. ‘What would be?’

‘To try and force our hand.’

‘Are you reading my mind again?’

‘Your posture has become aggressive. It doesn’t take a genius to work out the thoughts behind it. You would die first, before you could even reach that button on the arm of your chair that you keep looking at. A few seconds later, everyone on this bridge would be dead. A few seconds after that, everyone in this entire fleet.’

‘Better to die than live in disgrace.’

‘No it isn’t. Besides, what would your father say if gave your life needlessly?’

‘What do you know of my father?’

‘I have met him. I think he rather admires us.’

‘Impossible.’

‘We shared a shuttle ride once. I also saw him at the big celebrations. He seemed very impressed by our elephant.’

‘What is an elephant?’

‘Why don’t you ask him?’ Charlie stood and addressed the Japanese officer. ‘Sir, would it be permissible for the Grand Commander to contact his father?’

Satto blinked. ‘I am not sure Sergeant. I will ask. If, of course, the grand commander wishes to do so.’

Pan was looking up at Charlie. ‘Yes why not. What was that name?’

‘It is an Earth creature called an elephant.’

It took a few minutes for Satto to get the link established. ‘You have permission to contact your father. Voice only from this side.’

Pan turned to his Communications Officer. ‘Get me through.’

‘Yes sir.’

It didn’t take long. President San Lo Tae´ appeared on screen. ‘Is that you Pan? What’s wrong with your screen?’

‘Just a little technical difficulty father. Nothing serious. An acquaintance has asked me to ask about a creature called an elephant.’

His father sat up straight and made a noise that was strange to the Human’s ears. ‘An elephant is a wondrous creature from the planet Earth. If I could, I would wish to have it brought to our planet to show our people. It is unfortunate that circumstances will not allow that. It is larger than anything you have ever seen in your life. Majestic in appearance and grace. I will send you a picture. How are things there?’

‘Not good. We have lost contact with the Albany commander.’

‘That is not good. What about everyone else?’

‘Nothing.’

‘Send a reconnaissance party. If our allies are under attack then help as much as you can. If they have been destroyed then get the hell out of there and return home as quickly as possible.’

‘Are you sure father?’

‘Positive. If the Humans have discovered the Albany plans then you and our people are in grave danger. Latest intelligence on the Humans puts their numbers much greater than your combined numbers. As yet no one has had a real chance to study their tactics and provide countermeasures. To remain where you are would be suicide. In fact, withdraw out of sensor range and send in destroyers to scout our allies’ positions. You will know what course of action to take by what you find. Good luck son. I will not detain you any farther.’

‘One last question father.’

‘Quickly.’

‘Are you sympathetic to the Human cause?’

There was a momentary silence. ‘I wish our circumstances were different. Is that enough?’

‘Yes father.’

Communications were cut and his crew looked to their leader. ‘Lieutenant Satto?’

‘Yes Grand Commander.’

‘May I do as my father suggests and send a destroyer?’

‘Wait please.’ Satto talked to Komoru. ‘There is no need. We can show you if you wish.’

‘Yes please.’

It soon became apparent that the Albany had been completely destroyed. The Catatarac were in exactly the same position as he was. He had seen enough.

‘Lieutenant Satto, I wish to withdraw my forces.’

‘Our orders are to detain you until told otherwise.’

‘So we cannot go to the aid of the Catataracs or try to retrieve the freighters?’

‘Correct.’

‘May I speak to my captains?’

Satto looked to Charlie, who nodded. ‘Yes sir.’

Pan sat forward. ‘Listen in, this is a general order. Stand down from battle stations but keep your shields up. We have received orders to withdraw, and will do so shortly. When we have withdrawn to a safe distance, reconnaissance parties will be sent out to ascertain the condition of our allies and pick up any survivors. I can tell you now that the Albany contingent have been wiped out while the Catatarac contingent are in a similar predicament to our own. As soon as the reconnaissance parties return, we will be returning home.’

Pan sat back. ‘You can remove that cannon from my ear, Sergeant. What is that thing anyway?’

‘It’s called a Desert Eagle. I borrowed it from a friend. They are referred to as firearms.’

‘They seem pretty primitive. I am still half deaf.’

‘They are very primitive compared to the weapons you use. The psychological effect they have, however, is priceless.’

‘Self-guiding.’

‘No, you have to aim.’

Pan regarded his now unconscious soldier but kept his mouth shut.

Time dragged by but eventually Satto ordered his men into the centre of the room for pick up. Pan had a parting word for Charlie. ‘I will find you and kill you for the humiliation you have inflicted upon me today.’

‘Blah, blah, blah. Finding me probably won’t be all that hard. As for killing me, ask your father about the Human that shared the shuttle ride with him to the space docks, before you do anything stupid.’

‘Sergeant!’ Satto snapped.

Charlie joined him and they were beamed on board Ico. Satto wasn’t finished with Charlie. ‘Did you have to provoke the Grand Commander like that just before we left? He could still cause us problems if he decides to retaliate.’

Charlie took a deep breath and bowed. ‘I apologise sir. I tend to react badly to threats against my person.’

Satto relented a little. ‘I believe I can understand why Sergeant. Yet you must garner that hostility. To my eyes your reaction was positively childish. You should have kept your mouth shut and simply bowed. That would have been enough to let him know you understand his motives and accepted the challenge.’

‘I didn’t know that sir.’

‘Of course, why should you? I am the one who has been studying their culture. You did really well today. I initially doubted the wisdom of your participation. However, after seeing the results I am most impressed. You truly have a remarkable gift. Next time just can the shit, OK.’

Charlie bowed again. ‘I will sir. Thank you for your patience.’

Satto returned it and turned to the rest of his men. ‘Dismissed. Return to your stations.’

Charlie had no station to return to so was one of the last out. Lewis hung about. He laughed. ‘Hey Charlie, you just got your damn butt kicked by Satto.’

Charlie laughed back. ‘Sure did Lewis.’

‘Wanna go for a cup of Java?’

‘Why the hell not.’

CHAPTER 49

Pan Lo Tae´ ordered the withdrawal of his ships to a safe distance. He then crossed deck to one of the destroyers, against the wishes of his senior commanders. By the time they reached their original position, the Humans had already destroyed the asteroids and left.

They moved on to where the Humans had surprised a battle fleet of the Albany. Dust and debris from the asteroids floated amongst the wreckage. Here and there a lone life pod flashed in the deep black of space. They quickly began to move towards them. They came in a variety of sizes, from singles to those that could carry a dozen or more. A quick scan told him that very few of them were full. Thousands of Albany had perished. Pan left a single destroyer to pick them up and moved on to the next location.

Here and there minor explosions shot out into space. By far the biggest Albany fleet had been deployed there to protect the mining platform. Pan checked all the monitors and couldn’t distinguish between the wreckage of the platform and that of the Albany battle fleet.

His pilot weaved them in and out of the remains. ‘I am receiving distress signals sir.’ An operator reported to his Captain. The Captain looked to Pan who simply nodded.

‘Take us there.’ The Captain ordered his pilot. Coordinates were fed in from the communications station, and the pilot changed direction.

There was quite a collection of life pods. As they approached, another operator raised his voice for attention. ‘Sir we have a small number of vessels approaching at sub light speed. They have identifiers.’ He paused for a second. ‘They are Catatarac destroyers.’

‘Probably on the same mission as us.’ The Captain mused.

‘Hail them as soon as they arrive.’ Pan ordered.

A few minutes later Pan found himself staring at Admiral Valachean. He smiled. ‘Hello Val. Still alive then you ugly bastard?’

Valachean laughed. ‘As are you. What happened to my hammer?’

‘We have always been the hammer and the anvil, haven’t we? I’m afraid this time your hammer had some kind of a cannon stuck behind its left ear by a Human who seemed to know what I was thinking before I did. What about you?’

‘Oh, I was treated to a rather lavish buffet and something delightful called root beer.’

‘You jest!’

Valachean held up an odd-looking bag. ‘Fancy trying a granola bar and a root beer? Courtesy of Admiral Baxter of the planet Earth.’

Pan didn’t take long to come to a decision. ‘Come over and we will leave our subordinates to pick up the survivors.’

The Captain’s cabin in the destroyer was fairly spartan, though he did have a small lounge area. Pan took a healthy swig from the bottle and let out a long loud belch. ‘Wow. That hit the spot.’ He studied the bottle and the label. He couldn’t read the words. ‘What did you say they called this?’

‘Root beer.’

‘So how come you didn’t get a bloody great cannon stuck behind your ear?’

‘A massive Human fleet suddenly appeared and fired warning shots across our bows. I got the message fast enough.’ Valachean sniffed loudly. ‘I think Admiral Baxter is a lot smarter than he was making out to be.’

‘How so?’

‘He said he didn’t know who I was. Yet he somehow knew that I would get the warning. He took you out, however, before his ships even appeared.’

‘He realised that I would have attacked, regardless.’

‘You wouldn’t have attacked regardless Pan. You would have waited for an opportunity before attacking.’

‘Bollocks. So what did you do to Baxter? Talk him to death?’

‘I engaged my equal in conversation, to try and gather useful intelligence that would help me defeat him in the future.’

‘I was right. You tried to talk him to death. But I don’t understand how you were invited over for afternoon tea?’

‘I was trying to provoke him, and it worked.’

‘Find out anything useful?’

‘Too much. In fact, if we don’t get out of this pact and the Albany succeed in destroying Earth, we are all going to be in deep shit.’

‘I think you had better explain Val.’

It took a while but Valachean explained everything he had seen. He also added his own conclusions. Pan was silent for a long time as he digested the new information.

‘Do think they will carry out their threat to destroy our planets?’

‘I have absolutely no doubt. After all, they will have nothing to lose. Their assets are all off world. We can’t touch them. Their home fleet is twice the size of the one that defeated the Albany. It isn’t beyond reason that they could wipe out our main planets and then invade our minor ones.’

‘You mean steal them from us? They wouldn’t get away with it.’

‘I think they would. The Humans have a lot of races behind them now. Their bid is well supported. They have enough assets off world to reseed their planet or any they take.’

‘Yes, but their bid has not been accepted yet.’

‘Maybe not, but we know it will be. What we are doing may not be illegal, but it is unusual. It is a loop hole that many have tried to plug in the past. If the fleet they have with the Modlochs is joined by their home fleet, it would take a galactic force to stop them.’

Pan took a sip of root beer. ‘That’s not all you are thinking.’

‘I think they have the resources to wipe out every opposing race this side of the barrier.’

‘More to the point, you think they would.’

‘Yes, and we would be first my friend.’

‘Not good. They can also retreat behind the great barrier and sally forth any time they wish. Did you see the speech their President made?’

‘I heard it. You?’

‘Same. This is pretty much exactly what he threatened to do, isn’t it?’

Val nodded thoughtfully. ‘What are we going to do?’

‘Deliver the rescued. Get as far away from the Albany as we can. I’m going to have to boot my father’s arse.’

‘That’s the most sensible thing I have ever heard you say Pan. Unfortunately Vison doesn’t take kindly to having his arse booted.’

‘Then take a long holiday in another sector with your whole damn family.’

‘Did the Humans destroy the freighters?’

‘No, they stole them.’

Val nodded knowingly, ‘So they can backward engineer them using Builder technology very easily.’

Pan agreed, ‘It isn’t looking good.’

‘No it isn’t.’

‘Still, they stole all the engines and destroyed all the asteroids. That should put the Albany back a bit.’

Val shook his head, ‘No they didn’t. Remember, there are still four engines to be delivered and we picked up a communication from two tugs. It seems that the Humans missed a couple of asteroids in transit.’

The two passed a look. ‘Time for a little asteroid bashing.’ Pan suggested.

‘Sounds good to me.’

Before they could act on it a communication came through. Val put it on speaker. ‘Sir, a large Albany battle group is on its way. They will be here in a few minutes.’

‘Thank you Captain.’

‘Shit!’ Pan growled. ‘Where the hell did they come from?’

‘They must have been intending on beefing up security for the final phase.’

‘In case we got cold feet.’

‘Most likely.’

Pan shook his head. ‘This is not good.’ He stood. ‘I’m getting back to my fleet and then getting the hell out of here. As far as I am concerned they are on their bloody own, and I am going to tell them that too.’

‘Wait. Let’s join forces, and then tell them to go fuck themselves.’

‘That’s an even better idea. We can return their survivors to them at the same time.’

CHAPTER 50

Steven checked the figures for the third time before calling Komoru. She checked the data as well.

‘This isn’t very promising.’

‘No it isn’t. We need to get a hold of Baxter.’

They went up onto the bridge and managed to get through to him very quickly. He appeared on the screen. ‘I have been meaning to call and congratulate you both on a job well done.’

‘Congratulations may be premature sir.’ Steven told him. ‘We have been through the mining company’s records and the combat records of the fleet. We seem to be missing two asteroids.’

Baxter seemed to mull it over for a moment. ‘Is that such a big deal... am I missing something?’

‘We were also a freighter of engines short as well. That’s four engines.’

‘You mean enough to send two asteroids towards Earth.’

‘Yes sir, and we have nothing to stop them.’

‘Not if they are traveling faster than the speed of light.’

‘Correct sir.’

‘OK, both of you get back across the great barrier and see if you can find them. Consider yourselves on a seek and destroy mission.’

‘Yes sir.’

A few weeks later Steven and Komoru returned across the barrier and reported to Baxter. They couldn’t find the asteroids or the freighter with the engines. Steven explained that the whole system was swarming with Albany warships. All he could report was that they had the engines, and were still going to go through with the attack.

Baxter called a meeting of the senior commanders. His eyes scanned the crowd of faces. When he first took command he had spoken to every man and woman he had appointed. All of these people, however, were now across the barrier with the Modloch fleet. Those in front of him were, for the most part, strangers.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, we are in deep shit.’ That brought a few murmurs. ‘Despite our successful assault on the enemy nearly a month ago, Earth is still in great peril. We did not manage to seize or destroy all of the enemy assets. As most of you know, we were one freighter and four engines short. We couldn’t help that. We knew the enemy had moved their plans forward and hoped to launch the asteroids at us in batches of twenty. We couldn’t take a chance on them waiting for the last freighter. We did count on destroying all of the asteroids though. In this, we failed. We missed two that were in transit between launch sites. Let me say at this time that it is no one’s fault. We trawled the routes taken by the tugs from the platform to their launch sites. We did not foresee that they would be moving them directly from one launch site to the other.

‘So they have two prepared asteroids and four engines. I have no doubt by now that they also have the fuel to launch them and are merely waiting for the right opportunity. We have had some of our assets in the area but they cannot locate the new launch site. Nor can we launch an attack across the barrier. The Albany’s friends amongst the federation have been kicking up a stink. Of course, our evidence is already on its way there, and I have no doubt that our actions will be vindicated in time. However, in the meantime we will have to defend ourselves from this side of the barrier. You may also want to know that a large fleet of Albany warships have entered the area and are patrolling aggressively. We have now lost the element of surprise, and any engagement would most likely prove costly.

‘This means we are going to have to stop them with what we have. To assist with this, I have asked Captain Steven Gordon to discuss the difficulties you will face.’

Steven was applauded loudly as he took the stand and actually blushed.

‘Ladies and gentlemen, what we face is a desperate attack by a desperate race. They need to wipe us out before our bid is accepted by the federation. If they don’t they will lose this war by default. We may still remain enemies afterwards, but to assault us then would be to risk retribution by the whole federation. At this time our bid is being pushed through but there are time constraints that we cannot force. The time we have won from them so far has set them sailing very close to the wind. My information tells me that they are well past the point of caring. They do not believe that they will be punished if they launch an attack in the next few weeks, even if the asteroids destroy Earth after we have signed the treaty. They firmly believe that launching an attack so long before the treaty is signed will give them enough wiggle room to squirm their way out of trouble. They may well be right. After all, they know how to play the system far better than we do.

‘So where does this leave us? Well, you must be wondering why they prepared so many asteroids to begin with. It would only take one to wipe out every living thing on Earth. Two or more would completely smash it to pieces.’

He saw a few nodding heads. ‘Many races have defence systems that can deal with this kind of threat. These defences are unique to each planet; how they work are closely guarded secrets. We have a defence system that can deal with normal asteroids but not ones moving at speeds faster than light. The Albany don’t know that though and were hedging their bets. We don’t know exactly how they planned to do it, but we know that at the moment the first asteroid struck they intended for the others to destroy themselves. How do we know this?’

Steven turned to the wall behind him and picked up a remote control. A video of an asteroid about the size of those being thrown at Earth appeared. ‘This is the destroyer Coventry attacking an asteroid as part of a practice run.’

Green light shot into the darkness and peppered the asteroid. The destroyer systematically pulverized the asteroid until there was nothing left but dust. The whole process took almost a minute.

‘As you can see, it was very effective.’ Steven clicked a button and a different asteroid appeared. ‘This was also taken from the Coventry. These are some of the asteroids that were targeted at Earth.’

Green light flicked across the asteroid and it immediately blew into billions of tiny pieces. The blast rocked the Coventry.

‘The Coventry actually received some minor damage from the blast. I am sure that you could all tell the difference. If we slow the footage down we can see what happened in more detail.’

The asteroid reappeared and a green light lanced out. Just before it struck the film slowed right down. A sequence of explosions could easily be seen rippling round the asteroid.

‘As you can see, the Coventry set off a chain reaction. A net of explosives had been set into the surface of the asteroid that destroyed it completely. To put it simply, the Albany have designed things so that at the moment an asteroid hits Earth the rest can be destroyed by remote control. This tells us that they have some way of observing Earth. They also obviously have some way of detonating the explosives on the other asteroids.

‘Some have argued that the asteroid hitting the Earth would trigger the rest to blow up, that the destruction of the asteroid itself would trigger the event. If that was so then the destruction of this asteroid would have triggered the same event on the others close by. It didn’t.

‘Others have argued that some form of device on the asteroids themselves could trigger the asteroids to self-destruct. Because they are traveling at faster than light speeds, that is impossible. Sorry, not impossible but highly impractical.

‘The only reasonable explanation is that there is some form of remote viewing device that will record the event and send out a signal that prompts the other asteroids to self-destruct. Our first task is to try and find that device. You must not destroy it. We need to find it and hijack the thing. If we can discover it then we may well be able to hack into it, and have it destroy the asteroids before they come anywhere near Earth.

‘That would be our ideal solution. However, our second mission will be to detect the asteroids and destroy them on route. This may seem the simplest of solutions, there is only one problem though. We cannot fire our weapons at faster than light speed. To do so would be to breach the shields that keep us safe at such speeds. Basically, these shields keep us in a form of stasis within the hull of the ship. To accelerate at light speed without them would leave us smeared against the back walls.

‘It is fairly basic physics. Some layman told me a while ago to switch off the artificial gravity. As we were weightless in space we wouldn’t feel the acceleration. I tried to point out to him that it wouldn’t make any difference. We would float exactly where we were until the back wall hit us at light speed.’

There was a great deal of laughter at that. Steven smiled. ‘Let’s get back to the asteroids. They do not have a shield to protect them. That is why they have to accelerate slowly until they reach light speed. If they tried to jump to light speed, the effect would be similar to holding a pistol to an egg and squeezing the trigger.

‘After inspecting the engines we acquired, we know the engines themselves have a small internal shield that protects their internal workings. Once they have reached light speed they will stop accelerating and let the asteroid reach the Earth under its own momentum. The engine will push itself out of the asteroid at this point, and once free, brake until it reaches manoeuvring speed. It will then turn and jump straight back to light speed. Once at light speed it will jump to its next launch point. These engines need to be destroyed. If they return across the barrier they can be used again, and again and again. The only time they are really vulnerable is when they are decelerating and turning.

‘The best time to catch them would be while the engines are still inside the asteroid. Destroy both at the same time.’ Steven took a deep breath. ‘If only it were that easy. Once we detect them, we have to catch them, which will take time. Then when we do catch them we can’t fire our weapons at them. Remember that. Nor can we manoeuvre at light speeds. You will have to be directly on the tail of the asteroid and on the exact same bearing before you can catch up with it. The good news is we will be able to catch it. All our ships can travel at light speeds of six plus. These engines can only propel an asteroid to a maximum of three. Your fighters won’t be able to catch them though, and you can’t deploy them at that speed. If you strike the asteroid it will disrupt your shields and you and your entire crew will be killed.

‘Our shields in light speed are good enough to deflect small to medium sized meteoroids, not bloody great asteroids.’

There was a great grumbling amongst the room and Steven paused to take a drink of water.

‘Can’t you beam a bomb on board?’ Someone shouted.

‘Nope.’ Steven confessed. ‘Doesn’t work at that kind of speeds. Oh, and before anyone suggests it, we can’t use the engines that we acquired either. They wouldn’t be able to catch them.’

Steven turned to the screen again and pressed the remote. ‘There is only one way to knock them out. The only place on any ship where it is safe to break our shields is at the back. A disruption to the shields there will not cause a catastrophic failure. Shield generation begins at the front of a ship and sweeps backwards down both sides. Where the two meet at the back of the ship is an area of shield distortion. The more irregular the shape of your ship is, and the more shield generators it has, then the larger the area of distortion. A Modloch engineer will tell you the less disruption, the faster your ship can go. That is true. It is why my ship and its partner are faster than anything else we have. They are simply built to be that fast. Our weapons are concealed within the hull. If we had them on the outside, like most of your ships, then we wouldn’t be any faster. It all has to do with shield harmonics.’

He changed the picture. ‘So how do we do it? We cannot fire a weapon through that area. Our weapons are energy weapons, they would send a shockwave back up the hull disrupting the shields and we would end up as strawberry jam. The energy from a normal weapon could also disrupt it. So this is the solution.’

The picture changed again. ‘We drag a bomb behind our ships using the thinnest wire we can possibly manufacture. We get in front of the asteroid and let it catch us up, find a good spot to place the bomb and then release it. We then get the hell out of the way and detonate it.

‘We are giving the job of catching the engines to the battleships and the job of bombing the asteroids to the destroyers.

‘The wire and bombs are already well under construction. The wire itself is only about half a millimetre thick and the bombs are contained within a unit that looks like an old lunar lander. When the legs of the lander make contact with the asteroid explosive bolts will be shot into the surface to secure it. As I said, you release the tether, get the hell out of the way, and detonate it.’

He put up another picture. ‘You will be deployed into two solid blocks. A line of probes will be scattered across the edge of the great barrier in the most likely place the asteroids will cross. The battleships will be deployed in depth over this area here, where we estimate that the engines will release and turn back. It is a very large area and you will be stretched thin. You will deploy your fighters in pairs to cover as wide an area as possible.

The closer we get to Earth then the narrower the search area becomes. We have ten times the number of destroyers as we do battleships. That means we can concentrate you much better. The probes will give us an accurate track of the asteroids and as many destroyers as possible should get onto that exact same track and wait for them.’

Steven paused for a second and took a drink of water. ‘Accuracy and timing. Timing, timing, timing. That is what it is going to come down to. If you don’t get in front of the asteroid; if you don’t get on its exact track, you won’t get a second chance at it. Once it is past you it is gone. You won’t be able to jump to light speed dragging a bomb. You will have to accelerate there slowly.

‘As soon as your ships are set up with the bombs and tethers you will begin to patrol towards Earth at manoeuvring speed. Once the asteroids are detected you will manoeuvre onto its course and accelerate to a speed where by you can intercept it. You should have plenty time. Plant the bomb, cut the tether and get the hell out of there. Detonate it at a safe distance.

‘If you reach the end of your patrol line then you will stop, pull in the bomb and jump back to the beginning of the patrol line to start again. That way we will get a continual flow. So to reiterate: navigation, timing and accuracy. That’s it. You will receive your detailed orders from Admiral Baxter. Thank you.’

This time there was no clapping.

CHAPTER 51

Commanders John Logan and Alfie Lloyd launched into the black. Behind them every available pilot and fighter also launched. John and Alfie pulled their fighters round and the Sir William Wallace passed to their right. Because the Sir William Wallace was a training vessel, they had been kept out of the fight until now. The two realised they wouldn’t have been involved at all if they’d been on their own mother ship still with the Modloch fleet. As it was they had taken the trainee Scottish and Commonwealth pilots and poured years of experience into them.

Each and every one of them had passed their flight training and advanced flight training with ease because of their input. Still, because of the emergency they had been kept together, and two weeks ago the ship had been turned into an active service unit. Both commanders would have been proud to have any of the pilots in their own squadrons.

As they came back over the top of their mother ship, the last of their squadrons caught up and entered formation. Both men twisted their heads to eyeball their men.

‘Red squadron, deploy in pairs.’ Logan commanded. Two at a time they zipped over the top of his canopy and then jumped. He counted them away. To his right Alfie was doing exactly the same. Soon they were alone again.

‘Ready,’ Logan asked.

‘Yup.’

‘On my mark, three... two... one... mark!’

The two Starfighters jumped together to their search coordinates and started the long patrol. They began searching their grid in a long curving spiral pattern, will all of their sensors turned on.

Alfie switched his radio onto local, directional, so they wouldn’t be overheard by anyone.

‘So how did your date go with the Iron Queen?’

There was a long pause and Alfie was beginning to think John hadn’t heard his question. ‘It wasn’t a date as such, just dinner.’

‘Did you tell her?’

‘Yup, sure did. Came right out and told her I thought she was the most beautiful woman I had ever met in my life.’

‘Oh yeah, what did she say?’

‘She said she gets that a lot.’

Alfie wasn’t sure how to respond to that. ‘What did you say?’

‘Wasn’t sure what the hell to say bud. I think I stuttered something incomprehensible. Anyway, she did say that she had always admired me. Thought I was extremely handsome, very sexy.’

Alfie was impressed. ‘Oh yeah, so what happened?’

‘Not a thing.’

‘Why the hell not? Wasn’t that the green light?’

‘Nope. She sat and talked about me, about the missions I had done. She asked me a lot of questions about them. She already knew most of the answers. I was impressed.’

‘Yeah so, what happened next?’

‘She asked me if I knew anything about her career. I couldn’t answer her. That kinda killed it.’

Alfie was silent for a while. ‘Why would we know anything about her? She isn’t famous like we are.’

‘Maybe not in America. Have you ever asked any of the cadets about her?’

‘Hell yeah, same answer every time. Nice tits.’

‘Ask one of the girls next time. I did.’

‘So?’

John sighed. ‘Turns out she was a top fighter pilot. She is an ace. Shot down six aircraft, two of them in one dogfight, guns to guns. Highly decorated. The first female pilot to be made a Starship Captain. Commended for her part in the Albany war, for her abilities and her courage. Was given command of the Sir William Wallace right after. Ever wonder why there were so many women in our squadrons?’

‘Let me guess, she is an inspiration.’

‘Yup sure is. Know what she said as she kicked my ass out the door?’

‘Not a clue bud.’

‘Well she whipped those puppies out and said to me, “These are the bonus prize. It is the rest of me you have to impress first. If you had just taken a little effort to see past them, and look at the person beneath...”’

Alfie took an age to respond. ‘Missed your chance.’

‘Yup.’

‘Man, were they as nice as they look?’

‘34 FF, all natural, with not a hint of sag.’

‘Holy shit.’

‘Yeah.’

They were both quiet for a long time. ‘Do you think you are still in with a chance John?’

‘Oh hell no.’

The hours began to drag, but they couldn’t complain about the scenery. Suddenly an alarm buzzed and their radios came to life. ‘All stations Whisky Whiskey. An object has just come through the barrier at light speed. We are feeding you the coordinates and vectors now.’

Their navigational computers lit up and the two men punched the throttles of their fighters open.

‘We gonna make it John?’

‘Yeah I think so, looks like it’s going to cut along the top of our search box.’

‘Most excellent.’

The two laughed as their ships reached the top of their search grid. Now they began to run back and forth along an invisible line.

‘I can only see six of our guys.’ John told Alfie.

‘Look again John.’

‘I see them.’ Within a few minutes they could count the ships from both their squadrons strung out in a long line. Both knew that every fighter from every vessel available would now be flying along this line. The tension grew with each passing second.

‘All stations Whiskey Whiskey, the package is separating and it looks like it could be in our sector. Weapons stand by.’

They had no sooner checked their weapons were ready to fire when something flared on their radar screens. ‘Woah! There they go. Hit it Alfie!’

The two men punched their throttles forward and the two objects approached at an alarming speed. John began braking as they came within range. He was firing before he even saw the engine. It appeared in front of his nose and green light lanced into it. ‘I hit it.’ He shouted into his radio. Alfie was a split second behind him. He also fired but the engine seemed to slip sideways.

‘That damn thing just avoided me.’ He kicked the Starfighter round a hundred and eighty degrees, firing again. The nose of the engine lifted and his ships went underneath. In a flash the engine snapped above his head. ‘Watch out, these engines aren’t dumb. They know we are after them and are avoiding our fire.’

John swung round as two more ships appeared in his radar. The engine he had hit was staggering, trying to manoeuvre. He checked the designations of the ships and plotted the staggering engine. ‘Red section, finish off target one.’

‘Roger.’

John followed Alfie round after the second one. Behind him the two fighters blasted the damaged engine to smithereens.

Both John and Alfie fired at the remaining engine as it tried to turn, but again it anticipated their attack and jinked out of their line of fire.

‘Damn this thing.’ Alfie cursed.

‘Don’t let it turn, keep firing. All Starfighters form up on us and fire. If it gets its nose onto its proper vector, it will jump to faster than light speed.’ Four ships formed up on them and green light lanced out into the dark of space. Somehow the engine managed to keep itself out of their direct line of fire.

‘It’s still turning, for God’s sake someone hit it!’ John shouted. Just then green light shot across their noses and cut the engine in two. The back end began to spin like a Catherine wheel.

‘Brake.’ Alfie ordered and the six ships peeled away.

‘OK who the hell was that?’

‘Who cares, finish the damn thing off.’ Alfie growled. ‘Follow me.’

John looked out to his right as a Starfighter slid alongside. He recognised the white ship with the red stripes and could clearly see her smile across the short distance.

‘Commander Logan. I hope I didn’t steal your thunder.’

He took a deep breath. ‘No Captain Wilson, not at all. That was beautiful shooting. Congratulations.’

‘Thank you.’

Alfie and the rest of the section finished off the engine. Jean looked round her, a quick glance told her, that her birds were undamaged. ‘Listen in everyone, good job. You have done the Sir William Wallace proud today, well done. But the job isn’t over yet. There is still one more asteroid out there. Continue your patrols.’ She gave a short wave and jumped. John began to wonder at what he may have lost.

A short while later they were back in their patrol area. ‘That’s some gal.’ Alfie ventured.

‘Sure is. I wonder if they will give me a transfer.’

‘You are shitting me right, a job training cadets?’

‘Tell me the last time you felt so worthwhile.’

Alfie thought it over. ‘You got a point John. It’s also been a long time since we worked for someone that could outfly and outfight us. Would they let us work on a British ship?’

‘Scottish and Commonwealth really Alfie. Don’t see why not. After all we are all in the same damn air-force now.’

Twenty minutes later they were recalled. The second asteroid had crossed the barrier a few sectors over. The engines had appeared right under the noses of two Russian pilots who had reduced them to scrap within a few seconds. Every battleship turned their attention towards Earth. Many began to pray.

CHAPTER 52

The destroyers Michael Collins, Buzz Aldrin and the Neil Armstrong had all managed to get in front of the asteroid. The Buzz Aldrin had lost its bomb as it accelerated too hard towards light speed and the tether had snapped. Now it flew alongside the asteroid and slightly in front. All three captains were aware of the historical significance of the three ships coming together like this in a bid to save the Earth.

The Michael Collins and the Neil Armstrong were about twenty miles apart. The Neil Armstrong, however, was on the edge of the asteroid.

The bomb from the Armstrong just anchored itself on to the asteroid. The ships drew away and they detonated the bomb. There was a brief flash and debris could be see expanding out from the asteroid. Beyond that, there was very little damage done.

The Captain of the Collins could feel the sweat pour down the inside of his uniform. ‘I want to know why that didn’t work people. Are we wasting our time here?’

One of his operators zoomed in on the area where the bomb had detonated and noticed something.

‘Sir, I don’t think there were any explosives in that area.’ The Captain came down and leaned over his shoulder. ‘Show me.’

By tracking their cameras over the area, they could see the spider’s web of explosives across the surface of the asteroid. It seemed to stop close to where the Armstrong’s bomb had gone off.

‘I think your right son. OK, I want to make sure that there are explosives under that thing we are towing. Show me where it is going to land.’

The operator changed cameras. Now they were looking at the asteroid from the camera on the bomb itself. It was very obvious that they too were going to land their bomb on a spot where there were no explosives.

‘This is no good. I want to know if there is anyone else in position to intercept.’ His answer wasn’t long in coming. They were the last line of defence. If they failed the asteroid would hit the Earth.

The Captain searched the surface of the asteroid for a solution. It looked like the bomb would land on a small ridge that rose above the surface of the asteroid. On either side of the ridge, the spiders web laced across the surface of the asteroid. On the right side of the ridge there was a small depression that was in darkness.

‘Light me up that small depression. I want to see into it.’

The operator obeyed and he saw what he wanted to. Right at the bottom of the depression was a hole filled with alien explosives. Lines or wires stretched out from it in different directions.

‘We need to land it right inside that hole. Lower the bomb but disable the anchors.’

The bomb began to move towards the asteroid. It landed square on the ridge and remained motionless. The Captain tutted with frustration. ‘OK, pull it in about a meter.’ He had a little think about it. ‘Tell the men tending the wire to start pushing it from side to side.’

It took a few minutes but eventually the bomb began to swing a little.

‘OK, tell the men to standby. When I give the order to lower it, they are to jump out of the way.’

On the first try the bomb went down the wrong side of the ridge. On the second it stuck on top of it again. The third try saw the bomb go part way down the right side of the ridge, but not far enough. The Captain’s tunic was now soaked in sweat, right down his back.

He took a deep breath, ‘OK men, we are getting there. Let’s just try it again.’

It wasn’t until the seventh try that the bomb rolled far enough down into the small crater. The trouble was the bomb was lying on its side. He contemplated the problem.

‘Reel it in just a few centimetres at a time.’ They managed to get the bomb half upright. ‘Right. Fire anchor three and four.’ The two anchors fired into the rock. He knew this was a one time deal only. ‘Let’s see if they hold. Tighten up three and four and give the tether a little slack.’

Men shouted with relief as the bomb came upright. ‘Slacken up on the tether and pull more on three and four. I want to see what’s happening underneath the bomb.’

Millimetre by millimetre the bomb was pulled across the crater until it was directly over the explosives. ‘Fire anchor one and two.’

‘The bomb is secure sir.’

The Captain took a deep breath. ‘Release the tether and take us to firing distance.’

It took less than a minute. ‘Ladies and gentlemen, take a deep breath and pray to whatever damn god you please. Fire the bomb.’

The asteroid disappeared in a bloom of explosions and the crew jumped to their feet with a great roar of triumph. The Captain laughed out loud. He stood and the crew settled down. They watched him expectantly.

He looked down and pressed a button on the arm of his chair. ‘Crew of the Michael Collins. Our namesake may well not have walked on the moon during the Apollo Eleven mission. Many people don’t even know who he was. I am quite sure they will never forget him now. This ship that was named after him has just saved the planet Earth from an extinction level event. Well done everyone, I am very proud of you.’

Every member of the crew cheered him. He turned to the navigator when the noise abated a bit. ‘Get us the hell away from this debris cloud. Communications, let the world know we stopped the first asteroid.’

CHAPTER 53

Steven stared at the second asteroid. They were just in front of it, however to get into that position quickly enough they had lost their bomb. The tether could not take the strain and it had snapped. He felt despair creep up through his soul. The surface of the asteroid was pitted with a half dozen scorch marks where bombs had detonated but missed their mark. In one place, the web that connected the explosives had been cut by a bomb. Steven wasn’t sure that, even if they could detonate the asteroid, it would be smashed evenly.

Komoru caught up with the asteroid but she was too far away to be able to help. She hadn’t managed to get in front of it. A quick glance was all it took to see that she had also lost her bomb. Despite the warnings from the Michael Collins, no one had been able to place their bomb directly over one of the explosive devices on the surface.

Steven made his way aft. At the far end of Babes a small room had appeared. Colonel Howe was firing a pistol through a small opening in Babes’ shields. Steven could actually see the different layers of the shields that protected them. Babes was protesting dramatically at the abuse. Every time Howe fired, Steven could see the ripples in the shields.

‘This is highly dangerous Colonel. Can’t you see the distortion you are causing in her shields?’

Howe ignored him for a few seconds. Beaver, who was spotting with a large scope, shook his head. ‘No idea where they are going. They don’t seem to be hitting the surface of the asteroid.’

Howe sighed and unloaded the pistol. The magazine slipped into his hand and he cocked back the slide and looked inside the chamber. He eased springs and slid the pistol back into his holster.

‘I’m sorry Captain, Babes said this was about as big as a projectile as she could let through. We thought it was worth a try.’

‘I didn’t think you were going to try and discharge a dozen of them.’ Babes protested.

It brought a small smile to the men’s faces. ‘Any luck Captain?’ Beaver asked.

‘I’m lost Beaver, sorry.’

Another three men turned up: Matt McGuire, the ship’s Chief Engineer, Kelly and Charlie. Matt was carrying a long tube, Charlie what looked like a compressor with a large gas bottle and Kelly a box of grenades.

Matt rubbed his hands together. ‘Plan B gentlemen.’

‘I think its plan D, E or F.’ Steven mused.

‘No matter. We have come up with the idea of hurling grenades at it. We are going to use compressed air so there is no disruption to Babes’ shields.’

‘I didn’t say no disruption Matt, but a lot less than a bullet.’ Reminded Babes.

Steven stood out of the way as Matt set the device up. Kelly helped him aim it while the other three primed the grenades. It was quite a neat device. Kelly loaded the first grenade, which was placed inside a plastic form that materialised beside him. A pot of grease appeared and Kelly greased up the outside of the plastic form. He slid it into the tube with the ring-pull sticking out of the side. The ring-pull, or pin as some liked to call it, ran up a thin slit. Matt placed on the back end. When it was hard up against the grenade Kelly pulled the pin and Matt slid the breach on fully and locked it down.

Steven began to panic as Matt seemed to be taking his time. ‘Is that going to explode?’ He squeaked. The soldiers laughed.

‘The pin holds down the leaver sir.’ Matt explained. ‘When the leaver flips up it strikes the fuse, which burns for seven seconds. The grenade then explodes. You are completely safe until the leaver flips up.’

‘Sorry, didn’t realise that.’

‘You aren’t a soldier sir.’ Howe excused him.

Matt fired his home made cannon. The yellow form punched through the ship’s shields with barely a ripple. As it shot out of the end of the ship it began to spiral wildly.

‘Does anybody spot anything wrong?’ Charlie sniffed.

‘Yeah, the form hasn’t split.’ Beaver surmised.

Matt growled, ‘The damn grease I used has probably frozen. It’s also taking too long to reach the asteroid.’

When the form eventually hit the asteroid, it split in two. Every man was on his feet counting the seconds.

‘I’m at ten now.’ Charlie’s eyes zoomed in. ‘The leaver is still stuck down.’

Howe leaned forward. ‘Wait, you can see that?’

‘Aye.’

Howe shook his head. ‘Wish I had a pair of eyes like that.’

‘The oil on the grenade must have frozen as well.’ Matt grumbled. ‘Let’s change it out.’

The next grenade was sprayed with a new oil. It launched successfully. Just after leaving the ship the plastic form split apart, but about halfway to the asteroid the grenade shattered into a hundred pieces. The men sat dumbfounded.

‘What happened there?’ Kelly asked Matt.

Matt pondered it for a while before coming to a reasonable explanation. ‘Well... It’s minus two twenty below. The fuse burned and the detonator blew alright, but the metal casing and the explosives inside were so cold they just shattered when it went off.’

‘So what now?’ Steven asked.

‘We could get Babes to refill the grenade with explosives that will work.’ Howe suggested.

They tried that, but the detonator wasn’t sufficiently powerful enough to set off the explosives. They tried changing the detonator, but it was affected by the extreme cold as well. Kelly suggested using the explosives as a form and wrapping it round the detonator. Over the next few hours they exhausted every technique that they could think of. Electronic detonators were fried before they even left the ship.

‘What the hell is it going to bloody take?’ Steven eventually shouted in exasperation.

‘Why did the Michael Collins bomb work?’ Charlie asked.

Steven gave his head a little shake. ‘Everything was prepacked. The box the bomb was contained in was doubly insulated and actually heated to keep everything at about freezing point. There was only about twenty pounds of explosives aboard, the rest of the package was to make sure it worked.’

‘Can’t we replicate that in some way?’

‘No, we can’t open a hole that big in the shield.’

‘How big a hole can you make in the shield? Let’s build something based on that and shove it out.’

Eventually, after another few hours of playing around, they managed to open the shields a little wider. They began trying again but nothing worked. Charlie could see the asteroid was covered in explosives.

Babes came to a conclusion. ‘The only way to do this would be to send a bomb of the same size and dimensions as the original one through in pieces to be assembled on the surface of the asteroid. The electronics would not fry if they were inert. I could shield a battery to protect it, but again it would have to be removed from its protective container and assembled on the surface of the asteroid. As the placing of a Human being on the surface of the asteroid is impossible, then I have to come to the conclusion that the Earth is doomed.’

‘That hole is big enough to squeeze someone through, isn’t it?’ Howe asked.

‘Irrelevant.’ Steven growled. ‘Doesn’t matter what you do. We couldn’t get someone down to the surface.’

‘I could crash myself on to the surface.’ Babes suggested. ‘But there is no way I could evacuate any of you.’

The men fell silent. All bar one were thinking of the consequences. ‘I will put it to the crew.’ Steven decided.

‘Sit on your arse Stevie.’ Charlie reached over and shoved Steven down. ‘Could we generate a shield, like the one that protects us now, around a space suit Babes?’

‘No, it would have to made of an alloy, like the ship is made from.’

‘What about the alloy I am made out of Babes?’

She was silent for a moment. ‘What are you suggesting Charlie?’

‘You once told me that my skin was a metal alloy, didn’t you?’

‘Yes, but it is completely different to the kind of alloy that could hold a force field of the type required to keep you alive.’

‘What would it take to change it?’

‘Charlie!’

‘What would it take to change it?’ He asked firmly.

‘I could infuse your body with millions of nano bots. They could rise to the surface of your skin and generate a field to protect you. I would also have to upgrade your internal power plant and change your muscles at the molecular level. There is only one problem.’

‘What’s that?’

‘I don’t know if you would survive the process.’

‘How long have we got until this thing hits Earth?’

‘Three days and four hours.’

‘How long to change me?’

‘Two and a half days. I could do it in a few minutes, but that would definitely kill you.’

He turned to Steven. ‘You have two and a half days to make a new bomb that I can piece together on the surface of that asteroid. That means simple.’

‘Charlie, you could die.’ Steven looked lost.

‘What would I care? I will be dead. You should be worrying about what to do if it doesn’t bloody work. Babes is going to put me to sleep, I will never know. You, however, are going to have three and a half days to contemplate crashing this ship and everyone on it into that asteroid. Have fun.’

The soldiers laughed heartily at Charlie’s black humour while Steven could only gawp at his back as Charlie headed to the infirmary.

CHAPTER 54

Amanda Freeling staggered back from the creature who appeared from the floor. The blood drained from her face.

‘What is it?’ Charlie asked as he sat up.

‘Don’t look in a mirror.’

Charlie stood and did exactly as he was told not to do. His eyes had been replaced by a metal plate, yet he could see clearly enough. He gave himself a dunt on the side of the head. It made a clang. ‘Oh this is so cool.’

‘That is a joke?’ Amanda gasped.

‘Oh hell no.’

‘For God’s sake Charlie! You look like a... like a bloody tin man or something.’

It was the first time she had ever called him by his first name. ‘I think I look like a real cool robot. I often played at being a robot when I was a kid. This is way better.’

‘Bloody men!’ Was all she could think of to say.

‘Can you hear me Charlie?’

‘Yes I can Babes.’

‘How are you feeling?’

‘Very, very strange. I can’t even feel myself breathe.’

‘Every one of your organs is covered in nanites to protect them. You require very little oxygen. You can access your field generator by thinking about it. Please think about it now but do not activate it.’

A menu appeared before Charlie’s eyes. As he moved his head up and down the menus were highlighted. ‘Cool! How do I actually activate anything?’

‘Think of the word activate while highlighting the menu option. Think end to quit the menu.’

Charlie quit the menu. ‘OK, what’s next?’

‘Amanda has your space suit. Put it on. They are waiting for you. The shield will encase your suit, so you won’t lose it.’

Amanda helped him put it on then escorted him to the small room. They were all startled by his appearance.

Charlie snapped up an arm and pointed his hand at Steven. ‘Exterminate all Humans.’

Steven suddenly burst out laughing as he remembered their childhood. ‘You finally became a robot. Way cool man.’

‘I really need to get a selfie like this Stevie.’

Steven retrieved his phone and they took a few pictures. Now they were all laughing.

Matt spoiled the mood. ‘OK lads, stop pissing around. Charlie, get your arse over here and let’s see if you can build this thing.’

They spent an hour sorting out a few niggles as Charlie found the tools hard to grasp. Once he had put it together three times Matt decided he was ready.

‘We are going to lower you down first. That way you can unhook all the different parts.’ Matt told him.

‘Sounds fine to me.’

Matt hooked him up and they slid Charlie towards the opening. He had to push himself through the internal force-field, the one that held in all the air before he activated his shield. From there he had to lie on his back and propel himself out.

It took them ten minutes to lower him to the surface of the asteroid.

Charlie looked around. There were unexploded grenades and explosives everywhere. He didn’t see any point in wasting them so began to gather them up and place them around one of the black spots. Charlie inspected it. It was some kind of cap, no doubt with the explosives underneath.

The first part was lowered and Charlie dragged it over. Within an hour he had all the parts and had begun to assemble their bomb.

He had just finished when Babes’ voice sounded in his ear. ‘You have a little time left Charlie, could you inspect the damaged section while the bomb is heating up to operational temperature?’

‘OK Babes, guide me will you please?’

‘I will, be careful Charlie.’

It took him twenty minutes to reach the point where a Human bomb had gone off and cut the web. The two sections were about five meters apart. Charlie’s eyes scanned the broken end and a digital analysis lit up before his eyes.

‘It says it is highly conductive Babes. Will touching the two ends work?’

‘Tie a simple knot in them if you can Charlie. That will work.’

It took him a bit of time to find some slack, but he finally managed to stretch the two pieces and tie them together. He plodded back to where the tether lay and clipped himself back on. The bomb was ready to go. ‘OK, Get me off this damn rock.’

He had barely left the surface when the line snapped. He floated gently back down to the surface, the line following. ‘What the hell is going on Stevie?’

There was silence for a moment. ‘The line broke.’

‘Of course it bloody broke. Reel more down.’

Again Steven hesitated to answer. ‘There is no more, we lost most of it when it broke the first time. Charlie, we have to detonate that damn thing within a few hours.’

‘With me on it?’

‘Wait a moment.’

‘This day just isn’t getting any better.’ Charlie muttered to himself. Something popped into his mind. ‘Stevie. Make a jet pack.’

‘A what?’

‘A jet pack for God’s sake! I will take off and fly backwards out of the way. Make sure its damn fast.’

‘I got you Charlie. Hang on.’

Charlie was aware of how quickly the time was passing. Eventually something appeared in his vision. It was a large pack. He managed to get under it and caught it. Steven’s voice spoke in his ear. ‘Buckle it on Charlie. There is extra oxygen as well. Plug it into your suit. Your shield will form around it within a few seconds. The pack is strong enough to drop you out of light speed, and there is a strong homing beacon on it as well. Get yourself up to that ridge and fly straight backwards, don’t try to fly off it at an angle.’

‘Got it Stevie. It’s going to take me a while to reach that ridge.’

‘We know Charlie.’

‘If you have to blow it, then blow it. Understand?’

‘I do Charlie. We have no choice.’

‘Give me a countdown every ten minutes.’

Charlie didn’t hesitate for a second. If there had been any gravity he could have reached the ridge within a few minutes. In this weightless environment however, he had no real advantage.

On board the ship they had returned to their posts. The hole in the shields had been closed. Steven moved them off to a safe distance.

Matt was at his engineering station. ‘Charlie did a good job sir. Green lights, right across the board. Along with all of that explosives he stuffed round the bomb we have a really good chance of success.’

‘That may well be Matt. But we need to blow that damn thing up in the next hour and scan the debris field to see if there are any chunks large enough to harm the planet.’

Buzz stepped in. ‘The first one was pulverized, wasn’t it Stevie?’

‘It was, but there was still the odd large chunk.’

‘Yeah but we built those huge shield generators to protect Earth from the dust and debris.’

‘I personally think we were lucky with that one Buzz. There wasn’t anything bigger than a family sized car left of it. But if a chunk as large as a football field is left then it could punch through the shields and still cause devastation on Earth. We need time to evaluate the debris field and take action against any large pieces.’

‘But what action can we even take?’

‘Give it a nudge with our shields, just extend them if it is within range.’

Buzz scratched his head. ‘I thought that would kill us?’

‘If we tried to nudge something like the asteroid it would. If they are small enough we should be all right.’

They settled down to watch Charlie’s race. Matt continued to give him a countdown.

With fifteen minutes to go Charlie found himself at the foot of the ridge. There was a terrible heat emanating from his core; the new nanites had changed the density of his muscles and they were now working against him. He leapt as high as he could and grabbed a ledge. He was able to heave himself up.

Matt’s words kept him informed of the time he had left. ‘Five minutes Charlie. Four... Three...’

At three Charlie crested the rise, bent over and activated the jet pack.

‘Two minutes Charlie, punch it man.’

‘I am. Full throttle. As a matter of interest, am I accelerating or am I breaking?’

It took Matt a moment. ‘Uh... Yeah, you are already traveling at faster than light speed Charlie. You are accelerating in the opposite direction, so you are breaking mate.’

‘Right. Just wanted to clear that up.’

Charlie didn’t think he was going to clear the asteroid before it blew, but he didn’t take into account the fact that the asteroid was moving and he was accelerating away from it in the opposite direction. He had a wonderful bird’s eye view of the whole asteroid as it passed beneath him. He knew if he survived it would remain a wonder he would never forget.

As Matt counted down the last few seconds Charlie cleared the asteroid. He closed his eyes and cringed. He felt the blow and a huge increase in speed. A few seconds later he opened his eyes and looked around. There was nothing to be seen. No asteroid, no Babes, just himself, the stars, and the all-encompassing black.

CHAPTER 55

Captain Jean Wilson felt compelled to visit the infirmary. It was half an hour since a patrol managed to recover the body of her fellow countryman. After all, he did save the planet. Her Chief Medical Officer’s, ‘You really need to come and see this,’ had filled her with foreboding. James Andrew’s sense of humour centred on the macabre. She was sure that she was going to get an autopsy and an explanation on the desiccation of a body left floating about in space for weeks.

The body had no cover over it. The only thing removed were the helmet and the gloves. On the floor sat the oxygen tanks and jet pack. James was standing back from the body, studying it from a distance. Jean stopped beside him.

‘What the hell is that!’

‘I have no idea. It looks like a robot of some kind. I am unwilling to touch it until you have looked over it.’

She got a little closer and he stayed by her side. ‘How weird. What do you intend to do?’

‘Autopsy obviously. First I think I will X-ray him, then maybe an MRI scan.’

‘Are you a complete tit?’

The two jumped at the question. The figure on the bed groaned and tried to sit up. Charlie slumped back down and raised a hand to his head. ‘Bloody migraine.’

‘You’re alive!’ James spluttered. ‘There was no pulse, nothing.’

‘Who are you?’

‘Chief Medical Officer James Andrews.’

‘A CMO? Ye sure yer no a bloody quack?’

James was shocked. ‘No, I’m not a bloody quack.’

‘You sure? I’m no a medic, but I’m sure an MRI scanner is a bloody great magnet.’

‘We would take the bloody suit off first, Sergeant.’ James growled.

‘It’s no a suit. This is my skin. Stick me in one of those and all you’re going to be left with is my lovely soft centre. I’m also one of Steven Gordon’s crew. Right now the only thing keeping me alive is the nanites running round in what’s left of my bloodstream. You X-ray me and you will fry them, thus killing me.’

‘Aye well, we didn’t know you were alive.’ James sniffed.

‘You’re still an idiot. Sir.’

Jean almost smiled at Charlie’s hard-ass routine. ‘That’s enough Sergeant.’

‘And you are?’

Jean coughed a laugh. ‘I happen to be Captain of this vessel.’

‘My apologies ma’am. I should be a little more grateful. After all, you did rescue me.’

There wasn’t a note of honesty in that whole statement, Jean thought. She decided to get away while she still could. She moderated her tone and hoped her false sincerity would fool the Sergeant more than his had fooled her.

‘You have been through a traumatic experience Sergeant. I will leave to let you rest.’

The head turned towards them for the first time. ‘I recognise your voice.’

She hesitated. ‘I am sure we have never met.’

‘May I ask your name ma’am?’

‘Jean Wilson.’

Jean watched in shock as the man struggled to sit up then tried to slide onto his feet. It was the fumbling of a blind man. He almost fell a number of times but eventually he stood at attention. Even if he was facing slightly away from her.

‘May I apologise for my foul humour ma’am. And to your doctor as well. I must be on the Sir William Wallace.’

Jean was now intrigued. ‘Yes, you most certainly are.’

Charlie began to sway and they both rushed forward.

‘Sit down before you fall down man.’ James ordered.

Charlie’s hand suddenly leapt to his chest. ‘Wait, have I got my clothes on?’

Jean burst out laughing. ‘Yes Sergeant. We have only removed your gloves and helmet.’

Charlie sighed with relief. ‘Oh thank God.’ He reached round and groped for the bed.

Jean frowned. ‘Are you blind Sergeant?’

‘As a bat ma’am. Don’t worry though. Once I get back to my ship she will take care of that.’

‘I will try not to.’ Jean was actually sincere, as well as curious. ‘So you have heard of me then?’

‘The only Scottish female pilot to become an ace. Oh aye, I’ve heard of you, and admired you. I have read a couple of dozen different accounts of your actions. I have even watched that short documentary. May I ask a personal question ma’am?’

‘I think so.’

‘Were those your words or was it a speech made up for you? When you were interviewed after getting your medal, I mean.’

Jean smiled. ‘You are the first person to actually ask me that. So I will tell you. They were my words. Took me a fortnight to draft them.’ Charlie seemed to relax and lay back down. ‘Why do you ask?’

Charlie took a deep breath. ‘There is no glory in the taking of another life. Only sorrow and loss for those who have lost a loved one. Yet one can take solace from the fact that they may well have saved many lives.’

Jean was speechless for a moment. ‘You memorised my speech. I am impressed.’

‘No, not really ma’am. Just those few lines. It’s not that I memorised them. The simple fact is they just seemed to stay with me. If you don’t mind ma’am, I need to put myself back to sleep. My brain has suffered some damage from sustained lack of oxygen and the nanites are trying to repair it.’

‘Painful.’

‘Very.’

‘Can you take painkillers?’ James asked.

‘No, my internal organs are encased in metal and I couldn’t digest anything.’

It was six days before Babes was able to catch up with them. In that time Jean was a frequent visitor to the infirmary. Charlie woke up every day for an hour to talk to her and then put himself back to sleep. The nanites in his body had become dormant for the most part as they ran out of energy. She realised he was becoming weaker and weaker with each passing day.

Charlie was still sleeping on the day Babes arrived; Jean almost collided with Amanda Freeling as she stormed on board the battlecruiser. The two women immediately sized one another up. Amanda didn’t like what she saw. ‘Captain Wilson.’

‘Yes.’

‘I’m Doctor Freeling.’ She lifted a hand to reveal a metal cylinder. ‘I need to get this to Sergeant Murison right away.’

‘This way Doctor.’

They walked in silence for a short distance. ‘Do you know if he has been awake much Captain?’

‘Just for an hour every day.’

‘Bloody idiot. It’s no wonder he is so low on power.’

Jean raised an eyebrow but kept her peace.

Amanda stormed into the sickbay, whipped back the sheets and ripped open the army pyjamas he was wearing. She lay the cylinder on his stomach and waited. After a few moments they saw the area began to shimmer. The cylinder began to disappear.

Jean was fascinated. ‘What is that?’

‘A power pack.’ Amanda panned an instrument she had taken from her pocket over Charlie and shook her head. She closed her eyes. Seconds later they both simply vanished.

James appeared. ‘I hear his doctor is here.’ He frowned. ‘Where are they?’

Jean shook her head. ‘I don’t know. They just vanished.’

She rushed up to the bridge. ‘Where is that damn ship?’

Her communications officer swung round in her chair. ‘They just left ma’am. Captain Gordon said thank you once more.’

‘Where are they now? Navigation, do you still have them?’

‘No ma’am, they jumped to faster than light speed and are gone.’

‘What direction?’

‘Towards Earth ma’am.’

Jean felt a moment’s loss. ‘Let’s get back on station.’

‘Yes ma’am.’

Jean sat back on her chair. She had enjoyed her chats with the strange, blind, robot-like man. She had hoped to see him at least once after his ship had changed him back. The headaches hadn’t left him and he had been in constant pain the whole time they had talked, yet he seemed to have enjoyed those chats as much as she had. It was great to talk to a man who didn’t just address her boobs all night.

CHAPTER 56

For the next three months Babes and Ico helped patrol the area between the barrier and Earth. Every available fighting ship was on patrol constantly. Every probe they sent through the barrier was located and destroyed by the enemy. Three times they slipped across looking for signs of enemy activity, and there was plenty of it. They couldn’t find any more staging areas but it was far too dangerous to stay in the region for any length of time.

News began to filter in from the Modloch sources. The Albany were having problems trying to purchase a new mining platform capable of drilling the precision holes in the asteroids. As time passed they became more frantic. A week before Earth joined the federation over a thousand asteroids were slung across the barrier.

Steven investigated and discovered Albany warships towing asteroids and using a slingshot manoeuvre to send them across the barrier. The technique wasn’t very accurate, but the Earth Defence Force was kept busy pulverizing them.

The crew of the Michael Collins distinguished themselves again by discovering the location of the Albany probe and destroying it. The discovery of the probe seemed to take the heart out of the Albany attacks.

Earth’s President was called to the central planets where the federation held court. He was asked to provide evidence to support the Human excursion to destroy the asteroids. The evidence was overwhelming. The Albany and their allies were ordered to cease hostilities. A few days later the changes to the law needed for the Humans to gain entry was granted and Earth became the youngest member of the federation.

The bombardment of asteroids ceased and both Steven and Komoru journeyed across the barrier on a reconnaissance mission. They found nothing. For two days they searched the entire area. Only commercial traffic could be found.

The two ships were recalled to Earth where the crew took a well-earned rest, Steven and Komoru went to her home in Japan. There were big celebrations which they had to attend, and medals galore. They crew, however, were left for the most part alone. Kelly visited Scotland and met up with Charlie. They spent their last week with a pair of crazy Germans in Hamburg.

CHAPTER 57

Babes and Ico swung out of the dockyard together. They travelled in tandem until they reached the Kuiper belt. Six huge blocks of stone, each a hundred miles long, fifty wide and a mile deep, lay side by side. On top of the first one was a large metal structure, and to the side in a row, all of the engines they had stolen from the Albany.

Steven and Komoru beamed themselves into the structure. Despite being warned of their imminent arrival Keven Rattray still jumped out of his skin at their appearance.

‘Man, I almost shit myself.’ He spluttered.

Steven laughed out loud and Komoru hid her laugh behind a delicate hand.

‘Sorry about that Kevin.’ Steven reached out and Kevin shook his hand. ‘How are things progressing?’

‘Not bad Steven. It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be to find the right types of rocks. Three of these baby’s came from the same asteroid.’

‘Wow, that must have been big.’

‘It was, aye. There’s no much left of it now though. We are drilling reinforcement into them now.’ He reached over and switched on a screen. ‘Sit down, I’ll give you the tour.’

He tried to pat down his dirty boiler suit before he sat down at the terminal. The screen came to life. A see-through section of one of the large platforms popped onto the screen. Kevin manipulated it. Thousands of red lines ran through it. ‘That is the reinforcing we have to do.’

‘Is all that necessary?’ Steven bemoaned.

‘Federal regulations. That treaty didn’t come on its own you know.’

‘Well, they have more idea about it than we do.’

‘Exactly, that’s why I am doing it right. Your mum sent out a crew about two weeks ago and they have been harvesting metal from the Kuiper Belt to make the wire. They almost have enough for us to do the first one. Installation will begin as soon as testing on the wire is complete. Once we have done that we will install the engines and set off for the great barrier. Two at each end. The first two to accelerate it to light speed and the two at the other end to brake it when we get there. We will dig a hole two hundred feet deep, which we will pack with all the materials that we need to complete construction. While on the journey the machines will prefabricate everything we need. We will follow in a freighter. On that freighter we will have everything we need to seed it and the trees to plant on it when we arrive.’

‘Once across the barrier we will brake the damn thing and be picked up by the Modloch tugs, who will tow us at sub-light speeds to position on the other side of the sun from the Modloch planet.

‘Once we have slowed down to sub-light speeds we will be able to begin erecting the structure. At some point after it is complete it will be inspected. If approved then we will seed it and plant the trees. It will be inspected again. At that point a fast freighter should arrive from Earth with the bees. That’s if everything goes according to plan.’

‘If everything goes according to plan...’ Steven mused. ‘How are your crew? Are they going to be happy to see this thing through to the end?’

‘Ye mean a trip to a different solar system, meeting aliens for the first time, and a big enough pay packet to retire on? Och, I think they are just fine Steven.’

Steven laughed. ‘I just hope you all enjoy the experience.’ He pointed to the picture. ‘Are those water cisterns?’

‘Aye it sure is. There is plenty water and ice up here, we won’t need to lug it up from Earth. We tested it. You couldn’t get water any purer if you tried. We are still going to put it through a purifier before we add it to the cisterns though, no point in taking chances.’

‘I can’t fault you there Keven. What is your time scale?’

‘It’s going to take a year. By then we should be orbiting the Modloch planet with all six bio-domes. I’m not in charge of finding the plants, trees or bees though. I am just assuming they are on track as well.’

‘They are, don’t worry about it. We spent a few days before we left going round everyone.’

Kevin’s radio crackled to life. He answered it briefly. ‘I’m sorry Steven, I need to go.’

‘Us too.’ Steven stood and shook his hand. Komoru bowed and Kevin returned it. ‘We will see you when you reach the other side.’

‘Look forward to it. You can show me the sights of the Modloch planet and buy me a beer.’

‘Love to.’ They stood back and a few seconds later vanished.

CHAPTER 58

Charlie found he had finally been accepted by the inner circle. Beaver and Howe now treated him with the same respect as they did the other soldiers in the team. The Scottish contingent had always treated him with respect because both Tapper and Cookie had known him before they had joined the SAS. As for the American contingent, only Lewis had really taken a liking to him.

Charlie and Lewis watched the two officers leave the canteen.

‘Dey is cool wit you now Charlie.’

‘Aye, I noticed. Why the sudden thaw?’

‘You proved yourself to dem man.’

‘Didn’t realise I needed to.’

‘Yeah, but you not one of us, you’re a regular grunt.’

‘So is Kelly.’

‘Kelly got more experience than all of us Charlie, you know that. That’s why everybody respect him.’

‘Aye true.’

‘Thing wit you is, you ain’t one of us. Yeah sure, Tapper and Cookie know you, they say you fine. But we don know, and what made it worse is the Captain don say you’re one of us, and have to take orders from Beaver or Colonel Howe. You just do what you want around here.’

‘Been kinda waiting for someone to tell me what to do.’

‘Yup, typical grunt.’

Charlie laughed. ‘Yeah, I suppose. It is a little disorientating at first though.’

‘Yeah, but you got the message. Stepped up to the plate. We been talking. Gonna take you through special forces training.’

Charlie shrugged. ‘What’s the point? It’s not like any of you could outrun me. Physically I am even stronger than you.’

Lewis thought that was hilarious. ‘Yeah we ain’t gonna put you through any of that shit. We gonna give you the weapons training and the knowledge.’

‘Oh! Right, yeah I’d love that man.’

‘Nine am tomorrow morning at the armoury. I got you for bombs and devices.’

‘Look forward to that Lewis, thanks.’

‘You like to blow shit up?’

‘Was that actually a real question?’ The two laughed. ‘So what swung it for me in the end? You know, getting accepted by the boss.’

‘You saved everyone’s ass man.’

‘That ain’t it.’

‘Yeah, but you didn’t kick up a stink when you never got any recognition for it either.’

Charlie thought it over. ‘Stevie knows the last thing I want is attention drawn to myself.’

‘Yeah we know that. Ain’t quite what it’s about Charlie. We know you could walk into a shit storm of fire and come out clean, dey bullets just bounce off your white hide. But when the chips were down an you found youself on dat asteroid wit no way back, you never gave up man. Send me down a jet pack. Man, we all laughed at that. Not at the time though. Didn’t think you were going to make it Charlie.’

‘Neither did I. When that shock wave hit me I seriously thought I was a goner. Punched me right out of faster than light speed.’

‘Yeah man, and nowhere near where the Captain thought you would be either.’

‘I figured that out myself. When I looked round everything was gone. Thought you lot would have figured I got caught in the explosion and vaporised.’

‘Babes knew you got away, her scanners would have picked up something. How did you survive so long?’

‘I was more machine than man, I had internal menus and everything. Found one that would lower my oxygen to a minimum and put me to sleep. Set it to wake me if the oxygen levels were returned to normal.’

‘Wuz you scared man?’

‘Funnily enough no. I felt at peace.’

‘Yeah, I know the feeling. Well, gotta go before we split.’

‘Catch you later Lewis.’

Charlie was almost finished his coffee when Amanda turned up. She came over and looked down her nose at him. ‘A little bird tells me you took a trip to Germany with Kelly. Visit the Reeperbahn did we?’

‘Stayed at a couple of friends of his who own a bakery.’

‘Yes and we all know what’s above the bakery, don’t we.’

Charlie sniffed at her. ‘You know, if you were the owner of a formula one racing team, and you had a driver who had just returned from a serious accident, would you throw him into the seat of your brand new shiny red multimillion pound Ferrari? Or would you stick him in the old banger for a few warm up laps, you know, until he got his nerve back?’

Amanda rolled her eyes at him and turned away slowly. She took a few steps, hesitated for a second, then walked out. She hadn’t said a word but her mind had been buzzing. Charlie merely smiled.

The two ships separated and travelled at top speed towards the great barrier. They weren’t heading for the Modloch home world, instead they were heading for the third Modloch planet. The Emperor had finally began the tour of his empire. Before Steven could start exploring the galaxy, his role of ambassador had to be endorsed. He also had to pick up his honour guard.

A week before they reached the barrier, they were forced to make a small detour to pick up a couple of passengers.

Commander John Logan and Commander Alfie Lloyd sat at their ease in the officers’ lounge. Beside them sat their bags. Word came down from the bridge that Steven Gordon’s ship had docked, but they had to wait a little while longer for his ship to prepare accommodation for them that wouldn’t leave them blind. That morning their squadrons had given them a hearty farewell and the officers had got them blind drunk the evening before. A good blast of oxygen this morning had sorted the hangovers.

The Captain hadn’t been there the evening before but she had taken them into the office that morning. She had thanked them for all that they had done. Logan had taken a chance and asked about a transfer. She had told them that they did not normally do advanced fighter training, so a transfer would be a waste of their talent. Logan was still quite upset about it.

Steven found his way to the officers’ mess. ‘A pleasure to meet you again gentlemen.’ He was carrying two boxes and had to put them down to shake their hands.

‘The honour is ours sir.’ Logan reassured him.

‘I am sorry about the delay, but we have to prepare quarters that won’t blind you. We also have to convert the corridor between your quarters and the mess hall, along with the mess hall itself.’

‘That’s too much trouble sir.’

Steven laughed. ‘No it isn’t commander. Trust me. I have to go see the Captain now. I just wanted a quick word. I will catch you both later.’

Steven then followed his escort to the Captain’s office. He was shown straight in. What he didn’t expect was the frosty reception.

‘Captain Gordon I presume.’

It took a moment for Steven to get over the shock. He shook it off and smiled. ‘Captain Wilson, a pleasure to finally meet you after hearing so much about you.’

The stern look slipped slightly. She had to admit he had got over her looks pretty quickly. ‘From whom?’

‘Your greatest fan I believe: Charlie. He told me all about you and how you took an hour each day to talk to him. I would personally like to thank you for finding my friend, and these are from Charlie as his thank you.’ He piled them onto her desk. She ignored them.

‘I am not very happy with you Captain Gordon. In fact, I am furious. We may lag a little behind the times here, but it is blatantly obvious that the man who actually saved Earth, and who almost died in the process, wasn’t even mentioned in dispatches. In fact, according to official records you managed to plant your bomb on the asteroid. I know for a fact that your tether broke as you accelerated too quickly to light speed. Give me one reason why I shouldn’t make a formal complaint.’

Steven’s smile slipped. ‘Ah! I’m afraid that’s how Charlie wants it.’

She stood. ‘Really? Then why don’t we go ask him?’

‘He uh... he isn’t expecting you.’

‘I want to know what the hell is going on. He doesn’t so much as get a mention in dispatches, and then you whip him away from under our noses without so much as a by your leave. I want to see him and I want to see him now.’

Steven raised his hands. ‘I apologise. He did want to see you when he knew we were going to meet but I refused him permission. I was only expecting to be here a few minutes. We are on a tight schedule.’

‘Untighten it then.’ Her tone was uncompromising.

Steven closed his eyes. ‘He will meet you at the airlock in ten minutes. He is undergoing training at the moment.’

‘Ten minutes.’ She sat back down and looked at the parcels. ‘Did you say these were from him?’

‘You may call him Charlie, if you wish.’

‘Do you?’

‘We were childhood friends. He doesn’t call me sir or Captain, even when I’m kicking his arse.’

It brought the first flicker of a smile to her face. ‘You like him?’

‘Very much.’

‘What kind of a man is he?’

Steven shook his head. ‘Do you have a spare week?’ Now she smiled and reached for the parcels. ‘I think he slipped a note in with one when he thought he wasn’t going to get to meet you again.’

‘I always judge a man by the gifts he buys me. Can you guess the kinds of gifts I normally get?’

‘Call me Steven, please.’

Her eyes flicked up. ‘Maybe later.’

Steven shrugged. ‘I would imagine the gifts you receive would be... diamonds and pearls.’

‘I’m not old enough to receive pearls yet, at least I hope I’m not. But diamonds certainly. I also receive a lot of lingerie. These are from men who hope to win me out on a date. I have always returned them. Many of them were from married men. To those I sent the gifts to their wives.’

‘Ouch!’

‘Do you sympathize with them?’

‘Not in the slightest.’

‘I wonder what kind of gifts a man who has never seen me would buy me. This is a novelty for me.’

‘I actually advised him to buy you some jewellery and perfume.’ Steven looked up to avoid her eyes. ‘Needless to say he ignored me. Charlie has peculiar ideas sometimes.’

‘You don’t say.’ She unwrapped the smallest box and a note fell out of a fold in the paper. It was a large wooden case with her name, rank and medals stencilled in gold on the front. A key was taped to the top. She peeled it off and inserted it into the lock. On lifting the lid she found a piece of foam and moved it. She almost choked at what was underneath. ‘OH MY GOD!’ She exclaimed.

Steven rolled his eyes.

Jean took out the Desert Eagle pistol. It was so blue it was almost black. Intricate scroll work was inlaid with silver. The handle was chequered ebony and contoured to fit her hands. Which it did, beautifully. Along the top of the slide her name and rank was etched in silver. There was a red dot on the foresight and the rear sight had green dots. They seemed to glow.

‘I knew he should have gone with the perfume.’ Steven smirked. Jean barely glanced at him; he didn’t notice the gleam in her eye. She lifted it and aimed it at something on the wall. Laying it back in the case, she picked up the small laser sights. Grooves were cut on the left side below the slide for it. She laid them back down and took out one of the four magazines that were loaded. She depressed the top round. They were full.

She lay everything back in the case, plucked a tissue from a box and wiped the gun oil from her hands. She found the folded piece of paper and opened it.

‘Dear Captain Wilson,

Please accept this gift as a small token of my appreciation. I had little hope of surviving the ordeal. To not only survive but to be rescued by one of my all-time heroes was more than I could ever have expected. I also wish to thank you for the time you took to talk to me each day. I will cherish those memories for the rest of my life. Thank you.

I remember you told me how much you enjoyed pistol shooting and that you had taken the junior officer trophy while in training. You also told me that your personal weapon was a Browning nine millimetre.

It is something that has bothered me ever since. I have fought some of these aliens in hand to hand combat and have met many more. In my professional opinion as an infantry soldier, that Browning just doesn’t have enough stopping power. This does. It is a shortened version of the Desert Eagle, designed specifically for female shooters. It isn’t quite as accurate at longer ranges as the full length version, however it is probably more than enough for fighting aboard a space ship.

I sincerely hope that you will accept this gift in the manner it is offered. I hope you never have to use it in anger. If you do and it saves your life, or that of any others around you, then I will feel fully vindicated in my choice of gifts.

I think the only real problem you will have with it is ammo. I know the yanks use them a lot and, as we are all one big defence force now, it may be as simple as requisitioning some. Good luck with that anyway. There is some spare rounds in the gun belt. A cleaning kit is included, hidden under the foam.

I was going to hold on to this until we reached the great barrier then send it back to you through military channels. However, our rendezvous has given me this opportunity to pass it to you a little earlier. I am simply gutted that I’m not actually going to be able to give them to you personally. Life in the military sometimes sucks.

Yours sincerely,

Sgt C Murison.’

She lay the letter down, tore open the bigger of the parcels and took out the gun belt. The leather was supple and dyed almost the same blue as the pistol. She studied the intricate tooling and found her rank, name, and the name of the her ship woven into it. A dozen shiny .50 calibre rounds studded the belt. On the holster was a picture of the Sir William Wallace.

She stood slowly and Steven thought she was going to blow her top. ‘I can always have it disposed of discreetly if you wish.’

Her eyes flicked at him again. Steven was confused when she began to strap the belt on. She tied down the holster, plucked the Desert Eagle from its case, checked the breach was clear, eased springs and then slapped in a magazine. She slid the Desert Eagle into its holster as if she had done it a thousand times before.

At the far end of her office was a full length mirror. She posed in it for a few seconds with a big stupid grin on her face before grabbing her cap from her desk. ‘Let’s go.’

She got more than a few looks and admiring glances as they walked towards the airlock. For once the men weren’t looking at her boobs; it made her smile all the more. Steven was confused and she knew it. When she reached the airlock she stopped.

‘For your information Captain Gordon, I have never received such a beautiful gift before. I will not be returning it.’

‘Oh!’ He scratched his head. ‘Alright.’

‘You look confused.’

‘I have to admit to not being very well-versed in buying gifts for ladies. Komoru did tell me that if I bought her one she would shoot me with it.’

‘Different folks, different strokes.’

‘Aye you’re not kidding. Be prepared for a very bright light. You won’t be able to see much of anything. Charlie is waiting on the other side.’

They stepped through and Jean’s hand immediately came up to shield her eyes. Someone caught her wrist. ‘This way ma’am. The canteen has already been altered. We can talk there.’

‘Is that you Sergeant?’

‘Aye ma’am it’s me.’

‘You sound different.’

‘Hardly surprising. You will see in a moment.’

She managed to get her wrist free and grabbed his hand. Her heart began to flutter a little. It was the first time Charlie had been able to hear her thoughts. All the time he had been on board her ship the migraines had prevented him from hearing anyone’s.

He guided her through to the canteen. She blinked as she reached it and her eyes focused. ‘Oh! He is quite ordinary looking.’ Was the first thought that went through her mind. Charlie switched it off and let go of her hand.

‘Would you like a quick coffee ma’am?’

‘Yes please, two sugars.’

She followed him to the coffee machine. ‘You look totally different.’

‘Hardly surprising. My body was encased in metal the last time you saw me.’

‘That is true.’

‘Catch you later Charlie,’ Cookie shouted as he left the canteen.

Charlie waved. ‘They are giving us a little privacy.’

‘Do we need it?’

‘Steven ordered it.’

‘Did he! How?’

‘We all have neural links and can talk to each other with our minds. No words necessary.’

‘I get it.’

Charlie suddenly grinned. ‘You like it, don’t you?’ He looked down at the pistol.

It took her a moment. ‘Yes I do. It is the nicest gift I have ever received.’

Charlie frowned. ‘I somehow doubt that. Let’s sit down.’ They took a seat and Charlie sipped a coffee. ‘I believe you have some concerns you wish to discuss.’

She took a deep breath. ‘You should receive recognition for what you did.’

‘I don’t want it.’

‘Why on Earth not?’

‘Because I am trying to keep my head below the radar.’

Jean shook her head. ‘I don’t understand.’

‘I know. Give me a moment to gather my thoughts.’ It was a simple case of how much to tell her. He pulled up one of his sleeves. ‘Please touch my skin and tell me what you feel.’ She looked concerned. ‘Don’t worry, I’m not being a pervert.’

‘OK.’ She touched his arm. ‘Well, you have no hair. But your skin is soft.’ Her frown suddenly deepened and she snatched her hand back. ‘It feels funny.’

‘That’s because it isn’t skin. It is actually an alloy.’

She shook her head. ‘Sorry?’

Charlie took a deep breath. ‘The truth is, I am barely Human anymore. When I was a young lad, I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see. Something cooked up by spooks that killed a lot of people. I reported it but it was buried. During the Albany campaign I ran into those people again. I was stupid enough to bring up the past. They decided to tidy up the loose ends, and used their influence to grab me. Then they systematically tortured me. Steven and his guys rescued me. Trouble was, by the time they did, there was very little left of me. They pretty much chopped off everything they could without killing me.

‘My life was saved by this ship. The only trouble was she had to replace about seventy per cent of my body and organs. Maybe more. The arm you were touching is artificial. So is the other one. All my limbs in fact. So are my ears, my eyes. I am more machine than man. Human skin just doesn’t cut it I’m afraid. It couldn’t take the stresses or the heat my new muscles can generate. It is how I managed to managed to complete my last mission. The ship filled me with nanites. They attached themselves to my skin and gave me an outer metal layer that was able to generate a shield.

‘That’s pretty much all there is to it. There is a few benefits to being like this. I am capable of enormous feats of strength. I can run faster than a cheetah, see better than an eagle. My biggest fear is that the type of people who tortured me might find out about my abilities.’

‘You mean spies?’

‘Aye, them and their kind. I just don’t want to come to anyone’s attention ma’am. I hope you now understand.’

‘How many people know?’

‘About my full abilities, very few. About some of my abilities, maybe a dozen. Most are members of this crew.’

Jean felt an upwelling of emotion and tears sprang to her eyes. ‘I understand now. I am so sorry.’

‘Don’t be.’

‘How do you cope?’

Charlie looked towards the ceiling for inspiration. ‘Day by day, a little bit at a time.’

She wiped away a tear. ‘I’m sorry. For crying.’ She hesitated to ask her next question. ‘You didn’t seem very impressed when we first picked you up. Were you hoping to die out there?’

‘A part of me maybe. It was so beautiful you know. Floating out there alone amongst the stars. I felt so at peace, for the first time in a very long time. I thought, what a beautiful place to die. No bones mouldering in a six foot hole in the ground. No dank and dark earth pressing down on me. Just endlessly drifting through the universe, and maybe one day, eventually, becoming a part of it.’

Jean got slowly to her feet, tears now streaming down her face. She plucked a hankie from her pocket, wiped her eyes, and forced a smile. ‘Your secret is safe with me.’

‘Thank you ma’am.’ Charlie stood. ‘I will escort you back to your ship.’

He offered his hand and without hesitation she grasped it. ‘You know your photographs don’t do you justice ma’am.’

‘How so Sergeant?’

‘Your photographs merely make you look beautiful. Up close and personal, you are a force of nature.’

Jean thought it over. ‘I have never been described as a force of nature before, but I think I quite like it. It certainly makes a change from the normal remarks.’

‘I can imagine.’

‘You don’t seem to be affected the way most men are by me.’ She ventured.

‘You mean ogling, spitting and stuttering.’

Jean laughed and shielded her eyes as they advanced down the corridor. ‘Yes pretty much.’

‘Well, I am probably older and hopefully more mature than most of the men you meet. Besides that, you’re not really my type.’

Her head snapped round. ‘Oh my God, are you gay?’

He felt her hand slacken. ‘Oh hell no. Honestly!’

‘Yes, OK. You don’t look the type. So what is your type then?’

‘Petite, raven haired and doe eyed.’

‘Oh no! Not one of them. The helpless ones. A woman that makes you feel more manly.’

Charlie grinned, ‘Yup, that’s me.’

‘Appeals to your protective nature.’

‘Yup, they make me feel really, really good.’

She laughed. ‘Well, at least you’re forthright and honest about it. But you just told me that I was a force of nature. That doesn’t quite compute. I am about as far away as you could possibly get from one of those women.’

‘There is no denying that. However I admired you long before I met you in person. When I did meet you I couldn’t see you, so I wasn’t aware of your full bodied figure, shall we say. I simply came to admire you even more for the time and care you took to make sure I was alright. I used to really enjoy our daily chats. And I can’t deny that you are one hell of an attractive woman.’

‘Having to reassess the kind of women you are attracted to Sergeant?’

‘No, not really ma’am. You are not only out of my rank but well out of my league as well. I shall simply admire you from afar, as befitting a junior rank.’

They reached the air lock and he let go of her hand. She turned and looked into his eyes. ‘It is so hard to believe they are not real.’

‘The colour is mine. That’s it.’

‘I wonder what they can see.’ Her voice had become a bit dreamy.

Charlie leaned forward and whispered into her ear. ‘You would be surprised at what I can actually see.’ He stood upright with a cheeky smile on his lips.

She caught his meaning and her breath. Colour raced up her cheeks. ‘No.’ She breathed. Charlie’s smile simply broadened. She took a step back, covering her bosom. ‘Just when I thought I had met a real gentleman.’

‘I never said I did.’ He countered.

That caught her. ‘I think it’s maybe time I took my leave.’

Charlie stood to attention and saluted. Jean returned his salute. ‘Good luck in the future Sergeant.’

‘And you ma’am. By the way, you look really hot with that Desert Eagle strapped to your leg.’

She couldn’t help the laugh and the smile. ‘Suits me does it?’

Charlie grinned. ‘You have no idea how the sight stirs the blood of a fighting man.’

She burst out laughing and gave him a half whirl. ‘On that note, let us depart.’

‘Oh man a´ peeps!’ Charlie breathed when she was out of earshot.

A few seconds later he detected a presence behind him. He turned to find the doctor scowling at Jean’s retreating back. Her unfriendly eyes caught Charlie’s. ‘What on Earth did she want?’

Charlie raised an eyebrow at her tone. ‘She had some concerns about the way I was being treated.’

‘Oh! How so?’

‘She thought there was a lack of recognition for my part in the asteroid mission.’

‘Well I hope you put her straight.’

‘I most certainly did.’

‘Good. What did you tell her?’

‘None of your damn business.’

Her jaw dropped. ‘Don’t you dare speak to me like that Sergeant.’

Charlie leaned over. ‘If you want to know, then ask me in a civil manner, and when you are in a better mood. Ma’am. What are you sneaking about for anyway?’

Amanda ground her teeth together. ‘I am here to escort two Americans to their quarters. Here they come now.’

‘I will leave you to it then. Good afternoon.’

CHAPTER 59

The remainder of the journey was uneventful. A few weeks later they reached the rest of the fleet at the third Modloch planet. The Emperor was wining and dining the important officials, rewarding them with nice homes on board his city ship and punishing those who had not done well or had committed some crime.

The two ships came into orbit around the planet, which looked very similar to the Modloch home world. The moment they appeared the orders came flooding in. The two Americans who had been made welcome during their stay were picked up by a shuttle. Steven and Komoru had to board the same shuttle, which was going to take them to see Admiral Baxter and the President.

The Americans were dropped off first and the shuttle continued on to the fleet’s command carrier. They only had to wait a few minutes to be seen.

The President’s office closely resembled the oval office. He immediately got up and shook both their hands. He even bowed to Komoru.

He sat back down with a great smile on his face. ‘I am so happy to see both of you back. Congratulations to both of you for the part you played in keeping Earth safe. You deserved every accolade you received. Are your crew all fine?’ They assured him they were.

‘We are now moving on to a different phase. As you know, our bid to become full members of the federation has been ratified. Although we as yet do not receive the same benefits as the rest of the alliance, and certain conditions have been placed against us, the Earth itself is now safe. The dangers now come from those outside of the federation. We are still at war with the Albany. If they catch you, they will kill you and turn you into paste for serum. There is still a bounty on any human caught.

‘We are not allowed to attack their home world or they ours. If our forces are engaged in anything more than a skirmish then there may well be a ruling made against both of us. They don’t like members of the federation fighting with each other. As a probationary member we need to avoid all such clashes. We are not there yet.

‘In a few weeks we have to send a small flotilla to join the federation’s fleet. While they are part of that fleet they will come under command of the federation and will not be allowed to take orders from anyone else. Communications shall also be scrutinized. They are allowed to keep us appraised of some aspects of what they are doing but not all.

‘This doesn’t really concern either of you. However, I believe it is something you should be aware of. Within the federation fleet Albany and Human will have to work side by side. Albany who work for the federation have all the powers of the federation but are not allowed to attack you. I have been assured that they will not. All members of every crew have to swear an oath to the service of the federation during their tour of service. A crew member of any ship can ask to join the federation forces permanently. We have no right to stop them doing so. The core of federation forces is made up by individuals who have done exactly that. They serve and protect the federation. They consider themselves the elite and expect to be treated with respect. You most certainly need to be aware of that. I am sending you both a complete information pack. You and your crews need to be made aware of everything in these packs.

‘Both of you are going to be goodwill ambassadors for Earth. As such you both need to be at the top of your games; as will your entire crews.

‘In a few days’ time, when it can be arranged, you will both undergo a formal induction. This induction will take a number of weeks and will have an exam at the end of it. You both need some form of higher education certificate from a formal institute, but I believe you have both gained one, haven’t you?’

Steven answered for both of them. ‘Yes sir, we both have advanced navigational certificates from the Modloch Royal Academy of Science.’

‘That is perfectly acceptable, well done both of you. What we aren’t going to do is to allow you to swan about the universe on your own initiative. That’s a no go. You will receive official invitations. Travel permissions and permits have to be arranged.

‘Remember, you are only goodwill ambassadors and not official ambassadors. You will not have to undergo the pomp and ceremony they do. However, you will be expected to undertake certain ceremonies. These you will learn about in the next few weeks. Do you have a ceremonial guard?’

‘Komoru already has hers sir, and mine should be arriving about now.’

‘Excellent. The information you need is being sent to your ships. Good luck to both of you.’

CHAPTER 60

‘What are you bunch of muppets wanting?’ Charlie asked the group huddled in the airlock.

‘You can cut that crap right from the start Murison.’ A large figure pushed himself to the fore. Next to him stood Charlie’s friend Eddie, grinning from ear to ear.

‘We are the ceremonial guard attached to our goodwill ambassador, your Captain.’ He poked Charlie in the chest. ‘And you are now back under my direct command.’

Charlie’s mouth fell open. ‘No.’

The Bear gave him another poke. ‘Oh aye Murison. No more skiving off for you.’

The look on Charlie’s face said it all. The men fell about the airlock in hysterics.

The Bear caught up with Steven when he returned to the ship. Steven asked him down to his private quarters.

‘Sit down, help yourself to some tea. This would normally be a formal interview, but I don’t think that is necessary given the fact we already know one another. So what do you think so far?’

The Bear’s eyes gleamed with enthusiasm.

‘I have to admit this ship is beautiful Steven. Although having a radio inside my head is going to take a bit of getting used to.’

Steven smiled, ‘Don’t worry you soon get used to it. Did the doctor tell you that everything you say and do is also recorded?’

‘Yes, I have to say my jocks weren’t too pleased about that. I am a man down. My second in command, Captain Marks, has been sent home on compassionate grounds, and we have no one to replace him. In fact, I would rather wait until he returned. Could you lend me an officer until then?’

Steven was already aware of the problem. ‘You have two sergeants, one full corporal, a lance corporal and a dozen men. There are three officers: a Lieutenant, Captain Marks and yourself. Correct?’

‘That’s right.’

‘Why do you need two sergeants?’

‘I don’t, but I rip the tapes off Charlie and Eddie at regular intervals. It won’t be too long before one of them is a private again. Especially now the two are back together again.’

‘I have a suggestion. You may not like it. Why not make Charlie your second in command until Marks returns? You are a man top heavy for these ceremonial duties anyway.’

‘I was hoping to be three men top heavy. It is always useful to have a couple of spare bodies. However, command wouldn’t listen. Charlie is the only spare body I have. He is hardly officer material though... Captain Marks is a very old school gentleman. An autocrat, very much like Tapper. Used to dealing with bureaucrats, which is going to be crucial during this mission.’

Steven grinned. ‘I understand your concerns. How much experience does Captain Marks have with some of these aliens?’

‘Same as the rest of us Steven. Apart from shooting a few, little or nothing. I have had a little more than some.’

‘Do you know where Charlie is right now?’

‘Ten minutes ago we were ripping the pish out of him in the canteen.’

‘Well, five minutes ago he was asked to attend the Modloch Emperor.’

Bear frowned. ‘The Modloch Emperor, what for?’

‘Probably to make him a cup of tea.’ Steven grinned.

Bear shook his head. ‘What?’

Steven spoke aloud and sent a message to Charlie. ‘Babes, patch us in to Charlie’s communications link. We want to see and hear what he is doing, and up to.’

‘Yes my heart.’

A few seconds later the wall changed to a screen and they could see what Charlie was seeing.

‘Is that you Stevie?’

‘And Bear, Charlie.’

‘What do you want?’

‘Just letting Bear see you in action.’

‘Don’t get ye?’

‘Just go with it Charlie.’

‘Aye OK. Well I have come through the spaceport. They now have a wee beam-in area for us. I’m on the shuttle, as you can see. I’ve been asked to report to the royal residence.’

‘We are just going to watch Charlie.’

‘OK.’

When Charlie arrived at the royal residence he was waved through every check point. It was obvious to Bear that every other visitor was being thoroughly checked. Within the great halls he was approached by an individual.

‘Hey Charlie.’

‘How’s it going Gord?’

‘Busy with all these ceremonies.’

‘How’s your lord and master today?’

‘Been in a bit of a mood lately. Maybe your visit will cheer him up a bit.’

Charlie shrugged. ‘Don’t know why Gord, all I do is pour him tea and answer a shit load of questions.’

‘Who cares? If he is in a good mood it makes my life easier.’

‘True.’

‘Anyway, your Captain and the Captain from the other Builder ship are going to be new ambassadors, right?’

‘Aye that’s right.’

‘Are you going to be one of your Captain’s official escorts?’

‘I believe so.’

‘Have you a dozen men for each ship, ordinary ranks, three NCOs and three officers, one of high rank?’

‘We are one officer down and one NCO extra on my ship but Captain Komoru has the recommended number of officers and men along with Lewis, who is her personal bodyguard.’

‘Lewis... is that the dark skinned one who is larger than most Humans?’

‘That’s him.’

‘A personal guard for a female dignitary is acceptable. You could also act as a personal bodyguard for your Captain. He would need to be someone of great importance and high rank within the Human race though. The Emperor has ordered Commodore Janex to see to your people’s training personally.’

‘Janex? Is that the wrinkly old fart that shines like a new button and always looks down his nose at me, like I’d just taken a shit on his boots?’

Gord laughed aloud. ‘That’s him. He normally only trains people for a full ambassadorial role. It is a great honour. If you wish to use his services you will have to get yourselves to the Modloch home world. Your captains will have to undergo their ambassadorial training there anyway. If I was your commander, I would take full advantage. Your people will also have to live in the barracks. There are thirty man rooms for ordinary ranks. That should accommodate both your ships. There are four man rooms for NCOs, two man ones for junior officers and single rooms for senior officers. You will need to replace that officer right now. You can’t go into this half arsed. Janex will toss the lot of you out the door.’

‘Sounds quite serous.’

‘It shouldn’t be too bad Charlie, your captains are only good will ambassadors. Full ambassadors and their escort are expected to be shit hot.’

‘Have you done it?’

‘Of course. It’s the route to the Imperial Guard. Good will ambassadors first, then if you are good enough you get a job with a full ambassador. The best of the best get elevated to the Imperial Guard.’

‘And you are the best of the best of the best then?’

‘I was, until you kicked my arse across that room and hung me upside down out the balcony window by my ankles.’ Gord snorted.

‘Oops! Sorry about that.’

‘What’s done is done.’

‘No hard feelings?’

‘None. Not now anyway. You taught us a very important lesson. None of us could understand how such a diminutive race could have beaten the Albany. We learned the hard way. But we are Imperial Guardsmen. We now train harder than ever.’

‘You mean to beat any Humans that may threaten the Emperor?’

‘Of course.’

‘Glad to hear it Gord. I wouldn’t trust some of my race as far as I could throw the bastards.’

Gord snorted, ‘Every race is the same Charlie. Anyway, Janex will want to know what you are doing. If you decide to work from your ships he won’t work with you. You will receive other instructors.’

‘So to get him we will have to live in barracks.’

‘Yes. He will want you under his thumb all the time. He is a hard task master but universally credited as being the best. I can let him know if you wish. Give me dates and Janex will take care of the rest. He will send your commander a list of requirements that need to be met.’

‘I haven’t even been briefed about this role yet Gord, let alone been party to any command decisions. I don’t even know if there is to be one person in charge of both guards or if they are to work independently. If I know the Bear though, I bet he would go for it.’ Charlie made a swift decision. ‘Tell him yes, and we will get in touch with him regarding the dates as soon as a decision is made.’

‘A wise choice.’

‘Aye well. It’s not my choice to make; it could well come back to bite me in the arse.’

‘What you haven’t done is lost that opportunity. If your commanders are stupid and refuse then that is their loss.’ Gord looked up. ‘I am heading over to C-section now, passing engineering. Are you going to visit the Chief later?’

‘I’ll pop in before I return to the ship.’

‘I will let him know. He will be glad to see you.’

‘Is he keeping under the Emperor’s radar these days.?’

‘Trying hard, but the Emperor just loves to kick his arse for some reason. Twice this week he’s had him in.’

‘Poor bastard. Never mind, I got the biggest jar of pan drops I could for him while on leave. That will cheer him up.’

‘What are they?’

‘Sweets.’

‘I might pop in and try one.’

‘You’ll be lucky. He hides them.’

‘Right, got to go Charlie. He is in his lounge on A5.’

‘Got ye Gord. Catch you later.’

Bear had been sitting forward on his couch shouting, ‘Grab it, grab it Charlie.’

Steven intervened. ‘You can’t shout it Bear, you have to think it.’

Bear sat back sigh. ‘No matter, he has gone for it. That bugger Murison knows me better than I thought. Can he really just swan about the Emperor’s palace any time he likes?’

‘Both here and on the Modloch home world.’

‘Did you hear about his fight with the Imperial Guardsman?’

Steven shook his head, ‘That’s the first I heard of it.’

The screen went snowy for a second and then went blank. ‘What happened there?’

‘He must be getting close to the Emperor. They can block our communications.’

Bear nodded. ‘So I basically have an inside man. Is that what you are trying to tell me?’

‘Pretty much. And you heard what Gord said there. You need to replace that officer now, before we get to the Modloch home world. Charlie is the biggest asset you have. You just don’t realize it yet.’

Bear shifted uncomfortably. ‘Tell me... can he read minds?’

‘What makes you think that?’

‘It is something he was always good at, like a sixth sense. But that last time, it was as though he just knew exactly what people were thinking, including the Albany.’

Steven thought it over carefully. ‘He can, yes. When the ship repaired him it also did something to his brain. He can hear people’s thoughts. Where do you think I get all my information from?

‘Don’t worry though, he doesn’t go about reading everyone’s minds all the time. He can control it really well now, he can switch it off and on at will. Normally it is off. You can’t tell anyone about this. Not even his friends.’

‘I can just imagine the type of people Charlie doesn’t want to find out about that ability. Have no worries, I won’t say anything. I can also now see why you would want him as an officer. I won’t be able to give him a full commission, especially as a Captain. But I could make him an acting Captain with a field commission.’

‘Sounds good to me Bear. So, would you like another coffee before we launch ourselves into a new adventure?’

Bear sat back with a big sigh and grinned. ‘Sounds good to me Steven.’

The End