Ashes of the Realm - Death of an Empire (Ashes of the Realm (Book Three)) (8 page)

“That means we can’t offer any choices. It may impact what’s coming in a very bad way.”

Dani looked at Robby and he saw a small smile, “What?”

“I suspect that it’s not us that are being saved.”

Robby stared at her, “I don’t see any other possibilities.”

“It could be our children.”

“But we don’t have any children.”

Dani stared at him and Robby wondered what she meant. Then he understood, “Not right now, right.”

Dani reached and hugged his neck, “No, not at this moment. Give it a few months.”

Robby hugged her and kissed his wife. He looked inside and knew she was right. He focused on her and could feel the child.

Dani signed and said, “I’ve wondered why Timmy and Virze were made the new rulers of the Empire instead of us. Now I know.”

Robby thought about it and slowly nodded, “You have always been better at this than me. Timmy’s decisions won’t be influenced by prior knowledge. We need to move to New Hope and see where he’s going to lead us.”

“I sense someone else is going to bring some of us salvation.”

Robby furrowed his brow, “Who?”

“Carter Reese.”

Robby thought a moment and weighed her observation, “Carter it is.”

* * *

Carter and Jenna sat onboard Pyle and looked at the orange planet below. “Carter why are we here?”

“I’m thinking about what’s going to happen to us when the Invaders build their new ships. I’m looking at some alternatives to try and minimize their chances of finding us.”

Jenna heard Cassandra in the nursery and left the bridge to get her. She returned with the toddler rubbing her eyes. She looked at Carter and held out her little arms as she ran across the bridge to her father. He lifted her up and spun her around as he sat back down in his chair. Cassie stared at the planet on the screen and frowned, “You don’t like it do you little one?”

Cassie looked at Carter and shook her head.

“What do you think about my plan?”

The three year old smiled and nodded. She wrapped her arms around his neck and giggled. Carter looked at Jenna and saw her wondering what had just happened. “We need to go see the Emperor.”

Jenna came over and took Cassie and sat in her chair. Cassie looked her in the eyes and had a very peaceful expression. Jenna looked back at Carter and didn’t know what to think. Did Cassie know what he was going to do? Cassie looked at her and nodded again.

* * *

Greyson commed Robby, “Pyle just notified me that Carter is on his way to see the Emperor for a formal discussion.”

Robby started to call Dani when he heard her thought, “Grace just told me. We need to be at that meeting.”

Robby checked Greyson’s board, “He’s been scheduled to meet with Timmy this afternoon.”

“We’ll just happen to show up.”

“Make sure Trey is with you.”

“You didn’t have to ask. I’m sure he’ll help us.”

Dani looked at her three year old son and he smiled. “You’ve been listening in again.” Trey smiled and laughed out loud.

* * *

Robby and Dani entered the throne room and Timmy saw them. He jumped up and ran forward and picked up Trey to swing him around. Trey laughed and hugged Timmy’s neck as he turned circles, “Robby, Dani, it’s so good to see you. I didn’t know you were coming.”

“We just wanted to stop by for a few moments since we were in the neighborhood.”

Timmy handed Trey to Dani and hugged them. “I have a meeting with Carter but I’m free afterwards. Can you wait?”

“Yes we can. Is Junior around?”

“He’ll be here with Virze in just a moment. Ah, here they are.”

Virze came in from the rear of the throne room and Junior ran forward to see Trey. The two then started chasing each other laughing at the top of their voices. “Oh to be that young with that much energy.”

Dani and Robby bowed and Dani said, “You have that right. Were we ever that full of energy?”

Virze hugged Robby and Dani and then gathered up Junior and sat down on her throne. Robby and Dani saw Carter and Jenna enter with Cassie in Jenna’s arms. She squirmed out of Jenna’s arms and ran up to Junior and hugged him. Robby looked at Dani as he noticed that Trey and Cassie looked at each other but didn’t come close to each other. Dani picked up Trey and went to a chair in the right wing of the throne room. Dani saw Trey’s discomfort and felt him start to relax when he was moved away from Cassie.

Robby went to Carter and held out his hand, “It’s good to see you old friend.”

Carter smiled that wonderful smile he always seemed to have and shook Robby’s hand vigorously, “Yes it is and I’m glad you’re here.”

“Why is that?”

“I might need your support for something I’m going to suggest to Timmy.”

Robby shrugged and said, “I’ll do what I can.”

Timmy and Virze remained on their thrones since this was an official meeting and waited for Carter to approach. Cassie ran back to Jenna and stood in front of her between her legs.

Carter turned and walked toward the thrones and bowed. “Welcome, Carter Reese. Please rise and tell us how may we be of service?”

Carter smiled and said, “I have a plan that I’m hoping you will agree to implement. I know you may not like it initially but I feel you should hear all of it before you make a decision.”

Timmy furrowed his brow, stood up, and looked over Carter’s shoulder as Weed and Seed entered the throne room’s entrance. They moved forward and stopped behind Carter. Carter turned around, saw them, and looked at them with a furrowed brow. Timmy said, “It seems I have more unexpected guests than I thought. He looked over at Robby who shrugged. He looked back at the Algeans, “Is there a reason you’re here?”

“We are here to support Carter’s plan.”

Carter looked at the two Algeans and said, “I haven’t discussed my plan with you.”

“No, but it’s clear what you want to happen.”

Timmy looked at Carter, ““With whom have you discussed this plan?”

Carter looked around the room and said, “No one; not even Jenna.”

Timmy looked at Jenna and she nodded, “I don’t know why he asked for this meeting.”

Virze said, “And you didn’t ask?”

“I knew that I shouldn’t. I don’t know how but I knew.”

Virze looked at Timmy and he sat down. “What’s your plan, Carter?”

“I want you to leave the Empire, Your Majesty.”

Timmy was stunned at the suggestion and Virze didn’t know what to say either.

Finally Timmy said shaking his head, “Why?”

“To save the Empire.”

Robby looked at Dani and nodded. She felt it as well. The danger level was going down.

Carter continued, “We know the Orange Creatures are going to come looking for the ones that produced the spores that killed their pods. It’s just a matter of time and I suspect we don’t have a lot of time remaining before they show up. What will they see when they scan this universe? I also want you to consider that the Creator of these Black Ships will be the one making the scan. If this imagined Creator has the technology of the Red Demons, it will be able to see our entire universe with one scan. There will be no moving planets to hide from it. I ask you again, Your Majesty, if we are scanned, what will it immediately see?”

Timmy looked at Virze and then turned back to Carter, “It will see hundreds of thousands of ships we’ve built and the planets building them.”

“And which planet is the largest builder of those ships?”

Timmy took a deep breath and said, “New Hope.”

“We can’t hide this planet or the other sixty five high technology worlds building our fleet. Our universe will be their first target and we’re not ready to take them on. We can’t defeat the ships they were using before we dropped the spores on them. The next ship that shows up will be even stronger. Do you see it any other way?”

Timmy thought a moment and said, “You don’t know for certain that they will be able to see our entire universe.”

“Are you willing to bet the Empire against that? Come on, Timmy, you’re too smart to even consider that idea. You’ve always been the one to make hard decisions and now it’s time to make another.”

Timmy noticed that Carter had not used his title and was initially angry but then realized he was trying to get him to think. He was reminding him of what a Searcher’s Partner had to do to survive. He looked at Carter and said, “Then how do we hide our planets?”

“We move them to another universe.”

Timmy sat back, “That’s never been done. We don’t have the technology to do that.”

“We didn’t, but I put Alex and Vring to work on it and they’ve modified a probe so that we can do it. They conducted a trial four months ago and it worked flawlessly.”

“Where would you move us?”

“I have found a universe that the Invaders have destroyed centuries go. There is nothing there but barren worlds covered in orange dust. I was worried that the Invaders may have gone back to the universes they’ve destroyed to collect dust from the pods but I discovered that was not something they would do.”

“Why not?”

“Because the dust and pods lose their potency over time; the dust wouldn’t deliver the required kick they desire. Only newly grown pods will produce the optimum drug. Going back to those universes would be the very last thing they would do and only if all else failed. Our production planets will not be found there.”

“We need raw materials to build our ships, Carter.”

“Once we kill the orange pods on the planets in that universe, we will have millions of worlds that are barren and full of all the raw materials we’ll ever need. We’ll place an industrialized planet opposite a barren planet in the same solar system and the materials will be closer than they are here.”

Virze put her hand on Timmy’s arm. He looked at her and knew that she was telling him that Carter was smarter than any of them. He looked her in the eye and turned back to Carter, “What about our fleet?”

“The first order of business after moving is to complete the Fleet Academy here on New Hope and train the crews in that universe. The ships will be moved there as well.”

“How can we leave the Empire without leadership to do this?”

Carter shrugged, “You’ll have to name those to take your place here. Your Majesty, you know that the main activity of the Empire is with the industrialized worlds. That’s where most of your attention is placed and if they’re moved, you must go with them.”

Robby looked at Dani and knew she saw the connection from the vision. He wondered why they were on Bristone when the Invaders attacked and now they knew. Robby stood, “Your Majesty, Dani and I will stay behind and rule the Empire from Bristone. It’s been done before and all the facilities we need are still there.”

Timmy stared at Robby, “So, you agree with this plan?”

Robby took a breath and said, “Not only do I agree with it but Dani and I see the Empire destroyed if we don’t follow it.”

Timmy stared at Robby for a long moment, “Is that why you’re here?”

“I wish I could tell you why but we sensed we needed to be here.”

Timmy looked at the Algeans, “And you as well.”

Weed said, “We believe that if the industrialized planets are here that the Creator of the Black Ships will come here personally to destroy this universe.”

“I thought you wanted them to reveal themselves?”

“We do, but not here.”

Dani looked at Robby and thought to him, “Now, I understand.” Robby looked at her and she thought to him, “I’ll tell you later.”

Carter saw that Timmy was close to going along with his plan but then he asked the question he couldn’t answer, “Are we going to leave the Defense Facility here? We’ve got to have it to develop our ships. You might also consider that if that being sees it, then the gig is up no matter what we do.”

Dani stood and said, “We will persuade it to go, Your Majesty.”

Timmy stared at Dani and said, “If you can do that, I will go along with your plan. Let me know if you’re successful.”

Carter bowed to the Royal Couple and went over to Dani, “You know Alex will not leave the universe he is sworn to defend.”

Dani put her hand on Carter’s shoulder, “Give me some time. I’ll make an offer he can’t refuse.”

Carter smiled and shook his head, “Now that’s something I want to hear.”

Dani smiled, “Sorry Carter, you’re too young.”

Carter sighed, “Well, ok. Wait a minute, I’m older than you.”

Dani and Robby disappeared but not before Dani said, “Had you going, didn’t I?”

R
obby and Dani stood on the main floor at the Defense Facility. Alex said, “Why have you made all the ones working here leave for twelve hours?”

“Some could have stayed but we needed to make sure none of the Zord remained.”

Alex thought about that, “Is something wrong?”

Dani said, “Grace, Greyson, are you listening in?”

There was a long silence and then they heard, “How did you know we were here. We’re in full stealth mode. I know you couldn’t see us.”

Greyson said, “I told you they would catch us.”

Robby smiled, “I knew you two couldn’t stay away. However, I will allow you to listen in but you must give an oath that whatever is discussed here will never, and I do mean never, be repeated even between yourselves. You may not discuss it. Can you agree?”

Grace said, “You have my oath.”

“And mine as well.”

I should tell you that you may not want to stay because of the impact it will have on you but it’s your decision to make.”

Grace paused and said, “We choose to stay and hear what you have to say.”

“First things first; Alex, I am going to show you a picture of the sky over Bristone. Can you look at that sky and tell me when the stars will be in the position on the picture?”

“I have the map of that system in my database. I should be able to do it.”

Robby thought a moment and remembered the sky from his vision when he looked up just before Bristone was destroyed. He sent that picture to Alex.

“The stars will be in that position in four years, two months, and five days from now. It should be right around ten at night.”