Lens of Time: Book 06 - Star Rover-Running Out of Time (38 page)

Shane shook his head, “I need to find out why Admiral Arvolo held us at the edge of the Servant Galaxy for a week.” Gibbs sat down and nodded. He wanted to know as well. Before Dat could answer, Gem, Kelli, and Matt entered the office. Dat watched them arrive and shrugged.

Kat looked at Dat, “Why did you do it?”

“I hoped to prevent that civilization from coming here and attacking us in the future.”

Everyone in the room was shocked by the statement. Shane’s eyes furrowed, “Tell me what I missed?”

“During the initial conversation with their ship in open space, one of their first questions was whether or not we were going to expand after our war with the Servants.”

Gibbs nodded, “I remember that.”

“They had been watching us for two years and only chose to speak with us at the end. They weren’t worried about handling the Servants in their galaxy but were worried that, if reinforcements were sent from the Servants we were attacking, they would be overwhelmed.” Dat paused and looked at the group, “Please tell me one redeeming thing we’ve done during our war with the Servants.” The room was silent as they struggled to come up with an answer. “They saw us at our worst. Brutal attacks not taking or giving quarter to those we fought against. How do you think they view our civilization?”

Shane nodded, “They would have to determine if we were a danger to them?”

“Yes they would and if they determined we were…”

Matt said, “They would invade us here and not wait for us to come to them.”

Dat smiled, “Exactly.”

Kat sighed, “How did waiting at the edge of that Galaxy change anything?”

“They couldn’t figure out why we were there and it must have made them crazy with curiosity. Finally they had to ask. I told them that I was waiting to see if they needed our help against the Servants in their galaxy. They asked why I just didn’t go there and I told them I would never go to their home without their permission.”

“You showed them we have manners.”

“Yes I did and it was the first civil thing they saw us do.”

Kelli slowly shook her head, “Why did you agree to go to their defense?”

“I want you to think about this.” Dat paused. “If you are in a bar brawl and you and another person are finally able to beat all the competition down. How are you going to see the other winner? Every time you think about him, you’ll wonder if you could take him and you also wonder if he is going to take you on. However, if after the fight, the other winner makes a point of coming to you and says that he is so thankful that you helped him survive and that he owes you big time…what do you think about him then?”

Gem said, “I’d feel safer if he was in the bar with me.”

Gibbs said, “So you didn’t really mean what you said?”

Dat’s expression turned serious, “I meant every word of it!!! Those beings gave us information that allowed us to see that we could end this conflict. We saved thousands of lives by making our move now. They eliminated the Servants in their galaxy that could have come and beat us if they joined the ones we were fighting. We do owe them in a huge way and I had to make sure they saw it as well.”

Katherine slowly shook her head, “You have just made an official treaty with them without consulting the Union.”

Dat looked at Katherine, “Do you support it?”

Katherine stared at Dat for a long moment and finally said, “I guess I do.”

“Well, if you say it’s ok, that’s all we need for a treaty to be official.”

Dat looked around the room and Kat said, “There’s something else, isn’t there?”

“Yes, I’m afraid there is.”

Kat leaned back in her chair, “I bet this is going to be a doozy.”

Dat chuckled, “You know me too well. There is the issue of thousands of planets the Servants have enslaved.”

Gresha said, “I thought you said we were going to rearm and go back to free them?”

“I’ve thought about that coming here and we can’t do it.”

Kat frowned, “Why not?”

“Because we have won the war and there are no longer any Servant Warships in that galaxy. They do not represent a threat to us and if we go back with our fleets, what does that tell that civilization about us?”

“Surely they can see the suffering of the slaves.”

“They can also see the suffering of the Servants still there after their civilization was destroyed by us.”

Shane said, “He’s right; we can’t go back.”

Gibbs shook his head, “Surely they understand the evils of slavery?”

Lydia said, “Are you willing to bet our civilization’s existence on that? The Servants are using other life forms to feed themselves. How do we know that civilization doesn’t do that as well?”

Gibbs stared at his wife for a long moment and then shook his head, “No, I guess I’m not sure.” Gibbs looked at Dat, “Do you think we could take them?”

Dat tilted his head, “I truly hope we never have to find out.”

“Why is that?”

“Gibbs, we fought the Servants in their galaxy for three years trying to even the odds so we could take them head on. Just how big a force do you think the Servants sent to invade that galaxy? That ship told us they would wait and kick off their hostilities the day we attacked them with our major ships and allies. A week later they said they were wondering how long we were going to stay at the edge of the Servant Galaxy. Their war was over and no Servant Ship escaped that galaxy to come back to the one we fought in. It took them less than a week to defeat them.”

The room was utterly still. Gresha shook her head, “I hate to leave those slaves in bondage.”

Dat blew out a breath, “That’s the part you aren’t going to like.”

Katherine turned to Dat, “What do you mean by that?”

“The Madators that went to fight in that galaxy have told me that they’re not coming back.”

Katherine shook her head, “Oh yes they are!”

Dat rolled his eyes and Shane said, “Let me see if I understand this. We’re going to go back with our ships and force the Madators to leave the planets they fought on to buy us time to build the ships we needed to win this war. Now assuming we could even find them if they decided to not show up where we could get our chains around them, what would that galaxy then think about our behavior?”

Katherine’s head fell back and she shook it, “Dat, when did you know they weren’t coming back?”

Shane looked at Dat and wondered if he was going to tell the truth. “Admiral, I knew about it before they left.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“You would have said no and we would have lost the war.”

Katherine rolled her eyes, “Well, thanks for keeping me in the dark.”

“No problem…do you also not want to know about me sending more of them to free the planets the slaves are still being held on?”

“Yes, would you mind keeping that to yourself as well?”

“That’s not a problem.”

Kat looked out the window and said, “What am I supposed to not know about how you’re going to get them there?”

“We’re giving them unarmed shuttles and drop globes to make the trip.”

Gem said, “So they will leave the shuttles in orbit and drop to the planet?”

Kat shook her head, “No, the globes are there so we can believe that’s what happened.”

Gem stared at the Admiral and then turned to Dat, “Will they leave them in orbit?”

Dat smiled, “Would you?”

“Will they?”

“I hope so; why don’t you ask them?”

Gem looked at Katherine, “Boy, I don’t want your job.”

Dat said, “Get in line; I don’t either.”

The Admirals started laughing and the crews were notified that their liberty had been extended.

Kelli smiled, “I’m glad you were there, Admiral Arvolo. I think you saved us again.”

“It was all of us working together that did it, Kelli.”

“Whatever.”

“I’m being serious.”

“OK, if you say so.” Kelli turned to Admiral Hull, “You are going to give him a medal, aren’t you?”

“Yes, it will match the one he received while fighting the Masters.”

“I don’t want another medal.”

Kat looked at Kelli, “He hates getting them.”

Kelli laughed, “That’s why you do it.”

“Absolutely; it’s the only way for me to pay him back.”

“Hey you two, I’m still in the room.”

Gresha walked up and grabbed his arm, “No you aren’t; we have some children to go and see.” Dat smiled and they left the room. Kelli watched them leave and had a wistful expression. Matt came up behind her and whispered, “You know, if you would marry me, we could have children of our own.”

Kelli almost lost it but managed to keep staring at the Arvolos as they left, “Perhaps I’ll be asked someday.”

Matt started laughing and went down on a knee, “Kelli Carpenter, will you marry me?”

Kelli looked up at the ceiling, “Let me think about it.” Matt’s face showed his disappointment. Kelli smiled, “Ok, that’s enough thought, I’ll marry you.” Matt shook his head slowly and had a small smile as he started standing up. Kelli saw the smile and quickly ran and kept the conference table between them.

“Kelli, I just want a kiss.”

“No you don’t; you want to tickle me.”

“No, no; I’d never do that.”

Kat laughed out loud as the couple ran around the huge conference table. The other Admirals were laughing out of control when Matt finally ran Kelli down and tickled her until she couldn’t breathe…then he got his kiss.

D
at sighed and Blacky said, “What’s wrong?”

“It seems that every time I come here, millions of your people are leaving.”

“There will be about six million of us left behind after the current colonists leave.”

Dat tilted his head up and looked up at a hundred shuttles lifting into the bright afternoon sky, “I guess you’re right, they really should be called colonists.”

Blacky smiled, “If we called them that during the invasion of the Servant Galaxy, do you think we would have been allowed to go?”

“No, and even now there is a real reluctance to it; however, the horse is out of the barn and is too fast to be caught. A few million more won’t really change things now.”

Ringie walked up, “And they will free the slaves in the Servant Galaxy?”

Dat looked at her, “Will they really be free? Will your people not prey on them?”

“It will probably turn out that way but not because we start it.”

Dat stared at Ringie, “I’m not sure what you mean by that. Are you saying you would not prey on the inhabitants?”

“That’s really not our style, Dat. If a species is intelligent, we generally leave them alone. However, there are always those that want to try their hand to see if they can bag the planet’s most dangerous animal…that would be us. The one going after us is killed rather easily and there is a hue and cry from them about how dangerous we are. They will have forgotten that we removed the Servants from over them and then it turns nasty.”

Dat shook his head, “It doesn’t have to be like that.”

Blacky shook his head, “It’s always like that.”

“Have you ever talked with the intelligent species you share the planet with?”

Blacky shrugged, “They really don’t have much we want to hear…they are usually quite different from us.”

“So they may not know you’re an intelligent species after enough time has passed.”

Ringie looked at Blacky and then to Dat, “I guess they could miss that little piece of information.”

“Then, if you would open a dialogue with them and tell them your expectations after you free them, I suspect they will leave you alone.” Blacky just stared at Dat. Dat said, “You really want them to come after you; that’s why you don’t communicate with them.”

“We do enjoy the hunt, Dat.”

“You’ll have Servants to play with. We’re not sending you there to just free the slaves and then turn around and enslave them again.” Blacky did not look comfortable with the conversation. Dat thought a moment and then said, “Why don’t you do this; go to the locals and tell them that you will have an annual hunting festival. Tell them that any of them that are able to escape you for twenty four hours will be rewarded. That way you would have the locals training and attempting to develop techniques that will allow them to escape you. Over time as your two species learn each other, the hunts will become even more challenging.”

Blacky’s head rolled around his body and he looked at Ringie, “This idea has merit.”

“It does sound interesting; at least we would be chasing, or running from, the best their population could offer.”

Blacky nodded, “Notify the planets about this idea and see if they can implement it as soon as the Servants are brought under control.”

Dat said, “You can call it the Freedom Festival to celebrate their liberation.”

Blacky rolled his head up and down and looked at Ringie, “Do you need to write this down?”

“Absolutely not. However, I am going to send a message out to all the Union Planets that once a year we will have this festival here and all those that are able to escape us will be rewarded with their weight in precious metals.”

Dat shook his head, “You might open a box of brouhaha if you do that, you may have millions come to compete.”

“Then we’ll have the Union hold competitions to find the best of them.”

“Can you deliver the precious metals?”

Blacky laughed, “Dat, we move through the soil and can absorb anything we choose. That will be the easiest thing to do.”

“And if your festival is successful, your colonists might want to follow your lead.”

Blacky looked at Ringie, “Send the message.”

Dat smiled and knew that if the Madators communicated with the former slaves on the planets they went to free, they would be given a wide berth. And if they held festivals pitting their best against the Madators, that berth would grow in size. He thought about his race with Blacky and remembered his excitement. He knew the Madators were immensely faster and stronger now; no one could probably escape them with their new strength and speed. However, it would be fun and keep the Madators occupied doing something they enjoyed.

• • •

Six months later the First Freedom Festival was held on the Madator’s Planet and a hundred thousand candidates arrived to try their hand against them. More than a thousand of them managed to avoid being caught during the twenty four hours and Dat along with the Madators were stunned at the success of the field. They vowed it wouldn’t happen again. Only it did…over and over again. Sometimes, cunning trumped strength and speed. Those that won had a lifetime exemption from having to qualify. It wasn’t long after the third festival that the colonies began celebrating their own festivals. Blacky and Ringie watched the proceedings and decided that Life was good.