Solbidyum Wars Saga 4: Too Late for Earth (49 page)

“If we have other ships assisting in firing on the
HAPRIN
will it weaken the
HAPR
IN
shields faster,” I asked

“It should,” A’Lappe replied.  “But I have no idea how much fire power it’s going to take to do it, or how long it will take.  It could be an hour, or it might take days of fire.”

“Do whatever you need to do right now, the only thing that can save Plosaxen is the
NEW ORLEANS
; and any other ships in the area large enough with sufficient RMFF shields to block the
HAPRIN
from laying waste to the planet,” I said.

Admiral Regeny spoke up.  “I’ll be getting the word out to as many Federation military ships as I can to get to Plosaxen as soon as possible to assist, but it will be days before any others can get there, so you may have to hold out a long time and even then I’m not sure what will happen.  I only hope you are right about the
NEW ORLEANS
having an advantage over the
HAPRIN
.”

“I’m going to head to my estate to see what I can do to help and find out what’s needed there, then I’ll be headed to Plosaxen in the
ALI
to join up with you.  I’ll contact you when I get in the vicinity to arrange for boarding, we’ll need to determine some way to get me aboard if the
HAPRIN
is still there, because I won’t be able to land as long as your RMFF is up.”

There was a pause and then the Commodore replied.  “We’ll be looking for your message, maybe with the fire from the
NEW ORLEANS
blasting away at the
HAPRIN,
combined with the fire power of other ships there and from Marranalis and the Mirage Fighters, which are in pursuit, we can destroy the
HAPRIN
or get them to surrender.”

Once we had finished communication with the
NEW ORLEANS,
I joined Kala and Jenira where they were standing and waiting with a guard who escorted us through a maze of tunnels to a parking area where a small surface transport waited.  We were driven out of the Capitol complex; everywhere we looked there was debris from section of the building that had collapsed.  At places we could see where some of the debris had been moved out of the way to clear a path so we might get through.  At several locations shoring materials supported parts of the structure to prevent them from caving in.

When we cleared the complex, we were driven to a small space that had been roped off for shuttle craft; immediately two armed troopers advanced and escorted us into the shuttle.  I realized that I recognized these men as being part of my own security team.

“It’s good to see you again, First Citizens.  We'll have you back to the estate shortly.  It’s been badly damaged so we’ve made arrangements for you both at the lodge at the northern end of the lake.”

The lodge he spoke of was part of my estate and it had been the intention of Galetils to use it as a guest house for entertaining friends and dignitaries.  I had pretty much turned it over to the admiralty for a place for its senior officers to get away to when they needed a rest.  As we flew to the estate, I kept looking at the vid screens trying to see the estate and the damage done to it, but there were some low clouds and smoke around the estate that made it difficult to see anything.  We arrived at the lodge and were escorted to a little cottage next to the main building.   I say little, but that’s only by Federation standards.  It actually was quite large in that it had three bedrooms, three full baths and a sizeable kitchen.  Kala and I freshened up and changed clothing because we wanted to get to the main estate house and check out the damage.  Jenira managed to beat us in getting dressed and was waiting at the shuttle; somehow she had managed to replace her swords, and she now looked like she was ready to take on the universe.

Even before we reached the south end of the lake, I could see the extensive damage that had been done.  Everything on the surface was total rubble; columns of smoke and small spots of flames could be seen at places in the rubble.  That anyone had survived at all amazed me.

“By the stars,” Kala said, “How did anyone survive?”

“As soon as the first shot hit people began running for the shelters,” one of the troopers from my security team explained.  “Amazingly, the majority of them made it.”

“We have shelters in the estate?”  I asked dumbfounded.

“Oh Tibby,” Kala started, and I knew instinctively what was about to come, “please don’t tell me you didn’t know we have shelters at the estate?  With all the precautions that Galetils made about everything else you don’t believe he would leave out shelters on his estate, do you?”

“Honestly, I never thought about it,” I said.  “I guess he would, but no one ever showed them to me.”  Kala just shook her head.  “You know Tibby I’m starting to wonder it that crash on Goo’ Waddle didn’t do some damage to your thought processes.”  Lately I had been starting to wonder the same thing myself, as I didn’t feel as mentally sharp as I had been when I first arrived in the Federation.

When the shuttle set down I was both surprised and pleased to find Piebar standing there waiting for us.  It was apparent that he hadn’t made it unscathed, as one leg was in some sort of a cast or brace that made him hobble when he walked, but otherwise he appeared fine.

“It is good to see you both back safely, First Citizens; I am sorry that you find your estate in such a condition.”

“It’s quite alright Piebar,” I said, “so long as you are alive and well. That is the most important thing.  This estate we can have rebuilt, but you we cannot replace.”  For a moment, I saw Piebar’s eyes tear but then abruptly he said, "I’m sure you would like to have a tour of the damages; I regret that I will be unable to accompany you.  This injury to my leg is quite painful at the moment and I need to rest it.  I will have my assistant, Dondor, show you about.”

I was hoping the damages wouldn’t be as extensive as they were; the suite Kala and I had shared was totally destroyed.  My study would have to be completely rebuilt, and the water was knee deep from the broken fish tank wall and all the fish were dead.  Most of the suites and accommodations were damaged to the point that they were completely uninhabitable.  I asked Dondor where the people who had survived were all staying and he responded that many were sharing the limited undamaged rooms that still existed.  Some had been moved to the lodge by the cabin Kala and I now occupied, and the rest were being housed in hotels in the Capitol.

“How many people died?”  I asked Dondor.

“Three hundred and forty three died. Twenty-eight of them were refugees you brought back from Earth.  Some of them are pretty bitter about you bringing them all the way here to die, as they put it.”

“I didn’t know what we were bringing them back to,” I said.

“I think most of them realized that you had nothing to do with what happened, you are just as much a victim as they are. “

While we were touring Kala broke away from me to discuss things with her assistant, Balinga.   Balinga happened to be checking inventory with one of the staff in one of the lower store rooms when the attack happened.  Fortunately, the room was deep enough to provide shelter for them and they both escaped unscathed.  I asked to see the shelters that had been used by those who could get to them and I was surprised at their size.  They were sparse by Galetils’ standards, but they were well supplied; double bunk cots and seating sufficient for hundreds of people occupied the spaces.  Fusion battery-powered food synthesizers and lighting ensured that those who made it into the shelters were cared for; there even was a med facility capable of handling most medical emergencies.  Dondor told me that some of the staff were still living in the shelters and working on cleanup during the day.  After we left the shelters, Dondor took me to the hill side hangar where Piebar had set up an office to oversee the work being done.

“I’ve made arrangements for a demolition crew to begin work tomorrow removing the debris, so we can begin reconstructing the estate.”  Piebar informed me.  “I’m assuming you want everything restored as it was before the attack?”

“Yes, that will be fine,” I said, realizing that Piebar was further along in his thinking than I was, as I had not given any thought to rebuilding or relocating.  What will you do for plans?”  I asked as the thought just hit me.

“I contacted Piesew on your ship, he said that A’Lappe had a complete set of the estate plans which he sent to me this morning.  We have everything we need to restore the entire estate exactly as it was when you purchased it.”  While we were talking, I saw Kala walking toward us,” Tibby, have you seen Regata since we got here?” she asked.

“No, I haven’t now that you mentioned it.”

“Is he that sort of green-skinned fellow with the brown patches on his skin?” Piebar asked.

“That certainly sounds like him,” Kala said.

Piebar replied, “I saw him not long after you arrived walking along the path that leads up to the lake.”

“I had best go look for him,” I responded, “Kala, do you want to join me?  It’s been quite a while since we have been by the lake.”

“You go, Tibby. I think I'd better stay here, close to the toilet facilities, I seem to be needing to use them more frequently of late.”

“Ahh, yes, the pregnancy, I forgot.”  I said.”

“FORGOT!  How could you forget when I’m almost the size of a Markazian corvette?” Kala said in a teasing voice and with a smile.

“You’re pregnant?”  I responded in a mocking tone, “When did that happen?”

We both laughed and I said, “I won’t be too long, I’ve not had a chance to talk with Regata in a while, I’m not sure how he is handling all of this action that has been going on since we picked him up at Alle Bamma.  He might want to go back and abandon his journey with us.  If he wants to return he can wait things out here, and when the next security team from Alle Bamma makes their rotation, he can fly back with the returning team.”

I headed up the trail toward the smaller mountain lake further up the mountain and away from the main lake and the estate. As I climbed the trail there was one part that is close to the sheer mountain side, from there I could see down to the orphaned children’s village by the lake.  I noticed a crowd of children gathered around someone and when I looked closer, I noticed it was Jenira.  She was signing something to them but from my distance, I couldn’t be sure what she was saying.  I noticed that the children seemed to be in awe of her.  As I turned away from the lake and continued following the path, the sounds of the children were soon muffled out by the trees and replaced by the sounds of birds and other small forest creatures.  Here and there, along the path, fernlike plants grew, and in places where the sun filtered through, a flower or two showed their colors.  Eventually, I reached the shore of the small upper lake.  The sun sparkled off the wind rippling waves as a gentle breeze kissed its surface.  It was so peaceful and I found myself wondering why people went around fighting and killing when there were places like this that they could sit in and enjoy nature.

“It reminds me of home.” Regata’s voice said from somewhere nearby.  I turned looking for him but couldn’t see him anywhere.  “Do you come here often when you are on Megelleon?” he asked, and this time I spotted him half-way up in one of the larger trees sitting in the juncture of a split in the trunk.

“Yes, actually Kala and I come here nearly every day,” I responded.

“I thought you might.  Thumumba would like this place,” he said as he looked about and out over the lake.  We have no mountains on Sweet Home.  I think Thumumba never thought of mountains.  I will tell him of them, perhaps he will make some, though I probably will not live long enough to see them.  Thumumba works slowly.”

“Yes, he mentioned that to me,” I replied.

Regata stood up and then hopped off the tree branch down to another and after that to another and another until he was finally on the ground.  He walked over to me and looked me in the eyes.  “Tibby, it is like this everywhere with man?”

I looked at him wondering what he meant by his question, but before I could answer he continued.  “It seems that all men do is fight and try to enslave or harm others.  Since I have left Alle Bamma, this is most of what I see of men.  There seems to be war and fighting everywhere.  There are good people, in fact, most of them seem to be decent.  However, there are a lot of terrible people also, far too many bad people.  These men you call the Brotherhood, they are men like yourself only where you strive for good and to help others, they strive for evil and to enslave and dominate others.  The men you picked up from your home world, most are good, but some, like Ming, Láng, and Yǎnjìngshé were bad.  Then here in the Federation, it seems also that you have good and evil with the bad trying to subjugate the good.”

“I’m afraid that is the way people are. Most are good in their hearts and only want to live in peace and to be treated fairly, while there are others who are always trying to take what others have and who try to do harm.”  I answered.

“But why? There is plenty of peace and beauty for everyone to enjoy.”  Regata asked.

“For some there is never enough and they only want to have it all for themselves and do not want to share with others.”  I returned.

“This is a very sad thing, Man-Who-Speaks-for-Thumumba.  I will report these things to Thumumba, but I am afraid it will make him very sad also.”