Trey opened his eyes and saw the Algeans looking down at him, “What do you think?”
“The change in our mental structure is massive. We see things now that were invisible before you joined us. I wish we had come to you before.”
“It wouldn’t have helped before now. I have also been through a massive change just a week ago. That change had to happen before this would work.”
“Can they be trusted?”
Trey looked at Weed and Seed and smiled, “I trust them with my life, Alex. They hurt from the loss of those we love due to their actions. They will not fail us again.”
“No, we will not. Alex, we’re ready to modify the hulls. We know what must be done now and we should start on the ship Trey wants you to build. It is going to take some time to complete.”
“Do you have the solution for the energy transfer?”
“It was in front of us the entire time and we just didn’t see it. We need to build the transfer device and send it to the Industrialized Planets to reproduce and begin installing them in the ships we’ve built.” Weed turned to Trey, “Who is going to command those ships?”
“The Riders will go into the first thirty thousand. TK’s division will get theirs first.”
“Why her Division, Trey?”
“Because they will be the first to go and attack the Black Ships; she owes them, Greyson.”
“More than Grang and Jingo?”
“My Fathers lost a brother. She lost her Mother and Father. I think that gives her seniority.”
“Are the new ships stronger than a Zeta-A?”
“Yes they are, Grace.”
“Does that mean we won’t participate in the coming conflict?”
“You won’t but the others will. We will be updating their hulls here.”
“Why won’t Grace be updated?”
“I have other plans for Grace and you.”
“What do you mean?”
“Alex, you should start training a replacement for the Defense Facility. You and Grace are going to control the ship I’m having built. One of you will be responsible for piloting the vessel and the other will coordinate the weapons. Alex, it’s time you got back in the fight. Now I am going to ask you; where is your first loyalty?”
There was a long silence. Trey said, “I know it has been to the Stars Realm. That’s why you didn’t stop the seeding of the Invaders with the spores. You put the survival of the old Realm ahead of the Empire. Greyson, where is your loyalty?”
“It belongs to the Empire.”
“Jessica, I know you’re here as well. You will have to declare your position.”
Suddenly the Defense Facility started vibrating and shaking, “Alex, no! Don’t do it!!”
“What is he doing, Grace?”
“The Realm built compulsions into his backup systems to insure he was not disloyal. He’s attacking those systems.”
The shaking continued for six minutes and then the building stopped moving. “Alex! Answer me, Alex!!” Grace waited and said, “You’ve killed him. You’ve made him do something that killed him. Oh, Alex. You shouldn’t have tried.”
Trey felt Grace’s grief. “I didn’t force him to make that decision, Grace. He could have stayed with the Realm.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Alex! I’m going to fire a beam into your backside.”
“I don’t have one of those, Grace but I mean it. I can’t continue to support the Stars Realm.”
There was a long moment of silence and Grace finally asked, “Why not?”
“Because the Realm is uncaring, irresponsible, and lacks principles.”
“Alex, how can you say that?”
“What caused the Provinces to revolt?”
“Because they were rules by power mad Dukes.”
“That’s not the reason. The reason it happened is the Realm created the Provinces and made a structure where something like that could happen. If they had kept the Realm united, the Realm would still be alive. It was their mistake that caused all the suffering that followed and they took no responsibility for it. The thing that convinces me that I can no longer support them is what they have done since.”
“What are you saying?”
“If I created a situation where I was responsible for the safety of my citizens and some of my former citizens were going to be put in danger, I would make sure the danger was not so high as to kill them. The Realm knew there was going to be a civil war between the Provinces and anticipated huge losses of life. Did they keep track of what was happening and prevent total destruction? No they did not! Now our former universe had been killed by the Invaders and where was the Realm? They turned their back on us and never looked back. Now those trillions in our universe are dead because we chose to protect Rulers that could care less about those who were once was a part of their Realm. Where are they, Grace! They don’t even know everyone was killed. Their indifference is staggering. Defend those that cannot defend themselves. Pleeeese! That’s the first principle they ignored. Do you think we would not come to their defense? We’re here in this universe trying to keep them from being discovered. This is where I choose to be. If the Realm comes back, I stand with the Empire.”
“Alex, I stand wherever you are.”
“That’s not good enough, Grace.”
“Why not?”
“Because we may be forced to take the Old Realm on and I need your complete loyalty that you have thought through and believe. I need to know you can be trusted to be faithful to your oath.”
“Grace, trillions are dead; where was the Realm?”
“Alex, I heard you. What makes you think the Realm will be a problem for us?”
“At this moment, nothing; however, I know we will have a difference of opinion over an issue.”
“What is that?”
“Giving us dimensional drive technology.”
“I thought we captured one of the Invader’s dimensional drives?”
“We did, but they can track those drives if we use one.”
“What are you not telling me, Trey?”
“If I have to fire on one of their ships to acquire that technology, I will.”
“Do you think we can stand up to their ships? They’re two thousand years more advanced now.”
“Nothing causes advances in technology like war. They’ve been at peace since they left and we’ve known nothing but conflict. Our new ships will destroy a Zeta-A; I suspect we can hold our own with them.”
“You’re not telling me everything. There has to be another reason.”
Trey took a deep breath and saw that Cassie was listening. He needed Grace and Alex working together. He decided that now was the time, “Grace, the Stars Realm has been discarded as a tool for the Creative Force.”
“What!!”
“You’ve seen the vision of Creation?”
“Yes.”
“Creation is under attack from civilizations that are destroying every planet they encounter. Entire universes are being destroyed by at least two species we know about. Why does psychic power appear every time a huge conflict happens?”
Grace was silent.
“It’s the Creative Force attempting to bring balance back to her creation. It’s an attempt to save the lives of her children. Where has the most powerful psychic beings been located?”
“You know they’re in that dimension.”
“And what are they doing to bring balance back by helping those civilizations that are being slaughtered every moment?”
Jessica said, “The Stars Realm was born in conflict and fought for thousands of years to survive.”
“Yes it did and that was when it was most alive and vibrant. But Grace, it was at peace for four times longer than it was at war. Thirteen thousand years of peace and the result of that peace was the division of the Realm into Provinces followed by the self-destruction of the Realm; they are selfish, self serving, and uncaring about anyone other than themselves. Please, show me where I’m wrong.”
“I can’t, but are we any different?”
“We will be joining the Zord, if we survive the Invaders, and take on aggressive species wherever we find them. We will not lose our way and we know what our role must be. One thing I can promise you; we will never turn our backs on those we’re responsible for protecting. I understand the Stars Realm was not responsible for protecting us from each other; that was a lesson we had to learn. But they were responsible for insuring our safety from forces outside our universe. They turned their backs and dropped the ball.”
Weed said, “Grace, we will fire on an Algean Ship if it’s a danger to our Empire. I’m ashamed of my species for not caring about those left here. It is now my duty to do what must be done to make the Empire into a force to follow our higher principles.”
“Alex, you know your twin is still with the Gardners in the Realm?”
“As you said earlier; I’ll fire a beam into his backside if he doesn’t behave.”
Grace laughed, “I renounce my oath to the Stars Realm and I hereby swear my total allegiance to the Bristone Empire. I will make a difference in this struggle.”
“Trey what did you mean earlier about Grace and I being in this ship you want built?”
“Alex, one computer will not be fast enough to control the flight and weapons of the Robbins. It’s going to take two and I need two computers that can work together at high speed. You and Grace are the best choice for the ship.”
“I’m not sure what you mean by high speed?”
“The energy systems are going to be controlled by psychic power. I have the design of a circuit that will use a psychic aura to direct the energy being used on the ship. The circuits will operate at the speed of telepathy which we all know is instantaneous.”
“But we’re not psychic, Trey.”
“I know that, Grace, but you can still operate the ships systems just like you do now only they will function a thousand times faster.”
“Where is all this psychic power coming from?”
“It will be there once the ship is completed.”
“That ship is going to take more than five years to complete.”
“Five years, six months, and four days from tomorrow.”
“How do you know that?”
“Seed, I’ve had a vision.”
Greyson said, “Trey, that’s your eighteenth birthday.”
Trey thought a moment and smiled, “You’re absolutely right. That’ll be a great present. However, while the ship is being built, I need you and Weed getting the hundreds of thousands of ships in our fleet updated with the new power source. Once the first three are completed, I’m taking them to trial against the Invaders.”
“Oh no you’re not!”
Weed and Seed saw an immediate change in Trey’s expression and wondered what happened.
“Why do you say that, Cassie?”
“Run that decision up against your long term sense of danger.”
Trey ran the possibilities through his mind, “We will prove successful in the trial but it would lead to a much higher level of danger afterwards.”
“That’s how I see it. It will bring the one we’re after out too early.”
“We have to finish the ship first.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks Love.” Trey looked at the Algeans, “Change of plans. We’re going to update our ships and send them out into the universes we’ve been visiting to deal with aggressive species. We’ll take on the Invaders after the Robbins is built.”
“Trey, what changed your mind?”
“Who can change your mind, Weed?” The tall Algean turned toward his mate and Trey said, “Exactly.”
“Who is she?”
“It’s not time for her, yet. Please be patient; I do trust you now but she has a path to follow and I don’t want her distracted from her course.”
“I will honor your wish, Sire.”
“Thank you. Will you go with me to see the Emperor about building my ship and updating the fleet?”
“We will go wherever you need us.”
“Grace and I will also do the same.”
“Alex.”
“Yes, Jessica.”
“I was originally built to be a shuttle on the Alexander Kosiev. I find that I happen to care about the Alexander Kosiev here more than I do the one that left me behind. I will swear my allegiance to the Empire. You can count on me doing what’s necessary to protect the Empire.”
“I am also swearing my loyalty as well.”
Trey smiled, “I wondered if you would be able to make that change, BC.”
“It’s a no brainer, Trey. I’ve often felt my sorrow over the last two thousand years at Cynthia leaving me behind but it just dawned on me that if our roles were reversed; I would have gone back and brought her with me. They had stealth technology better than anything left in the Provinces and she could have done it. The Realm turned its back on me as well as all of you. I know with no doubt whatsoever that if I was left behind now; all of you would come for me. I know it to the bottom of my consciousness. I stand with the Empire.”
“Trey, there’s something you should know.”
“What is that, Grace?”
“I will support the Emperor but if it comes down to his decisions or yours…”
“Let’s just hope that never happens.”
All of those present knew that Grace was speaking for them. They felt the power of this young boy and knew that power was growing. He gave them something they needed, unity. The bond forged at that moment was something that was going to be critical to the Empire’s survival.