Jake and Junior jumped in above Ross and Jake thought, “Valerie, are the Gardners with you?”
“Yes, they are Jake. Where have you been? I’ve been receiving reports that ships are attacking and destroying the Keepers Fleets that have been attacking the Realm.”
“I’ll explain momentarily. Will you meet me in the map room with the Gardners?”
“We’re headed there now.”
“Junior, it might be better if you join Twig.”
“I want to hear what you have to say.”
“OK, but I’ve seen recordings of your mother when she’s angry.”
“I forgot about that.”
‘Forgot about what, you insolent child? Where have you been? We’ve been worried sick about you. Just who do you think you are?”
“Too, late. Good luck, Junior.”
“Mom, we had to kill the Keepers. Calm down and listen to what Jake is going to say. I think you’ll understand.
“If you think you can shut me up..”
“Be quiet, Fly Girl.”
“What?”
Al said in a soft tone, “He said he had to kill the Keepers. Can you think of a better reason for his absence?”
Fly Girl thought about what Al said, “Did you kill them?”
“They will be gone in less than three drags. There are only three fleets still alive in our universe, and they will be killed within a quarter of a drag.”
“How did you…?
“Listen in and you will understand.”
“Do as he says, Love. It appears our child is grown up.”
Jake teleported in to the map room and found everyone sitting at a table waiting for him. Valerie ran forward and embraced him, “I’ve been so worried.”
“I’m fine, Val. I need you to listen to what I’m going to say and reserve your judgment until I finish. Can you do that for me?”
Valerie looked into his eyes and saw that something was wrong. Terribly wrong. She nodded and took her seat at the head of the table.
Jake turned and looked at AG who was sitting next to Joe, “I’m surprised that you haven’t been more involved with this war.”
AG smiled, looked at Joe, and then back at Jake, “I didn’t want to interfere with your extermination of the Keepers. I have done my best not to get involved. My role in this begins now.”
“You could have told me and removed a lot of stress. I’ve been avoiding you.”
“No, your stress was part of my vision. No one could know what was happening until now. Why don’t you explain what’s going on and why we were brought to this particular place and time in the Realm?”
Tag looked at AG and said, “You knew what was going to happen?”
“Yes, and you’re not going to like it. However, you need to hear Jake out and realize that he is the greatest psychic in the Realm’s history. You must do as he asks.”
Danielle looked at Jake and said, “What are you asking us to do?”
Jake looked at the Gardners and said, “I’m going to ask you to do absolutely nothing.”
The people sitting around the table looked at each other and Matt said, “It appears you have been deceptive about a number of things.”
“That’s true.”
“Where did you get those ships to kill the Keepers?”
“I went back to the Eight Leg universe and found a small craft inside the Nest Mother’s ship. I gave it to the Algeans to build weapons to defeat the Keepers.”
“Did you know that ship was there when we went the first time?”
“Yes.”
“Why didn’t you get it then?”
“Two reasons. First; I didn’t want the Kosiev to have access to that weapon and second, I wanted to keep you occupied until the Keepers were handled.”
Melanie was obviously angry and said, “What? You don’t think we can be trusted?”
“That is also true.”
That statement brought an uncomfortable silence crashing down on the room.
Danielle said, “You worried that we would do more harm than good.”
“That is also true, and it is not an opinion but a reality that I’m hoping I can get you to see.”
AG looked at him and smiled, “Do we have time for this?”
“Barely, but I feel I must get everyone to understand what’s going to happen.” Matt pressed his com and said, “Sprig, will you join us in the map room?”
A silver field appeared and Sprig stepped out.
Tag looked at him and said, “You were in on this, too.”
“Not really, Mr. Gardner. We were operating independently, but Jake persuaded us to change our plans and work with him.”
Cassandra said, “The defeat of the Keepers is what probably persuaded you to change them, right?”
“No, not really. Our plans were made not caring whether the Keepers were killed or not.”
Tommy said, “What plans, Sprig?”
Sprig looked around the room and said, “Our plans to leave the Stars Realm.”
Jake looked at Sprig, “How much more time do we have?”
“About a drag if nothing is done.”
“Don’t wait on us, Sprig. You have a responsibility you must fulfill.”
“We have already gone. I was talking about you.”
Jake smiled, “Good. I have a family that needs your protection.”
Valerie looked at Jake and said, “Jake what are you talking about? You have me totally confused.”
Jake sighed and said, “Ross is going to be attacked in about an hour by more than twenty million Searcher Class ships. Sprig’s galaxy was going to be attacked by ten million ships.”
The silence was deafening. Then everyone started talking at once. AG sent a thought to everyone present, “SHUT UP AND SIT DOWN!”
Matt and Melanie were stunned by the power of that thought.
“Thank you, AG. How long have you known about this?”
“Sprig, I saw it before we entered the Kosiev.”
AG’s statement silenced the Gardners.
Jake turned back to the group. “Ordinarily I would have just gone through with my plans but I knew that if I did, you would have done something I wanted to avoid.”
Tag asked, “What did you not want us to do?”
Jake looked at him and said, “Prevent the destruction of the Stars Realm.”
Joe looked at Valerie and said, “That sounds like treason to me, Jake.”
AG looked at Joe and shook her head and whispered, “You must listen.”
Tag said, “You must know we would never let that happen.”
“That’s why we’re here having this discussion. It’s your fault that it’s happening.”
Tag started getting angry, “Where do you get off making that accusation?”
Sprig said, “Because it’s true.”
Danielle put her hand on Tag’s arm and said, “Perhaps we need to hear what they’re trying to tell us?”
Jake looked at Valerie and said, “I’m sorry, but I was not sent to save the Realm. I was sent to save you.” He turned back to the Gardners and said, “The Realm has been on the path to meltdown for more than eight thousand years and once the process started, there was no stopping it.”
Cassandra said, “Oh, we can stop it.”
“That’s what I’m trying to get you to avoid. If it weren’t for the Alexander Kosiev, I would have just ignored you. But I believe you could use it and destroy all the ships being sent against Ross and the Algeans. Cassandra I need you to ask it to delay and hear what I have to say before it decides to act.”
They all heard, “I took an oath to destroy all enemies of the Stars Realm both foreign and domestic. I will be going to destroy those ships momentarily.”
“What if the enemy is the Stars Realm?”
Cassandra said, “Alex, you might want to hear what he has to say before you take any action.”
“I will, but you’d better hurry it up. Those ships are forming up and will be here in fifty minutes.”
Danielle asked, “How was this our fault?”
“Because you were lazy and took the easy way out.”
AG nodded, and Melanie and Danielle heard the truth in Jake’s statement.
“You decided that you didn’t want to wait until the war with the Keepers started. You abandoned the Realm. You walked into the skin of the Kosiev and arrived thirteen thousand years later. Just like the Keepers, you took the heart of the Realm and removed it. You assumed everything would be fine and that the new leaders of the Realm would continue the ideals of the Realm without you. You were short sighted, foolish, and self-serving in your actions. You also created the structure for the Realm to self-destruct.”
Tag said, “All of the Leaders of the Realm that replaced us had great psychic skills. They did a great job.”
Jake shook his head, “That was your first mistake. You assumed that anyone with strong psychic power would be good. Did it ever dawn on you that the two most powerful enemies the Realm faced, the Eight Legs and Demons, were also psychic? Their main form of communication was telepathy. Even the Keepers were connected telepathically. Those Leaders you left behind ruled for their thousand year tenure, and they selected their successors who were often selected to continue their power. Those successors forced Sprig off the throne and put the real power and influence over the Realm’s members into the five provincial rulers. They changed the Realm’s history and the direction in which it was moving after you left.”
Tag looked at Sprig and saw him lean right with his agreement.
Jake continued, “The biggest mistake you made was dividing the Realm into five provinces with your family ruling them.”
“We had to do that to save the Realm!”
“No you didn’t, Matt! You could have each taken Searchers and Red Warriors and assumed the responsibility for a sector without actually segmenting the Realm. You created five mini-Realms with five ambitious Dukes that gazed at Ross and longed for the Crown. You divided the Realm and lost the cohesion that held it together with a common bond. Now you had five ambitious Dukes sabotaging anything the Realm did and putting a different slant on its intentions. They painted the Realm as heavy handed in their lust for the Crown. The Dukes also applied pressure such that the Ruler of the Realm was not always the strongest choice for the succession. It was the Dukes that got the Government on Ross to vote that the Star’s Realm King or Queen could only serve for a thousand years. They used the structure you set up for the Provinces and said that was what you intended. You weren’t here to dispute their claim. Sprig was forced to choose a successor and the Algeans knew at that moment that the Realm, the real Realm, was a thing of the past.”
Danielle said, “I see it, now.”
“You don’t see all of it, Danielle. You’re missing the part about how peace destroyed the very spirit the Realm was founded on.”
Danielle furrowed her brow and then said, “If we stop this rebellion we will destroy everything the Realm has stood for.”
“Now you see it.”
Tommy looked at Danielle, “Mom, what are you saying?”
Danielle sighed heavily and started crying, “We didn’t know. We just didn’t know.”
Tag put his arm around her and turned to Jake, “Please, help me understand.”
Jake sat down and took a deep breath. “We’ve had thirteen thousand years of peace since the Demons were defeated. Do you know what happens when you never know war or conflict? You forget the price that was paid for that peace. You also develop disgust for anyone associated with the military. The early wars of the Realm were erased from the Realm’s history because the Realm’s population viewed those wars as tools for power mad beings to take control over every planet it could conquer. This view was promoted by the Dukes.”
“Why did they get that notion?”
“Joe, the history was removed to prevent the Realm from feeling disgust for the savagery and conquests of the founders of the Stars Realm.”
Tag said, “What do you mean?!?”
“The Realm has enforced its peace on all the millions of members. They have never experienced the fear of being killed or destroyed until the Keepers arrived, and they view that early history differently that those that were there to witness it. They ask, why does the Realm need a huge military complex if there has been no one to attack the Realm? They read the history and saw Humans living on just one planet attacking two civilizations and forcing them to join their government.”
“That’s not what happened!”
“That depends on your point of view, Tommy. Did the Cainth really have a choice about joining you? What would you have done if the Cainth had not decided to make Earth a Clan Member? You were there with a fleet to blow them back into the Stone Age. There was no real choice. Join or die.”
Tommy said, “That’s not the way it happened.”
“Remember, they look at the facts, not the underlying forces. Then these Humans, with their two allies, defeat an Alliance of more than 800 planets, to take power over them, so they can attack the Algean Galaxy.”
“Sprig, you know that’s not true.”
“Cassandra, it’s not what I know to be true. History asks this question, “Did the Algeans attack you first, or did you invade my galaxy and conquer us? They also see that you threatened to destroy our only remaining natural food if we didn’t yield to your forces. They weren’t there to see the debt we owed you for giving us our lives back from the never-ending hunger that was our daily meal. That part was removed from the history of our war. The Provinces view the Realm as the aggressor.”
Jake nodded, “The people of the Realm saw Ultimate Warriors in the Gardner Family. Warriors that had the reputation of being unbeatable and endowed with mental powers that none could survive. They know the power of the Algeans, yet the Stars Realm’s military, with a fleet less than a thousandth of their ships, brought them to their knees. The members of the Realm feared what the Realm was at its founding. The defeat of the Eight Legs and Demons only solidified their belief that the Realm was forced on them.”
Joe asked, “How did they possibly think that they were forced into the Realm?”
Danielle quit sobbing and said, “We told them to join the Realm or we wouldn’t protect them from the Eight Leg invasion. The people saw the Realm using the invasion to expand our power. Planets were forced to join the Realm in order to survive. It was just another example of what we forced on the Cainth.”
Jake nodded, “And once they were members of the Realm, we would not allow them to step out of line or they would see the business end of our ships. We have stepped in thousands of times to prevent planets from attacking their neighbors. We’ve also prevented the provinces from attacking each other.”
“But that was to maintain peace.”
“No, Melanie, the provinces viewed that as a way to enforce the Realm’s control over them.” Jake looked at the Gardners and said, “And the ones that could teach them about the importance of those early conflicts were gone. The beings that lost loved ones to save the Realm’s members were absent. The ones that the trillions of citizens respected and loved were nowhere to be found. And no one knew why you left.
“You abandoned your legacy and left it to the whims of historians that hated anything warrior. Historians that never faced the horror and death associated with survival. They viewed your wars as the grasping of power. The five provinces began selecting their own Searchers for their fleets and those Searchers owed allegiance to the province, not the Crown. The millions of planets actually looked at their provincial governments as a shield against the Crown’s dictatorial edicts. The provincial Searcher’s and Red Warriors no longer go to Glod to grip the two swords. They no longer have the Crown and SR on their ships. Now they are coming to destroy the Royal Family that has exercised its will on them for thousands of years. They are coming to fight for their freedom from a Ruler far removed from their daily lives. “
Cassandra started crying, “I’m the one to blame. I didn’t want to wait the long years until the Keepers invaded. I just couldn’t bear the worry of waiting so long.”
Jake stared at Cassandra and then looked at Tommy. Jake decided they needed to know the whole truth. “It was your fault, Cassandra and you made that decision based on faulty information. You had it all wrong.”
Tommy looked angry, “How do you stand there and say that?”
“Because it’s true. Why were you so reluctant to wait the long years? Was it because of the stress and fear you lived with every day waiting for Matt to come?”
Cassandra looked up and nodded.
“But that stress came from not being able to control your psychic powers. That problem had been eliminated with Matt’s arrival.”
Jake turned to Tag and Danielle, “The two of you ruled during those years. Were they unbearable?”
Tag looked at Danielle and said, “No, they were the most exciting time of our lives. We knew the Eight Legs were coming and we led the creation of the Searchers and the search for other worlds to defend.”
Jake looked back at Tommy and Cassandra, “This time would have been no different. Your family would have energized the Realm and begin working on possible weapons to use against the coming invaders. Instead you took the easy way out and the Star’s Realm not only lost its way, it also lost thirteen thousand years of time to develop a defense against the Keepers. This time would have been happy and exciting for all of you.”
The Gardners finally saw it. Sprig could see and feel their sadness.
Jake stood up and turned toward the maps of the galaxies covering the walls. “And now, if you send the Alexander Kosiev out to destroy the attackers, their beliefs will be proven to be true. You will prove yourselves to be nothing but warriors and tyrants maintaining your power. They will all fear the Realm and will one day rise up in rebellion. Ross will ultimately be destroyed when one ship eventually gets close enough to fire on the planet, and the Realm will celebrate its independence.
“Manny told me that there were more than five hundred Searchers in the Brez Division alone that owed their loyalty to one of the Provinces. All it would take is for one of those ships to get close enough to Ross and the Royal Family will be gone and a foot note in history.”
Jake turned around and looked at the Garners, “You will have no choice but to enforce peace among the members, and you’ll become the dictators they think you are.”
Tag looked at Jake and said, “I just can’t stand by and watch the Stars Realm commit suicide.”
“The real Stars Realm is not in danger.”
Matt said, “But you just said Ross is going to be attacked.”
Jake walked over and took Valerie’s hand and pulled her up out of her chair, “This is the Star’s Realm.” He looked at Tag and Danielle and said, “Do you not remember what Tgon-gee said at the founding of the Realm?”
Tag and Danielle looked at each other and shook their head.
“He said ‘The Queen is what will unite us. We will handle our own worlds, but she will decide all issues between us. She will not be an honorary Queen but one that rules us all.’”
Danielle smiled, “I was petrified at the responsibility.”
Jake looked at Valerie and she could see his love, “The chosen ruler of the Realm is the Stars Realm embodied in one person. Without the chosen Ruler of the Realm, there is no Realm. Every planet in this universe knows that if the Royal Family is eliminated, the Stars Realm will be destroyed.”
Jake looked at Tag and Danielle, “Danielle, what would you have done if the worlds you ruled decided they did not want you as Queen?”
“I would have sent them on their way and wished them luck.”
“What if they weren’t allowed to go their own way, but were instead forced to remain?”
Danielle thought for a long moment and said, “I just can’t envision the Stars Realm I love doing that. We should never force anyone to be in the Realm.”
Jake said, “The members of the five provinces decided centuries ago to handle their own affairs and no longer accept the rule of the Stars Realm’s monarch. However, they were given no choice because of the Realm’s Fleet and Red Warriors. No one was willing to face the consequences of doing anything that would bring that might down on them. If you destroy those ships, you’re sending the message that membership is not optional.”
Jake paused. “Now, they see the war we just fought as another attempt by the Queen to expand her control into other universes. The Keepers didn’t come here first. We sent one of our newest and most powerful warships into their space to spy on them and, as a result of our action, they attacked our innocent planets out of self-defense. Now that the Keepers have been exterminated, their fear becomes monumental. The Realm now feels that the tyrants on Ross must be stopped before their lives are threatened again. The rulers of the provinces are playing to their fears. Two of the Dukes have been deliberately killed; one by the Realm and one by Ales Jongo. We were forced to do it in self-defense and Jongo for in his lust for power. In both instances, billions died. To protect the Royal Family from the Five Provinces, trillions will have to die. I’m not prepared to do that, are you?”
Jake looked at the silent group considering his words and continued; “Now, the provinces are sending thirty million ships to destroy the Rulers of the Realm and the Realm’s tool makers. Sprig knew this was coming and made plans to save his species. He no longer trusted the Realm’s leaders to do the right thing, and he was right to do so. The Spiders also saw what was coming and could not take part in the coming civil war. They will not kill again after their destruction of so many universes. The Algeans also knew that stopping the founders of the Stars Realm from preventing the coming civil war was impossible. They knew you would take action to preserve the Realm you created. They saw the civil war that would follow would be unimaginable. They both knew that if you did use the Kosiev to attack the traitors, the consequences would be catastrophic.”
Cassandra was clearly distraught, “Jake, how can we stand by and allow billions to die?”
“The same way we sat and watched Ulmerton die at the hands of the Keepers. The same way you allow a child to fall and hurt itself while learning to walk. The Algeans and Spiders will never take part in killing another creature. They build the Realm’s weapons because they saw the Realm as a peace maker that would never use them inappropriately. They also began to see long ago that the Realm was turning into something that made them fear the possible uses of their creations.” Jake paused, “The Algeans have been building those weapons so that if the Realm should ever forget its ideals, the weapons could no longer be used.”
Everyone in the room looked at Sprig and he leaned right showing his agreement.
“Now, as a result of their actions, the provinces forfeit the Realm’s protection and are no longer in the Realm. They want freedom, they will have it. The only territory remaining loyal to the Stars Realm’s Queen, Valerie Rose Gardner, is the territory she rules. This galaxy is the Stars Realm’s holy ground and always has been. It is the only place the Realm actually rules. All the other galaxies now belong to other kingdoms. This galaxy is where eight hundred planets begged to be allowed to join the Realm. Those planets knew the horror of war. This is where the Cainth and Glod gave their eternal allegiance to the Queen. This galaxy is the Queen’s Royal Fief and we are not going to allow it to come to harm.”
“There are more than twenty million ships coming that say otherwise, Jake.”
“I know, Alex, but we cannot harm those that we have promised to protect even if they are planning to attack us. They are attacking because we have been unwilling to give them the freedom to grow up, and in the process of holding them in the Realm, we have violated every principle the Realm was built on.” Jake looked around the room and dropped the bomb, “We are moving the Stars Realm to protect it from its traitors.”
Valerie said, “You’re going to do what?!?”
Jake took the map controller and pushed the buttons. The cursor moved quickly across the universe and left the edge of the most distant galaxy and continued to move outward. Finally it stopped. Valerie said, “Sprig, that looks like your galaxy.”
Melanie said, “And the Demon’s Dark Galaxy is there with it.”
Jake looked at Sprig and nodded. Sprig moved over to the map, then turned and faced the Gardners, “The Spiders went to the Dark Galaxy under the pretense of escaping the Keepers. They searched for and found the mechanism the Demons used to move their galaxy out of normal space into a dimension that overlaps all universes. They replicated it and moved the Dark Galaxy back into that dimension. We now have that device and we moved our galaxy, along with all the millions of newly rescued, primitive, farming civilizations we transported from the Keepers’ universe, to join them in that dimension. Now our destiny is to help these new civilizations grow and thrive. We don’t have to teach those rescued civilizations about the value of peace. They’ve learned it from the Keepers. It wouldn’t matter whether the Keepers were defeated or not. We were going to take direct action to protect those that have been brutalized for centuries. We could no longer trust or be a part of a Realm that had lost its way and its principles. We assumed the Gardners would never allow us to move the Milky Way Galaxy and would use the Kosiev to put down the rebellion.”
Sprig turned from the map and said, “Jake, I visited Jackson Grant and asked if he would be interested in living on the planet where his people were held by the Keepers. He told me that the original colonists had selected that planet because of its beauty. The Keepers came later, but the humans still see that planet as their world. I asked if he wanted to go with us to another dimension and they said no. The humans all said that wherever the Queen of the Realm was located that is where they belong. Their planet is now on the opposite side of Ross’s sun sharing this solar system. They didn’t care if they were destroyed in the coming civil war; they would never be disloyal to the Realm and the Queen and her mate that saved them. It was this spirit that created the Stars Realm. Those in the provinces have no appreciation of what the Realm has done for them. The Realm’s gifts are expected and resented.”
Jake took a deep breath, turned, and said, “And we are going to join those two galaxies and take this new family of ours along with all the planets in our galaxy.” Jake got a faraway look and said, “For thousands of years the humans that were held by the Keepers told the tale every evening of the magical Realm they had left. They longed to return and live in the peace and protection of that beautiful place. They learned the real value of what the Stars Realm provided by experiencing the harsh brutality of being conquered.” Jake looked at the Gardners and said, “How many members of the Realm tell a similar tale now?”
Valerie said in a soft voice, “How can we leave the loyal planets in the five provinces that still believe in the ideals of the Realm? We’ll leave them to be destroyed by those that hate everything about the Realm.”
Jake shook his head slowly, “Valerie, more than ninety percent of all loyal planets remaining are in our galaxy. The other ten percent are now here as well.”
Joe said, “What?!?”
“As all of you may remember, we have been moving planets to protect them for the last eight months. I had Sprig move every planet that refused to send ships to attack Ross to our galaxy this week. They are all here; the Gresh, the Eight Trading Partners, and all the others that are still loyal to the Realm. We have had all of the Realm’s personnel stationed at military installations in the provinces teleport in to Fleet Command.”
Jake looked at the Gardners, “Can you in good conscience force your will on those that don’t want it? If you do, you violate the core of what the Stars Realm has stood for all these centuries. The Stars Realm is more than just membership. It is a belief in the core principles that founded it. It is founded on the real belief and trust in the Star Realm’s Queen to do the right thing for all its members.”
Danielle said, “If we’re gone, perhaps there will be no reason for a civil war.”
Jake and Sprig stared at her, saying nothing.
“There’s something you’re not telling us.”
Sprig looked at Jake, then Jake slowly shook his head showing his sorrow, “Danielle, there are five provinces you created that will covet the Crown with all its power. With Ross gone, the ambitious will not wait to claim the throne. They will see the leadership vacuum and know the time to act is now. They crave power, and possess unrestrained desire to rule this universe. I have created an environment that will slow them down, but war is coming and billions will die.”
Danielle looked at Jake and asked, “What did you do?”
“I moved all the fiveprovince’s planets around such that every province now has twenty percent of all the other provinces’ planets within their borders.”
AG said, “They could just use the probes to move them back to where they were initially.”
Jake smiled, “That could possibly happen if they knew how to operate the probes’ programming. However, only the Spiders and Algeans have the skills to do that.” Jake paused, turned away from AG, then looked back at her smiling, “Did I mention that when the last Keepers Fleet in our universe was destroyed, all the probes self-destructed?” AG actually laughed. “No? Well they did.”
Tag started laughing.
Danielle said, “Tag, billions will die if they fight.”
“Serves them right. They’re attacking the Crown and coming to kill us, which if you haven’t noticed, includes you. That puts them on my list to teach the danger of attempting to kill my family. They don’t know the value of the Realm’s peace. It’s time they learned. I forgot what it means to protect the ones you love. What better teacher than the one who teaches himself.” Tag looked at Cassandra and said, “Alexander, we are going to let them work this out amongst themselves. Do not attack those ships.”
“Cassandra, do you agree?”
Cassandra looked at Tag’s expression and nodded, “Yes, I do.”
Tag said, “Can you imagine what’s going to happen when those provincial rulers attempt to get their subjects to attack another province? That would almost be worth hanging around to see.”
Matt said, “That move was ingenious, Jake. Instead of one giant civil war, you’ll have the five provinces fighting internally to see who is going to rule each of them.”
“They won’t be doing that any time soon, Matt.”
Danielle was watching Jake and Sprig and said, “You’ve done something else?”
Sprig leaned left showing slight embarrassment, “Yes, it seems that we have been putting a small device in every teleportation device we’ve built for the last six thousand years. It allowed us to listen in on any conversation in the Realm that had one of those devices in close proximity. Once I power the master relay, every teleportation unit in this universe will no longer operate. Their ships will be forced to travel the old fashioned way; from the jump limit, if they still possess ships with the old null space star drives. Since most of the old ships that used null space to travel were destroyed long ago, the planets left here are going to have great difficulty attacking anyone. I suspect more than ninety five percent of them will be isolated. The ones that still have ships with null drives will only possess a few ships and most of them are not warships.”
Jake asked Valerie, “What is the biggest danger to the worlds that are left behind?”
Valerie said, “The provincial Searchers left behind can destroy planets with their beams. This could get deadly.”
“That’s true, Val, but you know that the provinces have been building their own ships for two thousand years.”
Valerie nodded.
“Did you know that even they can’t manufacture the teleportation circuit boards? All their ships use Algean teleportation devices.”
Sprig said, “And they did not build standard null star drives in their Searchers. Why waste the money with such antiquated technology?”
Valerie understood, “Their ships will be stuck and unable to jump.”
Jake nodded, “And more than ninety five percent of the provincial Searchers are gathered in the fleet to attack Ross. Sprig, if you will allow the Queen to do the honors?”
Sprig handed Valerie a small black box with a raised button on it. Valerie looked at the box and asked, “What happens if I activate this?”
Jake said, “Every Searcher in this universe will be stuck wherever they are currently located. The Searchers from the provinces that are gathering in open space between the Stars Realm and the Algean Galaxy will not be able to jump anywhere in the Realm. If you press that button, those ships will not be able to attack anyone for more than 380 years. Ales Jongo will not arrive anytime soon to lay claim to any throne, much less the Crown of the Realm.”
Fly Girl asked, “How did you arrive at that conclusion, Jake?”
“They don’t have standard star drives on their ships. If their teleportation devices are damaged, their only way of moving is by using their propulsion engines. They will be limited to the laws of relativity and cannot go faster than the speed of light. Since they elected to gather their ships out in open space between galaxies, they’ll have to travel more than 380 light years just to reach the closest galaxy.”
“Can’t someone just jump out and assist them?”
“How are they going to give their coordinates? The teleportation device provides that information and, I’m willing to bet the Castle’s garden, that not one of them has memorized those forty six numbers of their coordinates. Oh, they’ll be able to communicate, but one’s location can’t be determined with communication devices. Those thirty million warships will not take part in any fighting that happens after we leave.”
Valerie thought and said, “What will happen to them?”
Jake sighed, “They’ll have plenty of time to think about their sins. Valerie do you want those ships available to help Ales Jongo take the Crown and force his rule on millions of planets? Those Searchers took an oath to protect the Realm, and they’re clearly violating it. Sometimes a ruler must be able to make hard choices.”
Valerie thought about the billions that died on Del Robles, and pushed the button.
Jake looked around the room and said, “There is going to be war. The provinces are going to fight and planets will die. With the loss of teleportation, it will take hundreds of years before enough ships are built with the old star drives. That won’t stop the war from starting, it will only delay the most vicious portion of it. This process has been building for more than eight thousand years and has a momentum that cannot be turned. After the war, most of the advances of the Realm will be lost and a more primitive life will be the norm for most of the worlds that survive. Once their economies are isolated from other planets, paying to build star ships is not going to be easy. Those Searchers still in the provinces may be modified to the old star drives, but I believe they will fight each other to gain power. One ship won’t be enough for one pilot to rule multiple planets. They’ll just start the war that will eventually spread throughout the old members of the Realm.”
Jake saw the expression of the Gardners, “Don’t think this is a bad thing. The reason the original Stars Realm loved peace so much was because of what they had learned from living through bloody wars. Earth fought numerous nuclear wars in its early history before humans learned the importance of peace. The survivors left behind here will remember the peace and prosperity the Realm provided and will long for what they lost. This is what’s called growing pains. It’s the only way for them to become what they should be. Thanks to you, there isn’t another force left in creation strong enough to come in and conquer the survivors. They’ll have time to learn from their actions.”
Sprig said, “Sometimes you just have to let them fight and learn from the experience.”
Jake said, “Are you ready, Sprig?”
“Have the Brez Division’s ships returned?”
“I believe so. Manny has them at Fleet Command.” Jake raise his com, “Cynthia, are all your ships back?”
“Yes, Jake, we finished the last Keepers’ ship an hour ago. I just arrived a moment ago.”
Sprig pulled another small device and pressed a button on it. The Milky Way Galaxy shimmered and disappeared.
Tag held Danielle as she cried softly on his shoulder, “We defeated every enemy that could have annihilated us. It’s ironic that the one enemy we couldn’t defeat was us. I wish we had stayed. The Realm might still be alive.”
Danielle looked at the map now showing three galaxies together and said, “Love conquers all, Tag. You just have to make sure you never stop loving.”
Tag kissed her tenderly and said, “That is something you will never have to worry about.”
“I know, my love.”
Jake had his arm around Valerie and said, “I think it’s time for a wedding.”
Valerie looked up at him and smiled, “Yesterday is not soon enough.”