Читать книгу Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Weddings - Darryl Dean Wright - Страница 11

The President of Earth Defense sent thirty ships, all Leonsian, to JR's platform. They were in range for hailing which meant that they were almost in firing range. The lead Leonsian ship hailed JR Houston, "This is Admiral Clamp aboard the Trinity. Come in platform. We ask permission to attach down."

"This is King JR, and I've already had contact with Earth, so I know that you arrested my mother. And, I know you have a kill order out on me, so hell no! I'm denying your request to attach and take me out."

The ED ships were now in firing range so JR fired first. One hundred torpedoes launched and headed for the Earth Defense Fleet in an anxious trot. ED did not expect a pre-emptive strike or JR having such good intelligence.

Admiral Clamp yelled, "Turn us around. Order retreat! Counter measures. Can we jump?"

Helm turned to look him straight in the eye and said, "We could've if we had it on standby, Sir, but it will take at least four minutes to get it ready." His hands worked the console unerringly.

The captain said, "Sir, we just lost four ships and there are still seventy torpedoes out there. Twelve have our name on them." Then he told tactical to launch every counter measure on board their ship.

The Tactical Officer pushed a button on a vertical console twenty times. Forty seconds later he yelled, "That did it, Sir. We are out of the woods and out of firing range now." They all thought that that was too close!

The captain turned to the admiral and said, "Now what do we do? Only five ships made it out alive."

The Communications Officer said, "Not true, Sirs. I read that the Miranda and the Orion's Belt jumped, and I'm pretty sure that they didn't have a clue as to where they were going."

The captain said, "At least they got out. We'll hope for the best."

The admiral said, "Communications, get me the President, and I don't care what time it is in Texas." As the comm. said "Aye," the admiral and captain wiped the sweat off their foreheads. They both had thought that it was going to be easy.

Captain Marcus opened his eyes but he couldn't hear anything. There was a fire nearby and he felt wet at his center. A lieutenant he recognized was saying something to him, but he couldn't hear him. He knew that he was in shock, and he tried to come out of it as cascading wails of interference went out on the radio and smoke was everywhere else.

"Sir, the ship is trashed. There are only four of us still alive and the prisoner has escaped. … Sir?" The Lt. was getting worried because the captain just stared at him with a blank expression on his face.

Marcus started to cough due to all of the smoke in the ship. He tried to move but the tear in his side changed his mind. He let out a cry, and the Lt. told him not to move just yet. The Captain thought for sure he was dying as the Lt. called out, "Medic, fix up the captain for transport." Then Lt. Graves noticed that the hatch newly marked "Exit" was wide open, so he told Sgt. Mills to guard the door. It wasn't the first time he wished he had stayed in his own galaxy.

The sergeant wanted to know if he wanted the hatch closed and Graves said, "No, let's give some of this smoke a chance to leave." He picked up a fire extinguisher and started putting out the fires one at a time.

Two days later, the Turtle had launched the Leonsian ship with a new cloaking device and over one hundred Nano-droids. Daque was saying good-bye to the admirals and Derek said, "Take care and don't worry. We'll take good care of your brother and people, and we'll get back as soon as we can."

The Turtle's Quantum hangar-bay now had over eight hundred thousand passengers setting up house on all of the large ships there. They were mostly women because the men wanted to fight for their planet now that they had weapons and knew how to use them. The admirals were hoping that there wouldn't be too much friendly-fire on the Tauri planet, but they had to leave. The Houstons had decided to keep the Tauri in the Q-bay instead of having a massive fleet head for Kess. This way they could keep an eye on them and move faster through space with only the Turtle flying and not leading the others.

Derek said, "OK, Turtle, fold space and set a course for Kess."

The Turtle said, "By your command, Admiral."

Noah said, "This has to be a record with this many people on the Turtle, and mostly women."

Derek asked his nephew, "What is the status of our Quantum hangar bay?"

Noah said, "I just told you, Sir," but the admiral kept looking his way waiting. Noah realized what he was asking and said, "One moment, Sir." He went to a nearby screen and started typing below it on a keyboard until he came up with the answer the admiral wanted. "The Caprices are all on, and we have eighty cadets on security watch, along with two hundred Nano-droids, and all is fine, Sir."

Derek was hoping that there would not be any problems or trouble with the move. Derek asked the Turtle if there were any Lizardians onboard at all, and the Turtle responded, "No Sir. They all left with SSSaa, and Qworn left with Captain Kester … Would you like me to make some?"

"Yes," he said smiling and then he added, "About a hundred, and send them all to the Q-bay, please."

The Turtle said, "It is done, Sir." Derek swore the Turtle read minds.

JR and all thirty of his ships were coming out of star-drive consecutively. As soon as they did, JR told N-Kim to contact the city of Austen and let them know he would be parking in their front yard.

She said, "Yes Sir," and a moment later she added, "The King is welcomed. Permission granted."

As all the Trex ships were landing, a lot of lizards were scared to death at the scene. They were unaware the ships' crews consisted of humans and Lizardians. N-Austen and N-Derek waited for JR at his landing site. A bunch of Casaurs and quite a few Lizardians showed up at their sides branding weapons. The lead Casaur guard asked how the N-Houstons could be so calm, and N-Austen told him that the fleet belonged to his brother. Then he yelled out for all to hear, "At ease everybody. This is just a family reunion."

All thirty ships landed after JR's ship touched down. They started spewing out humans: male, female, old, young, and also JR's squad of Lizardians, who immediately walked with him over to where his brothers were standing. By the time JR got to them, he knew they were not really his brothers. He was mad and asked the two Nano-droids, "Where is the Turtle?"

N-Derek said, "We don't know. We're glad you are alive. We had visitors from ED last night."

JR said, "Yeah, we're all marked for death." He turned around and told his people to follow him into the city. Once they all were situated in the town's barracks, the Nano-droids that lived there served them food and wine. JR was sitting with Shlizz and his Nano-brothers drinking the whiskey that he had brought. The Nano-droids drank also to give the impression that they were really his brothers. JR said, "ED has a thousand ships, so we came here for help. I guess we'll wait on the Turtle."

N-Austen said, "I have no idea how long that will take, Bro."

JR reached across the table and slapped N-Austen's face. Shlizz went for his knife out of habit, but he didn't take it out. JR said, "I don't mind pretending in front of everybody, but when we're alone, don't you ever call me bro. Got it?"

N-Austen and N-Derek looked at each other and then back at JR. N-Austen said, "I didn't mean any disrespect Sir." He sounded plaintive so JR wouldn't go off again.

JR said, "Of course you didn't. Look, the Turtle will be here shortly, and when they come, we will give ED a migraine! I'm going to need you 'noids' to go with me when the Turtle arrives because I don't want my Martian buddies going. But I don't want them to know. I don't want to lose any of them. This isn't their war."

Both of his N-brothers said that they were in. JR said, "I wasn't giving you a choice. Now when the Turtle gets here, I'll have one of my Nano-selves parade the pirates to Derek City, lakeside."

N-Derek said, "We have Caprices here if you need them … Sir."

JR said, "Leave them here to protect the citizens. Besides, I have plenty of them."

Back near Earth's sun, the Leonsians had just sent the Lexington on a collision course to the heart of Sol. The captain said, "It is done. Now jump us as far out of this system as we can jump."

The pack-leader said, "Jump ready in three, two, one," and the Leo-ship disappeared from Sol.

The President was screaming at Admiral Clamp, "I don't care, I want him dead now!" The admiral looked at his captain on the ED ship, and he was about to say something to the President, but the President beat him to it. "I am sending one hundred more ships to help you with this incredibly easy task." Then the President hung up on the admiral.

The admiral whispered to his captain, "We have people on that platform."