The Fight for Britannia 7: Civil War Read online

  “Then we’re with you. We’re thankful for your allowing us to come to your galaxy and we will defend your species against any threat.”

  “I want you to allow my two officers here to command your forces if a war breaks out between us and the Colonies.”

  “Why do you require that?”

  “Because if humans have to die, I want other humans ordering it. That responsibility should lie with us.”

  “I understand.”

  “I also need you to construct some special ships for me.”

  “I saw in your mind what you need. We’ll start building them immediately.”

  Cami smiled, “Thank you for your understanding. I do feel so much better about our future together.”

  The Controller stood up, “Is everyone in agreement about these decisions.”

  Everyone in the huge gathering stood and yelled their affirmation. The Controller turned to Cami, “My species is called Tanis. Please refer to us by that name in the future. Our home is here and not in the galaxy you call Triangulum. Cami smiled and hugged him.

  Stoney looked at Charlie and said, “Like I said, you have one hell of a fleet.”

  Cami went to Coco, smiled, and thought, “I need you to help me contact someone.” Coco nodded and Cami focused for a few minutes.

  • • •

  They left the Tanis’ planet the next day and Cami was the first one on board and she activated her communicator. Charlie and Sweets entered the ship as Cami lowered her communicator and ordered, “Charlie move us above the black hole.” Charlie moved above the black hole and Cami focused for a long moment before thinking, “Uncle Joshua, can you hear me?”

  “Cami, I didn’t expect you to contact me so quickly.”

  “Where are we in the production of the dark matter chips?”

  “We’re about done, why do you ask?”

  “How have you been getting them to our fleets?”

  “They’re being built at the compression vessel at the black hole. We use three military freighters to move them to our fleets.”

  “What about getting them to Earth?”

  “The last two freighters have delivered enough of them for installation in their defense platforms.”

  “I need you to start full production and start shipping them to the Capital Planet of the Triangulum Civilization.”

  “Is that wise?”

  “I’m just leaving a meeting with all of their planet leaders and they can be trusted like we trust Earth. You don’t need to worry about their loyalties. Can you make that happen?”

  “Hessy won’t like having to stay longer. How many do you need?”

  “About a quarter of a million and more over time. And we’ll need to keep them coming to them.”

  “Holy guacamole! I’ll send Noel to relieve Hessy. I guess this is good news, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is Uncle Joshua.”

  Cami ended the contact and turned to Charlie, “We have one more trip to make.”

  Charlie’s head tilted, “Where?”

  “Take us to the site of the Grang and DoRen stadium.”

  “Why?”

  “Just do it Charlie.”

  Cami sat back and Coco sat down beside her. She looked up and said, “I don’t mind staying with you, Aunt Cami.” Cami smiled and hugged her tightly.

  • • •

  They arrived above the planet with the giant stadium on its surface and Sweets turned around, “Cami, the stadium is filled with thousands of Grang and DoRen.”

  “I’ve ordered them to come here to attend a meeting,” Cami replied. “Charlie, take us down just outside the stadium’s entrance.”

  “Cami, I don’t like this. We should have a fleet here with us.”

  “Charlie, I don’t have time to explain what’s going on. Follow my orders and land the ship.”

  “Cami, I will not allow Coco to leave the ship,” Sweets interjected.

  Cami looked at Coco and nodded. Coco turned to her mother, “We are in no danger Mommy. They are too frightened of us to do anything to harm us. And most of them believe we have a fleet with us.”

  Sweets glared at Cami and Cami shrugged, “Coming here was the real reason I came out here. Visiting the Tanis was a by product of the trip. Now relax and all of you follow me into the stadium.”

  Sweets looked at Charlie and he blew out a breath, “She’s the boss. If Coco says we’re safe, then I believe her.” Cami stood up and left for the port holding Coco’s hand. Stoney jumped up behind them and Charlie stood and followed Sweets off the ship.

  A giant Grang Warrior was waiting outside the port and he bowed to Cami, “Please follow me.” He led them to an elevator, and they were whisked up to the top level of the stadium. Coco was staring up at the huge Grang and the warrior smiled, “You have nothing to worry about.”

  Coco nodded, “I know but you are huge!”

  The Warrior chuckled and led them out of the elevator to a hallway that led out to a raised platform high above the stadium. Charlie looked at Sweets and shook his head. This was his first face-to-face contact with a Grang, and Coco was right, he was imposing.

  Cami led them out to the platform and saw the Grang and DoRen Supreme Leaders standing on each side of a large podium. The DoRen Leader bowed slightly and asked, “Have we done something wrong for you to call this emergency meeting?”

  Cami stared at him and then replied, “There are some issues we need to discuss.”

  “Is that why you demanded all the leaders from the planets in our civilization to be present?” the Grang Leader asked.

  “I demanded all your planet leaders to be present to make sure there are no misunderstandings,” Cami answered.

  A technician was working on the microphone on the podium and Cami saw him tap the microphone. The sound echoed around the stadium and he stood back. Cami tapped the microphone twice and it reverberated around the stadium. The two leaders sat down in chairs beside the podium as Stoney, Charlie, and Sweets sat down in chairs behind Cami. Cami looked at Coco, “Do you sense what I’m hearing?”

  Coco nodded, “They’re all fearful of you.”

  “I need you to boost my thoughts so everyone present can hear them, can you do that?” Coco nodded. Cami gripped the microphone and lowered it away from the podium. She looked out at the giant gathering and took in the sight. The stadium could hold more than a quarter of a million spectators, and it was completely full. One side of the stadium was filled with the leaders from the Grang Civilization and the other side was filled with the DoRen Leaders. After a moment she thought:

  “I came here eight years ago and threatened your civilizations with destruction.” Everyone in the stadium flinched when they heard her thought. “I’m using telepathy to communicate with you so there will be no misunderstanding on the message I’ve come to deliver to you today.” Cami glanced at the Grang and DoRen Leaders and saw they were expecting something awful to happen. “I presented you with conditions that you would have to follow to avoid extinction and, quite frankly, I didn’t expect you to live up to them. Both of your civilizations have been aggressive, and you’ve attacked any species you came into contact with. However, you have lived inside the conditions I set for you and have actually exceeded my expectations. You have opened trade agreements with the new civilization from the Triangulum Galaxy that settled here in the core of the galaxy. I’ve just left a meeting with their leaders and they tell me you have been fair and a good trading partner. They say you have not demonstrated any hostile behavior toward them, and I find that surprising.”

  The DoRen Leader said, “You would have destroyed us if we did!”

  Cami turned to him, “I don’t believe that is why you treated them fairly. The Tanis tell me that you are natural born traders and you always strike a good bargain for both sides. I suspect that isn’t something you knew about yourselves.”

  The DoRen Leader looked at the Grang Leader and shrugged, “I think she’s right about that.”


  Cami smiled and turned back to the giant gathering. “With that in mind, I am removing the restriction on the movements of your warships. You may now use them to move around your civilizations without having to remain at a single planet.” Every alien in the stadium was shocked by the announcement. Cami paused and said, “However, you will not be allowed to use them to attack the Tanis or any civilization you encounter unless you are attacked by them.” Cami turned to the two Leaders and smiled, “However, if you want to continue your war against each other, you may do so.”

  The two Leaders were stunned, and they turned to each other. They were shocked silent until the Grang Leader asked harshly, “Then why did you stop us from attacking each other eight years ago?!”

  Cami looked at them and asked, “Why do you think I stopped you?”

  The DoRen leader shook his head, “I have no idea? This is…not what I expected from this meeting.”

  Cami stared at them and looked out at the gathering. “I look out at you and let me tell you what I see. When I stopped you eight years ago from continuing your centuries long war against each other, I was hoping you would come to see each other with clear eyes.”

  “What do you mean by that?” The Grang asked.

  Cami sighed, “I look at you and though you are so different physically, you are more alike than different. Both of your civilizations are warrior cultures and pride themselves on your strength and warrior skills. Both of you also take pride in yourselves and your species. You are so much alike that it amazes me. That’s why I suggested the annual competitions between your champions. Not only would it provide an outlet for your warriors to use their talents, but it would also give both civilizations an opportunity to get to know your enemy. Both of you have a strong urge to fight the good fight against a worthy foe. The problem is you chose the wrong outlet for your talents.”

  “What does that mean?” the DoRen asked.

  “Warriors shouldn’t turn their hearts against everyone they encounter. A warrior’s true destiny should be to make the universe a better place than they found it. Everyone present today possesses common needs. All of you want to have a safe place to raise your families in peace and provide a good life for them. You aren’t alone in these desires; every civilization shares those in common. A true warrior shouldn’t be killing innocent beings needlessly. A true warrior should desire to help those that can’t defend themselves against outside terrors.” Cami turned to the two leaders, “Answer me honestly; if you could, would you now go out and attack the Tanis you’ve been trading with?” The two leaders were silent, and Cami lowered her eyes, “Would you?!”

  The Grang Leader shook his head, “No. I’ve come to respect them; they are a noble species.”

  Cami turned to the DoRen leader and he said, “I agree. We do not look at them as enemies.”

  “But you have no problem looking at each other as enemies knowing that both of your species are noble warriors, and yet you still choose to attack each other. Please explain to me how that makes sense. I’ve seen that you have grown up and now see that all species aren’t automatically an enemy and that makes me prouder of you than I can express. But I look out and see all of the DoRen sitting on one side of the stadium and the Grang sitting on the other. You have so much in common and are so much alike, but you can’t bring yourselves to admit it. I didn’t destroy your civilizations eight years ago because I truly hoped that you would come to see each other in a different light and learn how-to live-in peace with other species. It appears that hasn’t happened when it comes to each other.” Cami turned to the two leaders, “You are free to start attacking each other immediately.”

  The two Leaders stared at Cami intently and the DoRen leader turned to the Grang Leader, “When we were forced to stop our war, I was furious. I wanted so much to destroy your planets and leave them lifeless. But I learned during the competitions that your warriors are worthy adversaries that followed the rules of competitions honorably. Your warriors even celebrated with my warriors when they lost. I’ve come to see that this being is right about us, we are very much alike. Even if I’m free to attack you again, I will not do it. And if you are attacked, my warriors will come to your defense.”

  Coco had sent the DoRen Leaders thoughts to all the attendees in the stadium and then the silent stadium saw the Grang Leader rise to his feet, “We have been at war for hundreds of years and I don’t really know what started that war. However, I have one regret that I can never make up for.”

  “What is that?” the DoRen asked.

  “That I didn’t stand up and say what you just said first. The DoRen are not an enemy of mine and we will also come to defend you if you need us.”

  The two Leaders embraced, and the stadium exploded into cheers. Both sides of the stadium left their seats and spilled out into the center. They were hugging each other and cheering at the top of their voices. The sound was deafening, and Stoney turned to Charlie, “Our girl is quite amazing.”

  Charlie was shaking his head and Sweets smiled, “She’s always been amazing. I love her more than I can say.”

  Coco turned around and looked at Stoney, “You should tell her,” she thought to Stoney.

  “WILL YOU STAY OUT OF MY HEAD!!”

  Coco giggled, “You should.”

  The two leaders came up to Cami and the Grang asked, “Are you going to give us your advanced warships?”

  Cami sent a thought out and the giant crowd became silent. Cami looked out at them and said, “I was just asked if I was going to give you my advanced warships. The answer to that is no. The huge gathering looked at each other and Cami continued, “I see another destiny for your civilizations. I see you as a force to go out and insure the peace in our galaxy. You will defend those who are defenseless and protect all of the galaxy’s civilizations against outside aggression.”

  “How will we do that?” the DoRen Leader asked.

  Cami told them and both of them smiled broadly. “Now that is a destiny we can get behind!” the Grang announced.

  Cami nodded, “And it might happen sooner than you think.”

  “Bring it on!” the DoRen replied.

  “I’ll be sending you what you need to make it happen, and you’ll need to start training your warriors.”

  “Get us the ships and we’ll begin immediately.”

  Cami nodded and then picked up Coco to stare out at the warriors that started celebrating again. It was a sight that would remain with Coco for the rest of her life.

  Chapter Nine

  Devin was led into the Prime Minister’s office by three armored guards. Two of them stood on each side of him and the third stood behind him with a drawn hand blaster pointed at his head. The First Assistant walked up and began giving him his instructions, “You will remain on the spot we take you and not move off it. If you do, you will be killed. You’re probably wondering why you must remain on that spot and you should be aware that a telepathic blocking field surrounds that spot; you won’t be able to use your telepathy during this meeting, understand?” Devin nodded. “Further, if what you’ve come to tell the Prime Minister doesn’t measure up to critical information, you will be killed. Wasting the Prime Minister’s time is a serious offense and you will face the consequences of your actions if what you have to say is not of a serious enough nature to pull him away from his duties.” The First Assistant nodded to the guards and they led Devin to a white circle painted on the floor. Devin looked down and saw the residue of dried blood inside it. The First Assistant smiled, “You aren’t the first to cry wolf about something having no importance.”

  Devin shrugged, “Even if I die, I do believe I had to bring my information directly to him.”

  The First Assistant stared at Devin and said, “I hope you’re right.” He turned and walked away to his console to the side of the office.

  Devin stood in the circle for more than an hour and forced himself to relax. He detected two telepaths sitting at consoles close to the First Assistant and fel
t them look at his mind as he entered the chamber. They were wasting their time; Devin’s telepathic talent was far superior to them and they weren’t capable of getting through his mental defenses.

  Devin had worked on his telepathic talent with Stoney and Coco for days before he left Britannia. Coco had helped him separate his innermost thoughts from his conscious mind and Stoney forced him numerous times to open his mind for examination. It took more than three weeks of intense practice to finally master how to keep part of his mind separated from his conscious thoughts. He practiced for hours on only thinking what would support the information he was going to tell the Prime Minister. He felt his stress level growing and forced himself to relax. He realized that he was forced to wait in the circle to cause his stress levels to grow. He suddenly realized that not only was there a thought blocking field around him but also a medical scanner to reveal his stress level. This Prime Minister had to be paranoid to have developed a system like this to prevent anyone from posing a danger to him.

  After another hour had passed, the First Assistant contacted the Prime Minister, “It appears this telepath is not showing enough stress to be a danger Sir.”

  “What do our telepaths say about him?”

  “They are unable to breech his mental defenses; he’s hiding his thoughts from being monitored. Keeping him waiting longer will be a waste of time,” the First Assistant replied.

  “I’m coming in.”

  The First Assistant nodded to the two guards standing on each side of Devin and they drew their blasters and pointed them at Devin’s head. Devin now had three blasters pointed at him and his stress level went up slightly before he forced himself to relax again. He decided the Prime Minister must be coming.

  The Prime Minister entered the office from a hidden door in the front of the room wearing his ever-present thought blocking helmet. He sat down in a large cushioned chair and Devin bowed his head and noticed a small variation in the light around the Prime Minister; he was surrounded by a force field. Devin suppressed his smile; the testing wasn’t over…yet.