death. They are death."
Max continued to stare at the screen,
horrified at what he was watching.
"But Draagh," inquired Max, "why did
you bring me here to show me this? Don't you have any technology
like we do, such as a portable console?"
Draagh nodded his head and responded,
"Yes, my son. I could have simply conjured an infoscreen to show
you all of this, but I felt it important for you to see from the
eyes, the ears and the technology of your ancestors, so you could
understand the severity of this. Also, so you would realize they
must be eliminated, wherever they are encountered, wherever they
exist. You see, Max, that alien race, the one that is heading
toward Azul, is the Vrol."
Draagh shut off the computer and stared
into the blackness of the paper-thin chip monitor upon which they
had viewed the invasion vid. Pensive for but a moment, he looked at
Max, who sat, in a practical state of shock, when he then turned
away from the young man.
Nearly unwilling to believe what he had
just seen, he looked at Draagh, who had his again back to him, and
said, "Is this why you came here, why you found me?"
Draagh slowly nodded his head up and
down, still looking away. "Max, are you willing to come with me? I
need to take you somewhere so you may learn. There are abilities
you are unaware of that you possess, and the only place I can teach
you to use these abilities is somewhere far away. Are you willing,
my son?"
"Of course!" cried Max. "Anything,
anything at all. I can't allow this to happen to my world, my
people! This is crazy! Do we have time to do this?"
Draagh regained his composure enough to
slide Max a slight grin. "Oh yes, my son. Do you not remember it
will be years before that alien fleet, the Vrol, arrive at Azul? We
most certainly have time, but before we go we have one more thing
we must do. We must go back to your ship and wait for the military
to arrive."
"Whaaaaat?!?" exclaimed Max. "We have
to wait for the military? But, but… they want to kill
me!"
Draagh chuckled lightly as he
thoughtfully stroked his beard and braided mustache. "Leave that to
me, my son. Even during the short duration of your pursuer's trip
across space, things have changed. Yes, things have changed quite a
lot."
Draagh grabbed Max under his arm and
lifted him up, then tamped his staff into the ground yet again,
causing concussive waves to knock the workstation chairs back,
tumbling end over end.
The two were gone in a
flash.
###
As the Revolution entered Earth orbit
the airlock alarm sounded, but this one a mere warning that it was
being properly initiated. Pilots ran to their Draeders and techs
scrambled all over the flight deck, preparing the remaining
Draeders for immediate launch. One by one, they lined up and passed
through the lock field, the only thing separating them from the
cold grip of death in space.
As the attack craft blasted out of the
Revolution, Admiral Bagatelle was observing the entire operation
from the bridge, with Lt. Commander Vasquez and Lt. Escalante at
his sides, to his right and left, respectively. Turning to his
right, he instructed Vasquez to order a spread formation over the
western coast of the South American continent, where Johnson's last
activity had been traced on lidar. She sat down at her command
console and began giving instructions, coordinating the squadrons
into effective sweep and search patterns. Then, turning to his
left, he gave Jennie a concerned look.
"Lieutenant, I know you want to be part
of the operation as we have more Draeders than pilots, but I need
to you stay here for now. I plan on apprehending Gunnarsson myself,
and when I go, I am taking you with me. Understood?"
Jennie snapped to attention. "Sir! Yes,
Sir!"
Bagatelle couldn't help but crack a
small smile, with Lt. Escalante being so professional at all times.
His pride in her grew on a daily basis.
"Ok, Lieutenant - back to your duty
cycle. We must stay on schedule."
Jennie spun around and headed to
Max continued to stare at the screen,
horrified at what he was watching.
"But Draagh," inquired Max, "why did
you bring me here to show me this? Don't you have any technology
like we do, such as a portable console?"
Draagh nodded his head and responded,
"Yes, my son. I could have simply conjured an infoscreen to show
you all of this, but I felt it important for you to see from the
eyes, the ears and the technology of your ancestors, so you could
understand the severity of this. Also, so you would realize they
must be eliminated, wherever they are encountered, wherever they
exist. You see, Max, that alien race, the one that is heading
toward Azul, is the Vrol."
Draagh shut off the computer and stared
into the blackness of the paper-thin chip monitor upon which they
had viewed the invasion vid. Pensive for but a moment, he looked at
Max, who sat, in a practical state of shock, when he then turned
away from the young man.
Nearly unwilling to believe what he had
just seen, he looked at Draagh, who had his again back to him, and
said, "Is this why you came here, why you found me?"
Draagh slowly nodded his head up and
down, still looking away. "Max, are you willing to come with me? I
need to take you somewhere so you may learn. There are abilities
you are unaware of that you possess, and the only place I can teach
you to use these abilities is somewhere far away. Are you willing,
my son?"
"Of course!" cried Max. "Anything,
anything at all. I can't allow this to happen to my world, my
people! This is crazy! Do we have time to do this?"
Draagh regained his composure enough to
slide Max a slight grin. "Oh yes, my son. Do you not remember it
will be years before that alien fleet, the Vrol, arrive at Azul? We
most certainly have time, but before we go we have one more thing
we must do. We must go back to your ship and wait for the military
to arrive."
"Whaaaaat?!?" exclaimed Max. "We have
to wait for the military? But, but… they want to kill
me!"
Draagh chuckled lightly as he
thoughtfully stroked his beard and braided mustache. "Leave that to
me, my son. Even during the short duration of your pursuer's trip
across space, things have changed. Yes, things have changed quite a
lot."
Draagh grabbed Max under his arm and
lifted him up, then tamped his staff into the ground yet again,
causing concussive waves to knock the workstation chairs back,
tumbling end over end.
The two were gone in a
flash.
###
As the Revolution entered Earth orbit
the airlock alarm sounded, but this one a mere warning that it was
being properly initiated. Pilots ran to their Draeders and techs
scrambled all over the flight deck, preparing the remaining
Draeders for immediate launch. One by one, they lined up and passed
through the lock field, the only thing separating them from the
cold grip of death in space.
As the attack craft blasted out of the
Revolution, Admiral Bagatelle was observing the entire operation
from the bridge, with Lt. Commander Vasquez and Lt. Escalante at
his sides, to his right and left, respectively. Turning to his
right, he instructed Vasquez to order a spread formation over the
western coast of the South American continent, where Johnson's last
activity had been traced on lidar. She sat down at her command
console and began giving instructions, coordinating the squadrons
into effective sweep and search patterns. Then, turning to his
left, he gave Jennie a concerned look.
"Lieutenant, I know you want to be part
of the operation as we have more Draeders than pilots, but I need
to you stay here for now. I plan on apprehending Gunnarsson myself,
and when I go, I am taking you with me. Understood?"
Jennie snapped to attention. "Sir! Yes,
Sir!"
Bagatelle couldn't help but crack a
small smile, with Lt. Escalante being so professional at all times.
His pride in her grew on a daily basis.
"Ok, Lieutenant - back to your duty
cycle. We must stay on schedule."
Jennie spun around and headed to
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