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In the Map Room at Lunar Command, everyone sat watching, as stunned as Tallie had been.
Croto was literally broadcasting the battle scene in real time to them also. When the enemy ships had vaporized, a cheer went up in the room, and much clapping and hand shaking had broken out. Luckily the room was sound proofed so everything that went on inside it was secret, even a victory celebration. Though it would soon be shared with everyone in Lunar Command anyway.
Admiral Halsey was a little more subdued than the others. Ozawa noticed and came over to her.
“The Restans showed the enemy can be killed,” he said.
“They certainly did. And I take nothing away from them. But you do realize those were little scouting ships, nowhere near the size of the ones which destroyed the Mars?”
“Yes. But there is much to learn from this encounter, tactically. They seemed oblivious to the approach of the Restan ships.”
She nodded, looking back at the screen which now showed nothing but the victorious Restan ships.
“Oblivious to their presence, or oblivious to fear itself?”
Ozawa looked at the screen, thinking. “A good question. Either way it’s an advantage we can use, and one the Restans obviously did use.”
The screen switched to the image of Captain Falmu.
“Admiral Ozawa. I understand from Croto, that is, the alien ship on board which calls itself Croto, that you can see this. But I won’t be able to see you in real time. I hope you saw the battle?”
A human stepped up beside her. Ozawa recognized her as Captain Talbot.
“Sir, thanks to our friends, our great allies, my ship has been avenged in some small way today.”
Then the image was gone, replaced by the general star scape and the blinking lights of the stars. One of those stars was the Restan home system.
Halsey’s eyes were drawn to it.
“Thank God they are on our side, Admiral. Someone has to be.”
“Indeed,” he said.
The room had quieted down and everyone was staring at Ozawa and Halsey.
“Let’s get busy. We have much to do to prepare Admiral Halsey’s task force for her departure.”
Some left the room, some stayed and began talking among themselves.
“Willie, let’s go to my office. I have your orders prepared. They are to be kept secret and not to be shared with anyone until you are well underway.”
Halsey took one last look at the star map now on display. She followed a path toward the galaxy center, and saw once again the faint star system which would be her destination.
It would be a long journey, one from which no one may return. But it had to be done, and she was glad to be the one chosen to do it.
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Chapter 7
Tallie was at the work station in her and Tropo’s cabin. As happened more than once a day, she was listening to Tropo snoring through a cat nap.
After a particularly loud snort, which made even him stir a little, she found herself wondering if sleep apnea was something Sabretooth Tigers worried about?
Snickering to herself, she returned her eyes to the view screen in front of her. She had frozen the image of the enemy ships, the Amferians as Croto called them, as they were right before the onslaught. She rotated the image so she could see them from up, down, and the other side, as well as directly from the front and rear.
They were cigar-shaped. There was no denying that. She wondered if the ones which had attacked her ship were shaped the same way only much larger of course.
Staring at the shapes of the enemy ships gave her the chills. She wondered at what evil lurked inside. And it seemed the very shape of the ships brought on some genetic memory best forgotten. Or maybe best not forgotten, but remembered? Certainly, these evil being had visited Earth in the distant past, and her long ago ancestors must have encountered them.
But why were humans not wiped out? Too primitive to be considered a threat, perhaps? Not so primitive now, though, as least not technologically.
“What are you doing, Captain?”
Tropo’s words in her translator startled her. As usual he was out cold one minute and fully awake the next without even a yawn to give him away.
“I’m sorry.”
He must have noticed her twitch.
“It’s okay. I am just looking at those ships. Let me ask you, do they bring back any memories for you? Any myths or tales from long ago on Restas about ships shaped like that?”
Now he yawned.
“No.”
Their cabin door slid open and Captain Falmu came strolling in. No knock or announcement of course. Restans didn’t seem to understand the concept of or the need for privacy. If not for airtight integrity she doubted they’d have doors on their ships at all. Hence why she and Tropo were sharing a cabin now.
“Captain Talbot, I see you have been looking at the ships also,” she said.
Tallie spun around on her cushion to face her.
“Yes, and I must say, they are most troubling.”
“Why? They are no longer in existence.”
Tallie laughed. Falmu and Tropo both ignored this sound. She understood Restans had humor but to her knowledge had never heard one laugh. Or recognized it if she had.
“The shape of these ships. They bring back ancient memories. From a time even before your race had evidently been transplanted to Restas. That’s why I’m surprised you don’t see it too.”
“Well, if what I’ve read about our ancestors on Earth is true, we were not looking up into the sky for things like you humans were. Hunting and eating and surviving attacks from tribes of humans seemed to have been our priority. At least, according to your historic records.”
Tallie laughed again. “Well my ancestors were looking up at the sky, that’s for sure. They built things which related to our sun and moon, and even the stars. But they also had to keep an eye out for your ancestors!”
Neither Restan responded. Tallie knew better than to wait.
“But there are also drawings of ships in the sky which look a lot like those ships,” she gestured toward the screen behind her. “Found on cave walls and even some rock formations.”
Falmu looked at the screen.
“Do you think these are the aliens who brought us to Restas?” she asked her.
Tallie shook her head. “No, these are evil. I think whoever did that had yours and our best intentions in their hearts.”
“Hearts?”
“Sorry, sometimes even your efficient translator lets us down. I mean they had good intentions, to do it for our own good. And for yours. Perhaps so we could meet again one day as we have.”
Now all three heard Croto’s voice in their translator.
“You would be correct.”
Tallie shook her head. Another being eavesdropping on them. Did any other race in the universe respect privacy besides humans?
Of course, neither Falmu nor Tropo had the same reaction.
“Did you do it, Croto?” Falmu asked.
“Not me, no.”
“But you know who did.”
“A ship like me only much larger. But it no longer lives. It was lost in the mission. The mission was a success, as you can see, here you are. But it never returned.”
Tallie pondered that. She had heard Sara Perci and Taland were in charge of excavating a site on Restas. It was suspected a very large alien ship was there. And it was also suspected to be the ship which brought the Restans to Restas.
She glanced at Falmu and Tropo for any reaction to Croto’s words, but they showed none. Either they had not heard of this excavation, or they were very good poker players.
But how could Croto and his other Watchers not know what happened to that ship? Had they not even searched for it? And with the technology Croto had displayed so far, how had they not found it? Or not even been aware of the excavation? Perhaps these Watchers didn’t or couldn’t watch everything at once?
Then she remembered something she’d hear Taland say back on the Ambassador, and Sara had agreed with him. He’d said the Watchers, which on Earth had always been referred to as UFOs, were notorious liars.
So was Croto lying now?
Tallie’s communicator beeped. She looked at the screen absently while she considered all this. Then her eyes went wide.
“Holy crap!” she said.
Even Falmu and Tropo showed surprise at her outburst, their ears going up automatically, tails and whiskers twitching.
She looked at them, then back at her communicator.
“I’ve been ordered to report to Admiral Halsey’s staff post haste!”
“Is this Admiral Halsey coming to Restas?” Falmu asked.
“No, my instructions are to rendezvous with her flagship.”
She read further into the orders.
“Uh, Falmu, I’ve been authorized to purchase your fastest shuttle, and to come alone...”
“Purchase?” Falmu was keenly interested in this suggestion.
“Yes, purchase, as I assume it would not be returned...”
“That is an odd thing,” Falmu said, then glanced at Tropo.
He was merely staring at Tallie.
Again, they heard Croto in their translators. “You will not make it there in very good time with even their fastest little ship. I will take you.”
Now the human and two Restans looked at each other, back and forth.
“Croto, my orders are to take you to Restas to rendezvous with the Ambassador. And your ship, I mean you, have been damaged,” Falmu said.
“I have repaired myself. Come see for yourself. And I am sorry but I am not going to Restas. And certainly you must realize you can’t keep me captive. I wish to cause no harm to your ship, Captain, but if I need to leave forcibly it will cause some damage.”
Tallie saw Falmu’s tail twitching. Did Croto not learn not to threaten a Restan from what happened to its robot?
“Did you not see what we did to those ships...” she began.
Tallie held her hand up. Falmu shot her a distracted look, but at least stopped talking.
“I will go with you, Croto. And you will then go to Restas to meet the Ambassador. I have information you will find valuable, and you will want to do as I tell you.”
Tropo stood and walked over to her, his eyes inquiring, like he was trying to look inside her head. He couldn’t really do that, could he, she wondered suddenly?
Falmu started to say something, but now Tropo held up his paw, stopping her again.
“I know Captain Talbot, Falmu. She is telling the truth, and we must trust her to know what she is doing.”
Tallie nodded at him.
“I’ll see you soon,” she assured him, and they clasped hand with paw.