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Restas was known to humans as Zeta Tucanae 2. It was the fourth planet in a relatively crowded star system of 15. At least crowded as compared to Earth’s system.
Restas was 28 light years from Sol. It was not in a quadrant which drew much attention from the first Earth ships. In fact, it drew zero attention. Now wiser minds like Sara’s wondered if it hadn’t been picked for that very reason, to conceal the new home of the Sabretooth Restans from humans for as long as possible.
The shuttle carrying Sara, Taland, and professor Cynthia Johannsson, head of the History and Philosophy department from the Ambassador, had just broken through the clouds. The vast ice sheet lay before them. Already Sara could see the rough outline of the ship lying underneath that ice had grown. Her and Taland’s excavation crew had been busy!
And she could see the ship was huge. As they flew lower she could not see from one edge to the other.
“There’s Croto,” Captain Fuchida said, pointing. But just that quick and it was gone, flitting around the perimeter of its dead friend’s last resting grounds.
Then it was back just a quickly, almost before their eyes could register it had left, as if it had just blinked out and back on.
“No wonder these Watchers had the reputation of being invisible,” she said to Taland.
The great, furry head beside her said nothing, only peered intently at Croto.
“You have been probing in the wrong place,” they heard the tinny voice of Croto say into their translators.
Sara nodded. “I’m not surprised. But we had to start somewhere. Now you can direct us.”
“I’m curious,” Taland added. “Is your friend alive?”
“I can detect nothing so far.”
Sara stood up straight, rubbing her back and neck. Now she laughed.
They all turned to look at her.
“Isn’t it funny all these probes and sensors and high definition imaging and here we all are staring out the window?”
They all turned back to the window. She saw Taland’s tail give a small flick.
“You too, Taland. You can’t help yourself.”
“Yes Sara, I’m old and admit I don’t trust any technology as much as I do these tired old eyes.”
The shuttle settled gently on the snow near several small shelters which had been erected. One of those were the work spaces of Sara and Taland.
They each activated their Life-Aura and stepped out into the bitter wind and cold. They were as safe and toasty here as they were when used in space, and just as handy.
They saw Croto hovering nearby.
“Aren’t you going to land?” Taland asked it.
“I don’t need to. It is actually more efficient for me to pause here.”
“Croto, why is this ship so huge?” Sara asked.
“Your Captain Talbot asked me the same thing. It was her telling me about this ship being here which convinced me to come and meet you.”
Sara looked at Johannsson. “A wise girl, I always said!”
“What was your answer?” Taland asked.
“It is much older than I, and was picked for its mission. To save time, I will tell you what else we talked about. She was very surprised to learn that all of the Restans were taken from Earth and brought here. Not just a few as she and evidently you all had assumed.”
They all stopped walking at this news, and looked toward Croto, then each other.
“All!” Sara said. “You mean every single living sabretooth was brought here from Earth?”
“Yes. What better way would there be? We had to get them away from you humans before you exterminated them.”
Sara didn’t answer. It was a fact that, until contact with the Restans, humans had thought the Sabretooths had gone extinct, and not without a lot of help from humans, either.
Suddenly another thought struck her. What other species which humans thought had gone extinct might also have been removed in their entirety to another planet?
She opened her mouth to ask that question, but before she could Croto had shot away again.
“It’s Ontar. He is alive!” Croto said, and even the translator conveyed its excitement.
Croto moved away to a remote part of the excavation site while they are pondered yet another revelation. After a few minutes it was obvious he would not be coming right back.
“Might as well go inside,” Sara said, and they all trudged through the snow toward the shelters.
Back onboard the Ambassador, Hooker and Captain Fuchida were waiting for Tandew. He was late for a meeting with them. Hooker reminded himself Tandew had no idea of the importance of the meeting yet.
Finally the door to Hooker’s cabin slid open and Tandew strode inside. “I am sorry Hooker I had much business to communicate with some of the other of our Supreme Authorities. Much has happened, as you well know.”
Hooker couldn’t help but think that, after what he had to reveal to Tandew, more communications would be necessary.
“Tandew, please make yourself comfortable,” Hooker said.
Tandew noticed the cushions laid out for him, and gladly did so.
Hooker knew Tandew, like most Restans, didn’t like beating around the bush. So he didn’t.
“Tandew, I have been authorized to inform you that we have a powerful task force of our Star-Guardians on a mission against these aliens we have learned are called Amferians.”
Tandew said nothing, only regarded Hooker with his big green eyes. Not even a whisker twitched.
“We will give you the exact coordinates.”
“I am curious, how did you know where the ships were?”
“Ships? Oh, I don’t mean the alien ships which attacked our convoy. I mean a major staging base in a distant system. The purpose of this attack will be to disrupt their ability to launch any invasions our way for as long as possible. Years, we hope.”
Now a whisker twitched, and Tandew’s tail.
“This is a very bold mission. You must have reason to suspect you will be successful?” he asked.
Hooker raised his hands. “We hope so. But in war you never know.”
Tandew looked away from Hooker, at Fuchida. He said nothing, just watched intently.
“So is this staging base something our military has been kept apprised of, and I just don’t know about it?”
“Your high command is being informed of the details as we speak. Because of our friendship, I wanted to tell you personally.”
His tail twitched again, a long, loping swing this time. Hooker wished he could read what this tail twitching meant. He knew it was a sign of agitation, though.
“Do you not see this attack as a major provocation, Hooker?”
“Yes and no. I don’t think they need provoking. I think once they know of us, and you, they will try to do to us what they did to all the other races on the planets we have explored,” Hooker said. As he spoke he looked Tandew directly in the eyes. Did he see a hint of sadness there?
“And do you not see this attack as introducing ourselves to them? Certainly you don’t think they will be too intimidated to come looking for you? And find us too?”
“No I don’t think they will be intimidated at all. You heard what Croto said to Falmu. They know no fear. I don’t see this attack changing this. But I would remind you they already found and attacked some of our ships. They have put us on their list already, I’m sure.”
“But this mission is coming so soon after their attack on your ships. Almost as if you’ve been planning it for some time.” Tandew looked toward the door, then back at Hooker.
“We have contingency plans, War Plans we call them. They have been in place since long before we met you Restans.”
“I have not heard of these specific plans. May I see them? Or have our fleet commanders already seen them?”
Hooker hesitated. “I don’t think so, but I honestly don’t know. Remember I’ve been retired and was only recently called back.” It was a lame excuse, but he truly didn’t know for sure.
“It would seem we have a friendship where secrets are kept. Perhaps our excellent translators are failing in what that word really means?”
At that he rose and strode toward the door. Fuchida looked at Hooker in alarm, and started to say something. Hooker shook his head sternly. Let him go, his expression said.
“I will check with our fleet commanders to see what they know and ask them if they feel there is anything else you are not revealing to us.” At that the door slid open and he went through it.