“I don’t know but we can possibly prevent them from bombarding you. I need your permission to bring some defenses in for your planet.”
“By all means bring them. After seeing your ship in action, nothing you do will surprise me.”
Dorg smiled and said, “Oh, I might have a few surprises for you.” He pressed his com and said, “Tresk, order the asteroids to jump into this system and send them close to the sun to fully charge them. After they’re fully charged, bring them to the planet and get them in place. I want trial coverage within ten drags.”
“We can probably do it in less than five, sir. They were charged before we left and I’m certain that they will lose very little of their power jumping here.”
“I still want them at full charge. The numbers they are going to have to handle are staggering and I intend to use every advantage I can get.”
Klas listened to the Cainth Admiral issue his instructions and wished that his people had known this race earlier; they might still be alive.
Planet Leader Sten was in his office when Tag contacted him. “Planet Leader, one of our ships has just destroyed a Plant Scout ship. It looks like time is growing short before full hostilities begin. Is there any way to speed up your production of Megaships?”
Sten looked at Tag on his display and said, “It’s good to see you. I was just discussing that with Admiral Kosiev. We are currently producing ten a month. We plan to launch five within seven rotations. These ships are huge at five thousand feet long and take time to complete. If you will send us enough engineers and techs to complete the other hundred facilities, which are only half done, and enough raw materials, we should reach our goal of a hundred and ten a month within three months after those facilities are complete; but it has to happen quickly to meet that goal.”
“Let me go to work on that. Perhaps our Queen might get things done quicker than we can thru our bureaucratic methods.”
“I suspect you’re right.”
“Danielle,” Tag thought.
“Yes, Love.”
Tag quickly explained about the attack at the Dremels system and what Sten had told him. “Can you help us get enough skilled techs to Sten’s world to make this happen?”
“All I can do is ask our members to help. I’ll get Leila to schedule an emergency announcement six hours from now. Perhaps our members will respond to my request; I can’t order them to go.”
“You underestimate your authority. I think you could and your orders would be followed.” Tag paused, “However, do what you think is best.”
“I prefer to ask. No one likes a demanding Leader. If that fails, I’ll start issuing orders.”
“Fair enough, Dear. Talk with you later, I love you.”
All the member worlds of the Stars Realm received notice of the emergency message from their Queen. This was the first time that she was going to speak to all of them since she had addressed the old Alliance Government. The tension mounted as the time approached for her to speak and everyone wondered what was so important. Finally, all the communication devices on every planet changed to a screen with Danielle sitting facing them. She still looked small and she was wearing a dark blue suit that made her blond hair look like a halo around her. She was holding Rose and a huge number of those watching had tuned in just to have a chance to see their queen and her new child.
“Citizens of the Stars Realm, I want to thank you for taking a moment to hear me today. I have learned that the Plant Race is going to attack another world shortly. One of our ships destroyed one of their scouts today.” Danielle then played the recording of the three megaships destroying the scout. The 830 worlds were amazed at the power of the new ship and how quickly they destroyed the target. “I show you this recording because the ships you see here are one of our newest Battleships. We currently have twenty three of them in service but we need so many more to stand a chance against the hundreds of thousands of ships the plants will send against them. Planet Leader Sten tells me that if he can get the skilled engineers, technical help, and raw materials to complete the ship building facilities on his world, that he could be producing 110 of these ships every thirty rotations. I believe that it is extremely important to make this happen. These ships will be used to defend all of us and we all have a vested interest in our fight against the plants. We also cannot stand by and watch the Dremel be eaten by these monsters. With that in mind, I am asking each world to provide as many engineers, construction teams, technicians, and building materials that you can give to make this happen. I have ordered the navy to provide transportation to those who volunteer to go on board of one of our ultra ships to get them to work as quickly as possible. If your leaders will contact Admiral Kosiev he will arrange the transportation for all that you can give us. I am proud to serve you as your Queen and I reluctantly ask this of you. I do not want to interrupt your lives if I can avoid it and only critical events will ever make me do it but now is a moment that we must act. I see this as all of us doing what is needed to defend all of us. Please help Sten get his facilities completed. I believe that you can be counted on to help. I also want to introduce The Stars Realm to our new Daughter Rose who was born twelve days ago.” Danielle lifted the baby and showed her to the camera. “Thank you for taking a moment for me and Rose.”
“Well, how do you think that went?” Tag asked Kosiev.
“We’ll know shortly. If they are going to help, they’ll be contacting us for transportation.”
“Admiral,” Ensign Orton said, “We have ninety worlds requesting transportation immediately. I have 200, no make that 350 on line saying they will provide their own transportation and will have them arriving at Sten’s world within six rotations. If you could provide transportation from the Star Drive limit in, then time will be saved. The Vgrig are sending 8,000 engineers and are requesting to be allowed to crew a hundred of the new ships when they are ready. Sir, my board is overloaded.”
Tag and Kosiev looked at each other holding their bag of popcorn and Tag said, “Maybe there is something to this important decisions and popcorn.”
“Sir, the Planet Ross has just asked if they can donate one of their continents to build additional ship building facilities. They will give the land freely.”
Kosiev said, “If we get this kind of support, we can probably make that happen if Sten will send some of his planners to Ross.”
“Let’s get him on the line and see if he can help with that project. We should wait until Sten has all his facilities completed and then send the workers to Ross. We also need to determine how to distribute these ships to our members. If they are all contributing to this effort, then they should receive some benefit.”
“Tag,” Kosiev said, “Let’s think about that; why have 830 fleets? There should only be one navy and all of the members will provide crews. After we start this project and get it on the way, we’ll get Danielle to announce the formation of a new Navy that will defend all of its members and request all new warships be made a part of the new fleet. Leaders of the various elements of the fleets will be selected from each member.”
“What a great concept. We’ll start it by asking the members to provide the crews for the new ships and tell them that these ships are going to be the nucleus of the Stars Realm Navy. We will then ask them to provide ships to us to use in our plans against the plants. It will then be a simple matter to consolidate all our ships into one organization; but first, let’s com Sten about Ross.”
Tag and Kosiev sat on board Moscow and looked at the fifty new ships joining their fleet. It had been a fast six months since Danielle had asked for support and the new worlds responded splendidly. The facilities were completed in three weeks and then the loads of raw materials began to arrive. Another 100 ships were being delivered in thirty days. Ross had its first facility on line within four weeks after the work crews arrived and twenty more were due to begin operation within forty days. Ross was planning for eighty ship building facilities when all were completed. The plants had still not shown up at the Dremels planet and the asteroid forts were in place. More than 4,000 ships were in their system forty of them were megaships.
“We need to rethink the Navy idea,” Kosiev said.
Tag looked at him and said, “I wondered if you were going to bring that up.”
“Why? Do you know something I don’t?”
“No, I just got to thinking that why would we want all of those out of date ships in our navy. As long as we can prevent the various members from ever attacking each other, we really don’t need them disarmed. We will also have more ships than we can effectively command within twelve months and double that number twelve months later. All we really need is crews that we can train for the new ships.”
Kosiev sighed and said, “You’re right. I think now we need Danielle to announce the creation of the new Navy
