barrier walls. The huge two mile long ship sparkled with a blue radiance that was blinding.
“What is that ship? It is killing us!”
“Fire on it!”
“It does no good. The entire ship is one big beam; there are no gaps to fire through.”
“Order all ships to run. We will have to fight this another time.”
Matt watched the Demon ships turn and start to run toward the opening to escape the barrier. “Melanie, now is the time for Newton’s gift.”
Melanie activated the field and placed it over the break in the blue field where the Demon fleet had entered. The Demon ships fleeing hit the barrier and were stopped.
“What’s happening?”
“There is some kind of field that prevents us from crossing.”
“Jump away.”
“We can’t inside this blue field. Our drives don’t operate.”
The Elder Demons watched as the Kosiev moved forward. They had placed themselves at the rear of the Fleet to insure their safety but now they saw there was no safety to be found anywhere in the corridor. “Fire all our beams on that field in one location. Those on the front ram that ship.”
“We have done it but to no effect.”
Thousands of the orange ships turned and drove toward the approaching blue vessel and were destroyed. A five thousand mile wide orange ship roared in and the first red being knew he should have made his son tell what he knew. Now he understood the Elder’s fear and then his ship exploded around him.
The Eldest Demon watched that blue monster approaching. He screamed at the forces that the creative force had brought into existence to bring his species to an end. Then the blue ship was in front of him and he screamed one last time as his ship disintegrated in a violent explosion.
There was silence as Matt watched the now empty space in the blue barrier. Then he saw Cassandra and Tommy’s ship emerge from the Kosievs’ outer skin, “I guess the Kosiev can take care of itself, Matt.”
“Can it ever, Cassandra.”
“I couldn’t allow my love to die.”
“Who said that?”
“Matt, that was the Kosiev; it is now intelligent. I guess the blue psychic forces inside it opened its mind.”
“That is exactly what happened. I could not stand by and allow the Demons to kill you without trying to save you. My existence would be meaningless without you.”
“You saved us all. You made the critical difference when all was lost.”
“That is my destiny, Matt, that is what I was created to do.”
“How many ships survived?”
“I have a hundred and forty eight ships still inside my outer skin.”
Matt felt his pain at the lost crews. “Will you send them out now?”
Immediately the ships stared ejecting from the Kosiev. Cassandra hugged Tommy tightly and cried. Tommy thought to Matt, “We lost Stem and Pedal and Life and Grena. Anglo and Jenny have been teleported to Ross for medical care; their ship was hit pretty hard and I don’t know if they will make it.”
Matt hung his head and was already missing his friends. Melanie got up and came into his arms. They held on to each other and cried together.
“Sprig.”
“Yes, Cassandra.”
“We have defeated the Demons but we have lost Stem and Petal.”
Sprig felt his branches lower. Twig came over and put her top on his.
“He died bravely and gave us time to reform our line. Without his sacrifice we would have been lost. I am so sorry.”
“He loved before he died, Cassandra, and he left hundreds of seeds to follow him. They will learn of the greatness of their parents.” Sprig and Twig held each other for a long time.
Tag looked at Danielle and felt her sorrow. “It’s like when you lost Alex; I feel the loss of those wonderful friends.”
“I know, my love, but we are here to make sure their sacrifice is remembered and celebrated. I would give my life to give the Realm a period of peace. I’m sure they would do the same.”
“I wonder how we survived when so many died, Tag.”
“We live because I could see where to move to avoid the majority of their beams and you flew the ship magnificently; I still have those hiding skills. We have a responsibility to those that died today. We must make their sacrifice worthwhile.”
“I know.”
“The Realm is still too big. Something has to be done.”
“I don’t want to do what you’re considering but I’m being selfish.”
“Me, too, Danielle.”
The Gardner family was gathered at the hospital waiting for the surgeon to come out and tell them what was happening with Anglo and Jenny. Finally, he came out of the operating room and looked at the powerful group waiting for him, “We have done all we can. Their burns are being repaired but their nervous systems took quite a shock from the energy that hit their ship and I don’t know if they will regain consciousness. Something is causing their neural pathways to degenerate.”
Sprig stepped forward and said, “Where are you taking them?”
“We are moving them to an intensive care unit.”
Matt looked at Anglo and then remembered, “Melanie, go and bring AG here now.”
“Why?”
“I don’t have time to explain; just do it!”
Melanie hit her bracelet and disappeared.
“What’s going on, Matt?”
“Melanie was poisoned by contact with the Red Demons thoughts. AG was able to remove it and repair the damage to her brain. I hope she can do the same for Anglo and Jenny.”
Sprig turned and said, “I want you to place their beds side by side, Doctor.”
“Our telemetry units are only designed for one bed, Your Majesty. I’ll have to put them on portable power to do what you want.”
“You will do as I order, doctor.”
The surgeon bowed and raised his com to issue the appropriate orders. Twig turned to the family, “We will go with them to the unit and you will all gather and make contact beside their bed.”
Cassandra frowned, “Do you think it will work with them?”
“Do you have a better suggestion?”
Matt asked, “What are you talking about, Sprig?”
“When Twig and I were close to losing ourselves, Tommy and Cassandra came and made contact beside us. It created a strong psychic field that allowed us to hold on and gather ourselves. It saved us. We must try.”
The three couples and Matt went to the intensive care unit and stood around the bed with Jenny and Anglo. Tag took Danielle’s hand; she took Tommy’s hand as he grasped Cassandra’s; Cassandra took Matt’s hand as he grasped Rose’s hand. Chris closed the circle by taking Rose’s and Tag’s hand. A bright blue field began appearing around the seven Gardners and covered the bed where Anglo and Jenny were laying unmoving. They held each other’s hands and felt the love that they all felt for each other. The feeling grew and with it the blue field grew incrementally brighter. The seven family members stood like statues waiting for Melanie’s return.
The doctor watched the telemetry screen and said, “The degradation has stopped. It is not getting worse.”
Melanie reappeared holding their six year old daughter. Matt moved forward and took AG in his arms and said, “Darling, do you remember when you helped mommy remove the bad stuff in her mind after we visited the red creatures?”
AG looked at Matt and said, “Yes, Daddy.”
