“First things first, Dad. I need to get the two of you modernized. Sprig, is everything ready?”
“Yes, bring them in.”
“Sprig, you old wildflower. Is it really you?”
Sprig laughed, “Yes it is, Al. We need to update your armaments and control systems. Plan to be here about five days.”
The three small ships teleported away.
Joe, Valerie, and Jake arrived on a large bridge that dwarfed every ship they had ever boarded. Waiting for them were six people that came forward and offered hugs and handshakes. Joe recognized them. The muscular, short haired man had to be
Thomas Gardner, and the pretty blonde next to him had to be Danielle. A young man with blue eyes approached and shook his hand, “Hello, I’m Tommy Gardner and this is my wife Cassandra.”
Jake smiled and said, “Hi, I’m so pleased to meet you. I’m Jake Talant and this is my fiancee Valerie Gardner, the current Queen of the Stars Realm.”
The couple immediately smiled and bowed to Valerie.
“No! No! Please stand up! It is I that should be bowing to you.”
The other four Gardners came forward and introduced themselves, and Jake got his first look at Matthew and Melanie Gardner. He could see the resemblance between Cassandra and Matt. Their hair color was quite distinctive. Melanie was quite pretty.
He looked around and asked, “Aren’t some of you missing?”
The group looked at Jake and he continued, “Are Rose and Anglo here?”
Tag looked around and said, “Rose and Chris, as well as Anglo and Jenny, decided to live a normal life span after their thousand year rule ended. They moved out into the Realm and had their families.”
Jake noticed Danielle appeared sad. “I miss them.”
Tag said, “Why don’t we go to the conference room and sit down. I’m sure we all have questions we’d like to ask.”
Valerie said, “Lead the way. You have no idea how much I’ve anticipated this day.”
Danielle smiled and led the Gardners through a passageway that entered a long hallway. As they walked to the conference room, Jake whispered to Valerie, “I want you to be the spokesperson and allow me to be just an observer. Will you do that for me?”
Valerie looked at him with a huge smile and nodded. She was caught up in the moment.
Jake knew that two of the most powerful truth detectors were going to be in the room and he didn’t want to give too much away. He focused and felt his psychic power build.
After a hundred yards the group turned right into a spacious conference room. The Gardners took chairs and the three visitors sat across from them.
Tag looked around and said, “Why don’t we start, and then we’ll answer your questions.”
Valerie said, “That would be fine.”
“Tell me about the war the Realm is having currently.”
Valerie started telling them about the five years before she met Jake and how her sense of danger started increasing until she had a vision of what was coming. She told them about her search to find Jake, and then all the things that had happened since. Jake and Joe sat and listened. Joe would occasionally add a few details. Jake said nothing. He noticed that Danielle and Melanie would occasionally look at him, then look at each other. Jake knew they were taking a reading, but he was not giving them anything to read. He turned his attention back to Valerie.
The conference room door opened and Jake looked to see who was entering. A beautiful young woman stepped in and said, “I’m sorry I’m late.”
Joe stood up from his chair and stared at the vision entering the room. Melanie turned and said, “That’s ok, honey. Everyone, this is my daughter, AG.”
The young woman stepped forward, shook Jake’s hand, and hugged Valerie. She did not come around to Joe, but instead went to the other side of the table.
Joe was crushed. He could not take his eyes off AG. He tried, but just couldn’t do it. He wondered what was happening.
Jake watched AG take her seat and was worried. This young woman’s psychic power was equal or possibly even greater than his. Fortunately, she seemed to be watching Joe very carefully. Jake thought Matt had the highest psychic power of all the Gardners, but he sensed that this young woman was another order of magnitude stronger than her father.
Valerie finally finished bringing them up to date with the plan to move all the enslaved populations to the Algeans’ galaxy.
Tag looked around the table and said to Jake, “So you’re the super psychic of this time.”
Jake smiled, “It appears I am. Sometimes I wonder about that.”
Jake saw Danielle smile and nod to Melanie.
“What have you planned to do about removing the invaders?”
Jake tilted his head and said, “I was thinking you were going to help us with that issue. I was hoping you would have a weapon that would penetrate the hulls of their ships.”
Tag sighed and said, “We don’t have one now.”
Jake saw Valerie’s disappointment, but then Tag said something that shocked him.
“However, we think we know where to get one.”
Jake said, “Do tell?”
Valerie said, “I have some questions.”
Tag looked at her and said, “Go ahead.”
“Why did you disappear from the Realm?”
Tag started telling why as Danielle thought back and remembered the moment the decision was made.
Tag said, “Tell me about your vision.”
Matt sighed, “I think I should just show you mentally.”
Tag nodded, and Danielle entered Tag’s mind as Matt sent the vision. After a moment Tag blurted out, “That planet being destroyed is Ulmerton.”
Danielle said, “Oh no!”
Matt nodded and said, “Yes it is. And none of our weapons have affected those ships. I also want you to see the universe those ships are from. My vision went there as soon as I looked at one of their ships using it.
Tag watched and he saw millions of planets being enslaved and consumed by the beings attacking the Stars Realm. The savagery of the attackers was unbelievable. Matt finished his vision and Tag turned to Rose, “Show me your vision.” Tag and Danielle saw that the two were virtually identical.
Danielle looked at Rose and asked, “When does this happen?”
Rose shook her head, “We don’t know, Mom. We sense that it is far in the future, but we don’t know how far. There is one part of the vision we have not shown you.”
Tag looked hard at Rose and said, “Why?”
Suddenly Tag and Danielle saw the vision of Tag, Tommy and Matt talking with three humans in the Kosiev’s conference room. “Does your vision also have this in it, Matt?”
Matt shook his head, “No, but it does have something similar.” Once more the vision of the conference room appeared but in this one Danielle, Melanie, Casandra, and a beautiful young woman were speaking with the same three humans. Danielle stared at the fourth female and said, “Matt, AG is in this vision.”
Matt sighed again and said, “She’s only eight now, but you’re right and she looks like she’s in her early twenties.”
Danielle thought a moment and said, “I’m bringing Tommy and Cassandra in on this.”
Tag looked at her and nodded.
Tommy and Cassandra stepped out of a teleport screen and saw the concerned expressions on the gathered group. Cassandra furrowed her brow and said, “What’s wrong?”
Danielle said, “Matt and Rose have had a vision.” She looked at Rose and said, “Show them what you’ve seen.”
Tag waited as Tommy and Cassandra were shown the two visions. He was worried. If this vision was not a
