“Timmy, we don’t think the Dukes built that particular shuttle. We think it was manufactured in the Holy Stars Realm.”
Timmy’s eyes grew wide, “Are you sure?”
“Why, would that make a difference?”
“A huge difference. A gigiantic difference. A difference so big you can’t see over it.”
“Timmy, Timmy, Timmy; slow down!”
“What makes you think it was built in the Realm?”
“We know the serial number and the first two letters are SR.”
“Are you certain?”
Scotty looked at Julie and she said, “Yes. I’ve seen it my whole life.”
Timmy grew animated, “You have got to give me a ride if you capture it.”
Julie shook her head, “It doesn’t fly anymore. I think the power reactor is just about exhausted.”
“If it was built in the Realm, the reactor is not exhausted. The emergency reactor probably is, but the main reactor is self-generating.”
Scotty looked at Timmy with obvious confusion on his face. Timmy sat down in front of a display and took out a microphone. He looked at Julie and said, “Do you remember the entire model number?”
Julie said “SR101059.”
“Were there any numbers after that number?”
Julie closed her eyes and said, “There were smaller numbers under those. I think they were 12148.”
Timmy turned to the microphone and said, “Stars Realm Large Shuttle. Model number 101059 dash 12148.”
A picture of a ship appeared on the screen that matched the ship parked near the tree line. Julie looked at it and said, “That looks exactly like it.”
Timmy said, ‘That’s because it’s the same ship. I notice the Dukes painted over the SR on the rear fins, but that is the ship in that field. Hold on a moment and let me see what I can find out.” Timmy went over to the recliner and put the headband on.
A voice said, “Download commencing.”
Sixty seconds later Timmy opened his eyes and looked at Scotty. Tesa saw his expression and said, “Tim, are you sure?”
Timmy looked at Scotty and said, “That ship has a working star drive.”
Scotty looked at Julie and remembered her dream. Julie looked troubled. Scotty turned back to Timmy and said, “Tell me what you know.”
“That ship was built before the Realm converted their ships to teleportation drives. Once teleportation became the primary mode of travel around the universe, it was faster, easier, and safer, most of these shuttles were converted to teleportation consoles.”
‘Ok, but teleportation no longer works.”
“Scotty, the Realm used the most economical and efficient means to convert these shuttles. They took a teleportation console and bolted it down on top of the old null drive console. The button that energized the new teleportation board was connected directly to the power switch for the main reactor on the old console. You press the power button on the teleportation board and it tripped the switch on the old board. Very simple, very efficient. They simply ran the connections from the new board to power lines coming out of the console. When the Realm caused all teleportation devices to fail just before its departure, the connection to the main reactor switch was disabled on the teleport board.”
“What are you saying, Timmy?”
Tesa said, “If you remove the teleportation console, the old null drive console under it will still operate. It is powered by a red generator which was the most powerful reactor ever created.”
Scotty looked at Julie and said, “We’ve got to move our attack up.”
“Why?”
“If the beams stop operating in that ship, the Magrum may take it apart. We can’t take that risk.”
Julie’s heart went in her throat.
“Timmy, I need you to find out how to remove the teleportation console. If you could download the pilot’s manual for that shuttle, it would be a plus.”
“What do you have in mind, Scotty?”
“You and Tesa are going to fly it out of there.”
Timmy and Tesa jumped up and yelled, “Whooo hooo! Let’s get started. Wait til Nathan hears this.”
Julie followed Scotty out of the learning center and said, “Are you serious about taking those two children with us?”
Scotty stopped and thought, “Zreeg, are you up there?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Share with Julie the memory you have of one of your warriors being hit by the beam from that ship next to the field.”
Julie watched the event in her mind, “What are you trying to show me?”
“Zreeg, show her the beam from the weapon carried by the big guard and then the beam from the ship.”
Zreeg switched from one vision to the other several times and Julie saw it, “The beam on the ship is weaker than the guard’s blaster.”
“It won’t last much longer, and if the Yellow Skins decide to explore the electronics of that ship, they’ll start at the control board.”
Julie felt her fear. If that ship had its protective screens operational along with its scanners and weapons, no one on the planet would be safe. Scotty yelled, “Tell Jingo we attack in two days.”
Zreeg flew off at high speed.
“Scotty, how many archers have Zeckas?”
“About four hundred, and that will have to do. If we can’t do anything but steal that ship, then so be it.”
Julie ran through the forest with Scotty fearing for her parents, “Scotty, we have to try and save the prisoners.” Scotty didn’t respond, and Julie worried that it might be because he didn’t want to scare her.
Jingo met them as they came out of the forest and said, “What’s going on?”
Scotty said, “Zreeg, give him what we discovered at the learning center.”
Jingo got a faraway look, and then they saw his fear, “We’ll need the kids.”
“I know. Someone will have to stay behind and bring them in behind us. We need to get them covered with a Zecka. It won’t have to be a warrior’s suit, but we need them to be hidden.”
“Do we still have the old toolbox?”
“Samuel has it. I’m going to see him now.”
Jingo grabbed Scotty’s arm, “If we are going to take the ship, we are going to free the prisoners as well.”
Scotty stopped walking toward Samuel’s house and looked at Jingo, “Can we do both?”
“Now that Julie is an archer, yes. That will make all the difference.”
“Make the plan, Jingo. The main priority is the ship. We’re all lost if we fail there.”
Jingo nodded and yelled for Bleg, “Go to the learning center and tell the kids they have one day to learn what they need. Rush them here by tomorrow night.” Jingo ran to Kess’ home to get her started on two Zeckas for Timmy and Tesa.
Scotty looked up at Zreeg, “You know those that have been fitted with Zeckas. Go and bring their flyers here in two days. Hurry.”
Zreeg disappeared from overhead as he accelerated north.
Scotty looked at Julie and said, “Go explain everything to Jing and ask him to get the millwrights working on arrows.” Julie nodded and ran away. Scotty ran down the hill toward the Human community and remembered Julie’s dream. There was a possibility they were going to have a ship with a working star drive. Now her dream didn’t seem so farfetched. It troubled him, but that was something for later.
The next day the clearing was filled with four hundred and twenty Zord. Their riders were standing in front of them with eight quivers of arrows. As they waited for Scotty and Jingo to arrive, teenage Humans and Cainth were
