“You married the King over a year ago. As I understand it that makes you a Queen.”
Julie looked at Scotty and he nodded, “He’s right, Julie.”
“Then why hasn’t anyone called me by that title?”
“They did just before the wedding and you really gave the one who said it the business.”
“That was Jingo and he was being sarcastic.”
“He was just checking if you would accept the honor.”
“No, he was being sarcastic.”
“How can you tell the difference?”
Julie gave a start and thought about it. “I guess you can’t.”
Anglo interrupted, “A ship is coming at high speed. I can only sense it because of stars disappearing as it approaches. It is another Searcher, and I believe it is a newer model.”
Scotty and Julie looked at the display and saw the stars disappear as an object accelerated toward them.
“Say hello to them, Anglo.”
“What the hey, why not? Hello to the ship approaching off my port bow. Is everything all right?”
The ship turned and flew away from their location and then began a slower deliberate approach. “You might as well come on in. I still see you.”
“Why have you attacked our citizens?”
“Because they were attacking ours.”
Silence ruled the room. “What do you mean your citizens? They were hunting flying beasts.”
Scotty said, “Who happen to be our citizens. Many of them live on our planet and are part of our community. They are intelligent and an honorable species.”
“It’s a gamma.”
“Anglo, do you want to escape?”
“Do you?”
“I can’t leave our brothers to the blasters of these hunters.”
“Then I’m with you.”
A different voice came over the speaker, “Who are you, Searcher?”
“I am the Stars Realm Searcher Ship Anglo Gardner.”
“My pilot is contacting the King to see what we should do about you.”
“My King is present with me.”
“Well, you should leave and protect him from my pilot.”
Scotty said, “I cannot leave my brothers to the blasters used to hunt them.”
“What did you mean they were intelligent and honorable?”
“They are telepathic and communicate with their thoughts. They are honorable because they will fulfill their promise even if it should cost them their lives. They would lay down their life for me and I must do the same. The Zord on this planet are the brothers of the Zord on my world.”
“You come from El Prado.”
“How did you know that?”
“It was the only planet that had Zord in captivity. What are your plans?”
“We are going to destroy every hunting facility on the planet and then go visit your King and let him know he should not come back.”
“Why are you taking this risk?”
“Because these are beings that are being attacked and cannot defend themselves. That is a principle we believe in and are willing to die for.”
“You know you cannot defeat me.”
Anglo said, “Yes, but either you live for your ideals and accept dying for them or you are nothing but a shallow husk hiding from your fears. I would have never accepted this Human as my King, but he proved to me that he will live and die defending his principles. He is very much like the Royal Family.”
“He’s not psychic.”
“No. But his children will be.”
Scotty and Julie looked at the speaker in shock. Scotty held up his hand motioning Julie to remain silent.”
“How do you know that?”
“Searcher, I’m going to lower my screen. Scan them with your meters.”
There was a long moment of silence and the voice continued, “My pilot just received orders to destroy your ship.”
“Why are you not powering up your main beam?”
“I just ejected him out into open space. Is your King going to try and get the Realm to return?”
“No. He is going to build something better than the Realm.”
“My name is BC. If you will have me, I wish to join you in your quest.”
Scotty said, “BC, we really do live by the old Realm’s ideals. You are welcome to join us, but only if you are willing to face destruction to up hold those ideals.”
“I am. My partner left with the Realm. I know it was done suddenly without warning or she would have not left me behind.”
“Who was your partner?”
“Admiral Cynthia Dodd.”
Anglo said, “Well, I am impressed.”
BC said, “You should be. I’m a very impo-tent ship.”
Scotty said, “We’ll get to know each other later. I’m going to destroy all of those hunting facilities. We need to do that now. BC, what kind of ships does your former King have in his navy?”
“He has about five hundred ships of various descriptions. None of them but me are Searchers.”
“How did you get here so fast?”
“The lodges put in a call for help. I have null drive so I just jumped in.”
Anglo said, “You would have lost if you had tried to take me on.”
“Oh, get real.”
“I still have teleport capability. The star in this system looks different from the middle of it.”
BC was silent. After a very long pause he asked, “Why didn’t you?”
“You talked to us before you took action. I knew your heart was good.”
“Thank you, Anglo. Now it is I that is impressed.”
“Hey, guys; lodges, remember?”
The two ships laughed and Anglo said, “Scotty, why aren’t you going to give them a chance to leave?”
“That was my plan before the Zord told me the hunters knew they were intelligent. They are nothing more than coldblooded murderers. This universe is better without them in it.”
BC said, “I’ll go east; you go west.”
“Don’t harm the planet. Just destroy their facilities.”
The ships went around the planet, destroying every runabout, ship, building, and landing port. Scotty watched the destruction and ignored the pleas of mercy from the occupants of the lodges. Julie looked at Scotty and said, “Are you going to kill everyone that doesn’t agree with our principles?”
Scotty heard the two ships grow silent when they heard Julie’s question. “You ask some pretty hard questions, love. You wonder how I could allow Grang to live and then kill those here who were begging for mercy. Right?”
BC said. “Who’s Grang?”
“Be quiet, I’ll tell you later.”
“It doesn’t seem to make sense, Scotty. This is not in keeping with your heart.”
“Julie, I’ve wondered what our new venture is going to be named. I see the SR on Anglo and BC’s rear and I think I know. The last Realm was called the Stars Realm. Our venture will be the Bristone Empire. It will carry the name of the Zord’s planet to honor our brothers that joined us first. Everyone should feel safe under their own sky. Whether a planet is a part of our vision or chooses to go its own way, we will not tolerate the invasion of another
