decreed that we wait. We will do so even if these two die of old age.”
The warriors felt the power of Bleath’s thought and settled back on their four legs and waited. Maranda and Jimmy hoped he would take his time.
Kreej walked over to Maranda and said, “I am sorry for causing you to come to harm. It was not my intention to do so.”
Maranda looked at the young Zord, “It’s a little late for apologies!”
Zreeg took a deep breath and said, “Yes, I suppose it is. I just think it’s ironic that you suffered the same crime as your current husband.” Kreej turned and started walking away.
Maranda whipped around and said, “What do you mean the same crime?”
Kreej turned back and said, “I looked in the mind of that guard who was assigned to protect you. You know, the big one next to the throne?”
“Yes?”
“Your father had him place an explosive device in your former husband’s ship. He also got your son here to suggest a way for you to get him a kingdom. I just find it, I don’t know, unbelievable at the terrible things your family does to each other. Your son has also heard your father say he was going to kill your youngest sister if she didn’t toughen up.”
Jimmy was hearing the conversation and he started backing away from his mother. She reached over and grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to her. “Did this one know about my first husband’s death?”
Kreej said, “Only after it was done. Your father told him to appreciate what he had done to advance him in the line of succession.”
Maranda looked Jimmy in the eye, “You knew?!?”
Jimmy pushed her hand from him and scuttled ten feet away, “He was always punishing me. He had nothing good to say about me. He constantly ridiculed me among my friends.”
Maranda looked at Jimmy and said, “He loved you more than life itself. He did those things to teach you how to be a man. You’re no better than your grandfather.” Maranda put her head in her hands and wept for what she had become. She looked at Bleath and said, “Please don’t delay. Kill me now.”
The Zord gathered around her looked in her mind. They saw the source of her evil. The father was the one to blame. Bleath looked into Kreej’s mind and saw the guard’s memory. He sent that memory to Maranda. “Here is what happened.”
Maranda saw her husband in his ship getting ready to lead the attack on one of the captured planets. He was sitting in his chair holding a picture of Maranda. He hugged it to his chest and placed it on his console. She heard the Guard say as he left the bridge, “Lift off in ten megrons.” She then saw a bag come into her vision and the guard take out a round, white device and drop it behind the ship’s reactor panel. She watched as the guard exited the ship and hit his com. Her father appeared and the guard said, “It’s done.”
“Good. You will be rewarded.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Maranda came back to the present and felt her heart shatter. He killed Lem! Oh my god, what have I become?”
Bleath listened to her thoughts and then said, “Kreej, why did you show her those things?”
“Great Flyer, I saw a sweet girl in her youth. She was deliberately twisted and broken by her father. She deserved to see what she is before she dies. It will help her accept the death she now feels she so richly deserves. I did it as a blessing.”
Bleath thought about what Kreej said. Perhaps this new generation is becoming something to honor. This young one shows great promise. He looked back at Maranda and felt her misery. He didn’t know whether to be glad she was tormented or not. The White Hair was going to have to answer this issue.
King Talben turned off his communication panel and leaned back on his throne.
“Do you think he’s being honest?”
Talben turned to his most trusted advisor, Petlu, and said, “I think so.”
“What makes you think that?”
“That daughter of his yelling for him not to go; insisting she was already dead. I think he really intends to take his fleet and try to rescue my daughter and grandson. I didn’t think he cared about either of them. Apparently, I was wrong.”
“Are you going to help him?”
Talben leaned to the right in his chair and had a look of disdain, “Do you think I’m crazy? Something in that system killed a Searcher Class ship. I’m not risking my ships.”
“Even to save your daughter?”
Talben shrugged, “We’ll have a state funeral and I’ll accuse Varner of causing her death. Then we’ll take his kingdom.”
Petlu didn’t say anything. Talben looked at him and said, “Spit it out. You have something spinning around in that head of yours.”
“Why wait?”
“What do you mean?”
“Well, if Varner takes his fleet out of the Capital’s system, he leaves himself wide open to an invasion. If you insist on him providing half the ground forces for his rescue attempt, he’ll have to take them from the capital. He’s leaving tomorrow. There’s not enough time to gather the troops from his other planets. There should be very little to prevent our taking control.”
Talben listened to the proposal and was about to respond when his communicator vibrated. The call was coming in on a top secret frequency. “Hold on just a moment. Let me see what’s going on here.” Talben hit his connect and saw Commodore Ntwer.
“I’m sorry to interrupt you, Your Majesty, but I need your wisdom.”
“Go ahead, Admiral.”
Ntwer smiled. He had a secret promotion in Talben’s Bluepointe Navy. “The Admiral has given me the assignment of selecting ships to defend the Capital while the King is gone.”
Talben looked at Petlu and asked, “Why did he choose you? Does he suspect you of being one of us?”
“I think the Admiral remembers my defense of the fleet at Gronkin.” Ntwer thought a moment, “If he suspected me, would he leave me in command?”
“How many ships are you going to have?”
“He left it totally up to me. He asked that I not take too many from any one squadron, but to select our best ships.”
“Standby.” Talben placed his console on mute and looked at Petlu, “Is this something to worry about?”
Petlu shook his head, “This is a great gift. We have thirty seven ships in his fleet with loyalty to you. Have him select thirty six of them and send one ship with Varner to keep us informed of what’s happening. If there is anything there than can destroy ships, only his will be destroyed. Those ships left behind will prevent any of Varner’s ships from his colonies from interfering with our take over. Our Ultra’s can carry 30,000 troops to Varner’s capital. He’ll come back to a world controlled by us with our ships in charge of the system. We’ll threaten to destroy his colonies and kill his daughter if he doesn’t turn himself over to us.”
Talben thought about Petlu’s plan. “What if this is a trap? What if they know Ntwer is one of us?”
“Your Majesty, would you leave an enemy behind to defend your family? No, this is an opportunity you’ll not get again.”
Talben put his fingers up to his lips and thought about what Petlu was saying. He glanced at the flashing communication panel and reached over and pressed a button, “Ntwer, you know the ships loyal to us. Select all but one of them to stay with you. Petlu will send you your instructions after the King leaves the system.”
Ntwer bowed his head and disappeared from the panel. “Can you get everything set up fast enough to make this happen?”
“Yes, just make sure Varner takes his troops.”
Talben reached for his communication panel.
Wesley Varner looked away from his console and said, “Talben wants me to provide half of the ground forces needed to make the rescue. He said he was going to send thirty thousand. If I sent that many, I’ll only have six thousand left on the planet.”
