Jake looked at her and saw her determination, “Junior, you’re wasting time! You need to go now.”
Junior kept trying to teleport Jake, but nothing worked. Junior decided, “I’ll be back.”
The gathered thousands watched as the ship rose and then disappeared.
Jake removed his armor and Cynthia removed hers as well. Jake looked at the thousands and said so all could hear, “I have sent the ship you’ve just seen back to the Realm to bring larger ships to move you from this planet. Everyone must stay here in a group. You may not take anything with you. We are going to transport you into one of our ships and the only thing going will be you. Even your clothes will remain behind. We are forced to do it this way to remove the bracelets and their connections from your bodies. We will provide everything you’ll need when we arrive back in the Realm. Any questions?”
“What if the ships don’t come in time?”
“Then just think of it as being your turn to be taken by the Keepers. My friend and I are going to do all we can to defend you until our ships return.” Jake looked around and said, “Kathea, where are you?”
Kathea stepped out of the crowd and walked over to Jake. “Kathea, that ring will not go with you if we are able to leave. I want to take it with me.”
Kathea thought about it and said, “Jake, if we are able to go back to this Realm you talk about, I don’t want it to go with me. I will get a new ring and start a new and happier history for myself and my children. This ring will only remind me of all the ugliness that happened here. Right now it reminds me of a better place than this. Can you understand that, Jake?”
Cynthia saw the affection Jake had for this young woman, but sensed from his thoughts that he looked at her as a sister he’d never had.
“Kathea, you are wise beyond your years. Please help keep everyone here in the center of the community.”
“I will, where are you going?”
“I have to keep an appointment with some Keepers.”
Jake looked at Cynthia and nodded. They saluted each other and turned on their armor. Jake hit his jets and Cynthia lifted right behind him. The Humans in the square felt the electricity of the moment and wondered what fate held for them. Jackson watched them leave, and knew that this moment was going to be historic for his people. Silence ruled the gathered thousands; then Kathea stepped out of the crowd and said, “I would give up my life for a chance to go with the Seniors.”
Jackson yelled in a loud voice, “We will live free or die! I choose freedom!”
The three-hundred-thousand-plus community raised the voices in cries of “Freedom!” Across the valley, the Glod and Cainth communities heard the sound echo off the hills and wondered what was happening.
Chapter Eleven
As Jake and Cynthia flew toward the Keepers’ garrison, Jake thought to Cynthia, “I need your help making this happen.”
“What is that, Jake?”
“I want you to go to the Glod and Cainth communities and tell them what’s happening now. They must gather in the center of the community so we can lift them quickly.”
“What are you going to do?”
“I am going to wait here at the compound and kill anything that pokes its head out of the ground. If a large number get out I’m going to fight a delaying action to give our ships time to arrive.” Jake saw Cynthia start to argue and said, “Cynthia, when my powers were released every Keeper in this garrison was stunned and knocked out. Those closest to the Human camp were actually so damaged that they will not be able to participate in the coming fight. I really do sense that they will not regain consciousness for at least three more hours. Go get the Realm’s Citizens prepared to leave, please.”
Cynthia started to protest, but then reluctantly nodded her agreement, peeled away from Jake, and headed toward the Glod colony.
Junior broke out of universal drive in the Realm and commed Fleet Command, “I need Valerie Gardner’s com code.”
“We need confirmation about who you are.”
“Oh forget it.” Junior hit another frequency, “Sprig, I need Valerie’s com code.”
“Junior, what are you doing back? What happened?”
“I don’t have time, Sprig. Connect me with Valerie now!”
Sprig reached forward and pushed a button. He also hit another button bringing Twig and Edison into the conversation.
Valerie saw her com blink, “Sprig, why are you calling me?”
“He’s not, Your Majesty, I am.”
“Who are you?”
“My name is Junior and I am the ship that took Jake Talant to the other universe.”
Valerie’s heart went into her throat, “What’s wrong? Is he all right?”
“Yes, his powers have been released. But he’s refusing to leave until we bring transports to take the three colonies off that planet.”
“Junior, you were ordered to teleport him away when he released his powers.”
“I know that, but evidently none of you managed to get Jake to agree. He blocked every effort to cover him with a teleport screen,”
Edison said, “He did what?”
“He blocked the screen from forming. You’re wasting time. He says we have a ten hour window to get them out before the Keepers’ ships arrive. He is going to hold off the garrison on the planet.”
“Junior, where is Cynthia?”
“She decided to stay and assist him in the fight, Your Majesty.”
Edison hit his board, “Fleet command, I want three Delta-size transports readied to leave our universe.”
“Edison, Jake also said to set the teleport screens on the transports to only move the DNA of Human, Glod, and Cainth.”
Edison said, “That is going to take some time.”
“I’ll take one transport, Edison.”
“I’ll take the second.”
“Thank you Sprig and Twig. Newton and I will handle the third. How long until those ships are ready?”
Admiral Zergl, who had joined the conversation, looked at his board. We have to bring a much bigger teleport system on board and connect it. It’s going to take at least six hours to get the screen working.”
Valerie said, “That’s cutting it close. Admiral, have we managed to cover any of our Warriors in the telepathy coating?”
“About fifty of them have the new armor.”
“Get them on a ship and move them to the Keepers’ planet. We have to support Jake and Cynthia quickly.”
“It will take at least four hours to power up the armor and load all the weapons.”
“Then you had better start moving, Admiral.”
Zergl disappeared from the conference screen.
Valerie dreaded the next question, but had to ask, “So Jake found his initiator, Junior?”
“Yes and no, Your Majesty.”
Valerie leaned back in her chair, “What do you mean by that?”
“Jake touched every woman in the human colony with no results.”
Valerie was puzzled, “Then how were his powers released?”
“A Keeper touched Jake; it released his powers. Evidently it took the combined mental connection of the entire Keepers species to break through that shell of his.”
Valerie was stunned; then she understood. “That’s why his psychic self keep bringing Keepers to wherever he was! It’s why the Searcher died. That colony of humans was the only place where Keepers regularly made contact with Humans without killing them. It makes sense now.” Then it hit her; Jake did not find the love of his life. She jumped up from her chair, “Junior, where are you?”
Joe Gardner, who had joined the conversation, said, “No you’re not, Valerie.”
Valerie ignored him, “Junior, answer me.”
Junior struggled, but knew he had to answer the Queen of the Stars Realm. “You have my coordinates.”
“Valerie, you can’t go there!”
“Valerie appeared on Junior’s bridge and said as she stepped through the silver screen. “Joe, you’re in charge until I return. Remember when you said you would never question me again?”