Page Seventy Six Six Chapter 9 Stand off
Adam was prepared for the Raki offensive but merely 10,000 kilometers from their position the Raki fleet came to a halt. Sensors aboard the Pashitz, noted that the fleet had not yet activated weapons.
Adam radioed the general “The pompous idiots haven’t even prepared for battle so sure that we will be a pushover, Mr Brack tells me that they are not even raising shields“.
The General pondered “Of course they are going to wait till the ceremony is over and see what the outcome is, if Venestra is accepted then we will be ordered to withdraw by the council.
But if the Ajari Tond fails then they will attack, Adam have some of your fighters approach the fleet shields up and see what they do”.
Adam ordered squadron 1 to approach within 2000 meters of the fleet and wait, at first nothing happened then an equal amount of fighters peeled from the Raki fleet and stood the Squadron off.
The general was watching closely on the sensor consul “now withdraw them Adam“ he ordered.
As the Pashitz fighters withdrew so did the Raki fighters and they returned to their ships, Adam reported to the general “Seems like a Mexican stand off sir“.
Brack looked at Adam puzzled and quizzed “What is this Mexican Maneuver sir“, Adam laughed and told Brack “it is an expression that was used on Earth it means no one force has the advantage therefore a stalemate“.
Brack raised his eyelid in again a puzzled way “You Humans are truly strange creatures why fight a battle where neither can win that is pointless“ Adm replied “That is true Brack but are not all fights just as pointless and the means of the barbaric to rule and dominate the weaker members of a society“.
Brack agreed and still said that it was a pointless exercise he did not understand “but I have stopped trying to understand humans they are so complicated“ Adam could not help but burst into laughter something else Brack failed to see the point of humor.
Back on Achin vanestra was about to enter the hall of Aljari for the ceremony, she was dressed in her ceremonial smock and was wearing her chain of the Teskelen the symbol of Achin Royalty.
However this was not strictly just a symbol it was also a ruse to fool the Aljari Monks, for it contained a rare stone called Fashrar that helped one to focus energy.
Her Pro Consul Gilargath had given it to her to help fool the monks and block thoughts she did not want them to know.
Little did she know that this would be her undoing one of the main reasons the monks of Aljari were chosen for the ritual was due to the fact they were immune to the effects of Fashrar, and they could sense it’s presence from the moment she walked into the room.
Venestra Lay down on the alter and the monks took their positions around it, they started to chant and the air in the room became electric.
Cracks of energy shot from the alter to the arms of the monks now held out stretched, bouncing around the chamber like demons finding a target to strike and claim. The amulet in the Teskelen Chain of Royalty tore itself from Vanestra and smashed against the far wall, as it slid from her neck deep wounds were made as the chain sliced at her flesh and she screamed in agony.
Her blood was now forming globules and she could see it floating past her as the monks raised her body into the air, Vanestra could feel them in her mind probing digging and discovering her every thought her desires her greed her madness.
It was agony she fought to remain conscious but lost the battle, the fight in her drained Vanestra sank into a deep state of oblivion.
Her ordeal lasted four days and all anyone could do awaiting the ruling of the monks was watch and wait, would they say she was fit to rule or would the strain of the Aljari Tond destroy the mind of the usurper to the throne of Achin, who was after all merely a clone.
Or would it prove once and for all the claim that indeed Vanestra had returned to take her place as ruler of Achin, Myzack was praying in the temple of Mali watched by the other council members he called out, “Oh Mali Goddess of life and Light I beg you to refuse this creature the bonding of your brother Aljari and to protect your people from her evil“.
But even now as Vanestra was going through this most sacred of rituals her plans were being acted upon, as the blade of a knife caught a glint of light as it flew through the air to it’s target Myzack would bother Vanestra no more.
She had been true to her words in the council chamber, and even if she did not pass the Aljari she would still have the throne over the bodies of the council all of who equally had been dispatched that night. Although Vanestra knew that without the monks approval the people would reject her, she also knew even with the blessing of Aljari the council would have opposed her so she removed the problem
Page Seventy Seven
Aboard the Diana Captain Christopher Harry was waiting for a command decision on the battle plan , he liked to know exactly what was expected of him and his crew so they could plan as best they could . As with all good Captains he placed the safety of his crew above all other but he also had a responsibility to keep his ship intact if possible especially now these were the only Earth ships left in existence .
General David Asterholm had been waiting also he had been in touch with the Achin council asking them if they wanted them to act with them or not, as to yet he had received no signal and was unaware that Myzack and the council had been assassinated.
He decided to see what was going on down on the planet and ordered Adam to beam him down to the council chambers, on arrival he noticed how eerily quiet it was he would have thought due to the fact they were on the brink of War the council would be sitting in chambers.
But all was deathly quiet even on the streets of Achin nothing was about, he radioed up to Adam on the Pashitz to do a full sensor sweep of Achin and report back to him. He looked a little further around the council rooms, they were barely lit not like before when he had first seen them.
He came to a wall at the end of a long corridor placing his hand on the wall an opening appeared and he went inside.
There on the floor was the body of Jordazan obviously his loyalty to the Chendra was not a factor in keeping him alive and he had met a swift death as had the others, looking around the room David counted six more bodies among them was Myzack.
He immediately ordered the bodies and himself beamed to the Pashitz, once in the beaming room he sealed it off allowing no one in or out.
The Achin officer on duty Gnusam recognised the bodies at once and tried to leave but David held him back saying, “No wait nobody must know of this if they do your Planet is already lost, is that what you want“ the young Achin stood back and said “No sir what should I do sir“
David turned him around and said “Firstly you will remove their ceremonial robes and bring them to the Captains cabin the council bodies you will beam into stasis pods to conceal them for a while let no one see you is that clear“
The young Achin nodded and started to disrobe the nearest body, David looked at him and he seemed to be terribly upset “did you know any of these people“ The young Achin turned towards David and replied “Yes Sir I am Gnusam and this is My Father Sir Delosk he was such a gentle being he wouldn't hurt anyone who would do this“
David knelt beside him and placed his hand on his shoulder “I don’t know son but you can believe me when I say whoever did it will pay I promise you“
In Adams Cabin he looked at the Chack consul at the records of crew on the Pashitz with the aid of the Beaming officer Gnusam he was trying to get Achin who looked alike to the Council members, he was going to try and fool whoever did this that they had failed.
Gnusam picked out six Achin he thought would pass as the duplicates from a distance and as he bore a striking resemblance to his father he would take on the role of Delosk, Adam and the general sounded the alert signal and this bought all the Achin crew scurrying to their post’s.
The General was sure that if their had been one infiltrator on the Pashitz he could be sure there was others, he hoped that they would see and report that the council was till very much alive to the assassins.
He was certain that Venestra was behind the attack but it may have been the Chendra, even so both would be in a panic if they thought the council had survived their murderous plot.
The Achin that Gnusam had chosen to replace Myzack was remarkable and even Adam could not have told the difference once he was in Myzacks robes, his voice though was a different matter he had an area accent that was far more pronounced than his doppelganger and would be seen as an impostor if he opened his mouth to say anything.
That’s when David came up with the Idea of bandaging his throat “this way he will be able to indicate he can not talk due to the wound he sustained in the attack“ Adam and Gnusam thought this a brilliant solution and Gnusam added “If Myzack was injured why not say the others were also and have them in sick bay recovering, I sound like my Father so I don’t think I will be discovered even if spoken to it will lessen the chance of discovery.
Page Seventy Eight
So the ruse was set the General knew that if his deception was found out that Venestra would launch a whole scale attack upon him and the fleet, she would make it personal with the sole intention of killing the council impostors.
He just had to make sure she didn't find out and the first way to do that was watch all communications and see who broke radio silence first, then they would have an informer to leak false information to.
On the bridge Davis ordered a Radio black out whilst the council members were aboard, he did this knowing the traitors would do all they could to get a message to the Raki.
Then he waited he did not have to wait long one and a half hours after the news spread throughout the ship that the council members were in sick bay and only one thankfully had died, the Achin crew gathered outside sick bay to get news of their leaders.
The General announced that Myzack was unable to speak at the moment due to an injury but Delosk was able to continue running the council as he was not there at the attack and escaped injury.
As he was doing so a communication was detected by the bridge, and their traitor had surfaced the Communications officer notified the General where the traitor was at the moment.
He ordered them to do nothing but keep a close eye on their movements and report back to him.
Using the ships sensors this was relatively an easy matter as most of the Achin where outside sick bay, a few still at their post’s but one unaccounted for Achin was heading for the landing bay.
This Achin was Darjot and he was brother to Dirout the Achin Venestra had murdered, he blamed the human crew not knowing the truth of who had killed his brother, in his mind the humans would pay dearly for this and aiding Venestra’s cause was the easiest way of Achieving this.
He Had reported to Gilargth Vanestra’s Pro Consul that the Member's of the Achin Council were alive, and well on the King Charles and being cared for by the human doctors in their sick bay.
On hearing this Gilargth ordered that the assassin who was supposed to have killed the Council be found and brought before him.
The man was frog marched into the Consuls office
“One small task you were given kill the council and you failed, what have you to say to me and what will you say to Vanestra”.
But before he could speak Gilargth walked behind him and dragged a jagged blade across his throat, as the achin assassin gasped his last breath the Pro Consul said “Oh I see nothing as you are dead you fool“.
Vanestra was still undergoing the Aljari Tond her plan was failing if the Monks rejected her claim she would have had no opposition to her rule excepting the monks, and Gilargath was sure with a little tortuous persuasion they could be beaten into faking the results of the ceremony.
That was if the council had been eliminated as Vanestra had ordered, however as they had escaped the assassins then it would most probably mean he would be the one that felt her Wrath.
It would mean he would probably be eliminated, and with as much ease and compassion as he had just shown.
He decided to take matters into his own hands. “Captain head for the human ships destroy them and the traitorous Achin aboard them“
On the Charles the alarms sounded as the Raki Armada began to move the King Charles first officer sounded General quarters and all stations manned, David Asterholm walked on to the bridge and sat at the command chair “Have preparations been made number one“ Number one replied “Yes sir as you ordered sir 5 warheads on the beaming platforms ready for deployment“.
The general smiled “Good good and did you get the shield frequencies as I requested from our informant friend“, Number one handed The General a computer pad “Yes sir after we placed him in an airlock and threatened to eject him into space “ with a laugh he said “lets just hope fear breeds truth then number one “he pushed a button on his chair“ Now hear this this is the General Raki ships are moving to intercept us man your post’s and Lady luck willing we will get through this day .. Proceed number one“.
The officer opened a channel to the approaching ships “This is the Earth fleet Flagship King Charles to all approaching vessels we request you stand down or we will be forced to destroy your ships “Aboard the Raki ship Gilgarth laughed“ Stupid humans launch all fighters“ as the king Charles first officer saw the ships he pressed the transmit beam button, that was the last order Gilargath ever gave.
Page Seventy Nine
With the shield frequencies known it was a simple matter to beam directly into the hull of the approaching ships, and the first five disappeared in a brilliant glow as the warheads detonated on materialisation .
The Raki fleet stopped and backed away from the carnage before them as five of their invincible Pashitz class war ships drifted in space in fragments along with the bodies of their crews or what was left of them .
They had no chance to know what had happened to them they thought the humans had some weapon unknown to them , and in fear an panic the Raki fleet dissipated and headed back to their moon .
Cheers at their victory erupted throughout the ship but David was not going to let this little win cloud the fact they were outnumbered and should it come to another fight , then the enemy may have determined how they destroyed their lead ships and be back .
David was unsure if he still had Achin sympathisers on the Charles so the strategics of this victory were never to be mentioned outside the bridge , least they may need the same maneuver again should the Raki not discover how they won .
David got up from his seat and looked at his officers “ Well done lads now for phase two , are you ready number one “ his officer saluted and said “Yes sir all ready “ David left the bridge and headed for sick bay .
Gnusam as Delosk welcomed him “ General your weapons destroyed the Raki without even moving how can this be “ The general was not about to let the cat out the bag yet so he just said “
One of the first rules we teach in battle is never underestimate your enemy , a lesson that cost Vanestra dearly here today “ The Achin imitation council clapped and cheered “ Now you lot need to be ready for the next phase of this operation are you ready “
Gnusam with his Fathers ceremonial robes on looked impressive and said “ We are General please lead the way “ The members where lead to the beaming room newly installed on the King charles by the crew of the Pashitz and were beamed down to the Achin council chambers .
As they appeared the room erupted into applause the galleries were full and all had come to see the victorious Achin leaders reclaim there Planet , in the center of the chamber sat a tired looking figure it was Vanestra her spirit drained by the Aljari Tond ordeal .
Delosk stood and addressed Vanestra “ Vanestra Raki you have undergone the Aljari Tond and the Monks of Aljari have made their ruling “ A monk walked to the platform and handed Delosk a scroll contained in a golden case , he undid the top and took out the scroll the room was in silence as he started to read out their judgement
“ Vanestra Of Raki the Monks of Aljari have found that you do indeed have the blood linear age of the Teskelan and had a right of rule to the Achin Royal house “ Vanestra looked at Delosk smiling and was about to speak when he held up his hand to stop her “ However we the council of Achin after escaping your attempt at assassination rule that you are unfit to rule this Planet and charge you with the attempted assassination and an act of treason against the Achin people this is punishable by death .
The crowd around the room gasped as Delosk read his statement “ However as you are a Teskelan this council rules that you be banished from Achin to the moon you have now re-named Raki to rule as you wish never to return to Achin on pain of the order for your execution to be carried out , all ships of the Raki fleet will be confiscated by this council and your moon is banned from ever taking to space whilst you remain in power .
The Earth weapon that destroyed your Flagship and four other Pashitz class destroyers has been installed into the New Achin Flagship formerly the Pashitz now The Vash, and will be here to make sure you behave and adhere to these rulings do you understand “ A cheer again was shouted out in the Council chambers “ Silence silence,do you understand the ruling Vanestra “ said Delosk .
Vanestra defiant to the last said “ Tell me Delosk why do you speak for the council is Myzack not here to attend “ Delosk pointed to a seat at the center of the council benches and from a door to the left of the chambers walked Myzack and he sat at the head of the council his throat bandaged , he waved to the galleries and beckoned Delosk to him . They spoke to each other in whispers and then Delosk turned to Vanestra and said “ Vanestra Myzack ask’s me to convey that due to your treachery he is unable to address this assembly and repeats his last order leave this chamber now and never return “ Vanestra turned to the door and was escorted to a waiting ship now exiled and beaten .
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Vanestra was put aboard a lower class passenger vessel and an armed guard waited by the vessel till it took off , once it had cleared the Achin atmosphere it was joined by the Diana . Adam now back aboard the Diana radioed the Passenger liner the Pactar and ordered her to stay 1000 meters in front of the Diana , the council had instructed the guards on board should any attempt be made to intercede with the exiling of Vanestra she was to be executed on the spot .
Once in orbit around Raki Adam sent boarding parties to the other Raki ships there crews were beamed down to the Planet , then the ships were turned over to their Chack autopilots and sent to Achin ghostly and empty of life back to the Mother world . Until all the ships had been commandeered Vanestra stayed aboard the Pacatar complaining bitterly at her treatment , and being laughed at for her audacity by her Achin guards .
It took two days to complete the task all the crews had been evacuated and their ships sent to Achin , space ports and ship construction yards were targeted from space . The areas around them cleared 10 kilometers in all directions , then from orbit the mighty lasers of the Diana streaked through the space and turned them into piles of scrap metal . General Asterholm still on Achin was guiding the new council members through a stratagem conceived on the Charles , that they should hold for the first time ever on Achin an Election for the council members .
This was greeted at first by sceptasism then once the ideal had been discussed with the council , they all agreed that in the light of things this would be the best solution . It was accepted that they as the leaders of Achin would be unacceptable ,so it was that Achin would soon have it’s first general election to elect it’s new leaders. It was also agreed that some of the human crews who wished to stay on Achin could do so , and as it was only fair the Achin who wished to go with the rest of the fleet to New Earth would be welcome to do so.
The Pashitz took up it’s new role as Guardian of the Achin Homeworld and watched Raki very closely , armed with the new super weapon ( five more Nuclear devices and the beaming technology refined to accommodate them ) was feared by the Raki rebels and when two more ships arrived to take up station The Shokar and The Asterholm their behavior was assured and peace restored . Adam had supported Bracks appointment of captain, and he was commissioned by the interim Achin council.
Four months passed and the elections went well all the candidates had been taught how to put their case by watching old political documentaries from Earth , and with some particular skill had adapted it to the Achin way of governing .
Gnusam Had been elected council leader mainly as a result of his portrayal of Delosk his Father , and two others of the fake council also Bedank and Demect . But now it was time for the Earth colony to continue on it’s way a festival was given to the crews as a thank you for all that they had done , and a special time was ordained Earth Day to remember for all time the meeting of our two worlds and how out of tragedy a new beginning was born .
The General sat at the command chair of the King Charles staring at Achin on the view screen , he let out a laugh and smiled “ Take us to light by one quarter Helm if you Please instruct all ships to proceed “ . One by one the Earth flotilla accelerated away from Achin the final part of their journey would take about two months , thanks to the Achin technology they had now acquired, life on this new planet was going to be a lot more simple to adapt to .
Buildings and Farming was going to be much easier with the beaming technology as was power production with the new crystal power technology . Materials would be easier to obtain simply beaming ore from out of the ground straight to the smelters , minerals for building straight to the sites of the new towns and cities .
7 Billion people the last survivors of mother Earth souls were about to undertake the greatest adventure since Man picked up his first tool , they were about to rebuild a way of life a new World and this time maybe we could get it right.
