Adventures of Space Cadets 101: Weddings. Darryl Dean Wright
a hundred, and send them all to the Q-bay, please."
The Turtle said, "It is done, Sir." Derek swore the Turtle read minds.
JR and all thirty of his ships were coming out of star-drive consecutively. As soon as they did, JR told N-Kim to contact the city of Austen and let them know he would be parking in their front yard.
She said, "Yes Sir," and a moment later she added, "The King is welcomed. Permission granted."
As all the Trex ships were landing, a lot of lizards were scared to death at the scene. They were unaware the ships' crews consisted of humans and Lizardians. N-Austen and N-Derek waited for JR at his landing site. A bunch of Casaurs and quite a few Lizardians showed up at their sides branding weapons. The lead Casaur guard asked how the N-Houstons could be so calm, and N-Austen told him that the fleet belonged to his brother. Then he yelled out for all to hear, "At ease everybody. This is just a family reunion."
All thirty ships landed after JR's ship touched down. They started spewing out humans: male, female, old, young, and also JR's squad of Lizardians, who immediately walked with him over to where his brothers were standing. By the time JR got to them, he knew they were not really his brothers. He was mad and asked the two Nano-droids, "Where is the Turtle?"
N-Derek said, "We don't know. We're glad you are alive. We had visitors from ED last night."
JR said, "Yeah, we're all marked for death." He turned around and told his people to follow him into the city. Once they all were situated in the town's barracks, the Nano-droids that lived there served them food and wine. JR was sitting with Shlizz and his Nano-brothers drinking the whiskey that he had brought. The Nano-droids drank also to give the impression that they were really his brothers. JR said, "ED has a thousand ships, so we came here for help. I guess we'll wait on the Turtle."
N-Austen said, "I have no idea how long that will take, Bro."
JR reached across the table and slapped N-Austen's face. Shlizz went for his knife out of habit, but he didn't take it out. JR said, "I don't mind pretending in front of everybody, but when we're alone, don't you ever call me bro. Got it?"
N-Austen and N-Derek looked at each other and then back at JR. N-Austen said, "I didn't mean any disrespect Sir." He sounded plaintive so JR wouldn't go off again.
JR said, "Of course you didn't. Look, the Turtle will be here shortly, and when they come, we will give ED a migraine! I'm going to need you 'noids' to go with me when the Turtle arrives because I don't want my Martian buddies going. But I don't want them to know. I don't want to lose any of them. This isn't their war."
Both of his N-brothers said that they were in. JR said, "I wasn't giving you a choice. Now when the Turtle gets here, I'll have one of my Nano-selves parade the pirates to Derek City, lakeside."
N-Derek said, "We have Caprices here if you need them … Sir."
JR said, "Leave them here to protect the citizens. Besides, I have plenty of them."
Back near Earth's sun, the Leonsians had just sent the Lexington on a collision course to the heart of Sol. The captain said, "It is done. Now jump us as far out of this system as we can jump."
The pack-leader said, "Jump ready in three, two, one," and the Leo-ship disappeared from Sol.
The President was screaming at Admiral Clamp, "I don't care, I want him dead now!" The admiral looked at his captain on the ED ship, and he was about to say something to the President, but the President beat him to it. "I am sending one hundred more ships to help you with this incredibly easy task." Then the President hung up on the admiral.
The admiral whispered to his captain, "We have people on that platform."
Chapter 9
THE CAVALRY
Captains Kester, SSSaa, Johnson and Turozski's ships came out of star-drive just past Saturn in the Sol System. They were coming up on Jupiter pretty quick, and Qworn on the Amor said at tactical, "Sir, there are a bunch of derelict Leonsian ships and various pirate ships floating all around the platform."
Kim said, "Oh my God, what has happened?"
Deana quickly said, "Let's find out. See if you can contact JR on the platform for us."
Kim said, "Yes Sir … I've got him," and everybody looked at the forward screen.
Deana asked, "JR, what's going on, and where are all the Trex ships?"
N-JR said, "I'm not exactly myself, if you know what I mean," and he winked at her on the big view screen. Then he said, "I've sent all of the pirates back home," and he winked again. He went on to say that he had cut lose all the Leo-ships so the prisoners could not escape in them, and then he had let all the prisoners loose too. Then he recounted what had just occurred.
Deana said, "I understand," meaning she knew the real JR and pirates had left for Kess, but she asked, "Why?"
N-JR said, "ED has a contract out on Austen, Derek and me. I believe they want the Turtle, and when I say 'they', I mean the ED President. I've got a hundred incoming ships that are in firing range right now, but I don't think that …" He was interrupted due to the fact that the entire defense platform just blew up!
Kim said, "Oh my God! They just killed all of those people! What are we going to do?"
Deana said, "Calm down, Kim. Battle-stations!" The four ships went on high alert!
Deana said, "All stop, Lee. Kim, get me ED - the closest ship, please."
Admiral Clamp came on the view screen, "How may I help you," he noticed her with captain bars so he finished, "Captain Kester?" He was devoting his full attention toward her.
She asked him what the hell he was doing, and he answered, "I'm following orders, and now I have some orders for you. Any ED personnel on any of your four ships are to be reactivated and handed over to my ship now." His manner was curt, almost sullen.
She felt like she was in the twilight zone. She knew Johnson's ship had ED veterans on it, but she was pretty sure he was loyal to Admiral Austen. She stood up and came closer to her view screen. She lied and said, "There aren't any veterans, ED or otherwise, on these ships. But you had what … sixty plus … military men including doctors on that platform you just blew up."
The admiral said, "I had my orders," but she could tell he had an unenviable duty.
Deana said, "Blind orders, Admiral. You just killed my boss's brother and probably received a death sentence yourself. We were sent here because we have learned from reliable sources that one - I repeat one - Leonsian ship is on its way to blow up our sun" The light in his eyes dimmed abruptly. He did not believe one word of this story.
The admiral laughed and said, "That's preposterous. You came to help JR, but you were too late. Is the Turtle on the planet Kess?"
She wasn't even going to give him a plausible lie. Deana said, "Sir, I'm not here to answer your questions. I'd have you arrested if I wasn't so busy trying to save Earth."
His lips thinned at the thought. He said, "We have your mother in a holding cell. We've shut down Houston Inc. and frozen their accounts. In addition, we have the rest of your peoples' families arrested too for being traitors. Those of you on the four ships who want your families released, you will have to give up the ships you are on and stand trial for …" he was interrupted by his own hands that were strangling himself.
Everybody on the Amor's bridge watched as he died while Deana killed him with her mind. Her eyes were dark red, and her hair was flying over her head. Kim cut the connection, but it was too late for the admiral. He was already dead. She said, "I don't have time for a Star Chamber."
As the ED ships were getting closer to a firing solution on the Turtle ships, Deana calmed down and told Kim to tell the other three ships to head down to Jupiter. She sat back down and said, "We're going to slingshot around the planet and leave these jokers. We have got to get to Mercury."
Tim Johnson came on the view screen to let Deana know that