New Partner! Chapter Eleven: No Need for War! The new Attack Cruiser was only one of the many brand new designs that had filled the ranks of the Haven Space Forces. It was slim looking, with the newest in reception nets and power systems. A new computer system, known as the BARON system, controlled a majority of the ship's weapons and tactical resources. First Fleet Commander Tally sat in the commander's chair on the bridge, while Captain Wells, the commander of the Attack Cruiser, named the 'Tenchi', manned one of the unused stations. The Captain had plugged his station into the command net and this allowed him to keep in touch of the rest of the fleet. Captain Wells had little to worry about with the BARON system now online and ready. "Report," asked Tally. "The fleet is waiting for your orders," stated Wells as he examined the scrolling information on his screens. "All systems and crew members of the Tenchi are ready," added the computer. BARON stood for Broad Automatic Response Optical Network, computer that thought as fast or faster then any organic intelligence and, unlike the AIs of most ships, did not need to ask permission when reacting to danger during a battle. Many people, even some of the eggheads within the Special Machine Intelligence Division, had felt that a ship that was allowed to do whatever it wanted in battle was a horrible idea. But studies had shown that men and women just couldn't keep up with a battle once it started and only a computer, not limited by slow speed of organic brains, could react with the speed and accuracy needed. 'Of course,' thought Tally, 'kind of defeats the whole point of making a robotic warship if you're going to full the damn thing with people.' "Send out the prerecorded message," ordered First Fleet Commander Tally. "Why aren't they doing something?" asked Tenchi as the Haven ships just seemed to stay in place. The Jurai and the Galaxy Police had fallen back, having decided to disengage from combat and leave the Hive ships in the center of the inward facing warships. "Getting something over the subspace channels," stated Washu as she touched one of the pressure plates next to her station. "in five minutes," said Tally's voice over the speakers, "I repeat. I am First Fleet Commander of the Haven High Command. I demand the Hive Invasion Fleet surrender or we will be forced to fire on you. Please reply in five minutes. I repeat." Washu switched off the speakers and shrugged, "I'm not sure if the Hive will give in or not. Not even sure if they CAN give up." "What do you mean?" remarked Sasami. "Do social insects give up even when they attack something bigger, like a human?" pointed out Washu as she focused the holographic map onto the Hive's ships. "At least five hundred ships," reported the radar operator. "I see," chirped WhiteClaw as he glanced down at the map which showed the WALL of ships that met the Hive's radar beams, tracking lasers and heat scanners in all directions. Admiral WhiteClaw moved away from the large table and stepped up to one of the empty stations. A push of a button and before his eyes the monitor turned on, showing one of the many city seeds within the flagship. The seed was protected by force fields which also kept it from hatching too early. The city seeds within the ship were very important, as the next batch won't be ready for decades. If these died, even if the enemy was merciful, the Hive's growth would come to a stand still. And like most organisms if the Hive did not grow it would surely die. The ship also had thousands of new eggs, each held in a tiny incubator, a tiny life ready to be started on what WAS going to be the new colony planet. "Get in touch with Nest," demanded WhiteClaw. "What are they waiting for?" demanded Farmer. "They might have problems with giving up," remarked Mihoshi as she steered the ship farther away from the core of Hive ships within the sphere of Haven ships. "Maybe they wish to fight to the death?" Kiyone pondered out loud as she checked the ship's Stardrive, just in case they needed a swift escape. "Report," asked Lady Misaki from the command chair. Captain Sharaku bowed before the Ladyship and said, "Four of our ships are left and only nine Galaxy Police ships that we know of. All of our ships report light damage. The Too-Kay says it will need to have the engines totally replaced when we get back to the planet Jurai and we might need to have our power systems completely reinstalled." "How many dead?" Captain Sharaku sighed and said, "Luckily, neither Jurai or Galaxy ships need large crews. We believe we only lost about four hundred killed, wounded or missing total. Reports are still coming in." "The Hive?" "The battleships are heavily automated, but the transports were loaded with troops," replied Sharaku, somewhat reluctant to continue. "Captain?" demanded Lady Misaki. "I think we're talking about somewhere in the millions, My Lady." "First Fleet Commander Tally," reported the ship's computer, "and Captain Wells, I have an answer coming in from the Hive flagship. Do you wish to hear it now?" "Yes," answered Tally. "They're cutting it short," commented Wells. An emotionless voice poured out of the computer's speakers, as it swiftly translated the message being beamed in from the Hive ships. "This is Admiral Claw of the White Line of the Royal Court of Home Nest in Command of the Hive Invasion Fleet," said the voice, "and I not only surrender the Fleet, but request that all hostility between the Hive and her enemies come to a halt. We wish to discuss peace terms with both the Haven People and the Galactic Union." Within Washu's command center cheering filled the air, as Tenchi kissed the tiny redhead and even Ryoko and Ayeka hugged each other. Sasami hugged the cabbit hard and Ryo-Ohki didn't seem to mind at all. Tenchi's grandfather sat quietly and thanked the Gods. "Time to go home," shouted Derek as he put away his pipe. In the distance was D3's realm. "She will be mad at us," said a young voice from the nothingness of space. "Well, Duh," commented Derek as he faded away at the same time the wall holding the Goddess back fell apart. 'What has happened? D3?' 'You're NOT going to like this, my Lady.' 'D3!' 'Well, you see, the Hive lost...' ****************************************************************************** ************************************************************** GHK News Transcript of Spotlight: Show 9405 : Interview with the Galactic Union's Secretary of Planetary Affairs. Host: Greetings. Welcome to Spotlight. In this show we are going to talk to Secretary of Planetary Affairs, Lord Hawaii from the planet Skylark. Welcome to the show Lord Hawaii. LH: Nice to be here. Host: Now, could you give the interviewers a little of your background. LH: Well, before I became the Secretary, I was also the Magistrate of Skylark to the Union Assembly for two terms. Host: Now, first off, can you tell the viewers what has happened up to this point? LH: Well, while peace negotiations are in progress, there has been cease fire put into effect. Many Hive forces have already withdrawn from the planets they invaded or in the process of withdraw. Haven High Command has also helped in the patrolling of many of the combat areas. Host: What have we done to help this areas that was invaded by the Hive? LH: The Galactic Union is right now sending supplies and hospital ships to all the planets in question. Many planets are also offering to send the Hive food AND medical volunteers. Host: Is it true that the reason the Hive attacked many of the independent planets, our allies and Galactic Union planets themselves was because their colonies were attacked by a viral weapons developed by Haven scientists? LH: Yes, unfortunately, that is very much the truth. The Haven WILL have to be made to halt such research, research in the area of biological weapons of course. Already teams from the Galaxy Academy are on their way to those planets, to see if they can limit the damage and even help the planets recover. Host: Another question, my Lord. We understand that the Haven High Command has massive fleets under their control? LH: Yes. We are already discussing with them the idea of decommissioning many of these ships, maybe even lowering the number of their fleets by 90%. Host: Now, reports have come in that many planets are now ASKING to join the Union because of the events of the conflict? LH: Well, many of the independent planets, plus some of the larger interplanetary states, have seen the advantages of becoming part of a larger, more powerful nation. And unlike many of the Empires in others parts of the Galaxy, the planets not only keep many of their rights, but also gain new ones within the greater Union itself. Besides the powerful police forces, we have a very strong currency, a wide trading network AND many cultural centers. Host: Yet the police forces were forced to get reinforces from Jurai forces, were they not? LH: I MUST point out, as many in the Assembly have been doing so, that this is a RARE event and that the Galaxy Police are meant to be used against outlaws and space pirates. We should NOT increase their powers or numbers JUST because we might have another MAJOR war within the next five thousand years. Any wars, major or minor are few and far between. The cost and resources are too great for most planets. Even the Haven Military happened to have huge numbers only after millions of years of careful build up. Even the Hive, who are social beings who willingly obey their Royal Queens, could not build up the ships or forces needed for the major conflict after centuries of work. Host: So building up our own military forces would not be the answer? LH: The Galactic Union has many ways to deal with problems outside and inside our borders. Military force is not the only answer. Host: But surely the firepower of the Hive's spacecraft show us we need some improvements? LH: I would point out that the Jurai spaceships are larger, better armed and protected than our ships AND they lost even more people than we did in the battle. Our ship designs are not going to be changing anytime soon. Host: There are rumors that many Haven ships are disappearing and that the Haven High Command is NOT destroying them and is, in fact mothballing them for the future. Is that true? LH: Nonsense. End of Transcript. ****************************************************************************** ************************************************************** Washu sat on top of the house, looking up at the night sky. "So, feeling better?" asked Derek as he sat next to her on the roof. "A little," remarked Washu, "my memories are taking some time to put themselves in order." "It will take time," said Derek as he too looked up at the stars, "you don't want them all falling on you like a ton of bricks again, do you?" "No, I guess not," answered Washu. She sighed and added, "Still, I have so much I want to know and it's right inside my head. Right here and I can't get to it, not yet." "I know, I know," said Derek as he patted her back lightly. "You'll get all the answers soon." Washu smiled, as she watched the battered green patrol ship slowly approach the lake, its antigravity fields flickering and rippling, as it tried to keep from crashing into the ground. "I see Kiyone and Mihoshi are returning. You know, they make great partners. They kind of bring the other balance." "Yes," whispered Derek as he glanced back into the sky. "Yes, they make good partners." Epilogue: Space has lots of room. You might think space was full of planets and stars and dust and planet eating goats. But you would be wrong. Really wrong. Mostly space is SPACE. Even a galaxy is really nothing more then space. A spiral galaxy, for example, has trillions of square light years of space in-between the arms alone. Zillions in fact. Maybe a rogue planet or two, and a couple of dark stars, but most of it is vacuum, without an atom to be seen. Now, that was still relatively true in the empty space between the Northern and Western arms of the Milkyway Galaxy. Even if there was a dozen planet size space docks surrounded by a few million warships and tracking stations. The Haven stations and ships were using only passive sensors and only tightly focused lasers to transmit data to each other. Like schools of fish, the ships floated in space, dark and silent. Attached to one of the stations were a dozen ships in the process of being constructed from the inside out. One was nothing but a skeleton of steel frames and curved ribs, which workmen were still putting together. The others were more advanced in their construction, with computer systems, engines, reactors and even a few visible areas where walls and doors were being put into place. One even had some of the outer hull plates being pushed into place by small tugs. Within the station's engineering center stood the General Inspector Lewis, with his special guest of Haven's new ally against the Goddess. The crew were professional enough not to look up from their interface modules. The hologram floating in the center of the room showed what the ships would look like once they was finished. The spaceship's image looked something like a metal sea cucumber. "As you can see, sir," said the General Inspector of Space Dock DS-12, "the new Invader Class Transports will be ready for your people within a few weeks." He smiled and used a control wand, which made the hologram replace the ship with a list of many of the Invader's features. "As you can see, the new transports will have five of the best First Class fusion reactors, room for over fifty standard fighters AND a Universal Jump Engine," said the General Inspector with pride. "Excellent," exclaimed Admiral WhiteClaw. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- Tenchi Muyo! and related characters and settings are owned by AIC and Pioneer. I own the rest. Finally finished this plot. My next story will be focused TOTALLY on Tenchi and friends. No military stuff. I'll try to make it interesting with some kind of plot and stuff.