Chapter 35

The Tau Ceti Liberation Army flew straight up like a Pixie fountain. Within ten seconds, all twenty of them were hovering in a ragged circle over the hatchway. Pete dropped down, closing the door. "We can use the ruins as a landmark if we stray far." He explained. "Allison, Mary and Lisa. Fly up a few hundred feet and scout around."

Allison radioed back, "Nothing nearby except the ruined building, but there is a Quonset hut sort of thing, some cages and a tall fence over there. I'm guessing about a half mile away." She pointed past the ruins.

"OK. Everybody on the ground. Mental and radio silence unless there is an emergency. We walk from here. Phoebe, Star, Spring and I will lead off in a diamond pattern. The rest of you, team in threes, and flank us on either side like a chevron. Two sets on each side."

Team 1 (Allison, Mary and Lisa), and T-2 (Kim, Cam and Rani) were on his right.

T-3 (Penny, Jenny and Yvette) and T-4 (Athena, Selena and Lauren) were on the left.

T-5 (Clio, Circe, Rhea and Thalia) formed another diamond, centered in the rear.

"Weapons hot, stay in formation. I will hand sign your team number and point. Palm flat, facing down to move. Palm up, then a number to warn of bad guys. Palm up for friendlies. Fist is everybody. Remember, the good guys may be controlled. Shoot to stun. Any hostile move from the bad guys, shoot to disable or kill."

They began a medium trot toward the cages, body shields up and overlapping. Pete was the only one listening mentally. The Pixies were at maximum mind block. The ruins, as they passed by, appeared to be a cross between an observation post and memorial. This would need investigation later.

When the formation came within a hundred feet, Pete felt the first mental probes. Then the aliens struck hard. He closed down and signed the attack.

Over the radio, "They are serious. Shoot to kill. Now. At least twenty in front of the hut, ten more armed with energy beams."

He closed his mind totally when the aliens began to attempt control. The Pixies were using projectile weapons to take them down. The guards, shocked that their beams had no effect, had no choice but to fall under the intense fire. Within seconds, thirty corpses littered the ground.

"I hate when we have to do that, but I'm glad we can." Athena sighed. "At least they stayed down."

A loud wail erupted from the cages. The O'Neals rushed over. Spring immediately recognized Felix, the Hunter Teacher. "You're alive! We thought you would be long dead from old age." She shouted verbally and mentally, "Not that we're not glad, but this is a shock."

Star asked, "Are you hurt? Is your family safe?"

Felix groaned. "The strangers somehow took control of our thoughts and forced us to labor for them. They are holding our family groups hostage and will harm them if we try to break the hold."

A giant dire wolf approached. "I'm Pack Leader. We received the same abuse. The hold was broken when you attacked. Thank you. We have a debt. It will be paid."

Pete asked them to step away from the gate, and then blasted it down. "Where are your families being held? We need to get them out and deal harshly with the enemies."

Star, Phoebe and Spring approached with the other Pixies. Felix stared at the nineteen, and looked at Pete. "So many?"

Pete shrugged. "Some on purpose, some when the former inhabitants of this world destroyed our home. We may be the last of our kind able to survive. We had no choice but to grow the family."

The dire wolf asked, "What form did that destruction take?"

"They took everything that ever was or ever will be and mixed it up in a scramble. We called it a time storm." Little Thalia said sadly, "They wrecked everything and every time." She looked him over, "May I call you Denali? We can't make the sounds to say your names. It is from a place of incredible beauty and terrible danger at the same time. It seems appropriate."

"Thank you for seeing me that way. Time was bent here but not broken. I have a memory of being ancient, and becoming young again. It was quite disconcerting. Elders should stay elder. It is the proper order of life. I was at peace with the end of my time." The big wolf gave a toothy grin, "But feeling the blood in my veins and having the power in my legs is not unwelcome."

Felix glanced at the wolf, nodding. "We felt the shock. It was as if we were thrown about in confusion. Suddenly, the world calmed but was different. Twisted time might describe what I sensed." He also looked at Thalia. "Felix?"

"That's on me." Spring admitted. "For much the same reason. In one of our ancient languages, it defines the whole of your type. All strength and ability derives from that basic form."

Pete said, "We bear some responsibility for your discomfort. Our passageway to this place was part of the mechanism that allowed us to remain stable during the destruction of our world. We had to anchor here. We hope it was not too unbearable."

"A little confusion is not having our existence threatened, so not to be apologetic." Felix smiled, "Being the strongest, most experienced, yet eldest, Elder ever is not a bad trade."

"Shall we round up our packs and prides? We have people to free." Denali suggested. "We have to move quickly. The mind controllers are going to miss their criminal cohorts soon."

"Will you allow me to connect your minds with ours? I promise to do no harm, but we may be able to show you a way to block them out." Pete asked. "I'll understand if you refuse after your recent experience. But sixteen of our number had only the weakest psychic ability and they worked out the method. Four of us could do it naturally and helped them reinforce the skill. Unified, they are extremely strong."

Felix and Denali conferred briefly. "We sense no malice It is as when we first met. We will allow the contact."

"Pete, link them to me. I can show how we did it" Jenny said. Pete received the OK from their furry friends. After establishing contact with all three, he watched in wonder as Jenny did her thing.

"As leaders and providers, you must keep an image of your goals in the background of your mind. We call it a search image or goal. It runs constantly without thought effort, but is always there." She saw them agree. "Now you merely imagine a shield around the part of your mind that is the 'you'. See it strong enough to bounce their mental probes away."

Denali's eyes opened in wonder. "I can make it silent! I would not have imagined it."

"It was never necessary to imagine it. Nor did we until it became the only defense." Jenny went on. "Now, think of something only you know. Star, peek in, increasing the power as you try."

"It's a blank wall. They are blocking me." Star said, "Daddy. You try."

"I will try to push a command." Pete tried to make them put their noses to the ground. They resisted; he tried harder.

"This is almost painful, but I can hold out for a while." Felix panted. Denali shook his head as if to clear it.

"Excellent for your first try." Pete smiled. "Next time, you will avoid detection and resist control long enough to take them down. Are they ever going to be surprised?!"

He could have gotten through easily. His psychic ability was exponentially greater since the episode with Amy.

"You'll get better with time. We did." Jenny whooped. "Some aliens seriously need a thrashing. Shall we get a move on?"

"We'll work out a battle plan while you show the trick to the troops." Pete suggested. "You can still fall to the weapons."

He and the Pixies decided to use the same tactics and formation used before. The tigers and wolves could fill in the voids, placing them inside the shield wall.

"At contact, we concentrate on the armed guards, eliminating the weapons, then take the leaders."

Rocky communicated through the probes. "Quick is good, Pete. Two problems. One is that this is a large group and they appear aware of a threat. Two is the orbiter coming in range. They can strike from above with wide area destruction. You people will be protected, but your friends will not. The land will burn."

"Damn. OK, Pixies. You heard Rocky's report. What next? If we wait, the aliens might hurt the hostages. If we attack, they will strike from above."

"And if we let the cats and wolves fight alone, they will lose to the energy beams." Rani said. "I hate slavers. I vote we do the right thing whatever the cost."

"Stand tall and fight." Athena declared. "Find a way to win. It's what we do best."

The Pixie Posse voted to take the fight to the aliens. Their furry allies were ready, so they moved out as a group. Pete let the Demopolis Diamond (Rhea, Thalia, Clio and Circe) take point. The dire wolves and saber toothed cats stayed inside the loose formation, with the O'Neal quartet pulling drag.

"Try to get close enough to cover the hostages with the shields overlapped before all hell breaks loose. If it covers the enemy, kill the armed guards first. Hit the overseers second." He sounded grim. "Attack fast and hard. It's the only chance we have to pull this off."

Pete dreaded the choices he had to make. He opened a private channel to his sister and daughters. "We have to deal with the threat from above sooner or later. Sooner means now." He detailed his long-shot idea to the girls. Their expressions went from amazement to understanding to worry to resolve in seconds. "If you have a better choice, say it now."

"It sucks when your best shot has a million to one chance of success. "Phoebe sighed. "I'm in."

"It will probably kill us instantly." Spring added with a tear. "But it's been a crazy ride from day one, so if it has to end, I want to go out blazing bright."

"This the craziest thing in the history of crazy. Count me in." Star declared, "We've been on borrowed time from the beginning. Time to pay up."

The hodge-podge band arrived at the alien encampment. The Aliens appeared alert but unfocused. The mental barriers were effective, and with the natural stealth of the natives, they were able to get very close to the hostage compound. The Pixies, in a brilliant move, were carefully projecting 'invisibility'. It must have been effective because they protected the native families before the incursion was detected.

Four guards were caught inside the protection net and managed to singe some fur before Denali and Felix dealt harsh justice. The Pixies took the war to the Aliens with determined swiftness. Shields and blocks held as the little army hammered every robe in sight.