Chapter 5

Sam waited a few moments before he followed after the gray leader. He thought that he might as well wait ‘til they were actually in need of him. In the meantime, he’d just wait out of the way. As the group made its way toward the city, Sam stayed just out of the way. Sighing, Sam could feel the urgency of the gray people as they moved forward.

As they got closer to the city, Sam felt an almost palpable wave of hatred. What in the hell was that? The emotions that he was feeling felt absolutely solid. They had just walked within the boundary of the city when several hundred of the gray people approached the group.

“Why are you here? If you start this again, the patrol will punish all here! You need to go! You have been banished to the dead wastes. It is better if you stay there and cease!” an obvious leader of the group stated.

Sam stepped up to the front, causing several of the new group to gasp, then a great many began to slowly back away. The obvious leader looked at the group with Sam pointing an accusing finger. “How dare you bring an alien among us? It’s the same that we were warned about?”

Finally tired of listening to the city group, Sam spoke. “Alien? You dare to talk to these that were dying to try to regain your freedom? How dare you speak of aliens, you who wish to align yourselves with a group of killers!”

The city group’s leader scoffed at Sam, “You should learn to keep out of that which does not concern you. I should...”

Suddenly the leader was several feet off the ground, also finding that he could no longer talk. Leaning close, Sam whispered, “I am not a simple being that you will sway with your petty words. In fact, goodbye!” With that, Sam threw the city leader toward the ground as hard as he could. The impact opened a small fissure as the body sunk several feet into the ground.

Landing hard, Sam scowled at the group before him. “I suggest,” Sam said between clenched teeth, “that any others that think they are better than those that returned with me, please step forward. I’ll take that into account right before I end your cowardly life. As I told those on your sister world when I made the patrol leave.” Here there was a great multitude of gasps. “As of yet, I haven’t tried to make an enemy of the Intergalactic Patrol, though if things continue as they are, I damn sure will.”

There were more gasps as a great many quickly got out of the way of the advancing grays that were with Sam. They had just started to move forward when another group of the city grays moved to block their way.

Growling, Sam threw several of those that were there in several directions. “I have no problem ending all of you! You who have no honor or respect; and then you allow the patrol to make slaves of you. This is the last time I will warn you. MOVE! Or I will kill as many as I have to getting these people through to the city.”

Sam stood straight with his arms crossed as he waited to see just how many he was going to have to slap the shit out of before they took him seriously. Several elder grays moved forward, bowing to Sam. “We do not wish the death of more of our people. What can we do to pacify you?”

“Let them go to the city. I have already freed your sister world, they need you to help rebuild the triad,” Sam said.

“Triad? There are no more triads. The last was crushed many years ago. If there were, then the patrol would have to fear. Though now there are no...” the gray leader started.

“Oh?” Sam said, startled. “Then I guess I was wrong about what Queen Triada said.”

Again there was a multitude of gasps. “Yo ... yo ... you know Queen Triada?” the leader shakily asked.

Sam nodded, “I helped her on her planet. She said that her triad was now formed and she thanked me.”

Suddenly the leader turned away from Sam as it began a conversation with all the rest of those there. “You say you saved our sister world? Please show me!”

Sam nodded as the gray city leader touched Sam’s head, then gasped. “By the great deity, it is true!” Reaching out, the leader concentrated, then Sam heard, [Brothers! It is true! Finally, after so long, I can feel the stirrings of our triad again.]

[Yes, it is good to feel the energy of our sister planet. I am afraid, Sam, sir, that we still need another of the worlds of our triad or this freedom will be short. The planet that would be the strongest is also completely controlled by the patrol. You will need to free all of the worlds for us to have enough to drive the patrol out, ] came the thoughts of the leader of the last world Sam had been on.

[It is good that you are doing better, ] Sam thought to the leader of the sister world.

[Yes, thank you, Sam. Most have or are making a full recovery. Though we now have two of the three worlds we need for our triad, we are still weak without the third. As the elder there said, the world that is the cornerstone of our triad is completely controlled. The people’s spirit has been broken. It is uncertain even if you drive out the patrol that the people could survive.]

[Could I free other worlds on the way there? Would that help?] Sam asked, not really liking where this was possibly going.

[It would be of help. The problem is we need the third world. Perhaps a straight line of free worlds to the third would help, ] the other planet leader thought.

[I believe that would be the best course of action, ] came Queen Triada’s thoughts.

[Here I thought you weren’t that strong. Color me stupid, ] Sam’s thoughts replied.

There was silence for a few moments, then the Queen thought, [We are sorry, Sam; we are unfamiliar with those terms.] Sam slapped his forehead as he nodded, feeling like an idiot. [I am sorry, Triada; it means that I feel I don’t have the intelligence to continue on correctly.]

[Why would you feel that way? You are a highly intelligent being. Fear not. If you were as you thought you were, we would not have associated with you, ] the Queen replied.

Sam could only shake his head with a smile. They weren’t being insulting; to them, they were just stating the facts. Smiling larger, he had to admit he was starting to like the Queen more and more.

[Why thank you, Sam. We of our planet have a particular corresponding sentiment for your being, ] the Queen told Sam.

Sam’s smile faded fast as he shook his head. Christ, it was like being in a room of professors!

[Wait, ] Sam thought to the Queen. [How did you ‘hear’ that? Those were private thoughts!]

[Yes, they were, though you thought them out to me even though you didn’t mean to. I would never intrude on your private thoughts, Sam, ] the Queen replied, Sam feeling that she was a little embarrassed having ‘heard’ what she had.

Sighing, Sam began to wonder if he would ever get used to this. [So I take it you can teach me to not think private thoughts out to others?]

There was silence for a few moments, then the Queen thought to him. [I am positive I could teach you, though you would have to be here on our planet. This is something I am afraid can only be shown in person.]

[I could be there in no time at all, though I am feeling that you wish me to continue as I have been. So! You have been using me to help reestablish the triads, ] Sam suddenly thought to the Queen.

Sam felt the gasp from the Queen, and then he heard her apologize. [We are sorry, Sam. It has been so long since there was a triad. Many have forgotten the protection that it afforded. Ours was the last to fall some time ago. We await your decision about our fate.]

[Wait, you think I am angry because you were only trying to protect your people?] Sam thought, astonished.

Meekly came the thoughts of the Queen, [We didn’t know what to think, Sam, especially after you destroyed several there.]

[I only did because they wished to hurt those that were fighting to free them. I would do it for any that were mistreated by their own people, ] Sam replied.

[So you do not wish to dissolve the triad?] came the Queen’s hopeful thoughts.

[No! Especially if it puts the patrol in their place. As they said, I may be an enemy of them now. As if I care after seeing the actions of a great many of them, ] Sam’s thoughts said as his anger started to grow.

[We are so glad to hear it. I have placed the location of the next world in your mind. Stay safe, Sam. I hope to see you soon, ] the Queen thought, then was gone.

“It appears I have to go. I need to free as many worlds as I can to the third planet. Then I have to try and find Mellos Thymp,” Sam said, causing many around him to gasp. “What’s wrong?”

“You said the name of the most dangerous criminal in the known galaxy! She steals the life force of others!” many of the gray people were saying.

Sam shrugged, “I’ve met her twice. She tried that twice. You might say I punished her.”

“She didn’t hurt you?” the leader asked.

“No, though she tried, you might say I rendered her unconscious,” Sam told the elder.

Nodding his head, the elder told Sam, “Know that you have the word of our people that we will work to help you establish the triad. Even though you will have to hurry as we feel that the patrol will again try to embed themselves on our world again.”

“I will do what I can.” With that, Sam took off for the world the Queen had shown him.

[Queen Triada, is it truly possible that the triad may exist again?] the leader of the second gray world asked.