Chapter 8

Flying to meet the Teokraeus

We returned to Gromelikine with our new fleet and the rejuvenated to Uzliumbax pre-stasis old Uzliumbax fleet. Grandpa decided to be cautious and keep it in reserve. He would have brought his other ships as well, but he didn’t have enough people or AIs to staff his huge fleets. He said he wanted to be over-prepared for what he was to face. Ouma Chatzke added another huge reserve fleet. I love that woman. She said we needed to be looked after like Grandpa looked after her.

Grandpa hid his fleet and we went in a cloaked gunship to a large ice moon, bigger than Earth, in the orbit of a huge cold gas giant. In the very faint sun, the planet looked red like Jupiter but it had no storms. It was also much bigger than Jupiter and had forty moons.

Ooryphyon pointed to a spot on the ice. We could see a green light form it as we came close. Grandpa sent some codes and the ground opened, our pilot pointed us downward and we shot into a portal and went down half way through the ice and hovered in a big cavern.

Ooryphyon pointed to one of the walls and we went closer. Grandpa did the same again and we found ourselves in a large ice cave. It had a rocky floor. Grandpa’s gunship landed. I felt the hair rise on the back of my neck and I had goose bumps on my arms. I could feel it despite the heavy armor we wore. The marines reconnoitered and then let us out when they felt it was safe. There were nineteen sorry looking Teokraeus sitting forlorn on the floor. The cave was dirty and the air stunk something awful despite the cold.

There was something Grandpa needed to do now. Grandpa looked around. He grunted. He looked at one of the walls, inclined his head and sent a forceful blast towards it. He then sent in the marines into the space behind and followed them. There was one destroyer male and two females on the floor unconscious. One male was injured but awake.

“You will all die scum. You are trapped, and your ship will be destroyed. We will capture you and you will suffer for this,” the Destroyer said.

This was my opportunity to try my technique. He was out like a light. Excellent! The marines put him into a stasis ring.

“Grab the AI and put it in the shuttle in stasis. Switch off the gas. There are bodies of Teokraeus in that building, put them in the shuttle. Move the living Teokraeus into the shuttle,” said Grandpa.

I hardly noticed the action as I was listening. I heard the explosions above us. I few blocks of ice dropped from the roof of the cavern.

Grandpa looked worried. Now it was my time.

“Grandpa, I have this covered. The portals were destroyed by the Destroyer ship coming to try to capture us. We have to get out and get out we will.

“Grandpa, please open that wall wide enough for the shuttle”- I pointed. Grandpa followed my instruction instantly. I moved into the area where the Destroyers had been. The others followed me.

“Grandpa, we are going up this way. Tell the shuttle pilot to move here. We are now making a tunnel to the surface at a bit of an angle. Grandpa please do the first big wave upwards at this angle. I pointed with my arm. Make it hot as well.”

I kept my arm in that position. Grandpa forme the wave and made it hot. It created a huge blast. You could see a shiny tunnel, miles long. It would easily fit five gunships and a shuttle with three dogs flying along together. There were a few drips on my helmet. I elegantly dodged a big wave of slush that sloshed onto the floor.

“Chuck, do as I told you...”

We waited fifteen seconds. There was a massive boom. Annie and I then made our antimatter and I teleported bits of it upwards to make a series of interlinked holes for tunnel slush. I used the optimum amounts and the spacing Berit calculated. The ice shuddered, and a few cracks formed in the roof of the cave. I held my breath as did we all.

“Everyone, get into the shuttle. Pilot head up towards the surface when I say so and hold when I say hold.” Grandpa nodded at him. “Follow Chloe’s instructions to the letter.”

“Grandpa direct your force wave upwards at full power when I say so.”

We raced up the tunnel and then reached the first antimatter generated holes. We created a magnificent cavern even if I say so myself.

“Now Grandpa!” I said and pointed with my arm.

Grandpa blasted ahead, and a long tunnel formed. I directed the pilot upwards. I pointed to Annie. Annie did a monstrous force wave upwards and we went a long way further and before I created the same force. Then we saw a big rock in our way on the scanner five miles ahead. I nodded to Annie. She pointed to Chuck who was grinning like a bat on coke. I gave him a pea size. We paused. We heard the boom shortly after. We saw most of the rock was gone but we still had debris in our way.

I pointed to Grandpa.

Grandpa sent a force wave. It pulverized some of the rock and pushed some of it ahead of the wave pushing ice out of the way.

“Harry try your beam but don’t let it go all the way out. I am aiming for a cavern. We don’t want to alert them to our presence.”

Harry grinned at me, then used his ray to cut a hole. The tunnel he created was a hundred yards in diameter. The ray was impressive.

We carried on down the tunnel.

Suddenly there was the ice again. I pointed to Annie and gave her the angle but indicated small. Annie let loose a small force wave. Soon we were off again. We saw we were coming to Chuck’s ice cavern beneath the surface. I guided the pilot into it and he turned to land. Our sensors could see out perfectly. There were also a few small holes in the roof. I hoped we hadn’t alerted the Destroyers.