Chapter 16

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.”

― Thomas A. Edison

“We are getting close to the end of term. I am going to miss being here,” said Julia wistfully.

“So, will we all,” said Jason. “I will make sure we visit often.

“I am looking forward to seeing my mother, it is not long now. They arrive a week after the end of term.

****

A week later Jason met with Yoyo.

“Yoyo, my friend, you are looking tired and drawn. Have you had a rough week?” Jason asked.

“Yes, a lot is happening. I sleep poorly despite the sleep inducer when I can’t understand what is going on. Currently there is a lot going on I can’t understand and interpret. There is mixed progress. I will begin with the Gazronnaas. Then I’m going to brief you on the odd events that are troubling us. You might be able to make some sense of it. I will begin with an update; most of it is not good.”

Yoyo rubbed his eyes then blinked.

“The Gazronnaas attacked several labs on the campus and on Porquenta. These guys are elusive and learn fast, every mission is hit and run and they do it well. We try to get them, but they disappear. We cannot locate a single base. We continue the search and are getting deeper.

“The Gazronnaas captured a group of hundred and twenty Destroyers who were enjoying a picnic in one of the parks not far from the hospital. Most of the group were women, but there were quite a few children as in the group. The Destroyers were cautious and thirty of them were acting as guards and were armed. They managed to call for help before they were overwhelmed by a much larger Gazronnaas force supported by tanks. We responded in seventy-seconds, but they were gone. The Gazronnaas killed thirty-seven women, mainly guards, and four young men. They killed fifty Gazronnaas. The Gazronnaas are using bigger forces and heavier weapons.

“Now for the positive stuff; our people are making fast progress largely due to the combined work of the Norbut 19 and mini-universe people.

“The scientists found a way for us to find and see through a range of masks quickly. The system they developed works well.

“We are testing a different prototype of a shield breaking device. It breaks through Gazronnaas shields on the ground quickly. The Gazronnaas can change their shield characteristics quickly, but the device works against all presently known configurations of the shield. Our ships can bring missiles and cannon to the party, but on the ground, we risk the lives of too many of our own people if we bring heavy weapons to bear. Tomorrow is the last day of testing and then we take the device into production.

“Our scouts found two planets used by the Gazronnaas in Bekta Delta. The existing fleets were recently joined by a fleet of ships with a different design. We saw a similar fleet arrive in Mespa 49. We think they traveled directly from Norbut 19.

“The Zaos are infiltrating the two planets in Bekta Delta. The second planet fulfills the criteria you sent me; a red planet circling a reddish sun. They are mining a third planet, but it is otherwise not occupied. We detected Destroyer scout ships at all the Gazronnaas locations in Bekta Delta and recently in Mespa 49. Things can get messy! We are staying out of their way and they are equally careful.

“The recently arrived Gazronnaas fleets look as though they have been through difficult times. Many are damaged; we suspect they have been in battle. Most of the damage looks like it is caused by cannon, rather than gravity or rock fragments. Two-thirds of the ships in both fleets are either cargo ships or people transporters,” said Yoyo.

“Were you able to see and shoot down any cargo drones on Porquenta or Mars?” Jason asked.

Yoyo slowly nodded.

“We are getting better. The Gazronnaas run a slick operation. We can more easily shoot down the shuttles and gunships that are leaving Mars and Porquenta, but we haven’t been shooting them down since Ooryphyon told you a few days ago she was going to be transported out along with the other prisoners to Bekta Delta.

“I think they have achieved their objectives on both of our planets and will evacuate the bases and troops soon. They are starting the process by sending the prisoners to Bekta Delta. We will inevitably find the bases; they know this, and it is not worth their while to remain on Mars and Porquenta for very much longer.” Yoyo observed. “We must be getting closer to the bases,” Yoyo explained.

“I agree with you, Yoyo. According to Ooryphyon they believe they have what they want technically and have a medical process that works. They have enough captives to provide them with the necessary chromosomal material. They are not finding anything new during their raids and from now on they face risks with a diminishing likelihood of a return.

“Ooryphyon said the Gazronnaas feed them well and she is continuing to acquire information. The Gazronnaas medical team successfully started clones in twelve of the pods. They found all the manuals they needed to manage the process from start to finish.

“She supports what you told me. A colonel informed several of the soldiers the Gazronnaas escaped Norbut 19 and were on the way. She knows the prisoners are going to be transported to the newer base on Bekta Delta,” said Jason.

“Your aunt’s predictions may well be accurate,” Yoyo observed.

“What are the strange events that are troubling you?” Jason asked.

“We detected a small fleet of Destroyer ships heading towards Mars. Pentasa has gone out to meet them. Pentasa was worried as she hasn’t heard from any of her contacts in the last two weeks. There was no indication more refugees would be heading our way. The fleet is too small to threaten us.”

Yoyo rubbed his face then blinked several times. “There is another odd event; the Dinnion keep a close eye on the Azloc. One of their scouts reported seeing several Azloc ships including a command dreadnaught, like the one’s Valsam and Jiskassa use, that were recently attacked and wrecked. The ships were attacked from both sides,” said Yoyo. “The pattern of attack is odd; they took broadsides to the command area of the ship only.”

“Was it the Destroyers or the Gazronnaas?” Zafa asked. “We should be able to identify the type of weapons used. If it is the Gazronnaas they must have developed some kind of devastating weapons. Those big ships never travel without being accompanied by a large fleet and they are not easy to knock out. Surely, we would’ve seen some damaged enemy ships.”

“This is the bit that has Valsam puzzled; they were attacked and knocked out by Azloc ships. There is no evidence the Gazronnaas or the Destroyers were involved.”

“If my mother wanted to get rid of a Queen who she disapproved of, she would never attack them in their ship,” said Jiskassa. “It is not done. We take out the bridge of enemy flagships to shorten battles. This looks like an assassination attempt. It is odd, we don’t have factions or coups.”

“If a young Queen wants to take over from an older Queen, she usually challenges her to a fight. If this attack was initiated by another Queen, it would be highly unusual and entirely unexpected.

“I wonder if Odalis Klohn knows anything about these events. The sisterhood of Queens can find out anything that is going on amongst the Azloc.” Jiskassa continued. “The first thing I would do would be to ask her. I am sure Valsam has done so.”

“Odalis Klohn was ordered by the sisterhood of Queens to return to the sisterhood a week ago. She asked Valsam if she could take her leave and borrow a gunship to make the trip. She was summoned urgently under the articles of the Association of Glaboon, whatever that means, and was not informed why they were recalling her. Valsam said she was disturbed and agitated when she received the peremptory invitation. Such a summons has never occurred in living memory.

“Odalis informed Valsam she did not know how she was going to evade the fleet blockading the planet and how she was going to be able to get to the Monastery at the base of the Mount of the bands of the Enigma as requested. Odalis told her that Monastery was rarely used and was only intended to be occupied when the Emperor was to be tested. “She said this was an inappropriate time for the Emperor to be tested.”

“Odalis asked Valsam if she knew if you, Jason, had been summoned to the Mount of the Bands of the Enigma. She was even more puzzled when she heard you had no such summons or any kind of request from the sisters,” Yoyo added.

“Did Pentasa have a chance to ask the Rev. Adm. Marcela Arsenia if she could shed some light on the events?” Zafa asked.

Yoyo briefly laughed, “Yes, the story becomes more complex and enigmatic!”

“Two weeks ago, Marcela, approached Pentasa and told her she had been recalled urgently to meet with the priesthood. She was not told why she was being recalled and she was specifically told not to provide anyone with any predictions. She was ordered to leave immediately. Pentasa thinks Marcela had some idea about the purpose of the meeting. She told Pentasa it was a great pity she was not permitted to share her most recent vision. She said something about ‘the strands and knots do come together in strange and unpredictable ways.’

“The previous day at the end of the regular intelligence meeting Marcela had told Pentasa, she had dreamed about Jason having an aunt who had extraordinary powers of prediction. She told Pentasa she did not know whether it was a dream or a prediction and asked if Pentasa knew of such a person. At that time Pentasa did not know about your aunt.

“These psychic people you get involved with Jason give me the creeps. I hope for all our sakes something positive is going to come from these odd events.” Yoyo laughed. “Something of great significance is happening, of that I have no doubt. What it is I don’t know. We need to get lucky sometime. We have done an enormous amount of work to increase the chances the goddess of good fortune will bless us. The Gazronnaas have had us on the run for far too long! We won the last battle as they had a smaller fleet but the new ships are big and we don’t know how many more of them are heading our way. We also don’t know what weapons they have and how effective the weapons are.”