TIME : 9:45 P.M. (21:45)
PLACE : The M.W.G.D. base on Altair 3
While Peter, Hank, Linda, and Lisa were on their way to the base, Shawn and Rynn were on their way to see Shrame and discuss possible defense strategies. Before they even left the ship, Shrame was in the docking bay to greet them.
"What an honor," declared Shrame. "to be visited by three great leaders of M.W.G.D. in the same day."
"Three?" questioned Shawn.
"Yes," answered Shrame. "X arrived half an hour ago. I thought you asked him to come."
"No," replied Shawn. "but I'm glad he's here. Where is he?"
"He's in my office," said Shrame. "Follow me and I'll take you to him."
The M.W.G.D. base on Altair 3 was the largest base M.W.G.D. had. It was the site of M.W.G.D. Headquarters before the space station was build and, even though it wasn't the site of M.W.G.D. Headquarters anymore, it still contained a sense of importance the other bases didn't have.
The people they passed along the way stopped whatever it was they were doing and showed their support for the leader of M.W.G.D. and his second in command. It was an honor to be in the same room with either one of them, but to be in the same room as both of them was a once in a lifetime experience. It also meant they were going to be attacked by the Ruler again.
"It's straight ahead," Shrame informed them.
At the end of the hall was a single, ordinary looking door. Inside, X was waiting for them.
"Shawn! Rynn!" greeted X. "Good to see you again. I heard you were on your way to Altair 3 and thought you could use my help."
"Do we ever need your help," declared Rynn. "The Ruler has prepared a massive attack fleet and is about to launch an attack on Altair 3. The other planets are sending help as fast as they can, but I don't think enough of them will get here in time."
"Peter, Hank, Linda, and Lisa are currently on an emergency mission," Shawn continued. "They are going to get as much information about the attack fleet as they can and report here."
"Are they undercover?" asked X.
"They're disguised at Altair 7 soldiers," replied Shawn. "They will try to succeed where our previous team of spies failed."
"Sounds like they need my help more than you do," concluded X.
"How will you find them?" wondered Ryan.
"I have a few tricks," answered X. "Don't worry, I'll be back before you know it."
X left as mysteriously as he had come leaving no trace that he had ever been there.
"Peter, Hank, Linda, and Lisa will be glad to see him," said Ryan.
"Not as glad as I will be to see them!" Shawn sighed heavily. "If anything happens to them, X may not be able to save them."
"I may not know them as well as you do," Ryan began. "but from what I've seen, they might be the ones who have to save X. I know you're worried about your friends, but you can let it interfere with your duties."
"You're right," agreed Shawn. "Shrame, how many people to we have in position to defend Altair 3."
"Not enough," Shrame reported grimly. "Help is on its way, but it will take several days for them to get organized. Our military has been placed in strategic positions around the planet. Some fighters from Triax will arrive in a few hours, but it's only a handful. Other than that, we're defenseless."
"How long will it take before we have a military force capable of withstanding an attack from the Ruler?" questioned Shawn.
"Four days, if we don't have any unexpected delays," estimated Shrame.
"We don't have four days," snapped Shawn. "Do what you can with whatever we have. For all we know, the Ruler could be on his way right now."
"If he is, then we're done for," predicted Shrame.
"Why don't you contact the other planets and see how long it will take them to arrive?" suggested Ryan. "That way we can place them where they are needed the moment they get here."
"As I'm sure you know, Altair 3 is completely surrounded by the Ruler's empire," Shrame reminded them. "Unless they can avoid being detected like you did, they will be attacked at least once before they reach us. Many people will die and those who survive will be delayed considerably. We're trying to guide them safely, but it's hard to lead so many people into the heart of the Ruler's empire without trouble."
"Do the best you can," sympathized Shawn. "but remember we need them here as soon as possible."
"We are staying in constant contact with all the major planets in this part of the galaxy," Shrame assured him. "Perhaps you'd like to talk to them yourself."
"That's a good idea," agreed Shawn.
Shrame led them to a large room on the top floor of the base. The room was filled with the sound of dozens of people talking. Each of them was having an intelligent conversation with the commander of the reinforcements arriving from a particular planet, but from where the voices were blended together making each voice undistinguishable from the others.
On either side of the room was a row of booths, each containing the equipment necessary for interstellar communication. Above the booth, the name of the planet they were communicating with was clearly marked. Shawn quickly scanned the room for the Triax booth and found it in the center of the row on the left.
Although there was no apparent barrier, as soon as he entered the booth Shawn could no longer hear the other voices. Only one voice remained audible and that voice stopped as he saw the leader and second in command of M.W.G.D. looking over his shoulder. Slowly and silently, he handed Shawn the microphone. Then he stood there and stared at them not knowing what to think.
"This is Shawn Cobalt, the leader of M.W.G.D.," announced Shawn. "What is your current situation?"
"General Connie Varlogen reporting," she replied. "We should be leaving Triax in a little over an hour. Our fighters being faster and more agile are already on their way. They should be reaching you even as we speak."
"We'll keep you informed of the location of the Ruler's forces so you can reach us without too much difficulty," Shawn assured her. "We'll be looking forward to your arrival.
"I'll be looking forward to it too," agreed Connie. "I just wish it was under better circumstances."
"That makes two of us," sighed Shawn. "I'll keep in touch."
Shawn put down the microphone and turned to face Ryan.
"One down, several dozen to go," began Shawn. "I'll take all the booths on this side, you take the booths on the opposite side. We'll cut our time in half that way. We'll meet here when we're finished."
"Anything in particular you want me to say to them?" asked Ryan.
"Tell them that we'll be helping them every step of the way," commanded Shawn. "because we will."
Copyright MCMXCII, MCMXCIX
