Chapter Fourteen

The mega sandstorm continued to pummel Qeeturah, slowing down the hunt for the var bugs. The sand didn’t bother the Executioners, and they captured enough bugs for everyone.

The minute Wulf and Quinn appeared on the bridge without Papa, Mami shrieked, “Where’s Lysis?”

“He went with Adan to spread the var bugs across the Tai-Kok fleet,” Quinn answered.

Mami’s eyes rolled back in her head and down she went.

I sighed.

Clio looked down at her. “Geema sleeping?”

“Yes, she is,” I replied.

“Look on the bright side. Now we won’t have to listen to her screaming all the way to Earth,” Wulf quipped.

Quinn grabbed me before I could hit him.

We beat the Tai-Kok battle squadron to Earth by an hour. Quinn teleported us directly to Central Command’s war room. According to my warlord, the command center was built in an old NORAD bunker buried deep within a Colorado mountain. Once Zarek had signed the treaty promising to protect Earth from Tai-Kok raids, he had immediately fortified Earth’s military command bunkers to withstand a bombardment from space.

The enormous room was filled with individual combat consoles. Each workspace was equipped with large holoscreen displays, tracking scanners, and weapons-control systems.

Military personnel from several different species mingled with human and Coletti warriors. Everyone’s attention was focused on the horde of Tai-Kok ships going into orbit around Earth.

I sent a silent prayer to the Goddess. The ships had more than enough firepower to destroy this planet.

Quinn urged me on. “Don’t worry, darlin’. The only ones dying today are the Tai-Kok.”

My gaze was drawn to a raised command console overlooking the room. Standing behind it was a big, distinguished-looking human male with thick gray hair and the cold, soulless eyes of a serial killer. He wore a midnight-blue uniform laden with medals. He studied us as we approached him.

Something told me he was as deadly as any warlord. “Who is that?”

“My uncle, General Saul Jones. He runs the place,” Quinn answered. He paused and saluted the general.

The general saluted him back. “I was beginning to think you weren’t going to make it in time.”

“It took longer than expected to collect enough var bugs.”

The general turned his attention to me. “You must be Xenia.”

“I am.” I held out my hand.

Instead of shaking it, the general pulled me in for a hug. “Gotta tell me how you tamed our Scottish throwback.”

Quinn sighed.

“With a stun gun and a tranquilizer dart,” I quipped.

The general roared with laughter. “You’re gonna fit right in with the rest of the girls. Where are your parents? I want to meet them.”

“My father and Adan are spreading the var bugs among the Tai-Kok fleet. Wulf is taking my mother and Clio to a secure underground bunker.”

“Your mother’s unique singing was broadcast on all of the Tai-Kok communications links. Five destroyers turned tail and fled.” The general grinned in delight and added, “Zarek quickly put them out of their misery.”

A gurgle of laughter escaped me. “Papa and I wear earplugs whenever she sings.”

“Wise move.”

“We are being hailed by Komodo, the Tai-Kok battle commander, sir,” a young soldier called from a nearby console.

His mouth a merciless line, the general ordered, “Put him on the main view screen Sergeant Henderson.”

“Yes, sir.”

Komodo’s spike-covered face filled the screen. He spat a bunch of angry, quacking gibberish.

A long minute later, the computer translated it, and a harsh mechanical voice said, “This planet and its pitiful life-forms were claimed by Tai-Kok scouts twenty of your years ago. The Coletti aggressors have no rights to this world. Power down your weapons and surrender or be annihilated.”

“We do not acknowledge your claim on Earth or its people. We will never surrender to you. The Coletti, the Alliance, and the Katanic Empire are our allies. You are the aggressors. The unprovoked slaughter of our citizens ends today. You will be exterminated as a race.” The translator turned the general’s words into series of honks and quacks.

Komodo snarled, exposing pointy metal teeth with bits of bloody flesh stuck in them. He quacked viciously. “Prepare to die,” the translator announced.

“You first,” the general responded.

As the computer’s interpreter honked the response, a chorus of rattling clicks sounded.

The general remarked, “Those bugs sound like a bunch of pissed-off rattlesnakes.”

“With one hell of an appetite,” Quinn responded.

Wulf teleported in. Before I could ask, he said, “Your mother and Clio are safe. Have I missed anything?”

“No, you’re just in time,” the general answered.

Quinn’s communication bracelet beeped. He tapped it and grinned. “Komodo’s entire battle fleet has been infected with the var bugs.”

Komodo frowned as the raucous clicking grew louder and louder. He looked over his shoulder and quacked like a demented duck when thousands of var bugs spewed from the air ducts. Within seconds, the entire bridge crew was covered from head to toe in hungry bugs.

Emitting weird, hooting squawks, the Tai-Kok warriors fled their battle stations in a desperate attempt to escape. They crashed into one another at the door, and a fight broke out. Body parts and orange blood flew in every direction.

My eyes widened in surprised when Komodo pulled his laser pistol and started firing, vaporizing his own crew, the var bugs, and a couple of weapons consoles. He paused at the door and honked, “This is not finished.” Then he was gone.

The bloated var bugs suddenly dropped off their prey.

Bright red poxlike blisters decorated the Tai-Kok warriors’ skin.

“Damn. Look at their faces. I think they’re allergic to the bug bites,” Quinn exclaimed.

“I think you’re right.” I eyed the few surviving warriors. “Is it me, or are the monsters having a hard time breathing?”

A Tai-Kok warrior keeled over, shuddered violently, and stopped moving.

Wulf nodded. “It looks like they’re going into anaphylactic shock.”

The general wanted to know, “Any chance of getting more var bugs?”

“Won’t be a problem,” I said. “Qeeturah is crawling with the nasty creatures.”

Quinn tapped an icon on his bracelet. “Detja’s virus has been downloaded into the Tai-Kok ships, and their shields are down.”

“Fire at will,” the general commanded.

Earth’s planetary defenses bombarded the Tai-Kok ships. The blackness of space was filled with ribbons of dazzling energy. Brilliant billows of orange and yellow flames erupted from the disintegrating spacecrafts.

To my amazement, not one Tai-Kok ship returned fire.

“Tracking several life pods that jettisoned from Komodo’s ship,” Wulf advised.

Quinn added, “A transporter was also activated, sir.”

“Copy.” The general pushed several icons on his console. “Take the life pods out, Henderson. And track that transporter signal.”

“Yes, sir.” Sergeant Henderson’s fingers flew over his console. “Pods destroyed. I lost the transporter signal outside Bakersfield, California, sir. I’m notifying General Conway at Camp Pendleton.”

I frowned. “What’s so special about Bakersfield?”

“Good question,” Quinn replied.

Sergeant Henderson announced cheerfully, “Zarek’s battle fleet has destroyed the fleeing Tai-Kok vessels.”

I sagged in utter relief. Our plan had worked. The battle for Earth had lasted less than thirty minutes, and none of the Tai-Kok ships had survived.

Quinn hooted and punched the air with a victorious fist.

The general’s smile was one of utter satisfaction as he pounded Quinn on the back. “Well done. Using those bugs was a stroke of genius.”

“Xenia and Lysis deserve all the credit. They were the ones who came up with the idea to turn the var bugs into a weapon.”

The general beamed at me. “Ever think of joining the military? I need more warriors like you and your father.”

“Sorry, the Overlord claimed us first.”

“He always gets the good ones.”

Sergeant Henderson advised, “Incoming message, sir.”

“Main view screen, sergeant,” the general instructed.

Zarek’s smiling face appeared on the view screen. “The Tai-Kok home world no longer exists. Qa’a personally captured Lodjal, the Tai-Kok emperor, and will obtain the locations of all the planets they have claimed, their bases, and the names of their allies. The galaxy will soon be free of the murderous Tai-Kok.”

Cheers, hoots, and clapping erupted. Champagne bottles appeared like magic. Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop. Gushing fountains of the pale gold liquid were poured into a variety of cups. Jubilant soldiers toasted one another and exchanged hugs of joy.

An ecstatic Quinn spun me in a circle. “We did it! We did it! Earth is safe.”

The galaxy wouldn’t be safe until we found the Shebu, but I didn’t want to destroy his happiness at Komodo’s defeat. “Pucker up, lovey.” I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.

I even got in a little tongue action before Zarek growled in my head, “What are you doing?”

“Celebrating.”

“This form of celebrating is not allowed,” Zarek retorted.

“Yes, my lord,” we said in unison. Quinn grabbed two glasses of champagne and handed me one. “To victory.”

I raised my glass. “To victory.”

Workers brought in the food that Zarek had shipped to Central Command and a wide assortment of hoarded liquor. Sergeant Henderson punched a button on his console. Thirty seconds later, a thumping beat sounded from the speakers, and a voice sang, “We are the Champions.”

One hell of a party got started.