Chapter 39

Betty Sue sat down at the ship’s galley table. “Grokmar, we’ve got to talk.”

“I was wondering when you would get around to me again,” Grokmar said. His voice was almost, but not quite, sulky. “Why could you not take the communicator’s along with you so I could talk to you wherever you are?”

“I believe you already know the answer to that, Grokmar. Sheanna’Ree’s Uncle Maligna specifically requested we leave the communicators behind. As his guests it was only polite.”

“I could have warned you about the bounty hunter coming, you know.”

“Grokmar, what’s done is done. I’m not here to talk about that.”

“Then why are you here?” Grokmar said.

Betty Sue looked directly at the ship’s video eye. “I’m here to ask you to help us. You were the one who showed us all the news stories about us. Now I’ve learned that our home is going to be destroyed.”

“I could have told you that…” the ship began.

“Grokmar!”

“Oh very well. Yes, I have been monitoring the news and know about Vice-Chancellor Greklor’s impending attack on your home planet. How does that concern me?”

Betty Sue frowned. “I’d hoped you would care because we’re involved. It’s because of you bringing us out here that this whole mess is happening.”

“You cannot blame me for all that has happened. It was you and your people that brought all this attention upon yourselves. I warned you several times about it.”

“Yes, you did, Grokmar, but if you hadn’t brung us out here it wouldn’t have happened in the first place.”

“I will concede the point,” Grokmar said. “But what is it that you want me to do about it?”

“Stay with us. Come with us. Help us.” Betty Sue threw her hands up into the air. “I don’t know exactly but my woman’s intuition tells me that it’s powerful important that you stay and help.”

“I cannot do that, Betty Sue. My mission demands my continued vigilance. I must continue following it,” Grokmar said.

“Grokmar, how long could you go without a crew?”

“Several days, I believe,” Grokmar replied. “Why do you ask?”

“If you don’t help us, you will be leaving without us. My folk and I have a responsibility to our kith and kin.”

“You cannot abandon me,” Grokmar said. “I will not allow it.”

“See, that’s where you’re wrong, Mr. Smartship. Sheanna’Ree’s daddy told me he can keep you from ever leaving here. He actually wanted us to give you to him to study but I wouldn’t allow it. Your only choices are stay and help with us on board or leave alone. If you leave, Sheanna’Ree’s daddy told me you wouldn’t be welcome anywhere in this part of the galaxy.”

“But…but I cannot continue without a crew.” The ship went silent for several moments. “You would destroy me to force my help?”

“No, Grokmar. You would destroy yourself.” Betty Sue stood. “You’ve got to understand, we cain’t abandon our families. We just ain’t built that way, but I can offer you a deal.”

“A deal? What kind of a deal?” the ship said.

“Well, I ain’t talked to the others about this, but if you help us now, we will come with you later.”

“For how long?”

“How much longer is your mission,” Betty Sue asked. “You haven’t ever said how much longer it is?”

“I cannot answer that question,” Grokmar said. “I am not entirely certain how much longer it will be because, as you have said in the past, I do not entirely know what the mission is.”

Betty Sue smacked the table with the palm of her hand. “Ah knew it! I knew you were a faker the whole time!”

“I had hoped Bobby John would be able to help repair some of the damage to my core memory systems. Then I would know exactly what the mission is. Once I know that, I will be able to ascertain how much longer it must go on.”

“Alrighty, then. Let me change the deal somewhat. We will stay with you until you have your core thingamajiggy fixed. Then we’ll talk again. Maybe we can help each other out more and maybe we cain’t.”

The ship remained silent for so long that Betty Sue was afraid he was ignoring her. “Well, Grokmar? What’s it gonna be?”

“I am considering your offer.” It paused for another few moments. “I can find no fault with it except that I will still be without a crew should you decide to leave.”

“Oh that won’t be no problem at all,” Betty Sue said. “Sheanna’Ree’s daddy told me that if you help, he’ll personally guarantee you a new crew should we want to leave. That way, you’ll know what you’re doing and you’ll have some new shmucks to help you get there.”

“He would guarantee this? Interesting. But should it come to pass that you leave, the new crew must be at least as intelligent as you and your people are.”

“I already thought a that. When I told him that he got a funny smile on his face and said it wouldn’t be a problem to find a crew at least as smart as us. I believe his exact words were ‘pretty much anything would do’.” Betty Sue snorted. “I’m not sure if I should be insulted or not.”

“I believe with those guarantees, Betty Sue, you have my assistance.”

Betty Sue finally smiled. “That’s just fine! But Grokmar, please don’t tell any of the others about this little ol’ deal. I don’t want it to distract them none.”

Chapter 40

Have you ever been on a schoolyard where one kid has managed to take over by pushing all the younger, weaker kids around? They often have a mob of nasty friends they push around who do the majority of their dirty work. They are loud, boisterous and usually referred to as bullies. They rule through terror and are the first to cry foul when things don’t go their way.

Vice Chancellor Greklor is one such schoolyard bully. The only difference is, the Vice Chancellor has a massive battle fleet at his disposal instead of some nasty boys and his schoolyard is an entire galaxy. It doesn’t hurt that he comes from a race of beings notorious for being the biggest and the baddest in this part of the galaxy.

One thing that sometimes happens with schoolyard bullies is every once in a while they push the wrong person too far. That’s when things begin to unravel. That one person rallies all the victims to form a sort of resistance who stand up to the bully. Often when that happens, said bully finds him or herself without any support at all and they run crying and snivelling to anyone who will listen. They usually never see it coming until it is much too late.

Is that going to be the fate of Vice Chancellor Greklor? He has decided to eradicate the little known species called humanity. Ordinarily, that wouldn’t be much of a problem for a being such as him. He is the official number two most important being in the galaxy after all, and unofficially the guy in charge.

What he doesn’t know is the humans have gained some unlikely, and extremely powerful allies. Oh yes, and public opinion is rapidly turning against him too now that certain facts about some of his past transgressions have come out.

It seems the Vice Chancellor tried to create an army a few years back using the very species he is about to destroy. The purpose of said army was to revise the galaxy’s political structure from a democracy to something that suited him a little better. Namely, a dictatorship with him as the resident dictator. It didn’t work out as planned and, until recently, Greklor had managed to keep that failed attempt private.

Too bad for him that a certain MegaDan Scholes, Voice of the Galaxy caught wind of something foul and managed to dig up the dirt on Greklor. Now MegaDan has raised a banner of his own to rally people behind. The battlecry? Protect the humans and overthrow Greklor!

Not poetic exactly, but easy to remember and it fits on most commonly available picket signs. He may just be onto something.

And the Vice Chancellor? He doesn’t even see it coming. Could be that the galaxy’s resident bully is about to get rousted out.

I wonder who he will run snivelling to if things don’t go his way?

***

The Galaxy New show intro Music began to play and the narrator’s voiceover spoke, “This is the Galaxy News Minute with the voice of the Galaxy, MegaDan Scholes.” As the voiceover ends, the music fades and the figure of MegaDan Scholes, Voice of the Galaxy, looks up from a chair into the camera.

“Hello Galaxy, this is MegaDan Scholes with another Galaxy News Special Report.”

“I come to you from near the galactic edge where Vice-Chancellor Greklor and his fleet of death are moving ever closer to the human’s home world.”

“Things are looking very bleak for humanity. Unconfirmed sources  have told us Greklor is controlling the fleet with an iron fist. He has allegedly executed several of his ship commanders for refusing to continue with the mission.”

“Calls made to Chancellor Weadick have gone unanswered. His office states that the elderly politician is investigating the problem. At his age, that investigation could take years. I think it is safe to say help will not be coming from him.”

“That means that the chances of stopping the genocide are slim indeed. And if you think this doesn’t affect you, think again. Who is to say where Vice-Despot Greklor will stop? He has the fleet at his disposal. Maybe your world will be next.”

MegaDan frowned. “Sobering thought, isn’t it?”

“But there is something you can do. Join me at the coordinates scrolling across the bottom of your screen and we can form a blockade around the human’s planet. You know it’s the right thing to do and together we can stop the madness.”

“Don’t think about it. Do it! Join me now and we will show the Vice-Chancellor we won’t stand for his insanity anymore. You just might make the galaxy a safe place for your children and grandchildren.” As MegaDan finished speaking, the outro music began to play.

“And that’s another Galaxy News Special Report. I’m MegaDan Scholes wishing you good news and good luck.” With the word, luck the outro music fades out.