Legacy of the Guardians
by AJ Marks
Chapter 7
Ahmed, Jack and Joseph arrived at the hotel in Washington DC close to midnight. Jack was tired after travelling so much in the day. The flight was delayed slightly due to other flights. But they managed to arrive, then take private cars to the hotel. The hardest part, their meeting was scheduled for seven in the morning.
“Okay, we’ll meet back down here at four-thirty in the morning,” Jack said to Joseph as Ahmed followed along. He and Admiral Cave were sharing a room, both to cut costs and security for Ahmed. Tensions were still high.
Ahmed quickly decided to get some sleep. Jack watched as he went straight to bed, falling asleep. He shook his head wishing he could fall asleep so easily. He always had a hard time falling asleep, but he was not a light sleeper. Sure an alarm could wake up, but people walking around in the room did not disturb him. Strangely he did not feel tired, due to the time difference he lived on compared to Eastern USA time zone. Opening a laptop deciding to catch up on work.
Hours later Jack sat back in his chair, stretching his back. He looked over and reaffirmed his suspicion. It was fifteen to four, standing he walked over to the bathroom to shower and shave. Stepping out of the shower he saw Ahmed awake.
“Morning, sleep well?” Jack asked.
“Had worse, at least the bed was comfortable,” Ahmed replied.
Jack nodded, knowing that some beds on board the ships could be uncomfortable, at best. “Shower’s all yours,” Jack said.
“Thanks,” Ahmed replied, heading into the bathroom.
By four-thirty all three were downstairs in the lobby, dressed in their US military uniforms. They had uniforms for every major military, in case it was needed. Walking out, grabbing a quick bit to eat at a café that was open twenty-four seven before making their sway to the White House.
Enduring a pat down, ad waiting for the President, several people finally walked in along with the President.
“General Ginal, I’m told you wish to talk to me?” President Bush said.
“Yes sir Mr. President,” Joseph said, shaking his hand. “Its quite important, and confidential, so we’ll need to talk in private.”
Joseph nodded his head towards the aides.
“They have top level clearance,” Bush said.
“With due respect, what you’re about to hear, they are not cleared for,” Jack said. We’ve allowed it so you can be cleared, but not them.”
“You have my curiosity raised,” Bush said. “Very well gentleman, this way.”
They walked into the Oval office, sitting down in the sofa. Jack took out a small devise used to prevent any recording of the conversation, technology picked up from the Ilderians. Jack noticed bush looking at it, but said nothing about it.
“Okay general, what’s up?” Bush asked.
“First off, allow me to introduce Admiral Jack Cave, and Colonel Ahmed,” Joseph said, the other two nodded their heads.
“Admiral Cave, not familiar with that name, hat fleet are you assigned to?” Bush said, impressing Jack, he knew enough to know his admirals.
“Not any fleet you’re familiar with,” Joesph replied as they understood his confusion.
“I take it then you’re going to enlighten me?” Bush said.
“Well, I’m not sure where to begin,” Joseph said, Jack realized he never had done this before.
“How about why you’re here?” Bush said.
“Okay,” Jack said. “We believe that the person, or persons, responsible for the terror attacks Tuesday were alien.”
“They were, illegal aliens,” Bush remarked.
“No sir, not human, but alien, as in not from Earth, more specifically Skartian,” Jack said, seeing disbelief in his eyes.
“This is a joke, right,” Bush said. “General, you’ve had a good career, but this, its far fetched even for you.”
“Perhaps we should give him a brief history,” Jack said, looking at Joseph as they communicated quickly.
“That would help,” Bush said.
“In 1917 a plot was hatch by a race called the Skartians, set out to conquer Earth and destroy humankind,” Joseph said.
“If you know your history, you’ll know after World War One, there were some massive cultural changes going on. The Skartians made contact with us during the war, and using the confusion of the war infiltrated many organizations. At first they influenced people, but later on they would take charge,” Jack said to him, recalling eth history he learned.
He looked over to Ahmed looking on as well, he probably knew some of this history, then back at the President before continuing.
“It was by accident we discovered the first Skartian. The US military was the first to find the Skartians, a guard interrupted an attempt to kidnap Roosevelt. They quickly classified the incident top secret, all notes about it destroyed and those involved became the first to know. An interrogation of the alien revealed several top leaders, including those of Japan, Italy and Germany had been taken over, or replaced,” Jack said. “They quickly informed Britian, Canada, France and the Soviet Union. The Soviets barely managed to avoid being taken over, as they had several people influenced by the Skartians.”
“You mean the countries of the Axis powers were being led by aliens?” Bush said.
“In a way, yes,” Jack Joseph answered.
“If they replaced a person, they would kill them. Hitler was one who was replaced, why do you think his body was never found, it would have looked strange had they discovered an alien. The Skartians used our own destructive nature, and prejudices to enflamed people,” Jack said. “The Skartian we know as Hitler went about killing a large number of people, the Jews were the beginning.
“We realized during the war from a defector that Hitler was not human, but a Skartian. Few knew about the Skartians, and it wasn’t until Churchill heard the story that things changed. The influence they had in Germany was startling to everyone. How easily we were able to go along with killing ourselves.
“We managed to form an international alliance to fight these aliens, and in many cases they were killed. They had managed to secure a foothold in every country in the world. During the war we made I our goal to eliminate them, but we realized as their goal was to destroy us, once this method failed they probably would invade with their troops. Their technology was more advanced than ours. However, we had some luck on ourside. A race called the Ilderians made contact with us. With their help we managed to fight back.
“During the period after World War Two, we managed to build up a fleet to fight back. It took fifteen years but when the Skartians finally came back in force, we were ready. They had not expected us to fight back in space,” Jack said, wondering how much he should tell him but continued on. “After the war, the major leaders gathered together and formed an international defense force, separate from any government, able to defend Earth from the Skartian threat.”
“It is that fleet which we are a part of,” Joseph said.
“Over the years wars were used as a cover for the losses against the Skartians. Ironically it was Stalin who proposed a Cold War between the USA and USSR, it allowed money and supplies to flow into the defense force from both sides without causing much suspicion,” Jack said, knowing the tale seemed improbably, but it was the truth.
“Why not tell the public?” Bush asked.
“Psyological reports of the day were carried out, remember War of the Worlds, a test for the people. It was determined to wait so no mass panic would happen. We recruit troops from all over the world. A few people know, and donate money independently. We also hold a couple of copyrights through fake companies that we developed. In fact many employees for those companies don’t know about the other aspect of the company and go about blissfully unaware,” Joseph said.
“So, is the war over?” Bush asked.
“We thought so,” Joseph replied. “A peace treaty was signed in 1988, and took a couple of years to fully enforce. We shut down the cold war hoping we would no longer need the funds, but recent events have changed that.”
“What happened?” Bush asked again.
“We had been intercepting coded messages to Earth from the Skartian Empire, and within hours of the terror attacks in New York we intercepted an invasion fleet, which was defeated by our defense forces,” Jack said. “That’s why we think there is a Skartian involved.”
“Unbelievable,” Bush finally said. “Quite a story, but I have to go back to reality.”
“Mr. President,” one aide said, who had not left the room. “They are telling the truth.”
Jack recognized him as one of the guards for the President against a Skartian kidnapping.
“No joke?”
“No sir, I’m part of the group that is also responsible for guarding you against a Skartian, either to kill you or kidnap you,” the aide said.
“So the Cold War was a cover for the war against this group, the Skartians?” Bush said, piecing it together somewhat.
“Yes sir,” the aide said.
“How many other Presidents knew about this?”
“Only one, and it was during the darkest days,” Jack said. “We thought we might lose the war, and developed the Cuban missile crisis.”
“That was planned?” Bush stated.
“Most major events were, usually as a distraction for the public, and then we added in some conspiracy theories and such, it’s amazing how you point people in one direction they completely ignore the truth,’ Joseph said.
“So, did Kennedy know?” Bush asked question, trying to pin down which President knew.
“Yes, seconds before they killed him and replaced him,” Jack replied.
“The Skartians killed him in Dallas?”
“No, that was a Skartian, Kennedy was already dead,” Jacks aid. “We already knew when he arrived in Dallas, the assignation was set up rather hastily,” Jack said. “It was full of problems, but we managed to get it done, and then we added in a bit of consipiracy with another shooter, the perceived killing of Oswald, and everything else, got people looking in another direction. Oswald was stunned in the police station, he was already a member of the defence team, in fact he was killed a year later when his fighter was destroy in battle,”
“Unreal,’ bush said. “So, I take it then that these Skartians connect with the terrorist attacks is the reason why you’re telling me, but what else. From what you’ve said, there must be more.”
“There is, we’ll need help from the US to fight the war here,” Jacks aid. “A war on terror to cover what we’re doing.”
“It’s possible, the US will be looking for those who committed the act,” Bush said, thinking logically.
“It’s possible you’ll be remembers not so well,” Jacks aid.
“My daddy brought me up to do what’s right,” Bush told him. Jack realized they made the right decision.
“How will you contact me?”
“Though me sir,” the aide said.
“If anyone else comes to contact you about this, get away from then and head to me at once,” the aide said.
“We can’t afford a Skartian in power of the USA,” Jack said.
“And what will you do if you do find a Skartian? Cover it up?”
“Depends, at the end of World War Two, we put those we found on trial, a way for us to tell them we know about you. Each of them was sentenced to death,” Joseph said. “If he’s human, we’ll keep him and you can tell the world he died.”
‘He’ll learn there is more than what he thought out there,” Ahmed said.
“And a Skartian, well we have the ability to try in the Galactic courts,” Jack said. “It will do a lot to help r standing among the other races. Most view both races as dangerous. However, more view humanity a bit better, as we have yet to attack anyone as a race, unlike the Skartians have. Right now they are trying to figure out what to do with them, especially after they stormed out.”
“We have allies this time as well, more than just the Ilderians this time,” Joseph said. “They view us as a check to the aggression of the Skartians.”
“Sounds like the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” Bush said, looking at the three gentlemen.
“For some, maybe, others have been our allies since the beginning,” Jack replied.
“How did you keep casualties a secret?” Bush asked.
“That was a hard part, but when you have war, there are losses, so we hid the losses among the conflicts of the Cold War, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and other areas of conflict,” Joseph replied. “It was an enormous undertaking. Those from smaller less developed countries could be ignored, but countries like the USA and USSR, it was a bit harder.”
“Is language a problem?” Bush asked.
“No, we have communicators for that, when Ahmed joined he didn’t speak any English, but as long as both parties have the communicator, they can understand each other,” Jack said.
“Amazing, like star Trek.”
“Well, Gene Roddenberry is part of the defense force,” Joseph said. “Part of the group slowly making the population ready for contact.”
“So what’s your plan for this terrorist group?”
“Ahmed and a few other agents will try to infiltrate the group to check for Skartians, once that mission is over we shall determine what the next phase is, and if we are needed anymore. It could turn out to be entirely human, but I doubt it,” Jack said.
“And you need the US to provide cover for your group?” Bush said.
“Exactly, we work in the shadows on Earth, in space we’re the front line,” Joseph said to him.
“I can try, but I don’t know if those in Congress will work with me,” Bush said.
“You have some there, fought in the war, but I can’t tell you who they are,” Joseph said.
“Understandable,” Bush said, standing up and looking over at Ahmed. “Good luck colonel.”
“Thank you,” Ahmed replied, shaking the President’s hand.
“We’ll coordinate with our allies in congress and you, don’t worry, we’ll be discreet, but you might take a hit in the polls,” Joseph said honestly.
“I do whatever I can to help, besides, history will eventually know the truth, and with that, I can bear anything,” Bush said.
With that they said their good-byes, and made their way out of the office and back to their hotel room.
“When do you think you can start?” Jack asked Ahmed on the way back.
“I was thinking about that, and probably at any time. It’s a matter of getting over there, after that, shouldn’t be much of a problem,” Ahmed said.
“We’ll get you back onto a base and headed back over there. There is a base over there, small, but should work,’ Joseph said.
“They built a base over there?” Ahmed asked, a bit surprised.
“Yeah, its only been operational for a couple of years, but we figured we needed one there,” Jack said. “Come on, let’s get something to eat, then I’m going to bed, almost my bedtime.”
End Chapter 7
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