Legacy of the Guardians
by AJ Marks
Part 14
The intelligence officer waiting patiently for another signal from one of the operatives on Earth. So far, the only action they received had been to extract Captain Ahmed’s parents. Since that point she had not had much to do, and could only hope their actions had helped get the terrorist.
“Anything new Karen,” her commander asked, walking into the room.
“Nothing lately,” Karen replied. “Been quite boring today. Not that boring is bad, but its gets exciting when there is action.”
“I know what you mean,” he replied back at her. “The admiral has been chomping at the bit lately, I swear, that man can be so patient on one subject, and impatient another. It’s like he flips a coin to decide which way he’ll act.” The commander sighed and sat down in an empty chair next to her.
“Greg says the same thing,” Karen said with a laugh. “He’s learned to judge the admiral’s mood by his facial expression the moment he walks into a room.”
“Think he can teach me?’ the commander joked.
“Maybe, but I think he’ll tell you it’s a matter of being around him for so long, he got used to his moods,” Karen replied, still keeping an eye on the screen in front of her.
“And he’s probably right,” the commander said, reluctantly agreeing with Karen.
“Well, he has,” Karen said, cut off by the alert on her screen. She and her commander quickly looked at the message.
She noticed it was Captain Ahmed, ad according to the signal, it meant he had found Osama bin Laden, and several Skartians.
“This is Commander Patra to all teams,” Karen’s commander said picking up the phone. “Operation Artic is a go, repeat Artic is a go. Sending down the coordinates now.”
“Roger commander, receiving information now and relaying to Base M for deployment of all teams.” The reply came back.
“Karen, go tell Admiral Cave the operation is a go,” the commander said.
Karen raced down the hallway, past Greg who seemed a bit shocked that she didn’t stop. He would understand later when they had time to talk. She raced past a startled secretary and into the admiral’s room. The admiral was talking to another person, and they both looked up at as she burst into the room.
“Admiral, we received a message from Captain Ahmed, the operation is a go,” Karen said to him.
“Best news I’ve heard all day,” Karen heard him reply, feeling a different type of tension in the atmosphere. He opened a communications to someone else in the fleet. “Admiral Craver, Operation Artic is a go, prepare a contingency plan in case the mission is not successful.”
“Yes sir, we’ll have a battlecruiser standing by,” Karen heard the reply.
She knew what that meant. If the mission failed the battlecruiser would bombard the area destroying any evidence of the encounter. A hard decision she could not make, and a last-ditch plan for failure. She hoped it did not have to happen.
*****
“Well, what do you have to say?” a Skartian said, as Ahmed was forced to kneel before him.
“Just a few things that I know you won’t like,” Ahmed said, knowing he had to stall a bit for the strike team to arrive.
“I doubt that very much,” the Skartian said again. “Now, tell us what you have to say,” this time demanding the information.
“Are you sure you want to hear what I have to say?” Ahmed replied, looking up at the Skartians.
“Don’t patronize me foolish one,” the Skartian said, getting angry. “Now, for the last time, tell me what you have to say!”
“Very well,” Ahmed said, thinking of something to say that might stun them. “I work for a powerful group, like yours. We don’t answer to any government, and we keep a watch on groups like yours for when they something stupid. When the attacks on the United States occurred, we were stunned, but recovered quickly and knew who the real threat to the planet was.”
Ahmed watched as the last couple of words sunk in with the Skartains. They understood what he was now saying. Those who were not Skartian did not have a clue about the double meaning behind his words.
“Yes, we knew who was behind the attacks. In fact, we stopped the rest of the attack before it ever began,” Ahmed continued on, knowing they knew.
“You are the one who doesn’t understand,” bin Laden said. “There were only four planes, nothing more. The idea that there was more caused even greater chaos than actually planning more.”
“That’s where you’re wrong,” Ahmed said, looking over at the Skartians then back at bin Laden. “The real reason for the attacks was not to make the United States pay like you think it was.”
“Shut up!” one of the Skartians said, quickly backhanding him across the face.
“What other reason could there be?” Aziz asked, confused about the conversation, as many other humans were.
“Please, continue, what could we possibly have to be scared of you,” one Skartian said, and Ahmed recognized him as the leader of the group.
“May I stand,” Ahmed ask the group, seeing a nod from several people. He walked over to the Skartian and looked him in the eye. “You see, I know what you are,” leaning closer to whisper the next part, “Skartian.”
“Then you also know it is only a matter of time before you fall,’ the Skartian said with a snarl.
“No, we stopped your forces at the border, and destroyed them,” Ahmed said. The memories of the battle still fresh in his mind.
“You lie to save your own life,” the Skartian said, the group now mixed with confusion and tension.
“No, I was there, and a group of Ilderians as well,” Ahmed stated, knowing only those who were Skartian would recognize the name Ilderian.
“Your life is now forfeit,” another Skartian said.
“Maybe, but you see, they already know where I am, and are on their way,” Ahmed said. “This time you won’t escape like you did after World War Two.”
Now many of the others were now extremely confused about the conversation. Some wondered who the Ilderians were, and the mention of World War Two made no sense to them.
“You’ve been tricked by a bunch of aliens bent on conquering humanity, something they’ve tried to do since the beginning of the twentieth century, isn’t that right Skartian.” Ahmed said, this time in perfect clarity for all those around him.
Several people cried out that Ahmed was crazy, and there was no such thing as aliens. Their up-brining did not allow such thoughts, despite the truth of the universe.
“We should put you out of your misery,” one Skartian said. Ahmed could only hope that the operational teams were on their way.
“You will die and no one will ever know you existed,” another Skartian said.
Ahmed was roughly grabbed and dragged into the center of the court for everyone to see.
“Hang the pig,” he heard one person say.
“Any last requests?” one asked him.
“Yeah, let me show you one thing,” Ahmed asked, unsure if he would be allowed.
“Release my bonds, I won’t try anything, but what I need to show you requires me to show you my hands,” Ahmed said, watching as the guard undid them.
“Don’t try anything,” the guard said. “Or do, and we can cut you down.”
Ahmed rubbed his wrists a bit before waving the Skartian over. “You see this?” Ahmed asked, pointing to a small speck of what appeared to be dirt under his fingernail. “It’s a transmitter, I’ve been in contact with my HQ, they will be here shortly with elite EDF units.”
Ahmed watched the Skartian step back, pale understanding what exactly had happened. Many nearby were not sure what was going on, as Ahmed spoke softly. The Skartian turned to the group yelling out to get everyone ready to move at once.
Even as the Skartian spoke, the first team opened fire on the compound. The terrorists suddenly found themselves against a group of heavily armed soldiers with weapons they had never seen before.
The elite forces moved in quickly, over-running the defenses of the compound. The compound had been constructed to withstand assault from conventional military forces. However, these forces were armed with advanced weapons most of the terrorists had never seen before.
Ahmed watched the action even as several people dragged him away from the action. His still has some restraints on him, and could not run quickly. He spotted a few of the Skartians and tried to keep an eye on them. They appeared frightened by what was going on, and Ahmed knew they understood who they were facing now.
His brother stood nearby, looking confused as the forces infiltrated the compound’s defenses. The only thing he could hope for is that his brother would not be hurt. Perhaps this attack might get through to his brother at last.
He recognized the stun weapons the Special Forces were using, a bit glad no one would die in the attack. The biggest problem would be the mop up after the attack, and how most people were terrorists, or training to be a terrorist. They would either integrate or be locked up.
The rattle of automatic weapon fire could be heard all over the compound as the terrorists engaged the Special Forces. The Special Forces had special shielding to defend against such weapons. The personal shields was new and Ahmed had never seen them in action before. Quite a few of the defenders were now on the ground. They ran around with much coordination in their efforts, having been caught off guard.
“Kill him,” Ahmed heard, turning to see the head Skartian starting at him with rage.
Ahmed looked over to see the guard bringing his weapon around before looking down the barrel of a pistol. His mind went blank at the sight. He saw the guard’s finger tighten on the trigger, and a thousand things went through his mind. First was his family, and how he would not see his parents again.
He had come close to death a few times in space battles, but this time, he could see the attacker’s eyes. A personal level he was unaccustomed to. After an eternity, he came to the conclusion he lived a full life, and had no regrets of anything, and closed his eyes to wait for the end.
Seconds later he opened his eyes to see the guard on the ground stunned. Looking up he spotted a couple of Special Forces members running towards him. He also noticed Aziz running towards him as well. Looking over he spotted the two Skartians also on the ground, stunned as they reached him.
“Are you all right?” Aziz asked.
“Yea,” Ahmed said, looking around at the group.
“Everything you said was true?” Aziz asked.
“Unfortunately, yes,” Ahmed replied back to him.
“Then I’ve been a fool, fooling aliens,” he said, looking at the Skartians in disgust.
“It doesn’t matter, what matters if what you do in the end, make things right,” Ahmed said, watching as his brother struggled with being used by aliens.
“Captain Ahmed,” a person from the Special Forces said, walking up to him.
“Yes,” Ahmed said.
“I’m Corporal Johnsson, are you okay?” Johnsson asked.
“Think so, thanks to you,” Ahmed said. “Another second or so, and he might have shot.”
“I need you to come with me, I have orders to take you back to the base at once. Intelligence will need your information as soon as possible,” Johnsson said, as they started walking out of the compound. The fighting had died down and now people were being rounded up and a few were tending to injuries.
“So, what will happen to them?” Ahmed asked, looking at the group, and then at his brother.
“We have no word from HQ about that yet, they’ll probably use the new treatment on them, wipe their memories,” Johnsson said, obviously no idea what might happen.
“I’ve got an idea, do you have a radio?” Ahmed asked, watching as the corporal got out a radio and handed it over.
“It’s a direct link to my commander, Captain Hansunter,” Johnsson said, as Ahmed took the radio from him.
“Thanks corporal,” Ahmed said, switching the radio on. “This is Captain Ahmed to Captain Hansunter.”
“This is Hansunter, anything wrong with Johnsson?” Ahmed heard back.
He’s terrible sir,” Ahmed replied, knowing they would both know the code for he’s all right. It was a code they used when talking to unknowns, everyone in the EDF knew it. “I need to talk to someone higher up about an idea for the prisoners that were stunned.”
“You have an idea?” Hansunter asked.
“Yeah,” Ahmed replied.
“Just a sec,” Hansunter replied, as they waited for several seconds.
“This is Admiral Cave, what can I do for you Captain Ahmed?” a new voice said.
Ahmed paused for a second, not expecting to have Admiral Cave answer. He knew he would not have to worry about repeating his idea over and over again to different people.
“Its about the prisoners,” Ahmed said. “Any idea what you’re doing with them?”
“Nothing’s been decided, you have an idea?”
“Yes sir, chances are we didn’t get all of the Skartains, we can use some of the prisoners to help locate the remaining Skartians,” Ahmed said, knowing that there probably were more. They would not have foolishly gathered in one spot. “What I propose Is to show them exactly who they are following. Most of them are looking to belong to something, they want to battle and the Skartians provided them a target. Give them another one.”
“So, let me get this straight, you want to use these men to track the rest of them down?” Jack replied.
“Yes sir, they are already part of the system. We show them what’s going on, stun them, leave them here and let them leave, their loyalty won’t be questioned,” Ahmed said.
“Just a second,” Jack said.
Jack turned to Steve, who leaned in his chair. “What do you think?”
“Might just work, better than anything I had planned. And he’s right, there are probably more of them out there,” Steve said, thinking about the situation. “We don’t have many spies in the area yet, they could be helpful.”
“Provide them with a small transmitter, and teach them how to distinguish between a human and alien. It might just work,” Jack said.
“Worth the risk,” Steve said.
“All right, get word to the nearest base to send some transmitters, I’ll let the captain know of our decision and then we can interrogate the prisoners,” Jack said, watching Steve nod and walk out to carry out the orders.
“Captain,” Jack said over the radio.
“Yes sir, Ahmed answered, waiting patiently for an answer.
“You have permission to proceed, some transmitters are being sent to your location. I’ll let Captain Hansunter know the plan. Teach them quickly how to tell the difference, then get up here for debriefing and reassignment.”
“Yes sir,” Ahmed replied, handing the radio back to the corporal. “Get the ones who are still awake over here,” he said, watching as his orders were relayed and carried out.
He walked over to where one of the stunned Skartians was being tied up and prepared for transport.
“Gentlemen, I am about to show you exactly who you were following, and why they wanted you to follow them,” Ahmed said, as another soldier held the Skartian still.
Ahmed pulled out a knife and worked quickly, slicking the skin of the Skartian, which brought a stunned silence from the group. They expected blood and muscle as Ahmed peeled the skin away to reveal the face below. The skin was green, reptilian, and human-like, and the eyes were a purple color.
“This is the true form of the ‘leaders’ you follow,” Ahmed said, making sure they all had a good look at it before continuing. “They only want one thing, to conquer you and destroy our planet. They don’t care about Allah, your fight, or anything else, they only want you willing to die for them. Once you are done they will cast you aside without a second thought like they did during World War Two.”
“And how do we know you’re not an alien also,” one asked, an intelligent question Ahmed thought.
“I’m part of the Earth Defense Force, formed to protect Earth from attack, no aliens are allowed in the defense force. I’m a captain, and served aboard the battlecruiser Moscow. However, I don’t want you to attack anyone, that’s counter-productive. They want to divide and conquer us. Besides, I only want to know if you spot more of them.”
“Okay, suppose you’re right? What are we supposed to do about it?”
“Stay in the organization, keep an eye out for these aliens,” Ahmed said to tehm.
“And how do we tell that?” Aziz asked.
“The eyes, those are the key,” Ahmed said, looking at his brother. “Remember when I looked closely at the eyes of everyone, even you?”
“Yeah,” Aziz replied, thinking back on his brother’s actions.
“I was looking to see if his eyes changed to a gray color that is the only way, aside from skinning them, to tell the difference. They duplicate everything but the color of the iris’s. Instead of being black they’ll be dark gray and constantly change color as you look at it,” Ahmed said to them. “That’s what you’re looking for.”
“Okay, and if we agree, and find one, then what?”
“Each of you who agree with take a transmitter for such an occasion,” Ahmed answered. “With these you can inform us of what you found. We can use your help, we’re at war with them.”
“I’m in,” Aziz said. “I allowed these bastards to manipulate me.”
“I’m in too, these pigs lied to us,” a second on said. “It doesn’t mean I have to suddenly like the United States, just another group to focus my attention on as well.”
Ahmed watched as there was a mix of people. Those who appeared willing to help were given transmitters, and then stunned. A few volunteered to see more, and would be taken back to maybe join up with the EDF, and a few refused to believe. They were rounded up and taken with the Skartians to see for themselves the truth.
Ahmed watched everything going on, wondering what each man thought. Some might have played along to go back and warn others, but it was a risk they took. Of course others might not believe such a tale.
“Aahmed, a second please,” Aziz said, walking towards him. “Where are mom and dad?”
“In Canada, back at my place,” Ahmed said. “They were rescued when the group threatened them and left the country by our transportation. What are you going to do?”
“I don’t know yet,” Aziz replied.
“I’ve got to go, have a debriefing with my commander,” Ahmed said, knowing how impatient Admiral Cave could get.
“I’ll see you later then brother,” Aziz said, watching his brother walk away.
End part 14
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