The Summer Vacation
Chapter 18
Written by rachel76m
Edited by Don Kaufman

“Fire! Fire!”

Just when I thought, it was part of the dream. Sir Halgren is touching my shoulder to wake me up.

“Richard, wake up, Richard. There's a fire nearby.”

I slowly open my eyes, “Huh? Okay I'm getting up.”

We stay in our night clothes and walk out of the building. As soon as I exit the door and get clear of the building, I'm doused with a bucket of water. Then a bucket of dirt is tossed at me as well.

Then we hear two men laughing their heads off.

“We got you Richard!”

“Take that for defeating our strongest knight!”

“Hah . . . hah . . . hah . . . hah . . . !”

It's Sir Callahan's two friends.

I stand there wide awake now and very dirty. I stand there quietly and stare at them.

A good size crowd gathers around quickly.

Some of the knights quickly grab the trouble makers. They drop the buckets to the ground. We see Sir Callahan making his way through the crowd.

“I told you to leave Richard alone!”

“You're the strongest knight in Thryson Kingdom and on Twainor!”

Then we see the commanders making their way.

“Thryson Legion, attention!” Shouts Sir Trenton.

Everybody snaps to attention.

The commanders see my condition. Then they see the two knights being held. The buckets are on the ground near them.

Sir Trenton walks into the center and looks at the two knights. The two knights stare back defiantly.

“I'm disappointed in your choices lately. You've have served Thryson Kingdom, King Tierion and your Castle Lord faithfully.”

Then we see King Tierion being escorted by four knights.

Everybody bends the knee. I do a formal bow to King Tierion.

“Rise Thryson Legion. I'm too disappointed in your choices.”

Everybody stands and I rise up erect.

“However, punishment won't be from me. It will be from Richard.”

“What!?!?!” The two knights scream.

“We hated what Richard did the last time he was here! Those four knights should have defeated Richard in Evenshard Kingdom!”

“Did they defeat Richard?”

“No, my King. We all had to go through retraining. It was an insult to us!”

Sir Trenton then speaks, “No, it wasn't an insult. All of the Legion Commanders agreed to it. We could see some of you were getting soft with using magic all the time to defend yourselves. There were other legion knights boasting at the festivals on how they have the best knights because of the magic.”

“Do you think you will be ready to help protect Thryson Kingdom when the air fighters come here?”

“Let the dragons protect our skies, my Lord.”

“What if an air fighter breaks through and crashes into Thryson Castle or your town where you come from? What will you do then?”

“I... I... uh . . . ”

“That's right, you won't know what to do.” Sir Trenton turns to me briefly then turns back to Sir Thalstead and his friend Sir Orslond. “Richard, are you ready to teach them a lesson they won't forget?”

King Tierion looks at me briefly then at the two knights.

“I am, my Lord and Sir Trenton. This will be a lesson in pain that is different from straining muscles and joints.”

I walk up to them. Sir Thalstead and Sir Orslond spit on me. I immediately apply pressure points to their arms and legs in the right spots on both knights.

They fall to the ground shaking their arms and legs. You can hear a hush over the crowd as they whisper among themselves.

~~~000~~~

“Wow . . . look at that.”

“Remind me to obey the commanders.”

~~~000~~~

“What . . . what … d. . . . did. you . . . do . . . to . . . to . . . to m.. me . . . ?” Screams Sir Thalstead.

“I ca . . . ca . . . can't con . . . con . . . control my . . . self!” Shouts Sir Orslond.

I count out really loud and slow, “1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10. Sergeants go and relieve them of their shaking.”

Some sergeants come forward. They kneel down and start rubbing on the pressure points, then the body limbs.

I come near to them as they stand up. “I know what you're going through. My self-defense instructor did it to me as well. This is what's going to happen.”

“Wh . . . wh. what . . . ?”

“You will be walking and doing things as you have always done. However, in your mind, you will remember the shaking for weeks until it subsides and quiets down in the mind.”

They look at me scared and wide eyed.

“You will be second guessing yourself, even as you try to sleep. That's especially true the next few nights. You'll get over it in time. After that, hopefully, you will remember what you did wrong.”

I turn around and walk to Sir Halgren and turn around. He smiles at me. Then I get a pat on the shoulder from Sir Callahan. I look up to him. We smile at each other.

King Tierion and Sir Trenton comes near the two knights.

“I say justice has been served. If I hear any more complaints about you two, you will be demoted to squires permanently. If I hear more complaints again. You will be pages. If there, is a third time. You will be stripped of your rights to serve your Castle Lord and me. You will be ordinary citizens there after. Is that understood?”

“Yess . . . ss. Yes.. my . . . my . . . Lord.” They try to respond at the same time.

“Oh and one more thing you two. Richard guessed that something like this prank might happened. He's not as naive as you think.”

“Wha . . . wha . . . What . . . ?!”

“Th . . . this . . . ha . . . has … happ . . . hap . . . pened be . . . before to . . . to . . . him?”

“Yes.” Answers Sir Trenton.

The two friends groan together, “Arrggh.. . . !”

Then everybody starts to laugh.

“Thryson Legion, get to bed now. Richard, get inside and get cleaned up. There are two watches left until day break.”

“Yes Sir Trenton. Good night, my Lord and my friends.” I do a quick bow and rise up. Sir Halgren and I turn around and walk quickly to the bath room. We are followed by two pages.

“Two baths in one day. I'll be a wrinkled fruit when I get done.”

“At least you will be a clean wrinkled fruit, Richard.” He smiles at us.

We all laugh together.

I stand near a tub and get undressed quickly. The pages fill the tub with warm water. I step into it and sit down. I wash quickly with the soap and water, including my hair again.

I see the pages have put a new set of night clothes on the chair. Once I get all the dirt off, I stand up and step into another tub. The pages begin to rinse me off with buckets of water. Soon, I'm clean again. I dry off with the towels and comb my hair again.

I'll have to wet it again in the morning. It will be a mess. I put on the night clothes and get ready to leave with Sir Halgren.

“Thanks for the assist in getting me clean quickly.”

“You're welcome Richard. We're just glad there is no real fire yet.”

“Pay attention to your leaders when the air fighters come. Safety is important.”

“We will Richard. Thank you again for all of your help.”

“You're welcome.”

“It won't take too long to clean this up tonight.”

Sir Halgren and I leave the bath room and walk back into the sergeant's quarters.

The sergeants give me some applause and a hand to the shoulder.

“Well done, Richard.”

“Let's hope they learned their lesson.”

“It's strange seeing them shake like that Richard.”

“I know. It's one thing being scared and shaking with fear from the unknown. This time it's done on purpose.”

“But at least this time they have the opportunity to make the right decisions.”

“Well we can talk some more about it later. We'll keep an eye on them as they try to handle the day.”

“Yes, let's get some sleep. Those two will be very tired in the morning when they wake up.”

We all get to bed again. One of the sergeants turns off the light crystals with a spell. Soon we are fast asleep.

The dreams of home come back in during the night. I see family and friends that I have not seen in awhile. I even see friends from my self-defense classes and from college.

~~~000~~~

Then the scene change to Earth's past. I see myself walking around in a large town. I see several giants bossing some of the town folk around. They have the look of fear on them. Then the giants notice me.

“Hey you!”

“Who me?”

“Yes you. I want you to find the source of some rumors.”

“What rumors are you hearing?”

“There are rumors that Earth will be flooded and everyone will die in this area.”

“We need to know when it will happen so that we can escape in time.”

It is so easy to evade their questions. “Why me? What makes you think I will tell you? I'll be dead anyway.”

“Hmm . . . you do have a point. Go your way, cockroach. We'll find another who will tell us.”

I walk away from them. I see a familiar butterfly that is fluttering toward me. It circles around me and flies toward the forest.

I leave the town and walk down a deer trail that I know. I walk some ways and pick up other animal trails. When I get around a hill, I see some fairies flying around. Some come near to me.

“Come, Fairy Friend. There are some people who need to meet you.”

“Okay.”

They lead me down another forest trail. It soon clears out and I see a beautiful glade. I see centaurs, dwarf dragons, dwarves, two unicorns and a bunch of fairies flying around.

They turn to see me. One of the unicorns speaks.

“Welcome, Nathan. You've come in time.”

“Those Nefelim giants are asking when the Great Flood will come, Einhorn.”

“We know. They want to leave before it is too late. The news for you is the Maker has a plan to preserve life here.”

“There is a large boat being built to save as many animal species as possible.”

“The Maker knows which ones to pick. We realize not all will be on the boat.”

“I will miss you all. How many families will be on the boat, Athena?”

“There's only going to be one family on the boat, Nathan. Fortunately the gift of long life will last long enough to reestablish the human and animal races in this region.”

“That's good. It would be nice to see you on the boat and survive.”

“We know, Nathan. We've come to tell you we won't be there. The Maker told me a large group of us will be taken to another world to preserve us.”

“I wish I can go with you. At least let me touch and hug you all one more time.”

“Of course, Nathan.”

Then I start hugging and crying with them.

“You have been the best friend, Nathan.”

“I know, Athena.” I bury my face into her mane, including her mate Einhorn.

The fairies fly around singing songs of friendship that will last forever.

I then hug the dwarves, centaurs and dwarf dragons. When I get done, I smile at them.

“We will remember you always, Nathan. You're one of the few who listened to the Maker's Voice. You've helped us and protected us the best you can. Thank you.”

“You're welcome, my friends. Perhaps at the new world there will be enough space for you all. What about the Ancient Ones on land and sea? What about the Sea Dragons?”

“The sea life will survive, Nathan. They will continue to watch Earth and be a witness. Some of them will come with us.” Responds Centaur Garthnell.

“The Ancient Ones on land will survive where they can. Hopefully the Great Flood will catch all of the Nefelim unaware. They all settled in this inland sea area. A small group of them arrived just before Adama and Eva were sent from the Maker’s special garden. The rest of them came to Earth a few years later.”

“I hope so too my friends.” I walk to the edge of the glade. I turn around and wave goodbye to them with tears down my face. “I'll be in the Heavens waiting for you.”

~~~000~~~

I wake up staring at the ceiling. The dream fades away as tears go down my face and stains the pillow.

Then I hear the men stirring and waking up. I sit up on my bed. I see Sir Halgren sitting up as well. He sees my face wet with tears.

“You had another dream, Richard?”

“Yes, I met some of the First Ones before the Great Flood. I played the part of Nathan who was saying goodbye to them.”

“Did you see the giants there?”

“I did. They didn't know when the Great Flood would take place.”

Some sergeants come near. “So, it is possible we can take them by surprise if it is planned right.”

“It seems that way sir. Well, I better get dressed and packed up.”

“Yes, let's get ready. It's one more day of preparation.”

We all get ready for the day. However, Sir Halgren and I have to pack our satchels for another trip. I open the floor chest and take out the stealth clothes and the metal mesh padding.

I reattach the padding to the armor pieces and set those aside. I take off the night shirt and shorts. I put on my own clothes first. Once that is done, I put on the breast and back plate and latch the sides.

I put on the leggings and attach them to the breast and back plate. I then put on the stealth pants. I sit down and bunch up the pants to the knees. I then put on the boots and tie them off through the openings in the leggings. I push the stealth pants back down.

Then I stand up and put on the arm pieces, I attach them to the breast and back plates. Then I put on the stealth shirt. I smooth it down. Then I put the belt cord around me and tie it. I comb my hair and touch it. Well it is flat in some areas. It will have to do.

I look around and see everyone is almost ready to go. I fix the bed and make it look neat. I put on my medallion then the jacket. I put the satchel on my shoulder. I stick my gauntlets in the helmet and carry it in my arm.

I look at Sir Halgren and see he is ready as well. We look at each other and smile.

“All right men. It is time to go for the morning repast.”

We all walk out together from the building. We see other knights walking along with us. Then we see the two knights who got me wet and dirty. They're walking as if they did not get enough sleep. They look very tired. I see Sir Callahan making his way to me.

“Good morning, Sir Callahan.”

“Good morning, Richard.”

We smile at each other.

“It looks like my friends are really thinking hard about choices. Thank you, Richard.”

“You're welcome. I have a question. How or when did you become friends with them?”

“Well, I was working my family's farm when they visited my town one day. They wanted me to help them move some crates off a cart.”

“Did they ever tell you what they did for a living?”

“I think it was something about shipping goods. I didn't know what they were shipping. I never saw inside the crates.”

“Hmm . . . it's possible they wanted only your muscle while they made the profit.”

“I think you might be right, Sir Halgren. Looking back on it now that is all they wanted.”

“Why did you become a knight?”

“The Castle Lord in our region was having a call to enroll. The three of us decided to join up together.”

“Was it your idea or theirs to join?”

Sir Callahan looks down in shame. “It was their idea, sir. They took me away from my family . . . sigh . . . ”

“Don't worry about it. At least you'll be able to go home tomorrow to meet your family again.”

“Yes, now that I know more about helping others. I can help them again.”

“That's the spirit. Come, let's enjoy this morning's repast together and make some new friends.”

“Yes, let's make some new friends at a new table.”

We walk inside the dining hall and go to our seats. I see Sir Callahan standing at a new table away from his two friends.

The two friends seem a bit upset that he's not there.

We stay standing for a while. Then we hear the words, “All in!”

Sir Trenton looks at Wizard Gryphon. “You may give the thanks, Wizard Gryphon.”

“Yes Sir Trenton. Maker, we want to thank you for another day on Twainor. We're preparing hard to defend it. Let this food give us the strength and wisdom to be victorious tomorrow. Thank you, Maker.”

Everyone responds in one voice, “Thank you, Maker.”

We all sit down and see what is prepared for us. We see basically the same thing from yesterday morning. However, the spices and oils are different with a few different vegetables.

We pour for ourselves a mug of juice. We then start eating the first dish.

“Well, it's been an honor to work with you, my friends.”

“You're welcome, Richard. It's been an honor to get to know you better.”

“Of course, you have my permission to use those pressure points to get somebody's attention.” I smile at the sergeants.

They all laugh together.

“Perhaps not all four at once. Hopefully one will do.”

We all laugh again. We continue eating the salad plate.

When we get done with that, we go for the main dish of grilled fish. Once I take a taste, my taste buds are in heaven.

“Beharn must have added some fruit and spices to the mix. It is not smoked, but it's a little different.”

I can see and hear the men enjoying it as well in the dining hall.

“I guess Master Chef Beharn is making sure today's meal will be memorable.”

“Yes Richard. At least it is not boring and tasteless.”

We all laugh again.

When we get done with the main dish, we pour our third mug of juice. We each grab two fruits again.

I see some small sticks sticking into the fruits. The sergeants are looking at it too. They're wondering what's going on. I pull out one of them. I give it a taste test to know what he did. I love it. You did it again Beharn, you found some different ones than the last time.

“I knew it my friends. These are spice sticks that he made. Go and cut into the fruit. You'll get an extra treat.”

We cut into the fruits like before. Once they take a bite, you can see the expression on their faces.

“Oh . . . this is good Richard. Never have I thought it possible. It's like eating two different kinds of fruit in one.”

We all start laughing and chuckling while enjoy the fruits. You can hear it as well from everyone else in the dining hall. After awhile, we get done. We hoist our mugs together one more time.

“To victory.” We say it at the same time.

Before I drink from the mug, we hear Sir Trenton speaking up.

“Thryson Legion, may I have your attention.”

We stop what we are doing. We look up to the front and see him standing in front of us.

“I want to thank you all for partaking in these exercises, conditioning and scenarios.”

“I know it was tough for some of you to comprehend in preparing for an enemy that we have never faced before.”

“If it wasn't for our twelve Outside Helpers, we wouldn't know what to do. We thank the Maker for sending Richard here to help us prepare as much as possible.”

Then Sir Trenton points to me. I stand up and put on my satchel, so do Sir Halgren. We walk forward with our helmets and gauntlets in our left arms. Sir Halgren follows me as well. We keep holding our mugs in the right hand.

Everybody starts to clap, cheer, rooting and hollering in many voices.

“Thank you, Maker!”

“Thank you for the Outside Helpers!”

“Richard! Richard!”

Sir Trenton lets it go on for a moment. Then he raises his hands to quiet them down.

“Do you have any last words, Richard?”

“I have a few words, Sir Trenton.” I look around while I talk. “When I was first chosen by the Maker, I asked myself a question many times, 'Why me Maker?'”

“It could have been anyone else on Earth who knows as much as I do, but the Maker chose me. It takes a person with the right attitude to serve and help others, but also recognize you need to call someone for help when you can't do it alone.”

“I have helped you solve some very big problems when I was here last time. So did the other Outside Helpers.”

“Now the Outside Helpers and the crew on the star ship need your help.”

“We're facing an old enemy that was on Earth more than four thousand years ago. They're trying to continue their destructive ways. The Maker gave a terrible defeat to the Nefelim on Earth with the Great Flood back then.”

“Apparently someone was able to escape to the stars. He vowed to return someday for vengeance. There are two of them on their way here right now.”

“Work hard this morning in learning how to protect your kingdom. The dragons will need your help. They can't do it alone.”

“I don't know how many air fighters will come. You must think clearly and calmly. Your kingdom is looking to you to help them to be calm and not afraid.”

I raise my mug in front of me. Everybody stands and raises their mug.

“To victory!”

They respond in one voice, “To victory!”

“To the Maker!”

They respond in one voice, “To the Maker!”

“We will win the day and bring peace once again!”

They respond in one voice, “We will win the day and bring peace once again!”

I drink my mug. They do as well. They all get quiet as the commanders walk and gather around Sir Halgren and me. Sir Halgren and I hand our mugs to them.

“Wizard Gryphon, please deliver Richard and Sir Halgren first to the King and Queen in the throne room. Then deliver them to the sea ships in Angathorn Kingdom.”

“Yes, Sir Trenton.”

He walks forward and comes near to us.

“Thank you, Richard for being here. Go and bring victory to Twainor.”

“Sir Halgren and I will certainly do all we can.”

We nod our heads to each other while we smile. I put on the gauntlets and the helmet. So does Sir Halgren.

Then we put our hands onto Wizard Gryphon's shoulders. He recites the transport spell. We disappear in a blink of an eye.

Then everybody starts to cheer as we leave the dining room. It dies down once we leave it. We see the second shift out there as well. They are cheering as well. They must have heard the speech while they were waiting.

“Okay Thryson Legion. We've been here long enough. Let's get out of here so the second shift can have their morning repast.”

Everybody walks out of the dining halls and enter the fields for the morning drills. The second shift enters the dining hall to have their meal.

Sir Gryphon flies to the castle. We enter the foyer area in front of the throne room and appear in a blink of an eye. We disconnect from Wizard Gryphon. The two knights there open the doors for us. The three of us walk inside the throne room.

We see the King and Queen sitting on their throne chairs on the dais. They are holding hands together. We approach and stop before them. Sir Halgren kneels before them. I bow before them. So does Wizard Gryphon.

“You may rise up.”

Sir Halgren stands up. Wizard Gryphon and I rise back up.

“Go you two. May the Maker protect you and give you wisdom. Come back victorious with great news.”

“We will my King and Queen.”

“That is all my faithful servants. Go in peace.”

“Thank you, my Lord and Lady.”

We do another quick bow and rise up. We turn around and walk out of the throne room and into the foyer. We connect to Wizard Gryphon again. He recites the transport spell and we disappear in a blink of an eye.

We fly eastward and over the ocean to Angathorn Kingdom. Gryphon turns southeast ward once we get half way across. We fly to the southern coast of the kingdom.

Soon we see a large port. It has a bay with two arms swinging out. The arms do not enclose the bay. We see four large sea ships docked there. There are six more just outside the bay.

Wizard Gryphon makes his descent toward the town square of the port town there.

Once we land, we appear in a blink of an eye. We are greeted by four knights.

“Welcome to Beserte, Outside Helper Richard Moore and Sir Halgren. We've been waiting for you.”

Wizard Gryphon speaks to us. “I need to get back to Thryson Kingdom. You're in good hands here.”

“Don't worry Wizard Gryphon, we'll see that they get there for today's training sessions.”

Wizard Gryphon recites the transport spell and disappears in a blink of an eye. He flies back to Thryson Kingdom.

The knights escort us through the port town and down to the docks. Already I can see the large sailing vessels there peeking over the tops of the buildings.

When they come into view, I see the four ships docked there.

“Those ships are impressive knights.”

“Thank you, Richard. Come this way, you'll need to meet the commanders who are in charge here.”

We turn left at the water front. We soon approach a large ship. All of the ships are four masted at least. There are some that are five masted. I see men on the decks of smaller boats and ships doing their duties as you would normally find in fishing and sailing port. We see birds flying about adding to the atmosphere of the port.

We stop at a gang plank and see two knights standing guard there.

“Please inform the commanders that Outside Helper Richard Moore and Escort Sir Halgren are here.”

“Thank you. If you please wait a moment, I'll go and inform them.”

The knight turns around and walks up the double wide plank. He steps onto the main deck and walks up to one of the commanders and informs him.

He immediately gets out his contact crystal to contact the others to be here as well. They come out from their quarters on the ship.

The knight comes back down to greet us. “Permission granted. You can come aboard and meet the commanders.”

The four knights then escort us up the plank. When we reach the top deck, we are greeted with a rousing cheer and clapping of hands from those who are present there.

Sir Braxton steps forward to greet us.

“Welcome back to Angathorn Kingdom, Richard and Sir Halgren.”

We nod our heads to him. “Thank you, Sir Braxton.”

“We have a lot to do today. The time now is a half-mark past the Third Mark after the morning sun rise.”

Sir Krellen speaks next, “We have been communicating with the other kingdoms. We know of your suggestions when you trained with Sir Trenton yesterday.”

“Now we need to apply them today. Yesterday was spent in mixing the kingdoms and creating the squads and wings. They spent all day learning from each other and how to work together as unit.”

“It was a bit rough in the beginning, but they caught on fast what needs to be done.”

“The star ship is getting closer. We expect them here sometime tomorrow morning or so.”

“You realize sirs, as soon as someone disappears you need to transport immediately.”

“Yes, the wings have been doing that. They know what to expect while they wait in the black space. Your suggestion for the gold visor definitely eased the glare from our sun. Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” I smile at them.

“Okay, the first scenario is the multiple target rescue. We have the smoke pellets ready here as well Richard. Do you have yours?”

“No Sir Braxton. Sir Trenton didn't give me the extras.”

“That's all right. We'll have a healer set it up for you on the ship here.

“Sir Halgren and I will need some more practice with the sling here. We only did some simple target practice yesterday.”

“Yes, I remember Sir Trenton mentioning that yesterday. We'll set up some time for that.”

“Also, to learn some new spells such as the sleep spell and waking them up.”

“Sure, that is no problem Richard. Let's get the smoke pellets done first and drop off your satchel in your quarters.” Sir Braxton turns to his Navy Commander, “Sir Marek, please take Richard down below to the healers here. Sir Halgren, you may follow. When you come back, we'll have next scenario to be set up. We already did two quick ones this morning.”

I bow my head to them and rise up and smile at them.

Sir Halgren and I follow Sir Marek. He opens a door on the deck. We walk down two flights of stairs to the third level. We walk down the hallway passing several doors on the left and right.

Soon we see the symbol for the healers on the door. It shows a bandaged arm with a hand holding some herbs.

He opens the door on the right. We walk inside and are greeted by two healers.

The room is rather large. There are tables folded up and leaning against a wall. There are four beds laid out to one side. In one corner, there are shelves filled with medicine and other equipment needed for the healers.

“Welcome Richard. It's good to finally meet you. We have the pellets made already made. We just need your voice to set the spell.”

“Okay.”

The healer holds the pellet in front of my face. He puts his right hand above it.

“Now.” He recites the spell quickly.

“I see Twainor's forces! I remember them!”

He ends the spell, “Very good Richard. It's set now. Now we need to copy it onto the ten pellets that we have made.”

The healer sets the pellet on the table. The other healer arranges the extra pellets next to it. He recites the spell and copies the first one to the other ten. Then they gather them together and put them a small bag with a drawstring.

“Here it is Richard.”

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome Richard. Thank you for being here to help us.”

“You're welcome.”

We smile at each other and we nod our heads up and down.

Sir Halgren and I turn around. We get escorted by Sir Marek back up a level. We walk down the hallway until he comes to a stop. He opens the door for us.

“This will be your quarters for tonight.”

“Thank you. I will need to take off my arm and leg armor. It will provide alternative locations for a sleep dart.”

“Sure, I can wait a bit.”

Sir Halgren helps me take off the arm and leg armor and the wrist bow gauntlets. We put them on the bed for now and my satchel as well. I take the bag of smoke pellets with me.

We then exit the room and follow Sir Marek to the top deck. We are greeted by commanders that are still there. They turn to us as we approach.

“Here you go, Sir Braxton. There are eleven smoke pellets here.” I hand the bag to him.

“Thank you, Richard. We're going to try and run four scenarios before the evening repast.”

“What has been the best times for getting everyone to sleep?”

“It's been about one-quarter mark plus two-thirds. It depends on how well the hostages are hidden.”

“Hmm . . . “

“What are you thinking, Richard?”

“You're the General and the Supreme. You look on the monitors and see a sudden invasion on the star ship. What would you do to save your own life as long as possible? Would you make a deal with the invaders?”

The commanders look at each other with concern faces as they think on it.

“I would try to hold some of the crewmen as hostages. Or put them in a life and death situation to slow them down.”

“Either way it causes them a delay for a total rescue. They may even activate a self-destruction sequence, Sir Dolen.”

“They could attach special bombs to them to make it difficult to remove.”

“Like the ones we found in the under kingdom last year, Sir Palinar.”

“If your forces come across one they will need to freeze the bomb and it's parts.”

“What can we use to practice with?”

“Do you have an idea Richard?”

“Do you remember the demonstration in Thryson Kingdom when you were there a couple of days ago? Sir Trenton showed a problem solver in traversing a corridor.”

“I remember that Richard. There were water bombs he set up that got triggered by the light beams and spells.”

Then they start to laugh. “Yes, then whoever gets wet is declared 'dead'.” They laugh some more.

“I like it, Richard. It will need to be triggered several different ways.”

“Yes, it will get them thinking outside the box. They need to solve it before entering in.”

“I like that analogy, Richard.”

“If we have a lady in the scenario, it will be more delicate. They will probably want a sealing spell to keep their clothes dry.”

“The wings need to be confident to do this type of rescue. They can't just barge in, they could set it off before they have a chance to put them to sleep.”

“Okay men. Let's get this set. Sir Krellen, you go ahead and tell the wings of this potential scenario.”

“I think they should be told to be wary of any surprises and to think outside the box. Let's see if they can figure it out.”

“Yes, that should be enough for them to know at this point. Don't tell them how many hostages will be there. We'll put two on each ship. We'll send twenty wings to each ship.”

“They should take over the ships fairly fast. Make the traps more complicated as the day wears on. Do we agree to this, Sea Captains?”

“Yes we do, Sir Braxton.”

“All right, let's make it happen. Is a half-mark needed to get them set-up Sea Captains?”

“That should be enough time.” They look at each other and nod their heads up and down.
“Let me know of the status just before you finish the set up.”

“Yes Sir Braxton.”

On the deck with Sir Braxton are the captains of the sea ships. Then there are the twelve lieutenant commanders. For this exercise there will be three lieutenant commanders for each ship. They report to Sir Krellen and Sir Braxton directly of the situation as their wings take control of the ship.

~~~000~~~

Sir Krellen appears on one of the ships with a wizard in the bay.

Some sailors and knights on board notice the arrival or Sir Krellen.

“Legion Commander on board!”

Everyone snaps to attention.

“At ease men. I will need all wings attention for the next set of scenarios. Everyone on board here and the other wings on the other ships will connect to the ship's main contact crystal here.”

“Yes Sir!” The knights take out their contact crystals and begin to contact the other squads and wings.

~~~000~~~

On another ship outside the bay, Sir Dolen appears on the ship as do a Sea Captain. Some knights see him appear.

“Legion Commander and Sea Captain on board!”

They snap to attention.

“At ease men, prepare yourselves to get ready for another scenario. There will be two held here that will be put in a life and death situation.”

Some look at each other with concern faces.

“Don't worry. They will have water bombs attached. It will expand and blow up. Anyone who gets wet will be declared 'dead'.”

The men smile and chuckle when they hear that.

“Okay, let's get ourselves set up. We have a half-mark to get ready. Let's get our
two hostages ready.”

“Yes Sir!”

“You're dismissed. Let's get moving!”

The men turn around and get below the deck. Sir Dolen and his wizard escort follow the men down below. The Sea Captain resumes his duties on board.

~~~000~~~

“Richard and Sir Halgren, you'll be coming with me to another ship. We'll get you set up there.”

“Yes Sir.”

“Please put your hands to my wizard escort here.”

“Yes Sir.”

We put our hands on the wizard's shoulder, He recites the transport spell. We disappear in a blink of an eye. We fly to one of the ships outside the bay.

~~~000~~~

“Everyone is connected to the crystal Sir Krellen.”

“Thank you, wizard Thaygard. Good afternoon men. First I want to thank you for working hard to work as a team and as fast as possible. We have a new challenge for you.”

The Lieutenant Commander speaks next, “It won't be easy. I will only tell you two things. Be wary of any surprises and think outside the box.”

Everyone nods their heads up and down.

“You have some time to talk it among yourselves. Remember, you need to
communicate. Be ready when you hear the signal. You have until the next half mark.”

“Yes Sir!” They all respond at once.

“Twainor forces, you're dismissed!”

The images disappear above their crystals. They begin to talk among themselves on what Sir Krellen said.

“So, Sir Rance. What do you think he meant by that?”

“Yes, think outside the box. I don't get it.”

“I think this idea is from Richard. He wants us to be wary before entering a room.”

“How are we to do that?”

“We'll need to use our wizards to transport through the rooms to see inside. There could be traps set.”

“If there are traps set. It will slow us down to get everyone asleep.”

“We'll keep doing that and take care of the ones we can reach easily. If the hostages are hidden, there could be additional traps.”

“Okay, I agree with that. We need as much information as possible while we take over the levels.”

“I agree. We are the eyes and ears for our commanders. If we see something difficult to overcome, we must report it.”

“This smoke pellet idea is a very good test. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a bomb scenario.”

“The door could be a trigger to set a trap off.”

“Yes, but it can still explode if not removed properly.”

“We must take it one step at a time.”

“Does everyone agree?”

“Yes Sir Rance, for Twainor!”

“Yes, for Twainor!”

“For Twainor!” They all respond as one.

~~~000~~~

“Okay Richard, the water bomb on your chest is set three different ways. The first one is the door. The second one is the bomb itself if it gets tampered with.”

“Once you say the word 'no' it begins to expand at a fast rate.”

“Then scream your phrase when you see the knights appear.”

“Yes, it will interesting to see what they do.”

“Are you ready Sir Halgren?”

“I'm ready Sir Braxton. I can see inside the room without being seen behind this partition.”

“Very good. I'll go check the other hostage. We'll be starting soon.”

“Yes Sir.”

Sir Braxton leaves the room and walks down two levels to find the next hostage.

~~~000~~~

“You do have the sealing spells set, Sir Norland?”

“Of course my lady Eliane. You realize this is necessary to get our forces ready.”

“Sigh . . . I know. Our forces must rescue those orphaned people. Their worlds are no more.”

“Yes, we must do what we can. It all hinges on getting onboard the star ship. We hope the ship's barrier shields can be turned off.”

“Well, I'm ready to play my part.”

“Very good. Someone is coming to rescue you.” He smiles at her.

“Well, they better hurry! My leg is cramping up being tied to this support post.” She smiles back at him.

“Then I better leave now.” He turns around and walks to the door.

“You do that! I'll need a nice noon repast with my rescuers!”

“Yes my lady.”

They both laugh together as Sir Norland leaves the room.

She shakes her head in disbelief with a smile. “Thank goodness this is the last
day of these scenarios.”

~~~000~~~

“Is everyone ready?” He looks at the Lieutenant Commanders.

“Yes Sir, all ships report they're ready to begin.”

“Very good, sound the bell at my mark.”

“Yes Sir!”

He looks at the sun dial image above his crystal sphere. He raises his hand and brings it down once the shadow reaches the half-mark.

“Now!”

The Lieutenant Commander strikes the bell with the mallet three times. “Bong!”
“Bong!” “Bong!”

~~~000~~~

“Go! Go for Victory Twainor!”

“Yes Sir!” They all shout.

The wizards recite the transport spell. They disappear in a flash of light from the
ships. They fly toward the six ships outside the bay.

One hundred and twenty wings are flying toward the six ships. They break into six groups of twenty wings for each ship.

All of the largest ships have six levels, and some have seven. The Legion Commanders agreed to put five hundred men on each ship as crew members. They realize it will be more crowded with their forces on board, but it became a good test for close-quarter fighting.

Two or three wings appear on each level. Once they appear, the alarm is sounded on board for an invasion.

The squads immediately start putting the ships' crew to sleep. Soon puffs of smoke are seen outside the ships.

~~~000~~~

“This quarter is secured Sir Rance. There is no hostage here. Wizard Kendall has removed the implants and sent them outside the ship.”

“Good, let's check with another wing, they might need help.”

“Yes Sir.” They all whisper. Wizard Kendall recites the transport spell and starts checking the rooms ahead in the Ethereal Space on this level.

The wing carefully moves together down the hall. They look inside rooms with doors already open. They see Wizard Kendall walking toward them.

“Have you checked all of the rooms?”

“I did. There is no hostage on this level. There was a fierce fight toward the bow a moment ago.”

“Are we needed?”

“No, we had to use a blanket sleep spell on everyone. The implants are already removed. They need us to help them wake up.”

“Right, lead the way. Most of these rooms are empty. Apparently they wanted to try a mass attack method.”

~~~000~~~

“Quickly, get them asleep.”

“Yes, Sir Camden.”

They squad starts putting the ship's crew asleep on their level.

“Go and check the rooms, Wizard Drayson. We'll hold here.”

“Yes Sir.” Wizard Drayson recites the transport spell and disappears. He flies through the rooms in Ethereal Space. Soon he sees the hostage in a room.

Then another wizard flies into the room and sees the hostage as well.

“It's Richard.”

“Yes, he has device on his chest.”

“The problem is how it is triggered.”

“There could be more than one.”

“Okay, let's secure the rest of the level. We'll save him for last.”

“That's a good idea. Let's go.”

“Let no one open that door at all.”

“Right.”

They leave the room and rejoin their squads on their level.

~~~000~~~

Two more wings appear on a level on another ship.

“Let's take them down fast Wizard Hawklin, go and check the rooms out.”

“Right, I'll be quick about it.” He recites the transport spell and disappears in a blink of an eye.

He sees the ship's crew in various rooms. Then he sees lady Eliane tied to support
post. He sees a device attached to her stomach area.

Soon another wizard appears coming through the wall.

“There is one in here, Hawklin.”

“Yes, we'll have to be careful. Let's secure the rest of this level. It is just crewmen elsewhere.”

“Right, we'll save this one for last.”

They leave the room and return back to their wings.

~~~000~~~

Wizard Drayson appears next to Sir Camden.

“What's the situation?”

“We have a hostage on this level. It's Richard. He has a device on his chest. I met Wizard Manthion in there as well.”

“Do we save him for last?”

“Yes, we agreed to it. We know which room it is.”

“Okay men let's put the others to sleep. One squad takes one side of the hallway, while the other squad takes the other side.”

“Yes Sir Drayson.”

They exit the room and enter the hallway. They start using the sleep spell or sleep darts. Some of the crews put up a good fight.

Eventually all crew members are asleep. The wizards remove the pellets behind their neck and send it outside the ship.

They know this is practice. The smoke pellets are made of fine powder that is white in color.

The healers in the port have been working overtime to produce the pellets for this exercise. They are glad this is the last day of practice.

Eventually two wings meet in the middle and stop on a floor level.

“This is the room where Richard is.”

One of the knights reaches for the door handle.

“Stop! Don't open it. It could be a trigger for the bomb.”

“Okay, I won't open it. What are we going to do?”

“What did you see in there?”

“I saw a device attached to his chest. There is nothing connected to it. He does have the scarf around his neck to hold the pellet.”

“He will more than likely say something when he sees us.”

“Yes, therefore we must put him to sleep right away.”

“Even it's a single word. It will still trigger the bomb.”

“That's probably true.”

“Hmm . . . It's going to take both of us in there Drayson.”

“I agree. I will freeze the bomb. You put Richard to sleep.”

“Okay, you two get ready. I'll inform the commanders of the situation.”

“Sir Camden takes out his contact crystal. He puts his right hand above and concentrates. He recites the spell. Then the image of his Lieutenant Commander appears. He sees Sir Braxton nearby as well.”

“Sir Braxton and Sir Alesdair, Drayson and Manthion wings reporting in.”

“Is the level secure, Sir Camden?”

“It is sirs. We found a hostage, it is Richard. We're getting ready for the rescue as we speak.”

“Very good. So far six have been found and are safe. There are three, ahem, 'dead'.”

“Sigh . . . I understand. We'll be careful. We'll let you know the results soon.”

“Very good, good luck, Sir Camden.”

The image disappears above the crystal. Sir Camden puts the crystal into his pocket.

“Are you two ready?”

“We are.”

“We would like to see you work in there. Is there a way to do this with your
contact crystals?”

“Yes there is. Let me check my pocket.”

Wizard Drayson looks in one of his pockets. He brings out a small wrapped package. He unwraps and it reveals a sticky mass.

“That's unusual Drayson.”

“Yes it is. We found a way to make in Ringol. This was after the incident in the under kingdom last year. We realize it comes in handy for situations like this.”

“Just take a little bit and put it on the helmet. Then you can put the contact or light crystal there.”

“That's great.”

We all smile at each other.

Wizard Manthion takes a little bit and puts it on Wizard Drayson's helmet. He then puts Drayson contact crystal at that spot. Wizard Drayson does the same thing for Wizard Manthion.

We recite the spell to activate our contact crystals and connect to their crystals. Soon we see ourselves as they look at us. We all smile.

“Okay are you two ready?”

“Yes we are. At the same time Drayson.”

They put their hands outward. They recite the transport spell. They disappear in a blink of an eye.

They pass through the wall and stand near Richard. They look at each other. They nod their heads up and down. They end the spell and reappear in the room.

As soon as I see them. I'm startled for a moment. “No! I...” I scream.

Then they see the container get bigger. Drayson recites the freeze spell on the water bomb. It stops getting bigger.

At the same time as Drayson, Manthion recites the sleep spell just after I shouted.

I drop my head down and fall asleep.

Manthion looks at the back of the neck. He puts his hand above it. He recites the transport spell to remove the pellet. He grabs it with his mind and sends it outside the ship where it explodes in a puff of smoke.

The knights see this happening. They open the door and a few walk inside. They untie me and lay me down on a bed face up. They remove the device from my chest and lay it on the wooden floor.

Drayson recites the spell to wake me up.

“Unnnh.. Yawn . . . am I alive?”

Everybody laughs.

“Yes you are Richard. The bomb didn't explode.”

“Great, then we didn't get wet.”

“You mean that was a water bomb?”

“Yes, Sir Trenton came up with idea back in Thryson. It was used in a demonstration as a problem solver for your Legion Commanders.”

The other squad members laugh. Sir Halgren comes out to join us.

“There was one other trigger for the bomb at least.”

“Was it the door Richard?”

“Yes.”

The men laugh again.

“Then it was a good thing it wasn't opened.”

“Have you heard any word from the commanders?”

“Thank you for reminding me. I need to check in with them.”

Sir Camden takes out his contact crystal. He contacts the commanders like last time.

The wizards remove the crystals from their helmets and put it away. The knights help them clean up.

The image of Sir Krellen and Sir Braxton appear above the crystal.

“Is it a success, Sir Camden?”

“It is, sirs. Richard is alive and well. Nobody is wet sir.”

“Very good. Go and get the ship's crew awake from their sleep.”

“What's the tally on the rescue Sirs and the time?”

“Nine hostages are safe, three are wet and dead. The time took one half-mark.”

“You'll need a meeting to share the success and failures, Sir Braxton.”

“Yes we will, Richard. We'll have that next. Men, go now and wake them up. Then fly back to the ships in the bay.”

“Yes Sir Braxton.” The wing members respond at the same time.

The image disappears above the crystal.

“I guess I will be on the top deck waiting with Sir Halgren until a wizard shows up.”

“Yes, that's a good place to be. Thank you for the ideas. This has been a good scenario.”

“You're welcome. Don't get too over confident. The triggers and results on a star ship could be more nasty with lethal consequences.”

“That could happen. But using the freeze spell seems to be the best solution to get more time.”

“Yes it does. Now go men. The ship's crew is sleeping on the job far too long.” I smile at them.”

They all laugh at the joke.

“He's right men. Let's get busy.”

The two wings leave the room and hallway. Sir Halgren and I leave as well. We walk down the hallway. Then we climb several flights of stairs to reach the top deck.

We are greeted with cheers from some of the ship's crew.”

“Yes, he's alive and well.”

“Yes, they save me from getting another bath today.”

The men laugh when then hear that. Then we see Sir Braxton appear on the deck with a wizard. Everyone snaps to attention.

“At ease men.”

They go into a relaxed stance.

“The tally is nine rescued, and three are 'dead'. Obviously we need to work harder and think smarter. Go and clean up the bombs and traps. You're dismissed, then you can have your noon repast.”

“Yes Sir!”

They all stand attention momentarily, then they break apart to resume their duties.

“Come, Richard and Sir Halgren, we'll have our meeting on the flag ship in the bay.”

“Yes Sir.”

We put our hands onto the shoulder of the wizard. He recites the transport spell. We disappear in a blink of an eye. We fly to Beserte and the four ships that are docked in the bay.

We land on the deck and appear in a blink of an eye. We see a group of commanders on the main deck, including the Sea Captains.

“What's the status of the forces, Sir Krellen?”

“They're all on board the ships in the bay. They're waiting for the meeting Sir Braxton.”

“Okay. Let's all connect up and have our group meeting.”

The Lieutenant Commanders use their contact crystals and contact their wings. The wings all gather together and use their contact crystals as well. Soon the wizards recite the spell and everyone can see each other.

“As you've probably heard men. Nine are safe and three are 'dead'. The time for the rescue is a half-mark. Bear in mind men. Once we're on board, the star ship, the time could be slower. But we need to think clearly in rescuing the crew and our Outside Helpers.”

“So, let's discuss the ones who got wet with the water bombs. What happened out there?”

“Sir Tuvalt, here sir. One of our squad members opened the door before we were ready. When the door opened, the water bomb expanded and blew up. We didn't have time to freeze it.”

“I see, what about the smoke pellets? Did any explode too soon?”

“Sir Tragon here sir. We were able to defuse the trigger on the door handle. However, the hostage screamed as we entered in the room. We were too late, the pellet exploded.”

“What happened with the third one?”

“Sir Weldon here sir. We sprinkled some dust from the Ethereal Space. Then we saw a light beam focused on the water bomb.”

“We weren't sure what to do first. We were able to get the hostage asleep first by shooting a sleep dart from the Ethereal Space.”

“What are the solutions to these problems?”

A dwarf warrior speaks up. “I think the first thing to do is get the hostage asleep first. That prevents the pellet from exploding.”

“I'll agree with you on that. What else?”

` Sir Rance speaks next, “We have to examine the traps closely in the Ethereal Space. We must look at all angles and see how it is set up. From that we can determine the next set of steps.”

Everyone nods their heads up and down.

“That's good. What else?”

“The freeze spells worked really well in freezing the bomb and it's parts. My question is this. Can we do it from the Ethereal Space?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, we can shoot sleep darts from the Ethereal Space. How about a dart that has a freeze spell on it?”

Everyone smiles when they hear that.

“That's a good suggestion Sir Camden. Try it and see if it works. So, what is the solution for the light beam problem?”

“How about that we freeze the light source?”

“May I interject a response here, Sir Braxton?”

“Sure Richard, you can add your thoughts.”

“Thank you. Freezing a light source sounds fine here. But on the star ship, there will be electrical parts involved. Seeing the light beams with the dust is the first step.”

“But you need to find the source. If you block one light beam, it could trigger another sequence that you're not ready for. Sir Rance is right. You have to look at the entire set up.”

“Thank you, Richard. There could be multiple triggers involved. So, what are your ideas for triggers?”

Then they speak one at a time.

“The door.”

“Floor pressure.”

“Cascade, and one trigger causes another.”

“Sound or word spoken.”

“Light sensitive.”

It gets quiet for a moment.

“That's very good men.”

“How about a scenario where the hostage has to be rescued first then the bombs? The bombs could be tied to a critical part of the ship or in a cargo hold. How about the cannon deck?”

“I like that Richard. Besides saving the hostage, we have to save the ship.”

“All right men. Think about it during your noon repast. We'll have the ships at sea ready for you afterwards.”

“All right, let's discuss the successes.”

“We need to scout the rooms ahead with the wizards in the Ethereal Space.”

“Once we find the hostage, we can focus on the crew members. Save the hostage for last.”

“Our best solution was to send in two wizards. Have one for the bomb and one for the hostage to be put to sleep.”

“We did the same thing, Sir Braxton and Sir Krellen.”

“Very good men. You're learning. Does everyone understand that?”

“Yes Sir!” They all shout.

“Okay. The next scenario is going several steps further. Be sure to do it right. There is one more thing to worry about.”

“That's right Sir Braxton. Besides rescuing the hostage and putting the crew to sleep, you'll need to keep the ship safe.”

“It's up to you to decide what's going on and how to solve it. You have until after the noon repast.”

“Yes Sir!”

“You're dismissed.”

The images disappear above the crystals.

“Use all of the triggers mentioned. Have the water bombs in tricky places and difficult to get at.”

“Yes Sir Braxton.”

The Sea Captains put their hands on their wizard escort. They recite the transport spell and disappear in a blink of an eye. They fly back to their ships to get it ready for the next scenario.

Twainor's forces have their noon repast on board the ships docked in the bay.

“Come, Richard and Sir Halgren. We'll have our noon repast down below.”

“Yes Sirs.”

We follow the commanders down to the galley deck, which is four flights down to the stern of the ship. I see there is enough seating for us all. I can imagine a full crew here eating in shifts at sea.

We take our seats. Some ensigns come to our tables and put mugs and pitchers on the table for us. The pitchers have a lid covering with a pour spout.

We pour ourselves mugs of fruit juice. We drink and talk while we wait for the first dish to come out.

“Well, this next scenario should be more interesting.”

“Yes Richard. The Sea Captains will make it more complicated this time. When we are done with this scenario, you and Sir Halgren will get some sling and stone practice.”

“Yes, Sir Braxton.”

The ensigns bring out the first dish. I see a simple dish of cold vegetables, nuts and sliced fruit.

“How are the men handling the up and coming stress, sirs?”

“Some are anxious. Some are trying to stay calm as possible. They're trying to stay focused as much as possible.”

“I think we all experienced something like that at one time or another Sir Krellen. Have you Richard?”

“Not on this scale sirs. I have played some war games with friends via a computer network, so I am familiar with some tactics.”

“How did you do that?”

“You've the seen the layout of the scout ship?”

“We have Richard. It is a small craft.”

“Yes it is. There are four monitors that control the operation of the scout ship. Well, my friends and I would play war games via those type of monitors.”

“I see, so you would move your forces and equipment around to gain the advantage against your friends.”

“That's about sums it up.”

We get done with the first dish. The ensigns come and take our plates, then they come back with the main dish. We see two kinds of fish served on the plate. One is grilled. The other is pan-fried. They have a wonderful set of herbs and spices on top of them. There are also two servings of different vegetables on the platter as well.

We all take a bite. We enjoy the flavors as the food tantalizes our taste buds.

“This is great sir. This freshly caught fish is very good.”

“Yes it is Richard. That's one of the advantages of being at sea.”

We continue eating the meal. After awhile, we get done with it. Then the ensigns come in and take our plates away. They come back and put a bowl in front of us. Then several bowls of fruit are brought for each table. We each grab two different kinds of fruit.

We cut into them and slice them up. We enjoy eating them very much. We have to wipe our chins and mouths from time to time. We don't say anything to each other during this time.

When we get done, the ensigns come back and pick up our bowls. They leave a damp cloth for each of us to clean ourselves up.

We pour ourselves another mug of juice. We begin to talk among ourselves again to plan the day ahead.

“This should prove really interesting now. They will need to rescue the hostages first, then the ship.”

Lady Thelina speaks up. “I almost got wet the last time, Prince Graigon. They better think it through really good. Fortunately, I had a sealing spell on me to keep me dry.”

“Don't worry about it. If you do get wet, it will be an excuse to take a bath tonight.”

“I will be taking one anyway. But not on the ship, it will be in port here.”

“If I get wet again, I will have the evening repast with the ship's crew instead of the rescuers.”

“Yes my Lady.” He smiles at her.

The door opens to the galley. A knight makes an announcement. “I just received word Sir Braxton. They’re ready on the ships.”

“Very good. Let's go to the main deck and begin the next scenario.”

Lady Thelina gets up and walks out briskly.

We finish our last mug of juice. Then we all get up from the benches and leave the galley. We walk up the flights of stairs to the top deck.

I hang back and ask Sir Braxton a question or two.

“Who is she, Sir Braxton?”

“She's a princess from Svedean. Her father thought it might be good for her to see what goes on in getting the forces prepared, Richard.”

“Are the other hostages royalty members as well?”

“Some are Richard. Needless to say it has been a really good learning experience for them.”

“I would think so Sir. Usually royalty hostages are forced to reveal any secrets that will give the captors an edge or demands for a high ransom amount.”

“Yes, we hope our Outside Helpers on board the star ship has not suffered any of that. This is a test for them as well.”

“Yes, let's hope all is well for them up there.”