14 Guests from Afar

When Sera looked back, Swetlana schooled her expression to absolute fondness and servility. So much so, Sera reeled back for a second there. The dominatrix-like looks of Swetlana and the obsequious expression on her did not go together at all. After a moment, Sera dismissed it. 

As long as it gets the job done, she is ready to collaborate with anyone at all. 

" Right now, the planet's position is near the forty second axis. I want to launch these two transmitters into space, so that they can form a connection with the galaxy net through the communication tower on top of the tree. " Sera explained. 

" Just by themselves, they will not be able to do much. " Swetlana answered. 

" I know. I am going to create an adapter with the nano material here, one for each transmitter. At the same time, both transmitters need to be self-sustaining, so they will need solar wings. I can do calculations, but I need someone experienced to guide me. " Sera opined. 

" This is a miracle if it works with what we have. " Swetlana opined. 

" I was hoping you two would be able to accomplish this. After all, you are soldiers of the Dark knight. You are supposed to have roamed the entire universe. " Sera said. 

" Indeed. So, what have you figured out ? " Swetlana asked. 

" For now, I have obtained the star chart and gravitational field map of the three nearest stars. You see, here at point Z, there is a field of light. If we are able to deploy the smaller station here, it will always have ample energy to release the strongest wave pattern. Getting the station to reach this point is the problem. There's not enough power to get there no matter how I calculate. For the complete station, I want to reach this point on the forty second axis, but I can't figure out a path to that destination. Also .. " Sera started explaining away all her problems to Swetlana, who was listening seriously. 

… 

Just like that, they spent an entire day. The Redwood man and Kefir both just cleaned up monsters on the periphery. Redwood completely absorbed animal remains. Kefir took only the necessary parts, and threw the rest to the carnivorous plants. 

The bee larvae Redwood stored last time around have matured. They came out of his head, buzzed all over the place collecting honey. With their flight, it was like thousands of little eyes in the air. 

🟆✧✦

In the air, a giant battered spaceship was rushing at an extreme speed. 

" Captain ! Gravitational storm approaching from 6 O'clock. " The scout informed the captain. 

The captain cursed inwardly. They have a giant starbeast to the left, a hot star on the right, and the galaxy's most powerful hunter team behind them. Now, they have a bloody gravitational storm in front of them. If it were just a few months ago, he would have flown confidently into the gravitational storm. 

However, their spaceship has lost its shield capability. They have to manually target and destroy all the debris flying through the gravitational storm ! 

" Sir ! There's a connection to the galaxy net ! " The comms officer almost screamed in delight as if a parched man finding water in the desert. 

Indeed, they are parched ! 

In these times and days where even an elementary student can not live without g-net, they have survived for more than twenty years without connection to the world ! 

Twenty years ! 

" Update star charts of the region, then get me info on the possible debris in the grav-storm. Betty ! You know tracing the direction of the signal comes first, Right ? " He said. 

" Yes sir ! On it. " Betty is so enthusiastic her fingers are flying at inhuman speed. 

" We .. we have a message from comms officer Swetlana ! Damn ! She sent locations of the geo stations and a planet address, sir ! " Betty answered, almost trembling from excitement. 

Before the captain could even utter a word, she sent the information to the main monitor. 

In usual times, this is an offense that could get you behind the bars for three years. This time, no one noticed at all. 

Finally ! After twenty years of roaming the space like nomads, they finally have a destination. ! 

" Sir ! " Betty screamed once again. 

Captain Jain's attention turned to her once again. 

" There's a message from the commander's channel ! " Betty said in absolute awe and disbelief. 

' What ???!!!!! ' That's the feeling of everyone. 

Jain got off his seat, rushed to Betty to check. 

There is indeed a message from the commander. It's a command to regroup. 

But the coordinates given are on the opposite side of the galaxy. 

Captain Jain had but few moments to choose. It's as hard as choosing between mom and dad. Swetlana said she found a place to settle down. They will be once again on the warpath after they meet the commander. 

For a moment, captain Jain was under the most stress he has ever been. Then, he made his decision. 

" Set the course for the planet Vice commander Swetlana found. We will enter the gravitational storm. Remove all the shield receptors. Engineering team .. re-assemble these into mini tractor beams that can rotate. We will gather up the fine dust into balls, and shoot them out as we leave. " 

The entire team looked at him in shock ! 

Captain Jain's face changed ! 

" Hey ! Who said you can't fight missiles with mudballs ? It's just that they did not fling a big enough mud ball at fast enough speed. To the stations, folks ! We have a fight to win. " He shouted at the officers. 

The people around him smiled. 

" As expected of our cheapskate commander. " They commented as they went to work eagerly. 

After a long time, they are full of energy. 

This is the last ship in a fleet that has been hunting them. 

🟆✧✦

" What are they doing ? " The captain in the giant spaceship behind the rundown spaceship wondered. 

" Sir ! I think they are flying straight into the gravitational storm ! " The path finder officer answered. 

" What ?! Are they mad ? Even the best of the Dark Knight army can not make it through that gravitational storm ! It's full of diamond dust. They will be shredded to pieces ! " The captain exclaimed. 

" Do we continue to pursue, sir ? " The man asked. 

" We will inform the higher management. Stand by until further orders are received. " Captain spoke. 

Further orders arrived fast. 

" Comrades, we are in for a long haul. Hunker up ! " The captain announced when he saw the orders. 

They are to remain here till the storm passes. When the storm passes through, they are supposed to search for debris of the spaceship, DNA material, then the mission is completed. 

🟆✧✦

" Sir, the prep is ready. " The engineering officer informed captain Jain. 

" We are ready to fire any time. " The man manning the weapon station replied. 

" We will not fire. " Captain Jain made a choice. 

" Fire them forward, clearing the path for us. " he opined. 

As such, his subordinates complied, and just like that, multitude of sparkling spheres hurtled through the gravitational storm at unimaginable speed, collecting all the fine diamond dust as they moved. 

" From now on, we only have these three defense points to protect. " Captain Jain projected the coordinates on the map. 

One is the transmitter station deployed on 42nd axis, another was the repeater deployed in a strange sort of space alcove that always receives light from a distant pulsar, yet another was the coordinates sent by Swetlana on planet 144. 

" Everything else can be considered expendable, including other places on planet 144. " The captain explained to them. 

" All mechanical teams will be manning the stations. We will not let such a little storm bother us. Who are we ? " he asked. 

" Dark Knights. " The answer reverberated through the spaceship. 

🟆✧✦

On the planet 144, Sera, Swetlana, Kefir and their three kids are hunkered up in the house built by Sera. It has nice french windows, a sky dome, separate bed rooms for children and adults, as well as a comfortable bed. 

Five days ago, they launched both satellites with the help of a gravitational storm. Sera could never have thought of such a crazy idea. Swetlana could not just think of it, but also accomplish it. 

Once the satellites were launched, they just had to wait. 

Swetlana worked Sera to the bone, trying to cultivate the seeds she had. The Pigface fruit is on its tenth crop in just three days. The fruits are piled up like hills by the color. When bored, the children will remove the fruits from the stems. 

As soon as the first set of fruits arrived, Swetlana set to work. She created iron out of the red fruits, copper out of sky blue fruits, glass by combining white and yellow fruits ; Sera did not even know it's possible. 

" It's a commercial secret of Cryonis. " Swetlana explained. 

All the same, with each passing day, the house gained something new. On the first day, it's a simple kitchenette and windows. On the second day, it's the second floor with french windows. On the third day, there's a giant aquarium, a bathing tub and a sky dome, plus a wide third floor. 

On the fourth day, it's connecting elevators on the giant Baobab. 

Fortunately, they made a full on connection with G-net and downloaded ten years worth of entertainment and news on the fifth day.