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"What's the nature of your relationship with Caleb?"

Jess answered Gerald's question, "He's the Son I never had. He never

had much of a home life when he was growing up ~ I'm the Father he

never had."

"There they are!" Gerald yelled ~ Jess grabbed the

communicator ~ "Show'em to me!" Ben Arsafat turned the camera on

them. They looked fine, in fact they looked too good! Jess addressed

them, "Are you all right?" They each nodded and replied that they were

"just fine." Jess ordered, "OK, suit'em up and send'em on over, then I'll

dis-arm the booby trap and open the cargo door for your inspection."

Jess continued, "don't worry bout us trying to pull anything, this shuttle

craft is unarmed and I can see your laser ports, you've got plenty of fire

power."

"You've got that right," Arsafat snarled ~ "as a matter of

fact I've got you in my sights right now."

At that moment the alarm sounded, Gerald screamed, "He's not joking

they've locked on us!"

Arsafat calmly addressed them, "Now you disarm that freighter and open

her doors or I'll vaporize you right now.

~ ~ ~ ~

Caleb heard the whole thing ~ Caleb told Gerald to get the old freighter

between them and the Gog warship and then sit tight.

Gerald acknowledged ~ ~ ~

Gerald told Arsafat, "Yes, we'll do as you say but I've got to move to the

other side of the freighter for proper docking or she'll blow."

Arsafat okayed the maneuver ~ ~ ~

At that moment Caleb slammed the progression stick to

"full progression" ~ Big Red 3 was traveling! Caleb had the Gog

warship on his screen, at that moment Arsafat's Captain heard the alarm!

The Gog Captain had a choice ~ ease to the other side of the freighter

and kill the shuttle or ready his ship for combat with Caleb. He couldn't

do both. The Gog Captain wasn't a fool, from the speed he knew this

incoming ship was no common shuttle. He could plainly see that the ship

was coming in for the kill. Arsafat's Captain readied his ship and crew for

engagement as he headed his warship for open space.

Caleb was "locked on" so Arsafat's Captain couldn't cloak his ship.

Caleb was gaining on Arsafat, soon he would fire ~ just a little closer.

Big Red's gun range was much greater than the Gog warship.

Fire! Caleb fired 3 rounds ~ It was all over ~ The vaporization of the

Gog warship was a beautiful sight ~ it looked like a bright star ~ getting

brighter ~ brighter ~ then total darkness.

Caleb had forgotten that Diane was there. She was pale and sick

looking. Caleb asked, "Are you all right?" She responded, "Yes, it's just

that ~ I've never seen anything like that, weren't you afraid?"

Caleb frowned, "No, I never thought about anything else but killing that

Gog warship. I didn't have time to be afraid."

Let's go get our friends ~ ~ ~

Caleb cloaked Big Red and headed towards the shuttle while he was

very carefully watching his screen. Cloaking required so much energy

that Big Red's powerful guns were disabled while she is cloaked.

Gog Command had seen the dog fight on the screen but they weren't

sure what they had witnessed. They didn't realize that Arsafat was out

there in a warship. After all, he was trying to steal the Space coral for

himself. They didn't even know they had a warship in the area.

It would take a little investigating before they would know.

Gerald and Jess were well hidden behind the old freighter. They

would sit tight till Caleb told them when to make their move.

~ ~ ~ ~

Caleb asked, "Did you see the fireworks? Jess answered, "Yeah! Twas a

pretty site ~ the double crossing Gog trash haulers, they had it comin'.

Well ~ you said dead or alive ~ it didn't matter ~ they're pretty dead now."

Caleb muttered, "Not much of a loss ~ You better slide that little scooter

into the old freighter's port and head for home. I'll hang back,

remain cloaked and watch over you. I'm sure Gog Command will be

sending a few hustlers out to investigate. If they try to board you, tell'em

where to go. I'll give'em all they want if they bother you ~ I just need

a little time to recover after de-cloaking ~ you know ~ so my guns will

be up to snuff."

~ ~ ~ ~

Diane was fascinated, "What a beautiful show! It's beyond words

watching you control this magnificent ship." She continued, "Is there

anything Big Red can't do?"

Caleb was letting his pride show again, "Naw, she can do it all."

~ ~ ~ ~

Caleb called headquarters ~ they patched him through to the President.

"Hello Mr. President ~ Mission accomplished."

The President responded, "That's amazing, we're still working on a

plan and you've already finished the job? Did we suffer any losses ?"

Caleb quietly confessed, "Just two Lilies ~ so far so good."

The President inquired, "How much did it cost us?"

Caleb cleared his throat, "A little better than 10 million and the Space

Coral is still not secured. We could still lose the coral, we're not out of

danger yet."

The President was excited, "Coral ~ So that's where it is ~ we thought it

had been pirated ~ be careful ~ come on in ~ we'll have a party when

you arrive ~ Thanks Caleb ~ I'm speaking for all of Ephysia when I tell

you, we owe you far more than anything we can do for you!"

Caleb humbled himself, "There are 3 more who deserve all of the

credit."

Caleb gave their names and citizen numbers to be recorded for

compensation and Medals of Honor.

Diane was deep in thought, "I never thought about a reward or

compensation, I just wanted to help you."

Caleb squeezed her hand as he gazed into her eyes. Wow! Her eyes

no longer showed evidence of the negative spirit which he had previously

seen. "Thanks Alpha!"

~ ~ ~ ~

Caleb couldn't believe what he was seeing! ~ ~ ~

Hundreds of Gog Hustlers were advancing towards the shuttle and

the freighter. They were no more than 1/2 hour out.

"Get into the suit, you're going over to the shuttle, I'm going to de-cloak

and lead these Monkeys out into space away from the shuttle ~ Then

I'll do some business ~ that's what I get paid for."

Diane knew she had better not argue, she had complete faith in his

ability to do the right thing.

Jess and Gerald helped her into the shuttle. Caleb spoke to Jess, "Watch

out for each other and bring Gerald into Alpha Command ~ teach him well!"

Jess cried out, "Okay but you talk like you ain't coming back."

Caleb answered, "You never know about this business."

Within seconds Big Red was gone! Caleb was going to get

far away from the shuttle before he would de-cloak and power up his big

guns.

Several minutes passed ~ it seemed like eternity ~ then ~

"There he is!" ~ Gerald yelled out as he pointed to the screen ~ "He's

de-cloaked and intercepting the Gog Hustlers ~ look at the speed ~

Now he's turning out into deep space" ~

Jess hollered out, "He's taking them out into deep space for combat ~

taking them away from us!"

Diane sobbed, "That's what he told me he was going to do ~ will he

make it? ~ can he handle that many Hustlers?"

Jess looked down ~ he was choking up ~ "No ~ not even Caleb and

Big Red 3 can handle that many Gog Hustlers without some back-up."

Diane cried out, "Well he can outrun them, why doesn't he?"

Jess answered through his tears, "Caleb knows that they would just

turn around and come back after us ~ He's going to take'em far away

from us ~ kill as many as he can ~ before he buys the farm ~ He knows

it'll give us time to get back into Ephysian Space ~ thanks to Caleb and

Big Red 3 ~ Gog would never invade Ephysian Space ~ over the years

Caleb has killed hundreds of Gog Invaders ~ They're scared to come

anywhere close to Ephysian Space."

~ ~ ~ ~

The Tearful Three sat there watching the big screen ~ ~ ~

Diane ~ through her tears, cried out, "He has to make it ~ You know ~ to

spread the good news about Alpha's Kingdom." "Alpha won't let anything

happen to him ~ Will he?"

Jess was crushed by his obvious loss, "Alpha works in strange ways,

you just never know."

Several hours had passed ~ ~ ~

Then it began ~ Caleb engaged the swarm!

Caleb would cloak his ship ~ Get the best angle ~ then de-cloak and

streak by the swarm of Hustlers taking out several Hustlers each run ~

Then he'd cloak again ~ he had'em running in circles.

Gerald was so involved watching the battle ~ he hadn't noticed the

approaching Ephysian Warship.

Gerald quickly notified the warship about the battle in progress.

The Captain of the warship told them, "Yes, we know all about it ~ Caleb

called us in several hours ago ~ he ordered us to come out on the fringe of

Ephysian Space and escort you home.

Diane sobbed, "Can't you go help him?"

The Captain explained ~ Caleb had given him his orders and he had

to obey them." He continued, "I want to help but we could do very

little to help him ~ we would just lose a warship and crew ~ Let's head

for home."

Then it happened ~ ~ ~

Big Red 3 disappeared ~ ~ ~ had Caleb cloaked his ship or was he

destroyed?

Then a tremendous flash occurred in the sector from which Caleb was

doing battle.

The Ephysian Warship's Captain came on the communicator,

"I'm afraid our good friend and soldier just bought it."

It was all the Good Captain could do to talk.

He finally was able to utter, "Let's go home."