Earth's Last Days: The Invasion

Gaf flew the shuttle toward the planet they had crashed on previously. He didn't know what else to do. His brother wouldn't give him a chance. Because he didn't attack the female leader when they removed his bar shackles, his brother branded him a traitor.

Gaf had found the shuttle in a dumping ground. He was relieved to find that it still worked. It was old and had been in the dumping ground for what looked like decades.

He flew off the planet while the 'masters' army was surrounding the dome. They didn't even see him leave the planet. Their entire focus was on the dome because they wanted inside. He knew they couldn't get inside. His brother had ordered the blast shields up. His people were safe.

Gaf hoped that there were no tracking devices on the shuttle. He didn't think they even remembered the shuttle was there. It was tossed out with the trash. It looked like it had been left for decades, maybe longer. He didn't know, and he didn't want to take the chance that he was followed.

Looking through the front shuttle windows, he saw two shuttles approaching. The female leader, Council Leader Niki, had told him two shuttles would come and flank him so he could be escorted to the planet.

He watched them approach. One of them came so close that a transport tunnel could be affixed to the ship. The door of the closest shuttle opened, and a tube shot out, heading toward the shuttle he was on. He realized that connecting the shuttles was exactly what they were going to do.

The tunnel slammed into his shuttle, the sealing ring affixing to the shuttle side over his own shuttle door. He backed away in fear. He hoped that his choice to find sanctuary with the Ramesians was not a bad decision. He was not informed that he would be boarded.

Gaf watched as the shuttle's door panel's lights flashed from red to green, and the door slid open. Two large males entered. Both were Ramesian.

"Come with us," one stated. "We are going to destroy this shuttle to make sure there are no tracking devices on it. Our Council Leaders are hoping that the people of Gorgen will assume the shuttle exploded and you with it."

Gaf, understanding, nodded. "I will come with you," he told them.

Following the two Ramesians through the tunnel, they entered their shuttle. As soon as they were all inside, the other end of the transport tube closed and detached from the shuttle he had stolen. The tube quickly shot toward the Ramesian shuttle, and then the shuttle door closed. As a group, the two shuttles left the area, and then the second shuttle fired a blaster cannon at the empty shuttle, destroying it.

Gaf watched as the small shuttle exploded, leaving only a small area of shards of the debris from the ship, creating a small debris field.

One of the Ramesians in the shuttle walked up to him. He was holding wrist bar shackles. "We are ordered to bind you until after our Council Leaders speak with you," he told Gaf.

Gaf held up his wrists to cooperate. The Ramesian bound him, then sat in front of him, watching him closely. It made Gaf uncomfortable.

They sat in silence until the shuttle reached the planet. It glided smoothly to the surface, through the opening of the dome, and to the landing pad.

"We're here," the Ramesian sitting in front of him stated. "The Council Leaders are waiting to speak with you."

Gaf nodded. "Thank you," he said calmly. He knew when he left that he would be interrogated first. He had to cooperate if he ever wanted to live in peace.

The door to the shuttle opened, and two of the males escorted him out through the shuttle door. As they entered outside, he sighed in relief at the two council leaders waiting for him. As a group, they stopped in front of the two leaders.

"This male cooperated, doing nothing to hinder our duty," the male stated, who had been watching him the entire time.

Council Leader Vorik nodded. "Thank you." He looked at Gaf. "Follow us."

The two council leaders headed in the direction of a large building. It looked like a prison. His face paled, but he didn't fight them. He kept going.

He was escorted through a long hallway inside the building. They went past rows of empty cells and stopped only at the far end. The door slid open. He felt a sharp pain in his neck before he sat.

***

Council Leader Vorik stood in front of Gaf. "Why did you contact us and return here?" he asked.

Gaf answered without hesitation. His voice was monotone, his eyes focused on nothing. "I needed help, and I didn't know what else to do."

"You thought we would help you after your people lied to us about whose planet you were from?" Vorik asked.

"I didn't know if you would help me or kill me, but the options were worse than the small bit of hope for help. I was trapped outside the dome city with the rest of the planet who hate us. They have orders to execute our people on sight," Gaf answered. "Staying there, there was no chance of survival. Coming here, there was a chance at life and peace; however small, it was still a chance larger than staying on Gorgen."

"If we help you, what do you plan to do?" Vorik asked, eyeing Gaf closely. He had to watch for the serum lifting.

"I plan on living in peace. I will work and give my fair share to help the life here if you let me. Perhaps I will find a mate and have a family. I want peace. This is my only chance," Gaf stated.

"Why here?" Council Leader Niki asked quickly. She could tell that the serum was starting to wear off.

"Because it was the only place I could go," Gaf stated.

*** 10 years later ***

Gaf sat on his small porch, looking into the street. His mate was inside with their son, Jemn. His son was now seven seasons cycles. He was happy he had come to Ramesia. He found his mate only days after he was interrogated with truth serum. Of course, he didn't know he had been interrogated with truth serum at the time, nor did he know what he had said that spared his life. Whatever it was, he was grateful.

"Hey Gaf!" Council Leader Niki called in to greet him. She and her mate Trei were headed toward him. An infant in her arms, and her son Drake walking behind them.

Gaf smiled and waved. He stood up quickly and gave the gesture of respect. Just because they were friends now didn't mean he shouldn't show her the respect she deserved.

"Where's the birthday boy?" she asked, smiling.

Gaf gestured inside the dwelling. "My mate, Rala, is still setting up."

Niki laughed and headed into the dwelling. Drake stayed outside with Trei. Drake was looking around as if he were looking for something.

Gaf chuckled. "Your cousin Finn isn't here yet. You can go inside if you like," he offered.

Drake shrugged and went inside, not saying anything.

Gaf turned to Trei. "Any new developments on Gorgen?" he asked. He knew they were keeping an eye on the planet and the dome his people were in.

Trei shook his head. "No. They are all still safely inside. There are a few of the others inside, too.

They are the parents of the half-breeds. Apparently, they were thankful their offspring were taken there for safety. Somehow, your brother let the parents in. We weren't expecting that. They seem to be living a much happier life."

"So, they are safe and happy?" Gaf asked to clarify. He could tell by Trei's words, but still wanted the clarification.

"It appears so," Trei smiled.

Gaf was unable to ask anything else. Guard Commander Drevick was walking up with Aleigha and her son Finn. Drevick was holding one of their twins. Aleigha was holding the other. Aliegha looked up at him and smiled.

"Drake is inside," Gaf told Finn. Finn just nodded and headed inside, just like his cousin Drake.

"He's not speaking right now," Aleigha told him. "He does that. He's at the age..."

Gaf laughed, understanding.

Council Leader Vorik walked up next. His twins were running around them, pestering each other. Alice was patting her swollen belly. Her face glowed from the inside out from her pregnancy.

Gaf smiled to himself. He had come to this planet ten years ago with a spark of hope that they wouldn't kill him. All he wanted was peace and perhaps a family one day. Now, he had family, friends, and a home he loved.

***

As Council Leader Vorik sat in a wide chair with his mate beside him. They were gathered for Gaf's son's birthday. He stared at his friends and smiled widely.

"What is it?" Niki asked him. She smiled at her friend and co-leader of the people.

Vorik turned to Niki, grasping his mate Alice's hand. "I just realized that I am happier than I have ever been in my entire life." He looked at Alice. "I have a beautiful mate with twin sons. Another child is on the way. I have family and friends that I would have never thought I would have. Our people are safe, and our lives are full of love and happiness. I owe that all to you," he told Niki.

Niki gasped in shock as everyone looked at Vorik. Tears were suddenly falling down Niki's face. "Me? I don't understand."

"If you hadn't challenged Tosh. We would all be under the influence of his serum. We would all be slaves to his whims. It wasn't just you," he added. "It was also Jada and Aleigha. Without the three of you. All three of our races would still be filled with despair."

Aleigha got up and went to Vorik. She stared at him for a moment before hugging him. She kept her arms around him as she spoke. "It wasn't us. It was you. We only helped. You are the one who provided a worthy leader. You chose to help us rather than destroy us all. That's why we helped. We saw you and knew you were the one who needed to be in Tosh's place. You care. Not just about Ramesians but all of us. Humans, Kreq, and anyone else who needs it. Without you, peace would have never been possible. Without you, we couldn't have done what we did. Without you, we would all be dead."

Tears welled up in Vorik's eyes. Alice bent toward him, holding him tightly. Aleigha was still hugging him. Niki got up and joined them. It was a group hug. One that no one seemed to care about what was going on. Everyone in the room watched. They had heard what Aleigha had said. They were all fighting back tears of their own. Everyone in the room knew that what she said was the truth. No one needed the truth serum to believe it.

Gaf smiled, watching them. He turned to his mate, kissing her gently. "I wouldn't have you either, but in my case, it was also Niki."

Everyone stayed at Jemn's birthday party, smiling and laughing. It was a group of friends that would have never met if it weren't for an invasion forced by a greedy leader, stopped by three human females, and now led by a leader who truly cares.

The Kreq had their own dome. So did the humans. There were several domes built over the years. There was enough space for everyone who wanted to live on the planet and not in space. The older domes from before the invasion were left untouched. They didn't even try to deactivate the explosives. They put up warnings that they were there. Other than that, they remained untouched as a monument of life before the invasion. They were left as a reminder.

Before the invasion of Earth, Ramesia was thought to be a dying world. It had all been a lie. Now, Ramesia was filled with life, laughter, and love and is now home to four races and their mixed offspring, no longer just one.

It was proof that good could come out of something terrible. Without the invasion of Earth, Ramesians would never have found their mates, which was something that had been lost to them over the years. Without the invasion of Earth, Gaf's people would never have been freed from slavery on Gorgen. Without the invasion of Earth, the Kreq would still be controlled by their leader and living in despair. Without the invasion of Earth, there would be no peace for Humans, Ramesians, Kreq, or Gaf's people, whom no one knows what his race is called. It took an invasion of a planet for four races to find love, happiness, and peace.

Every race involved had discovered firsthand that sometimes, good could come out of the bad. Hope, compassion, and love are all that is needed to find the good. They just had to be willing to look for it and accept it, and sometimes fight for it.

THE END