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  “I met Mark Crawford. As an empath I can tell you he is essentially a good man who relies on logic, not emotion. He loves Jade deeply and will protect her at all costs. He serves his country but is not blind to its failings. He can be trusted to do what he believes is right. He wants us to be successful in our reservation. There has been much emotional pain in his life and he is not a believer in any religion. In fact, he finds religion to be as abhorrent as we do.”

  “Would he kill to protect the people he loves?”

  “Yes.”

  “Would he kill for an idea or a philosophy?”

  “I do not know. He is, I think, not sure himself.”

  “Is Jade aware of this man’s nature, that he is capable of violence?”

  “Yes, she is fully aware of the psychological differences between them and us.”

  “I think I will be needing your skills often once we arrive, Clover. I want you to make sure you warn Jade of anything negative in the people who surround her. I want you to stay very close to her because of all of us she will be the one most exposed to danger.”

  Hawk decided to contact Earth. They had already sent four requests for contact and it was obvious they were getting upset.

  “This is Captain Hawk of The Pride of Tuath. Greetings. We will be going into geostationary orbit above the reservation. The co-ordinates you sent were processed by our AI, I thank you for that. We will be stationary for ten minutes while preparing for our descent. Please indicate to our AI where exactly you wish us to land.” Hawk ordered the AI to implement full scanning, it took three minutes and checked out as all clear. Landing requirements came in and Hawk gave the order for the slow descent. The sea was shining bright blue beneath them and then they could see rows of small buildings near a landing circle, not far inland. They positioned The Pride of Tuath thirty metres above the white, concrete landing circle. Then Hawk gave the order for Jay, Jade and Clover to transport. Jade reached the transport room first, she was trembling with excitement. She stood with the others, breathing deeply, waiting for the AI to operate the transport.

  CHAPTER FIVE

  Making Friends

  Mark’s pager went off as soon as the message that the portal had opened was received from Mars. He ran to the communications room but just about everyone was already there. The message simply stated that it had opened and they could not ascertain if a ship had come out of it yet as there had been no communication received. Things got tense as time passed with no word from Mars. Then the huge land-based Martian radio-telescope system picked up a trace: there was indeed a ship heading for the inner planets. Messages were sent, but still there was no reply.

  “Why are they being so coy?” asked Richard.

  “Security reasons. They are checking out the lie of the land,” said Daniel.

  “It means they are not ready to trust us yet,” observed Jack.

  Later when the message about their intention to land on Mars was received, both Jack and Daniel were in a huddle with Barry. “They are covering all their bases, as the Americans would say. They are also giving us a chance to attack or do something stupid while they still can just run away. It also disrupts any nasty plans we may have had for them,” said Barry.

  “Perhaps we should send them a ‘welcome, don’t be frightened’ message?” asked Mark.

  “Definitely not! Say nothing, it is better they check us out and gain confidence through their own intelligence,” replied Daniel. “We just have to sit it out and let them make all the moves.”

  A message came from the Martian base stating that the crew would be making a short tour and that Jade was aboard and sent her love to Professor Crawford. They watched and waited while the Martian tour took place and breathed a sigh of relief as they finally took off and arrived in orbit above the reservation. Mark was wondering how much longer he would have to wait when the final descent began and he was able to watch The Pride approach slowly through the telescope. The sky was cloudless so Mark had a perfect view and could almost sense Jade getting close to him. He had been hoping that she would speak to him directly on the communications link, but it became obvious that there was to be no real contact until captain Hawk thought it was safe to allow it. Mark left the telescope and walked out into the bright daylight with the welcoming group. They watched in awe as the huge ship hovered twenty metres above the landing pad, its anti-grav ring glowing. Three figures appeared suddenly like magic below the ship; they walked steadily towards the welcoming group, then one started to run forward. Mark lost all his usual sense of decorum and also starting running forward. Mark swept up Jade into his arms and spun her around twice, kissing her as he went. They were oblivious to the fact that Jay and Clover had walked past them and were shaking hands in a far more formal manner with the others.

  After the usual medicals and the showing of quarters, Jay decided to call Hawk and tell him that all was well and to disembark. The evening meal was to be a traditional barbeque, but the Tuathans were vegetarians which caused a problem until Hawke suggested the steak and sausages could be replicated. The prawns and fish were very acceptable. The wine and beer flowed to such a stage that, shortly after sunset, they were singing folk songs and the Tuathans, who loved to dance, had formed a dance ring around the fire. They danced on their toes, lightly swinging their partners rapidly as the circle moved round the fire. The Earthmen watched enchanted.

  “They really are like fairies,” one soldier whispered.

  “They are certainly magical, and wonderful to watch,” answered his friend, who had been unable to keep his eyes off one of the Tuathan females. Mark and Jade were sitting on a blanket with their arms around each other; Barry leant over and said, “I think I can report back that the initial landing has been a diplomatic triumph.”

  “I think you can, Barry. It’s a good sign when the leader of their party ends up dancing and singing around a fire. I think we better allow a one-day rest tomorrow with no negotiations, the hangovers could be nasty.”

  “No mate, Hawk told me they don’t get hangovers and he will replicate a little something for us all in the morning. Don’t you just love these people? Well, I don’t need to ask you that,” Barry laughed.

  It was well past midnight before people began to go to the sleeping quarters. Hawke and Jay went back to the ship, but most of the others chose to sleep either under the stars in sleeping bags. Mark asked Jade, “Why? didn’t they like the quarters?”

  “Oh Mark, there is nothing wrong, it’s because they are very happy. They want to see the stars smiling on them. It’s hard to explain.”

  “A cultural thing?”

  “Yes, we have a saying that when things are going right the stars are smiling on us. For a long time they didn’t, it is a huge relief for us to be in a place we both loved and feared, to find we are welcome. I myself cannot express the emotions we are feeling because it’s like a racial memory, its overwhelming us. Look at Clover, she is what we call an Empath, attuned to emotional responses.” Jade pointed to where Clover was sitting. She was in deep meditation, her face in her hands.

  “Is she all right?” asked Mark.

  “Yes, but she is overwhelmed by sensory data and must filter it through learned meditation techniques. She will process her perceptions and draw conclusions about them. Only then will she be able to verbalise them. We think that as empaths develop they will want to dispense with vocalisation altogether, it already seems an effort for them.”

  “We have a lot to learn about Tuathan ways. But right now I’m going to carry you off to bed!”

  CHAPTER SIX

  Settling In

  In the morning, the Tuathans started settling in properly. They all had brought personal items that would adorn their new homes. In the afternoon Hawke met with Mark and Barry and told them he wished to relieve the military of their duties and for the Tuathans to arrange their own security. This was to be done by erecting a force field over and around the main settlement. Hawke explained that it would deflect low
energy force such as a person trying to walk through it, but would only partially absorb the energy of a bullet to a loss of a bit more than fifty per cent velocity. The technology was applied to disc ships, originally to minimize hull erosion from dust particles and meteorites. Barry and Mark had no problem with the request but it required a compromise to get Major Thompson on side. The military would monitor the exterior perimeter of the shield with cameras and robotic all-terrain vehicles. A small military base was to be established at the main entrance. The array could always, as a last resort, be called on in the event of a large attack.

  Jade was confined to the reservation for the first ten days while biological reports were made and data collected. Mark had moved into Jade’s quarters and they spent their leisure hours exploring the landscape, which was spectacular. The natural daylight was proving to be an irritation to their eyes and they wore sunglasses during the day. Evening was the preferred time for working. The working day was split in two; five in the morning until eight, then four in the afternoon until seven. This was a seven-day week however, as Hawk had set ambitious targets for their first year and wanted to impress the second contingent of settlers when they arrived.

  The ten days were up and Jade asked for permission to leave. Hawk told her that, although the elders had sanctioned the union between her and Mark, there was a strict proviso that Clover should never be too far from her. Clover was not totally comfortable with her role but believed it was in the best interests of everybody. Mark said he felt being escorted by two beautiful and highly exotic women as a small price to pay. He and Barry left the reservation with Jade and Clover on the morning of the eleventh day. Jack and Daniel were to remain a full month before a helicopter was to take them back to Canberra. Richard and Kana said they would leave in a day or two.

  They drove to Barry’s estate. Barry and Mark took turns with the driving and one night was spent at a motel. Barbara had been warned not to announce their arrival and they made sure it was after sunset before they went up the driveway. No other security was seen as necessary as the media had tired of the story by the time they had left the reservation. The general population were too highly focused on rebuilding their own lives to worry about others. They spent only one night at Barry’s, then drove on to what was to become Jade and Mark’s home. Clover had relaxed totally; she had been surrounded by positive energy for such a long time that she truly felt that she was on a vacation. She wandered around the property discovering tranquil meditation spots. She talked about the unique properties of each one. Smells, light, breezes, sounds and how she related to them. Mark came to see how different Clover was from the average Earthwoman, although he still did not realise just how different she really was until one day he came upon Clover performing some form of ritual with Jade. Mark asked them what they were doing. Clover said that she was doing a therapy. She called it “mind cleansing” and offered to do it for Mark. Mark’s natural curiosity was obviously going to make him say yes.

  Mark lay on the floor on his back with his eyes closed. Clover sat on his stomach and held his hands in hers. He had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply, trying to clear his mind of random thoughts, which was proving impossible for him. Clover bent forward and, still holding his hands, placed her forehead on to his. Mark became conscious of an orange glow behind his eyelids and became absorbed in trying to describe it. As he looked into the orange glow he felt his body get lighter. All the background noise in his head began to fade and the glow spread inwards behind his eyes and into his brain, or to be more accurate, his consciousness. He later told Barry it was like having your thoughts vacuumed out. Useless ones were sucked up, others were left clean and tidy. The whole process only took five minutes and left Mark feeling like he had just had a full night’s sleep and had woken with a mind that was a little bit more focused and perceptive. Clover told him that she could not ‘read his mind’ but could gain a deeper understanding of his personality as a result and would, from then on, be more capable of predicting his moods and actions. If the subject’s psyche was in any way damaged she would be able to recognise the fact and would often be able to identify the cause and the remedy. Mark was interested in the practical applications of Clover’s unique talents and suggested to Barry that her skills could possibly be useful to ASIO. Barry agreed and said he would discuss it with Jack and Daniel. Mark insisted that any assistance Clover gave would have to be totally voluntary or it would be in contravention of the reservation agreement.

  Three weeks passed during which time Mark, Jade and Clover settled into a routine until it became time for Mark to go back to Canberra. Jade was to stay at home with Clover and they would be visited by Barbara on a twice-weekly basis. A helicopter picked Barry up first and then Mark. To Mark’s surprise Richard and Kana were on the flight, also.

  They were taken straight to the Lodge, the official residence of the Prime Minister. They had a quiet, light lunch with Paul, who said nothing until tea and coffee was served.

  “Our intelligence sources are warning us that an attack of a strategic nature is imminent. The Islamic forces are weak but they are planning a suicide mission against us. All we have been able to find out is that it will be an important target and non-civilian in nature. Among possible candidate targets as usual are the Consortium and the Reservation. I suggest you put both of these on high alert. Once we have dealt with the situation a retaliatory strike will come from the array. This in turn will provoke condemnation from the UN which has been talking about reconciliation with Islam and aid. I see it as a bid to shift the balance of economic power away from the southern hemisphere back to the north. The south will never reconcile with Islam while I am alive. That of course makes me a prime target also. Mark, I would prefer you to bring Jade and Clover here until things normalise. With your approval, I will send a helicopter in the morning and place guards at your home. Is that acceptable?”

  Mark quickly weighed up the situation, then said, “No, I would prefer they are with their own people on the reservation. The security they have there can more than match anything that we have here.”

  “As you wish, I will have them transported to the Reservation in the morning. You can join them in a few days once the threat is over.”

  “Do they have any long range capability left?” asked Richard.

  “No. As I said it will be a small scale operation. Our airspace is well guarded so we expect them to smuggle themselves into the country fully armed and come in from the sea or a high altitude parachute drop at night. It is a very high risk operation for them, so it is fully expected that they do not intend to survive the attack. I would like them taken captive if possible as I have plans for them.”

  “I doubt if we are their target then, as the terrain will make it easy for us to detect them,” said Richard.

  “That’s true, but be prepared anyway.”

  Jade and Clover were not happy about being sent back to the Reservation. They had settled down to a very comfortable routine and had started a vegetable garden that they were loth to leave. They gave everything a good watering and then arranged for Barbara to keep an eye on the place. The helicopter whisked them away and within a few hours landed outside the perimeter at the security checkpoint. The shield generator was already in operation. The disc ship was also generating its own field. Once inside the Reservation they had a meeting with Hawk. He was well prepared and as a last resort they could use The Pride of Tuath to evacuate. Mark arrived two days later and was amazed to see how the little colony had prospered. Orchards and fields had been laid out. A dairy was in the process of construction and everyone seemed happy with the progress so far. Major Thompson was keeping his men on full alert and they were working long shifts guarding the perimeter. Three assault helicopters were also patrolling constantly. “How long until we get an all clear?” asked Hawk.

  “Sorry, there is no way of knowing. The attack is expected in the next week to ten days.”

  When the attack came, it consisted of fou
r large fishing boats. All three unloaded their crews in international waters into fast but small landing craft at night. They split into two groups, sixty landed north of Broome in Western Australia. They were detected before they could land but were still able to fire rockets into Broome before beating a hasty retreat; the whole attack lasted less than thirty minutes. The casualties consisted of six dead and three wounded. The Islamics were not so lucky; all sixty were strafed by aircraft and killed as they fled back out to sea.

  The main force of 200 men landed twenty-five kilometres from the reservation at one a.m. They moved steadily without exhausting themselves. They remained undetected until they were within one kilometre of the main defence post at the entrance to the Reservation. At this point they waited until the first helicopter arrived on its patrol. Rockets were fired at the defences and the mobile helicopter. They then split into two groups and moved to position themselves to flank either side of a frontal attack force.

  The major did not order his men to advance but to hold their defensive position. Hawk had already seen the situation and had put the screens up. He ordered all Tuathans to board The Pride and prepare for departure. The major realised that he was losing men faster than the enemy and would soon be outnumbered. The second helicopter was on its way, the third had been idle on the pad and had been hit in the opening attack. The major’s position was surrounded and he ordered the last remaining helicopter to attack the left flank hoping to create a breach that they could break through. He only needed to hold out twenty minutes and airborne assistance would arrive. This did not prove necessary as The Pride of Tuath appeared silently over the enemy. The shock impact of the sight of this huge disc ship that they had come to destroy hovering over their heads, caused them to stop firing. The confusion increased as they realised three of their number had vanished, they had been transported. Major Thompson was quick to take advantage of the situation and threw all his men at the left flank where The Pride was hovering. They broke through, killing one third of the enemy force. The remainder now heavily outnumbered held out for another ten minutes; then, seeing the lights of helicopter gunships in the distance closing on their position, decided to retreat.