Return to Mazere

By Philip R Benge

The lives of David Charlton and his wife Sarah are once put at risk when they are forced to return to Mazere to save the lives of two of their friends. Once there they find that their age old enemies have returned, now with a new leader. They need to they find their friends, prove to the President of Mazere that the United States of America is still their loyal ally, stabilize her government, and all before their enemies succeed in their latest attempt to kill them. Failure on their part will ultimately lead to interplanetary war, amid the peoples of Earth fighting their 3rd world war, a war that would return civilisation to the stone age.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Philip R Benge
• Release date: Apr 13, 2015
• ISBN: 9781311779670

Philip R Benge

Like most of the world, I had to work hard to pay my mortgage and all the other bills, which meant that I only had the time and the energy to write some short stories. I finally found the time and the energy to write some full length Science Fiction stories.

Book preview

Return to Mazere

A Story by

Philip R Benge

Smashwords Edition

***************

Published by

Philip R Benge on Smashwords

Return to Mazere

Copyright Philip R Benge 2015

Cover Art Copyright Philip R Benge 2015

Thank you for downloading this eBook. You are welcome to share it with your friends. This book may be reproduced, copied and distributed for non-commercial purposes, provided the book remains in its complete original form, with the exception of quotes used in reviews.

Your support and respect for the property of this author is appreciated.

This book is a work of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s imagination and used fictitiously.

Return to Mazere

Contents

Chapter One: Return to Earth

Chapter Two: Return to Mazere

Chapter Three: Prisoners of the Enemy

Chapter Four: Lantana Fight`s Back

Chapter Five: The Search Begins in Earnest

Chapter Six: Area 51 in the Hagrid Desert

Chapter Seven: Peace at Last

Other Books by the Author

Chapter one

Return to Earth

In a lavishly furnished room in one of the more expensive of homes, situated in an equally affluent area of the city of Plakara, the capital of the planet Mazere, a man sat at his desk. He was recording notes onto his computer, notes that he would include in his memoirs, which he would write when he was done with the constant intrigue that filled his life at this moment in his life. He had the look of a Roman senator about him, a patrician from one of the older, nobler families of ancient Rome, but no, he was from the distant planet Mazere, however, his family had always been amongst those families who had led the planet.

Battles are sometimes won by the mistakes made by your enemy, and if enough mistakes are made by your enemy, then the war can also be won. I have always known that President Lantana loved her father, even if to her eyes her father was a power-hungry evil man. So, when her guilt at the part that she had played in his death drove her to disown her two friends from Earth, she unknowingly set in motion an attempt to overthrow her own government. This mistake made possible certain manipulations, that when played out could lead her enemies, led by myself, to gain a decisive victory over her, and ultimately the liberals amongst the citizens of Mazere. Ratin said, he then stopped for a moment to go over his recent notes, smiling at how clever he would sound to his future readers, readers who would for the most part believe as he did, that democracy was for the weak.

**********

On the planet Earth, sitting within the Oval Office of the White House, that was currently his home, the President of the United States of America, President Carnegie read the report for the fifth time. It concerned a memo that according to their informant was being circulated amongst certain senior members of the Government of Mazere. The memo had been sent to President Carnegie by a concerned member of the Mazeren government, one who wished to remain anonymous for the present, but who only had the good of the peoples of the galaxy at heart. The memo stated that the government of Mazere should consider stripping certain alien devices off the Earth freighter Galactic Traveller when it next touched down on Mazere, the devices should then be fitted to one of the Mazeren space cruisers. Gregor Ratin, the anonymous informant, had added a postscript to the memo, that he hoped that by sending the memo to the US government, that they would then send a strongly worded protest to the Mazeren government and ensure that this plan was buried and never resurrected.

It sounded rather naive to President Carnegie, for a minister to believe such a thing could ever be buried, but then how was Carnegie to know that this was not a top-secret memo, in fact it was a fake, sent by Gregor Ratin. Ratin believed that in sending this lie to the President of the United States, the military advisers of the United States of America would then recommend that their government act first, if successful, this would allow his own plans to move ahead. The American military advisers did just what was required of them, they stated that only then would the American nation enjoy a definite lead over the other planets and states of the federation, and in doing so safeguard their people.

The alien technology in question had been found by the crew of the Galactic Traveller on the planet Mystras, and given freely to the newly formed Federation of Planets. However, before they could deliver the technology, they had needed to install some of this alien technology into their freighter. The technology they utilised was in the form of defence shields and a mega powerful Tesla coil transformer to increase the power output of their aging freighters engines. They hoped that by doing so the technology would provide them with the extra time needed to allow the forces commanded by the President of Mazere to come to their aid. They urgently needed her help to ward off another attack from the space cruiser Sentinel, the cruiser that at the time was commanded by Admiral Stator of the Mazeren space fleet, and father of the president of Mazere. Admiral Stator wanted the alien technology stored aboard the freighter to ensure that his own bid for power was successful, a bid that would have finally put his forces up against those of his daughter.

***********

That was all in the recent past, the present was very different, for the captain and crew of the Galactic Traveller were returning to Earth. It was an emotional time for them, for they had left a planet that had once felt like a second home to them, and they had now decided to make Washington their new home port, the reason why, they no longer felt welcome, or safe, on Mazere. First though, the Galactic Traveller would have to go through a major refit because of the pounding it had endured when Admiral Stator, commanding the space cruiser Sentinel, had attacked it. The refit was to have been carried out on Mazere, but this was now considered impossible by them, thankfully, the Galactic Traveller was still up to making this last journey across the galaxy.

For David Charlton and his wife Sarah Jane Hardin it had been a painful wrench, they had left friends behind, both of Earth and of Mazere. For Chief Engineer Tony Miles and his wife Katrina, who was a Mazeren national, it had been even more painful, as Katrina had left her family behind when she, along with their two children, had decided to accompany her husband to Earth. Apart for the hostility they were all facing, one other reason for their leaving Mazere was that Tony Miles hoped that he would be able to obtain work with John Blazer, maybe on one of his interplanetary freighters rather than a starship. He wanted to spend more time at home with his family, and had already decided to resign his post as chief engineer on the freighter. For him to stay on Mazere would have meant his finding work there, a very difficult proposition as his occupation was the chief engineer of a space freighter. For although Earth and Mazere were now allies, the people of Mazere still did not altogether trust the people of Earth, seeing them as only partly civilised, and they certainly never employed any of them in their starships.

Financially, this trip was a success for the crew of the Galactic Traveller, for they had returned to Earth with a full cargo of goods from the planet Mazere, an impatient juggernaut driver was waiting near to the Blazer Space warehouse to take receipt of them, so at least they would be financially solvent, for the moment. They were just going through the final preparations for landing near to the Blazer Space warehouse at the Washington spaceport, their new home base, when they were contacted by the Washington spaceport authorities.

Captain Charlton, please take your freighter to the western side of the spaceport, you will find one of our people waiting there to direct you down, unfortunately, we have an emergency aboard another starship, which meant that it had to land at your original landing site.

Following the instructions of the spaceport`s control tower, David Charlton changed the course of the old freighter away from the Blazer Space complex, and turned instead for the other side of the spaceport. It did mean that he would have to wait another ten minutes or so before reuniting with his family, but everything seemed to be going so smoothly for him, but then he had no idea that fate had taken an unhealthy interest in their lives.

For the family of David Charlton were not the only ones who were showing interest in his return to Earth. On hearing of the early return of the Galactic Traveller, the government of the United States of America had sent a full company of its Marines to the spaceport, but it was not as a guard of honour. Once the Galactic Traveller had landed at the spot designated by a spaceport operative, one in a small one-man VTOL vehicle, a company of marines appeared from out of a line of military trucks. They were led by a marine captain who came aboard the freighter as soon as the large single door to the spacious hold opened. Walking towards him was a tall herculean figure of a man, his blue eyes looking questioningly at the marine captain. For a moment the marine captain hesitated before finally speaking, for David Charlton cut an imposing figure.

Captain Charlton, you and your crew must vacate your freighter immediately, I have been ordered to impound it, although I have been asked to assure that it will only be for a short period of time.

Hold on Captain, what the hell are you talking about? David Charlton demanded to know. This is my freighter, and I am staying put until you tell us why we should obey your screwy orders. The crew of the Galactic Traveller now joined their captain, making the marine captain feel a little threatened.

Captain, I was given my ‘screwy orders’ by the White House, and if your men do not all back away and give me some air, then I will be forced to have my men remove your crew forcibly.

Everyone immediately backed off, as they had no desire to tangle with a full company of marines, some of which made their presence known by moving towards the now open hold, while the balance of the company surrounded the freighter. The marine officer now handed his orders over to David so that he could read them, when David had done so his anger had not abated, however he knew that he had no option open to him but to obey the marine officer.

Okay, Captain, let us just get some of our personal belongings, and then we will vacate my freighter. David Charlton said while working hard to control his anger. The marine captain decided to agree to this request, for he realised that if he pushed too hard, the situation could turn ugly, and it could then come to the notice of the large number of reporters currently at the spaceport, something his superiors had said they did not want.

As they all left the freighter, and with just a few of their belongings, for the remainder would have to wait until later, the marine officer gave them all one more order.

Captain Charlton, you and your crew are forbidden to speak of this matter until notified, if you disregard this order, you will be charged with treason and treated as a traitor to the United States of America, do I make myself clear? The marine said looking rather embarrassed at making such an order to such a well-known and respected man.

As mud Captain, but we shall abide by your order. David said looking the officer straight in the eye, and seeing the embarrassment there he relented a little and smiled at the marine.

But what about my cargo, it will cost me dear if it is stuck aboard my ship for any length of time? David asked, concerned that he and his crew could no longer look forward to being financially solvent.

You will be notified when you will be able to unload your cargo Captain, but it will be no longer than a day or so at the most. The marine captain replied, and with that David had to be satisfied.

A spaceport coach was waiting to take them across to the Blazer Space complex, with four armed guards detailed to accompany them, and when they arrived at the complex, they saw two dozen newsmen swarming around a luxury intercontinental space plane. David realised that there had been no star liner in distress, it had been a means to divert them away from the newsmen. The luxury craft was simply a large red herring, it had been diverted to this landing area by the government in order to distract the newsmen, for after all that David and his crew had accomplished, he knew that the story of their return to Earth would be much sought after. Their coach pulled around to the rear of the complex where the rear door was open, and they were now permitted to leave the coach, but made to enter the complex.

David Charlton entered first and then Sarah Jane Hardin. Sarah was only five feet six inches tall, quite short for this age, you immediately notice her looks, her trim figure, then you look into her blue eyes, they are studying you, and you realise that she is very intelligent, as a former MIT student normally is.

Inside the complex, the Charlton family was waiting for them, Patricia Charlton was the first one to see David and Sarah enter, calling out their names she ran to them and threw her arms around her son and held him tightly, happy to have him safely back on Earth. She was still holding on to him, unwilling to let him go just yet, as Richard Charlton walked briskly over to Sarah and kissed her on the cheek and then hugged her. Waiting patiently in the corner, John Blazer was waiting until the usual family greetings were got out of the way. David gently released himself from his mother`s arms and walked over and hugged him, and then he turned and greeted his father.

Sorry about the damage to the Galactic Traveller, I am afraid that we had a little trouble Dad. David said with a wry grin upon his face. Our luck does not seem to have changed all that much on our return to Earth; it seems more like our first arrival on Mazere. David complained bitterly. Did they tell you anything about this farce? David asked.

Yes son, the authorities told us that you were safe, but explained that you would be landing on the far side of the spaceport. Richard Charlton explained. That luxury craft sitting in your usual landing spot was hastily redirected to distract the newsmen waiting for your return. The celebrities who are aboard the ship are waiting until their transport arrives here from the main terminal, then the way will be clear for all of us to leave, until then we are under house arrest. Richard Charlton said just a little angrily.

Surely, there must have been an easier way for them to pillage our freighter? David complained bitterly.

There was, but you arrived well before your expected date, so you see, this is entirely your own fault. Richard Charlton said with a laugh.

Did they tell you everything Dad, about why they wanted the Galactic Traveller? David said in an attempt to ask the question without committing treason, for he did not know just who might be listening in to their conversation.

Yes, David, they knew that you would have to tell us something when we were forbidden to go anywhere near the Galactic Traveller, so they told us the lot. Richard Charlton said grimly. John Blazer now joined them to vent his anger.

The stupid idiots do not seem to realise just how much trouble this will cause when it all come out, as it will, there is no way to keep something like this a secret. For a start there are one hundred odd marines, a team of technicians and the crew of the Intrepid. John Blazer complained angrily.

He too was angry, but for different reasons, for he saw grave planetary, and interplanetary, implications following this action by the American government. Blazer was tall and lean, and as he was aged seventy-two, he delighted in boasting that while he might not be as fast as he once was, at least he still possessed most of his hair, although it was now very grey.

The Intrepid, Uncle John? David asked. He always referred to John Blazer as his uncle, in fact, he was only his godfather, but there was such a deep bond of friendship between them.

Yes, David, when we were all herded in here, I put a call through to a friend at the Pentagon, I asked him if he knew what was happening over here. Oh, I did not say just what was happening, the authorities cannot call me a traitor. Anyway, my friend said that he was very sorry, but the alien technology in the form of the hardware aboard your ship is now the property of the United States of America. The reason given for stripping the hardware from the Galactic Traveller is supposedly to stop it from falling into unfriendly hands. John Blazer said grimly He then said that the fools are going to fit all the stolen alien hardware onto the Intrepid, it will make it the most powerful space cruiser in the galaxy, because it has the engines to power what your ship could just about start up.

Patricia Charlton now pushed past the men and hugged Sarah. "We are so very happy to see you all safely back on Earth, Sarah. Earth`s ambassador on Mazere has been busy sending reports back to Earth about the cool reception