Chapter 4 #2
Hesher had no idea what the king would decide or how he could possibly make any decision at all.
This dilemma was nothing like the ones with Michelle or Eveline.
Michelle has come here deliberately to be with Kelan and Eveline had been stolen by aliens as a child.
No one was coming to look for them, and they did not wish to go back to Earth.
But a ship of a hundred souls who had families, friends, and an entire planet wondering where they had disappeared to could not be kept here.
Sending them back and asking that they keep silent about Talonia was the best option.
However, with people like Marcus involved, Hesher doubted it could be done.
Who could blame them for announcing the discovery of an inhabited world?
It was the whole point of their mission and it would bring them fame.
What of the ship? Was it fixable? If not, how would they get to Earth?
A Talonian ship would be a dead giveaway that they had found other intelligent life.
It was an impossible situation, with no easy solution.
Hesher was immediately ushered into the king's council chambers.
The king was waiting, but he was not alone.
The queen was there, wringing her hands with worry.
Shara was at her side, trying to calm her and Maxxus was staring out the window toward the crash site.
Four city elders sat at a table to hear what Hesher had to say.
He had hoped for a reprieve to discuss things with the king so that they were of the same mind before adding others to the mix.
He realized that had been a pipe dream. The crash had been seen by all, and their worry and curiosity had to be alleviated as quickly as possible.
There was no way the king could keep them in the dark.
"Hesher, we have been waiting for a report for hours. Why was no one sent to calm us or at least tell us who has disturbed our world?" the king inquired.
"I apologize for not sending a runner, but we were very busy, and I thought I should have more of the facts before you were told anything that might make your worry worse.
I will answer all your questions to the best of my ability.
I do not possess every detail, just the basic facts," Hesher replied.
"I will alleviate your worst fear. They have not come to harm us.
Coming here was not even their intention. "
"You spoke with them? They understood you?" the king asked.
"They are human, sir. It was a deep space exploration ship from Earth."
"They have found us then," Maxxus stated. "How was it accomplished?"
"By accident, it seems. Their ship was hit by a very large object, assumed to be an asteroid, though the captain has doubts.
It caused damage that sent them into hyperdrive, moving them off course and into the unknown.
Then they lost their engines and Talonia pulled them in, thus the crash," Hesher explained.
"You believe this nonsense?" Maxxus asked.
"Lying would not benefit them in any manner. Their ship's records will prove or disprove their words."
"Father's and Maxxus's concerns are pertinent, but I am more worried about the people on board. What is their condition?" Shara inquired.
"Most are bruised and battered. Approximately twenty have more serious injuries and are being treated by Daer and the ship's medical officer, Sophia.
Eight are deceased. That is a low number considering what we saw as they fell from the sky.
Their captain obviously did an excellent job of preparation. "
"Perhaps too good of a job, like the crash was intentional," Maxxus said with a doubtful face.
"No, I saw no deception in anyone's eyes, especially the captain.
They were all quite cooperative and very shaken by the situation.
The captain has a cut on her face, along with a broken arm and leg.
She is lucid and willing to answer anything we ask.
Fortunately for us, their communication system went down with the engines.
But, before that, they had tried to communicate with Earth and explain that they were lost. Earth tried to track them in all charted solar systems. They were not found, as we are not among the known. "
"So, the big question becomes, what are we to do with them?
It sounds like such a simple question, yet it has many facets and possibly dire consequences," the king announced.
"I knew change was coming, yet I had hoped to hand over the reigns before it happened.
I do not like change, as I have lived my whole life in peaceful oblivion until the Savra came to challenge us.
That set into motion a chain of events that spiraled out of control.
Now, we have been discovered, and it is all my fault. "
"How can you say that, father? Why would any of it be your fault?" Shara asked as she put a soothing hand on his shoulder.
"I sent Kelan to Earth for a solution to the Savra dilemma.
He was the first and only weredragon to set foot there.
Michelle learned his secret, the first human who became aware that weredragons existed.
Yes, she kept his secret and came here to join us, but it was the beginning of the end, and I set it in motion.
Then I sent our soldiers to war on another alien world.
There, they found yet another human, Eveline, and brought her to Talonia.
The mistakes have all been mine. I should have kept everyone ensconced on Talonia, and this might not have occurred. "
"I beg to differ, sir," Maxxus replied. "Had you not sent Kelan to Earth, we would not have defeated the Savra or saved Talonia's atmosphere from the nuclear bomb.
If you had allowed the battle to occur on our world, many innocents would have perished or been taken as slaves, like Eveline.
Those decisions were sound. You did your best with impossible odds.
As to the crash, it was random if the humans are to be believed.
Even if it was intentional, it was not something you could have foreseen or caused. "
"Still, what am I to do now?"