Free The Revenge of Excalibur by Sahara Foley Page A

matter,” agreed Emeara. “As we communicated with these new beings, we were fearful for
Weesa
. Our history proved they were merciless, attacking without rhyme or reason. We never imagined we would encounter anymore Planet Destroyers, so we were ill-equipped to protect ourselves. Our fate lay in their hands, so to speak.
    “The more we conversed with them, the more we became aware these were not the same entities. In fact, they referred to the Planet Destroyers as The Others, and the Shalits were terrified of them. It seems The Others were an offshoot of their race that had been mutated by radiation encountered in an unknown galaxy.
    “Shalits love exploring, and they usually go traveling in groups, or families, if you will. A large family of them left to explore a newly discovered galaxy. While there, they were subjected to an unknown radiation. After returning, they began changing, and started absorbing the life forms around them. The Shalits were defenseless against them. They lost many of their race, and planets, to The Others.
    “The Shalits said their mutated brethren became mentally unstable. They were on a singular quest, to absorb all life forms in their path. Once they set a direction to pursue, they could not be deterred. Unfortunately, that direction led them to our universe.”
    Like a rabid dog,
Pam mused, as she found herself leaning forward in the chair, elbows on her knees, listening intently to Emeara's story. “Well, that explains The Others. How did a Shalit get imprisoned in Excalibur? Did your people, in their haste to eliminate The Planet Destroyers, stray into their universe?”
    “No,” Emeara continued. “The Shalits were fearful The Others would return, so a large contingent was assigned to follow, and, hopefully, discover a way to destroy them. Since we were unaware of what had transpired, and the Shalits and Planet Destroyers looked alike, they were all hunted in our frenzy to save our people and worlds. We have done a grave injustice.”
    “Once you found out the truth, why didn't you go back to your people, and have them release the Shalits?” Pam had been so engrossed in the story she forgot her iced tea. She took a sip, making a face.
Yuck. There's nothing worse than warm iced tea
. She focused on the glass. The glass became frosty again, and she took a refreshing sip.
    Olso peered down her pinched nose at Pam. “You silly child. How were we to know which were the Shalits, and which were The Others?”
    Pam glared back at Olso. “You called me, I didn't call you, remember? I can leave anytime I want. If you want my help, you'd better change your attitude.”
    “Mother,” Emeara said sternly, as they started an intra-ship conversation again; one Pam couldn't hear. It must've been a doozy, as Olso's lips grew thinner and thinner, and then abruptly, her face disappeared from the screen.
    “I must apologize for my mother,” said Emeara, but in the background, Pam heard a loud, disparaging grunt. “She is from a time when Calens were considered the supreme rulers. Even after all these years in
Weesa
, her mindset has not changed. My mother and your father have had many a challenging debate over the years.” A slight smile graced her face. “There were many a time when I wished I could have vacated the premises.”
    “Well, she does have a point,” Pam grudgingly admitted. “How can you tell the difference between a Shalit and The Others?”
    “Another Shalit can sense the difference between themselves and The Others.”
    “Why haven't they tried to help you release their wrongfully imprisoned people?”
    Emeara gave a sad sigh. “We tried. You must remember, this happened many generations after the Planet Destroyers were eliminated. Our people grew up with the terrible tales of what had happened, and what would happen, if they were allowed to escape. No one would listen. Not even your father. He had had his own encounter with Excalibur, and would not listen to