The Aftermath 2 Chapter 8

The next morning Jim was on his way to the hospital when he recieved a strange call. "I'm trying to reach a Captain Stock, I was there years ago when he and his family liquidated the Krong race."

"I don't go by that name anymore, not many know who I really am and I'd rather keep it that way," Jim snapped annoyed that someone realized who he really was.

"I apologise Captain, but I'm afraid that you didn't elimidate them all those years ago." the man replied.

"WHAT!? you have to be joking! There was a count done afterward, 389,000 ships, 1 world ship of all those they had 1000 carriers, 5000 crusiers and destroyers in support I think we destroyed them," Jim said incredulously.

"No Captain, that was about a third of their full force, I just returned from their space they still had a force twice the size of what you destroyed," the man said almost whispering. "We have to meet, they have mind slaves everywhere, they thought this empire would be easy pickings, they didn't realize that your tech was as advanced as it was. We have to meet, they want your tech and are prepared to destroy everything to get it." A little shocked but wanting this information Jim agreed, turning and walking away from the hospital Jim didn't see Mary enter from a path nearby.

Jim took a speeder to the place they had agreed upon, getting out Jim looked around wondering what was going on. A man appeared a moment later and motioned for Jim to follow, entering an underground bunker Jim wasn't unprepared. The man stopped a moment later, turned and fired, Jim's shields bounced the blast as if it were nothing. Really pissed off Jim pulled a weapon, about to shoot the man dropped his gun and raised his large hands."So I see the stories I heard are true, you have been improving your tech," the man sighed.

Still pissed Jim gripped his weapon tighter, "You have about 30 seconds then you're dead!" Jim yelled.

Smiling the man sat, "I apologise Captain, I had to make sure you weren't one of the mind slaves, they would have let me destroy them."

Holstering his weapon Jim looked the man over, he looked like a deep space freighter worker, dirty clothes, need of a shave, the smell of weeks of confinement. Shaking his head, Jim sat across from him still trying to take in everything the man had said so far. "Ok, so say I believe you, what do you expect me to do?

It'd take weeks to refit the station."

Sighing the man held out a small video device, "I assume you saw the ships when they attacked your station? So you'd know if what I'm about to show you is real or not." Jim nodded taking the small com. "These were taken a few weeks ago, a week before our jump into the empire's territory." Jim watched the scene of thousands of the Krong's beetle shaped ships humming past on the screen, Jim was taken back a moment years ago when this was live.

"We have to warn the empire," Jim started, the man just shook his head.

"No, they have had years to infiltrate the court, I am sure they have spies throughout it, they are no stronger than they were, they just have more, alot more numbers it's how they invade. I have to warn you, the last time you destroyed one of their queens, they are very upset about it. They have taken these years to increase their numbers, instead of bringing the rest of their forces, they intend to take your station and all your tech, with it they would be unstoppable." The man was nervous looking around every few seconds.

"We are protected, no one can hear us, there is a shield around this building," Jim assured the man.

"Thank you, though I am probably dead after I leave here, I had to warn you, you were a good man back then and I think you are now. As strong as your tech appears, they are really no match for you." The man shook his head, "I don't mind dying, I got to see the mighty race of the Krong afraid of just one man, you. I find that truly satisfying, besides if anyone can destroy them for real it's you." With that the man left and was gone almost as soon as he went around the corner.

Jim sat there for a few moments rewatching the video damnit! After all these years to have those slimy bastards attacking again. Sighing he was glad he'd worked all those years to get the station as advanced as he had, guess he'd not be going home tonight. Across the city Mary walked into the hospital heading to her mother's room she saw the same man from before turn and walk the other way as fast as he could, smiling, good she thought, she didn't feel like killing ass holes right now. Walking in the woman looked up from reading the comp screen in front of her.

"Ah! you're awake, I had to get a few things I promised to give you if I ever found you, plus they are proof what I say is truth." The woman nodded though still confused. Taking out 2 small boxes, Mary handed the first to the woman. Taking it she looked at Mary who only nodded and smiled, upon opening it tears of joy started to fall from her eyes.

"I was told if I ever found you I was to give these to you, I don't know what they are so I haven't a clue why she wanted me to give them to you." The woman's eyes now full of tears reached in grasping the blanket with the Stock royal seal. Beneath she found the necklace her husband had commissioned a jewler to make when the girls had been born. They also carried the royal seal, true to her word she hadn't told of the family's secret, though she was the last who knew.

"This was the blanket that Ann was laying on that night I put her and Mary asleep. This," she said holding up the necklace, "was to be given to Ann when she reached 21." Tears started anew as she realised that it had been so long since she'd seen either of the girls. Mary was shocked, these necklaces weren't just for show they had royal significance but try as she could she'd never found out what it was.

Opening the other box the woman took out the other blanket and necklace, "these were Mary's they were both so beautiful, it took us a few years after they were taken, before I could think of trying again. I'm sorry I didn't mean to bore you with ancient history. I thank you for bringing them to me, at least I know they weren't killed when they were taken, I just hope they were happy." Mary had a million questions to ask but wasn't sure she was ready yet, starting to walk out, she stopped and asked, "I hear you're out of here in a few days, I may have more for you where can I reach you?"

"I'll be at the Stock estates, it's the only place I have to go, for now." the woman said. Mary nodded and headed out for the palace, she wondered how far Jim had gotten, once he got up. Mary was amazed that Jim wasn't there when she arrived, plus nothing had been done.

30 minutes later Jim arrived and he and Mary started in on the distance MTM again. Jim was unsure who he could trust with the news, he had to find a way to be sure, about half the day gone, Jim again for the hundreth time, looked over the data from the comp, suddenly an idea hit him and he pulled a scanner from the desk. The readings he got of the Krong had specific brain waves, if he could isolate them then he could get a reading from someone who was a mind slave. Scanning his self then Mary he got the normal readings. Walking out he started to scan everyone he passed but got nothing, arriving in the palace he was scanning the guards when a maid passed and Jim's scanner went off. Pulling his stunner he followed her till they were alone. Unconscious the readings were off the scale, looking closer he saw that the brainwaves were close to Krong brainwaves.

Sighing he pulled a device he'd never used from back before the war. Attaching the nodes to the woman's head he checked the readings again then turned the extractor on, at first there was no reaction. A few minutes later the woman screamed but the voice was that of a Krong, "What have you done human! YOU! NO!" Another scream and Jim knew that the mind of the Krong was now inside recorded. He could imagine where the Krong was, that there would be nothing but an empty, brainless body. Smiling Jim began to read all the information the mind gave up having no choice now that he controled it. Smiling for a moment, then Jim was made aware that they would know that he knew, sighing he was going to have to tell Mary. Walking in Jim told her everything that he'd found out.

"I received information that years ago when the Stock family took out the Krong, the empire thought it was wiped out, the information shows that the attack years ago was only with 1/3 of their whole forces," sighing Jim waited for her reaction.

"I kind of figured that, from the description I got of them they are alot like insects, swarming in more than one direction," she replied.

"I've also been told there are coming back to finish, this time with their whole force," here Jim sighed, "I heard that 5 people with advanced tech took them out, I don't have 5 people or the tech they had but I think mine will do. I think I could take them."

"Hey! what do I look like!? I can fire faster and better than you, don't even think of going without me! she shouted.

"From what I got from this Krong mind they will move up their time table and attack sooner, "Jim said.

2 days later Jim and Mary had perfected (to a point) the distance MTM, Dickie had taken over the space station and constructed the recieving point, going through the whole staff Jim had found 10 more spies hidden within just the staff. Everyone in the palace was scanned, 5 personel guards, 10 soldiers, hell even the cook had been one. Sighing Jim knew that the Krong would be more than pissed now especially when Jim destroyed the minds in front of one still attached to its Krong body. Though Jim didn't kill if he didn't have to, this time he took an almost perverse pleasure to listening to the dying screams of the Krong. Hell even Mary had been shocked at his reckless abandon of it all.

Knowing that they didn't have time to find them all, Jim and Mary decided to go to the station alone. Mary wasn't the sure, after all a few enemies were one thing but over half a million ships was a different thing all together. Uncloaking the space station did a little more than raise a few eye brows, especially when it had been parked in orbit around the planet. Jim told Amber what was going on and what and how he'd found out, to say that she wasn't happy was an understatement.

"You do realize that if you get killed, then I'll have to resurrect you so I can kill you myself," Amber breathed out, she'd just found him a year and a half ago and she'd be damned if she was going to lose him now.

They'd moved to the lab about to transport when Jim remembered something he wanted to take with him. Mary looked curiously at him and the small black box he was holding, there was something familiar about it, damn what was it? The way he clutched at it, it was something extremely important. Once aboard they set out for the coordinates near the border of Krong and Imperial space. Jim knew they weren't too long from a full out battle and suggested they sleep, to which Mary readily agreed. Laying down she thought she heard Jim an hour later ordering Dickie to build as many as he could till the attack started, build? What the hell was Jim up to now, it must have to do with the little black box.

They sat in almost silence for 5 days Jim had brought all the plans he and Mary had worked on improving shields, power consumption and increased power output. Looking over everything Mary was impressed at the sheer magnitude of power that these new shields, that Jim worked to incorporate into the exsisting system, a bountiful power house in their own right. The plasma turrets were so powerful Mary was having trouble calculating exactly how powerful they really were. Jim worked almost tirelessly checking everything at least twice a day, on the last day before the attack Jim actually disappeared for a few hours and try as she might she couldn't pick the locks well enough to get all that far. Then just as suddenly he reappeared, when she asked, he just said he was checking the back up systems, smiling Mary had known him too long to not know when he was and wasn't lying.

The next day starting like the rest, was abruptly interrupted by a loud wailing of several alarms. Outside Jim and Mary saw a huge rift open, thousands of beetle shaped ships spilling through increasing by the second. Turning the guns on Jim and Mary ran for their central positions. Jim smiled not this time, his sheilds were a thousand times more powerful, his weapons had 3 times the power and an endless system of self-perpetuating power sources, to say he wasn't ready was the understatement of the millennium. The Krong were still pouring out of the rift when an insect like face (if you could call it that) appeared on the screen.