Chapter 81

0001 - Tempro
0003 - Conner- Thomas
0097 - Ace - Zimmel
0098 - Lucy
0101 - Shelby (mother ship)
0125 - Lars
0130 - Gillese
0200 - Ellen
0250 - Tendra
0301 - Rodrick
0403 - Johnathon
0778 - Jan
0798 - Celeste - Shelby (human)
0805 - Toran
0808 - Radella
0881 - Handrax
0908 - Tara - Mara
1000 - Sherry

Ungrown - unnumbered

0100 - Derry (father ship)
Rescued from Tendraxians
so far

4 on Shelby 2 in re-gen
8 on Lucy

Known and OR numbered

0501 - Thaddeus
???? - Lena

missing - 0667 - Marco
0999 - Zan - still lost

The Queen of the Vorlons, shuddered as the last of her first mate’s relatives were butchered. Ah, She thought, the sound of death was so delicious to her.

A slightly worried looked came to her features, she hoped it would be enough to persuade the human. It had been far too long since, they had been in space. Space, where her ruling race deserved to be.

The Queen knew from their past dealings of Risen’s lineage, she would have to wait. The only thing she was worried about was the fact that like his sires, he could react counter productively. Enough she feared, to actually annihilate the planet of all life. She knew the human had the fire power.

It was only a few hours later that her com. went off. “All that you wished has been accomplished. I had all the proceedings recorded for your enjoyment.”

The face of Risen appeared, an almost wicked, evil smile dominating his features.

The Ex-Duke nodded slightly before he spoke. “I will review it before I make a decision on, just what I will release to you and your people.”

“I feel that you think, all my people are like that poor excuse for a Vorlon warrior.” The Queen spoke keeping the hope and almost desperation out of her voice.

Risen smiled, she’d tried to hide it, he’d been well trained in the ways of deception. “I will review the punishment, then and only then will I let you know.” With that Risen clicked off smirking at the Queen. Ah, he thought finally things were starting to go his way.

A steady beeping from his console immediately drew his attention. Risen’s mouth dropped open as he recognized the markings on the ship that was passing the dark planet. What in the hell was an imperial trader doing this far out?

The Ex-Duke hit several switches then gasp as he saw that the imperial network had been extended this way almost a whole system. Shit he thought, he was going to have to accelerate his plans. If the empire was starting to fringe expand, the many colonies that were hidden, were in a hell of a lot of danger.

A look of the dampening field on the planet, showed that the passing freighter hadn’t the power to pierce it. Shaking his head, he knew that the larger ships that the bastard fake to the throne had, wouldn’t be fooled.

Risen started to type out several commands, still watching the freighter it grew smaller as it moved away. Finally satisfied, he typed in another command then there was a roar. He smiled as the slender landing; probe ship that had been on the Cregon colony landed next to him.

“All plans that have been requested, are being replicated. All should be ready within the hour.” Probe X-51 reported to him.

Good the Ex-Duke thought, now how to tell the Queen and leave before they showed up to get everything. Risen thought a few moments then a truly evil, twisted smile came to him.

Kimison and Rayburn both cursed as the small, slender, sentinel on the table started to tremble, then a thick layer of smoke came from it. They both looked at each other then turned back to the plans on the design table behind them.

“Damnit!” Kimison shouted. “I corrected everything that was wrong last time. Why the hell did it fail now?”

“It lasted far longer this time, almost a full minute before failure in all systems. Tempro? Can you bring up where the failures started then we can go from there.” Rayburn said as he was also feeling the pressure to get this project finished.

“Sirs,” Tempro said as a shimmering revealed the older looking holo-gram. “Almost all problems from before have been eliminated. The servo motors were operating with no problems. It appears that something between the positronic brain, the artificial nervous system and the rest of the body failed. Attempting to isolate the first of the problems now.”

Kimison sighed as he sagged into the seat behind him. They had a working model, though when the brain section was activated, everything started to deteriorate. Kimison shook his head it was almost as if the neural pathways were...

Kimison jumped to his feet as he started to type at a frightening speed on the comp.

Rayburn was at the comp next to Kimison watching what the man was inputting. For a few moments Rayburn could only watch then his eyes opened wide as he started to nod. “I hadn’t thought of that,” Rayburn said when Kimison stopped a moment. Rayburn then started to type with Kimison watching and nodding.

Tempro was also watching the proceedings, nodding his head as the two men started to enter data faster and faster. “I concur on many of the facets that the both of you are correcting. I am predicting a greater amount of success with the direction you are going.”

Both men stopped to stare at Tempro, “that is all well and good. We still have to strip and rebuild the entire nervous system. This is going to set us back quite a bit of time, time we can’t afford to lose. With anyone other than the Commander we would be good, with him I feel we are doomed.”

“Hmmm,” Tempro said as he looked at the sentinel from almost every angle. “It might be possible.”

Kimison and Rayburn turned toward Tempro their eyes narrowing. “What are you on about? What might be possible?” Rayburn asked.

“You both realize that the IMT can accomplish what you both are wanting to do?” A slightly smirking Tempro said.

“SHIT!” Kimison said as he slapped his forehead. “With a bit of fine tuning it could be useful in living surgery!”

Rayburn was shaking his head, “let’s just work on the current problem, before we extend out that far.”

Kimison looked at Rayburn with an almost hurt look. A moment later his expression changed as he smiled then nodded.

“I have to agree especially after the IMT accident.” Kimison said, which had the both of them blushing.

Jimison was pacing his room, he had talked to his master finding that, the man would be delayed. Finally calling Difina he suggested that they train as it had been two days of rest. Jimison found that he and Difina were starting to grow antsy with the inactivity.

They both made their way to the training room together. Neither had noticed anyone in the corridors though, that changed when they moved into the room.

Stretching they both started to loosen up. The whole time Jimison thought of the last words their master had spoken to them. [It has been almost two weeks now, neither of you are even near to where you need to be. There is no hope, of learning the more advanced moves, if you cannot move past where you are.]

Jimison, almost faltered in his stretching as the rest of what his master had said, [the both of you have to think, then forget what your eyes see. Feel what is there, then and only then can you go forward. Go, rest, remember what I have said, reach out feel, discover.]

Again, Jimison almost faltered in his stretching, there was no way it could be that easy, could it? As soon as they were finished, Jimison closed his eyes reaching out with his feelings. Startled a moment he could almost see and feel Difina in front of him.

Opening his eyes, he kept his feelings stretched out. He motioned to Difina as she started to attack. Jimison was amazed when she couldn’t get to him, he also blocked everything she threw at him.

Difina stopped suddenly staring at Jimison. “My mate? Is all well? This is the first time I have not been able to touch you.”

“I believe that, I finally understand what master was talking about. He said to feel what is there, not see. When I used the feeling, not what I saw, I was able to avoid all your hits.” Jimison explained to her.

Difina’s eyes went wide as she nodded then closed her eyes. While her eyes were closed her face suddenly registered shock. “My mate? Is it really that easy?”

“Let’s find out,” Jimison said as he assumed a defensive stance. Difina nodded as they started to move faster, all that were outside the room were wide eyed as the two seemed to vanish. The thing was though, they could still feel them, plus the power they were exuding.

More than a few smiled, ah, when they beat her ‘supposed’ mate, then her, they would be the new hero of the empire. Quite a few though, moved away as the power both were showing was increasing steadily.

Hartwell was still studying all the readings that Johnathon was getting from Bee and her blood. There was a shimmering next to him as Johnathon appeared. “Prime?”

Hartwell looked up seeing the slightly strained look on the holo-grams face. “I take it my sister is asking for me?” Johnathon opened his mouth to speak then shook his head no. “What’s going on?” Hartwell asked slightly worried.

“Prime, you remember the last time she blanked out?” Johnathon started.

“Shit!” Hartwell said, “IMT me there immediately.” Johnathon nodded then Hartwell was beside the bio-bed Lucie was in.

Lucie was sitting up; her eyes were slightly glazed over as she stared straight ahead. Even now, with her brother there, she was somewhat mumbling to herself. “Yes, I hear all of you, we are attempting to come for you. Yes, at the moment all of your whole brothers and sisters are engaged in an operation. Well, most of them.”

Hartwell, could only stare at his sister helplessly. He knew that almost nothing, could nor would break her concentration. Drawing a deep breath, he sat to await her finishing her conversations.

It was not long after that, Lucie, started to get rather agitated. Hartwell jumped to his feet calling Johnathon.

“I am afraid that there isn’t much that I can do. While I can talk to her on the wavelength, I cannot, to the other ships.” A small pneumatic syringe appeared, injecting briefly, “this I hope will help her to maintain her physical and mental levels.”

Hartwell nodded looking only at his sister, “damnit Lucie, I thought I had lost you once. That had damn near killed all that was me. If I lose you again I might never recover, I love you Luce, we’ve just found each other again. I can’t lose you again.”

There was a low groan from the bio-bed, then Lucie’s eyes slowly opened. In a low almost gravelly voice she said, “really? Here I thought you were happy that I wasn’t a constant pain in your ass.”

“Lucie!” Hartwell shouted in joy, a shout that had Lucie cringing a bit,

“Damnit little Johnnie, hold it down some ok? Feel as if, I have been run over by several heavy vehicles, more than once.” Lucie groaned out.

Hartwell winced a bit, then smiled at Lucie. “Well, you might have been a pain in the ass, you were MY pain in the ass. I am so sorry Lucie, all of this was my fault, I just hope that one day you can forgive me.”

Lucie tried to open her eyes wider then found the exercise far too exhausting. “I think that we should talk after this. I mean really talk alone with Uncle Trent and our brother William. Then, they and I, can decide what if anything you need to be forgiven for.”