Chapter 15

A mere minute later, Wren’s ship exited Trans-warp space a few trillion miles from the imperial fleet. Several alarms started to go off on her ship as well as the fleet.

Esmerelda smiled, “now we have the bitch. Fire all we have as soon as she is in range.

“How long?” Wren asked.

“Two minutes at the most,” Trigon said.

“More than enough time,” Wren smiled.

A more sinister smile crossed Wren’s lips. Little did her bitch of a mother-in-law know, her range was a lot further than the Imperial fleets.

“Alright Trigon,” Wren started. “Launch a salvo of missiles, ‘bout fifty should do.”

“Compliance master Wren,” Trigon said, as there was a massive launch at the same time.

On board the fleet command ship, several alarms were starting to scream. “What the hell is going on? Esmerelda shouted to get above the noise.

“Enemy has launched missiles, they each appear to have warp capabilities. Shit! They are of a thermic nature!” the tech cried.

“Activate all new shields!” Esmerelda yelled.

“New shields are only showing a fifty percent effectiveness, evasive action,” the tech said as the ship started to turn at a hard angle.

The command ship almost got out of the way, though the last two missiles impacted the rear of the ship. Much of the forty or fifty ships passed it didn’t fare as well. A huge plume of fire and destruction blossomed out behind the command ship.

Esmerelda was screaming out orders, a limp, lifeless body in her hands. Dropping the body, she stared at the many that were dead on the deck. Moments later, the power started to flicker out.

“Get us off this piece of shit!” Esmerelda was almost screaming into a com. “Now, before all of your family is dead!”

Another ship was besides hers in moments, evacuating her. “Should we get any of the others?” A command officer asked.

“What others?” Esmerelda asked. “I only see those that failed me. There are no others.” With that, the doors closed, sealing up, a moment later, the power failed, killing all left.

Wren laughed as she saw that at least two of her missiles hit her bitch mother-in-laws ship. Her smile, though, was short-lived as she saw that the female got off the ship.

“Get us inside the shields,” Wren said as the ship entered a portal.

On Ceti-5, the masters were adjusting the shields and weapons for further action by the Empire. A moment later, several alarms went off causing them to tense, then relax when Wren’s ship appeared.

“It appears that she has returned,” Flugret said as her ship moved to land.

“Good, perhaps she can release more of us, so we can stand better,” Rena said, a slightly worried look on her face.

It was true that the Chrysalis was stable for the first time in hundreds of years. The thing was that if it started to de-stabilize again, it might go down faster.

A few minutes later, Wren walked into the command building the seven females meeting her. “How bad are things now?” Rena asked.

“Hmmm better, we have about forty-five fewer ships to worry about. Esmerelda is far madder than she was, considering I destroyed two command ships. They think they have better weapons when they don’t. So, not that bad after all,” Wren laughed.

Rena and the other female’s mouths were hanging open,” perhaps we should test you again. Your levels seem to be higher than we at first thought,” Rena said.

Wren nodded her head as they went before the first master, Rena’s mate. After explaining, the master nodded as he started to scan Wren. His mouth dropped open a few moments later. “You were at twenty the last we tested, now? I’d say that you are almost twenty-six.”

“That is higher than half of us now,” the fifth master said.

“I know that you want to study me, I have to release more. Oh yeah, I absorbed more trans-warp energy. I just hope that I can handle it,” Wren said as she walked up the Chrysalis.

“Just how much more?” The first master asked.

“At least another fifteen minutes, not that much,” Wren said, to the astonishment of all present.

Rena and her mate could only stare at Wren, “you should have expired after so many doses,” the first master said.

Wren just shrugged her shoulders as she approached the Chrysalis. She then put both hands on it she and the entire Chrysalis started to glow. Then, it grew even brighter, three spots started to break away from it.

“Wren!” Rena started to shout, “even with the higher levels, this has to be too much!”

“I am fine,” Wren said as the spots broke away, then elongated. All three light areas fell to the floor pulsing and throbbing. They were almost solid when one, then all of them started to scream. “Damnit!” Wren said through clenched “More damnit, more!”

Wren started to glow brighter as the glow around the three spots were starting to grow dimmer. “Wren! This is going to kill you, you have to pull back.”

“NO!” Wren tried to shout, pouring as much as she could into three spots. “I am almost there,” Wren said in a whisper.

Just as suddenly as it started, the glow faded with two females and a male lying at Wren’s feet. Wren looked at the three, nodding her head, then falling to the floor, her body starting to convulse.

“I was afraid of this!” Rena said as she and the other six females started to pour energy into Wren. “We need more, we’re going to lose her!”

Flugret’s eyes were wide as he added his power to theirs. A moment later, Wren started to barely breathe easier. “I feel she is stronger, though we barely have enough to keep her alive,” Flugret said.

One by one, the females started to fall away ‘til it was only Rena and Flugret. A moment later, Rena fell to the ground drained. Flugret kept at it a few more minutes ‘til he also fell.

Wren awoke a moment, looking at all of the eight, the females and Flugret exhausted on the ground. “Did it work?” Wren whispered.

The first master nodded his head, amazed to see three of his people he hadn’t seen in hundreds of years. As a matter of fact, this was the first new male that was out in a very long time.

The very air was feeling different, this was the most that had been out in even longer. A look at the Chrysalis, showed that it was indeed stronger, more stable than he’d seen it in almost a thousand years.

“Let’s get Wren and the others into a recovery room. I want all three of the new arrivals to be checked over. Make sure that they are as stable as they appear to be,” the first master said.

Even as all twelve of them were taken to a long dis-used room, the first master smiled. He never thought he would ever see more than the twenty of them that were out. The simple fact that there were twenty-one males and nine females was promising.

He walked into the recovery room a moment later. His mate, Rena, was trying to get off the table too soon.

“Mate, you know that your energy is far too weak to arise yet,” the first master said.

Rena looked around a moment, her eyes falling on the two new females and the male. “She got three, there are thirty of us now?” Rena asked.

“Yes,” the first master said. “The Chrysalis is the most stable I have seen it since we created it. Finally, there is hope for us.”

“If,” Rena stated weakly, “we can keep her alive.”

“We are doing all that we can. I believe that she also recharged the Chrysalis, though I am unsure just how,” the first master said.

Rena’s eyes grew large as part of the prophecy came to her. The part about the Savior recharging the Chrysalis.

Rena turned to stare at her mate, “the prophecy, this is another part of it.”

“Another part? What are you speaking of? I don’t remember this in the prophecy,” the first master said.

“It was the second prophecy, the one most dismissed as nonsense,” Rena said, her energy slowly returning.

A look at the others showed that their energy was also as slow to recover. At least they had saved Wren, though they had to watch her from now on. She had expended more than she ever had, extremely dangerous.

“I am unfamiliar with it,” Rena’s mate said.

“It said that the one who would release all of us would also recharge the Chrysalis. It would last long beyond the final release of the last of us. It also said that there was a chance to save the Savior. The master died after that, so it was never revealed just how we could save her.

The first master’s head nodded as he took in all that she said. “As you said, if we can keep her alive, she seems to want to push as hard as she can. Somehow, we have to get her to slow a bit, even as high as she is, she is not invincible.”

Rena nodded her head, “the only problem I see with that? She hardly listens to anyone if it doesn’t concern the art or her use of it. Perhaps Master Flugret can convince her somehow?”

The first master thought about it for a few minutes, then nodded. A few moments later, Flugret walked into the room.

“You wished to see me first, master?” Flugret said as he bowed in respect.

“Yes,” the first master said. “We know that you seem to have more influence over Little Wren. We both wish to know to what extent that influence might be to? It has come to our attention that Wren has been pushing herself far beyond her abilities.”

“Yes, first master, I have noticed as well. Though I do have more influence over her thinking, I am more of a guide than anything else. She will listen though, as for acting on what I say? There sir, I am afraid that she is her own person with a strong will,” Flugret said.

The first master and his mate both sighed in frustration, “I had a feeling that she was like this. Do you think you might be able to get her to slow down somewhat? This last time she put herself and many of us in peril,” Rena said.

Flugret thought for a few moments, then drew a deep breath. “All I can do is talk to her first master. As I said before, she is very strong-willed. I know that changing her mind is difficult.”