Chapter 18

On Ceti-5, Helene was shown to her room, then almost ignored a fact that she wasn’t used to. She decided to explore as she left her room. It was taking a lot for her to get used to the fact that there were females here. Then there was the fact that her sister could do what she did.

She was walking by where the chrysalis room was when she stopped suddenly. What in the hell was that? Looking around she thought she heard something again, tentatively, she stepped into the room.

“Hello?” She said as she slowly walked deeper into the room. She shook her head as she thought she heard something again.

She went around a corner, then stopped when she saw what it was the first master’s mate? Staring intensely at the chrysalis.

Yes I know, Helene heard in her head. What was that? I think someone else is here, another voice said.

Rena turned to stare incredulously at Helene, “did you hear that?” Helene could only nod her head.

Rena could only shake her head, there was something special about the females of this family. She nodded her head as a thought came to her.

“Helene? Would you mind if the masters scanned you? It won’t hurt, it might even tickle a little bit,” Rena said.

Helene thought about it for a few moments, “is it really that important?” Helene asked.

“I believe that it is, you see before now? Only the masters and we, their mates, plus your sister could hear them. Now you say that you are also hearing them? I just want to find out why OK?” Rena asked.

Again Helene stood there, “could I ask Wren?” Helene asked.

“You want to wait that long?” Rena asked.

“Not long. I can barely hear her if I concentrate.” Helene sat, then concentrated on Wren. “Wren?”

Wren had just completed working on everything when she heard her sister. “Helene? Are you alright?”

“I’m OK, miss Rena wants to do a scan on me. I heard her and another when she was in the chrysalis room,” Helene said.

A portal opened immediately in the room that Wren stepped out of. “I want to be here in case something bad happens,” Wren said.

Rena nodded as several masters entered the room. They started immediately to scan Helene, true to what Rena had said, the young female started to giggle, then laugh.

Wren was smiling at this, it was such a beautiful sound to her. A few minutes later, all the masters were staring at Helene.

“Wren, apparently, when you rescued her, keeping her with you, she absorbed some of your energy. According to what we feel, she is close to level three already,” the master said.

Wren just nodded her head, not really surprised. “I didn’t think that I was the only one in the family. Well, that’s good to know,” she said.

“It appears when she ran into you last time was when she took it in,” Rena said.

“Well, since I am here, perhaps I should get a few more?” Wren asked, then started to the chrysalis room.

She then reached for it, laying her hand on it. Within moments, it and she started to glow. As before, four spots broke off from the chrysalis, though this time they elongated without incident.

All that were there were amazed when they solidified into two males and two females. Wren sighed now they were starting to even out.

So Wren thought they had nineteen females and twenty-three males. She nodded when she saw a reading that the atmosphere of the planet was more than half normal.

With a turn she smiled, “that should help, I hope,” Wren said. Rena and a few others looked at the outside readings, their eyes getting large.

“According to this, the outside is almost normal. The cycle should be able to start up soon,” Rena said.

“I sure hope so, put too much into this for it to fail,” Wren said with a smile. “OK, she said as she opened the portal. “I hope to be back soon, then walked through.

“Alright Trigon, anything new?” Wren asked,

“Yes, master Wren. From all readings, it appears that the Zetcrons have more than doubled their ships. Production is complete for the second set of shatter bombs. The pods have finished with fifty feet more of ship,” Trigon said.

“Have you repaired what was malfunctioning with the matter transfer?” Wren asked hopeful.

“Yes, master Wren, I have also managed to drop power consumption by ten percent,” Trigon said.

“Very good Trigon,” Wren said as she saw that they were about to emerge near the second Zetcron colony.

“Master Wren, I am detecting several very large Meltry ships, high destructive capability,” Trigon said.

“Good,” Wren smiled almost evilly. “I want all the energy torpedoes armed and ready, go to stealth.”

They emerged a moment later with all the ships firing at the portal. Trigon had already released a hundred torpedoes, which quickly took out the ten Meltry ships. She then turned her attention upon the hundreds of Zetcron ships.

This time there were only twenty-five here. Wren smiled it was as she thought. A few minutes later, all onboard, she released a few hundred thermic missiles. An even larger smile came to her face as the fleet vanished quickly.

“To the planet know that this is one of the last princesses of earth. Today, I bring justice and the same mercy that you showed the earth. Launch two shatter bombs. Destroy all ships trying to leave,” Wren said.

Wren felt the energy cannons as they destroyed ship after ship. That was ‘til the two shatter bombs went off, ripping most of the atmosphere from the planet.

“Alright, the last two,” Wren said with a smile as the planet shook, cracked, then shattered.

Wren and Trigon were already in the trans-warp conduit when it exploded.

“I am keeping production going, master Wren. We will need supplies after the next few,” Trigon said.

Things went the same at the next colony, though there were no Meltry ships this time.

“Hmmm,” Wren said. “It appears that the Meltry are worried now they have lost more than a few ships. Good should make quicker work of the planets.”

“It would appear so, master Wren, I have kept the sensors open. Still no sign of their home planet,” Trigon said. “I have also been taking what I could from their central computers, nothing yet.”

“It will take at least another hour to complete the last two shatter bombs. Then I should have most of the torpedoes and thermic missiles replaced. Shall I drop to hyper-space while we wait?” Trigon asked.

“Yes, we need to be as ready as we can, make sure we have enough when we go in. Try to increase production,” Wren said as Trigon dropped to hyper-space.

Wren sighed it was going to be a while, she might as well work on the ship. For the next hour, Wren worked on increasing the power of the energy weapons, the torpedoes and the thermic missiles.

Wren then started to work on the trans-warp. She wanted to make sure that it wouldn’t rupture again like it had when she was exposed.

She nodded as she saw that everything was twice as strong. She was also able to extend it to ten minutes thirty seconds. For some reason, it completely destabilized a second after that.

She was surprised that the whole hour still wasn’t up. How in the hell had she completed it that fast?

She also checked in on the fifty humans she had still in stasis. Wren was also wondering where her bastard of a brother-in-law had gotten to. There was a thing called death that he was due.

Trigon alerted her that he was starting on the second set of shatter bombs. “Should I go to trans-warp, master Wren?” Trigon asked.

“No, when you are almost complete with the second set, then go to trans-warp,” Wren said.

“Also, master Wren, I am detecting a mass exodus from the fourth colony planet,” Trigon said.

“I want all those ships tracked. It may be that they are heading to the main planet of the Zetcron. With any luck, they will lead us to where it is,” Wren said.

Almost another hour and a half later, Trigon informed Wren that both sets were almost ready. With a smile, Wren ordered Trigon into trans-warp.

Less than a minute later, a portal opened not far from the planet. Wren almost gleefully started to destroy all the ships that were trying to flee the planet. She was almost disappointed that there were no war ships.

Almost a moment later, a massive ship appeared firing on her. Ah! She thought this was more like it!

“Trigon, disable all engines,” she said.

Damn, she thought this has some serious power, too bad it belongs to warmongers. She then watched as Trigon took out all four of the engines. That’s when the call to surrender started.

“Trigon open a channel to the large ship, my answer is that I will give you the same mercy you gave the earth. Fire torpedoes in one minute increments.

Wren started to laugh in an almost maniacal manner. As a section of ther ship was blown away. She saw several life-boat shuttles leave the ship.

Target all the shuttles, then drop two shatter bombs,” Wren ordered. So satisfying she thought, as the atmosphere was nearly ripped away. “Alright, drop the other two then head for the last colony.”

“They are away, now opening trans-warp,” Trigon said as a portal opened, then they were gone.

“Are you still tracking the ships that left earlier?” Wren asked.

“Yes I am master Wren, they haven’t stopped as yet. They seem to be heading for the edge of the galaxy. Star charts aren’t showing but three planets there. No indication that they are approaching any of them,” Trigon said.

“Good, keep an eye on them. I still feel that they will lead us to the main planet,” Wren said.

“Compliance master Wren. The last two shatter bombs are completed, master Wren, nearing capacity of torpedoes and thermic missiles, energy weapons at the ready, generators and engines at full,” Trigon said.

“Full stealth, I imagine we are going to have a heavy reception,” Wren said.

“One minute ‘til exit, I am reading a Meltry battleship awaiting our arrival,” Trigon said.