Chapter 7

Wren watched with her anger rising. Who in the hell, did her brother think he was? A moment later both the thermic missiles impacted against his ship’s shields.

An almost satisfied smile, came to her lips as she watched her brother’s ship go dark.

“Open a channel Trigon.” Wren said.

“Channel open Master Wren.” Trigon responded.

“Hey idiot! What’s wrong? Can’t take it when someone is far better than you? Plus, they have far superior equipment, power and need I say looks? Oh yeah, that’s right that’s why you have so many followers, you’re so damn ugly.” Wren taunted her brother.

‘You little bitch! You’ll pay for that! I want all weapons to fire now, destroy that piece of trash.” Thomas was shouting.

“I’m afraid that all weapons are down,” came a voice from off screen.

“What!? Get then up now, or you and your entire family won’t know another day!” Thomas was almost shouting.

“Tsk, tsk, sounds like someone is having a tantrum. I’ll fix that kiss my a...” Wren started to say the started to curse when her brother’s ship moved away.

“After them we should be able to completely...” Wren started to curse harder when her brothers ship jumped to hyper space. “Tracking?”

“I am afraid that the shot they got through, has temporarily blinded our long-range sensors. I am effecting repair as we speak.” Trigon said.

Wren nodded as she looked over the readings from the wreckage of the ships that had attacked them.

“It appears as if almost all the ships were destroyed. Are you detecting survivors? Are there any more out there that we have to worry about?” Wren asked Trigon.

“You are correct Master Wren; I am reading ninety eight percent of the attacking fleet destroyed.” Trigon answered.

Wren was nodding as she was going over other readings. “Have you determined how he was able to get through?”

“I am still analyzing the attack, so far, the only thing I see is that the missiles were out of phase.” Trigon replied.

“Out of phase?” Wren asked.

“About the only way to explain it. When we are in hyperspace, we are out of phase with normal space. The same as when we are in trans-warp, we are here though not, as we have phased to that space. It appears that the missiles momentarily went to hyperspace to pass our shields. They, then emerged past our shields, therefore being able to strike us.” Trigon tried to explain.

Wren was deep in thought a moment then nodded. “Have you deduced a solution for this?”

“I am using almost total capacity, to compute several viable hypothesis.” Trion answered.

Wren was nodding, feeling her anger toward her brother, starting to break through what control she had established. It was slightly easier than when she left though, she was still having control issues.

A sudden voice in her head stopped her a moment. Wren, if you lose control out here like you did on Ceti-5, we might not be able to pull you from the abyss. If you do pass that point, I am afraid that all of us will die painful deaths.

“What!?” Wren said out loud once again startled. “Here, I thought that all of you in there could stop it.”

We could, the voice replied. Though, we would have to take control, it is painful when permission is not granted. It could even with you as high as you are, set you back several levels.

“What, so everything I had achieved would be for naught?” Wren asked.

We are ashamed to admit this, there is a way though it goes against almost everything you have learned as a human. It would trample many of the ideas that human kind has for Singularity. With us, we have a group consciousness, we are when we are as one, only one mind, though many thoughts.

“Would I have to become an energy ball like I saw all of you on Ceti?” Wren asked.

No, the voice replied. We have found that, when we are joined like we are, it becomes harder and harder to take a solid form. Many of us, are just now becoming able, for a hour of you time, to achieve this.

“So, you’re telling me that I am that important to all of you?” Wren asked.

It has become increasingly clear to almost all of us, that you are. The voice of master Flugret said.

“Master Flugret! I was afraid that you were no longer talking to me. Can I ask?” Wren said.

Of course, little Wren. Flugret voice in her head said.

“You know me better and far longer than any of the others. Do you think I could deal with whatever the other voices said?” Wren asked.

At the present time? No, I am afraid that you, with your human thinking, would quickly reject the process. Flugret’s voice said.

“I have an idea, though even it, scares me to some degree.” Wren said, then explained her idea to Flugret.

Thomas was growing closer and closer to using his skills he’d learned on Ceti-5, to kill the entire bridge crew. Catching his self, he did all he could to calm before that happened.

The crew had seen him like this before, they were staying out of reach of him. All the good that it did them as Thomas, was far faster than any of them.

A look at the sensors showed that his bitch half-sister hadn’t given chase.

“Do we have information on why she hasn’t followed us? Thomas asked.

The lead scientist said a silent prayer to his god as he opened his mouth to speak.

“Sir, it appears that the missile that hit the other ship, has blinded the sensors for a short time.” The scientist said awaiting the death blow that he thought was coming.

Thomas’s head snapped toward the alien, “blinded the sensors? Show me!” Thomas said a slight smile crossing his features. “Ah! Finally good news,” turning to the others he said. “I want as much distance as you can get. We need to effect repairs as soon as we can, plus what improvements we can.”

Thomas whirled heading off the bridge toward his quarters. As soon as he had locked the doors, he turned on anti-listening devices. Reaching above the door he set several deadly devices to kill anyone that entered.

He then hooked up several machines to the ship com. Satisfied he sat, “alright mother we’re secure.” He started.

It was several minutes before he expected an answer. He reached over pulling a bottle of a green liquid, turning it up he took a deep swallow. Thomas grimaced as the liquid burned down his throat. The slight light headedness passed quickly as he smiled. Damn, tasted really bad, had hardly no buzz, though it helped to rid most of the pain racking his body.

He had drained half the bottle, when his mother answered. “I am busy what in the hell do you want?”

“Uh, uh, uh, I suggest you change your tune. I am not one of the mindless masses that are under you.” Thomas said. “No, I don’t think so.” Thomas said when he heard her start to talk. “It is obvious that you withheld information from me. The little bitch has weapons I haven’t seen in a number of years, plus a few I have never seen. The only way we got to her at all was the phase missiles.”

“That is no way to speak to your Empress!” Esmeralda almost shouted. “I...”

“Shout the hell up mother. I am a hell of a long way from you, so don’t give me any grief. You might be the Empress; you are nothing without me. Or should I release your precious husband? I think all the aligned worlds would listen to him long before they would you.” Thomas said with a snide smile on his lips.

“You wouldn’t dare!” Esmeralda almost shouted a look of horror on her face.

“Wanna try me? I am tired of you lording over me. I don’t really give a shit for your plans right now. Not ‘til I rid the both of us of that bastard’s spawn. Her ship, has disabled mine three times now. I don’t aim to allow her to do so again. Not a word bitch! After I kill her THEN, I’ll head back, out.” Thomas said a look of extreme anger on his face.

Esmeralda’s face held shock at the way her son had spoken to her. Didn’t he know that she had enough problems here? She suddenly stopped, Thomas had gotten through? He’d actually hit her ship? She then ran through all the weapons they had, experimental, standard, plus the new alien ones they had acquired.

Damnit, she thought. Figures that, it would be the experimental weapons they had just developed. Disconnecting her special com, she called the development team.

“Doctor?” She said when the man came on the line. “I want you to get as many of the phasic missiles as you can to me. I also want you to add the specs to the fleet missile maker machines.”

“I will do so immediately; I am afraid that it will take at least a day though.” The male said.

“That’s fine, we’re not really going anywhere at the moment. I am hoping that these new missiles can break through the Ceti-5 shields.” Esmeralda said as a twisted smile came to her lips.

“It just might my Empress, they are after all, highly unstable after they are fired.” The Doctor said.

“Good, I can’t tolerate those on Ceti-5 defying the greatest empire in this galaxy.” Esmeralda said with as commanding voice as she could.

The man bowed, then nodded, “I will effect to speed up the process as fast as I can.”

“Very good though, not outside of the safety guidelines. The last fool I had at the head of development forgot that. They still haven’t found half of him yet.” Esmeralda said.

“It will be as you say Empress.” The head scientist said then clicked off.

So, Esmeralda thought that little bitch daughter of her husband hadn’t thought of everything. Good, good, there was a chance to bring her to heel after all.

Wren’s ship jumped to hyper-space an hour after her brother’s ship did. An angry sigh escaped her lips, she saw that the all trace of his trail had degraded to nothing.