Chapter 4

“Good,”, I said, “release Andromeda and...” I started then stared with my mouth open when Andromeda entered a slipstream.

“Follow them Rommie,” I said.

“Unable to comply,” Rommie said.

“What!? Why the hell not?” I shouted.

“At the moment we have insufficient power for even warp. The extending of our shields taxed the engines. At present we are at twenty percent, barely enough for life support, shields and sub-light engines.”

Ok I thought, then I felt my anger start to grow. Then I felt it start to surge higher.

“Warning, warning, body energy output reaching ninety, ninety-one. Internal temperature starting to rise,” I barely heard Rommie say.

Between clenched teeth I said, “I know shut up!”

I had turned toward the viewscreen feeling my power climbing higher than I’d ever felt it. All I could see was red as I stared at the Magog that were trying to catch me. “GO AWAY!” I shouted, then was surprised when every Magog ship all the way to the planet exploded. That’s when I discovered I had pushed WAY too far, then I faded to the deck.

Even as I slumped toward the deck, I heard Rommie, “Warning, warning, energy output of body has surpassed tolerable levels. Now shutting all systems ‘til regeneration complete.”

The world was growing dark as I said, “Rommie, protect, stealth as soon as possible. Find the Androm...” That was the last as the dark took me.

It seemed like days before I awoke with a start. Groaning I tried to sit up then fell back, crap I thought as pain seemed to rip through my head.

“Welcome back Captain Thomas,” Rommie said, though it seemed louder than I thought she should be.

“Shhh,” I said.

“Sir?” She said just as loud, causing me to cringe. “Sir, are you in pain? Are you damaged?” I cringed more as I slightly rolled into a ball on the deck.

In barely a whisper I said, “Yes, I am in pain. Lower the volume of your voice. I need a full medical scan, how long was I out?”

A much-reduced volume Rommie answered, “you were unconscious for over eight hours.”

Damnit! I thought now I was going to have to almost start over searching for him. “Were you able to follow the Andromeda?” I asked.

Rommie appeared as she started to scan me. “No sir, though an hour ago I heard chatter about them. There also seems to be a great amount of chatter about the huge Magog fleet that disappeared from here. From what information I have been able to gather, this is a Nietzchean colony. I have attempted to move us further from here, I am afraid that I have only sub-space. We are only a ten million miles away, still too close.”

“How are the repairs coming?” I asked.

“It appears that the systems are responding far slower than they should be. Stealth is only thirty-five percent. As I said we only have sub-space and that’s only at fifty percent. We have lost warp and Trans-warp drives,” Rommie reported.

My eyes opened wide as I cursed under my breath. “Alright, give me a moment.” I looked at the back of the ship, feeling the sub-pace go to a hundred percent. A moment later I heard Rommie report that the Warp drive was now at a hundred percent. “How is the regen now?”

“It has finally increased to seventy-five percent. Trans-warp is now at five percent and climbing rapidly. We are also at ninety percent of our stealth,” Rommie reported. I sagged a little after the small activity, drained more than I should be.

“Good, go to warp drive, get us as far away as you can. I am not wanting to destroy nor harm any of the Nietzchean Unity’s ships,” I told Rommie. “Is there anything from the Magogs?”

“Not as of yet, though I am still monitoring all their channels,” Rommie said.

The Magog leader of the destroyed swarm was trying the best it could to follow our trail. We had finally gone to warp, now a great distance from the planet. A mere ten minutes later, a slipstream opened, the Magog swarm leader’s ship exiting. The leader’s eyes were wide in disbelief, an entire planet fleet, was nothing but a huge debris field. The strange message he had received had been troubling, now it was more so.

Shaken the leader held where he was, knowing that the Nietzchean Unity ships would be here very soon. Pulling back behind a nearby moon the shaken leader contacted the hive mind.

[What have you to report?] The hive mind asked.

[I arrived at the Hives’s new conquest, there ... there are none of our ships left.] The leader felt a gasp from the hive mind. [Show us, ] they commanded.

The Magog swarm leader felt as if his mind was on the edge of madness as those of the hive looked through him.

[This is far more serious than we at first thought. That was a standard, five million planet fleet. Have you determined what destroyed them? Was it the Nietzchean Unity?] The hive mind asked.

[No leaders, they are on the way here now. From what I can scan, there was that commonwealth High Guard ship and one other. Scans show that it was the same ship that destroyed both of my swarms.] The swarm leader reported.

[If this is true, we advise you to track it, we need all information on this new enemy. If it has superior weapons, we need to take it and them. This mission takes first precedence, ] The hive mind said.

[Understood Elders, ] the swarm leader replied as he opened all his sensors. Slightly agitated, the leader went through every sensor that he could. Sometime later, an evil smile lit up its features.

A check of the sensors had him smiling broader. Moving forward, the leader activated a sequence, the entered the slip stream.

Less than a minute later, another slip stream opened, A massive amount of Nietzchean Unity ships slipping out. All the Nietzscheans on board the ships gasp as they looked at the huge Magag fleet. Well, rather, that which was left, nothing but a huge floating debris field.

The Nietzchean Unity fleet commander went over the readings. A few minutes later, he also gasped when, he only saw the signatures of two ships. One he knew quite well the old commonwealth ship, though the other fully intrigued him.

“I want readings for this ship, I want to know how they destroyed an entire Magog planet fleet. If they have this much power it might be to our advantage to enlist or capture them,” the male said.

“Sir,” the males first officer said. “if they are that powerful, might it be better to not confront them?”

The commander thought a few moments then nodded, “perhaps, though as I have found? Everyone and thing have their weakness, we just have to find it.”

“If they have no such weakness?” he first officer asked.

“As I said,” the commander said. “In my experience, all have a weakness. It is just discovering it, if we can’t then we have to find a way to survive. Though as I can also see, this new ship? Is most definitely not a friend of the Magog.”

“Oh, because of the destruction of the Magog fleet?” The first officer asked.

The commander nodded, “also the level of destruction. If you haven’t noticed? The level of destruction is complete no escape pods, no bodies or body parts. No this was total destruction, whoever they have no love for the Magog at all. The only problem I see, is whether or not they feel that way about the Nietzchean Unity. If they do, then we have a problem.”

The first officer nodded his agreement as the crew started to run a track on my ship.

We were In thought gaining on Dylan Hunt’s ship, when he seemed to vanish. “Are you detecting any type of stealth technology?” I asked Rommie.

“None that I am detecting Captain Thomas,” Rommie said.

I sat thinking about it a moment, “back track the last line of travel of the Andromeda. See if they reversed along their previous track to disguise their trail,” I said.

“Now working, as of yet I am ... I have it sir. Now adjusting course, they aren’t more than a few hours ahead of us,” Rommie advised.

“Good, let me know when we have them in sight. I’m afraid I am going to have to do something unconventional. For now, follow them while I get this ready,” I told Rommie.

Rommie nodded to me, though she had a look of concern on her face. I worked for the next few days getting what I wanted here I wanted. Of course, Rommie had to remind me to eat as I lost myself in the work.

I was also keeping an eye on the energy unbalance, even though they were with me, my universe still had adverse effects. I had hoped that with them out the energy would diminish no such luck.

A moment later Rommie interrupted my thoughts, “Captain Thomas, Trans-warp is now at seventy-five percent. Might I suggest we go to it as it doesn’t leaver as detectable an energy signature as the others do.”

“I was thinking of that though with less than a hundred percent, it might not be wise. I am always afraid that not being at full might damage the drive,” I told her.

“Yes sir, taking all that into consideration. I do suggest though, that we do as soon as possible. I am detecting communication of the Magog and the Nietzchean Unity. It appears that the Magog wish to take my technology. The Nietzchean Unity, are worried it seems that, we will turn upon them,” Rommie advised me.

I nodded as I looked back at Rommie, “I kind of figured that. It’s the main reason, I am trying to get the hell out of this universe, as fast as possible.”

Rommie nodded her agreement as I turned back to what I had been working on. I started to redouble my efferts, then stopped. Why in the hell was I doing this the hard way? I started at the computer input, thought of what I needed then smiled. It was just as I wanted it.

I turned back to the back of the ship thinking hard a moment.

Rommie appeared a moment later, “I am happy to report trans-warp is at a hundred percent. Sheild power has increased another twenty percent, engine output increased another fifty percent,” Rommie said.

“Good, weapons should have increased another thirty percent also,” I told Rommie.