Chapter 35

The next morning, I loaded the last of the repaired combat suits, there were only six ready. I took my Bo, my new sword and knives. The last battle I wished for this weapon and its matching knives. I almost felt like an ancient Japanese Samurai going into battle. I left before the girls started crying. It was hard on me, as well as them, to part that way.

Carlton flew at the maximum acceleration of four hundred and thirty six gees, till we were past the Mardaf Limit. Then we really started to move. As expected the relativistic effects started to take hold. Carlton's hull was too small to support a temporal compensator. The good part of the trip was that it would seem much shorter, than it actually was. Eight days on Earth would pass while I only felt the passing of a little over two.

Three hours into light speed, a combat suit moved. I scanned to see if it went active and it wasn't. I was now curious, and found another slight movement. I took the suit and laid it on the floor and opened it. Amy was breathing rapidly, from lack of oxygen. I took her to the chair and administered first aid. I also thought of what else she also needed, but I didn't like causing her pain.

I scanned her mind and found out why women are termed devious. She knew I would be alone, and her chances of becoming pregnant were much greater if there were no others to take my seed. The other reason was to keep me from rash acts. Figuring if I had a wife with me, even if she were a junior wife, I would act differently.

"Carlton, how difficult is it to reverse course?"

"Sir, I can alter our course, much like a sailing ship, but I cannot tack into the wind. We have to pull out of the stream now, and start back again. This will entail a six-hour layover, so that I can recharge the accumulators at the base."

Perhaps it was good that Amy was here. She was right, I jumped into things, after thinking, but I always jumped. Amy pulled me down and kissed me. She had read my mind, and knew that she had won half the battle.

"You are a very lucky girl, if I had not pulled you from the suit, you would have died there. I know your reasons for stowing away, but you acted like a child, in your method of doing this."

Amy's happiness turned to ashes, as she withered under my reproach. "I love you," she tried to explain.

"I know you do Honey, and I love you too, but you are still young and a child. That is nothing to be ashamed of. It is great to be a child, just as it is great to grow up. I want you to enjoy all of your childhood, before adult life make you do, what you have to do, instead of what you want."

I continued, "I have to do a lot more thinking on how the Earth and the rest of us might be made safe. Why don't you study the combat suit, so next time you will not suffocate in one?"

"Carlton how is it that you did not detect her?"

"I only scanned the suit for identification and status. I did not make a scan within the suit, because of its passive shield."

"In the future, insure that this doesn't happen again."

"Yes, Sir."

We were beyond range of any mental communication, and I didn't want any other type of communication to leave this ship for fear it was traced like the explosions on the moon. Amy's disappearance would be noted soon enough, and her probable location would be deduced soon after.

I worked with Carlton for many hours, trying to narrow down the right course to take through our problems, till I heard a sniffle.

"What is wrong, Honey?"

"I am hungry, and you only talk to Carlton."

"You have decided to be my wife. If one of us is working hard at an important job, the other would make something to eat. A child gets served by the adult. Do you want me to consider you child, Honey?" I said as carefully as I could.

"No, I will make us something to eat. I am not a child."

I chuckled to myself. Amy was still a child of twelve, even though she looked six. My brain returned to the problem of getting Mom's hull repaired, and the best use we could make of it. The hull would need another AI, and I hoped to get Mom to make a copy of herself, and put it in. Would she go along with that idea? I didn't want a clone of myself walking around.

"Husband, your food is ready."

I kissed Amy, as I would the senior wives, and sat to eat. I complemented her on her choices and setting. I knew she enjoyed the praise. After the meal, I went back to work, and Amy went back to the suit. She had gotten it to shrink to her size somehow. I checked that all the weapons were on safety, and continued with my own work.

It was getting late, and I felt hungry again, and turned to Amy. The suit had not moved for many hours, and I looked to her mind. She was going through the battle scenarios that Carl and I had done previously. I saw her moves, and she was not doing too badly.

"Carlton, when Amy finishes the present scenario, inform me."

"Yes Sir." Twenty minutes later I was given the message, and I asked the suit AI to call it quits, for a while. Amy was sweating, even though the suit was conditioned to keep the occupant comfortable.

"I was in the ship with you, and we were killing Dogfaces. I saved you once, and you saved me. There were a lot of Tandra onboard, and we saved them all."

"I like that kind of fight. I just wish that they would all end like that. Let's have supper, and then a shower before we go to bed."

"Yes, I like when you do things for me."

"I do them, because I love you."

It was a shame that there was no real galley. The Tandra stuck to their tubes of nutritious glop, and I wanted vegetables, some meat, and fruit to end the meal. Thanks to some foresight, I even had some coffee.

Amy told me of the things she wanted out of life. She wanted to be a soldier like her mother. She had died many years ago, and Amy only knew her from some records, and a very faint memory. The next thing she wanted was my children. The Tandra could have many children over their child bearing years but four was usually what they thought duty demanded. Amy wanted a lot more. The last thing she already had, and that was to be in our family.

"Well Honey, you are working on number two, and you only have to grow a little, before you get the rest."

The lights went out, and Amy just cuddled beside me. I thought for sure that she would try to make love. I just held her close, and went to sleep after she did.

Mom was repaired now, and all of us were going on a vacation. The new galley was the way it should be. Ovens to cook food the right way and...

Oh, Amy had changed her mind, her long fingers held my cock, and her small mouth was sucking on me. I rose to the occasion, and felt her small head and fine hair. Her oily hand stroked me, and she tried to get my cock into her anus. It was tight. I was about to stop her, when she fed me the image of her using one of Susan's dildos to make sure I could fit. She manoeuvred into a better position, and I saw in her mind, the cock sliding up and down her bowels, for the first time. She had an orgasm, and started again. Many orgasms later, she was getting tired, and I picked up her hips and helped her at a fast pace. She had her biggest cum, and I spewed into her bowels.

Her anus tightened, till it was necessary to take her off of me. We cuddled close, and went immediately back to sleep.

Amy was sucking on me again. The child was incorrigible, and like a good Tandra adult I let her have her way. She sat on me and had four or five orgasms, before urging me to cum with her. I moved her small body, and both of us had our little death. We held one another close, and went back to sleep.

I woke up after my four hours of sleep and kissed Amy as she slept. She had happy dreams, and it showed on her face.

I stretched and did my exercises. Carlton helped by holding a bar with his tractor, to represent weights. My muscles were hurting good, and I continued my workout for about an hour. A shower made everything feel right. The water felt great. Why did the Tandra have to go to the cleanser, just because it was easier?

Breakfast was eggs and bacon. Carlton heated a pan with a weapon set extremely low. Amy came out and stretched, just when I was going to awake her. "Good morning Sweetheart. Have a quick shower, and hurry up, before your food gets too cold."

All the girls at home were eating their food warm now, and I knew it wasn't just to please me. Their palette was changing, as they discovered new foods, and ideas from us.

I tried to see when she was done, and found a solid block around all of her thoughts. Was she angry with me? I wouldn't pry, other than to ask verbally.

She came out and kissed me, like her older sisters. The tongue entered my mouth and demanded battle. I was happy that she was not angry with me, and responded. My dick got hard and she wanted to mount me now.

"Amy, eat first. If you want some fun after, then we can do that."

"Yes, I want that. It is nice to have you all to myself for a change."

"To tell you the truth, it is nice to have just us too. It is more the way Humans are made." We ate and made love. Her anus squeezed till I filled it with my seed. The rest of the day Amy practised in the suit, and communicated on a different channel, with Carlton. She was getting the hang of strategy very early. That afternoon, I had a mock battle with her. I beat all her ships, but she succeeded in knocking one of mine out, when she should have gotten none. She loved the well deserved praise, I heaped on her.

Amy again woke me up with her mouth, and hopped on for her ride. She was able to last a lot longer now, that she didn't have the others orgasming all around her. Eventually, I had my own release with hers, and we went back to sleep. An hour later Amy was riding me again. I didn't even feel when she started on me. She urged me to cum with her, and I did. She felt contented and cuddled close.

I woke up and did my solo exercises, before making breakfast. Today we would arrive in the system.

Amy got up and had her shower, and came to the table. "Good morning, husband. How did you sleep?"

"Very soundly, except for two times. Where I dreamed I was making love to a beautiful goddess," I said. I wondered again, the reason for the total block she had on her mind. She was entitled to her privacy, if she wanted it.

As we approached the far outskirts of the system, Carlton sent out an obscure signal. We waited three hours before proceeding. It was my hope, that if the system had Tandra sensors, and if their underlining code was unchanged, then we could work into the system undetected. Our faint pulse was repeated at regular periods, as insurance. Carlton detected no sensors, but if things were working right, he wouldn't, any way. Our slow entry would also help to cloak us.

Epsilon Eridani was not very bright, but did host three planets, and an enormous cloud of dust. The innermost planet Masis, showed a high level of technology, far from its leper past. I sent probes out to each of the other planets, and the one moon, on the outermost. The probes were designed to ferret out the data, and return with it, instead of broadcasting it back.

Amy and I were spellbound, as we watched our long range sensors showing us details of the innermost planet EE1, or Masis. There were three ships in orbit. One similar to the ship that Carl and I took, of seven hundred thousand tonnes.

The next, was much larger. Carlton volunteered the information that it was a carrier, capable of releasing many thousands of small agile fighters, and other small war ships. I recognized it through Mom's teaching, as a Continental Class warship. Its many bays were open, and the occasional craft departed or returned, through the shield. The telescopic view showed green skinned Dogfaces, scurrying around the craft. The fighters were mostly useless against larger warships, but could take out merchant vessels, poorly defended planetary surfaces, or small warships.

The last ship was gigantic. It massed out at three point four million tonnes. This battleship's type translated as Omicron. It was designed to control an entire flotilla, when attacking a heavily defended system. I could think of no purpose for this ship. Taking on Earth was far beneath its majestic dignity. A single fighter on the carrier could take out the entire Earth defences. Were they ready to attack Earth now? I had to find out.

"Carlton, I think that unless the other planets have something very interesting, we are going to have to go with plan 7b."

"Yes, sir."

"What is that, husband?"

"It is an easy plan. Carlton sends out passive probes that bring the information back to him. I wear my battle suit, and take an extra one with the weapons inside it. I get Carlton to use his tractor, to throw me to the planet, and I orbit around it using the upper atmosphere to slow me down. Then I use the gravitics in the suit, to get to the surface, and then take a look around. If a satellite is watching the area I am in, then he warns me through a low power communicator."

Amy interrupted, "How will the satellite see you? You are supposed to be invisible to it."

"Sometimes, I will have to do things that could be seen by the satellite, like capturing a Dogface or killing one. If I know when it is safe, then I won't be caught. Anyway, after I have found out enough, I will just apply reverse gravity to the suit, and shoot up to four hundred kilometres. From there, I can fly toward the pickup point."

"I want to come."

"Can't Sweetheart. Either you stay here, and take some more lessons, or Carlton takes you home, and comes back later to get me." I could see she didn't like it, but she would do as I asked.

All of us watched the screen, as the planet was scanned. Masis had a higher percentage of land mass, while the oceans appeared deeper blue, probably because of different algae and mineral concentrations. There was only one big city and no other settlements larger than a few hundred. Small groups of living beings lived beneath the ground, either as nature dictated, or just hid for their lives.

On the night side, we found many small fires to keep away the dark. Our viewer showed them all to be Dogfaces. Here and there, I found individual life forms, and Carlton zoomed in. A deer like animal was very prominent along with a long horned bovine, both ran in herds. Wild dogs with huge jaws ran in packs, to keep the ecology running smoothly. Looking into a thicket of trees, we finally found intelligence.

It was a Tandra face. The computer, corrected for the light, and I saw a dirty individual, searching for food, and eating it, as he or she found it. A fur pelt was around the waist, and leaves and branches sprouted from its garment. A short spear was close at hand. The cautious movements told me that disguise was very important to this individual.

My brain produced the vision of hell in the captured ship and I knew if this individual were found it would be eaten just as it tried to eat the animals it hunted. If that were the case, then the fires represented hunting parties. It seemed that the Dogfaces were capable of clearing the planet in days, so they must be using primitive weapons on the populous, and calling it sport.

A low range of mountains contained many underground inhabitants, and this was one of my goals, but the first would be something like an open park close to the city. A dozen or so Tandra, shared the park with the deer, dogs and others.

My years in Nam taught me the value of technology. Masis was a very well protected base, and any use of high tech equipment, would result in a ship pouring enough energy on me, to melt a good portion of the planet. Mom had made chemical explosives, and her own variety of the claymore mine, as a favour to me.

I took one of the suits, and loaded it with my sword and two knives, two guns, and ten magazines for a total of six thousand rounds of ordinary, explosive and zinc/iron mix. A controller had always helped before, so I took one again. A small bag weighting about two kilos represented a few tonnes of high explosives on Earth. They fit comfortably in one of the legs. A diagnostic and a medical module went in too; their low power would never be found. There was no way I was going to eat recycled food, so I took enough for a week. If I were not back in four days, Carlton was to take Amy home. I debated leaving the command suit, but reconsidered, now that I knew I could talk to Tandra, face to face.

On the off chance that I found lots of interesting things, Carlton would record them, and send a message drone back to Earth from out of the system, and return to me.

I kissed my crying young lady, goodbye. "I won't be more than four local days. You have your studies to do, and Carlton to talk to. Your other job is to monitor the planet, to see what you can find. Carlton has orders not to scan actively, because the Dogfaces will know we are here then. I want to talk to the Tandra, and see if they have anything important to tell me."

Carlton gave the extra suit and me a good push. I could do it alone, but this way, it cut two hours off the trip. I dipped into the atmosphere, and used it with the suit, to cut my speed. Once slowed down to a level the suit could handle, I dived down at a little over two gravities. A shallow cave in a hill side, about a klick away, had three heat sources I found, as I came down.

It still took ten minutes, before I hit the ground, in a small depression filled with water. It looked much like a bog, with dead trees in the centre. It was a good place to land, for night was just falling.

"Carlton, is the satellite monitoring this area?"

"No sir," came from the small communicator. "It seems to be on automatic, and checking the foothills about three hundred kilometres to the south of you. I will warn if it comes closer than fifty, as you ordered."

"Thank you, Carlton." Then to Amy. "How are you doing Sweetheart?"

"I want to be with you. I can help, if you give me a chance."

"Let's take small steps. If you can help now, then you can get some more dangerous jobs, some other day. When you have proven yourself, then you will get even more dangerous jobs."

"Ok, it will have to do, I guess. Oh! There is a vehicle flying towards you now. I can't see inside it."

"Thank you, Sweetheart. Don't get jumpy already. I have a battle suit on, and they would not be able to see me. It might be just a routine patrol. How long till it gets close?"

"Carlton says about ninety seconds."

"I have to get ready in case. Just watch, and only say something, if you see more coming."

I striped the battle suit, and left the command one de-energized for now. If they were just on a patrol, then I would let them pass. If I were spotted in my decent, they would have sent a lot more than one vehicle. I took a knife in my old nylon scabbard, and the pistol in a holster, under my left arm.

I had a hunch that I was not the target, and energized the shield and ran towards the small cave. The difference in gravity took a moment to get used to. Kitten, Susan and I practised our karate in different environments, in case things like this happened.

From a nearby hill, I saw it land. The vehicle was just a frame, with seats to support the shield and a motor. Two Dogfaces got out, after the shield collapsed. The green faces were unmistakable. They both were just over two metres, and one was almost two hundred and fifty kilos, if he were on Earth. It wore a fur over one shoulder and waist, as did the smaller one. Spears about two metres long, were carried by both. I must have been right, for they were having sport, with archaic weapons.

My improved eyesight found a belt with a knife like mine, a gun, and a communicator, along with a shield generator.

They circled the hill and came at the cave from the rear. Their path told me that they knew game was hiding in the cave. They made a lot of obvious noise in the brush, and tree branches, that they moved.

The larger one poised a few metres above the cave, with a spear ready to hurl, in its hand. The smaller one tried its best to flush the game, but this didn't happen.

The large Dogface yelled some guttural speech, at the other. It put its spear down, and walked into the cave to fight barehanded, I thought. Coming out, its large hand held a Tandra woman by the neck, and goose-stepped her away from the cave. A girl Amy's age, ran to protect the woman.

The large Samutz grunted some speech again, and the other walked the woman further down the hill, about twenty metres, and let her fall. The girl ran and huddled with the woman in fear. The large one brought back its spear arm, and his head blew up in a crimson corona, the spear travelling a few metres, and remained still.

The other had good reflexes, and turned its shield on almost right away. I had a clear path, and keeping the Dogface in my sights, as I ran towards it. It tried to lower its shield, to pick up the communicator, but I started firing pellets, to let it know that it was not healthy to do so.

It turned to run, but I was faster, and kept up the firing, till it was trapped against a steep hillside, almost back where we started. The gun was set to standard rounds, and not the galvanized ammunition. I lowered my shield, and brought out my knife. I waved it, as I holstered the gun. This was a challenge, and the Dogface could drop his shield and fight with a knife, or try for his communicator or gun. The later two and I would shoot him, as he tried. This one I wanted alive, or at least almost so.

The shield came down, and the knife was hoisted into its large hands. Its mouth opened and the long thin tongue came out, licked its lips and many teeth. I could almost feel its satisfaction at the outcome, for I could read nothing, in its mind.

It lunged, trying to put a quick end to the match. In truth the creature was fast. I was able to parry and kick it in the crotch. The kick was as if I did nothing, except warn it to be wary of my feet. It faked to the right and slashed from the left. My knife came up and caught it in the arm, making a long slash. It backed up, and examined the wound, and amazingly it stopped bleeding almost right away. I could see no way that an un-augmented Human would stand a chance against this kind of creature.

Mom never told me of its recuperative powers, but you might need conscious, living specimens, to find this out. I went in this time, and its knife blocked mine every time. I was definitely at a disadvantage, when I wanted it alive, and it wanted me dead.

I think my opponent was starting to worry a little. It had four cuts. I had none. I pushed it back to the steep hillside, trying to trip it and cause enough damage, to capture it.

I lunged and my knife went into its side. It other hand came up, to the screen controls, just as a large rock fell onto its head. It eyes bulged out, and it fell. The eyes were vacant, but I didn't know if it was dead yet. Looking up, I saw the woman with a bloody arm, cradled in the other. Her defiant look pleased me, even if she took my prisoner from me.