Chapter 54

Bassinda said incredulously, "How can we do this? This ship doesn't even have engines."

A loss of a shield or a computer does not represent the problem it once may have. I plan on taking all the toys away from the Samutz as soon as possible." Even with all the things I already did, she was very sceptical of what I could accomplish. I directed the captain to break up the meeting and to take up general quarters as we would be at the empire I thought was lying doggo.

We left the system as fast as we had come, and set course for a Samutz system almost 680 light years away. Fifteen minutes later we were far into Samutz territory, and saw massive ship building yards, but very few ships.

I invaded a few of the larger ship computers with my mind, and found that the fleet had already left more than a month ago. Without doing anything to the Samutz ships or computers we left the system and followed the path of the invading fleet. We crossed back into Bintuu space, and found a path of destruction from one outlying system to another. It looked like some had been given the nerve gas with all higher order life gone to the planet itself completely blown up.

This was not the usual way the Samutz operated, but was not beyond their means.

We began to run into damaged ships of both races and some of the slower ones of the Samutz had been left behind, so the main force would not have to slow down. From a distance of only a few kilometres I grappled a damaged battleship and invaded the computer. Our computer initiated the imperial override in its simplest form. The struggle stopped immediately, and the computer gave me all the data I needed when asked. We left, with the ship trying to kill or capture all the Samutz it could.

Three systems ahead, almost 450 Samutz ships were destroying a half dozen Bintuu warships. The planet Tollinzz, the Bintuu ships were protecting, was one of the older breeding planets, and contributed its share to the empire. I took over ship after ship, but this was very slow. I brought our ship to the centre of the armada, and used all of the Bintuu missiles to get their attention. We were hammered in return by all the ships in range. The missiles themselves just disappeared into our shield, as I took over ship after ship that were now determined to destroy us.

A weary two hours later, I had to chase after the last 120 ships. Some had sleepers and were quite fast. These had to be my first objectives. This time I had to travel a good distance, and take over just one ship. In almost seven more hours, I was able to capture all of the armada present. Good sized battles inside the ships themselves were at an end, and the Samutz either in stasis or dead.

As I rested, Ambassador Soundakre informed the queen on the planet of what had happened, and who had done the protecting. The 450 ships were either orbiting or soon would be around Tollinzz, and under orders to protect the planet at all costs. All had been given the usual override.

I had to rest. My combat suit had fed me and kept me safe all this time. It was time to have a bath, a meal, and a sleep.

I had taken over the ambassador's quarters, but he had not been kicked out of the spacious rooms. Bassinda's guard followed us into the suite and made themselves at home. The nannies were upset because they were hungry and they were the ones feeding the babies. The Bintuu food replicators were what an old Tandra would want. The food was edible but very plain. Star and Chris were used to variety, and so were Bassinda's people. But the machine was not very sophisticated, and we had to do with what we had.

Over the simple meal, I heard how Bassinda wanted to more or less disarm the Mordis, after the battle, because of the outcry of the Tandra upper crust. Chris had more or less told her over her dead body, and there was a good sized standoff. Word of my disappearance had caused a truce to be made, and the ship was searched stem to stern, even in the computer room. I had a feeling; I was not even in the right dimensions to be found. The passage of time did not seem right for all of this to have happened.

The flight of the Samutz derelicts, in the Defren system, were stabilized, and work begun on seeing what could be salvaged, till news came of the Bintuu fleet. Bassinda had tried to stall as best she could, as Chris and Star got the Mordis prepared for a very serious battle. The battle had only been going on for a few hours when I appeared on the scene. The New Hope had dropped off all its troops, and flown to get reinforcements. It was hoped that the ship could tow enough ships back to make a difference.

I had to cut the bickering and recriminations off, and get cleaned. The only thing here was the cleanser, and this did the trick, but was still not a real shower. The bed was still anti grav, and I lay down to sleep. Three naked women came onto the bed with me. Bassinda still bickering about her proper place. I had to set her straight. "Bassinda, Chris was my first Tandra wife, later I was pleased to accept Star, and like you, all of them are carrying my children. Either you work within our family, or you don't. For too many years your people have drifted from proper Tandra law and ethics. I want you to get your head between Chris legs, and make her happy, while I make you happy."

I just waited for her actions. She was not used to being told what to do, and never told to please a person, that was no different form a slave. She closed her mind off, but I was still able to see her thoughts, she saw her future now as a consort to a real emperor, and did not want to jeopardize that. Her mind also played with the idea of a big frog in a little pond, or a little frog in a very big pond. The next argument had the most strength, she felt drawn to me by an irresistible force, and knew that she would do anything to stay with me. Her head slowly came down on the dark urethra, and sucked it into her mouth. She felt the feedback from Chris, and sucked harder, knowing she was doing it right.

I moved off the bed, and positioned myself behind Bassinda. I started to caress her ass, and ran my right hand up the crevice between her legs. My fingers dragged on the dry skin. I was about to call Messy for some assistance, when Bassinda pulled away from both of us, and went to her pile of clothes. She came back with a bottle of oil that was commonly used on Defren. She smiled, and I pulled her to me and gave her a soft kiss, "I like when you think ahead my wife."

She was pleased with the complement, and even more with the appellation. She just handed me the bottle, and went back to Chris. The contents of the bottle had a fragrance of flowers. I poured some into my right hand, and capped the container. I covered both back openings, and all the little nerve clusters. She groaned with a full mouth that made Chris feel even better. Star moved across the bed and sat on Chris's face, for her own enjoyment.

I focussed my mind, and looked into Bassinda's womb, and found a cluster of cells that would grow into my child one day. Opening my mind, I showed the rest of my women my most recent child. Chris's child was at about the same stage of development. I could feel the interest of all the women now. Star's child was much more developed, but far from the time of her birth.

I suddenly felt woozy, and when it cleared a bit, I saw three very beautiful young women sitting at an open window. They were overlooking a very bustling Tandra city. They were dressed in diaphanous material and subtle hints, told me they were sisters. They stopped their talking, and looked at me. All of them smiled an Earth type smile. The one on the right waved her hand, just a little, at us. I could see their mother in each of them, for their mothers were right before me.

When the vision faded, Bassinda got up, then so did Chris and Star. We all came together in a group hug of awe, wonderment and even astonishment. Forgotten, were our thoughts of making love. The idea of our daughters in a wondrous city, on some far planet, made me wonder how far they would really go. Through some mechanism, I knew that the planet was on the other side of the galaxy.

Bassinda asked, "What was that... husband?"

"At certain times, I am able to foresee the future. All I know, is that one day, the children you three now carry, will meet on that far planet. It is even beyond the travels of the old Tandra. I believe it was always closed to your people."

There was no real talk now, for each of us was reliving the scene in its entirety, trying to pick out all the detail possible. The architecture was far different than anything we had ever seen, even in the details from the computer. There was the overall feeling of contentment and peace that was far from what we had already felt.

Star asked, "Was the girl that waved to us, my daughter?"

"I think she was, Bassinda's daughter was in the centre and Chris's was on the left. I noticed that their eyes were smaller, and their breasts larger, but the hair and hands were distinctly Tandra." Turning back to Bassinda, I said, "Let's get back to what we were doing. A little practice for their sisters and brothers is in order."

The love making lasted for hours, and it had none of the bickering that marred the start. There were no more views of the future, and in an odd way, I was happy there weren't. If only Susan were able to fit in, the way these three did now.

I slept with Bassinda and Chris one each side of me, and small Star still empaled on my cock, while she slept on my chest. She woke up as I lifted her off, but she soon went back to sleep with her sister wives. Looking at them I could see them as close as sisters now. The visitation seemed to bond them even closer now. Their daughters would one day be very good friends.

Ambassador Soundakre had finished giving all the information he could, to the queen and her workers on Tollinzz. They were arguing about the legality of a new empress, even without knowing I was male. This was too small a matter to quibble about, so I took messages for their empress, and told them what our next two objectives were. We were greeted with silence, and in a way, I sympathized, for only four months ago I was working hard on a gas distribution problem, and had difficulty getting a handle on it.

We left the system at a high rate of acceleration that disregarded the Mardaf limit.

The two fronts were about 450 light years apart and formed an equilateral triangle. The one slightly further off was in the most need of our help, and we raced to it. The duration of the trip was quite short, and only took a little over twelve minutes.

The scene that greeted us was horrifying. Ships of all description were wrecked all about us. Most were Bintuu, and there looked to be millions of dead. I took over a crippled Samutz ship while Ambassador Soundakre tried to contact some of his people for details. It took quite a while to find out that a new fleet had come at the Bintuu from the rear. The ones at the front had attacked with renewed vigour, and both Samutz fleets had succeeded in destroying the entire Bintuu fleet.

The information for a damaged Samutz ship said that a push was directed at linking up with the fleet we took over, and the one on the other front. The Samutz must have just bided their time, and acquired enough ships to do a lot of pushing back. This was apparently going on for almost 230 years. The battle had ended almost three weeks ago, and still the ships had not been able to pull themselves together to follow. I gave them my word I would come back, all they had to do was get the inertial compensators working.

With three weeks of carnage, all in Bintuu space, I cringed at what they must have done already. We flew far ahead, for there was no use looking at destroyed planets. They had been able to go much faster than previously thought and the only reason I could come up with was the use of sleepers. They could form a convoy and get most other ships to travel at close to the same speed.

Jumping ahead, we found the aftermath of another battle. There were no Bintuu survivors, and all the ships were complete wrecks. The planet below was no better, for it looked now like it must have billions of years ago as molten magma covered the entire planet. Nothing could have survived this type of treatment, and again we had to jump many systems to try to find them. Some we passed had not been touched yet or had been completely bypassed. Ambassador Soundakre sent data packets to each one, telling of everything we had seen.

The invading fleet had shifted course, and headed toward the galactic centre. They had pounded a major ship building facility, but had not completely destroyed it. We were sure they would come back here, and use the facilities for themselves.

The next target was a toss up between two breeding planets, and we headed for the closer. We actually caught up with the invading fleet as they were approaching the Mardaf limit. Our count showed almost 400 attacking ships. Long range scanners showed a pitiful number of defending ships arrayed to try to protect the planet.

We just raced up behind, and I took over ship after ship from behind. It would be a lot easier if I did not have to propel the ship and take over others at the same time. At the rate we were going, the lead ships would be at the planet, before we had completed delivering the imperial override.

I had deduced many of the old codes, and saw various methods of entry. I tried to get Messy to do the delivering, as I just flew the ship. This worked faster, and we were able to fly ahead and block the path of the approaching ships. Messy gave more commands, and all but a dozen complied. They were odd shaped and of dreadnaught size. I dug into the computer of one and found it almost incomprehensible. It was made by a different race. Time was getting short, and the ships would be able to fire on the planet in moments. We had only a few weapons left and let those fly, hoping to get them to go after us, while I worked on trying to trace the circuits in the alien computer. For a second, I chuckled, thinking that I was the only Human here, and all other species outside of this ship as alien.

It was almost as if the computer was needlessly complex, so it could not be deciphered. I knew I could do it, but the time to do it was not now. I pulled out, flew our ship close to each of the strange dreadnaughts, and used our shield to eat giant sections out of them. One after the other they blew up, probably as safety device. All the approaching ships were converted to our cause before they could fire on us.

"Ambassador Soundakre, tell the queen here, that the ships are now ours and to leave them alone. We have to go after the other group before they destroy your race."

A data packet was sent as the invading fleet removed or confined the Samutz on their decks. The seven ships protecting the planet were specifically ordered not to touch the ships now that they were ours. As a precaution, I allowed my new ships to fire on any ships trying to take them.

Peering into the hologram of the Bintuu Empire, I traced the route of both invading fleets. If the time frame was the same for the other fleet. They were to break out together. It would have destroyed the left flank of the Bintuu Empire, taking out three of the major breeding planets, and two of the major shipyards, before working toward the centre.

If they were a little faster, two more breeding planets would be destroyed. I raced to the one I thought probable and found it untouched. After a quick warning, we traced back their probable route, and the next was safe so far, and warned it too. Travelling to the next we found a devastated planet, and a trail of ships leaving the system.

We caught up with them, and like before, took them over from the rear. There must have been some communication, for we all dropped out of hyperspace, and the ships in front reversed their thrust, as the other ships tried to scatter. Messy was able to get a few more before I ordered our converted ships to trail after the fleeing ships, and give the same override.

This fleet was larger and numbered almost 600 major ships and had 23 of the odd ships providing a faster passage. Disregarding the Tandra ships, I concentrated on the leading ship's computer. The computer was very difficult to figure out. Its logic seemed to defy what should be. I was just getting the idea of a food synthesizer, when I was struck with a mental club that drove me into unconsciousness.

Bassinda then the ship's computer finally awakened me. Star was unconscious and Chris and Bassinda were linked together, trying to protect me. I saw the type of attack, and tried to form a block, and was only partially successful. I could not concentrate, the time shift shield was down, and I tried to visualize the tube, so we could get away. The pain and distortion were so great that I could get nothing of it right.

We were sitting ducks, with only a Bintuu shield, and no missiles against all those dreadnoughts. I could only deduce that the people commanding the lead ships were very powerful. The ships had not come to a complete stop yet and were drifting further from us, but within a few minutes would be close enough to destroy our much smaller ship.

Going within my mind, I saw the structure shake with the mental attack. I braced it here and another part just shook harder. I did not have enough hands to hold it all. I felt Chris close by, and brought her into my mind. She came to me and I had her hold some of the structure, while I got Bassinda. She too held some, while I found an unconscious Star, and had her hold some as well. With all four, I was able to think a little better. The pain dropped a little.

The people on the dreadnaughts must either have very powerful minds or a mental amplifier. While the girls were holding, I ordered Messy to recall some of the ships to protect us. It looked very doubtful if they could take out that number of dreadnaughts, even if they were in a good position to do so.

I estimated about ten minutes they would be able to fire their weapons, then only a minute after that, we would get the first. I doubted if we would be able to withstand even one missile, never mind a flight of them.

I frantically found Bassinda's guards with my mind, and pulled them into my mind, one after another. They were in great pain themselves, and had never seen such a structure, but did help in steadying it. The Tandra crew on the ship did not seem right for some reason. In desperation, I just brought in the three babies. The last three seemed to be the magic number, and I worked hard forming linkages between one part of my crystals to a far member. The more I put in, the quieter it got. The Tandra though were weakening from the constant pounding their minds were taking.

Time was running out, and I did not think I was capable of getting us out of here yet. Instead, I attacked the computer again and tried to find some common point that I could work from. I finally found it. The firing sequence delivered to their missiles. The loop twisted about, and then back on itself, then to a target discriminator circuit, finally to a command to launch.

The computer was in twelve parts, and each part gave the equivalent of one bit. The sum was finally reassembled and here the circuit split again into twelve parts for the interface. The missiles were getting close now, and I still worked on the system. Finding the controls for the engines, I was just able to throw a random coordinate in and energize the system. Their shock was just enough for them to lessen their attack, and I was able to form a tube just as a missile came into range. The flow of energy was directed at the approaching missiles, and we flew in the opposite direction. Within a half minute we were well out of range.

I was so tired I just collapsed. Bassinda was shaking my shoulder, and saying, "Let's get out of here. We are still too close."

A sampling of the rest, found that they too wanted to put a little more distance between us and the dreadnaughts. I just stayed still and ran through my mind all the details I had found. I built a computer in my mind that would have the same circuits I had just discovered, and found that it would not work.

I considered taking Messy and making it a better computer to help me, but he had many duties to perform, and not a derelict like the last ship. The only thing I could do is strengthen my own mind to withstand what I knew I must take again if I was to stop the ships. I thought of the harmonics that must have been induced, to make all the crystals resonate as they did. It was almost like what I had gone through in the Parmain. This was the first time I heard of a psychic device of this magnitude used as a weapon of war. Even if I went against the onslaught, I knew that everyone else on the ship would suffer from it.

The only solution I could come up with was to put enough distance between the ships and us. I also had to be close enough to find a way into the computer. At two light years more, I could not detect any of the ships. I came closer and basically found, that the dreadnaughts had decided to abandon the Samutz ships now that they had turned on them. Coming closer yet, I was able to interface with a now loyal ship, and found the leaders streaking off faster than they had been able to do previously.

Linking with one computer after another, I found one that knew of a new race, that the closest Human vocal cords could get around as xocoktyylz. They lived towards the centre of the galaxy, and offered some of their warships in exchange for some of the systems conquered. The Samutz would not keep the bargain, and I figured the xocoktyylz would not either. There was very little else in the computer, and only the fighting inside the hull, as Samutz were being killed by weapons or tractors.

I took a chance and came close to the Samutz ships. Our sensors did not detect any of the xocoktyylz or their ships. I got all the ships in formation and guided them to the next system before the xocoktyylz could make it there. Bintuu warships came at us but were still very far away. Ambassador Soundakre sent word that we were allies here to protect the system. This was a breeder planet, and he had to negotiate with the local queen to keep our flank from being shot off by very nervous Bintuu.

While placing all the ships in the best positions possible, I stumbled on a small fact from one of the smaller ships. It recorded a verbal reference to the xocoktyylz having twelve eyes, and as many appendages. That could be part of the answer to the computer. The Human body is divided in two parts and the xocoktyylz may be divided into six or twelve parts themselves. Then again, they could be in three parts or four. Their computer may be modelled after their own brain, and be separated into a similar number of pieces.

I worked on the computer problem even after the xocoktyylz were found approaching, on the long range scanners. Our ships were difficult to hide, but I did my best, behind every major piece of rock the system had to offer.

The dodecapedal xocoktyylz had to be blind in all twelve eyes to not see the warships. They came on nevertheless, and the AI crewed battleships attacked their rear, once they passed the Mardaf Limit. I could feel the disturbance from a good distance away. They were employing their psychic weapon again, and hoping to overcome the crew. This time there was no crew, at least no crew that was alive or out of stasis, except the techs.

More ships attacked, but left one area fairly clear. From a long way off, orphan missiles that were ready suddenly came to life, and plunged into the fray. They struck their predetermined targets through the area where no ships were placed. With the heavy pounding from the front, one after another of the dreadnaughts started to be destroyed.

I could see three particular ships that stayed in the centre of the cluster at all times, and relied on the overlapping fields of defence of the other ships to protect them. Putting Messy to use, we headed for the battle ourselves now. Our time shield was active and we came closer and closer to the ships. The shaking of my mind was less, now that I had constructed some bracing to keep the structure rigid. With my eyes closed and my mind's eye wide open, I plotted a course that would go through the centre of two ships. We flew out the other side avoiding all Tandra shipping and turned around. One of the ships blew up, but the second one did not. Another pass took out the third ship.

Suddenly the psychic weapon stopped, and the other ships seemed disheartened, as an army would be when seeing their general killed. Our forces opened their lines more, giving the enemy a chance to escape. There were only eleven left now, and they took it. Our ships gave pursuit. And I once more dived into the computer of one of the ships. This time there was no mental attack on us. Missiles on the other hand did not diminish.

At the Mardaf Limit, I grasped our own ships and followed the xocoktyylz. I was after their secrets, and didn't want them destroyed yet, or to split up. I worked feverishly for almost three hours, till another breeder planet came up. The ships slowed, and this could only mean that they planned to attack or let off enough missiles to destroy the planet in passing. I found the self destruct mechanism and triggered all but one. The last ship changed its mind now, and altered course and speed, to miss the planet.

Ambassador Soundakre sent another data packet to the planet, and I dropped off some of the ships for protection. It took almost five more hours to figure out the basic computer and another three to find it all. I took most of the data I wanted and sent it to Messy for storage, and when done destroyed the ship.

Bassinda just stared at me, "Why did you just destroy that ship after all the effort we used in trying to capture it?" Ambassador Soundakre and some of the crew were wondering the same thing, but would never think of asking.

"I found out all I could about the xocoktyylz, and knew that it would be unlikely that I could use their ship. It doesn't have a computer as we know it. They have a large crew, and many of them are in a tank, while their minds work to do the same thing as our computer does. That was why I could not break in very well. Each unit was a living xocoktyylz, and then I had to find what made each individual different. They have a hive mind that the Bintuu would shudder at. There is no free will, except by the mass mind."

We returned the way we came, and gave news of what had happened on each system we came across without slowing down. At the last planet where I blew up the xocoktyylz ships we did stop. Here I tried the first of my cooperative ideas again. All of the present Tandra crew were assembled and five times that number of Bintuu. When broken into groups they took over some of the ships the Samutz had attacked with. The Tandra and other species of techs on those ships were brought on board by Messy.

I talked to the local queen, and through her, to the workers. I explained about the slight change in leadership and the real allegiance of the Tandra ships over their heads. It was understandable that they would refuse to believe. In any case, it was not important yet. I made my demands of workers, eggs and larva to be picked up at a future date after all the queens came to an understanding. Since staying longer would accomplish nothing, we set off again for the previous planet.

The T'aut and Tandra that came aboard were still shocked. They acted like inmates of a prisoner of war camp that was suddenly liberated. Some were new to the Samutz, or perhaps just more ready to take up arms against their old masters. There was little we could do, but Chris and Star went to the group and told them of what the galaxy had in store for them. Bassinda and her guards did the same, after seeing how good the effect was. Soon we had to do everything all over again with the next queen. Some ships were dropped off and crewed with Tandra and Bintuu. The Tandra were told to get re-educated and try their best with the Bintuu. The Tandra did not know that their brothers or sisters in this case, had been slaves of the Bintuu.

We retraced our entire route and came to the large battle on the Bintuu front. We picked up any Bintuu ships and personnel we could find, and brought them all to Foonsa and Empress Meslifzz.

A data packet was sent only slightly ahead of our arrival. I had more than fourteen hundred ships, and didn't need some Bintuu to attack them. If this didn't give a queen jitters, I didn't know what would. All the objections of the various queens and the deaths of some we knew about were handed over to her and the workers. This queen was very pragmatic about the loss of almost 20% of her cohorts. I further confounded her by demanding some eggs and workers to spread her race into new territory. This was to occur at a future date, after all the Samutz were confined or dead. Some planets I knew of could support Bintuu life easier than any other. And a healthy planet was a great waste, if not used.

We paused for a while, as Tandra were shifted back to some of the ships. I intended to keep about seven battleships and dreadnaughts with sleepers on board for a special purpose. They were actually Bassinda's subjects before being pressed into service. Her people had to make the ships, and give up some of their population to appease the Samutz. This was a sort of the tribute so they could stay relatively free.