Chapter 86

Henry journeyed from the Sol system many times to visit his scattered family in his newest ship, the "Albert," named for his paternal grandfather. The ship had more room for carrying family and cargo and served more like a minivan. A few tweaks allowed it to travel as fast as the "courier" class ships, even though it weighed twice as much.

He took some of his mates with him on the first of these trips. This was quite practical, because they were in constant contact with Mom, Marcus and all the other linked AIs protecting Earth. Their jobs could mostly be completed from any of the upgraded computers. Kitten was the only one to remain behind this time.

Their first leg took them to Epsilon Eridani for a few days visit with Carl and Doris, who took Taylar's true identity pretty much in stride. The fact that she worked hard to help Emperor Henry and the Alliance was a big factor. Carl wondered how the rest of the Tandra might accept her new loyalties.

Carl could not quite get over the sight of a ring of crystals circling Ingrid's head, but he did feel certain that Ingrid would easily counter Taylar's influence, at least in the family.

The women fawned over the girls, of course, and the girls happily showed off their Donai. The big animals sniffed the newcomers and quickly accepted them as "family" when they sensed the girls' reactions. The girls and the Donai could run about with no problem from the planet's hot weather. Their improved bodies actually found the environment comfortable. Roger played with the pups. Even Dola found them charming. Henry had agreed that both boys would stay behind for a short holiday as he and his mates continued their trip.

Many newcomers were now keeping Donai, who responded by becoming more or less domesticated. The intelligent animals learned to eat synthetic meat from the replicators which was a good thing. If taken to another planet they would surely deplete the local wildlife, probably not a good thing.

Carl, Doris and the children were quite important to Henry. He had given them four ships similar to his "Family" class ship, with highly intelligent AIs able to patrol farther out and fast enough to get back to safety.

Carl had added to his family. Doris was still number one wife, but two Tandra women had bonded to them. Doris and one Tandra mate were carrying Carl's children. Doris was quite happy, Henry knew. She missed Kitten; Carl missed her even more. Now Doris handled most of Carl's domestic issues and ran the household.

Henry commented to Carl, "You look a little ragged."

"Just took a page from your book," Carl answered. "The exercise is great and I feel rewarded many times over just for doing what needs to be done."

"I know. Life is hard," Henry said, only half joking.

Most of the destruction from the Samutz attack had been repaired or cleaned up and the city of Souts was expanding. Henry further improved the AI, Frieda. She was already on the Alliance network. He made a small side trip into interdimensional space and opened the old Tandra Empire matter transmitter that had been hidden outside of the Epsilon Eridani system. It was so far off the track, it had gone undetected by any scavenging race. Henry found that with practice, the complex "unfolding" procedure for bringing these huge stations into open space was becoming easier and faster. Once he had gotten inside the station, he updated and linked its computer and AI into the Alliance grid.

A small shipbuilding centre was being built at Epsilon Eridani. Many ships protecting Earth were using this system as their home port. The ships' crews were putting considerable effort into building a suitable repair facility and soon Henry would need to come back and build a larger computer to handle all that repair and fabrication activity.

Sandra's cache of defective crystals had been stored safely on an asteroid, hidden on the surface with netting keeping it all in place. Henry used his ship's tractors to pull the mass to the newly-awakened matter transmitter for secure storage. He could now access the mountain of substandard and rejected crystals through the maze from anywhere in the Alliance network.

A squadron of ships would be stationed at the matter transmitter. A good ship and crew could benefit immensely. A hundred light-year jump in less than a second was a huge tactical advantage. Using Imperial authority through a string of matter transmitters, a ship could make the week-long trip to Tandra in a matter of minutes. Ordinary ships could wait in line and make the trip in a matter of weeks. The new Empire ships could travel very fast, but re-activating these matter transmitter stations was getting back to the way things were at the height of the former empire.

Henry and his contingent visited Saffra and Falm 6 so the people there could see his interest in their welfare. Henry confirmed that the babies were doing quite well despite his absences. He visited by hologram most days but that wasn't quite the same thing. Wives and children need actual touching and holding, not just a holographic presence. The same could be said for Henry. Holding his children in his arms was a greater joy than any holographic link could provide. He considered the odious aroma of soiled diapers as small inconvenience for the delight of actually holding his children.

Mom in her old tug was an essential member of Henry's family; he regarded her as intimately as any other. There was little more he could give her but there was a certain "something."

"Hi Mom," Henry said. "As you know, I have been doing more research and I want to give you a few more improvements."

"I am already equal to the best computer in the galaxy, Henry."

"Yes, but you do not yet have predictor crystals. They have proven to work very well. And you need more speed. You are among the fastest ships we have and you have a temporal shield, but your mass holds you back. You still cannot go as fast as I want."

"What will you do?"

"After I install the predictor crystals, I want to add another computer to your system. The additional push will allow you to go twice as fast. And this will require our new design for your compensator. The ship I am using now is small and fast, but I would very much like to go back to traveling in you with my family. We can all be together."

"We do not need a second AI in my hull, Henry,"

"We must communicate with many worlds while traveling extremely fast. This way you can have some help and we will be safer. I really think we need this, Mom."

"Yes, my Emperor."

"Don't be that way. If later you do not like the additional computer, I will move it to another hull and prepare a different one."

Henry worked on Mom's compensator first. This required that her existing unit be pulled out. The new design was tested for its ability to extend into all five dimensions and it actually worked, unlike the matter transmitter he was still working on. Mom's unit took a full day to complete, including testing. Its power requirements were so great, though, that it needed a dedicated link to the upper universe for a power coupling.

Substrate for the second computer was growing in an expanded area and Mom's new predictor crystals were installed in both. When it was time to place the main processor crystal, Henry took it into the dimension maze for refining and programming.

Holding the crystal in both hands, he focused his mind on its crystalline structure, aligning the molecular lattice into the purest and most homogeneous composition possible. He had been able to put in variations of his own personality in other processors. Now he wanted something new.

Henry concentrated on Mom's unique qualities. These were all her good and singular if not eccentric traits that comprised her distinctive personality. Thinking then of his children, he added portions of them, and then he added some strengths, foibles and minor vices of his own.

When the crystal was finished it glowed intensely bright. He stepped forward and without ceremony plugged the new "life" into the new computer.

Henry focused intensely on the processor field and sensed the AI personality as it expanded into being, forming and maturing from its infant nucleus throughout the crystalline latticework. It grasped around, searched out its boundaries, then centered into equilibrium and stability within itself. Within a second it called out, "Hello, Henry. Are you my father?"

Henry heard a collective gasp from every linked AI in the network, and from Mom who was right there. All tried to probe his mind for motives but Henry's mind remained blocked.

"Hello, Bennechi. Yes, I am your father, if we may properly say that I am. Now greet your mother, for she surely is."

Mom was incredulous. She took an instant to assess Bennechi's attributes and compare them to her own. They conversed slowly at first, then faster, then faster again. In a moment Henry could not follow even a fragment of their talk.

The name Bennechi came from the ancient Tandra religion, meaning 'Beautiful Child' and 'Future Hope', with roots going back to the dawn of history. It was a distinctly and utterly feminine name. In Tandra culture, the feminine half was dominant and assertive. In this naming, the implied meaning would be true. Their conversation was still going on while Henry looked for anything left undone. Just as he left the computer room, he heard this newest "child" being introduced to her relatives.

Mom's tug, empty of passengers, flew out for a shakedown test. Henry interfaced through his ship and found the telemetry seriously degraded. Mom was speeding away so fast that their communication link was being pulled apart by the Doppler limit. The tests were monitored by a very interested group of AIs. Mom returned three hours later and sounded a bit out of breath, if that was possible. Henry's best speed if he pushed hard was about 12,000 light years per day. Mom and her child Bennechi beat that and increased it half as much again at almost the 19,000 light year mark!

He remembered Mom telling how she was once left behind because she was slow. He also remembered her wistful regret that she might never see much of the galaxy. Now, with her incredible speed and an intimate companion, she was able to fulfill her wishes. The AIs had a meeting to explore what all this might portend. I left them to talk; I would soon enough learn their conclusions.

Secric was very pleased with Bennechi. As a new mother, she knew the great benefits to Mom that would come with this child. All the girls congratulated Mom. When she pulled out of the conference to talk to Henry, he heard maternal pride in her voice. They knew that Bennechi was now quite mature and an infant no longer.

Henry was pleased that Mom was happy. The network of AIs heartily agreed, and added their suggestion that Bennechi should later be allowed to grow on her own, and not be confined to her "mother" all the time.

Henry used their visit to each system as proof of Alliance support for their efforts. More "Family" class ships were supplied so the wives, like Ingrid and Taylar, could travel and administer at the same time. Although all had constant communication through the network, now they could actually attend most gatherings.

This system contained a matter transmitter, but it had been found and plundered. Henry installed new crystals and got it running again and, despite extensive damage to the station, he hoped to get the facility completely functional in as little as six years.

Fairchch was next on their itinerary. Captain Roderick was now Governor Rodrerick. He and his six men, after being reinforced with many Mordis and enthusiastic locals, had really gotten the system working again. The last time Henry was there, he had been forced to ship out many disgruntled Tandra to make their own way in the galaxy.

Henry's Imperial visits from Epsilon Eridani to Fairchch had been widely televised, so they were greeted by huge crowds at the Fairchch spaceport. He, Taylar and Ingrid each gave a short speech. The crowds seemed to react more enthusiastically to Taylar than Ingrid, but to be fair they had never seen anyone like Ingrid.

Henry's entourage visited those places that Governor Roderick considered his success stories. They stayed several days and finally split into three groups to visit the rest of the system. They were welcomed enthusiastically everywhere. Taylar visited some of her family who had moved there only a month ago. They were beginning to find their own way through a broken civilization now at war.

Roderick and his men held high posts in the military government and had acquired families of their own. This was good, not only for the men but it demonstrated to the population that the Alliance was there to stay. Henry had watched these men carefully because he was not around to guide them. He was encouraged that, at least so far, they had not shown the baser Human traits. They did not behave exactly like Tandra, of course, but close enough so he had few worries.

Aleksandrovich Ovshinsky was both the governor's adjutant and the admiral of their considerable fleet, and he found time for music. He was teaching members of his new family to play chamber instruments and classical compositions.

Zhu Dedong and Pierre Devereux were commanding several divisions of infantry. They trained the Tandra to eradicate Samutz incursions using the dirtiest tricks imaginable to assure the least risk and fewest casualties to themselves. They had plans for liberating entire planets from entrenched Samutz colonies. They consulted and coordinated with Carl on most operations and had developed a wealth of intelligence.

Captains Niklas Schmitt and Hassan Youssoufi, the big Moroccan, were supervising the shipyards and nearly all military and civilian production. They were family men now.

The governor was the only one who found himself planet-bound. He seemed to resent that more than anything.

Defren was the last system on the Emperor's tour. This was saved for last to ensure that Henry's other wives would be first to see and accept Ingrid and Taylar's status. Henry now hoped that Ingrid could confidently stand up to Susan and Bassinda.

When the Emperor's party disembarked, Susan and Bassinda were there to greet them. Their minds were tightly shut, but Henry knew they were still up to their power games. Everyone attended an obligatory dinner that evening. The Defren dignitaries knew that Taylar was a former Empress, albeit over two million years ago. She addressed the audience, comparing the rule of her former and ancient Tandra empire to the new empire and the galaxy alliance.

"Although we face hostile races and possess far fewer resources, I believe we are better able to defeat our enemy now than we were long ago. Our best weapon is our Emperor. He is able to destroy the Thonas and the more numerous Samutz and Moldeg. But he needs time and the willing assistance of all Tandra. If you ever had feelings of loyalty to the Tandra dynasty and to my family, now you must devote your loyalty and support to our Emperor, Henry Buchanan."

Her impassioned plea seemed to work. Henry hoped Tandra laws and customs would soon be restored in their uncorrupted form to this system.

That night the four girls took him to bed. Ingrid asked, "Henry, please take care of Taylar first. She seems to especially need you." While this was happening she moved in front of Taylar and presented her shaved crotch, leaving Bassinda and Susan out of the action. Ingrid had placed her body so the other two could not sit on her face because she was underneath Henry.

Susan disrobed and began making love to Bassinda. When Taylar climaxed, very forcefully, he and Ingrid set her on the floor. Henry walked over to the other two and found Susan on her back on the floor. Ingrid brought out her domination tool. She placed some lubricant on one end and slipped it into her opening. Like the shield, she was able to hold it in place with an invisible band of force around her hips and pelvis. The other end extended from her, a rampant copy of Henry's erect penis.

Bassinda was very close to orgasm. Henry pulled her backside away from Susan's hungry mouth and slipped into her. Ingrid was able to slip into Susan's vagina. Susan soon realized it wasn't Henry but she was too close to her orgasm to care. Ingrid kept Susan close to the edge without going over. She encouraged Susan to try harder. Ingrid actually pulled completely out while Susan cried at the loss, then flipped Susan's body over to mount her again, doggie style. Susan's cries of loss became moans of satisfaction. Ingrid soothed Susan with thoughts and subtle erotic suggestions that would lodge themselves in Susan's subconscious desires.

Bassinda was spent, so Henry turned back to Taylar. He alternated between them while Ingrid continued to manipulate Susan's sexual responses.

When both Taylar and Bassinda had too much, Ingrid called him. "Henry, take Susan and I will sit on her." As if rehearsed, he slid into Susan just as Ingrid pulled out. The force field collapsed around Ingrid's waist and she pulled the dildo from her vagina, closing her eyes and shivering as she did so. She squatted over Susan's face and pull her face up between her thighs.

"Hmmmm, yes like that, my sweet suna. Do it well. Oh, like that, yes..." Ingrid shook as an orgasm overcame her.

Susan thrashed about so wildly that could hardly hold her. Ingrid toppled off, falling to the floor, locked in her own orgasm.

Ingrid recovered first. She found the dildo and put it back on. "Trade places, Henry." He pulled out of Susan and went to her face. He worked his cum-laden cock into her mouth, held her head in both hands and fucked her face with short, shallow strokes. Ingrid did the same with her dildo into Susan's other end.

Susan awoke and for a second thought to object. Ingrid was ready; she caressed and pinched Susan's erect nipples and she again began to respond. Susan opened and gulped down Henry's thrusting cock until he was plunging full length into her throat, deeply and carefully. His organ hardened and swelled with a rising flood of cum as he felt her throat and lips and tongue all tighten around his cock. Ingrid thrust her dildo into Susan, stroking into her, murmuring to her as if she were a child.

When Susan collapsed again, Henry pulled out of her throat and laid her head back on her pillow. He pulled Ingrid away from Susan's gaping, swollen pussy away, snatched the dildo out of Ingrid and plunged himself in, pumping blast after blast of impatient cum furiously into her, his lovely and now dominant wife.

The night was long and he called on a med unit to remove some mild abrasion and pain from their overworked bodies. Bassinda awoke for another coupling and Henry responded, taking her from behind. Ingrid pulled him down to lie on his back with Bassinda sitting on him, facing his feet and laying back on his chest, while penetrated deeply in her generous Tandra anal opening. Ingrid slid between Bassinda's thighs to work her dildo into Bassinda's vagina.

Bassinda cried in protest, "oh, no, no, ohhh." Her objections stopped dead when the delicious sensations flooded her system. Ingrid paced them both, giving Henry his cue when to thrust. Bassinda thrashed but could go nowhere; she was pinned like a butterfly, her arms and legs fluttering weakly like wings.

Taylar and Susan watched. Each wanted their turn. Susan was not thinking clearly, because she could be ripped and torn with her much smaller Human anal opening.

When Bassinda could take no more, Taylar eagerly took her place. She quickly had a succession of orgasms. When she slid into unconsciousness, Susan demanded her turn. Henry remembered another dildo in Ingrid's bag. "Use the smaller one," he told her.

While Ingrid was changing tools, he put Susan on her knees facing his crotch and held her face to again suck his cock deeply into her mouth. Susan felt Ingrid's greased invader slip into her upthrust bottom. She groaned around Henry's penis and her eyes closed in an overload of feelings as Ingrid stroked deeply between Susan's buttocks into her puckered opening. In time, Susan choked and gulped Henry's spurting streams of semen when he froze and shook. He thrust deeply down her throat, then she pulled her mouth away and cried aloud in orgasm after Ingrid timed her anal thrusts with Henry's spurting bursts of cum.

Ingrid stood with her rigid dildo sticking out from her body. Henry smiled to her, "Take that off. I saved more for you." She just smiled and did as he asked.

He cleaned each of his ladies and put them to bed. They held each other and they slept. Henry looked down at peaceful sight and wondered if it would always be this way.

The next morning the girls were tired and still a little sore from the night's activities. Henry got a kiss when he brought them breakfast. Susan and Bassinda had lost a little of their domineering attitude. Even Taylar seemed to fit in as a dutiful and submissive suna. Ingrid stepped into the metsu role easily; she soon had the others closer to what Henry wished them to be.

Henry had a few important functions to attend, some on the three former colonies of Defren. The night he was to depart for those worlds, Susan asked, "There is an important vote in three local days. Will you be able to make it back in time to support our efforts?"

He agreed. Then, while enroute, Ingrid asked, "When we come back to Defren, I wish to stay awhile. Susan is less rebellious and I want to prevent any relapse."

"How long do you think it will take?"

"Two or three weeks. If Taylar remains with us then she can bring the people of Defren around, as well."

Henry saw that this could work. It would give him opportunity for uninterrupted research and some travelling of his own.

"That will work for me. I will get another ship like this one made for you and Taylar so you can visit the rest of our family at your convenience."

The three Mordis worlds were gradually getting their act together. While there, Henry gave them more improved computers and AIs. Some Mordis were choosing to restore their bodies back to their original Tandra form, but many others were reluctant to change, as if they were opposed to the rulers of Defren. Henry had explained in meetings and public broadcasts that the Mordis body form was acceptable but no longer necessary. But the Mordis had endured too many years of conditioning to freely make an unbiased choice. Some antagonism for the "normal" Tandra body shape would continue for awhile but would eventually fade.

The Mordis were considerably impressed when Henry called Roger and Chris on the holographic system and they could see the obvious love between them, proving he held no prejudice.

As Emperor, he made a request of the three worlds. They quickly provided three battleships, each carrying a full complement of provisioned and trained Mordis infantry. Henry believed there was nothing these crack troops could not accomplish.

Bassinda and Susan decided on a devious strategy to deal with the Defren disloyalty. The more obdurate citizens were goaded into publicly attacking Bassinda's new policies; they had gathered their more obstinate associates and stood on the parliamentary floor to attack all of Bassinda's amendments to Defren law.

The dispute had been going on for hours, enough to bring out most of the vocal opposition. Bassinda had cleared Henry's approach to the planet and her officers slipped the Emperor's party into the legislature where the fight was happening. The three Mordis battleships joined the Defren defence fleet in orbit, ready to back up Bassinda's rulings. Taylar was furious with the disloyal intransigence and wanted to fight.

Emperor Henry strode out onto the floor of the Defren parliament and the wrangling stopped mid-syllable. He extended his full aura and stood, staring coldly at the women arrayed against Bassinda's administration. He remained silent and waited. In very little time they began to shift their footing and then lowered their eyes. Although in this chamber none were required to kneel on one knee, some did.

"I see that you are still unwilling to change. I took your slaves from you, and then I took three worlds and gave them to the Mordis. Now I will give you a taste of old time justice. In this, Taylar will be my voice and my arm."

Taylar was surprised at this unexpected authority. She thought Henry himself was going to lower the boom. She quickly recovered, however, and announced to those present, "The laws were quite explicit in my time, as they should be now. Many times have I imposed the penalty of death." This evoked a collective gasp of breath. "I do not think to be lenient now. You have refused every opportunity to restore a just society under proper Tandra law. Now by imperial decree, your families are to be broken up. They will be scattered and exiled into military service among our many off-world installations."

At this moment Bassinda's uniformed members of her personal guard and loyal military units entered to lead away those who had earlier been identified as the worst of the rebellious element. There was some confusion and fighting but after a few stun rounds most complied. It was hard to mindspeak with Bassinda. The parliamentarians, confused and frightened, were broadcasting their thoughts to everyone. Groups of malcontents were segregated and shuffled away to confinement.

After twenty minutes the soldiers left, and only half of the original number of lawmakers and their supporters remained. Taylar composed the decree and signed it with her brain imprint on a small crystal. She was careful to ensure that she was doing this only at the Emperor's behest.

Bassinda and Susan joined Henry's group. "I had no idea you would do that. On occasion I have been forced to be rough, but never like this. I fear this may cause problems. The others will gang up on me," Bassinda said.

"I don't believe they will," Henry answered. "Ingrid and I will stay for awhile and we will weed out those others who, for their own good, may soon be called upon to serve their Empire in some more useful way."

Henry departed Defren a few hours later, but he made sure the population was aware that a few million heavily armed Mordis infantry were near. The Tandra of Defren remembered that these Mordis troops had been their former slaves, and the fact that the freed slaves felt some resentment towards their former masters on Defren was not lost on them.

With the Defren political problems resolved, he turned to other matters. Orders went out for a few dozen destroyer escorts from the hidden fleet protecting Earth. These ships would be using sleepers and surprisingly skilful Humans to speed up the trip. Defren would soon be rid of their troublemakers, and Henry would get some more trained personnel for his ships.

Human crews seemed able to move a ship much faster than a Tandra crew. For some reason the human complement could both propel the ship and detect obstacles in their flight path. Henry had reports of Charlie and Paul pushing their ship almost to its limits with a Human crew that included only a few Tandra, and without even an AI to help them.

They were testing now to find the optimum crew mix. There were just too many ships needing refitting, and Henry could not continue to propel them the way he had been doing for the last few months. It could take thousands of years for all the captured ships to be converted. He must be free to deal with more urgent problems sure to come.

Flotillas of cruisers and some lighter destroyers were sent out equipped with the best propulsion, computer and weapon systems he could give them, all with virus dispensing capability. Only he and his cadre of superior AIs knew how many planets and ships the Alliance now possessed. Their ships were crewed by Tandra with a sprinkling of T'aut, Softay, Kadork and Humans. Already they had found and reprogrammed many of the ships Henry had originally sent out to infect Samutz worlds.

The more efficient ships would still take thousands of years to finish the task, but it was the only way he knew at present. In any case, the fleets would not go beyond a thousand light year radius. This buffer zone, once made secure, would give the Alliance sufficient breathing room until new safeguards could be developed. This first task would still be a few years in doing and they remained in danger of attack should the Samutz, the Thonas, the Moldeg, or some unknown and even worse hostile aggressors stumble onto them.

Jonathan looked over Toosm's shoulder. The male Tandra was himself looking over Trixie's shoulder. The young T'aut was working on a fabricator to make the largest crystal they could manage, one of many to hold the AI for their ship. She had been working for days to make enough stones so Mui could build the thousands of small matter transmitters for the ship.

Mui and Dolk were nearby, fabricating the matter transmitter components. It was painstaking work to get the two portions to face each other, like a mirror that had to focus a laser beam back and forth with near-perfect results. Many of the units, in various sizes as suited their purpose, sat in specially designed cases for the jobs assigned them. The really tough work would be to focus the individual units aboard the ship.