Bad Seed

Chapter 21

In her gruffest voice Wren said, "So this new syndicate, talk to me I might allow you to live."

The man began to talk, telling everything that he knew. Wren nodded then took both his hands, "goodbye Ronald," Wren said, then left as the man fell to the floor screaming.

Wren walked toward the center of the town. A great many people suspected who she was and gave her a wide berth.

Reaching the syndicate headquarters, the twenty men laughed at her before she moved and all of them fell. Moving in no hurry, she started to kill everyone she met. An hour later, she was on the top floor.

A powerful man was hiding behind forty men. "I am sure we can come to an understanding," the man smiled.

"We have you tampered with the bosses' goods, therefore your life is forfeit. I am sure that you know that these are the last you have for a minute," Wren said, indicating the forty men. "Goodbye."

Wren moved far faster than any of them could follow. As the last one fell, the boss was suddenly against the window. "I think it's time to play, Wren said as she removed both his hands, then his feet.

She thought about it then removed his sex organ. Writing in the man's blood she left. I am going to have to find another supplier.

"Bring me aboard, along with all the supplies debugged and remove all tracers. Get the sonic shower I need to get all the blood off me," Wren said.

"Compliance master Wren, supplies on board, ready to leave once you're here," Trigon said.

Wren sighed as soon as she was aboard, and they were leaving.

Trigon got them away before any other ships thought to give pursuit. They were in the closet that they could be, then entered the trans-warp conduit.

"I want us as close to where we left from. It shouldn't be that hard to detect where the Meltry colony worlds are," Wren said.

"Compliance master Wren," Trigon said as they moved forward.

Almost ten minutes later, they exited the portal. "Master Wren, I have the first of the Meltry colony worlds,' Trigon said.

"Distance?" Wren asked.

"Thirty seconds by trans-warp. At least three, four days by hyper-space," Trigon said.

"What's the status of the world shatter bombs? It will take at least four days to get the first four. Also, that long to get the other three hundred thermic missiles," Trigon said.

"Alright, take us to hyper-space, make sure we have enough of the energy torpedoes. I am sure that they are going to have more battleships this time," Wren said.

"Compliance master Wren. We are at almost two hundred energy torpedoes. I have managed to have enough space to increase to two fifty," Trigon said.

"Good work Trigon, I feel that we are going to need them,"Wren said as she sat back.

A little more than three hours later, they entered the portal. Upon exiting, Wren saw that there were at least three battleships. A small smile lit up her features, "target all battleships. Fifty torpedoes each," Wren said.

Within minutes, there were explosions from all the battleships. Wren smiled as the first cracked in half, then its engines exploded.

They had kept moving though, the last Meltry battleship managed to hit Wren's ship. This had Wren cursing as the stealth started to flicker. Luckily, the third battleship was destroyed.

Wren had Trigon start to destroy the rest of the Meltry ships. "Uh master Wren?" Trigon interrupted her thoughts.

"What's wrong, Trigon? Is the matter transfer off-line?" Wren asked, somewhat worried.

"No master Wren, it is working to optimal capacity. It's the amount of em fields that I am detecting," Trigon said.

"What?" Wren asked as she ran to observe the readings. "Are you reading this correctly?" She asked.

"Yes, master wren, I have confirmed them three times. I can detect five hundred human em fields. I will start evacuation as soon as the Meltry fleet is defeated," Trigon said.

"Yes, I also think that we may need more room if there start to be more. After we take these to Decacon-one, have the pods start on another three hundred feet. We might need another engine also," Wren said.

"I will check all readings to determine if a third engine is warranted. The fleet is proving to be tougher than you at first thought, Master Wren," Trigon said.

"Start using the rest of the energy torpedoes. Once they are depleted, start with the thermal missiles," Wren said.

The rest of the fleet was defeated with less trouble than Wren thought they would. Strangely enough, even after all the ships were gone, and the earth people, evacuated, the Meltry were concerned.

"Enemy Planet, this is the Earth Princess Wren Ophelia Tenagram. I am going to show you the same mercy you showed the earth. You," Wren was saying before she was cut off.

"To the criminal, we will not surrender, we," the voice from the radio said.

"Criminal?! Your people attacked the earth without provocation. No, you are the criminals, and you will recieve the same as the Earth. Trigon drop all four shatter bombs!" Wren shouted.

At first there was a huge amount of screaming, then nothing causing Wren to smile.

"Alright Trigon," she said, "on to the next," she started when there was an explosion beside the ship. "Is it another battleship?" She asked.

"No, master Wren, it is the ship you identified as your brother's ship," Trigon said.

"What weapons do we still have? Any thermic missiles left?" Wren asked.

"They are also depleted, we do have two hundred regular missiles plus energy weapons," Trigon said.

"Fire what you can, we might be able to end this, though I don't think so," Wren said, shaking her head.

Thomas had just shot a couple of more weapons at Wren's ship when she caught his ship with energy weapons.

Thomas started to curse when his ship was tossed around. He thanked whatever deity he could as the new shields held. Then again, he thought they were almost defenseless.

"Keep moving beyond her. Get us as far from her as you can," he was yelling.

They hadn't lost all their power, though they weren't at full. A moment later, they slipped into a trans-warp portal.

Thomas breathed a sigh of relief. "Did you get more readings?" He asked his lead engineer.

"Yes, we did," the alien told him, looking over its readings. "It appears that we can increase the shield more. Though overall, it won't be much."

"Do it. Any advantage we have will keep us alive a lot longer," Thomas said, a smile on his lips.

On the Planet of Meltry, Emperor Piton was far angrier than he had ever been. "We lost three light battleships!? You say it was only one ship: a human ship! How many escaped?" He asked.

"From the reports, none survived, plus all the brain-prisoners were rescued. I am afraid all were lost, sire," the emperor's chancellor said, then stepped back.

The chancellor could see that the emperor's face was getting redder and redder. "I want the yards to start growing more heavy battleships. If this enemy human reached home world we will be ready. No race can defeat us we are the greatest warriors. Have everything increased!"

"Yes sire, I will take care of it personally. All ships will be increased 'til we have enough to darken the skies! We will not let the enemy get close to us," the chancellor said, a look of anger on his face.

Good the Emperor thought when he saw the chancellor's face. I need to get all of them mad about this, in a frenzy to destroy the enemy.

"Yes, push all of them, we need to make sure that this enemy pays for what they have done," the emperor said.

A sudden thought occurred to the emperor: just where in the hell was this earth ship coming from? He still had quite a few of the regular star fighters out there. It might be a good idea to watch the area of earth.

He nodded his head, yes, they needed to keep an eye on that distant place. No one really knew what was going on out there. Moving to another room, he moved to the fleet com. Station.

"I want those ships that are in the area of earth," he said.

I have them now sire," the tech said.

"I want all of you that are in the area where earth was to keep an eye on it. Our enemies may have a secret base there to launch attacks against the empire. Watch this area and destroy all that you see there," the emperor said.

"It will be as you order, sire," the leader of the group said.

Good the Emperor thought as he closed the connection, that way we will know ahead before anything happens. Now he thought we have to expand the fleet, so nothing can reach us.

A smile came to his face as he took a move to a huge room. In it were well over a thousand humans, all hooked to huge cerebral machines. Another smile came to his face, in the center of all them was a single male human. That male was, it appeared, the greatest strategist that he'd ever seen.

Piton was worried for the first time in his life. They had never had a fleet army or planet of theirs that had ever been defeated. Though he knew it was possible, though improbable, 'til now it was still a worry.

Wren was pissed that her damn brother had gotten a hit on her ship again. She was going to have to kill that prick before he got stronger.

The thing was that she had to get these people to Decacon-one before she did anything else. "Alright, we need to get to Decacon-one Trigon," Wren said,

"Destination set master Wren," Trigon said.

"See if you can get the masters, I need to tell mother and them," Wren said.

"Compliance master wren. Connecting now, they are awaiting you," Trigon said.

A familiar face was on her screen, causing her to smile and then bow.

"Master Flugret, I hope that all is well. I have wonderful news, I think my mother would like to hear also," Wren said.

Flugret's eyes were wide for a moment, then came back on with the masters and her mother.

"Is everything alright?" Ophelia asked her daughter with a worried look.

"Yes, I just destroyed the first of the Meltry colonies. Mother, there were five hundred humans held there. I am on my way to Decacon-one now. I hope to come there when I am done. I still have to release more of the masters and their mates," Wren told them.

"Good, I announced that I am alive and back. To say that Esmerelda was shocked is an understatement," Ophelia said, a small chuckle in her voice. "I also made things far more difficult for her. I enacted a system-wide lockout with the code."

Wren's mouth was open, then she also started to chuckle. "Yes, that should lock her out of almost all major commands. I'd like to see the bitch do very much now!"

A moment later, the ship was slipping out of the trans-warp conduit. Wren saw that the defense grid she'd set up was still strong. Opening a route, she landed a minute later.

Wren then spent the next hour helping those on the ship and those that were leading them off. She found the seventh councilor near the end of those. She added more buildings along with twenty star-defenders.

The councilors nodded, though at the moment they only had ten pilots. "We thank you, Princess Wren, at least we have a small defense force now. With the seventh councilor we have more than half the government back," he said.

"I am just glad that there are thirteen hundred fifty here now. I am hoping that there are more out there to help," Wren said.

"What you have done is wonderful Princess Wren. We all pray for your continued success," the first councilor said.

Wren was on her ship, then they were in orbit. "Set coordinates for where we left Trigon," Wren said.

"Compliance master Wren," Trigon said as they were in the portal. Minutes later, they exited near what was left of the planet and the Meltry fleet.

"I'll be back soon, keep an eye out for the Meltry coming to investigate. How are we on shatter bombs and energy torpedoes?" Wren asked.

"We have two shatter bombs, the next two should take a few hours. The energy torpedoes are at two hundred, as are the regular missiles. I will continue to make them, 'til capacity. The pods are over half done with the three hundred extra feet. That will take another day," Trigon reported.

Wren nodded her head, then a portal opened with her stepping through. "I am back, Master Flugret. I need to bring more of them out. We only have fifty-three out now. I have to get more, there are still over three hundred in there."

Flugret and the masters that had entered were nodding. "We all know this little Wren, though your life is also important. You only have so much energy," the first master said.

Wren sighed then nodded, "I remember even though I am that powerful, my body isn't quite, yet. I really don't like being unconscious as long as I have been," Wren said.

"Shall we?" The first master asked.

Wren nodded as she walked to the Chrysalis room. A close look showed Wren that the Chrysalis was no weaker, she was relieved.

She then placed her hand on the Chrysalis crystal, then she and it started to glow. A moment later, a large ball of light broke off. Splitting in two, each half then split into three each.

The masters and Rena and the other females watched Wren carefully. Ophelia and Helene were also there watching Wren for signs of stress. When she was fine, they all awaited the six shapes to elongate and solidify.

Wren looked down, seeing three males and three females. Releasing a sigh, Wren nodded, that was fifty-nine now, thirty and twenty-nine.

Wren walked to her mother and sister, hugging both of them. "Well, only three hundred and forty-one more, she said.

"It is wonderful what has happened since you started Wren," her mother said. Wren looked at her with a questioning look. "The planet is almost back to normal; your sister and I can almost walk in the open atmosphere."

"Damnit! I didn't really notice when I was here last time," Wren said as she turned to Rena.

"Yes, little Wren, it is true, we have plants even trying to grow again," Rena said to Wren.

Wren could only shake her head, she knew it would happen, though she thought it would take more time.

"I just wish that I could bring out more. I am afraid that I am going to fail if I take too long," Wren said.

"For now, the Chrysalis crystal is fully powered, we believe that each that emerges lessens the drain,' Rena said.

"What we are the most worried about is the strain that it puts on you,' the first master said.

Wren nodded as she felt within herself, "as far as I can tell, that took little. Though I have felt like that before and nearly died. That feeling is something I don't want to feel again."

Wren thanked them, then a portal opened in front of her as she stepped through.

"Welcome back, master Wren, did all go well?" Trigon asked.

"Yes, it did, there are now fifty-nine Cetinas now. Though there are still three hundred-forty-one still trapped. I don't know why I have a feeling of urgency, but I do," Wren said.

"Have you felt that there is something wrong with where they are?" Trigon asked.

"No, not really, but I have a strange feeling deep within that something is wrong. I do not like it at all, the last time I felt like this I was after Temprotron, right after the Grotec was killed," Wren said.

Yeah, Wren thought, she still had to do something with it. She sighed so much to do yet, especially with the Meltry.

She looked at the screen as another trans-warp portal opened. "Lay in a course for the next Meltry colony, how much time 'til the shatter bombs are ready?" Wren asked.

"I have finished the first set and have started on the next set. We are at four hundred energy torpedoes and thermal missiles. We have a full complement of regular missiles, energy weapons at full," Trigon said.

Good," Wren said as they emerged not far from the second Meltry colony. Wren was surprised when there were three light battleships and a heavy battleship. A twisted smile came to her face as she had Trigon fire a hundred energy torpedoes at the heavy.

Again she was surprised when only half of the torpedoes did damage. She then had fifty fired at each of the light battleships, smiling when they broke in half. She could see that most of the heavy was dark though they were still firing at her.

Another fifty energy torpedoes finished the job. She also saw that this time the Meltryans were trying to escape. They didn't last long as Trigon started to take out the fleet of fighters and the escaping ships.

Less than an hour later, Trigon had brought the six hundred on board.

"Drop the shatter bombs, all four," Wren growled.

"No warning, master Wren? Trigon asked.

"No," Wren growled. "I am through with that I just want justice now."

A twisted smile came to her face as she watched the Planet shudder then crack as it exploded.

A portal opened in front of the ship, then it moved into it and was gone.

A few minutes later, another portal opened not far from Decacon-one. A small squadron of earth star-fighters flew out to meet her.

A few moments later, she landed near the growing city. Again, the now seven councilors came out to meet her. While the six hundred were unloading, she had more buildings appear.

"I am glad that I am helping the earth to be alive again. Even if this isn't our home earth, I hope that it can be home for us again." Wren said.

She then made another twenty heavily armored and weaponed earth star-fighters. "It isn't much right now, but to have some protection is better than none," the first councilor said.

A moment later, her com. went off with her mother calling. All the councilors bowed to the holo-gram of the empress.

"I am glad to see that Princess Wren has re-started the star force. I understand that there are soon to be forty. Two squadrons should provide better protection," Empress Ophelia said.

"Thank you mother," Wren said. "I hope that I can finish this off soon. There have been rumors that the Meltry Emperor has a major earth person captive. I feel it is father. I don't even want to capture the Emperor, I just want them all to pay for what they did," Wren hissed a lo0ok of extreme anger on her face.

Empress Ophelia smiled at the thought of seeing her husband again. She was also smiling at the determination on Wren's face. How could her daughter fail after this?

All that came to help thanked Princess Wren for all she had done. Wren nodded then left as soon as the landing pad was clear. She also noticed that all forty earth star-fighters were climbing with her.

Ah, she thought that took her back years when she saw them all fighting the invaders. They had fought to the last, destroying over half of those that came. She had wished she could have been there.

"No Wren, had you been there you would have been destroyed or worse caught. Thanks to that, you are free to gain the freedom of as many as you have," Trigon said.

"How the hell did you know what I was thinking?" Wren asked.

"Thinking?" Trigon asked. "I had thought you were speaking."

Wren could only look at Trigon as if her A.I. had lost all its logic circuits. "No, I was thinking that. Huh, perhaps I am evolving more? I'm really not sure."

Wren had Trigon hold the ship a few million miles from Decacon-one. Looking inward, she saw nothing, opening a portal she appeared on the master's planet.

I just hope that they can help me, she thought. She was then shocked when Rena and the first master nodded to her. It was even stranger when the first master said in her head, I see you have learned thought talk.

"I think we need to measure you again it is obvious that you have advanced more," the first master said.