The Princess and the Captain

Chapter 10: The Aftermath 4

Jim's week had been too long, after destroying the last of the Krong, he begun to destroy all the planets that held the bug like creatures that had infused spies on the imperial planet into weaker humans. True it had been a shock to find out that there were different species of them; still it hadn't deterred his absolute hatred of all of them. With the Krong wiped out the only ones to worry about now was their allies the Krang, Jim knew it wouldn't be long before they came after him full force.

So far they'd been lucky the pattern of movement they were on was erratic at best. Jim had destroyed almost half of the fueling stations in the sector of the alien space, so at best there were a lot of mad bugs out there. At worst almost every warrior race would be coming for them; Jim decided to head back to the empire planet, besides Amber couldn't be absent much longer without the fleet setting out to find her. Once inside imperial space the empress was updated about everything that had happened in her absence. Sighing she wished that this could be quicker this was the most she'd spent with Jim since she gotten pregnant again, damn that man could fuck!

Settling into orbit Jim looked over all the information they had gathered, especially the new allies that Amber had made. What was it they'd called themselves? The Creca? Against his better judgement Jim decided to wait and see. All his hatred for any of the bug races was still writhing near the surface. Amber was almost afraid to leave the ship, Jim had just up and left without her before, though this time if he left she was afraid that he might bring the war to imperial world. Speaking to Dickie before she left she had a feeling that if he tried to leave she'd be hearing an ear full not long after from Jim. Walking to the palace throne room she reminded herself that she had to enter the Creca in the long list of alien allies the empire had.

Jim knew that they had at least a week here before the station would be ready to depart again. It had held up thousands of times better than he'd hoped for and the many modifications he and Mary had made had the station to damn near impregnable. Wading through the endless hours of information wasn't doing much to lighten his mood either, stopping an hour later Jim was about to click off when a tiny snippet of information flashed across the screen.

Thought transfer and brain swap capabilities, what the fuck? Reading on Jim saw that the Krong had perfected a technique of taking and fully integrating a human mind into their computer systems. It appeared that it was one of their most used techniques and it was done through their stinger beams! Jim started to pour over the information even harder studying the plans, how it worked not too unlike his extractor though in this instance it had storage capacity behind it.

Hour after hour he read on, it appeared that the Krong only used it on the fiercest and deadliest enemies. Jim was so tired but refused to give up, he had to find where they kept the brains that they had taken were stored. He held on, hoping against hope that they were there, he just had to find them if they were still alive then they could be saved. Two days later Mary walked into the lab only to find a red and blurry eyed Jim still where she'd left him. Appearing to be asleep with his eyes open Mary reached to turn off the comp in front of him when Jim screamed, "NO! I'll never find them if you turn it off!"

Mary jumped away as Jim swung at her, what the hell was going on! "I have to find them they could be alive still. Help them, I can help them." Jim was saying over and over.

Not sure what to do as she'd never seen him like this, Mary called Amber who seemed to be privy to everything about Jim rather than her who'd known him far longer.

Amber arrived a short time after, Jim looked up when she kissed him tears streaming from his eyes, whispering, "They may be alive Amber, they may still be alive."

Amber looked at the screen as shock caused a gasp to escape from her lips, "Oh my god! Is this for real they actually had the capability to do this?"

"Yes," whispered Jim, "they've had it for well over one hundred years, I have to find out, I have to be sure."

Amber sat and stared at the screen with Jim, Mary shook her head what the hell was going on what had Jim found that had him pushing his self to the very brink? It had to be something monstrous, something he'd hidden long ago.

Two hours later Jim let loose a shout, "I found it!" Letting loose a huge sigh Jim collapsed causing Mary and Amber to rush to him and gently wheel him to a cot.

Mary looked at Amber, "What had him so excited?"

Sighing Amber guessed that she could tell Mary some of it, "Years ago Jim lost family to the Krong. He thought they were dead and threw himself into his work, I believe that you met him a few years after this. He just found evidence that they may still be alive, well at least their brains. You see the Krong used stinger beams to not only kill but to take the brains of their selected victims. Though were defeated they fought fiercely, Jim thinks that their brains might have been taken."

"Even so," Mary replied, "they'd just be brains, disembodied hunks of flesh."

Amber looked at Mary with an incredulous look, "Mary, you do realize who we are talking about here right? Jim has a whole computer full of ideas, he hasn't even tried yet, let alone developed."

Mary looked at Jim a thin line of anger on her face then as quickly it passed, "That bastard! All these years! I bet a lot of mine are in there too! Lost my ass, he's been holding them all this time." Turning around Mary marched up to Jim, "You bastard!" as she slapped his face," Jim stared at her wondering what the hell was crawling up her ass. "You had all my ideas all these years! Lost them my ass! I want them now!"

Finally understanding Jim once again stared at the woman he owed more than just his life. "I tried to give them to you!" Jim replied, "The day I had finally collected them all on a special disc you left."

"That's bull shit Jim and you know it! You had every chance those two years to give them to me, you just wanted something to hold over my head, damn it! If I didn't need you right now you'd been dead an hour ago." Mary was screaming in his face the tirade almost completely snapping Jim out of his stupor.

Jim snapped his mouth shut and reached into a desk drawer, pulling out a high density disc he handed it to her. "I'm still undecided whether or not to kill your ass!" With that Mary stomped away leaving a stunned Amber and Jim in the computer room. "You really should have given them to her back then," Amber said.

"Hey it was the truth, the day I had finally gotten them all together she was gone, and she told me unless it was important I'd be her next victim, I didn't think that this was important enough for her not to target me. I am good but she's been at it a lot longer how long do you think I'd last against her?" Jim replied, the honest look on his face was almost comical.

"You might want to start now, she was pretty mad," Amber said half hearted, she gotten to know Mary a lot better than Jim knew, She and Jim were about the closet to actual family that Mary had, well ... as far as she knew.

Mary was seething how dare that arrogant bastard hold her ideas, ideas that she could have used to make her job that much easier. An hour later, Mary found herself outside of a huge estate outside the royal city. Drawing close to the outer gate she read the name Stock estate. How the hell did I end up all the way out here she thought, well she was going to see her mother again fingering a set of keys around her neck she still wasn't sure she was ready to reveal to the woman the she was the woman's daughter.  

Inside the woman snapped off the comp after all these years he never threatened her, never raised his voice, had only said that he loved her. Tears filled her eyes, Jim looked so tired when he'd called, she'd hardly been much of a mother to him though she didn't blame him for the disappearance of his sisters. It was obvious that he still blamed himself. She was still in awe of him he'd grown so tall and strong she knew his father would have been proud also though he didn't look much like his father, one could tell he was a Stock.

The woman had just sat down when there was a knock at ... the front door?

Mary wasn't used to NOT sneaking around, the front door opened the shook apparent on the face of the woman from the hospital. "May I come in? I have more for you that will pay the debt I owe, for my life." Again the woman was shocked but nodded and let Mary in. They both sat Mary was unsure how to continue the keys were the dearest thing she had and she wasn't really prepared to give them up. Sighing she had made a promise to her sister that if she ever found their mother, she give her these things and a message from Ann.

"I've brought the last of the things I promised to give you, they were very precious to the woman so I don't take lightly giving them to you. Mary and Ann were extremely dear friends to me, so you understand why I had to make sure you are their mother."

"Please, call me Maria; I haven't used my real name in so long if at least one person knows I won't feel so alone." The woman Maria said. Mary nodded and handed her the key that Ann had worn around her neck.

Maria Gasp then burst into tears, "Oh my god! Then she really is dead!" Maria said a low whisper, "This was her royal insignia key to think that beautiful girl will never be able to use it."

Royal? Had Mary heard her right? Yes! That's right she remembered reading about the Stocks when she hacked in they were very close to the throne cause they were PART of the throne, damn! Mary was a royal? Holy shit! Too bad she really didn't give a shit. Shakily Mary hesitatingly handed the other key to Maria, This time though Maria only looked at it, "So you really expect me to take that?"

Mary was taken back for a second, "What the hell are you getting at lady?" Mary snapped.

Holding up her hands Maria pointed to the key, "You don't realize what you hold do you? That's a specific Dna coded insignia. There are only six people that could have removed them intact, three died on the station two were the owners of them, the last," Sighing she brushed tears from her eyes, "I haven't seen in years though he does still talk to me."

WHAT!? "What are you trying to say?" Mary asked reaching for her plasma pistol and personal shield.

"Look," Maria started fresh tears in her eyes, "I know you are one of my children which I don't know, I had enough training from my husband to recognize a soldier, killer or assassin."

Mary had noticed that the woman had kept her distance, Mary's heart swelled with pride but was aching to tell Maria, for years though grateful to Thomas, Mary had missed having an older woman to talk to.

"I... ," Mary started, "I am not sure if I can tell you, I have done horrible things that no decent mother would ever be able to accept."

"When you are ready, we can discuss about who I really was, I was not the decent mother you think I was not at first, as with you, you'd also be surprised by what you find out." Maria said a smirk and faraway look on her face.

Mary smiled a genuine smile this woman was starting to grow on her, the more she was around her and found out the more she was starting to like. Mary was about to walk out when something clicked in her head.

"Wait a minute! You said one you hadn't seen in years? You mean to tell me I have a brother out there? You are referring to Jimmy right?" Mary rushed out, the thought of an older sibling excited her to no end.

"How... ? But those records were sea... ," closing her mouth as quickly as she could, Maria wasn't surprised.

Maria nodded trying to not say anything, "That's ok, I already know actually about all two hundred of the families that were hidden, though the official sealed record says that he is dead." Mary breathed out. 

Maria again nodded, "Jimmy didn't want fame or reward just to be left alone with his pain."

Mary nodded, she could empathize with him for a long time she was the same way. "Another question, you know who I am don't you?"

"I know you are one of my oldest daughters, which I don't know yet, in case you're wondering I am the only other person not of the royal Stock blood who can touch these Dna code keys, that is I can touch them I just can't remove them so they are safe with me." Mary nodded heading out, shit she wasn't going to give up that much information today, sighing she guessed genetics was one of the things she hadn't thought of.

Jim and Amber had headed back to the palace an hour after Jim had researched and had found where the Krong had kept the captured brains they had taken, the thing was it was deep into the Krong and Krang occupied space well almost all Krang now.

They'd both been relaxing for a few hours when Mary walked in, "Alright, I decided not to kill you."

"What brought about this sudden change of attitude," Jim asked knowing for a fact that neither could have killed the other, they owed the other too much to quibble over trivial things. "I found out I have a brother, at least I believe I do, he was alive a week ago from all reports I got."

Jim was about to tell her he'd help her find him when a special com Amber had set up chimed to life. "Empress," came the voice, "We just received a message from the Krang, they said that we have been targeted and that for helping you we will be eliminated, they will be here in three days. Empress as your ally we beg your help, we have no defenses, no war ships, we are a peaceful people can you help us?"

Sighing Amber thought but came up with nothing, looking over at Jim he sighed exasperated. Picking up his com he looked over readings that were displayed there. Touching a few buttons he watched as a defense shield encompassed the planet the Creca were on, amid shouting the one that had spoken before thanked Jim.

"Withdraw all merchant ships to the surface, no one is to leave the planet for the next week, at least till we get there, it shouldn't take more than four days till we arrive. You have an hour before nothing can pass," Jim started. Amber and Mary looked at Jim as if he'd lost his mind four fucking days? It was at least two weeks with the hyper drive on the station.

Looking at them both Jim almost laughed at the looks he was getting from them almost. His ribs still ached from where Amber had elbowed him last time.

"What, you think I haven't been busy? Space travel is so slow, years ago when Mary and I were going all over the place I got an idea for faster ways to travel. It's taken years of work and thousands of hours and upgrades to Dickie to achieve but I think we've got it." Jim said though not smug Mary could swear there was a hint of it there.

"Alright Jim, spill before I cut those handsome balls off you," Amber growled with a smile.

Jim covered his crotch in mock fright, though knowing her she just might do it, Mary was rolling around on the floor laughing uncontrollably. "Watching the way the Krong came in, the disturbance, I took readings, I can duplicate it on a far reaching scale with half as much power. It appears that you have to be at least two days from an inhabited planet, as it has a greater gravitational field with more life-forms on the surface. This in turn disrupts the pull of the tunnel through space sending you out sooner than you want." Jim stated proudly

"Wait you mean you wouldn't use the engines except to open the tunnel and that the tunnel would be a gravity well that would pull faster than an engine could push?" Mary said excited.

Jim nodded knowing that if anyone could understand it would be Mary. "Wait Jim what about the outside forces? Like ships and planets?" Mary said a look of intense concentration on her face.

"There is no outside interference once the well is formed it is also phased thereby unaffected by almost all outside forces not unlike the MTM," Jim said starting to get a little excited.

"Oh my god! Jim after all these years you finally figured out how they were doing it!" Amber shouted, Jim looked at her and slightly shook his head no, this again wasn't lost on Mary, what the hell was this fucker hiding?

"I've had Dickie testing it for the last two months, everything works well, the last piece I needed was the stabilization of the distance MTM and reading to get the gravity well to stabilize as well. I'd say we'd ready to go in about two hours." Jim stated as he began to adjust the readings on his comp.

Mary left to get her things ready, Amber stared at Jim a new appreciation apparent in her eyes, "so when were you going to tell me about the defense shield around the Creca planet?" She asked.

"Well... ," Jim started then grunted when Amber elbowed him in the ribs again.

"Alright, damn! When you made allies of them I remember that we were deep in the enemy space, having scanned the planet I hadn't seen any type of defense. So I planted micro shield generators in orbit not as powerful as the ones on the station but they can take a hell of a lot, plus I have a few micro cannons in orbit. What good are allies if they are blown away at the first attack?"

Amber's green eyes showed a huge pride in Jim always thinking ahead damn she was glad it had been his station they had been near when all this started. Leaning close she grasp his face and kissed him long and passionately, "You realize I love you with all my heart don't you?" she asked.

Returning her kiss Jim looked deep into her eyes, "As I love you with all my heart."

From the doorway there was an uh hum, looking up they saw Mary standing there rolling her eyes. "You've already got a set of twins and another on the way; we don't have time right now for that, geez!" They both laughed shaking their heads.

Setting out they were hours away when Jim activated the tunnel drive as Jim liked to call it. Suddenly the area in front of them began to roll and almost boil till a large opening appeared in the middle of it. The station lurched forward not unlike being pulled by an invisible rope, Jim watched as their speed picked up, the station shaking, buffeted by the massive energy the disturbance and the tunnel was producing then just as suddenly it was still.

Around them a tunnel of lights appeared swirling and spinning moving away from the station, Jim watched carefully, their speed was already twice what his hyper engines could do and still they were accelerating finally they were at four times the speed of the engines. Their speed leveled out Jim sat and began to work on all the readings that he was getting, Mary sat next to him looking over the same computations that Jim was.

"Jim, I am detecting that we could increase speed more if we fired the engines for half an hour, I am also detecting that we would have to brake sooner, uh you are going to brake aren't you?" Mary asked, wondering what Jim had up his sleeve.

"No, if we brake before we are near the planet it will tear us apart here," Jim showed her the figures though he'd thought of the increase of speed her way was a lot safer and they'd gain half a day. The only thing he was worried about was the actual braking if this didn't work as it had in all the tests they were going to stopping a long time.

"Mary, check these figures and run them by Dickie I want to make sure AGAIN that we can actually stop. All the tests showed nothing but positive but with you here checking I'd feel better," Jim said again making her feel even better with him trusting her this much.

An hour later Mary was upset, "Damn it Jim! Were you asleep when you did this? I've seen your worst and they pale in comparison to this!," Mary shouted.

Looking at what she'd found he saw his critical mistake, damn it! Unless they solved this there would be NO stopping. "Alright Dickie refigure line 5347, set measurements for one thousand kilometers and not meters."

"Compliance," Dickie replied. For an hour Dickie was silent Jim was afraid that he fucked them all by the simple mistake he'd made. "Analysis complete, energy comparison increase ten percent, braking should occur within one day instead of two days of the planet to disrupt the tunnel field, increase should not hamper operational systems or weapons. Braking closer to the planet shouldn't affect it in any adverse way." Jim breathed a sigh of relief.

"If you do this again," Mary was growling at Jim, "without at least having my help, I will kick your ass all over this station you understand me? There is no where you can hide from me."

Jim held up his hands in surrender, he knew Mary was releasing pent up steam. He knew she was glad he checked the systems as many times as he did, something that he'd learned from her that had saved their lives on more than one occasion.

A day and a half later they exited the tunnel only a day from the Creca planet. Jim pulled up all the sensors he could see the defense shield was still in place all six of the guns were in place. Beyond the planet about a day and a half away he could see the Krang fleet. Jim and Mary were rushing around the station checking, double, triple, everything. As far as he saw they were ready though not nearly as large as the first Krong fleet that had been defeated this was still a sizeable amount of ships.

Amber radioed the planet telling them they were there, to be prepared just in case. Sprinting past the planet Jim wanted to meet the Krang in open space. Within three hours Jim saw the first scouts, for about five seconds, pushing on the met the main fleet two hours later.

"Human empire ship," came the raspy clicking like words, "as enemies of the Krang prepare to die today!"

Jim snapped up the mike, "Krang filth I have only one thing to say, come to me and DIE!" With that the lead ten ships exploded, there was massive confusion how could they have destroyed the ships? They were well out of range?

Mary was shocked also she had heard of guns like this but had never seen one. Jim calmly pressed another bank of switches another thirty ships exploded, on the screen the Krang was in a panic. Screaming orders this time there was no headache all the words flowed, Jim smiled adjusting all his weapons from what he heard.

An hour later not a single ship had gotten within a mile of the station, Jim contacted the last of the Krang there. "Even though I know how you are going to answer I will give you one last chance to stand down."

The shocked Krang snarled at Jim, "You dare to mock us in our language?"

"Fine," looking at Mary, "please activate the planet killers." Mary smiled as they all watched the entire fleet and the two world ships flashed out of existence. One ship was left out of the thousands, Jim contacted them telling them this was just a warning next time it would be more than just the fleet.

The ship left screaming away, pulling into orbit Jim shut down the shield grid, Amber told them that they were safe but the two from before said that they'd be back, Jim sighed this shit was never going to stop as long as those asses were out there, looking at Mary and Amber they both nodded yes, Jim reached up setting a course after the fleeing ship.