Kimon hung his head as he said, "you have indeed, sire."
Both Akira and Onai were trying to hide their smiles at Kimon's dressing down. Maybe, just maybe, Kimon would become more responsible now. Both Akira and Onai sighed, god they both hoped.
Far out in the next galaxy, a vast insect fleet was passing a great distance from the Delcron world. The main ruling Queen was ordering the troops and ships in different configurations.
The queen looked at the over two million ships she had heading to the human galaxy. Ah, she thought there would be no defeat, like there had been in past times.
Though the strategy of the human Emperor worried her, she considered the humans to be weak. True, they had done her empire a service by ridding them of the weak queens. They still needed humans to feed her vast trillions and trillions of her people.
Her thorax quivered as she thought of the suckulant bodies of the human galaxy's inhabitants. Yes, this would be her people's greatest victory.
Her scientists had learned of the fast travel the humans had. Though they couldn't move even half as fast as the humans, they advanced far faster.
She reached out to a small walled section next to her. Reaching in, she loved the screams as she pulled a humanoid out of it. Opening her mouth, she dropped it into her maw, swallowing it as she ate it whole.
Ah she thought, the soft skin of the humanoid as she crunched on its bones, the screams stopping suddenly. An insect smile came to her face, she'd enjoy taking the human Emperor and all of his subjects.
Anger suddenly filled her body, yes, they would pay. So many of the Creagons had been destroyed, the ultimate insult. The entirety of the human galaxy needed to be rendered as a new food source.
The queen smiled again as she thought they might lose a few. She knew that the humans, had nowhere the firepower that she had.
After all, they only had ten, maybe eleven ships at most. Quite easy for the over two million ships that she had.
A foot soldier rushed in a moment later with the information that she'd asked the scientists for. Hmmm she thought, so it'd take a few weeks with the new drive.
Again a smile lit up her features, only a few weeks, not a month like before. Then it appeared another ten days to the Imperial planet.
Good, good, soon the revenge of the Creagon would be complete. Then the time of great feasting would begin.
Admiral Hartwell was maintaining patrols around the Jitaku Planet. He was hoping that both Greeson and Kimon were better soon.
From what he'd seen when he'd checked in on them, they were barely better. Well Kimon was, Greeson was still out. Something about taking more en energy than his body could take?
He just shook his head, why the hell were ther two of them like that? A moment later he received a com from Mary.
"Admiral Hartwell, your presence is requested at the Imperial Planet. It is a matter of some urgency," Mary said.
Derrick's visage appeared a moment later, "you need to retrieve the other three Tendraxian females. Mary informed me that they are starting to go into withdrawl, get them now," Derrick said.
Hartwell was shocked a moment as a cry came from Bee. "Please Lord sir, my sister is with them. You have to help, or I fear that they might not last much longer."
"Johnathon, the Imperial Planet now," Hartwell said.
A portal opened with them arriving there a minute later. A moment later a beam appeared as three pale white female bodies appeared on the deck.
Again Bee gasped, seeing the deteriorating state of her sister and the other two.
"Lord sir," Bee started, "you are a mighty warrior, I ask, beg that you save them. She is the last of my family that is left. Please sir," she cried as huge tears came to her eyes.
Johnathon moved them all to the med-bay," Hartwell said.
A moment later he followed them. He could see that they were like Bee had been. Releasing an exasperated sigh, he looked at Johnathon,
"Alright, help them," he said as he heard three hypos, then a fourth in his arm.
He felt the slight numbness creep up his arm. It was at that moment that he realized that there were three females at the same time. Oh, shit he thought as he dropped to the deck.
Damnit, he thought I should have worded that differently. He then felt his body start to convulse, though not as bad as before.
He felt the bio-bed under him as he tried to groan, damn he hated these things. "Johnathon," he started, then his eyes rolled back in his head.
"Mother," Johnathon said, Mary appearing a moment later. "Admiral Hartwell has lapsed into shock. I have administered the medications that were improved though I didn't realize that three would do this. I am at a loss as to what to do."
Mary was passing several instruments over the three Tendraxion females as well as Hartwell. Rapidly, she administered another two injections to Hartwell.
"I am reading his bio readings are stabilizing slightly though they are still bad," Johnathon said, worried.
"We need a stronger dose, or he may not survive," Mary said as they both watched Hartwell start to convulse.
"Miss Mary," a quiet voice said behind the two holo-grams. "Please use whatever you have to from my body to save him. If he expires, I am afraid that I will not survive," Bee said.
"I don't," Mary started, then stopped as something came to her memory. She immediately had a hypo taking blood from Bee.
Mary looked at the blood, analyzing it. Nodding her head, yes, she rapidly made a far better medicine for the females and Hartwell.
Upon receiving it, all four of them started to breathe better. As the convulsions stopped, Hartwell opened his eyes. "Are they better?" He croaked.
"They seem to be finally recovering as they should. This treatment should work from now on though. I don't recommend more than one at a time," Mary advised.
"Yeah," Hartwell gasped out, "that, I believe, would work far better."
Less than a day out from the Imperial planet, Risen's ship dropped out of trans-warp. Onboard, Risen was still in the medical capsule.
We have dropped out the advanced drive at the coordinates that you indicated, the A.I. advised Risen. He was just now starting to heal with the full med machines.
How long before I am released? Risen asked.
At least another three days, there are still several broken bones that need to heal, the A.I. answered.
"Good, then we have time to plan a final assault upon the bastard fake to the throne. Take down all that I give you, give chances of accomplishing them. Also, anything that we can do to have a better chance of doing them.
Several hours later, Risen was still talking, planning. The more he planned, the larger his smile got, this would be hard though he could do it. He just hated that the bastard had frozen almost all his funds.
Another smile came to his features, almost all his funds. He had quite a few that were well hidden. It wasn't as large though he had enough to take revenge.
Risen looked at the shield that had him hidden from everything. He had checked several times to make sure that he was in fact invisible. He'd better be or the ass he got this from was dead.
It was finally three days later when a pneumatic hiss came from the capsule. Risen, arose from the capsule like a vampire of old. An almost wicked smile crossed his features, it was time to start making people die painfully.
Now, he just had to start implementing his plan, his first target was that soldier, his wife and daughter. Taking out the palace A.I. was going to be hard as the little bitch had removed everything.
That's alright, Risen thought, she could die from torture as well as anyone.
As for the first of his plan, he sent out a pulse wave that alone wasn't bad but part of a cascade failure.
In the palace Mary had never lost where Risen's ship was, she'd also seen the new configuration. She was more than ready when Risen released the pulse.
A small smile came to Mary's A.I. holo-gram, she'd be more than ready when he attacked. Though this was a good attack, she was expecting almost everything he was sending.
Mary then turned her attention to the commanders, the upper rear Admiral, the Admiral. She also watched Dr. Mita and her daughter Shelly. Shelly had cleared all the damaging programs that were hurting her.
She opened a channel to the emperor, she needed to update him. A few moments and he was there as a holo-gram.
"Sire," she started. "I have an update for you."
"Alright, go ahead," Derrick said.
"I need to let you know that the former Duke Risen is still alive. I thought that we had destroyed him, but he still survives. I am keeping an eye on the three enemy races that are within the empire," Mary said.
