The Princess and the Captain

Chapter 13, the Aftermath

The next day Mary and Amber awoke in the bunk room, looking around Jim was nowhere to be found. Both of the women looked at each other and smirked, just like Jim to forgo sleep to work on his machines. Sure enough, they found him slumped over panel nine, it appeared he'd just started on it when he fell asleep. Looking closer Mary saw that in fact, he was almost finished it, damn it!

He'd have to have worked on it all night to get this far, a little miffed Mary knew Jim was pushing with everything he had to get the station back up. It was strange it was almost as if he knew the Stocks that had been in that first battle and owed them something. Shrugging it all off for the moment Mary helped Amber get Jim to the bunkroom; she then went to check whether or not reactor seven was ready to go. As soon as Mary got it up and running she saw a marked difference in all the power readings good they were almost there.

Sighing Mary went back to work on the power adjustments in the cargo hold, damn but this was going to take a while.

Jim was dreaming again though he knew he had to work on the panels, he couldn't wake up.

Sighing he heard a voice, the voice said.

Jim responded.

his father said.

Jim asked puzzled.

his father replied.

Jim stated, with that all was again quiet.

Jim jerked awake, how did I get in bed? It was then he noticed Amber's clothes of the day before on the chair. Damn it! Fell asleep again! Going back to work Jim threw his self into finishing panel nine, two hours later he reactivated it.

"Captain," Dickie said, "I am now in one hundred percent control of the station, we now have seven reactors online I am attempting to finish repairs to numbers eight and nine. I am afraid that reactor ten will need for more extensive repair than I am capable of, the reactor walls have separated in places and need complete replacing."

"Thank you Dickie, continue to monitor the planet and surrounding space I don't want to be caught unaware," Jim replied.

"Compliance Captain, I have also started repairs on panel ten I estimate it will be active in ten hours, five minutes and thirty six seconds," Dickie responded.

Jim grimaced again, he was going to have to work on Dickie damn if his AI wasn't starting to turn into a smart ass!

Two days later they were almost ready; though he hadn't had any further contact with him Jim knew that his father was somehow watching everything that was going on. Just this morning they'd finally gotten the ninth reactor going, plus they had two of the three DMTM's working. Jim was looking over everything about the plan with Mary with her sharp eyes he was sure she'd see anything that he might've missed or omitted. Mary had been going over everything with a fine tooth comb though, brilliant she had found a few flaws that were easily amended. Though she didn't think they needed to Mary consented to Dickie to start running simulations, what the hell more looks at it couldn't really hurt. Mary and Jim set out to finish the last thing they needed to complete their mission, getting the last DMTM operational.

They'd just finished powering up the DMTM when several alarms went off, "Dickie report!," Jim said into his com.

"Captain I am detecting a small fleet and two world ships approaching the planet, they all bear the Krong energy signature," Dickie quipped back.

"Damn it! We're finally ready and these sons of bitches have to show up!" Jim yelled at the wall, "hell I don't even know if we can take them, we've sustained so much damage."

Mary and Jim ran for the control room, once there Jim pulled up all the readings he could.

"They don't appear to be hunting for us though I wouldn't be sure, Dickie! Let me hear them." Jim said.

"Accessing now," Dickie replied as the room was filled with hissing and clicking.

Jim c****d his head to one side listening to everything that was said, "They are the last of the Krong's vast fleet but they still have the firepower to scare the others. This is the first Krong home world, they are coming in to refuel and resupply. Damn it! They plan to be here at least a week." Jim was shouting at the screen.

"We could just destroy them," Mary said matter of factly, "I don't think that what they have is any match for us."

"If the station was fully functional yes, we're a reactor short, half the plasma cannons aren't functioning, one of the DMTM's are down. We've just got the station back together, not sure if I'm prepared to go up against a world ship let alone two of them," Jim said over his shoulder to Mary.

Mary was in thought a moment, "what if we can get the cloak operational?" she suddenly injected.

"That would be nice but I haven't been able to get the light bending array to align properly. The fact that the apparatus won't power up has me perplexed. I've checked the system three or four times and can't find anything wrong with it," Jim said, a look of extreme concentration on his face.

Mary once again was deep in thought, this sounded a lot like one of her missions where her cloak went down and she couldn't get it backup. Thinking harder, it was starting to frustrate her that the answer wouldn't come to her. Jim was quiet, he'd seen her like this before, once she was onto an idea if anything broke her concentration she might never finish the idea.

Mary was replaying that whole part of the mission in her head, it started out good she was near the target activated the cloak and nothing happened, what the hell? She'd taken the cloak apart and found nothing wrong with it, then she'd done it again three times still finding nothing. Then she had tested her other equipment to see if something was interfering with it. That was it! Turning Mary almost collided with Jim, "I think I know what's wrong," Mary said, as she ran out of the control room Jim close behind her. "I had a similar problem years ago, the cloak IS working it's just that there is another piece of equipment interfering," Mary said.

"Interfering?" Jim asked.

"Yes," Mary threw back as she ran, "It has the same power demand and draw as the cloak, it would fool the system that it needed twice the power consumption, there by the system wouldn't supply any power to the cloak."

In engineering Jim watched as Mary started adjusting the power and frequency settings of the cloak, not really sure that she could solve the problem. To his complete and utter amazement he watched as not only the cloak system came on but started to work at almost one hundred percent!

Turning to face him a happy smirk on her face she stated, "After all Jim, the cloak idea was my idea to start with you just helped me to bring it to life." With that she danced away a wide mouthed Jim following not far behind wondering why he hadn't seen this in the first place. "Don't feel bad Jim, I've found that when I am emotionally attached more than I usually am, I can't see the easy fixes either."

Jim walked back to control Mary not too far behind, Amber having heard the whole thing couldn't help but smile.

Looking over the readings Jim saw that indeed the cloak was now operating, though it was only at ninety five percent it was more than enough for what they needed to do.

"Dickie I need the status on DMTM three, is it damaged too much to effectively repair?" Jim inquired of his AI.

"Scanning," Dickie droned back. A few minutes later its answer surprised all three of them. "Captain, I have examined the third Distance Matter through Matter device. I am finding no major problems with it mechanically; it appears that several of the power supply lines to it have been severed. Suggest repair before any further attempts to retrieve the cerebral components of the three Stock members."

Sighing, Jim again thought he'd have to check Dickie's logic circuits, "I think we need to run a diagnostic on you when we return Dickie," Jim said half heartedly.

"As you wish Captain, though I can perform that myself," Dickie returned.

Mary and Amber were both hiding the fact that Jim irritated with Dickie was hilarious.

It took the better part of the day to repair all the breaks, finally everything was ready. Early that morning, while most of the largest city slept they implemented their plan. All three brains and equipment were transferred, a massive amount of explosives were placed around the area where the brains had been. Jim had Dickie slowly moving away from the planet the cloak down to seventy percent, they'd started charging the planet killers but were still a little close to activate them yet.

Though Mary knew that the world ships couldn't see them she still kept a wary eye on them. Finally far enough out, Jim knew they had to execute the planet killers soon the cloak was at fifty percent and falling fast. One of the world ships was on the move when Jim activated two of the planet killers. With a huge satisfied smile he watched as the planet shook, the atmosphere disappeared, then cracks formed, finally the planet exploded taking one of the world ships with it. Wasting no time, though they were still a little close Jim activated the tunnel drive.

Drawn in they were straining to maintain the tunnel when the proximity alert went off five minutes later. Rushing to the sensors Jim and Mary cursed when they saw the second world ship had entered the tunnel with them. Though they couldn't catch them, the extra mass was straining the tunnel drive to its limits. Jim estimated they were maybe two hours from the Krong planet now decided they weren't going to escape this world ship that easily and dropped out of the drive.

"Dickie status of the Phasic drop missiles?" Jim inquired.

Mary and Amber looked at Jim like he'd lost his mind, "You combined the two?" Mary almost shouted, "Are you trying to blow the f**k out of everything? As I said once before you do know they WILL turn on us!"

Jim clicked on a screen letting Mary study the plans, "A macro AI? Ah I see you removed half the explosive payload for a bigger AI, damn Jim this just might work!" Mary said now more excited.

"I only have fifty thousand ready, though I must warn you Captain these are highly unstable." Dickie replied.

"I know!" shouted Jim, "Deploy!"

They watched as the missiles quickly made their way to the world ship, as expected the missiles were too small to concern the ship. Too small that is till two of the main engines were ripped from the body of the ship. The ship was trying to avoid the missiles now when a few more ripped through the front of the ship, this ignited several layers of fuel that also exploded, within minutes the ship was a burning piece of debris. All breathed a sigh of relief as Jim and Mary went over all the equipment again after the strain on it, then reactivated the tunnel drive.

A day and a half later they stopped at the Creca world to inform them of what had transpired, though they were extremely happy that the Krong and Krang were truly gone they cautioned that there were still a few species out there that were almost as bad. All three thanked them (even Jim though it was only half hearted) after a few more repairs they were on their way back to Imperial space.

During the two and a half day trip back Jim outlined to Mary and Amber the plans for the body reconstitution machines. Though Amber wasn't too thrilled that they were somewhat playing god, she never the less signed on with it, the heroes deserved the right to live. Upon arriving, May and Jim started immediately upon the machines, Amber went to see the doctor though no one knew she'd gone. Two weeks after they'd started them they ran the first test, which ended extremely bad, the body lasted a few hours then started to dissolve from its own acids.

Undaunted they continued another month hardly eating or sleeping. Finally they had a success though this was the best so far they had to be sure. Another week passed, Amber came by as often as she could, Jim noticing that she was starting to show more. Then one day Jim had a break through, he had the bodies to where they should be, he'd talked to his mother letting her know what was happening, to say she cried a lot would be an understatement.

Finally the day came that all three were ready to leave the lab, though the children were kept about the same age the man was aged a few years. Jim hadn't gotten too close to the three conducting all the tests through Dickie. Maria showed up a few minutes later, falling to her knees her eyes filled with tears when she saw Jeromy and Naomie running toward her arms out stretched. Kissing them both she couldn't believe they were alive though the best surprise was when her husband walked around the corner. Maria was in a daze it felt like a dream, "Where's James?" She asked, immediately causing Mary to perk up.

"James? Didn't you see him when you came in?" Her husband asked, when she came in? What was this man talking about?

"No, I didn't, you mean he's actually here?" Maria asked puzzled.

"Yes, he's partially responsible for all this," The man said.

Mary shook her head, James? Jimmy? A sudden thought hit her, "Jim Stock! You son of a b***h!" She shouted at the top of her voice. "You knew all this time didn't you? I ought to kill you just for the hell of it!" As she drew her sword and attacked Jim.

Everyone turned as Jim parried Mary's cuts and thrusts, damn! She thought, he's a hell of a lot better than he ever let on, Mary thought. ten minutes later her shirt in rags she managed to cut his shirt open, there for all to see the Stock royal family seal hung from a chain around his neck.

Mary her eyes now brighter nodded, "I thought so, and to think you helped make me the person I am!" Dropping her sword she embraced Jim, "Hello brother, thanks to you, helping me train that is."

Jim was a little shocked, "Brother?" Looking closer, then REALLY closer a wry smile crept on his face, "I see it now," he said, everyone was confused except Maria, "Jeromy and Naomie say hello to your big sister, Father may I present your oldest daughter Mary Ann Stock."

Though everyone else mouths were agape with surprise the two youngest Stocks ran to hug Mary a warm loving feeling she'd not felt in a long time spread over her.

Amber's eyes filled with tears, "Later when you have time," she started, causing the older Stocks to bow.

"Stop that this instant this family is the most important to the empire you are equals to me," looking at the two oldest she nodded, "yes, I know, you all are of royal birth," turning to Jim, "that's what I meant when I said we are equals, we truly are, that emblem on your neck proves it." Turning to Jim's father Amber finished, "when you have time please come to see your grand children, I am sure they would love to see you.

Epilogue

Peace had finally come to the empire, when it was revealed that the Stock family were alive they almost had to hide from all the attention that they started getting. It was revealed that Jim's grandfather and Amber's grandfather had both had empires at one time long ago. Jim's family agreed to become part of one vast empire the family was to always be Royal though they had to have their royal seal on them to prove it. As each was DNA coded only a select few could wear or even hold them. Amber and Jim eventually expanded the empire all the way to the Creca world.

Jim's tech was far too powerful for any of the other races, so eventually they either went much deeper into space or died off. Mary actually retired though she was somewhat bored, that is till an old friend showed up, Anthony had survived and though at first she wouldn't tell him, she had, had feelings for him for a long time. Anthony had practiced for years and this time was an actual match for Mary something else that spurred her interest, they were married two years later. (No kids as of yet). The Stocks were happy at last, though it was still sad that Ann couldn't be brought back her memory was honored by all. Then again knowing Jim (shrugs) who knows?

                                                                    FIN