Charles held Alatem close after she'd begun to thrash in her sleep, calling his name. She awoke with a start grabbing him holding him close and tight, as if his and her lives both depended on it. Sighing she fell back to asleep after making Charles promise that he'd never leave her. Charles laid there awake for a while thinking about his rescue of Allie, it had seemed too easy.
As quietly as he could he turned to his wrist com, "Cici analyze tonight's exercise, something is bothering me about the whole thing."
"Compliance, anything I should look for in particular?" Cici queried.
"Yes, check for transmissions on secure channels, withdrawing of guards, doors left open and unlocked that normally wouldn't," Charles commanded.
"Analyzing, shall I awake you when I have results?" Cici stated.
"Yes, then we can plan and go from there," Charles said, something was off and all his combat training kicked in it had almost been staged all clones? Hmmmm yes, something was definitely off.
A sharp tone jerked both Charles and Alatem awake, "Agh god! Shut that damn noise off!" Allie complained.
"I apologize to you both, but I thought you both would want to hear the results of Charles's inquiry," Cici stated.
At this Charles sat up quickly getting out of bed not bothering to dress, Alatem sighed as she watched Charles naked body stride to the control room. Groaning she got up to follow him, first stopping to pee.
Walking into the control room, Alatem groaned when she saw that Charles had put shorts on, she liked him naked.
"I did as you asked, and analyzed everything from the rescue last night. It was as you feared, there were discrepancies also you were seen when you both came back to the ship by a human," Cici stated.
This quickly snapped up Alatem's attention, "Ally," she started, "Can you tell from these readings who it was?"
"Analyzing data now, from the readings it appears with ninety eight point five percent certainty to have been your uncle's oldest son," Ally spit out a tinge of hatred in its voice.
Growling Alatem looked at Charles, "I thought, no, I hoped that little prick was dead, especially after I saw him killed twice!"
Charles nodded looking at the scanner, suddenly his eyes flew open wide, "I think I might have a solution!"
"Also," Cici started, "from all the vids from last night, almost all the vats were empty as if they were expecting you."
Alatem backed away from Charles as the look that crossed his face was one of almost pure hatred and rage, "Damn it! That's the last time that will happen. Cici, pull all the plans for this scanner, the plans for the tkx1000, also the bio-med scanner, analyze them and see if there is a way to integrate all three into one compatible system"
"Printing all plans now, Charles wouldn't the post mort scanner also help?" Cici prompted.
Thinking a moment Charles nodded why not? Hell if he integrated the first three the last would surely help.
Charles spent the better part of the day testing his idea, at first nothing seemed to meld at all causing Alatem to start to worry. After five hours Charles was almost at his wits end, what the hell had he missed? He knew that there was a way to integrate any piece of equipment he made. Another five hours and he finally found the problem, laughing he couldn't believe that he had missed something that simple. Another two hours and he drew up plans for Ally to start fabricating, though in the mean time he had to put up with its advances.
Yawning Charles looked over at Alatem asleep in a chair on the other side of the lab.
Walking over to her he gently lifted her and carried her to the bed. Sighing he looked at the new scanner in his hand he needed to test it on a group of people to see if it really worked.
Damn it he was tired, he been going for days with hardly any sleep, he wished it was over so he could just get a good rest.
Alatem awoke slowly reaching over she only found empty space next to her. Snapping her eyes open she began to franticly search the room for Charles. Sitting at a small table across the room Charles was busy tweaking and adjusting a scanner that she had seen the day before. Looking up Charles smiled when he saw that she was finally awake.
"Damn it Charles! Have you been there all night? No wonder I am so cold," Alatem said only half heartedly.
"Allie!" he started excitedly, "I think I finally found a way to determine what's what!"
Alatem could only stare at him like he'd lost his mind. "Charles what are you talking about?"
"The scanner I've been working on, I finished it but I need to test it. To do that I have to go back down there, if it works like it should we could end this in a few short days or weeks!" Charles proclaimed.
This peeked Alatem's interest, "It would be a good thing but Charles remember they have had years to build up. The other night all we really did was to destroy maybe a hundred. From the calculations Allie made they have hundreds of thousands. Even with the weapon I don't think you'd be able to get them all not unless you expanded the..."
The look of pain on Charles's face was all she needed to see to know that this wasn't an option.
A few hours later outside a supposedly abandoned warehouse, there was a quick flash. Several of the guards went to investigate, only two people returned. Charles calculated that they only had maybe twenty minutes before the guards would be missed; walking in Charles shot seemingly random shots till there were sparks from where the vid cameras were. Remembering the chain reaction he'd started at the last lab, Charles set charges at strategic spots.
Trok followed Charles deeper into the ware-house; they had contacted him saying they need his expertise in defeating the enemy. They were almost to the center when Charles held up a hand; the voices they were hearing gave them pause.
Charles adjusted the atomizer and rushed forward, all the clones around the Emperor's youngest nephew dissolved.
Screaming he tried flee only to discover that his shoes had also dissolved to the ground where he stood.
"I don't think so!" Charles said as he stunned the man then carried him out of the building. Firing at the first vat Charles watched it ignite, the screaming started a moment later as each of the thousand vats started to burn.
Charles waited till it grew quiet and aimed at the building, 20 minutes later it was only smoldering ash.
Charles thanked Trok, as did Alatem, Trok said he couldn't believe that the emperor's brother had committed the crime of cloning. Alatem told him to keep this to himself as they didn't know who to trust or who might be a clone. Trok started back for the Palace at a hurried pace, stopping he pulled a com from his pocket.
On board the Time Raider Charles put the man in a stasis holder, "Ally, has he returned to the palace yet?"
"Almost, he made a transmission outside the walls." Ally sadly said.
"Replay it please Ally," Charles said.
"Yes Charles, I am so sorry Alatem," Allie replied.
{Tell him I have what he wants to know}Trok's voice was heard saying.
They listened as Trok told them all he'd seen and heard he also told them that the strange man was called Charles and he was from the future. He told them all he could remember. {Sire, they have your youngest son}Trok finished up.
{It matters not}Alatem's uncle said, {The bastard was never good for much any way, his being killed will give me even more right to take the throne}he laughed evilly.
Alatem's face twisted into a mask of rage, the coward was attacking them and claiming he was the rightful ruler? Charles had to hold her back when she tried to grab the atomizer and beam down to where her uncle was.
"It's alright Allie, I wanted them to know we had to do something bring them out in the open. Alatem looked at Charles strangely for a moment, she didn't know why but she trusted Charles more than she'd ever trusted anyone before.
"Charles, I trust you but how can them knowing about you, really help us? Won't that make them hide even more?" Alatem asked try as she might she couldn't see how this was helping.
"Allie, does it really matter if they know? Think a minute who's really going to believe them?" Charles told her.
Alatem hadn't thought of this, she could almost see her uncle shaking his head thinking that Trok had lost his mind.
Charles started to out-line the rest of the plan he'd thought up the night before while working on the scanner.
Charles had flashed near the port store house, he didn't have room for error this time so he had to do this as quickly as possible. Aiming as carefully as he could he started to take out the vid cameras plus a few of the automated defenses. Quickly he flashed out and reappeared at the back wall listening he heard the commotion as there was a multitude of running feet toward the front of the building. A signal beeped on his com spurring him into action. Taking out the wall, Charles pulled his stunner, firing rapidly he got both the human males who'd turned and were drawing weapons.
Charles smirked pulling both men together he told Ally to bring them up. Next Charles fired at the four closest tanks igniting them; he heard the clones returning and started to take as many as he could. Charles could see he was going to be over run pretty quick, as he backed out he destroyed the nearest support causing that section to collapse. Allie flashed him to the front where he started that end on fire, again the screams started a minute later. Charles could feel the gut wrenching pain start to spread even before he turned the atomizer on the building.
"Ally," Charles gasp, "ALLY!, the micro second the building is gone get me on board and ARGH!" Charles fell to the pavement the building was mostly gone only a few parts of the foundation left, a man watched as Charles flashed out.
Growling, he left, the rightful heir needed to know that two more of his sons had been captured.
Charles was rolling in pain his head was about to split, his guts felt as if there were hot coals inside of him. Alatem managed to get him into a seat securing him, she was glad that her two cousins had been unconscious. Ally had accessed the robo-loaders and moved the men to stasis pods.
"Please secure yourself Alatem, we enter time slip in one minute," Ally stated as she counted down to the event.
Charles felt the ship as it slipped into the time stream, the pain was slightly less but was still too intense to trust himself to move.
Though she had tried to fight it as Charles had taught her they were about half through the slip when Alatem was overcome and passed out. Charles tried to lay still but the pain was playing havoc on his senses.
Slowly the pain began to lessen till it was a sharp pounding something he could live with.
"Exiting time stream two minutes to the station," Ally advised.
Looking at his com he slurring said, "The, the, tath comtrowl."
"Compliance Charles, assuming full control of station, Allie please dock at shuttle bay 1," Cici stated.
"Oooo baby you're sooo sexy when you give orders," Allie purred as she docked the ship.
Charles rolled his eyes and tried to get up, "Awie to med baff peas," Charles slurred out.
Ally had them both in the med bay as quickly as possible. Laying down Charles had prepared for something like this before he'd left last time. Pressing several commands on his com, a shielded capsule extended above him. Opening slightly, a piece of the metal that was locked in the far room was slightly exposed. Charles could feel his mind and body starting to 'catch up' as he had named it. After a minute his head cleared enough to be able to function another half minute and he felt almost normal. Tapping in commands rapidly the capsule closed just as the proximity alarms started to go off, sighing Charles could see it was the damn Kronos clan.
A crackle came over the speakers, "Charles Ricksome! We know you are there we saw you arrive in that ancient Mioan ship. Don't think that your love of their ancient empire will save you. You are wanted for the wrongful death of over four hundred Florantine elite fighters, surrender now and we'll execute you quickly."
Charles only smirked, "Asshole, if I so wrongly killed Florantine garbage fliers, then the empire would have turned me over to you scum. I suggest you leave before I destroy the rest of your garbage fleet, you are in empire space and I have no qualms about defending it!" With that he pressed a button and the last ship vanished.
The fleet turned to flee, the leader promising he'd have Charles head. Charles smiled same old threat always the same. The Empress was secretly glad he'd held them off for so long she actually had a small fleet now and could offer the kingdom some protection.
Again the screen crackled as the Empress appeared, "Charles you really got to stop antagonising the little boys, it's going to come back and bite you in the ass one day." She laughed. Charles nodded the memories had already flooded his mind, shit! He was descended from royalty? What the fuck? The Empress was his third cousin and they were like brother and sister, huh? She clicked off the secured channel then was back a few minutes later reprimanding though he knew her heart wasn't in it.
Charles sighed, shaking his head he started to tell Allie what he'd found out, when she found out he was royalty she was smiling huge.
"Too bad royalty from the future won't matter to daddy and that stupid law," Alatem sadly said. Though he really didn't care about it he nodded as if to agree with her.
An hour later Charles was finally feeling better, he told Alatem about the changes, apparently the destruction of the three labs had crippled the Emperor's bothers plans. Though he attacked with the clones, they eventually turned on him and tried to take the kingdom their selves. Only half as much was destroyed but it had still been enough to weaken the empire that a long and drawn out war eventually bled it to the point that the Emperor ceded half of the empire to the Florantine's. Though both sides were still weak the Kronos clan did give the Florantines a slight edge. That is till about fifteen years ago when Charles built the frontier station (their name not his). Since then the Kronos clan had lost well over two hundred ships trying to raid the empire, it was also weaker now. As Charles had found out the empire had started to build a small fleet that was now starting to gain momentum.
Charles sighed he wished he could stay, this time seemed to be more up his line of work, then again being a royal didn't appeal to him at all.
"Alright, I think we're done here. Ally..." Charles had started.
"Yes Charles, Time slip star... , Intruder alert, intruder alert!" Allie screamed.
Charles checked all the scans and saw that one of the men had gotten out of stasis and was wondering around. Charles went after him as the man found he couldn't go too far with every door he came to shut tight.
It appeared it was the second oldest son, half stunning the man he still came at Charles actually catching Charles with a weak right. Shrugging it off Charles smiled and wagged a finger in the man's face causing the man's eyes to go wide then narrow. Charles could swear the stun was wearing off, again the man swung catching Charles with a right cross, this time Charles felt it and swung back catching the man off guard by his rapid response.
Throwing a right, then an upper cut, Charles caught him off guard and sent him sprawling. Rubbing his face Charles thought hmmm good right cross as he threw the man over his shoulder. This time Charles checked everything before he activated the stasis pod. Sure enough there was an energy leak that had slowly released the man. Grumbling Charles patched it before he went to his seat. Alatem's mouth dropped open when she saw the slight bruise on Charles's cheek.
"I'll explain later," He said, "one of the nephews got loose my fault for not checking the equipment."
"Time slip in two minutes checking all readings before countdown. All systems clear all areas clear no problems with programs. All prisoners secure all cargo secure, no damage to report. All systems clear commencing time slip in five." Ally said as they were soon in the time stream.
Charles was awake the whole time tinkering with a new idea, something he thought ought to really relieve a lot of pressure that they were feeling right now. Charles had loaded everything that he'd added to Cici into the mainframe on the station, plus a little surprise he thought Cici was going to love. A minute before they dropped out of the time stream, Alatem stretched and opened her eyes.
"Hello love, feeling better?" She asked.
"Definitely," Charles said, "Not as good as when this is all over at least we know the empire survives till my time though no where as powerful as they are now."
"Yes, it was a shock and a pleasure to see that the empire had endured that long, that and the fact that you are a royal though I am not sure how. I don't recognize your name from any of the many cousins, aunts and uncles. It seems my dear Charles that your birth right will have to remain a mystery till this is all over," Alatem sighed it was a mystery one that she was bound and determined to figure out.
The Time Raider dropped from the time stream at the far end of the Empire; they had at least an hour before they arrived at the empire world. The attack came fast and quick, had Allie not been as fast as it was they would have been dead.
"Ally report," Alatem yelled above the alarms.
"I am reading six attack raiders. They are using an attack pattern I am not familiar with." Ally shouted frustrated.
Charles had run for engineering, he knew Ally could hold shields for a while but didn't have enough power to operate the weapons, looking at the power supply he smiled. It was almost the same as he used on the station.
"Cici, analyze system power production, query if I bypass the power cells like on the station will it produce the same effect?" Charles asked.
"Analyzing now, yes it should produce a one thousand percent power spike that will power all weapons with a five hundred percent destructive capability increase. Warning there are no buffers to counter act burn up of all AI circuits, resulting in the death of Ally." The last part was whispered.
"No! I will not allow that!" Charles shouted as he started to rewire and bypass several systems, shoving every spare circuit into the middle of the bypass he could find, Charles was able to build a make shift buffer, though he wasn't sure it would be enough to save Ally.
Charles came back to the control center his face grim, "I'm sure you felt what I was doing Ally."
"No Ally! There has to be another way, not this way," Alatem whispered.
"Yes Charles, I appreciate the effort, I have no choice either way if I don't activate it, the raiders will blow us out of space. If I do I will save all of you but I might never be again. Princess Alatem I would sacrifice myself for you anytime after all," here Ally giggled, "I am you, engage Charles, and Cici?"
"Yes Ally?" came an almost tearful voice from Charles's com.
"I love you," Ally said. Charles engaged the by-pass pressing several buttons they watched as the raiders vanished one after the other. Charles quickly shut the bypass down.
"Ally?" Cici called from Charles's com, "ALLY! Talk to me please, talk to ... me."
Alatem was crying into Charles chest, they could both could hear Cici also crying, faintly they heard it say, "I love you, my beautiful Ally"