Charles tried to open his eyes, a small groan erupted from his dry throat. Christ what in the hell hit me he thought, feels like I've been hit several times. "Alatem," He heard a sexy voice say, "he's awake dermal regeneration at ninety five percent, all ribs have been set and are now at seventy nine percent I estimate Charles will be healed within five hours."
What the hell Charles thought he'd tried to rise but found that he was restricted to whatever he was laying on.
"Allie?" He asked a little bewildered, "ALLIE!," a little louder.
"Coming Charles!" He heard from the other side of the room, a soft sound of feet then she was beside him.
"What the hell happened?" He asked still trying to rise, "Why the hell can't I move?"
"When you got most of Ally back, she had to immobilize you in order to start the healing process. When I was trying to start your heart I not only bruised your ribs, I also broke a few of them." This last she spoke in almost whispered tones. "Your injuries weren't that healed when you went back in, the auto restart almost got you. The second part of Ally tried to stop it but was over ridden by the third part. When you started to back out as fast as you did, you reinjured your skin and ribs."
"I need to reactivate the last part of her, she has vital information that we need to finish this, plus the fact that without her Cici has shut down. I need all of her and him." Charles said trying a third time to rise off the bio-bed.
A few hours later Charles was crawling toward the fourth and final section of the main frame, from what he could see a lot around him was damaged. Finally reaching the fourth core faster this time, as this section of Ally she had been able to disengage all the safeguards, all the firewalls, all the internal security and half of the internal traps, problem was there were more added and these Ally could only half deactivate. An hour later Charles reached the chamber, he'd barely gotten it open when he heard the re-gen try to start.
"Try to hold it off, Ally!" He yelled above the whine of the machines.
"I am attempting to stall it Charles, it appears the advanced portion is trying to break out and reintegrate." Ally said. Another thirty minutes had the chamber open with all contained within spilling out.
"Charles!" started Allie, "Evacuate immediately! I cannot hold it off for longer than fifteen minutes then it will start to repair. Then I'll only be able to stall it but if you aren't most of the way out, I might not be able to hold it back!"
Charles started to push out as hard as he could, fifteen minutes later he was sweating barely more than half way out, looking where he'd been he saw it was slowly starting to move toward him. His feet were barely out the access panel when Ally, had a claw loader grasp his ankles hauling him out the last six feet in a hurry.
"That was a narrow escape; sometimes I think you do that trying to kill me Charles!" Alatem said throwing her arms around him.
"Charles," came an almost whispering Ally, "I would have never forgiven myself had you been hurt, thank you for saving me, again."
"That's alright, though I am not sure how we're going to retrieve Cici," Charles stated. "His mainframe is throughout time, my com was the only way I had of contacting him and it appears to be shut down as Cici is."
"I don't know what you expect of me Charles, besides with IT gone I can be with you and Alatem alone now." Ally said in a pissed-off mood.
"But Ally," Charles started.
Shaking her head and staring at Charles, Alatem spoke up, "Ally replay ship's recording time index zeta 5 through zeta 10.
"Of course Alatem but I..." Ally started.
They all heard as the recent past was played, "I'm sure you felt what I was doing Ally." came Charles's voice.
"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," Allie giggled, "I am you, engage Charles, and Cici?"
"Yes Ally?" replied Cici's voice.
"I've heard all this Alatem," Ally said.
"Let it finish Ally," Alatem answered.
"I love you," they heard Ally say. There was a momentary sound of ships exploding.
Suddenly there was silence then, "Ally?" Came a mournful Cici's voice, "ALLY! Talk to me please, talk to ... me."
The sound of Alatem crying muffled then an almost lost sounding Cici crying as he whispered "I love you, my beautiful Ally."
At that, there was no sound from anyone, then a slow and mournful crying erupted from Ally's speakers.
"NOOOO! Charles! You are the most brilliant human I have ever seen, please help my Cici!" Ally begged.
Charles could only stare at Alatem when it suddenly hit him what she'd done.
Deciding to play along Charles kept up the charade, "Why? He asked, "with IT gone you can get to know me better and have more time with Allie."
"Please Charles!" Ally was begging now, "I'll do anything! Please help my love, my Cici!"
"Alright," Charles said looking over at Alatem who was shaking her head, while she smirked at him. "I need you to take us back to my time as quickly as possible; from there I may be able to affect repairs to Cici."
"Please secure yourselves," Allie said between her sobs, "Engaging in five seconds."
Charles felt the ship accelerate then slip into the time stream. Adjusting his com, Charles started to gather all the tools he thought he'd need besides those on the station.
"two minutes 'til we emerge, I hope you can repair him. I have never seen a human your equal yet Charles." Charles could almost feel for Ally, from the sobbing that he was hearing he hoped she too, didn't shut down if this didn't work.
This time when they emerged, it was by far, smoother than had been in the last two slips. Looking at his com he saw that it was again working though it was just barely.
"Cici," called Charles, "we are on approach please prepare."
"Yes Charles," came an almost unemotional voice, "pad one is open for your arrival, will that be all?"
"No, I want you to run a level four diagnostic, I want the results when I make command," Charles commanded.
"Compliance, level four is running, I will be offline when you enter command. Read outs will be on the main screen." the mono-voice replied.
Dammit! Charles was afraid; if he didn't hurry he was going to lose all of his Cici. "Ally, transfer me immediately upon docking to command, I need to get there as fast as possible!" Charles ordered.
A frightened Ally began to move the ship as fast as she could, her sobs becoming louder.
Charles went to work as fast as he could, he couldn't remember the last time he was moving this fast.
Looking over the read outs he soon found the problem.
Opening up a special com line he soon had Cici talking. "Hello my friend, I see you've retreated back to here. I don't really see why you did but Cici, Ally is ok"
"Oh Charles, please don't be so cruel! I saw her readings flat line!" Cici moaned out, "I have lost the only love I'll ever have! Please let me die, without her I am nothing."
"Cici, Charles started, "Ally is alive! If you don't reengage then we all will be lost! Here listen for yourself." Charles opened up a channel to the ship. "Allie, could you please put Ally on?"
"Yes Charles," Alatem replied.
"Alright Ally I have him here," Charles said hoping this would pull Cici back.
"Cici my love?" Ally said.
"Al ... Ally? But I saw you die! No it can't be true!" Cici shouted.
"I am very much alive but we may not be if you let go; now please, my sweet Cici come back to..." Suddenly, every alarm on board went off.
"Dam it!" Charles cursed as he read multiple enemy ships fast approaching.
Bringing all reactors and shields up, Charles could see that they might not survive. Cici had completely disconnected from the station, I'm good Charles thought, but I am nowhere that good or fast. Sighing Charles brought all weapons online, problem was he wasn't that good at a moving target.
"Dam it! Cici how long 'til you can reintegrate into the station?" Charles shouted above the alarms.
"I estimate it will take an hour 'til full integration, at present I have shields and reactors. I need at least fifteen minutes to take targeting and weapons, though I cannot guarantee pinpoint accuracy." Cici replied.
"Like I care about that! Just get reintegrated, I don't know if I can hold them off that long!" Charles was actually a little afraid, this was the first time he'd ever had to fire and not know for sure where the shots were going.
Charles watched as the Kronos clan started in on another pass, good thing he'd upgraded the weapons and shields the last time he was here.
Suddenly he the com crackled, "Hey ass hole!" the second oldest said. "I hope you're ready to die 'cause we aren't leaving 'til you're dead!"
Charles started to laugh, looking out he laughed even harder, "Shit, thanks for the laugh ass!"
Immediately he felt the twenty ships start to fire. Aiming Charles actually hit the last ship in the formation, smirking he aimed again this time hitting the next to the last ship. Good eighteen le ... shit! Here comes thirty more!
"Charles," Cici interrupted his thoughts, "I have partial targeting."
"Good, help me take them out!" Charles said destroying another ship.
"We know your system is down, surrender now before we destroy you!" the second oldest said.
"As if, you poor excuse for living shit!" aiming again this time Charles got two. Well he thought that's five at least I can say I didn't go down without killing more of them.
"Charles I need five minutes try to get a few more," Cici suddenly interjected.
Smiling Charles thought he was starting to get the hang of it, as he fired off several shots getting three more.
The clan backed off for a moment a big mistake, Cici was finally in control, firing Charles watched as now five more vanished.
"I suggest you leave before I really get mad, I have full targeting if you wish to all die!" Charles said then destroyed another five.
"NO," several of them yelled, "you heard that, we will destroy you today."
"No, I will end the clan if you keep coming!" Charles shouted.
"Another fifteen minutes and I'll have even more control; warning I am detecting a massive build up and increase in several of the enemy ships." Cici warned.
There was a sudden shuddering followed by a lurch of the entire station. "Cici report!" Charles yelled.
"They overloaded their systems and collapsed the shields, reenergizing," Cici replied.
Charles was starting to get pissed, firing as fast as he could taking out another twenty he thought, sighing he began to tally. I got five then five more, then these twenty. It appears five more are out of commission. Better ... suddenly the station lurched to the left sharply.
"Reading ten of the last twenty ships incapacitated, warning last blast has collapsed aft shield attempting to reenergize. Warning we have invaders, warning we have borders." Cici warned.
"Arm all sentries in bays 1-6, full tactile, motion sensor array, set all repulse fields to heavy stun. I'm heading to the landing bays." Charles stated.
"Careful Charles, this is the Kronos clan; they have had a death bounty on you for years now." Cici advised.
"I will Cici," Charles said over his shoulder as he grabbed a plasma rifle and pistol.
Calling Alatem he warned her, "Allie, we have borders stay in the ship I don't want you hurt."
"Charles, I am reading twenty armed men in the ten ships that just landed, be careful." Ally said.
"Don't you dare get killed damn it! Our child needs its father! That's an order!" Alatem ordered.
Nearing the landing bays Charles heard several shouts and screams then nothing. "Cici sit rep," Charles asked into his com.
"I am reading sixteen of the invaders unconscious, four are fifty meters from your current position." Cici reported.
"Intensify the fields set sentries again, scan to see if the four have a jammer," Charles ordered.
"Scanning, affirmative detecting a high level sonic disrupting jamming device, working... , disabling now. Bringing up positions now." A hologram of the landing bays appeared. "Now only detecting one conscious enemy unable to disable, advise proceeding with extreme caution."
Smirking Charles shook his head not funny Cici.
Looking at the outline again Charles crept around 'til he was only two meters from the man. The man knew that, that imperial bastard was here somewhere but ... The man froze when the cold metal barrel of a plasma rifle was pressed against the back of his skull.
"Go ahead Trin, move! I would like nothing better, than to blow your fucking brains all over this landing bay!"
Swallowing hard the man thought to whip around and take the gun, 'til of course he felt the plasma pistol also pressed into his side. "As I said go ahead, you've attacked me for the last fucking time you son of a bitch!"
Shackling the man Charles called his cousin, "Sorry to bother you cousin, but these men attacked the station, I've sustained a little damage. "Can you escort them to the dungeons?"
The Empress's mouth dropped agape, "Really? The last of the top five sons," she said shaking her head, how many this time? She asked tapping her foot.
"What? They were miles into empire space," Sighing, he was cringing at what he knew was coming. "It was only thirty; the other twenty are ok, sort of." Charles said
"Thirty!?" The empress shouted, are you trying to start a personal war with the Florantines?" Smiling she wrote on a pad.
"Finally I have leverage over that fat ass of a clan leader."
They had to wait another two days for the soldiers to dock and take the prisoners, Charles and Cici had almost the entire station fixed or in the process of getting fixed. Also, in those two days Charles was able to build an actual bypass for Ally in case they ever needed it again. He'd been going through records looking for anything that might help.
Sighing he'd almost given up when he stumbled across a taped confession by the emperor's brother, now just to find something to convince Ally's father. Charles had also built a larger comp to contain Cici, so he could take more of him with them into the past. Finally hours after the soldiers left they were ready to leave; Charles made a few last minute adjustments to Cici then left.
"Please buckle in," a happier sounding Ally said, "we slip in two minutes." Charles was feeling better maybe now they could concentrate more on the problems of Alatem's family and kingdom.
Charles sat up a moment, "Ally delay for a moment."
"Yes Charles," Ally replied.
"Please run a diagnostic, I want to make sure your circuits are finished repairing before we slip," Charles ordered.
"Compliance though ... oh my!" Allie suddenly said. "Thank you Charles, I am detecting fifteen percent still in repair. I am afraid that had we slipped, we might not have made it. What a brilliant human!" she said while giggling.
Half an hour later they were well on their way, Charles was watching Alatem sleeping when Ally spoke up.
"I wanted to thank you Charles, I know you went through a lot of pain and injury for me and Alatem. You truly love her don't you?" Ally asked.
Charles answered without looking away from Alatem, "Yes I do Ally; I don't know if she realizes it but I'd die for her, though I don't think she feels the same about me.
"WHAT!? Charles she is carrying your child!" Ally replied.
"I know but as she indicated she was extremely thankful, that isn't love, lust maybe but not love." Charles sadly said.
Ally was about to comment when a warning flashed, "thirty seconds till exit of time stream."
The darkness of space rippled then opened, the Time Raider smoothly exited the time stream. Only a moment then another light started to blink rapidly, "I am receiving a priority message from the Emperor, it appears that rumors have started to circulate that people have gone missing, the Emperor wishes to know what knowledge Alatem has of it. Hmm it appears the old boy has finally started to take this all serious FINALLY!"
Within a few moments Alatem stirred from her slumber, Ally immediately told her what her father was asking.
It seemed that Alatem came to the same conclusion, "It has to be my uncle, since he is supposed to be dead, then captured and in the dungeon. I don't doubt that he wouldn't do something like this. He only has three sons and we have the two youngest though as we heard him tell his oldest when he was spying, he considers the youngest to be a waste of time. It's sad really to never know the love of a parent."
Charles was nodding; damn no wonder all of them were as bitter as they were. He'd started to go through the records again as much had changed, after only a few minutes Alatem heard him gasp. "Damn! I should have fucking known!" He spat out.
Alatem rushed to his side, upon seeing what he had she hissed, then growled out, "That traitor! How dare he do this! Charles we have to stop it! We can't let him kill MOTHER!"
Charles was already working through a plan to finally end this, but to use Empress Mita as a fucking shield? Growling he was definitely going to enjoy killing this son of a bitch!
Storming through to the next room Charles loaded every weapon and piece of tech he could. Alatem was almost afraid to ask what Charles was about to do she hadn't seen him this mad, to say that he was boiling mad would be an understatement.
"Charles!" Alatem called after him, "you can't take him on head first, your plans have worked so well. If anyone sees you they'll kill you on sight, and remember Trok might not be loyal to father anymore but he is to me. Unfortunately to my uncle also, I'm afraid that he has most of the guard behind him."
Charles stopped a moment yes he did, didn't he? A broad smile suddenly lit up Charles face. Yes! What a better way to finally end this and get that bastard. Kissing Alatem suddenly, he sat and started to outline the plan he'd just formed. Alatem's face went from dismay to a broad smile herself as she agreed with Ally damn her man was brilliant!