Chapter 3

With only an hour to go to the appointed meeting point, Wren slipped into the training area. Taking a deep, cleansing breath, Wren tried to center her energy.

So far, she had managed to increase her power, though her energy use was far too high. She was missing something, though for the life of her she couldn’t think of what.

Unfortunately, the mention of her brother’s name, still had her anger seething inside. Thomas Tygoron, she would most definitely make whomever was using his name pay. Unlike the Eloagones she had slowly eradicated, the bastard that dared to use Thomas name, would suffer far greater.

“Trigon, set to next set of training drones, I need the next level. I have to find what I am missing.” Wren said as she quickly ran through the information and visual records.

“Next level set Master Wren, again I must protest that.” Trigon started

“Shut the hell up!” Wren shouted feeling the seething anger within her though reduced by more than half. A shake of her head she started again on her training, have to rid myself of the anger. If I go in like this, I’ll have no hope of emerging alive.

It was almost an hour later, Wren covered in a fine sweat heard the proximity alarms go off.

“Shut down all training activities. Have a complete wok up of the buyer by the time I reach the control room.” Wren said.

“I am working it up now Master Wren. I have to advise you that there seems to be information missing.” Trigon advised her.

A small growl escaped Wren’s throat, “send a communique, I either have the rest of the data, or I am leaving. I think that they know that they have nothing that can touch me. If they think they can take it, also advise them that I am not held responsible if they attack. I will defend this ship without prejudice.”

Wren hopped into the sonic shower, hurrying after to dress. She’d just reached the control room when several alarms went off.

“Damn f•©kers,” Wren mumbled low. “I wasn’t going to use stealth, I suggest we go to it now, adjust course immediately.” Wren looked over the power attack ships that were approaching from the planet the had achieved orbit of. “Take us behind them as soon as you can, they are seriously starting to piss me off.”

“Send them another message, back off or they are going to start losing ships.” Wren said through clenched teeth.

“Message sent, still no reply.” Trigon said right before there were several blasts that where they had been.

Wren could only shake her head. “Fire a photonic missile at the last ship, fifty percent yield.”

“Missile away, already adjusting course.” Trigon replied.

A moment later, there was a bright explosion, the back half of one of the hips was blown away. Almost immediately there was a huge barrage of weapons firing on the spot they had been in.

A growl escaped Wren’s throat, “ok they want to play, target the lead four ships. I am tired of playing with these idiots, I suggest high enough yield to get their attention.”

“Compliance Master Wren,” Trigon replied.

The darkness of space was lit up as the four beams struck the four ships in the lead. There was immediate shouting over the com as all the ships stopped.

“You advise them I am through with the games; the next shots won’t leave disabled ships. There won’t be any survivors.” Wren again growled.

“Message sent, oh dear, they say that if you do, they will declare war on you.” A distressed Trigon said.

“Hmph,” Wren said, “move us over the capital building, I want everything around the building destroyed. Use the neotronic beam, not as messy. Then break orbit I don’t think they will follow if they detect us. Though if they do use deadly force.”

A few moments later, a strange beam shot from the sky all the way around the capital building. Everything within ten meters of the building metal or otherwise started to turn to melted slag. More than a few ran screaming from the area.

Trigon broke orbit, moving several hundreds of thousands of kilometers from the planet. As Wren expected A red face alien appeared on her monitor.

“We will hunt you down, you attacked us without provocation, we,” The alien started.

“You won’t do a thing. You obviously don’t know whom you are dealing with. That wasn’t even half power to the beam, I am the Master thief/killer. I do not take betrayal well, had I so desired I would have leveled your capital edifice. You are lucky I am feeling generous.” Wren’s disguised voice said.

“I have heard of this one though I also know they do not exist. I think it it only you on a ship that only appears to be powerful. Soon you’ll be dead, so we’re not worried.” The alien leader said.

Wren started to laugh, “very well, let it not be said that I did not give you a chance. I have instructed my agent to destroy your entire fleet, plus the three ship yards, ought to slow your treachery down a few decades.”

A click had the communication cut. “Target all three ship yards, three missiles each. One hundred percent yield, I want nothing left. Then we’ll deal with the fleet.” Wren said as she watched the missiles streak planetward. Wren smiled when a few minutes later there several explosions in three separate areas of the planet.

“Target all but the five we have disabled, it’s time all the arrogant races out here know that they aren’t the strongest.” A grim-faced Wren said.

Less than a minute later there were several hundred explosions. Wren watched as the fleet started to disappear. Finally, the area grew dark, Wren looked at the readings nodding, five disabled ships.

“Wasn’t that a bit harsh Master Wren?” Trigon said as they started out of orbit.

“Harsh? No, the destruction of the earth that was harsh, the loss of over four billion souls within moments THAT was harsh. Never again will the galaxy think that the human race is weak. If I have to destroy pieces of it from time to time to remind it, then I will.” Wren spit out.

The A.I. Trigon was quiet for a few moments, “I am sorry for misunderstanding, Master Wren. Shall I set a new course?”

“In a moment, have you any other leads on the highest offer’s source? Wren asked.

“Not as of yet Master Wren, most is still pointing to a planet far deeper into this area. I am still getting mention of a Thomas Tygoron. I have been stopped by some of the most advanced blocks. They seem to be specially made to block me.” Trigon stated.

Wren’s hands tightened on the railing she had a hold of. Walking to the console, she didn’t even look back to see the crushed railing she’d just released.

Once there she started to type a a freighting speed. The only sound in the control room being her typing and the um of the ship. A few minutes later she stepped back. “Trigon, assimilate the later information displayed.” Wren said.

“Now working, this should help greatly to break through the blocks. Thank you, Master Wren, I will implement them immediately.” Trigon said.

Wren smiled; these latest code breakers had cost her a bit. She was glad she had the memory retention engrams added.

“Now, while you integrate that, show me the third offer.” Wren said.

“Yes, master Wren, this offer is for ten billion. It is from a, hmmmm. Master Wren since you added the updates, I have started to notice a slight pattern. Each of the offers two through six, all seem to have been made by non-existent corporations.” A slightly perturbed Trigon said.

Wren was rapidly typing pulling up the information that she could. “Yes, I see what you mean, pursue all of them. Try to find who is the true controlling factor in this.” Wren said.

“Working on that now, Master Wren.” Trigon replied.

“I’ll be training if you find anything of merit.” Wren said as she headed toward the exit.

“I will advise you immediately, Master Wren. Do you still wish to leave all safeties off?” Trigon asked.

“I believe that to be advisable, I have to figure out how to lower my energy usage.” Wren said over her shoulder as she turned, then left the room.

“If I may ask Master Wren?” Trigon said.

“You may,” Wren responded.

“When you require that of me or the ship do you not just shut some systems off?” Trigon said.

Wren stopped in the middle of the passageway. There was no way that it was that simple, was it? Entering the training area, she sat to meditate. Reaching in she began to shut what parts of her body that she could, the rest she tried to limit the amount of energy they used.

“Alright Trigon begin exercise.” Immediately the robot opponent appeared. Again Wren, reached out with her eyes closed, with the barest amount of energy, she could swear that she could see the robot moving around her in slow motion. The moment the robot moved in to attack Wren almost crushed it into a pile of scrap.

Slightly surprised, she sat to meditate again. It was then that she remembered her master saying, what one sees is not always what is there. What you see with your inner eye, is more often what is truly there.

“Next level Trigon,” Wren said as she went through several robot drones before Trigon called her.

“Master Wren, I believe I have something.” Trigon said.

“Exercises off, I’ll be right there.” Wren said as she rose, it was then she noticed the pile of broken drones in the corner of the room. A look at her chronometer told her that she had been at it for well over six hours. A smile crept to her lips; she didn’t feel she’d expended any energy at all.

As Wren entered the control room, Trigon immediately pulled up the information it had garnered. “As you can see Master Wren, they all seemed to be controlled by the same company.”

“The amalgamation syndicate, at least now we know whom we are dealing with in name. Send them a message, let them know, we know it is them that wished to acquire the item. I either get information on them or there will never be a deal.”