The Carlson Chronicle An Infinity Chronicles Story
Act 21: The ride of the Valkyries

‘Richelieu’, moving in-system of the ‘Hornet’s Nest’,

1 hour later...

As the 47 ships moved under ECM cloak toward the inner most planetary orbit, Amythyst, always thinking these days, came up with a doozy of an idea. So much so, that Alex said no.

“Hun? Why not? We only need one ship here, and if it works, we deal the Garshans a blow they may never recover from.”

“The reason no is a selfish one. What if it goes wrong? What if Cygna can’t port the distance? I lose you, and I can’t bear the thought of that.”

“Alexander. You don’t have a say in this. This is my life and it’s my call, because if you don’t let me at least try this, well, wife or not, you’ll be sleeping alone for a good long time, because Jett will be cuddled with me!”

Sinking back down into his seat at the ready room table, his mind was reeling with this crazy plan of hers. Her idea was very possible, considering her abilities as a Raw Talent mage, but at the same time, all it took was a missed calculation, or Cygna’s abilities being less than advertised.

“Go get yourself ready. Let me talk to Barnard about Cygna, try to get some of his reassuring words on the subject.” He said finally, looking her in the eyes. She moved to him, hugging him tightly.

“I love you so much Amy, I can’t bear the thought of losing you.” He said softly into her ear. She only hugged him tighter.

“And I you, my bravest of the brave. Never before had I met a male with so much self sacrifice just waiting to be released. I’ll be fine. Cygna can do this.”

“How do you know?”

“Well, since you didn’t get to Marrok, how do you think she got home from Earth, or from Marrok to Center?” She replied, smiling. He did the hard math, then looked up at her in utter disbelief.

“She couldn’t have!? Even our teeps have trouble just listening in on a conversation across the hall! How in the nine hells did she get so powerful?!”

“Her mother was the Goddess of Love, Mates and Slavery, Ashia, the one you were supposed to meet, if you had gone to Marrok.” He blinked.

“Why is that name so familiar to me?” He asked, as she weighed the risks of telling all she knew, with regards to Marrokian Folklore. Finally, she knew he deserved to know, regardless of the consequences. Bracing for the expected backlash, she spoke up.

“That’s because Alex, she used your seed to make Cygna. While you may not understand or believe this, it is the truth. Ashia used Mannis’ TCD to reach forward in time to meet with you, mate with you, and get your seed. She did this, even knowing that you would never know, since by going forward in time, she created...” He cut her off however, and finished for her...

“An alternate reality. This reality, this was created because of her need to save her people. This is why I don’t remember, because I, this version of myself, wasn’t the one she chose. This reality is a direct response to her meddling with time.” He finished as Amy nodded.

“Well, I see everything is out in the open now. Do you suppose if we went home, with Alex being privvy to this information, the Elder Council would forgive us?” Iris asked, as Mannis split his attention between what he ws working on and listening to her.

“Forgive and forget you say? Forgive maybe, forget, never.” He answered finally.

“We have meddled for far too long for the Temporal Council to just look the other way. No, sadly my dear, here is where we stay, on the outside forever looking in.” He said sadly, sinking into his seat, his nearly foot long ears drooping. She sat on his lap, kissing him tenderly.

“So, Cygna is by defacto, my daughter?” He asked, as she settled into his lap, turning sideways to face him.

“Yes.”

“So, why doesn’t she look more human?”

“Compared to other Marrokian females, she does. Her facial structure resembles her mother, Ashia, but other parts of her anatomy, like her fur, well, that’s where her human parentage shines through. Her fur is a lot thinner and shorter then a full blooded Marrokian. And because of her human side, she has deep blue eyes, and not the softer browns and greens most Marrokian females have.”

“Does she know who her parents are?” She shook her head.

“Ashia was sworn to secrecy during her pregnancy. She, Cygna, was raised in the care of the Sho-Tur Rangers. Guardians of the Imperial Family.”

“So, how come this was kept from me during the re-education?”

“This is classified under the Temporal Purity Laws of Galhadia. If it ever gets back to them that I told you this stuff, I could be sentenced to a life in stasis exile. Not a fun way to spend the rest of my life.”

“Indeed. Well, I’ll never tell.” He said with a smile, kissing her lovingly, she coo’ing at the attention.

“But wait, I’m not a Teep, so how does she have it so strongly?”

“Her mother is, err, was, one of the original 13 of Marrok, for one. Ashia’s best ability was Teleportation. My guess is, somehow your abilities as a Raw Talent mage interacted with her abilities, and acted as an amplifier for Cygna’s psionics. Her power at ‘Psycho-Travel’, as the Marrokians call it, was a hundredfold stronger then someone with the same demonstrative power. To put it another way, if citizen A had a power level, say, 10, on the sliding scale we used, which allowed citizen A to ’port across the street, Cygna’s power of 10 allows her to ’port into orbit.” Amy finished, as Alex sat back stunned!

“Any idea how powerful she is?”

“Call her to sick bay, and I’ll run the test. It only takes a moment, and if it will help you see the validity of my plan, so be it.”

“Will it hurt her?” He asked, though she just shook her head.

“She may have a headache afterward, but being an eternal, well, you and I both know how long they last.” She replied with a grin.

15 minutes later, in the ’Richelieu’s sickbay...

“Hello Cygna, thanks for coming. Amy here needs to run a test on you. Has she explained her plan?” Alex asked, sitting beside what had to be the last surviving Marrokian anywhere. Gently reaching up, he moved his hand to cup her chin and cheek, she only shying away slightly. Bending forward a little, she felt strangely at ease in his presence, letting him caress her cheek, his thumb running gently down her nose. Absently, she nuzzled his hand, a soft purr forming in her chest, that even made Amy pause. She watched as he gently caressed her cheek and muzzle, her purr deepening as his caress moved down her neck and throat. Reaching over, she gently took her muzzle in her small hand, turning her head and kissing her lightly on the mouth. Cygna’s eyes shot open at the tender, yet surprisingly loving kiss, Alex’s hands, his left rubbing her tummy, and his right gently scratching the small of her back. For all of this, Cygna felt strangely at peace, thoroughly relaxed, and just slightly turned on. That turn on was starting to show.

Alex shook his head, as though trying to clear away a fog from all of his senses. Her purr all that could be heard in this corner of sickbay, he stopped scratching and petting her. Amy broke of the kiss a moment later, she blinking at how easily she was seduced by her soft purr.

“I’m sorry Master, It’s my...” But Amy cut her off.

“Pheromones. I completely forgot about them. We almost had our way with you Cygna. Sorry for that.” She apologized.

“You say that like it would be a bad thing.” She replied, casting a small wink at Alex, he taking even more of a step back. The look on his face really confused her.

“Cygna, ok, you need to know this, considering. Ashia is, err, was your mother. And, strange as this sounds, a different version of me, from an alternate reality, well, I’m your father.” He said, as Amy sat beside her, waiting and gauging her reactions. Surprise first, then sadness and grief, as she sank in Amy’s arms, a crying fit consuming her. Alex knelt before her.

“I only found out a few moments before Cygna. Amy’s people have records of these facts, so I know them to be true.”

“Bu...bu...but...how...how...do you...fi...fit into this?” She sobbed.

“Apparently, when Ashia learned about the nature of things, that the Garshans were supposed to wipe the Marrokians out, she searched for a way to avoid that fate. By mating with Alex, or, an alternate reality version of Alex, she saw his abilities as a Raw Talent mage, and concluded that you’d be a very special child indeed. Your abilities at ‘Psycho-Travel’ definitely explain most of this. Which is why we’re here. We need to see just how powerful you are. I have a very unique plan, and there isn’t much time.”

Amythyst finished, as Cygna got her emotions back into check. Looking up at Alex, she stood, hugging him, not aggressively, but lovingly and needingly, the same way he hugged Lorelei when they first met. He returned her loving hug, kissing the side of her head and just holding onto her. She purred happily in his embrace.

“I...I may have lost my mother, but at least the mystery has been solved. Do I meet with your approval Father?” She asked, stepping back, her striking a scandalous pose. Alex’s eyebrows shot up at that, considering she’s barely wearing a stitch! But before he could object, Amy jumped inbetween them.

“Wait! Cygna, he doesn’t know about that! Let me explain it before everything goes to hell!”

And over the next 30 minutes, Amy explained everything about Marrokian parenthood, dating, mating, what kids are expected and what parents are expected to do. Alex sat nearly wide eyed in stunned surprise through most of it, as Cygna knelt beside him, holding his right hand tightly in hers, it held to her bosom. It wasn’t until Amy finished that he realized Cygna had his hand on her left breast and he had been gently squeezing it, she purring very loudly. He jerked his hand away at that. She looked up at him sadly.

“Did I do something to displease you Father?” She asked, still knealing next to him.

“If I am your Father, then despite all of THAT, I’ll not violate you, not like that!”

“Alex, you weren’t listening! On Marrok, it’s not incest, like it was with you and Karen!”

“She’s adopted, just like I was.”

“Not in the eyes of the Imperial Courts system. Marriage made her your sister. Besides, if this hadn’t come out, you would have found your way to her bed, at some point. Look to your heart, and there you will find your answer.” She practically yelled at him. He took a deep breath, sank to his knees in front of Cygna, pulling her into a loving hug, she hesistant at first, but then returning his hug, purring in his embrace.

“I’m sorry Cygna, it’s just a lot to take in all at once.”

“I’m ok, I was thoroughly trained when I came of age by the only man I have ever called Father, Sergeant Dimitri, back in the Rangers. He was very kind to me and taught me many skills, not all of them sexual.” She said with a grin. He smiled back to her.

“Barnard, my father, told me you spent nearly 2000 years as a slave girl. Is this true?” He asked. She nodded.

“I have been owned by only 4 Masters, not counting Omar. Two were military men, one a merchant, the other a rogue. He was the one that taught me most of my outdoors skills.” He nodded.

“I’m actually overjoyed to finally find out who my parents are, even if it was after Ashia was killed. I served her faithfully for over 1900 years. You’d think she would have given me little clues to help me understand.” She said in a huff.

“You do understand Amy, this is even more of a reason to not let the two of you go. If it goes wrong, I lose my wife and my daughter.” He said, Cygna’s eyes wide that he accepted her as his daughter. She leapt into his arms, hugging and kissing him happily, he returning the hugs and trying not to get romantically involved with the kisses, though his other head was asking for permission to explore. She noticed his considerable erection, looked up into his eyes, pushed him onto his back, and with Amy’s help, finished his indoctrination into what it means to live with and be a parent to, a Marrokian female...

Half-way through exploring her sex, with Amy astride the ‘monster’, his i-COM beeped. This really taxed his sub-vocalization skills, as he answered.

“Mmph..Yes?”

“Alex, it’s James. Kindly pull your head from between that girl’s thighs and talk to me for a moment.” Alex’s eyes opened wide. Pushing Cygna up a bit, he begged her to stop. She stopped.

“Ok, what’s up Pop?” He asked, trying not to grunt as Amy was still tight as hell, and she was thoroughly enjoying every inch of him.

“Everyone’s here. Waiting for you to give the go ahead.”

“Change of plans actually. Take the fleet, all of the fleet, to these coordinates.” He said, reading off the new location of Center, in the middle of the Maiden.

“Seriously? What’s the new plan?”

“Get ready for a light show. I’ll see you there in 20!” And he disconnected the COM, pulled Amy down hard, finishing in her, pulling Cygna down onto his chin, shoving his tongue deep into her sex, her screaming at the release...

A few minutes later...

“Ok, you’ll have a small headache afterward hun, but other than that, you should be fine.” Amy said, reassuringly. Cygna nodded.

“Ok, begin the test.”

The machine connected to Cygna’s brain stem, her cerebral cortex and had small probes planted all along her skull, as Amy started the scan. Cygna convulsed once, then passed out.

“Uh, Amy? Is that normal?”

“Yes lover, she’s being tested, but not in the physical world, lest we have parts of the ship disappearing.”

“I see.” Was the best he could come up with. The machine beeped once, a display lighting up, and words scrolling down the screen. Amy read it as fast as they appeared, she dropping into the seat behind her, her jaw hanging agape.

“Hun?” He asked, looking at the screen, and despite being fully versed in Galhadian, couldn’t figure out the meanings of the readings. He gently shook her, she waking at the gentle shaking.

“Oh! Thanks hun.”

Cygna stirred awake a few moments later. She looked at Amy’s shocked stare, then turned to Alex.

“Something wrong with me?” She asked.

“No, everything is fine honey. How do you feel?” Amy asked, trying to mask the shock that was still racing through her brain.

“A dull ache behind my eyes, but otherwise I’m ok.” She said, smiling to her then Alex. He pulled her into a long hug, mouthing over her shoulder to Amy to tell him something.

“My plan will work like a charm. All we need are a pair of LSB’s, a Hand COM with a big screen, and an open COM back to here, wherever you decide to park.” Amy said. She then removed all of the leads from Cygna’s head. Pushing out of Cygna’s hug, he looked down into her deep blue pools.

“Cygna, go get your gear. Furball stays here for now. After you have the stuff you need, report to Cargo Lock 2. Ok?” He ordered then asked. She nodded and bounded off.

After the door hissed closed, he looked to Amy for answers.

“Oh my gods! She is like, so powerful! I mean, she could probably ‘port this whole ship to the other side of the frackin’ galaxy!” She said, still in awe.

“Across the whole galaxy? Come on now, be serious.” He said, as she stopped, turned to him, and ordered the machine to print out a copy of the results, in Anglic. It hummed once, and then spat out a long tape of paper, nearly a foot long. He took it and read it, re-read it, then read it a third time, to make sure he hadn’t missed anything.

It read:

Subject: Cygna

Race: Hybrid: Marrokian / Human

Test: Psi pool potential

Strength: 200,000 TSR (Teep Strength Rating)

{Most Human Teeps register a 10-20 on this same test-author}

SS-Strength: 20,000,000 (Sudden Spike Strength rating)

{Again, most Human Teeps register a drop of nearly 90% on the shock test, forced to use their Psionics in a surprised state. Cygna only gets stronger-author}

Projected distance (MI): 200,000 Parsecs (Moderately Incumbered)

Projected distance (Self): 1,000,000 Parsecs

Projected distance (Obj): 100-100,000 Parsecs, depending on Mass

Alex laid the print out on the table, his own jaw hanging agape, trying to make sense of it all.

“See!?” Amy said, hoping he finally understood who it was that just left the room.

“Her mother, was she this powerful?” He asked, but Amy shook her head vigorously.

“Not just no, but hell no!” There hasn’t been a Marrokian EVER to post these numbers. I wondered why the machine finished with her so fast. She can ’port a person, a thing or herself so fast, it happens as fast as thought!

“Amy, be careful. I want you both back in one piece.” He said, giving her his blessing. She hugged him tightly.

“I just hope there’s enough mana out there to do this.” She replied as they went to meet Cygna at Lock 2.

Standing in the airlock, as Amy finished loading fresh power cells into her LSB’s belt and then into Cygna’s belt, she stepped back and checked the hand-COM. It too was fully charged. Switching both of their belt pack combination air tank and scrubbers on, she switched on their LSBs. Giving the nod through the door, Alex cycled the airlock, as Amy connected her life line to Cygna’s belt, while the airlock dropped to zero pressure. When the door opened, and Cygna saw the system’s star, up close and personal, she suddenly felt very small and very frightened.

“Amy? Are you sure this is a good idea?” She asked, as Amy took her by the elbow, and they both stepped out into the void...

“Jett, set a course for Center, her new location.” Alex ordered, as all of the bridge crew watched as Amy and that new girl, Cygna, stepped out of the ship wearing only their clothes and an LSB.

Better then a bulky vacc suit, the Life Support Belt is a skin tight forcefield that upon decompression, activated, trapping air and heat close to the body. Your own body heat kept you warm, while a belt pack held a small tank good for 4 hours of air, 12 with a scrubber/rebreather. They are required wear by all starship crewmen and a damned fine idea for anyone else that finds themselves in a space-based occupation.

“Ummm, Ok.” She replied, laying in a Fold course for the center of the ‘Maiden’, and hopefully Center.

As their ship dissolved back into full cloak, Amy pulled Cygna into a long hug. She could feel Cygna tremble in her hug.

“You scared kitty?”

“A little. I feel so small out here.” She said, looking at the blank screen on the hand-COM.

“Ok, once I cast this spell, you need to look at the COM, and blink us back to the image it shows. You good with that?” Amy asked, and Cygna nodded.

“My Father is well versed, isn’t he?”

“Oh, he’s very well versed. Ok, call the ship, I’m starting the spell.” She ordered, as she began tapping vast amounts of mana.

“Umm, Hello?” Cygna said into the COM, as she held it close to her lips.

“We read you Cygna, do you see us here?” Alex asked, as she pulled the hand COM back a few inches, she smiling at seeing Alex with Furball standing beside him, Jett standing behind them both. To her left, she heard Amy speaking in a tongue she was completely unfamiliar with, as some type of energy was building on the palms of her hands. Pulling Amy closer to her, she tucked her tail up and through Amy’s LSB.

For her part in all of this, using an arcane blast to disrupt a star, to make it possibly go Supernova, was a new trick even to her. But, studies of conflicts between the Kanin and the Galhadians had shown a group or even a single mage could destabilize a star. So as she drew in more and more and even more mana, she felt as though she were about to pop herself, the mana coursing through her nearly overpowering her.

And, when she felt she couldn’t control anymore, just as she was about to release her spell, her view changed in an instant, from a front row seat to a red/orange K class main sequence, to a Garshan transport room, with a half dozen guards, grazer rifles aimed at them!

Realization came quickly to the former operative, as she let her spell go off, centering it on the center goon in the squad, tackling Cygna to the floor to avoid any unwanted injury from the resulting explosion.

“FaBOOM!” Went her spell, body parts and equipment raining down around them. Looking once again at the hand-COM, Cygna blinked, and instead of sending her and Amy home, she brought Furball to her! He lunged upon landing, throating the bitch at the transport controls, as Amy re-collected her wits, sheeping a guard that had gotten free of his blasted buddies. Taking quick stock of their situation, Amy calling up a schematic of this class of heavy battle cruiser, and pointing where the bridge should be. Cygna’s puzzled expression cleared all of the confusion for Amy, as she made a simple call to the bridge.

“Yes? Who is this!?” Sub Captain Dreenal asked, very annoyed at having her nap interrupted. Amy showed the scene to Cygna, Dreenal’s eyes going wide at seeing a Marrokian on her ship, and before she could utter a syllable, she found herself doing the funky chicken, 5 miles away from her ship...

As they arrived on the bridge, Amy blasting and Furball tackling, and nearly eating, Cygna looked at Alex, blew him a loving kiss, and turned off the COM, slipping it into a thigh pocket of her pants. Within seconds, they had control of the ship...For now.

“Now what?” Cygna asked.

“Well, I’m just about wiped out. That spell really took a lot out of me. Call Alex, have him and his ships come back. Their plan is still solid, plus, I can have this ship start shooting at its fellows, adding even more to the confusion.”

“<Agreed. Get to it Amythyst!> Furball said into her mind, as he nuzzled Cygna.

<I found out who my parents are, brave one.>

<Aye, Alex told me. Today is a good day then, is it not?>

<Aye, indeed it is.> She replied, as a group of troopers came running onto the bridge, and joined their captain, 5 miles up...

“Yes Alex, bring your ships back. I’m too wiped out to do that type of spell again, plus, we have control for the moment, so we can help with the blasting. Good, yes, do hurry!” Amy said into her COM, as Cygna, keeping an eye on the only apparent way onto the bridge, sent trooper after trooper to meet with their captain. Finally, tired of doing this shit piecemeal, she concentrated, reaching out to all the minds she could sense that thought or spoke only in Garshan, and sent them all to meet the sun.

Over 200,000 Garshans, every member of the task force, died horribly, cooked while simualtaneously decompressing as they fell into the star...

Silencing an alarm on the bridge, Amy set the ship to drift, orbiting the star, while scanning all the other ships around them. When Cygna dropped to her knees, droplets of blood falling to the floor from her nose, Amy’s eyes went wide. Moving quickly to her, she pulled Cygna onto her lap, the blood still oozing down from her nostrils, and leaking from the corners of her eyes.

“I did good Amy, I avenged Marrok good.” She gasped, as Furball came over, linked with her mentally, and saw exactly what she had done. Dropping to his belly before her, he placed his nose to the deck at her feet.

<Forever is a long time, but I will serve you willingly until I can serve no longer Slayer. You have avenged a great many of both yours and mine today, but rest now, for our work is only just begun.> He said into both of their minds. Amy blinked, but Cygna simply placed a weary hand atop his huge head, lightly scratching him behind an ear, he raising his head into her hand...

As Alex’s flight of ships returned, he was hailed by one of the Garshan heavies, and told to assign skeleton crews to as many as he could, and transport these ships to Center.

The order came from Star Admiral Amythyst. She was wearing a Garshan Admiral’s uniform, the second highest rank in the Garshan Hegemony...

Over the next several days, when it was learned what REALLY happened at the ‘Hornet’s Nest’, people were both stunned and awed at the awesome power that was the sole surviving member of the Marrokian race.

Cygna the Slayer...

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