***

  Tamarax sat at her desk, scratching lines into the nice antique desk she had bought many years ago. She was not a patient woman. The hekkit felt she had already waited long enough for me to arrive. She would usually pass the time by exploiting her little blue friend, but he was currently locked-up and dealing with the scars on the left side of his face. She reminded herself that he needed the timeout. After all, when she reshaped the universe she could have whoever she wanted in her bedroom and the measly slave clone would seem less important. He had to remember his place or she could make sure he was never created.

  Drops of black blood speckled the desk below her. Tamarax had been thinking too much recently. She was sure that after she claimed the universe, the chaos in her mind would settle. Telepathically, Tak had reassured her that her mind would be at peace once this was all over. Maybe the 4th dimensional creature’s words had double meaning. Tamarax did not think about that. She only heard what she wanted to hear.

  The large door to her office creaked when one of her expendable assistants entered. The new one, Dork (don’t laugh), was bulkier than many of her previous ones. His leathery skin meant he was going to be a lot harder to kill when it was time. She would not be able to pierce his skin with just her sharp nails. Instead she was going to have to use some sort of gun.

  “A USM ship has been detected in the area,” Dork strode up to her desk, “and it’s heading this way.”

  The lack of concern in his voice made Tamarax look up. If it was a proper USM Naval spaceship then there was going to be a real fight. “What kind of ship?” She asked curiously.

  “You’re not going to be believe this.” He smirked before he remembered who he was in the presence of.

  “Try me.” She hissed.

  “It’s a dub spaceship.”

  Tamarax accompanied her assistant in laughter. The rickety old dub spaceships would fall apart if a gust of wind got them.

  “Want me to blow the little thing up?” Dork asked.

  She shook her head seriously. “No… this is who we’ve been waiting for.”

  Her assistant doubted that. Tamarax had made it very clear that I was a real threat, but what kind of threat would appear in a frail dub spaceship? Dork thought I had to be as crazy as Tamarax.

  “Should put more security in the cellblock?” He asked. “That is likely where she’s heading.”

  “No.” Tamarax licked the blood from her nose off her lip. “Put some extra security in hangar four. Let them think they’re going to escape… and then crush them at the last moment.”

  Dork did not know how the witch-like woman knew that the cadets and I would head for hangar four, however he didn’t ask.

  “But,” she hissed firmly, “do not kill Amelia. The obnoxious Earthling is mine.”

  “Yes ma’am.” He said before striding out of the room.

  He’s a good assistant. She thought as she leaned back in her chair. It’s a darn shame he’ll have to die.