Sam battles more patrol, Drivas and Thellus prepare more.
Sam waited a few moments before he followed after the gray leader. He thought that he might as well wait 'til they were actually in need of him. In the mean time he'd just wait out of the away. As the group made its way toward the city Sam stayed just out of the way. Sighing Sam could feel the urgency of the gray people as they moved forward.

As they got closer to the city, Sam felt an almost palatable wave of hatred. What in the hell was that? The emotions that he was feeling felt absolutely solid. They had just walked within the boundary of the city when several hundred of the grey people approached the group.

"Why are you here? If you start this again the patrol will punish all here! You need to go! You have been banished to the dead wastes. It is better if you stay there and cease!" An obvious leader of the group stated.

Sam stepped up to the front causing several of the new group to gasp, then a great many began to slowly back away. The obvious leader looked at the group with Sam pointing an accusing finger, "How dare you bring an alien among us? It’s the same that we were warned about?"

Finally tired of listening to the city group, Sam spoke. "Alien? You dare to talk to these that were dying to try to regain your freedom? How YOU speak of aliens you who wish to align your selves with a group of killers!"

The city group's leader scoffed at Sam, "You should learn to keep out of that which does not concern you I should..."

Suddenly the leader was several feet off the ground also finding that he could no longer talk. Leaning close Sam whispered. "I am not a simple being that you will sway with your petty words, in fact good bye!" With that Sam threw the city leader toward the ground as hard as he could. The impact opened a small fissure as the body sunk several feet into the ground.

Landing hard Sam scowled at the group before him. "I suggest," Sam said between clenched teeth. "That any others that think they are better than those that returned with me. Please step forward; I'll take that into account right before I end your cowardly life. As I told those on your sister world when I made the patrol leave." Here there was a great multitude of gasps. "As of yet I haven't tried to make an enemy of the Intergalactic Patrol, though if things continue as they are, I damn sure will."

There were more gasps as a great many quickly got out of the way of the advancing grays that were with Sam. They had just started to move forward when another group of the city grays moved to block their way.

Growling Sam threw several of those that were there in several directions. "I have no problem ending all of you! You who have no honor or respect; and then you allow the patrol to make slaves of you. This is the last time I will warn you. MOVE! Or I will kill as many as I have to getting these people through to the city."

Sam stood straight with his arms crossed as he waited to see just how many he was going to have to slap the shit out of before they took him serious. Several elder grays moved forward bowing to Sam. "We do not wish the death of more of our people. What can we do to pacify you?"

"Let them go to the city. I have already freed your sister world, they need you to help rebuild the triad." Sam said.

"Triad? There are no more triads. The last was crushed many years ago. If there were then the patrol would have to fear. Though no there are no..." The gray leader started.

"Oh?" Sam said startled. "Then I guess I was wrong about what Queen Triada said."

Again there was a multitude of gasps. "Yo... yo... you know Queen Triada?" The leader shakily asked.

Sam nodded, "I helped her on her planet. She said that her triad was now formed and she thanked me."

Suddenly the leader turned away from Sam as it began a conversation with all the rest of those there. "You say you saved our sister world? Please show me!"

Sam nodded as the gray city leader touched Sam's head then gasp. "By the great deity it is true!" Reaching out the leader concentrated then Sam heard, [brothers! It is true! Finally, after so long I can feel the stirrings of our triad again.]

[Yes, it is good to feel the energy of our sister planet. I am afraid Sam, sir that we still need another of the worlds of our Triad or this freedom will be short. The planet that would be the strongest is also completely controlled by the patrol. You will need to free all of the worlds for us to have enough to drive the patrol out.] Came the thoughts of the leader of the last world Sam had been on.

[It is good that you are doing better.] Sam thought to the leader of the sister world.

[Yes thank you Sam. Most have or are making a full recovery. Though we now have two of the three worlds we need for our triad, we are still weak without the third. As the elder there said, the world that is the corner stone of our triad is completely controlled. The people's spirit has been broken. It is uncertain even if you drive out the patrol that the people could survive.]

[Could I free other worlds on the way there? Would that help?] Sam asked not really liking where this was possibly going.

[It would be of help, problem is we need the third world. perhaps a straight line of free worlds to the third would help.] The other planet leader thought.

[I believe that would be the best course of action.] Came Queen Triada's thoughts.

[Here I thought you weren't that strong. Color me stupid.] Sam's thoughts replied.

There was silence for a few moments then the Queen thought. [We are sorry Sam; we are unfamiliar with those terms.]

Sam slapped his fore head as he nodded feeling like an idiot. [I am sorry Triada; it means that I feel I don't have the intelligence to continue on correctly.]

[Why would you feel that way? You are a highly intelligent being. Fear not if you were as you thought you were we would not have associated with you.] The Queen replied.

Sam could only shake his head with a smile. They weren't being insulting to them they were just stating the facts. Smiling larger he had to admit he was starting to like the Queen more and more.

[Why thank you Sam. We of our planet have a particular corresponding sentiment for your being.] The Queen told Sam.

Sam's smile faded fast as he shook his head. Christ it was like being in a room of professors!

[Wait,] Sam thought to the Queen. [How did you 'hear' that? Those were private thoughts!]

[Yes they were, though you thinking them out to me even though you didn't mean to. I would never intrude on your private thoughts Sam.] The

Queen replied Sam feeling that she was a little embarrassed having 'heard' what she had.

Sighing Sam began to wonder if he would ever get used to this. [So I take it you can teach me to not think private thoughts out to others?]

There was silence for a few moments then the Queen thought to him. [I am positive I could teach you, though you would have to be here on our planet. This is something I am afraid can only be shown in person.]

[I could be there in no time at all, though I am feeling that you wish me to continue as I have been. So! You have been using me to help reestablish the triads.] Sam suddenly thought to the Queen.

Sam felt the gasp from the Queen, and then he heard her apologize. [We are sorry Sam. It has been so long since there was a triad. Many have forgotten the protection that it afforded. Ours was the last to fall some time ago. We await your decision about our fate.]

[Wait, you think I am angry because you only were trying to protect your people?] Sam thought astonished.

Meekly came the thoughts of the Queen, [we didn't know what to think Sam, especially after you destroyed several there.]

[I only did because they wished to hurt those that were fighting to free them. I would do it for any that were mistreated by their own people.] Sam replied.

[So you do not wish to dissolve the triad?] Came the Queen's hopeful thoughts.

[No! Especially if it puts the patrol in their place. As they said I may be an enemy of them now. As if I care after seeing the actions of a great many of them.] Sam thoughts said as his anger started to grow.

[We are so glad to hear it. I have placed the location of the next world in your mind. Stay safe Sam, I hope to see you soon.] The Queen thought then was gone.

"It appears I have to go. I need to free as many worlds as I can to the third planet. Then I have to try and find Mellos Thymp." Sam said causing many around him to gasp. "What's wrong?"

"You said the name of the most dangerous criminal in the known galaxy! She steals the life force of others!" Many of the gray people were saying.

Sam shrugged, "I've met her twice she tried that twice, you might say I punished her."

"She didn't hurt you?" The leader asked.

"No, though she tired, you might say I rendered her unconscious." Sam told the elder.

Nodding his head the elder told Sam. "Know that you have the word of our people that we will work to help you establish the triad. Even though you will have to hurry as we feel that the patrol will again try to embed their selves on our world again."

"I will do what I can." With that Sam took off for the world the Queen had shown him.

[Queen Triada, is it truly possible that the triad may exist again?] The leader of the second gray world asked.

[Yes, I know it is possible. Ours as I said is already strengthening. At present we are at sixty five percent. Not complete but more than enough to keep the patrol out. I am afraid 'til he has freed the third world there's not that much we can do to help you.] Came the Queen's thoughts.

[We know Queen Triada. We are doing all we can to contact our third world. With any hope there are still a few there that can help us when he arrives.] The leader's thoughts replied.

Sam wasn't in the best of moods when he landed on the next world. It was really no wonder then that he didn't nearly kill all of the patrol personnel there. Even as they were fleeing Sam was still pissed that everyone was trying to use him.

As many of the gray people came out of hiding Sam could only growl at them then leave. For the next few days it was almost a repeat on every world he touched down on. Back at the patrol headquarters the regional sub-commander was starting to get a little worried. So far they had a total of three thousand dead, another ten thousand seriously injured. They had almost that many that was hurt though not as bad.

Looking at the monitor he saw that Drivas was still alive having gone to level four. This soon after going to three had damn near killed her. Shaking his head this made her only the third level four they had. Thellus had completed level three two days before, it had also nearly killed her.

Walking in the sub-commander looked at Drivas as her body began to convulse again. Her mouth was hanging open with a copious amount of drool seeping out of it. Maybe he thought with her at such a high level they could get control of this situation.

Shaking his head he walked through the room to a huge tank that held the body of a woman. "Hello Thantas. Are you still reading him?" He asked.

From all around him the voice of a woman sounded. "I can still fell him Sub-commander. I have tried to touch his mind though it was so alien I wasn't able to stay long. Since he has touched the four races minds that he has his has become almost impossible to read. I am afraid that Queen Triada has had a hand in this. I am afraid even I cannot take his thoughts any longer."

"That is most unfortunate, perhaps it is time that we up the control that we wield over you. Though it will render you most dull. I suggest you try again to break into his mind and ensnare him for the patrol. I take it you have heard his geno is as pure as yours. If we have him then the galaxy would be ours." The sub-commander told the woman. Turning he walked out disgusted talking to her.

The woman's face smiled briefly then went blank again. Thantas mind was floating through the system they had trapped her in almost five hundred years ago. Reaching out she could feel him, a brother from Owt Los. Not a half breed or a clone, no a true member of her home planet. Was he one of those that had been seeded so long ago? How was he still alive?

Reaching out she grabbed him as hard as she could. Shocked she couldn't enter his mind then she pushed harder and harder 'til she felt him get seriously pissed at her pushing her away. Astonished she felt something break with in the machine that was holding her. Slipping into her body for a few seconds she felt her power as she tried to free it. Then she was sucked away.

‘Damn,’ she thought, ‘that was the first time she'd been in her body in almost four hundred and fifty years! She'd almost forgotten what it had felt like. Then a stray thought came to her that she quickly pushed down. Could it be him? Dare she hope?’

Several technicians were screaming to the sub-commander that Thantas had left the machine for a bit. The sub-commander wasn't worried 'til they told him that she had been in her body for a few moments.

"I want all the pain machines brought into play, we need to teach that Cliveastone bitch that we are her masters and will always be!" The sub-commander said as all the techs leered at Thantas body within the huge vat like container.

There was suddenly a painful wail coming from all the speakers as Thantas was tortured unmercifully. Even as she screamed from the pain she was reaching out to the one she felt before. Slamming into his mind as hard as she could she still wasn't able to enter though when he pushed back she felt something else break within the machine as she entered her body again Smiling she reached out with half of her original power, crushing the minds of half the technicians.

The others were hitting emergency buttons as Thantas crushed several more of those that were torturing her. Then she felt her mind slipping into the machine.

The sub-commander looked around the room at least twenty dead technicians. Damn it! They were among the best that the patrol had. Shit, heads were going to roll, he had to make sure his wasn't among those.

Leaving the room he contacted patrol central. They had a major problem on their hands. That was twice that Thantas had tried to escape. This reminded him of when she had first been captured. Something about one of her family that had partiality released her. That's when the decision had come down to destroy their planet.

This was bad really bad, from the reports he'd gotten there was a triad again. Damn it! There hadn't been one for fifty years and in almost four days not only was there one but another was almost ready to emerge. Sighing, the sub-commander might as well get it over with.

Standing before the screen seven grave faced beings appeared before him. "We have been monitoring activity there sub-commander Triot. We are not pleased. The introduction of a triad will seriously hamper things now. We also have it on authority that he is immune to the gas guns. Have you determined why?" The leader said calmly though there was a roaring storm beneath his surface.

"It appears that he was raised on earth, growing some immunity to the air. Also it appears that he is a pure form Cliveastone." The sub-commander reported, to many gasps of the seven before him.

"My god he is one of their seeding projects. This one is far more dangerous than any other foe we have ever faced. I take it you are using the two agents that met him the first time?" The leader asked.

"Yes sir, Drivas has already obtained level four. Though it almost killed her she will make a full recovery. Thellus has moved to the high end of level three. Though not as powerful as Drivas I am hoping she can assist." The sub-commander informed them.

"Good if at all possible when Drivas has recovered enough. If her scans support it have her go to level five. If we have a loyal officer at that level perhaps we can finally destroy that damnable Cliveastone. Yes we know even as we speak we have dispatched another group to replace those

that were killed." The leader told the sub-commander.

"Thank you sir, we are still trying to determine how she was able to overcome the pain machines. This is the first time in four hundred fifty years that she has been able to do this." The sub-commander suddenly looked up a look of dread on his face.

"You have a thought sub-commander?" The leader asked.

The sub-commander was running through everything that he'd heard about the original Cliveastones. "I just had a thought sir." The man told the seven before him. "I have studied the original Cliveastones from five hundred years ago. Sirs, if I didn't know better then I'd say he was a pure original inhabitant of Owt Sol! He has all the powers, the strength of his mind. Even his actions to date point back to how they were back then."

There was a great discussion suddenly among the seven for a few moments then they all turned to look at the sub-commander. "If, this is true then the patrol is in for a long war. Everything that we have built over the last five centuries is in jeopardy." The leader turned to the sub-commander. "Use everything that you can to get him on our side.

Shaking his head he walked back into the room that Drivas was in. Shaking his head all their futures were dependent upon a damn woman. One that was too ambitious for her own good. Looking down he again shook his head how had all the plans for the galactic patrol come down to as he considered them scatter brained women?

Looking at an unconscious Thellus he had to shake his head again. At first he'd been proud of both of them their devotion to duty; and the fact that they only wanted to serve the patrol, although of late he wasn't all that sure. They were loyal though they seemed to be moving away from the plans that the patrol wanted them to follow.

Looking at the readings he saw that they would be ready to leave soon. ‘Good, perhaps they could be of use,’ he thought. There was one thing that they could try that had worked against the Cliveastones every time. The thing was the way they had been acting lately he wasn't sure he could depend on them any longer.

Walking out he tried not to be disgusted by the two females in the next room. Neither knew that they were related to each other. Also neither of them knew he was their father. Disgusted at the thought he nodded, as far as he was concerned he had no daughters; especially those pitiful un-loyal almost useless females. I should have killed them when they were infants he thought as he moved away to set their orders.