So, next chapter. Nothing before hand but to say that I wouldn't mind the commissioners to message me if I don't have your picture done or I'm missing something. It's been a little while and I feel as if I'm forgetting something.

Enjoy!

Words- Regular speech

Words- Thoughts

Words- Chapters and changes

(Words)- Bez speech

Chapter 5—A Shift of Tides—

Elsewhere in the galaxy... universe.... whatever.....

"Yes my Tallests, everything is going to plan. I almost have the planet conquered!" a very think Irken Invader reported to his ecstatic leaders.

"Great!" Purple cheered. "We'll have a chip factory planet in no time!"

"We can always use more chips."

"And you can never have enough."

"Exactly!"

"Good job Korvic. You're almost there and I hope we can get the first shipment soon."

"Pardon me oh great Tallests, my SIR is trying to tell me something," Korvic grumbled and darted quickly off screen. "What is is MOE? What do you mean something is coming this way? From space? Impossible! Wait... what? No... no.... nonono! Tallests! My mission is compromised! There is an unknown ship heading straight for me. A large vessel that is charging weapons. Oh no! They're firing!"

The connection shook and cut out a second or so before crackling back to life.

"Mission aborted – they're – oh god – they're destroying everything – no chance of escape – my Tallests ---will – fighting – honor to – for you! To Irk!"

The line wend dead and Red and Purple stared at the screen. They looked at each other with fear prickling at the back of their minds.

"Our chip planet," Purple whimpered.

"Not just our chip planet Purple. Something is really wrong here," Red frowned with thought. "Where was Korvic?"

"He was in the Tovian Nebula taking over the Euyni planet," someone on the bridge said bringing up the map of where it was.

Red scanned the map. "Did you ever hear from Xita? The weird little invader who was taking over the planet next to Korvic?"

"How do you remember that?" Purple muttered to his brother.

"He looked funny and he babbled so much that after a while he was sent to someone under us for his reports."

"Oh..."

"Yeah."

"Sir, Xita stopped communications o day or so before this transmission."

"Anyone else around that area who have just stopped sending messages?"

"Two or three around the same time as Xita and we actually have one saved message on our database that is sort of like the one of Korvic's that was cut off."

"Play it," Red ordered.

The screen came up and the message started to play. A slim female Irken with green eyes was breathing hard. Blood was splattered across her front and there was a splatter that wasn't her's too. Both colored bloods speckled her face and a smear was across one cheek. Her eyes darted around her surroundings erratically.

"This is Irken Invader Anor. If you're hearing this, then it has made it to my my Tallests. My mission was going well until a few hours ago when another ship entered the planet's atmosphere. Several parties landed on the surface and started to destroy everything and anything. I attacked and somehow killed a few as they tried to attack me. Right now, I'm regrouping my thoughts as to what to do next.

Sirs, I'm not sure that I can take down this foe. They are vicious, intelligent, and like the Irken race, merciless. I feel that we have met our match here. They've already taken two of the planets my fellow Invaders were taking over with little to no effort. I only killed the few that I did by chance. They're taking this tone too easily even with my fighting back and effort.

Shit! They've found me!"

Several shouts and a snarling language full of clicks and roars grew louder. Behind Anor weapon blasts illuminated the space around her. She snarled as she drew her weapon to return fire.

"I'm not going to make this easy for you, you bastards! I fought my way here and I'm going to die fighting!"

The camera wove as Anor dodged fire and shot at the enemy. Anor paused as a look of surprise swept across her face. She brought her hand from off screen and it was covered in blood.

"Lucky shot," she laughed manically and continued to fire.

Slowly the life left Anor's eyes and she fell to her knees. Hands came into the view from off screen to wrap around her heck. They were almost Irken like but longer in the fingers. A language of guttural sounds, squeals, and clicks was heard.

"I don't know what you're saying, but her's what I'm saying to you," Anor sneered weakly. "You will not win this. The Irken Empire will destroy you. I am one of many and here's a big fuck you."

Anor brought her weapon up and fired. The thing holding her neck screamed in what could only be pain and the hands fell as Anor fell forward to land on the ground before her.

"For you.... my Tallests..." she whispered as her eyes went dead.

The screen started to fade but forms in the background were visible. They were unlike anything Red had seen and as the image stopped and cut out he frowned.

"We've never seen anything like that," Purple muttered. "Right Red? We've never seen anything like this. Red?"

"I don't like this," Red muttered. "Try to get a clear image of those things in the background. Find as many angles of it as you can. Make a copy of this video and the frames of those images. This information does not leave this room. No one is to know about this! Understood?"

"Yes my Tallest! What do you want done after that?"

"I will need a volunteer to find the ship Bez and his Captain Wren. They need to know about this."

"Why?" Purple asked confused while taking a bite of a chip.

"Because we can't handle this on our own," Red said grimly turning away from his brother.

Elsewhere on the Armada....

Tonu threw on his boots as his door buzzed signaling that someone was there. "A moment!" he shouted almost falling on his face as he scrambled to look a little more decent by putting on a shirt.

Opening the door he came to the chest of the Tallest Red. He blinked confused as he looked up and the being that was a foot taller than him.

"M-m-my T-t-Tallest Red! What b-brings you here?" Tonu stammered saluting.

"Rumor has it around the ship that you have the best flight abilities among the members of this ship," Red stated looking intently at the Irken before him.

"I don't brag about it sir," Tonu frowned.

"No, but I'm one of the Tallests and I do know a few things. I'm sending you on a mission."

"A mission sir?" Tonu asked confused.

Red handed over a vid that wasn't Irken technology. "This has special information for Captain Wren on it. It is their technology but I want you to deliver it back to her. You can't let it be taken to her either, I want you to give it to her." Red growled. "Do you know what she looks like?"

"She's the human with the weird ears and tail that was walking around with Invader Zim, right?"

"Exactly. Only give it to her," Red said then seemed to pause. "Instead of a single Voot Fighter though, I want you to take a Personnel Carrier."

"Sir?"

"Don't question, just do," Red snapped sweeping a hand across his antenna. "Got me?"

Tonu nodded dumbly as he watched Red turn toward the door. He paused at the door frame. "Your ship and the three hundred crew will be ready within a kake. You have full command of the crew and the ship. Even though it's a Carrier class ship, I need that information to get to them as fast as possible."

"Sorry for asking my Tallest. Isn't a transmission faster?"

"Can't take the chance of it being intercepted. There's too much at risk for the Empire if we sent a transmission," Red replied flatly looking over his shoulder at Tonu.

Tonu saluted. "Understood my Tallest! I will full fill my mission and will be ready in less than a kake for launch."

"See that you are," Red nodded. "And soldier?"

"Yes my Tallest?"

"I wish you luck and victory on your mission."

Tonu blushed. "Thank you my Tallest."

Elsewhere....

Wren shivered and sat up sharply, startling Rouk who had been napping on her lap. She had come to visit for a little while. Wren shivered again.

"What's wrong?" Rouk asked.

"I don't know," she frowned trying to figure out what it was. "I think it may be something important though."

"To get such a reaction from you? It had to be," Rouk blinked up at her.

"I feel as if I have to prepare for something important."

"You'll be prepared," Rouk said with one of her smiles. "You have a lot of people to help you."

"Thank the Keepers I do," Wren smiled as she ran her fingers though Rouk's fur and she relaxed back into her chair. "I can handle anything as long as I have my friends by my side."

Flins later....

Wren laughed as she was pulled into a hug from behind. "Justin, put me down!"

"No! You're going to get married!" he said stubbornly.

"But I don't want to be married yet!"

Justin paused. "Yet?"

"Yes yet! There are other Wren's on board you know!"

"Oh yeah... It was the Irken Wryn with a y who was getting married today. How could I forget?"

Wren laughed. "You didn't forget. You just wanted to tackle me," she squirmed in his grasp. "Now, put me down."

"Yes ma'am!" he saluted grinning like a fool as she fell to the floor, hitting her ass when she didn't expect him to let go so soon. "Gotta go merry someone."

"I hate you Justin!" Wren shouted, no hate lacing her words because laughter bubbled from her chest seconds later. She stood and brushed herself off.

Shaking her head, she started off toward the ship bay. She wanted to see what exactly they maintenance guys had completed in the flins they've had to work on Lak's new ship. She'd heard that it was coming along quite well, but she wasn't sure how to take it till she saw the proof for herself.

A blip came across her comm and across her mind. "Wren?"

She tapped her comm with a sigh and started to turn about to head toward the lift. "Yeah?"

"We have an Irken Personnel Carrier coming in. They are hailing us."

"Heading toward the bridge now," she said hitting the chute instead of the lift.

Coming to an elegant landing on the bridge she was greeted with the image of the ship via hologram and the Captain of the ship on the main screen. She looked to Rachel and gave a nod toward the screen.

Rachel shook her head. "Can't hear us at the moment."

"I want details in ten seconds," Wren said as she began to walk to her chair.

"Tonu is Captain of the Personnel Carrier Indigo with a crew of three hundred personnel on board. He has come to give you a message and a vid from the Tallests and is on strict orders from Red himself to give t to you and only you. No clue what it is at all," Rachel reported all in one breath, ending only when Wren sat in her chair.

"Wow Rachel, never knew you had it in you," Wren smiled as she motioned to her to open comms. Rachel looked at her and stuck her tongue out before opening comms. Wren rolled her eyes but smiled as she addressed Tonu. "So Captain Tonu, you have a message from the Tallests for me?"

"Captain Wren, I do have a message for you, but I am under strict orders to deliver it in person to you and you alone. What you do with it after is up to you," Tonu confirmed

Wren rose a brow at that. "Captain Tonu, is there any hint as to what it is?"

"I'm not sure Ma'am," Tonu shook his head. "All that I know is that the Tallest Red was very.... what's the word... agitated by what is on this vid screen. I've never seen him so serious about something either before this."

Wren frowned. "Bring Bez to a full stop. Captain Tonu, if you would be so kind as to do the same so we can dock. We can relieve any of your crew and supply you with anything you need for the duration of your meeting with us."

"Thank you Captain Wren."

"No Tonu, thank you. Whatever has bothered Tallest Red so much to hand deliver a message has to be important. I will meet you in a little while after you dock."

"Captain Tonu out."

The screen blanked and Wren stood only to walk over to the hologram that was still up. She looked at it a few minutes before walking around it.

"Zim, three hundred crew members can't have fit comfortably on that Personnel Carrier, could they?"

"No they can't," Zim confirmed as he stood beside her to view the hologram.

"Then what are three hundred crew doing on a ship that size?" Wren pondered frowning as she looked at it a moment more. "Rachel, you're with me. Zim, I need you to check the status of rooms and everything on board and see where help is needed on Bez. We'll see about taking on board crew if we can manage it. Vahn, you're in charge of the bridge for now. Screw up and I'm demoting you again. Got me?"

"Yes Ma'am! No demoting for this soldier."

Rachel, Zim and Wren headed for the lift to meet Tonu. They were oddly quiet as they descended further into the bowels of Bez.

"Any clue what it could be?" Rachel asked watching Zim go over a vid screen.

"Not one clue," Wren replied with a slight frown, her tail twitching with agitation. "I'm not sure I want to know at this point."

"Sounds like it's not good news."

"That it does."

"Do you think there is going to be fighting?"

"I think there may be refugees soon."

Zim paused only to look up. "If there are we're going to need more space. We only have so much space. Yes there is going to be maybe space for one hundred and fifty more if we squeeze together with the new section coming in."

"And maybe fifty if we convert a cargo bay," Rachel cut in.

"But with how large the Armada is, we can't handle it if something comes down to the Armada being destroyed," Zim said with a sigh, eyes hardening minutely.

"We're only one ship," Rachel added. "Why trust us?"

"Two words," Wren said holding up a hand and counting them off, "Big. Boom."

"But that was when I hit the engines," Rachel countered with a frown.

"Bez can still do some serious damage though. His weapons, though fun and weird, are probably the strongest out there. The plasma cannon alone can decimate several ships in one blow," Wren stated as the lift stopped and she stepped off into the corridor. She greeted a group of crew members before continuing down the corridor.

"Again, why us?" Rachel questioned again.

"Because Red believes in Wren for some odd reason," Zim said plainly as they turned the corner.

"Not sure why," Wren muttered opening the doors to the meeting room. "I scared the shit of him and his brother."

"Quite literally too, I might add," Zim said sitting as the others did.

"Bez, go ahead and show Captain Tonu and anyone accompanying him to the meeting room. I'd do it but we have a few things to discuss. And can you tell Curtis to meet us down here as well?" Wren asked leaning back in her chair.

(I believe I can do that. But what if I frighten the Captain?" Bez asked concerned.

"Uh... damn... have Curt swing by and pick Tonu up on the way here then. That will solve both problems."

"Oooo, sneaky Wren," Rachel laughed.

"I can be brilliant when the moment strikes."

"Now, onto what we have to discuss. Zimmy, are there any rooms that are fully open?"

"We have about fifty here soon. Six already, but forty-four will be complete in the next flin or so. The crew baths are being reduced to have the rooms include them now. And the crew bathes are being moved closer to the ship bays, cargo holds and a few near the recreation area."

"So they're being reduced and moved. Good. I knew Bez would get to that sooner or later. So the rooms can hold at least three people if we need them too."

"Yes, with a shared bath between them."

"Good, good. Better than I expected. Would have never though of sharing the baths like that. It is a much better plan."

"Have to agree. Now the crew won't have to walk forever to shower or use the bathroom."

A beep at the door signified someone was about to enter. Curtis came in followed by one very stunned Captain Tonu.

"Your ship is huge! Bigger than even the Personnel Carrier!" he blurted out. He groaned and slapped his forehead. "That was completely unprofessional."

Wren burst out laughing. "Thank you for the complement and no worries about professionalism. Unproffessionalism runs rampant on this ship. There's no getting away from it."

"Yep, all professionalism flys out the airlock as soon as you hit this ship. Hard to get it back afterward too."

"Ok..."

"Now, Captain Tonu, you said you have something for me?" Wren asked.

Tonu held up the vid screen he had shown across the comms screen. He slid it across the table to her before taking a seat beside Zim with no problem.

Wren took it with a frown and looked it over. She started the program and her eyes grew wide before narrowing dangerously. She almost practically threw it onto the table before taking a second thought about it. She tapped the screen and inserted it into the table to replay it for everyone else in the room.

Rachel paled and clutched at Curtis' hand. Zim blanched at the scenes that ran through. Tonu looked horrified.

The last scene paused on the creatures and it was enhanced to detail the beasts. Wren pulled out another screen. With only a few strokes of her stylus and a few more minutes of working she looked to the others around the table.

"Bez, bring up what I just did as a hologram," she said rubbing her temple with one hand.

The hologram was brought up. A 3D model of the creature came to life, snapping and striking out at an unseen enemy. It had an angular head placed on a long serpentine neck. A ridge of an armor fin started at the top of the jaw and rapped over the top of it's skull almost like the ancient Earth Triceratops. Spines ran along the bottom of the jaw. Black, angular eyes were set forward in the angular head. Spines lined the spine ridge of the thin neck to where it connected to the wasp shaped body.

Unlike a wasp though, the whole creature stood about eight foot tall because of the six legs that were just as long as it's eight foot height. Six legs were attached to it's chest and were at least ten feet long when fully extended. At the end of four of the legs were two clawed toes. The front two legs held three, the middle clew much larger and more deadly looking. It did have arms unlike a wasp also that rested along its chest. The arms were long and thin like its legs with two fingers and a thumb that were equally long. Above the joint of where the thumb meets its palm was a long, curved claw that wrapped all around its wrist. It flexed like the fangs of a spider, able to retract to its original position.

The body looked armor plated all the way to it's abdomen. It over lapped with sharp edges. It was hard to tell if there were any spines hidden under all that armor.

"What the hell is that fucking thing?" Rachel asked.

"I want to know the same," Wren growled as she looked at it closer. "Bez doesn't even know. But now I know why Red was worried."

"Are you," Tonu asked, paler than he should be.

"Oh yes, but I know that I can't let the worry or fear freeze me up. No, I need to plan. Just like Red was doing. How fast can you get back to the Armada?"

"Several flins," Tonu winced. "With how many personnel we have, we can't travel as fast. I have no clue why he sent so much for this mission. I didn't need that many!"

"We'll take a hundred and fifty," Rachel said beating Wren to the punch.

"What?" Tonu asked disbelieving.

"I give Red credit, he can be subtle when the need arises," Zim said as he looked over his vid screen.

"What are you talking about?" Tonu demanded.

"Tallest Red sent so many with you because he knew he had to keep the Irken race alive and he bet on us having space to house several Irkens by now. So he disguised the sending of so many on a mission here because he didn't want mass hysteria among the Irken people," Wren explained.

"Mass hysteria because the planets were being taken out fast and hard and he didn't want everyone to be over whelmed."

"Exactly," Wren confirmed. "Wouldn't be surprised if he sent more this way only a flin after you had left. But there is a chance that he'd wait for a little longer."

"May need to set up a space station at this rate," Rachel muttered.

Wren looked at Rachel, "Not a bad idea!"

Rachel's P.O.V....

"What?" I asked my head shooting up to look at Wren.

"We'll create a space station that's protected to hold all of the Irkens coming this way," Wren said with a grin. "It's the perfect idea."

"It is?" Zim and Tonu asked skeptically.

"Yes! What have our scanners picked up, not too far away?"

"An asteroid field created from a runaway planet?" I supplied uncertainly.

"A perfect spot to keep a space station."

"I dunno Grashe, it's not the best place for one. There would be too much debris," Zim said with a frown.

"But that is a cover. The field is rotating around an axis, you can tell from the scans. There is something in the center of that field. If we traverse it and find out what, then there's a possibility of hiding a station there with no problem and no one the wiser that it's there. There would be enough problems with scanners that it would confuse any scans run on the area."

"Your mad Wren, it would ever work," Curtis frowned at her.

"Napoleon was mad and look what he did. And how about Ceaser?"

"And they both either died because of their madness or were killed," I said flatly leaning back in my chair. "I'd feel better about this whole idea if I had a little more proof that there could be something in that field."

"Would a full scan of the area and several probe ships make you feel any better?"

"That and a full written out idea, schematics, everything or anything would be better than just jumping in feet first."

"And I can understand that," Wren leaned forward to rest her hands on the table. "But this whole mess was forced upon us by something we have no control over like everything else that's happened. We've had to jump in feet first often."

"Exactly why I want a plan. Working out all the kinks now before they become huge problems would be for the best," I sighed. "At this rate, I know we can do it, but it's mad to just jump into it without thinking about what could go wrong like we have been doing."

Wren nodded solemnly, "Gotcha, now are you against taking on half Captain Tonu's crew so we can send a message back?"

I paused a moment. I didn't mind taking half of the crew on Bez. I had studied the Irken Personnel Carrier though, and the lighter it was, the faster it went. The unused areas were powered down to allow for optimum power transfer to the engines. As I thought, the others answered.

"I've already said we have the room, or will have it in a couple of kakes or so. Bez's production has doubled unexpectedly," Zim said looking at the vid in his hands.

"Don't over work yourself Bez," Wren warned aloud.

(This is fully in my range of abilities,) Bez replied with an almost sniff in his voice. (Do not worry about me.)

Curtis chuckled. "You'd know if it wasn't Wren, relax. Let Bez do what he does best. And about taking half Captain Tonu's crew, I think it's a good idea but you have to warn our crew. They need the heads up, especially the Sharshans who haven't gone through this like the others have."

"I didn't plan on leaving them in the dark," Wren huffed.

"I think we could take on the full two hundred," I said, taking everyone at the table with surprise.

"What?" Wren asked, head snapping toward me.

"I think we can fit a full two hundred on board no problem. It may be cramped but we've dealt with that before. Tonu needs all the pwer he can get to get to the Tallests fast. If we explain to our crew what is going on, it'll work out just fine," I explained. "And I figure, we have what, seven or eight ships maybe more. I wanted a more thorough look at the asteroid field. We could ave several people out at a time to relieve the stress and claustrophobia a bit."

"By the Keepers, that's brilliant!" Wren exclaimed. "Just brilliant! That can definitely work out. I don't know why I didn't think of that."

I grinned," What would you do without me?"

"Go mad," she sighed dramatically.

"You're already mad," I teased.

She laughed, "Now, Tonu, do you mind us taking two hundred of your crew?"

We looked at him and I noticed he had a slightly distant look in his eyes.

"I think we broke him!" I laughed.

"He's just startled at how fast we actually move. We jump topics so much it's hard to follow if you're not used to it," Curtis said with a smirk leaning back in his chair.

"Let's hope he comes out of his stupor soon," I commented. "There's a lot of work to do within the next several kakes."

Woot! I have typed up another chapter pretty fast! This one though was a bit shorter than the others. So it was easier to type. I've got the drive now to type up a few more chaps and hopefully you guys don't have to wait a month for the next one. Lol. I hope you guys enjoyed! Please, review!