Treecy found herself attached to the damage control team as their security. Sometimes security was needed to break up fights between crew members who reacted the wrong way to the damage control team trying to tell them how to work in their own section of the destroyer. Mostly she was just helping out where she could and not actively doing security work. It didn't take the new AI long to get the most critical damages dealt with and the destroyer back to a functional status. Even some of the heavily damaged destroyers managed to get back to a state the AI called operational even with heavy losses to their crew.

Treecy came upon a crew member who was pinned under some debris in a hallway. She saw two other crew members trying to lift a beam and ran over picking it up with the other crew members and gently lowering it to the floor away from the trapped crew member. "Is there any other crew in need of rescue in this area?"

"No ma'am, we're the last ones here." One of them said. Snapping off a salute before tending to the once-trapped crewman.

Treecy touched the com button on her helmet, "Lieutenant Dedmon, Acting Ensign de Santos, the last trapped crewman was freed up, we are available to help."

"Great, come back to the office, we need to have the team available in case of trouble." She answered at once.

On the command deck, Colonel John looked at the list of damages coming in from the other destroyers and frowned, "It's bad, we lost over seven hundred people and two destroyers need to have major structural repairs before they are safe to make the jump through a gate."

Nemo nodded and said, "My systems are all back online now, thankfully the damages were minimal." Nemo closed his eyes for a moment and then said, "Regretfully I lost one of my sisters and one brother. Argo and Gavin Musk did not come back online after those destroyers took fatal damage. Merrimack did come back online and reports a near total loss of crew but will have operational capabilities once again within two days."

Colonel John looked at his display and then asked, "Why is Van Halen out of position?"

Nemo looked confused and then said, "One moment..." He then looked startled and called out, "Van Halen is reporting that his secure core has been breached."

Colonel John frowned and then touched the com button on the side of his helmet, "De Santos report to the command deck."

At that moment on Van Halen, Ben sat in his room wearing his survival suit while using the destroyer's systems through his neurolink. He moved the destroyer out of harm's way as the rest of the squadron crashed into the mass of dense matter. The AI tried fighting for control, but Ben was able to seal the AI in a protected space as he took total control of the vessel. The annoying crew tried to contact him over the communication channel, but he simply shut it off. He didn't need these unmodified humans trying to teach him how to drive.

On the command deck, Captain Franklin called out, "Get security over to that bastard's cabin. Cut the door off if he won't answer!"

Van Halen used his access through the entertainment network to let Nemo know that he was currently trapped in isolation and unable to access his own core network thanks to interference from Ben Googlememe. Down in the kitchen, Captain Johnson heard the security team heading down the hall to Ben's cabin and left his post to watch what would happen. He suddenly felt that an opportunity had presented itself.

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Captain Johnson walked up behind the security team and watched them trying to override the door controls and then cleared his throat. "Lieutenant. If you are trying to make access to this cabin, you are going about it all wrong."

"Pardon my saying so, Captain, but I'll need you to back up and get out of our way. The man behind this door is dangerous."

Captain Johnson shook his head and then said, "Lieutenant, back off. That's an order from a superior officer." The men all backed up and then Captain Johnson stepped forward and knocked on the door and then said, "Mr. Googlememe, it's Captain Johnson, we've spoken in the officer's mess. May I have a moment of your time? Don't worry, it will just be me that enters the other men will wait in the hall."

Over the com system, Ben's voice was heard, "Only Captain Johnson. The rest can wait outside."

Captain Johnson looked at the security team and said, "All of you stand back. What do you need from him?"

The security team looked at their lieutenant who sighed and then said, "Captain Franklin needs him to release the AI and give us control of the Van Halen."

Captain Johnson nodded and then said, "Alright, all of you pull back until he opens the door for me and lets me in, you can wait for me to bring good news."

The security team pulled back until the door opened. Captain Johnson quickly went inside before the door closed and locked behind him. The security team walked up and waited. "PFC Trejo, run to the command deck and tell Captain Franklin that Captain Johnson is inside and getting control back."

Inside the room, Ben sat on the bed with his eyes closed and said, "Have a seat, Captain."

Captain Johnson leisurely took a seat and then waited a minute before saying, "They will just keep bothering you until they have the illusion that they are back in control."

Ben snorted and said, "I don't care about any of you, you're all dead men anyway. If I didn't need Treecy I would have let the lot of you stay here forever."

"Ah yes, Miss de Santos. Well, I have a way for you to get her back but I wonder, what are you really capable of Mr. Googlememe?"

Ben raised an eyebrow and opened his eyes, "Speak, how do I get her back?"

"Oh, that? Well, it's rather easy. Just threaten her friends until the squadron is forced to pass her to you. From what I can see, hacking our networks isn't much of a problem for you, isn't that right?"

Ben nodded and then said, "Like bullying children honestly. Treecy won't come with me if I threaten her friends, I just need her to want to come with me."

Captain Johnson shook his head, "No, Mr. Googlememe. The squadron already considers you a threat now that you have shown your hand too early. The only path for you at this point is to threaten our lives until our Colonel is forced to send her with you to solve the threat. Unless... If you will trust me, I can be your man on the inside."

"What do you mean?" Ben stared hard at Captain Johnson.

"Well, what I mean is, give me command of Van Halen, and me alone. I can then graciously allow you your freedom, and then we can say that we agreed to allow you to give control to me with the destroyer's AI being allowed to think it has control over itself once again." He smiled at Ben and then went on, "In reality, you will retain control over the vessel while I control the crew. The AI will report to Colonel John that we are back in control and you are securely detained."

"What about the other men in charge?" Ben frowned.

"Them? I am sure it won't be too hard for there to be accidents that happen with the dense matter in the area, will it?" Captain Johnson smiled.

Ben nodded and then said, "Controlling these AIs isn't hard nor keeping control over this vessel. Are you sure you can keep command over the crew?"

Captain Johnson nodded and then said, "But we still need to separate your woman from the Nemo and get her over to Van Halen. Once we have her here, well, I don't doubt that you'll be back together once again once she is separated from the people on the Nemo." He chuckled.

Ben nodded and then said, "Very well, I think your plan has merit. What will I need to do to get you back in command?"

Captain Johnson smiled and then said, "Start with that idiot Franklin, he just needs to end up accidentally ejected into space. The other idiot, Captain Jack, well, I can work with him just fine."

Ben closed his eyes again and then said, "Very well, I can work with you this way, but if you try to cross me, things won't work out for you in the way you imagine. This destroyer is no different than a toy to me. A toy I have no problem breaking."

Captain Johnson held out his hand for a handshake. Ben only stared at it. Captain Johnson reached over and grasped his hand and gave it a shake before smiling and saying, "Old custom, it's called a handshake. It symbolizes that I am not holding a knife to stab you in the back."

"Oh! No wonder people always stand there with hands out to me, I thought it was some kind of gesture of respect." Ben nodded.