Treecy came in from the airlock and found Van Halen waiting for her along with the members of the security team. The handsome AI gave her a salute and then said quietly, "I don't think I am really in control of my own systems, so I urge caution when approaching dangerous areas of this destroyer."

The security team saluted as well and each of them gave their name and rank. The officer Second Lieutenant Park said, "I have the transfer order. I have been temporarily moved to kitchen supervisor but if you need my help with anything, please don't be shy about asking. You can find Captain Johnson on the command deck, he is on shift from zero six hundred until eighteen hundred when Captain Jack comes on."

Treecy nodded and then asked, "Which cabin has been assigned to Ben Googlememe? I'll need to deal with him first."

The security team lead her to Ben Googlememe's cabin while on the command deck Captain Johnson was pacing around like a caged tiger. "Where is she now?"

Van Halen rolled his eyes and then said, "She is going to meet with our guest."

Captain Johnson slammed his fist onto the command console and shouted, "This can't be allowed! They must not be allowed to meet, it will ruin everything we've worked hard to build!" He rubbed his chin in thought and then ordered, "Van Halen, I order this Second Lieutenant to the command deck at once, she needs to know who has command here. Relay my order."

Van Halen closed his eyes and appeared next to Treecy, "Hello Second Lieutenant de Santos, Captain Johnson has ordered you to head to the command deck at once, he doesn't wish for you to meet with Ben Googlememe."

Treecy nodded and then turned toward the accessway that led to the command deck. She told the security team, "Go back to your normal duty stations, we'll meet up after I meet with Captain Johnson." With a round of salutes, they all split up.

Ben watched everything over the monitors. Now that Treecy was on the same destroyer he felt compelled to go meet with her. He could almost feel her in his arms once again. He took out his nicest outfit and made sure his hair was perfect before walking confidently to the command deck.

The two security personnel assigned to guard his room tried to stop him, "I'm sorry Mr. Googlememe, but Captain Johnson has ordered us to keep you in your room for security reasons and to make sure no one bothers you."

Ben snorted and then said, "Aren't you bothering me? If your orders are to stop people from bothering me then you are not following your orders, are you?"

The two guards looked at each other and then pressed the com channel button, "Captain Johnson, the VIP has left his cabin and is requesting we stand down."

Ben laughed and then leaped forward so fast neither of the men could react knocking them out in an instant. Ben gave his hand a shake like he was trying to get something disgusting off of it before he closed his eyes and a hologram of himself appeared on the command deck in from of Captain Johnson, "Chet, if you send your people to get in my way again, I'll simply remove you and your people from this vessel. Is that understood? Remember our deal, you work for me, not the other way around."

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Chet Johnson started to shake either from fear or rage. To the other officers and personnel on the command deck, it seemed like fear. Chet fell into his command chair right as Treecy made it to the command deck and announced, "Second Lieutenant Treecy de Santos reporting, Captain Johnson."

He turned his head and really looked at her for the first time. He had seen her from afar a couple of times on the entertainment deck, but he had never really seen her in person before. Chet Johnson had never in his life had an interest in women. He preferred to live alone and put his all into his military career. Seeing Treecy de Santos in front of him caused something buried deep inside to call out to him. He desired to have this woman. As he looked at her he imagined the two of them holding hands on the back porch of his family home watching children play. He would turn to her seeing her with the smart smile she had on her face at that very moment. Her eyes looking into his and her saying, "Captain Johnson, did you have orders for me, sir?"

He shook his head to focus on the reality in front of him, "I'm sorry Second Lieutenant, I was daydreaming I think, yes. It's about our VIP guest, Mr. Googlememe. I have asked the security team to not bother him in order to keep the peace. You see, we have a sort of truce where he has allowed me to control the crew in exchange for granting our AI to have control of the destroyer..."

Ben walked up behind Treecy wrapped her in a big hug and whispered into her ear, "Hello Tree, I've missed you."

Treecy spun away from him and said, "Hello Ben, please don't touch me like that, it makes me sick." She gave him an angry smile. "I need you to get off Van Halen's network. Failure to comply will lead to incarceration and dare I say, much worse?"

Ben smiled and then said in a threatening way, "Oh? I think you are mistaken about a few things, Tree. You see, I am in complete control of this vessel. The lives of this crew and even yourself are in the palm of my haaaayannd!" He suddenly twitched and folded up like a cheap tent as Treecy touched his leg with her stun stick.

She sighed and then touched him again with the stick to make sure he was incapacitated. She said to Van Halen, "You can kick him out of your systems now. Captain Johnson, leave him to me, I'll take him to his van and get him off the destroyer that way he won't be able to use his neurolink to hack in again."

Treecy picked him up like a sack of potatoes over her shoulder and gave Captain Johnson a salute. Captain Johnson was sitting in his chair open-mouthed. He returned the salute and watched Treecy walk away with Ben over her shoulder. After the door closed behind her he looked around the command deck and saw everyone staring at him. "Get back to your work, didn't you hear our security officer? He's been neutralized."

Treecy walked down to the Launch Bay and saw the familiar van sitting there. She sighed remembering all the fun times they had together with their friends. Going on trips to distant moons, to strange planets, and even just laying together watching the stars. She dumped him into one of the front seats and said, "You know, I truly loved you Ben, but are kind of an asshole."

He looked up at her with watering eyes and mucus pouring out of his nose and tried to say, "I lubb chew Tree... Dobe be rike dis."

Treecy smirked at him and then grabbed his cheeks and smiled at him, "Aw, Ben you are still so cute when you look like hammered shit." She laughed and then said, "Look, until you learn to behave you have to stay here in the van. You don't have to follow the squadron, but if you try hacking into anything more than the entertainment grid I will walk over to one of the guns and shoot your van down myself, am I understood?" She gave his cheek a couple of pats and then said, "Alexa, take the van out to 1500 kilometers away from this vessel."

Treecy walked away from the van and out of the launch bay and watched from the observation window as the bay door opened and then the van pulled away from the Van Halen out to the 1500 kilometers she set the AI to take him. She touched the com button and said, "Captain Johnson, VIP is now safely off the destroyer. He will still have entertainment grid access, there's really no stopping that, but he is out of neurolink range of the Van Halen."

Captain Johnson's voice came back sounding slightly confused, "I see, thank you Second Lieutenant. I will inform the squadron."

Treecy made her way to the security office. Thankfully the layout of every destroyer in the squadron was the same so it was exactly like finding the security office on the Nemo. Inside the office on the Van Halen was very different from the Nemo. The officer in charge was very different from Monique Dedmon. Mo liked a very Spartan office with nothing on the walls and nothing on any of the desk space. While the head of security on Van Halen had pictures of the security team taken after combat, pictures of them enjoying games during off hours, and pictures of them all in their dress uniforms. There was a plaque on the wall that said, "Running with the Devil since 1978!"

She had no idea what the significance of that sign meant to the crew so she set a reminder to ask one of the others about it later. She took a seat at the main desk while grinning. She thought to herself, 'What would Lieutenant Dedmon do first?'