A SPARTAN'S WAR

Three minutes!" Ben called from his pilot's seat. "I'm reducing power to two thirds! Spool up the Sabot Cannon! Extend rocket pods!"

"Copy that!" Tina spoke from her left seat. "Sabot cannon coming online now, and the rocket pods are extending and locked!"

"Tina?" The female voice called from behind them.

Tina turned in her chair and her face grew brighter, "Endith!" She called.

Endith came fully into the cockpit and came right up to Tina's chair. "The Queen has suggested I remain onboard and facilitate the coordination between our groups."

"Sounds like a good idea to me." Tina replied with a genuine smile, her blue eyes bright. "I missed you the last couple of days."

Endith smiled shyly, her tanned skin blushing ever so slightly. She leaned over quickly and planted her soft lips on Tina's in a warm and passionate kiss. Tina's eyes went a little wider at Endith's boldness, but they closed quickly in joyful bliss as she felt Endith's tongue push into her mouth and tease her own quivering tongue.

"Ahem!" Ben's voice interrupted them. "Ladies… excuse me; I'm trying very hard to fly my ship here."

Endith smiled and looked at Tina as they parted; both of their lips moist. "I have missed you as well." She said softly. She turned quickly to Ben and leaned over, pressing her firm breasts into his shoulder as she kissed his lips, surprising him with her boldness and the softness of her lips. "I have missed you too Benjamin." She told him softly.

Ben looked at her quickly and saw her radiant face and bright blue eyes. "Take… take the engineering chair." He managed to stutter out the words.

Ben looked at Tina as Endith moved behind them and settled into the engineering station. Tina smiled at him and turned back to her controls.

Dysea and Leland searched the skies above them for any sign of the approaching craft, but all that greeted them were the usual noises of the night. Dysea turned back to where Walter sat at the back of the small building, away from the windows and the two doors.

"Holy One… you are sure they will come?" She asked him, the tone of her voice almost desperate. "The Alliance is almost upon us!"

Walter looked at her. "Have faith Dysea." Walter said with a smile. "Have faith. They will be here. Martin does not give his word and not keep it."

Leland looked at his wrist mounted motion sensor chart and shook his head. "It's too late!" He snapped. "The Alliance is here! They are entering the outer perimeter! They'll be on us in…"

The loud buzzing noise shook them out of their thoughts and they whirled to see dozens of Alliance Assassins being chopped to little pieces not a hundred meters from them. The monstrous roar that followed announced the entrance of Raptor Three into the battle, and they watched in awe as the insect looking craft flared briefly over the clearing to the north of them, its noise belching gouts of flame that coincided with the buzzing noise. More of the Alliance Assassins were mowed down in the three second burst, their blood seen splashing wetly all around the bodies as they did a macabre dance of death in the flash of light from the Sabot Chain gun. They watched in stunned silence as the ramp in the back came down and ten figures dressed all in black leaped from the end of the ramp even though it was still twenty meters high in the air. All of the ten figures landed cat like on the ground below them and brought weapons up to their shoulders, squeezing off bursts from their HKs even as they dashed for their positions.

Another roar turned their attention away from the new arrivals as a second Raptor came in impossibly low over their building, its ramp already open, and the nose of this ship also flaring brilliantly, filling the air with the distinct buzzing sound and mowing down even more Alliance troops.

Walter smiled from the back of the room. "Martin does know how to make an entrance into battle." He spoke with a small chuckle.

Dysea had no time to reply as bullets began to slam into the wall of the building they were in, and all of the windows shattered.

"Go! Go! Go!" Martin screamed as he led his team and the Dragoons charging from the ramp the second Ben set them down in the clearing.

Ben held the controls of the Raptor tightly, keeping the engines throttled at full power. Bullets began to bounce off the light armor of the Raptor, causing them to flinch. Ben turned his helmeted head to the side with clenched teeth.

"You want to fire at me you ugly fuckers!" He screamed. "Eat this!"

The Sabot Cannon tracked with Ben's helmet, and he mashed down on the trigger of his control stick only six feet off the ground. A three second, one hundred round burst was all it took to shred the four Alliance Assassins that made the mistake of firing on the Raptor.

"Got you, you ugly bastards!" Ben screamed. "Ha! Stick your head up again you stupid motherfucker! I send you straight to hell!"

Endith could do nothing but look at Ben's back and smile in unabashed adoration.

"Empty!" Tina snapped; her helmet glued to the monitors between her legs. "We're empty!"

"Pulling up," Ben announced as he yanked back on the stick, pulling the Raptor into a gut wrenching climb. "Raptor Three this is lead. Establish a rotating perimeter flight! Five hundred feet! Anything that is not radiating… kill it!"

"Affirmative Lead," The pilot of raptor Three answered.

"Endith… all our people should have small infra red patches on their uniforms. Switch your cameras to night vision and track any enemies you see. Our people will show up as orange dots. I'm releasing the Sabot Cannon to your control." Ben spoke.

"The Dragoons are not wearing your uniforms!" Endith spoke with fear in her eyes.

Tina shook her head. "No worries! All the weapons we gave them have the same patch. Anything that does not appear orange on your scope and it's moving… it's a bad guy!"

Endith grinned savagely and she flipped up the secondary trigger grip for the Sabot Cannon. "I will enjoy this." She muttered to herself.

Alliance Captain Roger Thorn ducked behind the thick tree as another hailstorm of large caliber rounds punched into the tree and the ground all around him. He looked calmly at the Alliance Assassin officer that lay next to him.

"They have received support!" The Assassin reported his fanged face deformed and particularly ugly.

"So I see." Thorn replied almost nonchalantly.

"We estimate one squad of Dragoons and at least twenty of these strangers."

"Not to mention the two air ships ripping us to ribbons!" Thorn nearly screamed now.

"They have different weapons!" The Assassin yelled back. "My men are being killed!"

"You fool!" Thorn yelled. "Bring up the anti-air rockets! Have your men charge the building where Dysea is! They will not fire on us if we hold her and Carson!"

"As you command,"

Thorn watched the Assassins roll off to his right and bolt to his feet to relay the orders. "Fucking stupid beasts," He swore, looking at the four human officers who crouched with him. "I will never understand why we utilize these beasts! They are all dumb as rocks!"

The four officers grinned at his words.

Martin was on one knee, his HK ripping out three round burst after three round burst, every burst ripping into an Assassin soldier and bringing them down. The Dragoon soldiers under Tareif were firing madly; suddenly caught up in the fact they had weapons that could kill these monsters. While their shots were not as accurate as the genomes, they were bringing down the assassins at a steady rate.

Martin's wolf like eyes detected movement to his left front and he came to his feet quickly to get a better look. Tarifa had been laying only a few meters away and saw him stand, her eyes going wide.

"Martin!" She screamed. "What are you doing?"

Tareif heard his daughter's voice and turned from directing his men to see Martin standing perfectly still, Alliance rounds whizzing by his head and impacting tress and the ground all around him. His eyes opened wide at this display of courage.

"Tareif they're flanking the Dragoons!" Martin screamed, looking at Tarifa's father now. "Danny you take half the team and hit them before they can get into position!" He snapped into his implant.

Tarifa turned to see this and saw movement of her own, headed directly for the building where the Holy One was hiding in.

"They are charging the Holy One's position!" She yelled, rising to her feet and sprinting toward the building.

Martin whipped his head around in time to see her, and saw why she had headed toward the building. "Shit! Beta leader, looks like about forty are charging the target building! I'm moving to intercept, provide cover fire!"

"Beta Leader copies Skipper!"

Dysea and Leland watched as the team that had landed to their north altered their fire and began to pour down a rain of death upon the Alliance troops that were charging from the front. She and her team fired as well, but their weapons were of little good against the heavy body armor the Assassins wore, causing only a few to lose their balance and fall, but not kill them. A last ditch fusillade of fire dropped at least a dozen of the Assassins, but Dysea counted five that had made their way into the trench that ran directly to the building they occupied. She whirled around and looked at Walter who clutched the handgun in his hand.

"Forgive me Holy One!" Dysea spoke. "We have failed!"

The reinforced heavy wood and steel door splintered under the impact of two Assassin boots and Dysea screamed, leaping at the first one to enter the room, her twin fighting blades appearing in her hand.

Thorn entered the bunkered building quickly and spied Dysea on the ground at the feet of the Alliance assassin. She was barely conscious, her face bloody from a vicious backhand by the soldier she had attacked. Both of her blades protruded from his upper body as he stood there, but they did not seem to bother him in the least. The other elves in the room lay about, broken and bloody, Leland lay in the corner, unconscious and bleeding from several tears in his flesh. Two Alliance Assassins held Walter between them, their fanged grins apparent in what they saw as a victory.

Thorn bent over and viciously pulled Dysea up by her platinum blond hair, jolting her back to full consciousness. She screamed in pain, reaching for where his hands held her hair. Thorn punched her savagely in the stomach before she could react and then hit her again in the face, cutting her flawless cheek with a rough knuckle.

"Hello Queen Bitch!" He growled yanking her head back even further. "I'm going to enjoy fucking you in your tight ass until you beg me to stop!"

Dysea's eyes flared and she spit into his face. "Fuck you!" She screamed.

Thorn wiped away the spittle mixed with blood and smiled. "No! Fuck you!" He shoved her to the floor and kicked her viciously in the side, smiling in cruel satisfaction as he heard at least two of her ribs break.

"Captain behind you," One of the Alliance Assassins yelled.

Thorn didn't hesitate and ducked quickly as the body flew over the top of his back. He caught a glimpse of raven black hair as the female elf executed a graceful leap over the prone body of Dysea, dropping to the ground and rolling cat like back to her feet to face him. Thorn stood back up and turned to see Tarifa squatting three meters away, clutching the small handgun in her fist. He raised his hand to stop his Alliance Assassin from killing her with his rifle and he laughed.

"Oh now this is poetic." He spoke. "The Queen of the High Elves has come to try and save the Queen of the Wood Elves!"

Tarifa's eyes widened at his words and her eyes went to where Dysea lay. Her emerald green eyes were focused on her, her lips and face bruised and bloody, but there was no mistaking who she was. She was the female elf from hers and Martin's dreams, and there was no mistaking it. Tarifa tore her eyes from Dysea's and glared at Thorn. "You will pay for what you have done!" She barked at him. "I know what you have done!"

"Do you now Queen Tarifa?" Thorn spoke. "And what is that?"

"You and your creatures have been butchering our people, and blaming the other! You have been trying to start a war between our people!" Tarifa spoke firmly, without an ounce of fear in her voice or her eyes.

This briefly registered in Thorn's thoughts before he answered. "So you have figured out our little plan I see." He told her. "That's shame for you really, a plus for me. This is my lucky night, I capture the Queens of both the Wood Elves and the High Elves and I can fuck you both until my hearts content. How grand is that?"

"You will not have her! Or me!" Tarifa hissed. "I promise you that?"

Thorn laughed, "A bold statement from someone in your position, since I have the both of you and the so called Holy One."

Tarifa smiled at him in the dim light. "Shoot the Assassin to the Holy One's right Queen of the Wood Elves." She spoke loudly, not breaking her eye contact with Thorn.

Dysea looked at her, and blinked her green eyes in response. Her fingers closed around the handgun that Tarifa had placed in her hand when she had leaped over the top of her. Her quick movement had hidden the transfer from the eyes of Thorn and the Alliance soldiers in the room.

Thorn laughed the sound hideous in the small room. "Shoot my men with what?" He asked laughing. "She is beaten and broken!"

"Dysea of the Wood Elves did not become Queen by allowing a pig like you defeat her so easily! "Tarifa said with an evil smile. "Now!" Tarifa barked. She dropped even lower into a crouch and brought up the K12 in her fist, just as Dysea rolled over and ignoring the searing pain in her chest brought the K12 up in her hand.

Thorn's eyes went wide as the two shots thundered in the confines of the small room, and the heads of both of his Alliance Cadre troops holding Walter exploded like over ripe melons, showering the wall and Walter with bone and brain matter. Thorn could only stare in awe as Tarifa dropped the K12 and withdrew the High Elf fighting knife from her belt. She leaped at the surprised Alliance Assassin, catching hold of his armored shoulder and using her momentum to pivot around behind him. Thorn's mouth opened in warning, but it was far too late as Tarifa drove her blade into the back of the Assassin's head with all of her considerable elf strength. Thorn watched as the point and at least an inch of the now bloody blade exploded from the Assassin's left eyeball, and he slumped to the floor dead.

Thorn brought up his weapon and leveled it at Tarifa, while savagely kicking Dysea in the shoulder. He grinned with cruelness as the kick dislocated her shoulder and the K12 dropped from her now useless hand as she cried out in agony once more.

"Can you beat a bullet Elf Queen?" He growled looking at Tarifa. "I think not."

Tarifa smiled just as cruelly. "I don't need too." She spoke, "Goodbye Captain! May your corpse rot in Hades for all that you have done in your pathetic life?"

Thorn saw her eyes look behind him and he began to turn, bringing his weapon around. He was far too slow.

Martin brought his large fighting knife up in a one handed grip, the tip of the blade piercing Thorn under his jaw and ramming through flesh and bone to impale his brain. Martin picked up the human officer and stepped close to his face, Thorn's eyes already closing in death. Martin bared his fully extended fangs in a vicious snarl.

"I can't say it's been fun asshole." He growled. Martin lifted his K12 and shoved it into Thorn's chest and pulled the trigger seven times, each large bullet tearing a chunk from Thorn's already limp body.

Martin yanked his knife free and allowed his last three rounds to literally send Thorn's body flying across the room to impact the wall, his blood staining the concrete as he slipped to a sitting position.

Tarifa dashed to Walter as he lowered himself slowly to the ground. "Holy One, are you injured?" She asked.

Walter looked up at Martin as he saw the first of his "adopted" children walk over to him slowly. He had changed Walter thought quickly, and he felt the strange aura Martin was projecting outward. He will soon discover his past, Walter thought. And then events will begin to shape the future. Walter did not know what to expect from Martin; surely anger, hatred and confusion. He saw Martin's fangs begin to shorten until they were only a quarter of their full length and Martin looked at him with his dark eyes and smiled. Tarifa moved away from them and went to the unconscious form of Dysea.

"Hi ya Doc…!" Martin said with a smile, holding out his hand to Walter. "We need to have a beer and cover a lot of ground!"

Walter smiled in relief and gripped Martin's arm tightly. "Indeed we do my boy. Indeed we do." He said as Martin pulled him easily to his feet. "I suggest we depart this place first. How is Dysea?"

"She is badly injured Holy One, but she is alive." Tarifa spoke, gently brushing Dysea's blond hair aside. She looked up and her eyes went to Martin. "Martin it is her." She spoke.

Walter looked at Tarifa after her words, and then to Martin as his face changed to one of worry as he moved to where Dysea lay.

"She is the one from our dreams Martin." Tarifa told him. "The one meant to be with you. She is the Queen of the Wood Elves."

"You've… you've been having dreams of her?" Walter asked, rising to his feet slowly.

Tarifa looked at him. "Yes Holy One, both of us. Ever since we…" She looked embarrassed, but that passed in an instant. "We've been having dreams of her ever since Martin and I became lovers." Tarifa finished proudly, looking at Martin with respect and desire in her sapphire eyes.

Walter's face looked surprised, but the sounds of gunfire shook him out of it. Martin needed no urging and he quickly scooped Dysea into his arms. "We aren't out of this yet. C'mon!" He moved to the door of the building. "Raptor Lead this is Raptor One. I have the package and we are ready for pick up."

"Copy that Raptor One." Ben's voice filled Martin's ear implant.

"All teams converge on my location!" Martin ordered. "War Master Tareif… provide cover fire as the Dragoons pull back, we'll cover you from our location."

"We have shifted positions Commander!" Tareif's voice came back. "Half my Dragoons are closer to you. It would be better if we retreated on the second flying machine. It hovers above us. The other half can retreat with you."

"Raptor Three you copy that?" Martin asked.

"Aye Skipper, I'm right above them… and we'll be more than happy to give them a ride home."

"War Master, I'll bring your boys and girls home safe. You do the same for mine." Martin said.

"It will be done." Tareif answered quickly.

"Ben why don't you bring it in baby, right in front of me if you would," Martin spoke as he cradled Dysea's body in his arms and headed for the door.

"Stand by Marty, we're inbound!" Ben's voice replied.

"Everyone is aboard!" Tina called out.

"Give me power!" Ben called as he pulled back on his control yoke and the Raptor began to climb into the sky.

"We are passing through seventy percent!" Tina called, advancing the throttles forward.

"What's the status of Raptor Three?" Ben asked.

"The second ship is climbing away already." Endith replied. "They have cleared the trees and… wait… by the gods… missiles! I have missiles coming right at us!"

"Fuck!" Ben yelled. "Give me full power Tina! Countermeasures! Fire the damn countermeasures!"

"Where… I don't know where they are!" Endith screamed, turning to look at Tina, "Where?"

The Raptor slewed violently to the right, throwing Endith out of her chair and into total blackness.

The Alliance Assassin lowered the launcher and looked at his partner doing the same. "One still climbs!" He spoke.

"The missile only struck its wingtip." The second missile launcher Assassin replied in disgust.

"We must track the second ship! How many of our brethren live?"

"Only thirteen," The second replied.

"We attacked with nearly a hundred!" The first spoke in disbelief.

"They were not using Elf weapons! And they did not run when we closed to hand to hand range! They attacked us like wild men. The strangers were not elves! They were too strong and fast to be elves." The Assassin spoke. "They struck down almost half our brothers fighting in close. They knew where our weak spots were. I saw an Elf War Master dispatch four of our brothers himself with only his blade."

"We must return to the ship! We must track that wounded craft. Issue the orders quickly!"

"What of the Captain?"

"Fuck that human scum. I never liked him anyway."