A SPARTAN'S WAR

Iama turned from where she was positioned behind the large crates as Julie came up to her. "What is wrong?" She gasped. "What was that shooting?"

Julie shook her head. "They fired on Danny and Fedor!" She gasped. "Fedor was hit! I don't know after that!"

"I told you!" Iama barked. "I should have gone with him! I…" Iama stopped talking as the large shadow swooped over them and Dnom settled to the ground in a rustle of air and dirt. She turned her head to look in the direction he had come from and her eyes grew wide when she saw the huge body of the dark blond furred wolf leaping directly at her over the crate. Three steps behind him was the even larger black/brown colored wolf following suit. Iama ducked down as Fedor leaped over the top of her and the crates and she whirled around to watch as they both skidded to stops and then two silver/white flashes of light later Danny and Fedor returned to their normal forms.

Julie rose to her feet. "Danny!"

"Start them out of here Jules!" Danny barked. "They're flanking us on two sides and they got us outnumbered four to one!"

"What happened?" Julie demanded.

"We tried to communicate with them Jules and apparently they didn't appreciate Fedor's special introduction." Danny spoke with a small amount of humor. Iama couldn't believe his tone of voice. He acted as if nothing was happening around them. "They popped him in the chest."

Julie looked at Fedor as he checked his weapon. "You're hit?" She barked.

Fedor pointed at his armor. "It did not penetrate my armor." He spoke. "I am fine. We need to leave Aunt Julie! Now!"

Julie glanced at Danny when she heard that command tone in Fedor's voice and a look of acknowledgement and wisdom passed between her and Danny. A look that told her Fedor was everything Marty was in the leadership department.

Iama was still in shock at what she had seen. The boy prince was very large in wolf form, larger than most Lycavorians she had seen on the ARC ROYAL with the exception of the King himself and the transition between his forms had happened much more quickly than she had seen the others do. She glared at him however and finally rose to her feet and moved up to them. "I told you I should have come with you!" She popped at Danny.

"And you would be dead!" Fedor barked at her. "You have no armor!"

"They would not have shot at me fool boy!" Iama snapped.

"This is no time for arguments!" Danny snarled. "We have three minutes tops before they are on us! Get everyone moving Iama! Head them to the Loading Site! Go!"

Iama glared Fedor for a moment longer and then turned to run across the camp towards the primary defensive outpost.

"I will pack the COM gear and load it on Dnom!" Fedor spoke quickly before moving off.

Julie looked at Danny then stepping up to him. "Danny?" She asked softly.

Danny looked at her after changing his magazine. "He saved my bacon Jules." He told her seriously. "Popped one of those fuckers in the head just as he was about to shoot me in the back. Three round burst center mass of the ugly fucker's head. He didn't hesitate or blink."

Julie's eyes turned to watch Fedor's back as he moved towards the COM tent. "Another Leonidas son. Another leader." She said softly.

"Fucking A." Danny said. "We're gonna need them too." He looked around. "Tony here yet?"

Julie nodded. "Set up at the Primary." She said.

"These fuckers are fast and shifty Jules." Danny said as they began walking quickly. "If they get in the perimeter they'll be all over us. Make sure we get the crew out before they get here."

Julie nodded. "On it." She said before taking off at a sprint.

Danny tapped his jaw. "Marty?" He spoke.

"Danny… what the fuck is going on fervon?" He barked immediately.

"I'm sending our people to you Marty." Danny told him as he walked quickly toward the primary defensive position. "They'll be moving fast. These things are fast and they ain't happy to see us. Fedor took one in the chest but his armor saved him. Then he turned around and saved my life fervon. He's loading the COM gear. We're coming at ya fast and heavy brother."

"We'll be ready." Martin told him and Danny could hear the relief in his voice that they were ok.

LOAD SITE

"SHOT!" For'mya screamed as she looked up from the co-pilot's seat and listened to Martin in her implant.

"He's not hurt!" Martin exclaimed. "They're moving here now!"

"MedwanGai… he was shot!" Eirene protested as they were all connected into the same channel. "We must go to him!"

"They are evacuating now Eirene!" Martin hissed. "They'll be here in minutes."

"No! I must got to him!" Eirene insisted.

"Eirene don't… Eirene!"

For'mya glanced out of her cockpit side window frantically and saw her golden haired daughter motioning furiously with her arm. She saw a flash of light green scales and then Kdan was tearing in front of the cockpit lifting into the air. In a silver/white flash of light Eirene shifted into a golden furred female wolf and was speeding off into the timber, Miseo easily keeping pace with her using his inbred feline speed.

"Oh… that ain't good!" Endith stated as she watched what For'mya saw.

"Nubou!" For'mya roared as she tore at her helmet. "Endy…"

"Go!" Endith snapped waving her hand. "Go!"

For'mya Leonidas was a pilot by trade, one of the finest in the Union, but what few people knew about her was that she had become an exceptionally skilled fighter as well. Daily sessions with Aricia and Isabella and Dysea had honed her combat skills to razor sharpness. Hours upon hours of instruction by Martin and Aricia had also turned her, Anja and Dysea into true Alpha female wolves. As graceful as they were beautiful in wolf form and just as lethal. Before hitting the end of the ramp For'mya had shifted into the large female wolf and was sprinting after her daughter and Miseo into the timber.

Martin reached the end of the ramp just as her tail vanished into the timber. He had sprinted to the STRIKER in order to stop her from doing what she had just done and he shook his head as he skidded to a halt.

"Shit!" He swore long and loud. "No one fucking listens to me anymore!" He tapped his jaw. "Pablo!"

"Here Skipper!"

"Up top Pablo! Unpack and launch G.O.D!" Martin snapped.

"Thirty seconds boss!" Pablo replied and Martin saw his form dash for the STRIKER from the side and disappear into the interior.

"You kill anything that gets close to my family Pablo! You hear me?" Martin snarled.

"Consider it done Skipper!" Pablo answered.

Torma! Isheeni! Get airborne and down to the beach! Make sure more of these assholes aren't coming and take out those ships. Aricia, Aurith go after For'mya! Arzoal, Iriral, Helen and Dysea… get the other adolescents on the KADENS now! Martin fired off the orders rapid fire. And god damn it… everyone better start listening to me or I'm going to become real agitated!

You're always agitated lover! Anja quipped.

You… just get the damn people loaded Red! Martin hissed. We are not set up to engage in an all out battle with a bunch of reptilian looking goons!

I'm on it! Anja answered without a sarcastic comment, realizing by his tone that Martin was very upset about not being able to engage in the fight. She knew he hated to be out of the action.

PROCESSING SITE

"Dnom go!" Fedor shouted as he secured the final duffle of gear on Dnom's back. "Drop it at the Load site and get back here quickly!"

Dnom trumpeted out his answer and lifted off into the sky.

Fedor turned and began sprinting for the primary defensive position. He leaped and careened over the stacked crates and landed next to his Uncle on the ground. Julie squatted next to Kenny with Iama beside Tony and looking over the top of the crates with wide eyes. "COM gear is secure and gone." He spoke.

Daniel nodded his head. "Good job Mandri." He stated. He looked at the ground and Tony reached over and slapped Fedor on the shoulder.

"You done good boy." Tony spoke.

Iama looked back quickly. "If not for him we would not be in this position!" She snapped at Fedor with angry green eyes.

Danny stabbed his knife into the ground. "Ok… enough! They're coming from both flanks and head on. Tony… you and Iama got left flank; Kenny and Julie right flank. Fedor and I will cover the front. They go down pretty easy but they're fast as shit. Once they get close enough to our perimeter the right flank will have to close with the main body because of the cliff. That's when we cut loose with the PGPs! We need to give our people at least five minutes to load out and extract."

"They could go around us to the west!" Iama spoke quickly.

Fedor shook his head looking upward in the direction she had indicated. "The ridge to the northwest impedes their movement." He spoke. "They do not seem to like the thick timber for they are avoiding it in their drive towards us."

Danny nodded. "And the east is a straight drop of two hundred meters or more." He said. "No… Fedor is right… they're going to come straight at us with tight flanks."

"How many did you tag?" Kenny asked.

Danny shook his head. "Twenty… maybe twenty-five." He spoke. "We…" Danny looked up as he saw the flash of movement coming from the loading area and suddenly Eirene's wolf form came into view, Miseo keeping pace with her. Just behind them Danny saw For'mya and Aricia in their wolf forms and then the three women were shifting their forms and skidding to halts behind the defensive crates, Miseo landing smoothly next to Julie. Danny grinned at them. "Welcome to the party!" He exclaimed.

For'mya and Eirene ignored him as they moved directly to where Fedor sat.

"Fedor?" Eirene gasped.

"I am fine sister!" Fedor complained. "You and mother should not have come. It is not safe!"

"You were shot!" For'mya exclaimed as her hands began to roam over his upper body and finding the dent in his Mark IV easily. The material was already beginning to return to its original shape. "Don't tell me about safe!"

Fedor took her hands. "Mother! I am fine!" He said.

"I told you to be careful!" For'mya snapped at him.

Iama snorted. "See?" She hissed. "It is the act of a child to not listen to his mother!"

Aricia's azure eyes went to Iama and her pureblood nose kicked in. Her eyes grew slightly wider as she realized that Iama's scent reeked of attraction to Fedor. She glanced at Danny. "Daniel?"

Danny nodded. "Yeah… I know. Not something we can worry about now though."

Aricia tilted her head slightly. "Kdan and Aurith say they are moving closer. A hundred meters. They can burn the trees."

Danny nodded. "Do it!" He hissed. "Fedor… take your sister, Miseo and your mother with you and jump to the next position. Aricia will cover the front with me."

For'mya looked at him. "Daniel… how many?" She asked.

Dan met her gaze. "Too many for us to do anything other than hold for two minutes and then run like hell! Two minutes people. Then haul ass!"

The strange screams began as two Firespitter dragons swept in over the western side of the position and cut loose with searing streams of flame directly into the thin timber and setting dozens of the creatures ablaze instantly.

Whatever they were, they came at them with little regard for their own lives. The PGPs had a store of three hundred rounds per gun and the 20mm chain guns could fire it all in a matter of seconds. This they did, in short controlled bursts that chopped the creatures into hamburger. When the guns ran dry nearly two hundred of them lay scattered about the treeline. The creatures burst over the top of their fallen brethren then, horrible screeches filling the air as they began to rush the defensive positions.

"They are insane!" Miseo screamed as he let loose with a long sustained burst that brought four of the creatures down.

"Thirty seconds!" Danny's voice filled their implants.

Eirene reloaded her K14 KM and began firing around the side of the crate, picking her shots like her mother. "They are almost on us!" She shouted.

Fedor dropped back down after emptying his A4 and ejected his magazine, ramming home a new one. He glanced at his mother. "Medwaw!" He barked watching as she slammed another magazine into the spare A4 that Julie had tossed her.

"Down to one mag!" For'mya announced before rising slightly and beginning to pick her shots with relentless fortitude. Anger gripped For'mya, for these creatures had shot her son, no matter that he was unhurt.

Fedor turned and was about to lift over the crates when he saw one of the creatures make an unbelievable jump and land on the crate just above Julie who was reloading. His eyes grew wide as the creature let out an unearthly screech and the boney plate covering half its face split open to reveal rows of tiny sharp teeth and what could only be a tongue of some sort that was easily fifteen or sixteen inches long. The creature reached down and grabbed Julie by her head, that tongue snapping out to graze her cheek and trying to force its way into her mouth. Julie's eyes went wide, but she was a seasoned soldier in every respect.

"Fuck!" She screamed reaching up and grabbing the tongue like appendage and ripping her hands downward.

The appendage gave way easily enough and tore free from its roots showering both her and Danny with sickly looking pasty white blood. As the creature roared out its agony Danny lifted his A4 and shot it four times in the head flipping the creature back off the crate and three meters back.

"Fuck this! That thing just tried to tongue fuck me!" Julie screamed. "Let's get the fuck out of here!"

"They are around us!" Tony roared as he laid down a withering field of fire with the Mini-Gatlin Laser. "They are breaking for our people!"

"There's too many!" Miseo echoed.

"Pull back!" Danny shouted. "Move! They'll catch the last of our people if we don't go now! Evac! Evac!"

Fedor looked at his mother. "Mother go! Eirene too!" He barked. "Miseo and I will cover you as we follow!"

"Fedor you…" For'mya began to protest.

"Mother… go now!" Fedor screamed at her his dark eyes determined and unquestioning.

Eirene could feel the resolve of her brother and the command tone of his voice and she quickly dashed to where their mother squatted. She grabbed For'mya's hand knowing her brother would not fail and knowing that For'mya had heard the inflection of his voice as well. His confidence filled her as well and she yanked on her mother's arm. "Medwaw we must go! Now!"

For'mya met her eyes and saw the concern for her and she swore to herself. She should have seen it coming weeks ago in the way they acted with her. They would not leave her in danger and they would face down any enemy in order to protect her. For'mya saw it in Eirene's eyes and it was so very evident in Fedor's eyes. They would die before allowing her to come to harm ever again. She gripped Eirene's hand and nodded. "Right behind us!" She screamed at Fedor.

Fedor nodded. "I have no desire to stay and entertain mother!" He shouted back coming to his knees and beginning to cut loose with his A4 as Miseo moved up beside him and together they began to mow down more of the creatures.

Two silver/white flashes and then For'mya and Eirene were tearing away in wolf form, their paws barely touching long enough to leave a print as they ran downhill.

Fedor! Dnom's voice echoed in his head.

Fedor looked skyward. Burn in front of us brother! He barked out. As hot as you can make it!

"Fedor now!" Danny screamed at his nephew and Fedor nodded.

Miseo grabbed his arm with one hand. "Now Fedor!" He snapped as Dnom came in a hundred meters in front of them and his stream of flame set a dozen of the creatures ablaze while laying down a line of fire in front of his retreating Bonded Brother.

Fedor rose up and nodded. "Go! Go!" He exclaimed as he pushed Miseo ahead of him.

Miseo didn't hesitate and began to sprint away, Fedor digging in his combat boots and beginning to follow. He saw his Uncle and the Master Chief tearing away from their position as well as he ran and he was just about to shift into wolf form when he noticed Iama scrambling around the ground near her body as if she was looking for something. Fedor's eyes grew wide as he saw two of the creatures leap over the line of flame Dnom had laid and land on the crates. Iama whirled around and screamed as one leaped down upon her.

"Iama! NO!" Fedor screamed his eyes wide.

Savage fury gripped Fedor Leonidas then and with a howl of unbridled rage he ran straight for where the creature was now beating his arms down upon an obviously stunned Iama. Fedor had no idea what came over him, but he allowed the rage to engulf him and his wolf eyes burned with hatred as he ran. When he reached ten meters from where she was Fedor Leonidas leaped into air and was shifting before he had even fully left the ground.