A SPARTAN'S WAR

SOLMAR

PRELIMINARY KAVALIAN ADHOC

His name was Azlenr'Macoe.

He was an experienced field General who had fought the High Coven for almost the entire war. He commanded three divisions of Kavalian regular and cloned troops and he had never failed in his tasks. He was considered ruthless and was not above killing innocent men and women to obtain his goals, but he also avoided wanton slaughter at all costs. His dark brown fur was just beginning to show gray due to his four thousand six hundred years of life, but he was as fit and sharp as he had been in his youth. Unlike many Kavalian officers and Pride Leaders he preferred to operate meticulously and with care. He did not rush into a situation blind and this is why he was so successful. This operation was his idea, seizing the newest Bontawillian colony as a forward staging area with overwhelming force before the Union even knew they had lost it. Azlenr studied the terrain around him from the ridgeline where he had set up his command post. They had set up on the plateau roughly three thousand feet above the valley floor with the remaining ten thousand feet of mountain reaching up into the low clouds behind them. His meteorologists told him the clouds would clear mid day and he would be able to look across the valley and see the mountain where the main Power Station was, as well as the magnificent waterfall. He lowered the macrobinos as his senior aide and another officer walked up to him.

"All teams have reported in General." His aide reported. "Power to all the settlements is down. We have used their computers to lock out the satellites and all communications now must go through our people."

"We have broadcast the false reports?" Azlenr asked.

"The last one went out only moments ago." His aide said. "The Union is unaware of what is happening."

"Insure we monitor any incoming traffic Makali'Bengane." Azlenr spoke. "They will become aware soon enough."

"As you order General." Makali replied. "This is Major Marsin'Jiate General. The Puma Bane Detachment commander."

Azlenr looked at the Puma Bane officer. He did not care for Puma Bane troops. They were on average exceptionally violent and cared not for the ramifications of their actions. Most of them were cruel to the extreme and he knew they answered to Keleru'Puat no matter what. "Yes… I know of Major Marsin. Your teams did well Major." He said finally.

The Puma Bane troop bowed his head. "It was an inspired plan General. I commend you."

"Your status?" Azlenr asked.

"My teams have secured all objectives." Marsin answered. "We have pulled back to our areas per your instructions."

"The Power Coils?" Azlenr asked him.

"Fifteen power coils are in our possession. Three from each PDC Substation and one back up from each facility." Marsin answered.

"You will have your teams transport the coils to our main supply depot." Azlenr told him. "It is being established at the base of this mountain on the west. I want the coils there within six hours."

Marsin looked at him. "I thought we were supposed to secure them General." He asked.

"And you did." Azlenr answered. "Now you will hand them over to my people."

"May I ask why?" Marsin spoke. "Our team areas are much more covertly hidden than the supply depot General. The coils would be safer there."

Azlenr turned his body and faced the Puma Bane officer. "My forward scouts are even now entering the settlements Major. Your men killed upwards of four thousand civilians in taking control of the settlements. Among them several dozen children. You were instructed to use minimal force in subduing the population Major."

"And we did sir!" Marsin hissed softly. "Those who died fought us."

"Unharmed civilians fought you and your men Major?" Azlenr asked. "Bontawillians by their nature are not militaristic. You should have used non-lethal force to subdue them. Thanks to your actions when word leaks out of the civilian casualties here you will have painted a very large target on us. You know as well as I the light the Union sees in intentionally harming civilians. What could have been a simple loss of a colony world, your actions and those of your Puma Bane troops will now turn into a major point of contention."

"The Union will not commit forces to retake this colony General." Marsin spoke. "They are stretched thinner than we are. And we still outnumber them three to one while we recoup our ship and clone losses."

"Are you so sure Major?" Azlenr spoke.

"I have studied the Union intensely General." Marsin answered. "Especially this boy Prince who is now in charge while their King runs from Marshall Pusintin. He is not fool enough, nor experienced enough to try and retake this colony."

"I wonder if the Evolli thought as you do Major?" Azlenr asked. "You know what he did to them."

Marsin's eyes narrowed. "We are not the Evolli sir!" He snarled.

"No we are not Major. We are Kavalians!" Azlenr snapped moving closer to the man. "And we follow orders! My orders! You and your men will have no more contact with the civilian population of this colony Major. You have killed enough of them and made my job harder."

Marsin held his tongue and nodded his head. "As you order General." He said.

"What about this military unit you engaged near the spaceport?" Azlenr asked.

"They were most likely on leave here sir." Marsin answered. "Five of them. They were at the spaceport seeing off friends it appears. They departed on the last transport before we shut down the network. One of them lives. A vampire. He has not been very forthcoming so far with information. My men will take up the interrogation again when they reach their team staging area."

Azlenr shook his head. "No." He said. "I want him remanded to the custody of my men. Along with the elven females you took from the PDC Substations."

Marsin's eyes narrowed once more. "Sir?"

"I know every detail about this colony Major." Azlenr snarled. "Right down to how many children are left after the twenty-eight you and your men killed. Each PDC Substation had six female elves assigned to it from the 1st Elven Engineer Division based on Elear. I do not know what other commanders you have worked for have allowed you to do in the past, but you will not be keeping those females as spoils of war Major."

"They are females General." Marsin said. "I will use them to keep the moral of my men at peak levels."

"You will turn every single one of them over to my people." Azlenr told him. "Alive and unhurt. And you will do so immediately Major."

"General you…"

Azlenr stepped even closer. "Do not press me Major. I know who you are and what you have done in the past." Azlenr snarled at him. "I do not like Puma Bane troops. You take too many liberties and are far too violent for this type of operation. You have served your purpose and now you will hand over everything you took from the PDC Substations and the main Power Plant. Including the female elves. I will not allow your men to rape them or mark them at your whim. This would only incite the Union even more."

"And if I do not?" Marsin asked.

"Then Major… you and your men will not live out the day." Azlenr snapped. "My men are loyal to me… and they are not children. You may kill a few of them but you will die."

"We are Puma Bane Warriors!" Marsin growled.

Azlenr nodded. "The finest of us all." He said. "I have heard it all before. You will follow orders Major. Or do I need to contact the Prefect myself. He is the one who sanctioned this operation and placed me in overall command. Who do you think he will side with Major? You may answer to him, but even he knows what your uses are." Azlenr stepped back. "You and your men will have your blood Major." He said. "After what you have done the Union will no doubt make retaking Solmar one of their top objectives. And your lack of respect for your enemies will be your undoing as well Major. The Lycavorian Union is not the High Coven and they will not throw down their weapons and run at the first sign of trouble."

"I do not fear the Union or its toy soldiers!" Marsin snapped.

Azlenr nodded. "And I will place that on your tombstone Major. Now… now you will do as I order you or I will string up your carcass for all to see. Is that understood?"

Marsin looked around and saw that at least half a dozen security troops had slowly moved closer. All of them with stern, no nonsense expressions. He turned back to Azlenr. "My men will deliver the prisoners to you within six hours." He said. "Unhurt."

Azlenr nodded. "Excellent. Do not worry Major; I will insure you and your men have your blood. But it will be on my terms… not yours. You are dismissed."

Azlenr waited until Marsin had walked out of earshot before looking at his aide. "You do not trust him Makali?"

The Colonel looked at him. "I do not trust Puma Bane troops as a whole General." He replied.

Azlenr nodded. "Nor do I my friend. Nor do I. This one I know well from a friend." He said. "Their skills are unmatched however and right now we need those skills."

Makali looked at him. "What do you suspect General?" He asked.

"This group of soldiers his men butchered?" Azlenr said. "Our own intelligence officers that I have questioned since arriving have stated that reports taken from civilians indicate they killed twenty of Marsin's men before they fell. Five of them Makali. And they took down twenty Puma Bane troops before they fell? That tells me they were not normal troops and I want to know what they were doing here. Insure this vampire they captured is delivered unharmed. As well as the elven females. I will meet with them when our main forces are on the surface and deploying to their positions."

Makali nodded. "Brigadier Byka'Caleo says they will begin landing in under forty minutes."

Azlenr nodded. "Good. And Makali… insure no Puma Bane troop crosses paths with Byka. He hates them all. Marsin is the one who took his daughter from him and maimed her. When he discovers it is him we will need to keep them apart."

Makali nodded. "I will see to it sir."

Brigadier Byka'Caleo was a good friend and had served with Azlenr for going on four hundred years now. Like Azlenr… he was a true Kavalian of old. He still had honor and he cared for the men under his command as a Pride Leader. Also like Azlenr… he had been with the same woman for centuries. As Pride leaders they could take several females to share their bed if they so chose. It was a part of their culture to insure the strongest bloodlines existed into the future. While many of the younger Pride Leaders did this often, Azlenr had no desire to do such a thing. His woman had bore him seven strong children, among them two daughters who were now the wives of officers within his own command so that he could watch out for them. It was something he had promised his woman when they entered this world and Azlenr kept his promises to her. Byka was no different and it was well known he hated Puma Bane troops across the board. His youngest daughter Kameka, one of the very first females to undergo the biogenic altering, had been taken from him by Marsin several years ago. Byka had been unable to stop this, and within a year Marsin had returned his daughter to them maimed and unable to bear children. Then he had tried to have the name of their Pride disgraced by her so called actions. Marsin reported that she resisted him in almost every attempt to take her into his bed. That had not worked out the way he had planned because of Byka's influence, but no action was ever taken against him. The scars his daughter bore on her face from his rutting served to remind Byka every day of his feelings for those of his ilk. Kameka had recovered enough to become quite an exceptional pilot, the scars still visible but not as prominent as they were the first months after the attack. Byka had been given special permission for her to serve in combat with his unit because of the way Marsin had mistreated her and tried to tarnish the name of his Pride. His daughter was now a close assault pilot flying a PROTOSS gunship. Her only wish now was to die with as much of her dignity as she had left intact. Byka knew this and there were times it tore at him inside knowing what she was feeling. He also knew this was not how most male Kavalians would act and he kept it hidden from her.

"No signs of ships in orbit Makali?" Azlenr asked.

"No General."

"Which means nothing with the Union Shrouds." Azlenr spoke absently. "Make sure our anti-ship batteries go into service first. If the Union comes here I want to make sure they pay for whatever gains they may try to make."

"Understood General." Makali said.

"Tell Byka I want his scouts out within thirty minutes of him landing." Azlenr said. "The soldiers Marsin encountered are an oddity that I want to figure out quickly. And bring me the vampire as soon as he is delivered."

Makali nodded. "I will see to it sir."