A SPARTAN'S WAR

SOLMAR

LU ADHOC BASE

SOUTHERN CONTINENT

Andro looked at the overlay of the settlement on the chart in the rear of his STRIKER. Darkness was fast approaching and he wanted to act quickly before the Kavalians had a chance to truly settle in.

"Sa'roh was able to tap into the satellites without the Kavalians knowing." Andro spoke as his fingers moved across the chart map. "She's using Union military codes but they will figure out someone has got into the system through the back door sooner or later. We'll do as much as we are able while we have that advantage."

Dorian looked at his brother. "What did you have in mind Andro?"

Andro stabbed his finger down on one spot. "Going through the Sat Feed Sa'roh was able to determine where one Puma Bane Team is." He spoke. "We're going to introduce ourselves to them."

Dantio nodded with a smile. "Nice." He said.

Andro slid his finger across the chart map. "I'm hoping this will give them pause. And make them begin to spread their forces out searching the surrounding terrain." He said. "If they do… especially the Puma Bane troops… it will make getting Robaran and the female elves out of that armory a whole lot easier."

"You think they will remain there?" Cletus asked.

Andro nodded. "No point in moving them so soon after beginning their operation." He said. "Lock them up until this head Kavalian midaeus has a chance to interrogate them and then ship them offworld."

"Or kill them once he has no need for them any longer." Dorian stated softly.

Andro looked at his brother. "Yes. That is what we are going to try and prevent." Andro touched the edge of the chart and it shifted focus. "Elynth and I will take Dantio, Vari and eight of the Spartan company and hit the Puma Bane camp. If the SAT feed is accurate, there is only sixteen of them there." He shifted the chart again and looked at Dorian. "Fervon… you and Ryner are going with Cletus, Haridl, Emios and four others from the Spartan company. Have Emios and the squad set up a line of defense as close to this gate as possible and then you use the shadows to sneak Haridl and yourself into the settlement. Try and get as much information as you can. Ryner can fly cover for you over the settlement since he does not show up on sensors and the night skies will be moonless tonight."

Dorian nodded and looked at the map closely. He glanced at Haridl as if calculating some things in his head and then turned back to Andro. "She is not as big as you fervon. I might be able to sneak us inside the armory itself."

Andro stared at him for a long moment and then nodded. "If it is possible then do it. If there is not a chance of one hundred percent success… do not risk it Dorian. We'll put them in more danger if you are caught or a firefight breaks out. Once we hit the Puma Bane camp I'm sure they'll send for help and draw attention away from you and it may make it possible but do not force it. Those within the city will be on alert. This isn't training anymore fervon… we need to be smart. And mother and father will kill me if I let anything happen to you."

Dorian nodded his head taking his brother's words as they were intended. Encouragement and common sense. Androcles was right and even though Dorian could feel his Spartan blood surging through him at the prospect of battle, he tempered it with his vampire blood and its cold and calculating sense. "I know. I have too much I want to do in my life. Acting stupid and dying in the first months of this war, before discovering what I want would be a waste. Besides… Ryner will be watching over me."

Yes I will. Ryner's voice echoed within Mindvoice and they all smiled.

"The rest of the company will be setting up defenses and digging in at our new home for the time being." Andro spoke. "Sa'roh has found a nice location on the southern continent and an advanced team is already there with the KADENs. Once we depart Sa'roh will take the STRIKER and move to this point ten kilometers north of the settlement. That's our pick up."

"Won't their ships in orbit pick up our movements Milord?" Dantio asked. "Their sensors can surely pick up lifeforms."

"The advance team with the KADENs has already erected RP14 Sensor Maskers." Andro told them. "They are a new toy the folks at Dreamland thought up. The SCIMITAR got one of the first batches and Sa'sur sent them down with the company." He explained. "Essentially what they do is create a void in ground sensor coverage. They can effectively hide us as long as we keep our power generation to a minimum."

Haridl stepped closer. "How long… how long do we intend to stay Milord?" She asked the question that burned within all of them.

"As long as is necessary." Androcles answered. "We cannot afford for the Kavalians to have a base this close to Union space. We are damn lucky we found it before they were able to dig in. Now we have to take it back."

EARTH

LYCAVORIAN UNION MILITARY HQ

OVERALL DURCUNUSAAN COMMAND CENTER

500 METERS BENEATH MOUNT HAGIOS

He was, without a doubt, one of the five most well known male elves in the entire Union. A masterful military mind who led Wood Elf rangers against High Coven troops for decades, surviving by superior skill and wit. He was the father of the Star Colonel Anuk, the second most senior officer within the Union Medical Corp behind Queen Anja and Princess Eliani, and wife and Anome to General Daniel Simpson. He was a man who was sworn to the preservation of the Lycavorian Union and what it stood for. A man who was fanatically loyal to the King as well as being considered a family member. He had been part of it since the beginning of it all so long ago, fighting beside Martin and Daniel from the very start. As soon as he realized that Anuk and Daniel were going to be living in Sparta with their Drow Mistress Nayeca, Vengal uprooted his wife and moved to Sparta lock, stock and barrel. He and his wife had now become a permanent fixture within Sparta, his wife owning and running a very successful fabrics shop in the Old District of the city. He was co-founder and primary commander of the now legendary Spartan Royal Guard.

The Durcunusaan. The Wolves of the Blood.

He and Vistr had built them from scratch all those years ago, and with Vistr assuming overall command of the entire Spartan Combined Ground Force in and around Apo Prime and Elear, command of the Durcunusaan had fallen fully to him. Vengal could not have been happier with his life at this moment. His only daughter was mated to a man Vengal loved like a son. The Drow woman who shared their lives he now regarded as an adopted daughter. He had eight beautiful grandchildren from Anuk and Nayeca, and his life was far removed from the time when Anuk was his only remaining daughter and he thought he had lost her. His two living sons often returned to Earth with the ships they commanded, staying with their sister and the man they both respected above all else. Vengal was devoted to his family and the Durcunusaan above all else. Their training was sometimes brutal and humiliating, reminiscent of the times of the Ancient Agoge in Spartan lore, but if you graduated Durcunusaan training you were accepted into the ranks of men and women who were widely regarded as the finest trained and most lethal unit within the whole of the Union military. They were regarded as such because it was their duty to guard the Royal family. To this end they received training from across a broad spectrum of fields. The majority of Mjolnir's Hand had been selected from the ranks of the Durcunusaan, as had many of the thousand plus Bonded Pairs within the Union. And Vengal was their commander.

His office within the base under Mount Hagios was spacious and comfortably furnished, but not lavishly so. It was more homey than most since he had let his wife decorate for him. It was probably more inviting that he would have decorated but that is why he adored his wife of three hundred plus years. She was his better half in everything and he worshiped the ground she walked upon. Vengal had chosen each and every one of the members of the Durcunusaan after extensive research of their personal files. While their numbers were not publicly known, Vengal could field two complete divisions of fifty thousand men apiece if he needed to. They were pilots and intelligence officers; technicians and engineers. He had it all within the ranks of the Durcunusaan. Only one in one hundred were accepted to join the Durcunusaan. Vengal had relaxed over the years to allow this sort of ratio from the one in one thousand he and Vistr had begun with. He got the best of the best and once you were a member of the Durcunusaan, no matter where you went after that you were always a member of the Durcunusaan.

Vengal rose from his chair as he read the daily reports and moved to the wet bar where he poured himself a large glass of berry juice. The door to his office slid open without warning and he looked up. Only his senior aide would dare burst into his office unannounced and Vengal knew it was him immediately by the shimmering white hair that hung well past his shoulders. The Drow Colonel had been with him for the last ten years, twice refusing a promotion and command of his own to remain as Vengal's aide. His position afforded him the most action he could hope for, as well as the most respect for his Drow family. He was one of the Drow who had fully accepted Aihola's reign as Queen long ago as well as her morals and values. His wife of seventeen years was a ravishing blond haired former High Elf from Mountain City. A woman who was as completely devoted to her Drow husband and the Drow values as he was devoted to her. He was also one of the most cool headed men Vengal had ever met in his life. The only thing that got him excited was his wife and bad news.

"Unless you are going to tell me your wife is pregnant once more Colonel Nufco of the Family Razah, then something is wrong." Vengal spoke quickly.

Nufco Razah looked at his general. "General… we have a problem." He gasped out of breath.

The alarms in Vengal's head began to sound loudly. "Speak."

"We just received a coded transmission from Captain Sa'sur of the SCIMITAR." He spoke quickly. "The Kavalians have struck Solmar in force. Androcles fears they may be trying to establish a forward base. He sent Sa'sur away to call for reinforcements. He remains on the planet with Dorian, the Spartan company and the remaining members of Omega Team Sixty-Two."

Vengal's eyes grew wider with every word Nufco spoke. "Fuck me!" Vengal snarled as he moved to his desk and slammed his hand down on the COM panel. "Officer of the Watch… initiate a full Durcunusaan covert alert! I want the Ready Division on station in one hour! They are to move to their designated Pick Up points and stand by!"

"Understood General!" The voice answered.

"And get me Admiral Ceneu! I don't care where he is!" Vengal snapped turning back to Nufco. "Give me more Nufco!"

Nufco moved to the ever present Star chart and plugged in the data pad he carried. "As you know the Prince went to Solmar to retrieve the Omega Team. The Kavalians were already on the planet it seems. A forward unit to begin taking down the colony network in advance of a larger force. Captain Sa'sur reported upwards of forty ships entering the system with PROTOSS Troop ships spread among the task force. She estimates at least a full division based on the number of troop ships." Nufco looked at him. "Based on recent information obtained from the High Coven General, we have determined this is how their operational tactics will execute when they have chosen to take a planet. A small force to initiate the main landing."

"And Andro is right in the middle of it!" Vengal hissed.

"He refused to leave with the SCIMITAR in order to ascertain if it would be feasible to get as many civilians off the colony as possible." Nufco told him. "According to Sa'sur's report he said he would secure a landing zone on the southern continent for the Spartan company and the remainder of the SCIMITAR's STRIKER and KADEN compliment. They have the new sensor maskers General. If they can get established… it's very possible they could remain undetected for a time."

"Undetected?" Vengal chortled. "Do you think Andro will remain undetected?"

Nufco looked at him. "No." He answered. "Preliminary reports from Sa'sur indicate a large loss of civilian life in order to shut down the colony in the way they have."

"Fuck!" Vengal swore. "Find Jomann and Sheva Nufco! Get them here now! How many Shroud capable ships do we have in orbit?"

"Including the Earth's AUTUMN MOON Defense Contingent… thirty-seven." Nufco answered immediately.

"Contact Charles and let him know we need to use his AUTUMN MOONs." Vengal spoke. "He won't blink when he realizes its Andro. He's got a soft spot for the boy. Have the SCIMITAR's Strike Wing spool up and leave immediately to rendezvous with Sa'sur. This is a silent deployment! If the Netnews discovers Andro is out there with his ass hanging in the wind there will be hell to pay! They'll broadcast it all across the Union and you can damn well bet the Kavalians have people monitoring our Netnews channels twenty-four seven. They'll converge on Solmar like the plaque!"

Nufco nodded. "Undoubtedly." He said.

"How soon before we can deploy?" Vengal asked.

"We?" Nufco looked at him.

Vengal met his eyes. "There's no way I'm staying behind on this! And weren't you just complaining you were bored?"

Nufco nodded his head with a grin. "I was, wasn't I? The Durcunusaan Ready Division will be fully prepped in under an hour. A full Silent Deployment from their staging areas will require more time sir. We can load everyone out by late tomorrow morning if we hump it. That's the earliest if we want to keep this under wraps. Once the divisions are in orbit we can deploy at will."

"Do it!" Vengal snapped. "And keep chatter on the secure channels to a minimum. Use Mindvoice if they have too. This can't leak out before we leave."

Nufco nodded. "I will see to it." He said. "Our Command Group?"

Vengal nodded. "Small Unit Op Nufco. Only what we need."

"I will inform the rest of the team." Nufco answered.

Vengal gripped his arm. "Contact Aihola. I want a contingent of her Drow Scouts with us Nufco. And tell Charles that it's time to show what this human division he has been touting can do. They're going with us."

Nufco looked at him. "The 82nd is a Cataphract Armor Orbital Drop Division General. A mix of Heavy Infantry and specialized units. Is that what we need?"

"Do you think Andro is going to leave civilians on that planet if there is a way to get them off?" Vengal asked.

"No… no sir." Nufco said.

Vengal nodded. "Better to have the power than not. They will compliment the Ready Division. I have a feeling this is not going to be a simple swing by and evacuate the civilians. Nothing is ever simple with Andro or his father."

"This is true." Nufco said.

"Make it happen Nufco." Vengal ordered.

Nufco nodded. "As you order General."