A SPARTAN'S WAR

SOLMAR

PUMA BANE FORWARD STAGING BASE

FEBRUARY 4TH, 2575, 0650 EST

General Azlenr'Macoe stood stoically reviewing the site of the massacre as his men moved across the area. Sixteen bodies were stretched out on the ground before him, each one covered by thin dark blanket that was standard issue for all Kavalian troops. The sun that was rising reflected off the damp moistness of blood that soaked both the bodies and ground beneath them and several areas around the Puma Bane Camp. It was a standard Puma Bane forward base camp. Two security posts that were manned when the team was inside the perimeter at all times. This forward base provided excellent defense with the towering cliffs in the west and the five hundred foot drop to the valley floor below in the south. The only path up to the base had been expertly culled to provide precise fields of fire while looking as if the vegetation had naturally worn away. The Puma Bane troops knew their jobs and this team was very experienced as a unit. The base had failed to report in at its normal time three hours ago and the Duty officer in the main settlement had dispatched a fire team to discover why. This is what they had found.

Only Azlenr's eyes shifted as Makali slowly made his way through the gore up to him with one of Azlenr's senior shock troops. He recognized the Sergeant Master easily, the scar from a High Coven blade running along the entire left side of his face. The man was a beast in combat and had survived that attack to lead a rush against hardened vampire positions all the while he bled on the ground beneath him. When the battle was over, he had simply sat down and waited for the medics to come to him and treat him. That Sergeant Master was now Azlenr's most trusted enlisted man and the one who saw to most of the mundane things for his division during the day. He also was Azlenr's personal bodyguard when he moved outside of an established perimeter of Kavalian forces. The sounds of a DAGGER gunship were growing closer in the morning air and Azlenr lifted his eyes only slightly to see the ship approaching fast from the east. That would be his friend Byka'Caleo. The most experienced and fearless leader of ground troops that Azlenr knew. He had sent for him even as his own DAGGER gunship had been lifting off from the settlement less than an hour ago. He brought his eyes back down to Makali and Sergeant Master Iweo'Cachowe.

"General." Makali spoke as the two men came up to him.

"Tell me what happen here Iweo." Azlenr spoke evenly. "This was not done by a group of Bontawillian civilians that somehow escaped one of the settlements and decided to become commandos overnight."

The grizzled Kavalian Sergeant Master met his general's eyes. "No my General." Iweo answered him.

Conversation became almost impossible as the DAGGER gunship flared expertly a hundred and fifty meters away over the lone clear spot and settled gently to the ground even as the forward ramp began to lower and Byka'Caleo was jogging from inside the Attack Transport directly for where he stood. Azlenr glanced up into the cockpit of the DAGGER and his keen eyes spotted the helmeted head of Byka's pilot daughter Kameka as she continued to power down the KFI's newest and most deadly planetary transport. She would join her father shortly as his bodyguard. The DAGGER had been built in secret to supplement the PROTOSS on a planetary scale. The PROTOSS were far too big to act as short range transports once they were down and the Kavalians decided on their own version of the Union STRIKER Attack Transport.

Byka reached where they stood in moments and Azlenr immediately extended his hand as the DAGGER's engines no longer hindered his being heard.

"Byka!" Azlenr greeted him as their hands clasped together.

"I am honored General." Byka'Caleo stated.

Azlenr squeezed his hand tightly looking at the dark fur that adorned his face. It was just beginning to streak with gray just as his was, but it would be many centuries before Byka gave up what he had now. "We have been together too long Byka my friend." Azlenr spoke. "We are not among the politicians of the homeworld. Speak my name old friend."

Byka smiled and nodded his head. "My division is fully down Azlenr and we have moved to establish ourselves in the two far western settlements. I have already ordered patrols out per our standard tactics to search for any who may have escaped the settlements. Lethal force has been authorized only as a last resort and I told my patrol leaders if they need to use it they had better be bleeding from their eyes."

Azlenr nodded. "Good. Too many civilians have been killed already as it is. I informed the Prefect that civilian deaths will only complicate our position her and make us a major target. Killing civilians only makes it worse."

"We will already be a target Azlenr." Byka said. "The Union will not abide a forward base this close to their border. They will come after us once they discover we are here."

Azlenr nodded. "If they do not know already." He said. "But it will take time for them to mount any kind of operation to expel us and we must use that time to be ready."

"Marsin had the civilians killed didn't he?" Byka asked.

Azlenr met his eyes. "I can trust you to keep your feelings in check can't I Byka?" He asked. "I do not need you looking for retribution."

Byka shook his head. "You know me General." He spoke. "I will initiate nothing unless he firsts opens his hole."

Azlenr nodded. "Good." He turned to look at Iweo. "My Sergeant Master Iweo." He said as introduction. "He was going to tell me what happened here."

Byka looked around. "Taking out a full Puma Bane Squad is no small feat." He said. "And they were set up in their defensive positions. Marsin knows?"

Azlenr nodded his head. "He is enroute from his forward base and he is incensed." He looked at Iweo. "Iweo… you may continue now."

"This way." He spoke. Iweo led them through the camp and past the row of bodies to the edge of the cliff. Near the edge he stooped down and lifted the small metal spike from the ground and held it up for the two Kavalians Generals.

Byka leaned over the edge and looked down seeing the valley floor far below. "What is that? Two hundred meters?"

"One hundred and eighty-five General." Iweo answered. "Over five hundred feet straight down."

Byka looked back to Azlenr. "No Bontawillian civilian made that climb." He stated confidently.

"No sir." Iweo held up the metal spike to Azlenr. "They scaled the cliff using these General. If we sent men down on ropes we would undoubtedly find many more of them jammed into the crevices of rock along the face."

Azlenr took the spike. "Climbing spikes." He said softly.

"Boot scuffs along this edge and twenty meters further down." Iweo spoke. "I estimate no more than ten in number."

"Ten!" Azlenr gasped. "Ten men did this?"

"Ten men and three females general. Based on the depth of boot prints circling the Puma Bane perimeter." Iweo spoke.

"None of them were killed with firearms." Makali spoke now. "All wounds are consistent with bladed weapons. Incredibly sharp bladed weapons."

Byka looked at him. "That would imply they were able to close with and attack before the Puma Bane troops even knew they were here."

Iweo nodded. "The two security posts were taken out first." He said motioning them to follow him. They didn't hesitate and followed him the thirty meters to the closest security post. It was a loose collection of logs and rocks that the men had gathered, but more than enough to provide adequate protection against small arms fire. Azlenr turned as he felt another join them and he saw the long legs and incredibly firm body of Kameka'Caleo join them, the smallish machine pistol grasped in her hands.

To look at her from the neck down one would see a Kavalian female who had undergone the biogenic treatments to remove the hair from her body. Kameka'Caleo was young at only twenty-five years of age, but her lush figure had many young Kavalians pressing Byka for her hand. Her five foot seven height was due to rather long legs that ended in an exquisitely shaped ass that was now encased in an armored flight suit. Her breasts were high and firm, her reddish brown hair long and pulled together in a single pony tail over her right shoulder. The treatments had removed her tail, but once Marsin had so callously abused her six years ago, Kameka had stopped taking the biogenic treatments and her tail had since grown back. She kept it wrapped tightly around her waist as to not make it so obvious, but Byka in very un-Kavalian like fashion, supported his daughter in her decision. Incredibly the Prefect had granted Byka whatever he wanted because of Marsin's actions and Byka had bowed to his daughter's desire to become a pilot. There were very few female pilots within the Kavalian forces, mostly of civilian transport craft. Kameka had learned in four years what took most pilots eight years to learn. Her aptitude for flying was uncanny and quickly recognized by the more moderate Kavalian instructors. Some had tried to get her tossed from the training but she had defeated every problem they threw at her. She was not allowed to participate in the graduation ceremonies because she was female and she had no official rank within the Kavalian military, but Byka had held his own ceremony when she joined his command. A ceremony that Azlenr had attended. It was very low key, something Azlenr knew Byka did to keep from garnering unwanted attention, but the effect on Kameka had been profound. In the two years since that day she had proven to be the most gifted pilot within her father's division, even earning the admiration of the many male pilots.

Azlenr knew however that she would never be wanted by another Kavalian male. The three long jagged scars began at her hairline and extended down across her cheek and under her collar and they marred her beauty. Marsin had marked her severely, raking his claws down her perfect flesh when she refused to submit to him one evening during one of his drunken bouts. She had not wanted to become Marsin's mate but Kavalian law was very clear. Her father had been powerless to stop it and for eight months she'd had to endure his rutting upon her until she could take it no more. Marsin had dumped her outside her family's home, bleeding and very nearly broken. This had sent Byka into a rage that Azlenr had never seen before. It had taken four Kavalian Puma Bane Troops to pull Byka off Marsin before the much older and more experienced General pummeled Marsin into bloody bits. As the news began to spread of what had happened, many of the older Kavalian Generals and officers like Azlenr had thrown their full support behind Byka without question. Taking his daughter was one thing, but disfiguring her and then trying to blame her father and her Pride was going too far. Keleru could not dismiss them because they were the heart of his army no matter that it was known he favored the Puma Bane Troops heavily. To keep an internal rebellion from occurring Keleru publicly reprimanded Marsin but never even considered time in a Kavalian jail. To appease his generals, Keleru granted Byka and Kameka freedom to pursue goals and entitlements that regular females were never allowed. She chose to become a pilot and the rest was history.

Since joining her father's command, she had become his personal pilot as well as his bodyguard and Azlenr knew she was viciously protective of her father. She had proven this several times during skirmishes with the High Coven only two short years ago, killing nearly a dozen vampires who had broken through their defensive perimeter. Azlenr nodded his head to her as she took up position slightly behind her father.

Iweo moved around to the opposite side of the security post and motioned to the blood. "These men were taken out before they had time to register a threat." He spoke. "The bodies were still here when I arrived General, and I had time to inspect them. The Puma Bane troops still had their weapons in their hands. One was beheaded completely; the other suffered a fatal puncturing wound directly through his face from something other than a Union Nehtes."

"Sword." Byka spoke softly.

"Yes General." Iweo said.

Azlenr looked at Byka. "What?" He asked. "I thought all Union troops carried swords on their person."

Byka met his eyes evenly and shook his head. "The capability of the Union Shi Viskas combined with their advancement in standard weaponry has made it so the majority of Union soldiers no longer carry swords. It has been this way since the end of the Evolli War. Many had given up their swords by then for the more adjustable Nehtes. Their Nehtes… their expandable spear… this is part of their load out but the vast majority no longer carry swords." He looked at Iweo. "All of them were killed by blades Sergeant Master?"

Iweo nodded his head. "Yes General."

"Which means they got in close." Byka spoke.

Iweo nodded again. "Very close. I inspected some of the wounds and they were precise and surgical in nature. Whoever wielded these swords has killed before." He moved back around the security post. "None of the Puma Bane weapons or COM units are missing. If civilians did this they would have taken the weapons and rations. Whatever they could carry. Since they are all accounted for, this was done to send us a message."

Byka shook his head. "This was not done by civilians." He stated. "The Bontawillians may have what they refer to as a military but they are nothing more than a militia. Iweo is right. Whoever did this did not want weapons or equipment."

Azlenr looked at him. "Are you saying there is a Union military unit on Solmar?" He asked.

"You said Marsin's Puma Bane teams killed several soldiers. Took one prisoner?" Byka asked.

Azlenr nodded. "He is a vampire. I have him at the main settlement. The armory that is standard with Union colonies. They interrogated him, tortured him, but he gave them nothing. I am having my medical people treat his wounds before I question him myself." Azlenr moved closer to Byka. "You said the majority of Union troops no longer carry swords. Who does?"

Byka looked at him. "According to our intelligence… intelligence we got from the traitor Laustinos… the only Union units that carry swords now are the Durcunusaan and perhaps half a dozen specialized units made up mostly of their Drow elves."

Iweo stepped forward. "The Drow elves provide the bulk of their recon and scout units General Azlenr." He said. "They are formidable in battle… it is why the Prefect had their outposts in The Wilds destroyed. This was not done by the Drow however."

Azlenr and Byka looked at him. "How can you be so sure Iweo?" Azlenr asked.

Iweo motioned for them to follow him and he led them over to a small bare patch of ground within the Puma Bane perimeter. He pointed at the ground. "This is why." He stated.

All of them looked down to see the huge prints in the soft dirt and eyes went wide. Byka knelt down beside the print, his hand dwarfed by the size and three inch depth of the print. "A dragon print." He hissed softly. "Kameka?" He spat.

Azlenr watched as his daughter moved up beside him and squatted down beside the print. He looked at Byka as he stood back up. "Byka?"

Byka met his gaze. "This is what she does." He said. "I don't know what her fascination is, but she seems to have no fear of them as the rest of us do. She has studied everything we have in our databases about them these last few years. All the information we have obtained from Elear and other places."

"Truly?" Azlenr gasped at this knowledge as he watched her stand back up and turn to them.

"Based on the size and depth of the print I estimate a female dragon." Kameka told them as she came to her feet and turned to face them. "Slightly larger than normal… perhaps sixteen meters in length and just over three metric tons in weight. That size would indicate she is fully grown General… which means she is at least a decade old. Perhaps more. And she is also mated to a male."

"What? Are you sure? How can you tell that?" Azlenr asked her.

Kameka nodded. "Dragons go through stages of growth sir." She answered. "They reach full maturity within their first year. After that they are strong enough to carry a rider. Over the next decade they may or may not grow more, but usually not. Once they have passed ten years of age they will not have another potential growth cycle until they have reached a millennia in age. According to the many brochures given out on Elear in regards to the dragons, almost all of them have reached their full size within their first year. In the rare instance some may grow much larger as is the case with the Lycavorian King's dragon and the half breed Princess's dragon. Very few grow larger than the print indicates this female is and she is above normal in size by a meter and a half at least given what I estimate her weight at."

"How do you know it is female? And mated." Azlenr asked.

Kameka turned back to the print. "Do you see the indentation in the ground behind the prints? Three meters back."

Azlenr followed where she pointed. "Yes I see it."

"Mated female dragons will instinctively always place their tail on the ground behind them when they stop for any length of time and are at rest." Kameka spoke. "Male dragons do not. It is a… it is a defense mechanism I guess you could call it. This female was in this spot long enough for her to relax."

"Fuck!" Azlenr swore as the sounds of another DAGGER landing reached them.

"Azlenr… only the Union Durcunusaan are known to work closely with dragons." Byka told him. "They are the only ones with sufficient ability in what they call Mindvoice to actually communicate with them."

Iweo nodded. "If there is a dragon on this world General… then whoever hit this team is Durcunusaan."

"Get out of my way!" Marsin's voice carried to them as he stormed into the perimeter. Azlenr's men stepped out of the way of the Puma Bane Commander more to avoid any sort of confrontation than fear. Byka shifted to the side slightly as Marsin came up to them, putting half his body in front of his daughter in a protective fashion that only Azlenr really noticed. Kameka he saw only stared at Marsin with something akin to savage hatred in her dark brown eyes, her bottom lip almost quivering.

"General!" Marsin popped. "Why wasn't I informed of this attack sooner?" He demanded from the senior man, his voice holding the contempt he felt.

"We only discovered it three hours ago." Azlenr stated ignoring the Major's lack of respect.

"I should have been informed immediately!" Marsin snarled.

"I did not need you and your men coming here and destroying any information we might be able to obtain." Azlenr told him. "Your men are over there." He pointed behind him to the left. "We have covered all of them and you may make arrangements to transport them home as soon as we are done."

Marsin glared at him. "Done?" He demanded.

"Each body will be examined by my medical people to determine cause of death." Azlenr stated. "We need to know who killed your men Major."

"Who?" Marsin snapped. "It's obvious isn't it? Those civilians who escaped as we took the settlements. They have formed into guerilla groups and are striking back!"

"This was not done by Bontawillian civilians." Byka spoke. "This was carried out by Union Durcunusaan troops. Durcunusaan who have at least one dragon with them that we know of."

"Durcunusaan?" Marsin snarled. "Impossible."

"Do you know of anyone else who works closely with dragons Major?" Azlenr asked. "Lieutenant Kameka here has confirmed these prints come from a female dragon Major."

"Lieutenant…" Marsin's eyes went to where Byka stood and he saw Kameka standing just behind her father. His eyes gazed at her with anger and hate and met only the same thing in response. Kameka did not drop her eyes from his face as Kavalian women often did in front of males and this only made him angrier. He tore his eyes from her and looked at Azlenr. "General Azlenr… our intelligence never mentioned Durcunusaan being on Solmar."

"It appears our intelligence was wrong." Azlenr said.

"We should begin interrogating the civilians!" Marsin snapped. "They had to know about this!"

Azlenr shook his head. "I am not going to interrogate civilians Major." He stated. "If we did not know they were here what makes you think a bunch of colonists did."

"General you…" Marsin began to speak but Azlenr turned from him. "Makali… insure the bodies are removed to the Field Hospital. I want the senior medical doctor to examine them. I will meet with him in two hours."

Makali nodded. "At once General." He spoke before moving off.

Azlenr turned back to the others. "Byka… I want every T19 we have mustered and on the perimeters of every settlement. Just one dragon on this planet could adversely affect our men if it attacked."

"How many civilians will you execute for this attack?" Marsin demanded.

Azlenr and Byka looked at him. "Excuse me?" Azlenr spoke.

"We must send a message to the civilians and whoever is out there!" Marsin spat. "Any attack against our troops will be punished severely. It is the only way to keep order!"

"I have no intention of executing any civilians Major." Azlenr told him. "They were not involved in this."

"They will know of those who are!" Marsin argued. "Do you think they don't know a Union military unit is out there somewhere? This will continue General! This is how we keep the others in line!"

"By murdering civilians?" Byka spat. "That is a brilliant move Major!"

Azlenr shook his head. "There is no indication the civilians who escaped the settlements as we occupied them are involved in this attack. None. I will not execute others to keep order Major."

"I will protest this!" Marsin growled.

"Protest it all you like!" Azlenr spat back. "I am in command of this operation… not you Major Marsin! Return to your command and I will inform you when you can retrieve the bodies of your men! You are dismissed!"

Marsin snarled in anger before spinning on his heels and marching away. Byka moved closer to Azlenr. "He will contact the Prefect." He said.

"Let him." Azlenr hissed. "The Prefect put me in charge of this operation because he knows this close to the border we need to be careful and precise. Marsin is a vicious animal, a shock trooper. Nothing more. He knows nothing but how to kill those who cannot defend themselves. The Bontawillians are no threat to our people. Whoever is out there is a threat." He looked at Byka. "I want your scouts ranging out ten kilometers in every direction from each settlement. Full combat gear and make sure they have adequate armor support. We must find these Durcunusaan before they strike again."

Byka nodded. "As you order."

Azlenr nodded. "Issue your orders and then meet me back at my command post. I have some things I wish to discuss."

"One hour." He said.

Azlenr nodded and began to walk away.