A SPARTAN'S WAR

"…were surprised that I had suddenly become so interested in such things but when I explained to them the reasons we came up with they were finally convinced." Dyack spoke as he sat on the couch next to Coren and Dutkne.

"So there is no rationale to think they might suspect anything?" Coren asked.

Dyack looked at him. "Unless they have learned how to hide the adrenalin dump into their bodies when they lie… no." He glanced at Denali. "What you schooled me to look for was exactly what I saw and smelled Denali." Dyack turned back to Coren. "They do not realize that my people are Lycavorians that simply can not shift our forms. I don't believe anyone realizes that or what it means and that is what has made it advantageous for us in the past. We have the same skills as our Lycavorian brothers and sisters, the enhanced senses and our healing factors, albeit we have not used them to the extent of Denali and his faction of Lycavorians. We drew away from the instincts that the wolf within us provide to our people because we can not shift. That was a mistake, and one I intend to begin rectifying as soon as I am able. Teaching me what to look for in their scents was just the first step."

"So what are the details?" Deni asked.

"They most definitely have contacts within your government Coren." Dyack spoke looking at him. "It only took them a week to confirm the information I gave to them that three of our future trade contracts with the Vanari were being carefully weighted heavily in favor of the Vanari and I was not pleased with that. This also served to convince them that I was genuine in my interests."

"I knew nothing of this Dyack." Coren spoke quickly. "Not until Caliria and Arduri discovered the details."

Dyack shook his head. "I can not hold this information against you Coren." He told him. "This was not your doing. Thankfully for us it was the perfect excuse for me to turn to the Eridiani for future business."

Deni nodded. "Just as they had planned all along." He said.

Dyack nodded. "They knew we would not be happy about these trade agreements or the terms and it would force us to look elsewhere to move our products. Conveniently the Eridiani and the OSG would be ready to just step right in. This would give them a conduit into our government and also allow the OSG to begin trying to establish another outlet for their slavery ring of Vanari females."

"Surely your government and those in our government who are not involved would see that the sudden increase of Vanari females on your home planet as something not entirely legal Praetor." Caliria spoke now.

"Unfortunately Caliria, there is a sizeable underground black market on Lentani." Dyack admitted with some embarrassment. "Items that I and other Praetors before me have forbid our people to have. Mainly weapons and different kinds of drugs. This same criminal underground would undoubtedly be the ones to participate in the buying and selling of your females. There is a substantial demand for the Alkay that your females secrete from their pores Caliria. More than I believe the Vanari realize. You… you more than anyone should know that."

Caliria met his eyes and nodded slowly. "Yes."

"My security forces are aware of the existence of this Black Market and they destroy different cells whenever they are found, but it runs deep within the social castes of my people and it has for hundreds if not thousands of years. To stamp it out completely would require far more resources than I have." Dyack said. "And as much as it truly pains me to say... there could be men and women very close to me that are involved in this who would not look kindly on me trying to destroy it."

"Your honesty now only reinforces your commitment to ending this sir." Denali told him. "It's why Andro and I agreed to allow Lisisa to return to Earth with your mate and a political delegation."

Dyack looked at him and nodded. "I fear that may bring unknown troubles as well when it is discovered, especially with those in control of the Rothryn Science Academy, but it needed to be done." Dyack waved his hand. "We will deal with that when the time comes. Now we must end this slavery of the Vanari before it becomes worse than it is. A general destabilization of their government is not good for anyone in the Beta Quadrant, including my people."

Dutkne moved from the couch behind Arduri now. "I have my internal security people shadowing those within the Protectorate that we know are involved in this. The surveillance has revealed three more senior members of my government that are indirectly involved."

"What does indirectly mean Dutkne?" Arduri asked as he moved and sat beside her.

Dutkne shook his head as he handed the data pad to her to review. "They do not provide material support but their positions within my government allow them to pass different bills and maneuver appropriations that ultimately help the OSG in their goals."

"And they do this willingly?" Coren asked.

Dutkne nodded his head. "All of them are making quite a bit of credits and then securing those credits in accounts outside Protectorate space. There is also reason to believe there may be quite a few Vanari females being held by these men and women in secure locations on our homeworld and other planets within Protectorate space. I have my people trying to discover if this is true so we can rescue them when we decide to move. We're also going to go after their assets… mainly within the Enverr Dominion."

"The Enverr?" Arduri gasped.

Dutkne nodded again. "Yes… I was surprised as well. The Enverr do not have the most lawful or trusting society, however their banking restrictions are nonexistent and it is easy to hide credits there. For a price of course."

"Lawful? That is a kinder word than I would have used Dutkne." Coren spoke moving to sit beside Caliria.

Dutkne nodded. "True enough."

"Bad people I take it?" Deni asked.

Coren looked at Deni now. "They are nothing more than a collection of rogue mercenary groups and clans who have formed a pseudo government of affiliation, albeit a very large one." He watched Caliria pour more jucie into his mug and he smiled lovingly at her before turning back to Deni. "I dare say they are more than a match for the OSG in many ways, however most of them are extremely violent and secretive in their actions and they refuse to do business with the OSG."

Dyack nodded his head. "If they ever got smart and pooled their combined resources they would be a formidable force."

"Why haven't they?" Deni questioned.

"The infighting between the Clan leaders." Coren replied. "There are hundreds of clans… perhaps thousands… we don't know for sure because we have never attempted to establish relations with them. All of them with their own ideas of how to do things. Blood Feuds between the clans is a daily occurrence. They do not trust each other. They don't trust anyone for that matter."

"We have encountered them outside the borders of Protectorate space on several different occasions." Dutkne told him. "The encounters usually end up being hostile. They are always claiming territory that either does not belong to them or is considered free space. Thankfully they do not possess the level of technology to stand for very long against any of us. They usually avoid most areas where military ships are active and try to target civilian transports and colonies."

"The Rothryn have conducted several joint operations with the Vanari fleet to punish them for one transgression or another." Dyack said with a nod. "As Dutkne said… their ships are mainly small and underpowered. They can not stand against several cruisers of any kind and when we have met them on the ground, between our forces and the Vanari Cadre Commandos, we quickly destroyed them." Dyack looked across the table at Dutkne. "Dutkne… could these people within your government be passing them information or materials?"

"It's possible… but we've seen no sign of that." Dutkne replied honestly. "Most of our military advancements, weapons and engines, have been localized and compartmentalized as Andro calls it. It is something my grandfather was very adamant about; even more so after he discovered Shiria had given many such technological advances to Andro's branch of our people on Earth. While the Union had Flatspace technology because of the Pralors who settled on Lycavore, they did not implement it with their Shi Viskas until the rebellion began in. Shiria gave this technology to those on Earth, something my grandfather was not happy about when he discovered it. Ever since then we have been brutally protective of any military project we worked on. Very few men and women knew of them while they were being worked on and once they came online fully it was too late to profit from them since the military controlled the access to them." Dutkne looked ta Coren. "It's why you did not discover our engine advancements until just recently."

"Could the Enverr be part of the OSG channels?" Caliria asked. "They may not trust each other but that does not mean they are not working together."

"Nothing outward that we can tell. At least not from the Protectorate end. Just the credit accounts." Dutkne said. "There is no way to be sure though as Caliria says."

"The OSG is more than competent enough not to have to use or associate with the Enverr in any way." Coren said. "However, I suggest all of us begin to discretely look for any possible associations."

Dyack nodded. "I agree Coren." He spoke. "Just to be safe, I will have my people begin a discrete investigation on the Rothryn end. The information that I have reached out to the OSG will find its way to others on Lentani. Those with less than stellar reputations and contacts no doubt."

"This Barnak person you told me of Dyack?" Coren asked him surprising both Caliria and Arduri. Apparently their father and Dyack had exchanged far more information than they had known of.

Dyack nodded. "Yes."

"Will they attempt to use this information against you?" Coren asked.

Dyack met his eyes. "I would." He replied.

Coren nodded his head. "Then we must proceed more quickly and with greater security. I have several contacts within the Vanari Fleets that I trust implicitly. I can give them several communications codes that would allow them to coordinate securely with people you trust Dyack. If these men on your world try to move against you, we will need to get you off your planet quickly under the ruse of some diplomatic mission. At least until the truth is known." He said.

"My son." Dyack spoke. "I will inform Kineto. He commands a medium cruiser that I have used in the past for diplomatic transport. It will not look strange if I need to do this. My brother Loro commands our family's Fleets, but I do not wish to involve him just yet. I need to shield him for the moment until we need him. If we need him."

Coren nodded. "Androcles will be arriving within weeks. Ardan no doubt plans to spring his little trap on him when he is standing before the entire Board of Regents. That is when it will have the most effect. He will place full blame on him for everything."

Caliria glanced at her father. "Papa… they will not try to arrest him will they?" She gasped. "Or Deni before he arrives?"

"That would be a singularly stupid thing to attempt." Dutkne spoke up. "He must know the Protectorate would never allow Deni to be arrested. We would take him offworld before we allowed that."

"But would they attempt it with Androcles?" Dyack asked. "Very few of your Senior Regents saw the transmission we did Coren. They do not know what this young man is capable of. Attempting to arrest him could set off a change of events that might rapidly spiral out of our control."

Coren shook his head. "I don't know. Arden has almost completely ceased speaking with me. I am getting the information from others who are still friendly to me but nothing directly from him."

Deni looked at him. "That could also mean he's trying to put distance between you and him in preparation for some type of move against you."

"Cruor did tell me I would regret shaming him papa. He said he and his father would not let what I did stand." Arduri stated.

"You shamed no one!" Coren snapped. "You acted just as you were suppose to act! Not one thing you did was outside of our established laws. The family contracts were not signed and completed and no transfers took place! Eyon Ahn Vernalo and his son can go right straight to hell! Especially since we know they are involved with this."

Arduri glanced at her sister with a hidden smile in her eyes that only Caliria understood. This was the father both of them had wanted for many years. Now that he had emerged, they were not about to let him go back into hiding. A quick glance to their brother showed that he too felt the same way and no doubt Naesta would be very pleased as well.

Dyack looked up at Deni. "You should increase the security you already have on Coren and the others Denali Leonidas. Arden will not move directly against me because once he discovers my new associations with the OSG he will consider us… friendly. At least to a point."

Deni nodded. "I'll see to it." He said. "What about you?"

"I will be safe for the moment." Dyack spoke. "Barnak may have twisted one of my sons to his way of thinking but not the two who are most important. I can manipulate Anroth for the time being but he is not stupid. He will eventually discover his mother and sisters have gone to Earth and with Barnak's contacts he will discover this false ruse I have established with the OSG and the Eridiani."

"But Kelelm is with your mate and daughters." Dutkne said.

Dyack nodded his head. "He also insured I would be protected when he left." He said. "If I feel the need for more I will come to you Denali. Right now we need for me to nurture this new contact with the OSG until we have the evidence we need to expose them all."

Deni looked at him. "You seem like you are looking forward to this." He said.

Dyack grinned and looked at Coren who was also smiling. "Oh… I haven't had this much fun since I was a young man chasing Aleatia along the streets of our city trying to get her to notice me." He laughed.

"This could get you killed Dyack." Dutkne spoke with a sobering tone.

Dyack chuckled. "You don't know how many males were chasing Aleatia at the time." He answered with a wide smile.

Dutkne and Denali couldn't help but smile. "That sounds like something my father would say." Deni spoke with a grin. "When he has the scent of one or more of my mothers in his head there is very little that will deter him. Most people just stay the hell out of his way until he finds them."

Dyack sat back on the couch. "I truly look forward to meeting your father Denali. And your brother… when he arrives." He said.

Coren nodded. "As do I."

Dyack took a deep breath. "We have our people where they need to be. Coren and I will become the focal points in the very near future. I trust your security will not let any of us down young man?" Dyack said looking at Denali.

Denali smiled as well. "That will never happen." He said.

Dyack nodded. "Then we continue to do what we have been doing and meet back here in one week. Just as we have been." He looked at them. "What we are doing now will effect the futures of all three of our peoples. We need to get this right and bring them all down together. It will not work otherwise."

Coren nodded. "And it needs to be after Arden makes his play when Androcles is before the Board. Then he will be vulnerable and we can present everything at once while the entire Board is in session."

Caliria looked up. "Papa… you do realize what Androcles will do if we don't succeed?" She asked.

Coren looked at her. "I don't follow Caliria."

"Regardless of what Regent Ardan does… if we do not have the information we need by that time, if we can not prove what we are trying to prove… Androcles will sever all ties with the Vanari when Ardan makes his accusations. He will not hesitate for a moment papa." Caliria said. "He will pull all of our trade agreements and contacts with the Protectorate. All will be lost then."

Coren looked at Denali and saw Deni nod. "Caliria is my brother's wife and mate Coren. She has seen inside his thoughts. On this I think we should listen to her."

Coren turned back to his daughter. "Then we will make sure everything is in order when that time comes." He told her. "I promise you."