A SPARTAN'S WAR

EARTH

CRANAE ISLAND

CHANNEL 65 INTERVIEW WITH CROWN PRINCESSES

FEBRUARY 4TH, 1220 HRS, EST

"…ask about the recent events surrounding the unusual birth of the latest Leonidas child. The son Queen Isabella was carrying. There are many reports filtering out now that the young man who has been seen with Prince Androcles these last weeks is this child. Can you comment on this?" Me'alla spoke.

"What would you like me to say?" Sadi asked.

"Is it true?" Me'alla asked her. "This young man is now fully grown and he has been like the Prince's shadow. He has been seen with him in Sparta, at different military bases and at Thermopylae as well. If this is indeed the son that Queen Isabella was carrying, how could he be as old as he is?"

Sadi reached out quickly within Mindvoice to Deia and Gorgo. They were at Deia's office watching the live interview she knew.

[What do I tell her Deia?] Sadi asked them when she connected easily with their MV resonance.

[Tell her the truth.] Deia answered. [It will come out eventually and better we control the how of it.]

[I agree.] Gorgo echoed. [Deia and I can address the questions that will undoubtedly come… but we should not lie.]

Sadi nodded and brought her attention back to Me'alla. "The young man who has been seen with Andro is the child Isabella had been carrying. He is Andro's brother Dorian Leonidas, the son of Martin and Isabella."

Me'alla looked at her with a stunned expression, fumbled with her words for a few seconds and then simply spit out one word.

"How?" She gasped.

Sadi smiled at her reaction and then turned to Carisia. "Enylarcopri… would you care to answer this? You know more about the situation and could better explain it."

Carisia nodded. "Queen Isabella became inflicted with a very rare condition for vampire females who are pregnant. I won't try to explain the details, Eliani or Queen Anja would be better suited for that, but essentially this condition… this disease… it breaks down the womb of a vampire female until she can no longer provide for the child she carries. It is a hereditary disease carried within the male gene and passed to the female children. It is extremely rare, but in every case it is fatal for the infant. At least until now."

Me'alla blinked several times. "How… how was… how was Dorian saved if it is always fatal for the infant?"

Sadi leaned forward now. "Dorian was given an accelerated growth hormone while still within the womb. Queen Anja and her sisters, combined with Eurin were able to determine a procedure that would allow Dorian to be born before her womb failed. It… it was an untested theory, but they had to try. It worked… and Dorian joined us a month before Isabella's womb would have been unable to sustain him longer. The serum they used was active even after he was born and did not fully run its course until he appears as he is now. He's quite handsome don't you think?" Sadi added with a smile.

"Yes… yes he is." Me'alla blurted out before thinking. "But… but how… how could his mind develop at such an accelerated rate?" Me'alla asked. "Is he…?"

Sadi shook her head. "How do I explain this… just before he was born Dorian… Dorian experienced something similar to what happen with Androcles." She said. "I don't know the entirety of it, nor the more technical aspects, but Dorian bonded with a dragon while still within Isabella's womb. Very much like Andro did. Because of this and the connection Bonded Pairs have with each other, his mind was protected. Actually stimulated would be a better word I think. Ryner… his Bonded Brother now… Ryner wrapped Dorian's mind in a cocoon that was augmented by the Dragon Elder Mother's abilities. Even as his body grew, so did his mind within that cocoon. His Bonded Brother shared everything of his life with him as Pairs usually do, and the Elder Mother added her own resonance to that, reinforcing it. Dorian is just as cognizant as any adult his age; he even was able to master Conceptual Dynamic Engineering thanks to the Elder Mother. A class I will admit I did not do well in at the Academy."

Me'alla looked at her amazed. "This… this is amazing." She gasped. "Then he is…"

Sadi nodded. "He is a very normal twenty-four year old man… yes. And very smart I might add." She said. "He and Ryner have been training with Andro and Elynth since his growth stopped and he's made amazing strides. He's rarely been away from his brother. Everyone has noticed that he is a voracious learner and being around Andro so much has tempered his normal youthful urges somewhat. Though being around Andro and Elynth have also made him and Ryner more prone to doing wild things when flying. I dare say he is almost as skilled as Lisisa or Denali in many respects. And he has a very large sense of humor." She finished that statement with a happy smile. "He was having dinner with us just last week and…"

There were billions of citizens of the Union watching the interview with the Crown Princesses with great interest and enjoyment. One citizen however had stopped what she was doing the moment Dorian's name was mentioned.

Sheva Juconi was in the Durcunusaan Control Center of the villa coordinating the last transports as they left Earth and were taken in by the ships in orbit. Sheva had not wanted to be assigned to the newborn Dorian Leonidas as his Durcunusaan Captain, for she thought using Kavalian technology to accelerate his birth after all they had done was wrong and Sheva felt she deserved the better posting as Isabella's Captain. She kept her other reasons to herself, revealing them to no one. Jomann and Isabella had insisted however and Sheva finally relented. Sheva had been there, seen all that Sadi Leonidas was telling the elf female, but she still did not believe it. Her mind could not grasp that what she was saying could happen. Jomann had sent her to a restructured class for Detail Heads, a six month course crammed into four weeks and taught by General Vengal himself. She had been away since the second day after Dorian's birth and had not had the chance to get to know him at all except for a few times they were on Earth and he was training with his brother. This really did not matter to her because she viewed him as a child in many ways, but Sheva could also not help the feelings she had when looking at him.

Sheva may have been more than three hundred years his senior, but she could not deny being drawn to him physically. She had seen him training in the mornings with Androcles and the definition of his muscular body was almost beyond belief. It matched his brother in every way, though he was slightly less burly than Andro in some ways. His short dark hair was jet black in color and his dual colored eyes were almost surreal to look at. That she found him so physically attracting conflicted with her mind telling her he was still just a child regardless of what Jomann and others told her. They knew she did not want this posting, that she would rather be assigned to Isabella as she originally was, but for some reason they would not reassign her. Jomann had promised to reassigned her once Dorian was more established and Sheva accepted that knowing he would not lie to her. Now she was just biding her time until Jomann made the switch and she was sent to be with Isabella.

Now… at the first mention of his name by Sadi, her full attention went to the monitor. The things Sadi was saying could not be true could they? Sheva knew Mindvoice existed; she was even able to use it herself on a limited level. She would normally be rated as a high Tier Four or a Category Twelve using the new measuring chart. Her fighting skills and intelligence are what had gotten her a slot within the Durcunusaan even though she was barely over five feet two in height and a hundred and five pounds. She had beaten men quite larger than her in combat training and this had gotten her noticed. Sheva could use Mindvoice if needed, but she did not truly believe or comprehend how this power could be manifested into the physical realm even though she had seen it used by Androcles. It was something she struggled with daily, and her obvious physical attraction to Dorian Leonidas was not making things any easier. She did not know what it was about him that pulled at her, but it was uncomfortable to say the least. She had not taken a lover into her bed in almost a decade now and she knew this was also having an effect on her. Though Sheva lived and worked among them daily and had many friends who were Lycavorian or even half breeds, she had never once considered taking a non-pureblood vampire or other species to bed. Sheva's adopted parents, an older pureblood vampire couple that had taken her in when she was an infant because her parents had been lost in a transport accident; they had never been able to understand the feelings within her as she grew. Sheva cared for them deeply, but they were not her real parents and they never would be in her eyes.

Sheva blinked several times as her Durcunusaan COM unit began to chirp madly on her belt. She reached down and touched the small console and felt her ear implant come alive.

"Juconi." She stated evenly.

"Sheva… move to the main villa." Jomann's voice ordered her. "We are ending the interview they are giving. We need to leave within the next hour."

Sheva's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"We just received an insystem report from the ship bringing Lisisa and the Rothryn delegation back to Earth." Jomann explained. "They diverted their course and went to assist Andro. When they arrived Andro was readying his forces to attack a Puma Bane encampment. Apparently they have begun killing civilians. We need to move! Now!"

Sheva was rising to her feet. "I told you it was a bad idea to let them go." She hissed.

"Just get to the main villa and I'll meet you there!" Jomann snapped.

"I'm moving." Sheva spoke.

"…you comment on what exactly the King and Queens are doing? Or perhaps where they are for that matter? By all accounts they have simply disappeared from Union space. No one has seen them in the nearly six weeks since Queen For'mya's rescue."

"They are doing what they have always done." Sadi answered. "Insuring the future and prosperity of our Union."

"Yet no one has seen or heard from them for six weeks." Me'alla spoke. "Can you say where they are or what they are doing?"

Sadi shook her head. "No."

"Does anyone know?" Me'alla pressed.

Sadi nodded. "Andro and a few others yes. We can not reveal…" Sadi stopped talking when she felt Jomann and Sheva enter the patio area and all of them turn to look at him. Sadi rose to her feet quickly, as did Ne'Veha and the others. "Jomann?" She asked softly as he whispered to Aeqea and Kynthia.

Jomann moved up in front of her and looked at Me'alla. "I'm sorry… but we are going to have to cut this interview short. Something has come up that requires the attentions of the Princesses." He spoke calmly and evenly.

Me'alla rose to her feet. "May I ask what that is?" She questioned him.

Jomann ignored her and looked at Sadi. [We need to go.] He stated within Mindvoice to all of them.

[Jomann… what is wrong?] Lu'ria asked moving closer.

[It's Andro!] Sadi exclaimed as she lowered her MV shields from the high state she always held them in and for the first time she felt her beloved Andro's Mindvoice resonance and the mishmash of emotions that were coursing through him. She glanced at Ne'Veha and the others as they too felt it now and turned back to Jomann. [What is happening Jomann?] She demanded.

[I will explain on the way.] Jomann told her. [Right now we need to leave. General Vengal is briefing Deia and Gorgo. He will join us in orbit when he is finished.]

Me'alla stepped closer. "Princess Sadi what is happening?" She asked.

Sadi looked at her. "If you will excuse us Me'alla, we need to end this interview now. I'm sorry."

"Can you tell us what is happening?" Me'alla asked excitedly.

"No… I'm sorry." Sadi spoke moving past Jomann as his hand guided her and the others towards the door.

Me'alla attempted to step forward and Jomann imposed his bulk in front of her. "You should begin gathering your things. Another one of my officers will escort you out."

Me'alla glanced over his shoulder. "Princess Sadi… this is the perfect time to show how open Prince Androcles truly is!" She almost shouted. "Whatever it is that is happening… this is where trust is forged!"

Sadi stopped and turned her body to look at Me'alla. "We… we have trusted before Me'alla and the Netnews has not been very grateful."

"I am not them!" Me'alla exclaimed moving closer. "I have no political agenda! If I did you would not have allowed me to do this interview! I am not a fool Princess! I know there are many things we can not know as a people… yet there is much I could show our citizens. The bravery of our men. The thinking of our Prince. These are what our people want to see. What they want to know!"

Sadi stared at her for a long moment before her gaze went to where Ne'Veha, Carisia and Lu'ria stood. Ne'Veha simply shrugged her slim shoulders while Carisia and Lu'ria shared a quick glance before both of them nodded. Me'alla was right and perhaps it was time. Sadi turned back to her. "Very well." She stated.

"Princess…" Jomann began to protest but he saw the set of Sadi's jaw and stopped himself. "She will answer to Dilaen and no other! Her broadcasts will be monitored and also recorded."

Sadi looked at her. "Jomann is Andro's Captain. It is his rules or you don't go further." She spoke.

Me'alla nodded instantly. "Yes… of course." She said with wide eyes not really believing this was happening.

"Enough!" Jomann spat. "We have wasted enough time! We're leaving!"

Sadi glanced at where Eliani and Brendi sat on the bench of the new STRIKER DT Mark II Variant as she moved up the ramp. Zarah and Lucia sat opposite them quietly. As she felt the ship begin to lift into the sky she turned and looked at Jomann.

"Jomann… you will tell us what is going on right now!" She snapped as Ne'Veha and the others moved up around her. "There is a reason Andro does not lower his shields and why he demands we keep ours up as well! But it is not so we are the last ones to discover he is agitated and angry!"

Jomann took a deep breath. "I have not spoken to him directly Sadi." He answered. "But I know why he has done it."

"Well?" Carisia snapped.

"Had you discovered what was happening before now you would have wanted to depart Earth immediately. Before we were ready." Jomann answered her. "All of you would have wanted to leave and dismiss what we have done in the last few hours. Andro didn't want that."

"What is happening Jomann?" Ne'Veha asked. "This mission he and Dorian went on to Solmar was supposed to be routine."

Jomann nodded. "And it was… right up until the Kavalians decided they wanted Solmar as a forward base and invaded."

"Invaded?" Sadi gasped. "Son vada carians!"

"The SCIMITAR's Strike Wing has already departed." Jomann told them quickly. "The Durcunusaan Reactionary Division is already loaded with the Human 82nd Cataphract Division. We will join with the WASP-Assault Transport Carrier KINDRED SOUL and then rendezvous with the SCIMITAR and her Wing and continue on to Solmar." He reached out and took Sadi's arm. "He has the Spartan company from the SCIMITAR with him and from what I understand Lisisa and the company with her has now joined with him. She apparently intercepted the transmission from Sa'sur and moved to his location."

"Lisi?" Carisia asked. "She was escorting the Rothryn delegation to Earth."

Jomann nodded. "She was." He spoke. "A secure transmission came from Captain Lunerr and he let us know what they were doing."

"You should have told us!" Sadi gasped.

Jomann squeezed her arm. "I should have… yes." He stated plainly. "But having you and Ne'Veha and Carisia and Lu'ria charging off into the unknown would have only made things worse and you know it Sadi."

Sadi met his eyes and nodded her head after a long moment. "You… you are right." She said softly.

"I imagine the four of you will want to prepare for the support mission." Jomann said. "General Vengal will be waiting for you on the KINDRED SOUL. We should arrive at Solmar in a little more than twenty-four hours."

Sadi nodded. "Yes. Of course." She said softly.

"Zarah and Lucia have a rundown of what Andro has with him right now." Jomann said. "You know Andro Sadi. All of you do. You know what he will do and what drives him. Do not let your concern for him override what you know of your mate."

Sadi turned as Zarah's hand touched her arm. "Come Sadi." Zarah spoke. "Lucia and I will brief all of you." She said.

Jomann watched as Zarah drew them over to where Lucia sat and they huddled together around the small chart table. He looked at where Me'alla sat with her crew and was staring at him wide eyed. He stepped over to her. "You have heard things that could very well get many people killed if it becomes common knowledge before we are ready. Your reports to your office will be filtered heavily until we have arrived and know what is going on."

Me'alla nodded quickly. "I understand." She said. "I will not betray the trust Princess Sadi and the others have put in me."

"Good. The punishment for doing so would not be pleasant in the least." He spoke firmly. "I will have one of my people get you situated when we board the KINDRED SOUL and Dilaen can take those duties when we arrive on the SCIMITAR." He told her. "For now… stay seated and do not press others for information. There will be plenty coming your way when this thing kicks off."

Jomann turned toward the rear of the STRIKER and moved up beside where Sheva stood watching him. "Bringing them was a bad idea Jomann." Sheva spoke motioning discretely to Me'alla and her crew.

"I don't disagree." Jomann told her. "But Sadi made the decision and it is done."

"We should not have let them go on this mission!" Sheva spat. "He is no where skilled enough to be operating with Prince Androcles! I told you this!"

Jomann focused his blue eyes on her. "I know you resent being assigned to Dorian, it shows in your attitude towards him every moment of the day… but you need to get over it!" He hissed.

"I don't resent it!" Sheva snapped softly.

Jomann moved closer to her. "Yes you do." He stated. "I don't know where these feelings come from Sheva, but as Durcunusaan we go where we are assigned. That is our oath. I have seen you with him since your return and you treat him as if he is some child with no intelligence or mind of his own. Believe in your mind what you will… but do not allow that to influence the way you treat him. Dorian Leonidas is far more skilled than you give him credit for. You have only been back a week and you have only been around him twice in that time. You know nothing about him or who he has become. I suggest you learn that first… for if your attitude continues I will recommend to Androcles that you be reassigned to the Durcunusaan Command Center on Apo Prime permanently. Is that understood?"

Sheva met his eyes knowing that he would do exactly what he said. Jomann had already done something similar to two other Durcunusaan troops who he felt were detrimental to the Prince's detail. Being assigned to the Command Center on Apo Prime was a sure way to have your career come to an undignified end. The men and women guarding the Command Center there were older Durcunusaan who had held the positions for decades. They were ruthless to those assigned there as a disciplinary measure for they took the protection of the Command Center and Royal Estate as some sacred duty only they could perform. Most who were assigned their for one infraction or another eventually quit the Durcunusaan and returned to their normal field units for they could not take it. It held a very negative stigma to it. Sheva nodded her head.

"Yes." She finally said.

Jomann nodded. "Good. I won't mention it again as long as you don't give me cause." He told her. "Queen Isabella saw something in you Sheva… that is why she requested you become part of her detail those months ago. Do not disappoint her." Jomann shifted his 190A4. "You and I are now the senior members of this detail. Aeqea and the others will look to us. I did that for a reason as well." Sheva looked at him with surprised light green eyes and Jomann smiled. "You think I supported the Queen's decision to keep you as Dorian's Captain because you are a woman? You know battle, just as I do, and your influence will help those who head the details of the Princesses. Don't think for a moment that I don't trust your skills Sheva Juconi."

Jomann had never told her this before and despite herself Sheva felt a swell of pride within her chest. "Thank you Jomann." She said finally.

Jomann nodded. "We will be moving quickly when we arrive on the KINDRED SOUL. Keep them focused on their duties… and for nubous sake… make sure they don't allow the Princesses to kill the witch."

Sheva looked at him puzzled. "Witch? What are you talking about?"

"I don't know how it came about… the general will probably tell us when we get aboard but the good Senator Ulana somehow manipulated her way into coming with us." Jomann said.

"That elg'caress!" Sheva gasped. "How?"

Jomann shrugged his broad shoulder. "I don't know. Just make sure they keep Sadi and the others from killing her."

Sheva met his eyes. "Is that even possible?" She asked.

Jomann smiled. "That's your job." He stated. "If it was up to me… I'd vent her out the nearest airlock. Welcome to the Durcunusaan Sheva."