A SPARTAN'S WAR

Andro watched as Dantio and the others got the Bontawillian, elf and human civilians that remained from the settlement lined up and moving out of the sundered settlement gates heading north. They were moving quickly and efficiently as was the normal way for most Bontawillian people. All of them were clearly overjoyed to be free and Sehri and Kelelm had seen the looks of adoration given to Andro as the men and women passed him. Kelelm was not about to let his sister remain behind and they now sat together on the half ton chunk of concrete that had been part of the door before Andro had used his power to blow it open. Kelelm was watching him intently for clearly military purposes, Andro's helmet once more on his head and hiding most of his features. The matte black helmet had a long plume of multi colored hair that fell back between his shoulder blades and was unlike anything Kelelm had seen before. The golden eyed dragon with open maw on the front of the helmet was very intimidating. That this normal armor could, in mere milliseconds, be covered in glimmering Dragon Armor did not escape Kelelm in the least. The powerful aura of command that surrounded this young man was there for all to see and feel and only those too dense to know their own name would miss it. That he was so young did not faze the much older Lycavorian Spartans that moved back and forth among the soldiers. He conferred several times with both the Lycavorian Dantio as well as the taller Daio. He also saw him make odd motions and signals with his hands towards different Union soldiers at different times. They would only nod and move off to conduct something that Kelelm would not see. The KADEN had taken nearly three hundred of the civilians aboard, almost thirty percent over her gross operating safety weight. Andro had trusted the human pilot when she said she could do it, and the ship had cleared the tree tops as it made its way north towards the ocean where it would cross the ninety kilometers of open water to their base on the southern continent. The STRIKER was fully loaded as well, and waiting for his signal to lift off.

Sehri simply trembled and stared at him with newly discovered emotions and sensations surging through her. Through him Sehri could feel Sadi and the others growing stronger by the moment. They were getting closer she knew, but still hours away, yet that did not keep them from reaching for her and embracing her within their Etheric resonance as well. And everything around her was becoming so much clearer and focused as they drew closer. Her glaucous blue eyes never left Andro as he paced back and forth two meters away, stealing glances at her while issuing orders to his men. Sehri was also intelligent enough to know who Eotharon and the two other Durcunusaan soldiers who knelt discretely to the side were. They were there to protect her. Sehri remembered the greeting between Andro and Lisisa. He had swept his sister up in his arms and hugged her tightly, all the while scolding her for doing something so stupid as to come here. Sehri had watched and listened within Mindvoice as Elynth scolded her younger but much larger brother, all the while checking him for possible injuries and finally brushing her snout against his affectionately. Sehri noticed for the first time that Lisisa wore a similar helmet to Andro, though the plume was nowhere near as long, and it was missing the dragon face in the front. The pain in her side was nearly gone between the medical patch and her own remarkable healing system and the throbbing in her leg was an afterthought now.

She and Kelelm had watched him speak to the Kavalian officer on the portable monitor that had been set up and give his instructions. Now it was only a matter of waiting until the Kavalian Commander replied. Sehri watched him reach up and remove his helmet as he turned to them and he crossed the distance to them in a dozen steps before squatting in front of her. His hand came up and she could feel the warmth of his body through the leather like ArmorPly that covered his palm as he stroked her cheek with his fingers. Sehri reached up quickly and placed her hand over his holding his fingers in place.

"The pain is almost gone?" He asked softly taking off his helmet.

Sehri nodded her head. "Yes. So is the throbbing. I told you that." She said with a smile.

Kelelm looked back and forth between them. "You told him… Sehri… you have been sitting here with me the whole time. How…" He stopped and saw his youngest sister look at him with an odd gaze. Kelelm glanced at Andro and then back to her. "Ahhh… I understand now." He said.

Andro looked at Kelelm. "This is… this is not something any of us expected Kelelm." Andro spoke.

"You mean you and your other wives and mates?" Kelelm asked.

Andro nodded. "It is as much a surprise to us as it is to Sehri. Especially the intensity of it." He answered. "Part of it is her fever yes, but the majority of it is something else within all of us. It pushes Sehri's fever to the back."

Kelelm looked at him. "I have to say… first meeting your brother on Austrova… now you here in the middle of a war…" Kelelm shook his head with a smile. "This is not how my father and mother envisioned it."

"I can safely say it is not exactly what I had in mind either." Andro replied.

Kelelm looked at him. "Why do this?" He asked. "Why make yourself a target. Is it not easier to simply leave?"

Andro nodded. "Yes. In doing that however, I leave these people to the mercies of the Kavalians. You have seen the bodies and the condition of the survivors. The Kavalians that we killed lined up over fifteen hundred innocents and butchered them because they would not fit in the main auditorium in the center of the settlement. Men, women and even children." Andro shrugged his broad shoulders. "That was the only reason. These dead Puma Bane soldiers you see all around us… they are the Kavalian Shock Troopers… totally committed and loyal to their leader Keleru. They will kill everything in their path to accomplish their goals. Securing this planet was their goal and they massacred thousands of innocents to do so. What makes you think any survivors would be treated differently."

"But you are… you are the Crown Prince of your people!" Kelelm stated. "You are risking your own life!"

Andro chuckled. "Yes I am." He stated. "And I'm also known to have a few screws loose as well."

Kelelm looked at Sehri quickly and saw her smile. "Screws loose?" He asked. "What does that mean?"

"Andro!" Sa'roh called out to him from the portable COM unit. "They are answering!"

Andro smiled wider. "It's a nice way of saying that I tend to do rather crazy things." He answered before kissing Sehri firmly and then rising to his feet, returning his helmet to his head. "Things that drive others malda as well." He looked at Sa'roh as he came up to her. "The instant I end this, you are airborne."

Sa'roh nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice." She said.

Andro nodded and touched the inside of his left wrist activating the Dragon Armor. It took exactly four seconds for the pliable plates of Dragon Armor to extend and conform to his body over the top of the ArmorPly Mark V uniform, making him a very imposing figure. "Activate it!"

KAVALIAN FIELD HQ

SOUTHERN SETTLEMENT

Azlenr moved into his communications center, Byka taking up a position to his right at an COM panel. As Robaran was pushed roughly to his knees on the left, the main door opened and Marsin made his entrance. He glanced darkly at where two of Azlenr's men stood on either side of the Union vampire prisoner and then back to Azlenr.

"General…" Marsin stated. "I was told we are receiving a communications from the so called terrorist leader!" He hissed.

Azlenr nodded his head. "I was just about to reply to him." He stated. "He claims they have destroyed the northern settlement and killed all of your men."

"Impossible." Marsin snapped. "A handful of civilian insurgents do not stand a chance against my men!"

Azlenr shook his head in disgust and looked at Byka. "Byka?"

"I have gunships standing by." He spoke. "And a light armor company moving to the northern settlement as we speak. They should arrive in twenty-seven minutes."

"Send the gunships!" Marsin snapped.

"We have a limited number of DAGGERS Major… most of them still reside on our ships in orbit and I will not send them into the unknown." Azlenr answered. "Let us see this rebel leader. Activate the COM link."

The Kavalian COM officer nodded his head and adjusted his controls. The holographic image exploded into existence in the room and it was not the image of a Bontawillian or elven civilian. They were looking at a fully armored Lycavorian Union Spartan staring at the transmitter from under the helmet. Only his eyes and small portions of his skin were visible with his lips, the rest covered in crimson streaked gold Dragon Armor. The crimson coloring decorated his shoulders and chest and had to be some sort of rank insignia if Azlenr was any judge. They could see very little behind the Lycavorian as the window of the holo signal was being kept very small on the other end.

Azlenr kept his eyes on the image as he issued orders. "Get me an identity from our data banks, though I doubt we will find one if this is just a common Durcunusaan soldier!" He hissed. "Trace the COM signal and direct the ground forces accordingly Byka! Activate audio as well."

"General… you aren't actually going to talk to this terrorist are you?" Marsin gasped.

Azlenr didn't meet his eyes. "Yes I am." He spoke. "It will buy time for our ground forces to get there."

"We should just send our gunships!" Marsin declared.

Azlenr looked at him now. "We are receiving no response from your men Major!" He hissed. "No outgoing transmissions and no answers to our calls! I'm not going to risk what few gunships we have in an unknown situation! Especially if they have wiped out your men!"

"I refuse to believe that!" Marsin snarled.

"Keep thinking that Major." Azlenr spoke dismissing him as he turned to face the image. "Activate audio now!"

"Active General." The COM Officer spoke.

Azlenr stepped closer to the holo projection. "To whom am I speaking?" Azlenr spoke firmly.

"Who I am does not matter." Andro answered him. "What I am going to tell you does... General Azlenr'Macoe."

Azlenr looked surprised at this and it showed in his expression. He looked around quickly and then back to the image. "You have me at a disadvantage." He spoke finally.

"Yeah… it's been like that for a day or so now hasn't it." Andro answered flippantly. "A pity for the men you have lost but they were nothing more than the murderers of innocents and they deserved their fate."

"Those were my men!" Marsin screamed moving into the cone of the transmission now. "And you will pay for their deaths!"

"Ah… you must Major Marsin'Jiate. The local Puma Bane butcher." Andro spat with contempt and once more surprising Azlenr with his knowledge. "You men are not so skilled or adept when they are facing men and women who can defend themselves. They did not put up much of a fight to be honest. I thought there would be more to them."

Marsin hissed in hatred. "We will see who is laughing in the end when I have you under my blade Lycavorian dog!" He snarled. "You will…"

"Enough!" Azlenr barked shoving Marsin back. He looked at Andro. "You know who we are… so I will assume you are not some civilian insurgency cobbled together from those who escaped when we took the settlements. You were obviously soldiers here for rest and relaxation when we began our assault. Just like the man we now hold I would gather. Surrender yourself and your men to me and there will be no more death."

"General!" Marsin hissed in shock.

"Silence!" Azlenr snapped at him as they heard Andro chuckle from the transmission. Azlenr looked at him with angry eyes. "You risk the lives of your men and every Union citizen on this planet with your disregard!" He barked at Andro.

"You think I contacted you to negotiate my surrender?" Andro asked calmly. "You presume much Kavalian."

"Why else would you contact me?" Azlenr demanded. "You have obviously cracked our COM codes to be able to contact me on our own channels. Why do that unless you plan to surrender?"

Andro shook his head slowly. "Spartans do not surrender General Azlenr." He spoke calmly. "It is against the code of honor that we follow. You do know what honor is don't you?"

"Honor?" Marsin rasped with a smirk. "I will show you your honor! I will find you!" He growled. "I will find you and you will pay!"

"Enough Major!" Azlenr shouted. "You will remain silent or I will have you removed!"

Andro shook his head once more. "You are a putrid excuse for a man Marsin'Jiate." He spoke. "You know nothing of honor! I would be surprised to discover that you can even spell that word. You butcher innocent men, women and children even as they beg you for their very lives!" Andro was looking directly at the transmitter on his end of the communication. "You will not leave this world alive Major Marsin'Jiate. I will spread your remains among the dirt of the world you have violated so!"

Azlenr stared at the holoimage. "You contacted us! Do not waste my time any longer unless you have something to say!" He said angrily growing tired of the games.

"Oh… I have something to say." Andro spoke as he lifted his hands and grasped his helmet. They watched as he removed the helmet slowly, revealing his face.

The gasps from within the room were very obvious and Byka hissed loudest of all with wide eyes. "Fuck!" He rasped quietly. "It's the Lycavorian Prince! It's the son!"

Azlenr was the only one who did not show a great deal of emotion as he stared at Andro. "Prince Androcles Leonidas." He finally stated calmly. "This… this is a surprise."

"You are holding over ten thousand Union citizens against their will. I want them loaded aboard one of your ships and removed from this planet. I will grant that ship access to return to Bontawillian space." Andro stated. "I want this done in the next twelve hours."

Azlenr chuckled softly. "You will grant access? I control this planet now Prince Androcles. I control this planet and the space it resides in."

Andro smiled. "There is an old saying on Earth General Azlenr… Don't count your birds before they hatch." Andro said. "Do not be so secure in the position you now hold. The civilians on this planet are innocent settlers and scientists. You have already killed several thousand of them. I will not allow you to take any more of their lives."

"We are at war Prince Androcles. A war you started with your actions." Azlenr answered calmly.

Andro's head tilted to the side and his eyes narrowed. "Members of your Puma Bane Commandos infiltrated my homeworld! My father's city!" He snarled. "Your people kidnapped my second elven mother after you thought you had succeeded in killing my father! Then my perverted uncle raped her! He took her against her will!" He roared angrily as the images of what had happened that he had gotten from Fedor and Eirene flashed in his mind. "A crime I will make all of you pay for even as my father makes my uncle pay! Your sick Puma Bane commandos blew up a building with over a thousand innocent men, women and children. Two hundred and forty-three children to be exact! Children who will now never have the chance to grow old! Who…!"

"I will not listen to these lies boy!" Azlenr snapped. "You were training High Coven dragons to fight my people! We needed to act in order to protect ourselves!"

"By killing children?" Andro gasped.

"That is a lie!" Azlenr snarled. "Enough of this! I will spar with you no more! Surrender yourself to me and we can end this war before it even begins!"

Azlenr and the others couldn't help but take an involuntary step away from the holo image when Andro's eyes suddenly flared brightly and almost began to glow that azure blue color. "This war… this war began the day your leaders made the mistake of trying to kill my father!" Andro snarled. "This war began the day you made the decision to lay your hands upon my elven mother's person and defile her as you have! Lie to yourself and your men General… but do not lie to me about the truth!" Andro moved closer to the transmitter. "You have Union citizens you are holding against their will… give them a ship and allow them to leave. Then we can battle as two armies and victory will go to the better of us."

"I have two divisions of Kavalian troops already on the ground!" Azlenr snapped. "You cannot possibly hope to match my numbers. We will find you!"

Those glowing eyes blinked and Andro nodded. "I have six hundred… give or take a few dozen." He answered with a shrug. "We have you outnumbered."

Azlenr blinked in shocked his face locked in an expression of disbelief. "Are you mad?" He barked finally.

"Since you have no intention of releasing those Union Citizens that you hold, I will say this." Andro spoke. "For every Union citizen that dies by your hand or the hand of any man under your command I will kill ten of your soldiers. You executed fifty-three Union civilians only hours ago… the five hundred and nineteen Puma Bane troops you had here at the northern settlement makes us even. Ten of your men for every civilian life you take General Azlenr. That is my oath to you. My math is excellent General, eventually I will get to you by simple process of elimination. You will run out of men willing to defend you."

"You arrogant…" Azlenr began to shout.

"You may come collect the bodies of your men." Andro told him. "You will find we are much more civilized than you." Andro's glowing eyes turned to look at Marsin. He bared his dual fangs which were now fully extended. "Marsin'Jiate…" He growled. "Enjoy your last days in this life you foul excuse for a man, for when I find you, I will take your head and mount it on my spear. Then I will put it on display for the crimes and dishonor you have committed against the Bontawillian people! You… mister big bad Puma Bane cock breath leader… you will suffer for every innocent life you have taken or caused harm. I will see to that myself."

"I will kill you!" Marsin screamed. "I will kill you boy!"

Andro almost smiled at him. "Yes, I'm sure you would like too. As my father would say however… get in line motherfucker!" Andro turned back to Azlenr. "Say good bye to your armored column General. It is right now coming into range of my weapons. This will be your only warning General Azlenr'Macoe and the only time we will talk. You have had your chance, I do not give second chances. By the time you get someone else here, we will be gone and then this war will have truly begun." Andro turned to someone outside their cone of vision on the Kavalian end. "STGs!" He barked. "Destroy the column!"

Andro turned back and looked at Azlenr. "Welcome to my war General." He stated. "You should have stayed home."