Wolves and Dragons of the Blood: True Beginnings

-I am far more advanced than any cyborg you could possibly comprehend. I am a fully autonomous entity with the ability to adapt and grow in my knowledge and abilities. As all Avatar units for the City Ships were-

Aikiro stepped back now and looked at Martin. "This is a change Martin Leonidas." She said. "To bring the source of all your latest technological advancements to a meeting with me? I thought perhaps you might be a little more security conscious where it concerns such a treasure as this."

Martin chuckled. "You would think that wouldn't you?" He said. "But then again, you also had a hunch that Avi existed, or at the very least something similar to him. And you knew he would come to a meeting like this."

Aikiro moved back to her chair. "A meeting ... a meeting like what Martin Leonidas?" She asked arrogantly sitting down. "You still have not told me why we are here."

"No ... I don't suppose I have." Martin said reaching to the panel on the table. "Niob!" He barked as he touched the panel twice. In the blink of an eye half a dozen vampire Drow scouts unwrapped the shadows from around their bodies led by Lynwe herself. Moran and Tesand suddenly found themselves pulled none too kindly from their chairs and slammed into the wall behind them bladed weapons pressed to their very surprised throats. Lynwe had stepped right up to Julie even as she was beginning to react. As Julie began to call the shadows around her Lynwe slammed her against the wall and jammed the curved blade of the R4 Hybrid under her chin. Julie's eyes went wide as the gathering shadows spilled away and she heard the heavy grunt of Thast being body slammed to the floor by the much smaller Drow female.

Lynwe leaned close to Julie's face. "Do not make the mistake of thinking you can escape clone." She snarled. "That would be a very painful assumption for you to make."

"What is the meaning of this?" Aikiro shouted as she came to her feet. "We have done everything you asked of us!"

Yuri remained in her chair, her dark eyes glaring daggers at Isabella who sat with a bland expression. "This is where we are assassinated mother." Yuri snarled never breaking eye contact with Isabella.

They heard the soft chuckle as Martin got to his feet and took the data pad that Walter held out to him. He moved down the side of the table towards where Aikiro sat his eyes on Yuri. "If I had wanted you dead Yuri ... I would have had Andro do it a long time ago." Martin spoke softly. "You haven't seen the half of what my son and Elynth are capable of together and having them on your bad side is perhaps the worst possible position to be in. They are as relentless and unforgiving as the Colmarian Plaque."

"I asked you a question!" Aikiro snarled angrily cutting off Yuri's retort. "What is the meaning of this?" Aikiro demanded glaring at him.

"You know Aikiro ... you will find I am a very tolerant man." Martin spoke turning back to look at her. "Just ask your daughter ... I put up with her for two whole years. What I can not abide is a liar. I will give you one more opportunity Aikiro. And only one. If I don't like what you tell me, then all bets are off and I will take your dragons from you and kick you out of Union space to fend for yourselves."

"What are you babbling about?" Aikiro demanded. "I have no idea what you are talking about!"

Martin set the data pad in front of her. "Don't you?" He asked leaning against the edge of the table next to where she stood. "Perhaps you can explain this then?"

Aikiro looked at the pad and picked it up from the table and began reading. Her dark eyes began to grow wider the more she read and she looked up to stare across the room. "Then it ... it does exist." She spoke finally in a low voice. "I ... I wasn't sure if it did or not."

Martin stood back up and headed back to his chair. "I suggest that you start talking now Aikiro." He said as he sat down. "I'm not in a particularly good mood right at this moment when it comes to you and the High Coven and for you to yank my chain anymore would not be in your best interests."

Aikiro lifted her eyes from the pad and looked at him. She glanced at Avi behind him for a long moment and then back to Martin. "I did not know for sure." She stated finally. "It was discovered during a routine patrol of this section of Kavalian space at the end of our last period of open conflict. We knew this base on Uirmeik existed and wanted intelligence on it. The ship we sent to conduct the reconnaissance on it also picked up this unknown power source. It was dismissed as a natural phenomenon at first, until I saw it in a review of field reports some five months later. By then ... by then the Kavalians had turned this world into a fortified garrison with massive amounts of troops and ships. We could not get back into the area undetected. As much as it pains me to admit Martin Leonidas ... the advances you have made because of your Mindvoice ship have enabled you to make your Shrouds function much more efficiently than ours."

"The intelligence you gave us was contrived!" Martin snapped.

"It was not!" Aikiro barked back. "The troops are there! We detected them and confirmed it with our agents within the Kavalian military!"

"Not in the numbers that your intelligence told us!" Martin spoke.

"The intelligence we gave you is thirteen months old!" Moran popped now from his spot against the wall. He glanced quickly at the male Drow who pressed his Shukur tighter to his neck.

"You will address King Leonidas with respect dog!" He spat viciously. "Or I will remove your ability to speak permanently."

Moran glared at the Drow for a moment before looking at Martin once more. "We have not been able to get a ship into that area of space for some time! The Kavalians are massing on our borders near Lycavore and Diela Luavor! That is where we think their next attack will come from! At least into High Coven space."

"When our agents confirmed that Uirmeik was now a staging base of some sort for a possible attack into Union space I thought the Kavalians had gone mad. They could not possibly hope to open a second front with the Union and defeat us both." Aikiro spoke quickly meeting Martin's eyes. "At least that was what I thought until I factored in that they might be aware of this ship and somehow have gained use of it."

-Given all data gathered to this point on the Kavalian species to date ... we have seen no indication of any such advancement that may involve technology derived from this ship- Avi spoke now.

"I did not know that!" Aikiro exclaimed angrily. "And given the fact that neither of us detected the advances they had made twenty-five years ago when they invaded the Coven, I was not willing to take that chance!"

"So you get us involved?" Martin asked.

"We have not fought an engagement in nearly a quarter century!" Aikiro snapped. "You have had your ship for that entire time! You have made both military and civilian advances with the technology you have been able to use." She looked at Avi. "Probably more than we are even aware of if he is any indication! I was not willing to risk an undiscovered Mindvoice ship being discovered by a race that wants to destroy me and my people! The one thing I knew about you was that you would not use this technology to conquer! Your ridiculous sensibilities would not allow you to do that. The Kavalian dogs are not so limited! They would gladly jump at any one chance to build bigger and better weapons to use against my Coven. And then they would turn those weapons on you."

"So what ... you devised this plan to come here asking for our help to train your dragons and give us this intelligence?" Deia spoke now. "You devise this plan in the hopes that we would confirm or deny that this ship does exist even when you were relatively sure it did? What would this gain you?"

"I did not know that it really existed!" Aikiro said. "I had only rudimentary sensors scans of an unknown power source that could or could not be a Mindvoice ship. I did not know what it was! And my ship did not investigate further!"

"Do not sit there and tell me that after centuries of having a complete section of a crashed Mindvoice ship that you did not know what it was." Martin spoke again. "Avi was able to scan your ship when we lifted off from Lycavore Aikiro. We have known since then that is where you got your cloning technology. The section of City Ship 19 that was intact and operating was the medical and research section. We also know that this ship lost power roughly fifteen years ago. You were able to extend its life somewhat past what Avi first said, but it has been a dead hulk now for almost two decades. Do not sit there and tell me you did not know what this ship was when you first detected it!"

"What do want of me Martin Leonidas?" Aikiro snapped. "Do you want me to admit that I thought it might be a Mindvoice ship? Of course I did ... why else would I go to the trouble of coming here?"

"Why didn't you reveal this when you first came to Earth?" Isabella barked.

"This ship is in a part of Kavalian space that we can not reach without untold problems." Aikiro stated. "I was not going to risk a Shrouded ship falling into Kavalian hands by trying to find out! I do not have the forces to spare! I made the decision to come here willingly and give you the intelligence ... to have you train our dragons."

"Dragons that you quite possibly will turn against us if any survive." Deia spoke.

"I doubt very much you would have allowed me to come here if I told you I believed another MV ship existed in Kavalian space. They are animals who can not be trusted and will do anything to destroy both of our species!" Aikiro snapped.

"And your son went and married the youngest daughter of the Kavalian Prefect!" Yuri snapped. "What are we supposed to deduce from that action? She has killed members of the High Coven military! She is not as innocent as she makes herself out to be! How do you know her actions are not part of a Kavalian plan to infiltrate the Union and your family?"

"Deduce what you will sister." Isabella spoke. "But you will leave Resumar and Athani out of this discussion. It has nothing to do with what we are here for!"

"I am not your sister!" Yuri snarled viciously. "We may share a father ... but that is where all similarities end! Our father was a fool and you are part of the proof of that! He should have killed you the moment you were born!"

Isabella smiled. "Yes ... but he didn't." Isabella answered. "And that just infuriates you doesn't it?"

Martin reached over and placed his hand on Isabella's arm as he looked at Aikiro. "I want the fucking truth." Martin spoke. "I want the truth right now Aikiro or it all ends here and now. Ten seconds after I Mindvoice him, Andro will pull your dragons out of where they are training and arrest all your riders. I will not play games with you any longer nor will I allow you to draw us into your war with the Kavalians. I have already gone too far as it is. You have done nothing but lie to us since you came here. I told you to leave her on your ship..." Martin motioned with his head to where Julie stood unmoving under Lynwe's blade. "You ignored me on that. I know it was you who leaked the information about Sadi to the Netnews and I know you have been actively searching for where our MV ship is within Mindvoice." Martin saw the surprised look on Aikiro's face and he grinned. He watched her look at Avi and then back to him. "Bet you didn't think of that huh? Avi has been tracking what you do ever since you got here. You'd be surprised what he can do from that ship. Now ... I'm quite sure there is probably much more that you have done while you have been here that I don't know about just yet ... but I will find out don't you worry."

"I am not lying to you right now." Aikiro snapped.

"You aren't telling me shit either!" Martin snarled coming to his feet. "Why should I believe anything you say? You are a backstabbing bitch who only cares about getting her hands on more power. You will not use me anymore!"

"I am not using you!" Aikiro hissed. "I gave you intelligence that is a clear threat to your precious Union. I correctly deduced you would investigate the data we gave you and find this unknown power source. I also correctly assumed that you would know what it was and be just as concerned as I was if indeed it turned out to be a MV ship. The Kavalians are like rabid dogs and they will not rest until they kill all of us and enslave our people! You know these things as well as I do! And your putrid older brother is their military commander! And like you he has inherited your father's uncanny ability to fight us quite well!"

"And I bet that just burns your ass." Martin spat.

"Unlike you Empress Aikiro ... we do not lump an entire species into the category of their leaders." Deia spoke. "Athani defecting is the first sign that there may be unrest within the KFI that we are unaware of and could potentially help us."

"We have fought them for over two decades!" Yuri shouted. "Do not presume to tell us how they are! Their whole retched species needs to be wiped out!"

"That is something you haven't done a particularly good job of so far is it?" Walter spoke from his chair.

Aikiro tilted her head somewhat and looked at Martin. "You are not being truthful with us either Martin Leonidas. You have in your custody a member of the largest insurgent group who plaques my Coven. One of their leaders if I'm not mistaken. Were you going to allow me to interrogate him? Or use him and his traitorous group against me in some fashion?"

"Neither." Martin spoke. "He's going to stand trial for the attack on my ship and then I'm going to execute his sorry ass for putting For'mya in danger. I don't need a bunch of insurgents that have a hard on towards you operating from within the Union. When I hang him ... I'll send a message to the rest of them to get the fuck out. Last chance Aikiro."

"I came to you for help!" Aikiro screamed the words across the table shocking almost everyone in the room with the vehemence of her tone. "The Kavalians would see all of us dead if they discover that ship!"

Martin crossed his arms over his broad chest and allowed his dark eyes to bore into her for a long moment. "I will not allow you to..."

"I want your help in destroying it!" Aikiro hissed the words interrupting him.

Martin looked at her. "Excuse me?" He said.

"You heard me!" Aikiro snapped. "I came to you for help in destroying it if you were able to confirm it actually existed."

"Why would I believe that?" Martin asked.

"The Union and the High Coven have not fought a battle in over two decades!" Aikiro said forcefully. "You have had your MV ship that entire time. As I said before ... you have not used what technology you have gained from it in an aggressive manner. Your pathetic morals ... your very nature precludes you from building dedicated weapons of war from this technology! You have enhanced your defensive capabilities ten fold, you have discovered new technologies to improve the lives of your people ... but you have not built weapons with the intent to conquer and kill ... I would see this ship destroyed before I allow it to fall into the hands of the Kavalians! I want your help in destroying it!"

"You must be joking." Martin said.

"I have had a special unit of commandos training for over a year for this very mission." Aikiro spoke. "Juliana One leads them."

Martin lifted his eyes and looked at Julie before turning back to Aikiro. "And?"

"Now that you have confirmed that this ship does indeed exist ... now that we know for sure ... I propose a joint mission to destroy it." Aikiro said. "You know as well as I do Martin Leonidas ... you know that if the Kavalians find this ship and manage to discover even small gains from it they will turn those gains on not only me ... but you as well. And they will not stop until both of our governments and empires are destroyed. Yes ... I have not been entirely forthcoming. Yes ... I have not told you everything I suspected was going on. I determined that the better course of action was to allow you to discover it for yourselves."

"We are not at war with them Aikiro." Martin said. "The High Coven is. Why would I get involved in such a manner? I've already gone spying in their space. I'm already training your dragons behind their back. If that is discovered..."

"Perhaps that is something you should have thought about that before allowing your son to marry the Kavalian whore as he did!" Yuri growled from her chair.

Martin moved closer to Aikiro ignoring Yuri's rant. Their eyes met and everyone in the room who could Mindvoice could detect the trembling power that the two of them radiated within that realm. It was hard to see where one began and the other ended.

"Help me Martin Leonidas." Aikiro spoke now. "Help me to guarantee a future for both our peoples."

APO PRIME
MJOLNIR'S HAND BASE

It had been nothing short of agonizing the first night for Normya Leonidas.

It was much better now, but Normya knew they would not be able to resist each other for much longer if they continued to do this. The only problem with that scenario was that neither of them wanted this to stop.

She had to pull him into the quarters she was using on the base the first night. For all his strength and courage, Tir'ut was even more nervous than she was. Normya had watched him from under the covers of the bed as he undressed in front of her. His bronze colored body was as chiseled and muscular as any of her brothers or her father. His six foot four frame appeared as if it had been sculpted by the gods of ancient Earth. Even though he carried two hundred and sixty-four pounds of muscle and bone, Normya knew just by looking at him there was not an ounce of fat on his body. Normya Leonidas may have been half elf, but she was also half wolf, and the wolf blood in her was calling for this man with a burning that threatened to overrule her self control. Normya had been pulsed by many powerful Alpha wolves as she drew closer to her Coming of Age and even during it. They were respectful about it because of who she was, for she knew that males of any species tread very lightly when it came to daughters and sisters of King Leonidas and her brother Androcles. She had her mother's exquisite elven beauty with her platinum hair and emerald green eyes but Normya also had her mother's body, with her full and exceptionally firm breasts topped by protruding nipples. She had long legs for her five foot six height, with slender hips and a truly amazing ass. Normya had actually found three of the male Lycavorians to be very attractive, and two of the male elven pilots she found equally attractive. Yet none of them did to her what Tir'ut could do just by looking at her.

Her elven blood called for this man quite loudly, while his powerful Mindvoice presence and sweet ginger scent tickled her wolf nose like no man ever had. She fit within his powerful embrace like the fingers of a glove, and when they had finally fallen asleep that first night, Tir'ut was spooning her from behind with his strong arms wrapped around her protectively and his face just grazing her elven ears. Normya Leonidas had never felt so safe and secure in her entire life. Amazingly Normya discovered she was nearly as jealous and possessive of him as he was of her. She made it a point to be with him whenever Las'elh or any of the female MUTT team members were present. And when she was with him, she made it very clear that Tir'ut belonged to her. It came instinctually for her to act in this manner and it was something her mother said was very normal for an alpha female wolf. Normya was staking her claim to Tir'ut just as her mothers continually staked their claim to her father. Not that she needed to do these things Normya knew. If anything, even when she was around Anton her cousin, Tir'ut acted in a similar fashion. They were always touching one another now, and it was rare to see them not holding hands in some fashion. Tir'ut had taken to nuzzling her elven ears whenever he could, and this never ceased to make Normya coo out her delight and cause her knees to become weak.

And last night had been the ultimate sign of what Tir'ut felt for her. Normya had been staring into his eyes as she sat in his lap and she had nodded her head to him almost seeing what was running through his mind. What he desired above all else.

"Do it Tir'ut my love." She had whispered to him.

"Il kal'daka darthirii I..."