Chapter 37

EDEN CITY AMBUSH TEAMS

NORTH OF ROUTE 62

Lynwe ran the back of her hand gingerly over the side of cheek, wiping away the dried blood and sweat that caked her face. The patch had dulled the pain to nothing more than a throbbing now, the three inch long slice from the corner of her eye down her cheek coming from a large chunk of shrapnel that had caught her looking up over the top of the small hole she had dug in the ground. Of the four dozen Spartans scouts, elves and humans in her personal command team, only eleven remained. The rest had been killed over the course of the last seven hours of constant fighting. Lynwe had seen combat before, she was no stranger to death and misery, but watching as the scouts and ambush teams she had commanded were killed off in groups of three or four had worn at her gut. She had never been locked in sustained combat before, and certainly never for this long a period of time. She had never been on the receiving end of heavy artillery and the constant booming and vibrations as the artillery landed all around her shredding men and elves under her command had frayed her nerves.

She had not wanted to lead such a large group of men and elves, and when she had discovered the King had made her a General it had shocked her right down to her elfin/vampire toes. She didn't think that Martin had that much trust in her, and it wasn't until a long and private conversation with Tarifa that she realized that Martin did indeed trust her. That she had been with Tarifa and Aihola and protected them for those few months and then risked her own life with Selene had proven to Martin that Lynwe's heart was solidly with them. Tarifa had told her all this and it had strengthened Lynwe's resolve to be the best she could be, as a General and Selene's lover.

She and her troops had dug as fast and as deep as they could before the Alliance artillery had struck their position. They huddled in pairs or by themselves hoping to live out the barrage so that they could sneak in under the covering artillery and attack the Alliance armor that was steadily advancing in two columns down the wide expanse of Old Route 62. The Alliance had wizened up after Lynwe's teams had totaled sixty odd tanks and APCs destroyed and nearly a full brigade of Alliance troops slaughtered. Now they were using their heavy artillery to smash the ground in front of their advancing troops to pulp, not giving Lynwe's ambush teams time to set up their ambush positions along the interstate. This tactic had proven costly to Eden City's defenders and now only a third of the original ambush teams remained and they were a decimated bunch. They were being pushed back slowly but surely towards Eden City's main defensive line.

The bulk of Lynwe's divisions were stretched out in a wall of defensive formations covering the entire eastern limit of Eden City. Hidden in the timber of the hills and mountains were countless bunkers and fortified positions waiting for the Alliance infantry or whatever other horrors they unleashed to come at them through the timber. Lynwe had chosen to go with her ambush teams to coordinate as much as possible. She was the only one among the teams that could communicate telepathically with those in Eden City, and she determined her best place was where she could see the most. She was starting to have second thoughts about that now.

Three hours ago her King had ordered them to delay the Alliance advance in any way they could, no matter the cost. She could feel the pain in his voice as he knew the order would send hundreds to their deaths, but Lynwe took comfort in the fact that they were buying the defenders of Eden City precious time. And that meant her Selene would have time as well.

Lynwe glanced at the human who lay beside her in the depression, his hands clutching the ARMBURST R19II. He was the same human who had complained only hours before that they were being picked off and needed to retreat. He had been one of the eleven that survived the barrage, and something inside him had changed. Twice he had saved Lynwe's life as they raced through the hills and timber from position to position. Since that artillery barrage her eleven member team had managed to slip in behind the artillery and attack the Alliance convoys twice, inflicting moderate casualties, but most importantly, making them slow their advance and deploy to respond to attacks that weren't coming.

"I got one rocket left Lynwe." He told her, sweat dripping down his face.

"Then we will make it count." She told him, "The command tank; the one bristling with antennas? Can you hit it from here?"

The man adjusted his eye scope and sighted in on the ninety ton tank. He measured the range and nodded slowly. "It's on the very edge of the envelope, but yes." He answered.

Lynwe tilted her head and glanced fifty meters to her right where her only other remaining rocket team waited. She touched the implant in her jaw line. "Samuel ... we are going to target the command tank." Lynwe spoke. "How many rockets do you have left?"

"Two."

"Send one into the first vehicle and then finish off the command tank." Lynwe spoke. "We must make them deploy. The SPAT has finished laying the air delivered mines around the next bend in the road. If we make them deploy and run, they will not reform in time before hitting the minefield."

"Once we have fired our rockets?" The human man asked.

"Then turn and run as fast as you are able Samuel, for they will undoubtedly turn their tanks loose on us. We are firing from maximum range and they will see the missiles coming." Lynwe spoke.

She heard the human chuckled in her implant. "I hear that General." The man replied.

"Do not stop running until you reach our defensive line." Lynwe told them. "Once we conduct this attack we are without weapons that can slow them down. Reports from Eden City are that the shield has failed and Alliance artillery is raining down. Tarifa will get the shield back up my friends, but we have to give her time, and that means making this last attack count."

"We'll hit them good General." The human replied.

Lynwe met the man's eyes, seeing him staring back at her from sixty meters away. "Samuel ... I have ... I have never had much use for humans in my life." Lynwe spoke. "I can honestly now say you are among the bravest I have ever served with and I am pride to fight beside you."

Lynwe saw the man nod from his position. "The feeling is mutual General." He answered. "Now let's rip them a new ass and then haul our collective butts out of here."

Lynwe smiled and looked at the man in the position with her. "You will launch first Thomas." She spoke. "I will cover you while you track. Once your missile hits, do not hesitate."

"Same for you General," The man nodded.

Lynwe nodded and lifted her HK74, moving into a prone position on the ridge overlooking the bend in the interstate, "Now!"

The crack explosion was louder than she had been expecting, but her human gunner fired without hesitation and with nerves of iron tracked the missile all the way in. Lynwe used the integral four power scope on her HK and saw heads turn as another crack announced the launching from her second team. She pulled slowly back on her trigger and sent the first on many rounds downrange. Her first round struck exactly where she was aiming, and the head of the vampire riding in the open turret of the command tank blew apart in a mist of red, his body jerking back, lifting him almost clear out of the hatch. Thomas's shot was true and the ARMBURST rocket impacted the seam between turret and body of tank just as the driver began to turn. Lynwe watched as the command tank shuddered from the impact, the rocket penetrating into the turret and then exploding. She smiled a cruel smile as the turret erupted in flame and smoke and the concussion of the blast lifted the tank off its treads for a split second. When it stopped moving, smoke was pouring from the two hatches, as well as the melted hole in the side armor.

The second muffled explosion announced the death of the lead tank in the column just as it was turning off the paved road deploying in the face of the attack. This rocket struck the exposed head of the driver of the tank and drove into the thinner armor under the turret and exploded. The front of the tank vanished in a burst of fire and smoke as the engine was shredded by lancing pieces of shrapnel and everyone inside the tank was killed instantly by the pressure wave.

Lynwe had been picking her shots as best she could, dropping five more vampires fool enough to remain outside their hatches even after their attack started. The moment she saw the second missile strike Lynwe lowered her HK.

"Time to leave Thomas," She exclaimed.

"No arguments here!" The man spoke tossing aside his launcher and grabbing his HK before turning and taking off at a dead sprint west through the timber, following Samuel and the other nine members of their team. Lynwe took one final glance back as the Alliance forces were still deploying, got to her feet with a small smile of satisfaction and then turned and followed her men.

ALLIANCE GROUND COMMAND

"I don't want excuses!" Moran snapped. "Clear the fucking wrecks and continue forward! We're halfway there and they can't keep hitting us like they have been. They'll run out of troops before we do!"

Moran lifted his macrobinoculars as he saw the dozen or so large transport Hoppers stop along the base of the road several miles away. He could just make out the crazed bodies of the two dozen Grizz beasts they were releasing into the timber ahead of the advancing infantry. Genetically mutated monsters loosely based on the grizzly bears that once roamed the timber, they were now nothing more than crazed killing machines augmented with increased healing properties and heavy armor. The Dogs of War, Moran mused silently as he watched even the vampire soldiers scramble to get out of the way as the animals, finally freed, raced for the dark timber as was their nature and instinct.

"Who is in charge here?" The deep voice bellowed behind him.

Moran felt his stomach tighten somewhat at the sound of the voice. It was one he had heard before, and knowing whose voice it was, Moran fought down the urge to turn suddenly and shoot the crazy fucker in the face. Instead he remained cool and lowered the binoculars at his own pace, and then turned, hearing many footfalls come up behind him.

He gazed at Xerxes, and fought back another urge to laugh. He looked ridiculous in the gray jumpsuit with his bald head and the piercings dangling from his face and nose. He wore a utility belt around his narrow waist, accenting the muscular proportions of his upper body and his long legs. He appeared to be easily six foot six or seven, nearly a foot taller than Moran's five foot teen. The belt held a strange looking sidearm, one that Moran had never seen before, and the jumpsuit bore nearly a dozen pins of differing brightness on his broad chest. Obviously Xerxes was trying to impress someone ... but Robert stood there impassive. He had read every stitch of history from vampire and Lycavorian data scrolls that Yuri had given to him. Once they shared blood with each other, she had held nothing back from him, providing him everything he wanted or desired. He had a voracious appetite for Yuri, which pleased her more than he would ever know, but that appetite also extended to history, and he had read all there was on the battle that Xerxes had fought against the first King Leonidas, and the dozens of blunders he had made.

"Prince Xerxes." Moran spoke slowly and evenly, "It is an honor to meet you."

Xerxes ignored Moran and looked at Cha'talla who stood next to him. "Report Captain!" He demanded.

"I do not command here Prince Xerxes." Cha'talla replied evenly.

Xerxes continued to ignore Moran, who stood there stoically without emotion, Cha'talla impressed by his control. He looked at Moran's senior aide who stood to the side. "Get me a report of ongoing operations!" He demanded, "Logistics and correlation of forces! And have someone put up my command tent!" The aide didn't move and his eyes went to Moran, something that did not escape Xerxes. "What are you waiting for? Do as you are instructed fool!"

"Lieutenant..." Robert spoke evenly. "Please get the latest reports from the field units and give them to Prince Xerxes. And you can pass on the correlation of forces ... but the logistics intelligence is not something he needs at the moment. As for putting up his command tent, I'm sure the Prince brought enough men of his own to do that. We don't have the additional bodies to spare."

The lieutenant nodded his head quickly as Xerxes turned to glare at his Commander and he turned and sprinted off to the command Hopper.

"Do you know who I am human?" Xerxes bellowed as he stepped closer to him, using his height and build to attempt to intimidate Moran just as Cha'talla said he would.

Moran stared at Xerxes ... not impressed in the least. He had fought countless enemies since his inception, many of them just as physically imposing as Xerxes, and a lot smarter. None of them ever made Moran back down.

"I know who you are Prince Xerxes." Moran spoke.

"Then you know I am here to assume command of this battle human." Xerxes spat, his obsidian eyes dark and menacing.

Moran smiled and shook his head. "No ... I'm sorry. That will not be happening here."

"What did you say?" Xerxes demanded.

"I command this battle." Moran spoke. "The Vampire Coven High Guard Commander put me in charge. You are not the High Guard Commander any longer ... and since I have received nothing from her stating that I am being relieved of my duties ... and I won't receive anything from her stating that fact ... this battle will remain under my command, period. If that is something that will be a problem for you I suggest you take it up with her. I would be more than happy to brief you on what is happening..."

"I do not need your briefing half breed!" Xerxes bellowed. "I was fighting Lycavorian scum thousands of years before my sister turned you into her pet! That is what you are you know ... her pet!"

Moran smiled. "Yes I know all about your record in fighting the Lycavorian Union Prince Xerxes." He spoke, "Six hundred and nine engagements in the past five thousand two hundred and twenty-four years. Your Task Force has suffered ship losses at a forty-three percent rate higher than the next closest Coven Fleet in that time period." Moran's eyes changed to vampire cobalt blue as he spoke. "You charge into battles with no plan and worse still, no exit. You have glassed seventy-three planets because you failed to put down the forces that were defending the planets, denying the High Coven the resources and riches those planets could have brought us. And your battle strategies have cost the lives of seven million vampire troops, and nearly ninety-six thousand Immortals." Robert stepped closer to him, unafraid and feeling full of himself now. "The seven million troops I can accept as battle field losses Prince Xerxes ... but the loss of twenty-six thousand Immortals; that is totally unacceptable in any way, shape or form." Cha'talla saw the reaction this caused in Xerxes's Immortal detachment, their helmets covering their expressions, but their eyes telling him they heard Moran loud and clear. "You use them as cannon fodder, and if not for their exceptional skill that number would be triple in size if not more. Forgive me Prince Xerxes ... those types of losses are unacceptable to any competent commander, and we won't even mention the losses you suffered on this planet three thousand years ago."

"You dare speak to me in this way?" Xerxes nearly screamed. "I will have you skinned alive and then staked to the ground to burn in the sun at its peak for your insolence!"

Moran smiled. "Well ... number one ... your sister turned me Prince Xerxes ... so with her blood running through my veins ... the sun doesn't really much bother me, much the same as you and the Immortals and other Purebloods, and I don't need to work on my tan. As for skinning me alive ... you are very welcome to try. Whether you succeed or not is another story of course."

Xerxes glared at him utter rage in his eyes. He could not assault the appointed Sub High Guard Commander and get away with it and he knew it. Yuri and his father would see to it he was butchered in the vilest of ways. He had also met only one man that had not cowered in his presence, and he was unsure of how to proceed. That particular man left him with the scar he now wore on his face. He did not see the looks of stunned satisfaction coming from Cha'talla and the other Immortals nearby who had heard the exchange.

"You try my patience human!" Xerxes snapped.

Moran nodded. "I'm sure." He spoke. "Now ... would you care for a complete briefing, which I would be honored to give myself, or can I get back to fighting a war?"

"My Command tent is not yet set up." Xerxes spoke.

Moran smiled. "I don't use a command tent. My Command Hopper is right over here however, but you'll have to stand, my techs use the seats." He motioned with his hand to where his Lieutenant had run.

EDEN CITY AIRFIELD

Endith walked slowly along the belly of her aircraft, one hand extended up to trace the smooth surface of the STRIKER AT. She was looking for any sign of damage that the small arms weapons may have inflicted on her craft, but so far she had discovered nothing. Tina was doing the same thing on the other end of the STRIKER. Neither of them wanted to stop long enough to realize that Ben was gone, and the only way to do that was stay busy. He would not want them to fall to pieces, and doing anything they could to achieve victory was now all that mattered to them. The moment they landed two elves and two Spartans had immediately begun rearming their STRIKER with the missiles and cannon ammo that had been brought by For'mya. They did not notice the looks they got from the elves and Spartans reloading their craft, and neither of them stopped long enough to realize that they were not elves and Spartans from earth. Unknown to either Endith or Tina, word would spread rapidly about their flying skill and the acts of heroism they had displayed.

Neither of them took notice of For'mya as she walked up to Endith with an air of superiority about her.

"You," For'mya snapped as she stopped only meters from where Endith was checking the recessed intake of the port engine.

Endith turned her blue eyes on the blond haired elf without emotion. She recognized the voice of the pompous elf who had tried to give her orders, and she had no desire to deal with her now. She turned as Tina came up.

"Starboard side is clean." Tina spoke looking at her longtime elf lover with sadness and desire. They had shared a bed for nearly a year, starting a life with Ben that Tina had never dreamed of. Endith had brought her and Ben so much closer together, and entwined herself within the fabric of their lives so much so that they were never spoken of singly now, always as a trio. Endith was not only extraordinarily beautiful in her eyes, but she was as smart, if not smarter than Ben, she was a natural born pilot, and totally uninhibited in their bed.

Endith nodded, "A few minor dents." She spoke in reply, "Nothing besides that."

"Minor!" For'mya exclaimed glaring at her. "Do you know how much one of these aircraft is worth?"

Tina returned the taller elf pilot's glare. "Gee ... I suppose you're going to tell us uhu?"

"Do you know how many flight procedures you have violated?" For'mya demanded. "Who taught you to fly she-elf, a human?"

It was the wrong thing to say, at the wrong moment. Endith stood only five foot five inches tall and barely over a hundred pounds to For'mya's five foot eight height and a hundred and twenty-three pounds of firm muscle. It didn't stop Endith from unloading all her considerable elf strength in the punch that connected with For'mya's jaw and sent her flying back nearly ten feet and plopped her on her back stunned. Endith was all over her then like a red haired ball of unmasked fury.

"You bitch!" Endith screamed. "Don't you talk about Benjamin like that! Don't you dare talk about him at all!"

For'mya simply tried to protect herself as first Tina and then a Spartan pried Endith off her, kicking and flailing at the startled elf Star Commander. She scrambled quickly to her feet, her dark eyes burning in anger.

"I will have you arrested for this!" For'mya screamed at her.

"Let me go!" Endith shouted. "I want to kick her pompous elf ass! Let me go!"

"You'll never fly again!" For'mya screamed, wiping the trickle of blood from her lips. "I'll see to it..."

"You will do nothing." The male voice spoke firmly.

For'mya turned and saw General Vistr walk up slowly, only his eyes and lips visible under his helmet. "General ... this she-elf almost crashed her STRIKER! On purpose!" For'mya complained. "She has violated numerous flight protocols, not to mention endangered other friendly aircraft in the area. She..."

"She is the King's pilot!" Vistr snapped loudly silencing For'mya quickly. "And she has flown him wherever he needed to go for the last year, including into battle!" Vistr stepped up to Endith who was glaring at him, Tina beside her and holding her tightly. They watched him slowly remove his helmet and look at them with his grizzled features. "Queen ... Queen Anja ... she has told me of your loss this day." He said. "I understand he was an exceptional pilot, the very best in the King's service."

"We've fought with ... we've fought with Marty for over ten years." Tina spoke, the tears in her eyes beginning to form. "Ben ... Ben was..."

"Benjamin was the man we loved." Endith finished before turning and burying her face in Tina's chest and letting the tears come flooding out.

Vistr looked at Tina who was close to the edge herself. "To ... to have known and fought with the King that we have sought to find for so long, that you refer to him so informally is an honor I hope one day I achieve. I can not express to you what it feels like to lose a ... to lose a mate as you both have this day. My mate still lives and my words would be hollow. Grieve for him now if you must ... but if he is like what the Queen described briefly to me ... I don't believe he would want you to fail. This ... this battle is not won yet ... and I would hope that you will be ready when the King calls for you once more."

Tina squeezed Endith in her arms, pressing her cheek against her grimy, sweat soaked red hair. "We'll be ready." She spoke firmly. "It's what Ben would have wanted us to do."

"I am General Vistr ... and I would be honored to fly with you any time." He said. Vistr bowed his head slightly and turned, taking For'mya's arm as he headed back for the bunker.

"General she..." For'mya began to speak.

"I had heard you were somewhat of an arrogant fool Star Commander." Vistr spoke firmly. "I have witnessed that first hand this day."

"General ... she..."

Vistr stopped and looked at her. "The human you so maliciously referred to Commander, was the mate for those two women! And yes ... he was the one who trained her to fly ... he trained her to fly everything but that STRIKER AT! She taught herself how to fly that!"

For'mya looked at him. "Impossible!" She snapped.

"Do you wish to call the Queen a liar to her face Commander?" Vistr demanded. "I'm sure I could arrange that! I spoke with her only briefly before she returned to treating our wounded, but she does not strike me as the type of person who enjoys pompous attitudes in any way! And from what I understand ... she is the most relaxed of the three Queens our King has chosen!"

"General..."

"Listen to me carefully For'mya." Vistr spoke, his tone softer. "The humans and elves we are encountering here are not like what you and I are so familiar with." He told her. "They have fought with our King far longer than we have known he was alive. They worship the ground he treads upon, and they have a sense of duty to him unlike any I have seen. They are more passionate and expressive with their emotions ... but they will stand beside us without question. The man you so callously insulted just now was killed this morning and if everything I have heard about him is true ... he is far superior a pilot to you, and he was human! Think about that while you rearm your STRIKER Commander, for I feel our King is going to unleash you very soon."

For'mya stood there shocked as Vistr walked away calling to one of his aides. She followed him and then her eyes went back to where Endith and Tina stood. The red haired elf was wiping her eyes and stunningly, she and the human female were back under the nose of their aircraft looking intently at the nose cannon and speaking to each other. For'mya didn't believe it ... an elf and a human man and woman in love! What kind of relationship was that? The General had to be wrong ... what elf would subject herself to bedding a human man and woman. For'mya shook her head and moved back for her own STRIKER.

EDEN CITY

NORTHERN DEFENSIVE PERIMETER

"Hit them again!" Tareif screamed into his implant over the noise of the rocket launchers in the background.

Almost before the words left his mouth, the four batteries of 200mm self propelled guns fired almost simultaneously, the ground he was standing on vibrating madly, even though there were over three hundred sandbags protecting the top of his bunker. He had refused to cower inside the bunker, and stood on top of it, several members of his Dragoons formed in a loose circle around him.

Twenty-one seconds late and twenty-one miles northeast the barrage began landing in and around the remains of the Super Vampire Division that had been closest to Eden City and closing fast. The initial volley of rockets and 200mm shells had been a complete surprise. They had been told there would be light artillery only and what hit them had brought their advance to a screeching halt, and now the second barrage was adding insult to injury, dropping among the wounded and scattered remains of the vampire division of super troops. They had not even got close enough to fire a shot against their hated enemy, and they never would.

Tareif listened intently to his scouts and they reported back to him what they were seeing. He nodded quickly. "Maintain your position and advise when the infantry begins to advance!" He ordered. He turned to his senior elf aide. "The elite vampire division is finished! Report this to my daughter but inform her that there are still three divisions of infantry moving forward. I will attack as each one comes into range."

"That's all they have War Master?" The aide exclaimed.

"The King was right; they are throwing everything at the southern line!" Tareif replied. "Once our artillery have finished with the vampire scum, have Batteries two, four and six orient north and one of the rocket batteries as well, and release command of them to the King's Fire Support officer! They are shelling the city and we must free up as much return fire as we can to keep damage from increasing until my daughter gets the shield back up! Quickly now!"

EDEN CITY

COMMAND AND CONTROL CENTER

Tarifa didn't turn as Aihola and Dekton led a small group into the command center. They had left the remaining Drow at the airfield under the command of the Spartan General. Her attention was focused on the monitor as she spoke to the tech.

"An hour, maybe more," He nearly screamed.

"That is not acceptable Lieutenant!" Tarifa snapped. "The Alliance artillery is hitting the city as we speak! If it continues for much longer, the wounded will overwhelm our medical facilities that still operate!"

"I know Tarifa!" The man answered. "Whatever hit the tower did more damage than we first thought! We have to replace all the circuit boards and restore coolant to the reactor. I can do it in an hour ... maybe forty minutes if I disregard all the safety protocols I learned..."

"Disregard them damn it!" Tarifa snapped. "And do not mention protocols to me again when our people our dying Ronald!"

The man nodded. "I'll get on it! We..."

The massive explosion lit up the area near he was in and the entire command center shuddered as something struck the city on the western edge.

"Holy fuck!" Ronald's voice echoed in the transmission.

"What was that?" Tarifa barked.

"Shit ... some big fucking beam thing just hit the apartment corridor in the west!" Ronald yelled. "It's gone man! Christ it's gone!"

Three more massive shudders rippled through the command center causing the man on the monitor to duck down, all of them able to see his eyes wide in fear.

"Shit! They're hitting us from fucking orbit!" The man screamed. "That came from in the sky!"

Tarifa turned and looked at another tech. "What is it?"

The female elf looked at her and shook her head. "Some sort of ship has dropped into low orbit directly over Eden City!"

"An Alliance frigate!" The voice spoke and Tarifa turned to see the two women who stood next to Aihola and Dekton.