Chapter 19

DAY FORTY-TWO

APO PRIME

"I am fine child ... truly." Helen spoke as she sat up in the bed in Gorgo and Riall's home. Deia, Isabella and Gorgo stood in the room as Dysea sat next to the bed, holding Helen's hand gently within hers. She had taken quite a liking to the Oracle as if she was a mother figure to her while Dysea was away from Earth and her own mother. Or perhaps that Helen reminded Dysea so much of the grandmother she hardly ever knew.

"You gave us quite a scare Helen" Gorgo spoke.

"Yes I imagine I did." Helen said looking at Deia. "Thank you for recognizing what it was and doing nothing Deia."

Deia stepped forward. "Helen ... we thought you were the last of the Oracles." She spoke. "How could ... how could another Oracle pass on to you. You would be the most powerful as the last."

Helen shook her head as she smiled at Dysea and squeezed her hand. "I was not the most powerful." Helen spoke slowly. "The ... the First Oracle has passed to me Deia."

Deia's eyes grew wide in disbelief. "The First Oracle? But ... that's not possible Helen. He ... how could that be?"

Dysea turned to Gorgo, whose own eyes were wide at this information. "Gorgo ... who is this First Oracle?"

"He was ... he was the strongest of all the Oracles. The very first Oracle, advisor to King Resumar and my sister Eliani." Deia spoke softly. "I met him once or twice ... he is the one who forged our laws with Resumar. No one knows where he came from ... he just suddenly appeared one day shortly after Resumar took power. But ... Helen he fell with him that day, fighting at his side."

Helen shook her head. "He was not killed." She spoke quickly. "He was wounded and taken prisoner by the High Lord Veldruk. His body has been kept alive in a secret facility all of these years, his consciousness trapped there as well. Veldruk sought to use his power to help control and advance his own, but the Oracle refused to help him and they left him there on that planet trapped for all time."

"Ukwav?" Deia asked astonished. "That is why ... that is why they have defended it so savagely all of these years? The first Oracle's prison was there?"

Helen nodded. "When Martin ... when Martin breached the first two garrisons the restraints against Canth's psychic abilities were lessened, and when he destroyed the final garrison he was freed. Martin..." Helen smiled. "He has been studying with Canth these last days."

"King Leonidas has studied with the First Oracle?" Deia gasped.

Helen smiled. "I see it as clearly as if I had been there Deia. All of him ... all that he was; it is now within me. And it is amazing."

"Helen... Nauta Melme ... is he?" Dysea asked.

Helen put her hand to Dysea's face. "He is fine child." She spoke. "Better than fine now really. He misses all of you. So much has been revealed to him Dysea. He has seen things that we ... that we can not begin to imagine. Canth showed him so much in so short a time. His power ... his Mindvoice powers have tripled, moving into a realm that we have never seen before. Aricia's will as well."

Deia and Gorgo gasped at this news. "Tripled?" Deia spoke moving closer. "Helen ... he was more powerful than ... he is..."

Helen nodded. "He will one day surpass all that his grandfather was Deia ... all that Resumar could have been. As will Aricia. His blood ... his blood and that of Aricia's, it is as pure as Resumar and Eliana's ever was, as pure as any Lycavorian's blood has ever been. What Resumar started, his grandson will now take up."

"What ... what must we do Oracle?" Deia asked softly.

"We must guide him Deia." Helen spoke softly. "You above all others know how aulved Resumar was. We will not control Martin, we will not manipulate him. His will is too strong for that. We can only guide him..." Helen looked at Dysea. "And guide his Queens."

"Helen ... Aricia..." Dysea began.

Helen drew back the blankets that were covering her and threw her legs over the side of the bed, feeling energized and filled with power and resolve like nothing she had ever know. All of her doubts and worries of her actions with Martin's father were purged from her. She now had purpose and meaning back ... and she would not waste one moment of that.

"Even now ... he is learning why all of this has happened. He is learning why his Queen of pure blood was taken from him." Helen looked at them. "And she was taken my friends ... in the vilest way of anyone's imagination. What he will do ... I shudder to think of it ... but we must be ready to stand with him."

"Helen..." Deia spoke quickly. "He can not ... he can not just throw away thousands of years of law for revenge. Resumar would not have forsaken the laws he helped to establish, and we can not allow Martin to do so."

Helen looked at her as Dysea got to her feet, her emerald eyes burning in anger. "How can you say that Deia?" She spat. "Knowing what we have discovered, what we now know to be true, how can you just dismiss it?"

"I have no intention of dismissing it!" Deia shot back. "But there is far more at stake here than just Aricia. We have traitors in our midst, and they want to bring down all that we have built! We can not allow that to happen! I won't allow that to happen!"

Dysea's eyes flared for a second and then she took a deep breath. "You are right Deia." She spoke softly. "Of course you are right! Little Wolf was only part of it."

Helen smiled. "And that is why he has so much faith in you Deia." She said. "Why he has so much faith in all of us. He knows what he can and can not do on his own. He knows what his limits are ... and that is part of what makes him so strong."

Deia looked at him. "I will be getting the report from my people this morning on what this clone knew, and the information that Asomus so willingly gave to us for his opportunity at power. Once I have that ... with what we have discovered concerning Aricia ... we can act. And we can act in such a way that this will never happen again."

Dysea took Isabella's hand in hers and looked at Deia. "Then tell us what we need to do Deia." She spoke. "I am tired of reacting to what others are doing to us."

"Deia it is time." Gorgo spoke. "Anja is already there. Dysea and Isabella ... me ... we stand ready here with you."

Helen nodded. "It falls to you Deia ... the political aspect of what we must do. Martin..." Helen smiled. "King Leonidas has grown much these last few weeks ... and he will not move until you are ready. That I can guarantee you Deia. But know this ... when he moves Deia ... he will not stop ... and any who stand between him and his Queen will be swept aside like so much nothin. He leaves you to the political maneuvering that he knows must be done, but every day away from Aricia and his other Queens makes him restless. We must move quickly."

Deia looked at her. "What will he do Helen?" She asked.

Helen looked at her. "He will do what his instincts tell him to do." She said. "And woe unto any who stand in his way. Beyond that I will not say ... for it would turn your blood cold to even hear it."

UKWAV

"They have not moved from that spot in hours!" Vistr spoke softly, his eyes gazing across the flat sandy terrain to look at where his King sat three hundred meters away, the obsidian colored dragon resting on the sand next to him. "He should have just killed the creature for what they have done!"

For'mya sat between Danny and Walter, Anuk and Nayeca on Dan's opposite side, all of them patient and waiting. Nayeca turned to look at Vistr.

"We do not know why they did what they did General." She spoke calmly. "For us to pass judgment on them without this knowledge is just as wrong as what they have done."

They turned as Vengal walked up quietly, Yuriko beside him and they settled to the ground in the small circle, Vengal passing out the armful of protein bars and water he had secured before coming over. "We just came up from that facility." Vengal spoke. "The Admiral thought Yuriko could make some sense of what remained on the computers."

"What did you see father?" Anuk asked.

Vengal looked at them calmly. "There were over sixty bodies down there." He said softly shaking his head. "All recent kills. None of them died painlessly. I did not see the entire facility, but the engineers said many of the corridors and walls near the power core were painted in blood, as if it had been running in rivers, splashing against the sides."

"Whatever destroyed the power core and began the chain reaction in the fourth garrison was not done with explosives." Yuriko spoke. "They said it looked as if someone had simply smashed it into pieces with something."

Walter nodded slowly. "He's becoming what he was meant to become." He spoke softly.

"Several ships from earth have joined with us." Vengal said. "Benjamin and Endith among them."

For'mya looked at him. "Martin Leonidas's pilot?" She asked.

Vengal nodded. "They apparently were on their way to this Enurrua planet where Aricia is. Benjamin decided to come here instead."

"She is on the LEONIDAS I?" For'mya asked getting to her feet.

"Yes."

For'mya took a deep breath. "If everyone will excuse me ... there is something I must do."

They watched as she headed purposefully towards where the STRIKERs were sitting on the hard packed sand and only Vistr nodded to himself knowing why.

"How much longer do you think they will stay like that?" Anuk asked looking at Danny.

Dan shook his head. "I don't know baby?"

Walter turned his head. "Torma is bound to Martin, his mate Isheeni bound to Aricia." He spoke softly. "I can only hope that Martin's anger over what has happened doesn't cause him to throw away that oath."

The large golden eyes gazed upon Martin with respect and a little awe. They had not spoken after that piercing howl his King had released in the tunnel while clutching the pendant in his hand. He must have spoken to For'mya after that, for the she-elf had directed the others to remove the body of the First Oracle and soon they were alone. Torma thought for sure he would die then, but Martin had simply held the pendant in his hand tightly and told Torma to follow him.

So Torma had followed the King to this spot, as was his duty now. He said nothing as Martin settled to the ground, simply standing there watching him. Finally he too settled to the sand beside his King, facing him, watching him. Others gathered in the distance to watch or simply to glimpse the King and the dragon facing each other. Torma neither cared nor bothered himself with their presence. He could feel the power radiating from him in waves, tightly controlled, and yet pulsing to be released. He had felt it before within Aricia, but it was so much stronger in the King he had bound himself too. He would wait with him Torma decided, wait with him in silence for the remainder of his years if need be. He watched those eyes, now back to their normal dark brown color, as they scanned the landscape around him, searching the cloudless sky as if seeking answers to questions Torma could not hear.

I'm sorry Torma.

He had not expected his King's words, and certainly not an apology and he looked at Martin with what amounted to a stunned expression for a dragon.

Sire ... it is I who should be apologizing to you, though no apology, no matter how heartfelt, can erase the shame we have brought on ourselves with our actions.

Why Torma? Martin asked meeting his gold eyes. Was there no other way than this?

I can not answer what I do not know sire. The Elder Mother has many more years than I. By some I am still considered a child despite my size. No one truly knows the thoughts that go through her mind Milord. Torma replied canting his head towards Martin. She has seen our kind slaughtered for millennia by Chetak and his people. I have seen the mindless brutality myself on many occasions. When Tablina came to our world ... it was she who showed us not all of your people were like him.

But to help him take Aricia from me in such a way? Martin said looking at him. If she was strong enough to touch For'mya as she did, help her as she did, why not just contact me?

I do not know sire. I was not fully aware of everything until the Elder Mother sent me with Isheeni my mate, to take her from Joric. Torma answered. Isheeni and I did not agree with her actions sire ... and that is why we bound ourselves to you and to Aricia. Out of shame. Out of regret. Isheeni and I have protected her sire ... tried to keep her from harm. I know it is small consolation sire, after what we had done. Chetak would have acted in spite of us Milord and perhaps the Elder Mother felt that in some way ... in some way this was the lesser of two evils.

Evil. Martin spoke softly.

Milord?

That word. Martin spoke. Evil. A year ago Torma ... a year ago I would have come to your world and killed the lot of you for what you have done to me. To my ... my Soulmate. The pain and shame she must have endured. Martin shook his head. I can not imagine it.

I believe ... I believe sire that in your position I would do the same thing. Torma told him. I waited two hundred years for Isheeni to be old enough for me to take as my mate. She can not even bear me children for another thirty years because of our metabolisms. I do not care about that. When she came into my life ... I knew she was the one I would spend eternity with. She is ... she is my Soulmate ... if dragons have such a name.

I can't do that Torma. Martin said.

Torma looked at him. I don't understand sire. What can't you do?

Evil. Martin spoke again. I have committed evil similar to Arzoal Torma. Many years ago I allowed a village of almost four thousand men, women and children die so that I could save a much larger town of over fifty thousand. As a man I can hate Arzoal for what she has done ... I can curse her very name for helping to take Aricia from me.

Sire... ?

As a King ... I can not condemn her for doing that which I myself have done on far greater a scale. Martin spoke softly. Someone recently told me that not all acts of evil are born from malice and hate, even if that action results in evil. He told me everything is not always as it seems; that I needed to step beyond what I could see and smell with my senses. As I have sat here with you Torma, I have finally realized what he meant. Martin pushed himself up into a squatting position, moving to within centimeters of Torma's face.

Torma didn't move as his King settled in front of him.

I can't hate you Torma. I can't hate your kind. You have protected what I consider most precious in my life, and for whatever reason you have done this, I thank you. It is a debt I can not repay. Martin spoke.

Torma's gold eyes were wide as he stared at Martin, unable to comprehend what he was hearing. Then ... then you do still hold love in your heart for her my King? Torma asked.

Martin smiled gently and lifted his hands, placing them on either side of Torma's huge muzzle. All I have in my heart for Aricia is love Torma. It's all I have ever had in my heart for her, even when I thought she had betrayed me. I hated myself for betraying her. I hated myself for failing to do what my very instincts ... what my nature was telling me to do. I will not make that mistake ever again. I must act now as a King as well as a man and a mate.

I will stand with you my King. Torma declared immediately. If you will allow me. I am bound to your service sire, as my mate is to Aricia.

I am going to bring fire to the world your kind live on Torma. Not against your people, but against those that hurt us both. Part of it will be my form of retribution for what they have made us endure, and part of it will be a signal to others that I will not allow what has happen to your kind, and when I discover it I will stamp it from existence. Martin spoke. It seems Torma my friend, that in freeing your kind, freeing the dragons, I will also be bringing those left behind by my grandfather ... I will be bringing them home as well. Will you help me?

That is not a question you need to ask me my King. Torma spoke.

Martin shook his head. I don't want your help because you are bound to me Torma. I release you from that service. I want you to help me because whatever evil this action has brought forth, we can insure that the consequences of this evil are for the good of us all.

Milord ... once a dragon has sworn service to another ... it can not be released without death. It is one of our most sacred pledges. I will stand with you my King ... and perhaps in time you will come to regard me as a friend. You intend to retrieve your Queen sire?

Martin nodded. Oh yes ... and so much more.

And I wish to return to my mate. I will stand with you sire, freely and without fear. Torma spoke. I bound myself to you Milord King Leonidas, now and in the future before us.

I want to share something with you Torma. It is something that you must never reveal to anyone, for it is what Arzoal ... what the Elder Mother protects above all else. If you are bound to me as you say ... will you keep this secret, as I must now?

On the lives of my hatchlings in the future sire, I swear this to you.

Martin smiled. You and I are very much alike Torma.

Torma nodded his huge head. I ... I sense that as well sire. Even in the tunnel ... when your anger washed over you ... I ... I could feel you.

I say we explore that my friend. How bout you?

I would be honored sire.

Then let us begin.

APO PRIME

"Identified nineteen clone agents Deia." The man spoke from the chair he sat in next to L'tian. "They work at seven different government facilities with varying clearances. All of them report to one central hub officer."

Deia turned from the window and looked at him. L'tian's impassive face was on his left; Olalla's animated one on his right. "Aspon?" She asked.

The man nodded slowly. "If the information we have obtained is correct, and there is so far no reason to doubt it, he is one of the original groups of our people that chose to work with the Coven during our period of slavery. He controls all the clones on Apo Prime, as well as several dozen on other worlds."

"Elear?" L'tian asked quickly.

The man shook his head. "The Coven isn't able to clone elves for some reason. Your genetic makeup is too complicated. And they have never been able to turn an elf into a traitor."

"Until now." Deia spoke. "This Tudrin on the King's ship. He is the middle man. He is the one that gave Chetak the information on Aricia. However, when it came to your daughter L'tian ... he overplayed his hand. He didn't realize that For'mya had fallen in love with the King."

"And by approaching her as he did, he did reveal himself to her." L'tian said nodding his head.

"You've spoken with For'mya then?" Deia asked surprised.

L'tian nodded. "My ... my daughter has changed Deia." He looked at her. "And changed for the better. Her association with the King has made her stronger, more compassionate and able to express what she truly feels inside. She asked me how her mother was feeling Deia. For'mya has not asked me that question in nearly four hundred years. When I told my wife she broke into tears. It appears he is making us all see just how far we have gotten away from the simple things."

"Tudrin?" Deia asked.

L'tian's face hardened. "Tudrin will face our justice Deia. Elfin justice from the days of old, if you will allow it. Alocgeid has already approved the action, and if you agree we simply need to have Queen Dysea sign the document."

Deia nodded slowly. "I will not interfere in that L'tian."

"It is a matter of honor for us Deia, thank you." L'tian replied.

"Now ... what do we do about... ?" Deia started just as the COM on her desk chimed. She reached over and touched the panel. "Yes."

"Prime Minister ... I have an incoming message from Admiral Riall. Highly secure and encrypted." The voice spoke. This was the secondary assistant to Deia and a Spartan military officer.

"Where is Aspon?" Deia asked quickly.

"He chose to go the small gateway park for his eating period Prime Minister."

"Very well. Route the transmission here and then delete that it ever came in. Is that understood Senior Enomotarch?" Deia spoke calling him by his complete and full rank, which was a code they had devised many years ago to indicate they had been infiltrated and everything was to now be routed and encrypted directly to her.

"I understand completely Prime Minister." The officer spoke. "Transferring contact now!"

Deia turned to the wall monitor and her eyes grew wide when she saw Martin in the transmission, the head of the massive dragon near his right shoulder, his Spartan Captain just to the dragon's right. "Milord!" She gasped.

"Hello Deia." Martin said with a smile.

"Sire ... they said the call was from Riall." Deia spoke.

Martin nodded with a smile. "Well it appears I am dead ... so I thought it might be best to let it remain that way until we are ready to act."

Deia couldn't help the embarrassing smile that crossed her face. "Sire ... it seemed like the best course of action at the time."

"You'll get no argument from me there Deia." Martin spoke. "Has it smoked out any bad guys?"

Deia's eyes narrowed. "Smoked out Milord ... I ... I don't understand?"

"He's asking if it has revealed any of our enemies Prime Minister." The unknown man spoke with a knowing grin as he stood up. "Indeed it has sire."

"And you are?" Martin asked him calmly.

"King Leonidas I am called Armetus. I..."

"Sire ... he works for me." Deia spoke quickly. "He is..."

"Deia ... I believe he can answer my question." Martin told her.

The man stepped closer to the monitor. "I am what you would call a problem solver Milord. I have worked with the Prime Minister closely for the last five hundred years." Armetus answered.

"In what capacity?"

"My people and I solve problems Milord." He stated flatly. "We gather intelligence in ... in ways that are not entirely legal by our laws, but they help to protect the Union. We do not operate on Apo Prime or any other Union world sire..." He added quickly. "At least not until now. The Prime Minister though it best to bring us in on what was happening here as a way to provide..."

"Intelligence?" Martin asked.

Armetus nodded. "Yes sire ... Intelligence."

"Deia am I to understand we do not have a civilian Intelligence gathering apparatus?" Martin asked. "Something not related to the military in any way?"

Deia nodded. "That is correct sire. The Senate voted on a resolution that King Resumar drafted before he was killed. They worded it differently than he had intended I believe, but essentially it forbids us from forming an Intelligence gathering organization outside the realm of government and military."

"Who drafts new resolutions Deia?" Martin asked.

"You ... you do sire."

"Does this man do good work?" Martin asked.

Deia nodded. "Yes Milord ... he does excellent work."

Martin nodded. "Then draft me a new resolution," He ordered. "I'll sign it. Now tell me what I want to hear."

Deia looked at Armetus with a smile. "Armetus." She spoke moving to her chair.

"Milord we have confirmed the identities of nineteen clone agents here on Apo Prime and another thirty at least on other worlds, including several core worlds Milord. Hadaria among them." Armetus spoke.

"How accurate is this information?" Martin asked.

"We faked an accident for the clone that was here working in the Talracian Ore Research project sire. He was declared dead and we have been interrogating him for the last two days." Armetus spoke. "Combined with the information Deia was able to obtain from this Senator Dalkor's fool son Asomus, it all checks out quite nicely."

"How many people does Chetak have infiltrated into the Union?" Martin spoke.

"Twenty-seven total sire." Armetus replied. "Three more in the Ore Project to include one of the senior scientists. The other twenty-four are scattered among government facilities in various positions of importance. The same for the clones. This man ... this clone Brean was the highest placed according to him. With the exception of Aspon."

Martin's eyes cut to Deia. "Your aide?" He asked.

Deia nodded. "Yes Milord. I will tender my resignation when you have returned to Apo Prime Milord. All I ask is that you allow me to see this through."

"Oh shut up!" Martin exclaimed with a disgusted look. "I may be as dense as a titanium alloy tank gun Deia ... but I'm not nubous stupid! Why would I cut off my right arm to swat an insect on my left shoulder? Resign? Please Deia ... can we dispense with the political rensibfla and get some work done?"

Deia laughed out loud and nodded her head. "Very well sire."

"Is this Talracian Ore Research viable? Will it work?" Martin asked.

"Veldruk seemed to think so Milord." Armetus spoke. "Why else would he plant clones into the project and then financially support Chetak's bid to take over so many Union companies?"

"Veldruk? That vampire fucker is involved in all this?" Marin barked.

"One of the advantages of working outside the military Milord is that we can go places your Spartans can not. I have people in several relatively high positions within the Wilds. The majority of Chetak's financial support comes from two companies within the free trade zone of the Wilds. Both of these institutions have a dozen front companies, and we traced the converted Riyal Chetak used to purchase the Union Engineering plants back to two of these front companies." Armetus spoke.

Martin grinned. "Oh that is sweet." He spoke.

"We thought so Milord." Armetus said liking this young King more and more as each minute passed.

"So we can make armor for our ships out of this stuff?" Martin asked.

"The preliminary tests have already been completed sire." Deia spoke. "Our trade people have worked out a very lucrative deal with Chief Administrator Selene and the first load of ore from Earth just arrived late this morning. I believe they were going to refine it and plate their first test ship beginning tomorrow."

"Tell me about this armor?" Martin asked. "Can it stop rail weapons? Small projectile weapons?"

L'tian leaned forward in his chair. "I was present for the initial tests sire. It has been tested against frigate based plasma arrays sire." He spoke. "Rail and projectile weapons would not even dent it."

"How much does it weigh?" Martin asked. "How thick is it?"

L'tian looked confused. "If I'm not mistaken they intend to spray it onto the outer hull of the ship sire. The thickness would be miniscule."

"And it's malleable?" Martin asked.

"One of the intended future test projects was to spray coat our body armor sire, to see if that was an option we could use it for." Deia spoke. "Milord ... what are you getting at?"

"And it will not add additional weight to a ship; say like something the size of a STRIKER AT?" Martin spoke.

"The effects would be minimal Milord." Deia spoke. "Why?"

"Chetak and Veldruk want this armor so bad, well I'm going to give it to them. Just not in the way they thought." Martin spoke. "When do you meet with the Senate Deia?"

"Three days from today Milord." Deia spoke.

Martin nodded. "I'll be returning to Apo Prime tomorrow on an AUTUMN MOON frigate Deia. Riall will be with me and we'll be staying at an older military installation until your meeting. I'm sending you some instructions that I need carried out and arranged for."

Deia nodded. "Of course sire." She watched as he typed into the console he was at and she inserted a data pad into the slot on her desk. It beeped almost immediately indicating the transmission had been received.

"Have all of them meet me there tomorrow afternoon Deia." Martin spoke. "All of them ... you included. And bring the Financial Minister as well. I will remain one day before I depart. Long enough to meet with them."

Deia nodded her head puzzled as she extracted the pad and began reading. She looked up after a moment. "Yes Milord."

"King Leonidas ... we have discovered something that you should see." Armetus spoke. "The second Dekton clone told us about it during our interrogation and I had Admiral Jamerl on Earth confirm it."

"Is it important?" Martin asked.

"I believe it is sire."

Martin nodded. "I'll review it when I see you in person. Armetus ... did you find the nubous clone who targeted Helen?"

"We have Milord. Brean was a very helpful source of information." Armetus spoke.