Chapter 28

APO PRIME

ISLAND PALACE ESTATE

The attack had been meticulously timed and planned.

The High Coven agent had gotten them onto the island hidden deep in her personal Lifter. No one thought to search her Lifter when she had arrived because of who she was and they had slipped over the side of the water craft at full dark. The clone agent had set the dozen explosives charges in perfect unison and synchronicity while they remained hidden on the far side of the island inside an old cave. The clone agent had told them when to initiate the attack, and that they had to blow the barracks and then kill the elven concubine For'mya first and foremost. Their plan had been utterly perfect and the results all but guaranteed. They had discussed it over and over, every detail down to the last second.

That was until the Unsaur that was to blow the barracks and initiate the ambush did so exactly thirty seconds before the rest of them were in position. The water of the lake had seeped into his timepiece and altered the display enough he could not see it correctly in the night sky. The explosions had been perfect however, all but twelve of the one hundred and thirty of the sleeping Spartans that normally guarded the island caught within the confines of the barracks and command center when the bombs went off. The explosions brought the entire structure down on the Spartans within, effectively burying alive all that were in the command center. The remaining twelve were eliminated easily as they were within the concussive wave that followed the explosions and rendered helpless almost from the start.

Ultimately it was those thirty seconds that would be most costly in the end, for it was the elven concubine For'mya who was intended to die in those thirty seconds; as it was determined she would be the most dangerous.

It was a testament to For'mya's elven speed and reflexes that she came out of the large bed even as the first shattering wave of the explosion blew out almost every window and door facing the barracks and Lifter Docks. The bedrooms were on the back side of the palace itself and therefore safe from the flying glass and debris of the explosion. Without Martin Leonidas or Aricia in the bed with her, and considering what was obviously going on, For'mya had taken to going to bed fully clothed.

This night it would save her life.

She was stuffing her feet into her boots when the balcony door smashed open and the bulk of the seven foot tall Unsaur assassin filled the doorway, bursting into the place where she, Martin Leonidas and the others found the most peace and happiness, his rifle sweeping across the expanse of the royal bedroom and spitting death as it moved. As an elf For'mya was fast, as an elf that was now wolf, she was even faster and considerably stronger. She leaped from the floor, allowing her new found wolf strength to propel her up and over the massive circular bed, and moving in front of the wave of projectile death tearing into the furniture and walls as the Unsaur attempted to track her. She landed precisely where she intended and sprinted toward the Unsaur from the side even as he tried to bring his weapon to bear on the speedy female elf that was his primary target. Their first mistake had been triggering the ambush too soon. Their second was that the clone agent never informed them the female elf was also now a wolf. His beady eyes grew wider as she closed on him and he realized what she had become. While she may have been newly turned, For'mya had been receiving instruction from Dasha, Deia and even the clone who called herself Gorgo.

No one would ever know why the clone failed to give this information to the assassins. No one ever cared long enough to find out. The Unsaur did the only thing he could think of.

"Wolf! She is a wolf!" He announced in his implanted communications unit.

Since she had been going to bed fully clothed, For'mya had also been going to bed with the gift she had received several months ago from Dysea. It had been For'mya's birthing day and after the thunderous party Martin, Aricia and the others had given her, it was also the first night that she found herself intimate with Martin's elven Queen. While For'mya would never choose Dysea over Aricia or Anja, she most definitely relished the time she spent exploring Dysea's powerful and deliciously tattooed body and the time Dysea spent exploring hers. They had brought each other to several passionate orgasms while Martin Leonidas played with Aricia and Anja, and then they had cuddled in each other's arms talking of Isabella, many different things and the future as sleep took them. For'mya had changed in so many ways since finally surrendering to her feelings for Martin Leonidas and her relationship with him had opened her dark brown eyes to pleasures she had only dreamed about. The most intense times were with Aricia and Anja without a doubt, but there was no denying the strong connection between her and Dysea. And now since that last night together in this very bedroom, the connection between her and Isabella as well.

The gift Dysea had given her now filled her hand, and six inches of perfectly weighted Shukur fighting knife, balanced for For'mya alone, slashed in the moonlight with every bit of elven and wolf strength For'mya could bring to bear.

The Unsaur assassin felt For'mya flash behind him even as the excruciating pain lanced through his huge body starting at his neck. His eyes were wide as his hands dropped the rifle and reached up to his thick neck which was now spitting his dark green blood in huge fountains across the room. The moment his rifle hit the floor, the elven female stepped in close and slashed out viciously again, her dark brown eyes now changed to that of a wolf and her long wolf fangs clearly visible in the light of the room. The Unsaur assassin didn't feel the bite of the blade this time, didn't feel the peeling of his thick skin as the blade sliced through it like paper, and he didn't feel the razor sharp blade sever the single large artery providing his smallish brain with much needed and vital blood. He did however see For'mya strike out with her empty hand in an open heel palm blow. Considering how much taller he was than For'mya's five foot seven frame, the blow normally would not have even affected him regardless of her elven strength. Yet now, combined with the crushing power of the wolf within her, the blow struck just above the middle of his abdomen and fractured the thick bony plate that protected his internal organs. He may not have felt the actual blow, but he could not deny the lancing pain that rushed through his upper body internally as she hit him. His wide eyes grew even wider as his now trembling body went sailing backwards, even as he tried to stem the flow of blood from his neck. It wouldn't save him in the least as he impacted against the far wall and fell to a sitting position, his huge heart pumping the blood out of his body faster than he could attempt to stop it.

Aurith! For'mya screamed out in Mindvoice. Where are you?

I am coming from the Dragon Cave! Elynth is already with Androcles and Dasha! For'mya ... what is happening? Where are you?

They are making their move Aurith! I am moving from our bed chambers! Meet me near the south entrance!

I will be there my bonded sister! Aurith exclaimed.

For'mya didn't pause and turned to the balcony which the Unsaur had entered through and using her new wolf abilities she leaped gracefully from the balcony with a single purpose.

Protect Androcles and Dasha.

The Unsaur would be found later in a thick pool of his own blood very much dead.

Sadi had a little more time to react.

Like For'mya, she had been sleeping with her clothes on, and as the first explosions were echoing across the palace grounds, Sadi was out of the bed and pulling on her boots. Quite surprisingly to her mind, Sadi's first thoughts were not of herself or escape, they were of the boy Prince Androcles and the dragon hatchling that had so quickly and without question befriended her. Armetus had given her a smaller hand blaster that was considerably more powerful than it appeared. She had fired it twice on the island range to get a feel for the weapon and discovered that it was a laser based weapon, and the single piercing beam was hideously powerful. The only downside to the weapon is that the power cell would give her only two or three shots before being depleted.

Sadi was not helpless. She was in excellent physical condition and had received combat training from some of the best High Coven trainers available in The Wilds once she had been forced into her role as courier and low level Coven agent. She had absorbed the training like a sponge, intent on using her skills to never be caught so that her actions would never harm her father. As she grabbed the small weapon from the table she could hear the firing on the second level where she was. The deep throated sound of the heavy weapon hammered in her head and she knew instantly it was coming from For'mya's room. As she moved to the door that opened onto the promenade of rooms in the palace she clutched the blaster tightly in her hands. 'Where were the Spartan guards' she thought to herself? The explosions had come from that direction, but surely all of them could not be dead. The firing in the room she knew to be For'mya's ceased and it was deathly quiet now. The explosions had blown out the windows and doors on the northwest side of the palace, and as she reached up to manually slid the door open a crack, the scent of burning fabric reached her sensitive nose. Through the small crack she could see many of the satin drapes and some of the furniture in the main greeting room burning and casting off an eerie glow.

Sadi's head snapped around in the darkness as her wolf ears picked up the soft scraping on the balcony of her room. Her jungle green eyes changed now to her wolf persona and they focused on the balcony door. Sadi shifted her body slightly away from the inner doorway and further into the darkness just as the double doors smashed inward under the force of a booted foot. Sadi's eyes closed in gut wrenching fear as the Bo'yak assassin burst into the room, his assault rifle laying down a blazing trail of projectiles as he swept his weapon across the room. Sadi shuddered as she felt several rounds punch into the wall above her and she tried to push herself further into the shadows and hide.

The Bo'yak finished sweeping the room with his weapon and allowed his red eyes to cover the room quickly looking for the female that was his target. The bed was empty, the sheets rumpled and now filled with half a dozen smoking holes. As he stepped fully into the room, he stopped and made to change to a full magazine of lethal projectiles. The Bo'yak people were a violent species with pinkish colored skin and blunt facial features. Their noses were overly large and appeared pushed back into their skulls. Considering the size of their noses most seemed to think that they had a very good sense of smell. That was not the case at all because the shape and bluntness did not allow scent glands to be housed in their nasal cavities. Their eyes however were very clear and acute. Their species was not overly large in size, most of them living several hundred years naturally, and spread across three planets in The Wilds. Their sight and exceptional stealth skills were what made them perhaps the most dangerous assassins in the universe behind only the Evolli.

However ... until this night they had never gone after targets within Lycavorian Union space. The wolf dogs were far too strong and hard to kill in their opinion, and you had to pay a Bo'yak four times his normal fee to accept a contract against a single Lycavorian. This assassin was receiving double that amount now for this attack against the King's island estate. None of them would have taken the contract knowing the big wolf bastard King was here. They had planned it perfectly and with the traitor's help were now easily sweeping through the royal grounds uncontested because they had wiped out the Spartan garrison. The Bo'yak's eyes darted to the side of the room as he detected the shadow huddled in the corner. He could hear soft whimpering from the shadow and he smiled as his victim cowered before him. Perhaps he had overestimated the courage and backbone of these Lycavorians. The attack had been triggered sooner than he had suspected and he was still making his way to his target's room when the explosions had shaken the ground. This only spurred him along faster and he had heard the firing from where he knew the main room was as he scrambled faster and got to his assigned balcony only seconds after the concussion wave of the explosions had passed by. His red eyes grew a little wider as he was seating the fresh magazine.

The whimpering had stopped and he heard a low growl escape from the shadow as it rose to a medium height. His hands worked faster as the shadow came into view and he saw the blond hair and the glowering green wolf eyes. He watched as if what happened was now in slow motion. He watched that female bring up her hand and in her hand was some type of hand weapon. His red eyes saw a bluish flash and the thin beam of blue light erupted from the barrel of the weapon. He could almost predict where that thin beam of light would strike even as it reached across the room and punched through his chest in a blink, burning a fist sized opening clean through his body and fusing two of his three lungs permanently closed. His hands suddenly wouldn't work and his red eyes watched as the young female wolf stepped closer still, lifted the strange weapon a little higher and fired once more.

Sadi had stepped from the shadows swathed in fear as she lifted the hand blaster. She had practiced enough and knew enough of weapons to at least aim towards the thickest part of a target, and that is what she did when she fired the first time. The moment she saw the blue beam pierce the chest of the Bo'yak, her demeanor changed from one of fear to one of anger. Anger for what the High Coven had done to her, what they had forced her to become. What her step mother had forced her to do. Anger that these animals were here to kill a woman who had become a friend to her in her time of need and a boy child and dragon that had touched her in a way she never thought possible.

Sadi lifted the hand blaster a second time, her aim perfect and her finger convulsed on the trigger, sending another beam of bright blue laser fire burning through the Bo'yak's head just above his pig looking nose. His body went rigid, the rifle dropping from his hands and as Sadi watched his body slumped to the floor with a smoking hole where his face had once been. Sadi pulled the trigger again anger pulsing through her, but nothing happened. This fact snapped her out of her state and she looked at the weapon. The power cell had been depleted because of the power of her two shots. Sadi looked around the room quickly and tossed the hand blaster to the floor. She bent down and retrieved the assault rifle from the dead Bo'yak's hands before moving for the door into the eerily lit interior of the island palace.

"I don't care what you have to do!" Bren screamed out savagely. "You get me a line of communication to the Island Palace!" He tapped the COM unit on his armor. "Famus ... what is your status?"

"We're loading the last of our detachment now!" The Durcunusaan's voice echoed in reply. "We'll be moving across in three minutes!"

"You will be going in blindly Famus!" Bren snapped. "Our spotters report that the barracks building on the island is destroyed and burning! They must have taken out the secondary command post for we have no communications either!"

"Understood!" Famus shouted from where he was motioning frantically at Durcunusaan and normal Spartan troops.

"Come in on the west side! The explosions have decimated the north face of the palace. No window or door remains! There are sounds of weapons fire from within the palace!" Bren was beside himself as General Vengal burst into the main palace with Vistr hot on his heels. "The Generals are here! They will be assuming command! Get your men loaded and moving across Famus!"

"What of Mjolnir's Hand Bren!" Famus screamed out. "Why have they not responded?"

"The King dispatched them several weeks ago to begin to let people see them!" Bren replied moving to the shattered doorway of the balcony and looking across the lake. "We are on our own Famus ... we..."

Thud!

Thud!

Bren winced from the concussive force so close to the ground and then the immense shadow blotted out the moonlight for a single moment. His eyes grew wide and a vicious smile crossed his face.

"Famus ... the King's Captain Andreus is inbound to the island on his dragon Doranthe!" Bren screamed out. "Leave now Famus! Forget who is not loaded! Leave now man! With Andreus supporting you ... hit them full on! Take no prisoners for the King would not!"

"As you order Commander!"

The explosions had shaken Andreus from his bed instantly. He was pulling himself from Kmyla's warmth before the echo of the explosions had faded. One look out the window of his home to the east and he knew what was happening. Kmyla was rolling her pregnant body from the bed even as Andreus reached for his uniform.

Doranthe my brother!

I will be there in thirty seconds Andreus! The reply was instantaneous.

Andreus had never moved so fast in his entire life. Martin had never removed the title that Andreus carried as the King's Captain of the Guard, even after Torma came into his life. He had given Andreus the choice to become a member of Mjolnir's Hand, and the day he had bonded with Doranthe was the finest of his still young life, second only to the birth of his first born son with his elven mate. He owed all that he was to Martin Leonidas ... including his very life and that of his mate. Andreus had sworn a private oath to himself that while he lived and breathed nothing bad would ever befall his beloved sister Aricia again. When she had given her Soulmate his first born son Androcles, that oath extended without question to the boy.

"Kmyla!" Andreus barked as he stuffed his feet into his boots. He looked up and saw her burst back into the bedroom carrying his Nehtes and his P190.

Andreus finished lacing up his boots and stood up looking at her. "My elven beauty." He spoke softly moving to where she stood.

Kmyla smiled. "Go my husband." She spoke. "Your mother and nephew need you now! As does your King's concubine and his mother! Go! I will tend our son and contact General Vengal or whoever is monitoring from the main palace. Go!"

Andreus kissed her hard before turning and moving for the small patio at the back of his home. He watched as Doranthe's huge brownish red bulk settled to the patio just as he was coming out.

Andreus what is happening?

The cowards are attacking my family Doranthe! Andreus spat. They are attacking my family when they think they are helpless! I will now teach them never to attack the family of a Spartan!

Doranthe let out a trumpet of rage and nodded his head as Andreus climbed easily onto his back even without a saddle. Then we go! He bellowed as he flexed his thick legs and propelled them into the night sky.

"I don't care what Fleet Command says!" Armetus screamed. "You contact Admiral Ceneu Major and you tell him Armetus says to lock down the nubous planet! I don't want so much as an escape pod to leave this planet until I say it is clear!"

"Understood sir!"

"Activate every anse garrison we have! I want them blanketing every spaceport on this planet! If they do not have proper authorization and travel papers I want them arrested! Do it Major! Do it now! And where the hell is Admiral Riall? He was supposed to meet me an hour ago!"

"I don't know sir! He isn't answering his COM unit. We've been trying for the past two hours!"

Armetus's eyes went wide. "Send a detachment to his quarters! Now! Full load!" He cursed under his breath. "No one that even looks remotely like Lady Gorgo is allowed to leave the surface! Tell Ceneu I don't care what he has to do! Mobilize the entire nubous planet if he has to!"

"Lady Gorgo sir?" The man gasped.

"Just do it, Major! And have Admiral Ceneu contact me the moment Riall is found!" Armetus didn't let the man reply and cut off the transmission turning to Vengal and Vistr as they approached.

"She must have got to Riall somehow." Armetus spoke. "It's the only explanation."

"Bren has spotted Andreus flying with Doranthe and heading for the island!" Vistr barked. "Famus is leading eighty Durcunusaan and Spartans across in four Lifters! They will be there in eighteen minutes! Andreus in nine!"

Armetus's eyes glittered with savageness and helplessness both. "In nine minutes this will be over with. For'mya and the others will win, or they will be dead. If that is the case gentlemen you had better prepare the entire Union army, because I can guarantee you King Leonidas will take them all the way to the High Coven home world if they kill his son and concubine."

Vistr and Vengal looked at each other.

For'mya had her arm poised to strike out with the Shakur blade as she hugged the corner of the palace entrance into the main foyer. Her nose twitched and her new wolf ears detected the softest scrap of talons on the granite and she turned slowly.

Aurith?

For'mya felt an overwhelming sense of relief when she spotted the meter and a half tall hatchling appear from the large row of bushes to her right. Aurith's eyes were bright as she darted across the small opening to the wall and For'mya dropped to one knee. Aurith closed her soft yellow eyes as For'mya's hands found her snout and they both felt the light blue psychic shield activate suddenly.

Oh my sister ... I am so happy you are safe. For'mya spoke.

Aurith nodded her head up and down, her wings twitching softly at For'mya's touch. There was no denying their bond to anyone now, not as the psychic shield finished extending around them both encasing them in the protective field. It would not be as strong as those who had been bonded for any length of time, but it would have to do.

And I you For'mya.

Dasha? Gorgo? Sadi?

Aurith opened her eyes. Dasha has Androcles and Elynth with her in the armored room. I have not seen King Martin's mother or Sadi.

I heard firing coming from her room above me. For'mya spoke. By the gods I hope she is not hurt. She...

For'mya! Sadi's voice screamed out with Mindvoice causing both Aurith and For'mya to cringe in pain and surprise.

Sadi? Do not shout child! For'mya barked out wincing slightly at Sadi's less than stellar control within Mindvoice. Where are you? Are you hurt?

No! A Bo'yak smashed his way into my room and tried to kill me but he was too slow and I was angry! Sadi answered firmly.

For'mya couldn't help but grin cruelly at the steel in Sadi's words and she pressed back against the wall trying to get her racing heart under control. Where are you child?

I don't know. I came down the west stairs and slipped into what appears to be an office. I'm hiding behind some furniture. I am frightened For'mya! Sadi spoke. I have ... I have never killed anyone before.

Stay where you are child! For'mya spoke calmly. Remain hidden ... I will attempt to find you and we will make our way to the panic room. We will be safe there until help comes.

Why isn't the garrison responding? Sadi asked.

The explosions must have killed or injured most of them. For'mya replied. It is the only explanation, or else they would be swarming over the palace by now.

For'mya! Elynth's voice burst into the conversation now, loud, clear and powerful. I will bring Sadi to the room.

Elynth no ... you must stay with Androcles and Dasha! For'mya spoke. They must be protected at all costs.

It is Androcles who is telling me to find Sadi. He will allow nothing to happen to her For'mya! Elynth answered. She is not far ... he can feel her only a few dozen meters from us. We have activated our shield and Dasha will guard the door and I will return with Sadi. I have not seen the King's mother!

Elynth ... Androcles is only eight months old! He can not possibly be able to extend a psychic shield. For'mya echoed in disbelief.

Would you like to come see it For'mya? Dasha's voice stated in stunned tones. I'm looking at it clear as day.

For'mya shook her head. Elynth ... there have to be more of them! For'mya declared. You must be careful!

Androcles and I will not fail! Elynth declared. Sadi ... I am coming for you Kerta Gai.

Elynth please be careful. Sadi spoke.

For'mya looked at Aurith. We must find Gorgo! She spoke.

I am ready sister!

Gorgo! Gorgo where are you? For'mya called out within Mindvoice.

The Clone/Gorgo stabbed down viciously with the long bladed knife into the chest of the wide eyed Spartan beneath her, his half burned body unwilling to respond to his commands and his brain asking why the King's mother was killing him.

The Clone/Gorgo turned quickly wrenching the knife free at the sounds of approaching feet and she saw the two Bo'yak dart from the cover of the trees to her position.

"Damn you!" She hissed at them. "You triggered the attack too soon! Not everyone was in position!"

"The Unsaur did that!" One of the Bo'yak exclaimed. "I can not reach our commander on the internal implants! He shouted something that she was a wolf now!" He leveled his weapon at Clone/Gorgo. "You have betrayed us!"

Clone/Gorgo knocked the barrel of the weapon away without fear. "I warned you this needed to be perfect!" Clone/Gorgo stated. "Your commander is most likely dead. He is the one who went after the elf bitch. Had you not triggered the attack early it would not matter that she is now wolf and he would not be dead!"

"What do we do? We can still complete the mission!"

"There is firing on the second floor of the palace where the sleeping rooms are, but not for several moments now." Clone/Gorgo spoke. "This is the last of the Spartans that survived the blasts. I have killed the others! Where is your other team?"

"Converging inside the palace!" The apparent leader of this two person team replied. "They believe they have cornered the blond Lycavorian in one of the lower offices!"

"If she is there then she killed the one sent to remove her!" Clone/Gorgo spoke. "You two move to the south and approach the palace from the dragon cave. We must kill them before they reach the panic room he installed when they first began living here. If they reach that room we will never complete this mission!"

"What will you do?"

Clone/Gorgo lifted the bloody knife. "I will play the part I have played for so many years. Loving mother to the King."

CITY SHIP 41

THREE POINT FOUR HOURS FROM APO PRIME

The STRIKER DT was securely attached to the side of City Ship 41, the enormous five plus kilometer monstrosity cutting through the stars smoothly even though the ship was easily thirty thousand years old if not more. Since this was Martin's personal DT, the equipment was state of the art, to include the medical equipment aboard which Anja was currently using to give Lisisa a full exam in the privacy of the partially converted rear section. While she had grown in power by leaps and bounds since discovering her abilities, there were some things she trusted to the advanced medical equipment they had more than her own skill. Yuriko stood next to the bed Lisisa sat on; holding her hand and staring at the young woman whom she had called sister and had searched for so many years.

"Where ... where is my father?" Lisisa asked softly.

Anja looked at her and smiled as she lowered the powerful body scanner. "He's coming Lisisa. He went to get Gorgo."

Lisisa looked at Anja and then Yuriko. She let out a deep sigh and shook her head. "I am sorry. I think I am still trying to process that we are no longer on Lycavore. That I am ... that I am actually free. That..."

Anja looked at her. "That your father has finally found you?" She asked.

Lisisa nodded with a small smile. "Yes." She looked at Anja. "How long have you ... how long have you been his mate?"

Anja met her eyes. "Officially or unofficially?" She asked.

Lisisa looked confused. "What?"

"It's a very long story ... not all of it good." Anja spoke in reply. "In my heart I believe I fell in the love with Martin the first time I saw him. It just took me a while to figure that out. If you mean together without hesitation or regret ... two years now ... with many more to come I'm sure."

Lisisa reached out to touch Anja's abdomen and stopped as she looked at her. "May ... may I?"