(A/N: Standard Disclaimer: I do not own the Morganville Vampires Rachel Caine does. I do own Katya and her followers. This is my first Fan-fic story feel free to review, and give advice, along with some constructive criticism.)

Backstory…

Grand Duchess Katya is the oldest vampire currently residing in Russia. She has been around since 865 AD. Her own father, Oleg was murdered by Bishop during his rise to power in the vampire aristocracy.

Katya promptly went into hiding, and began forming her own army of followers to defeat Bishop and his bloodline. The problem came later when she discovered that she and her own bloodline was infected with a mysterious plague that made it harder to reproduce, and is sort of like human based Alzheimer's disease.

The Grand Duchess has traveled around the world forming her own network of vampires to serve her, and provide information on a cure. She even "acquired" an old soviet bunker complex in the Ural Mountains to serve as her base of operations and to conduct experiments to find the cure to the plague…

RUSSIA…

URAL mountain range…

Mountain complex bunker…

The mountain slopes were covered with a blanket of icy snow. The harsh wind howled outside as the occupants inside the mountain complex stayed warm with specialized air conditioning powered by an old soviet nuclear reactor. The heating was for the human occupants that were "kidnapped" for their specialized skills in the medical field, or other scientific fields that were deemed necessary for keeping the mountain complex operational for Katya's plans. The rest were hostages to ensure the "obedience" of the human cattle, or easily captured victims to be bled to feed the vampire occupants….

Katya's POV:

Thinking back on the past, the grim situation always makes me shiver internally, like a harsh winter in Siberia. The fact that my people were doomed to succumb to a mysterious plague before our chance to avenge, the slight from Bishop and his bloodline against us with the callous murder of my sire always makes me want to extend my fangs and start a killing frenzy.

It's only the centuries of patience, and bidding my time for the right opportunity that keeps my fangs sheathed from killing some hapless person in my presence.

The guards around me were stationed at their positions at the door of my office. They were dressed in their usual clothing of standard business suits, along with their usual brown and rugged trench coats. They all were wearing black aviator sunglasses, and were carrying their usual armament of Kalashnikov model forty seven, or as they affectingly referred to them as Kalash.

I sigh to myself, and think to myself, maybe turning a small unit of former Soviet Spetsnaz into vampires to be my own personal bodyguard unit was a trying idea. I mean, they have a better idea of modern weaponry, and their battle experience in Afghanistan was a good point. The added fact, that since they are so young it makes it a lot easier to use my compulsion powers, to keep them in line to my will.

The problem was that they were a lot younger than some of the more experienced vampires in my entourage. It wouldn't do for a possible usurper in my ranks to try, and eliminate me, just because my new handpicked bodyguards were turned in the early eighties as opposed to a couple hundred years back.

I make another mental note to have my second in command Boyar Alek look into any malcontents in the ranks to be "purged," quietly of course. This would ensure the fear, and keep the others in line through the effective use of fear. I mean, if I learned one thing in this long course that nothing says obey me better to the lower orders than a head on a spike. I was still toying with this idea when my Kapitan of the guard opened the door.

The two guards at the door turned and flashed fangs for a second as their eyes turned red. They stood down at the wave of my hand. The Kapitan saluted touching his temple with the fingertips of his hand in the standard salute of a military man. I nod my head formally to acknowledge his salute. He then lowers his salute and stands at attention to state, "My liege, Lord Alek would like a moment of your time to inform you of some updates of the situation on the experiments."

I sit at my table, impassively staring into the shaded eyes of the Kapitan and finally wave him away. He clicks his heel together and gives another salute before retreating to allow Alek into my presence.

Alek's POV:

The Grand Duchess, had to be notified of the news from our human doktors that had finally given a timetable for when are people would finally be nothing more than mindless beasts. The sad fact was that their constant existence forced many of them to become locked up, in the deeper recesses of the complex and a few had been "quietly" eliminated on Katya's orders to get rid of potential rivals. She had even killed her own blood sister Anya when she had finally succumbed to this unholy plague that so thoroughly infected our kind.

She would also have to be notified about some new details gathered from her spies in her rival's camp. It would seem her spy network was still effective at infiltration, and manipulation even among others of our kind. The Kapitan of the guard exited out of the metallic door. He nodded and said, "The Grand Duchess, will see you now."

I acknowledge him with a nod as he stands aside to keep the door open for me. The room is naturally dark as the lights were out. The only lighting was the single candle at the table. Katya was seated at her seat at the head of the table with several papers along with an ink block and quill pen dipped inside it. She was seated with her delicate hands in a knot together. Her slivery eyes were staring into mine projecting her power of dominance that made me want to kneel in front of her in submission. I fought the compulsion and bowed to my waist in front of her to break eye contact. She always gave me the impression of a spider inside a shadowy web.

Her raven black hair, and pale completion hidden in the shadowy darkness of the room. Her two guards at the door were staring at me from behind me giving me the impression of nowhere to escape. She gave me an emotionless smile and said in a commanding voice, "You have our permission to rise." I rise from my bowed position and look away from her eyes and focus on her illuminated noise and mouth to keep from being engulfed into her power. I personally, believe that any human that had to get near our liege would find themselves swallowed by her all-consuming aura of dominance, or even becoming her next meal. Its times like this, I am glad that I am a vampire…

I finally state in a formal voice, "My liege, my I have permission to speak?" Katya's shadowy face nods once to grant me permission. In so doing however, we made eye contact for a split second before cutting it off once her head went back to position. I look at her illuminated face for a second and then state my report, "My liege, I bring ill tidings indeed the human doktors inform me that the illness will finally destroy us in less than ten years' time. Dr. Vadimovich, your lead human medical blood expert has officially stated this to me."

Katya merely sits in her chair holding the same solid position. She finally said in a formal tone, "It seems our good doctor has been busy finding out our life expediency and not enough about the cure we need. I expect results, not excuses and this is just an attempt to save herself; by giving me more prophecies of doom…"

Alek cleared his throat a habit from his human days and said, "I also bring news from our spies in the States. It would seem that our dear spy sent to watch Amelie, Bishop's blood daughter has finally found a way to communicate to our outside agents from her petty kingdom, in Texas."

Katya finally broke from her solid look and a new expression of interest crossed her face. She smiles even more intently and said, "Oh, and what does our good spy have to say about our rivals?"

Alek finally smiled at this new development and replied, "They have a cure…"