"Copto, dead ahead sir."

Captain Chad Aster looked out at the planet the Palman fleet had traveled for two years to find. And unfortunately, his small group of 10 was the only one to reach it. Ever since they had left Palma, disaster had been their shadow, first with the loss of four world ships to the explosion of Palma, then the meltdown of the reactor of the Space Dream, the meteor shower that destroyed Group 18, the disappearance of individual ships, and the loss of com equipment. Of the original 200 ships chosen to leave Algo, 141 remained. His small fleet had been separated from the main group by a nebula storm, and he had been worried that they might be lost like so many other ships. Instead, their Neo-Palm was before them. He hoped that Commander Sa Riik could find himself here soon, but had the nagging feeling that these ten ships would be the only ones to make it to Copto.

"Get ready to land us. We are at our new home!"

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***   

"Orakio!"

The sharp voice made Orakio grit his teeth to prevent the venom in his mind from being present in his voice. "What is it, Rulakir?"

His twin walked up to him and glared at him. Brother or not, his twin had truly begun to wear on Orakio's nerves ever since Rulakir's children had been born. The way Rulakir presumed to speak to his elder brother made it clear their relationship was deteriorating.

"Are you insane?! You shouldn't have put it to a vote! You know full well that the Governors are looking for an excuse to make themselves independent from you! The only domes we would be able to hold onto are Dome 2 and Terminus! You risk us all!"

"You forget your place, brother. I have no choice in the matter. The loss of Group 7 has undermined the last of my authority. It's only a matter of time before we would have a full-blown civil war between our supporters and the power-hungry idiots father chose as Governors. The Republican Guard would be unable to contain the situation, and thousands would die. I won't have innocent blood on my hands!"

"And then what? If we allow the Governors more authority, we might provoke the same situation you are trying to avoid! We're falling into the same situation that preceded the Dragoon Wars!" Rulakir retorted.

"I am in command, Rulakir. The decision is mine alone. I will allow the Governors greater authority in managing their domes. I will remain commander of the fleet, and all fleet decisions remain mine. Dome 2 and Terminus will remain under my direct control, as well as the Army, Security, Republican Guard, and the Elite Guard. Can't you see we're at the cliff's edge? They suspect it, and just might push us off!"

"Damn it, what about their militias? They're gathering robots and troops for war! We can't allow this!"

"We? Be silent, Rulakir, before I forget you're my brother. Four years! We've been out here for four years, and still we can't find Copto! From 200 ships, we've gone down to 73! Do you seriously expect them to meekly comply with my orders? Especially after all the disasters? Be happy we still control Techna and Aerone! If they learned we were lost, we wouldn't be here by the end of the week!"

"And there you go again! They agreed to drag the two engine domes we recovered and to overhaul them into twin moons only because they want to drain our resources! What you should be doing is--"

"Be silent!!" Orakio roared, out of patience. "Don't you think I already know this?! Those domes are necessary for their resources, and for the living space we need! And besides that, I'm building a factory on one of them for those expressed reasons! I don't have the time to waste! Azura and Dahlia demand my attention, as do other projects! Be glad I can't send you to the bottom of Aridian Water Reservoir! Get out and return to supervising Lashute's construction, before my knife finds a home in your guts!"

Turning away from his brother, he walked in a fury toward his aerojet. They had been in conference in the floating city of Skyhaven, the only place on ship that was safe from violence…except the violence he had been contemplating. He had been one step away from throwing them all out into the void. He had had no choice in the matter, and wanted nothing more than to spend a year away from them. The solace Sumire could provide would be sweet nectar after this headache of a meeting.

"Lord Orakio?"

"Commander?"

"Commander Sa Riik?"

Three people called for his attention at once. He turned to find Galen, Deikon, and Laya heading toward him. His fury pushed through to his face, but he tried to be brief. "Yes, what is it now? What new problem has come to punish and torture me?"

Laya glanced at them and spoke. "Commander, I want to apologize for this. I apologize I couldn't make your stay here more comfortable, and also for the rudeness of my peers. I am truly sorry."

Curtly, he said, "Thank you for trying, but it's not your fault. Deikon. I have a new job for you. Techna is being rebuilt into a fortress to protect the engines, and I want you in charge of it."

"Yes, sir, Commander."

"Galen, get ready to leave. If I stay near the Governors for 5 more minutes, not even the Elite Guard can save them."

"Yes, Lord Orakio."

Deikon and Galen walked toward the jet and began their preparations. Orakio felt Laya staring at him, so he turned around and caught her gaze. "Anything else, Governor?"

Hesitating, she finally spoke. "Commander, I wanted to invite you to my wedding. Cilor proposed to me. Though I doubt the others would agree, I consider you to be my friend. I wanted you to be-Whooo!"

She was cut off by Orakio sweeping her off her feet. "Of course I'll attend! At least this will show everyone there is still hope! Canaras and Sumire will be thrilled! I can't wait for it!"

Giggling as Orakio put her down, she looked at him gratefully. "You're lucky. I hope I can be half the wife Sumire is to you for Cilor. And thank you for accepting."

"You made it easy. Though no doubt Hawat and Galen will be very hurt they weren't chosen."

Again Laya giggled. She remembered the amount of courting that Hawat and Galen had given her, and when Cilor had realized he might lose his chance with her, he had humbled himself and pursued her rather tenaciously. To be appreciated as a lovely woman was a very nice thing. That she had chosen Cilor had been a surprise, even to her. But her happiness knew no limits at her marriage. "Yes, they will. But they'll find other women, especially Hawat! That honey-tongued flatterer could convince the stars to make a planet appear in front of us!"

Orakio smirked at that. "Don't I know it! He's a madman, but the ladies find him utterly lovable. Though I must confess his battle skills are very formidable."

"I doubt they are as impressive as yours. I must thank you again for keeping those Amazons and Samurai under control. The Punishers and Elite Guard are quite easily the best warriors in the fleet."

Orakio scowled. The Samurai and Amazons were groups of women who had run into the wilderness regions of the ship, convinced that the only way to save the fleet had been revealed to them. They differed in doctrine, though: the Samurai wished to impose ancient customs and traditions on them, while the Amazons were intent on making all the males onboard slaves. They waged war on each other in Frigidia, devastating small towns and villages in their conflict of weapon and Technique. Two other groups, Erinyes and Valkyries, had recently begun to roam Aquatica and Dome 4. His Punishers, trained by Galen, Hawat, and Deikon, had been established to control these groups. They were the only troops who stood a fighting chance against the Elite Guard.  The Elite Guard at the Capital was well-established and very elitist. Each one was a descendant of at least one of the nine ancient Dragoons of the Dragon Campaign, and had been bred genetically for 400 years. They were faster, stronger, more intelligent, and more powerful than the average trooper. It was the threat to deploy them that kept the Governors in line and under control.

"May I ask another favor, Commander?"

Orakio smoothed his face into more pleasant lines and glanced at Laya. "You've known me for four years, and consider me your friend. Yet you always call me 'Commander' and never by my name."

Laya smiled again. "Orakio, may I ask that you give away the bride?"

Orakio met her smile. "With pleasure."

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***   

Cilor paced his room in Mystoke. The city had been named the "Castle of Silence" in honor of the stillness present in the icy wastes. Comfortable as he was in the tundra, he was nervous. He was to be married today, and felt unready. Jin and Inej noted his discomfort and shared a grin. Noticing it, he whirled on them and snarled, "And what's so funny? I'll blister your asses with fire spells if you keep it up!"

Jin gave his best innocent look and said, "Funny? I don't find anything funny. Do you Inej?"

"Just the fact that he's crazy enough to marry my sister. And the fact he's realized what he's doing. And-"

"You're not helping! How was I supposed to know I would win her? I was sure she would pick Hawat!"

"Be happy you did. I bet Ky 200 meseta you would win, and I have yet to decide how to spend them. If you hadn't won…" Inej shrugged.

Cilor ran a hand through his cyan hair. This gesture of nervousness and the lecture he intended to give the two boys was interrupted by the arrival of Orakio himself. The smirk on Orakio's face made Cilor want to turn him inside out.

"Cilor, the agridome you requested for your marriage ceremony is ready. We're all ready to go, except you. Ready to be locked away for the rest of your life?"

The glare he received only made Orakio chuckle. "The Light Brigade and a battalion of robots are present for increased security to make sure the wedding goes without a hitch. Nothing can go wrong, unless you have second thoughts and decide to back out."

Finally, Cilor relented. He snorted as he asked, "Did they do this to you on your wedding day?"

Orakio gave him a smile. "Oh, yes. It's cruel, but it does tend to make the guy want to get it over with so that he and his new wife can go away and-"

"Commander!" The flush in Cilor's cheeks made them all burst out laughing. They were interrupted by the arrival of Lune, Cilor's best man. "Cilor? Commander? We should get going, unless Cilor wants to be late to his own wedding," Lune said with false innocence.

Orakio laughed again as Cilor sputtered indignantly. "Come, we should go. I know from experience that women do not like to be kept waiting."

They exited the main tower of Mystoke, and went to the Van parked outside for them. Less armored and armed that the Aerotank, Vans were still tough. They could be used as troop transports or combat robots. They could reach speeds of 90 kilometers, and deal with a Cooley-61 easily. The speed made the journey to the agridome last a few minutes, and they arrived with just barely enough time to spare.  Orakio left soon after they arrived. "Have to make some last minute checks. Can't let the groom escape, now can I?" he grinned at an exasperated Cilor. 

Deikon approached Orakio, in his dress uniform. "All ready sir. Nothing should go wrong today."

"Good. Let's get to your spot. I've got to get ready to give away the bride."

Deikon chuckled. "It reminds me of a certain someone's wedding. I'm 24, and haven't even gone on a date yet! Security and combat take up most of my time, and whenever I'm around a pretty girl, I can't string two sentences together!"

Orakio joined his cousin in laughter. "Don't worry about it, Deikon. The men of our family tend to have their chosen women drop into their laps. Remember what happened to Rulakir 2 years ago?"

They smiled as they recalled the incident. Lashute's construction had just begun, and they had been supervising the production of the hover engines. Rulakir had leaned forward for a better look, when a blond-haired supervisor had slipped and fallen. Rulakir had leaned out and grabbed her, and almost plummeted with her. Instead, he managed to pull her up and trip and fall on top of her. Her teasing comment had not helped Rulakir's dignity. "Thank you, Governor, but I usually wait until I know a man better before I let him go on top."

Embarrassed, Rulakir had tried to stand, but had fallen again because of a snapped tendon. She had helped him up and taken him the infirmary, saying, "A handsome gentleman like you ought to take better care of himself. Maybe I should marry you and do it for you, eh, Governor?"

This had begun a weeklong courtship, which had ended in Rulakir's marriage to Lira Ra Kiel. The fiery blonde was the opposite of Orakio's gentle Sumire in almost every way. Their only similarity was their adoration of their husbands and their children. Canaras was a robust 4-year-old who had inherited his father's black hair and his mother's golden eyes. Rulakir's twins, Lirita and Kirath, were mischievous 2 year olds with fair hair and cerulean eyes who admired their cousin and uncle.

"I'll settle for lifelong bachelorhood, thanks. The way Rulakir and you are whipped by your wives does not seem to be much fun," Deikon shot back.

Orakio's smile grew. "The rewards are worth it. If you'll excuse me, I have a bride to give away, and a wife and sister-in-law to speak with. They should be able to marry you off!"

"Orakio, if you dare, I swear on Palma's Graveyard I'll-"

"Lord Orakio? Your lady wife is asking for you."

The grin on Galen's face said it all. Sumire wasn't looking for him; Galen was just providing a convenient excuse out. Orakio matched the smile and said, "Galen, do me the favor of keeping an eye on Canaras, Lirita, Kirath, Alair, and Laya. Those tiny tyrants might decide to leave destruction in their wake. And you know what would happen then."

A grimace contorted Galen's face. "Oh, yes.  They would go over the appropriate parental knee, and get their bottoms blistered. Then I would be at the receiving end of their parent's chagrin. So I will endeavor to keep them out of trouble, if only to spare my poor ears."

"Clever lad. If you'll excuse me, I'll go see how my wife, sister-in-law, and Laya are doing."

Walking toward the back, Orakio watched as Punishers took positions to make the wedding safe and beautiful. He saw many people chatting and flirting, and Hawat flattering every pretty woman in sight, each comment more outrageous than the last. His wife's cousin was nothing, if not entertaining. Walking around the agridome's center, Orakio approached the place the women had commandeered for the bridal preparations. Walking briskly, he heard the women gossiping away about this and that, and was glad he had not married a prattling dimwit. And thinking of the woman I married…

"Sumire! Where are you? I want to see the woman I married! The pride and joy of my life!"

Smiling as he said this, Orakio waited for his wife to appear. It was not a long wait. His wife walked out of the central pavilion with a blush burning her face and an embarrassed smile.

"Orakio! Where are your manners? I thought you knew better than to brag all over the place and be so proud and full of yourself!" she scolded.

Laughing, Orakio went to his wife, picked her up, and sealed her lips with a kiss. They stayed like that for a while, until someone said, in a bemused voice, "He doesn't know when it's appropriate to kiss his wife either. He's the same as his brother. Those two are so hopeless! I hope you do a better job with your husband, Laya."

Breaking the kiss off, he turned to regard his sister-in-law with a smile. The fiery blonde returned the smile with a smirk. Standing next to her, Laya watched with a nervous smile. He decided that they all needed to have their dignity rocked a bit.

"That's odd. Rulakir says that you are most content with him, even if he is hopeless. In fact, he says that when you two are in bed you are-"

"Orakio!" she shouted as a flush burned her face. "One more word, and I'll-"

"Harm your cherished brother-in-law? In an area that Sumire is very fond of? I doubt that she would soon forgive you for it. She might even decide to be vengeful and-"

"Orakio!" Sumire blushed as she tried to cut her husband off.

"Let that be a lesson to you Laya. Women might marry for a variety of reasons, but they stayed married because their husbands-"

"Orakio!" Laya blushed as red as the ruby in her forehead.

He smirked as he said, "Just making sure Cilor has a blushing bride. Come on, let's gets started.  I want to eat, drink, and let the bridal couple go away and-"

"Orakio!" the three shouted together in chagrin.

"-get better acquainted." Orakio finished without skipping a beat.

Grabbing a page on an errand, he instructed him to go ahead and commence the wedding. Taking Laya's arm, he walked her toward the area the ceremony would take place. Even as they heard the first strains of the wedding music, it became obvious something was wrong with Laya. She was dejected and moody. Worried, Orakio was going to ask what was wrong, when the first explosions came and the well-organized wedding collapsed into uncontrollable turmoil.

"What the Hell is happening?" Orakio shouted over the panicked screams.

"Orakio!" Deikon, Galen, Rulakir, Cilor, Lune and Hawat ran over to him and Galen handed him a plasma sword and full-body battle armor. "We're under attack! Get into this!" he said urgently.

Quickly putting on the composite armor he was handed, he listened to Deikon quickly outline the situation in growing shock. We are in for one hell of a fight, he thought grimly.

"A massive army of robots and conventional troops attacked us a few minutes ago. Our best estimates are over 3000 women and 7000 drones of various types. The surprise attack caught us off guard, and Major Guerrero is reporting heavy losses. We need everyone with combat skills to come and fight. We've sent for reinforcements, but the garrison at Mystoke is also under attack. New Mota and Firon are rushing troops to us, but they won't arrive here for another three hours. We have to either hold out that long, or beat them. It seems that the attackers are Amazons. If we can hold out long enough, we can crush them in one blow. We're keeping them out of the agridome, but we can't do it for long without it being breached. We await orders, Commander."

Recovering his composure, he remembered the Old Master's lessons on warfare. When faced with a situation that seems to be hopeless, unify the spirits of the army and make it clear the only way to survive is to fight.  He turned to Galen. "Begin evacuating the dome. I want all civilians out. Activate the battle circuits in the Agribots. They're not tough enough for regular combat, but they'll have to do for a stopgap. Make sure everyone's out and take a large escort. How many troops do we have left?"

"Four hundred twenty-two can fight. The rest are dead or wounded. All drones are available"

"Galen, take two hundred with you out the back, and 1000 drones. Once the civilians are clear, go around and strike from the rear. We have to outflank them. They expect us to roll over and die, which is why they're here in such numbers. I'll lead whatever troops we can muster out in a delaying action. They have to think we value the agridome over out lives. If we can't hold out, we run away and destroy the dome. Deikon, take 200 and 1500 to the left and try to draw them away. I'll take the remainder in battle here. Hawat, you'll be watching my back."

A little boy came running toward Orakio. The black hair made it fairly obvious whose little boy. Hugging the boy, Orakio knew what his son wanted.

"Papa! Mama and Aunt Lira say I gotta go with them! I don't want to! There's a fight goin' on, and they want me to be safe! But you're gonna fight, and I should too!"

Thinking quickly, Orakio figured out a way to get the boy out safely without wounding his pride. "Canaras, I know you're learning fast, but you're still too young. If they see you, they'll kill you to hurt Mama and me. I can't fight them if you're all here. I want you to be in charge of taking your mother, cousins and the children out with Galen. I want you to get to the big city to the south, the one called Drasgow II. Tell them to send help. And you have stay and make sure they get here and you have to protect all those people you're in charge of. Can you do it?"

The little boy looked at his father and determinedly nodded his little head, ruffling the tidy black bangs. "I'll do it, Papa. I'm gonna make you proud of me!"

Running inside, the boy stopped when he came across a squad of Punishers, and then ordered them to come with him and gather up all the civilians. Startled at the tone of command coming from such a small person, the captain turned to Orakio and asked a question with his eyes, which Orakio confirmed with a nod. They ran after the boy, and obeyed. The small smile of pride on Orakio's face was interrupted by Rulakir.

"Orakio, what about the rest of us?"

Surprised, Orakio belatedly noted that Cilor, Lune, and Rulakir were also ready for combat. Laya seemed torn, but also joined them, putting on a ceramic vest. "Rulakir, you're joining Deikon. Cilor, Lune, Laya, just what in the void between stars are you thinking?"

Cilor spoke for them. "We can use Techs against them, Orakio. I also know how to use a staff and Lune's specialty is slashers. Laya is better at Techs than either of us, and she can support."

Hastily, Orakio decided where to send them. "Laya, you'll be going with Galen. A sudden attack from the rear by powerful Techs will buy us time and their fear. Cilor, you're coming with me at the front. Lune, you're going with Deikon. Ares, what's the situation?"

Major Ares Guerrero had arrived, and anger raged on his proud features. "Sir, we have three hundred more volunteers, but we're back where we started! Most of the people here are damned cowards, and I doubt 700 can beat back 3000! I can't shame anymore of them into growing a set and helping us!"

"We'll settle for what we can get. Ares, you're going to take 200 volunteers 500 drones and strike from the right. Are you familiar with the Dragon's Tail?

A smile blossomed on Ares' face. The green eyes danced with malicious glee. "Nice tactical choice, sir. I'm on it. And they'll hate it when my supposedly weak position strikes them from the rear with back-up."

"Glad you approve," Orakio commented wryly. " That leaves me with 2000 drones, 122 troopers, and the main corps. Hawat, Cilor, let's go. We have a battle to join. We are in for one hell of a fight."

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***   

"Cilor! Behind you!" Orakio turned himself around to defend the lad, and in doing so, left his back unguarded. He hacked off a wrist and the spear it carried fell just before it would have pierced Cilor's spine. A quick-eyed soldier wearing the Amazon's blue harness lunged and sliced through the gap in the armor near the left shoulder. Cursing, Orakio whirled around and beheaded the woman with one powerful slash.

Ignoring the throbbing pain in his shoulder, he turned and stabbed another Amazon through the heart. Suddenly, his body's instinct told him to use a technique learned years ago. He turned his head slightly and saw Hawat's saber defending his left side, just as he protected Hawat's left. Under the stern eye of the Old Master, they had practiced this a thousand times. They were back to back, always moving, always turning, striking as one fighting unit with two swords.

Through skill and determination, they imposed their personal rhythm on the battlefield and worked their way through the Amazons like reapers scything wheat.  Someone tried for Hawat's side; Orakio ran her through. Another Amazon tried to stab Orakio with a short blade while his sword and attention were elsewhere; Hawat stopped her well short of her goal with an almost casual slice to the neck.

 Suddenly, Hawat lurched back against Orakio's shoulder, breaking the rhythm and throwing off Orakio's thrust at an Amazon throat. Instead, he hit her shoulder, and she promptly collapsed. Not bothering to make sure she was dead, Orakio turned to Hawat. The blood gushing from his right side said it all.

"Medic! Come here at once!"

An Amazon tried to hit Orakio while he was distracted, but Hawat surprised her by lifting his saber in front of her. Taking a breath, Hawat tapped into the shadowsaber's power and said one word. "Deathspell."

The woman dropped, dead before she hit the ground. Quickly turning around he used some more of the power in the sword and performed a powerful Airslash. An Amazon used a Foi Tech that he deflected with his sword. He quickly countered with a Giwat that killed her by freezing her internal organs.

A Van converted into an ambulance had been approaching them, and Orakio watched with relief as they pulled Hawat in, saving him from using anymore of his energy. He was less kind when they tried to get him in. Snarling, he demanded to be left behind. "I'm not injured!"

"Sir, your shoulder is bleeding so bad that it's soaked your pectoral armor. Get in, or I stun you."

He accepted their ministrations with poor grace, and quickly activated the screen. He watched as everything fell into place. Deikon had drawn a fair portion of the enemy away, and the enemy had not noticed Galen's escape, or Ares' movement to the north. Only a few minutes more, and then…

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***

"Alright, we're here," Galen said, pointing at a point on the map. The escort of the civilians had been easy enough, and they'd managed to swing around the enemy's flank without too much effort. They were to the rear of the enemy, Ares' troops had reached them, and they could join the battle at any time. All they needed now was an impressive entrance.

"Yes, we are. So, how are we going to this? I mean, I doubt any single Technique would be impressive enough to scare them. These are battle-hardened troops," Ares reminded.

"I'll do my part. I have an idea how to manipulate their fears. Major, can you use Foi Techs?"

"Yes, Governor. I know Foi, Gifoi, Gires, Res, and Ner."

"Galen, cast a Gizan at the same time as the major casts Gifoi. The effect should surprise you." Laya turned to their troopers and in a loud voice said, " Now, do any volunteers know Wat?"

"I do, ma'am." A young officer in the Punisher's battle armor called.

"Good. You'll be working with me. Cast the highest-level Wat tech you know at the same time I cast. This should hurt the enemy, and earn us their fear. Let's go up this hill."

Trading confused glances, the three men followed Laya. Positioned where they were, Laya turned to the troops and shouted, "When you see the signal, charge in and attack. Don't worry, you'll know it when you see it." Turning to the men with her, she said, "On my signal, cast your techniques. Now!"

Quickly, they spoke the words that would create the devastating techniques controlled by their minds.

"GIFOI!"

"GIZAN!"

"GIWAT!"

"TANDLE!"

In awe, Galen and the rest watched as his Gifoi merged with Ares' Gizan to create an overwhelming Firestorm. And Laya's attack-Tandle? , Galen thought in confusion- combined with Giwat to create a devastating thunderstorm over the enemy drones. Their troops cheered and launched a fierce charge against the enemy rear. Recovering his state of mind, Galen went with his troops to earn a victory. Even as he hacked his way through the enemy, he felt Laya cast deadly attacks at the enemy, techniques he had never seen before, but that seemed oddly familiar. I'll have to ask later. For now, there is killing to be done.

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***

Cursing hard, Deikon moved his knives into a cross guard position to catch the Amazon's axe, and prepared himself to perform the Crosscut he had learned when he was a child. Breaking the guard, he sliced through the Amazon's armor and pierced her heart. More enemy troops had followed his group then expected. Now they were caught in a battle for survival, for they were surrounded on all sides. He could only hope that Orakio, Hawat, and the rest had not forgotten them. Turning around, he heard the distinctive whirring sound made by Lune's slashers and ducked, neatly avoiding a haircut that would have leveled his head to his ear lobes. The Amazons around him were not so lucky.

"Damn it, Lune, be more careful!" Deikon bellowed. "That's the third time you almost take my head off!"

"Yes, sir." Lune said contritely. Looking around the battlefield for more targets, Lune saw something that froze the blood in his veins. "General, I think I see their leader!"

"How can you be sure? It could just be an officer!" Deikon called back irritably.

"She's wearing blue-black armor and a gold crown!" Lune responded.

"She's mine! Cover me Lune, Rulakir." Deikon ordered.

"Are you insane?! It's too rash a move! We'll get killed, General!"

"I don't care whether it's rash or not. I've already made up my mind!"

"You got it, cousin. Lune! On my signal, throw your slashers! Now!" Rulakir commanded.

Lune obeyed, and devastated a path through the Amazons for Deikon and Rulakir. Running hard, Deikon shouted a challenge at her, and barely gave her enough time to draw her sword before he attacked. Rulakir quickly went to work keeping the enemy away so that Deikon could duel her alone.

"So, you've found me after all, rabble!" She yelled at him. "Foolish man, to think yourself equal to a woman. It leads you to evil against me! And for that, you shall pay the ultimate price!"

"Spare me the sermon! Save your voice for your death scream! Once you die at a man's blade, your Amazons will scatter, crushed!" he growled back.

An overhead slash was blocked by Deikon's cross guard. He tried to perform a Crosscut, to catch her the same way as he had done to one of her soldiers, but she proved too quick and dodged out of the way. She attempted to stab him in the back, but his armor and his own speed blunted the effort. Turning around, he went for her wrist, trying to cut it off, but she deflected the attack. Her riposte would have ruined his digestion permanently if he had not jumped backwards. Taking advantage of her momentum, Deikon kicked out and caught her helm. It clattered to the ground and she fell with it. He waited for her to get up, and prepared himself for another go. She tranquilly recovered her blade, and turned to face Deikon, glaring at him. Deikon was stunned. This woman was a great beauty. Black-haired, eyes so blue that they matched the amethyst in her forehead, with delicate features, he could not even think straight. She returned his mind to battle by lunging at him again. Jumping toward her blade this time, he landed on it and heard the crack that meant he had dislocated her shoulder. She fell and rolled over with a groan of pain. Placing his boot on her throat, he spoke simply. "Yield."

Her eyes lit up with fury, but the fire in them died. "Help me," she whispered.

Deikon snorted contemptuously. "Life you may have, but not trust. Surrender your Amazons. Or I swear on Palma's Graveyard, I'll gather up the Elite Guard and the Punishers and crush them. I'll slaughter them and leave their corpses for the scavengers. Do you want that to happen?"

"Damn you! I won't give up while a mere man gloats over me. I won't surrender to a man!"

Deikon met her glare for glare. He shouted in a voice so loud it carried all across battlefield. "I have your leader at my feet! She lives! But for how long depends on you! Abandon the field, and leave us in peace! I swear you shall not be harmed. If not, if you refuse to do what common sense demands, I will kill you all!"

Suddenly, Deikon saw a massive Firestorm raging at the main battlefield. A thunderstorm joined it, and Deikon decided it was time to make a spectacular bluff. "See what we do to your sisters now! We turn the elements against them! Not even the strongest among you has the power to create that!" 

He felt their fear, and decided to play his trump card. "Leave. Never bother Lord Orakio's forces again, and we shall let you live. Lord Orakio desires peace. He does not desire death! I shall spare your leader as a sign of good faith. Shall you return it?"

Bending down, he helped the woman up. Her glare remained steady, but she could not disguise her admiration of him. He tried not to look at her, for fear of breaking his composure. She softly asked, "What is your name, warrior?"

He turned to face her and said, "I am Deikon Sa Riik, cousin of Governor Rulakir and Commander Orakio Sa Riik. General in charge of Techna and chief of fleet security."

She smiled at him. "I am Selbren, leader of the Amazons. It seems I misjudged you men, and you in particular. We shall meet again. As a token to make sure we do, take this."

Quickly, she kissed him and shouted an order to retreat. Deikon could only watch as they ran away, ignoring his troops, and soon, the battlefield was empty, save for the dead and wounded. He turned to see Rulakir and Lune watching him. "Cousin, while I admire what you just accomplished, don't you think you should be going after that girl?" Rulakir asked solicitously.

"I agree, Governor. Perhaps the General should go after her. It would certainly go a long way toward pacifying this dome and the rest of the ship." Lune said with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"I was thinking along different lines. I was thinking that he might to have her so that she-"

Discerning where Rulakir's thoughts were going, and turning red to his earlobes, Deikon said, "Shut up!"

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***

"They're retreating?" Orakio echoed in disbelief.

"Yes, sir. Seems our attack from the rear shocked them witless. They're running from Mystoke as well. As far as we can tell, they are in full retreat."

Orakio shook his head at Ares' reply. This battle had seemed hopeless, but in two hours, they had managed to defeat an enemy force more than four times their own. But the casualties were undoubtedly going to be very high. "I see why the Light Brigade is the best unit in the Punishers. We should withdraw to Mystoke after we pick up the dead and wounded. We need to talk about this while it's still fresh in our minds."

"Right away, Lord Orakio." Galen and Ares said at the same time, earning an annoyed glance from Orakio. I hate it when they do that! And they know it, too!

Heading toward the Landrover that had arrived shortly after the enemy retreat, he worried about the complications of this attack. The news of the wedding had been widespread, and it had been common knowledge that it would take place in an agridome. Which agridome had been a carefully guarded secret. That the Amazons had attacked in such numbers and such precision indicated they knew the when and how of the wedding. Spies, perhaps even one of the Politicians who had been at the wedding, must of told them. But for what possible gain?

The drive back to the seven towers of Mystoke Castle was quiet. No robots attacked, no animals, nothing but silence. Once they had arrived, the wounded were led to the infirmary, and the leaders that had survived the battle went to the reception room in the central tower to be debriefed on the situation. Orakio looked at them all and began to speak.

"As far as can be determined, the attack at the agridome was not a stroke of blind luck. They had been tipped off, but we don't know by whom or why. Of the 600 soldiers, 300 volunteers, 4000 combat droids, and 1000 agribots that fought in the battle, 697 people were wounded, killed, or are still missing. The droids took 88% casualties. The agridome survived with minimal damage, as did Mystoke. The Amazons were worst off. They fielded 8700 warriors and 18,800 droids, which we whittled down 5400 and 6000. Any information or speculation would be greatly appreciated."

Deikon stood up and spoke first. "Commander, they didn't run away from us. They left because I had their leader under my knife. I offered them their leader in exchange for our lives. It might not have worked if you hadn't used whatever weapon you did to make that firestorm. They were afraid you would use against them next, so they ran for all they were worth. We lost them when they scattered into the tundra."

"What?! You let their murdering bitch of a leader escape?!"

This was bellowed out by Governor Tyros of Aquatica. A surly fat man, he had a reputation for being a coward who hid behind functions and ceremonies, and ran away at the first sign of danger. Before he could begin to give Deikon a brusque dressing down, Orakio spoke in his coldest voice.

"Governor, Deikon's actions saved all our lives. And from what my son tells me, you were the first person in line out of the dome. I know about your abilities with an axe, and you should have been out fighting like the rest of us were. So, I'll make you a deal. I will remove you from office and not tell all the denizens of the ship of how much of a coward you are, and you silently retire. Or, you make a loud protest and are reproved for the coward you are. Your choice. I would choose the former."

As the fat man became red as a Scorpirus in silent outrage, Orakio mocked in a quiet voice, "I do not believe the presence of any cowards is wanted right now. All of you who ran away who could fight alongside us are being removed from office. Leave. Now."

A number of people walked out. An uneasy silence ensued, which Rulakir broke. "It's when the dragon's roar is softest is when he is most dangerous," he commented loudly.

Orakio managed a thin smile. He glanced at the remainder, who had fought alongside him, and finally turned to Laya. "I owe you an apology that you were wedding went so bad. We'll do a private ceremony tomorrow. Will that suit?"

"It will," Cilor answered for her and him. "But for now, I think we need to deal with what happened."

"Yes, we do. Ares, I don't know of any techniques that created those powerful storms. What were they?"

"They weren't single techs. Somehow, the techs we used merged into one powerful attack. They did most of the damage to the Amazons, and thanks to Deikon's quick thinking, saved our lives," Ares answered.

"Speaking of which, you all have to be rewarded for you quick thinking and courage." He turned to Ares first. "Major, how does a promotion to General sound?"

Ares' jaw dropped, before he made a strangled noise. He finally spoke in a cracking voice, "I'm only twenty-seven years old!"

"And I'm twenty-eight, and commander of this fleet, nonetheless. Rewards go to people with ability, not seniority. Cilor, the mayor of Shusoran was killed and the mayor of Kirlante ran. Do you think you can be mayor of both cities?"

Cilor followed Ares' example. As did Lune when Orakio offered him Governorship of Dahlia. Though Cilor politely declined, Lune exuberantly accepted.

"Deikon, I'm thinking of giving you Dome 4. You'll be charge from Techna. Think you can handle it?"

"Of course. Though I'll run it the same way I run security and Techna, you know."

"Go right ahead and piss off the Politicians. They're too pompous anyway," Orakio encouraged with a smile. "Mayor Seth? Yaata needs a new mayor. Interested in the job?"

The black-haired, black-eyed mayor of Catha Island regarded Orakio. "I can handle it. Thank you for the confidence." You fool. You sow the seeds of your doom.

"Alright. Let's hope this leads to peace on board ship."

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***

"Laya? May I ask a question?"

Galen's indigo eyes regarded Laya's sapphire eyes. She met his direct gaze with curiosity. "Of course. What would you like to know, Galen?"

"The technique you used on the battlefield. I've never seen it before. Also, I never heard of techs merging like that. I want to know about them."

"I'm not surprised you've never seen it before. My technique is what they call 'magic.' The combination attack was based on a theory I heard as a child, that energy could be mixed to create a more powerful attack. So I took a gamble, and hoped it was true."

Galen's jaw had dropped long before she had finished. When he finally recovered, he whispered one word. Even so, it made Laya stiffen in dread. "Esper."

She turned, surprised, and quickly pleaded, "Don't tell anyone! If anyone found out, I would be killed! Please Galen! Don't do this to me!"

Galen did not hesitate in his response. "I won't. And thank you for trusting me enough to tell me. But I do want to know how to do what you can do. Call it a professional interest."

"If you have the gifts, I will teach you." Laya responded in relief.

***                                            ***                                            ***                                           ***

In a dark room, deep in the sublevels of Mystoke Castle, several beings gather. Only two of them have human shapes, one of them tied to the floor. The other is recognizable as Seth. The rest have their bodies swathed by cloaks, and face concealed by masks.

"Are you sure it is done?" Seth hissed in an inhuman voice.

"It is done. The seeds of distrust are sown. Soon, they shall reap their death. And then, we shall return to Algo to free our god. The Profound Darkness shall be freed, and the universe destroyed."

"We can not fail, Chosen of the Darkness. Soon…soon we will see our god!"

The woman recoiled in fear of them. Her voice, though quivering with terror, marked her as Astarte. She fearfully asked, "What do you want? What are you going to do to me?"

Seth glared at her. "Simple. Your soul and body. We shall use you to create a gift from our world to yours. You shall birth a Ly'sefalz. You shall serve me as I corrupt you. And you have no way to escape that fate."

Seth's eyes were no longer black. They were the crimson of pure evil. And his laughter was inhuman as it echoed off the walls.