Chapter 12

EARTH
EDEN CITY AIRFIELD

"No one needs to panic! We do not have enough information yet!" Lohana demanded as they crowded around the map chart in the rear of the DT.

The moment Aelnala had told them something was wrong with Isra they had jumped onto her back and she had lifted into the air, speeding back to the airfield without a second thought. Lynwe, Selene and Layna had barreled along behind them in a commandeered Lifter, reaching the airfield only minutes after Tarifa and Aihola.

"Lohana how can you be so calm and..." Selene began to speak.

"Listen to me all of you!" Lohana barked out silencing them. "Isra and Aelnala have trained for this in the past. We've done this drill before! Aelnala tell them what I am talking about please."

Aelnala nodded her huge head, her honey colored eyes now calm. Lohana is right. She spoke as Tarifa, Aihola, Selene, Lynwe and Layna turned to look at her. Forgive me, but it has never happened outside of our training and I panicked for a moment when I lost direct touch with him. We have trained for this and I should have been more prepared.

Tarifa looked at her. "Aelnala what does it mean though? Aihola... Nya Istel and I can feel nothing from him, almost as if he is not there anymore." She asked quickly.

There were times when Isra or I would cut ourselves off from the other. Aelnala began to explain. We would only do it for training purposes and only for short periods of time. Because the bond we share is so deep, it would begin to affect the other member of the pair if we did this for long periods of time. The King and Aricia can hold this for the longest amount of time, but for other bonded pairs only a few hours at most. We were trained to only do it in times of great danger to the other, or if we were separated and trying to hide. You and Aihola are his mates yes, and the bond you share with him grows by leaps and bounds every day. The connection that we share as a bonded pair is much deeper right now however, because we have been together longer. You may feel nothing from him but he will still feel you, and I still am able to sense him, if only vaguely. That is why we must remain strong.

"You see now." Lohana spoke more sedately now. "It does not mean automatically that something bad has happened to him. Yes something has happened, but his actions only indicate he is in a situation that warrants he block himself from the three of you in this way. Perhaps he and Tareif have found an enemy base and are scouting. My point is we don't know what has happened yet, and we must not assume the worst."

They all looked at her. "You can hear Aelnala's thoughts?" Aihola asked surprised.

Lohana shook her head. "No ... our connection is only one way. I do not have the Mindvoice ability of you and the others, so I can not talk with Aelnala in my mind. She can project what she wants to say into my thoughts, she is strong enough to do that, but there is no connection otherwise."

This is not normal Lohana! Aelnala spoke. He would not do this unless he was in danger or trying to hide. He may be reckless and defiant, but one thing he is not is foolish. And he would not block Tarifa and Aihola completely without good reason, not after all he has gone through to finally be together with them.

Selene nodded her head. "I agree with her on that Lohana. It is similar to having to sever yourself from contact with your husband and mate."

Lohana nodded quickly. "Yes ... I know. That is why the moment you alerted me that this happened, I began to have Eden City Command and Admiral Jamerl begin a sensor sweep of the area they were suppose to be in today."

"My father's pilot was trained by Benjamin himself." Tarifa spoke quickly once more as she took a deep breath. "Steven is one of the very best pilots in our air force, if not the best since Benjamin left earth."

Lohana waved her hand over the expanse of ocean in the Florida Keys that was up on the map chart. "This is the course they were following." Lohana told them as the blue line appeared on the monitor. "We can..." The beeping on the table interrupted her and her hand dropped to touch the panel. The small image of Admiral Jamerl appeared on the table monitor as well now. "Admiral... ?"

"We are not detecting their RAPTOR II airborne anywhere in the area they were to be patrolling today Lohana." Jamerl spoke.

"What does that mean Admiral?" Tarifa asked quickly.

"Admiral ... Tarifa and Aihola are here with me, Selene, Lynwe and Layna as well." Lohana spoke. "They just arrived from the main square."

"It means simply that they are not airborne Tarifa." Jamerl answered as his eyes fell on her from the monitor. "They have either set down somewhere within their patrol sector or they have crashed. The third possibility is that they have been..."

"Shot down." Aihola finished the statement.

Jamerl nodded slowly. "Yes. Based on Aelnala's reaction, I would say the latter, but it could very well mean they have gone to investigate something they have discovered. We just don't know yet. But it also tells us Commander Isra is alive and obviously well enough to act as he has, though it does also tell us there is great danger near to him."

Aihola reached out and gripped Tarifa's hand. "He is a skilled Spartan my love." She spoke softly, so that only Tarifa could hear her. "He would not want us to panic; we must remain strong and trust in his actions."

Aihola is right Tarifa. Aelnala said looking at the two of them, and moving slightly closer to where they stood, as if her bulk would provide some measure of comfort. Please ... please do not think of me as being protective. I know the love he carries for both of you, and you must never think I would do anything to injure or harm this love between you. Without him I am nothing, and without the two of you he is a shell of the man he could be.

Tarifa nodded and reached out with Aihola to place their hands on either side of her huge head, watching her eyes close. I know Aelnala, and we would never think that. She said confidently. We both know that. It seems we are all tied together now, and we must remain strong for each other.

Selene stepped forward. "Admiral ... what do you recommend?" She asked in a very businesslike tone.

"We maintain calm and wait for a time." Jamerl answered immediately. "If they were shot down and this is the reason Commander Isra has acted in such a way, by limiting his abilities, we should not barge in with guns blazing so to speak. He may very well be trying to mask his presence until he deems it safe enough to contact us."

"I agree." Lynwe echoed.

"Admiral ... I want a six ship flight ready to launch at a moment's notice." Tarifa ordered confidently. "We will wait for a time as you have said, but we will not wait forever."

"I already have them standing to their ships Lady Tarifa." Jamerl answered. "This information has not gone any further than those on the ship there with you and two of my senior officers here. The flight crews on our cruisers believe it is simply a drill. I suggest we keep it that way for the time being. If this is a concerted effort, then we must not let our enemies know we are on to them in any way."

Selene looked at the table monitor. "Many people saw Aelnala leave the square with Tarifa and Aihola in an extreme hurry Admiral." She spoke skeptically. "Certainly that will imply we are onto something."

Lohana nodded picking it up now. "Yes ... but not what you might think." Lohana spoke quickly. "Many of those people who saw them today also know that they are both now the elven mates to a member of Mjolnir's Hand." She said looking at Tarifa and Aihola who had expressions of surprise n their faces at this knowledge. "I have been wandering Eden City these past few days and I have discovered that your story has been circulating through many of the markets and gathering places. You and Aihola are well known for your sexuality and your beauty as well as your unashamed actions with each other and now Isra in public. It has become a very popular romantic story line from what I understand. A brave Spartan returns to Earth to claim the hearts of the women he thought he had lost so long ago in battle. It is second in popularity only to the King's actions in retrieving Aricia." Lohana smiled as Tarifa and Aihola blushed. "If needed, their departure can be explained by the fact that they were returning to greet their mate who was returning earlier than expected. In fact I recommend that is the story we release to any interested parties. The only ones who know it will not be true are those involved in what is happening."

Jamerl nodded. "That is an excellent cover story Lohana. It is something which should not raise too many questions." He said.

"Admiral there was two other ships involved in the search like Tareif and Isra." Aihola said looking at the screen now. "Are they accounted for?"

Jamerl nodded. "They are Lady Aihola. I have ordered them to return to the nearest base in their search areas just to be safe."

"They were flying below five hundred meters in a new RAPTOR II." Lynwe spoke again. "I have flown in these new ships Jamerl, as have you. This is no accident, and they would never have been detected unless someone leaked their flight information."

Jamerl nodded his head. "I tend to agree with you Lynwe." He spoke. "Who had access to their flight plans?" Jamerl asked.

"Perhaps a dozen people," Aihola replied. "No more that that. Tareif and Isra did not even share the flight plans with either Tarifa or me for safety purposes."

"I will have Cathy begin a discrete investigation. No one will blink that it is her asking the questions." Lynwe spoke her voice stern. She had friends out there that were now in danger, but the threat to Selene had just gone up way off the board as far as she was concerned and that made her blood boil. "Someone gave that information out and we need to find out who did it and why."

Layna stepped forward now. "Admiral ... I'm sending you an image. There is a member of the Zaleisian Delegation that is not entirely what he makes himself out to be. He is not Zaleisian and we would like to know why he is helping them." She plugged the data pad into the slot. "His species looks familiar to me from somewhere Admiral, but I am unable to place it, but I do not care for the way he looked at the Administrators today, especially Selene."

They watched Jamerl's face turn to another screen as the image was instantly transmitted to him in orbit. They all saw his eyes go a little wider and he turned back to the screen quickly. "Layna ... you saw this man today?" He asked.

Layna nodded. "Yes sir. Not an hour ago in the main market café. Do you recognize his species? He looks familiar as I said, but I am unable to place the species exactly. I want to say it is something I have read in books recently."

"I recognize his species, and there is a reason he looks familiar to you." Jamerl spoke looking at the screen, his eyes focused in Layna. "You were taught about his species in the academy during the weeks spent on the Hundred Year War of Retribution. He is a Kavalian."

Layna's blue/green eyes grew a little wider at that information. "A Kavalian? Admiral are you absolutely sure?" She gasped. "Why would a Kavalian be here, and why would one be advising the Zaleisian Delegation?"

Jamerl nodded slowly. "I graduated from the academy just months after that conflict ended Layna, and I still remember the stories many of the older Spartans told of these Kavalians and their viciousness. I remember well what occurred and what they looked like. Ceneu or Riall will have much more specific information, but that is most definitely one of them."

The others looked at her. "Layna ... who is he?" Selene asked softly.

Layna looked at her. "Their people attacked the Union many centuries ago. They came out of no where, no one knows why, they just suddenly began attacking our outer posts and began to work their way core ward. They did essentially them same thing the Coven did; only this time we were not as helpless as we were when the High Coven conquered us. They had hundreds of ships and they were merciless, brutal and vicious, and they made it a point to take our woman whenever they got the chance. They didn't take into account just how lethal we had become." She explained. "According to the history pads, Admiral Riall and Admiral Ceneu ended up defeating them with superior tactics and more brutal actions overall and they drove them near into extinction."

"Less than a hundred years later they made the mistake of attacking the High Coven in much the same fashion." Jamerl's voice continued from the monitor. "The High Coven was ready for them after their battle with us and the Kavalians still gave them a run for their money. The Coven finally unleashed some of their most modern weaponry on them and destroyed them utterly. I was under the impression there were only several thousand left in the entire galaxy, scattered about."

Layna shook her head. "This one is a member of the Zaleisian delegation as some sort of advisor Admiral. He also was not shy about making advances on the administrators as I said, even though he knows they are all mated."

Jamerl nodded slowly. "I understand they were like that. Pompous and arrogant and they had very little regard for women, no matter their status or title. An Advisor of what sort Layna?" Jamerl asked.

"He has been advising them on the location of ocean territory they are trying to secure the rights too." Tarifa spoke now, suddenly very interested.

Jamerl's face wrinkled slightly. "That doesn't make any sense; if our intelligence is accurate, and it was back then, the Kavalian hate water, any kind of water. There is no reason to believe that has changed. Why exactly would one advise the Zaleisian Delegation on what parts of the ocean to be mining?"

"Their request hasn't changed more than a few square kilometers in either direction." Selene said as she moved closer to Tarifa. "It remains centered on a five square kilometer portion of the Atlantic, ten miles off the coast of Florida."

"Administrator Selene can you send me a copy of the coordinates they are so intent on if you would. I will look into it." Jamerl spoke.

Selene nodded quickly. "I'll have my staff send it up to you within the next hour." She said.

They turned as the doors to the command center opened and Palina charged into the room with the younger version of Tarifa right on her heels. Tarifa's mother and younger sister were almost identical matches to Tarifa in many regards, though only Tarifa had the sapphire colored eyes of her father. She turned to her mother and sister as they came in.

"Tarifa what is happening?" Palina exclaimed as she came up to her quickly. "We came as soon as we got your message."

"All we know mother is that they have gone down." Tarifa spoke. "Aihola and I can not contact Isra because he is blocking all of us right now, even Aelnala. That alone tells us he is alive, but we do not know his condition or what father's condition is. We do not want to try and contact him via radio because it may compromise whatever position they are in."

"What about ... Tarifa what about his pilot? What about Steven?" Zaala asked softly, her dark eyes wide. She wore her hair very similar to Tarifa's, and while she looked up to her older sister, Zaala was very different from her in many respects.

"We don't know anything really," Tarifa replied softly, meeting her sister's questioning eyes. She was more than a little surprised that Zaala was asking about Steven's condition. She had thought that Zaala was more romantically involved with the Spartan soldier that had shown quite a bit of interest in her of late. She had been caught in a rather revealing public situation with this soldier, and Zaala had always been one to see physical beauty before anything, and at times that had gotten her into trouble as it had that night. And yet the concern she saw in her sister's eyes now was honest and genuine.

Tarifa had made it a point to inquire of several of her sources in regards to the Spartan troop that apparently had expressed an interest in Zaala. She had learned quite a bit about him in the previous months, but nothing that really stood out in her opinion. He was handsome and treated Zaala well enough, but part of that was because of who her sister and father were and to hurt Zaala in any way was the surest path to insignificance that any Spartan could make. And it was now well known that female elves on Earth did not subscribe to the more modest nature of their elf sisters on Elear. Tarifa was almost certain the Spartan soldier, young and handsome himself, wanted Zaala only as some sort of trophy.

Zaala was five years younger than Tarifa, and two inches shorter, but that they were sisters was easy to ascertain with the same facial features and long flowing black hair, not to mention the almost identical drop dead gorgeous figures. Zaala was single and tended to wear items that were more revealing than normal, an act to entice interest in her no doubt. Tarifa hadn't seen her in several weeks, but she now wore an outfit similar to one of Tarifa's wrap around jumpsuits. It fit her like a glove, accenting her delightful figure in all the right places, but it still was conservative enough to be more modest than Zaala was known to wear.

"The better question now is what we do." She answered. "We need to insure that security is not compromised in some way in Eden City." Tarifa began to speak. "We should activate a small unit alert that..."

Her eyes grew wide suddenly and she reached for Aihola just as Aihola reached out for her and Aelnala's head moved closer to both of them, three sets of eyes wide as the man they all loved opened himself to them once more.

"Isra!" They exclaimed.

LOGGERHEAD KEY ISLAND
DRY TORTUGUAS ISLAND CHAIN
FLORIDA KEYS

Isra held Steve's uninjured arm as he and Tareif lay beside him in the tall grass and dense foliage. All of them were still soaked from the ocean water, and his violet eyes watched the horizon as the dragon and rider moved away from their location now. Isra had detected them approaching when they were first exiting the water, and he raised his mental and psychic shields slamming them in place as he pulled Steve and Tareif back into the ocean water to hide their scents. It was only few minutes ago when Isra decided it was safe enough to exit the ocean, and now they were sitting in the thicket as Tareif treated Steve's injured arm. Tareif had cleaned the wound to the best of his ability with the equipment from the emergency pack while Isra kept one eye on their enemies and one eye on what he was doing. Despite what he had initially thought, the arm was not broken and Steven had begun flexing his fingers to get the numbness out of them. Tareif offered to make a sling but Steve shook his head.

"Do you want any pain medicine then Steven?" Tareif asked.

Steve shook his head. "No ... we may need to move quickly. Just give me some chewable pills to take the edge off. It's not broken so it might just be strained."

Tareif nodded and searched through the emergency pack until he found what he was looking for. He shook three small orange pills into Steve's hand. "Chew them slowly so that the medicine works thoroughly." He looked at Isra's back. "Are they gone?"

Isra nodded. "They are moving away." He said settling back to the ground and turning to face them. "And the others are refusing to enter the water due to all the sharks."

"At least that went in our favor." Tareif spoke.

Steve chuckled lightly. "We crashed into the ocean; have to sit in said ocean hiding for almost an hour, dodging sharks that want to eat us and still you say it went in our favor?"

Tareif looked at him with a lopsided grin. "We could have been eaten by those same sharks." He said.

Steve nodded. "Good point." He said checking the action on his K12 and chambering the first Teflon coated slug.

"You did an amazing thing getting us down in one piece Steven." Tareif spoke with more than a little respect in his voice. Tareif had flown with Ben enough times to come to truly respect and admire the skill it took to fly a RAPTOR or any ship for that matter. To do it with the skill first Ben and now Steven displayed was truly a gift. Tareif wished his daughter Zaala would pick a man like this over a Spartan. Steven may have been a human pilot, but he was sharp witted and in superior physical condition for a human, and as he had proven already, he had very big brass balls and boatloads of bravery. "There are not many who would have been able to do that. Thank you."

"I thank you as well." Isra spoke turning back to look at them.

"Ben had those new ships built tough." Steve spoke as if dismissing the compliment. "Anyone could have set us down with a little training."

Tareif nodded. "Yes ... I will remember that you said that and make sure I mention it in my report." He spoke with a grin.

"We're still down in enemy territory. I'm busted up a little, and all we have is our side arms. We're not exactly in the best of situations you know. Of course we could all be very dead so our luck seems to be holding."

"Yes ... dead would not be good." Tareif spoke.

"Dead does not sit well with me either." Isra spoke. He turned back to face them fully. "They are moving off completely now. There appears to be another island in that direction."

"Well at least we found all the mirrors hiding these islands." Steve said pulling the canteen of emergency water from the pack. "Pretty sophisticated set up too." He drained a gulp from the canteen and held it out to Tareif.

Isra nodded. "I would tend to agree." He said. "It appears our enemies are more closely aligned than we initially thought." He spoke as he too chambered a round into his K12 pistol before returning it to the holster under his left arm. He looked at Tareif. "Tareif do you know this island chain?"

Tareif shook his head. "Only from old maps and charts. If our position was accurate when we crashed it is called the Dry Tortugas Chain, but this island is bigger than any I remember being in this chain on the maps."

"Seismic springboard." Steve spoke looking at them. "The earth quakes of fifty or a hundred years ago that caused them to resurface must have caused more than the original landmass of the islands to rise up. It stands to reason if it happened to this one it happened to the others as well."

Isra nodded as his violet eyes stretched down the length of the beach as far as possible. "The beach goes for at least two kilometers in either direction, and we don't know how far across it is."

"Use me as your point of reference." Steve said. "The two of you can move faster than me. Use me as your point of reference to find out how big this puppy is."

Isra nodded. "It is getting dark ... so no more than thirty minutes out Tareif."

Tareif nodded. "Done." He spoke

He and Isra separated into different directions and within seconds both of them were gone from sight. Steve pulled the packs closer to him and began to take stock of what they had. He was only through the second pack when Isra and Tareif both returned within seconds of each other. They had been gone little less than an hour.

"That was quick." Steve spoke.

Isra nodded. "We met on the beach on the other side of the island. Three kilometers by four kilometers in my direction, four by two in Tareif's direction."

"Fifteen square." Steve spoke. "Not bad for size really."

Tareif nodded. "We saw much in the way of fresh fruit, some lizards skittering about and a lighthouse."

"Lighthouse?" Steve asked. "You're kidding?"

Isra shook his head. "We should make our way there and set up. The fruit smells ripe and does not appear to have anything poisonous inside it. And it will taste much better than our rations. Then I will contact Tarifa, Aihola and Aelnala so that they do not do anything rash."

"How do you know about the fruit?" Steve asked.

"I tasted it." He answered with a smile. "There is very little in existence that would harm a Lycavorian immune system. If it does nothing to me, it stands to reason it is safe for you and the War Master." He took one of the packs and slung it over his shoulders.

Steve nodded as he stood up slinging another. "I might be able to put together a small transmitter from what I have in these packs too. The salt water killed the ones that were in the packs but I might be able to piece something together combining the three." He said.

Tareif slung the last pack. "And I will move to the top of this lighthouse and see what I can see before light is truly gone."

The three men nodded and headed through the jungle towards the lighthouse, Isra leading the way.

EDEN CITY
AIRFIELD

We were shot down but we are safe for the moment. Steven was slightly injured, but he is fine. We'd be dead if not for his piloting skills. We lost his co-pilot however and our craft is underwater. Isra told them, his Mindvoice connection clear and powerful. I did not contact you immediately because the dragon and rider appeared and I did not want to risk him finding us. I believe we are close to their main base of operations.

They are gone now my bonded brother? Aelnala was the first to ask a question.

Yes ... we did a little scouting of the island we are on and found a lighthouse where we are setting up now. Isra replied. Tarifa have Admiral Jamerl find every map chart he can that has the Dry Tortugas Island chain on it. There must be some in a museum somewhere.

I will make sure we find something, but you said the island you are on is considerably larger than what the charts would say. Tarifa spoke.

Yes ... but we can extrapolate the size of the islands now, based on the dimensions I have given you. At least I hope so. Isra answered.

We will fly to you on Aelnala. Aihola spoke quickly.

No! Isra said quickly. There is nothing either of you can do here. We are safe for the moment. I would not lie to you about that. I need you where you are safest and where you can both use all of your skills.

Then I will come alone Isra. Aelnala said.

No Aelnala, I need you to remain with Tarifa and Aihola and protect them. Have you heard from Aricia?

Tarifa nodded to no one in particular, though everyone in the room knew they were carrying on a conversation with Isra. Selene and Layna were listening into the connection but remaining silent, while Lynwe had left to secure the field for Aricia's arrival. She contacted Eden City Command moments ago. She will be landing with Isheeni in four hours. Tarifa answered.

Divert her DT to Sparta Tarifa. Isra said evenly. Someone knew we were coming to have been able to shoot us down so easily, which means someone is watching the airfield. Her arrival in Eden City will only alert our enemies to her presence. Tell her to divert her DT to Sparta but execute a High Altitude Exit over Eden City. Her surface ceiling with Isheeni rivals that of the King and she can maintain a very high orbit until this dragon and rider appear. She will know what that means. If they have shot us down like this, I believe they are preparing to come after you both. Aelnala that is why you must remain with them for now.

I understand. I will insure they are safe. Aelnala replied. Then Isheeni and I will surprise this dragon and rider when they make their move.

They could feel Isra nod his head from where he was. If they are bold enough to do this now then I believe they will be coming for you very soon. Have a pilot standing by at low altitude over the gulf with one of these RAPTOR IIs. As soon as this dragon and rider make their move, have them dash in and pick us up. We will try to learn what we can between now and then. As I said we are safe. And none of us is in any way interested in battling anyone with only the side arms we have. Your father is setting up inside the lighthouse to see if we can detect anything else in the immediate area. He said to tell your mother vanimle sila tiri. (Your beauty shines bright)

Aihola smiled and looked at Palina who was watching them intently. "Tareif says vanimle sila tiri." She spoke reaching out and squeezing the hand of the woman who was the closest thing to a mother that Aihola had ever had. She smiled seeing Palina's worried face break into a smile of her own as relief passed over her features.

And Steven wanted me to pass on a message to your sister Tarifa. Isra spoke.

Zaala? Tarifa's brow furrowed and her head turned to gaze at her younger sister who sat in a corner of the transport on one of the chairs, her legs curled under her as she held the mug of tea.

Yes. It is an elven phrase that I am familiar with. He spoke it quite fluently, apparently he's been practicing. Mela en' coiamin. (Love of my life)