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Chapter 17: Protector Bloodlines

Date: November 15, 2776

Location: Leben Metropolis Wächter

Akutenshi, Lee, and Cale were making their way around the center of the metropolis, looking at wears and trinkets for sale by the shops around the area. It had been snowing for the past two days and there was already at least three feet of snow that had piled up along the walkways and in certain parts of the metropolis, on the streets. Akutenshi hummed to himself as Cale and Lee talked over a beautiful violet colored amulet in a shop window when the hair on the back of his neck prickled. Someone was watching them. He tapped Cale's shoulder three times, his signal that there was something wrong without having to say a word and Cale nodded then passed it along to Lee. All three of them prepared for something to happen. They continued idle chat as they walked towards a clearing, keeping an eye out for any potential threat, but Akutenshi couldn't see any kind of threat. Weird, he thought. As they entered a clearing of bystanders the sensation grew and then suddenly, with a flicker of light and pseudo motion, everything stopped. The snow, the people, Cale, Lee, Cars, shuttles and ships, everything stopped dead in their tracks, frozen in time. Akutenshi looked around, studying what was happening. Magic, he thought, and could feel a source of power building up all around him which confirmed it. Whoever did this had incredible magical energy. The white snow flickered in the air, like red and blue lights shimmering within them then expanding outwards then going back in.

"So, we finally meet." Said a strange male voice, almost as if the individual was shifting out of time and space then back in, but with an ominous tone to him.

"oh?" Akutenshi said, glancing around him.

"Yes, I've been watching you for sometime now young Akutenshi Ishimura." Came the voice again. "Such power within you, but I doubt you fully understand what that power is exactly."

"Then explain it." Demanded Akutenshi. "And explain who you are."

With a flicker of motion, a snow white Wolf wearing a brown trench coat with a black dress suit appeared in front of him. His eyes glazed over white. He smiled at Akutenshi and waved at him. "Guess I will begin with who I am." He said. "I am known as many things, but namely, to you, I am known as the Lord of Time, or Time god. It is my job to monitor all timelines and ensure they act the way they need to. I make sure fixed points in time occur within those timelines and make sure that they never unravel, for if they do,``he grinned and chuckled, "Well, Time itself will deteriorate and then cease to exist!" He put his hands up. "And we are quickly approaching a fixed point in this timeline, one that must happen in order to ensure that Time continues."

Akutenshi stepped over to his side and studied him, "Lord of Time?" He asked.

"Yes." Said the Wolf. "But my original name, and the one you will call me, is Niroh."

"I always thought you were fake." Akutenshi said.

The wolf laughed, "Many do now a day, especially with all this science and technology. I am part of the Pantheon that is set to monitor this sector of the galaxy."

"What?" Akutenshi said.

The Wolf smiled, showing his teeth. "Well, you see there are many 'gods' out there. There are select Pantheons for sectors of the galaxy. My Pantheon is in charge of this sector which is part of the Pelzigan Colonies which use to expand almost to the Draconic Empires space. Then there is a Pantheon for that area and then one for the Human home systems and so on and so forth. Each Pantheon is stuck there, we can never venture out to other sectors less we lose our abilities and possibly killed by Ao himself." He took a deep breath. "There are about ten 'gods' or ascended beings who are charged with watching this sector. There are many, many other beings like us who are charged with watching over the galaxy as a whole. We cannot watch over the entire galaxy, the pantheon for the Pelzigans, so there are others who are chosen from that species home systems and are charged with watching over it."

Akutenshi nodded. "And what do you mean that I don't fully comprehend the powers within me?" He said.

"You're bloodline has an amazing history and power attached to it. Once, every generation of your bloodline, one is selected to gain the power of the Protectors. Those selected tend to live about a thousand years in total with the ability to change once into a new person. Regenerate in a sense. That specific individual has access to almost god like powers because it is their sole job to protect the sector they are born into." He said.

"So," Akutenshi said, "In a sense, the Protector bloodline assists the supposed pantheons of each sector in protecting that area?"

The wolf nodded with a hint of joy, "Yes, exactly!" He said, a hint of glee behind his voice.

"And these bloodlines, the Protectors, live for around one thousand years, with a type of Regeneration that changes them halfway through their life?" Akutenshi asked.

"Yes, however that individual does retain their memories and all knowledge beforehand. You would regenerate into a younger version of yourself so you could live for the other half of your life." The Wolf said.

Akutenshi's ears shot back and he looked at Cale, his body stuck in a position with one foot off the snowy ground, his eyes looking right at him. Those beautiful eyes. If the whole living for a thousand years was true, then he would outlive Cale. "So you mean I'd outlive the people I love then." He said to the Wolf.

The Wolf's smile vanished in an instant replaced by a saddening look. "Yes, it would mean you would outlive Cale." He said with sorrow in his voice. "You would have to watch him grow old and die."

Pain and Ice gripped at his chest, Akutenshi let out a small sob. "Cale, I..." He reached a paw out to Cale's face then brushed it gently. "Why?" He said, a tear rolling down his cheek. "Why am I selected?"

"You're father is dead Akutenshi. That's why." The Wolf said. "A being known as Rauh is using his body as a vessel to carry out his actions in this galaxy. While your father's soul is trapped in the body, by all other means he is dead. That's why it has passed down to you."

Akutenshi turned to face him, anger and sorrow in his face, tears running down his cheeks. "My father is not dead!" He screamed, his paws now in fists shaking. "He was at the battle for Aegis! He attacked the Serenity! HE IS ALIVE!"

The Wolf sighed as Akutenshi sobbed. "No, he isn't. As I've told you, Rauh, a demi-god, a being who is halfway between ascended and mortal, has, in all manners, killed your father."

"But you said his soul was still inside of his body!" Akutenshi continued to scream. "That means he is alive!"

"I guess in a manner of speaking, he is still alive. However the role of Protector passed to you because it viewed him as dead. If a Protector's body is even taken control of and is in a state of decay, it goes to the next of kin immediately to avoid whoever took control of the body from having the power of the Protector." The Wolf said. "When Rauh took your father's body as his own, your father died." Akutenshi fell to his knees crying. "And I am sorry to say, but for events to continue, to keep time itself in a stable form, you will have to fight Rauh in your father's body. Once you defeat him, and if you're able to force him out of your father's body, you will have to watch the final stages of death take him." The Wolf continued.

"It's not fair...." Akutenshi said between sobs. "This isn't fair!" He screamed in agony.

The Wolf walked up to Akutenshi and put a paw on his shoulder, "I know this isn't fair." He said. "I am truly sorry for what will happen Akutenshi. If I could change the rules I would. If I could make sure Everont survived the coming battle so he could spend more time with you, I would do so. However all of this is a fixed point. Even me being here to tell you all this is. There is no escaping fate and time." He looked at Akutenshi, a single tear forming and a sorrowful look on his face. "The coming battle will be difficult, it will be filled with despair, hatred, anger, and sorrow but it must happen." He told Akutenshi patting his back. "Just know that the power of the 'gods' is on your side young pup. We will assist where we can once the fighting begins. Just be strong." He stood up and took a few steps away from Akutenshi. "All things live and die young pup." He took a deep breath and exhaled it. "All I can say is enjoy your time with Cale, help him live a long and good life. And when he goes, don't despair, don't give up, keep going. If nothing else keep going for both you and him. There will be joy, there will be sorrow, but there will always be life." He looked up into the sky and smiled a bit, "Even in the darkest of times, there is always a ray of hope. Grab hold of it and don't let go. Keep it in your paws at all times and eventually it will bring you to a brighter future, a brighter day."

There was a shimmer of light and the snow was the first to start falling again. Then the sounds of the busy streets began again. Akutenshi heard Cale's boots crunch against the snow then suddenly stop and heard him gasp. "Babe!" He said, running to his side and crouching beside him. "What's wrong? What happened?! Are you ok?!" He said placing a paw on his shoulder then rubbing his back gently. "Akutenshi?" Cale said.

Akutenshi looked up at Cale's face, filled with concern, then looked at were the Wolf had been and saw that he vanished. He looked back at Cale, straight into his eyes and let a few more tears out then nodded to him. "I'm sorry." He said weakly as he stood up, Cale holding him close. "Gods I'm sorry hon....." He took several deep breaths, "There are things I need to tell you." He said. Cale nodded in response.

Within the next few minutes they were inside a small local coffee shop, Lee had volunteered to go grab their drinks so the two could talk. Cale's paw was over Akutenshi's paw. He gave the paw a small squeeze then took a deep breath and began to tell Cale what he was told by the supposed Lord of Time. At the end of it Cale's ears were down, concern etched into his face.

He placed his paw softly on top of Akutenshi and gave a weak smile, a few tears running down his cheeks. "If it's true hon..." He said, his voice catching in his throat. "Then if you get to live longer than I do.....promise me one thing." Akutenshi looked Cale directly in the eyes, tears building up again. "Make sure the life I have with you is amazing and...." He swallowed, "And when I die....don't let it destroy you. As that Lord of Time said, you are a protector, you can grieve over me, but don't let it destroy you. There will be another." Cale looked away from Akutenshi. If what that man had said was true, then Cale knew Akutenshi would outlive him, he knew that they couldn't spend their lives together like they dreamed, but he knew that his mate had a purpose. That purpose was to protect the people, to help ensure the safety of everyone around him. He meant what he said, that Akutenshi needed to make sure the life Cale had with him was amazing, and that when he passed away, that Akutenshi could grieve, could be filled with sorrow, but he couldn't allow it to control him, that he would have to keep on living. For him, for Cale. He looked back at Akutenshi and smiled, an actual smile. "No matter what, when that time comes, you keep going. ok? For now though, let's focus on the present, what we do now ok?" Akutenshi stared at Cale then slowly nodded acceptance. They sat there, staring at each other, holding each others paws, silently.

..............

Location: Epsilon Aurigae System onboard the UGSM Serenity

Scheck continued running through the diagnostics. It had been at least two days since the repairs went under way. During that time he had contacted Admiral Harper and Palio and had gotten word that their listening outposts had detected multiple echoes of other starships jumping throughout the system towards Leben in an erratic pattern. Even detected a few wakes from a few stealth vessels. Since then Leben had gone to Red Alert and had raised it's planetary shield in preparation for the incoming attack. They had managed to get the Cores to the Serenity and were almost done fitting them to work for the Serenity, the question remained though, would they be capable of leading this fleet into battle when the time came? Where there other spies and saboteurs onboard? He sat in his chair, eyeing all of the people on the bridge. Watching their every movement. He could have sworn he had screened almost the entire crew, all four hundred thirty thousand of them, reading through a majority of their service records, him, Atkins, Harper, and Palio screening them. The weeks to months it took to go through them all, was it for nothing to keep Whitcomb from getting someone onboard? He pulled out the small datapad he had in his pocket and pulled up information on Ensign Monroe. Female, twenty-five years old, one of the best engineers from the academy on the Lunar Colony that was built on the moon orbiting Earth, family was particularly ordinary. But something caught his eye. Her family had ties to the Whitcomb's and Palio's, some of them expressing the same ideology as the now Admiral Whitcomb had. However it was stated that she had renounced that and had gone into service to support the coalition all the way through. But there were issues with insubordination, sometimes when it came to Pelzigans commanding her. He grimaced as he read through it all.

How could this have slipped by them? It was a red flag to him alright. He swiped through information until he came to who had screened her, Admiral Tyler Palio. How could this have happened? Admiral Palio was on his side, had helped him set everything up to combat Whitcomb's plan. Unless.....of course! He thought, and he fumbled through several articles in regards to Palio, and then sighed seeing that it was all blacked out. Stupid! He thought to himself, Admiral Palio was playing the long game for Whitcomb! However seeing that most of his record was blacked out, didn't mean he was playing a double agent. "Liahm." Said Scheck.

She appeared next to him, crossing her arms. "Sir?" She asked.

"I need you to hack into the UGSM's database and get all records on Admiral Tyler Palio, I have my doubts right now about him. I need to know more about him." He said.

She appeared confused, "Sir?" She asked again.

"My ready room, immediately Liahm, get me all information on Admiral Palio now!" He said in a hushed voice towards her as he stood up and made his way over to his ready room.

"Yes sir." She said and disappeared.

Once inside his ready room, he sat down at his chair and looked at the monitor on the desk. Liahm appeared in front of him.

"Hack successful, however the A.I.'s within the database watching over it are not too happy that I......Well sir let's just say they are currently stuck in a subroutine loop trying to figure out how to escape. Should be able to get out in the next twenty seconds." Liahm said to him.

"You didn't leave a trace of yourself there did you?" Scheck asked.

Liahm crossed her arms and smirked at him. "You doubt my skills Captain?" She asked.

Scheck smiled back at her tightly, "Of course I don't. Let me know once repairs are done and we can get underway." He said to her.

Liahm nodded, "Yes sir." She said and disappeared.

He pulled the files up on the monitor and began to read on Admiral Palio. His family history was a mess, his great great grandfather was charged for treason, abandoning his post during a battle with the Pelzigans in the outer sector of the Epsilon Eridani System. Then his grandfather himself who had voiced out against a treaty with the Pelzigans then was found dead shortly afterwards. His father, who had concerns about the stability of the Unified Galactic Systems Military force and governing body itself. He was then silent for the rest of his life, busy serving against the small skirmishes against insurrectionists, probably to preoccupied to worry about the government, trying to stay alive then dying shortly after first contact with the Lothians. And then there was Admiral Tyler Palio who, at a young age, was caught at a rally against Humanity being allied with the Pelzigans and who had been imprisoned but then pardoned by one of Whitcomb's family members. Since then he kept his nose clean not really getting into much trouble. He passed Officers Academy at the academy on Mars and quickly rose through the ranks, probably by Whitcomb's design, same for Scheck, as a potential pawn. There was something definitely wrong here with everything. Palio, at a young age, appeared reckless, but then, somehow, cleaned his act up as he got older despite the fact that he should have continued his reckless record judging by the way he reacted to authorities. He had to contact Admiral Harper, and soon.

.......................

Location: Leben Metropolis Capitol Wächter, UGSM HQ for the Epsilon Eridani System.

Admiral Harper sat down at his desk, dimming the shades over the windows to block out the sunlight, then punched in a command to his holographic display. Captain Scheck appeared in front of him.

"Admiral Harper." Scheck said saluting him.

Admiral Harper saluted back and then forced a smile. "Captain Scheck, you have something to report?" He asked.

Scheck nodded. "Yes sir, I do." He said.

"Then report." Admiral Harper said nodding towards the Captain.

"Sir, I know what I've done will be reason to put me to court, but we recently had an act of Sabotage onboard the Serenity, we have lost reactors one, two, and three." Scheck said. "It was done by Ensign Rose Monroe. I looked into her background and noticed a few red flags that we were trying to keep an eye out. She had a history with her family being against the UGSM and thought that the Pelzigans should serve under us. I continued reading on her and found out that Admiral Tyler Palio was the one who had screened her prior to her service onboard the Serenity." He finished.

Admiral Harper sat up straight and stared at the man. "What has happened to her?" He asked.

Scheck sighed, "She died in the explosion. Body was not retrieved because, well sir, the body was sucked into space." He said.

Admiral Harper looked down at his desk and took a deep breath. "That is sad...." He said. "Will the Serenity be up and running soon?" He then asked.

Scheck nodded, "Alexa has given us some older Warp Cores that we are beginning to connect into the Serenity herself to give her the power to Jump and fight. Should be ready in the next few hours." He said.

Admiral Harper nodded then said, "Very good, once you are operational bring the fleet you've gathered to Leben immediately. We will have to lower the planetary shield for you so you can achieve orbit over the planet itself. And-"

"Sir." interrupted Scheck. "There is also facts on Admiral Palio I discovered. He has a checkered past, all the way up until the Whitcomb's themselves pardoned him. Then he suddenly went straight. I was thinking that, possibly, he is a double agent. Somethings would match up, especially as to why he would allow someone with known ties to the same ideology that Whitcomb has onboard the Serenity." He said.

Admiral Harper remained silent for several moments. Then said, "That is a valid point. I'll look into Admiral Palio immediately. How did you come across this information?"

Scheck looked down at his feet then back at Admiral Harper. "I had Liahm hack into the UGSM database to pull the info needed to do my check sir. I will accept any and all punishments when this is over sir." He said, stiffening up.

Admiral Harper grinned and sat back in his chair. "There will be no need for punishment. At this moment, you are reacting to an attack on your vessel and a possible threat to the UGSM itself. I will ignore the fact that you hacked into the database, so long as Liahm didn't leave a trail." He said.

"Do you both doubt my skills in hacking?!" Came Liahms voice. "Admiral Harper, do I need to remind you who designed me?! Your very own grandfather prior to his passing! One of the greatest minds of Humanity with the Grand Master Ardon himself! Of course I didn't leave a trace of myself in that database!"

Admiral Harper chuckled as Scheck gave her the order to be quiet then nodded towards Scheck, "I look forward to your arrival Captain Scheck." He said. And just as he gave a salute over to the Captain, alarms and klaxons went off. He looked at the flashing red lights, then opened the shutters over the window to see a raging fire near the Guardian Academy, where one of the four planetary shield generators were, with smaller explosions shooting upwards with debris raining back down towards the ground. "Captain Scheck." Admiral Harper said, gritting his teeth, "Get to Leben ASAP!" He shouted. The Captain saw the look on Admiral Harpers face then saluted and the hologram vanished.

Admiral Harper keyed his comm then said, "This is Admiral Harper to Orbital Station HQ, report!"

There was a crackle of static, then Admiral Palio's voice came in, clear, and surprised. "Sir, we have a small fleet of Lothian vessels exiting Jump just outside the kill boundary! They are holding position for the time! I have ordered all Station to prepare to fire on them the moment they come within the kill boundary! All defensive fleets are already in position and ready to engage!"

"Admiral Palio, one of the planetary shield generators just blew up. As of now, the metropolis, UGSM HQ, the Guardians Academy and HQ is now vulnerable. You need to hold those ships back until we can figure out just how bad the situation really is with the generator." He said. Admiral Palio agreed then signed off. There would be a time to question Palio, or possibly see his true colors here and now, but for now, Admiral Harpers main goal was the defense of Leben. He switched comm channels to the HQ. "Attention all personnel, combat station! All non-essential personnel are to evacuate immediately and report to the docks for immediate evacuation preparation!" He ordered, almost shouting it into the comms. He could see through his office door that he didn't need to say it twice. Most of the people in the building were already making their way out of the building, part of the mass of people grabbing weapons and taking up defensive positions.

This was it, he thought, this was what they had been waiting on. He looked back out the window, at the metropolis covered in snow, the sun high in the sky now, and parts of it burning. He got out of his chair and made his way out of his office, and towards the command center in the building.

...................................

Location: Leben metropolis Capital city,Wächter , Guardians Academy and HQ

Grand Master Ardon watched as hundreds of thousands of fighters took off from the airfield surrounding the Guardians HQ. Watched as the dozens of frigates took off towards the sky, their weapon's brimming with energy, ready to fight. The location where one of the planetary shield generators had been, on fire with vehicles swarming around it, trying to put the fire out. AA Batteries that were stationed around and throughout the metropolis coming to life, energy rippling through them as they were activated. He had already received the reports of the act of sabotage, and how a fleet of Lothian vessels were holding position just outside the kill boundary. But then he saw a flicker of pseudo motion, and suddenly a massive ship, almost the size of the Serenity, appeared in the sky. The shockwave approached the windows he was looking out of and they shattered. The young Pelzigans that had been running past him as well as some of them who had stopped to watch all screamed out in surprise, some of them getting knocked over. Grand Master Ardin stood there, an invisible barrier deflecting the shards of glass in front of him, and stared with horror in his eyes as a cloud of fighters left the massive red and black ship, all of them glinting in the sunlight. There were several massive objects that had dropped into the city, possibly Goliaths, the Lothians ground assault and transport unit, and then watched as the fighters opened up on the city beneath them.

Explosions erupted all over the city, and the AA guns that had came to life had begun firing at both the massive vessel, and the fighters that were swarming the metropolis. Dear gods, Grand Master Ardin thought as he watched people beneath the building he stood in, scramble for cover as a squadron of fighters came towards it. He heard a small hum as the building's shield powered on, but it was already too late. The fighters fired several volleys of missiles towards the ground in front of the building. Most of the missiles made it through before the shield rose up and blocked a few of them. The whole building shook violently, he could hear the screams of the people down below then the whimpering and silence that fell. May the Gods help them.