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At seven foot three inches, Esther was intimidating even out of her armor. Her dress uniform did little to hide the cluster of muscles that ran down her body, especially those of her arms and legs, nor her amble bosom, which her pee-coat seemed to barely contain. Her crimson her was neatly combed, with her officer's cap settled on the top of her head between her ears. Those green eyes stared out form under the brim of Esther's cap at the far wall of the room unblinking. Her long, bushy black tail swayed slowly side to side, seemingly not to notice the serious atmosphere that pervaded the room. Esther's feet were planted slightly apart, and her gloved hands rested in the small of her back.

To her left, now in the civilian attire of an off duty doctor, sat her father, Jacob Sigismund; who looked nervously between Ester, the two chairs on either side of the table before him, and the chair at the far side of it. Behind him, and to either side, stood Cassandra and Karl; both in their dress uniforms and standing at ease like Esther. To Jacob's left stood Wulf, also in his dress uniform, but with his cap on the table and a data pad in his hand. He had just finished giving his report, along with the supplies the Marines had used, and the casualty report. Apparently, the transport that Jacob and Ritter's men had used to infiltrate the planet had been intercepted and destroyed. Their last transmission had been what brought the Marines. And it had also brought the mission to the attention of Clan Master Darkrose, who had not been told of it and was now wondering 'why'.

In the chair to Jacob's right sat the holographic image of Maximilian Gage, Lord General of Clan Wolf's Special Operations, and hence, head of the Marines. Though he looked human, he was in fact a wer-wolf, save that he had not changed out of his human form for several years. Despite being in his late seventies, he had remained fit and hale, and still taught hand to hand combat at the Marine Academy. He sat at ridged attention in his full dress uniform, general bars decorating both sides of his pee-coat, his chest covered in ribbons and medals. His steel gray eyes staring straight forward at nothing, and his salted gray hair was cut extremely short. Gage's cap sat on the table in front of him.

Across from the table from him sat General Frederick Hanson, the nominal head of the Department of Military Intelligence, as the Intelligence Director was out having a baby. General Hanson had been in charge of the department for only a month, and he was already in trouble with the Clan Master. Hanson looked human, save for his turquoise colored hair and his gold colored eyes that marked him as a Sentari1. The deep blue uniform he wore made his pale skin stand out, as well as the amount of sweat that was collecting on his forehead. Like Gage, Hanson sat at ridged attention, staring across the table at the wall. Unlike Gage, Hanson could not keep his emotions from his face, and the scared, worried expression that was currently on it would not leave it. He kept glancing at the far side of the table, each time quickly returning his eyes to the wall.

At the head of the table sat Barbra Susan Shifter-Racon, called "Darkrose" by those who called her friend and members of her family. Darkrose was a wer-wolf, and she often wore her mostly human/part wolf form, making it easier for her to blend in with the rest of he Clan. At first glance, she could have been mistaken for a Guarden. She had human proportions, save she had a wolf like head, was covered in fur, and had a long bushy tail. Her fur was a glossy black, and her waist length hair was a brown so dark that it was almost black. Two crescent shaped patches of red fur sat just under her eyes. The red fur also decorated her fingers and feet; a legacy from her mother's side of the family. Today, she wore a black suit, with a knee length skirt, black blazer, black flats, and a white blouse. A gold necklaces with a celtic cross decorated her open collar, and her gold wedding ring was the only thing on her left hand. The other was bare. The fingers of her right hand were currently drumming on the table, her claws partially unsheathed, and leaving marks on her desk back in her office.

"Would someone...anyone...like to tell me how we lost a ship, conducted an covert operation...and IONLYHEARABOUTITTHISMORNING!"

Darkrose's voice seemed to rip apart the very air. Jacob could almost swear that her very breath left sparks floating on the slight breeze that was coming through her office window back on Neo-Mars, the headquarters and home world of The Wolf Clan. At the out burst, even Gage lost his legendary composure and glanced at Darkrose. Few knew that Gage was a member of the same Wer-wolf House, or tribe, as Darkrose. And with Darkrose being the granddaughter of the House Master, her word had more pull with him than most people suspected. Darkrose was also known for her temper, and had relieved a few people of their duties, in some cases, permanently. It was another side of her grandfather, Redjaw Redwar, that she had inherited. Her father, David Shifter-Sapphire, had been very even tempered for the most part. Not so his oldest child, and it had been something she had always struggled with. Gage also had more to worry about if Darkrose directed her anger at him; his office was down the hall. Hanson was on the other side of New London.

"My Lady, please allow me to explain," Hanson began. "We all know how important information about the USF is, and-"

" GETTOTHEFUCKINGPOINTYOUPOLITICALBRAINWASHEDIMBISLE!!"

Jacob, Karl, Cassandra, and Gage all swallowed at the same time. Now, she was really mad. Her usually blue eyes now glowed an evil red as the blood rage of her people started to take over. Wulf quickly grabbed his cap, put it on, and took a step back, going to full attention. Both Cassandra and Karl followed his example. Hanson's mouth moved, but no noise came out of it, and his hands seemed to stop working as he opened and closed them on a data slate that was no longer in them. Only Esther seemed unfazed by the out burst. She gave a soft cough that brought Darkrose's complete attention on her. With Darkrose's attention focused elsewhere, Hanson began to recover from his shock.

"You have something to add, Captain," Darkrose asked, her voice a low rumbling growl.

"Please excuse my impertinence, My Lady, but we need to look at the bigger picture. According to the intelligence we had received from the Dragon and Cat Clans, there should have been no patrol there, as no military exercise had been approved by the USF Council. Now it is quite possible that the Council was unaware of the exercise, or they left it out of the official report. If so, why? What would they gain if they conducted a military exercise on the borders of our two nations when we are already so close to hostilities already? Why not simply attack and catch us off guard? And why only include the Xelfarak when the USF doesn't trust them?" Esther's voice remained low, submissive and calm. It had the desired effect.

Darkrose seemed to calm down a little and considered what the Marine captain was saying. Her eyes went from a bright scarlet color to an imperial purple as they slowly shifted to her natural color. Darkrose rested her chin on the back of her right hand and tapped the top of the table with the index finger of her left. Her gaze never left the captain. Esther, for her part, remained perfectly still, giving no indication on what was going on in her head. Even her tail had stopped moving.

"OK, captain," Darkrose said at last, "I'll bite. What are you getting at?"

Esther remained in her at ease posture as she spoke. "Mum, the USF has always used the remains of the Technolon Technocracy as a buffer zone between the Terranova Confederation and the greater galaxy since its conquest in the Union War. We have recently received reports of the entire Bardic sector withdrawing from the USF, as both the Drakkei Empire and the Flamestar Commonwealth have withdrawn their support of the USF Council. Add to this the recent emergence of the Grendel Empire from the ruins of the Grey Empire that once held Old Terra. The Technolons have always been treated with disdain by the USF, along with both the Xelfarak and Zekarians, who are client races to the Technocracy. The realms of both races surround the core star systems of the Technolons, and the USF has withdrawn much of its strength from the region as it has had to deal with the so called 'Bardic War'."

"Speak plainly, captain. What's on your mind?"

"Just this, Mum; could the Technolons be using the recent events as a way to rebuild their military and find a way to get back at the USF by, say, tricking us into believing that the USF was building up strength to assail us. We would have to respond, and our already tenuous dealings with the USF would deteriorate to the point of open war. Afterward, the Technocracy would swoop in and crush anything that remained."

Darkrose sat up straight and joined everyone as they stared at Esther. Gage looked from Esther, to the table, to Darkrose, his mind running over the possibilities.

"Mum," he said, "if that scenario is even remotely true, I highly doubt that the USF Council is even aware of the build up. We should inform the Prince at once. He may be able to use this as leverage with our negotiations with the Council."

Darkrose looked at the table, the index finger of her right hand resting on the corner of her mouth, the other tapped the table several times. Finally, after several heartbeats, she looked up at Gage.

"Agreed," she said. "I'll contact the Prince myself. Gage, I want a list of the most likely scenarios of either the Technocracy or the USF attacking us. Get it to me by tomorrow morning." She turned toward Esther. "Captain, I'm ordering the Wolf's Tooth back to Neo-Mars space. I want your team refitted and waiting for further orders. I'll be placing M-Twenty-Three and M-Sixty under your direct command. Make sure they are prep'd and ready to move at a moments notice. This could get messy. I will have General Gage contact you personally. I'll contact Captain Strauss myself to inform him of the new orders in a few moments."

Darkrose turned to Jacob. "Doctor, I'm not entirely sure how you got involved with this mess, but rest assured that I will find out. In the meantime, I must ask you a favor and write up a report of all the data you can remember on the Xelfarak. Please have that report to me by tomorrow evening."

"Of course, My Lady," Jacob said, "though in all honesty, most of what I found out was explained by the shrewd guesses of Captain Ravenwolf. It was pretty clear that the planet Xiln'Tor was being used as a testing sight."

"Then write it up and make it official," Darkrose said. "We'll be able to deliver our guesses and hunches much better with an actual report and hard evidence."

"Yes, My Lady. I could have it to you in a couple of hours. It won't take long to compile."

"Very good. Thank you." Darkrose turned her now withering gaze on Hanson. "General Hanson, I would like to see you in my office in three hours, and you had better have a good reason why I should not rip your head off. Dismissed people. God's speed."

All of the Marines snapped back to attention and saluted as the image of the Clan Master faded, followed by that of General Gage. General Hanson's image was slower to disappear, and no one could miss the look of abject terror on his face. As a wer-wolf, Darkrose was quite capable of making good on her threats.

Jacob sighed and rose from his chair. Turning, he found Esther already stepping out of the door, followed by Cassandra. They were already deep in conversation. Wulf and Karl exchanged a quick word, and then Wulf was out the door, moving at a brisk pace. Only Karl remained. He motioned for Jacob to follow him.

"Come with me, Doctor," he said. "I'll show you to your quarters. I've ordered some clean clothes for you to change into until we can get you home. They should fit close enough."

Jacob followed Karl out into the corridor. He paused and glanced down the corridor in the direction which Esther had disappeared in. He sighed again, and rubbed his weary eyes. He was going to have to speak to her. Slowly, he turned and found Karl waiting for him patiently, a small worried, but warm, smile on his face.

"Don't worry, Dad," he said. "We have a two day trip, which should give you plenty of opportunities to speak to her. For now, let's get you cleaned up so you can write that report more comfortably."

* * * * * *

Jacob walked slowly into the gym and tried to stifle a yawn. He had spent the last three hours writing the report for Darkrose, and he had been up for almost eighteen hours already. It had only taken a hour to to actually write the report, but then he had to edit and revise it before it could be sent. In the end, it had taken three hours, four minutes, and twenty-nine seconds to get everything sent. He had gotten and acknowledgment from Darkrose before he had even pushed away from his desk. That lady seemed to be everywhere at once, and he wondered how she made time for her family. Not that he could say anything about that as he had not even seen his daughter for four years. So now that the report was done, he walked to the gym. But it was not to exercise. He had other business.

The room that served as the ships gym was larger than it appeared from the outside. It was filled with exercise equipment, mainly weight machines. Those who wanted to run could go down to the shuttle bay so long as they didn't get in the way of the crews. There was some aerobic equipment, but not a lot. Sitting on a bench, with a clip board in her hand, was Cassandra. She wore a light blue tank top, so loose that it failed to hide the dark blue bra underneath, and a pair of black, skin tight exercise pants. White running shoes over black athletic socks decorated her feet. Near the back left corner of the room, on a weight machine, stood Karl. He had on a white muscle shirt, blue soccer shorts, and the same type of foot wear as Cassandra. It was the third person, however, that drew Jacob's attention. Standing near Cassandra, almost at the center of the room, was Esther.

Esther had her hair tied up into a small, low pony tail with a black band. She wore a black sports bra and a pair of black racing briefs. Her feet were covered in white athletic socks and blue sneakers. In her left hand was a dumb bell that she had been curling when Jacob stepped into the gym. Judging from the amount of weights on it, Jacob guessed that it had several hundred pounds on it. Cassandra looked up as he entered, gave him a bright smile, and waved.

"Hi, Dad," she called out in a chipper voice.

Esther stopped in mid curl and stared over her left shoulder at him. Again, Jacob noticed the anger deep in the eye he could see. Karl didn't stop his routine, but Jacob saw his ears twitch. Cassandra glanced at Esther, and both her smile, and her arm, slowly lowered. The arm that held the weights Esther was holding never moved, not even a little bit. After a moment, without Esther moving, Jacob sighed and stepped over to a bench close to his daughter. As he sat down, the arm holding the weights slowly relaxed. Esther still had not turned toward him, continuing to watch her father over her shoulder. At this point, Karl stopped his routine and turned toward Esther. He opened his mouth to say something, but received a shake of his sister's head, and closed it. There was dead silence as Jacob sat down on the bench.

"Esther, we need to talk."

Esther dropped the weights. They slammed down on the floor with a loud clang that left everyone's ears ringing. The weights themselves bounced once, leaving a large dent in the metal floor. For a brief moment Karl and Cassandra though their Captain would turn and walk out without even trying to talk to Jacob. Karl took a step forward, and Cassandra stood up. The weights, in the meantime, had rolled out of the dent they left in the floor and slowly rolled toward Karl. Esther slowly turned around and placed her left hand on her hip.

"OK, lets talk."

She put her other hand on her hip, and then leaned over until her eyes were level with Jacob's.

" What were you thinking?"Her voice was a low, angry growl.

Jacob blinked for a moment, his eyes wide with surprise and a little bewilderment.

"Excuse me, wha...what are you talking about?"

Esther's eyes narrowed and her lips parted in a semi-snarl.

"You could have gotten yourself killed. Your not a field scientist, and your too important to the Clan to go on an information gathering expedition that any well trained scout unit could do. Did you even think about all the kids and scientists that look up to you? Did you think about what your death would do to them, and the project?"

The snarl left Esther's face, to be replaced by a look of utter sadness. Her ears went out to the sides, and tears started to pool in her eyes. She sank to her knees, and then sat down on the gym floor, her legs splayed out to either side of her. Esther's hands moved slowly to her lap, and her eyes sank to stare at the floor in front of her.

"Did you even think about what it would do to me?" She looked up at Jacob. "Dad, you're the only parent I have ever known. You never talk about mom, or that I even have a mom. And while its nice to know that I have siblings, as far as I know, I don't have anyone else. You have taken care of me all my life, even when you were very busy." Esther sniffed as the tears fell loose, sliding over here fur covered cheeks. "I couldn't bear to loose you, and especially not that way. Not on some stupid mission that an idiot of a General didn't even think through. The thought of it hurts to much. I love you so much, Daddy."

Jacob slid off the bench and knelt down in front of his daughter. He had to stand on his knees to reach Esther's head, even in her slouched posture. Wrapping his arms around his neck, he cradled her head against his right shoulder, resting his head on top of hers, and stroked her hair. Her massive arms slowly wrapped around him, being careful not to squeeze to tight. She began to cry in earnest now, and buried her muzzle into Jacob's shoulder.

"Sh," he quietly said, talking to her like she was a little girl again. He kissed the top of her head. "It's going to be alright. Nothing happened, and I won't be doing anything like that again."

"I missed you, Daddy," she sobbed, her voice barely above a whisper.

"And I missed you," he said. "When we get home, we'll talk about your mom. So don't worry, you do have one."

Jacob continued to hold Esther as she cried. He guessed it had been a while since she had gotten these emotions out of her, and with him being in danger, they had come out in full. Cassandra put her hands to her chest, sighed with relief, and glanced at her twin. Karl gave her a big, toothy grin and a thumbs up.

1Sentari are a near human race that live on the closest solar system to Old Terra. With the exception of their hair color, which can range from aquamarine, to turquoise, to azure, they are almost exactly the same as humans. All Sentari have gold colored eyes, and even those that share mixed race blood have the gold coloring. No one is entirely sure why this gold coloring is so dominate, but it is suspected that the Sentari were once a gene altered sub-species of either human descent, or human like race. Sentari skin runs from pale white to sun bronzed. Most Sentari stand between five foot ten to six-in-a-half feet tall. Galactic historians have put forward a theory that Sentari was once one of the farthest colonies of the Erstan Empire, believe to be the first true galactic empire.