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4

Axel Georg was not like the other Marines of M-Thirteen. The third oldest out of the squad, at twenty seven, he also had the least genetic alterations made to him. To start with, he was a Bympyr, a race that was naturally breed to be warriors. The Bympyr home world, Flamestar, was a harsh world of scrub plains, volcanic mountains, and gigantic dust or ash storms. Most Bympyrs stood naturally around seven feet; Axel was seven foot two. His strong, human like body was covered in thick, short fur. The light brown fur had evolved to keep moisture close to the skin, rather than keep it out. His head resembled that of a sea lion, with large platinum colored eyes and small round ears. Within his mouth was two rows of needle sharp teeth. Like most of his race, he seldom smiled around other races, especially humans, who could very rarely tell the difference between a smile and a snarl. Like all of his race, he possessed no tail. The tail on his armor was designed to help him fit in with the rest of the squad, special programs designed to mimic the tail movement compensating for the lack of the appendage. Now that he was out of his armor, and off-duty, he was dressed simply in his fatigues, his personal kit slung over his shoulder.

Axel opened the door to his quarters and threw his bag into the closet just inside. Sitting on a stool at the end of the small hallway, he took off his boots, and stowed them in the closet next to his bag. Most Marine quarters were sparsely furnished and consisted of one or two small rooms. Axel's was different for a couple of reasons. The first was that he shared a room with his fiancee. Normally, loved ones were not allowed on a warship, regardless of whether it was peace time or not. This, however, lead to the second reason why Axel's quarters were larger. His fiancee was a Free Knight. The Free Knights were warriors personally chosen by The Sapphire Prince based on merit, skill, and intelligence. A Free Knight had to be incredibly flexible, for they served multiple roles in the service to the crown. They acted as The Prince's personal bodyguards, ambassadors, law enforcers, and at times, inquisitors. They had few peers. But above all, they were a highly trained military force that answered to The Prince, and him alone.

"Sophie," Axel called out.

"In the kitchen," came the rich, warm voice in response.

Axel stepped out of the hallway into the living room. To the right was the bedroom, and to the left was the kitchen/dinning room. He turned toward the kitchen and stepped in. As he did so, he caught the acrid smell of cigarette smoke. Frowning, he turned toward the kitchen counter next to the small stove, and the person standing in front of it.

Azurine Sophie Deepwater was a member of a rare race in the Sapphire Empire. The Sharlins were a unsociable and insular race on average, but there were members that preferred to travel the greater galaxy. So it was with the Sharlins of the Empire. The average Sharlin stood between seven and eight feet, with legs that had double knees. They stood on large, clawed, three toed paws that had webbing between the toes. Superficially, Sharlins resembled the sharks of Old Terra, but that is not were the similarities ended. Their heads are long, and somewhat flat, with the top of their skull only being a few inches above the long flat snout and round nose. Their eyes are only slightly to the sides of the head, giving them a large visual range to the sides and front. The eyes themselves are normally large, almost circular, and have either dark brown, gray, or dark blue irises. The mouths of Sharlins, located towards the bottom of their snouts, are long, anchored on a double hinged joint, and filled with three rows of razor sharp, roughly triangular teeth. The skin of a Sharlin is smooth, almost silky to the touch, but surprisingly tough. The skin hues are as diverse as those of sharks, though gray, white, and blues are the most common. Sharlin ears, located slightly behind their eyes, resemble a mixture of elven and bat ears. All Sharlins poses hair, with a color range similar to those of humans, but can include colors such as green and purple. Most male Sharlins shave their hair, while females tend to grow it long, most of the time, down to the buttocks.

Sharlins developed on the coasts of the planet Fanix, before it was colonized by the Foxins, and are a marine species. They are, therefore, at home both on land and in the sea. Sharlins have two sets of lungs, one that allows them to breath on land, and another allows them to breath while underwater. This second set of lungs are connected to a set of gills located on the neck, which remain closed while on land. To aid in swimming, Sharlins had developed a long, thick, and powerful tails that ended in a caudal fin. Towards the base of the tail, two small pelvis fins stick out with a small, secondary dorsal fin located halfway between the tail base and the caudal fin. A larger, primary dorsal fin is located on their backs; on males this fin is closer to the shoulders and the base of the neck, while on females it is located closer to the center of the back or tail base. Because of this dorsal fin, Sharlins prefer to wear open backed or specially designed clothing. Armor for Sharlins always have to be custom built.

Surprisingly, Sharlin hands closely resemble those of humans, though the fingers of Sharlins are long, dextrous, and end in short hard claws. The skeletons are like those of any vertebrae, save they are surrounded and connected by twice the number of muscles and tendons as those of most humanoid races. This gives them a strength and flexibility that is shocking in a race their size. Sharlins are remarkable long lived, ranging between six and seven hundred years, with a few reaching eight hundred. Due to their long life spans, Sharlins have low birth rates, and will have no more than four children in their entire life. Their culture is tribal or familiar oriented, and most marriages are arranged. This helps keep feuds from forming too often, as such things can often get extremely violent. Whole families can be wiped out in a Sharlin feud.

Sophie was unusual for her race as she stood only six foot one, with deep blue skin, and a white belly. Her deep blue eyes sparkled in the light of the lamp over the stove. She wore a green halter top that left her graceful dorsal fin exposed. Her brown cargo pants contrasted against the blue color of her body. Her golden blonde hair fell down just past her shoulders, and was currently tucked behind her long pointed ears. Sophie had a slender frame when compared to the rest of her race, and people often mistook this as a form of weakness, much to their consternation when they were proven wrong. And there close to the front of her mouth was the object of Axel's displeasure.

Sophie had picked up the bad habit of smoking when she had entered middle school as a way of coping with her overbearing and abusive family. The youngest of three children, at twenty seven herself, she was the product of a one time affair after her mother found out that her husband was having an affair with the widow next door. Sophie's father, who she had never met, had been an executive at a town party. Vivian, Sophie's mother, had said he was a member of the Thresh tribe, and they had both been very drunk. While Sophie looked like a miniature version of her mother, her temperament and height had been inherited from her birth father. Her birth had enlarged the family rift. She had to deal with two abusive older siblings, the nearest one was her sister with thirteen years between them, and a step-father who pretended she didn't exist.

Vivian, on the other hand, was overly protective, and was constantly interfering in Sophie's life. Sophie had a series of boyfriends, and each one had been run off by Vivian. Her last one had almost gotten her into his bed, before he figured out that Sophie was trying to get back at her mother. In the end, he had stopped just short of the act, and sent her home. They stopped being boyfriend and girlfriend shortly afterward, but had remained close friends. By the time Sophie had been ready to graduate from high school, she had become a gang member and did everything she could to avoid her family. Then she had met Axel.

Axel had been home on summer break from the Academy, and had been walking down to the local grocery store, when Sophie and four of her gang members had jumped him. They ended up getting the crap beaten out of them by a lone Bympyr against five Sharlins. It was supposed to have been the other way around, as even the formidable Bympyr could not take on those odds. The ranking male of the group had run away with a shattered jaw after he had tried to bite Axel. And try was the word. Axel had shattered it with one punch. Sophie had ended up with a broken leg and a fractured arm. Her 'friends' ran at the first opportunity and left her laying on the ground at the mercy of their 'target.' For a moment, she thought Axel would finish her off there and then. Instead, he picked her up, cradled her in his arms, and carried her to the local hospital. When the local cop on duty showed up and asked what had happened, Axel showed his Marine card and said Sophie had been mugged. The cop instantly dropped the matter. It was a good thing too, as Sophie had no identification on her.

To her great surprise, Axel came to see her the next day. And the day after that, and then for the rest of the week until her mother showed up to take her home. Before Sophie was taken home, Axel gave her his portable number. She spent the next two weeks on the phone with him, in spit of her mother constantly checking on her. Through out their talk, she leaned a little about his family, and she told him of hers. Axel convinced her to finish school and go to college. So she did. Through out her entire school period, Axel continued to call her, and even met up with her a few times. And then one day, The Prince saw her practicing her martial arts while he was on an visit to the Wolf Clan Council. What he saw impressed him, and The Prince asked her to join the Free Knights. Then, last summer, Axel had proposed marriage, and she had said yes. But he had one condition. She had to quit smoking. And now, she was caught with a cigarette in her mouth.

"Sophie," Axel said, a slight growl in his baritone voice. Sophie stiffened, looked down her snout at the cigarette, and sighed. Reaching up, she took the cigarette out of her mouth, and handed it to Axel, who then stepped to the far wall and threw the offending thing into the incinerator chute.

"Where are they," Axel asked.

"Top of my bag, over on the table," she said as she flipped the steaks she was cooking on the grill attachment for the stove.

Axel opened her bag, took out the cigarettes, and threw the whole pack into the incinerator. He then crossed the room, and wrapped his arms around her shoulders, kissing the top of her head.

"Love, I know your physiology can get rid of any lung trouble before they develop," he said, "but its still a bad habit. And it might effect any children we have; that is if you still want any. I will say it again. I am not marrying you out of some kind of sympathy, or to raise the family I want that will be out of the reach of my grandfather. I want to marry you because of you, and only you. I love you with all my heart. You know that, right?"

Sophie sighed, and leaned back into his embrace. Leaning her head back, she looked up at him and kissed his lowered snout.

"I know. It's just hard to think that you would chose me, especially after the way we met. My luck, and my life, changed so much since we met. I'm a very lucky girl. I love you so much that it's scary. I want this to work. I want a family of my own. One away from my mother. One that I can raise as a family. One with you, and only you."

Sophie reached up and hugged his strong arms. She felt safe in his arms. Safer than she had felt anywhere in her life, even The Palace. Despite all his strength and training, Axel was such a gentle soul, one that Sophie thought wasted in the Marines. Not that he would let that stop him doing his job. He was the squads assault master, and he was usually the first one into combat, especially in close quarters. Sophie reached out and flipped the steaks again. She gave herself a small smile as she thought of Axel's family. Despite of all her complaints about her family, Axel had a somewhat broken home himself.

Axel had been a peace offering to his gene mother. His father, Handel, was born to a warrior family, but did not have the aptitude, nor the will, to be a soldier, and had instead became a weapon tech. Handel even gave shooting lessons at both the Army and Marine Academies. Axel's grandfather was a retired Army colonel, and desiring to continue building a family of warriors, had arranged a marriage with another prominent military family. Neither of his parents wanted to be married to the other, but Handel had tried to make the marriage work. His mother was a proud, almost arrogant, warrior, and wanted to remain one, with no wish to 'breed' the next generation. She would not even permit Handel to sleep in the same room as she did. When Axel was three, she walked out, saying she was tired of dealing with a 'weakling.' Neither father nor son had seen her since, and in fact, neither missed her. Axel's grandfather was very upset with Handel, mainly for not trying to stop the divorce, but could not do anything about it. When Axel was seven, Handel fell in love with Vanessa Snowmane, a Foxling that worked for the Marine Academy's Administration. A year later, they were married, much to the objections of Axel's grandfather. Axel loved his step-mother, who treated him as if he was her own son. Though the 'Colonel' made things difficult with 'surprise' inspections, and talked down to Vanessa, they had made themselves a family. By the time Axel was fourteen, Vanessa had given birth to a little girl. Axel's sister took the brunt of the Colonel's scorn from then on, as a 'half-breed' had no right to be a member of the family. It had gotten so bad at one point that Axel had threatened to physically remove his grandfather from the premises. Things calmed down after that, but he still got reports from home about the occasional problem. His sister had run away from home twice, just to avoid their grandfather.

Axel sniffed. "Those smell good. You were always the better cook. I'll get the plates."

"OK. They're almost done. There is a salad in the ice box and some bread in the lower cabinet. I was able to smuggle a bottle of wine on board. A thirty-five forty-nine Cabernet from Asgard Wineries. It's in the cabinet next to the bread."

"Nice," Axel said as he took it out.

They were just sitting down, when the communicator chimed.

"Typical," Sophie said. "I'll get it. Go ahead and start."

Axel began to eat as Sophie got up and walked into the living room to answer the call. He had just pored the wine into both glasses when he heard raised voices, and then Vivian's voice distinctly. He stiffened, and then slowly stood up. Mother and daughter were already arguing as Axel made his way into the living room. He found Sophie standing in front of the viewer, her back stiff, shoulders slightly raised, and arms tight against her sides. Her caudal fin was quivering with indignation. Vivian was on the screen, looking much like an older version of Sophie.

"Azurine Sophie Deepwater! As my daughter I will not permit you to marry that 'thing.' As a boyfriend I could tolerate him, as I was sure you would grow out of that distasteful phase and marry a proper young man, of the proper race. But to marry a member of a totally different race, and one that has such a hateful background, is inexcusable. A Bympyr of all things. What will the rest of the family think? Or even- How dare you bare your teeth at me, young lady!!"

Sophie was showing her full set of teeth now, she was so angry. It was tantamount of a Sharlin's version of a challenge. Tears were forming in her eyes, and for a moment the only sounds she could make were a mixture of hissing and growling that only an enraged Sharlin could make.

Finally she growled out, "I will marry him! And I don't give a fuck what the rest of the family, or the neighbors, nor the entire community thinks of me! They hate my guts anyway! And any children I have will never know you even existed! You..you...sniff...you egoistic...selfish...sniff...WHORE!"

"Now look here, YOU BRAT! I-"

Axel reached out and terminated the call. Sophie was crying freely now as he gathered her into his arms. She wrapped her arms around his torso and buried her face in his chest as she sobbed.

"Damn her. Damn her," she cried. "She always makes me feel like a little kid again."

Axel stroked Sophie's hair as he continued to hold her with out comment. He looked up as the comm chimed again. Reaching out to the panel, he checked the call source, and then terminated the call again. Clicking on the ship's internal comm, he made a call of his own.

"Communications," came a pleasant male voice.

"This is Corporal Axel Georg, Wolf Marine, Team Thirteen, Second Battalion, First Division. I am requesting any further calls originating from the Lady Deepwater's family be blocked until further notice."

"Understood, Corporal. It will be done, but I must warn you that this must be reported to the First Mate."

"Roger that. Thank you, Lieutenant. Good night. Georg out."

Sophie gave a sobbing chortle. "I'd like to see mom try and get through Commander Marshal."

Axel snorted. Commander Alexavia Marshal was a half human/half Sharlin of the Carcharis Tribe, with almost one hundred years of service in the Wolf Clan's Navy. If Vivian thought little of other races, she would not get far with the Commander. Slowly and gently, Axel moved Sophie back towards their dinner. They would enjoy their time together in spit of Vivian's objections.

* * * * * *

Axel woke slowly to the sound of the door buzzer. Sophie was curled up against him, her arm draped across his abdomen, and her head laying on his chest. She had a soft, content smile on her face. As he stirred, she felt him move and looked up at him sleepily.

"Hello, lover," she said.

"Hello yourself, beautiful." He glanced at the clock on the wall. "Great Architect, it's three in the bloody morning. This had better be important."

Axel climbed out of the bed, put on his boxers and walked out to answer the door. A human Ensign with the Naval Security badge on his right sleeve was waiting for him on the other side of the door.

"Sorry for disturbing you so early in the morning, Corporal," he said while returning the salute Axel gave him.

"What can I do for you, sir."

"Both Commander Marshal and Captain Ravenwolf request your presence on the Command Deck, Corporal. It's a matter of great importance." He spotted Sophie as she came around the corner, wrapped in one of the bed sheets. "You might want to come as well, Lady Deepwater."

"We'll be there directly," Axel said with a salute.

The Ensign returned it and walked off to report back. Axel closed the door and turned to Sophie.

"What was that about," she asked.

"We'll find out," Axel said with a frown.

* * * * * *

Axel and Sophie stepped onto the quiet Command Deck. Both were wearing a pair of sweats and sneakers. Axel was technically off duty, and Sophie answered to The Prince alone, so there was no need to be properly dressed. The room was the size of a small gymnasium, its floor slopping down to a bank of large view screens. The walls were lined with all sorts of electronic equipment and command consoles, each with a chair bolted down in front of it. About five paces before the view screens was a row of independent command consoles, all four of which were only manned during combat. Behind them, and to either side were the two weapon stations. In the middle of the room was a large holographic display projector. It was currently displaying a three-D image of the local star cluster and the ships navigation plot. In combat, it would display ship positions and likely attack routes. The projector also gave detail mapping of various ships and planets. Towards the back of the room, close to the entrance, stood a dais that gave an excellent view of the room, on top of which was the Captain's Command Chair. The chair was surrounded on three sides by a railing that had built-in miniature holographic projectors that would keep the captain abreast of what was going on around the ship. It was currently empty, as was most of the other chairs, as only the Command Staff on night duty were currently there.

Between the command dais and the holographic projector stood a group of four security officers, Captain Ravenwolf and Commander Marshal. Esther was dressed in a pair of black sweats with a zipped up hoodie. She looked like she had only recently been woken up as her hair was disheveled, and judging from the frown on her face, Esther was in no good mood. Standing just in front of the Marine captain, and blocking someone else from Axel's view, was Commander Alexavia Marshal.

Marshal was unusual in the fact that she resembled a Sharlin with out a tail, the only sign of her mixed blood. Her choice of careers was also different than what most Sharlins took, as Marshal had always been fascinated with space. 'What better way to show off my natural love of the sea than to swim the ocean of the stars,' she was fond of saying to her friends and family. At six foot seven, Marshal stood taller than just about every member of the ships crew save the Marines. She was, however, just as built as the Marines, her dark blue naval uniform fitting very snugly to her muscular frame. Her skin was a medium gray color that faded to an off white color that starting from her throat and traveled down her chest to her belly. Marshal's sea-green, straight hair was long enough to lay just past her collar line, and a large lock of it hung down over her left eye. The visible eye was a stern, steel gray color that could quell drunk sailors when she wanted to. It was said that the crew always behaved themselves when she drew Shore Patrol duty. The hidden left eye was a mass of scar tissue, a gift from a pirate in a particularly nasty boarding action. Two jagged scars could be seen running out from under the hair and over the top of her snout. The pirate had lost his head for that, literally, as an enraged Marshal had taken it off with her teeth. It had been the only time anyone had ever seen her loose her cool. Both of her long, pointed ears had several notches in them, having received them in combat against the same pirates that took her eye.

Marshal and Esther were old acquaintances, as Marshal had taught spacial navigation and combat at the Marine Academy while she was recovering from her injury. The two of them had developed a mutual respect for each other, that had developed into a close friendship which almost resembled a mother-daughter relationship. At three-hundred and forty-seven years of age, Marshal was still considered young by her mother's people, but had matured slightly quicker thanks to her fathers blood. Marshal's father had been a naval officer on a destroyer class ship when he and her mother had met. Her mother had been a dock worker and one of the few on the space station she worked at that was qualified to calibrate, and repair a war ships weapons systems. The two of them had gotten to know each other when the ship stopped for supplies, and as the weapons officer, her father always double checked on the ships weapons.

They began to go on dates shortly after, and then a year later, they were married. It turned out to be not as big of a scandal as it would have normally have been as Marshal's mother was an orphan, and her father's family were just happy to see him settle down. Marshal still had a picture of them on their wedding day; the seven foot tall Sharlin in her white wedding dress and her five foot three human husband in his white tux. Six months after their marriage, Marshal was born, and her father had some explaining to do to his parents. Marshal was seventeen and almost ready to graduate high school when word was received that her father's ship had been destroyed with all hands on board by a group of pirates. Marshal had made a personal vow that she would follow in her father's footsteps and join the Navy when she was old enough. After her father's death, Marshal's grandparents had both her and her mother move in with them. Marshal grew up in a very loving family, and had taken an instant interest in the lonely Marine recruit Esther had been.

Both officers turned as Axel and Sophie entered. Axel stepped up to them and snapped a salute.

"Reporting as ordered, Mum."

The Commander returned the salute.

"At ease, Corporal."

Axel placed his hands behind his back and looked directly at the Commander. Sophie walked up beside him and gave a nod to both Esther and Marshal.

"Thank you for coming, Lady Deepwater. I am sorry to disturb you during your personal time together, but we have a slight problem that might involve the both of you."

"How may we help," asked Sophie, a look of genuine concern on her face. She liked Marshal, but if her family was causing her problems, Sophie would have been beside herself.

"Don't worry, Lady Deepwater," Marshal said, as if she were reading her thoughts. "It has nothing to do with your mother, though she and I did have a long conversation about family." Marshal gave them a big, very toothy smile. Marshal's large, triangular teeth gleamed in the low light.

'That must have been a very interesting conversation,' thought Sophie with a small smile. Axel kept his face neutral.

"No, we seem to have a stowaway on board," Marshal said and stepped aside to reveal the person behind her.

The person before them could have at first been mistaken for a Foxling. Standing at four foot two, the girl was already tall for a Foxling, with snow white fur, and wild, dirt covered bright white, shoulder length hair. Her long, fluffy white tail was tipped with black fur, and was currently wrapped around her double kneed legs. The large paw like feet were as white as the rest of her fur, though there was a trace of old, dried blood between the toes of her right paw. The girl's black furred hands gripped both of her arms as she hugged her chest. Her head resembled that of a sea lion, save that the snout was longer and more slender. Two small, black capped, triangular ears lay flat against her head, and the deep blue eyes refused to look directly at either Axel or Sophie. She wore a blue hoodie and a pair of green Capri. Both were torn and covered in grime. She also looked to be favoring her right leg as she winced every time she shifted on it.

Both Axel and Sophie gaped.

"Hrist!" Axel took a step forward as he looked down at his little sister. The thirteen year old winced again, but not from her leg. Hrist looked pointedly at the floor.

'She had looked ready to bolt before Axel said anything,' Esther thought, 'and now she looks like she's really considering it.'

"How did you-" He looked down at his sister's right paw, his eyes widening in concern. "What happened to-" He suddenly stopped and paused, a thoughtful look on his face. Then the look changed. A feral, toothy snarl crossed his face as rage almost took over. "That bastard," he snarled, turning away from Hrist. The girl looked up, eyes wide with terror. "That bastard," he said again. "I'm going to kill him. I'll hang him from a tree by his own tendons." Axel's voice was almost lost in his growling as he took a couple of steps toward the door.

Esther made a move as if to stop him.

"Corporal." Marshal's deep, soft voice cut across the Command Deck with practiced ease. The stern tone had everyone snap to attention and cut through Axel's rage like a chainsaw through a young sapling. Axel spun back around and instantly went to full attention, looking like someone had slapped him across the face. Marshal's single eye glared at him for a moment and then looked back at Hrist.

"We have more pressing concerns than bringing justice to your grandfather," Marshal said. She looked back at Axel. "This is a serious situation here. While Ms. Georg is a minor, she has stowed away on a military vessel, that was on a classified mission. In times of war, she would have been tried as an adult and for treason. Luckily we are not yet at war, though that is likely to change unless something else changes soon. My regulations, however, state that I must throw the girl in the brig and turn her over to the proper authorities when we reach port." She looked at Sophie. "You Lady Deepwater, however, represent the highest authority in the realm as the emissary of The Prince. Ms. Georg will also soon become a member of your family. Would it be acceptable to place her under your custody until matters are settled with her parents?"

"Yes," Sophie said as she walked over to Hrist and gently patted the girl's head. Hrist looked up at her with tear filled, but grateful eyes. "I accept full responsibility for the conduct and welfare of this young lady, Hrist Menia Georg. I will make sure that all the necessary calls and paperwork that are needed is turned in. If Captain Strauss requires anything else, all he has to do is contact me."

"Very good. I will enter this into the logs. Captain Ravenwolf, do you have anything to add?"

"Yes, Mum. Corporal Georg, when we get back to Neo-Mars, you will confine yourself to the barracks. Under no circumstances are you to leave to see your relatives until this matter is straightened out under the laws of the realm. I will, however, give your parents and sister leave to visit you at the barracks. Lady Deepwater has greater authority than I do, so she may visit you if she so chooses. But I require both of you to be discreet, understood?"

"Understood, Captain," Axel said. Sophie nodded.

"Good. Will that suffice, Commander?"

"Perfectly," Marshal said. "Now, I suggest you take the young lady down to the infirmary. It looks like she could use some attention. And then a shower and some sleep."

Esther walked over next to Axel and whispered into his ear. "Get back to your quarters and clean it up. Then grab you kit and bunk with Karl; he has a spare cot. Contact your parents after you cool down and get some sleep. See if you can find out what's been going on. Your parents will also want to know that Hrist is safe."

"Yes, Captain."

Esther nodded. Turning, she walked over to Hrist, and bending down, gently picked her up. Cradling the girl in her arms, Esther headed towards the door, Sophie trailing behind her.

"Now, young lady," Esther said with a smile, "let's get you to Lt.-Commander Evans."