by C. M. Kane
Poseidon, Odin and Thor would immediately seek out the rest of the fleet, and after explaining what was about to occur they would distribute the agreed upon codes and direct them to join the other ships at the blockade.
The Thaliens that had so far been taken away from their duties onboard their ships would now be reinstated. With Hera, and now Thalia gone, the few that might have followed them were now of no threat, and as Hades had pointed out, they couldn’t ostracize the whole Thalien race for the actions of a few, no matter how much they might like to. Once all of their ships arrived at the portal Zeus knew they would have a fighting chance. They would have surprise on their side, as well as the ability to destroy or damage the Titans ships in a bottleneck as they came through.
Loki had said he would lend Ares the new Fenris until the Kydomois was repaired. This way Ares could take command of the blockade almost immediately. They would unload all of the old crew and send them to their respective planets once they reached Velonchos, then replace them with Ares crew. Loki also decided he would have someone take the names of those who wished to stay, so that they could be re-contacted once he had the ship returned to him. He knew most of the crew would, in all likelihood, wish to remain. Most of them were simple workers who very rarely got to see their God let alone speak to them. Over the years he had found that all most people wanted was a steady income and a place to live, one ship was as good as another to most of them. Of course the Captain and bridge crew could prove different, as well as the security warriors, but he would be allowing all those Warriors to report back to their home planet, killing them all served no purpose. He had pointed out to the others that Zeus was right, and by allowing them to go home to live full and productive lives, it would make the Gods seem both wise and merciful. All in all they were pleased with their efforts so far, the one subject that hadn’t been raised was Tae, and her battleship the Brightmoon.
Loki looked around at the other Gods as they made way for some fresh food and wine that was now being served. Tae was the reason why he had insisted that Ares take the Fenris to the Portal while his own ship was being repaired. He had a strong feeling that Zeus would be trying to find out what Tae was up to, and especially what that mysterious clue she mentioned was. Could there be something else out there better, or more powerful than her massive Dreadnaught that could help with their defense against the Titans? If so, they needed to find it as quickly as possible. He also figured Zeus would be thinking of how he could get that Dreadnaught off of her, because if the Titans were coming, then having the Brightmoon sitting with their Armada at the portal would prove extremely beneficial for the moral of the other Gods who, up until now, had thought that they were safe. Not to mention what they had just witnessed of its lethal killing power. Now that would come in very handy. Besides, Loki wasn’t at all sure how this new/old Zeus would treat Tae. This version of his leader, while still enamored of woman, was a far more dangerous individual than the man Tae might think she knew. He poured himself a glass of wine as Zeus turned to him.
‘So I gather you will be coming with me then,’ he said with a smile. ‘I thought you might find a way, very generous of you to insist on Ares taking the Fenris until the Kydomois is fully repaired, your reasoning was faultless I must say.’
Loki grinned and tipped his glass slightly as if in a toast, ‘Thank you, I thought so.’
Zeus laughed and finished his wine. ‘So what’s next on the agenda?’ asked Pusan, a Captain of one of the Khopesh class destroyers, he pushed his dark hair away from his face and looked around expectantly.
‘Tae, or Captain Rames as you may know her,’ said Zeus.
Thanatos grinned. ‘I wondered when we’d be getting to her. I gather she’s part Vampire and has only recently reached her sexual maturity, judging by that pheromone blast I got back there before she left. As it is I‘ll have to be paying the house of Aphrodite a very long visit as soon as I get back to my ship.’
Loki frowned, he’d forgotten about the pheromones. But it did explain a lot, and if what Thanatos said was true, then she should be getting extremely uncomfortable around about now considering her biological age. All of which could play right into his hands if he was clever- and he was. It would also explain why she kissed and rubbed up against that moron, Vesh, who he now noticed was looking in his direction. Loki raised an eyebrow at him in question, but Vesh’s face immediately closed down, turning totally blank. Of course this only served to confirm Loki’s suspicions, he felt his temper spike immediately. That the wolf knew this about Tae and he did not. Obviously Vesh knew far more about her then what he did, which was something he found intolerable.
What the hell did she even see in that idiot? He thought jealously.
He eyed the Woven’s body trying his best to judge it impartially. At the moment Vesh was definitely a lot more muscular than him, but what some, like Vesh, didn’t realize was, the Gods lost bodyweight if they were in the sleepers to long. In another week or two, if he practiced hard and ate well, he would be back to normal, and then Vesh- and more importantly, Tae- would see him as he normally was.
That’ll wipe that smug smile of the bastards face, he thought acidly. Although he might not be able to compete with the Wolven’s good looks, he and Ares normally had similar builds. Somehow he thought that young Tae might find that side of him more than acceptable, especially if he played his cards right.
For some reason the thought that Tae could be so shallow as to judge him solely by his looks or body made him even angrier. He never questioned his line of thinking, or his thoughts of being in a competition for Tae with the Wolf. He simply told himself that he was merely exploring all possibilities, and although at one time he had thought that Tae had found him attractive- therefore she wasn’t shallow- at the moment he was angry with her, so he simply disregarded that fact. He had found there was a wonderful kind of satisfaction in being angry with her; it stopped other more annoying feelings from surfacing; like those of regret, or anger at his own actions.
He signaled to Radnor who hurried over to him. ‘Ask Tannan to signal Brohan and have him return immediately, I have some questions for him.’
Radnor nodded. ‘Yes, My Lord, but he has only been gone for just over twenty hours, do you wish me to send him any extra instructions?’
‘No, that will be all, but have Tae’s brother brought to me, I will wish to question him also.’ Loki smiled to himself and looked over at the Wolfen warrior. Soon he’d find out what he wanted to know despite Vesh, and as he now had a ship and most of its crew, his personal security personnel could wait a little longer. He decided he’d let Tae’s aunt Valaria continue searching for Warriors for the time being, he could wait until after her return to talk to her. In another week or two he knew he’d be fully back, mind and body, and he’d be damned if he’d let anyone take his prize from him.
Zeus put his wine glass down on the table and leant back. ‘Captain Rames is quite a remarkable young woman, as you may have realized. In the last week and a half she has survived the Terrans Island, where to avoid detection from hunters she turned off her own health nanites before entering. This is what aged her from her true age of seventeen, up to her current age, before I turned them back on. While she was moving around in there she quite efficiently killed three men who got in her way, one being a fully trained warrior in Pan’s and Hera’s employ. I’m sure Tannan will be delighted to send you the vids; they’re most amusing I assure you. After that she rescued Loki from beneath the Volcano we had all thought killed him. She did this by spreading some Ithacian White and sea salt that she had managed to smuggle in with her directly onto the rock encasing the Fenris, it disintegrated it and freed him. After we picked both her and Loki up from the Island I sent her to my ship to rest and recuperate from her ordeal. Unfortunately less than ten hours later she was promptly kidnapped by Jalek, the security chief of the Hindishah. Yet despite being beaten to a pulp, she destroyed the ship and her attacker while it was attacking the Terran Pavili
on Of The Gods, saving all of us sitting over here, bar Ares, in the process,’ he gestured to the others at the table. ‘Much too all our consternation she then quit Loki’s service and left the Olympus, after she had a quarrel with Loki’s second, Radnor. Unbeknownst to most of us she ‘borrowed’ one of my shuttles and travelled over here, leaving Loki a nice little going away song that she downloaded to my communications techs before she went through the portal. We still have it if you’d like to hear it, it’s most amusing. She then obviously made it past you lot with comparative ease and into Cassandra’s Nebula, where according to Ares she was captured and imprisoned by him. She promptly escaped from inside his brig, and, as you all heard, she left him with yet another of those little Terran songs she seems to like downloading so much. In the next hour or so after escaping the Kydomois she has somehow found herself a Dreadnaught Battleship, complete with a crew of Tuvarnans, a race that, until the battle with Hera, we had thought to be extinct. According to my own second, Tannan, after she made her escape from this room she, and who-ever her pilot was, neatly avoided three of my own fighter jumpers that were waiting to apprehend her. Fortunately my sensor crew was awake enough to notice a strange jumper attached to the Olympus’s hull. Unfortunately, my jumper crews were out flown by whoever Tae’s pilot was. And the rest you know is history,’ he finished smiling.
The other Gods simply stared at him, ‘She’s seventeen?’ murmured Apollo stunned.
‘Yes’ said Zeus, ‘as I said, she is quite remarkable for a human, Vampire cross’
‘So what are you going to be doing about her then?’ asked Thanatos with genuine interest.
Zeus leant back and steepled his fingers over his chest, resting his chin on them in thought. ‘It seems both Loki and I are going to try to find her, and when we do I intend to sit down and have a little chat with her.’
Thanatos raised his eyebrows. ‘Just a suggestion, but considering that ship of hers, I’d try being extra polite about it if I were you. I’m still bloody grateful she told us to clench our arse cheeks together before she came out of the Nebula. I very nearly shit myself as it was when I saw that ship again. And unless I’m mistaken, she seemed to be a tad annoyed with your boy over there,’ he added, nodding casually to Loki who was now glaring at him. ‘Emperor of the Buttroaches I believe she said. It’s not often I see anyone with the guts to publicly rank someone ahead of Ares, no matter what the field,’ he laughed.
Zeus looked over his fingers at the others smiling. ‘Yes, she does have quite a temper it seems, and I don’t think her hormones will be helping with that either. Although we still have her brother, aunt and warrior mentor that we can use if need be, one way or another, we’re going to need that Dreadnaught if we can get it.’
‘No,’ said Loki into the ensuing silence.
Zeus turned to him in surprise. ‘What?’
Loki was just as surprised by his outburst himself, but he now knew he couldn’t have those Tae loved used against her, it simply wouldn‘t work. He’d screwed this up once; he wasn’t about to do it again, because this time it could spell disaster, for all of them.
‘No?’ Zeus’ eyes narrowed slightly as he turned to Loki.
‘No.’ stated Loki firmly. ‘Brohan and Valaria are mine, and I will not stoop to such underhanded means to trap her again. As Thanatos has already pointed out so succinctly, I’ve screwed up there already. Zeus, I believe that Tae is a warrior first and foremost. She would never forgive us if we used those she cared about against her, in fact, I’m pretty sure it would probably turn her against us permanently.’
He looked around the room noticing the wolf Vesh eyeing him thoughtfully. ‘She may be young, especially in our eyes, but never forget that like us, she has a warrior’s heart. If we push her into a corner she’d respond like anyone of us seated here would, she’ll push right back– hard,’ he finished. He looked at Zeus steadily, ‘Zeus, I may not be in the best condition to challenge your word after my time in the sleepers, but I will still fight to protect what’s mine, if that’s your wish.’
Everyone turned to stare in shock at Loki’s words, although he was a great warrior when at his peak, anyone could see he wasn’t physically ready for a fight as yet, especially against someone as formidable as Zeus. To even issue the threat at all was something none of the Gods present had expected.
Zeus was equally shocked, although he hid it behind a calm exterior. He stared at his friend for a long moment, watching him closely. Unfortunately-in Zeus’s eyes- Loki had a look of stoic resignation on his face. It was that look alone that made Zeus realize he was deadly serious. Loki would actually fight him, despite his obvious disadvantage. Of course once he considered his words, he realized that, as usual, his friend was right, and if Tae did turn against them, they would have yet another major problem to deal with. Zeus was also very aware that if he did fight Loki his power base would be in a worse position than before Tae had killed Hera. Because if he either injured or killed him in his current condition, then both Odin and Thor who, he noticed, had both subtly tensed whilst awaiting his reply, would turn on him in a heartbeat, along with their many followers.
He smiled to himself. Loki had quite neatly out maneuvered him yet again, whether he knew it or not, and knowing Loki he probably did.
If they were to have any hope against the Titans he needed all of them fighting beside him united, he couldn‘t afford a possible war between them now. Besides, Loki, Odin, and Thor, were his friends, and despite Loki’s sometimes highly questionable pranks that he played on them when he was bored, he had always been loyal. Zeus thought it might be time to once again do as Tae had advised; it was time to put aside his ego and return that loyalty.
‘My apologies, old friend, it seems that sometimes I need to be pulled back into line, apparently both Tae and you are making a day of it.’ He sighed heavily. ‘You are right of course, in all that you have said. The warrior and Tae’s aunt are yours, it is not with-in my rights to do anything with them, as for her brother, well, he is barely out of childhood, and I will not violate the trust of the Castes by using one under their care and protection.’
Loki lowered his head in respect, relieved Zeus had seen reason. He’d taken a big gamble that his friend would see sense, but he also knew Zeus’s temper and was fully prepared for the outcome should his reasoning fail.
‘Thank you, Zeus.’
‘Besides,’ Zeus added with a mischievous look, while watching Loki closely, ‘I find I now want to question that woman much more… intimately.’ Loki’s head snapped up, only to find Zeus watching him with amusement.
‘I think that’s about it,’ he said turning to the others abruptly, all of whom hadn’t missed any of the exchange between the two Gods. ‘After you leave we’ll head straight to Velonchos, let’s just hope we can get all our people into play before it’s too late.’ He raised his glass, drank deeply and then got to his feet. ‘It’s time to move people.’
As everyone got to their feet Radnor signaled Zeus. ‘Excuse me, Lord Zeus, as Tannan is busy, communications sent me a message to give you as soon as the meeting was over. I have just been informed it was sent from Captain Rames, while she was aboard her jumper the… Snuggle Bunny.’
Zeus stared at Radnor in shock, ‘The what!’
‘Just before it boarded the Brightmoon the jumper apparently identified itself as the Snuggle Bunny, My Lord,’ replied Radnor, looking increasingly uncomfortable.
‘What is the message?’ Zeus asked beginning to dread the answer, he could see everyone had gone silent and was listening avidly to the exchange.
Radnor looked nervous, ‘I’m afraid it’s one of her music vids, my Lord, perhaps you would prefer to view it in private?’
Ares started shaking his head immediately. ‘Oh no you don’t, you’re not getting out of it that easy, Zeus. She’s already subjected both me and Loki to one of those bloody things; I’m very interested to see what she’s sent you.’
Everyone was now looki
ng expectantly at both Zeus, and an increasingly nervous looking Radnor. Zeus sighed; he had a feeling he wasn’t going to like this one bit, but maybe it would be better to just get it over with. He glanced around one last time in the slim hope of finding a reprieve. Unfortunately, from the looks on everyone’s faces, they had no intention of going anywhere until they heard it. He decided he might as well just let Radnor play the damn thing, he knew they’d find some way to ferret it out eventually; besides, he wasn’t a child, how embarrassing could a simple song be?
‘I must say, this is becoming a bad habit of hers, first Loki, then Ares, and now me. Play it,’ he said, resigning himself to the inevitable.
Loki grinned in anticipation. ‘On the largest com screen I think Radnor; after all, we all want to make sure we get the full effect of this.’ Zeus glared at him and shook his head as Radnor sent the vid to the com screen. With-in a minute raucous laughter was erupting from the garden. The guards outside the room listened to the laughter from the now opened door, as Brian Palmer sang Addicted to Love. They looked at each other in confusion, shrugged, and continued on with their duty of guarding their Gods.
‘Oh that was priceless,’ said Ares unable to stop grinning. ‘I’m beginning to like this woman more and more.’
Zeus grimaced, his face and neck red in embarrassment. ‘Her sense of humor is quite… unique, sometimes. Now, since you have all had your fun at my ego‘s expense, may I suggest we all get going.’
Everyone was still grinning as they walked swiftly from the room, each giving Zeus a simple nod as they departed; when everyone was gone he turned to Loki. ‘Now let’s get these ships to Vulcan and go find that woman of ours shall we?’ He turned abruptly and strode from the room.
Loki’s eyes narrowed. Our woman?
Then he too left the room to follow Zeus to the bridge.