Falco Invictus: On the Forge of War (3 page)

Indeed the old Shogun stood beside Hawk, and
leaned his small frail form on a cane.

“He looks no more than thirty.” Indeed for a
man who would be in his sixties himself Hawk appeared very well
preserved. She looked at Oberon doubtfully. “This Hawk couldn't
have been born in the seventies. He'd be your age, Önkel.”

Oberon gave her a curt nod as his eye rested
upon his charge and changed the picture. Frederika's emerald eyes
widened in wonderment. This time Hawk stood beside a much younger
Tokugawa from just around the time that the Techno-Samurai had made
himself Shogun. Drakonis was dressed in the same style uniform and
appeared no different from the newer photo, aside from his shorter
spiked frosted blond hair, clearly not its natural color.

“Some time before the war Hawk founded a
religion called D’Har Tarik. It's a philosophy which believes in
honing instinct, und takes genetics as a religious devotion,”
Oberon told her. “The members of the Falcanian Khanate aimed to
alter themselves as well as their offspring into beings of flight.
To what extent these people did change their biology, or how
radical they have is unknown. We though are certain that the
Falcanians have been engaging in cutting edge genetics for many
years now.”

Frederika flinched in surprise. “Oh! Und I
thought I was the zenith of genetic manipulation?”

“You are,” Oberon affirmed. “However the
Falcanians have made genetic engineering a spiritual imperative,
und if our Intel is correct made a fabulous discovery.”

Once more the image flipped: A gorgeous,
dark-haired woman materialized on the screen. She looked to be in
her mid-twenties, perhaps of a European and Persian mix were one to
judge by her graceful almond shaped eyes. Those eyes were the first
thing Frederika noticed, a resplendent blue which pulled her into
their depths and intelligence. Kohl makeup accentuated their angled
outline which made her cobalt gaze all the more mesmerizing. Curvy
and voluptuous, the woman indeed enchanted those with her exotic
looks. Her brown hair fell in loose curls around her creamy
cinnamon skin. Hoop shaped gold earrings adorned delicate ears and
a purple diamond bindi marked her third eye.

“This is Hawk's long time companion.” Oberon
uncomfortably shifted in his seat. “Doktor Nadezhda, ‘Nadia’ Shriya
Korelia.”

The Morningstar girl found herself
captivated by Nadia’s awe inspiring bright-blue eyes. She felt a
chill run down her spine. Some place in the back of her mind,
Frederika felt that Nadia seemed familiar to her. However, the
blonde was sure she’d never met the woman before, yet something in
Nadia's intense gaze touched a far off, latent memory. Had it
simply been Oberon's apparent distrust of Nadia which caused
Frederika to react so?

“Born August 12, 1980, Nadia has largely
been responsible for the Falcanian genetic design,” Oberon said in
a low voice.

“You seem to know a great deal about this
woman,” Frederika said, hoping to get Oberon to offer her more so
she could pin down the familiarity she felt toward Nadia.

“She's a geneticist. There’s a paper trail
to follow, und we as a nation have made it a point to know where
those such as she, are.” Genetic engineers were now among any
nation's arsenal of weapons to be used. “A child prodigy, Nadia
graduated from Yale medical school at twenty, she then went on to
do groundbreaking work before the war.” Oberon took a moment,
considered if he actually wanted to tell the girl the rest.
Eventually Frederika would learn the information on her own. “Nadia
helped develop the genome for what would become the T-12 drug, the
cure for cancer.”

Frederika sat up straight. “GenKon INC.,
invented the T-12 drug.” She grew tired of these evasive answers
and wanted Oberon to tell her more. Being born of an artificial
womb caused her to yearn for a concrete sense of where she had come
from. “This woman worked for your – “

“Jahwol.”

Lady Gotha gasped, suddenly what her tutor
and guardian had told her about these Falcanians became personal.
“Did GenKon fund the creation of these Falcanian?” The genetics
company had its hands in a diverse number of programs, many of
which were illegal, construction of a new species would not have
been beyond them.

Oberon shook his head, and resisted the urge
to smile. “The Falcanians were an independent group.”

“Und what fantastic discovery has this Nadia
made now?”

“A drug called Amrita,” Oberon said.
“Supposedly it’s youth extending, und a PSI enhancement. The
Counsel of Blackeagle Knights wishes for you to learn the
secrets.”

Frederika tensed in her chair. As always she
found herself caught up in the secretive ambitions of her
Blackeagle Knights, in theory she should be their mistress, but in
practice Frederika knew herself to be the Blackeagle’s tool. There
was no escape from that truth. But would this genetic espionage
help her learn more about who she was?

“This story of a genetically fashioned
elixir of youth could very well be nothing more than a cover for a
greater plan,” Oberon said irritably.

Right now Frederika wasn’t so sure. Hawk
clearly should be more than in his thirties, if he in fact had been
born in the 1970’s. “So I'll take the
Nemesis
und covertly
go to Vanguard Island –”

“Not possible. Falcanians are very insular,
und only deal with their allies in the Shogunate, or those on the
subcontinent. Only selected outsiders are permitted to walk among
them.” The Colonel cleared his throat. “A more direct route must be
taken for you to accomplish this mission, one that calls upon your
thespian talents.”

Frederika smiled. To gain Intel from foreign
governments, she often posed in the role of the girlfriend of a
high official, after all, she had been designed to be the ideal
honeypot. The ingénue her preferred role, Frederika’s theatrical
skills made this all come very natural to her. Once she had stolen
a computer processor disguised as a Techatron, hard to take on that
cold robotic persona, not an experience she’d care to go through
ever again. Even her refined genetics did not mitigate the
trauma.

The Colonel pulled out a handful of papers,
and she took them from him. “What's this?”

Oberon swallowed. He did not care to explain
this part of the mission to his ward. Despite the fact he
understood her more than able, Kreis couldn't help but see
Frederika as fragile. “Every three months. The Shogun arranges for
a group of selected young women – exotic dancers to be brought
before Hawk… He has one weakness we are aware of.” Oberon paused,
intently looked at his ward, and then said: “Women.”

Frederika nodded slowly. “I see.”

“You are to be one of those dancers.” Oberon
gestured at the contract in her hands. “I suggest you thoroughly
look that over. Basically, it says you will be paid for your
services und what is expected from you during your stay on Vanguard
Island.” His face became grim. “While there, you will be subject to
Falcanian custom und law.”

Frederika glanced over the contract and
found much of it to be acceptable. She was trained in various arts
of pleasure and ways to manipulate males, including exotic dancing.
The contract never outright said, but it did hint sexual favors
were encouraged.

“By way of Japan, you shall be brought to
Vanguard Island. Find the Amrita, or whatever it is that the
Falcanians are building. Learn as much about their biology as
possible.” The Falcanians he knew too well had done a great deal to
conceal the true nature of their physiology from the outside
world.

And Colonel Kreis gleefully thought:
At
last, I shall take what is rightfully mine!

Frustrated, she watched the
DSV
Excalibur
become a ball of light and catapult across the stars
on the large oval viewer. Sitara “Tara” Padma Drakonis frowned,
while her tail twitched in controlled anger. As she stalked
Vanguard Island's Command and Control center. Princess Sitara wore
the female version of the Falcanian Armada's uniform, a tight black
midriff baring creation composed of a zip-up vest with the
traditional upswept shoulders and off-white fur collar. On the
highcollar of her jacket a three-pointed golden star noted her rank
as a Commander of the Armada. Black trousers hugged her curves and
completed the uniform. On a thick belt, buckled with a burnished
Phoenix emblem were her weapons: Kraris, vajra and coilgun. Each
rested easily on the Commander’s hips.

Sitara possessed her mother's exotic Persian
features, which were touched by her father's razor-sharp
bird-of-prey looks. Like Nadia, she had almond eyes, yet Sitara's
were violet, the edges decorated with metallic eyeliner. Her
pointed ears peeked out from under nut-brown hair, which she wore
loosely down her back. The hairstyle added delicateness to an
otherwise predatory and dangerous appearance.

Sitara turned to her father who sat at the
center of the command chamber. “That vessel’s not nearly as
maneuverable as our FS-9 Raptors,” she proudly declared. “The
Imperium may seek to claim the right to speak for all of Earth, yet
we to shall also soon have an armada to be feared! And I am now
ready to begin work on the FX-24 capital ships.”

Sharr stroked his goatee. He glanced at his
mate, who waited close by and then over at his daughter. “This
threat from the Imperium will be combated,” he assured. “The FS-9
Raptors serve us well as shall those new space battleships you plan
to build.” Sharr Khan spoke with fatherly pride. “Your designs are
excellent, Tara. Production goes well.”

“I’ve made refinements to the
FS-Vor
Kiral Kra
.” Sitara said, urgency in her voice. “I should go to
Nippon to oversee the upgrades.”

“That won't be necessary.” Sharr was pleased
by his child's display of dedication to her people. “Simply send
the upgrades to Yamabushi by an armed courier; they’ll include them
in the next line of ships."

Again Sitara sighed. “Provided we can mine
enough hrisanar to construct the foldspace generators –”

“We hope to somehow exploit an organic
solution to the hrisanar problem,” Nadia said, a hint of caution at
the prospect in her voice.

Nadia’s organic attempt to replicate the
elusive mineral though well founded, as yet had eluded even her
genius. Hints were there that tantalized her with a grander secret,
but she hadn’t yet cracked that puzzle.

“Indeed, my ladies!” Urksa Vorskrai bowed as
he entered the Command Center still concealed in his gray cloak.
“An organic source of hrisanar would prove most welcome.” A touch
of sarcasm under laid the Guilthari’s tone. “We know of only one
such organic source – “

“Urksa,” Nadia understood that the prospect
of a biological means to gather hrisanar could greatly upset the
Guilthari power base. “As you know, there are certain unknown
factors in regard to that reservoir of hrisanar. Countless moral
issues to consider…”

“The moral arguments are indeed of profound
interest,” Sharr agreed with his mate. “My love, I trust in your
brilliance to solve the problem as to how we shall capitalize on
that gift without crossing any ethical line.”

Nadia blushed and batted her remarkable blue
eyes at him.

“I should like to inspect the facilities on
Mars soon. If it’s no trouble of course?” asked the Guilthari
Lord.

Though his face remained hidden, Sitara knew
underneath his hood Urksa eyed her with lust. He always looked upon
the Princess as if he would one day have her as his own. The
Guilthari Lord already had two wives. To make Sitara his third
would be his crowning achievement. That alone was reason enough for
Sitara to reject him. She was a Princess and would not make herself
a junior wife to Urksa or allow the Guilthari to advance his agenda
through her.

Urksa pulled back his hood to reveal a young
face. A second generation Falcanian, complete with the angled eyes,
golden in his case. His complexion was white-bronze and within the
normal range of his generation. Like all Falcanian men, he wore a
beard trimmed to fit his Eurasian features. His traditionally bound
long hair, flaxen-brown and held in a golden ring that proclaimed
his discipline to the Road of Tarik.

“Tara will be more than happy to transport
you to Aren-Zülar Urksa.” Sharr stood, and deliberately placed
himself between the Guilthari and his daughter. Though he liked and
respected the young man, he could sympathize with his
circumstances. Sharr knew full well Sitara wanted nothing to do
with him. He was aware his daughter had a pack of possible suitors
who would gladly mate with her when she became ready to bind
herself in wedlock. Never mind there were a number of candidates he
also had in mind for his daughter. “I myself have considered
inspecting our base,” the Shotar announced. “After the recent
occurrences it seems prudent.”

Sitara grinned at her father. Perhaps Urksa
would behave himself if he knew his Shotar would go on the
trip?

Sharr turned to his daughter. “Sitara,
please see to scheduling our journey.”

“Of course,” Sitara beamed and gave an
imperious sideways glance at Urksa, to then turn her shoulder at
him. “I shall see to it right away. Though I'm sure we will not be
able to make the voyage for some weeks. The
FS-Vor Kiral Kra
is scheduled for routine upgrades.” She paused for a moment. “There
is also the festival coming up, to say nothing of your birthday.”
Sitara told her father, though she intended for Urksa to take the
hint that his advancements were not wanted, which she was almost
certain he would ignore.

“At the first free opportunity then, my
swan.”

“You and mother are still coming to my
apartments for dinner tonight?” asked the Princess. It had been
months since she had eaten a meal with her mother or father, not
since her and Ariel’s birthday in September.