CHAPTER 49

REFUGEE VALLEY

SALMON RIVER MOUNTAINS

          Tareif and Palina watched with wide eyes from the backs of their horses as their daughter led them into the refugee camp. It had taken them only three hours to traverse the distance to where Martin had established the compound, and even Tarifa was amazed what he had accomplished in that time period. They could see the neat rows of large tents that had been staked into the ground, with quiet running generators powering the lights and computers that men and women had set up. Tarifa had forgotten that most of the men and women who had escaped with Martin were the best minds of EDEN's crew, and they had used their minds and their hands to put together this temporary base. The Mark Nine transports were the center of the compound, as that is where Anja had set up the lone medical clinic. Spaced at even intervals all around the huge diameter of the perimeter were the Raptor transports and at least one heavy weapon. They covered the two layers of triple strand razor wire that surrounded the compound. At one end of the compound they could see sixty or seventy men and women training under the watchful gaze of three of Martin's team.

          They had not been challenged when they got close to the compound, and the six of them and twenty Dragoon soldiers had been able to ride directly into the camp through the wide opening in the wire fences. There was a large stump by the entrance and the three genomes guarding the entrance nodded to Tarifa as they rode by, but ignored the others. They passed dozens of humans as they made their way toward the two Mark Nine's, and received smiles and waves.

          Tareif nudged his horse closer to his daughter's and leaned over. "I had imagined a huge sprawling mess with no organization." He spoke quietly. "And they… they are not gazing upon us as if we are freaks."

          "I told you Papa, these men and women are different." Tarifa said with a smile.

          Tareif dropped back to ride next to his wife who looked at him, her eyes wide. "I've never seen anything like it." Palina spoke.

          "They have no security! No guards!" Tareif spoke. "This Martin Hunter character does not appear to be the military mind that our daughter led us to believe."       

          "Behave Tareif." Palina spoke turning her head as the horses came to halts because Tarifa had reined her mount in.

          They followed their daughter's action and dismounted from their horses as the red haired young woman in black fatigues came walking up to her. An automatic pistol was strapped to her thigh, and the large assault rifle was slung across her back.

          Anja forced a smile at Tarifa as she saw her eyes searching the area for Martin. "He's on the other side of the transport." She spoke keeping her voice even. "They are rigging a long range transmitter."

          Tarifa smiled and took her hand without thinking or noticing the look Anja gave her, motioning to the half dozen horses loaded with equipment. "I was able to bring most of the items you requested, but many of the medicines we do not have access too. Our chief physician suggested herbal remedies and gave me a list of what you can use and how to mix them. He said they are not as powerful, but they do the same thing."

          Anja nodded. "Thank you Tarifa. It will fill out our stocks."

          Tarifa took her mother's hand. "Anja this is my father Tareif and my mother Palina. I have brought two members of our Council of Elders, and that smirking dark haired girl is my youngest sister."

          Anja nodded. "I am Commander Anja Peterson." She spoke looking at them. "Welcome to… well welcome to your valley."

          Palina smiled and took an immediate liking to Anja. "You… you are human?" She asked softly, seeing the aura Anja projected but detecting something faint and almost unnoticeable.

          Anja nodded. "Yes."

          Treblar stepped forward. "You have built all this in only three days?" He asked.

          "Many of the men and women who left EDEN with us were tops in their fields, Scientists and researchers and inventors. They know how to get things done." Anja answered. "And Martin likes to be prepared for everything. Come with me and I'll take you over."

          They fell in behind Anja and began to traverse the distance to the transports, which towered above them. None of them had ever seen such a massive flying craft, the front of the transport was flipped up revealing the cavernous interior of the ship, easily two hundred meters long, and the rear of the craft was also opened to the sunlit sky.

          As they came around the front of the transport all of them stopped at what they saw, their eyes going wide.

          "We should stop here until they get it anchored." Anja told them. "It has already fallen twice."

          There were six Genomes holding thick ropes tied to the hundred foot high steel pole as they lifted it into the air. All of them were shirtless, their skin glistening in sweat, and their muscles rippling in effort. In the middle of the six was Martin, easily discernable by the black flame tattoos that decorated his chest and back. They could see the ropes stretching out from the top of the transport and Tareif looked surprised to see the shirtless male elf, one of the soldiers his daughter had left, holding one of the ropes, while two male humans were anchoring him on top of the transport. Standing near the bottom of the pole was the short female elf, another of the soldiers Tarifa had left no doubt, and she was holding the long black cable and waiting to pounce.

          Palina stepped closer to her daughter, who was gazing at Martin's sweaty body with desire. "Which one is he Tarifa?" Her mother asked, "This Martin Hunter?"

          "He is in the middle." Tarifa replied. "He has the tattoos on his chest and back."

          Palina followed her daughter's motion with her eyes and her breath caught in her chest when she saw him. He was huge, easily over six feet tall, and the muscles in his arms and shoulders were bulging in effort, the rope looped around his arm several times. His abdomen could be described only as perfection, the "six pack" clearly defined and ripped in a way Palina had never seen before. Zaala had come up next to her sister and mother, her eyes also focused on Martin.

          "By the gods Tarifa, he's… he's… huge!" Zaala spoke with a large smile. "And so very dreamy."

          Palina looked at her daughter, her dark eyes scolding her. Zaala became quiet but continued to watch while Anja stood to the side and could only smile.

          "Go!" Martin's voice barked out, drawing their attention back to what was going on, "Now!"

          He had been yelling to the female elf with the black cable in her hand, and she sprang into action milliseconds after Martin had yelled for her. She gripped the bottom of the pole and began to scamper up the smooth surface with no effort in the least. It took her only a few seconds to reach the top of the pole, and she secured the black cable to the top before turning and using her elfin strength she heaved it to where the human female and Endith stood on top of the transport. They caught it easily, and the female elf slid down the pole quickly.

          "Anchor it!" Danny bellowed from where he stood next to Martin, his own arms and shoulders rippling in effort.

          A dozen human men and women rushed forward with long stakes and heavy hammers to anchor the ropes that the Genomes were holding. In less than three minutes, the steel pole was solidly anchored into the ground, and the gathered elves, humans and Genomes shared a shout of victory as Anja motioned Tarifa and the others forward.

          Martin turned quickly when he detected Tarifa's peach scent and his dark eyes lit up. He gazed at her for a long moment, taking in the way the light blue shirt she wore tied just underneath her beautiful breasts, leaving her abdomen bare, and the way the black pants clung to her hips and long legs like a second skin. Martin also saw the others with her, and quickly deduced by their similar scent that they were related to Tarifa in some manner, as was the tall male elf with full body armor on. Martin also realized that this was not a social call, and he straightened his pants as best he could, brushing off the dirt and leaves and looked around for where he had tossed his t-shirt.

          This did not go unnoticed by Tarifa or her mother, and Palina hid the smile she wanted to express. This young man was not just muscles and good looks, she concluded. He somehow knew that this was an official meeting and was now trying to at least make his appearance presentable. She watched as he failed to find his shirt, took a breath and simply stepped up to them his broad chest glistening in sweat.

          "Good day Commander." Tarifa spoke, forcing herself to use her most professional voice. Her mother was the only one who noticed this and she saw Tarifa clenching her hands behind her back in an obvious attempt to not throw herself into this young man's arms. Palina was very surprised at this, as she had never seen any man affect her daughter as apparently this Commander Hunter did.

          Martin bowed his head slightly to Tarifa. "It is good to see you again your majesty." Martin spoke, controlling his own voice Palina saw.

          "Allow me to introduce Chief Minister of Justice Thalami, and Chief Minister of The Interior Treblar, of the Council of Elders." Tarifa spoke motioning to where Thalami and Treblar stood slightly behind and to her right.

          "I hope you'll forgive my appearance." Martin told them. "We have been attempting to put up our long range transmitter all morning."

          "There is no need to apologize." Thalami said with a friendly smile. "We understand you have duties."

          Treblar stepped forward and looked at the towering steel pole. "I noticed you were using the elves that the Queen left with your group."

          Martin nodded. "Yes sir. I needed someone to scale the pole to attach the cable to the top, while someone held the pole steady from the top of the transport. Lieutenant Radama offered to steady the pole from above and Lieutenant Vowiel offered to attach the cable."

          Treblar looked at him. "And your people could not have done this?"

          "We could have, yes." Martin spoke calmly. "However, Vowiel is considerably lighter than any of my team, and her agility on the pole was perfect. Radama did the work of four humans by holding the pole steady from the top with his strength."

          "The Queen told us there were close to sixty of your kind… Genomes I believe she called you… in your team." Treblar said turning to face Martin. "Would you mind if I asked where they are if you are using elves to assist you?"

          "They offered to help, I accepted their offer Minister." Martin said calmly.

          "That does not answer my question." Treblar spoke.

          "No sir it doesn't." Martin replied. "I have fifty-three Genomes in my team sir. Six of them have been tracking you since you left your city gates, and the others are on different patrols throughout the area."

          "You've… you've been tracking us since we left the city?" Thalami asked shocked. "How is that possible? We were at a gallop for a full third of the trip here."

          "He is bluffing." Tareif spoke from behind his daughter.

          Martin turned his head to look at the grizzled elf. He was a soldier by anyone's standard with the way he carried himself. "You stopped to relieve yourself approximately thirteen miles from the city sir. When you did you pissed on one of my people. She was not at all happy about that. Would you like me to tell you how big your dick is as proof?"

          Tarifa and her mother could barely contain the laughter that threatened to escape their lips, and Zaala simply stared at Martin in disbelief. She had never heard anyone talk to her father in such a way.

          Martin stepped up to Tareif. "You are Tarifa's father. It's an honor to meet you sir. I see where she gets her eyes." Martin turned to Palina and bowed his head to her, holding out his hand. "And you are her mother. I see where she gets her beauty." Palina took Martin's outstretched hand with a shy smile and he brought it to his lips where he softly kissed the back of her hand, "An honor to meet you ma'am."

          "My daughter, the Queen…" Tareif spoke putting particular emphasis on Queen, and causing Martin to turn back to him. "She spoke highly of you and your skill. I have seen nothing to substantiate her claims."

          "Papa…!" Tarifa snapped, her eyes growing angry as she glared at her father.

          "Tareif…!" Palina followed suit.

          "It is the truth!" Tareif barked. "They have no security out! We rode into their camp without challenge! If I was an Alliance Assassin I could have wiped out half their force before they knew what hit them. As it is, he leaves himself undefended to the point that my small force of twenty Dragoons could easily take this entire compound."

          "Martin this is War Master Tareif." Treblar spoke. "He is our most senior Commanding Officer, and he is also the Queen's father as you have already noticed."

          Martin smiled and clasped his hands behind his back. "With all due respect sir, if you were one of those ugly fuckers we ran into a few days ago, you would have been dead six miles ago. Master Chief!" He called.

          "Target!" The Master Chief spoke into his implant.

          Martin stepped closer to Tareif. "There is a little red dot between your eyes right now. A dot that tells exactly where the 20mm sniper round will impact when it is fired. All of you with the exception of Tarifa have the same dots. Look around if you like."

          Tareif allowed his eyes to travel to where Palina stood and he saw the small red dot centered between her dark eyes. Thalami and Treblar, as well as the twenty Dragoons with them all had similar dots as well. He looked back to Martin.

          "I said my people were on patrol, sir. I did not say where." Martin told him with a smile.

          "I see no defenses here except for the wire. A true leader would defend his base and make any enemy pay for it with blood." Tareif spoke, though his confidence was slightly shaken.

          "Yes they would." Martin said. "Deploy!" He barked into his implanted radio mic.

          Tareif and the others watched with amazement as men and women appeared from almost everywhere and within ten seconds the entire perimeter was manned and every heavy weapons platform was warmed up.

          "Shield!" Martin snapped.

          They again watched in amazement as the shimmering blue field sprang to life from the top of the two Mark Nine transports and extended to encompass the entire diameter of the compound. Tareif looked at Martin.

          "A level two Force Shield." Martin spoke. "It is strong enough to repel all types of shrapnel, and disable any type of electronic device when passed through. One of my tech heads came up with the idea and it took him four hours to install. Pretty shade of blue isn't it?"

          Tareif only grunted in reply and Palina stepped to her husband and took his arm. "We are impressed Commander." She said.

          "We are not in any way shape or form like the humans and other people you have dealt with in the past sir. All I ask is a chance for us to prove it to you. I put together a place where we could talk with some refreshments." Martin said, motioning to the closest Mark Nine. "We have only rations at the moment, but the coffee and tea is fresh."

          "You knew we were coming?" Treblar asked surprised.

          "As I said sir, we've been tracking you since you left your city." Martin replied. "When I was informed Tarifa was with you I assumed one of two things was going on. You were either coming to meet with me, or you were using her to gain entrance to our compound knowing I would not harm her."

          "And what if it was the latter?" Treblar asked.

          Martin smiled and they all noticed the slightly extended fangs protruding from his mouth. "Well sir, then you would be dead and Tarifa would be with me, and it really wouldn't matter would it?"

          Treblar couldn't help but laugh and nod his head. "You are very right Commander, very right indeed."

          "Please… I don't much care for pomp and circumstance. And considering the situation I find myself in, my rank no longer applies now does it? My name is Martin."

          "With the Queen's permission I humbly accept your invitation." Treblar said.

          "Minister Treblar has my permission of course." Tarifa spoke, taking Martin's arm and glaring at her father with a look that would have dropped a Grizz beast in its tracks.

          "This way please." Martin said.