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High General Lucien Ferrelle Jonsie of the unit protectorate sat at his desk his eyes drifting through the paper work he had yet to see through. Soon he would take the forty-man unit he commanded out to be captured. It was a ploy to see why the space-fairing race attacking their world was doing so.

He was hoping it would work, he was also hoping they wouldn’t figure out who he was.

The unit he commanded was referred to as the complete first. It was one of six units in the unit protectorate with a complete set of forty men. There were many other units than the six, but the six held the best-trained men in the world. The first held the best trained of them all.

Each of the six was led by a general and under him or her was a commander who to the eyes of the public was the leader of the unit. This ploy made it so no one could find any of the generals and especially the High General. These six generals were the core of the protectorate; although they were not the highest ranking soldiers they were the most respected and held the units together.

Lucien sighed and reviewed over the men under his command. Of the forty there were thirty men divided into three squads. Also among those thirty there were six assassin class soldiers, the official story was he was the leader of those, which wasn’t so much a lie. Then there were the three squad leaders, one being the second of the commander. There were two com specialists who although they also fought with the units had the main job of keeping the unit in touch with base and each other. Then there were the Magi who were a part of the squads but of higher rank than the squad commanders because of the powers they drew on for both battle and healing. The final two members were himself and his unit commander.

The unit was built solidly they worked well together and never let each other down. Each man in that unit was solid and if so wished could become a unit commander or even a general, but they did not want to they felt happy to serve under him and help the world they lived on.

He sighed and closed the files there was nothing else he could do here and he had to pack for the mission.

When he finally got home he rummaged through his room and pulled out his field pack and the two kits he carried. He had to carry two because he was a Magi as well as the High General and had to keep within his reach on the field his Magi kit. The other kit was his survival kit that every solider carried no matter his rank.
He checked through the kits and pack once he had finished packing them to see if he had missed anything. He hadn’t.

Finally he pulled out his last field uniform the other two having already been packed. His uniform was made up of lose black breeches, and a lose black shirt with tight long sleeves. Over this went a lose black tunic with lose long sleeves that enabled him to hide weapons on his arms. Over this was a robe that had lose flowing sleeves that stopped just below the elbows, it had a row of button down his front to hold it together they only reached to his waist to allow easy movement, it also had a hood and acted like a cloak. The last part other than weapons of his uniform were the bracelets and collar that showed his rank and fighting forms to those who knew the symbols.

He placed his uniform over the back of the couch to put on when it was time. When he had those together he collected his weapons. Among his weapons were twelve different daggers, some easily used as thrown weapons, a long sword, and a coiled metal whip. He also knew the use of bow and arrow but his unit hardly needed such a weapon.

Lucien sighed and turned to look at the rack where a set of armour was displayed, it was only for show. When the units fought they needed speed, it was a much greater protection than any armour they could wear. So the armour they each had was only for dress. He knew he wouldn’t need it but he still felt the need sometimes even if he knew he’d die more easily in battle if he wore the heavy metal casings.
He turned to look at the clock and winched, it was already time to dress for soon he would have to leave to meet his unit.

He stripped off his day cloths and pulled on his uniform, before he placed the tunic on he strapped the double dagger stealth’s to his wrists, they each held two daggers hidden from the view of an enemy under the folds of his tunic sleeves. After placing the tunic on he strapped another type of stealth on his back that held two more daggers over his shoulder blades and in easy reach. After he donned the robe he buckled on his sword belt, on his sword belt hung his sword four of his daggers and the whip. Finally he placed his boots on his feet inserting the last two daggers into the stealth’s built into them.

Lucien stared at the wall for a moment before going to his bedroom and securing the kits to his pack that he then placed on his back to carry. After doing this he walked out of his apartment locking the door behind him. He walked slowly down the stairs to the courtyard to where his unit was slowly gathering; already the commander and squad leaders were there with a few of the squad soldiers. The officer’s apartments were in the middle of the protectorate base so it wasn’t long before the first was gathered.

With a sigh Lucien turned from looking at the dawn sky to looking at the men and women under his command. He was younger than all of them, being the youngest general in the protectorate, he was only twenty three and it showed his skill as a leader that he was even a general let alone the high general. Some of the men and women in front of him were younger than him although none was under the age of nineteen. But most of them were older some even older than forty.

As well as being young Lucien looked even younger, no older than nineteen. He had blue black hair that reached past his knees that he kept in a braid with more than five strands. It was easy enough to do in a short amount of time although it looked complicated. His eyes were a deep Emerald and his skin pale. On many occasions he had caught men saying his features were girlish, he couldn’t fault them because they were not wrong. He had strong hands with long delicate fingers that he used well in the weaving magic’s he enjoyed spending his spare time on. He didn’t have a bulky build like most soldiers but he was still strong and could keep up with all in his unit.

Lucien sighed again and spoke to them; his voice was low smooth and gentle as he spoke.

“You all know what this mission is about so I will not waste your time or mine, all I wish to say is don’t make your life or anyone else’s life difficult by being uncooperative. It would also be nice if you all managed to come back after this mission because it would be a shame to have to replace any of you. You have my will of luck and orders not to fight so it looks like you are giving up. If you do damage to them or kill do not worry about it, if you find you are among the last ten not to be captured or the gods forbid killed, then place your weapons away and surrender. They will try not to kill you if we are right because this unit would be a prize indeed to them alive.

“With that said what say you all to us moving out now?”

There was a mummer of accent and they all walked out of the yard towards the trucks that would take them far enough out of the city so they could start the trek towards the sea.

Two hours later they were just walking out of the forest that lead to the sea and what they hoped was one of the enemy encampments. One they were all out in the daylight they found themselves surrounded by men and Women with drawn weapons. They didn’t hesitate they drew a chosen weapon and raged into a battle they knew they wouldn’t win.

Lucien pulled the metal whip from his sword belt not because it was the most deadly but because he could control it so it looked as if he was fighting fiercely.

As the two sides collided Lucien and the other Magi set lose spells to bring a dust cloud in the eyes of the enemy, it was set to distract them and fill the illusion of them actually fighting to win but wouldn’t affect the intended outcome of the battle. Lucien stuck a man low with the whip before drawing out his sword to block a blow that fell towards his head. His movements were fast and the strikes he set out were meant to injure not kill.

After about half an hour Lucien came up against a man who even though he wore no symbol of his rank he cold tell was of a high rank by the way the man moved.

The man struck out and Lucien blocked the blow, as he came around to the defence again the man shot a look around then grinned and put his weapon away spreading his arms and saying loud enough for Lucien to hear. “Ahh well you fought well but I think if you will look around you you’ll find your unit is captured will you surrender or is it your will to die?”

“I think maybe it is not my will to die sir, I will gladly put my weapons away if you assure me we will not die.” He kept his whip in hand although as he didn’t see a need for it he replaced his sword.

“Oh no young officer I have not a chance of killing your unit, if I am right you are the Complete First Unit and quite the prize, now place that pretty whip on your sword belt and kneel as the rest of your unit is. You are now prisoners, we will be taking you to our home planet I think, and there we will see what to do next.”

Lucien replaced the whip in its place and knelt in the sand. Once he had knelt his wrists were grabbed roughly and bound behind his back in a pair of electric cuffs he knew were meant to stop him using his Magic’s as well as keep his hands bound. He tested them lightly and found them to be an inferior contraption that if he willed it he could break free of.

Once each member of his unit was bound they were led to a ship not far away. Once inside the soldiers of the enemy separated the ten officer ranking members of his team from the rest. They were taken to a hold somewhere in the ship was all he could gather before he and the others were marched away.

They were forced to walk through the ship until they came to a hall with five doors. When they reached the first door his commander was shoved though and the door was locked behind him. They went down the hall and the other eight members of his team were shoved two apiece into the rooms. Lucian was slightly confused as to why he hadn’t been placed with one of the others but he didn’t dare open his mouth.

He was dragged through halls again until from what he could guess they were on the other side of the ship. Before he could wonder at exactly where he was they shoved him into a room and closed the door behind him.

He was slightly shocked to be left with all his weapons still but he shrugged it off assuming they wanted to get off planet as soon as they could. He looked around at the rooms and frowned slightly. They definitely weren’t rooms made for prisoners; even officers like him if they knew his rank. Which they had no way of knowing he was sure.

He walked over to a chair and sat hands still bound behind him; he would wait a while before removing the bindings just in case they did come back suddenly.

He waited for about an hour before the door opened again to let in a normal soldier and the high ranking one he had faced in the battle.

Lucien turned narrowed eyes to the man, he was of a bulkier build than he was and maybe just taller. The man had grey eyes and light brown hair that reached to his shoulders. Lucien would think him passable in looks, but he knew just by looking at the man that he called respect to him.

Lucien turned his head to the soldier with him and passed him as unimportant.

“So comfortable? We have decided that you pose a much grater threat than your commander. We know of the six complete units and in each there is an officer we have never been able to place, you would seem to be that officer in the first. Now stand and I will unbind your hands so you can remove all your weapons and your packs. We will search the packs for any other weapons but we will leave you with them. Your weapons we will secure somewhere else for safekeeping.”

Lucien shrugged and stood walking to the man. “As you wish then, I am Lucien the Assassin class unit leader for the First, no threat to you really seeing as I am separated from my comrades.”

The man snorted pressing a button on the cuffs and they fell away, “Lucien don’t play me for a fool, I can tell you are more than you say. But I am Aric, High commander of the army. I am not fooled easily, you will behave and the men and women of your unit wont be harmed. Do something wrong and we won’t blink at killing someone.”

Lucien shrugged and turned his back on the man, “I don’t know what you have been told, but no one of the first would endanger another.” He walked over to the bed as he spoke and started pulling his weapons off his sword belt. Once they were all lose he removed the belt and then his robe. After five minutes he had removed all his hidden weapons and replaced his robe.

“You can search the pack attached to it is my Magi kit and the survival kit every soldier carries. I assure you that you won’t find any weapons in my pack but search anyway.” He said this without turning to look at the men. After he heard a rustle in his packs he turned and sat in the nearest chair watching closely.

After a few minutes the soldier removed both kits and placed them with his weapons turning to his commander for orders.

“There is only one thing that seems to be constant in the weapons carried by your unit, you all wield a sword. Must make interesting fighting. About the only weapons I didn’t find were crossbows or any other type of bow, would there be a reason for that? It doesn’t matter I guess. Your weapons and such will be taken now and you’ll be left here. It will be a week before we reach our destination so I guess get comfortable.”

Once he had finished talking the two men left Lucien alone in the room. He heaved a heavy sigh and sat in the chair he had left when Aric entered the room.

From his pack he drew a piece of paper and a pen writing, the bait is taken, the first is flying to the home planet. Don’t let the public know we are gone. Once he finished writing he waved his hand over the paper. When he pulled his hand back the words had disappeared and he placed paper and pen back in his pack.

Lucien sighed and leaned back in his chair staring blankly at the ceiling. He had guessed the trip would be long enough for their absence to be noticed he just hoped the second could cover for it.

High Admiral Liam Marense Jonsie turned the TV off swearing. Somehow someone had figured Lucien was the High General but that wasn’t what made him curse the news station. He knew they had just put the young General in danger. How could he not be, the enemy had captured him and the first and once they saw that they would realise who he was.

Liam sighed and turned to the woman next to him, Jennervere Gense Ferrelle. “My dear I think that boy will be in more danger than ever, but I’m sorry I can’t do anything to get him back now, he will just have to survive. He seems to do that well anyway. I just hope they don’t try and find Tereance.”

Jennervere sighed turning away from him to look out the window at the sky, “I do hope your right and he will be ok.”

Lucien lay on the bed staring blankly into space. He had been in the room for three days now and it was beginning to bore him; he wasn’t used to being alone all the time.

He sat up with a start as the door came open to admit Aric. He hadn’t seen the high commander since the first day when they had captured him and his unit.

Aric dragged with him Lucien’s commander, Adam. As the door closed behind the men Aric shoved Adam to the ground at his feet.

“Now Lucien tell me the truth about this, if you don’t I’ll shoot your commander without a second thought. Is the news station right; are you High General Lucien Ferrelle Jonsie? And is your second Tereance Mosack Leigh?”

Lucien stared at the man then swore softly under his breath. Lucien sighed in defeat he wasn’t sure if they could tell if he was lying or not, he wasn’t going to risk Adam to save himself from being found out though.

“Yes I am High General Lucien Ferrelle Jonsie, but no Tereance is not my second any longer, he was once but one thing led to another and to save face he stepped down, he saved talk but he lost the job he loved.”

Aric nodded and picked Adam up shoving him out the door and into what Lucien could only assume was a waiting soldier.

“We had suspected the six Generals led the Complete Six Units. So you’re the proof. But there is one thing I don’t get you look no older than nineteen and from our reports you’ve been the High General for five years. But I find it hard to believe the Protectorate would have a fourteen year old as a high ranking officer."

“I was once training at the Magi academy, but at thirteen I had a disagreement with the professors, I ditched my schooling there and enrolled for training to enter the Protectorate. I think the reason they took me at so young an age was because of my parents. It doesn’t matter their rank meant nothing to be graduating at fourteen, by the time I was sixteen I was in the second complete unit, at that time there were only three complete units so it was an accomplishment. Six months before my eighteenth birthday I was the commander of the First. Six months later the old High General was dispatched in disgrace, for what I couldn’t say, but after that I was promoted to High General. I had a mess to fix up at that age and I couldn’t cope, so they appointed the General of the Second Complete unit my second he was older than me by 7 years. Surprisingly he didn’t grudge me being his senior. Together Tereance and I figured out how to sort the mess out, we also worked on expanding the complete units from three to six. That took us two years, now three years after we fixed the mess caused by the last High General, Tereance is no longer a General or my second although he did get promoted to Admiral weeks after he quit being my second. In short I’m not nineteen although I do know I look it, I am twenty three and yes it would seem I am too young to be the High General. But ask any one in the First or any other unit and you’ll find if I wasn’t the High General five years ago the Unit Protectorate would have fallen.

“But I fixed the problems and set it up so it was no longer on the verge of collapse.”

“I’ll admit you are a good General, but I’m thinking you failed now, you let yourself get captured. I don’t see how that is so.”

“Did you know that those cuffs you placed on me could have easily been taken off without your help?”

“I think not little general. Those and three others were made to contain Magi. No one can get out of them.”

“Its part of the laws of magic, you can’t block the power of someone with twice the magical power as you. Although I have found a way to block people with powers a lot stronger than mine, I haven’t been able to find someone to test it on.”

“So what your saying is you are more than twice as powerful as the Magi that made those?”

“Not at all, I’m saying that they can only block the power of someone up to twice as powerful than them. If I were to guess I’d say I was bout ten times more powerful. Although I don’t think I would be entirely right I was never good at gauging power levels.”

Aric just gapped at him.

“You’re surprised I see, and guessing from that those cuffs were made by your strongest Magi? Am I right?”

Aric just nodded then shook his head. “Well I see we have underestimated your race of peoples. This is something that may have to be explored.” The commander sighed his shoulders sagging. “Right now I need some sleep I haven’t slept much more than an hour or two in the last three days. There’s something I should tell you though, for the last three days you have been kept in my cabin.” Aric grinned white teeth flashing, “You could have opened that door at any moment although you never tried and I do wonder why.”

“I didn’t see any point even if the door wasn’t locked I knew there were guards outside at all times. I could have escaped from the cabin, but tell me what would it have amounted in other than me being recaptured and pain for my unit?”

“I guess your right; you seem smarter than the council of royalty gives you credit for.” Aric shrugged and lay back on the bed. “So what happens when your unit doesn’t return after a short period of time?”

“We planned to be gone for over two years.” Lucien turned his face away his eyes distant.

Aric frowned his eyes darting around the room then fixing on the young general. “You planned it didn’t you?” he asked softly barely audible to Lucien.

Lucien’s expression and stance didn’t change but he turned to the commander. “Why do you ask that Commander?”

“It does kind of fit you know, from what we have heard your unit is the best, I’m thinking even with the odds you could have won that battle. In fact I think you didn’t even try to hurt anyone with that whip of yours let alone kill him or her. And it does kind of fit with the higher officials not being worried. But I somehow think people knowing who you were wasn’t in the plan to begin with.” The commander was leaning forwards now eyes intent.

Lucien shrugged. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me Commander, I am more than I seem. What can you tell about me from just my name? Could you tell me who my father is? Could you tell me who and what my mother is? Could you tell me the position my uncle and cousin hold? Could you tell me how I spent my summer’s away form the academy? I don’t think so; I think all you know is you have High General Lucien Ferrelle Jonsie of the First Complete Unit from the Unit Protectorate, in your cabin abroad your ship going to a place not even the thirteen gods know.”

Aric nodded eyes gone solemn. “I guess I don’t know anything about your past then. You could tell me though if you want I don’t have intention on telling anything past your rank. There’s no point really your valuable because of your rank alone to my people.”

“There’s nothing you need to know of me Commander. Other than that you wont know anything more about me, it would be too much to think that your royals wouldn’t want to find every little thing about me to compromise the planet I live on.”

Aric lay back on the bed and closed his eyes obviously thinking of going to sleep.

“I guess I’m just to be quite then.”

“That would be nice, but you don’t have to”

“Uh so how long are you going to be sleeping?”

“Well however long I don’t get disturbed. If you want you can sleep with me?”

“Sorry but I do tend to get to know a guy before I’ll sleep with him.”

The commander stared blankly at him for a moment then started laughing.

Lucien just shook his head; “I actually wasn’t joking.”

“So would I be assuming again if I hazard a guess that you have only ever slept with men?”

“Since I was thirteen yes I have.”

“So do you believe my people have honour?”

“In a sense everyone does.”

“So if I swore by the honour my people hold high that I won’t tell anyone anything would you tell me some stuff about yourself?”

“Would you tell me something about yourself in the same position?”

Aric sighed, “I think my situation would be slightly different from yours, I am the crown prince, I couldn’t tell my enemy that.”

“And now can you guess what I’m not telling you?”

“You’re not a crown prince but your something close aren’t you?”

“Until my cousin was born? I was the crown prince it looked like I was going to be so because it didn’t look like my uncle was going to have children. Of course they want me to be the king instead of my cousin even if I do make them look like the worthless papered fools they are.”

“Your opening up now aren’t you?”

“You’ve told me something you wouldn’t want your enemy to know, you tell my enemy what I told you and I tell my units who you are.”

“I guess you have a point there. But I wouldn’t anyway, I may be a crown prince but it’s not like I like what my people are trying to do to yours.”

“I hold sway over the five kingdoms, not because of my birth rank but because of the respect the Protectorate has for me. They hold that respect for me only because I won’t send them to do something I wouldn’t myself do.

“I think the thing that scared the five kingdoms the most was the time I walked into my uncles throne room with ten of my men all of us fully armed and dumped a boy at his feet. There had been an assassination attempt and we had caught the assassin, stripped him of any means of escaping and then taken him to my uncle to see what he wanted to do with him.

“As we turned to leave one of the nobles strode up to me and asked what the hell I thought I was doing coming into the presence of the king fully armed. I think after my men my uncle was the first to realise that was a mistake. I just looked at the poor b*****d then gave him a last chance saying ‘I think my good man you should leave this court, now.’ He didn’t take the chance.

“Before anyone else could move to stop it I had pulled that whip out and slashed it across his throat. He died choking on his own blood and bile. After that the nobles were even more afraid of me and the other four kingdoms tried pleading with my uncle to make sure I would never be on the throne. It was stupid of them because not only did they fear my temper, but so did the nobles of my uncle’s court. Besides within a year I was High General.

“I don’t think my uncle quite approved of me either, at nine I was a thief, at thirteen I went from academy Magi to soldier. Then I went quickly up the ranks without the help of the titles I had acclaimed because of my birth. I stopped using the title of High Duke soon after I became the High General. But you have to admit that my men would respect a High General more than a High Duke.

“We did think something up after I became the High General. We wanted to protect the generals and the High General especially. We decided to keep the generals in the complete units but the cover for who they were was that they lead the assassin division of the unit.” Lucien shrugged turning away and staring blankly at the far wall.

“That ploy did seem to work, but what I don’t get is if the media on your plant figured out your rank in the protectorate and your full name, how did they not make the connection of who your family is?”

“Simple the only royal name the public knows is the kings and then they only know his first name. The rest of the family is kept a secret to make sure no one can kidnap them to use against the king. It’s worked for the while. Although when I was still at the palace most of the year there was a kidnap attempt on me, although I think that was more because of whom my father is.”

“Who is your father then?”

“Ah I don’t know if I should tell you any more about myself, I have told you a lot already and all you have told me is your rank, title and name.”

“What is there to say about myself? My mother and father are the High King and Queen. On our planet there are six courts the high court and the five lesser courts. Each lesser court has a king or a queen ruling it then the High court has the High King and Queen. When my mother and father step down I will become High King and my consort will stand at my side. Once that happens one of my cousins or brothers will step in as the High Commander of the Army until I have a son old enough to take up the role.

“Life is set out for me because of who my parents are. No one can question my word; I command respect because of titles not acts. Although some of the respect I command is from the acts of running this army.”

“I guess your life isn’t as free as mine has been. But you know I still have followed the views and titles of my parents. My Father is High Admiral Liam Marense Jonsie of the Protectorate. In politics he is the leader of the Protectorate. But if you were to ask the men and women of the protectorate whose orders they would follow to the death it would be my name that was answered.

“Although this is true I have left precautions to stop the protectorates disintegration if I disappear. Not only is my second a capable woman she would take any of the risks I would to keep the protectorate stable.”

“You seem to be dropping a lot of hints to me that I am being over confidant and thinking that your disappearance would mean the end of the Protectorate. I never assumed that I just assumed that if we had you captive it would force the hand of your Units and they would try to attack us to get you back.”

“More fool you. I am not important to everyman on earth most of them don’t even know who the hell I am and I have shown my face in public when the First has been in parades. The general public has thought me under the command of Adam. Adam although a capable Commander would never be a general he lacks the ambition to lead. We have been making plans for a seventh complete unit and when asked if he would be the general for that unit he asked not to be.

“We take men and women for their ability to fight and work as a team. A lot more people apply to become a soldier in the protectorate and get turned down; there are just over three thousand men and women in the protectorate. They are literally the best. Then we have the Complete Units that are made up of the best of the Protectorate. We have nineteen of the strongest Magi in the six.

“Sometimes I think that the Academy actually regrets that that Magi Professor didn’t believe me when I explained one of the experiments I was conducting. I was offended enough to leave the academy, not only did they offend the Kings nephew; they offended one of the most powerful Magi on the planet. I must admit it was fun to watch them sucking up to my uncle to try and get me to return. My uncle did try to get me to go back but then I went to join the Protectorate and well he had to give up.”

“You’ve been trouble since you were born haven’t you?” Aric asked head tilted to the side in wonder.

“Trouble? I think they have about three books full with lists of every single ‘stunt’ I have committed in my lifetime. Including the time I stepped in front of my uncle and cousin to stop a bolt hitting the boy. Half the people in the audience room were about to come and murder me for interrupting the king presenting his son to court until they realised that I had just saved the four year old prince. I was only twelve at the time, and I think my uncle nearly murdered me for saving the brat.

“I just wonder what my uncle is going to say when he realises what I am doing. Think he’ll count getting captured by an enemy one of my most stupid stunts.”

“It seems you like making other peoples lives hard for them.”

“My dear commander just you wait and see what I do when we reach your planet, I think your Royals will regret ever letting you bring me to your planet.”

“I would be careful if I were you, insulting the High King and Queen would be a disaster for your unit.”

“I would never dream of being rude to people of Royal blood. And besides if I think my unit is in danger I will do anything in my powers to protect them, and I think with the joint powers of four strong Magi I might succeed in doing just that.”

“Lucien I do hope you won’t fight my people on their home planet, I don’t think your dying is a good idea.”

“Commander there is more ways to fight for freedom than just picking up a weapon or casting a fighting spell. I will protect my Unit it doesn’t mean I will fight; I know more defending spells than I do fighting spells. They normally train Protectorate Magi to defend and heal rather than fight. That’s why I carry at least two weapons that can be used for fighting from a distance longer than a sword length. I can caste defence and stop enemies coming close enough to harm me.”

“I think more and more that you let yourselves be captured as you speak.”

“Commander I won’t tell you what to think, believe what you will of us, when all is done it doesn’t matter much does it?”

Lucien sat down in the chair closest to the bed facing the Commander. He sighed shaking his head as he looked down at the man.

“Commander tell me the truth, do you really want to continue wasting the lives of your people and mine trying to defeat my world?”

“What I think won’t matter to my parents, the want to enslave your people and I have to obey them until they step down.”

“Do you know the truth of the matter is that your people were the first to attack ours? I know what some of the men of your army think, we captured some alive to figure out why we had been attacked. They said that we had attacked them; our people don’t attack those off world. Yes we have the Protectorate but that is mainly to stop one kingdom gaining power over the other four. It’s also there to protect against invasions from off world.”

“I have thought as much in the last year, you people haven’t once come off world to attack our home plant since this war started, you always seem to defend, and you only attack our men if you find them on your planet. Even then you don’t try and kill them you prefer to chase them away.”

“We are more peaceful than your people; I guess it comes from the nature of our planet. We protect our plants secrets fiercely we also protect the inhabitants with the same fierceness. I tell you this though, we knew exactly where you were when you attacked us, even if we hadn’t been heading for you, we would have sensed you miles away. These ships are big they are like a beacon.

“We have never been able to figure out why you stay close to the ships that much mechanical energy is a beacon for those who can sense energy forces. Maybe it’s just your Magi cant sense energy forces beyond magic. Or maybe you buffer the energy and it’s just not enough to fool our Magi. What is it?”

“I think it’s just we don’t sense the energies from the ships. There’s only one Magi that seems to be able to sense the energy forces from the others. Of course you’ve already shown that he is weak compared to a lot of Magi on your plant.”

“Yes that’s true and that seems to fit. But you’ve still been surprised by my people. Wouldn’t you have at least learnt something of us before you went ahead and attacked us?”

“That’s yet another thing you seem to be able to keep things hidden from us. I am beginning to think that the Royals are wrong you are not an inferior race trying to seek the destruction of races so obviously stronger than your own.”

A light smile flittered across Lucien’s face at that. He was beginning to think that this enemy wasn’t as intelligent as they made out to be, or as strong.

“Commander Aric, I am thinking that your Royals are wanting the destruction of their own people. Not wanting to fight to gain power does not make a man any less. Just because a man will back down form an attack does not mean he thinks he can’t win it. My people are not submissive nor are we weak. We just don’t want to swing strength around to cower the worlds that inhabit the galaxy.”

“That’s all well for you to say but my people would never believe that. And having captured you is just going to enforce their views.”

At those words Lucien grinned but didn’t say another word on the subject instead he said, “I thought you wanted to sleep?”

“I think I want a teddy bear more than sleep.”

Lucien frowned at the Commander not comprehending what he meant; before he could react the commander lunged forward and dragged him onto the bed pinning him against the wall.

“Commander do you really think that is the best idea?”

“Yes, or I wouldn’t do it.”

“I’m not a teddy bear.”

“No but your just as soft.”

At that Lucien elbowed the commander in the gut frowning, “Commander I can put up with a lot, but insults are not something I will allow to slip by. You call things down on your own head if you persist in insulting me or anyone I hold dear.”

“Point taken lovely General, I won’t do that again I guess.”

Lucien sighed and relaxed his muscles; “you’re not going to let me go for a bit are you?”

“Maybe in the morning?”

“What happens when someone comes to get you to deal with a problem?”

“The door locks from the inside and only I can open it till morning.”

“How many days till your planet?”

“Two.”

“I thought it was a week from your planet to mine?”

“Your week is more than five days long?”

“Well yes a week is eight days. And a month four weeks, then there’s thirteen months to a year.”

“And how many hours in your day?”

“Twenty six.”

“It’s amazing I guess to think of all the differences in time the planets have.”

“Not really, I could tell you your age for any planet in the galaxy if you told me it for your planet. Although not off the top of my head.”

“Whatever it doesn’t matter much and I think its sleep time.”

Lucien just shrugged as the lights went out by themselves own.

“Liam where in the thirteen hells is that son of yours? It has been five days since we last heard of him, I thought he was going to come back after two days from that mission.”

“Well your majesty you thought wrong, they calculated for up to two years away.”
“Then where in all the hells is he?”

“On his way to Terran four.”

King Alexan stared at his brother-in-law mouth agape. “You have got to be kidding me Admiral.”

“Alexan, the High General of the Unit Protectorate is captured by a scouting party for the Royal courts of Terran Four. I would not kid you on anything to do with that boy and you full well know it.”

“By the thirteenth god, how could you let him do such a thing.” The king whispered dropping into the chair in front of the High Admirals desk.

“Alexan I had no choice, you know what Lucien can be like. But I wouldn’t worry too much, he’s a smart kid, he’ll get out of the mess he is in. and who knows he may just stop this stupid war as well.”

“Liam is there something you’re not telling me about this?”

“Maybe but if there is I can’t tell you.”

The king sighed staring off into space. “That news report two days ago, what effect will that have on all this?”

“Knowing my son? None at all, he will probably use it to gain the upper hand against the Royals on Terran Four.”

“I can’t help but wonder how that boy turned out the way he did, was it wrong to name him crowned prince all those years ago?”

“You didn’t want to have children Alexan I don’t blame you and I am sure he doesn’t either, but you can see why he protects that son of your’s so. He was never one to rule people. He does better as the High General than he ever did as the crown prince.”

“Yes, I still wonder at the way he made it so the nobles no longer wanted him prince. Some of those tricks he did, I wonder that the Academy didn’t try harder to get him back.”

“Well Alexan, you only got a minute part of their efforts, they were bugging the poor boy for near on two years after he joined the Protectorate. The only reason they stopped was he made them, he gave them a choice, they keep their academy, or they have him come back to the Academy only to destroy it. It was kind of funny watching their faces.”

“He’s a damned amazing child, if a little brat.”

“His efforts saved the Protectorate, and in doing that he has saved this world. I don’t think the army’s of the five kingdoms could have banded together to fight this threat without the Units forcing them.”

“Your right I sometimes wonder though. Who runs the Protectorate, you or him?”

“Don’t wonder on that one even I know who runs this damn Protectorate, it’s him. If he were to leave, his Second would take his place, and it would be fine only because she is so much like him, if she weren’t the Protectorate would fall apart. If I were to leave no one would notice.”

“The father in the shadow of the son, who would of thought of that happening. It’s a strange world we have come to live in.”

“But there is one thing at least. Lucien won’t use the respect of the Units to destroy the Kingdoms. He just wants to protect the things he holds dear.”

“And may we all thank the fifth god for that mercy.” Alexan sighed and stood looking down at his friend and brother. “Liam I have to go back just please tell me when he returns.”

Liam nodded and Alexan left the room closing the door silently behind him.