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My New Life

Part 9, Main Act: The final act begins...

So it begins...

In the short time Nathan and Serah have been gone and Nathan unintentionally intercepted several Krastarian saboteur squads on Sky Shield station, three other saboteur squads had already slipped through and swiftly rendezvous on Chakona without raising any suspicions; by the time CSF (Chakona Security Forces) received the warning about the Krastarians, they have already disappeared into the wilderness areas of Chakona... upon discovering this, CSF HQ immediately asked their 15th Battle Group liaison to request for some help, fortunately 15th HQ had already received the warning and had just deployed twelve squads of disguised Spec-Ops troopers, armed with force lances, assault rifles and heavy plasma rifles, and four squads of Hazard Force troopers, armed with their usual load of heavy firepower, at critical locations on and off Chakona, quietly supplementing the deployment of CSF troopers...

Thankfully Tasha believed in aggressive defense and has ordered a full deployment of the remaining 26 Hazard Force squads all over Chakona with search-and-capture-or-terminate-with-extreme-prejudice orders...

Serah and I swiftly depart Sky Shield station in Star Warrior, the FTL pod already attached to her dorsal hull and fully loaded with missiles and Photon Torpedoes plus the Lightning Storm pack, I engage the slip-drive and deploy the slip anchors as a Slipstream portal opens in front of us and pulls the fighter in, I guide the fighter through Slipstream as my new Force abilities precisely tells me which pathways are the fastest to get back to Chakona.

As we move through Slipstream, I mentally review the assassination attempt and note the time difference when I was Force-enhanced and un-enhanced, I'm shocked to see that there was a difference of roughly 5.7 seconds in between both states; in combat terms, without my new Force-enhancement, the assassin would have already killed me and left the 15th command cadre without its core commander, I sense a 'push' of reassurance from Serah through the Force and I reciprocate back to her.

Suddenly the Force gives me a course correction and I react to it, instantly a Slipstream exit portal opens in front of me, we exit Slipstream six million klicks over Cha'turna, looking over the Nagasaki weapons testing facility and the heavily fortified fighter production facilities orbiting over the moon.

We pass the 15th's seven primary shipyards and their guardian Omega-II station, I see several ships being constructed; one of the new Northstar-class battleships, two of the Galaxy II-class heavy cruisers, two of the Fortress V-class Carriers, two of the Super-class Battleships and three skeletal frames of the Akira IV-class Medium Destroyers.

"Nathan, do you think we'll be able to get the Akira class online soon?" Serah asks me.

"I don't know, dear, one of the key features of the Akira is its Chain Reaction Pulsar weapons system; many of us old timers rely on the CRP to soften the enemy before the main assault, one of the features of this weapon is its ability to 'bounce' between enemy ships repeatedly until it destroys one using the energy it received from each bounce to further increase its damage potential." I answer back.

"Couldn't an increase load of torpedoes compensate for the missing system?"

"No, the CRP is an energy torpedo and an increased load will constitute an increased risk to the ship from accidental munitions detonation."

"I see, so the CRP's role in the Confed combat table is mostly long-range fire?"

"No, that's the role of the Tri-Cobalt Torpedoes and the Steamrunner-class; the role of the Akira and the CRP is a mixture of assault, fast attack and pursuit, the CRP is used to soften the supporting echelons behind the first line of ships, destroying enemy ships or light stations at little cost."

We fall silent as we swiftly pass by Chakona Gateway Station, correcting our course to match orbit with the Lexington in high geo-polar orbit as the ships of the 15th Battle Group and Knight Hammer Station exits Chakona's planetary shadow.

The Lexington fills our view as we approach it at full thrust, I pull the throttle back to 50% as I enter the landing corridor into the starboard recovery bay, the broad mynomer safety net already deployed and armed, I deploy the landing hooks and the landing gear and further dropped my speed to 5%, I carefully maneuver my fighter until the landing indicator burned red to indicate that I'm in proper landing alignment, I shut down my engines for the last few meters, letting momentum carry us through the magcon field, our speed still being a fast clip of 400 kps, I feel the landing hooks lock onto the second arrestor cable and bring us to a complete stop, I then increase thrust to 0.5% and taxi on to the recovery deck proper where I shut Star Warrior down and techs roll up two boarding ladders and lock them into place on opposite sides of the cockpit.

Serah and I disengage our safety harnesses and climb out of the cockpit, removing our helmets when we reach the bottom of the ladders; we make our way to the turbolift and head for the bridge, still wearing our flight suits.

"Attention on deck!" Tasha and Whitestar roar out as Serah and I emerge from the turbolift, the bridge crew instantly on their feet in front of their stations, all facing me and saluting.

I return their salutes, "As you were."

Tasha orders, "Commander Eisen, you have the conn."

He responds professionally, "I have the conn, sir."

The four of us went to the ready room and Serah locked the door behind us as soon as the last tail cleared the door, instantly Tasha grabs me by the front of my suit and wraps me in a tight bear hug, locking my mouth with hir's in an air-tight kiss, swiftly followed by Whitestar doing the same thing the second Tasha lets me go, by then I was already starting to turn blue from lack of air but my new Force abilities kept me going long past my own limit, thankfully Whitestar broke the kiss and then berates me, "Nathan, if you ever do that again, I'm going to do a séance and kick your tail personally back to the afterlife!"

And then Tasha turns me around to face hir, "If you try playing hero again without me, I'm going to drag you out of the afterlife, screw you senseless and then kick you back to the afterlife!" Shi then looks at me curiously, "Nathan, is something the matter?"

"What makes you say that?"

"You're body language is different now; originally, your body language used to say something like 'confidence, wisdom, strength and humility' but only subtly, now it's practically roaring out a mixture of the old with something new but I can't describe it...your practically talking two sets of body language, one human and one predator, in fact, right now you're telling me to come and get you for a little bedroom action..." Hir grin turned predatory and hungry, "an invitation I have no intention of declining..."

Whitestar nuzzles my neck, "And our empathic bond is telling me the same..."

Hir purrs sending shivers of pleasure up and down my spine. Just then, my now sensitive nose picks up two distinctive scents coming from my two mates...no way..."Are you two in heat?"

Both felines purr appreciatively but freeze in surprise at my sniffing, they ask together, "Since when did you get a feline sense of smell?"

"Ask Serah, she can explain it better than me since I just came to terms with my new abilities."

Both girls looked at Serah for an answer as I continue to take in deep breaths of my mates' scent and tease them with a few licks in the right places, she proceeds to explain about Simba, me and my new abilities which include feline grade senses but she drops a bombshell on us when she says that she's now pregnant with my cub or cubs...that caused the girls to look at her in surprise and then switched their looks on me, I mentally kick myself on the ass for forgetting the part of Simba's message where my body's reproductive systems have been flushed and modified to make me compatible with many species including Chakats and Kilrathi.

"If he's seed is now that potent..." Tasha began.

"Then I don't see why we shouldn't work on siring," as Whitestar finishes for hir, "the cubs we always wanted this evening and the day after..."

We had learned that a Kilrathi female or herm, in Tasha's case, comes into heat every four of eights and four days within a Kilrathi year which uses a base eight system but for humans and most of the member species of the Stellar Federation who use a base ten system which translates into: Tasha has a cycle of roughly 36 days between heat and rut with one week peaks.

I check my mental calendar and kick myself for forgetting that Tasha's cycle peak is begins tonight and ends roughly a week later while Whitestar's cycle peak starts tomorrow and ends the following day...

You got a long week ahead of you, Nathan, I hear Simba's voice echo quietly through my thoughts.

I think back, You smug furball, you planned this, didn't you?

I swear I could hear him laughing, In a way, brother, in a way...we're both long overdue in properly starting our family and if you ask me, there's no better time than the present...besides it's partly your fault, you didn't restrain yourself from visibly sniff the girls due to their heat scent.

Point, I thought back.

We swiftly break our chat as Tasha and Whitestar begin to nuzzle and lick me in all the right places, my upgraded sense of smell further aggravating my situation.

I moan quietly as they grab me by the arms, quick-march me out of the ready room, through the bridge, into the turbolift with a belated "Captain Serah has command!" and drag me into our quarters.

Darkcloud, who had gotten home early from school, took one look at us and grins broadly, "I know when I'm not needed, I'll go stay over with Aunt Blazer until you guys settle and finish what needs to be done."

And with that, shi scoots out of the room at a brisk pace with a broad grin on hir muzzle, carrying a small backpack with a change of clothes and her school books on hir back; the three of us went straight to business...of having those cubs that we wanted! I'm not the sort to give details but I can safely say that the next few nights were rough, wild and absolutely passionate...

Roughly three days of non-stop lovemaking later...

I feel a warm rough feline tongue lick the back of my neck as I slowly wake up in our bed, practically wrapped in soft fur; Tasha and Whitestar nuzzle me closely as they also wake up, our bodies automatically responding to ship time...we stretch lazily as we lounge on the bed, looking the worse for wear though feeling very pleasantly tired.

I nuzzle Whitestar affectionately on the neck as I playfully ask through hir fur, "Are you pregnant or do I have to get randy again?"

Shi giggles softly, "No, love, I was already pregnant last night but you were so horny to begin with, I couldn't help myself but enjoy a few more rounds."

Tasha cuts in, "Yeah, you two were romping so hard, I had to paw off while enjoying the show!" Shi finishes with a giggle.

I look over at Tasha, "What about you, Tasha? Are you pregnant with our cubs or are you still needing a few more rounds?"

Shi purrs quietly and wraps me in a tight hug, "No, beloved, I'm not feeling any more heat-induced cravings anymore so I believe that I am pregnant with our cubs though I can't believe that we managed to do so in so short a time..."

I teasingly rub hir belly as I answer back, "Let's count our blessings, love, and be happy..."

"Oh, I am! I am!" Shi giggles loudly, "though I wouldn't mind another romp or two...or three...or four..."

I look at hir sharply, "Don't tell me you get an increased libido too!"

"Unfortunately for you..." shi grins broadly.

I moan theatrically, "Oh, great...I get three sex-crazed furballs in my bed tonight...sure sounds like fun!"

Whitestar giggles and wraps me in a six-legged hug, "You know...you use to last only for two or three rounds but ever since your soul brother graciously upgraded you for your soul union, you seem to be completely insatiable! Not that I'm complaining mind you..."

"What about you, Tasha?"

Shi grins broadly, "Loving it and hungry from more!"

I growl quietly, almost menacingly, "That can be arranged..."

Shi growls back challengingly, "I'd like to see you try!"

I wiggle my fingers in very threatening manner, Tasha reflexively rolls away from me and ends up on the floor on hir back, I instantly take advantage of hir position, pouncing on hir and begin my tickle attack, since I knew precisely where Tasha most ticklish spots are but the only downside is that Tasha knew mine as well and had greater reach...not that it mattered as I land face first into Tasha's breasts, teasingly caressing them and licking the still-aroused nubs...Tasha purrs in response and rolls me over onto my back, straddling over my hips with the pleased smile of a successful huntress.

I grin back and say, "Got you..."

Before shi could respond, I use the Force to help me roll hir over and mount hir. Tasha mews in surprise but breaks down into a big pile of purring fur as we make love with me being the dominant partner for the first time.

Two hours of non-stop loving later...

I wake up feeling extremely satisfied after a short nap, with my beloved husband, no, lifemate still asleep, pillowed against my breasts and buried within me, I smile softly and relax my head on a pillow, enjoying the feeling of complete union with my lifemate, I realize just how inadequate the term 'husband' really is while 'lifemate' seems to encompass more than what is being said...

I sigh quietly as I ponder what has happened to me over the years since meeting my beloved, from a tumultuous beginning to a steadfast love firmly grounded in mutual love and respect; from an abrupt and heart-wrenching separation to a joyous and surprising reunion, I recall every moment we spent together as lovers and as a family with Serah, Whitestar, Darkcloud and the rest of the clan, I finally understand what a family should really be...a place of love, understanding and an enduring sense of unbreakable oneness with your family...

I look back into my own past and saw that what used to define family for me just can't compare to the family I have now; before I was vulnerable to every whim of my deranged father, now I am totally free to make my own choices.

Now fate has given me the chance of having the cubs I so eagerly desired but a cost...according to Serah, the time of emergence is fast approaching, a storm of change that will affect the galaxy for centuries to come...and Nathan is at the center of it!

I know just how deep Nathan's sense of duty runs; sometimes it runs so deep it drives me crazy! But somehow I knew that Nathan didn't come to the decision lightly; to make a decision like this would have required full information about what could possibly happen with the wrong decision...I sigh quietly and gently stroke his silver-streaked black hair, strangely enough, his hair is the one of two oddities in his otherwise normal human features.

Two long tiger-like strips of silver hair that start from near the eyes and curve above and around his ears and reaches all the way to the base of his skull, giving him a predatory aspect, his silver-blue feline eyes giving him a piercing look at anyone who doesn't know him...and the same pair of eyes that captured and kept my heart and mind ever since meeting him in person for the first time.

I murr quietly as I feel my body already making the necessary changes to my new status as a mother of a new generation of cubs...hopefully cubs with their father's practicality and instinctive wisdom plus his sense of humor.

I feel him starting to stir as his breathing changes from sleep to awake, the passage of air tickling the fur on my breasts, I murr in pleasure in reaction to it.

I could feel him move his head up and his chin slip into the valley between my full mounds, I rumble quietly, "Hey there, sleepyhead, feeling better?"

"A lot better actually...I still can't believe that you're pregnant so soon...I keep wondering just how potent my seed is..."

"As you humans like to say: 'Let's count our blessings and leave it at that.'"

"Alright but let's gather the girls and double-check on your pregnancies in Medical, ok?"

I reply with a grin, "Sounds good to me!" And with that, we got dressed and headed straight from Medical four decks and twelve frames back from our quarters, calling Serah and Whitestar in our wristcoms to meet us there as soon as they can.

We reach Medical just as Star and Serah exit Turbolift 8, which runs near Medical for easier response to medical emergencies. We exchange hugs and nuzzles and then went through the doors where Commander M'lira meets us by the multi-specie medical scanner, I explain to her why we were here, needless to say, my explanation surprised her but she knew that when it comes to things like pregnancy or anything that involves the creation of new life, we would take it seriously.

She has all of them undergoing a full medical scan when I felt Simba's mental shoulder tap, "What is it, bro?"

"We need to access our medical files and update the DNA matrix section."

"Oh, right...since they'll be referencing my old DNA pattern rather than the new one when verifying the cubs' sire."

"Right, so we better hop to it!"

And with that, I slip into M'lira's office and swiftly access my file, updating the DNA pattern there with a quick flick of the thumb on the DNA scanner while at the same time preventing the computer from logging when and where the file was updated as well as when the terminal was last used, making it look like that it's most recent update was from eight months ago; I further add to my subterfuge with a quick Force sweep through the entire room to eliminate scents and any other physical traces.

I'm one of the few who have the knowledge and skill to fool even an Alpha-level AI when it comes to retro-modified files and one of the few humans with the skill to even out move a cat in terms of stealth.

I swiftly and quietly sneak back into the main medical area just in the nick of time as M'lira just finishes her scans on all my mates, Serah smirking at me for my split second arrival, M'lira inputs all the data from the scans and compares them with the current DNA profiles on her datapad, I quietly note just how professionally she does her work...while at the same time, trying to keep from losing myself ogling at her endowments, namely the seriously stacked pair on her chest.

She looks up at me and says, "Well, Commodore, the computer just confirmed it; the cubs growing in your mates are definitely yours...though how this bit of news will affect fleet morale..."

I cough to interrupt, "Uh, Commander, I'd appreciate it if you didn't spread the word just yet...because in a sense, the cubs are and aren't mine..."

"What do you mean by..." she gasps in surprise as I reveal both my gauntlets, Simba mentally 'whispering' that her family held a very important piece of our heritage, the Force 'access codes' to the gateways that leads to our clan's home system and to the family armory vault plus the family's Tome of the Stars, all hidden deep with their subconscious, all somehow the information was passed on from generation to generation.

The Tome of the Stars, disguised of course, is passed on to the next generation as a book to be protected and held in trust to the family by ours, though I'm a bit surprised that they actually had managed to keep it all these centuries while my family remained out of sight...

Without warning, a buried time-delayed reaction is triggered within both Nathan and M'lira; a special spell that instantly freezes time itself in its tracks while creating a bubble where time did not exist thus allowing both participants to interact with each other in a very private setting...

I could see instantly that she instantly and instinctively knew what to do but what I didn't expect was when all of a sudden, time suddenly stopped and only M'lira and I were the only ones unaffected...I suddenly felt my body beginning to change and Simba's mental voice saying, "Nathan, get out of your uniform before your body changes into mine! I'll answer your questions later!"

I rapidly strip out of my uniform and equipment only to notice out of the corner of my eye that M'lira is doing the same, my jaw drops in shock to see just how stacked M'lira is, my transformed body instantly taking notice...before I could say anything she pounces on me, her stacked chest pressing on my face, I rumble pleasurably and went straight to work...

Two hours of subjective time later...

I lay on my back with M'lira purring happily against my chest, somehow during our wild and passionate mating, all the stored data within her subconscious has been transferred into my mind; now as I lay there on the floor of the Medical bay feeling both sated and connected to M'lira, I keep wondering why its always during mating that my instincts tell me whether or not the female/male/herm in question is a suitable mate or lover.

We stayed snuggled for a while then I felt the time-freeze spell starting to wane, we quickly got dressed all the while our tails remained entwined with each other, my Kilrathi body swiftly transforming back to its human form; as we share a passionate kiss and hug, I sense the time-freeze spell finally dispels.

The girls snap out of the time freeze and see us looking out the Medical bay's observation deck hand-in-paw; Serah, Whitestar, Tasha walk up to us and wrap us in a group hug, Serah purring softly, "Looks like fate has given you another partner, dear."

Tasha cuts in, "Though one must wonder why so many..."

Whitestar finishing, "...not that we're complaining, dear heart, given how badly your family's been pruned down."

"It's not exactly pruned down...not per se anyway."

Tasha looks at me curiously, "What do you mean by that?"

I merely grin mischievously, "You'll see..."

But before I could make my escape, I feel M'lira grip a part of the back of my neck and squeeze...

I smile lightly as Nathan collapses in my arms, completely unconscious, glad that I finally got to try that incapacitation pinch I learned from one of my professors.

I notice Tasha is looking at me in surprise with just a hint of admiration, "What?"

"Where did you learn that move, girl? I've never seen anyone get the drop on Nathan before!"

I giggle loudly, "I merely took advantage of our proximity and moved my arm to feel like I was going to give him a back rub when my real intention was to try out a nerve pinch an old professor of mine taught me while I was in medical school."

Tasha arches an eyebrow questioningly.

I smile, "She decided to teach me a little self-defense technique she had picked up on her travels and hinted that it can be applied to the males of any species, so..."

We broke down laughing hysterically when Whitestar quips, "You couldn't help but use Nathan as your guinea pig!"

Serah picks Nathan up and lays him on a bed, "So how long will he be out of it?"

"Can't say for sure but I'm guessing two to three hours..."

Tasha moves behind me and playfully gropes my breasts, "More than enough time to have some fun then!"

Thankfully, my shift is just about done anyway so I call in my replacement early and, with Serah's help, carried Nathan out of Medical and back to his quarters; we lay him out on the couch and the four of us promptly disappeared into the bedroom for a few rounds, stripping as we went...I grin cubbishly and happily as I realize just how positively my life has turned around...

I'm jerked back into full consciousness as a powerful roar came from the bedroom, I jerk my head to the left and right to work out the kinks in my neck and got up from the sofa, I meant to check the bedroom to find the source of the roar but noticing the four sets of discarded uniforms, all of the female and herm variety, I wisely decided not to bother; I stopped by the kitchen and peeled off a Post-It sheet from its pad and write down where the girls can find me should they be looking for me. Leaving the note on the sofa, I left my quarters whistling to myself as I took the turbolift down to the lounge...and the flight simulators.

I walk out of the bedroom on unsteady legs, still somewhat wasted from repeated climaxes courtesy of Tasha, I grin broadly as I recall just how rough our little romp got...my train of thought is suddenly derailed as I spot the empty sofa, expecting my mate to still be there unconscious.

I was about to call out when I see the note on the sofa, I peel it off and read what Nathan had written down; aside from the playful bedside innuendoes for M'lira, Nathan indicated that he'll be in the lounge, challenging and slaughtering the youngsters in the simulators, followed by heading down to the hanger bay and tinkering with Chief Gunderson in Star Warrior and Star Hunter, finding ways to further enhance their already prodigious capabilities.

Without warning, a vision hits me, I fall to my knees and braced myself as the vision ran its course but what puzzled me was the vision showed Simba shaking hands and trading backslaps with a human, a much older human who's accent I recognized as the Scottish burr, I suddenly recognize him as James 'Paladin' Taggart, one of Nathan's mentors in his early days, I wonder why he's in my vision...I suddenly wonder at the possibility of a sudden new influx of Confed technology and ships into the 15th...I purr at the thought as I speculate what class of ship will be added to the 15th when I'm suddenly distracted by Tasha's rubbing of my sides.

Shi purrs against me, "Another vision, Serah?"

I nod in confirmation, "Yeah but its better this time..."

Shi tilts hir head curiously, "Better how?"

I grin, "I think we'll be receiving Confed reinforcements sometime soon."

Shi jerks hir head back in surprise, "Any idea what kind?"

"The only one I recognized is James Taggart..."

"Paladin?" Tasha suddenly cuts in, "Paladin is on his way here?"

I look at my co-mate, "You know him?"

"Know him? Hell, he scorched my tail pretty badly several times during the HK war; he's a tough old vet, that one. Not the sort I'd willing cross, not if you want to survive in one piece..."

"But the Paladin I saw in my vision had both Fleet and Space Forces pins."

"I'm not surprised, Paladin's always been a flexible old warhorse but his real specialty is Counter-Intelligence."

I raise an eyebrow on that revelation, "A frontline CI?"

"Being a pilot proved to be the best cover as most people wouldn't suspect a pilot of being Counter-Intel...or Intel for that matter."

"I take it that he's one of the few who has more combat experience than Nathan to survive the war?"

Shi nods, "Count on it."

I look around, "Aren't Whitestar and M'lira up yet?"

Tasha grins broadly, "I think we wore those two out though I'm still hungry for more, I'm not in a rush though...and besides, I want Nathan to be in on the action tonight."

I grin massively, "Five way bedroom marathon?"

"Yep," shi grins back just as broadly.

"Fine by me! Ambush or advance warning?"

"You decide but be sure to let Darkcloud know about our plans for tonight."

I nod in agreement as I pull on my uniform and head out the door as Tasha went back into the bedroom...

After an hour of accepting the challenges of hotshot rookie pilots in the simulators, boring myself senseless in the process as I flame ego after inflated ego using a 2nd Generation VF1S Valkyrie; I gave the signal for the simulation to end and exit the simulator, noticing on my way out that some of the rookies are drowning their embarrassment over a few pints of light beer while others are comparing and taking notes how to beat me next time, I smile evilly as I have only showed them a small part of my vast repertoire of hard-earned skills in that brief hour.

I head down the corridor and took the turbolift down to the hanger deck in the sublevel two storage area where Chief Gunderson informs me of a seriously developing problem, "Boss, we're running critically low on Robotech fuel group-wide."

I frown deeply as I recall giving orders limiting the use of all Robotech fighters and vehicles, "How bad is it, Chief?"

"We're down to roughly 20% group-wide including reserves..."

"Did you include mine?"

"Yep, we're lucky that our birds and armor have been modified to run on a hybrid system before the mission or we'd seeing a lot of combat power go to waste."

"Amen to that, Chief...so what do you recommend?"

"We pool all our remain fuel cells together and spread them out evenly to the ships that have Robotech units...your bird's a special case, boss...got a group-wide consensus that we don't touch Star Warrior's stock since you ordered extra fuel cells as a precaution."

"Tell everyone I said 'No' and I forgot to mention, those fuel cells are of the Class 5 category..."

Chief Gunderson's jaw drops several inches in surprise, "Class 5!?"

I grin broadly and nod, "Class 5 and Alpha batch too..."

"Shit, boss. How the hell did you manage to arrange that?" He asks me with wonder in his voice.

"All I did was call in a couple of large markers a friend in GHQ owes me...plus a little creative book-keeping and arm-twisting...and having an old friend in Counter-Intel doesn't hurt either."

His eyes shone in realization, "You asked Paladin to help you!"

I nod, "The old man was getting bored with his desk job that when he heard that a shipment of Alpha batch Class 5 fuel cells enroute to Sirius was hijacked, he knew this was something I'd go for...so with his help, I infiltrated the pirates who stole the shipment and dropped the hammer on them; Paladin helped me get the shipment back minus a case or two..."

"Say no more, boss, I get the picture...how long do you think we can run with just those cells?"

"Given their potency, I'd say that we can use just one cell apiece to fully refuel all our units and they'll probably last longer than regular cell batches anyway."

"Point taken and noted, Boss...you want me to distribute some cells to the other squadrons?"

"Yeah, and while you're at it, can you get me their overall readiness info, they're overdue."

"No prob, Boss."

I pat him on the shoulders, "Thanks, Chief."

I casually walk across the open deck to Star Hunter and Star Warrior's hanger slot, as I move closer to Warrior, I spot a very distinctive black and silver tail sticking out from behind a hanger tractor, sighing quietly, I call out, "Darkcloud, what are you doing in there?"

I walk around the tractor only to find my daughter entwined with another young chakat in passionate kissing and caressing...not exactly what I was expecting...I frown slightly, "Darkcloud, should you be doing that here in the hangers or in your room?"

Shi grins sheepishly, "Sorry dad but I got so frisky all of a sudden that I had a hard time stopping myself and since I found a willing partner who's just as frisky..."

I nod, "I understand but I suggest that you both 'go find a room to play in', is that clear?"

"Yes, dad!"

And with that both chakats pull on their tops and left at a fast trot for the turbolift, my Force sense picking up the excitement and eagerness of my adopted daughter and hir companion, I console myself that at least they haven't reached the stage of actual mating yet or otherwise things could've become very embarrassing if they were caught by other personnel, I was so deep in thought that I didn't see but did feel Serah's presence.

I smile as I feel her powerful arms wrap themselves around me, a small purr resonating through her body, "Was that Darkcloud with a companion, dear?"

"Yeah, I just caught them nuzzling, kissing and cuddling in Warrior's hanger bay."

"That's normal for chakats hir age..."

I look her with an arched eyebrow, "In the buff?"

Her eyes widen in realization, "Oh, you mean the intimate kind of nuzzling, cuddling and kissing?"

I grin despite myself, "Yeah."

"Let hir be...shi has to learn on hir own too, you know."

"I know but...you know..."

"The human father's protective instinct...admirable but not exactly effective for a growing chakat like hir."

I sigh quietly as I sense Simba giving me a quick mental lecture about raising a chakat just hitting puberty...that's when Serah and I received an emergency bridge call...

Meanwhile in a very familiar but empty part of the galaxy near Sector 475, a brilliant white tunnel opens up, allowing the passage of dozens of warships and several support ships, their classes all familiar to certain members of the 15th but the last warship to exit the tunnel dwarfs even the massive battleships, its massive hull bristling with numerous batteries and turrets of powerful anti-ship and anti-fighter weapons, its size and firepower all but declaring its leadership position.

Within minutes of their arrival, they swiftly form into smaller groups and deploy in different directions with the flagship and the support ships staying behind as it launches an automated message pod into the rapidly closing tunnel; the crews willfully knowing that the trip through the tunnel is strictly one-way expect for small unmanned machines...

At the same moment, in an empty region of space 350 light-years from Raksha, far from any system that may incidentally herald their presence too soon, two very distinctive starships, one massive and overwhelming painted white and blue with silver and red trim and other long and sleek painted red and silver with gold and black trim, hover in place, waiting patiently for a signal, a beckoning call for the return of an ancient family...as a tall shadow walks into a barely lit bridge and begins to bring the ship to life...

I wake up with a purr as I feel M'lira and Tasha's playfully rubbing and licking both my upper and lower stomachs as well as my breasts but kept my eyes closed for the time being as I let my emphatic abilities tell me who's in front and who's behind me, of course, there was also the more physical cues...as I belatedly and pleasantly realize that I'm still within M'lira while at the same time, I feel Tasha still within me with my tail twitching within hir.

We're still reveling in the afterglow when the ship's background hum abruptly changed to a deep-throated rumble, indicating an emergency fleet response.

We got out of bed, pull on our uniforms, and headed straight for our duty stations. Tasha and I share a long kiss in the turbolift as it went up to the bridge; we break our kiss two decks from the bridge and put on our game faces, the doors part and we step on to the bridge proper and head to our stations as the Lexington speeds through space, enroute to Uni-Point 34A, a jump point where translight, warp and slipstream drives can universally operate without interference.

"Commodore, what's the emergency?" I ask once I take my duty station.

Serah answers for Nathan who, knowing that I'm looking down from my Tactical station, is deeply reading the printout in his hand, "We just received word that the H1 rebels are raiding one of our ordnance convoys, their escorts are doing at holding them off but the rebels have just brought in the big guns. Lexington, Iowa, Asgard, Knight, Chakas'tra, Wyvern, Intrepid, Cumberland, Ticonderoga, Archer, a dozen Daggers and Defiants are enroute now to reinforce and escort them back to base."

"Any ideas on what class of ship we're going to engage?"

"The convoy leader reported that they've been engaged by Constitution, Excelsior and Miranda-class starships with attack shuttles in support."

I growl angrily, "Where the hell did they get all these ships!? We've had Dragons and Star Hawks covertly tailing them, trying to find their shipyard or yards but all we've discovered is that they're all coming from an outside source for both construction and repair!"

Nathan responds quietly, "I know, Commander, but at the very least, we've found out which planets they've been getting their supplies from..."

The Rakshani at the helm turned to look at Nathan, "Commodore, we're in position to initiate FTL travel."

He nods in acknowledgement, "Very well, Lieutenant, set course and engage."

The translight jump alert blares throughout the ship as a wormhole opens in front of us, the ship's gravity nullifiers easily opening the wormhole to fit the carrier's 2 km width by 3 km height by 6 km length, I watch as the Iowa, Ticonderoga, Archer and the Daggers engage their own translight drives and make the jump as their warp drive-equipped counterparts make their own jumps...as the Lexington fully enters the wormhole, I close my eyes and could feel my constituent atoms breaking apart and reforming simultaneously as the transition is made only in seconds but the second we emerged from the wormhole, I could feel the distinctive rolling 'rumble-thump' of the main Ultra Smasher batteries engaging enemy targets, SOP has us allowing the AI's to command the main weapons while the crew recovered from 'jump-shock' but I could already sense the more experienced Confed bridge crew already relaying orders, I open them and begin to give my own orders to both Helm and Weaps, directing the Lexington's heavy firepower to the right places for maximum effect while minimizing our profile.

Nathan had once told me that the synchronized jump maneuver is mostly for shock effect but had discovered that by combining accurately directed firepower further amplifies that effect and can cause an opponent to break a lot faster...and so it was with this bunch, several ships turn to engage us but I don't allow them the chance as I order a blistering salvo of Ultra Smashers, Heavy Laser Pulse Cannons, Heavy Phasers, long-range Mk.10 Micro- and Mk.8 Quantum Torpedoes, and Mk.5 Lance Torpedoes, six ships instantly succumb to the Lexington's fire while another twelve more perish from the other ships' fire, the remaining six attempt to break away but their attempt is cut short as Heavy Phaser fire overloads their shields and neatly slice off their warp nacelles as Hazard Force troopers and boarding teams are transported aboard each of them while tractor beams are engaged to bring the enemy ships alongside for prisoner transfer and scuttling preparations.

I sigh quietly, wondering why the H1 rebels have chosen to intercept a military munitions convoy so near the Chakas'tra system, I call up the file regarding the convoy and checked what it's cargo is, my frown deepened when I saw that the convoy is completing the last third of a large order of brand new Mk.9 Quantum Torpedoes, Mk.11 Micro-Torpedoes, Mk.7 Photon Torpedoes and Mk.4 and 5 Lance-type Heavy Torpedoes from the Kruger munitions factories in the uninhabited Desolation system, 20 light-years from Chakona, I call for a sensor sweep of the area and detected an anomalous gravity field coming from one of the captured enemy ships, suspecting a gravity well generator, I order one of the Hazard teams in the same ship to search for it, they report back swiftly as it turned out that the gravity well generator had taken up most of the shuttle bay, according to the team leader, the generator's design resembles that of an Imperial GWG, however this GWG looks to be a salvaged part of a destroyed Interdictor-class cruiser, the device showing massive scorching along several facings and practically draped with jury-rigged power cables; I realize that I had noticed this ship hiding behind two other ships, suggesting that using the Imperial GWG consumed so much energy that only basic life support and navigational shields could be used, leaving it weaponless and practically shieldless.

The attack by the 15th contingent only made this problem all the more appalling to its crew but it seemed that they were under strict orders not to shut down the GWG until they have captured the munitions convoy.

I give orders for the ship to be scuttled with demo charges and ordered the boarding teams off of it.

Within an hour, we escort the convoy to Chakona without any further problems and once the convoy docks with the shipyards; we return to our orbital berths and resume our usual pre-deployment routine.

Of course, I did detect that Nathan is up to something but it felt positive so I opted not to pester him about what he had in mind so even I was surprised about what he had in mind...

One week later...One week prior 15th Battle Group deployment date...

Nathan surprises his family and crews that he has authorized a full six-day furlough that would begin on Sunday or at least the date equivalent to Sunday on Chakona, so that they could be with their families awhile longer before deployment, with the ships' AI avatars in charge until they return...

Evening on Chakona, Goldie's clan estate...

I watch as the cubs go against Nathan's newly enhanced form as they deliver a barrage of soccer balls trying to score a goal but from the lack of any balls within the goal zone tells me that the cubs are having no luck, then Goldie, Forest, Quick, Red, Melina, Midnight, and Kris tried their luck...and they also lucked out; Serah stepped up and smiles broadly, Nathan grins back and I suddenly shiver as I feel as a mild trickle of energy flows through me.

Serah delivers what I recognize as a Force-assisted kick as Nathan responds with could be a Force shield to slow down her ball but Serah uses a Force punch to enhance the ball's speed further which shatters his shield and connects with Nathan, sending him and the ball into the goal zone plus a very audible "OW!"

M'lira runs over to check on him, only to be pulled into a passionate kiss with him, I grin broadly as that indicated Nathan's intact with the only injury being his pride, though I must wonder how much it hurt getting hit by a Force-assisted ball hit.

Suddenly I sense Serah looking at me and wink at me, I receive a mental image of a big white liger-pattern chakat being mounted by me...and wearing a distinctive pair of gauntlets!

I look at her in surprise and glee, receiving a conspiratorial wink in confirmation, I was giddily imagine Simba as a taur and pregnant with our cub or cubs when Nathan plops down on the patch of grass next to me and cuddles against my life-swelling side, "You're imagining something, honey, I can sense it...and it's turning me on too."

I twist on my waist and hug him closely, in fact it triggered a family group hug as Tasha, Serah, M'lira and Darkcloud piled in, Nathan nibbles one of my ears while asking, "So what were you thinking about that's gotten you so turned on?"

"Simba...as a chakat...and pregnant with cubs," I purr sensuously.

For the past weeks since Simba had revealed himself to Nathan, I had noticed that their 'switching' has become faster and faster until now...now it seems that they have already become one entity and the up coming fusion ritual is just a formality, just like now...Nathan's normally black eyes have instantaneously changed to silvery sky blue, according to Serah a distinctive family trademark, a soft growl comes out of Nathan's mouth before Nathan automatically translate it into Terrananglo, he smiles coyly at me, "Would you like a sampler of what I really do as a taur?"

I look at him in surprise, "What? Now?"

He gets up, walking back into the house, stripping as he went, in fact, I could already see his ears already shifting to the top of his head, I jump up and went after him, eager to find out what Simba could really do...and I wasn't disappointed either!

Meanwhile back in Sector 475, the COs and XOs of Task Force Chrono-Rescue meet aboard the TCS Yorktown, the task force flagship, to discuss what they have discovered about their missing comrades, having returned from their recon missions throughout the sector.

Everyone stands to attention as their task force CO, Commodore James 'Paladin' Taggart, who re-activated himself back to active duty and taking a leave of absence from his position in the Senate to command this rescue mission...and to determine what has happened to an old shipmate and friend, walked in to the conference room and took his seat at the head of the table but despite the age and rank of the old man, everyone in the room knew that they could approach him as easily as a child approaching a grandfather, though the informality of it made the Kilrathi officers a bit uneasy, given their cultural respect for older and more experienced warriors who they consider as ones not to be bothered with trivialities but since Paladin made it an order, they didn't have much choice though it made the usually uptight cats somewhat more relaxed in dealing with their crews.

Every team leader deliver their reports on what they had discovered regarding the possible whereabouts of the lost task force but it was the report of the CO of the TCS Ranger that got Paladin's attention when she had reported large and active concentrations of older Confed communications frequencies which instantly told Paladin that the possibility of the Chrono-Storm's survival just went up massively and is possibly allied to one of the local interstellar governments, which changed into a confirmation when the CO of the TCS Silencer reported of successful intrusion into a civilian starbase's computer systems and copied all relevant data about the local interstellar governments and their military forces, discovering that Nathan had successfully integrated Chrono-Storm into the Stellar Federation military and redesignated as the 15th Battle Group of Star Fleet.

The name Star Fleet got the humans wondering if they had arrived in a dimension where Star Trek is a reality but disregarded as irrelevant to the mission though there have been chuckles of amusement at the thought of seeing 'real' Star Trek ships, Paladin gives out deployment orders and team missions when a communications tech bursts in from the nearby bridge, reporting that an emergency alert signal has been transmitted from Raksha, requesting all Star Fleet ships to respond, everyone got on their feet and ran for the transporters while Paladin ran back to the bridge and begins giving orders, knowing that Nathan's battle group will be the first to respond to the signal and go into harm's way to protect a world under threat from a hostile force with everything he has and fight until triumphant or dead.

"Not if I have anything to say about, laddie," Paladin growls under his breath, he suddenly stands and gives his orders to the fleet, "All ships, set course for the outer edges of the Raksha system, full silent running, set emergence point behind the Star Fleet line and outside the planetary sensor range; be prepared to reinforce the 15th's battle line in case the tide turns against them, prepare fighters for magnum launch, go to full battle stations; all Nemesis battleships be prepared to cover and assist in pulling out of all friendly ships out of the battle area; Pathfinders and Airbornes, you are to hold back until I order you into the fray, your primary goal are the command ships, take them out as swiftly as possible. Paladin out."

He turned to look at the Kilrathi helm officer, "Helm, take us out." And within seconds, the entire task force goes to lightspeed...and towards destiny.

At precisely the same moment, on the bridge of the Super Dimensional Fortress One, an older Natorash'kar male looks up from his meditations and quietly rumbles, "First-born, are you online?"

A hologram jumps to life, revealing a scantily clad white tigress, "Yes, I am, Captain Kel'star."

He continues quietly, "Prepare to head for Raksha, I sense that the time emergence is close at hand...and ready the ship for battle, I sense we will need it...and inform the Protector to ready Freedom and Justice while also make ready Akatsuki in our own launch deck."

"Acknowledged, Captain Kel'star. Shielding systems overcharged at 150% and engaged; main and secondary batteries deployed and charged; defensive turrets also deployed and charged; heavy and light torpedo tubes cycled and loaded; ultra quantum torpedo launchers loaded and armed; anti-fighter missile turrets deployed and ready; SDF-1 is ready for battle...and Protector reports similar readiness."

"Very well, First-born, bring me my battlesuit armor unit, ready the bridge, reroute navigational, communication and helm control to the captain's chair and energize the slip-core."

"You're expecting trouble?"

"No, I know there's going to be trouble; my remaining nephews and niece seem to have a particular talent to be in the middle of it."

"And kicking tail in process?"

"That too."

By the time the conversation ended, the two are already on the bridge, looking out the bridge windows at the Protector holding station on their left flank, her sleek shape contrasting the SDF-1's blocky shape.

Kel'star pads over to the captain's chair and sits down, his tail slipping through the hole meant for being with tails. He arranges the controls to his preferences and readies the ship to FTL travel but as an afterthought, he draws and double-checks his lightsabers for any problems, finding none, slips them back to his belt and awaits for the Force to tell him when to intervene...

I watch as the bridge crew rapidly man their stations as the entire 15th prepares to head out on its patrol sweep throughout the entire Stellar Federation, or at least someone thinks we're going out on patrol, I thought darkly to myself while keeping my game face on for the benefit of Councilor Golukavich and the politicians he's with, I had carefully and thoroughly Force-scanned every member of the 15th to make sure that Golukavich didn't have a mole or moles in sensitive places amongst my crews.

The chronometer located over the left side Tactical screen chimed 0900, just 10 minutes before the entire battle group is set to launch, "All civilian and shipyard personnel," I call out over the PA, "report to the nearest docking port for disembarkation, repeat, all civilian and shipyard personnel, report to the nearest docking port for disembarkation. That is all."

I watch as the politicos disembark through the bridge level docking port and the tube disengages from the collar, retracts partially and moves away from the ship, clearing the hull as three dozen other docking tubes do the same, freeing the ship for launch.

The bridge crew remains solemn as they knew that it won't be long before they march once again into harm's way but unknown to them, I knew precisely what the enemy has in mind...and taking a page out of the Rakshani 'book', I had ordered my Defiants to prepare a special surprise for the upcoming battle.

I give the order for the 15th to enter their 'assigned' patrol routes and wished them luck, as the 15th breaks up into its four constituent task force formations, Task Forces 15.1 thru 15.4 respectively, and TF 15.2 and 15.3 enter slipstream while TF 15.4 engage their warp drives and enter lightspeed but heading in the direction of Cait, what Golukavich didn't understand but well understood by the engineering crews of my ships, is that Confed-designed warp drive-equipped ships have a warping speed rating double that of Federation ship types so a warp one setting for a Galaxy II is equal to warp two or two point five on previous ship classes, which means that the Galaxies, Intrepids and Sabres can and will respond a lot faster than their predecessors...and with a lot more firepower to boot!

Simultaneously, six other carrier and heavy cruiser task forces have been rediverted to the three invasion corridors Golukavich has told me of but my instincts say that those routes are worthless because of the way they are located and because the systems they lead to are dead ends in their own right, most of them being pre-ignition stage nebulas of dust and gas, which would cover an invasion force but would leave them exposed and vulnerable as their shields and sensors would be inoperable as they exit the nebula.

And according to Simba, Raksha has several large deposits of an extremely rare material called Quatricite, a material that is best used in creating super-weapons...It was then that I realized the value of the material deep within Raksha...and just how important repelling the incoming Krastarian over Raksha is, I couldn't help but ask Simba just how good or how bad the future is going to be, the response is hardly reassuring, I just don't, Nathan...as far as I can tell the future is still seesawing back and forth between the darkness and the light but there is hope...though I'm not quite sure what it is yet.

I mentally answer back, All right, buddy...keep an eye out on the horizon just in case.

I receive a curt Will do and Simba simmers back down into the background.

A Slipstream portal opens up in front the Lex and takes her in, though the transit lasts for only a few seconds as we exit into System 3425E, just six light-years from the Raksha system but located along the 'flank' and 'right-front' of the invasion corridor upon exiting the Slipstream point over Raksha, I look out the viewport and see TF 15.2 and 15.3 slipping into battle group formation, the escort carriers slipping into their usual 'four-quarters' escort positions while the Supers, Defiants, Assault Missile Corvettes, Nebulas, Excalibers and Sovereigns slip into their appointed places in the 'deep spear' formation and the Aegis cruisers move into 'battle-box' formation above and under the Lexington's formation as the Panthers and smaller ships move up to form an anti-ship/anti-fighter screen for the carriers, I turn to look the black-and-dark gray chakat at the comm station, "Lt. Shadowcaller, transmit RWG signal to TF 15.4 via encrypted burst comm channel AE 30."

"Aye, sir." Shi responds crisply as shi turns back to hir station to send my message out.

My body suddenly twitches as though an electric current just jolted me, Serah and Tasha are the only ones who notices though but didn't pay it any mind as they tend to their duties but I look towards the rear of the bridge as though the bulkhead wasn't there, quietly mutter under my breath, "Uncle?"

But all I got was the mental equivalent of a broad ear-to-ear grin and a wink. I grumble quietly at that and went back to my own duties though it seemed that I was leaking empathetically through the Force that both Whitestar and Serah send a mental 'nudge' at me to remind me that I'm leaking a lot of giddiness into the overall emotional environment...and it's affecting every nearby sensitive, I blush slightly as I swiftly clamp down on my mental broadcasts, though I can't help but feel some anxiety and trepidation for the up-coming battle and my resulting Soul Fusion with Simba plus I have no idea how the two of us are going to go about it and I get the sinking feeling that the Soul Fusion will occur in mid-battle yet somewhere in the back of my mind, I felt that there's more to the ceremony/ritual than meets the eye.

My thoughts are derailed as the hyper-pulse sensors blare an imminent jump alert as the fourth and last section of the 15th exit Slipstream and took their battle positions, and just in time too as a Beta-level broadband burst signal, I knew then the invasion forces are just about to exit FTL travel, I order the fleet to go to Level 1 battle stations, I could feel the ship preparing for battle in my bones as weapons power up and traverse into battle position, shields emitters come online and engage to form a thick protective field of energy around the ship, torpedoes are loaded into their firing tubes and armed for combat, main power systems spooling up to max capability, main drives surging to maximum power.

Sky Shield station swiftly sends us battle telemetry via an encrypted channel and the bridge crew and I watch as the battle unfolds...

I watch the Krastarian invasion fleet drop out of warp just inside the kill zone on view-screen, feeling a tad worried at the size of the fleet which changed to extremely worried as the capital ships begin to disgorge bipedal war machines of a type that looked vaguely familiar, I order a zoom in on one of the machines and compared them to one of my special archives, a gift from Nathan who seemed to know what my tastes are...my frown deepened when the computer matched the machine as a variant of the Leo-class mobile suit, I order close-ups of other units and come up with similar comparisons to the Aries, Taurus, Strike Dagger, Serpent, Zaku Warrior, GINN, Laurasia, Nazca, Agamemnon, Girty Lue, Drake and Gondwana-classes.

I growl deeply, not liking what I'm seeing but I snarl reflexively as two Archangel variants, one Minerva variant and their two dozen escorts drop out of warp below the planetary plane but stayed where they are, bringing the overall total to 220 warships, my XO notes that their shields are of the brute-force design, meaning that their shields can take heavy amounts of damage but have poor regenerative and power shifting capabilities.

I order a full detail scan of each and every capital ship and noticed just how thin-skinned they are, I grin broadly as I realize just how easy it would be to hull the enemy through and through...as a plan formed in my mind, I order my comms officer to call in the 15th in 30 minutes, knowing Nathan would have his carriers form around and in front of Sky Shield to further augment its defenses while the escorts form a skirmish line in front of us to even further augment the defenses.

The leading edges of the enemy armada enter the kill-zone ten minutes after their reversion, I hold the order to open fire with the main batteries as I want them inside the primary kill zone where the AS batteries built on Raksha's moons intersects with those on Sky Shield.

At twenty-five minutes after reversion, the four triangles at the corners of the main view-screen turn green with a solid tone, I roar out, "All batteries, fire at will!"

And with that, the batteries on Sky Shield and on the moons start firing at a conservative but accurate pace; experienced Confed gunners have never stopped emphasizing this as they had learned when facing a numerically superior enemy: keep a good rate of fire but be accurate about it!

The first few salvoes take the massed enemy forces unawares and creates confusion amongst the ranks for another few more salvoes then they disperse swiftly, causing several misses, the gunners compensate by targeting concentrated or concentrating clusters and the capital ships but the enemy's numbers and heavy shields have allowed them to get out of the moon batteries' zone of fire but not Sky Shield's as I order my systems officer to redirect more power to the main batteries as they had the longest reach.

When the enemy armada reaches the narrow point where the moons' orbits intersect, torpedo tube covers flip open and a spread of thirty long range Mk.7 and Tomahawk torpedoes roar out, their launch shielded by the fire of the main batteries, their speed allowing them to reach their targets before they could react sufficiently; another 25 ships die in brilliant globes of plasma fire and debris, raising the total to 40 enemy capital ships destroyed, 12 crippled and 10 heavily damaged, the station rocks occasionally from return fire but none of it breached the shields.

At this point, something felt very wrong so I had the whole system scanned and what appeared didn't please one bit, the scan showed a much larger group of reds signals approaching Raksha from the night-side, I knew then and there that this battle is going to be a very tough challenge...

I immediately saw that I would have to split the 15th in half if I'm going to cover all of Raksha, at the same time, the other battle groups Star Fleet HQ sent to cover the other invasion corridors reports that they're also engaged by middle-sized enemy battle groups which meant that we'll be all alone in this fight but since the first enemy battle group have withdrawn for the time being, the 15th could concentrate on the main force so I give my orders: "Helm, alter course to Slip point 3B instead of 3C; Comms, inform the fleet to make similar corrections."

I close my right hand into a fist, trying to keep the fear, despair and panic from overwhelming me, I could feel Simba coming to my aid as mental arms and a powerful presence envelopes me for a short while, calming and banishing my fears, filling me with hope and determination, I hear him rumble quietly, Nathan, don't worry about the battle, the Force has shown me that we have more friends that you think...and you'll be meeting an old friend once again.

Once I calm down and settle back into the 'grove' of battle-earned calm and coolness, feeling a lot better, as the entire fleet took position to make a formation jump into Slipstream.

The Slip-jump lasts only a few seconds as the 15th emerges from Slipstream in battle formation over Raksha's night-side and stood in the way of the main body. Judging from the sudden flurry of communications, they weren't expecting us to be here so soon but I didn't allow them the chance to recover from their shock as I roar out, "FIRE!"

Over 100 long range Mk.7 and Tomahawk torpedoes roar out of their launch tubes and towards their targets, closely supported by heavy energy weapons fire from every ship's main batteries, resulting in 108 ships exploding in brilliant balls of plasma fire and scrap metal but those loss were merely a drop in the ocean, the Krastarians have brought in a fleet composed of 880 ships of every class and type an at least a thousand mobile suit units, everyone could feel that this is where history will be written and where many will fall but none will falter in their duty to their adopted nation, as we move into a mutual supporting battle formation, I order the carriers to drop into a slightly lower orbit and for the Defiants, Panthers and Sovereigns to make a deep strike attack into the middle of the enemy formation...

The Krastarians were indeed caught off guard by the unexpected arrival of the 15th Battle Group and their lack of hesitation in attacking caught the entire command echelon in complete surprise, the ships destroyed by their initial salvo had been carrying many of their experienced pilots, no one had been expecting the 15th to use stand-off tactics immediately but the sudden appearance of dozens of Federation warships in their midst shatters their formation as several command ships are destroyed as well as several other ships as the strike force extracts itself before they could regroup; the arrival of enemy starfighters and bombers forces the Krastarians to launch their mobile suits but the inexperienced pilots found themselves to be nothing more than live bait as the far more experienced Federation pilots make short work of the first three groups, however the sheer numbers of the enemy begins to take its toll on all the squadrons and their pilots, tiring the longer they stay in the fight, more and more new enemy pilots begin to take advantage of their exhaustion but this did not lead to any losses as the more experienced pilots protected each other in overlapping relays as they returned to their motherships to rearm and refuel though many were severely damaged.

Pilots swiftly transfer over to new machines as their damaged birds are lowered down to the primary repair bays, launch crews wasting little time in launching the fleet's long reaching arms while as capital ships move closer to within range of their secondary weapons but the Krastarian ships turned out to be poorly suited for a gun-based engagement as the more heavily armed Federation ships took a swift toll but not without taking losses themselves as three Intrepids, two Daggers, four AsMC and four Defiants succumb to concentrated fire though not without taking at least one more ship with them.

Through all this no one notices that other eyes are watching with interest...

The Krastarians' ground forces use the confusion of the space battle to head down to the planet's surface, the heavy ships' escorts being torn apart by the massive surface-to-space antiship batteries, the planetary shield couldn't prevent them from landing but the heavy crossfire tore a dozen ships to pieces including one of the Archangel analogs but a good sized chunk of their mobile suit complement make it out alright only to be shredded by the lighter support batteries around the mains, though the heavy ships manage to make controlled crashes below their line of sight, hatches open and mobile suits come charging out only to be met by Battlemechs, heavy armor and artillery; several large groups of Krastarian assault infantry manage to hot-drop in the capital city but are met by the Rakshani militia and elite infantry amongst them is Kestor's own infantry platoon, ably supported by Battlemechs specialized for urban warfare...though the Krastarian forces already on the ground are reinforced by several dozen mobile suits equipped with re-entry packs...

Paladin watches impassively as the battle unfolded, not liking what he's seeing, despite the 15th's superior positioning, the enemy's overwhelming numbers are starting take a severe toll on Nathan's forces, he knew then that it's time to step in, he orders Chrono-Rescue to enter the fray and impose themselves between the 15th and their enemies and orders his comm officer to open a broadband channel as he pulls out his ancestral bagpipes and tunes it as the fleet jumps to the rescue...

Kel'star watches serenely from the SDF-1's bridge as the battle unfolds, waiting patiently for the Force to tell when to add the SDF-1 and Protector's combat weight and power into the fight as well as the power sleeping within the three Gundams...

I growl angrily at the building losses but refuse let hope die when a distinctive tune came through the speakers, the Confed members of the bridge crew and I instantly begin to sing according to the tune, we could hear singing from the other ships as well, I recognize it as "Amazing Grace" rendered in bagpipes...that's when it hit me...Paladin!

I roar out over the command channels, "15th Battle Group, prep for incoming reinforcements! Tactical, give me a reading!"

There is a series of brilliant white flashes in front and around us as a massive battle group bearing the insignia of the Terran Confederation exit Slipstream and maneuver to reinforce faltering positions.

Whitestar calls out, "Confed signals confirmed, TCS Yorktown ID'ing itself as the flagship! Ship classification: Mega-class carrier!"

I roar out happily, "Welcome to the party, old man! I see you brought a lot of 4th generation firepower!"

An old yet slim Scotsman in an Commodore's uniform grins back and replies with traces of his old Scottish accent, "Aye, laddie, I believe that I came at the right time, didn't I?"

"Yeah, yeah, Paladin; you haven't changed...UGH!" I fall to the deck on all fours, feeling a massive pain in my chest that had nothing to do with my health...I knew then that it was time...

I sense the shifting of the planes through the Force and knew that the time has come for my mate to take the final step into his pre-ordained fate.

I help Nathan to his feet but his eyes, indeed his body has already begun to change, a thin halo of energy has formed around his body; I knew then that I have to get him in space as the Soul Fusion requires massive amounts of energy, more than enough to destroy the Lexington, I look at Tasha and shi knew immediately what to do, shi orders the hanger to pre-flight Star Hunter and prep it for launch.

I send a Force suggestion into Nathan and he swiftly moves to turbolift and takes it down to the hanger deck.

I turn to face my mate's old mentor, "Commodore Taggart, I'm Captain Serah, 15th XO..."

"Captain, can we skip the introductions and get to the point?" He asks bluntly.

"Sir, I don't have the time right now to explain everything but I can tell you now that if Nathan doesn't reach a certain point at a certain time, the entire galaxy will fall into darkness."

"If you put it that way, Captain, then I'll expect a full debriefing once Nathan finishes what needs to be done, Paladin out."

Tasha, Whitestar and I look out the forward viewport in time to see Nathan launch and go full power towards...the center of the enemy formation!?

I could feel the planes shift through the Force, telling me that time is running short; I broadcast a call for help...

I sense my nephew's distress and say, "Go now, First-born..." The fortress makes the necessary short slip-jump as does the Protector...

I send a beckoning call out to Simba's two siblings...

The beckoning call reaches both siblings simultaneously...

My memories snap back into place as Uncle Kel'star's beckoning call reaches me, I tear the hospital clothes off of my body and head straight for the nearest turbolift, taking it down to the hanger deck...and arrive just in time to see a Krastarian boarding force attempting to break into the station.

I beckon my double-blade lightsaber from its interdimensional pocket and ignite it, the brilliant orange blades highlighting my scarlet red and black-stripped fur; using Force speed, I charge forward and slash Krastarians apart with controlled fury, making short work of them.

I sense some of the males ogling my naked body but let them ogle on some more as I raise my right arm and touch the symbol on the gauntlet there, roaring out, "Justice!"

Instantly, I'm encased in a ball of energy as a bright red bolt intersects with mine...

I sense Uncle Kel'star's beckoning call as I blast away at Krastarian assault troops, though as it turns out their mobile suits are nothing more than nuisances to the much more heavily armored and armed Battlemechs, both Federation and Confed, I suddenly sense a shift in the natural flow of magic, getting behind cover I spot a sorcerer amongst the shock troops, I knew then that this charade has come to an end, I turn to my sergeant, "Sarge, I got to go!"

"What do you plan to do, Kes?"

I pull out my lightsaber and ignite its verdant green blade, "What a Natorash'kar must do, to protect the innocent."

My webbing falls off of me as I charge out into the energy-filled street, falling once again into Soresu's tight but energy efficient defensive style, batting away energy bolts easily; within moments, I'm amongst the Krastarians, slashing and slicing off limbs and weapons with pin-point accuracy, fighting my way towards the sorcerer, sensing that time is running out, I summon the Force and use a Force blast around me to clear the way, at the same moment, I channel my magic through my left paw and cast 'Firestorm Blitz', a spell that combines fire, earth and wind in a lethal storm of razor-sharp blades, shredding the sorcerer and his bodyguard despite the protection already in place.

With that done, I raise my right arm and touch the symbol on the gauntlet there, roaring out, "Akatsuki!"

Instantly, I'm encased in a ball of energy as a bright white bolt intersects with mine...

Star Hunter jolts as a beam weapon glances off her port shields but the damage board indicates that that glance has depleted the port-side shield down to 70%, I redivert weapons power to both shields and engines, expending missiles only at targets directly in front of me but it wasn't long before I run out missiles either, suddenly a Slipstream portal opens near my position, the event horizon destroying the ships in its vicinity, and what exit the portal makes my eyes widen in complete surprise...the SDF-1...except that this SDF is colored differently and bear the distinctive tri-galaxy-stylized dragon-crossed lightsabers-shield-tome insignia of the Natorash'kar clan.

Just then two glowing comets take flanking positions to Star Hunter, my Force sense tells me that my siblings have arrived as I call through the comm, my voice a mix of mine and Simba's, "Welcome to the party, uncle."

An amused rumble comes through, "Glad you're throwing it, nephew! Your gundam is ready to receive your summons..."

I grin broadly as a thought hit me, "You want to join the fray, uncle?" "Are you sure?"

"You can use Star Warrior, my personal Robotech fighter; she's on the Lexington, tell Serah to have it prepped for you and feel free to use it...just bring her back in one piece, okay?"

A deep-throated laugh, followed by a bemused rumble, "Will do, nephew. I'm out of here then."

The energy field surrounding the comets shut down to reveal...Gundams! The one on my right is similar to Infinite Justice from the Gundam Seed: Destiny my grandfather used to show me when I was a kid while one on the left resembles Akatsuki, both stay close, easily keeping pace with Star Hunter.

The two clear the way for me and I hit the afterburners, reaching the planes convergence point at the precise moment...

Star Hunter hits the convergence point at the exact moment and completes the ancient prophecy, consumed in the sphere of light that begins in the cockpit, symbolically separating who Nathan was and is now...

The sphere of light can be seen clear across the galaxy as a brand new star that seemed to herald new hope to those enslaved by darkness...

A mighty roar echoes through the Force, a battle-cry long thought lost now rekindled, giving hope to the beleaguered forces of light and giving pause to those who serve the darkness...

A bolt of light spears through the sphere as it winks out of existence, wrapped in a thin shell of light which shatters to reveal a legendary machine known throughout the galaxy...the Eternal Freedom!

But within this mighty machine, a new soul unlike anyone has seen before moves to full consciousness, the two brothers now existing as one...from this point forward, the galaxy will never be the same...

To Be Continued...