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Adam was walking back to his pod with Logan next to him. Both boys had their hands entwined with the others, and they were just enjoying the feeling of closeness. Without having to discuss it, both boys knew that the other wanted some alone time, and they were going to get it.
Adam had barely closed the door to their room when Logan moved in and embraced him hard. Adam couldn't say a word as Logan's mouth found his and the two boys' tongues started to do battle in their mouths. Something not many people would have believed was that, in the bedroom, Logan was the aggressor and Adam was more than happy to let his slightly younger boyfriend take the lead.
Holding his lips to those of his lovers, Logan pushed Adam down on the bed and fell on top of him. Without breaking the kiss for more than a few seconds, shortly, both boys found themselves naked and on the bed, Logan still controlling everything that happened between the two. After a few more moments, Logan broke the kiss and leaned back to look into Adam's deep gray eyes. The normal hard look that was always in those eyes was now looking back at Logan with nothing but a soft love that burned so deep it was almost scary. One thing Logan knew better than almost anyone else was that when Adam did anything, he always did it with all of his being. That right there is what made their lovemaking so intense, and so special.
Logan leaned back in and kissed his Adam while grinding himself into Adam, making both boys gasp in delight. Logan once again broke the kiss, leaned back and once again was lost in Adam's eyes. Adam broke the spell that Logan was under by thrusting up into Logan and grinding their midsections together. Logan groaned loudly as his head tossed back from the feelings that were coming from his favorite area. Finally, his eyes met Adam's again and Logan grinned down. "I think it's a 'butter garlic' night."
Adam groaned in ecstasy but also giggled a bit as Logan reached into the nightstand and pulled out a half filled bottle of his favorite flavor BBQ sauce. With a grin, he knelt between Adam's spread legs and began to drizzle the sauce all over Adam's nether regions. As soon as the area was covered in the sticky sauce Logan bent down and began to clean the entire area with his tongue.
Ten minutes later Adam was writhing on the bed in a complete frenzy. Logan was very much in control and wasn't allowing Adam the release he so needed . Logan would bring him to the brink, only to back off, then as soon as Adam started to settle down, Logan would take him into his mouth yet again.
It was almost a total role reversal for the two boys, but to them it was as natural as anything else. Adam was always so in control of everything around him that he wanted, no needed, a time when he was the one being controlled. The problem had always been, who did he trust enough to give that control to? Logan answered that question shortly after they first met. Yes, they had not had actual sex till long after they had met, but Logan knew what Adam needed quickly and Adam allowed himself to let go of his control. Adam had never once regretted his decision.
"Please Logan..." Adam moaned out. "Please let me..."
Logan pulled his mouth off of Adam's BBQ-sauce-covered tool and grinned at his boyfriend, "Not until I say you can." After which he buried his nose back into Adam's sparse pubic patch, causing Adam to moan rather loudly.
Again, Logan brought Adam to the edge, only to back off, and Adam could do nothing more than moan his disappointment. Logan once again covered Adam's midsection with the sticky sauce, then moved up to kiss Adam as he ground his own crotch into Adam's.
As the kiss deepened, Adam was lost in the haze of ecstasy, and Logan's mind remained remarkably clear. Not that he wasn't lost in his own desires, but there was a part of his mind that remained completely clear of the effects from teenage hormones that were coursing through both their bodies. That part of Logan's expansive and very unique mind surged forward without any active thought from Logan. Seeking, it found the object of Logan's desire and moved after it. Neither boy noticed at first, as they were locked in their kiss, but they were both able to feel the other. It was almost as if they were one mind with two bodies.
Adam actually lost track of who was who. He didn't know if it was his body that was arching into Logan's or the other way around; he felt both sensations. Logan was only slightly better as he felt part of his mind wrap around Adam's and together they became one.
"Please, Logan!" Adam cried out, as once again, he thrust himself up against his lover's own raging member.
Panting with uncontrollable lust, Logan whispered out one word..."yes!"
With that one word, both boys exploded all over the other. The mutual orgasm that they shared was unlike anything either of them had experienced before. Not only did they feel their own, but they were also able to feel the feelings of both love and lust that were flowing from the other. Normally, after such a mind-blowing orgasm, neither boy would be able to do anything else. But, as their minds wound and wove around the other, both boys remained hard as steel.
Without a word, Logan backed off of Adam, taking a moment to look down at the somewhat older boy with a grin. Neither of them spoke as Logan lifted Adam's legs and got into position. As Logan slid all of himself into Adam he whispered softly, "You're not allowed to cum until I tell you to." Adam just moaned in agreement as Logan began the long slow movements that would bring both of them to the pinnacle of excitement.
For close to an hour, Logan controlled Adam's every movement, Adam's every feeling. With them being linked the way they were, Logan knew everything that Adam was feeling, just like Adam knew everything that Logan was feeling. Together, Logan led them through the winding roads of pleasure, making sure that Adam never got too close to the edge.
Logan showed just how well he knew his lover as he did everything he could to make the boy under him feel every bit of pleasure that his lover could handle... and then some.
Adam was struggling to hold himself back. Never before, had an order given to him been so hard yet so pleasurable to follow. Finally, though, Logan knew that Adam was too close to hold back any longer, so he sped up his own movement while giving Adam the permission he needed to achieve his ultimate goal.
With moans and groans of pleasure, both Adam and Logan released what they had been holding back. Neither boy could ever remember an orgasm as intense, as satisfying, and as draining as this one was. As soon as it was over, Logan fell onto the bed next to his lover and barely had time to whisper an "I love you, Adam," before he fell into an exhausted slumber.
Alexei looked up from his bed when Sergei walked in. Very few people were just allowed to walk into his room, but after what had happened last night, the door opening caused him to jump … something he really shouldn't have done, as his bruised ribs protested loudly, causing the twelve-year old boy to gasp out in pain.
Immediately, Sergei rushed to his side, almost falling to his knees next to the bed. "Alexei, are you all right?"
Alexei nodded, then struggled to bring himself into a sitting position on his lavish four poster bed. As he waved off help from Sergei, a few tears leaked from Alexei's eyes as he finally got his bruised body into a relatively comfortable position. "I'm fine!" Alexei said in both anger and frustration. "I'll be even better when I no longer have to go through this!"
Sergei got up and rushed into the bathroom. A few moments later, he came back with a glass of water and holding two pills. "Please take these, my prince. They will ease the pain."
Nodding, Alexei allowed Sergei to help him take the pills. When he settled back onto the bed, he sighed and spoke in a voice that was on the verge of breaking down. He took in his surroundings, almost in disgust. The huge bedroom he lay in, marble floors with the softest and most expensive rugs that could be found. The golden bust of his great grand father, the ancient tapestrys hanging from the sixteen foot vaulted ceilings. Beautiful pieces of art from around the world. He shook his head in despair. "Look at me, I live in splendor, but what I really need to ease my pain, will be when everything is set to take that bastard down, and when I can spit on his corpse!"
Sergei stood up and looked down at the bruised and battered boy for a moment before smiling gently. "Well, my little prince, the times of you having to endure that animal raping you are near to an end. Everything is set, save for the part that you have decided to do yourself."
Even as much as Alexei was hurting, he couldn't help but smile a feral smile. All the years of having to put up with Bartnev and the man's sadistic pleasures were about to come to an end. Ignoring the pain in his ribs from the latest beating, and the pain in his rear end from the rape, Alexei forced himself to stand up. He was still naked, as he couldn't bear to have clothing rubbing against the cuts and bruises that marred his normally perfect pale flesh. He also didn't wear shorts, as his penis needed to heal from the bite marks left by the sadistic Bartnev. Even with as much pain as the young boy was in, he still grinned a truly feral grin. "Then please help me down to the room so that I may make the call."
It was a little after one in the morning and neither Adam nor Logan had moved after the events of earlier. Adam came instantly awake as he heard his name being called. He lifted his head, trying to see who was in the room with them, while also noticing that Logan was still asleep. The voice called again and Adam let his head fall back to the bed as he recognized the voice. "What do you need Daileass?" Adam said in barely a whisper, knowing that Daileass would be able to hear him.
"I'm sorry to wake you Adam, but Seth is on a highly encrypted call from Orlando. He won't even tell me what it is about. All he will say is that he needs to speak directly to you as soon as he possibly can." Daileass sounded a bit worried and agitated and Adam knew why; this would be the first time that Daileass was not allowed to even know what a call was about before taking it to Adam.
He sighed softly, then gently got out of the bed, trying not to disturb Logan. He looked at himself and smiled as he saw his crotch was still covered with the sticky sauce from earlier. "Tell Seth I will be with him in less then ten minutes... I need to shower."
Daileass couldn't help but giggle and the last thing Adam heard was a "yeah, you do!"
Adam took a very quick shower, then dressed in his full-dress uniform. Knowing that Seth wouldn't call him at this time of night unless it was urgent, Adam was sure there was something major about to happen. As soon as he was ready, Adam softly spoke one word. "Daileass?" The next thing he knew, he was standing in his office behind his desk.
Quickly he made sure his uniform was on right, then sat down and punched up his communications menu. He quickly entered his sixteen-character security key and a moment later Seth was looking back at him.
"Thanks for coming so quick, Adam. Daileass said you were already sleeping and I'm real sorry to wake you up, but this is something that only you can deal with..." Seth trailed off and Adam could tell something big was up. He'd never seen Seth this tongue-tied.
"It's okay, Seth. Just tell me what's going on," Adam said as he leaned forward, trying to figure something out by the other boy's body language, but couldn't.
"Okay, Adam, but before I do, I need to bring someone else into this call. His name is Alexei Romanov..." Seth trailed off again as Adam tried to figure out how he knew that name. When it hit him, Adam couldn't help but gasp. Seth immediately knew that Adam grasped the seriousness of the call. "Yes, Adam, that one. From what he's told me so far, I have a feeling you're going to be busy very shortly."
Adam sat up straight in his chair and once again made sure his uniform was impeccable. He then mentally told Jory to 'get your ass up to my office immediately'. During their training, each of the five UNIT members had studied a specific region of the world. Jory's was Russia, and he wanted that knowledge here. Finally, he looked at Seth and nodded. "We better not keep him waiting."
Seth nodded, but instead of connecting the call he started talking once more. "Adam, I need to warn you first. He looks like hell, but as I am sure you know, he is a very proud person. Please don't react to what you see."
Adam simply nodded and waited as Seth brought up the other call. When the third person came on the screen Adam was able to school his reaction, but just barely. Adam knew the boy on the other end of the view screen was twelve years old, and he showed it. But what got Adam's blood boiling, was the fact that the boy was covered with cuts and bruises. The youth's normally bright blond hair was matted with sweat, and what Adam took to be a little bit of blood. His upper lip was swollen and by the bruise forming around his left eye, Adam knew that whatever had happened to cause this had happened recently; … within the last twelve hours at the most.
Adam was able to figure out even more as he watched the youth for a few moments, while Seth was going through introductions. Alexei's torso was also covered in bruises. If it weren't for the fact that Adam had extensive knowledge of bruising and the like, he wouldn't have been able to tell exactly what caused them. However he did recognize them, and what he saw shocked him deeply.
He could tell that the boy had been held down and forcefully disrobed. He counted no less than ten human bite marks covering the boy's chest and neck. Further, he could tell that Alexei had been restrained while he was being beat.
He watched the boy, who seemed very uncomfortable sitting there in only a pair of white boxers. At first, Adam thought it was due to modesty, but then he realized what it really was. The boy had been raped!
"Tsar Alexei, may I present to you the commander of Clan Short's Military arm, General Adam Casey." Thankfully Adam had been paying close enough attention to know when Seth had turned the call over to him. At the same time, Jory came running into the room in nothing but his underwear; thankfully he had his uniform with him. Adam had been filling him in on everything he was thinking so Jory would be completely up to date. Adam didn't even acknowledge his younger brother as he started to speak to Alexei in perfect Russian.
"Greetings, Tsar Alexei. It is both an honor and a pleasure to be speaking with you face to face. What is it that my organization can do for you?" Adam said as Jory fed him the words.
"Good morning, General," Alexei said in very good American English. "I am sorry to wake you at such an hour. However, I fear I can no longer wait. In the shape that I am in right now, I feel it somewhat odd to be called by my title. Would you do me the honor of calling me by the name my father gave me?"
"It would be my honor, Alexei, but I must insist that you call me Adam. Now, what may I do to assist you?" Adam spoke somewhat urgently. All he could think about was getting at the person that caused such harm to the boy.
Alexei started to laugh, only to wince in pain and start to cough. From off screen a man rushed to his side in great concern. Adam sent out a mental order to have a medical team stand by for transport. Outside, Adam could hear the call go out for Trauma Team Alpha to go online. Adam thought for a second about canceling the order for Chang and Janet's team to spin up, but decided against it. He wanted nothing but the absolute best for the Tsar of Russia.
He heard Alexei angrily tell the man that he was fine, then turn back to the monitor with a small smile. "Comrade Adam, you may yet regret those words." Adam was momentarily shocked by the word that Alexei used. In Russia, addressing someone as 'Comrade', was a pledge of almost unlimited trust and friendship. But he was even more shocked at what the boy did next. He watched as the young twelve-year-old boy pulled himself up with as much dignity and strength as he could muster, then stand on his own two feet. The man in the background tried to rush forward, but Alexei stopped him with just a look. When the boy was standing he looked into the monitor; the only thing belying his look of regality was the fact that he was wearing only boxers and the slight shake in his legs betrayed how much pain he was in. "Your Grace, Commander Adam Casey of the Clan Short Fleet; Commander of the Clan Special Forces; Division Head of UNIT of the Family Clan Short of the House of Sarek of the Family of Surak of Vulcan; Commanding General of the Universal Next-Generation Infiltration Team; Senior Member of the General Enhanced Forces Group; General in the United States Army Reserves; Adam Casey of the House of Windsor, Member of the British Imperial Family. I formally request your assistance in recapturing my country from those who wish to destroy it. For this, I offer you both title and land within the borders of my country, as well as the full might of the Russian Military; once I have reclaimed their allegiance."
Adam sat there stunned for a few moments before a major question came to his mind. "Alexei, I have to ask first. Why do you not go to the League?"
Alexei sighed as he looked Adam in the eyes. "I do not wish this to become another instance where the world has to come to the aid of my people. Russians... we are a very proud people. You and the Clan coming in to help me would be seen as acceptable, whereas if the League stepped in... that would be a sign of weakness on my part, which I can not have right now."
Adam was abruptly on his feet. "Tsar Alexei," Adam knew this was time to use titles. "with your permission, myself, some of my command staff, and several strike teams, as well as doctors, will be by your side in less than fifteen minutes. Once we figure out what else is needed, I will bring in whatever troops and equipment that it takes to do as you wish."
Alexei simply nodded and fell back into his chair before the communication ended. Adam immediately sprung into action and started to issue orders. The first one was to Seth, asking the boy to make sure that he was informed as soon as Cory had a free moment. He knew that the boy would be dealing with what happened to Joel that day and didn't want to interrupt that.
Next, he went out to meet the Trauma Team, just as they were gathering their supplies. Janet and Chang immediately walked over to him with a question on their faces. Behind them, he saw the entire Wolf Pack, they were fully armed and ready for... something. Adam waited till Janet and Chang got to him before he started talking softly. "I'm sorry to wake you guys like this, but there is something going on that I need both of you for. This is not as bad as you might be expecting, but it is a very delicate situation."
Before he could continue, Will, Logan, Khan, and Joe showed up, joining Jory, Chang, Janet and himself. Adam nodded to all of them and let them get themselves together before he launched into his briefing. "I just got a call from Alexei Romanov. For those that do not know of him, he is the twelve year old Tsar of Russia." It seemed that only Janet and Joe were unaware of who he was. "He has called Clan Short, specifically us, to come and help him re-take his country."
That got all of their attentions. "Can we do that?" Janet asked breathlessly.
Logan was the one who answered, making Adam grin, knowing that the two of them were thinking so much alike. "It's a bit of a stretch, but it would really be no different than when we rescue someone, and then work to get all of his or her belongings back to them. This is a much bigger scale, but the principle is still the same."
Janet and Joe both looked unconvinced, then Adam dropped the big bombshell on them. "Mom, Dad... there's a reason I spun up Trauma Team Alpha. This boy hasn't only been physically abused, but he's also been raped. From what I saw, he was beaten so badly, I would be surprised if there wasn't severe internal damage. I don't know who could have done this to him, but it had to be someone with a hell of a lot of power in their government."
As Adam trailed off, Jory jumped into the conversation. "There's only one man I can think of that could get away with doing that: Premier Bartnev."
"Who?" Adam asked completely lost.
"Premier Bartnev," Jory said again, then launched into an explanation. "Actually, because of his title, he goes by Premier Romanov, since he is Alexei's 'regent'. It's also secretly rumored that he is one hell of a sadist and likes to beat on his victims. If I am right, then the other rumors I heard are true, that he's also one hell of a sick pedophile. Now understand, none of what I just said has been confirmed, or is it even well known to many." Jory paused as everyone's jaw was on the floor. "He is also the head of the KGB and is the real power behind the country right now. Nothing happens in that country without him knowing about it, and most of the time giving the go-ahead."
"Either way," Adam spoke, "we're going in there to help him out. Or at the very least, see what needs to be done. This might be too big even for us. We'll see." He turned to Khan and started to issue orders. "Khan, I want no less than ten strike teams ready to go in one hour. Once we get there, I'll see what security looks like and make the decisions then, but I want people on standby just in case."
Khan nodded and spoke in his deep bass, rumbling voice. "They will be ready. Also, I will be bringing my newly reformed team with us when we go. You will not be without protection again."
Adam almost groaned, but knew better than to argue with Khan. The oldest and largest of the Cat hybrids was very protective of Adam and Logan, and even if Adam ordered him to stand down, Khan wouldn't. It was just easier to go along with it. So Adam simply nodded, Khan turned around and spoke into his communicator briefly.
"Mom, your job will be to treat Alexei as soon as he will allow you. However, I would like a scan of him done ASAP so we know how badly he's been injured." To which Janet nodded her agreement.
"Chang, if mom doesn't need your help, I'd like you to help Jory and figure out what kind of security that place will need. Also, make sure you scan everyone you come across. Any who are not personally loyal to Alexei, are to be noted for possible elimination."
Everyone nodded as Adam turned to Joe. "I just need you to keep your eyes and ears open. We do have an advantage that they don't know about. We are all completely fluent in Russian. Jory and I will be the only ones to let others know about that. So make sure you wait for a translation if someone is talking to you."
Joe's grin widened. "That way people will feel free to talk openly around us, and they won't think we can understand them!" Adam just grinned widely and nodded.
Adam looked around to see if everyone was ready. He saw the two full strike teams standing there waiting to go. The doctors and med techs had all their equipment ready. In the corner, he saw that Daileass had assembled all of his, Logan's, Will's, Jory's, Chang's, and Joe's gear. He was about to see if Daileass was ready when he saw eight G-Cats come running into the room in full gear, complete with body armor and helmets. He bit back a sigh when he saw that every single one of the cats were armed to the teeth.
Adam was about to speak to the entire group when Daileass broke in telepathically. Adam knew it wasn't as easy for the AI to speak to people telepathically, so this had to be important. 'Adam, I just spoke with Sergei Petrovich. He was the man that we saw in the room with Alexei. He informed me of a few things that may make a difference in how you do this. First off, know that Alexei was in the room and agreed to everything the man said. Now, every single room in the palace, save for their secret 'safe room', is heavily bugged. Also, most of the staff is there to keep Alexei prisoner. They have orders to repel anyone that is there to try and 'rescue' the Tsar. Sergei has ordered all those that are trusted to the secret room, so only those loyal to the Regent are out and about. Lastly, he wanted me to stress that Alexei is handing over his security completely to you. I don't know what you said, or did, to warrant this, but it shocked the hell out of me.'
Adam stood there stunned as his mind swirled with all the new information. This almost completely changes what he was planning to do. Finally, with a plan firmly in place, Adam addressed the entire group. "Okay, I was just given some new information that changes a lot of what I had planned. First off, Daileass I want you to grab every electronic signal that is coming out of that place and stop it when we go in. I want a total black out... nothing in or out, unless it's through you."
"You got it, boss!" Daileass said with more than a bit of excitement.
Adam then looked to the rest of the assembled group. "Okay, here's the low down. When we go in, we're going in hot. Consider anyone who is armed as a threat, and if they show ANY sign of aggression, you are authorized to use lethal force. Make no mistake, we're transporting right into the middle of a hornet's nest."
Adam looked over to Khan, who was grinning ferally. "Khan... am I right in assuming you guys want to be first in?"
"You're damned right we do." Khan's deep booming voice almost roared out.
"Fine.. you got it. Chang, I want you and the Wolf Pack in second. Secure the room, then fan out." Adam got a nod from Chang, then turned to the other two strike teams. "I want you guys in next. I want youre two teams to stick together, if possible and take control of the perimeter fence and the gate. Once you have control, I will send someone out to take command while you guys stand guard duty. Once we start bringing in the rest, someone will relieve you. On second thought, Jory, Will, I want you guys with them. Jory will take command of the gate until we can get someone else in place. It's very important that no one leaves or enters the Palace during our assault. Any questions so far?"
Seeing none, Adam pressed on. "Dad, I want you to stay here for now. As soon as I'm done here, I would like you to spin up another five teams. As soon as they are ready to go, please contact Logan or myself, and we'll let you know where they need to go. Next, get Ronnie working on getting the supplies together to move over to keep us going for a prolonged operation. One of the biggest things will be food. I don't want to trust what they have there, so I want to replace it all. Also, ask for volunteers to come over. We'll need cooks and the like, as well as doctors and enough equipment to set up a field hospital if needed." Joe nodded while smiling. He couldn't help but think that Adam was definitely a teen. One of the first things he was worried about was food.
Addressing the full team, but still looking at Joe, Adam gave the next part of his orders. "If what I think is going to happen does, we're going to be in this for the long haul. After we gain control of the Palace and bring the security up to my standards, I will start to rotate teams out if they want to be. Dad, please talk to the ten teams Khan called up and make sure they know it's a long term operation. Replace any teams that may have an issue with that due to family or siblings. I know we won't be able to pull in only teams with no family here, so once I am certain that they will be safe, I will allow family members to come in. Also, contact Starfleet, we'll need some of those pre-fab dormitories and the like. Also, make sure they are the hardened ones... just in case."
Next, Adam turned to Will. "Let your people know I am going to want air support for future operations. I know we're limited in what we have right now, and we can't strip the Rapid Response base, but see if you can come up with a few helicopters for us."
Will nodded, but before he could move, Master Quel, who had been standing in the background just watching what was happening, stepped forward. "General Casey, if I may offer." He paused until Adam nodded. "My ship carried several thousand atmospheric fighters that have not been able to keep their skills honed. It would greatly help them out if they were able to get a bit of practice before we go back to our planet, where they will surely have to fight. If you would allow it, I would like to send down a few to help augment your forces, thus giving them some valuable flight time."
Adam couldn't help but chuckle at the way the man worded his remarks. By making it sound like Adam was helping him, Quel made it so that Adam wasn't having to ask someone else for help. With that simple offer, Quel raised several notches in Adam's book.
Adam smiled and nodded once more to Quel, then turned to make his final statement to all those there. "Okay, do what you have to do, we leave in five minutes. Make sure your armor is on right and you're all fully equipped. Also, helmets are on the entire time you are on duty. Oh, and one last thing, while all of us have had the language dump, so all of you know Russian, I do not want any of you, unless you are of Russian decent, to let on that you speak it. Allow everyone around you to think that you cannot understand them, and bring anything interesting you overhear to either Logan or myself."
Once he got confirmation that everyone understood his latest order, he nodded to them all, then went to get his armor on. Once he was sure his armor was on properly, he went over to Logan and checked his armor. Then he stood there while Logan checked his armor and equipment over. All around the room, people were checking, not only their armor, but also someone else's. Then they got their weapons together. Adam made sure that his MP-5 sub-machine gun was loaded and ready to go. Then he did the same for his two sidearms. After that, he made sure his other weapons: sword, knives, and a assortment of others, were properly secured. Once he was sure that he was ready to go, he started to walk around and make sure everyone else was as well. He was more than a little impressed when he saw that everyone else had gotten their weapons and armor set properly.
When he was done, Master Quel approached him speaking quietly. "Adam, would it be acceptable if I were to come in with your medical teams? I would really like to be able to see your UNIT in action." Before Adam could respond, Quel tried to calm his fears. "You will not have to worry about my safety; however; I may be able to provide some extra safety to your medical personnel."
Adam thought back to the conversation he had with Quel earlier and realized that the man was right. When Adam nodded, Quel smiled, reached inside his cloak, and pulled out a thin rod about a foot long.
The Eryradain Master gave it a twist and pull, and the rod extended into a five-foot-long staff with wicked looking blades at both ends. Adam looked the weapon over and couldn't help but think of the interesting design. Almost immediately, Chang stepped up to Adam and looked the weapon over while Quel gave the staff a few practiced twirls and swipes. Looking impressed, Chang muttered to himself , "I think I need to speak with this man in the near future... at length."
Adam chuckled, then turned to everyone, who were waiting expectantly. "Okay everyone, last chance to ask any questions before we go." When no one said anything, Adam spoke to Daileass. "Okay you overgrown pocket calculator... let them know we're coming and let's get this show on the road!" The only response was a raspberry being heard over the speakers, followed in less than a second by Khan and his team vanishing.
It was less than a minute before Adam felt himself being pushed into a sub-dimension, then immediately being pulled back out, and then he saw himself standing in a good-sized room, just as the last of the Wolf Pack ran out the only door to the room. Flanked by Logan and Janet and followed by Master Quel, he quickly moved over to the other people in the room. Immediately he spotted Alexei sitting in a chair, wearing not only the white boxers he had seen originally, but now also wearing a very soft bathrobe.
Stopping in front of Alexei, as the boy struggled to stand, Adam reached out his hand to the boy, while introducing himself. "Tsar Alexei Romanov, I am General Adam Casey, Commander of the Clan Short Special Forces Division." After Alexei released his hand Adam turned, first to Logan, then to Master Quel and Janet introducing them as well. "This is my Chief Intelligence Officer, as well as my life partner; Lieutenant General Logan Hayes." Logan reached forward and shook Alexei's hand. Then Adam introduced Janet. "This is our Chief Medical Officer, as well as the entire Division's mother, Dr. Janet Hayes."
"It is a pleasure and an honor to meet someone who would open their heart up to so many that need it," Alexei said, as he stiffly shook her hand as well. He then turned to the four other people that were with him. "First, this is my tutor and most trusted adviser, Sergei Petrovich." The man, who appeared to be in his late thirties held out his hand, first to Adam, then to Logan and finally Janet. While that was going on, Adam was hearing sporadic gunfire. What was most interesting to Adam was that neither Alexei nor Sergei flinched when the gunfire started, whereas the other three adults in the room did.
"Also, of my trusted people, there is Tanya Nikitin, one of the cooks here, then we have Ivan Sidorov. Finally, we have Chief Petty Officer Mark Connors, of your United States Navy. He has been assigned to be my attaché."
Before Adam could reply, he held up his hand as he started to get reports from Khan and Chang. Janet looked concerned when she heard Adam loudly say into his mic, "WHAT?!?! How the HELL did they get here?!?!"
Logan must have heard what was being said because he started to giggle a bit, only to be glared at by Adam. "What?!" Janet asked, and Adam turned to look at her with a look of disgust on his face.
"The Ferrets are here! Hell... they got here beforehand and managed to take some of the bad guys out. But that ain't the worst of it!" Adam said exasperatedly. "Dave's here because of Timmy telling him 'Unca Adam needed some help!' and that 'he's head of Tribe security, so Timmy ordered him here'. I'm gonna kill that kid!"
Logan couldn't help but laugh. "Hey... at least he didn't send in Millie and Fred!"
Adam shook his head, then turned to Alexei. "Sorry about that, just a surprise... and I really dislike surprises on one of my operations. However, you will be happy to know that the main residence is now completely secured. If you would like, we could move to a room that is a bit more comfortable for our meeting."
Sergei spoke up and raised an objection,"But all the rooms are bugged. Anything we say will be overheard!"
Grinning, Adam shook his head. "Actually not. See, before we came in, Daileass, our AI and main base computer system, intercepted every signal coming out of this Palace and looped it. In that way, no one that is actively listening or watching will be able to tell that anything is going on. That does NOT include anything coming out of this room, since we kinda figured that anything in this room was safe. Seeing as there is only the one signal coming out of here anyways, we figured we'd not block it."
While the others looked shocked, Alexei was just smiling... tat was until he started to walk. Once he did, the injuries he had came back full force, he grimaced and started limping. Adam saw this and with a thought raised Alexei a few inches off the ground. "If I would be allowed, your Highness, there is no reason for you to walk, with it causing you so much discomfort." He turned to Sergei, "If you would be so kind as to lead the way, we can get this over with and then let my mother and the other doctors look Alexei over."
Sergei stood there stunned for a few seconds before he snapped back to reality and led the way from the room. By the time they got up to one of the informal dining rooms, the group had grown a bit. Not only were there the five people that were here before Adam got there, but there was also Adam, Logan, Janet, Chang, Khan, and High Priest Dave. Adam hadn't even noticed the small furry kid until after he shut the door and noticed that Dave had, at some point, not only joined the group, but was walking right next to Adam as he entered the room. Adam couldn't help but take a second look as he noticed that High Priest Dave seemed to have dyed his fur. "Did you tie dye your fur?!?!" Adam asked in awe and horror.
"OF COURSE NOT!!!" Dave said with high indignity. "It's WAR PAINT you dull-loving twit!" Adam just shook his head one more time and decided to ignore the 'insane furry little shit'.
Adam sat Alexei down at the head of the table and then everyone proceeded to fill in where they could. While they were walking, Adam had asked Logan to do a scan on the 'loyal' members of Alexei's staff; to make sure that there were no moles in the group. Other than a rather interesting bit of information about Sergei, they all checked out. Adam no longer had to worry about this group, as they were all loyal to Alexei, and especially Sergei, would do everything they could to safeguard the young Tsar.
Tanya had run off, almost as soon as they came into the room, and was soon back with drinks and snacks for everyone. Thankfully, by this time, Adam was getting reports that the entire Palace was secured, including all the outside grounds. They were bringing in telepaths to deal with the survivors and having Daileass deal with the dead.
Alexei took a deep breath after taking a long drink. "I am not really sure where to start, but... well, I guess I should start at the beginning. Five years ago, just after my seventh birthday, my father had an 'accident' while being driven home from the Kremlin. Within a year, my grandfather, the reigning Tsar, died of 'natural causes'. That made me the Tsar; however, since I was only eight years old, a Regent was put in place so there was someone to help me rule and teach me what my father and grandfather would have taught me. That man was Igor Bartnev. Publicly he is one of the best heads of state that I could have asked for. He runs the KGB and has always tried to help the people. Or, at least, that is the persona he portrays to the rest of the world. Personally, I think he is deceiving all of us."
"What makes you think that?" Adam asked, relaying all this information to Jory so he could get his brother's input on what he was learning. Obviously Daileass was also watching and listening, and if Daileass needed to say something, he could through the earpiece that Adam wore.
"It started off as little things," Alexei said while staring off into space, "things were being done in my name that I had no idea were happening. When I started to protest about that, I got a visit in the middle of the night by several large men wearing masks. They pulled me out of my bed and tied me to a chair. When that was done, another man came in, who did not speak at all. What he did do, though, was make it very clear to me that if I wanted to live in comfort, that I had better keep my mouth shut."
"What he is not saying is that on that very first night, just before he turned nine years old, they beat him severely. They were very good and did not leave a mark, but for several weeks after that night, he was in constant pain," Sergei added with more than a bit of anger. His anger though, turned quickly to pride. "When he told me what happened, he also told me that no matter what they did to him, he would never give into their demands and would continue to work for his people."
Even though Adam knew that it must have hurt, Alexei sat up straight in his chair and puffed his chest out some. "Before my great-grandfather died, he explained to me his vision of our great country. He said "Alexei... my name sake... when I was but a child myself, when I was just the Tsarevich, the crown prince, I had a dream. I had a dream that our Russia would become the most advanced and the most prosperous country on this planet, a country that all other countries would emulate and imitate. So a new era of prosperity would arise on this planet and it was not just a dream. It was a plan! I was constantly thinking about how and what to do for this dream to come true." Alexei allowed a small tear to fall from his eyes.
"I asked my great-grandfather how that was supposed to happen. How one man could make such a thing come true. Do you know what he told me?" Alexei asked, and while he never gave anyone time to answer, they all knew he wasn't wanting one anyways. "He told me that....'To a King or an Emperor — and to a future King or a future Emperor — his public life is of utmost importance. Any monarch worth his throne, is first and foremost concerned with the prosperity of other people; the prosperity of the people of his kingdom or empire. And, the main concern of anyone preparing to become a monarch is what he can do, when his time comes, to improve the quality of life and the prosperity of his people. Well, at least that was my main concern, but then I do not see how it could not be the main concern of any crown prince anywhere.'
"I took his words to heart. When he died, I made a vow to myself - a vow to the Russian people. I vowed that no matter if it took my very life, I would give the people of this country what my Grandfather had always wanted for them. I am the Tsar of Russia! I will not let some DOGS intimidate me and tell me what I am going to do for my people, especially when all they want to do is destroy my country!"
Adam could not help but be moved by the conviction of this small boy. But right before his eyes, the man he saw sitting there, deflated into the small boy he first saw … the small boy who had been raped and beaten. "However, I have failed my people. I do not have the strength to do what must be done."
Sergei shot to his feet and Adam instinctively placed his hand on his gun, but Sergei was not attacking the boy, at least not physically. "That is where you are wrong my Prince." The man turned towards Adam, and the others present, as he spoke more. Not being able to stay in one spot as he spoke, the man started to pace back and forth behind Alexei. "You have been attacked like that countless times since the first. The attacks have escalated until they included the physical degradation of your person. They urinated on him, they defecated upon his bed, not to mention brutal beatings and even rapes. Yet, never once have you given in to their demands. Never once have you agreed to keep your silence. You have fought them harder than I believe any grown man could have. You are TSAR... and you have never forgotten that! Nor have you EVER disgraced your great-grandfather's memory!"
"I only wish I could believe that," Alexei said softly, and Sergei let out an explosive breath. It was obvious this was an argument they had had several times.
Adam knew, though, that he had to move this conversation along, without extending the argument. "What is it exactly that my people can do for you, Alexei?"
Before Alexei could respond, the Naval Officer that was in the room spoke up. "Sirs... Please be informed that Operation Rebirth was a complete success."
Adam was lost, but the feral grin on Alexei's face really made him wonder. "What is Operation Rebirth?" Janet asked, being the one who was able to speak first.
Alexei looked at her with a broad grin. "I will have to make the announcement this evening that Premier Bartnev has unfortunately been involved in a fatal car accident. It is a tragic shame really. However, I do believe I am now old enough to take the reins of leadership fully."
After letting the stunned silence settle in for a few moments, Alexei looked towards Adam again. "This is where I will need your assistance. When I make the public announcement, all those people who were loyal to Premier Bartnev will try and stop what it is that I am going to try and put into place. They will try everything in their power to stop the changes I want to make, because it will take away their almost unbridled power. These people, the ones that follow and work for Bartnev, can do pretty much whatever they want to, and get away with it. That will change and they will not like it."
Pausing to take a breath and to make sure that everyone was following what he was saying, Alexei looked around the room. Seeing that he had everyone's undivided attention, and no one seemed lost, he continued, "There are only two ways for them to retain the power they have. The first is to turn public support against me. I may be the Tsar, but if the people themselves turn against me, there is not much I can do. I would be a Tsar without any power, because the people would not trust me. The second way would be for them to eliminate me. It would be messy for a time, but in the end, they would emerge with almost total power."
After another brief pause, Alexei looked Adam in the eye as he brought his speech to an end. "They will try the first way, as it is easiest for them... but make no mistake, the second way will be attempted and quickly, I believe."
Adam nodded for a few moments, allowing everything he had heard to come together in his mind. Finally he spoke up. "Then I believe it is time for me and my people to get to work. However, there is one last thing I would like for you to do." He paused as he looked over to Logan and nodded.
Logan very slowly and carefully, so as to not make anyone nervous, reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Setting it down on the table and opening the box up, Logan began to speak. "I am sure you are aware of the fact that the Clan has access to technology that you cannot find on Earth. Normally we do not give it out to anyone, but in this case, we are making an exception." Logan lifted out of the box a pendant, hanging from a silver chain, that had the UNIT crest emblazoned on the front.
"This one is a standard one that has the UNIT symbol on it. However, if you wish, we can have one made with your family crest on it," Logan said as he handed Alexei the pendent.
"What does it do?" Alexei asked as he took it and looked at it closely.
"Well... the first thing is, it acts as a locator beacon. Wearing this, we will always know where you are, as well as we will always be able to communicate to you, and you with us." Alexei nodded as he put the pendant on and secured it behind his neck.
"As far as what else it can do," Logan said with a smile, "Well, it's a very advanced personal shield."
Alexei's eyebrows raised up as he ran his fingers over the pendant that now hung from his chest. "This is amazing, I cannot even tell I am wearing a shield. What must I do to activate it?"
"It's always activated; however, it does not actually place the shield up until it needs to be," Logan explained.
"How is that possible?" Sergei asked with concern. "If someone were to try and shoot Alexei, how can the shield stop that if it is not active?"
"Well, I don't think you guys want me to get into the technical details, but if you guys would like, I am sure we can have a demonstration," Logan said with a grin towards Adam.
"Oh hell... I hate it when we do this," Adam said with a groan, as he rose from his chair and moved to stand against the wall.
"What are you going to do?" Alexei asked with a great deal of concern, while Adam made a show of pulling out his own pendant.
"Nothing much..." Logan chuckled as he suddenly pulled his gun, and in one fluid move, aimed and shot Adam in the chest. Before their very eyes, they saw a flash where the bullet hit Adam, and then nothing.
Adam started to rub his chest, but he opened up his uniform, and showed everyone that there was nothing there but a red mark. "Now, you must understand," Logan said, bringing all eyes back to him, "while the shield will prevent the bullet from hitting you, it will act like a bullet-proof vest, meaning that you will get a bruise, and, depending on the size of the bullet, it may throw you off your feet, or even break a rib or two. But in the end... it will stop the bullet."
"Now, there is one final bit of information for you before the shield will actually become active on you. On the front of the pendant is a small raised section in the middle of the Unit crest. In order for the pendant to be activated, you must place the pendant against bare skin and press that button. What will happen then, is a group of pico-bots will actually enter your body and create the link between you and the shield. That way the shield won't become active when you don't want it."
"Will it hurt and will it do anything else?" Alexei asked, trying not to let his fear be known.
"You will not feel a thing, and it won't do anything other than what I told you it will do." Logan said in a comforting voice.
With a sigh, Alexei pressed the pendant against the skin of his chest and pressed the little button on the crest. After a second, when nothing noticeable happened, he looked at Logan questioningly. Logan pulled out his tricorder and ran it over Alexei, then smiled and nodded. Alexei let out a deep sigh and sat back in his chair.
Adam spoke up at that point, still rubbing his chest a little. "I think there's a lot we must see to, so if you will excuse us we'll get to work. My mother and the other doctors would like to look you over, Alexei, if you will allow it. For now, just relax and let us take care of things. I'm sure events will start getting a bit more intense shortly."
Everyone stood, but before anyone could move, Logan spoke up. This surprised Adam, because so far everything that had been said was pretty much scripted, meaning Adam knew who was going to say what, but Logan talking now was not part of it.
"Alexei Mikhailovich Romanov..." Logan started off very formally, which caused everyone in the room to stop moving and focus on Logan. Alexei looked curiously at Logan, wondering what was going to happen next, as Logan moved over closer to the younger boy. "I am Logan Hayes, Commanding Officer of the Clan Short Special Forces Division's Intelligence Branch. But more importantly, I am simply a member of Clan Short of Vulcan. Just over a week ago, people I never knew came up to me, embraced me, and called me brother. At the time, I figured they were just using the term to mean 'brother in arms' or something similar. However, I was quickly informed that when a Clan member extends the bond of brotherhood to another individual, that automatically makes the individual a member of Family Clan Short." Logan paused, knowing this next part was going to turn everything on its ear and wondering just who would be the first to catch onto exactly what he was about to do.
"Alexei Romanov, I am here to swear my oath of brotherhood to you... if you would accept it." Logan did not extend his hand for a shake; instead he opened his arms wide, inviting the younger boy in for a hug. From behind him, he heard his mother gasp at his words and softly mutter 'Oh shit!' Deep down, Logan was proud that it was his mother who understood the full implications of what he had just done.
Roland did it again. The UNIT is on the move, to Russia and adopting another brother. I can just see what is coming. I am now bracing myself for the emotional ride that is sure to follow. They not only adopted a brother, they just adopted a country. Way to go Logan!! I have a feeling that we are not going to like what we find when they start to discover exactly what has been done to the people of this country.
Lady Cynaira
Ditto!!! Awesome chapter Roland. I really can't wait to see what is in store for this story. What a great thing Adam and the UNIT are doing!!!
Your friendly neighborhood editing puppy!