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Loose Threads
Eighty Eight
Joyce gave Iain a quick kiss and stepped back to take Canaan’s hand. “You will be there on time, right?”
Iain gave her an amused smile. “I will be there before 1730. I’m supposed to roll out the cake for Myrna and Saoirse so they can blow out the candles.” His smile turned mischievous. “If they can.”
Joyce’s ears flicked. “What did you do?”
He grinned back at her. “I am the only person they can’t read and this is going to be a surprise, so you’ll have to find out when they do. No meeting or anything else will keep me from Melanie’s restaurant so I can see the fun.”
“He won’t even tell me,” Canaan grumped. “And I hate not knowing.”
“Do you think I don’t want to be there,” Iain asked. “Since I’m not going to be there, my schedule hasn’t changed and I get to spend part of the day training with the goblins under April’s tutelage before Lucifer’s and my video conference call. I’d much rather be playing with balloons, children and toys.” He shook his head. “And someone had better get pictures of Audrey being made up as a clown. I never liked clowns, but I will be able to blackmail her for years with those photos.”
“I’m videoing everything and Theodora sees all too. So you’ll have plenty of blackmail footage,” Joyce assured him. “My girls have already started demanding their own birthday party when they turn four and I want to see what worked and what didn’t.”
“You’re going to be a party planner now?”
She smirked. “Making wine is kind of a natural lead into planning parties where people drink the wine and such and this will get us more exposure. If I’m going to compete for you in wine competitions, I need to start making my name and the name of our vintages in the community or the judges will never vote for us no matter how good our wines are.” Her smirk became a smile. “And if I can provide a useful service for my sisters by planning their kid’s parties for them and freeing up their time, it won’t hurt my status in the harem.”
Canaan made a disgusted noise. “Even my girls want a party now. And I mean now, not in nearly three years when they turn four. They were not happy to learn they have to wait.”
“Vanessa was right when she said that before age four the parties were for the parents and not the kids,” Joyce said firmly. She shook her head. “I think the worst is going to be in a decade when Olivia and Seraphina turn sixteen. That’s the legal transition between pokekit and pokegirl and fits right in with the local traditions of the quinceañera and sweet sixteen marking the transition between a girl and a young woman.” She looked at Iain. “Have you considered that yet?”
“I am suddenly glad I can mine the asteroid belt for gold,” he muttered. “Between that, the parties before they turn sixteen and their weddings, I’m going to need all the money I can get my hands on.” He waved a hand in surrender. “We’ll talk about it later. You and the kids escape and be free before April shows up and decides you should stay too.”
Joyce automatically checked the small bag hanging from her wrist for the pokeballs of their daughters. “See you soon.” Canaan winked and they vanished.
“They’ll be fine,” Ganieda said. “Vanessa’s already there with her girls and they’ll help with the other kids as they and their mothers filter in over the day. But I still think Melanie volunteered to do this because she hopes the kids will trash her furniture and she can replace it all.”
“That’s odd since I already approved her getting new furniture,” Iain noted as they headed for the training grounds. “She’s taking delivery in two weeks.”
“She volunteered,” Heather stated heatedly, “because she’s finally joined the family thanks to coming back here for training instead of living in isolation in Austin.”
“You’re right that leaving her there was a mistake, but we have since rectified it,” Iain noted mildly. “Simmer down, Elfqueen.”
“What she’s doing for the kids is wonderful and I, for one, am glad she’s doing it.” Heather said. “Someday she’ll do it for our children too.”
“Heather, you don’t have to wait,” Ganieda said.
“Dianthus wants children and I want her to go first,” Heather replied. “If she waits, she might change her mind again. I’m fine. My mind about that isn’t going to change.”
Iain frowned. “Dianthus wants kids?”
Heather blinked. “Um, you didn’t hear that. It’s covered under privacy.”
Iain nodded. “Very well, I didn’t hear that. Just try not to violate her privacy again where I can’t hear it.”
“I’ll be more careful.”
“Please do.”
***
“Why am I here again?”
Lucifer smiled and kissed his cheek. “Do you despise my presence so much, Iain?”
He gave her an annoyed look. “You know better than that.” He sighed and leaned back in his chair.
Lucifer chuckled. “I want to be in Austin too, but your presence was requested for this meeting when it was scheduled four months ago.”
“Humans and not wanting to deal with pokegirls in positions of power,” Iain muttered with a growl. “Did the girls go on ahead?”
“Haley did. Miriam is grounded until this afternoon. Olivia and Seraphina volunteered to stay with her while we’re here, but Haley wanted to go on ahead to the party with Silver.”
Iain blinked. “Grounded? Miriam?”
Lucifer nodded. “She struck Sofia without cause and refused to apologize. I spanked her and grounded her from anything fun for a week. Myrna asked if she could still go to the birthday party today and I said that she could come to the party, but not the entertainment before and that she’d be grounded for an extra day in compensation.”
“You’re talking about Miriam, our daughter, right? A completely non-stereotypical redheaded quiet child who never does much of anything?”
“I know how out of character it is, Iain. Unfortunately, I have no idea why she did it.”
Iain shook his head. “I know pokegirls can be precocious, but do they go through significant hormonal changes at the age of five?”
“She is not going through puberty.” Lucifer cocked her head. “And here is the call from Mr. Sabater of the Gothic League.”
Iain sighed and composed his face as the hologram appeared on the other side of the table. Manuel Alejandro Sabater Diego was their contact with the Gothic League regarding the vaccination program in Morocco. Iain wasn’t sure exactly what his place was in the Gothic League but knew that Sabater was a mid to high level civil servant somewhere in the Ministry of the Interior. Sabater smiled at them both. “Mr. Grey, Lucifer.” He glanced around the room. “This does not look like your office at Prometheus.”
“It isn’t, Senor Sabater,” Lucifer said. “The call has been routed to our home. While we normally don’t do business here, we have something we have to attend this evening and time constraints meant that traveling between here and my office was impractical.” It was impractical because it was after office hours and Lucifer wasn’t going to the office unless it was a dire emergency.
Sabater smiled. “I will try not to take up too much of your time then,” he said pleasantly.
“Thank you. Now you wanted to discuss something about the vaccination program, did you not?”
“Yes, I was calling about,” his image vanished.
“Call terminated from the Gothic League side,” Theodora said. “Someone I don’t know has emerged from teleport near the house.” There was a loud explosion outside and the building shook slightly. “She just blew herself up.” Her eyes went wide. “Fissionable material detected at the explosion site. Lockdown in progress.”
Iain’s head exploded in agony and he dropped to the floor, writhing.
***
Ninhursag ran her hand through her hair to push it back from her face and looked at April. “We should just have time for a shower before we have to go to Austin.”
The Duelist shrugged. “That depends on how long Lucifer’s conference call takes. My girls are excited to go, but they understood we’d be getting there later and I’m sure they’re having a good time with Kasumi and Marguerite.”
Theodora appeared. “Phase and teleportation blocks have been raised across the property, Ninhursag. Kasumi is moving all of the children here onto the Theodora and they are all safe. A pokegirl teleported in and blew herself up outside the Sabine House. There was fissionable material in the explosive she was carrying and I believe she brought us a nuclear bomb that the damper prevented from reaching criticality when she detonated it.” Her face went still. “Iain is incapacitated. A nuclear detonation has been detected in Austin. I am detecting multiple nuclear detonations across the planet.”
Ninhursag was staring at her. “Austin? What about our people at Melanie’s?”
“The restaurant was within the thermal blast effect of the device,” Theodora’s voice was grim. “Iain has recovered and has assumed command.” She shook her head. “The area around Melanie’s is fully engulfed, Ninhursag. I’ve got firefighting equipment on the way and as soon as I can I’ll release the teleport block, but I can’t chance them trying another suicide bomber here. I’ve got a shuttle inbound. Its ETA is seven minutes. The goblins and your court are assembling at the barbecue area. You can make it if you run or fly.”
Ninhursag and April were already in motion.
***
Iain forced the pain into the place he put such things just like he’d been taught during his survival training and looked around slowly as Lucifer propped him up against her. “Theodora. Talk to me.” Below his subconsciousness, data slid through his twee and into his mind for later access, but right now he needed to talk to the living lest his fury and grief over the dead sweep him away.
“There was a nuclear detonation at Austin and Melanie’s was within the thermal blast radius,” Theodora’s voice was flat as Iain closed his eyes in pain. “The area is fully engulfed. Firefighting craft are inbound. I have more than enough for Austin, but I thought you’d want me to use them at the other sites.” He opened his eyes and looked at her again. “Attempts were made here, in Shield, in Thistle and at Kerrik’s home. All failed due to the prepositioned nuclear damping field generators we emplaced as soon as we could. The damper at the Barton Springs House was too far away to stop the detonation in Austin. We never thought to cover Melanie’s restaurant.”
“Where else?” It was Lucifer.
“Dublin, Ireland. Edinburgh, Scotland. Covenant, Kingdom of Haven. Tel Aviv, Israel. Tokyo, Nippon. It was a coordinated almost simultaneous attack on us, our presumed allies and the major rebel governments. The Elves and goblins will be loading onto shuttles to head to Austin to search for survivors. More shuttles are inbound for Shield and Sisterhood forces.” Her face was grim. “The fires in Austin have become a firestorm. Firefighting craft are two minutes out.”
Iain’s eyes blazed angrily. “I still have a delta bond from Vanessa, but nobody else, and nobody’s twee are responding.” He glanced at Lucifer as he continued speaking. She nodded once. “Can we help at all at any of the detonation sites?”
“I have firefighting vessels available to stop most of the fires immediately.”
“Inform the various governments that Prometheus and Grey are going to put out the initial fires. Rescue personnel will be shuttled in as they become available. They will coordinate with but not be under the command of local forces. Send someone to see if Lorena is still alive and evacuate the survivors to here.”
“None of the devices were over ten kilotons. The dairy was untouched.”
“She’s the President of Texas. She’s a viable target and I’m a Ranger. Fetch her. If she gives you any problems I’ll get her myself and inform her that if I have to she won’t enjoy it at all. How is Yuko?”
“The detonation was far from our home but it triggered a series of minor earthquakes across the entirety of Tokyo that have damaged our home. Yuko is unhurt but very angry at the damage.” Theodora gasped softly. “I have a message from the President of the Planetary League Council. All of the rebel governments are being informed that this was a demonstration of the power and resolve of the PLC and the rest of the world and that the rebels have a week to surrender and lay down their arms. You and Lucifer are to be taken into custody and held for the proper authorities.”
Daya appeared. “I recommend activating Oxbow.”
Iain looked at her. “Do we have the assets for it?”
“We do. I finished all of the needed assets for Oxbow while I was away with you and Mielikki. We are ready to deploy Oxbow planet wide.”
He took a deep breath. “Preposition the assets for Oxbow but you are not authorized for release.”
“We need to punish them,” Daya’s voice was angry. “They murdered clan, Iain. They just murdered our women and children.”
Iain whipped around, his eyes blazing. “Enough.” Daya visibly recoiled from his fury. “There will be a reckoning with the leagues and anyone else who was involved with what happened today, but right now at least Vanessa, Myrna and Saoirse are still alive. If I order you to act now and randomly strike out at various targets, I am no better than Scott was when he destroyed civilization.” He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. “First we account for the living. Then we take revenge for our dead, lest we kill more of our survivors in our quest. We are too few already. Now follow my orders like you swore to.”
Daya came to attention. “As the Grey commands.” She cocked her head. “But there will be revenge?”
“Oh, yes, there will be.” He smiled coldly. “Lucifer and Pandora won’t let me cross certain lines, but you can rest assured that I will dance on the very edge of them before we are done with the people behind this.” He looked thoughtfully at Lucifer, who was calmly watching him. “Theodora, the damper field generator is operational here and in Shield and Thistle, right?”
“Yes. All neutron production, either fast or slow, is absorbed by the field. No large scale fission reactions will take place as long as the fields are up. That means no fission weapons will reach criticality, even if their geometry should cause it. And since all of the Terran fusion weapons are fission weapons that are boosted to fusion during the initial fission reaction, they won’t work either.”
Iain nodded. “We need our mobility more than we need to worry about invaders. You and Daya are weapons free on all clan defensive equipment. Drop the phase and teleport blocks here, in Thistle and in Shield so we can react faster. Lucifer will take me to the CIC before she heads to Shield to take command of the Sisterhood. I’m safe from suicide bombers there since they can’t bring nukes and nobody but clan has been in there.”
“Blocks are down,” Theodora announced.
Lucifer grabbed his arm and they vanished to appear in the Command Information Center. “I will check on the children before I go to Shield. We’ll be waiting to go to Austin.” She gave him a quick kiss and disappeared again.
Iain looked over the room with all of the workstation setups and equipment. “Bring all systems live since a lot of the people who should be here to do it are dead now.” Pandora appeared with Heather and Scheherazade. A second later Zareen and Lynn joined them. “Zareen, go get Kozakura and Nejiko and bring them here.” Ganieda appeared as Zareen teleported away and he glanced at her. “Bring Yuko home and give her to Kasumi.” The Snugglebunny Splice nodded and vanished. “Pandora, bring Kasserine and Ava home from Kerrik’s.”
“I’m on it. Don’t go anywhere.” She teleported.
Iain reached out with his twee to Kerrik. We are aware of what happened in Haven. Firefighting equipment is inbound from orbit to put out the heaviest fires. Pandora should have arrived for Kasserine and Ava.
I don’t have access to Selene’s IFF systems, Kerrik sounded more than a little pissed. Shikarou locked me out of the command net. I’m pretty sure Selene is on a war footing right now, so divert your tankers elsewhere. I’ll deal with the fires as soon as I get to Covenant. Thank you for hiding a nuclear damper under my property. I presume you had Cassiopeia’s permission to put it in place and that’s why I only have a radiological spill to clean up instead of mopping up the remains of my mother, sister, harem and court.
Zareen appeared with Kozakura and Nejiko. “Iain busy. Wait. Talk soon.” She turned and moved to stand behind him as they watched patiently.
We did. Cass didn’t want you to forbid it so she decided not to tell you. Iain hesitated for a second. We also put one in Covenant, but Selene found it and Shikarou demanded we turn it over to him. I guess he turned it off.
I’ll let Magdalene know you tried to save their lives. Now I’m busy.
Iain turned to Kozakura and Neijiko. “I need to formally tell you this even if you already know. A short time ago a series of nuclear weapons were used against the enemies of the leagues. That included Haven, with a bomb being set off in Covenant. I have firefighting equipment on the way but Selene is in war mode and I’d like to ask Kozakura to tell her to give us the IFF codes or to authorize just the tankers so we can help.” He squared his shoulders. “Kozakura, Shikarou’s twee has not been active since the detonation.” Her ears went flat. “That makes you regent until he’s found.” Her face paled. “As the Grey, I am officially offering all the aid we can give you that you’re willing to accept.”
“Selene,” her voice broke for an instant, “Selene confirms your words, Iain-san. She is sending the IFF codes to Theodora and, on behalf of my kingdom and my father, I ask for all the help you can give. His twee is not the only one that is silent and not all of them will have survived.”
“We’ll do what we can. I’m releasing you to go home, Kozakura.” Iain smiled slightly. “Understand that you and Nejiko still owe me three months of living here and being clan.” Her eyebrows rose. “So when you need a vacation from the shitstorm you’re about to step into, remember that and let me know so I can order you back here.”
She cocked her head. “Are we friends, Iain-san?”
“I think we are. Do you?”
She nodded slowly. “I do. I have not had many friends before coming here and I will miss the ones that I will not see after this morning. You have my condolences for what you are going to discover.”
“I already know most of it. And I’m sorry for your losses, whatever they turn out to be.” He looked at the Phoenix. “And for your losses as well, Nejiko.”
“Thank you, sir.” She turned to Kozakura. “Your Highness?”
Kozakura took her hand. “Will you please have our possessions shipped to us?”
“I will. Be well, you two.”
“You as well,” Kozakura said. “Nejiko.” They vanished.
“I have contacted the Irish, Nipponese and Israeli governments and they welcome the firefighting transports and any other assistance we can provide,” Theodora said. “I have not been able to contact a representative of Her Majesty’s government in Edinburgh.”
“Try to reach someone in Glasgow instead. It’s set up as a secondary site if the government in Edinburgh falls. That’s why Zara lives there.” He shook his head. “No, just see if Zara has her pokedex near her.”
“Authorization to snoop?”
“Given.”
“Her pokedex is in her possession. It is currently not in use.”
“Override and let me talk to her.” Zara’s surprised face appeared in front of him. “Zara, I’m sorry for rudely overriding your com protocols and privacy, but Edinburgh has been hit with a nuclear bomb, probably from a suiciding pokegirl delivery via teleport. There have been others around the world in the renegade countries. I have tankers coming in from space that are set up for firefighting and they’ll put out the majority of the fires in Edinburgh in a few minutes. This was a coordinated attack from the Planetary League Council. They admitted as to doing this in a video you should already have.”
Her face set. “Since you have given me a great deal of information in those few sentences that we desperately need, your rudeness is forgiven, Iain. Do you know if my mother is still alive?”
“I do not, but we can’t contact anyone from the government in Edinburgh. With your permission, as they get freed up, I’ll send Sisterhood troops to help with rescue operations.”
“Any help will be welcome. Have them call my adjutant and he’ll get them settled.”
Iain nodded. “I have some plans to punish the leagues. I’ll be in touch later to brief you and get your input before I go operational.”
“Thank you, Iain.” She looked to the right, at something outside the pickup range of the camera. “I must go.” The call ended.
Ganieda appeared. “Yuko is with Kasumi, who hopefully will be calming her down.” She smiled. “Part of the house collapsed during the earthquake and, according to Yuko’s yelling, she was paying a premium for it to be earthquake resistant.”
Iain nodded. “I remember the extra charges and the promises that were made. Someone just might get skinned over that one. If that’s the game the contractors are going to play, we may have to rebuild it to make sure it’s done right.”
Pandora returned. “Kasserine and Ava are with Kasumi and the children.”
Heather looked around with a frown. “Where is Dianthus?”
“Dianthus was reviewing the security situation in Austin at Melanie’s restaurant before Iain went there,” Theodora said.
Heather winced. “Oh.”
“President Robinson and her family are on the shuttle and headed for the ranch,” Theodora announced. “I’ll put them with Kasserine, Ava and the others.”
“Thank you.” Iain looked around. “Now we wait. I’m stuck here until things settle down, but I should be safe here. Anyone who wants to be released to go help can go now.” Nobody moved and he nodded. “Thank you for staying. You should be out there, but I don’t want to be alone any more alone than I have to.”
“Our clan is under attack,” Pandora said. “Our place is with you. Heather, let’s have some tea and some snacks while we wait.”
***
The freighter slammed into the atmosphere at such a steep descent angle and high speed that plasma billowed for kilometers behind it as it punched deeper into the thickening air and the shockwave from its passage would have been lethal to anything around it. Only its shields kept it from being destroyed by the reentry. It deliberately let the atmosphere slow its velocity from reentry speeds down through high hypersonic to hypersonic before it plunged into the highest layer of clouds. Active sensors mapped Austin and the shuttle oriented towards the center of the firestorm raging below. As it slowed to a hover five hundred meters above the ground, its shields snapped off to reconfigure before reactivating, this time in a shallow hemisphere eight kilometers across but only six hundred meters high. Now it was too weak to stop weapon fire or micrometeorites, but it was still sufficiently powerful to prevent the molecular motion of gasses and liquids across the shield’s boundaries.
The freighter was heavily armored, but that was more to contain the thousand atmospheres of pressure it currently held instead of stopping enemy fire. Now the rear of the freighter snapped open and the roughly fifteen thousand PSI liquid nitrogen exploded out of the stern hard enough to shove the freighter forward until its engines surged to compensate for the thrust.
Before being ejected, the nitrogen had been heated to -100C, which was well above its boiling point and it quickly vaporized, vanishing long before any liquid touched the flames roaring below. This drove the concentration of nitrogen in the atmosphere within the shield significantly upwards, so much so that the proportional concentration of oxygen in the air under the shield dropped to right around ten percent. This was too low to sustain combustion and the fires inside the dome died.
The shuttle kept the shield in place for three minutes before dropping the shield, reconfiguring it for normal operation and activating it as the craft accelerated for the sky and a new load of liquid nitrogen for delivery. As it vanished into the clouds, a second shuttle slid into place to watch for any reignition points. There were only a few, and they were quickly dealt with by spraying them with liquid nitrogen.
Then the Sisterhood shuttles landed and rescue personnel, led by psychic and magical trackers sensing for signs of life, spread out to begin rescue operations. The firefighting technique had been designed so that anyone caught within the fire would find it hard to breathe for the three minutes but shouldn’t die from a lack of oxygen and so there were still many people needing rescue. Around the world, similar scenes were unfolding at the various nuclear blast sites, even if the Sisterhood forces were still several minutes away from most of them.
***
Theodora appeared. “Vanessa, Myrna and Saoirse have been rescued and are in medical here at the ranch.”
“Good.” Iain knew the answer to the next question, but it had to be asked. “Did they find anyone else?”
Theodora shook her head. “All three of them are pretty badly hurt but Vanessa’s twee confirmed my records that they’re the only survivors from the clan who was in Austin. Nobody escaped, either. And the temperatures were so high all of the bodies will be entirely cremated or vaporized, so we won’t recover any of our fallen. Do you want the list of the dead?”
Iain took a deep, shuddering breath and let it out slowly. “No. Not now. I have to stay functional until this is seen through to the bitter end.” He looked at Pandora. “You and Lucifer are going to have your work cut out for you keeping me from doing what you’ll say is overreacting and Lucifer may want to help me instead so you may be on your own.”
Pandora looked shocked. “Why on earth would she do that? She’s a Celestial.”
“Eve was at Melanie’s restaurant.”
Pandora paled. “Oh, no.”
“Eve had become Melanie’s pet project, you see. She felt that anyone could learn to cook and was determined to prove she was right by teaching Eve how to cook, so she roped Eve into helping with the cake and other sweets.”
“As we planned in a situation like this, I have contacted Belldandy and her sisters and they are mobilizing the Alliance,” Theodora announced. “I’m sending rescue shuttles to their base and coordinating between them and Lucifer on where to send people.”
Iain shook his head. “I need to get out of here and do something before I go crazy.”
“Your place is here,” Heather stated. “If the leagues attack again, the clan must survive.”
“All of the assault troopships, I mean rescue shuttles are fitted with dampers,” Theodora said. “I will lose no one else if I can prevent it.”
Iain dropped into a chair. “It’s frustrating. My family is out there in harm’s way and they figured out how to keep me out of the fighting by nailing my feet to the floor here.” He sighed. “Let me see the video where some idiot takes responsibility for murdering us and thinks we’re not going to do something in retaliation.”
Pandora placed a gentle hand on his shoulder and patted it reassuringly. “Iain, don’t do anything hasty.”
He reached up and squeezed her hand gently. “You may rest assured that nothing I will do regarding what those cocksuckers did will be hasty. I will carefully plan out my actions for maximum result with minimum effort and minimum risk.”
Her hand tightened on his shoulder. “Iain, please.”
“If it helps, and it probably won’t, the primary plan we will be using was gamed out a couple of years ago, so that won’t be hasty at all. Allison actually came up with the idea and presented the concept to the command staff. We refined it and I intend to use one of the variations to pay back the people involved.”
“Ninhursag and Lucifer signed off on it?”
“I still can’t successfully lie to you and yes, they did, along with Allison, Silver, April, Theodora and Daya.”
She smiled bitterly. “I can’t trust April’s opinion. Sometimes she’s even more bloodthirsty than you are.”
“No,” Zareen snapped. “Iain not bloodthirsty. Ever.”
Pandora’s eyes narrowed. “And how would you describe some of his worst behavior?”
Zareen’s golden eyes flashed. “Protective. Logical. Necessary.” She glared at the Archangel. “Iain work hard not enjoy what he do. Not bloodthirsty.” She put herself between Iain and Pandora, shoving the Archangel backwards. “League kill all if can. Not stop. Ever.” She poked Pandora in the chest. “You, me, harem, we fight. Win every battle. Not matter. No battle stop leagues. Iain, Command Staff fight war. Only war matter. If let, win war. You no interfere. You try, I stop.”
“We started this,” Pandora snapped.
“How,” Iain asked quietly, “by moving to Texas? By building a ranch and a home here? Indigo and the other surrounding leagues would already have been at war with Texas, if they’d even bothered to recognize Texas as being a political entity. Instead, to them it was just more rebel land that needed pacified when they got around to it. They certainly were attacking Texans whenever they felt like it.”
“We killed a bunch of people when we built the Louisiana Canal.”
“We did kill some people,” Iain admitted. “And we built the canal because Indigo had plans to invade and kill or enslave us all. We didn’t act first. We certainly didn’t nuke anybody. They nuked us. I will admit that I intend to do something rather decisive, but I am not doing it preemptively. I’ll also admit that if I had known what they were going to do to Austin, I would have struck first. I lost wives, women and children in Austin. You lost sisters and children. If they’d waited until this evening, they could have killed almost all of us. And the fact that they sent a suicide bomber carrying a nuclear weapon here too shows that was what they planned to do. I will not let them have another opportunity.”
“We don’t know who sent them,” Pandora’s voice was softer.
“According to Theodora, there’s a video I want to watch where someone admits that all of the leagues worked together to attack us. The fact that this was a worldwide simultaneous assault on all of the so called rebel nations and their suppliers suggests this idea may have some merit.”
“We can’t punish them all,” Pandora said.
“Yes, we can,” Theodora’s words drew everyone else’s attention. “The operation is code named Oxbow and it was deliberately designed to be able to reach all of the leagues on the Earth if necessary. It was not expected that we would have to defend ourselves from all of them at once, but the capability in the project was there and Daya and I decided to build to it so we could deal with more than one league at the same time if it became an issue.” She smiled sadly. “It turns out to be necessary after all.”
“How many of us died in Austin,” Ganieda asked suddenly.
Theodora looked at Iain, who sighed and nodded reluctantly. “We lost twenty two clan members. Fourteen of them were adults and eight were children. Of the adults, all but one was harem. We also lost six civilian personnel who worked at the restaurant since Melanie had pulled in both shifts to help with the birthday party. Also dead is Tom, the husband of Audrey, who had been invited to the party.”
Several people gasped at the news. “Who wasn’t harem,” Heather asked curiously.
“Undine Chambers had gone ahead of the rest of her sept with Jessica and Michael,” Theodora replied. “Monica and the others were to join them in an hour.”
“Before anyone says anything consoling or commiserating,” Iain’s quiet voice cut through the sudden silence, “I am holding myself together through force of will, and that’s pretty much it. I will grieve later, so I don’t want to hear it right now. We have to focus on the survivors, then on making sure this can’t happen again and only then on our dead.” He looked up at Pandora. “And I need you to stop trying to interfere and instead help me.”
Pandora colored slightly at the rebuke. “How?”
“We, or if you prefer, I am going to kill a whole bunch of people in the near future. I won’t stop that plan and you can’t. But I realize that if I’m allowed to, I won’t stop at all. There’s a huge ball of emptiness inside me right now and I’d like nothing more than to kill and kill to try and fill it with something. Intellectually I know that nothing will fill it or make it go away, but emotionally I just want the pain to stop and I don’t care what I might do to others in an attempt to make it even a little less. I need you and the others to help me to see where I should stay my wrath but telling me that I can’t do anything to anyone isn’t going to even slow me down. You keep doing that and I will just stop listening to you at all.”
Pandora cocked her head. “What gave you the right to decide who lives and who dies?”
“Nothing gave me that right. I took that right for myself because I can.”
“What are you going to use for target selection besides your anger?”
“Most of the targets were selected when we approved Oxbow.” Pandora looked surprised. “We realized that doing it while we could be rational about what we intended was probably for the best. We gave target selection criteria to Theodora and later Daya and let them set up the target list. Then we reviewed it. Once a year we review it again and approve any changes that Daya and Theodora want. We also knew that during deployment, things could change and those targets we get to select based on what we feel the threat level is. Those are the ones I’m talking about you helping with.”
“Are you giving me veto power over your selections?”
“No. I’m offering to let you advise me, nothing more. The final decision will always be mine.”
Pandora nodded. “At least you’re consistent about how much power you’re willing to share. I will advise you to the best of my ability.”
Iain looked around the room. “Pandora, put one guard at the door and stand everyone else down. In the unlikely event I’m attacked here, Theodora will roast them before they finish teleporting into the room.”
“Heather, post. Lynn will be your trainee while you’re on watch. Everyone else, relax.” Pandora sat down next to him. “Now what?”
“We watch a message and put a face on our enemy. Theodora, if you would please.”
The man whose bust appeared floating in the middle of the table was probably in his early thirties and fit, with intent dark eyes and close-cropped brown hair worn in a flat top. He was wearing a dark blue suit whose expensive fibers glittered in the light as he looked impassively at them while speaking in English with a heavy Greek accent. “I am Kriton Mitsotakis, and I am the President of the Planetary League Council. We, the leagues, have grown tired of your rebellions and, after a unanimous vote, we have decided that it is time to remind you that we command forces that you can never successfully resist. Today’s demonstration nuclear strikes were to remind you that we control the world’s nuclear arsenals and that we can destroy you whenever we desire. You have ten days to lay down your arms and surrender unconditionally to the closest league representatives or you will face more consequences for your rebellion. Additionally, the so-called Grey Clan and the Sisterhood of the Thorn are both declared outlaw in all lands and Iain Grey and the Megami Sama pokegirl called Lucifer are to be apprehended immediately and held for trial along with anyone else associated with either organization.” His eyes swept the room. “These conditions are not negotiable and there will be no further communications between the leagues and the rebels until the rebels transmit their unconditional surrenders. You have ten days before you will have to face our wrath.” The message ended.
“The message had additional language tracks translating Mitsotakis’ words into Nipponese, Hebrew, Irish and Scottish Gaelic in addition to the English we heard,” Theodora said.
“Who is that man,” Heather hissed softly.
“Kriton Mitsotakis was the president of the Hellenic League before ascending to the presidency of the PLC six months ago,” Theodora informed her. “The Hellenic League occupies the land taken up by the former countries of Greece, Crete and the portions of Turkey north of but not including the city of Istanbul. Istanbul is the capital of the Byzantine League, which is the league Israel is supposed to be part of.”
Scheherazade’s ears were flat and her voice an angry snarl. “Unanimous? Those fucking bastards were unanimous in murdering our people? We should punish them all.”
“Theodora,” Iain said quietly, “set up a meeting with Kerrik and the government of Haven in two days. I would prefer it be a face to face but it isn’t critical. However, the meeting is. At that point we’ll brief them on Oxbow and ask if they want in.”
“What about Nippon, Israel, the British and the Irish?”
“Once we’ve made the decisions for the clans and for Haven, we’ll try to meet with them and explain what’s going to happen during Oxbow so they’re forewarned. They can’t really aid us with it, but they can be ready to consolidate their positions after the preliminary stage is complete.”
“The meeting is set for 0930, Iain,” Theodora said. “It is to be in Haven.”
“We’re going by shuttle,” Iain got to his feet. “And it will have a damper in it. We gave them one and they didn’t use it and we’re not going to take a chance again, not until the leagues get the message that’s a really bad idea to use nuclear weapons.”
Lynn’s ears flicked. “What if they want to use them to hunt menace pokegirls? Kerrik did.”
“They lost that right when they used them as tools of terror,” Iain rubbed his eyes. “On top of that, all of the attacks that took place today were ground bursts and we’ll be cleaning up the radioactive fallout from them for decades and monitoring everything for longer than that.” He got to his feet. “Theodora, build a dojo onto the CIC. I’m restless as fuck and trying to hit someone like Pandora or Scheherazade would help me to release the stress I’ve got without me leaving the CIC. But since it hasn’t been built yet, we’re moving to where everyone else is. They need explanations and we all need some time together.”
“Understood, Iain. Go spend time with our family. Daya and I will monitor and keep you in the loop.” She watched everyone file out of the room. “I wish I could hold you too,” she whispered. “Soon, I swear,” Then she vanished as the displays shut down.
***
Iain was in motion as soon as the door shut behind Nejiko. He bowed to Kozakura. “I’m sorry about what happened.”
She bowed back. “May I have one of your hugs?”
Kerrik’s eyebrows rose in surprise as Iain opened his arms and she stepped into them. “Is there something I should know?”
Iain chuckled as he wrapped Kozakura up in a firm hug. “Not like that, you pervert. We’re friends and Kasumi introduced her to my hugs a month into her stay with us.” The three of them stood alone in the room. Kozakura had requested a private meeting between them for a few minutes before letting the others in for the council of war that had been planned.
Kozakura stepped away from Iain. “Mother was right when she said that they make you feel better, even if there is nothing magical about them.” She glanced at Kerrik, her ears flicking slightly and her face carefully neutral. “You should try one, Grandfather.”
Kerrik stared at her for a second before laughing. “I haven’t heard you make a joke in years, Koza. I’m glad to hear it now.”
“I learned from my time as a Grey that sometimes humor can hold the pain at bay.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Grandfather. We did all we could.”
Her eyes went wide when Kerrik hugged her. “We all knew Shikarou and the others were dead the instant it happened, Koza. We just all hoped desperately that we were somehow wrong.
Sadly, we were not.”
“They were having a picnic outside the palace when the suicide bomber teleported in,” Kozakura said quietly. “I have been told that it is remarkable that anyone survived. I must confess that I wished it had been others, including my father, instead of some of the ones who did live. I know I should feel guilty for feeling that, but I do not. Does that make me evil, Grandfather?” Iain knew that none of her entire immediate family except for Candace, Elizabeth, Bellona and the Elfqueen Gwyneth had survived the assassination, and each of them had been elsewhere because of their duties at the time of the attack. Faelan and Svetlana were the only survivors out of his harem and that because they’d been cavorting in the lee of some large rocks at the time of the blast. They were still in medical and would be for a few more days. Only Jamie and his harem had been unscathed and that was because they’d all been in the city of Tomakomai in Nippon on a mission of Shikarou’s. Celestine and her daughters had been at the picnic and were now dead.
“No.” Kerrik hugged her hard and let her go. “It makes you normal.”
“That is relieving to hear.” She turned to Iain. “When questioned, Selene told me that my father didn’t like that the damper was from you and he’d had it dismantled and recycled. Bellona argued with him about keeping it and keeping it operational, but he was adamant that it be removed and he didn’t want another because it was your idea. He didn’t like you very much for a time.”
“We all have our issues,” Iain rubbed his chin. “I brought another damper for you. Theodora will put it wherever you want.”
“Thank you very much, Iain-san.” She cocked her head curiously. “May I presume this council of war is so you can reveal Daya’s and your plan for revenge and you would like us to join you in it?”
Kerrik looked surprised but kept quiet as Iain shrugged. “I have a plan. I want to see what you and Kerrik think of it before I take the operation online and we all have to live with the results.”
The wolf kami nodded. “Will your plan hurt the leagues more than they have hurt me?”
Iain glanced at Kerrik, who was watching curiously. “I can’t answer that and you know I can’t. We both lost people we loved two days ago and so did Kerrik. But I do think that the survivors will think long and hard before they ever do anything like this again.”
Kozakura’s ears flattened and her teeth showed as she growled. “I don’t want there to be survivors.”
Iain smiled. “That’s the woman who lost her family speaking before she thinks. Now what does the new Queen of Haven say?”
Her growl got louder for a moment before dying away. “I don’t want there to be many survivors.”
“Well, at least that is a little more reasonable. What if I could tell you that when we’re done there will be a lot fewer survivors of a particular group of individuals, specifically those belonging to the group called government employees, including soldiers?”
“What of their nuclear arsenals?”
Kerrik chuckled. “I’ve been monitoring this world for centuries. Nuclear weapons are one of the things I’ve been rather diligent about tracking, Kozakura. After the attack, Cassiopeia, Virtue, Vice, Theodora and Daya have gone through those records with the exacting precision that only the inorganic can possess and then they swept the planet with modern detection equipment. They have pinpointed every nuclear device’s location with a probability of more than ninety nine percent. Iain has briefed me, and they will be targeted during the first phase along with any government laboratories and the facilities where they were assembled and maintained. We’ll also destroy anyone else’s research facilities or uranium and plutonium stocks at the same time.”
Iain glanced at Kerrik before returning his attention to Kozakura. “Israel’s nuclear stocks and the small number of nukes under Queen Zara’s people’s control will be exempted from destruction, with the understanding that they will dismantle them in the next year. And part of the warning everyone else will get during my announcement of what’s going to happen will be that if they ever deploy another nuclear weapon, I will respond with an orbital bombardment that will turn their cities to lava.”
Kozakura’s eyes hardened. “The leagues fear you because of the Louisiana Canal. That is why they strove to destroy you and sent three nuclear devices against you. They fear Kerrik because they remember what he did to the Green Battalion and fear he could do that elsewhere since he threatened to do exactly that. Haven was attacked because we are associated with Kerrik.” Her ears flattened. “Iain-san, as the Regent Queen of Haven, I would like to ask you for a very large favor.”
Iain exchanged a glance with Kerrik. “What is it?”
“I want the leagues to fear Haven so much that they will never seek to attack us again. We have not contributed as you and my grandfather have to events in the world but I would like to present an image of strength to the leagues and their survivors. May I make the announcement and let it appear that Haven is the one who ravages the leagues? It would be what my father would have wanted to do after something like this happened and Bellona advises that we should appear as strong as we can.”
Kerrik’s ears flicked. “Not everyone who opposes us will be rational, Kozakura. You will only provoke some of them to attack Haven, making you and yours targets.
Kozakura’s ears went completely flat and her fangs gleamed in her snarl. “Grandfather, we are already targets or my father would not be dead!” She closed her eyes, took a deep breath and released it in an angry hiss. “I would rather be a target that most of my enemies are afraid to attack again than one that none fears enough to avoid.”
Kerrik growled low in the back of his throat and nodded. “I just wanted to make sure you understood what you were opening up you and your queendom for.”
“Some of my putative allies,” Iain’s voice was quiet, “want to disassociate themselves from what’s coming as much as possible, and that’s when they don’t know any more about my plans than you do right now. That includes Queen Zara of the United Kingdom.”
Kozkaura’s ears came up. “Are you mad at her or at me?”
“I’m not upset with either of you, Kozakura. For them, a lot of them are frightened of the word nuclear.” Her ears canted sideways in confusion as he flashed a grin. “Each of you is doing what you think is best for you and for your people. I do almost the same thing, so I can’t fault anyone for that.”
She frowned. “Almost?”
“Iain doesn’t think of himself,” Kerrik noted. “He lives with the same results his people do instead of trying to ensure the results for him are also good for his people.”
“Is that how I should think for my people, Grandfather?”
“It’s a matter of perspective, Kozakura, and one that I think you’ll reach in time. Right now do what feels best and listen to what you learned from your father and from Iain.”
She glanced at Iain. “As if I could learn anything from a gaijin barbarian.” Her tone was serious, but the tiny smile playing around her lips ruined the effect.
Iain flashed another smile before sobering abruptly. “If you do this, you will be taking credit for killing a lot of people,” His eyes met hers. “I had made plans, after the ferals overran most of the world, to destroy the surviving elements of the leagues before starting the rebuilding. My reasoning was that, considering what we’ve seen of the leagues from our respective worlds, they don’t really start to lose their repressiveness until three centuries have gone by. At that point, even the domestic pokegirls believed their nonsense and would have fought tooth and nail to keep in place the system that made sure they could never be human. Destroying them as soon as I could was smart.” He shrugged. “Daya and Theodora, having unlimited resources, listened to one of my philosophies.”
Kozakura frowned. “You’re a philosopher?”
“I have some rules. Your father was aware of a few of them and thought they were a bit silly. Most of them are humorous but have a gem of reality in them. This one involved the idea that there is no such thing as overkill, and they remembered my stories about figuring out how much weaponry you need, double it and then double it again. If it still seems reasonable, double it a third time and then you might be close to what you’re really going to need. Daya took that plan and modified it into what I’m going to present today.” He regarded her for several seconds before nodding decisively. “Or you’re going to present to everyone else if you’d like.”
“I would like precisely that. What is my plan, Iain?”
“I have overhead several thousand O&I satellites with ammo reloads for them inbound.”
Kozakura frowned. “What is that?”
“O&I stands for observation and interdiction. Each O&I satellite has a bunch of sophisticated surveillance equipment on it along with some decent weaponry, not only to protect itself in a hostile environment, but also to destroy selected targets if desired. Some have modern anti-ship weapons in case my enemies can attack them from space. However, the ones we’ll be using are armed with bombs and cruise missiles with a variety of nonnuclear warheads, mostly FAE and long rod penetrator.” He glanced at her.
“I know what fuel air explosives are, Iain. We used them to clear out Mantis nests in Haven.”
“In phase one, Ouroboros and Theodora launched penetrator rounds with high explosive warheads will destroy all of the existing nuclear arsenals and individual weapons we know of. In this phase we will use multiple strikes in a saturation pattern on deeply hardened targets to ensure kills and my ladies will launch from far enough out to ensure time on target hits simultaneously across all of our target locations that could be fired back at us in response or quickly moved. Any we’re not sure of will be hit repeatedly until we decide we’re satisfied. After that, the plan is to drop bombs on every military target we can find, including individual vehicles and small groups of soldiers. We won’t deliberately target civilians, but we won’t let the presence of civilians stop us. I also intend to hit the home and other property of every politician I can find, inhabited or not. Also, we will destroy every government building larger than a garden shed. We will be able to finish phase one and two in less than three days and then, for the next twenty seven days, we will hit anything that moves that fits the already given criteria. They pull aircraft out of hardened revetments we didn’t know about, they get hit. The same with ships, tanks, jeeps, trucks, trains, cars and any opened arsenals or coalescing military or political units. In many leagues they’ve confiscated all the vehicles so that makes target selection much simpler.”
“That will definitely harm any league we target,” Kozakura said thoughtfully. “Which leagues are we targeting?”
Iain’s eyes narrowed. “The PLC announced that the decision to nuke us was unanimous. I went back and reviewed the vote. They posted video of it to intimidate us. It was unanimous, with no abstentions and no absences and nobody had a gun being pointed at them when they voted. Every league authorized what happened. They wanted to make a point that they were united against us and I intend to shove that point up their collective asses and smash every single one of them flat along with every building belonging to the old United Nations that was taken over by the new Planetary League Council while doing so. Nobody attacks us the way they did and I want that point driven home so completely that the next time someone even contemplates such an idea, that person’s friends will kill her before she can act so as to save themselves. We hit all of the leagues.”
Kerrik frowned. “All of them?”
“Even those stupid little leagues or other political entities struggling for survival in Africa and Asia,” Iain snarled. “They all die.”
“Iain-san is right,” Kozakura looked evenly at Kerrik. “The vote was a demonstration of their solidarity and they must all be punished for it.”
“I won’t argue that, I was just surprised that Iain managed to get that past his resident Celestials.”
“Eve would have been the loudest voice of reason against this and she was murdered by them,” Iain slumped down against a tabletop, his eyes filled for an instant with overwhelming anguish. “Lucifer agrees that they need punished and that if we don’t punish all of them, some idiot will think it means we’re weak because we didn’t spank him too. She does want me to limit my strikes on civilian government buildings to times when the buildings should be mostly empty, and I agreed. Pandora is the reason I’m not planning to smash every single building and facility that might have the word nuclear associated with it as an example and a warning, civilian losses be damned. Dominique is Blessed and she wants me to hit the leagues harder than I intend to.” His lips quirked up in a quick grin. “And as for Lynn and Scheherazade, I didn’t give the Dire Wolf a great moral compass when I designed them. So long as I don’t deliberately target and butcher civilians, they’re cool with what’s coming.” He folded his arms. “However, you don’t have to take responsibility for all of this, Kozakura, and whoever announces what we’re going to be doing will take final responsibility for every dead civilian and whatever else they can blame on him or her.”
“I am kami and I am a Wolf,” Kozakura stated. “I am not clan, but I lived with your clan for three months and I had no choice but to pay attention to what was going on, since my father ordered me to obey you and you ordered me to learn from you. We both know that enemies without honor in any war deserve to receive no honor from us. The leagues have proven they have no honor. The fact that we will avoid deliberately targeting civilian populations while they engaged in terror strikes in the heart of civilian enclaves shows that we still strive to show even them some honor, as undeserved as it might be. I am favored that you would even consider allowing me to claim this as my own and I refuse to give it back to you. You will have to take it by force and you will not, even as barbaric as you are.”
“You were supposed to learn about the good aspects of being clan, not about being impudent,” Iain said mildly. “I can get impudent from a lot of different people any time I want.”
“Your directions were to learn everything I could,” Kozakura replied with a smile. “As fey, speaking to another fey, you should have known to be more specific if you wanted me to be more selective about what I learned.”
Kerrik chuckled. “And did you learn other things besides being impudent to Iain?”
“I did.” Kozakura’s smile vanished. “I love my father but I am not him. There will be major changes in the kingdom while I sit upon the throne. I do not yet know all of the changes I will make and right now it does not matter. First we grind our enemies into the dust.”
Kerrik and Iain exchanged a look. “Agreed,” Kerrik said. “While this isn’t what I would have done, it should more than get our message across.” His ears flicked. “My only question is this also one of your overly complicated plans or am I incorrect in presuming that you will still be also supplying your friends in these countries so they can pursue their objectives while simultaneously raining destruction down on their foes?”
Iain shrugged. “I don’t think this is overly complicated, but I do believe that Queen Zara has issued orders to stand ready in case something precipitous might suddenly happen to the Blue forces that would give the British some advantage to exploit. She’s also asked for some additional shipments of medical supplies, weapons and ammunition. Israel is doing the same thing. You’re the real contact with Nippon, so you might want to let them know what’s coming if they need to reposition against Shanghai.”
“I’ll warn Nippon.”
“Grandfather, will you return to the world we came from to fetch Stephen home or should I hire or beg Iain-san to do so for us? My brother is needed here as soon as possible, although I will make the announcement about our justice against the leagues.”
Kerrik’s ears flicked. “Is his presence critical?”
Kozakura nodded. “I sit the throne for him. He is the eldest and the heir.”
Kerrik frowned, giving Iain a glance as he did. “Shikarou changed the inheritance to make you his heir.”
Kozakura’s ears went neutral. “Selene.”
Selene’s hologram appeared. “Colonel Wolf, His Majesty made several statements during his time as king that he did intend to amend the inheritance to make Princess Kozakura his heir, but he never did so. I suspect he thought he had plenty of time in which to make the changes he felt were necessary, being immortal. Right now, Prince Stephen, as the first born and under Haven law, is the heir.”
Kerrik looked disgusted. “Well, fuck.”
“I thought he’d made the changes as well, Grandfather.”
“Stephen doesn’t want the throne. He never did.”
“That does not matter, Grandfather, and you know it. Stephen is the heir and I am his regent until he returns. Once he is crowned as the king, he may well choose to abdicate in favor of one of his siblings, possibly me or perhaps Jamie, but until he does, he is the heir to the Kingdom of Haven.”
Kerrik looked at Iain, who shrugged. “You can find him faster and he doesn’t know me from a hole in the wall. I’d have to get access to him and then make him sit still long enough to read the letter of introduction from you or her and he’s still going to argue with me a lot more than he will you.”
Kerrik shook his head. “No, he will argue with me even more, once he realizes why I’m there. And when he digs in his heels he can be easily as stubborn as his mother.”
Kozakura nodded. “Then I should ask Iain-san to bring him home because he will not let Stephen argue with him?”
Kerrik waved a dismissive hand. “No, I’ll get him. He’s not in Iain’s bubble and I’ll take him out to a pub after he gets the news about why he has to finally come to Haven. A good pub brawl will sort out a lot of his issues.”
“Thank you, Grandfather.” Kozakura’s ears flicked. “Now we will inform our various staff personnel and then I will make the announcement of the doom of the leagues. Afterward, Iain-san, I would like to speak with you again before you leave.”
“Oh?”
“I am afraid that there is one more favor I must ask of you today, but we will discuss it after everything else. I am still trying to come up with a better solution to this problem that doesn’t importune you.” Her ears flicked again. “Perhaps I will be successful.” She waved towards the door. “Let us go.”
Iain Grey
Harem
Ninhursag Grey - Elfqueen & maharani
April Grey - Duelist & beta
Dominique Grey - Blessed Archmage
Pandora - Fiendish Archangel
Zareen - Nightmare
Sofia - Ria
Vanessa – Evangelion
Lucifer – Megami Sama
Ganieda – Snugglebunny Splice
Heather - Elfqueen
Marguerite – Unicorn
Scheherazade – Dread Wolf
Irena – Sanctuary Goth
Lynn – Dire Wolf
Rosemary – Mistoffeles
Outer Clan
Golden Cloud – equine unicorn
Arianrhod -Fey Goblin Female
Satellite Clan
74 male Goblins
89 female Goblins
Queendom / Outer Harem
73 Elves
Dionne - Elfqueen
Adrianna - Elfqueen
Heltu - Wet Queen
14 Wet Elves
Dead Harem
Dead Harem (22)
Eirian - Silver Dragoness
Aurum - Gold Dragoness
Skye - Blue Dragoness
Emerald - Green Dragoness
Beryl - Red Dragoness
Julia - human
Ling - Cheetit
Matilda - White Tigress
Liadan - Twau
Sorrel - Armsmistress
Natalie - Blazicunt
Maria – Slutton
Rhea Silvia – Chimera
Geraldine – Human analog of Iain
Alabaster – Dragoness (white)
Onyx – Dragoness (black)
Lapis – Dragoness (blue)
Garnet – Dragoness (red)
Iolite – Dragoness (purple)
Malachite – Dragoness (green with white swirls)
Dabria – Dark Queen
Omisha – Demoness
Mother Children
Vanessa
Myrna (Age 3)
Saoirse
April
Dorothy: Duelist (Age 2)
Meara: Duelist
Regan: Duelist
Lucifer
Olivia: Megami Sama (Age 6)
Seraphina: Megami Sama
Miram: Angel (Age 5)
Zareen:
Caltha: Nightmare (Age 0)
Kim: Nightmare
Xanthe: Nightmare
Epona: Nightmare
Philippa: Nightmare
Nott: Nightmare
Nyx: Nightmare
Sofia
Anna: Ria
Esmerelda: Ria
Monica Chambers
James: Jamie Harris kid (Age 2)