Commander Yorta had taken her place on the bridge and glanced at her communications officer.


    “On screen, please Sub-Commander.”


    Allison blinked at the Gargaron she saw on the viewscreen.  He looked muscular, huge, brown fur covered with horns of his own.  His one good red eye glowed dimly on their darkened bridge, his voice was gravelly and mean sounding.  The other eye was covered by a metal eyepatch that seemed to have been riveted to his skull.


    “Commander Yorta it is not a pleasure to see you again.”


    Yorta smiled, showing her fangs tapping her clawed hand on her leg.


    “Be glad you can see anything after our last encounter, Tarken Hekt.”


    He snorted angrily.


    “Let’s get this over with, you have violated the treaty and engaged our ship in battle in the neutral zone.  Leave, this is our space now.”


    Commander Yorta licked her fangs with her pink tongue.


    “I am afraid it was your ship that violated the neutral zone first.  Sadly, they appear to have run into someone who did not appreciate their existence.”


    He stomped forward toward his own view screen filling it up with his face.


    “I grow tired of your lies.  You have settlers on the surface of this world.  Only the Commonwealth with have the hubris to think they could colonize a world so polluted with disease.”


    Commander Yorta laughed.


    “They aren’t ours, Tarken, it seems your warlike ways have gone and pissed off another more technologically advanced species.  All it took was a single one of their fighters to destroy that battleship and its entire compliment of starfighters.  Piloted by one of their children no less.  How far have the Gargaron fallen?


    He was almost vibrating with rage.


    “Impossible!”


    Allison bit her lower lip.  She pondered if Commander Yorta was trying to egg them into a fight or come to a peaceful resolution.  The Commander smiled.


    “Have you ever known me to lie Tarken, or bluff?  We came here to investigate your ship violating the neutral zone first, the treaty is clear, this is now our space, your ship invaded the neutral zone and commenced an attack on a non-aligned third party.  If they weren’t allowed to be here, The Radiants would have already informed them to move on.  So, it looks like you are in Commonwealth space, which could be considered an act of war.”


    The Tarken clenched his fists.  It was becoming clear to Allison that the more intelligent of the two was Commander Yorta.  The Tarken waved his finger then suddenly got a look of clarity in his one good eye.


    “Trial by combat!  The Radiants have that in the treaty.  We were wronged, we want trial by combat to settle the matter!”


    Commander Yorta smiled.


    “Again?  Losing one eye wasn’t enough for you?”


    He grinned showing his own fangs.


    “No, the child that destroyed my brother’s ship!”


    Allison blinked a few times.  Commander Yorta to her credit didn’t look in Allison’s direction.


    “I doubt The Radiants had you fighting a child in one on one melee combat in mind when they let you keep that in the treaty, besides, they aren’t part of the treaty.”


    Allison probably shouldn’t have done it, but she did anyway.


    “What are your terms for the trial by combat Tarken Hekt?”


    He looked at Allison then back to Commander Yorta.


    “Your underling deigns speak to me out of turn?  Commonwealth training is slipping.”


    Allison stepped up beside Commander Yorta.


    “I am Battlelord Allison Wanjala, I destroyed your brother’s ship.  I am no one’s underling.  I report directly to my government’s president.  If you want to fight me, I would like to know your terms, you small-minded carpet.”


    Commander Yorta looked over at Allison with a raised eyebrow.


    “You destroyed a battleship, and its fighter complement single handedly?”


    Allison smiled.


    “Yes, easily.  They died so quickly I was wondering if your people had any ability for combat whatsoever or could even talk.  I am glad I killed them without trying to communicate, apparently all you can do is pound your chest and pretend to be strong.”


    He growled.


    “You dare insult me!”


    Allison smirked.


    “I wouldn’t call it dare, I would call it, lower myself to even speak to you, you primitive barbarian.”


    He snarled and shook his fist.


    “I will slay you and every single one of your descendants!  And your parents for not teaching you proper manners!  When I’m through your president will beg for mercy!”


    Allison shook her head.


    “My president could kill you with a glance.  As it is, I will have to dirty my hands with you.  Very well as you refuse to provide terms I will.  You may wear armor and use a melee weapon of your choice.  I will use my armor.  If I win, you and your fleet leave the neutral zone, and leave my people in peace, if you win, hell, we’ll surrender my home system to you.  You have to kill me, right?”


    He glared at her with his one good eye but chuckled.


    “Yes, to the death, unless one of us surrenders.”


    Allison nodded.


    “Fine by me, where we going to do this?”


    Commander Yorta spoke up after overcoming her shock at how obnoxious Allison was being.


    “My ship, as its neutral ground.”


    Allison shrugged.


    “I was going to suggest the surface but apparently a few viruses frighten them.  I’m okay with your ship, if you’re okay with him shedding and bleeding all over it.”


    Tarken Hekt pounded something on his bridge.


    “One standard hour I will be glad to shut your mouth permanently impudent whelp!”


    Allison gave a wave with her fingers.


    “Better make peace with your deities, tiny.”


    The communication was cut abruptly.  Allison sighed.  She actually felt bad about her behavior.  Commander Yorta looked at Allison, her eyes still filled with disbelief.


    “You really shouldn’t have done that, Lieutenant.  Gargaron’s are strong and fast.  You don’t stand a chance.”


    Allison nodded.


    “Sorry, ma’am, I needed him angry so he wouldn’t think about it too closely.  They don’t even know where my home system is, or how far away it is, also, I’m stronger than I look, I do need some help though, I need blood.”


    Commander Yorta quirked her head to the side.


    “Blood?”


    Allison nodded.


    “One of my parents… my…  Basically, I need blood to survive.  I’ve used up a lot of my supply of synthetic blood already.   If I’m going to fight the Tarken I’ll need blood to win and not kill him by accident, ma’am.  I wouldn’t have agreed with this, but he has no way of winning this, no matter what he does, he loses.”


    Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    Commander Yorta motioned for Allison to follow her; The teenager followed her onto the elevator.


    “You seem very confident in that, Lieutenant, care to share why?”


    Allison shrugged.


    “If you’d seen what I’ve had to fight hand to hand, you’d understand.  It’s hard to explain.  Tarken Hekt is overconfident, and I’ve poked his ego enough he’s not going to be thinking straight.  Provided I have blood I’m confident I can make him surrender without killing him.  I have already taken one son from his parents today I’d rather not take another.”


    Commander Yorta led Allison into what appeared to be a medical bay.  A tentacled creature in an environmental suit hovered over.


    “Commander Yorta, how may I be of assistance.”


    Commander Yorta motioned to Allison.


    “Please ensure she gets whatever she needs Doctor.  Lieutenant, I need to prepare for your trial by combat.  I hope you know what you’re doing.”


    One hour later, Allison was standing in her armor in what appeared to be a sparring room but the mats that would soften falls had been removed.  She should have been nervous, but she knew she couldn’t lose.  She wouldn’t surrender and there was no way to disintegrate her with a melee weapon.  Her nanites wouldn’t be happy, neither would her doctor.


    Tarken Hekt appeared.  His armor was layered chitin and leather made from some sort of alien creature.  He had a fur cloak over his shoulders.  His second stood at the edge of the battle area.  Allison hadn’t bothered to choose a second.  Hekt had chosen a wicked looking bladed weapon. It was curved, the edge wasn’t smooth, it was a vicious edge of barbs.  It wouldn’t cut easily but it would cause nasty bleeding wounds.  Allison greeted him with a verbal jab.


    “You still have a chance to walk away.  If you manage to hit me, I am not responsible for how this ends.  Your parents have already lost one child, do you really want them to lose a second?”


    He snarled and leapt at her without any warning.  Allison had taken Eyre and Helen’s lessons to heart and simply wasn’t there to be hit.  She was part vampire she was faster than mortals this was no time to conserve the blood vitality that fueled her powers.  He snarled.  She used a new trick Helen had just taught her a few weeks ago and her form shimmered.  The Tarken was seeing several duplicates of her.  None of them were her because when she’d used the mirror image ability she’d used her cloaking field.  She formed punching blades out of her armor and unleashed a super speed series of blows using her dhamperic strength and her armor’s super strength.  The Atlantean steel of her armor slid through his armor like it wasn’t even there.  Before he knew what hit him, she had her hand around his throat holding him on his knees which he’d fallen to when she’d taken out his thigh muscles with her vicious blows.  She held up her fist the blade on it still dripped with his dark red blood.  By this time her fangs were out, and her eyes were glowing with a golden light.


    “You’ve lost Tarken Hekt, no need to die today.”


    His arms hung limply at his side.  She’d shredded his tendons.  He couldn’t move his limbs if he wanted to.  He was helpless under the combined strength of her own body and the armor.  He glared at her with his one good eye, he spoke but his voice was tinged with agony.


    “Kill me or are you too weak?”


    Allison glanced at his second.  She’d used her time to research the trial by combat rules the Gargaron used.  The main combatant never surrendered.  It was up to their opponent if they would give the second a chance to plead for their life.  In this way the combatant could surrender, without losing honor.  She was no cold-blooded killer, at least not yet, and this was no Sal’nash.  The second bowed his head.


    “I surrender.  You have bested us.”


    Allison released the Tarken’s neck and let the blades sink back into her armor.  Then she moved to help the Valient crew get him on a hoverbed so they could get him to the medical bay before he died from blood loss.  Tarken’s second offered his hand.  Allison extended her own.  He grabbed her wrist and squeezed tightly.


    “Well fought.  We Gargaron can recognize an artist when we see one.”


    He released Allison’s wrist and nodded to Commander Yorta.


    “Thank you for tending to my Tarken’s wounds.  We’ll get underway once he can be transferred to our ship.  You have won the neutral zone.”


    Commander Yorta nodded.


    “We have, haven’t we, however, I have just received a message from my Prime Minister.  They are happy to keep the status quo.  With the proviso either side can enter the neutral zone to provide aid.  You may want to be around for when the Lieutenant’s government reaches out to us.  Tarken Hekt might not be the best for such a conversation, he has never been your… greatest diplomat.”


    Allison started to feel light-headed and collapsed.  She’d pushed her body way past its limits by using the vampiric super-speed for so long, Eyre and Helen had both warned her about it, vampires would burn through blood that would have lasted months in seconds. Coupled with her lack of sleep she had no chance.


    When she woke up, she was in the medical bay of the Valiant with the strange tentacled doctor floating around her bed.  She felt completely drained every bit of her blood vitality was gone. She groaned it was worse than her worst hangover.  She looked down at herself, she was still in her armor, of course she was, none of these aliens would have any clue on how to unseal the Atlantean armor.  The doctor spoke in soft tones, or at least his voice modulator did.


    “You collapsed from exhaustion, Lieutenant.  You were brought here but we were not able to remove your armor it seems to be fused to you.”


    Allison shook her head.


    “No, it is… it’s keyed to my body.  I’m fine.  I just need blood and food.”


    The doctor dropped ten packets of blood, one from each tentacle.  Allison looked at his purple skin.


    “Are you from this planet?”


    The doctor flicked his tentacles happily.


    “Yes, your species must be very astute.  I am not from this planet; It has been uninhabitable for many hundreds of standard years.  We had colonies on other worlds that survived the loss of our home world.”


    Allison drank the blood down.  It was odd and pink, but she’d had it before, and it worked just fine.  Apparently, it was from Commander Yorta’s species or at least was a synthetic version of it.  She drank about twenty pints of blood before she felt satiated.  The doctor tapped a monitor.


    “Amazing, your body absorbed it so rapidly.  Not a trace of the genetic material from the synthetic blood exists in your body.  It is almost as if it drains the vitality from it.  Intriguing.”


    Allison shrugged.


    “I have no idea how it works.  I drink blood and I feel better.  How long was I out?”


    The doctor seemed to be counting something out with his tentacles.


    “Eight of your standard hours.”


    Allison’s eyes went wide.


    “I need to go; My Aunt Maria is going to be freaking out.  So are the crews.”


    The doctor kept his tone calm.


    “Bit, I believe that is your starfighter AI’s name made contact with your command and Commander Yorik updated them on your status.  I believe the second contact was successful on both sides.  You do not need to rush.”


    Allison shook her head.


    “I need to get the last piece and get home.  If the Sal’nash attack I need to be there.”


    The doctor hovered after Allison.


    “The last piece of what, Lieutenant?”


    “There is an alien artifact in my fighter.  I found several pieces on this planet.  The last one is in an underwater structure under the storm.”


    The doctor swept in front of her.


    “The sphere?  You’re talking about the sphere.  The hollow sphere.”


    Allison paused.


    “Yes.  My mother left it here for me… I think.”


    The doctor seemed very confused if his swarming tentacles indicated his moods.  Allison wasn’t sure.


    “You cannot, the myths all say to touch it is death.”


    Allison stood up unsteadily and leaned heavily on the bed she’d been placed in.  Her armor seemed to notice her physical weakness and compensated for it.  She was able to stand up straight.  The doctor hovered around her.


    “You should not be out of bed.  You shouldn’t even be able to stand on your own. Whatever you did in the challenge tore your muscles to shreds, Lieutenant.  It is admirable that you want to resume your duties, but you are not physically able.”


    Allison looked around.


    “I need power for my nanites.  Do you have anything that you can inject that is like pure sugar?”


    The doctor sighed and tapped a spot on his environmental suit.


    “Bridge, this is Doctor Yffaftifial, Lieutenant Wanjala is awake and trying to leave sick bay against my advice.  Do I have permission to detain her?”


    Commander Yorik’s response was swift.


    “No, do whatever you need to get her combat ready.”


    The doctor’s skin pulsed with a pink light.


    “Commander!  She could be risking permanent damage!”


    Commander Yorik sounded calm, but Allison could hear the frustration in her voice.


    “Doctor, get her back to combat ready condition, that is an order.  I’m on my way down.”


    Allison felt a pit forming in her stomach.  Something in the Commander’s voice set her ill at ease.  The doctor injected Allison with several vials of thick red fluid.  Whatever it was it felt like her blood was electric.  She cried as her nanites went into overdrive mending muscles and bone.  Her skin rippled under the Atlantean armor.  She collapsed on all fours and her fangs came out.  Her eyes were almost blinding by the time Commander Yorik arrived.  The purple woman rushed over.


    “What did you do doctor?”


    The doctor’s tentacles hung limply as she watched Allison suffer through rapid regeneration.


    “What I was ordered to do, Commander.”


    Allison’s blood stopped boiling and she looked up from the floor.  Her fangs sank back in and her eyes dimmed and finally took their normal appearance.  She looked at the doctor.


    “Doc, whatever that was, I could really use the recipe.”


    Commander Yorik offered her hand and Allison took it.


    “What did you give her doctor?”


    The doctor dropped the injectors into a repository.


    “I determined the components of the blood that the Lieutenant’s body utilizes and increased their potency exponentially.  I then added in qitick sugar it is the highest energy molecule we have that was compatible with her biology.  To boost her body’s ability to handle the strain I added a hormone her body secretes that seems to enhance her endurance.  There was risk but you said combat ready as soon as possible.  Her muscles, bones and tendons have repaired themselves.”


    Allison was still trying to catch her breath.  She’d just mainlined the equivalent of pure dhampir adrenaline.


    “Ma’am, what happened?”


    Commander Yorik raised her eyebrow.


    “What makes you think something happened?”


    Allison shook her head.


    “I heard something in your voice…  why did I need to be combat ready?”


    The commander frowned.


    “Your president was called away to deal with an attack, her niece, the empress took over the call.  They did not say you needed to go back immediately but if you are as valuable as they indicated to their war effort, they likely need you as soon as possible.”


    Allison sighed.


    “I still need one more piece of the artifact and its in the center of the storm six kilometers under the water.”


    Commander Yorik rubbed her chin.  The doctor flailed his tentacles.


    “The pressure at that depth is not conducive to life even with our best pressure suits.”


    “My armor will survive, but not for long.  I can’t open Bit’s cockpit that deep.  The armor will survive fine but the interior…”


    Commander Yorik motioned for Allison to follow her.


    “We should be able to use the matter transmitter to get you in and out.”


    The doctor threw up his tentacles in frustration.


    “Why even have a doctor on board if you’re just going to ignore his advice?”


    The pair of women left the medical bay and Commander Yorik led Allison to a what appeared to be several focusing lenses with a platform in the center.  A male officer stood behind the console.  Commander Yorik offered one of their communicators to Allison.


    “Lieutenant, we’ll get you as close as we can, be quick, let us know when you’re done.”


    Allison slid the communicator under her armor over one of her breasts and formed her helmet and stepped onto the platform she gave a nod.  She felt herself starting to disintegrate there was no pain, it just felt strange.