Alpha Diaspora

Chapter 1

The ship rocked.

"Direct hit, Sir!" one of the bridge staff yelled.

"Damage!" he yelled back. There was something wrong. There was a buzzing in his ears, Haak could barely hear over it.

"Deck thirty-two through thirty-seven, aft-port side."

Haak was distracted and didn't hear. Not really. Not going through what was there. He was just dropping blast doors to save his ship.

"Sir," a Lieutenant called, "The atmosphere is stabilizing. Areas that still have integrity have been blocked off."

"Do what you can to save those who are in the safe areas," the General commanded.

"Sir," his aid said, "the training center."

"Yes?"

His aid Lieutenant Luwis blocked the General's face from any bridge crew that might be distracted, "You blocked off the training center."

It started to hit him.

"Your Mate, Sir," Luwis whispered, "can you feel her?"

The ringing in his ears.

She was gone. Or hurt to the point that she couldn't reach him in her mind.

"Do anything you can to Kill that ship!" the General called.

"Sir!," Haak looked down at the hand on his arm, "If push comes to shove I'm saving this ship."

Haak nodded. If she was dead and the ship survived, he could decide what to do then.

"Yes," Haak hissed, "Very good. Do what needs doing."

And Haak left the fate of his ship to men of lower stations. He didn't care. His great coat dropped for speed and ease of motion. He got as close as he could to the training center. He hit the door between the training center and the rest of the ship. He wanted to open it.

The buzzing was making thought so difficult. He keyed the monitor on the wall. He could see a few people moving slowly. They were alive in there. He keyed the intercom.

"This is the General, how many are alive in there?"

"About thirty, Sir," the recruit said, "The Commander is in here."

"Stay safe," Alpha said. His mind was saying 'keep her safe'. He tried to key the door, but all he got in return was an alarm ringing.

"Lieutenant," he asked through his com-link, "Why can't I open the door?"

"The integrity scans are showing a small air leak in that chamber," his voice was smooth and unruffled and the general wondered if the man was in shock.

"Open the door."

"Sir," this came out as a whine.

"Do. It," Haak put all of his will into those words.

"Sir," and the door slid open, "When it starts to go, I'm going to close the bulkheads."

"Yes," the General said as he rushed into the room. Then to the young people, "Come on. Up. We have to be out of here and on the other side of the bulkhead before he gets cold feet and cuts us off from the rest of the ship."

They blinked up at him.

"Up!" he roared using all of his will. They responded, helping each other up off the floor. One of the men waved him down.

"The Commander," the boy called, Haak rushed to his side Zara, his Mate, was unconscious and bleeding badly.

Haak lifted her. He didn't think he had it in him, but up she came in his arms. Like a baby. Once they had all staggered out he turned to the boy who had been by Zara's side, "Key your com," when the boy did Haak said "ADTH1833aid"

"Sir?" the Lieutenant said through the boys com this time.

"Secure the door to the Training Center!" The door slid shut and the lights around it turned red.

"Blast doors are coming down in sixty seconds!" the Lieutenant told him, "Be on the other side of the Bulkheads by then!"

Then the ship learched and Haak ended up with two recruits and Zara collapsed across his left leg. He felt something in his left ankle snap. Or maybe it was his foot. Everything closed in on him again. His sight dimmed and the hum in his ears got loud. But when everyone was off of him, he regained his feet. Someone had taken Zara from him and they moved to the end of the hall.

He was the last one through before the blast doors crashed closed.

"Medics have been sent to your location," his aid said through the boys com.

"Good," Haak said moving to Zara's side. He rested his forehead against hers and then let himself sit next to her, hand on her chest to feel the way she was breathing.

"You really are her Mate," the boy said. He was quiet for a second before saying, "we all just thought that you were being...dominant"

"I should be on the bridge," the General said. He could see the Medics. He knew if he was still sitting propped up by the wall, he would spend the rest of the battle in Med bay. He kissed Zara's forehead and levered himself from the floor. Then, keying his com to allow direct contact, he said to the boy, "Designation?"

"SABF555T"

"You go with her," he said summoning all of the force of leadership he had, and hissed, "If you leave her I will kill you. If something happens and you do not contact me, I will kill you. If you do not protect her, I will kill you."

The boy shrank down away from General Haak, "Sir."

"You can call me, no matter what happens," he felt sad for the cringing boy and offered some small comfort, "If the Doctors fail, that is not your fault."

Haak moved down the hall and brushed past the medical staff without replying to the questions that were addressed to him. His leg was barely holding him up, each step was a hot poker from foot to head.

At least it banished the empty buzzing in his mind where Zara had been.

He had the whole pack to worry about now.

The bridge was all flashing lights and raised voices. He could see the other ship. They were broadside to broadside, like old ships of the line. The Pack's ship was bigger but the Homeplanet's ship had more armanants. Tage saw the bomber skittering over the damaged area, small explosions following behind.

"Orders?" his aid asked.

He could feel the fear of all around him. He couldn't feel his Mate. He wanted to order the death of the other ship.

"Start preparations for a jump to lightspeed."

"Countdown to jump begins on Mark!"

"Torpedos until we jump!" Haak yelled.

There was a hum as the orders moved down the ranks.

Haak wanted to sit down.

His com beeped, "The Commander is in treatment. The Medics have sent someone to retrieve you from the bridge."

"Thank you, Recrute? I'm sorry, I didn't get your name," an explosion played over the other ship.

"Fitts, Sir," the young man said.

"Fitts," Haak repeated. The deck shifted under his feet and if the Lieutenant hadn't grabbed his elbow, he would have fallen when his weight shifted to his left leg.

"You shouldn't be here," His aid hissed under his breath. Haak agreed, but didn't say anything.

"When we jump, I'll go," Haak said in a low voice, "until then I am at my post."

He could feel the medics enter behind him. The thought of a challenge from others made him straighten and put some weight on his foot. He managed to not flinch and he thought that he kept the pain off of his face.

He felt the bridge crew relax.

He felt the Jump Drive engage.

He turned to the Medics and walked toward them. The foot and leg burned. The bridge tipped and turned and his shoulder hit the deck.

There was a hand on his chin. There was a light in his eyes, "Damn it! Right pupil is dilated."

"Let me up," the General growled. Everyone stepped back from him. He hadn't realized the force he put in the words. He slowly got to his feet. With help. The medics and his aid helped him off of the Bridge.

In his office Luwis whorled on Haak, "Why did you come up here!"

Haak didn't have an answer to that. His head was full of bees.

"He is in shock," one of the medics said.

It was the last thing Haak heard before the buzzing overwhelmed him with wool.

@

He could smell her.

Haak opened his eye. She was there. Laying on her back, with an oxygen mask over her face.

"Sir," the boy, Fitts, said, "they said it is just time now. Her surgery went well."

"How long was I out?" Haak asked.

"It's been two hours. There are officers who wish to report to you. Your aid is outside, should I get him for you?"

Haak nodded and got himself out of bed. There was a light cast on his left leg. He hadn't expected that. It took more to move than he had expected. But he managed to shift to Zara's side. He took her hand in his and waited.

When the officers came into the room, he looked at them and waited.

Lieutenant Luwis, moved to General Haak's shoulder. That was where the Beta should be. It made him feel like everything was in order. Luwis would take notes. Haak had to look attentive and make his will obvious, but he wouldn't have to retain any information. He could be a figurehead for the meeting.

He just couldn't have his whole mind focused on Zara.

After he could focus on Zara.

He turned his chair and faced his officers. They told him all that had happened in the battle. The parts of the ship that had to be blocked off and needed repair.

The pack members who had died.

He would need to lock himself away. He needed to shift and re-establish his bonds to all the pack. He needed to let them feel him being Alpha.

He needed his Mate.

When the reporting was done and the Officers left, Haak's aid touched his shoulder, "Are you well, Sir?"

Haak looked to his Mate. Then up at his aid, "please make sure that the officers have what they need to get things done."

"Sir?"

"I'm well, I need to," he made a gesture with his hand.

"Talk to the Medics and then I can arrange for a place for you to spend time as a Wolf. it will help the Pack to feel you."

"It will," Haak agreed.

"If I may?" Fitts asked.

"You may," Haak said nodding.

Fitts nodded slowly, gathering himself, "We will feel how you feel about the Commander."

"Yes?"

"Those who have lost will know that they are not alone."

"None in the Pack is alone," Haak said, "Not ever."

"As you say, Sir," the boy answered, eyes down, "But you carried her out of there. You carried her on a broken ankle and you practically broke down a door that could have killed you, just to be with her. To feel that, is different."

"I will take that under advisement," Haak said. Zara was stirring. At least her mind was, "Please wait outside."

Nether man moved.

She made some noise that he decided was, "Tage."

"I'm with you," he whispered. He rested his nose against her ear. He nuzzled her gently.

"You are so..." and then she slipped into sleep. That broken bond still frayed.

"Angry," Haak finished.

@

"We can't fix the ankle. It may heal with the shift, it may not. But you need to take the brace off before you shift, or you will do more damage." Haak didn't say anything. There wasn't anything to say. It was hard to Shift on a ship. There was probably a reason. He wasn't a scientist. He didn't care. "Thank you," Haak said, "You may go." The room was white and empty except for a low bed attached to the wall. This was a room that was used for pack members who had lost control. He took off the brace and then his uniform. He folded the uniform carefully and slipped it into a drawer under the bed. He sat on the bed and took a deep breath. On Home World this would have been easy as a sneeze. On the ship it took him whole minutes of meditation before he felt ready to change. The Change itself was difficult as well. His body shifted and stretched and joints popped as they reallined. His hips jerked out and forward. He cried out and fell forward. And then his other form, a large red wolf, was standing in his place. His hock hurt, so he laydown on the floor and reached out with his mind. While licking his back leg he reached out. The Pack was in turmoil. He started with the officers and let them feel him. He let them feel his worry for them and how he felt about his mate, sleeping in the med-bay. His mind reached to all of the Pack. He soothed them, let them be afraid and snap back at him. Let them feel him like a father who was just concerned with the Pack. He felt what had happened in the Training Area coming back at him from the minds of the young recruits who had been in the bay with Zara. He felt the Pack seeing what happened. When he saw Fitts' view of him holding his seemingly lifeless Mate Haak raised his head and a howl tore out of him. He heard and felt howls from all around the ship. He felt people with injured Mates, children, parents. He felt the loss of his people. He felt their deaths. He felt their mourning. And he shared it. He shared it all. All the fear and the pain and anger. He spent the night there. Floating gently in his Pack's minds. Wolves wanted contact. Wolves wanted touch. Haak brought that touch to them. He touched them. They touched him. They touched each other. The Pack was together. The Pack was whole.