Mature Content Warning: Very little ero, this chapter is actually... STORY.... ewwww... PLOT DEVELOPMENT... ewww...

Author's note:

As for those of you asking about changes to the series in regards to character and species profiles. I am still determining exactly how much will be ripped out of the current 'system' before official publication. I intend to streamline everything and make it less confusing. If you are making entries on the forum, then for now just writing up the 'flavor text' and mentioning what family line the girl is from and the breeds she evolves into and out of are enough.

Thanks for your help!

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Chapter 20: Family Ties

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The sounds of young girls struggling to unleash their full potential filled the air. Tara and Shaia did their best to hit small targets at a distance. Flora snored loudly while she drew in the light of the sun so that she could train her abilities. Eina bitched at everything that moved.

Scott surveyed his girls, plus the girl who would not admit that she wanted to be part of the team, for a moment then kept moving. He needed to speak with Pirouette. They would all head off soon to handle the mission that he had accepted, but there were things to discuss first.

He found her in her office bedroom. She was asleep on her bed. Scott smiled at her then turned to leave. She worked hard and had a lot of responsibilities as the current group Alpha. Her experience and skill were vital, though sadly once her vacation was over she would become more of an advisor and temporary helper. There would even come a point where he would have to replace her spot in the harem with someone else. The alpha had to be available at all times, after all.

The hunter left her room then headed out into the hall. He would discuss peaches later. Till then, he had a lot of planning to do. The mission that he had accepted was a fairly straight forward task. All they had to do was routinely patrol the area outside of town. It was a thirty day mission, and Mesa-III was in a low-risk zone. There would be few nightmare nests, and most of the Crystallim would be low-level due to the constant patrols.

It would count a long way toward his goal of achieving recognition. It would be important to have several missions under his belt before his evaluation period ended. He wanted to be able to undergo an advanced training class so that he could be authorized for the usage of heavy weapons. Without such authorization it would be difficult to impossible to hunt outside of the low-level zones.

The Crystallim in the deeper wilderness were much more powerful and though it would be unethical to attack a girl directly, he would still need to defend himself or even challenge one to a duel if they were one of the Crystallim species who required their master to be stronger than they are. Technology was the great equalizer, and the only thing a human could personally count on in order to even the odds. No government in the world issues a heavy weapon’s license without a good reason. He would need bio-boosting power armor if nothing else, and that was restricted to advanced weapon’s license holders only.

Scott walked through the halls for a moment then stopped. He was not certain what to do at the moment. He did not want to disturb the girls. He was not particularly aroused, either. If that had been the case, Pirouette would be crying for mercy already. He really liked Pirouette. She was... bouncy.

No, his current lack of direction was due to something truly miraculous. Pretty much everything that he absolutely had to do had been taken care of already. A little last minute preparation was still required, but that was something that he had to actually do last minute.

“Alexis will be coming by later, and the girls are training. What do I do?” He did not have much money or he would buy more equipment. He did not wish to train his skills as he had to take a break from that for the sake of effectiveness. If he pushed too hard, it would be detrimental to his skill development.

Suddenly, he had an inspiration. He had avoided looking into the situation, but he did know one thing that he wanted to do. Scott walked swiftly to his room then sat down and checked through the backlog of his messages. Nothing important had come in recently, thank goodness for his mental spam-filter, however.

He opened up a Global-Net route and searched out the information that he desired. Since he had left the military, he had avoided looking into the situation of his former partner. He had hated to leave the girl behind, and he honestly missed her. She was something like his work wife for two years. They worked well together, and only the fact that he had finished his tour had separated them. Even if he had stayed in the military, they would have been separated.

It had not been long before he was able to look up her personnel records. The government was efficient, but his clearance was still in effect since he was a hunter. He could seek out the records of Crystallim or people he had directly worked with in case he might need to contact them in the future.

“Seventy-Two still has not been re-assigned.” He checked her information bio then looked at her current army surplus price tag.

“So expensive...” Scott shook his head. Seventy-Two would cost four hundred twenty-eight thousand gold credits due to her species and training. Military grade Crystallim were expensive, but only a Goddess was more costly than an Avatar.

He sighed softly then shook his head. He could look up her information, but he could not speak to her directly. If he made any attempt to contact her, and it was discovered, he would end up in prison.

Scott did consider one thing that was possible, however. It was probably a rumor, and a badly scripted one at that, but while he was in the army he had heard people speak of a new action plan. Hunters could request their old partners if they had not been assigned. Even if that was the case, he doubted that the Council would authorize a reassignment for an Avatar. The only people he had heard speak of the reassignment rumor had been people who had spoken of simple combat types.

“What could it hurt?” Scott clicked on her bio information then made an entry in the comment section. It was a space relegated to the usage of the most recent master. He had not tried to verify the old rumor, as he suspected that a Crystallim who would cost more than the budget for an entire town might not be available for reassignment.

Scott spoke highly of her skills and of how easily they worked together. He mentioned a plan that he had concocted only a moment before, wherein he would build a small mercenary force to patrol the central continent. It was outlandish and bold, and completely full of shit. The central continent area was a place where none of the three great nation-states on the continent held sway. Crystallim in that area were stronger than any other place on land. Entire mercenary armies had disappeared in that area and were never heard from gain.

He provided detailed information about a plan of action that he had made up on the spot. Basically, he commented a bunch of bullshit, but did so with such style and precision that he actually started to believe that it was what he really intended to do. Scott could not help but smirk in wry amusement at the idea of going to the central continent. He would need to be a hell of a lot older and have access to a great many more resources before he could go anywhere near that place.

Scott hit send then closed down the information screen. He had probably just made a fool of himself, but what did it matter? It would take years to earn enough money to buy Seventy-Two’s contract, and by then she would have fallen hopelessly in love with at least one or two other masters. It was one of the quirks of Crystallim. Emotional connection took time, but when they committed to a human it was a powerful commitment. Even if they had absolutely adored their former master, a new emotional connection was always stronger than the memory of an older connection.

He started to get up, but something completely unexpected occurred. He received a reply back from the ADF! Scott’s eyes widened in shock. He was not about to be served an arrest warrant, was he? Nervous in a way that he had not experienced at any point in his life, he opened the message.

<<< Message >>>

Thank you for your interest in reassignment of the Crystallim designate: Seventy-Two. As her former master your opinion of her skills and desire to continue to serve with her are noted. However, at present you are not qualified to receive her continued assistance.

Council member, Andre Starkov received your request during his shift as community advocate, and has determined that the plan of action that you outlined is interesting and bold. After further research into your current position and connections, and family relations he has authorized a waiver.

Please visit Councilman Starkov in his office between the hours of fifteen hundred and eighteen hundred today if your request is serious.

>>

Scott stared at the screen then slowly shook his head. “There is no way...”

The councilman on duty had taken him seriously. Scott had no idea that the on duty council member would even receive his request, much less actually view it! When the council members were on duty as community advocates they worked via virtual reality technology so that they could address many more concerns than a normal day would allow. The Council worked hard to ensure the survival and happiness of the people of the country.

There was a startling lack of corruption in the governments found on his home continent. The rest of the world varied greatly in that regard, though many countries kept corruption to a minimum as well, the war-mongering Canadians were one of the few exceptions. Even they had mellowed a bit in recent years since their so-called emperor had been cleansed of his perpetual battle madness.

He read the message several times. It was an impossible thing. He was about to receive a waiver! He was not even out of his trial period, yet, and he still had a chance at having an Avatar reassigned to him? That was almost too much to believe.

One thing caught his attention after the fifth read-through, however. He had not paid attention to it before, but two words drew his gaze. “Family relations...”

What family relations were they referencing? He was an orphan. He had literally been found naked on the side of the road as an infant. From the reports that he had read, he had nearly died from exposure and had been covered in blood.

“I... Don’t even...” said Scott. Was that just something that the councilman added in as part of a formal response? He was certain that it had to be a formality. He had no family.

Scott glanced at the time. He would need to get ready to head out. He wanted to meet the Councilman as soon as possible.

While Scott prepared for his upcoming meeting, he sent Alexis a message. She was supposed to visit him in the afternoon, but he had to meet with the councilman.

She received his message and wrote back quickly, curious about his meeting. He told her about how everything had happened, but left out the part about just making it up on the spot, then discussed the situation. She would stop by at twenty hundred hours.

Scott left his room then headed over to visit Pirouette. If he planned to meet the councilman, and he did, he would need to have his alpha in attendance. The excited hunter pounced on the sleeping elf once he entered her room. He grinned at her when her eyes snapped open.

“Master... What?” asked Pirouette sleepily.

“Wake your sexy ass up, I need you.” said Scott cheerfully.

Pirouette yawned then pulled her left arm through one of the thin straps of her lingerie. Scott laughed then took her hands in his.

“No, not that.” he said.

“Oh? What then?” asked the elf, slightly disappointed.

Scott grinned at her again. “We have to go see a councilman.”

Her eyes widened. “Are you kidding?”

Scott laughed then related recent events to Pirouette. She nodded her head a few times then chuckled softly.

“That’s quite a story. I hope you are prepared for the inevitable questions that he will ask.” she said.

Scott nodded then ran his hands forward to gently massage Pirouette’s glorious mounds. “Yeah, I actually rather like the idea now that I have actually had a moment to think about it.”

Pirouette moaned softly then bit her lower lip. “I thought that this was not what you came for?”

Her master smiled down at her. “Who told you that lie? I’d come for these breasts any day.”

Pirouette practically purred at him. “Such a nice boy...”

Scott leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. “Maybe, but I don’t want to do anything nice with you right now.”

“No?” she asked with a sensual pout.

Scott squeezed her breasts strongly then whispered in her ear, “Later I will do very mean things.”

Her eyes widened for a brief moment then narrowed. She wrapped her arms around him and held him close. “You won’t be gentle?”

“Never...” said Scott.

“I’m so happy to hear that...” whispered Pirouette. Of course, now she was more than a little disappointed since she would have to wait until later to be treated in a properly rude manner.

***

America was as overpopulated and bizarre as ever. Scott and Pirouette took well over an hour to transit through town while they dealt with lines and crowds. It was to the extent that he honestly wondered why they did not simply expand the city. Of course, given the population density they would probably need to make it four or five times larger to accommodate everyone. That would just entice more people to come and take up residence.

The Council building was a plain, utilitarian, construct that most people would not even recognize if it was not clearly labeled. Scott and Pirouette entered and stated their business to the heavily armed ADF guards at the front desk area. Unlike Alexis’ tower, these guards were quite upfront about their jobs, though Scott did suspect that several cloaked guards waited nearby.

An armed escort of four soldiers took them through the transit point to the upper floor. They walked along the well-lit corridor then stopped outside the community advocate’s door.

“Councilman Starkov is expecting you. We will remain here at the door, citizen.” said the ADF guard captain.

Scott nodded to the man then glanced at Pirouette. She nodded at him as well. It was time to see what the Councilman had to say. The door made a buzzing sound and then it opened.

Once they entered the room, the door closed. The room was completely bare save for a single virtual reality pod near the back. The pod made a hissing sound and the top raised up to reveal a middle-aged man, and a beautiful woman. It was the councilman and his Avatar.

“Answer, take a nap.” said Andre. The Avatar smiled sweetly at him then faded out of sight. The Crystallim core on the center of the device began to glow with a steady light.

The naked councilman yawned lightly then stood up. Light shimmered around him a few seconds later and a business suit formed around him. He was ready to conduct business now.

“Good afternoon Mr. Matthews. Care to sit down?” The councilman made a gesture and furniture shimmered into existence. Scott and Pirouette sat down on the chairs provided then looked at the Councilman from across the table.

“Analise, you’re looking as lovely and unattainable as ever.” said the man.

Pirouette smiled lightly at the councilman. “Thank you, but I’ve been quite decidedly attained recently.”

“True, but still unattainable for me.” replied Andre.

Scott glanced at Pirouette then smiled. So, this was one of the people who knew the truth about her? It made sense that the council would know her secret. They had to authorize her operation after all.

“All pleasantries aside, we do need to discuss your plan to build a mercenary force.” said the councilman.

Scott nodded to the man. “Yes, it will take quite some time as I intend to only staff my team with hunters, support personnel, and Crystallim who work well together.”

“Good, you outlined a small expeditionary style force, correct?” asked the man.

“Yes, really it would be simpler and more feasible to explore the interior with a smaller but dedicated force.” said Scott.

“Exploratory missions head that way on occasion, but one out of seven never return. It will take quite some time before you would have a team capable of handling that, much less a mercenary force.” said Andre.

“True, but it is a worthy goal.” replied the hunter.

Andre rubbed his chin. “It is, though it is decidedly outside your current pay grade. What do you plan to do with the Avatar if I allow her reassignment?”

Scott had decided that there was only one thing he could legitimately use her for at his current stage. “I plan to have her create a virtual space so that my force can have a place to train their tactics between missions.”

“Good answer. You may have been full of shit about everything else, but at least your ability to B.S. has logic behind It.” replied Andre with an amused smirk.

“Ah, I was that transparent?” asked Scott.

Andre laughed loudly then waved his hand back and forth. “Oh, I’ve seen worse. The plan itself is not bad, but it is not something I would normally be able to entertain due to the fact that you are still in your trial period.”

“What caused you to want to give Scott a waiver then?” asked Pirouette.

“Three things.” said Andre, while he held two fingers up in the air.

“Which are?” asked Scott.

The councilman smiled. “One, you’re sponsored by Analise and somehow even managed to convince her to join your team. That’s a legendary feat in and of itself. People who know anything worth knowing are still talking about that one.”

Scott glanced at Pirouette. She turned to him then flashed him a winning smile. He thought about how they had gotten together then laughed a little. “Legendary feat? Yes, I think so.”

Pirouette screwed her lips to the left and unleashed a cheeky smile. No one suspected that she had pretty much thrown herself at him. The older men on the council would probably have a heart attack at the unfairness of it all.

“You said there were other reasons?” asked Scott.

“Well, it is more of the same. My decision was based on who you know and who you are related to. You are currently in a relationship with Alexis Rantez, correct?”

“Yes, we are contractually dating.” said Scott.

Andre smiled at him. “That’s how I met my wife, not bad.”

Scott smiled at the man in turn. He was certainly quite genial.

“Anyway, the Rantez family is well connected and quite powerful. The fact that you managed to garner the attentions of the beautiful heiress is another point in your favor.”

Scott nodded. He could see why that would seem favorable. He had no access to their wealth or money, but he was currently the significant other of a girl who stood to inherit a vast fortune and lots of clout. “I see.” he said.

Andre nodded to the hunter. “Oh yes, the third thing that I mentioned, you might not know this as you were listed as an orphan? Am I correct?”

“Yes, I was raised at an orphanage.” said Scott.

“Have you ever met your biological family?” asked the councilman.

Scott shook his head. “No, unfortunately I have not. I did not even know that I had any.”

“I thought as much. The truth is that your family is on record.” said Andre.

“What? No one ever told me...” Scott had even searched the public databases during his spare time over the course of several years. He had found nothing.

“It was not known until recently. Public records from the war period are spotty at best due to the destruction of our infrastructure. Once you joined the military, a database search turned up war survivors and made a solid match for your genetics.” said the councilman.

“So, I have relatives and no one told me?” asked Scott, anger rising up within him.

“Did you ask? The ADF does not go out of its way to announce its records to anyone.” asked Andre.

Scott winced. He had given up seeking out his family years ago. He had no one to blame but himself in that regard. Still, he was curious. “So, I do have relatives...”

“Relative, actually, just one.” said Andre.

“OK, I’ll bite. Why does this relative of Scott’s warrant a waiver from the council?” asked Pirouette.

Andre flashed her a warm smile. “His name if Jacob Turner.”

Pirouette blinked. Her eyes slowly widened, “No...”

“Oh, yes... Yes, indeed.”

Scott glanced at Pirouette. “Who’s Jacob Turner?”

She blinked once more then turned to Scott. “You don’t know?”

Scott pointed at himself. “Is this the face of a guy who knows things?”

She laughed softly then shook her head. “Jacob Turner is the owner of Turner Industries, the company that actually owns my institute. Your relative is probably the single most powerful man on the continent, if not this half of the planet.”

Scott’s eyes widened. “You’re kidding.”

“No, she’s not. From our records and your genetic profile we believe you to be his lost grandson. During the war, his daughter and son-in-law were killed during a raid on a nature hospice. Their infant son was thought to be dead as well.” said Andre.

“Nature hospice?” asked Scott. Why would they be out in the woods during war time?

“Yes, I did not know your grandfather at the time, but we have worked together frequently in recent years. He does not like to discuss the past, but he did tell me about it once.” said Andre.

Scott looked to Andre and the man nodded. “Well, I don’t know all of the details, but your great grandmother is the Goddess Crystallim named Arcie’le. Her powers were focused on the natural world and she was of the elf sub-type. So, you have premium grade elf blood coursing through your veins.”

“Ah, now I don’t feel nearly as dirty.” said Pirouette with a smile.

“Wait till later, dear.” said Scott before he patted her on the hand. The dark elf’s cheeks took on a slightly reddened shade.

Andre chuckled in amusement at their antics. However, his good humor died away as he continued the story. “Anyway, your mother was enamored of her ancestry and wanted to give birth to you at a nature hospice so that the Heart of the World would bless you.”

“I see...” said Scott. He was not certain what to say about that. It was a hell of a story and it made a lot of sense.

The councilman sighed. “That damned Canadian Emperor... In this day and age it is hard to believe that there are still human beings who do things like that.”

War had been an almost extinct practice once humanity had left old Earth. The universe was vast and there was room for everyone. Basic living resources were not even remotely scarce anymore. The only scarce resources were things unique to any given planetary system. Crystallim were unique to this world, for instance.

“Anyway, I won’t tell you to go speak with your grandfather, but it would probably be a good idea.” said Andre.

“I... Yes.” said Scott. He looked down at the floor. It was a lot to take in, and only a random decision had led to this discovery. He could have spent his entire life without knowing that he had any family members.

The idea that he had a grandfather, a heritage, it was... He did not know what it was. “I... Need some time to think about all of this.”

Andre nodded to him. “I’m granting the waiver, we can discuss it later as you will not be able to acquire your former partner for reassignment until you have finished your trial.”

“Thank you... For everything.” said Scott. He looked up at Andre and nodded. The rims of his eyes had begun to turn red. This was incredible news.

The councilman smiled. “I’m glad that I could help.”

The sincerity in the man’s tone was almost enough to cause Scott to lose his composure. He had been granted knowledge that he had thought that he would never acquire. Today had proven to be something far from what he had originally thought that it would be.