6
Jena Abbyline Rork is the Alpha of the Multi-Unity Pack, and she is also a female.
Despite the fact that some people, both in her pack and elsewhere, oppose change and are unhappy about her position, she has become an Alpha through the most undisputable of ways – combat.
Almost 4 years ago the warhog threat was revealed through Jena's actions, as she became Alpha over a small pride of cats in order to save their lives from a sneak attack planned by the mysterious leader of the warhogs – the Master.
From the intelligence gathered so far, it appears the Master is on a kind of a crusade for a reason known only to himself, as his followers and the mainstay of his army is comprised of those warhogs that follow and obey him fanatically, though some of them do so against their will.
The Tri-Pack alliance is formed of the three most powerful packs in South-Eastern Calla. Southern Star Pack with its extremely high number of members but almost no available water relying mostly on trade to acquire it, Mountain River Pack with its unconquerable position and infinite amount of water available but suffering from a limited amount of space on their mountain range, and Jena's own Multi-Unity Pack, a pack sporting medium amount of members with enough water to have some left for outside trade.
Why is water so important? Because generations ago a great war took place. The Techno War. The weapons used back then relied so much on nuclear power and energy, radiation bombs and weaponized radioactive waste that the planet's entire surface water supply was gradually contaminated, leaving only a few extreme depth water sources available.
Clean water like from the oasis around which Multi-Unity's settlement is built and the river coming from under the mountain where the MR Pack members have their homes makes those locations highly valuable and the packs very powerful.
Because while someone can survive on contaminated water, their health suffers greatly and a warrior with access to clean water will go through 7 or 8 of his enemy equivalents with no such access like they were nothing more than old ladies with severe physical handicaps.
"Why the hell do we keep having these war-councils? In four years there haven't been any attacks! None! I'm wasting precious resources training warriors I don't need and will probably never use!" Alpha Sorin of Southern Star says.
"It does not hurt to be prepared," Alpha Aaron of Mountain River says in turn.
"Easy for you to say. You got so much water you don't know what to do with. And yet when I ask for..."
"Another increase in the amount I'm already giving you? Considering you are seeing no action as you just said I see no justifiable reason to provide more."
"I'm starting to think my biggest threat is YOU! You've had Alphas pledge their loyalties to you like there is no tomorrow! What was it last week? The ninth Alpha to bow to you? Or the tenth?"
"I see your spies are as efficient as always, Alpha Sorin. Is it jealousy I detect there? But you shouldn't be since you'd still outnumber my alliance by more than 3 to 1 with your pack alone."
"With riff-raff and refugees? Ha!"
"Is it my fault your standards are so low that you accept anyone?"
"Enough! Alpha Sorin, where would you send your wife, your daughter and your Elders and pack children in case of an attack?" Jena finally intervenes.
"...the Mountain River Pack sanctuary."
"And Alpha Aaron, do you by any chance have room for one tenth of the refugees Southern Star is giving shelter to?"
"I... Mountain River does not have the space to do that."
"I thought so. Now stop this bickering and focus on the real enemy!"
"What enemy? Do you see anyone coming our way?" Alpha Sorin jumps back into the argument.
"You mean besides the refugees running for their lives from the west?"
"So why should we care? It's not our problem!"
"So then why are you accepting all the water shipments I'm sending?" Alpha Aaron also says.
"You two are always ganging up on me! You know what? Fcuk this Alliance! But I won't have people say I'm unreasonable. You have two months to prove this warhog threat is real and it affects us, or I'm pulling out of this damn alliance. And if you even think about stopping the water transports, I'm evicting ALL the refugees at once and telling them to come to you two for shelter and whatever else you wish to do with them," and with that he leaves the room, slamming the door as he exits.
"By the Moons, what a prick!"
"I agree with you, Jena, but I can also see his point of view. You know I don't mind the water I'm giving out, but while I'm giving it for defense purposes, I'm wondering when Sorin, without an actual target to focus on, will start looking to us as potential territories to annex."
"I know that too. So Qubdaig knows you have 10 alliances made and has told Sorin."
"Yeah, he took a vacation and went to relax with his lover in Southern Star. At least that is what he told everyone back home."
"Yeah, he told me the same thing through a letter; but Aaron, I thought you were better at hiding things from that old wolf?"
"14."
"14 what?"
"Is the actual amount of alliances I have right now, excluding our very unofficial one."
"Oh, nooice!" Jena says with a huge grin.
"And you?"
"Well you know I can't afford to buy my alliances as you do, but I've got more than a few promises of help against the warhogs. If it came down to fighting Sorin on the other hand, I doubt I could even gather 2 allies for it. But we shouldn't even have to consider fighting each other! It's so wrong with the warhogs out there!"
"Exactly. Out there with no trace of them coming this way."
"OK, I get it. I'll go see to it myself."
"I don't think you need to do that, just send someone you trust."
"And have Sorin say they are lying just to make my point? If I am going and bringing back the news, he won't dare to say I'm lying to my face. If he does, we'll need someone to run Southern Star, cause I'm done taking shit from people, no matter who they are."
"That is a bit ballsy, isn't it? Even from Conall?"
"Conall doesn't say shit, he only has extremely high expectations from people, so if he says you suck, to his standards you probably do. I still haven't gotten a 'good' evaluation from him. I celebrate my birthday more often then I hear him say I did anything 'above average'."
"Yeah, he is quite the character."
"Plus, I'm not the same woman I was when I took over father's pack. I've had 4 years to train, and I did so every day. You think Sorin is as fresh on his skills as he used to be? Or you think he would even consider leading his warriors from the front line?"
"I see your point. You are still cocky as hell, I say."
"How about we go outside the settlement and spar for a bit then?"
"Really? You ran out of opponents?"
"Hey, you're the one saying I'm cocky. Plus Conall hasn't been available for the last two weeks and I'm itching for a bleed."
"Eastern exit in 45 minutes? I'll just grab a bite and my training clothes and meet you there."
"You are full of contradictions, Aaron. You come to a different territory for a meeting and you pack training clothes, yet you eat before exercising. I guess I should be offended since you don't think you need all the blood working your muscles, sending it instead to digest your food."