They too, would die. Ending the human race.

The frigates drew closer. Onward they came, straight for her. Her processors burned with super-activity, but no answers came. There was no answer. The T'kaan would win this small battle in a tiny corner of the universe. But a page would turn in the history of the universe as the last chapter ended for the human race.

Mother had only one regret. She had come to believe that she and the children could have dealt the T'kaan the defeat they deserved. If they had found allies.

If there had only been more time.

"Their weapons are primed!" Becky shouted as she stared are her sensors in shock.

Mother watched the approaching horns in a detached, logical way. She wondered, for the first time, what death would be like-for her.

The tracers from the ship's weapons leapt unexpectedly.

The Mewiss, left to themselves a few moments after the T'kaan had turned away to face Mother, had frantically worked their damage control and successfully brought their weapon's systems back on-line. In that very instant, the Mewiis colony ship fired every gun it had into the rear shields of the T'kaan frigates as it closed from behind. Both frigates shuddered visibly under the multiple impacts as the Mewiss scored direct hit after direct hit. Moments later, the rear section of each frigate's shields buckled.

Mother, still on her collision course, noted the communications signal the Mewiss ship sent in tandem with the salvos. Probably a warning signal to their home world in case the Mewiss ship was destroyed-a warning message to all the Mewiss worlds about this attack.

Mother fired her twelve guns into the frigates, her blasts blossoming across their shields as they shuddered again. She would make them pay, at the very least.

Unexpectedly, Minstrel's spherical ship suddenly emerged from Stealth. At point blank range, her laser blasts fired and blossomed across the frigate's forward shields. Now the forward shield sections buckled, leaving the T'kaan ships completely vulnerable to attack from all sides.

In quick retaliation the weapon horns spat their death, not toward Mother, but toward the circle ship of Minstrel as it streaked away.

The first tracers missed. But Minstrel's ship reeled from the remaining blows, and many of the spherical ship's internal systems began to fail in sprouting, shining sparks.

Mother noted the costly damage Minstrel's ship sustained. All for her.

Mother hummed with electronic satisfaction as her engines finally came back on-line. She veered sharply away and began calculating another attack vector.

"Look!" Jaric shouted.

Unbelievably, the two T'kaan warships turned hard and rapidly gained speed. They had turned in the opposite direction Mother had taken-making a course for the far off main fleet.

"Should we go after them?" Kyle asked excitedly as he checked his ship. "Are you kidding? Just shut up for once, alright, Big K." Jaric said with sarcastic wit as he started laughing.

"Exactly!" Becky agreed with a sigh of relief.

Moments later, in a hyperjump flash, the much reduced T'kaan squadron leapt beyond light speed.

"But why?" Becky said aloud. Asking the question that was in all their collective minds.

Only Mother had registered the sudden communications signal that had been sent from afar to both the frigates during the height of the battle. That same channel had been used to send an answer moments later. A two-way communication sent to the main squadrons of the T'kaan Third battle fleet.

Chapter Twenty-One.

Many light yearsaway, inside the black ships crowned with horns over their prows, the many-legged aliens scurried with renewed activity. Among the flowing folds that covered the dark interiors of their warships, the T'kaan officers gathered inside the fleeing frigates as they returned to the Third fleet. Their tentacle arms slapped the folds with growing urgency.

"Huntress attack with weapons so strong! Vengeance we need, right what is wrong!"

The clicking of tusks filled the ships-their hated enemy must die.

"Soon we eat Mewiis, lay new T'kaan eggs. Suck their golden fluids, lick their sticky dregs."

A new war would now begin. The data they had stolen revealed there were many Mewiss worlds, enough so that the Third would grow substantially with this cycle. All signs were right that this war would be good. Most important, they even knew the precise location where the home world was located.

Only the mysterious appearance of the Huntress caused a stir of alarm among the War Leaders.

Many light years away, aboard the T'kaan battleships and cruisers gathered near the Great Horned ship of the Third, The Great One spoke and gave instruction.

The T'kaan leaders met and talked for many days inside the ships of their fleet. The Leaders and warriors alike spent hours at a time eating on the last of the frozen human remains in order to remember the humans.

The walls bled purple in the ships of the fleet, adding to the pleasure of the war feast. Still far away, the two returning T'kaan frigates forwarded the rest of the Mewiss data. The plundered data from the destroyed Mewiis ship were quickly examined in greater detail, as well as that stolen from the crippled colony ship.

They soon discovered a surprise in the data they had never antic.i.p.ated.

There was not just one race in the Mewiss sector. No, among the many, many worlds there were three races to war upon. The foolish transmission even revealed to them the exact coordinates that made up the boundaries of each of the Three Kingdoms. For the first time in a millennia, the coming cycle took on new meaning-a special meaning. The leaders of the Third hummed this meaning long, until it took the form of words.

"What we are, what we do. War and breed, great and true. To the Kingdoms Three-Thrice again One and Darkest to be."

Two communiques from the Third fleet were sent out to the far reaches of the galaxy. One message, two destinations.

Against the black canopy of s.p.a.ce the horned prows of the T'kaan ships slowly turned as one toward their next victims-toward the Three Kingdoms.

But the fleet did not sail at full speed as the War Leaders pondered and waited for the answers to its twin message. The answers came quickly with hushed excitement-and secret coordinates for a special meeting of the T'kaan and Great Ones.

Still, it would take time until the others arrived.

Three powerful squadrons continued toward the Three Kingdoms, they would test the strength of the Mewiis, they would attack the first Mewiis worlds and report back. The main bulk of the T'kaan Third fleet turned toward the secret coordinates.

The new cycle began....

Chapter Twenty-Two.

"First Contact isthe most important moment between two sentient races." The voice of Minstrel whispered into the ears of the three humans. They stood upon the planet in which the Mewiis had directed them. "My translator will allow communication with them easy enough." Minstrel, invisible, was floating among Kyle, Becky and Jaric. The orange star of this second planet of three stood high in the yellow sky. The Mewiis had only agreed to this face-to-face meeting after they had put several daysdistance between them and the recent battleground.

"They have only known the Hrono and Kraaqi in all their existence; you will be the first race they have met in their entire history. Be especially careful," Minstrel's ghostly voice whispered.

"Where are you?" Jaric asked in a low voice as all three looked furtively around.

"As I said before, Minstrels observe un.o.btrusively. I will be a Watcher at this historic event for both your races. Hurry, they are coming."

Just over a small rise, a small group of Mewiis strolled into sight.

Jaric's eyes opened wider.

The Mewiis were covered by a pale green skin and were completely hairless, at least their heads and arms were, which were the only things exposed by their one-piece jump-suits. The males were smaller and shorter than the females, while the latter also seemed to be the only ones carrying all the weapons.

One of the females turned her head, and Jaric could see something moving.

It was some kind of tail-a head-tail!

As they drew closer, it became obvious that there was also a bone ridge that extended from the forehead over the top of the hairless skull and then to the base of the flexible appendage. Jaric's eyes opened wider as he realized that this appendage seemed to be ever moving, swishing from side to side with the alien's growing antic.i.p.ation.

The Mewiis a.s.semblage stopped before the three humans, and each took in the other with expectant eyes.

With mouth open in awe, the lead male ignored the others and walked straight to Becky. He gently reached for the blonde hair that fell around her shoulders.

"You are...Kraaqi?" He whispered in disbelief.

Becky stood very still as his hand caressed her locks. She was very nervous. Suddenly realizing that this gesture might be the human equivalent of shaking hands, she reached for the moving appendage behind the Mewiis head.

He smiled.

"If you touch it, we will have to mate." The Mewiis male smiled wider.

Becky's hand jerked back.

She smiled nervously. "Well, I guess I won't touch that then, will I?"

A look of obvious disappointment crossed the Mewiis' face.

"Just as well," Minstrel whispered into Becky's ear. "They sound like they're coughing up a hairball when they mate." "How do you know that?" Becky whispered back.

Every Mewiis eye was suddenly focused on her. She felt her face flush with embarra.s.sment.

"I told you, we observe sentient races." Minstrel said, now barely audible in her ear.

"A little too closely, I think," Becky whispered.

The rest of the Mewiis had now gathered around the three humans.

"They are like Kraaqi, but different." One Mewiis whispered to another.

"They smell bad." Another whispered.

"They stink!" A third gagged.

"Quiet. They understand us." A large female held up her hand for silence. She nodded at the humans and stepped forward.

With reverence, she approached Becky and bowed her head slightly.

"On behalf of our children, I thank you. My name is Saris. I am Captain of this expedition."

Kyle and Jaric looked at each other with raised eyebrows.

"I take it the women wear the pants in this family," Kyle chuckled to Jaric in a low voice.

Jaric laughed.

Becky shot both of them a dirty look, but they only laughed louder.

"What is wrong with your males? Do you not train them?" The female Mewiis asked incredulously.

"Never mind the men, we have dire news for you.." Becky's voice became serious, yet tinged with sadness. "We have come to warn you of a danger that threatens all of you. It can destroy your entire civilization, as it did ours. We are the last three survivors of a proud race known as Humanity."

Kyle and Jaric grew silent along with Becky as they surveyed the effect of their message on the faces of the Mewiis.

"We must talk more," The lead Mewiis female said decisively.

The tragic tale of the last War of Humanity was retold with the deepest solemnity by Becky. The Mewiss listened, and not a few of the tenderhearted males shed a tear as the end of humanity came down to the three humans who stood before them now.

And now the last of the human race offered to help the Mewiis fight this same menace-offering their very lives, if necessary.

"We are not a fierce race," Saris said as Becky finished the sad tale. "Our children are our lives. We live for them. This very mission was to begin colonizing a new planet, the farthest from the Three Kingdomsever founded. Ours is a most important undertaking. We had even toyed with the idea that we might meet a new race. But not like this."

Krinia, another female, spoke.

"We only fight to defend ourselves. Our ships, our weapons, are built around this concept. How can we fight?"

"Then the T'kaan will cut you to pieces." Kyle said .

Becky held up her hand.

"We can help. Mother can give you plans for a new weapon. A weapon as powerful, and maybe more so, than even what the T'kaan possess."

"You saw the battle cruiser destroyed, right? In a single blow," Jaric added.

"Why did she not destroy the other two ships? Before they escaped?" Saris asked.

"I am not invincible. Neither are my weapons. But, we have also found that the T'kaan are not invincible." The Mewiis looked around skittishly as Mother's voice emanated from the communicator on Becky's necklace. Both Kyle and Jaric carried a similar device.

"But we are not as numerous as the human race, as when they faced this T'kaan fleet. We occupy less than fifty worlds."

"Are the Mewiis not part of the Three Kingdoms?" Mother asked, prompted by the knowledge she had obtained from Minstrel. "The Mewiis, the Hrono and the Kraaqi together can field a fleet equal to the T'kaan Third fleet."

The Mewiis looked at each other in puzzlement. Not a few began to laugh.