"But war is full of unexpected circ.u.mstances. Will the T'kaan not test the Kraaqi? And the Hrono?"

"They will destroy the Mewiis first. Yours are the first planets they will encounter. After Mewiis, the Kraaqi systems would be in their projected path. And finally, the Hrono worlds."

"The Kraaqi worlds are greater in number. Only a portion extend into a narrow middle ground between ours and the Hrono. The Hrono worlds extends far out toward the Chalasta sector, still unexplored."

"They will a.s.sume, from the raided data systems on your ships, that the Mewiis are the weakest. T'kaan always attack the weakest first."

"They will learn otherwise," Saris growled.

"They will learn, we hope, that a combined Kraaqi-Hrono-Mewiis fleet with warships fitted with the super-weapon is a force to be reckoned with. Such a combined fleet will equal in number the ships of the T'kaan Third Fleet."

"But with these feints of the T'kaan begun our time grows short, even though we may subtly dictate the place of battle. Will there be time to form a combined fleet? Will it come in time to save our worlds?"

Saris pleaded.

"Mother believes she can get the Hrono's support quite quickly. With their technology and their vast shipyards, they can not only upgrade their fleets in short order, but a.s.sist the Kraaqi as well. It is the warrior Kraaqi, with their famous longships, that we need the most. But seeing that the Kraaqi ships are the most numerous, we will definitely need the Hrono shipyards to help upgrade all of their capital ships in time."

"It is their divisive Bands. If they ever gathered under a single leader, they would control the Three Kingdoms. Fortunately, right now they love exploration more than war."

"Warrior-explorers," The mirror-Saris added.

Saris looked into her mirror image's face. Deep into her own eyes. "Will Mother be able to do this thing in time for us?"

The mirror-Saris laughed.

"The children have a saying about the MotherShip, one I discern to be quite true, that emphasizes all herinherent power with the fewest of words."

"Tell me."

"Don't mess with Mother."

Chapter Twenty-Eight.

"They are agreat enemy." Rok's voice held great sadness.

Two days had pa.s.sed since the children had met Rok and the Band of the Stars, and still they found themselves encamped on the same wild planet trying to convince the Kraaqi leader about the peril of the T'kaan.

But a breakthrough had finally occurred that very hour.

The children's words had finally touched both Rok's heart as well as his mind, and now he fully understood the terrible peril that not only awaited his people and the worlds they lived in, but also the very fate of countless other races and peoples and their worlds.

"We must go to the Council of Chieftains at once and warn them," a warrior next to Rok said.

"Well spoken, Sharak," Rok acknowledged.

Becky smiled hopefully at Jaric and Kyle.

"But there is one other thing we must tell you," Kyle said.

The warriors of the Band of the Stars had all risen to their feet. The fires all burned low, but the dancing light glistened across each somber face. All eyes turned to the three humans.

"Speak, hoo-man," Rok said.

Kyle faced Rok, but he spoke in a loud voice so all could hear his words easily. "The T'kaan are too powerful; they are too numerous for the Kraaqi to fight alone. They will destroy you."

Warriors growled and cursed Kyle's words for long seconds. Rok alone stood silent, searching the faces of the somber humans. At last Rok raised his right arm and the warriors grew silent. But it was a sullen and haughty silence.

"The Kraaqi are a great and mighty people. Our ships are strong. Our Captains are the bravest of all theuniverse. We will destroy the T'kaan," Rok said with force.

Now the warriors broke out into a chorus of shouted challenges to this newest of enemies; an enemy who not only destroyed entire races, but their planets as well. The volume of their shouts and war cries soon became deafening.

Once again, Rok raised his arm for silence.

"You have more to say. Speak," Rok commanded.

Jaric reached into his belt and pulled out his data pad. He walked over to Rok and handed it to him.

"You and your warriors must watch this. It is a recording of my people's final battles with the T'kaan.

You must watch this first, and then we will talk.

Rok took the data pad and together with a few of his select warriors they retired to sit around a fire at the edge of the camp. The three humans watched as the Kraaqi faces peered at the screen where the data pad was now replaying the horrific battles between the humans and the T'kaan.

"How long will it take them?" Becky asked.

Kyle's eyes never wavered as he continued peering at the Kraaqi warriors and the data pad. "I don't think it will take long. Mother and I picked some very convincing battles."

Twenty minutes later, Rok and his warriors rose as one and made their way back to the campfire where the children sat. Kyle, Jaric and Becky got up and met them halfway.

"The T'kaan are a terrible enemy indeed," Rok said.

"Yes," Jaric agreed.

"We will ask the Mewiis to ally themselves with our war fleets. After all, it will be the Mewiis worlds they will attack first," Rok said.

"The Mewiis are not warriors," Sharak growled. "They are weak."

Rok turned to the Kraaqi warrior. "Sh'alott mon qittra. Krang mon K'halbot ."

"Why don't our translators work on these ancient Kraaqi proverbs?" Becky looked from Kyle to Jaric in turn.

"It must be some kind of old, forgotten dialect. That's a guess." Jaric shrugged. They turned back to the Kraaqi.

"Yes." Sharak's eyes narrowed as he nodded slowly with agreement.

Becky looked from Jaric to Kyle, but both remained silent. She looked back to Rok. "What'd you say to change his mind?"

"An ancient saying of my people. From the mother tongue." Rok's eyes became far off. "It means, 'Even the Rossa will fight, when its children are attacked.'" Kyle and Jaric grunted appreciation, as did many of the Kraaqi.

"Even the tiny Rossa is formidable when its young are threatened," Sharak added.

"It is still not enough to defeat the T'kaan," Kyle said.

Silence filled the air and the low crackling of the logs suddenly became audible in the absence of any other sound. Rok's eyes narrowed, as did the other Kraaqi warriors.

"It will have to be enough," Rok said.

"You know it won't be," Kyle countered.

"Listen," Jaric began. "We're not talking about simply losing a battle here. We're trying to tell you that the T'kaan will destroy you, your ships and every single Kraaqi world. Everything and everyone will be killed." The young man paused as he looked around at the faces of each warrior to make sure his words had sunk in. "You need to ally your forces with the Hrono and the Mewiis in order to defeat the T'kaan."

"This!" Rok spat with violence. "This is unthinkable."

"Think the unthinkable, First Commander. Your race depends on it," Becky growled.

Jaric put his hand on Rok's shoulder. "Think as a wise leader, Rok, and not simply as a warrior." Jaric's eyes pleaded with Rok. "Think as would your wisest leader."

Rok straightened. His ebony face was one of silent and intense concentration. Behind him, the low murmuring of the others began to grow.

"This cannot be," Sharak said. "We cannot fightwith the Hrono. It can never be."

"This new enemy is greater than any we have ever known," Rok said. "We must take this information to the Chieftains." Suddenly Rok's face hardened, as though in deep thought.

"They will agree with me, Kraaqi and Hrono can never fight together," Sharak said.

"Perhaps," Rok began, his face still revealing his inner turmoil.

"We can't waste time," Kyle said. "The T'kaan fleet is bearing down on us. Weeks may be all there is left. Precious weeks."

"Is there any Kraaqi leader with vision?" Becky pleaded. "Is there any Kraaqi leader who thinks beyond yesterday?"

"Rawlon," Rok whispered.

"Rawlon," Becky repeated. "Is he a leader of vision?"

"He is First Captain of all the Kraaqi. Our greatest leader, our greatest warrior." Rok stroked his feather-hair in thought. "He is a young leader, youngest Kraaqi to ever become First Captain. And one of vision." "Rawlon is not a Chieftain. We should bring this dire news before the Chieftains first," Sharak growled.

Rok turned to Sharak. "Rawlon will know how we should proceed. He will know if this alliance is necessary, or possible."

"No!" Sharak spat.

"K'deth Kallah. Band'a Ho'Jak Tal. HronKraaqa ." Rok's eyes burned into Sharak's.

"Pala'tah ," Sharak sneered. "You speak the words wrong."

"No matter, my word stands. We go to Rawlon. We will seek first his wisdom, then we go to the Chieftains." Rok crossed his burly arms. "Or do you challenge my right as First Commander, Band of the Stars.

Sharak bared his teeth as he stared straight into Rok's burning glare. The eyes of the two warriors burned into the other several intense seconds.

But Sharak did not challenge.

"Good, go prepare the ships. We leave immediately." Rok turned. "Break camp," He shouted to the rest of the warriors.

"How do we fly out?" Becky waited on Rok as she motioned to Kyle and Jaric to remain still. "We cannot allow our ships to pollute this world. We cannot fly out by our ships."

"Well said." Rok's expression revealed he was impressed with her words. "I shall call our Frigate. It will put a tractor beam on your fighters and carry them outside the biosphere. There you can safely use your engines."

"Good," Becky said.

Rok turned to walk to his own ship.

"Wait, what was the proverb you just spoke from your old tongue?" Jaric asked.

Rok turned back and smiled. "It is a new proverb- but I used it in the old tongue. One of Rawlon's."

Rok laughed to himself. "One has to know the Kraaqi to appreciate it. Bands sometime war among themselves for differing reasons. It could be their honor was challenged, or a pact was broken."

"Go on," Kyle urged.

"At times, a small Band will ally itself with another Band, in order to fight one of the strongest Bands,"

Rok said.

"And that is the saying?" Jaric asked.

"Not quite," Rok said. "Rawlon's proverb is short, but means that at times it is even necessary for two Bands with a long-time hatred to ally themselves in order to defeat a greater Band. A hard thing to accept, but Rawlon's words are full of vision." "That's why Sharak said you misinterpreted Rawlon's proverb," Jaric said.

"Yes," Rok agreed. "Because I intended them not to mean two feuding Bands that need to ally." Rok nodded his head, his eyes deep in thought a moment. "But that of a Hrono-Kraaqi alliance- " Rok whispered the last, not believing his own words.

"Then you, too, as Rawlon, are a leader of vision," Jaric grinned.

Chapter Twenty-Nine.

"We are insidethe inner sanctum," Rok whispered with reverence.

Kyle looked into the darkness. "I guess we wait now?"