That's when she noticed that Arok, who was taking his turn practicing with the bow, had shifted his aim to the left of the target they had set against the wall. Before she could stop her oldest son, the already nocked and drawn arrow left the bow.

An apparition dropped from the air and Gee flinched, unconsciously stepping backward and away from the ghostly sight. But just as quickly, he recognized the apparition for what it really was-a Telgoran. And not just any Telgoran. Somehow, Patahbay had found his way to where Gee was being held.

The recognition was followed a moment later by another. Grant was now dropping into the courtyard beside his gray-skinned friend.

That recognition was followed immediately by yet another. Arok had trained his weapon on the duo and had fired his arrow.

"Oh, no..."

Patahbay landed on both feet and raised his agsel staff in a defensive posture, ready for anything. He noticed the human, Gee, and a larger Minith standing off to the right, twenty meters away. The alien appeared to be unarmed.

Two smaller aliens were ten meters away and he turned his focus to them, his mind automatically calculating potential threats and defenses. He immediately a.s.sessed them as being younger Minith, not yet adults, but recognized that each held weapons. Though still young, they were the threat, not the older one standing with Gee.

One of the younger Minith held a crude staff that seemed to be formed from some type of organic matter. It was no match for the agsel staff that came to life within his own grip, the ore suddenly aware, anxious for immediate use.

The second young alien-the larger, and likely older of the pair-held some form of stringed weapon. Patahbay had not time to wonder how it worked before he saw exactly how it operated. The string held a straight shaft, and when the young Minith released is hold upon it, the tension in the string launched the shaft toward Patahbay.

He saw immediately that the aim was true, and the shaft flashed quickly toward his body.

Seemingly of its own volition, the agsel staff reacted to the threat and- * * *

-swatted the wooden missile, redirecting its flight away and to the right. The arrow landed dead center in the target they had set up for the boys.

"Amazing," Gee whispered. What had seemed to be a certain strike had been casually swatted away like an irritating moth.

"Arok, stop!"

The boy heard her command and immediately stopped nocking his second arrow.

"Drop the bow." Again, he did as his mother ordered. The bow, and the second arrow he had been readying, fell to the hard-packed surface of the courtyard.

The first arrow had been sent toward the alien instinctively, she knew. That one might be overlooked by the Telgoran or the human-humans, she corrected, as two more quickly dropped over the wall and joined the first. A second arrow would no doubt result in one or more of the growing group of interlopers firing their hand-held weapons at her oldest child.

Fortunately, no one fired, and she was both grateful and relieved.

Grant was within a hair's width of completing the trigger pull when the boy did as the other, obviously older Minith demanded and dropped his bow. Although it seemed like Patahbay had deflected the first arrow easily enough, he did not know how much of the move-which was very impressive-was luck versus skill. Regardless, there was no way he was going to allow the big-eared alien to take another try.

He was satisfied to cover the group arrayed before him as the rest of the team crossed the wall. t.i.tan landed hard a few meters away, but everyone else made it without any issues.

"Any Minith see us cross?" he asked Patahbay, the designated spokesman for his crew.

"Not that we could determine, General."

"Excellent. Let's hope you're right." Grant lowered his weapon and finally stood. "Gee, old buddy. How're you doing?"

"I'm doing better now that I know I'm not the only human on Waa. But I still think we're in a very bad situation."

Grant had to laugh. They were indeed.

"What, eight humans against a planet full of Minith? I think we've got 'em right where we want 'em, don't you?

"Not likely," the engineer replied, obviously not in the mood for Grant's weak attempt at lightening the situation. "t.i.tan, are you okay?"

The big man was still on the ground, tenderly probing his right ankle.

"Just a sprain, I think," he answered with a grimace. "It's not every day I get tossed into the air like a child's toy. It's good to see you, though."

"General, can we stop the chitchat and get on with the matter at hand?" As usual, Conway was the voice of seriousness-if not maturity. It's one of the things Grant liked most about her. She grounded those around her.

"No problem, Sergeant Conway," Grant agreed. "Gee, we came to save your a.s.s from the Minith, but it looks like you're doing okay. What exactly is going on here?"

The adult Minith standing beside the engineer apparently wanted to know the same thing.

"Gee, what do these aliens want?" she asked Gee in Minith.

"Who are you calling an alien?" Grant asked, his Minith every bit as good as hers. He was rewarded with a twitch of ear, which he knew indicated surprise. She had apparently not expected him to speak the local language.

"Rala, this is Grant. Grant, Rala." Gee answered them both with an introduction. He nodded his head knowingly at Grant, who looked at the female first, then at the two younger Minith. She had called the larger one Arok.

"Treel's Rala?"

"Amazing, isn't it?"

CHAPTER 31.

"So, you're proposing an alliance?"

"I wouldn't call it an alliance, Grant. 'Alliance' infers a certain sense of... equality. You and your small team are hardly in a position of strength here on Waa. I am offering you my protection against harm from any Minith that might wish you ill once they learn of your presence here."

"I'm listening," he stated without committing to any agreement or course of action.

Grant had listened carefully as Treel's wife-mate-explained her plans for taking over the governor's role. She seemed anxious to finally share her plans with someone else, even if that someone else was a human. Grant was not surprised that she would plan to overthrow her governor-the need for dominating their environment was a Minith trait. What was surprising was her seemingly unquestioned reliance on the guidance and direction she received from another race. Although Rala described her relationship with the Zrthns as a partnership, it felt an awful lot like influence peddling to Grant. He couldn't help but wonder if she was being manipulated for the benefit of her "partners."

He wasn't sure why she had opened up to him. Maybe it was true what the Waa said about Minith being slightly lower on the "intelligence scale." Perhaps it was because she knew he, as a human, was in no position to share her secrets with anyone. Or perhaps it was because they shared a bond.

Treel.

Whatever the reason, he listened and learned. He also tweaked his plans accordingly.

Once Grant learned who was holding Gee, he asked to meet with Rala and her sons privately. She was hesitant, obviously protective of her offspring. He informed her that if they had wanted to harm her or her sons, they could have already done so. He made a point of handing his weapon to t.i.tan, and she reluctantly agreed.

For the first hour, he talked only about Treel. He described what Treel's life was like on Earth, and how often the two discussed their families. Grant let Arok and Teng know that their father missed them terribly, and he saw the ear twitches that indicated strong emotion. He was unsure how much they remembered of their father, if anything, but he let them know that their father remembered everything about them. He told them about his own son, Eli, and described how much Eli enjoyed spending time with Treel. Rala showed disbelief, but warmed when he described the hours and hours the two spent huddled over a board game called chess.

"That sounds like Treel. He never gives up," she had stated simply. The look she had given her sons was not simple, though. To Grant, the look seemed to imply that they had better take note of their father's diligence and follow his example. Or else.

At the end of the hour, Grant hoped Rala understood the impact Treel had made on the lives of him and his family. He considered Treel a friend and had tried his best to convey that. It must have worked, because Rala dismissed the boys when the stories wound down.

She then began confirming what Treel had always said about his mate: she was a highly competent, driven female that could outthink any other Minith Treel had ever known. The lengthy discussion of her plans, and her offer to help, piqued Grant's interest.

"Yes, my protection. In exchange for playing your role in my a.s.sumption of the governorship," she replied. "You have nothing to lose, except your life and the lives of the remaining humans on Waa."

Grant did not even consider mentioning the plan he had developed with the Waa. If she wanted to believe he was no threat, he was willing to let her. Nonetheless, he was intrigued by her offer and encouraged her to continue. "The situation does seem a bit dire, doesn't it?"

"You're on a planet that is inhabited by nearly a million enemies. Yes, I'd say that was dire."

"Rala," Grant's voice lowered. "How would this 'protection' work? We destroyed your home planet. Are a million Minith really going to forgive and forget that?"

"Two million Minith," she corrected. "A million are here on Waa. The other million are scattered over several other worlds. But you raise a good point. What you may not know about the Minith is that our leader is the supreme ruler. The populace may not like a decree, but that does not mean they will ignore it or disobey it. If the governor places you under protection from retaliation, our people will obey."

"Until the next Minith takes over and rescinds the order."

Rala looked blankly at Grant. He knew it was the truth, but it was obvious she did not want to consider that such a thing could happen-at least, not in the foreseeable future. Grant, however, was a realist and understood the influencing factors that were in play.

"Rala, I am not blind to reality. The fact that there are a million Minith on Waa, and another million spread across the galaxy, does not bode well for the few humans stranded here on Waa," Grant conceded. "But what you-and the rest of your people-need to understand is that we've got billions of humans on Earth. The protection you offer is great, but what you really need is an alliance. Humans aren't the same race the Minith enslaved two decades ago."

Rala's ears twitched and she sat back in her chair. Grant could tell she was processing what he was telling her.

"I think we're finally learning that, Grant. The fact that a thousand of you showed up here and almost reached the governor was quite a feat. And those vehicles you've developed-the flying ones especially. Where did you get those?"

"Don't forget we kicked your a.s.ses on Telgora," he reminded her. "And we barely used our aircraft, tanks, and artillery there. Humans have been fighting wars for thousands and thousands of years. Your people found us at a unique time in our history. We were trying to put war behind us for good-to forget all about it. In our own twisted way, we were making it work. For once, we weren't killing each other."

"So we woke a sleeping warrior, eh?"

Grant smiled. She didn't know his history, but her a.s.sessment could not have been more accurate. He also couldn't help but think how different their initial encounter with the Minith might have been if they had attacked Earth six hundred years before they actually did. The green, bat-eared aliens would have been destroyed without any of the planet's numerous armies breaking a sweat.

"Exactly. And now that the warrior is awake, Earth is going to fight back, regardless of what happens to those of us stuck here." The amity that had been built during the first hour was rapidly dissipating. Grant felt a pang of regret at its loss and tried to get it back. "But let's not dwell on that now. Let's get back to your offer."

"Perhaps you are more our equals than I care to admit," she said. "But let's table this talk of alliance for now. Are you interested in hearing more about my plans?"

"I'm willing to listen. But whatever we decide, it has to benefit all humans. Not just the handful of us hiding behind your walls or being held by your people."

"That's good enough for me, Grant." Rala paused and Grant had the feeling she was looking for a place to begin. When she settled on her starting point, Grant was surprised. "What do you know about agsel?"

"I know it's an ore mined on Telgora. It's used for motherships. What else is there to know?"

"Ah, Grant. Agsel is the lifeblood of the galaxy. Those who control the flow of agsel control the economic conditions on hundreds of worlds."

"Hundreds?"

"Yes, hundreds," she admitted. "The Minith control fourteen worlds. Of those, only a few possess sentient life-primarily Earth and Telgora. The rest are populated by simple creatures and various fauna. We take what we need from each, but for the most part, they don't have much worth taking. Even Earth has very few natural resources that are important to us or to the rest of the worlds with which we trade."

Grant struggled to keep his face from giving away his thoughts or betraying his emotions. Rala was speaking as if Earth still belonged to the Minith. Even worse, she considered its natural resources worth very little-which, if true, begged the question of why they bothered invading it in the first place. But the answer was obvious. The Minith were a domineering, aggressive race. They would enslave a population and put it through h.e.l.l just because they could. It angered him that any race of beings could be so callous-could lack a basic sense of empathy for others. It solidified his resolve to fulfill the commitment he had made to the Waa.

Rala continued. The excitement in her voice was evident and she displayed an... eagerness, for lack of a better word, that Grant could not explain.

"But Telgora! Telgora has the largest deposits of agsel that have ever been discovered. And agsel is more than just an ore used in the manufacturing process of motherships, Grant. It is the basic ore upon which hundreds, perhaps thousands, of advanced worlds rely."

"Rala, forgive me, but how do you know this? I can't dispute what you're saying, but the Minith only control a dozen or so worlds. How is it that you know what happens on hundreds of other worlds?"

"Why, the Zrthns, of course," she answered, and Grant suddenly understood why the other race was interested in "helping" her take over the governorship. The Zrthns wanted easy access to the agsel on Telgora.

He briefly wondered how the Zrthns might react to a human takeover of the governorship, then pushed the thought aside.

One thing at a time, Grant. One thing at a time.

Oiloo was furious. The Minith female was discussing their plans. Even worse, she was making a deal with the human without his approval or consent. This simply would not do.

But just as quickly as his anger flared, it began to cool as the logical half of his brain caught up to the emotional half. Could this move help resume the flow of the ore into Zrthn possession? Though he had no doubt the Minith could eventually re-take all of the agsel mining operations on Telgora, perhaps this might be the quicker route to resuming shipments. The humans had influence over the Telgorans. Oiloo still wasn't exactly sure how that had happened, but their help in pushing the Minith off the planet was obviously an important factor.

He was scheduled to make his next report to the Circle of Administrators in only three days. He would need to consider what course best served them, and be prepared to make a recommendation. The use of force to insert Zrthn control over the mining operations had already been declined once, though Oiloo felt it was ultimately in their best interest to take over production. Perhaps this new development would cause the Administrators to reconsider. Or perhaps this new development solved their problems, and he should support the Minith female's arrangement with the human.

His head spun slowly about on his thin, stalk-like neck as he considered his options. One thing was certain. He would need to jerk the leash of the female. He had helped her reach her current position. She was on the brink of a.s.suming power over her people-that would not have been possible without his a.s.sistance. Her debt was much too heavy to simply allow her to ignore or forget it.

A message needed to be sent-one that would ensure she never forgot who was in control.

t.i.tan rubbed his ankle absently. It wasn't broken, but throbbed mightily from his awkward landing. His surprise at the ease with which the Telgorans had tossed him into the air and over the wall caused him to lose focus for only a moment, but that moment resulted in a spilled landing, a swollen appendage, and-worst of all-a highly bruised ego. It was bad enough that Grant bettered him at just about everything. Now he had a woman kicking his a.s.s at every turn as well.

The former Violent was used to being the alpha male. And while he had made his peace with the fact that Grant-though smaller and weaker-could beat him, he was still trying to get his mind around this new development. The fact that Conway seemed to relish rubbing his nose in her abilities only made matters worse.

He knew his reactions to her behavior were childish, immature. But "knowing" does not always translate into an ability to act on that knowledge. Long ago, he had come to terms with his faults-the primary one being his inability to control his emotions, especially anger. It was the reason he had been exiled to Violent's Prison in the first place.

Fortunately for the large man, there was satisfaction and happiness mixed with the pain. Learning of Gee's survival, and then finding him in good spirits and health, made t.i.tan forget the pain. He could count on one hand the number of people he considered friends. Grant and-to some extent-Ceeray were friends. Gee was the third, and because of the time they had shared on Telgora, the closest of the three.

For a man with only three friends, it's a very good day when you find out the closest one-the one you had thought was dead-is alive and doing well. This is true, even when you have a throbbing ankle and a slightly bruised ego.

Conway settled down onto the patch of floor she had been given. The thin pad Rala had provided was more than sufficient for her tired body to find comfort. The trek up from the Waa underground, coupled with the nervousness and excitement of a day spent on the surface of the planet-surrounded by a million Minith-left her drained and ready for rest.

The decision to remain in the female alien's residence had been Grant's. And while she could not fault it, she knew it was due primarily to t.i.tan's injury. The clumsy oaf had turned his ankle and couldn't walk. How long they would be stuck topside was anyone's guess. Not that it really mattered-she was a soldier and would go where the general ordered. It was just irritating that the general's decisions were now being dictated by an injury instead of what was best for them.