Without exception, the humans and Telgorans stood up and gazed across the strange sight before them. The ma.s.sed crowds that had occupied the giant expanse of open area between the large stage and the mothership in the distance were still present. The only difference was that they now lay in piles everywhere.

Like some type of strange alien puppets, one moment, they were up and active. The next, their strings were cut and they all collapsed in place.

"What do we do now?" t.i.tan asked.

"If they aren't dead, I say we kill 'em all," Conway said.

"They aren't dead," Grant replied. The Waa were clear that they were giving him a non-lethal weapon. "But we're not killing them. Patahbay, can you and your people gather the weapons from the soldiers around the stage? Conway, check on our folks over there and see if any of them need medical attention."

"What about me?"

"Good question, t.i.tan. I suppose you can check to see if our host, Rala, is hurt. I think we may need her soon." Grant looked around, smiled. "And you might want to check on Gee. I think he's still in the container. In the meantime, I'm going to see if I can't find what Aal and his people are up to."

Oiloo watched the humans go about the business of collecting weapons and checking the fallen Minith. The day's events had not gone well at all. Fortunately, he had orders that could help put everything right.

"Captain, send orders out to all ships. We are heading for Waa at once."

The Minith were out for an hour, more or less, when the first of the crowd began to stir. Within two minutes of the first one coming to and looking around, every alien in the city seemed to have recovered. From what the Waa told Grant, and from what he observed himself, none of them showed any negative effects, except for a few bruises caused by their initial collapse.

Once revived, the a.s.sembled aliens were visibly p.i.s.sed. They had no idea how long they had been out, only that some period of time had pa.s.sed.

Grant and his group were ready. They stood spread out along the length of the stage-a mix of humans, Telgorans, and the Waa. Aal and two others had relented to Grant's request to join them on the platform. They provided a united front to the a.s.sembly.

The Minith weapons had been taken, and except for the ones handed out to the previously captured humans, were stacked at the center of the raised dais. In front of the stacked weapons, Grant had laid the body of the former governor. Truk's purple-splattered corpse was easily visible on the large screen behind the stage. Bound in position to chairs on each side of the body sat Ghin and Rala. The guards that had been positioned around the perimeter of the stage were also bound in place. When they awoke, they struggled against their binds, but t.i.tan had used the tightest knots he could remember from his days on the farm. They weren't getting loose unless they had help. On the whole, it was an overly macabre scene-but one which made a statement to the a.s.sembled Minith.

For those who might have missed the statement the humans were trying to make, Grant announced, "We have killed your leader. His replacement, as well as his former aide and guards, are restrained." His Minith was perfect, and his declaration had the effect of silencing the growing murmurs and grumbles coming from the awakened aliens.

"We could have killed each of them while they slept," he continued, then pointed to the crowd. "We could have killed each of you. But we did not. Because we are not killers.

"We are humans from the planet Earth. But then...I'm sure you already knew that." Grant struggled for the right words. He had never been a good public speaker-it was why he had relied so heavily on Mouse to speak with the Leadership Council. He could never find just the right words. He opted for open honesty with the Minith. They would either relent to his proposal or not, but he would not hold back.

"Your race came to our planet almost twenty years ago. You had no consideration for our way of life, our ideals, or our principles. You simply enslaved our workers, stole our resources, and killed our people.

"Because of your actions, we gave up our way of living-we gave up our Peaceful existence. We reverted to our old ways-the ways of fighting and war. We overcame your force, seized your mothership, and destroyed your home planet of Minith."

A hum of anger pa.s.sed through the crowd as the Minith wrestled with the conclusiveness of Grant's statement.

"It makes you angry, doesn't it-to have another race come to your planet and kill your people? Well, remember, it was you who landed the first blow. And we will make no apologies for our actions because they were made in self-defense against an evil empire. That's what you are to the races you have come up against: humans, Telgorans, the Waa. You are evil.

"Fortunately for you, we are not evil. We don't want to kill you or enslave you. We just want to be free to go about our lives without having to wonder when you're coming back to attack us again. The only way to do that, however, is to dominate you-because that's the only thing you understand. Your very nature requires that we subjugate you, keep you oppressed.

"As they say where I come from, 'It's a dirty job, but someone's gotta do it.' Well, that someone is me. From this moment forward, I'm your new leader. By your laws, I've earned the right. I've killed your leader and captured his replacement. When I pa.s.s on-or if, by chance, any of you green clowns manages to kill me-another human, or a Telgoran, or one of the Waa, will take my place."

Grant paused, certain he would hear grumbling or complaint-if not a full-out rebellion-at the declaration. But the Minith just watched, without any visible or verbal sign that they agreed, disagreed, or even understood what he was saying. He was fully prepared to hit the snooze b.u.t.ton in his right palm again if needed. But it wasn't, so he forged on.

"Within your race, you will be free to act as you wish, and select your leaders as you see fit. But until you've proven that you are capable of leading without fear, intimidation, or threats, you won't ever hold the reins of power outside of your race.

"That's all I have to say for now. I hope we understand each other."

Several heartbeats pa.s.sed before Grant heard any sound. And when the sound came, it came from behind him. He turned to see Rala begin the now-familiar grunting.

"Oooh-oooh-oooh. Oooh-oooh-oooh."

Like a ripple, the chant was picked up by the guards tied to their positions at the perimeter of the stage, then it moved to the front rows of the crowd, then to the Minith standing behind them. In less than a minute, the strange chant reached the farthest edge of the crowd and it continued to grow as Grant watched, enthralled.

"You silver-tongued devil," Sergeant Conway jibed. She was all smiles and poked him firmly in the ribs.

"Release Rala, Conway," he replied, trying his best to keep his game face firmly planted. He was conscious of still being viewed on the large screen behind them. The last thing he wanted to show was any sign of the nervous relief pounding through his body. "She needs to get us out of here, asap."

"You got it, General."

CHAPTER 38.

Grant, Rala, and Patahbay waited patiently in Grant's board room on the damaged mothership. He and the rest of his contingent had decided that taking up residence aboard the vessel made more sense than seeking out new accommodations on Waa. The governor's mansion was the most likely choice for a residence, but he had quickly ceded that location to Rala. She was the Minith governor, after all. Plus, her former quarters only served to remind her of the loss she had experienced there. She was much more affected by the loss of Teng than he had previously realized. He now knew that Minith mothers feel just as much pain as their human counterparts-they just do not let it show on the outside.

As a compromise with his team for staying on the old mothership, he had asked Aal and the Waa if they could build them a new vessel. Grant had requested some unique "variations" over the current designs the Minith had been using. Grant's version included military upgrades, improved landing capabilities that did not require rocket thrust, and a highly improved communication system. All of the items he asked for were within the abilities of the Waa to provide, and he could not help but wonder why the Minith had never asked for improved systems and equipment for their vessels. It probably had something to do with their being only a "five" on the intelligence scale, he decided, but never verbalized. He wanted the capability to fight potential foes from s.p.a.ce, if it ever came to that.

Considering who they were waiting for, it might come to that sooner rather than later.

A week after taking control of Waa, a fleet of Zrthn ships had appeared in the skies above the city. According to the Waa, they numbered in the dozens, with over twenty more still situated outside the planet's atmosphere. It was apparent they were not pleased with the turn of events that had placed the largest deposit of pure agsel into the hands of an unknown race and were making a statement. None of them knew if the statement was a prelude to a planned takeover of Telgora, or if it was a warning that shipments needed to continue. Either way, Grant bristled at the implications. Once again, they were being pushed around by a foreign race whose primary concern was only for their own good.

They would know soon enough what the Zrthns' intentions were. The leader of the Zrthn force and two of the ships' captains were due to arrive at any moment. The fact that they felt confident enough to have this meeting on Waa spoke volumes. With the insurance of armed battleships in the sky overhead, they obviously weren't concerned for their safety.

A knock on the door announced the guests' arrival, and Grant stood as the three Zrthns entered the room. He withheld his surprise at their appearance. After meeting the Telgorans, Minith, and Waa-all bipeds, with somewhat similar features to humans-he had expected more of the same. But the Zrthns looked more like walking squids than anything else he could imagine. He did a quick count and came up with a count of six tentacles-four of which moved them across the floor. The other two acted as arms and had several mini-tentacles-for lack of a better word-attached, which they used like hands and fingers.

The three positioned themselves on the far side of the conference table and remained standing. Grant wondered if they could sit, and, if they could, what their chairs might look like. Rala introduced the lead squid-Zrthn-to Grant as Oiloo, and the name tweaked a memory. He had heard the name before, and by the time he recalled when and where, he had already missed the names of the other two Zrthns, the captains.

Grant took a deep breath and waited for the Zrthns to begin. The language they had agreed to use would be Minith, since the Zrthns had no knowledge of Earth-based languages, and Grant did not yet speak Zrthn. He already had an appointment for the Zone later in the day to rectify that shortcoming, but for now, he had to keep to what he knew.

"We wish to discuss the deliveries of agsel," Oiloo stated, directing the comment to Rala. Grant liked how the alien got right to the point. No political chit-chat for this guy.

"What do you wish to discuss?" Grant asked in return. He wanted Oiloo to understand with whom he was actually dealing. He also did not want Rala's emotions entering into the discussions. If this was the same Oiloo who had ordered Teng's death, they needed to handle the issue carefully.

"We have agreements with the Minith regarding shipments of the ore," Oiloo stated. His words came out wet and mushy, and the sound reinforced the "squid" likeness in Grant's mind. "Due to the new... arrangements, we would like to know if previous agreements will be honored."

Prior to the meeting, Rala had brought him up to speed on the agreements the Minith had in place with the Zrthns, as well as the problems they had been encountering as a result of the human interaction on Telgora. In turn, he had met with Patahbay. He could not force the race of underground dwellers into any agreement against their will, and wanted to see where the Telgorans stood on the issue. Remarkably, the Telgorans were extremely receptive-almost to the point of being giddy-over the idea. There was only one condition: the Waa had to conduct the mining, not the Minith. Grant quickly closed the loop with Aal, and a deal was struck. The two races would pick up where they had left off years before. Grant made one tweak to the previous agreement. In exchange for their ore, the Waa had to ensure the Telgorans received adequate compensation-not merely the trinkets and comfort items they had been given before.

"We can meet all previous agreements," Grant stated. "And we can do it a lot quicker than the Minith promised."

Oiloo's head spun a full three-hundred-and-sixty degrees to the left. "That is acceptable." The mushy replay was accompanied by a return trip of his head to its original starting position. Grant filed the info away. "If shipments do not proceed as agreed, we will be required to take action against you. We will seize the fields and mine the ore directly."

"We can do without the threats, Oiloo." Grant's voice hardened and he hoped the squid knew enough about human behavior to take it for the warning it was. t.i.tan had already volunteered to establish a defensive force on the planet. If they were going to enter the business of interstellar trade, they were going to do it right. Protecting their resources and their people was a sensible first step. "Is there anything else?"

"No. The shipments are the only items of importance to us."

Grant nodded. He then sent a thought to Aal, who he had asked to wait in the next room.

"Is he telling the truth, Aal?"

Grant bit his tongue to keep from laughing. Aal had a sense of humor. Who knew?"Funny, Aal. Tell me, do the other two have the ability to negotiate, or is Oiloo the only one with the authority?" "Perfect, Aal. Thanks." It was great having a mind reader on his side. No wonder the Waa had been such excellent traders in their day. It's easy to negotiate when you know what the other guys are thinking."Very well." Grant nodded to his guests. "I only have one condition before we agree to the shipments.""Another condition?" If Grant knew the Zrthns better, he might have known that Oiloo stammered. As it was, he could only a.s.sume."Yes, but it is a condition I can only request of the two captains. Will you excuse us?""What? I will do no such thing. I negotiate for our side, not these two underlings."Grant looked at one of the "underlings," then the other. "Well?"The captain standing to Oiloo's left looked at his counterpart on the other side and nodded. The Zrthn on the right reached out one of his tentacles, wrapped it tightly around Oiloo's neck, and pulled him toward the door. Unable to speak for the tentacle around his neck, Oiloo was dragged from the room without another word."What is your condition?" The captain's voice wasn't as mushy as Oiloo's. Grant immediately liked this alien much better than he had Oiloo."We have an issue," he began.The Zrthn vessels left the planet as quickly as they had arrived. One moment they were there, hovering high in the sky above the city. The next, they were gone.Grant watched them depart with a heavy heart. He had traveled more than six hundred chronological years and untold number of light years, and there wasn't much difference between where he had started and where he currently stood. He knew he would never be free of threats, never have a chance to lead a normal life as a husband and a father. He would always be a soldier first. There would always be a threat out there somewhere-some race or tyrant who wanted what someone else possessed, and was willing to kill to get it.They had dodged the threat this time, but what about the next? And it wasn't just humanity he had to protect now. The Telgorans, the Waa-even the Minith-were his responsibility. He would protect them-prepare them-to the best of his ability. Hopefully, it would be enough.Grant still did not fully understand everything there was to know about peace, but there were some things he did know. Peace can exist for individuals, and peace can exist for the ma.s.ses. Achieving and maintaining peace for the ma.s.ses requires a collective willingness to fight for the goals of harmony and ceasefire. And though peace is a communal desire, true peace can only be achieved by individuals. True peace exists in those moments when individuals forget the pain and sorrow that surround them and become wholly absorbed by the good and the cherished.True peace had always eluded Grant, but that was okay. The ancient soldier understood and accepted the role into which fate had cast him. He was content to cede his individual peace in exchange for defending the peace of the ma.s.ses.He turned toward the mothership and sent a mental search for Aal. "Tell your folks to hurry up with that new mothership. And beef up production-we're gonna need as many of them as we can get." Ah, the power of mind-speak. Aal just had to think it and the rest of the Waa were on board.Grant entered the ship and came face-to-face with Rala. She was smiling in that strange way that Minith do and Grant couldn't help but return one of his own. Things had not worked out for her exactly as she had planned, but he didn't think she had it too bad. She was still governor of her race."Thank you, Grant.""It was my pleasure, Rala. I shouldn't ask, but what are you going to do with him?""I think I will allow Arok to take care of it. He misses his brother, and he needs more practice with the bow." Grant just nodded. He knew he shouldn't have asked, but it was his doing after all-his one condition for keeping the agreement with the Zrthns. As such, he couldn't absolve himself of the responsibility for whatever happened. Then again, the Zrthn had brought it on himself.He moved aside to allow Rala to pa.s.s. She dragged a struggling Oiloo behind her.EPILOGUE.The two motherships were pulled into the facility by dual green shafts of light. The Waa operating the landing beams placed the ships quietly and neatly beside Grant's sparkling new behemoth. In comparison, the older model vessels seemed tiny and insignificant.The doors on the nearest ship opened, and the gathered crowd waited with great antic.i.p.ation to see who would be the first to depart.A shape filled the doorway, then stepped down onto the soil of Waa. Treel. Grant nodded, appreciative of the choice. Someone had been thinking.Treel looked around, spied the group waiting fifty meters away, then raised a hand. Grant laughed as Rala, trailed tentatively by Arok, split from his group and sprinted for her mate. They had been separated for far too long, and she had much to tell him about his family, his planet, and his race.Grant spotted an unexpected face stepping from the ship behind Treel and frowned. He had thought only those with family were to be on the first ships. It should have been expected, though. Randalyn was a Culture Leader and it was obvious that the Council would want to send one of their own to check up on him. His frown turned to surprise when Sergeant Becka Conway screamed, waved, and took off across the landing pad. The surprise became shock when the two crashed into each other's arms. The feelings they shared were obvious, though, and Grant wondered why it was he'd had no clue. Randalyn and Conway? It was un-freaking-believable. But he was happy for them.Then he spied Eli. The boy had gotten bigger in the past year, and he barely recognized him. When Avery stepped from the ship, Grant was already moving, anxious to meet his family and welcome them to their new home.For the moment, he was at peace.The End.From the Author.I finished this book on September 11th, 2011, the tenth anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the U.S. It wasn't my intention to finish the book that day-I didn't wake up and say, "Hey, it's 9/11. I think I'll finish the trilogy now." But that's how it worked out, and I'm glad it did. In a way, much of what I've put into this story is a result of the events of that day, and what has taken place in the world since then.Thank you for reading this book. Hopefully, you enjoyed it. If you did, please leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads, Barnes & n.o.ble, or wherever you purchased it. Reviews help struggling authors get their books in front of more readers. If for any reason, this book missed the mark for you, please accept my apologies. Hundreds (perhaps thousands) of hours went into its creation and all I can say is "I did my best." If you want to let me know where it fell short, there will be no bad feelings on my part, I promise. I will take your feedback to heart, and try to improve-if not on this one, then certainly on the next. That's a promise.I also need to thank those who made this book possible. Although my name is on the cover, it's a labor that had been touched by many hands, eyes, brains and hearts. As always, a big thank you goes out to my beta readers. Without your help, this would be a much lesser effort: Dave Jenks, L.G. Simmons, Tim Scanlon, Jon Huston, and my wife, Juanita.A big thank you goes out to my editor, Tristi Pinkston. Thanks to your help, I now stop and consider if it's really helping the story whenever I include an "eff" bomb. If it doesn't, I quickly replace it with a "d.a.m.n," or a "h.e.l.l," or some other equally gratuitous, but marginally less offensive, curse word.As usual, I want to thank Sabrina Kleis for her work on the book's cover. She has done all three covers for the trilogy and I think they are great. You can see more of her outstanding work on her website: www.7-days.net.