Ohber, Nabvan, and King Siefer boarded the warship. They were joined by twenty Milisarian Knights. The rest would stay behind to protect Milisaria in case it was attacked. Queen Destiney would take over for the king as usual. He trusted all her decisions implicitly. His trust had been hard won. Milisarian men thought of women as lesser beings. The councilmen would back her up; they had proof of her loyalty and good sense.

The huge warship rose quickly into the air. It disappeared from sight within an instant, leaving the women staring at an empty sky. They turned to each other and smiled. Queen Destiney announced, "Now it's time for some girl talk. I've had a picnic by the sea arranged for us. The children can play while we gossip. That's something I miss a lot. Milisarian women don't gossip."

Alexis and the queen hunted down their children. Valeri waited outside, watching the activities around her. There were stalls for trading lining the streets. Some contained the grain and produce grown in the villages. Others held beautiful clothing sewn by village and colony women. The warriors roamed through the market. Some were making trades, and many were protecting the merchants from thieves. The villagers were better behaved under King Siefer's rule, but there would always be a few who broke the law. No one paid any attention to the human woman watching them. It made Valeri feel that she belonged.

Scyon and Nexxa ran ahead of their mothers. They laughed and chased each other just as Earth children did. This planet was their home, no different from any other. It made Valeri sad to realize she had been so blinded. She had never considered that aliens had families and lives just like humans until she met Ohber. Her eyes were now open, along with her heart. She jumped up and joined the children in a game of tag. They ended up tackling her to the ground. The three of them rolled down a green hill and landed in the sand.

Alexis offered her a hand up, and the kids ran to splash in the sea. She told Valeri, "When I first arrived, I discovered that only the poor played in the sea. I found that sad. We have changed many attitudes since we have been here. This is just a small example. For some reason, the wealthy thought themselves too important to bathe in the sea. We've shown them it's fun. Nexxa, Scyon, and the other children are young enough to find it normal."

Valeri was curious to hear more. She wanted to know what other changes the humans had made. Perhaps, they would tell her during their gossip session. She had lots of questions about their relationships with Milisarian men as well.

Blankets were spread over the sand and food was set out. The dripping-wet children were banished to a separate blanket to keep them from soaking the food, and more importantly, to allow the women to gossip. The little ones didn't care. Eating was all they could think about. Valeri noticed that children were always hungry.

Valeri asked, "I thought Nabvan was supposed to bring Nexxa here when he returned. Won't he be angry that you came without him?"

Alexis grinned, "Nabvan is a gentle giant. He will understand that we needed to distract the children from being upset over their dad's departures. He will gladly come back here with her and bring her friends too. He will make it a point to outdo any castle I help her build."

"Was he always so accommodating of your wishes? Ohber was wary and argumentative at first. I just wondered if it was only him,” Valeri stated. "Then again, it might have had a lot to do with his imprisonment."

Alexis and the queen exchanged grins. Alexis finally replied, "Nabvan was the most stubborn and wary man I ever met. He was given the lowly job of guarding me for King Shene. It infuriated him. He felt demeaned since he was second in command to the king aboard ship. He kept his back to me and spoke only when I asked a question. It took a while for him to soften up and see the light, but once he did, his loyalty was to me and has never wavered."

Queen Destiney added, "My husband was just a knight when we met. He chose me out of a group of human females meant for the Arkani. We didn't have the drama that Alexis and Nabvan shared. I fell for him rather quickly. He was wary and stubborn though. At times he still is. Our problems began after our marriage and Scyon's birth. Becoming king and dealing not only with Milisaria, but with the colonies on other planets, proved to be more overwhelming than he expected. He immersed himself in making our world a stronger and more united one. It left me alone and feeling lost. Our relationship could have ended. I made some awful mistakes, and so did he. Thankfully, Alexis and Nabvan stepped in and stopped the nonsense. My marriage was saved, and so was Milisaria."

"It all sounds a lot like home, except dealing with colonies on other planets. I was hoping to find out how to handle a knight and survive. How different is a relationship with them? Be honest, please,” begged Valeri.

Alexis answered first. "They're not that much different. They are bigger and stronger. Sometimes they forget how strong they are. Their minds are programmed to fight for everything. Reasoning with someone is not their strong suit."

The queen took over. "We, very often, have to remind them that we are intelligent and capable of great skills. They have been bred to look at women as lesser beings. We are doing our best to rid them of that notion. You can thank us for that later."

"I had to fight King Siefer to work in the lab. Now he's all for it. Nabvan is wrapped around my little finger. Love makes them softies inside warrior's bodies." Alexis added, "If you are worried about Ohber, don't be. I think you have him figured out and under control. The only warning I have for you is that they are very physical. Love tends to equal sex in their minds. I kind of like it that way." All the women shared a good laugh and went to play with the children.

Valeri joined Alexis to work in the lab. It kept her from feeling lost and out of place on a strange planet. She missed Ohber, though they had received a message letting them know he was healing rapidly. The warship would be reaching Earth in a matter of hours. NASA had reached out to the FBI, and they would be the ones shutting down the program. No real battle was expected.

To her surprise, Valeri saw several young Milisarian women in the lab. They were washing vials and mixing medications. Alexis saw her surprise and explained, "When I arrived, I needed some help here. The younger women were assigned to me. They enjoyed being here and learned quickly. I began classes and more joined in. They had always believed that they did not have scientific minds, but I think it was more a matter of having no one to teach them. It's true that they don't come up with ideas of their own. However, they manage to carry out my instructions quite well. I'm hoping to find a scientist among the children that are a mix of human and Milisarian. Nexxa does fairly well, but Scyon is all warrior. His reasoning skills and intelligence are superior to Milisarian children, yet he prefers fighting."

"Are they the only two who are a mix? Have you considered having more? Sorry. I am being nosy. It's my biggest downfall,” Valeri stated.

Alexis replied, "All scientists are nosy. If we were not, nothing would ever be invented. To answer your first question, no, they are not the only two. There are several more and some on the way. The queen and I both want more children. It just hasn't happened yet. It scares Nabvan to think about it. He almost lost me with Nexxa's birth. I'm nervous too, but we have the vaccine now. No one has died since its discovery."

"Can you show me how you discovered it and how to make it?" asked Valeri.

"Of course. We need more anyway. One of the human women is carrying a girl. It's her third child. She swears it's her last. I think it needs to be. No one knows how many times a person can handle taking the vaccine without damage. That's something we must study. You can help us with it." Alexis turned to show a young Milisarian how to heat a serum, then added, "I want you to show me what you were working with in the lab. Maybe we can figure out how to stabilize it."

Valeri sighed, "We would need Arkani blood. It contains three times the number of disease-fighting cells as a human. Akeila, the Arkani in our lab, fought off many diseases. We were using his blood in the experiments. It destroyed the disease, but killed good cells too."

Alexis nodded, "Only the males have that ability. Their women got sick with a terrible virus and died. That's why they wanted wives from Earth. Their species was becoming extinct. They tried curing the females with the use of their own blood. For some reason, it doesn't transfer the antibodies. We can work on it. I have a limited amount of Arkani blood samples from when I helped them. Together we can brainstorm some ideas."

The queen rushed into the lab and announced, "The warship has landed. They set it down on a landing site as if they were there to trade. They are leaving for the lab now. Your brother was waiting in the marketplace. He will lead them through back alleys to the correct building. They don't want to cause a scene on the main streets."

Valeri laughed hysterically. "I can just imagine a parade of huge warriors, covered in tribal markings, dressed in armor, and carrying swords marching down the street among rich women shopping for designer clothes. They would either run away screaming in fear or swoon over the gorgeous men. I would pay to see it."

The others laughed along with her. They too could imagine the sight. Human males would quickly be pushed aside for the handsome knights. Alexis added, "I should have sent something to trade for coffee. I dream about it sometimes."

"Already done,” replied Queen Destiney. "I sent for coffee, sugar, and candy for the kids. Nothing practical, but I miss them. It also helps cover up why the warriors are really there. We should be getting another message soon. I will let you know." She waved goodbye as she walked out.

Valeri was curious. She asked Alexis, "What do you trade with?"

"Salt from our sea gets us many things. It is used in cooking, and it heals skin lesions. The flavor is quite different from Earth's sea salt. They also like mud and moss from our marshes. It is put in expensive face creams. I used to buy it for my mother. Now, I just walk outside and get all I want, but there's no Starbucks here, so it's a tradeoff."

They spent several hours making serums. The queen had not returned. Impatient for news, the ladies went to the communications room. Queen Destiney was not there, and the monitor was beeping loudly. Alexis brought up the message. It read: Guards locked up. Have all Milisarians and two Arkani. One knight very ill. FBI going in.

"That doesn't tell us much. I had hoped for more,” Alexis declared.

Valeri was happier. "At least they got Akeila, and they didn't say anyone got injured. That's all good. How old is the message?"

"According to the monitor, it came in an hour ago." Alexis stopped talking as a new message beeped and the queen walked in.

 Queen Destiney explained her absence, "I was called away to diffuse a dispute between two merchants. It took a while. Did any messages come in?"

Alexis showed her the first message and then they all gathered around for the new one. It read: Leaving. Will drop off Arkani. Home in three days. Have beds ready for sick. One knight injured. Akeila says thanks to Valeri.

This message brought back their fears. If a warrior was injured, there must have been a fight. Which warrior was it? All three women held the heart of a warrior. How bad was the injury? Would they make it home safely? To take their minds off the questions that rushed through their heads, they went to the lab and began preparing beds for the sick and injured. Alexis raided the cabinets for bandages and medications. Valeri searched for needles and salves. The queen hurried out to the merchants for healing plants.

Warships were too large to land close to the capital. The knights and villagers joined in a project. A stone walkway was built over the wetland. It would reach from the landing zone into the capital. It was meant to ease the way for the sick and kept the worried throng occupied for the days leading up to the ship's return.

The entire city and most of the villages gathered to greet the warship. Many had been told their sons or husbands had died in battle. Each had hopes that among the returning knights they would find a miracle: their son or mate. They brought gifts of food and clothing for the captured knights. They were to be honored for their strength under duress. Queen Destiney provided a banquet for the rescuers. A party to celebrate the victory would continue until morning.

As the ship came into sight, Queen Destiney, Alexis, Valeri, and the children huddled together at the end of the new walkway. Behind them, knights stood ready to carry the sick and injured on their powerful shoulders. The large warship hovered overhead. The women decided that the king must be allowing the rescued knights to get a view of the planet they had been missing. They would also be able to see the mighty throngs waiting to welcome them home.

The ship eventually came to rest on the landing pad. The huge doors opened, and the throng got their first glimpse of the captured knights. A collective gasp went up from the crowd. Bandages covered seeping wounds. The smell of infection permeated the salty air. Those unable to walk were handed over to the waiting warriors. Families who recognized their kin ran alongside the men who carried the fallen.

Alexis took a moment to greet Nabvan, who was uninjured. She then hurried to catch up with the ill. Valeri was relieved to see Ohber. He appeared unharmed. The king disembarked last. He wore a bandage over his chest like a badge of honor. Queen Destiney rushed to him. He hugged her tightly and whispered, "Take me to Alexis. I need tending, but I will not appear weak in front of my people. It is not as bad as it seems. I will be fine in a short time." He walked proudly through the crowd, never allowing his pain to show. Ohber and Nabvan stayed at his back in case they were needed. The group left the crowds behind to begin their celebration.