Ixia glared daggers at the human female. She had dared to defy him and steal a hovercraft. He knew she had gone to the giants' encampment. She was a stubborn and uncontrollable female. He wanted to send her away, but his crew might need her help. With the work they had to do and a possible war, many could fall into peril. The battlebots and terrabots would be doing all the work, yet that would not keep a sword from finding Pura flesh. There were two of his crew in the infirmary to prove it. Yes, he had openly lied to Josephine. It was for the greater good. He needed her to see the giants as vicious and cruel. She must remain loyal to the Pura. Otherwise, when she saw what he was hiding, she would change her allegiance. When the time came to release his secret weapons, she must agree that it was necessary. He did not want Earth as an enemy.

Ixia confronted Josephine. "You should have asked permission to take a hovercraft. What if we had needed it? I am well aware of your journey to the enemy encampment. The hovercrafts contain tracking devices. It is how we knew that the others were returning from beyond the mountains. I suppose you think I will charge you with treason. I should, but I will not. Your negotiations are of no concern to me. You cannot make any binding agreements for the Pura. Your trip was in vain. Whatever they agreed to, I will not honor."

"They are Milisarians. I explained that to you already. At least do them the honor of calling them by name. They were kind enough to give you that honor." Josephine did not like Ixia's arrogant attitude. It made her feel as if she was something that could be discarded at any time. "As for negotiations, they agreed to nothing. They were already on this planet when you arrived. Milisaria claimed it as theirs long ago. We are trespassing and destroying their property. By rights, we should leave."

"Do you truly think I care what they claim? The planet is ours and will remain so. We have been studying it for a while. How else would we know it could sustain us? We have seen many ships land here and then leave. It means nothing. What would these Milisarians want with this world?" Ixia stopped speaking. He needed to rein in his anger. Josephine had to believe he was an innocent victim of the knights. "I am sorry for my words of frustration. I am only worried about my species. They need a new home. It took ages to find this one. Would you want our children to die from hunger or the lack of a planet’s energy to sustain them? You are a nurse. It is your duty to care for the weak and ill. We requested your presence, and you complied. Uphold your duty."

"That is exactly what I am trying to do. I don't want a war. Your crew would die. Milisarians would die. Children on both sides would suffer. Let me help you find another planet. Use the interplanetary communication network. Someone out there may know of a better world for the Pura." Josephine begged Ixia to understand the consequences of war.

"It is you who must listen. The Pura cannot give in to other species. Doing so would show our vulnerability, and our race would perish at the hands of many enemies. Children will suffer either way. It is a fact of life. Surely, you know that. If these warriors are so powerful, they can afford to give in. No one will challenge them. They will be seen as kind and generous. No one wants to fight. I promise to give them some time to think things over. Maybe, they will leave on their own. There is always a chance that their planet's leader will call them home. Come now, rest and have a meal. You appear tired and sad. Let me handle everything. It is not your job." Ixia's soothing tone in her mind came close to putting Josephine in a trance. Apparently, telepathy could be used as a silent weapon. She needed to be wary of Ixia's traps.

Josephine wished she had access to a computer. She would find a way to get help. She knew it was long shot to suggest the Pura find another planet. It wasn't a simple or quick process. It had to be uninhabited, unclaimed, large, and able to sustain life. There had to be plentiful water as well as the energy the Pura required. It was a daunting task. Any large planet that could sustain life would already be claimed by some species. Deep down inside, she knew that the Puras had been aware that this planet was claimed by others. They had taken a chance and declared it theirs by default. Ixia was holding back secrets. She could feel it in her bones. He had come prepared to fight. What other reason would he have for bringing battlebots to terraform a world? She should have realized it from the beginning. Not that it mattered. Her ship had already left before the Puras landed. Had Ixia done that on purpose? Was he that calculating? It was possible. He was extremely intelligent and manipulative. He had changed his words and tone in order to lull her into a peaceful state. If he had continued, she would most likely have gone into a trance. It was like hypnotism. He could have controlled her. That was scarier than war.

Josephine was afraid to sleep, yet too tired to stay awake. The day had been enlightening and terrifying. It had drained her energy. She had to rest. Lack of energy would leave her an open and easy target for Ixia's twisted ideas. She curled into a ball on the hard bed and thought of home. What would her mom and dad be doing tonight? By her calculations, it was Friday on Earth. They had dinner out on Fridays, then came home and watched old black and white movies. It was a tradition that had continued throughout their marriage. Once they had children, they had added popcorn, chocolate milk, and animated movies to the mix. She missed them terribly. What would they think of her predicament? Dad would say to grow up and face the music. It was his answer to everything. Mom would tell her to dress sexy and flirt with the handsome Milisarian. She wanted Josephine to get married and give her grandchildren. Josephine fell to sleep with a smile on her face.

A nightmare caused Josephine to toss and turn in her sleep. In the dream, someone was shaking her shoulders and begging her to wake up. Her eyelids felt so heavy, and her arms hung loosely at her side. She fought against the heaviness and opened her eyes. She was lying in icy-cold water. It smelled of sea salt. Her head was resting on hard muscular thighs. Above her, she could see Urim's grieving face. Was that a tear running down his cheek? Impossible! It must be sea water. There were other, much smaller faces. They belonged to children. The little ones were sobbing and pleading with her to get up. Before everything went dark, she heard Urim say, "I am so sorry. I should have stopped it."

Josephine jerked awake. Tears were falling relentlessly down her cheeks. Where had the nightmare come from? She had not been thinking of Urim when she went to bed. Her family had filled her mind. Was this some manipulation by Ixia? No, that wasn't possible. He had never met Urim nor did he know she was attracted to the knight. Her own mind was playing tricks. Her fears and anxieties were coming out in her dreams. The children must represent those of the Pura and Milisarians who would grieve at their loss. Her subconscious must expect Urim to care if she died. But, why were the children begging her to get up? They did not know her. She couldn't help them in any way.

Too upset by the dream, Josephine took a snack and sat outside to watch the sunrise. It was glorious. Reds, oranges, and yellows filled the sky over the mountaintops. The waterfalls caught the light in a rainbow effect. It was an excellent planet to inhabit. Once the mountainsides turned green with plant growth, it would be perfect. No wonder both species were willing to risk a war to keep it. She pulled her blanket tighter around her shoulders. There was a chill in the air and another in her heart. She had come here for redemption. Would she have to watch two species annihilate each other?

Before the sun was fully up, the camp began to stir. Josephine decided to bathe in her hidden cove. Afterwards, she would check in with her patients aboard the Pura ship. It would keep her out of Ixia's reach for a few hours. She dearly needed the respite to gain control over her emotions. Humans were an extremely emotional species. Sometimes they cared too much. Josephine cared about everyone. She didn't want the children on either planet to lose family members. She wanted the Pura to have a new home and live in peace. She needed Urim and his knights to be safe from harm. She worried about her parent’s reaction if she was killed on a desolate planet. The children in her nightmare haunted her waking thoughts. It was too much for one person to deal with, but there was no one to help her.

Josephine dunked her head under the cold water and blocked out all the thoughts racing through her brain. The iciness stole her breath. It relieved her tight muscles and freed her from worry. She relaxed and let herself float gently on the surface. She watched the clouds roll by and played her favorite childhood game. She named the shapes that she found in each cloud. Dogs, cats, and even dragons floated overhead. Lost in a world of her own, she stayed in the water too long. She became lightheaded without her oxygen tube. She panicked and began to gasp. She couldn't find her way to the side of the cove, and her arms flailed in the water. Strong hands gripped her around the waist. A warm body held her close. The shivers gave way to comfort and she curled into the warmth. Her savior sat down on dry ground and cradled her in his lap. The oxygen tube was pushing against her nose. She lifted a heavy hand and guided it into her nostril. A deep breath gave her a head rush and flashing lights behind her eyes. Slowly, she calmed and looked into the dark eyes of her rescuer. She gasped. It was Urim. She was naked in the arms of the handsome warrior. She fought against his hold, trying to rise. He held her tighter and said, "Relax, it is going to be okay. I do not know what illness you suffer from, but the tube seems to hold the medication you need. You should not have gone into the water without it. You are lucky that I was here."

Josephine replied, "I'm not ill, and the tube doesn't contain medication. The oxygen on this planet isn't dense enough for humans yet. We require the extra that plant life emits. The tube gives me the oxygen I need. I'm allowed to take it off to bathe, but I stayed too long."

"We have no trouble breathing here. We do not require extra air." Urim contemplated her nude body.

Josephine turned bright red before his eyes. She begged, "Let me up. I need to get dressed. It is inappropriate for you to see me this way." He let her go with a laugh.

"Turn your back, please!" He laughed louder but obeyed. "Why are you here?"

"To save you, of course," he replied.

“That's not funny! Tell me the truth." Josephine finished tugging the rubber suit over her wet skin and stomped in front of him.

"I was spying on the Pura," he admitted. "I wanted to see the battlebots, so I could strategize on how to beat them."

"Sorry, but they are not where we can see them. They are still inside the spaceship."

Urim solemnly replied, "Not anymore."

Josephine grabbed her belongings and started to run. If Urim was jesting, she would kill him herself. What if he wasn't?