- Ava -

“This is remarkably delicious.”

Life on a spaceship had many limitations, but onboard the Friendship the food was always top notch. The planet below delivered a steady stream of Acerex produce every day, and the Earth chefs had been instructed in its use and preparation by tribesmen and -women who enjoyed cooking.

And by now, Ava had gotten used to the alien flavors of some of them. But this new dish, which was essentially chili con carne made with a mix of Acerex vegetables and Earth spices, had immediately shot to the top of her list of favorites.

Harper smiled. “I'm glad you think so. It's my own recipe. I was trying to make regular chili, but I just can't get it right with these alien ingredients. So I'm thinking, let's get creative. And after a month of trial and failure, I had something that was not quite chili, but also not quite terrible.”

Ava blew on another spoonful of the steaming stew. “It's great. I could eat this all day.”

“Probably wouldn't hurt either,” Harper said. “Not much carbohydrates in this. Just nice fats and nutrients. You know how Acerex stuff is always chock full of that, because they don't do much farming, so their soil isn't depleted of the good nutrients after centuries of farming the same fields. Well, that pot contains most of the nutrients anyone needs.”

Ava carefully chewed her mouthful of hot chili, looking out the huge window in the living room in Harper and Vrax'ton's quarters. Acerex hung outside, half in darkness and half in daylight. “Cool. Ticks all the boxes.”

Harper tasted the dish herself. “Not for Vrax'ton. He's totally done with anything that resembles this. Poor guy, I used him as my guinea pig. Because someone had to eat the stuff I cooked while experimenting. Not all my experiments were too successful. Now he's only eating whole grilled rappes and raw roots. Staying on the safe side, I guess. I don't blame him. So, how you been, Ava?”

Ava took a gulp of citrusy juice. “Mostly fine. Preparing for the search and finding the mysterious Kunuru. Trying not to eat too much.”

“Mostly fine, huh? Not a bad description of our life here among the stars.”

Ava took another spoonful. “Hey, you know. I'm at a weird point in my life. Thinking of settling down, probably on Earth, but then I take a walk in the woods on Acerex and I think, damn, this place sure gives Toledo, Ohio a run for its money. And it's not like I have any particular prospects back home, either. Not thrilled about the endless dating game I have to go through to try to find a decent guy. Especially after I've been here and know that there is such a thing as Acerex and warriors. I'd always be thinking, maybe one more trip out there. Just to see.”

Harper scooped up another ladle of the food for herself. “Isn't that what they said about the Sahara desert in the old days? It's so hostile and tough you just want to get the hell out of there, but once you've been there, it gets in your blood and for the rest of your life you'll always want to go back.”

“I've never heard that, but yeah, sounds like it's much the same. Except instead of the nomads and camels, here we get the warriors and their swords. And they're not really hostile. Just – indifferent. To some of us, I mean.” She gave Harper a wry smile.

The queen of Acerex shrugged in her very un-queenly denim bib overall that bulged over her abdomen, one strap fastened casually over one shoulder and the other just dangling loose. “Yeah, they could stand to loosen up a little. I mean, even if you're not someone's Mahan, it would be nice if they would at least notice that you are a woman. I'm sorry about that, Ava. You would turn heads anywhere else. But here, well ...” She shrugged again.

Ava put her hand on her friend's forearm. “Hey, it's not your fault at all! It's just the way things are here. And sometimes it gets a little frustrating. But you know what? I can live with it. Really well, too. Don't worry about me at all. Okay? So. The mission. Did you hear from Space Expansion?”

Harper got up to check on Princess Anabel'ia, who was sound asleep on the couch at the other end of the room. “I did. Got a formal request from Goanesi herself to provide a diplomat to accompany you. And reading between the lines, I can see that what she really wants is a bodyguard for you. A bright one that can also actually learn some of the arts of diplomacy. And I'm thinking, that's optimistic. The warriors really like their swords and their killing. Doesn't seem to me that diplomacy is their thing. But I asked Vrax'ton who the best and smartest warrior in the army would be, and he gave me a name without a second thought.”

Harper sat back down and chuckled. “And then he regretted it immediately, because he must have seen from my adorable smile that I was about to ask to borrow that warrior. The best one they have. But it was too late by then. Yeah, he's not thrilled to lose this guy, even for just a few weeks.”

“And who is it?”

Harper got her pad and tapped on it. “Let's see. He's a squad leader from the Livon tribe on the south hemisphere. His squad has been the most effective one in the whole army for two years running, and our guy's got too many commendations to count. Apparently he's a master of tactics and really cautious about deploying his troops during the initial forming of periphery? Um. Whatever that means. Well, of course that's very important, I'm sure. Hardly any casualties, always gets the hardest missions and always makes it out again fine. Not the best sword fighter, looks like. More of a thinker, seems to me. If you can imagine something like an Acerex warrior who reads books, I think this is as close as you'll get. Actually, Ava, don't try to imagine an Acerex reading books. Your head will explode. I think mine just did. What else ... late twenties, no major injuries, his Fire Trials were super tough and ended with just him and one other guy surviving, out of nine in their group. Extraordinary results in battle, expected to make general before he's forty. If he survives, I guess. That's always the issue with these guys. They hardly ever make it to that ripe old age. Sound good?”

Ava finished her chili and put the spoon down. “How will a person like that, who's obviously on the fast track to a serious command rank, like to tag along with an alien female with the purpose of making friends with their worst enemy? Won't he absolutely despise that idea?”

Harper waved her pad in the air. “That's not the impression I get from this. Doesn't he seem like a pretty smart kind of person? But I suppose he might. He has to volunteer, of course. It could be good for his career, I assume. Some different experience than most of the warriors get. Isn't that how they to it on Earth?” 

Ava scratched her chin. “He'd have to volunteer after his king asks him to help out? Nobody's going to turn Vrax'ton down, even if they totally hate the thought and really don't want to. You know how they feel about royals and loyalty. Being asked by him is pretty much the same as a command.”

Harper smiled innocently. “That was exactly my thought. If Vrax'ton asks, any warrior will just jump to his own death. So all Vrax'ton has done is give his permission. I am going to ask the guy myself. Oh, and you are, too.”

“I am?”

There was a loud knock on the door, three firm bangs, in spite of the perfectly and pretty futuristic doorbell that every living cabin in the spaceship had right beside the door.

Harper got to her feet. “Right on cue, too. Yes, you are. And I don't think I'm wrong if I say that you'll do it pretty soon.”

She walked over to the door, and a bodyguard who'd previously been completely hidden immediately appeared in front of her and opened it when she was ten feet from it, then stood back silently with his hand on his sword.

“My queen,” a deep voice rumbled, and Ava's could have sworn that the spoon on her empty plate rattled. A swarm of butterflies took off again in her stomach.

“Welcome,” Harper said brightly. “It's good to see you again so soon, Captain Xark'ion.”

- - -

The warrior seemed to fill up the spacious royal living room, and he had to keep his head slightly bowed to not hit the ceiling. He'd put his gigantic, black sword up against the wall by the door at the bodyguard's discreet request, and Ava was pretty sure that blade was as tall as she was.

Harper led the man over to the dining table. “You remember Ava, of course?”

Xark'ion stood stiffly for a moment, and Ava held her breath. How would he react to this? There was a wildness in him, just like there was in every Acerex warrior. But never had she felt it as strongly as now. There was such a mismatch between the hyper-advanced spaceship they were in and the almost prehistoric aura of violence and barbary this man exuded. And the trillion-dollar spaceship lost out, being forced into the background by his presence. It was as if time was turned back thousands of years in a bubble around him. His primitive appearance and his direct gaze sent hard tingles down below, and Ava crossed her legs.

“Of course,” Xark'ion said.

“Warrior,” Ava countered, but her mouth and throat were suddenly dry and it was more a croak than the reserved greeting she had meant it as.

Xark'ion took up a relaxed position with his feet apart and his hands on his hips. “What does my queen demand?”

The words were subservient, but the man himself made it almost a dominant thing to say. Ava felt a chill go down her spine. Imagine being a queen and being able to command the raw force this warrior could muster ... the power of it!

Last time she saw him, he had been struck by grief over his friend. Now she saw him as the warrior he actually was. And yes, he was different from the other Acerex warriors she had seen. There was more menace to this one, a sharper look in his bright, intelligent eyes. At the same time he was calmer, resting more in himself. He had to be the most confident person she'd ever laid eyes on. And every time the green fire in his eyes swept by her, she almost jumped.

Harper sat down in her chair and motioned to an empty one. “Will you not take a seat, Captain?”

Xark'ion didn't move. “I feel that our warriors today sit too much. I will remain standing, better able to protect my queen and the unborn she carries.” As a way of saying 'no', it was hard to fault.

“Very well. You have served our world and our people well, Captain Xark'ion. Would you consider changing the way you serve us?”

The warrior kept his eyes on Harper, but didn't say anything.

“You see,” Harper continued, “we need a volunteer for a mission. The king has approved of it, but does not command it. The mission is of great importance to both Acerex and Earth, but it is not a fighting mission.”

Again Xark'ion didn't reply, but he was clearly paying close attention.

“It is an investigation into those aliens that are behind all the misery that the Acerex people has had to endure over the centuries,” Harper said evenly.

Ava realized that she must have had a lot of experience dealing with warriors, because Xark'ion's silence didn't seem to shake her at all. “Ava will be in charge. She's an experienced diplomat. But she needs someone to assist her. A warrior. A good warrior. The king suggested you. Before I go on, and before we talk about the details, Captain, we must know if this is at all something you'd consider. I mean, it would take you away from your squad. Possibly for a long time. And you must leave your sword behind.”

“I would prefer not to leave my squad,” the warrior rumbled.

Harper looked at him for three heartbeats. “Ah. Is that your final word? It is a mission that might put a stop to the constant warfare and death that Acerex is always suffering from.”

Xark'ion's eyes shifted from Harper to the brilliantly blue, green and white planet outside.

He thought for a minute. “I would prefer not to leave my squad,” he repeated. “But if there is a way to end our wars in some other way, and our queen thinks it is important, then it seems to me I should at least hear what it's about.”