[Ben]

I would never have imagined this occurring in my family home. We plotted Paradise's destiny while sipping tea around the old kitchen table. The same one where I ate countless meals, squabbled with my sisters, and learned the fearsome power of the 'mom glare'. The one with my initials carved on the underside that my parents never removed. And here with an alien. Although Ar'ell preferred fruit juice over tea.

Kie gripped my hand. Ar'ell sat next to her, his long spindly legs extending awkwardly under the table. My parents and Liz sat across from us.

Jack joined the rest of us at the table. "Ahmad confirmed it. Another alien starship did dock at the port."

Liz asked, "And Joe?"

"I got him to the clinic. They said he would be okay, but he will take some time to fully heal." Jack accepted a mug of hot tea from my Dad. "There were no hostiles around the clinic, but the ground port area swarms with them. I don't think we would be successful stopping the space elevators."

Kie shook her head. "We don't want to."

Jack snapped his head around. "What?"

She conversed a few moments with Ar'ell in song. I couldn't help but notice Liz's half-smile as she tilted her head. Kie's understanding of the alien language was truly extraordinary.

Kie turned back to us. "The starship carries an Arbiter, sort of a judge. He will decide the fate of Paradise. By Av'arr law, the first joined pair to settle in a new land may claim it. The Em'arn clan will try to claim it as theirs." She held up her left hand, displaying the four-pointed star. "We must be there to challenge and claim Paradise for ourselves. By becoming a member of the Orra clan, Ben and I should have legal standing to do this."

Jack frowned. "I presume the Em'arn will try to stop us."

Kie nodded. "The Em'arn shot down Ar'ell's ship and killed his mate because they knew he would have a legal right to claim Paradise. The Av'arr sun is dying and they are desperate for new lands to settle. So, yes. The Em'arn will try to stop us."

Liz spoke up. "Something I have been wondering, why didn't the Em'arn target our people? And why did they take us captive rather than kill us?"

Kie conversed with Ar'ell in song. Pale greens rolled across his face. Kie dipped her head and tightened her grip on my hand. "Because too much killing might not look good to the Arbiter."

Liz snorted. "Genocide never does."

A tense silence gripped the room. The implication of what the Em'arn might do once given full control of Paradise sent a shiver up my spine.

Liz leaned back in her chair and broke the silence. "Jack, how long until this Arbiter would arrive at the ground port?"

"The climber is still heading up to the spaceport. Assuming they come down right away, about twelve hours."

"Then that is how long we have to be ready." Liz turned toward Kie. "What else do you need?"

Kie shook her head. A thought occurred to me that might improve our chances. I spoke it. "Strawberries. All we can get."

*****

Kie and I walked outside, leaving the detailed planning to Jack, Liz, and a few of Jack's security people. We settled into the front porch swing and let it swing us back and forth while we gazed at the darkening sky. She leaned her head against my shoulder as I wrapped an arm around her. I felt the tightness in her shoulders. She purred as I massaged her upper back.

Stars began to appear in the sky. The far sun of Ar'ell's homeworld appeared above the eastern horizon. Whatever the outcome, our two worlds would be forever linked.

Mom came out and leaned against the porch railing. Liz and Dad had convinced her to return to the safety of the southwest research station, despite her reluctance. If we fail tomorrow, the remaining people would need her to survive.

I could not read Mom's face in the darkness, but her words came out full of concern. "These are difficult times. How are you two doing?"

I replied, "Anxious, I guess."

Mom nodded. "Understandable. You two and Ar'ell are the focal point of our hopes, especially you, Kie. We are all here to support you."

Kie nodded. "Thank you."

"We couldn't help but notice how close you have grown to each other. Ben, if you were to ask, you have both mine and your father's blessing."

I grinned. "It turned out the Mouse wasn't such a terrible a partner after all... Oww!" I rubbed my side where Kie elbowed me.

Mom grinned and pointed at me. "Ben, you be nice to her."

I lifted my hands. "Why do women always gang up against me?"

Kie muffled a laugh. "Because we need to protect ourselves from you." She turned to Mom. "Umm, Mora, I want to thank you for that wonderful chocolate that Ben brought."

Oh, no. I put a hand to my forehead. I might have neglected to tell Mom I took some of her stash.

Mom smirked. "He did, did he?" She turned to me, piercing me with her 'mom glare'. "Ben?"

I shuddered. "Well, you said I should bring something to give her..."

Mom shook her head but with a grin. "You're worse than your father."

I took a breath. "Mom, I have to ask. Did you have a part in selecting Kie as my partner for the bio-survey?"

Mom paused, looking away. "Perhaps..."

Kie turned her head. "And was my grandma Brinne a co-conspirator?"

"Um, maybe..."

*****

We awoke before dawn from a restless sleep. I shared my bed with Kie. Her deep amber eyes showed the same desire that I felt. Under most any other circumstance we would have allowed its full expression. But with the apprehension of the coming day, it held back. Yet still, the fires smoldered.

Mom gathered four containers of fresh strawberries. Kie shared a few with Ar'ell during breakfast but then moved them out of his reach. She grinned while conversing with him in song. Faint streaks of green flashed across his face. She was like a mother limiting candy to a child.

Mom gave us all a hug when she left for the research station. She saved a long passionate kiss for Dad, along with a pointed warning not to get shot again. Not many years ago such public shows of affection between my parents gave me an 'eww' reaction. More recently, it became oddly reassuring that they felt such passion for each other after so many years. I put my arm around Kie and drew her in. Thoughts of a life-long relationship with her flooded my mind, releasing a warm feeling that welled up from my core. What was happening to me?

Liz stood up straight and pulled her shoulders back. "Ready to make history?"

I squeezed Kie and put as much confidence into my voice as I could. "Let's do this!"

In the predawn light, we made our way in silence to a flat-roofed building that overlooked the plaza next to the space elevator ground port. Jack, my dad, and I carried stunner guns strapped to our waists while Ar'ell carried his lance. Liz and Kie carried no weapons. Thanks to Bob the Drone's scouting reports, we avoided any close encounters with the Em'arn. Inside, we moved chairs, tables, and other items stored for plaza events aside to make room. There we would watch and wait.

Kie and I climbed the steps up to a dusty storage loft and peered out the corner of a high window as the sun rose behind low gloomy clouds. I hoped that was not an omen. Many armed Em'arn soldiers loitered in the open area with more around the ground port in the distance. Three shiny space ships similar to the ones we had destroyed stood in a row on the grass.

My Dad joined us. He put a hand on my shoulder. "You two have already had some incredible adventures." I turned to face him and he continued. "Ben, I don't know if we will be successful today or not, but I want you to know that I am proud of you."

A tear came to my eye as a feeling of euphoria rose. There was little praise better than the pride of your father. I gripped his hand and with the other drew him into a one-armed hug.

Dad turned. "You too, Kie. Your accomplishments have already been extraordinary."

She dipped her head, blushing slightly. "Thank you."

I peeked out the window and looked up. A large rounded object pushed through the cloud deck above, slowing as it descended. I called out, "The climber is coming down. Right on schedule."

We joined the others on the ground floor. Kie conversed with Ar'ell in song. She grinned as she extracted a large strawberry from a container and gave it to him. "Alright, but just one more." She turned to us. "We need to wait until the Arbiter comes out with his security forces. The Em'arn would not dare to harm us in front of him."

Liz shook her head. "Power politics seems to be a universal constant."

It always awed me to watch a space elevator come down from the heavens, riding on an impossibly small cable. Shaped like a massive fat donut, each of them could carry hundreds of people with cargo. It settled down into the ground port building. Kie grasped my hand and held her breath for a moment. She felt the same apprehension I did.

After several anxious moments, a group of aliens emerged from the port building wearing pale red robes with dark red belts. One, in particular, wore a thick white sash and carried a long black staff.

Ar'ell pointed and spoke to Kie in song. She interpreted. "That's the Arbiter."

The Em'arn soldiers near the port came to a standstill, perhaps at attention. An Em'arn with a black uniform and gold sash, flanked by two helmeted soldiers with lances, walked beside the Arbiter. Shades of blues and greens flashed across their faces as the Em'arn leader waved his arms. They appeared to be in an animated conversation.

Liz nudged Jack. "We've met that one. He had no regard for us at the time and probably will not now."

Kie said, "He's a commander of some sort."

Two massive machines followed them, clomping along like metal robots at least four meters tall. A menacing red light showed through a slit on their heads. Their arms consisted of claws and weapon turrets. On their shoulders, missiles stood ready. We would have absolutely no chance against these battle mechs.

I jumped as the back door rattled, once and again harder. The lock held. We heard a series of tones and warbles outside.

Jack drew his stunner. "We've been discovered."

As we pulled back, a sharp explosion shattered the lever and the door swung out. Smoke and dust obscured our view as we took shelter behind stacks of tables and chairs. I sheltered Kie in my arms. Liz ducked down beside us.

Ar'ell's face became dark green as he crouched and leveled his lance. He fired at the first Em'arn soldier that entered, the yellow pulse tearing through the soldier's neck. Two more soldiers appeared in the doorway, firing wildly with their lances. I fired my stunner in their direction without aiming. I heard other stunners firing.

My dad barked out, "Damn it!" That was unusual in itself. He rarely ever curses.

The chaotic sounds of battle died down. I crawled over to my dad who sat on the floor holding his left arm. Drops of blood squeezed between his fingers and dripped to the floor.

My eyes widened. He answered my question before I could ask it. "It's not too bad. Just don't tell your mother I got shot again."

I grinned. "You know she is going to figure that out eventually."

Dad sighed. "Yeah..."

I jerked my head around to an anguished cry. Kie! She knelt beside Ar'ell on the floor, holding one of his hands as tears streamed down her cheeks. She pleaded to him in song between sobs. I knelt beside her and gasped at the jagged wound to his side. A pool of his blue-green blood expanded on the floor. His face turned to pale shades of blues and his black eyes glassed over.