Page 2 of The Alien Warrior's Vow

Korben fisted his hands and thumped them against the table. The sound dragged Lans’s mind back to the matter at hand. Solving a problem as impossible as this one was ten times easier than trying to understand that stubborn human’s mind.

His terros hunched over, his back muscles pressing against his skin and his head almost parallel with the desk. Korben let out a heavy sigh. “We cannot afford to lose more warriors.”

Pin lifted slender fingers. The warrior was broad and tall. He wore a grim frown as he nodded. “I agree.”

“Denizi!” Clavas rose violently from his chair. His tail whipped the air as he turned sharply and paced the room. “If only we had gone after the Healer before the Heronas upped their defenses, we wouldn’t have lost all those warriors. They…” His voice cracked. “They didn’t have to die.”

Korben stared at his bruda. “If we did not get you out when we did, we could have lost—”

“I would have rather lost my life,” Clavas snapped.

“Not only your life would have been lost.” Korben gestured to the room. “But theirs as well. You are the best strategist we have, Clavas.”

Clavas shook his head and glared at the footage.

Lans sighed. He knew not what his friend was feeling, but he suspected Clavas’s anger was born of guilt. Lans had his own experiences with holding on to fury rather than facing his putrid self-loathing. He knew how it chewed away at the heras until there was nothing but char left.

“We need a new plan,” Pin tilted his head, his eyes sharpening on Lans. “Gathering an army of warriors won’t work if we all get vaporized by that shield.”

Lans strode to Clavas and gave his shoulder a squeeze. “We will avenge them.”

“But they’ll still be dead,” Clavas bit out. Fisting his hands, he charged out of the room and slammed the door behind him.

Korben rubbed his temple. “I will speak to him.”

“He might need space,” Lans murmured, shaking his head.

Korben clenched his jaw. “We do not have time for space. The sooner we come up with a plan to rescue the Healer, the better. Every second he is in the Heronas’s hands puts him and our entire species in danger.”

“Not our entire species,” Tiegan said.

Lans swung his head around. “What do you mean?”

“You have females now.” He jutted his chin at Korben, Pin and Zar. “All three of you returned from your mission with a mate and we know they are capable of birthing—”

“What are you saying, Tiegan?” Zar growled, his spine dagger jutting out of the back of his neck dangerously.

Alarmed, Lans held out a hand. “Settle down, Zar. There is no need to unsheathe your weapon.”

“You think the same, Lans?” Korben asked angrily.

He lifted one shoulder. “We have a future now. We have hope that our lineage can survive through the females. And they can control the zaptens…”

“Neh.” Pin glared in Tiegan’s direction. “Word of the females having Plutonian brood cannot get out. Imagine what those who have turned from our ways would do to them? Not to mention, all Plutonian enemies would seek them out just to control us.”

Tiegan lifted his chin. “Are you worried about all the females,” his eyes darted between Zar and Pin, “or just your own?”

“The femalesarea part of us,” Korben said.

Zar nodded firmly.

Tiegan lifted his hands. “I want to protect them too. All I am asking is that you consider this—other Plutonians would choose to protect them as well.” He stood, scraping the chair behind him. “We could all use some hope right now.”

As Tiegan walked out, Korben rubbed his temples harder.

Just then, there was a knock on the door.

It eased open, revealing Chozo. He was short and thin with smooth green skin. The clunky mask on his face could not hide the youthfulness of his appearance. It was hard to imagine that he was, in truth, older than them all.