Page 35 of Heart's Keeper

Lana glanced around at the other men. "You really are planning to fight them?"

Tabara gave Bo a stern look, then turned back to Lana. "Not to fight, we hope, but to negotiate."

Elise snorted. "What? By pointing your guns and saying, 'please, give us your weapons and we won't kill you?' Forget it. You wouldn't have guns and armed men stationed at every wall if you weren't expecting a fight."

"You know nothing about it," Jameson interjected. "We are here to protect. You two have no business here, and it doesn’t concern you—"

"Enough, Jameson," Tabara warned. He looked back at Lana and smiled. "It is merely a precaution."

Lana frowned. "We aren't fools, and it is our concern. We were on our way to Earth's territories because we know about the ships coming from Xolis and have come to stop them. These ships are full of hunters prepared to extract all humans they find and leave nothing else standing." Lana shook her head. "You have no idea what you are up against. Their tech is beyond yours, and they will wipe you out."

Tabara's eyebrows rose as he studied her curiously. "And you think you have what it takes to defeat them?"

"Not I alone. But the team I came with can."

Tabara turned to Jameson, who nodded his head. He looked around at the others before turning back to Lana. "They are outside our walls now?"

"A precaution," Elise said smugly.

"I see." Tabara brushed a hand through his hair. "This is a very unexpected predicament. But if you are truly here to stop them..." He dropped his hand. "No. You may try, but we will not back down to just sit and watch. You can help us, or you can stay far away. It is your choice."

"You don't understand," Lana said. "None of your weapons will be good enough against them. And this isn't just one small ship but a fleet of highly skilled killers. You need to shut off the transmission before they find you, and let us deal with them somewhere far from the others."

Tabara laughed quietly and shook his head. "Oh no, no, that is not possible. The message stays. You see those suits over there?" He pointed to one wall on the far side where a set of what looked to be large mechs stood tall and silent like metal statues. "Our men use those also. They cannot be easily penetrated or damaged. That gives us our advantage. You see, we have been prepared for any sort of conflict. So, we do not worry. When they come, we will be ready."

Lana shook her head. "It won't be enough. And if they get past your defenses, they will enter the station. You put these people in danger."

Tabara said nothing, but by the expressions of the other men, Lana knew enough to see that wasn't an issue to them.

"You risk their lives for some alien tech."

"There may be casualties. It is unavoidable and unfortunate," Tabara replied. "But for such tech, any deaths will not be in vain. And assuming such a fight happens, would it not be the spark Earth's military needs to take revenge? And with Xolis' own tech, we would be equal in such a war."

Lana looked at Bo with shock. Bo gazed back at her sadly. "We have shelters. We can bunker down." She looked at Tabara bitterly. "Though our own equipment won't be spared..."

"It can be easily replaced," he countered. "Possibly with even more advanced tools. Once the Xolis ships are searched..."

Elise let out a noise much like an angry growl. "You idiot, there won't be a search! Even if you do somehow kill a bunch of them, they will mow down more of you, and there will be no one left. They will take the station and these people. They may even take some of you!" She waved her hand at Jameson whose face went a deep red. Bo looked afraid, and the others working around them stopped and gazed over with concern.

"You are misinformed," Tabara said through clenched teeth. "If you will not help us, then I’m afraid you are against us, and we cannot afford to have you in our way." He gestured to his men, and they responded by circling Lana and Elise, a pair taking hold of their arms. Elise shrugged one off and elbowed him in the stomach.

"Stop!" Lana said.

"Take them out of the station," Tabara ordered.

"Sir, wouldn't it be better to keep them?" Jameson asked.

"And create more conflict with their people? I think not. Our business is with Xolis, no one else."

"But we could use them," Jameson said, taking hold of Lana's free arm in a tight grip. "Maybe we can prevent a fight after all. Just trade these two for some tech..."

Lana glared at him, dumbfounded. Beside her, Elise was struck silent. Then she burst out laughing.

"I'm sorry, but you are crazy," she said through breaths. "If your brains were as big as your egos, maybe you'd actually have a logical thought."

Jameson started to laugh, then socked Elise in the stomach with his free hand, making her drop to the ground. Lana cried out in surprise as Jameson jerked her to one side. Fear spread in her as Lana gazed all around, waiting to see one of her team or Nezka drop out from somewhere unseen, ready to tear the men to shreds.

"Stop this. We will go! If you hurt her or me, you'll regret it deeply," Lana warned.

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