A thin, white-bearded man in dark clothes spoke to Jon in another language, suspicion clear in his tone and expression. A shudder flew through Beka when she noticed three other men pointing weapons at them. Jon tightened his hold on her, though he kept his eyes on the four men. She tried to focus, watching them as Jon spoke, and hoped she could act quickly enough if Jon needed her to do something.

     She couldn't detect the wariness she knew Jon must feel, but he didn't try to hide his exhaustion as he spoke. 

     "Our transport broke down. My wife and I have been trying to find help, but we were lost in the forest. Can you help us?"

     The men obviously understood what he said. The thin man gave a signal for the others to lower their weapons, though his voice still held suspicion when he asked in Unity Standard, "Where is your vehicle? There is no route near."

     "Northwest of here, I think. Near a river. On a road to New Vermilion."

     "What business do you have in New Vermilion?"

     Telling the truth was inevitable if they were to expect help. Jon said, "I was going to meet a man named Nik Silvan. I have information for him."

Beka noticed a new tension in the men as they glanced at each other.

     "But my wife needs a doctor first," Jon insisted with new firmness. "She's cut her foot, and it's causing a fever. Do you have a doctor?"

     The leader gave a sharp nod. "Yes. We can carry her if she has trouble walking."

     "No." Jon and Beka said at once. Then Jon continued, "I will carry her if you'll show the way."

     Beka looked up at the hard set of Jon's jaw as he stared at the strangers. I have to find my courage. Show him he can focus on keeping us safe, not be distracted by trying to make things easier for me. "I want to walk."

     For the first time, Jon looked away from the men. He studied her face in silence, his brow furrowed with indecision. Then she felt his arm tighten across her back in a brief sign of encouragement, and he turned back to the strangers. "I need to take off my boots." He reached down to push off his boots, then bent to slip them on Beka's feet. If the men thought it was strange, they didn't speak their thoughts aloud, though two of the men glanced at Jon's stockinged feet as if he were mad.

     When the boots were on, Jon stood and drew Beka to his side again.

     The leader pointed the way in silence. One of the men ran ahead, while Jon and Beka followed the white-bearded man deeper into the trees. The other two fell into step behind them.

     Two things were keeping Beka on her feet -- Jon's arm around her waist and the adrenaline of fear forcing her pulse into a rapid tattoo. Though their clothes were plain and coarse, these men did not look like farmers to her. Do farmers on Earth always carry blasers and other sophisticated weapons?

     Her heart raced faster as they came out of the trees into a small clearing blanketed with an eerie gray mist. Several people waited in a semi-circle for them to arrive, one man standing rigidly at the forefront. The morning fog dulled his features, but the man's suspicion was obvious in the way he held a weapon at the ready and the harsh tone of his questions.

     "My wife and I had to abandon our ship on a road at the other side of the forest,” Jon explained at her side. She could hear the tension in his voice. She could feel it in the protective way he held her. “We've been lost several days, following a stream. My wife needs a doctor."

     The man barked another question. Beka was too focused on staying upright to make out his words, but she recognized his hostility.

     Wait. She struggled to focus on the others. I actually do recognize that voice. She pulled a little away from Jon so she could see and hear better.

     "Tomas?" she whispered. Then louder, "Tomas!"

     She tore herself out of Jon's arms and ran to the man facing them. "Oh grace, oh grace. Tomas!" She stopped in front of him, suddenly afraid to trust her eyes. Am I hallucinating?

     "Beka?" the man stared and shook his head in disbelief. He lowered his weapon to the ground, then gripped her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace. She wrapped her hands around his neck and sobbed against his chest.

     "How... what...? Wait a sec." Tomas arched his body away from hers to trill a loud whistle. Then he turned back to hold her tightly against him and pressed his mouth against her cheek.

 

                                                                           *****

 

     Jon stared in stunned silence. He couldn't make sense of what he was seeing, what Beka was doing with this Earther. Clearly, Beka was not afraid of this man. In fact, the way she's holding onto him-- Jon turned toward the thuds of running feet.

     "Tomas, what the seven hells? Why did you give that call?" The tall, dark man's rant ended with a whispered, "Rebeka."

     Beka turned at the sound of her name. "Hart? How can you be here? This can't be happening."

     The blond man named Tomas explained to the darker man. "Beka and her husband are here to see Nik. But we need to get her to Doc first."

     The dark man frowned. "What's wrong?" He studied the large boots on Beka's feet and the way she was putting her weight onto her left leg. Without a word, he reached behind her knees and lifted her in his arms.

     As Jon watched the man carry her away, he heard Beka say, "Hart. Oh, Hart. I'm so happy to see you."

     "Well," the blond man told Jon, with a nod. "She'll be treated right, don't worry. She's in good hands. I'll take you to Nik, now, and we'll find you something to eat."

     The shock that Nik Silvan was near, on top of Beka's peculiar behavior, after the days and nights of hardship, choked the emotions in Jon's chest and the thoughts in his head. He believed Beka felt safe with that man. And with this man, Jon thought, staring at the one she'd called Tomas. He was bending to retrieve the weapon he'd dropped to embrace Beka.

     She, obviously, does not need my protection any longer. He nodded at Tomas and ignored the barbed fist squeezing his heart.

     The man slung his weapon onto his back and made a casual gesture for Jon to follow him. They walked through the dense forest until they reached a crude hut spanning two large, gray trees. After a sharp rap beside the gaping entrance, Tomas bent his head and spoke to someone inside. A brief moment later, he stuck his head back out and motioned for Jon to follow him inside..

     In the center of the primitive, semi-darkened room, stood a large wooden desk. On the roughly made desk lay a state-of-the-art holopod. Projected above the fist-sized computer was a transparent model of a group of tall buildings. Jon was stunned when he recognized it as the armament complex on Unity where he had worked for the past seven years.

     Behind the desk, controlling the supercomputer, sat a long-haired teenage boy.

     The slender youth looked up with earnest eyes and said with a slight Earther accent, "I am Nik Silvan. You have something for me?"

     Jon staggered to a small bench and sat down hard.