Rick came to to find Al’Kara kneeling over him. Her hands were cool to the touch on his face. Wait! My face . . . I can feel . . . He raised a hand to his chin, realizing his suit had been removed. Somehow, the greens had shucked him like an oyster. He was in his standard uniform of blue and red, but nothing protected him from the Golgoro mind powers or anything else. His Tellic though, was somehow still by his side. He took it up, looking at her.

Fighting a rising panic in his chest, he asked, “What is going on?” Take a moment, Ranger, breathe.

“You were captured by Thrane’s raiding party. They took us to a fortress a half-day from the City of White Stone.”

“And how is the Tellic still here?” The grip was firm, and the green light flicked on when he gripped it, meaning it was ready to fire. “Are you—”

“Beloved, I swear I have done nothing with your mind. I was able to fool the green beasts into thinking it wasn’t working, so they tossed it aside. I was able to secret it away. It has been waiting here this whole time. For you, beloved.”

Rick didn’t trust her. He didn’t know if he could trust anything he was seeing. Not with the Golgoro standing there and him without his helmet. “How did they get the suit off?”

“Thrane has some new device. He was able to peel you out of it. Yet, he wishes to prepare his war council before he goes to use the suit on your ship,” Al’Kara said. “We still have time—”

“He will have to do more than prepare. The ship is deadlocked. There’s no way he can get in.” Yet that’s also what they said about the suit. One problem at a time. Glancing at her, he realized he’d need her help. “Do you swear to not use your powers on me?”

“What do you—”

“Swear by your ancestors and your power that you will not use your powers to enslave my mind.” That was a little bit he remembered from the endless lectures about the Golgoro. Their oaths were strange and strong. “If you make them swear by their power, they are forced to keep it,” one of his instructors had said.

Al’Kara took a deep breath, a look of pain on her face. “You know not what you ask.”

“I think I do,” Rick said. He didn’t point the Tellic at her, but it was still ready to fire if she tried something. “Will you do it?”

“First, you will do something for me.”

Rick cocked his head to the side. “What?”

“If you make a water pact with me, I will swear by my power, if you still think that is needed.”

Rick paused a moment. She would have gost toward me. Rick knew a little of the water pact and the strange customs of honor that the tribes and people of Mars used. All the tribes except for the Green Martians, that is, who had a different set of customs that were mostly about the strong ruling the weak. “Very well,” Rick said.

He watched as she took a small bowl of water from near the door of the prison. He took in his surroundings finally and saw that the prison was spacious, strewn with some kind of rush-like material that did little more than make more of a mess. At least there was a small screen built to one side for the privy and two elevated planks for sleeping.

Al’Kara returned, and Rick realized she still wore next to nothing. He tried not to stare at her.

“Are you ashamed of my body?”

“No, aren’t you cold?”

“The Golgoro are used to the low temperatures of Mars. I am not cold at all, beloved.”

Rick wanted her to stop using that word, yet he didn’t see it happening. Al’Kara offered him a bowl of water. He took a long sip of the tepid water. “May we share water, sweat, and food.”

Al’Kara took the bowl, tipped it to her lips and swallowed, then said, “And may we bond over blood and salt as well.”

Rick nodded and was about to say something when Al’Kara stopped him with a look, grabbing his hand and keeping him where he was. “So mote it be,” she said, then looked at him.

“So mote it be,” he said, a little confused.

“Old custom. One you should know, beloved.”

“Thank you.” He took a breath to look at her. “And now for your oath to me.”

Al’kara bowed her head low. “Very well, beloved. I want you to trust me.” A small tear rolled down her cheek. She started to mutter something in her native tongue, then switched to Common, “By my powers, by my ancestors, I swear I will not use my powers against you to cause harm, alter your memories, or make you see things that aren’t there.”

Rick nodded, “Good. Now we need to get out of here.”

“How?”

“Well, how many—”

Before he finished, the door rattled as a key was thrust into the ancient metal lock. He raised his Tellic. “Or we can improvise.” He pushed himself up and hid as best he could against the wall next to the door. The door opened, and a scaly green head came into view. The Green moved into the cell. Rick held the Tellic up, then heard a cry from Al’Kara. She had drawn her belt knife and was chanting something at the Green Martian. It halted. Rick grabbed the saurial Martian and pulled it to the side.

Caught off-guard, the Green tumbled to the ground. Rick spun to one side to avoid the creature falling on him. Bowls of broth went flying as Rick went for the door. Al’Kara shouted and lunged toward the downed Martian, dagger raised high.

In the hall, a stunned Green gaped at him with lizard-like green-gold eyes, the slit of his pupil shocked open in surprise. The Martian went for the blade on his hip, but Rick snapped off a shot with the Tellic. There was as shout of warning from Al’Kara in the cell. Rick spun and ducked as a third Martian attacked from behind him, slicing the air where his head had been a moment before. Rick came out of his roll, the Tellic up, and fired, yet the Martian was already stilled by Al’Kara’s blade in the creature’s throat.

He stood and gave her a smile. She looked at him, her visage changing to a mask of hate as she charged toward him, her mouth forming strange words in the native Martian tongue. Her wet blade glinted in the torchlight of the cell.

He was about to shout, “Your oath,” when she pushed past him to dispatch the Green that Rick thought he had taken down with his Tellic. She turned, snapping her blade-hand down and wiping off the worst of the dark blood with momentum, scowling at him.

“Had you not bound my powers, I would have been able to shield you from the blow.”

Recovering, Rick looked at her and then at the saurian. His Tellic had taken the Martian in the side, not the killing blow he’d thought it had been. “I . . . Thank you for your help.”

“Is that all you have to say, beloved?” She asked, moving a little closer to him, hand reaching out to his.

He pulled himself away from her. “Yes. We need to go before more come to investigate.”

They crept through the ancient stone fortress, surprised that they didn’t encounter more of the Green Martians. Neither of them knew where to go, and after a few twists and turning corridors, they found themselves outside one of the walls of the fortress. They overlooked the vast Tharsis Plains. The light of Deimos and Phobos were but small dots of light amongst a backdrop of stars. Rick was able to pick out Earth and Jupiter in the sky.

“Beloved, what is that sound?”

Rick turned to listen, hearing a thunk-thunk-thunk coming closer and closer. “It sounds like a sentinel of some kind. That would make sense, since there don’t seem to be many of the Greens guarding this fortress.”

The two pressed themselves against the cold stone of the fortress, waiting. Rick gripped the Tellic ray pistol in a tight grip. Al’Kara held her dagger low, her breath coming slow and constant. She knows how to handle herself. He wanted to take more of her in, but the thunk- thunk-thunk of the robotic sentinel grew louder. It was closing in. He didn’t know what kind of sentinel it was. Regardless, if it was employed by the Greens, it would be tough and would have few weak spots.

A long heartbeat later, the thing crested the last of the steps the pair had just ascended. The sentinel was a pale pearl color, with a squat head and a single glowing red eye. Four arms moved in a constant rotation along its cylindrical body. Each arm was tipped with a pinching claw that looked curved and sharp. The feet were thick, flat, round appendages and bore the sentinel forward in short, lumbering steps.