36

A group of Xeljari aliens exited their spaceship and set foot on Earth, looking suspiciously around them. Their commander had told them of humans' hostile intent, and they intended to protect their planet and people at all costs — even their lives.

They knew their main mission was to invade the nearby agency headquarters and bring the building down — along with everyone in it. The next step was to steal the nuclear weapon it contained and secure it, then return back to Shianxa and deliver it to the commander for him to use it as he wished.

Their leader, Aan, walked towards the tall building first, armed with the necessary equipment for such a task. Just his luck that a child came running up to him before he could process what was happening.

'Show no mercy, to anyone at all!' the commander had cautioned, giving them all a dose of Klxsin to ensure their success.

He stared at the human child with his weapon in hand, aimed at the intruder.

'That's so cool! What is that thing? Is it a toy?' said the child excitedly, and Aan had no idea what to do with this obstacle.

'Please, go away,' he said, but the child did not understand.

'What are you saying? Which language is that? And why is your hair green? Hey, are you an alien?!'

'I said, go away!' said Aan, using the Force.

'F–fine!' nodded the child, and he left.

Aan sighed in relief. He had understood the no-mercy rule very well, but hurting children or other innocent people was the last thing he would do — or rather, never do!

He walked ahead, little knowing that he had been spotted by a security camera, and that the guards inside were getting ready for combat with 'extremely dangerous and armed hostile extraterrestrials'.

'I want you three on the left, and you three on the right — and you two behind me,' said Aan to his team.

The aliens made their way on the planned course and proceeded with caution — and it was well that they did; for, a few minutes later, a jeep full of soldiers drove up to the building and stopped abruptly. At the same time, a large group of guards filed out and assembled themselves in front of the main entrance almost at once.

Aan looked both ways in alarm. They were trapped. Still, they would fight no matter what, he thought, as he signalled to his fellows to attack.

The soldiers cocked their rifles and began to fire aggressively; at the same time, blinding flashes of light shot from the aliens sent the humans in spiraling agony while their weapons began to melt. Neither side was deterred, however, and they both took cover and prepared for the second round. Then the third. Then the fourth.

'Bother, these humans don't give up, do they?' said one of the aliens to Aan.

'They have as much to live and die for as we do,' said Aan wisely, throwing a ball of blinding white light towards the soldiers — his last one. 'We must hurry,' he said, and he dashed towards the entrance, when he heard a sound and looked back in alarm — there were two more jeeps driving towards them!

'What will we do now!?' said another of the aliens in a panic.

'Now, we're done for,' said Aan under his breath, preparing for the worst.

The soldiers advanced cautiously and aimed their guns at the small group — but before they could fire, a child called out — the same one Aan had met earlier — and came running towards them.

'No! Please don't hurt them! Aliens aren't bad!'

'Get aside, you stupid kid!' barked one of the soldiers, prodding him with his gun.

'No!' said the child firmly.

'Then I'll shoot you, too!' said the soldier, lifting his gun, making the child's eyes widen in horror — but someone swooped in and lifted the child, setting him aside safely. Everyone looked at the newcomer in surprise — it was Shen-ja!

'Shooting a child?! How much lower can you stoop?' he said, shaking his head before walking towards Aan — who was very happy to see him — and standing in front of him.

'We're in the middle of something, so get aside!' said the soldier. 'Wait a minute — aren't you the spy we kept prisoner?'

'I am,' said Shen-ja. 'And during my stay on Earth, if I've learnt anything, it's that some humans — like you, are the lowest, meanest beings that exist in this universe! But some of you—' here he looked the child — 'are so innocent and good, that it balances out all the evil, and some!'

'I apologise for his behaviour,' said the squad leader. 'But he was obviously just threatening the boy to scare him off!'

'Why use fear when you have love?' said Shen-ja earnestly.

'That's odd for you to say!' scoffed the squad leader. 'You and your fellows are the ones who intruded our land for all the wrong reasons!'

'I admit my wrong — and my people's, too,' said Shen-ja. 'But Aan here is someone who wouldn't even hurt a fly, let alone a human! If he's here, it's definitely because our planet is in danger!'

'Yes!' said Aan quickly, using the Force so that everyone could understand. 'I am here to retrieve the nuclear weapon that is intended to be used on our people!'

A few of the soldiers looked uncomfortably at each other, their grip on their weapons loosening slightly.

'He did save the child,' whispered of them.

'They don't seem so hostile now...'

'If they're only doing it in self defence, maybe they're not so bad...'

But the squad leader did not relent. He lifted up his gun and aimed it at Shen-ja. 'I'm going to blow you up,' he said slowly and menacingly. 'And I'm going to blow those other freaks up; and then I'm going to blow your whole damn planet up! Like hell I care! Men, get ready!'

The other soldiers hastily picked up their guns, bound to obey orders however they felt.

'Aim!'

Twenty guns pointed directly at Shen-ja; and his eyes widened as he looked his oncoming death in the face. But then, he looked beyond it; a crowd of people had gathered while he had been talking, and one of them was making her way to him! Why!? Then another — and another — two more! What was happening?

'Fire!'

The soldiers placed their fingers on the trigger, but they could not obey the order, for a large group of people — men, women, children! — blocked their line of sight and gathered all around the aliens.

'What is this?! What's going on?!' exclaimed the squad leader crossly. 'Get away! You are supporting the enemy, you fools!'

'No!' said the woman who had stepped forward first. 'We're helping our friends!'

'Your 'friends' are trying to attack a top security building containing a nuclear weapon!' shouted one of the soldiers.

'A nuclear weapon aimed at their planet!' said someone from the crowd indignantly.

'How do you know they aren't lying?' yelled the squad leader. 'Don't let these creatures manipulate you! They're dangerous! If they were in our place, they would have taken the shot by now without an ounce of mercy!'

'No, they wouldn't!' said a man from the crowd.

'How are you so sure?!'

'Because of the message from the A-Unit!'

'What?!'

*  *  *

A space shuttle landed inconspicuously in a lonely field on Planet Shianxa. The A-Unit officers stepped out one by one.

'This place reminds me of my hometown...' said Captain Paul, who was heading the mission, looking in surprise at the crops in the field, which looked like a cross between corn and wheat — perhaps this was the native grain of the people here.

'No time for us to think about home right now, Capt'n,' said another, cocking his gun. 'Look up! We're in alien territory right now, and if we get caught, we'll never see Earth again!'

They all looked up at the pink sky, some with wonder, some with fear.

'Let's move,' nodded Captain Paul. 'While we still have the element of surprise!'

'Speaking of surprise...' said one of the soldiers, who had stopped walking abruptly.

The rest of the A-Unit looked at him, and did almost the same thing; for in front of them was a long file of aliens, all armed and forming a barrier of sorts, leaving them with nowhere to go.

'Looks like we've lost this one before we even started,' said one of them, retreating slightly in a nervous sweat.

'We're doomed!' said another, panicking.

'Keep heart,' called out one of the aliens, applying the Force so that they could understand. 'We are no army — we have none on this planet. We do not want to attack you. We are ordinary Xeljari; but we love our planet just as much as you love yours. If you show hostility and disrespect, we will be forced to engage in conflict and even war with you; and we will go to the death. But if you show peace and love, we'll have so much more to give you back!'

The members of the A-Unit murmured in anxious surprise amongst themselves, until Captain Paul finally stepped forward and spoke up.

'But, I thought your people wanted to attack Earth!'

'No,' replied the alien. 'We just want to live in peace!'

Captain Paul considered his words for a few seconds. 'Peace...' he muttered, fiddling with the gun in his hand before lowering it and calling out again. 'What is your name?'

The alien took one step forward. 'Lin-jak! — it means peaceful river!'

'Mine is Paul; I’m named after a man who fought for peace — seems fitting now,' said the captain with a faint smile, before he asked another question. 'Lin-jak, what about the intel that we got about a group of aliens coming to attack humans, at the same time as us?'

'They're not there to fight humans,' said Lin-jak earnestly. 'They're trying to retrieve the nuclear weapon you wish to destroy us with!'

'Nuclear weapon?' said Captain Paul in alarm, looking at the beautiful field with concern. 'That's so... wrong! I don't want that to happen any more than you do!'

'Neither do we!' said the rest of the A-Unit members.

'Then, you have nothing to fear,' said Lin-jak. 'Because as long as you promise not to try and hurt us, we are more than happy to let you all go back whenever you wish — or even to welcome you as our guests!'

'I can't fight someone who isn't willing to fight,' said Captain Paul, looking at his companions, who nodded in agreement. 'And I can't hold any grudges against a race that only wants peace!'

'You are a true soldier at heart, Captain Paul, and a brave one,' said one of them. 'But I'm afraid these aliens might be deceiving us in some way! Hostile soldiers intruding on foreign soil are always taken prisoner, never "welcomed as guests"!'

'It is but a safety precaution, is it not?' called out Lin-jak. 'But where there is love and trust, there is no fear! That is the way of the Xeljari, and, as we have found out recently, of the humans, too!'

'Indeed,' said Captain Paul, nodding in agreement. 'In that case, I accept your offer; and I promise that upon returning to Earth, I will convey my true experience to the world; and I will make sure to condemn and prevent a nuclear attack over any pretext whatsoever!'

'So, this is it, Captain?' whispered one of the A-Unit members. 'Are you sure?'

'This is it,' said Captain Paul, pausing for a few undecided seconds before putting his gun down. 'I'm sure!'

The rest of the A-Unit followed suit, their hearts beating fast as they strongly sensed that they had broken every rule, every protocol; and yet, this was the only thing that felt right, even if all their training screamed against it.

When they looked up, they found that the aliens had done the same, and were now walking towards them. As they came closer, the humans were able to look past their striking alien features, and see the simple, honest faces that were no different, no less kind or friendly than a human's.

'Captain,' said one of the soldiers doubtfully. 'Aren't we supposed to be at war? How can this all end so fast?'

'If there are sincere, good people on both sides, it can take seconds to end a hundred-year old war,' said Captain Paul with a smile. 'And this one never even started!'