"CONVINCE YOU?"

Nick snorted. "I can barely breathe right now. I don't have the energy to argue."

"I never said you'd have to argue," the ferret replied evenly. "I just need you to convince me. I won't breathe a word."

"Let me go. I refuse to speak when my left cheek is against the floor."

"Will you run?"

"Where to?"

The ferret sighed. "You have a point there, I suppose. But the way you think is a mystery. I will never be able to fully comprehend the reason for your actions."

"I will not run!" Nick said, trying to sound ferocious even though she could not properly pronounce her words. "Besides, I do not want to leave these people here, despite what I had said earlier."

"I understand that your kind do not hesitate at betrayal."

"I refuse to speak on the ground," Nick repeated.

The ferret danced around her. "Very well. You are welcome not to."

"Didn't you request me to convince you not to attack my planet?"

"I was amused, that is all," the ferret replied. "You are the most bearable of your companions. You speak little. Have you not noticed that you are the only one that is capable of speech?"

Nick struggled to move her head. She caught a glimpse of a struggling Oakley, who seemed to be using every ounce of her energy to inhale. "Allow them to breathe, at least!"

The ferret looked around, amused. "It is strange. Once they are able to breathe, they waste it on their constant chattering."

"Let them breathe!"

"Careful," the ferret warned. "Do not forget. I have nothing to gain from listening to your argument. I am the one giving you a chance to convince me not to destroy your planet. What is the saying—do not bite the hand who feeds you."

"I do not need to be fed!" Nick snapped.

"There now," the ferret chided. "See, I have let you speak now. You may sit up, but if you intend to run, you shall meet the same fate as your friends."

"I will not run," Nick said, sitting up slowly. Blood rushed from her head, and she began taking long, grateful breaths of air.

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"I did not let you free so I can watch you breathe."

Nick glared, but she knew her time was limited, and the ferret was correct.

"Nick…" Exflibberaguil whispered weakly, putting a great effort in squeezing his words out. "The ferret won't listen…"

Nick nodded, knowing this all too well.

After a long, deep breath to gather her thoughts, she began to speak.

"I can not pretend to understand your intentions for this," Nick said slowly, articulating her syllables clearly as to not be misheard, "but do not make the mistake in believing I possess any delusions of my current situation. You have proven the be a formidable enemy, and I, as well as everyone else, know that we are at her mercy, and my life can be easily extinguished. You have shown to be infinitely stronger and more powerful than any one of us here, And I know you already have decided on our fate, and I know it is extremely difficult to sway a person from a firmly grounded belief.

"However," Nick said, attaching importance to her word, "I believe it is my duty to try my best to convince you not to kill us or our planet. And while my efforts may be in vain, at least I can find comfort in knowing I died strong."

"You speak well," the ferret said, "yet you seem to be stalling."

"I am only warming up," Nick replied hastily.

"I would just like to make it clear that I am defending my planet and my planet only. What you choose to do with the other planets is your choice. I can not single handedly save every planet in all the universes, but I would like to preserve mine. And there is a very simple reason why you should not bother with my planet.

"Earth simply isn't worth it.

"Tell me, ferret, why do the rabbits invade?"

The ferret had a bemused expression. "Playing games with me? Very well. The main purpose of invasion is for space and resources."

"I believed the same. You would like to profit, I assume?"

"Yes."

"And, I also assume many have died during invasion?"

"Yes, but we gained more than we lost."

"Aha!" Nick cried, suddenly springing up. "Gain! You lost, but what you gained is more valuable, is it not?"

"Yes…"

"But there is the problem!" Nick said, speaking with animation. "If you decide to invade Earth, your losses would be more than your gains."

"How so?" the ferret challenged. "You are one of the most primitive planets to this date. It is impossible for your guns and explosives to match the power of the ones we have seen."

"Yes, but you forget," Nick said. "We are primitive, and that makes us stubborn. More stubborn than your other planets that care for nothing more than vacation and entertainment. We will fight to the death for our planet, and we will do whatever we must to prevent rabbits to invade us. And while our weapons are far from the best and most effective, we will use them to the best of our ability, and we will not hesitate to fight as a team. In fact, even if the invasion is a success and the rabbits take over Earth, they will still lose. We would have killed many rabbits by then, and even though rabbits reproduce quickly, they would have to live on an empty, barren earth with nuclear waste and toxic chemicals everywhere.

"Your rabbits would gain nothing from the invasion, only another useless planet in space. And why would we go to such lengths to protect a chunk of floating space rock? Because we still possess something all the sophisticated planets have lost long ago. And this is not something that can be easily recovered, even with all the technology and flashing lights other advanced civilizations may have. It is a power only primitive planets still have."

Nick paused, silently fretting that the ferret would not take the bait. The ferret seemed to understand too, and took its time to ask the one question. Finally, after a very long, awkward pause, the ferret spoke.

"And what is this power you speak of?" the ferret asked slowly.

"It is spirit."