“Incoming hostile!”

Gosha’s voice called over the intercom before the klaxon blared throughout the ship. 

“Again?”

Kazia rushed to the flight deck, her hands covered in lubricant and oil, which she tried to wipe off with a hand towel that had been purple, but that was 4 weeks ago. She approached Rory from behind, following her to the flight deck. Lucian and Gosha were already there, alongside Torin-4 and Rosli. 

Rory, in fact, needed Kazia’s help with a power manifold, resulting in her hands being smudged with black and green fluids, and an appreciation for mechanics. Only after eyeing Lucian with the others, Kazia paused at the threshold before moving to the center of the ship, taking her position top the ship and taking control of the gun turret. 

“Is it another bounty hunter?” Kazia asked over the radio. 

Her practice in operating the ship’s turret came in quick, allowing her to set up the controls and radar. The enemy ship came into view both visually and through the sensors. 

“Just the same asshole, Sigarus.” Lucian clarified with venom in his tone. 

“Why him? What does he want now, our reactor core?” Kazia spat. “Should I shoot now?”

“Don’t know. His ship is on approach, but his weapons are non-deployed.” Gosha turned in his chair, facing everyone with tired uncertainty. “We’ve had three hunters attack us, not a reason why. My ship is gettin’ banged up more than a sythar while moltin’, and there’s lil much we can do this far out in frontier space.”

“So, what, we call that bastard and ask what the deal is?” Kazia scoffed as if the thought was a joke in and of itself, but the silence told everything. “Surely your Second has objections.”

“Not currently.” Torin-4 replied flatly. 

“Babe, I don’t see any other choice.” Lucian reached out, seeking to see reason in her. “As much as I’d like to amputate his tail, information is key right now, so that planning will be more doable than another hole in the ship.”

Kazia listened, thought for a second, and nodded reluctantly with a neutral expression, though her ears twitched in favor of her new pet name. Sigarus tried to hurt them both, yet the lizard was offering something. She sighed, but nodded again, doubly sure of moving forward.  In moments, the ship came into view, intercepting the Rust Burn in open space. The signal came through on the ship’s holographic display, with that reptilian head appearing in shades of amethyst. 

“Well, well. Good to see you, Gosha. You’ve seen better days, though I can’t really say the same for your ship.” Sigarus cackled through the comms, appearing to be leisurely reclining in his chair aboard his own vessel, looking smug, which twisted Kazia’s face in disgust. 

“I'd rather you shut the fraggin’ hells up, you vorpal snake! What are you doing here, and where’s my cargo?” Gosha’s voice came to Kazia with history and regrets. 

“I came to collect an unexpected bonus that will offer you and your crew generous respite,” Sigarus informed, his eyes catching Kazia’s through the feed. “Your Vul’Katahn is the target.”

Kazia felt all eyes on her not long after she arrived, as if expecting an answer. Her eyes remained on Sigarus, hoping he would provide it. 

“For what purpose?” Lucian spoke up through the silence. “Why is there a price on her head?” He stepped forward, his body taking a position diagonal to Kazia, as if ready to defend her. 

The hologram showed Sigarus throwing up a hand, a shrugging gesture of unknown information. 

“Not for me to say.” He shrugged. “But someone wants her desperately if they’re offering a payout of 78 million credits.” 

Sigarus emphasized the weight of the reward. It was a massive total that could buy an entire star dreadnought. Two particular pairs of eyes stuck to Kazia from the Nexori, whose bodies shifted in a way that spoke more about them within seconds. They exchanged glances, the slight curve of their face plates, and Torin-4 brought up a hand to his chin as if contemplating either how to subdue her or what to spend so much money on. 

“So I suggest a truce, old partner.” Sigarus grinned something devious. “Surrender the female, and I’ll give you plenty to help your kin in return. Just like old times?”

Gosha tensed at the sickening familiarity, his mind also turning with what ifs. He had a family, this Kazia came to know over time, and he was getting by with the freighter and the business. To have thousands of credits on his lap for a simple agreement, a surrender, a betrayal. Kazia saw the thought consuming him as Gosha gripped the armrest of his chair. 

“Stay within arm’s reach, old friend.” Sigarus grinned. “I’ll give you a moment.”

As the hologram blinked off, the ship fell silent, and the atmosphere grew heavy, despite the artificial gravity remaining functional and life support running smoothly. Kazia took a step back, her mind reeling at the sudden realization of Deja Vu; a deal made, the mutiny, the chains, and then the void. Her heart felt as if it would disconnect and drop into her stomach, as a deathly chill embraced her, colder than the vacuum of space. 

Something, somewhere in her mind, Kazia felt someone laughing at the irony of it all, at the repeat of fate. As if it was unavoidable, but not if she acted now. There were fewer of them, small, weak creatures. None of them were soldiers, not her own people, and definitely not as defensible compared to a shelled lumbering, multi-limbed Voxia berserker. And she had the strength and skill to break them one way or another. 

Gosha would be the first, the easiest to kill with a single hand. Torin-4 and Rosli, tougher, but their synthetic bodies would shatter together, their lights dimming and their greed dying before her. They were isolated beings; deaths that wouldn’t matter to anyone: three bodies, obstacles for her survival, her freedom. Kazia’s mind raced with the possibilities, which could very well condemn them to the void for their betrayal.

However, as she wondered what to do with Lucian and Rory, he took her hand and slipped his fingers in between her own, loosening her fist. The cold air receded, her heart steadied, and her body was light once more. Kazia caught his eyes; those piercing amber eyes, like molten gold, were weighed with a priceless hope she couldn’t get rid of. Then he spoke to further his devotion, the ally she couldn’t recognize in her past. 

“We can’t do this.” Lucian stated defiantly, giving Kazia’s hand a tight squeeze.

“Are you blind, Terran?” The unexpected voice of Rosli spoke up, her tone synthesized, feminine, with noticeable enunciation and a nasal echo. “That money could do us all good. More than enough for even your lifetime!” 

“The Vul’Katahn are a lost people anyway.” Torin-4 added, his voice the same, but with a deeper bass. “I would rather take my chances now and get somewhere safe. If we reject him now, we’ll be chased and hounded for days, and she is the reason. I say we toss her and you find yourself another woman to enjoy.”

The statement came harshly, stinging Kazia’s chest. She felt it in Lucian, whose forearm tensed, holding her hand so tightly that she felt his anger rising beyond their shared connection. 

“How can you say that?” Rory spoke up, placing a hand on Kazia’s shoulder. “She’s a part of this crew, isn’t she?”

“I think I preferred when you were quiet.” Lucian didn’t let go of the hand he held, but stepped forward towards Torin-4, looking up at him with contempt and methodical dissection. “I know organic bodies, but I know more than enough of synth bio-tech to render your motor functions crippled.”

The threat felt like heat coming from Lucian, which even made Kazia catch her breath. She steadily pulled him back, doing so without much tugging, but felt as if he was reluctant to do so. Torin-4’s expression, even with his visor shielding his eyes, flared in equal surprise, enough to inch his foot back a bit cautiously. 

“That’s enough of that!” Gosha finally spoke, his chair turning to face his crew again. Everyone was silent and waiting for his word. “We’ll not trade Kazia’taeia to that slimy arse whoreson. Payout or not, Sigarus wouldn’t keep his word even if his mother made a deal with him. Not before, not now.” 

Gosha eyed Kazia, Lucian, and most definitely Torin-4 and Rosli. “Given the situation we’re in, however, I have few options on how to get out of this mess. Sigarus has military-grade weapons on that ship.” He gestured back. “He could tear us to shreds before we made a single jump to his mother’s ranch.”

“So, what do we do about an escape?” Lucian pondered, his shoulders dropping. “I don’t want to let her go, but I sure as hell don’t want to get spaced.”

“All the more reason to hand her over.” Torin-4 muttered out before he could stop himself, earning him another glare from Lucian. 

“Shut it!” Rory snapped, waving her wrench at him. 

Kazia stayed silent, her mind occupied with Lucian’s words, his stance before her, that protectiveness that made her feel a heat rise inside of her. Unbeknownst to everyone else, she realized her lucra were vibrating again, but managed to calm them. Her Terran was ready to fight someone possibly stronger than him, for her, a soldier and a warrior who could tank sniper shots. The man was beautiful, relentless, and worth every moment in her eyes. She refused to hold herself back. 

“Captain.” Kazia’s words broke the silence, turning all attention on her. “Open a channel.”

Lucian was the one to pull back this time. “Kaz, what the hell?” He exclaimed as she turned to face him, a smile on her face with unnerving calm. “I’m not going just to let you go over there and get captured. Not like this.” Lucian gave Torin-4 a side glance. 

“What if I want to give you a chance to be free yourself?” Kazia interjected. “Besides-“ she leaned in, her hands running through the back of Lucian’s dreads. “I am a warrior. I’ll make him