Crystal

Smoke billows out of Nayl's workshop as I look over my shoulder. The naga is limp in my grip as I drag him farther away from the destruction.

I give him a shake. "Go get your younglings!" I shout at him. "Get them somewhere safe, right now!"

He stares at me, unblinking because he has no eyelids, then finally the nictating membrane slides over the orb and he comes to life.

"I'm sorry," he hisses.

"You will be if you don't go get Hayla and your young. I'll lead them away." I look towards the door at the sound of coughing. "Now go!"

I give him a shove, and he stumbles away, checking back while I flap my hands at him.

Okay, so it's times like this when a ray gun might come in handy… I don't fancy close quarter combat with a pair of big angry Habosu I've gassed with particle accelerant Nayl carelessly left lying around…in his safe…under the counter…which I'm not supposed to know about.

Hopefully I've not completely irradiated Nayl's workshop, just the occupants, who come stumbling out.

"Over here!" I wave at them.

With a growl, Lord Makkan lurches to the sound of my voice, and I dance out of his way until I'm sure both of them have recovered their faculties enough to start chasing me. Then I take off, racing down the passage and out into the second trading dome, the one which is attached to the space port.

The one place which is more heavily guarded than the rest of the station, which I know to my cost, the semi-circular scar on my hip being proof of my inability to escape this place. It is, however, the largest area on the station, filled with species from all over the galaxy, along with hawkers, pickpockets, vendors, food halls, and everything else in between. It's my only hope of losing the Habosu long enough I can take stock and work out what I'm going to do.

Habosu are evil bastards, wealthy evil bastards. What they think I have which belongs to them is a mystery, but the second I make it back to my meagre quarters, I'm going to check over every item of stolen property in my possession and get it all sold. Then I'll do whatever I have to in order to get off this fucking space station, because while they think I have something which belongs to them, they'll tear it apart and pay handsomely for the privilege.

Ducking behind a cart selling some sort of fried meat, I watch to see what the Habosu do. Faced with the bustle of the second dome, they glare around, then Lord Makkan's sidekick produces a pulsar disruptor.

"Fuck!" I swear under my breath.

It is not a weapon I want to see, and by the way others scuttle out of his way, no one does. Lord Makkan swipes at his hand, pulling the disruptor from him and shoving it down his pants. Looks like when it comes to illegal weaponry, he doesn't want anyone knowing about it either.

Instead, the pair of them grab the standard pulsar pistols from the straps around their shoulders and, goddamit, they split up.

I've been hunted before, even if it wasn't on this space station, and I know how to survive. But my quarters are over the other side of the second dome, and I need to get there before either of the Habosu find me. The one saving grace, the big green twats are half a head higher than most other species here and they stand out like gangrenous thumbs.

"If you're not buying, fuck off," the food vendor snarls at me.

I stand and inspect his offering. It's looks like rat on a stick, and while I lost my appetite the second I saw the pulsar disruptor, I toss him a credit and, somewhat put out, he hands me the food.

Attempting to be as nonchalant as I can, I stroll away from the stall. I can blend in, look like a tourist just off a ship, taking in the sights…and smells…of Station X42.

What am I thinking? No one comes to the arse-end of the universe to sightsee.

"Stop!" a voice rings out. "Stop the female."

I look around innocently, but there is a sea of hostile faces.

"The human female!"

Oh. Fuck.

I fling the rat on a stick away and dive into the crowds surging towards the spaceport as the sound of a disruptor echoes around the dome. Everyone dives for cover.

Except me. I keep on running. Maybe if I get to the port, I can find a way out. Maybe even the station guards will take exception to the use of a disruptor in Station X42…

The blast hits me, sending me up in the air as if I've dropped off a cliff. Pain sears through my leg and I know it's broken. I sail over the barriers and into the port. I know this is going to hurt. It's going to hurt a lot when inevitably the artificial gravity kicks in and I hit the cold, hard metal which seems a long, long way below me.

At least until I slam into something leathery, which gives with my weight. My brain is not catching up. Why is this membrane here at all? What has it to do with the spaceport? My leg hurts so much…

Oh, shit.

That's a very big mouth filled with very big fangs…