Crystal

I'm shivering. My body is wracked with cold, all except my head which feels like it's on fire.

The two Habosu stare down at me. I'm on board a Habosu ship, which is all chrome and lens flares.

My brain's least favorite decor at the current moment. Also, being on a Habosu ship is not a good thing, especially as I don't remember how I got here.

"Don't know what the Sarkarnii saw in it," Lord Makkan's sidekick says. "Gakking ugly things are humans."

How many humans has he come into contact with?

"It doesn't matter. Once a Sarkarnii ruts, he'll do anything to be buried in a hot cunt." Lord Makkan laughs, his dark eyes glittering with anything but mirth.

"Drelix," I force out through chattering teeth.

"He will come for you. I'm counting on it. About time we got hold of a tame Sarkarnii," Lord Makkan says. "We've been chasing the gakking things across half the galaxy since they escaped the Kirakos," he adds. Delving into his coat pocket, he hands over a hypo-syringe. "Give her the drug, Paj, then throw her in the back with the rest of the cargo. I suppose we should keep her alive until the Sarkarnii gets here."

"Don't you want the drive?" I say, my voice shaking uncontrollably. "I can get you the drive if you let him go."

"The drive is inconsequential. My house needs the Sarkarnii far more than any access codes you stole and were looking to sell to the highest bidder."

Paj leans over me, hypo in hand, his face twisted into one of disgust as he presses the thing to my skin, and it hisses hot into my bloodstream.

"The zigurex poison is slow. It will probably kill a lesser life form like you, eventually," Lord Makkan says.

Paj picks up one of my arms and tows me across the metal floor, my dress sliding over the surface easily. I guess I should be grateful for good tailoring after all, even if Zika was a diva Kosta to deal with. Given I couldn't stand even if I wanted to, I just have to hope they haven't bothered searching this lesser life form and my dagger is still strapped to my leg.

I might just stand a chance. Providing I don't expire of zigurex poison first. But then, for all their bluster, I don't believe the Habosu would let me die. I have some worth, or I'd already be dead. That's how things work in this galaxy.

Paj presses on an airlock, and it opens with a whoosh and a blast of hot air. In a single movement, he flings me past him, and I find myself sliding across the cool floor until I hit something soft.

See, they don't really want to kill me.

The soft thing grunts.

I turn my head slowly because it's all I can do given how rough I feel, to see an expanse of fur.

Then an eye.

Then some fangs.

This is not a great situation. I do my best to back up from the hairy monster. Maybe I was wrong about the killing thing. Maybe I'm lunch…

The mound of fur uncurls and then slowly stretches out, the golden fur shimmering in the limited light, the reason these creatures got their name—star cat. A pair of deep blue eyes stare at me and I'm sniffed before being snorted at.

The star cat resumes its position curled up against the bulkhead, closing one eye but keeping the other open. Its long, sinuous tail flicks up and down.

I've heard of the species while I was on Station X42. Plenty of species want to own a star cat, but they're rare. Mostly because they won't breed unless they're on their home planet, wherever that may be. Twice the size of a tiger but with what appears to be the temperament of a house cat. I just have to hope they don't like to play with squeaky things smaller than themselves in the same way.

Because I'm most definitely smaller and pretty squeaky given how terrible I feel.

I shuffle slowly and painfully up against the other bulkhead and check out my surroundings, not that escape is going to be possible. There are square containers staked in neat piles, presumably with the rest of the Habosu's ill-gotten gains. A water fountain, presumably for the star cat, and a large empty bowl.

Not keen on the bowl being empty.

I shiver violently. It doesn't seem to matter what Paj gave me, I can feel the venom in my system. But what's worse is thinking about Drelix. If he comes for me—and if he has any sense, he won't—but if he comes, the Habosu will obviously offer my freedom for his slavery, and I can't let that happen.

So, whether or not I can escape is neither here nor there. I have to stop the Habosu. I have to make sure they can't carry out their plan.

Something nudges at my elbow and a great furry head looms into my vision. A large body settles next to me, the big fluffy tail curling around, warmth slowly infusing into my skin.

I may have been premature in how I viewed the star cat. As I sink into its fur, deep from within, it begins to purr, and all I can think of is Drelix.

All I want is Drelix.