5. Tyrxie

Chapter 5

Tyrxie

Stargazing

D id the tall one spot me? I scurry down the gangway, crawling on hands and knees, my breath haggard with haste and fear. I was so careful not making a noise, holding my breath during moments of silence, but still he noticed me somehow.

There’s no hiding now.

Navigating the gangway, I don’t know my destination, only that I must get away from them. The three giant male Klendathians. Nothing prepared me for what I saw, not even our Security Officer’s warnings. Their leader, the one with the green hair, is as tall as the towering Triandale and wider than Quad. The red-haired one sends shivers down my spine with his face flattened, framed by large pointy ears that are bumpy and misshapen. He’s wider than the others, with a thick neck like cords of arcweave and a face that’s a canvas of violence.

My knife and pistol won’t be enough.

The young one with blond hair was the least frightening until I saw his eyes. Brown orbs of ice devoid of emotions. He’s like a droid given life. My thumb traces the knife’s handle, wondering how it would even penetrate their thick armor. They strode with the confidence of practiced killers, as terrifying as their masks which dangle from their belted waists.

Even Kaanus cowed before them and appeared tiny in comparison, a chilling thought. Despite their reddish skin, a peculiar realization comes to me... the monsters look similar to me. Among all the alien species I’ve encountered, Argorians like the Captain are the closest match, until now.

Am I a monster?

My breath is ragged as I continue to skulk away from them. I’m near the crew quarters now, although it’s hard to be certain in my panic. A dark shadow cast into the corner looks inviting and safe as I press my back against it, merging with the darkness. Catching my breath, I clutch the locket buried in my pocket. Its polished smoothness is calming. If they look similar to me, maybe they know of my people?

No, it’s too dangerous to ask.

Their leader, the one with the red fur cape draped over one shoulder, his face smooth and unblemished, with a strong jawline and full lips like mine. He was quick to smile, lighting up his face with a welcoming softness that almost makes me curious. Is he handsome? I’ve never encountered anyone like him before. But his sparkling golden eyes frighten me, mirroring Hyanxa’s—the eyes of a sadist.

I cannot trust him.

The rumbling and vibration of the ship rocks my back, as the hum and whirring noise of the hyperdrive engine roaring to life fills my senses. Steadying myself with hands gripping the gaps in the gangway above me, a sense of dread grasps my chest. No escape, no turning back. Two weeks aboard the Mutalisk’s Hammer with these dangerous male killers, with only stealth for defense.

Breaking orbit is a jarring experience as I grit my teeth and resist the turbulent forces that throw me around, like a soft toy in the hands of giants. The Mutalisk’s Hammer must be approaching the atmosphere now, as I can almost picture it in my mind. The entire ship has only one place with a view port—the bridge. While I often enjoyed gazing out of it at the spectacles of space, but that risked being seen, being noticed.

Sleeping hours are when it’s safest.

The rumbling crescendos with a searing and sizzling sound. If I close my eyes and concentrate, I swear I feel the metal walls growing a little warmer. As the ship must be breaking through Klendathor’s atmosphere, bidding its last farewell with a brutal scorching. Not for the first time, I wonder with a strange calmness if Job’s repairs will hold or will a fiery inferno consume us all.

Then, in an instant, the roaring, scorching sound, and bumpy rocking turbulence is gone. Replaced by the low hum of the engines purring with a pleasant resonance in the distance. Releasing the grate above as I let out a deep exhale. Looks like Job’s repair has done the trick, although how he managed it with a half-melted polysynth board remains a mystery.

I stifle a yawn and nestle into the darkened corner. It’s a safe place to sleep as my bunk is much too dangerous now. My eyelids droop like heavy arcweave curtains as they close of their own accord. The weight of the day presses down, and I drift off into the abyss of sleep.

My wrist console vibrates, jolting me awake. Rubbing the sleep from my tired eyes, the grogginess within me is a result of a brief nap. I squint my eyes at the harsh blue light of my holographic projection. It takes a moment for me to adjust to the brightness. It’s a request from Captain Kaanus to join him on the bridge. Panic tightens its grip around my chest.

Hyanxa will kill me if Kaanus is alone.

Scurrying through the gangway, not wishing to bump into any of the three new terrifying passengers, I make my way towards the bridge. Dread creeps over me when drawing closer to the room. All I hear is the sound of the engines as my destination is eerie quiet. Pushing and straining with all my might, I pry open one of the gangway grates, climbing out of the opening before replacing it.

With trepidation, I step through the whizzing bridge door, to find Kaanus seated on his captain’s chair, gazing out into the dazzling void of space. It’s difficult to tear my eyes away from the mesmerizing view, as stars, nebulas, and colorful auroras dance and flicker past us in a beautiful blur of hyperspeed induced motion.

“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Kaanus remarks, his back still turned to me, gesturing for me to approach, holding an old battered cup in his hand.

Scanning the cramped room with nervousness, I hope to see someone, anyone else, present, but my wish goes unanswered. “It...it is, yes,” I stammer out, taking tentative steps closer, drawn to the alluring viewport.

Kaanus swivels his chair to face me in a quick dramatic motion. “Relax, Tyrxie. Here,” he smiles, but his white eyes are unreadable. He reaches for another cup on the polished metal briefing table and pours from a bottle of iridescent crystal, molded into an odd wavelike shape. Shuffling closer with my eyes downcast, I reach to take the cup. “Aged Argorian malt, the finest. I reserve it for special occasions,” he explains, his voice a little slurred.

The bottle casts a colorful array onto the table, sparkling and dazzling, almost rivaling the beauty of the space beyond. “What’s the special occasion?” I ask, sniffing the clear liquid that fizzes and pops, tickling my nose.

Kaanus ignores my question as he continues, “Go on, try it,” he gestures towards me. “I know you’ll like it.”

Drunk people are dangerous.

Drinking makes me over-confident and sloppy. But I can’t refuse the Captain, so I place the dull metal cup to my lips, taking the smallest of sips. A burst of fruity favor explodes in my mouth, followed by an overpowering warmth that twists my face as it cascades and courses through my body.

Kaanus chuckles at my reaction. “Got a kick to it, doesn’t it?”

I nod in agreement, struggling not to choke on the burning alcoholic aftertaste. Kaanus swivels in his chair, facing the view port once again. “I remember when you were just a little, strange girl, you’d sit on my lap and we’d just stare out at stars for hours.” He reclines back in his seat. “You’d point at every voiding thing that passed and ask what it was,” he recalls with a brief laugh.

That was before my body changed... Before someone attacked me, before asking questions was dangerous.

“That... that was a long time ago,” I murmur, searching for the right words.

Kaanus scoffs, “Just a blink of an eye.” He pats his lap with his free hand. “What do you say for old times’ sake?”

My heart races with anxious unease. “What about Hyanxa?” I blurt out after a pause, wrecking my brain for a way out of this situation.

“I’ll deal with her later.” Kaanus’ face twists into a snarl for a faint moment before he regains composure. “Don’t worry about her. Come on, relax, it’ll be fine,” he reassures, taking another swig from his cup.

This is dangerous, he is dangerous.

But what can I do? I’ve seen his rage, his fury, a bone chilling reminder I dare not refuse him. Shuffling over to Kaanus with resignation, his white eyes giving no hint of their intentions as they gaze at me with a smile etched upon his face. Taking his outstretched hand bristling with a scaley hardness, he hoists me onto his seat, with surprising ease.

A startled yelp escapes my lips before I turn on his lap to face the viewport. Kaanus chuckles. “Still so small, but more beautiful than ever.” His words a whispered breath that brushes my ear and neck, sending shivers down my spine.

But I’m ugly and strange.

His breath is hot and heavy against my neck as he draws nearer, his head inches from mine. My heart pounds in my chest as I’m frozen in place, not sure what to do next. Rough scaled hands grip my waist hard as Kaanus groans. “Good girl,” he moans in my ear, as something hard pushes against my ass through the fabric of my trousers.

With a shocked scream, I leap from the chair, my breathing rapid and ragged. “Don’t touch me!” I shriek at Kaanus, brandishing my knife in defense. He rises from his seat, his face contorted in a horrifying fury, as he smashes his cup on the ground with a resounding crash that makes me flinch. Looming over me, his massive strength and height fills me with dread.

“You ungrateful little bitch!” Kaanus roars, taking a menacing step forward. “You threaten me with a knife on my own ship. Me! The one who cared for you all those years ago, the one who fed you, the one who clothed you, who sheltered you. And this is how you repay me!” his scaled hand strikes me across the face, blinding me as the stinging white hot pain forces me to my knees clutching my throbbing cheek.

Tears spill from my eyes as he advances towards me, fists shaking with fury. Trembling and recoiling, I brace myself for more. “You think I went to all this effort so some voiding barbarians can steal you from me!” He sneers in my face, seizing my hair with such force I fear he’ll rip it from my scalp. “You belong to me! Do you understand, you worthless bitch?” Another blow to my head sends me reeling, my vision swimming.

In a blind panic, I lash out with my knife, forcing Kaanus to leap backwards. “Stay back!” I scream between sobs as my face throbs and aches. Circling around him, clutching my knife for delicate, desperate protection. “Come any closer and I swear I’ll voiding kill you.” The words spill forth in a frantic, unthinking torrent.

Backing away toward the door, Kaanus’ expression softens in an instant. “Look Tyrxie, I’m sorry, I got carried away. If you just did as I asked, none of this would have happened,” he offers with an outstretched hand, his voice pleading.

But I remain unconvinced, backing out of the room, I flee down the corridor.

It must have been Kaanus.