Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

W illow held her breath, braced for some new horror, as the eyes came closer but there was nothing frightening about the alien who climbed out of the ventilation shaft - the very small alien. It had green-scaled skin beneath a bright yellow jumpsuit, its features oddly appealing despite indications of reptilian ancestry. The figure paused to study her, tilting its head curiously, and she suddenly wondered if it was a child rather than just a small race. The cheerful color of the clothing and the eager curiosity on its face reminded her of her students.

A long, thin tongue flicked out to taste the air, and then the newcomer nodded decisively.

"Who are…" she began, but the small alien quickly put its finger to its lips as it approached her.

"Don't let them hear you," it whispered in a quiet, soft voice.

A feminine voice, Willow decided, a young feminine voice, confirming her suspicion that the stranger was a child. But what was she doing here, and why had she been hiding in the ventilation shaft?

"Who are…"

Even though she whispered the question, the little girl hushed her again as she bent over the restraints, unfastening them with quick, nimble fingers. As soon as the last restraint fell away, she held out her hand.

"Come with me. Hurry."

She hesitated, not sure if she should put her trust in the little girl, but then she looked into those bright eyes again and decided that going with her had to be a better option than anything the two males had planned for her. Her legs trembled as she slid off the bed, but they steadied quickly and she followed the child back over to the opening.

"Hurry!" the little girl repeated, gesturing for her to enter the ventilation shaft.

She looked at the dark, narrow opening and gulped nervously, but the voices were growing louder again so she took a deep breath and obeyed. Fortunately she was not a large woman and the shaft was larger than it first appeared. The little girl crowded in after her and pulled the rolling cart back in place before sliding the grate across the opening. She secured the grate with a small electronic screwdriver - the source of the whirring noise - before turning to Willow with an unexpectedly sweet smile.

"I'm Sooni," she whispered. "Don't worry, I'll keep you safe."

The idea that this child could protect her seemed ridiculous, but she managed to return the smile.

"Thank you. I'm Willow. Where are we?"

Before Sooni could answer, a piercing alarm sounded from outside the room, loud enough to echo through the confined vent. Sooni flinched, covering her ears.

"What was that?" Willow whispered when it finally stopped.

"I don't know. I never -"

The door to the room beyond slid open and both of them froze.

"What the fuck?"

It was the harsh second voice, so close she shivered. A small hand crept into hers. She wasn't sure if Sooni was offering reassurance or seeking it, but she returned the clasp gratefully. Something slammed against the floor in the room beyond and they both jumped.

"What is taking so long?" the cold voice of the first male asked.

"She isn't here. What the fuck did you do with her?"

"I did not do anything."

"Oh, yeah?" the second male snarled. "Your people are the only ones with the technology to transport into a closed space. If you're trying to cut me out of this deal -"

"I am not." The other voice turned even icier. "If you do not wish to lose your hands, I suggest you retract your claws."

She shivered at the menace in the male's voice, and apparently the other male recognized it as well, his voice more sulky than threatening when he continued.

"If it wasn't one of you, then fucking tell me what happened to her."

"I do not know, but I imagine she is still on the station. Ingenious little creatures, these humans."

"We have to find her."

"We don't have time. You heard the message - we have been compromised. We need to finish erasing the data and leave before the Fleet arrives."

"But -"

"Don't worry. She won't escape me."

Oh, God. The icy menace in his voice made her skin crawl, and her hand tightened around Sooni's. The girl returned her grip and they both listened as the two males started eliminating all traces of their presence. They even returned to the medical lab, smashing most of the equipment as she and Sooni huddled together, and she caught the faint scent of burnt wiring.

Silence eventually fell but they remained frozen in place for several minutes before Sooni finally gave her a shaky smile.

"I think they're gone."

Her voice was still low and cautious and Willow kept her response equally quiet.

"Who are they?"

"I don't know, but -" The little girl broke off, listening. "We should go."

Perhaps this wasn't the best place for explanations. If the two males returned and conducted a more thorough search… She shivered again and didn't object when Sooni squeezed past her to lead the way.

As they crawled through the maze of ventilation shafts, her thoughts kept returning to the horrifying conversation she'd overheard. Buyer. Slave. Product. The implications made her stomach churn, but she forced herself to keep following Sooni.

After a seemingly endless crawl, the girl came to a halt in front of another grate, this one in the floor of the shaft. She slid it aside and jumped down as easily as Freddy had jumped off the swing. Willow's descent was nowhere near as graceful, but fortunately a bed beneath the opening cushioned her landing.

They had dropped into a small, dimly-lit bedroom, cluttered with an odd assortment of broken furniture and several carefully arranged collections. Sooni didn't give her a chance to look around, but grabbed her hand and tugged her through the door to a larger room beyond. An elderly alien with the same green, scaled skin was seated at a workbench, tinkering with a piece of equipment.

"Grandfather," Sooni called softly. "This is Willow. I rescued her from the slavers."

He looked up and sighed, giving Willow a quick, perceptive look as his tongue flicked out.

"You were supposed to stay hidden, Sooni," he chided gently. "But I suppose I understand why you couldn't. Welcome, Willow. I am Malacar."

"Thank you for helping me," she said, her voice suddenly threatening to shake as the adrenaline from the escape began to wear off. "I… I don't understand why I'm here. Did those males really abduct me to sell me?"

Malacar sighed again and set down his tools.

"I'm afraid so. They're part of a group of slavers who showed up here several months ago. Sooni and I have been hiding from them ever since."

Slavers. Somehow hearing it said out loud made it even worse, and she wrapped her arms around herself, trying to process the horrifying reality.

"Where is here ?" she asked, trying to keep her voice calm. "Couldn't you just leave?"

"This is an old space station, mostly abandoned, but they brought in new equipment and they monitor traffic. If we tried to leave, we would be noticed." He looked down at the workbench, his face shadowed. "Since they arrived they have destroyed three ships that tried to dock here."

Her heart sank. She was still trapped, just in a larger place. But then so were Sooni and Malacar. Her heart ached for them as she looked around the cluttered room, taking in the makeshift living quarters and the piles of scavenged equipment. There had to be a way out - for all of them.

"They… they said something about the Fleet coming. Is that good?"

He hesitated, clearly reluctant to answer, then shrugged.

"Perhaps. I'm sure they would be willing to take you away from here, but I'm not sure exactly what would happen to you. The fact that you were stolen from your planet is illegal - but slavery is not," he added reluctantly. "However, I believe there are sanctuary planets for those in your situation."

He gave her a sympathetic look as she tried to suppress a sudden surge of despair.

"They wouldn't take me home?"

"Is your planet part of the Empire?"

Empire? she thought hysterically. It sounded like something out of a space opera, and she shook her head.

"I'm sure we aren't. Humans haven't made contact with any other intelligent races."

"Then you would not be returned," he said gently.

Never return to Earth? Never see her friends or her students again? A wave of sorrow washed over her and tears pricked her eyes, but she forced them back and took a few deep, calming breaths. He'd said they had sanctuary planets. That sounded… promising. Certainly better than being trapped on this space station.

"What about the two of you? Could they take you home?"

The shadow returned to his face.

"This is our home."

He clearly didn't want to discuss it, and she let the subject drop. Since it didn't seem as if anything would change until this Fleet arrived, she would just have to make the best of the situation.

"What are you working on?" she asked, joining Malacar at his workbench.

He gave her a surprised look, but gestured at the pieces spread across the surface.

"I'm repairing one of the devices left behind by the previous occupants. There was a small amount of traffic here before the slavers arrived, and I traded the repaired equipment for supplies."

Supplies? And no one had come by in months? Both Malacar and Sooni were painfully thin, and she suddenly wondered if that was natural or the result of deprivation. The fact that they were still willing to help her under the circumstances spoke volumes about their characters.

She looked around the cluttered workspace again, then gave Malacar a quick smile.

"Is there anything I can do to assist you? I don't have much experience with technology, but I'm a quick learner. I'd be happy to help."

"It's not necessary, my child."

"Please? It would help to have something to do." Anything to take her mind off the situation.

That perceptive gaze searched her face again, and then he nodded.

"Very well. Please have a seat."

She did, listening eagerly as Malacar began to explain. From teacher to student, Willow thought, smiling down at the Sooni as the girl came to lean against her. At least she was able to do something useful.

They worked together for the rest of the day, although her progress was slow. When they took a break for the evening meal, Malacar tried to give her the largest portion of the porridge-like substance he'd prepared. But she'd seen the cabinet from which he'd retrieved the grain was almost empty and insisted that they share it equally.

When she surreptitiously added an extra spoonful to Sooni's bowl, Malacar noticed. His eyes twinkled as he did the same and she smiled back, the two of them united by their concern for the child. Here she was in a dim room in an abandoned space station in some unknown part of the galaxy, eating dinner with two aliens, and yet she suddenly felt at home in a way she hadn't in a very long time.

They quickly fell into a routine over the next few days as they waited for the Fleet to arrive. While Sooni played or explored the station, she and Malacar worked on repairing various pieces of equipment. He was a good teacher, calm and patient, and by the third day, he'd taught her enough that she could repair a few common problems. During the day it was surprisingly easy to forget her situation, even though the portions of porridge kept growing smaller each day.

But at night, on her small bunk in Sooni's room, the weight of her unknown future would crash down on her. She missed her home and her students, and the terror of the slavers returning haunted her dreams. Sooni frequently detected one of her panic attacks and would crawl in next to her. Her presence always comforted Willow, but how long would that last? If she left the station with the Fleet and they remained…

The thought of being separated from the little girl made her heart ache, but she did her best to push it aside and concentrate on the present.

On the afternoon of the third day she grinned with satisfaction as Malacar gave her latest repair an approving nod. Just as he started to say something, a shrill alarm echoed through the room and he rushed over to a nearby monitor, studying the screen.

"A ship has landed in one of the docking bays," he said, his voice expressionless.

"Is it the Fleet?"

Now that the moment was here, her fears and doubts came rushing back, but he shook his head.

"Too small. A minor trader, perhaps. I haven't been able to repair the cameras in that bay yet."

"N… not the slavers?"

"I don't think so. At least, they've never entered through that part of the station before." He hummed thoughtfully, then rose to his feet. "It's probably just one of the traders who used to stop here occasionally. I'll go and investigate."

She immediately tried to protest but he gave her a gentle smile.

"I've dealt with a number of different beings since we arrived. I'll be fine. And if it is a trader, we may be able to obtain more supplies."

Without waiting for a response, he headed for the door. She'd learned over the past few days that despite his kind heart and gentle nature, once he made up his mind very little would change it, and she gave Sooni a helpless look.

The little girl was biting her lip, her small face thoughtful.

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Willow said, trying to sound confident.

"I'm going to go and keep watch. Just in case."

Before Willow could stop her, the little girl darted into the bedroom and scrambled up into the ventilation shaft.

"Sooni, no!" she cried, racing after her. "It's too dangerous!"

But Sooni was gone, disappearing into the darkness of the shaft. Damn. Now what? Her instincts demanded that she go after the little girl, but unlike Sooni, she couldn't find her way through the confusing maze of shafts.

She's smart and she's resourceful , she told herself. She won't do anything foolish.

Despite her attempt to reassure herself, she couldn't shake the feeling of dread that settled in her stomach and she paced the small room restlessly, her mind racing with worst-case scenarios. What if the slavers had returned after all? What if they hurt Malacar or found Sooni?

The minutes ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. She had to clench her hands together to stop them from trembling as she kept watch on the dark opening of the shaft.

Please, Sooni, come back safe.

Just as she thought she might scream from the tension, a soft scuffling sound came from the main room and she hurried back out, her heart pounding. The door slid to one side to reveal Sooni, her eyes wide and uncertain. But she wasn't alone.

A tall, muscular male followed Sooni inside and the room suddenly seemed to shrink. It wasn't just his size - there was a subtle aura of danger surrounding him. Long, dark purple hair was confined in a tight knot, accentuating his strong, angular bone structure - not human, but attractive nonetheless. His opalescent skin, subtle colors flickering across it, formed a striking contrast to his severe black clothing. He studied her with gleaming purple eyes, his expression unreadable.

Sooni darted to her side, and Willow immediately stepped in front of her.

"Stay back," she said, doing her best to sound confident. "I won't let you hurt her."

He raised an eyebrow, his expression faintly mocking.

"What a brave little female," he murmured, his voice equally mocking. The strange undertone beneath his words was a low rumble that vibrated pleasantly down her spine, but then he took a step towards her and her mouth went dry. "But if I meant her harm, how exactly would you stop me?"