The space pod detaches from the ship with a pop and then we’re floating in space. I hail the Star Fury to let them know I’m on my way back, and that I’ve recovered a slave. I speak quietly into the speaker because I don’t want to scare the woman. I don’t know how long they’ve had her or what their exact plans were, but I’m sure they weren’t anything good. The Atronox have never dealt with slaves before, at least not that we know of, so this is a new low … even for them.

When I carried her in my arms, I was shocked at what a tiny creature she is. Smaller than anything I’ve ever seen before. In fact, I’ve never seen another creature in this galaxy exactly like her. She’s strange looking, and she caught me off guard when I saw her lying on that table. There was a strange feeling inside of me from the moment I stepped on board — even before then. I knew the Atronox were up to something, I just didn’t know what it was. Something inside of her found a way to connect with me.

I wasn’t prepared for how I’d feel when I saw her lying on that table. Such anger coursed through me, seeing for the first time what the Atronox were up to. But then I looked at her. Her skin the color of the sunrise on Gaia Colony from when I was just a boy. I saw myself reflected in her brown eyes and felt my heart awaken when I first held her in my arms. I haven’t forgotten how my mother would tell my brothers and I stories about finding our fated mates, how our hearts would awaken and we would be filled with contentment just knowing our mates were near. She said we would never have to worry, because when it happened we would just know. Now I recognize her stories to be true, I just never thought it was possible with a woman of another species.

Regardless, I am her rescuer and I will keep her safe as long as it takes until I can return her to her own people.

The engines are fully engaged and we’re moving full blast toward the Star Fury so we can re-board and get the hell back into legal boundaries. I hear her gasp behind me when the space around us becomes visible for the first time.

“Oh my God,” she says. “I must be dreaming.”

I’m trying to focus on getting us back to the ship. The most important thing is getting her to Lunis Station so we can return her to her people. But right now, I can feel the energy coming off of her; a strange excitement causing her heart to pound in her chest and her blood to flow quickly through her veins. Almost as if this is the first time she has ever seen the space around us, or flown in a space vessel. Our bodies are in tune with each other. I wonder if she can feel it too?

We fly silently back to the Star Fury. It’s idling just outside of the cut-off zone, having repositioned itself after I left in the escape pod. I move us quickly into position and dock the pod. With a few clicks the door slides open so we can step back on board. If she’s still suffering from the drugs they injected her with, she will need my help. Once I step out, I turn and reach my arms back into the pod. She understands my intentions and lets me lift her from the small ship.

“Are you able to walk?” I ask her once we are both out of the pod.

“I’m not sure. I feel a little stronger than before,” she says.

I set her down, but her legs are wobbly, still unsteady from the drugs. She grabs my hand, in need of my strength to help her get from here to the bridge.

Now that I’m back on my own ship, and I have rescued her, I’m calmer. Once I have her in my arms again, there’s a strange flutter in my chest. She leans heavily on me while I carry her, allowing me to help her. It’s a small acknowledgement of trust and it fills me with pride. Which makes what I have to do next that much more difficult.

“I’m sorry about this,” I say as I gently set her against the corridor wall. I gently lift her legs one at a time looking for any scars or bumps on her body. “The Atronox always implant a tracking device into their shipments in case they’re boarded and need to drop them in a hurry. It’s possible that they put one in you, and if that’s the case, I need to take it out and destroy it.” She looks up at me, her emotions reading clearly on her face. She’s tired of the unknown and exhausted from her fear. I regret having to test her newfound trust in me so soon. “It’s only going to hurt for a moment,” I say as I rub my thumb over a small bump in her right ankle.

I lift her small foot and hold it in my palm, our size difference glaringly obvious when I see how her foot is dwarfed by my hand. I can see the small bump of the transmitter protruding from near the bone of her ankle, a small fresh scar visible where the skin was broken. Without hesitation, I draw a blade from my waist and slice a small, precise cut in her skin so I can pop the device out. It comes out easily, with only a small gasp from the girl. I drop it on the ground and try to crush it under my boot, but it doesn’t break. I pick up the small capsule and look it over. It looks different than their usual trackers, and obviously it’s much stronger. Instead of destroying it, I’ll have to hand it over to Raydn so he can figure out what new device this is.

“It looks like they’re using a new kind of device. We need to analyze it before we can destroy it.” I tuck it into my pocket and take a piece of medical tape out of the kit on the wall. I wrap it around her ankle to prevent an infection and help her to her feet again.

The way she looks at me throws me off guard. I can see that she’s nervous and uncertain about what’s going on, but at the same time I can see the curiosity in her gaze. After a moment I place my hand across my chest and lean forward in a form of a bow. “I am General Koba. You are on my ship, the Star Fury. I’m a member of the galactic Force … I’m here to help you.”

Her face lights up. It’s the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. “Thank you,” she says, placing her hand over her chest, mimicking the same motion that I used as a greeting. “My name is Marilyn.”

Marilyn. Such a strange, beautiful name.

“Where are you from, Marilyn?” I ask.

“I’m from Chicago,” she says as she wraps her arms around her chest, as if she’s cold.

Such strange names, indeed.

“I haven’t heard of the planet Chicago.” I’m racking my brain trying to think of where her planet would be. I’ve been to the far reaches of this galaxy, and I have never come across this place, or women that look like Marilyn.

“No,” she says, looking confused. “Chicago isn’t a planet. It’s a city … on Earth.” That look is back again, like she’s about to lose her composure. I see the questions on her face, and the worry. I don’t blame her, I’m feeling the same way. To say it was a shock to see that the Atronox had abducted a woman is an understatement. It’s a bad sign that they’re branching out into dealing and trading females. While these thoughts bombard me, her eyes start to glaze over. She’s looking at my face but she isn’t focusing on me, she’s looking right through me. It’s a good thing she’s already sitting down, because the next thing I know, her entire body goes limp and she falls to the side, sliding down the wall onto the floor.

I lift her and begin carrying her down the hallway toward our sleeping quarters, but she isn’t out long. We’ve only gone a short distance when she takes a deep breath and opens her eyes. She looks up at me and I can’t help but smile. “Sorry to disappoint you but, unfortunately, it wasn’t a dream.”

She’s quiet, letting me hold her. Finally she says, “I think I’m okay, you can put me down.”

We’re close to the bridge now, but I think meeting the others will be too overwhelming for her right now. Instead, I point her toward the row of windows at the side of the ship.

“We’re on our way back to Lunis Station. Once we arrive, you’ll be offered medical attention and sleeping quarters where you can rest and recover. We’ll get to work identifying the coordinates of your planet so we can return you as soon as possible.”

“That sounds nice … thank you,” she says. She’s fascinated with the view from the windows and I don’t blame her. If this is her first experience flying through space, it would be quite the sight. “Oh my God!” she says, plastering her hands on the window. “What is that?”

I don’t need to look to know what has caught her attention.

“Welcome to Lunis Station, the largest space station in the galaxy.”