Lunis Station is the most massive, impressive thing I’ve ever seen.

It’s shaped like a huge sphere with tubular sections that extend like bridges, connecting it to other sections of the space station. Spaceships fly in and out like some sort of parking garage in the sky. It looks like we’re traveling on the interstate in space during rush hour.

“Amazing,” I say, in complete awe of the scene before me. “People live there?”

“Yes. Members of the Force live on the station.”

“That’s incredible. So this is your home?”

“My home is actually on Gaia planet. That’s where I was born and grew up. Once I became a member of the Force, I moved here, to Lunis Station.”

“And what do you do besides rescuing abducted women?”

“You are actually the first woman I have ever rescued. Usually we confiscate smuggled goods that the Atronox try to sell illegally on the black market. This is the first time they’ve ever taken a woman.”

“Wow, so I’m just very unlucky,” I say, more to myself than to him. “Do I want to know what they were going to do with me?”

“The Atronox, the ones that took you, would sell you on the black market. Species across the galaxy will pay a nice sum of money for a pretty-looking slave. Everything they do is for money.”

He looks at me as shivers run through my spine, making me visibly shake. I don’t want to have to see those creepy things again as long as I live. It’s a big shock, realizing all in one day that aliens are real and there’s an entire unknown world that exists outside of our galaxy. It’s comforting to know that even though there are awful aliens like the green things that took me, there are also aliens like Koba. I get the sense that he’s one of the good guys. Not wanting to think anymore about what could have happened to me if Koba hadn’t rescued me, I look out the window again at the amazing, otherworldly view in front of me.

“Who else lives there?” I ask, continuing to study Lunis Station.

“Well, when we do catch smugglers, we confiscate their shipments and store them. We also have a prison where criminals serve time for their infractions.”

“What about your families?”

“This really isn’t a place for families.” He says it in a way that keeps me from asking any more questions about it.

Everything seems peaceful out here; a hypnotizing calm comes from watching the stars and the other ships as they silently fly past. I finally have a moment to breathe. When I look back at Koba, he’s looking intently at me. It catches me off guard, but then he smiles like he knows that he was caught staring and I can’t blame him. He claims that he has never seen a human before and I’ve never seen his kind before either. It’s hard not to stare.

“I hope this doesn’t sound rude, but … what do you call your kind? I’m human.” I don’t want to offend him, but there’s so much for me to learn. He looks humanoid to me. He has the same build as men on Earth, though he’s much larger, well over six feet tall. His biceps are the size of my head and describing his chest as “rock hard” is an understatement. He’s also a light blue color, which is going to take some getting used to.

“I’m from the Planet Gaia. We call our people Gaians.”

“And what do these markings mean on your arms?” I gently reach my hand up and let my fingers trace the dark markings that cover his skin. His skin is much softer than I imagined it would be. Still firm and solid, but smooth to the touch. His gaze drops to my fingers and I quickly pull them away. I’ve always been a touchy-feely kind of person and I forget that other people aren’t. And who knows what kind of behavioral rules there are with his people.

“It’s a way to imprint our story on our skin. A way to remember those we lost in the war or ways to permanently declare what is important to us. Everyone’s story is different, as are our markings.”

“Your own personal canvas,” I say. I study his skin, mesmerized by the unique tattoos. They look like unique symbols to his kind, so the meaning is lost on me. They certainly make him look like a badass, though.

“We’ll dock in a few moments and then I’ll introduce you to my crew and show you to your quarters. I’m sure you’re exhausted after everything that has happened to you.”

His words pull me from my thoughts. I haven’t spent much time thinking about what would happen to me next.

“I’m exhausted, and yet, I can’t imagine being able to calm down enough to fall asleep. This is a lot to take in.”

“Of course. I’m sure our medical staff has something that could help you relax if you’re interested.”

“General, we need you on board. We’re ready to dock,” a deep voice says, echoing through the hallway.

“Speakers,” Koba says, pointing at the ceiling. “Would you like to come with me, or shall I show to a room where you could stay while we land?”

Through all of this uncertainty, he is the one thing I know. “I’d like to stay with you, if that’s alright.”

“Of course.” I expect him to turn and start walking, but before he does he reaches his hand out to me, offering his support again. Even though the drugs are making their way out of my system and I’m starting to feel much more like myself, I reach out and take his hand. He slips his fingers through mine, making it feel intimate. Or maybe it’s the way his eyes continue to study me. My heart flutters and for a moment and I feel weak again. After everything that has happened today, I’m going to need the extra support.

He leads me onto the bridge of the ship, motioning to a seat toward the back of the room where I can sit. Once I’m seated, he stands in front of me and fastens my restraints. After I hear the click, he presses a button and the straps tighten over my shoulder, securing me into my seat. Before he walks away, his finger gently touches my cheek, silently asking if I’m okay.

I look up at him and smile. He moves to the chair in the center of the room and follows the same procedure, securing himself in for landing. There are two other aliens that look very similar to Koba here, both busy with their task of landing the ship. I sit quietly at the back of the room and watch them, still mostly in utter disbelief that I’m really here and this is really happening to me.

We fly into a huge docking bay. Koba identifies their spacecraft by giving the alien on the other end a series of numbers that I can only assume are a code of some sort to make sure they are who they say they are. We land uneventfully, and the next thing I know, all of the lights on the consoles are clicking off. The three aliens get up and walk toward me. I have a serious case of butterflies in my stomach — I have no idea what to expect when we leave this ship and I’m incredibly nervous. Koba stops in front of me and motions to the two men at his sides. They’re both staring at me, frozen in place.

“Marilyn, this is my second in command, Radyn, and the best ship engineer at the command center, Kayne.” He turns to his men and says, “Meet Marilyn, the latest smuggling shipment discovered aboard the Atronox ship.”

They stare at me in shock, a very similar look to the one Koba had when he first saw me in that room. Then, as if remembering their manners, both men spread their fingers wide and place their palms flat to their chests. I’m quickly learning that this must be a common greeting for their kind. I mimic the gesture and smile shyly.

“Come, we will show you the station,” Koba says. He pulls me to his side and then turns and walks off the bridge with the other two flanking us.

The one that Koba called Radyn leans close to Koba and says, “The commander will want to know why our coordinates reflect being in the cut-off zone. There’s no way we can hide that from him. Not to mention he’s going to have questions about the girl. There’s no way to hide her from him either.”

“We don’t need to hide anything from him,” Koba says. “It’s a justifiable risk, considering what we discovered. We rescued the girl and now we know what the Atronox are up to. But if it’s a problem, I’ll let the commander know that it was my decision.”

“It was our decision, General,” the other alien says.

We walk down a ramp and a door slides open, revealing the hustle and bustle of the space station. The crowd around the ship parts as the three huge aliens walk with purpose toward the end of the landing dock. I scurry along behind them, noticing how everyone seems to be staring as I walk past. The experience reminds me of walking through a mall and seeing such a variety of people. None of the other aliens in here look like Koba and his men. Some of the others also look humanoid but others do not. I was not expecting all of the vibrant colors. From the four-legged alien with sage-colored fur to the creature that is so tall he looks like he’s walking on stilts, I feel as if I’ve entered an incredible fantasy world.

In order to keep myself from staring as if I’m walking through a circus tent, I force myself to face forward and walk quickly. I’m conscious of the fact that I don’t have any shoes, only my dirty socks walking across the floor. Not to mention my black dress is drastically out of place. I feel as if I’m drawing more attention to myself than I’d like. This sure wasn’t the most ideal outfit to be wearing for an abduction. I dress up for work in the office, but as soon as I get home at night I change into my comfy clothes. A pair of yoga pants and a sweatshirt are the perfect way to end a busy work day. And what I wouldn’t give to be wearing comfortable clothing right now. A silly thought, I know, but I feel even more out of place wearing this silly dress. Who knows what these aliens must think of me.

Before I can worry about it anymore, we walk through another doorway, an automatic door sliding shut behind me, leaving the chaos and noise of the docks behind us.