The landing was bumpy, but he stuck it.

“All right, so where’s my weapon?” Vi asked.

“Your weapon? I don’t think so. I don’t hand weapons to the untrained.”

“Who said I’m not trained?”

Haze looked at her sideways.

“My dad was military. He trained me when I was still young. He thought my sister and I were safer knowing how to use one.”

Haze was fascinated by the idea of seeing Vi with a large gun at her hip, but he shook his head. Maybe next mission. He had to admit: he straight out liked the idea of her coming along next time. Hopefully, never to this depth of a dive again though.

He looked through the viewscreen, verifying the trees around these parts gave good cover from the dumpy, dusty town a couple clicks over. Luckily, this planet had only rudimentary off-world surveillance, easy for the shuttle to camouflage against. For obvious reasons, the criminals in these parts didn’t want a record of their comings and goings, if the law ever took an interest.

“Can’t do it,” Haze said out loud, glancing back. “Ain’t no way anyone is giving a slave a weapon. Just stick close to me, and I’ll keep you safe.”

“What a gentleman,” she said dryly.

Haze climbed out first. Dry, dusty air. Even the trees here looked wilted. It was nothing like his maternal planet Vargys with it’s heavy, humid air, so thick you could almost swim through.

No. Nothing but dust, dirt, and scraggly vegetation on the outskirts.

Vi climbed out after him. “Wow, it’s hot out here.” She coughed slightly. “You didn’t happen to bring water, did you?”

“Course.” He slung his pack down and dug out a bottle for her.

She took a few large gulps and handed the bottle back to him. He downed the rest and tossed the bottle back onto the Xeo.

He locked up the shuttle and hoisted his pack onto his back, followed by his trusty V10, which he affectionately called Tiny for ironical reasons. With good old Tiny on his shoulder, he’d be getting into most places with no questions.

Now, time for the ‘fun’ part…

After a solid twenty minutes of hoofing through the dusty, miserable air — during which time, he noted that the human did not complain once — they approached the edge of town.

The town was down the hill and across a steep causeway where the main gate stood.

“This is probably close enough.” He swung his pack down and placed Tiny on the ground.

“Water?” he asked, noting that the girl looked a little flushed.

She nodded, gratefully. This time she held onto the bottle and downed the whole thing.

While she drank, he dug out her outfit.

“Right. Okay.” She took it from him. “I saw a spot. I’ll be right back. Now, you just keep surveying the town that way, got it?” She pointed with a smile, walking in the opposite direction.

“Got it,” he said with a wink.

After a few minutes, Haze heard her approach.

“I just need the sandals, then I should be good,” she said.

Haze turned around and caught his breath. He didn’t think he’d ever get completely used to the sight.

The white material flowed around her and hugged her curves in all the right ways. It almost hurt him to look at her. His tail perked back up, for the first time since they’d gotten here.

Awkwardly, he remembered her request and stooped down to dig into the pack for her sandals.

She put them on and handed him her sneakers and clothes.

For the first time, he noticed she’d painted her toe tips a pale blue color.

This caught him by surprise.

He reached out to touch one of them. “This custom is so funny to me,” he said.

She looked down at her toes with a smile and shrugged. “A girl’s gotta have a bit of color. We aren’t all so lucky to come in one, you know?”

He grinned at that. Obviously, she had grown to appreciate his rich, green skin color, the color of fertile fields and many babies.

* * *

They approached the little dive town and stood by the main gate. Haze looked around, gathered his thoughts, and took stock of the general layout.

It was pretty barren here. Lots of dirt. Everywhere dirt. A few scraggly bushes by the gate that drooped in the heat.

There were lots of shops in this part of town, lined against the edges. While these shops were run down and poorly cared for, they at least had protection from the elements.

In the central area of the marketplace, however, there was more of a desperate atmosphere. Lower status merchants displayed their wares here, exposed to the dust, with nothing but a tent over their heads to block the sun. They were too poor to afford the rent of an actual shop, which kept their prices low and attractive for Haze’s purposes. That was, assuming anyone in the shops or the central tables sold engine parts.

Piles of garbage lined the streets; some spilled out onto the path. …Still the same old shithole. He shook his head, sadly. They should be on the other end of the galaxy, as far from here as possible, but no one ever listened.

The merchants heckled each other, yelled at customers, and their voices added to the depressing din. A few peasants sat at the edge, holding out their hands, begging for scraps.

Vi reached over and touched Haze’s arm, her eyes wide as she glanced around.

“I just stand beside you?” she asked.

“Yes. Normally, you’d have a brand, but since I’ll pass you off as my personal slave, they’ll assume you’re branded in a more personal location.”

Vi grimaced. “What a bunch of freaks.”

“Just don’t talk unless you’re spoken to, and I’ll try to get this over with quickly.”

“Definitely. Not a problem at all.” She moved to stand next to him. “Actually, do I walk beside you, behind? …I don’t know what’s typical.”

“Good point. Just stay slightly off to the side and keep your eye on me. I’ll signal you as best I can.”

“You’ve never actually done this before, have you?”

“I hate the scum. I’m certainly not taking notes. We’ll wing it.” He looked at her, critically. “Just look beat down, that should be good enough.”

They crossed the main gate with her walking a half-step behind, like some beautiful, ethereal shadow.

This had been a mistake. Now, they were going to draw too much attention to themselves. Vi would have been sold at a high price. He was supposed to be some rep for the slave owners on the ship. What had he been thinking?

No matter. He’d make it work.

“Try not to look so attractive,” he said out of the side of his mouth to her.

“Uhm. I’m just walking.”

“Well, just… just figure something out.”

“Shouldn’t I have a chain on or something?”

He looked back at her, trying to picture it, but realized they were close enough now to be overheard.

“Just keep it quiet, Vi,” he murmured as they approached the first vendor. Haze took a cursory look at the guy’s wares. Small fish.

He moved on. The worthwhile wares would be past these poor souls.

They walked by a pile of something on the ground, and Vi gasped.

“I think that’s a person,” she whispered.

When Haze glanced over, he glimpsed a few limbs sticking out. Either they belonged to a person sleeping - partially hidden from the unforgiving sun - or more gruesome, someone dead and left to decompose.

“Don’t look,” he said out of the corner of his mouth as he glanced around, meeting eyes with the merchant at the first promising table he’d seen.

The merchant appeared to be a native Latoran: a squat, plump, purple-skinned fellow with beedy eyes. His small eyes and dark skin partially protected him from the glare of the sun. Although not the only humanoid species found on Latora, they were certainly one of the most common.

“Ah, here we are. You, sir, what have you got for warp drives. We’re looking to pick up a few spare parts.”

The man grunted, squinting up at him. “Don’t carry that. You’ll have to keep looking.”

“Sure.” Haze started to leave, but Vi had picked up one of the items and was measuring it in her hand.

“Master, this is very pretty. For me?” She had a very cute expression on her face, all needy and beggy.

He moved on to the next table.

Vi again picked up a trinket with a little sparkle on it and said. “Master, is very pretty. For me?”

As they left the vendor, he whispered, “Knock it off, Vi. You’re supposed to be my slave, not my wife.”

She whispered back. “You do realize they aren’t going to help you out until you buy some of their crap.”

He was about to argue when he sighed. Of course. Where was his head today? …Looking at her…

At the next vendor table, he pulled Vi to him and ran a hand up her side.

She pressed into him and almost purred. Very convincing.

Heck, suddenly he had to get something for her, regardless.

Unfortunately, there wasn’t much there. Haze grabbed a small, shiny bauble. “This, please, for my treasured slave.”

“That will be twenty gardenos.” The purple-skinned Latoran alien gave Haze a smirk.

Haze cocked his head to one side. “Five gardenos.”

The merchant shook his head. “Fifteen.”

Haze looked at it again, then said forcefully. “Nine.”

The merchant shook his head.

Haze reached to put it back, but Vi leaned into him again, rubbing at him with her shoulder, looking up at him with a sweet face.

How could anyone say no to that face?

He dug out currency from his ‘for show’ wallet, the one they could rob him of without causing too much discomfort. “Twelve,” he said as he counted out the bills, holding them out to the merchant.

The merchant studied Haze a moment, then nodded.

He’d gotten completely taken, and they both knew it. Haze plunked the money down. Vi scooped up the bauble and turned it over in her hands like it was buried treasure, then held it to herself. Haze acted as though he would step away, Vi’s body held pressed against him, but turned back at the last second.

The merchant was eyeing Vi, up and down, lustfully.

“Honored merchant,” Haze broke in, “could you direct me to the location of the engine merchants?”

The man tore his gaze from Vi. “One block over, two up, on the left. That store’s probably your best bet. Actually…” The man licked his lips and shifted. “Did you bring any wares with you? Is this one only for show?”

Involuntarily, Haze's hand tightened around Vi’s waist. He collected himself quickly and tried to look regretful as he shook his head. “Next time I’ll be sure to bring an extra or two. We have several on board that might do.”

The merchant nodded his head. “If this is your sample, I think you could do good business here. Be sure to tell your captain.”

Haze nodded. “I will.”

She pressed into him as they walked, and Haze felt an answering tightening in his loins. He adjusted, nonchalantly. “You’re killing me, slave,” he muttered.

“It’s too fun,” she said, smiling up at him. She whispered, “I feel like I’m in a Cleopatra movie or something. I’ve decided you don’t beat your slave as she’s too good to you when she’s happy. Instead, you spoil her and can’t bear to be too far from her.”

He looked down at her as she sauntered next to him. “Still, you might want to tone it down. These men don’t exactly have a lot of options here, and I’d rather not have to take out the entire village to keep you as my property.”

She froze mid-step. “Right. I forgot.” She glanced around as though reality had hit her hard.

“It’s fine. These men are not worthy of concern.” He glanced about scornfully at the lazy, untried men around him. “Besides, they will wish to keep the rest of the slave traders on my ship happy. Let’s get to that shop he mentioned; see what they’ve got for me.”

She seemed to relax but stepped a little more carefully with less show.

He bent down slightly and whispered in her ear. “You are cute though. You’ll have to walk like that for me more often.”

“You wish,” she said, but she seemed to regain a little of her nerves.

“Okay, should be this one down here,” he said as they rounded the block. “Maybe walk a bit to the side again, so I can keep you in my peripheral, but leave me more movement if I need it. Let’s see how it goes.” He shifted Tiny back to his shoulder.

He swung open the door so that Vi could walk in first. He followed, and she took up a position to his right and offset. She had good instincts where they counted.

He took a quick survey of the place, but it was quiet, filled with only a few customers that took one glance at Tiny and vacated the premises.

As he entered, a large, muscular guard covered in brown fur whispered in the shopkeeper’s ear, never taking his gaze off Haze or Vi. The shopkeeper nodded as the guard moved back against the wall.

The blue-skinned merchant settled his four arms on the counter: two hands held a tablet and stylus, ready to take notes; the other two were folded in front of him, in a patient demeanor.

“Welcome to Grassum Vendor 113, my good sir,” the merchant said with a smile. “I am the Merchant Yarda. With what may I interest and assist?”

Merchant Yarda was dressed a little too well for this rock. He was certainly fairly high up on the local food chain. The man flicked a quick glance over to Vi.

Haze winced internally. The man had probably been briefed on the ‘negotiation’ job he’d completely failed at for Vi’s trinket.

Haze nodded as he closed the gap to stand before the counter. “Thank you. I’ve heard that you might deal in engine parts. I’d like to see what you have. We have a few other things that we’d like to purchase while we’re here, but I thought I’d take the heavy stuff on my initial run.”

“Sure, sure. I can see that. Might as well take care of the most necessary items first.”

Haze shook his head. “This settlement is convenient is all. We had a layover with a pleasure boat a few clicks back, so we were stopped anyway. Our engineer is always mouthing off to get more parts. He’s capable, so the captain thought we might check here, see if you have anything that suited us. If not, there’s always the outpost in the next quadrant over.”