My new room is simple and comfortable. Initially I thought it would be nice to have my own space, but as I sit here in this quiet room with nothing but my thoughts to entertain me, I quickly realize that I need a distraction or I’m going to go crazy.

I moved to the city as a way to deal with losing my mom. My memories of her are always with me, but after a while I had a hard time being in our home town without her. I decided to take the leap and make a fresh start for myself. No one can fault me for trying to build a new life. It just didn’t turn out exactly the way I had imagined. Looking back on it now, though, all of it was manageable.

The knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts and I welcome the distraction. It takes me a moment to find the right button that opens the door. When it finally slides open to reveal Koba standing on the other side, my stomach starts to flip. His Force uniform is gone, replaced with a fitted black t-shirt and pants that remind me of cargo pants on Earth.

“Marilyn,” he says. There are a few pieces of cloth folded over his arm. As he steps into the room he hands them to me. “Something more appropriate for the trip.”

I take them and hug them to my chest, my excitement building. “So you decided to let me go with you?” I ask.

“It is not the smartest decision but I understand why you want to be a part of finding the other women.” He crosses his arms over his chest while he speaks to me, giving me a glimpse of the General and how he interacts with his men. “You will stay in the ship, though, and that is non-negotiable. I need to make sure it’s safe before you are anywhere near the Atronox again.”

“Yes, that sounds reasonable,” I say, shaking my head in agreement. “And what is the plan if we are lucky and find the women?”

“We will help them if we can,” Koba says simply.

“And it’s just you and me?” I don’t know why I think to ask that question but it comes out before I can stop it. I’m not questioning Koba’s abilities, obviously he can hold his own and take care of me in the process. It just seems strange to send one member of the Force on such an important mission.

“Yes, the Admiral made it clear this is strictly reconnaissance. He wants to know what the Atronox have on board but he also wants to find their home base.”

“After all of these years that you’ve spent tracking them to put an end to their smuggling, you’ve never been able to find out where they originate from?”

“I know, it doesn’t sound good,” he says while shifting his weight. “There are rules we have to follow on the Force and traveling out of our jurisdiction isn’t allowed. It is all based on the treaty we signed all those years ago.”

“That must be frustrating. Especially when you know they’re only up to no good.”

“Yes, exactly. But this will feel good if we are able to find more women. It will be a win for us.”

“Sounds like we need a win,” I say.

Koba nods and turns to leave the room. “I’ll wait for you down the hall. Meet me when you’re ready.”

The door slides closed behind him and I let myself have a moment of giddiness. It isn’t everyday I get to do a ride along with an alien in a space cruiser.

Koba found some clothes that offer more coverage than the gown I’ve been wearing. I’m glad, the gown was not the most appropriate choice of clothing for this mission. I’m actually feeling quite badass in the pants and tight jacket that I’m wearing now.

I follow Koba to the docks but instead of taking me to the Star Fury, he leads me in another direction, to a smaller ship.

“We’re not taking your ship?” I ask.

“No. Zephyrus is in the Draconis Sector where the Force has no jurisdiction. If I flew an official Force ship into that part of the galaxy, we’d never make it out alive. Not on our own, that is. This is an old Atronox ship that we confiscated a while back. It’ll give us the secrecy that we need.”

This little ship plants a seed of doubt in my stomach. It has definitely seen better days, and flying through space in this small of a rust bucket doesn’t bode well for my nerves. Koba opens the hatch and motions for me to climb aboard. I do, hesitantly.

Koba shows me where to sit and once I’ve settled in he kneels in front of me in order to fasten me in. “So, this tiny little thing will get us where we need to go?” I ask.

He smiles at me and clicks my restraints into place. “It doesn’t look like much, but it’ll get the job done. Remember, you don’t have anything to worry about. Let me do all of the worrying.”

“I’ll say okay, even if it’s a lie.” I want nothing more than to go with Koba to see if we can find the other women. Flying in space again, however, isn’t on the top of my list. I’ve never been a good flier; I always prefer to keep my feet on the ground.

He chuckles and there’s a flutter in my stomach that grows stronger when he leans in to make everything is secure. He has a distinct scent that is very pleasing. I close my eyes and enjoy the sensation of his fingers brushing against my skin as he tests the restraints.

He pulls away, leaning back on his heels, and I instantly feel the loss of him. “Are you worried?” he asks.

“No,” I say. “Yes.” I smile. “I’ll be okay.”

“No matter what happens, I’ll keep you safe.”

“I know.”

I smile as he moves over to his seat and engages his restraints. Within the next minute he’s flicking switches and pressing buttons. Lights flicker as they turn on, and the console beeps while he gets everything ready to take off.

The ship’s engines roar to life, much louder than the ones on the Star Fury. This thing reminds me of an old beater of a car. I suppose the good news is that they’re usually pretty dependable. I listen while Koba talks with his men. They’re coordinating; solidifying plans.

Then, the huge steel doors on the side of the docks open and we’re once again surrounded by the vastness of space. It is a sight that will forever take my breath away.

“There we go,” he says after a while. “I’ve set the coordinates. We should arrive within the hour.”

My nerves flare up with his words. Just the thought of arriving on this new planet where the Atronox will be is giving me some serious anxiety. This was all my idea, though, so I keep my reservations to myself.

“Okay, so what happens when we land?”

“We’re going to try to keep this mission as inconspicuous as possible. I will survey the ship on my own first. If the women are not on board, there is no reason to place you in danger.”