I come to, disoriented. For the slightest moment I forget what has happened to me and expect to be waking up in my small apartment in Chicago. Before it all comes back to me, I’m trying to remember if I need to get up for work or if it’s the weekend. I quickly realize that I’m not lying down. I’ve been strapped into a chair, my hands tied to the seat and my mouth wrapped in a material that won’t let me cry out for help. Suddenly, everything around me starts to vibrate, including my chair. I look around and realize where I am…back on the Atronox ship. Only this time, Koba isn’t here. It’s the creepy leader of the Atronox: Stosk. He’s sitting at the controls and, from the looks of it, he’s about to try to fly us out of here.

Oh, for fuck’s sake. I’ve had enough of Stosk.

I start to struggle against my restraints. There’s no way I want to be on this ship when he takes off into space. If that’s even possible. I don’t know much about the force or Lunis Station, but I would think it would be pretty hard to steal a ship right out of their docking bay.

I’m slowly trying to turn my wrists underneath the restraints, trying to loosen them somehow without Stosk noticing that I’m awake. He seems distracted enough by what he’s doing that he isn’t paying any attention to me right now. I keep moving my arms but the restraints are tight and instead of loosening, they’re starting to cut into my wrists. I’m trying to keep it together but I’m tired of all of this. I just want Koba. I want him to show up and take care of Stosk and get me the hell off of this ship.

My prayers seem to be answered when I hear Stosk curse. Something’s happening outside of the ship and I can only assume the Force is here to prevent this ship from leaving the station. I can’t see much but there are huge steel doors that begin to close in front of us. Relief floods me as I realize that the force must know that something is wrong.

“No!” Stosk yells as the doors continue to close in front of us. He continues to yell and then starts firing the ship’s weapons at the doors. They’re so large and strong that there’s really no impact, aside from making small dents in the metal. The weapons firing inside of the docking bay is really loud and again I wish I could move my hands so I could cover my ears. After Stosk’s rage dies down, he takes his fingers off of the trigger and slumps back in his chair. We’re probably both wondering what’s going to happen next when I hear Koba’s voice behind us. With all of the noise from the weapons, we didn’t hear the doors open behind us.

“Stosk, what an unpleasant surprise,” Koba says as he walks towards us. His weapon is trained on Stosk as are the other weapons of the other Force members that are walking in behind Koba. He meets my eyes and I can see the relief in his face when he sees that I’m okay. There’s a calmness that washes over me now that he’s here and I know that everything’s going to be alright. “Very clever of you to stow away in your own ship, by the way.”

Stosk grabs a weapon from under the command station and stands up, pointing it at Koba. “It wasn’t planned, I assure you. I just knew you would never be thorough enough to check all of the storage compartments on the ship. But now, I need to leave, Koba. I have someone expecting a delivery and this someone doesn’t stand for disappointment.”

“The capsule isn’t in her anymore, Stosk. We have it locked safely on Lunis Station. So there’s no point in taking Marilyn with you, she has nothing that you need.”

“Of course it isn’t in her anymore, I discovered that back on Zephyrus. She led me right to it and now I am going to deliver it to its buyer. You have no idea what you’re dealing with, Koba,” Stosk continues. “If I don’t hand it over to the buyer, he’ll come looking for it. You’re putting everyone you know at risk.”

“I highly doubt that, Stosk. It will be safe here, in good hands. And you are going to rot in one of our prison cells. Now put the weapon down.”

His huge beady eyes flick around, assessing his situation. He’s outnumbered with nowhere to go. Surely even someone like Stosk knows when to throw in the towel. I’m surprised at his determination, then, when he chooses to stand firm with his weapon poised at the members of the Force in front of him. I find myself holding my breath, anticipating what’s going to happen next. And then, finally, Stosk lowers his weapon in defeat. Nothing about him screams hero. He’d rather slowly be forgotten in a jail cell than sacrifice his miserable life right now.

Members of the Force rush forward as soon as Stosk lowers his weapon. They grab him and put him in restraints before leading him off of the ship. Koba hurries to me, pulling a knife from his waist and cutting the restraints from my wrists. I rub them gently while he works on freeing my mouth from the last bit of cloth.

“Are you okay?” he asks when I’m finally free.

In answer to his question, I lean forward and claim his lips with my own. He kisses me back with just as much desperation. I open my mouth, wanting to feel his tongue licking mine. I want him as close to me as possible and I don’t want to be parted from him again. The way I feel right now, even if I had the option of returning to Earth, I wouldn’t take it. I don’t want to be anywhere if Koba isn’t there with me.

After a moment, he pulls back and says, “Come. Let’s get you off of this ship.” He stands before me and pulls me out of the chair. Leading me back into Lunis Station.

“Gladly,” I say as I follow him, holding onto his hand tightly. Some of the members of the Force escort Stosk from the ship while others recover the capsule.

“So Stosk was hiding something important in my leg? That’s why he was so determined to get it back?”

“Yes. Our scientists discovered that it’s a material that can be used to make a very powerful weapon. When combined with the correct components, that is. You weren’t in any harm just carrying it in your leg. It had a strong cover protecting it, making it very difficult to puncture.”

“Well that explains a lot. What are you going to do with it now that you have it?” I ask.

“We’ll keep it safe for now. We don’t want it to fall into the wrong hands.”

“Was Stosk right, though? Will the buyer come looking for it when it isn’t delivered?”

“There isn’t anyone out there in this galaxy that would have the strength or man power to take on the Force. At least no one that we currently know about. But I’m sure it’s something that we’ll look more into now that Stosk has hinted at this powerful buyer.” He turns to me and looks into my eyes. “You have nothing to worry about, Marilyn. Now that we have Stosk, there’s no one looking for you anymore. You’re safe here, with me.”

I lean into his chest and let him hold me.

“Of course, maybe next time, let me know when you decide to take a walk in the middle of the night. I was worried about you when I woke and couldn’t find you. I’m glad I got to you when I did.”

“I’m glad you did too. I couldn’t survive out there without you.”

“I can’t survive without you either.” He leans down and rests his forehead against mine, slowly rubbing his hands up and down my arms.

“So what happens now?” I ask.

“Now? Well, first of all, I’d like to take you back to my bed. All of this worry is slowly transforming into something else, something that’s making me want to plunge my cock into your tight, wet cunt.”

His words send shivers through my body. I should be exhausted but my body and my mind aren’t always on the same page when I’m around Koba.

“I’ll follow you,” I say.