A few hours after leaving Earth’s orbit, Barsork’s combadge went off. At first he intended to simply ignore the incessant beeping in his ear, but he knew eventually he would have to formulate some kind of a plan. Reluctantly he responded, “Xicret, this is Barsork responding.”

The clipped response on the other end was all that Barsork needed to know he had been discovered. “You have been ordered by Carzon, leader of Xicret to return immediately under guard and to relinquish any and all prisoners on board.”

Barsork shook his head somewhat astounded at just how far and fast his brother’s power was. He had been very careful not to leave a trail, and yet somehow not only had he been discovered, but so had Betty, and there location.

“Uh, tell Carzon thank you, but at this time I am not in need of an escort, but I will be happy to come see him immediately upon my return.”

Barsork heard the soft click in his ear just before his ship was rocked violently in the air. He corrected quickly as he scanned the sensors now picking up the two security ships. He sighed deeply and put his hand on the weapons grid. There was no way he could allow them to take him in.

He no longer cared about his own life as much as he did about Betty’s. If they were taken back, she would most assuredly end up at the auction house and that was something he could never allow.

When his com-badge beeped a second time, he pulled the emitter and tossed it against the hull of the ship. Without wasting any time, he pulled hard left on the controls while firing his rear blazers and closing his eyes, blinding the two ships on his tail.

One thing Barsork was better at than any other Xicret was air fighting. He had trained with the most elite of pilots throughout the years, having always found space a more comfortable surrounding than the harsh planet of Xicret.

Barsork adjusted quickly and pulled a sharp reverse dive coming up behind the two security planes. He fired three simultaneous frequency burst and a compact laser before either of the security pilots had regained their sight. The fight was over before the other pilots even knew one had begun.

With his path chosen, there was no turning back. Barsork quickly scanned the sensor reading of the nearby systems, knowing that he only had minutes before another security team caught up with him.

Glancing back at Betty’s still sleeping body he put in the calculations and flew to warp. Barsork’s eyes caught the briefest glance of an approaching ship just before his engines engaged and he knew he had made it just in time.

He wouldn’t have long before a search was started, but at least now he had a head start. An hour later, his sensors went down and Barsork flew into action. He hadn’t considered that Carzon would go this far and now he was out of time once again. Only in an extreme planet wide emergency could a Xicret leader take control of the inflight ships.

Only once in Xicret history had the deed ever been done, and that had occurred during the rebellion nearly three thousand years in the past. Carzon had grown powerful indeed if he dared to risk such an action. Regardless of how, Barsork now had no control. If Carzon chose to turn the ship around there would be nothing he could do. Barsork also knew that his brother could just as easily destroy the ship as turn it around.

Even worse though was that Carzon would be able to read the sensors and know exactly where they were. Barsork moved as quickly as possible and did the only thing he could think of, he put his com-badge back on.

“Wolfban perimeter, this is Xicret three. This ship is carrying an asylum refugee and has been captured by enemy forces. Shoot to kill, repeat shoot to kill.”

Barsork waited expectantly and several seconds later breathed a sigh of relief.

“Xicret three, prepare to surrender in sixty seconds or be destroyed.”

Barsork clicked the com-badge. “Destroy me if you must, Wolfban, I will not yield.”

As soon as the message was sent, Barsork was moving. Sixty seconds wasn’t very much time and he was only going to get one chance at this.

Wolfban had long been the planet for riffraff, refugees, and deserters. Many years earlier, Barsork had worked the perimeter on Wolfban and learned of the codes.

Barsork had just told them that he was hiding from the Xicret government with a refugee and that they had been discovered. He had just given them orders to destroy his ship.

With his last forty-five seconds, Barsork pulled Betty into his arms and set the portal pod on a false course. If he played his cards right it would look as if he tried to escape and was destroyed.

With fifteen seconds to go, Barsork opened the panel at the base of the ship and lowered themselves into the cargo hold. He grabbed the transponder chip off the wall and compressed the button just as the walls of the ship were hit with radian beams.

Three seconds later, Barsork lowered Betty’s limp body to the floor and held his hands up to the Wolfban Perimeter team.

“Cutting it a little close, don’t you think?” a voice called from behind the team.

Barsork smiled in spite of himself. He recognized the voice from his year of service. “I had plenty of time, Ven.”

The two shook hands and Ven looked at Betty questioningly.

“Your refugee I take it?” Ven asked.

Barsork nodded. “She’s more than that, Ven. I don’t know how well she’ll like me when she finds out what I’ve done.”

Ven nodded again. “We’ll set her up in the med camp for now. I have to say, Barsork, I expected to see you a month ago.”

Barsork stopped in his tracks. “Why would you have been expecting me?” he asked.

“Didn’t you get my messages, Barsork? I’ve been sending them out on encoded channels for three months now.”

Barsork grabbed the arm of a Wolfban medic. “If anything happens to her, I’ll skin you alive and feed your carcass to the gwivers.”

The medic swallowed hard and nodded as he lifted Betty’s small frame and moved her carefully to the medic camp.

“I never got any message, Ven,” Barsork continued after watching Betty leave. “I’ve been stationed on Earth for a while now. I’ve been on penance for Carzon, running abductions for his auction house.”

Ven grabbed Barsork’s arm forcefully and pulled him to the side. “I wouldn’t say that too loud around here, Barsork. There are a great many who would kill you simply for knowing Carzon right now. The auction house is why I’ve been trying to get in touch with you.

“Barsork, a group of women escaped from Xicret months ago and were smuggled here by a trader I know. If even a tenth of the things they say are true, then this auction house is more deadly than anything we’ve had to face in over a thousand years or more.

“Barsork, please tell me you are not helping this auction house, because I cannot harbor you here if you are. It would mean my head.”

Barsork swallowed and glanced around making sure no one was within hearing range. “Ven, I had no choice. I got caught spying on Carzon during an auction and it was either help him or be killed. I knew I could not help anyone if I were dead.

“The people of Earth are truly a disgrace, Ven. I helped reluctantly and against my will at first, but then I helped because I needed to believe that I was doing the right thing. That girl in there is Betty. I think I am in love with her.

“It is because of her that I knew I could not stay and help any longer. I tried to play my hand casually, but Carzon is always one step ahead of me. I killed two of his guard ships before fleeing here.”

Ven whistled lowly. “I won’t lie to you, Barsork. This complicates things. The women here have been through a great deal, and they will not take kindly to having you amongst them. However, I know in your heart you are a good man. If you can help these women, and help to destroy your brother Carzon, than I will risk allowing you to stay.”

Barsork clapped a hand on Ven’s back. “Consider my help given. Believe me, I want my brother destroyed just as much as anyone else. Maybe even more. If he has his way, he would rule the galaxy with an iron fist, and all would bend to his will. No people, or planet, or system should be ruled by such a man.”

Barsork and Ven talked for several more hours and then at last a medic popped his head into the office where Barsork sat chatting with his old friend. “I am sorry to interrupt, but Miss Betty has awoken, and she is quite upset. I have sent for some of the women to help calm her, but I thought perhaps you could help.”

Barsork rose immediately and followed the medic outside and to the camp. He could hear Betty’s screams from some distance away and he quickened his steps. When he came face to face with her, he couldn’t help but see the terror in her eyes and the wild look of disbelief on her face.

Barsork gently took her by her arms as he tried to calm her down. “Betty, it’s ok. No one is going to hurt you. You’re safe here. Please calm down.”

Betty pulled away and looked at Barsork with hate filled eyes. “What have you done to me? Where am I?”

Barsork nodded his head to the medics and they quickly filed out leaving him alone with Betty. He held out his hand and waited patiently until at last Betty slowly took a step forward and put her hand in his. He led her back to her bed and helped her to sit down and then he took a seat beside her.

“Betty, I will tell you everything and I will leave nothing out, but you must try to believe me and understand.”

Betty slowly nodded her head, the look of fear in her eyes unmistakable. Barsork told his story from start to finish leaving nothing out and whether from disbelief or shock, Betty did not interrupt.

When he finished he looked at her pleadingly. “Betty, I know this is a lot to take in, but my feelings for you are real. I have fallen for you and I cannot imagine a world without you in it. Please try.”

Betty stood slowly to her feet. “I want to see what you really look like. Your true self, not the human form you’ve taken on.”

Without hesitation, Barsork shed the restrained in his mind of the image he was projecting and revealed his true form to her. She gasped at the transition.

* * *

Betty looked at Barsork for the first time and her mind could barely retain the

information as truth. As terrified and confused as she was, though, something about him seemed almost more handsome than the man she had gotten to know. He stood tall and his deep blue skin rippled and changed hues with each subtle movement. His body was covered with tattoos, but unlike Earth tattoos, these seemed more a part of him, than an addition.

Without thinking about her actions, Betty stepped forward and touched Barsork’s bare chest with the tips of her fingers. His skin was smooth to the touch and yet she could feel the power and strength in him. He was a fighter for sure.

In his true form, he stood taller than he had as a human and Betty couldn’t help but admire him. His body rippled with muscles and she felt both intense attraction, and terror flow through her. She hesitantly stepped back pulling herself away from him.

“You should always be who you are, Barsork. You are a very handsome man.”

He smiled softly at her but did not respond.

“Barsork, I want to go home.”

She could see the impact of her words as they reflected in his eyes, but after several seconds he sighed and slowly nodded his head.

“I will take you back to Earth if that is truly your wish, but please give me a couple of days. The trip took a great deal of strength from you because your human body is not accustomed to space travel. You will need to build yourself back up again before attempting another trip.

“There are also things I wish to show you and tell you before you leave. Please Betty, two days and then if you still desire to leave I will send you on your way.”

Betty thought about what he said and saw the sincerity in his eyes. As afraid as she was, something inside of her wanted and needed to believe him. She couldn’t help but feel as though she still belonged with him.

“I’ll give you two days, Barsork. Then you must send me home.”

“I will do as you wish, Betty. I care about you too much to cause you any more harm. I will leave you now so you can rest. The people here will take care of you, but should you need anything just ask for me.”

Betty watched him turn and walked toward the exit and suddenly had a fear that she would never see him again. Without even thinking, she called out his name and he slowly turned. When he did she had an impulse to run to him and fling herself into his strong protective arms and feel the warmth of his kiss upon her.

“Will you come back?” she asked tentatively.

She saw his smile from across the room and her heart beat faster. “I’ll always come back to you, Betty. Get some rest and call for me when you are ready to venture outside.”

Betty sat back down on the bed, her mind racing with all the things she had just learned. As impossible as it all seemed, somehow she knew it to be true. She wanted so badly to trust Barsork, but everything was happening so fast and her mind was having difficulty putting all the pieces together.

Eventually she fell asleep and her dreams were centered on the perfect image of Barsork’s true form. In her dream she was very happy.