Page 8 of Found By the Alien Warrior

“Gornoc the Gearmaster, this is Sonya Bennett of Earth,” Vessa introduced us. “She’s new.”

"A human in the ranks? Such an inferior among us is a waste of space." Gornoc delivered his opinion of me in a droning, metallic voice.

Being the mature person that I was, I called him a name in my head. Metalmouth motherducker. I should’ve used the big ol' eff bomb, even if it was just in my thoughts. I bit my tongue to stay quiet, not wanting to escalate the situation.

“She doesn’t talk much.” He looked down at me, his infrared eye burning with contempt. "Subpar entertainment.”

Um, rude. Where was his off switch?

Gornoc’s heavy metallic feet clanked against the floor as he stalked away. "I have tests to run in the lab before tonight's match.”

Vessa waved. “Best of luck.”

I watched their exchange. This world was nothing like I'd ever experienced before, and the longer I spent here, the more I realized just how out of my depth I was. I had to learn to adapt, to find my own strengths.

"Come on," Vessa urged me. "Let's get you ready for tonight. I’ll tell you what you have to do."

Hours later, after another meal and a quick nap, I strode into the arena, adrenaline and more dread pulsing through my veins. The audience had already gathered, their impatient murmurs echoing through the air. The arena could rival a Roman coliseum with its amphitheater seating. The alien spectators made it clear to me, though, that I was far from home.

"Alright, folks, follow me," I called out, trying to keep my voice steady as I beckoned the first small group of VIP audience members. As we made our way to their seats, I cringed as one leering guest of Korga’s ogled me. Just as his slimy hand reached out to touch my dress, a guard smacked it away with a firm thud.

“No touching the fighters or servers,” he reprimanded. The guest clutched his hand and looked down at his feet.

While I was grateful for the intervention, I knew it wasn’t out of the goodness of the guard’s heart. Like he said, Aurik, the others, and me were just part of the entertainment, seen as belonging to Korga.

The sooner we got away from here, the better.

Despite the noise of the program starting, I made a mental note to watch the gladiatorial bouts carefully. I needed information to escape this place and would search anywhere to get it. Did Aurik know the other fighters? Were they in on our plan to get out?

My thoughts stayed on Aurik. He had a match coming up, and I couldn't deny that I wanted to see him in action.

As I continued escorting questionable guests to their seats and delivering drinks, I watched several matches. One particular fight caught my attention in the female division.

Vessa faced off against a towering combatant, her head covered with a white fur mane. The battle raged on, both fighters giving their all.

Vessa’s every strike was precise. I couldn't help but wonder what kind of stellar athletic career she might have had if she weren’t imprisoned. In the end, Vessa won, her fangs gleaming with triumph as she showcased a broad grin. She exited the arena to loud cheers.

The male division was next, and I found myself watching three more brutal bouts. There had to be more to this than a few sweaty fighters duking it out. What else was going on while the fights were happening? I already knew firsthand that Korga got his fighters and workers from kidnapping them. There had to be other crimes being committed under the table. The ring could be just another way to cover it all up.

I gazed at the audience. Not that I knew anything about people in this galaxy, but I could tell a legit audience from a bad crowd. There weren’t families or those who looked like they were part of a tour group. The audience was actually on the smaller side, and from what I could see, rough along the edges. No cameras were televising. What kind of racket was Korga running?

I put my thoughts aside. The crowd fell silent as the main event unfolded. The announcer, one of the guards, called out the challenger first. “Welcome Raze the Reckoner.”

The crowd applauded as another giant horned alien skulked forward with a whip-like tail. Except for the tail, his appearance reminded me of Gornoc. I wondered how Gornoc came by the bionic limbs.

The announcer called out Raze’s opponent. “And now, the barbarian from planet Yron, Aurik Synchronar.”

The crowd got louder after Aurik’s name was called. I watched him enter the ring with a measured stride, his aura commanding respect. He wore shorts, but his torso was bare. The glow of the arena lights cast a sheen on his blue skin, revealing the taut muscles of his chest and flat stomach.

I kept watching as his eyes drifted among the crowd. People called out to him, but he didn’t acknowledge their shouts. He looked in the VIP section. His eyes found mine in the crowd and lingered before the bell rang for the match to begin.

"Hey there, pretty human." A voice slithered into my ear, making me shudder. One of Korga's VIP members sidled up beside me, his tentacle-like fingers hovering near my arm. "You like watching big males fight, hm?"

"Please step back." I peppered my demand with a please but stressed the firm tone underneath. He only grinned wider.

"Bring me peanuts," he demanded, drool pooling out both sides of his mouth. I could hardly contain my disgust. But I had to play nice. I forced a smile and nodded, walking away towards the interior of the complex to fetch his snack.

As I moved through the complex, my gaze darted around the many open doorways, searching for anything useful – a device to call the Wanderstar Fleet for help, a potential weakness in the structure, anything. I spotted a couple security cameras, so I acted natural, or at least tried to.

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