Page 23 of Stardust Paws and Alien Claws

The familiar dull thud of the raider ship locking onto our hull reverberated through the Koloss. I strode to the docking bay, fists clenched, gut twisting with dread and the bitter taste of impotent rage.

The airlock hissed open and a heavily armed squad of raiders stormed in, weapons drawn and faces obscured by helmets and masks. Their leader, the one from the viewscreen, stepped forward, a sneer audible in his muffled voice.

“Well, well. The mighty Doanor, captain of the infamous Koloss. I expected more of a fight.”

I met his taunting words with stony silence, my gaze fixed straight ahead as I waited for their inevitable demands of credits, weapons, fuel. Anything to get them off my ship before they discovered our true cargo.

But they didn’t ask for any of that.

Instead, the leader stepped aside as someone else in a helmeted environmental suit stepped forward. This second person looked around, shrugging indifferently. Then, their voice strange and artificial, as if run through a translator, they told the leader, “I only need Doanor.”

My heart skipped a beat. The leader nodded, gesturing to his raiders. “Tie up the crew.”

As they moved to restrain my bewildered crewmates, the second person took a blaster and waved me over, away from the others. The muzzle glinted menacingly under the harsh lights.

“What’s the meaning of this?” I growled, my fists clenching instinctively.

“You will take me to the Lazamai enclosure. Now.” The translated voice was flat, devoid of emotion.

I felt as if the deck had dropped from beneath my feet. How could they possibly know about the Lazamai? Cassidy and I had been so careful, ensuring no one else aboard the Koloss was aware of our precious cargo.

A horrible suspicion crept into my mind. Had one of my own crew betrayed us? But who? And why?

The raider leader’s voice cut through my whirling thoughts. “Cooperate, Doanor, or we start hurting your people. One by one.”

I glanced over at my restrained crew - Kylari, Zylith, the others. Their confused, frightened faces pleaded for my guidance, my protection. But I was powerless, forced to make an impossible choice.

Swallowing hard, I gave a stiff nod. “Very well.”

With the blaster pressed against my back, I turned and began leading the way through the narrow corridors of the Koloss. Each step felt like a death march, my boots ringing hollowly on the metal grates.

We passed the galley, the crew quarters, engineering. So many memories flooded back - times of camaraderie, laughter, shared struggles. This ship, this ramshackle vessel, had been my home for decades. And now I was leading an enemy right to the heart of our most precious, guarded secret.

Finally, we reached the secure cargo bay. I paused before the thick metal door, steeling myself.

“Open it,” the raider ordered, jabbing me with the blaster.

I entered the code with trembling fingers, and the door slid open with a hiss. The soft, filtered lights inside the bay glowed invitingly, beckoning us into the habitat I’d so carefully prepared.

There, in the center, was the Lazamai enclosure - a vast, mesh-covered aviary filled with perches, toys, and gentle airflows to mimic their natural environment. And hovering within, the iridescent, fluffy forms of the Lazamai themselves, chirping and gliding in peaceful oblivion.

Thank the stars, there was no sign of Cassidy. A small mercy, at least. If the raiders found her, I didn’t want to imagine the consequences.

My gaze landed on the raider in the strange, bulky environmental suit. “You want the Lazamai?” I growled, stalling for time as I tried to think of a way out of this. “They’re simple breeders, nothing more.”

“Don’t play coy,” the electronically-modulated voice replied flatly. “We know they’re worth a fortune on the black market. And more importantly, having them gives us leverage over you.”

Damn. So much for negotiating or feigning ignorance. If we refused to hand over the incredibly rare - and incredibly valuable - Lazamai, they’d surely make good on their threat to hurt my crew.

Just as the raider took a step towards me, a blur of motion caught my eye. Cassidy burst from her hiding spot, teeth gritted in determination as she launched herself at the imposing figure, a long wickedly sharp cleaning blade gripped in her hands.

“Cassidy, no!” I barked, but it was too late.

With almost contemptuous ease, the raider sidestepped her attack, grabbing her wrist and using her own momentum to fling her across the cargo bay. Cassidy hit the mesh of the Lazamai enclosure with a sickening thud, the impact making the entire structure shudder.

“Cassidy!” I bellowed, panic gripping me as I watched her crumpled form slide down to the floor.

The Lazamai, disturbed by the violent outburst, began flitting about in frantic circles. Their soft chirps escalated into high-pitched trills, reflecting Cassidy’s distressed state. Feathery tufts of iridescent fur drifted through the air like colored snowflakes.

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