Page 12 of Kidnapped By the Alien Chieftain

I feel my strength leaving me at the sight of my fallen warriors.This is my fault for leading them here.All for a crazy plan that might not even work.Gods, what if it was Pebbles that lay here melted?The thought sends waves of anxiety coursing through me, almost making me sick.No, I will not risk her like this. I will take her back to Earth, where she will be safe.

“Hope the ship is in better condition than us?” Xandor asks, casting his eyes around the room.

“Both could be better. We have several hull breaches and I don’t think old Astraxius will fancy doing a spacewalk patching the whole thing up.” I turn back to Xandor, my expression serious. “We’ll discuss our options later. But right now, we need to get the ship moving again.”

Our only chance is to dock at Terminus Exile Station.

Chapter 7

Roxanne

Aftermath

Mechanical arms suddenly surroundme, rotating and engulfing me in blinding, bright lights. The machines beep periodically.I remember they brought me here after…after the horrors attacked the ship. My mind races, trying to make sense of what just happened. It’s all a blur of churning colors and terrifying machines swarming the ship like locusts. Tearing, clawing, killing.

I tried to be brave. I tried, I swear. Oh God. What if there’s more of them out there now coming for us? That giant seething mass of a face. How could something like that exist, like a demon reaching out to pull us into the underworld?

“Breathe deeply. You’re in shock,” an unfamiliar voice says. “You fought well, Rocks. You should be proud.”

Proud? All I feel is fear.I suppress my breathing, replacing the quick shallow breaths for deep lung-filled ones. This must be a medical lab of some sort. Someone is attending to me on a console, processing my scan results.

“Yes, elevated cortisol and adrenaline, classic signs of stress. Fresh bruise on the right shoulder and partially repaired meniscus at the right knee,” the weathered white robed alien says, still looking to his console. “Please, if you could follow me.”

The whirling of the medical scan stops abruptly. The white-haired alien is much shorter than the others, especially Krogoth. However, he still stands well over six feet. He slowly leads me to a white pod.

“This will take care of those for you.” He gestures for me to get into the egg-shaped pod.

My head is still spinning, but I manage to stumble inside. “Th-thanks. You are?” I stammer, trying to gather my wits.

“Astraxius.” He inclines his head “I’m the lead scientist… Correction, the only scientist on the ship now,” he says, his fingers deftly playing across the pod’s console. The door begins slowly lowering, sealing me inside.

My eyes dart frantically as the door of the egg-shaped pod closes. I take a deep breath and try to calm my racing heart. My gaze shifts to Astraxius, who stands calmly beside the console like a seasoned professional. His presence brings me a sense of comfort, like he’s done this a thousand times before.

As the pod fills with a light green mist, a coolness gathers in the air. It takes me by surprise at first, causing me to gasp, but as I grow accustomed to the temperature, a refreshing feeling spreads throughout my body. It’s like climbing into a nice cool bed on a warm summer night, and I feel the weight lifting from my shoulders. I imagine I’m melting into the pod.

Astraxius notices my reaction and smiles. “Feels good, doesn’t it? I often have to chase away the warriors. They’re addicted tothe pods, I fear.” He chuckles. “Every scratch is suddenly a grave war wound.”

He turns back to the console, his fingers moving swiftly over the buttons. “It should only take a few minutes,” he reassures me.

I take a deep breath, feeling the coolness of the mist filling my lungs, comparable to a deep meditation. I feel completely relaxed. “Is Krogoth alive?” I ask suddenly. A pang of anxiety grips my chest, remembering him smiling over his shoulder, eyes blazing purple before charging out of the room to face those… things.

Astraxius laughs. “Oh, of course he is. Although I can’t say the same for the others.” His mirth fades as he looks down. “What matters is you’re safe. The Seeker Swarm is gone now because of your help.”

Relief washes over me. “I didn’t know if we’d survive.” I continue breathing in the pleasant green mist, deeply enjoying the peaceful sensation. “Your English is very good, and you don’t need your wrist console to translate?” I ask, studying the great white wrinkled brows of the alien before me. They remind me of an aged grandfather, wise and patient.

I notice Astraxius glancing at his wrist console before responding. “Oh, my translation system?” He chuckles. “Krogoth and I spent some hours studying English to prepare for his hunt to find you. Considering Krogoth’s restless nature, it’s a wonder he could communicate with you at all. He rarely sits down for more than a moment.” I notice the wrinkles on his forehead smooth out as he glances at me, a warm smile spreading across his face. “I, on the other hand, sit down quite a lot, so it was trivial for me.”

As I look at Astraxius, my heart racing with anxiety and confusion, I can’t help but blurt out my questions in a torrent. “What is all this about, Astraxius? Why did Krogoth come toEarth and take me, of all people? He says he wants me to be his wife. His WIFE! And now we’re fighting for our lives against murdering space robots?” Saying it out loud, this crazy situation sounds even more absurd.Maybe it’s this relaxing green mist playing with my mind, but I feel like I can trust Astraxius.

Astraxius speaks in a soothing, gentle tone.“You’ve been through a lot,” he says, his voice comforting. “The term ‘wife’ is not entirely correct. It is a poor translation. We use the term Mortakin-Kis to refer to a female from a Mortakin-Tok, which is our ancient bonding ritual. This is what Krogoth desires from you.” I notice he exhales heavily and takes a seat on a nearby chair. “As for why,” he continues, “it is a long and sad story to tell in full. But suffice it to say you are his perfect mate.” His gaze is intense as he stares into my eyes, waiting for my reaction.

Despite the calming mist, I still feel the familiar sense of dread creeping in.This perfect mate nonsense again! Not just from Krogoth, but Astraxius too. They actually believe this.“Perfect mate? No way, he’s an eight-foot giant alien and I’m a human woman!” I say, shaking my head in disbelief.

Astraxius studies me with intense focus before finally speaking. “It is true, I promise you,” he says in a smooth, confident tone. “I’ve spent nearly two hundred years researching Klendathian reproduction and mating at the cellular level, and I’ve correlated this data with every known species we’ve encountered in the universe. Humans are the only viable match.”

He sits up straighter in his chair as if to emphasize his point. “It’s a minuscule chance, one in billions, for a human to be a perfect match, but it can happen, and it has happened. We scanned Earth for days, and I compared everyone onboard the ship to every human female on your planet. You and Krogoth are the only match.” His voice grows louder with a hint of desperation. I can feel my heart racing and my palms sweatingas his words sink in.There is no mistaken identity. Krogoth had come for me, and he will not let me leave.

The sweet aroma of the green mist fills my nostrils, offering a momentary respite from the chaos. However, my stomach remains knotted with anxiety, like a tempestuous storm raging within me. I muster a feeble smile at Astraxius, hoping to conceal my unease. “So this is all your fault, then?” I ask, a hint of gallows humor creeping into my tone.

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