Page 28 of Kidnapped By the Alien Chieftain

Yaksai’s smile twists into a menacing grin. “Wise to not trust. Yes, never trust on Terminus Exile Station.” The Glaseroid’s spindly limbs twitch with excitement as he continues, “But we are the only ones who can repair your ship.” He turns to the looming, six armored Klendathian warriors, gesturing with his many limbs. “You watch us work. You need not fear with such fearsome warriors overseeing, yes?”

My gut clenches with uncertainty as I stare at the strange group before me. I know I shouldn’t trust them, but they claim to be the only ones capable of fixing our ship, and Krogoth had sent them.

“Astraxius, I don’t like that they won’t give us any details,” I say, voicing my concerns.

Suddenly, Yaksai’s spindly legs twitch with excitement. He bounces closer to the ramp, his bug-like eyes scanning my body. My skin crawls as I take a step back behind Astraxius. “What is that?” he exclaims, pointing a multi-jointed appendage at me. “So many exotic things, yes.”

I can feel his gaze roving over me, analyzing every inch of my being. “I’ve never seen such a creature before. Where do you come from?” he asks, tilting his strange head inquisitively.

My nerves are on edge as I admit, “I’m from Earth.”

Yaksai strokes his chin thoughtfully, his eyes studying me intently. “Earth? Never heard of it. Very rare indeed, yes,” he murmurs, lost in thought.

Astraxius interjects sternly, breaking Yaksai’s gaze. “Never mind your wandering eye, Glaseroid,” he snaps. “Fine, you can do the repairs. But know that we’ll be watching you in case you try anything untoward.”

“You make right choice, old Klendathian. My Psykes will have this ship fixed quickly, yes, we will.” I notice him side eyeing me as he turns around to walk off, sending a shiver down my spine as he whispers to his fellow bug people.

Astraxius nods to the young warriors briefly. “Watch them like an arrohawk,” he instructs. “Hopefully, Krogoth and the others will return soon. Rocks, I think you should stay with me in the meantime until this business is done.”

I nod in agreement, feeling very uneasy about the situation. I’m relying on Krogoth more than ever, and his absence leaves me vulnerable and alone in this vast universe. “Please be okay out there, Krogoth,”I whisper under my breath, longing for his touch and his comforting presence.

Chapter 14

Krogoth

Ill repute

As we hustle awayfrom the imposing Crimson Beast’s headquarters, Xandor’s eyes flicker with a hint of suspicion. “Do you think we can trust Javik?” he asks, his voice low.

“I trust no one in this Gods forsaken place,” I mutter. My eyes dart around the sparsely lit alleyways of the station. “But who knows? Maybe Javik will surprise us.”

Xandor scoffs, his mischievous grin growing wider. “Why leave it up to chance?” he says, his claws extending and retracting. “We could just take the Elerium now and be done with it.”

I smirk. “Cause your ribs are cracked, and so is your head if you didn’t notice the turrets and sentries posted all around the hallway,” I retort.

Xandor rolls his eyes. “Pfft, we could take them,” he grumbles.

Javik gave us some intel for this job of his. The stolen Nebian technology is being held by the rival gang Whores Orphans in an undisclosed location. But Javik’s informants had a valuable tip - one of the Orphans’ high-ranking members is a regular at a seedy brothel called Lunar Dreams. It is our best shot at finding the location of the stolen tech.The best shot for getting back to Pebbles quickly.

I beckon the group to follow me towards the Lunar Dreams. Every nerve in my body is on high alert, scanning the shadows for any hint of danger or ambush. The stench of stale air and desperation hangs heavy in the recycled atmosphere, and the narrow alleyways are littered with Scoomer addicts in various stages of dishevelment. We move with stealth, careful not to draw attention to ourselves as we dart through the twisted metal shacks that line the streets.

After what feels like an eternity, I finally catch sight of Lunar Dreams - a sprawling metal building with twisted balconies and an array of garish neon lights spilling out from its windows. The air is thick with the sound of drunken revelry and debauchery, and I know this is the place we have been searching for.

Adrenaline builds within me as we approach the entrance, which is guarded by two massive Tuskarians staring menacingly at the customers entering. Above them, a large holographic pink crescent moon flashes, illuminating the dark alleyways. I gesture for my group to fall back, not wishing to be discovered by the bouncers. We make our way to the rooftop of a nearby building. From here, we survey the entrance and wait for the Whores Orphans member.

As we crouch in the shadows, Xandor leans over and whispers, “What does this guy even look like?”

“Javik’s informant said he’s a small Argorian with fewer spikes on his head,” I reply, racking my brain for any additional details.

Xandor’s eyes widened in disbelief. “Fewer spikes? How, by the Gods, are we supposed to pick this guy out from the other Argorians with their heads full of voiding spikes?”

I grin at Xandor’s incredulity. I lean in closer, my eyes glinting in the low light. “Don’t worry. He’ll be wearing his gang patch. That’s how we’ll know.”

Hours drag on, but we keep a vigilant watch from our perch overlooking the bustling brothel across the alleyway. The Lunar Dreams is thriving with a constant stream of patrons entering and exiting its doors. Xandor and Logarn grow increasingly restless, calling out false alarms at every Argorian that comes near.

As I scan the crowd, my attention is drawn to a figure making his way towards the entrance. A small Argorian with a distinct lack of spikes on his head, just as Javik described. I nudge Xandor and point towards the approaching figure. “That’s our Argorian,” I whisper.

“Good, I was getting bored. Do we grab him now?” Xandor says, about to leap down to the alley below.

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