#uhp

Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to make sense of the sounds and the sensations. Rayelle’s first thought was they had landed - or perhaps docked? - somewhere. It would explain the mechanical whirring and thunking and vibrations, she figured. 

But where? Was she about to step onto yet another alien planet? Full of the same massive, mandible-having creatures as her current captor? Or was it going to be a station of some sort?

As Rayelle considered her chances between a single-species planet or outpost versus somewhere with more diversity - and fighting the dissociation that sheer absurd thought caused her - the door to the hallway opened. Her stomach sank as two pairs of footfalls entered the room, the lights brightening. She half-turned to face the front of her cell, glaring through the bars at both the familiar face and the newcomer.

Her red-orange captor stood next to a different colored version of the same species. They were chittering and growling away as they approached Rayelle’s cell, giving her a chance to scrutinize the newcomer. 

This one was a sort of grey-blue with black speckles. Their head ridge striated, like a washboard, and their head tendrils were mottled blue-green and pulled back into a sort of pony tail. They were also taller than the red-orange one. Not by much, but enough for Rayelle to notice. They also appeared leaner than her captor, though no less ripped. Just not as intimidatingly buff. The difference between a basketball player and one of those strongman competitors. 

They also didn’t wear dark grey armor like the other. Though they did wear a silver chest plate and a matching gauntlet that seemed tech-based. Other than the scant armor, they wore sleeveless grey coveralls and a sleeveless dark blue lab coat. That same odd mesh was used to cover their arms.

A particular gurgle of a growl from her red-orange captor caught Rayelle’s attention. She glanced toward them, not moving from her cot. As the other responded, her eyes narrowed. 

She had a suspicion they were discussing her. No surprise. But if the blue one was wearing a lab coat, did that make them a doctor or a scientist? Rayelle pressed her lips together in a tight line, trying to determine which option was worse. 

Rayelle jumped as the door to her cell slid open. She scrambled to her feet, grabbing one of the hard fruits she had swiped from a prior meal with her. Her shoulders tensed as she backed away to the far side of the cage. The blue one entered first, the red-orange one lingering in the open entrance.

It approached slowly, carefully, with a hand extended and fingers splayed to show they weren’t a threat. It, too, clicked and gave gurgly growls by means of communication. Though seemingly gentler, more level than how the red-orange one vocalized. With its free hand, from a pocket on its coat, it slowly withdrew a silver boxy object.

Rayelle nervously watched as it held the object up to its own arm, crouching to give her a better view. Light blue light fanned out from the silver box, moving over the alien’s arm. Once the machine beeped, the grey-blue alien turned the box around to show a screen, where alien language flashed and scrolled up.

She glanced from the machine up to the alien, still having no clue what was going on. Something in the blue alien’s eyes seemed hopeful, though. For some reason, the whole situation reminded Rayelle of a doctor showing a young child that a stethoscope doesn’t hurt. 

Her attention flickered across the room, where the red-orange creature seemed tense. It appeared ready to spring into action should something happen. Whether it was to keep the blue one safe or herself, Rayelle wasn’t certain. Once more, she glanced warily at the blue alien, before sidling to the side, toward her captor and, more importantly, the exit. 

She kept her eyes on the blue alien, her shoulders stiffening as it trilled something. From the corner of her eye, Rayelle saw her captor’s eyes flicker to their comrade, replying to whatever the blue one said. 

Tightening her grasp on the alien fruit, which she hid slightly behind her, Rayelle chose to test her luck.

—-

“Hm, they must be more comfortable around you,” Ah’ke observed, as the human edged closer and closer to Tai’dqei. 

Tai’dqei was not so certain of their former mate’s assessment. Preparedness tensed along his arms and legs, ready to chase and snatch the human up if his presumption was correct. He shot a look at Ah’ke, though kept awareness on the human. “They’re going to try escaping, just watch.” 

“I don’t know.” Ah’ke stood up from their crouch, straightening to full height. “They seem-” 

Before Ah’ke could even finish their statement, an orange chemond came hurtling at Tai’dqei. As he instinctively caught the flying projectile, he swore to himself for not counting the numbers of fruit or vegetables he’d given the human.

As expected, the human bolted for the door, hands reaching for the frame as they got close. With a snarl, Tai’dqei lunged and easily grabbed them. As soon as his arms latched around their middle, they squirmed and yelled as he lifted them up. Their feet kicked out as they tried to throw themself to and fro, thrashing with every ounce of their strength. It was like trying to keep a hold of a feral bozeak.

Tai’dqei threw a dirty look to Ah’ke, who had been chittering with amusement over the scene. His mandibles clicked irritatedly. “Going to help or just stand there and laugh?” 

“On it.” Ah’ke continued to chuckle, but pulled a tranquilizer injector from their belt, quickly approaching the struggling human and Tai’dqei. 

The human in his arms struggled harder, howling as Ah’ke neared. Likely, they recognized the injector, considering how similar it looked to the one Tai’dqei had used that first night. 

They even went so far as to attempt to bite Tai’dqei, leaning their top-half over his forearm and sinking their dull little teeth into his forearm. A growl rumbled out from Tai’dqei’s chest, unbidden and not exactly out of anger. Momentarily, the human tensed, bracing for something. Whatever the human thought he would do didn’t happen.

Instead, Ah’ke swept in during the temporary - and likely very short - calm. She pressed the tranq to the human’s thigh, eliciting a startled gasp of whimper from them as the needle punctured their skin. 

Their violent struggles resumed, tears pooling at the corners of their eyes before dribbling down their cheeks. The human’s angry yowls turned to quieter wailing, as the force of their fighting dwindled. Even as they slumped in Tai’dqei’s arms, they continued to warble obvious dissent, weakly shoving at his arms.

A small part of Tai’dqei admired the persistence, in spite of how troublesome they’d been.

“I managed to get a hold of the most up-to-date Straux nano-translator worm for you two.” From yet another pocket, Ah’ke withdrew a small case. “These were designed with dated and modern Earthen language as a specialty.”

As she popped the case open, Tai’dqei saw the two yet-to-be-activated earworms. He nodded, relieved that he’d soon be able to communicate with the human. “It’s appreciated.”

“Move them to the cot and I’ll get everything done,” ordered Ah’ke, taking charge of the situation now. Tai’dqei gave a grunt of acknowledgement, adjusting his hold on the human so they were now carried more comfortably in his arms. 

After he deposited the inert form on the bed, Ah’ke pushed him out of the way. As she knelt by the human, she held the second translator device out to him. “I trust you can insert your own.” 

Once more, Tai’dqei gave an affirmative grunt and took the worm. 

“You should move them somewhere more hospitable,” Ah’ke said as she waited for the translator to boot up. As she fiddled with the settings, focusing more on Earthen languages and yautja, she gave a little laugh, “I would not be pleased myself, if I awoke in a brig like this.”

“It was necessary,” Tai’dqei growled, making the same adjustments to their own worm. Over the decades, one got used to upgrading translator tech. He was just thankful the Straux had figured out a way to get the nanoworms to absorb previous versions, rather than having to yank old ones out. “I didn’t know what they’d do to escape. So, for now, the brig.” 

The blue metal worm soon came to life, its hundreds of little legs tickling his palm, and he held it up to his ear canal. Tai’dqei braced himself as the thing skittered in and grunted as the harder part initiated. Through bone and cartilage and tissue, the technological bug burrowed. In its wake, it repaired damage done. As efficient as it was, it was not painless. 

That was evident as the human, even unconscious, cried out. Ah’ke held them as they jerked on the bed, tears once more streaming down their cheeks. The sedative eventually dealt with the pain and whatever straggling string of consciousness still clung on finally dissipated.

Tai’dqei didn’t realize they had moved closer, watching the human struggle, until he heard himself ask, “They will be okay?” 

“They will be fine,” Ah’ke answered with a sigh, as if she’d been asked the same question many times before. She stood up from her stoop, pinning a serious look on Tai’dqei. “Once you’re able to communicate, will you move them to a guest quarters, at least?” 

“We’ll see.” He bristled, not looking at Ah’ke as he crossed his arms. Her stern tone stirred something in his core. Something that had been exacerbated multiple times by an unwitting human. He tried not to think about it. “It depends on how they react.”

Giving the human free reign would have made all of the efforts to get them somewhere appropriate useless. They could run straight into a dangerous situation, get themselves killed, and be none-the-wiser. Or, worst yet, they crash his ship and kill them both, perhaps even taking out others in the process. 

No, it was better to lock the human down until he could assess their cooperativeness and mentality.

“Go easy on them. From the way you describe it, they may have a lot to adjust to.” Ah’ke got to her feet after wiping red blood from the human’s ear. Tai’dqei had turned his attention back to the human, considering what preparations should be made for when they awoke, when Ah’ke spoke again, “And, about your other issue.” 

At the change in subjects, tension raced up Tai’dqei’s spine. He slightly tilted his head toward Ah’ke, hoping not to appear too excited as he straightened up. “Yes?” 

She reached out to touch Tai’dqei’s arm and he hesitantly hoped she’d help him. It was a gentle touch, her claws ghosting over his arm. Memories of the past flooded into his brain. But Ah’ke’s words doused whatever soft heat filled his chest. “There’s a brothel on this station. Check them out.”

Tai’dqei’s mandibles flared in agitation, a hiss escaping his mouth, as Ah’ke laughed heartily at him. “I’ve never been into men. You know that, Tai’dqei.”

“I just thought it could be different with me.” Tai’qdei shifted his stance, arms crossed over his chest. He could feel Ah’ke’s knowing amusement and it only made the agitation in him churn harder. Once more, he turned his attention from Ah’ke to a middle distance, unable to meet her gaze. “If it was something purely physical.” 

“We tried that, when your change began.” From the corner of his eye, he saw Ah’ke also cross her arms over her chest. Her mandibles twitching downward. Guilt dribbled into his stomach. 

“Mhmn.” Tai’dqei fell quiet at the mention of his change, his arms tightening over his chest. 

In the course of his relationship with Ah’ke, they both had shifted sexes and, subsequently, genders. Though Tai’dqei found her just as appealing as before, the feeling was not mutual. She only liked women, no matter what her own gender was. 

He could have chosen hormone modifiers to reverse the changes, but he hadn’t wanted to. It was a hard feeling to put into words. 

Thus, their romantic relationship ended. Not without some complicated feelings, mostly on Tai’dqei’s part.

“I need to return to the clinic,” Ah’ke announced after consulting her wrist gear. The words drew Tai’dqei from memories. It struck him as odd how unaffected Ah’ke appeared. “I’ll check back in soon, okay?” 

“Alright,” he replied, his tone unintentionally dipping into dour octaves.

“Tai.” Her hand brushed against his arm again, eliciting prickles along his flesh. Her gaze softened, making something in his chest swell. With a reassuring squeeze of his bicep, Ah’ke softly said, “I still care very much for you, even if we’re not mate compatible.” 

“I know, that’s why I trusted you with this,” he answered just as quietly, raising a hand to the sleeping human. There was a beat of silence, unsaid things mounting in the air among the weight of responsibility concerning the wayward being. Unable to take the heaviness, Tai’dqei heaved a sigh and gave a careless shrug as he said sardonically, “Sorry, I had to go and turn into a smelly aggressive man.” 

At that, Ah’ke gave a gurgling growl of her own, swatting the sides of Tai’dqei’s face with both hands. He gave a yelp as mild pain throbbed through his skin. “I was joking!” 

“It was not funny,” she hissed, grabbing tight to the sides of his face and pressing her forehead to his. Annoyance flooded out of him at the touch. His eyes closed, briefly allowing himself to pretend reality was different. Maybe a world where Ah’ke did find men appealing or where he agreed to hormone adjusters. 

The short fantasy only lasted a moment, before Ah’ke pulled away. Her palms likely tapped the sides of his face as she teased, “Behave until I get back.” 

She was already heading out the cell’s entrance when Tai’dqei opened his eyes. He watched her go, before glancing back at the human. Other than the even rise and fall of their chest, they were still. 

Something was not being said. Maybe even a lot of somethings. Rayelle narrowed her eyes, looking between the two aliens. She felt like there was an obvious answer that she was obstinately overlooking. “Where else would I be from?” 

“What year was it, when you were abducted?” Tai’dqei asked quietly. 

The softness of his voice felt wrong, somehow. Rayelle fought the sinking feeling in her stomach as she turned to him. A serious air, one she hadn’t seen before, draped over him. Tension strung along her muscles. “2022.” 

“How long were you with your captors?” Again, his voice was soft. Like someone speaking to a scared, injured animal. 

Rayelle was about to say ‘ongoing’ after a meaningful glare at Tai’dqei, but his somber tone and body language dulled her agitated edge. It was a good question, she realized. How long had she been with her initial kidnappers? Her eyebrows furrowed, trying to recall any passage of time.

The days had bled together. One long stretch of fear and uncertainty, with little pockets of mind-numbing boredom with nothing to do. There were occasions when they’d shoot her up with something. It happened a lot in the beginning, but became rarer near the end. “I’m not sure. Time ran together and I’m pretty sure they sedated me a lot.”

This time, Tai’dqei didn’t say anything. He gave a growly hum, his gaze flickering to Ah’ke. Rayelle couldn’t shake the feeling he was looking for guidance. Both aliens remained silent for a beat. Their mandibles clamped tightly to their face, reminding Rayelle of lips pressed tightly. 

“What?” Rayelle asked, body already braced, but for what, she wasn’t sure.

“The Earth year is, currently, 2367.” Rayelle turned to Ah’ke as she answered. She had pulled up something on her wrist tech, displaying it in a holographic form above the table. It was an image of Earth, with text scrolling alongside it. Rayelle stared at it, the alien script flickering and unreadable to her. “You’ve been away from home for 345 years.” 

Rayelle’s thoughts fizzled as her eyes widened. With a sharp turn to Ah’ke - ignoring how Tai’dqei tensed and jerked forward in his seat - incredulity had words shooting from Rayelle’s mouth, “What? There is no way!” 

“Temporal crimes are a new phenomenon,” Ah’ke explained, trying her best to break down the problem for Rayelle. “Authorities are not entirely certain, but they seem to target already missing persons. It helps to mask their activities.” 

“I…” Rayelle began, her eyebrows furrowed. The memories of her kidnapping, her abduction, were chaotic and muddied. Even if she thought of the hours or days before that incident, it seemed foggy. What she did remember were core things. Life with her family, time spent with friends, snippets of being in school decades earlier. One thing rang out over all of her other memories, though. “I had kids.” 

“What?” Tai’dqei breathed, not quite following Rayelle’s line of thought process. He figured it out quickly, realizing the pained expression and strained tone. It wasn’t a continuation of the conversation. It was a realization. Raw and aching and agonizing. He tensed, waiting for tears or screams or even a swoon. On the opposite side of Rayelle, he could tell Ah’ke was preparing for the same. 

“If it’s been over 300 years, they’re dead.” Images flooded her head. Her two kids, Elliot and Skylar, one on the brink of graduating high school and the other in their first year of high school. She was supposed to go prom dress shopping with Elliot in nine months. And she had a new computer for Skylar, for their birthday. It was one designed to let them play games and stream. 

Her nails dug into the fleshy thigh of her legs, wondering how her kids did after her disappearance. A number of stomach-churning scenarios played out in her head. From simple things, like struggling grades and toxic friendships, to larger problems like dangerous relationships and bigotry in society and more. 

Did they manage well without her? Who would have raised them, if not Rayelle? At that thought, she blinked as sudden realization skipped through her brain. “I was in the process of divorcing their father. He called one night, asking to talk, and I agreed.” 

As Rayelle paused, blinking rapidly, Tai’dqei and Ah’ke remained silent. He could tell, just from watching how glassy her eyes became, tears were on the brim of erupting from her. The mention of her children had him on edge. The addition of a father, presumably Rayelle’s mate, made something hot pierce at his center. Whatever a ‘divorce’ was, it did not sound good. But he held his questions for another time.

“We met at a fast food place,” Rayelle closed her eyes, not sure if the aliens would understand. Heat rose against her eyelids, threatening to spill out. Ignoring the unshed tears, Rayelle heard herself explain, though her voice cracked a little, “A cheap place to get food. It was open late. Like midnight.” 

Tai’dqei watched her intently as she swallowed. She seemed strangely still, but from the way her arms shifted, he could tell her hands were moving, flexing. Slowly, he silently shifted a little, catching a glimpse of her hands on her thighs. Red little half-moons dotted her legs, from where her fingers had dug into her own skin. 

Rayelle was too focused on visualizing what had happened. She could remember the smell of stale fries and sugary syrup, the stickiness of the floor on the bottoms of her sneakers. And there had been Evan, in his nice slacks and button up, smelling of some sort of cologne that made her nose itch. He’d tried to talk her out of the divorce, once again. Said that further pursuing it would tear up their family. 

But she couldn’t. For the sake of her kids and herself, she could not let Evan remain around them. Her stomach lurched, realizing Elliot and Skylar would have gone to him, following her disappearance. Rayelle continued forward in her memories, needing to understand.

“Evan, my ex, told me ‘take care’ afterward. It struck me as strange, but I turned to go.” Once they were done in the restaurant, Rayelle had gotten up to leave. Evan had followed suit, but claimed to need to use the bathroom. So she left the restaurant, headed out into the parking lot. It was oddly dark, like the streetlamps in the lot hadn’t been turned on. Not paying attention to it, tired of her interaction with Evan, she just trudged to her car, rifling through her purse for her keys. “I was opening my car when…” 

The memory of an engine roaring to life made her stomach clench. The lights of a van blinded her, before chaotically pulling up beside her. The screech as the van door rolled open. Hands grappled at her arms, another covered her mouth. She screamed, but it was muffled by the gloved palm. With all her strength, she fought and kicked as her attackers hauled her into the van. Someone yanked her purse from her arm and she heard it thump, metallically, on the floor.

It was her phone, being tossed out of the still-open van door that caught her attention. She faintly heard it clatter on the pavement, before her eyes caught something else. 

Evan. Watching everything play out. 

“He watched these masked people take me,” Rayelle slammed to her feet, her chair screeching behind her as it was pushed out of the way. Adrenaline and hatred and rage swarmed through her, residual and fresh. With wide angry eyes she stared blankly at the table as tears crested her cheeks. “He was smiling and even gave a wave.” 

“Then what?” Ah’ke asked, eyes glued to Rayelle. She wanted to get all the information out of the human as soon as possible, to guide the next steps of Tai’dqei’s journey. If they waited too long, details may grow fuzzy again in Rayelle’s head.

Though Rayelle obviously didn’t like Ah’ke’s tone, throwing her a dirty look. To Rayelle, it felt like the alien was too excited for further details and it made her stomach churn with anger.

She only eased when Tai’dqei stepped back into the conversation. “Were your kidnappers the ones from the ship I took you from?” 

That question recalibrated Rayelle’s perspective. These two were aliens, trying to understand and help her. They weren’t delighted by her horrific story. They weren’t hungry for sordid details. They simply needed as much information as possible to fully understand. 

If they were to be believed, she was not just out of place but out of her time. The rage in her suddenly dampened, a chill settling over her skin as she forced herself to sit back down in her chair. 

It had been 345 years. Evan was dead. Her kids were dead. This was ancient history. Ancient, insignificant, history. 

Numbness climbed over Rayelle, settling deep into her bones, as she hollowly answered Tai’dqei, “No. They were humans, but…” 

“But?” He leaned toward her, his deep voice soft and the clicks less prominent. 

“I don’t know. They got a sack over my head.” Rayelle flatly recalled, as she hunched over the table, staring blankly at its surface. A cold dissociation oozed through her body. She was having a hard time clinging to reality, so she simply relayed her memories, “We were driving for a long time. Then there was confusion. I think the car broke down. 

“Then chaos.” Once more, Rayelle closed her eyes. Sounds and sensations returning to her, making her heart pound and her stomach churn. Hands previously on her, restraining her, suddenly gone. The rough rope that bound her wrists and ankles. Frantic yells as a whum-whum-whum filled the air, not exactly loud but something she felt in her bones. “Doors opened, guns fired, people screamed. I got yanked out of the van to some strange sounds and then… nothing.” 

Everything had gone black.

“When I woke up next, I was in that cage surrounded by aliens, I guess.” A throb went through Rayelle’s temples as she pinched the bridge of her nose. Just remembering all that had opened a floodgate of confusion, residual fear, and an ache in her head. The burn at the back of her eyes had also returned, spreading to her sinuses. Rayelle pinched her nose harder, hoping to stave off tears.

“I’m sorry.” Without thinking, Tai’dqei reached out to Rayelle’s hand where it lay on the table. Though he reconsidered directly touching her, his claws did ghost over her skin in the faintest way possible. Many others wouldn’t have noticed, but Rayelle did. Her eyes snapped open, staring at where their hands were so close. 

“What are you going to do with me now?” Her question came off more like a demand, her eyes not averting from their hands. It was only pure stubbornness that kept Tai’dqei’s hand close to hers. He wasn’t going to be scared off by a human’s glare. 

“I don’t know yet,” he answered, honestly. There were still so many unknown factors. Some of it would have to be left to the Temporal Advisory Council, the authorities on temporal crimes. Then it was a choice between returning her to her time - which would be a feat itself - or finding her somewhere to go in the present.  

His answer had Rayelle pinning himi with a look just a breath away from being hostile. “What do you mean, you don’t know?” 

Rayelle wanted to scream, but she kept her voice even. If only barely. She was finally in the hands of aliens willing to communicate with her. Not kick her or leer or make disgusting sounds at her. And they didn’t know what they would do with her. 

A return to Earth, to familiarity, seemed the most obvious. Part of her knew that wasn’t true though. 

Tai’dqei struggled to find the words to answer Rayelle. He was still processing and parsing her story. Her life, her children, a lover. Albeit one she had been separating from but still. 

And to have it all ripped away. First by humans likely hired by this Evan, then by offworlders. Tai’dqei could only imagine how the temporal jump affected her those first few days. Hallucinations, fatigue, nausea, and a long list of other effects. Though, if they’d been sedating her, perhaps she slept through the adjustment period.

“We’ll have to talk to the temporal authorities. They need to investigate your particular case.” Ah’ke surprised Rayelle by being the one to answer. 

Rayelle turned to her, her brows furrowing. Ah’ke didn’t flinch under the human’s intense look. The frustration and anger Rayelle felt toward Tai’dqei was beginning to leak into her own feelings toward Ah’ke, though, and it was hard to hide. “Why?” 

It was apparent to Rayelle and Tai’dqei that Ah’ke chose her words with supreme care, “Like I said earlier, sometimes missing persons cases are targeted in these temporal crimes.”

“I don’t understand.” Rayelle frowned, wondering what exactly stood in the way of returning her to her own time. It wasn’t like she’d tell anyone of this foray. No one would believe her. And if they returned her to the correct time, exactly, talking about aliens and time travel wasn’t going to help her divorce case.

“It sounds like your former mate orchestrated your abduction.” Still, Ah’ke spoke carefully. The hint of a wince in her body language. “So the temporal authorities have to determine if your missing persons case has greater ramifications.” 

Rayelle stared, still not understanding.

Helplessly, Ah’ke looked to Tai’dqei, hoping he could explain to the human in a way that would be clearer. His mandibles flexed, hesitant himself considering how Rayelle obviously didn’t like him. Even her gaze on him felt hot and unforgiving. Heaving a sigh, he tilted his eyes toward her. “If your case inspired someone to create an important piece of technology or if your absence in their lives inspired your kids to do something particular…”

He trailed off, making a motion with his hand as if he were sorting through the air for more words.

The time spent on Tai’dqei’s ship passed by with agonizing speed. Rayelle couldn’t help but wonder if there was yet another time anomaly happening, but she knew the truth. She was enjoying her last cycles with Tai’dqei. Now that the heightened hormones that caused such a burning need were under control, they weren’t struggling nearly as badly.

Though she still couldn’t help but tease and mildly flirt with him. Especially whenever he seemed to tense or act awkward. It was kind of cute, how this massive beefy killing machine could be undone by a suggestion word or innuendo. Of course, she did keep everything masked in two layers of obfuscation. 

She also supposed that her renewed sense of control helped the situation. Before the visit to the clinic, she had felt like she was being pulled along by the nose.

In the scant time they had together, Rayelle jam-packed it with as much as she could. They watched movies and conversed and played a few games. At one point, she had a sudden hankering for pancakes. Which Tai’dqei was able to humor with some basic supplies available onboard. Even though he ate and said he enjoyed them, Rayelle wasn’t entirely certain he was being sincere.

Just as she wasn’t certain about leaving him. 

Rayelle sat in a passenger row behind Tai’dqei, staring at the space station floating mid-screen. A little off center and behind the station, a blue and green planet hovered. Apparently, they couldn’t land directly on the resort planet. 

The sudden realization their time was up sent a nervous prickle through her body.

She had focused on the station in the holoscreen. It was a large spherical structure with an outer ring. Rayelle watched as a ship left the far right side as they approached. 

Tai’dqei didn’t seem confused about being restricted to the station, so Rayelle tried to convince herself it was alright. There wasn’t anything to worry about. She presumed the resort simply didn’t want humans - unused to space travel and ships criss-crossing the sky - to be continuously bombarded with unfamiliar sights, especially during such a stressful time.

This place was designed to be an oasis of familiarity, an effort to shield time-displaced humans from too much novelty, advanced technology, or non-human interaction.

It made sense, but she obviously wasn’t a usual case, considering she had spent plenty of time with a non-Terran species. Hopefully, Detective Gorgiel had relayed that information to the counselors on Rerli 3. Hopefully, they understood that Tai’dqei had been one of the only constants, and her protector, during her time-space jaunt.

The hopes smacked of wishful thinking. Realistically, or pessimistically, this was it.

The mounting agitation over her inevitable separation from Tai’dqei clung to the back of her thoughts. It was like a tick, burrowing deeper and deeper into her synapses.

Phantom tears burned the back of her eyes, but she took a deep breath, trying to alleviate the pressure. While the immense sadness burrowed in her, an irritation flared at herself. This was silly. She was being silly. In the grand scheme of everything, she barely knew Tai’dqei and was only clinging to him, because he’d become someone familiar. 

But they were going to easily move on with their lives, once they parted ways.

Rayelle jolted as the metallic sound of something clamping, of gears whirring, of hydraulics hissing echoed around the ship. Tai’dqei stood, drawing her eye to him and his pilot’s chair. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip as he stretched his arms over his head, his full armor glinting in the lights. Even though this was heavier armor than his usual, his skin peeked out between the plates and pieces. 

Rayelle’s fingers itched to touch him, to feel the thick leathery skin under her fingertips. Time was running out to solidify the sensation in her head. Then her attention flicked to the chair, faint memories tickling her thoughts. His hands on her. His fingers inside her. The growling, clicking vibrations that sunk to her bone marrow.

Good luck forgetting any of that, she told herself. 

Abruptly, she unbuckled and stood before her imagination could marinate in the recollections. 

Tai’dqei watched as Rayelle fled the bridge, his mandibles barely flickering. He was trying to rely on auto-pilot to get him through these final moments. It was becoming increasingly hard, though. As it had over the last cycles with her, the desire to touch Rayelle crept over his hands. Now, his skin burned with the need to touch her. A hug, a brush of his fingers over her cheek, any physical touch to memorialize. 

He refused himself the nicety. The fewer sweet memories he could dwell on, the less it would hurt. Or so he hoped. 

They moved to the mess - which was really a lounge, she thought, since it had a couch and screen - as a counselor from Rerli 3 boarded. Introductions flew around, the counselor’s tone one of tooth-aching sweetness.

Jezika Alpha appeared human, with neon blue hair cut in a bob and wide brown eyes. Her bright blue lipstick accentuated her unwavering smile. There was something about her that seemed off to Rayelle. Too smooth skin with little to no aberrations. Eyes that didn’t blink quite enough. A stiffness to her movements that seemed awkward.

Or maybe Rayelle just wanted something to be off with Jezika Alpha. Looking for any reason not to leave the comfort of her known companion for an unknown.

“You will love it at Rerli 3's resort, Miss Brooks!” Jezika chirped, rocking on her heels, her hands moving as she spoke. A sudden flash of memory, of old animatronics at eateries and amusement parks, tumbled through Rayelle’s thoughts. “We have everything you could ever need.”

Rayelle knew almost all of the amenities, having perused the pamphlet during moments when Tai’dqei had been busy with piloting or training. Honestly, she didn’t doubt Jezika’s claims. The enormous resort had different areas, separated by decade. Each wing had their own community kitchen, equipped with appliances and available foods of the time; a library with books from their era and an area to do crafts; pool and gymnasium, again with equipment from the time; and other period-appropriate entertainments. 

For Rayelle, 2020s entertainments were a theater-style area to watch movies or having ‘streaming services’ in her personal room. Also, access to a computer that somehow accessed her era’s Internet, though she couldn’t post, share, or comment on anything. Just scroll and play some ‘ancient’ games.

Though, Rayelle still had a question. She motioned to Tai’dqei, who resided on the far side of the room from her. “Can Tai’dqei come down with me, until I get settled?” 

Tai’dqei stood stiff and straight, ignoring how something in his chest jumped as Rayelle asked a question he’d been struggling over breaching. He had chosen to wear his full armor today, just in case they had allowed him on-planet. The helmet obscured his face and the armor mostly obscured his form, which meant those humans not familiar with his kind might overlook him. The fledgling hope he’d be able to milk a little more time with Rayelle flared.

“I am very sorry.” A frown actually flashed across Jezika’s lips as she tilted her gaze to Tai’dqei before looking back to Rayelle. “Many of our guests are humans from eras ignorant of non-Terran life and culture. Those who are familiar with non-human life have minimal and unsavory knowledge of the yautja.”

At that, Rayelle raised her eyebrows and shot Tai’dqei a questioning look. What kind of experiences had transgressed between humans and the yautja? If Tai’dqei knew, his body language didn’t betray it. 

Though, he did know. At least in rumors and stories. Ironically, the yautja and humans had a score of interactions recorded in their respective histories. He didn’t really want to discuss that, if this was going to be his last moments with Rayelle.

Thankfully, Jezika continued on with a renewed smile, barreling over any curiosity in Rayelle. “We strive to cause as little conflict as possible within our patrons.” 

“Ah.” It made sense, Rayelle told herself, as she grudgingly shelved her curiosity about interactions between yautja and human. There was no time to discuss past transgressions or diplomacies. 

She didn’t like that the strict ‘no outsiders’ policy made sense. The ache to spend more time with Tai’dqei burned, distractingly. Rayelle had hoped to blunt it by weaseling a few more hours of time out of Tai’dqei. 

Although, she wasn’t ready to admit that to anyone. Rayelle was barely ready to admit it to herself. The entirety of their time together had been one miscommunication and misstep after another, dolloped with a helping of confusion and conflicting baggage. Untangling the threads of how she felt took time.

But there wasn’t any time for that now. 

“I suppose this is it.” Rayelle turned to Tai’dqei, limbs both heavy and twitchy with anxiety. She clasped one hand around her wrist, in front of her thighs, to keep from fidgeting. A small voice at the back of her head held its breath, hoping for Tai’dqei to say or do something to prolong their companionship. 

He disappointed her by giving a nod and affirmative grunt. 

Her lips pressed tight together, trying to find any small sign he didn’t want her to go. Reading his face was hard enough, the mask made it impossible. Rayelle couldn’t fathom why he had worn all his armor. 

A part of her mused he was going to fight to keep her aboard. Or maybe he was anticipating having to protect her from hoards of other aliens, once more. 

Or maybe he had a new assignment already lined up. That thought made her stomach twist and she wondered how much of his time she had wasted, how many potential assignments he’d missed. 

At the same time, a flare of mournful annoyance nipped at her thoughts. Rayelle felt as if she was about to be crossed off his To Do List and completely forgotten. He had only done all of this - from carting her around space to providing her the ear worm and gauntlet - out of a sense of duty. Rayelle couldn’t really ask for any more from him.

Trying to keep that in mind, she forced a smile to her lips. It wasn’t an insincere smile, but she fought to hide the wave of sadness that lapped inside her. “Thank you, for everything.”

Rayelle’s heart stuttered as Tai’dqei suddenly lumbered toward her, though he stopped an arm’s length away. He reached a large, clawed hand out, palm up as if he was expecting some sort of payment from her.

Oh. The gear, she realized, suddenly feeling the metallic heaviness on her wrist. Not entirely sure how to remove it, she held her wrist out to him. Her free hand clutched at the hem of her shirt, bottom lip worried by her teeth. She tried not to think how this was yet another thing being taken from her, on top of everything else that was happening.

Instead of hitting a button and the gauntlet falling free of her, though, Tai’dqei took another step closer. Rayelle tensed, his body heat sinking into her. His grip was firm and gentle as he tapped through the settings and options with is free hand. 

Quietly, under the counselor’s gaze, he instructed her how to remove the gauntlet - something he had avoided telling her when she had a habit of running off - and how to send him a general communique. 

“Contact me if you need anything. If it’s urgent, press this here.” He tapped another button and, almost instantly, his own gauntlet gave a repetitive alarm. Tai’dqei released Rayelle’s arm to silence the message. Then he tilted his face toward her, expression unreadable beneath the mask. “I will find you, no matter what.” 

Heat snapped across Rayelle’s face as she averted her gaze, her gauntleted wrist held against her chest. He didn’t mean that, she thought. An uproar of thoughts churned through her head, rippling through her chest. He was just being polite. They barely knew each other. 

Still, it was a nice thought and she couldn’t keep the slight smile from her lips. “Thank you. Again.” 

Tai’dqei gave a terse nod, posture painfully straight and stiff. “Take care. I hope you can see your kids again.” 

At the mention of her Elliot and Skylar, Rayelle’s heart lurched. Here she was, wanting to prolong her time with Tai’dqei, despite what he wanted and what her children needed. It was such a selfish desire, Rayelle realized, her thoughts taking on Evan’s voice.

Her words stuck in her throat and a pang in her chest threatened to spill tears from her eyes. 

Struck by an urge to do something, to convey the mess of emotions, Rayelle suddenly grabbed for Tai’dqei’s wrist. He allowed her to move his arm, probably struck by curiosity or surprise. She turned his hand over, bringing his bare palm to her lips and pressing a kiss to the center. Tai’s fingers twitched and tension coiled up his arm.

Unbeknownst to Rayelle, a prickling sensation knifed through Tai’dqei’s body, landing deep inside him. Breath caught in his lungs, his eyes widening at the affectionate display.

As rushedly as she grabbed him, Rayelle hurriedly dropped his hand and turned away. She snatched up her backpack and duffel bag - both stuffed with things he’d bought her - and reminded herself of what she could keep from their time together. There was, admittedly, a lot of little things. Books and clothes and fidget toys. Plenty to remind her of Tai’dqei. 

None of it was him, though.  

“Goodbye, Tai’dqei.” She couldn’t turn around to face him, to be met with that blank mask and be unable to discern what he felt. Consequently, Rayelle didn’t see how he still he stood, mask inclined to his hand, frozen in the spot she had held it. 

If Jezika thought anything awry, it wasn’t made apparent. She simply followed Rayelle out, after beckoning a chipper thank you and goodbye to Tai’dqei. The two women traipsed out the ship and into the docking port, before the door closed behind them. 

It wasn’t until the two were well gone that Tai’dqei realized he hadn’t said goodbye. All the better, he thought, as he fisted the hand Rayelle had kissed and allowed it to drop. 

His other hand reached up to wrench off his helmet as he headed to the cockpit. A spark of unaddressed frustration had him flinging the helmet into a passenger seat, where it bounced down the row. Thankfully, it didn’t clatter to the floor. Though he was only half-aware of that fortune.

His mind was focused on other things. Namely leaving before he did something asinine.

If he lingered too long, Tai’dqei feared he’d go after her. The burn to touch her still seared at his hand, made worse by her kiss. Instead, he used the computer to scan the area for any points of interest. Thankfully, a bounty outpost wasn’t far. There, he could find his next job, restock supplies, and maybe have a destined-to-be-unsatisfactory stop at a brothel. His mind sloppily listed a number of to do’s to shove thoughts of Rayelle further away.

She got to where she needed to go. The proper authorities would handle it from here, whether that meant sending her back to her time or finding her a nice human settlement to live in or sending her back to Earth. Tai’dqei honestly didn’t know what the protocol was, if a human couldn’t be sent back to their time. 

But, there was never going to be a message from her. No matter her flirtations or friendliness over their last hours together. 

Tai’dqei’s mandibles flexed with agitation. No, this was a short, eventful chapter that was now closed. He steeled himself until he received clearance to leave. A swell of something leaden and heavy settled in his chest, as he maneuvered away from the docking station, away from the planet.

Away from Rayelle. 

—

On the jumpship - cloaked to look like a cloud - from the dock station to the resort, Rayelle watched a light flash from the suspended station and disappear into the atmosphere. She presumed it was Tai’dqei’s ship. Something in her chest twisted, thinking of how he had left so soon.

Looking away from the sky, she turned her gaze to the gauntlet still on her wrist. The sensible part of her told her to remove it. She didn’t need it any longer. 

Another part of her wanted to test his claim. Would he really come if she sent an urgent message? Even if they had just parted? Her fingers hovered over the contact button. 

“You will absolutely love it here, Miss Brooks!” The counselor twittered, seated beside Rayelle. She ticked off what Rerli 3's resort had to offer, all of it simple repetition from what Rayelle had read. “We have all sorts of fun things to do. Books to read, old media to ingest, kitchens to cook, a spa and pool to relax in. And so much, much more!” 

“Sounds wonderful,” Rayelle intoned, feeling a little hollow at the words. She closed out the communication app, forcing herself to forget about messaging him. At least, not urgently. She had already taken up so much of his time. Maybe in a week or a month or a year, she’d reach out to him. See how he was doing and reconnect, if she was lucky.

Well, if she was still in this time, she supposed. Faintly, Rayelle wondered if the gauntlets would work out-of-time. If she sent a message from 2022, would it bounce around the universe until he received it in this time? Her lips pressed tight together at the unlikely scenario.

“Oh, it is wonderful!” By this point, Rayelle felt like Jezika was a broken record. Faintly, she wondered if the woman did, indeed, have more in common with technology than with Rayelle. Unaware of Rayelle’s thoughts, the counselor continued on, “It will be so nice after space-hopping with a yautja. They can be particularly difficult.” 

Rayelle offered a half-laugh at that, unable to deny that sentiment though not liking the tone. Again, her heart twisted. She wasn’t sure if Tai’dqei was necessarily more difficult between the two of them. 

As Rerli 3 came closer into view out her window, Rayelle picked out trees, hills, rivers, and buildings. It looked very much like Earth, she was surprised to realize. That was likely why this planet was chosen for displaced humans, she thought. 

She pondered what the resort was like, if she’d be the only human in the 2020s wing, and other inane little details. Meanwhile, her brain fought between the pros and cons of reaching out to Tai’dqei, how soon, how often, if she ever should.

Frustration mounted the longer her mind split her attention. With fists clenching in her lap, Rayelle glared out the window, not really seeing Rerli 3. 

She was not going to live each day, pining away for an alien that couldn’t wait to leave her behind. Not to fault him, of course. She had put him through the hormonal ringer while he tried to tiptoe around her emotional baggage. 

It was just obvious, with how fast he left, how eager he was to be done with her.

Firmly deciding she wasn’t going to waste any more of his time, Rayelle forced her thoughts to focus on Rerli 3 and hopefully returning to her home-time.

—

Five cycles passed. 

Tai’dqei had languished an outpost on Vh’oi for three of those. Supplies replenished, regular ship maintenance acquired, and a visit to the local brothel undergone. All the while, quiet thoughts of Rayelle bubbled at the back of his mind.

How was she doing? Had she befriended anyone? Had she gone beyond friendliness? Was she already back home, in her time with her kids? Did she ever think of him? 

The thoughts got louder and the crowds on Vh’oi became harder to stand. On the fourth cycle, he decided to take off to a small nearby planet to camp and hunt. To be within the quiet embrace of nature and to settle the frenzy in his head.

It didn’t do much good. Much of the fauna on the planet was small, unchallenging, and sought to flee rather than fight. As such, he mostly hunted for sustenance and not honor. Which was fine. There was a pit in his chest that made it hard to imagine celebrating a good hunt well commenced. 

Sitting half-dressed in the balmy light of day, his ship nearby and the sun high, Tai’dqei stared out over the expanse of flora and trees from his spot on a cliff. He was avoiding thinking, since the effort tended to roll around to Rayelle.

A comm chimed into his gauntlet and, lazily, he glanced at it. He’d kept Ah’ke apprised of the situation. Aware or simply intuitive, she had uncovered his own conflicting emotions easily. Likely, she was checking up on him, making sure he hadn’t done anything poorly thought out. 

Tai’dqei’s eyes widened as he realized it wasn’t from Ah’ke. 

Zav took a breath to stare at Tai'dqei. Behind the Florazian, others stood at the ready. Mostly they were beefy, four-armed aliens that found jobs as bodyguards. But the ones that concerned Tai'dqei were the other Florazians. They, too, watched him with dark eyes and hard-to-read expressions.

"Yes, as I was saying, this particular contingency of cretins," Zav motioned to the skulls atop the table, "were rumored to have rather valuable cargo."

"You didn't request cargo retrieval." It wouldn't have been rare, had Zav requested such a thing. When one employed a bounty hunter, sometimes it was a matter of getting something valuable back along with the heads of the bounties.

"No, I didn't, since I thought it'd be a long shot. They likely already pushed this particular valuable out," Zav sighed, his posture slouching further as he rested his elbow on the table and cradled his chin in his hand. "But humor me, Tai'dqei. Was there anything I should know of on the ship?"

"No, sir." Tai'dqei stood still, arms crossed. There was a mounting suspicion in his head, but he didn't want to acknowledge it, lest it made it a reality. After all, Rayelle was a person, not a thing. And Zav had been discussing a thing. "Just the crew, some counterfeit goods, drugs. The usual."

"I see." Zav's expression didn't falter or change. Other than their writhing vine-hair, he was still. "I do hope you aren't lying."

Tai'dqei offered no verbal response, though an annoyed growl began deep on his chest. At his snarl, the bodyguards and Florizians behind Zav tensed, prepared to protect their boss.

"Point taken." Zav's thin lips twisted into a smile, serrated teeth flashing in the dim lighting. His calm tone soothed his posse behind him, tense shoulders sagging a little. With a bored little wave of his hand, Zav airily said, "You may go now."

"My payment?" Tai'dqei asked, his eyebrow ridges rising even though Zav wouldn't be able to see his expression change behind the mask.

"Already wired to your account." Zav waggled his hand idly at Tai'dqei. "You may check if you like."

Tai'dqei proceeded to do so, not one to simply rely on an employer's word. He made that mistake during one of his first assignments, being left with roughly three-quarters of the agreed upon price and a promise to receive the rest through 'exposure.' Thankfully, Tai'dqei's request for an impromptu Hunt was approved by the elders in his clan and that former employer wouldn't make the same mistake twice. Or, well, any mistake ever again.

After verifying that the full amount, and a decent tip, had been applied to his account, Tai'dqei gave a curt nod and turned his attention back to Zav. There wasn't much else to say. Zav knew the amount was there and had already dismissed him, so Tai'dqei gave a grunt of acknowledgement before turning to leave.

He tried to keep his movements slow and fluid, as if he had nowhere else to be. When, in fact, he had to track down that damned human. His mind was already racing with possibilities as to where Rayelle would try to go first. Most likely, she'd try to hitch a ride out of the area, try to break the signal emitted from her tracking collar. Less likely, but more to Tai'dqei's hopes, she'd seek out Ah'ke, if only to prove to him she had the right to freedom, but would respect his concerns.

Tai'dqei just barely kept from growling to himself, before Zav's voice rang out again, causing the yautja to pause. "If I do find out you kept something valuable from me, I'll be very cross, Tai'dqei."

After a breath of waiting, Tai'dqei continued on his way out, having nothing more to say to the Florizian. Though he could feel Zav's stare on his back the entire way out.

Once Tai'dqei left, Zav's crew scurried to lock the door of the rental office. He had plucked a skull with one eye socket from the container, staring at it in an bored fashion. A human-cyborg assistant scuttled up to him and, without looking at them, he asked, "What were his notifications about?"

"S-security event. Ship was unlocked. And alerts from a tracking program." The assistant held out the holo-tablet, which had previously been clutched to their chest, out to Zav. One of his tendrils relinquished the tablet from the cyborg, who flinched at the touch.

Sucking air in between his teeth, Zav considered the chances of someone daring to break into a yautja ship and something of enough value to require a tracker. A tracker, he realized, that could measure biological vitals. Though his assistant hadn't managed to hack further into the logs, Zav was willing to bet those particular files would affirm his suspicions.

"Hone in on that tracking signal and follow it," Zav commanded, shoving the tablet back to the cyborg. They took it, quickly hustling away as they tapped commands into it while also issue directions to those around them, rousing a small team together. Zav let his assistant deal with the rest, turning his attention back to the skull in hand. He flexed his fingers, the bone cracking under his grip.

He wanted that human.

—

Getting out of the ship had been easier than Rayelle expected. The ear worm didn't extend to written words, so she was out of luck just looking for an 'escape hatch.' However, using context and intuition, she soon found an emergency release lever for the door that led outside. She presumed it was used in cases where the ship went up in flames and the system malfunctioned or some similar misfortune happened.

Of course, getting the damned door open was another story. It took her a solid fifteen minutes of hauling on the lever before the heavy entryway divided enough for her to squeeze through. Once she got her ass and packed rucksack out of the ship, though, freedom tasted sweet.

Well, metaphorically. Rayelle's presumption she was in a sort of docking sector for space ships was correct, so the air tasted like oil and electricity and metal. Among a number of indecipherable or unnameable smell-tastes, as well.

Steadying herself and trying not to look like some naive space tourist, Rayelle marched her way down the ramp and into the docks. It was hard not to stare, though. Whether it was at the ships - a variety of designs and shapes and materials that she couldn't even begin to understand the engineering behind - or it was the variety of people. Skin colors, textures, solidity, feathers, scales, furry, large teeth, mandibles. Her brain overloaded, drinking in the new details and marveling at the sheer diversity of sentient life.

Rayelle didn't realize she'd even left the docking sector, until her ears registered the familiar sounds of salespeople.

"Two for the price of one! This cycle only!"

"Try our new fragrance! Made from the nectar of the luscious and rare zelu flower!"

"Fresh gth'uk! Get it fresh, get it hot!"

Bright white tiles lined the floor. Storefronts lined the walls. A little to her right, she found a large window looking out into space and upon a nearby reddish planet, which the station likely orbited Rayelle realized. There were tables set up in front of the window, and it seemed a number of aliens - and even human or human-looking people - were enjoying their lunch break there. Or whatever meal it was for them.

It was like a fucking mall or airport, Rayelle realized with a start. Albeit filled with non-humans and glimpses of unfamiliar tech and a literal stellar view. But still, it was like a mall or airport. Or maybe that was just her mind trying to equate it to something familiar.

Adjusting her hold on the rucksack, which she had lifted from Tai'dqei's storage after some snooping, she tried to figure out where to go. Ideally, she wanted to get the collar off, but she had no clue where to go for that. A tech shop? A welder? The authorities?

Her eyes skimmed the signs around the entrances of the shops, but she couldn't make heads or tails of anything.

If she couldn't find someone to help, Rayelle feared she'd just have to hitch out of the collar's range. It couldn't report her position to the ends of the universe, right?

As that thought crossed her mind, though, Rayelle paused. Suddenly thrust into this world of unfamiliarity, part of her thought Tai'dqei had a point. She had no clue where to go, who was friend or foe. She couldn't even read the damned signs! Could she make it much farther than this? Did she want to?

At least, with Tai'dqei, she was reasonably safe. Or that's how she felt, even if she didn't want to feel it.

"Looking for something?" Rayelle started, drawn from her thoughts by a stranger. She did her best to school her reaction. The stranger was a lavender purple, with butterfly-like wings sprouting from the sides of their face and large pink eyes. Other that those details, they seemed rather humanoid. Overall, they weren't the most outlandish extraterrestrial she had met. In fact, they looked - and smelled, Rayelle realized - rather sweet.

Tugging at the collar of her own jacket, Rayelle showed the butterfly-stranger the blinking collar latched around her neck. "Yeah, I need to get this off."

"Why're you wearing that?" Something changed in Butterfly's expression, translating to surprise to Rayelle. A widening of the eyes or perhaps the wings angling upward.

"My friend thought it'd be a funny prank." Rayelle's voice dripped with dry bemusement as she recited the lie she had come up with on the ship. It wasn't the best, obviously, but she couldn't be sure what would even land. A mischievous cohort with an ill-thought prank seemed the best excuse.

Butterfly snorted, their face-wings fluttering. "Your friend is an ass."

"Don't I know it," Rayelle sighed, releasing her jacket's collar. "Got any suggestions?"

The extraterrestrial paused for half a beat, their eyes narrowing imperceptibly. "Why don't you get your friend remove it?"

"They took off this morning. They're supposed to be back tomorrow." Rayelle leaned into the second part of her lie, hoping it was believable to whatever Butterfly was. "Part of their prank."

"I see." Butterfly's lips scrunched together, their wings fluttering slowly as their feet shifted.

Apprehension rose in Rayelle's head. She didn't like the feeling radiating from Butterfly. It was either suspicion or some sort of calculating, if her intuition was correct. Neither struck Rayelle as appropriate or heartening. "If you can't help, I'll keep loo-"

"Wait up, wait up." Holding up their hands, while their wings fluttered nervously, Butterfly flashed Rayelle a mildly distressed expression. "I didn't say I couldn't help!"

Though Rayelle paused, the alien peered around, humming to themself. It seemed Butterfly was trying to decide something, before they gave a resolute nod and turned back to Rayelle. "Follow me, I know a place."

Rayelle watched as they trotted between two storefronts, through something that felt akin to an alleyway. In reality, it was just a smaller and less brightly lit corridor, but still. The warning bells in her head rang. She considered her options. She could just not follow them. Turn around and head back to Tai'dqei's ship and wait for him to return. Allow this new norm to remain.

But if she followed the stranger, she might get the collar removed and get a modicum of freedom. Tai'dqei wasn't about to give that to her. Honestly, she wasn't sure how long it'd take to earn his trust enough to get him to offer her freedom. This seemed to be the only way, she decided.

Though she doubted Tai'dqei would offer her freedom easily, once she snagged it for herself - even if he caught her again - maybe he'd let her have what she managed to grasp.

If she lived, a treacherous little voice said at the back of her head. But Rayelle steadfastly ignored it as she strode toward the smaller corridor.

—

Okay, so that had been a bad idea. A 100%— No! A 200% bad idea.

Rayelle gasped for breath as she raced through the crowded corridor. Her pack thumped up and down on her back, with every step she took. Even if she'd been in peak physical condition - which she wasn't, even before her abduction - the amount of people milling about the station were numerous obstacles.

She constantly found herself ducking and dodging around bodies. Adjusting her path to the one of least resistance as she hurried and scrambled through the throngs.

Behind her, a horde of fifty or so aliens pursued. It had started when she followed the stranger with the butterfly-like wings sprouting from the sides of their head. The longer and further she followed them, the more people they had shared a look or a few words with.

At first, it hadn't seemed strange. Perhaps they were just amiable and had plenty of friends, connections. It was when some of these friends started to accumulate that Rayelle worried. Some wandered next to Butterfly, some flanked her and made idle conversation with her, others tailed behind her. A pressure descended on her, the warning bells screaming louder in her head, until she felt breathless.

Rayelle didn't remember how she got away. Something that was said, the salacious timbre of the words, looks that made her stomach churn. Or maybe she caught the concerned gaze of onlookers. She couldn't say.

She just suddenly stopped, pushed through a weak side of the group, and took off running. The pounding footfalls of pursuit soon followed behind her, along with a cacophony of shouts and even snarls. At points, it even seemed as if her pursuers fought with each other, as meaty slams or shrieks of pain followed her.

A crackle of something like an intercom hissed overhead, but Rayelle couldn't make out the words. She just ran, just tried to escape. Occasionally, someone - something - would grab at her with a hand or tentacle or claw. She lost her rucksack, her jacket, before she had to resort to yanking away from the touches, slamming fists and elbows and feet into anyone that laid a hand on her.

Suddenly, something big and heavy and invisible landed behind her from above with a hard wham! The unseen thing made Rayelle and other others in the crowd scream, some turning tail and racing off. Rayelle lost her balance as the floor beneath her vibrated with enough intensity to make her bones shudder.

As she tumbled, the impact of her body meeting the floor bruising her hip, she could hear the unseen thing give a familiar snarl and the meaty thump as strikes landed. She managed to roll onto her back, pushing herself further away from the new danger. As her pursuers piled onto the thing, a faint outline of the invisible opponent glittered to life wherever hits landed.

Her eyes widened when - whether due to damage or voluntarily - the cloaking mechanism shut off.

Tai'dqei was there, various aliens piling atop him as he flung them back. Attackers went flying across the corridor, slamming into walls or skidding across the floor. The sound of bones and cartilage cracking echoed, pained screams following quickly after. It was like watching a pride of lions getting tossed through the air like ragdolls by a rhino.

It hadn't taken him long to track down Rayelle. The fucking swarm of aliens running after her had been a decent hint. Instant rage had bubbled up at the sight. Many would enjoy a human companion, for various reasons. And the more he thought about that the angrier he grew.

Tai'dqei had barely taken in a breath, before he clambered up a support beam, jumping and swinging his way toward the chased human. He'd at least had the sense to trigger his cloaking mechanism.

Metal creaked under his weight and lights flickered as his body passed in front of them, but everyone down below was too focused on the chaos in their midst.

The others were gaining on Rayelle, grabbing at her. They'd yanked her rucksack from her back, but it was watching someone haul her jacket off her that made his rage flare even hotter. She had barely stumbled far enough ahead of her pursuers before he dropped between them.

By the time the last contender had been tossed aside, Tai'dqei's chest heaved with enraged breaths. At some point during the brawl, someone had managed to knock his helmet off. It lay yards away, none of the onlookers daring to touch or get close to it. His hands, fingers crooked and ready for more, were held out from his body, ready to strike anyone who dared to come close.

She stared up at him, eyes wide and mouth agape. Self-preservation had screamed at her to get up, to run. But something else kept her staring, watching Tai'dqei's muscles flex under his armor as he fought and listening to his aggravated gnarls. As he stood over her, she could but help but admire how his chest heaved from the exertion.

Slowly, Tai'dqei shifted backward, positioning Rayelle between his feet. At that point, she tore her gaze from him, half rolling to her side. She didn't trust herself to keep her gaze to polite areas.

Deep in his chest, a raspy hiss began, before the roar expelled from his chest. A cry caught in Rayelle's throat as she curled up on the floor, partly around Tai'dqei's large foot. His bellow vibrated through her ears, through her skull. But her arms instinctively wrapped around his leg, hugging his familiarity close.

The howl echoed through the corridor, dwindling into a chesty clicking growl that reminded Rayelle of an alligator. Many others fell to their knees or scurried backward, if not outright fled. Some did linger, still watching with concerned expressions.

Tai'dqei's decree was obvious and didn't need words, though.

He had stood a while outside the bawdy house, staring at the two large display windows that flanked the entrance. One window had some of the scantily-clad workers, lounging in a comfortable looking sitting area and flirtatiously batting their eyes or making lewd gestures to passerbys. The other window had a screen, rotating between testimonies of happy customers, various upcoming events, and some base pricing options.

If he was being honest, Tai’dqei had been swept up after stepping over the threshold. The offered profiles of available companions, the different bundled services, the dizzying array of add-ons. It had all been a lot for his already impaired state-of-mind. He honestly thought he blacked out at one point.

“You look kind of tense, sweetie.” A nude Ankushian slid from behind a room divider. Tai’dqei’s frantic thoughts wheeled through the offering catalog, trying to remember their name. His brain managed to bring up her profile: Saisha, she/her. She smiled at him, coming closer with a sway to her movements. “Has it been awhile for you?”

She was a pretty array of purples. Her violet jelly-like skin and long lavender ‘hair’ - like lighter wax-like drippings adhering to a candle - almost glowied in the dim light of her workspace. Tai’dqei swallowed, his eyes trailing over the curves of her large breasts, soft stomach, and wide hips. Dark purple antennae poked up from the crest of her head, the rounder ends bobbling with Saisha’s every step.

When Tai’dqei didn’t answer, the smile on Saisha’s plump lips took on a teasing edge. “You know, as an Ankushian I can tell your mating instincts have been roused.”

“How’s that?” He mumbled, though he already knew. It was her antennae. They tasted pheromones and chemicals in the air. After little over three cycles in his current state, even with the frequent showers, he was invariably marinated in his urges.

“Your chemical signature leaves a taste in the air.” Saisha’s antennae wiggled a little. She dropped herself into Tai’dqei’s lap, her arms languidly wrapping around his shoulders. Like most others, she was shorter and smaller than him. Though she was currently solid, she had a texture that made Tai’dqei think of liquid contained in something malleable. Like a waterskin.

As Saisha spoke, she fiddled gently with one of his tendrils, sending tingling sensations over his scalp. “I’m curious to know who could have stimulated such a reaction from big surly you. They must be particularly impressive.”

“No- I mean, I don’t know about that.” He shoved the brief mental image of Rayelle away. If she kept infesting his thoughts, he’d never find peace.

Turning his attention fully to Saisha, Tai’dqei wondered if it was true that Ankushians changed color when fucking. Something about their near-invisible nerve endings glowing and shifted color when a litany of stimulation arrested their senses. He swallowed, trying to focus on answering her, “It was an odd series of events and a misunderstanding.”

“Oh, well, their loss.” Saisha’s hands had gone to Tai’dqei’s shoulders, kneading into his muscles. A soft sound escaped him, heat bleeding down his back. He grunted as she suddenly rolled her hips, pressing against his slowly rising arousal. “I find yautja particularly fun.”

“Is that so?” Tai’dqei huffed, as Saisha’s mouth found his throat. Her teeth grazed over his skin, from neck to shoulder. He shifted, every spot where their bodies touched tingled as her cooler body and his warmer temperature mingled.

“Yes,” Saisha purred as she slid further down his front, her liquid soft lips trailing hot breaths and kisses down his chest.

His knees instinctively tilted open, giving her access to his growing erection as she hit his midsection. With a grin, she slipped to the floor, between his legs. Her words whispered over his shaft, her mouth barely touching him. “The sheer power. The rippling muscle. The desperate horniness.”

Her words teased over his pulsing flesh, an excited growl tangling in his throat. One of his clawed hands went to her scalp, cradling the back of her head and nudging her face closer to his cock. Tai’dqei’s hips rolled, eliciting a giggle from the Ankushian.

As her mouth opened, a series of slow, excited clicks left him, and her tongue - so long and dripping with vicious purple Saisha - coiled twice around his shaft. Something in him snapped to attention. An insatiable prickling heat clawed at his insides.

His cock pulsed as her tongue worked up and down his length, squeezing tight around him. Her tongue was moister than the rest of her, but the cool temperature coaxed a hiss from him, as his hips jerked against her ministrations.

Without thought, both of his hands grappled at the sides of her head. Saisha gave a little breathy, excited gasp. He needed her to be warmer and the first solution was to heat her up himself. With that thought, Tai’dqei thrust his hips forward, landing his cock square in her mouth. Like Saisha’s tongue, she was wetter here, but still a lukewarm sort of cold. Her moan vibrated around him, reverberating through him from his dick and into his bones.

Tai’dqei’s body moved on its own. Hips rocking back and forth, harder with each passing thrust, as he leaned over Saisha. A growl bubbled in his throat, the Ankushian’s body warming to his friction. The sounds she made were sweet and sinful to his ears. A balm after such a long stint of aggravation.

Something still agitated his senses about all this, though. It was all manufactured. A script, a delightful farce. Saisha wasn’t sincerely entertaining his strength or capability. She was just feeding into some instinctive desire of his own. Which was her job, he knew.

But this wasn’t genuine. This was just to alleviate the libido pounding at his insides. Nothing more. And that dulled the pleasure, somehow.

Annoyed with himself, Tai’dqei yanked Saisha back, off his cock. She gave a startled little sound as he swung her onto the bed, on her hands and knees. Pinning her squirming form down, his clawed hand at the back of her neck, he realized Saisha was losing consistency. She felt stickier, more liquid, than earlier.

For a brief second, Tai’dqei worried he’d gone too far and gotten too rough with the sex worker. Well, until Saisha wriggled delightedly and purred, “Yes, that’s the desperate horniness I love.”

Apparently, Ankushians literally became wet when excited, Tai’dqei mused as his claws pricked into Saisha’s neck. A mewl of pleasure escaped her at the almost piercing touch.

“I’m not desperate,” he growled, arching over Saisha’s back, sliding his cock between her thighs. She gave a whiny purr, rolling her hips and rubbing herself against his throbbing excitement. His free hand reached under her, his fingers tracing her slit with his claws. Saisha writhed, her hands fisted into the silky sheets of the bed.

“That makes one of us then,” Saisha giggled, her breath hitched.

“Yeah, you’re desperate for yautja cock, aren’t you?” Tai’dqei snarled, his mandibles close to Saisha’s head. A guttural rumble echoed through his chest, vibrating through Saisha’s liquid self. He watched as little flashes of lights lit up her back and near where his mandibles clicked, roughly where her ears would have been had she been human.

“Very much so,” Saisha whined as her hands twisted harder at the sheets, her body writhing under him. She pushed herself down and back against Tai’dqei, his cock still stubbornly between her thighs and lining her lower lips. Unlike the tepid temperature of the rest of her, heat was growing at the crux of her legs.

Experimentally, Tai’dqei flexed his cock against her, sliding himself back and forth to coat the top-half of his shaft. Her reaction was almost instantaneous. Saisha keened, returning the ministrations the best she could, considering his hand still held the back of her neck, with her own wiggles.

Heat snapped along his own body. Through his muscles, scouring his veins. Tai’dqei’s hold on Saisha’s neck tightened, eliciting a sweet whimper from the Ankushian. Lining himself up, he could feel Saisha’s excitement swelling, her wiggles intensifying as she tried to rollick back against his knob.

But he held her still, his hand under her trailing claws along her stomach and over her breasts. Tiny wakes followed his tips, quickly disappearing as Saisha’s liquids shifted back into place. Sharp little gasps and moans left Saisha. Her back arched to and fro, seeking some sort of ultimate relief from his pleasuring touch.

Tai’dqei didn’t like doing what others expected. And Saisha thought he’d mindlessly fuck her, hard and rough. Like any other yautja man, hard-up with a mating fervor, would do. While it would be hard and rough, Tai’dqei wanted to make her squirm and cry out and beg for his seed. Until she was a sloppy, sopping mess on the bed.

Still, her slowly warming core called to him, making his dick throb and flex. The spark of her excitement, running through her body, made her body fade from a lush purple to a pleasant magenta pink.

Saisha’s whines had taken on an impatient tone, her minute wriggling becoming more insistent. Tai’dqei slowly dipped the thick tip of his cock into her, the flared ridge of his head catching against the sides of her opening. With a moan, Saisha tried to raise her rear up or roll back for deeper penetration.

He didn’t let her, though. As slow as he entered, as sweet as her extra moist heat was, he pulled out quickly. Despite his own body’s rage at himself and the distraught cry Saisha gave.

The two continued like that. Tai’dqei, disciplined and measure, delving his cock only an inch deeper with every pass. Saisha mewling and arching and crying out when denied deeper satisfaction, becoming more desperate.

Tai’dqei’s fingers flexed on Saisha’s neck, gaining her attention as her writhing became more demanding. “Tell me how much you want it.”

“So much,” she sobbed, rolling her hips erratically to ease him further in. But he went no further than what he deemed appropriate.

“Describe it,” he demanded, his mandibles spreading and a hiss leaving his mouth.

“I want to feel you deep in me, stretching me, churning up my insides. Hard and relentless,” Saisha gasped and arched her back up, pressed flush against Tai’dqei’s chest. The once coolish purple skin was now heated and a gentle sort of red, little sparks lighting up her body as pleasure coursed through her. “I need to feel your white-hot seed, bathing my insides. All of it, Tai’dqei. Give me all of it.”

Through her pleas - in spite of the fact it was all rehearsed script - a pleased growl grew in Tai’dqei’s chest. It crested into a snarl as she demanded all of it, everything. And he obliged.

With a forward slam of his hips, he buried his dick into her. Liquid warmth trembling around him as she threw her head back, free of his grip. Automatically, Saisha tried to swing forward and back, wordlessly needing continued, deep penetration.

His hand adjusted to the front of Saisha’s throat, claws digging into the sides of her neck, as his other hand braced on the bed. Tai’dqei fell into a fast, hard pace. His knees smacked against the mattress, making it vibrate with every thrust. His cock cleaved through her folds, hitting Saisha deeper and deeper with every passing strike. Her whole body lit up with every full-force impact, ripples bubbling along her form.

Burning excitement swelled in Tai’dqei, his cock pulsing. Saisha was warm and wet and malleable. In waves, her form rhythmically hugged around his thick dick, her body jostling as she frantically attempted to meet his thrusts. Pressure pounded at his core as he snarled and panted, frenetic lust pushing him toward his orgasm.

The heat became unbearable and finally, finally, Tai’dqei threw his head back with hiss of satisfaction. White-hot ropes of heat surged from him, painting Saisha’s insides and making her glow all the more vibrant as she cried out. His hips drilled haphazardly into her, even as her body desperately pulsed and tightened around him.

Saisha wobbled and trembled, oozing between his claws as she gulped down lungfuls of air. Even though Tai’dqei’s own chest heaved with heavy breaths, he still eased himself from her quivering folds and stepped back. Beads of cum oozed from the tip of his cock, still obviously erect and ready for more.

“Oh dear,” Saisha tittered, still trying to catch her breath. She had rolled over onto her back, as much as someone who had turned half into ooze could roll, and eyed Tai’dqei with his proud cock. He stood tall, shoulders back and breath slowing to something manageable. He leered down at her, not entirely satisfied and knowing he’d need more than this to be satiated. “I better call in reinforcements, hm?”

“You do that,” he growled, before descending on her. His cock easily sliding home in her wet core as she gave a squeal of mingled delight and surprise. Even as Saisha’s moans bubbled up around him and her body happily accepted his thrusting ruts, Tai’dqei could feel the itch, the hunger, for more continue to gnaw at him.

At the back of his head, behind the lust and pleasure and concentration, thoughts of Rayelle still lingered.

—

It was six hours before Tai’dqei returned. Half of that time had been spent catering to his baser needs while the other half had been spent trekking around the station. Tri’ken Outpost was a decently sized trading station, where spacefarers often stopped to replenish goods and trade, among other things. That said, the place was rather large with plenty of shops and even more merchants and hawkers attempting to upsell. Which honestly exhausted Tai’dqei more than the carnal romps.

Perhaps that was why he bristled when Ah’ke cooed as soon as he clomped back onto his ship. “Oooh, you must have really enjoyed yourself. It’s been awhile.”

“Shut up,” he growled, dropping the bulging sack of supplies and miscellany he had acquired over the hours. He tossed a small wrapped package at Ah’ke, with a bit more force than necessary. “Khimiel wanted me to give you this.”

The blue yautja caught the projectile with ease and wasted no time in tearing into the packaging. Before the paper even hit the floor, she trilled in delight. “Veruvian delights! I’ve been waiting for these to come in!”

As she sampled some of her sweets, Tai’dqei went about dumping the supplies on the table. He sorted through the items, separating things based on where they needed to go. Medsprays to various medkits onboard. Food and drink for the pantry. Filaments and new tools for the secondary cargo hold.

He picked around the items he had bought for Rayelle, not quite wanting to see the smug look cross Ah’ke’s face just yet.

“In all seriousness, how was your jaunt to the lewdy house? Get it all out of your system?” Ah’ke asked suddenly, around a mouthful of her sticky veruvian delights.

“I-” Tai’dqei started to answer, but movement in the corner of his eye made him pause. Rayelle had sidled from the hallway, a tray in her hand. He couldn’t help but notice the residue of food and the peel of a chemond. Faintly, Tai’dqei wondered if it was the same fruit she had thrown at him earlier.

“Oh, yes, Rayelle roused about two hours ago. Said she was hungry, so I made her some tep and gave her some fruit,” Ah’ke informed as she re-wrapped her box of sweets. “I also gave her a quick check-up, got her vaccinations up-to-date, so you’re welcome!”

Tai’dqei only gave Ah’ke half of his attention, nodding and muttering thanks to his dear friend. To say Rayelle’s expression was icy would have been an understatement. Tai’dqei thought the freezing vacuum of space would be more hospitable. She’d undoubtedly heard Ah’ke’s teasing questions.

And she certainly had. Something weighed in her chest, unhappy and spiky, when registering what Ah’ke had asked Tai’dqei. If a lewdy house left anything to the imagination, Ah’ke’s second question did not.

“Get it all out of your system?” The words echoed in her head, making Rayelle want to gag. Was Tai’dqei so perpetually horny that he had to make frequent stops at such places? Is that why he tried to accost her? It apparently was often enough that Ah’ke teased him about it.

As she passed him to deposit her tray into what seemed to be the sink, she couldn’t help but throw him a sidelong glare. Trying to make her stance on his libido well-known.

“Anyway, it’s been fun playing babysitter and offering you my expertise for free,” Ah’ke chattered after checking the time on her wrist gear, as she quickly gathered her things. “But I really need to get back to the clinic. It’s probably a mess in my absence.”

Tai’dqei hadn’t really been paying attention to Ah’ke’s words. Until she said she had to get back to the clinic. That made his stomach drop as his attention swerved from Rayelle to Ah’ke. “Do you have to go?”