by Lisa Lace
“Let us go,” the man said. “We are neutral in your planet’s affairs.”
The alien leader growled, causing the man to cower a bit.
“We are only performing our jobs,” Maxine spoke up, using her honey-toned sales voice. “Our company on Earth is sending a rescue ship for us. If you return us, you will be well rewarded.”
The leader smiled cruelly, baring his teeth, which appeared to have been filed to points. He looked at the gathering of his people and pointed to Maxine’s companion. “Kill him. Drink his blood. We will keep the woman,” he grunted in Standard. He turned away as Maxine yelled at him, her voice breaking.
“You are committing an act of war!” she cried out, not losing her nerve. “You will pay for your crimes!”
The aliens nearest to her laughed at her words.
The leader turned back to her. He leaned in, his large, ugly face mere inches from hers. “Crime? What crime?” he growled.
“You have committed the murders of the crew that ran my company’s ship,” Maxine replied, gaining confidence as she listed his errors. “You have stolen the cargo with intent to defile.”
The leader laughed. “Erusha has no such laws,” he replied, and Zandra wondered if he was referring to his people or the planet they were on. “We shot your little ship out of the sky.” He pointed upwards, his finger making an arc as he pointed it toward the ground. He signified an explosion with his hand.
Maxine flinched.
“This tribe needs more women. Now we have them.”
Zandra looked at the group of aliens. She couldn’t tell which were male and which were female—they were all dirty, all wearing layers of what appeared to be rags.
“You did not pay for them,” Maxine pointed out. “They are to go to the Apaknor Tribe.”
“Not anymore,” the leader stated smugly.
“Earth will come and make you pay if the Apaknor Tribe does not.” Maxine was not to be cowed by this leader’s apparent brutality.
“Neither one is truly a threat to the Saavi,” the leader said, turning away from her. “If they come, we will kill them. Like we did your crew. They were nothing more than flies. All we did was crush them.”
He walked away to the cheers of his tribe. “Kill the man,” he yelled over his shoulder.
“Humans are weak,” a thin, ropy-limbed alien said to Maxine. He wore a patch of something like chamois over one eye. “You have no power on Erusha.” He ran a yellowed fingernail down Maxine’s arm, causing her to jerk away violently, stumbling in an effort to get away from him.
Meanwhile, the man was grabbed by a group of aliens. Zandra turned her eyes away as he screamed. The aliens chortled with joy. There was clapping and hooting from the crowd. She heard sickening popping noises as they pulled his limbs from his body. His cries hit a crescendo and then stopped suddenly. The aliens cheered, a low wordless cry. The sound of teeth tearing into raw, bloody flesh was heard. Zandra felt ill and kept her gaze averted, instead looking around at the women. There were a few who were watching the grotesquerie. Their faces showed no emotion. They looked as exhausted and depleted as she felt. The others kept their eyes on the ground. She could sense their fear.
Erusha, she thought, that must be the planet we’ve landed on. From the conversation, it seemed it was the planet the matchmakers had intended to send them to. She felt instantly queasy. She and the other women had been sold to a tribe here—aliens like the ones who currently held them captive. She shuddered at the thought of being married to one of them—just the idea of one of these monsters, leaning over her, forcing himself on her.
She looked over at Maxine, who stood stunned, her face pale in the moonlight. She watched as Maxine dropped to the ground, her knees giving way beneath her. It was the image of a woman defeated. However, when Maxine glanced in her direction, Zandra saw the cold, hard glint in her eyes. Maxine smiled at Zandra, although it was more like a grimace. Zandra knew that the little woman was up for a fight. But under no circumstances was she to be trusted as an ally.
Zandra closed her eyes. She was exhausted, her eyes aching and gritty. Her shoulder and ribs seemed to have a heartbeat of their own, pain pulsing through them. She looked around at the other women. A pair of eyes met her own. The woman had thick, almost-black hair. She raised a hand in a tentative wave. Zandra nodded back at her.
The woman half-crawled, half-slid herself over to Zandra, wincing as she moved. “Hi,” she said in a low voice.
“Hey,” Zandra replied.
The woman looked around to see if any of their alien captors were watching them. Zandra followed her gaze. The aliens mostly seemed intent on the desecration of the male matchmaker’s body. Those who were looking at the women studied them hungrily.
“I’m Maddie,” the woman said, keeping her eyes on the aliens.
“Zandra.”
“I’d say it’s nice to meet you, but the circumstances…” She laughed weakly.
Zandra merely sat, waiting.
“Anyway, you kind of took charge back in the ship. So, I’m thinking that everyone would be likely to follow your lead.”
Zandra nodded. Made sense. She sighed. “You’re looking for someone who has an idea as to how we can get out of this,” Zandra supplied, looking directly at Maddie, who nodded. Zandra shrugged grimly. “I honestly have no idea. Look around, everyone is injured in some way. We don’t know if all the inhabitants of this planet are as dangerous as the ones here, and none of us knows which direction is safest. If we got anywhere, it would take us some time. Meanwhile, our captors are strong, fast, and mean. There is no way to outrun them.”
Maddie nodded. “See?” Maddie said. “We need someone who can consider all of the angles. We need to get out of this alive. What if we stole a vehicle?”
“Do you see any?” Zandra replied.
Maddie shook her head as she studied their surroundings.
“Me neither. If we spot one, sure, I’m up for stealing it. But until then, our best bet to stay alive is to go along with things…try to keep the group together for as long as possible. Otherwise, we risk dying horribly.”
The aliens had begun to walk toward the women. Those who lay on the ground were subjected to fierce prodding. Those who were unresponsive were thrown over a shoulder and carried off. While this was going on, the leader returned. He walked among the women, stopping in front of one with long blonde hair. He ran a large, thick finger through her hair. He grabbed her by the chin, turning her face from side to side. She screamed, and he let go, moving on.
“What is he doing?” Maddie asked.
“I think he’s choosing,” Zandra replied.
The leader had spotted her, his roving eyes widening as he grinned. Her blood froze. She inwardly composed herself. She should have known—she was the only redhead in the group. No doubt she appeared the most exotic to him. The leader neared, reaching out a massive hand, running it through her hair. She winced as his fingers hit a snarl and he tugged on it. He grabbed her chin roughly. She found herself looking into his yellow reptilian eyes. She tried not to gag—he smelled like an open sewer. He nodded slowly, seeming to decide something. He grunted. On cue, the aliens began to flock around the women. With a sinking feeling, Zandra knew that she had been chosen.
Jurgen
Night had fallen, but up ahead, the Alphas could see the smoke from the ship thanks to the bright orange glow of flames. The ship had crash-landed in the forest. When they reached the source of the fire, they found a crumpled wreck. The explosion had been visible from many miles away. They had continued to run in the hope there would be some humans left alive. Some of the trees around the burning wreckage had caught fire, and the blaze was quickly spreading.
Jurgen slowed. They needed to be careful here—they were in Saavi territory. He made a motion for the advance scouts to move ahead. The five Alpha scouts ran on as the others paused. They waited in silence, watching the dance and flicker of the flames. It was several minutes before the scouts r
eturned.
Utyi, their leader, ran up to Jurgen. “The crew has been executed. Their bodies lie by the ship,” Utyi reported. “The women appear to be gone. I presume the Saavi have taken them.”
Jurgen nodded. This was an act of war. The Saavi had initiated the aggression, effectively breaking the treaty. The Apaknor could respond without fear of backlash from the other tribes.
“Let’s move out,” Jurgen announced. “We will attack the Saavi and rescue the women. After, we will regroup at the Border Cave.” The Border Cave lay about an hour behind them, on the edge of Apaknor land. It was a safe place for them to gather and attend the wounded before the trek back to their settlement.
At his signal, the Alphas moved on, the runners in front of the vehicles. The forest ended, and the Saavi settlement was visible ahead. The buildings of the settlement were smaller than those of the Apaknor, none of them taller than one story. Most of their roofs were caving in, the buildings standing, it seemed, by luck. The Saavi were careless. They lacked the discipline, pride, and hoarded gold that the Apaknor had.
There was a large bonfire, around which many figures were gathered. Jurgen made the hand signal to attack, raising his hand then lowering it, pointing in the direction of the Saavi. Behind him, the Apaknor let out a loud war cry, unsheathing their weapons.
The Saavi were not taken unawares. They were ready, their weapons at hand, although the ferocity with which the Apaknor charged had them scrambling back. One of the Apaknor vehicles drove into the midst of the Saavi gathering, plowing a swath through their warriors with sickening crunches. Bodies of the Saavi were flung into the air.
Jurgen noted the smaller forms of the human women, seated nearest to the fire, but his focus was on the Saavi, his attention shrinking to only what was in front of him. Not again, he thought. The Saavi will not destroy my tribe. The rage that flooded him as he shot down the Saavi in front of him fueled his aggression as another Saavi Alpha charged him.
The Saavi wore no armor, a grievous error when blasters were involved. Jurgen hit him in the chest with a shot of his blaster. The Alpha moved at the last minute, so the shot took him in the shoulder, and not the heart as Jurgen had intended. The male shrieked and threw himself at Jurgen, wrapping a muscular arm around Jurgen’s throat. Jurgen beat the already-wavering male in the head with the butt of his blaster, trying to knock him unconscious. When his opponent tried to bite him in the neck, Jurgen rammed him with a powerful head butt. The Saavi male’s grip loosened as he crumpled to the ground. Jurgen finished him off with a blaster shot to the head.
Jurgen looked up to find another Saavi attacking him from the left. He raised his blaster, a bright white glare in the dark as he shot the attacker in the face. He ducked as a Saavi warrior aimed a blaster at him. He ran, charging the Saavi who had tried to shoot him. There was a loud whoosh as several of the buildings of the ramshackle Saavi settlement caught on fire.
The Apaknor cheered as the Saavi screamed in anger and frustration. Jurgen shot several with his blaster before unsheathing his scimitar. He deflected a shot from a blaster with the shiny silver blade. He swiped it through the air, slicing through the neck of a Saavi Beta. The man fell, crumpling in a heap at his feet. Jurgen glanced around and found he had fought his way through to the bonfire. He slowed. Most of the human women sat or lay on the ground. Only one woman stood, backlit by the bonfire.
She met his gaze with an angry glare. Time slowed as Jurgen saw her in person for the first time. Her hair was bright copper, like the fire behind her, and her skin was pale cream. Her clothes were red with blood, and he panicked, hoping she hadn’t been injured.
His way forward was suddenly blocked, as the chief of the Saavi Tribe stood to challenge him. He grinned at Jurgen, showing his pointed yellowed teeth. He held up a blaster and pointed it at Jurgen’s chest.
“Jurgen Apaknor,” he growled, “attacking the Saavi is an act of war.”
“You have broken the treaty,” Jurgen replied. “The Saavi will be destroyed by sunrise.”
The Saavi chief’s smug laughter was cut short as a blaster went off nearby, striking him in the chest. He crumpled in a heap. Auslur stepped up beside Jurgen, who nodded his gratitude.
Jurgen then returned his attention to the copper-haired woman beside the fire. She raised her chin, her face impassive. He walked over to her. As he neared, she stepped back, away from him. Her eyes widened, and she screamed loudly as she raised her hands, prepared to ward off a blow. She looked for somewhere to run before she met his gaze again.
He looked into her emerald eyes. She was shaking, trying bravely to stand her ground. She was terrified of him, he realized. As she should be, he reasoned. Who knows what the Saavi have done.
He held up a reassuring hand. “You’re safe,” he told her, slowly lowering his scimitar. “I’m going to protect you. I will take you to safety.”
She stopped screaming and exhaled a trembling breath, her hand going to her chest. She swallowed then nodded, her eyes still wary. Taking this as a good sign, he scooped her up with his free arm. She was light. He looked around. Some of the Apaknor Alphas had broken through the Saavi lines. He signaled to them, pointing in the direction of the Apaknor lands. The others behind them formed a wall around the Saavi for them to get through with the women.
Jurgen sheathed his scimitar. He began to run, the woman with hair like fire clasped gently, but firmly, in his arms. A group of Alphas followed with the other women. As he passed the vehicles, he motioned to the drivers, Destroy the settlement then meet us at the Border Cave. They signaled their understanding then moved to fire the explosive devices that they had brought. He ran on, the tiny human woman in one arm, and let the night swallow the two of them whole. Behind them, there was an explosion as the Apaknor decimated the Saavi settlement.
Zandra
The large, muscular alien set her carefully down on her feet. Her head was spinning, and her body sagged from exhaustion. She looked up at him. Compared to the aliens who had taken them from the ship, his features were finer, not as crude. He had a straight nose, a beard that was trimmed, and hair that fell in gray waves around his shoulders. His lips were full, almost pouty. His eyes, though yellow with reptilian slits for pupils, seemed kind, inquisitive…human somehow. He smelled of sweat and masculinity. It was other, but…pleasant. She felt a warmth in her chest, calm washing over her. Her eyes traveled over his torso, his arms. They were green, muscled, and covered in tattoos. The inking seemed to be a pattern of interconnected triangles and lines, radiating outward over his chest, around his upper arms.
Without thinking, she reached up, running a finger over the interlocking patterns. His skin was warm and smooth, velvet soft. She placed her palm flat on his chest. He exhaled sharply, taking her wrist in his large hand. She flinched at his touch. She wondered if she had overstepped. She looked up, and her eyes met his. A hesitant smile crossed his face. He reached out with his other hand, one finger lightly tracing her jawline. She felt her heart skip a beat. Then just as suddenly, his smile was gone.
“Rest,” he told her. “We’ll go soon.”
“Are you…?” She paused.
He waited, his head cocked curiously.
“Are you the aliens who bought us?”
“You were sent here for us,” he told her, raising his chin.
She noted his avoidance of the word “bought.” She nodded her understanding. He turned away, walking to where the other aliens were gathering. Zandra watched him for a moment, then glanced around to take in their surroundings. They were in a large cavern. Other aliens were entering, bringing more of the Earth women inside. Each walked carefully, placing the women down gently. Maddie, seeing her, waved and walked over.
“Zandra!” she said, wrapping her arms around her. I guess we’re besties now, Zandra thought uncomfortably. Maddie let go of her. “What do we do now?”
Zandra looked around her and counted. “There are fourteen of us,” she murmured. The few who were conscious
had gathered around Zandra and Maddie. Nine were still unconscious.
Zandra looked around at the three other women. “Does anyone know where we are?”
The blonde woman nodded. “We’re on Erusha,” she said. She pointed toward the massive aliens, who seemed to be having a powwow of their own. “Those guys rescued us.”
“They’re not going to eat or rape us?” Zandra asked, knowing these were the most important things on everyone’s mind.
“No. The matchmakers were sending us to them,” Blondie explained. “They underwent and passed the vetting process. They’ve been deemed safe. The alien who rescued me, Auslur, told me.”
There was a sudden commotion as more of the aliens entered the cave. One broke off from the bunch. He was carrying a woman in his arms.
Zandra seethed with rage as Maxine was deposited in front of her. “You bitch,” she hissed.
Maxine looked rumpled, defeated. Her hair, for once, was in disarray, and she had blood spatters on her spacesuit. She glanced appraisingly at Zandra. “Believe it or not, Miss Zane, this was not how things were supposed to go.”
“This is not how my life was supposed to go at all. You kidnapped me,” she shot back.
“I wasn’t kidnapped, but this is not what I signed up for,” another woman announced.
“Me neither,” a second chimed in.
Maxine stood up straighter and tried to project calm. “Well, if our ship hadn’t been shot down by an enemy tribe—”
She was immediately shouted down by the angry women.
“You promised we would be safe,” one said.
“Where is the royalty?” another cut in.
“You’ve sold us to monsters!” Maddie added.
“Auslur told me—” Blondie began, but there was another chorus of voices, yelling furiously at Maxine.
Zandra stood silently, watching the matchmaker wordlessly taking the verbal abuse. She looked wilted, drained. Nonetheless, there was still that hard glint behind her eyes.
