Lecorondia watched Julep’s teeth glisten in the ship’s overhead light as he pressed Oliph closer to the wall.

The bog dweller turned smuggler shook, his single leg dangling off the floor as he raised his arms as if to show he wasn’t a threat. Not that he would be. She watched as Julep reached toward the anti-matter blaster on his arm. One shot, and no witnesses would remain. Unfortunately, her guide remained necessary—for now.

“Do you understand what you’ve done?” Lecorondia asked, her tone one of perfect calm as she settled onto the dingy couch.

It took effort, but she refused to show her disdain. Her smile remained civil, looking exactly like the ones that decorated the multiple posters on the wall. A kernel of disgust filled her. Often, she found herself loathing her fans, but he’d wormed his way into her good graces by offering a generous discount for his services. It was amazing what she could accomplish with her name and a smile.

“Honorable guest. Please. I acted as your bodyguard requested. You signed the—”

“I understand the forms I signed.” Her eyes narrowed, and her tail flicked out behind her. The brown leather skirt she wore shifted around her. “But I believe we are missing someone, are we not?”

“Your esteemed guest if—”

Lecorondia raised a hand, and Julep pressed Oliph further into the wall. His gray and white body armor shifted as the muscles in his arms bulged. She briefly let her gaze travel over them. Truly, the geneticists back home did amazing work.

Momentarily, all that filled the silence was the ship’s engines gently humming. Her gaze flicked to the window, where she watched the blue planet spin beneath them. Her annoyance at having her trip cut short overshadowed her delight at the sight.

Not to mention the potential ramifications of the press discovering her here. The scandal.

No, this needed to be handled. If she couldn’t keep this under wraps, they would all be in serious trouble. That started with making her guide understand how dire this was.

“Do you understand the issue of leaving my precious baby back there all by his lonesome? How will the galactic government react if they learn his capabilities? You thought you were afraid of him before? What’s coming may be so much worse.”

Her forked tongue flicked out and tasted the air. Fear. It took all of her focus not to shiver in delight; however, hundreds of hours before the camera had taught her to school her expression. Instead, she pulled out her compact and checked herself over. As she played with her hair, she watched Oliph’s eyes somehow bulge more. Good.

She replaced her compact in her handbag, and her hand brushed over Erodicilee’s stack of treats. Her heart panged at the loss, though she hid that too. No need to let the help watch her squirm.

“Now. We are in a slight situation. What scanners do you have onboard? We need to find him.”

Oliph’s body bulged as Julep’s grip lessened, and he could finally take in a proper breath. His croaking voice wavered as he answered, his words quick.

“Your perfection, please. No scanners adorn my ship. The authorities discovering such things would harm the guest experience.”

“Julep?”

“He’s right, ma’am; I checked when we got on board.”

From the way Oliph’s eyes swiveled, it seemed he hadn’t noticed her guard’s snooping. It seemed the credits she’d spent were paying off in spades. Still, she resisted the urge to bite her lip. Her precious baby could eat anything without her supervision, a state of affairs she’d so carefully avoided so far.

Lecorondia looked towards Julep.

“You have a local scanner?”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good. Oliph, return Julep to the planet to hunt for him. Julep, do not return empty-handed.”

To his credit, the hesitation that her guard displayed was brief. She knew he knew what might await him, but he’d be fine. Her darling pet had socialized with him enough not to act hostile. Besides, she was wealthy enough to purchase another if things turned dire. It’s amazing what the peasant will pay for if you smile right.

“The teleporters are not working yet, oh wonderful guest,” Oliph blathered. “The emergency jump drained power, and it will take time to fully charge again.”

Lecorondia’s eyes narrowed, and she watched the bog dweller squirm. Her tongue flicked out as she tasted the air once again. She could smell him, his fear, and the adrenaline that coursed through him. Old instincts filled her, but she suppressed them. Civilized expectations carried punishments that acted as a wonderful deterrent.

“How long exactly?”

“My apologies to my venerated guest. It will take time. Day at most local time.”

Lecorondia shot to her feet, tail-smacking the couch hard enough to make it shift. “A day! My darling baby will be on his lonesome for a day!”

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Tears welled in her eyes, and she sniffed loudly as she strode to the window. The reflection in the glass showed off the way Oliph’s eyes spun wildly on top of his strange head.

“Please. Perhaps I can make it sooner? Please, honored, great, fantastic guest.”

“It might not be enough.” She made sure her voice cracked before she spoke the next sentence. “My poor baby. All alone.”

“No! Do not cry, wonderful guest. Please. I shall work hard for you.”

She sobbed again, even as she raised her hands to cover her face. It wouldn’t do to let him see her smiling. “Would you?”

“I would! Anything for you!”

“Julep?”

“I’ll monitor him, ma’am.”

The sound of a sliding door opening and shutting sounded in rapid succession as their footsteps faded. When she was sure they were gone, she moved over to the couch. With a vicious movement, she tossed one cushion against the room. It thumped into the metal wall, and she spun, claws raking across the poster. It displayed her smiling while wearing a chef’s hat, a scene from the movie Kitchen Love.

“Idiots. Fools. Failures.” Lecorondia growled as she paced the room.

Her eyes flicked to the planet as she paced once more towards the window. She pressed a hand against the glass. Her baby roamed down there, doing who knew what. If those fools who considered themselves in charge figured out that she’d left such a dangerous life form on such a primitive planet, she could kiss all her hard work goodbye.

That was unacceptable.

“Don’t worry, baby,” she whispered as she stared at the tiny planet below with its glowing lights. “Mummy’s coming.”

***

Lecorondia ran a hand over her white blouse as she watched Julep stand in one of the teleporter bays.

He carried his antimatter blaster, a small communicator, and a tracking device. The latter of which Oliph generously donated to the cause after she’d spent the dinner charming him with stories.

“Are you prepared?”

“Yes, ma’am,” Julep nodded as he checked himself over one more time. “He can’t have gotten far with his legs.”

“He does have such cute little paws,” Lecorondia cooed as she gestured for Olip to hit the switch.

The bog dweller nodded, and he hopped forward as he gestured to the screen. “My honored guest, you will be able to watch his trip on the monitor provided. If that is to your satisfaction?”

“Of course it is.” Lecorondia resisted the urge to snap at him.

Julep sniffed. “Press the button.”

“Yes sir. Of course. As you command.”

Lecorondia rested in the room’s singular small chair as she watched the screen. Her own face currently filled the massive screen, a familiar experience. With a nod of her head, Oliph hit the button, and Julep vanished in an electronic buzz and flash of light.

She blinked, not ready for the brightness that now filled the screen.

“He made it safely, oh esteemed guest. Back to exactly where we left.”

“Good. I hope he finds my baby. Mummy’s precious boy is so valuable to her. The consequences of not finding him quickly could be disastrous. I’m not sure I could hold myself together.”

Oliph shivered, and this time she didn’t bother to hide her smile as she continued to watch the screen. Julep stepped behind the rock, the camera showing tracks left behind by the primitive earth vehicle. Small tracks next to it showed that Erodicilee had followed them, though they were haphazard, his long fur brushing the trail to hide his tracks.

Most of the footage was traveling. Julep sprinted along the sand, his head twisting as he looked around. The teleporter room was quiet aside from Oliph’s breathing. She ignored it, her eyes focused on the screen. If signs of her darling appeared, she wanted to see them first.

Julep’s first stop was at the scene of a murder. Her breath hitched, but she realized something had hit the creature. Erodicilee, she knew, wouldn’t have left a corpse.

“What is that?” Lecorondia asked as Julep continued his search.

“Oh, a hopping mouse. Harmless.” Oliph croaked as his hands trembled over the controls. “Did—”

“No.” She cut him off before he could ask the question.

Julep moved again, once more speeding across the flat earth. Once or twice more, he stopped, checking the ground before arriving at a pair of rocks. A hand rose to her mouth as she watched the screen. Small, familiar paw prints covered the sheer rocks leading upwards to a cave. That was new. Nerves filled her as she watched Julep scale the rocks and peer inside. There were no signs of her baby, nor were there any bloodstains. A sign of relief escaped her. Perhaps he’d only eaten something small then. That should mean he’d be nearby.

She clapped in excitement as Julep climbed back down and looked around the area. He paused, spotting two sets of tracks.

Erodicilee’s, and something he was chasing. She waited with bated breath as her bodyguard moved after the pair. Once more, he arrived at a large rock, at the base of which lay several droplets of red blood alongside several pink fur strands.

Worry churned in her stomach as she watched Julep scrutinize the area. Oliph croaked, and she turned to him with a glare. When he’d flattened himself against a wall, she returned to watching the screen. Julep held up the strands, and his voice crackled from the screen.

“Good news, ma’am. Whatever he ate didn’t hurt him. I’ve found more tracks.”

Her sign of relief filled the room as she watched him start again.

More tracks, this time Erodicilee alone, clearly going at a slower pace. It was difficult to tell where her baby thought he was headed. The vehicle tracks were in a different direction entirely.

Only when the scrub got thicker as the vegetation grew did she realize her darling’s plan. He’d need water, of course, and this would be an excellent opportunity. She smiled as Julep continued getting closer. Erodicilee would probably play by the water. Her bodyguard would grab him, and they could all go home.

Yes. It would all be fine.

The area took her breath away. Clear water fell from the rocks into a large pool that caught the water before tipping it down to another waterfall. It was such a picturesque setting that she turned to Oliph with wonder.

“Why didn’t you show me this?”

“It was on the way, oh esteemed guest. Those rock paintings are—”

A native beast sliding from the water interrupted him. Its gray hide blended in well with the surroundings until it opened its mouth full of sharp teeth. With a quick lunge, it tried to grab Julep. Her bodyguard acted quickly, jumping backward and drawing his blaster as he fired. The creature exploded.

“Garblex!” Julep swore as he looked around.

She initially believed it was the shock of the attack until she saw it. A sob escaped her lips even as her whirling thoughts were still, unable to do anything else but stare at the scene.

A small leg lay by the pool, wrapped in pink fur and speckled with green blood.

“My baby,” she whispered, even as the tears dripped over her cheeks.