Janus
Unknown System
Unknown Galaxy
"Mommy! Look what I found!" Janus exclaimed her delicate hair, resembling flowing tentacles, danced with the gentle breeze on the beach. She proudly displayed her latest discovery—a small beach crab, the harmless creature that, unbeknownst to them, was a local delicacy when cooked properly. However, if prepared incorrectly, it could pose a deadly threat even to the strongest of stomachs.
"Honey, it's best to let the poor critter go. He's dinner for some larger beast in the sea; it's the way of life!" Lithanul thought she had gone over this lesson time and time again with her daughter, the only child of Almora in millions of years.
"Why can't it be our dinner?" Janus pouted, her innocent defiance shining through.
Lithanul stared at her daughter, absorbing the remark and pondering whether some of her old psychotic tendencies lingered just beneath the surface of that vibrant mind. It remained a mystery which species possessed the other half of her DNA, and what secrets lay hidden on the other side of that Almorian presence. Lithanul recalled how out of control she had been before Janus was born; after the purge, virtually all Almorians had slipped into madness. Intentionally mad.
"Because, sweetie, we have a pot of lingat stew brewing at home!" Lithanul replied, laughter bubbling up as the usurped queen playfully chased her daughter down the beach, their joy echoing against the rhythmic crashing of the waves.
Unknown Bounty Hunter
Unknown System
Unknown Galaxy
The city was a grotesque spectacle, teeming with species he couldn't identify. He didn't care; the job ahead should be straightforward. Reports of the girl had come from multiple sources. She was here, but where exactly? The armored man navigated the chaotic streets, searching for signs of the one alien who did not belong. She should have been easy to spot—unless that was precisely the point. Lithanul was no fool; she wouldn’t make herself visible in public, nor would the Arcturian. He reached into his belt, retrieving a handful of small, round devices, and tossing them into the air. As they left his grip, they activated, engaging their preprogrammed flight modes, scattering in all directions to scout the terrain for any signs of life beyond the sprawling city or perhaps a potential hideout that could comfortably accommodate three or more individuals with some traffic in and out.
Just then, a small child careened into him, and he had to fight the overwhelming impulse to snatch the little creature and roast him over a fire. The young always tasted the best, but he restrained himself. He was light-years away from his home galaxy, far beyond known networks, and he had no authority here.
The kid bolted away, but the stench assaulted his senses—an overpowering combination of filth, oil, grime, and most notably, the smell of a cooking beast. His stomach churned at the scent; he hadn’t eaten in days, and it was affecting his focus. Tracing the queen and the abomination required certain sacrifices, but he could indulge later. His eyes locked onto a giant, charred beast rotating over an open fire. Just then, his helmet's system alerted him to a discovery: a possible Almorian female accompanied by an unknown child. He zoomed in, and there she was—his target! They had been reckless enough to expose themselves by frolicking in a nearby lake, ocean, or some beach. No worries; the queen was an easy target. But what of the Arcturian? Not a single probe had detected him. This would be nothing more than a simple snatch-and-grab. Utilizing his neural interface, he allocated thirty percent of his drones to follow his target while deploying the remainder for perimeter sweeps, ensuring no hostile targets were nearby. He made his advances, patiently awaiting the right moment.
Grazvit
Unknown System
Unknown Galaxy
"Uncle Grazzzzzz!!" the young pale-skinned Almorian hybrid shouted as she sprinted toward the nearly extinct Arcturian, who was cooking dinner for their trio, nearly toppling him to the floor! "Jany! Come on, little one, I have dangerous knives in my hands, and I'm trying to make dinner! Aren't you hungry?"
"I wanted to cook those small crab things at the beach, but Mom said I couldn't," she replied, her gaze dropping to the floor, sadness creeping into her soft voice.
"Oh, sweetie, I'm allergic to them. If I were to even touch those little critters, I could die! Your mom was just protecting me!" Lithanul chimed in, casting a quick smile at Grazz, expressing her gratitude with a subtle smirk. "Besides, I have your favorite!"
"You do!" Janus's eyes widened as she shot her head up at the Arcturian, a broad smile illuminating her face as excitement spilled from her lips!
"Numbo rice with a side of thangok meat!" Grazz announced, his smile mirroring Janus's enthusiasm.
"Yayyyy! I haven't had that in... in... since yesterday! Woooo!" Janus began to jump for joy, her favorite food bringing uncontainable delight. Grazvit and Lithanul, however, had begun to tire of the dish. Yet, it was easy to come by in this strange world, simple to prepare, and truly delicious. The nutrients it provided seemed to align perfectly with the biological needs of both the Almorian and Arcturian systems, so they couldn't complain too much. Some of the food they had sampled upon arrival might have been tasty but had quickly been rejected or proven toxic to their delicate systems. One of the downsides to traversing multiple galaxies was that each galaxy boasted a completely different ecosystem, with worlds offering varied sustenance for diverse life forms. Without their own rations, figuring out what was safe to eat could be a painful or even deadly.
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As the pan sizzled, announcing the rice's completion, the meat required just a bit longer to finish, for uncooked thangok meat could very well be lethal. But something felt off. Grazz stared intently at the pan, sensing that something was not quite right. He honed his focus, tuning out the sizzling and the playful laughter of Janus and her mother, quieting the area around him. He closed his eyes, eliminating the light around him, and concentrated. At first, nothing—just the familiar creak of the floor panel from Janus, normal sounds. He expanded his auditory range, noting several small animals scurrying away, an unusual occurrence. Then he heard it: a fairly large branch cracking. Another followed, closer this time. And another, slower yet drawing nearer. This was bipedal, heavy, and armored. Most predators on this planet were quadrupeds; this was an intelligence, tracking them. Food would have to wait. In mere nanoseconds, he sent two signals: the first to his ship, several kilometers away, to initiate power-up sequences; the second to his weapons, powering up and locking them to his biometrics. He then released his senses. "Lilly, we have company. Saferoom, NOW!"
Lithanul looked up at Grazz, confusion etched on her face. "What?"
"Get your blue ass and that precious gem of a child into that fucking safe room, NOW!" he barked, leaving the food cooking as he disappeared into another room behind the kitchen.
Unknown Bounty Hunter
Unknown System
Unknown Galaxy
The aroma of the meal twisted in his stomach, but he knew this was the place where they were hiding. Signs of Almorian culture littered nearly every conceivable spot outside the cabin. Tucked away in the woods, it would be nearly impossible for a local to stumble upon them. They had adapted well; the food smelled local, and their adjustment meant they wouldn’t arouse suspicion by cooking something foreign, a smart move in a place where he could count at least four dozen different species. As long as she had just come to town, gathered what she needed, and left, it was a wise strategy—not to linger.
Crouching down behind a tree, he observed the frying pan steaming but noted no one was in sight. Unusual, but not concerning. No speeders or hoppers were in range; no easy escape routes were available. Deciding this would be an effortless capture, he strode confidently to the front door and kicked it down. Holding his rifle at the ready, he began his search.
"Oh, Your Majesty, where are you?" he called in a robotic tone, scanning the surroundings. "Your kingdom requests your presence once more. Your people need you?" Approaching a doorway, he quickly shoved his rifle through it, entering the living area, which was devoid of life. Making slow movements, he swept his rifle side to side, failing to locate a single soul, but there was more to search. Down the hallway, he estimated at least half a dozen rooms awaited exploration. He kicked the door to the first room, finding it empty. "Lithanul, I know you're here!" he shouted, turning to kick the second door open, only to find a toilet—also empty. "Well, I suppose we all need to shit at some point. Do you need to relieve yourself now? I’ll let you do so in peace, I give you my word!"
Slowly walking down the hallway, he reached the third room and removed the door. This room was empty but clearly belonged to a child. "What a pretty little thing you have here, Lithanul. What’s her name? Maybe I can add her to my collection or sell her to the highest bidder!" he taunted, but he received no reaction; the saferoom they occupied was soundproof, a fortunate design. Grazvit, being one of the last Arcturians, had the unpleasant nature of being overly paranoid.
He approached the fourth room, this time using his oversized rifle to blast the door away. Unfortunately for him, once the dust settled and he could see inside, he realized this room did not belong to Lithanul, Janus, or any random stranger, but to the exceedingly paranoid Arcturian. A larger-than-necessary anti-tank turret locked onto him, firing a plasma blast that was three times bigger than the intruder himself, shoving him clear through the next room.
"Ahhhh, so you are here. I was wondering if the rumors were true," he groaned as he got back to his feet. Unfortunately, the turret still had a target lock and fired another round, its impact absorbed yet again by his armor, pushing him through the outer wall of the home and several hundred feet past its perimeter. He stayed down, rolling onto his stomach to observe his surroundings. The turret had lost line of sight on him this time. 'That insane Arcturian installing hardware like that, and they thought I was crazy for purchasing helfar armor. This shit withstands almost anything,' he mused as he crawled to a new position. 'Now, where is this piece of shit Arcturian?' He thought while scanning the area, activating his radar and thermal sensors.
He registered a hit—three, to be exact. They were attempting to escape. Bringing his rifle to his shoulder and aligning his aiming system with his visor, he honed in on his targets: one Almorian, one Arcturian, and one small abomination. He was tasked with killing the abomination and capturing the Almorian alive; what happened to the Arcturian was up to him, as he had his own plans. They were racing toward another building, perhaps a shed that housed a speeder or a hopper. He needed to take his shot. Zeroing in on the unmistakable Arcturian, he pulled the trigger. The head exploded. The other two froze and huddled low, but not low enough. He targeted the Almorian's legs, obliterating one and causing severe damage to the other. The girl crouched protectively over her mother, clearly crying, but there was no use in causing her harm; she was destined to be his dinner.
The armored man stood up, confidence swelling within him as the thrill of his success washed over him. He had never felt a job go so smoothly. 'I don’t understand why the Arcturians were so feared!' he thought to himself, striding toward his targets with a self-assured swagger. Just a few steps further when a sharp pain shot through his right knee, throwing him to the ground. "Grahhhh!! What the—" Another sharp pain pierced his left elbow, shattering his ulna and rendering his arm useless. The large bounty hunter howled in agony as more kinetic objects struck the weak points of his armor. Lying on the ground, he ripped his helmet from his face, desperate for some semblance of comfort amid the chaos of pain. Footsteps approached him, and he looked up to see the face of the man who had caused all the damage standing over him. "You damn Arcturians and your tricks."
"Why did it have to be you, Hejior? Of all the bounty hunters the multiverse has to offer, why did they send you?" Grazvit demanded, his expression a mix of anger and disbelief.
Coughing blood almost with every word, the bounty hunter hesitated before replying, "I… Had to… After… Yordin. You must have known… it had to be me."
"Yordin died of her own accord; why can't you accept that? I had nothing to do with that!" Grazvit shot back, his voice steady despite the turmoil.
"Ha! It’s of no matter now!" Blood pooled at his lips, spilling out. "That queen bitch is going to die along with that abomination!"
Grazvit's face contorted in disgust. He aimed his hand over his old friend's face, releasing a stream of fire that melted everything it touched, ending the bounty hunter’s life almost instantly.
"Come on, Lithy, it's time to go."