Kar walked the barely lit Promenade, hearing laughter and cheers as he moved past the newly renovated buildings. Their exteriors bathed in the dim lights of the lamp posts. Everything was recreated to feel like a home, to masquerade itself as an actual city, as if it wasn’t made out of thin walls. The plants were real at least, but their roots were shallow, grown off station and transported here to serve as decoration. It felt shallow and it made him feel uneasy. A feeling of cold and loneliness came over him, hugging him and refusing to let go.

He felt terrible, angry and… he couldn’t quite explain it. On one claw Melora, someone who he loved without end shouted at him. On the other, Bea’ti was a friend. He didn’t see her as anything else. They simply weren’t compatible, Bea’ti was… ambitious, there was a thirst for conquering in her veins. Kar doubted she could or would see him like an equal, more as a plaything or something to protect. Kept locked in a safe like precious family jewelry.

Melora was… same as Bea’ti sometimes, yes. He had to be honest, she liked to coddle him, pamper him even sometimes, he did enjoy it. Bea’ti was different, she was not really of noble blood like Melora. Bea’ti saw nobility as something to strive for, something to reach, nobles had their role to play, they had to keep an air of class and superiority to the common woman. He knew she would drag him across the universe with her, to social events, to ceremonies and wherever her duty called. He had no interest in living in some small apartment on Shil while she worked in the Academy, even if they bought a house, why by the Sea of Souls would he move there? To that cramped, smelly city where all the parks and forests were fake, grown elsewhere or cultivated, not allowed to grow wild.

Kar stopped, he looked at the tree next to him. It was beautiful and full of life, but then he noticed the cut branches. Cultivated, kept in line, as everything and anyone in the Shil’vati Empire. Especially for nobles or those married to someone who wished to become one. Forced to live where told, to look presentable to the eyes of others. Living a lie.

Melora was… she was his escape from a life of a noble son, his claw in marriage to be traded for closer ties to another family, busy himself with pups and his looks. How dreadful that life would have been.

Kar breathed in the cold air, why was it so cold? The Shil’vati love high temperatures. Did they try to force people to crawl under their sheets? Kar laughed, what a silly idea, to simulate the coldness of the night to force one to sleep. Well, it was working, he was properly tired. His mind was foggy, Melora was angry at Bea’ti, he would have to go and kiss her. She was probably on the Veneration, worried sick about their marriage. She always had a flair for drama.She always thought life was so much more dramatic than it ever was. Perhaps they would have to stop watching those drama shows they watched, cuddled together under the blanket, worried if the couple on screen would be able to fall in love despite the circumstances, celebrating the final kiss with a kiss of their own. Perhaps he could bring her favorite movie to her quarters, make her smile from ear to ear. He loved that smile, that joy on her lips.

Footsteps, Kar could hear footsteps. Heavy and approaching. He turned towards the direction they came from. There was a figure walking down the Promenade. Tall and sleek, obfuscated by the shadows, walking as far away from the light as possible, as if allergic to it. Probably a Shil’vati.

Then the smell hit him. Rotting flesh or was that burnt? He couldn’t quite place it, but it smelled… unfamiliar. It wasn’t a Shil’vati smell, definitely not a Rakiri one, Helkam perhaps? Nighkru maybe? He didn’t encounter many of them, so placing a smell was hard, but whoever this was, they seemed to not care about their personal hygiene that much.

The figure was getting closer, now it was holding one of its hands under the shoulder, it was hunched. Was that the smell of blood? Yes, that must have been it. It was hard to mistake for anything else. “Good evening.” Kar said, loud enough to be heard by the figure, hopefully.

The figure finally walked under the lamp, revealing the mangled face which had its cheeks covered in blood. She was bleeding from her right arm, holding onto it with her left to stop the bleeding. Stumbling around, one leg pulling behind the other.

Kar felt sick for a moment, but when the shock disappeared he moved in closer. “What happened to you? Are you bleeding anywhere else?” He moved in closer towards the woman, now seeing more and more of her. Her face was barely holding together, her hands were covered in scars.

“H...help me.” She said, barely. Her voice was as quiet as a whisper, if Kar’s hearing was worse he might have not heard her even.

Kar was now within the woman’s reach, moving to her side to hold her up. “Who did this to you?” His voice was shaking, he couldn’t believe someone would do such a thing to a fellow being.

“Oh, how cruel isn’t it?” She asked, her voice seemingly healed from her wounds, now she spoke as if nothing was wrong.

“Yes… it is, but who did this?” Kar asked again, looking closer at the woman’s hand, she was clutching onto something with her bloody hands.

“It did, it is so cruel, but I deserve it. I killed its pawn, I should not have done that, but it was a moment of anger and jealousy. I hope I shall be redeemed.” Her voice was normal.

Kar felt weird, his hair standing up. “Sure thing...” She must have been drunk or high or both. He would take her to the medical bay and they would take care of her, maybe a security office would be better? “How about we get moving to the med bay? Get you patched up and get you some water?”

The woman looked at Kar’s eyes, her gaze made him look away. Her eyes were not as one expected from a Shil’vati, the golden circle replaced by what seemed to be more… he couldn’t place it. It was similar to that new species the Empire conquered a few years back. Coloured with a retina in the middle, slowly expanding. “We should get moving Kar, we should.”

Kar backed away slowly raising his arms. “How do you know my name?”

“Who doesn’t know your name? You are quite famous, you know? Melora’s husband, Bea’ti’s romantic pursuit, a good husband and possibly one day a great father.” She moved in closer, but Kar was ready. Melora taught him how to defend himself and the taser she bought him, illegally if he could add, would come in handy.

Kar raised one hand towards the woman, meanwhile moving his other towards where he kept the taser. “Listen, I don’t know who you are, but leave now and nobody's getting hurt.” Kar knew she would attack, she was too far gone already. This was a kidnapping, hopefully her other accomplices would reveal themselves soon.

“Too late, it demands your presence, it demands your attention, it demands your voice for the choir. Come along will you?” She extended her hands towards Kar, as if inviting him for a hug. Behind her two masked figures appeared, they weren’t armed with weapons. All Kar had to do was outrun them, which he could do.

He glanced behind himself, two more appeared. Damn, he walked straight into this trap. Melora was going to be so worried when he told her later about this. “Why?” He had to buy himself some time, until a patrol came along or at least he found the weak link in this party.

“For you have been blessed, you must be honored, not many get this privilege.” She moved in closer, her hands still offering Kar a hug.

“Being kidnapped is not really a blessing.” The taser was ready, now for one of these fools to try and grab him. Then they would pay, how foolish are they to think that a Commodore’s husband wasn’t provided self defense classes.

“This can simply be an escort, no need for violence, we are not allowed to hurt you.” The woman smiled.

“What are you? Slavers? Spies? A bunch of marauders looking for a payday?” Kar looked over the four accomplices, the one behind him to the left looked the smallest. It was his best bet.

The woman was now next to Kar, ready to hug him. “We are a family. And you are soon to join us.” She moved in to hug Kar, but he was ready.

She shrieked with pain as the taser came to life, hitting her in her chest and sending shocks into her lungs and heart. Kar knew this taser could kill if he held it in place for too long, so he pulled away and ran towards the weak link. The accomplices were stunned for a second, before closing in on Kar, but he had a head start. He ran towards the smallest and turned his shoulder towards the figure. Hitting it right in the mouth, creating a loud crack and then a scream from the now jaw misplaced figure.

Kar got on all fours and bolted down the Promenade, his pursuers couldn’t keep up with him. Two tried to keep up, but one of them relented and went to help the woman and the figure with a broken jaw.

Kar ran as fast and as far as he could, now he wasn’t an athlete or a soldier, but he tried to stay in shape for other reasons. So he had more stamina than one expected, but it would only get him so far. He knew Melora had at least two armed guards at the airlock, if he reached the Veneration he would be safe, same for the Javelin. The Javelin was closer. He would have to make a mad dash for it, giving his all to escape to Henera, she was definitely on her ship. What luck that Bea’ti didn’t invite her to dinner.

Kar noticed a security station nearby, perhaps he could stop there? He stopped to catch his breath for a moment while peering inside, there was nobody there. Why was nobody there? He looked behind him, he could hear the running footsteps of his pursuers, they were catching up to him. If only he wasn’t tired and with a full belly. Kar went back to his mad dash. Running for his life.

Sweat was making his fur stick together, he felt his tongue start to hang out of his mouth. He would have to stop soon, hopefully in the arms of safety, rather than those chasing him. Then he saw them: three more figures, walking down the Promenade slowly, drunkenly. Shil’vati, unmasked, perhaps they would help him? Then he could smell them.

“HENERA!” He shouted as loud as he could. It was Henera, right there, probably out for a drink with fellow officers, or crewmates, the male was not wearing an officer’s uniform.

The tall woman turned to face Kar. “Kar? Why are you shouting?” Henera asked, the other two turned around too. Rixva and Gelln were standing next to Henera, sharing their looks of confusion and slight worry at the sight of Kar running on all fours.

“Help!” Kar shouted, almost dropping onto the floor when he reached them. “I am being chased.” He managed to say between his panting and the groans of his tired muscles. “Two of them.” He could barely breathe, the world around him grew darker.

“What in the name of the Empress?” Henera asked, but she heard the footsteps and then the two figures chasing Kar. “Fuck, Gelln, Rixva help Kar up. I can handle these two.” Henera said, raising her fists to fight, but she was drunk.

“We have better odds four against two.” Gelln said, standing next to Henera, ready to throw down with the two figures. He was the least drunk out of them all, someone had to make sure Rixva and Henera made it back to the ship.

“Two? I see six.” Rixva said. She had had the most, she was barely standing.

“Two trained fighters on two should do it.” Gelln said, slightly more worried.

“I have a taser.” Kar raised his taser towards Gelln.

Gelln picked it up. “This is illegal, but thank you Kar. So one sober soldier with a taser and an officer versus two goons. We can handle that.” The taser came to life, crackling and lighting up Gelln’s face in blue. “You get the smaller bastard Henera, I got the tall one.”

“Sure thing, Kar, would you kindly stop Rixva from trying to join us? I don’t think she will be of use right now.” Henera said, waiting for the two figures to approach, but three more appeared. The mauled woman clapped her hands.

“What a wonderful bit of entertainment. Such a high of the hunt is it not? But all hunts have to end, give Kar over will you?” She said, pointing to Kar.

“Nope. Not happening.” Henera said.

“Yeah, you… by the Goddess what happened to your face?” Gelln asked.

“Same what will happen to you, if you don’t hand him over.” She said.

“I broke that one’s jaw!” Kar shouted pointing to the small one, who then proceeded to fix their jaw back in place.

“A blessing, which you refuse to accept, imagine what you could achieve, what you could become, if you just joined us!” The woman shouted.

“What is she going on about, Kar?” Henera asked, glancing to Kar, but not letting her guard down.

“She is insane, all of them are.” Kar felt sick, something was pressing down onto his lungs, making it hard to breathe.

“Oh my head, why is it ringing?” Rixva asked, falling to the floor, her hands pressing onto her head.

“It calls for us, it calls for you. It wants you to join us. Will you come with us in peace?” This time the figures pulled out rope and tasers.This time there was no escaping them. Behind the group, four more appeared masked like the others.

“How many goons do you have, lady?” Gelln asked, trying to see how to escape from this mess.

Kar heard it too, the ringing, he pressed his claws against his head. “Out! Out!” He shouted falling to the floor next to Rixva.

“Kar!” Henera shouted, turning to him, losing her guard. The kidnappers moved in, swarming over Gelln and Henera like a pack of wolves would catch a dear.

Kar looked in horror, not at Gelln who brought down two enemies before he finally was knocked to the ground or at Henera who despite her drunken state kept fighting even after being tased, it took three tasers to bring her down. Not at the fact that the figures tied them up and carried them towards the airlock, not even when the station was becoming smaller and smaller through the window.

All Kar could see, all he could focus on was the Eye, looking at him wherever he turned, not blinking, the pupil following him as he was carried, as he felt liquid hit his back and then cover him, not even as someone forced a mask onto his mouth and started pumping air. Not even as the liquid around him started to rise and swallowed him whole, leaving him floating in a vat of blue. He tried to move, but couldn’t. All he could do was look upon the Eye.

“Well, hello there my little new friend. Do not worry, we won’t hurt you. We wish to only help you reach your… full potential.” The Eye told him and Kar closed his eyes.