Scattered Stardust

Ezor

Ezor stirred in bed. She stretched hugely, eyes squeezed shut so the sunlight would leave her alone for a few more ticks. A blanket hindered her movements slightly. That was odd. She didn't remember getting a blanket last night. She didn't remember... going to bed last night.

Her eyes snapped open as she sat bolt upright. A flash of black and orange fur flew off of her, spitting indignantly. She looked around, panicked and disoriented. A moment later her head exploded with stabbing waves of pain. She whimpered, eyes watering and vision distorted. 2 figures were closing in on her.

She scrambled off the bed and fell onto the floor.

"What are you doing? Where am I?" she groaned clutching her head.

"Stay back for now," one of the figures said quietly to the other. The smaller of the 2 approached, coming into focus as Ezor steadied herself.

He was a teenager, probably not much older than she was. He had purple skin, pointed ears and thick white hair tied back into a small ponytail. A Galra soldier.

"Stay away from me," she snarled, still scooting away from the approaching boy. A moment later her back hit the cold metal wall.

But to her surprise, he stopped in his tracks. Ezor fought to regain control of herself, eyes fixed on the Galra. Since he made no other move towards her, she looked behind him at his companion. She recognized her instantly.

"You!" she accused, struggling to her feet. "You're the one that attacked me!"

"Look who's talking," the large furry alien replied scornfully.

"You knocked me out and brought me here," Ezor seethed, eyes flying around the small metal room.

"Only after you pinned me down and stole my knife!" her captor retorted.

The Galra boy stepped between them, hands outstretched.

"Stop," he said quietly. There was a quiet authority to his voice that made both girls fall silent. "Zethrid, would you please go get some rations for the 3 of us?"

The large alien complied, shooting a nasty glare at Ezor on her way out the door. A fluttering feeling of panic gripped Ezor as the Galra boy turned to look at her. She was completely alone. No one knew she was here. He could do whatever he wanted and there would be no one to stop him. She folded her arms defensively and backed against the wall.

"It's okay," he soothed, retreating a couple steps backward. "I'm not going to hurt you."

A high hysterical laugh escaped her.

"Sure you're not! You just had your big friend come and kidnap me for kicks and giggles right? That's what the Galra love! Fun and games!"

She was babbling and she knew it. The pounding headache was getting the best of her and the cold metal sending shivers down her back wasn't helping. The strange Galra seemed to notice her trembling frame.

"Are you cold?" he asked.

Ezor glared at him. She was freezing, but she was not about to let some soldier know that. The silence between them stretched painfully long. A brush of movement against her ankles made Ezor jump a moment later.

A strange furry animal was winding between her legs, making a low rumbling sound.

"Looks like Kova likes you," the boy smiled. "That's a pretty high compliment."

Ezor looked down at the furry creature, her headache starting to fade a little.

"What... is it?" she asked.

"Truthfully I don't know. My... mother always referred to him as a 'cat' but I've never run across another like him anywhere else."

He sat down suddenly on the hard metal floor, startling her. He fixed her with a steady stare. She felt a twinge of confusion looking into his eyes. They were angular and yellow but... those blue irises were not something she had ever seen in a Galra before. He began to speak, an edge of vulnerability creeping into his voice.

"Listen, I need to be honest with you. My name is prince Lotor and I am half Galra, just like you."

Her eyes widened at this revelation. So the big one hadn't been lying. She really did serve on Lotor's ship. She saw the boy in a new light now, his strange differences from other Galra suddenly making sense.

"Zethrid, the one who brought you here, is a hybrid as well. I sent her to scout Plygar to see if we could find any others like us. And as fate would have it, you found her."

He let out a long breath.

"I never intended for Zethrid to bring you here like this. I was hoping that I could meet people like you and earn your trust. But... what's done is done. You'll have to stay with us at least until we reach another inhabited planet."

Ezor, who had been listening with increasing interest, cocked her head.

"Wait. You mean you can't take me back? I thought this was your ship?"

Lotor sighed and shook his head.

"In name only. I don't know how much the empire has been told of me. But I have been exiled from the main ruling force for now. This ship is mine, but the crew answers only to headquarters. They do not know you are here and it would be unwise to tell them."

"So... I'm stuck." Ezor reasoned flatly. Lotor grimaced in agreement.

She groaned, sliding to the floor. Prefect. Just what she needed. To be trapped on a spaceship with an exiled prince, his musclebound bodyguard, and a crew of Galra soldiers.

"Perhaps we could send a message to Plygar however," the prince told her hopefully. "You could let your family know you are safe."

"No," Ezor grumbled, folding her arms over her knees. "There's no one I want to talk to."

Lotor didn't press the matter. They sat in silence until Zethrid returned, several ration bars held in her arms. Ezor chewed on one morosely. It tasted like hard dry meat.

"So what am I supposed to do?" She asked, breaking the awkward silence of their shared meal.

"Well Zethrid tells me you have the ability to conceal yourself. You can stay in here and hide whenever patrols come through. I can let you know when we're approaching a safe planet and then... I suppose you'll have to find your way home from there."

"Perfect. Thanks a lot," she said bitterly, eyes on Zethrid.