Seeing Brielle again made me feel something other than horrible. She changed into her uniform once she entered the ship. It was strange seeing her here, but it did make me feel less lonely. She hugged me in front of everyone. I was not sure how to feel about that but I let it slide this time.

For finding the space pirates, I knew the place to start. About 90% of interplanetary criminals have their origins in Chaus. Elves are almost extinct, so I assumed that it would not take too long before I found someone that had some kind of information on the elf.

Our security footage had no record of the elf or the boy being on the ship. I was going to find out about the security breach too.

Maybe, if I was smart, I could turn the most humiliating moment of my life into something more acceptable. If I could find out what had happened and how...

I did not chat much with Brielle. I told her that I was glad she was wearing the uniform and no longer her own hideous clothes. She laughed.

I had asked Mr. Heydrich about Lex's connections in Chaus. Most connections were top secret and low-ranking officers such as me were not granted access to such information yet. But there was one go-to guy for "fresh meat". Mr. Heydrich did not give me much information about that guy either, but I got his location and codename: Charon.

I chose a male avatar with well-made fake scars and tattoos. Easily the coolest Avatar I had ever worn. He was a bit smaller than me but his shoulders were a bit wider. It was a compromise I was willing to make to avoid catching unwanted attention.

Charon only met people from Lex inside an established club in Chaus that opened after dark. Most of Chaus's days were quite dark and I did not have to wait long. I took 2-foot soldiers with me. As an outsider in Chaus it was better not to walk alone. Even so, I did not trust my soldier's competence at all.

When I saw women dancing on poles inside the club, at first I was relieved. Clubs in Chaus have a reputation. I did not want to get any blood on my new avatar. At least it was not a fight club.

However, even in dim lights, I could recognize though that most of the dancers were scarred, bruised, and wounded. Their legs and arms were blue and full of barely healed needle marks.

Some of them were not human. They appeared to come from Yug, a planet that Lex was protecting. How did they end up here?

I walked through the main area and tried not to have any more thoughts.

A bodyguard stood in front of the backstage area, he was staring at us, bloodlust in his eyes.

"We're here to see Charon.", I did not want to waste any more time here than absolutely necessary. My skin felt itchy and I felt very nervous about the floor. I could not see it clearly in the dim lights of the headlights, but everything I did see was not clean.

"Hush, hush little rats", the bodyguard laughed at us provocatively, hoping we would attack him as he moved to the side. I walked through the door, paying no mind to the clownish bodyguard.

The loud music became dull and quiet the moment we closed the door. I heard several women moaning and screaming loudly in what I hoped was completely consensual sex.

We had entered into a hallway with many doors. Regretfully, not all of them were closed.

I walked fast towards the end of the hallway, sparing no mind to the screams and images of violence all around.

A figure in dark robes waited for us in a room at the end of the hallway.

There was a king-sized, red bed at the center of the room, stripping poles and other equipment was spread out through the rest.

At the wave of a hand, 3 dancers approached us swinging their hips and showing off their almost naked bodies. I looked away, feeling shame for the way my body reacted.

"It's a gift.", the dark figure said with a harsh, dark voice. "I like to treat my guests with great generosity."

I pushed the women aside and stepped towards Charon. My foot soldiers stayed behind, distracted. "Please, they're a gift. You can even keep them if you like. You see I like to keep good relationships with my allies.", I imagined a grim smile underneath his robes.

I turned back to my soldiers. "Touch them and you're fired."

They hesitantly made their way to me, away from the whores. Treacherous weapons. I had never seen anybody use women like this.

"Don't you know it is very rude to turn down a gift from your host?"

"Don't you know it is a criminal offense to bribe an officer?"

There was no reaction at first, then Charon walked closer to us. Every step felt like a small earthquake making its way to us. "I see."

He took a deep breath and then sent the women away with another handwave. Shortly after this several bodyguards entered the room.

"What brought you here?", Charon asked with pretend friendliness.

I cleared my throat and said: "I am searching for an elf. Female, short, with long blond hair and pale skin."

Charon giggled and took a few steps through the room. "Elfs are very rare, are you sure it was not an avatar? Or a costume perhaps?"

I straightened my posture and spoke with the most confident voice I could muster. "I would pay good money to find her. She was wearing Chaus clothing. I know she came from here. Tell me something useful and I will repay you."

Charon giggled again. "You see, I have heard stories about an elf, like the one you described. But I really don't know if I can trust you. After all, you don't seem to trust me either."

I tried to focus on my breathing but my fear intensified in every moment. In the academy, we had trained to manage our emotions vigilantly in situations like this. I had found that focusing on my breathing was one of the best ways for me to encounter my fear.

Charon continued: "Perhaps, we can come to an agreement still. But you would have to do me a favor."

Silence. One of the bodyguards coughed. My man and I glanced at him briefly.

"Are you listening?", Charon asked impatiently but still pretend-friendly.

"Yes.", I said.

"You see someone very close to me has recently taken something from me. Something that belonged to me.", he paused and looked at me. "You, a defender of the law. I am sure I can trust you to get it back."

"This doesn't sound legal.", I said without thinking.

The room erupted in laughter for a few moments.

"The woman you are looking for, she has killed many Lukrains, and even some Lex. You can not expect to find that kind of a criminal without making some sacrifices." Charon insisted.

His eyes examined me. They were cold and dark, like the eyes of a dead man. "Every good relationship is built on compromises, you see. And we may not be friends right now, but I assure you that once we are... You are going to have a very powerful ally. And you need allies. Do you know what happens to people without friends?"