For the next fourteen nights, Raven spent them with Asar—--they had been the best nights of his life... For once, Raven had found someone who understood feeling like they didn't fit in... He had found someone he could talk to, confide in... He had never had anything like that back on earth or on the ship he currently resided on.

The higher ups had decided for Asar to be executed—--in their eyes, he could've been 'carrying lethal diseases that anyone who hadn't been on the ship would succumb to'.

Raven had tried to point out just how stupid that notion really was as none of their crew had fallen fatally ill from coming in contact with Asar, but his efforts were all for naught—--no matter how much Raven had tried to convince them to reconsider their stance on the matter, no change was brought about... They were well rooted in their decision—--fully rooted... And Raven would never be able to change that.

So, going against everything he knew, he decided to play a different hand.

Raven was going to break the rules... For the first time in his life. He'd go get Asar and they'd leave in one of the jump-ships together.... They'd find Asar's home world and stay there... Not like he had much waiting for him back on earth.

Raven had packed up his things in his bag before quietly making his way down the halls and back to where Asar had been locked away.

"Going somewhere?" A miner named Ernesto asked as he passed Raven.

Raven nodded. "Yeah... To the gym... I could do with a leg day... As it stands, they're pretty weak—--lacking durability," he lied.

"Good luck then," Ernesto said, heading off for his own patrol.

Raven exhaled, slowly, letting out a sigh of relief before running down to the cell block. He entered the room quickly. "Asar."

Asar stood up, looking at Raven's anxious expression, becoming somewhat alarmed himself. "What?"

"We need to go. Now," Raven proclaimed, beckoning Asar to follow him out of the room and down the back hallways of the ship—--where the smaller ones would be.

"Why?" Asar questioned as they walked at a very brisk pace—--a borderline sprint. "What happened?"

"They wanna execute you," Raven said, swallowing.

Asar's silver eyes grew wide and he paled. "What, why?"

"They think you might be carrying deadly pathogens."

"But I'm not," Asar said, quickly.

Raven replied, "I know... But nothing I said will convince them to do otherwise."

"They're the ones who kidnapped me!" Asar huffed. "And now they want me dead?"

There it was... Raven had a hunch that the reason Asar was even on the ship in the first place might've been something like that. "They kidnapped you?"

"They snatched me away from my home, yes," Asar said as they came to a stop in the cargo bay. "But, let's not focus on that right now. Let's just get out of here, okay, velu."

Raven raised an eyebrow as they got into one of the smaller ships and sat down—--Raven had the pilot seat. "Velu? What does that mean?"

"On my world... Many things... Friend, ally..." Asar began as Raven got the ship to hover. "...but in this case... Dearest... Darling."

Raven's face went red once more before he turned on the thrusters and shot through the opening of the larger mining ship. "...Let's get the hell out of here."

Raven had never fit in on earth... And if Asar's home was elsewhere from here... Well, it would be Raven's home too.