Chains rattled and in the distance screams could be heard. In an almost unnatural silence, a line of imprisoned beings trudged up  a large ramp, heads hung in misery. All had learned that to disobey meant worse than death. They were slaves, on their way to the markets after being processed.
   Airi's fate was much worse.
   She stood in a cage and watched the line move past, a collar around her neck and tight fitting clothes showing off the lines of her body. Unlike the other slaves in the plant, she had been born in captivity. The collar was natural and she knew nothing other than to obey. She had been specially bred to fill a Lurik lord's order, and so was already owned. Today she was being transported to his retreat, where she would live until she was worn and be sent back for breeding. She had known this all her life, and so thought almost nothing of it. All dancers lived this way.
   Airi's cage was hung on a magnetic track and loaded onto the freighter. There, two guards affixed leashes to her collar and led her through twisting corridors. When they reached a room with two cages, one on each side, she was led into one and locked in. The only furnishing was a thin mattress. The masters hated it when products arrived with aches and pains.
   Laying on the mattress, Airi reflected on the other cage. There wouldn't be one unless they had use of it, but no one was inside, and the freighter was about to lift off.
   One minute later, it did.
   Airi was drifting to sleep when shouts rang out down the corridor and taloned feet skittered past. She lifted her head and watched in curiosity as the guards led in a struggling human boy, one guard for each limb, plus the head. Most slaves acknowledged their future and fell into grief. Hardly any put up fights, especially not as hard as this one.
   They hurriedly shoved him in the other cage, held him down as they detached various restraining devices, and slammed the door shut. As they left the room, he stood and rattled the bars in fury, before swinging his fist into the wall. If it hurt, he didn't show it. He then began pacing the length of the cage, muttering words Airi guessed were curses, along with some words in some other language.
   He was a handsome boy, taller than average. His hair was short and auburn-colored, and his eyes were a vivid amber and flamed in the light. He was well muscled and dressed in a tight jumpsuit, the expensive collar showing he was bought by the same lord as she was, but it was obvious hat he wasn't processed.
   He stopped and glanced at her, and she realized she was staring. Airi quickly lowered her head and tried to focus on sleep, but his eyes were burned into her mind and wouldn't go away.
   Burned. she thought. Like fire. And she fell asleep.

   "What is you name?"
   Airi started at the sound of the boy's voice. She had woken a few minutes before and was staring at the ceiling. She sat up and stared at him.
   "What is your name?" he repeated.
   She hesitated before replying. "Airillon Vexus." The name was a mix of her dam and sire's first names. All dancers were named according to parentage.
   He smiled "I'm Kajin Flane." He glanced at the door, then asked, "Do you know where they are taking us?"
   This time she did not hesitate. "Not the location, but I'm told we are to meet our new masters."
   The boy, Kajin, grimaced. "Kamif. That's what I was afraid of."
   Airi wondered why they had not processed him, then remembered the rumors among retired slaves of gladiatorial pits. The masters wanted slaves with a spark of resistance to fight for their enjoyment.
   Kajin had settled by his wall, knees drawn to his chest and head in his hands. Airi wondered what it was like to be ripped from your home, knowing you'll never see your family again. She wondered what it was like to have a family.
   Her musings were interrupted by a large boom. The floor rocked and she was knocked down. Luriks ran past, yelling in their shrill language. Red lights flashed and a two-tone alarm rang out as the ship rocked again, though the explosion was muffled. Airi guessed it was farther from their part of the ship. Kajin had stood up and was trying to get a look out the door. Airi stood up and was immediately knocked down by a larger explosion above them.
   When the dust cleared,  she lifted her head to find that Kajin's door had swung open. He dashed out and ran to her cage.
   "What are you doing?" she managed to get out.
   "Saving your life." he said, hands on his hips. "Unless you want to get blown to miloka cras."
   She couldn't help noticing how he slipped into a separate tongue every so often. He fidgeted with the lock, then grabbed the bars and shook them. They were already loose, and would com free if they were worked enough. He grabbed the lock again. Airi didn't see what he did, but a second later it opened. He looked surprised for a moment, but shook it off and offered her his hand. "Come on."
   Kajin helped her up and they both ran into the hall. Sparks leaped from wires and the smoke was so thick Airi had to cover her mouth, though it didn't seem to affect Kajin. There were no Luriks in sight.
   "They've all jettisoned!" He yelled over more explosions. "Left in escape pods!" he added, seeing her confused look. "Let's hope they left one!"
   He led her through pathways he had obviously memorized when the Luriks had brought him aboard. He stopped when they reached an open hatch with what appeared to be several closed hatches inside. They ran in, and Airi wondered where they were. Her question was answered when Kajin tapped her arm and pointed farther down the line, where one hatch was open. They ran to the hatch. When Airi looked inside, she saw six seats with harness lined up on either side and two more in front of a control board. Kajin immediately went to a seat in front. "Better strap down! Pods aren't known for being smooth!"
   Airi took the seat beside him and was surprised when the harness buckled itself. Kajin pressed a button and the door closed behind him, then slammed his fist on a big red button on the middle of the console. The pod jerked and Airi realized they were moving away from the ship. The trip started smooth, and she started to relax right before the pod leaped forward and they went into a spin. Kajin flipped switches and pulled on the yoke to stabilize them, and Airi caught a glimpse of a fireball that she realized must have been the freighter. It was put behind them as Kajin steered the pod further away before skimming through coordinates, muttering to himself.
   She slumped in her seat, shocked Just like that, she was no longer a slave. The only question was, what now?
   Kajin lifted an eyebrow when one name caught his eye. "Titan. Moon of Saturn, currently the largest and closest human colony." he looked at her. "That's promising."
   Airi could only nod as they jumped into tunnelspace.

   The woman smiled in satisfaction. She had acquired evidence of her theory, plus put an end to a faction of the slave trade. And soon, all five of the auras would be on the same planetary body. All in a good day's work. Now all that was left was to tell her associates of what might be coming their way...