I slowly make my way back to my room, being extra careful not to drop my wine bottle, which somehow is missing more from it. I must have drank more without thinking. At this point it is possible.

I accidentally bump into the corner of the food station in the lounge. I can't feel it but I have a suspicion there will be a mark in the morning. I manage to stumble the rest of the way to my room without falling or hitting anything else. Pretty damn impressive really.

I am starting to see double. Before I realize what is happening I find myself sucking on the bottle again. Shit. Tomorrow is going to hurt.

"May I suggest you start to head to the sink in your sanitizer room Zea? Your motor skills seem to be malfunctioning due to the alcohol levels in your bloodstream. Also, I caution you not to drink much more. The alcohol in your bloodstream is reaching a dangerous level." Fair enough.

I slam the bottle down on my desk. It wobbles a little from the impact and my clumsy release. I watch making sure it settles and doesn't fall. Not that I could catch it anyway. It looks damned near empty. That sucks. I finally turn to the sanitizer room and stumble to the sink.

"Thell me fwen k?" I swear I hear Syndicate sigh.

Did A.I.'s sigh? The idea seems hilarious for some reason and I giggle. I look up to see myself in the mirror and burst out laughing. I look ridiculous. White foam covers my head in a big puffy cloud. Like I just dunked my head in Mom's whipped topping.

An image of my mom flashes before me. Before I can stop it the image of my mom using her handy kitchen tool to whip up a fluffy dessert turns into her horror-struck face, arms reaching for me. The last time I ever saw her.

My gut twists in knots and I am sure I am going to be sick. So lost in my drunken memories I don't hear Syndicate. The tap suddenly turns on in front of me, water pouring into the sink, and the lights flash on and off in the room.

"Zea, please pay attention."

"Sorry. I was lost in thought."

"Lost in booze is more like it." It is muttered so quietly I barely hear it. "You better rinse your head now. I tried telling you several times over the past two point five minutes; you refused to acknowledge me."

Seriously? My ship's A.I. not only sounds disgusted with my drinking, but it is also pissed at me. I didn't know A.I.'s had emotions. Interesting.

I grab the already running faucet, activating the arm extension and pulling it out so I can duck my head in the sink to rinse off my foam. It doesn't smell bad. A mixture of chemical, floral and a bit of citrus.

Bending over is a risk. I feel myself teeter dangerously and I have to use the hand that had been rubbing the foam off my head to brace myself. Oddly enough, there is no hair to rub off. None. I am bald.

I stand cautiously knowing the room will spin and grab a drying cloth. I haphazardly rub it all over my head, as good as my drunk self can manage.

Looking in the mirror I almost laugh again. But the reason why my head is now so bald that it reflects the light, keeps me sombre. It sure is shiny though.

By the time I stumble to my bed I am done. I feel my eyelids drooping. I will welcome sleep now. I have decided Octnarr Water Wine is a fantastic drink. I will have to get more of it. I can't remember why I didn't like it.

As I lay down something is bugging me. A little nagging voice I can barely hear in the back of my mind. Something I should have talked to Ufrik about. What the stars had I forgotten? Too late now. Darkness is coming for me. And I am ready to surrender.

***

I wake to an alarm and the sound of Syndicate's voice. It feels like I had just closed my eyes. I don't feel drunk anymore so it has to have been at least two or three hours. Having a crazy fast metabolism can be handy at times.

However, my head tells me I need rehydrating, and soon. I may not stay drunk long but it doesn't mean I don't suffer the side effects of the poison. Luckily I have seen some pills in the Med Bay the other day that will help fix this problem if I have time to go get them.

I am pulling on my pants, listening to Syndicate repeatedly say, "Warning, unidentified vehicles approaching. Warning unidentified vehicles approaching. Their weapons are armed. Please be advised they appear hostile."

The warning seems redundant but I suppose it is protocol. Just as I am doing up the last button on my pants the ship shakes violently. I bend at the knees and brace a hand on the wall to steady myself. A small shutter rumbles through the hull in an aftershock.

FUCK!

We had just been hit. Maybe I should have skipped pants. Why don't we have shields?

"Weapons offline. Incoming."

Before Syndicate even finishes the ship shakes again. This time it throws me to the floor. This is not going to be my day.

I want to kill someone. It will make me feel better, even if it ends in my death as well.

"Warp engines damaged. Incoming."

Holy mother of stars give me time to breathe!

The ship shakes again but not even close to the same force as it had the first two times. I grab my mini hand-held and slap it on my wrist. It flickers to life on contact. Pressing a few commands I speak.

"Ufrik, what's your status."

Silence. Well, that isn't a good sign.

"Ufrik! Talk to me." Still nothing.

"There is an incoming communication request. Would you like to accept Zea?"

I am already sweating profusely, I am barefoot in my undershirt and pants. Not how you want to face your attackers. I want to ask Syndicate a litany of questions but there isn't time.

"Yes."

I have made it to the cockpit while trying to communicate with Ufrik, the main viewscreen flickers before me. Transforming into a two-way view screen.

I am more than pissed with what I see. By the looks of my attacker's cockpit, it is a Feyronian merc pod.

They are bounty hunters. Three heavily-armed Feyronian men stand before their own view screen, and just behind them, barely visible, is fucking Ufrik!

I shouldn't judge too quickly, he may not be there willingly. However, he isn't wearing cuffs or a slave collar. It doesn't look good for him.

So here I am, a single female Armada soldier, not armed, ship damaged and no crew against stars knows how many.

I am screwed. If I want to live I will have to do whatever they say or give them whatever they want.

Fuck!

"Look what we have here?" The middle Feyronian, obviously the one in charge, sneers at me.

"Look boys, it's a bald mutt." The men titter like school girls. "What are you some kind of Zukrog half breed? Maybe part Zu'Lar?" He says the last part like it is a threat, a dangerous glint in his eyes.

I know what he is thinking. My dark skin and all. But I know I am not Zu'Lar. Don't ask me how, but I know.

My lip curls at him, yet I remain silent. Nothing I say will make a difference if he decides he is right. The look on his face says he is hungry for blood. I know the type.

"Or maybe," his face changes, a sick look of excitement dancing across it, "you're the last living Krog!" The other men whoop at this.

Ignoring them my eyes flick to the form of my traitor. Had I been there in person, he'd be dead. How could he? I had expected him to want to lock me in the holding cell, or maybe take off, but sell me out?

And this was a risky bet on his part. I have no clue what I am, there is no way he could know. If they find out I am not a Krog after all? It will serve him right!

"What do you want?"

"Thought that was obvious. We want you."

He leers at me, making sure to leave no room for doubt, what is on his mind.

If they try to touch me, screw my promises, I will release my K'ai and let the fury of my broken soul destroy them.

Part of me wants to kick myself. I shouldn't have left things the way I had last night. Too busy wanting to run away from myself. And Ufrik had offered the way out.

In hindsight, that was a good plan on his part. Get me wasted so he could bring the bounty hunters here.

Yet they would have had to be close to make it so fast. Damn.

I should have remembered to ask him why he had woken me last night. I have screwed up exponentially this time. And lucky me, in this Universe, mistakes don't go unpunished.

"How about you exit your ship with your hands up. Don't do anything stupid either. Killing you would suck but taking off a limb or two I can live with." The asshole had the nerve to wink at me. This was just foreplay for him.

I nod and close the connection.

"Syndicate is there any chance of escape?"

"Your chances of escaping alive or unharmed is less than two percent."

"Ship status?"

"The ship is immobile. The nanites should be able to rebuild the engines in a few days, however, we do not have the solar harvesting material to coat the new hull."

"What does that mean?"

"It means we will only be able to collect 65% of the energy we had before."

"So escaping isn't going to happen then?"

"Even if you could remain on board until engines were repaired you wouldn't get far. Before you ask, we cannot fix the warp engine without materials." Shit.

"So surrender it is then."

I hear the telltale sounds of the boarding ramp lowering. I let out a heavy sigh. We are supposed to be searching for the frozen Human today. So much for my mission. Would Armada just check me off as dead, send out someone new? Probably.

"Come out Marshal. Hands up. Time to go now." If I get a chance, right after Ufrik, that asshole talking is going to die.

As I walk down the ramp with my hands up, bare feet slapping on the cold metal, I look to Ufrik. He meets my gaze unflinching, looking straight into my eyes, hiding nothing.

I can see he feels remorse, conflicting emotions twisting his face, but most of all I see sadness and is that hope? Whatever he has done, he'd feels it is the best choice, for him at least. He has already resigned himself to letting these fuckers do whatever they want with me.

Shit!