Prisoner
The choice appeared to be between certain death and probable death. Still, Laura decided she'd rather be a living prisoner than a martyr. So self-preservation won out over honor, and she stepped out of the little house that had been her fortress since the invasion.
There was a shimmer in the sky above her, and a Radinri warship appeared. She recognized the ship--during the earliest hours of the invasion, TV news crews had been on hand to cover the disaster, at least until communications went out at the end of the first day. As the ship descended, Laura was inwardly grateful that she hadn't tried to fight. She would have been reduced to ashes before she even realized what was going on.
A doorway opened on the side of the ship, revealing a pair of Radinri. One was a green camouflage-patterned leopardtaur with suspicious black eyes. The other appeared to be a light brown liontaur, though she couldn't see its face.
A ramp extended from the open doorway, and the pair stepped out of the ship. The leopardtaur was armed to the teeth, with heavy body armor and a vicious-looking laser rifle, as well as a heavy satchel slung over his shoulder. Laura guessed she'd rather not know what was in it. The other was dressed in what appeared to be an ordinary parka and scarf, with an also-ordinary backpack. Laura looked at the second Radinri in bewilderment. This one wasn't even armed, and was wearing decidedly human clothing and had no fur on his upper body. Compared to his companion, he looked almost comical.
The funny-looking Radinri stepped around the warrior, lowered his hood, and untied the scarf, revealing a human face. "Hello," he said, putting out his hand, "I'm Quara Alex, but you can just call me Alex." Laura shook hands with the odd creature.
"I'm Laura Hawkins," she said. "Um...please don't be offended," she said, glancing at the laser rifle, "but you seem awfully--"
"Human?" Alex smiled. "I'm a Convert. One of the first."
"I'm afraid I don't understand," Laura said.
"Right, sorry. You've probably been holed up here for a while. Anyway, before the invasion, my father was--"
At that moment, Alex was interrupted by a sharp growl from his companion.
"Sorry," Alex said, "my master here would like to...politely remind us that we have a schedule to keep, and we can continue our conversation on the ship after I've escorted you to your cell."
"What?" Laura said indignantly, "Your 'master'? My cell?!"
"Quiet," Alex hissed, "The Radinri have a very strict hierarchy. Play along or you'll get killed...or worse." The warrior growled again, this time louder, and Alex grabbed Laura by the arm and led her aboard. "Ah," he went on theatrically, "Forgive me for not introducing my esteemed master. This is Rysthin Ka'Ar. He's actually very kind, once you get to know him. Also, if you make eye contact with him he will rip your throat out. Just so you know."
Written by Zodiac on 04 July 2008