[NICOLAS' POV]

My legs pumped harder underneath me as I scrambled down the hall with as much speed as I could muster. The sound of my boots hitting the metal floor echo off the walls and grade on my nerves.

Turning a sharp corner, I glance behind my shoulder quickly to make sure I was still far ahead of the remaining gurges that continued to follow behind me, their jaws snapping with the need to get at me.

They were disgusting creatures, covered in sharp scales and small, gray tufts of fur. They smelled of feces, and their beady eyes came in varying

shades of puke green.

It made it all the more hard to get near them to destroy them, but I had to do what I could to protect my ship.

That included escaping while I could.

"GET TO THE PODS! RETURN HOME! THIS SHIP IS DEAD. WE'LL NEVER RECOVER IT. GO, GO, GO!!!"

Captain Exel's words are still loud and clear in my mind as the noise of the gurges continues to chase me.

The engine was dead, our ship was floating in space with no way to get home. Not to mention the hundreds of gurges that are still fooding in. I can't help but think that this mission was for nothing. They all were.

I turn another corner, sprinting as fast as I can and still trying to gain more speed as I go.

How we deserved this, I didn't know. We only had good intentions when we attacked the gurges.

It was a slave ship. Gurges were notorious in the galaxy for harboring sex slaves from all walks of life.

Whenever we spotted a slave ship, no matter what kind, we boarded and attacked mercilessly, killing the terrible creatures by the thousands.

Freeing slaves wasn't easy work, and we did it to save people, but there was also another important mission involved that couldn't be ignored.

Our race was dying, and we needed females. Desperately.

We had gone through so many slave ships, freed thousands of slaves, but we have never discovered a compatible species to rekindle our

kind.

Some days, it was all I could think about. I'd never seen a female that resembled our kind. Not even close.

The only alien we'd found that even stood on two feet like us had terrible differences. For starters they had tentacles coming out of their noses.

And that wasn't even the worst of it.

Somehow, we still held out hope. Hope that we would find females that looked Iike us, females that could become our mates and give us kits.

It was a dream that seemed too good to be true.

Countless missions, countless slave ships, and yet no sign of hope that we would ever fulfill our dream.

I was almost to the escape pods when I was tackled to the ground, something that couldn't be accomplished by one gurge alone, but three of them.

They slobbered on me, the stench was so putrid I nearly lost the contents of my stomach on the ground, I held my breath.

I grunt as I shove them off, grabbing for one of my blasters and blowing them to bits, though I can see one is still alive as it rolls on the ground and gets back up. The disgusting creature snarls and snorts at me, charging forward.

Here we go again.

I get up again, hitting the wall with my shoulder in an effort to get away and accidentally dropping my blaster. Once I straighten I'm rushing down the hall again as fast as I can, leaving my weapon behind in my haste.

I had to get away, I needed to escape.

Captain's orders.

I finally get to the escape pods and breath a sigh of relief. I was going to make it, I was going to get away.

I trip on the body of a dead gurge as I stumble to the nearest pod, leaning against the control pad as my hand presses to the scanner to allow me

access. It's pink light runs over my fingers and palm, assessing my prints before buzzing.

They door slides open, and I jump in, going for the controls and starting up the pod. It hums to life, lights blinking and the engine roaring already.

Before I even sit down I press the button to seal the door, relaxing a little at the sight.

"State desired destination."

I slam down into the pilot's chair, flicking a few switches in preparation to detach from the mothership, my breath still coming in loud, harsh

pants.

"Rytaria." I command, glancing over my shoulder in paranoia, the gurge that has been behind me had seemingly disappeared.

Good riddance.

"You wish to return to home planet?" The computer asks, the robotic voice soft and comforting despite all the violence that was happening on the ship.

"Yes."

"Destination set. Prepare for take off."

I was ready to go, already relieved that I was making a getaway. Just then, as I was about to launch into space, a blaster sounds and a burst of light flies into the little escape pod from behind

the door.

The shot goes through the top of my shoulder and into the control panel, a big chunk of the right side of the deck exploding.

I roar in fury. The gurge has gotten my blaster and hit me with my own weapon because of my own stupidity. Should've known that it couldn't be that easy.

"Initiate take off."

"10...9...8...7..."

"NOW!" I yell, pounding my fist on the dashboard, and the pod shoots through the air. It's only then that I realize that I didn't fasten my seatbelt as I am propelled to the ground and I bang my head with a thud.

I groan, sitting up and rubbing at my forehead. The pain wasn't as bad as my throbbing shoulder. I glance down at the hole there, blood drooling from the wound and down my uniform. I let out a nasty curse.

Of course I couldn't get out of there without being injured, it would be impossible to get that lucky.

I rummage through the cabin until I find the first aid kit, ripping open a can of wound spray in the same motion.

"Computer, scan wound."

"Wound scan down."

Groaning, I shake the wound spray before applying it to my injury, the web like consistency burning the open tear in my skin as it disinfects. I drop the can and sigh.

"How long until we reach the destination?" I ask the computer as I slide into the chair, holding my arm to prevent my hurt shoulder from being jostled.

"Destination distance 3 rotations away. Arrival at 219:34."

I sit up at that bit of information. Rytaria was not that far, we have never attempted to venture that far from our planet, it was too risky.

"Restate destination." I say the command with authority, the computer immediately replies.

"Planet destination set to Earth."

"Earth? Earth? What is earth?! Set destination to Rytaria!" I demand but the computer beeps loud, blinking red, the bright color lighting up my face in the dark cabin.

"Unable to change set destination."

Panic flares in my chest and I can hardly breath.

"What do you mean? Why not?!" I scream, kicking the console with my foot and regretting it when my foot behind to pulse with pain.

"Destination controls are offline. Unable to change destination."

Curse that gurge! My pod is damaged and I'm in deep trouble because of it.

I cursed low under my breath. This was not good. I was going to be stranded on some random planet, I didn't know what this Earth planet was, or where it was. I could be landing in a war zone for all I know.

I was going in completely blind, and I could only hope I would come out alive.