Robyn Michaels

---

The cantina on Outpost 7 wasn’t the kind of place where a teenage girl should hang out, especially not alone. Flickering neon lights cast eerie shadows, and the air was thick with the smell of oil, sweat, and something vaguely resembling burnt rubber. But Ellie Gray wasn’t exactly in a position to choose her company. The merchant freighter she’d been stowing away on had left without her, and now she was stranded, halfway across the galaxy, with nothing but a torn rucksack and a fading datapad.

She sat at a corner table, nursing a glass of lukewarm water. Around her, creatures of every shape and size conversed in low, guttural tones, their words barely audible over the clatter of glasses and the occasional outburst of laughter. Ellie kept her head down. She knew better than to draw attention to herself.

That’s when he walked in.

He was tall—easily seven feet—with four muscular arms and scales that shimmered like molten silver under the dim lights. His eyes, a piercing shade of violet, scanned the room with practiced precision, lingering just long enough on each face to make everyone uncomfortable. A sleek, well-worn rifle was slung across his back, and a collection of knives and gadgets hung from his utility belt. It didn’t take a genius to figure out what he was.

A bounty hunter.

Ellie froze, instinctively pulling her hood further over her face. She didn’t have a bounty on her head—at least, she didn’t think she did—but bounty hunters had a way of making life difficult for anyone who got in their way. She prayed he wouldn’t notice her.

Her prayers went unanswered.

The bounty hunter’s eyes locked onto her, and his expression shifted ever so slightly—something between curiosity and suspicion. He started toward her table, his heavy boots thudding against the metal floor.

Ellie’s heart raced. She glanced toward the exit, calculating her chances of slipping away unnoticed. Slim to none.

The bounty hunter reached her table and stopped, looming over her like a living mountain. His voice, when he spoke, was a deep rumble that seemed to resonate in her bones.

“You’re sitting in my seat.”

Ellie blinked. Of all the things he could’ve said, that wasn’t what she’d expected.

“Uh… sorry,” she mumbled, grabbing her rucksack and starting to stand.

“Sit,” he commanded, gesturing for her to stay. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”

She hesitated but sat back down, clutching her bag like a lifeline. The bounty hunter lowered himself into the seat across from her, his bulk making the table look absurdly small.

“You’re human,” he said, studying her with those unnervingly violet eyes.

“Yeah,” she replied cautiously. “And you’re… not.”

His lips quirked in what might’ve been a smile. “You’re quick. I like that.”

Ellie wasn’t sure whether to be flattered or terrified. She settled for a mix of both.

“What do you want?” she asked, forcing her voice to stay steady.

The bounty hunter leaned back, folding two of his arms while the other two rested on the table. “Relax, kid. I’m not here for you. I just haven’t seen a human in a while. You’re rare out here.”

Ellie frowned. “Is that… a bad thing?”

“Depends on who you ask,” he said, his tone neutral. “Humans have a reputation.”

“For what?”

“Being unpredictable. Dangerous.” He leaned forward, his violet eyes narrowing. “Troublemakers.”

Ellie bristled. “That’s not fair. Not all humans are like that.”

He chuckled, a low, gravelly sound. “I didn’t say it was fair. But it’s what most of the galaxy thinks.”

She folded her arms, meeting his gaze despite the knot of fear in her stomach. “And what about you? What do you think?”

The bounty hunter studied her for a long moment before answering. “I think you’re braver than you look. Sitting here, talking to someone like me, when you could’ve run.”

Ellie shrugged, trying to play it cool. “Didn’t seem like it’d help. You’d catch me anyway.”

Another chuckle. “Smart, too.”

---

Their conversation might’ve ended there, but the cantina’s doors burst open, slamming against the walls with a metallic clang. Ellie turned to see a group of rough-looking aliens stride in, their armour mismatched and their weapons openly displayed. The leader, a towering figure with a face like a malformed hammer, scanned the room before pointing directly at Ellie.

“There she is!” he bellowed. “The little thief!”

Ellie’s blood ran cold. She recognised him—Gorrak, a trader she’d “borrowed” some food from when her credits had run out. She hadn’t expected him to track her down so quickly.

The cantina fell silent as Gorrak and his crew approached, their heavy footsteps echoing ominously. Ellie glanced at the bounty hunter, half-expecting him to step aside. Instead, he rose to his full height, placing himself between her and the newcomers.

“Is there a problem here?” he asked, his voice calm but deadly.

Gorrak sneered. “This is none of your business, bounty hunter. The girl stole from me.”

The bounty hunter tilted his head. “Did she?”

Ellie opened her mouth to deny it, but the hunter raised a hand, silencing her. He kept his gaze fixed on Gorrak.

“Even if she did,” he continued, “you’re not handling this here. Outpost 7 has rules.”

“Rules?” Gorrak spat. “You think anyone here cares about rules? Move aside, or you’ll regret it.”

The bounty hunter’s expression didn’t change, but the air around him seemed to grow heavier. “You’re not taking her.”

Gorrak snarled and lunged forward, raising a blaster. He didn’t even get halfway.

In a blur of movement, the bounty hunter drew one of his knives and hurled it with pinpoint accuracy, embedding it in Gorrak’s weapon. Sparks flew as the blaster shorted out, and Gorrak stumbled back, clutching his smoking hand.

The cantina erupted into chaos. Gorrak’s crew drew their weapons, but the bounty hunter was faster. He grabbed a table and hurled it like a makeshift shield, sending several of them sprawling. With his other hands, he unslung his rifle and fired a warning shot that scorched the floor inches from Gorrak’s feet.

“Leave,” he growled, his voice low and menacing. “Now.”

Gorrak hesitated, his eyes darting between the bounty hunter and his remaining crew. Finally, with a string of curses, he turned and stormed out, his gang following close behind.

The cantina slowly returned to its usual buzz of conversation, though more than a few patrons cast wary glances at the bounty hunter as he sat back down.

Ellie stared at him, her heart still racing. “You… didn’t have to do that.”

He shrugged. “Couldn’t let them kill you. Besides…” He smirked. “It was fun.”

Ellie couldn’t help but laugh, the tension easing just a little. “Thanks. I mean it.”

The bounty hunter nodded. “You’ve got guts, kid. That’s rare. Don’t waste it.”

---

As the night wore on, Ellie found herself telling the bounty hunter—whose name, she learned, was Skarrek—about her situation. She explained how she’d stowed away on a freighter, hoping to reach a colony where her older brother worked, only to be left stranded here when the ship’s captain discovered her.

Skarrek listened without interrupting, his expression unreadable. When she finished, he leaned back in his seat, considering her story.

“You’re lucky I found you,” he said. “This part of the galaxy isn’t kind to strays.”

“I’ve noticed,” Ellie muttered.

Skarrek tapped one of his knives against the table, his violet eyes thoughtful. “I’ve got a job to finish here, but I can get you to the colony afterward. If you can behave yourself.”

Ellie’s eyes widened. “You’d do that? Why?”

He shrugged. “Let’s just say I’ve got a soft spot for troublemakers.”

For the first time in days, Ellie felt a glimmer of hope. “Thank you,” she said quietly. “I won’t forget this.”

Skarrek smiled—a real, genuine smile that softened his fearsome appearance. “Neither will I, kid. Neither will I.”