Page 8 of Mazorium Buys a Human

That made them move. In short order, station security flooded the room. They were a combination of Doringo and Tiltimun.

“We have no wish to make an enemy of your empire,” the leader of the security group said as the rest of them accessed vid captures. “We will find your humans quickly. If they aren’t alive and well, then we will compensate you accordingly.”

“Don’t you realize they are precious?” I asked.

He didn’t answer me, probably because he’d never even heard of the species before today.

Unable to remain still, I paced the bay. Her smell still lingered in the room. I wished I had a talent for tracking with scent alone, but it wasn’t something my lineage was gifted with.

My pacing took me through the entrance of the medical bay and I noticed a Tiltimun at a small cart selling sweets. When I walked over to her, she looked up with attentive ears pointed forward.

“I have many flavors that appeal to many species," she said. “If you tell me what foods you prefer, I can recommend something you’d like.”

Talins have no taste for sweets so I’d normally never approach her. Ignoring the offerings on her cart, I focused on the task at hand.

“Can you tell me if you saw a human being taken from the medical bay?”

The Tiltimun flapped her ears in confusion. “What’s a human?”

I cursed myself for not taking any image captures earlier. I was so focused on wanting high quality that I didn’t bother using my Ident.

Wait, I had a copy of the sales contract that included an image! I unclipped my Ident and scrolled through until I found it. Holding it out, I showed the Tiltimun. She stared at it for a long time, then looked back up to me.

“I might’ve seen such a creature,” she said. “But I’m too busy trying to sell things right now to think about it.”

I wanted to rattle with impatience, but what she was saying wasn’t unreasonable. It cost her money to station her cart here so she couldn’t afford to give information away for free.

“I’ll take two bags of everything you offer,” I said. “Have it delivered to my ship.”

Her ears gave an excited wiggle and she held up her information square to request funds. I tapped the agreement on my Ident.

The moment her information square lit up with a completed translation, she started talking.

“Not long ago, a small, almost hairless creature, just like your image, walked out of the medical bay. She was holding many things slung over her shoulders and in her arms. Then the auctioneer saw her and rushed over to grab her. I didn’t hear what he said, but he dragged her that way." The Tiltimun pointed in the direction of the personal living quarters for the station personnel and permanent residents. “The little creature didn’t have big ears to convey her emotions, but I think she was afraid.”

“The auctioneer!” I said, thinking of the large Tulk who’d stood on the stage and facilitated Mika and Nadia’s sale. Tulks were known for their sexual brutality. “I’ll buy an additional four bags of each flavor if you can find out his room location.”

The Tiltimun didn’t hesitate to start tapping on her information square. The people who lived and worked here would have much better access to information than a visitor like me. Within a submark she named a room.

“Bill the same account,” I instructed before turning and sprinting off. Despite the fact that I wasn’t in the Talin military, I kept myself in peak physical condition and attended practice sessions whenever possible. It was important for the safety of the empire that every citizen be ready to fight if necessary. I wasn’t as skilled as a professional soldier, but I was far from helpless.

When I reached the correct door, I closed my fist to pound on it, but I was suddenly surrounded by four other Tulks. They spoke in a flurry of questions.

“Who are you?”

“What are you doing here?”

“Did Effik invite you to fuck his new slave too? You have to go last because you’re not a Tulk.”

Rage exploded through me as one of them touched the door display next to my shoulder. I turned in time for the door to slide open, revealing Mika struggling against the auctioneer's hold. I was surprised to see him bleeding from a small wound on his face. My little human was a fighter!

Nadia was on the floor behind her, screaming. It was clear that Mika was trying to protect her child. This never should’ve happened. It was my job to protect them and I’d failed. But I’d make this Tulk pay!

With a roar, I launched into the room. I grabbed the arm holding onto Mika and broke it at the center of the lowersegment. Effik’s hand went limp, and Mika dropped to her feet and grabbed Nadia.

I was thankful she tucked down into a corner, allowing me more room to deal with the Tulk. Before I could do anything further to Effik, the others in the hall all rushed into the room, sounding squealing screams of anger.

The four other Tulks pushed me away from Effik. Blows rained down on me. The Tulks were strong but unskilled, and most of the blows were ineffective. A few landed hard enough to cause some pain but no real damage.