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I do everything I can to avoid Toads – but in my business, sometimes youhaveto deal with them.

The problem is, dealing with them is even more dangerous than dealing with Aurelians. At least with those marble-skinned bastards, the worst you have to worry about being taken for your body.

Toads, on the other hand, will take your body; but they want your credits more than anything else.

The hologram projectors don’t allow the Toads to look behind them, so we’re out of their field of vision as they address Captain Aelon. Nevertheless, my anger boils up as I stare at the hunched, glistening backs of these disgusting creatures – who, just minutes earlier, were trying to blow my crew and I out of existence.

“I am Captain Hoplan!” The biggest of the Toads gurgles. “You have something that belongs tous, Aurelian! That ship is ours! We saw it first!”

The Toad gurgles and jiggles his fleshy jowls, the greed apparent in his voice. He’s clad in nothing but a short loincloth around his flabby, overhanging waist. His huge, distended belly is so big I can see it even from behind his holo-projection, and I can almost feel the moisture that is dripping from his warty body.

“Calm down,Hopper,” with an arrogant sneer, Captain Aelon dismisses the Toad’s words. “You’d better watch your fucking tone.”

“Hoplan,’ corrects the Toad – but he’s not yelling anymore.

“Alright,Hopper,” Aelon deliberately gets the name wrong again, and I’ll admit I have a momentary surge of appreciation for the infuriating man. “I don’t have anything that belongs toyou– and even if I did, why would I hand it over?”

Aelon laughs, putting his hands on his muscular hips.

“From what I see, you’ve got three dinky little assault ships, and I’ve got sixteen las-cannons trained on each of them. So, you raise your gurgly voice to me again, frogspawn, and I’m going to wipe you and your fat little friends out of existence.”

The Toad takes a step back – even though he’s merely a hologram, so there’s no way for Aelon toactuallyhurt him through the projection. Nevertheless, I’m shocked at how aggressive the Aurelian is with this Toad. I can see now that The Instigator is a fine name for his ship. It’s like Captain Aelonwantsto provoke this Toad into doing something foolish, despite the Aurelian’s overwhelming firepower advantage.

“You… You wouldn’t dare!” Captain Hoplan gurgles. “It would be an act of war between our two Empires!”

Aelon stares down the Toad. “You really want to test me, Toad? I’ve killed twelve of your species with my Orb-Blade – and three more with my bare hands.”

Hoplan’s slimy jowls quiver like jelly.

“But with my las-cannons?” Aelon laughs mockingly. “Hell, I’ve killed so many of your kind, even I’ve lost track.” He snorts derisively. “You won’t even be a number in my record book when I’m done with you.”

For a moment, Hoplan stands there quivering with rage – but the moment Aelon boasts of the number of Toad he’s killed, that anger transforms into fear.

“Please…” The slimy Toad gurgles. “We’ve tracked criminals to this sector, and we demand – ahem, weask kindly– that you give them over to us.”

“I don’t have your criminals,” Aelon snorts – lying with such seamless ease that even I’d be inclined to believe him; if he hadn’t been staring at us as he’d made the claim. “I’ll give you one chance, Hopper. Turn your ships around – and as long as I never see your slimy hide again, you’ll get to see another day.” Aelon’s menacing smile widens. “You’ve got ten seconds to pull away.”

The Captain then cuts the feed, before bringing his smart-watch to his mouth.

“Fire on my signal,” he orders calmly – apparently more than ready to start the diplomatic incident Hoplan had warned him about, and all over an insult, no less.

I watch his performance with both awe and terror. Aelon is fearless and unpredictable – and apparently, he doesn’t back down. Admirable traits in a starship captain, butnotthe sort of person who I’d want to be holding me prisoner right now.

“They’re turning around.” A voice emerges through Aelon’s watch, just loud enough for me to catch. Aelon rolls his eyes in disappointment.

“Of course they are, the cowards. Toads only fight when they outnumber you.” He presses a button on the watch, abruptly cutting the feed.

The confrontation over, the towering Aurelian steps towards me.

I’m standing there, stunned. Just like that, the threat of violence is gone. Captain Aelon sent three Toad assault ships screaming off into the distance like dogs with their tails between their legs – without having to fire a shot.

And then, just like that, Aelon’s entire persona shifts from the intense focus of leadership back to the infuriating, cocky attitude he’d displayed earlier. Within just a second, he’s demonstrated two sides of the same coin.

“Now that’s dealt with,” his slate-grey eyes turn to me, “we’ve got the small problem of our little thieves to take care of.” The towering Aurelian snorts. “My mother always warned me that if you invite a thief into your home, you deserve everything that’s taken from you.”

The cocky smile widens.

“At least, that’s what shewouldhave said, if I’dhada mother.”