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"I-I don't handle the premium stock." His eyes dart toward a heavily guarded building at the end of the street. "Try the Golden Cage. But you didn't hear it from me."

I release him and slip between the market stalls. My warrior training takes over - assessing threats, mapping escape routes, identifying weak points in security. Two armed guards at the main entrance. Three more patrolling the perimeter. Surveillance drones buzzing overhead.

The Golden Cage lives up to its name, all gaudy architecture and gilded doors. But underneath the glamour, I spot the reinforced walls and energy shields. This is a fortress.

A group of wealthy buyers flows through the entrance, flashing their credentials. I fall in behind them, mimicking their entitled swagger. The guards' eyes slide right past me.

Inside, the air is thick with expensive perfumes masking the underlying rot. Aliens of various species lounge on plush cushions, drinking and sampling "merchandise." My enhanced hearing picks up fragments of conversation - an auction is starting soon.

I find a shadowy alcove and activate my PerComm, hacking into their security network. The building schematics appear - holding cells in the sub-basement, auction stage on the top floor. Multiple escape routes, but all heavily monitored.

My combat instincts catalog every weapon and potential ally in sight. I may be outnumbered, but I've fought worse odds. And I've never had more motivation to win.

Hang on, Vanessa. I'm coming for you.

I push through the crowd of buyers, my hearts pounding as I hear the auctioneer's voice echo through the chamber. The sickly sweet scent of Luxarian wine and body modifications fills my nostrils as I shoulder past a group of elites.

"And now, our premium lot of the evening..."

The spotlight hits the stage, and my breath catches. Vanessa stands there, tears streaming down her face. They've dressed her in some kind of sheer, flowing garment that makes her look ethereal - and vulnerable. Her hands are bound in front of her with energy cuffs that cast a blue glow across her skin, a collar digging into her neck.

"A pure human female, untouched by genetic modification. Note the natural coloring, the symmetrical features..."

The auctioneer's tentacles slide across her cheek. Vanessa flinches but can't pull away. Something dark and primal rises in my chest, a feeling I haven't experienced since my warrior days.

Numbers flash across the holoscreen as buyers raise their neural interfaces. Four hundred thousand. Five hundred thousand. Seven hundred thousand.

Vanessa's eyes scan the crowd desperately. When they meet mine, I see recognition flash across her face, followed by hope - and fear. She's probably wondering if I'm here to save her or buy her.

"Eight thousand!" A Draknid in the front row leers at her, his scaled tongue flicking out to taste the air.

The rage building inside me explodes. My carefully maintained control shatters like glass. I don't care about my mission anymore. I don't care about maintaining cover or following protocol. All I see is Vanessa, trembling on that stage, being treated like property.

My true form ripples through my human disguise as I leap forward. Buyers scatter, screaming. Guards reach for their weapons. The auctioneer's tentacles curl in alarm.

"She's not for sale," I growl, my voice deepening to its natural resonance.

The first guard doesn't even see me coming. I slam my fist into his throat, crushing his windpipe before he can raise the alarm. My warrior training takes over - each movement precise, lethal, practiced.

"Security breach!" A voice crackles over the comm system. Too late.

I spin, catching the energy blast from a second guard on my reinforced forearm. The shot dissipates harmlessly. These fools think their weapons can stop a Vakutan warrior? I close the distance in two strides, wrapping my hand around his weapon. The metal crumples like paper in my grip.

"What are you?" His eyes widen in terror.

I answer with my fist.

Bodies hit the floor as I tear through their ranks. My horns gleam under the auction house lights, no longer hidden by my human disguise. Each guard that falls is one step closer to Vanessa.

A security drone swoops down. I catch it mid-flight, using its momentum to swing it like a club into three approaching guards. The resulting explosion throws golden sparks across the panicking crowd.

"Stop him!" The auctioneer's tentacles writhe in panic. He pushes Vanessa behind him, thinking she's valuable merchandise to protect.

Big mistake.

I leap onto the stage, my boots leaving dents in the polished floor. Two more guards rush me with shock batons. I catch one by the neck, using him as a shield against the other's attack. The electricity courses through his body instead of mine.

The second guard backs away, fumbling for his sidearm. I toss his unconscious companion aside and advance. The fear in his eyes tells me he knows what's coming.