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I flicked the stabilizer relay switch back and forth, noting the slight drag on the downstroke.

Another item for the repair list. The Starfall had always been my sanctuary, my escape.

For years, it was me against the galaxy, and the Starfall was the only thing I could trust. But now, as I ran my fingers over the worn controls, it felt different. Like I wasn’t alone anymore.

“Going to need a new relay soon,” I muttered to the ship, patting the console affectionately. “Don’t worry, I won’t let you down.”

The nav computer beeped, confirming our flight path to the Cassian sector—our first official mission under the Fangs’ banner. I leaned back in the pilot’s seat, taking in the cockpit I knew better than my own face. Every scratch, every patch job, every modification held a memory.

My hand drifted to my neck, fingers tracing the new markings that had appeared after Korvan’s bite.

Orange swirls, matching his own, now adorned the left side of my neck and shoulder, extending partway down my arm.

The reflection in the darkened viewscreen showed their faint pattern against my skin.

Just two weeks ago, I’d been dodging creditors and taking whatever jobs came my way—legal or not—just to keep fuel in the tanks. Now I was... what? A syndicate operative? The mate of a Vinduthi lieutenant? Both seemed equally impossible.

The environmental controls hummed as they cycled, a sound that had lulled me to sleep for years. The Starfall had been built for a human crew, but she was adaptable. We both were.

“Primary thrusters check complete,” I said to no one, then reached to calibrate the shield generators. “Let’s make sure these don’t fail us at the wrong moment again.”

“Still talking to the Starfall ?”

I spun around to see Korvan filling the cockpit doorway, his broad frame dwarfing the space designed for humans. He carried a sleek metal case in one hand.

“She listens better than most people.” I grinned, my eyes drinking him in despite having seen him only an hour ago.

“And yet, here I am.” He stepped into the cockpit, moving with that predatory grace that still made my breath catch.

“To what do I owe the honor? I thought you were meeting with Alkard.”

“Just finished.” He placed the case on the console beside me and opened it. Inside lay what looked like a modified blaster, but with Vinduthi design elements—sleeker, more elegant than standard Alliance models, with curved lines that somehow looked both beautiful and deadly.

“Alkard wanted this to go to you. Consider it a symbol of your new role.”

I lifted it from the case, surprised by its perfect balance. The grip molded to my hand as if it had been custom-made.

“This looks a little too fancy for a smuggler like me,” I said, but my fingers already curled possessively around it.

“It’s a Vinduthi-modified SX-90. Fires standard plasma bolts, but also has a neural disruptor setting. The targeting system adapts to your eye movements.”

I whistled low. “Guess this makes it official, huh? Smuggler to syndicate operative. Never thought I’d see the day.”

“You’ve earned it.” His expression remained stoic, but I caught the pride in his gaze.

I holstered the weapon at my hip, feeling its comfortable weight. “How does it look?”

“Like it belongs there.” He moved closer, leaning against the co-pilot’s chair as I returned to my pre-flight checks. “Need help?”

I laughed, flicking through the fuel mixture settings.

“You’re good at this, but you could use a second pair of eyes.”

“I’ve been flying the Starfall longer than you’ve been bossing people around, Lieutenant. Sit down and let me work.”

“You forget I’ve saved your life—twice.” He folded his arms across his chest.

“And I saved yours. Guess that makes us even.”

I continued working, conscious of his presence behind me. Our bickering had become comfortable, familiar. After a moment, he relented and squeezed into the co-pilot’s seat that was clearly too small for his frame.

“That chair wasn’t made for someone your size,” I observed, hiding a smile.

“Few things here are,” he replied dryly. “Yet I manage.”

“The Starfall ’s tougher than she looks. She’ll adjust.” I patted the console again. “Just like her captain.”

Korvan watched me work, his sharp eyes tracking my movements. “How does it feel?” he asked suddenly.

I knew he wasn’t asking about the ship. My hand went to my neck again, to the markings that connected us. “Different. Stronger. I can hear things I couldn’t before. Smell things.” I glanced at him. “Feel things more intensely.”

“The effects will stabilize in another day or two.” His voice softened. “Any regrets?”

I shook my head without hesitation. “Not one.”

The Starfall’s engines hummed beneath us, ready for departure, but I hesitated, my fingers hovering over the ignition sequence.

“What is it?” Korvan asked, leaning forward in his too-small chair.

I turned to face him, suddenly needing to say the words that had been building inside me. “You know, when I took that job from Miggs, I never imagined it would lead me here. I was just trying to survive another day.”

“And now?” His gaze held mine, patient and intense.

“Now, I’m not just surviving. I’m...” I paused, the words feeling strange but necessary. “I love you. That’s not something I ever thought I’d say to anyone, let alone a Vinduthi lieutenant who kidnapped me.”

For a moment, his expression remained unchanged. Then his mouth curved into that rare smile that still made my heart skip.

“I loved you the moment you refused to run when you should have,” he said simply, as if stating an irrefutable fact. “Everything since has just confirmed what I already knew.”

I felt the warmth of his words spread through me, joining the connection that already bound us together. With a newfound certainty, I engaged the ignition sequence.

Engines thrummed to life beneath my hands, the vibration traveling up my arms—a sensation both familiar and new with my enhanced senses. The preflight sequence completed with a series of satisfying beeps.

“All systems go,” I announced, leaning back in my seat. My hands rested on the controls, not yet engaging the thrusters.

I’d spent most of my life running—running from debts, from enemies, from myself. I never thought I’d stop long enough to find something worth staying for. But here I was, about to launch into the unknown again. Only this time, I wasn’t running. I was choosing to go.

“Thodos Control, this is the Starfall requesting departure clearance,” I said into the comm.

“ Starfall , you are cleared for departure. Docking clamps releasing,” came the response.

The ship shuddered slightly as the clamps disengaged. I engaged the thrusters, guiding us smoothly away from the station.

“Hope you’re ready, Lieutenant. The Starfall doesn’t do smooth rides.”

“Neither do I,” Korvan replied, his expression unchanging but his eyes holding mine, fierce and intense.

The stars stretched before us as we cleared Thodos Station; a vast expanse of possibilities. I punched in the coordinates for the Cassian sector and engaged the hyperdrive.

The galaxy was still dangerous, still unpredictable. But for the first time, I wasn’t facing it alone. Korvan and I were partners now—in the Fangs, in the Starfall , in whatever came next.

And we’d be ready for it.

Thank you for reading!

There’s a whole world of Vinduthi bad boys looking for their mates on Thodos Station.

https://avayorkbooks.com/world-of-thodos-station/

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