Cattie paled at the sight of the nightmarish creature and took a step back, her hand automatically reaching for her empty holster. The creature looked at her and his jaws opened threateningly, a deep ominous rattling sound came out of it.

Nori put her hand on the alarmed woman. “Take it easy. This is Alzigo, he’s the station owner, and he just greeted you.”

“That …” Cattie gulped as she looked up at the gaunt creature. “That was a greeting?”

“Yes. He’s going to inject you with a language pack that will allow you to understand him, so stand still.”

The woman looked nervously up and down the formidable looking alien. “You’re sure? This is not some sort of body snatcher type of thing, where you’re all just in thrall to aliens and are about to infest me?”

“She has discovered our secret,” Lana said with a metallic, robot-like voice. “Annihilate! Annihilate!”

Cattie screamed, grabbed Nori’s hand still on her shoulder and twisted it, forcing the taller woman to her knees. “You won’t get me, motherfuckers!”

“Damn it, Lana!” Nori shouted. The tall Navigator twisted her body, easily escaping the hold. Her legs flashed, one planted firmly on the floor, the other snaking behind the Sharpshooter's knees. She shoulder checked the woman’s stomach, forcing her to topple backward where Nori held her on a propped-up knee. “Calm down, Cattie, she was only joking.”

However, panic took over and the woman struggled to break free.

Nori strained to hold her down. “Just inject her Alzigo, then she’ll calm down.”

The tall alien reached out toward the panicked woman. A proboscis-like metal tube extended from his wrist and plugged into a port that opened at her neck. “Please calm down, Miss,” he said.

Cattie went limp in Nori’s grasp. “Did he just talk to me?”

Nori helped her back on her feet. “Yes, just like we promised.” She shot Lana a disapproving glance.

The younger woman couldn’t hide her grin. “Sorry, it was only a joke.”

“A very poor one.”

Cattie looked at the still smirking Lana then grinned broadly at her. “Keep an eye out; I’ll get you back eventually.”

“Alzigo, this is Cattie, our newest crew member,” Nori said. “This is her first time in space, so I thought I’d show her around.”

“By all means—my station is your station.”

“Thanks,” Cattie said lamely. “Hey, how is it we’re all breathing the same air?”

Lana frowned. “That’s actually a really good question.”

“The Tec, of course,” the tall alien replied simply. “As long as the air composition contains all the elements required by your biology, you’ll be able to breathe.”

“Handy,” the Sharpshooter noted.

“We’d also like to settle our debt,” Lana said.

“Of course. Shall we reconvene in the lounge area?”

“Sure.”

The young Expert and the tall alien left the other two women heading toward the huge window overlooking the Earth.