From top to bottom, he was fully encased in metal. Krag’s armor was old, dinged and battle-scarred, countless shots he’d taken and survived. The dull gray of it was burned dark, patched on the side with overlapping plates. Krag posed a hulking figure with a broad chest in bipedal shape, and his helmet had a rebreather, though the size gave nothing away. Likewise, the faceplate was a dark composite, showing nothing of Krag’s features. Was it strange to be curious about the person who might end her life?

Doubtless such gear protected him and added to his mystique, for nobody had ever seen his face and lived to tell of it. There were stories, of course. She’d looked him up after Praxys mentioned how ruthless Krag was, but all the legends were comprised of speculation, hearsay, and whispers that had been passed along without confirmation. Nobody had seen more than she had, and she took in details without intending to commit them to memory. Burn scar on the front, black like a dying star. Score marks on the back that were visible when Krag turned. External power pack, moving the motorized joints. Red tubes on the sides, flowing with…what? Qalu didn’t know, but she itched to inspect his suit.

Science, it’s always science.

At least it wasn’t science that got her caught, however. She’d gone to fetch some food for the three of them, never expecting the bounty hunter would be looking for her, as well as Helix. But apparently the syndicate had provided intel on Helix’s traveling companions.

Krag had taken her with such swiftness that she had no opportunity even to cry out. Now she sat trussed in the corner of a remote and derelict part of the station– a rectangular storage unit, partially filled with old parts, slowly rusting metal, and a few loose shelves. The metal was cold against her back, like ice that formed on the skin of someone dying deep in vacuum. Her head tendrils shivered, revealing her fear, though she was trying so hard to remain composed.

I won’t beg. I won’t give this monster the satisfaction.

Qalu tried to stay calm, refusing to speak when Krag’s silence weighed on her like a dozen boulders. Better that he took me than Aevi. The Pherzul would’ve provoked Krag and possibly been obliterated for her fighting spirit—without getting to use her claws or venomous bite. Though it wasn’t easy, she would maintain her composure and seek an opportunity.

“You haven’t asked why you’ve been detained.” Krag finally broke the deadlock, speaking in a voice so deep that it was like rocks dragging across the ocean floor, all gravel and hidden menace, caught in some infernal undertow.