Zaya lay underneath the base of her ship to check for mineral buildup on the bottom panel and inside the bottom exhaust vents. The greasy floor of Coran’s hangar didn’t bother her. She reached for a skinny brush from her toolbox and began scrubbing the vents and the underside of the ship.

Working with her hands was how she distracted herself from her anxiety. Every day of her life, she had to always watch her back, never let her guard down, and never trust anyone. And sometimes she felt as if she were going insane. And that was how she felt in this moment, all because she had to make a decision to kill Hale or not. However, this was not the type of decision most people would ever have to make. She was still annoyed with herself for being indecisive.

She wasn’t the type to betray those whom she worked with, unlike Hale, who back stabbed everyone eventually. Zaya had built up her reputation in the underworld as being reliable because of her ideals. Capturing Hale for Coran wasn’t going against those ideals. Killing him normally would be. But this was Hale Verdun: the man who betrayed her countless times. In the past, Zaya had let it slide over and over out of respect for the friend he once was.

Friend, she thought. Then laughed.

Hale wasn’t capable of being a friend. Zaya wasn’t either, ever since she learned a lesson that Hale had taught her. He taught her that she only had two friends in the life she had chosen: herself and money. Zaya chose to believe that with her whole heart. She had yet to see any evidence to prove otherwise.

Zaya huffed and threw the cleaning brush aside. If she scrubbed anymore, she would damage the finish of her ship.

She heard someone approaching and instinctively drew a knife from her jacket pocket. Concealing the knife behind her hand, Zaya pushed herself out from under the ship.

Zaya growled. Lorelei.

She imperceptibly returned the knife to her pocket and stood up. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

Lorelei scoffed. “I didn’t. You’re paranoid.”

“I have to be,” Zaya said. She grabbed her toolbox and pulled a polishing cloth from it. She began rubbing a dull spot on the ship’s wing. “What are you here for anyway?”

“I wanted to congratulate you,” Lorelei acknowledged.

Zaya continued polishing. “About what?”

“Standing up to Coran. And getting your plan approved by him,” Lorelei replied.

Zaya laughed. “Right, that’s why you came all this way.”

“How exactly are you planning on finding Hale?” Lorelei asked.

Zaya tossed the cloth into the toolbox. “Not your problem, Lorelei.”

“Ok, fine,” Lorelei retorted.

“I know you didn’t come here to chat. So, spit it out. My crew will be ready to depart soon,” Zaya said.

“He gave you a crew.” Lorelei’s composure grew dim.

“Coran wants Hale dead, as you know,” Zaya reminded her.

Lorelei glared at her. “Don’t forget you agreed to my deal.”

“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” Zaya revealed.

“I thought I could count on you. I hired you,” Lorelei seethed.

“Hale’s a special case, I’m afraid.”

Lorelei tapped her foot. “How much.”

“For what?”

“To make him not a special case.”

Zaya exhaled through her sharp teeth and pulled her curls back with both hands. “More money won’t make a difference this time.”

“Money always makes a difference.” Lorelei wasn’t willing to back down easily. “I can transfer a third of your payment into your account now.”

“That’s not going to help me make up my mind. I’m not sure whether I should kill him, regardless of whether you pay me or not.”

Lorelei’s hazel eyes flared. “I thought you wanted to kill him.”

“I do. But I’m just trying to decide if that’s the right thing for me to do.”

Lorelei threw her hands in the air and stomped her feet. “It’s not a hard decision.”

Zaya picked up her toolbox. “I don’t thing you could possibly understand because… you don’t know him like I do,” She smirked and opened up the ship’s entrance ramp.

“Very funny. Just name your price.”

Zaya walked up the ramp. “I can’t talk about this with you anymore.”

“Zaya, hold on!” Lorelei pleaded.

She closed her ship up behind her, forcing the conversation to end. Lorelei’s persistence was unbearable, and Zaya didn’t doubt that was the reason Lorelei always got what she wanted, like she got Hale, for example. Unfortunately for Lorelei, Zaya was just as persistent. Zaya secured her toolbox inside a compartment and sat in the pilot seat.

Coran had assigned a crew of four people to Zaya on her mission to kill Hale. Zaya felt as if this were a waste of resources, but she wasn’t interested in arguing with Coran anymore.

Her crew, each member with his or her own ship, gave

Zaya an alert that they were ready to go and waiting for her lead.

Zaya sighed; she hadn’t made her decision yet.

She would have to act like she had. There was a very limited window in which she could capture (or kill) Hale, and this job was her way to prove that she wanted to work for Coran full time again. It was the only way.

Her ship’s engines roared, and Zaya notified her crew that she was ready. She guided her ship out of the hangar and into the darkness of space.

* * * *

He released the ship’s yoke and leaned back in his seat. From the main viewport, he watched the hyperspace light vibrate in every direction. He didn’t find it particularly spectacular by any means. But there was nothing else to steal his attention. No warmth from another being. No soft curves and glowing tan skin. No distracting lips. No silky lavender hair or perfect violet eyes. Hale closed his eyes; he had a clearer image this way. But almost instantly, he regretted it.

He felt guilty, though it was only a thought and a desire which was normal. The guilt came not with the thought itself, but the woman that came along the thought. She wasn’t the type of woman that he usually crossed paths with. Ever. She wasn’t a user. And when she was kind to him, she had no ulterior motive. She was accepting. She knew that he lived in a manner that was reproachful, but she never brought it up. She never treated him like he was less than.

She acted so differently than other privileged, wealthy individuals that he had dealt with before. Throughout the adventure on Dunwar, she kept up with him and didn’t complain one time. The squalid living conditions of Dunwar weren’t disgusting to her. Her reaction to them was one of sadness, and she wanted to know why the people were so poor. She wanted to help them. He couldn’t comprehend why, but he understood that it meant she was good. Yet the word good didn’t contain enough depth to accurately describe her character. She was more than good, which left Hale guilty for wanting to taint her even in his thoughts. Especially since she saved his life.

That extended the hold guilt had on his heart. He owed her. But she hadn’t asked for anything in return. Not yet.

The kindness, trustworthiness, and acceptance that Pandora exuded every moment he was around her, as much as he appreciated it, also angered him. She was a constant reminder of everything he wasn’t, which he refused to admit that bothered him because of what that would mean. He wasn’t going to let her interrupt his life or change how he viewed himself or his life.

This adjustment to having her around was temporary. Soon enough they would part ways forever. He hoped?

The silence in the room felt strange to him. He could hear the rumbling of the engines and the swishing of the hyperspace channel surrounding his ship. Because of a certain woman’s love for conversation, he had temporarily forgotten about the tranquility that came from silence. He enjoyed the silence more in this moment than he had in the past, and the reason was that he wasn’t alone like usual. She was here too, albeit in another room, sleeping. But that didn’t change the fact that she was there.

Hale stood from his seat and paced around the room. He needed a distraction or something to numb his thoughts. Maybe both.

He opened a compartment somewhat hidden inside the bridge and pulled out a skinny bottle of his favorite drink. After gulping down about half, he relaxed and took a deep breath. The taste that the alcohol had left on his tongue was almost satisfying. He grabbed two more bottles of the drink.

Hale pressed a switch on the wall, and a table-like platform unfolded. The platform hung from the wall and was three inches thick. Hale placed his drinks on it and then unholstered one of his pistols. He laid the pistol on the platform and scrubbed its crevasses with a metallic bristle brush. Intermittently, he stopped to take a sip of drink.

After he had finished cleaning and polishing his first pistol, Hale unholstered his other pistol from his belt. He set it on the table and reached for the brush.

Before he started again, a ringing noise echoed through the room and interrupted him. He spun on his heel and walked over to the ship’s main control panels. Someone was trying to contact him.

He debated on whether to let the call through or not. He didn’t feel like talking to anyone. But he didn’t want to turn away a potential client.

He answered the call, and a holoprojection of a woman appeared. When he saw who she was, Hale glared at her, resentment clawing at him at the sight of her, and went to hang up.

“Wait!” she cried. “Hear me out please.”

Hale moved his hand away from the control panel. “You said you were done. And this time, I believed you.”

He watched her eyes tear in what he assumed was regret. “I did say that,” she replied. “I wish I didn’t.”

Hale massaged his forehead with his right hand. A headache was coming on. “I can’t do this with you right now, Lorelei.” He grabbed the last drink off the table behind him and returned to the projection of her.

“I wasn’t thinking,” Lorelei admitted. “And it’s not like that was the first time I said I was done.”

Hale had nearly finished his drink. “That may be true. But this time, you have Coran. And I don’t want to get in the middle of that.”

“You’ve never had a problem with the other guys I’ve been with,” Lorelei argued.

“You weren’t serious with them like you are with Coran. And they didn’t pose a threat to my life. You want stability, and Coran is perfect for that,” Hale responded.

“He is, but you offer me something just as important. I need you. Hale, I do.”

Hale laughed to mock her. She was joking, right? “Don’t expect me to fall for that line. If Coran isn’t enough,find some other idiot to use. I’m not interested.” Hale moved his hand to hang up again.

“Wait,” Lorelei shrieked.

Hale rolled his eyes. “What? Can’t we both move on? I think it’s time.”

“I didn’t contact you to talk about us actually. I wanted to warn you,” Lorelei explained.

“Don’t worry. I can handle myself,” Hale said bitterly. Was she forgetting who he was?

“You said you didn’t want to get between Coran and me. But what you have done is much worse than that.”

Hale wandered over to a compartment along the wall and grabbed a couple more drinks.

“Why did you take that princess? That was the stupidest decision you’ve ever made. Coran is furious.”

Hale took several sips before responding. “I agree with you. But I’m not turning her over to him.”

“I don’t understand. She threatens your life far more than being with me would.”

“I’m aware.”

Lorelei lifted her jaw and stared at him in shock. “You have feelings for her.”

She spoke as if she had uncovered some great mystery. Hale wouldn’t allow her to have that gratification. He acted calmly. “No. But I’m sure that’s what you want to believe.”

“I know that I’m right because I know you,” Lorelei said. “You might pretend you don’t have feelings for a single woman you’re with, but I know better.”

“You’re wrong. I’m just not interested in helping Coran ransom off an innocent girl.”

“Coran is ransoming her off to her father, you idiot!” Lorelei shouted.

“How do you know?” Hale asked. “Maybe that’s what he wants you to think. Maybe he’s selling her off to the highest bidder. You know how these things often turn out.”

Lorelei didn’t appear convinced. “Even if that’s true, why all of the sudden do you have a conscience?”

“Maybe you don’t know me as well as you thought.”

She scoffed. “Whatever. Do what you want, Hale. I only called to warn you that Coran has sent Zaya to kill you.”

Hale swallowed the alcohol in his mouth. His hands twitched slightly. “Zaya is working for him again?”

“It seems that way. And I think she’s intent on killing you,” Lorelei said.

“I see.” He stopped there.

“She’s already left. I don’t know how she’s going to find you. But she knows.”

Hale’s pulse increased. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine.” Hale ended the call, and Lorelei didn’t get a chance to reply or say goodbye.

Hale sank into the copilot seat. He wiped the sweat forming above his eyebrows. Zaya was a force to be reckoned with, if there ever was one. He wasn’t afraid to admit she scared him sometimes. Her sheer will to succeed was unparalleled, and it effortlessly made up for any skill she was missing. She was reliable, when comparing her to others in their profession. Perhaps even trustworthy... somewhat.

He knew she was angry with him. No. That was an understatement. She hated him. She had a valid reason.

He couldn’t say that he regretted what he had done to make her hate him. He was willing to accept the possible consequences of his betrayals. If Zaya really was coming for his head, she was going to win.

However… only if he continued to allow himself to be distracted, if he didn’t push his thoughts away.

To win, he had to regain the mental clarity that came through not caring and sometimes a little alcohol. He had to forget about her. Pandora. He couldn’t fantasize any more. Thinking of her in that regard made him too weak because she was the one girl he shouldn’t have. Ever. Even to him, who didn’t hesitate when taking lives, he with her seemed wrong. But he still wanted it.

Hale finished both bottles of his favorite brew and started collecting the rest of the empty bottles to throw away. He closed the compartment shut; he didn’t need anymore to drink at this point. With a sigh, Hale returned to cleaning his pistol. His hands twitched as he scrubbed the weapon, but he ignored it.

Hale was subconsciously wondering when Zaya would attack. He wasn’t ready to face her, and he was thankful his ship was protected by hyperspace.