I'm sitting in the free excercise room on the ship I now call my home, most of the time. It's a rough old boat, but, by the old gods, it has lots of character! And it works as well as any of those fucking Prosperitan vessels! Just as well, or we'd all be dead long ago. The old terror of space and the scourge of the Prosperitan fleet, The Star Bastard. And old 'Bastard' class ship from the old days of the Sakaari Republic. The gods know what I'd have done if these crazy fuckers on this crazy old ship hadn't picked me up when they did! I don't even want to think where I'd be now. Most likely dead...
I'm thinking to myself... should I go down to that planet in the old Devastator ship? It's a bit of a risk, but I need it. I keep trying to tell myself that it's crazy... and it is! But I can't fight the compulsion any more! Call me an impulsive, stubborn bitch, but that's how I've surived so far. Maybe this time, I'll be a dead woman... or maybe not. I feel that I'm going to be ok, but then, there's always that horrible feeling that something terrible is going to happen. But that happens to me all the time, anyway.

Zorgo won't like me running off, but he'll understand. They all understnd me so well. I love these people on this ragged old ship, like my family or my lovers. Some of them have been more than lovers! They are the reason I'm not dead. Azzogh will probably tell me to not be insane, but I think he knows, that I'll do what I will do, regardless. I'm not going to tell them, anyway. I don't want anyone putting even the slightest doubt into my head or have them worrying about me. I can't stand it when people do that! I'm going, and that's final. No arguing. My mind is made up. If they knew what I'm getting and why I'm getting it, maybe they'd understand better. But, right now, I'm keeping it all to myself. I'll tell them the whole story, later. And when I do, then they'll understand, ...
I stand, feeling that I've been sitting here too long. My legs have gone numb and I still feel a litte bit stiff after excercising. but I'm ok. I look into the mirror on the wall of the room. I look tired and stressed, though I try to hide it from the others. I never think I look as pretty as they tell me I am, but I'll do. I laugh to myself. Such vanity! But, all young women are judged by their looks, even in this day and age, so I can't help that much. Those of us with implants which are permanently on show are considered ugly in some social cirlces in Prosperity. And, even though I always rejected their fucking qwell-shit values, it's hard to do so, sometimes, especially when they bombard young children with images saying what's 'good' and 'bad' and what's 'beautiful' or 'ugly'. My fiery red hair and my flame-orange left eye never did get the approval of those with influence. But over time, I grew to accept what I am, with my non-organic body parts merged with my flesh. People like me found community with others who were rejected. And our solidarity is our strength.

Fuck it! I'll do. I'll see if I can discreetly make my way down to where that old Devastator ship is docked with us. I can fly one without much trouble. some family of mine were from the old Sakaari Republic anyway, before it got crushed by those imperialist bastards at Prosperity! I grab the armoured kref-skin suit and slide into it. It fits ok over my shorts and vest but I have to remove my kneepads so they go into my sidebag with the rest of my things. This is not my usual type of attire but It's not too uncomfortable. To be honest, I don't usually like wearing so many clothes as this. I prefer to feel free of such restrictions, but it's best to protect yourself when piloting a fighter ship. You never know what might happen! I open the door and walk out of the room.
I sneak down the corridor in this armoured leather suit. Fucking restrictive thing! However, I walk reasonably well, despite the clothing and I don't encounter Zorgo, or Azzogh which, for once, is a blessing. Usually I do want to talk to them or someone like them. But right now, I'd rather avoid them and talk to them later. I can see Vandioch, my dear friend. The old Sakaari killer droid, who saved my life so many times. How ironic! A machine designed originally to kill and to terrorise, develops a sentient mind, like so many of them did back then, and it decides to come to the aid of helpless, organic life forms like little girls crying in fear. I'll never forget the day, he picked me up in his claw-like arms and took me away from that burning ship. Such a bond can never be broken and I will love that crazy old droid for the rest of my life! Maybe he hasn't seen me... or maybe he's fully aware of me being here, sneaking past him. You can never be sure with that crafty fucker! Either way, he carries on with the game he's playing with the liberated Sakaari prisoner we picked up on a raid of Prosperty's prison ship, taking a load of them to a penal colony much like one half of my family died on. Yes, the penal colonies are still a sore memory to many of my people! We won't forget or forgive those bastards in Prosperity's corridors of power anytime soon for what they did to us and to so many other peoples. Not ever! But, I'm not going to dwell on bitter history right now. No. I have something more important to attend to, so off I creep down towards that hatch where that beautiful piece of brutal engineering sits, attached to our ship's main section. Strangely, it didn't look out of place there, either when I last looked at it. Maybe that's just how it all is with these old Sakaari machines. They all look so crude and rough, and yet beautiful in all their supposed 'ugliness'. They always get looked at with revulsion in Prosperity and the Peace Federation. But that shower of bastards all judge things on appearances and everything has to look so bland for them to accept it. Evil always is so banal in reality. So unlike the shitty adventure stories they told us as children where the bad guys always seemed so much more interesting. Ha! How different it is in the real universe! And, you know what? I like it this way. It's nice to know we are more fun than those opressive and brutal bastards. Nice to know that we even look better than they do with all their money and over-polished looks. fuck them all. I'll see them all burn... if I live long enough!

I can hear someone in a room talking. My augmented ears have their uses sometimes. They're busy arguing over some old kref-shit. Haha, that's convenient for me. I sneak past them without them even noticing. Their conversation continues in exactly the same way, without so much as a pause, as I pass them. I keep on going down the corridor and onto where I need to be to get into that cockpit, keeping as quiet as I can in just case anyone happens to appear unexpectedly.
I carry on down the ship's corridor until I finally reach the fighter craft. I check that I have everything I need. It's all there. Nothing unnecessary to be taken with me. I left a recorded message for Azzogh, Zorgo, Vandioch and for Vrigon, the people I love. Vrigon kissed me when I told her about the events which led me to this. I didn't tell her my plan to do this, but she'll know soon enough. She probably has an inkling already, she knows me so well! She means the universe to me. All of them do. My friends, my comrades, my siblings and my lovers. I'll see them when I get back... and I will get back. At least, I hope so.

I climb into the cockpit of the Devastator and I close the hatch. Airtight and ready to go. I don't want them to know I'm going, so I don't start the engines, I just let it drop. Then, when I fall away from the hull of The Bastard and not so easily noticed, I start the ships's engines. They start with no trouble. Always reliable these magnificent craft! I smile to myself, proud of the Sakaari side of my heritage, and I steer the ship away from the ship that is my home. I try to be discreet so that by the time they notice me missing, I'll be out of sight. I try not to cry as I slip away down towards the planet below. There are no Prosperitan patrols there now, so I should be fine. I manage to stay calm as I fly on. I won't pray to the gods. I haven't believed in them since my childhood was taken from me. Instead, I just say a variation of my usual little mantra to myself. 'My name is Djex Raevenraat Slaavruhl. My name is Djex Raevenraat Slaavruhl, and I'll be back soon.' I will be back soon! I know I will...
(To be contiued...)