Through the Stars

Chapter: 6

Ayana immediately began walking towards the giant, gray building that was the Bounty Center. The closer she got, the more densely packed the crowds became. Ayana clutched her bag close to her chest. She didn't want anything getting stolen as she muscled her way through the crowds.

She finally arrived at the entrance, Ayana found herself at the back end of a misshapen line. Rows upon rows of people and aliens alike were jammed together as each and every one of them tried to push their way to the front. Quite a few fights broke out; apparently the whole galaxy had shown up to get information on the fifteen-million bounty. If it was true that information was being given out tonight.

Ayana advanced in line, but grimaced as she stumbled upon the unconscious body of a multi-legged alien. Not much could be done to stop fights; the police force was spread thin. The Bounty Center was well known, but few dare appose the ruthless hunters' hideout. Ayana usually preferred not to associate herself with criminals, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

After the better part of an hour, Ayana finally reached the front of the line. A tall, violet-skinned alien with black horns framing her forehead and her chin was behind the front desk. "What is your name and what is it that you want," she said in a thick accent that turned all of her w's and t's into v's. Alana held up her flash-drive.

"My name is Ayana Naavryen and I want the information on fifteen-million bounty," she said sliding the flash drive towards the alien.

The alien took on an odd expression when she heard Ayana's name, but shook her head and returned to her old, drab face. "I am very sorry, but we are not giving out any information. Unless you have talked to the bounty master."

"The what? I haven't heard of this bounty master before."

"That's because this is the biggest bounty we have had in centuries. The bounty master is the person in charge of whom the information is sent to, and he has already sent quite a few hunters after the bounty. He does not have time for weak, inexperienced youngsters meddling about in his business."

"Look, is there any way I could get the information?"

"You could talk to the bounty master himself, but he has holed himself up in his own house, for there are thousands of hunters worth a hundred of you banging on his door. Now stop wasting my time and step aside!" the alien lady growled.

"Hey! I didn't wait an hour just so you could tell me no!"

"Awww, someone's upset. Are you going to cry, little girl?" the purple alien mocked. "Quit wasting my time and step. Aside." The alien forced the last two words out through clenched teeth, flicking Ayana's flash drive back towards her.

Ayana growled, and before the purple alien knew what was happening, one of Ayana's new knives was out. In her frustration, Ayana had pinned the alien's hand to the wooden desk. A small trickle of orange-red blood dripped from the woman's finger where Ayana's blade had nicked her.

"Hey! Quit holding up the line!" a big, burly, tattooed man shouted from behind her. The rest of the crowd murmured their agreement.

Ayana shot the man an angry glare and turned back to the shocked alien. She was about to ask the woman again about the fifteen-million bounty, but was interrupted by furious shouts and strangled screams from the back of the line.

Ayana yanked her knife out of the wooden desk and turned to see what was causing the commotion. She squinted, her eyes trying to find their way past the writhing mass of bodies. She caught a glimpse of a rather large, gun-wielding man pushing past the hunters, shooting down anyone who was unlucky enough to be in his path.

"You have no place here! You are a part of the United Planet Association! You-" the purple alien was cut off as the man ponted his gun at her.

"I wouldn't say another word if I were you," the man said in a deadly whisper. "Recall all the hunters you sent out on the bounty and no one else gets hurt."

"I can't do that."

"Then you leave me no choice." The man loaded his gun.

"Don't! I'll give you what you want!" the alien pleaded. The man flashed her a mocking sneer, thinking he'd won. But instead, she typed something into the computer before slamming her fist through the computer screen, smashing it to pieces. It all happened in an instant.

"NO!" the UPA, or United Planet Association, man roared, firing his gun at the alien. The emerald-green laser ripped a bloody hole through the alien's chest, going straight through and burning the wall behind her.

Ayana immediately turned and ran out of the Bounty Center as the UPA man yelled his frustration and unleashed a volley of green lasers on the remaining hunters.

Ayana sprinted back down to the Golden Planet and took shelter inside, throwing up her hood to hide her face, just to be safe. She took out her computer, just to check if anything was happening. There were a few updates and notices, but Ayana didn't pay any attention to those. But one file popped up that puzzled her.

It was the information on the fifteen-million credit bounty.