Runaway

The two moons were almost full when Yash slipped out of the back door of the house, trying to be as quiet as possible. He gently closed the door behind him the moment laughter exploded in the living room, making him cringe. Surely they were laughing at him, imagining him in Jamika's clutches.

He took a deep breath and started jogging through the backyard and into the street towards his friend's house. He was out of that trap, but he needed a hideout. He could still hear his mother saying, "Finally he'll settle and stop running around!" As if his medals meant nothing to her.

He threw a pebble at Shahid's window and the light came on. His friend came to the window.

"Yash!" he whispered, eyes wide in surprise. "Where have you been? What's going on?"

"Get down here," he whispered back. "I don't want to get caught!"

Shahid signaled him to wait and soon joined him under the front porch in his night clothes.

"Did you come running?" he asked, noticing the sweat on Yash's forehead.

"Yes." Yash sighed. He wasn't out of breath – he was used to running for miles – but he was sweating. "I'm in trouble."

"What did you do?"

"I shoved Jamika and ran away."

"Ran away? From home? But why?" Shahid protested in a low voice.

"They kept me locked in the basement," he explained with a huff of impatience. "Jamika visited me every day. Today she told me she's finally pregnant."

"Oh. So?"

"So I'm supposed to marry her! I don't want to spend my life with such an abusive wife!"

"But you have no choice! Unless you manage to leave the planet."

Yash frowned and pursed his lips. "I am leaving the planet, Shahid. Will you come with me?"

Shahid gaped at him. "We'll never make it on our own out there!" he protested.

Yash smiled ruefully. His friend was still willing to be abused.

"I'll die or thrive on my own, then," he said.

"But Yash, surely it's not that bad! I mean, Jamika is pretty, and..."

Yash raised his hand to silence his friend.

"I came to say good-bye. Don't tell anyone that you saw me. I wish you all the best, Shahid. I have no future on this planet."

Shahid opened and closed his mouth, trying to find something to say.

Yash offered his hand, determined. "Wish me luck."

Shahid quickly hugged him and watched him jog away.

Again Yash ran all the way to the spaceport. The night air was cool and moving helped him not to think of what had happened.

Jamika walking into the room with her sardonic smile. Him well aware of another night of torment to come. And then the news, and how he saw red and shoved her away, and she stumbled and fell and lost consciousness. Him staring at her, holding his breath, and seeing the only way out.

He'd quickly put on his gym suit – the only thing that was there, since it was what he was wearing the first night they'd taken him downstairs and locked him in – and quietly went upstairs, passing by the living room door where his mother and hers were talking about the upcoming wedding of Jamika and Yash, with sparse comments from their husbands.

Luckily his gym shoes were by the back door, so he didn't have to run barefooted – although he was ready to do that as long as he could get away from his own house that had become such a nightmarish place.

Yash's mother had decided it was time Yash got married too, to a suitable girl. And since Jamika had been after him for years and she came from a high-middle class family, they'd joined forces with Jamika's mother to keep him locked in until he could be forced to marry his pregnant girlfriend.

Except he'd never loved her. He never even felt any kind of attraction for her – or anyone else for that matter. And he had never managed to get rid of her. Until now.

He reached the spaceport, mostly closed since there were no interstellar flights scheduled for the night. Automated clerks informed him there were a couple of private starships docked and neither were Ypsilantian.

Yash sighed. He couldn't rent a starship because he couldn't drive it. He'd have to beg a stranger for passage away from his home planet. And he had no money. What if he had to pay with sex? He shivered at the thought. But then, it couldn't be worse than feeding Jamika's lust. One more time and then he'd be free.

Then he saw a woman walk into the spaceport, probably a soldier, or a mercenary, since she was armed but wore no uniform. She was a tall and slender brunette probably older than him – maybe in her thirties? She reached an automated clerk to check out her spaceship and Yash approached her shyly.

"Excuse me, ma'am..."

Sky-blue eyes stared at him and gave him the once-over, making him blush. He knew that look. Plenty of women on Ypsilanti had given him that look. Only Jamika had forced herself on him, though.

"I need to leave the planet immediately, but I can't drive a starship..." His cheeks burned with shame, but he sustained her gaze.

"You're Ypsilantian, right?"

"Yes."

"Why am I not surprised an Ypsilantian young man is totally dependent on his female relatives," she grumbled. "You must be really in trouble to talk to a stranger."

"I am. I don't have money to repay you, but..."

She shrugged. "I can't take you to my home planet, since I'm Sylvanian, but I'm not headed there at the moment, so... yeah, you can come."

"Thank you, ma'am," he said, noticing her small luggage, as they headed for the hangars. "Can I help you carry it?"

"No, thanks, I always travel light for a reason." She grinned. "Since we don't have men on Sylvania, we learn to carry our stuff early on. How about your luggage?"

"I don't have any – I left in a hurry..."

"I had guessed that much."

They reached a Futureo-class Fox ship – small compared to most interstellar starships, but enough for one person. Or two.

"It's the most popular size for private ships," she said. "Most rentals are Futureo-class Foxes. Their sensors are slightly below average, the speed is average, but they have good weapons – to make up for the poor shields, probably."

"So is this yours or rented?" he asked shyly.

"It's mine." She winked. "I had it upgraded on Friport so its shields are now about average and the fuel supply very good. I call her Mothership, even though she's not a real mothership. But it's like a second home to me, so..."

Yash nodded, sitting next to her in the cockpit and waiting for her to do all the normal operations before take-off. He was glad he'd found her because he wouldn't have known what to do on his own. Maybe with Shahid they could have rented a starship, but not him alone.

"Ever been off world?" she asked, as the ship purred under them. He shook his head, blushing again. "Not even on an interstellar cruise, or the Galaxy Express? You poor Ypsilantian men are really kept under wraps."

"You could say that, ma'am." He lowered his eyes, unable to keep sourness out of his voice.

"Birgit," she said. "And you are?"

"Yash."

"Welcome onboard, Yash."

Unsure of what to do with himself, he stared at the main screen as the spacecraft slowly moved out of docking. The dashboard looked complicated, compared to the ones he was used to, but then starships were much more than flying cars. His eyes widened as he tried to take it all in.

As the blue-green ball of Ypsilanti became smaller and smaller on the Mothership's screens, she turned to look at him.

"So, Yash, what did you do on Ypsilanti? Is there any kind of career for men on a matriarchal planet?"

There were only two in the Star Nations, Sylvania and Ypsilanti, and men didn't live long on Sylvania, since there was something in the atmosphere that aged the Y-chromosome one year per hour. So Sylvania was an all-women matriarchy, but Ypsilanti had a mixed population, where men had very few rights.

"I'm an athlete," Yash answered. "I'm a gymnast and a runner."

"Cool! How old are you?"

"Twenty-five. I know athletes don't have long lives in the competitions and games, but I hoped I could be doing what I like for a little longer..." He frowned at the thought of the forced marriage he'd barely escaped. Even off-planet didn't mean he'd be able to keep running or competing in some other planet's team.

"Do you also do martial arts?" she inquired.

"As a sport, yes. I like multiple disciplines."

"I can tell – from your well-toned body, mostly." She smiled. "I could probably pass you off as my assistant for now. I'm headed for a gig on Xi-kong, and they're quite strict with immigration. Although I have been invited by a mob boss, so I'm sure his men will be at the spaceport waiting for me. But then we better go to Friport and get you a duplicate of your ID – I assume you don't have it with you."

"No, but the microchip should be enough to get a duplicate once we're off-planet... Although maybe I should stay off the grid for a while. You mentioned Friport – any chance of going there?"

"When I'm done on Xi-kong, why not? What do you plan to do in the big galaxy out there? Join the rogues and adventurers? It's a tough world and I've heard Ypsilantian men are everything but tough."

"I'm not sure," he admitted, frowning. "Why were you on Ypsilanti and what's the next gig?"

"Coaching." She shrugged. "I'm a mercenary, and since there are no wars to fight at the moment, I usually get calls for counseling, training or giving lectures or things like that. I'm a veteran of the Sylvanian army, but since the end of the war with the Reptilians, I've left the home planet and the service of the queen. I like the company of men."

She caressed his cheek and he stiffened. He'd hoped a Sylvanian wouldn't have a go at him. They prided themselves on not needing men. He had stumbled on one of the few who was actually interested. I must be cursed by the Goddess. She's already punishing me.

Birgit scoffed. "You're a strange one, Yash. Why are you running away?"

"They locked me in a room and forced me to do their bidding." His voice was flat, but didn't shake.

"Who is 'they'?" she asked, confused.

"My family. And hers."

"Goddess!" Birgit snorted. "I didn't know Ypsilanti would have corrective rape and forced marriage for reluctant men! Although, is there such a thing as a reluctant man?"

He was about to snap at her, then remembered where she came from. She liked men, but couldn't have met that many until she left the Sylvanian army. And it had only been nine years since the end of the war.

"This thing that I have between my legs has a life of its own," he said staring into space. "A boner doesn't mean I want it. We can have erections even in traumatic or painful sexual situations, or through manual or oral stimulation, but this doesn't mean we consent."

"So you were made to penetrate without enjoying it," she said, thoughtful.

He glanced at her. She seemed to understand. Maybe because she didn't know much about men, she was willing to listen to him. That was new. But he wasn't going to tell her everything yet.

"I thought men couldn't be raped by women." She sighed. "I guess I was wrong. Did your family do this to you because you were more interested in men or what?"

"I don't know." He shrugged. "It's tradition. I'm supposed to get married, give up my life and take care of my children. I'm actually asexual, but I've been sexually harassed and assaulted by this girl who claimed she had my interests at heart." He smiled ruefully. "She was only after her own pleasure."

"I can't blame her, you're handsome," Birgit said.

Startled, he looked at her and she winked.

"Don't worry, I don't like forcing myself on anyone," she added, patting his shoulder.

He smiled, relieved. "Thank you for understanding, Birgit. Did you have the Sylvanian real deal?"

Sylvanians had daughters by creating sperms from their bone marrow. They didn't need men to reproduce – they called it "the real deal."

"Actually no." She grimaced and averted her eyes. "No motherhood call yet. I guess we're both exceptions to our sex's rules."

She looked at him again and grinned. He smiled back, relaxing. He still had no idea of what to do with himself, but at least now he was free of his abusive girlfriend and bride-to-be.

***

Xi-kong was inhabited by Humanoids with black hair and slanted eyes, usually shorter than Birgit and Yash. A half-dozen tattooed men welcomed them at the spaceport and took them to a mansion outside of town. The mob boss was fat and as tattooed as his men. Middle-aged, he stared at Birgit with a scowl before grinning at her total lack of response.

"I had heard Sylvanian women were different. You don't seem to be afraid of men."

"Why should I?" she replied with a shrug. "You called me here. Surely it wasn't to rape me."

"No, I want you to show me how a woman fights."

She scoffed. "At your service. You know the fee."

"Is your skinny assistant fighting too?" the don asked.

"No, he's still in training, not ready to become an associate yet."

Yash remained silent and with his eyes low. He knew almost nothing of that planet's culture and didn't want to get in trouble in foreign territory. Yes, they were all Humanoids, but each planet had its own customs and traditions, and he didn't want to break some rule he wasn't aware of.

"Only a Sylvanian could have a male trainee... where did you find him, though? There are no men on Sylvania!"

"Ypsilanti, where else?"

"Pshaw!" The don completely lost interest in Yash. Ypsilantian men weren't considered men by the rest of the galaxy, since they were so subdued to their women.

Yash knew that if the man came to know he'd been raped by a woman, he'd laugh at him and tell him "you deserved it, faggot" or something like that. As if it was Yash's fault his family had decided his asexuality was a shame, and his mother wanted grandchildren as soon as possible.

He watched Birgit fight in a Xi-kongian arena against men who used acrobatic martial arts that left him gaping. He wished he could learn to fight like that, but he doubted it was a good idea. Just because he didn't have an ID didn't mean he should join the criminal world. He didn't even know if they accepted outsiders.

Birgit's fighting skills were good enough to allow her to stand up against one opponent at the time and the mob boss clapped his hands, impressed.

"Are you sure your body is not enhanced?" he asked at the end of the show.

Still catching her breath, Birgit took off her shirt and showed off her tank top that barely covered her breasts. "I'm not taking down my pants," she warned. "No enhancements, no. But I learned to fight with enhanced teammates, so I probably developed more strength than the usual woman."

They spent one night in a hotel, since Birgit was sick of traveling at night. She wanted to shower and sleep in a real bed before heading to Friport, and the mob boss sent them to one of his clients, who gave Birgit a double room, offering the key with a smirk.

"Let them think we'll have a wild night of sex," she told Yash as they went up the elevator to the room. "I'm too tired for that, but they don't know it."

She smiled at him and he smiled back, relaxing a little after the tension of the fight and the implications in the hotel manager's stare. His hands were still clenched into fists and he made an effort to loosen his fingers, taking deep, calming breaths.

"Do you think I could come back here and learn their fighting techniques?" he asked her.

"I don't recommend it," she warned. "Yes, I've heard of a few Alahairian residents who were allowed into the local martial arts schools, but it's mostly a well-guarded Xi-kongian secret. It's like each Family has its own style and they have championships, like you have games and competitions on Ypsilanti. I can train you, if that's what you want."

"You think I could be a good mercenary?" he asked as they entered the hotel room.

"I don't know," she replied. "Are you tough enough? We'll see. Mind if I shower first?"

"No, go ahead."

He sat in the armchair by the window, pondering. When he'd shoved Jamika, it had been the first time he'd hit a woman. Now that he thought about it, he'd even slapped her before shoving. That part was still sort of blurry and he hadn't slept much since they'd left Ypsilanti.

In fact his eyelids were quite heavy, even if he hadn't really fought that day. Only two days since he'd run away from home and the nightmare was still alive in his memory, not allowing him to sleep properly. He had sore muscles and cramps, and even a touch of nausea as he tried to let go of his worries and memories.

He dozed off on the comfortable armchair only to be awakened by the memory of that first night, when he'd woken up with Jamika straddling him. He was still in his room back then, and she'd managed to make him hard, so he was already inside her. Frozen, he'd laid still, unable to even fake climax, so revolted was he by the experience.

And things had only gotten worse afterward. His resistance to Jamika's sexual assaults had alarmed his mother, and they'd decided to lock him up and force him – which of course hadn't helped and made him hate the unwanted sexual contact even more.

From that moment he'd had frequent headaches and difficulty sleeping – and the latter didn't seem to be going away anytime soon. He snapped awake before Birgit came out of the bathroom, so he couldn't have slept more than a few minutes. He was tired, but was too afraid to sleep – just in case some other memory came back in his nightmares.

They went back downstairs to have dinner with minimal speaking – she must be tired, since she didn't ask him any more questions – then lay side by side on the big bed, both dressed. He felt Birgit's breathing slowing down and imagined she was asleep. Slowly he drifted off too, but again was awakened by his nightmares.

Panting in the dark, he felt a cool hand over his forehead.

"It's over, Yash, don't worry, nobody is touching you," Birgit's voice said from the dark. "Try to sleep. Boy, you're fucked up! I'd hold you, but I'm afraid it might be worse."

He caught his breath before speaking. "Do you have any sleeping pills?" he asked. That was the only way to fall into a dreamless slumber.

She switched on the light and stared at him.

"Did they drug you?" she asked bluntly.

"Once or twice." He shrugged. He'd lost track of how many days he'd been locked in the basement. "Mostly she threatened me, and once she shoved a dildo up my ass as well. I'm not a violent person, so I didn't really fight her off – and all my physical strength became useless because she made me feel powerless."

She frowned but nodded. She rummaged in her beauty case, offering a pill. He took it and gulped it down, muttering a thank you. Fortunately it was immediately effective and the rest of the night passed in a blink.

***

They were headed for the spaceport when screams from an alley caught their attention. Yash cringed at the sound of the male voice – both anguished and angry – shouting maybe for help or maybe to curse his attackers in the local language, and Birgit knitted her eyebrows. They reached the alley and saw four gang members holding down a young man who was fighting fiercely to avoid being stripped.

"Not another corrective rape," Birgit muttered as Yash opened and closed his hands, wondering if he could help the poor young man with slanted eyes. He'd never been in a fist fight, though.

"Can we do something?" he asked, wrinkling his brow.

She glanced at him, then pulled out her gun and shot towards the sky. The sound immediately got the four thugs' attention.

"What do you want, woman?" one of them demanded, scowling at her.

"Sorry to interrupt, guys, but I don't think what you're doing is nice. Why are you trying to ruin that pretty face anyway?"

"It's none of your business and saving him would be a waste of your time since he wouldn't be able to please you if he tried," another spat with contempt.

They were distracted enough that their victim managed to free himself, shove the closest away and nimbly jump to his feet to run and hide behind Yash, who was taller than him. Yash felt a warm breath on his neck and didn't move.

"Ah, great, let your man enjoy him, he'll love it!" The gangsters got to their feet and moved towards Birgit who still held her gun. She pointed it at them and they stopped. "That useless piece of shit will bring you only trouble!" they warned.

"I can handle men," she replied. "Would you like me to drop him on Sylvania when I go home?"

The thugs glanced at each other and smirked. "Absolutely, my lady," they said with mocking bows.

"Good." She put her gun away. "See you, then."

She grabbed the young man's arm and dragged him along, followed by Yash.

"Thank you, ma'am." The almond-eyed young man was still disheveled and breathless. "I sure hope you're not taking me to Sylvania for real."

"Nah, it would be a waste," she replied. "For both of you. Friport is my next stop." She shoved him inside the land shuttle that went to the spaceport and waited until Yash was inside too to join them.

"My name is Ryo," the young man said. He had long raven hair tied in a ponytail – a little skewed on the side at the moment, so he quickly redid it. "Thank you for saving me." He bowed and looked expectantly at Yash.

"I'm Birgit and this is Yash. Seems like this trip keeps putting young men in my path who need to get away from their home planet... and who are not willing to repay me." She smiled at Yash who blushed.

"I can try," he grumbled, lowering his eyes.

"And I don't want your body, if it's such a trauma for you," she replied. "I was only saying that suddenly I seem to meet only men who have been or were about to be raped – when I thought men couldn't be raped."

"Oh yes, we can!" Ryo nodded repeatedly. "Especially by other men!"

"Yash was raped by a woman. He's Ypsilantian."

"Oh." Ryo stared at Yash with open admiration. "I thought I had it bad!"

"Same sex love isn't appreciated on Xi-kong?" Birgit asked as they reached the spaceport.

"Are you kidding?" Ryo snorted. "Women are so mistreated here that a man who likes being under another man – turning himself into a woman – is worse than... I don't know. I can't really compare, since I don't know how other planets think. I'm most definitely sick of my people, though, so I'm very grateful for the opportunity of leaving this shitty world."

"You're welcome." Birgit led them to the starship with an amused smile on her lips.

Yash still felt Ryo's eyes on him and his natural shyness made him feel even more uncomfortable than he wanted to. He'd been stalked by women all his life, he wasn't used to lust in a young man's eyes. He knew he wasn't ugly, but hadn't dealt with a gay man before. He wasn't even sure if there were any on his home planet.

Birgit's starship left Xi-kong with two extras.

"I'll have to buy a new starship," she muttered as she checked on her computer for the location of Friport, the Wandering Planet of adventurers and rogues. "Unless I can drop both of you on Friport and leave you to your own devices."

"I'd love to stay with you and be trained by you," Yash said.

"Trained to do what?" Ryo asked.

"Mercenary. Yash is an athlete, but he needs to learn to fight in a different way to make it as a mercenary."

"I can teach you too," Ryo enthused. "If you'd like to learn our martial arts..."

"You're not so good," Birgit teased. "Considering how we found you."

"Well, you take on four guys at the same time and then we can talk about it," he replied. "What were you doing on Xi-kong anyway?"

She told him, and he looked impressed. "Strange you weren't invited by other dons," he commented. "I'm sure Takaue Boss would have loved to watch you fight."

"I haven't had the pleasure. Which family does he run?"

"Can you read our tattoos?" Ryo took off his shirt and half-turned to show the serpentine dragon coiling on his back. The tail of the other dragon on his left arm reached the side of his neck. Yash stared amazed at the colorful skin paintings and wondered about their meanings.

"No," Birgit snapped. "Cover yourself, you shameless young man, and answer my question!"

Ryo chuckled. "Takaue Boss runs the Hanashima family," he said, pulling the shirt back on.

"And which family do you work for?"

"Hanashima."

"How come?"

Ryo shrugged. "I'm his wretched son. But even if I prefer my own sex, I'm good with martial arts. Those four bastards were just jealous because I'm an enforcer for my father. They said I didn't deserve it – I'm not good, I have the position only because I'm Takaue Boss's son."

Birgit scoffed. "You guys are weird. I wouldn't live on Xi-kong not even if they paid me a fortune."

"And you shouldn't since you're a woman," Ryo assured. "You were invited as a curio, but probably wouldn't have been allowed to stay – unless some don wanted you in his bed."

"Which wouldn't sit well with me. I'm Sylvanian after all." She chuckled and he smiled.

"But you'd like to have us in your bed to repay our passage?" he asked.

She glanced at both young men. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind a threesome, but not here and not now. Besides, I don't think Yash is up for it yet."

"That's why I'd like to stay with you, so I can eventually repay you for your kindness," Yash said stiffly.

She grinned. "We'll see, Yash. I'm in no hurry. Don't worry. Relax. We'll get to Friport and go from there."

***

"So, what's your name?" the woman asked. She had golden skin, a small tic and close-cropped wavy bronze hair. She stared at Yash with her hands ready to type. The small office was filled with the smell of her deodorant.

"Yashvardhan Samara," he answered. He could feel Ryo's and Birgit's eyes on him as the woman typed quickly and waited. The windowless room felt stifled and the walls seemed to be pressing around him. He didn't like the Wandering Planet known as Friport so far. It wasn't a real planet and everything was underground. The woman's office was inside a five-story building under a fake sky.

"Mm." Again she looked at him. "You're really in trouble, Yashvardhan."

"He ran away from his home planet, much like Ryo, what's the problem?" Birgit asked.

Ryo's duplicate ID had gone quite smoothly. His data had been confirmed quickly and the new card printed and handed to Ryo without a comment from the Friport analyst who was in charge of issuing new IDs. Ryo fit on Friport with his long hair and his mob tattoos, but Yash stood out as the good-boy-next-door lost in a bad neighborhood.

"He's wanted for murder." The woman lay back on her chair and looked at Birgit. "I can issue him the new ID, but he won't get very far with that name. No legal job at least. Would you like to forge a new ID? I can scramble his microchip, but it costs a lot more." She stared at Yash, waiting. She sounded relieved to discover he wasn't a good guy in spite of his angel face.

Yash's heart was thundering in his chest since the first sentence. Murder? He hadn't killed Jamika, had he? She was just unconscious... or maybe he'd shoved her too hard? His mind was blank and he had no idea what to do now. If he was really a murderer, maybe he should just go home. They'd throw him in prison, but he wouldn't have to marry Jamika. No, wait, there was the death penalty for murder, he'd never pull off the self-defense bit.

"Do it." Birgit slapped her credit card on the employee's table. "New name, Yasha Man-killer."

"What?" he looked at her, puzzled.

"Sounds perfect for a mercenary," Birgit replied with a shrug. "We can discuss it later."

Yash gulped, eyes wide in fear. He wanted to ask what had happened to Jamika but didn't dare. Maybe Birgit could lend him her tablet, or they could check on the meganet or...

"You two are becoming really expensive," Birgit grumbled as they headed back for the hotel. "If I were Wegan, I'd tie you to me with a slave contract!"

"I will happily work for you to repay you," Ryo said cheerfully. Birgit playfully tugged his ponytail. "Ouch. Not if you pull my hair off, though!"

Yash said nothing, still too shocked at the thought that he was wanted for murder. Going back was out of the question, unless he wanted to die young – which matched his suicidal thoughts, but since he'd met Birgit, he felt he owed her and therefore shouldn't die until he'd paid his debt.

He didn't have to ask. As soon as they were in the suite they'd booked, Birgit pulled out her tablet and searched for his name on the meganet, frowning at the results.

"Is your bride-to-be's name Jamika?" she asked. Yash nodded, unable to speak. "Apparently she died for lack of medical intervention. They found her passed out, she had hit her head. If doctors had been called immediately, she'd have probably survived. But she lay there long enough to die without coming back to her senses. Did you say you hit her?"

"I-I think so..." Yash stammered. "I wanted her to get away from me! I didn't mean to kill her!"

Birgit sighed. "Unfortunately you did kill her. Might have been an accident, a desperate gesture from someone who'd had enough of abuse, but you're still a murderer."

Yash exhaled and stared at his feet. His nightmare was getting worse every day. "Maybe I should have killed myself," he muttered as tears rose to his eyes. "I should have banged my head on the wall until I died!"

"Oh, shut up!" Birgit snapped. "You're out of that hellhole and in the right place to start a new life. You had no intention of going back to Ypsilanti anyway. Just put it behind you and move on."

"But I'm wanted by the Galaxy Police!" Yash whined. "And if they catch me, I'll get a death sentence!"

"They won't catch you," Ryo said, determined. "We will protect you."

"Besides, if they do catch you, you won't have to marry an abusive woman, will you?" Birgit added. "But Ryo is right, we won't let anything happen to you."

Yash sniffled and dried his tears. "Thanks," he whispered. He had enough anguish to deal with. He couldn't also worry about the Galaxy Police.

Ryo put one arm around his shoulder. "Don't worry, Yash, you're with friends. We'll help you become Yasha Man-killer, the most fearsome mercenary that ever was!"

"Just imagine – an Ypsilantian man trained by a gay and a woman," Birgit added.

He looked at her, startled, and got the joke. Ypsilantian men were the meekest of the galaxy and being trained by a gay and a woman meant he'd never ever be the most fearsome mercenary that ever was.

Ryo chuckled. Birgit smiled. Yash tried not to laugh, but soon all three burst out laughing.

"Thank you, guys," Yash said, relieved. "You are right, I need to put it behind and move on..."

Except it wasn't the easiest thing. He still had nightmares about Jamika, especially now that he knew she was dead. He still had anxiety attacks and sleep troubles. He stiffened every time someone touched him – even inadvertently or with no purpose other than a friendly pat.

Training with Birgit and Ryo helped, though. Both taught him relaxing exercises and fighting techniques. Often he was too tired from the physical exertions to dream or stay awake at night. Birgit bought both of them guns, and they shot at targets in Friport's shooting range, learning the basics of firearms.

"I don't think I can kill in cold blood," Yash admitted, even if he had a good eye and was a better shot than Ryo.

"Me neither," Ryo added with a grimace. "What else can we do to earn our living and repay our good coach for her hospitality and training?"

"I was hoping to keep doing sports." Yash sighed. "But since I'm a wanted man, I guess I'll have to find something less public... How are your trading skills?"

"Awful," Birgit replied, disgusted. "I can sell my skills, but not goods."

"I'm a mob boss son! I'm good at extortions, not sales!" Ryo added with a wink.

Yash smiled and shook his head. "We can't stay on Friport forever, though, can we? I miss a real planet."

"You're an open air guy, aren't you?" Ryo asked. Yash nodded. "Yeah, I hear you, this underground city is boring after some time. I wouldn't want to live on AC for the rest of my life."

No matter how advanced it was, Friport was a starship, albeit as big as a world. It had underground towns and different levels, but none with fresh air. It wandered in space, it didn't orbit around any sun.

"Let's get back to the Star Nations," Birgit said. "I'm sure we'll find something."

***

Ryo and Yash found two jobs as automatic factory security on Alahairo. Since they didn't have family, they both took the night shift. Birgit helped them find a cozy apartment with two small bedrooms then decided to leave. She wasn't too keen on security jobs and had been hired for counseling on Serenaide, so she bade her "boys" good-bye.

"We will reimburse your expenses as soon as we get our first salary," Yash promised.

"Don't worry about that, sweety," she replied, caressing his cheek. "Try to settle and forget your nightmares. I'll see you in a few months or in a few years – I'm sure you'll be a wonderful young man."

"I might always have trouble getting intimate with anyone," he said with a weak smile. "But you certainly have a special place in my heart."

"Ryo, take care of him," Birgit told the almond-eyed young man who promptly nodded with a grin. He was three months older than Yash, and even if he was shorter and preferred men, he was more aggressive than the Ypsilantian.

Birgit left with her starship, and Ryo and Yash started their new work. Sort of boring, checking cameras all night, but they kept each other company.

They slept during the day and lazily talked of their childhoods in two very different cultures – one that put men over women and the other that put women over men, but both seemingly using marriage to determine gender roles and hierarchies. Xi-kong and Ypsilanti seemed to be the last two planets of the Star Nations with such differences – the rest had more or less gender equality.

Yash knew Ryo wanted to know more about what had happened to him, but he couldn't talk about it yet. He could feel Ryo's interest, no, admiration, no, growing adoration for him, but since Ryo kept his lust in check, Yash didn't protest. He almost felt as if he were back home, talking to Shahid about his worries – way back when it was mostly the championships or the challenges of athletic life, while now it was relationships with other people of both sexes, relatives or strangers.

And then one morning – almost a month since Yash's escape from Ypsilanti – as they left the factory to go home and sleep after their shift, they were stopped by a tall man in the black uniform of the Galaxy Police. Yash's heart jumped in his throat at the sight and he froze as the man came forward with a serious look on his face. Ryo cursed under his breath.

"Yashvardhan Samara?" the policeman asked with a quiet, husky voice. He didn't look threatening, but Yash was on the verge of panic.

"Yasha Man-killer," Ryo promptly corrected aggressively. The ponytail had turned into a braid he hid in his shirt under the security company uniform, since Ryo refused to cut his hair short.

"Please, Ryo Hanashima, I'm not here for you," the man chided. "Your father would love to have you back, so stay out of this."

"Where the hell are you from, man?" Ryo protested, obviously upset at having been identified.

"Commander Kiril Suhail. I'm looking for Yashvardhan Samara. I've talked to Birgit Gisela, since I looked for all the ships that left the night and the morning after Jamika Ananda was killed. Birgit said she'd left you both on Friport, but when I saw Ryo using his account on Alahairo, I came to check if you were still together."

Yash remembered to close his mouth and gulped. "You're here to arrest me for murder?" he asked with a shaky voice.

"I need to talk to you," the commander answered. "I'm sure it was an accident. Although both your family and hers insist that you're a dangerous murderer."

"Him? Pshaw!" Ryo scoffed. "He wouldn't hurt a fly! And that's why they abused him – and nobody took his side!"

"Ypsiliantian society is a little screwed, much like Xi-kong," the policeman said, glaring at Ryo.

"Oh, and what do you know about it?" Ryo challenged.

"My mother is Xi-kongian and my father is Ypsilantian." That explained his slightly slanted eyes and exotic looks. "They connected on the meganet, ran away from their families and met on Alahairo, where they got married and lived happily ever after. I'm their only offspring." The commander looked at Yash again. "Listen, I know what you're going through. Although by Ypsilantian traditions you shouldn't have rebelled, I'm sure with a good lawyer you can have a lenient punishment. Will you tell me exactly what happened?"

"I didn't want her to touch me," Yash whispered, eyes low. "She said now that she was pregnant, we'd get married. I didn't want to spend my life with her. But I didn't want to kill her either!" He stared at the cop, pleading now. "I shoved her away, but I didn't want her to die! I only wanted to get away from my family who was forcing me!"

"I understand, Yash, calm down." Commander Suhail put both hands on Yash's shoulders with a soothing tone. "I told you, I totally understand you. You will have to come with me. I'll find you a good lawyer before handing you to the Ypsilantian courts, I promise."

"We don't need no lawyer!" Ryo punched the policeman in the face and grabbed Yash's wrist. "Run, Yash!"

Startled, Yash sprinted after Ryo without turning back. They ran to the spaceport – again with only the uniform of security on them. Ryo would have to stop using his account or they should split, but Yash was terrified at the thought of being alone with the Galaxy Police coming after him.

"What now? What now?" he asked, slightly panting, his eyes darting around.

"There's the rental starships!" Ryo pointed at a batch of Futureo-class Foxes that looked much like Birgit's.

They didn't have time to properly rent one. Seeing a businessman heading for one of the ships, Ryo put the company gun on "stun" and shot him. He took the access card from the man's limp fingers and checked which ship it opened.

Breathless, Yash followed him inside where they sat at the dashboard.

"I can't drive a starship!" Yash protested as Ryo fumbled with buttons and the navigation computer. "Can you?"

"I've watched Birgit," Ryo replied as the engines started. "If everybody else can do it, so can we. We're not stupid, are we?" He grinned at Yash who stared at him wide-eyed. "Let's go."

As they took off they saw Commander Suhail reach the spaceport with a bruise already showing on his face.

"Who-hoo!" Ryo shouted as the starship left Alahairo's orbit.

"Ryo, what have we done?" Yash wondered, biting his nails.

"Saved your ass, babe." Ryo winked. "I guess we'll have to stay on Friport from now on. At least the Galaxy Police has no power in there..."

"But how? How will we get there?" Yash asked, anguished.

"Check that goddamn computer. We need to set a course anyway."

Yash frowned, but obeyed.

"Someone is following us," he announced as a screen showed a blipping light entering their radar range.

"I bet it's that damn half-blood cop," Ryo muttered. He seemed to enjoy the pilot seat very much. "Did you locate Friport or not?"

"Not yet," Yash snapped. "The computer is searching. It's probably on the other side of the galaxy, we'll never make it!"

"Please, enough negative thoughts!" Ryo snorted. "I could take you to Xi-kong, it's safe for you."

"But not for you!"

Ryo shrugged. "I can take care of myself."

Yash glared at him. Ryo was implying he couldn't take care of himself. And Ryo was damn right. Yash wanted to scream.

The comm lit up with a communication request.

"Don't take it," Ryo warned, but Yash pursed his lips, then took it.

The face of Commander Suhail filled the little comm screen. "Yash, don't make things worse. You have nowhere to hide."

"We're going back to Friport! We should have stayed there!" Ryo said defiantly. Even if he was off camera, he knew the cop could hear him.

"You're going the wrong way," the policeman said patiently. "You're headed out of the galaxy."

Puzzled, Yash looked at Ryo who shrugged. "I just learned to pilot, I'm going straight ahead until you tell me where I'm supposed to go. You're sitting at the navigator computer, Yash, don't look at me like that!"

Yash sighed and glanced at the computer still searching for Friport's location. He hadn't really paid attention to how Birgit worked the starship's dashboard and had no idea of what to do.

"Turn around before it's too late," Commander Suhail said quietly. "I told you, I'll do my best to let you have an excellent lawyer to deal with Ypsilantian law. And a doctor to check your PTSD – I'm sure you have that too."

"Yikes." Ryo shivered. "I've had those medical examinations – for my homosexuality – you don't want that, Yash. My people think mine is a sickness than can be cured. Your people think you should do your manly duty and shut up – they don't give a shit if you've been raped. Don't go back. There's nothing to go back to."

"There's even less ahead," the policeman warned through the comm. "Outside of the galaxy there's the great unknown. What happens when you finish your fuel or your air or if you're hit by a meteorite or your shields go down? There are no repair stations where you're headed, guys."

"At least we'll die free," Ryo whispered, staring intensely at Yash. "Do you really want to go through a murder trial and come out as rape victim? They'd never believe you. Everybody thinks men can't be raped anyway."

Yash was so tired of being afraid, of his anxiety attacks, of his unspoken fears... He closed his eyes, then looked at the comm screen again.

"Let us go, commander," he begged.

"I can't. Come back with me. We'll prove it was an accident, self-defense. That's what it was, wasn't it? Come on, Yash. There's nothing out there."

A ribbon of stars and then emptiness. Yash stared at the main screen. It looked very dark. But he didn't mind getting lost in that darkness. It looked like a peaceful place. Where nobody would scold him or humiliate him or abuse him in any way.

"Want me to stop?" Ryo asked, worried.

"Keep going," he whispered.

"There's no way back, Yash," Commander Suhail warned one more time, his voice a little less calm than before.

"There was never any going back," Yash replied. "I knew when I left Ypsilanti that I'd never see it again – even though I thought Jamika was still alive then." He turned to look at Ryo. "You don't have to come with me, though," he said. "It's me they're after."

"Are you kidding? And miss your delightful company for whatever is left of our lives?" Ryo smiled. "You won't get rid of me, pal. Wherever you go, I follow."

"Thanks, pal." Yash squeezed Ryo's hand and stared back at the comm screen. "I'm sorry, commander. I appreciate your words, but really – I have nowhere to go back to. So I'll keep going onward, wherever that takes me."

Commander Suhail shook his head and sighed. "Don't do it, Yash. It's yours and Ryo's certain death."

"Murderers get the death penalty on Ypsilanti, commander," Yash replied sourly. "And no lawyer can beat two combined families against a poor young man. Doesn't matter if he's the victim, he killed a woman and will be killed in return."

"Will you cut that comm?" Ryo asked. "Haven't you had enough of him?"

Yash smiled against his will and signed off. Both stared at the stars in front of them in silence for a moment.

"It seems so peaceful out here..." Yash sighed and finally relaxed. "I won't mind some quiet at last."

"Don't tell me, you're an introvert." Ryo grinned. "As if I hadn't noticed before!" He squeezed Yash's wrist. "Hey, go check if we have some kind of food dispenser and what else is provided in our new moving home!"

Yash got off his seat and went to explore the small starship. Not much for two, and it wouldn't last them years, but well... he really didn't care. Maybe he could manage to kill himself before it was really too late for Ryo to go back to civilization. But it was comforting not to be alone on his last trip.