Another movement. A scrape. Aurelia levels her plasmashot weapon and moves very quietly forward. She peeks around an exceptionally high pile of discarded robotic parts. The traitor, he is right there. Less than ten feet away. His back is to her and he is peering around yet another wide pile of rusted arachnoid parts. He is looking for her. Well, here she is.

  Aurelia does not bother to think. She simply leaps.

  -

  -

  However, halfway through her ill-conceived attack, Aurelia's brain screams out a stern warning.

  "Fire that weapon in here and his friends will be on you before you know it," her mind says. "Hand to hand combat, then. You can take him. You've got the element of surprise."

  Aurelia suppresses a feral yell as she rushes towards the Cthulhu traitor. The creature spins to face her, leveling his weapon in her direction. Anticipating such a move, Aurelia raises her right leg and easily kicks the weapon from her rival's hand. Almost too easily.

  To Captain Hilyard's surprise, rather than lash out in defense, the Cthulhu cousin simply grins. Bright ribbons of red and yellow light traverse the tentacles along the traitor's face, neck, and shoulders. He appears to be extremely overjoyed. Is he laughing at her?

  Unlike Mr. Yoth, this particular Cthulhu creature has precious few tentacles on his backside. The main bulk of the stranger's tentacles stop midway down his shoulders. In fact, besides the dozen or so waving tentacles Aurelia can visibly count, he doesn't seem much like a Cthulhu Cousin at all--appearing more human than creature. Well, except for his rubbery skin and odd coloring.

  The lack of a fiery response from her adversary causes anger to surge within Aurelia. How dare he make fun of her? They will soon see who gets the last laugh.

  In the few seconds it takes for Aurelia to complete her mental assessment of the situation, the Cthulhu creature moves one step forward. His grayish-blue eyes are full of mischief and delight as he silently observes the human captain. Aurelia draws her second plasmashot pistol from the leather holster on her hip. She aims both weapons at the traitor, preparing to take him out should he give her enough reason. With luck, she may be able to get him topside before his lackeys realize there is a problem. In which case, the traitor can be brought before the Terran and Cthulhu councils to stand trial.

  "Who are you?" Aurelia inquires in a hoarse whisper.

  The creature does not respond. He only grins. His indifferent reaction incenses Aurelia even further. She jerks her father's weapon in the traitor's direction.

  "I said...Who the hell are you? And why won't you answer me?" Aurelia hisses through clenched teeth. "And wipe that stupid grin off of your traitor face before I shoot it off. You killed my father, you bastard! And for that...You're gonna pay. One way...Or another."

  "Hmph. You won't fire that weapon," comes the low rumbling reply. "You wouldn't dare. My men would be here faster than I would bet you can run. It wouldn't end pleasantly for you."

  The Cthulhu cousin takes yet another smooth step in Aurelia's direction, his gray-blue eyes narrowing. His voice reaches her ears like soft rolling thunder.

  "On the surface, I'm sure your friends are already in custody. If anyone is going to pay...I think it will be you. Besides...The safety function is still activated on your weapons."

  "Huh?" Aurelia says, her mouth gaping. "No, it's n--"

  That is all the hesitation the Cthulhu cousin needs. Aurelia does a half spin and feints to the left as the traitor suddenly lashes out. She nearly yelps as a cold hand grips her right wrist--another hand tightly grasping her middle. Reminding herself that she is a ship's captain, and not some random crewman, Aurelia maintains control over her emotions. She must appear unafraid. Even if that is the opposite of what she is feeling at the moment.

  Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.

  Ramming an elbow into what she hopes is the traitor's torso, Aurelia grunts in satisfaction at the creature's sharp exhale. Yet, Aurelia does yelp when he forcefully pulls her to him. Her back is pressed firmly into his wide chest, and a gray tentacle snakes its way across her throat.

  In the next second, the Cthulhu cousin completely disarms her, tossing both plasma pistols aside. The individual weapons land on separate piles of arachnoid skeletons. A sarcastic chortle escapes the traitor's half human lips. He quickly spins Aurelia to face him, studying her face with impish glee.

  "You are prettier than many of the females in the ancient texts. But then, again...They are just pictures. And for some reason...The females within the sacred texts are often screaming or showing intense agony. Not a very attractive way to be seen," the creature mutters mostly to himself. "Then...Are you not going to prostrate yourself before me? Unclothe yourself and lie down on the ground in front of my feet? Is there to be no dancing by firelight? No lively rituals and softly spoken incantations? Not a single proclamation of undying love to garner my protection? I find it strange that you come to me with only threats. You don't even know who I am?"

  At first, Aurelia is too stunned to react. Is this being simple in the head? Prostrate herself? Unclothe herself? Dancing by firelight? What the hell? This is the twenty-third century...Not the third.

  "I don't have to know who you are!" Aurelia growls. "All I need to know is that you're the commander of the ship which killed my father eight years ago. And like I told you before....You will pay for that. And, if you've harmed my friends..."

  "You'll do what? You no longer have a weapon, and I am in control of the situation now."

  "Ha. You think so?" Aurelia scoffs.

  Raising up her right knee, Aurelia rams it into the Cthulhu traitor's crotch. His eyes widen and the tentacle gently holding her throat loosens somewhat. Taking advantage of this brief moment of shock, Aurelia reaches up and grips his broad shoulders. She knees the creature a second time. The Cthulhu creature wobbles on his feet. However, rather than go down alone, the traitor uses his weight to bear Aurelia to the ground with him.

  Falling heavily in a heap, the traitor beast begins to laugh. Aurelia lies beneath him, sprawled on her back. Having had the wind knocked almost completely out of her, the captain stares blankly up at the cavern ceiling. She regains her senses as the traitor lifts himself from atop her. He alters his former position so that he is straddling Aurelia's torso, his mocking laughter making the captain's blood boil.

  "You are not as tough as you would like to believe. Maybe you should just give up? I may even allow you and your crew to depart without incident. I have been known to be generous in the past."

  "Go to hell, you murderer!"

  "Nuh-uh. You're not being very nice. That is not how you should address your god," the mocking laughter again. "And I am your god...Aren't I?"

  Bending forward, the Cthulhu cousin peers down at Aurelia with a gleeful expression. Aurelia watches with odd fascination as his neck tentacles writhe near her face. She follows them with her eyes as they slowly move downward. However, her eyes widen when two tentacles enter the bodice of her blouse.

  "What are you--" Aurelia's says, before her voice fades. "Oh..."

  The captain's eyes soften, and her mouth hangs slack, as the traitor's tentacles play along her flesh. Mr. Yoth's words, speaking of warm past encounters and casual conquests, replay in Aurelia's mind. Maybe this is why cult maidens used to flock to his threshold in untold numbers. Yes, maybe this is why.

  "Ow!" Aurelia shrieks, as the rubbery suckers along those same tentacles latch onto her skin with painful suction.

  Aurelia reaches up with her right hand and smacks the Cthulhu creature across the left side of his partially tentacled face. Shaking her head, to ward off any remaining haziness, Aurelia raises her left knee and slams it into the Cthulhu creature's wide back. He falls forward with a halting laugh, arresting his downward descent by pressing both palms into the rust-colored dirt. His tentacles gradually slither out of the front of Aurelia's blouse. He changes position again, still laughing that dumb laugh, kneeling beside Aurelia and offering her his hand.

  "A feisty one, I see. Haha. The ancient texts spoke of those too. Eventually, you also will come to know my charms. Or, so it is written."

  Aurelia gives the traitor the stink eye while deciding whether or not to take his hand. A tentacle near the center of the creature's throat moves aside. Aurelia catches the smallest glimpse of a teal colored amulet with a very familiar symbol.

  "Wait?" Aurelia gasps, quickly bringing herself to a sitting position. "How the hell did you get that?"

  "How the hell did I get what?" the traitor asks.

  "That amulet...The one you wear around your neck. Where did you get it? That symbol belongs to the House of Yoth. Who are you? Are why do you act so...Stupid?"

  "Actually. I don't know," the Cthulhu creature says with a solemn expression. "As for the amulet...I've worn it since I can remember. It came with the book of spells."

  For what is easily the tenth time, in as many minutes, Aurelia is left speechless.