BOOM! The ground lurched violently as another building went up in flames. Terrified screams could be heard through the thick smoke and piercing the hot night air. A small girl was running from house to house, knocking on doors and urging others to get somewhere safe.

"Come on! Get into the cellar!" she shouted as she knocked on another door. The young family inside looked up with terrified expressions. Fear was in their eyes; they had given up hope. The father stood.

"There's no point, Yusira. This is the end for all of us; don't you see? Don't try to prolong our fate." His eyes were red, as if he had been crying for a long time. Yusira growled, frustrated. "Just do as I say!" she pleaded. "If we all die, then I'd rather die knowing I tried to fight back, instead of cowering and accepting my fate." That seemed to work. Slowly, each of them nodded and headed for the small hidden trapdoor in the corner of the room. The girl moved the rug back in place and ran back outside.

More explosions shook the planet; she staggered drunkenly against a broken wall. I have to keep going! No matter what! Yusira was limping now, but did it matter? No. This is what Father would have wanted, she whispered over and over, like a spoken charm. Once, a few tears fell down her face, but she quickly wiped them away. As far as she knew, all her friends and family were dead; really there was no reason for her to stay alive. Nevertheless, she fought defiantly through the air that threatened to smother her small world.

TTTTTTTTTTTTT

BOOM! One of the houses suddenly went up in flames. Too bad this is starting to get boring, thought Brakil. I wish I had an opponent, but these little people seem to be content with running and screeching as death approached. He fired at a group of them, incinerating some and throwing the others into another destroyed building.

"Brother! Are you finished with your fun yet?" The bulky figure next to him turned and stared in disbelief. "You mean you don't enjoy this?" he called back over the noise. Brakil sighed.

"I'm saying this isn't fun anymore. All they do is run around like children. I'm getting bored."

He shrugged. "Then lets finish here and move on. The next planet on the nav computer is well known for strong fighters. Maybe one of them will be worth a duel." He smiled. Indeed it was. To top it off, Planet Vegeta wasn't very far from Tepak, a seemingly insignificant planet amidst others. Brakil aimed again at the small figures scurrying around haphazardly. One of them took the brunt of the energy blast and fell backwards. Then, surprisingly, she got back up again and crawled to a hiding spot. "Wait a minute, Thrail. I think I found one that might actually be worth a fight."

TTTTTTTTTTTTT

They were looking straight at her.

The taller one had shot first, and Yusira was still sore from the bright ball of light that hit her broadside. But she was still alive. The young native got up and tried to hide behind a small section of crumbled wall, hoping the two "monsters" hadn't truly noticed her. Nope, they definitely saw me, she thought. Another beam of light streaked towards her, at a frightening speed. Instinctively she rolled out of the way. Staying low, Yusira ran to another shelter, only to have to dodge another fireball. She sprinted to a shack that was barely upright and crouched below the broken support beams. After a bit, it became very quiet, so she peeked out through a hole in the wall. Only one of the two was there! A little curious, and a little bit more scared, she sank to the ground next to the wall and listened.

"Well, hello there. How are you?"

Startled, the girl jumped at the mocking voice and bolted for the nearest exit, but a strong arm knocked her back as if she was a mere insect.

"That's rude. Running away from a poor lonely stranger. Didn't your mother ever teach you how to greet people you don't know?" Yusira got up and tried to escape; he rewarded her efforts with a knee to the gut. She doubled over, coughing. When she tried to get away again, Brakil grabbed a handful of her hair and shook her like a fish while she yelped in pain. She felt for his hand, trying to pull it off. Suddenly she found it and flipped upside down, latching her legs onto his arm. With a swift motion, she pulled her dagger from her belt and lashed out. The slender blade sliced cleanly through her hair, and she let go of his arm. As soon as she hit the ground, she ran as fast as she could. Brakil was left standing there clutching a handful of brown hair.

The girl didn't look back. She just ran.

Brakil tossed the hair in frustration, then, out of spite, incinerated it. Supposedly, burning hair brought bad luck to the owner. He turned to follow her; she had run back to her village.

"Where are you going?" shouted Thrail.

"Finishing the job. I kind of like her; absolutely no training, yet pretty strong and resourceful. I think I might actually have fun today," he tossed over his shoulder. Thrail shrugged, and then went back to his improvised target practice. Brakil turned back and calmly followed the girl; if he chased her at full speed, he might overtake her too soon. Anyway, she might as well see her burning village before she dies.

TTTTTTTTTTTT

Yusira was getting really tired from all this running and fighting. No amount of training could have prepared me for this, she mused. Suddenly, she let out a muffled cry and nearly stumbled over the ridge. The entire village was destroyed! I thought the massacre had occurred only in the rural clearings, she moaned inwardly. Many houses were still on fire, but besides the flames and smoke, the place was deathly still. Her running slowed to a hesitant jog downhill, until she heard that menacing voice again, just behind the rise.

"I think I'll give you a nickname… how about Scales! It sounds nice, don't you think?"

Yusira gritted her teeth and ran to the nearest building. I mustn't respond to his taunts, she thought. I would not only reveal my location, but I would also show my weakness to his words. They had cut deeply, especially when he had mentioned her mother earlier.

The small tangle of rubble would be suitable for a while, but not long enough. "Surely they came in some sort of ship," she murmured. Planet Tepak had no outer space equipment, much less a ship. The seemingly insignificant planet was almost unknown among others, and the inhabitants never had a reason to leave, until now. Suddenly that wretched hand grabbed her neck and yanked her from under the fallen rocks.

"Want to know why it's such a good name?" he hissed as she struggled. "Because you're covered in such pretty green scales, and unfortunately for you, scales are not tipping in your favor." With this he hurled the poor girl into the crumbling wall headfirst. It toppled under the sheer force of the throw. The blow nearly knocked her unconscious, as she struggled to stand, and fell repeatedly. No, a little voice whispered. Don't give in. If you do, he will kill you and everyone else. Get up; get up! Slowly, she crawled through the debris, fighting to remain awake.

"Where do you think you're going, Scales? Stay and play awhile!" He grabbed her leg and swung her against another wall. The stones were red where Yusira's head had struck them. Desperately, she reached for the knife again, and this time, threw it at his chest with all her might. The tiny ray of hope that flared in her heart died instantly when the sharp screech of metal against a stronger metal filled the air. Contemptuously, he grabbed the front of her tunic and picked up her limp form.

"A knife? That would have been funny, Scales, but I'm not too fond of jok– aaAAHHH!" He dropped the girl as if she was on fire, and gripped his hand in shock. His face was twisted with pain. "WHAT DID YOU DO?" he screamed. Yusira coughed up some blood, wiped her mouth and answered.

"I bit you."

"WHAT? THAT'S IT? THIS ISN'T… AAHHH!"

He crumpled to the ground, but Yusira was already running. It was possible he was still alive, but only just. Without so much as a glance, she ran as fast as she could to the place they landed– right next to her home.

TTTTTTTTTTTT

The smoking crater was still there, and inside were the twin space pods, just as she had first discovered them. She wandered to the edge, hesitated, and then ran to the remains of her home. Perhaps there is still something I could bring with me, she pondered. Making a decision, she began sifting through the wreckage, looking for anything useful. After about five minutes of searching, she gave up. All she had were three slabs of meat, her old blowgun with a few darts, some bottles of medicines, and a leather sack to carry it all in. As she was putting away her belongings, she heard a muffled groan, coming from what remained of the house. Cautiously, she moved aside the broken pieces, knife at the ready. Suddenly she sheathed the weapon and began digging with both hands. The moaning quieted for a moment, and Yusira heard labored breathing. She moved one more support beam and there! An older Tepakian closely resembling her lay in the broken heap. "Father?" she whispered, almost not daring to believe. The injured Tepakian slowly opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Yusira."

"Yes, Father?"

"I… I won't last long. But… before I die I want you to… find something for me."

"What is it?" She was trying not to cry; her father could see it.

"There is a small trapdoor… right below where my room was. It has something special… that I made for you."

Yusira ran to the other side of the house. His room was scorched from floor to what was left of the ceiling. It was the only part of the house that was still slightly intact; yet she couldn't help but glance upward at the precarious roof. She quickly found the movable board and pulled out something carefully wrapped in animal hides. She brought this to her father. He nodded and painfully unwrapped it. Inside was a set of specialized armor, the kind she would have earned if she had finished her warrior training. He handed this to her, and said, "This is your armor, beloved daughter; wear it with honor…" As she was examining it, she saw a small object fall from the folds of the leather. Surprised, she picked it up. When her father noticed it, he sighed contentedly. "That is the last thing I have of your mother," he said. "I gave it to her… before she died. Now I give it to you…" His voice failed, and he relaxed completely. Yusira bowed her head, donned the warrior armor, and put the small wooden object on her belt. She was curious to look at it, but there would be time for that on the trip. As for her armor, it was lightweight and flexible, yet strong. She stood and walked to the edge of the great hole in the ground.

Taking one last sorrowful look at her doomed planet, she turned and started down the steep crater.