I winced at the sound of her scream. This was going to be noticed. My hand shot out to seize the female by the throat, careful not to kill her outright. I had been present for the conquest of a handful of worlds, but when it wasn't necessary it was easy to forget that most beings came apart if you applied the right amount of force. I repeated myself, this time in Basic. This whole situation would have been much easier if I hadn't lost my ear piece.

"Come with me."

I cycled through a few different languages, waiting for some kind of understanding or response. I didn't get any. No attempts at responding and no que from her body language either.

This female looked like she had some kind of cultural significance. Where many wore tight, almost non-existent clothing of a number of different colors, this one wore a yellow silken dress. A color and garb I hadn't seen among the other members of the populous. Hopefully I hadn't just been unlucky enough not to catch the others. My eyes drifted lower. At a closer glance this one's clothing was just as revealing, just in a different manner. The material was thin, and under it I was a form I found immediately distracting. The cloth seemed to melt into curves in a number of places that sent my instincts into disarray. She was tall, even for most Viltrumite women, only my fathers blood kept her from towering over me.

Like the rest of this world, she smelled fragrant and honeyed. Something about it seemed distinctly feline. Her heart was beating fast, like a birds would. I looked up, pulled from my thoughts at the sound of a choking gasp. Her hands desperately grabbed at my wrist, the female fighting to breathe. I relaxed slightly. I was sure I hadn't crushed her throat, but there was a difference in durability even among the weaker species. I began to fly back to the treeline when I was certain she was breathing, if with some difficulty.

I heard a few of the natives call out to me as I left, but I ignored them for now. My past few battles had proven well enough that even those we dismissed in the past were capable of putting our abilities to the test. I blinked when a fist met my face with more power than I expected. I glanced back at the female as we tore through the air, our pace scattering leaves and branches from the trees below in our wake. Her expression was fierce, once well cared for hair splayed into a mess of red strands in every direction. Fear had been quick to turn to violence for this one. Admirable, but not very smart. The blows didn't stop as the city fell more and more out of sight.

She was stronger than anything on my mothers side of the family, but far weaker than any Viltrumite. Perhaps closer to one of the larger animals on the planet. It spoke well of this species' potential as members of the empire. Either way I was getting annoyed, Her screaming was beginning to bother my ears. Once we were far enough away for me to feel comfortable about anything following us my feet impacted the earth with a thwoom. If this place was completely foreign to any of my kind I would need to acclimate.

I sighed. Learning a language without a common tongue between us was going to be painful even for me, and there was no telling whether the information I do get out of the female is accurate. Better to get started quickly. Once I had a way to communicate I could work to find out where exactly I was. I could learn many things with ease. Patience wasn't one of them.

I looked back over to the female, still struggling to remove herself from my grip. My fist struck past her face and at a tree behind her, all but obliterating the trunk and sending splinters flying in the opposite direction.

"Behave."

She froze, her eyes going from me to the wooden remains scattered about the forest floor. My brow rose at the stuttered, tearful response.

"P-please don't hurt me. I'll do whatever you want. "

My head tilted, the accent was strange but she was easy to comprehend. I'm not usually one to make a mistake. Perhaps my luck wasn't as poor as I thought.

"So you can understand me. Good. I have questions about your world and it's peoples. I'd see them answered. Do so and I see no reason we can't handle this in a relatively civilized manner. Do you understand?"

At her nod I continued, drawing closer to her and placing a hand just above one of her breasts, holding her in place by the hip. I ignored her gasp.

"Are you an average example of your species? Do you believe any among them have displayed a level of strength similar to my own?" She shuddered, tearfully shaking her head. She seemed too frightened to lie, while fear and differences in biology made reading a heartbeat difficult I might be able to pick up on whether or not she was giving me a falsehood. Right now I was inclined to believe her.

"Has your planet encountered alien life before or I am the first you know of?" I was disapointed by the quivering female in my arms, the fire from earlier had all but sputtered out. It wasn't unexpected but it was still a shame to see. This species did seem overly emotional. Then again everyone did when we came to take over.

"Yes." The words came out in a hushed whisper. At my silence she reiterated. "We've met other peoples in the past."

"Would you say your kind is familiar with the larger galactic community?" I listened carefully to her heartbeat. These next questions would be important.

"Yes." No change in heartbeat.

"Have you heard of Viltrumites?"

"No." Nothing. I drew away from her, my hand wiping down my face. I'm beginning to think the worst possibility is one of the most likely. I needed a terminal I could understand, star-charts, a planet I recognized to orient myself with. I turned back to the female. With distance between us she seemed to be calming down, gathering herself.

"I notice you dress differently. Are you an individual of any import to this world?" She looked down at her clothing, probably noticing for herself why I went after her in particular.

"I'm from a high family in Kathas, the city we were in. We share some blood with the royal family there." I smirked. I chose correctly then.

"How common is my language on this world? Are there any terminals programmed in a way I can understand?" This time her answer was immediate.

"No, it isn't common. I only learned it from our... touching." She seemed to struggle with the word. That was interesting. Some kind of telepathy connected to touch maybe? I restrained myself from asking more about it. I could always find out later. The situation was bad but I could make due with a translator, and there was no need to hide myself in the woodland.

"Take me to your dwelling. If you manage well enough to speak for me I won't have to do anything... unfortunate to your people." A number of different expressions flashed across her face, but after a moment of looking at me she floated into the air, taking off in the direction we had just come from. I chose to follow, deciding I needed time to think about what I would do next. What I might do without a home to return to.

When the initial terror faded somewhat Sornand'r's upbringing began to take over. She was of the High Families. She had been trained for the potential of an abduction either by slavers or those looking for a ransom from her father. It was as jarring as she had been led to believe it would be, and even worse it was from an unknown. This alien was not of a people she was familiar with. Her first guess had been Kryptonian, he was strong enough for it, but even with their peoples poor relations in the past there was little reason for one to come here. Not to mention his questions. They didn't make sense for a Kryptonian, at least for one who knew their history. The planet had been destroyed.

It was possible, she would need to look into the species to know for sure.

What was a Viltrumite? Was that his people? Why did it matter to him whether she knew of them or not?

She looked back at her abductor. He wasn't paying full attention to her, only occasionally looking back to her from his thoughts to make sure she wasn't trying to escape. Sornand'r was tempted to try, but he had proven himself as terrifyingly fast as he was strong. And his threat... She had a responsibility to try and preserve as many lives as possible. She had to keep her people from attacking, try and keep him from doing the same.

The amount of time it took for them to return was disturbing. Over a half hour at her top speed and the alien managed it in a few minutes. He didn't seem like he'd have trouble going faster either. She caught sight of several spots in the distance. There were probably already patrols out looking for her. She stopped, looking over to the alien she was quickly starting to hate.

"Better go tell them the news." He drawled, a superior smirk on his face. The warning was implied, but it was still there. She took off ahead of him as quickly as she could.

"Lady Sornand'r! We heard you had been attacked, taken by an alien! What happened? Your family fears the worst." She distantly recognized the man leading the group- Ralos, a guard for her younger brother, a captain now that he had grown older. His concern was understandable. Most who were successfully taken never returned. A consequence of natural beauty was a high value as a pleasure slave. She had lost an aunt to that practice. She didn't let the relief of seeing him distract her from the situation.

"I was, but he wants something else. I need you to tell the other patrols to stop looking for me, bring them back to the palace and have them on standby. Under no circumstances are they to attack the being that accompanies me there."

"My lady-" Her stare silenced any argument from the man, even as those behind him raised their weapons at something approaching from behind her. She kept her eyes on Ralos even as the alien floated up beside her, his arms crossed.

"Do you understand?" He nodded, looking to his men.

"Stand down." Knives, axes, and a number of guns were lowered at the command. Those behind Ralos looking conflicted but following the order.

"Stand down." The being repeated to them, testing the words in his mouth. He hummed, the smirk on his face growing at the expressions of the warriors. She grimaced. He was testing them, seeing if they would follow her command past the taunt. She nodded at them.

The tension surrounding the group didn't fade, but reluctantly Ralos and his band turned back to the city in the distance, immediately making to report this to her father and the rest of her family. She hoped it would be enough.

"Well done girl. It might not feel good for you, but I can be diplomatic when it calls for it. I see no reason to spill unnecessary blood here." He said, his tone uncaring. Sornand'r turned to him.

"Why are you here? What do you want from us?" She questioned, fearing the answer.

"I don't know how I got here. As for what I'll do or what I want..." Arhann, son of Thragg, looked out to a world he found unfamiliar, and frowned.

"I'm not sure yet."