Chapter 13

For reasons Threv didn't understand, some of the Humans on Starbase 1 referred to the Commercial Building as "the Mall" - a word for which he could find no equivalent in Andorii.

Since the starbase's opening, numerous business owners had come and gone from the facility, some staying only a short visit while others set up shop long-term. When he finished a shift, Threv often liked to stroll through the Mall and see what was on offer this week before returning to his quarters.

He was doing so less often, ever since his zhen bondmate Azhri started working in Sal's Diner. He no longer found the diner to be a haven from his family, especially as Azhri now knew about his panic attacks in combat. He had deflected every attempt she made to discuss it further, wanting only to put it behind him and forget about it for now. Sooner or later though, he knew he would have to confront the issue, but he took some enforced solace in thinking it wouldn't be any time soon.

Currently, he was still on-duty, assigned to patrolling the Commercial Building. Some of his fellow troops had referred to it as "mall cop duty." Colonel Kostopoulos had put several MACOs on the same task, both here and elsewhere on the base, as additional security for the Orion visitors.

Threv suspected that the Orions weren't fully trusted, and, from what he knew of them, this was a wise precaution. The green-skins had been known to the Andorian Empire for almost a century, and the relationship had not been a favourable one for the most part.

Many of the refugees now filled the Mall, the ground floor bustling with them. This level was mainly for the temporary businesses, most of them open stalls, although Sal's was on the far side of the building. The Orions clustered around the stalls, bantering and bargaining with the vendors, while some generally milled around chatting.

As per the rumours Threv had heard about the species, there was a great deal of viridescent flesh on display and very little clothing. Several Humans and other aliens were noticeably distracted by the sights on offer. Threv saw a mother pulling both her young son and husband along by their hands while they gawped, and a group of teenagers not-so-subtly staring at a quartet of Orion women eating something called "ice cream" quite messily.

Threv had to retract his own forward-facing antennae at that last sight, reminding himself he was bonded and didn't need any more relationship complications. His bondmates were already keeping him busy enough lately, another reason he was reluctant to return to his quarters. Thankfully he was patrolling this level solo, so no one saw his embarrassing slip-up. He was also grateful that their rifles had been deemed unnecessary for such light duty, making him less prominent and a bit less encumbered. Part of him did feel naked without it though, a thought he immediately tried to quash.

He turned down an avenue of food stalls, savouring the mix of aromas, and marched as casually as possible between the rows of vendors. Staying alert, he spotted a burly, shirtless Orion man loudly haggling with a big-eared Tiburonian merchant over some fruit just ahead of him. The argument seemed to be becoming heated, so Threv slowed his pace in case his intervention was required. Although his antennae fell back warily, inside Threv was hoping things didn't turn violent. He was just starting to enjoy the peaceful mall cop duty.

Suddenly, the Tiburonian flicked his head to the side and shouted, "Hey!"

Threv also turned his gaze to see another Orion male - ganglier, with wild hair and eyes to match - grabbing a piece of fruit from the stall. At the merchant's shout, the gangly Orion fled.

"Stop! Thief!" shouted the Tiburonian.

Inwardly, Threv cringed, but his sense of duty powered his feet into a run, after the fleeing Orion. It was likely that the larger man was in league with the thief, acting as a distraction, but right now all that mattered was stopping the crime in progress.

The thief's lanky frame gave him a good head-start on Threv, but the Andorian guardsman had the benefit of relentless physical fitness regime, and he swiftly started to catch up.

Soon, the thief turned into an area where the crowd was thicker. Unaware of the situation, the throng before him would not part easily, and he was essentially up against a wall of people. He started to run back the way he came, irrationally, only to stop in his tracks at the sight of Threv.

Keeping his panting as controlled as possible, Threv withdrew his phase pistol, eliciting gasps from the now-attentive crowd. Quickly confirming that the weapon was set to stun, he aimed it at the thief.

"Put your hands over your head and get on your knees," he ordered, mustering all the authority he could.

The thief's manic eyes looked around him in alarm. Seeing no obvious escape, he reached his free hand behind his back.

He's going for a weapon! Threv thought immediately. With a honed, instinctive reaction, he fired his pistol, dropping the thief to the floor with a blue bolt.

Both Threv and the assembled onlookers needed a moment to recover from this. Then, a shout from behind him made Threv jump and turn to the source.

"He shot him! This stator rell shot Jaffu!" It was the larger Orion who had been arguing with the merchant. He glared menacingly at Threv.

Threv kept his pistol drawn but lowered, holding up his other hand passively. "He's just stunned, he'll be fine. Please, stay back…"

"This is how they treat us! Are we gonna let them?" the big Orion shouted to the crowd. Others started yelling as well. Threv's heart started pounding in his chest. His eyes flitted over the people surrounding him, many of them Orions, until they were a blur. He needed to calm them down, and quick, but he could barely keep himself calm. The crowd seemed to enclose him, deafening him with their angry roars, backing him against the wall.

When they eventually rushed him, he ran.