Author's Notes

Gee, I scare myself sometimes. Like the nightmare in the beginning of this chapter. To all those who haven't had a huge, mind**** of a nightmare, let me tell ya, you'll get one someday. Don't worry – well, do worry, you can't expect what your subconscious will dish out. Most likely it will serve up a huge, steamy bowl of WTF and OMG OMG OMG WAKE UP WAKE UP WAKE UP!

Before you yell at me for all the gore, my friend has alerted me to the large amount of gore in a single scene in the fourth Twilight book, which is targeted at teens. Also, I promise this will be the only gory scene. If I break my word, then feel free to... do something. I'll also put the nightmare in bold, so you can skip it if you like. It's not plot important, anyway.

On a lighter note, the second listed character shows his face.

Hey, Nickelodeon. I promise to clean up my mess after I'm done playing with the toys you had Jhonen Vasquez make. I've even made my own! *points at Saki Hir*

That night, she dreamed she was alone in a dark room with the Tallest. She was Irken again, but she had Vortian legs and horns, and there were blotches of purple on her skin that reminded her of bruises. Both of the Tallest were smirking at her. "Look at her, Purple, isn't she a freak?" Red sneered.

"Yeah. I can't think of anyone quite as freaky as her. Zim doesn't even cut it close." Purple bobbed his head as he spoke. "What should we do with her?"

"I think we should cut her open, and see what makes her tick." Red seemed eager for bloodshed.

"Or, we could put her on display for everyone to see! We could make people pay to see her, so we have even more monies to by food with!"

"Why not do both?" A table appeared behind her. Cuffs flew out of it and grabbed her, then reeled her in. A table drone walked in, dressed in black, carrying a tray of old-fashioned surgery tools – old-fashioned in the Irken and Vortian senses, anyway. They were still being used in Human hospitals, and some were even alien things the Humans would probably never think of. Not that Vortians and Irkens knew that.

Suddenly, lights turned on overhead, revealing an entire audience of Irkens. "Wow, we sure sold out fast, huh Red?"

Red smiled down at Tak "Of course we did. Who wouldn't want to see the Tallest rip apart some freak?"

Someone in the audience gasped. "That's what this is?"

Red ignored him. "Ladies and Gentelmen, good evening. I hope you've eaten dinner, because I don't think you'll want any after our little show." He grabbed a scalpel from the tray. "If you're weak of heart or squeedily spooch, please leave now. I know I wouldn't want to get barfed on, so I'm sure I speak for the person in front of you."

Purple grabbed a marker and drew lines where the incisions would be made. "She's all yours, Red."

Tak started to breathe heavier."No, my Tallest! Don't hurt me! I... I don't want to die like this!" she pleaded. "Please?"

Red looked at his co-ruler. "Purple?"

"Yes, Red?"

"Sew her mouth shut."

"Will do!" Purple took a hand-held stitching machine and held her mouth shut, then ran it over her lips. Her pleas and screams were trapped behind lips and stitches. "There. I don't think she'll protest any more."

The crimson-eyed Irken's smile seemed to reach across his face. He then started to cut away at her skin. Tak's screams of pain were muffled, and tears ran down her cheeks. No one seemed to want to lift a finger to get her off the table. She had a chance of survival if the freak show was called off before Red could do further damage. "Oh, look, here's her muscles. Should we go deeper?"

The crowd roared in reply.

"Good." Red plunged his scalpel into her muscle tissue, slicing it off and placing it on a second drone's tray. "Oh, look, here's all the squishy stuff." Quickly, he reached in and ripped an organ out, then held it high for the crowd to see as her blood dripped onto him like a grizzly shower. She passed out.

Tak's eyes snapped open. It was raining, her body was covered in sweat,and she was no longer asleep. Or was she dead? She reached behind her back to feel for a PAK, and found the back of her prisoner uniform. She sighed in relief.

Tak then went back to sleep, but woke up when a large hole got blown in the wall for some reason. Outside, a spittle runner hung above the shipyard. Curiously took a hold of her and she rose from her bed to look outside. More importantly, however, she was also checking to see if she could possibly escape. As she crept up to the hole, something scary caught her eye. A hooded figure was running towards her cell! She fought the urge to scream, dashed back to her bed and pulled the covers over her head. Not that it will do me any good, she thought. They probably already saw me.

Moments later, she heard a grunt. The person had entered her cell. Slowly, they peeled back the sheets. Alright. Time for self defense!

"KYAAAH!" She lept on the person, pinning them to the ground. She slipped the hood back, revealing a familiar face... one she'd seen in crime watch pictures... she gasped. "You're the Resisty guy!"

At the same time, he shouted, "You're the Irken girl!"

They stared at each other for a moment, then he pushed her off of him and stood up. "Where's Saki?" he asked

"... Death Row."

"What for?"

"I dunno... she and a priest formed a... prayer circle-ish thing for a guy who got his eye burnt out."

A small chuckle escaped his lips. "That's Saki. Come on." He flipped his hood up, then looked at her. "Hmmm... you should probably hide your identity..." Quickly, he grabbed the sheets from the bed and handed them to her. "Wear this as a hood."

"Umm... okay." She wrapped it over her head and tied it. "Is this good?"

"Yeah, that's great." He turned and climbed out of the hole, and she slowly followed behind. "See that Spittle Runner? It's ours."

"What... oh, you... stole it?"

"Yeah." He grabbed her wrist and ran with her to the runner. By now, guards were coming out of the prison to stop them. "Halt!"

"Resisty... guy!" Tak yelled. "They're gaining!"

"Oh, geez, is that what Irkens refer to me as?" Tak's statement was true, the guards were getting closer, but so was the Spittle Runner. Its altitude decreased, and a gangway extended from it. They dashed up the gangway, and just before the guards grabbed them, the door closed. Tak slid down the door with relief, while Resisty Guy went off somewhere. She rubbed her face as she tried to bring his name to the surface of her memory. It didn't come to her. "Well, crap."

Resisty Guy came back. "Hey."

"Hey."

"In case you're wondering, we're heading over to death row."

"I figured you would."

Silence. "Do you want to come?"

"Sure."

There was more silence until the door opened. Tak fell backwards down the ramp, shouting exclamations of pain as she tumbled.

"You okay?" Resisty Guy shouted from the top.

"Yeah, I'm fine." She got up and turned to see death row prisoners staring at her through another hole in the wall.

Tak did what any sensible girl would do.

She blushed. "Well... heh heh... that was graceful."

"Tak!"

She perked up when she heard Saki Hir's voice. "Saki Hir! Where are you?"

Her friend stood up and waved. "Help me get this guy to his feet!"

Tak climbed in the hole. She saw Saki Hir and the priest kneeling by Mil Tayne, who was holding his eye and moaning. "His eye got infected," Saki Hir explained, "and now pus is coming out. He's running a high fever, and he's been having delusions. We think it might be Siabis."

"What's that?"

"It kills quickly and swift. He needs medical treatment as soon as possible." the priest said. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Resisty Guy coming through the hole.

That's when all hell broke loose. Irkens came in and started to bust up a bunch of Vortians. They obviously weren't expecting a riot to form, which it did. Saki Hir held Mil Tayne close, protecting him from any blows. An Irken started to go for her, but Tak kicked him in the gut, then while he was doubled over in pain, she held his shoulder and punched him in the same area. More Irkens drew near, and Tak's Invader training kicked in. Sure, some of the stances she had to adjust for, but she felt she did good enough. Resisty Guy grabbed Saki Hir by the wrist. "Saki, let's get out of here."

"Okay. Help me carry Mil Tayne to the ship, okay, Nar?"

Nar.

Lard Nar? That sounds right.

Tak watched the priest follow the trio out, then dashed to the hole and climbed out herself. Lard Nar was standing at the ship's door. He smiled at her. "Are you coming with us?"

"Hell yeah!" She ran up the gangway into the ship.