Skyla didn't tell Maia, obviously. How could she? It wasn't that her friend wouldn't believe her; it was because that she would tell Skyla that the idea was ludicrous and she shouldn't put her faith into someone she'd barely known for a fortnight. And she'd be right, of course. Not to mention, if Baen thought Maia was involved in any way...she'd suffer too if everything went wrong. And that was something Skyla wanted to avoid at all costs. If the situation was different and she actually trusted Marco, she might ask her Cazar friend to come with them...but as it stood, she'd have to leave her here a little longer.

There was no way Skyla was going to abandon her friends, no chance in hell. She'd escape, contact the authorities and get them to raid the facility, saving all the slaves and ending Baen's horrific reign. At least, that was the idea. So for the moment, Maia remained oblivious to Skyla and Marco's plan.

It was another 3 days before Marco contacted her again, in a different way, as he had said. She'd been worried that he wouldn't get in touch with her, and that he'd ditched the plan. She needn't have worried though, as he kept true to his word...for now.

They were queuing for food in the slave's mess hall when he brushed passed her, slipping something into her pocket as he did. Her heart immediately began hammering with anticipation and she had to take a moment to calm herself.

Several agonising hours had passed before she was able to reach into her pocket under the cover of her blanket. The quiet snores of the other slaves could be heard as she drew out a large leaf, from the bamboo plant. It had only a few words on it,

'Draw map of facility – in detail. Leave under bottom left corner of mattress. M'

Thanking the stars that Maia had taught her how to read and write, Skyla ripped the leaf into little pieces and flushed them down the toilet when she next visited the bathroom.

The words had instantly brought to mind a visual map of the facility. Part of her self-training had been to memorise the location of every room in the complex. She'd done this by travelling all over the facility daily, noting key markers and defining details that allowed her to plug them into her brain. The facility spread out in her mind like an actual map as she remembered every room and its contents. It was obvious that Marco didn't just want their location, but also full security details too. She could give him that.

The next day, she plucked a leaf from the same plant, where it wouldn't be missed, and set about drawing the facility as best she could from memory. Using a Pinkle Plant Needle she scratched out a new sector whenever she had a free minute and could find somewhere secluded enough. It was lucky the bamboo leaf was flexible, like paper, and didn't tear when folded. She didn't trust her pockets so she kept it in her shoe when she was working.

Bit by bit, the map came together over the day and before bed, she placed it under her mattress, as instructed. Secretly, she was quite proud of it. Not only had she managed to fit every room on the single leaf, but she'd also included every camera she knew of, where the security system for every room lay and which doors needed which codes. All in a clear, detailed lay out. At least that would show Marco how willing she was to help...if he kept up his side of the bargain.

That night, she lay in bed wide awake, thinking.

Since her conversation with Marco in the artefact's room, she'd been thinking a lot about the galaxy outside the facility. She'd been a slave all her life and had only seen two worlds. She didn't remember her parents, or if she'd had any relatives at all, her early memories were all a blur and she couldn't tell when and where they had happened. Before she'd been bought by Baen she'd grown up working as a miner on Hoven digging for Raritanium at an illegal mining facility. The temperature had never been above -18 degrees Celsius and the slaves were provided with little thermal clothing. But Skyla had survived, somehow, for nearly 7 years. She'd been cared for by a kind Kerwanian until the age of 6 when a freak accident had snatched her from Skyla's life. After that, Skyla had fended for herself. It had been too cold to fight or make trouble and she had no friends to look out for her. In the mines, it was every man for himself. So Skyla's rebellious nature had been suppressed and she'd simply gotten on with her work then. That was until the Blargian businessman saw her.

He'd been taking a tour of the mining facility when he spotted Skyla amongst the workers. How he recognised her species under the grime and dirt that coated her fur, Skyla did not know, but the fact that he did changed her life.

The businessman had pointed her out to the owner and asked about her, and why she was working as a common slave. The owner, another Blargian with considerably less intelligence, had scratched his head, not knowing what it was about this particular slave that had caught his partner's interest. To him, she was just another worker.

But once the businessman had explained that Lombaxes were extinct in the universe, making her the last of her kind, comprehension began to dawn on the owner. And when the other Blarg mentioned how much he could sell her for, the owner was convinced. The two simple words 'money' and 'lots' were enough to make up his tiny little mind, so he decided to do as the businessman said and sell her on, reaping some of the profits.

With that, Skyla was snatched from life on Hoven and promptly hauled away to the nearest major slave auction.

That was where Baen had found and bought her, and she'd been on Florana ever since.

When she first arrived, she'd been incredibly difficult, bordering on feral. She quickly worked out that Baen wasn't going to kill her for any reason, so her defiant side blossomed. Most of the slaves had steered clear of her during the early months in order to avoid the random violent outbursts she was prone to. Maia and Jaymz, however, stuck through with her, patiently waiting for her wild side to cool and for her more sane nature to emerge. They also worked to gain her trust, which proved somewhat difficult as young Skyla was not quick to trust any creature. It'd taken a while, but they'd got there eventually. Now, they were like family, and Skyla couldn't imagine life without them.

It seemed universally accepted amongst the slaves that they'd live and die on this planet, in this facility, never seeing other worlds, just working until they faded away into death. Maia and Jaymz thought the same, and while Skyla knew they were probably right, part of her still pined for another life.

Then Marco had arrived and suddenly, a new door had opened...and was that light on the other side?

Freedom – a new life.

Skyla sucked in a breath where she lay. What if they actually made it? What if, by some bizarre freak of nature, they actually escaped? Already, she'd planned what she'd do.

Step 1) [part B] Contact authorities and rescue slaves.

Step 2) Imprison Baen and his guards (the government would take care of that...maybe they'd even be executed).

Step 3) Remove contents of facility and see them safely transferred to a museum/breeding programme.

Step 4) Destroy facility OR put it to good use.

Step 5) Find relatives (if any) for every slave.

Step 6) Relocation for those who want it and have no living relatives.

Step 7) Live out life in peace – free.

If all of these steps happened, not necessarily in order, Skyla would be content.

It was a beautiful picture. But there was a million to one chance of it actually being painted...but a chance it was.

And even if Marco's plan worked and they did escape and all their dreams come true...it wouldn't be perfect, not for Skyla. Her biggest dream would never come true. They could escape, be free, live, eat and die as they pleased...but Skyla would still be the last of her kind. She would still be Skyla, the last Lombax. Nothing in the galaxy could change that. She would still be alone in that aspect. Forever.

Sighing, she turned over in her bed. It wasn't good for her to think like that, it only made her depressed and sapped her hope. Anyway, it was no use dwelling on her lonely existence now, she had a list to follow! And Step 1 Part A – Escape.

By the next day, the plan had gone. Skyla's stomach had literally flipped when she looked and noted its absence. It felt like cogs had actually been set in motion and were beginning to turn some great machine. She'd done her bit, though she didn't think her job was done...and so she awaited further instructions from Marco.

Throughout the day Skyla's mind kept wandering off, taking her back again and again to thoughts of escape and freedom. It was hard for her to concentrate on her work, and several times she had to pinch herself to make sure she was still awake and not off in some dream land.

One thought in particular kept nagging at her – Baen. Deep down, she knew that even if Marco was telling the truth and did have a plan of escape...Baen wouldn't let her just walk out and leave her free to meander across the galaxy. He'd come after her. And knowing him, he would have every one of his guards out looking for her. They'd scour the entire galaxy until they found her and brought her back, unless she found the authorities first.

The Novalian was so possessive of her, though he had a funny way of showing it. He was fine with her attacking and insulting the guards, but if any of them hurt her back and he found out...they could get in a heap of trouble. Most of the time, Skyla hid her injuries, visiting Xavier in secret and getting them treated with minimum fuss. That way, the fighting stayed relatively private.

Some guards Skyla even had a grudging respect for, Grignak being one of them. He never insulted her, or hit her, or did anything mean spirited toward her. He never said much, but Skyla could tell he was different from the others. The other guards looked at her with horrible, patronising looks that taunted and irked her to no end. Grignak never looked at her like that; his eyes remained impassive most of the time. There was a time when Skyla had been in such a bad state after one of Baen's punishments that she'd collapsed metres from the lab door. Grignak had rushed over to help her and as she looked up at him, for a very brief moment she thought she saw genuine concern in his eyes. The look had passed quickly and he aided her into the lab, leaving her with Xavier. When she'd left, she found no trace of the concern in his eyes...but she had seen it. She debated whether it had been worry for what Baen would do if she died when he could have done something, but dismissed the thought. Grignak had helped her out of concern. Not all the guards were heartless bastards.

But every one of the guards had to follow orders, so if Skyla escaped...they would all be after her, Grignak included. She shuddered at the thought; she didn't like the idea of being hunted like some common animal. Every minute she spent outside the facility walls and not within the safe hands of the authorities she would be on the run. So once she escaped, she'd have to find the authorities, and fast.

That evening, Skyla found another note that had somehow been wrapped up in her napkin. She slipped it into her pocket while no-one was looking and read it the first chance she got.

'Need details of guards. Night shifts, patrol routes etc. M'.

As before, she wrote it all up the next day and left it in the same place. When she next looked, it was gone.

The change in Skyla's mood had not gone unnoticed to Maia. Having known Skyla for nearly a decade, Maia was well acquainted with her friend's habits and quirks. For example, most of Skyla's emotions were communicated by her ears. When angry, her ears either stood up straight (if she was simply irritated) or were flat against her skull (when she was mad as hell). When happy, her ears moved a lot, swivelling slightly as she took in noises around her. If they twitched a lot, she was probably annoyed, but not enough for Maia to have to worry about her attacking anyone. Droopy ears meant she was sad or in pain, but Maia rarely saw Skyla with ears drooped, as her friend hated displaying weaknesses. Lopsided ears (one up, one down) meant she was thinking. The more lopsided they were, the deeper her thoughts.

Recently, Skyla's ears had become increasingly lopsided whenever she was idle, and it hadn't gone unnoticed to her Cazar friend. She'd also noted Skyla's daydreaming phases and the occasional distant looks like she was gazing at something far out in space. It didn't take Maia long to deduce that her friend was up to something, and knowing Skyla as she did, it wouldn't be good.

Judging from the long period of time Skyla had been in thought, Maia guessed it wasn't anything simple, nor could it be anything too deep otherwise Skyla would have mentioned it by now. No, unfortunately, the elimination process provided Maia with an answer she didn't like. Skyla was planning something big...and stupid.

So she decided to ask Skyla about it, hoping to get to the source in time to stop Skyla from doing something she wouldn't regret but would end up with her getting hurt. The Cazar hated it when her friend got hurt, though the Lombax never seemed to care. Whenever Maia could she'd talk Skyla out of stupid acts, hopefully it would work this time.

She chose an evening when all the slaves were in the main quarters, getting ready for bed. Maia and Skyla shared a bunk bed and the Cazar poked her head over the top,

"Hey." Skyla looked over at her friend from where she lay; her eyes were slightly glazed so Maia knew she'd just interrupted a train of thought.

"Hi," the Lombax smiled, blinking to focus her eyes.

"Can we talk?" her Cazar friend asked. Skyla's eyebrows rose,

"Um, yeah...sure." She sat upright and shifted over as Maia clambered in beside her. The light buzz of chatter could be heard as the slaves talked quietly amongst themselves, there was little chance of them being overheard. Both friends sat upright, legs crossed and facing each other. Maia looked at her friend,

"What are you up to?" she asked softly, going for the gentle approach. Skyla's brow furrowed slightly in confusion,

"What do you mean?"

"I mean...what are you up to? You've been acting...distant lately and you only do that when you're planning something," Maia told her carefully. Skyla blinked, masking her surprise. She should have guessed Maia would know something was up, but she hadn't prepared an answer.

"I'm not planning anything," she answered, mixing truth and lies. The Cazar gave her a look,

"Sky," she said in a slightly condescending voice that demanded the truth. The Lombax shifted where she sat, suddenly feeling rather uncomfortable,

"I'm not planning anything," she mumbled, bowing her head slightly. Maia sighed,

"Sky, I know you. I know when you're up to something...and whatever it is you are up to, it needs to come down now,"her expression softened, "you'll only get hurt."

"I'm sorry, Maia," Skyla said simply. The Cazar's eyebrows rose slightly,

"Sorry for what?" She received no answer. Maia put a reassuring hand on her friends shoulder,

"You can tell me, Sky. You can tell me anything."

"I know," Skyla smiled up at her friend, then her face turned troubled, "but I can't tell you this...it will only put you in danger." Maia's brow knotted in confusion as she replayed Skyla's words in her head, evaluating them. Then it dawned on her.

"Oh no...you're planning another escape attempt, aren't you?" Skyla looked up, trying to keep her face impassive,

"No, I'm not."

"Sky!" Maia cried softly, she should have guessed it would be this way, "I've known you for nearly a decade and I know of all your escape attempts. I know when you're planning another! Please, Sky," she pleaded with her friend, "I don't like it when you get hurt."

"Neither do I," Skyla mumbled, telling the truth. Baen's punishments may have been good for toughening her up, but she still resented them bitterly.

"Then stop planning another attempt!" exclaimed Maia, then checked herself. They may not be overheard by guards or cameras but there was every chance a slave could hear them if they listened in, you could never tell. Taking a breath to calm her nerves she lowered her voice,

"Please, Sky," she repeated with a hint of desperation in her voice. Skyla bit her lip. She wanted to tell Maia, really, she did, but to do so would be to put the Cazar in danger. But Maia was persistent and always knew, almost instinctively, when Skyla was up to something. If she didn't tell her, she wouldn't hear the end of it until all was in the open...and Maia had already guessed, partly, what was going on. Skyla sighed and her ears slumped slightly in defeat,

"I'm not planning an escape attempt," she paused and took a breath, "Marco is." She winced as she said his name; the cat was out the bag now.

There was a silence between them when only the talking of the slaves could be heard. The Cazar stared at the Lombax. And stared...and stared. She was lost for words, which was a rare occurrence for her. She'd been expecting something crazy, like sabotaging the security system of the complex (again) or sneaking out with the hunting party (which had been tried once and failed spectacularly). She'd been prepared to talk her out of anything like that...but this was...not what she thought it would be.

"What?" she managed after a considerable length of time had passed. Skyla looked at her apologetically,

"I can't tell you any more...you'll get in trouble if it works."

"If it...?" Maia shook her head in a slight daze, "I'm sorry...what?"

"Marco's planning to escape...and he's asked for my help," the Lombax told her simply. Maia's mouth opened and close like a fish, then she swallowed.

"Are you out of your mind?" she hissed fiercely, as loud as she dared.

"I know what you're going to say..." Skyla began.

"Good! Then you'll know I think it's a terrible idea!" Maia interrupted.

"But..."

"No buts, Skyla," the older girl looked at her friend in disbelief, not quite understanding what she was hearing from a creature she knew had a moderate amount of sense, "you've known the guy for how long?"

"I know it sounds stupid," Skyla told her, trying to gain the ground Maia was rapidly preparing to knock from beneath her. The Lombax was determined to at least explain herself, to make sure Maia understood why she'd taken on this...crazy notion.

"But I figured it was worth a shot," she added hesitantly. Maia sighed heavily,

"What happened?" she murmured, deciding to allow Skyla the chance to make herself clear. The Lombax wasn't mad, she knew that. So her reasons had to be somewhat rational, and therefore worthy of a hearing.

"I can't tell you everything but..." Skyla chewed her lip again, wondering how much she could safely reveal. "He approached me when I was working alone and asked me about my escape attempts. I thought he was joking at first but he kept on asking me questions and telling me he was going to escape and he...needed my help. So I agreed. And I've helped him a little so far, but not a lot."

"And has it occurred to you that it may well be a trap?"

"He said it wasn't," Skyla answered lamely. Realising how pathetic that sounded she struggled to justify herself, "he sounded so honest and when I asked him he said he genuinely believed he could escape. So I figured if I could help, then I would. The worst that could happen is that he's lying and I get in trouble, or he's telling the truth, we fail to escape and I suffer for a week or two...and he dies. But if there's a chance he's telling the truth and we make it...just think of it, Maia – freedom! Once I'm free I can get the authorities and come back for you and the others, we can all be free!"

The Cazar studied her friend for a moment before taking the girls hands in her own.

"Sky...I know what escaping means to you," she paused, choosing her words with care, "But putting your faith into someone you've just met is not how it's going to happen."

"Then how is it going to happen?" Skyla cried with sudden passion, "how? How are we supposed to escape this hell-hole? Please, if you know then tell me because I've been trying for a decade," her voice cracked slightly with emotion and her mouth clamped shut. Her head bowed and she screwed her eyes shut to prevent tears from falling. She knew her pleas were useless, no-one knew how to escape the facility, and those that thought they did ended up as shark fodder. Not even Professor Xavier, the head scientist and one of Baen's 'trusted' workers, knew how to get out unnoticed. Only the hunting party went out on a regular basis and no-one wanted to join them (though Skyla had once tried). Most workers, when asked about freedom replied,

"The only free slave is a dead slave." They all knew their lives were resigned to the facility or wherever else they were sent and they accepted it, integrating it into their system until the thought of being free didn't make sense any more. They were slaves, nothing more, and worth less.

Maia felt overwhelming sympathy for her friend whose desire for freedom had never died over the years. It burned as a bright fire that didn't go out even when Baen and his guards threw endless buckets of water over it.

"One day, Sky, it may happen," she said gently.

"What if that time is now?" Skyla murmured, looking up at her friend, eyes filled with pain, longing and hope. Her older friend gazed at her quietly for a moment.

"What did he tell you?" she said eventually.

"Maia, if I tell you..."

"Please, Sky, tell me," Maia said softly. Skyla thought it over for a moment, then nodded. In a hushed voice she proceeded to tell Maia everything that had passed between her and Marco. Their conversation in the artefacts room, the map and security plans she'd give him. Maia simply listened as she spoke, her face remaining expressionless throughout. When Skyla had finished, the chatter in the quarters had faded as creatures had started getting into bed. They didn't have much time.

Maia took the time to really look at Skyla. The Lombax's eyes betrayed how desperate she was for Marco to be telling the truth, and how she ached to be free from Baen and the facility and a caged existence. And if the Rilgarian was being genuine...who was Maia to deny them a shot? But there was no way she'd let Skyla go at it alone.

"I'm coming with you," she murmured. Skyla blinked,

"What?"

"Count me in on the plan," Maia clarified, "if you're planning on escaping you'll need all the help you can get and I can lend a hand. Besides, as you said, if it works, we'll be free." Skyla gaped at her, then shook her head,

"What? No! I won't let you!"

"Won't let me help?" Maia asked, one eyebrow raised.

"It's too dangerous! At least I know that if we fail I won't die...but if we fail and you're with us...they'll kill you!" Skyla exclaimed. Maia shrugged lightly,

"Then we best not fail."

"Maia, I appreciate the offer..." Skyla began, trying to reason with her friend.

"So you're saying I can't go with you? That I can't contribute to gaining my own freedom?" Maia countered.

"No, I'm not saying that," Skyla protested, "I just don't want you to get hurt,"she finished, only afterwards realising she was echoing Maia's earlier words. The Cazar smiled gently,

"Nor I you. But if you go, I go. At least if we're together we can take on Marco if it's a trap." Skyla sighed. She knew how stubborn Maia could be when her mind was made up, and it seemed to have happened now, in a most bizarre turn of events. But there was no way she could go through with this knowing that if they failed, her best friend's life was forfeit. The stakes were too high.

"Fine, I won't go then," the Lombax muttered.

"Why?" asked Maia, brow furrowing.

"Because I value your life more than I do my own freedom, that's why," Skyla retorted with only a trace of bitterness. "There's too high a chance of us failing...and the thought of losing you is...unbearable." The Cazar looked at her friend in surprise; then again, she should have seen it coming. Skyla was incredibly selfless and loyal. She never abandoned her friends. If it was a choice between her own gain and the gain of others, Skyla would always elevate the needs of her friends over her own.

Then Maia realised, to her surprise, that she hadn't actually meant for Skyla to renounce her plan to escape. She'd been all for talking her out of it, or making her drop the idea, which was now within reaching distance. If Maia wanted, she could get Skyla to give up the idea entirely and life would return to normal. But she didn't want to do that, not now. She wanted to go with her.

"No," she said softly and Skyla looked up at her in puzzlement, "I'll talk to Marco and we will attempt this together," Maia continued with a small smile, "I want freedom just as much as you do and if you really believe there's even a slim chance of the plan actually working...then I want to be a part of it. Who knows? The Cazar's have a saying, 'One life, one miracle', meaning that every life has one impossible miracle...maybe this is the miracle for our lives."

The Lombax stared at her friend in shock. Had she heard right? Maia was actually encouraging her, them, to escape...? Looking into her friends hazel eyes, she saw that it was so. A weight seemed to lift off her as affection for her friend overwhelmed her and she pulled Maia into a tight embrace,

"I love you, Maia," she whispered fiercely.

"I love you too, Skyla," the Cazar whispered back, stroking Skyla's hair as if she were a child. They stayed like that for a while, just savouring the moment, before drawing apart and slipping into their separate beds with a quiet 'good night'.

Before Skyla let sleep take her, Maia's words rang again in her head, 'One life, one miracle'. It might only be a saying, but it struck a chord within Skyla. She thought that if she had the choice, she'd probably spend her miracle on bringing back the Lombaxes, or at least making more of them...somehow. But that really did seem like an impossible miracle. So maybe then, escaping was to be her little dream come true. Closing her eyes, the Lombax smiled, and prayed for a miracle.