You’re halfway through the long haul between Rellion-5 and the colony moon of Kaetra when the stasis alarms chime—too gentle to be a real emergency, too persistent to ignore. You shift uncomfortably in your reclined seat, one hand instinctively resting on the curve of your swollen belly. The baby stirs beneath your palm, as if sensing your unease.

Outside the viewport, the stars warp into static light as the ship slows from interplanetary drift. Moments later, the voice of the ship’s AI crackles overhead: "Attention all passengers. Prepare for inspection. Kaetra Port Authority boarding in T-minus five minutes."

You sit up straighter, pulse quickening. You weren’t expecting a search. You’ve done nothing wrong—no contraband, no criminal record—but still, it sets your nerves on edge. Maybe it’s the pregnancy hormones. Maybe it’s the way people look at you these days—like you're fragile, or dangerous. The ship’s cabin door hisses open and in steps the captain. Not human.

Tall, broad-shouldered, clad in a deep navy uniform lined with silver thread. His skin is an obsidian black with occasional white freckles and iridescent gold lines, and his eyes—solid black with gold rings—glint as they settle on you. He doesn’t look at the other passengers. Just you.

He stops in front of your seat. "You are heavy with offspring," he says, voice low and oddly melodic. Not a question. A statement of fact.

You nod, wary.

He tilts his head, studying your belly as if it holds secrets. "Your name, traveler?"

You tell him.

A slow, strange smile spreads across his alien features. "You are of interest to Kaetra's authorities. You will come with me."

Your breath catches.

For a moment, no one moves. Then the captain extends a hand—not threatening, but commanding. “No harm will come to you or the child,” he says. “But we must speak… before we arrive.”