The Treasure was a maze. Hallways seemed to go on forever, and Saros had lost his bearings long ago. Now, he was following the right-hand wall to ensure that he explored every inch of the ship. For a vessel so large, Saros couldn't help but pity at how boring its design was. The green lights that were embedded into the white walls were repetitive and mundane as Saros had been inside for a while now. Regardless, there were many levels to the ship, and it would take him forever to find Pandora. I can't just ask for help, he knew. The signs on the ship were all in a cryptic binary code which Saros had never learned due to it being such an ancient language.

Saros rounded a corner when he saw him: The Collector. Standing in a black suit, Saros could feel The Collector's eyes pierce him through a pair of dark oval glasses. The hall was empty and silent; Saros tried his best to act natural as he continued walking through the dimly lit passage. The Collector, on the other hand, stood still like a rock. Have I been made? Saros asked himself. Trying his best to make no odd facial expressions, Saros continued walking. The Collector did nothing when Saros passed him. Letting out a silent breath of relief, Saros quickened his pace to get away from the Collector. That is until he heard his voice.

"You intrude into my ship. You bring aboard some poor man's droid. You aim to steal part of my collection. Tell me, worthless boy, why should I not vaporize you into nothingness right now?"

Stopped dead in his tracks, Saros didn't want to turn around to face the mountain that was the Collector. For Pandora, he thought to himself. Turning around, he saw the Collector's face for the first time. Saros saw the pure fury in his eyes. They were gleaming as if they had lost something. "I- I don-"

The Collector advanced onto Saros and pushed him against the cold wall with his gigantic hands. Saros struggled to get away, but the Collector was far more powerful. Holding Saros' shirt, the Collector lifted Saros above the ground and- against the wall. "I am not to be toyed with, boy."

"I'm sorry!" Saros yelled. "You took Pandora! She has nothing to do with what you want. Just let her go! Please!"

"I found your droid, Saros. It wasn't hard for me to break him. What an ancient artifact... It's a shame he had to be dismantled the way he was," the Collector said with a sinister smile. Saros could almost see his reflection in the man's pearly teeth.

"You- You killed Ceres?" Saros was in disbelief.

"I did worse. He is now a prisoner to the Treasure's artificial interface. He is my property. Just like Pandora. You are nothing. You are pathetic. Do not tell me to let part of my collection go. Who am I?" he interrogated.

"Wh- What?" The Collector pushed against Saros' chest causing him to hit the back of his head against the wall.

"Who. Am. I." the Collector demanded.

"You're the Collector! You're the richest man in the universe! The most powerful person to have ever lived!" Saros screamed. He held back the tears starting to sting his eyes.

"Right," the Collector loosened his grip on Saros.

Kneeling before the Collector, Saros did not know what to do. He knew he couldn't run, he knew he couldn't fight, but he had to save Pandora.

"Walk with me, Saros," the Collector said calmly.

Knowing he had no choice, Saros followed him closely. They walked together for a while saying nothing. Sweat formed on every orifice of Saros' body, for he was in shock. The two did not encounter anyone else as they slowly walked through the hallways. Saros couldn't help but think that these were going to be his last moments. A lump formed at his throat, but he did not want to go out a coward.

Saros tried his best to not think about Ceres. I lead him to doom, Saros thought. The guilt drilled itself into Saros' stomach as he imagined how the Collector killed Ceres. Trying to stay positive, Saros pushed away any thoughts of Ceres.

Finally, the two walked into a large room with a magnificent window on one of the walls. "Look through that window, boy," the Collector pointed with his slender index finger.

Walking towards the window, Saros felt a rush of cold blood as he saw Pandora in a room full of pedestals. He saw her carrying the box with the star and a blaster. She was trying to shoot her way out. "Pandora!" Saros yelled. She could not hear him.

"Saros, tell me. Where are you right now?" the Collector asked.

"I'm in the Treasure."

"Correct, and who owns this marvelous ship?"

"You do," Saros responded.

"Who?"

"The Collector does," Saros admitted.

"Correct. What you see before you is my collection. Saros, you seem very smart. Some people have very valuable treasures. What do people do with those treasures?"

"They protect them," Saros answered.

"Correct again. Now, Pandora doesn't even know the window you are looking through exists. To Pandora, this window exists as nothing but the wall. Why? A quantum-mirror mesh net. It's expensive but worth it. Saros, most of what Pandora sees are the walls of a room, but I will not lie to you, when I buy something, I buy in bulk. Most of the walls in that room are covered in quantum-mirror mesh nets. Would you like to know what's behind those nets?" the Collector asked.

Saros nodded, still sweating.

"Multiple gambit class magnetite vaporizers. My dear Saros, I could snap my fingers, and you'd watch your beloved Pandora vanish into nothing as if she had never existed," the Collector said while smiling. He enjoyed lecturing Saros.

"What do you want?" Saros begged.

"I want the stars. It's obvious, isn't it?"

"We only found one! You can have the one Pandora found. I'll convince her to give it to you," Saros reasoned.

"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk," the Collector walked towards Saros and placed his gigantic hands onto his shoulder. "You will do something far greater for me, Saros. Look there," he pointed at Pandora. "You know who that is?"

"It's Pandora, my girlfriend," Saros responded.

"Yes, but she is more than that. You cannot even comprehend the importance of Pandora. She is the last Knight of Tara!"

"What's that?" Saros asked. He had never heard of a Knight of Tara before.

"That does not matter. What matters is that your Pandora is important. She is perhaps almost as important as me. The fact that she found the star means that she will find more, and you will help her with her quest."

"What do you mean?" Saros was dumbfounded. "I thought you wanted the stars!"

"Yes, but I can't have them if I can't find them. Pandora over there is destined to find them."

"But Pandora thinks she wants to consume the stars," explained Saros.

"Oh, I won't have to worry about it. Saros, you will help Pandora find these stars, but you will also keep me informed. You will help her escape from my clutches and explore the universe with her. Do this, and Pandora will be kept safe and young. You have my word," the Collector promised.

Saros did not know what to say. "H- How do I know to trust you?"

"I am letting you off my ship alive. That should be a clear sign of my loyalty. What's more, when Pandora is done with her little quest, and I get my stars, I will grant you whatever you want. You want the other artifacts of my collection? Done. You want this ship? Done."

Saros didn't care about any of that. He just wanted Pandora to be safe. "What if Pandora chooses to consume one of the stars?"

"That's where you come in, boy. You're her boyfriend; you do the talking. I trust you will know what to say," the Collector threatened.

Knowing he had no other choice, Saros nodded. It was the only way to keep both him and Pandora safe.

"Very good, Saros," the Collector sighed. "If you manage to fail, I will ensure that you watch Pandora grow old and die a slow and agonizing death before I destroy you. Count on it."