She was…smaller than Saoirse had anticipated.

It was the first thing she noticed when the Earth delegation arrived. Beloved Earth popstar Petra Giani was easy to spot — scarcely more than 5 feet tall, with a curtain of sleek, inky hair. Her blunt bangs cut off right at her eyebrows, a pair of wide, pale blue eyes narrowing beneath the blinding light of the ship’s entryway.

She was flanked by a sparse group of approved guards, sent to keep her safe — or as safe as they thought she could be aboard an otherworldly craft. Saoirse knew that humans tended to be on the smaller side, at least compared to their own Gaolrian averages, but she seemed petite even among Earthlings.

“Miss Giani,” Saoirse greeted, dropping to one armor plated knee. Unlike the Kevlar of the Earthern guards, Gaolrian armor was equally as flexible but doubly as strong. “I am pleased to make your acquaintance. I am Queen Commander of Gaol Saoirse Doran. As your kind is so fond of saying: ‘We come in peace.’”

“Why did you ask for me?”

Saoirse inclined her head, meeting Petra’s gaze head on. 

The Earthling wasn’t…afraid.

Saoirse had prepared for a number of scenarios. She’d expected fear. Hostility, even. Of everything, though, she hadn’t expected the cool, placid nothingness in Petra’s iron gaze.

But it would take more than something unexpected to ruffle the Gaolrian Queen Commander. 

She’d been through infinitely worse. 

“Perhaps we can speak one-on-one.”

“We —” One of the guards, perhaps the leader, stepped forward with hesitation. But Petra gave a curt nod and moved away from her cluster of protectors like she had nothing to be afraid of. Her kitten heels made a gentle tap tap tap as she headed down the only connecting hallway, a tunnel of glass and neon color.

“You’re quite bold,” Saoirse told her, following behind her petite hostage with a thoughtful furrow in her brow. “I’d anticipated you might need a little more convincing.”

“If by ‘convincing’ you mean ‘detention’ then let’s agree it’s easier to agree than be held by force.”

A frown tilted Saoirse’s lips beneath her helmet. “We would never detain you by force, Miss Giani. Our intention is to seek your cooperation.”

Petra paused so Saoirse could open the door. How had she known where they were going? “What was your plan if I refused to come aboard your ship?”

Saoirse hesitated. She got the sense honesty would earn her more trust with Petra than polite lies. “We were going to get you ourselves.”

“That would make me a hostage, would it not?”

“We would have taken exceptional care of you.”

“The kidnapped rarely care about the quality of their cage.”