There were not supposed to be dragons in space.

Everything Lilah had read indicated that dragons couldn’t breathe past the stratosphere, and most didn’t leave the troposphere except during brief flights. They most certainly didn’t go to outer space past the edges of the atmosphere, as they couldn’t wear space suits– she wasn’t sure why, her classes hadn’t focused on draconic biology.

Yet here one was, in their human-sized form, outside her ship. Their face was obscured by a pane of glass, their wings trapped inside the suit built for a humanoid, but she could see the bulge at their back, too irregular for an oxygen tank.

Shaking off her shock, she called down, “Open the hatch! Get them inside!” Because you didn’t leave people out in space, no matter what. No matter how much they shouldn’t be there. Or even if they were an enemy. The cold, suffocating death out there was something no one should ever be subjected to.

Moments later, someone had pulled their helmet on, opened the hatch, and thrown a rope out to the dragon. The dragon, which had been floating with barely a movement to show they still breathed, suddenly came alive and grabbed it, climbing the rope just as much as they were pulled in.

Lilah, as the captain, was the one who would be responsible for anyone she brought onto the ship. So she was the one who should deal with any risks that came with bringing a member of a largely-mysterious species onboard. She stood by the dragon, who was getting to their feet, and waited. The dragon lifted their hands to their head and, with a soft hiss of air, removed their helmet.

Slivers of light brown skin showed between the pale blue and white scales that, if Lilah remembered grade school right, marked them as an ice dragon. Their eyes were dark pools in their face and white horns curved over their hair–

Lilah couldn’t remember if it was hair. If dragons in their smallforms had hair or if that was still technically spines. Either way, it was spiky and pale like a polar bear covered in icicles.

“I’m Lilah,” she said. Instead of holding out a hand to shake, which she was fairly sure was rude for dragons, she bowed from the waist without making eye contact. “Lilah Gershwin, captain of this spaceship, Tempest.” Names were important to dragons.

The dragon set their helmet on the floor, rose again, and bowed back elegantly. “I am Ekhazyrnkh Zrryl, but you may call me Haze, and refer to me as masculine in your tongue. Warm greetings, Lilah Gershwin.” His voice was deep, though most dragons had deep voices, and was smooth as honey, with a hint of a growling accent.

“And to you” –Lilah took a breath and made her best attempt at the name– “Ekhazirnkh Zirrel. I prefer feminine forms of address, though I’m not picky.”

The dragon, Ekhazyrnkh, stiffened in surprise. Lilah tried not to look too concerned. Had she said something wrong? Did Ekhazyrnkh disapprove of women in positions of power, like some people both human and draconic did? Did he dislike her attempt at pronouncing his name?

“You… can say my name,” he said, sounding surprised. “Not perfectly, but most humans I have encountered who speak this language cannot say it half as well. They find the sounds challenging.”

Lilah smiled– no teeth. “Then I’m glad to have surprised you, Ekhazirnkh. May I ask what you were doing floating in space?”

A curtain seemed to close over his face. His hair-spines lifted slightly. “I would prefer not to speak of it.”

“Ekhazrinkh,” Lilah said, trying again and managing to get the pronunciation slightly different. She set her jaw. “I need to know if the reason you were out there is anything that could harm my ship or crew.”

He made some sort of expression she couldn’t read through the scales. “No. You have nothing to fear.”

Lilah nodded, and with the reassurance, the members of the crew who’d collected to watch began to return to their duties, except for a couple who lingered, curious. “Do you have any injuries that need tending? I’m afraid no one here knows much about draconic biology, but it doesn’t seem like you need intensive care.”

Ekhazyrnkh shook his head. “Thank you, Lilah Gershwin, but I am well.” He hesitated, his spines lifting like a bird’s feathers, then asked, “Where in the solar system are we? Are we anywhere near Earth?”

Lilah shook her head. “We found you at the edge of Proxima Beta’s field of gravity. We’re in the Centauri system, light-years away. I hope you don’t mind visiting the Epsilon Eridani system.”

“Epsilon?” Ekhazyrnkh’s hair-spines lifted again, and Lilah caught a flicker of movement over his eyes that was probably his third eyelid. “But that’s—”

“Ten and a half light-years from Earth. Once we get there, I’ll see what we can arrange about sending you back, but we really can’t delay.”

Ekhazyrnkh raised still-gloved hands to smooth his spines. “Thank you. Please do not trouble yourself further on my account. Is there anything I can do to assist your crew while I share your quarters? I am a quick learner.”

Lilah, in the middle of turning away, choked on her own saliva and started coughing.

“…Lilah?”

“Captain?” someone else said— Zach, one of the ones who’d been lingering. “Are you okay?”

Lilah waved him off and, once she’d regained the ability to breathe properly, turned back to Ekhazyrnkh. She raised her hands to her mouth, palms together, and lowered her fingers to point toward Ekhazyrnkh. “Listen. Ekhazyrnkh. I understand that draconic culture is different in many respects. However. Among humans and most humanoids, when someone says they ‘share quarters’ with someone else, they typically mean sleeping together.” The arctic dragon started to open his mouth, and she hastily added, “Not for warmth!”

The dragon closed his mouth again. Tipping his head to the side, he said, “But… crew share quarters. Do humans…?”

Zach shrugged. “Sometimes.”

Lilah rolled her eyes. “This is widely considered an inappropriate topic among humans, something to be discussed with one’s friends or doctor, typically not strangers or acquaintances.”

“Ah…” Ekhazyrnkh managed to look embarrassed, though how he did that with that long, scaly face Lilah wasn’t sure. He bowed. “My apologies. I am unaccustomed to humanoids.”

Lilah put a smile on her face. “Not to worry. I do have to go check on the navigation, though, so I hope you don’t mind my leaving you with Zach.”

“What,” said Zach.

“He’ll show you around.” She turned a sunny grin on Zach. “Grand tour and everything.”

As she walked away, she could hear Zach saying, “So. Haze, right? Ever left Earth before?”