"Where are we going, love?" said Jaska. She was locked in a small bare room with Jake. Nobody had visited them since they had been bundled onto a strange ship, a lazer-gun at their back.

"I don't know," he stated glumly. "But I'm sure it won't be good."

They heard footsteps coming down the hallway, and key turned in the lock. Maybe they would find out their fate sooner than they thought.

The door opened, revealing a grinning face.

"Oh no," said Jake.

"'Arry 'Ead 'Unter?!" exclaimed Jaska. "My hero!"

"My hero?" Jake turned to Jaska in astonishment. "My hero? We are threatened with a lazer, locked up in a tiny room, and neither fed or watered for days and you greet our captor as your hero?"

"Well yes. We love him in Crawk, he's everything we aspire to be. He's treacherous, violent, has no regard for rules and he's dashingly handsome."

'Arry winked at Jake. "She's right you know."

"...and, he's come to rescue us," Jaska continued.

"...except for about that. This is my ship."

Jaska's face fell. Temporarily, until 'Arry began to speak again when she regarded him in some kind of godlike awe-trance.

"Jake. You are my captive now. There's a huge price on your head, for taking you back to the Outer Galaxies. I'm not going to treat you badly though, not the most wanted and most ingenious criminal in the universe. Oh no. So here you go, you are free to roam around my ship. You said you are hungry? Well I'll show you the dining room first. There are some people in there who will be very keen to meet you, I'm sure you will make some firm friends."

"That sounds great!" said Jaska.

Jake was quite so convinced. He didn't like people at the best of times, but there was something about 'Arry's tone of voice that made him dread meeting these people even more than he usually would.

* * *

Jake followed 'Arry through the double doors into a huge dining room, packed full of people. As it always did, the room dropped to silence when 'Arry walked in. It didn't matter that he had rescued them, people always feared the most notorious hitman in history.

As usual, 'Arry strode straight to the large table at the front of the room. His table was always pretty empty with just Al, Niall and occasionally one of his many dangerous-looking contacts who joined them for various short stints of the journey. This time, he was joined by Jake and Jaska, who were accompanied by some suspicious murmurings as they crossed the room. This wasn't to be a normal lunchtime however, as 'Arry had something to say to his guests.

"Gentlemen. A number of you have obviously already spotted that today we have a very special guest in our midst. That’s right, he's the reason we are gathered here today. He's the reason you are not with your families and have been attacked and chased across cities. He's the instigator of this pointless war and the mole who allowed Crawk to invade our peaceful universe. That's right, I present to you the one and only... Jake Spencer!"

The speech had been delivered with such mock enthusiasm, that Jaska greeted it as a speech like that might normally be received. There were three claps before she realised she was the only one applauding, and the rest of the room has slowly stood in a mixture of outrage, hatred and complete and utter silence.

Silence, that was until a single cry of "traitor" broke the tension, and filled the air with a tirade of abusive names and derogatory slurs. The diners surged forwards towards Jake, some getting trampled by the crowds and some getting felled by the food and chairs being hurled in his direction.

'Arry, laughing climbed onto his table and held his laser gun in the air.

"Please, gentleman! Your hatred is welcomed, and is shared by me. But Jake will not be harmed. As you know, there is a sizeable bounty on his head and I plan to claim this. If you leave him un-maimed, I will see that you are all compensated generously. I will, however, let you all have the chance to come up, one at a time and introduce yourself to Jake. But I warn you, if anyone takes it too far, you will be dealt with. I have a tapestry at home which could do with some brand new material."

The disturbance subsided as the men stopped their pushing and shoving. They clamoured to form an orderly queue so that they could "meet" Jake. He glanced at Jaska, who looked concerned. She, like everyone else, could feel the hatred in the room and could see the vitriol burning in every pair of eyes.