TBD

Good Idea?

The stowaway's breath was hot and ragged, having barely made it onto the criminals' ship in time before they took off. So, yeah, on the criminal's ship. The criminals that just stole possibly a third of the lucrative exports of the planet they just escaped to sell themselves at a marked-up price. Was this a good idea? Honestly, no. But anything is better than being taken against your will and forced to work in the worst galactic government system. Definitely, better to be taken of your own volition and die having your first-ever adventure. 

"Luca, Jaxson, can you please check that all of the cargo is secure in the back?" a gruff but not unpleasant male voice asked in a bafflingly polite tone, on the other side of the only bulkhead entering the storage bay.

"Yeah! Sure thing Cap'in," another slightly higher male voice answered, sounding cheerful.
Were all criminals this wholesome sounding away from enemy ears? Oh shit, wait. The 'Cap'in' just sent two people to check the cargo. Cargo the stowaway was loudly panting behind. That's a big problem. The stowaway immediately caught their breath and held it. Trusting their ability to hold it until the cargo check was done.

The bulkhead hissed open, and two pairs of footsteps entered the storage bay. Suddenly, there was a sound like a quick wind gust immediately followed by-

"Holy shit! There's a chick in here!" rudely yelled in an overly startled tone by the dark-skinned Enderian that had just teleported behind the stowaway.

"Wait, we actually have a stowaway?" The second male voice, now clearer than when it was muffled by the bulkhead.

"Sorry," was all the stowaway could manage to mumble as she stood up to face both 'Luca' and 'Jaxson'.

"Brandin," called the Enderian, "you're gonna wanna see this."

"Coming," responded the voice belonging to 'Cap'in' and apparently 'Brandin'.

Soon enough, three pairs of scrutinising eyes were bearing down on the stowaway. 

"So why would the famous hybrid princess sneak onto the ship of a bunch of criminals that just stole a good chunk of her planet's profit?" 'Cap'in Brandin', who was definitely a Shulk with the species' trademark pale purple exo armour, interrogated.

"What do you mean 'famous hybrid princess'?" The stowaway shot back, keeping her composure. 

"Well it's kinda obvious," said the second man, seemingly a Fader (judging by his dark hair, green eyes and semi-transparent light-toned skin), in an almost kind seeming tone, "from your black and white patchy skin and mismatched eyes. That you're the hybrid princess said to have the best genetic traits of two different species. The first of a whole new species, most optimal for surviving in space!"

"So what?" the princess-stowaway argued, "What does it matter if I am the 'princess' of that planet? If I had not escaped on your ship, I would have been taken away from that planet, never to see it again."

Now, this seemed to confuse the criminals. 

"You would've been taken? By who?" said a new Caitlik criminal who had started leaning in the open bulkhead's doorway, his feline-like ears standing intrigued.

"Isn't it obvious?" the Enderian sighed, "She's a massive asset to the government. They would've taken her and forced her part into their navy. Especially, if everything they've been bragging about her being 'the first of the most optimal space faering' is right."

"Yeah, the Enderian summed it up quite nicely," the stowaway dead-panned. 

"Oh! So you snuck onto our ship to escape the life the government has had planned for you since before you were born, right?" The Fader exclaimed, "you're just like the rest of us."

"I wouldn't say she's like us," commented a Blaze-borne standing behind the Caitlik criminal.

"Despite the fact," 'Cap'in Brandin' interrupted before the Blaze-borne could continue, "We can not take the princess back. We would no doubt be shot down as soon as we got back into that airspace again. We'll have to bring her with us until we can find someone else to take her back."

"Brandin you're kidding me! We are at least three standard days out from the next planet where we can dock! She is not staying for three days! We don't have space for her," the Blaze-born exploded. His hair, which had been black as coal when he joined the conversation, stood on end, and the tips burned a bright red.

"You're right, we're going to have to make space for our guest aboard the ship. And since you have such a piss-poor attitude, Evan, she can bunk with you and you will be hospitable," 'Cap'in Brandin' retorted calmly with a smirk as 'Evan' fumed but his hair had fallen back to its initial position.

The Fader pulled the stowaway aside by her arm and gilded her out of the storage bay into a narrow hallway connecting to the rest of the ship. 

"I'm Luca," He greeted cheerfully, "I'll give you a tour of the ship. Sorry about Evan. He's not normally like this."

"It's alright. I realise my sudden appearance will be quite perturbing for your crew," the stowaway acknowledged. 

"And?" Luca questioned.

"'And' what?" the stowaway asked, confused.

"Your name? I gave you mine," Luca smiled.

"Oh. Umm... It is Aviscardi. It means 'great finder' in a mixture of native languages of my parent's species. Meant to show the fact their cultures are together and that I am perfect for space travel. Decided for me thousands of years ago when the government mandated the selective breeding of two species to make me," the stowaway explained with a sigh.

"It seems too long to me. Can I give you a nickname?" Luca pondered.

"What is a 'nickname'?" Aviscardi asked.

"It's a shortening of someone's name by their friends to make it easier and faster to say," Luca explained, "for instance, we could make 'Aviscardi' into 'Avis'. Sound good to you?"

"Sure," Avis agreed with a small smile, "but that does mean a flying animal in my Dad's language."

"All the better. Well, Avis, how about that tour of the ship?" Luca suggested.

"Yes please," Avis nodded.