My entire family went to Miranda. They were going to build a better life for all of us. I was going to go too, but Daddy made me stay behind and finish up school first. I was their first born, and I was his favorite. Everyone knew I was Daddy's favorite, but no one said it out loud.

I wanted to go with them, but Daddy said I was the only hope for the family. After I got my degree I could come be with him. I could see in his eyes that he wanted me to come then, but he was making himself leave me behind. He and Momma sold most the livestock so I could go to law school. I wasn't about to let him down.

I remember the day they left. Momma cried, and Daddy called me Princess. I watched the ship break atmo and walked back to my cramped dark dorm to study for finals.

It wasn't more than a week later that I got a registered letter with the alliance seal. Apparently the terraforming wasn't foolproof. My family had tried to start anew on an inhabitable planet.

All my friends told me to take a few semesters off to get my bearing, but I kept trudging through school. The more pain I felt from losing my two little brothers, my momma, and my daddy the deeper I dove into my books and schoolwork. Daddy wanted me to graduate more than anything. I was going to do it for him. Those final semesters flew by, and it wasn't long 'til I was out on my pee goo looking for a job. I don't know why they call higher education a manner of preparing you for life. I had a fancy piece of paper that said I could practice law, but nowhere to go.

I took the first transport I could find to Paquin. I had heard, that with the legal confinement center there, they were in great need of defenders. After landing on the dusty platform, I paid the captain of the ship and started walking towards the nearest courthouse.

I held all I owned. I was dressed in my only suit. The skirt stopped just above my knees, so I had to wear nylons. I was wishing I hadn't with the hot sun beating down on me as I walked. I unbuttoned and took off my suit jacket and arrived at the courthouse in just my skirt and white button-down blouse. I looked at my shoes. They were scuffed. They were going to see right through me. Here I was, pretending to be a high-class lawyer, and they'd know I wasn't but a hyped up prairie harpy.

I was just about to spin on my heel and run back to the docks when I heard a woman scream. About a dozen dark ships hovered over the town. Black smoke billowed out of them, and the stench that filled the air was unbelievable. Ropes dropped from the ships and the most terrifying creatures I'd ever seen were dropping to the ground.

"Reavers!" I heard someone scream as the entire population scattered like roaches. I froze. I couldn't run. Why couldn't I run? I dropped my briefcase and trembled. This wasn't the way I had expected to die.

With my own eyes I saw people around me being slammed to the ground. People's clothing and skin were being shredded. Everything was blood and tears. I just stood there and shook and watched.

I then saw one of the reavers tromping straight for me. I somehow collected my sanity and ran. I flailed and screamed as I ran for my life. Suddenly, I felt the thing slash its nails down my back as it ran after me. Oh! Fire! Pain! I'd heard somewhere that they dipped their fingernails in poison to make it hurt worse when they clawed you. It was true.

I dropped to my knees as the reaver grabbed both my wrists from behind. It sank its teeth into my shoulder blade and tore a chunk of my flesh. I screamed and tried to crawl away. The beast spun me around and clawed at my hips. My best suit skirt had ridden up and it clawed away my underwear. It was going to rape me.

The reaver raised its hand over it's head and brandished its nails. From the angle I knew it was going to claw both my eyes out in one swipe. I looked in terror at the grossly mutilated face.

The reaver stopped. It didn't move. It stood poised with its claw over its head. I stared into the face - cut to ribbons. The one feature in its face that wasn't shredded was its eyes. They were dark green, just like mine. The reaver stared at me and I stared at it. I cried openly preparing for the worse.

The beast grunted and dropped its hand. It stood and grabbed a fist full of my hair. As I screamed and kicked, the reaver drug me by my hair into an empty house. It opened a dark closet and slammed me against the back wall. Wire hangers fell around me as I hit the floor. The door to the closet slammed shut and I closed my eyes.

I heard the monster stomp out of the house and slam the front door. I stayed curled in a ball crying, shaking, and bleeding. I listened to the screams of the town being massacred. I waited for another reaver to discover me and finish the job of the first one.

I must have fallen asleep, because when I opened my eyes I heard muffled voices. I slowly uncurled and cracked the closet door. The house was dark except for the bright sunlight streaming in through the open blinds. I could see dust particles dancing in those stripes of light. I crawled out of the closet and listened.

"Never gets any easier cleaning up these messes."

It must have been over. I stood and limped out of the house into the dusty sunny road. As I stumbled out, I heard the sound of two weapons being engaged. I thew my hands over my head and looked at two alliance officers pointing automatics at me. When they saw me, they lowered their guns.

"Gorram, girl!" One of them walked towards me. "We'll get you to a medic."

"How the hell did you survive?" asked the second.

"One of them spared me." I answered. Tears began to fill my eyes again.

The officer looked skeptical. "Reavers don't spare anyone."

"It wasn't a Reaver, " I whispered. "It was my father."