Page 1 of Uncovered By the Alien Commander

Chapter 1

Xandor

Brother

Istruggle to openmy crusty, sleep laden eyes. It feels like I’m trying to pry open a docking hatch. But that’s the least of my worries as a throbbing headache announces its arrival with all the subtlety of a rampaging herd of boracks.What in the void did I get up to last night?I rub my temples in a vain attempt to massage away my self-inflicted pain.

Perhaps I should pay Jarxius a visit.Picturing the green vapors of the healing pods washing away my aches and pains, a look of blissful contentment on my face. Gods, I wish I could get one of those glorious machines installed in this house. Then I wouldn’t have to deal with the Judging Jarxius. The way he guards those pods, you’d think I was asking to mate his loverbefore his very eyes. Assuming the stubborn and humorless healer ever managed to convince a female to lie with him.

With a deep sigh, I throw off the comforting furs from my bed, as streaks of purple daylight break through the slits of the curtains.Another day, but what will it bring?My hand shoots out to the wall to support my unsteady legs as I stumble over a spilled horn. The pungent aroma of the potent drink fills my senses, causing my stomach to lurch.

It was Krogoth’s High Chieftain celebration!That’s right, I remember now.So many of my Draxxus brothers and even visitors from other clans packed out the Chieftain’s Hall that many had to attend from outside the building. A fantastic event! One for the ages! The speeches were brief, the drinks flowed, and the atmosphere was unmatched. It fills me with pride to see my childhood friend achieve such great heights, as no one is more deserving.

I shake my head in disbelief, recalling Krogoth’s Krak-Tok with Gorexius, how he moved with impossible speed and then called upon the powers of the Gods themselves.What is happening to him? He’s ascending to heights I cannot follow.A pang of envy embeds inside my chest like a treacherous wyrm borrowing deep and hidden. The very notion fills me with shame. I’m happy for him, but why does this niggle persist in my mind?

Regaining my balance, I stand before a full-length mirror framed in intricate winding wood. I’m greeted by my reflection.Handsome bastard!If there’s one thing I still have over Krogoth, it’s my impressive looks. In that, the Gods have blessed me, broken the mold even, as I tilt my head at different angles examining my strong chiseled jaw and my piercing yellow eyes almost golden reflecting the purple light. As my long, green hair with few braids cascades over my wide shoulders.Yes, thevery embodiment of Klendathian virality. Small wonder the females, the universe over, favor me.

I clench my fists, feeling their strength as my hard muscles ripple and stand out. War’s harsh embrace honed my body, lean with brutal strength. I stand as one of the universe’s finest warriors, even among my blessed kin. I excel tall and broad, and out among the stars surrounded by weaker species, I stride like a demi-god.

Tearing myself away from my magnificent visage with haste, I put on leather trousers and an undershirt with a thick fur jacket over the top before fastening my half cape over my shoulders. I sigh as I struggle to connect the chains together. If I don’t wear it, others seem quick to forget that I am, in fact, the Second of Clan Draxxus.

I throw open the curtains and let the warm, welcoming sunlight bathe my face. It’s almost enough to wash away my throbbing headache. Stepping out of my cramped bedroom, I navigate through piles of clothes, armor, and bottles of long-forgotten substances scattered about the room.Someone should really clean this mess up.

I pass through the tight hallway; the walls are engraved with dark hardwood adorned with sparse paintings and trophies I’ve gained over the years. I trace my fingers over the thick layer of dust that cakes everything in my almost abandoned home. It’s been years since I was last here, and years before that, and then years before that. This isn’t my home, just a place to crash during brief visits.

Maybe it’s time to depart Klendathor?Already lulled by Draxxi’s alluring comfort, I feel I’m losing my edge, falling more and more into the drinking dens and craving the sweet, intoxicating vapors of the healing pods.Yes, like a beautiful majestic brutonous, I must spread my wings lest they rot away.Not to mention, the real tragedy is the lack of suitable females here.

Entering the disaster zone that is the kitchen, I shudder at the scent of long spoiled meats and vegetables that assault the nose like a raging horde of skittering Glaseroids. This room is messier than my bedroom, if such a thing is possible. Dirty stained wooden dishes pile high from end to end, with casks of strong-smelling alcohol broken and twisted in my drunken haste to open them.

I tut as I open the food dispenser waving away black smoke that bellows out, to see the nuked remains of... something I must have cooked last night and forgot about it before sleep overwhelmed me.Wonder what it could’ve been?My stomach rumbles in protest, somehow undeterred by the horrid smells that cling to this room like a stinky curse.

I trudge through the mess, trying to ignore the fact my feet are getting a little sticky on the floor. Opening the ice-cold food storage unit beside the black marbled food dispenser, a scene of filth assaults my senses. Some mold akin to an alien biological weapon seems to be taking hold and expanding within my modest food storage, for what diabolic purpose I do not know.

But I cannot allow the enemy to gain a foothold! With haste, I retrieve a handheld burner and direct it towards the mold that’s emanating from cuts of rotten meat that have turned green mimicking the color of my hair, the ultimate insult. I watch with a satisfied smile as the nasty stuff wilts away under my cleansing flames.Should I continue with the rest of the house?A rueful thought before panic grips my chest as the meaty source of the mold erupts into a sizable fire.

“Voiding netherworld!” I exclaim in shock as I slam the food storage door shut before backing away from the treacherous box.

Waiting with bated breath, my suspicious eyes on the container, hoping the fire doesn’t spread, but the cold and lackof oxygen must have extinguished it as it remains intact. After a moment, my shoulders loosen the tension lessening and I once again turn my attention to find something edible.

My elbow bumps into a half-filled barrel that almost falls until I steady it with my superlative venefex-like reflexes. The liquid swills around, revealing it to be boracks milk! Blindly, I take a large swig of the creamy delicious contents as its coolness feels refreshing in my parched mouth, and growling stomach.If I ignore the chunky, yogurt-like bits that should not be there.

A loud knock on the front door surprises me, causing me to almost choke.This better not be Crenix, the Quartermaster coming to discuss boring shit; I swear I’ll close the door in his face.With careful steps, I make my way through the cluttered kitchen, as the door reverberates with two more rhythmic knocks, drawing a smile from my lips with recognition.

I draw back the thick bolt that bars the heavy wooden door before swinging it open with speed. “Hail, High Chieftain.” I bang my fist against my chest and perform a swift bow, completing the standard Klendathian military salute.

Krogoth looms, half a head taller than even me, his purple eyes full of warmth as an infectious smile spreads across his face. “Hail, Xandor.” He returns with a firm slap around the shoulder. “Can I come in?” he asks after a very slight pause.

A sense of mild panic clutches my chest at the very idea.I can’t let the High Chieftain see the dishonorable state of my house!“Can’t do it, Krogoth, the place is...” I wrack my brain for something to deter my old inquisitive friend. “A female... Yes, after your celebration, I bumped into a real shy one. She’s still in the bedroom,” I gesture behind me.

Krogoth’s smile lights up even more. “Xandor you old vipertail.” He shakes his head in a good-natured manner until he stops, his nose twitching.Oh shit, the smell!“Is it this femalethat smells like a burning pile of refuse?” He inquires with a raised eyebrow and a look of suppressed disgust.

I almost laugh at his reaction as I slam the door shut behind me, eager to escape my terrible web of lies. “She’s an off-worlder, silly female almost burned the house down, not knowing how the food dispensers work,” I offer, feeling a tinge of guilt at how smooth the lies spill from my lips.

Krogoth nods with a knowing understanding as we head towards the forging fields. “We know how to pick them.” He lets out a short laugh. “I remember teaching Rocks how to use the food dispensers.” He casts his eyes to the skies. “Gods, how much she’s changed in such a short time.”

His words prompt a picture of Rocks to form in my mind. The tiny human female had overcome every obstacle, with a strange ability to tell truth from lies.Good thing Krogoth didn’t bring her here!Still, even I feel pride, having helped prepare her for the Proving and now my Clan Draxxus has a Chieftainess again. A smile creases my lips, recalling our good-natured back-and-forth jests, how I imagine having a little sister would feel like.

We pass through the dense woods of Draxxi, under the enormous trees that disappear out of sight into the sky, as tall as a battlebarge and red leaves as broad as gliders, that obscure the purple sun from much of the area.

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