Page 7 of Fated to the Dragon Warlord

It’s been a long, long time since I scented a female. All of our female crew died from the mutations brought on by the wormhole which pulled us into this galaxy.

I didn’t realize I’d missed the female scent so much.

I want to rip the eyes out of any crew member who has dared to look in her direction. But right now I have to get the small star cruiser away from the Bloar cargo ship which Dante has decided doesn’t need to be in existence anymore.

My aim had been to get information about the various anomalies in the galaxy recently, all of which is not going to happen. I release a huge stream of smoke as I stalk the passages.

The bridge is a hive of activity as I enter. “Get me Dante on the comm!” I order. “I need to speak to the nevver. And make sure we’re far enough away from the Bloar ship not to be caught in any blast.” I throw myself down at the main console. “Also check the ship before Dante does what he does best, and tell me if there are any missing escape pods.”

“There shouldn’t be, Lord Darax,” the warrior at the scanner post says. “We made sure the crew were all locked in the hold.”

“I don’t care. Do it.”

Dante appears on the vid screen next to my console.

“Why?” I growl at him. “I wanted that ship, and my favorite jewel is still on board.”

Dante gives me an unhinged smile.“I like to finish the job, and it was a nevving awful piece of space junk anyway.”He inclines his head. “And why use your favorite jewel?”

I can’t deny, having been on board, it was a piece of junk and not worth our time in keeping it, but that was my decision not Dante’s. I don’t dignify his query with a response.

“When I get back to Vorostor Central, I will deal with you,” I snarl, slamming my fist into the comm to terminate it.

“Lord Darax, one escape pod is missing,” my warrior calls out to me.

“Track it, and get us out of here,” I order. “Dante has confirmed the Bloar ship is going to go the way of most things he touches.”

There’s a ripple of excitement among my warriors. They always love a light show, and as annoyed as I am at Dante’s decision to do what he does best with the cargo ship, its destruction will send the right message.

Do not mess with the Sarkarnii.

“Lord Darax?” A warrior approaches me carefully. My crew know better than to offer distractions in the midst of any mission I am involved in.

“What is it?”

“You asked to be notified if there is ever any wormhole activity in this sector.”

“Yes.” I nod, checking my console. “We need to get further away,” I call out. “Dante doesn’t do anything by halves, and we risk getting caught in the implosion if we’re too close.” I look back at the warrior. “Well?” I growl.

“My ultra-long-range scans have shown up a singularity which might be a wormhole.”

“Might isn’t good enough.” My chest tightens. “If we’re ever to get out of this nevving end of space, we need a stable wormhole, or we’re never getting back to our home.”

And until then, home will be the blasted planet of Vorostor. And in close proximity to the nevvers who form four out of five Sarkarnii warlords who now control this galaxy.

Our arrival might have been unorthodox, but once we were ready, we did what Sarkarnii do best. Take and offer protection. The Bloar pirates are a mere irritation now. All I wanted was some information I’d hoped to get and which Dante is about to blow all the way back to the ancestors.

We don’t hear the explosion, but we certainly feel it, the ship shifting sharply to one side.

There goes my favorite jewel. I curse Dante under my breath, knowing I’ll need to deal with him later.

“Get us back to base,” I growl. “Any sign of the escape pod?”

“It’s gone down to the planet, my Lord, but then its signal gets too weak to be tracked.”

“Mark its last known location.”

After all, I can’t remember the last time any creature dared defy me, let alone a female the size of the one who seems to set me on fire.

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