Draekon Pirate

by Lee Savino

  I don’t know why the Rebellion decided to put the Draekon refugees from Nestri in Hetov. I think it’s meant to be temporary, until the Rebellion is able to find a safe home for them on a different planet.

  A tall woman with shockingly bright pink hair greets us in the disused spaceport. Her eyes are weary, but she forces a smile on her face. “I’m Ayani,” she says. “Thank you for warning us.” She turns to Mirak. “Ruhan said he’d be here in two days, but my understanding is that we have no idea where First is, and how far away he is. Am I right?”

  “Pretty much.” Mirak gestures to me. “This is Diana Behrman, the Second-in-Command of the Mahala. We’re here to help with the evacuations, and the Chief Officer will be leading the effort. I’m not a tactician, she is. Think of me as muscle. When First gets here, I stop him. That’s my role.”

  Aww. I don’t feel the slightest bit in charge, but I’m totally giving Mirak a blowjob for the gesture of support. Later, of course.

  Ayani turns back to me. “I didn’t realize… The other human didn’t…” She straightens to her full height. My apologies, Diana Behrman. I didn’t mean any offense.”

  “I’m not offended,” I assure her. “Can you give me a status update on the evacuation effort so far?”

  “We’ve done precious little.” She runs her hands through her hair. “We just got to Hetov. We haven’t even been here for a week. And now, we’re running again. Half of the city thinks this is a false alarm. They think I’m being a doomsayer.” She sighs. “Not all of them saw the dragon. They don’t know what he can do.”

  She seems close to breaking point. I can’t say I blame her. I give her a sympathetic smile. “I know it sucks when you’re trying to help, and people don’t see it. But the threat is real. First is definitely on his way here. If you need to evacuate people at gunpoint, then that’s what we’ll do. My team is more than capable of that.”

  She nods. “Thank you, yes. I could use the backup.”

  I signal to Azeer, who takes Sina, Maz, Krep, and Ganni, and heads out into the settlement. Odrien mutters something about overseeing the hospital evacuation and follows them.

  “Were you able to figure out who might have leaked your location to Blood Heart?”

  Ayani shakes her head. “No. We found three trackers, and we destroyed them, but we have no idea who planted them. For all I know, they could have been there since Nestri.”

  “Soren?” I turn to my hacker. “Any ideas?”

  “I’ll block all comms for the next couple of days,” he says. “It’ll buy you some time to look for the traitor.”

  “Perfect.” They’ll need to find the traitor, but that’s their problem, and they’ll handle it. Right now, my only concern is to get them safely off Hetov. I give everyone my best reassuring smile. “Okay, let’s get to work.”

  There are ten shuttles on Hetov. Each of them can transport two hundred and fifty people. As soon as Axion gives us the all-clear from Neiptiun, we load the first set of evacuees and send them on their way.

  We need to do four trips. Each trip takes three hours—thirty minutes of frantic activity to load the shuttles, an hour journey to Neiptiun, thirty minutes to unload, and then an hour’s journey back. Rinse and repeat. It reminds me of the complicated algebra problems I used to struggle with in school. If each shuttle can hold two hundred and fifty passengers, and there are ten shuttles in total, and each of them travels at the speed of three parsecs a knur, how long will it take to evacuate everyone?

  I failed high school math, so I can’t answer that question. All I know is that we work as fast as we can. We get two sets of shuttles to safety. Load up the third set, give them the all-clear for departure.

  They take off, one after the other. I watch them for a second and turn wearily to Mirak, who takes one look at my face and promptly hands me an energy bar. “Almost done,” I murmur, giving him a grateful smile and biting into the nutrient-rich food. “Just one more load to go.”

  My words are a jinx. No sooner than I finish my sentence, a giant dragon blots out the sky.

  First is here.

  39

  Mirak

  Diana’s knife is out and flying before First touches down.

  My beautiful, lethal mate.

  She’s aimed for his left eye. I know from personal experience how accurate Diana is with her knives. Unfortunately, the instant before the weapon makes contact, First turns his head an inch.

  Diana’s knife grazes the side of his face and clatters to the ground.

  First takes in the blade, and then he lifts his massive head and stares at the person that threw it.

  Kashrn.

  The dragon’s eyes ignite with bloodlust. He opens his jaw and roars a jet of fire. I move on instinct. I step in front of Diana, and my dragon tears free.

  The fire bounces harmlessly from my scales.

  First attacked my mate. I spread my wings over her and draw her in to me, shielding her from any further harm. Roaring in fury, I shoot flames back at him. How dare he try to hurt Diana? I will end him.

  You need to protect her.

  I can’t take to the skies, because the instant I leave Diana exposed, First will target her again. I need to hunker down, while First can approach from any direction.

  My scales provide some protection against dragonfire, but I’m not invulnerable to it. Sustained exposure to the fire and my scales will crack, and then, I will burn, and Diana will be left unguarded.

  This isn’t good.

  First is making the same calculations as I am. I can see the triumph in his eyes as he realizes the bind I’m in. He crouches down and spreads his wings, ready to take off.

  And then…

  Zabek, Theldre’s son, runs into the clearing.

  “What the hell is he doing here?” Diana swears. “The fucking idiot.” Her voice rises as First turns his head toward the new threat. “Shit. Mirak, we have to save him.”

  I growl in my throat. Zabek was supposed to be on Neiptiun, where he couldn’t do any harm. He was specifically ordered to stay there. This is the second time he’s disobeyed a direct order from Diana, and I will not tolerate this disrespect of my mate. Let him burn. I don’t care.

  First stretches a paw toward the Ekton.

  “Oh God, he’s going to eat him.” Diana beats her body against my wing, the movement frantic. “Mirak, we can’t let him die.”

  Oh, fine. I open my mouth and exhale fire. The ground ignites in front of Zabek, blocking him from First and giving him a path to safety.

  “Get out,” Diana screams. “Go. We’ll cover you.”

  Zabek doesn’t run. I don’t know if it’s because he’s frozen in terror, or because of some other more nefarious reason, but the fool stays exactly where he is.

  First stamps out the fire. He gives me a mocking look, and scoops up Theldre’s son, bringing him close to his face. I feel sick to my stomach. He’s not actually going to eat him, is he? First has sunk low—lower than I can understand—but surely he can’t possibly think of the Ekton as a meal. Can he?

  I growl louder in warning.

  “I ask for a truce,” Zabek shouts. “I have information to trade, valuable information that you will need. Let everyone go, and I will give it to you.”

  Fuck me. He’s playing the hero. Theldre has told him to leave the Mahala, and he’s making one last-ditch attempt to regain his old command.

  I’m so furious I could scorch him to a crisp myself.

  First tilts his head to the side, considering the man in his paw. Then he sets him down on the ground. His meaning is clear. Show me what you’ve got.

  Zabek pulls his screen out and holds it in front of the dragon. “Look.”

  For a second, First doesn’t react.

  And then he shifts back into a man. With one hand, he grabs Zabek by the neck, using the Ekton as a shield so I can’t burn him. With the other, he snatches the screen from the other man and reads its contents.

  I have a very bad feel
ing about this.

  Then First stares at me, his eyes blazing with fury. “You may think you’ve won,” he snarls. “But this is just a temporary setback. I will never give up, Fourth. Never. I will be Emperor.”

  He transfers his attention to the man dangling helplessly in front of him, trying desperately to free himself from the Draekon’s grasp. “You are right,” he says. “This is valuable information. Immensely valuable. But I don’t bargain with traitors.”

  He snaps Zabek’s neck. Throwing the body aside, he transforms before I can react. Spreading his wings, he flies away.

  What just happened?

  I wait, wary and tensed. When he is a distant speck in the sky, I transform back, draw Diana into my arms, and hug her tight. “I thought I was going to lose you,” I whisper into her hair.

  She takes a deep, shaky breath. “I thought I was dead,” she whispers. “You saved me. Again.” She draws back. “Is Zabek…?”

  “Dead? Yes.”

  My fury hasn’t yet abated. I had a shot at First, but Zabek was in the way. First used him as a shield. I should have burned both of them, but I couldn’t do it.

  And because of that, how many more people will die?

  Diana walks over to Zabek’s body. She surveys it expressionlessly and then picks up the screen. When she takes in its contents, her face goes white.

  She hands it wordlessly to me.

  I read the screen, and my entire body goes cold.

  It’s the scientist’s research. All of his experiments on Draekons. All his findings—the Draekon gene is present in every Zorahn, it can be activated and blocked, but it cannot be removed without killing the test subjects—it’s all in here.

  First was already ready to kill every Draekon in the galaxy. And he’s now found out that every Zorahn in the Empire possesses the Draekon gene. The Draekon gene he considers inferior to his own.

  What will he do with the knowledge?

  I gaze down on Zabek’s corpse. “You self-centered fool,” I say bleakly. “You wanted to be a hero, and instead, you’ve doomed us all.”

  Diana puts her hand on my arm. “What happens now?” she whispers.

  The instant she touches me, the pain recedes, and the darkness lightens.

  My mate.

  “I don’t know,” I confess. “Things have changed. Things are going to be different. All we can do is wait.” I take a deep breath and focus on the way she feels at my side. Focus on the fact that she’s safe and alive, and so are the refugees. For the moment, we’ve won. “The others will be here soon. They really want to meet you.” My lips curl into a grin. “I still need to get back at Ruhan for the thing he did with my comm.”

  Diana looks worried, and then she forces a smile on her face. She tucks her hand in mine. “We live in interesting times,” she murmurs. “I can’t wait to meet them either.” Her smile fades. “I have to tell Thel that Zabek is dead.”

  I find it hard to mourn the selfish fool. “You won’t have to do it alone,” I reply. “I’m with you. Forever.”

  Dark days lie ahead. But I have Diana at my side. Ruhan was right. I can either be afraid, or I can choose happiness.

  I pull her into my arms and kiss her as if my life depends on it. She’s my mate, and we love each other, and whatever the future holds, we will face it together.

  Epilogue

  Diana

  Telling Thel that Zabek is dead is one of the hardest things I ever have to do in my life. Telling him how he died is even more difficult.

  The mourning rites last two weeks. Thel goes into isolation for ten days. When he finally emerges from his period of solitude, he calls Mirak and me into his quarters.

  We cry, and we hug, and we talk. There are tears, but there’s also laughter. Finally, Thel gestures to the table. “I received this package from Commander Tarish a week ago.” He looks at Mirak. “I think you had something to do with this.”

  My heart leaps. “Is that…?”

  “It’s not a cure,” he replies. “Raiht’vi synthesized a drug that suppresses the enzyme that produces inflammation. It seems to be working well so far. She says she can refine the drug and tailor it to my DNA in time.”

  “You’re going to join the Rebellion?” I ask him.

  He nods. “It’s time, Diana. Zabek was a very flawed person, but he was still my son. First killed him. I will avenge his death.” He sighs. “Nobody knows what’s going to happen now that First knows about the Draekon gene’s spread. Nobody’s heard from him. Blood Heart has ceased all activity in the last two weeks. This period of calm can’t last. The Rebellion is going to need all the help they can get.”

  “Did Tarish offer you the cure in exchange for your spy network?” Mirak asks.

  Thel shakes his head. “It was a gift. They sent me a three-month supply, with more on the way. I probably have you to thank for this.”

  “Me?” Mirak shakes his head. “I didn’t do anything.”

  I very much doubt that. So does Thel, because he snorts in disbelief. “I warned Tarish I wouldn’t have intelligence into Blood Heart. Not anymore.”

  I jerk my head up. “Did something happen to your spy?”

  “No, but it will only be a matter of time. For the moment, I’ve asked them to go silent. I need them alive.”

  My mentor eyes me. “I’m going to make the announcement to the crew tonight. You’re the new Captain of the Mahala, Diana. Take care of my ship and my people, because they’re yours now.”

  I blink the tears from my eyes. “I’m not ready to say goodbye,” I whisper.

  “Goodbye?” Thel scoffs. “Mirak is one of the best navigators I know. I will be very offended if you and Lisa don’t visit at least once a month.” He rests his hand on me. “I lost a son, child. I don’t intend to lose my daughters as well.”

  Outside, I turn to Mirak. “What now?” I ask. “I don’t even know what to do next. The crew is carrying on as if things are normal, but they aren’t.”

  “Normal is all we have, spitfire.”

  He’s right. And though everything feels dark and scary, there are pockets of hope. The head of the Docarro Corporation was sentenced to a lifetime of hard labor. Thel’s feeling better; Raiht’vi’s drug seems to be working. With him and the Rebellion teaming up, who knows what might happen?

  I smile up at my mate. My big, strong, powerful, protective Draekon. “We have a potential target,” I tell him. “The Zeem Merchant Guild is hoarding essential drugs in their sector and profiteering from the shortages. We really should raid their ships and liberate the drugs from their possession.” I tuck my arm in his. “I’ll need an expert navigator to get us there quickly.”

  Mirak gives me a cocky, confident grin. “It’s a good thing you have one, Captain. Come on, spitfire. Let’s go give them hell.”

  Epilogue

  Naomi:

  Pain. Pressure. My head feels like it’s trapped in a vice. I whimper, but no sound emerges from my mouth. Images flash through my mind—of war and death, hunger and famine. Wave after wave of agony washes over me, and I’m drowning. I scream, but I am voiceless. I beg for help, but there is none in sight.

  So much. So overwhelming.

  And then, there is a hush. A momentary interlude. A welcome sense of relief.

  My rescuer appears out of nowhere, and he sets me free.

  I reach out to him. Beg him wordlessly to pull me out. To stop me from drowning in these dark waters.

  Except this is a nightmare.

  And there is no end in sight.

  I start to scream.

  Fifth:

  “I don’t understand why you want me here,” I grind out. Caeron, is this a curse, a punishment for my sins? To hear her screams when I draw near? To see her unconscious body flinch when I enter the room? “All I’m doing is making things worse.”

  The petite healer stands her ground. “I’m scanning the human’s brain waves,” she says. “I have compared her readings against those of Alice Hernandez, Olivia Buckn
er, and Dor Pitts. It may not be obvious to you, Fifth, but when she sees you, she feels better.”

  “She is screaming in terror.”

  “She is trapped in the horrors of her mind.” The healer’s face takes on a serious expression. “She may never emerge. Trying to heal her might be futile. But if you want to help—”

  She’s thin. Emaciated. Her ribs stick out in her chest. When I first saw her, her leg had been badly broken, and the butchers who took her didn’t bother to fix it. The healer has been able to mend the break, but the mindwipes have repeatedly failed. The damage is too deep.

  Trying to heal her might be futile.

  I need to help.

  “I will be here again tomorrow.”

  Thank you for reading Draekon Pirate!

  The Rebel Force adventures continue in Draekon Warlord, Naomi and Fifth’s story. Click here for more information and to purchase it.

  Are you all caught up with the Draekons? Don’t miss any of the books.

  DRAGONS IN EXILE

  Draekon Mate - Viola’s story

  Draekon Fire - Harper’s story

  Draekon Heart - Ryanna’s story

  Draekon Abduction - Olivia’s story

  Draekon Destiny - Felicity’s story

  Daughter of Draekons - Harper’s birth story

  Draekon Fever - Sofia’s story

  Draekon Rogue - Bryce’s story

  Draekon Holiday - A holiday story

  REBEL FORCE