by Ava Walsh
Brask smiled, revealing the teeth he had already begun to change into his beast's form. "That's what I thought you would say."
Din's eyes narrowed as Brask turned to the gathered Justice Keepers. "All of you know what is about to happen. I will defend my human mate and our unborn child against this dragon since I have received no word directly from the Science Board about the truth of his statements. You can use that as your justification for why you did not intervene on his behalf."
Several of the Justice Keepers glanced at each other and walked away. Others stood straighter and strode forwards, hands turning to claws, fire flickering in their mouths. Brask heard a small noise from Din. The Justice Warrior transformed as he turned back, his beast form taking him, his fires flaring white-hot.
He leaped forward, roaring his challenge. The guard Din had brought with him shoved the scientist back towards his ship. Wings sprouted from their backs and they met the challenge. The largest clashed with Brask, claws tearing strips of scale from his side as a huge hand came at him. Brask clamped his teeth down on the dragon's neck, flipping him over his shoulder, and lunged towards the ship.
Two more guards blocked his way. One bellowed a bellyful of fire at him, while the other snapped his teeth and clawed at Brask’s eyes. Brask rolled, slicing at the belly of one while knocking the other away with a wing.
A dragon jumped onto his back, but the familiar form of Biryl knocked the attacker away. Din's transport ship was launching by this time, and Brask leaped into the air, letting loose his fires. He thought he heard Din shriek as he slammed his body into the ship. It plummeted back to the ground.
Brask punched a clawed hand through the view shield. He ripped Din out and threw him to the ground. The dragon cowered before him, fumbling with the weapons on his belt. Brask snorted. He was not going to kill Din, but he could make him fear Justice—
One of the thugs roared, lashing out. His tail whipped through the air as Biryl's jaws clamped over his throat. The spikes flew towards Din. Brask raced forward. He reached the scientist just as the spikes impaled his chest. A bloodcurdling scream filled the air.
There was a snap as Biryl broke the thug's neck.
Din's eyes were open, his mouth hanging loose. His eyes roved. His body jerked and lay still.
Brask released his beast's form, heart hammering in his chest. Whatever happened, his most important goal, other than protecting Libba, had been to ensure Din did not die. He was a scientist, helpless against the Justice Keeper's superior strength. Worse than that, Nylæq would blame Brask for his death.
Creator help us! What will happen now?
Biryl stumbled over to stand beside him, his expression grim.
Brask glanced around. The thugs Din had brought with him were all dead. Several of the Justice Keepers were nursing wounds, but a quick glance over them showed that none were badly injured. He had been right. While intimidating, Din's guard had had no idea how to fight trained Justice Warriors.
How much time did they have before Nylæq's wrath over the death of her son rained down on them?
"Prep the ships. Everybody who was involved in his attack must get to Bronæl to justify their actions. I'll get Libba. If I take her to the planet myself, then I can call for a public trial to prevent her pregnancy from being terminated."
His friend nodded, and Brask quickly took his beast's form again, taking to the air. Grimly, he realized that even if the public found his actions to be justifiable, he would be relieved of his rank for what had happened here. He had led his Justice Keepers to kill. Such a thing was inexcusable for a Justice Warrior. His dreams of being permitted to start a colony where religion and science mingled in peace were shattered.
But Libba is alive. Din didn't get his slimy hands on her. The tightness in his chest eased. In the end, she was worth it.
***
When he found Libba and Trafin in the tunnels, his human shouted at him, demanding to know why he hadn't let her know he was safe. Brask was surprised at her anger, but if he had had more time would have been pleased that she was worried about him. Given the circumstances, though, he didn't have time to soothe her. Instead, he grabbed her and headed back to where the ships were ready to go.
She screamed profanities at him the whole way there, though she fell silent once he released his beast form and hurried her into a ship.
Once they were underway, he explained what had happened. Libba's face went white as he spoke. Brask wanted to comfort her, but he didn't even have the chance. As soon as he had told her Din's fate, Biryl interrupted them.
"You need to see this," he said grimly, handing the Justice Warrior a tablet.
Dread had his fires smoldering, but Brask took the tablet and activated the holograph that was waiting. An image of Din's dead body appeared and Brask bit back a snarl.
"What is this?" Libba asked, moving closer to Brask. He could feel her shivering and put an arm around her, pulling her close to him.
"It's a news broadcast."
That wasn't the worst of it. Brask was being blamed for the events on the moon and accused of killing Din himself. His defiance of the Science Board in refusing to hand Libba over was already being talked of. The death toll had been tallied, and every death was laid at Brask's feet.
"There is a warrant out for your arrest," Biryl told him, taking the tablet back.
Brask snorted. "Alive or dead?"
"Alive. Thank the atoms of the universe for that."
"Thank the Creator," Brask muttered. He frowned. Was the Creator the atoms of the universe? Was Libba right when she said that science was their god?
Libba jumped to her feet. "This is bullshit! Din would have killed me. Why are you being arrested for something you didn't do? Who betrayed you? I'll kill them!"
"It doesn't matter." Brask rubbed his temples. "Tell the crew that whoever wants to leave is free to do so. I will take Libba away from here on my own."
"Unlikely," Biryl snorted. "You're not going anywhere without me."
"Can't you just explain what really happened?" Libba grabbed Brask's arm. "It's not fair!"
Brask embraced her. "I know. But until I am assured of a public trial, I can't risk returning. I certainly can't risk taking you there. Your pregnancy will be terminated…" An awful thought hit him and he swallowed hard. "Unless you want to be free of me. If you want to go directly to the planet and not be in the crosshairs—"
"Like hell I'm leaving you," she muttered, burying her face into his shoulder. "Libba Ross doesn't quit. I'm not letting anything happen to you or this baby. Got it? You can't get rid of me that easily."
Brask was filled with overwhelming gratitude. Cupping her face in his hands, he pressed his mouth to hers. She responded eagerly, passionately, tangling her fingers in his hair and her tongue with his.
Neither of them noticed when Biryl slipped out of the room, giving them their privacy.
Chapter Seven
Libba fought down waves of nausea, nibbling at a root of some sort that Brask assured her would help with the morning sickness. It had gone away for a little while, only to return full force once she was in her final trimester. She was bigger than she had expected, but there wasn't the proper medical equipment on board to check how her pregnancy was progressing.
Just one more thing to worry about.
She sat on her bed, head against the wall as she watched the latest news broadcasts from Bronæl. The image of a large dragoness was on nearly every broadcast frequency now. She was Nylæq, Din's mother, the reason he had been able to get away with breaking so many laws. She was apparently a former member of the Science Board and still held a lot of sway in the goings-in on Bronæl. And she was frustrated that, after five months, they still hadn't been able to catch Brask.
"My son's death is a shocking display of traitorous intent from Justice Warrior Brask," she said, looking directly into the camera.
Libba had seen this particular clip often enough that she could almost quote it.
> "I invoke my right as a mother whose son was slain to place my own bounty on Brask's head," Nylæq continued. "Grants for a year of research and a new research vessel to every person who helps bring him in. In the meantime, I cannot rest while that traitor is free, and I will search for him myself. The dragon must be brought to justice."
"Off," Libba ordered, and the broadcast blinked out. She bit off a larger part of the root, hoping to quell the queasiness that still churned her stomach as the baby kicked her in the ribs.
If he hadn't rescued me from Din, he wouldn't be in this position. He wouldn't be an outlaw, watching all his dreams go up in smoke.
Her nausea got worse with the thought, and Libba closed her eyes, fighting against it. So what if she was pregnant, she wasn't going to turn into a puke machine. She'd give herself a couple of minutes to feel better, and then she was going to go and find Brask and find out what they were doing now. Last time she had asked, they were headed for an uninhabited planet that could still sustain life to restock their water stores.
Getting out of this stupid ship and being able to breathe some fresh air would probably help her feel a little better. Living in space was difficult, but given the alternative… Well, space was the better choice.
The door opened and Libba sat up straighter, swallowing her mouthful of root, as Brask came in. He was wearing the same pants and shirt that he had donned after leaving the moon base. His shoulders were slumped, his mouth drawn into a tight line. Though he tried to hide it, she knew that he was worried about Nylæq coming after him.
When he laid down on the bed beside her, Libba could feel that his skin was cooler than normal. And no wonder. He was stressed and tired. They only had half a dozen crew members with them, and a ship this size needed twice that many to run smoothly.
At least he had been sleeping with her whenever he had an off shift. It felt better to have him with her.
"How close are we to the planet?" she asked, trying to keep her voice as even and no-nonsense as possible.
"We'll get there tomorrow." He gave her a small smile as he put a hand on her swollen belly. "How are you feeling?"
The nausea was fading, so Libba shrugged. "Pretty good right now."
"Good." His hand rested on her thigh. "I'd like to take off your clothes and expend some energy I don't have, and I'd hate to do that while you were feeling sick."
It must have been pregnancy hormones because that sounded so good that Libba was hardly able to stop herself from ripping off her pants just at his words. But she knew how much Brask enjoyed the sensation of undressing her himself.
"Are you sure you feel up to it?" she asked, worried that he was exhausting himself.
"I need you right now," he whispered. "I might be tired, but being inside you will help me feel better."
He kissed the top of her belly, making Libba sigh. She combed her fingers through his hair, enjoying the connection she felt with him. If they had met on Earth at a club, she'd have brought him home the moment she saw him and begged him to marry her the first time they had sex. Even in this situation, she had a hard time stopping herself from blurting out that she loved him every time he entered her.
She let her thoughts drift away, arching her spine towards him as Brask's mouth moved up, kissing first one clothed breast than the other. They had gotten much more sensitive over the past few weeks. Her dragon tugged her pants down to her knees, cupping her with a hand as he searched for his target with one strong finger. Libba moaned.
"I've reached out to a Human Rights organization," he said, not easing his ministrations. Libba could hardly pay attention to what he was saying.
"Human Rights… Why?"
"To protect you and the child from the Science Board's decision to end your pregnancy."
Libba's eyes opened again. She pushed Brask's head from her breasts, her brow furrowed. "Are you going to send me away?"
"If I have to for your protection—"
She yanked away from him. "Like hell! I'm not leaving you. Never, not for anything."
Brask held up his hands. "Libba—"
"Do you hear me? I'm not leaving. You're the one who took me away from Din, you're the one who got me pregnant, it's your responsibility to keep me close by. This baby will be born in two months, and it isn't growing up without its father, and I am sure as hell not giving you up. I don't freaking care about Nylæq or the freaking Science Board. You're not going anywhere, and neither am I. Understood?"
Her dragon shook his head, but an admiring smile crossed his face. Her hands clenched and she glared at him, daring him to try to change her mind. Brask held his arms out to her.
"Come here, Libba. I'm not leaving you. I'm never leaving you."
What the hell? Why was there a lump in her throat? Her eyes filled with tears as she returned to her dragon's arms. She clutched him, kissing him fiercely. She wasn't going to let him go. Not now, not ever. She didn't care what happened to her. Whatever happened, it was going to be her and her dragon facing all of it.
Brask brushed his lips against her cheekbone and focused on her neck. "Now," he said, undoing the fastenings on her clothing, "about taking off all your clothes…"
Libba moaned, clutching him tighter.
Chapter Eight
Brask wrinkled his nose as he breathed in the swampy scent of the planet they had landed on. It was bad enough to leave an unpleasant taste in the back of his throat. No wonder Libba had turned green and run back onto the ship as soon as she had stepped out into this environment. At seven months pregnant, her morning sickness had returned and lasted all day long. He wished he could have chosen a more pleasant planet for her.
Still, this planet would allow them to restock the supplies they had gotten low on, and that was what mattered. While the crew gathered water and refilled the oxygen tanks, he was doing a little hunting. The hydroponics bay gave them fresh vegetables, but the beasts of their nature required lots of protein. That was especially true for a Justice Warrior, and they had no access at the moment to the supplements that the scientists had created that would allow the crew to forgo eating the flesh of other creatures.
The dragon held his weapon up and at the ready as he moved through the thick trees. A twig snapped behind him. Brask froze, scanning the dense forest. All was silent and he crouched, inhaling deeply. The smell of stlozyn curled into his nose. But it was not a member of his crew–they would have notified him if they were hunting as well.
Dread seized him, making his fires flare. Brask held his breath to keep the smoke in and slowly reached for his comm unit.
The sound of a blaster rang through the air. He rolled instinctively. The blast hit the place where his feet had been moments before. Brask fired his own weapon in the direction the attack had come from. There was a muffled curse, then half a dozen stlozyn emerged from the bushes, all firing at him. Brask fired back before taking refuge behind a tree.
They were bounty hunters, the lowest scum in existence.
He bit back a curse as he flipped his weapon to kill and sent a few more blasts towards the hunters. He slapped on his comm.
"Justice Warrior Brask," Trafin answered.
"I'm under attack," he shouted at her.
A tree nearby was hit; it splintered, flaming shards flying every which way. Brask threw himself to the forest floor to avoid the shrapnel. They had a cannon, a weapon specifically designed to take down a person in their beast's form.
His fires burned low as he realized that there was no way out of this. Not for him. There were too many of them, and by the time his crew arrived, it would be too late. And if they left the ship unguarded… Nylæq could very well have put a separate bounty on Libba. After he was caught, would the hunters go after his precious human?
No way in hell.
Brask almost smiled–Libba was rubbing off on him. He fired a few more volleys at his enemies, dodging from tree to tree. He could hear Trafin shouting through the comm, ordering backup to his location.
"N
egative," he barked at her. "Get out of here."
There was a moment of silence.
"That is an order," he continued. "Have everybody return to the ship and leave the planet."
"But—"
"Do as I say, dammit!" He fired twice more over his shoulder as he ran, seeking open space. They might have a cannon, but Creator help him, he would still be able to cause some serious damage before they took him down if he was able to take his beast's form. "Get Libba out of here. Do it!"
He slapped off the comm unit so Trafin couldn't argue with him. The bounty hunters were calling to each other, coordinating their attack. Brask sloshed through a swamp, a growl rising up his throat.
"Give it up," he heard someone shout behind him. "We don't need you alive! Haven't you heard your warrant was upgraded to dead or alive now?"
Finally, he reached an open space. He leaped into it, already shifting to his beast's form. There was a rumble in the air and he saw a streak of red in the sky. The ship was leaving. Trafin had followed his orders. His wings sprouted from his back and he threw back his head, roaring through sharpening teeth…
Something hit him hard in the back. He was unconscious before he hit the ground.
***
When Brask woke, he instinctively lay still, listening, trying to assess his situation without giving his return to consciousness away. From the sounds around him, the slight vibrations, he guessed he was on a ship. Not his ship, though. If he had been recused by his crew, they would have put him in the medical bay with sounds of chirping birds and running water to soothe him upon waking.
Something tight bit into his ankles and wrists. Restraints? He risked cracking an eye open. The room he was in was stark white. He lay on an operating table, bound to it not only by his limbs but also by bands around his shoulders and waist. They were not government issue. His fires smoldered as he realized what that meant.
