Driok
Idoubt very much Dalox has been captured by the Ulep, even if there’s no sign of the nevver or his warriors at the entrance to the lair and the center of their operations on this ancestor forsaken place.
If I have any luck whatsoever, he’s done as I have asked and drawn our enemy out and away from the place, to another battle ground. Or in fact anywhere which might give me the advantage for a nova-minute.
My aim was not to use my Sarkarnii form, but I don’t have much choice. With Dalox disappearing on me, every nova-second counts. I shed my weapons and shift as I release a sheet of searing hot flame to weaken the airlock before I slam my way through.
Inside the lair, the air is foul, as expected. The atmosphere the Ulep live in is hardly conducive to many other life forms. The stink of various toxins invades my senses. I let rip with more flame in an attempt to clean the air, which is unlikely but it certainly makes me feel better.
I prefer the stink of accelerant to anything else other than the perfect scent of my mate.
“Maggie?” I swivel my head, unable to tap on the comm due to my shift. There is only silence and the occasional burst of interference.
I curse under my breath. I’d rather I could hear her, but she is as safe as she could be, a long way from the Ulep with Dalox’s warriors to guard her.
I would prefer if it was my own, but his will have to do.
With a roar, I smash my way through a number of airlocks. From the scans Dalox showed me, my crew is in a small area under the surface, and getting them out has to be a priority before we locate the ship.
And then all I have to do is draw the Ulep out of the galaxy and set up the starnet.
Then I can go back to my mate, enjoy her, care for her, worship her until she births, and we can produce another sarkarnling all over again.
My tail smashes my way through the floor, weakened by my flame. Some pulsar bolts hit my hide but do little damage. What resistance the Ulep are offering is not proving problematic to my progress, which now includes ending up right where my warriors should be.
I look at the ranks and ranks of stasis pods, far more than needed to contain a few Sarkarnii, although probably the only way to contain us. I shift back to my biped form as I search for the control console and set the stasis pods to wake up.
As one, the things spring open, and it’s not long before I see the first Sarkarnii.
“Warrior!” I call out. “To me.”
Once I have one of my warriors by my side and I’ve checked him over, I set him to work to make sure none of my fellows awake and choose violence, or shift, until the time is right. I walk through the pods and see many, many species emerging, including Paralnyi. They all look dazed and confused.
“Captives of the Ulep,” I bellow above the general buzz of voices. “Make your way to the surface and a rescue will be effected.”
I have to hope my sweet mate spots them. Her remote should still be up above. She can arrange for our ship to land and take them on board.
My crew is assembled and looking relatively alert given their long period in stasis.
“We’re in the heart of the Ulep’s lair,” I growl at them, which seems to perk up those who have yet to rally. “We’re going to have to fight our way out. Your shift will shake off any residual effect of the stasis, and you are to follow me.”
There is a chorus of growls which warms my heart. And a crackle on my comm.
“Driok?”
“Maggie?”
“Thank god! You’re alive!”
“I am and I have my warriors.”
“You do?”
“It would appear your little Paralnyi and his bots have been useful,” I explain. “Dalox also performed a function, although it might make drawing the Ulep further away somewhat harder than before.”
“I have to tell you something…” Maggie says urgently.
“Are you safe?”
“Yes, but…”
“Are Dalox’s warriors still with you?”
“Yes, but…”
“Get some of them over to our ship and bring it to my location. There’s a considerable number of non-Sarkarnii here who need rescuing.”
“Driok!”
“What is it, my sweet mate?”
“Get your scaly butt to the surface, RIGHT NOW!”
I nearly have to rip the comm from my neck given how loudly she shouts. Springing into action, shifting into my Sarkarnii form, I’m followed by my warriors as we ascend through the destruction and chaos I’ve wrought on the Ulep and which would never be enough to stop them.
The Ulep always rise. Our only option is to keep them out.
Above me, there is the whirr of the engines from the remote, and I look up to see it. It dips and then turns before it sets off in a very specific direction. I direct my warriors to fan out, to keep their eyes open for Ulep or anything they might be using as weapons.
So far, it would appear that even if they knew we were coming, they didn’t prepare. This has been easy, too easy.
I keep my eye on the remote as it descends down and down towards a pit dug into the dusty surface of the planetoid.
“Don’t be a dragon!” Maggie shouts in my ear as I peer over the edge of the pit.
In it is a tiny human, who lets out a tremendous screech and then closes her eyes and falls to the ground.
“What did you do?!”
I’m in the pit and scooping her up. She’s cold and smells like death. I carry her out of the strange prison and place her carefully to one side.
“Is she alive?” Maggie whispers.
The female stirs and moans, just as there is the most almighty snarl from above me.
“Lord Driok! Spaceworms!”