Drasus

Daeos peers over my shoulder, and I would very much like to punch him for his proximity. But apparently that pleasure belongs to his "brothers," Draco, Draxx, and Drega. I'm certain I used to be able to punch him in the head, but for now, I'm reserving myself for an occasion which merits it, whether he is kiralii or not.

"The Obsaphir has been loaded?" I query, my fingers tripping over the controls as I access the various elements of the mapping system.

"We did it together," Daeos replies. "The upload, once you and your mate unlocked it, came through automatically."

I release a growl from the depths of my stomach. "I can see what we need to do, but the system is not letting me in."

"I had my concerns it needed the presence of you and your mate in order for it to operate." Drega leans against the doorway leading into what I've been told is the mapping room.

It's a room which feels familiar, even down to the red Sarkarnii breathing down my neck, his mouth open, and I'm half expecting drool.

"You mean we can't use it to find her?"

"Technically, I don't believe it can be used to detect a single member of a specific species. It's more to do with concentrated numbers, which is why Draco wanted it." Drega ambles over to the console and looks at what I'm doing. "It's also why every other nevving species in the galaxy will want it, when they know what we've got."

"What other options have we got to locate my mate?" I growl. "Our sensor array is virtually non-existent."

"Ah, yes." Drega rubs the back of his neck. "You were working on it before we went into battle with the Belek, and I haven't had the opportunity to get it working correctly."

"You mean, we've left without a fully working ship?"

"You heard Draco—there was no other option," Drega retorts.

"I can work on the sensors," Daeos interrupts. "There should still be an imprint of the ship which left the Kirakos with your mate and the other human female in the locality. It won't degrade for another few ticks. We can use it to assist with locating the species who took them."

Both Drega and I look at Daeos. He grins back.

"My memory might be malfunctioning, but I'm sure he has not always been like this," I say to Drega.

"You'd be right. Turns out mating works in mysterious ways for us all. Especially Daeos." He glares at the smiling Sarkarnii. "Get to it then, warrior."

Daeos merrily shoulders me aside, ignoring the growl he gets, working his way over the console.

"I have the sensor array online," he says, as I raise my eyebrows at his quick work. "Now I'm searching for engine signatures around the Kirakos."

He is silent, save for the lashing of his tail and the click of his claws on the screens.

"I've found one, fresh, within the last few uri. It coincides with the time your mate and the other female were taken," he says, staring intently at his screen. "Nev!" he explodes and I very nearly floor him.

"What is it?" Drega snaps.

"It's a Bogarok ship signature." Daeos lifts his head from the console. "Battle class."

My heart sinks slowly to my boots as I stare at the symbols on the screens. Everything I ever was comes crowding back. Not with a pain, not with a shout, but sliding back into my head as if it was never gone at all.

"You recall the Bogarok," Drega says quietly.

"I recall everything," I respond, swiping over the numbers and looking further at the energy signature. "And I recall how the Bogarok sting their victims before they eat them."

"For what it's worth, Drasus, I don't think they took your mate for food," Drega says.

I snort out smoke and flame, not looking at him.

"They took the females in order to get us to comply," Draco booms out from his position in the doorway. "The Ragad managed to decrypt some of the messages the Belek were sending when they tried to storm the Kirakos." He looks at me. "When you were injured, Drasus. They have a buyer for us."

"A buyer? The Sarkarnii are for sale?" I choke out a hollow laugh.

"Not to anyone who could afford us." Draco moves over to the console. "But maybe to those who think they can control us." He looks at the energy signature. "Good work, warrior." He punches me in my shoulder.

"If the Bogarok are involved, we've got a problem," I say. "They are a difficult species to beat."

"They are," Draco confirms. "But not impossible, and after the last three evs on the Kirakos, we are a better fighting force than we've ever been." He fixes me with a deadly gaze. "Providing we fight as one."

"Draco," Daeos says. "There might be a problem."

"What?"

"The engine signature, it splits. There is another ship, a Habosu, bounty hunter class. They go in different directions."

My world turns upside down. I can hear growling all around me, and it's only after a few seconds I realize it is me. My beautiful Coral is gone.

I let her go because I wasn't there to protect her when she was taken.

Any chances of finding her out in the galaxy are rapidly slipping away, and with two ships to potentially follow, we may never reach her in time.

Without my mate, I am nothing, a warrior doomed to wander the stars, forever lost and forever alone.