Drasus

Drega appraises me over the console. "What are you doing?"

"I'm seeing if there are any breaks in the code, any way of using this nevving mapping system to find my mate," I say, not looking up from the console.

The lights, the code—it's all making my head hurt, but most of all, what makes it hurt is being away from my Coral.

"Steady, warrior." Drega is too nevving close to me. I snarl.

He backs off, hands held up but claws extended. He is not giving up this time.

"I know what Draco said about us being den warriors, but…" I run my hand over my face, my scales feeling slick. "…I know you and I don't know you. I want my mate, I want to fight, to kill, to do anything other than wait here."

"Whilst you are unprepared to let me examine you," Drega says petulantly, "my suspicions are that a combination of the rut, your previous injuries and inability to shift, along with the new injury to your head have conspired to both heal you and rob you of some of your past. Like your mate, I believe all will return to you eventually, as has been seen so far. But it might not always stick."

"I wanted…" I drop my hands to my sides. I do not want to reveal my weaknesses to this male, whether he is my superior or not. My rut tells me my mate is still close, despite all evidence to the contrary, and I do not want this male to consider I am not worthy of her. "I wanted things to stay as they were. For us to make a new future, a new life."

"Understandable." Drega nods sagely. "I think some of our time in the Kirakos was because we all needed time to reset."

"Draco got us imprisoned to have time?"

"Draco got us imprisoned to make credits." Drega laughs. "He's my brother and he always has an ulterior motive. But he will not let any single one of his warriors down, including you."

"If the Golden Orion isn't to go after my mate, give me some sort of ship, drop me at the nearest trading moon, anything so I can go find her myself," I plead.

My scales itch. I scratch at my neck vigorously.

"Shedding?" Draco says as he walks into the mapping room. "Definitely in rut."

Drega bursts out laughing. "You should know, brother."

"And you, brother," Draco replies. "I don't rut. I always shed on time," he says in an impressive imitation of Drega's voice.

"Nev you. Have you managed to reach the Lepke?" Drega asks, huffing out a lungful of smoke.

"Lepke?" I query.

"You didn't think I had us incarcerated without a plan, did you?" Draco asks, eyes dancing with dangerous mirth.

"I did," Drega replies, nodding with insolent enthusiasm and making Draco growl.

"I had our Lepke, Emilie, wait for us on the surface. Once she detected the ship leaving, she was to head for Harbar and arrange for our arrival."

Drega shrugs. "So where is the little nevver?"

"Daeos has been putting out a call, but there's been no reply." Draco's scales darken. "Combined with the engine signatures he located, I'm inclined to leave this area of space." He looks at me. "You'll be wanting to go after your mate, no doubt."

"No doubt at all," I rasp in reply.

Draco looks at his brother. "Is he ready?"

"He's in rut, probably the worst I've seen. He needs to shed and he doesn't remember how bad Daeos is." Drega grins. "He's as ready as he'll ever be if he wants to find his mate."

"Take Drelix and Draxx and some gyik flyers," Draco orders. "Draw what you need from the armory. Follow the Habosu trail."

"How do you know the Habosu has the females?"

"I don't. We're going to follow the Bogarok. The Golden Orion has the firepower to match their ship, the gyik flyers do not."

Drega clears his throat and Draco glares at him. "We have more than enough firepower, brother. Would I risk a ship filled with females, including my mate and my sarkarnling, if we did not?"

Drega shakes his head but he's hiding a smile. "If you say so. I told you we shouldn't have sold the pulsar cannons to the Remek."

"And you said we shouldn't go after the spaceworms either." Draco chuckles.

"I was absolutely right on that score." Drega huffs.

"We will find your mate, and the other female." Draco turns his attention to me. "No one takes from the Sarkarnii. I'm absolutely sure this has to do with the Belek. They want us for something, and it's better for them we are no longer in the Kirakos." He looks over the mapping console. "If Gondnok was still around, I'd say it was for the map, but I believe they need flesh, not tech."

"The collars?" Drega queries.

"A trial, perhaps." Draco inclines his head.

"Nev!" Drega fires out. "The sooner we're away from here, the better. You'd better collect your team and get going, warrior."

I give the pair a nod and leave the mapping room, nearly bumping into Draxx as I exit.

"You're with me, Drasus," he says with far too much glee. "About time we got to go into battle again."

I grunt. "I go to find my mate."

"Best reason for a battle," Draxx says as we make our way through the humming ship to the armory where I pick up a couple of pulsar pistols and eschew the explosives.

In the hangar, another Sarkarnii is waiting for us, his iridescent scales shining in the dim light.

"Drelix," Draxx addresses him. "Drasus has forgotten us all."

"Not all the time," I reply, sizing up the quiet Sarkarnii. "This one doesn't speak."

"But I'd rather have him by my side in danger than any other warrior." Draxx slams a big green shoulder into the smaller male, who, to give him credit, hardly moves. "And you, of course," he adds.

"I warn you now, I am going after my mate. That is all. I'm not fighting for anyone else, not until I have her. Coral is all that matters. She is my heartsfire, she is my reason for breathing. Until she is in my arms again, my soul is a shadow and my shift means nothing."

"I'd expect nothing less," Draxx rumbles. "And I certainly would not be going with you if I thought you were going for any other reason." He walks over to one of the flyers and it opens on his approach. "Are we going to get your mate or stand here talking?"

I slam my hand on the nearest flyer, and it too opens up for me.

"Try and catch me," I fire out, hopping in and starting the pre-flight sequence. "Or eat my space dust."