Drekkan

DREKKAN

I cannot get her scent out of my nostrils, no matter how much flame I make, how often I shift, anything I do. And the last thing I should be thinking about is a nevving female, species undetermined. Even one with soft curves and a smile, half hidden, which makes my hips dance…

I am NOT dancing for her. I am NOT in rut for her. All of these things are foolish, pointless. I have to get my ship fixed and get the nev off Kitchik, away from this place and all its nevving memories.

Back among the stars, my head will finally be clear. I’ll be free to continue, and now I know there are Sarkarnii out in the galaxy. They brought the female here. She knows more. She might be able to contact them.

My kin. The ones I thought lost because I believed I was the last of my kind. Especially after…

With a growl, I shake the memories away. My distraction tactics should have worked and the spaceport will be unguarded. I need to get there, to raid it, to find the parts I need. Get away from here.

I land in a space big enough for my Sarkarnii form and immediately return to my biped one, dropping down low so I can creep closer to the port. As expected, it’s quiet and in darkness. Unlike any spaceport I’ve ever been to, ones which never close, the Kitchik port has very strict times so that the inhabitants of this ancestor-forsaken place can have time to do the things they enjoy .

Like that’s any reason to stop working. I snort out a lungful of smoke and embers at the very thought.

“!”

A curse escapes my lips as I recognize both the voice and the sound of pulsar weapons whining to full power.

“Mayor,” I snarl as I turn on my heel.

I am surrounded.

The mayor of Kitchik is annoyingly cheerful and the rotund Honok is renowned for being fair and firm. But from the look on his normally happy face, deep in those liquid blue eyes—he is nevved off.

Good.

“You won’t get into the spaceport. It’s closed until after the solstice celebrations. You know that, Qrow told you.”

“I want what’s in there, mayor, ” I spit out. “You can’t stop me.”

He sighs a big, deep sigh. A pulsar bolt comes out of nowhere and slams into my leg, sending me crashing to the ground before I can say or do anything. There’s a rush of his armored guards surrounding me as the mayor approaches.

“You do realize you’ve nevved me off, don’t you?”

“I have no desire to do such a thing, nor did I want to hurt you in any way, . But you know how important the solstice celebrations are to Kitchik, to everyone here. The last thing I want is to deal right in the middle of our celebrations is a galactic incident because you stole from the wrong species.”

He lifts a finger, and one of the guards leaps on top of me. I might be injured, the pulsar bolt burning like nev in my thigh, but fighting him isn’t exactly hard. I hear a click as I throw him off and something constricts around my neck.

My hands fly up, touching smooth metal which buzzes under my claws. I dig in, intending to wrench the thing free.

“I wouldn’t do that, Sarkarnii.” The mayor looks coolly at me. “These collars were designed for your species, and I was lucky enough to get my hands on one.” He sighs again. “I had hoped not to use it. But your games today gave me no choice.”

“Nev you!” I grind out at him, digging my claws in deeper. “Nev you back to your ancestors and beyond!”

When it hits me, the white heat sears through my brain, and the mayor, the spaceport, and the guards all disappear.