Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

KObrIK

" H ey look, another grud," a human youngling wearing a red mask with plastic horns calls out.

Immediately, I turn a full three-sixty to locate the infiltrator. Scores of younglings dressed in costumes run by, but no grud.

The sheet-clad youngling points at me. "And he has a gun, Daddy."

"That's not a grud," the father says. "That's one of the other aliens. A banth. Like Warlord Ghazi who conquered Earth before we took back our planet."

My blue coloring, black horns, and warrior tattoos on my bicep and chest clearly indicate I'm zyanthan. Banth, the coalition scum, have translucent skin beneath which their black blood courses.

"I'm a zyanthan warrior," I announce. "Part of the Galactic Alliance, youngling." I do not correct his father's statement that Earth took back the planet. Humiliating a father in front of his progeny serves no purpose, especially since it's possible the humans don't know the Coalition withdrew due to an internal threat to their home world. One involving their former allies. The Grud. The very reason I'm on Earth.

"Doesn't matter where you're from. You don't belong here. Let's go, Michael. Your bag's practically empty." The father hurries his youngling to the next house.

I can understand hiding behind a mask while begging for food, but dressing his youngling as a keenta is highly insulting to that species. The male will do what he must to feed his family, though.

It's shocking to learn the humans still have issues with their food supply, but that is not why I'm on this dismal planet. I have a job.

Hunting grud.

A week ago, Galactic Intelligence received intel on a grud scout heading to Earth. That can only mean one thing: the Coalition wants to retake what they abandoned. Earth.

Swiftly, I move through the dark neighborhood, darting down alleys to avoid the humans as much as possible. So many younglings begging for food. Drekk, this isn't right.

Focus, Kobrik.

Assuming my prey is indeed a scout and not here to sabotage infrastructure, he would have no interest in the civilian population. He'd seek military installations to assess the advances the humans have made in defending their planet.

Which isn't much, considering the grud made it through Earth's defense shield. The humans better find the leak in their ranks, or before long there will be more than a one grud roaming their planet.

I check my wrist comm to review the search zones the human military set up. The humans believe the grud ship landed in the forest east of Los Angeles, but my instincts tell me he's in the city. Once I find his ship, he's as good as captured. Then I can finally return home to Zyan.