Chapter 9
Drakonian Battlecruiser
“General, I’m getting life-form readings from the planet below. Their heat signature matches closely to our own.”
General Ranier tensed with excitement. This had been the fifth planet in the current star system that they were investigating as a potential place some of the Drakonians evacuated to. They would be leaving soon if they came up with nothing, as they had previously.
“Get a scouting team together.”
“Sir, there’s something else.”
He turned his attention to the young lieutenant. “What?”
“We’re picking up a signal from another ship on the far side of the moon. Its signature is similar to…”
“To what? Spit it out.”
“To the Croads.”
“Damn.”
The Croads were responsible for the destruction of their home world Drakonia. It was a name that he and his men had come up with since communication with the enemy had proven deadly. The Croads didn’t want peace talks, only annihilation of anything in their way.
“How much time do we have before they reach us?”
“Twenty-four, maybe thirty-six hours.”
“Let’s get moving then. We need to determine if these life forms are our people but, regardless, we’ll need to relocate them to keep them out of harm’s way.” There was no way he would leave primitive people defenseless against destroyers like the Croads. His honor as a warrior would not allow it.
*****
Blaze heard the sonar call and froze what he was doing. The fishing line hung in his hand limply and he glanced over at the other males who had also frozen. Again, they heard a loud shrieking sounded in the distance, toward the west. That wasn’t one of his people. He dropped the netting.
“You two come with me to check it out. The rest of you go back to our village and keep the women and dragonlets safe.”
Cor grumbled but followed orders, shifting into his dragon form with his friends and flying back to the caves. The rest of them remained and shifted into their dragon forms. Blaze took one, two, three steps, then he leapt into the air, the wind catching beneath his wings. The others followed suit, falling into a V formation with Blaze in the lead. He waited until they were closer before he let out a welcoming sonar call. He dared not do it sooner, not wanting to lead an enemy too close to his clan.
He spotted the dragon just ahead as he landed on a cliffside and shifted to the two-legged form. His fellow dragons stayed in their dragon forms to keep watch. The other dragon landed and shifted. He wasn’t familiar with the male, but it was clear he was Drakonian.
“Who are you?” Blaze demanded.
“I’m Lieutenant Vern from the Battlecruiser Zyon.”
Blaze waited a moment before stepping forward. “I’m Blaze, leader of the Drakonian clan here. Welcome.” They clasped forearms.
“I wish our meeting came under better circumstances,” Vern said as pulled back. “I’m under a time restraint. How many are in your clan?”
“Twenty three, including me.”
“Anyone else — any alien species here?”
“No sentient beings except for us. What is going on?” Blaze felt a chill go down his spine.
“I am under orders by General Ranier to evacuate the inhabitants here to safety. The enemy that attacked Drakonia is nearing this star system and will be here in less than twenty hours.”
“Where do you plan to take us? My clan has a few dragonlets and living on a battlecruiser is not ideal.”
“We plan to take you to another planet called Earth. Most of our people were sent there. Their clans survived for centuries.”
