“My mate has birthed in the last nova-day,” he snaps. “She has less of a wish to be here than I, and I only have the slightest of desires to find out why you’ve called yet another meeting.” He flings himself down in the pit area, his tail curling around his ankles as he huffs a great cloud of smoke.
Darax is next through the door, and he’s heading straight for me, until he thinks better of it.
“You…” he snarls. “Where is my ship? What’s nevving going on?”
“I suspect Dalox has brought us here to explain,” Dexx drawls.
“Your ship is destroyed,” I tell Darax.
I watch his fists curl and uncurl. Not that it will be a great a loss to a warlord as wealthy as he.
“I needed that ship,” he says.
“I have no doubt you can procure another one.”
Darax lifts his lips, revealing his fangs as Driok enters.
“Whose ship did you arrive in?” he asks. “And where is it?”
“I have the answers you seek, once Dante gets here,” I tell him.
“I hope one of those answers is how you’re going to replace my ship, Dalox,” Darax growls.
“Dante is busy blowing up parts of the neutral sector. I doubt he’ll be here any time soon,” Dexx says. “Just tell us why you called this meeting and we can go.”
Everyone looks to the door as Dante enters, his scales smoldering slightly and the stench of star fuel clinging to him.
“I have some news about the second continent.”
“It’s not filled with wet, hot jungle after all?” Darax snarls. “But instead littered with the parts ofmy ship you stole.”
“Like you didn’t steal it first.” Driok laughs.
“I purchased it,” Darax fires back. “It cost me many credits.”
“Just steal another one and be done, you nevver,” Dexx says. “Let Dalox get on with it.”
“I located Deus’s ship.” I gaze at Darax.
His gaze darkens.
“My brother,” he says. “Did you find him?”
“I found him, and I found something else too.” I open the door to the anteroom and beckon the two females out.
“Sarkarnii females?” Driok contorts himself into the strangest of shapes in order to see past me.
Dexx is on his feet. Even Dante has sobered as the two females stand before them.
“They survived the sickness?” Darax says.
“Not only these two females, but many more. Deus’s crew was mostly female,” I reply.
“Everyone wanted to serve on his ship, but he preferred female crew.” Darax is unable to take his eyes from the first Sarkarnii females any of them have seen since the sickness took the rest. “He said they were efficient and deadly, the two qualities he held above everything else in a warrior.”
“I want females for my crew,” Dexx growls.
“That’s why we’re here,” the taller female says. “I am Dyris, this is Dyoti. As Dalox says, we are many but not enough for all your males. We want to be part of your settlement, not cause conflict.” She looks at Dyoti, who inclines her head slightly. “Our leader wanted us to be breeders, but it’s not what we want. We want to be part of a functioning Sarkarnii crew again.” She looks around at all the warlords. “We want to be free.”
