Drakan (Scifi Alien Romance) (Galactic Mates)

by Luna Hunter

  I throw my head back and laugh.

  “You’re right,” I say.

  He did look like a treat.

  That fire-red skin of his dipped in chocolate… I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to lick it off. Not that I would ever tell Evelyn that. I’d never hear the end of it…

  “Landing initiated,” the ship’s automated voice says.

  I put the CS Lance in an automated spiral down towards Exon Prime as I tried to clean the mess, but the actual docking will have to be done manually. I jump and runs towards the control panel, quickly wiping my hands on my thighs. I grab the control stick just in time to guide her down without causing an accident.

  Evelyn joins me, watching as the grandiose landscape of Exon Prime comes into view. The vista is dotted with beautiful colored buildings, each one a different, bright color. It’s like walking into a painting.

  “Shame this is all we’ll get to see,” I say as the ship docks, “because we’re getting out of here as fast as humanly possible.”

  6

  Hannah

  Thankfully, there are no more sudden surprises when we deliver our chocolatey-cargo. Despite Evelyn’s pleas, we’re on our way again in record time. Soon, Exon Prime is nothing more than a blip in our rearview mirror.

  Evelyn slumps down on the co-pilot seat next to me, sighing wistfully.

  “You’ll get your chance to visit Exon Prime some other day,” I tell her.

  “Perhaps,” she says.

  “What are you planning on spending your freshly earned credits on?” I ask, changing the subject.

  Evelyn perks up. “I’m thinking about buying a repair drone, to help me keep the engine running. I can get twice as much done that way.”

  I raise my eyebrows. “You’re thinking of spending your hard-earned credits on our ship?”

  She nods dutifully.

  “You sure you don’t want to visit Catonia, the pleasure planet again?”

  “Been there, done that.”

  “Don’t want to gamble it all away, playing Pazaak in New Reno?”

  She grins. “Not allowed back in New Reno, remember?”

  “Oh right,” I say. “How could I forget?”

  “What can I say? They don’t like winners there.”

  “Winners, huh? Sure you don’t mean cheaters?”

  “Hey, if the house has an edge, I deserve one as well!”

  “I think they disagree.”

  “That’s why I can never, ever, ever go back there,” Evelyn answers. “The chief of police was very clear on that.” A shiver runs down her spine. “Mean guy, that one.”

  “So New Reno is out of the picture. Hm. What about the Observer?”

  “I’m buying a repair drone, and that’s final, Hannah!”

  I place my hand on my mechanic’s forehead. “Hm, no, you’re not running a fever. Must be a brain parasite then.”

  She slaps my hand away. “Don’t even joke about that!”

  I burst out laughing. “Hey, I’m not the who wants to fraternize with alien warlords.”

  “Oh please,” Evelyn says. “The only thing that Zoran can give you is a bun in the oven.”

  “Oh god,” I groan. “That’s the last thing I need right now.”

  “You’d make it work,” Evelyn answers. “You always do.”

  I take a deep breath. “Doesn’t feel like that, though.”

  “Oh come on,” she says. “You’re not even thirty yet and you own your very own freighter! Who else can say that?! You always land on your feet, Hannah.”

  “The only reason I could afford it is because it’s almost falling apart.”

  “And that’s why we need that repair drone.”

  “You sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “You don’t have to—”

  “Stop being so proud and let me help you for once,” she laughs. “I know you’re a lone wolf, but you need to let someone in every now and again.”

  “You’re right, you’re right,” I say. “Okay. Thank you.”

  “You’re more than welcome,” Evelyn answers. “You realize I’d be unemployed if it wasn’t for you right?”

  “Nah,” I say. “You’re the best mechanic I’ve ever seen. And you need to be, if you want to keep this scrapheap running.”

  “My permanent record disagrees,” she says. “Not a lot of employers can look past that.”

  I shrug. “That was all in the past. I think.”

  “Definitely,” she laughs. “I take it you’ll invest all your credits back into the Lance as well?”

  “I don’t know,” I sigh. “If Mr. Pullman doesn’t want to watch Brock anymore… I have a real problem.”

  “Why don’t you take him on our ship? There’s plenty of room here.”

  “A spaceship is no place for him to grow up. He needs stability, friends, safety. Not to criss-cross the galaxy on a rickety freighter with just the two of us.”

  “Why not? You love him more than any neighbor or host-family ever will. No offense, but his current situation is far from stable…”

  “You’re right,” I say, “but it’s not safe out here in space. I don’t want to risk it.”

  She nods. “I understand. Look, if you need more credits, you can use my share.”

  “No, no, no,” I say decisively. “Your share is yours. I’ll talk to Mr. Pullman when we get back to Earth. Perhaps I can change his mind. Just a few more jobs…”

  Evelyn rises from her seat. “I know you don’t want to accept it, but my share is yours, Hannah. You already pay me way too much. Now, I’m going to make us some dinner before you can refuse.”

  She strides off, heading down the hall before I have a chance to disagree. The last place I want to be is in anyone’s debt… but I’m only barely scraping by as it is. Perhaps.

  I’m lucky to have Evelyn by my side. I’d go mad out here in space without her.

  The sensors beep, rousing me from my thoughts. I glance up to see a strange blip on our radar.

  What now?

  Did General Drakan chase us?

  I pull up the image up my screen, and I breathe a small sigh of relief when I see it’s not the behemoth ZMC Dreadnaught that’s on our tail. It’s a small, cocoon-like pod, drifting aimlessly through space. According to my readouts, there’s a life sign on board. A weak one, but it’s there.

  The pod is not emitting a distress call, but according to the intergalactic naval code, I have a duty to assist anyone in need of help. Failing to do so is one of the most serious crimes imaginable.

  I don’t recognize the ship or its design. The pod has ridges running along its sides, and it looks more like a turtle’s shell than a spaceship. A cold shiver runs down my spine as I study the alien features.

  I pray that it’s not a Ygg pod I’m about to pick up…

  The ship does every scan possible, but the CS Lance is not a research vessel. It’s a repurposed freighter, a speeder with a cargo hold attached to it. A ship like the ZMC Dreadnaught could analyze every single molecule inside the pod from a mile away, but all I can see is that there’s a lifeform inside. It’s weak, and fading.

  “Evelyn!”

  My mechanic comes running towards the helm, an apron tied around her waist. “What?”

  “Do we have any weapons on board?”

  Her eyes widen. “Err, why?”

  “We have an unwanted guest. Please tell me you have something.”

  “You said no weapons on the ship.”

  “And I know you’re a bad listener.”

  “Uhh, well, I might have a plasma pistol tucked away somewhere…”

  “Good. Grab it.”

  Evelyn snaps to attention. “Yes, cap’n.”

  She speeds off while I open our cargo bay doors and guide the alien pod into our vessel. My gut is telling me it’s bad news, but I can’t just leave it out there. Not with its pulse fading quickly.

  A few minutes later, Evelyn and I are standing next to the alien pod
in our cargo hold. She’s holding a blowtorch while I’ve commandeered her plasma pistol, which I’ve set to stun. I don’t allow weapons on board as a rule, but I’m glad she disobeyed that order.

  “W-what is it?” Evelyn asks as she eyes the dark-gray cocoon.

  “I don’t know,” I answer, swallowing the lump in my throat.

  “Can’t we leave it?”

  “No,” I say, shaking my head.

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yes.”

  “Very sure?”

  “Positive.”

  “Totally sure?”

  “Absolutely. Or do you want to be court-martialed for leaving a stranded ship to fend for itself?”

  “No,” Evelyn answers, “but I don’t want to let some alien monster loose on our ship either.”

  “According to my readings, it’s a bipedal lifeform, so that rules out the Ygg.”

  Unless they evolved somehow…

  I take a deep breath to instill some confidence in myself.

  “Okay. Here goes.”

  I run my hand over the hard, ridged shell. It feels cold, lifeless. Decidedly alien.

  “How do you even open this thing?” Evelyn asks.

  “I have no idea.”

  Just as I say that, the shell itself splits in two with a horrible sound. I jump back, my grip on the gun tightening. Evelyn yelps and raises the torch. The shell falls to the floor with a thud, and a heavy, low groan comes from inside. I can see slime oozing out the side of the pod, and I fight the urge to gag.

  Why did I become a spaceship captain again?

  I shuffle forward, leaning over to glance inside, my heart beating inside my throat. What I see makes my blood run cold.

  A lanky, naked, purple being is curled up inside the slimy cocoon. Its skin is smooth, and four tentacles cover its mouth.

  “Is that—”

  Before I can finish my sentence the creature’s eyes fly open. Its beady eyes are as red as a supernova and filled with animalistic, deep-seated hatred. Instantly I experience the worst headache of my entire life. It feels like my skull wants to split itself in two.

  I raise my hands to my temples, dropping the plasma pistol on the floor. Through the slits of my eyes I see Evelyn is experiencing the same hellish pain as I am.

  The beast jumps up, the ooze dripping down its smooth, naked skin. Now that the being is standing on its two legs, I suddenly recognize it

  It’s a Tyk’ix! Yet, I recall them as always wearing grand, ornate robes. They are dignified, stately beings. This creature in front of me is nothing of the sort. He’s feral, wild, ferocious.

  And extremely dangerous.

  I reach down for my pistol, searching for it blindly. The splitting headache has reduced my vision to stars. I’m fumbling in the dark.

  A scream makes me turn my head. Through the dark spots I can see that Evelyn has found her torch, and is lighting up the cargo hold, wildly spraying fire around.

  She’s more likely to hurt herself than the naked Tyk’ix, though! The being turns to me, and its beady, red eyes seem to grow wider and wider as I gaze into them.

  Time itself seems to slow to a standstill. The sound of Evelyn’s screams, the fire flickering in the background, the pain in my head — it all fades away.

  Instead, I feel weightless. I’m floating, in a time and place that’s not my own. I experience sounds, smells, and thoughts that are completely foreign to me. A giant, pulsating brain looms up in front of me, a myriad of multicolored tubes sticking into it. Feeding it. I hear strange sounds, the words twisting and turning in my mind, until all the pieces fit together like a puzzle, and in an instant I recognize what’s being said.

  “Exxon Prime mussst die,” a slithering voice says.

  I don’t hear it with my ears, but from within.

  “The Zoranssss must die.”

  The sun itself explodes in a ball of hellfire, coating the entire galaxy in a red glow, and my blood runs cold as I watch the fire engulf Exon Prime.

  The galaxy itself shifts, the stars realigning themselves, until I find myself staring at a familiar, green-blue orb. Earth.

  Suddenly, I feel the cold grip of the plasma pistol touching my fingertips. The gun! I grab it from the floor and fire at the giant brain looming in front of me.

  The darkness, the giant brain, the burning planet all disappear, and I feel like I’m lost in time and space for a moment before the fabric of reality is restored.

  I’m back in the cargo hold of my ship, the CS Lance, and the seething mad Tyk’ix lies sprawled out in front of me on the cold, metal floor. Unconscious.

  A small circle of smoke rises from the barrel of my plasma pistol. My stun-shot was a direct hit.

  “W-w-what was that?” Evelyn stammers.

  I’m happy to see she’s only singed one of her eyebrows off with that blowtorch, rather than set herself on fire.

  “A Tyk’ix,” I say. “A rabid one.”

  “That sound, that headache… that was him? This little creature?”

  “Apparently.”

  “What’s he doing out here?”

  “You didn’t see?”

  “See what?”

  “The visions?”

  Evelyn raises her single eyebrow. “Visions? All I saw was darkness, that headache making it impossible to see. What are you talking about?”

  I lick my dry lips. “I saw visions,” I say. “Of the future. Of a call.”

  “A call?”

  “Yes. A call to arms. The Tyk’ix… they are coming to destroy Exon Prime.”

  Evelyn’s eyes go as wide as saucers. “They are what?! Who would attack the Zoran? That’s suicide! W-well, they have a blockade there, right? So they’re good. We can go. We’re good. We’re gone.”

  She sits down on a crate, resting her forehead in her hands, in the process discovering she scorched her own eyebrow off.

  “Am I glad we didn’t stay there, wow…”

  Every fiber of my being wants to return to Earth, to let the Zorans fend for themselves. Hell, they’re more than capable of it. They probably don’t even want my help. I can already imagine the glare that fire-red Zoran general will give me if I return…

  But I have to.

  They have to know what’s coming. I saw their star destroyed, their entire world ruined. Billions will die.

  If I don’t stop it from happening.

  “We’re going back.”

  Evelyn glances up.

  “What now?”

  “We’re going back to Exon, to warn General Drakan of what’s coming.”

  My mechanic’s face loses all of its color.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she says. “What about—”

  “Brock?” I say, my lips pulled into a tight line. “If we don’t stop the Tyk’ix on Exon, they’re coming for Earth next.”

  Evelyn’s mouth falls open.

  “Are you sure?”

  I glance down and shake my head. “No,” I say softly, “but I saw a planet that looked like Earth. We… I… have to do this. I have to go back. If you want to take an escape shuttle, I won’t blame you.”

  “Are you kidding me? Where you go, I go!”

  “So you believe me?”

  “Of course!”

  Her vote of confidence makes my heart swell, and despite the great danger we’re in, I smile. The visions I saw were so strange and alienating, I almost began to question them myself. Evelyn’s belief in me reassures me that we’re on the right path.

  “Thank you.”

  Evelyn walks up and hugs me tightly. “I’ve always got your back, Hannah.”

  “What did I ever to deserve you?”

  “For starters you pay extremely well,” Evelyn winks. “What do you want to do with this fellow?”

  I look down at the Tyk’ix sprawled out on the cargo bay floor.

  “Let’s put him in one of the empty storage tanks.”

  “You sure you don’t want to throw him out the airlock? Safer
that way!”

  “We can’t go around killing prisoners of war, Evelyn. I know you’re a rogue and all that, but still.”

  “Prisoner of war? Is that what he is?”

  “I guess so. The Tyk’ix are definitely on the warpath.”

  “What does that make us?”

  “Heroes,” I joke. “Come, let’s carry him.”

  We haul our unwanted guest into one of the now-empty tanks. The walls and floor are still dripping with chocolate, and I nearly slip when we place him on the floor. I lock the vault tightly behind me, triple-checking to make sure he can’t get out.

  “Do you think that’ll be enough to stop him?” Evelyn asks.

  I wish I could give my friend a more satisfying answer, but the truth will have to do.

  “I hope so.”

  7

  Drakan

  “General, I have an unidentified incoming unit! Coming in at full speed,” my helmsman Nenad informs me.

  I sit up straight in my command chair.

  “Ready weapons,” I growl.

  Is this the incoming armada? Is this the test of my command, the battle of my life?

  “Weapons ready, sir!” my weapons officer Orben reports.

  “In range?”

  “Yes, sir!”

  “Prepare to fire on my command,” I say. “In three, two… wait!”

  The vessel comes within range of our scanners, and to my surprise, I see it is none other than the CS Lance. The human freighter, containing the two infuriating human females.

  “Stand down!” I bark.

  My officers let go off their command panels, resting their backs against their seats. Everyone is tense — any moment now an enemy fleet could arrive. We have no idea how, when, or how big, even.

  Preparation is half the battle. At the Academy, where all Zoran military officers are trained, half the time is spent learning tactics, planning, strategies. Yet here we are, sitting in the dark.

  It puts everyone on edge. So much so that we nearly opened fire on a friendly vessel. I ball my fists in anger, scolding myself.

  “Hail the CS Lance.”

  A moment later the image of Hannah Kingsley fills my screen. Her blonde hair is pulled into a ponytail, the sleeves of her beige jumpsuit rolled up. Her eyes, as blue as sapphires, stare into the camera with a look of concern. I never thought I’d see her intriguing features again.