by Stella Cassy
The hallway was lined with modified benches to accommodate our caudals and wings. I walked to the end, as far away from the other Drakon warriors as I could get. They'd never given me any reason to want to sit with them to await our turn in the room.
"I wonder what the five elements are?" Naddo asked. "Water, obviously. Food?"
Their voices drifted down the hall to me as I rolled my eyes. Of course we needed to find food. Entire cities had been razed. The volcanoes were more active than they'd ever been. Our planet needed time and care, and our people would need supplies to keep them alive until we could support ourselves again.
"Something to say, Illswing?" I stiffened at the slur Rethryn used. He was a lowborn prince of the royal family. Unless the entire royal family's hideout was discovered and they were each and every one murdered, he'd never take the throne. His only leg up on me was his money. As a royal, he shared in their fortune.
He chuckled when I didn't respond. There was no need to engage the spoiled brat. If I took his bait, we might all end up kicked off the mission. No way I was wasting the opportunity laid out before me.
Yauralin stayed in the room for several microns, which ticked by with the others joking about with one another. When he exited, he saluted us with a smirk and walked toward the exit.
"No fair. He's getting a head start," Rethryn whined.
What a brat. The sound of him as a child, chanting, ‘Smearling, smearling, doesn’t have a dad,’ echoed through my mind.
I curled my lip at him. "I doubt the solar lead he has on us will make that much difference in the types of missions we're being sent on. And if it gets that close, are you scared of losing over a single solar?" I couldn't keep the challenge out of my voice and didn't much want to.
"What difference does it make to you, smearling?" Rethryn asked. My blood boiled at hearing the slur that meant I had no father. My dragon pressed against my skin, eager to rip the arrogant bastard’s head off. We’d wanted to get our revenge for at least a decade.
He settled with a growl as the door opened. "Illion Nevrin?" Carissa called out the open doorway. I stood and stalked down the hall, passing in front of Rethryn. He wisely kept his mouth shut in front of the mate of our commander, who was a commander in her own right.
She closed the door softly behind me. "Please have a seat, Illion."
"We will be your point of contact for this mission. Should you encounter any trouble, contact one of us immediately." Carissa slid a dossier across the table toward me. "The terms of your mission. You will not open that folder until you and your crew have lifted off. Your first destination has been preselected for you and preprogrammed into your ship’s autopilot system. You will attempt any and every trade possibility with the planet in question to obtain the element we need."
Moddoc cleared his throat. "You're being given a significant amount of autonomy when promising our resources, however, five of you will be seeking out elements at the same time. You may discuss trades, but do not finalize anything until you check with us to ensure the five of you don't offer the same valuables at the same time to different planets."
I nodded. "And if I have the opportunity to take what we need?"
"We have considered that possibility. However, we need these elements in such large quantities and will continue to need to be supplied with them for several rotations coming as we rebuild our society. It would be virtually impossible to steal all we need." Moddoc sat back after saying his piece.
Ranel finally broke his silence. "However, if you have the opportunity to simply take control of the planet..." He shrugged. "Why not?"
I grinned at him. Why not, indeed?
"Is there anything else I need to know?"
"It's all in the dossier." Carissa stood. "We wish you the best of luck and know that you will do us proud. We cannot survive on this planet without the item you seek. Our lives are literally in your hands."
No pressure.
I bowed my head to the severity of the situation. "I will make you proud."
As I walked to the door, I fought the urge to look down at the dossier to see if it would give me any clue to what I was getting myself into. I resisted.
Rethryn stood as I closed the door behind me. "Don't screw it up, smearling. If any of us will, it'll be you. Your kind isn't capable of greatness or honor." His smug face was itching for my fist to smash into it.
Instead, I clenched it around the documents and stalked down the hall. Rethryn had it out for me and had always been particularly harsh to me. Most other Drakon males of his ranking felt smearlings were beneath them and didn't bother being cruel. Rethryn seemed to delight in it.
I'd show them all by winning. They'd have to take note of my greatness and honor if I commanded my own fleet. And if they didn't, I'd be too far away to care.
My comms unit buzzed at my side as I walked out the front door of the hall and into the bright sunshine. The air was full of soot and ash thanks to the active volcano rumbling under our feet. We'd long ago adapted to the volcanic eruptions, building our cities at the dormant volcanoes, learning the warning signs, and keeping most of our buildings mobile. However, the mass destruction on the planet had disrupted the ecosystem and caused most of the dormant volcanoes to activate at the same time.
I looked at the screen to see my mother's identification number. "Hello, mother," I said as I clicked the comms on. "Are you well?"
"I'm fine," her voice crackled out of the receiver. "Worried about my son. I hear you're to go on an adventure."
"It's just a mission. I'll be home before you know it." I nodded at a passing member of the ground forces headed into the hall. "I'm leaving immediately."
"I know. Lehar told me."
"Uncle Lehar is a busybody."
She barked a laugh over the comms unit. "That he is, son. Be safe, my boy. And call your mother once in a while when you can?"
I laughed back at her. "I will, mom. I love you."
"I love you more, my spitfire."
She disconnected the comms, so I shut it off. As soon as we were out of Thirren's orbit it would do no good anyway, we'd have to switch to the ones on board my ship.
Get ready for book 6 in the Galactic Alpha’s Conquest Series, Conquered By The Alien Dragon.
Available Now!
Free Prequel!
Cosmic Collector delves into the past, offering a glimpse of Tarion as a hatchling after the death of his birth mother. Through the alternating perspectives of Tarion's sire, Silea, and Alana, a human woman that captured his heart, readers will gain a deeper understanding of the Hielsrane dragons, from their possessive tendencies to their battle-hardened exteriors.
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Taken By The Alien Dragon
Galactic Alpha’s Conquest: Book 5
Stella Cassy
© 2019
Disclaimer
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
This is a work of fiction. Names, places, characters and events are all fictitious for the reader’s pleasure. Any similarities to real people, places, events, living or dead are all coincidental.
This book contains sexually explicit content that is intended for ADULTS ONLY (+18).
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