CAPTAIN DRIN KY-VESA
I could not fucking believe it. I had lost something. I had lost control of my shifting ability while l was inside of a human female. It was not just any human female; it was Dr. Felicity Maltra, the human female whose pheromones drove me insane. I don’t know what happened in that moment. I felt the built up of ecstasy and orgasm in my body and somehow, instead of releasing into orgasm, I released into a shift. It was unheard of and if I made it out of this purist mess alive, I would have to look into it to see if it had ever happened to anyone else before. It was simply unheard of it. It was reckless and dangerous, and yet it did not hurt her. After we pulled apart from our ecstasy, I knew that this was the end.
I watched her as she got dressed. It could be the last time that I ever watched her. It could be the last time that we would ever be together. I had to tell her the truth. I had to tell her that if the circumstances have been different, I would not be with her.
"Stop, Felicity; there is something I have to tell you. I have to tell you a truth. It is an ugly truth; you are not going to like it," I said to her. Her sparkling, green eyes grew wide and she sat down next to me.
"I'm listening, Drin," she said to me.
"Remember how you observed my brother and I arguing? We were keeping something from you. My brother was angry with me anytime he caught me with you."
"Why? What does your brother have to do with relations between you and I?" she asked.
"Because of the promise," I said to her.
"What promise?" she asked as her eyes began to water. Then she continued, "Are you promised to another? Do you have a Drackon female or human female that you are promised to on Mooreah?"
"Not entirely. I am promised to a Drackon female, but not one that I have ever met.”
“What? How could you? That is unacceptable! You mean to tell me that you are cheating on your betrothed with me? I knew it. I knew that something had to be going on. I knew you were hiding something with the way your brother was acting,” she said as she stood up and headed for the door. I grabbed her by the arm and swung her back toward me and said.
“Wait. I do not have a betrothed. You are not letting me finish. Would you please, for once, not let your mouth rattle on ahead of you?”
She was quiet and then gave me a smug look. She moved back to the chair and sat down. “I’m listening, Drin. We do not have much time.”
“You see, my father made my brother and I promise that we would marry and mate with a Drackon female. I think a part of him regretted mating with my mother even though he loved her dearly and passionately. He would die for her. But he said he felt some responsibility towards the balance and wanted his hybrid sons to have Drackon offspring with the Drackon females," I said to her.
"Your father was a radical? He was a purist?" she asked.
"No, not in the sense that they are now. He died two years ago and it would not be his wish that any violence be taken for the cause of keeping the blood pure. I don't think he foresaw what would happen. But the point is my brother and I made him a promise on his deathbed. I am a loyal and honorable weredragon; I had no intention of breaking that promise to him."
She was silent and then she burst into tears, "Why are you telling me this now? Why does it matter now? You are only hurting me," she said to me.
"No, I do not mean to hurt you. I do not have any reason for telling you this other than I do not want to keep secrets from you. You know my brother and I were keeping something and this is what we were hiding. I do not want you to think it was anything else, especially if I did not make it through this battle."
Ring! Ring! She looked over at her screen. "That is a call from base, from my superior," she said as she wiped the tears from her face and composed herself. She stood in front of the screen and answered the call.
"Dr. Maltra, I need you to report to the battalion squad immediately."
"I will be right there," she said as she hung up the call. She turned and looked at me and said, "I guess this is goodbye."
"Goodbye, Felicity. You are the bravest and most beautiful female I have ever known. I wish circumstances were different. We both have our duties; we are both loyal to them."
She said nothing but turned and walked out the door. I felt numb, but I had a responsibility, and so did she, and we were at war. I looked at the time and there was an hour and a half before battalion launch. I wished that I could contact the king. If he indeed was on a battalion ship, he would be closer to Earth and easier to contact. I could contact him on the battalion channel that was a broad range for all Drackon ships.
I looked at Felicity's communication console. I could do this. I looked in her closet and under her sink. I found a bag of tools. I went to work hacking her system for long-range communications that would reach deep into space. Thirty minutes later, I had established a connection.
"King Caspin Rykor, this is Captain Ky-Vesa reporting. You know by now about the threatening message from Ukir that interrupted your communication?" I asked him.
"Yes, we also received our own, lovely message from Ukir. I am on board the Talla battalion ship. We are in hyperspeed, heading toward Earth."
"I and my crew will be aboard an Earth battalion ship. Earth is launching their fleet in a matter of less than an hour. We are going to try to drive Ukir’s fleet back away from Earth."
"Good; we will arrive in time to get them from the rear as you push them. Together with Earth, we shall surround them and squash this once and for all."
"Yes, King Caspin Rykor. I thought I should also inform you what the people on Earth think. They believe that all Drackon are responsible for the attack on the registration building. The Earth Council has not made a public announcement about the purist faction. The people on the ground here on Earth are very hostile toward all Drackon."
"Thank you for informing me, Captain. It is a very delicate matter; if there was only a way I could address the people of Earth myself."
"There is, King Caspin Rykor. I have hacked into the communication lines base and if I switch it on, then you will appear in many homes of the Earthlings."
"Excellent; that is excellent, Captain Ky-Vesa. I am ready. Tell me when," the king said. I smiled that he was ready to go along with my rogue plan. It was necessary and could save many lives and unnecessary violence between the Drackon and the Earthlings. I switched on the hack and said, "You are live."
"People of Earth! I am King Caspin Rykor of the Drackon race on Mooreah. I offer you my condolences and deepest despair toward the attack on the registration building. I would also like to inform you that we found are not responsible for the attack.
“As your Earth Council already knows, there is a radical faction known as the purists. They are a group of Drackon that have split off from us and defied me, their king. They are a terror group and their beliefs are not my beliefs, nor that of the majority of the Drackon. An insane leader known as Ukir leads them.
“I, and my fleet, are currently in flight to squash this faction of Drackon. We will not stop until all people and Drackon are safe from this faction. We will not stop until it has been deleted from existence. Do not allow this insane leader to force you to turn on all Drackon. There has been peace between us and there will be peace still. The actions of some should not be used to judge the morality of many.
“I have sent wealth to Earth in order to rebuild the damage that was done. I have sent wealth to take care of all your injured. I myself am half human; my mother was a human female. I consider you part of me and I will do everything I can to protect you. I am working with the Earth Council to defeat the radical faction and bring death to leader Ukir. Together, we will succeed; together, we will have victory!" The king nodded and I knew that nod was for me. I cut off the communication line. Then I made my way to the base battalion ships. I was ready to fight. I was ready to fight for my king, and the humans. I, after all, just like the king, was half human… this was as much my fight as any.
As I joined my crew and my brother on the Earth battalion ship ready for launch, I was in for a shock.
"I have spoken with our king; he will be here. He will join the fight. Ready ourselves, my Drackon warriors. This is the fight of your life," I said to my crew and my brother.
"We watched the king’s speech; we are ready. We will take down that bastard Ukir. We are with you, Captain," they said.
"Good, strap in. This is our ship. Though it is an Earth ship, we command it. Eral, you have had the most experience flying Earth ships; are you sure you can handle this one?"
"Yes, brother; it is easy to fly this one," he said. I gave him a proud grin and slapped him on his back.
"Get ready for departure!" I shouted.
Then everyone stopped as an older man walked into the ship.
"Captain Ky-Vesa, I am medic master. I have a medic assignment for your ship."
"Medic assignment?" I asked.
"Yes, every ship that is sent into battle has one on board. This one has experience treating weredragons."
As soon as he said it, I knew who it was. The redhead with the sparkling green eyes stepped on board behind the man. "Dr. Maltra, this is your assignment. I believe you are acquainted with this crew?" he said to her.
She looked at us and in her most professional tone, said, "Yes, I am. I'm ready to begin this assignment. Thank you, Superior," she said to him. He nodded to her and to us and then left the ship. Although I was happy to see her and enjoyed knowing she would be with us, I knew how dangerous this situation was. I pulled her aside and said, "No, Felicity, you are not going. We do not need a medic. Get off the ship go back to safety."
Her eyes narrowed at me and she said, "You do not order me about, Captain. This ship belongs to Earth and you will follow the Earth rules if you want to utilize it. Now if you'll excuse me, I have my supplies to put away."
I admired her defiance, but I could not focus if I did not know that she was safe. I would not be able to take the risk that I would take in order to defeat Ukir knowing that her life was in my hands. Every risky maneuver meant I could bring her death. I could not handle that.
"Felicity, you will listen to me and…"
SIREN! SIREN!
"Captain Ky-Vesa! That is the warning sound for launch. Thirty seconds!" Eral shouted.
I growled a deep growl knowing I did not have time to get Felicity off the ship. "Close the doors! Pressurize and angle for launch! Everyone, strap in!" I shouted. The crew followed my orders. I had to focus. I had to treat Felicity like she was any member of the crew or I would not get through this battle successfully.
"Launching in five, four, three, two, one..."
The ship shot into space with the Earth battalion in formation. Soon we were past the Earth moon, heading straight for the purist fleet.