Augmented Dragons by James David Victor

Author:James David Victor [Victor, James David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Fairfield Publishing
Published: 2024-11-19T00:00:00+00:00

8

WHO NEEDS ALLIES ANYWAY?

“I need to speak to the commander right now!”

Sula hurried toward them over the command-and-control deck of the Storm as a battle raged outside their vessel.

“Absolutely not!” Orpheus barked as the ship rocked with the launch of its missiles.

They were in the middle of combat, which was probably not the best time for Sula to seek a chat.

Although ‘combat’ is probably a very broad term for it, Keel thought as he saw one of the merchant vessels struck on its outboard fin with a bloom of white before spiraling wildly.

The Orpheus Brigade had already torn through the scout vessels Prince Aonar had sent against them, and the commander’s battleship—along with the dragons—were making short work of the few guard ships that had come to support.

Commander Orpheus had been true to his word, and even as the commandeered Aonarian scout vessel fled the system, the rest of his ships had started attacking the nearest Aonarian patrol.

Flurries of alarm had rippled through the merchant princes, and Keel was sure that this would further lead to division between them. Either the princes, en-mass, would back Aonar or they would split. There was even the potential that some of them would back the brigade if it meant a chance to destabilize Aonar.

Whatever the outcome, the fight was clearly one-sided. Aonar had never banked on the fact that he would have to deal with a whole squadron of very dangerous dragons.

“Hennity! Get that red under control!” Orpheus shouted as Keel dragged his attention back from his taut conversation with Sula to the battle ahead.

Bloodstorm, one of the largest of the augmented reds, was busy chasing one of the Aonarian guard ships, despite the fact that the vessel was already trailing inert plasma on both sides and would clearly struggle to make it to the nearest satellite, let alone back to the planet.

The red dragon had its head low and forward, its arms bunched and ready to pounce as it surged forward. A ruddy field glowed around it as it made to move.

“Yushi!” Keel called on the dragon’s bonded partner. His sensors descended into static for a moment before the voice of the worried Dragon Marine came back to him.

“Corporal, I can’t get him to stop! He’s gone mad!”

“Keep trying!” Keel said sternly, swearing under his breath. So far, their battle hadn’t been worthy of the name. It had been a show of force that had led to every Aonarian vessel either fleeing or being disabled. Keel knew that they had to show restraint if they wanted to send a clear message to Aonar and the other merchant princes that they were actually on their side—the side of the Outer Systems.

Keel heard a string of expletives across his suit, and then a surge of burning hot anger from the dragon, blowing through the connection Keel shared with the dragon nest.

Rage. Hate. Defiance.

Bloodstorm was a mess of feelings, and for good reason. His body had been scarred and mutilated at the whims of the emperor.

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