Tessa’s POV:

  I tilted my head as our shuttle flew to the huge cargo ship hovering near the sky. Something this size would take most of the afternoon to clear. The shuttle flew into the docking area, and we waited for the room to repressurize.

  As we got out of the shuttle, a nearby door opened. My ear tufts perked. This wasn’t a race I had seen before; its skin was brown and oddly shiny. The four legs and two arms vaguely reminded me of an insect.

  My Blood Memories identified it as a Brult. Not exactly the smartest race around, but they were highly cooperative, avid traders who disliked conflict. They preferred trading in Kymari cities since the Kymari always traded fairly, and they often went to great lengths to find things the Kymari liked. It was impossible for me to pick out any emotions in its two unblinking compound eyes.

  It greeted us in an oddly squeaky and heavily accented voice. “Welcome! Welcome! Good day to you! You checking flyer for bad bugs?”

  “Yes. We are here to check your ship for crawler bugs,” Soranto replied, enunciating his words slightly. “Tour, please.”

  “Yes! Yes! Happy to have flyer checked for bad crawler bug! This way! This way!”

  I wasn’t able to tell if it was male or female, but its enthusiasm had me fighting a grin as it guided us into the corridor. Its four feet clicked against the floor, and I tried to decide if the way its three-jointed limbs bent and swiveled was fascinating or creepy.

  It guided us onto some sort of moving box with wheels that drove down the corridors. The sides were about waist-high on the Kymari. There were no seats, so Soranto and the guards stood with one hand holding onto the railing as it began moving. Our guide chattered as it steered the bizarre vehicle into the wide corridor.

  “Lots of shiny stones from Jbar planet! Good metal cloth, too! You look for anything?”

  “Do you have fruit or power tools?”

  “Some fruit! Not much. All very good fruit though. No tools this trip. Taking many metal boxes to Klet planet past next four stars.”

  “Just a quick stop?”

  “Short time stop! Some trade. Will get lists for next trip—then come back with lots!”

  It was actually hard to keep from grinning at the creature’s excited outlook. I sniffed the air again, but didn’t smell any crawlers or sicora. We weren’t moving that swiftly, but it was still much faster than the Kymari usually walked.

  We occasionally passed a Brult, and most were… jogging? at a rather fast pace. Their speed on foot emphasized that this vehicle was for moving cargo or as a courteous ride for visitors.

  This trader was definitely aiming for the latter reason, readily discussing any subject Soranto brought up.

  “Is this your first trip here?” Soranto asked.

  “Yes! New flyer! Strong enough to fly this far! Happy to be here! Hope to return soon!”

  “Where did you come from? Before Jbar?”

  “Very far! Tohr! Carry metal boxes long way! Fruit from Jbar—very fresh! Almost done first trip! Then come back!”

  “That is a long trip. Your new ship works well?”

  “Very well! Very well! Can ride star wind! Save power! Carries lots!”

  They continued talking, although the conversation got a bit stilted at times due to the language barrier. We made excellent time in the vehicle; once each level was cleared, the vehicle used an elevator to go to the next level. Listening to the Brult made it a very entertaining trip, and I was almost sad when we reached the bottom level.

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  The doors opened, and the air made my claws extend as I growled at the potent smell of a crawler.

  Our guide looked at me sadly. “It…mad? Why?”

  “Smells bad crawler bug,” Soranto clarified.

  It was clearly troubled. “Had vent check on Jbar. Bad bug bad for trade. Can find?”

  “That’s what we are here for.”

  “Please find! Please find! Not want bad bug.”

  “We’ll help. Keep driving, but more slowly. Stop when I say stop.”

  “I drive! Tell me what need!”

  It followed the long corridor to a junction.

  “Stop, please.”

  The vehicle rolled to a stop where the passageways all met.

  Soranto looked at me. “Find it.”

  With a faint growl, I jumped into the air to circle the junction, coming to a hover in front of one opening.

  “Tessa, shoulder.”

  I flew back, staring down the corridor with another low growl.

  “Drive that way, please.”

  “Yes! Yes!” Our guide might not have ever seen a dragonet before, but it didn’t even have to ask which way Soranto was referring to. Which was kind of the point of our hovering and staring.

  We drove for a long way before my head spun around, and I growled back the way we had come.

  Soranto said, “Can you back up to the last door, please?”

  “Yes! Yes!” He reversed the box to a door. “This one?”

  “Find it,” Soranto told me.

  A quick flight past the door confirmed that it was the correct one. I rowed my wings as I hovered in front it, glancing back with a short whistle. This door was only wide enough for one, maybe two, people to walk through. The vehicle wouldn’t fit.

  Soranto vaulted over the side of the vehicle, not bothering to use the door. “Tessa, shoulder.”

  I returned to him as the others came out of the vehicle.

  “What’s in there?” Soranto asked, gesturing to the closed door.

  “Big room! Cargo. Metal boxes. Lots of boxes! Bad bug in there?”

  “Very likely. Is the air good in there?”

  “Yes! Yes! All rooms fixed to good air! Can go in!”

  With his weapon at the ready, Sipar opened the door. After a quick visual scan, he pushed the door farther open as he went in.

  Our guide followed him as we entered a cargo bay. Huge metal crates filled the massive room, towering over us with narrow paths between the neatly stacked rows. This was not going to be a fun search. Even the unflappable Drae looked slightly less than thrilled at the size of the task awaiting us.

  We walked along the front of the room so I could determine which corner had the strongest scent. With a frown, Soranto slowed down and ran his hand lightly over the swirls and designs that were etched into the entire side of a crate.

  “This pattern… Can we open the crate?”

  “Yes! Yes! Will open! Look all you like!” Our guide came forward and began checking the sides. After a few seconds, it grew flustered. “Where handle? How open?”

  A faint hum sounded as the etched design began to glow. Soranto cursed and jumped back just as the crate exploded with enough force to send us and fragments of the metal sides flying. The blast knocked me off Soranto’s shoulder and sent me tumbling through the air.

  The Kymari were thrown against the nearby wall, and my flared wings strained to slow me as huge pieces of metal flew past, barely missing me. The wind from the explosion swirled me to the side and sent me rolling across the ground. My claws scrambled against the metal floor as I staggered to my feet. The room doubled and spun around me. I shook my head hard, clearing my vision enough for me to spot Soranto.

  The groaning of bending metal was the only reason I noticed the two crates on top of the damaged one toppling forward. I screeched a warning as the metal crates collided with the wall just above the Kymari.

  The Kymari were already scrambling to their feet. Drae grabbed the Brult’s arm and dragged him back as the crates crashed between us with a bang that made my head pound. The vibrations were almost strong enough to knock me off my shaking legs.

  “Tessa!” Soranto cried out, having run to this side of the falling crates.

  I whistled in reply, staggering in his direction as my head continued to spin. His jog had a definite limp, but other than a few small cuts and scrapes, he seemed unharmed. Relief flooded through me—he was okay.

  Behind him, something shifted in the remains of the exploded crate. A machine rose out of the shrapnel, and my eyes widened when the etched patterns on the two fallen boxes began glowing a sinister orange color. I screeched an alarm call and flattened myself against the floor.

  Both crates exploded with the force of the first one. Like a leaf in the wind, I was blown along the wall. It was a struggle to curl up and keep my wings tucked against my sides as small bits of metal clicked against my scales like I was caught in a whirlwind. Occasionally, larger debris struck my wings and sides nearly hard enough to crack my scales.

  When I finally came to a stop, my ears rang loudly. I simply lay on the ground for a moment, disoriented and too dizzy to even try lifting my head to search for Soranto. My chest felt tight from the blast, like I had the wind knocked out of me.

  Through the ringing in my ears, I dimly heard more booms echo across the room. I blinked hard, trying to clear my swirling vision. A closer boom sent me careening into the wall. My head struck something hard, and things went dark.