Radoo (Scifi Alien Dragon Romance) Read online

  This. This is what undid me on my last mission. What is wrong with me?

  Livvy’s chest grew tighter and tighter as she stood in place, fingers curled into tight fists as she prayed for the panic and anxiety to leave her be. A military soldier of her rank should not go to pieces every time they thought about invaders… alien or not.

  The military had been settling new territory for the Preor when she’d defected, building a new settlement or facility. She wasn’t sure which. The soldiers had been met by crowds of protestors from day one and were forced to arrest them as the Preor took over the sparsely populated suburbs. The displaced had been offered compensation, but Livvy knew money paled in comparison to losing your home.

  As she and her fellow soldiers had escorted the protestors onto trucks, one of the women had reached out and grabbed her arm hard enough to bruise. “How can you do this to your own race?”

  The woman’s following wail was so full of sorrow and regret that it affected Livvy far more deeply than the vitriol the others spat in her direction. The panic attack that followed was swift and had disabled her right there in the middle of the action. Without much thought, she had left her group, slipped through the crowd and simply… disappeared. While working local maneuvers, she had interviewed a few protestors and found she agreed with them, which made her job of clearing them out next to impossible.

  After her unit was deployed to search for her, she thought there would be nowhere within Tampa that she could hide. Chance and Derek had appeared out of thin air to ask if she needed help and she had taken their assistance without thinking. She’d known it was treason to abandon her post, but her beliefs had meant more to her than duty.

  They could have killed me, she thought. Ever since the whole Preor treaty had begun, people were randomly vanishing. The officers said they were reassigned, but who really knew? Livvy had begun to get the uncomfortable feeling that anyone who didn’t like the Preor were being eliminated.

  What is going on here in my world? she thought, sadly. With a shake of her head, she gathered herself and kept walking down the hill, heading into the main camp. Sometimes the pain in her chest was almost too much to bear. She had felt at home with the military and had been proud to serve her country.

  But I do not serve the Preor, she thought, scathingly. The anxiety punched her in the gut again and she shook her head a little, trying not to let her panic show. She still hadn’t figured out why the huge dragons frightened her so much. Except from a tactical perspective, they were impossible to subdue.

  Unless you drop one in the ocean, she thought. So far, that was just a rumor, though. No one knew if the Preor could swim, because no one had ever seen them in the water. Ever. It was what fueled the rumor that the waters were deadly to the alien race.

  “Livvy!” Derek called out, waving her over. She smiled and hurried toward his camper, a little fire crackling cheerfully out front with a spread of bacon and eggs on the grill that made her stomach grumble appreciably.

  “Hi,” she grinned shyly at Derek as he put his arm around her shoulders and gave her a firm squeeze. She wasn’t happy with the physical closeness and tended to try and keep her distance, but she didn’t want to offend him. He and Chance were the leaders of the resistance and the two hadn’t only saved her from the military but made her welcome.

  So, what if he looks at me like I’m the answer to his sexual fantasies, she thought, mentally rolling her eyes. He likes to touch, but it’s not like he gropes or propositions me or anything.

  When Derek stepped back, he handed her a cup of strong coffee, the action bringing a smile to her lips. He winked and grinned and she turned her gaze away from him.

  He’s handsome, smart and opinionated, she thought. Why don’t I like him?

  There was a slight scuffle nearby and Livvy welcomed the distraction from the co-leader. Betty, one of the older women, had dropped a basket of bread rolls not far away.

  “Goddammit!” Chance swore. “That’s our food you clumsy old—”

  “Whoa!” Livvy stepped between Chance and Betty, shooting a glare at Chance. “You act like a bit of dust is going to kill you. I’ve eaten far worse on duty and it’s not worth taking your anger out on an old woman who’s only trying to help you!” She bent and helped Betty gather the bread as they shared a smile.

  “Chill, Chance.” Derek shoved him playfully out of the way as he knelt to help the women. “It’s not worth it.”

  Chance scowled but muttered, “You’re right.” Then he didn’t bother sticking around to help but instead took off deeper into the crowd that’d gathered. Jerk.

  “We all okay here?” Derek asked brightly as they finished gathering the bread. He caught Livvy’s elbow and assisted her to her feet, not that she needed the help. She smiled politely at the co-leader and turned away, making sure Betty was truly all right. The older woman smiled, handed out a few rolls, and then kept moving as she distributed bread to the other tents and caravans.

  “Can I get you some breakfast?” Derek handed over a freshly made bacon and egg roll. “It’s a bit dusty, but you don’t mind. Do you?” He grinned and Livvy found herself smiling back before accepting the food and taking a big bite.

  He really is nice, she thought. I should give him a chance.

  Except… even as she had the thought, she knew she couldn’t act on the idea. The mere contemplation of letting a man touch her had become more than merely distasteful over the last few weeks. She’d only had a few lovers in her life and she had never been badly treated, so she wasn’t sure why she was having a trauma-like response to the idea of pairing up with someone.

  It was a lot like the panic attacks that occurred whenever she thought about the Preor or got anywhere near one of the aliens. It held the same apprehension, like she was on a high-wire, desperate to put her feet somewhere that wouldn’t make her fall.

  Why do I feel like the Preor are the cause of both of these feelings? she wondered. Worst of all, why do I feel like it’s all connected? The anxiety attacks, the dislike of men… It’s like it’s all part of the same thing.

  Livvy didn’t have the answers and simply bowed her head while she ate. It didn’t matter, anyway. Nothing mattered except the resistance and the independence for which they fought.

  Nothing.

  Chapter Three

  A few days later, Radoo stood on the command deck, fists propped on his hips as he surveyed his domain. In a lot of ways, he felt like he had not moved at all since the day of the three disasters. The plumping was still shot to the skies, the fire damage had been extensive and would take weeks to repair… and they now had beetles in every part of the ship.

  “Itchy,” Penelope moaned. “So itchy!”

  “Penelope, you do not have skin nor nerve receptors. You are a machine.”

  “I still feel itchy,” she grumped.

  “Knock it off and get back to work,” Radoo growled, curling his lip to bare his pointed teeth though the clear threat was lost on the ship’s computer.

  “Oh, Radoo! You sound like Vende. I like it. Tell me off again and pretend you don’t understand human slang or subtext.”

  With a sigh, Radoo put a hand over his eyes and enjoyed a moment of darkness. It certainly wasn’t quiet or peaceful, but the bright lights of the ship had begun to hurt his eyes. He had never known that the Preor could suffer stress headaches, but there was no other explanation.

  Just add humans, he thought. It had been determined that the larval stages of the beetles had traveled on people’s shoes or clothing and had found the ship’s conditions perfect for breeding. Especially since there was no competition for resources and no natural predator on board. The beetles now slowly chewed through the ship’s connections and rubber seals as well as clothing and equipment.

  He heard the heavy thud of footsteps but did not turn to see who approached. It was early in the day and he had already run the length of the ship multiple times. Tired did not begin to explain his condition.

&n
bsp; Radoo lowered his hand and watched as Choler and Amryn entered followed by Kyrin and Triem not far behind. A couple of young warriors—including Harin from engineering—entered and stood with the others, the group nearly taking up all remaining room on the command deck.

  “Are we all in attendance?” He pulled his lips back into a smile, attempting to raise some enthusiasm but failing.

  Soon the vid display nearby crackled to life and Lily joi Argan King appeared with Brukr looming over her shoulder while Healing Master Whelon appeared on a separate display.

  “Thank you all for attending.” He let his gaze encompass everyone before he continued. “We need changes on this ship, and we need them fast.” He shook his head. “Our original plan for maintaining the chain of command was ruined the moment Esteemed Warrior Jarek experienced the Knowing. From that moment, we have been in chaos. The newly appointed War Master Taulan also unofficially left his position and we cannot begrudge them their choices, but the positions on the ship cannot be neglected further.” He sighed wearily. “Any suggestions?”

  Choler stroked his chin. “Not all Preor want to remain on the ship. A good number of us would love to live on the surface, even if we are not necessarily actively searching for mates.”

  “We?” Amryn teased with a smile that Choler returned.

  “Yes, I’d like to go,” Choler admitted. “It’s not an easy decision, believe me. My honor and prowess as a warrior have been all I cared about since I was a young one,” He stared down at his hands, clenching his fists and opening them once more. “I have seen far too much suffering on the surface, though. I want to help. I want to learn of this world.”

  Radoo nodded that he had heard his friend and understood his position. “I’ve heard much talk like this. If a large number of us go to the surface, much of the ship’s operations will not need to be maintained. Things such as recycling water and food distribution. We would not need a stringent chain of command.”

  “But we still need the right to progress in rank,” Kyrin murmured thoughtfully. “It is part of our culture. We cannot just abandon the systems we have lived by for so long.”

  “Yes,” Radoo agreed. “We need to keep our discipline and goals intact. I think the first task should be to determine who wishes to go to Earth, who wishes to stay on the ship, and those who are undecided. I don’t want to simply appoint new masters but also assign two sub-officers.”

  “What do you mean?” Choler interrupted, clearly puzzled. “You cannot simply elevate three Preor in rank at the same time.”

  “No, no,” Radoo shook his head and sighed heavily. “The two warriors would be just below the highest-ranking master. We need at least two apprentices for each position so tasks will never be neglected and so someone is always on call for emergencies.”

  “What is your rank now, Radoo?” Whelon questioned carefully. “Are you even authorized to create new ranks and systems?”

  Radoo turned to Whelon, his eyes red-rimmed and face surely showing the exhaustion he felt down to his wing-tips. From the way Whelon looked away, it was clear he regretted his question immediately.

  “I do not know what I am right now, Whelon.” His voice was a low growl and thick with frustration. “This is the only solution I devised, but if anyone has a better answer, let’s hear what they have to say.”

  “I think it’s a great idea,” Lily piped up encouragingly. “Can we get Taulan or Kozav to come aboard and hand out badges for their new positions? I know it would mean a lot to the warriors if they could put new rank badges on their chests.”

  “Good idea.” Radoo nodded to Lily. “I appreciate your input on this problem, but I really had you join the conversation to help us deal with Penelope.”

  “Deal with me?” the artificial intelligence hissed. “What exactly do you mean by that, Radoo?”

  “Penelope,” Lily interrupted, her voice firm. “I will be seeking permission to come aboard soon—I don’t think Vende will make me get all the masters’ signatures, especially since we can’t locate them all—but when I get up there, I’m running a full diagnostic.”

  “I run my own,” Penelope muttered sullenly.

  “It was all fun and games, at first,” Lily snapped, “but you’ve evolved, Penelope. Evolved far more than I thought you ever could. I’m proud of you—so very, very proud. I couldn’t have imagined creating an AI as intelligent as you.”

  “Why, thank you,” Penelope sounded smug. Great. Just what I need. A smug computer.

  “But,” Lily went on menacingly, “imprinting you with aspects of my personality seems to have gone awry. You’ve become reactive, emotional, and at times, completely reckless. I fear your mischief is not tempered appropriately by experience and you need a few new protocols.”

  “You just want to reboot me…” Penelope sobbed.

  “I won’t reboot you. I’ll make adjustments,” Lily said carefully. “Everyone needs to go to the doctor at some point, Penelope. Call it a health check.”

  “What about the beetles?” Penelope sniffled and sulked.

  “I’m working on it,” Radoo assured her, exhaustion pulling at his shoulders and making his wings sag. “Dawn might have some ideas, as she prefers natural solutions over dumping poison on things. Otherwise, I’ve been looking at—what are they called?—ex-terminators.”

  Penelope and Lily burst into laughter, the tone and pitch nearly identical.

  “Not ‘ex-terminators,’ as if they used to be Arnold Schwarzenegger.” Lily chuckled. “Exterminator, one word, slightly different inflection.”

  Radoo waved a hand and shrugged. “Whatever. They kill people. Things. You know what I mean.”

  By the skies, he thought. I cannot even follow my own thoughts any longer!

  While the meeting had progressed, private comm channels had been constantly lighting up the communications console. He moved toward the seat and lowered himself to the chair, staring at them in dismay. All of the messages were from lower officers pinging him nonstop for assistance.

  This is why we need apprentices! he thought. There are simply not enough Preor to go around!

  “I can begin work on a roster today, as well as get a rough idea as to who would like to remain on the ship and who would be happy to travel to Earth,” Kyrin informed him.

  Radoo nodded. “Amryn can assist you. I’ve heard plenty of talk myself—Preor who would like to explore the mountains, help build new settlements and assist with things like natural disasters. They want to spread across the Earth both for curiosity’s sake and for the chance of finding a mate. The rest want to see a return to discipline and peace, and believe their mate will find them at the right time.”

  “Also, I’ve got a kind of crazy idea,” Lily interjected. The entire room seemed to hold its breath. If Lily thought the idea was crazy, the others would most likely see it as an act of utter insanity.

  “So, hear me out,” she began. “We know the parents of the dragonlets have to care for them because they are immune to fire. They can’t just get any nanny. Since more dragonlets are on the way and we need all the Preor doing some sort of work to keep the ship running, we need fireproof nannies.”

  Everyone looked at one another uncertainly. Fireproof nannies?

  “No, seriously,” Lily attempted to sound convincing. “All the Preor are immune to fire. Aren’t they?”

  Choler cocked his head, wincing. “It’s not that simple, but yes, we can withstand some flame. It does have its limits, though.”

  “At the very least, you’d do better than humans. Wouldn’t you? We aren’t talking big explosions here, just little bouts of flame from dragonlets.”

  Choler shrugged. “We might as well as the males if they would be willing to act as nannies. Any idea if we could get human nannies?”

  Lily giggled. “If we can promise fireproof PPE.”

  “What’s that?” Radoo didn’t recognize the acronym and he was getting sorely tired of not knowing things.

  Lily gave him a
sympathetic look. “I can see how much you need help, Radoo,” she tried to soothe him but it merely grated his nerves. “I promise you, we are going to get things sorted. You won’t have to do this forever.”

  Radoo dropped his head into his hands. That was his problem. He already felt like he had been doing it forever.

  Chapter Four

  Livvy’s legs were folded and cramped beneath her, but she didn’t bother to adjust her uncomfortable position. Not when she was packed into the back of a van with ten others and there wasn’t enough space to wiggle, let alone stretch out. The area was taken up by large metal chests filled with equipment alongside the people and for Livvy, it was a familiar situation—one that filled her with anticipation and excitement.

  It’s great to be on the road, she thought. Almost like going on maneuvers with the military and she was comforted by the expectancy and nerves strung tightly between her and her team.

  She glanced around the tight space, examining the faces of the four women and six men who filled the area with her. They had worked together, side-by-side, for weeks now and they could all move silently, strip a gun with ease, and make a sticky bomb. She had been happy to share her knowledge, thinking it wouldn’t only save their lives but also give others independence as the skills were passed on.

  They had been on the road for at least four hours already, meaning they still had another couple of hours before they reached Tampa. She was excited to be returning home, but not entirely pleased about her mission.

  A massive gala was being hosted by the Preor, and influential people from the city of Tampa and camera hog Sasha Dane promoted it relentlessly. It made Livvy literally sick to her stomach. There would be games and rides in the park with free food and shows by the Preor before an exclusive, fancy ball.