Page 1 of The Warrior's Oath
CHAPTERONE
Smoke wafted from the broken treetops, their shattered branches smoldering from the devastating contact with the emergency landing jets and orange-hot underside of the Raxxian vessel as it plummeted through the atmosphere and smashed down into the dense woods.
Burgundy leaves had been stripped from the vegetation by the impact like an explosively shredded cloud, the remnants wafting slowly in the breeze as the dust settled on the wreckage. The Raxxians had designed the transport compartment to automatically home in on the nearest planet or moon, then, upon finding a landing solution, slowing its descent with emergency thrusters. With the main body of the ship in ruins, the segment had done its job.
Their living cargo was valuable, after all, and on the off chance some sort of emergency was to occur, the ideal scenario would be to salvage as many of the individually sealed compartments as possible.
Unfortunately, the attack that had broken the Raxxian capture and trading vessel into pieces had caused far more damage than the design specs had accounted for. As a result, the holding compartment was tossed about violently as its thrusters failed when it plummeted into the atmosphere. By the time they kicked back in, it had reached terminal velocity, the prisoners held within suffering the brunt of the descent.
The impact was ultimately slowed by the thrusters, but the force had been substantial nonetheless, throwing dirt and debris high into the air as the wildlife on the ground fled in a panicked rush. By the time the dust settled and the smoke began rising with the updraft, the area was utterly silent, devoid of the slightest hint of native life.
Across all worlds and galaxies, one thing held true. The instinct for survival was strong, and even the simplest of creatures knew full well this was the last place they wanted to be.
That gut-level drive to stay alive no matter what was also present in the tall alien male pushing aside a piece of battered wreckage, creating a relatively clear path out of the debris and into the fresh air.
He shoved the metal hard, looked around with a wary eye, then ducked back inside, emerging a moment later carrying a much smaller human woman in his muscular arms.
He barely knew her from their shared time on the Raxxian vessel, but he owed her a sizeable debt.
His life, in fact.
He held her carefully in his thick arms as he stepped cautiously over the upturned soil and smoking wreckage, walking with purpose until he reached the part of the tree line that was still intact. Safely under cover from observation from above, he turned back and scanned the crash site.
They’d hit hard when the thrusters failed for the final time, the impact forming a small crater in the soft ground. Tall trees surrounded them on all sides, the dense foliage blocking the view of the surrounding area. Mountains were visible in the distance, but up close, all he could see were trees.
He smelled the air. Fresh. Clear. The breeze blowing the smoke away from them, at least for the time being. The vegetation was lush, providing very little dry kindling for the embers to spread their blaze. They would not have to worry about being overcome by a forest fire. At leastthatwas going their way.
He looked down at the woman in his arms. She seemed tiny, really. Much smaller than the women of his own race. And she lacked the intricate runes and markings on her skin that all who inhabited the Dotharian Conglomerate bore as the law demanded.
The tall alien gently set her down and jogged back toward the wreckage, scanning the ground for anything that might be of use to them. A few useful items were salvageable, but this was not an escape craft and it had not been outfitted for wilderness survival. Worse, the rough landing had destroyed most of the components that might have had value.
He moved fast. Time was of the essence. Not only was the area unstable and partially on fire, but there was no telling if the Raxxians might come looking for their lost cargo sooner than later. He hurried and gathered up his salvaged booty, wrapping the bits and bobs in a stained bit of fabric he dug from the debris. It wasn’t a backpack by any stretch, but the makeshift sling would have to suffice.
He stepped out into the open and scanned the skies above once more. They were still clear. Holding his prize close, he ran for the trees, doing his best not to drop anything.
Safely out of sight beneath their cover he slowed his pace, stopping where the human female lay. He put down his salvage and hovered over the woman, looking at her with a mix of curiosity and frustration in his gold-rimmed, violet eyes.
The woman’s lids slowly opened, her eyes struggling to focus on the golden-tan alien male looming over her. She seemed about to say something, but unconsciousness beckoned her once more and she succumbed to its siren song, sliding back into the darkness.
She would wake soon enough; her head injury was merely a nasty bump and the accompanying concussion. And when she did, she would discover just what sort of mess she was in, jumping from the frying pan into what could very well be the fire.
Time would tell.
CHAPTERTWO
Nyota felt the warmth of sunlight on her face, but also an unexpected coolness on her forehead. As she regained sensation throughout her body, it dawned on her that pretty much her entire body ached. She also realized her vision was dark because her eyes were crusty and stuck shut.
With painful effort, she tried to force them to open, her head pounding from the effort.
Slowly, her lids began to part, finally separating with a sticky pop. Her vision was blurry at first. Blurry, and particularlyodd.
This can’t be right, she thought as she tried to focus on her surroundings.
Strange trees with burgundy leaves filled her vision, the dappled light seeming far too bright for her aching orbs. Her pulse thudded steadily in her ears, her aching head throbbing in time.
“Oh, that hurts,” she groaned. “What the hell?”
A deep voice nearby startled her. “Do not move. You suffered a blow to your head.”
