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Yes, Rael knew Borraq ships. But this was different. It was a bulky, ugly thing, all sharp angles and heft.
He'd never seen a human ship up close before, let alone a crashed one — but there was no question about it.
How had it gotten here? His territory was in the middle of the Borraq home planet, far from the human front in space. The war with the humans raged far away out there, between the stars, in asteroid fields and around dead planets.
The Borraq's home planet should have been the last possible place for a human ship to be.
And yet one had still managed to crash right in the middle of Rael's territory.
Rael's lip curled in disgust. He was a proud Borraq, born and bred. His people had their ways, their traditions. They lived in harmony with the galaxy, taking what they needed and defending it from any that would try to take it from them. They were fair in their dealings with other species, so long as those species respected Borraq strength.
And if they didn't respect it, they were punished.
But ever since the humans had burst onto the galactic scene, everything had changed. The Borraq were a warrior race, it was true — but they were warriors with honor. They fought for reasons, for causes. They had rules, lines that they wouldn't cross. There were ways to earn their enmity, and ways to earn their respect.
But not with humans. Dealing with them was like trying to negotiate with wild animals. They had no sense of justice, no understanding of anything other than their own desires. They shook hands on agreements, and then stabbed you in the back. One would make a promise with Borraq, and then another would break it — and then both would close ranks and support each other.
They acted without honor, without rules.
They were a blight on the galaxy.
And now, even the Borraq that lived in their traditional ways on their home planets had to deal with them.
It was an insult. It was an outrage. Rael's chest swelled with pride, but also with anger. This planet was his. His people were under his protection, and he would defend them from any threat — no matter what species that threat might be.
His hand on his blade's hilt, Rael quickened his pace.
Soon, he approached the crashed ship with a mixture of curiosity and caution.
The thing was a mess. It lay half-buried in the sand, great gouges marring its hull. The front of the ship was completely torn open, crumpled and spilling out.
It was hard to imagine that anyone could survive a crash like that. Still, Rael had learned to never underestimate humans. They were tough, tenacious creatures, despite their smaller bodies.
You never could tell when they were truly beaten. No matter how you injured them, they always rose up again.
Rael eyed the wreckage cautiously as he approached, his powerful legs carrying him forward with long, purposeful strides. The twisted metal reeked of burnt electronics and ozone, assaulting his senses. He wrinkled his nose in distaste, the stench triggering a deep, primal revulsion within him.
Yet, even as his lips curled in a sneer of disgust, a tiny voice at the back of his mind whispered of opportunity.
There was a standing bounty for any human found on Vasz — dead or alive.
Dead humans fetched a sturdy sum, but alive ones were even better. The bounty on a captive human could easily cover the cost of the gene therapy Worrak so desperately needed.
Rael's eyes narrowed as he scanned the massive form of the wreckage, searching for any signs of life amidst the mangled debris. Surely some of the fragile humans had survived the crash, stubborn creatures that they were. If he could capture even one…
The thought made his blood run hot with anticipation. Not only would he be ridding his lands of an infestation, but he'd also be providing for his clan in the most direct way possible. It was his duty as alpha to protect and provide, and the prospect of killing two sandgrubs with one strike filled him with a sense of grim satisfaction.
If there were humans aboard that wreck, he would find them. And once he had them in his grasp, the bounty was as good as claimed. Worrak's future would be secured, and Rael's clan would be provided for.
All he had to do was sniff out his prey.
He looked down.
Despite the stormy wind whipping at the desert sand, the tracks were unmistakable. A single pair of footprints staggered away from the wreck, deep imprints in the soil that showed the wearer's struggle.
A survivor.
Rael grinned.
