Colonel Delak Ardin stood at the viewport of the Incinerator, his destroyer class battle cruiser, starring down at the planet turning slowly below.

How tranquil it looked, and soon that would be no more. If Delak had his way his fleet of Destroyers would turn the planet into a crater-pitted hunk of rock. Instead he was supposed to await the arrival of a fleet of Landers bringing a sizable ground force. His communications unit beeped, and he answered it.

“Colonel, the Landers have just jumped to the system. They’ll be here in about forty standard minutes.”

“Thank you Captain.” Delak said.

“Sir, there’s one more thing. Admiral Drall’s ship is with them.”


“These Federation types are fools.” Laud said to his companion as they watched the Landers begin their descent into the atmosphere. “They think that because we don’t have massive starships like them that we don’t stand a chance.”

He watched his companion as her thoughts shifted from the Landers to the cruisers that were in orbit.

“Get warriors stationed at each of the landing zones.” Lady Dahlen said quietly. “Tell them to await my signal.”

Laud nodded once and departed, he leapt from rock to rock easily before disappearing beneath the tree line.

Dahlen looked back to the nearest Lander, and he magnifying eyelid slid into place, allowing her to make out every detail on the ship’s hull.

The moderately armored ship set down in a large clearing south of the mountain.

Despite the fact that Dahlen’s people, the Dragrok, had no technological weaponry, they had been born from the most perfect of beasts to be the most perfect of warriors.

She watched as the Federation unloaded their weaponry that they hoped to use to oppress the Dragrok people. She watched as the Lander was preparing to return to orbit, and then she sent the signal to her warriors. End them.


Delak was in his private chambers on the Incinerator, re-watching the hologram recording of the disasters that had occurred all across the miserable planet below.

As he watched he smiled, and his subordinate began to wonder if the Colonel was feeling alright. “Sir?”

“I told the Admiral that this would happen, and now here’s the proof that General Durlon and Admiral Drall are both incompetent. They wanted to land this invasion force, and now look what’s happened.” Delak’s smile faded as he watched a Dragrok punch a hole through a heavily armored assault tank and deflect the blaster-bolt that flew through the hole from the driver’s sidearm.

Delak turned to his subordinate, “I want you to find out everything you can about them. No need to let the Admiral know.” He returned to the hologram and watched as one of the Dragrok leaped thirty feet in the air and tore the engine off of a War-song Gunship. “Impressive!” He whispered to himself.

“Sir, the Admiral has issued orders to bombard the planet.” His subordinate said. “We’re moving into position over the capital now.”

“All guns fire at will.”

“There is a small problem though, sir.” Delak looked at his subordinate. “They’re attacking the ship.”


Dahlen watched the warship emerge, wraith-like, from the clouds and move towards the city. Bring it down, she sent the message out all over the planet and heard the thousands of mental war calls echo through her mind.

Warriors flew into the air at top speed, too fast for the City Crusher’s guns to track. They landed all over the hull and began to tear chunks of it off the ship.

Dahlen spread her wings and zoomed toward the ship. She landed not far from one of the main gun batteries, and it swiveled toward her and loosed a burst of laser fire. The blast dissipated as it slammed into her only succeeding in pushing her back a few feet.

She looked up at the gun crew inside the station, and grinned at their shocked and unnerved faces. Then she lunged forward, crashed through the viewport and ended the gun crew.


In a few short moments the City Crusher was reduced from its former glory to a smoking pile of scrap metal falling to the planet that it had been sent to subjugate. And the Dragrok warriors were celebrating their first victory over the Galactic Federation. Dahlen sent out the mental order for her warriors to be ready for another attempt by the Federation.


Delak cursed furiously as he received word that the City Crusher had been destroyed by the natives. What was more was that there hadn’t been any transmissions to tell him what weapons the natives used to destroy his ship.

His aide came in carrying a hardcopy of something. “S-sir.” He said timidly, “I have those reports you wanted.”

“Good.” Delak said controlling his anger; it wouldn’t do to scare his aide out of the man’s wits. “Go ahead and fill me in.”

“In body structure, they are similar to us; but they are completely covered in scales that act as an airtight seal to keep most things out. They have several eyelids allowing them to see across great distances as well as protecting their eyes from harsh light or dust. They use their wings and tails in order to fly, and are capable of jumping large distances. Their muscles seem to be much denser than ours allowing them to perform feats of strength that we need machines to do for us. They have some kind of filter in their lungs that will keep toxins from affecting them.”

“Send the message for the fleet to get into position for total orbital bombardment.” Delak said. “I want to wipe them out!”


“Like I said, these Federation types are fools.” Laud said. “They’ve seen what we can do, and they come back for more. They don’t even realize that they can’t surprise us.”

Dahlen stood upon a mountain peak, watching the ships that thought themselves invisible in orbit. “Tell our warriors to attack, once they’ve split up.” She ordered.


“Our ships are in position sir.”

“Begin orbital bombardment.” Delak said and the gun batteries on his fleet of destroyers opened fire on the helpless planet below.

“Sir we have something odd on our scanners.”

“What is it?”

“Natives.”

“That’s not possible!” Delak half-shouted in disbelief.

“Sir, The Thrasher is down!”

“Sir they just dragged a destroyer into the planet’s surface!”

“SIR! THEY’VE GOT US NOW!”

“Bang out! Bang out right now; send the retreat signal to any ships still responding!”

“Sir only Vampfang is still responding. They just jumped out of the system.”

“Then get us out of here, now!” Delak was shouting now, but not in anger. In fear. He was terrified by what the natives had managed to do. I will never return to this wretched planet so long as I live. He silently vowed to himself.


“Their remaining ships just jumped away.” Laud told Dahlen. “Are warriors are hiding on the Vampfang waiting for it to return to real space before taking command of it.”

“It will be a very long time before the Federation dares to bother us again. When they do, we won’t be here. Prepare the first groups to depart; they leave once the Vampfang returns.” Dahlen ordered.

“What of the last clutch?”

“Parents may take their eggs with them if they wish. I will take the one whose parents are now dead.”