Chapter 14

Thorpe made it back to the central hub with Sylor in one piece, and Corporal Warren emerged from the assembled crowd, clutching his communicator.

"Sir," Warren said to Thorpe, "Commodore North reports that the Draco has not fled but is sufficiently subdued to attempt evac."

As if on cue, there was a roar from above. The caverns continued to quake and collapse around them.

"Doesn't sound very 'subdued' to me," said Thorpe. "But this may be the best chance we get. Everyone definitely here now? No one else missing?"

At Warren's nod, Thorpe spoke up for the rest of the group. "Okay, people, we're gonna pull out…" A huge chunk of rock landed extremely close to him, prompting some gasps. Thorpe kept his cool, concealing the fact that he had very nearly ruined his uniform.

"And not a moment too soon," he added nonchalantly. "We may not got another shot at this, so we're all gonna pile onto the crane's platform. This'll be about twice its max capacity, so it'll be slow going.

"I hope everyone had a light breakfast. All aboard!"


The ascension was indeed slow and crowded. The expedition team were packed close together in the metal platform as it whirred upwards under audible strain. The vertical shaft leading to the surface also started to fall apart more and more around them.

Threv's lingering anxiety was only exacerbated by his close proximity to Chalmos, pressed together as they were. His bondmate still had the wrong impression of him - that he had fled a battle to protect a loved one. Although chivalrous, it was still poor conduct for a soldier in Andorian eyes, and not the intention behind Threv's panic-driven retreat. He was only lucky that Human troops were more tolerant. Either that, or they just hadn't noticed his abandonment of them.

The indomitable Supervisor Grum was wedged against Threv's other side, and, true to form, had not stopped complaining throughout the climb, even with the increasingly louder sounds of the Draco above.

It roared and wailed and thrashed monstrously, the ground shaking from its throes. Soon the bottom of the shaft became entirely blocked off with fallen rocks, which Chalmos looked further crestfallen by.

His ch'te's disapproval, combined with the noise from the beast above, only tightened the knot in Threv's stomach.

They were just under an arm's length from the edge of the pit, when the crane let out a terrible groan and gave up entirely, leaving them swinging in place.

The engineer operating the controls shook her head at Captain Thorpe, who let out what Threv assumed was a passionate Human curse.

"Come on," Thorpe then said. "Can't give up now." He motioned for Warren to give him a boost and the corporal obliged, albeit with difficulty in the cramped space.

Thorpe scrambled to the surface and looked around quickly, making sure it was safe. He then leaned back over the edge, to help pull up the others.

Warren was next, followed by Threv himself, as the two closest MACOs, for cover. When Threv climbed up into the cool air, he saw the enormous Draco some distance away; its mighty body beating against the ground like a dying ice-bore, screeching in agony.

"Poor bastard," Thorpe said, noticing Threv's gaze. "Needs put out its misery."

Threv felt a strange sympathy for the creature.

A few more members of the group were pulled up, including Chalmos, and Thorpe ordered them all to make for the shuttlepods while he helped more people out of the pit. Threv was happy to comply.

But, as they were almost halfway to the 'pods, the Draco let out piercing roar and charged them with astonishing speed for its size.

"Run!" Warren shouted.

And they did.

Threv's heart pounded in his chest as he sprinted for the shuttlepods, no longer caring about appearances, but still unconsciously glancing around to make sure Chalmos was running alongside him.

Thorpe and the MACOs by the pit opened fire as the Draco thundered past them, but it was like the bites of tiny insects to the beast. The Humans were forced to scatter, and the Draco continued past them, past the pit, to Threv's fleeing group.

It swiftly overtook them, its massive body blocking their path, and roared at its prey. They could now see that black blood trickled from its eyes and nostrils - morbidly beautiful against its snow-white scales - caused by internal damage from the EMPs. Threv now felt those same electromagnetic waves overwhelming his antennae as the generators were redirected towards them, but he was too frozen with fear to notice much.

Warren and some of the Starfleet officers blasted the beast with their phased-particle weapons, but it was still useless. The Draco swiped at them with its claws, each the length of a man, sending everyone running.

Threv was still paralysed. Then he felt a hand in his.

He looked over to see Chalmos, restrained fear on his face, standing by him.

Threv knew what he must do.

Releasing Chalmos' hand, he bolted for the Draco.

He could hear his bondmate calling for him over the thudding of his feet, but he could not stop now. He would make his family proud. He would be a good soldier. He would release himself from his burden.

The Draco noticed his rapid approach and turned its great head to him, opening its jaws wide enough to swallow a house.

Threv, possessed by pure adrenaline, leapt into the beast's mouth.

He landed against its soft, wet tongue, struggling for purchase. The Draco reared up, causing him further difficulty, hot breath blasting against his azure skin as it roared, deafening him.

Trying to stand, he slammed against one of its razor-sharp teeth, almost as tall as him, while it swung its head around in an attempt to dislodge him.

He unclipped a plasma grenade from his belt, remember how Lieutenant Sylor had tried such a weapon against another Draco in the Vale of Mists, with drastic success.

The grenade slipped from his grasp just as he primed it, as the Draco flipped its head up, sending him tumbling out of its maw. The creature wailed when the grenade ignited in its jaws, the shockwave from the blast propelling Threv further in his fall.

Both he and the Draco hit the ground hard, the snow doing little to cushion Threv's impact.

He lay there in agony, his entire body aching, particularly his right shoulder. He had lived. He felt his breath coming back to him in short gasps, confirming his survival.

Chalmos ran over to him, kneeling by his injured body. "Threv! By Uzaveh! What were you thinking?"

Threv tried to speak, but could only grunt in pain. He looked behind Chalmos to where the Draco lay.

It moved.

There were cries of alarm from the others as the great beast lifted its head - undamaged by the plasma grenade. Hot blood trickled from its mouth, sizzling against the snow where it dripped in thick gouts.

It looked right at Threv.

"Go!" Threv managed to shout weakly to Chalmos, pathetically trying to shove him away with his least sore arm.

The Draco was advancing on them, undeterred by weapons-fire and the still-intense EMPs.

"No, I won't leave you, th'se," Chalmos said. He threw himself futilely over Threv.

Threv could only wrap his arm around his partner and close his eyes tightly as the Draco's shadow loomed over them, its mouth opening again.

Not like this, he thought to himself.