Author:
In another lifetime, August was a punk kid running a writing-themed e-zine in 2002 and participating in online survivor writing contests; these days, she’s a punk pseudo-adult with an office job and a studio of her own.

Meet Pitney Scolan. Pit, for short. He’s a decorated general and a venerated leader of the sprawling human race. He’s protected his species' colonies from vicious native animal populations and hostile alien life. He’s fiercely introverted, and he’s really looking forward to retiring on his personal planet in the very near future.

Except…now he has to be a dog.

A daugment, to be specific: a cybernetically enhanced canine, previously the doting pet of Pit’s biggest rival, General Tristan. It’s the only way to escape certain assassination.

So Pit grudgingly allies himself with a pair of well-meaning scoundrels and sets sail for seedier space in hopes of escaping Tristan’s clutches. What he finds instead is a galactic conspiracy to force him to make friends.

Daugment

CANDIDATE: VASS KAI (Loyalism Party; from Qual Cove)


CASE AGAINST CANDIDATE: Kai is only 20 years old, with no experience in public leadership. He ran away from home this very year with the expressed intent to join the Ioan Senate. He is simply going to win this position because he is the only available Chirran politician.


CASE FOR CANDIDATE: Chir needs representation. Elect the man who is willing.


It was such a strange statement that Pit found himself repeating it back as a question. He had to admit, however, that it didn't seem like an impossibility. He'd already noted that he hadn't seen any daugments since landing.


Chapter 31