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

As he said the words applied pain, Argo's greedy gaze latched onto Ravenna and he twisted a dial larger than his hand. Ravenna shrieked as visible electricity coursed through her body from probes attached to her ears, paws, and tail. Her chest plates crackled audibly, punctuating her moans.


Protect her! Pit's deepest instincts screamed. He tried to lunge against the rope, but it caught him hard at the edge of the table and knocked the wind out of him.


The sound of the electricity died away, leaving only Ravenna's strangled sobs. Pit shuddered. Argo appeared over him again, smirking. "You see? I don't make idle threats. Tell me, General, how did you escape?"


"Don't...tell him...anything, Pit," Ravenna croaked. She struggled feebly, then slumped against the choke collar.


Pit threw all of his scorn and hatred into his glare at Argo. "Fuck you," he spat.


Chapter 54