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

"You see, after I realized you would never join me, I decided the most poetic thing to do would be to make your death the announcement of the public phase of my plan," Tristan snarled, wiping spit from the side of his mouth. "Of course your treacherous McAver's attempts to thwart me were a nuisance-but they soon became an opportunity."


Keep talking, old man, Pit thought. It was clear Tristan was unhinged and hobbled. His walking stick lay well out of reach. If Pit could keep his wits about him, and get Ravenna on her feet...


No shame in retreat, he heard Loper say in his head. Gods. Hang on, Loper.


Chapter 58