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Chapter 33 - The Dragon Breathes Again

 Above the desolate planet of Scarra a bright flash illuminated the sky, followed by a long trail of light. It had been many millennia since the Interstellar United Republic had been stationed above the planet's surface, orbiting and preventing its denizens from leaving. But, that was the price paid for warmongering leaders that picked a fight with so many members of the council. It was even bolder to think that there had been a chance to even come out victorious. Those days were gone and so was the republic. Yet, the Scarrins remained. What little of them that had survived managed to rebuild and repopulate their world. They looked to the stars constantly, knowing that venturing out into the void would no longer be possible. That technology was lost.

 Several Scarrins looked now from their boring and worn-down housing, their serpentine heads coiling to the sky. Fear possessed them. Fear of the unknown. The flash didn't seem like a shooting star. It was unnatural, almost guided towards the surface. In the distance, there was a loud deafening crack and boom as the object made contact with the sky and then the surface of the planet, hurtling at incomprehensible speeds.

 A man with long red hair and a flowing beard stepped from the rubble and crater formed from the impact. A swirl of red light surrounded him, coalescing from all the buildings and dead bodies around him, as he gathered his bearings. He took a small breath and then a deep drawn-out breath, almost as if he were tasting the air. "Ah, the smell of death and fear."

 The few Scarrins that had managed to make their way to the crater knew their panic had been warranted. They immediately turned and ran from the crater. They knew they had to warn as many as they could. It wasn't the first time a man survived a fall like that on Scarrin soil. But, that man from long ago wasn't to be trifled with either. They guessed that this man was about to bring the same kind of pain and suffering.

 The man with the red hair began stretching and cracking his joints. It had been too long since he had managed to use them. He felt very rusty. "Perhaps I should go and see the locals, determine if they are worth keeping." He said with a laugh. His tone was carefree and malicious. "Maybe they can even provide a little entertainment for me." His smile grew even more.