Star Ship

A derelict interstellar ship drifts in orbit above the iron‑age world of Khazak, its crew forced into a battered lifeboat that crashes onto an unfamiliar shore. The story opens with Dougald Anson rowing his small craft into the rain‑soaked harbor of Krakenau, where the usual glow of torches and street lamps is oddly absent. The storm‑laden night cloaks the town in darkness, and the silence feels like a warning. As he steps onto the wet cobbles, the uneasy feeling that something has changed in his brief absence tightens around him.

Suddenly, shadows surge from a narrow alley and four lithe Khazaki warriors spring at him, their alien armor glinting in the intermittent lightning. Relying on his heavy ring‑mail, a broad sword, and years of fighting pirate raids, Dougald fights back, his blows echoing against stone walls. The clash is brutal and fast, revealing both his formidable skill and the deadly efficiency of the native fighters. Amid the rain and clashing steel, he realizes the quiet town hides a deeper, perilous secret that will force him to confront the unknown.