Space Dragons

Luxorian is a dragon without a rider, and in their galaxy that is a real problem. Since ancient times, dragons and riders have traveled the stars together, so a dragon with no rider has no work. Lux's rider walked away, leaving them with no void rig, no crew, and a lot of bitterness.

Then Finder-X239, a bot that habitually talks around the truth, offers Lux a rig and a materials collection contract that pays suspiciously well. Lux has little choice but to take it. That means putting a crew together quickly from the desperate people of their backwater spaceport town, including some of the humans Lux once turned down as replacement riders. With no rider to speak for the crew, Lux is the only one who can run the rig.

The job takes them out to the rim of the galaxy, where they face hostile wildlife, dangerous weather, and enormous void horrors that hunt rigs through space. The harder challenge is closer to home. Lux has to win the loyalty of a crew who are unwilling to offer any trust in return, and not every wound comes from a claw or a fist.