Moon Fire — Ash Gray

Quinn, the dragon-blooded alien princess, is back yet again, this time in a race to save Thlacu, her blue seahorse girlfriend, from the clutches of the cold and sinister Emperor Zycun. With the help of our favorite space marine Zita, a purple alien dragon, a sassy space pirate, a forlorn robot, and a few purple ant people, Quinn must race against the clock to save the love of her life. But can she sacrifice all of Qorlec in the name of love?

Quotes:

“But �" that thing grabbed my ass!” Wrip shouted as she was dragged away. 

“No,” said Wviria with a little smile, “she kissed your ass. Take it as a compliment.”

Wrip made a shrill noise of disbelief. 

-
“If someone had cut you open while you were helpless and unconscious and stole your internal organs,” Cara said at once, “would you not seek an apology?”

“No, I'd cut their head off,” Wviria said with a snort. “But point taken. I'm sorry I . . . stole parts of you.” 

-
It was true that many had attempted to assassinate Thalcu. She was so hated on Kahz that assassins dropping from the sky was a regular part of brunch. 

-
“Name's Cayd,” Cayd muttered after a while. “Corporal Cayd Costo.” 

“Say that five times fast,” laughed Zita.

-
The emperor tensed as if he might lunge forward and strike her again, but he composed himself, straightening up tall and placing his hands once more behind his back. “Your cereal box cities will crumble,” he said coolly, “the gruntings you call a language will vanish, and your history? It is already swirling down the drain. I was the only chance you had, but like your mother and her mother before her, you would rather embrace stupidity. Not even just embrace it: you would fuck it and have its children.”

Calorra stared past the emperor, coldly resolute.

-
Calorra frowned. “What do you mean?” she asked anxiously. The great winged creature looked at her with gentle golden eyes and said soothingly, :I am very old, child. Very old and very sick with hunger and grief. I shall not last long. A dracon is not meant to be a slave, hmm?: She lifted her scaly claw, from which the black chain dangled. :I fear this will be my last great adventure.: 

“Then let's make it a good one,” said Quinn. 

-
 “I guess we can talk about this when a giant purple dragon isn't watching,” Quinn said unhappily after a pause. 

Calorra clenched her teeth. She had always hated it anytime Quinn made inappropriate jokes, but joking had always been Quinn's way of holding back tears. In that moment, she knew her mother was aching inside as terribly as she, but she pushed the realization away and held on to her rage. 

-
“So you just side with the strongest?” said Wrip in disgust. “Don't you have any honor? Any sense of moral obligation?”

Wviria wriggled her long fingers on the steering wheel, pointing her thumbs at herself. “Pirate.”
 
-
“That's what I like to hear,” Varzo said, grimly getting to her feet. “We'll die protecting this kid before we sit back and let them kill ‘im! Quinn would want it no other way.” Varzo paused awkwardly. “Well, I'll die. You'll do . . . whatever it is robots do.”

Cara's eyes hooded irritably.