Dragon and Judge: The Fifth Dragonback Adventure

Dragon and Judge: The Fifth Dragonback Adventure by Zahn, Timothy. hardcover edition. ISBN: 9780765314185.

Orphaned at the age of three, brought up by his Uncle Virgil, a con man, Jack Morgan has done things that are unusual even in the future in space. But when he rescued Draycos, a dragon-like symbiont, from certain death, his life became a series of breathtaking adventures. With the help of Draycos, who can leap onto Jacks back and become what looks like a tattoo, Jack has been doing everything he can to find out who ambushed the scout-fleet of Draycoss people, the Kda and Shontine, leaving Draycos the sole survivor. Now Jack thinks he may finally be on the trail of the information he needs. But before he can act on what he knows, hes kidnapped by aliens, who ask him to be a judge for them, as, they reveal to him, his parents had once been. Jacks friend Alison Kayna and her newly acquired Kda symbiont are also kidnapped, by the people trying to ambush the Kda/Shontine fleet. Her captors will do almost anything to learn from Alison where the fleet will rendezvous. Jack and Draycos must rescue her before Alison is hurt--or worse. Using every trick in the book, Jack and Draycos race to her aid, but they arent able to eliminate the threat to the endangered fleet...and precious time is running out!