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Chapter 1: Lady Zarathenia
"It doesn't look like home anymore," Zara thought. "How can I leave home to become a concubine, but barely recognize the home I'm leaving?"
The remnants of war littered the landscape of planet Ankali. Zarathenia pressed her cheek against the window to get a better view from the shuttle. She’d seen three different Ankali battleships on the ground during just this journey alone, one of them still smoking as tiny moving people-dots tried to sort out the debris. Huge drones, or the ordinance they carried, had sheared off sections of buildings, or left craters in the streets. Sections of the completely pristine forest now contained smoldering husks of fighter-class ships that had careened into them from a starting point somewhere near the upper limits of the atmosphere. And everywhere, just everywhere, lay the twisted wreckage from the constant bombings.
She’d heard that on the larger continent, Entroth, there was less damage. But Entroth contained only two things, volcanic wasteland, and the area known as the glass sea. There weren’t any large cities on Entroth, and the native people living there, known as the Zeka and the Rathuni, didn’t really have much to offer the Galactic Empire. So, the empire had focused efforts on the smaller continent of Entrina, where all of the cities were, and where the Count and his family lived. Zarathenia spent most of the last decade underground, in bunkers, her only available hobbies the reading the vast cultural library of Ankali, and sewing. She liked to make things from scraps or help mend soldiers' uniforms. But, she still remembered Ankali before the war, beautiful and pristine and largely peaceful. Were there problems in Ankali back then? Yes. The Entrinans had treated the Zeka and Rathuni poorly, and the rapid growth of the cities following a drought caused many people to sell their farms which meant more crime, and more poverty.
But, they had been trying to resolve these things, they had been working towards a better future for Ankali. Why, then, did the Galactic Empire attack under the premise that the plight of the common Ankalian was too great for them to ignore? Why did they say that Ankali cried out for liberation from oppression? No, the Galactic Empire didn’t care about the Zeka and Rathuni. They didn’t care about the poverty in the cities or the difficulty of previously agrarian citizens now trying to find work unrelated to fields and herds. They didn’t care about the dangers on the streets for young women turned out by their families due to being able to feed another mouth. The Galactic Empire cared about resources, and despite any recent problems, Ankali possessed resources in abundance.
“I’m sorry for this, my dear,” Countess Zorazenia said, leaning forward to touch her daughter on the knee. “I know you volunteered, but I’m still so very sorry.”
“No, it’s better me than Thalia,” Zara murmured, “She’d be at too much of a disadvantage. And heaven forbid we send one of the twins.” Thalia’s blindness, Zara knew, would endanger her on Viverides, even if she did make it a point to never let it get in the way of her doing anything at all, like planning to drug her sister at breakfast so she couldn’t get on the shuttle. Zara was thankful that she’d caught wind of the plan and reversed their drinks. Thalia would now wake up this afternoon to find her sister already gone.
As for the twins, well… Zara knew with absolute certainty that the highest thing on her cousins’ list would be murder. And she didn’t think murder would go over well toward trying to keep the peace with the Galactic Empire.
“Please stay out of trouble, dear. Do not worry so much about us, and do what you need to in order to survive on Viverides. We’ve been able to get along fine without the assistance of the Galactic Empire for many thousands of years.”
“Maybe so, but we could use medicine, food, water, and resources to rebuild the drought and war-affected areas.” Zara held up her hand when her mother started to protest. “You know it’s true. Just… Look after Wiggles and Margot.”
Her father had said nothing. Zara knew this was killing him. To have to send his daughter to Viverides as a hostage concubine wounded his pride, and injured his honor as a father and as a leader. Zara reached across to him, the private berth on the shuttle intimate enough that she could easily take his hand. “There are almost a thousand concubines, Father. I doubt I’ll even be noticed.” She tried to smile at him, to cheer him up with an attitude of nonchalance and adventure. But the sad, defeated look on his face worried her more than all of the tales and rumors of Viverides.
“We have a present for you, dear. Of course, we’re sending Trisla and Rowan to Viverides, and they’ll look after and attend to you. But, we were also told you could bring a guard. Your father and I worried about what protector might be best. We wanted someone who could not be corrupted, who would be loyal to you no matter what. So, we decided to send Xazrozith with you.” The Countess rang a bell and the partition door opened. The creature which stepped through stood over seven feet tall, not including the twisted black horns swept back high on his head. He had to crouch to enter the chamber. Thick bone spikes erupted from various parts of his body, his shoulders, his forearms, and even his back. Long chitinous claws adorned his hands, but the claws were even longer on his strange raptor-like feet. The face of the creature appeared humanoid, but with red eyes. Strange rune-like markings on his forehead and cheeks were made all the more mysterious by the thick cloak of long black hair. When one considered the whiplike tail thrashing around behind him, Xaz looked like old Earth’s conception of a demon. “Xaz,” the Countess said, “Please look after Lady Zarathenia. Protect her. Obey her. And stay out of trouble. No attacking anyone unless they are hurting Lady Zarathenia or she directs you to do so. Do you understand?”
The alien-looking creature let out a chittering noise, effortlessly balancing despite the turbulence the shuttle experienced. “We understand the words. We are released from the service of the Moonlight Nobles to now protect Lady Inkblossom. Yes, pretty, pretty. Yes.” All of Xaz’s too-long fingers twitched in a rhythmic ripple, and then he bowed, albeit carefully due to the length of his horns.
“Are you sure, Mother? Do you not need him here, to protect you and Father?” Zara asked cautiously, long since used to the incredibly bizarre mannerisms of the creature. Her parents had obtained Xaz long ago, during a tense negotiation with the Rathuni. The Rathuni kept Xazrozith in a cage in their village square, taunting him and tormenting him freely. Many of the Rathuni wanted to kill him, believing him one of the ‘Ekredai’, creatures from other planes who feasted on the Rathuni, but there was no evidence that he’d killed anyone. The Elders of the Rathuni, not wanting to chance to anger more of the Ekredai, didn’t really want Xaz’s blood on their hands. So, when the Count offered to take Xaz off of their hands, they saw it as a winning move. The Rathuni got rid of one of the Ekredai, but they could claim themselves blameless for anything that happened to him. In return for saving his life, Xaz pledged his to the Count to protect his family, ‘As long as my reflection remains, and the sky contains blessed stars’. Xaz had a strange penchant for using nicknames and behaving in a vaguely feral manner but was ultimately rather harmless unless commanded to attack.
Xaz scurried out of the private berth, leaving the trio alone again. Zara thanked her parents for the gift. She did feel better about going to Viverides with a protector who could be trusted. Xaz had no use for money, and couldn’t easily be bribed. His strange demeanor and mannerisms made him too unpredictable for anyone to try to use in a scheme or to generally corrupt. Still, Zara wasn’t sure how much he could really do if trouble arose. She’d heard many rumors about the Emperor’s palace guard, the Korkudai, not to mention the robot overseers of the concubines, the Adjudicants. And, of course, she’d read numerous tales of concubines tortured or killed for the slightest offense, for the most minor slip of the tongue or breach of protocol. Even if Viverides was only a tenth as dangerous as the tales made it out to be, she’d still need to be on guard every waking minute.
Zara tried not to sigh too loudly as she returned to looking out the window. She didn’t want her parents to pick up on the level of deep despair bubbling underneath her determination. Nothing like this had ever factored into her life plans. She’d hoped to become a scholar, to become learned and wise, and able to advise Thalia when her sister became Countess. Perhaps she’d have married some Zeka or Rathuni leader in order to bring more peace and stability to Ankali. Her life would have been lived in service to her planet, certainly, but the kind of service she chose for herself, service that included seeing her family, friends, and pets regularly. Instead, now she would become a Hostage Concubine for the Endless Emperor, a man she might only meet once in her entire life. Or never meet at all. At least… At least she could console herself with one thing. Viverides had the best libraries in the galaxy, and even the lowliest concubines could request loanable texts be transmitted to them. She could still study and learn, just… Not in a collegiate setting.
As she pressed her fingers to her forehead to try to stave off a headache, Zara caught a glimpse of the spaceport appearing in the distance. It didn’t have any damage, likely because it had been one of the first things the Galactic Empire had worked towards capturing during its conquest of Ankali. They’d definitely upgraded it in the last few years, adding additional shuttle bays and larger docks to hold more ships. Although she could identify both Ankali and Empire vessels, one stood out among the rest – a royal cruiser. Painted stark white, but lined with glittering golden trim, it shone like a jewel among freighters and fighters. The entire area above the massively tall observation deck looked like a complicated crown, with towering spires and vast curlicues of metalwork for no other reason than aesthetic beauty. Zara peered at the control deck, set towards the midsection of the ship, wondering who the palace planet had sent to play keeper for their newest acquisition.
As they docked, Zara noticed her mother touch a handkerchief hidden in the palm of her hand to her eyes. She pretended not to notice. As long as she seemed determined and slightly excited, her parents wouldn’t worry as much. Zara knew she must not falter, she must not cry or complain. Making this worse for her parents would do nothing to change the inevitable. The emperor would have his concubine no matter the cost, even if it meant he had to get rid of an entire noble family to install a new one. “Well,” she said loudly, turning to look at her parents and then motioned to the royal cruiser, “If that isn’t the most ostentatious display of wealth ever, I’ll change my name to Lady Mudthenia of the House of Dirtballs.” Her mother forced a smile, but her father simply nodded once as he eyed the cruiser.
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It took longer than Zara hoped for the signal to be given for her to disembark. As much as she loved her parents, and cherished every last minute she could spend with them, she didn’t know how long her resolve would hold out. Right now, she just needed to get through this, get to whenever she could next be alone, and then let herself fall to pieces. And she would see her family again. Viverides' rules allowed each concubine a yearly visit from their family. And it wasn’t like Viverides was completely cut off from the core-net, though Zara knew all transmissions in either direction would be watched and scrutinized by the Adjudicants.
Saying goodbye to her parents blurred into an overwhelming rush of controlling her emotions. “I will be fine,” she later remembered herself saying over and over, perhaps attempting to reassure herself, just as much as her parents. “I will be fine.” It sunk into her head like a mantra. No matter what, she would be fine. Eventually.
When she exited the private berth, Xaz stood waiting. Zara could hear her mother sobbing inside the berth, and her father’s gentle voice trying to console her. Every ounce of her willpower was needed to force her to say, “Come along, Xaz.” One foot in front of the other, she headed to exit the shuttle into the spaceport.
“You are the Lady Zarathenia of the House of Kalimat, second daughter of the Count and Countess of Kalimat, rulers of the planet of Ankali?” The question came from the robot awaiting her just beyond the confines of the shuttle. An Adjudicant. Zarathenia had seen pictures of them, but finally viewing one up close caused Zara to shiver. Robots weren’t common on Ankali. They had droids and drones, but artificial intelligence had been deemed a threat to the happiness of the citizenry, so autonomous robots had never been developed, and in fact were disallowed by Ankali law.
She found herself staring at it. Even though it was roughly humanoid in shape, its ominous bearing caused her to recoil lightly, backing into Xaz, who made a faint questioning noise as he peered at the robot. Zara could hear Xaz sniffing at the air, something he often did around new people, in order to memorize their scent. No attempt had been made to coat the robot’s exterior white metal with something more like skin, and various panels and housings could be seen, occasionally dotted with ruby-red light panels. The robot wore the cloak of its station, with flowing robes hanging from intricately designed silver pauldrons and a hood made of metal pulled up over its head so that only the expressionless face could be seen. Its eyes deviated from the light-colored metal used elsewhere on its body and instead appeared to be made of some shiny black substance. They weren’t lit from within and lacked any spark of life, and Zara wondered if they were simply decorative, something to put those looking at the robot more at ease. Fully articulated fingers held an intellipad, and when Zara replied that she was, indeed, the person in question, she watched as the robot began to swiftly move its fingers over the interface. Ah yes. For fear of corruption, the Adjudicants were not made to pair with or connect to any other device. Should their code deviate from normal at any of the regular checks, even by a single character, they would be immediately decommissioned and melted into scrap.
As Zara inspected the robot’s legs, finding them to be less human and more constructed like that of a metal version of a deer or gazelle, she heard its not particularly robotic-sounding voice begin once more. “As per the peace agreement with the planet Ankali, you are hereby compelled into the service of His Supreme and Galactic Majesty, Ruler of the Vast and Magnificent Fourth Empire, Khatar Prestoris III, The Endless Emperor, Forever May He Reign, as his nine hundred and ninety-ninth Hostage Concubine. Confirm now that you do so freely and of your own will, and it shall be recorded for the archives.”
“I serve freely and of my own will,” Zara confirmed, trying not to sound hesitant. She wasn’t sure if she hoped her parents heard her or not.
“Accepted. Follow me.”
The robot turned and began walking away before Zara could even protest. “Wait. What about my maids? What about my…?”
“Everything has been arranged. Follow!”
The sharp command gave Zara a start and caused a faint growl to come from Xaz. Not wanting to cause trouble so early in the proceedings, Zara started to jog a little to keep up with the robot, though as she did, she glanced back at the shuttle, hoping to see a glimpse of her mother or father. No such sight could be found, however, and in the end, they’d turned a corner before Zara could manage to even consider a last lingering look at Ankali in the distance. Nonetheless, she promised herself that she would see it again. She would return home someday, no matter what it took.
“Do you have a name? A…designation?” she asked the Adjudicant as she caught up with it. “If you are to be the Adjudicant I interact with, then…”
The robot moved swiftly through the corridors of the station, and it took Zara considerable effort to keep up. She noticed that the normally busy spaceport now appeared completely deserted. Even the little shops selling Ankali souvenirs or hot meals had been closed down. Had they closed it because of the royal ship? Or did the empire just not approve of snacks? Zara wasn’t certain.
“You may call me Ixo, as I find it is easier for humanoids to say than ‘One-X-Zero’. I am the Silver Adjudicant for the Forty-Third Ward, which is where you will live. A Bronze Adjudicant will be assigned to your quarters.”
As they traveled further into the spaceport, the silence became more and more unnerving. Even the waiting areas, usually full of rambunctious families and tired businessmen and cranky mechanics contained not a soul. Had they cleared the entire spaceport for this? Zara shivered at the loneliness of it, and wished she’d brought one of her shawls.
Eventually, Ixo led her down a connecting corridor onto the ship. Here, at least, there were signs of life. A few crewmembers in crisp white jumpsuits with gold lining rushed here and there, though they pointedly avoided Ixo and Zara, and if they couldn’t, they bowed low enough that they surely could only see Zara’s feet. She wished she’d worn nicer shoes than the scuffed black flats she favored in the bunker. Zara tried to figure out where they’d put Rowan and Trisla, but she didn’t see anyone besides the crew members.
“This way,” Ixo said as a sliding door opened to reveal a room containing only a creepy-looking medical chair in the center of the room, a few overhead lights, and a low counter. The rest of the room glowed from the whiteness of it, so bright that it made Zara squint. Her eyesight had become sensitive to light after years in the dark bunker. Ixo appeared to notice, and asked, “Is there a problem with your eyes?”
“No, just not good with bright lights.”
This caused the robot a momentary pause before it lifted one hand to motion at the chair. “Sit, please. Let us begin the examination and interview.”
Zara sat in the terribly uncomfortable chair, trying to maintain some semblance of dignity with her feet lifted off the ground. After she did, Ixo came over and moved her right arm, locking it into place with a cuff before three rather large needles extended from a mechanism on the chair and plunged into her skin. Zara hissed and winced, but truthfully, it didn’t hurt much more than getting a vaccine shot, just…in triplicate. The sound of air pressure being released, an almost pneumatic noise, issued from somewhere behind the chair, and an ice-cold liquid began to flow into Zara’s arm. She shivered violently, suddenly chilled all over.
“To your knowledge, do you now, or have you ever, had a communicable disease?” Ixo asked.
“No.”
“Other health problems?”
Zara thought about it for a moment and then answered truthfully, “I inhaled some toxic chemicals during the early years of the war and my lungs were scarred. It can cause breathing issues and worse if I don’t regularly take medication.”
Ixo inputted this data into his intellipad and then said, “This health problem is acceptable.”
“Is it? Is any health problem acceptable, really?” Zara asked, but then realized she was being combative for no good reason and quieted down.
“Any emotional or mental illnesses?”
“The regular amount you’d get from watching a massive intergalactic authoritarian regime attempt to genocide your people in a brutal and bloody way, I suppose.”
Ixo didn’t appear to like this answer and simply repeated the question. “Any emotional or mental illnesses?”
Zara relented and just answered, “No.”
“Are you a virgin?”
“Excuse me?” Zara didn’t realize that mattered.
“If you are not a virgin, is there any possibility that you are currently pregnant?”
“I’ve been living in a bunker with my extended family since I was eleven years old. I don’t think I’ve been getting up to many sexual shenanigans with them. But if you must absolutely know, then no. I mean yes. I mean I’m…. I haven’t participated…in any…sex.” Zara sighed and looked away from Ixo. “Good grief.”
“One last question,” Ixo said, not at all disturbed by Zara’s embarrassment over the whole thing. “Do you intend to do any harm to the Emperor or the Imperial family?”
“No,” Zara said, her voice dipping into a quiet, and solemn tone. Perhaps she’d have wanted that once, but now, now she just wanted peace for Ankali.
Ixo moved over to the chair and pressed a button. The three needles withdrew from Zara’s arm, and the robot quickly applied one long bandage to cover all three holes. When he stepped back, he eyed the intellipad and began rapidly pressing buttons. This continued for a good two minutes before he pronounced. “All results are nominal and acceptable. You have now been injected with the Imperial Nano Agent, also called ‘INA’. This nanotechnology will not only track you no matter where you go in the galaxy, but will also monitor your health. Most importantly, it gives the Emperor control over certain aspects of your person, such as your ability to conceive a child, among other things.”
“What…other things?”
“Those things are at the Emperor’s discretion to divulge.”
Zara narrowed her eyes, but she knew she literally could not complain. Either she accepted her lot and the restrictions put upon her by the laws of Viverides, or they’d request a new hostage concubine. Resigned to her fate, she rubbed her arm gently and stood. Xaz, who had been standing near the doorway the entire time, silent and watchful, crept forward and murmured, “Lady Inkblossom? You are not too hurt from puncturing?”
“I’ll be fine, Xaz.”
But, in truth, she really wasn’t certain she would be.