by Maia Tanith
It stands there in the middle of the airfield. Once on board, he has all the planet’s communications at his fingertips. Command codes for the weapons stores. Remote-controlled explosive devices. He can wage a war of attrition on us, while he remains in perfect safety.
The Emperor struts up the last steps to the door of the MCC as we screech to a stop.
His bearing is full of pride and confidence as he stops in the doorway and looks back at us. He knows he has won. This battle at least, if not the war.
My puny handheld weapon is no match for the armored MCC. Still, I can’t give in. I can’t give up. Not until all hope is gone.
I race out of the hyperloop in a desperate attempt to stop him. Faye and Hathik and the others stream behind me.
A figure from inside the MCC steps up behind the Emperor as if to welcome him inside. But there is no welcome offered.
There is a short tussle in the doorway and a scream of fury.
Then a body comes flying down the steps, arms and legs windmilling uselessly in the air.
“Yefrik,” Faye breathes next to me as she catches sight of his face,
He lands with a crunch of breaking bones at the bottom of the steps, his neck at an odd angle. In his hand he still holds a knife. A kitchen knife, by the looks of it. One used to chop vegetables. It is drenched in blood up to the hilt.
With a curse that we can hear from yards away, the Emperor staggers back and shuts the door behind him.
The engines roar into life, sending out a blast of hot air strong enough to knock us back. I send a blast after blast from my laser bolt, but they bounce harmlessly off the sides.
As the hoverplane starts to rise, Hathik pushes through. “You’re not going to get away with this, you murdering piece of shit,” he screams at the hoverplane. “You killed my wife. You mutilated my kits. I will not let you get away with this. I will not.”
He’s got something in his hand. A small magnetic bomb.
Hope builds in me. Maybe not everything is lost.
Hathik fights to move forward against the pressure of the hoverplane taking off, his face contorted with pain from the screaming of the engines in his ear. He’s right underneath it now. “Take that, you stinking pile of warg fodder,” he yells. With both hands, he flings his hands upwards.
The bomb in his hand flies up and attaches to the bottom of the hoverplane.
Nothing happens.
Hathik sinks to his knees, watching in horrified despair as the hoverplane rises into the sky and heads off away from the city.
Away from us.
Where we have no chance of following.
The Emperor has escaped our clutches. We may have taken the city, but we have not taken the Empire.
“I hope Yefrik’s knife did our job for us,” Faye says solemnly.
And then, as we track the path of the hoverplane across the sky, it explodes into a giant ball of flame.
I stare at the flaming remnants as they tumble to the ground.
That is the end of my uncle, the Emperor.
He is gone.
My planet is free.
Faye
Prince Khan stands in the great hall where the Emperor used to sit. He has had the old Emperor’s chair taken out and thrown in the fire so no one can ever sit in it again. I’m glad it’s gone. I don’t want anything left to remind me of the old Emperor.
In front of him is a sorry group of prisoners. The old Emperor’s councilors, bedraggled after a few nights in the cells, stare around them in bewilderment.
Hannah stands next to me, along the side of the wall. “They thought they would be on top of the dung heap forever,” she mutters as she stares daggers at them. “I’m not sorry to see them brought down a notch or two.”
I can’t disagree with her, but I still feel sorry for them. A few nights ago, they were powerful, wealthy, and influential. As the Emperor’s councilors, they were untouchable. Laws didn’t apply to them. As long as they kept the Emperor happy, they could do what they liked. Now they simply look old, slightly unkempt, and altogether pathetic.
Khan looks them over, one by one. “You were my uncle’s allies,” he says, his voice booming throughout the hall. I know he has turned on the comcast so that everyone around the planet can hear him. “You conspired with him to deny me the throne that is rightfully mine. To have me executed. It is within the law for me to treat you in the same fashion. To condemn you to death.”
One of the women gives a little shriek and sags against a pillar as if her legs can no longer hold her.
Delia leans towards me. “She is the one who thought we were coming to evacuate her from the fire,” she whispers. “She jumped straight into the ship and started giving orders to fly off to her estate. Demanding that we load it up with her valuables and leave the slaves behind.”
I put my head next to hers. “And did you load up with her valuables?”
She gives a conspiratorial grin. “Azr was tempted, but I talked him down. I pointed out that the rebels promised to make him Commander of the Starfleet or something like that if they ever won, and it would be a bad look for him to be caught pirating.”
“Good call.”
Khan is speaking again. “But I am not my uncle. I will not punish you for your loyalty to him, however much he did not deserve it.”
The councilors shuffle their feet. The shrieky woman’s face brightens. “Thank you, Prince Khan,” she begins, her tone oily. “You won’t regret being merciful today. We served your uncle well. We will serve you well, too.”
“Emperor Khan,” he corrects her with a frown. “And though I will not punish you for your loyalty to the previous Emperor, I will still hold you accountable for the crimes you committed in his name.”
Her smile falters. “But, what we did, what we all did, was on the Emperor’s orders.”
“A crime is still a crime, no matter who ordered it to be done. And most of you, I am well aware, have made impressive fortunes off the back of some of these crimes. These fortunes will, naturally, be confiscated. Down to the last credit.”
There is a gasp of outrage from the ex-councilors. The female Kargan tries to speak again, but Khan holds up his hand to silence her. “No more. I suggest you prepare an accounting of any special circumstances that you would have taken into consideration when we meet next to pass judgement on you.”
He turns to the guards. His own guards now, under the command of Litha’s lover, Rodan. “Take them away.”
The guards escort them out, ignoring their protests.
“For everyone else on the planet,” he says, speaking directly into the comcast. “I announce an amnesty for crimes committed in the name of the Emperor. I am well aware of his methods of obtaining obedience to his commands, and I will not have my first years of rule marred by acts of violence and revenge.
“And my first order shall be this. The blood sports known as the Xillian Games are hereby outlawed. The main arena has burned to the ground, as is fitting for such a place of blood and butchery. You all have ten days grace to dismantle every other such arena across the planet. Never again will our empire profit from such violence and misery.”
There are a few discontented grumbles from several of the guards—Yefrik’s old buddies, mainly. I note which ones for later reference.
Taark and Azr lead the rest of the room in a loud cheer.
“Our city has largely been spared the fire that took the arena and some of the palace, for which we are thankful. Our first priority is to house those who have been made homeless by the fires, and then to repair the space port so we can resume trade. I will assign my guards to teams depending on the skills they can offer to help with this. We have more need of rebuilding our city than of putting on a show of military might.”
“What about the palace?” one of the guards asks. It’s another of Yefrik’s buddies. He puffs out his chest and rubs the medals on his shoulder to draw attention to them. “The guards’ quarters have been damaged. We shouldn’t be e
xpected to live in such conditions.”
Khan skewers him with a look. He turns to Rodan. “Are they usable?”
Rodan nods. “Some smoke and water damage, but perfectly livable.”
“Then they are not a priority. They can be restored once the rest of the city has been seen to.”
The guard sticks out his jaw. “The old Emperor would never have treated his personal guards so shabbily. We always had the best of everything.”
A muscle in the side of Khan’s jaw is twitching. I can tell he is holding on to his temper with effort. “Yes, my uncle did pamper his guards. To the detriment of everyone else. I am not my uncle. I do things differently.”
“Worse, if you ask me,” the guard mutters. “The old Emperor was a real Kargan.”
Khan ignores him. “Rodan, one of your guards is not happy with his post. I suggest you relieve him of his duties here.”
The guard smirks. Clearly he has no taste for the hard work of repairing the space port and is angling to be dismissed.
“And assign him to a guard mission on one of the outer mining planets. He can help to keep the peace there.”
The guard’s smirk disappears. ‘But I cannot...I am too…”
His words falter at the black look on Khan’s face. “Another word of complaint,” Khan says, his words calm and pleasant, “and I will suggest that you be given a stint working in the mines yourself. Do I make myself clear?”
The guard gulps and nods and remains silent.
His fellow guards subtly move away from him, creating a space as if the disfavor of the new Emperor is contagious and they don’t want to risk getting too close to him.
Khan sighs in relief once the public address is over and the room empties. I hurry over to him and he hugs me to his side. “I’m glad to have you here,” he murmurs. “I don’t know what I am doing half the time. I just think about what my uncle would have done, and I do the opposite.”
“That’s a good start. But come on, let’s eat. I’m hungry.”
That makes him crack a smile. “You always are.”
We eat in one of the smaller, private rooms. Hannah and Delia come with us, as do their partners, Taark and Azr. Rodan and Litha, too. The rebel leader Hathik is there, too, along with a half dozen of his most trusted lieutenants.
“So, now comes the hard work,” Khan says with a sigh. “Rebuilding the planet. Working out who I can trust to do what is right and who I cannot.”
Hathik nods. “The people in this room are a good start.”
“I need your help. I will need the help of all of you. And I need to know where your talents lie. What you want to do to help.”
“A good approach.”
There is general agreement, but no one wants to start with their preferences. An awkward silence falls.
I just keep eating.
Azr breaks the ice. “Definitely Commander of the Starfleet,” he says with a cheeky grin. “It has a nice ring to it.”
“God help me if you get a title like that,” Delia replied. “I’d never hear the end of it. How about Emperor’s Pet Pirate instead?”
His silliness sparks a more serious conversation. Litha asks to be given new healers quarters, but in the city rather than the palace. “You will have plenty of healers wanting to remain close to you,” she explains, “but the city is short of medicines and many of your people will be in need of me. I can be more use there.”
All Rodan knows is the military. He is delighted to be Captain of the Guard and wants nothing else.
Hathik asks to put in charge of justice, and Khan happily agrees. He will do a good job for his daughter’s sake.
Throughout the meal, Hannah and Taark are whisper softly to each other.
Finally Khan looks at them both. “And you? Is there some position you prefer?”
Hannah coughs uneasily. “I want to go back to Earth. Your planet is...well, it’s an interesting place, but it is not my home. I miss my home and I want to go back.”
“And I want to go with her,” Taark adds. “I have done my duty here for now. Without Hannah, this planet will no longer be my home. My home is where my heart is, and Hannah carries my heart with her always.”
“We thought that we could still be useful, though,” Hannah adds. “Earth is still a dark planet, but there is no need for it to remain like that. We could open up trade between Earth and the rest of the galaxy. And Taark and I, well, we could be your representatives on Earth.”
“We can fly you there,” Delia volunteered. “I wouldn’t mind a visit. And Azr owes me a trip. He promised to take me there ages ago.”
Azr frowns, “Just as long as you won’t want to stay when you get there.”
She kisses his cheek. “Not a chance, pirate. You’re stuck with me, whether you like it or not.”
Khan nods. “A good idea. I will miss you, Taark, but Earth is not so far away that we can’t visit once in a while.”
Taark bows his head. “Thank you. And likewise. We will always stand ready to welcome our Emperor.”
Khan
I look at Faye as the others leave for the night at last, leaving us alone in the growing darkness.
I flick on a light orb with the click of my fingers. I know I must speak. It is only fair to Faye. But I am scared of what her answer may be. No, not scared. I am terrified.
We sit there, watching as the last vestiges of the sun disappears over the horizon. Finally I gather all my courage. “Do you want to go back to Earth, too?” I whisper into the darkness.
She turns to me, her face luminous in the shadows. “I would like to see my aunt again. To tell her that I am safe and happy.”
“And would you want to stay there?” My heart is pounding in my chest so hard that I expect to see it burst out at any moment. My future happiness lies in her answer to my question.
She gives a shudder. “Not in the place where I was born. I was running from it when the Hyak grabbed me. But would you want me to come back?”
I have to open my heart to her. She deserves that much from me. “Yes, I want you to come back. I want you to stay here on Xill with me. As my mate. My Queen. But I know you were brought to this planet against your will, and I will not stand in your way if you choose to leave.” It hurts to speak the next words, but I know I must. “I know that Hannah wants to go home badly, and Taark will be going with her. I would do the same for you if I could, Faye, but I cannot leave here. It does not mean that I love you any less, but I have a duty to my planet and to my people. They need so much from me and I cannot abandon them.”
Faye lays her hand on my arm. “I am not Hannah, Khan.””
She is nothing like Hannah. She is herself, and I love her for it. “No, you are an original. One of a kind.”
“And I do not want to go back to Earth. Not to live. I want to stay here with you.”
I feel a tear of relief trickle down my cheek. I hoped, oh how I hoped, but I did not know. “So you will stay? With me?”
She blots away the tear with one dainty fingertip. “Yes. With you. Forever.”
I take her hand in mine. “As my Queen?”
Her face is serious. “If that is what you truly want. If you think your people would accept me. But I will stay with you whether I am Queen or not. As long as I am the queen of your heart, that is all that matters to me.”
I can hardly believe the happiness that wells up inside me at her words. “And you will not miss Earth too much?”
“I never had much of a home there. Not like I have here. With you. And if we get a hankering to go visit Hannah and Taark there, well, no doubt Delia and Azr would love the excuse to take us on a jaunt.”
I can hardly believe my good fortune. Faye loves me. And she will stay with me. As my mate. “I promise I will take you wherever in the universe you want to go.”
Faye
I really wasn’t sure what to expect from a Kargan bonding ceremony. A bit like a wedding on Earth maybe, where the bride gets to dress up and then a few
people say a few words and then everyone has a party.
The reality is quite different.
For a start, a bonding ceremony is considered a sacred matter between two Kargans. So there are no witnesses and no party. Just the two of us, pledging our lives to each other.
And then there is no dressing up. No dressing at all, in fact.
I stand next to Khan, naked as the day I was born. I pledge to him my heart and my soul, that we will live in harmony together and that I will put him first in my life. I tell him that he is my water, my air and my food, and I promise that I will be water, air and food to him in return.
He tells me that he will be my water, my air and my food, and swears that he will be the same to me.
We have no witnesses. We need no witnesses. Our promises are made to each other.
When our promises have been made in words, we make the same promises to each other with our bodies.
Our lovemaking is tender and gentle. A simple expression of the love we have for each other.
When it is over, and we are lying in each other’s arms, Khan turns to me. “Had it not been for you, I would never have made it this far. You are my compass. The other half of me. I will love you until the stars stop shining in the sky.”
My heart is too full to answer. All I can do is hug him tightly to me and know that I will carry this moment in my heart forever.
Khan may be all Kargan, but I’m all human, and I want to have some Earth traditions at our mating ceremony as well. We compromise on having a party afterwards. A wedding party for Khan and me, and a goodbye party for Hannah and Taark, who will soon be on their way to make first official contact with Earth.
Hannah is so excited to be going home again.
Back to Earth.
I plan to send her with gifts for my aunt and my cousins, enough for them to live on comfortably for the rest of their lives.
I almost wish I could be there to see the arrival of the two of them.
Hannah, so human. Taark, so not.
The shock on everyone’s face when they realize they are not the only sentient creatures in the universe.
