by T. S. Ryder
“Cheers,” he said, lifting his glass. It was such an oddly human gesture. I lifted my glass and hit it gently with his.
Chapter Two
“I am Historan Strath, Lord of Gashtad Island and Mareland by the Sea. My lands were destroyed in the Great War of Dominion, which is when my people took to space. I am the King of this vessel and Supreme Ruler of all who reside on it.”
I had guessed right. The Dolcivs were a warrior race. A generation ago a great war had rocked the Dolcivs planet. There had been two movements: the Regime who wanted to move into space and conquer other worlds and the Lost Lords who thought conquering and invading other planets unnecessary.
The Regime won. The Lost Lords saw their lands destroyed. They had no other choice but to move their people and industries into these giant spaceships and seek out other worlds and other lands to claim as their own.
“So, you aren’t with the Regime?” I asked him.
He shook his head and replied, “I do not war with the Regime, nor do I answer to them. My ship and my worlds are outside of their control. I have no business with them and they little business with me.”
“They’re taking over my planet,” I said. I was breathing a little easier. Maybe he didn’t know what my secret mission was. Maybe this was just some strange coincidence.
“A decision I do not agree with,” he said with a shake of his head. “Those in charge of the Regime thought taking Earth would be easy. Our technology far outstrips yours and we are stronger. They thought your planet would be easily taken. I warned the leaders of the Regime taking earth would be no simple task. I warned them the humans were smart and wily and would fight down to the last man for their freedom. And now I have been proven right.
“I have long been a great admirer of your people. I have studied human artists, writers, histories. Your culture is so fascinating and peaceful. Your search for meaning and enlightenment through art amazes me. I think we should have studied you, not overtaken you. But mine was a voice of the minority.
“I have no fight in the war between my people and yours, Andromeda. All I care about are my ships, my people and my dominion.” His voice was low, he was so close to me and yet I could not make out the details in his face. He was just a handsome smudge, but a dangerous one.
“I don’t know what-”
“You’ve been sneaking across my borders. You’ve been stealing goods from my planets and moving them out of this system,” his voice was dangerous now. He was looming over me.
“If this is about taxes I can get you the money,” I said quickly.
“I don’t want your money. I want to know how you do it. I want to know how you get around my sensors and how you hide cargo.”
“I can’t tell you that,” I said staring at the carpet in front of me. “I would lose all of my work, it would end me.”
His giant hand reached out for my chin. His touch was gentle, but firm, as he turned my head to look at his. He was in the light now and I could see his bright blue eyes, his strong jaw, his strong arms, his head of thick dark hair that reached his shoulders.
He turned me to face him and said, “Either you will tell me of your own accord or I will make you tell me.” I blinked back tears. This wasn’t what I had expected. I knew someday I would eventually get caught, but I thought I would be in a torture chamber somewhere. Not here, in the bedroom of some Lost Lord.
I felt powerless. I had no weapons, no defenses, no one was going to come looking for me. How long would I last under torture? What would I tell him if he asked? Wouldn’t it be better to start answering questions now while I still had some sense, or was that the coward’s way out?
“Besides, were you to give me this information, I would keep you here on the ship with me. Your smuggling career would be over. I have many humans in my crew. All of them are free and happy and able to rise as high as their intelligence and wit allows them. I do not keep slaves.” I was grateful to hear that. Many of the Lost Lords weren’t so gallant.
“Come with me,” he said as he stood.
I stood up as well. He turned towards the bed and my heart stopped. But thankfully he kept walking to another door. He opened it and my eyes winced as a bright light poured forth. He motioned for me to enter first.
It took a moment for my eyes to adjust. I was in an old-fashioned looking room. Paintings lined the wall. Real paintings, not digital copies. They were all nudes, breasts and hips seemed to pour from the frames. Pale, curvy human women lounged on the grass and peered into pools. They lined the walls, sultry eyes and parted lips everywhere I looked. Strath definitely had a type.
“This is my favorite, Venus of Urbina, by Titian.” The painting was a serene looking woman, completely nude. She was reclining on a couch, twirling a strand of hair on one finger. “Look at the way she stares, unashamed, into the painter’s eyes. She hides nothing.”
I stood awkwardly and looked at the pictures. Unsure of what to do or say. I could see him clearly now in the bright light. He was wearing a dark, toga style robe favored among the Dolcivs. He was handsome, there was no denying it.
“I value human culture. I collected these pieces right after the first wave of the invasion. I’ve kept them safe. You see, Andromeda, I’m not in the practice of destroying valuable things. I treat them well. You could be a valuable thing. I could treat you very well,” he said as he took two steps closer to me and I stood still.
He stood over me, putting his hands on my shoulders. He was so strong. He could have crushed me without even trying.
“Will you work with me, Andromeda?” He asked. “Will you tell me how you are able to smuggle items through my security? Or shall I discover the information the hard way? The way that will leave you broken? It is your choice. What do you choose?”
I hesitated for just a moment and then nodded. He didn't know about the rebellion or the plans. He was just a Lost Lord showing off his wealth. I could give him a few of the codes I had and then find a way to get off this ship and back onto mine. If I played this right, I could survive without any scars.
He stared into my eyes, but I wasn’t technically lying. Finally, after a moment, he let me free and a sigh escaped my throat. But he wasn’t done with me yet. He brought a hand to my cheek and with one finger he traced the outline of my jaw and then traveled lower - down my neck and past my collarbone. He found the top button of my jumpsuit and he grabbed my collar and pulled me closer to him. I was pulled against him and then he tugged on my jumpsuit breaking the string that held the top button. The button popped free and fell down to the ground. He looked me over, taking all of me in, but I avoided his eyes looking past him and praying that he would stop.
Finally, I had to look into his eyes. Dolcivs eyes had no white to them, just a shining blue with a dark pupil. His bright blue eyes were searching mine and his lips were parted. For one moment I was sure he was going to kiss me. My stomach fluttered and I wasn’t sure if it was from excitement or fear.
He let go. He unclasped his hand and I stumbled back a step. “A guard will show you to your room. You are not to leave it. Everything you need will be provided to you. Do you understand?”
“Yes, My Lord,” I said, oddly out of breath.
“Good,” he said. “I can be very kind, Andromeda Nus. But I can be very cruel as well. Don’t forget that.”
“Yes, My Lord.”
Chapter Three
My jail cell was a very nice room. There was a large, soft bed on top of a soft carpet. The walls had screens on the panel that I could program to be anything I wanted, a scenic mountain top, a beach or my personal favorite, the stars outside. I had my own bathroom and a closet full of clothes in the Dolcivs style.
I fell onto the bed, unsure of what else to do. If this was a trap, it was a hell of a strange one. No torture, no questioning, just an offer and a nice room. I wasn’t sure how to fight it. Strath hadn’t asked me anything. He had just given me orders. He hadn’t done anything, but already I was terrified of displ
easing him.
I slept fitfully and was awakened by a guard after only a few hours. Strath wanted to see me for breakfast. I showered and dressed. The only clothes available to me were long Dolcivs togas. I picked a simple black one and wrapped it around myself. It was cut for a human my size, the soft fabric falling down my body to graze the floor. When I was ready, I was led back down the hallway to Strath’s quarters.
I needed to keep my wits about me. Strath wasn’t a violent or angry man. He wasn’t interested in torture, only information. I needed to be smart about this. I needed to give him just enough information to keep myself alive without giving so much away that it would ruin my career. It was a dangerous balance and even one small mistake could send me to my death.
The door to his bedroom was made of a dark, ancient wood. Brought from his ancestral home no doubt. My stomach clenched as I stood before it. In some strange way, the informality of our conversations was worse than interrogation. I didn’t know where I stood with Strath, I never knew what he might be thinking or planning.
His bedroom was brightly lit from one of the screens. I watched as this system’s pale, dying sun appeared on the horizon of the nameless gas giant. In the bright light, I could see the room in more detail. In addition to the great bed, there was a small table with a few chairs and a large desk in one corner where he worked.
Two Dolcivs women and one curvy raven-haired human woman slept in a pile on the bed. Their limbs were tangled up with each other. Their naked flesh pale against dark sheets. They were all still sleeping deeply and I could guess what had made them so tired.
It took me a moment to find Strath. He was sipping coffee on the same couch I had seen him on last night. There was a pad in one hand and he was quietly reviewing something.
“Come here,” he commanded without looking around.
I moved passed the great bed and trio of sleeping beauties. I noticed one of the Dolcivs women was awake. Her body remained still, but her eyes followed my progress through the room.
“My Lord,” I said, as I stood before him.
“Andromeda, did you sleep well last night?”
“Very well, thank you, My Lord.” Behind us, the human woman sat up and stretched, her buxom breasts moving freely. She stood up and unabashedly walked naked across the room. She was beautiful, her skin clear, her body tight and toned. I couldn’t help but stare at her.
“Do you like what you see?” Strath asked me. His voice was low and sultry and I could not look him in the eye. I shook my head, my eyes glued to the floor. “I thought I told you not to lie to me,” he said. A long awkward moment passed between us. He was watching me, trying to figure out from my expression what I was thinking.
“Come, sit, eat. They won’t bother you,” he said waving to the women behind him.
I sat down next to him. The Dolcivs were well known for their appetites and I could not resist a meal. The moment I sat down, several servants entered the room. They were all women and they were all naked from the waist up. I did my best not to stare.
Humans and Dolcivs had a shared ancestor. According to Dolcivs legend, an ancient race of aliens had found earth, with its simple hunter-gatherer humans. They took a large group of them to work as slaves on their ships and after a millennium of slavery, the Dolcivs rebelled. They killed all of their masters and had taken over the planet. No one had seen that ancient race in a millennium.
Dolcivs were cousins to humans. We could interbreed, there were children born of Dolcivs mothers and human fathers, but they were rare. Some Dolcivs men preferred human women and it looked like Strath was one of them.
The servants placed a huge bounty in front of me. Eggs, cured meats and fruits, everything was ripe and fresh. I imaged most were grown here on the ship, but I knew that Strath had several planets under his dominion where he could grow whatever he wanted.
“I have learned a little about you, Andromeda,” he said. “A human orphan born to a mother in a Regime jail. She had been caught trafficking in stolen weapons. Put to death the day after you were born. But what has happened to you since? After the age of six, you disappeared from Regime records. Where did you go at such a young age?”
“I was picked up by a band of humans traveling past the school where the Regime kept us. These people did not believe that human children should be raised by the Regime. So they liberated us.”
He chuckled quietly. “How I love your human words. Liberated. How powerful a word.”
“I was taken in by a couple who worked trading routes. As I got older I started taking more and more jobs on my own. I got my ship and everything was going smoothly, until this most recent development,” I said.
There was a lot left unsaid. I did not mention the fact that I was raised in the rebellion. Humans in the rebellion made a habit of reclaiming human children taken by the Dolcivs and raising them in the human way. The rebellion had trained me to fight, hide and steal from a young age. Smuggling was my cover, but my real work was with the rebellion.
“Have you ever been to Earth?”
“Yes, Sir, many times. It is the most beautiful place in all existence.” I could still see the rebel stronghold where I had been raised. It was tucked far back in the mountains. I awoke every morning to the sound of crickets in the air and the wind blowing through my hair. I missed Earth dearly.
“To me, it is the same with the Dolcivs home world. I miss it every day and it is a great sadness to know that I can only return there as a fugitive or a captive. This war has cost both sides a great deal.”
It was little comments like that, that made me question Strath. His love of human words and our arts and culture. His love of human women. That could be a weakness. He clearly had no sympathy or connection to his own people. Maybe there was some way I could bring him over to my side.
“I’ve torn your ship apart,” he said and I winced at the thought of my baby lying in the hangar in pieces. “The interior,” he continued. “It’s too good of a ship to junk. I believe my men have found most of your hiding places. Some of them are quite good. We’ve found five, how many are there?”
He was looking directly at me with a direct question. He would know if I was lying.
“There are ten hiding spots on the ship, Sir,” I answered.
He sat back, clearly impressed. “I shall tell my men to keep looking. This will be a good exercise for them.
“How many ships full of lumber did you move from the planet F454454?” Strath asked.
“Seven,” I replied. He looked less pleased at that. He shook his head in dismay and disgust. It wasn’t easy for him to hear exactly how much had been stolen from him. I focused on remaining as still as possible, answering as simply as I could.
Behind me, the three women began to move. I could hear the rustling of sheets as they stood and stretched. From the corner of my eye, I could see the Dolcivs women kissing each other, playing with their hair and giggling at some joke between them.
“This has been helpful. I’m sure it will be the beginning of many fruitful conversations between us. I’m having a gathering tomorrow, The Festival of Salt and Sea. It shall be a grand celebration. Have you ever been to a Dolcivs festival?”
“No, My Lord.”
“Then this shall be eye-opening. I will have a dress brought to your room. You should go and rest, for the celebration of Salt and Sea is a long one. You will need your strength.”
Chapter Four
My toga for the Festival of Salt and Sea was stunning. It was shorter than the one I had been wearing, falling a few inches above my knees. Whoever made the garment had made it well, it hugged my curves, accenting – not hiding – my hourglass figure. It was a soft material in a blue-grey color. When I moved, the fabric fluttered around me like waves on the sea.
There was a mask as well, made of black lace with two eyeholes. It wrapped around my head tied in a neat bow to keep it in place. It was midday when the three women from his bed arrived in my room to help me get ready.
They did my hair up in an elaborate do with loose tendrils framing my face. They covered me in a fine glittery mist, my skin shimmered every time I moved. Finally, they wrapped the mask around my face and incorporated it into my hair.
I didn’t recognize my own reflection in the mirror. I looked like someone else, an ethereal Goddess trapped on a spaceship. The blue dress stood out in stark contrast to my pale skin, my dark hair seemed to shine in the light.
The women led me out and to the celebration. At first, we saw no one else. I felt rather silly and overdressed in my dress and mask as I walked down the hallway. We entered a lift, we were the first ones on, but it quickly filled up.
Men and women, both human and Dolcivs, entered the elevator. There was an air of excited anticipation. Everyone was dressed up in short togas trimmed with gold and accented with lace. The bright blue eyes of the Dolcivs shone out from behind their masks.
We were all pressed into the elevator together. I understood now why Strath had sent his women to dress me. I blended in perfectly. No one, other than his guards, would know who I was. I could enjoy the festivities like I was one of them.
The elevator doors opened to a huge open-air room. The high ceiling above us was a curved screen that showed the stars. I stepped out of the elevator and looked down at the scene below me with wonder.
There were fire dancers on high platforms, swinging burning lanterns around them. Food was laid out everywhere, birds and suckling pigs, fish, shrimp, piles of fruits and decadent chocolate desserts. My stomach rumbled at all of the food. Half-dressed human and Dolcivs women handed out drinks to waiting people.
