by Alma Nilsson
Dru bowed again and then looked at Captain Kara and kissed her on the cheek.
Kara held James’s head close and tight, grabbing her hair, “Don’t let this little doctor use her mind tricks on me.”
Dru replied, “Never. We are stronger.”
Then Kara let go and took her position in the arena. She was just about the same height as the doctor. She motioned to get her attention, “Alliance woman, are you really sure you want to go up against me? It’s not too late to say you are just a lying little loser who pines after a man who clearly doesn’t want you.”
Rez was so angry she replied, “I’ll enjoy watching you and Drusilla die today. Humans should have never been brought here. Your barbarian genes pollute the Alliance. Today will be the first day of flushing you all out.”
Kara looked at Rez across the stone floor and smiled. She was going to enjoy killing this racist woman.
Dru followed the Empress’s guards through the corridors into a box just above the arena floor. She was sat behind and to the side of the Empress. On the arena floor, Kara and Rez were taunting each other. It was impossible to hear what they were saying, but Dru could feel intense anger rising from them both.
A slave then said with a loudspeaker, “It is time for the gods to show us their will. Take your places, now begin.”
Rez and Kara circled each other on the floor for many minutes before either of them got close enough to strike a blow. But once they got close enough, Kara was able to cut Rez’s arm above the elbow. It was a small superficial wound but psychologically set the scene.
They circled each other for about twenty minutes that way, striking small blows to each other. Kara being able to hit Rez rather than the other way around, despite it being obviously Kara was new to the sword.
After forty minutes, Rez was tired and now began using her telepathy. Rez conjured three apparitions of herself in Captain Kara’s mind, all standing in different places on the arena floor. The first time she projected this, the human just stood there in awe, trying to figure out which one was real and Rez charged her. Rez had almost managed to kill her with that blow, but at the last minute, Captain Kara struck against the her pushing her to the ground roughly.
Next Rez tried to make Captain Kara blind, but it didn’t work for long.
But Rez knew the only way she would win was with mind games, so she continued to infiltrate the Captain’s mind as they slowly circled one another. Sometimes the mind tricks would work, but only for a few seconds, so Rez was trying to be fast with her body and mind.
“It looks like Rez doesn’t fear the wrath of House Zu. She may kill your champion, after all,” said the Empress cheerfully to Dru as they watched the women below.
“The gods’ are on our side. Not only are humans the saviors of the Empire, but Rez lied. I didn’t use any kind of witchcraft to seduce Doctor Ket and the gods know that,” Dru replied softly. She didn’t take her eyes from the duel, attempted to block Rez’s telepathy.
“Tsk tsk,” said the Empress trying to distract Dru from helping her champion, “You can already see that your champion will lose. She’s not as capable as Rez and why should she be? You humans are soft and weak. And most importantly, you are unworthy of Alliance men. It’s no wonder you had to use witchcraft to secure yours.”
Dru had to remember she was talking to the Empress now so she simply replied, “No doubt as Empress you have a special connection to the gods, however maybe you have been misinformed by them. Today’s duel will prove, by the gods’ graces,I used no such witchcraft.”
“Witchcraft or possibly a setup by his lesbian sister? But I guess that is a kind of witchcraft too, isn’t it?”
“I wouldn’t know I’m a doctor.” She wanted to ask the Empress if she were a lesbian herself as she knew about Dera, but she knew that would definitely end up with her being dead, so she held her tongue. But she suddenly saw the Empress in a new light and understood that the Empress wanted them there as much as Dera, and for the same reasons, but she didn’t want Kara to be Empress and that was all.
“I thought human doctors used herbs and enchantments as well? No?”
Dru had heard this before. Alliance doctors had laughed at humans still using so much from their environment for good health. “Yes, we do. If you hadn’t murdered your natural ecosystem centuries ago maybe you could have found some of the same remedies in your environment which would have been more in line with the will of the gods’, no?”
The Empress didn’t like Drusilla’s comment so ignored it and looked down intently at the duel below.
Captain Kara, every now and then, was swinging at invisible things and Dru tried to block whatever imaginary images Rez was throwing at her. Dru was blocking Rez but some of the mind control being thrown at the Captain was coming from someone else in the arena. Dru was so concerned she actually stood up, not that she thought it would do any good, but she couldn’t help herself. She scanned everyone. Who was doing this? she was frantic to focus on a face to block them as well. She was not going to die today. Not here and not like this.
Dru decided this was the moment to attack Rez’s mind no matter what the consequence as if she didn’t she and Captain Kara were both dead. She sat down again and concentrated on Rez’s mind and made her see multiple images of the Captain surrounding her. She watched Rez’s confusion. Backing away not knowing which one was real. Unfortunately, the Captain was also suffering from someone else impairing her vision, making her blind. Dru couldn’t defend the Captain and manipulate Rez at the same time. She was trying her best to think of a way to help the Captain and incapacitate Rez at the same time but was getting nowhere.
Dera watched and knew that everyone with even a little telepathy could feel the rhythm of the soundless energy affecting the duel. She looked at Drusilla and saw her struggling with whatever she was doing and decided that she would also risk death today to save her friend and the humans. It was in her best interest as well. Not to have Captain Kara win of course, no one wanted that woman alive, but they needed the other humans and she specifically needed Drusilla to marry Ket. Dera focused her mind on protecting the human on the arena floor.
Suddenly Kara’s vision cleared, and she walked decidedly towards the young doctor. They were both tired and bleeding. Kara stood in front of the young woman, kicked away her sword and then kicked her face, “Any last words, Doctor?”
Rez was too frightened to speak, she was surrounded by multiple Captain Kara’s all speaking loudly at her with their swords drawn. She didn’t know which one was real and she knew she was going to die now. She tried to swing her sword at all the human captains hoping one would really strike her. She silently prayed to the god of war to help her find the right one.
Kara stabbed Rez through what she hoped was her heart as she wanted to be dramatic and said, “Humans will always win.” Then, she watched Rez’s reactions and was assured that she had indeed hit her heart.
The arena was silent then. Obviously, none of the Alliance women had expected Captain Kara to win. They had come here today to watch two human women be killed.
Kara stood up and wiped her bloody sword on Rez’s dead body and then said to the crowd, “The gods have revealed to you all the truth of this matter. James of House Zu did not use witchcraft to seduce Ket of House Vo.” The arena was still quiet. Kara was looking at the Empress, she bowed and said, “As it pleases the Empress?”
The Empress rose then and addressed the arena, “The gods have spoken, and we must obey. Captain Kara of House Zu and James of House Zu, you walk freely. May the gods shine their light on you both.” Everyone bowed then and the Empress left in such a hurry she almost knocked Dru over on the way out of the box.
James looked down at Captain Kara and she mouthed the words, “Meet me in the preparation room.”
Dru nodded and went back to the preparation room in the bowels of the arena. She went to the first aid kit on the wall and got it down. When Captain Kara entered with some of her crew, Dr
u said, “Let me treat your wounds Captain.”
Kara nodded and sat down in front of her, “The first thing you should have said was, ‘Thank you for winning and saving my life.’”
“Thank you for winning Captain and saving my life,” Dru said and then began healing her.
The other women were rehashing the entire duel, clearly ecstatic that the Captain had won, despite the cheating and telepathic tricks. Then the Captain remarked, “This justice is just as fair and equal as any we have on Earth. I might even say better. Rez started this fight with you James because she was a bully and racist. We were able to win even though we definitely did not have the government or public’s support. This is true justice.”
Dru nodded to Captain Kara to let her know that she had finished healing as much as she could for now.
Kara stood up and said to the women present, the most important women to her now, “Today we showed the best of the Alliance women, the people who run this whole Empire, who they have bought and brought into their precious society. We will not be silenced or treated like slaves or second-class citizens only made for breeding. We will find our rightful place here and if we don’t, we will rip it to shreds and build a new one.”
Dru was alarmed by the Captain’s last statement, but all the other women loved it.
“James, you find this distasteful? That’s not like you.” Kara looked at the rest of the women, “All of you are dismissed, except James. Go, I’ll catch up with you at House Human for our celebration.” Then Kara turned her attention to James.
“No, I just…Captain,” she didn’t know what to say.
“First, just call me ‘Kara’. I don’t want to be fined anymore today for you calling me ‘Captain’. It has to be ‘Mother’ or ‘Kara’. I think we both prefer ‘Kara’.”
Dru nodded, “Kara.”
“Now, I know you are more of a sneaky person, probably very good at poisoning and torturing people if you put your mind to it.”
Gods, I don’t think so, Dru thought as Kara continued talking.
“But some of us have to be the front of the show and that is me. Don’t take everything so literally or be so fearful. I need you to be strong and I know you are. I’ve seen it,” she said acknowledging the shameful punishment last night. “I think being alone on this planet has scarred you more than anything that happened to you on Earth though. This ban and the isolation of being the only human.” Kara looked into her green eyes and said with as much compassion as she could, “No one could foresee how dangerous or difficult it would be for you down here alone. But we all need you to stay. I need you to stay, can you do that and not go insane or become completely depressed or afraid?”
“Yes, Kara,” she said obediently waiting to be dismissed and not wanting to talk about that ever again with anyone. “I’ll be strong.”
“Good, now there is one more thing we must discuss?”
Now what? “Yes?”
“Now, that you are a member of my family, apparently you must marry from my House. However, I don’t know what you want to do? Tir said it was up to you. I assume you already had an arrangement made, or? You weren’t going to marry from that dreadful building you’ve been living in like Rebecca did, are you?”
“No,” she was relieved this was a normal question. “I was going to be married from Ket’s parents’ home.”
“Well, that sounds incestuous,” commented Kara. “Apparently, I also need to be your witness, unless you would rather have Tir or one of his family members?”
“No Capt… Kara, please be my witness,” Dru said quickly. “I’d be honored,” she said automatically.
“You owe me your life and even when you marry Ket and are no longer a part of my House, as far as we go,” she motioned with her finger between them, “as humans. We will always share this bond; you will always be my adoptive daughter and you will always do my bidding.” Kara touched the place where the tattoo was, “We are in this for the rest of our lives. There is nothing I hate more than fearful women; it’s just wasted energy. You weren’t scared of the Exterior and that is one of the more frightening places in the galaxy. The Alliance should have nothing on you James. And soon you will be one of the most important women in the Capital City by marrying Ket. Gods, the look in your eyes right now,” she commented more to herself than to James, “How can I help you? What have they done to my bravest young doctor?”
Dru shook her head, “Nothing,” but tears were escaping her eyes.
Kara did something she never thought she would do, she brought James in for a hug, “They have tried to break you and have come very close. But listen to me, they are not going to break you. Not under my watch. You are safe and I will always come for you. Do you hear me?”
“Yes,” Dru said relishing in the touch of another human in this way. This comfort she had not felt in so long. The same warmness of body heat between them.
“I want you to speak to John every day as part of counseling, this extreme isolation and culture shock has done this. We must repair you. That is an order.”
Dru wiped her eyes, “I think that would be good actually.” It was difficult for her to admit that she needed help but when she reviewed how difficult it had become to just get through daily life she realized that she had slipped into a deep depression which was the result of her isolation from humans and most of society. She wondered then how she had not noticed it herself, but she suspected it came on so gradually and that she was so focused on fitting into Alliance society that she didn’t want to admit it to herself that she was slipping.
“Good now tell me what else you can do besides read minds?”
“Nothing,” she shook her head, “Just a doctor.”
“Just a doctor, who can read minds and gods only knows what else you are not telling me? And so close to the Imperial Families you can hear them breathing.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Nothing. What you are doing. Go be a successful Alliance doctor and keep me updated on your progress as if I really was your new adoptive mother.”
“Yes Kara.”
“Now let’s go. I need a drink.”
“John should see to those, you’re not completely healed,” Dru tried to explain.
“I’ll be fine. I need to celebrate with my crew and you. However, I assume you will be late as you want to go tell your boyfriend you’re alive?”
“Yes, go and then return to dreadful House Human to celebrate. Jane says there is tequila there.”
“Thank you.”
Kara nodded and watched James leave, thinking, It can’t be this easy.
Dru left the arena and walked out into the city. The normal hustle and bustle around her was almost surreal after the last 24 hours. She took out her IC and messaged Ket.
I need to see you. I only have a few hours.
He replied immediately,
Meet me at the entrance to the park with Fire.
Dru walked towards the park and saw him waiting for her at the entrance 20 minutes later. She knew it was forbidden but she ran into his arms. She didn’t say anything and neither did he, he just held her. After a while he took her hand squeezed it and then let go as they began walking towards Fire.
“I reserved a room for a couple hours,” Ket said softly.
“Was the fine that terrible from yesterday?” She guessed it had been and that is why he would not even hold her hand now, despite her desperate for his touch after what she had experienced already that day.
“You’ll see. I don’t want to talk about that now,” Ket said unemotionally as they walked into Fire. They went up in the elevator and into a room that was different than the one they had originally used. Ket programmed the holographic setting to a large sofa and he held her as they talked.
She told him everything that had happened. Everything the Empress had said, Kara had said and how Rez died. It felt good to be in his arms. It didn’t occur to her that she should sensor too much of what had happened, even thoug
h she knew the Contracts, it was forbidden for her to speak about this to him. Those rules, seemed only like a fuzzy nagging at her as she spoke.
Ket used his influence to encourage Drusilla to tell him everything that had happened that morning. He wanted to know just how much Kara knew of her husband’s plan and if yet the Empress suspected any more than she did before the duel of what Admiral Tir and their cohort was planning. Of course the Empress was always defensive of men and their plans but if she knew something tangible they would have to act more quickly than planned. As Ket listened, he was reassured that Drusilla only comprehended half of what really took place that morning. And that the Empress knew no more after today than before. Also that Kara, if she knew of their plans, said nothing.
When it was time to leave, Dru said causally, “Oh and Kara says I must speak to Doctor John every day now because she thinks I have been too lonely and it’s changing me.”
“Do you think that is really necessary? We’ll be married soon and you won’t be alone anymore, you will have my family around you.”
“I don’t know? I’ve been lonely and I miss human company.”
“It’s up to you.”
“Not really, Kara said I must.”
“But still it is up to you,” Ket insisted and she smiled at him as they walked out. Ket didn’t trust Doctor John. He didn’t want Drusilla inadvertently telling him things about their lives and his family’s life.
“I’ve been so lonely and I don’t know if that is going to change? You’ll be gone a lot.”
He held her close to him and stroked her hair, “You’ll be apart of my House now. You’ll be the opposite of lonely. You’ll constantly have the voices of my family and the entire House always with you. I promise you, you will long for the quiet of your own thoughts.”