by Trina Novak
He hurried to his anteroom, hoping to get someone from the planet Alluvia on the holophone as soon as possible. There was precious little time to waste. Yet before he could make the call, something strange caught his eye.
There, on the floor in the hallway, was a pile of papers spilling out of a silver folder. An Azakian courier, he assumed, had likely dropped the folder while making a delivery. Couriers were always hustling to and fro in the main compound, stacks of folders in their arms.
He bent down to collect the papers, and as he did a word written on one of them jumped out at him: Zylaxan-2.
Zarak’s blood went cold.
He sat down on the floor, spreading the papers out around him, and began to read. Work orders. Schedules. Lists of names.
He read through the entire sheath of papers, then sat in a daze, seething with anger. His hands shook, his pulse pounded in his ears.
Rollox. Zarak could’ve killed him with his bare hands for what he saw written on those pages.
And he almost did. He jumped up off the floor, ready to confront Rollox, to scream, to beat him until he was bloody, but then he stopped himself.
No. Zarak’s anger wasn’t important. Not when there were lives at stake.
He switched on his holophone and made a connection to the leader of the Galactic Federation.
“We have a big problem,” he said, before the woman could even say hello.
Chapter Sixteen
Where was Zarak? I knew that he had a lot of plans to make and very little time, but I didn’t expect him to just disappear into thin air.
I spent the rest of the day trying to make myself busy. I took a walk, ate some food, took another walk. Later, I met a nice Azakian in the courtyard named Shella whose English was just as good as Zarak’s, and we had a nice dinner together, talking like old friends. She taught me a few words in Azakian, and told me plenty of juicy stories about what Zarak and Rollox were like when they were younger. Apparently, Zarak was in a band – a band! I had no idea what Azakian music sounded like, and I couldn’t wait to find out. I pictured Zarak, like some alien rock god, owning the crowd. Apparently all the girls were crazy about him, which was no surprise. Rollox, on the other hand, sounded like he had always been a total shit head. No surprise there either.
After dinner, I said good bye to Shella and returned to my room to wait for Zarak.
But he never came.
Hours passed. I paced, attempted another clumsy headstand. I tried, and failed, to read an Azakian book. I read Zarak’s love letter a dozen more times at least. And I waited. But, nothing. No footsteps in the hall. No knock on the door.
Had Zarak had a change of heart? No, that wasn’t possible.
Was it?
Or even worse: what if something had happened to him? What if Rollox had found out about us and thrown him in that pit?
I couldn’t even think about that. It was too horrible.
I could handle it if he’d decided he didn’t really love me, if he’d changed his mind about running away together. I mean, it would break my heart into a million pieces, but...
The thought of him being dead was worse.
Eventually, I fell into a fitful sleep. When my eyes fluttered open early the next morning, I hoped I’d feel Zarak’s lips on my neck, but instead I opened my eyes and saw an empty room. Still no Zarak.
Where was he?
I bathed and dressed, then tentatively made my way out of my room. I was famished, my stomach grumbling, and I hoped I could get something to eat without running into—
Rollox.
Great.
He sat at the banquet table, once again slurping down those disgusting zonberries. I wondered if he ever ate anything else. Hopefully, I thought to myself as I quietly walked up to grab some sort of sustenance from the table, he would ignore me. He usually did. Rollox talked about me – and occasionally he talked at me – but he didn’t really talk to me.
I grabbed a dish and loaded it with food I didn’t recognize, then turned to hurry out of the room. But before I could make my escape, Rollox spoke.
“Girl,” he said, “give me your answer now.”
I turned around. “Excuse me?”
“Your answer,” he repeated. Zonberry juice stained his lips. “Are you going to give me a child or not? I need an heir, someone to carry on my name.”
“Oh, that.” I shook my head. “My answer is no. I’ll be leaving this planet soon, probably today.”
“To go where? Back to Earth?”
“That’s really none of your business,” I told him. “I’ve enjoyed my time here on your planet, but I’ll not be continuing with the Celestial Mates matchmaking process, Rollox.”
“So you are saying you will not give me a child,” he said.
“That’s correct. No child.” I shrugged. “Sorry. It’s just not going to work out. Good luck with your future matches.”
Rollox slammed his fist down into a pile of zonberries, sending black juice flying. “In the pit!” he shouted.
Uh-oh.
“Listen, Rollox,” I said, taking a step back. “Remember what Keptin said. About erasing the planet from all—”
“I don’t care!” he bellowed. “You’re going in the pit! Raftan! Tarzeg!”
The two men I’d met previously practically ran into the room the second their names were called. “Yes, Overlord Rollox?” they said in unison.
“The Earth girl has refused me!” he shouted, jumping from his chair. “We’re going to Mount Azakia immediately and throwing her rebellious body in the pit.”
I dropped my plate of food and turned to run, but before I could make it more than a few feet the two men grabbed me, their fingernails digging into my arms. I kicked and squirmed and flailed with all of my might, but they were strong – way stronger than they looked. Then Rollox pulled out some sort of weapon and pointed it at me.
I stopped struggling.
“Wait,” I said, panting, “just wait a second. I—”
I heard a loud blast as Rollox fired the weapon, the projectile missing me by a mere inch. Then I turned and saw that there was a hole blown clean through the wall.
“I’ll hear nothing more out of you,” Rollox growled. “You’ve tarnished my reputation, and you’re going in the pit.”
And with that, they marched me to Mount Azakia.
The whole way there, I kept trying to remember what Zarak had told me when we sat at the foot of the mountain. Rollox made empty threats, he’d said, but he’d never actually thrown anyone into the pit. So maybe he just wanted to scare me, to make me cry and beg for his forgiveness. I wanted to believe that, at least.
Then, I saw the pit.
Empty threat or not, I was terrified.
It looked like it had no bottom. It was just a giant gaping hole, a chasm that went down and down until it was swallowed in darkness. My entire body began to shake.
Where the hell was Keptin when I needed him? That little fucker was always popping in out of nowhere, usually at the worst possible time. But no, when an evil alien dictator was threatening to throw me into a bottomless pit, Keptin was nowhere to be found.
And where the fuck was Zarak?
“So, one last chance,” Rollox said, his hands on his hips. “Do you want to change your mind, or do you still refuse to submit to my wishes?”
“Please,” I said, my voice shaking. “Please... I...”
And then, I heard a rumbling. The ground shook, and I looked up to see a small ship hovering above us, preparing to land. At the helm I could see...
Zarak.
Chapter Seventeen
Zarak landed the ship on a rocky ledge, and rushed out before the engine had even settled, hurdling over a boulder and running to Cassandra. He picked her up in his arms, whispering “I’m so sorry, don’t worry, I’m here,” and planted a hard kiss on her mouth. Then he spun around and stood in front of her, blocking her from Rollox.
“What do you think you’re doing, Rollox?” Zar
ak said.
“I think I’m about to throw your woman in the pit,” Rollox huffed. “That is your woman, isn’t it, Zarak? I should’ve known. Of course such a pathetic woman would prefer you over me. I suppose I’ll just throw both of you in the pit.”
Rollox raised the weapon and pointed it at Zarak. But in the blink of an eye, Zarak simply reached out and snatched the weapon from his hands. Rollox had no time to react.
“I don’t think so. If anyone is going into this pit, it’s you, Rollox,” Zarak said, his voice as hard as stone. He pointed the weapon at him. “I know about Zylaxan-2.”
“What? I... I...” Rollox stammered. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” Zarak said. “I saw the folder. The work orders. The list of names. I saw everything. I went there, Rollox. You started another fucking slave planet, just like the one I lived on for all those years.”
Behind him, Zarak heard Cassandra gasp. He had so much he needed to explain to her.
As soon as Zarak had seen the name Zylaxan-2 in the folder he’d found, he knew. The planet that he’d been saved from, the one he’d worked on like a slave as a child, was called Zylaxan-1. He’d immediately called the leader of the Galactic Federation, and with the information he gave her, she was able to locate the secret planet and verify the information.
That night, during the time when he was meant to meet Cassandra in her room, Zarak had stood on the surface of Zylaxan-2, tears welling in his eyes. It was as if Rollox had perfectly recreated the horrible mining colony of his youth. The dry, arid air. The heavy machines, drilling for ore that the children would then have to haul away.
And the children. So many children. Zarak met them all, their faces smeared with dirt, their clothes in tatters. And he promised each and every one of them that he would make sure they got home safe.
As Zarak held the weapon pointed at Rollox, agents from the Galactic Federation were at that very moment on Zylaxan-2, arresting those in charge and contacting the families of the kidnapped children.
“You know nothing,” Rollox said.
“We know everything,” came a voice from behind Zarak. It was Gilliania, the leader of the Galactic Federation. She stepped out of the ship Zarak had parked on the ledge and walked closer. “You do realize, Rollox, that you’ve committed one of the most punishable offenses in the universe, don’t you?”
“Fine,” Rollox spat. “Yes, I created the colony. I wanted the funds from the ore! And those little child laborers aren’t just cheap, they’re free. It’s a smart business decision,” he said, snuffling with pride. “I saved a fortune.”
“You kidnapped children,” Zarak said.
“They weren’t children of any consequence. They weren’t royalty. They were just poor little urchins, dumb as rocks. They would’ve grown up to be miners anyway. I saved them the trouble.”
Zarak resisted the urge to shoot Rollox straight through the eyes.
“I put up with you for years, Rollox,” he growled, “because your mother – our mother – wanted to believe that there was something good in you. Because I loved that woman, who saved me from a life of misery and raised me as her own. So I tried to overlook the emptiness inside of you. I gave you chance after chance to be someone decent, to be the man our mother hoped you’d one day be. And you—”
“My mother was a fool, just like you,” Rollox hissed. “You, my mother, this stupid Earth girl – you’re all fools.”
“Go fuck yourself, you piece of garbage,” Cassandra shouted. “You’re about to get thrown in this pit. So who’s the fool now?”
“Zarak, my brother,” Rollox whined, suddenly changing his tune. “Can’t we work something out? Our mother, she wouldn’t want—”
“You’re not my brother,” said Zarak. “And if mother was alive to see what you’ve done, she would never forgive you. And neither will I. But you’re right. Our mother wouldn’t want to see you thrown in this pit. As much as I’d like to.”
“Zarak,” Gilliania interjected, “as far as the Galactic Federation is concerned, you’re the defacto leader of this planet now. The decision is yours. You can choose whatever punishment you feel is appropriate.”
“Throw his sorry ass in the pit,” Cassandra said.
But Zarak had a better idea. Yes, it was true Queen Ramana would not want to kill anyone, especially her own son, no matter how vile he had become, no matter how many he had hurt. Ramana had a soft heart, and abhorred violence. But she also appreciated justice. And, Zarak knew, she would want Rollox to be punished, as severely as possible.
“Rollox,” he said, a smile spreading across his lips. “Have you ever heard of the planet called Maxata?”
He saw a knowing smile spread across Gilliania’s face. As leader of the Federation, he knew she was familiar with the planet. Rollox shook his head; he’d never heard of it.
“Maxata is an... interesting planet,” he explained. “It’s entirely ruled by women. Very strong, very strict, very opinionated women. It’s also a prison planet. Some of the galaxy’s worst offenders are housed there. And the women... they’re the prison guards.”
Cassandra broke out into a fit of laughter as Rollox’s face turned white.
“Women?” said Rollox. “In charge of an entire planet? I don’t believe you. There’s no way they could... I mean women are so...”
“Oh, they’re going to have fun with you,” Zarak sneered. “Serves you right. You can spend the rest of your life being bossed around by women on a prison planet. No power, no freedom, no zonberries...” Zarak turned to Gilliania. “Can you contact the planet, Gilliania, and tell them they’ll have a new prisoner in about... ten seconds?”
Gilliana nodded and pulled out her holophone.
“Ten seconds? What? How...” Rollox’s mouth hung open like an empty void.
“Goodbye, Rollox,” Zarak said, “and good riddance.” He put his hand on Rollox’s shoulder and closed his eyes, preparing to use his powers like he’d never used them before. Then he heard Cassandra’s voice.
“Wait, Zarak, just one second,” she said. Then she stepped forward and kicked Rollox hard in the groin. He gasped, doubled over in pain. “Ok,” she said, turning back to Zarak, “I just had to do that first. It felt really good. Now, go ahead and work your magic.”
Zarak closed his eyes, summoning every ounce of power and energy he had.
When he opened his eyes again, Rollox was gone, banished forever to the prison planet.
Zarak and Cassandra descended from the mountain and walked arm in arm through the fields. There was no reason to hide anymore, no reason to keep their relationship a closely guarded secret. They were, finally free.
As they crested the hill near Mount Azakia, they watched as Gilliana’s ship took off and ascended into the sky, carrying away Raftan and Tarzeg, Rollox’s two lackeys. They too were involved in the illegal mining operation, and the Galactic Federation would decide their fates.
Zarak explained to Cassandra everything that had transpired in the last twenty-four hours: finding the folder, his trip to Zylaxan-2, the children he met there. He told her of the immense sadness he had felt as he landed on the planet, and how he felt as if he had stepped back in time, back to that period in his life where he had no hope, no joy. And he also told her how happy he had felt as he looked into the eyes of the children on Zylaxan-2 and told them that they were at long last going home. The experience had healed a part of him he didn’t know was still broken, and he knew that his adopted mother would’ve been proud of him.
“So what now?” Cassandra asked, looking up at Zarak with her big green eyes. “Are we still going to Alluvia?”
Zarak shook his head. “No, I think this planet needs me right now,” he said. He knew that the healing didn’t stop with the destruction of the prison planet. The citizens of Azakia also needed healing.
“So I guess you’re the Overlord now,” Cassandra said.
“Absolutely
not,” he replied. “This planet needs to change for the better. No more Overlords.”
“How about a president, then?” Cassandra suggested. “That’s how Earth does it. Fair elections, every four years. Let the Azakians decide.”
“I think that’s a perfect idea,” said Zarak. “So will you stay with me, here on Azakia?”
Zarak felt Cassandra’s body push against his, leaning against him, into the crook of his arm. “You couldn’t get rid of me if you tried, Zarak.”
They walked together, hand in hand, into the main Azakian compound, and every person they passed stared in wonder. Soon enough, Zarak knew, the news would spread, and everyone on the planet would know that Rollox was gone for good. He couldn’t imagine that anyone would be the least bit upset. To call Rollox an unpopular ruler would’ve been quite an understatement.
But Zarak didn’t bother explaining to anyone what had transpired on Mount Azakia. There were much more important things on his mind.
“So...” Cassandra said, leaning against the wall of the courtyard, twirling a finger around a lock of golden hair. A sweet and utterly tempting smile spread over her face. “I know I already said what now, but... what now?”
Zarak moved closer to her, until their bodies were just an inch apart. “We’re free,” he said, trailing his fingertips over her arm. “We can do anything we want to do.”
“Anything?” she replied, batting her long eyelashes.
Zarak nodded, moving an inch closer, pushing his body against hers. “Anything. What would you like to do?”
“You know,” she said, pushing slightly against him. “I’m pretty tired, actually.” She faked a yawn and smiled. “Maybe you should take me to bed.”
“Yes,” Zarak said. He slid his arms around Cassandra’s waist and pulled her even closer to him. “We really should get you to into bed. Immediately.”
Chapter Eighteen
Zarak led me through a maze of hallways and copper doors, traveling deeper and deeper into the heart of the Azakian compound. And with every step I took, my heart beat faster, wild with anticipation. Occasionally he would stop, pull me to him, press his mouth against mine, and we would lose ourselves for a moment in some darkened hall, our hands eagerly reaching for each other, our hungry mouths desperate for a taste. Then we would continue on, bodies buzzing, making our way to Zarak’s quarters.