Star Rider and Bonds of Love: A Sci-Fi Space Opera with a Touch of Fantasy

by Heidi Skarie

  Amaretta helped Toemeka move over to the lounge with a view of the lush flower garden.

  Unused to being confined to bed, Toemeka was grateful to be up. Her gaze swept around the room, really noticing it for the first time. The large bedroom was comprised of a sleeping area, dressing room, bathroom and sitting area. The furnishings were elaborate and everything was finely decorated.

  “I’m glad to see you’re better and interested in things. Shall I bring you some dinner?”

  “No, thank you.”

  “But you haven’t eaten all day.”

  “I’m fine, better than I’ve felt since coming here.”

  “You must see the clothes Cadmus had made for you.” Amaretta opened the closet, which was filled with exotic dresses. “And there’s jewelry as well.” She opened a dresser drawer that sparkled with the glitter of jewelry.

  Toemeka’s stomach twisted and she felt like one of his possessions. “I’m not interested in them.”

  “Why? Don’t the dresses and jewelry please you?” Amaretta asked with a puzzled frown.

  “No, it’s creepy to think about him planning my abduction and buying clothes for me.”

  “The dresses are amazing. I wish I had one that was as beautiful as any of them.” Her fingers touched the colorful fabrics. “Commander Rochambeau’s kind to have given them to you.”

  “He didn’t buy clothing and jewelry to please me, but for his own pleasure. When he tires of me, he’ll give them to the next woman he desires. Just because he puts me in a pretty cage is no reason to think he’s less of a monster. He took me away from my husband, son and everything else I love.”

  Amaretta shut the closet door and sat on the chair near the lounge. “He hasn’t made you a slave and he treats you well. He brings you gifts. I’ve never been given a gift or owned anything.”

  “Never?”

  “My family was poor and we didn’t have enough to eat. My parents sold me into slavery when I was still a child. At least here I get plenty of food and a place to sleep. It’s not so bad.”

  “But you’re not free to live as you choose.”

  “I’ve never been free, not even as a child. Here I’m not even considered a person. I’m a slave and slaves have no soul.”

  “You don’t have a soul; you are Soul. As Soul you are immortal and when you die you’ll go to an amazing world beyond this one.”

  Amaretta’s eyes widened. “Do you really believe there’s life after death for a slave?”

  “I know there is.”

  Amaretta looked nervously around the room with eyes that were suddenly frightened. “Toemeka, never speak of such ideas again. It’s heresy. You could be killed for having ideas that oppose Samrat Condor’s priests. Even Commander Rochambeau with all his power could not save you from Samrat Condor. He is a god and has great powers.”

  “Condor is not a god. He’s an evil sorcerer. Someday his crimes will catch up to him and he’ll have to pay.”

  Amaretta began trembling. “Samrat Condor can hear and see everything. Do not speak of him so. He will surely strike you down.”

  “How can you believe such rubbish? I am not afraid of him.”

  “Afraid of who?” Cadmus asked.

  Startled, Toemeka looked toward the doorway and saw him standing there. Her mood immediately dampened.

  He came over and sat down on the chair that Amaretta just vacated, like a scared hare, the second Cadmus spoke. She huddled in the corner as if she expected to be beaten at any moment.

  “Of Samrat Condor.” Toemeka turned to look at the slave girl. “Nor should you be. Nothing bad is going to happen.”

  “Why should anything bad happen?” Cadmus asked.

  “She thinks I’ll be struck down by a bolt of lightning for having ideas that are different from what Samrat Condor’s priests teach.”

  Cadmus’s mouth quirked up on one side, as if suppressing a smile. “You must be feeling better to speak such blasphemy. You’re really not much fun, lying in bed sniveling and feeling sorry for yourself. How about me? Are you still afraid of me?”

  “No, I’m not afraid of you, nor was I ever.”

  “You should see the light and challenge in your eyes when you say that. You are indeed feeling better. I’m pleased to see it. I don’t wish to extinguish your spark, so I won’t punish you for your loose tongue.”

  “You’re refraining from retaliating because you haven’t the wit, not out of consideration for me.”

  Cadmus smiled fully this time. “The woman I remember emerges. You know perfectly well you were paralyzed with fright, till the moment I gave you my promise not to make you a slave.”

  “Up to the moment you stopped trying to control me with your psychic powers, you mean.”

  “I may decide to use them again if you prove difficult.”

  “You won’t find it possible this time.”

  “Are you daring me to try?” His words were menacing.

  Toemeka longed to defy him, but knew it would be vanity to think that she wasn’t still in danger. She was still recovering physically and he wielded strong psychic powers.

  “I’m waiting for your answer,” he said.

  “I’m not challenging you.”

  “Good. I hear you didn’t eat anything today.”

  “No, I’m fasting.”

  He leaned closer. “Fasting isn’t advantageous to your recovery. You need to eat something before going to bed.”

  “No, thank you.”

  “Then you’re going right to bed. You haven’t the energy to be up.”

  She gasped as Cadmus scooped her up and set her on the bed.

  “I’m tired of being in bed.”

  “Then maybe you should reconsider eating something.” He noticed the drawing of Amaretta and picked it up. He looked thoughtfully at the slave then back at the picture.

  “Put that down,” Toemeka said, annoyed he’d seen it. “It’s mine.”

  “You have a gift for seeing inside a person and for showing emotion on paper. It didn’t occur to me that a slave felt so deeply.”

  “Slaves are people. You’d do well to treat them as such.”

  “It is a finely detailed drawing. I didn’t know you were an artist.”

  “There’s much you don’t know about me.”

  “And much I’d like to learn. All will be a pleasure.” He set the picture on the bedside table and kissed her.

  Infuriated, she tried to slap him, but he caught her wrist.

  “You have a short memory. Last time you hit me, you paid dearly for it.”

  “Slave, leave your mistress,” he said to Amaretta. “I don’t want her coercing you into helping her back out of bed.” The slave girl ran from the room.

  Alone with Cadmus, Toemeka felt more vulnerable. Her situation was perilous; she couldn’t afford to anger him.

  “Tonight I’ll leave you alone, but soon I’ll expect you to start pleasing me.”

  Once he was gone, she drew in a breathe, not realizing she’d been holding it. She had to find a way to escape.

  6

  Devil’s Eye

  Toemeka sat propped up in bed, supported with several pillows. After fasting the day before, she was hungry and eagerly eyed the plate of crepes Amaretta set before her. She picked up her fork, breathing in the delicious aroma. Just as she was about to take a bite, an uneasy feeling came over her. Focusing inwardly, she felt a distinct nudge not to eat the crepes. She placed a small piece on her tongue. It tasted all right at first, but then there was a bitter aftertaste. She spit it out, convinced the food was drugged.

  Disheartened, she set the tray on the bedside table. The food must have been drugged all along, she thought. That must be what contributed to her lethargy, depression, and an inability to tune-in to the Eternal Life Stream. Her stomach growled. She wished there was something on the tray she could be sure wasn’t laced with drugs.

  By evening, Toemeka was famished, but just as determined not to eat any drugged food.
She drew several quick sketches of Amaretta in various poses and began another when Cadmus strode in. His brow was furrowed and his large features looked dark and foreboding.

  “I’m told you refuse to eat again! Why?” he demanded.

  Toemeka swallowed uneasily, not wanting to say anything that would trigger his anger. “My food’s been drugged.”

  His expression darkened. “What nonsense is this? I haven’t been drugging your food.”

  She drew back from his anger. “Someone did,” she said softly.

  “You’re paranoid. How long do you intend to keep starving yourself?”

  “I’m not trying to be difficult. I just don’t want to eat tainted food.”

  He snorted. “What would you eat?”

  “A piece of fruit, but only if it hasn’t been tampered with.”

  “I don’t know why I’m willing to put up with your childish behavior.”

  He turned to Amaretta. “Slave, to please her majesty get some fruit.” Amaretta rushed from the room.

  “She has a name. It’s Amaretta. Please use it when you address her.”

  A flash of anger crossed his eyes. “Don’t push me, Toemeka. There’s a limit to my patience. What makes you think the food is drugged?”

  “When I stopped eating it, I felt less despondent and could think more clearly.”

  “I haven’t drugged your food. Why would I?”

  She looked away from his demanding expression, hesitant to reply.

  “I asked you a question.”

  Toemeka faced him. “You kept me drugged on the way here and for three days afterwards.”

  “Not by drugging your food. I have no reason to hide it if I wish to drug you.”

  Toemeka tried to keep her hand steady as she handed him a dinner roll from the tray near her bed. “Taste this. You can taste the drug.”

  Cadmus took a bite and frowned. “It does have a bitter aftertaste, but I didn’t order your food drugged.”

  “Eat the whole meal and then tell me how you feel.”

  “No one here would dare drug you without my orders!” He stopped abruptly and his face darkened like a thundercloud rolling across the sky. “Except Seetva.”

  “Seetva!” Toemeka’s heart constricted. “The sorceress from Haklute?”

  “Yes.”

  “She’s here?”

  “Unfortunately, yes. I’ll check into this matter immediately.” He stormed out of the room.

  Amaretta returned with large red berries with points on the sides of them like stars.

  “What are those? Toemeka asked, staring at them suspiciously.

  “They’re called ambole,” Amaretta said. “I picked them myself. They’re grown hydroponically right on Cadmus’ estate. They’re quite good.” She picked one up and took a bite. “It tastes fine to me. You’d better eat them or Cadmus will be even angrier.”

  Toemeka bit into one and the succulent taste exploded in her mouth. “They are good.” She finished it, then ate the rest of them. Her hunger quenched, Toemeka slid her feet over the edge of the bed. “I’m tired of being in bed. Can you find something to wear?”

  Amaretta brought over a sheer negligee. “You’ll look lovely in this.”

  “That’s worse than this nightgown. Can you find a pair of slacks and a top?”

  “There aren’t any, but this is pretty and will feel nice against your skin.”

  “Find me a plain dress.”

  Amaretta rummaged through the closets and returned with an amber-colored dress. Too low cut for Toemeka’s taste, but at least the fabric wasn’t sheer. Amaretta helped her put it on and then assisted her to the lounge.

  Toemeka lay back exhausted, surprised that such a small amount of exertion left her so tired. She hadn’t realized how weak she still was. She picked up an electronic tablet that Amaretta brought and began searching the Internet for anything she could find about Devil’s Eye.

  Before long Cadmus returned to the room. He paused when he saw her in the lounge.

  “It’s good to see you up.” His eyes traveled down her body, making her skin crawl. “That dress shows off your figure nicely, but I haven’t forgotten to be leery of you. You’re an undercover operative, trained to lie and deceive people. Samrat Condor put a price on your head for your role in overthrowing his servant, General Bhandar. If he finds out I’ve captured you, he’ll order your death.”

  Toemeka shivered. So, her past actions had gained Samrat Condor’s attention. Loathing rose within her — Samrat Condor was responsible for killing her family and destroying the village where she grew up.

  Cadmus sat on the edge of the chaise lounge. “I don’t want you dead, but I wouldn’t mind seeing Erling Fenian in his grave. He tried to kill me.” He pulled up the edge of his shirt and revealed an ugly purple scar on his chest. “The knife was deflected by a rib bone and I survived. I plan to take vengeance on Fenian. His days are numbered. As for you, you walk a fine line. I may decide I’d enjoy seeing you executed more than having you for a mistress.”

  Toemeka felt the color drain from her face, realizing Cadmus’ obsession with her was partly based on a desire for revenge.

  “As I’ve said before, I suggest you work on trying to please me.” He reached out and twisted a lock of her hair between two fingers.

  She restrained herself from pulling away. “Did you check with Seetva? Was she the one drugging my food?”

  “Yes, she thought it was a good way to control you. I warned her not to do it again.” His eyes lowered to her breasts.

  “I’ve been reading about the military on Devil’s Eye,” she said, hoping to divert his attention.

  “Where did you get a tablet?”

  “I asked Amaretta to bring me one. I find it interesting that Henotaux is run by criminals who united in order to defend themselves. It’s a haven for many dangerous outlaws.”

  Cadmus nodded. “The domed city was built by a few men who’d made a fortune illegally selling weapons, among other things. They needed a safe place to run their business. Over the years the city expanded and other ambitious men joined them.”

  “Henotaux must have a strong military to protect thems from their enemies,” Toemeka said, probing further. She wanted to find out as much as she could about the domed city in order to form an escape plan.

  He freely answered all her questions, letting her know in no uncertain terms that she was trapped with no way to get off Devil’s Eye.

  “It’s getting late,” he said at last. “You should rest. But first a good-night kiss.” He grasped her wrists and pinned them over her head, then kissed her on the lips, forcing his large tongue inside. She tried to squirm away, but her injured ribs seared with pain when she moved. She held still, hardly breathing as his lips traveled down her neck. Finally, Cadmus raised his head and his eyes locked onto hers.

  “I could take you by force. You’re not strong enough to put up any resistance.” His eyes softened. “But for tonight I only wish for you to get used to my touch. The doctor said you are still recovering from fractured ribs.”

  He left the room and she began shaking. Michio, please find me. I’m running out of time. She sang HU, a love song to God, and filled her heart with love by thinking of Michio and their baby. As she did, her consciousness begin to shift into a higher state and she grew calmer and less frightened.

  ***

  Michio and Erling searched for Toemeka for over a week with little success. They’d followed every scrap of information they could turn up about Cadmus’ whereabouts, but it all led to dead ends. Their last clue had led to a distant planet only to find no trace of him. Cadmus was there four months ago and no one had seen him since or had any idea where he’d gone.

  Michio and Erling sat in the cockpit of the Blue Lady, trying to decide where to go next.

  “We haven’t got much to show for our efforts,” Michio said. “All we’ve discovered is that Cadmus works for Samrat Condor — which we already knew — and he became quite wealthy from
illegal smuggling.”

  “So where do we go from here?” Erling asked, sounding as discouraged as Michio felt.

  Unable to hide his grief, Michio sank back in his chair. “I don’t know. I just don’t know. Usually my linkup with Toemeka is strong, but for the first few days after her abduction I couldn’t sense her at all. Since then I’ve only felt her fear and despair. I can’t say it surprises me. She must be devastated after being ripped away from me and our baby.”

  “Why do you think Cadmus took her? Do you think he plans to use her as a political pawn? He knows she and I are close from when we both worked at the Military Development Center. Or do you think he plans to ransom her?”

  Michio shook his head. “He hasn’t asked for money. It could be for political reasons, but more likely he kidnapped her for personal ones. When she worked for him, Cadmus was attracted to her and wanted her for his mistress. He attacked Toemeka at the testing lab the last day she was there. Fortunately, a female co-worker interrupted and she escaped, but she was pretty shaken up afterwards.”

  “Toemeka never told me that. I should’ve ordered her to go underground. I knew Cadmus’ interest in her made her job precarious.”

  “She couldn’t go underground and continue to develop the oscillator,” Michio said. “She was dedicated to the mission.”

  Erling stared pensively out the window. “Field operatives are trained to take risks.”

  “I know, but she’s not a field operative anymore. She’s a young mother with a new baby.”

  “A mother with a past,” Erling said. “She deceived Cadmus and I tried to kill him. He’s bound to want revenge on both of us. Moreover, Samrat Condor probably blames him for mishandling things on Jaipar, which led to the country winning its freedom.”

  “I hate to think of her in Cadmus’ hands and the trauma she’s going through. I feel so powerless and impotent.”

  “Our only chance of finding Toemeka is through your inner communication with her. We’ve exhausted all other methods. You must rebalance spiritually, if not for yourself, then for her. You’re capable of rising above your emotions. Your inner strength comes from the Eternal Life Stream; you must look to it for inner guidance and strength.”