By Leeta, Loki, Mistica Ronomy, Jeff Key, Slashqueen,

and the rest of the “One New Beginning” mailing list

Transcribed and edited by Slashqueen,

for no real reason whatsoever

A small group of survivors here. Is anyone else left after the steel claw invasion? Walking zombies everywhere. Food and water scarce. We call ourselves the "EagleGroup". Twenty or so, some drift in and out, some captured, some just never return. Has anyone else been able to see the transporters and be able to tell about it? We are a small group of freepersons, trying to stay clear of the steel claw slavers. Can't say our position, all maps destroyed. City in ruins. Attempting to capture a transporter, chances slim, risks high. Can see fires burning after nightfall in the distance. Have observed steel claws herding slaves into work groups, mostly males. All females captives we have been able to see are under close guard and being herded to the flyers. Then lift off to the orbiters. Will keep this message short as steel claws are everywhere.

Possibility of communication with members of the resistance.

Freedom!

=#=

Hi,

Welcome to the list. Please fill out and send this profile out to

introduce yourself:

Name: Arotica "Baxter" Ciccone

From : St. Augustine, Florida

Race : Half-alien, by some controversial and vaguely annoying happenstance

Personality : Free but just barely

Background: Has worked for both aliens and humans, playing both sides, so to

say. He is fluent in every relevant language and has the intelligence of

five men combined. However, due to his odd form, no one will touch him, even

though his desires are often as human as our own.

=#=

Hi,

Welcome to the list. Please fill out and send this profile out to introduce

yourself:

Name: Lorthaxer (law-thax-er)

From (Town, Planet, etc...): Moltaynar prime

Race (human, alien...): Alien

Personality: Works for the Alien secret security forces, in charge of

flushing out rebels and hunting down any escaped slaves.

Background: Lorthaxer speeded through the ranks of the infantry to the

post of high overseer in a matter of months. Making an impression on

those higher up, he was soon conscripted into the Kryonis order, the

secret service. He is relentless in his desire to see those humans that

are free, to be caught and punished for their crimes against the state.

He has a passion for interrogation, and prides himself on never having

"lost" a human, before gaining the information he required.

Loki.

"Madness in great ones, should not unwatched go"

Claudius ~ from Shakespeare’s' Hamlet

=#=

Some discovered that the aliens instructed them not talk about their"~<(1(-(=0=)+)1)>~" . It is apparent that aliens go to great lengths to maintain secrecy, instill false or screen memories into their victims to cover their

true motives.

Lor

>~~~~~~~< >^@^<-Love ->^@^< >~~<((+))>~<((=))>~<((-))>~~< Emotional Isolation Secrecy

=#=

The human man looked up. "Thank you for the codes to the alien computers.

I know what trouble you could get in..."

Baxter broke in, "Yes, the same shit you could get. I am half-human you

know." His skin was a cold gray and his fingernails looked like claws, but

his eyes were beautifully blue. "Besides, you know I hate those basterds.

They fucked up my life even before they even invaded this planet."

"How?"

"I was born about five or six hours' driving south of here, in Florida.

Imagine not only being like this, but being the only one... Still get the

worst of both worlds," his voice trailed as he turned to leave. He didn't

like describing his heritage, if only because he knew so little about it. He

had one image of some human woman leaving him on the street as a baby (he

remembered his birth) and suspected that she may have been Madonna. Aliens

rape Madonna? No, too unbelievable. She probably raped them.

As Baxter passed through the cellar door of the building, into the alley

and onto the street, he thought of who he and the humans were up against.

Lorthaxer came to mind. Or course. It was Lorthaxer who had taken Saddie to

the tech fields, where she later died.

Baxter had met her in one of the shelters. She had a crackwhore for a

mom, and was amused by Baxter's theory on his. Together, they worked to get

out of the streets. Baxter, lacking the proper salesperson appearance, made

decent money on the internet while Saddie did something with a more

dependable pay at the office. They bought an apartment together and swore

never to return to the streets.

And then THEY had to come, the aliens. Sure, it didn't make Baxter feel

quite so strange about himself anymore, but that whole imprisonment thing

really didn't do anything for him. Just rubbed him the wrong way. It was

when the aliens invaded that he realized how human he truly was.

Lorthaxer. That name came to mind again. Why why why? Oh, because that

son of a bitch worked for the Kryonis Order, the aliens' (who called

themselves "Sengalays"-- not that Baxter would ever refer to that detestable

race by name) version of the secret service. The Kryonis Order, whom Baxter

was walking to right now. After all, he had to translate some Earth texts

for them.

=#=

Name: Zenyth

From: Some planet unknown to humans.

Race: Unknown

Personality: Gentle but strong temper. IS trained in many forms of fighting

adapted (see description) prefers to fight with lazer sword which brought

with her from planet (if none on earth)or small dagger.

Can read minds to some extent. Able to heal quickly (herself and others) by

placing hands on wound (depending on how bad)

Description: 5'5, black hair down to knees, green, green eyes. Dark skin.

Looks humanoid except for pure white wings capable of flight. Slight build.

beautiful. Has wings, capable of flight.

History: None on earth. Came as slave with other Aliens, escaped.

=#=

"Sir, we have someone to see you sir." The guard stiffened as he gave

his announcement. Lorthaxer looked up from his desk and with a simple

gesture, given with the closing and rapid opening of his eyelids, the

guard stood to one side as a figure entered the room.

"Why if it isn't the half breed. Why do you insist on holding onto to

your impure genetics? We have people that can remove those human genes,

restore you to your rightful heritage. You can be of great use to us, as

one of us" Lorthaxer slyly grinned as he gave out the same speech that

Baxter had heard time and time again.

"The smell of your human self, disgusts me. We have to have the whole

building fumigated everytime you leave." Lorthaxer looked back down at

his desk, which was piled up with books, Earth books.

"I've been reading these" His hands gestured towards the books.

"Read?" quizzed Baxter. Lorthaxer was no fool, but surely he hadn't

mastered the English language? Baxter knew that he had previously been

studying Chinese texts, particular The Art Of War, by Sun Tzu. Lorthaxer

had been intrigued by the human tactics and theories pertaining to

conflict. He had never shown much interest in English text, until now.

"Yes, Baxter, reading. Do I have to remind you of your sole purpose to

me and the Kryonis order? You translate. If I can replace your services,

then I can replace you, and be more certain and trustworthy, of the

information that I learn."

Baxter swallowed, he knew what Lorthaxer was driving at. Lorthaxer loved

to toy with suggestion. He never really said exactly what you knew him

to mean, but you knew that he meant it, nonetheless. Baxter had a

respect for this man, however, he was intelligent and very perceptive.

After all he had gained more promotion through the ranks than any other

officer. He had become a leading authority figure in the Kryonis order,

and continued to please and impress his superiors. Lorthaxer was

destined for great things, and he knew it the bastard. Baxter knew that

his usefulness could soon slip away, and so he had to try and stay one

step ahead all the time. Not easy, but then life for Baxter had never

been easy.

"What is it you need translating?" Enquired Baxter

Lorthaxer pushed an open book forward. "This. I want to know what this

means. And I want to know why it appears in what seems to be a work of

prose and rhythmic wording."

Baxter froze as he recognized immediately the form of secret

communication used by the free humans. They knew that the aliens

couldn't understand their writings, especially when buried into the

pages of a book, just any book. They weren't able to differentiate

between Shakespeare or a coded language, until now?

"Well, what does it mean Baxter? My grasp on this language is still very

limited."

=#=

Out of the shadows stepped a human looking person until you saw the wings

folded neatly against her back. Her wrists were restrained and she must have

been a slave for bruises could be seen on her dark skin.

She looked Baxter right in the eye trying to read his mind and leave a

massage of her own *Help me. Please* while maintaining the eye contact she

spoke in low pleasing tones to the Lorthaxer. "My Lord it is but useless

poems of the humans speaking of love. It would not interest one as

intelligent as you." She had picked up the very least that he did not want

Lorthaxer to know the code was there. She found it corrosively hard to read

past his public thoughts.

=#=

Baxter looked at the page Lorthaxer pointed out to him. The alien almost

had to bend down, so tall was his race. Eight feet on average. With

exaggerated facial characteristics and more limbs than a human.

Reading this, he reflexively scratched the part of his head with hair on

it. Like the aliens, he was bald with silver streaks running from the

hairline to the nape of the neck. But in the back of the head sprung a blond

ponytail, long and flowing. Probably inherited from Madonna.

"Shining in the private moonlight

Like round-eyed sores,

Flap your scabby kneecaps apart,

My ugly whores!"

Baxter read from the book, mentally translating it as he went. It wasn't

the typed-in code, but the font was the same, so no alien should be able to

tell the difference.

"What is that?" Lorthaxer asked.

"'My Little Lovelies', by Rimbaud... Do you like it?"

"It's truer than all that love crap people tend to quote these days. Yes,

humans still quote it, did you know that? And in doing so, they neglect

their work for god and country..."

More like godless country, Baxter thought. Aloud, he argued, "But love

leads to mating, which leads to more workers. And we both want that, don't

we?"

"Maybe that's why I put up with your flaming," Lorthaxer commented, using

'flaming' in reference not to gays, but to humans in general. "Because

despite your flawed upbringing, you see the truth."

"Indeed I do," Baxter agreed. Sometimes he had dreams about slowly

killing Lorthaxer for what the little shit did to Saddie, but then he

consoled himself with the fact that a girl like her would have preferred

death to being a slave anyway.

As he said it, his eyes veered over to the servant again. Such a

beautiful woman, but so tragic in her beauty. Strong but not strong enough,

perhaps. Baxter found himself feeling emotions that were quickly surpressed.

No woman should have him, lest she passed on his ungodly genes if he turned

out to be fertile (oftentimes when two species of animals had offspring, it

was sterile, and Baxter knew that this applied to him as well). But her

eyes, lined in black and darker than night sky, entrapped him.

"Yes?" Lorthaxer prompted. He saw that the servant and Baxter seemed to

be having some sort of exchange, but being the alien he was, didn't

comprehend any of it.

"Oh, the book, of course. Do you want me to read it all to you now? I

know you are a busy man, sir."

"Good idea. You go home with these, and they shall be translated by, say,

midday tomorrow. Yes, noon," Lorthaxer said.

Baxter nodded and took the four books from him. The first thoughts that

came to him were those of peace. To return to his relatively luxurious

apartment, type up about 90% of the materials given at 600 words per minute

(the one part of his alien side that didn't screw him up), perhaps with some

Judy Garland playing in the background. Yes, that seemed pleasant enough.

But as he left, all he could think of was the winged servant and her

telepathic cry for help. Somehow, Baxter realized that he had to do for this

stranger what he couldn't even do for Saddie; he had to rescue her.

=#=

Zenith had no idea if he had heard her or not. The only indication was his

eye contact. That blue was so clear and beautiful. She watched him gather

the books and leave. She inwardly cringed at the thought of being alone with

the Alien. Baxter, he was called, she thought. Had come as a welcome

diversion but now she was alone with Him. She was sure Lorthaxer was not the

sort she, a mutant (or so they thought) wanted to be on her own with. He had

already plucked out quite a few feathers and it stung. She had ignored it

and stood stock still careful not to draw any more attention to herself.

=#=

Baxter sat down at his desk, the first page of one of Lorthaxer's books

on the table. Arthur Rimbaud: Complete Works. He sighed. It was an English

book translated from the French. Why couldn't he just have it in the

original and more directly translate from that? Well, this was the United

States of America.

Or was it? No, not for the last few years. Now it was the aliens'

playground. Ugh, well, it would always be the good old U.S. of A. to him.

St. Augustine would always be Baxter's home, and Florida was a part of the

U.S., was it not? Yeah, god-damnit!

Halfway into the book, he found that he could not translate anymore.

Every word turned into wings, every dot of an "i", her desperate eyes, every

turn of the page, her arms out-stretched. There was simply no way of

escaping it.

In the shadows, becoming darkness itself. Baxter could relate to the

girl's posture. He recounted his own youth of homelessness, covered in

sunglasses and bandanas, watching the happy tourists walk by. The memories

of just wondering why, they never left him. Of all the people in this world,

why did he have to be born a freak? No one understood, himself especially.

Of course, considering the way things had turned out, perhaps being a freak

wasn't so disadvantageous, but still...

Baxter took the paper out of his typewriter (he didn't trust computers

these days) and replaced it. He turned off the Madonna playing on his CD

player. Then he faced the keyboard, thus thinking of the angel in servitude.

So much to say...

=#=

Zenith could barely concentrate. Baxter was on her mind and she was unable

to think straight. He wasn't human or at least fully but she wasn't scared

by that. After all she was a mutant to everyone else. She jolted slightly as

she felt his pain over this. She saw the image of him younger wrapped up to

hide his differences at least now he n longer needed that. If any thing his

disadvantages of before were now useful. She on the other had had no way to

hide or use her 'differences'. The Alien had tried to get her to read

Baxter's mind for him but she didn't even try. She knew it was futile and

even if it wasn't she wouldn't. She had told him he was like the Aliens and

she was unable to read him. She didn't know how his feelings had come to her

but she took a steadying breath trying to hide the sudden onslaught from the

Alien. He would just use it to his advantage.

=#=

Baxter looked at Zenith as he handed Lorthaxer the disc of translations

for the books. Blue eyes surrounded by lavender skin observed her every

curve, the light on her wings in the noonday sun. Vaguely irresponsible

thoughts passed through his mind: Take the girl, fuck the alien (not

literally, of course. No, good god that would be nasty!)

But no. Lorthaxer watched Baxter very carefully. "You seem distracted,"

he said. "Is something on your mind?"

He shook his head. "I was just wondering how much English you know. You

said you had read over some of it, yet you still ask me to translate. Is

that just a time-saver to you now?"

"Not exactly. I'm only just beginning to study the language, actually.

But we are better at it then humans, you know. Even a half-human like you

has less potential than me."

Fuck you, I know six spoken languages, eight computer ones, and

physiomology 101, Baxter thought.

Lorthaxer turned to the hallway outside the room. He walked out to put

the manuscripts away, leaving Baxter alone with the slave.

Zenith looked up at him with interest, and in response he raised what

would have been an eyebrow had it not been a solid silvery mass. It was a

mute conversation, but they might as well had been screaming.

=#=

"You're free to leave Baxter, I've done with your services for today."

Lorthaxer delivered the subtle hint, with back turned. He was more than

aware of the empathy that both Zenith and Baxter shared. You didn't need

to be psychic to see that.

The translation exercises were of course nothing more than a loyalty

test. Lorthaxer knew that a code of some kind was embedded into the

text, albeit it didn't understand it. Now he knew were Baxter's

loyalties lie, and that was an important piece of information.

"Zenith, my dear, I am somewhat stiff from sitting behind my desk, I

require a massage, when you're quite finished."

Zenith looked away from Baxter, "I have to go" she thought, knowing that

Baxter could hear here. Quickly she slipped around Baxter and gingerly

walked towards Lorthaxer.

"Mr. Baxter, still here?" Lorthaxer's question was entirely rhetorical.

"Just leaving." Baxter started toward the door, again he heard the

pleading cry; "help me." He knew that he couldn't ignore it, something

had to be done, but what?

=#=

Zenith winced as she went to massage him. Usually this was a prelude to other

things. She called to Baxter again her 'voice' desperate "Help me" She

realized her wings were quivering making the feathers rattle and she tightly

folded them against her back. As she used one hand to massage Lorthaxer

because only one could be used because the chains on her wrists wouldn't

allow her to do both she plucked one feather out. She knew Baxter was still

there and she hoped he wouldn't tell Lorthaxer what she was doing. She

brought it up to the other hand and started to try and pick the lock.

=#=

Name: Vorna Trippend

From: Sargot 3

Race: human . can pass anywhere as such.

Personality: Is a slave and has been for many years. She is not a beauty

queen by any stretch of the imagination. but is considered rather of

worth because she can fly anything and is a scrounge supreme. She is a

survivor and is patient but not always totally obedient She may not

call things by their proper name but can make things work and is a

healer that is often sought by the ship's doctors when there is an

emergency. Right now she is respected by the crew of the ship she is on

but they do not get close to her as she has contact with the officers so

she tends to be a loner.

Background: Vorna's father was a trader and she grew up at his side in

the business. when he died she overheard her stepmother and brother

plotting to kill her so she fled at age 15 and was forced to sell

herself into slavery to get away from those who would kill her. That was

over twenty years ago and she has been passed around quite a bit since.

She was won by an officer in a game of dice and has lived among the

officers since. but seldom as a bed partner. It is her ability to

accomplish things for them that has kept her alive and reasonably well

treated. She speaks a number of languages among them the universal

tongue of the traders which lets her move easily at free ports.

=#=

A rainy night in St. Augustine. No sewers so the tiny ancient roads flooded

like Titanic. Up to his knees in water, he ran from Frank, one of the drug

lord's cronies. He'd lost the crack en route, and now he owed up some

serious cash, cash which he didn't have. The police followed in the

distance. But neither the boy nor the man knew that a few years after the

police would come the aliens, and none of this would matter.

**Bring...! Bring...!**

Baxter woke up. The CD had not finished that David Bowie album yet, and he

wondered what that sound was. Too early for the alarm clock, and certainly

not part of the music.

**Bring...! Bring...!**

He realized it was the doorbell. Quickly, he turned off the illegal music

and closed the cabinetry which he kept it in, and grabbed a bathrobe, tying

it as he walked to the door. Good lord, what could Lorthaxer want now?

He opened the door, but it was not Lorthaxer. Rather, it was one of his

servants. The winged one, to be exact. "Uh, listen," he said, "I got about

two minutes of sleep last night so whatever you want, please make it quick

and not due until noon."

Zenith was jolted by his voice. In Lorthaxer's office, he spoke the alien's

language like a native, and even when speaking earth languages would add a

heavy alien accent to them. Yet now he spoke like a human being, born and

raised in Florida. The sixth Backstreet Boy, one could say. "It has nothing

to do with the basterd."

"Um, okay!" Baxter exclaimed. He took a quick look outside the entrance to

his condo to see that no one was near. But it was three o'clock in the

morning, so it was empty. Still, he motioned for her to enter his home so he

could close the door. "What is it?"

"They probably don't know that I've escaped yet, but they will by morning.

I'm sorry, I needed someplace to go, and your address was listed in the

directory. If you want me to leave you out of this, just say so and I'll go.

You never saw me," Zenith answered.

Her quick rush of words took Baxter a moment to comprehend, to which he

said, "No. Uh, stay. It's fine, just let me figure something out."

"You don't think Lorthaxer has any clue that I went here, do you?"

Baxter gave her question some thought, and remembered the look in that

alien's eyes when he saw the two of them in the same room. "Shit! Nevermind,

you can't stay here. If the man has any brains, he'll be here when he sees

you gone."

Zenith turned to the door. "Well then, thanks for at least trying to help me

out. It's more than anyone else has done."

"Let me rephrase it: WE can't stay here."

"Where then? I've heard of those rebel human cities they have underground,

but for one thing, I'm not human, and for another, I don't know where they

are."

"Good idea. I've worked with some of them. Let's go." With this, Baxter

closed his bedroom door and pulled on some clothing as he talked.

"But Baxter, what of your place here? Your position, your wealth? If you

abandon it now, you can never get it back. They'll never forgive you for

this!"

He came out of the room dressed and motioned to the rest of the condo.

"Look. I have more material possessions than twenty average humans combined,

just because my of my alien rapist father. Every piece of good fortune I've

ever had since the invasion is due to what I hate about myself. Looking at

this place is like looking at all the shit I stole back home, all the Revlon

and Tommy Hillfigger and food. Look, no sense of pride whatsoever! I'd give

this all back if I could undo the circumstances from which it came."

This had a profound effect on Zenith. "I see... so they'll accept you

because you can pass for human with some natural ivory #5 over that lavender

#666, right?"

"No! They know what I am, Zenith. They accept it because they know I'm on

their side."

"But could you ever actually fit in with their society?"

Baxter didn't have an answer for that one.

She continued, "I've made a decision. Do you still have any cosmetics

stashed away?"

"Of course. Why?"

"You'll disguise yourself as human. We'll both be humans."

"But what about those?" Baxter pointed to her large, beautiful wings. "Can't

very well hide 'em. And flying would certainly give it away."

"I never learned to fly," Zenith interrupted him. "These wings have been

nothing but a burden to me my entire life."

"Okay..." Baxter said, not quite sure what to add to that.

Zenith slowly walked over to the kitchen and took a Ginsu knife out of one

of the drawers. She put it in Baxter's hands and then sat backwards on the

nearest chair, waiting.

"Oh God, no. No, no, and no!" Baxter flung the knife to the floor. "Knowing

my hand-eye coordination, I'd probably kill you."

"DO IT!"

Baxter bent down and retrieved the knife from the floor and approached her.

As he did so, he realized that this would land not only her but him in deep

shit as well. Once the knife touched skin, this condo would no longer be

his, nor would the security that came with it. Baxter would be no safer than

Saddie, sent to the tech fields to die. No safer than the humans he helped

in the skankiest parts of the city. No safer then he was before.

It was with this resolution that Baxter proceeded with the surgery.

=#=

As the knife touched the skin of her wings joints they instinctively pulled

in closer to her body. They were nearly flat against it and as Baxter cut

into it the tightened more. quickly she whirled about and took his hand. "No

wait." she pulled then in tightened and then moved them about and settled

them like a cloak about her shoulders pulled tighter against her. "Do you have

a Coat?" She looked at the wings then at his handsome face. Then she looked

down at her hands. "If you remove them I would die. I only wanted you to do

it because I didn't want to live but maybe now after talking to you, maybe I

can help." she attempted a smile, her lips quivered with emotion. "Sort of

like the human myths of Unicorns I guess. That’s how my brother died. They

cut of his wings." she shook her head to clear it. "I was four. I watched

and that's why I never learned to fly. He was going to teach me." her sudden

stopping of the surgery was because she had been trying to read his

thoughts. She had caught some of it and enough to make her realize everything

he had would finish if he helped her with this. He would never forgive

himself when it was over. "I'm sorry. I'll go. Back to them if I have to. I

won't say anything about you." she scrambled up off the seat and ran to the

door. She was fumbling with the handle because her hands were shaking to

much to grasp it. She felt her resolution at removing her wings fade

leaving her empty and weak. Her wings spread out behind her filling from wall

to wall.

=#=

Name: Prince Teskalaren Koe

Race: alien

From : Kosar

Personality: Spoiled Younger son of the king. Has a silver cast to his

silken soft pelt. He is rather catlike in many ways with the ability to

move quietly and regally among the masses. Has green eyes that seem lazy

but see much> He may be spoiled in the fact that he has the money to do

as he wishes and can buy whatever he wants but he has amassed much of

his own fortune above what his sire gives him for an allowance.. HE is a

procurer a rather respectable trade among the aliens.

Background : Born the third son of the royal house Tesk was early

given an allowance and told to make his way in the universe. He chose

the lot of a procurer as his profession as it allowed him to move as

freely as a trader but he was a bit different in that he went seeking

special items for clients rather then trusting his luck to buying and

selling at random.

=#=

Vorna sat quietly and watched as the officers played their game of dice.
From time to time she would rise and carefully fill the goblets of
those around the table. She was aware that the prince was watching her
every move as she did. several times he had touched her hip with one of
his clawed hands. no words passed between then to him she was merely a
slave doing her tasks. Several of the others at the table were a bit
more physical in their treatment of her. Vorna knew that her life was
going to change. She wondered which of these she would be leaving with.

as she moved around the table again she was stopped by her masters
strong hand on her arm.

"She cleans up well doesn't she?" he asked as he turned her around
slowly for the others to see." She may not be a young beauty but she can
last in and out of bed." "it is not her bed skills that you have been
using i would hazard to say." the prince's voice was a soft purr as he
answered his hosts unspoken offer of the bet he had waited all evening
for.

"True but a few of my guests have not been disappointed with her. she is
not a sack of bones like they are used to bedding."

"Come here woman" the soft voice ordered.

Vorna did not move until the one who owned her gave her a gentle push
toward the prince. She stood before him with her head up but her gaze
cast politely down She barely moved when his hand went over her body in
a quick but sure assessment of her qualities.. He then lay a small pouch
on the table.

"These are what you want I believe. " He flipped the pouch open and a
few crystals rolled onto the table." I will take her in trade for them
rather then role the dice."

"Deal. Go get into your regular clothes you will be leaving with the
gentleman.."

Does she have anything in the way of baggage?' the purring voice asked'

"No. "

"Then she wears the dress and we go now as I have different staff colors
then you and she will be wearing them." He rose and non to gently bent
Vorna's arm behind her back and leaving the room headed for the
transporter and they were beamed across to his own craft.

=#=

When they beamed aboard the other craft Vorna was almost striped by the
intent gaze of the beamsman. Her glance briefly touched him then dropped
away. She had to concentrate on the being behind her. She was guided to
the upper deck of the craft and into a well appointed sala. Here she was
roughly pushed down onto one of the thick rugs. As Tesk moved to a
cupboard and removed a bottle of dark colored brew and started to
pour some.

"Master might I speak." Vorna's voice was mellow and easy to the ear

"Do so. "

"I was given the bitter wine last night Master" She showed him her tongue
and it still bore the stain of the fluid.

"He did a few things right I see." Tesk set the bottle back in the
cabinet and moved to a comfortable chair and sat down. "Rest easy woman.
I do not want a pleasure slave"

"Master could get far better than I for a lot less then he paid for me
If he did." she risked meeting his gaze for a second

" Honesty in a female. No wonder you are valued as you are." He leaned
back in the chair. "If those shoes hurt you as much as mine do me you
might as well take them off"

"Thank you master." she slipped out of the shoes that were indeed to
small and had been hurting all evening.

"Help me out of my boots.:" He stuck one foot out and she moved over to
pull the boot from it. Then she removed the other one and started to set
it aside. but was stopped by the purring voice ." Set them outside the
door "

Vorna complied and then returned and at the silent nod sank back to the
rug. They sat studying each other for a while then he tossed her a floor
length robe.

=#=

The robe had been laying of the chair next to his. As Vorna ran her hand
over it she had the feeling it had been chosen with care for some
reason.

"do you like it?" the purring voice asked.

"It is beautiful , Master."

" I have heard it said clothes make the woman yet i have seen you in
everything but nothing ." He laughed softly at the look on her face
"and I am about to see that. undress and put that on."

"Yes, Master." Vorna rose and began to undress. She had done it many
times in her life in front of strange men she did not know why doing it
in front of this one made her so uneasy. All she knew was her mind was
desperately searching for the times they had met before and she could
not remember any.

" I have seen holograms of you ." there was a soft rumble to his purr as
she revealed herself. "they hid a few flaws but were mainly accurate."

He rose and ran his hands gently over her body and let his claws trail
feather light in certain areas and smiled as she shivered in response.
he took the robe from her and placed it about her shoulders then
reaching into one of its pockets he found two small clips and placed
them on her nipples before drawing the robe around her. A smile again
crossed his face as she flinched when the cloth brushed across the tiny
clips.

"Yes I think you will serve my purpose well in a week or so. You will be
given clothes tomorrow if I see fit until then this is all you will
wear." He had tied the garment behind her in such a way every time she
breathed the cloth moved against the tiny clips. "As the days go on I
will tell you what I want of you." He clapped his hands sharply and a
young boy entered the room. "Show her to her quarters and stay to attend
her."

"Yes Master." the boy trembled as the hand was placed on his shoulder.

the boy held the door open for Vorna. "This way mistress."

=#=

Teskalaren rested his scaly head on the pillow next to Vorna's as he

slept. The ship he was on was going to Earth. He had been there many times

before, a fact well known. What nobody knew, however, was that he had gone

there once before the Invasion as well.

It was when he took a wrong turn during a trading mission, but this new

place intrigued him none the less. So, twenty years before an army ship even

set foot on the Earthling soil, he decided to go fuck one of the natives.

She was young, blond, and seemingly wealthy (later he would learn that her

name was Madonna, and that she was very important among her people, but that

was later).

He still remembered the human woman's resistance in that dark ally near

the ocean. Her belly had instantly risen (gestation among Teskalaren's race

was about five minutes, as opposed to a human's nine months). In the

distance, thousands of fans screamed her name in some concert hall while she

struggled.

The last thing Teskalaren remembered from that visit was a baby screaming

with its' first breath while the father ran away, wondering what in hell he

had done.

Millions of miles away, that baby was currently trying to ease Zenith's

fears.

"You look like you're ten years old and you've never stolen anything from

the mall before," Baxter said. "You say they'll suspect something? With you

all suspicious like that, hell yeah!"

"I'm sorry," Zenith mumbled, pulling his arm around her. She still had

the coat on, but Baxter had not humanized himself yet. Better to bear that

ungodly resemblance while he was still among the aliens.

They took an elevator down the ground floor. The building Baxter

lived in was pre-Invasion, and had served the same purpose before and after

the Invasion: luxury condos, the difference being that now they were

inhabited by aliens. The lobby was still in good condition, although altered

to alien tastes. At the door was a security guard, alien of course.

"Mr. Ciccone, where are you going?" he asked. It had been years since

Baxter moved in here, and the guard still couldn't pronounce his Italian

surname. "Who is this you're with?"

"I'm going to that Kosar restaurant with my new slave here. Nothing wrong

with that, ey?" Baxter responded in the alien tongue.

"You, with a slave?" the guard commented.

"Yeah."

"Then I guess Lorthaxer was wrong. Perhaps you are letting go of your

petty so-called human side after all!" the guard smiled.

Baxter nodded and led Zenith out the exit. "Perhaps, kind sir. Perhaps."

=#=

Zenith looked up at his face. "Thank you." she whispered. She knew it was inadequate but that was all she could say. The muscles in her cramped wings ached from being confined so close to her body but she welcomed it realizing how stupid she was. They were what reminded her of who she was and where she had come form. They were her heritage. Again she looked up at Baxter’s face and stopped for a second. "Baxter...Master. Where are we going?"

=#=

Vorna lay in the bed with Teskalaren She could feel his restlessness.
She flinched as his hand cupped her tender breast. She moaned softly as
he fingered the tiny clip that was still there. his claws moved slowly
and lightly down her stomach.

"you are different" he rolled her onto her stomach and made lazy circles
on her back. " I know you are not one who prefers woman. Yet you do not
jump like a wounded girl, Your reactions are subtle
and I think that is what I find I like about you. "

"Thank you Master." She knew he wanted her she could feel the desire
and need rising within him. Vorna knew when it came she would be taken
as she had not been taken in a number of years.

He turned her onto her back and was inside her in a matter of seconds.
The cry came from her with no attempt at reserve and her arms and legs
moved instinctively to draw him closer. Like so many of his race he
could perform for a long period of time. When he was finished he lay
with her beside him bruised and spent.

" I was right still waters run deep and they often conceal rip tides. "
You will be my private stock."

=#=

Vorna woke to the sound of Teskalaren’s hand making contact with his
body servant's face. from the red mark but no scratches she realized the
claws had been sheathed. the teenaged boy still lay crumpled at his
feet. She dared to sit up slowly.

"cover yourself. " the furious alien snapped she drew the cover over
herself. "Do you think you can teach this one some manners?" his gaze
was enough to make most people tremble but after last night she knew she
had nothing to fear from this being. "Before I kill him with my own two
hands." there was venom in his tone.

" I can try Master. Though I doubt he will take orders from me. His race
is not inclined to bend to females"

"Do you speak the language?"

"No Master but I think I can make him understand. what I mean." she got
out of bed and put the robe around her. then came over to where the
stripped slave now stood defiantly before Teskalaren.

With out hesitation she went to the door and spoke quietly to her own
servant . The boy came into the room and bowed to Teskalaren but did not
move toward him. He had been given to Vorna who he had very quickly
realized was the Master's favored one. She then motioned for him to
strip which he did quickly. It was very obvious that he was a eunuch.

"Master may I please hold your knife." Vorna knew that the request would
be a real test of where she stood with the prince and that that if he
handed it to her It would mark her position. at once.

Teskaloren looked at her for a second then handed her the weapon hilt
first. She nodded her head and stepped behind the defiant slave.
Reaching out she took his testicles firmly in her hand and told him to
kneel . Her servant did so at once His eyes wide . when the teenager
refused to and started to come around on her Vorna brought her knee up
sharply and the knife down just as swiftly and drew a drop of blood.
There was a tense moment then the boy slowly started to kneel before his
Master. Vorna stepped back her gaze met Teskalaren's she stepped to one
side and flipped the blade of the knife towards her and handed it back
hilt first. She then spoke softly to her servant.

"put on your clothes and go run my bath. "

"Yes Mistress" he fled at once with the news of what he had seen.

"You will join me for the morning meal when you have washed. We have
business to discuss." Teskaloren said firmly.

"Yes Master . ' she turned and left the room at once.

Vorna's hands were shaking when she opened the door to her quarters. She
had done many things in her life but she had never asked one of them for
a weapon. Sweat was pouring off of her when she sank into a chair and put
her hands to her face. "Oh mother of gods i am still alive" she said
under her breath.

=#=

"Sir, the slave Zenith has left the installation. Shall we place Baxter's dwelling under house arrest?"

"No. She will undoubtedly go to him, I ensured his files with personal details were easily found on the computer. With the address she will go to him, and then Baxter will make his foolish decision with his human heart." Lorthaxer spat out the final words in his sentence. "Together they will search out the rebels and go into hiding. All we need do is keep a tail on them. Order the guard at Baxter's to alert us as soon as he is seen to leave."

"But Sir, Baxter may be in disguise?" The guard questioned.

"No, he won't. Baxter will make use of our appearance to assist his early departure. He won't suspect that we already know about Zenith's escape. The fools! Do they really think that you can just stroll out of the HQ's of the Kryonis order, undetected!? I'm afraid the Baxter has allowed this slave's mating potential to cloud his judgement. How human of him." Lorthaxer leered at his counterpart. "Together, they will lead us right to the rebellion outpost. And then I will be there to both re-instate Zenith to her former role, and appoint Baxter his new one..."

=#=

Paulo helped his mistress into the gown that had been brought for her.

It was of beautiful dark green silken cloth. Once it was on and fitted

properly Vorna sat down and let him help her with the soft leather house

shoes as she read the instructions that had also been sent to her. With

care she put her hair up on the top of her head as requested. She looked

down at the boy kneeling by her feet as she felt his lips brush her

ankle. Some where along the line someone had started to train him as a

pleasure slave. She wondered if she might someday finish it. HE would be

willing enough. She stood up and the full skirt of her gown covered his

head and shoulders. She moved carefully and slowly let the cloth go the

length of his body as she walked to the door. As she passed the table

she picked up the long silken sash that lay there and snapping her

fingers brought the boy to stand before her .With gentle hands she

wrapped it twice about his throat. Not so tight that it would choke him

but tightly enough it would stay in place. Then the two end were crossed

on his shoulder and brought down across his body to the opposite hip

there it was again crossed and wrapped three times snuggly around his

waist and then knotted on his hip with the ends falling to touch his

knee.

"Now you are ready to make your appearance. " She touched his cheek and

was surprised when he kissed the palm of her hand. "scoot."

"Yea Mistress!" he raced away.

"As are you." Teskaloren laughed softly.

"Almost that is I wanted to put these on you myself. " He put the dark

green gems in her ears and then slipped his fingers through the well

hidden slits in the front of her dress and exposing her nipples one at a

time placed tiny green gem clips on them. Vorna knew these were not the

temporary ones she had worn before but the permanent ones that would

mark her as his.

"Thank you Master."

Vorna aware that among his people she had been named the erosa of his

house with status only slightly higher then his second wife should he

have one and higher then his first wife in that as erosa she managed

whatever he set her to do among his businesses and would share in the

profits there of.

In the servants mess hall Paulo was being greeted with a bit of shock.

There were those who did not believe what they saw. others laughed

outright not knowing what it meant. The Chief overseer said nothing but

motioned him to the head table. That alone told the others that it was

true and held some rank.

"IS it true that he handed her his knife hilt first. ?" the man asked in

a firm voice.

"Yes. Sir."

"And that she was willing to draw blood for him?"

"she did draw blood for him. Sir"

" I can live with this." He passed a plate of food to Paulo.

=#=

Baxter sat at the bus stop with Zenith, carefully surveying the scene. None of
Lorthaxer's guards were coming in the distance, so all should be well,
right? No, something didn't quite fit. Even as he stretched out on the old
bench, watching the alien masters and their human slaves walk by, something
in the back of his mind screamed out for attention. He tried to find this
thought, dig into his subconscious. Whatever it was, it was very important.
"Slave," he asked Zenith in the most authoritarian voice he knew of (as not
to look suspicious, "how did you find me again?"
"Your files, sir, on the computer."
"Hmm..." Thoughts were coming to Baxter, but not clearly as of yet. "Wait!
Are you a hacker?"
"No! They were in the public files, I assure you," Zenith said, puzzled.
Baxter's mind flipped back to when Lorthaxer hired him, how the evil man had
assured him that all information that personal would be kept confidential,
accessible only by certain codes. But Zenith didn't strike him as someone
who could obtain those codes. No, something was very wrong here. He
remembered accessing those files himself not too long ago, and they said
nothing of his exact address, only the city he lived in. Hmm...
Shining in the morning sunrise was a shiny surface on the roof of the
bus stop. It was a well-hidden camera, just like the kind they used in
convenience stores to catch crooks. But all the cameras in town were
controlled by the Kryonis Order, though, weren't they?
Holy shit, Baxter thought. Lorthaxer, you little bitch!
With precision and skill, he hocked the bubblegum he had been chewing right
on the camera lens, spreading it with his hand so nothing could be seen
through it.
"Okay," he told Zenith. "The assholes should be here within five minutes."
"What?!"
Baxter took her wrist and dragged her to a back alley and made her hold up
one side of her coat for him to hid behind. He put on his human makeup, the
whole nine yards, and tried to fit a fedora hat over the bun he had made of
his ponytail hair in his otherwise bald head. When it didn't fit, he cut it
off and put the hair in his cosmetics bag so it wouldn't be found.
Zenith was surprised that one who was so nervous at taking a knife to her
could chop off a foot and a half of himself so casually, but did not waver
as she hid his form from the world. "Master," she asked, "what are you
doing?"
"It seems my plans on going human might have to come about prematurely."
"But how will you survive?"
Baxter sighed and stood up, so human-looking she would not have believed
that just a couple of minutes ago he was a bigger freak than she. "Better
than I would have as the face that everyone knows."

=#=

"But Master. I know I have little knowledge of walking freely about or even
being out but wouldn't two humans walking together done a street where
almost all humans are slaves seem more.... noticeable." the look he gave her
quelled her. She shrugged "I said I really don't know." she looked over her
shoulder and suddenly pressed up against him with the wall at his back and
kissed him. It was very quick but sweet and finally she pulled away "I
sorry. I saw... I saw a uniformed alien." she was blushing, although she had
been used as a pleasure slave she wasn't used to making advances and she was
embraced at being to well, fast.

=#=

"Um, okay!" Baxter exclaimed. He pulled back from her as the guard passed
them. "That was somewhat interesting..."
Zenith nervously laughed. "Oh, I didn't turn you on with that, did I?
Honest, it didn't mean anything."
"No, no, it didn't, don't worry." Baxter said. "I'm sterile, never got urges
like that in my life."
"What?"
"Yeah. The offspring of two separate species will often be that way, unable
to reproduce with no wish to do so. What, did you think that only applied to
animals?" he explained.
It was ironic that even though he now donned the appearance of a human, he
seemed more alien to Zenith than before. Just that concept, that there was
one person, one male, in this world who actually had no interest in sex or
romance, it was too strange for her to comprehend. She barely noticed the
alien guards storming the empty bus stop where they had been only moments
before. "So what is it? Are you gay then?"
Baxter laughed at the stupidity of what she said. "No, I don't go for boys.
I don't go for girls either. I don't go for anything... Besides, imagine if
it wasn't like this, and I did happen to pass my genes onto someone else. No
god is cruel enough to let something like me come about again." He knew
these words seemed self-depreciating, yet they also affirmed his faith in
the fact that world might not be as mad as it seemed.
The guards left the bus stop, and while they walked back to their station, one
of them was overheard saying, "Damnit, that half-human sonovabitch escaped
us!" to which another guard responded, "Aw, don't worry. He'll be found
eventually, especially with that new guy they hired. You know the one?
Teskalaren? He should be here within three days, I think..."

=#=

Zenith heard the name and knew it had some significance in her mind but she was too
churned up to think about it. "Do you think your alone? Look at me Baxter.
Your not the only 'freak' as they call you." the feathers on her wings
fluffed up with anger and the coat lifted slightly. She ignored it "At least
you know about who and what you came from. All I know about my people is
what my brother taught me." she suddenly stuttered "I mean.. I mean about
mutants I mean." she shook her head and closed her mouth. She then resolutely
looked up "I worry about passing my genes onto a child maybe they will be
deformed, maybe they won't. My former Master" she spat the word as if it was
venomous "Was very lax with the bitter liquid that kept me form child. many
times I would fear I carried a child. You see when our two races combine the
child is with the mother for the normal human time as my people are much
longer carrying it. The child of my race is born with speech and sight. I
fear I would have maybe what you are or perhaps a cross between both races.
So maybe you are not alone in your fears. At least you would know any child
you fathered would be free. Mine would be enslaved." she looked away after
this to the retreating guards not looking for a reaction on Baxter's face.
Finally she spoke more softly "Sorry Master I had no right to speak as I
did."

=#=

Vorna sat beside Teskalaren as he spoke with his officers. Their gazes

kept flickering to the woman at his side. There was a subtle elegance

about her that transcended she was obviously property even if she had

earned the place of erosa in their leader's household.

Several of them knew she was far more knowledgeable about the things

being discussed then the others thought. Her gaze drifted up as another

man entered the room. She did a doubletake as the stocky man took one of

the remaining seats

"I am sorry to be late your highness."

"Did you get it?"

'Yes sir and it has been refitted already , your highness"

"And what did you have to give for It?"

"Those two thousand cases of canned fish we have in the aft compartment

Sir."

'l can live with that deal." It is still good and they can use it.

"The craft is one I know the erosa can fly as I taught her to fly

one like it myself"

"Good then we will discuss this further and hour before the midday

meal.

Yes Your Highness.

=#=

Teskalaren observed Vorna as she ate her meal. She was human, and thus would
never carry his child. It would be a tragedy if she did so. No, he needed a
true heir, from royal alien blood on both sides. He was a prince and it was
his duty to keep the line pure. Of course, a prince's firstborn did
automatically become heir to the throne, and he didn't have one of those
yet, did he?
Every night the baby's cries reverberated in his sleep, Baxter's first
breath as both parents had no clue what to do and thus ran away, disowning
the problem altogether. An odd genetic feature in Teskalaren's bloodline was
that everyone in it could remember as far back as their birth, and he often
wondered if this person remembered his. Was that child still living, even?
Of course, that question had been answered last week, when one of his
employees had shown him the file on some earthling he was supposed to help
search for: Half-alien, and twenty-six earth years old. Born in St.
Augustine.
He knew it was too much to be coincidence. Like it or not, Baxter was the
future king of Kosar.

=#=

Teskalaren knew that even though he was only the third son he had to
have an heir in case his elder brother did not.

He had seen the surprised look on Vorna's face when Belo had come into
the meeting room. Know she understood how he knew so much about her. The
look had been one of surprise but not loathing. They had obviously
survived their time together better then most persons survived time with
Belo The old tyrant had a quick hand and an even quicker tongue and his
bark could definitely be worse then his bite. But one thing was very
true if he told you something about a person's abilities to fly a craft
or care for one you could take it as absolute truth. He had been right
about Vorna in other ways too.

Vorna moved along with the others as they left the dining hall and the
invited ones headed towards the private sala. She started to turn the
other way but was stopped by a clawed hand on her arm. She looked up
into Belo's good eye

"We are even woman" The voice was hard but there was no malice in it.

"Yes. For as long as this lasts"

"It will last a lifetime woman."

"Nothing this good ever lasts long my lord."

"This will. I know him." he walked on ahead with those going to the
private sala

"Goddess let him be right." the words were a mere breath of sound as she
headed toward her own quarters.

=#=

That night when Vorna came to the private sala she found Teskalaren in
the little office that opened off of it. He had dismissed his personal
servant and was quietly reading some papers. He did not hear her enter
the room until he heard the soft rustle of her robe.
"What are you doing here" He snapped at her.

"Master told me to come at this time." She had stepped back a pace at
his rage.

He looked up at the digital and sighed. He had been at this far longer
then he realized. With care he began to put things away.

"So I did. Go get in bed I will be there soon.

"yes Master."

Vorna sighed and went to the bedroom and after removing the robe got
into bed. She tried to keep awake but dosed off to be wakened as
Teskalaren entered her body. He was far from gentle driving into her
with a force she had never felt before. There were tears in her eyes
when he eased back and looked down at her face. His hand moved roughly
across her tender breasts and she cried out once more. He smiled and
finished with her. Then he rolled over onto his back and waited for her
to move. When she did he drew her body against his and lay there. for
quite some time before speaking and then what he said made her
understand everything.

"I think i well be seeking my own son on this one.'

=#=

"Sir, we've lost communication with camera 102A, vision has been
obscured."

Lorthaxer pondered momentarily. "I assume that the camera is situated in
the region Baxter was last sighted?"

"Affirmative, Sir."

Lorthaxer stroked his chin with his hand, the feel of the gauntlet rough
against his skin. "Contact the group leader of detachment Alpha 17, I
want a report."

The guard responded immediately, fingers danced across a keypad; "Group
leader on-line Sir."

"Atrolmir, report."

"Sir, as you dictated we have made the convincing raid on Baxter's last
reported sighting. He made off with the slave minutes before we arrived.
They surely must have seen us, they had not gone far."

"Excellent. Baxter will assume we intended to capture them both, a
logical conclusion, however masking our real intentions. Have repairs to
the camera made, continue a convincing looking sweep of the immediate
area. I want it to appear as routine as normal. Send a team to
investigate Baxter's flat." Lorthaxer allowed himself a gloating smile
across his lips as he issued the commands. So far all was going to plan,
nicely.

"Sir, we've picked up the trace signal from the slave."

Oh yes, all was going to plan, right down to the bug, implanted into
Zenith's brain. The stupid slave knowing nothing of it's existence under
her thick skull, sending out it's betraying message for all the Kryonis
order to hear.

"Continue to monitor their movements closely from this station. Keep all
units away from their immediate area, give them room, but don't break
any of the routine occupation marches. Keep all as it should be, let
them lead us to those that would offer them sanctuary." Lorthaxer turned
sharply and returned to his office.

=#=

"Ah, Teskalaren!" Lorthaxer greeted the videoscreen in his office. "I take
it you are well and the journey is going nicely?"
"It is," the prince responded. "I shall arrive soon, and am looking forward
to helping you in your search."
"You read all that I gave you on Baxter, right?" Lorthaxer asked.
"Yes. It's, um, quite interesting."
"Never seen a freak like that before, have you? Ha! Well, he still was a
good worker, before SHE made him go astray. Nice kid, had a lot of
potential. I must say, I'm not going to like putting him in the tech
fields," Lorthaxer commented.
This concept started Teskalaren to the point that he found it hard to keep
his composure, and thus said, "What?"
"Oh, I'm sorry. I know your taste runs to public executions, but if Baxter
finds the rebel human colonies for us, we're willing to go light on him."
"What if I took him up?" Teskalaren suggested cautiously.
"As a servant? Oh, I've heard of the nasty things you've done to them. Sure,
take him! I don't care. He's proved his disloyalty and is of no use to me
anymore."
"Well, then, I'll look forward to finding him," Teskalaren said before
signing off. As he did so, he wondered, Why did custom have to make the
criminal he was chasing an heir to the throne, and why did fate have to make
Baxter his son as well?

Meanwhile, Baxter and Zenith were slowly making their journey into the human
underground. Baxter was unaware that he instead of running away, he could
take up being royalty if he just stayed in one place long enough for them to
find him, if he could only acknowledge the one thing he hated about
himself...

=#=

When Baxter approached the office building for the Coca Cola Corporation, it
was not without some large amount of trepidation. Like lots of other
pre-Invasion buildings, it was abandoned, left to the wilderness of the
weeds and the ravages of rain during the winter. Every floor was empty, save
for one, the first floor, which was part of the passage that Baxter would
have to take to reach the underground entrance into the Place of Free
Humans.
"Well, what is it?" Zenith asked. "You said this was the way, right? Then
let's go."
Baxter nodded and they entered the building. The lobby was empty, but he
knew that the door beyond it to the office was not. Yet he would have to
walk through that door anyway, so he inhaled and moved forward. He opened
the door.
Inside was a scene that puzzled Zenith: it was a typical early 21st-century
office, with cubicles and computers all lined up in a row. The room was
still lit, and seemed to be filled with employees. Upon further observation
at the fact that they were not moving, Zenith remarked, "Oh, mannequins. Is
this some sort of museum display to remind the aliens of what they
conquered?"
"They're not mannequins," Baxter said.
"What?"
"They're people, or at least used to be. Now they're corpses."
"What?!"
"This was an early experiment in biological warfare for the aliens. Some
alien solder's son was playing around with some weaponry and happened upon
this office at the beginning of the invasion. He sprayed stilyo gas into it.
That made all the people become frozen and dead before the nerves to the
brain even realized what was going one. They didn't even see the basterd,"
he explained.
"But they aren't slumped over or anything!" Zenith protested, desperately
trying not to believe him.
"Well, they're frozen, that's why. See that guy over in that cubicle. Black
curly hair, red tie? Apparently he was typing up something when it hit."
Baxter walked over for a closer look. "The letter k, it seems." The computer
still had power going to it, and currently had pages of "kkkkk...." on the
word processor, up to page 57,459.
Zenith curled up against him and shrieked. She looked up at the blonde
secretary next to her, midstep in the pink high heels, feet eternally glued
to the floor. Her skin looked alright, but the slightly open mouth smelled
of death.
Suddenly, her coat broke apart as Zenith's wings involuntarily shot out and
she screamed. Baxter found it very hard to keep himself from doing the same.
"It's okay, they can't hurt you. They're just corpses, no different from a
cemetery."
Zenith tried to dart for the entrance, but Baxter grabbed her hand and
stopped her. "We've got to go through here, alright?" He forcefully led her
past the death, past the thirty year old taking a quick glance at a photo of
his newborn daughter, past the woman looking at an internet site that no
longer existed, past some guy bounding to the copy machine, past everything
that now only existed when time could stand still forever.
Finally they exited the office room and found the stairs behind it. They
walked down the stairs and found what seemed to be an underground passage,
to behold the entrance to the Place of the Free Humans at last.

=#=

Zenith is still shaking. She can remember still that smell from the women. That smell was terrifying. She remembered it very much form her parents
and her brother and many other people. She stayed huddled against Baxter. She
'looked' through the door and 'saw' many humans dong obscure things and bustling
about many different thoughts in their heads. It was overwhelming. She
quickly pulled back her 'mind' and looked up at Baxter "I don't what to go
in" he looked down at her with surprise. "What?" She looked back at the door.
"i don't want to go in. I've never been around so many people and I don't
have complete control over my... abilities. Their are a lot of people in
there. It would.. overwhelm me."

=#=

"You're afraid that you can't hide what you are. Fine, borrow my coat and cover them," Baxter offered, before being interrupted by a human guard.

"Stop!" he said. "Stop what you're doing. Hand me that coat. He turned to the others behind him. "Strip search!" Immediately, five humans of both genders and all builds crowded around them in a semicircle, taking clothing to check it for weapons and such. Zenith sat in such a way that her back was right up against the wall, so her wings, as long as they stayed folded tight, were not found. Baxter, however, had a different problem. "Give me the hat," the guard said.

"Please, no," Baxter responded feebly. He knew that refusing would only make him look more suspicious, so he took off the hat. He had not put makeup on that part of the skull, and even if he had, the strips of raised silver skin would have shown through anyway. "Uuuuh...." the guards gasped in one collective breath, followed by a quick succession of "Omigods!!!"

"And you wondered why I didn't want to take off the friggin' hat!" Baxter exclaimed. "But Baxter, I thought you said they knew you!" Zenith cried.

"Yeah, some of them know me. Not this sector, though." Then he faced the humans who were trying to figure out whether to kick his ass or not. "Fellow humans, allow me to introduce myself. I am Baxter Ciccone, translator for Lorthaxer of the Kryonis Order and informant for various human freedom-fighting groups," Baxter said, trying to calm down the humans. "And this is Zenith, body servant to Lorthaxer. Oh, excuse me, FORMER servant." It suddenly seemed like the time when Saddie's crackwhore mother had broken into their shared apartment some years ago, pre-Invasion. She was in the process of trying to find her daughter so she could make up with her (at eight in the morning, was it? Some ungodly hour), but as she had never been in the two friends' home before, opened Baxter's bedroom door instead. It was Ms. Cap's scream that awoke him and Saddie in the next room. The entire morning was trying to revive her from the drug-induced aneurysm (heart attack), but to no avail. In the end, it was simply seeing Baxter that had killed her. He never would forgive himself for that.

"Baxter, hmm..." the human raised a curious eyebrow. "Say, you know a guy named Tony Chino?

"Who do you think got him the X57 codes?" Baxter responded.

"That was you?" the guard woman from behind asked.

Baxter nodded, and motioned to Zenith. I think we're in, he thought.

Zenith did as she was told, tightly folding her wings. But the shirt that she had been wearing was ripped open in the back, and she could not hide them any longer. Sooner or later, the truth would have to come. She sighed as they saw the white, the feathers, the peak of something strange. Baxter noticed this and scanned the other people, who now seemed to trust him.

"It's okay," he said.

The thoughts were getting too myriad, and more numerous than before. It put Zenith's mind in a state of claustrophobia and almost suffocated her. Quickly, she said, "I'm sorry," and ran out of the passage. It was the last Baxter would ever see of her.

=#=

Zenith ran and kept running. the thoughts of the people flashed through her
head making her feel unable to breath. Many were so cruel about her or
Baxter it was tearing at her. She had never been in something like this. She
came to the people standing there like mannequins. She prayed their last
thoughts didn't linger in their frozen minds. The normality of them would
be so... heart tearing. She saw the stairs to the left of the man holding
the picture of his baby who was most likely now long dead or a slave. She
followed them up occasionally having to jump up across parts which had rotted
away. She didn't notice each time her wings gave a flutter and helped her
across. Baxter was still in her thoughts. She thought of many he would be
o.k. After all he was useful to the human. She was too obvious to be
useful. Finally she came to a door which hang on it's hinges she shoved at
it with her shoulder until it was open enough for her to squeeze through.
She walked onto the roof. She didn't know what to do. She want to the edge
and sat on it looking down on the streets below. Her excellent balance kept her
poised there. She looked out over the city the aliens had taken over and
watched until it became dark. Still she sat there not knowing. She was lost
feeling all the humans fears and pain being channeled through her unable to
break from it. The entire human slave and free population's grief and despair
flowed through her. She sat still and let it.

=#=

"Your Heir, Master" she lay there and felt the tension waves going
through his body.

The royal heir at this point as my brother has no offspring."

"Master may I ask a question of personal status?"

"Do so."

"Why have you never married.?"

"I have never found anyone of the proper rank I ever thought I could
live with. Nor had I found the right being to ease my frustrations
should I take a wife. Until now that is."

"Who might that be Master?"

"you " He stroked her body. I need a female to serve me in bed but also
one with enough sense to deal with other things for me . I have a
business that Needs a woman's touch in many ways but the touch of a
woman who will not melt at a mere word. "You are the one I have been
seeking as my agent. I have a pleasure ship. and I need to have someone
to run it knowing that there is more there then the way for person's to
fill their sexual desire. Many deals in my business may be struck in
such a place."

Master needed a person whom he controls yet knows the trading business
and can speak that language as well."

"We understand each other." He let his hand trail down her stomach.
'tomorrow you will go to a market and choose six men and six women to
train as pleasure slaves for my clients."

"Yes Master.

'by the way the boy is also to be trained but for your personal use
there are times when you will need him to relax you. "

"thank you Master'

I am sure you speak truth she sighed.

=#=

The nest morning Vorna was dressed in a flight suit and waiting when
Teskalaren came to the flight bay. the craft was a medium sized trader's
transport good for moving merchandise one did not want beamed. She
followed the alien's tall figure inside and went to the controls when he
motioned her to. She noted that the ship had a few added items for
protection.

"I have been told you can fly one of these."

"Yes master I can"

"then lets be off."

Twenty minutes later they were entering the main complex where
Teskalaren and Lorthaxer would meet. He had not told the other he would
be there today. His pass cleared a path directly to Lorthaxer’s door
and he rapped sharply before walking in. Vorna had not been given a
signal to wait so stepped in with him.

Teskalaren saw the look of surprise on the other beings face. "Rank doth
have some privileges. " He said quietly as he strode towards the desk
and held out his hand.

"What is the human doing here.?" the sharp voice asked.

"My servant and assistant needs to know what is going on as I will be
making use of her on this mission at least part of the time."

"I do not approve"

"You sent for me to do this and I will implement the methods I feel will
work. and the use of this one on a part time basis is part of that
implementation. "

"Who has checked her out"

"one of your own who has known her for years and known me even longer.
Belo by name."

"We shall see."

=#=

Lorthaxer moved toward Vorna with a quickness that surprised both

Teskalaren and herself. She however moved just as quickly and avoided

his first grab. As she did Teskalaren stepped between them and Lorthaxer

came down with a cutting grip on his arm. They froze as two officers

moved forward. AT the same moment Vorna drew a small but deadly weapon

and held it where all could see. Her voice was very soft as she spoke to

Lorthaxer.

"I am marked and tagged my lord and thus have permission to carry and

use this in defense of a member of the royal family. And I will use it

with out any regard to myself so remove your hand or die."

At that moment Belo entered the room. He took in the situation at a

glance and laid a hand firmly on Lorthaxer's arm. "Withdraw sir. You do

not wish to do this. It would not only mean your career but your life."

Lorthaxer removed his hand from the prince's arm and watched as the

slave put her dagger away. Once more she stepped back to lean against the

wall Teskalaren felt the alertness that was now triggered in his slave

and guarding his back.

Belo felt a pride in the woman who had once been the girl he had

trained. She was one of the few humans he had been permitted by the king

to train. and program to defend the members of the royal house. There

were only a few of them and she had been the first. and was now the

oldest and was also the only one to be activated and she had stood her

ground against the toughest being known in the empire.

"I am sorry I was late getting here My Lords. "Belo stated as the two

men moved to chairs on opposite sides if the desk." I got held up by the

guards that Our prince was able to move through so quickly " he laughed

his raspy laugh.

"We have met with out your introduction " Teskalaren said quietly.

"Yes" Lorthaxer agreed . He was none to happy with the meeting . this

prince was a power to be reckoned with where his brother was a weakling.

It was a pity this one was not the ascendant to the throne. He found a

grudging respect growing inside him for the man. He had read of the

experiment that had been done to train some of the humans as guards of

the royals . HE had not thought it wise then and now he had met one face

to face he liked it even less. But it was something the superiors wanted

in place. HE knew he did not like this one.

=#=

"So Teskalaren, you are familiar with the mission objectives? We have all the intelligence reports for you perusal."

Teskalaren nodded affirmatively toward Lorthaxer. He knew not to underestimate this man, many when first meeting Lorthaxer could be misled by his size. Lorthaxer had obvious physical strength, and many would assume that his intellect suffered, a natural supposition. However Lorthaxer had the intellect to match his brawn, an intelligence that was as finely honed as the muscles in his arms.

"We know where that escapees have gone. Both have vanished into this sector." Lorthaxer displayed the details on the holographic map that now occupied the space between them. "The building is deserted, except for some human corpses. Either they have sought shelter, or this could be the breakthrough we've been waiting for. I want you to proceed to this sector and establish whether this is indeed the entrance to a rebellion base camp. You will be the team's leader, naturally, your human slave if you feel the need for protection from such " Lorthaxer's statement dripped with sarcasm. "and a man I have personally assigned, you may add any additional personal you think you'll require."

"You've assigned another?" Teskalaren queried.

"Yes, his name is Gorkolen, he is a new recruit to the Kryonis order, very promising. I have personally overseen much of his training, this mission will do him good." Lorthaxer displayed a sense of pride about the man.

"Very well, I will meet him later." Teskalaren knew better than to argue the point. The Kryonis order would not send a team without one of their agents reporting back directly to Lorthaxer. This Gorkolen would have to join them, like it or not.

The Kryonis order was a strange organization, technically whilst not being above the law, it was. And officially it was answerable to the government, but it wasn't. The Kryonis secret service was a law unto itself, and it served the entire race, without concern for political agenda. Lorthaxer knew his power and position only too well, and could exercise it with a whim. But now was not the time, they must all work together for the common goal. The end of the rebellion.

=#=

Vorna watched the two men as the discussed who would and would not go on the mission. She knew that Teskalaren was uneasy as he had a right to be. She was also aware of the fact he was hurt. She knew he was keeping his arm below the desk for a reason . Once outside the building she would have to try and do something about it. But for now she needed to think as is if she were that arm.

The new man was introduced to Teskalaren. He was young and eager to please his superior. HE was either going to make things very difficult or be their unknowing ally. If that was the case it would take some real work to accomplish it. She had experience dealing with these people and she knew this time everything she knew would be needed.

Her mind also told her two things either Lorthaxer's people were unable to do this one for some reason or it was a set up to get rid of the prince. She would have to work as if both were the case. As property she had been in the middle of things before But these were very high stakes.

=#=

Zenith didn't know how long she sat there letting the deep underlying
emotions sweep her. She was shaken from it by something itching in her mind.
It wasn't the peoples minds It was something. Else She was very aware of
everything and this was something touching her mind. She suddenly had the
impulse to run. And keep running. Way she didn't know she just had to. She
stood quickly and ran down the steps again jumping the holes. Past the
people out the front door. She kept running. If she fell she stood up again
and kept going. Tears streaked her face but she barely noticed them. She was
pushed by all the minds around her. Finally she fell hard in a dark ally. She
lay there, her wings draped around her to the ground. She looked everything
like a wounded bird. Exhausted, worn and unable to go further. She lay there
feeling the touch and the minds, Some how she had dampened the effect it had
but they were still there.

=#=

It was some ungodly hour when it happened. In the basement of the building,
below the frozen office, the majority of the human rebels (about thirty in
all) slept while one or two kept guard. The place was cold and dark
underground, but it was safe, at least to Baxter. He curled up under the
ratty sheets they had given him, dreaming of this recurring fantasy where
the Invasion never happened, he had not an ounce of alien blood in him, and
was also a rich playboy with plenty of libido in Europe.

They stormed in with no warning, and the guards could do nothing to stop the
aliens. Suddenly, Baxter was awoken by the sounds of gunfire. He looked
around and his first thoughts were, "Oh shit!" before stumbling out of bed
and, weaponless and without a strength comparable to his adversary's, he did
the only thing possible: ran.

But where to run? Everywhere there was gunfire. People were being shot to
all sides of him. The cavernous room was devoid of any substantial
furniture, so crawling behind something would have been ludicrous. It was
with this resolution that Baxter found one of the last men standing,
shooting rounds from his old gun like there was no tomorrow. Of course, as
he knew nothing of where an alien's vital parts were, he failed miserably.

"Let me," Baxter said, and took the gun. He shot the alien agent before him
with one bullet, to the elbow. It was fatal, of course, but the man Baxter
had tried to protect was shot from the side anyway. And within moments,
Baxter was the only one left standing. He didn't even notice that they had
never shot at him in the first place, though, as he was scared shitless
beyond shitless. But even in this state of mind he knew that as the storm
settled, it was only the calm before the hurricane to follow.

As the smoke settled, the alien's two leaders walked through: Lorthaxer and
Teskalaren. Baxter looked at the first with recognition and this eerily
strong sense of shame. He didn't recognize the second one though, which was
kind of sad in a sense; if he had known that Teskalaren was his father,
perhaps he wouldn't have reacted to them as he did.

Teskalaren met Baxter's eyes and was surprised at the anger in them. Of
course, the fact that Baxter seemed to play a staring contest with everyone
who looked into his eyes was kind of unnerving as well.

Do you know who I am? Teskalaren thought. You should cry like a baby and
thank god for me being here. Look, after all this time, you finally have
some family... but perhaps it wouldn't go so well, would it? No, I have
wronged him, in more ways than one. I wish I could make it up to him. And
God, he's a freak here. Well, maybe he'd be a freak on Kosar as well, but at
least on Kosar he'd be royalty so nobody would give him crap about it. Oh
God, Baxter, please don't look at me like this!

Baxter addressed Lorthaxer with some good-ish amount of boldness and asked,
"So what do we do now? Do I become a slave or do you just kill me right off?
Come on, you know I don't give a damn!"

"Neither, sadly enough," Lorthaxer said. "Prince Teskalaren here seems to
want you for a servant instead. Don't know why, given the stupid, stupid
thing you just did... well, anyhoo, here's you pleasure slave, Teskalaren.
Abuse him as you see fit!"

Not seeing any reason why not interrupting this would hurt him, Baxter
blurted out, "Um, if you don't mind me saying, I'd make a pretty sucky
pleasure slave."

"Oh, yes," Lorthaxer said, "I forgot, Baxter, you are sterile and potent as
a dead fish, aren't you?"

"Damn straight."

What?! Teskalaren thought, letting none of this emotion pass on his face.
The heir's sterile? Nothing on the throne after him? Well, at least if I
have a son, I have some leverage to take the crown from my asshole brother.
The future? Oh, that can take care of itself so long as nobody knows about
this.

Like cattle, Baxter allowed the prince to lead him out of the building and
onto the spaceship. But no one was sexually assaulting him yet, so he was
still better off than he was during his childhood on the streets. And he had
lived through that in one piece, didn't he?

=#=

Once aboard the small craft. Baxter was surprised to she a human at the
controls. He watched as she piloted the craft expertly out of the area.
Within seconds they were out of earth’s atmosphere and Baxter was getting
his first look at space. The pilot spoke quietly to him. "put that
harness around yourself."

Baxter did as he was told He was trying to figure out her accent as he
did so. She spoke the alien tongue as if from long use. His gaze was
drawn to the earrings she wore and he was struck by their obvious
quality. This was not a Terran human and she held some rank among
slaves at least. If indeed she was even a slave.

"how is your arm Master?" Her voice was respectful as she spoke to
Teskalaren.

"Frankly it hurts like hell" he replied sharply.

"There were no implants put in but he did come close to the main artery.
The scan shows no foreign substance or any kind of alien germs"

"You take care of it when we get aboard the Krystoleta."

"Yes master. "

The attack on his person by the secret serviceman had unnerved him a
bit. He found at this point the only one he was willing to trust was his
slave. He had never been in such a situation before. Putting this much
trust in a human. But she had already proved her loyalty to him in a
way non other had ever done.

Baxter looked around at the other passengers on the craft They were all
human and between sixteen and twenty or so. They were a rather scroungey
looking group. HE had a feeling the woman was at least twice that age.

suddenly there was a hard thrust back against the seat and they seemed
to be several places at once and there before them was a huge craft that
had not been there before. Baxter and the others had experienced their
first ride in a jump ship. He had heard of such things but had found the
tales hard to believe.

=#=

They docked with the other craft and several of the crew came forward to
take charge of the cargo. Teskalaren gave a few quick orders and then
headed towards his own quarters. once there he sank into his favorite
chair and let himself drift as Vorna tended to the wound. She worked in
silence and he felt the warmth as her hand moved over it. Cleaning with
the antiseptic and healing at the same time. He drifted off to sleep and
woke some time later to find Vorna sitting on the floor across from him.
she had changed into one of her green dresses. HE sent for the Slave
Baxter as her slowly ate the meal that had been brought to him.

Baxter and the others had been herded into sonic showers to cleanse
themselves and then were given new clothes. They were cut in such a way
as to show off the wearers' body. Tight with almost see through
construction. the foot wear was very simple soft slippers. Baxter had
not felt so revealed since his early life in St Augustine. The seven of
them were given a remarkably satisfying meal followed by a very bitter
drink. He noted that one of their caretakers made note of this fact.

Baxter was then escorted into a small room and told to wait. A few
minutes later the human woman came through a door and faced him. She was
now dressed in the deep green he wore but in a rich silken cloth.

"You are Baxter. " she said in a well modulated voice. " THE one he was
hired to capture." She shook her head slowly. "I wonder why you are
considered worth so much trouble."

=#=

"I have no idea why they wanted me except that Lorthaxer figured I was
helping the freedom fighters but you would not know anything of that.
Would You?" Baxter was a not pulling any punches with her. He considered
her a traitor.

"Who knows what I know." Vorna replied. "He wishes to see you." She led
the way into the sala and at Teskalaren's nod sat down in the chair at
his desk.

Baxter stood there in the center of the room. He felt very exposed in
front of this man. He had not felt like this since he was a kid. It was
a feeling that did not set well with him. For half an hour The older man
grilled him as Vorna took notes. He found it hard to understand why this
man was so interested in him. Especially in his childhood. What did that
matter except for some form of torture later.

"Vorna"

"Master?"

"You will run a sperm count on all of the males tonight before the
bitter wine takes effect."

"Yes master" she stood up "Do you want me to take it on this one here.?"

"you may as well". He leaned back as she went for a vial and collection
kit.

"You will not find anything " Baxter stated.

"Let's just say I want to see her work on you." he chuckled

Ten minutes later Baxter was about ready to buckle at the knees. For the
first time in his life he had been stimulated. and been able to give a
sample. Vorna had not even tried to do it as a terran would she had
stroked the veins in his neck until he was totally insane. She was
laughing outright when she showed him to his bunk and shut him in.

"Rest well Baxter. " she said quietly. "Pray this test turns out
positive."

"Why should I care. I am not going to be a stud slave by any means"

"Not if the results are positive." She left him to ponder her words.

=#=

Vorna was tired but she could not sleep. Teskalaren had wished to rest
alone that night so she had been released form her duties early. There
was a lot on her mind as she made her way to one of the observation
rooms and sat down. Her gaze was focused on the distant freeport base.
She saw a craft enter the ranks of the merchants and did a double take
when she saw the license number was of her own family. She closed her
eyes and a single tear fell as she remembered her father.

She had been there for a while when a messenger brought her a note from
the ship's doctor. She read it carefully then got up and went to
Teskalaren's office and left it on his desk all it said was that all
four of the males tested positive for being able to produce. She
proceeded to her own quarters and roused the sleepy Paulo to help her
out of the dress. She felt his lips gently touch her shoulder as he
lifted the dress over her head. HE looked like a mere child but in truth
was 18 years old and had been considered an adult by imperial law for
six years.

His kind were bred to please the sexual desires of well born ladies
whose mates were not always in the mood for them. Teskalaren had said he
was giving her Paulo because there would be times when she needed him.
Tonight was one of those nights.

Without letting herself think of it any longer she positioned him and
gave him his first order as a pleasure slave. Within a matter of minutes
she knew he was going to be one of exceptional quality. his eagerness to
please her sent her to a glorious state of pleasure that rivaled what
she and Teskalaren could do for each other but this was at her control
and would always be so. she lay back on the bed and drew Paulo down to
lay next to her. She drifted off to a relaxed and content sleep.

=#=

Paulo lay beside his mistress and trembled. He had not been so
frightened since the day he had been herded into one of the pens and
evaluated for the first time. Deemed sale quality he was neutered and
sent on for basic training before the big sale. Not a perfect specimen
he had not been sold directly to one of the big houses but instead
purchased by a procurer along with several others.

He had learned to give baths and act as a body servant but had never
been used for what he had been bred for. The last couple of weeks he had
begun to feel the strong urges to give service to this woman who was so
kind to him. But he did not know what to do or if it would be accepted.
She had not rebuked his small advances nor had she encouraged them. It
was a limbo of no purpose.

Now as he lay here beside her he understood the inner core of himself
that 200 generations of selective breeding had produced. She could ask
him to do anything now and he would without hesitation. Even if it meant
serving another but he was hers. and would always be hers. He settled in
and slept a whole being for the first time in his life. A small sigh
escaped him as one of her hands moved to rest on his hip.

=#=

In spite of all this underlying fear Baxter had on this new planet, he
slept. But his dreams were a new source of stress, no better than the real
world. Forget traveling to a new planet when the only other country he had
ever been to was Cuba. Forget that for the first time in his life he had
experienced a sexual pleasure he never thought possible, or for that matter,
sexual pleasure at all. Forget that the lab was currently running tests on
his semen, which could disprove what Baxter had clung to all his life (his
sterility). Forget everything.

No. Something in his subconscious, which was only allowed to speak while the
body slept, said that something was not only amiss, but amiss in some truly
amazing ways.

Like in a lot of his other dreams, the setting was another planet, and
Baxter was a human named Luke Skywalker. It was just another hero fantasy
that Baxter, while denying them in his waking hours, indulged in nightly.
This dream was a scene taken directly from "The Empire Strikes Back", where
Luke confronted Darth Vador, who turned out to be his father. The revelation
was even more powerful than Luke being maimed afterward, but it was Vador's
offer that resonated most in Baxter's mind: "Join me and we can rule the
universe together, father and son!"

Suddenly, the traitor bitch slave awoke him. "The tests came in.. asshole."
She grabbed his arms and pulled him from the bed into a standing position. It
was only Baxter's tiredness that prevented him from instinctually fighting
back.

"Um, okay, what did they say?" Baxter asked.

"You're probably the only guy I've felt up who CAN'T get me pregnant. Might
as well be another woman," Vorna replied.

"Thank you," Baxter smiled, taking a small amount of pleasure in pissing off
the traitor. Sometimes, being sterile was actually a good thing.

"Oh, wipe that dumb smile off your face. Teskalaren wants to see you again,
and for some reason I think that if you don't wipe it off now he's going to
do it for you."

"With his hand?" Baxter said, not smiling anymore but trying to comprehend
the nature of this meeting.

"With his words," Vorna responded.

Baxter was not brought into the office, but a smaller, more luxurious room
with wooden slats sticking out of the steel walls, everything so green it
was enough to make a more sensitive person vomit. An alien living room.

Teskalaren motioned for Baxter to sit across from him, which he did, and
told Vorna to leave the room, which she did. Then he said, "Most of the
people brought in are currently being shown how to work the fields before
they do it themselves in about an hour. Would you like to know why you're
not?"

The feeling Baxter got from Teskalaren almost threw him off. It was not the
contempt he regularly faced, or the coldness he knew from Lorthaxer. This
was a look of care, something verging on love. Nervously, Baxter said, "Yes,
that has crossed my mind."

"It's because you're different from them," Teskalaren said.

No shit! Baxter thought. So what are you then, another Lorthaxer? Okay, I
suppose I can handle that, all things given.

"To clarify," the prince continued, "I must tell you a story. It involves on
rainy night in St. Augustine, what, twenty-three years ago? Do you remember
where you were that night, November 14, 1999?"

"Being born. Um, why do need to ask me that? That information's available on
my public-accessible file, as well as the files Lorthaxer probably gave
you."

"I ask because I was there!" Teskalaren pronounced. "Never even meant to end
up there in the first place, but my navigator was an idiot. I didn't know
that human women didn't have natural contraceptives." Teskalaren observed
Baxter's face go from neutrality to something verging on realization, but he
decided to go on if only to leave no doubt of the fact. "You remember your
birth, don't you? How Madonna screamed as you came into the world, as the
foolish young man that I was ran away. I still remember what she said as I
got the hell out of there: 'Basterd! Basterd!' and I was."

"Jesus..." Baxter mumbled, trying to find the least disturbing thing from
the conversation, mis-hearing what someone had said, and stated it: "I
thought it was 'Baxter'."

"That wasn't even the end of it. If it was, oh god I would be so happy. When
I got back to Kosar, I reported my findings of a new planet, and after a
decade or two, the new king, my brother, decided to use relatively obscure
knowledge and invade it. The invasion was, essentially, my fault. I should
have known that every discovered planet in history was invaded, enslaving
the native population. But they patted me on the back and I enjoyed being
something other than the king's brother. I was young and stupid. Okay, not
very young, but lord knows I was stupid. Still am... but please, Baxter, do
not hate me," Teskalaren said.

"You ruined my world in every way a person can ruin a world."

"But I gave you life!" Teskalaren pleaded.

"Exactly." Baxter silently regarded his mother's rapist with a mixture of
contempt and curiosity. Part of him hated Teskalaren as he hated all
aliens, but another part of him wanted to love him. This was the parent that
had been absent all his life, and something inside him saw that fact and
only that fact. Was that something the heart? He didn't know, as he had long
ago learned to ignore it.

"Fine, hate me. If it comes most naturally to you at the moment, hate me as
you hate your life. It doesn't matter, though, because that last thing could
change right now."

"What in hell are you talking about?" Baxter skeptically asked.

"Let me tell you a little something about Kosar Royalty first. My brother
holds the throne because he is older than me. But he has no children, so
even though he holds it, his position gets weaker as he ages. And King
Larcon, let me tell you, is a very bad king. He works the people on Kosar as
he works the people on Earth, by way of his high taxes and martial policies.
People rebel against him regularly and are killed because of it, but nobody
cares. Larcon, not good," Teskalaren explained.

"But now that you have a heir, you have grounds to take over the throne, and
if not take over the throne, then have me be the next king as opposed to
someone of your brother's choosing, as I am the closest relation. Either way
you've won." Baxter said this all very coldly, still seething at this man
who claimed that by fucking Madonna he automatically deserved a son's love.
But in step with his alien half, he could turn off some emotions and use his
mind to concentrate on something else with ease. "Listen, it is --okay,
was-- my job to know this sort of thing. I read a lot, your literature as
well as Earth's. For such a manipulative and evil race, you can write some
very good violence and sex."

"Well, I have a deal for you, son--"

"Don't call me that!" Baxter spit out.

"Okay then, Baxter. (Baxter Ciccone, if you please.) I have a proposal that
you acknowledge this relationship-- the blood relation, and you certainly
can't deny that --and thus I either take over the throne or have you step up
as king after I assassinate Larcon if he doesn’t step down first."

"So what happens when I don't have a child? My position is then weakened as
Larcon's is now, and chaos starts again when one of his cronies replaces me
somewhere down the road. What then?" Baxter challenged, although finding
logical loopholes like this was really just his intricate way of giving the
one-finger salute to Teskalaren.

"Oh, something will be figured out. Maybe you'll have a queen, and she'll
have a child by another man. That child's still a legitimate heir. See? It
all works out," Teskalaren said.

Baxter's comparison of this scene to the Star Wars bit in his dream suddenly
became something from "The Man in the Iron Mask", but he dismissed it. There
were already too many cliches going on in this room, the main event not
being one of them. "Well then, what happens if I don't want to? You speak as
if I have a choice. Do I?"

"I'd tell you to join the other slaves, and for a few days you would, but
then you'd just run away. I know this because I'd be the one helping you.
I'd give you a ticket and a new identity with a large sum of money and a few
servants, and we would leave it at that," Teskalaren said much honesty.

Baxter smiled. He didn't know quite what was going on here, but even in his
angry mind, he knew that he was being presented with some very lucrative
opportunities here. If Teskalaren would be willing to kill his own brother,
it was obvious that love meant absolutely nothing in this family. DNA was
just another tool to use in the quest for personal gain, and that idea
settled very well with Baxter. After all, hadn't he been doing that already?

Yet as he was dismissed from the living room "to give this some though",
something else nagged at his brain. What was it? Not his heart, and
certainly not his oh-so-reasonable brain. What could this aching thing be,
then? Oh yes, conscience.

=#=

The next morning Vorna went to the barracks and dragged Baxter out
again. She led him to a tower away from everyone else and there she
bowed to him and spoke respectfully for the first time.

"MY lord I want you to know something before you make your decisions."
'

She was not the hard person he had met the day before. She was steel but
there was something else there he could not understand. He hated what he
knew about her.

"well" Baxter forced himself to speak sharply to her.

"You did not lead them to the rebel's hide out. She did. She had a
tracker in her brain. She did not know it. " Vorna paced around the
room. "You have tried to help do what he asks and accept him as your
father and you can help in the bigger way. deny him and accept him as
your benefactor and you can help in a much smaller way."

"Bitch you have done nothing but sell out to them Traitor." Baxter spat
the words out.

"I was fifteen years old when my father was killed and my stepmother
wanted me killed so my half brother would inherit the family business. I
had two choices die or sell myself to the highest bidder." She turned to
face him "That was twenty five years ago. I wanted to live then and I
want to live now. " She opened her dress and revealed her back and the
mass of burn scars that criss-crossed it. "I have paid my dues for every
year of my life. " there was a bitter tone to her voice. "In all of
those years I have only met one of them/you that have given a darn about
me and that is your father." She looked at him "Because of you and your
mother he has treated me halfway decent. but he still extracts his due
from me. " She revealed her pierced breasts. "I can not betray him
because of another thing I have no control over but by the same token I
can not betray you either as you are his son."

she whirled around and faced him once more. "I have learned a lot in 25
years of dealing with them and I will beg you as a human and a slave to
take what he offers you and help fight as no one else can. I will give
my life for you and gladly to see someone on the throne who has some
feelings for my race." She looked at him. "Because I have feelings for
your father I care what happens to you in a way your own mother never
could."

" You are nothing but a whore" again Baxter spat

"It took a whore to make you feel for the first time. and I am his
whore. for what it is worth." Her head was up and she led the way back
down to the private apartments and opened the door for Baxter to enter
the room where Teskalaren waited. His curt nod sent her away.

=#=

Vorna went to her apartment and sank into a chair She leaned her head on

the table and silent sobs shook her body. Paulo entered the room and

found her like this

He hesitated a moment then walked to her and gently started to knead the

muscles in her shoulders. He felt her tense at the first touch but when

she did not say anything she continued. He did not know who or what had

upset her so but he felt a deep anger toward what had caused her so much

grief.

There was a knock on the door. Vorna stood up and spoke quietly to Paulo

"Let whoever it is in. I will be with them in a couple of minutes. ""

She went into the bathing room and washed her face and reapplied her

makeup. With a final check to make sure she was presentable as the erosa

of this house she walked back into her sitting room.

"Erosa I have a message from the prince. He wants you to know there is a

trader by the name of Trippend coming this evening for dinner and you

will be expected to make an appearance as hostess for the house."

"thank you " Vorna nodded her head and the person left. She drew herself

up two her full five feet two inches and lifted her head high as she

shook her head "twenty-five years i have been able to avoid this and

now . Oh well do your best Vorna. They are nothing to you any more."

She turned to Paulo "You will help serve the meal tonight I want you

close incase I need rescuing." she laughed but there was no humor in

the sound. "Now I really do feel like crying."

She left the room but rather then slink around she walked proudly forth

to arrange things for the guest.

=#=

Zenith had come back form her faint far enough to see in her mind them take
him. She knew this was her fault. If she had never run they would still
think he was helping them. She swore to her self she would not make another
face this. She saw the unknown alien. He looked surprising a little like
Baxter. She tried to reach in his mind only to find it as tightly locked as
all aliens. She withdrew and lay still she had no idea how far away she
really was but that didn't matter. She just stayed there waited for gods
knows what to happen.

=#=

The next morning was the most interesting one of Baxter's life. Servants
dressed him and presented him with the rarest meal possible in this place
and time: McDonald's Big Mac with fries. A large breakfast like this and
someone always massaging his shoulders or washing his, it settled quite well
with Baxter. So when Teskalaren entered the guest-chamber, his mind was
made.

"Well...?" the alien prince asked.

"Yes," Baxter said, savoring the words. "It is after much consideration that
I decide to join you and take whatever may come of it."

"Even if it goes against some of your upbringing?"

"My past doesn't matter here, Teskalaren. This is the here, this is the now,
and I don't intend to fuck with that," Baxter asserted, looking his father
straight in the eye. He accepted the relationship between them (even if
calling this alien father would be very hard for him), and suddenly it all
seemed to fit in. Last night's revelation was that he was being given a new
start here, something that most men would kill for. Besides, once he took
power, why not piss off all of those who had wronged him, wreck a little
vengeance here and there? Ahh...

Teskalaren suddenly felt overwhelmed with suspicion. It was obvious that
Baxter was honest, but not in his intentions. He'd do what he said he'd do,
but the motives and subtleties of how he went about it sometimes altered the
outcome in a way no one had thought of before but Baxter himself. He played
by the rules, but like a lawyer, also saw the intricate loopholes in them.
Sweet yet cunning, smart yet brave.

I'll have to watch this one, Teskalaren thought as he approached the future
king.

=#=

Vorna watched as Baxter let the servants pamper him. She had chosen his
staff with care after conferring with some of those who had been around
the household longer. She also prepared for the arrival of the Trippend
trading party. She was one of the ones who met them when their shuttle
landed.

"Gentlemen my master extends his greetings and asks that I escort you to
the main sala." She dropped a deep curtsey and then led them through
the arch that led into the courtyard and the main sala that opened off
of it. Once there Teskalaren took over and she was only in charge of
seeing to it that the meal was ready and that rooms were prepared in
case they were asked to spend the night.

when everything was running fairly smoothly she entered the sala and at
Teskalaren's signal went and sat next to him. She flinched slightly
when he put an arm around her and let his thumb slip inside the slit in
her dress and began gently stroking her breast. He kept up his gentle
teasing of her as he and his guests talked.

"I am seeking this type of quality though younger." Teskalaren said as
Vorna's back arched. "She is quite hot now that I have trained her." His
hand moved to gently caress her stomach.

Baxter had watched the visitors getting more and more aroused
themselves. He realized that his father had no regard for the fact he
was doing this to Vorna in front of everyone. She was barely able to
control herself when Teskalaren spoke to his guests

"Trippend. May I extend the hospitality of my home to you by letting you
sample some of my private stock." He smiled a satisfied smile. "It might
be an interesting appetizer for you.?"

" I would like that very much. Prince Teskalaren."

Vorna had to be carried from the room to the guest room that had been
prepared for the trader. An hour later the trader joined them for
dinner. There was a sated calm to him that made their talk go to
Teskalaren's advantage. Baxter watched as his father maneuvered to get
what he wanted from the trader.

Later as he was preparing to go to his own bed Baxter met Vorna as she
stepped into the garden and sat down in a little alcove. She stood up at
his approach.

"Master Baxter. " She was very respectful to him.

"IT does not take much to get you ready for a roll in the hay does it.?
He laughed as he stroked her body. within a few seconds she was
quivering all over. "sort of turn about for the other night. Isn't it?"

"Yes master." she could feel her body getting ready to totally betray
her. The words had come out as a gasp between clinched teeth.

Baxter used his hand to rape her and left her in a crumpled heap on the
courtyard paving stones. When he was gone Paulo helped her to her room.
she sank across her bed not even caring to undress.

Baxter did not know what had made him do what he had done. All he knew
was it was sweet revenge for the other night. He also felt a sort of
revenge for all the times he had been forced to serve those on Terra as
a boy in St. Augustine. She belonged to his father and somehow he felt
that Teskalaren owed him this bit of fun with his personal slave. Also
it definitely told Vorna that she would not be the one calling the shots
where he was concerned.

=#=

I am an alien named Zontos I was sent to earth as one of the first to scout

the area and have learned to respect the race called humans and have made the

decision that the only way is peace between the two, aliens and humans if there

is no peace then there is only chaos, if there is only chaos there is only pain

because of this `outrages` belief I have become an outcast to my people and

since all humans believe that all aliens are their enemies because of this I

often feel that I have no real place of comfort and I know I have no real home

and no real family anymore, ever but if there is a rebellion maybe, just maybe

I have some allies even if I have no friends

=#=

Vorna found herself living in a sort of limbo. She had been there many
times in her life before. This time she found herself wishing for the
task Teskalaren had actually acquired her for. Instead she found herself
trying to manage an already well managed house.

With the adaptability that had served her on many occasions before she
let herself fall into the shadows. She was present at most meetings
as Teskalaren's scribe. She took the time to study Baxter and try to
figure out where his humanism stopped and his alien began. She knew he
could be both but with a semi cruel twist if he did not like you. She
was well aware of the fact he did not like her.'

If not for her own servant Paulo she did not think she would have made
it threw the past few hours. It was his close attention to her needs
that got her threw. That and her will to survive.

=#=

Baxter sipped the Chardonnay and reclined in the chair next to one of
Teskalaren's clients. He observed how much new old earth stuff he was
finding around the palace lately, as if Teskalaren was buying it just for
him. Perhaps because his father knew that Baxter's taste could barely stand
the ultra-ultra-south-american-chili-peppers-are-for-pussies-spicy-hot alien
gourmet.

Vorna rolled out of Teskalaren's grasp and slowly edged toward Baxter,
looking at him erotically. Paulo was out on errands and Baxter, for someone
who seriously thought he was sterile, was a true man-size vibrator. "Come
with me," she whispered.

"No," the now-prince responded.

"Why not? I'm fucking horny over here!" The whisper became a hiss.

"Because what I did yesterday, that was a mistake, okay? I don't know what I
was thinking --- and no, I don't want you to tell me!" Of all the things
Baxter had ever known, Vorna scared him most. No other thing had ever taken
one of his fundamental beliefs and thrown it out of the window like this.
Sexual feeling may be fun as it's happening, but what of when the virgin
mind has settled and analyzed it, sex can be downright scary. Baxter fucking
Vorna could have so many meanings, but he prayed that he would never know
any of them.

"Oh come, we're human beings. And human beings will do that sort of thing, you
know... You are a human being, aren't you?" Vorna seductively asked.

In a rage similar to that with which he had raped her, Baxter flung his
champagne glass to the floor and stormed out of the room. When he got any
amount of power here, he assured himself, that bitch would be the first to
go.

Later, in his bedroom, Baxter sat staring at himself in the mirror. But this
time he did not try to ignore or concentrate on his mutantness. He didn't
even see it. All he saw was a prince, not the man that he knew he must be.
Exactly what was it that lay behind his blue eyes?

Oh god, he thought. What have I become?

=#=

At the sound of the breaking glass Teskalaren roused himself in time to
realize something had happened between his son and Vorna. He also
realized that his slave had done something to offend his son.

Without a moments hesitation he rose and grabbed her by the arm. He
slapped her several times across the face before he threw her across the
room like so much trash.

Then he turned to one of his lieutenants and motioned for him to bring
her to the center of the where her dress was ripped from her and she was
whipped in front of his guests. then the lieutenant carried her to her
apartment and threw her inside the door. She was still laying there in a
crumpled mass when Paulo found her.

Vorna was barely breathing when her servant entered the apartment. He
knelt beside her. somehow he got her onto the bed and began to try and
doctor her injuries. something told him that he needed to get her as fit
as he could as quickly as he could. She was laying on her stomach when
Teskalaren entered the room and inserted two devices into her.

Paulo's hands shook as he was made to fasten the straps around her body
that would hold them in place. Teskalaren made sure they were locked in
place and then left the room. Within a few minutes they started their
slow torturous vibrations that were interspersed with painful if not
severe shocks. Vorna would be submitted to this until Teskaloren was
ready to or remembered to remove them.

All Paulo could do was hold her in his arms as the torture continued
around the clock. The power source slowly ran down but the devices were
still in her body two days later.

=#=

It was almost a week before Baxter saw Vorna again and when he did he
almost did not know her when he passed her in the hall.. she bowed her
head low and as they met keeping her eyes away from him. It was only her
dress that made him think it might be her

"Vorna" he spoke sharply

"Master Baxter" the voice was the same but it did not have the same ring
to it. "Look at me bitch"

She raised her gaze to him and he was totally shocked by what he saw. The
make up was heavy barely covering the bruises of her face. It was the
eyes that struck him even more though. They were dead eyes with nothing
of the old spark in them.
Baxter had seen that look in slaves before the look of a crushed spirit
not up to fighting any more. He backed up and hurried away. HE did not
know why but it bothered him to see her like this and he did not want
continue to look upon her.

=#=

Vorna did her work with meticulous care. In some ways what she had been
through made her job easier. The others wanted to avoid it. Truthfully
she was surprised that she had not been demoted and Paulo taken from
her.

Paulo on the other hand wondered how she kept going. He knew something
the others did not though. She no longer had the overpowering desire to
live that had once kept her going through everything. Now she would let
herself go at the first chance if it were not for him. she did not want
to leave him to the wolves. He knew that if they were separated she
would die.

He realized they had to take care of each other. She had not even called
on her abilities to help herself heal. She did not even eat unless he
saw to it. Sometimes he found himself feeding her as she worked on the
books for Teskalaren.

=#=

Vorna was in the office one day when another message came in for
Teskalaren from Lorthaxer. She read it as it cam over the messenger and
felt a spark of pity. Lorthaxer wanted to get rid of his decoy she had
done her job and now was of no use to him. He was asking Teskalaren if
he knew of anyone who might want the winged one. They could give the
coordinates if Teskalaren was interested.

Vorna checked the list of items Teskalaren's clients wanted and came
across one that was looking for a female of that race She had the
information on Teskalaren’s desk when he came in.

She was somewhat surprised when she was told to ready the jump ship as
they would be going after the wingedone and also to make an appointment
to have any tracking devices removed.

When all was ready Vorna piloted the craft out of port. She did not
speak other then when spoken to.

=#=

On the third week, Baxter found a package at the door to his bed chamber. It had his name on it, a straight line with two circles of different sizes on it with a few marks, the aliens' language. Curious, he hefted the thing into he room and set it down as he searched for his speech to the masses of Kosar. Upon finding what he had written, he opened the box and gasped.

Over a hundred CD's, a walkman, some books (including a dog-eared copy of Frankenstein pilfered from the St. Augustine library), and photographs and posters of everyone from Saddie to Madonna. There were even his old cosmetics. In the bottom of the box was a note that read, "More will follow..."

Wow, thanks! Baxter thought.

Later, the speech went wonderfully. The people had

accepted him as their prince despite his deformities, and sensed his innate competence. Baxter was no longer a guest at the palace, if he ever was in the first place.

As he walked off the podium and back to the palace, flanked by guards, he saw someone in the crowd. Could it be? She slowly approached him, and the guards did their job by fending her off: "You're not allowed here, slave."

"No, let her through! I know this woman," Baxter assured them. The guards cleared the way and she came to him, slowly as if this was dream she couldn't quite believe yet.

She hugged him and cried, "My God, I thought they did something horrid to you!"

"Not horrible in that way, no," Baxter commented. "How did you get here anyway? This is light years away."

"What do you think I did? I flew--on a ship, I mean. It's been days, you know. Kept on searching all the slave fields. Silly, huh? A guy gets arrested, so of course he becomes royalty! Right?" Baxter laughed. "Hey, Zenith, it's sure good to have you back."

=#=

Vorna watched the meeting between slave and prince and she felt some pity for the girl. This was not the man she had known. They had been able to destroy the tracker so there was no danger from Lorthaxer that way. Vorna knew she would soon be away from here. It was supposed to have been a permanent thing but as always she found herself going to be sold off. Baxter wanted rid of her and After the problem Teskalaren would honor his wishes.

Turning away from the scene playing out before the crowd Vorna walked away. She felt the slight whisper of movement and put out her arm to encircle Paulo’s slim form.

Together they made their way back to the palace and entered her apartment. Not long after that there was a knock on the door and a messenger brought her a sealed packet. She opened it and found the information on a craft and orders to report there and take over management of Teskalaren's brothel run from it.

Within an hour she had her things packed and she and Paulo were eased out of the picture of things at the palace. Maybe it was for the better.

=#=

Vorna had to smile as they approached the pleasure ship its purple color
made it really stand out. There were not to many craft close at hand and
she knew things were really just getting finished aboard the ship. a few
pleasure slaves were on board but not many.

As she was beamed aboard she saw that there was quite a lot to be done
none of the decorations had been done at all. Vorna knew most people
came for sex but she also knew that if you set moods you could get them
to spend more money and that was what their job was earn money for
Teskalaren.

Once her bags were put away she started a solo walk around the craft
making notes as she went. They would have to start with the entrance and
the main dining hall.

=#=

"Glad to be here. I didn’t think you'd... well survive that attack." her
voice lowered "I'm sorry it was my fault there was this thing in my neck
and..."

Baxter interrupted her "forget it."

She nodded "I guess I have to go. After all I'm a slave here."

she laughed but it wasn't a happy sound "I glad
you’re.. well"

=#=

"Why? Where do you have to go?" Baxter asked as they sat in the living room (although not the one where Teskalaren had not revealed his heritage, nor the one where Vorna came on to him. This place had a lot of living rooms).

"Nowhere," Zenith replied. "I just can't stay here and endanger you, that's all... See, the implant, it must have led Lorthaxer here by now, I know it! I, I just had to see you. Terribly irresponsible of me, I know, so forgive me."

"Bullshit," Baxter told her. "Stay here, be my guest." Then, talking like some hip-hop artist, he added, "It's all cool!" Returning to his regular Florida dialect, he continued, "Don't you understand? By some weird happenstance--I'll go into it later, not now--I happen to have some power for once. Didn't you hear what they called me? A prince. I am royalty and am treated as such. And if they don't give me what they want, they can take it up with father."

"I thought you said you were orphaned," Zenith said.

"Well, remember all those things we believe about life, those little beliefs we hold dear, be they good or bad, proud or shameful? Well, I think about half of mine were murdered in their sleep, and the rest are waking up at bullet-point," he explained.

Zenith studied him carefully, and his mind, it seemed, was actually opening its' thoughts to her for once. Suddenly, behind his mutant face and baby blue eyes, she saw more confusion and pain than ever before. The painful decision to join the alien dark side and the fact that he had inadvertently caused the Invasion in the first place, the discovery of sex and his supposed loss of purity because of it. His thoughts on blowing up at Vorna even though in retrospect he saw that he was just as guilty (if not more so) than she. His horror at the monster he now saw himself as, etc.

Quickly, Zenith even caught a mental image of herself from Baxter's mind. But it was not of relief, but of her lying on this sofa naked. This thought erased itself so quickly that she was not even sure if she saw it in the first place.

"My God, you really have changed!" Zenith said. "You're nothing like last time we met. Either the power's corrupted you, or perhaps it's just bringing out what was already there."

Baxter shrugged. "What can I do? If I leave I risk becoming a slave, death by Lorthaxer--he'd do it, I swear--or something even worse. But if I stay, and someday become king, then I'll have power over the Kryonis Order, over the alien setup on Earth. If I stick around long enough, I can abolish it."

"Fine, I'll stay with you," Zenith said, nervous. "But what about when Lorthaxer finds me?"

Some very violent scenarios ran through Baxter's mind, and he basked in all of them. "Oh, when he tries to get ahold of you? Ha! I'd just like to see the poor basterd try."

=#=

Vorna has just taken a tour of the craft and made notes when someone
enters the office where she is sitting. She looks up to see one of
Teskalaren’s trusted guards there.

"Vorna I have a message for you.' He hands her a note. Vorna looks at the writing and knows it is in Teskalaren's own hand. When
she finishes reading it she snaps The first thing she can get her hands
on goes sailing across the room almost hitting the guard in the head.

"Dam him. Dam him and his fucking half breed son and that winged bitch
of his. she gets her freedom and I get sent to run a blame brothel then
as if that wasn't enough now he is sending me to my own damn brother the
one that wants me dead." She is screaming at this point. "Why doesn't
he just plain kill me himself.?! He's already come close to it"

"Vorna. Take it easy" the guard tries to calm her down.

"No I won't take it easy. I sold my self into slavery to get away from
him and his mother and now I am being handed to them on a silver
platter. Twenty five years I have endured hell to stay away from them
and now because of a friggin half breed I am being sold to them as a
damn pleasure slave.!" she is sobbing and screaming as she stands there
with her fists clenched

"Vorna calm down. " he comes around the desk and makes a grab for her.
She is a bit quicker and he stops. "Damn you move like a soldier."

"That's it ! My only chance. " She stops her struggle. "Can you reach
general Belo?"

"Yes. "

"Will you take me to him.?"

"Why Vorna6 ?"

It is my only chance. " then something else goes through her mind. "What
did he say about Paulo?"

"I am to take the two of you."

Please take us to General Belo,"

"Alright Go get your toy." laughs as he sends her to the door. .

=#=

Paulo has just finished unpacking when Vorna comes into the room. He can
tell she is angry and upset as well. With a fury of disregard for things
she starts to cram them into their cases.

"We don't have time for me to explain right now lets just say the
friggin master has changed his feeble mind again." she slams the lid on
a case.

"What about me Mistress" he is packing the rest of her things

"so far we are still together. " She smiled for a split second. " I am
sorry this is just as tough on you. "

Two minutes later they meet the guard in the lobby and he escorts them
to a craft.

=#=

"…I'd just like to see the poor basterd try."
Zenith was considering this. Slowly she reached one hand and laid it on his
thigh. She moved it back and forth in slow motions not moving far but just
enough. She ducked her head but looked up at him through her lashes "I
know.. I know you said you had no...urges but... Let me please you." The
first time in her entire life she had felt something with in her self when
an image of herself and an other flashed in a males head. Her hand climbed
higher. Slowly. "Baxter? I promise to do my best." She leaned across and
kissed him lightly on the lips "I'll show you it's not dirty like you
think." One hand was on his chest the other slowly going higher.

=#=

I guess this is more an introduction to one that has been around before
in a minor manner.

The General known as Belo is in charge of the detached Palace guard /
It is kind of hard to explain. He isn't secret service and he isn't
stationed at the palace. He is sort of a roving retread. HE is
considered a hero even among the aliens and has given much for the royal
family. Even Lorthaxer has a grudging respect for the man. Belo sees
more out of his remaining eye then most see with two.

He is a demanding being but is usually fair . Vorna belonged to him in
the past. She is one of his experiments.

=#=

Baxter shook his head. "No..." he protested.

"Why not?" Zenith asked. "Because you're too good a person to dirty like that. And what if I wasn't sterile? Imagine! (My god, and I thought I needed help). I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm ready for it yet. I've had enough sex for my entire lifetime as it is. Do you understand?"

Zenith coldly considered it. "Hmm. Well, makes sense enough. It's obvious that you're developmentally delayed in at least ONE area. Boy gets his first sexual urges at age twenty-three. So that means that you're actually mature enough for it by, what?, sixty? Oh yes, I understand completely."

"Oh, fuck it," Baxter said. "If you want, why the hell not? Sure, let's screw. Everything's fucked up anyway, why not my cock?"

"You really feel that way, huh?"

"I don't know how I feel. I'm on an another planet, with weird people, half of whom offer riches beyond anything I've known, the other half just wanting to fuck. The last thing I need right now is another Vorna. I need a friend who isn't screwing me. I need... I need you, Zenith," Baxter said.

Zenith cried, and fell in Baxter's arms. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm such a stupid bitch, aren't I?"

"No more than I am, my dear. No more than I."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door. Baxter released her and opened it. "Oh, greetings General Belo. Teskalaren's in the computer gaming room."

"This isn't for his Highness, my prince. This is for you," Belo replied. His expression was like that of stone, which had an unnerving effect upon Baxter.

"Err... okay. What about?"

"Well, you remember Vorna, don't you...?"

=#=

" want you to tell me exactly what happened That was so bad you let

your sire almost kill a slave that had proven her loyalty to him?"

"what are you talking about sir. ?"

"Something happened between you and Vorna and your father beat her to

the point he broke two of her ribs and then tortured her for two days .

"

"What difference does it make.?" Baxter was getting his fight back to

cover the unease he felt.

"HE has just sentenced her to death "

"What ?"

"he has sold her to the very brother who made her desperate enough to

live that she sold herself into slavery. " The general was now really

worked up " A slave who had what it took to draw a knife of Lorthaxer in

defense of him he has sold her to a man he knows will kill her. "

"she wanted to have sex with me"

"So" HE cocked his head " I know Vorna well enough to know she does not

make a move uninvited or unless she has been told to do it. "

"The first night I was here she hand raped me."

"Don't know why she would want to do that when she has a perfectly good

pleasure slave who would jump at any chance to be her release." The

General stated.]

"She was collecting some sperm for some test."

"Oh for crying out loud. You have sentenced her to death because she

knows how to do that in a way that gives some enjoyment instead of just

putting a suction on it and pulling it from you. Her father was a trader

he knew how to test a slave while he got the seed and he taught her to

do it. " He sighed "it was merely doing what she had been told to do she

was not making a pass at you." He spat. "So then you rape her just

like your sire does and when she offers herself to you in front of

guests you shame this house by running away rather then either using her

or giving her to one of the guests. "

" I did not want to have sex with her!"

"all you had to do was offer her to one of your guests or even just

walked from the room with her and your father would have saved face '

HE shook his head " I will see if I can get her out of this and out of

your life as well.

HE stormed out HE hesitated and came back into the room "Zenith here

are your papers. " He left and they could hear his footsteps all

the way down the hall.

=#=

Err, what papers? Baxter uneasily thought.

Zenith took the papers in hand and examined them. "Oh shit!" she exclaimed.

"What is it?" Baxter asked, rushing to her side.

"A message from Lorthaxer's ship. They're coming for me, and I can't do
anything about it. Kryonis Order laws overtake those of royalty in certain
situations, and this is one of them. So you can't help me like you thought
you could. I have to get away from here."

"No! I can protect you. Swear to god, it's not hopeless! Please, just stay
here. You're no safer outside than within these walls, and at least here
it's comfortable. Even Lorthaxer looks up to Teskalaren, and I truly think
that the latter is my ally now. Come on, just let me help..." Baxter
pleaded.

"Are you so sure that he'll help you? I was beginning to think that it was
all for political reasons," Zenith replied, perhaps a little too much on the
cold side. "I mean, you obviously have pure indifference for each other."

By now, Belo and his bitch were long gone, so Baxter closed the doors and
lowered his voice, switching to his native English which he had not used in
a long while, struck by Zenith's words. "Fine. In that case, I think I know
just who we need. He's good at hiding people, kinda like the Witness
Protection Agency. Name's Zontos. I think he's on Earth, but beyond that,
we'll have a hard time finding him. But we leave tonight."

"But what of your position? God, Baxter, you already did that once and look
what happened!"

"Yeah, I went from being a translator to being royalty. So if I help you run
away again, what happens next? Do I become a god?" Baxter joked. "But
seriously, this wealth, this security, I don't care for it at all, not for
what I have to give up to have it. I once swore that I would never help the
aliens, and look what I've done! No, I need to do this. I need to get the
hell out of here... you're just a good excuse, that's all."

"Fine," Zenith said. "We'll start packing."

=#=

She was mucking through her head if she wanted to be 'just a good excuse'.
She had offered herself to him and he had turned her down stated it was
dirty. She bent her head and her wings dropped brushing the floor. That was
what he thought of her. she had been used to others disposal and now because
of that she was dirty. She looked up at Baxter again "No"
He looked to her startled "No what?"

She lifted her head "I'll not hide. This is what I am. A slave. You have no meaning to protect me even if I am just an excuse. I'll not go."

=#=

Lorthaxer's fingers drummed lightly on the ships console. He sat in the captains chair perusing the navigation and long range scan charts.

"Baxter" was the one word that uttered through his lips, with a sneer attached. Lorthaxer was on his way to the palace to put an end to the sham that was currently in place. Baxter had no more right to rule his people that that slag slave Zenith. Once the people knew of Baxter's human heritage, it would be enough to discredit him, and consequently remove and chance to sit in the throne.

The monarchy had no power over the Kryonis order. It was illegal to arrest royalty, but to discredit them was well within Lorthaxer's capability. The people didn't know of Baxter's human side, it was omitted in any official reports and press releases. They wanted him in the throne, as a puppet and Lorthaxer wasn't going to let that happen.

"Transmit the genetic details of Baxter's DNA when in range. Mark for the attention of governor Cirrios, he has contacts in the media."

"Yes sir."

Lorthaxer reveled in his task, he would be seen a messenger of truth on a crusade against the corrupt. Just the kind of publicity he needed..

=#=

"You're not dirty, Zenith. If anything, I'm the one that's dirty," Baxter
said, sighing. It was obvious that Zenith would want to leave by herself,
and to a certain point he supposed he'd have to respect that. But he really
did hate the idea of Zenith as alone as before, and him still in the
hellhole of a place. Sometimes, he longed for being a translator, working
both sides, living on some perilous edge.

He remembered sleeping in an abandoned building, some warehouse, when he was
about seven years old. The dangers of the night, the gnawing anxiety he had
every second, the perennial panic. A scared child not knowing if he'd wake
up in the morning while someone else his age not far away was being read a
bedtime story, a child who only knew pain beyond his years. Years later,
this child still lived within him, and it would never die.

"But I'm not going to put you in that danger," Zenith protested.

"Then go!" Baxter exclaimed. "Either be here and stay with me or leave now.
Don't tease me like this!"

Zenith looked at his sad eyes and started almost crying herself. Then she
turned around and left.

=#=

She went out the door and the tears streamed down. She thought to herself
What have I done. I offered myself when he thought of it and he asked e to
be his friend I protested and left him to be alone. It seems ever since I
met him I've been running from something. She walked down the empty
corridors not seeing anything just moving aimlessly along. Waiting for
whatever fate took her.

=#=

Baxter was packing to leave the palace. He didn't know where he was going
(maybe catch up with Zenith?), what he was doing, or any of that other
irrelevant stuff. Only that this was a bad place, and he wanted to get out
of here.

Suddenly, a knock at the door: "Sir, they're rioting outside!"

He quickly hid his sack and opened the door. It was Paulo, one of the
servants. What was he doing without Vorna? Baxter wondered. Oh well, better
not look a gift horse in the mouth. "Err... huh?" he wondered aloud.

"They learned of your heritage, sir, and they really don't take too well to
it. Personally, the only thing I wonder is how the charade lasted so long!"

Baxter's bedchamber had no windows and soundproof walls, so he exited the
room and looked out of the window in the hall. On the lawn were thousands of
Kosar citizens, some of them with mildly disturbing effigies of him. They
screamed for his exile, or at least execution. Either way, these were not
the happy people who had applauded his speech only a week earlier.

First, Baxter realized with a jolt that no one had known of his human side
in the first place. He'd always thought that if he looked freakish and alien
to the humans, he'd look freakish and human to the aliens. Being a
half-breed was simply, to him, an obvious thing, like gravity or why not to
steal someone's girlfriend. Basic stuff here.

"When did they figure it out?" he asked.

"Two hours ago. Someone told them," Paulo said.

"I knew it! Of course King Larcon would do it. Why let the throne be in
danger when he can disgrace us instead. Oh, wonderful..."

"It wasn't him, sir. The King is still at that spa on one of the colonized
planets, oblivious to this."

"Then who--?" Baxter voiced as he approached the back door of the
palace, trying to get a better look at the faces in the crowd. Then he made
a decision. The crowds would still hate him no matter what, so perhaps the
most man thing to do would be to simply step out and face the hatred. None
of them looked armed anyway. So he went outside, on the shiny porch that
glittered in the light of three moons, and observed each person as they
quieted. What, Baxter wondered, Can't hate me to my face?

"My people," he announced with the diplomacy he had picked up from
Teskalaren his father, "why do you protest?"

"Because you're a #$%&*! human!" one of them screamed in reply.

Baxter almost laughed at that. "Hate me, hate yourself, because I'm sengali
too," he said, using the name of the alien's race. This, of course, did
nothing to calm the crowd. In fact, some of them seemed to be getting more
violent, and he started to feel as if he'd said something wrong. So he shook
his head and prepared to tell them of his formerly secret plans to get out
of here anyway, but then something stopped him. In the far edge of the
crowd, he saw a face he recognized. "God damnit," he muttered, "Lorthaxer!"

On making eye contact, Lorthaxer immediately stepped forward. "My my, how
wonderous it is," he commented. "Dress a monkey in king's clothing and you
still get a monkey, how amazing indeed!"

"Give up, this is out of your league," Baxter coldly responded.

"Oh is it? Come, just because I can't arrest you doesn't mean that I can't
leave you to the dogs. And unless you come with me right now, I guarantee
that by this time tomorrow you and this father of yours will be dead at the
hands of your subjects."

Lorthaxer was right and Baxter knew it. Suddenly, it was no longer prince
and FBI agent-wannabe, but boss and employee, just like before. No
difference whatsoever.

Baxter headed back for the palace back door and said, "I'll take my chances
with them," not adding the fact that within the hour he'd be in a spaceship
to the last human rebel city on Earth anyway. He couldn't wait to be Baxter
the informant again.

=#=

Vorna had wanted to cry as she and the old general had sent Paulo into
the palace. All she knew was that he was the only one Baxter would
recognize as connected to her. He also had the advantage of being known
in the palace and thus able to move around freely.

Baxter was surprised when he realized that Paulo was still with him. He
was even more surprised when the slave spoke softly and took his sack of
belongings "Come this way . Master"

"But I wish to go this way ."

"Do so and you are a fool." said a guardsman stepping forward out of the
shadows.

"So what do you want to do get me killed anyway?" Baxter asked.

"No you may be only have blood but the half you are is royal and I am
sworn to protect it and I will. " He pulled Baxter along the corridor
and into a tunnel.

They came out on the other end of it and there was a craft waiting. They
got in and it lifted off. As they were moving away from the palace
skimming low in a line that allowed the building to block them from
view. Baxter was surprised to see Zenith slumped in one of the
seats. Paulo had sunk down on the floor to leave seats for the others.
Baxter had no doubt that the person at the controls was Vorna. He just
figured that with the others on board she would not try to do him in.

Vorna guided the craft through the maze of trees. It was taking all of
her skill to handle the little craft with it's super sensitive controls.
Suddenly she saw the spot she was looking for and went through the warps
with such speed that they were plastered back against their seats as
they shot into space.

They went through another series of increments of speed and Vorna taped
in a code and the craft jumped into another universe. She eased back on
the warps and let the little craft settle into a cruising speed. Her hand
touched the console with a loving caress.

the old general turned to face his lieutenant. "I can send you back and
you can say all you did was follow orders or you can join us."

"I have nothing there. Sir"

"I figured as much" he paused "Do you join us?"

"Yes."

"And you prince have already proved your willingness to help the rebels.
do you join us ? "

"What choice do I have?"

"We can arrange for you to go back to terra."

=#=

Vorna never so much as looked around at Baxter. She was not very happy
to be in this close of quarters with him. Her body still ached from the
beating he had caused her. She was really looking forward to getting to
a free port and being able to get away from him for a while. As they
neared their destination she spoke softly to the general and he gave her
instructions. She eased the little ship into a docking bay and went
though the procedures as the others disembarked.

Baxter followed the general as Paulo carried his pack and the lieutenant
carried Zenith. Vorna remained behind. Baxter wondered what she was
doing. s

In truth Vorna was going to the dock master's office and filing their
papers and paying their dock rent. One of the office staff she had met
in the past.

"Vorna It has been a long time."

"Yes it has. I am here to pay the generals docking rental for him"

"Fine here is the paperwork to fill out. So you are flying for him
again"

"Yes." she sat down at a table and filled out the paperwork. Then after
paying the fees she went outside and started the walk to the general's
home. She had gone about a block when she heard her name called out.

"VORNA" it was a pleasant woman's voice. Vorna turned to see the
general's wife riding in one of the rickshaw like carts.

"Mistress" Vorna greeted her with a heartfelt smile.

"Get in and ride with me" the woman moved over on the seat and Vorna
slid in next to her. "Why are you limping dear?"

"I made the wrong person angry" she did not give any names. "I feel a lot of pain around you of several kinds dear"

"This wants to last I think" Vorna said quietly "My body does not heal
like it used to"

"You almost died this time didn't you girl"

"I do not know if it was that bad. Mistress"

"IT was.'

They rounded the sweep of driveway and Vorna slid off the seat so that
the woman could get out on the side towards the door With a bow Vorna
walked beside the car as they went around to the back of the house.

"Is there someone here to take care of you properly?" she asked'

"Yes there is but thank you for asking." The man's voice was soft.

Vorna entered the back door and walked into the kitchen. Zenith sat at a
table drinking some coffee. Vorna Spoke quietly to the cook.

"May I find a task in your kitchen that will permit me to sit for a
while. ?"

=#=

The group, Baxter and Zenith, Vorna and Paulo, had set up home in an old
ranch house on the outskirts of San Francisco. It was vaguely Frank Lloyd
Wright-esque in architecture, and was one of the few human houses saved from
the apocalypse. The street outside was pure rubble, but the California sky
hovered over as it always had. Nothing could change the sky, as nothing
could change human nature, or Baxter's past for that matter.

It was five in the morning, the sun not even on the horizon yet, and he
crept out of his bunk above Zenith's (Vorna and Paulo inhabited a queen size
bed on the other side of the house, quite mercifully in his opinion). Even
though they were all arriving from Kosar, they were all human, more or less
(Zenith had her wings, Baxter had his "curious skin condition", so what?).
All human, all born on Earth, all raised on Earth, and yet some denied it.
Baxter had yet to hear Vorna speak English, and even Paulo had the strong
sengali accent. It was disorienting, almost surreal.

Why do I suddenly feel like the biggest human here? he wondered.

Some miles away, he knew, there was a rebel human meeting place. To go back
there would be like a fish returning to its' moral water, like a man
returning to the church he attended as a child and seeing the same minister
there nice as before. It was a drug, but just like a drug, Baxter found
himself becoming wary of it.

It seems that we have come to a crossroads here, his insomnia-ridden mind
thought. We could not return and disown the royalty, mess that it is. We
could come back and greet Teskalaren with open arms. Or maybe I should just
abandon him like he abandoned me; it's not like we could be of any use to
each other now. Or could we? Doesn't matter, what was I thinking? Me, king
of the race that I hate?! It would have been a perfect irony, though.

He turned and realized that Zenith had joined him on the rotted back porch.
"Oh, you can't fall asleep either?"

"Yeah," she replied, her wings curling around her in the morning cold. "Look
what I found on the floor," she continued, holding up something, a quarter
from 1978. "What do you think of it?"

"Shiny, but ultimately worthless," he said, taking the coin and turning it
in his hands. "Tell me, what in hell are we doing here? Sitting, waiting for
fate to flip this coin for us?"

"We've only been here since yesterday, Bax. God..."

" 'Bax'? Hmm, that's what Saddie used to call me," he remarked.

"Oh. What was this Saddie person like?"

"Nice, young, had the kinkiest hair you can imagine. Even after relaxing it,
it'd still be stiff as anything. We met at a shelter, and she taught me that
having no family can actually be better than living in her place, and I
taught her that no, she was wrong, although now that I have some genetic
connections, maybe it was me who was wrong. But I think she was the first
person who ever actually cared about my welfare besides me. Smarter than all
of us combined, what she could have done if not for the Invasion!" by now
Baxter was talking to himself as much as he was talking to Zenith, but she
listened intently.

"All or nothing," she mumbled.

"What?"

"Just something that popped into my head, that's all. Go on with what you
were saying," the young woman said.

"All or nothing, all or nothing..." Baxter pondered. His mind began to
mathematically apply this to the current situation, and suddenly it began to
make sense: End his short-lived stint at royalty, or go all the way and
become king. There was simply no other way to go about it.

It was not until the next day that Baxter heard the news: Amidst the
scandal, Teskalaren, feeling that there was nothing left for him as his
supposed last shot at power was lost, had committed suicide. But not after
assassinating King Larcon. So Planet Kosar was in flames, without a leader,
even though the population was desperate for one.

Baxter knew that unlike many of the later Earth-bound governments,
centralized rulers held a lot of power on Kosar. The will of the King was
the will of the world. And heredity reigned supreme.

"So you're off to reclaim your rightful position?" Paulo asked.

"Hell yeah!" Baxter said mischievously.

Vorna watched the exchange with contempt. Oh, she thought, ass-kissing a
little early, aren't we?

Baxter noticed her and said to her, in his most gentle voice, "What happens
from here on doesn't have to affect you if you don't want it to. We disagree
on some things, and we're both at fault for whatever happened. I swear that
if I knew what Teskalaren was doing to you for punishment, I would have
stopped it and taken is upon myself instead."

"Uh, you're not king yet, so isn't it a little too early for the bullshit?"
she replied.

"Whatever," Baxter replied. "I am going to leave for Kosar, and whoever
wants to come with me better tell me soon... but Vorna, I do need a favor
from you. You're the only one here who can pilot a ship, and I know I said
I'd try to leave you out of this, but please... you won't ever have to see
me again," he added liltingly.

"That, I believe."

In the end, all four of them went to Kosar. They were surprised at the
violence there, but King Baxter established order soon enough. Not surprising
was that this turn of events eventually led to Lorthaxer's near-fatal heart
attack. But most surprising was that within days of becoming king, Baxter
took Vorna as his queen.

=#=

Vorna stood on the parapet letting the night breeze toss her hair. She
finally just sank down onto the hard stone walk way and sat staring at
the stars. She glanced down at the ring on her finger and laughed
outright here she was 40 years old and Married to the king. Her an ex
slave. Yet she did not feel free. The big
problem was he kept persisting in this belief that she was from Earth.
and she was not. She was from another galaxy even. She had been to Terra
only three times in her life. What would it take to make him understand
that she and Zenith were not from the planet of his birth. Nor was Paulo
that Paulo was from a world where for hundreds of years those looking
like humans had been bred to serve the sexual desires of others. She
missed the closeness with Paulo but after the purging of the palace
staff He was one of the few people that Baxter could trust.

She and Zenith had an unlikely truce Vorna could feel for the younger
woman. She never said anything when the two of them met secretly. He was
entitled to his mistresses if he wanted them. Goddess knows she had been
one often enough over the years.

She heard footsteps and looked up to find Baxter walking toward her. She
did not scramble to get to her feet but instead sat there as he came to
stand looking down at her.

"Why are you out here? " Baxter asked

"Thinking of home. " she said in a language he did not
understand "Forgive me . I said I was thinking of home. "

"That was not a language I have ever heard spoken of Earth."

"Maybe that is because I AM NOT FROM EARTH!!!!!" She shouted at him .
Nor are Zenith and Paulo. My world was never taken by them We had
freeport status and had trade relations but we ARE NOT one of their
colonies. Zenith 's world Is one of your colonies and so is Paulo's But
my world was a traders FREEPORT. A NUETRAL ZONE if you will. That is why
my Half brother was treated with the courtesy he was when he was here. "

She started to get up and her leg buckled under her and tears came to
her eyes. Baxter reached down and pulled her to her feet. She nodded her
head and leaned against the wall. "I will see you in the morning your
highness." The words came from between clenched teeth. She turned and
moved slowly away toward her own quarters.

OH Goddess please let him understand I am not from earth.

=#=

Vorna limped into her room and lit one of the lights. Here she was the
queen and she came to a dark and cold room. She changed into a bed robe
and crawled between the sheets pulling the covers up around her. She lay
there for some time before falling into a painful sleep.

The next morning she was awake early and decided to take a walk before
the market filled to it's fullest. With her hair pulled up and tucked
into a turban she left the palace by a side gate . One of the guards saw
her go and she left word in case any one cared as to where she intended
to go.

Once in the market she blended in with the traders and those shopping. A
couple of times she stopped and haggled over a piece of fruit and a
sweet bun. She sat down on the edge of a fountain to eat. She watched
the activity around her as she had often done and it soothed her soul.
It was as close as she could get to being home. She heard an argument
break out between a late arriving vender and one of the guards She heard
her own native tongue and realized that neither of the persons involved
spoke the other language. Getting up slowly she walked over and spoke to
the guard

"I speak the tongue can I help " She saw him do a double take when he
saw the ring on her hand.

"Please . He does not have the proper paper work to be here."

"He says you do not have the proper paperwork to be here"

"Thank the goddess a civilized being " the man spoke in a rush to Vorna.
"I am asking him to show me the way to the clerk's office. I was told
that my paperwork would be available there this morning. I was sent by
my lord to this place instead of to my original destination as I made
a trade that be more profitable to sell here then on Tarsk. Now I can
not find my way there. and he will not let me bring my things in without
it . I do not want to come in without the papers I just want to get
them.

"Friend . Vorna said to the guard. ' the man does not want to entered
unprepared. He has had a market pass forwarded to him in the clerks
office. He wishes to leave his men and goods here until her can go and
pick up the pass that has been paid for and waits for him. I will show
him the way and you make sure no one bothers his caravan until he
returns."

"as you will."

"Wait here until we return Vorna said in her native tongue to the
Trader's lieutenant" her voice was calm and she set out for the clerks
office.

It only took a few minutes to get things settled once they were there
and Vorna went back and helped with the final translations that led to
the trader finding his market stall. Then she headed back towards the
palace and entered by the side gate.

Over the days it was to become her habit. A week later she was seated
on the edge of the fountain when the first trader she had helped came up
to her as he prepared to leave town.

"Lady I have your payment for helping me.
"Vorna took it with out word as this was habit among her people It
would have been an insult to him if she had not taken it. He handed her
a small pouch of coins. He left whistling a tune of the traders and she felt tears in her
eyes as she listened.

=#=

Baxter woke up, but still lay in bed. ("Too early in the morning, fuck off,
damn Mickey Mouse alarm clock!") His thoughts were just as jumbled as when
he had fallen asleep the night before. His queen had come to him and jumbled
and cried about not being born on Earth. The news had mildly disconcerted
him, but it was not unlike finding two people of radically different
religions duking it out when you yourself came from an interfaith family. Or
something.

He found it wildly ironic, though, that of the four of them, it should be
him, the alien freak, who was the Earthling of the bunch. He, who had never
known a normal life as defined by the humans. He, who was currently reigning
over a planet light years away. He, whose only wish was to be human like
everyone else, at least before the Invasion.

Slowly, he stood up, going over in his head who wasn't from Earth. Given
their cultural ways, Vorna and Paulo really didn't surprise him when he
thought about it. Only their looks threw him off. How could humans be native
to other planets, and aliens like him native to Earth? (Hmm, heavy question,
too early in the morning. Forget that one). As for Zenith, well, he already
knew she wasn't technically "human" (what a loose term these days!).

He picked up a framed photo of Saddie, the only other Earthling he knew of
right now. Looking at it always made him cry.

"I can't bring you back, I know that now," Baxter said to it. "But if I can
bring back one person from the tech fields, just one, maybe my life isn't
such a waste after all..."

=#=

Vorna was at the table when Baxter came to the morning meal. She could
tell that what she had said had upset him quite a bit. But She had
finally made her point. Paulo came to the door with him and then turned
away. Well he served Baxter now his loyalty belonged there. But it
sometimes got to her a little. Especially when she felt so alone.

"Your Highness I would like to speak to you of something later. our
meeting place on the parapet." Vorna did not expect an answer from him.
" I think what I have to say may be of interest to you." She paused "I
want you to think of Saddie when we talk"

After the meal she saw Zenith and spoke to her . "Would you like to go
to the market with me?" Vorna asked. "I know you like to go but have
trouble dealing with some of the vendors.If so meet me by the front gate
in ten minutes."

Vorna wondered if anyone would show up at one of the places .

=#=

Baxter caught Vorna as she approached the front gate. "Where's my kiss?" he
asked playfully.

Vorna embraced him, and as she did so, wondered how the relationship had
turned to this. It was like one of those movies where if the guy and girl
argued at first, they were eventually going to fall in love. She didn't even
know how it happened. She just remembered standing in the palace as Baxter
went there to discuss his position there. Just standing, and thinking, and
the thoughts of course turning to the just-about king. She suddenly realized
that what she hated about him was that he seemed to have such an easy life,
entering hers as prince and master. But when he told her that she had been
released from slavery, she saw suddenly that he had not been pompous, but
had simply adapted to the circumstances of his father.

Once, it seemed, Baxter had known pain as well, and it was this pain that
drove him. Now this Vorna could understand. And her view on him thus
changed. Now there was pain in the place of his coldness, hidden love in the
place of hate. So what could Vorna do but respect him? Suddenly, she found
herself wanting to completely give her heart to him, and when the pretenses
fell, he accepted it.

"I want to go help Zenith at the marketplace," Vorna said. "Thought she'd
meet me here, but where is she?"

Baxter shrugged. "Last time I saw her, she was trying to use the old texts
from her homeplanet to learn to fly. Propelling herself off a stepladder, I
believe. Quite amusing."

Vorna laughed. "So how's business at the capital building?"

"I dunno." Baxter shook his head. "Ya can't reason with these people. They
all have such a big stake in the Invasion, and it would be foolish for any
of them to approve my policies."

"Oh, yeah, bureaucracies. They're fun," she commented.

"Tell me, as an ethical person--at least better than I--how do you think I
should handle this? I have half a mind to fire or execute them, and replace
them with rebel humans. And you know what? I actually have the right to do
this!"

"So what you're asking me is if you should do that?" Vorna asked.

"No." Baxter lowered his voice. "I'm asking you what could prevent me from
doing that."

Vorna thought for a moment. "Well, besides riots from most of the local
population, more effigies than usual, a few death threats, and possible
assassination... absolutely nothing."

Baxter smiled, a smile so human that it truly belied his face. He even
chuckled a little. "So in other words, nothing could piss them off more?
Hmm..."

=#=

"Walk with me I was going to tell you this before but we need to be in a
safe place to do it" She led him up a flight of steps to the parapet
along the front of the castle not her favorite lookout point." Baxter
have you ever taken the time to read the laws of this land.? Or have you
just done what your father and his father before him did."

"What are you getting at"

"The actual law of this land and the one that the common citizen will
follow is the fact you are an absolute monarch Your grandfather and
your uncle and father were willing to let others rule. It made life
easier for them but in truth the laws have never been changed.' she
smiled wickedly. "If you go into the tower chamber and lift the crown
that is there and place it on your head you will take this world
backwards a bit but by doing so you can stop the plundering of other
worlds. "

"IT is up to you. Do you want this luxury or do you want to really make
a difference.?"

She let her words sink in.

"If you lift the crown you must call forth the Krystorian Guard and
demand that they take their rightful place once more as the protectorate
of the monarchy and the people."

=#=

Vorna and Baxter had walked down the parapet a ways and were watching in
all directions as they spoke to each other.

"The guard is a group of specially trained warriors that have skills
that the moderns do not. give them the new weapons ontop of their
ancient training and they can easily defeat the rest and bring the power
into your hands again."

"How do you know so much about them.?"

"I was trained by their leader and he is our friend'

"General Belo?"

"Yes" she paused "HE has a few people trained as I was scattered around
the universe. They can be gathered."

=#=

Zenith had spent all morning pawing through the book on flying she had found
written in her own language. Baxter had found her driving of a steplander
and laughed hysterically until she reminded him with much dignity he was the
one to put the idea in her head. She had thought Verno would understand her
not showing up but they had become friends and she was glad of that. Now she
was also thankful Baxter and her had remained friends and not lovers.
She had found her wings were string and had enough muscle to work but she
couldn't quite coax them to moved the right way to raise herself aloft. She
was sure instinct had been covered and nearly eased because in her little
manual it spoke of that being the prime flying help. She remembered little
of her brothers teaching. That sadden her because she had loved her brother
deeply. She now had no one to love. She cared for Baxter as a friend and
Verno as well but their was no one to love. She knew Baxter could and would
love Verno she saw it in his mind which was now a little more open to her.
She was gaining control of her powers and for short times could be in a
crowded area without being overwhelmed. She picked up the book and went up a
tower. She knew the risks. She could die from this but she could also regain
a part of her. She climbed out a wide window up the ledge and onto the wide
high roof. She sat for a moment looking out and down not being bothered by
the heights her kind never was. She stood and walked to the edge dropping
the book which landed at Verno's feet with Baxter. Zenith was directly above
them. She didn't see or 'hear' them her sense all concentrated on this feat.
either instinct would kick in or she would die.

=#=

Vorna looked up as the book fell at her feet and saw Zenith standing on
the ledge. Her first instinct would have been to scream if she had not
seen so much and done so much in her life. As it was she gripped
Baxter's hand as he started to shout to Zenith and very sternly
commanded him to be silent.

"Be Quiet she hissed " Then she spoke with more control. "Use your mind
and think of a safety net below her that she will not be hurt even if
the wings to not function BUT also will them to support her. She has to
do this or die trying. She has run to many times in her life now she
must face her mortality and live or die by her commitment. Either way
she will be set free from her torments. This time she wants to live and
live for the right reasons.:'

Together they stood and watched their friend. Vorna invoking the
Goddess' protection and courage for her friend.

=#=

Zenith looked out at the sky and extended her wings. She closed her eyes
tight and felt the wind flowing through every fiber of her being. Then she
simple dived off. She felt herself going lower and lower could feel the
round rushing up to met her. She let every part of her be stripped away by
the caressing wind except the part that was primal and inbred. She opened
her eyes and the wildness burned through her as she saw the ground coming
closer. Bare meters from the ground her wings unfurled with a white flash
and she skimmed the ground then rose up with powerful beats. She let out a
joyful cry and flew up and up higher in joyful circles. Then she dived down
wings folded at her sides tight and ruffled Verno's hair with her passing
opening her wings in time. She felt their strength coming to her and their
willing to help her. She turned in a tight circle and rose a few meters and
dropped at their feet standing and bowed at the waist. Her new found freedom
gave bright light to her green eyes and her wings seemed to shimmer. "Is it
so funny now Baxter?" she asked laughing and turning in circle raising
slightly then settling again. Her smile was open and dazzling creating
slight dimples in her cheeks.

=#=

Vorna smiled and took Zenith's hands in her own and looked down at the
younger woman.
"you once asked me what it was like to fly a craft and I said the
closest thing to true freedom one could ever know. Now you understand.
You are free in all ways Body mind and spirit. THE love will also come
soon but it may be a chained love at first as ours was but It will be
set free to bloom and grow. "

"and I have this for you " General Belo appeared out of no where and
handed a little box Zenith." She opened it and there were a pair of
silver wings .

"Vorna smiled and spoke softly to Baxter. "HE has promoted her you pin
them on her and do it in front of these that are gathered.

Baxter did as Vorna told him and watched as seven members of the guard
who were with the general Saluted Zenith smartly. Slowly she returned
the salute. Yet she did not take her eyes off of Vorna She had no
understanding of this but she knew that her friend did and the look of
approval on the older woman's face was enough to tell her it was a good
thing.

Vorna looked at the General and he spoke softly to her. Later we will
meet with some of the guard and I will do something I have wanted to do
for years but now this time is hers"

"Definitely Sir " Vorna replied just as quietly.

=#=

Zenith laid slim fingers on the wings still not sure what they meant. She had
caught the words because they were echoed in Verno's and Belo's heads but no
images or hints behind it. Zenith had figured out any one she became
familiar with she could not pick thoughts from their minds unless they
willed them to her. She nodded silently to Baxter and into his mind she
projected an emotion of intense happiness. She turned to the General "I thank
you but how did you come to be here with..." she motioned to the pin of
rank, it least that’s what she thought it was "this."

=#=

"that young woman is for an old one to know for himself." He nodded his
head briefly "Let's just say one of my people saw you and I felt the
concern for your safety. and I Had these with me and today you earned
your wings. so there they are."

His hash voice had a touch in it that showed he felt her pleasure.

"things will be explained later.

=#=

Now Zenith felt more confused then ever. She couldn't think with all these
people. She spoke in Belo’s mind "Sir. I'm going to the roof. I need to
think. With your permission" she knew a lot about taking orders that was one
of the few things she was grateful to Her master for.

=#=

Vorna sat at the computer console nervously. Sure, things seemed to be going
well lately: Zenith was finally using those wings of hers, and Baxter was
slowly becoming king (albeit in an awkward way). But something still nagged at
her mind, and even though she really didn't want to know, it was imperative
that she find out. The future of Kosar might depend on it.

Slowly, she took the semen sample to the machine. It was Baxter's, the same
one tested for fertility some weeks before. Now it was to be tested for
something else, something that, if found, would scare Baxter even more than
not being sterile (not that he knew about that one either). It was the
Mafamille condition. People would be born with this, yet it would not be
activated until their first heterosexual experience. And when it was
activated, he or she only had months--a year at most--to live. While it was
a rare disease, it was found mainly in interspecies people, and those people
were almost always colorblind even before activation.

Baxter was colorblind.

Quickly, Vorna pulled the test tube through the scanner. "Positive" the damn
chipper electronic voice announced.
She slowly pulled it through again, but again it came up positive. It could
be scanned a thousand times and it would come up positive. No doubt, Baxter
had the Mafamille condition. He would die soon.

Vorna took the test tube out of the machine and threw it out the window in a
rage. No!!! she mentally screamed. He's too young!

Suddenly, she heard the door open. Quickly, she changed the computer screen
to something else (farm profits from the south for this business year,
perhaps?). She looked up to see her beloved husband, half her age. He looked
more tender than ever.

"I heard something, you screaming. Is something wrong?" he asked.

"It's nothing, I assure you. Just, err, PMS, that's all."

"Okay..." Baxter said. He walked over to the other side of the computer, to
see what the screen was. Farm profits.

And I'm so sure she gives a shit about that! he thought.

"Are you sure it's okay?" he asked again. "Remember, you can tell me
anything. Just say it."

"Really, it's nothing..." Vorna said, studying his innocent blue eyes with a
new longing.

"Well, in that case, I really must go now then. They want me for some
coronation or something. Like I'm not going take over already! But I still
have to do it, even if it is an antiquated ceremony. Yawn..." Baxter said.

Vorna laughed. "Then you'd better do it, shouldn't you?"

"Or I could blow off the entire thing--reschedule it--and just stay here
and we could just fuck for the rest of the day. I'm starting to warm up to
that option the more I think about it, actually."

The phrase, "Oh God it was me that's killing you!" came to Vorna's mind, and
she desperately tried to quiet it.

But if he was to die already, how could this hurt? Lord knew that they had
screwed like bunnies anyway. So she took him to the bedroom and tried not to
let pesky little things like his mortality and death enter her head.

But he seemed so happy, and why shouldn't he? Now, Baxter still felt
healthy. His heart still beat and his body was as limber as ever (as he
would soon prove to her). Sure, sometimes his legs would stumble even when
there was nothing to trip over, but it was so infrequent that he dismissed
it. Or the fact that sometimes he would go deaf for all of ten seconds. But
all of these symptoms would be evaluated separately, not together, and
separately they were disconcerting perhaps, but not fatal.

Hours after the internal blast that he always got with her, Baxter looked
over at his sleeping beauty. He loved her and when she was in pain, so was
he.

The semen test, Baxter thought. She got the same idea that I did right after
I fucked her for the first time, to test for Mafamille. Now she knows too.
And she's keeping it from me, just like that other semen test she did on me.
I know I'm fertile, I know I'm going to die. How dense does she think I am?

It was almost nightfall, almost time for the parliament meeting to begin.
Appointed officials from each part of the planet would shoot down his
policies one by one, unless he did something first. Unless he fired them and
replaced them with his trusted human friends, who were already en route. One
day, maybe two, but he would have absolute power over this planet before
long. Then, quickly as possible, he would undo the Invasion, ordering all
aliens to return to their homeplanet or another one of their colonies. There
would be aid programs for the Earthlings, of course, and rebuilding would be
a high priority.

So what if this could get him assassinated? He didn't care, so long as he did
what he set out to do. No, assassination would be almost redundant right now.

=#=

Zenith heard Verno's scream and had dropped down from the roof (now her
favorite place) to find out what was wrong. The test tube which shattered on
the wall flung pieces out the window and Zenith got slashed across her arm
but she paid it no mind. She heard Baxter enter and decided to leave him to
it but in Verno's pain her mind was open and Zenith saw what fate was to
befall Baxter. She made no sound but rose in the air slowly her wings
weighted down by sorrow. She owed a lot to both of them. She remembered the
texts she had found in the market the trader had no idea of their worth. He
couldn't understand them no body could except her. Her race rarely left
their home world and were not widely known. She had snatched them up pressed
a generous amount into the vendors hand and fled to the roof and in the pile
she had found the flying manual. She landed lightly on the roof and opened
the door that lead inside to the room. She ignored the stair well and picked
up the book on healing. Her people were immune to many things that were
deadly to humans and had cures to some things which here were incurable but
she didn't know how human Baxter was and that would be the factor. her race
had had much contact with humans prior to the Alien invasion for many of
thousands of years. They were responsible for the myth of Angels. They healed
they sick among many other things. She flicked through but found nothing of
this sickness. She fanatically scanned them all trying to find one that will
at least prolong his life. She needed some distraction. She sat for hours
researching and writing thinking of possibilities to combine or change this
cure or another to help him. Her gift of healing that many of her kind had
as a 'power' would not help with this. She watched the sky darken through
the door as night came and moved with the book to the doorway letting it
rest in her lap her wings spread out behind her. After an hour she laid the
book aside and shifted into the night air laying on the roof staring at the
skis her wings wide open across the roof on either side of her.

=#=

Baxter had just got home from the meeting, and was feeling victorious. The
parliament was now full of humans, a move that pissed off most of the
general population but hell what did he care. Vorna was out with Paulo (and
Baxter still grudgingly allowed it to happen, for reasons why he did not
know. Or maybe he did-- so she wouldn't be alone when he was gone). So,
thinking he was alone in the palace, he took off everything but his
almost-earth-looking pants and wandered into the kitchen.

As he turned on the lights, he saw Zenith at the other end of the table, on
which it seemed she had already prepared dinner for them. "Oh thanks," he
commented.

For some reason, Zenith seemed to be at a loss for words as she watched him
sit.

It was then that Baxter remembered her telepathic abilities, even if they
never had successfully gotten to him unless he opened his mind for it first.
But Vorna was probably easy to read off of, and it was from this that Baxter
drew his conclusion: "Jesus Christ, not you too!"

"I know, Baxter. I know what's ailing you," Zenith admitted.

He shook his head, thinking. "Well, you're studying magic now, right? Can
you cure me?"

"No."

"I thought as much. Well then, what's the use in crying? That certainly
won't help things," Baxter said.

"Then what will?" Zenith quietly asked.

"Not pity parties like this, that's for one thing. Vorna, and now you,
you'll all walking around me like it's a damn funeral procession! I am
trying to save human civilization, and all you can do is mourn a death that
hasn't even happened yet... and that really isn't helping me."

"But we don't want to lose you! Aren't you even the least bit afraid of
death?" Zenith said.

"Hell yes, it used to keep me up for nights on end. Then I realized that I
could still do what I set out to do, that I could still make my life amount
to more than shambles, and that the only difference now was that I just had
a little less time to do it in. And if I can die in a free human's world,
then I've died happily," he stated.

"So what? So someone else can take over and undo whatever good you did?" she
asked, but now it was with less worry and more wonder. How could a man so
near death be so calm about it?

"Like I haven't thought of that too? I'll hand-pick my successor soon
enough, but it will not publicly be announced until the time comes; I don't
want anyone to know of my condition, of my weakness. They don't need to know
that they're dealing with someone who isn't afraid of their death threats,
their punishments, their shit in general... I don't know, I guess the
Mafamille condition can be kind of liberating like that."

"But I don't want you to leave!" Zenith cried.

"Oh come, that's months off!" he said, almost cheerfully. "Be like me, live
on a moment-to-moment basis, for once. How do I look NOW?"

"You LOOK fine."

"And how will I look until my last day?"

"The same," Zenith realized.

"Good then, I think we've reached an understanding here. NOW, how are you
doing with your flying...?"

=#=

Paulo and Vorna still went places together but not in the same way they
had. Vorna knew that he was no longer hers alone and did not take him to
her bed. They were more friends then mistress and servant.

Paulo knew he had hurt her and it pained him to think that he had lost
her trust after what they had been through together. she was so special
to him. Yet he did understand why she had backed away into her own
little world She was a reserved private person to begin with and he had
been fortunate to get past the walls for a short time and find out how
caring she could be.

Vorna took him with her as it was expected of her. She much preferred
to be alone. She never had him serve her sexually anymore. Now he was
just there he and she both having Baxter's wellbeing first in their
minds.

As much as Vorna loved Baxter she felt alone in this place. She had felt
this way for the majority of her life except for the few short weeks he
had belonged to her

=#=

Zenith had ignored his reference to magic. It wasn't that.. it was more
genetic well at least the healing touch but the medicine was actually more
scientifically evolved. Enough she told herself do as he says enjoy life as
you can. "The texts helped more then I had thought. It was all instinct
that’s why I pulled that little roof stunt. I think you understand as it like
what you are doing now. If your going to die try to get one thing right while
dying ." she saw his nod and continued "I'm up to carrying weights and I
judge now I could almost carry you. It might come in handy." she smiled
thinking if she couldn’t save him from the sickness then maybe she could
save him from an assassin’s weapon. She thought it through for some minute
while Baxter reminded silent then she spoke again "Baxter... I assume you
have a personal guard?"

=#=

"No he really doesn't have one the way you are talking "Vorna said as she

and Paulo came into the kitchen. "unless you count Paulo and the

lieutenant." Then she looked at Zenith. "and you of course'" She turned

on Baxter "He's been to busy to come to me like I asked him to so I could

tell him how to activate the private guard"

"She swung around on him " i will tell you here in front of Zenith you

have to go to the tower and put on the old crown and invoke then

standing on the balcony invoke the absolute power of the crown as set

forth by the council under the head of Larvarathan King of the Kryos DEL

tem. "you will have a guard squad at your side within minutes. 'By the

way zenith you are one of them and so am I"

=#=

Zenith nodded and turned to Baxter again "I would back Verno here. Besides.
In my reading I can across a fighting and war manual. I know the theory of
combat I just need to be tested. My body will follow where my mind wishes it
to go." she gave her wings a slight agitated flap. "And I think.. I mean if
these guards Vorna talks of are form all races and different worlds then we
will look very fearsome. All different people come together to protect one
king. No one will nasay you." She folding her arms across her chest and held
her wings up and out slightly as if on defensive and she cleared her face
of expression except a watchfulness. Paulo took a step back slightly and
even Baxter and Vorna were slightly wary of the change in the normal open
and quiet Zenith.

=#=

Zenith had retired to her bed long ago, and Baxter stood on the balcony
overlooking the garden. In the distance, he saw Vorna and Paulo enter the
grounds. He noticed the lack of sexuality between the two, and he knew that
it was his fault.

When you're a king, people will put you first, won't they? Baxter thought.
They'll sacrifice their own happiness for yours. So not only does Vorna give
herself to me, but Paulo actually lets it happen. And they'll never find the
happiness that they deserve because of it. Jesus, Paulo, do you know that
I'd die right now if it would get me out of the picture? You need Vorna more
than I do. I'm not good enough for her! I--I'm a dying little half-breed who
just happens to be royalty. That's all.

Quietly, he retreated back into the castle, past sleeping Zenith and the
aquarium with all the little fish. He found that he was mildly schizophrenic
about death: some days he wanted to die if only to stop hurting Vorna and
Paulo, but on others he clung to life because now he was so close to making
something of it.

Suddenly, he saw the apocalypse before him: this Cuban dude running from one
of the alien guards. And he knew the Cuban. Name was Tommy, one of the pimps
from Miami. Yes, Baxter knew him on a first name basis, due to the drug
trafficking that he regularly did for him.
He remembered the screaming humans, and almost screamed himself. Yet on a
closer look at the aliens, Baxter realized that this was where he had gotten
his strange appearance from, that these people were related to him. Too bad
they had to be such assholes.

Now Baxter relished the thought, if only for inspiration. Like lots of
people he had known, he had only one thought: to save the world.

=#=

Zontos drifted in and out of the huge crowd making his own path he was looking for the palace that the king lived in when he found it if he found it he would talk to the king. He knew there was a chance for peace between the humans and aliens and if so the first step would be humans being freed, but this whole thing did not make sense in the first place, has race believed they were smarter but yet they had human slaves for no other reason than a damn orgy feast oh yeah his race was nothing but a bunch of geniuses. This whole thing reeked of stupidity in fact Zontos believed that humans were smarter because they had already been through this whole thing one of the biggest countries had a civil war and learned that the whole thing was stupid, so his people were the dumb ones. Zontos finally came to a stop to look at the palace then to go in.

=#=

Zenith who was half asleep half listened as Baxter paced around the room.
She was 'listening' with half her mind when she felt the new person enter
the palace. She shoot upright and all but ran form the room. She could read
this entity's mind more then Baxter's but only a little. Not human she
decided. There fore a threat. She blocked his path her wings spread wide
form wall to wall blocking his path arms crossed with the face she had
presented to Baxter earlier. She was inwardly very nervous. She had only
just been trying physical combat instead of theory and she really didn't want
to try it. "Hold where you are. Explain why you are here." she voice was
soft despite her stanch and order. And she berated herself for letting it
go. She really wasn't cut out to be all guts and no brain. She was very
slight and had a soft voice.

=#=

"VERNO!!" Goddess how Vorna hated that name but She knew instantly

who's mind had touched hers. In a flash she came from her quarters and

raced towards the spot the call came from she also saw the picture

Zenith put in her mind and her weapon was drawn as she came up behind

the being and placed a knife at his throat. NO one but Zenith had seen

or heard her approach. Many years of life among the male aliens told her

this was one no matter what he looked like he smelled alien.

"BAXTER ARE YOU ALL RIGHT?" She shouted as she added

"ATTENDAMENT DEL GUARDE"!!

Vorna had summoned the guards of the old kings even if Baxter had not

picked up the crown yet. They were needed.

=#=

Baxter saw the knife at the stranger's throat and how hard it was for Zenith
to keep her stance around someone so much larger. Instinctually, he pulled
the knife from her and took her position. Confused and not seeing what
happened is was too fast, she found herself standing aside as Baxter did her
job.

Damnit, I'M supposed to be the one protecting YOU! she thought. Yet Zenith
also knew that considering Baxter's past, he was probably the first king in
Kosar history who was actually physically strong enough to handle his own
enemies in this sort of situation, while she was obviously not.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Baxter asked, not in the prim
Kosar dialect he picked up, but like the street punk from Florida that he
was. When the stranger said nothing, Baxter roughly shoved him. "Who are
you, damnit?"

"I am Zontos! I mean no harm! Please, let me go!" the stranger said.

"I'm sure. How did you get in here?" Baxter continued, not letting him go.

"I walked. Without a personal guard, it's pretty easy, ya know." Zontos
said, trying to cover fear with anger most unsuccessfully.

"He's right," Zenith piped in.

Baxter nodded and let him free. "I guess if you wanted to kill me you
probably would have done it already."

~~~~~~~~~

"How do you know that I don't plan to?" Zontos replied, suddenly sinister.
With this, he went over to the bed Zenith had slept on just minutes before,
and pulled up the mattress. A bomb, set for about one minute from now.

Zenith quickly ran to Baxter, perhaps to fly him out of here, but Zontos
shot her and she was instantly down, a lifeless object.

Baxter looked to see where he could escape, but the balcony was too far up,
and Zontos blocked the only other exit. So this was death. Interesting...

~~~~~~~~~

Baxter shook his head a little from the paranoid vision. What the hell is
going on with me? he thought, remembering the Mafamille condition. For all
of two minutes, I could have sworn that was real!

"That's right," Zontos said. "I would have done it already."

The king still found it disorienting to look at him.

"But," Zontos continued, "I came here for another reason. You and I, it
seems, share many views on how the issue of undoing the Invasion should be
handled. Your plans, however, seem to mainly benefit the humans, so of
course they're unpopular with your subjects here. But I think I have an idea
that could please both sides, and thus lead to peace."

"Really?" Baxter commented. "Okay, I'm listening..."

=#=

Zenith caught some of the imagine as well as his thought of the imagine. She
had been rubbing her neck after having to almost tip her head right back to
look up at Zontos. She reached up briefly and touched her fingers tips to
both his temples easing the imagine and any lasting effects and relaxing his
body at the some time taking any tension into her self which was why the
touch only worked a little. It took the sickness into yourself but not in
it's same form it just was there and her body and mind healed it. She felt
herself take the tension and was surprised by the amount that assailed her.
She reached around Baxter’s side to take her knife from his hand. "Sire." it
was the first time she had called him that "May I suggest we move from the
main hall to your study?" and away from my bed. She added to herself
silently the imagine had been disturbing.

=#=

Character: Viveto

Background: One of the aliens, he made his fortune in the Invasion, taking
over Earth lands and selling this war booty for a considerable profit. Like
Baxter, the Invasion changed his life for the better, except unlike Baxter,
this boy doesn't have the whole guilt trip to go along with his success. He
likes things the way they are.

Abilities: Extreme amounts of manipulation and charm. (B.S.)

Reason: Well, the story can't be TOTALLY populated with good guys, can it?

=#=

There was an old game on Kosar, a violent sport, which involved mercilessly beating hard ball until it cracked. No weapons could be used on the three-foot ball, only one's body. Most humans couldn't do it, and even the strongest of aliens had a hard time pulling it off.

Viveto was a champion at the sport. While not muscular, he had the sheer will to put up with any amount of pain to destroy the ball. In fact, it was sheer will that had gotten him to the position that he had today, sheer will and charm. But most balls could not be charmed. (and those that could? Well...)

"Master!" the barely-clothed (with a body that didn't need any clothing at all) sex slave announced. "The chancellor of Northern Business is here to see you. Something about--" "I know what it's about! He wants more Earth land so he can build that insane park idea of his. Tell him to fuck off, will ya? It's all gone."

"Even Antarctica? He says that climate isn't a factor."

Viveto laughed. "Oh, I sold that a long time ago! Now please, I'm having fun here. Will you tell him to pecker off somewhere else now? I've told him time and time again, but the guy has a scull thicker than the distance from here to Earth, I swear."

The sex slave, Darren (yes, that is a human name. He is human), nodded and retreated back into the hall to relay the message to the chancellor. As he did so, he thought of what Viveto might do after the ball was destroyed: use the Machine to make himself human, and thus become the sexiest human male Darren had ever seen.

So it was with much anticipation that he walked back to the room, waiting patiently until the ball broke. But despite his still posture, he could barely contain himself.

=#=

Baxter was alone Vorna had been waiting for this time as what she had to
say was personal at least it should start out that way. She had no idea
where it would go.
She approached him and spoke sharply but with some authority. "Husband we
have to talk" she almost spat the word husband out of her mouth.

"I want you to look closely at that knife you took from Dear Zenith's
hand the other night. LOOK AT IT NOW BAXTER" Her voice raised as he did
not comply with her barely hidden order.

He looked at it for the first time to really look at it and saw that it
bore Vorna's crest "NO I DID NOT GIVE IT TO HER I had it at his
throat."

"Master?" Paulo appeared in the doorway "I heard raised voices" he saw
Vorna and a different tone came into his voice "Mistress"

"Get out of here" Vorna's voice was very soft but the order was not lost
on Paulo. He knew Vorna and that tone was dangerous He was well aware
of the fact that a loud Vorna was just blowing steam but a soft quiet
Vorna could be deadly

"yea Mistress. " HE left quickly

"husband I put up with the two of you being so close and I even have put
up with your spending more time with her and not even being decent
enough to meet me your wife when I ask you to. I asked you to join me
for dinner tonight and here you sit and you have been here with her
until a few minutes ago. Two hours AFTER YOU AGREED TO JOIN ME FOR
Dinner'

"Well I am going to tell you there are more then people here upset with
how you are handling things and they would be your supporters if you
just did what I have begged you to do several times and Pick up the
crown" she paused." i personally think you are so tied up in your
little Petty thing on terra that you have NO Clue as to what is actually
going on around you. I give up. Have your self-centered earthlings put in
everywhere and accomplish nothing. " by the way enjoy your dinner and
she dumps it over his head. "PAULO GET IN HERE AND CLEAN! Your master
he had an accident."

=#=

Zenith felt the intense emotions coming form Baxter's room and walked in on
Verno mid-hissy fit. She tired to block the headache the anger of Verno was
giving her but it was no use "VORNA!" she used her actual name instead of
the one that was easier for her to pronounce "Stop it." Vorna spun round to
look at her mildly astonished at the loud voice form the soft spoken Zenith
"He was not with me and he took that knife from your hand. I took it from
him and gave it back later when I saw your crest on it." Her wings rustled
with the pain the headache was giving her "Now I would thank you to tone
down your anger or go to the shielded room which I designed incase Baxter
wanted to by somewhere my mind couldn't follow. You’re hurting my head." she
went to the window and opened it stood on the ledge and then turned and
backed into the cool night air hovering just outside the window. "Please?"

=#=

"Zenith this time he might not have been with you I will agree to that

but.. HE has been in the past when we were supposed to meet." The anger

in Vorna was now down to the danger point and her voice was softer then

Zeniths normal one. "the least my dear husband could do is send me a

message that he will not be able to join me or at the very least give

someone a standing order to let me know if he is going to be held up."

She spat the following words" even you will agree that is only polite"

"Baxter I do not know if you know this because you never talk to me or

let me know anything or join me in a safe spot." She makes a motion

to Zenith "Get in here and shut the window now while I say this in front

of you so you will understand why I am so damn upset" She waited for the

brief moment for the other to comply then said very softly "Three alien

worlds have been taken over by a being of this race who gained power on

terra but who has expanded it to conquer his own peoples on three

different worlds. He is enslaving his own people Your people."

She spoke softer yet. I know this because it has come through the free

traders and they are fortunate enough to still be allowed in and out as

they are selling his ill gotten gains and know where he is setting up

an illegal pelting operation of beings who are just as intelligent but

have the misfortune to be furred. I begged you in front of this one to

activate the old laws and i did it for a reason they can guard you and

go after this one. with the help of the rebel freebooters."

"Now if you already knew of this I am sorry to have wasted your time if

not then I beg you to do as I have asked." She turned to Zenith "Since

My husband listens to you when he won't me talk some sense into him."

Those few words were spoken with feeling as she drew herself up again

and looked at Zenith. "but don't you ever talk to me again the way you

have tonight. I may not get the respect of a queen because of my former

position in this household but I am one and I will not be spoken to as

you did tonight. This was between MY husband and I is that understood."

With those soft words Vorna turned and left the room. She walked past

Paulo and almost did a double take as he prostrated himself before her.

The old General was there and He snapped to attention several of the men

at his side doing the same. She nodded curtly and walked on to her

apartment before laying down she set the tray of dinner out in the hall.

someone would see that it got where it was needed.

=#=

Vorna had no doubts that Zenith would hate her now. She did have a
right to have an argument with her own husband for goddess sake. Who
did the girl think she was butting into their personal lives. If he had
something to say to her for goddess sake let him say it HE had made her
his wife.

Vorna knew he was terminal but she also knew that if he did not go to
the old ways of this planet he would not leave anything no matter what
he tried to put in place because of that stupid parliament or whatever it
was called. once he was gone no matter who he put in charge that group
would have the power to break it if he did not disband it and do so by
the actual law of the land.
This Viveto she had been hearing about was to be considered a real
problem for them. Her sources were good ones. not official ones but good
ones the traders knew what was going on they were not tied to the
official channels they dealt with people who wanted to avoid the official
stuff as much as possible.

=#=

à scene 1 for this segment

"...Damnit, Baxter, why do you do this to me?!" Vorna screamed.

"I don't know," he admitted.

"That makes both of us!"

"It's not just that. I don't even know why I married you in the first
place... You belong with Paulo, who obviously adores you in ways I never
could."

Vorna gasped. "Do you mean that?"

"Yes," Baxter replied. "I want to be a good husband, you want to be a good
wife, but I don't think it can work out like that. Not with US as each
other's husband and wife."

"You're right," she acknowledged, as what he had said was simply a
vocalizing of what they both had been thinking all along. "But this Earth
custom you suggest, divorce -- that's illegal here, isn't it?"

"So we'll stay together in a loveless marriage to please the public. A
king's gotta have a queen, right?" Baxter said, and seeing the look on her
face, continued (with some amount of remorse), "Don't worry, it'll end
within the year anyway."

à scene 2, the day after

"S'n crum doh. Shaynah ta kaya soh. Ti si cum la," the leader of the
parliament pronounced in an older form of the Kosar language. With this, he
stood up from his kneeling position and placed the crown on Baxter's head.
"Quay son kee!" he proclaimed, which could be roughly translated as "You are
king."

Baxter smirked as the crown touched his head. It was a damn heavy thing. But
at least he was getting it over with, and that seemed to pacify Vorna at his
side. The new personal guard gave an elaborate salute, and he recognized
most of the people in it as those that had served his father only weeks
before. And perhaps all this ceremony wasn't so bad; it was certainly an
ego-booster of astronomical proportions.

Followed by his queen, he walked down the aisle of the public hall (it
resembled a church on the inside), and everyone he passed bowed or curtsied
to him. It was cool. But something caught his eye, someone acting
differently from the rest of the crowd of nobles and other snob-types.
Leaning against the wall to the right, about twenty feet away.

Most of his subjects, even those that hated him, respected him in person.
Eye contact was allowed, but not staring. This guy was staring, with a face
that seemed to say "You are nothing. You are a fly on the wall that I should
crush with one swap of my hand. You are the last person here who should be
king."

Baxter quickly looked somewhere else, but the look that that person had
given him, it chilled his soul. Perhaps he had been so softened by all this
respect he'd been getting lately as royalty that this really shouldn't have
shocked him if he was in his right mind, but he suspected that he was in his
right mind-- even with the mild paranoia that Mafamille sometimes induced.

Next came the parade, a surreal spectacle that, while to some may have
resembled any royal coronation, to Baxter resembled the footage of the day
JFK was shot (or even worse, Marilyn Manson's interpretation of it in that
"Coma White" video). Suddenly, he just knew that he was in the presence of
something sinister.

"What is it?" Vorna asked, bitch no more.

"I don't know," he responded.

In a vehicle parked next to the public hall, which was now practically
empty, Viveto smiled a little smile. This king would not last long. Then he
smiled a bigger smile. Darren had just finished giving him head.

=#=

"I am honored to have you here, your Highness," Viveto said with his charm
on full force.

"The feeling is mutual," Baxter lied. Viveto had been heavily shrouded and
disguised at the coronation, but being a master of disguising himself,
Baxter saw through it. "I understand that you have also entertained Larcon
before me, am I right?"

"Yes, my family has paid homage to yours for the last six hundred years. It
is our duty to continue the tradition." Viveto raised his wine glass. "A
toast, to Clan Tiotic, and to Clan Grenoti!" he announced, the first clan
being the royal family, the second being his own.

Baxter held the glass to his lips, but only pretended to drink. He knew the
type of championship bullshitter he was dealing with here, and thus was
suspect of everything that Viveto did.

The first course arrived, and Viveto noticed that Baxter was kind of pushing
the food around on his plate. On this he commented, "Come, eat the poached
horsemeat. An Earth delicacy, is it not?"

"This is horsemeat?" Baxter responded. "Well, despite the rest of that
planet may eat, I have certainly never had it before. This is more of an
Asian thing, I think." He continued to make shapes out of the sauce with his
fork.

Viveto took this statement at face value, as to do anything else would only
ruin the dinner. After a while, however, he leaned in and said, "It's not
tainted, I assure you."

Baxter raised a solid silver eyebrow. "Switch plates with me."

"Fine," he said, doing so. "But poisoned food? Gods, do you know how archaic
that is! If I did that half the people here would be on my ass in an
instant. No, I'm not stupid."

"Tell me, about that thing back there, giving me that look. What the @#$%
was that about?" Baxter asked.

The question had been asked in an angry tone, but Viveto could only answer
in the kindest of words--it was his nature. "You're out to make my life a
living hell, that's all. When your father discovered Earth, albeit by getting
lost on a trading mission, it provided a wonderful opportunity for me to
revive the name of Grenoti. Now you want to take it away. And I don't really
take all that well to people who want to take what's mine. That's all."

"You want to kill me," Baxter asked, although it wasn't a question.

"Not if we can't work it out first. I'm sure we can compromise."

"I know what your idea of compromise is, and no. Earth belongs to the
humans, and only the humans. How would you like it if they came over and
overtook Kosar?" he suggested.

"Then I would call it the natural course of evolution and leave it at that."
Viveto said.

"No, you wouldn't. You'd fight it, watching your family go into slavery,
your best friend killed as she tries to escape it. You'd wonder why God did
this to you, until you realize that the only god is man himself. Then you'd
go against all you believe in, just to survive. Just to eat and find
shelter against the rain, if you're even that lucky. If you escaped the
slavery, the life of a rebel would sometimes be even worse... Tell me, have
you ever thought of it like that?"

Viveto did his best impression of sympathy and deep thought, but in a few
moments he tried to change the topic: "What does it feel like, though, to be
of both races?"

Baxter rolled his eyes, for two reasons: 1)this was about the thousandth
time someone had asked him this, and 2)Viveto obviously could care less
about another's suffering, no sympathy whatsoever. It didn't bode well for
the character. Still, he answered, "I don't know, how does it feel to be of
just one?"

The businessman laughed. "You know, I'm not that unlike you in that sense. I
can be human too."

"Bullshit. I grew up in @$#*^ Florida and even I'M not completely human."

Viveto smiled. "Come, let me show you something." He stood up and lead
Baxter out of the dining room. As they walked, Baxter wondered what Viveto
was up to, but curiosity got the better of him. They came up to a large
room that resembled a spa with some movie-style time machine in it.

"Oh, and you want me to step inside that thing so you can instantly release
the gas on me, right?" Baxter guessed.

"No," Viveto commented, closing the door behind him. "Just look around you.
Nobody here, right? No humans, anyway."

"I see that..."

"Now look at me." Viveto stepped into the machine. He stripped down to
nudity (which was not as taboo here as one would think). Then he typed some
words on the keyboard, commenting that "Brad Pitt always worked for me. I
think I'll try that this time." Suddenly, bolts of electricity shot into him
and his body changed at the speed of light, from regular naked alien to
regular naked, and human, Brad Pitt.

Baxter forgot all his suspicion of the man as he saw him walk out the
machine. "What did you do?" he asked.

"I restructured my genetics to match that of the human I selected, and
presto. And when I return to my own body, it will seem like new, as if I'd
never been scarred or sick in my life. I'll even be a virgin--ironic, if you
saw most of what I do in THIS body!"

While Baxter remembered the human sex slave Darren he'd met at the entrance
to the mansion, what he remembered more was raping Vorna. But if he could
undo that (at least physically), he wouldn't die. And maybe he could even be
a real human for once.

"I know what you're thinking," Viveto commented. "You're thinking of the
Mafamille condition."

"What?!"

"Those tests are done on computers, your Highness. Computers keep records,
and if you know the right codes, hacking becomes very easy."

"Damnit... Well, can I use it?" Baxter pointed the machine.

"Yes," Viveto answered. "But not before we agree to a few things... After
all, I am a businessman. I intend to profit."

=#=

Zenith had unobtrusively followed Baxter and the Alien to the room. She
really didn't like big built Aliens and didn't trust them. They reminded her
of Her last Master. When the door closed she stood outside 'listening' with
her mind but all she got was her probe bounced back with a stinging slap on
her mind. Damnit she thought in her mind then eased that thought. Why did he
have to choose the shielding room SHE designed to do this whatever it was.
She leaned against the wall facing the door. She was worried for Baxter but
He could look after him self she decided. She sank slowly down on to her
small butt her knees akimbo and rested her hands on them. Her wings where
flashes of white against the dark walls on either side. She looked smaller
then ever.

=#=

"Profit..." Baxter mulled over the word. "Do what you say and you'll save my
life. Hmm, profit indeed."

"This is the only machine like this in existence, your highness. It was
invented by one of my technicians," Viveto, still looking like the naked
Brad Pitt instead of his alien self, said. "And I'd really rather not watch
you die, not if I don't have to. After all, this is not a matter of hatred,
just politics."

"And yet I die from those politics!"

"You die from a condition you had from birth, activated by your first fuck.
The only thing that surprises me is that you lasted so long. When did you
lose your virginity anyway?"

"A couple weeks ago," Baxter said. "I'd rather not fuck everything like you
do. It makes me feel dirty."

"What's so dirty about pleasure?" Viveto purred, going off the subject in a
manner not unlike that Transsexual from Transgender Transelvania in "The
Rocky Horror Show".

Baxter instantly felt the undeniable urge to kick the other person's ass to
the ground. He was starting to feel comfortable with Viveto in spite of
himself, and he knew that that was being caused by charm and pure bullshit.
Viveto was being persuasive and Baxter could hardly stop himself from siding
with him. But he knew he must.

Ironically, Viveto left the subject at that and continued onto other topics
like sex, drugs, and whatever else came into his head. Light conversation,
on into the night until Baxter left.

As he left, he thought of the machine, and thought to himself: I must find a
way to use it without Viveto knowing!

=#=

When Baxter and Zenith got home, Vorna greeted both of them, especially Baxter. "Oh, how did it go?" she asked, concerned.

"It went just as I expected it to," he lied. "Viveto was the asshole that we all thought he was, but a surprisingly charming one at that." Baxter left out the part about the machine; no use getting anyone's hopes up.

Zenith looked at Baxter with an odd glance. She knew he was lying, she just didn't know about what. But Viveto had led Baxter into that shielded room for a reason. And what of the naked human that Baxter had walked out with? It wasn't that one sex slave, and where was Viveto then, anyway? Something wasn't adding up here, and for the life of her, she could not figure out what it was.

Later, when Baxter had gone off to practice athletics with Paulo, the two women had a talk:

"I know he's hiding something," Zenith said.

"You think it could have anything to do with his illness, like maybe some symptoms that he experienced that he's embarrassed to mention?" Vorna asked, worried.

"No, it has something to do with Viveto. And Viveto wouldn't know anything about the Baxter being terminal unless Baxter told him himself, which would make no sense."

"What then?" Vorna continued, more worried.

"Fucked if I know!"

As the ladies conversed, Baxter had a very different discussion with Paulo at the gaming rooms in the basement:

"Paulo, you spent some years as a professional thief on your homeplanet, right?"

"Yeah."

"Well then, do you know how to break inside a mansion with a G7 security level...?"

=#=

Vorna sat on the parapet wall and looked out over the city. She had
never been this alone in her whole being . "Forgive me goddess " she let
herself fall backwards over the wall. Her body was found the next day.

=#=

Baxter and Paulo leaned over the diagrams of Viveto's security system like
two techies trying to figure out how to fix a computer, although this issue
was slightly more important to Baxter than his C drive.

Suddenly, a servant ran into the room. "Your highness, your highness! Awful
news, it's your wife!" he hyperventilated.

"Yeah, what is it?" Baxter's posture went from leaning over a table to
straighter than a knife.

"Awful, awful... at the corner of Ninento and Tiakati. I wish I was man
enough to say it--"

But by then Baxter and Paulo were already out of the room.

Within minutes, they were at the scene of the death. Vorna's body still lay
on the ground, as if no one had quite known what to do with it.

"Jesus, Jesus, Jesus..." Baxter muttered, his worst fears confirmed. Louder,
he asked the crowd that encircled the body for city blocks, "What happened
here?"

"I saw her jump, your highness," a little adolescent girl behind him said.
"Standing at the vending booth over there, and I looked just as she fell.
Didn't see anyone near her, though."

"Okay then," Baxter said. Paulo being an absolute wreck at the moment,
Baxter left it to himself to pick up the body and take it to the nearest
funeral home, where he soon left, leaving Paulo with her.

The body, however, was not given another thought by Baxter. The body was a
shell, Vorna's doubly so, for it could hardly contain that spirit of hers.
Trying to hold off the grief as much as possible, he rushed off to the
palace, back to the room with the security blueprints in it.

Without Paulo, however, the room took on a different feel for Baxter.
Usually, he only looked at what Paulo pointed out, or whatever else related
to their conversations. Now, he simply saw all of the room. As he distanced
himself from the minor details of the codes, he saw something even more
unsettling.

Up until now, Baxter could not for the life of him figure out what had
happened to Vorna. Now he knew: whether there was another person on the
scene or not, this was Viveto's doing.

"Viveto!" he exclaimed, clenching his lavender human fist. "You shall pay
for this tenfold, one appendage ripped from your sniveling faggot body at a
time!"

=#=

Paulo wept uncontrollably. All she had asked for was to be considered

first in some one’s heart. HE realized how close to Vorna he had been

until that day when he had declared his loyalty to Baxter speaking out

of turn and forgetting all his manners and that after Baxter's actions

had been the cause of her close call with death.

Then how no one seemed to listen to her. He had noticed that she was

getting quieter and quieter. More withdrawn. Treated with less respect

as a queen then she had been shown as the erosa of this house. Even

Zenith treating her as a second class being always hovering around

Baxter yet when Vorna tried to tell them something no one listened. HE

realized that the last straw had been Zenith barging in on their fight

as husband and wife She had not even been given that bit of privacy

with him Someone had butted in on it.

Paulo knew that her spirit had been broken by Baxter's father’s beating

of her to the point she did not want to live. and then he Paulo had

turned away from her at the first chance.

Goddess knows he knew more about her then the others he had seen the

scars before the ones the late prince had put on her.

Paulo felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into the general's one

eye. "She is at peace now " the old man said softly

"Now go help that fool who needs you . She would want it I will take

care of things here.

"Yes sir." Paulo left and slowly returned to the palace.

=#=

Paulo returned to the palace but he did not go to the king instead he

went to Vorna's rooms. HE was not surprised to see guards posted there.

The lieutenant who was often the only guard assigned to the queen stood

there.

"May I go in.?' Paulo asked.

"I was told to let you in and go in with you as you were the only one

who could find anything that might tell us what had happened. "

Paulo was shocked by the state of the room' It wasn't that it had been

ransacked or anything. there was just nothing done. He looked at the

officer "Sir can we find who her maid was ?"

Paulo knew that there would be no maid. He also knew that Vorna would

not have gotten one for herself She had spent too many years wearing a

collar to take such a thing upon herself. The only time he had ever

seen her show any temper was that night she had tried to have the fight

with Baxter. He found her ready pack and picked it up

What's that the lieutenant asked.'

Her ready pack.

ready pack

when you are property you try to keep things on your person that are the

most important to you. So that if you are sold without warning you do

not loose them.

What's in it

In Vorna's case it was her flight certifications and a picture of her

father this is something new he opened the pack and found a little

diary He recognized the penmanship at once as Vorna's. He knew it well

because she had taught him how to write. It is in her hand." Paulo

flipped through the pages and came face to face with a very lonely

person. the last page on the last page of writing he found a letter to

himself.

‘Paulo you will be the one who finds this. and by doing so you will know

I took my own life. as no slave does not take their ready pack with them

The one who is now courting the Kings favor is dangerous and Baxter will

not listen to me. If I can not stand up to a man who is my husband and

make him pay attention to me even to strike me then I am a failure as a

woman. I tried to be a free being just once and make a difference and

failed. it is more then I can stand this isolation may the goddess

cast her lamp kindly on your path I have burned my candle and sung my

song Fare well friend.’

=#=

Paulo clung the ready pack and wondered if there was anything he could have done. But no, it was, in a sense, all Baxter's fault. If only that asshole had been a good husband to her!

"What's that?" a voice behind him asked.

"Nothing you'd understand, it's a slave thing," Paulo said, barely hiding his anger at Baxter.

Baxter circled Paulo and looked at the ready pack. While he did not know it by name, he did remark, "Oh, a bundle. Wallet and treasure box in one. I have one of those."

"For your information, it's ready pack. It's so if a slave is unexpectedly sold, she won't loose her really important stuff. Kept it on her person right up until you married her, and even then I'd see Vorna carrying it around."

"Ah." Baxter realized. He remembered keeping something like that for the same purpose when he was homeless, but did not mention it. Paulo was pissed, and when Paulo was pissed, Paulo was unstable, and when Paulo was unstable... Baxter didn't take very well to unstable people.

Instead, he went back to his revelation as of a few hours ago: "I think I know who did it."

Paulo momentarily forgot his new hatred of Baxter and turned around.

"Viveto," he continued. "Viveto, worthless butt pirate that he is, wants to me to do his will. And if he cannot do it with bribery, he will do it with threats... Vorna could have been me."

Something about this fairly innocent statement ignited a rage in Paulo not seen since anyone could remember. "You? YOU?! FUCK you! If this was Viveto's doing, then you know what? I wish that it was you!... But you neglected her, Arotica Baxter Ciccone. She cried out for help and you didn't even listen." By now Paulo's face was wet with crying, and he slowly handed the king Vorna's note.

Baxter read it over, slowly mouthing the words to himself he was so absorbed by it. "'I took my own life... tried to make a difference but failed... Fare well, friend.'"

"Viveto has nothing to do with this," Paulo said as Baxter's half alien face constricted with the details of her note.

Slowly, Baxter placed the note on the bureau next to him. He looked straight into Paulo's eyes with all the confusion of a child lost in the woods. "Did I really do all this?" His voice, usually so confident and loud, was little more than a whisper.

Paulo nodded.

"Now I understand." Baxter started to walk out of the room.

After him, Paulo called, "If you're going to the room with the security blueprints in it, don't ask me for my help. I don't think I could do it, knowing what I know now."

The decision that had been looming in Baxter's subconscious while he read the note now manifested itself in his mouth: "I have no reason to go there." Seeing the look on Paulo's face, he explained, "The plan is off. To go through with it would be immoral now. Haven't I hurt enough people as it is? Why live on just so I can do more damage? No, if death wants me, death can have me. I'm not fighting it anymore... We can only hope that the Mafamille kills me faster than expected, because that's the only way that I'll be able to live with myself."

=#=

"Your High Ass" Paulo calls after Baxter. "why don't you do something
positive in her memory. Or are you such an arse that you do not want to
know the rest of what is in this book of hers SHE has enough on him to
take him down for treason. if you have enough sense to use it."

=#=

"Hmm..." Baxter said. He suddenly realized that maybe dying wasn't the best option now. If Vorna hated Viveto too, then there was something mortally better than suicide, something that Baxter might actually enjoy.

"Do you want to see it, or do you want to continue being some melodramatic idiot, who, for all that is high and holy, kill himself rather than face the facts? Mmm?" Paulo pushed the book at him.

Baxter took the journal, but not without trepidation. He now knew that Vorna had never taken well to Viveto, but he also now knew that she had never taken well to him, also. What other secrets would be revealed here... and did he really want to know them?

Viveto had just morphed himself human again. Even though most humans wore clothing, this human body had never touched fabric (although lately he'd thought of getting some from Baxter, or stealing some if needed; but no, with the things he did in this form, jeans would only get in the way).

"I've prepared some very good juice for you, jellyia fruits in season. Would you care for some?" Darren presented the tray to him. "I also brought some Earth deliquesces from the pantry. Coffee, tea, or me?"

"You, oh most definitely you," Viveto remembered seeing this slave for the first time, a bred slave from the same planet that Vorna had come from (of course, Viveto had only known this as of late, from the obituary at her funeral). Before then, his sex life had been filled with females who he felt more indifference to than anything, both slaves and noblewomen. Then Darren had awoken urges in him, urges that he couldn't believe even though they made perfect sense. (Remember, dear reader, that homosexuality is very rare among the aliens. Only one out of approximately fifty million people comes out gay. Thus Darren was the only other homosexual that Viveto had known, before the Invasion and their humans, that is).

"I thought as much," Darren easily slid into Viveto's smooth arms, relishing every minute. Sometimes being a sex slave sucked if your master was an asshole, but most of his work under Viveto had been very pleasant so far.

Later in the day, Viveto was in the city, and happened to observe the king on his daily rounds. 'Naive little idiot, does he really think that nobody will overtake him, that any changes he makes before dying will actually last?' he thought. 'Unless he goes back to the old ways, the people will revolt. I mean, if they hated the revelation of his human heritage, imagine what they'd do if they learned what else he has planned! I shall be king soon enough.'

It was a pity that Baxter and Viveto weren’t telepathic like Zenith, because if they were, then they would have seen that for once they agreed on something: returning back to the old ways. Of course, the fact that Baxter's idea of "old ways" dated to BEFORE the Invasion (hint hint) probably varied from Viveto's a little bit.

=#=

"Your highness may I have a word with you.?" General Belo asked. He

waited for the Kings nod of approval.

When it came he continued. "who proofed the queens obituary?"

Baxter shrugged his shoulders. 'I do not know. Why"

"because it was all wrong or did you not read it.'

" I must confess I did not."

"I figured as much . Didn't she at least deserve as queen to have the

correct things printed at her death. and if you were not sure of them to

at least ask someone who had known her far longer then You had.'

First of all Vorna was not born a slave in the famous slave breeding

facilities of her world. Far from it Her father had been the first son

of the highest ranked merchant family on their world. Her mother was the

middle and not so attractive daughter of the King. The marriage had been

approved because it bound the two strongest houses of that world together

and was actually a true love match to boot. Vorna's mother died giving

birth to her and she was raised by her father with the help of a

wetnurse. who was promptly disposed of when Vorna's sire took his second

wife.

The woman never liked Vorna because of her link to the royal family that

would supercede any of her own children inheriting anything should she

have any children. well she had a child and then set out to get rid of

Vorna . Knowing this Vorna’s father had kept her with him teaching her

the trade. She was the one who really learned to listen in the markets

and bring back what she heard. to know cloth and other trade goods and

how they moved around. She never got to meet her grandsire on her

mothers side because he died not long after her mother and the eldest

son's family was the most important in the land.. When her father died

Vorna knew she would be killed by her stepmother’s people so she sold

herself to get off world. I was the first that she was sold to back then and I can tell you the story I tell you is true. Far from being slave born as that says you were married to a woman who was in truth higher born then yourself on that world and yet she gets this misinformed obituary. he turned to go . My wife and I were totally offended by

this bit of trash.; He walked out of the room

=#=

Dear reader, think back to two incidents in Baxter's life: diagnosing
himself with the fatal Mafamille condition, and later eating dinner with
enemy Viveto. In the latter incident, Viveto claimed that the food was not
tainted and went so far as to switch plates with Baxter to prove it.

However, the food was tainted, just not so obviously. It contained a drug
which would excite the body, something that a normal healthy person could
take without ill effects, but that a person with Mafamille would be affected
by greatly. This drug made it so that while he should have died in a few
months, that time was shortened to a few weeks by the undetected higher
activity in his body (of which its only symptom was an increased appetite).

It was thus that Baxter suddenly found himself collapse after walking out of
the bathroom. He tried to get up, but could only crawl to the nearest soft
surface, the sofa where he had met with Vorna and Teskalaren--both
dead--that one day, and somehow hoist himself upon it. He was sweating
profusely, but it was more his body's work than his mind's. His body was
struggling to stay alive.

Paulo walked into the room looking for Baxter, thinking to himself of how
Viveto was about to be arrested and would be put in jail if only Baxter gave
the word. "Your highness," he said as he saw a hand go over the side of the
sofa, "I think you might be able to get ahold of that machine now."

His highness heard the words, but they had no meaning for him anymore. He
gazed at Paulo approaching him, the worried face, the curious stance, the
sheer horror as he realized what was happening.

It was cliche, but Baxter did indeed see his life pass before him. From the
loins of Madonna to a fame of his own, from being homeless and beat-up on
to being royal and kissed-up to, from being nothing to being nothing that
pretended to be something.

For the first time in his life, Baxter didn't care about Earth's future.
Maybe Viveto was right, maybe this was just Darwin's survival of the
fittest. Who cared? Now, all that existed was this sunlit spacious room of
gold, and the lethargy slowly seeping through his veins.

"Come, you can reach the mansion in five minutes. I'll help you!" Paulo
desperately cried.

Baxter gave a small smile as he said, "Too late," and thus the only humane
king of Kosar ended his reign.

=#=

Vorna's death (little confused here) had gotten straight to Zenith. The
talk they had days before had marked them as sound friends and Vorna had not
seen fit to come and speak to her and for once she was looked out of her
mind. She had felt the moment Vorna let go of life and slipped away. She had
cried out aloud and despite the looks from the people in the market had torn
off her coat and flown into the sky so high her lungs burned from lack of
oxygen. Normal humans would have passed out. She flew with nothing in her
mind but Vorna's surrender to death. The despair and her susceptible to
others pain and feelings had her madly hoping for a wing cramp and let her
fall to the earth but instinct so hard in coming was also hard in going. It
carried her to the high tower with her books and things she had found of her
people and many other races, she could read and speak every single language
known now. She had seen little of Baxter. She sat on the edge of the roof
head buried in her hands weeping trying to understand why a string women as
Vorna had done such a thing. She felt Baxter's collapse but she herself
weakened by the emotions and feelings could not go and ease his illness. She
dived of the roof and came so close to the ground the skin on her front felt
it skim by but her wings had saved her and she landed deep in the gardens.
She wandered aimlessly trying without hope to build walls to close her
emotions and others.

=#=

Paulo found Zenith and grabbing her arm said quietly Do you have a ready
pack? IF so get it if not grab some clothes and maybe something
important to you and come with me. Hurry. we have very little time to
get out of here. THE general is going to help us

He was carrying a small bundle

=#=

Zenith shook her head at his question "Paulo I have no cloths I wish to
bring but there is many things in my loft. I can't leave Baxter." she sobbed
and buried her face in his chest not knowing what to do "Paulo I'm
so...mixed inside, I can't think for myself. Just tell me what to do."

=#=

If we are to make their lives mean anything we must leave and do so now
His issuing of our freedom will mean nothing at his death and we will be
sold to the highest bidder. If not killed. The general will get us to
the freedom fighters Like he got us away before. Now hurry darn it. He
dragged her into the loft. Put only what you can carry in this he took a
pillow casing and handed it to her.

=#=

2/16/2024

Dear General Belo,

You probably don't remember me, and if you do it is in the worst circumstances-- you were there when they arrested me in the palace. Unfortunate misunderstanding, I know, even if nothing ever was made of it. I wish I could have told the king about my plans, but I never got the chance... But that's not why I'm writing this. Screw my plan for world peace, there are more important things going on now.

When I heard that Baxter had died, I immediately rushed to the palace. I saw him on that sofa and indeed, he did appear to be non-moving, non-breathing, etc. Then I sensed in him life, just going at a very slow pace, and I remembered that winged friend of his--Zen-zen or something? If she had researched any of the old manuscripts of her race and passed on some of it to Baxter, then maybe he was using their time-stop technique. In any case, Baxter was not dead, but simply frozen in time.

That night, I took it upon myself to transport him to Viveto's mansion. Viveto being out on arrest, of course, this was easy. Then I saved his highness's life by sending him to the machine, which changed his DNA to something other than Mafamille. First he became some template human in the machine's database, but then I knew that if I returned him to his original form, he would still have Mafamille, even if he wasn't dying. I wanted a longer-lasting solution than that.

Thus I deleted his father's DNA and replaced it with some human's. I know that perhaps Kosar would like a pure sengali, but just knowing what I've read about him, I decided that he'd probably want to be pure human instead.

Thus he looks a hell of a lot like that one Earth historical figure, Leonardo DiCaprio. Unfortunately, while the mental, mathematical, and logic tests that I gave him still came up at near-genius levels, he has no memory... amnesia. He did not know his name until I told him what it was, and has lost all foreign language skills to the point that he can only speak English--and who on this planet besides human slaves and former slaves (like myself) use that language? And when I showed him a photo image of how he looked back when he was half-alien before I fixed him, he thought that is was him in a 'halloween' costume, and upon learning otherwise, exclaimed, 'I looked like that ALL the time? No wonder I almost died!' In other words, sir, please advise.

Your faithful Zontos

Baxter looked at himself in the mirror in Zontos' apartment, overlooking the marketplace: tanned skin with body hair and the hair on his head more blond than the sun.

He now knew that this body was not the one God had made for him, but the fact that he could have ever resembled the weird creatures outside bothered him even more.

"So I was once king of these people, whose language I did not even speak?" he asked Zontos. "But you spoke their language, sir. You spoke it fluently, as well as you did many, many other languages, both Kosar, computer, and Earth."

"Earth? What's that?"

"Earth is the planet you were born on, a planet where most people look as you do now, not as you looked then."

"So I was a freak then?" Baxter inquired.

"Yes, although your half-alien good looks did help you during the Invasion," Zontos said, laying on the bed. Baxter walked to the window, watching the people walk below him. "Why can't I be like them?" he wondered aloud.

"You mean sengali? Sure, I can do that."

"No, not that. I have this sneaking feeling that if I ever get my memory back I'll probably kick myself in the ass for that. No, I meant that those people out there have lives. They have memories, they know what they're doing.. they know who they are." Baxter stopped, holding back this welling up in his throat. Then he continued, "Twenty-three years, or so you say, of learning how to live in this world, are wiped out completely, back to Square One. I am more than two decades old, yet I am no better off than an infant!"

=#=

Zenith felt something weird from she thought Baxter but that was impossible
he was gone by now even using her people suspend motion. She grabbed a
pendent that her people used to enhance their natural mind power and healing
and hang it about her neck. The took the two books she had not memorized and
stuffed them in the case and then a small bracelet that just fit on her tiny
wrist onto it. It had the craving of her house and had her family’s names
intertwined. She knew it was hers even thou she found it in the bazaar. It had
her name...both of them and both her parents names and her brothers two
names on it. Zenith was the name given to all races but she had another in
her own language.

=#=

Zenith had gathered all her things and Paulo had hustled them to where they were meeting the General. She looked about careful not to let her mind open past the haze she had visited on it. Or she would be overwhelmed, so many people, she thought. She looked about only passively feeling something wrong not reacted or even acknowledging it.

=#=

While Zenith and Paulo were trying to get out of Kosar to save their lives,
Baxter remained hidden in the capital city. He was slowly starting to
relearn the language, but he was still human, and thus able to be taken into
slavery at any moment. Only Zontos protected him.

Politically, the government was in chaos. There was a temporary leader,
chosen by public election, but he was an evil, pussywhipped man with no
balls. This man could not go on to be king; to do so would not only hurt
Earth, but Kosar as well.

"Who shall take on the crown?" was a question going through the part of the
population that cared about such things.

Baxter, knowing that even if he ever did regain his memory, and if he ever
did take on that fun little alien form again, he would not reclaim the
throne. If it had almost killed him and let the kingdom fall to this state
right after his "death", it wasn't worth it. Better to let someone else take
it.

But who? If a king was not dead, simply retired, he could choose an heir.
Not that worthy men with Earth sympathies AND Sengali ethnicity were common
or anything. No, far from that.

And it was thus that Baxter and Zontos left Kosar on the latter's private
ship, to seek the next king of Kosar, and perhaps salvation for Earth in the
process.

=#=

AFTERWARD:

Zenith, Paulo, Baxter, and Vorna had all left the palace, never to return again. What happened afterward is of no consequence. None of the heroes would be seen in the news again, take positions of high rank, or do battle against powerful foes. Zenith and Paulo would eventually raise a family (with children lacking her genetic quirk), Baxter and Zontos would find a king worthy of the position, with Vorna watching from above.

Yet in the bowels of the human underground, both on Earth and elsewhere, nobody could exactly define it, but it was sensed by all.

Something had changed.

THE END