Chapter 1

Fox

I listen as the High Council representative tells me I'm spending too many UCs. I wait patiently for her to finish.

"Respectfully, the UCs are mine to spend as I deem fit and were granted to Alliance Force on the last diplomatic survey of my base by Imperial Ambassador Jax of House Vo. Let me also remind you that the High Priestess herself has already given my plan for extensions and more officers her official and holy blessings."

"Be that as it may, the High Council is still skeptical that Alliance Force needs outposts throughout the humans' solar system or as many officers as you are requesting. And Ambassador Jax's report remains in dispute given his recent marriage to a human which makes him biased to your cause."

I decide not to push the Ambassador's report, although it can't be biased as he filed it with the High Council before he even met the human he married. I stick to the logistics on my end. "The outposts I proposed throughout this solar system are vital to keep our operation running as smoothly as possible and to cut down on the abductions of humans. It's important that my officers can get to an outpost in no later than a day to regroup. Dulu stealth technology is getting better every day, and since the GC passed the law making it illegal to own humans as pets, ironically, I believe it's become even more desirable for collectors and other rich individuals to own a human, even those who otherwise would have never considered it before. I must match these changes or my mission will fail. Or is the High Council going to acknowledge humans as citizens of the Empire? If that's the Empire's plan, then that would make it a real galactic crime to abduct humans and make my job a lot easier."

The woman on the other side of the screen shakes her head. "There's no timeline for granting humans Alliance citizenship. Humans will remain the Lost People and granting them residency permits if they meet the right qualifications is as far as the Empire is prepared to go at this time." She reads through what I presume are her notes and asks, "And the other officers? Do you really need fifty more young men?"

"Yes. The officers who will man the outposts must be on rotation if you want Alliance Force to truly be a generational mission, meaning that every man marries a human and has children so that his children may take over when that man retires. Again, let me remind you, all the young men volunteered to serve on Alliance Force and have been personally vetted by the High Priestess. They have already been admitted into this House at the Grand City Temple in the Capital City. And I need fifty more after them, which haven't been selected yet. High Council Representative, I think you underestimate the amount of manpower it takes to keep Earth safe now that the GC has drawn attention to humanity and especially human women. Surely, the High Council and the High Priestess haven't rescinded their positions on the matter of more officers here?"

"No, no," the High Council representative says in a way that I know she's hiding something. There's another reason she asked the question, but I'm too tired to care at the moment. I'll think about it later.

"Good," I say, trying to work out what this conversation was really about. Most likely to see if I can be intimidated into lessening my stance, of which there is no chance. I will continue to do what's right for Earth. "If there's nothing else?"

"Nothing for now, Commander. I have all the information I need. However, if you change your mind and think you could do with less men, please let me know."

"I'll keep you abreast of any new developments," I say. What nerve asking me that , I think. But she's a woman in the Empire, and I've not set foot there for many years. I forget that, as a man, I'm a second-class citizen.

"Walk in the goddesses' light, Commander."

"May they always guide me." I end the RVM and look at my blank screen for a second. What a waste of time that was.

Before I can begin work on anything else, Sem enters. He and I arrived at Alliance Force together when he was still a teenage boy and my squire, but who has now, I'm proud to say, grown into an honorable man and good officer. He's also the tallest man on the station and his head barely passes through most doors on the base.

Sem has just finished processing a few very well-known-to-us, half-human and half-Alliance pirate-traders. Men who belong nowhere in the galaxy. Although I have pity for them, Alliance Force must issue justice the same way we would for any others.

I notice Sem has some red blood on the side of his face.

Using my own face for reference, I motion to where it is. "Blood. Yours?"

"No," he says as he wipes it from his face. "They didn't come quietly, nor do they have any UCs."

"That's why they didn't come quietly," I surmise.

Every Alliance citizen, or in this case, person with some Alliance heritage, is first given a chance to pay a fine to the Empire for the crime of abducting humans. Criminals who can't pay in UCs pay as slaves. Even though these men aren't recognized as citizens of the Empire, that's no fault of theirs and so I gloss over that detail. "That's too bad. They're looking at five years servitude and to be sold at Gala."

"A few look completely human," Sem informs me. We both know what this means, the chance they'll be given their freedom after their years of servitude are slim.

"Yet they chose to break the law knowing the consequences."

"There were three ships. We only managed to capture two."

"We need to be vigilant." In my years here, I've noted these human-Alliance pirates don't take it well when members of their crew are caught and sentenced. Many times they plan guerrilla attacks on officers as retribution.

"We have their leader, a man who calls himself Echo. Do you want to trade him back for a ransom?"

I consider this option. His crew is going to blame me for sending him to Gala, but I know this man. "No. Perhaps if it had been another man, but Echo has lured and coerced too many human women into the galaxy to sell. Transfer me the form. Let the goddesses guide their paths at Gala and let Echo endure what he's sent so many others to suffer."

Sem takes out his IC and transfers me his report. I sign it with my GC code and fingerprint.

"The men will be transported off the base within the hour. The captain of the Hio is keen to get underway. Something about him losing UCs and a puzzle jug. He's even grumpier than usual."

"I warned him that I was a puzzle jug expert. I won with only four tries," I say proudly, despite my headache from the amount of zota we drank.

"Expert now, is it?" Sem questions me.

"It's been years since I lost to anyone on this side of the galaxy," I jokingly explain. "Besides, I've put the winning UCs into the wives' fund for a greenhouse." A few of the human women now living on the base want to begin growing their own vegetables and flowers. We have very little space or funds for this, but when they presented their idea and it was obvious it meant a lot to them, I agreed to try to find UCs and a place.

"It was all for a good cause then."

"Isn't all my work?" I ask and then dismiss Sem. "Continue to do the goddesses' work."

Axl walks in as soon as Sem has cleared the doorway. His slender green eyes alert. "Commander."

"Is this official?" Axl and I have known each other for years. He and I used to be of the imperial class, the highest in the Empire, but we both gave up our hereditary rank to join the Alliance Force, and when he did so, he went from being the Empress's right-hand man to one of my officers.

"Both."

"Go on."

"It's about your marriage."

"I haven't even met a woman. How could I already be getting married?"

"Exactly. You know you actually need to go to Earth to meet a human woman."

I point to my open computer. "Perhaps if the High Council wasn't breathing down my neck about our outposts or new recruits." I speak to him as if we are still equals because, despite our rank, it's difficult to erase forty years of equal friendship.

Axl's diplomatic skills and connections in high places go way beyond mine. "Some members of the High Council think you are flaunting their decrees. There are rumors that you've become influenced by the patriarchy on Earth."

"Tell me something I don't already know."

"I've heard rumors they're looking to replace you."

I laugh. "Who would replace me that would be immune to what they accuse me of? The High Priestess has much more pressing matters than Alliance Force, and she wouldn't replace me. You know that. I know that," I say confidently.

"No one likes all the attention the Empire is receiving about humanity."

"It's their own doing. The High Council could give humans citizenship and end all of this."

"Then we'd be out of a job. I don't know about you, but I want to stay close to Earth," Axl says.

"We'd still have a job. We'd just have the full force of the Empire behind us, not this are-we-or-are-we-not-protecting-humanity status."

"It might not be up to the High Priestess. I've heard rumors some want to replace her as well."

"Who would want to disrupt the order of the Empire so aggressively?"

"The Empress has already disrupted the order by constantly being at odds with the High Priestess. Some in the High Council would rather replace the High Priestess than the Empress."

"The whole point of having a High Priestess with different ideas is to keep the Empress and High Council in check. I can't imagine too many people supporting this," I say, but at the same time, I'm thinking about my situation in a new light. If people in the Empire are frustrated at being accused of abusing humanity, they might want the government to distance the Empire from Earth. Conversely, the High Priestess wants to spiritually strengthen the relationship between humanity and the Empire because she believes humans are the Lost People, Alliance people mutated through years of evolution. But if the High Priestess has to choose between losing her position or using me as a scapegoat, I know which one she will choose. In the Empire it's always easy to blame a man, and even easier to blame a man across the galaxy who has a patchy record of breaking the rules for humans. "And I assure you, I don't want to be replaced, nor will I be," I add self-assuredly.

Axl points to my computer, multiple screens opened with plans for outposts and registrations of new officers. "Then leave all of this and concentrate on finding a wife to fulfill your end of the contract with the Empire. Let them find nothing substantial they can point to and solely give as a legitimate reason to replace you."

I look at my computer as if it's going to give me permission. "I've already asked Lev to come up with some options for a wife. I really don't have the time to court someone. I was thinking about Anna's best friend. I met her at their marriage ceremony and she seemed clever, strong, and single. You know my marriage doesn't have to be real."

"Why wouldn't you want it to be real? How depressing to think you'd marry a woman in name only. Have you made a blood offering to the goddesses? I'd be more than happy to accompany you."

Leave it to Axl to volunteer for a blood ritual in the name of being a good friend. "Not yet,"

"I'd like to join you and pledge myself to help you find a real wife before your birthday."

Of course you would. Anything for the adrenaline kick from the pain , I think. Unlike Axl, I don't like the discomfort of offering my blood to the goddesses, but I nod agreement nonetheless. I need all the help I can get. "I'd be honored."

I follow Axl out of my office and we make our way toward the residential area of the base where the shrine is located. When we enter it's relatively busy, but this is no surprise given the number of men now serving Alliance Force. Upon seeing me, the men swiftly end their prayers one by one and bow to me as they exit. One of the perks of being the Commander is that unless there's a marriage or funeral going on, I get the shrine all to myself whenever I enter.

Axl and I take our places standing in front of the statue of the goddess of home. Her green jeweled eyes flicker in the reflection of the white, burning prayer candles at her feet. Simultaneously, we both kneel and each light a white candle of our own. Then I make a prayer out loud. After seven sacred minutes of silence, Axl picks up the silver ceremonial dagger from the goddess's feet. He opens his uniform and makes a few vertical cuts down his skin. He closes his eyes as his red blood runs quickly down his grey skin and onto the stone floor.

After a few seconds, he hands the ornate dagger to me. I take it and unbutton my uniform, not nearly as excited as my friend, and I momentarily wonder if it makes my blood offering worth more because I don't enjoy hurting myself. "I accept your oath. May the goddess of home lead me to my true other half on Earth," I say, and then cut myself vertically. The sting of the blade against my skin reminds me of the last time I made an oath to someone. It was years ago and I barely survived. This is different , I remind myself. And I'm much older and wiser now. Unable to strike the memories now that I brought them to the front of my mind, I silently pray for this to go smoothly. When I have bled enough, I embrace Axl, our bare bloody chests against one another, his ranking jewelry and mine causing more pain. Then we say one word at the same time, "Light."

When I release Axl—as he would never release me the way he enjoys this pain—I look into his familiar slim green eyes and thank him for his support. Then I begin buttoning my uniform against my bloody chest. The silky fabric will cause me friction against the wounds for the next few hours, reminding me that I have to find a human wife and soon.