Part 3: Gadzen
Chapter 14.
The Family
Gadzen was one of the cruelest planets in the Galaxy and was known to be under the control of the rebels. Its surface was mostly covered by barren wastelands, and the air was filled with poisonous gases. It had several active volcanoes that destroyed everything around them. The atmosphere was dark, often shrouded in dense layers of smoke and clouds, barely allowing natural light to pass through. Very few plants managed to grow, and only a handful of animals could withstand the heat and harsh conditions.
The indigenous people, known as the Lavarus, were originally nomads, but once they found the safest areas, they settled down. They were violent and cunning creatures, as they had to fight for almost everything, whether against each other or against nature. Eventually, when they were starting to give up, another tribe visited them, a tribe that specialized in mining. They found out that the planet hid one of the most valuable crystals in the Galaxy. The indigenous people learned everything from them, then attacked them. They killed most of them and enslaved the rest. Thanks to their new knowledge, they started mining, boosting their economy and enabling them to build more advanced cities.
A total of four families managed to rise to prominence, and one of them became the ruling family. It wasn’t a single being that controlled everything, but the adult members of this main family formed a council. The other three high-ranking families became helpers and overseers. Beneath them were the people who mainly supervised mining, as well as those involved in trade and bounty hunting. Then came the civilizans. At the bottom were the slaves, the subjugated members of the enslaved tribe, and all those who committed some crime. There was no death penalty. They simply stripped the offender of all ranks and deprived them of their family name, which was the greatest humiliation they could inflict. They performed all the hard physical labor in the mines until they died.
As much as these beings enjoyed harming others, they were equally protective of themselves. When they were once under the rule of the Empire, they immediately surrendered, and nowadays, they didn’t want to mess with the rebels’ soldiers who settled among them after the disappearance of the old Emperor.
***
Not long after the Imperial army lost a battle in space against a handful of rebels, the Emperor summoned his most trusted confidant. Hyraus briskly walked through the palace corridors. He was in the middle of a meeting when the message arrived. The man immediately left the matter at hand and hurried to speak with the Emperor. It didn’t matter what he was occupied with previously; if the Emperor called, he had to appear immediately.
He bypassed the guards and almost burst into the room. His Majesty was preparing for dinner, lounging on his throne, waiting for his meal to be brought to him. However, when he saw his confidant, he straightened up and smiled. Hyraus hurried over to him and knelt by the throne.
“Your Majesty. I came as soon as I could.”
In response, the Emperor touched the man’s sparkling, golden hair. There was a discomforting tenderness in the movement. Hyraus never understood this gesture, but His Majesty often greeted him this way, and he simply endured it.
“Sit beside me,” the Emperor commanded.
The man was surprised. He couldn’t recall any occasion in the long years when the Emperor elevated him to his own level. Nevertheless, he rose immediately and took a seat at the table, in the neighboring chair. He didn’t ask why he needed to be present. He let His Majesty inform him at his own pace.
Hyraus glanced over the table. It was completely empty. There were no plates or utensils. The Emperor didn’t like to use unnecessary items.
“I would like you to report to me about what happened last time,” His Majesty said.
“What do you mean?” Hyraus inquired.
“The battle at Gadzen. How is it possible that a small team was able to defeat our fleet and steal some of our spacecraft?”
Hyraus nodded. He was already prepared with the report. In fact, he almost awaited its discussion.
“Yes, Your Majesty. The rebel group was presumably led by a Gadzen woman named Myrren, who had long been their advocate in their capital. I received numerous reports of what she said, but she never seemed like a real threat. I must admit, I should have taken the reports more seriously. I made a mistake, so I would like to ask for Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”
The Emperor nodded, indicating that he forgave him.
“That’s understandable. Now, tell me, how did this woman acquire vehicles, spacecraft, and weapons?”
“We assume that there may have been both external and internal assistance. The population of Gadzen has long demanded a change in their system. They likely rebelled. It is possible that someone sympathized with them and provided them with…”
The Emperor looked at him, and Hyraus fell silent.
“So far, the story would be fine, my friend. Now, answer me one more thing!”
“Yes, Your Majesty?”
“Where did they get information about our army, units, and the internal structure of the spacecraft?”
“Do you think, Your Majesty, that…”
“There is a traitor among our ranks. It is clear. They could not have obtained such information without help. I want you to find the culprit and bring them to me!”
“Understood. How much time…”
“As much as necessary.”
“Understood.”
“I have one more question. How certain are you that this Myrren woman led the rebels?”
“Almost one hundred percent certain, Your Majesty.”
“Would you stake your life on it?”
“I believe so, Your Majesty.”
“Very well, my friend. I trust you.”
Hyraus gratefully nodded. His Majesty had no suspicion about the story he had told him.
He regretted having to betray Myrren, whom he himself had given the information necessary for the attack earlier, but it was part of his double life.
Suddenly, the Emperor shouted, making the man jump.
“Where is my dinner?!”
The door at the other end of the room opened, and three men carried in a tray. Hyraus watched them curiously, then his eyes widened as he realized what he was seeing.
The servants placed the tray on the table. On it lay Myrren, naked, with her arms and ankles bound. She was thin, her entire body covered in hard, bark-like skin. She had no hair, and small horns lined the sides of her face. Her mouth was gagged, and her large brown eyes were teary.
Hyraus’s chest hurt when he realized that the woman was alive.
The three men bowed and left.
The Emperor shifted comfortably before licking his lips.
“I am grateful that you assured me we are dealing with a rebel, my friend. I also found this information, but I wouldn’t have wanted to sacrifice an innocent lady for dinner.”
The woman let out a muffled scream and began to squirm as Hyraus sat silently.
The Emperor swiftly lunged and tore open the woman’s abdomen. His teeth easily broke through the rock-hard skin and delved into the creature’s organs. His powerful jaw instantly shattered the bones, turning them into dust. The dark table was soon covered in blood.
Hyraus sat motionless like a statue. He couldn’t speak. Horror spread across his face as the woman screamed, and finally, when the Emperor bit off her head, silence fell over the room, except for the crunching of bones.
The man barely noticed that the blood dripping from the table stained his clothes. His hands trembled in his lap.
“You are shaking.”
Hyraus flinched and bowed his head. He wanted to vomit.
The Emperor smiled gently and didn’t bother to wipe his mouth.
“I apologize if I frightened you, my friend. It was not my intention.”
When the man remained silent, His Majesty grabbed his chin and turned his face towards him.
Hyraus obediently looked at him. He needed all his self-control to hold back his tears, but he didn’t even attempt to hide his fear.
The Emperor continued to smile, firmly holding his subject in check.
“Find the traitor, my friend! I want to know who leaked the information! I will personally have a deep conversation with them. Do you understand?”
Hyraus’s voice faltered.
“Y-Yes, Your Majesty.”
“You are afraid of me. I scared you.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“I apologize. It didn’t occur to me that the sight might upset you. You don’t need to fear me. I would never harm you. However, let this remind you of your duty! Find the traitor for me!”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“Very well. You may leave.”
The man got up and headed towards the door. As soon as he stepped out, he began to run, wanting to get as far away from the Emperor as possible before he stopped and started to retch.
***
The white spacecraft had already entered the atmosphere but had not yet landed. They hadn’t received permission. Visitors rarely came to Gadzen due to its bad reputation. Daron paced back and forth nervously, clapping anxiously. Since he thought they were going to Solar’s planet first, he hadn’t had time to mentally prepare for the return.
Finally, the boy stopped and burst out, “I can’t go out like this! Even if nowhere else, there’s still a bounty on my head here. I take one step, and they’ll catch me!”
“Can you change your shape again?” asked Serion.
Daron nodded, but Sephra stopped him before he could run off. “We’ll have a bit of trouble here too. It’s a rebel planet, and they enjoy hunting down Imperials.”
“So what do we do?” asked Solar, fanning herself with the small ray gun. They were still far from the landing pad, but she was already feeling hot.
“First, we need to come up with a good story about why we’re here. Something that won’t immediately get us kicked out or attacked. Any ideas?”
“Give them the kid!” Angron shouted cheerfully. He wasn’t nervous at all; instead, he comfortably stretched out in the pilot’s seat, trying out which button could make the interior of the spaceship cooler.
“It would be logical,” Angron continued, finding the right button. The temperature immediately became more pleasant. “You’ll disguise yourselves as bounty hunters who caught a long-sought criminal. They’ll be glad to see you and welcome you, so you can divert attention. Daron will slip away, find that idiotic shard for the sword, then come back here. Simple. You’ll probably even get paid, so it’s useful too.”
“We’ll get twenty thousand for it,” Solar chimed dreamily. “I like this plan.”
“Me too,” Serion nodded.
“Not me,” protested Daron. “That’s not how it works! If someone gets caught here, they don’t just escape so easily!”
“Then you’ll have to be very cautious,” Sephra replied.
“You don’t even understand the system! They’ll send me to work in the mines!”
“The mines?” Solar asked. “I thought you’d end up in prison or something.”
“That’s the prison.”
The girl grinned. “That’s embarrassing,” she said.
“You can’t be serious about this! I’m not going down there just to get caught!”
Everyone stared at him. Their gazes clearly conveyed the same message: if he wasn’t willing to go voluntarily, they would take him by force.
“Fine… but it’ll be your fault if I don’t get out afterwards! There are four… I mean, three major families on the planet. The second one deals with bounties, you need to take me to them. They live in the rightmost city.” In response, Angron steered the spacecraft. “They’re called the Trians, just so you know who you’re looking for. They won’t be too friendly. They are jerks to anyone, so don’t count on their hospitality. They’ll tolerate you for a while, but not for long.”
“I see only three cities here, is that right?” Angron shouted, after examining the planet’s surface more closely.
“Yes. Only these places nearby are safe nowadays, as the lava doesn’t usually reach there. There are a few small settlements scattered a few kilometers away, but they’re pretty deserted. Generally, people try to break free from the control of the main families and create new little villages, but they usually die. The underground connects the three cities, where the mining system is located.”
Serion then looked at the boy. “One more thing… Why do you have a bounty on you?”
“He killed innocent people,” Solar interjected.
“I didn’t kill anyone! I… I didn’t do anything…”
At that moment, the communication system started beeping, prompting Angron to shout again. “Does anyone speak their language?”
Serion volunteered for the task and hurried into the cockpit to listen to the message. The language of these beings wasn’t difficult. They spoke in a fairly simple manner, stringing words together one after the other, without any conjugation. Serion easily understood what they were saying. They instructed them to stop and asked for their names and purpose.
Serion contemplated how to best present their fabricated role and responded in a more casual, distinctly gangster-like style. He explained that they were bounty hunters and their goal was to claim the bounty for a long-sought criminal named Daron Nerus, as he had learned the boy’s full name about just five minutes ago. There was silence on the other end of the channel. They were probably notifying those in charge.
During this time, Angron gathered all the drinking water he could find on the spacecraft, while continuously fanning himself.
Less than two minutes later, they received permission to land, with a warning that any wrong move would initiate an attack. “How kind of them,” Angron grumbled after Serion translated the end of the message. “Hey, Solar, come here! Here are the traces of your flying space animals!”
The girl immediately ran over to see the wreckages they were passing by. They were huge, the charred remnants of about fifty starships. Their sizes were multiples of their tiny spacecraft, sometimes just a few meters away from them.
While Angron skillfully maneuvered the spacecraft, avoiding everything and not causing a scratch on the outer hull, the others tried to figure out how to best play their fabricated role.
Solar, after looking around, went back and picked up the black hooded cloaks thrown into the warehouse. They had to leave behind their uniforms because they probably wouldn’t be welcome outside with Imperial colors. Serion and Sephra felt uncomfortable without their regular attire, but eventually accepted the facts.
After that, they all armed themselves with as many weapons as they could find. They thought the more they had, the more they resembled a team of bounty hunters who could never arrive anywhere without proper equipment. Therefore, Serion, although not proficient in blasters, borrowed Daron’s, which the boy disapproved of, but had to accept. Solar stole the boy’s dagger without a word, even though she couldn’t use it, but she thought that if three of them supposedly worked together, they should be similarly equipped. Sephra had both, so she didn’t bring anything else.
Then they tied Daron’s hands with the handcuffs found in the warehouse and put a chain around his neck so they could drag him along. When they asked Solar why she had such things on the ship, the girl just grinned awkwardly and didn’t answer.
Daron hated his role. Even if his skin was tough, the handcuffs were tight. He thought about how realistic their entire costumes looked, as his people were quite suspicious. He concluded that they looked authentic enough, but driven by a sudden idea, he turned to Serion.
“Hit me!”
“What?”
“Hit me! They’ll look more favorably upon you if the prisoner is injured because it seems like he’s weakened and needs less attention. And in my case, if I have to escape anyway, it might come in handy.”
“I’ll do it if you can’t,” Solar volunteered enthusiastically.
Serion barely glanced at the girl before turning back to the boy and landing a massive blow on him. Daron staggered backward. The punch hit him straight in the eye. Serion grabbed his shoulder, repeatedly punching him in the face with his fist. Finally, when the boy was trying his best to make him stop, Serion let him go.
Daron hissed as he tried to rub his sore face, but he stopped because even the touch was painful. He could feel blood dripping down his chin.
After a few minutes, Angron landed the spaceship on the landing pad and opened the ramp. Serion rubbed his sore hand, scarred from the boy’s rough skin, and then, along with Solar, walked out of the ship, dragging Daron chained behind them, who seemed far from enthusiastic.
“We’ll be nearby if anything happens,” Sephra called out to the pilot, who just nodded. The woman followed her companions.
The heat was unimaginable. They immediately regretted putting on the cloak, even if the hood protected their faces from prying eyes. Most of the heat from the volcanoes was trapped in the atmosphere. It was impossible to tell whether it was day or night due to the massive, continuous cloud of smoke and dust that covered Gadzen’s sky. It rarely parted, but when it did, it revealed the many wrecks of the former Imperial fleet floating above their heads. They looked terrifying from down below. It seemed like they could crash down onto the city at any moment, burying everything beneath them.
The clouds were illuminated by the dark orange glow of the nearby lava, casting a reddish light on the landscape. Looking around, all they could see was desolation. The ground was covered in the black ash of burned creatures. The air was thinner than on other planets, filled with toxic substances that didn’t affect the native population. They kept masks for arriving guests to prevent them from suffocating within minutes.
When all four of them walked down the ramp, they paused for a moment. It wasn’t just the unbearable heat and the air that made them do so, but also the welcoming committee.
About twenty to twenty-five soldiers stood facing them, their weapons raised. Among them were a mix of the boy’s people and the rebels, who could be easily identified by the bronze color of their armor. For a while, everyone stared silently at each other until Serion grew impatient. He pulled Daron closer to him and began speaking loudly. He reiterated who they were and why they had come, adding that one of their companions remained on the spaceship to check the instruments. He spoke little, but by the time he finished, he started to feel unwell from the lack of air.
The soldiers didn’t move, and then suddenly, all at once, they lowered their blasters and parted ways.
Among them, a woman walked forward. She bore a striking resemblance to Daron. She was tall and slender, her figure and attire were elegant, although her face didn’t match the elegance due to her rough skin. She wore a simple red skirt without decoration and a sleeveless top that was tight-fitting. Her legs were hooved, but from above, she gave a humanoid impression. Her eyes were dark, and her long black hair hung loose down to her waist, clearly indicating her implants. Tiny horns adorned her face and wrists, barely noticeable. She appeared to be at least ten years older than the boy.
At her signal, two soldiers brought masks for Serion, Sephra, and Solar, who gratefully accepted them. It came in handy, as it covered most of their faces. Sephra had more reason to worry, as there was a possibility that the rebel soldiers might recognize her as the Imperial Grand Admiral if she removed her hood. Daron didn’t receive a mask. Like the rest of his species, his body had adapted to this environment.
The woman greeted them in the simple language of the native people. Serion responded, then asked her to continue in the common language for the sake of his bounty hunter companions. The woman looked them over and then switched languages. She spoke slowly, almost reluctantly.
“Welcome to Gadzen! My name is Kyen. I am a member of the Gelum family. I also welcome you, son of the Nerus family. We hoped that one day we would see you like this, chained.”
The boy tried to turn his head away, but Kyen walked over and grabbed his chin. Daron hissed softly as she touched his wounds.
The woman smiled and leaned in close, almost whispering. “I see you needed some discipline as well. You were never truly obedient, were you? Don’t worry, you’ll learn obedience in the mines!”
Kyen released the boy and looked at the others. “The Trian family is already waiting for you. Please, follow me!”
With Solar and Sephra on either side and Daron behind him, Serion started to follow the woman. Six soldiers joined them from behind. The others paid them no more attention.
The long bridge they crossed was covered to protect it. From there, they could see that the city was actually built on top of a mountain. Landing pads stretched out around it. The city rose blackly before them. They assumed that the material from which it was built was not originally this color but had been covered in ash blown by the wind. There was no decoration; everything was built with military simplicity. These people, for whom survival was always the essence in this environment, cared least about beauty. They only focused on practicality.
“What an unfriendly place,” Sephra muttered so quietly that only her companions could hear. The mask muffled her voice even more.
They agreed with her. Compared to Shouta’s cool splendor, Gadzen was an ugly dust nest.
“Why do they keep mentioning this family thing so much?” Solar whispered.
So far, she hadn’t wanted to break the silence, no matter how much her curiosity gnawed at her about certain things.
“On this planet, family is the most important institution,” Serion whispered back.
He knew quite a bit about this people. He always believed that one couldn’t learn a language without studying their customs and society at the same time.
“There’re nothing more essential. An individual practically doesn’t exist, which is why there’s no supreme ruler here. Members of the main families govern collectively. One of the biggest punishments is to be casted out because then you cease to exist.”
At first, they were relieved to reach a covered place, but they soon realized it was even worse there. Without openings, the air hardly moved, making the environment even more stifling.
They walked through dark corridors. Light was provided only by a few lamps. Besides computers, they didn’t value electricity much. They could see well in the dark, so they only spent on the most essential tools.
They didn’t see any civilians here, only guards roaming the corridors, mingling with rebels and locals. Some official personnel hurried past them. They only turned back to stare at Daron, who seemed to be recognized by everyone, as they shot him mocking smiles before going about their business.
Seeing this, Solar fell behind a bit to be able to talk to him.
“You’ve never been a popular personality, have you? What did you do to be so hated?”
“I didn’t do anything.”
Daron wasn’t enthusiastic. The handcuffs on his wrists were too tight, and he had had enough of the chain around his neck. His face hurt from the hits, and he could feel the wound around his eye starting to swell. He didn’t want Solar’s mockery anymore.
Then the boy groaned in pain and stumbled forward because one of the guards who was walking behind them, having heard their conversation, hit him on the head with his ray gun.
Serion stopped and turned around. Sephra beside him, and Kyen in front, also stopped and looked back.
“Please refrain from touching our prisoner! At this moment, until we receive our payment, he belongs to us, and only we can harm him. Understand?!”
The guard stepped back, and it was almost palpable that he was grinning behind his helmet.
“Sorry, but I felt his insolence needed punishment.”
“My companion will deal with him if she feels offended. Once we receive the bounty, you can do whatever you want with him, but until then, no one can lay a finger on him!”
Serion turned back around, nodded to Kyen, and started walking again. He pulled Daron, whose ears were ringing from the blow, along.
Solar chuckled beside him, but the boy didn’t pay attention anymore.
They were close to the council chamber, and this thought didn’t fill him with enthusiasm. He knew what to expect. He was a criminal because he was a direct descendant of the Nerus family.
The room they arrived in was surprisingly bright, but they only perceived it this way due to the sudden change from the darkness of the corridors.
There were windows, allowing the reddish light from outside to flood in. As a result, the walls appeared more brown from the inside than black. Opposite them stood a long table made of metal. It was one of the few materials that could withstand this heat. Behind it sat ten people, four women and six men, the adult members of the Trian, the second main family. They controlled this city. Everything depended on their will.
It was visible on them what Serion explained, that essentially there was no individual, and none of them considered themselves superior to the others. Despite the differences in their faces, the size of their horns, and their build, they didn’t want to deviate from each other. They all had implants just to resemble each other.
The women all had shoulder-length half-cut hair, and their outfits consisted of shiny brown fabric long skirts and loose-fitting, deep-cut tops.
The men let their hair grow long, then tied it all back into a ponytail, making it look as if they had very short hair from the front. Not a single strand was left out. They wore long, dark green robes with similarly loose sleeves as the women’s outfits.
One thing was identical in all ten individuals, the two thin, tight, golden belts around their waists. These indicated their belonging to the second family.
On both sides, a few soldiers lined up, but there wasn’t a single rebel among them. There was nothing else in the room apart from them. It was completely empty.
Kyen politely bowed to the council members, then stepped aside, took out a small device, and started tapping on it. They guessed she might be some sort of secretary according to this behavior.
Serion, Sephra, and Solar simply nodded, casually, as if greeting an acquaintance. After all, a bounty hunter doesn’t bow to anyone.
The members visibly didn’t take offense at their behavior. They were much more interested in Daron, who was standing behind Serion, and didn’t really feel like moving forward.
“Step forward, son of the Nerus family!” spoke up one of the male members then. His voice was firm and commanding. He spoke in their own language, not caring whether outsiders understood him.
Daron hesitated but walked up to them nonetheless. He felt Serion following, still holding onto the chain.
The boy didn’t do anything, just watched them. He felt that speech was pointless. He couldn’t say anything that would change their opinion.
One of the women spoke first.
“It’s really you. We couldn’t believe it when we heard you were caught. So many years have passed since you escaped that we had given up hope of ever seeing you again. Back then, you managed to escape justice, but behold, fate has brought you back to us.”
“What justice?!” Daron interjected.
He couldn’t restrain himself. This was all just empty chatter.
“Since when is it justice to condemn a child for something he has nothing to do with?! You put a bounty on my head when I did nothing! That’s my opinion of your justice, you worms!”
The members’ faces froze simultaneously. No one moved, even Kyen stopped typing and stared at the boy, just like his own companions. Though Sephra and Solar didn’t understand the speech, they saw that whatever he said, he offended everyone.
“We hoped you might show some remorse.”
“Remorse for a crime I didn’t commit? I’ll pass.”
One of the men stood up. The others followed suit.
“Daron, son of the Nerus family, has shown neither remorse nor respect towards his superiors. With his despicable behavior, he not only offended us but also brought shame upon his deceased relatives. By unanimous decision, we hereby strip him of all his ranks and his family, and he will be punished with exile from society.”
“I could have bent you the knee like you do to the idiot Yassins, but it wouldn’t have changed anything. You know it too.”
Nothing mattered anymore. Someone had to tell the truth.
“He dares to speak against the first family!” screamed one of the women, losing control. “Get rid of him! Get rid of him immediately!”
Three soldiers immediately moved forward, but then Serion pulled the boy close to him and cleared his throat. No one understood what he wanted.
The previously shouting woman was the first to come to her senses.
“The bounty. You won’t release the prisoner without it, right? Fine.”
The man sitting at the left end of the table pulled out a sack from under his chair and lifted it. Serion, pulling Daron behind him, approached and glanced inside. A brief moment of pale blue glow illuminated his face before he looked up and nodded.
“The payment is in order,” he said, then released the boy’s chain and returned to his companions.
Immediately, the three soldiers stepped forward and surrounded the silent Daron. Everyone watched in silence as they escorted him away.
The door to the room closed behind him.
Stella Watson author/író 