Prologue

Eighteen. I’m finally eighteen, she thought to herself. She was finally an adult and no longer under her father’s rule. She was a princess. Well, a baroness, if you wanted to be precise. Her father was a baron, and that’s what his rank in the Senate on Capitol was. A minor baron at that. He wasn’t excessively wealthy. But he was well-known because of his House. He was the Baron of the House Kar’Jan; His House was particularly important on Aethel, where the Capitol was located, and Oranthe. But on Oranthe, he was the ruler of the planet. Oranthe wasn’t a rich or highly populated world. It wasn’t near the major trade routes or rich in minerals. It had crystal blue waters, vast oceans, and fertile soil. Agriculture and fishing were their primary sources of income, followed by light industrial products. Its principal export was its people, who were recruited for the Empire military service branches and various academic institutions. Alliyanna was brought out of her reverie by her father’s stern voice calling her, “Allie.” She was instantly back and paying attention.

“Yes, father?”

Her father, Gristov, looked at her with pride and bewilderment. He never really understood her independent streak. He saw a beautiful, vibrant woman capable of handling almost anything with grace and determination. This made what he had to tell her even more difficult. It was time; she was of age now, and the contract must be fulfilled. “Allie, we need to talk. Please join me in my study.” She knew whatever he was going to tell her; she wouldn’t like it. His study was off limits to everyone; even her mother, when she was alive, didn’t just go into his study uninvited. The only people who ever went there were political and business

associates. He even cleaned it himself. The last time she was in this room, she was nine and was being punished for beating up her older brother and his best friend. It started as a dare; she was practicing with a wooden sword, and they laughed at her. She said she could beat both of them in a duel. But she didn’t have a sword; her brother said she could use his old rapier sword since he had just received his birthday gift, which was a much better sword for a growing boy. It was still a rapier-style sword but had a better balance than the practice blade he’d been using. The duel devolved into a fistfight after she bested them both. And she’d given him a black eye in the process. Father sat her in the big, oversized winged chair in his study to explain that one does not blacken the eye of the head of the family; it’s not ladylike to fight, with sword or fist. And that she would apologize to her brother, Thomas. She did begrudgingly and was still grounded for a cycle. It wasn’t fair, she remembered. Now, she had to fold back tears; Thomas had died three years ago. The latest plague virus had killed him. She was now the future heir of the Barony Kar’Jan. She sat in the same chair, staring out into the study’s rich dark hardwood walls and accouterments, the oversized executive desk, the bookshelves with leather-bound books and rich tapestries and curtains; it looked like a man’s office. A man of importance and wealth conducted business in this space. This room focused on men, meant for men, and a man designed it. Those were looks of deception. The family fortune had been squandered and lost. It all sank into revitalizing Oranthe and creating a better world for the people. Well, squandered might be a bit too harsh. But the reality was the same: it was gone or so severely depleted that it amounted to the same thing.

She sat there, willing herself to return to the present, and heard “ … marriage.” “What?” she blurted out. “Marriage, to whom, when? Why? “She nearly shouted.

“Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said this entire time? I told you I had to make a compact with Duke Birsha to get our planet’s capital investments and technological upgrades. We can upgrade our industrial and tech sectors, make progress towards greater independence, and become a more attractive trading partner, as we’ve discussed many times. He wanted certain guarantees; one was your hand in marriage upon reaching legal age. To prove he’s a man of his word, he’s sent the first installment early. I received the electronic transfer for the second round of his promised funding this morning, along with the confirmation of your booked passage aboard the Celestial Honor. You have the Emperor’s Suite all to yourself, and you’re booked through non-stop to Capitol, Planet Aethel.”

Alliyanna sat in her father’s study, her heart racing with dread. Her childhood memories faded into the background as her father’s voice echoed ominously in her mind: the compact with Duke Birsha. The man was a tyrant—his reputation was notorious across the galaxy for oppressing women.

Alliyanna shivered at the thought of becoming his third bride. Duke Birsha, was he serious? Everyone knew his reputation with women. He hated them and used them like disposable playthings. His first wife had died in childbirth. And because the baby was a female, he had tried to have the child put up for adoption, claiming, in his grief over her mother’s death, he would be unable to care for the baby. The grandparents stepped in and raised the child. His second wife had committed suicide rather than give him an heir. He mistreated and was physically abusive to his housekeepers and female staff; word had gotten out that you didn’t want to work for the duke.

After the shocking news broke her reverie, she decided she would not allow her life to be dictated by her father’s ambitions or the monstrous Duke Birsha. She knew the risks, but she also knew the cost of inaction could be her life. “I’d not marry that man if he were the only eligible man in the entire galaxy. When did you make this agreement with him? Before or after my mother died? Because she would disapprove of this agreement, no matter what the promise or inducement was. She would not allow such a man as he to be wedded to this family or me. So,

When?”

Gristov lowered his head, but his determination was unwavering. He knew Illyinova, his late wife, would disapprove of the duke, but she was no longer here to handle such matters. He needed significant capital investments into his planet to stabilize its economy and trade deficits, and Duke Birsha offered a ready-made solution. Allie would have to marry sooner or later anyway. He raised his head, his voice firm, “You will. There is nothing more to discuss about this matter. The ship, “Celestial Honor,” will be in port by the end of the week, and you will be aboard, ready to do your duty to your family and your people. As a senator and ruler, I have given my oath to deliver you to the duke, willing, able, and ready to become his bride. You will not tarnish our House’s name or reputation over petty things like rumors and innuendos. He is a member of the Emperor’s Council, a man of respect and admiration for all he serves. He has committed no crimes and is part of a High-ranking family with influence and honor. He’s the Emperor's Uncle. He is a much better match than even your mother, with all of her family’s name, fortune, and honor could have arranged for you.”

“Father, you don’t see it, do you? No matter. I will repeat it. I will not, under any circumstances, marry him. I’d rather die than submit myself to that creature and his depravities.” With that, she turned and exited her father’s study.

Gristov sat there mentally, kicking himself. He should have had this conversation much earlier; he’d agreed five years ago, soon after his wife’s death. He’d used nearly all of the family’s money to try to upgrade Oranthe’s economy and infrastructure. He knew that to attract better trading partners and more money, he had to offer more than agriculture and fish. He needed to attract investors, industry, and technology to raise the level of technology and create better employment opportunities for his people. He had invested nearly the entirety of his personal and his wife’s family inheritance into the transformation of Oranthe. It wasn’t enough. He’d required more and more. Eventually, he exhausted the bank’s credit, and they threatened to foreclose on the family estate. He traveled to the Capitol, but the big money banks turned him down. Duke Birsha offered him an easy way out, promising to partner with him to create his vision. There was only one small caveat: your eldest daughter’s hand in marriage at her coming of age.

Gristov agreed, almost too eagerly, to bring prosperity to his people.

Alliyanna’s enthusiasm for celebrating her birthday had been dampened. Learning that she was to be given in marriage to that despicable man had killed any joy in becoming an adult. She still had no control over her destiny. She had wanted to go to the Royal Academy for Nobles, more commonly known as the RAN, on Capitol, Aethel. She visited the academy campus last year when her father took her to attend a Senate session. He had also formally presented her at Court so she would be recognized as his official heir. She studied hard and got excellent grades. She

was an accomplished swordsman, something few women of her station could boast. She could ride and was a champion horseman. And she was bright and intelligent; she knew she could, if given a chance, become a better steward of the barony than her father. She had applied for the upcoming year of classes and had been accepted. She realized it was a mistake to keep her acceptance into the academy hidden from her father. “I bet that’s when he made the deal,” she thought.

The party in her honor had started, and she was still in her suite of rooms; Bridget, her lady-in-waiting, came into the room after a knock on the door. “Come now, miss. Your guests are waiting, and your father is becoming anxious; you must appear. Here, let me help you with your dress.” Bridget helped her dress and combed her lovely auburn hair, which cascaded down her shoulders and back, forming heavy curls that reached to her waist. The dress was an emerald green, which set off her bright, intelligent green-blue iridescent eyes. As Bridget combed her hair, Alliyanna applied her make-up, leaving the pale, creamy skin untouched except for a bit of rouge on her high cheeks and some dark crimson on her lips. And a little bit of eyeshadow in blue and green to enhance her eyes. In truth, she hated to wear most of this junk, she thought, but it’s expected of her tonight when she is inducted into her proper place in the hierarchy. She was now officially Heir of the House Kar’Jan; she now stood to inherit her mother’s name, House, and fortune. Her father had the title because he was a war hero in the Spinward Marches War. And his rank of Admiral guaranteed an appointment to the peerage. But her mother had the lands, industry, and wealth. The family estate was the estate of her great-great-grandmother, Sofia Kar’Jan. She created the family fortune and made it a matriarchal lineage. No matter their status or rank, the men who married into the family would be required to take on the family name without exception. And, of course, boys born into the family would be able to help perpetuate the line

by marrying and producing heirs.

She descended the main stairs leading to the Grand foyer at their landing. She graciously took her father’s arm and allowed him to escort her through the main doors into the castle’s dining hall. She put on a smile and wore a mask of excitement and enthusiasm; she could 0psuspect her next move. She danced, dined, and made merry with the other party attendees. She felt terrible about what was about to happen and how it would make her look to her family, especially her younger sister. Kayta was only nine and wouldn’t understand. But she had to keep her resolve firm and carry out her plan. She made a point of being extra kind to Kat and talking to her and her friends briefly before Kat’s bedtime.

Gristov was enormously proud of how his eldest daughter composed herself; she acted respectfully and reflected adult-like behavior. It was a good day. Despite the earlier drama, she only argued a bit when she learned about her fate. By the time of the party, she seemed to accept her fate with grace and dignity as befitted a member of the House of Kar’Jan. He would inform the duke that all was well, and she would be in the Capitol by the end of the Cycle.

Chapter 1

That night, under the cover of darkness, Alliyanna slipped out of the castle, her heart heavy but determined. With her meager belongings packed in a backpack, she navigated the quiet streets of the sleeping city. Her destination was the spaceport, where trade vessels and freighter ships came and went. As Alliyanna approached the bustling docks, her nerves hardened into a steely resolve. She had heard whispers of a certain freighter captain named Talak Longbow. Known for his cunning and skill, he often took on contracts that others would refuse, running goods and passengers discreetly. She was ready to plead with him, hoping he would see the value in helping her escape her dire fate. But she also knew that if she told him before liftoff, he would deny her passage and kick her off the ship. He might even go as far as to call the Port Authorities or, worse, her father’s men. She assumed her father would find her missing by morning at the latest, and his first call would be to Jora El Kar’Jan, a fancy way of saying Jora was tied to the House of Kar’Jan for life. First by owing her family money, and then by becoming indispensable as her father’s bodyguard, and now his Man-at-arms. He was a rugged individual you did not want to pursue. He’d find you. He never gave up, and he eventually wore you down. Eventually, his prey made a mistake, and he capitalized on it.

When Alliyanna reached the ship, the stars twinkled brightly above against the inky sky. The “Star Shadow” was a weathered freighter but had a certain charm. She climbed aboard. She looked around and found no one else on board, a good sign that she had waited for alarms, robots, or security to discover her. She had no indication that her presence had been detected. She looked around and found some maintenance supplies. She found some oil, a grease gun, and some dirty rags. She

dabbed the rags into the oil, added a small amount of grease, and mixed it well until it had a paste-like consistency. Then, she applied it to her face and arms. She looked for a knife or a pair of scissors to cut her hair.

She was too recognizable, so she decided not to use her name to escape. Allie figured if she was thought of as a stowaway, she might have a better chance of not going back to her father. She found a vibroblade on a workbench, cutting her long, luscious, auburn hair shoulder length short. The first long curl landed on the deck plate beside her. She stared and let a tear fall. H She hoped that maybe if she wrapped her breasts well enough, she could pass for a young boy looking to escape the farm and looking for adventure in space.

She made her way to a pressurized section of the hull. Unfortunately, it was also refrigerated, which made sense given that agricultural products are the primary export. She grabbed a thin blanket from her backpack and wrapped it around her. Hopefully, wherever the ship was headed, it would be a short hop through hyperspace.

Captain Talak Longbow made his way back to the ship. It was late or early, depending on your perspective. He was not drunk yet. But he was closer to being drunk than sober. He didn’t usually go out and hit the bar like this, but it had recently been a streak of bad luck. He had to make enough on this turn to make up for the late payment on the Star Shadow, plus turn a profit for him to continue to stay in business. He wasn’t broke; as his clan’s leader, he had access to the entirety of the clan’s accounts and his family’s private funds. But he had made a promise when he started this venture: he would not use any of that money to finance his dream. He wanted to earn his way into the guild, build a trading consortium, and

possibly, eventually, become a megacorp. The Star Shadow was nearly paid off, but the most significant issues were the ports he kept having to choose because of the expensive docking and port fees and taxes on both imports and exports. Because he was independent, he got hit by all sides. If he were a member of the trading guilds, it would be simple: the fees would be nearly half of what he paid now. Of course, there would be the guild tithes, but that was better than the graft and bribes he had to pay now.

He sat down in the pilot’s chair. He asked Viki, his ship AI, to plot a course to a Class M planet that was currently in need of agricultural imports; he had frozen meats and vegetables. He had made a good deal on seeds and lucked out on frozen embryos and sperm for animal fertilization. Introducing a certified clean gene pool from off-world could help breed better, healthier herds. And increase cattle’s value during sale time. He waited for Viki to respond with a suitable planet. She gave him one just over 5 AUs, and they could be there within a week by traveling at max hyperspeed; it was still a minor planet not on the major trade routes, but he’d been there before, and the port tax was reasonable. The people drove a hard bargain, but they were fair. They didn’t cheat you. They paid in hard currency and didn’t tax you to the breaking point. All in all, he was happy to revisit Farmworld III,

“Viki, go ahead and set the course for Farmworld III, and have the autopilot take over after the jump to Hyperdrive. It will take 40 hours to get out of the system, so let the autopilot take the first watch. Wake me up for the second watch, and you handle the third watch and hold my hand when we jump. I don’t want what happened last time, where we got lost in some unknown sector because of a tiny

math error.”

“Yes, of course, Captain, but I must point out the math error was yours, and I did try to warn you about it before you made the jump,” Viki replied smoothly.

Captain Talak went down below to his cabin, a small, cramped space with a bed and a small bathroom called a head on a ship. It had a closet, a desk, and a single chair. That was the extent of the amenities of the Captain’s Quarters as it was known. He was a simple-nonsense kind of guy. He served a stint in the Empire Navy and was an officer on the bridge. He was a fighter pilot in the famous Guardian Squadron, comprised of nobles and aristocrats. Eventually, he was promoted, was too highly ranked to fly fighters, and did his rotation as a shipboard officer. First as a pilot and later as the Executive Officer. And what he was doing now would ensure the navigation computer was functional and appropriately updated as needed. He had no desire to hire a navigator or another pilot, hence Viki, his AI. That was his most significant expense when he retrofitted the merchant trader when he bought it 5 years ago. It was why the bank had a lien on his ship. He took out a loan to purchase the state-of-the-art AI. Now, ship AI was very much improved; many could control the entire ship without a single human on board, and in fact, many exploration ships looking for new habitable planets did just that. It saved on having to crew a boat or use cryosleep. This allowed quicker reports and more planets to be explored without risking human lives.

An alarm awakened Talak; he was immediately awake and alert. The alarm signaled that the sensor detected a life form in the forward hold. At first, he wrote it off as a rat. Then he quickly remembered he had recalibrated the sensor to sound the alarm only if a human-sized life form was detected. He got dressed and started

towards the forward hold.

“Who’s there?” Talak barked but softened his tone when he saw the fear and desperation etched on her face.

“I’m Alliyanna Kar’Jan, heir to the House Kar’Jan and daughter of Baron Kar’Jan. “She blurted out and immediately regretted it. She had planned not to use her name or family to influence the man. “Please, Captain,” she said breathlessly. “I need your help. I must leave Oranthe. I cannot marry Duke Birsha. He will destroy me.”

Talak’s expression went from curious to calculating. “Married against your will, I presume; wait, you’re the baron’s daughter and want me to help you run away from home. Oh, I am not sure I am comfortable with that. Everyone will be looking for you. And I will be charged with kidnapping or smuggling or something. They’ll impound my ship if they don’t blast it out of space. No. You’d better leave; this is a dangerous business, girl. What do you offer in return?”

“Anything! I can work for you—help with the shipping, cleaning, and cooking. Just let me escape,” she implored.

He studied for a moment. “It is easier to space her,” Talak thought to himself. Then quickly dismissing it as unreasonable. “I shouldn’t risk life and limb or my ship for a woman.” was also a thought that entered his mind. Alliyanna worried he would turn her away. Finally, he sighed, a “This is a terrible idea.” He thought to himself.

Gristov paced back and forth in his study, anxiety etched across his face. The weight of his responsibilities pressed heavily on him, amplifying his worries about Alliyanna’s fate. He turned to Jora, his trusted advisor, who stood rigidly at attention, awaiting his orders. “Jora,” Gristov said, biting back his frustration, “I need you to find Alliyanna and bring her back unharmed. She must marry Duke Birsha by the end of the cycle.”

Jora blinked in surprise, taken aback by the urgency of the situation. “But, my lord, if she’s fled—”

“Didn’t you hear me?” Gristov interrupted, his voice firm yet laced with desperation. “We can’t afford to let this opportunity slip away. The compact with Birsha is crucial for Oranthe’s survival. If we don’t comply, the funding will evaporate, and we might lose everything we’ve worked for. Time is running out, Jora. You have exactly twelve days.”

“Yes, my lord,” Jora replied, his heart heavy with the task ahead. He could sense the turmoil within Gristov but also understood the stakes of failure. He saluted sharply. “I will do everything possible to find and bring her back safely.” As Jora turned to leave,

Gristov’s voice halted him. “Remember, Jora, she is our future. Protect her at all costs. The duke has a dark reputation. We cannot let fear dictate her fate.”

With a determined nod, Jora stepped out of the study, the gravity of his mission sinking in. Alliyanna was strong-willed and finding her would be no easy feat. He knew she had her father’s expectations to rebel against, as well as her desires for

freedom and choice. Time was fleeting, and the pressure weighed heavier on his shoulders with each tick. Jora vowed to use every resource available to him. It was a race against time, and the thought of facing Duke Birsha’s wrath spurred him on.

He gathered his team and prepared to scour every corner of Oranthe and beyond, determined to bring Alliyanna back before the end of the Cycle. He assembled a small squad of the most loyal and capable men in Kar’Jan’s House to assist him. He knew she had only a few options for getting off the planet, so he called the port authority and had them ground all ships until further notice. Hopefully, they could catch her without incident or raise any suspicions among the Duke Birsha. He was the real problem in this whole fiasco.

Talak had just lifted off when a system-wide alert was issued, grounding all ships in port and halting in-system traffic. He ignored that alert and instructed Viki to jump to hyperspace early. This was a dangerous maneuver, and it could cost them dearly. If they miscalculated even slightly, they might end up stranded in a dead part of space, too far from resupply and out of communication range for system UVF/VHF bandwidths. They would be easy prey for pirates.

“Hang on and strap in,” Talak announced. “We are jumping to hyperspeed early.”

“What? That’s insane. We’re not in a hyper lane to do that. We’ll die,” Alliyanna shrieked.

“No, I’ve done this before. It’s possible to jump without a lane, but it’s tough. But we don’t have any choice. They just grounded all in-system travel and halted all shipping. We can’t let them find you this close to Oranthe. They’ll bring you back

to your father or imprison you until the duke sends his ship for you.”

“His ship will be here by the end of the week. I was supposed to be at Aethel by the end of the Cycle.

They were lucky. WithI help and some complex mathematical computations performed by Alliyanna, who was brilliant in trigonometry, they plotted a course where they could jump to hyperspeed, and they were out of the system and on their way to Farmworld III.

Chapter 2

The duke, a man of considerable stature with a commanding presence and a reputation for self-serving plots, sat alone in his opulent study, the flickering pseudo-candlelight casting long shadows on the walls adorned with intricate

tapestries. With a deep sigh, he gazed out the large window that overlooked the sprawling gardens, contemplating the implications of Alliyanna’s disappearance. Knowing her absence could unravel the delicate balance of his plans to take over the throne, he resolved to take decisive action. Determined to retrieve her, the duke meticulously crafted a plan to hire a cadre of elite boun