Prologue
The young officer sighed as he put on his uniform for the last time. He stood in front of the full length mirror, carefully picking of a piece of lint that had attached itself to his cape. He felt the familiar touch come from behind and a warm breath against his neck. He looked at the delicate hands that encircled his waist and chuckled. Turning around, he kissed the woman hard, his fingers finding their way into her well crafted bun that kept her hair in order.
"You are such a bastard. I am already going to be late for maneuvers." She snorted as she smacked his chest. He looked over her shoulder at the small bedroom, a far cry from the luxurious one in his own apartment. He felt bad that he had rarely invited her over, thinking that she had never spent one night in his bed. He had always been an extremely private person and hardly let anyone into his private chambers. Lately, there had been so much tension between them. She wanted more than he could ever give. For years, he had tried to get her to move on. He had even introduced her to some of the finest officers in the fleet, hoping she would take a shine to one of them. She was, after all, a highly desirable woman. She had refused all of the other men's entreaties, much to Lotor's dismay. He, finding a ready and willing lover, had not been quick to sever the bond between them. After all, she was his oldest and dearest friend.
"The real estate broker called while you were in the shower. You will be happy to know she sold your apartment at a steep profit. Not that it really matters to you." Sharra said with a flat voice.
"You are answering my calls again. I thought we talked about that." He said in a playful tone. He had nothing to hide. He neither had the time or the inclination to take another lover on Drule. Commander Hazar had pushed the Advance Fleet to the limit that year. The previous Supreme Commander had been "retired" and Hazar had been jockeying for the opening. During the last year, Hazar had wracked up a long list of conquests in order to pad his already impressive résumé. Unfortunately, many men had paid the price for his ambition. It was out of sheer luck that his commander's grab for power coincided with the refitting of the fleet. The fleet had now been put into station over Drule for the past three months, affording Lotor plenty of time to use his accumulated leave. Lotor was actually glad that Hazar was most likely going to get the position that he so richly deserved. Hazar was fearful that his meteoric rise to fame was going to hinder his application, but instead it had helped the mercurial commander.
"Take me back with you." A small voice pleaded. Lotor had expected her to be stronger than this.
"I have a harem on Korrinoth. You deserve better than that. I know for a fact that many men have asked you to be their mate. It is time you took a husband." He gently said. "You are a very attractive woman, use it to your advantage." The tears welled up in her eyes. He had never mentioned the harem before, careful not to upset her. He asked himself why, of all days, did he have to bring it up. Their time together was growing short.
"I do not care. Make me one of your concubines." Sharra cried out.
"From day one, we agreed to what the conditions of this relationship were. This was only recreation." His voice became terse.
"I love you." She pitifully replied.
"I know. I am sorry if I took advantage of your feelings. I did not mean to." He gathered her up. "I was afraid I was going to lose you." He threw in the last line for good measure.
"It is my social status that prevents us from being together." Sharra's words struck hard. She was correct on one level. His father would have never have permitted a marriage with a commoner, unless there had been extenuating circumstances. Conversely, an officer would have never found her way into a harem; she was a free born Drule. It was against the Law. In truth, he did not love her in that way so the thought of them spending a lifetime together had never been considered. In his mind, he had formed the perfect image of a wife; and it was not Sharra. His wife, his future queen, would be magnificent. He wanted someone like his mother Althea; she needed to be a woman that the storytellers would weave legends about. Sharra was attractive, but only a few notches above ordinary. He was looking for a goddess.
"Yes, my father would never accept you." Lotor said with a sad smile, grateful that he did not have to make up another lie.
"Ironic, is it not? We were both born of slaves. Will I see you again?" Sharra asked hopefully.
"My father tries to keep far away form imperial politics. He asks for little, and gives little in return. The Supreme Council of the Denubian Galaxy gives him enough headaches. We rarely make it out to Drule." Lotor shrugged. In a way, this was merciful.
"Then I shall offer up my resignation also. Maybe it is time for me to go home." Lotor shook his head as he considered the woman before him. All of these years, she had been posted on Drule. She had stayed away from her family and friends in order to enjoy his few brief visits over the years. Had she known that his visits to Korrinoth were filled with a parade of princesses and queens that his father forced him to meet,in hopes of securing a lasting alliance, she might have changed her mind about the nature of their relationship. She would have seen it was futile. His father had not pressed the issue of marriage yet, content in knowing his son was sowing his wild oats. The prince knew that with his return it would take on a greater intensity. Sharra, he had been sure, had been faithful to a fault though he had offered nothing in return.
On some level, he must have encouraged their relationship. She was no fool. Over the years, he had sent her hundreds of letters and presents. The notes had not been romantic; they were mostly comprised of his musing concerning far away planets and their inhabitants. The presents, save for a few, were interesting trinkets he had picked up in alien market places. He had bought her this apartment and a personal flyer. He wanted her to enjoy herself in the expensive capitol city and had filled her bank account with credits. Even this small apartment had been a small fortune, being in the heart of the magnificent city. One might consider these to be extravagant gifts. He did not think much of it; he had few friends to splurge his wealth on. He looked around the room with some regret. In his mind, it had been such a small gesture, but a woman might read more into his acts of gratitude.
And then there was the sex. It had been no accident. He had planned on the seduction from the first moment he had seen her again. The memory of her body, undressed and flushed in the ice cave, had seared itself into his teenage memory. When their paths crossed again, he was a far more experienced lover and he took her with an abandon that overwhelmed her. He knew she was based on Drule, and when the fleet came in he had sought her. It was not totally about the sex, which was just a gratuitous benefit. He had hoped to rekindle their friendship as it had been lonely on the battle carrier he had been assigned too. The Drules, viewed their Korrinoth brethren as some sort of subspecies, and kept their distance. In a sea of red eyes and small ears, his exotic features stood out. Few, save a selected group of superiors, knew who he truly was. No one tried to curry his favor. Here, like everywhere else, he was still the outsider. Hazar, his commander, had seen promise in his new warmaster but the man, though talented, was more obsessed with his own rise to power than mentoring the young prince.
The memory of their first night, no, their first days together still burned within. Yes, he had been careful to set down the rules. It was like this with all of his far flung relationships. In the end, he knew that none of the women he took to his bed were worthy enough to bear the next Crown Prince to the Korrinoth throne. Unlike his father, who had attained his position through force, and therefore owed no one, his mate would be chosen for him. For two days, they secluded themselves in a hotel room; only emerging to answer the knock of room service. Their separation was forced by a call to duty. Looking back, he should have kept her there longer. It would have been worth the AWOL on both of their records. He could honestly say she was the best lover he had ever, and as the years had gone by there were far to many to compare her to. Knowing how she felt about him, he should have stopped it then, savoring the delicious experience. Unfortunately, he was selfish by nature.
"You must look forward to seeing your father. He will be glad to see his son is no longer a boy, but a true warmaster with conquests and muscles." Sharra looked at him as if she was appraising a piece of meat. She had never hid her lustful nature which he found to be her most attractive trait. In many ways, she was as carnal as he was. She slipped her hands down his bare arms and touched his chest lightly with her fingers. He had been happy she noticed that his long awaited musculature had finally come in. He had waited longer than most and feared he would look like a scrawny human all of his days. "He has not seen you like this. You are very much improved after your long absence." It was true. He had not been home in two years.
Lotor could take no more. He was not sure if it had been the stroking of his flesh or his ego that caused him to drag her back into her bed. Both of them, knowing perhaps this would be their last time together, ripped off each other's clothes with relish. They made love all morning, ignoring the repetitive rings of their respective mobile communicators. Finally, Lotor reached for the insistent device and sighed when he saw his superior's name scrawl across the scene. He braced himself for the harsh retorts that would follow as he hit the speaker.
"Captain Lotor, where are you? You still have to brief Zandu before you leave." He heard Hazar's gravelly voice, perpetually clothed in annoyance, barking at him. "I swear I am surrounded by incompetents." The last words brought a smile to Lotor's lips. Hazar, at times, reminded him of his father. Imperial and overbearing, they were cut from the same cloth. Lotor thought that Zeppo should just marry one of his daughters off to this man; he was certain that the warlord would eventually take the Emperor's throne.
"Forgive me. I was having a religious experience. My meditations consumed me and I became lost in the worship of a goddess." He said with a devilish smirk, winking at Sharra who was trying desperately not to break out in laughter. He put a finger to his mouth, silently beseeching her to be quiet.
"Pagan bullshit from a Korronite. What else can I expect from such a primitive? I have to say I am glad to be packing off your sorry ass carcass. You have been nothing but trouble since you set foot on my bridge. I want you here in an hour." The voice on the other end was fuming.
"Yes, Your Excellency." Lotor snapped the device shut.
"There are advantages from coming from the so called backwater worlds. Everyone always accepts the religion excuse." Lotor said as he scrambled for his clothes. Deep down, he was angry at his commander. Some of the fame he claimed as his own belonged to Lotor. Hazar, though principled in his own way, was not one to share glory. Still, he had learned quite a bit under the brilliant, young commander.
"It only works because you spend half the morning praying to your dead kings and dark gods. You truly are a god fearing pagan. You just will not admit it." He was just glad she did not mock him for his beliefs as many of the Modern Drule did. She ruffled his hair. He closed his eyes, again wondering if it was the last time he would feel those lovely fingers brushing through his tangled locks. He wished, for a moment, that things could have been different. Fate had not served Sharra well. Over the years, he had been sure, that if he had found her in season that they would have created a child. Perhaps then, he would have taken her to wife. His father would have beaten him; but in the end, he may have relented. Of late, he had been telling his son that he wanted him to produce the next generation of Korronite rulers. Dharlock's boys, though highly intelligent, were incapable of keeping Doom's Empire secure. It was the Doomites that kept Dharlock in power, something his father never let the king of the Tenth Kingdom forget.
"And what is mine? I do not have your position to fall back on. And sadly, I am from a more civilized and sophisticated world. I cannot use such a delay as an excuse. Can you see me claiming that I have found salvation at the altar of the gods?" Her laughter filled the room.
"You do not need to find salvation. You have committed no grievous sins." He said with a look that bordered on guilt. "I, on the other hand, carry a full load." He reached for her and nuzzled her neck. "You tell your commander that an Imperial warmaster begged your bed this morning. If he has a problem with that, well, tell him your warmaster will come by to discuss the issue with him." He threw her down and gave her one more soulful kiss. "Seriously," he said, "you say it just like that." Sharra pulled him close. She always felt so protected when he was near. Deep down, she knew it was all an illusion.
"My father told me that it was best to keep away from warmasters. You are not a good lot." Sharra softly said her voice barely audible as if she was reminding herself about the foolish mistake she had made. She was desperately trying not to cry.
"Sharra, your father is a wise man." Lotor said as he climbed out of the bed. Wordlesly he dressed. She did not even hear the front door close as he left her weeping in the bed. He felt bad as he left. He also felt relief. Deep down, he knew it was over.