Next day, after the lunch Warp strengthened himself up and took Zarah to see the Eldest. They had their council in the centre of the city and ruled basically all the functions of the community. Warp had to wait with her for a while in a hall. The meeting chamber of the leaders was strictly guarded. The entrance was still behind one single, heavy velvet curtain. Warp kept wiping dust away from his suit, which was his most official one he owned. In front of these men, their wizened heads, everyone had to be polished with manners.
"You have permission to come in, community member Darkmatter", a servant alien slightly opened the curtain.
Warp noticed that Zarah hesitated and took her hand to encourage her: "Come on, Za. We'll figure something out. They won't put you in jail, I promise it."
"But I'm not legal here..." she whispered.
"I'll explain the situation."
When they stepped in, she nuzzled even more to his side for confusion and fear. They entered a colossal cylinder-shaped parlor. On large and sinking divans, along the wall, sat seven aged and wizened men with austere faces. A red lamp crystal cast its light from the ceiling, making everything look very majestic. On the floor were a couple of braziers where incense was burnt. Massive tapestries covered the rounded walls, which rose up to the highnesses. The decorations of this handiwork seemed to describe some kind of legends with their pictography. The men of council cast all their eyes upon Zarah and wrinkled their foreheads.
"Don't be afraid. They may be a bit tuff, but they're great and wise men", Warp lastly whispered to her.
"Speak, community member Darkmatter", one of the Eldest commanded.
Warp clarified his matter very respectfully, detailing the situation of Zarah and him.
The male sitting in the middle of the other six let his hollow voice echo: "Step forth, young lady."
She tapped to the centre floor very maidenly.
"Who are you? And why are you here?"
She was now more nervous because the same things were asked again, the things she thought Warp had narrated already. "I... I am Choi Zarah G'Deneb. I was doing mineral tests on the surface but I got in the middle of a sand storm. I entered a cave to find shelter, but then I was captured and brought here."
"And then you met community member Darkmatter?" a third voice asked.
"Yes, your honour."
"How him know you do?" a very small, green, big-eared Eldest inquired with a peculiar accent.
"Warp Darkmatter once saved my life, by taking me away from Zurg."
"She her is, once about we told were, the maiden after landanah", the green one continued speaking to the alien beside him.
"You're the one that brought the balance to community member Darkmatter?" the spoken murmured.
She did not quite understand what was this question all about, but timidly agreed.
After this, the most middle one exclaimed: "You're free to meet each other after going through xaret¨a. You're then given the permission to visit the community outside, young lady."
Now Warp turned quite awkward and stepped beside Choi. "Honourable Ooban, I apologise for interrupting, but there is not another way?"
Zarah looked at him twittery. She had no more any clue what was the topic about.
"You know the laws, community member Darkmatter. They're very strict and there's no way of evading them. This young woman is here without authority and under normal circumstances would never be allowed to leave the city. However, if you wish her for a free entrance here, you must enter the ceremony. You know there is nothing religious, nothing political in it, nothing that could disturb your conscience. It shall be just the simple registration. Arranging it is very rare here, since women do not much populate the cities of Xaneda. With relatives the regulations are different, but since she is not your family, xaret¨a is then the common means."
Warp sighed jumpy but continued: "Your honour, I'd wish to say a couple of words to my companion."
"You have the permission."
Now the former henchman of Zurg bowed down to Zarah, who understood nothing. Her big, green eyes were all wide open and she primarily looked like a little girl her first day at school.
"Z-Zarah...? Do ya want this?" he looked straight into her eyes. She could sense the troublesome thoughts that racked his mind.
"W-What is xaret¨a?" was the answer.
He cupped his large palm on her cheek and put his metal arm around her waist. "Za... this is the only way. You know how I feel. But..." he sighed unhappily "...I'm still an outlaw, nothing can dispel that. But I've tried to become a reformed character, otherwise I'd not be allowed to live here. I-I want this so badly, but you..."
"Warp, tell me what is it? What is xaret¨a?" she kept repeating in a flapping accent.
"Za, I wish ya'd give me this favour... Ya know how much I love you." He now put his lips nearly on hers.
Her breaths turned deep and rapid. "W-Warp, I l-love you too, but WHAT is xaret¨a?"
He gulped and finally got it said. "It's... a sort of... um... matrimonial ceremony. It's not the kind of they have like on Capital Planet. We will be registered as a couple to the community archives. Because of the safety of this place, there seems to be no other way. Everybody who comes from outside must have some kind of very reliable relationship with the one he or she wants to meet..."
She gasped and almost lost her balance. Warp saw that a couple of teardrops appeared in her eyes. "You... m-mean that w-we..." she stuttered.
"Please?" he looked at her with a pleading regard.
She burst into sobs now. He clasped her carefully against his chest and waited for the response. It was quite an upheaval for her that someone after all her desolateness suddenly suggested something like this to her, even under this kind of circumstances. Warp felt very strange, too, but so was his life, it all was commenced from a clear table a couple of months ago, he had had to dispossess the old being and adapt a life far something else. What was more; he and she were actually still half-strangers for each other. The only connection was the strong love and her debt of gratitude to him.
As she stood there in his hold, he was to hear some very timid and stammering pieces of words of her at his ear. He closed his eyes and exhaled deep, he would have yelled for joy if he wasn't in the middle of the Eldest. Therefore, with a jubilant smile on his face, he stood up from her and declared to the aged: "Honourable Ooban, she agrees to enter xaret¨a. I am saying my apologises for her emotion, she is not able to pronounce it by herself, now."
Immediately one of the Eldest boomed a small gong. From behind the door curtain came two men.
"We are going to spend xaret¨a today. Take this young lady to Mrs. Adlene for the preparations. Then you take community member Darkmatter to Mister Enigme's. We'll start the registration ceremony right after the sunset."
Zarah was completely anxious and was not to be able to stand on her feet. But Warp kneeled again in front of her and comforted: "It's all right, they're fast in their decisions, but you go on now... my sweet babe Za... Mrs. Adlene and her assistants will dress you."
Warp flopped down to the entrance hall couch to wait for his escort. He was nothing but one big smile. He let his regard wander in the ceiling, where some legendary ancient characters of Xaneda were painted. Behind the curtain reached a voice of one of the Eldest that spoke to an internal communication device. In his words were told about a splendid feast that would be arranged tonight, where every citizen was welcome. And Warp, HE was the main issue with his long-lost love. No better way to give a hooray to his egoism.
With reeling steps, Zarah walked along a corridor. Her mind was one big rollercoaster. What had she tangled up with? A dull expedition trip to Xaneda had turned to... she could not even find an expression to it. In some hours, she would sweep into matrimony on a strange planet, with the second most-wanted skunk of the galaxy? But she knew there was the chance, the careless criminal did not exist any more, only there was a man that had risked his life for her. Still, thinking of this and that made her heart clear not at all.
At the end of a one mile-length tunnel a mid-aged, maternal woman achieved Zarah with a hearty smile. She had been informed about the preparations via the internal comm. device. At first, she hugged Zarah very warmly.
"Oh, dear, look at you, such a pretty little girl. It's an honour to prepare the bride of Mr. Darkmatter."
"You... you know him?" she shyly asked.
"Sure, my dear! He's a very known person over here. You'll be having many guests at your registration ceremony tonight!"
Zarah was even more baffled. "Uh... what do you mean, madam?"
"Oh, dear, don't you know what's waiting for you? Xaret¨a, it's something very exceptional, here. It will be kept in the Main Arena; it will gather many, many spectators! Now, let's go to make you pleasurable for your future owner."
Zarah's jaw drooped open once again because of the last word of this old woman. "O-owner? You don't mean that..." she supplicated with her eyes not to hear what she feared.
But Mrs. Adlene just gave a merry laugh and explained: "Oh, sure, Mr. Darkmatter owns you now. I hope you were told that this is not a marital union they have out there, but you become the property of your master. Some may say this is a bit ancient, but it's just for your best." Next she took somewhat a more severe expression because she noticed the anxiety on the bride's face. "I see that you did not know this technical detail. But do not be afraid, he'll take good care of you."
Now it was clear for Zarah why Warp had been so awkward. Easy for him, but she would become his submissive? He had possibly on purpose left that 'technical detail' untold. What the craters was going to happen to her? Concerning that her savvy had got quite blurry. Moreover, she did not dare to ask any more about the ceremony because she felt completely stupid. All she could wait for was... many visitors? She had expected something very modest and private because of the short schedule. An Eldest maybe could read a couple of words from a statute book, but...?
At first Choi was leaded to a sauna, then given a hot bath with incense and herbs leached to the water. Mrs. Adlene's assistants, her two daughters, washed Zarah's hair and salved it with many expensive and fragrant balsams. In addition, her face, shoulders and neck were spread with similar creams before a light make-up. She was dressed completely differently, every part of her boyish garments was put aside. The cloth that was put on her was actually one big bundle of textile. It was so light, soft and flimsy that it took so much to make a proper outfit. This snowy linen-type gown was stitched up with dozens of tiny buckles and fastenings. Its long hems flowed a metre after her on the floor. As the whole system was on her, it was gathered to follow the curves of her body with a large, metal corset that went over her hips and ribs. Round her neck was hung a complex and wide necklace. The plates of it that reached her shoulders were decorated with stone inlays: onyx, sapphires, jades and some unique semiprecious stones mined on Xaneda. Her head was beautified with an Aztec-type diadem, which had similar ornamentations as the neck plaques. Her long hair was left open and combed to flow along her back, still made tidy with a couple extra portions of herb balsam. Lastly, on her feet was put sandals. Her arms were left completely bare.
She was not to know herself when she was brought in front of a mirror. In her fabulous dress, she looked like a daughter of a Pharaoh, speaking of the ancient cultures of a forgotten planet called Tellus. She had seen dozens of civil marriages arranged in Star Command HQ, but this seemed to be far away from them. She could have not even imagined seeing a dress this exotic with such heavy jewels, not to mention wearing one. Her brains swirled, what was there to expect next?
---The time of the sunset---
Zarah had quite numerous escorts when the travel to the Main Arena began. Mrs. Adlene kept hugging her and chirping about the event when the fast underground speeder train whizzed them towards the aim. After this, she was leaded to a huge door, which was told to be a private side entrance to the mentioned place.
"Now, dear, we try to find our seats if there's something left. Helmì and Aaltó, my dear daughters, bring you to your future owner. Good luck!" She gave a motherly peck on her cheek and pulled the door open.
Because of the next view, Zarah was to faint. The 'arena' was a colossal amphitheatre, quarried into the bedrock. The auditorium that circulated the walls, were supercharged with spectators. They were over one hundred thousand. Every citizen of the community was welcome for this happening, and so the seats had been filled up already quite early.
Through her blackening vision she saw Warp standing right in front of her, at the end of a 'road' that was an electric blue carpet rolled to the plain middle part of the hall. Another carpet crossed this one and leaded a long way towards the back wall. The Eldest were sitting at the end of it.
Darkmatter was a very mighty sight. He was dressed into a long, black robe, which had large, crimson wristbands and another detail of the same colour: a silk fabric that was tied around his hips. The gown was so long that it covered his feet. A wide, glossy-black cloak was attached to his shoulders with two, discus-shaped metal buckles. He resembled Zurg a bit in his extraordinary dressing.
With an exultant smile, his both arms extended wide, he received her. She felt so weak, so small and fragile now beside this former miscreant. In addition, the helter-skelter sentiments of hers thinking him as his master were of course there to further that all. She had been never coyer. The shyness made her glance nervously around and got her chin tremble. He prompted her with some lulling words, but they did not help much when she took him by arm and gradually moved on towards the Eldest with him.
Now the whole auditorium was silent. The spectators embarrassingly closely inspected their every gait. Some of the aliens in the front row smiled a bit comically to the height difference of the xaret¨a pair. They announced that the couple surely was charming, but when almost half a metre was the distance between their crowns, there was a certain funny atmosphere. Warp beside his lady noticed her nervous hesitating and gently supported her going. Well, Zarah felt as if she had tried to ski in a swamp, every stride was tacky and infirm.
The ceremony itself consisted of the speech of everyone of the Eldest. One told about the history of Xaneda, another one the saga of the underground cities, third one summarised the laws and fourth one told the audience the story of community member Darkmatter. Every word was heard multiplied through efficient loudspeakers above the amphitheatre. When the fifth leader spoke, Warp and Zarah were asked to kneel to the floor. The discourse was an intense report about why and what xaret¨a was, and what it meant to be registered as a couple.
The green, short and wise alien declared: "As you united now will be, unconditional laws there to bind you are. Darkmatter, loving your lady as your own body you ought to be. He who his wife loves, himself loves. On the other hand, you, lady, you deep respect for your man should have. You, Darkmatter, with care and gentle devotion you her treat ought to, the more fragile form of life. And, you stay only for each other shall, in Xaneda a great crime fornication is. The penalty crude shall be, if a man his woman deceives or maltreats. Or on the contrary. And you, who from outside come, so the laws there for you too are, when you in the future Xaneda visit shall." The speaker took a pause and leaned on his cane.
"Xaret¨a a compact union is, the seals not there are to be broken like outside there happens it, so often, so often. A man his bride desecrates and opposite. This not the way in Xaneda is! Xaret¨a in decency kept must be! With patience you two, in the future, your mortal and human weaknesses bear and to each other forgiving be. No fortune there for selfishness is!"
Zarah felt her knees getting inert as she saw the sixth one standing up and taking a large velvet pillow from a young boy. There lied a pile of heavy-looking jewellery made from platinum. Detailed gravure and inlays decorated every one of them.
"Now, young lady, extend your hands", an old voice commanded.
She put her quivering arms in front of the man. He locked two, hefty bracelets around her wrists -or more strictly they reached the middle section of her arm from elbow to wrist- and laced two, long, pipe-looking rings to both her middle fingers.
"These signs of xaret¨a you shall carry from day to day, for to be known for whom you do belong to. Outside, you may be called G'Deneb, but here, in Xaneda, you will be known as Darkmatter for this day on." Then Ooban, the speaker, turned to Warp. The left hand of the kneeled man became also added with similar goods as hers, only much bigger in size.
"And you, community member Darkmatter, you take now good care of her for this time on, love her like yourself as you were told."
Warp gave a somewhat cunning side glance at Zarah and flashed his big teeth. She got shivers going along her back because of that regard.
The seventh Eldest spoke only very shortly. "Citizens of the Community of Xatagah, may we all celebrate for the happiness of community member Darkmatter and his lady, who have now entered the gates of xaret¨a! You, son of man, take your lady and do as you wish. She's yours now."
Warp didn't need more boost. A fire had ignited in his eyes and he grapped her tight to his embrace, then kissed her lips harder than ever. Lastly, he gave her a couple of mild kisses on her neck. In his flaming passion, he did not care about the spectators.
As he began to carry her away from the arena, the whole crowd whooped and hollered. After hours of celebrating, eating of the feasts, dancing and receiving congratulations, the city gradually quieted down in the small hours. Warp leaded his shy beloved into his chambers with him. Above, on the surface, Xaneda was serene, the forbidding desert hiding all the beauty of one romance that had bloomed into its greatest flowers.
---------------
Next morning Warp woke up in his wide bed earlier than his legal mate of xaret¨a. She slept calmly on his chest. He turned a bit over and took her completely into his enfold. With pride and gentleness, he watched her delicate features.
"Half a year... I kept roaming in uncertainty... would she ever remember me, would we ever meet again. And now, one morning, I wake up, find her in my arms, united with me..." He sighed and let the image of the once experienced forest adventure roll in his mind. How she had been so afraid of him at first, but then burst to bitter tears when he was forced to leave her... so she had suddenly became fond of him, unexpectedly... He saddened quite a bit because of the association; it brought her words into his mind. Those misery words had told about her longing for him and the oppressing solitude. How could he have known that she had felt exactly the same during all this time?
As he went on thinking more, it was actually quite upheaving for him to see himself as a man committed to someone. The rebellious and indifferent Warp now in this situation? But he did not regret it a bit, no. His expression remained serious as he pondered about the girl in the shelter of his arms. "How did it happen that she is now suddenly mine? I turned away from Zurg, wandered in agony for a while and now I'm granted with her? This... so fragile and innocent..." he suddenly felt stomach-turning disgust when thinking about his past, what he had done to himself. "... my goodness, till this day, she was untouched..."
Although the past was there to haunt him, he had to direct his mental activity to somewhere else for to brighten up himself. "Don't ya matter about that any more, big guy, she's yours. Completely yours." He wiped the gloomy dreams away and put his hand on her crown to stroke her hair. "Now not even the community can hinder my love to her. Heh, heh, betta impress her..."
She yawned lightly under his arm and first met his dark eyes. In her slumber she had been on Capital Planet and now the reality encountered her quite oddly. A quiver went along her spine and she nuzzled more towards him.
"Warp..." she whispered in a bashful voice. No more words were found to express her emotions. All her apprehensions of the subjection in this union were gone with the wind.
He had quite smug and shrewd smile as he then stood up. "Hmm, ya DID impress her, well done, blue boy!"
Sniffing and blubbering Eisley and Neder brought the breakfast to Warp and Zarah to the main room.
"We're so happy for ya, boss!" the big and sturdy black man sobbed.
"Aww, b-boss, w-we wish ya all da luck..." Neder flooded tears like Niagara.
"A-and we're sorry w-we brought ya in so tuffly, M-Madam Darkmatter..." Eisley snuffed and wiped his nose.
Warp could not hold his chuckles but slammed: "Okey-dokey, don't howl like li'l rascals who have lost their balloons! Thanks for ya, see ya later today."
When the guards had streamed away, Warp took forth the less pleasant topic about visiting Trade World.
"Za, gotta tell ya som'thing. I'm forced to go to Trade World tomorrow. It's about my work. The manager of the security device department P'Osankka is complaining about that the scan radars ain't been manufactured in the schedule. But it is not our fault; we've been given wrong kinds of nanocapacitors and picocircuits."
Zarah's expression turned quite serious. "But Warp, isn't that riskin' yar safety? Trade World's the most slimy place concerning all kinds of rotters. Ya should know 'cause you've been lurking there."
"I know, Za, but I've been there a dozen times since I started this job. The enterprise I'm working for has its office there. I just wear some disguise an' that's it", he grinned.
"But what's your responsibility there? Can't ya send someone else instead? I'm just not very keen on this thing. Bounty hunters of Zurg ain't necessarily stupid fellas."
Warp burst into guffaws. "Yea, like that Baba Fat, who was so quasary massive that got stuck in one doorway. Then a couple of space rangers had to cut him off with a blowpipe before he was arrested!"
The wrinkles on her forehead remained. "That ain't a think to laugh with. They're after you to kill ya, unlike the space rangers. Those only want to get ya to the court."
He reached to take her hand over the table. "Nah, cut it out. It'll be just fine, like has been this far. Come with me, Za, so ya don't have to be alone here."
"How are ya gonna disguise yourself? You happen to look pretty original, ya kow that", she fingered her chin. "No one's interested in me, but ya gotta get then good means to walk incognito."
Warp chuckled and popped into another room for a while. "I rely on the classic fashion stylee: this is the most common outfit seen on Trade World, precisely no one can figure out anything." He put a cowboy-type hat, a long black coat and mirror sunglasses on the table. "...and, to get some colour to my face, I'll use this!" He put a tube of some ointment in front of her nose. "Grow a beard overnight! A couple of strokes of this and I guess even ya, Za, could play Captain Hook tomorrow morning!"
She burst into giggles and gave in.