Chapter 1

"I assure you" Captain Dylan protested "Slaves are not necessary, payment for our technology is enough."

The Ulmarian continued "Captain they are both quiet the little delicacies I assure you. Very fine race indeed, they will serve you well.."

Dylan responded "Why thank you but-" Rommie cut him off short "Pause transmission," she turned to the captain "We have to take them, I looked up Ulmarian culture they seal every trade by sending slaves. If you do not accept they will take it as an offense. The accepting of slaves is like signing a treaty saying you won't attack and try to steal back your goods. We have no choice."

Dylan nodded and paused for a minute "If we have no choice then we have no choice, resume transmission" He looked up at the grinning Ulmarian "We will take them" The Ulmarian's grin stretched until it nearly touched his small ears "Excellent Captain, they are on their way." Dylan nodded "End transmission."

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The Ulmarian trade ship was huge. Adina hadn't quiet grasped it's size until she stepped into the shipping hall. It was a bazaar contracted from cold ugly metals. The orchestration of the ineloquent noises of the traders made Adina and Haleyla cringe. The various sounds of chaos echoed clearly; screams, shrieks, belches, and growls seemed to grow louder every second.

The two princess were stripped of their beautiful gown and jewels and now were dressed in the simple white robes. Their delicate wrists and ankles were choked by bulky chains.

As they were led by the Ulmarian Adina turned to her sister and whispered "Whatever happens Haleyla, wherever we may go, don't tell them who you are. Simply tell them your name is Haleyla and you were a handmaiden to the princess."

Haleyla nodded, she did not fully understand but she agreed "Yes sister." As she spoke a tear crawled down her cheek and fell to the cold scrap metal floor.

Adina whispered "Don't be afraid, I'm here beside you. I will protect you "

Adina sighed, she herself was afraid. She was afraid that she wouldn't be able to protect her sister, she knew as much of their fate as Haleyla did. There was no telling what may become of them. But she knew one thing, the only thing they needed is time. The royal forces would track them down and take them home, it was only a matter of time.

The Ulmarian removed their chains sneered "Get in slaves" Adina and Haleyla face the door of a small transporter pod but before they had time to step in themselves the Ulmarian crudely pushed them and the two girls stumbled into the pod.

Adina whispered to her sister "We must be strong."

The door slammed with a clank and thus the two princess' journey began.

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Beka looked at the small pod that had just arrived. The door opened with a hiss and two figures crept out. She couldn't see their faces for they were hidden behind masses of blond tresses. Neither of the two figures made a sound as they stood up and revealed themselves.

The taller one looked to be a younger than Beka, if she were human Beka would have guessed her age to be in the early twenties. She was a small willowy figure clad in a simple white dress. Pointed ears peered through the mass of hair that fell over her shoulders and down her back. She looked at Beka with cool blue eyes filled with distaste.

Beka couldn't exactly blame her, she would have more than distaste for someone who took her as a slave, in fact had she been in the girl's shoes Beka would have probably kicked herself by now and had tried to escape. But the girl just stood their, looking up through black eyelashes with a calm distaste.

Beka's eye drew to the other girl, a mere child. She two had long blond hair and a simple white dress, yet her eyes were green. And their was something else different about her, the way she looked at Beka was very different. It was not distaste that lingered in those emerald orbs, it was fear. "What are your names?" She asked

The younger girl spoke "Pr-Haleyla" She stuttered. The older girl answered next "Her name is Haleyla and my name is Adina, we are sisters."

Beka nodded looking down at little Haleyla's wrists they were bruised "What happened to her?" She said addressing Adina.

Adina replied "Chains."

"I'll take her to our ship's doctor and you will be taken to your quarters."

Haleyla opened her mouth to protest, she didn't want to be separated from her sister much less be taken to an alien doctor, but she stopped Adina told her to stay strong and strong she's stay. Haleyla nodded without a sound. She and Adina followed Beka silently.

As they walked down the hall Beka noticed Harper approaching them and she called out "Harper!"

Harper looked up "Yea?"

Beka continued "I need a favor, these two just arrived" She motioned to the two girls "And the younger one needs to be taken to the Medical, can you take the older one to the quarters that were assigned to her?"

Harper nodded "Sure," he then turned to Adina and smiled "Come on, follow me." Adina did not look up, nor did she respond. Instead she looked at her sister mouthing something silently and follow the small man.

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Haleyla continued to follow Beka looking around her with wide-eyed curiosity. This place was like nothing she had ever seen before. It was all contracted out of metal, but it was not like the Ulmarian trade ship. That was pieced together from all sorts of uneven metals that seemed to melt unevenly into one another. This place was even, everything looked the same. There was no art on the walls nor were there plants or fountains anywhere.

And there was no music, back home there was always some sort of music. Whether it was the wise-men perfecting their various calls, musicians practicing and performing, or simply someone sitting in a tour just singing. But here Haleyla heard nothing, it disturbed her.

However as the walked past one of the rooms she heard something. It wasn't a glorious song, but it was something. She heard stomping and something being hit, and clank. Haleyla stopped before the door and peered in.

At first she thought it might have been a dance hall and someone was practicing, but the sounds weren't even and they weren't rhythmic. Though she herself did not dance very much she had seen her sister do it often. Haleyla knew what dance sounded like. It was beautiful, steps beat against the floor in unique patterns as the dancers twirled around each other, this was not the sound of dancing.

This sound was rough and violent. It had no captivating rhythm, it didn't even have an even beat. This was something else. Haleyla slipped into the room silently. The sound stopped and she found herself facing a towering dark figure over her.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" The figure bellowed. Haleyla looked up and as she realized what faced her she let out a terrified scream. The figure jumped back and covered his ears. Haleyla could hear glass shattering but she didn't stop.

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Down the hall Adina could hear her sister's piercing cry for help. Her head snapped and it's direction and she started to run, Harper tried to grab her arm but she pushed him aside. Only one thought race through Adina's head "Danger, Haleyla is in danger!" She raced in the direction of her sister's voice. Down the corridor, around the corner, down that corridor, and finally through a door.

Adina grabbed her sister and held her close "I'm here, I'm here, nera lian shad her. *" Haleyla stood silent for a second before bursting into tears clinging to her sister's arm. Adina looked around to find a tall figure stumbling toward them covering his ears, a Nietzschean.

Just then Beka rushed into the room shouting hysterically "What the hell is going on?"

Adina looked up at Beka and answered calmly "She thought she was in danger. The Call was self-defense."

Beka raised an eyebrow "The Call?"

Adina corrected herself "What you heard is our way of self-defense."

Beka nodded catching her breath "And what frightened her?" Adina looked at Tyr "It did."

Beka looked around trying to see if there was something next to or behind Tyr, but she saw nothing. "What scared her?" She restated.

Adina looked directly at Tyr that time, her cool blue eyes meeting his "It did." She articulated flawlessly. Beka understood, those words made it very clear as to what "it" was "it" was Tyr.

Tyr who had no stumbled away from the group, clinging to his ears in agony snarled "I didn't do anything to the little brat, she came in here so I asked her who she was and what she was doing here, and she screamed!"

Beka turned to Haleyla who now turned to face her with tears running down her cheeks "Ok, and what exactly scares you about Tyr honey?"

Haleyla stepped closer to Beka. She took a deep breath and stood tall. "Why isn't it obvious? He's Nietzschean." She stated plainly. "One ought to be afraid."

Beka looked to Adina who nodded to conform Haleyla statement. She was a bit shocked, sure someone might have been afraid of Tyr if they got to know him, but just to look at him and be terrified, that was odd. Beka looked to Haleyla "You don't need to be afraid of Tyr, he isn't going to hurt you" She glared in Tyr's direction " Now don't leave me again, we need to go to the Medical. And no more screaming. Is that clear?" Haleyla nodded, though she was puzzled. She saw a Nietzschean, naturally one would defend oneself, so what was the problem? The woman was obviously perturbed.

Just then Harper rushed into the room to see Adina stand up and walk up to him signaling she was ready to follow him. He raised an eyebrow in question but decided not to pursue it further and he and Adina turned to leave.

As she stepped into the doorway Adina turned to give Tyr a hateful glare, but she stopped. He was actually in pain! Haleyla's Call wasn't that powerful but it hurt him. The great hulking monster she had only read about was hurt by a mere child. If she had heard about it or read about it in one of the legend books her father possessed she would have probably fallen off her chair laughing. But somehow seeing it, and seeing the Nietzschean in such horrible anguish made it seem more pitiful than humorous. And somehow she almost felt ashamed, so she turned away and followed the small man out the door.

*The Maan'dir have two languages, common which is spoken on many different planets and the old tongue. The old tongue is an ancient language and is primarily dead, however older and noble families teach their children the second language in order to bond them to their ancestors. The phrase "Ner lian shad her" translates as "fear not, you are with spirits" It bares reference to one of the greatest Maan'dirian epic poems "Princess Ni'anna's Garden"