Jupiter's Descendant

Chapter One

Gaitha woke to a soft, fragrant breeze coming through her window. Her Aunt Kalique grew the most beautiful and fragrant flora and fauna that were legend on Cerise and gave the planet a beautiful red and fuchsia coloring that could be seen as one approached the planet's atmosphere from space. It never failed to snatch her breath away and she knew that many others were equally affected when setting eyes upon it for the first time. For some, like her, it took their breath away each time they saw it. That beauty grew exponentially as one drew closer and closer to the surface of the planet. Kalique's legendary age enabled her to create this planet-wide phenomenon that enhanced it's already beautiful terrain and natural wonders such as the magnificent waterfalls surrounding Kalique's alcazar. An invitation to stay at her alcazar on Cerise was the envy of many an entitled friend or family. Gaitha herself was grateful to call this place her second home and her aunt was like a second mother to her. Today was her 18th birthday and she wondered what her aunt had planned for this day because she always threw huge and lavish birthday parties.

She, her Aunt Kalique, and her mother, Jupiter Jones-Abrasax, also the recurrence of her grandmother and Kalique's mother, Seraphi, were the only remaining primaries of the Abrasax family. Both of her uncles were deceased. Her Uncle Balem, whom she had never met, had died in his Jupiter refinery, well before her birth, when it had collapsed after a tremendous explosion. He was not talked of and this was the only information Gaitha had in regards to him though she suspected it had something to do with her mother and father. In accordance with rules and regulations, however, his tremendous wealth had been dispersed among Jupiter, Kalique, and Titus, with Jupiter, as the recurrence of the sovereign queen, receiving 50 percent of his holdings and both Kalique and Titus splitting the remaining 50 percent.

She really missed her Uncle Titus and Aunt Azrielle. Her Uncle Titus had changed his life following Balem's death, marrying her Aunt Azrielle, who had a considerable fortune of her own, and he built upon his supplemented inheritance by funding a project that had ultimately revealed a way to make Regenex that did not require the death of even one human being. She knew he had been a bit of a playboy before Balem died but his brother's death and meeting Azrielle were seemingly the two events that had driven Titus to change the direction of his life, something her mother and father found ironic given he had lied to her mother when her gene print was first verified and he had kidnapped her, telling her he would change his life if she married him. That little stunt had seen him incarcerated for 16 months. Unfortunately, Titus and Azrielle had died 2 years ago in a tragic accident when their clipper had exploded during portaling. Debris had spread so far and wide it had never been conclusively determined what had caused the clipper's malfunction. Kalique, Jupiter, and Gaitha had become the sole inheritor's of Titus and Azrielle's estate as they had produced no heirs at the time of their deaths and Azrielle had no living relatives.

After her Uncle Balem's death, and all the attempts to deprive her mother of her fortune and her life, the harvesting of human beings to create Regenex had become illegal; much like slavery had been eradicated on Earth. Titus, once released from the part of Deadland reserved for entitled criminals, ironically had finished what his mother had started when she began her goal of stopping the harvesting of humans to make the serum. Since Titus owned the patent for the new Regenex-II, the other families whose wealth was directly tied to the harvesting and refining of the solution using humans saw their wealth diminishing until they too discovered how to make a new Regenex. Unfortunately for them, their products they were inferior to that which Titus had created. The house of Abrasax was now the most powerful dynasty in the universe. The Aegis and the Legion's skyjacker's were kept busy with the continued illegal production of Regenex using the old "recipe" by some of those previously wealthy families and a few lone, self-titled entrepreneurs, who were really just criminals.

Gaitha had asked her aunt what happened to all the remaining stores of Regenex from the old recipe. Kalique had told her that they had become priceless but most families had to keep the majority of it for themselves so they could wait out the time it would take to find another way to make their own version of Regenex. Their inventories were carefully monitored by the Aegis to make sure there were no bootleg supplies of the original Regenex circulating from illegal refineries continuing to produce it. Census numbers were also instituted to monitor the number of human populations on the planets that belonged to those wealthy families who might be trying to get around the obstacle of having to find another way to make it.

Gaitha stifled a giggle as she returned to the present and allowed Sendi, her chamber presence when her mother was not with her, to attend her before she raced down to meet her aunt and have breakfast. She couldn't wait for this day to begin because she knew she was going to be treated like a queen all day today. She would be inundated with gifts but the one she really wanted was a Phantom planet jumper. It was big enough to bring her friends with her but small enough that it wasn't unwieldy to handle and it was easy to operate. She couldn't portal with it but she didn't care because her mother allowing her to have a planet jumper was going to be difficult enough. Dragar, the Sargorn she raised after he was orphaned at birth, was with her wherever she went so she didn't know why her mother worried so much. He had been trained in combat by her father who was the best soldier in the Legion, so his ability to protect her was not questioned by anyone, except her mother. Her father had also trained Gaitha and her mother so they could protect themselves better than most would expect of those who were entitled. She rolled her eyes when she thought of her mother's over protectiveness.

"It's your birthday, a happy day, so why are you rolling your eyes?" Her aunt was sitting at the breakfast table which overlooked a beautiful garden that had a small waterfall that fed into a stream that threaded its way through the riotously colored flowers and plants.

"I was just thinking about my mother having a scowl on her face for most of today because she already thinks I am spoiled beyond salvation."

"Come now Gaitha, you know that is only because your mother worked hard in her life before she met your father and she still works hard, just at a different, quite important, job" Kalique gave Gaitha a chiding look but Gaitha could see the smile her aunt was trying to cover with her napkin.

Gaitha was actually Kalique's sister because of the recurrence but it was much easier for Gaitha to think of Kalique as her aunt, her mother as her mother, Aleksa Bolotnikov as her grandmother, and her father, Caine Wise, at least, was really her father. Gaitha loved them all fiercely, including her godparents, Stinger and Kiza Apini as well as Dragar, her Sargorn. Gaitha smiled and shook her head because things could take another twist in terms of relatives as Stinger was taking a strong liking to Aleksa.

Her aunt placed her napkin next to her plate and rose from her seat. "Gaitha please join me in the south garden when you are through with your breakfast. There is something I wish to show you." She turned and walked gracefully from the room.

Gaitha wanted to be able to glide the way it seemed her aunt could glide when she walked in or out of a room but she felt like she walked in an awkward, stilted gait in comparison. That thought was quickly chased away by the rising excitement she felt because she felt sure she was about to receive the first of her presents.

4

Chapter Two

Gaitha squealed with delight when she saw the Phantom Planet Jumper with a huge glittering gold bow on it. The Phantom was in a beautiful teal color that she loved. She knew her aunt would have had to get it custom painted that color and she could see the tell tale glitter of tears in her aunts eyes. Gaitha ran to her and hugged her hard.

"I'll presume from the way you are squeezing me out of my skin, you like it."

"I love it! How on earth did you get my mother to let you get it for me?"

Gaitha walked around her gift marveling at its beauty and the fact that it was hers.

"Oh I did the smart thing, I let your father know I wanted to get it for you and let him talk your mother into it."

Gaitha giggled, "Smart move Auntie but you know she will call you a coward later when she sees you don't you?"

"Oh undoubtedly, I wouldn't expect anything less from your mother."

Gaitha knew that her aunt and her mother would do their "pretend" quarrel and would fool no one. They got along famously and Gaitha's mother spent every spare moment, which were few given her duties, here on Cerise with her Aunt Kalique.

Gaitha could not contain her excitement.

"Oh please tell me I can take it for a short jaunt?" She looked hopefully at her aunt.

"You know that your mother and I would really have a quarrel if I let you take it out before they arrive later. Especially without a chaperone."

Drat! Gaitha knew Dragar had to be with the Aegis today to help with a poaching situation on Kandaria and would not be back until much later, if at all today. Her aunt called them chaperones but really it was really a bodyguard and almost always Dragar.

"Send the owl with me then," she pleaded.

"Gaitha," came her aunt's admonition, "Please do not call Malidictes 'the owl', you know how much he dislikes it and I am none to fond of it either. He is the best minister in the Universe and I am lucky to have him."

"Why in heaven's name did you show it to me now if I couldn't try it out?" Gaitha pretended to be cross with her aunt and in fact she was a little. Her aunt knew she had little patience when she was this excited and by the abashed look on her aunt's face, she was remembering this little virtue that seemed to have skipped Gaitha altogether.

"Gaitha you know both your mother and father would have my head!"

Yes, Gaitha knew this but she could see that her aunt was about to capitulate and she pressed her advantage.

"What if I promised just to circle Cerise and not to jump anywhere yet until Dragar can be with me?" Surely her aunt would be okay with this compromise, thought Gaitha.

"Only if you absolutely promise me you will do nothing else and return here straight away. I want you to have constant contact with Gavidon and if we go for more than twenty minutes without hearing from you, I will send out the entire Aegis to retrieve you and you will never live the embarrassment down." Kalique gave her niece the sternest of looks.

"I promise. I swear it!" She rushed to her aunt and hugged her fiercely, thanking her profusely as well. She took her aunt at her word because she would indeed send all the Aegis for her and contact her parents immediately. No, for once, she would do exactly as instructed and not let time get away from her.

"Very well then, I will have Gavidon show you the controls and give you a quick tutorial even though I know you are familiar with how to pilot a jumper."

Gaitha was far too happy to be able to go for a small ride to care about this small inconvenience. She walked around her jumper again, only much more slowly this time, taking in its beauty and elegance while she waited for Gavidon to arrive at the dock.

Chapter Three

When Gavidon had finished the tutorial and disembarked, Gaitha carefully maneuvered the jumper out of the dock and into the beautiful day the planet had given her for her birthday. She decided she would take a turn around Cerise first before heading into an orbit around the planet. She informed Gavidon of this and used the automatic pilot to set a course for this so she could gaze out the window at this planet she loved. She turned on some classical music, a favorite her mother had introduced to her, and watched in awe as the planet went by.

She made sure to contact Gavidon every twenty minutes as instructed but her mind was busy figuring a way to do this without actually having to do it. Gaitha knew that Gavidon would not try to strike a conversation with her so anything he asked her would be related to if everything were working okay or if there were anything she was concerned with. Easy enough questions to answer with "Everything is splendid", or "I couldn't be happier". So she instructed the computer to record several phrases, as well as neutral answers to any possible questions Gavidon might ask. She would screen incoming messages anyway in case she was told to return because her parents were arriving or if she was simply told to return.

Having done everything the way she wanted, the jumper set off for space just outside the planet's atmosphere. Gaitha loved space and everything in it. She again set a course with Gavidon and set the autopilot, deciding to take a little time to tour the inside of the jumper before returning and enjoying the view of space and Cerise from her current position. She knew no expense would have been spared in terms of equipping the jumper with extras, much like a car being "loaded". She grew excited again as she started through the com-room door to the rest of the ship.

She thought it funny that she was thinking of her jumper as being small when it was anything but small. It was just small when compared to other ships, especially the really big ships like the clipper her uncle Titus had before his untimely death. The jumper was equipped with a fully stocked galley with freezer, pantry, and a kitchenette if one did not want to eat in the dining room. There was an entertainment room, a library that doubled as a den, two large bedrooms and a master bedroom which had its very own Jacuzzi, bathroom, and several other features that would more than fulfill every teenager's dreams. She also knew this model could be equipped with portaling capacity installation if that were desired at any point, which of course she would want in the future. There was so much to take in that she knew it would be some time before she found every special touch that her aunt had equipped this present with. One of them had been the small atrium off the dining room that was filled with the most lush and beautiful plants along with floor length windows surrounding it that were currently shuttered but with the touch of a button those shutters rose and retracted into the structure of the ship. She was absolutely astounded and would have to hug her aunt again for this truly marvelous gift when she returned.

Gaitha had watched space from the beautiful vantage given by the huge windows in the atrium before deciding she should return to the com-room and set a return course. Much as she would have loved to stay out here for days on end, she knew she would be kept busy with the party that night and was glad of this quiet solitude before having to switch to party mode which she would happily do. The smile on her face as she returned to the com-room slowly changed to an expression of confusion as she entered to find a Sargorn standing in the middle of the room, dwarfing it by its size and watching her as she faltered and came to a stop just inside the doorway.