..It had been my hope that my son would look more like me and not his father. I prayed throughout my pregnacy that it would be so. Many times it had been so tempting to rid myself of him because it would have been easier than being one of the many victims of that raid. They had either died or if they had lived they rid themselves of their half-Drule bastards..
Lance gasped and he felt something in him grow heavy like a stone.
No, he would read on. He was being to quick to judge as usual.
My memories of his conception are vivid in my mind, though I tried to shove them away and
pretend that such a thing never happened to me.
But it did.
The first raid came quite unexpectedly. Peace treaties were being negotiated as they always were,
but we were considered an out of the way colony and so wasn't concerned when the rumors of such a raid
came. There would be no raids - not in this godforsaken place. The only thing the colony really had
were people.
Little did we know..
It had been like lightning. One moment the skies were clear and the next, filled with ships firing upon
the populace. I was a young woman then and betrothed to my future husband, who happened to be off-planet
at the time. We fought but soon we were overrun by occupation troops, attired in the gray-black unifrom of
Doom.
Lance's mouth compressed into a thin straight line. Doom, always Doom. He had known that there had been an
earlier raid upon his homeworld, but he did not know his mother had been in the middle of it.
He kept on reading even though by now he had the feeling that he would regret it.
We were rounded up - the survivors - and were placed in what passed for our colony's town hall.Rumors
flew among us that Garrison was sure to send out reinforcements soon and that soon the Drule bastards would be
routed out
They eventually were but too late for many people - including myself.
We were separated into groups - women, children and males. Then methodically, we were further separated. Young
women, old women, babies, children, and so on. The guards went down our ranks, inserting the slave tattoos of Doom
in either the wrist, forearm or ankle. We learned that this depended on what type of slave you would be. Suddenly,
the guards stopped what they were doing, for it seemed that a person of great importance was there.
It was none other than King Zarkon of Doom..
Lance swallowed hard, feeling his bile rise. It was like falling off a cliff - you knew that you were going to fall, but you could not stop it.Something drove him to read on.
He was in solid black armor and it had been evident that he had been fighting because of the blood upon his armor
and the huge broadsword he carried. He was majestic in his cruelty and was an imposing figure. He inspired fear in everyone -
including myself. All the women shrank at the sight of him, sensing his intents.
He walked almost casually along the lines, sometimes taking a fatal swipe at someone he found to be lacking in some area - or
perhaps it was just on a whim. He looked over the young women intently, taking their chins in his hand and looking into faces, assessing them.
When he reached my line, he slowed and scowled at one of the women nearest to me. This was Stef, one of the young ladies
who I worked with. She held her baby in her arms. I remember she had only given birth a month ago. We had given her a shower.
Her husband, Del, was dead and she was still in shock over that. Perhaps it was this that angered him, or perhaps it was because
her baby started to whimper.
He said something short to her and she only looked at him frightened and scared. She wouldn't let that baby go. He drew his sword
and I, without thinking, ran in front of her. It was a miracle he didn't run me through. Later I would wish he had.
At any rate, he held his sword and his attention was on me. I did not notice the look of appraisal he gave me. I was only concerned for
Stef and her baby.
"So, out of all this whimpering sheep, there is someone with spirit.."
"Leave her alone. She's just lost her husband.."
"Then perhaps she and the brat should join him.." He chuckled at me as if he thought this was funny.
I remember saying something and then he took hold of my arm. Only then did I realize the danger I was in. I figured that I would be killed, but he had other plans.
"You'll do very nicely.."
I remember how his eyes had looked at me and I remembered how dirty it made me feel - naked and vulnerable.
I put up a struggle, hoping that he would anger and that he would kill me, but he did not.
I can't go into detail into what he did, but I
remember it all too well. I will only say that later the raiders of Doom were run off by the rumored Garrison and I was left pregnant with
King Zarkon's child..
Lance hissed. No. Oh no. This was some sort of game or maybe he was dreaming this up. She didn't mean him surely. Perhaps this wasn't even his
mother's account. There could be another boy named Lance.."
But like a madman posessed, he read on..