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Mira in the Crimson Union
- Mira in the Crimson Union -
As she sat within the reception area just beyond the immense courtyard outside of the embassy, it was evident that upon this planet at the very least things were done differently than in the confederation that existed within her home galaxy. Here, in this far-flung corner of the universe a small but fierce empire ruled over a loosely united group of worlds that was spread across several galaxies. It was not as large perhaps as some of the other, greater empires that Mira had visited when she was very little, but it was a great deal more proud of its' heritage and traditions than they were. The people of this planet, which she took to be the very heart of this small but mighty empire, were a warrior race whose great noble houses were the major power to be reckoned with upon their world. Those houses made obeisance and swore a great deal of fealty to a man known as the Prime Emperor who was the absolute dictator of this empire in its' entirety. Grand oaths of loyalty and pledges of honor and duty and blood were the order of the day when it came to the imperial politics of this rather isolated stretch of space, and outside of this empire it was certain most of the other great powers of the universe knew nothing at all about what went on here. The formal name for the Prime Emperor's intergalactic dominion was the Crimson Union. And it lived up to that name in more ways than one! Much to the terror of any and all who displeased the emperor or those who acted as his agents. Mira often felt frightened as she toured the planets of the Crimson Union and often she wondered what it was she was doing so far from home to begin with. But things were dull and boring in her parents house, and she ever and always longed for excitement and adventure. She had stolen a small space-going craft with a rather powerful space folding device that could generate a stable wormhole a safe distance in front of the ship to any part of known space... and more than a few parts of space that she knew nothing about at all... that the vessel's computer database had within it ready to be fed into its' navigational systems. It further possessed an equally powerful engine... and in due course she was bound for other parts of space than that she had lived in for far longer than she had a mind to stand. However, at present she was a long way from that carefree life she hoped to enjoy. Her craft was boarded by soldiers of the Crimson Union whose own crafts were able to employ a nullification device capable of temporarily freezing her ship's navigational systems and space fold generator. Unable to use the usual means to jump away to safety, she was stuck in place and forced to submit to an inspection of her craft and its' cargo... which consisted only of her personal belongings and necessary supplies for her voyages. Finding nothing illegal, but finding her presence in the part of the Union where they found her to be, in the soldiers' words, “highly suspicious”... for whatever reasons they could concoct... Mira had the feeling they were just trying to harass her because she was a foreigner and an outsider. She hated it when she got into trouble like this, but this time rather than allow her to pilot her craft and accompany the soldiers' ships to the star port of their choosing to sort everything out like was the normal procedure in most other empires... they took her aboard one of their ships and confiscated her craft in short order. With the promise to return it to her if everything checked out. The interrogation was grueling, but they at least did not hurt her in any way despite that she constantly felt threatened by the Inquisitors who did ask her far more questions than she discovered she had the patience to endure. At one point she actually broke down into tears and they decided to use a mind reading device to concretely determine whether or not Mira was actually a threat to the stability of the Crimson Union. Finally realizing she was not, they took her to the imperial home planet and left her ship under guard at the star port in the planet's capital city. Easily the largest city in the entire empire, from what she was told of it by the soldiers who in their rough fashion dropped her off there with instructions for her to receive permission from the emperor to conduct her business within the Crimson Union as she pleased. Once she arrived in the city, the soldiers took her to the foreign embassy in order to see her oriented and prepared for an imperial audience. Then the men went off to arrange it whilst she was told to wait in the courtyard following her orientation. The orientation, consisted of the Crimson Union's customs, history, and primary languages being taught her.
A device was placed upon her temples so these things could be basically sent directly into her brain in a non invasive and painless way that involved the device syncing with her brain waves so that all of the things they wanted her to learn could be imparted unto her as if she had always known them since birth. When this was done, she was practically a native of the Crimson Union, and she was glad this went so smoothly... she had learned various foreign languages using similar methods herself in the past, but the process always came with the risk of having too much knowledge tossed into your brain too quickly. It was sort of an art to know when enough was enough so as not to induce madness in a person. She had studied up and knew what she was doing when it came to the language learning processes... and it did indeed seem to her that the people who worked at the embassy likely knew their stuff quite well. Aside from a slight headache that went away after she was given some medication and rested up for a couple of hours, she had no unwanted side effects from her orientation whatsoever. Apparently, they knew her language in these parts of space, but she had not fully understood theirs until the orientation was over. It felt good to finally understand entirely what they were saying to her, and it felt even better to be able to respond in their own tongue to what was being said. Likewise, she knew where everything was, and she knew what everything meant and was all about. The receptionist at the embassy told her that shortly she would be given appropriate attire for her audience with the Prime Emperor, and she felt very nervous as she waited in the courtyard for things to begin in earnest. She sat upon the bench by a group of tall palm trees with spiky looking leaves, and took in the beauty of the embassy's gardens. Soon, the woman who was instructed to deliver her new clothing to her had arrived in the courtyard and was heading her way. The woman carried several bundles of clothing... and she hailed Mira with a sharp salute that comically caused her to almost drop what she was carrying when she did it. She said in a deep but still noticeably feminine voice: “Your name is Mira Arcadian Vesper, am I correct?” Mira nodded her head. She felt the usual distaste at hearing her middle name spoken aloud... the name that was supposed to be given to her expected twin brother who in the end had never been born. Her father insisted that her mother give that name to Mira as her middle name, instead, and whenever someone spoke it aloud she felt as if she was still living in the shadow of a brother who did not exist. Her father had always said he would have far preferred a son to any daughter, and though her mother spoiled her and treated her decently enough, she never got along well with her father and this was part of the reason she wanted to get away from him as much as she possibly could for as long as she possibly could. That, combined with boredom and a need to do some serious living. “Yes, that is my name.” Mira stated, and the woman bowed stiffly and said to her: “My own name is not important, miss Vesper. I work for the Department of State Protocol, and so... I have been given strict instructions, pertaining to readying you for your first imperial audience. I do see that you are of a human species... and, as you have likely noticed, the peoples of the Crimson Union are humanoid but very different from your kind in many respects. We do not get your kind in our corner of space too often, and to be honest with you... when we typically do it is rarely anyone up to anything that is shall we say legal.” Mira rolled her eyes at that, and said with visible irritation: “The Inquisitor went over all that with me already, lady! I've been given the all clear, I am not a terrorist or a smuggler or any sort of criminal whatsoever. Not sure if you got the memo about that, though.” The woman sharply said in reply to Mira's response: “I know that! I have been informed... I merely am stating to you, that it is a rare thing to receive a non troublesome human visitor to our empire. Now, if it so pleases you... do take the clothes I am providing for you and accompany me to the dressing rooms to put them on.” and how it was the woman worded all of that to Mira made it very clear that refusal was not an option. Mira took the bundles into her hands and the severe woman led the way back into the embassy and towards a back hallway through a rear entrance that led into the dressing rooms area. “You look unhealthy, miss Vesper. I suggest you should get more sun.” stated the woman, and Mira who was of a human race equivalent to what on Earth would be considered Hispanic thought the woman was insane given that she was so dark.
But as dark as Mira was, these peoples' skin was darker by far... and some of them were almost as full ebony black as the void between the stars. Though there were also variations that went into dark purples and dark blues as well. Along with the rarer dark reds and dark greens. Apparently... there were equally as many unique and different varieties of race, color, and diversity within the Crimson Union as existed in the human race and the other humanoid races of the confederation. Mira missed the familiarity of the confederation, although following the orientation at least she did not feel so much like an outsider. But, all the same, there was an element of culture shock taking place within her, and she disliked it greatly. In no way though did she allow this... matronly is the nice way to put it... woman to know that she felt ill at ease. Mira walked into the nearest dressing room, clothes in hand, and unzipped her metallic dark blue jumpsuit, removing also her undergarments. She put on the silky bloomers that were the traditional undergarment typical for females in the Crimson Union to wear, and it was different from the far tighter bikini style panties she was used to. Such bloomers were quaint and antiquated in the confederation and people wore them for fashion or personal taste rather than for daily use. This particular pair of bloomers was long and very full... more in the style of voluminous pantaloons, with elastic at the ankles and with the waist tied with a drawstring. Unlike the short bloomers that were for normal occasions, these were formal wear and were for special occasions only. These could have been worn as outer wear pants, with panties worn underneath them, but such was not the way of things here. Here, things were different than what Mira was more familiarly acquainted with. The bloomers were a metallic gold in color. Next... she put on a dress that came to her knees. Its' underskirt was a solid silver color that was not see-through at all, but the three gauzy over skirts layered on top of it were all totally transparent and sheer, and in three varied shades of yellow. The dress was sleeveless, and the part of it that covered her upper body and her chest was the same silver color as the underskirt. The dress buttoned in the front... and was rather more daringly low cut than she would have preferred. But being only twelve years old, Mira did not have to worry about anything showing given how flat chested she was. She had no cleavage to speak of, unlike a grown woman, and so the dress fit her like a glove. Though the upper part was tight, the dress had a very airy feel to it otherwise, and Mira almost felt as if she was wearing nothing at all. It was summer outside, midsummer to be precise, and the dress was properly befitting of a hit season since she would not sweat a lot when wearing it. She walked out of the dressing room and the severe woman approved of her appearance. She was given deodorant to apply to her armpits and perfume to spray upon herself. The perfume was floral scented, and had a tropical scent to it that Mira found familiar but could not say exactly why. She was lastly given a gold necklace to wear... a thin gold chain with a round circular type of pendant affixed to it that contained a blood red ruby. Her long wavy black hair was brushed and then combed after being washed with shampoo and dried with a hand held blow drier, and she was given a wreath of blood red flowers to wear upon her head. Lastly, she was provided with a pair of soft silver slipper-like shoes to wear upon her feet, and once she was this fully prepared the severe woman said to her: “Perfection! You look radiant, miss Vesper. The Prime Emperor should find no fault in your looks. You look beautiful and strong, a proper child of the Crimson Union!” Indeed she was strong, she had a large bone structure and was stocky of build, but she was not overweight and someday when she grew up she was certain to turn out to be quite muscular and athletic once she fully grew into her body. She had a plump butt, something boys always commented on in very sexual ways, and was rather curvy for a girl of only twelve years of age with wide hips and thick meaty thighs. She had bright green eyes, and a round freckled face with broad features and thick full lips. Her skin was a deep shade of brown, with a very slight yellowish tint to it, and she had a rather earthy look to her. She was stronger than any boy she knew, and perhaps ridiculously intelligent for one so young. And there was a softness to her that did stand in direct but pleasant contrast to her strength and sturdiness, and it matched the warmth that often her mother had told her was evident in her heart. “So, when is the audience?” Mira asked, impatiently.
The severe matronly woman told her: “As soon as you are ready, your highness!” and this time it was very clear the woman was mocking her in regard to her tone. “I am just curious, is all.” the girl replied, but it was too late to mask her impatience beneath a veil of curiosity... however genuine it was. She had no wish to displease this woman, for like all the peoples of the Crimson Union this woman was strong, and very muscular, and looked very much like a warrior as much as an employee of the government. A bit of cybernetic enhancement in tandem with genetic engineering was slowly steering society towards an evolution of the species in this empire, and the Prime Emperor saw this as very much a desirable and pleasing thing. For he was a strong, proud and haughty man ruling over a people he wanted to see grow into a form that he felt was worthy of such a ruler. “I am ready, fear not.” Mira said, and the woman told her that this was good. She applied some cosmetics to Mira's face before they left for the audience, and the style of the makeup was very exotic looking to the young girl. It consisted of black eyeliner and the deepest blood red shade of mascara and eye shadow imaginable. A cat eye type of style was done with the makeup, with black wing-like designs sharply arching up from the corners of Mira's eyes. The black of them where they met her eyelids was blended with the blood red eye shadow very professionally. As a finishing touch, she was given blood red lipstick to wear and a touch of dark red blush was added to her cheeks with a hint of gold coloration to it. This was how most of the women wore their makeup in the Crimson Union, though with different colors depending on what went best with someone's skin. In due course, Mira was shown her reflection in a full length mirror and she liked how she looked. “Wow! My mother never would've allowed me to wear my makeup like that back at home. Nice!” she said out loud, which made the up to now severe woman chuckle. As adult as Mira always tried to act, she was... still... very much a child, after all. “Come, now! The emperor awaits.” stated the woman after that, and before too much more time had passed the two of them were on their way to the Imperial Palace. So as to make things less awkward from there on out, the woman told Mira her name. “My name is Kyr'laris, and I held the rank of commander when I was still in the city militia.” she explained, and Mira nodded her head and shook her hand when the woman offered it to her. Pleasantries over with, they walked to a checkpoint at the end of the street and Kyr'laris purchased the use of a hover speeder car to get as quick to the palace as possible. There was a great deal of traffic in the city, with vehicles on the ground and in the air between all of the towering buildings and massive skyscrapers. Evidently, the military still owed the woman a great deal since the car she purchased was a military vehicle which was not normally at all for sale. “I dislike bribing a former comrade in order to obtain something I want, but I am not above it.” she told Mira, who chuckled a bit. “Guess rank has its' privileges?” she asked, and the woman told her: “My rank in the militia was very high indeed, yes. And I was both respected and feared! No one would think of denying me or defying me even now. Perhaps even especially now.” Somehow, Mira knew that this woman was more powerful than she at first seemed, and the young girl was happy to keep her as a friend rather than as an enemy. They drove past the mercantile sector where large landing crafts brought the latest merchants from various worlds to do business with the leaders of the most import mercantile houses in the empire and their allies. Business here could be literally cutthroat at times, and Mira had no desire to think too deeply about the fate of those who crossed the corporations that controlled most of the imperial commerce empire-wide. Executions, punishments, and shaming were all fully conducted right in public, within sight of all, and all of it was brutally enacted. When someone in power wished to make an example of anyone who crossed them, there was nothing barring them from doing so with as much ruthlessness as was possible. Some of the smaller crafts landing were likely private merchants not affiliated with the owners of the larger crafts. The hum of the engines of so many ships landing melded with the noise of the traffic all around and the sound of the multitudes of pedestrians who crowded the sidewalks of the city. Walking among the crowds were the soldiers of the militia who wore uniforms of blood red trimmed with gold. There were tall, imposing men and women wearing gold helmets as well.
The militia carried long halberds with wicked and sharp looking blades at the ends of them, and had holstered at their sides lethal pistols that shot energized bullets capable of electrocuting a person from the inside. Clearly, no one crossed them. Nobles were driven through some of the side streets in heavy looking, lumbering wagons with large wheels with many spokes on them and thick canopies over the tops of the otherwise totally open wagons to shade the occupants from the sun. The wagons were drawn by large lizard-like beasts the size of horses, and there were four such beasts driving a single wagon. If common folk got too close to the wagon, one of the guards accompanying the nobles would strike them with electrified rods normally used to subdue cattle. Given the strength of these people, it took just that much force to subdue them if they became unruly. Rarely, it was not unheard of for a noble to have one of those common folk killed if they displeased them enough. A lethal voltage was used in such cases. At least one person was dispatched that way that Mira witnessed, and she gasped when she beheld this. It was even more shocking how casually this was done, with the nobles ignoring the screams of the dying person as if it were merely a further annoyance to them. Seeing Mira's discomfort, her companion told her: “Such sights are common enough in this city, I am afraid. Even for people who have lived here for their entire lives, it takes a great deal of getting used to. Seeing a man killed in public like that.” All of the styles of the people were diverse but mostly they wore clothing suited for the hot climate that was covering most of the planet's surface. The sun was hot in the clear blue sky above, and there was not a cloud to be seen from horizon to horizon in any given direction. What could be seen of such, through the concrete and steel jungle that was the capital city with its' crowded streets, bustling bazaars and all of the mad rush of life that it contained. The neon lights of shops, bars, and clubs would come on each night, and the entire city would be bathed in the glow of a veritable rainbow of colors. Mira knew this, despite not having lived here herself, the orientation having done its' work perfectly it seemed. A riot of the most violent and bloody sort was taking place at a courthouse that Mira and her guide drove past... and it was being dealt with very ruthlessly, the rioters being shown no mercy. “What are they protesting about?” Mira asked, and Kyr'laris told her: “Water rights... those are people who live in the arid plains near the western mountains, and they want the right to dig for water there. The problem is, that section of the land is sacred ground to the clerics of the goddess Lur'thar Ekla. To dig there, would be an act of blasphemy... and so it is strictly forbidden. They should have sent in a petition for a water convoy to be sent to deliver water to their community, long before running low... the system works, and no one ever died of thirst who made lawful use of it. But, greedier minds prevail in those parts these days, and greed is the reason for the riot you see happening now.” Men were being hacked to pieces by soldiers armed with deadly curved swords that were soaked in gore whilst women and even children among those who rioted were being dragged into nearby alleys where it sounded as if they were being violated obscenely. One woman running out an alley with her clothing torn nearly into pieces confirmed what was befalling those whom the soldiers were victimizing the worst. These soldiers apparently liked to have their own kind of fun it seemed, and it was a cruel and vile kind. The shrieks of the children were horrible to hear, and at one point Mira covered her eyes whilst Kyr'laris shook her head disapprovingly. “You will have to get used to such things, miss Vesper! Believe me, I have seen worse.” she said, but the girl could not hear her and did not wish to. This was a brutal planet, she realized, and she did not belong here. But, if she was ever to leave it behind her, she would need to get through the coming audience. But what kind of man, what kind of ruler, allows such barbarities to be perpetrated upon his own people by those very soldiers who should instead be protecting them? Surely, she reasoned, the emperor must be a monster. As their car neared the noble district, the buildings became more elaborate and opulent. High domes as opposed to the flat roofs of the skyscrapers and the peaked roofs of the houses. Such peaks being more for ornamentation since rain fell but rarely in this region and no snow ever fell in the winter season, or what passed for one on a planet as barren as this one. Instead of towers, there were slender spires here.
All the foundations were of brick or stone in the noble district, rather than concrete like elsewhere. All of the estates had beautiful, lush gardens that were like a personal oasis for those who lived in such fine homes as had been built in this part of the city. Statues of deities and various heroes out of legend, were set up in the middle of every crossroads in the noble district, and they were colossal in size. Zoos and at least several open air menageries sat behind high metal fences that were electrified to keep the animals from escaping or intruders from pestering them. People here wore soft silks and the most expensive sort of attire money could buy, and they walked with an air of haughtiness and arrogance... raising each little child to become every bit as disdainful of the common folk as they were. This left quite the bad taste in Mira's mouth, for she disliked that sort of hubris monumentally. The Imperial Palace was definitely the largest building in the entire city, by far. A massive, monstrous step pyramid, with a flat top upon which sat a towering fortress that had innumerable domes, towers, spires and hanging gardens. It was like unto an artificial mountain constructed as an expression of the Prime Emperor's inflated ego... and Mira had never seen anything so absurdly and decadently opulent in her entire young life. Leading up to the great gates at the base of the pyramid was a wide avenue flanked by slender columns on both sides that were topped with glowing crystal spheres that all glimmered with a crimson light that must have looked very spectacular yet slightly creepy at night. Kyr'laris parked the car at a vehicle parking space just off of the columned avenue, and she and Mira got out of the car and proceeded to walk towards the palace gates. On both sides of the gates were very monstrous and frightful looking statues of crouching many-winged beasts on marble pedestals. The guards who stood to either side of the gates were synthetic androids, in every way designed to look like living people but who were actually artificial and immortal. Though of course despite that they would live forever in terms of that they would never age and thus never perish from old age... they could still die from violence or lethal illnesses. Their eyes were metallic and were the only part of them that looked robotic. Those eyes glowed slightly from the shadows of the helmets they wore, and these artificial guards neither breathed nor spoke a single word. Mira knew they were of the most deadly ability in combat, also. Kyr'laris explained to the girl: “The Prime Emperor lives within this palace attended solely by synthetic androids... it is not just the guards who are artificial, but all who dwell within the palace save for the emperor and his family. Even his concubines are synthetic androids for so greatly does he fear assassination or betrayal, that he only allows such constructs in his presence. And, of course, in the presence of his family. The only living souls allowed within the palace walls, are visitors. He is a paranoid man, our ruler, but I suppose if I was in such a position I might be paranoid as well. It is therefore understandable.” Mira nodded her head to show she understood. The gates slid open to either side with a whooshing sound as the two visitors entered the pyramid's base. Within, there was a massive entrance hall filled with wide columned archways and shadowy alcoves containing statues of all sorts and pedestals on which sat expensive vases and other works of art and craftsmanship. Hallways ran off to either side of the entrance hall, and several stairways rose to higher levels of the pyramid. The interior was laid out to impress, and it did that most excellently. At the far end of the entrance hall there was another hallway... beyond a pair of metal double doors decorated with etched images of a beautiful garden upon their surface. These doors opened forward automatically as Mira and her guide approached them, revealing the next hallway beyond. This one was filled with paintings and tapestries on the walls, all works of fine art. The floor of the entrance hall had been covered with black and white chessboard style tiles, and pretty much all of these halls had a similar type of floor. Soft carpeting covered the very middle of every hallway, carpeting in a dark blood red color with gold trim. Everything was lit well but with a cozy sort of ambiance to the lighting rather than it being exactly bright. At the end of this hall the pair reached an elevator that took them to the fortress atop the pyramid. Within the fortress, the pair did pass through countless halls, corridors, and up a great many stairways and stairwells... so as that it gave the entire fortress interior a labyrinthine quality that made Mira wonder how anyone could not get lost.
Finally, they came to a massive throne chamber with a high domed ceiling that was painted to appear as if it was the night sky with stars, planets, and other celestial phenomena brightly painted in a colorful variety upon its' surface. The floors in the fortress, unlike in the pyramid, were not tiled with black and white tiles but instead red and black ones, with the black tiles having etched upon t hem the image of a red eye that was only apparent if one closely inspected the floor. Mira was highly observant, so she did notice that straight away and found the image unnerving. The chamber was circular, and lined with very tall slender pillars that ran the outer circumference of the room, supporting curved archways. Above the archways were lofty galleries where some of the members of the imperial family lounged about. All of the walls were covered in murals and mosaics of the highest quality depicting all manner of artistic and thematic expressions of beauty. Interior gardens were set up along the walls at eight precise points that corresponded to every possible compass direction. All save the southern point which is where the doors leading into the throne chamber were. The floor was covered in soft carpeting in blood red and the most dark shade of purple. The red carpeting had gold trim, the purple had silver. Piles of soft cushions, and countless pillows were heaped about upon the floor in places, and the imperial concubines reclined on them with emotionless expressions upon their faces, their behavior almost childlike. Some even seemed to play together just as children might, and more than a few had children's toys with them. The throne, which was large indeed, was made of golden metal and it sat atop a dais on the far northern end of the chamber with the northern garden behind it. The throne had two massive golden wings arching up from the sides of the back of it, and the top of the throne was made in the image of an eagle's head with its' gaze and beak directed upward. Various cushions were upon the throne, and the back and seat of it were padded for comfort. Upon this seat of power sat the Prime Emperor who was a slender hermaphrodite with skin as powdery white an an albino's and eyes scarlet in color. He was bald and clean shaven, with no eyebrows and because of his lack of hair the ridges that ran down the middle of his forehead, which came to just above his nose, could be seen to run all the way up his head and down the back of it all the way to his spine, which was also ridged. These ridges were common to the peoples of this empire, and showed that indeed they were not human despite their humanoid appearance otherwise. They also had pointed ears, and his majesty was no exception. He had almond shaped eyes, a noble aquiline nose and high cheekbones. His face was round and somewhat moon faced as the expression goes, like eunuchs in that way... and although he was slender he had a rather pronounced abdomen and feminine looking hips as well as small very slight breasts that despite the man's age did not sag at all. And he was near to fifty, by all accounts. His hands were like a woman's and his fingers were thin and delicate like an artist's. He was of a very average height, and had a high forehead bespeaking of great intelligence. He was totally bare chested, wearing nothing on top with only a diaphanous drapery wrapped around him... and he had on a pair of very silky looking voluminous pantaloons of a similar style to the formal bloomers as Mira was wearing. Those were a deep metallic blood red in color. He was barefoot, with his feet resting upon a pile of cushions and pillows at the base of the throne. The hairs of his body were thin and white, and he had layers of scales in various places such as his sides and ribs, his lower back up where his shoulder blades began, and where on a human the nipples on their chest would be. All the people of the Crimson Union had such scales, due to being partly reptilian in their ancestry. He preferred to be referred to as a man, though by all accounts he could have just as easily been referred to as a woman. According to the things known about the Prime Emperor that were public knowledge, he was born with a very rare type of intersex condition whereby he had fully functioning male genitalia with no deformities even though he was female in various other unspecified ways. All the records pertaining to his birth were lost many centuries ago since he was apparently immortal and may well have been a synthetic android double of the original Prime Emperor who died long, long ago. At least according to rumors that were punishable to repeat in public. The fact that he was very clearly breathing made the android rumor a little unlikely.
Mira could not imagine how it was this man remained in his forty ninth year well beyond the lifespan of even the longest lived humanoid species in the known universe... but she was more concerned with how he would regard her as she approached the throne, did a polite curtsy, and then bowed low before him as was the custom for females to do in his presence. He looked upon her with a fixed stare and an amused smile creeping upon his face. “I have been told your name is Mira when I was informed of your coming, and this audience was arranged for you. You are human, an outsider to our empire. But from all I have been told, you are not here as a threat to us or to our peace and security. That is well and good to know! So what are you doing here, then?” and his voice when he spoke this to the young girl was very soft and almost at times melodic though there was definitely a masculine tone to it though one that was well in the range of a teenage male rather than a grown adult man. Likely, a further result of this man's intersex condition. Mira averted his intense gaze, looking squarely at the floor as she answered: “Your imperial highness, I was merely in search of adventure and bound for nowhere in particular when I was picked up in space and brought to your planet. I was... bored, at home... and did not realize that in your empire it was not possible to fly my vessel unhindered.” She was trying to avoid using contractions, in the hope it would make her sound more adult when she spoke. As it was, she could not seem to manage speaking in the imperial tongue without a very noticeable accent to the accent she had as it was when she spoke the common tongue of the confederation back home. She continued, saying: “I was hoping, actually, that you would grant me permission to use my craft once more so I can head back towards the parts of space that are more familiar and welcoming to me.” The ruler glared at her as she said that and he exclaimed in an offended manner: “More welcoming? We have welcomed you with open arms here! Provided you with attire fit for a noble child of the highest standing, and we did anoint you with a very expensive and hard to obtain perfume... and that necklace is not unlike one my sister used to wear, may the gods grant her spirit peace. I understand your desire to get back to where you feel you belong, but in no way have we not been welcoming towards you. That we did not blast your craft out of the void that flows between the stairs should tell you that you are fortunate... and it was only a happy degree of pure fortune that you were brought here instead of destroyed entirely! So, would you care to rephrase things, or should I assume you meant to insult our hospitality?” Mira was shaking nervously, her hands barely able to contain their shaking as she answered: “I meant no disrespect to you or to your people, and all I meant was that I am more used to how things are done elsewhere. I am grateful for the dress and for the perfume, and for the hospitality, very much so. But I truly do wish to be on my way as soon as possible. The Crimson Union is not my home, after all.” He stared at her for a while, after that... and he began to touch himself between his legs, fondling his manhood through the fabric of his pants and thinking lusty thoughts about the young girl. Mira noticed this, felt utterly disgusted by such a disrespectful display of depravity, but said nothing to indicate that she felt offended by it. He ordered her to kneel on the floor... with her head down upon it. And she complied to this demand. Then, he told her to sit cross legged and to place her hands in her hair, to which she likewise complied. She knew he was toying with her, all this being simply a display of his power and authority over anyone who had the misfortune of falling under his power. Lastly, he demanded that she spread her legs apart and lift up her skirts to her waist, and she for the last time did exactly as he ordered her to do. He was clearly pleasuring himself to her, and it was evident that his eyes were not seeing her as clothed by the way they bored into her. He did not go all the way with his self pleasuring though... clearly this was all just to get himself stimulated. He got up from the throne and walked towards her, demanded she not move from where she sat with her legs spread and her skirts hoisted up. Her hands were on the floor at her sides, and she was breathing heavily with obvious fear. The Prime Emperor began to stroke Mira's hair, and he daringly ran his hand over the skin that was exposed of her chest because of the low cut of her dress. “Soft, very soft... and yet, I would so wager you are strong, and quite sturdy as well, little girl.” he said in a slightly seductive sounding purr.
Suddenly, he tore her dress open and downward, popping all of the buttons as he did so. Her chest and upper body were fully exposed, her nipples hardening against her will at the desire this man's actions so awakened in her. She had all manner of rape fantasies that she did harbor and of which she never told a soul... and this was exciting her even though it made her feel quite debased. He noticed her excitement, or at the very least had a sense of it, and ran his hands over her nipples... playing with them until it did make her breath that much quicker. Then, he knelt down and felt her between her legs, running his hand along the cleft of her girlhood. The wicked man licked his lips, and asked Mira if she had ever had sex in her young life. She replied: “Only once, and it was not of my own free will.” Actually, it had been an uncle of hers who kept making excuses to come over and visit because he had perverse designs on her... which he eventually gave into when he raped her and took her virginity. The Prime Emperor then told her: “Since I know your name, and some of the delightful details of your body... it is only fair, I tell you my name and shortly share with you something of my body. My name is Djara'lukir... and my family is House Makash'tahn. We were not always the Imperial House of the Crimson Union, but we rose fully to prominence when we eliminated any rivals of ours who dared to stand in our way. We are simply prone to ruthlessness when we desire something greatly enough. You are not a virgin you say, and that is good for it means you are likely loosened up enough for a bit of fun. And I've just the sort of fun in mind that I would wager both of us would enjoy a great deal! Tell me, Mira... since you said it happened not at all of your own free will... shall I assume then, that you were a victim of rape?” She nodded her head with tears in her eyes as she remembered the trauma of how violently her uncle had taken her. And how that scarred her psychologically so much, that it caused her to actually desire rough sex bordering on rape... even as she had never allowed a man or a boy to so much as touch her ever since the night her uncle so deflowered her. Something was messed up inside her mind, and she knew it. She felt wetness between her legs as she remembered the night of her rape, and suddenly imagined Djara taking her instead of her uncle. She was in distress in the emperor's presence and it was obvious. And he was relishing every bit of her discomfort. He said to her tenderly: “I see, child, I see! My condolences in regards to what hell it was you must have gone through. But alas... I fear there is more in store for you.” He then groped her, and felt her up between her legs so roughly that his fingers nearly entered her through her bloomers, the fabric of them pushing up her cunt just a small bit. He saw she was moist, and he smiled. “You want it! You want to be raped, I think. Very well, then... your desire shall me mine to grant.” He said cruelly and then called for two of his synthetic soldiers that were guarding the chamber to come over, and they held Mira down even as she screamed and kicked. The emperor commanded her to stop kicking like that “Or else I shall let my guards have their way with you, just to quench that nasty hot fire of yours a little.” He then pulled her bloomers off of her very violently and thereafter he proceeded to undo the drawstring of his pantaloons with a lewd grin upon his face and a gaze that was not at all loving but purely lustful. He tossed his pants aside and removed the bloomer shorts he wore beneath them. His cock was hardening, more and more, as he parted her legs as she lay flat upon her back with her arms being restrained by the two androids. Her arms hurt and she tried not to think of the pain at all. Emperor Djara pushed his penis into her wet cunt none too gently, and proceeded to lick her face like an animal might have whilst in the course of fucking her as roughly as he possibly could have. He slapped her cross the face when she kept screaming and shrieking, and then licked her face again whilst continuing to thrust in and out of her. He had no regard for the fact that she was a little girl, and she felt a slight bit of tearing due to how brutally he was fucking away upon her. She knew she would be bleeding a bit after this, despite not being at all a virgin... his cock was big and she was just small enough that with him not being gentle it was hurting. She could not help but cry out, even though each time she did she slapped her again. Finally, he forced a passionately kiss upon her with his tongue plunging into her mouth... this coincided with the heat of the first squirts of his climax into her. Time had no meaning, and he kept having sex with her like this.
Finally, an unbearable amount of time later after he had climaxed inside of her twice... her body fully betrayed her and her body shuddered as she did orgasm from the ecstasy her body was feeling despite how savagely this man had raped her. Yet, a part of her enjoyed it and savored it, and wanted to know the experience of it all over again regardless of any pain involved. She moaned and groaned and at the last when the two guards released her arms she had neither the strength nor the desire to get up, and the urge to kick or fight was torn from her by the emperor's defilement of her. He kept caressing her body, stroking her hair, kissing her all over and seeming to savor every last bit of whatever delights he could partake of still that only she could provide him with. He then grabbed a bunch of her hair in his hand, and pulled it a bit as he hissed in her face saying: “Listen to me, you little bitch! No one flies through our imperial space who does not pay at the least a toll to do so... consider this the fee required for your passage home.” He then sat back on his throne and went back to staring at the ravished little girl. As she stood that watching this happening before her, Kyr'laris had tears in her eyes and knew that she had not done right by the child in bringing her before the emperor. She should have known he would do this, or something like it... his preference was little girls, after all, and sometimes young teen girls also. Rarely, boys too! He had a certain voracious appetite for sexual activities with children... and Mira was truly a beautiful child, easily one that his majesty would never have been able to resist having his way with. At length, she mustered the courage to walk forward to check on the girl who was bleeding a bit from her cunt. “You were a bit rough with this one, my emperor... she is human, and they are fragile compared to children of our species. The things you can do with them, you need to be more careful with should you indulge in such activities with their kind.” The emperor smiled, and said in a distracted tone of voice... a product of his mind delving into memories from the past: “You should know, Kyr'laris... you were one such child of our species yourself once... one whom I took a strong liking to. You were my playmate for a long time indeed before it was that you became old enough to join the militia and gain your fame and honor thereby.” She remembered those days also, and how this man had destroyed her childhood with his perverted lusting for her. That honor she had won had been dearly purchased, and her fame came at great personal cost the likes of which she was loath to think too deeply about. “Ah, memories! Strange, how they can affect us sometimes.” she said in a flat and emotionless tone. Then, she stated: “I wish to take her to the imperial physician to have her tended to... when she is well enough, I will then have her brought to your chambers. Just remember... humans, are not as strong and hardy as we are... when you engage in your games with her, try not to kill her. This human girl was hard enough to procure for you!” And Djara replied to her by saying: “You have my permission to do as you will, and yes I shall strive to remember to be more gentle with Mira in the future... she is to be my premier concubine from now on, and promoting a human child to that position will send a message to my people saying that my reach is so powerful now that even humans can fall under the power of our empire. The few rebel elements that remain arrayed against me will then surely realize that there is no contending with my authority.” After the stern woman took her human charge and bore the hurt child to the imperial physician, the emperor then spoke with the members of his family who were in the throne chamber with him, and he told them to send forth an order to eliminate all those who were currently living in the region where the rioters so came from. Since it was sacred land, then it should be returned to the gods he proclaimed. And before a week had passed, no one who had been living upon that sacred ground was left alive to worry anymore about water rights. It was a full month before Mira was healthy both in mind as well as in body fully... and it had been her mind that took the longest to recover from where it had gone as a result of her rape at the hands of the emperor. She was brought to his chambers following her recovery, with Kyr'laris to escort her there, and immediately she noticed that Emperor Djara's entire manner had changed. He was kind and loving to her now, where before he had been lustful and cruel... and he doted upon her as well might a father to their daughter. He presented her with countless gifts and comforts, and fine delicacies.
But she was unable to speak even though she could form intelligent thoughts and reason fully as well as she ever had been able to. However, her mind had become more childlike and less adult than it was prior to the emperor assaulting her... despite the imperial physician's claims that she was fully recovered when what he really meant was that she was as fully recovered as she would ever be henceforth. When the emperor bade her to speak... she pointed to her throat, and used a sign language with her hands so as to convey that she could not do so. Whenever the emperor clearly did not understand the sign language, she would pick up a data pad an type out whatever she wanted to say to him on its' fully featured word processor program, and she would thereafter show it to the emperor. This was the only way she could communicate now, and she made him understand this as time went on. He felt guilty for having driven her into this nonverbal state, and though it was several months before she felt able to contemplate sex with this man again... when she was ready for it, she was happy to discover he was gentle with her and that he could be a good and generous lover when it came down to it. They grew closer and closer, and he became increasingly devoted to her and protective of her. He spent nearly all his time with Mira to such a degree, that he neglected all of his other concubines and his family members as well. All whilst the little girl used her data pad to communicate with him and to teach him important human values such as compassion, liberty, freedom and understanding. In time, he began to change both as a person and as a ruler, and his people were glad for that change. Only the warmongers in the imperial court were cross with him because of the human values that he was beginning to embrace, and they saw it as a sign that he was fated to become a somewhat weak ruler. When he responded, brutally, by having all who spoke out against him slaughtered in various gruesome ways, and their entire families shamed in public... their children sold into slavery and their wives gang raped by genetically altered mutants before crowds that gathered to witness these disturbing public spectacles... no one dared to call him weak after that, nor to even so much as suggest he had an ounce of weakness within him. Increasingly, he granted his subjects more and more freedoms and liberties, and had the priests and priestesses of the gods preach the virtues of love and compassion in all of their sermons during the holy days when people came to the temples to gather together in prayer and meditation. He went easier on his subjects, all the while increasing in his savagery towards his enemies and the enemies of the empire. And though during all the years to come, the Prime Concubine known as Princess Mira never did regain her ability to speak... she had managed to change the course of an entire empire by touching the heart of an emperor whom many had thought only to be a monstrous despot of the most wickedly inclined sort. She was twenty years old at last, and a fully grown and exquisitely beautiful and incredibly strong woman when finally the emperor wed her in an elaborately memorable public marriage ceremony wherein she was named empress and given the authority to rule at the side of her husband the emperor. She wore a shimmering silvery wedding gown made from a gauzy, light and diaphanous material that was totally sheer and transparent with billowing see-through sleeves. Under it, she wore a gold colored one piece leotard and her legs were bare beneath her gown. That was how she was dressed on that day, and the emperor was dressed in pantaloons and a blouse made from the finest blood red metallic silk, with a gold sash belt tied around his waist. The fair and festive ceremony was held in the pleasure gardens out behind the Imperial Palace, and there it was that countless multitudes turned out to watch the wedding take place. Music was played, mostly of the Old Classical variety, and flower petals were thrown all about once the marriage vows were spoken and the bride and groom kissed passionately to seal their hearts together as one. Had she been able to speak, Mira would have cried out with joy at the height of all this excitement, but the noises she was able to so make sufficed to express her delight all the same. “I love you, my Mira! My beloved empress.” he said to her, as this beautiful and imperial couple set forth to usher in a new era for the Crimson Union. Mira never did return to her home, because now she had a new one and it was at the side of her husband. In a short time she had gone from wandering the stars to ruling an empire at a powerful man's side. Not bad!
As she sat within the reception area just beyond the immense courtyard outside of the embassy, it was evident that upon this planet at the very least things were done differently than in the confederation that existed within her home galaxy. Here, in this far-flung corner of the universe a small but fierce empire ruled over a loosely united group of worlds that was spread across several galaxies. It was not as large perhaps as some of the other, greater empires that Mira had visited when she was very little, but it was a great deal more proud of its' heritage and traditions than they were. The people of this planet, which she took to be the very heart of this small but mighty empire, were a warrior race whose great noble houses were the major power to be reckoned with upon their world. Those houses made obeisance and swore a great deal of fealty to a man known as the Prime Emperor who was the absolute dictator of this empire in its' entirety. Grand oaths of loyalty and pledges of honor and duty and blood were the order of the day when it came to the imperial politics of this rather isolated stretch of space, and outside of this empire it was certain most of the other great powers of the universe knew nothing at all about what went on here. The formal name for the Prime Emperor's intergalactic dominion was the Crimson Union. And it lived up to that name in more ways than one! Much to the terror of any and all who displeased the emperor or those who acted as his agents. Mira often felt frightened as she toured the planets of the Crimson Union and often she wondered what it was she was doing so far from home to begin with. But things were dull and boring in her parents house, and she ever and always longed for excitement and adventure. She had stolen a small space-going craft with a rather powerful space folding device that could generate a stable wormhole a safe distance in front of the ship to any part of known space... and more than a few parts of space that she knew nothing about at all... that the vessel's computer database had within it ready to be fed into its' navigational systems. It further possessed an equally powerful engine... and in due course she was bound for other parts of space than that she had lived in for far longer than she had a mind to stand. However, at present she was a long way from that carefree life she hoped to enjoy. Her craft was boarded by soldiers of the Crimson Union whose own crafts were able to employ a nullification device capable of temporarily freezing her ship's navigational systems and space fold generator. Unable to use the usual means to jump away to safety, she was stuck in place and forced to submit to an inspection of her craft and its' cargo... which consisted only of her personal belongings and necessary supplies for her voyages. Finding nothing illegal, but finding her presence in the part of the Union where they found her to be, in the soldiers' words, “highly suspicious”... for whatever reasons they could concoct... Mira had the feeling they were just trying to harass her because she was a foreigner and an outsider. She hated it when she got into trouble like this, but this time rather than allow her to pilot her craft and accompany the soldiers' ships to the star port of their choosing to sort everything out like was the normal procedure in most other empires... they took her aboard one of their ships and confiscated her craft in short order. With the promise to return it to her if everything checked out. The interrogation was grueling, but they at least did not hurt her in any way despite that she constantly felt threatened by the Inquisitors who did ask her far more questions than she discovered she had the patience to endure. At one point she actually broke down into tears and they decided to use a mind reading device to concretely determine whether or not Mira was actually a threat to the stability of the Crimson Union. Finally realizing she was not, they took her to the imperial home planet and left her ship under guard at the star port in the planet's capital city. Easily the largest city in the entire empire, from what she was told of it by the soldiers who in their rough fashion dropped her off there with instructions for her to receive permission from the emperor to conduct her business within the Crimson Union as she pleased. Once she arrived in the city, the soldiers took her to the foreign embassy in order to see her oriented and prepared for an imperial audience. Then the men went off to arrange it whilst she was told to wait in the courtyard following her orientation. The orientation, consisted of the Crimson Union's customs, history, and primary languages being taught her.
A device was placed upon her temples so these things could be basically sent directly into her brain in a non invasive and painless way that involved the device syncing with her brain waves so that all of the things they wanted her to learn could be imparted unto her as if she had always known them since birth. When this was done, she was practically a native of the Crimson Union, and she was glad this went so smoothly... she had learned various foreign languages using similar methods herself in the past, but the process always came with the risk of having too much knowledge tossed into your brain too quickly. It was sort of an art to know when enough was enough so as not to induce madness in a person. She had studied up and knew what she was doing when it came to the language learning processes... and it did indeed seem to her that the people who worked at the embassy likely knew their stuff quite well. Aside from a slight headache that went away after she was given some medication and rested up for a couple of hours, she had no unwanted side effects from her orientation whatsoever. Apparently, they knew her language in these parts of space, but she had not fully understood theirs until the orientation was over. It felt good to finally understand entirely what they were saying to her, and it felt even better to be able to respond in their own tongue to what was being said. Likewise, she knew where everything was, and she knew what everything meant and was all about. The receptionist at the embassy told her that shortly she would be given appropriate attire for her audience with the Prime Emperor, and she felt very nervous as she waited in the courtyard for things to begin in earnest. She sat upon the bench by a group of tall palm trees with spiky looking leaves, and took in the beauty of the embassy's gardens. Soon, the woman who was instructed to deliver her new clothing to her had arrived in the courtyard and was heading her way. The woman carried several bundles of clothing... and she hailed Mira with a sharp salute that comically caused her to almost drop what she was carrying when she did it. She said in a deep but still noticeably feminine voice: “Your name is Mira Arcadian Vesper, am I correct?” Mira nodded her head. She felt the usual distaste at hearing her middle name spoken aloud... the name that was supposed to be given to her expected twin brother who in the end had never been born. Her father insisted that her mother give that name to Mira as her middle name, instead, and whenever someone spoke it aloud she felt as if she was still living in the shadow of a brother who did not exist. Her father had always said he would have far preferred a son to any daughter, and though her mother spoiled her and treated her decently enough, she never got along well with her father and this was part of the reason she wanted to get away from him as much as she possibly could for as long as she possibly could. That, combined with boredom and a need to do some serious living. “Yes, that is my name.” Mira stated, and the woman bowed stiffly and said to her: “My own name is not important, miss Vesper. I work for the Department of State Protocol, and so... I have been given strict instructions, pertaining to readying you for your first imperial audience. I do see that you are of a human species... and, as you have likely noticed, the peoples of the Crimson Union are humanoid but very different from your kind in many respects. We do not get your kind in our corner of space too often, and to be honest with you... when we typically do it is rarely anyone up to anything that is shall we say legal.” Mira rolled her eyes at that, and said with visible irritation: “The Inquisitor went over all that with me already, lady! I've been given the all clear, I am not a terrorist or a smuggler or any sort of criminal whatsoever. Not sure if you got the memo about that, though.” The woman sharply said in reply to Mira's response: “I know that! I have been informed... I merely am stating to you, that it is a rare thing to receive a non troublesome human visitor to our empire. Now, if it so pleases you... do take the clothes I am providing for you and accompany me to the dressing rooms to put them on.” and how it was the woman worded all of that to Mira made it very clear that refusal was not an option. Mira took the bundles into her hands and the severe woman led the way back into the embassy and towards a back hallway through a rear entrance that led into the dressing rooms area. “You look unhealthy, miss Vesper. I suggest you should get more sun.” stated the woman, and Mira who was of a human race equivalent to what on Earth would be considered Hispanic thought the woman was insane given that she was so dark.
But as dark as Mira was, these peoples' skin was darker by far... and some of them were almost as full ebony black as the void between the stars. Though there were also variations that went into dark purples and dark blues as well. Along with the rarer dark reds and dark greens. Apparently... there were equally as many unique and different varieties of race, color, and diversity within the Crimson Union as existed in the human race and the other humanoid races of the confederation. Mira missed the familiarity of the confederation, although following the orientation at least she did not feel so much like an outsider. But, all the same, there was an element of culture shock taking place within her, and she disliked it greatly. In no way though did she allow this... matronly is the nice way to put it... woman to know that she felt ill at ease. Mira walked into the nearest dressing room, clothes in hand, and unzipped her metallic dark blue jumpsuit, removing also her undergarments. She put on the silky bloomers that were the traditional undergarment typical for females in the Crimson Union to wear, and it was different from the far tighter bikini style panties she was used to. Such bloomers were quaint and antiquated in the confederation and people wore them for fashion or personal taste rather than for daily use. This particular pair of bloomers was long and very full... more in the style of voluminous pantaloons, with elastic at the ankles and with the waist tied with a drawstring. Unlike the short bloomers that were for normal occasions, these were formal wear and were for special occasions only. These could have been worn as outer wear pants, with panties worn underneath them, but such was not the way of things here. Here, things were different than what Mira was more familiarly acquainted with. The bloomers were a metallic gold in color. Next... she put on a dress that came to her knees. Its' underskirt was a solid silver color that was not see-through at all, but the three gauzy over skirts layered on top of it were all totally transparent and sheer, and in three varied shades of yellow. The dress was sleeveless, and the part of it that covered her upper body and her chest was the same silver color as the underskirt. The dress buttoned in the front... and was rather more daringly low cut than she would have preferred. But being only twelve years old, Mira did not have to worry about anything showing given how flat chested she was. She had no cleavage to speak of, unlike a grown woman, and so the dress fit her like a glove. Though the upper part was tight, the dress had a very airy feel to it otherwise, and Mira almost felt as if she was wearing nothing at all. It was summer outside, midsummer to be precise, and the dress was properly befitting of a hit season since she would not sweat a lot when wearing it. She walked out of the dressing room and the severe woman approved of her appearance. She was given deodorant to apply to her armpits and perfume to spray upon herself. The perfume was floral scented, and had a tropical scent to it that Mira found familiar but could not say exactly why. She was lastly given a gold necklace to wear... a thin gold chain with a round circular type of pendant affixed to it that contained a blood red ruby. Her long wavy black hair was brushed and then combed after being washed with shampoo and dried with a hand held blow drier, and she was given a wreath of blood red flowers to wear upon her head. Lastly, she was provided with a pair of soft silver slipper-like shoes to wear upon her feet, and once she was this fully prepared the severe woman said to her: “Perfection! You look radiant, miss Vesper. The Prime Emperor should find no fault in your looks. You look beautiful and strong, a proper child of the Crimson Union!” Indeed she was strong, she had a large bone structure and was stocky of build, but she was not overweight and someday when she grew up she was certain to turn out to be quite muscular and athletic once she fully grew into her body. She had a plump butt, something boys always commented on in very sexual ways, and was rather curvy for a girl of only twelve years of age with wide hips and thick meaty thighs. She had bright green eyes, and a round freckled face with broad features and thick full lips. Her skin was a deep shade of brown, with a very slight yellowish tint to it, and she had a rather earthy look to her. She was stronger than any boy she knew, and perhaps ridiculously intelligent for one so young. And there was a softness to her that did stand in direct but pleasant contrast to her strength and sturdiness, and it matched the warmth that often her mother had told her was evident in her heart. “So, when is the audience?” Mira asked, impatiently.
The severe matronly woman told her: “As soon as you are ready, your highness!” and this time it was very clear the woman was mocking her in regard to her tone. “I am just curious, is all.” the girl replied, but it was too late to mask her impatience beneath a veil of curiosity... however genuine it was. She had no wish to displease this woman, for like all the peoples of the Crimson Union this woman was strong, and very muscular, and looked very much like a warrior as much as an employee of the government. A bit of cybernetic enhancement in tandem with genetic engineering was slowly steering society towards an evolution of the species in this empire, and the Prime Emperor saw this as very much a desirable and pleasing thing. For he was a strong, proud and haughty man ruling over a people he wanted to see grow into a form that he felt was worthy of such a ruler. “I am ready, fear not.” Mira said, and the woman told her that this was good. She applied some cosmetics to Mira's face before they left for the audience, and the style of the makeup was very exotic looking to the young girl. It consisted of black eyeliner and the deepest blood red shade of mascara and eye shadow imaginable. A cat eye type of style was done with the makeup, with black wing-like designs sharply arching up from the corners of Mira's eyes. The black of them where they met her eyelids was blended with the blood red eye shadow very professionally. As a finishing touch, she was given blood red lipstick to wear and a touch of dark red blush was added to her cheeks with a hint of gold coloration to it. This was how most of the women wore their makeup in the Crimson Union, though with different colors depending on what went best with someone's skin. In due course, Mira was shown her reflection in a full length mirror and she liked how she looked. “Wow! My mother never would've allowed me to wear my makeup like that back at home. Nice!” she said out loud, which made the up to now severe woman chuckle. As adult as Mira always tried to act, she was... still... very much a child, after all. “Come, now! The emperor awaits.” stated the woman after that, and before too much more time had passed the two of them were on their way to the Imperial Palace. So as to make things less awkward from there on out, the woman told Mira her name. “My name is Kyr'laris, and I held the rank of commander when I was still in the city militia.” she explained, and Mira nodded her head and shook her hand when the woman offered it to her. Pleasantries over with, they walked to a checkpoint at the end of the street and Kyr'laris purchased the use of a hover speeder car to get as quick to the palace as possible. There was a great deal of traffic in the city, with vehicles on the ground and in the air between all of the towering buildings and massive skyscrapers. Evidently, the military still owed the woman a great deal since the car she purchased was a military vehicle which was not normally at all for sale. “I dislike bribing a former comrade in order to obtain something I want, but I am not above it.” she told Mira, who chuckled a bit. “Guess rank has its' privileges?” she asked, and the woman told her: “My rank in the militia was very high indeed, yes. And I was both respected and feared! No one would think of denying me or defying me even now. Perhaps even especially now.” Somehow, Mira knew that this woman was more powerful than she at first seemed, and the young girl was happy to keep her as a friend rather than as an enemy. They drove past the mercantile sector where large landing crafts brought the latest merchants from various worlds to do business with the leaders of the most import mercantile houses in the empire and their allies. Business here could be literally cutthroat at times, and Mira had no desire to think too deeply about the fate of those who crossed the corporations that controlled most of the imperial commerce empire-wide. Executions, punishments, and shaming were all fully conducted right in public, within sight of all, and all of it was brutally enacted. When someone in power wished to make an example of anyone who crossed them, there was nothing barring them from doing so with as much ruthlessness as was possible. Some of the smaller crafts landing were likely private merchants not affiliated with the owners of the larger crafts. The hum of the engines of so many ships landing melded with the noise of the traffic all around and the sound of the multitudes of pedestrians who crowded the sidewalks of the city. Walking among the crowds were the soldiers of the militia who wore uniforms of blood red trimmed with gold. There were tall, imposing men and women wearing gold helmets as well.
The militia carried long halberds with wicked and sharp looking blades at the ends of them, and had holstered at their sides lethal pistols that shot energized bullets capable of electrocuting a person from the inside. Clearly, no one crossed them. Nobles were driven through some of the side streets in heavy looking, lumbering wagons with large wheels with many spokes on them and thick canopies over the tops of the otherwise totally open wagons to shade the occupants from the sun. The wagons were drawn by large lizard-like beasts the size of horses, and there were four such beasts driving a single wagon. If common folk got too close to the wagon, one of the guards accompanying the nobles would strike them with electrified rods normally used to subdue cattle. Given the strength of these people, it took just that much force to subdue them if they became unruly. Rarely, it was not unheard of for a noble to have one of those common folk killed if they displeased them enough. A lethal voltage was used in such cases. At least one person was dispatched that way that Mira witnessed, and she gasped when she beheld this. It was even more shocking how casually this was done, with the nobles ignoring the screams of the dying person as if it were merely a further annoyance to them. Seeing Mira's discomfort, her companion told her: “Such sights are common enough in this city, I am afraid. Even for people who have lived here for their entire lives, it takes a great deal of getting used to. Seeing a man killed in public like that.” All of the styles of the people were diverse but mostly they wore clothing suited for the hot climate that was covering most of the planet's surface. The sun was hot in the clear blue sky above, and there was not a cloud to be seen from horizon to horizon in any given direction. What could be seen of such, through the concrete and steel jungle that was the capital city with its' crowded streets, bustling bazaars and all of the mad rush of life that it contained. The neon lights of shops, bars, and clubs would come on each night, and the entire city would be bathed in the glow of a veritable rainbow of colors. Mira knew this, despite not having lived here herself, the orientation having done its' work perfectly it seemed. A riot of the most violent and bloody sort was taking place at a courthouse that Mira and her guide drove past... and it was being dealt with very ruthlessly, the rioters being shown no mercy. “What are they protesting about?” Mira asked, and Kyr'laris told her: “Water rights... those are people who live in the arid plains near the western mountains, and they want the right to dig for water there. The problem is, that section of the land is sacred ground to the clerics of the goddess Lur'thar Ekla. To dig there, would be an act of blasphemy... and so it is strictly forbidden. They should have sent in a petition for a water convoy to be sent to deliver water to their community, long before running low... the system works, and no one ever died of thirst who made lawful use of it. But, greedier minds prevail in those parts these days, and greed is the reason for the riot you see happening now.” Men were being hacked to pieces by soldiers armed with deadly curved swords that were soaked in gore whilst women and even children among those who rioted were being dragged into nearby alleys where it sounded as if they were being violated obscenely. One woman running out an alley with her clothing torn nearly into pieces confirmed what was befalling those whom the soldiers were victimizing the worst. These soldiers apparently liked to have their own kind of fun it seemed, and it was a cruel and vile kind. The shrieks of the children were horrible to hear, and at one point Mira covered her eyes whilst Kyr'laris shook her head disapprovingly. “You will have to get used to such things, miss Vesper! Believe me, I have seen worse.” she said, but the girl could not hear her and did not wish to. This was a brutal planet, she realized, and she did not belong here. But, if she was ever to leave it behind her, she would need to get through the coming audience. But what kind of man, what kind of ruler, allows such barbarities to be perpetrated upon his own people by those very soldiers who should instead be protecting them? Surely, she reasoned, the emperor must be a monster. As their car neared the noble district, the buildings became more elaborate and opulent. High domes as opposed to the flat roofs of the skyscrapers and the peaked roofs of the houses. Such peaks being more for ornamentation since rain fell but rarely in this region and no snow ever fell in the winter season, or what passed for one on a planet as barren as this one. Instead of towers, there were slender spires here.
All the foundations were of brick or stone in the noble district, rather than concrete like elsewhere. All of the estates had beautiful, lush gardens that were like a personal oasis for those who lived in such fine homes as had been built in this part of the city. Statues of deities and various heroes out of legend, were set up in the middle of every crossroads in the noble district, and they were colossal in size. Zoos and at least several open air menageries sat behind high metal fences that were electrified to keep the animals from escaping or intruders from pestering them. People here wore soft silks and the most expensive sort of attire money could buy, and they walked with an air of haughtiness and arrogance... raising each little child to become every bit as disdainful of the common folk as they were. This left quite the bad taste in Mira's mouth, for she disliked that sort of hubris monumentally. The Imperial Palace was definitely the largest building in the entire city, by far. A massive, monstrous step pyramid, with a flat top upon which sat a towering fortress that had innumerable domes, towers, spires and hanging gardens. It was like unto an artificial mountain constructed as an expression of the Prime Emperor's inflated ego... and Mira had never seen anything so absurdly and decadently opulent in her entire young life. Leading up to the great gates at the base of the pyramid was a wide avenue flanked by slender columns on both sides that were topped with glowing crystal spheres that all glimmered with a crimson light that must have looked very spectacular yet slightly creepy at night. Kyr'laris parked the car at a vehicle parking space just off of the columned avenue, and she and Mira got out of the car and proceeded to walk towards the palace gates. On both sides of the gates were very monstrous and frightful looking statues of crouching many-winged beasts on marble pedestals. The guards who stood to either side of the gates were synthetic androids, in every way designed to look like living people but who were actually artificial and immortal. Though of course despite that they would live forever in terms of that they would never age and thus never perish from old age... they could still die from violence or lethal illnesses. Their eyes were metallic and were the only part of them that looked robotic. Those eyes glowed slightly from the shadows of the helmets they wore, and these artificial guards neither breathed nor spoke a single word. Mira knew they were of the most deadly ability in combat, also. Kyr'laris explained to the girl: “The Prime Emperor lives within this palace attended solely by synthetic androids... it is not just the guards who are artificial, but all who dwell within the palace save for the emperor and his family. Even his concubines are synthetic androids for so greatly does he fear assassination or betrayal, that he only allows such constructs in his presence. And, of course, in the presence of his family. The only living souls allowed within the palace walls, are visitors. He is a paranoid man, our ruler, but I suppose if I was in such a position I might be paranoid as well. It is therefore understandable.” Mira nodded her head to show she understood. The gates slid open to either side with a whooshing sound as the two visitors entered the pyramid's base. Within, there was a massive entrance hall filled with wide columned archways and shadowy alcoves containing statues of all sorts and pedestals on which sat expensive vases and other works of art and craftsmanship. Hallways ran off to either side of the entrance hall, and several stairways rose to higher levels of the pyramid. The interior was laid out to impress, and it did that most excellently. At the far end of the entrance hall there was another hallway... beyond a pair of metal double doors decorated with etched images of a beautiful garden upon their surface. These doors opened forward automatically as Mira and her guide approached them, revealing the next hallway beyond. This one was filled with paintings and tapestries on the walls, all works of fine art. The floor of the entrance hall had been covered with black and white chessboard style tiles, and pretty much all of these halls had a similar type of floor. Soft carpeting covered the very middle of every hallway, carpeting in a dark blood red color with gold trim. Everything was lit well but with a cozy sort of ambiance to the lighting rather than it being exactly bright. At the end of this hall the pair reached an elevator that took them to the fortress atop the pyramid. Within the fortress, the pair did pass through countless halls, corridors, and up a great many stairways and stairwells... so as that it gave the entire fortress interior a labyrinthine quality that made Mira wonder how anyone could not get lost.
Finally, they came to a massive throne chamber with a high domed ceiling that was painted to appear as if it was the night sky with stars, planets, and other celestial phenomena brightly painted in a colorful variety upon its' surface. The floors in the fortress, unlike in the pyramid, were not tiled with black and white tiles but instead red and black ones, with the black tiles having etched upon t hem the image of a red eye that was only apparent if one closely inspected the floor. Mira was highly observant, so she did notice that straight away and found the image unnerving. The chamber was circular, and lined with very tall slender pillars that ran the outer circumference of the room, supporting curved archways. Above the archways were lofty galleries where some of the members of the imperial family lounged about. All of the walls were covered in murals and mosaics of the highest quality depicting all manner of artistic and thematic expressions of beauty. Interior gardens were set up along the walls at eight precise points that corresponded to every possible compass direction. All save the southern point which is where the doors leading into the throne chamber were. The floor was covered in soft carpeting in blood red and the most dark shade of purple. The red carpeting had gold trim, the purple had silver. Piles of soft cushions, and countless pillows were heaped about upon the floor in places, and the imperial concubines reclined on them with emotionless expressions upon their faces, their behavior almost childlike. Some even seemed to play together just as children might, and more than a few had children's toys with them. The throne, which was large indeed, was made of golden metal and it sat atop a dais on the far northern end of the chamber with the northern garden behind it. The throne had two massive golden wings arching up from the sides of the back of it, and the top of the throne was made in the image of an eagle's head with its' gaze and beak directed upward. Various cushions were upon the throne, and the back and seat of it were padded for comfort. Upon this seat of power sat the Prime Emperor who was a slender hermaphrodite with skin as powdery white an an albino's and eyes scarlet in color. He was bald and clean shaven, with no eyebrows and because of his lack of hair the ridges that ran down the middle of his forehead, which came to just above his nose, could be seen to run all the way up his head and down the back of it all the way to his spine, which was also ridged. These ridges were common to the peoples of this empire, and showed that indeed they were not human despite their humanoid appearance otherwise. They also had pointed ears, and his majesty was no exception. He had almond shaped eyes, a noble aquiline nose and high cheekbones. His face was round and somewhat moon faced as the expression goes, like eunuchs in that way... and although he was slender he had a rather pronounced abdomen and feminine looking hips as well as small very slight breasts that despite the man's age did not sag at all. And he was near to fifty, by all accounts. His hands were like a woman's and his fingers were thin and delicate like an artist's. He was of a very average height, and had a high forehead bespeaking of great intelligence. He was totally bare chested, wearing nothing on top with only a diaphanous drapery wrapped around him... and he had on a pair of very silky looking voluminous pantaloons of a similar style to the formal bloomers as Mira was wearing. Those were a deep metallic blood red in color. He was barefoot, with his feet resting upon a pile of cushions and pillows at the base of the throne. The hairs of his body were thin and white, and he had layers of scales in various places such as his sides and ribs, his lower back up where his shoulder blades began, and where on a human the nipples on their chest would be. All the people of the Crimson Union had such scales, due to being partly reptilian in their ancestry. He preferred to be referred to as a man, though by all accounts he could have just as easily been referred to as a woman. According to the things known about the Prime Emperor that were public knowledge, he was born with a very rare type of intersex condition whereby he had fully functioning male genitalia with no deformities even though he was female in various other unspecified ways. All the records pertaining to his birth were lost many centuries ago since he was apparently immortal and may well have been a synthetic android double of the original Prime Emperor who died long, long ago. At least according to rumors that were punishable to repeat in public. The fact that he was very clearly breathing made the android rumor a little unlikely.
Mira could not imagine how it was this man remained in his forty ninth year well beyond the lifespan of even the longest lived humanoid species in the known universe... but she was more concerned with how he would regard her as she approached the throne, did a polite curtsy, and then bowed low before him as was the custom for females to do in his presence. He looked upon her with a fixed stare and an amused smile creeping upon his face. “I have been told your name is Mira when I was informed of your coming, and this audience was arranged for you. You are human, an outsider to our empire. But from all I have been told, you are not here as a threat to us or to our peace and security. That is well and good to know! So what are you doing here, then?” and his voice when he spoke this to the young girl was very soft and almost at times melodic though there was definitely a masculine tone to it though one that was well in the range of a teenage male rather than a grown adult man. Likely, a further result of this man's intersex condition. Mira averted his intense gaze, looking squarely at the floor as she answered: “Your imperial highness, I was merely in search of adventure and bound for nowhere in particular when I was picked up in space and brought to your planet. I was... bored, at home... and did not realize that in your empire it was not possible to fly my vessel unhindered.” She was trying to avoid using contractions, in the hope it would make her sound more adult when she spoke. As it was, she could not seem to manage speaking in the imperial tongue without a very noticeable accent to the accent she had as it was when she spoke the common tongue of the confederation back home. She continued, saying: “I was hoping, actually, that you would grant me permission to use my craft once more so I can head back towards the parts of space that are more familiar and welcoming to me.” The ruler glared at her as she said that and he exclaimed in an offended manner: “More welcoming? We have welcomed you with open arms here! Provided you with attire fit for a noble child of the highest standing, and we did anoint you with a very expensive and hard to obtain perfume... and that necklace is not unlike one my sister used to wear, may the gods grant her spirit peace. I understand your desire to get back to where you feel you belong, but in no way have we not been welcoming towards you. That we did not blast your craft out of the void that flows between the stairs should tell you that you are fortunate... and it was only a happy degree of pure fortune that you were brought here instead of destroyed entirely! So, would you care to rephrase things, or should I assume you meant to insult our hospitality?” Mira was shaking nervously, her hands barely able to contain their shaking as she answered: “I meant no disrespect to you or to your people, and all I meant was that I am more used to how things are done elsewhere. I am grateful for the dress and for the perfume, and for the hospitality, very much so. But I truly do wish to be on my way as soon as possible. The Crimson Union is not my home, after all.” He stared at her for a while, after that... and he began to touch himself between his legs, fondling his manhood through the fabric of his pants and thinking lusty thoughts about the young girl. Mira noticed this, felt utterly disgusted by such a disrespectful display of depravity, but said nothing to indicate that she felt offended by it. He ordered her to kneel on the floor... with her head down upon it. And she complied to this demand. Then, he told her to sit cross legged and to place her hands in her hair, to which she likewise complied. She knew he was toying with her, all this being simply a display of his power and authority over anyone who had the misfortune of falling under his power. Lastly, he demanded that she spread her legs apart and lift up her skirts to her waist, and she for the last time did exactly as he ordered her to do. He was clearly pleasuring himself to her, and it was evident that his eyes were not seeing her as clothed by the way they bored into her. He did not go all the way with his self pleasuring though... clearly this was all just to get himself stimulated. He got up from the throne and walked towards her, demanded she not move from where she sat with her legs spread and her skirts hoisted up. Her hands were on the floor at her sides, and she was breathing heavily with obvious fear. The Prime Emperor began to stroke Mira's hair, and he daringly ran his hand over the skin that was exposed of her chest because of the low cut of her dress. “Soft, very soft... and yet, I would so wager you are strong, and quite sturdy as well, little girl.” he said in a slightly seductive sounding purr.
Suddenly, he tore her dress open and downward, popping all of the buttons as he did so. Her chest and upper body were fully exposed, her nipples hardening against her will at the desire this man's actions so awakened in her. She had all manner of rape fantasies that she did harbor and of which she never told a soul... and this was exciting her even though it made her feel quite debased. He noticed her excitement, or at the very least had a sense of it, and ran his hands over her nipples... playing with them until it did make her breath that much quicker. Then, he knelt down and felt her between her legs, running his hand along the cleft of her girlhood. The wicked man licked his lips, and asked Mira if she had ever had sex in her young life. She replied: “Only once, and it was not of my own free will.” Actually, it had been an uncle of hers who kept making excuses to come over and visit because he had perverse designs on her... which he eventually gave into when he raped her and took her virginity. The Prime Emperor then told her: “Since I know your name, and some of the delightful details of your body... it is only fair, I tell you my name and shortly share with you something of my body. My name is Djara'lukir... and my family is House Makash'tahn. We were not always the Imperial House of the Crimson Union, but we rose fully to prominence when we eliminated any rivals of ours who dared to stand in our way. We are simply prone to ruthlessness when we desire something greatly enough. You are not a virgin you say, and that is good for it means you are likely loosened up enough for a bit of fun. And I've just the sort of fun in mind that I would wager both of us would enjoy a great deal! Tell me, Mira... since you said it happened not at all of your own free will... shall I assume then, that you were a victim of rape?” She nodded her head with tears in her eyes as she remembered the trauma of how violently her uncle had taken her. And how that scarred her psychologically so much, that it caused her to actually desire rough sex bordering on rape... even as she had never allowed a man or a boy to so much as touch her ever since the night her uncle so deflowered her. Something was messed up inside her mind, and she knew it. She felt wetness between her legs as she remembered the night of her rape, and suddenly imagined Djara taking her instead of her uncle. She was in distress in the emperor's presence and it was obvious. And he was relishing every bit of her discomfort. He said to her tenderly: “I see, child, I see! My condolences in regards to what hell it was you must have gone through. But alas... I fear there is more in store for you.” He then groped her, and felt her up between her legs so roughly that his fingers nearly entered her through her bloomers, the fabric of them pushing up her cunt just a small bit. He saw she was moist, and he smiled. “You want it! You want to be raped, I think. Very well, then... your desire shall me mine to grant.” He said cruelly and then called for two of his synthetic soldiers that were guarding the chamber to come over, and they held Mira down even as she screamed and kicked. The emperor commanded her to stop kicking like that “Or else I shall let my guards have their way with you, just to quench that nasty hot fire of yours a little.” He then pulled her bloomers off of her very violently and thereafter he proceeded to undo the drawstring of his pantaloons with a lewd grin upon his face and a gaze that was not at all loving but purely lustful. He tossed his pants aside and removed the bloomer shorts he wore beneath them. His cock was hardening, more and more, as he parted her legs as she lay flat upon her back with her arms being restrained by the two androids. Her arms hurt and she tried not to think of the pain at all. Emperor Djara pushed his penis into her wet cunt none too gently, and proceeded to lick her face like an animal might have whilst in the course of fucking her as roughly as he possibly could have. He slapped her cross the face when she kept screaming and shrieking, and then licked her face again whilst continuing to thrust in and out of her. He had no regard for the fact that she was a little girl, and she felt a slight bit of tearing due to how brutally he was fucking away upon her. She knew she would be bleeding a bit after this, despite not being at all a virgin... his cock was big and she was just small enough that with him not being gentle it was hurting. She could not help but cry out, even though each time she did she slapped her again. Finally, he forced a passionately kiss upon her with his tongue plunging into her mouth... this coincided with the heat of the first squirts of his climax into her. Time had no meaning, and he kept having sex with her like this.
Finally, an unbearable amount of time later after he had climaxed inside of her twice... her body fully betrayed her and her body shuddered as she did orgasm from the ecstasy her body was feeling despite how savagely this man had raped her. Yet, a part of her enjoyed it and savored it, and wanted to know the experience of it all over again regardless of any pain involved. She moaned and groaned and at the last when the two guards released her arms she had neither the strength nor the desire to get up, and the urge to kick or fight was torn from her by the emperor's defilement of her. He kept caressing her body, stroking her hair, kissing her all over and seeming to savor every last bit of whatever delights he could partake of still that only she could provide him with. He then grabbed a bunch of her hair in his hand, and pulled it a bit as he hissed in her face saying: “Listen to me, you little bitch! No one flies through our imperial space who does not pay at the least a toll to do so... consider this the fee required for your passage home.” He then sat back on his throne and went back to staring at the ravished little girl. As she stood that watching this happening before her, Kyr'laris had tears in her eyes and knew that she had not done right by the child in bringing her before the emperor. She should have known he would do this, or something like it... his preference was little girls, after all, and sometimes young teen girls also. Rarely, boys too! He had a certain voracious appetite for sexual activities with children... and Mira was truly a beautiful child, easily one that his majesty would never have been able to resist having his way with. At length, she mustered the courage to walk forward to check on the girl who was bleeding a bit from her cunt. “You were a bit rough with this one, my emperor... she is human, and they are fragile compared to children of our species. The things you can do with them, you need to be more careful with should you indulge in such activities with their kind.” The emperor smiled, and said in a distracted tone of voice... a product of his mind delving into memories from the past: “You should know, Kyr'laris... you were one such child of our species yourself once... one whom I took a strong liking to. You were my playmate for a long time indeed before it was that you became old enough to join the militia and gain your fame and honor thereby.” She remembered those days also, and how this man had destroyed her childhood with his perverted lusting for her. That honor she had won had been dearly purchased, and her fame came at great personal cost the likes of which she was loath to think too deeply about. “Ah, memories! Strange, how they can affect us sometimes.” she said in a flat and emotionless tone. Then, she stated: “I wish to take her to the imperial physician to have her tended to... when she is well enough, I will then have her brought to your chambers. Just remember... humans, are not as strong and hardy as we are... when you engage in your games with her, try not to kill her. This human girl was hard enough to procure for you!” And Djara replied to her by saying: “You have my permission to do as you will, and yes I shall strive to remember to be more gentle with Mira in the future... she is to be my premier concubine from now on, and promoting a human child to that position will send a message to my people saying that my reach is so powerful now that even humans can fall under the power of our empire. The few rebel elements that remain arrayed against me will then surely realize that there is no contending with my authority.” After the stern woman took her human charge and bore the hurt child to the imperial physician, the emperor then spoke with the members of his family who were in the throne chamber with him, and he told them to send forth an order to eliminate all those who were currently living in the region where the rioters so came from. Since it was sacred land, then it should be returned to the gods he proclaimed. And before a week had passed, no one who had been living upon that sacred ground was left alive to worry anymore about water rights. It was a full month before Mira was healthy both in mind as well as in body fully... and it had been her mind that took the longest to recover from where it had gone as a result of her rape at the hands of the emperor. She was brought to his chambers following her recovery, with Kyr'laris to escort her there, and immediately she noticed that Emperor Djara's entire manner had changed. He was kind and loving to her now, where before he had been lustful and cruel... and he doted upon her as well might a father to their daughter. He presented her with countless gifts and comforts, and fine delicacies.
But she was unable to speak even though she could form intelligent thoughts and reason fully as well as she ever had been able to. However, her mind had become more childlike and less adult than it was prior to the emperor assaulting her... despite the imperial physician's claims that she was fully recovered when what he really meant was that she was as fully recovered as she would ever be henceforth. When the emperor bade her to speak... she pointed to her throat, and used a sign language with her hands so as to convey that she could not do so. Whenever the emperor clearly did not understand the sign language, she would pick up a data pad an type out whatever she wanted to say to him on its' fully featured word processor program, and she would thereafter show it to the emperor. This was the only way she could communicate now, and she made him understand this as time went on. He felt guilty for having driven her into this nonverbal state, and though it was several months before she felt able to contemplate sex with this man again... when she was ready for it, she was happy to discover he was gentle with her and that he could be a good and generous lover when it came down to it. They grew closer and closer, and he became increasingly devoted to her and protective of her. He spent nearly all his time with Mira to such a degree, that he neglected all of his other concubines and his family members as well. All whilst the little girl used her data pad to communicate with him and to teach him important human values such as compassion, liberty, freedom and understanding. In time, he began to change both as a person and as a ruler, and his people were glad for that change. Only the warmongers in the imperial court were cross with him because of the human values that he was beginning to embrace, and they saw it as a sign that he was fated to become a somewhat weak ruler. When he responded, brutally, by having all who spoke out against him slaughtered in various gruesome ways, and their entire families shamed in public... their children sold into slavery and their wives gang raped by genetically altered mutants before crowds that gathered to witness these disturbing public spectacles... no one dared to call him weak after that, nor to even so much as suggest he had an ounce of weakness within him. Increasingly, he granted his subjects more and more freedoms and liberties, and had the priests and priestesses of the gods preach the virtues of love and compassion in all of their sermons during the holy days when people came to the temples to gather together in prayer and meditation. He went easier on his subjects, all the while increasing in his savagery towards his enemies and the enemies of the empire. And though during all the years to come, the Prime Concubine known as Princess Mira never did regain her ability to speak... she had managed to change the course of an entire empire by touching the heart of an emperor whom many had thought only to be a monstrous despot of the most wickedly inclined sort. She was twenty years old at last, and a fully grown and exquisitely beautiful and incredibly strong woman when finally the emperor wed her in an elaborately memorable public marriage ceremony wherein she was named empress and given the authority to rule at the side of her husband the emperor. She wore a shimmering silvery wedding gown made from a gauzy, light and diaphanous material that was totally sheer and transparent with billowing see-through sleeves. Under it, she wore a gold colored one piece leotard and her legs were bare beneath her gown. That was how she was dressed on that day, and the emperor was dressed in pantaloons and a blouse made from the finest blood red metallic silk, with a gold sash belt tied around his waist. The fair and festive ceremony was held in the pleasure gardens out behind the Imperial Palace, and there it was that countless multitudes turned out to watch the wedding take place. Music was played, mostly of the Old Classical variety, and flower petals were thrown all about once the marriage vows were spoken and the bride and groom kissed passionately to seal their hearts together as one. Had she been able to speak, Mira would have cried out with joy at the height of all this excitement, but the noises she was able to so make sufficed to express her delight all the same. “I love you, my Mira! My beloved empress.” he said to her, as this beautiful and imperial couple set forth to usher in a new era for the Crimson Union. Mira never did return to her home, because now she had a new one and it was at the side of her husband. In a short time she had gone from wandering the stars to ruling an empire at a powerful man's side. Not bad!
Published 28th Jan 2024
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