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Chapter one

The Story So Far

I n the distant future, Earth has exploded into the galaxy colonizing dozens of planets, the colonists adapting their own genetic structure to thrive in their new homes.

Falosia and Verit are two of these planets. Falosians are empaths, and the planet has a majority female population. Their few males are cosseted, petted and adored, but are not viewed as suitable long-term partners. Verit is also matriarchal, but there are very few females left. Those that remain have formed a vicious ruling class, controlling the mercenary clans of feline shifter males.

The diaspora of human-descended planets and species worked together as part of a xenophobic Alliance, pooling their shared economic, social and military power against aliens.

Four years ago, Falosia and Verit came together to co-sponsor a new colony named Dalat, hoping to establish a safe place where their peoples would be able to find mates and address their declining birth rates.

A Falosian commander, K’Dec Maral, was appointed governor. While the Matriarch of Verit agreed to the appointment in exchange for Falosia funding the colony establishment, the traditionalist faction of the Verit Matriarchs, led by Maman Frei, resisted the arrangement.

At first, the colony worked better than either group could have hoped. Despite some initial social friction, the Falosians and Verit colonists blended well, and began to find mates.

However, a rare, highly valuable mineral called Zyilan was discovered on the planet. In investigating the Zyilan, the colonists discovered something even better; an ancient sentient alien ship. The ship, Casti, bonded psychically with one of the Falosian colonists, Zera. The discovery was a double-edged sword that threatened everything they were trying to build. When word got out, the little colony suddenly faced an onslaught of thieves and pirates from every corner of the galaxy descending on their backwater planet.

To protect the colony from the Alliance that sought to steal their planet, as well as the plethora of other aliens after them, K’Dec Maral entered into an arranged mating with the alien DuSin MakenRoy, Prince of the Malurien Empire. They fell deeply in love, and the massive Malurien Empire threw the weight of its power behind the colony, protecting it.

Dalat, once a quiet colony, has become the center of a rapidly developing scientific research base and trading post. Aliens of every description are beating down the proverbial door, desperate to trade for Zyilan and gain the secrets of ancient alien technology, which Casti has been reluctant to share with what it perceives to be dangerously immature species.

The introduction of the partnership with the Malurien empire has also destabilized the already fragile Falosian-Verit balance of power. The Falosians, through the Maral-MakenRoy pairing, now have the controlling influence on the colony, and the traditionalist Maman are increasingly frustrated with the state of affairs. Worse, the political climate on Verit is heating up. The males are becoming increasingly resentful of the ruthless Maman, and their abusive ways.

The situation is delicate, balanced on a knife-edge and ready to explode.