Central City, Earth – 3294 AD
It was like any other day in the city. Just a few hours since dawn and the people were already up. Even though, the city was spaciously built over a vast expanse of land, the morning buzz of people scampering to get to work on time, made it look cramped.
The city was vertically built on a series of mountains, such that, the least important people stayed in the lowest of the valley, while the most important people resided on the peak. This architecture had been decided centuries prior, to ensure proper chain of command. It was this decision made by her forefathers that enabled Her Majesty, The President JYOTI CELYN VARMA, to look over her city from the balcony of her palace.
Even though, she had ruled over the Solar System without any complaints for the past 20 years, she was beginning to get tired of leadership. Decision making and leadership were a man’s job, she brooded as she looked down on her people. They went about their mundane lives, happily ignorant of the impending threat. She wished to be like them, normal and happy.
She heard a cough from behind and turned around. Standing at the middle of her bedroom was MYRA, one of the newly appointed lady servants.
” The bath is ready, Your Majesty”, said the young girl. She kept her palms entwined, her slender arms forming a V – shape such that her hands fell beneath her navel. She had exquisite dark skin that perfectly complemented her purple eyes. She had a glass bindi on her forehead, that the president identified as the ones sold at the low rises. Even though Myra was poor, she seemed to take care of her looks. Jyoti smiled at the girl and walked to the bath. Paru, her pet Liger purred as she walked past her.
As she undressed and slid into the bathtub, Myra and the other servant Layla, rubbed soaps and other perfumes on her. Jyoti was already late for court and hence, the bath was a quick affair.
She quickly dressed and headed to the court hall, Paru in tow. Everyone was waiting for her and when she entered the hall, stood up as one, . She acknowledged a few ministers with a slight nod and made her way towards the throne. The throne was placed atop few stairs, making it higher than any other chair in the hall. As she sat on the throne, the others too followed suit.
She surveyed her court and realised every minister except her Prime Minister were present. She was irritated by this. She knew that him and her nephew Arjun were becoming alarmingly close these days.
The court began session. Amarinder Singh, the Finance Minister, called up the names of people with complaints and other requests. Complainants ranged from humanoids from the city to extra terrestrial species from across the solar system. For the next one hour, the president heard about corrupt space customs officers, rapists from Saturn and dacoits from the favelas outside the city.
After almost 5 hours, the court session ended. The last few complainants left the court. Some happy. Some sad. But whatever decision she took, sitting on that throne was final, and they all knew that.
“Any news about Moonking? “, asked Jyoti to Jonas Smith, her Minister of Defense. It had been almost 3 weeks, since she last heard from Moonking. The disaster at Mars had left her sleepless for the next few days. It was only after she heard that Moonking was not found amidst the dead, that she breathed a sigh of relief. He was alive somewhere. He had to be.
“No news yet, Your Majesty. He was last seen at the Mars Space Port leaving the planet on his spacecraft. But since then he has not landed anywhere else. His spacecraft is not docked at the Saturn Space Port. He must be somewhere in space, Your Majesty. He must land somewhere. We will find him then”, replied Jonas.
Jyoti simply nodded her head in reply. One by one, all the ministers and other officers, took leave from her and exited the court. She saw her Minister of Finance exit. He is going to fuck one of his whores no doubt, thought Jyoti acidly and smiled to herself.
Several years back, when Jyoti became the president, the court was filled with ministers proud to do their duties to the Republic. But now, 2 decades later, the ministers were all old and lusty, who just wanted to get fucked. Several of her ministers had bastard children spread throughout the city and the favela.
When her father was killed by the rebels and her brother refused the throne, it was she, Jyoti Celyn Varma, who bravely sat on the throne to become the first female President of the Republic. Back then, she had the strength to subdue or execute her critics, who were against the idea of a woman ruling them. But now, the strength was only in her mind and not in her body.
She knew that secret discussions have already begun regarding her successor. Since, the presidency was not strictly hereditary and since she never married, there was a lot of competition. Chief among them, her brother’s son Arjun Mahavir Varma. Alone, he was not a big threat. But he had ANIRUDH VALZAR ABRAHAM , the Prime Minister, as his mentor. He was one of the most intelligent brains in the entire Solar System.
But she would outwit him now, as she did 20 years back when he tried to snatch the throne from her.
Everything depended on her one last plan, that she has set in motion. Everything depended on Moonking delivering the message to her brother, DAMODAR MAHAVIR VARMA.
War of the galaxy 