Page 1 of Commander's Slave
Chapter 1
EARTH 2071
Please don’t letthem kill me.
Deep hunger pains ripped through Betsy Carson’s stomach as she stared at the old Kall judge who prepared to announce her fate. Though humanlike, his large stature and remarkable musculature were distinctly alien. His wrinkled skin was a shade too red to resemble any race of humans. His eyes were a soft blue, but a frightening darkness spread through them as he listed her crimes for the courtroom witnesses. Amidst his heavily accented words, she picked out sabotage, conspiracy, and something about illegal weapons.
None of it was true, but she still expected to be found guilty of each and every trumped-up charge.
The judge began to address the courtroom in the native Kall tongue. Gasps and outraged cries swelled around her. Cold accusing eyes fixed on her from all directions. The only pity and kindness she glimpsed as the judge condemned her came from the few humans who sat in the room, most of them journalists huddled in the front opposite row.
She bit her lip and fought the urge to jump to her feet, to openly curse the Kall for putting so much effort into this farce of a trial, to scream the truth to the journalists in hopes that one of them would be brave enough to dig deeper and report it. Of course, if she made any attempt to communicate with the journalists, a courtroom guard would likely strike her with an electrified baton.
Closing her eyes briefly, she shuddered at the memory of the painful, jolting shock produced by such weapons.
While in the aliens’ custody, she had quickly learned firsthand what happened to uncooperative prisoners.
When the judge paused to draw in a long breath, three Kall warriors in combat uniforms jumped up to point and shout at her. Hatred radiated off their massive forms, their muscles tense and their faces bright red. Spittle flew from their mouths as their volume rose. Two guards intervened and prevented them from exiting their row. One held his electrified baton up in warning and the three Kall warriors reluctantly returned to their seats.
Closing her eyes as the interruption died down, she recalled her former life as the daughter of the President of the United States with a smidge of guilt. She’d taken so much for granted, and it had all been stripped away.
She glanced over her shoulder at Layla, remembering the horrible things her friend claimed happened to humans who wronged the Kall. She could be locked up forever, put to death, sold as a slave, or forced to work in the harshest mine on the aliens’ homeworld. If she wasn’t sentenced to death, she hoped the alternative didn’t make her wish for it.
“Guilty on all charges!” The judge’s voice thundered through the courtroom and cut the final thread of hope Betsy had been clinging to.
For several long moments, she couldn’t draw any air into her lungs. Even though the verdict came as no surprise, time froze as horror washed through her. She felt cold all over and wrapped her arms around herself in an attempt to fight off the imagined chill.
Guilty.
Pain squeezed her heart.
Triumphant shouts in the Kall tongue spread through the massive room and heightened her terror. None of them knew her, but she was human, and that was enough. They were happy she’d been found guilty and rejoiced over the yet unannounced punishment she would endure.
The judge stood up on his podium and leveled a stern look at the boisterous crowd until silence once again blanketed the courtroom. Now was the time for sentencing, and the seconds dragged on like hours as she waited. Her heart thumped a frantic rhythm in her chest.
Please don’t let them kill me.
As the old Kall judge took his seat, Betsy’s stomach twisted and convulsed. The chill in her bones deepened and she hugged herself tighter. Trembles wracked her whole body, and a prickling sensation affected her fingers and toes, reminiscent of the time she’d gotten frostbite a few months ago.
She tried to take in deep breaths and calm herself. Whenever she got shaking episodes like this, it usually took a long time to make the convulsions stop. She hated that the Kall in the courtroom were glimpsing her at her weakest. She wished she could be brave at this moment, wished she could stand up and defend herself, even if it would only bring her pain in the end.
But she wasn’t brave. She was a coward. It was her weakness that had gotten her into this mess in the first place.
If only she could turn back time.
God, she would change so many things.
She stared at the judge, waiting for his announcement. The one that would decide the rest of her life. She couldn’t be certain, but she thought his cold blue eyes suddenly held a jubilant gleam.He’s enjoying this, she realized, as the sickness in her stomach expanded.
More deep breaths.In. Out. I’m not walking in the snow. I don’t have frostbite this time. Stop shaking. They won’t kill me. Layla hinted that they would spare my life.Betsy tried giving herself a pep talk, but it didn’t work. If anything, her quaking only increased, to the point that her teeth began to chatter.
At least the accused in a Kall court didn’t have to stand for judgment. Under no circumstances would her legs work right now. She hugged herself tighter as the Kall judge sucked in a long breath, preparing to speak.
“Betsy Carson, First Daughter of the United States, you are sentenced to a lifetime of slavery in the Sumlin District on the Kall homeworld. Upon your arrival, you will be sold at auction to the highest bidder, and I have no doubt you will spend the rest of your days in great suffering, regretting your heinous crimes with every pathetic breath you take.” Kall words came next, thick throaty words as he translated the sentence for all to hear.
Lifetime of slavery… sold to the highest bidder… rest of your days.
The judge’s words replayed in her mind as she lurched forward and clutched the arms of her chair, nearly toppling to the floor.No no no. Please no.
