The Chimera slowly neared the planet, its massive steel structure drifting through space.
Dorian stared out through the command center's main window, lost in thought. Scenarios of what could have happened to his wife and daughter in his absence ran through his head endlessly.
"Captain, you're kind of...quite." Hex's artificial voice echoed from the ship's intercom. She sounded genuinely worried about him, which was exceptionally rare for her.
He snapped out of his daze, straightening up in his captain's chair. "I'm fine Hex, let's just hurry this up."
Though Hehra and her pirate crew had vastly increased the size of his ship during his two year long hiatus, Hex's control over The Chimera's systems were more than enough to comfortably operate the large vessel without the help of additional crew members. They both worked together to enter orbit above Yarrin, as captain and AI.
As the ship descended through the atmosphere, the communication monitor suddenly lit up with incoming information. Switching his attention to the screen, Dorian feruled his brow in confusion. "Hex? What am I looking at?"
"Interesting...it seems to be a signal originating from deep inside the jungle. It appears to be broadcasting directly to us" She explained.
"And? What does it say?"
"Well...nothing, master. It seems to be intended to direct us to its source, rather than it acting as a message."
Dorian ran his fingers through his black hair, letting out a strained sigh. Mere minutes after they began descending into the atmosphere and someone was already trying to get his attention from a mysterious hidden location. It didn't bode well for his family. "Alright Hex, guide the ship."
***
The Chimera's massive size loomed over the jungle's thick canopy, directly above the source of the transmission.
A small shuttle that had been leftover from the pirate occupants remained in the ship's main hangar, which Dorian boarded. The Chimera was now FAR too large to land on the jungle floor without destroying the dense vegetation, though the shuttle would be the perfect size to transport him to the surface.
He piloted the shuttle through the hanger doors and began to descend. As he passed through the treetops, he was able to get a clearer look at the transmission's source, which appeared to be a long abandoned outpost of The Varian Empire. A large circular building, the outpost had a main communication tower placed directly in its center. The metal structure of the building had begun to collapse to a small extent, overtaken with vegetation as the jungle attempted to reclaim it.
Dorian carefully set the shuttle down near the old building, before lowering the landing ramp and stepping out onto the humid surface of Yarrin.
The main doors of the outpost began to slide open, screeching loudly as it's long unused mechanisms struggled to function once more. Several individuals began to emerge from the doorway, which he immediately recognized as Yarrin citizens. Each of the exotic brown women wielded either a crude sword or a spear, with only the bare minimum amount of armor to conceal their goddess-like bodies.
As soon as he recognized Esi leading the group towards him, Dorian sprinted towards her and swept her off her feet in a powerful embrace. "Esi...I'm so glad that you're safe!"
He placed her back down on her feet, and she immediately punched him in the jaw.
"The fuck was that for?!" Dorian asked, stumbling back as he cupped his mouth.
"You slept with The High Priestess!?!" The former queen screamed in rage. "I allow you to have sex with any girl you want off planet, and you immediately betray me!?!"
Realizing what his wife meant, he let out a sigh as he rubbed his jaw. "Listen, it wasn't like that. I had no choice. I mean, I was bound for God sake!" He said, thinking back to the festival of his daughter's birth.
Esi closed her eyes and shook her head. "No Dorian, you didn't tell me what happened! If you had only come to me and explained that she raped you, I could have brought her to justice! All of this could have been avoided..."
"What are you talking about...?" He asked, realizing that he didn't see Mira among the crowd.
The former queen took a step towards him, before her anger broke down into despair as tears rolled down her gorgeous face. She threw herself into her husband's arms, pressing against his chest. "Dorian...Mira was overthrown..."
"What?! How?!" He asked, comforting Esi.
"We had a stranger arrive in the city about a year ago, a large man with a robotic arm and a burn scar on his face. Of course Queen Mira had him immediately arrested for entering the city, though only two days later The High Priestess gathered the city for an announcement. She revealed that you were the father of her daughter, Yisi, which gave the girl a claim to the throne." She explained, wiping her tears from her eyes.
A chill trickled down Dorian's spine, as his fears were confirmed. "A robotic arm and burn scar? Gursaw?"
Esi looked up at him. "How did you know?"
"He helped enslave me two years ago. If he's here...he's DEAD."
"I want him dead more than anyone, but it isn't that easy." She replied, shaking her head. "After The High Priestess's announcement, she gathered a large group of citizens and forced Mira to free Gursaw. Whether they had planned it together before the announcement or not, we don't know, but Yisi and Gursaw were quickly married. With both a natural father and a male husband, the people of Yarrin put their support behind Yisi."
Dorian held her tightly, until she pulled away, her anger returning.
"Your priestess-born bastard Yisi overthrew our daughter!" She yelled, punching him in the chest. "They've kept her prisoner for a year! A YEAR!"
He grabbed her fist as another punch launched at him, pulling her close to him.
"Why Dorian?! Why didn't you just tell me?!"
"I'm... sorry Esi..." He replied, holding her arms firmly until she calmed herself.
She pulled herself from his grasp and stepped back, turning her head slightly to look away from him. "I...I'm very grateful that you are alive. I worried about you everyday...but you've REALLY messed up this time. Just...give me space to think for a bit...alright?"
Dorian nodded solemnly, before she turned away and began to walk back to the abandoned outpost. The crowd of beautiful exotic women accompanying her followed her lead with looks of sorrow for their captured queen.
As the crowd dispersed, three people remained outside, approaching him. He immediately recognized the shortest of the trio, Callie. His former companion ran up to him, embracing him in a large hug. "Dorian! I've missed you so much!"
"Callie!" He yelled, embracing her tightly. He had to bend over slightly to accommodate for her short stature. Her time spent as a Yarrin citizen had clearly influenced her, as her space ready outfit had been replaced with a skimpy attire that resembled those worn by the native women of Yarrin, leaving very little to the imagination.
"I was so worried that you were dead!" She exclaimed, before pulling away. "And there's someone else who was also worried about you..." she said, stepping back and grabbing the hand of the second person in the trio. A bit taller than Callie, the boy was the only other male that Dorian had seen on Yarrin. With his fiery red hair that matched Callie's, Dorian had no doubt about who the boy was.
He stepped forward, guided by Callie. "It's nice to finally meet you...sir." the boy said, bowing his head slightly.
"Quinn?" Dorian asked, already knowing the answer. He hadn't seen him since his birth, yet there was no doubt. The boy was his son.
"Yes, sir." Quinn replied. Due to his DNA, the boy had reached maturity far quicker than normal, looking to be around the age of eighteen. He was shorter than Dorian, clearly affected by his mother's small stature. He wore a simple loincloth, as the women of Yarrin had little experience making clothing for men after so many generations of lacking living males on the planet. He was skinny, with hints of muscle under his semi-pale skin, very slightly tanned from the jungle sun.
The boy was quite literally a stranger, Dorian stepped forward and embraced his son, holding him tightly before separating. "Well you've grown!"
The trio chuckled, bringing his attention to the third individual. She was clearly a native of Yarrin, with their typical exotic brown features. Her gorgeous body was slightly concealed in crude armor made from scavenged metal. She had several large scars across her face and toned limbs, reminders of past battles or fights. "My lord, I am Ursi, leader of the queen's guard." She said, introducing herself after a quizzical look from Dorian. "Former Queen Esi is too occupied to explain the situation, as you've seen, so I will fill you in on what's happening."
Dorian turned his attention fully to the mature battle worn warrior. "Fair enough, where is Mira being held?" He asked, as his paternal instincts filled him with worry.
Ursi straightened up, with an expression that told him that her failure to protect her queen was still very much present. "Our spies have indicated that the usurper Yisi has kept her in the grand pyramid. Lord Gursaw has apparently been keeping her as...well, a pleasure slave."
Dorian's fists tightened, though he kept his voice low and serious. "How do I get to her?"
"We're working on that, trust me, my lord." The woman explained. "We are VASTLY outnumbered, but now that you are here we can schedule our attack."
"I'll certainly help in any way that I can. With The Chimera, I can bomb them from orbit." Dorian replied, crossing his arms as he considered the idea.
Quinn shook his head, interrupting. "We discussed that plan a few days after we fled here, but it's too risky. Not only would many neutral citizens die, but you'd be putting Mira directly in danger, father."
"He's right, we decided that if you return, we'd rule out bombardment." Ursi explained.
"But that isn't the only way." Callie interjected. "If we use the advanced weapons from the ship's Armory, we might stand a chance. Even just your energy sword would help out a lot."
