Chapter Nine: The Beginning

As the vehicle moved toward the main gates, Kate had no plans to turn around. Then she looked down at the hand guards her grandmother had given her. The leather was imprinted with the same intricate tree design that decorated the vestibule of the library and council chamber. Kate’s ancestor, Paul Alexander, was originally a tree farmer and no one except the Alexanders could open the box. That made their family tree the most sacred one on Earth.
She didn’t always wear them when she fought with her staff. She didn’t even wear them when she sparred. But these days, the Alexanders always traveled in something fit for defense. It wasn’t a choice; it was the uniform.
Eventually, Kate gave in and looked back. She turned to see her mother still standing there like a statue. She watched her fade away as the gates to the Alexander compound closed between them.
It was an unexpected and welcome final vision that stole the excitement from her trip. Instead, Kate was overwhelmed with a desire to cry. She felt her eyes well up, and was left wondering how to hide her tears.
If only Eric was at her side, she might have let them flow. But with Omari in the vehicle, she had no choice but to keep everything inside.
She decided to keep her focus on the road ahead. The trip to Shackelton Base was only a few hours and soon she wouldn’t even be on her home planet. It had been years since she left, and her father was probably right. The low gravity sickness would hit her hard. It was time to swallow her emotions and keep her eyes facing foward. Her life was only beginning.
•••
James followed Ceres into the council chamber and watched her circle Sun’s seat like a vulture. His aunt shared the disappointment of losing that seat. Sun was chosen over Ceres, and Kate was chosen over James.
And neither one deserved it.
Ceres was the youngest of her generation, and with five siblings it seemed unlikely she would be eligible for any seat on the council. Then she started a betting pool for the training room battles when she was still a novice. The matchups between Sun and William were her most successful bouts, and she eventually promoted them among the military ranks. Some officers felt William was noticed as a leader because of how Ceres spoke of him. She always complimented his strategy and physique.
Not only was she financially successful with all her endeavors, she also accrued a great deal of power. Her prowess was obvious and it didn’t take long for her superiors to see her potential.
James didn’t have as many siblings. Sun only had two children. He was even older than Kate. So he felt he should have been the one to lead the family. His downfall wasn’t age or competition. He felt it was because he was a man.
Ever since the massacre, the Alexanders turned to the women of the family as their leaders. Maybe it was about their ability to give birth; or maybe it was a way of honoring the few Alexanders who survived it.
Either way, James didn’t really care. He only knew the reason he wasn’t chosen to succeed Sun was not his fault. It was only because he had a sister.
If she was gone, the council would certainly turn to him to fill the void. Sun had no one else. For him, everything he had dreamed of was about to unfold. His life was only beginning.