Sun of Zartha/13

The village of the S'aa was a stately yet small village, full of huge green olive trees and rolling grass-covered hills, which looked rather Roman in appearance. Jay and Laura set the egg down right in the central courtyard of the main S'aa forum hall, where the tribal senate was housed. A small crowd gathered to welcome them. Several children ran up to the ship with smiles and hugs. Some of them were wearing medallions like Jay had on, others had charm bracelets like Laura's. Their joy and happiness surprised the pair.

"You're going to be our king and queen!" a girl said with a beaming grin on her face. One could almost feel the excitement and hope coming out of this child.

"Yes we are," Laura said, and picked the girl up.

"I will be just like you, your highness, and marry a Sun prince," the girl said.

"Do you know any Sun princes?" Laura asked.

"No, but maybe I'll go to New York and meet one like you did," the little girl said with an excited giggle.

Jay and Laura both laughed and laughed. "Word spreads around pretty fast on this planet," Jay chuckled.

Laura set the girl down and the two entered the great forum hall.

It was almost exactly like a large Roman or Greek building in appearance, with several pillars topped with the same pyramid-like crystal design on Laura's charm bracelet.

Several attendants were lined up, with excited and happy smiles, shaking with nervousness, to greet the prince and princess. Some of these, especially the women, were wearing sun medallion necklaces. This was an event that had been anticipated for several weeks.

Jay asked one young female attendant why she was wearing a T'ola'a medallion.

"My knowing mate is a T'ola'a cruiser pilot and a relative of yours, my lord."

"And you intend to start a family with him, I assume," Jay asked.

"Of course, my lord," the woman replied with a big smile. "It is the destiny of Zartha that the T'ola'a and S'aa continue the bonds of familial cooperation we have established. Your mother has led the way for so many years and shown us how to begin the process. We are merging into one tribe, my lord, and you and Sh'ana'a shall lead us into new ways of bringing this about. We stand ready to serve you," and the woman bowed her head slightly.

Then the councillor came into the great hall.

The S'aa councillor was a man named T'Avl'aa. He was a short, balding man with a kind and pleasant attitude. He was dressed in a flowing white toga. He warmly welcomed Jay and Laura.

After a short tour of the hall, the three went into the main chamber of the tribal senate to talk of the pressing issues facing the S'aa. For the activities of this tribe were directly affecting the affairs of all of Zartha.

"My lord, our tribe is in turmoil. Simply put, there are those of us who like you and those who don't. And those who don't, want to take over Zartha and enslave all other Zarthans."

"Why is that?" Laura asked.

"They think they are the best creatures in the universe - the elite, and therefore they feel they must rule by force," he said. "They see empire and conquest as the proper course for Zartha - and not cooperation and coexistence, which is the course that brought us to our preeminent position among the planets. Power and wealth, concentrated only in their hands, is what some members of the S'aa feel is owed to them, just because they are Light beings."

"But...Light is all about living right...doing the right thing, having energy and knowledge - and using that knowledge to make the universe a better place. That's what Angie says," Laura replied.

"Indeed, my lord. Remember that our Queen Angelique is a hybrid being, a daughter of our tribe as well as the T'ola'a. She is well versed in the Book of S'aa and is an initiated priestess of our tribe, as well as a priestess of the Sun people."

"Momma told me my grandfather is an elder of this tribe, I guess that means I'm one of you guys too," Jay mused.

"Absolutely, my lord, we claim you as our own, and we look forward to the coronation as a direct fufillment of the 979-year-old prophecy of the Light of Zartha. You see, the two of you represent the single greatest opportunity for unity this planet has known since Lord T'ola'an himself came to this planet. The entire universe will be brought into a glorious new era of peace with the both of you. I know this will happen. We have been waiting for many, many years for the two of you to grow into adulthood and take your places on the throne.

"Conversely, there are some that see your wedding as the single greatest threat to their ambitions for domination, and will stop at nothing to prevent the wedding and coronation from taking place. I would be careful the next two weeks, my lords. I fear that the personal safety of each of you may be severely compromised if you do not take adequate measures."

"Our safety is secondary to the well being of this planet, councillor, "Jay said. "If any of the renegades do anything to hurt anyone, Laura and I will do whatever is necessary to protect the Zarthan people. You can count on that. The people of this planet come first. ALL of them."

"Those are exactly the sentiments of your mother, my lord," T'Avl'aa said, nodding his head in agreement. "Your mother sacrificed her freedom for Zartha. She is revered as a goddess among most of us. She was born with a different level of sacred energy, a much, much higher level, and when she was a child she began manifesting some rather interesting phenomena. She would appear almost as a being of pure Light, giving off energy not seen in a S'aa princess since the olden days of the planet."

Jay stood stunned and frowned slightly with surprise. Laura stood smiling. She hadn't told Jay yet, but both her mother, Lauranna, and Angie appeared to her once, when she was about thirteen. They came into her room in the group home in the Bronx. They appeared as angels and told her she would grow up to be a beautiful princess. She always thought it was a dream...until she met Jay.

And Angie appeared to her again, as an angel of Light.

This was the night she left New York and arrived at the royal palace. In the royal bedroom after Shakita left that night, Angelique appeared. Magically. She said she was the queen of Zartha and that Jason was her son. Angie's body was clothed in a flowing robe, and her entire body was glowing a bright, bluish-white light. In Angie's presence, Laura felt the most incredible feeling of deep motherly love she felt in many, many years.

Angie touched Laura's head and a million images flooded into her brain, a million memories getting deneuralyzed..."Know my son, Sh'ana'aa," Angie said as the energy was slamming into Laura. "Know why you will be his queen. Prepare to make him who he really is..."

T'Avl'aa continued. "We await the day when she comes and presides once again over the sacred ceremonies in the Temple of the Crystals. Your mother is truly a goddess of divine Light, my lord. Her energy changes people, I tell you. Her magic, her fire, her cosmic light, is so pure, words cannot adequately describe its effect."

"I'm...I think I'm getting a pretty clear sense of that, T'Avl'aa," Jay replied with a nervous smile.

T'Avl'aa returned the smile. "You do have a lot of S'Vasa'an in you, my lord. I can tell as much even by seeing you these few moments, and that is probably the most hopeful sign of all, that we will weather this storm. You are still getting acclimated to your own power. I know you have lived for so many years as an Earthling and never got the chance to be properly initiated. But if you are even only half the man as your mother is a woman, this planet will survive ANY threat, internal or otherwise. I am CERTAIN of it, my lord, certain."

Just then, T'Loria'an, one of the senators of the tribal council, came in. He was tall and handsome, with cold, iron blue eyes that focused like lasers. Jay could tell this senator was arrogant, conceited and a possible threat. He could see that right away. He dealt with certain members of the military, law enforcement, and certain members of state and federal government back on Earth who had this exact attitude, and Jay always hated it.

T'Loria'an wore a heavy black cloak over his toga. He was a key leader of the renegade factions, and was suspected - but never formally charged - of orchestrating the raids on the C'ola'a villages.

"My lords," he said, with a slight air of sarcasm in his voice, "I am most pleased you have come as part of your grand tour, to our tribal senate to discuss the current situation. Now I know there are disagreements among us, but let me begin by saying that my main position, and those of my supporters, is that those who are most fit to rule Zartha and solidify our position in the larger universe should be given that opportunity." T'Loria'an's laser blue eyes were fixed on those of Jay. He gave a slight smile, but the smile was as cold as those eyes.

"Of course! The T'ola'an tribe is fit to rule this kingdom, and you know that," T'Avl'aa said. "Under their leadership all these centuries, and by our tribe's unquestioned support of them, this planet has become among the most prosperous in our galaxy. And it was done by showing respect and cooperation amongst all beings - that's something you are clearly against."

T'Loria'an became indignant. "Must we go through this again? The T'ola'an tribe came into power as a result of the other tribes fearing the might of Lord T'ola'an! The Light Tribe was and IS the original tribe of Zartha. This planet should rightfully belong to us. The T'ola'a are newcomers."

"Well, like it or not, we are here," Laura said calmly, "and speaking as a S'aa, I happen to be proud to be part of the royal family. The Sun Tribe and the Light Tribe will merge and become one tribe, sooner or later. It is our spiritual destiny and cannot be stopped. Look at all the S'aa people in this village wearing T'ola'a medallions."

"An aberration which can be remedied by educating the S'aa as to their true heritage and their place in this universe - as conquering heroes, mighty in battle!" T'Loria'an said.

"Do you hate the fact that I am the Light of Zartha?" Laura asked.

T'Loria'an replied, "The Light of Zartha was a myth created by the T'ola'a to gain power and influence amongst the Zarthan people - to brainwash them. Granted, you are a S'aa and have all of the right traits, but the fact of the matter is, you are a creation of Queen Angelique. Part of a calculated political power play so she could have all the power.

"The Light of Zartha is spoken of in the Book of S'aa, TLoria'an," T'Avla'a said.

"Lord T'ola'an coerced the S'aa priests into writing the Book of S'aa for his own glorification," T'Loria'an retorted.

"That is not true," T'Avla'a replied. "The Book of S'aa was inspired by the Original Beings themselves - the first S'aa ancestral spirits - the beings made entirely of pure cosmic light itself - to form into humanoid beings at the very birth of this planet."

Jay spoke up. "Look, T'Loria'an, I'm not a theologian and I don't have my mother's knowledge - yet - so I can't challenge you on the Book of the S'aa. You have a right to your opinion. I think it's wrong, but you have a right to it," Jay said. "What you don't have a right to do is to steal people and make them slaves."

"Who said I was enslaving people?" he replied. "There are those who choose to gather miners to extract crystals they FIRMLY believe they have rightful ownership of, for their own use. The miners have always been treated humanely, T'Va'an. The Rock tribe is overreacting and overstepping their authority when they send rescue forces. They are also infringing on claims to crystals that rightfully belong to the S'aa noblemen."

"Hold up a second, T'Loria'an," Jay said. "Kidnapping at gunpoint, raiding and terrorizing villages, with innocent women and little kids, that's just a little bit different from just gathering miners, the last time I checked, and the C'ola'a have every right to rescue their tribe members if they are taken captive. If you want to get people to work for y'all, hire them and pay them a wage.

"Now if C'ola'a are living in the Purple Valley, that's on the outskirts of the C'ola'a homelands, so they have every right to be there. One thing I've learned by now, is that all Zarthans have a right to live anywhere on this planet they choose. This planet belongs to all of us. Think about it. A whole village of C'ola'a could be displaced by an earthquake or something and come to this village looking for shelter -"

T'Avl'aa interjected. "- And every accommodation would be immediately made for them, my lord, you have my assurance on that, let me make that clear!"

T'Loria'an scowled with disgust. "Kissing up to the T'ola'a AGAIN...Well, let me make MYSELF clear. I highly disagree with that policy, T'Va'an. The Purple Valley belonged to us centuries ago and we still make claim to those lands, we are still the rightful owners even though we haven't had a permanent presence there in over 650 years. The C'ola'a settlers are trespassing and if they choose to become squatters in the valley, we reserve the right to compel them to labor in our mines. Our land, our mines, our labor. We are willing to go to battle with any tribe that would dispute that."

"We do NOT support civil war, my lord," T'Avl'aa interjected, turning to Jay. "Officially, the Purple Valley is land which NO one tribe has any right to own or control. T'Loria'an, the mining activities are in clear and direct violation of Zarthan law and you know that. You have the authority to stop the practice but you won't. That is shameful and I have said so in our tribal council meetings!

"The Purple Valley situation is very controversial, but can be easily settled the way we have always done - at the table of negotiation. The noblemen have a right to mine if they follow the proper procedures, legally employ anyone who chooses to work in these mines and register the crystals with the royal treasury, so that any and all monetary proceeds are distributed among all tribes equally. That is NOT the case at the present time!

"What's more, my lords, Zarthan law and custom says that all members of all tribes do indeed have free and clear claim to any land they choose to settle. There is no concept of ownership of land in Zarthan law."

Jay and Laura looked at each other and watched the two S'aa begin to argue more heatedly.

"That is something I consider to be a grave mistake, T'Avl'aa," T'Loria'an said. "Why must all Zarthans share in the wealth that should belong to those who rightfully earned it, or rightfully inherited it?"

"All Zarthans rightfully earned AND inherited the wealth of this planet," the councillor said. "All Zarthans are eternal beings of the universe and hold the same cosmic Light. To withhold the riches of this planet would be tantamount to witholding Light. That is fundamentally unacceptable."

"Not all beings are even worthy of the Light!" the senator sneered. "The Light is given to those beings who can most effectively use it!"

"All beings can effectively use the Light! They just need to be taught how!"

"An utter waste! Rock and Water people have absolutely no need for the power of Light! Their energies are best used in OUR service! And Light is nothing but dangerous and destructive in the hands of T'ola'a! The power of cosmic Light is a tool to dominate the universe, to rule! It must be reserved for S'aa and S'aa alone! We - OUR tribe - are the rightful rulers of all planets in this universe! It is our destiny!"

"Utter nonsense!" the councillor retorted with a huge scowling frown. His face was red. "You speak absolute nonsense as usual, T'Loria'an! Why anyone would follow your drivel is far beyond my comprehension!"

"Then perhaps those who cannot comprehend need not be in positions of tribal leadership," the senator sneered. His eyes narrowed in a contemptous stare at T'Avl'aa.

"Fellas," Laura interrupted. "I see we have quite a challenge before us. When Jay and I are installed as king and queen, we will convene a conference to address the issue. We will lock ourselves in a room and we won't leave until we reach an agreement - a peaceful agreement - on the Purple Valley that satisfies everyone. In the meantime, we still have to protect the safety of all the tribes and protect their lawful right to live anywhere on this planet they want.

"T'Loria'an, I would strongly encourage you to please reconsider your position on forcing the Rock people to work the mines against their will - or at least allowing that to happen. That's a clear and direct violation of their civil rights."

Jay looked at Laura and was impressed at the confidence and clarity she was displaying. He gave a slight smile. This was not just a pizza waitress talking here.

"Perhaps a constitutional convention would be more appropriate," T'Loria'an said.

"Oh, come on. If we have a constitutional convention, will you abide by it?" Jay asked.

"If the terms are agreeable," the senator said. "And one thing all of you must know: as much as everyone is yelling peace, peace, peace, mind you that it may not be possible to avoid civil war on Zartha forever - even within tribes. The divisions are very deep, and there is not much trust between differing factions."

"I see that," said Jay, "but you know as well as I do that civil war on Zartha can escalate and spread to the entire galaxy. It could affect the fate of other planets."

"I do not care if Earth is affected by our conflict, if Earth is what you're talking about," T'Loria'an said. "Earth will eventually be taken over sooner or later anyway, and frankly, I'd like to be the one to do it."

"That ain't happening, 'cause I used to work for the people who will see to it that Earth ISN't taken over." Jay's look was stern.

T'Loria'an returned an equally stern look to Jay. "Not even your former employers - and they are quite a formidable organization, let me say, Prince T'Va'an, in many ways as a result of your direct involvement - not even a force of the caliber of the Men In Black have the wherewithal to withstand an attack from powerful ELITE forces, concentrated, focused and intent on nothing more grand and noble conquest! Mark my words, son of Angelique! The invasion of Earth will happen! And it's just a matter of time. But we deal with one crisis at a time," and with that, the senator stormed out of the room.

"Damn, what an asshole," Jay said.

"Now that you two will soon rule, maybe he and his supporters will be made to see the truth - once and for all," T'Avla'a said.

"I think Laura's idea is a good one. T'Avla'a, mark your official calendar for one week after the coronation. We negotiate Purple Valley. Period."

"Consider it done, my lord," the councillor said. "One thing's for sure, the transition of power on this planet will be as smooth as crystal. Thank the sacred stars you have returned to us, T'Va'an," and here T'Avla'a grasped his hand with an excited grin. "I remember holding you as an infant at your dedication. Now you shall become king. How proud I am of this."

---

Jay and Laura were in the air on the way to the final destination, the Valley of the Mothers.

"Laura, if we don't settle the whole Purple Valley business this planet will have a civil war. What in the hell are we gonna do?" asked Jason, dejectedly.

"Just exactly what I said, baby. Everything will be fine. T'Loria'an will stop his bullshit."

"You were pretty good in there, baby." Jay had a warm smile on his face now.

"Thanks. I did some volunteer work with ACLU two summers ago, plus I campaigned for Gore, so I know a little bit about politics. I think I'm gonna like this king and queen stuff. It's kinda fun."