Introduction

This story is set in Brian in the Dark’s ‘Dizyntk Imperium’ universe. If you have already read the other stories then please skip the rest of this introduction and move to the story proper. If you haven’t read them, then I would strongly suggest you do so and then skip to the story proper, as I won’t be going into enough depth to give a good feel for the entire universe, instead I’ll focus strictly on giving enough background that the reader won’t be utterly lost (I hope). You can also gain depth of understanding by reading just the first chapters of his first, second and third stories where it deals with dizyntk racial details, culture and customs.

The Dizyntk are a bipedal, mammalian, almost feline, species that evolved in a different part of the galaxy, away from human space. They are shorter than humans in general — rarely getting above five foot, four inches in height including their ears — and slighter, averaging one hundred-five pounds for the slightly heavier males. There are only minor difference in size and strength between males and females so there are few professions dominated by one gender.

Dizyntk ears average around five inches tall and are reminiscent of feline ears, both in shape and mobility, and their tails, while not prehensile, can be used for touch as well as being made rigid. Their tails average twenty-four inches long but are highly variable, with some taller dizyntk having tails up to thirty-six inches. They have both a fine coat of fur on parts of their body and hair on their heads. Their eyes are larger than human eyes and the colors can be more intense, including red. They evolved from predators and still have sharp, retractable claws. They are also very fast sprinters, reaching up to forty-five miles/hour in a few strides. They are also, believe it or not, genetically compatible with humans.

The dizyntk cyanka is the equivalent of the human standard year, the time it takes their home world to orbit its star. A cyanka is half again as long as a standard year and is used on all dizyntk worlds.

At the time of the story’s start the human worlds are ruled by a rigid, ultra-conservative, theocracy called the Protectorate. Dizyntk worlds are ruled by a monarchy, though it’s a monarchy divided in rough thirds. One portion is ruled by the Empress directly, each of the others is ruled by a queen who is subordinate to her but largely autonomous. By the time they come of age dizyntk females outnumber males by almost 2:1 so it’s little wonder than they are a matriarchy and matrilineal.

Central to understanding the Dizyntk is understanding their bonded mating groups, which are only very roughly analogous to marriages on earth. Mating groups can contain more than two individuals and there is no social stigma to members of the same sex being bonded to, and mating with, each other. The bonding is done by a priestess of The Temple (more properly ‘The Temple of The Most Beloved Winged Goddess of Dizyn’) and involves a serious pledge essentially making each individual the ‘property’ of all of the other members of the mating group, and there is no such thing as divorce.

Also of note is that Dizyntk are very social beings and dislike sleeping alone. If they are in a position where they can not sleep with their family they frequently have ‘sleep mates’, others that they sleep with in order to provide the closeness they are used to. Note that ‘sleep with’ does not equal ‘sex.’

The only religion currently practiced in dizyntk space is the worship of the Goddess, who is depicted as a winged dizyntk. There are no priests, only priestesses, and there are no restrictions on the priestess’ bonding.

As befits a predator, Dizyntk have an acute sense of smell. They have scent glands on the sides of their necks. Once they know another’s scent they can use it to recognize them in complete darkness.

The Zyrestrim are dizyntk special forces, similar to the British SAS and US Navy Seals. Rangers fulfill a role similar to park rangers and game wardens, but for all public lands. It is both a profession and a title. The Royal Guard are a special, highly trained, part of the dizyntk military that provides protection for the royal families — both personal protection and protection for their residences and property.

Important characters borrowed from Brian in the Dark’s stories. I believe I have treated them each well in this story:

Feyalisa - heir to the queen of the second star cluster.
Michael Christopher - Feyalisa’s human mate, father of Ariarisha.
Ariarisha - Mixed specie child of Feyalisa and Michael, showing some traits of each.
Velakari - the other mate of Feyalisa and Michael, as well as being a priestess.
Virathia - Currently a colonel in the Royal Guard for the second star cluster. Highly decorated for her actions in a recent uprising.