The Secret of Tanencha sy Tyrin

Tanencha. The word doesn't exactly roll off the tongue. But then, Outworld names seldom do. Rasputin, however had gotten used to murdering Outworld names. He actually kind of enjoyed it. Although this particular name was to be pronounced correctly. He would need to practice.

Tanencha sy Tyrin. Say it again, get it right. Tyrin was the Most High Emperor of the Tettyrin Dynasty. "Most High Emperor." Sounds a little self aggrandizing, but in this case it fit. Tyrin had consolidated more than 1500 autonomous planetary governments to form the largest empire in human history; by citizenship or by geographic (in this case cosmic) territory. Mispronouncing his Most High's chosen moniker could be disastrous. In fact, it would undoubtedly result in Rasputin's execution.

"Ok, enough already. Just pay attention to the Nav-Com and get there in one piece." He often gave himself sage advice. Good thing, since he was the only member of the crew on this run. His "cargo", the intended of Tyrin's only child, didn't have much to say. He was being married off to his Most High's daughter, Tanencha, in order to secure peace between the Earthers and the Tettyrins.

After 2000 years of devastating war, both sides feared extinction more than they hated each other. The destruction suffered by both sides had returned humanity to an interplanetary version of the ancient feudal system of governance. The joining of Tyrin's family with Earth's ruling family was sure to bring peace. Well, one could hope.

"Rasputin! How much longer 'till we get to this God forsaken planet?" Third time in the past hour Daetrin had asked this particular question.

"Dear God, he's like a five year old." Rasputin muttered to no one in particular. "I don't know! Maybe a couple of years. Shut up and count passing asteroids or something!" He didn't know how he was going to survive this trip. But he understood Daetrin's anxiety. He was on a months long journey through space with almost no one to talk to (Rasputin avoided conversation with the dolt as much as possible) and at the end of the flight he would be married off to some inbred, trashy daughter of an arrogant Outworld dictator.

At this point Rasputin didn't know which was worse, Daetrin's miserable fate, or having to listen to him complain about how unfair it was. At least his own suffering would end when he delivered the trembling groom to his new inlaws. Ah, a pinpoint of light at the end of a long tunnel.

Of course, no Earther would actually blame him for his miserable state. Earthers had been separated from the Outworlders for millennia. Environmental changes, extended space travel, the total lack of natural food sources had all contributed to the Earther's accelerated evolution. The Earthers had changed considerably since space travel had first begun eons ago. In fact, ancient images of early "humans" showed ragged groups of short, stocky beings with some kind of fur sprouting in various places on their bodies. They were hardly recognizable as ancestors of lithe, smooth skinned, hairless, beautiful creations they were today.

Of course the Tettyrins were also antecedents of those same hairy brutes, but since no one had actually seen a Tettyrin in thousands of years, no one actually knew what they looked like. Naturally, that was a big part of Daetrin's concern. He had no idea what kind of horrific visage of a woman he was betrothed to. Well, time will tell.

***

"Father, I don't want to do this!" Tanencha was adamant. "I don't want to be married off to an Earther! You can't make me do this!"

"Tanencha, sweetheart, you know we wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't necessary." Tyrin was trying to sound empathetic, but the final word was his after all. "It will all be over so soon. You'll be happier if you stop looking at this like punishment and accept it for what it is; a path to the future for our people."