She remembered covering the child’s mouth with her hand as she slowly slit his throat. She remembered the look of shock and horror in the boy’s blue eyes, as he clutched desperately at his neck, but mostly she remembered the blood. Bright red and warm, it had pulsed from his neck, spraying across the room and across her hands and face, like rain in summer. Separated by the cold void of space, the last remnants of humanity escaped a dying Earth to settle in colonies across the galaxy and now barter with their imperial overlord for water. Grappling with the murder of her husband, the Duchess Mariam, and her son, Ibrahim, must find a way to defend themselves against a fast approaching army of Imperial droids, whilst the mistakes of her past threaten their present. Unbeknown to them, however, the Emperor has his own reasons for launching his invasion. Reasons that will have profound consequences for both Ibrahim and the Empire as a whole.
Dr Mehmood Syed is an alumnus of the Guy’s, King’s, and St. Thomas’ School of Medicine at King’s College London and a Consultant in Family Medicine. He holds the Diploma of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners, and an MBA from the Business School of Imperial College London. He is the author of several academic papers and co-author of an internationally published textbook of primary care. After practising medicine for a decade in London, Mehmood transitioned first into healthcare management and then general business management in the Middle East. He presently resides in Dubai with his wife, their two children, and three cats.