Planet (Setting Stone)

A planet was ruled by a king until he and his family were overthrown.

The usurper became emperor and promised to treat the people like citizens, not subjects. The emperor ruled through fear, though, because he had a gauntlet that could vaporise his enemies. The old king's followers were approached by two travellers and the aliens to whom the gauntlet belonged. The strangers offered their help in defeating the emperor. They used another weapon of the aliens to turn the emperor and his family to stone.

Centuries later, Bernice Summerfield and Adrian Wall encountered Nina, the daughter of the emperor. The imprisoned people had used their mental energy to free her so she could tell them the story of her people. (PROSE: Setting Stone)