Character Corner: Doni Zell
An inside look at a key antagonist from Alien People
I’ve always believed that a strong protagonist demands an equally strong antagonist. Your main character needs an adversary who will challenge them and push them to their limits within a story. Doni Zell certainly fills that role in Alien People as events within the novel unfold.
Doni quickly turns into a major source of opposition and trouble for Xttra Oogan and Calandra Menankar during their first contact expedition to Earth. He evolved from earlier drafts of Alien People into a more significant disruptive threat as I fleshed out key narrative threads extending through the Alien People Chronicles trilogy.
Doni is the subject of my new Character Corner spotlight. If you haven’t read Alien People yet, beware that some significant *spoilers* lie ahead.
Who is Doni Zell?
Doni is a physician from a planet called Lathos. Readers are first introduced to Doni in Alien People when he is given a temporary assignment to serve as a medical officer on Xttra’s crew during the first contact expedition to Earth. Doni replaces the usual medical officer, Sarianna, against Xttra’s wishes. His presence is a source of friction and he eventually causes considerable peril for his crewmates after they reach Earth.
Doni is the oldest son of Doan and Nara Zell. He was born in Ahmmana — the capital city of Ra’ahm’s southern province. His father was a physician and influenced Doni to follow in his footsteps. He admired Doan and sought out his father’s approval in all areas of his life. The entire Zell clan moved to Luma during Doni’s teenage years after Doan was named as chief physician to the Council of Oracles. Doni grew to love the status of having a close connection with the highest spiritual leaders of Ra’ahm.
Doni became a true high culture snob in Luma. He developed interests in art and theater and attended performances or toured galleries whenever possible. Doni also became a student of politics and history and used knowledge he gained to entrench himself among a small circle of wealthy elites who pulled the strings in the Ra’ahm government.
Aligning with Delcor
When he turned 21 years old, Doni entered a prestigious medical academy in Luma. The Separatist War derailed his education plans. Cassian darts piloted by soldiers from the Confederation of Northern Tribes destroyed the medical academy in an errant strike against a Ra’ahmian rebel military target. Doni was angered by the attack and joined Ra’ahmian separatists in fighting for liberation from Confederation rule.
Doni soon became disillusioned with Bathal I, the Separatist leader and ruler of Ra’ahm. Bathal wanted to create a democratic form of government that threatened the privileges enjoyed by Luma’s upper class under Confederation rule. He soon joined a secret order of young wealthy elites — headed by Bathal’s youngest son Delcor — and helped plot a coup. The order succeeded in executing Bathal and installing Delcor as his successor.
Delcor enacted a devious plan with Doni’s assistance to bring a swift and brutal end to the Separatist War. They met with Rubrum scientists and acquired the technology and knowledge necessary to genetically alter soldiers into monstrous creatures. These hybrids were unleashed in select Confederation cities and massacred thousands of civilians and soldiers within a few days. Doni seeks to bury his role in this war crime and will go to any length to destroy evidence those hybrids ever existed.
Entering the Ruling Class
Doni married his wife Mavia at the end of the Separatist War. She is a daughter of Abdion, a wealthy former governor of Serranta Islands. Doni possessed an ulterior motive in marrying Mavia. He saw this union as a path to further enhance his status among the ruling elite. It is debatable if he ever loved her or any of their children.
Doni finished his medical education at the end of the Separatist War and joined the Stellar Guard as a medical officer. Delcor never forgot his old friend and ally. The chief sovereign eventually named Doni as his Minister of Medicine, making him the top ranking medical officer in the Stellar Guard. Doni served in this position for many years before retiring after his 68th birthday.
First Contact with Earth
After Calandra discovered the probe sent from Earth in the opening chapter of Alien People, Delcor asked Doni to come out of retirement and join the first contact to the planet. Delcor entrusted Doni with a secret mission along the way. He was tasked with tracking down a hibernation pod containing a frozen hybrid soldier sent to Earth’s solar system. The pod had been deposited on a small red planet (aka Mars) and Delcor wanted to make sure no one uncovered its hidden location.
Doni clashes with Xttra and the other crew members during the expedition. He is eventually captured by US Army rangers in Utah after first contact with the Earthians goes awry. Doni decides to turn against his fellow Lathoans after learning Earthians battled and defeated Rubrumian invaders a decade earlier. He pretends to cooperate with Earth Defense Bureau leaders so he can steal Xttra’s scout ship and flee back to Delcor alone. Doni intends to plan a strike with Delcor to eliminate the hidden hybrid and destroy evidence of their alliance with Rubrum before hostile Earthians uncover those connections.
Appearance and Personality
Doni is an older man at the time he journeys to Earth. He has white hair and is partially bald. Doni stands at 5-foot-10 but his slightly stooped shoulders make him appear shorter than his natural height. He has a narrow, pointed nose and small chin.
Arrogance is a defining characteristic of Doni. He thinks he is better than everyone around him and isn't afraid to show it. Doni is enamored with his own intelligence and carries a condescending attitude. He truly looks down on others he perceives to be in a lower class than himself. As much of a jerk Doni is, he is an equally dangerous adversary. Doni is thoroughly deceitful and will lie through his teeth if it gives him an advantage. He is cold-blooded in getting what he wants.
