S'oren came awake
into a dimly lit world that stank like a scow, was as hot as the Vulcan
desert and rattled like a busted machine. Before she opened her mouth,
she remembered where she was supposed to be and hoped all had gone
according to plan.
"Where am I?" she asked using the Romulan dialect reserved for the working and labor classes.
"You're fine girly," the ham handed androgynous being that stomped around the table she was laid out on responded in Romulan.
"Where am I?" she repeated waiting to hear the words her contact would say. She sat up slowly careful not to make herself dizzy.
"You're
on my ship. Well not my ship exactly. But Captain Terik's ship. I'm Nex
and you're going to make me a lot of money. You're going to make
Captain Terik a lot of money. But I get some of it. I'm the one what
found you. Well he found you, but I've been watching you. Not
touching..." Nex's face flashed with irritation as it scolded itself.
"Just looking."
Not what she wanted to hear. Silence was her best
option at that moment. A quick physical examination told her she was
unharmed physically, still had her space suit on, was rather clumsily
bound by the wrists and ankles and was probably not as vulnerable as Nex
hoped.
"Whatever are you going to do with me?" She parted her
lips slightly, panted a bit and flashed her eyes about the room like a
caged kitten. She willed the color to rise in her cheeks and her pupils
to dilate. She had more weapons than her hands and feet at her disposal.
She'd been trained to use her pretty along with her fists. She didn't
know if Nex was male or female, but wasn't going to miss any possible
chance at an advantage.
"Well," Nex said. "First of all that won't
work on me. The pouty lips and the perky boobies. For what Captain
Terik can sell you for I'd rather leave you just as you are."
"Who is Captain Terik planning on selling me to?"
The
door to the compartment she was in opened with a clang. A Romulan male
with the height and physical presence of one that could not be ignored
strode into the room. He was shaved bald and had the markings of one of
the laboring class across his forehead, but wore a confused mixture of
clothing that left S'oren wondering where exactly he came from and who
he might be. What she knew about Romulans came from studying them at the
academy. She suspected there were holes in her education that would
have to be patched up on the fly.
"Leave her alone," the Romulan
said. "If she's harmed we'll make half what we hope to make. Go find
food for her. Decent food. Not that stew you serve the rest of the
cargo."
"Yes Captain." Nex stomped out of the room, the door clanging shut behind her.
"I don't know what you're hoping to do with me..."
"The universe is a large place filled with many opportunities for a young woman without ties."
"I
have no ties," she said nearly sighing in relief. "And I seek
opportunities. I am a poor girl that will work hard for her bread."
"Then let the fates carry you forward," he said. "We are going to the slave markets of Rela Prime."
"I am not a slave. I was born free."
"Who are your people?" Captain Terik asked.
"I do not know. I am alone."
"You
are not alone, S'oren." He lifted her arm then ran a light wand down
her forearm. A sting like a slap snapped against her arm. When he pulled
the light away there was a marking on her arm which permanently branded
her a free born member of the servant class. All of the identification
she would ever require to move freely through the Romulan Empire had
been etched on her permanently.
"We arrive on Rela Prime soon
enough," he said. He tossed a large canvas sack at her. "Change your
clothes. Leave your space suit and helmet in the bag. Nex will be
returning soon. Don't eat what she gives you. That is unless you like
space rat." He pulled a wrapped packet out of his pocket. "Eat this."
She caught the ration bar between her palms. "Thanks," she said.
"Don't
thank me until you've tried it," he said. "Nex isn't terribly bright
and she has the long term memory of an amoeba, but she's not a total
idiot. The sooner you are off my ship the better off we will all be."
"What did you do with the capsule?"
"We
passed a binary star system a few clicks back." He stared at her like
an annoyed professor that is finished answering his pupils' questions.
"Can you guess what happened or do I need to tell you?"
"There are some things I needed out of there."
He
thumped his fist against a bulkhead which popped open. "Your stuff." He
tossed her the gold bracelet which was a communication device and the
seemingly innocuous satchel which actually held many secrets. "This is
not as we say back in Texas, my first rodeo."
"How long was I out
there?" She slid the bracelet over her wrist then opened up the satchel.
She'd packed the bag herself and all was as it should be.
"Ten days," he said. "Give or take."
"I was only supposed to be out there for three."
"I was waylaid."
"How?"
"You
ask a lot of questions." His eyes scanned the bulkhead signaling her to
keep her mouth shut. "Change your clothes and make yourself
presentable. You'll want to fetch a good price at the markets."
The door clanged open and Nex entered carrying a covered cauldron with two filthy rags to protect her hands.
"I'm not hungry," she said quickly.
"More
for me then," Nex said setting the cauldron down with a thump. "Rela
Prime Space Dock is on the comm requesting your clearance codes Captain
Terik."
"Get yourself sorted out." He left without another word.
She slid off of the table she'd woken on giving Nex room to put her cauldron down.
From
the bag Terik had given her she took the sort of loose fitting black
thick legged trousers of a servant along with the long sleeved fitted
shirt with tails which fell to her knees and slits up the sides to her
waist.
She began to unclasp her space suit to remove it then
noticed Nex watching her intently as she licked the gravy off of the
spoon from the pot. "This isn't a show," she said.
"Sure it is," Nex said.
"Can
I have some privacy?" S'oren wasn't particularly modest, but she didn't
care to have the ogling Nex staring at her while she disrobed.
"No,"
Nex said dipping her spoon into the pot. "You're pretty. I want to see
you without your clothes on. Besides, Captain told me to stay with you."
"No he didn't."
"He
meant to," Nex said. "I want to see you without your clothes on. I
turned the cameras on, but the Captain doesn't know that."
"You're
disgusting," she said. She sorted out the rest of the contents of the
bag which included undergarments, a cloak and the sort of conical straw
hat which would be tied under her chin with a wide ribbon that servants
wore.
Ignoring Nex and her penetrating stare, S'oren slipped out
of her spacesuit leaving her just in the fine black bodysuit she wore
next to her skin. She considered leaving it on, but knew that no servant
would have such a garment and it would be foolish to hold on to it.
She
turned her back to Nex and slid out of the garment only then realizing
how hot the space trawler was. The suit had regulated her body's
temperature to perfection and she was hesitant to give it up. The suit
was discarded for the moment as she began to remove the sensors which
had been so carefully placed on her skin.
"You're pretty everywhere," Nex said. "Your bottom is round and smooth."
"Get a good look," S'oren said. "Because you won't get another chance."
"I told the Captain he should keep you. He needs a woman."
"What about you?" she laughed.
"He said he'd rather eat a dog," Nex replied without a twinge of hurt but a whiff of confusion. "Can I touch you?"
"No," she said firmly.
"I want to touch your skin. How is your skin so pretty? It's so white. Like a fine lady. Why do you have skin like a fine lady?"
The door opened with a clang and Terik entered.
"Why aren't you dressed yet?" he asked clearly not as enamored of her skin or enchanted by her nudity as Nex.
"You try removing all of these sensors while someone is visually violating you."
"She
has pretty skin like a fine lady," Nex told Terik. "You should have her
before you sell her. Bend her over your bed and have her from behind.
The in and the out." Nex demonstrated by thrusting her hips. "She looks
like she'd scream and cry but good like that whore at Riga Station that
gives it to you good and for free..."
"Will you be quiet?" Terik
demanded of Nex. "Go and make sure the others are secured in the cargo
hold and ready to be taken into the pens."
Nex walked past her to
the door but not without taking her time to have a good look. "Your
nipples are pink," Nex said. "Like flowers."
"Go." Terik jerked
the door open and pushed Nex out. When they were alone he started to
pull sensors off of the part of her back she couldn't reach. "I'd
apologize, but quite frankly you should be able to handle a whole lot
worse than that in this game if you're going to make it."
"Nex doesn't bother me," she said truthfully as she stood and let Terik remove the last of the sensors.
"I thought you were coming in under deep cover," he said.
"Why are you suddenly chatty? I thought I asked too many questions."
"I
went and did a sensor sweep," he said. "No one is listening and V'rek
is monitoring the room for anomalies. We're free to talk." He pulled the
last sensor off of her upper thigh. "You're good." He walked around her
to the table and leaned against it with his arms folded across his
chest as he watched her without interest continue to dress.
"We can talk then?"
"We can talk." He grinned slightly.
"What is your crew compliment?"
"Me,
Nex, another agent and two Romulans that would rather not have dealings
with the authorities. We constantly run sensor sweeps." He placed a
hand against a bulk head. "She doesn't look like much, but you might
actually be surprised what she's capable of."
"Let me guess," she
said. "Beneath her dilapidated shell beats the heart of a true warrior?"
She pulled a comb through her hair then braided it into a long plait.
"The
finest stealth ship Starfleet engineers could design. The USS Mata Hari
can do warp 8 in a pinch and we're armed to the hilt. If we ever had to
make a run for it, this is the ship to do it in. She is state of the
art, outfitted for stealth, long term surveillance and is actually quite
comfortable when not in rattling hulk mode. If I needed to I could
point her to the middle of an asteroid belt or a nebula and hide out
long enough for the Romulans to give up the hunt. Why aren't you under
deep cover?"
"I choose to go in with my wits about me. The only thing that scared me about this mission was going in blind."
"I
did it once. Never again. The only people that think field agents
operate better in deep cover are people that have never been field
agents. You know the drill?"
"I find employment with one of the
middle houses. After a sufficient enough period of time to get a good
reference, I will create a family emergency and leave. If I'm lucky I
will get in with one of the great houses and land on Romulus. If all
goes well, I remain behind in the Romulan Empire and continue to build
my cover. Otherwise, I signal for help..."
"And with any luck I can beam you out before anyone knows any different."
"You're my handler then," she said. "You're not just some middle man."
"I
am your handler," he said. "The original plan fell through about the
time you were supposed to be retrieved. Be very grateful you had not
already been picked up when everything went to shit. You'd either be
dead on waiting to be traded as a prisoner of war."
"What happened?"
"That little call you placed to your boyfriend was intercepted."
"What do you mean?"
"You
had to pour your little gray heart out to your boyfriend? That
transmission was intercepted. Romulans knew an agent was being inserted.
People died. Friends of mine. Agents that I've known for a long time.
Agents that were worth a whole lot more than a rookie that couldn't
resist one more chat with her sweetie."
"He is my husband."
"That makes it all so much better. Just so you know, a lot of people would really enjoy your failure at this moment."
"Including you?"
"No.
Not including me. I would rather you make something of this shambles
you created. Make those lives meaningful. Don't turn coward when you
need to be bold. People died to put you into play. Never forget that."
"I won't."
"Good,"
Terik said. "Moving on. The Romulans are on high alert. They knew
something was going down. They think they've intercepted the agent that
was coming in, but they're paranoid to begin with. You, by the way, are
perfect. What are you? Half-human, half-Romulan?"
"Human, Romulan, Vulcan," she said. "Didn't they send a dossier to you? You seem to have a lot of information to not know that."
"I
hear the gossip," he said. "Not the facts. Too dangerous to have too
much information. I operate on strictly need to know. You're ideal.
Romulans are inherently prejudiced. They'd never trust anyone other than
a pure Romulan to do a job that they would believe only a Romulan would
be capable of doing. They'd never suspect you, because they'd never use
someone like you as a spy."
"Good to know I'm good for something," she said.
"Maybe," he said. "But then again you've already racked up a body count."
"I
know." She looked at him as he leaned casually against the table. "So
Starfleet Intelligence has no idea whether or not I'm in."
"No
idea," he said. "When it's less risky I'll try to get a message out.
Until then, they're going to have to be content with the fact that no
news is good news."
"You're not Romulan are you?"
"No," he laughed. "But no one would ever be able to tell. I've been altered down to the genetic level."
The comm beeped petulantly. "What?" Tirek demanded.
"We've arrived." A male voice said.
"Show time," Tirek said. "Hurry it up. I need to put you in with the rest of the property."
"You're a slaver?"
"Yes,"
he said. "Even the Romulans find slavers to be a disreputable yet
necessary evil and try to avoid having any unnecessary dealings with us.
It's the perfect cover."
"It's vile," she said.
"Precisely."
She
followed him through the low ceilinged corridors of the ship. It was as
she entered the cargo bay that she had a first glimpse of Riga Prime.
The
M-class planet hung against the black velvet of space like a glimmering
blue and green orb. Similar in composition and climate to Earth, it was
a planet just like thousands of others in the galaxy. Hanging above the
planet, away from the delicate sensibilities of good women and children
raised sheltered from the ugliness and inequality of the universe was
the slave markets of Riga Prime. Moved off world when the technology
allowed for such advancements, the trafficking of flesh was one of those
things the residents of Riga Prime knew happened, but didn't have to
look at. It was the business of other people.
The exterior of the
orbital station was unremarkable and to S'oren's eyes, was
indistinguishable from any other structure of its type she'd seen with
one glaring exception. It was the pale gray green color consistently
used by the Romulans in building their space vehicles. Green like their
blood. Green the color Romulans associated with rage.
Rage was the emotion S'oren attempted to control as she sat in the cargo hold with the slaves being brought to market.
It was a useless emotion, but it was preferable to tears.
They
had been sat for over an hour and until they received clearance and a
docking port, they would continue to sit. Around her were about three
dozen beings whose lives were about to be altered. Most painful to see
where the families that huddled together for what could be their final
minutes together.
She realized as she tried not to look at the families that there were two children with no adults accompanying them.
A boy and a girl perhaps ten years in age. They held hands, but did not speak.
The
girl troubled S'oren the most. It occurred to her as she sat staring at
the two, that she knew little of her mother's childhood and had been
easily rebuked at an early age. Inquiries into her mother's history were
strictly off limits. What she knew was that when her mother had been a
child, that Spock had rescued her from an abandoned Romulan colony then
taken her in. It wasn't until later, after her mother had given birth to
her, that Saavik and Spock had become engaged as a couple.
"What is your name?" she asked the girl.
The two children looked at each other, whispered into one and others ears then remained silent.
"I know you heard me," she said. "Why don't you answer me?"
A
man dressed as tradesman leaned forward. "Probably because their mami
told them not to talk to anyone other than the herder. Tell me girl, are
you as naïve as you look?"
"I'd answer you, but my mami probably wouldn't like it," she retorted.
The
man laughed. "I like a bit sauce with my sweet," he said. "Why don't
you come and sit next to me? Get to know each other a bit better."
"No thank you," she said.
"Well
since you asked," he said ignoring her withering look. "I'm Hiren. I am
a freeman and a carpenter by trade." His boot nudged a large satchel
full of tools. "With an impressive list of references that would make
even your mami happy."
At that S'oren laughed out loud despite herself. "You really have no idea. My mami is a very hard woman to please."
"You'd
be amazed at how intoxicating my charm can be. I have an attractive
number credits and I seek a wife. A girl that will work hard, support me
well and perhaps offer me comfort in the great universe. Tell me, are
you alone in this universe? Who are your people?"
"I am alone. A
girl with no family." S'oren swallowed hard. Words were sometimes just
words, but in her line of work, they were often keys.
"You are not
alone S'oren. The universe is a large place filled with many
opportunities for a young woman without ties. What opportunity will you
make for yourself?" Hiren's eyes studied hers as the back of his hand
absently rubbed the line of his jaw.
"I have no ties," she said
looking with interest at Hiren. Tirek has said there was another agent
on board. S'oren believed she currently had the pleasure of making his
acquaintance.
That or she was in the midst of the most eerily coincidental conversation she'd ever had in her life.
"And
I seek opportunities. I am a poor girl that will work hard for her
bread." She had been taught well what a Romulan freeborn of the servant
class would say. It was possible that she was simply repeating a script
as common as asking a stranger about their day would be with humans.
"Then let the fates carry you forward," he said.
"A man with references and credits has appeal to a girl," she said. "Are you an apprentice or a journeyman?"
"I am a master. Come sit with me girl," he said making a place on the bench. "Let's get to know each other."
S'oren rose from where she sat and moved to the place Hiren had made for her.
"I need you to do something for me," Hiren whispered into her ear.
She
nodded slightly as she leaned into him a bit. He put his arm around her
shoulders and pulled her close. "Don't worry about the children," he
said. "If you are who you seem to be, then you would know that at the
age those children are, they would be sent off to either a house to
learn to serve or to masters for apprenticeship. They're not human.
They're Romulan and you are frightening them by talking to them. Chances
are their mami has warned them a thousand or so times to stay with the
herder and to speak to no one."
He pulled back slightly to look at
her then pushed a lock of her hair behind an ear and smiled at her. "I
understand how you feel, but you must remember who you are S'oren Hfai."
"Who
are you Master Hiren?" Like Tirek he had the clean shaven head brow
markings of a Romulan of the trade caste. He was handsome and his eyes
were a succulent pale green. A common color for Romulans, but nice none
the less.
"I am a humble carpenter attempting to make his way in this vast universe. Do you look to like me girl?"
"I don't know," she said. "Should I?"
"Aye,"
he replied. "You should look to like me. There may come a time when the
moons are full overhead on a pleasant evening and I may fancy a stroll
through the park with a pretty maid. If you're of a mind I could call on
you."
"I would like that very much," she said looking away shyly. "As I am a virgin of suitable age, I look to like you Master Hiren."
"Let's
talk about quick courtships and love at first sight," he pulled her a
touch closer. "Perhaps not today or perhaps not any other day, but there
may come a day when you and I would make a better one than a two. Do
you follow me lovely S'oren?"
"I do," she said. The one result of
their conversation that shocked S'oren the most was how aroused she
felt. Hiren was handsome without a doubt. So was Ajay, but Hiren had
something that Ajay lacked. There was a sexual energy and a certain
magnetism that the slight and cerebral Ajay lacked. It was the same sort
of pull she felt towards Surak when she saw an image or watched a
recording of him. Something was very different. Perhaps even wrong with
her. It was possible she was having some sort of delayed physical
reaction to coming out of stasis. Men, regardless of how handsome or
sexual she perceived them to be, never quite lit a fire in her like this
one did. Odd. "How will I contact you? The universe is a large place."
"I'll
find you," he said. He ran a finger down the line of her jaw. S'oren
held her breath for a moment wondering if he would kiss her. The ship
gave a jolt and the moment passed. Hiren stood from the bench and walked
to one of the small portholes. A moment later he returned to his seat
next to hers. "We're being boarded." He pulled her near to him.
"Is this normal?"
"Yes," he said. "It happens often enough to not worry. You're going to let me talk for us."
S'oren waited patiently with her hands folded in her lap and Hiren's arm around her shoulders.
The
door to the cargobay opened with a clang and Tirek followed by Nex and
three Romulan grunts entered. The Romulan soldiers began scanning the
room as if it were not filled with human cargo. After they had finished
running their scanners over the bulkheads, they turned to the people.
One by one their arms were scanned as they were questioned.
"Freeborn," the Romulan soldier that reached S'oren first addressed her. "Your markings."
"Don't speak to my woman," Hiren said simply without fear.
The Romulan officer looked at him for a moment then nodded. "Sela," he called out.
The
only woman among the group of Romulan soldiers came up to them. "Name?"
she asked S'oren without a pause as the man continued with Hiren.
"S'oren
Hfai," she said holding out her arm to the woman. She was scanned along
with Hiren then the soldiers moved on without a word. The soldiers
continued to move about the cargobay until they were finished and moved
on with Tirek and Nex.
"Your woman?" She kept her hands folded in her lap as she looked up at him out of the corner of her eye.
"Not the time or the place to let conventional notions of equality get the better of you," he replied.
"I'm not bothered," she said. "It's actually kind of nice in a thump me over the head and drag me to your cave sort of way."
"You like men that protect your honor?" Hiren laughed a little his arm again around her shoulder.
"Maybe I do," she said with a shrug. "It's not something that happens a lot in my life."
A
second lurch gave everyone in the cargo bay a shake as the Romulan ship
detached itself. Moments later they were moving in the direction of the
orbital station. S'oren had a moment when she wanted nothing more than
to continue on the path that had been chosen for her with Hiren. There
was a sense of safety and security about him that she wanted to wrap
around her like a blanket. It was foolish to deny she was frightened.
Having a hero that was willing to protect her was extraordinarily
comforting at a moment in her life when comfort and security were
elusive dreams.
This week I welcome author Stephen Olander author of Kendra. Stephen Olander has been writing erotic fiction since 2006. His erotic
writing is about as personal as it gets since these stories are
essentially his most intense sexual fantasies. Stephen has kindly offered a copy of Kendra to a reader who will be chosen at random. If you're interested in a copy, please let us know in the comments. 
