Berta had once offered me a chance to join her pirate crew when I was fighting in the gladiator arena. I had turned her down, but when she found me in the detention facility, I happily accepted. It had taken a large bribe, but a figure not too different to the one that she would have had to pay to have me released from the arena. She told me that she often recruited from the prison, and was regularly informed of new inmates. She had been surprised when my name was given to her.
I was a mess though, pretty much at rock bottom. She could see that, but with my UEN training, she knew I had potential. I would be signing a one-year contract. It was simple, if I broke it, a large bounty would be placed on my head. I knew deep down I would happily serve a year after she had rescued me from Ferrin. I was very much in her debt.
She ran a clean ship which meant no drugs, and that included wax. Before I could start I would have to detox and clear my addiction to that stuff. It was going to take place at a small clinic on Ferrin, one than solely catered to pirates. It would take a month of suffering, but it needed to happen, and I was glad I didn't have to do it in some alley on Ferrin.
She had assumed that I had been an officer, and that was all. The truth was that I had been a captain. The deaging surgery I'd been given had knocked twenty years off my age.
She told me she suspected something like that, as I had fought with much more experience that someone of my age in the arena.
"It also alters my offer somewhat," she said.
"How so?"
"Well, someone with your experience deserves a much more senior role," she said, then asked how I would feel about taking the role of second in command.
I had to tell her that I had no experience with pirates. She argued her case, and thought that I would find the work challenging, but manageable.
She seemed pleased with that arrangement, and the more she talked about her ship the more I realised why. Order was something that pirate vessels always had problems with. A life of criminality didn't attract the most dedicated and conscientious of people. With my experience I could bring some sort of order to her crew.
"They aren't a bad bunch, really" she said, with a sly smile. Her crew was entirely made up of females. She'd had male crew mates in the past, but she told me that all that they ever wanted to do was fill the ship with pleasure girls.
One thing that I made clear was that I would not be involved in the slave trade, either dealing or selling people into bondage. She assured me that they were not slavers. They robbed, kidnapped, but never dealt in human flesh. She then told me her life story. It seemed she was somewhat of pirate royalty as her father and his father before him had been experienced and notorious pirates. She had a strong code and morals, even if they didn't gel with what most people thought of as right and wrong.
When we arrived at the clinic I was told about the detox, it was going to be quite intensive and part of it would mean going into an induced coma. It was the only way to speed up the process. As the doctor examined me he commented on the surgery I'd had done. He asked me about the process, and I told him and Berta that I wasn't really sure, and that it had been done against my will. It was then I got an offer that I could hardly refuse. Berta said she would pay for it to all be reversed. It was something I wanted, but had never had the opportunity to do. The doctor I knew on Alpha Girrad didn't have the equipment or skill to perform the procedure, but this clinic had all the necessary gear. It was costly and something that would be performed while I was unconscious, but Berta told me that she would offset the payment with any future earnings. She asked if I was sure. Most people would have enjoyed their new youthful looks, but as I had told her, it was all done against my will. My mind was made up, and I told them I wanted to look like I was supposed to. Berta agreed, suggesting that if I was going to be her second in command it was maybe better that I look like my real age than a girl much younger.
With all the decided Berta told me she would return and take me to her ship. I thanked her again for her kindness. She assured me that I would be earning it all back for her.
*********
I awoke with a groggy feeling. My face and body felt numb, but my mind was clear. It felt sharp, sharper than it had done in a long time. A nurse was at my bedside, and told me to take it easy. I asked her about the detox.
"You were very sick, Emrah. If you'd have tried to go cold turkey, you would have died. You were barely hanging on as it was."
She assured me that all the wax had been flushed from my system, and what ever future cravings would only be in my head.
"You might feel stiffness from time to time," she said, in a relaxed tone.
I inquired about the rest of the surgery, she gestured to a mirror on the wall, and told me I could take a look if I wanted.
My heart started to race as I looked at my reflection. What I saw wasn't me. The reflection staring back at me felt like a long forgotten memory. I was not the girl in her early twenties that Orton had transformed me into, but the woman in her early forties I really was. I had been every mans fantasy, and now I was back to my prim and proper self.
Looking back at me was Captain Emrah Jackson. Attractive, but I was often described as having a superior look that put many people off me. Everything was as I remembered it though, all the way down to the slight crows feet at the corners of my eyes. My hair was the same dark brown color as it had been when I commanded my own ship. It hung loosely at my shoulders. I ran my hands through it, feeling it in between my fingers.
"Without any visual guides, we had to map everything from your DNA. Everything is back to its natural state." she said, happily.
"It's just so strange," I said, still staring at my face. Seeing myself again brought all my memories back to the surface. I wasn't looking at a slave, or a pirate, I was looking at an officer in the UEN. That's who I was. A sudden regret filled me. I had given up on Ferrin, let myself get addicted to that wax, and then got exploited in that pleasure house because of it. The regret soon faded and was replaced by anger, at those who took advantage of me, and more especially at myself.
As I looked down at my body I saw that my breasts were the same size as before. It was for the reason of vanity that I had instructed the surgeon to leave them as they were. I had grown used to them and decided I preferred a larger bosom. It was something I had always considered though but breast enhancement in the UEN gave out the wrong impression, especially to the more career minded officer.
From now on men wouldn't see me as a naive little girl, but as the mature experienced woman I really was. This is how it always should have been. Berta had been right, if I was to command respect amongst her crew, it was better that I looked the part.
I dressed, and it wasn't long before Berta arrived to collect me.
"Wow," she said, as she entered the medical bay. "Now that looks like a Captain from the UEN."
"Not exactly the sex kitten you signed up, am I?"
"Like I said, I am after some discipline, and you look like you wouldn't take any shit from anyone."
It was a nice compliment. I was going to be with the woman for a year. A year working as a pirate. I owed Berta everything. She had saved my life, and I had no doubts about that. A year out of my life was a very small price in return for what she had given me. Besides, she told me that once the year was up I would most likely sign a new contract, especially when I got used to the money. I wasn't so sure about that, though.
Before we left we had a long talk. I told her everything. Form my years in the UEN, to the loss of my ship. My slave life with Orton, the time when I was known as Cara, and even Delphine and Red Moon. Finally, I told her about Talia's betrayal, and my stint on Ferrin as a prostitute. I doubted many others knew my whole tale as well as she did now. Telling her about Talia was the hardest part, and the story about watching Dex die brought tears to my eyes. It was the first time I had even spoken about it to anyone, and the wound felt as fresh as it ever did.
I asked her about Talia, and if she had ever met her, both of being pirates after all. The only thing she said was that she had heard stories about her, and left it at that. I sensed there was more she could tell me.
**********
The ship I was on which was knows as the Siren's Kiss was already in deep space. I could see the stars from my window streaking passed. My room was spacious and located on the top deck of the ship next to Berta's and opposite the command bridge.
"Are you ready to start your new life," Berta said, as she stood in my doorway. She was a large woman, who always wore a garish patchwork outfit. She smiled a lot though which softened her intimidating presence. She was somewhat shorter than me, but with her hair piled on top of her head, it added a few inches to her height.
I smiled and nodded. My body had mostly recovered, but I still felt the odd faint spell from time to time.
