The soldier quietly returned down the hall and entered the Captain's quarters. Sitting behind the desk he tapped the screen and began searching. Finally he found what he was looking for. Tapping the screen again he brought up the monitoring program. Using a single claw he highlighted each camera until he came to Senona's. Leaning back in the chair he watched silently as Sinde and Senona snuggled together.
Senona stroked Sinde's hair. Her thoughts racing. She was caged, again. Would this insanity never end? She really wished the big lizard thing had killed her. Being a slave was the worst thing ever and death was truly preferable.
"Senona, he seems nice," Sinde murmured sleepily as the stroking of her lulled her toward sleep.
"Sure, kid, sure," Senona whispered and though she too was sleepy, she forced herself to stay awake and watchful.
The Soldier closed the feed and leaned back in the chair. "There is something special about that one." He pulled up Senona's records in the database and began reading.
>>Next Morning<<
The Soldier awoke with a start not recognizing his surroundings then got his bearings. Eyeing the screen in front of him he chuckled. "I need to make sure this one is taken back and given her freedom, with a mate."
Senona's eyes were bloodshot but she'd managed to keep awake. She was tired and knew she probably should have napped but fear of what might happen to little Sinde kept her awake. Her stomach rumbled and resolutely she ignored it. Hunger was nothing new to her but she had to make sure Sinde got food. Carefully she moved from underneath the child and stalked toward the forcefield. She stared at the guard. "Hey, you! Please, the kid needs some food."
The guard eyed the catwoman and then spoke in his native tongue into his communicator then looked up, "Food.......Soon," he said slowly in trader's dialect.
She nodded and went back and lay in front of Sinde. She stiffened when the child snuggled against her fur but relaxed and for a brief moment, dozed.
The Soldier approached the room with a tray full of food and nodded at the guard. "Open the field," Setting the tray down he slid it past the field perimeter and into the room. He nodded again and the field came back on. "Food, your Highness," He said aloud.
Her eyes flew open and her fur puffed out as she hissed, not quite awake. It took a moment to get her bearings and slowly her fur went flat as she scuttled over to the tray, snatched it and hurried back to Sinde who had finally awakened.
She pushed the tray to Sinde and stood guard in front of the child as the little girl hungrily ate. She stared at their jailer and tried to figure out how best to appeal to the giant lizard to release them.
The Soldier grinned wishing he had been chosen when he was still in the egg to be an adapter so he could further the species. He spoke aloud to Senona. " Make sure you eat too, your Highness. I am going to need your knowledge of the slave trade planet to get this mission done."
"Stop calling me that," she hissed. "I do not like pet names!" Her fur rose. "And I will not help you!"
"You will help me so we can end this despicable blight on this galaxy," he replied in a tone that was low and threatening.
"You only say things you do not mean! I will not help a liar. Besides you are male and not to be trusted." She did not shout yet her fur remained on end as she glared at the reptile.
"Most males that you have met could not be trusted but a reptiloid is bred not to lie," he said quietly.
Her look of disbelief and then derisive laughter filled the cell. "You...you expect me to believe that you are genetically incapable of lying?" She laughed so hard her eyes watered. "Oh, that is such a funny joke, scaly male."
"You will find this true when you come to the planet we are based at. But for now, it is enough to know that when you ask a question make sure it's something you want the truth about," he said with a big toothy grin.
She snarled in response and would have spat out a scathing retort but Sinde's hand stroked her arm and she restrained herself with effort. "Yes Sinde?"
"You didn't eat," the little girl pouted.
"I'm a big person, I don't have to eat as often as a little one does." She smiled at Sinde and hoped the little girl would just change the subject.
The Soldier smiled again while looking at Sinde, "Little one she must eat and she won't until I leave, so I am going to go and eat myself now that you two have food. I will see you in about an hour." Turning to the guard he ordered, "Rearrange the forcefield so they have free access to the fresher."
The guard began typing into the portable control panel and then looked up, "Done, sir."
The Soldier nodded his head, then turned and headed back down the hall.
Senona's sensitive ears verified he was gone and she hurried Sinde over to the fresher room to get them both cleaned. She kept the shower short but both were washed and clothed. Fur still damp, Senona scented the air. Good the reptile leader was not around.
"Senona, here, eat this fruit. I'm sorry I'm such a pig and ate most of it." Sinde gave Senona her best woeful expression.
Senona patted her head. "It's ok, kid. You have to eat more than me but the fruit will be fine." She put action to words and finished the fruit in three bites. It didn't really dent the raging hunger but it was better than nothing. The captain had been starving her the last five days as punishment for not performing well in bed and she was weak because of it. maybe if she'd been fed, none of them would still be in holding cells on this ship with creepy reptiles as their jailers.
~Below Decks, Slave hold~
The Soldier entered and looked around, then nodded his approval. "We will have to mess it up again when we arrive but it is a lot better now. Hey Doc, how is it going down here?" He asked the Doctor who was examining the Octopus-like slave. who in turn was examining the Doctor.
"It is going well, sir. Most have been abused but only two in the last two days. The women are all grateful that the human leader of this ship is dead. It seems he did most of the raping though they did assure me that the child has never been touched. It also seems that the feline was here from the beginning and has tried on different occasions to spare them the attentions of the captain with mixed results. Unfortunately the human male apparently took great pleasure in assaulting the feline slave in front of the women to scare them into submitting."
A tentacle had been feeling the Doctor's throat while he had been talking and now the Soldier laughed. "Seems you are an object to be examined too. Well we have the feline and the child together, and until we get to the planet, I think if we let the slaves have the run of the ship except the control places we should be fine. Doc, your opinion on this?"
"I don't see why not. I really need to examine the child and the feline. They are the only ones who have not been looked at."
"I agree Doc," he replied, "But make sure you have a claw proof suit on. She might let you examine her but the little one is a different story. I think her maternal mode has kicked in."
The doctor chuckled. "I saw some of the footage of her during the attack, she does have wicked claws. Oh, I also found this." He handed the data crystals to his leader. "I couldn't finish them. I didn't have the stomach for it but you should watch them to help you get a better understanding of what went on with that human captain."
"Hmm, I shall look at them after you have examined those two. I wish to see how you convince her that you are a doctor and not someone who is going to hurt either of them," he replied gently removing the tentacle from his arm.
He reached out and touched another tentacle and patted it, "Not now my friend," he finished speaking quietly to the Octo-person.
The Octo-person made a disappointed sucking sound but kept the tentacles at its side. Doc just gave his leader a funny look. "As you wish. I can see them both now if you will have them brought here."
"Hmm," he replied with small grin showing all his incisors. "Guess I better get my suit then huh?"
