Intro Story: The Spider Strikes
The I.K.S. Black Widow floats menacingly above the burning science station, weapons at the ready. Sitting on the command chair, a Queen upon her throne, Nnuria relishes the sight with a satisfied grin.
The Federation aren't fools, but they aren't soldiers. Not like the Klingons, Breen, or Jem'Hadar. Then again, neither was she. Nnuria was far, far worse and she relished that fact. She learned from the best the Orion Syndicate had, surpassing those who admired her growth, removing those that dared stand in her way. Nnuria became the mistress of deception, misdirection, and ruthless tenacity. Nnuria was the spider at the center of the web, living life by one simple rule; take whatever you want, whenever you want, and relish every moment of pleasure it provides. Right now, the alliance with the KDF proved most beneficial to that lifestyle, helping select ripe targets to satisfy those desires.
The Federation science station was behind enemy lines and well defended, which is why Nnuria ordered her raiders to hit multiple freighters in the neighboring systems. It took two weeks of guerilla tactics, but eventually the Federation was forced to divert resources to protect their precious trade routes. With each raid, the Federation stretched those resources thinner and thinner. Besides, the station was far enough from the front lines to warrant only a token defense. Of course, not all wars are won on the front lines alone. A mere month of subterfuge had blackened the heart of the station as not one, but two of her spies gained access to the most critical of systems. When the attack came, the station's sensors went dark and their defense grid died along with several key officers. This left only two light cruisers and several shuttles to deal with. Against a pair of KDF Raptors, they were disabled with minimal effort, leaving only the pillaging.
Nnuria's attention turns towards the door of the bridge as guards escort a shackled Andorian female towards her. Nnuria silently turns her seat to study the defiant captive. By the extent of her injuries, she had put up quite a fight. Yet it was the glare of hatred and defiance in the woman's eyes which pleased Nnuria the most.
"How did we do?" Nnuria asks in a calm, even tone.
"We captured all twelve scientists along with their research. Several station guards were killed, but we managed to take twenty prisoner. From the ships, we recovered another thirty-two prisoners." One of the guards answers.
"Excellent. That makes fifty-two slaves for auction. They should bring a nice bonus, after we sell off the research." Nnuria chuckles while watching the Andorian's face contort with anger. "What's wrong? Do you know how expensive it is to operate warships? You have to wring out every bit of profit you can and, well, you Federation types can bring in a nice little sum, especially if you're attractive."
"You can go to... urgh!" The Andorian yells, but is cut short as a rifle butt to the back drops her to her knees.
"Now, now! Enough of that! If she wants to scream, let her. It's only fair. I mean, I'd be just as defiant if I were in her place." Nnuria scolds the guard. "Now, who is she?"
A second guard speaks up. "She's in charge of station security. Or was."
"Oh, I see. It was your job to protect all these people. Not only did you fail, but you survived. Now it makes sense." Nnuria muses aloud and pushes a button, which releases the shackles from the Andorian, much to her surprise. "I'm not without mercy. You're free to go."
The woman looks up, very confused. "You're lying. This is some cruel trick of yours. I know how you Orions think!"
"You do? Huh. Imagine that. Well, let me explain myself better then. You're free to leave unharmed with the knowledge of your failure, which is most cruel torture I can inflict. But that's not the mercy I was talking about. Here's the alternative. If you manage to best me, here and now, not only will I release you, but everyone else we've captured." Nnuria smiles politely as the guards back off.
After a moment's pause, the Andorian regards Nnuria coldly. "And the catch?"
Nnuria reveals a toothy grin as the web tightens around the woman. "If you loose, you not only forfeit your freedom... but you belong to me... personally."
After spending so much time with Klingons, Nnuria understood honor and pride all too well. Andorians were notorious about keeping theirs. That, along with a short temper made these engagements all the more pleasurable. It was one thing to subvert your enemy or blow them up from a distance... but it was something entirely different to defeat them up close and personal... with just your bare hands. Nnuria had to admit, even battered and bruised, the Andorian put up one heck of a fight. But that was another failing with Federation types. They see an Orion female and instantly assume she's not a fighter. She serves with the KDF. Nnuria made it a point to learn how to fight with bare knuckles and blades.
The look of surprise on her opponents is always satisfying to Nnuria. As the woman begins to loose ground... as knowledge of her defeat sinks in... as she understands the price of loosing... by the time Nnuria gently cradles the woman's head... before delivering the knockout blow... Nnuria crushed not the body... but the spirit within.
Nnuria rises from the floor and wipes away the blood from her mouth with a chuckle. "Take her to my room and prep her." The guards nod, each grab an arm, and drag the unconscious woman away. Nnuria looks back at the view screen and smirks. "Is everything loaded?"
"Yes, Captain. We've pretty much cleaned it out."
"Excellent. Finish up and plot a course." Nnuria commands. The I.K.S. Black Widow fires a torpedo spread into what's left of the station and her starship defenders, destroying everything. As the ship cloaks and moves to warp, Nnuria casually unfurls a Nausicaan whip from her belt, smiles at some thought, and cheerfully heads towards her chambers. The fun with the Andorian was only begining...
End...
Story: Spider Hunt
Cloaked, with minimal power, and thrusters alone... the I.K.S. Black Widow maneuvered slowly through the asteroid field. The occasional thud of rock against the exposed hull was the only sound heard by the crew as the Widow wove itself ever deeper.
"Are they still there?" Nnuria calmly asks from her chair.
"Yes, Captain. They're still following our trail."
The strike against the science station two days past did not go over well with the Federation. The U.S.S. Gitech, a Prometheus Class starship was one of the defenders she had tricked into leaving prior to the raid. Captain Lellier was a hot-headed Adorian notorious for disobeying orders... for bending the rules. He also happened to be friends with Pelisha, the Andorian woman and former head of base security that was now chained next to Nnuria on the bridge. Pelisha was very stubborn and it had taken some persuasion to get her to talk. But, they all talk eventually and Pelisha was no exception. It was amusing to have her on the bridge to watch, knowing that her failure to remain silent was going to lead yet another crew to its doom, including dear, dear, Lellier.
In a straight up fight, Nnuria's Raptor was well matched against a Prometheus and she figured she would win. But not without damage, nor possible loss of crew. Even though some of the crew was disposable... like that awful Bolian chef she picked up on Drozanna. But they were still Nnuria's crew and nobody takes what rightfully belongs to her without due compensation. No, with the information Pelisha had given her, there was no need for a fair fight.
The nebula was filled with rocks from where two planets collided at some point in the past and interfered with scanners, shields, and communicators. It even effected weaponry to some extent. But that's where Nnuria had the advantage. The Gitech would have problems scanning as it was, but the Widow could still cloak, which made it truly invisible at dangerously close range. As the Widow can't use it shields while cloaked, the nebula prevented the Gitech from using shields too. Lastly, the Gitech was outfitted with anti-proton canons, which limited their firing arc. The Widow also had anti-proton weaponry, but dual beams which allowed for a larger firing arc. The only advantage the Gitech had was that it could separate into three smaller ships, which Captain Lellier had done the moment they entered the nebula. But Nnuria had a plan for this as well.
"Captain, they just found another prisoner."
Nnuria smiled at the news. Pelisha continued to cry quietly. They wanted to get their people back, so why not let them have a few? There were some that would cost more to sell than let go. So, letting them go and serve a greater purpose was the best option. Captain Lellier wanted to destroy Nnuria, that much was certain. But he had a hero complex and enjoyed bragging about how many citizens he saved from the evil Klingons. Whenever he saved the life of a fellow officer, he made sure everyone knew. So, Nnuria decided to give him some more bragging rights. By this point, she wondered how many he saved.
"Captain! We have an explosion!"
"Proceed." Nnuria smiles as the Widow lurches forward. Yes, have the prisoners back... complete with implanted subdural explosives. Oh, it wouldn't cause much physical damage to the ship. Maybe kill off a few crew. No, the psychological damage would be far worse. The morale would tank. Fear creeps in. Uncertainty. But, above all else... in a nebula where standard sensors are useless... the sound of internal explosions reverberate loudly to ships designed to register such things... like the Widow.
Moments later all three beam banks rip through the central hull of the Gitech. Armor melts, entire hull sections are opened to space, and the silent screams of crew floating away fills the void. As lethal as the attack was, Nnuria leaves nothing to chance. As the Widow hit and flew past, it drops a tricobolt mine from the aft section, directly above the wounded prey. Just then canon fire arcs past the Widow's hull as the lower section moves to intercept. It was a glancing blow, but not one Nnuria wants to repeat. Fortunately, the mine detonates almost simultaneously with the counter attack, causing the already damaged section to fail completely, exploding, and sending debris in all directions, providing an effective smokescreen for the Widow's departure. But the Widow doesn't go far. It pulls a downward shift on the z-axis as it cloaks and hugs a nearby rock.
Moments pass before the lower hull section of the Gitech comes into view. That's the problem with letting your computers do the thinking. In open space, yes, the Prometheus can be deadly. But in confined quarters, there are too many variables to consider. Too many to leave to an inexperienced commander. As the ship passes directly above and in front of the Widow, there's a split second of recognition, but not quickly enough.
"Sink the fangs!" Nnuria coldly commands. The Widow's fangs are a modified cutting beam taken from a Borg cube and she so enjoys using them at times. The beam screams and tears into the unsuspecting lower hull section, nearly cutting it in half from bow to stern. The crew cheers as the ship explodes seconds later.
"Good work, everyone. Let's finish this." Nnuria chuckles and pats Pelisha's head. As the Widow left the nebula and asteroid field, the command section of the Gitech had already left towards home. That was the precious secret Pelisha had shared with Nnuria. Captain Lellier hated to risk his crew on dangerous missions. So he'd place minimal crew on two sections, send them in, and keep his own command section safely out of harms way. He was an egotistical braggart who feared loosing his life. Simple as that.
"How soon until we overtake them?"
"Five minutes Captain. Are we prepping boarding parties?
"Of course. We lost several prisoners luring them into the nebula. It's only fitting that we be compensated." Nnuria chuckles and smirks hungrily as the Widow begins the last hunt of the day, racing towards the final part of the Gitech and the choice morsels within.
End story...
Cloaked, with minimal power, and thrusters alone... the I.K.S. Black Widow maneuvered slowly through the asteroid field. The occasional thud of rock against the exposed hull was the only sound heard by the crew as the Widow wove itself ever deeper.
"Are they still there?" Nnuria calmly asks from her chair.
"Yes, Captain. They're still following our trail."
The strike against the science station two days past did not go over well with the Federation. The U.S.S. Gitech, a Prometheus Class starship was one of the defenders she had tricked into leaving prior to the raid. Captain Lellier was a hot-headed Adorian notorious for disobeying orders... for bending the rules. He also happened to be friends with Pelisha, the Andorian woman and former head of base security that was now chained next to Nnuria on the bridge. Pelisha was very stubborn and it had taken some persuasion to get her to talk. But, they all talk eventually and Pelisha was no exception. It was amusing to have her on the bridge to watch, knowing that her failure to remain silent was going to lead yet another crew to its doom, including dear, dear, Lellier.
In a straight up fight, Nnuria's Raptor was well matched against a Prometheus and she figured she would win. But not without damage, nor possible loss of crew. Even though some of the crew was disposable... like that awful Bolian chef she picked up on Drozanna. But they were still Nnuria's crew and nobody takes what rightfully belongs to her without due compensation. No, with the information Pelisha had given her, there was no need for a fair fight.
The nebula was filled with rocks from where two planets collided at some point in the past and interfered with scanners, shields, and communicators. It even effected weaponry to some extent. But that's where Nnuria had the advantage. The Gitech would have problems scanning as it was, but the Widow could still cloak, which made it truly invisible at dangerously close range. As the Widow can't use it shields while cloaked, the nebula prevented the Gitech from using shields too. Lastly, the Gitech was outfitted with anti-proton canons, which limited their firing arc. The Widow also had anti-proton weaponry, but dual beams which allowed for a larger firing arc. The only advantage the Gitech had was that it could separate into three smaller ships, which Captain Lellier had done the moment they entered the nebula. But Nnuria had a plan for this as well.
"Captain, they just found another prisoner."
Nnuria smiled at the news. Pelisha continued to cry quietly. They wanted to get their people back, so why not let them have a few? There were some that would cost more to sell than let go. So, letting them go and serve a greater purpose was the best option. Captain Lellier wanted to destroy Nnuria, that much was certain. But he had a hero complex and enjoyed bragging about how many citizens he saved from the evil Klingons. Whenever he saved the life of a fellow officer, he made sure everyone knew. So, Nnuria decided to give him some more bragging rights. By this point, she wondered how many he saved.
"Captain! We have an explosion!"
"Proceed." Nnuria smiles as the Widow lurches forward. Yes, have the prisoners back... complete with implanted subdural explosives. Oh, it wouldn't cause much physical damage to the ship. Maybe kill off a few crew. No, the psychological damage would be far worse. The morale would tank. Fear creeps in. Uncertainty. But, above all else... in a nebula where standard sensors are useless... the sound of internal explosions reverberate loudly to ships designed to register such things... like the Widow.
Moments later all three beam banks rip through the central hull of the Gitech. Armor melts, entire hull sections are opened to space, and the silent screams of crew floating away fills the void. As lethal as the attack was, Nnuria leaves nothing to chance. As the Widow hit and flew past, it drops a tricobolt mine from the aft section, directly above the wounded prey. Just then canon fire arcs past the Widow's hull as the lower section moves to intercept. It was a glancing blow, but not one Nnuria wants to repeat. Fortunately, the mine detonates almost simultaneously with the counter attack, causing the already damaged section to fail completely, exploding, and sending debris in all directions, providing an effective smokescreen for the Widow's departure. But the Widow doesn't go far. It pulls a downward shift on the z-axis as it cloaks and hugs a nearby rock.
Moments pass before the lower hull section of the Gitech comes into view. That's the problem with letting your computers do the thinking. In open space, yes, the Prometheus can be deadly. But in confined quarters, there are too many variables to consider. Too many to leave to an inexperienced commander. As the ship passes directly above and in front of the Widow, there's a split second of recognition, but not quickly enough.
"Sink the fangs!" Nnuria coldly commands. The Widow's fangs are a modified cutting beam taken from a Borg cube and she so enjoys using them at times. The beam screams and tears into the unsuspecting lower hull section, nearly cutting it in half from bow to stern. The crew cheers as the ship explodes seconds later.
"Good work, everyone. Let's finish this." Nnuria chuckles and pats Pelisha's head. As the Widow left the nebula and asteroid field, the command section of the Gitech had already left towards home. That was the precious secret Pelisha had shared with Nnuria. Captain Lellier hated to risk his crew on dangerous missions. So he'd place minimal crew on two sections, send them in, and keep his own command section safely out of harms way. He was an egotistical braggart who feared loosing his life. Simple as that.
"How soon until we overtake them?"
"Five minutes Captain. Are we prepping boarding parties?
"Of course. We lost several prisoners luring them into the nebula. It's only fitting that we be compensated." Nnuria chuckles and smirks hungrily as the Widow begins the last hunt of the day, racing towards the final part of the Gitech and the choice morsels within.
End story...
Story: Silent Witness
Gasping for breath, his every movement painful, Graife stumbles through the smoke-and debris-filled corridor, desperate for any means of escape. He trips and falls hard, exhaling a mixture of agony and blood upon the cold floor. Why had this happened? He was an honest merchant. An honest Orion. At least as far as the Syndicate was concerned. He kept his mouth shut. He kept his nose out of questionable shipments. He paid his dues on time. He did everything the Alasho asked of him. He served loyally for years! Graife returns to the present, ignores the pain, and looks around. With a smile, he crawls over to the bodies of former guards, their bodies charred and trapped beneath nearby rubble. Sifting through their remains, tossing unknown body parts aside, he manages to dig out two workable disruptor pistols and a dagger. Not much, but enough to possibly make a difference...
The convoy was attacked without warning by a pair of Klingon Raptors. They decloaked literally on top of the Orion escorts, vaporizing them within seconds. What type of weaponry was that? He'd never seen anything like it before. Definitely not standard issue, that much was certain. But, the Klingons were on his side! We were allies! They shouldn't be attacking. Was it a rogue group? Maybe they got signals crossed somewhere? Wrong transponder signal? No. Any thought of it being a random raid ended when the other two freighters were destroyed. There were valuables on those ships! Any raider would never destroy such an opportunity for wealth like that! No. It seemed almost... personal. Then his ship was last. Their transmissions jammed, he quietly waited for the end. But they didn't destroy his freighter. They disabled it. They hit the bridge and the engines. The explosion killed most of his bridge crew. Almost killed him. But he was a survivor. If they intended to board his ship, they would have a fight on their hands! But if they boarded, that meant they were looking for something. Something that they knew was here. What was it? What were they looking for? He didn't have anything that important on this run. At least Graife didn't think he did...
A woman's scream of terror followed by a sickening crack of bone forces Graife to jump back up to his feet and slam against the wall for support. Biting his lip not to scream from the pain, he continues making his way towards the only part of the ship not overrun... the cargo hold. So much for his valiant defense. The boarders were slaughtering everyone. What should have been a fight for his ship turned into a fight for survival. Graife stops at a junction and darts back as he sees a pair of Letheans standing there. Had they seen him? No. They were focused elsewhere. Quietly, he peeks around to watch as one lifts an Orion female up from the ground by the neck. It was one of the refugees he had picked up on his last run. Was it them? Were they the reason he was attacked? By Letheans?
"She knows something. Her mind is shielded, unlike the others."
"I'll... I'll tell you... nothing..." The woman retorts, prompting a chuckle from the Lethean.
"If you do, you do. If you don't, you don't. I'm fine with that." Another woman's voice hung in the air nearby, past the others. Graife strained to see more as he heard her footsteps come closer.
The Orion captive saw what he could not. Her eyes widened in a terror he'd never seen any female display. She tried to mouth something, but the words caught in her throat. Tears began to flow as her body trembled.
"P... please." The captive finally muttered as the new woman stepped partially into the light, her blood red hair falling over the captive's face as she leans closer.
"Mercy exists only for those who have earned it. You, I'm afraid, have yet to pay. But don't worry... pay me you shall." The woman states calmly and kisses the refugee's forehead with a gentle smile, before standing up straight and into the light. That's when it happens. Graife had stayed too long... watched too long. His eyes met hers and... he froze. He should fire his pistol. He should do anything except stand there frozen... in terror. Those eyes... cold... lifeless... merciless... Now he understood why the refugee had cried... as those eyes were now fixated on him...
The Letheans noticed the exchange and turned in his direction. Before they could act, she raises her hand to stop them, as a warm smile crosses her face. Graife runs. He stumbles and falls, racing down the passage towards the last, safe place onboard. Graife had weapons, shield generators, grenades... everything an Orion could need for situations just like this. If only he could get to the hold and to his precious stash in time. He pauses again to catch his breath. He only had one lung working, his other punctured by multiple broken ribs, and there was a woman... smiling at him...
'Tap... tap... tap... tap...'
The sound of boots calmly walking in his direction awoke Graife once more, spurring him onward towards the hold. Then, with a cry of pain and desperation, he lunges his body against the wedged door, forcing it open with a resounding crash. Graife screams again in pain, this time from his newly dislocated shoulder. But it was okay. He still had one lung left. He still had one arm. Both his eyes could see. He could still win this. Graife pulls himself over to the one crate that never left his ship, places his hand on the panel, and the lock opened with a hiss. With a smile and renewed hope, he reaches for a medical hypo...
"Wrong decision." Came a quiet, almost motherly voice. "In this situation, you should go for a grenade. That hypo will only prolong the inevitable."
Graife froze, then slowly turns to regard the woman calmly leaning against the doorway to the hold. Her hair dances in the smoke like miniature wisps of flames. Her green-skinned, armored body elegantly and gracefully creates an unnatural beauty within this most horrid of scenes.
"With a grenade, at least you could make your final stand more memorable, don't you think?"
She turns her head and meets his gaze with hers once again, a gentle, dangerously inviting smile upon her lips. Yet, the scene was horrid... her armor was covered in blood... her boots soaked in it... the sword on her hip dripped it...
He chuckles and sighs. "Ya, I suppose you're right about that..." He coughs and wipes the blood with his hand. "The name's Graife, Captain of this, well formerly fine ship."
She chuckles. "I see. I was wondering where you went. I'm usually pretty thorough, so it says a lot about your skill to evade my crew and I as long as you did."
He laughs and coughs. "Well, I was doing pretty good until I saw you standing there. Your mere presence... captivated me."
She blushes and sighs. "I do seem to have that effect on people at times. Ah well. As you can guess, I have what I came for."
"Ya, I figured you did after that scene in the junction back there. Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead." She answers, somewhat amused.
"Why? What did I do wrong?"
She pauses a moment and shrugs. "Fair enough question. You did nothing wrong. Actually, you've done everything right."
"Then?" Graife asks confused, slowly shifting his weight away from his wounded arm.
"I'll answer with my name... Nnuria. Perhaps you heard of me?"
Graife's eyes widen with recognition, his jaw goes slack, and he feels his body begin to tremble.
Nnuria smiles. "I see you have. Good. Then you know of the rather unpleasant situation your Alasho and I find ourselves in?"
He garners his strength and sighs. "I heard the rumors. I guess I should have paid more attention to them. I... my Alasho really did it this time, didn't she?"
Nnuria shrugs. "Why else would I be here?"
"Ya, I guess that all makes sense then."
Nnuria smiles. "Excellent! I'm so glad we had this little conversation. In the end, it's not your fault, really. You're just in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong cargo. Actually, there's part of me that rather admires how loyal you've been to her over the years. You are a true Orion and my only regret is that she found you first."
Graife sighs and smiles. "Thank you for saying that."
Nnuria laughs. "The truth is the truth. Anyway..." She pauses and taps her gauntlet. "Well, it looks like the cargo is safely aboard. Time for me to head out."
Graife gives her a knowing look, a smile playing upon his lips. "Any survivors?"
Nnuria calmly meets his gaze and sighs. "Sorry."
Graife lets his gaze drift slowly over Nnuria's body before stopping at her blood soaked boots. "Pity."
Graife lurches to the side, his fingers grabbing the hilt of a pistol, and he raises his arm. Yet when he goes to fire, Graife is surprised to see that Nnuria hasn't moved. The only thing that did change was the warmth of her eyes, which was now ice cold... a reflection akin to twin pools of the abyss. It was in that moment that he noticed the blood dripping onto his legs... from where twin fangs had erupted through his chest. As his body slumps forward, with a turn of his head Graife could just make out the crystalline spider firmly planted on his back.
Graife found he couldn't move as the poison acted more quickly than he thought possible. How deadly a variety was it? Funny what you think about at these moments. He could almost laugh, if his one remaining lung could still work. No, even in death his gaze was fixated on Nnuria's boots, as they slowly walked over to his body. Then, to Graife's surprise, she leans down and kisses his forehead before laying down next to him on the floor. Nnuria meets his gaze with a warm smile, mere inches away.
"The poison paralyzes before it kills. So I figure you have a minute or so left, which should be long enough to do something I very seldom get the chance to do. You see, no pun intended, I've always found it fascinating to watch somebody die calmly... slowly... like this. I'm sure you won't mind providing me this one request? I didn't think you would."
Nnuria takes her hand and runs it over his lips with a smile. "No breath? So soon? Well, let me give you a reward before you go. Only a select few ever meet their end like this. So quiet... so quick. You remained loyal even to the end. No pleading for you life. No requests for mercy. I respect that. I really do. So now, at the end... Captain Graife, know that the Syndicate is honored by your long and loyal service. I'll make sure your family knows of your valor and they'll be cared for. In fact, if your children are anything like you, I might just snatch them away myself!" She giggles. "What do you think? Oh..." Nnuria suddenly frowns as she realizes Graife no longer hears.
With a sigh, Nnuria sits up and calmly pets her Tholian spider. "That ended way too quickly. Can't be helped, I suppose. Business is business. Besides.." She picks the spider up and lets it ride on her back. "I think our prisoners won't be nearly as fortunate as Captain Graife here. Why, I doubt if they'll die any time soon."
Nnuria stands and with a final nod at Graife's corpse on the floor, signals for transport. Shortly thereafter, the last freighter explodes and it's debris drifts across the lifeless expanse of space. The only witness, Captain Graife, forever silenced.
End story...
Gasping for breath, his every movement painful, Graife stumbles through the smoke-and debris-filled corridor, desperate for any means of escape. He trips and falls hard, exhaling a mixture of agony and blood upon the cold floor. Why had this happened? He was an honest merchant. An honest Orion. At least as far as the Syndicate was concerned. He kept his mouth shut. He kept his nose out of questionable shipments. He paid his dues on time. He did everything the Alasho asked of him. He served loyally for years! Graife returns to the present, ignores the pain, and looks around. With a smile, he crawls over to the bodies of former guards, their bodies charred and trapped beneath nearby rubble. Sifting through their remains, tossing unknown body parts aside, he manages to dig out two workable disruptor pistols and a dagger. Not much, but enough to possibly make a difference...
The convoy was attacked without warning by a pair of Klingon Raptors. They decloaked literally on top of the Orion escorts, vaporizing them within seconds. What type of weaponry was that? He'd never seen anything like it before. Definitely not standard issue, that much was certain. But, the Klingons were on his side! We were allies! They shouldn't be attacking. Was it a rogue group? Maybe they got signals crossed somewhere? Wrong transponder signal? No. Any thought of it being a random raid ended when the other two freighters were destroyed. There were valuables on those ships! Any raider would never destroy such an opportunity for wealth like that! No. It seemed almost... personal. Then his ship was last. Their transmissions jammed, he quietly waited for the end. But they didn't destroy his freighter. They disabled it. They hit the bridge and the engines. The explosion killed most of his bridge crew. Almost killed him. But he was a survivor. If they intended to board his ship, they would have a fight on their hands! But if they boarded, that meant they were looking for something. Something that they knew was here. What was it? What were they looking for? He didn't have anything that important on this run. At least Graife didn't think he did...
A woman's scream of terror followed by a sickening crack of bone forces Graife to jump back up to his feet and slam against the wall for support. Biting his lip not to scream from the pain, he continues making his way towards the only part of the ship not overrun... the cargo hold. So much for his valiant defense. The boarders were slaughtering everyone. What should have been a fight for his ship turned into a fight for survival. Graife stops at a junction and darts back as he sees a pair of Letheans standing there. Had they seen him? No. They were focused elsewhere. Quietly, he peeks around to watch as one lifts an Orion female up from the ground by the neck. It was one of the refugees he had picked up on his last run. Was it them? Were they the reason he was attacked? By Letheans?
"She knows something. Her mind is shielded, unlike the others."
"I'll... I'll tell you... nothing..." The woman retorts, prompting a chuckle from the Lethean.
"If you do, you do. If you don't, you don't. I'm fine with that." Another woman's voice hung in the air nearby, past the others. Graife strained to see more as he heard her footsteps come closer.
The Orion captive saw what he could not. Her eyes widened in a terror he'd never seen any female display. She tried to mouth something, but the words caught in her throat. Tears began to flow as her body trembled.
"P... please." The captive finally muttered as the new woman stepped partially into the light, her blood red hair falling over the captive's face as she leans closer.
"Mercy exists only for those who have earned it. You, I'm afraid, have yet to pay. But don't worry... pay me you shall." The woman states calmly and kisses the refugee's forehead with a gentle smile, before standing up straight and into the light. That's when it happens. Graife had stayed too long... watched too long. His eyes met hers and... he froze. He should fire his pistol. He should do anything except stand there frozen... in terror. Those eyes... cold... lifeless... merciless... Now he understood why the refugee had cried... as those eyes were now fixated on him...
The Letheans noticed the exchange and turned in his direction. Before they could act, she raises her hand to stop them, as a warm smile crosses her face. Graife runs. He stumbles and falls, racing down the passage towards the last, safe place onboard. Graife had weapons, shield generators, grenades... everything an Orion could need for situations just like this. If only he could get to the hold and to his precious stash in time. He pauses again to catch his breath. He only had one lung working, his other punctured by multiple broken ribs, and there was a woman... smiling at him...
'Tap... tap... tap... tap...'
The sound of boots calmly walking in his direction awoke Graife once more, spurring him onward towards the hold. Then, with a cry of pain and desperation, he lunges his body against the wedged door, forcing it open with a resounding crash. Graife screams again in pain, this time from his newly dislocated shoulder. But it was okay. He still had one lung left. He still had one arm. Both his eyes could see. He could still win this. Graife pulls himself over to the one crate that never left his ship, places his hand on the panel, and the lock opened with a hiss. With a smile and renewed hope, he reaches for a medical hypo...
"Wrong decision." Came a quiet, almost motherly voice. "In this situation, you should go for a grenade. That hypo will only prolong the inevitable."
Graife froze, then slowly turns to regard the woman calmly leaning against the doorway to the hold. Her hair dances in the smoke like miniature wisps of flames. Her green-skinned, armored body elegantly and gracefully creates an unnatural beauty within this most horrid of scenes.
"With a grenade, at least you could make your final stand more memorable, don't you think?"
She turns her head and meets his gaze with hers once again, a gentle, dangerously inviting smile upon her lips. Yet, the scene was horrid... her armor was covered in blood... her boots soaked in it... the sword on her hip dripped it...
He chuckles and sighs. "Ya, I suppose you're right about that..." He coughs and wipes the blood with his hand. "The name's Graife, Captain of this, well formerly fine ship."
She chuckles. "I see. I was wondering where you went. I'm usually pretty thorough, so it says a lot about your skill to evade my crew and I as long as you did."
He laughs and coughs. "Well, I was doing pretty good until I saw you standing there. Your mere presence... captivated me."
She blushes and sighs. "I do seem to have that effect on people at times. Ah well. As you can guess, I have what I came for."
"Ya, I figured you did after that scene in the junction back there. Can I ask you something?"
"Go ahead." She answers, somewhat amused.
"Why? What did I do wrong?"
She pauses a moment and shrugs. "Fair enough question. You did nothing wrong. Actually, you've done everything right."
"Then?" Graife asks confused, slowly shifting his weight away from his wounded arm.
"I'll answer with my name... Nnuria. Perhaps you heard of me?"
Graife's eyes widen with recognition, his jaw goes slack, and he feels his body begin to tremble.
Nnuria smiles. "I see you have. Good. Then you know of the rather unpleasant situation your Alasho and I find ourselves in?"
He garners his strength and sighs. "I heard the rumors. I guess I should have paid more attention to them. I... my Alasho really did it this time, didn't she?"
Nnuria shrugs. "Why else would I be here?"
"Ya, I guess that all makes sense then."
Nnuria smiles. "Excellent! I'm so glad we had this little conversation. In the end, it's not your fault, really. You're just in the wrong place, at the wrong time, with the wrong cargo. Actually, there's part of me that rather admires how loyal you've been to her over the years. You are a true Orion and my only regret is that she found you first."
Graife sighs and smiles. "Thank you for saying that."
Nnuria laughs. "The truth is the truth. Anyway..." She pauses and taps her gauntlet. "Well, it looks like the cargo is safely aboard. Time for me to head out."
Graife gives her a knowing look, a smile playing upon his lips. "Any survivors?"
Nnuria calmly meets his gaze and sighs. "Sorry."
Graife lets his gaze drift slowly over Nnuria's body before stopping at her blood soaked boots. "Pity."
Graife lurches to the side, his fingers grabbing the hilt of a pistol, and he raises his arm. Yet when he goes to fire, Graife is surprised to see that Nnuria hasn't moved. The only thing that did change was the warmth of her eyes, which was now ice cold... a reflection akin to twin pools of the abyss. It was in that moment that he noticed the blood dripping onto his legs... from where twin fangs had erupted through his chest. As his body slumps forward, with a turn of his head Graife could just make out the crystalline spider firmly planted on his back.
Graife found he couldn't move as the poison acted more quickly than he thought possible. How deadly a variety was it? Funny what you think about at these moments. He could almost laugh, if his one remaining lung could still work. No, even in death his gaze was fixated on Nnuria's boots, as they slowly walked over to his body. Then, to Graife's surprise, she leans down and kisses his forehead before laying down next to him on the floor. Nnuria meets his gaze with a warm smile, mere inches away.
"The poison paralyzes before it kills. So I figure you have a minute or so left, which should be long enough to do something I very seldom get the chance to do. You see, no pun intended, I've always found it fascinating to watch somebody die calmly... slowly... like this. I'm sure you won't mind providing me this one request? I didn't think you would."
Nnuria takes her hand and runs it over his lips with a smile. "No breath? So soon? Well, let me give you a reward before you go. Only a select few ever meet their end like this. So quiet... so quick. You remained loyal even to the end. No pleading for you life. No requests for mercy. I respect that. I really do. So now, at the end... Captain Graife, know that the Syndicate is honored by your long and loyal service. I'll make sure your family knows of your valor and they'll be cared for. In fact, if your children are anything like you, I might just snatch them away myself!" She giggles. "What do you think? Oh..." Nnuria suddenly frowns as she realizes Graife no longer hears.
With a sigh, Nnuria sits up and calmly pets her Tholian spider. "That ended way too quickly. Can't be helped, I suppose. Business is business. Besides.." She picks the spider up and lets it ride on her back. "I think our prisoners won't be nearly as fortunate as Captain Graife here. Why, I doubt if they'll die any time soon."
Nnuria stands and with a final nod at Graife's corpse on the floor, signals for transport. Shortly thereafter, the last freighter explodes and it's debris drifts across the lifeless expanse of space. The only witness, Captain Graife, forever silenced.
End story...
Story: The Price of Freedom
How long had it been? How long since she enjoyed luxury like this? Lloyanda asks herself while lounging in the bath, attended by a score of beautiful women. The attendants belong to a variety of species, Andorian, Bajoran, Human, Orion, Vulcan... all exceptionally beautiful... and all very likely slaves. Yet the finery of their clothing, the scent of perfumed candles, the warm embrace of the water, and the elegance of the tub itself hints at something far more. The women didn't act like slaves. There was no fear in their eyes, no hesitation in their movements, and nothing but smiles and laughs for every question. "Miss Lloyanda, it's time. We have several gowns for your review. Please find one that you like, dress, and we will escort you to dinner."
"Can't I just stay here and relax a bit longer?" Lloyanda asks quietly, her hand lazily making circles in the water.
The Bajoran smiles and shakes her head. "I'm sorry, but she doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Lloyanda tensed. Her hand stops moving as reality forces itself upon her. She almost forgot the truth behind the facade. 'She doesn't like to be kept waiting...'
"Thank you for your attention. The bath did wonders and your medicinal care was superb. I'll dress quickly." Lloyanda swallows hard and rises from the tub. The attendants immediately dry her off, all the while the Bajoran nods an approving 'thanks'.
How long had it been, Lloyanda asks herself again? After boarding Captain Graife's freighter, she and the others were bound to rendezvous with the I.K.S. Pur'ten, to serve as the Alasho's eyes and ears in the new sector. But they were ambushed along the way. The ship exploded... there was fire and smoke... there were shouts about boarders... then there were... Lloyanda trembles as she picks up an outfit and hands it to the attendants for assistance. She was taken captive and interrogated. Repeatedly. Mercilessly. Whips, knives, other... things. There was no rest. Her body was a mess. She never knew anyone could survive that amount of pain. Yet, she'd rather go through all that a hundred times over... when compared to... them. The Letheans... yes, Lloyanda remembered them. Actually, she curses the fact that she can't forget them. Can't forget their faces, nor their touch. They did horrid things within her mind... went places... did things. How long had it been? Time lost meaning at some point. But eventually she was moved... cell to cell... shackled hand, foot, and neck... mere scraps of garbage to eat... the torture repeated over and over... until they came. These women. They took her away, tended her wounds, cleaned her up, and now dress her. So that she can have dinner with... that woman.
Lloyanda is led into a large, richly adorned dining chamber that could easily sit twelve. Upon the table was a veritable mixed banquet of common and exotic foods. Lloyanda smiles as she see Tysinni also seated at the table. She was glad she wasn't the only survivor. Tysinni also smiles, somewhat cautiously, as their eyes meet.
"Welcome to my table..." The woman at the end of the table speaks and extends her arm to a chair opposite Tysinni, both to either side of her. "Please, have a seat. Eat, before it gets cold."
Lloyanda trembles. The voice. The hair. It was her. Lloyanda curls a fist, takes a quick breath, and smiles. "Thank you, Alasho Nnuria. You honor us with the food and your company."
As Lloyanda takes her seat, Nnuria returns the smile. "The pleasure is all mine. It's not often I meet those skilled in the art of diplomacy. You and Tysinni both show great promise."
Diplomacy. That's what this is about. Despite the torture, Lloyanda never broke her silence. It's very likely that Tysinni didn't either. This was good. It means they might not die.
"Ah yes, um, diplomacy. I'm afraid you give us too much credit." Lloyanda smiles and fills her cup with some wine.
"Lloyanda is right, Alasho. We're nothing more than mere servants ordered to support the Empire however we can."
Excellent move, Tysinni, Lloyanda thinks to herself. They were servants of the Empire. The Empire protects its own. If word ever got out...
"We are all servants of the Empire, Tysinni. In fact, after we recovered your escape pod, we immediately notified the Empire and your families that you were safe. They look forward to your return." Nnuria calmly nods and takes a small bite of her dinner.
Not good. That was a lie and they all knew it. What Nnuria actually said is nobody had any idea they were alive and it's very likely the Empire was already notified of their deaths.
"That was very generous of you, Alasho. Even though we look forward to returning home, please don't make any undo effort to return us. We have troubled you enough already." Lloyanda nods and smiles.
"Indeed." Tysinni interjects. "You've already shown us great generosity and we owe our lives to you. Please, don't let us burden you further."
Lloyanda sipped her wine, eagerly waiting Nnuria's response. Tysinni forces a smile while calmly cutting off a piece of roasted... something. Yet, Nnuria didn't respond. She left their words hang. Waited dangerously long. Lloyanda begins sweating. She looks at her knife. Will it work? Would something so stupid like a table knife even graze Nnuria? Lloyanda glances over and notices Tysinni's eyebrow begin to twitch. Not good. They were thinking the same thing. Had they said too much too soon? Maybe Tysinni shouldn't have mentioned the Empire. Maybe they should just bow down and beg before...
"I assure you, ladies..." Nnuria calmly answers and takes a long sip of her drink. "That neither of you are any burden at all. In fact, I've rather enjoyed your company so far."
Tysinni smiles and immediately downs her entire drink. Lloyanda closes her eyes and sighs. Nnuria still wants them to live. Even if it meant more torture, she still wants them to live. Good news. It even meant a new bargaining chip. If they die before she wants them too...
"However..." Nnuria sighs. "It saddens me that I couldn't save any beyond you three."
Lloyanda and Tysinni both freeze. There were five of them all together. That meant two had died already. But the third?
Lloyanda looks up. "Um, five, Alasho?"
"Yes." Nnuria answers calmly. "I'm afraid two of your friends were simply too injured from the ship's explosion. We gave them what comfort we could, kept them alive as long as we could, but sadly, they didn't survive."
Lloyanda swallows hard. That meant they didn't survive the torture or weren't deemed important enough to keep alive.
"A... and the third?" Tysinni asks, refilling her glass.
"Oh, that would be Yviene. Like the two of you, she made a full recovery. I even invited her to dinner. But... I'm afraid she got into an argument with my attendants."
Lloyanda liked Yviene. She was smart, but was young and had a temper. That's why she was chosen to serve the Klingons. Yviene could put that temper to good use serving some young warrior. But in situations like this, where patience and guile were needed...
"I'm sure Yviene didn't mean any harm. She's young. Has a temper. If I could, I can..." Lloyanda begins but stops with Nnuria's raised hand.
"Oh, not to worry. Yviene has already offered to make amends for her actions. She has generously offered to help feed my pets. Care to watch?" Nnuria smiles, pushes a button, and the wall slides open to reveal a small 10ft square chamber with a round pedestal in the middle. Huddled on the pedestal, in tears, biting her lip, is Yvienne. When Yvienne sees the others, she immediately begins to scream and cry for help, yet no sound passes through the viewing glass. Tysinni immediately rises from her chair, while Lloyanda watches, gripping her knife hard.
Nnuria calmly watches their reactions, a malicious smile on her lips, before continuing. "You see, I have a fascination for dangerous pets. My favorites are spiders. I should simply show you my entire collection some time."
Lloyanda calms herself, glares at Tysinni, and motions for her to sit back down. Reluctantly, Tysinni does so, her eyes shifting back and forth between her friend Yvienne, Lloyanda, and Nnuria.
With a smile, Lloyanda takes a drink. "I agree, Alasho. Your collection sounds most interesting. If I may ask, what kind is our student Yvienne feeding?"
Yes, that's it. Remain in control. This is a test. Refer Yvienne as a student. Students do stupid things. Stupidity can be forgiven. Use 'our'. Make Nnuria feel that Yvienne is worth keeping alive.
Nnuria watches both women, savoring every moment of the banter. "Well, this particular species has a poison that dissolves organic tissue. Quite potent." Nnuria casually presses another button, hatches open, and the bottom of the chamber fills with a swarm of baby spiders. Yvienne screams. Tysinni tenses. Lloyanda swallows hard. "The adults are very lethal. They can kill or maim a healthy Klingon in only a few moments of excruciating pain. The babies, not so much. Their venom is much weaker. In fact, it's almost like being dissolved in slow motion. Watch this..."
Nnuria taps another button and a full-grown Targ is dropped down a side shoot and onto the floor. Within seconds, it is covered by the spider swarm, which begins feeding. The doomed Targ whines, runs, rolls... anything it can do to avoid the cruel demise. It's frantic attempts to survive and eventual collapse, give Yvienne a front row seat to the horror that awaits. She cries and begins pulling at her hair in despair.
"As you can see, that poor Targ is just taking forever to die. Those little cuties will probably feast a good three minutes or so." Nnuria smiles, taps again, and the pedestal begins lowering. Yvienne begins to tremble, her eyes pleading through the glass at the women seated at the table. Tysinni snaps, grabs a carving knife, and lunges at Nnuria.
"TYSINNI!" Lloyanda screams and Tysinni stops mid-stoke, her knife mere inches from Nnuria's head. Nnuria doesn't move. In fact, she looks up and meets Tysinni's gaze with her own. In that one instant, despite her rage and despair, Tysinni realizes she lost before even grabbing the knife. Slowly, Tysinni backs off, lowers the knife, and offers it hilt first to Nnuria.
"I'm sorry. P.. please forgive my outburst." Tysinni trembles and closes her eyes. That look of death in Nnuria's gaze... She couldn't handle it anymore. Nnuria smiles politely, moves her finger away from a button, and waves the knife aside.
"Oh, Tysinni. Of course I'll forgive you. Just... please put that knife someplace where it won't kill anyone."
"Yes, Alasho. Thank you." Tysinni nods and takes her seat. She takes a breath, musters her resolve, and thrusts the knife's blade into her thigh, biting her lip in pain. "I...is t.. this good?"
Nnuria smiles. "Yes. Make sure it stays there and doesn't kill anyone. Ok?"
"Y... yes, Alasho." Tysinni mumbles and cries.
Lloyanda takes a deep breath, steadies herself, and calmly addresses Nnuria. "Three minutes you said?"
Nnuria smiles. "Yes, but it's less than that now. Tysinni's outburst used up at least a full minute."
"W... what can we offer to... to... compensate you for your trouble? F... for saving us?" Lloyanda asks quietly, scolding herself for being so shaken to stutter.
"Ah. Honesty at last." Nnuria chuckles, presses a button, and stops the pedestal. "You're good, but not that good. You three have a lot to learn. The question is, do you want to learn... or go free?"
As Nnuria comments, guards pull Yvienne from the chamber, drop two more Targs in, and close the viewing window. Lloyanda sighs in relief and exhaustion.
"We live to serve the Syndicate. We die for the Syndicate. As..." Lloyanda begins, but is stopped by Nnuria's raised hand. At that moment, the truth finally sinks in. Lloyanda stands, walks over, and kneels beside Nnuria, taking her hand. "I pledge my existence to your whims, Alasho Nnuria. I live and die by your pleasure. Teach me, make me strong, and I will serve you without question..."
**Epilogue**
Lloyanda is soon joined by Tysinni and Yvienne, all three women making their pledge of loyalty and submission to their new Alasho Nnuria. The only freedom they had was death and none wanted to die, not yet... and definitely not horridly. They were given a choice few ever receive. By sacrificing their freedom and choosing to live, the women willingly accept indentured servitude until Nnuria saw fit to release them... a time none of the women hoped would happen for many years to come. In that one meeting, all three understood their new Alasho... all too well.
When the meal finally came to an end and two familiar Letheans arrived, all three women were asked to break with their past by performing their first act of complete loyalty to Alasho Nnuria. Without hesitation or resistance, each willingly offered every precious secret they had. For in the end, the price of keeping their secrets... the price of freedom... was simply too high.
End story...
How long had it been? How long since she enjoyed luxury like this? Lloyanda asks herself while lounging in the bath, attended by a score of beautiful women. The attendants belong to a variety of species, Andorian, Bajoran, Human, Orion, Vulcan... all exceptionally beautiful... and all very likely slaves. Yet the finery of their clothing, the scent of perfumed candles, the warm embrace of the water, and the elegance of the tub itself hints at something far more. The women didn't act like slaves. There was no fear in their eyes, no hesitation in their movements, and nothing but smiles and laughs for every question. "Miss Lloyanda, it's time. We have several gowns for your review. Please find one that you like, dress, and we will escort you to dinner."
"Can't I just stay here and relax a bit longer?" Lloyanda asks quietly, her hand lazily making circles in the water.
The Bajoran smiles and shakes her head. "I'm sorry, but she doesn't like to be kept waiting."
Lloyanda tensed. Her hand stops moving as reality forces itself upon her. She almost forgot the truth behind the facade. 'She doesn't like to be kept waiting...'
"Thank you for your attention. The bath did wonders and your medicinal care was superb. I'll dress quickly." Lloyanda swallows hard and rises from the tub. The attendants immediately dry her off, all the while the Bajoran nods an approving 'thanks'.
How long had it been, Lloyanda asks herself again? After boarding Captain Graife's freighter, she and the others were bound to rendezvous with the I.K.S. Pur'ten, to serve as the Alasho's eyes and ears in the new sector. But they were ambushed along the way. The ship exploded... there was fire and smoke... there were shouts about boarders... then there were... Lloyanda trembles as she picks up an outfit and hands it to the attendants for assistance. She was taken captive and interrogated. Repeatedly. Mercilessly. Whips, knives, other... things. There was no rest. Her body was a mess. She never knew anyone could survive that amount of pain. Yet, she'd rather go through all that a hundred times over... when compared to... them. The Letheans... yes, Lloyanda remembered them. Actually, she curses the fact that she can't forget them. Can't forget their faces, nor their touch. They did horrid things within her mind... went places... did things. How long had it been? Time lost meaning at some point. But eventually she was moved... cell to cell... shackled hand, foot, and neck... mere scraps of garbage to eat... the torture repeated over and over... until they came. These women. They took her away, tended her wounds, cleaned her up, and now dress her. So that she can have dinner with... that woman.
Lloyanda is led into a large, richly adorned dining chamber that could easily sit twelve. Upon the table was a veritable mixed banquet of common and exotic foods. Lloyanda smiles as she see Tysinni also seated at the table. She was glad she wasn't the only survivor. Tysinni also smiles, somewhat cautiously, as their eyes meet.
"Welcome to my table..." The woman at the end of the table speaks and extends her arm to a chair opposite Tysinni, both to either side of her. "Please, have a seat. Eat, before it gets cold."
Lloyanda trembles. The voice. The hair. It was her. Lloyanda curls a fist, takes a quick breath, and smiles. "Thank you, Alasho Nnuria. You honor us with the food and your company."
As Lloyanda takes her seat, Nnuria returns the smile. "The pleasure is all mine. It's not often I meet those skilled in the art of diplomacy. You and Tysinni both show great promise."
Diplomacy. That's what this is about. Despite the torture, Lloyanda never broke her silence. It's very likely that Tysinni didn't either. This was good. It means they might not die.
"Ah yes, um, diplomacy. I'm afraid you give us too much credit." Lloyanda smiles and fills her cup with some wine.
"Lloyanda is right, Alasho. We're nothing more than mere servants ordered to support the Empire however we can."
Excellent move, Tysinni, Lloyanda thinks to herself. They were servants of the Empire. The Empire protects its own. If word ever got out...
"We are all servants of the Empire, Tysinni. In fact, after we recovered your escape pod, we immediately notified the Empire and your families that you were safe. They look forward to your return." Nnuria calmly nods and takes a small bite of her dinner.
Not good. That was a lie and they all knew it. What Nnuria actually said is nobody had any idea they were alive and it's very likely the Empire was already notified of their deaths.
"That was very generous of you, Alasho. Even though we look forward to returning home, please don't make any undo effort to return us. We have troubled you enough already." Lloyanda nods and smiles.
"Indeed." Tysinni interjects. "You've already shown us great generosity and we owe our lives to you. Please, don't let us burden you further."
Lloyanda sipped her wine, eagerly waiting Nnuria's response. Tysinni forces a smile while calmly cutting off a piece of roasted... something. Yet, Nnuria didn't respond. She left their words hang. Waited dangerously long. Lloyanda begins sweating. She looks at her knife. Will it work? Would something so stupid like a table knife even graze Nnuria? Lloyanda glances over and notices Tysinni's eyebrow begin to twitch. Not good. They were thinking the same thing. Had they said too much too soon? Maybe Tysinni shouldn't have mentioned the Empire. Maybe they should just bow down and beg before...
"I assure you, ladies..." Nnuria calmly answers and takes a long sip of her drink. "That neither of you are any burden at all. In fact, I've rather enjoyed your company so far."
Tysinni smiles and immediately downs her entire drink. Lloyanda closes her eyes and sighs. Nnuria still wants them to live. Even if it meant more torture, she still wants them to live. Good news. It even meant a new bargaining chip. If they die before she wants them too...
"However..." Nnuria sighs. "It saddens me that I couldn't save any beyond you three."
Lloyanda and Tysinni both freeze. There were five of them all together. That meant two had died already. But the third?
Lloyanda looks up. "Um, five, Alasho?"
"Yes." Nnuria answers calmly. "I'm afraid two of your friends were simply too injured from the ship's explosion. We gave them what comfort we could, kept them alive as long as we could, but sadly, they didn't survive."
Lloyanda swallows hard. That meant they didn't survive the torture or weren't deemed important enough to keep alive.
"A... and the third?" Tysinni asks, refilling her glass.
"Oh, that would be Yviene. Like the two of you, she made a full recovery. I even invited her to dinner. But... I'm afraid she got into an argument with my attendants."
Lloyanda liked Yviene. She was smart, but was young and had a temper. That's why she was chosen to serve the Klingons. Yviene could put that temper to good use serving some young warrior. But in situations like this, where patience and guile were needed...
"I'm sure Yviene didn't mean any harm. She's young. Has a temper. If I could, I can..." Lloyanda begins but stops with Nnuria's raised hand.
"Oh, not to worry. Yviene has already offered to make amends for her actions. She has generously offered to help feed my pets. Care to watch?" Nnuria smiles, pushes a button, and the wall slides open to reveal a small 10ft square chamber with a round pedestal in the middle. Huddled on the pedestal, in tears, biting her lip, is Yvienne. When Yvienne sees the others, she immediately begins to scream and cry for help, yet no sound passes through the viewing glass. Tysinni immediately rises from her chair, while Lloyanda watches, gripping her knife hard.
Nnuria calmly watches their reactions, a malicious smile on her lips, before continuing. "You see, I have a fascination for dangerous pets. My favorites are spiders. I should simply show you my entire collection some time."
Lloyanda calms herself, glares at Tysinni, and motions for her to sit back down. Reluctantly, Tysinni does so, her eyes shifting back and forth between her friend Yvienne, Lloyanda, and Nnuria.
With a smile, Lloyanda takes a drink. "I agree, Alasho. Your collection sounds most interesting. If I may ask, what kind is our student Yvienne feeding?"
Yes, that's it. Remain in control. This is a test. Refer Yvienne as a student. Students do stupid things. Stupidity can be forgiven. Use 'our'. Make Nnuria feel that Yvienne is worth keeping alive.
Nnuria watches both women, savoring every moment of the banter. "Well, this particular species has a poison that dissolves organic tissue. Quite potent." Nnuria casually presses another button, hatches open, and the bottom of the chamber fills with a swarm of baby spiders. Yvienne screams. Tysinni tenses. Lloyanda swallows hard. "The adults are very lethal. They can kill or maim a healthy Klingon in only a few moments of excruciating pain. The babies, not so much. Their venom is much weaker. In fact, it's almost like being dissolved in slow motion. Watch this..."
Nnuria taps another button and a full-grown Targ is dropped down a side shoot and onto the floor. Within seconds, it is covered by the spider swarm, which begins feeding. The doomed Targ whines, runs, rolls... anything it can do to avoid the cruel demise. It's frantic attempts to survive and eventual collapse, give Yvienne a front row seat to the horror that awaits. She cries and begins pulling at her hair in despair.
"As you can see, that poor Targ is just taking forever to die. Those little cuties will probably feast a good three minutes or so." Nnuria smiles, taps again, and the pedestal begins lowering. Yvienne begins to tremble, her eyes pleading through the glass at the women seated at the table. Tysinni snaps, grabs a carving knife, and lunges at Nnuria.
"TYSINNI!" Lloyanda screams and Tysinni stops mid-stoke, her knife mere inches from Nnuria's head. Nnuria doesn't move. In fact, she looks up and meets Tysinni's gaze with her own. In that one instant, despite her rage and despair, Tysinni realizes she lost before even grabbing the knife. Slowly, Tysinni backs off, lowers the knife, and offers it hilt first to Nnuria.
"I'm sorry. P.. please forgive my outburst." Tysinni trembles and closes her eyes. That look of death in Nnuria's gaze... She couldn't handle it anymore. Nnuria smiles politely, moves her finger away from a button, and waves the knife aside.
"Oh, Tysinni. Of course I'll forgive you. Just... please put that knife someplace where it won't kill anyone."
"Yes, Alasho. Thank you." Tysinni nods and takes her seat. She takes a breath, musters her resolve, and thrusts the knife's blade into her thigh, biting her lip in pain. "I...is t.. this good?"
Nnuria smiles. "Yes. Make sure it stays there and doesn't kill anyone. Ok?"
"Y... yes, Alasho." Tysinni mumbles and cries.
Lloyanda takes a deep breath, steadies herself, and calmly addresses Nnuria. "Three minutes you said?"
Nnuria smiles. "Yes, but it's less than that now. Tysinni's outburst used up at least a full minute."
"W... what can we offer to... to... compensate you for your trouble? F... for saving us?" Lloyanda asks quietly, scolding herself for being so shaken to stutter.
"Ah. Honesty at last." Nnuria chuckles, presses a button, and stops the pedestal. "You're good, but not that good. You three have a lot to learn. The question is, do you want to learn... or go free?"
As Nnuria comments, guards pull Yvienne from the chamber, drop two more Targs in, and close the viewing window. Lloyanda sighs in relief and exhaustion.
"We live to serve the Syndicate. We die for the Syndicate. As..." Lloyanda begins, but is stopped by Nnuria's raised hand. At that moment, the truth finally sinks in. Lloyanda stands, walks over, and kneels beside Nnuria, taking her hand. "I pledge my existence to your whims, Alasho Nnuria. I live and die by your pleasure. Teach me, make me strong, and I will serve you without question..."
**Epilogue**
Lloyanda is soon joined by Tysinni and Yvienne, all three women making their pledge of loyalty and submission to their new Alasho Nnuria. The only freedom they had was death and none wanted to die, not yet... and definitely not horridly. They were given a choice few ever receive. By sacrificing their freedom and choosing to live, the women willingly accept indentured servitude until Nnuria saw fit to release them... a time none of the women hoped would happen for many years to come. In that one meeting, all three understood their new Alasho... all too well.
When the meal finally came to an end and two familiar Letheans arrived, all three women were asked to break with their past by performing their first act of complete loyalty to Alasho Nnuria. Without hesitation or resistance, each willingly offered every precious secret they had. For in the end, the price of keeping their secrets... the price of freedom... was simply too high.
End story...