Terra Stone: Mistaken Identity Chapter 3

 Artwork by TroyDM

Terra Stone

In

Mistaken Identity

Chapter 3

 

          “We have checked hangers 4,5, and 6. We have found no sign of the Slavers Tabor and Cyrus, nor that any slaves were brought into these hangers for loading into any of the ships. We are visually checking all the cargo holds but the vessels docked in these hangers are mostly registered to local residents and visiting delegations. We even found Agent Stone’s shuttle here.” Came the report from the units at the hanger over the communications panel on Constable Darro’s desk.

          “Are you sure that their papers said they were docked in hanger 5?” Darro asked McNally.

          “I’m certain of it” but Rafe was cut off by the laughter coming from the hacker Terra had arrested as he was being escorted to another location for interrogation. Raising a hand to signal the escorting guards to stop, he turned to the hacker. “You find something amusing.” It was a challenge and not a question which was clear by the menace in his voice.

          “Oh, just everything and how poetic it all is.” Laughed the Hacker. “The Indentured Dove is out of the sector by now. And that pretty little slut that arrested me is on her way to her new life as a slave on a distant market.”

          Both McNally and Darro looked at one another. The criminal had been there when Darro was dealing with the two slavers. So, he must have known them but neither wanted to acknowledge the other. He also might have heard that the agent who arrested him had been taken from the guards talking. But how did he know the name of the ship?

          “Get him out of here.” McNally commanded the escorting guards.

 

          “I love it!” the Hacker called back over his shoulder. “I might be on my way to the trillium mines of Kor, but she will be squirming in the chains of her master to please him!” Laughing as he was pulled out the exit hatch.

          “Much as I hate to admit it the bastards right. Even if they notice that she isn’t the girl on the papers. As attractive as Agent Stone is, they will likely just keep her as a slave only speed up her training and sale date.” Grumbled Constable Darro.

          “Yes, I agree. They will not just let her go, beings that they have her in their control. Terra is too valuable of an asset to them for what they can get out of her as more than a human female slave.” Taking a deep breath then sighs then pausing, “Why weren’t they able to take the girl on the papers?”

          “Politics is the simplest reason. She is from a wealthy and influential family. During a lover’s quarrel with her equally wealthy and influential lover, in a room full of witnesses, she picked up vase and smashed it against his head.” Darro explained.

          “Simple assault is usually just a fine and community service unless it was serious.” Mac commented.

          “It was, after she hit him, he staggered around and fell off a balcony before anyone could stop him. For that she was sentenced to five years of slavery. She, like every other female sentenced to slavery that day had been placed on a list of slaves to be sold to off world. Both families have paid dearly to have her removed from that list and sold locally instead. Depending on who wins the auction she will either serve out her time working at her family’s remote estate or spend the rest of her life as the slave of her former lover’s family. Either way she would have been better off being sold off world.”

          “I think you might be right about that. But had she been, Terra would not be in the fix she is in now. I’ll take her ship and make for Sutter’s World.”

          “I would think that the Union Command would have dispatched someone there already.” Darro reasoned.

          “Not a chance, they don’t want to let the slavers know the value of the girl they hold. I’m sure that you noticed that the warrant said those two slavers were wanted for the abduction of a Union naval officer. Not an intelligence officer, but just an officer. Headquarters will have reviewed what she has knowledge of and all codes that she knew or used will be changed. An agent may be sent to attempt to buy her when sold if possible. But they will not do anything that might show concern.”

          “But won’t you going there be doing just that?” Darro wondered.

          “Naw, see this is not business for me going there.” Mac smiled, “No for me this is personal. They took one of my people, a lady that I like and consider a friend. So, I am going to get her back.”

          “Very noble and honorable, Master Gunner. But what makes you think that they will listen to you all by yourself?”

          “Who said I will be alone? You would be amazed how cooperative they will be when they find the battlecruiser Jutland sitting in orbit ready to start landing troops. I think they will find me positively charming and won’t be able to help me enough.” McNally flashed a wicked smile.

 

Sutter’s World

The Sutter Slave House

 

          From the observation screen of his office Quintan watched as the newest arrival at his personal hanger was being boarded by handlers that would unload the cargo to be moved to the pens for processing. It was a very smooth and efficient operation, sometimes Quintan himself marveled at how well things could move. His given name had been Quintan Sutter as in the same family who had colonized this distant world nearly a century before.  And while the rest of the family did not mind at all the revenue that was brought to their businesses by those that traveled here to deliver and buy from his slave markets. They frowned and looked down upon him and his trade as a nearly criminal enterprise. How could he traffic in living beings selling them as slaves to the highest bidders. What had gone wrong with him they would say to others. Hypocrites! They were some of his best customers. Buying slaves from him to work in the jobs nobody wanted in their shops and businesses, besides being cheaper to keep than to pay someone to work. He had decided long ago to drop the Sutter part of his name.

          The handlers were starting to come back down the ramp, each man had a female body slung over their shoulder. Every female was naked except for the slave collar locked about her neck and still unconscious from the gasses in the transport tubes. The ankles of each slave were crossed and bound; a length of rope ran up the back of her thighs to connect to her bound wrists in the small of her back. The fact that they were still heavily sedated was irrelevant to the fact. No chances were taken when moving merchandise.

          “Isn’t that the Indentured Dove they are off loading?” Quintan asked the assistant behind him without turning from the image.

          “Yes, Lord Quintan, Tabor messaged that there was a slight delay in collecting the slaves on Romata III. I was about to look into the cause of the delay when they messaged again, they were in the system and lining up for their approach. The collar data shows that all the slaves are accounted for.” The assistant named Mester paused for a instant then continued, “Tabor and Cyrus also requested to settle their accounts and to collect their final pay.”

          On that Quinton turned to look at Mester then back at the ship on the screen. He had threatened the two bumbling fools if they screwed up again by selling them as slaves to be rid of them. Has the threat and the complication caused them both to decide on looking for a less risky way of making a living? Or the better question was what had gone wrong and been screwed up and they were attempting to slip off before the extent of their foul up was noticed.

          “Check with our man on Romata III and see what he says. Cyrus is a fool but Tabor has been a good man. His biggest flaw is not kicking Cyrus out the airlock. Put a tracker on their ship but let them go. If the damage caused is too sever then I’ll put a bounty on them both.”

          “Yes, Lord Quintan.” Mester responded before turning and leaving the chamber.

          What were those two wanting to hide from him, he wondered to himself.

 

Slave pens on Quintan Slave House

Sutter’s World

 

When Terra came back to the world, she found herself in a very vulnerable state. She was dangling from an overhead track system by the cuffs locked about her wrists. She was still naked except for the collar and chains, and every orifice of her body was being penetrated by a probe of some sort. The hands of the handlers were all over her body touching her as every centimeter of her body was being measured and recorded.

“What was your name slave?” demanded one of the handlers who was processing Terra.

“I am not a slave!” glared Terra as defiantly as she could given she was hanging by her wrists naked and totally at these people’s mercy.

“You will answer the questions that we ask, slave 9876309.” At that an electric prod was placed against her left nipple then triggered sending a small jolt of energy through her nipple and breast. “Now, slave, what was your name?”

‘My name is Natasha Carter, Ensign Union Naval Forces.” Terra whispering weakly, the effects of the device still causing her to ache. It was her cover name that she was to give if confronted or in trouble and they didn’t know who she was already. She was pretty sure that neither of the two goons that brought her here were going to boast about abducting a Union I&I agent.

Then the penetrating probes all came to life inside her measuring and recording her body’s reaction to their stimuli. All she could to is swing by her wrists and her sexual responses were measured mechanically. She shivered at the thought of the same test being done on her by a male handler or slave.

“This one is a hot little slut, she will bring a good price.” One of the handlers laughed as he turned up the intensity of the devices to torment her further.

“I am a Officer in the Union Navy and demand to speak with whoever is in charge,” Terra demanded. For which she received more punishment shocks to her nipples, breasts, and pubic region. She screamed in pain as she wiggled in the chains helplessly. When they had recorded all the data on the slave that they needed. Several naked slaves came up and began washing her body from head to toe. When the soap was rinsed away, she was toweled dry before the slaves started to move away from her.

Her senses returning to her, Terra had opened her mouth to complain and ask to speak with the Master of the house once again. But quickly found that no one wished to hear from her as a hollow tube connected to something that she wasn’t what it was had been shoved into her open mouth. Instantly, soon as the wetness of her mouth contacted the tube.  Terra’s mouth was filled with gel of some sort that would not allow her to expel the tube. What the tube was connected to was a small mask that covered her mouth and lower face. The mask was strapped in place leaving her effectively muzzled.  When the slaves had finished grooming her body, The conveyor overhead came to life once more and she was moved forward to the next area.

At the next area, she was lowered to a exam table and strapped down from her waists to her ankles before the shackles on her wrists were removed and her upper body, arms, and wrists were secured to the table as well. Something passed over her throat and she felt a strange numbness after the device was removed. The muzzle was then removed, and she found that she could not speak. Her mouth would form the words, but nothing came out. They had paralyzed her vocal cords.

Helplessly on the table she was given the most invasive physical examination she had ever done. Whatever data about her that had not been gathered at the first station was now recorded on her file. When they were done, she was given an injection of something that made her feel sleepy. She barely registered that she had been released from the tables restraints and placed on her belly where her wrists and ankles were crossed and bound with cord. A large male slave then picked her up and carried her towards another room. Her world went black before she left the room.

 

Lord Quintan’s office

 

“Lord Quintan,” Mester began as he entered the office, “I have received word back from our man on Romata III. The delay was caused by a new ruling on one of the slaves we were to get. Her sentence was altered so that she was to be sold at a public auction there.”

“And they reversed it again I take it. As we did receive 10 female slaves from there.”

“No, they did not, my Lord. And I just received the results of the slave 9876309 from processing. Somehow between Romata III and here she grew two inches in height and got bigger tits. The slave we have is also free of venereal disease as the one there had been given it by the man she killed. The one we were supposed to get is still locked up on Romata III.”

“So those two could not get the slave they were supposed to and snatched another female that was close to the description on the papers. I suppose that is better than showing up one short.” Quintan shrugged.

“It’s not that simple, Lord. Romata III has issued warrants for the arrest of Cyrus and Tabor. The charges are numerous, but the most serious is Abduction without proper permits. And Assault of an Officer in the Union Naval service.”

“Of all the comely females they could have snatched, they took a Union officer! They had better hope that the Union or Romata III gets them before I do! Those fools!”