Terra Stone: Mistaken Identity Chapter 6

 Artwork by TroyDM

Terra Stone

In

Mistaken Identity

Chapter 6

 

Lord Quintan’s Office

Quintan Slave House, Sutter’s World

 

          He was in a foul mood as the doors slid apart opening the way into his private office from his living quarters in the slave house. He had gone to his living quarters first after leaving the vulnerable slave unmolested in the special cell. Over the past few hours through the diligent work of Mester. Quintan had learned a great deal about the Union Agent Terra Stone, so much that added to her the natural beauty of her body and face, he had looked forward to many hours of putting her to his pleasures and desires before offering her up to the highest bidder in a private auction to parties that would pay dearly for the knowledge she possessed. Then the news of the arrival of the Union warships and put a stop to that for now. It was a shame that she had been able to hear that bit of news. As it has visibly given her a glimmer of hope when she was so close to breaking and accepting her fate and new life.

          Oh well, he thought to himself. Let the slave have a spark of hope. I will make crushing it later on all the sweeter. The thought of breaking the slave terra or as she was to be referred to here slave 9876309.brought a smile to his face as it brought back the memory of the first slave that he had acquired. He was a low-level administrator back then in the government house here on Sutter’s World. Her name was Felica and she had been the beautiful and spirited daughter of an influential trade delegate from Sparjak. She had laughed and publicly rejected his attempts to gain her favor. Quintan Sutter did not take rejection well and her callousness and amusement did not set well with him. So, he set out to learn as much about her and the people of Sparjak. It seemed that Sparjak had barely made it into the Union as they were a culture of corsairs. They were raiders by nature and loved the thrill of action. They were also one of the worlds in the Union that were still very active in the business of trading in slaves. He had wondered how he could use that to his advantage. Then he learned that Felica was an avid melee fighter and had been known to wager on her matches. Rumor had it that was how she had acquired her hand slaves.

          He could hear Mester responding to whomever as I he pressed the earpiece that was always feeding him information on whatever was going on. From the irritation that his aide was displaying whatever it was could not be good. But this had been the day for it starting with being interrupted with the slave earlier by his idiot cousin’s call. And while Simbaro could always be counted on to panic and overreact, how he wormed his way into the position of Prime Minister still baffled Quintan. Then again Simbaro looked the part of a handsome politician so it was likely as Quintan always suspected that he was just a puppet for the public to see while someone else was running things. More than likely Simbaro’s wife, Loreta was the one really running things to include her husband. She was driven and at times ruthless, a combination that had caused many a ambitious woman to wake up naked in one of his slave pens. Loreta had found herself once there herself. It had only been Simbaro’s affection for her that saved her thigh from a slave brand and collar on her neck before a trip to the auction block.

          And while the interruption had been annoying, it had also very necessary. The information that two Union warships as well as a support ship were in the sector was very concerning. The dark hair slave was of no value other than she was one of theirs. She was young and of low rank and if she was important she would not have been allowed to travel alone from the Union embassy ground or come looking for the slave he had already. No, the ships had something to do with the first Union slave. She was very important and valuable, the knowledge in her head was worth far more to the right buyers that what her body and looks would bring on the open block. This could very well be a show of strength to try and intimidate him. That might work with Simbaro, but everything that had been done was legal. The slaves were his legally despite who they used to be.

          “What have you to report, Mester,” moving around behind the massive desk and sitting down. “I am guessing that those Union ships are now in the sector.”

          “Not in the sector, my Lord,” Mester started. “The Jutland and Hood are in orbit of the planet. And the Alcatraz is in a higher orbit with the carrier Yorktown while the cruisers Yamato, Trafalgar, and Spruance have taken up a blockade formation and started to stop and board all inbound and outbound ships. Five of our shipments have been seized.”

          “WHAT! That is illegal! They have no grounds to stop and seize my cargo.” Quintan flared.

          “Actually, they can and have been, my Lord. Acting on the assumption that their people may be on a ship entering or leaving this system. They are stopping all outbound ships checking to see if either slave is on board as cargo. And the in bound just to make sure she is not here at the moment and being brought here.”

          “They know that she is here. This is harassment pure and simple.” He fumed.

          “They are being very cleaver I think, my Lord.” Mester countered.

          “How so?” he asked caught off guard by the usually very much in agreement aide.

          “Whoever is orchestrating the Union operations, knows that their people are here and in our control.” He started explaining, “Likely they either followed Tabor and Cyrus from Romata III or ascertained their final destination from the paperwork filed there for the purchase of the other slaves obtained there from the government sale. Therefore, stopping all outbound shipping is to be expected. They are checking to see if their woman or women have been sold being shipped to their new owners or if we are trying to get them off world to hide them.”

          “So why are they stopping the inbound ships?” Quintan said not so much of a question to Mester as to himself as he considered the possibilities. Then he had it, “They are using the unlikely assumption that she is not here yet as their probable cause to stop and search incoming ships. Reasonably sure that she is not there, but for that reason to search ships that they normally could only watch sail past them.”

“Exactly, my Lord. And it has proven to be very successful for them. And has explained the reason for the Alcatraz presence here. They had detained seven ships so far. Their crews were arrested for piracy and smuggling. The slave cargo was seized for closer identification. And all now in cells on the prison ship. They have effectively cut off all our incoming merchandise. With our current inventory these losses are a minor inconvenience for now. However, if this blockade is prolonged then it will cause us problems filling orders and meeting the projected stock levels for scheduled Auctions.”

          “Effective, ingenious, and diabolical all at the same time.” Quintan had to admit he was impressed. “I cannot wait to meet this person, have we heard anything from them or their delegation since this stated.”

          “Yes, my Lord, A Union assault shuttle has landed at their compound. We were informed to expect their representative within the next hour.”

          “Perhaps we should satisfy their suspicions. Have the two slaves brought up and chained to My desk as decorations. Inform them both that I expect perfect obedience from them and if they displease Me in the slightest way, they will wish that they hadn’t.” smiling wickedly. “I want to make sure that this representative sees that they are not the same as when they came here.”

“One moment, my Lord” Mester placing a hand to his earpiece. “We have some reports as to the ships that have been seized and those arrested. They have both the Baroness and Dido locked up on the Alcatraz.”

          That puts a different spin on things. Dido and Baroness are two of his best suppliers of slaves. They were renowned notorious slavers and pirates that were wanted in several sectors. Dito was a raven hair enchantress that had used her beauty to distract men and women into a trance as she took them and all they had. The Baroness, whose name was ironically enough really Anne Bonny, took the name as she didn’t care for the comments and teasing she received for sharing the name of a female pirate from Earth’s Golden Age of Piracy in the beginning of her career. Now no one dared to address the flame haired beauty whose wraith and vindictive nature was legendary. Their loss would be felt on his operation for sure, it was indeed unfortunate that they been returning with full chambers of prime stock for standing orders as well as for the monthly auctions.

 

 

Lord Quintan’s Office

Quintan Slave House, Sutter’s World

 

          Quintan looked up from his desk as Mester returned with two slaves following behind him on their leashes. Two hours had passed and the representative from the Union was due to arrive at any time. 9876309 and 9956215 were both very lovely pieces of slave flesh. While 9876309 was taller and older that her companion. 9956215’s Latina heritage was very apparent from her dark hair and eyes to her deep olive complexion. She was nicely shaped and was larger breasted than her lighter skinned senior. Quintan smiled to himself and thought that as exciting and inviting the slave Terra was. The slave Maria was an exotic beauty in her own right. She had the body of a pleasure slave and would bring a good price now and a better one once she was properly trained in the pleasure arts.

          Both slaves were naked needless to say, their hands locked in slave cuffs in the small of their backs. A muzzle gag was held firmly in the mouth of each as they were knelt beside his desk and their leashes locked to slave rings mouthed in the side of the massive desk. He rose from behind the desk and stepped around to stand looming over the two chained naked women. At a signal from him the gags were removed..

          “Listen closely, slaves.” He began. “In a short time one of your former comrades will be arriving to speak with me regrading the two of you. I have had your muzzled removed. But you are not allowed to speak unless I tell you to. Am I understood.”

          “Yes, Master.” They said in unison. Both had been here long enough and felt the pain sticks enough times to know what was expected of them and what would happen if they disobeyed.

          “My Lord, the representative has arrived at the entrance hall to the house.” Mester informed them. “He has two others with him.” Looking up with a concerned look.

          “Which Ambassador have they sent?” asked Quintan.

          “He is not an Ambassador, my Lord.”

          “Very well, which Admiral have they sent?”

          “He is not an Admiral, my Lord.”

          “Is he a Captain of one of the ships?” Quintan pursed puzzled.

          “No, my Lord.” Pausing for a moment. “He’s a Master Gunner of the Union Marines named Raphael McNally.”

          “What!” exclaimed Quintan that so junior of an officer was being sent.

          “Rafe!” Terra cried out in surprise and was instantly writhing on the floor in pain from her slave collar, “Please Master, stop!”

          So, the slave knew this Master Gunner. Interesting he thought.

 

          A few moments later the slave had recovered and was sobbing from the electric shocks administered to her via her slave collar. It was a quicker and easier method of punishing a slave, but not as gratifying or enjoyable as using an old fashion pain stick. This was indeed a day for surprises as the Marine entered the room. He was not in his uniform dress but in full battle armor and ready for a fight. The scar on this McNally’s cheek and the way in which he carried himself, said that he was a warrior and not some headquarters commando. But that was not all, fore behind McNally following on a slave leash were two females wearing only thin pleasure silk tunics and slave collars. One was a dark skinned raven hair beauty and the other was a flame haired wildcat, Dito and Baroness.

          “I was under the impression that you Union types did not care for the slave trade.” Quintan opened coldly.

          “My name is McNally, Master Gunner McNally. You may address Me as Master Gunner or McNally, Quintan.” He replied with a cold thin smile.

          “Most people address me as Lord Quintan.” The slaver fired back.

          “Well, slaver trader, I am not most people as you can see. Let’s get down to business. I’m not a politician or a bureaucrat so I have no patience or time for dancing around the subject and saying nothing. You have something that I want. As it happens, I believe that I have something that you would like back as well.”