Rafe's chain of slave girls

 Terra

Nina

Marla

Druilla

Olaca

Jolara

Naomi

The Darterra Sagas Book 2 Marooned Chapter 1 Into the Unknown

 

The Darterra Sagas

Marooned

Chapter 1

Into the Unknown

 

Crash Site of the Starship Yakali Kole

Location Unknown

 

          The bridge of the small ship was filled with smoke and the smell of electricity as exposed wiring snapped and sparked. Rafe McNally groaned as the world slowly had started to come back in focus. His body ached from where it had thrown upon impact against the restraint of the seat which had kept him from flying forward into the ship’s controls. He was alive that was a plus as compared to the alternative. A softer moan came from the seat beside him, looking over to see Terra slumped against the restraining straps of her own chair. The thin shear fabric of the slave tunic she wore did little to hide the lines and beauty of her body. This had all felt like a bad dream for the most part, and Rafe was certain that Terra would feel the same. After all in the last month she had been abducted, enslaved, and sold as a slave with the approval of her own people who has authorized her to be bought and kept as a slave. The steel collar locked about her throat denoting her status as a slave left little doubt of that.

          “Rafe?” she said weakly.

          “Yes, Terra. We made it down and are alive.” Releasing the safety straps that held them in place in their chairs. His fingers began to run over the controls that were not fried and still responding. “I am not sure where we are, But I want you to go back to the hold and check on the other.” Pausing then looking directly at her, “I am not sure how long we will have power so get them out of the chambers. So make sure that they are alright. Then secure them with rope or chains.”

          “Rafe!” Terra started to protest.

          “Terra, we don’t know where we are. Or what is out there. Last thing we want is those girls back there running around loose drawing attention to us till we know what sort of crap we crashed in.” Seeing the look on her face. “We have four slaves back there that we know nothing about. They might be docile as sheep. But they may not be given the fact that the ship was tampered with and Nina who was to be our contact was hidden as another slave in the hold. Nina I am not worried about. It’s the other four and our little JG. She’s too green and only here as another loose end that needed to be tied up. So, if Nina is awake leave her loose to move around but I don’t want the other five wondering around.”

          “Yes, Master.” She replied icily. Terra understood his reasoning and it was sound, she couldn’t argue with that. It was just that she wasn’t happy about still being a slave now that it appeared that the whole mission was a set up from the start. Nor was she pleased at having to keep six other women as slaves as well by binding or chaining them. Unbuckling the safety restraint strap of her chair she stood and started for the door smoothing down and adjusting the thin light tunic that barely concealed her. She doubted that the others had recovered from the sedatives in the containers air supply. But was not sure she and Rafe had been unconscious either.

 

 

Cargo Hold of Yakali Kole

Location Unknown

 

          The cargo hold was as much of a mess as the rest of the ship. Anything that had not been strapped down was scattered all over the hold. The chambers all seemed to be intact, except one, a steel beam had shattered the viewing dome over the head. It was her chamber. If she had still been inside she would have a crushed skull right now and be dead. Damn him! She thought to herself. By waking her up like he had, Rafe had saved her life once more. In some cultures, owing someone a life debt as she owed him call for her to become his servant for the rest of her life. Unconsciously, she reached up and touched the slave collar locked on her neck. He had saved her more times then she cared to remember, was what was happening now with her being his slave fate fixing the books? She shook it off as she had to see to the others.

          Moving to Nina’s chamber first she followed the instruction beside the panel to start the opening process. Terra was not too familiar with this technology, not to mention her only firsthand experiences with it, she had been the one inside the chamber. Finaly ready, she broke the seal on the chamber lifting the cover. Nina was laying strapped down in a peaceful slumber. She was naked except for a slave collar on her neck. Nina was a blonde-haired blue eyes beauty. Terra only hoped that when she had been compromised, that she had not had to endure too much abuse before being placed in the transport chamber. Unstrapping her from the table first, Terra helped ease her out of the chamber on the floor, fearing that if she came to while still on the table she might roll off and injure herself.

          Looking about she managed to locate several sets of cuffs and some rope. She also located several scarves and some more slave tunics like the one she wore. Thinking that it was better than nothing she grabbed two of them. One she dropped in Nina’s lap as she slumps against the side of her chamber. The other she took with her to the next chamber, Marla. The girl’s Hispanic heritage was very evident in her beauty and facial features. As much as Terra hated to admit it, Rafe was right about the need to secure her like the others. At the slave house, Marla had not understood why they were not just given clothing and were allowed to leave. That they were being sedated and placed in transport chambers didn’t make once the new collars were locked on them, Terra had been expected to be collected and escorted as slaves from the House. When that hadn’t happened, she was heartbroken at not being led on a lease naked through the streets back to wherever he would be taking them. She had only surmised that there was something bigger in play and she would find out when the time was right as she had.

          After having unstrapped her from the table, she sat Marla up on the side of the table, supporting her as she pulled the slave tunic down over her head before easing her to the floor. Rolling her on to her stomach, she pulled the girls’ wrists behind her securing them in one of the sets of cuffs. Crossing the girls’ ankles she bound them with one of the scarves.

          “Terra?” came a groggy voice from behind her. Turning she saw that Nina was starting to come around.

          “Take it easy, Nina.” Moving back to her and kneeling by her side.

          “Where am I and how did I get here?” she asked shaking her head trying to rid herself of the sedative’s effects. “The last thing I remember was a cloth being placed over my mouth and nose after being informed that new information had come to light and I was not longer needed in my current position, however there was another opening that I was perfect to fill in the organization.” Then looking down and finding herself naked. Looking at Terra wearing a slave collar and a light diaphanous short gown that showed as much as it barely covered. Her hand went to her own neck finding the slave collar she wore, then to her left buttock finding a S brand marking her as a slave as well.

          “The how you got here is easy. Sort of, we found you in a transport chamber hidden in a smuggler’s hold on the ship” Terra smiled, helping her to her feet. “The where is a little harder. The ship was sabotaged, and we dropped out of the slip stream crash landing. Master” she decided it best to start referring to him as that for the time being at least, “is on what is left of the bridge trying to keep power to the chambers and determine where we are.”

          “Master?” Nina asked looking at the garment that Terra had just handed her that looked very much like that she was wearing. Deciding that something was better than nothing, Nina pulled it on and adjusted it to cover as much of her as possible.

          “Rafe McNally,” Terra started then paused to quickly gather her thoughts. “He is my Master as of now. He bought me and that bound and sleeping JG over there from a Slaver on Sutter’s World along with four other slaves still in transport tubes. So, we and now you belong to him till we can get out of this mess and home.”

          “That may not be so easy, since it looks like my cover was blown, and this whole mission compromised. Someone went to a great deal of trouble to make sure that we were never going to be able to tell on them. I was getting closed to something. I think the plan to host a retreat and bring in slaves for entertainment spooked them. Terra, this goes beyond the Cristo Corporation, it has senior Union officials and officers involved”

          “So, if they wanted you silenced, why enslave you instead of just killing you? It seems they went to a lot of trouble to ensure you were able to tell anyone what you had learned.” Terra wondered aloud.

          “Had they killed me and reported that there had been a tragic accident. Inquiries might have been made when there was no body to return to Earth. Enslaving me would be easier to explain away. I wondered into the wrong area when one of their two mercenary raiders, Baroness or Dito, to make a raid that I would have been listed as taken in.” She stopped when Terra started giggling. “What?”

          “Well, Master called in some markers and cast a net around Sutter’s World trying to get me back. The blockade caught several smugglers. He traded Baroness and Dito as slaves in exchange for me and Marla over there. So right now, they are not doing nothing but serving and pleasing their current Master.” She smiled at what she saw as irony and karma. Two women she had almost felt sorry that got just what they deserved. The bringing herself back to the moment. “I need your help to get the other four slaves out of their chambers and secured before they wake up.” Both rose to their feet, though Nina was still a bit wobbly moving to the other chambers.

          “Please, tell me that Rafe didn’t select these four.” Nina said as she looked into the chambers of the still sedated and restrained slaves.

          “No, we were being led out on leashes, but I heard him tell Lord Quintan the slaver that he wanted to buy four more slave girls. He just said that he wanted 4 high quality slaves and that he trusted the slaver to pick out four decent ones to match the two he already had. Why?”

          “Well,” Nine laughed as she walked to the first chamber, “The slaver got the last laugh in this case for the trouble we caused him.” Moving to the first chamber. “This one may be the one of all the whole lot that come close to what was ordered. She’s human, the only one of them all, nice figure, brunette, but doesn’t look much older than your little friend tied up over there.” Then working the chamber controls to unlock the cover so that they can take the girl from the chamber.

          “She is young.” Terra agreed. The girl looked so young and innocent. Yet she wore the collar and brand like she did. What had happened to send this girl down the path of the hard life of a slave. Then again what had any of them done to deserve this life except for maybe the two pirate queens now slave back on Sutter’s World. They, she felt deserved to what they had done to countless others. Without another word they unstrapped the girl from the table and lifted her to the floor. There she was rolled to her belly and her head turned to the side, her hands were pulled behind her and locked in cuffs. While Terra secured the girls’ wrists, Nina has started searching the wreckage around them and returned with four set of leg shackles just as Terra was about to bind the girls’ ankles.

          “She might be fine bound like you did the other,” motioning to the bound Marla over to the side, “but I think we should take extra care with the other three and might as well secure her the same.” Nina locked one open ankle cuff about the girls’ left ankle then drawing it up she looped the chain between her cuffed wrists then brought the right ankle up and secured it in the other cuff. Rising up leaving the girl in an effective hogtie has she heard it called. They then moved to the next chamber.

          “This one is from Psitau 3 which is in the Latorian Empire.” She said indication the beautiful green skinned humanoid female strapped down and sedated within the chamber. Terra looked into the chamber at the girl noting her red hair that contrasted with her green skin. “Psitau 3 was a peaceful planet that was conquered by the Latorians in the name of peaceful expansion as they called it over 150 years ago. The people of Psitau 3 were not outright enslaved but treated as worker drones forced to produce resources and wealth for the Empire. Over time the Latorians started harvesting those that they found of interest for slaves.”

          “So, we have one that has been basically lived as a slave her whole life. While I feel for her, how does she cause us problems.? Terra asked.

          “You will in a moment. But first lets get her out of this and secured.” The chamber unlocked and lid raised, they unstrapped the green girl and lifted her to the floor. There she was placed on her belly with head to the side and restrained in the same manor as the human girl before her. Then moving to the next chamber.

          “This that a Thetanuian?” Terra asked pointing to the pale skinned female inside this chamber. She had heard of them, but they were very much isolationist preferring to stay to themselves and looking down on other cultures as not being civilized enough to be worthy of their attention. The girl in the chamber was strikingly beautiful with raven black hair and the one feature that made her stand out while sleeping, her ears which shaped different, they were elf like she supposed the word was.

          “Yes, that is what I am guessing from the descriptions that I have heard. And I am sure she was worth a hefty sum of money to the Slaver, so why sell her so cheap unless she was a problem to him in some way.” They both thought about that as Nina worked the controls before opening the chamber. As they raised the lid of the chamber, the occupant began to stir. “She’s coming around faster than the others. Grab her quick!” They wasted no time lifting the groggy Thetanuian from the table and placing her on her stomach like the other three slave women before her. While Terra restrained the woman’s wrists behind her back, Nina had grabbed a sedative from a med kit on the wall and gave the prone slave another injection in her buttocks. Dropping the injector on the deck, Nina grabbed one ankle while Terra took the other pulling them up and bending them back where Nina locked the ankle cuff of the shackle around the one she held. Then passed the shackle chain around the chain of the wrists cuff, handing it to Terra, who locked it on the ankle she held.

          “That was close,” Terra let out a sigh of relief.

          “Too close, I have heard stories that they can be incredibly strong. I am not sure that we would be up to subduing her again.” Snorted Nina. “One more to do.” She groaned as she stood and moved to the controls of the final tube. Terra rose to her feet and joined her and gasped as she looks into the tube.

          “Is that an Latorian?” Terra asked as she pointed to the sedated red skinned female secured within the chamber.

          “It is,” Nina shook her head. “But that is not the worse of it. That is no average Latorian female slave. If I am right that is Olaca, daughter of Lord Kraxton, who vanished three weeks ago.”

          “Oh Shite!” Terra exclaimed. “Quintan really shafted us.!”

          “I am not sure if it was only him or if Cristo had something to do with this.” Looking down into the chamber. “But we had better get her out of this and secured like the others quickly.”

 

Bridge of the Yakali Kole

Location Unknown

 

          “Are you serious!” Rafe taken back by what Terra and Nina by what they had informed him of shortly after returning to the shambles of the bridge.

          “I wish that I was, Master. Lord Quintan gave you exactly what you asked for four beautiful female slaves of high quality. He just dumped all the high-risk slaves in his pens on you at the same time” sighed Terra, leaning on a dead control panel. After the last few days, she didn’t think about the fact that she was basically naked in front of him.

          “It might be as simple as that, Rafe,” Nina interjected shifting uncomfortable in what should have been the communications officers chair if they had one. She was constantly tugging at and adjusting the thin skimpy slave tunic she wore which matched the one Terra wore so brazenly. Then seeing the look from the others, “Sorry, Master. This is going to take some getting used to.”

          “What do you mean?” pressed Rafe.

          “The human girl, while she still may have a sinister past as well, is what she seems, just a pretty slave. The Psitau girl was likely a slave already. The question is was she a slave outside the Empire that happened to be in Quintan’s pens or was she the slave of the former Latorian Lady who is now a the slave chained up next to her. Either way it will be a headache for us as we will have to watch them both constantly as they will be at each other soon as our backs are turned.”

          “Do you think that her abduction and enslavement was planned? Or was she just in the wrong place at the wrong time?” He leaned back enjoying the view of the two girls as he posed that question to anyone to answer.

          “Well as we have all just seen the Cristo Corp is dirty as mud. Having Lord Kraxton’s daughter taken in a slave raid or just abducted would definitely infuriate the Empire and destabilize the sector. Terra told me that you traded the two pirate queens for her and the other girl.” Nina said folding her arms before her and keeping her legs crossed to hide herself best that she could.

          “Yes, they flew blindly into the blockade we had set up around Sutter’s World. I knew Terra was there already. But the blockade was to ensure that she wasn’t on a ship leaving while at the same time disrupting the flow of incoming ship to the ports. Specifically, smugglers bring in fresh slave for Quintan’s pens and market. Dito and Baroness flew right into it. And they both, while being questioned about his operations decided that they would rather take their chances being traded to him like slaves than to face all those that wanted their heads.”

          “There is nothing solid, but the rumor is that Baroness took her, and it was a contract job. But if it was the slaver, or Cristo, or someone else nobody knows or if they do they are not talking.” Then bites her lower lip and from Terra to him. “So, when are you going to take these collars off us and give us some real clothes.” It wasn’t a question.

          “I was wondering when that would come up.” Rafe laughed. Then stopped smiling and gave her a cold hard stare. He shot Terra a look and her expression reflected that she was expecting this news. “If this was a S&R mission still then maybe. But Terra and the Rojas girl were legally enslaved and sold to me, therefore they are my slaves. So are the other four slaves in the hold. I paid for all six of them. I did it with my own money.” That got Terra’s attention. She knew that she had been sold as a slave. But she had assumed that the money to purchase them had come from the Union at first or Cristo like the ship had. That he was just her Master till they got where they were going. But she really was his slave. Then he went on after that had sunk in. “I was to sell them all to you on Omega Prime for exactly what I paid for them transferring ownership to you. But we are not going to make it to Omega Prime as this ship is dead. And you are not waiting there as you are a slave on this ship that was given, not assigned, not loaned, but titled to it and everything on it for my part in all this. So that makes you my slave as well.” He gave them both a hard look. “Kneel before your Master, slaves.”

          Both had heard his command voice when barking at recruits or those fresh from training that didn’t know how to find their own ass with both hands. That was a command. And in light of the information, he had just given them, they were both slaves and belonged to him. Quickly, and without much grace or polish they dropped to their knees on the deck before him as slave before their owner.

          “So now that we have that clear, that you are slaves and belong to me. That the ship is broken and we are not going to get it off the ground again without a supply ship and repair crew.” He looked at both of them. Under different circumstances he might really enjoy having them both as slaves before him. And perhaps later on he would be able to enjoy owning them both. They were after all both extremely beautiful and exciting women. But for now, the mission was staying alive. “That you both know. As well as who supplied this ship as a gift for me. What you don’t know is that the navigation computer system was tampered with. The entire time we were the slip stream thinking were enroute to Omega Prime we were traveling faster than light in another direction. If the charts and reading are correct, we are light years past Grissom’s Belt. Near as I can tell we are likely in the McAuliffe Sector, and this is the planet Darterra.”

          “Master,” Terra said in disbelief. “That Sector is mostly uncharted and unsettled. It suspected of being home to several bands of pirates and smuggler.”

          “Yes, my lovely slaves. And for that reason, I am keeping you as slaves for them time being.  If you are taken from me, then they will only see you as slaves and nothing more. If they suspect you are agents and officers of the Union, then you will wish that you were only slaves. Terra will be the high slave, and Nina will be her second. Keep the others in line, and most important watch each other’s back and take care of the Rojas girl. Fore, we have no idea of what lays on the other side of that bulkhead. We are on our own.”

 

 I hope that you have enjoyed Chapter 1 of Marooned. I got the artwork as close as I could while dividing my attention between creating it and writing the story. I had a different vision for the crash site. And wanted to have Nina, Marla, Druilla, and Olaca inside the tubes. But the program was not playing nice so I had to settle for a great image just not the one I wanted. 

Tomorrow you will get your first views of the slave girls in an art post.

 

 

 

 

 

 

From the desk of Paladin

 From the desk of Paladin

As some of you may have heard me say, I have been trying to write for a very long time. So I have many unfinished stories or ideas that got over got very far because as I was writing my vision. Something was released on TV or in the Theaters, or the Book shelves at the store that was close enough that what I was doing that for me to push on it would have looked like I was coping them.

Prime example, I was working on a story line where the scientist of Atlantis lost control of an experiment which opened a worm hole in the area known now as the Bermuda Triangle that pulled Atlantis into another place in space and time. And that it opened again randomly pulling others to the same place were they were trapped on a one way trip. I have even started building a role play realm around the idea. 

Then Sci-Fi Channel announced and released Stargate Atlantis. Not the same but close enough that I scrapped mine. And for the record as much as I loved Stargate SG-1, Atlantis is still my personal favorite of the franchise.

 Not long ago I started writing a role play realm about a two groups of people that ended up marooned on the same planet on the fringe of the known galaxy. It never took off after hours of work getting it laid out and ready due to lack of interest from others to come role play there.

so if you are wondering while I am telling you all this. Here is why. I had pulled the character of Rafe McNally initially from my scrapped Darterra realm so that I had a strong male hero to work with Terra Stone. Later in the Mistaken Identity story I pulled Marla Rojas and Nina Ritter over as well. 

I have decided that the best way to keep this story going is as a continuing saga. Book one will be Mistaken Identity introduced you to some of the main characters. Book two will be Marooned will set the stage and introduce you to more. And if by the time we get to Book three if you are in love and bonded with the characters, then I haven't done my job very well.

I can promise you that the Darterra Sagas will be original as any good Science Fiction realm is. I mean they all have sexy green women after all Orion Slave girls, Hura, Gamora, She Hulk. But seriously I am hoping to give you an  exciting story that will not only keep you coming back for more. But want to read again and again. Who knows one day you might be able to point to a bookshelf and say "Hey I know that book, I read it on a blog as he wrote it"

So with all that I feel safe in promising that within the next few days you will be reading the new chapter in this saga

Be well 

Bonus art for the Assessment Part 3

Ragenta waiting to be claimed by Dantor

 I just worked this up the other day while I have been working with the AI program I am using. I am still learning and it doesn't always come out like I would like. But sometimes I get a gem like this one

Lady Ragenta: The Assessment Part 5 (The final part)

 Enta and Leta 

kneeling chained on the bed of a slave wagon

Lady Ragenta

The Assessment

Part 5 (the final part)

In the Forest West of Victoria

Near the Villa of Dantor

 

          Ragenta stumbled again. She had never imagined how hard it could be to walk barefoot through the wood. The sun warmed stones of the streets of Victoria had been bad enough on the soft and tender flesh of her feet. But the path through the forest was worse as she was constantly stepping on sharp stones and pieces of wood that strung the bottom of her feet. To complicate things having her hands bound in the small of her back didn’t help her balance. That she was connected to Leta by a neck rope and that Leta was able to move quicker as her feet were used to walking barefoot. Leta had tried to slow the pace as much as she could knowing that her daughter was not used to this way of life having been pampered and waited on all her life. But then she had to keep the pace set by the man who held the leading rope of the coffle.

          Leta’s emotions were raw and on edge, warring with each other. She wanted to badly get to the Villa because her daughter Sena was there, and it was being raided. But she didn’t want to have her other daughter Ragenta following her into something that could very well end with the collar on her neck not coming off ever again unless to be replaced by the collar of her new owner. The air was filled with smoke from buildings being burned and the screams of slaves and the ringing of steel on steel.

          “We are getting close,” The commander of the guardsmen said turning to the guard who held the rope of the two slaves. “Silence them both. I don’t want either of them crying out by accident and betraying our presence to the raiders.” Their guard reached into a pouch and produced two over the mouth slave gags. Stepping to Leta first she automatically opened her mouth for him which he stuffed the leather wadding in before wrapping the strap sewn to the wadding about her lower face binding it in place at the back of her head. Ragenta at seeing the gags being so ready wondered why rope and binding fiber had been used on them instead of chains and cuffs. Then it registered, chain and cuffs were a better form of securing slaves and prisoners, but rope and fiber didn’t make noise when they moved.

          “Master! Please, I have important information that I must tell my Master. It may concern what is happening.” Ragenta pleaded when it was her turn to be gagged. A shape strike of a back hand across her mouth sent her falling to the ground looking up from her back. This was the second time this had happened to her in her life. Only this time there was no rage, only fear as she was only a slave as far as any was concerned but Dantor and her mother.

          “Who gave you permission to speak slave!” Growled the Commander who has struck her.

          “No one, Master.” She quickly answered. Just as quickly she squirmed and moved herself to her knees to kneel as a slave before him. “Master, please, girl begs to speak to her Master the noble Dantor. She has vital information that she was unable due to her muzzle to inform him of before now that may have something to do with the attack on the Villa. Please, Master, she begs you.” Dantor was the only one that could restore her to her former life. The collar on her neck was very real and locked securely on her neck. She saw their guard lift his hand the five bladed slave whip in his hand, when it was caught by the wrist just before it fell.

          “Enta may be fresh to the collar, but she is a very bright wench.” Smiles Dantor holding the guard’s wrist. “Perhaps we should see what she was willing to listen to what she felt worth being cuffed or whipped over.” His smiled faded as he looked down at her naked on her knees, her thighs parted before men. “Tell me, little slave, what was worth the lash to tell me.”

          “Yes, Master,” she said slowly. Ragenta had noted that there was no softness in his voice or eyes when he looked upon and spoke to her. She had been spoken to and regarded as what she appears to all about, a naked kajira. “Master, prior to your return to collect me at the House of Chain and the Mistress feeling the need to gag this girl.” Tears formed in her eyes as she addressed her old mentor and friend as if she was one of his slaves. “Girl heard the Master called Norac making comments about Mistress Ragenta, speaking of her in a manner that I think she might be in danger. Especially, since he vanished from the assessment chambers before certain things went missing.” Dantor’s eyes went cold as he looked in the direction of the Villa.

          “Arnas! Rally the men, we must hurry, This is more that a raid to steal a few field slaves. This is an attack to take the Lady Ragenta!” No sooner had the orders been given and the men split into two squads. Dantor pulled Leta over, turning her about freeing her wrists and removing the gag. Then turning her to face him. “Take Enta and get her back to the Villa via the secret tunnel. You must keep her from being taken. I will go rescue the Lady.” He kissed her deeply then was gone with the others towards the Villa. Leta then pulled Ragenta to her feet and freed her wrists as well.

          “I know that you are head strong as me and your father, girl. But if you want to go back to your soft life and get out of the collar before your thigh is marked do exactly what I tell you to do. Follow me.” She ordered her daughter. There was no time to argue or debate and they both knew that. Leta had spent the last twenty years living as a slave on this estate. There was not much about it that she didn’t know. It was while cleaning one of the storage cellars that she discovered a long-forgotten tunnel. She had explored the tunnel for a few feet but not any further. If any came looking for her they would assume that she was attempting to run away. Which is something that she would never do. This Villa was part of her from the two Masters that she loved with all her heart to the two beautiful daughters, one who served beside her and the other she could only watch from hiding till now. No, Leta would never leave this place of her own will.

          A couple of nights later after having pleasured her Master in his chambers she told him of the tunnel. While the rest of the estate was secured and sleeping for the night. They had slipped out and she had shown him what she had found. Dantor had concluded that it was a hidden escape route constructed by the previous owners in case the Villa was attacked. They had even thought of using it to smuggle Ragenta in and out of the Villa when this whole mess started. Master had decided that it was best to not use it.

          Ragenta following her mother as the two slaves quickly moved through the woods. Just prior to reaching the outside end of the tunnel, Leta grabbed Ragenta and pulled her back placing her hand over her mouth. Then pointed down at something that looked out of place. Kneeling down Leta slowly cleared the debris off the trail to reveal a slave trap that had been placed. It had to be placed by the raiders in case any of the Villa’s people or slaves attempted to flee in this direction. If either of them had stepped in the trap triggering it. Steel jaws would have snapped closed pinning their ankle within the trap. Meaning that one or both of them would be caught as the only way to open it was with the key.

          To Ragenta’s surprise her mother cover the trap once more so it appeared undisturbed. Then they carefully stepped around it and were more watchful for others like it. Finally reaching the opening to the tunnel, Leta pulled back the camouflaged door and picked up a fire starter from just inside the opening. Lighting a small lamp, she motioned Ragenta in and closed the door behind them. The lamp illuminated the tunnel well, to the side were two tattered slave tunics that had been left there to be used as wicks for the lamp if need be. Handing one to her daughter then taking the other she tied the tattered rag about her waist. Ragenta didn’t know why her mother had done that, but it was something to wear and gratefully tied hers about her too. They walked in silence till the outline of another door was seen. Turning the lamp down low she put it and the fire starter on a small dug-out shelf before putting the lamp out all the way. Opening the door just a crack, Leta peaked out into the storeroom. Seeing nothing she slowly crept out towards the door to the courtyard which was ajar.

          Ragenta joined her at the door as they looked out at the carnage in the courtyard. The bodies of slain and wounded guardsmen and raiders littered the ground. Several buildings were either smoking or a blaze. At the far end of the courtyard, the raiders had almost two dozen slaves girls striped, bound, and in a rope coffle on their knees waiting to be ordered to depart the grounds with their new Masters.

          A scream pulled both of their attention towards the main house as they watched the house girl, Sally, being pulled from the house by a raider who had a firm hand tangled in her long brown hair, she was stripped already and had her wrists locked behind her in slave bracelets. In an couple ehn, she was kneeling behind the last girl in line and having the rope knotted about her throat. Leta started to rush out to help Sally, as they had been close friends for many years serving together in the house of their Master. Only Ragenta’s hand on her arm stopped her.

          “Mother, we must wait here and not be seen. We have to wait for Master and the others to get here, they must be trying to flank and surprise the raiders.” She whispered. Leta could only nod in understanding. So many friends in that coffle.

Another scream only this one of fury and rage, as two raiders were pulling a woman in the rich robes of a female slaver from the building by each arm. The two men laughed as she fought and struggled against their hold on her. Finally, one of them men got behind her and pinned her arms so she couldn’t move while the other face scripted her of her veils and jerked back her hood to reveal flowing locks of flame red hair.

“So the Lady Slaver is a fire crotch herself!” Laughed the man who had face stripped her. Sena’s eyes when wild and she spit at him which earned her the back of his hand across her face. “Ler’s see the rest of what we came for boys!” Which that his hands were at the neck of her robes as he started ripping them open and from her. Soon as Sena’s neck was fully exposed it showed that she had worn a slave collar the whole time under her robes. “She’s a slave! It’s a trick!”

Sena was struck from behind by the man who held her arms as she fell dazed to the ground where her assailant began to cut the robs from her body. Then her hands locked behind her in slave bracelets, she was taken to the coffle and added as the last slave in the line with the others. The mood of the men was bitter at they had been tricked into going after a slave decoy instead of the missing prize. Ragenta watched as they added her sister to the other slaves. Knowing that was supposed to be her coffle with the others instead.

About that time Leta let out a war cry and burst from the storeroom charging towards the bound slaves, intent to at least free them of the neck rope. At the same time Dantor and the others burst from the trees in a surprise counterattack. Ragenta looked on in horror and disbelief as she watched the heavy net drop from the roof of the storeroom and fall over her mother pinning her to the ground. Two men quickly rushed to her and reached in to secure her wrists behind her back as well before they pulled her from the webbing and ripped the rag from her hips.

“Another fire crotch!” Exclaimed a voice that sent a chill down the spine of Ragenta. Norac! “I think I know this one,” He laughed as Leta was pulled to her feet by her arms. Her hair was covering her face as Norac brushed the hair back to look at her. “No, not the Lady Andraus, but the resemblance is remarkable. Add her to the coffle with others.”

“Come, kajira.” The other man ordered Leta as she was being lead to the coffle of slave to be taken. Every fiber of her being screamed for her to fight and resist, her home, her love, her daughters were in peril. But she had been a slave most of her life. Now she was restrained and being escorted by a free man who had given her an order. She obeyed and was led towards the rows of kneeling slaves or soon to be slaves. Leta as house staff that had been free prior to this, the kitchen mistress, as well as the companion and daughters of the field master were now naked, bound, and kneeling on a common neck rope. Tears formed in her eyes as her world was coming to an end. Before she could be added to the rope her escort staggered back with a crossbow bolt protruding from his neck. Still grasping her arm, he pulled Leta down to the ground with him as he fell.

Leta looked in the direction from which the bolt had come. Her eyes went wide with horror as she saw Ragenta still wearing only the slave collar of Dantor and a tattered rag about her hips attempting to cock and charge a crossbow. NO, she screamed but no words came out. To any that saw her daughter, she was but another slave, a very beautiful slave, but just a slave not a free woman. And she had not only dared to touch a weapon, but she had just slain a free man. Before she could raise the weapon once more the leader who had captured her was turning and lifting a danger to throw at the girl.

“Lady Andraus,” He laughed, “My how the slave collar suits you. Now drop the weapon slave and I may let you live.” This had distracted her daughter long enough that she too was taken by a raider from behind her. Quickly disarmed she was just as quickly stripped and her hands locked in slave bracelets behind her. Leta’s heart sank as her daughter was thrust forward and presented to the leader who had addressed Ragenta as Lady Andraus. Looking at her naked body over with a smile then placing a finger under her chin to force her to look up to him. “But we both now know that is not your real name. Is it Ragenta” Laughing hard as he threw his head back and roared. “It seems that I have succeeded in my mission after all, pretty slave”

 

 

Only he never got the chance to say more as it was he who was distracted this time as a knife was thrust into his chest by the raider who held his prize. Finally looking into the face of his killer he saw the face of the Healer looking back at him before dropping to his knees first then the ground.

“I thought I told you two to go hide and stay there till this was over. You almost got to see some slave pens from the other side of the cage bars.” Dantor said not smiling.

“MASTER!” Leta screamed.

Her scream immediately drew both Dantor and Ragenta’s attention. Two more raiders had reached her where she laid on the ground next to her dead captor. One of them had his hand in her hair and was pulling her to her feet once more. The other covered his partner with Leta with his crossbow.

“Norac is dead!” the crossbowman called to the other. In the distance the sound of cavalry from Victoria coming closer. “Take the slaves we have and return to the boats. We have cavalry coming.”

Leta screamed out and tried to resist and was struck twice with the back of her new captor’s hand. Seeing this, Dantor forgot about Ragenta and that she too was naked save for his collar with her wrists locked behind her. He started for the two with his Leta. His progress was short as he sprouted a bolt in his chest and started to fall backwards onto Ragenta. She tried with all her strength to stop his fall but given her current state all she could do was break his fall as her legs buckled under her and she went down as well. She squirmed and wiggled as she tried to get out of under Dantor whose had her pinned to the ground. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she watched her mother join her sister on the neck rope. The roped slaves were then herded with switches out of the courtyard and away from the villa. The more she tried to get out from under him the more pain she caused Dantor.

“Ragenta, It is going to hurt but you have to get out from under me. The guardsmen from Victory are nearby. If they find you like you are, they will think you slave and if I pass out, you will be branded and in a holding pen by the time I recover if I recover.” He cried out as he tried to roll off her as she worked to get free of him. Finally, she was free of his body and knelt beside him helpless to do anything. “Turn around, kajira.” he said weakly. Quickly turning to present her chained wrists to him, she let out a sigh of relief when she felt the bracelets pop open freeing her. Immediately she turns to see to his wound. But she found a key thrust into her hand. “You have to get that collar off quickly. You don’t have much time but try to find something to cover yourself with.

Ragenta waisted no time inserting the key into the lock of her slave collar. Casting it to the side as soon as she was free of it. She looked about wildly. The house was too far and the only thing closer was the slave kennel for the field slaves. For an ihn she considered grabbing one of the field slaves’ tunics, but instantly rejected it as being found in a slave tunic was almost as bad as if she was discovered wearing nothing. Then she spotted the pile of her clothing that had been cut from Sena. Rushing to the pile of ruined tunics and robes, she cast about till she found her sandals as one of the house tunics that would be short to be sure and would reveal much of her charms and beauty, but that could not be helped. It was the first layer of clothing that she wore against her skin.

Pulling the cut tunic about her before bending down to place the sandals on her feet. There wasn’t much time as the thundering hooves of the tharlarion cavalry sounded as if they were just outside the gates. Looking at her wrists and seeing the telltale red marks that had been left by wearing slave bracelets or being bound. She was sure that her neck had similar marks from her wearing the collar. There was no way to hide them. Or was there. Rushing to the bodies of one of the raiders she quickly searched the pouches on his belt till she found what she was looking for. Grinning at her ingenuity as she picked up a thick leather leash collar with its leash attached to it. Wasting no time, she fastened the leash collar on her neck allowing the chain leash to dangle between her exposed breasts and belly. As she rushed back to Dantor’s side she locked the slave bracelets on her wrists once more this time before her body. Kneeling with her knees close together beside him she used some ruined tunics and veils to pack the wound around the bolt to slow the bleeding.

As the mounted soldiers charged into the courtyard of the Villa. The Officer in charge rode directly to where she was with Dantor.

“They went towards the river. They can’t move very fast as they have nearly 20 slaves on a neck rope.” Ragenta leaped to her feet holding her tunic closed with one braceleted hand and pointing in the direction that the raider had taken the slaves. The Officer looked down up her, frowning then to his men.

“Spread out and search for any stragglers. The slave says they headed for the river. Harta, we might catch them loading” Then looking down upon Ragenta with a disapproving glare. “I expected the slaves of the Noble Dantor to know that they should kneel in the presence of a free man.’

“I am not a slave!” she challenged defiantly. Then seeing the officer’s hand moving to a slave whip on his saddle, she swiftly decided it was best to kneel, but kept her knees pressed closely together while holding her tunic closed. “As I” she started to speak again but the officer stepped from his saddle with the slave whip in his hand. She had seen women under the whip when pressed confess themselves as slaves to get the beating to stop. Ragenta held no illusions that she would be any different under the lash. “May I speak,” pausing seeing the hand lift the whip, then added, “Master.”

“Speak, kajira” He answered eyes scanning the courtyard returning to the healer that had been with him that was tending to Dantor, then back at Ragenta.

“As I started to explain,” she paused then added, “Noble Master. Despite my appearance I am not a slave. I am, however, the Lady Ragenta, owner of the House of Chains. I was visiting and staying here at,” she was cut off by the officers roaring laugh.

“You the Lady Ragenta” He laughed again as he approached her. Then with the handle of the whip reached down and brought it up under the chain of the slave bracelets lifting her chained wrists over her head and allowing the cut tunic to fall open exposing her to his gaze. “You are too nicely curves to be that cold and calculating She-Tarsk. Now what is your name pretty kajira.”

“I am the Lady Ragenta. I was standing at the Villa for a visit when the brigands attacked. I had attempted to fight the outlaws when they entered the main house but was overpowered. I was face stripped and this leash collar placed on me. I was braceleted and being stripped to be added to the neck rope.”

“Let’s suppose that you are telling the truth, and that you are indeed the Lady Ragenta. Why were you not put on the rope and led off with the others?” he smirked not believing her story.

“The slave that was assigned to me for my stay, saw what was happening and attempted to distract my captors. While they were focused on her and turned their attention to capturing her as well, another slave slipped up and tried to take my leash when the men were distracted. Only she was caught as well but I was able to pull away and run. I ran and hid in a secret tunnel in that underground storeroom.” Inclining her head in the direction of storeroom.

“For the moment we will proceed on the assumption that you are a lying slave hoping to be freed and released instead of sent to City Pens or” He laughed before continuing, “to the House of Chains to be housed until your Master is well enough to claim you.  Let us see this storeroom, girl” taking her leash and leading her towards the broken door.

Nodding her head in understanding, Ragenta gave the expected response as to not anger the officer and make her situation worse, “Yes Master.” She had not totally lied about how the events played out. And she had not been found still wearing the collar of that declared her property of Dantor. Had that happened she would never have been believed. The officer looked back at her over his shoulder and smiled a predatory smile at her.

 “But first lets take care of those slave bracelets.” He said stopping and turned to face her. He unlocked the cuff on her left wrists and instead of removing the other pulled her wrists behind her and secured them once more. This caused the house tunic which was slit down the front to fall open once more revealing her completely to him. He didn’t believe her for an instant. The bold sleen ever lifted the ruined garment away from her body so that he could examine her body more closely. “It seems that a slave has not felt the iron yet. You may be telling the truth or just new to your collar and not yet branded,. Fear not that can been quickly taken care of in the City Pens or the House of Chains.”

Ragenta was both helpless and furious. She was helpless to anything other that follow and obey. The leash and slave bracelets saw to that nicely. And furious not at the Officer, after all given how he had found her. Why should he think she was anything but a slave until he learned otherwise. Though the lack of a slave brand should have caused him some doubts in her favor. The existence of the hidden tunnel would cause some more in her favor. But she knew her best and only real hope was in Dantor regaining consciousness and identifying her. Otherwise, she would be stripped of the tunic and loaded in the slave wagon that she had been in which just arrived with more guardsmen. One of the Villa collars, perhaps even the one she had just removed, would be found and locked on her prior to being transported back to Victoria. And as the officer said once she was in either slave pen, her marking would be seen to. By the time that Dantor recovered she would his marked and collared villa slave just as her mother and sister had been up till now.

This is why she was furious. Not at the officer, but herself. Dantor had warned her she was playing with fire, had asked her to reconsider what she was doing more than once. The last time just before the assessment that had not turned out as she had planned. But even if she had changed her mind that time, regardless of if Dantor had made good to make her spend a full passing of hands as one of his slaves or allowed her upon return to relax in the company of her rediscovered family. When the raiders attacked, she likely would have been taken like they had and led out of the villa on their neck rope. As she followed behind the officer on the leash her mind raced. No matter what she had done short of not coming to the Villa could have stopped all this from happening. Someone had wanted me out of the way bad enough that they had enlisted river pirates most likely as well as the services of the traitor Norac. As it was when Leta and her emerged from the tunnel, the storeroom was a wreck with broken cask and overturned crates and boxes all over.

“It is behind that large crate, Master.” Moving as close to it as she could get on the leash. It galled her to have to address him as Master when she spoke to him. She was a free woman of wealth and station. She could ruin him and have him caste out of Victoria in dishonor as she knew those in power. But then she would have to answer questions as to how he had offended her. And saying he treated her like a slave when she was found almost naked, chained and leash would not reflect well on her even during a raid. He moved around her towards the place she indicated. As he did she was bent forward at the waist over another crate, the back of her tunic lifted and tossed up over her back exposing her flanks as he nudged her thighs wider opening her more. While it was a sound tactical and defensive move to place her in such position. It was also a position for her to be taken as a slave as well.

“Well, well, you were telling the truth about the hidden tunnel, slave” he said. “Why did you not try and escape through the tunnel, kajira?”

“Because, Master, bound and exposed as I was, as well as not knowing where the tunnel would end. I dared now risk escaping the rope of a brigand only to find myself in the chains of another.” She answered. Ragenta braced herself for what she was sure was about to happen to her.

“Caperus! Caperus! Are you in there?” A male voice from outside

“Yes, what it is?” Caperus responded back to the voice calling from behind her. It was clear that Caperus as she now knew his name had not been pleased to have his sport with her interrupted.

“The Physician Dantor has woken and is asking to talk to you.” The voice replied.

“Tell the Noble Dantor that I will pay my respects to him in a moment.” He growled.

“He demands to know if we found a woman. He said that she could easily be mistaken for a slave. She was nearly taken by the raiders and had been tending his wounds when he passed out. Noble Caperus, he claims that the woman is the Lady Ragenta of the House of Chains.”

Ragenta bit her lower lip not to burst out in laughter as she felt the tunic pulled back down over buttocks to cover her shapely flanks. As the Officer known as Caperus swore and cursed while removing the slave bracelets from her wrists freeing her and letting her up. The leash collar was quickly removed, and his cloak was wrapped about her.

“Lady Ragenta, please forgive my treatment of you.” He said knowing that this could explode in his face.

“Noble Caperus, as a slaver I can understand your assumption and actions towards one who was as you found me. I may even forgive that. But a free woman of high standing, I can not do to you what I wish to do. I cannot have you stripped your rank and banished you from Victoria. I cannot do this for it would mean calling attention to how you found me. Something that I do not wish to have known. So, we will speak of this never again. But if I hear comments about me or my body or anything of that nature. I will summon the Black Caste to hunt you down and kill you.” She informed him of in a cold and menacing tone. She was after all a red head, and they are known for their tempers and as well as something that she was pleased that had not been seen.

 

As few ehn later she was kneeling beside the seriously wounded Dantor wrapped in the warrior’s cloak. She looked at him with concerned and caring eyes as she took his hand in hers.

“Dantor,” she smiled despite herself as she almost slipped and addressed him as Master after the recent events. “Please forgive me for not being able to save Leta and Sena.”

“There was nothing that you could have done, Ragenta.” He smiled at her weakly. He knew that her wounds were far greater that she was told. The bolt had sunk deeply within his chest, its barbed head severing nerves and he feared an artery. “I mean not to sound cold as I love them both so. But they are already slaves so they will only have a new owner. I pray to the Priest Kings that it be one who will treat them well and fair.”

“I swear by the Priest Kings to you that I will search and find them and bring them back here to you, my friend.” Smiling as tear rolled down her cheeks, squeezing his hand tight.

“I know that you will do all you can, dear. If you find them, promise that you will free and take care of them. All that I have is to be theirs. And these are for you,” pressing the sealed papers into her hand which quickly vanished into the folds of the cloak before being seen. “Hide and keep those safe. Do not trust anyone with those or yourself. Promise me all of this”

“I promise, my friend.” She said as the tears rolled. It was the first and only time she had cried since her father had died. Now it felt like she was losing another. “I will not stop trying to find them,” when low enough so that only he could hear whispered, “Master” Dantor smiled and closed his eyes and was gone.

“Lady Ragenta, we will have a wagon to take you and Dantor back to Victoria within the ahn. It will have suitable clothing for you as well. All that was in the main house was rendered unwearable.” Caperus came informing her.

“That will be fine, Caperus.” She took a deep breath regaining control of herself. “I will be waiting in the main house till it arrives. Noble Dantor has passed to the City of Dust.” Rising to her feet and holding the cloak tightly about her, turning and returning to what was left of the main house. She was going to send agents to every slave market on the Vosk to buy every red headed slave they could find. The one advantage she had was that it was not only unethical but illegal to alter the appearance of a slave, such as changing the color of a slave’s pelt. Finding two slaves amongst countless numbers all over known Gor was going to be a daunting quest. But one day she would find them some how some way.

 

Author's Note: This went a lot longer than I thought. I hope that you enjoy it. As well as the image of the girls that I finally got to turn out.