Darterra Sagas Book III Wilderness of Mirrors Act III

 

Darterra Sagas

Book III Wilderness of Mirrors

Act III

Best Laid Plans

 

New McNally Base Camp

 

 

          Upon returning to the old camp, Tyrell has ridden out to find their patrol after a rally point had been determined by him and Rafe. It was decided that like the trooper’s uniforms, their wagon with it’s markings could be of future use to them. Orbach had returned with Piper, reporting that they had not discovered anything of interest in their area. Vargas being overdue getting back either meant trouble or he had found something in his area.

          It was time to reduce their number of wagons. As one wagon had been outfitted as a slave transport wagon already. That was one that would be kept. The taw wagon one of the other two wagons was loaded down with all of their supplies and equipment. The decision was made that they would need to move fast so none would be walking this time. The horsed not needed to pull the three wagons were tethered together to the back of one of the supply wagons. To the dismay of Leta and Piper, they were loaded into slave wagon and chained with Marla and the three new slaves. Rafe knew that both of them wanted to be driving one of the wagons themselves or riding one of the horses. The remaining wagon was burned in the hopes that when it was found by the Cristo Patrols looking for them it would be assumed to be the burned tax wagon.

          Rafe, Kyle, and Vargas had driven the wagons all night. Stopping only long enough to rest and water the horses, while also watering the slaves and allowing them out of the wagon to heed the call of nature. Once they were rested and watered, they set out once more. To hide their tracks, Davis had them following the roads instead of traveling cross country. This required them to change directions at crossroads and turn offs, taking them twice as long to cover the distance to the rally point for the new base camp.

          Just before dusk, Tyrell, Orbach and Naomi joined up with them. As suspected, they had found something of interest that would require further investigation. But neither of them wanted to go into detail about that it was. Saying that they didn’t want to get anyone’s hopes up.

          Once they reached the location of the new basecamp, The girls were released from the slave wagon and set about their chores. All but the three new slaves were allowed to put their halters and loincloths on. After the meal had been served, Leta and Piper knelt near the fire and their masters as the three newest slaves on the chain stood as their fate was being discussed.

          “I like this legend of Robin the Hood as you describe it.” Tyrell said, His mispronunciation of the name cause three Earth slaves to giggle when they heard him.

          “It’s Robin Hood,” Rafe laughed correcting him.

          “Whatever, I like the plan of robbing the tax patrols and returning the money they carry to the people they took it from when we can. But there are some very large problems with your plan.” The big man snorted then explained.

          “Such as?”

          “Such as, we hit one patrol like we just did. They will likely just assume that it bandits. But if we continue to take out their tax patrols then they will increase the number of troopers assigned to each patrol as well as increase the number of regular patrols to find us.” Kyle interjected.

          “How often do they send out their tax collectors, Kyle?”

          “It is generally a two month patrol. One month out and one month back. They will stop at each property twice. Like say Quincy,” Davis paused in his explanation to point to the two slaves that had been Quincy’s daughters. “The last patrol would have informed him of his tax obligations. If he could not play his taxes on the spot, they would leave and stop back to see if he had it on their return leg.”

          “And if he still doesn’t have it?” Rafe asked.

          “Then the patrol,” Tyrell answered for Kyle, “returns to their garrison. There they will transmit a report to Regional Headquarters with from whom and how much they collected. They will also send who was not able to pay and a summary of that individual’s available assets.”

          “The Prefect will sign orders of confiscation to settle the tax debt. Those orders may include warrants of enslavement for the debtor or members of their family.” Kyle added motioning to the Quincy sisters. “Officially on paper in those two are legally slaves of the Cristo Corporation. When the tax patrol returned they would have been turned over to the local Corporation Kennel Administrator to be processed. Depending on the needs of the Corporation or wishes and desires of the Administrator or Prefect. They might be kept for their personal kennels, shipped to another kennel, to a Cristo farm or ranch, or sold at public auction.” Both girls had their eyes down cast and were sobbing softly. Knowing that this is while they were now naked and collared. Their father had been behind for the last four months.

          “So, we alternate. We never strike twice in the same sector in a row.” Rafe said pointing to the map taken from Sgt Foster. “They will without a doubt increase their patrols. But they can’t be everywhere at the same time. And without requesting additional troops be sent to help, they only have so many troopers to use.”

          “Such a request would definitely draw attention and suspicion from the higher headquarters on the Prefect.” Kyle pointed out.

          “Just a guess, but I am thinking that the Prefect are over taxing their subjects and skimming off the top before sending funds up the chain. It will be interesting to see how much the Prefect is willing to lose to keep from letting their superiors know that they have a problem.”

          “It’s sounds like a pretty good guess.” Tyrell agreed.

          “I have seen firsthand the lavish lifestyle of the Prefects and many of the high officials that far exceeds their allotted official budgets not to mention their salaries. So, I would have to agree as well.” Kyle concurred.

          “It all sounds pretty good, Rafe. We steal the tax money and return the majority of it to those it was taken from.” Tyrell said nodding, “Just one problem with your plan.”

          “I don’t see what that could be.” Rafe defended. “We will have the records from the tax collectors, so we know who paid what. We just go around and return each families taxes to them.”

          “What about them?” Tyrell nodded pointing to the three new slaves that they had taken from the patrol.

          “We simply return them to their families and owners.” He responded speaking of the two enslaves sisters and the slave taken from another farmer.

          “If it were only that simple,” Laughed Kyle.

Haldaloin Institute of Science

 

 

          Two lionesses entered one of the surgical rooms of the research hall of the Institute of Science. Tila had been top of her class and well on her way to becoming one of the top doctors in her field. She had studied these humans for several years and felt certain that there was none that knew more that her. She looked over to her test animal for today, a fair skinned brown furred female human. Tila was starting to feel sorry for the poor beasts. There was little to be learned from this procedure today. It had been done before and confirmed several times that if humans were fed or injected with selimas berries or extract they would die. It was not a pleasant death. Tila herself had conducted several of these tests. That was why she had ordered this test animal be sedated so that she would die in her sleep and not in pain. Why Magnus was demanding more tests was beyond any reasoning that she could understand. But he stood high in the Lion Pride and was rumored to be in line to rule the Pride soon. Which is why she did not challenge him over this. After all it was just another human test subject.

          Tila’s assistant Doctor Zarin walked over to the table and checked on their test subject to insure the animal were properly sedated. Tila had worked with Zarin for a couple years and liked the young lioness. She showed great promise, but Tila truly wished that Zarin would use her talents and skills to serve their people instead of what Tila more and more felt was senseless slaughter of the humans from the herd. But not all the test animals came from the herd. Sometimes they received animals from Magnus’ soldiers. She was not sure where those animals came from.

          “Did you hear?” Zarin asked as she was preparing the syringe with the extract from the selimas bean plants.

          “No what gossip have you heard now, Zarin.” Tila laughed thinking that Zarin could be such a gossip. She was always coming in with something that she had heard from someone. It was amusing to listen to at time.

          “Magnus has returned from his patrol.” Zarin started as she injected the subject with the extract.

          “That is hard anything to be excited about.”

          “No, this time he had Kala with him. She had been arrested and to shame her. He ordered her to be collared and muzzled and herded in with the human beasts she was with.” Zarin said excited.

          “No! How dare he humiliate her like that.” Tila exclaimed. She had always admired Kala. Kala had shown her courage and bravery not only in battle but against the far reaching and heavy handed tactics of Magnus. Looking at the animal on the operating table before her, she remembered that once Magnus had once attempted to have Kala’s pet sent to her as a test animal. Kala had stormed in and defied him claiming her female pet. Now she was paying for her defiance.

          “Yes, I felt so bad for her. So many did but dared not to challenge Magnus.” Zarin went on, as the test animal begin to shake and convulse on the table between then bucking and thrashing against the restrains that held her on the table for a moment before going completely still as death claimed her. “I saw the whole thing. Kala and a pale skinned human with a hood over it’s head were taken to the dungeon below the People’s Hall of the High Council.”

          “Test animal has succumbed to death from exposure to selimas extract at this time.” Tila pronounced ending the test procedure. “Have the remains sent to the incinerator for disposal.”

          “Oh, wait! I forgot the surprise!” Zarin blurt out with glee. “There were four humans animals herded back with Kala and the pale skinned one. They were taken down to the common herd pens and processed. One was Kala’s pet. Another was a blonde furred beasts that might make a good breeding sow.” Tila gave Zarin that get to the point look. “But the last two while appearing human like the other two had unusual skin tones like I have never seen. Come with me, please” Leading her superior out of the room and down to the holding cages.

 

 

          “I paid dearly, but I bought these two for further examination and testing.” Zarin said proudly.

Cristo Corporation Headquarters

Brighton, Yorkshire Province

 

          “Sergeant Foster, am I to believe that a soldier of your experience allowed yourself and your patrol to be taken by surprise by hooligans and all the taxes that had been collected taken?” Prefect Horatio Pennington said with a mixture of anger and astonishment. The Sergeant standing before the desk was clearly uncomfortable and wishing that he was anywhere, but where he now was.

          “Your Lordship,” Foster paused as he was choosing his words with great care. Pointing out that he had been assigned inferior troopers for the patrol was not the way to go. Two had been green and the third spent more time in the guardhouse than out of it. But most of the better troopers had been pulled to investigate whatever had happened in the undeveloped Western Territory bordering the lands of the savages. “while that is what happened. It is not that simple.” This was like walking across a frozen pond and not knowing if or when the ice would give way under you. “Trooper Richards had been sent with Abbott and Jasper to bring back water. While investigating a noise near the river crossing when they were flanked.”

          “Yes,” The Prefect said picking up the official reports. “they were distracted by two naked slaves girls playing in the water as I recall. Surely, one of them had the intelligence to realize two female slaves would not be there alone. That someone would be watching them.”

          “As I said, Your Lordship, two were fresh from the training academy and the third has had his challenges.”

          “He’s a bloody drunk!” Pennington exclaimed.

          “That is not in dispute, Your Lordship. I do the best that I can with what I am sent. Richards is a drunk, but he was not drunk when they were flanked and taken by surprise. Besides that, these were not simple local bandits and thieves. I think that I might know one of them.”

          “Yes, what did he say their names were again.” Picking up the report and reading it aloud. “They were one John Little, one Will Scarlet. Oh, and one Robin Hood!” The Prefect stopped as if he had been struck. He looked at the Sergeant before him, then around his office at the antique books that had been brought to this world on the Magellan. Stepping over to the bookcase and scanning the titles on the spines of the books till he found the one he wanted. All of these had been copied and reprinted many times. But all of these were originals to this world. Finding the one he was looking for, his eyes wide as he pulled it from the others. “Robin Hood,” he said in a whisper. Opening it and flipping through the brittle paper pages scanning the words till he found two names. “Will Scarlet and John Little aka Little John. I think you are correct, Sergeant. These are not simple brigands and hooligans. These are educated and intelligent men we are dealing with.”

          “That was the impression that I got from the leader who called himself Robin Hood, Your Lordship. He spoke as one that knows things and that robbing the taxes was amusing to him.”

          “What was the total of our estimated losses?”

          “All total, Your Lordship it was estimated as nearly 15 gold Crowns. We had collected from all the homesteads and towns in out sector and just turned to start the journey back here when we were hit. Thirteen of that was mostly silver and copper coin. The slave taken from the Stockdale ranch was estimated worth nearly a gold crown by herself. And the two raw slaves collected from the Quincy Farm were given the generous estimate that once properly trained to be worth 50 pounds silver each.”

          “How soon till our people are due to return from the Western Territory?”

Quincey Farm

Yorkshire Province

 

          “I don’t think you understand, Mr. Quincy.” Rafe said once again exasperated at the exchange. “I am returning your daughters to you.”

          “And I am telling you that they can’t come back.”  Homer Quincy snarled back. His wife Bea was beside him in tears as she looked upon her two oldest daughters, kneeling in the rags of slaves with slave collars still on their necks.

          “We tried to explain this. Rafe.” Kyle Davis said with a smile as he shook his head. If it were not so insane it would have been hilarious. “They can’t take the girls back no matter how much they want to.”

          “Aye, the Lieutenant is correct. It was made clear to us last fall. That we had until this collection to either get caught up or surrender Cassandra and Fiona to the Troopers as slaves. When the Troopers came, young Davis here was one of them, a corporation man was with them, He took the girls into the barn and assessed their potential value. Papers were drawn up and filed that they were slated for enslavement to the corporation.”

          “I get that part,” Rafe agreed, “But we have taken them from the Corporation. Restored their freedom, returning them to you and your wife.”

          “Rafe, They have papers of enslavement that were filed in Brighton even if they were not turned over to the Corporation slave kennels as they should have been. As far as the law or Corporations are concerned they are slaves, and when found will be returned to the custody of their legal owners, the Cristo Corporation.” Kyle tried to explain.

          “Mr. McNally,” a Bea Quincy said clearly having mixed emotions and upset, “I dearly want my girls back. But those vile bastards have legally taken them from us. Yes we could take them back. Act like nothing had never happened. But even if we hid them from other patrols, sooner or later they would be discovered. They would be returned to Cristo slave collars. Worse they might take our other daughter and me as slaves as well. My husband arrested our farm taken for stealing corporation slaves. The risk is too great for us and them.”

          “I took them to return to their families.” Rafe said not sure what to do next, “Now I clearly see that is not possible because it will put the rest of you in danger after we are gone. And that doesn’t leave me any good options other than to consign them to this life that has been forced upon them.”

          “As much as this pains me to say, McNally,” Homer Quincy took a deep breath, “Blackstone came here asking for help and support. I can give you some food now and then, but for now take these two slaves to do with as you need.” His voice shaking as his wife clutched his arm nodding in agreement.

          “Rafe, these people are right. Is it right that they were forced into slavery. No but it was no more right for Leta, Marla, or Naomi. Yes we or you could have freed them, but you haven’t. And why is that?” Kyle challenged,

          “Because it was believed to be safer for them on this world to be seen as slaves already.” He admitted reluctantly. Hearing how weak and lame that sounded when he said it.

          “And it really hasn’t been has it.” That was a statement not a question. “Not counting when Blackstone captured them all before joining with you. We were damn lucky to have gotten to that market to buy Leta and Marla back not that long ago. Yes we rescued these two from the chains of the Prefect, they are only still in chains because we knew they would draw less attention if they were thought to be our slaves if we were seen. But Rafe they can’t come home and if we let them go then within in days they will likely be wearing the chains of someone else without someone to protect them on the roads. So would it not be better to keep them with use with the slaves we have?”

          Rafe did not like the facts, but they were what they were. Cassandra and Fiona Quincy had been enslaved by those he had sworn as his enemies. He had taken the girls from them. If he freed them of slavery, they had no skills right now to offer his band of misfits. They would need to be look after and take someone to watch them. They could not return home and would not last on their own. As slaves on same chain with his other girls. They would be safe and cared for. They could watch and learn things that would increase their odds of making it on their own if he let them go later on further down the road.

          “Homer, Bea,” looking at them, “I can’t promise you anything more than I will do everything in my power to keep them from harm and out of the chains of the Cristo people. Beyond that I don’t know what the future holds for any of us.”

          “Rafe,” Kyle cut him off in a voice only loud enough for them to here, “there is someone watching us from the tree line.”

          “I am sure that we will meet again and I thank you for your help.” Looking at the kneeling girls. “Up slaves! We have much ground to cover” both girls leaped to their feet, shouldering their packs before moving to stand head down behind Davis. Rafe nodded and smiled at the farmer and his wife as he departed with their daughters before they could be discovered.