Among Distant Stars (For Ecnalab)

[Weiss Ritter]

(Eight hours have passed, all special points are restored. 5/5).

"Hrmph...I suppose it would be that simple to a woman in your...position," Quiviro literally shrugged off Rebecca's words with a smile. "We'll have to see how long that lasts. Just between you and me, though? This isn't the first time I've heard that..."

The imposing Krayari woman glanced pointedly to William before swiveling back around towards the cellblock's exit. The blond moved to follow her but paused to offer Rebecca an enigmatic frown before leaving her to her fate.

The evening and following morning passed relatively quietly. The moans and groans of her fellow captives being "played" with by the their jailers frequently echoed through the cold durasteel corridors. Rebecca and her cellmates, aside from a few lewd looks, were largely left unmolested for a time. Perhaps the pirates didn't want to break what technically wasn't their property.

That changed as the activity around the jail grew a bit more frenzied. As noon neared, eager whispers slipped through the chain link pens about the gladiatorial games about to begin. A handful of the guards began to linger and leer in front of the cells, apparently in search of "toys" to idly sport with between battles.

"Him," One of the woman from before pointed to Izuna. The Entirian man instinctively bristled and glared. "I love it when he struggles, and I'm sure his new owner will appreciate it we...soften him up a bit."

Her comrades chuckled darkly and one stepped forward to open the cell door. Several pairs of conspiratorial eyes lingered blatantly on Rebeecca's scarcely covered form, despite her best attempts to defend her modesty. There was little doubt about what they all wished to do with the crown jewel of this year's shipment of slaves, but for once the redhead's value to these pirates might have been working in her favor.

They still trying to decide whether it was safe to sport with her a little more. It was an opportunity she might have been able to exploit, depending on whether Rebecca felt Izuna and a front row seat to tournament was a better option than remaining in the cell with her three husky cellmates. It wouldn't take much to persuade these guards either way.

 

[Ecnalab]

As the guard stepped forward, Rebecca wrapped her arm around Izuna's shoulders, and glared at him. "Back off, pissant, he's mine." [Roll for intimidation:6+2+2+special4+charisma5=19] It wasn't just the blatant insult, or the low animalistic tone of her voice, or even the predatory cast of her eyes, it was something else. Something about a woman in the most dire situation imaginable still being willing to fight sent many different signals to the pirates, and none of them made sense. Was she crazy, or just plain stupid? Either way, it was clear that she would make this more trouble than it was likely worth.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(19 vs. 2 + 1 + 5 = 18. Pass!)

The guard froze in place midway through the door, his expression one of naked shock. The pirates outside weren't chortling anymore.

"Wrong," The man's tone and gaze grew hard as he reached for the shock baton holstered at his side. "He's ours, and so are you. Looks like you could use a reminder of that..."

Rebecca could feel Izuna's body tense against her's, his hands balling into fists when the guard took a step forward.

"Tulock, don't. We're going to have to parade her in front of whoever wins the tournament."

The pair's jailer halted again. His hand clenched tightly around the shock baton for a long moment before he reluctantly stepped back with a glare. Crazy or stupid, the unwavering intensity in Rebecca's form made it abundantly clear whatever "lessons" the guards hoped to impress upon her would not be delivered without a number of bruises being issued all around.

"Ha! What's a matter? Afraid of a near-naked girl?" One of the bolder prisoners catcalled from one of the nearby cells. A few barely-suppressed chuckles echoed through the warehouse. All of the guards lingering in front of Rebecca's cell exchanged dark looks before dispersing. A few moments later, the same taunting voice yelped and there was an audible shuffle of movement indicating that their stunned form was being dragged off somewhere.

"Anyone else want to push their luck?!" One of the guards shouted. All were silent this time, but the mood remained strained among the pirates even after their reassertion of order.

"Thank you..." Izuna exhaled a heavy breath of relief and allowed himself to slump against the pen's fence. "That was very risky of you. If you had tried that just a few days before the tournament..."

There was little doubt that the Entirian was speaking from personal experience now. It hadn't been a dark and idle whim that saw him made the favored plaything of the more sadistic pirates.

 

[Ecnalab]

"Then, between the two of us, we'd have made him eat that baton, and found out just how much his buddies really cared about him," finished Rebecca. "I know you've been through a lot, but you can't let these guys get to you. They may be in power now, but people in power tend to make mistakes," she finished, wrapping an arm around his shoulders and pulling him closer to her; it was about the only way they were going to get any warmth in this place.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Izuna's body-heat combined with the thin fur coat did make him a welcome change from the crisp air of the warehouse/jail. The Entirian tensed the moment he felt Rebecca's scantly-clad form pressing against his similarly exposed body. A faint, vaguely protesting, sound rose about halfway through his throat before dying. Whether it was pride or some form of unease with such intimacy, Izuna refused to press himself closer against the redhead, but he slowly relaxed into her grip and made no move to shake her off.

Most of the day passed in relative silence and suspense. Even hours later, the guards remained on edge from Rebecca's display and the minor rebellion it inspired. They weren't inclined to talk or risk trying to observe the tournament from any holoprojector outside whatever passed for a rec room in here. Only the distant sounds and vibrations of mechs pounding each other into simulated submission through programmed safeguards and full contact practice weapons offered any indication that the tournament was happening.

But eventually the sound of heavy footfalls echoed through the hallway, punctuated by triumphant cries of a cheery crew of cutthroats. Quiviro stood before Rebecca's cell once more, smirking with her arms crossed over her chest. The admiral of the Merry Reapers had won her...just as Rebecca and her allies had planned.

"I told you we'd be seeing more of each other, didn't I? And I do tend to keep my promises...take them."

Half a dozen guards wielding stun batons entered the cell. Unless Rebecca intended to start a fight, she and her cellmates would have had their wrists swiftly cuffed behind them before being directed towards the exit and into the streets.

"Rebecca, can you hear me?" Evangeline's voice crackled over a minuscule implant concealed within Rebecca's ear, a supplement to the tracking machines she had been implanted with. "I should be able to see you soon. Pretend you have an itch on your cheek and scratch it with your shoulder if you're receiving this."

Responding verbally to Evangeline would have required the use of a secondary implant concealed along the underside of her wrist, but that wasn't an option with the cuffs on, and certainly not while surrounded by a small army of pirates eager to oogle the admiral's prize.

 

[Ecnalab]

Rebecca rubbed her ear with her shoulder, before piping up. "So, where are we going?" the question was directed to both her comrades, and the pirates leading her. She hadn't seen much of this 'port' on her way to the holding cells, and didn't recognize the path they were taking. However, she did recognize the kinds of looks she was getting as she walked down the street in her skimpy outfit. Many of the people around her openly stared as she walked by them, and Rebecca could see bulges growing in the pants of the men escorting her. Despite the fact that she knew she should feel revolted by the situation, that blasted super-charged libido of hers would not be ignored, and she actually felt her nethers getting warm again. She just prayed that none of the pirates noticed her nipples growing hard.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"The after-battle celebration!" One of Rebecca's captors answered with a broad grin. The surrounding pirates cheered uproariously and several pairs of lascivious eyes roamed her and her fellow prisoners' bodies.

"...They're taking you to their flagship," Evangeline spoke up once the worst of the noise had passed, her tone strained. "There's a good chance we'll be joining you later on. That...Admiral of theirs enjoyed giving Jack a concussion enough to graciously invite us to break bread with her."

Jack suffering a concussion even with the precautions that were typically involved in any spar between mechs? The thought was probably enough to give Rebecca pause. Even rough and tumble pirates respected the sheer cost of such machines too much to skimp on the safeties just for a few cheap thrills. Quiviro and her personal mech must have been every bit the monsters their records during the war indicated.

Something that sounded vaguely like Jack stumbling over mashed up words and Evangeline shushing him crackled over the comm implant before Evangeline continued. "We'll need to run it by the captain to be sure, but it might be a chance for us to get a look at areas you're probably not going to get dragged around any time soon. I'll keep you posted."

The dreadnought-class vessel that formed the heart of the Merry Reapers' fleet didn't take long to come into view. The titan of a ship was bristling with weapons, and with the festivities over, a small army of crewman worked in and around it to ensure it was ready for the next round of pillaging.

(Intelligence challenge. Rebecca: 4 + 5 + 4 + Int. 4 = 17 vs. 14)

Capital ships, particularly those that weren't even in the Terran fleet, were not Rebecca's precise area of expertise, but she'd forgotten more about mechanized armaments and how to use them than most experts learned in their lifetime. Scaled-up Krayari hellcannons lined much of the hull. On a mech, such weapons would have been relied upon to blast through armor and obliterate less well-protected foes outright. The monsters that composed the bulk of Quiviro's vessel's arsenal were bound to destroy and disintegrate larger targets with similar ease...an interesting choice for a pirate given that they typically preferred smaller and weaker prey, and were loathe to damage or destroy prospective booty.

"Magnificent, isn't she?" The Krayari admiral glanced at Rebecca with a proud smirk, only to pause and arch an amused brow at her...condition. "My my...I knew you were a passionate engineer from your records, Rebecca, but I didn't think you took it this far...or are you actually enjoying this?"

One of Quiviro's hands fingered the collar locked around the redhead's neck before sinking down tantalizingly lower. As rough and imposing a figure as the Krayari was, her touch was startlingly gentle and knowing as her fingers traced patterns down to Rebecca's more than ample breasts. Her fingers closed around Rebecca's rapidly hardening nipples and squeezed playfully. Whether Rebecca was able to suppress the reflexive shiver such sensual stimulation was bound to send running down her spine, the pirate admiral would regarded her with a broadened grin.

 

[Ecnalab]

Rebecca reflexively jerked away from the other woman's touch, before shooting her a glare. "Strip down to your underwear, and we'll see how long it takes your nips to stand out in a cold star port," she replied. This was just great. Rebecca had been expecting a large ship, but a dreadnaught? Minimum crew requirements for a vessel of that size would have to number in the hundreds. Coupled with pilots, and support staff, the total number of bodies on board would have to be over a thousand; and that was being conservative. Rebecca's heart began to sink as she realized that, even if her superiors knew where she was, bringing down a behemoth like this would require several ships of similar class. And who knew how long it would take the navy to muster that kind of force?

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(Sorry for the delay! Busy end-of-the-semester month for me and I had to rewrite this post due to saving the half I wrote earlier on a different computer than the one I'm on for the duration of this weekend >.<; )

The pirate admiral chortled even as she allowed her hands to drop back to her side. After a moment, Quiviro turned back around and made a quick motion towards the dreadnought with her head.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" The pride in her voice was clear as the party resumed their trek towards the docked leviathan. Rebecca was left unmolested in every sense of the word, but one of the lingering glances the commander of the Merry Reapers gave her made it abundantly clear it was far from over.

The walk gave Rebecca a bit more time to contemplate her situation, and the massive vessel drawing closer with each step. How the hell a pirate lord secured such a vessel and the support base to keep it was a damned good question. Quiviro's practically legendary prowess probably could have carried her far in a culture as militant as that of the Krayari Imperium, but even to an outsider like Rebecca it seemed impossible that they would simply give one of the crown jewels of their grand fleet away to a mere marauder. Especially with the Terran Alliance, Entirian Republic, and a half dozen other powers at least considering whether the Imperium's power had been truly broken or merely checked.

The alien sun gleamed off the Krayari hellcannons as the party neared one of the massive loading ramps. Any hope that Rebecca might have entertained of the dreadnought being understaffed or poorly maintained, that it would prove little more than a giant paper tiger, was dashed by the polished hull and the small army of crewmen moving in and out. Her leering escorts directed her and her similarly bound and exposed companions down a series of broad corridors.

Still, as mighty as it was, even this dreadnought wasn't invincible or without its share of relative weaknesses. The heavy weapons she'd seen lining the hull were best-suited for obliterating heavier defenses and larger ships. There would be precious little room for error, but relatively small vessels could outmaneuver such weapons with a talented pilot at the helm-provided they could contend with any escort meant to counter such tactics. They'd almost certainly lack the firepower to get through the armor of such a leviathan, but there were targets on the exterior of the hull they could still take advantage of. Such as the airlocks, perhaps...? Any kind of boarding attempt would have to be lighting-fast and familiar with the layout of the vessel to avoid getting overwhelmed through the sheer number of defenders, but it wouldn't impossible for such a force to accomplish something of worth...perhaps...possibly.

The weight upon Rebecca's heart wasn't going to fade any time soon. A lesser woman probably would have despaired outright and missed what opportunities, few and desperate as they might be, altogether.

"These'll be your quarters..." The admiral said languidly as Rebecca and her cohorts were guided into what seemed to be a moderately-sized assembly chamber with a few furnishings added in an almost laughable attempt to make it feel like a communal lounge. Several hallways were connected to the central chamber, each no doubt leading to a small room meant for each of the slaves. The individualized quarters were clearly not for the sake of their privacy, as the camera mounted in the corner of the chamber showed. They almost certainly doubled as glorified cells.

"Familiarize yourself with them and each other. Although, I'm told you all already know each other quite...intimately..." Quiviro flashed Rebecca a sharp-toothed grin while the guards removed her cuffs, as well as Izuna's and those of the three alien men she'd shared her cell with.

 

[Ecnalab]

As she examined the quarters a question kept running through Rebecca's head. "Hmm, I was expecting there to be more... women," she mentioned casually, as much to the comlink in her ear, as to her captor.

[Sorry for the short post, but can we get a more detailed description of the furnishings in the main room, as well as those in the cells. Like, just how spartan are we talking about here?]

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(Certainly, my apologies for both that and the delay. End of the semester crunch coupled with "holy shit, holy shit, where is my life going with all this" is...less than ideal )

Evangeline grunt echoed in Rebecca's ear. Her cellmates certainly hadn't been picked out of the goodness of Quiviro's heart, but the special forces soldier sounded like she was trying to come up with some way to turn that to their advantage.

"Would you prefer women?" The pirate admiral arched her brows, amused. "I was under the impression you'd grown rather comfortable around your new...friends. Still, if you don't trust them or my security teams..."
Quiviro nodded to one of the cameras surveying the room. Casual use of slaves was one thing, but unregulated use quite another-even among outlaws.

Izuna's jaw clenched at the exchange, but that wasn't all Rebecca's gaze would have detected.

The furnishings were somewhat spartan, but modestly accommodating all the same. The bunks in each of the cells/quarters had a decent mattress, pillow, and blanket. Two hygiene stations and two sonic showers that offered little privacy were present as well, one for each set of quarters and equipped with basic necessities needed to care for teeth and hair. The main living area offered a table and enough chairs to accommodate all the slaves. With the exception of food, they would be mostly self-sufficient.

All in all, things could have been much worse, though once more it had little to do with altruism on the pirates' part. The way these quarters were set up, comforts and even luxuries could be easily added or taken away as Rebecca's would-be masters saw fit. Another carrot and stick the admiral could use to keep her slaves in line, and one that carried far less risk of inadvertently destroying them.

The cameras would make exploiting the environment a little tricky, but hardly impossible. Most were focused on observing what occurred in the sleeping quarters and the hygiene stations. The living area was guarded by only one, though it was in a corner that gave it a respectable view of much of the room. There was probably a blindspot at its base, and the furnishings had the potential to offer a bit of cover as long as it was exploited too swiftly to draw suspicion.

 

[Ecnalab]

Things weren't going the way that Rebecca had hoped. The whole point of giving her cellmates those tracking chips was so that the navy could hunt down multiple elements of the pirate fleet at once. With all of them on the same ship, it greatly reduced the effectiveness of the plan. Maybe the others would be sold or traded off as time passed. But, maybe Rebecca could help get them off a little sooner.

"I trust them about as far as I could kick you. And, while that might not be very far, I'd be happy to give it several tries. And, if you were hoping for me to put on a show with them for the cameras, you're going to be disappointed. I can handle myself, plus whatever comes through hear, just fine on my own."

Tori turned her back on the admiral as she finished her little declaration so that she was facing a wall. As quietly as she could, she muttered to Eva. "Offer to take them off her hands.'"

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"We'll see about that..." Quiviro flashed Rebecca a wicked grin that likely tempted the engineer to make good on those kicks.

"...Hrm..." Evangeline grunted back after the silent moment it took for her to put the pieces together. "Good idea. Might be able to get some information from them as well. Between these men and the colony raid, we may be able to pin down the region these scum are based in. Ship this can't be maintained just anywhere."

There was more truth to that than Evangeline knew. Given what Rebecca saw of that Krayari lord's exchange with her, it seemed the admiral of the Merry Reapers was making enemies within Krayari space as well as without. If Quiviro had the threat of sabotage or political pressures to think about, a good chunk of the Imperium's shipyards could be too dangerous to frequent.

"Fair warning, though," The imposing woman spoke up in a dangerously cheery tone as she advanced upon Izuna. The Entirian reflexively pulled back only to find himself trapped against the wall. One of Quiviro's hands took firm hold of alien man's furry shoulder while the other tenderly caressed his chin.

Izuna bristled and tensed, his hands balling into fists. For a moment, it seemed he might actually take a swing at the pirate admiral, consequences be damned. Quiviro's golden eyes lit up at little display, but quickly raked over Rebecca in turn. "I'm expecting guests for a celebratory feast. You and your fellow trophies are going to be there, and I expect you to be on...tolerable behavior."

Quiviro's caresses suddenly turned into a firm grip. She looked back to Izuna, tilting his head up so that his silver eyes were captured by her own, yet there was little doubt in Rebecca's mind that she remained the true focus of the admiral's attention.

"You might not be the only one to be punished if I am...disappointed, Rebecca. You're a military woman too, aren't you? You shouldn't be any stranger to the idea of your actions having consequences for others by now."

 

[Ecnalab]

Rebecca was silent. She had nothing else to say to Quiviro, but she did nod to the not so subtle threat.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"I'm glad we understand each other," Quiviro offered Rebecca a toothy smile and pulled back from Izuna, though not before giving the Entirian another lingering once-over. "Things will be so much better for all of us as long as we do. I know you have your doubts but...you'll see,"

The pirate admiral turned back around towards the chamber's exit. "You should all wash up. Someone will be along to give you something to replace those rags you were given in the pins."

And with that, the captives were left to their own devices for a time, though Rebecca wouldn't have been able to get too comfortable before a collared woman bearing something resembling silken clothing with gold trimming and several guards entered. Unsurprisingly, the "clothes" Rebecca and her fellow captives were given hardly did a better job of protecting their modesty than the glorified rags and leather straps. The red-head's breasts strained against the teasingly thin material wrapping around them, exposing a generous amount of her cleavage and leaving the rest of her torso bared. The white cloth to be wrapped around her waist covered her woman folds included a drape that extended down to her ankles, yet left her actual legs fully bared.

"This way," The female slave murmured to Rebecca and her cohort. She was a yellow-skinned humanoid with patches of black liberally defining her features and hair that more closely resembled quills.

The group was lead through the bowels of Quiviro's mighty dreadnought, through a lift, and across a corridor that eventually lead to a dining hall worthy of the pirate-admiral's guests.

"Ah good, my trophies have arrived," The Krayari's familiar voice called out as soon as they entered. Quiviro sat at the head of an elongated table with her characteristic shark-toothed grin. William Hauser occupied a seat next to her, with Evangeline and Jack not far off themselves. A number of other pirate leaders were present as well, some Rebecca recalled from reports and the dossiers made available to her since she agreed to this assignment. Only some of them were Krayari.

"We were just talking about you, Rebecca. You played a part in the war between the Imperium and the Terran Alliance, didn't you? I bet you have an interesting war story or two you could regal us with..."

All eyes were fixed upon the red-head now, most of which even managed to remain focused on her face for more than a few seconds at a time. A barely audible growl arose in Izuna's throat just behind her.

 

[Ecnalab]

Rebecca scowled for a moment, before a wry smile crept across her lips. "Oh, I have a few good ones," she said as she stepped toward the table. "There was the engagement on Tavatis where a few well armed guerrillas managed to storm an imperial base, in broad daylight." Easing her ass onto the edge of the table, she sat between two of the guests. "Then there was the time that my unit helped themselves to some mechs from a krayari assembly plant. But I think my favorite was when a simple encoded virus sent half an imperial fleet careening into an asteroid field; the Guiron Disaster, I believe they called it."
[Charisma roll to get a laugh out of the non-krayari guests: 5+4+4+5+28.]

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(Charisma Contest: 28 vs. 1 + 5 + 2 + Charisma 3 = 11. Victory!)

Nothing so overt as laughter was uttered at the admiral's table, but silence reigned for a telling moment in the wake of Rebecca's accounts and she was certain she heard a few half-suppressed grunts of either recognition or amusement. Not even the two pirates she sat between allowed their gaze to wonder anywhere but the red-head's face and that of their hostess.

"That's one of the tamer names for it, but yes." Quiviro's expression may not have been quite what Rebecca expected. That toothy smirk of her's had been wiped clean off her face, but the smile that remained was only slightly forced. She looked more...thoughtful than upset.

"Whether she meant to or not, the pretty slave just showed why our work is so important." The pirate admiral rose, lifting her cup. "At its height, the Imperium believed its fleets and legions to be both invincible and endless, that victory was the birthright of its commanders. Some in the Empire believe that hasn’t changed, that the..setbacks they suffered from Entirian technology-“

She nodded to the ever-bristling Izuna. “And Terran trickery…”

A gesture was made toward Rebecca. “Were just flukes and not lessons to learn from. We know better, though, don’t we? You only have to look outside to see what us lowborn scrappers have accomplished while the Imperium’s been licking its wounds and jockeying over whose royal ass sits in the throne.”

Some chuckles and cheers filled the air and drinks were raised, but the tension in the air remained thick enough to cut with a knife. There was an air of unease among Quiviro’s allies as their meal resumed.

“Well…those are some ambitious ideas you seem to be suggesting,” Evangeline leaned back into her seat and regarded Quiviro with crossed arms. The pirate admiral smiled back. “I can see why you wanted to wait to discuss future business. Consider me…cautiously intrigued.”

Evangeline’s sharp blue gaze fell upon Rebecca and she curled an index finger to usher the red-head to her side. “She really is fetching prize, isn’t she? I still can’t believe we let her slip through our fingers…how attached to her are you? Or your other…trophies for that matter?”

Quiviro chuckled as Evangeline’s gaze flickered over the collared men, her finger tracing Rebecca’s jawline. “I’m afraid I have…plans for her and the Entirian. The others, my crew and I might be able to live without if the price is right.”

The pirate admiral seemed eager to change the subject to one Rebecca hadn’t undermined her in, but the intrigued murmurs from some of the other captains earned a downward twitch from Evangeline’s lips. The very real possibility of being outbid by these actual marauders of merchant fleets and frontier colonies could throw a wrench into Rebecca’s gambit. Having the implanted tracking devices focused on Quiviro’s allies certainly wouldn’t have been a complete waste, though.

 

[Ecnalab]

Rebecca stood and slowly walked around the table, letting her hips sway as she went, until she was standing beside Eva's chair. She glared down at the other woman, but did not say anything, simply waiting for some instruction. As she stood there, though, she couldn't help notice the smell of the food laid out on the table, and she realized just how long it had been since she had eaten.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

Evangeline ignored Rebecca's glare entirely, doing a fairly good impression of a jaded pirate captain who saw even a prized slave like her as something beneath her notice when service or entertainment were not desired. Jack seemed to be making more of a focused rather than effortless attempt to keep his gaze upon anyone and anything save her, though given Quiviro's proclamation it might not have been terribly unreasonable for even a lusty pirate to want to avoid the temptation. Especially given the concussion his last bout with the Krayari woman had given him.

Rebecca's stomach would have had reason to growl as she and her fellow trophy-slaves were ordered to begin tending to the needs of Quiviro's guests. The bulk of the feast had already been laid out by people the pirate admiral evidently trusted to not make a mess of things, wittingly or otherwise, but every time there were drinks to refill and second portions or supplementary treats to hand out, Rebecca and the others were signaled to do. Their scant clothing stretched and strained to contain them no matter how slight their movements were.

The following minutes were of relatively little interest to Rebecca. Much of the discussion revolved around the pricing of the slaves Quiviro was willing to part with. Unsurprisingly, quite a bit of money seemed ready to change hands. On the bright side, any one of these pirates probably would have made a good target.

Eventually, Rebecca and the others were taken by their guards back to their assigned quarters while Quiviro and her guests continued to eat and speak. On her way out, the Krayari admiral's gaze met her own. Rebecca's hunger had not gone unnoticed...but from the way Quiviro smiled and tilted her head, it was clear the pirate was not in a generous mood after the slave's undermining of her speech.

Tasteless but nutrient-filled paste was delivered to Rebecca's quarters not long after that. Hours passed and it seemed like the night would pass by quietly while Quiviro remained too busy to 'properly' deal with her.

The sole entrance and exit of the main chamber suddenly opened and William Hauser entered. "I set the monitoring devices in here to loop. We can speak freely, if you're willing to trust me."

The blond scientist crossed his arms over his chest, his emerald gaze flickering over Rebecca impassively. "I know what you're thinking. You're in the clutches of a grandiose monster of a pirate and it would probably be better to die than let her get any real use out of you, but in case what you've seen so far hasn't been enough of a hint, things here and within the Krayari Imperium aren't as simple as they seem..."

 

[Ecnalab]

"Buddy, if you're trying to talk me into letting you have the first go, then your pillow talk really needs work." As the other slaves chuckled and snorted, Rebecca crossed her legs and leaned back into the chair she was sitting in. Of course things weren't as they seemed, any idiot could see that, what was this guy playing at? Sparing a glance at Izuna, and the others, she had to give them credit for having enough self control to not simply rush Hauser once he said that the cameras were down.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

William stared flatly at Rebecca for a lengthy moment and exhaled a long-suffering sigh. Her glance over her cellmates confirmed they were collectively eyeing him with calculating gazes, some hiding it better than others. The man was clearly valued by Quiviro. They'd be hard-pressed to find a better hostage, but would that be enough? Escaping from the dreadnought and her crew would only be the start of any escape attempt. They'd need a ship to escape the pirate port, and some way of assuring that some other pirate crew that didn't place such a premium on William's life wouldn't just take them instead. An exceptionally tall order for a team of crack special forces soldiers, nevermind a rag-tag collection of slaves.

...Then again, Rebecca had the Dauntless and her line to Evangeline as an ace in the hole. Not that her cellmates had any way of taking that into their own calculations.

"We both know you didn't become one of the Terran Alliance's best engineers by being an unobservant fool, but even a genius will arrive at the wrong conclusions if they're working with faulty data," The man man spoke somewhat testily, crossing his arms and sparing a quick glance toward the exit behind him. "The Krayari Imperium is more divided than they'd like to admit. They might still offer a united front if an outside force pushes them hard enough, but internally? There's a chance to make a real difference that we never could have while wearing a Terran or Entirian insignia."

His gaze flickered over Izunia for a split second. The vaguely feline humanoid merely narrowed his slit eyes in return.

"You've seen enough of Quiviro to get a feel for her agenda by now. If she and others like her come out on top of this power struggle, then the Terran Alliance might get to live with an Imperium that sees us as something other than just unruly slaves to beat into submission. If they fall, then at least they may weaken the traditionalists enough to make a difference when the next war comes."

 

[Ecnalab]

"I'm sorry, but are we planning to get to a point here, anytime soon?" Rebecca asked, flatly. She already knew enough about Krayari politics to see where this guy was going, but if he thought that meant she was going to throw her lot in with a bunch of pirates, he was in for a rude surprise. Besides, nothing said that he wasn't lying his ass off at the moment.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

William exhaled another long-suffering sigh. "My point is that you can either swallow some your pride and help me take advantage of this opportunity, or waste it all with that defiant act,"

The Terran scientist turned around and spoke over his shoulder. "Maybe you think you can't be broken, but I've seen how Quiviro can be when there's a challenge before her. I'm not sure if you really understand what you're getting yourself into, Miss Corvo...or what you think you'll accomplish even if you do outlast her,"

And with that said, William stepped forward and allowed the door to close and lock behind him; barring and last-instant interference of course.

"I suppose that makes Khinereth's Stands and all her other victims acceptable losses to him..." Izuna growled in a low voice barely above a whisper after glancing at the limp camera just long enough to confirm it was still inactive. Rebecca and her cellmates still had a few moments to speak freely.

"We all just need to hold out long enough for...whatever you have in store to happen, right?" The Entirian vaguely motioned to his torso and the swallowed tracking chip within. "...On the off chance we get a chance to do a bit more than that, you don't particularly need that man alive, do you?"

 

[Ecnalab]

"A guy like him would have had plenty of chances to wiggle out of this little gig, if he wanted to," said Rebecca. "But, speaking of plans, what the hell is Quiviro playing at with these quarters? The last thing I was expecting here was a private room; camera not withstanding."

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"She has not been terribly subtle with her desire to make use of your talents," Izuna said dryly as he scanned their modest but pleasant common room. "Perhaps its her idea of playing nice? Your people have the expression about carrots and sticks. I'm sure the Krayari have a suitably barbaric equivalent."

If Izuna's gaze slowly returned to Rebecca. If he was searching for anything suspicious besides the cameras in their quarters, the grunt he made suggested he had not found it. Then again, the rather spartan decor didn't leave the pirates many places to hide sinister devices.

"I wouldn't get too comfortable here if you intend to stand your ground like you've been doing. You...do plan to continue that, don't you?" The Entirian sounded almost hopeful, and the way he was looking at her now...it reminded Rebecca of some of the looks the junior engineers she'd commanded during the war gave her. Izuna was not quite so star struck and fawning, but there was little doubt that, as much as the prideful man wanted to remain stubborn against the pirates, he wanted Rebecca's approval to do so even more.

She was the one with anything resembling a plan to get them free, after all.

 

[Ecnalab]

"For the time being, yes," replied Rebecca, as she took a seat in the nearest chair. For now, there wasn't much she could do besides wait. "Just which talents are you referring to?" she asked, giving Izuna a sidelong look.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

"Sounds good," Izuna exhaled a breath that sounded rather relieved to Rebecca. As she sat down, the Entirian moved to occupy a spot on the couch not far from her chair.

"You're joking, yes?" The feline humanoid's expression and tone were openly wry. "I wouldn't have required you in my office if not for your known military record, and the Krayari have not exactly been subtle about your achiev-...Oh."

Only then did Izuna seem to catch on to other talents Rebecca may or may not have been referring to. He froze for a noteworthy moment and any hint of amusement or superiority was washed right off his features. "That isn't what I...I mean, I'm certain you're very talented in that regard too. I know, but...uh..."

Izuna briskly pressed a hand to his forehead and averted his gaze. "YouknowwhatImeant."

 

[Ecnalab]

Despite herself, Rebecca's other side began to creep to the surface, and she couldn't help but notice how cute the cat-man looked when he was nervous. "Well, you aren't too shabby in that regard yourself," she said, with a wry smile. "Maybe we can compare techniques again sometime? Not like we have a whole lot else to do." As she spoke, Rebecca's legs drifted apart a little, letting the drape of her loincloth fall between them to lay against her bare womanhood.[5+3+5+5=18 to get a sexual response from Izuna.] She should hate herself for being so easily turned on in such a situation, but she gave up fighting her nature a long time ago. And, given the ordeals that the poor man had been through, he was overdue for a little simple comfort.

 

[Weiss Ritter]

(18 vs. 13. Rebecca wins.)

"I..." Izuna shifted uneasily. He visibly made an admirable effort to avoid looking at Rebecca anywhere but her face, but she could turn heads without even trying and covered toe-to-neck in the most unflattering uniform imaginable. Clad in only scant slave silks and very much trying to get under the Entirian's flushed skin? The poor feline never had a chance. His own silks left very little to the imagination where his own rising package was concerned. Every faint movement and uncomfortable shift only made his cock strain a little more firmly against its soft confines.

"I'm...unsure if it's truly the best use of time. Or appropriate. Or..." He was just babbling now, even as his eyes struggled and failed to not sink lower and lower.

 

[Ecnalab]

"Well, if you think of a better way to kill time, be sure to let me know. Otherwise...." Rebecca stood, and began walking toward one of the private rooms, her ass swaying as she walked. "I'm going to lay down for a bit, you can join me if you want," she said, glancing over her shoulder, before continuing into the room, and laying down on the bed.