A/N: Just a brief reminder that this is an adult story dealing with adult themes. This chapter and the next contain brief scenes of a male sexual assault that some may find disturbing. They are an essential element to the overall arc of the story of his struggle.
o0o
The first hover transport came across the eastern horizon just as shades of grey splintered the black, early morning sky. The rain had stopped, leaving a chill in the early morning air. NaV0 stood at the French doors of her upstairs lounge watching the small craft land soundlessly in the centre of the compound. She timed how long it took her guards to hustle the passengers safely inside the mansion where they could relax in peace. Three minutes. The next craft would land in exactly five minutes. All part of her tightly-constructed schedule.
The years of struggles, schemes, and planning were finally paying off. She had what she wanted: the power to make and break men. No-one believed that a woman could forge twelve small crime factions into one powerful organisation, and the battle to prove otherwise had been a bloody one. Thanks to her cunning, the galaxy now had to deal with the power of the Continuum. If only the folks back on Duridia could see her now. They wouldn't be telling her how stupid and worthless she was; not anymore.
As another craft landed, NaV0's skin tingled and her heart pounded with excitement as she anticipated the day's events. It had taken ten million credits to cover the expenses for this conference. The money covered everything from transport to buying off the local law and three members of the Shadow Proclamation. It was money well spent. Now, even the most notorious of guests could travel without worry. When they arrived, they would find a day filled with planning expansion of their criminal enterprise and establishing a permanent headquarters on Regulus IV, topped by an evening filled with dinner and the auctions.
Footsteps echoed across the marble floor, bringing her attention to the reflection in the glass door. She didn't bother to turn when her favourite guard joined her. Together, the two watched the morning suns peak above the horizon changing the sky to deep purples and oranges. They watched as the last of the crafts came across the horizon and land. A satisfied grin broke across her face. Phase one had come off without a single hitch. A few of the more special guests would arrive by vortex manipulator, and then the day would begin.
As the last craft lifted off, the guard finally spoke, "The men are settling the guests and merchandise just as you have ordered, Mistress, and I have seen to the arrangements for your special guests."
"Good. How is my contribution to the auction doing today?"
"I'm afraid, despite the drugs, he was not forthcoming about your property. He does seem a bit confused today. The drug was slow to clear."
"Well, what a shame; my business associates will find my failure to get the ship disappointing. I suppose being the last of his kind can still make me money. Perhaps our bidders will find his confusion... charming. Make sure he is clean, and make sure the girl thinks that I have forgotten about her. She can help out with the guests, but keep her away from him. I have plans for her tomorrow."
"Yes, Mistress."
"Jahob?"
"Yes, Mistress?"
"You'd better hope your excessive enthusiasm does not cost me. If it does, our special guest won't be alone on the auction block!" she snarled as she turned back to watch the last of the leadership disembark. The cold smile on her face matched the look in her eyes. The guard's distressed look let her know that the man would tread cautiously today. She did not make idle threats. A voice in her earwig announced three new guests arriving by vortex manipulator, and NaV0 headed to greet them.
Three jovial human men stood in the foyer, excited to meet their hostess who welcomed them with opened arms. One clapped his hands together when he saw NaV0 descending the staircase.
"Malorik," NaV0 greeted the burly man with an effusive hug.
"Madam NaV0," he grinned lasciviously as he pressed her against his chest, "you vixen. I have to admit; I didn't think that you could pull it off. Tell me - - since you are now the leader - - how about telling us your name?"
NaV0 laughed as she linked arms with him. "I have no name, Malorik."
The man laughed with her, "Well then, tell me about this conference: will we be successful?"
"There were a couple of glitches, but all in all I think you will find the meetings interesting. The reports from Erom's slave mills shows an increase of forty percent at harvest since we introduced Mythos to the water supply. The pharmacopoeia division has introduced a new drug that should do well in the mining colonies. I'm thinking, with a little effort from your and your partners, we might even reach as far as the Vega colonies by the end of the next business year."
"Mythos, isn't that the arousal drug?" Malorik grinned.
"Well, given in tiny amounts, the person is easily aroused and enjoys the experience a bit more than usual. But when given in slightly larger amounts, the need for release becomes obsessive. If the subject requires training, giving them even larger amounts facilitates complete compliance with instructions. The quicker they comply, the quicker they are given a method to get their relief. Usually works very well to get new acquisitions readied for the sales floor. I think. it will be very useful for training purposes. You'll find out more in our planning sessions.
"Ah, that does sound ambitious, I love a working vacation. Anything interesting that you wish to show me before the auction?"
NaV0 merely smiled, "My inventory will be ready for viewing one hour prior to the auction. I think you will like what I have to offer. I guarantee a thrilling challenge - if you have the winning bid. I'll show you and your friends to breakfast."
As she led them to the dining room, daylight stretched across the landscape, and the last deliveries began arriving inside the mansion, under guard. Ten terrified exotic humanoid females - a child and two males - were transmatted from ships safely off planet. Destined for the auction and sale to the pleasure houses, the prisoners came from colonies in the outer rim. Now guards shuttled them, in stunned silence, to the heavily shielded cells. No one looked twice as a guard snatched the female child and smacked her crying mother into silence. NaV0 walked past with her guests, barely noticing the guard striking the woman even harder after a male tried to defend her. They would all learn their place just as the Doctor had learned his. She doubted it would take quite as long - she had never had a prisoner so resilient. She wished she had more time to play with him; to refine his lessons a bit more, but it was time to move forward.
An hour later, NaV0 stood in the dining room surrounded by thirty-five of the most wanted men in the galaxy. By tomorrow morning, a few of them would leave immensely wealthy, and the rest would be better off than before they arrived. In all, this promised to be a brilliant conference. She felt on top of the world.
o0o
K'Nar stood at the back staircase of the B wing, watching guards escort the Mistress' guests to their rooms. Yanked her from bed, in what felt like the middle of the night, she and the other servants spent the early morning hours caring for the Mistress' guests. She'd grown used to servants' work. She had even grown used to the presence of evil people near her, but these men were different. Evil radiated off them, almost to the point of making the Mistress look kind. Fortunately, most of them weren't too bright. K'Nar swallowed, increased her shields and began the tedious job of keeping these men away from her.
Three hours into her morning, K'Nar watched her only friend, TBrae, get yanked into a room. The attack was so sudden K'Nar didn't have time to block the man's thoughts. It was an error that left her shaking with fear. There was no way to help her friend, and for that she was ashamed. Trying to scan for what she needed, find other potential threats, and still keep her skills hidden was using up all of her mental energy. If she didn't stay focused, she would make a mistake and then the Mistress would find out. That would be a fatal mistake. K'Nar swore to the Goddesses that she would find a way to help save the girls, but first... first, she had to find a way to save herself and her Lord. It would be a very long day. With nothing else to do for her friend, K'Nar added TBrae to her prayers for protection and set out to accomplish her plans.
By mid-morning the guests were settled. K'Nar finished her duties in the kitchen and headed for a place under the back stairs where she could hide and take a breath. No one had seen TBrae since the human pulled her into his room, and K'Nar wanted to reach out and find her. She pulled her knees to her chest, tucked herself into a cubbyhole to hide, and prepared to scan the minds of people in the third floor. She had just started the cleansing breaths required to centre her mind when she heard guests on the staircase above her. One was claiming a new, powerful seer was coming. If the Mistress had brought in new telepaths, then she and her young Lord were in more danger than ever.
K'Nar drew into herself, centred her mind and reached out, searching for anyone capable of detecting her. She sagged in relief when, despite the man's bragging, she couldn't find anyone strong enough to get past her lowest level shields, let alone be a risk. There were two low-level telepaths who might - possibly - be able to enter the young Lord's mind in his weakened state. She reached out to shore up his fragile shields, making sure the two telepaths would not be able to come close to breaching his walls.
The guards entered his cell twice during the night, held him down and injected drugs that forced him to see things that terrified her. It required all her energy to help him battle the horrific hallucinations. She finally was able to rest after managing to put him in a deep sleep. She was glad to find that he remained that way. Next, she focused on TBrae and sighed with relief when despite the man's abuse, she found her friend still alive. K'Nar promised herself that once she'd gotten her Lord out, she would find someone to help rescue the girl.
K'Nar re-focused her energy on shoring up her own shields. When she was sure that she was safe, she slipped from her tiny sanctuary determined to stay as busy and invisible as possible. An hour later, while she delivered snacks to a room, she felt a man watching her. She dropped her head to avoid his eyes, did a U-turn, and as she passed by she implanted in his mind the thought that she was too ugly to bother. The man stopped his approach, his lascivious grin turned to a look of disgust as he brushed past. Her knees almost buckled in relief as he left her untouched except by his vile thoughts.
K'Nar couldn't help her nervous giggle at the thought that this whole day was almost like an exciting adventure in one of the Galactic Warrior stories that she'd read at home. When her parents found out she read the books they denied her birth day trip prompting her fateful trip to the bazaar. Now, because she'd broken the rules, she was living the adventures. Life was strange. The thought made her feel immature, guilty, and foolish. As the man's footsteps faded down the stairs, K'Nar hoped her parents would be proud that she had used her wits to survive in this place.
She drew a deep breath, forced herself to remember this wasn't a game, and went back to work. As long as she stay focused, she could easily blend with the rest of the staff giving her the chance to use her assigned duties to snag what she needed for their escape. Once more, when she knew that she was safe, K'Nar hid in a small alcove and closed her eyes to find someone who had what she needed. Humans had such simple minds. As long as they stayed distracted, they had no idea she was scanning them. Even with his shields gone and in agony the young Lord's mind was so much more complicated.
Then she found him. Her target was only three doors away. His mind was disgusting, but she could see his vortex manipulator. The man's thoughts were so focused on business deals and money that was it easy to implant in his mind the image of his vortex manipulator, broken and in pieces. She couldn't help grinning as her mind's eye saw him take the manipulator and toss it on the bed. She couldn't believe she'd actually succeeded in getting this evil man to do her bidding. No wonder this was against Vshakian law.
K'Nar waited until he went downstairs, and then moved to claim her prize. A minute later, she had the precious manipulator tucked safely in the pocket of her shift. Now she had the means to get the young Lord and herself out of this nightmare. She just had to get his clothes and find a way inside the tunnel.
K'Nar spent the rest of the day keeping a low profile as she moved from assignment to assignment, waiting for the chance to go to him. She was almost letting the intrigue of beating these stupid people become fun. Or at least it would be if his life didn't hang in the balance. Both their lives depended on her success.
She found a pair of shoes the same way she got the manipulator, and tucked them into a hidden cubby in the alcove close to the back steps. To avoid suspicion in obtaining fresh clothes, she slipped next to one of the laundry girls and helped her finish the mounds of laundry. The extra pair of hands garnered a smile from the tired girls. An hour later she managed to find a pair of trousers and a jumper that looked as if they might fit his thin frame. It was yet another hour before she could return to the alcove to hide her bundle until she was ready.
K'Nar was proud of her plan. She thought she'd done a good job covering all her bases. Once the Mistress gave all her attention to her dinner guests, she would slip past the guards, make her way to the cells, and the young Lord would use the device to get them both out of this place. She stood back from the cubbyhole and smiled at her small triumph. Now she just had to return the laundry. The least she could do was to help those girls finish. She felt him tickle her mind. He sounded weak and terribly tired. She had kept herself so busy she didn't realise that he was awake or that he had called her. She felt his fear for her when he called..
K'Nar, are you there? Are you safe?
My Lord, you are awake. I'm fine, are you all right ? I can't come yet.
I'm fine. K'Nar, you don't need to come. I wanted to thank you.
K'Nar knitted her eyebrows together in worry. My Lord, what's wrong?
For the first time since meeting him in the cell, twitching in pain, she had trouble reading his emotions. Once he knew she was OK, he blocked her out. He felt different, and it scared her.
K'Nar?
I'm here, my Lord.
Then listen: I don't have much time. They have given me clothes, and told me to shower. I don't remember what they want any more. I don't actually care. Whatever it is, I think they've either given up or they have worse plans than beating the universe out of me. Either way, I don't think I'm getting out of here. K'Nar, I'm sorry. I promised to get you out of here, and I failed. I don't like failing, but I seem to do it a lot lately. I'm tired now. You... You are a remarkable child. You are brilliant and amazing. Please, please get out of here. Stay safe and get out of here. Thank you for helping me.
My Lord ? My Lord, please ?
He wouldn't let her back in.
He was gone, leaving K'Nar shaking with fear for his safety. She gathered her prizes, checked to make sure no one was watching, and made her way through to the landing in time to see a guard key in a new code that disabled the security grid. Three men followed him to a second set of stairs. They were heading to the cells.
The last man into the tunnel was the debauched owner of the vortex manipulator. His depraved friend had grabbed TBrae. They'd just stepped into the tunnel when she managed to search their minds. She sank back against the wall in horror at what she saw. They were going after her young Lord, and the evil they intended sent waves of panic through her. She pictured the grid lock code in her mind and made the decision to follow them. She waited until they had time to clear the second set of stairs and followed, trying as she went to influence them, to implant the thought to leave him alone. Despite her best efforts, she wasn't strong enough to penetrate the thick walls of evil that filled their minds.
It was so easy to influence the manipulator's owner before. It had been easy to influence all of them. How could she do it then, and not now, when it mattered most? She strained to reach deeper, to stop them, but she couldn't. The evil of their minds repulsed her, burned her; it was a force she didn't know how to overcome.
The men were well into the tunnel when she slid down the wall, in tears and with no idea of what to do. The Lord's shields were still in place, she couldn't warn him. She'd failed. She couldn't stop the vile men from reaching him. First TBrae, and now her Lord. The adventure was over and reality was overwhelming. K'Nar prayed to the Goddesses for strength, a way out, and for her mother.
o0o
The Doctor wasn't sure what noise brought him back to the reality of the cell, but he woke freezing on the concrete. He laid on his back for several minutes before managing to drag himself back to the mattress. He pulled his blankets around him and huddled against the wall, trying to remember what brought him to this hellhole or how long he's actually been here. His sense of time was completely gone. His mind felt as if someone bored a hole into his skull and filled it with mud, or cement. His head was throbbing, and it was hard to take a deep breath. Every coughing fit made his chest feel as if it would split apart. Sick covered him, but he didn't remember throwing up. He was tired of hurting, and tired of being naked and cold. He was so tired of the cold.
Reality was slipping away, and he was helpless to stop it from happening. He couldn't remember what he had done to wind up in this place, or what they wanted from him. Even his name was half-forgotten. At least, they hadn't hit him for awhile. Or maybe they had, and he just couldn't remember.
He did remember K'Nar, with her sweet face and gentle eyes, and he missed her desperately. She made surviving easier; everything was easier with her. Moron had let her come just once since their last training session, but he wasn't sure how long that had been. Come to think of it, he didn't remember seeing Moron either. He must have, because his head hurt. He hoped they hadn't turned on her. He tried reaching out through their link, but she didn't answer. He needed her. He could think better when she mind-talked to him.
He wasn't alone in this prison any more. They'd shuffled people in and out of the other cells earlier. One of them, a female, cried after she arrived, but she was quiet now. He wanted to tell her to be brave, but the best he could do was to hope they didn't hurt her. He wished the other prisoners ' better luck than he had.
The Doctor pulled his blanket up tighter, trying to get some level of comfort. He wanted to see K'Nar again. After multiple attempts to reach her and no answer, his worry upped a notch. She was either hiding her talent from another telepath, or they'd done something to her. If it were the first he would keep reaching out until she answered, but if they'd hurt her, well ... If, by some miracle, he did get out, he'd track down Madam Nut Job and he would kill her. He'd kill her twice, if anything happened to K'Nar. He smiled at the thought, in spite of the feeling of deep shame that followed. It meant he was like her. Maybe he was. Maybe... maybe he was here because he killed someone. A part of him remembered he'd killed before. The memory was like a half-forgotten dream of a war.
A muscle spasm sent a wave of pain through him that left him breathless and wondering why he was even trying to hang on to reality. It wasn't all that great; maybe oblivion would be better. Fleeting images filled his Swiss-cheesed brain, with just enough facts to stop him from thinking he'd gone completely mental. Fact one, Madame Nut Job's voice and her sadistic laugh burned; it burned through his brain, bored into his hearts and through every cell of his body. That laugh echoed through the halls straight into his soul. That voice murdered a child. But that voice never, not once, had the pleasure of hearing him scream or beg for mercy. Winning that battle every single second of every single day was all that kept him from giving up.
Fact one A, and most important: K'Nar. She made the pain endurable. She'd probably saved what was left of his sanity, and certainly his life. Sweet, gentle K'Nar with her bright, intelligent eyes and loving heart, filled him with hope. She filled a hole in him that he didn't even know existed. He missed her. He missed everything about her, even her scent. She was extraordinary. He wanted her out of this place, and off this planet. He wanted to live just to make sure that happened.
Last fact, the rules; he remembered Moron's rules. He didn't abide by them, but he did remember them. Don't laugh; don't be rude. Moron spent a portion of his day, every day, making sure the Doctor learned the rules. The Doctor intended to make him pay for those lessons. A part of him knew that revenge was wrong, that it wasn't his way. But he didn't care.
He shifted on the mattress, trying to ease the pain that screamed at him with every move. No matter how he lay, he couldn't get comfortable. His stomach muscles ached from retching and hunger. He'd always been lean, but now he was skinny and malnourished. Another coughing spell sent a shaft of pain through his chest, bringing tears to his eyes.
He didn't hear three men approach the front of his cell. They were just there, poking and jabbing at each other while they stared at him. They laughed, and then they left. All he could do was stare back. He didn't have the energy to ask what the hell they thought they were looking at. Anyway, h e knew better than to spout off. Moron took particular pleasure in teaching him the consequences for spouting off. He really wasn't interested in getting hit today.
He couldn't have been all that interesting to them, anyway. It was a relief that no one hauled him up by his arms or his hair. He hoped they didn't bother the woman down the hall. He did wonder why they all had such stupid laughs.
His brain hurt.
Logically speaking, brains couldn't hurt. The brain sent and received impulses to nerve centres, which told other nerve centres, a certain part of the body ( or in his case, his entire body hurt. Technically speaking, brains couldn't hurt.
His did.
He closed his eyes to force order back into his thinking. He couldn't stay focused longer than few minutes, and that was beyond frustrating. Several minutes after the men left - or maybe it was an hour - the cell door opened and a guard walked in. This one never seemed to bother him. In fact, a couple of times he'd slipped him an extra cup of water. Now he dropped shower supplies and stepped back. The man said nothing, but the Doctor appreciated the look of pity.
He glanced at the supplies, and then up at the guard. It didn't take a genius, even a confused one, to figure out they expected him to get cleaned up. He struggled to get to his feet. His attempt to pick up the items sent a wave of pain through his body. As he reached to steady himself, the guard grabbed him to stop him from falling over. After glancing around to make sure no-one was watching, the guard gave the Doctor a slight smile and then handed the supplies to the Doctor.
The Doctor muttered his thanks. His smile of gratitude came off more as a grimace, but he appreciated the man's small act of kindness and his patience. He was acutely aware that the new prisoners were watching him walk naked to the shower.
The room was small, devoid of any privacy. The shower was just a pipe coming out of the wall with a single faucet. A polished metal mirror hung above a metal sink. He stopped when he spotted his face and groaned. He'd almost forgotten what he looked like. The person in the mirror couldn't be him. Bruises and a scraggly beard covered his face; his puffy right eye explained his blurred vision. Opening his mouth was a mistake. The pain that shot through his jaw into his ear brought tears to his eyes, but at least it wasn't broken. Dried blood crusted around his earlobe, explaining the constant ringing. Dark red bruises circled his neck, a faint reminder of Moron's attempt to strangle him. He gripped the edge of the sink and looked at his wrists. They were swollen, bruised and cut from pulling against manacles. Fresh bruises, some in the shape of boot toes, covered his chest. He drew a breath and exhaled slowly, stifling the urge to cough. There wasn't a place on his body Moron had left untouched by his fists, feet or toys.
The guard nodded his head and gently nudged the Doctor toward the shower. His modesty was long gone, and without saying anything, he stepped into the icy stream. The water actually felt good; like a massive ice pack to his whole body. He let the cold water wash down on top of his head and flow down his back. Its force sent cold relief into his aching shoulder. His bruised and tender scalp made washing his hair painful. Moron had managed to rip out patches of his hair. Despite the soreness, he was glad to get rid of the scraggly beard.
The shower lasted less than six minutes, but it did lift a bit of the fog from his brain. Standing silent as he shaved, he reached out one last time to K'Nar, feeling for her presence. This time her voice flooded back into his mind. Expecting to be gone or dead in minutes, he told her goodbye. Feeling her distress, he threw up his shields preventing her from feeling his fear. She was a child, and she had done enough.
As the guard took him from the shower to a new room, he wondered if he would struggle against dying ; he was surprised to find himself quite calm. At least he wasn't going to die naked. He'd always struggled before, unwilling to go into the night, but now - now, he wasn't so sure.
This room was different. The ceiling chains were gone, replaced by a bed with manacles. A wooden table sat in the middle of the floor, outfitted with a pair of manacles, attached in such a way that the person locked in them would have little wiggle room. A second set, attached three feet apart to the floor made sure the victim had nowhere to go. They didn't bring him to this room to execute him, but he suddenly wished they had. He froze, unable to figure out how to get out. He'd survived everything the universe could throw at him in this hellhole. He was no coward. A coward would have given them what they wanted. He'd taken their beatings, and shown no fear. He beat the voice in her own game. But this ... he had no coping skills for this. He did not want to survive this. He truly didn't. The degradation was too much to face. He backed against a wall, trying to figure some dignified way out, but there wasn't one. Nervous energy found its way to his jaw, and then to his fingers as he clenched and unclenched them. The only way out this room was through them.
He was scared; right and properly scared.
The three men who'd stood outside his cell now walked into the room, smelling of alcohol and sex. They strutted around him, laughing, as they made crude and vulgar remarks. The biggest of the three stepped up nose to nose with him , inhaling his scent.
"Didn't your mother ever teach you respect for personal space?" the Doctor snarled. He would not, could not, just lie down and let this happen. The stench from the man was sickening.
"I heard you were funny, little man. Boys, didn't Madam NaV0 tell us he was funny?" The burly man pushed closer and laughed.
Why did they all have to laugh ?
The other two slapped their friend's back.
"I just bought you, little man. You cost me a bundle," the burly man sneered in lust.
"Ell Se'tan," the Doctor spat at the man's feet, his eyes locked on the face of this new enemy.
His hearts pounded in his ears; his stomach, churning in fear, threatened to erupt. The man stepped up until his face was only centimetres away, his mouth close, he blew gently in the Doctor's ear, and then whispered his plans. His tongue flicked, and then slid up the Doctor's neck, tracing a line up and around his ear. The Doctor's stomach rolled, forcing him to swallow the bile rising in his throat.
"My name is Malorik, and I own you. You," the man chuckled as he ran his tongue back down, "taste - different, little man." He chuckled again, grabbed the Doctor by the back of his head and forced a kiss. The Doctor jerked and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "Ell Se'tan i' Panto. Krva' Styg!" the Doctor spat back.
"I heard you were funny, little man. Boys, didn't Madam NaV0 tell us he was funny?" The burly man pushed closer and laughed.
The men laughed as they walked into the Doctor, bumping him backwards until he was pinned against the wall. The Doctor squeezed his eyes shut against the coming invasion as the bigger man reached to unzip the Doctor's new trousers, and slide his hand in. Frozen in place, the Doctor's mind raced with his options. He had only one - fight, In all likelihood, he wasn't getting out of this room alive. He excercised his only option. Geronimo,he thought as he spit in the man's face.
"Hei Mase' Senda!" the Doctor snarled.
The man's hand tightened around the Doctor's manhood, his other squeezed the Doctor's injured shoulder, sending him to his knees, gasping in agony. Unable to process what he could not stop, his brain shut down.
o0o
Hei ' Mase Senda...you are an animal
Ell Se tan i Panthlo...eat s ** t and die
