Chapter Ten

Emma sat down on her bed. It had been a week since Kate had been killed. It had been a week since Tral had begun having sex with her. She didn't care anymore. She felt like her humanity had died with Kate. Seeing Tral like that made her realize that she was a slave to humanities enemy. She served the enemy.

She knew that Lyoy was worried about her, but she no longer cared. If she died today, or if she continued getting raped by Tral, she didn't care. Nothing mattered to her. Which is why she didn't look up when her door opened.

"Ummm... Are you Emma?" It was a human voice, female.

Em didn't care. "Yeah," she said quietly.

The person came inside, closing the door behind them. "I was told you'd teach me. I'm Jennifer."

Em finally looked up. The girl was around the same age as her sister, Liz, and was rather pretty. "I see why Tral picked you."

"What does that mean?"

"Nothing."

Jennifer sat down at the computer, "What's your rank, or are you civillian?"

Em looked at her confused, "Corporal. Doesn't matter though, nothing on this ship does."

"Corporal. Okay, I'm Staff Sergeant. What's your escape plan?"

She couldn't help but laugh, "Listen Miss Staff Sergeant. There is no getting off this ship." Em laid back down. "You a virgin Jennifer?"

"What does that have to do with anything?"

"If you are, you won't be for much longer." Em rolled over, and stared at the wall. She ignored everything Jennifer said after that, and soon fell asleep.

"Em, wake up." Lyoy was holding Em in her arms, they were in the living room. "Come on, wake up."

She found herself standing, "What's going on?"

Lyoy looked annoyed. "Tral and Jennifer are getting to know each other. Intimately."

"Oh. I think I need sleep," Em said, not really hearing what Lyoy said. They entered the main bedroom, and crawled into bed. Lyoy holding Em gently. "I'm glad it's Jennifer and not me. I don't really like Tral."

Lyoy looked at her, "What do you mean?"

"Past few nights, Tral comes into my room," Emma started. She trailed off a bit, falling asleep.

Lyoy shook her, "Emma, what did he do?"

Her eyes opened slowly, "He did the thing, and put it in my thing. Naughty Tral, bad." She passed out, her breathing becoming slow. She was deep asleep in seconds.

Lyoy had no idea he was skipping out to sleep with Em, he had told her he was going to get some work done. She didn't get any sleep, and Tral never returned to their room.

Em got up at her normal time, Lyoy was already awake. She found her in the kitchen, making breakfast. "Lyoy, let me do that."

"No Em, I need to do this. I need to have something to do." She answered. "Go wake Tral, he should be in with Jennifer."

Em was a little confused, but she went and found him. Both he and Jennifer were naked, lying on each other in her bed. She didn't feel like ever sleeping in that bed again. Maybe Lyoy could get her a different bed.

She woke Tral and Jennifer, and left before they could speak. "They're coming. I think I want a new bed," she said walking over to Lyoy.

Lyoy didn't answer, she was glaring at Tral. "Tral. We need to talk."

He had put his bodysuit back on. "What is it?"

"You've been sleeping with Emma!"

He growled, suddenly awake. "So what if I have, she's my servent."

Lyoy jumped at him, "You know she's hurt! You killed Kate, and then you sleep with her?"

He grabbed Lyoy by the throat, "What makes you think you can back talk to me? I'm the shipmaster!"

Lyoy growled, something Em had never heard her do. "You're too focused on regaining honor! You're supposed to be taking care of everyone on the ship! None of us are happy with how you're running things!"

He grabbed her throat with both hands, and squeezed. Lyoy let out an audible gasp. Em ran over to him and grabbed his arm, "Tral, let go!"

Tral growled, and did just that. Hitting Em with his full strength. She flew across the room and smashed into the wall, and then fell to the deck with a loud thud. She didn't get up. "Emma!" Jennifer ran to her side.

Seeing Em's crumpled body snapped Tral and Lyoy out of their fight, and they both moved to her. "Em!" Lyoy shouted.

Jennifer stopped her, "Don't touch her, I think her neck is broken. If we move her, it might kill her."

"I'll call a medic," Tral said, and quickly moved to the communications panel.

Lyoy looked at Jennifer, worried, "She'll be okay, right?"

"As long as she gets the right treatment, she'll be fine." Jennifer was holding her wrist, monitoring her pulse.

Tral returned, his voice full of concern. "The medic says there's nothing they can do, we've never had to operate on Humans. No one knows what to do."

"I know someone who does," Lyoy said, standing up.

"Who?"

She turned to the communications panel, "That Human ship that's following us." She called the bridge, "Drop out of Slipspace."

"What?"

"Do it!" Tral called. "Follow her orders."

"Yes shipmaster." There was the light shutter as the ship decelerated. "The Human ship will be here in two units."

Lyoy nodded, "When it arrives, hail it. Run the communication to here."

"Yes, Lyoy." The communication closed.

Em stirred, and groaned in pain. "Tral," she said weakly.

He knelt by her side, "Yes Emma?"

"Don't hurt Lyoy. Please."

He nodded, "I won't. I promise."

Lyoy moved back over to her, "Em, what's the name of your human friend on the ship?"

"Ship?"

"The one that's following us, he called Tral, remember?"

She seemed to have passed out again, but she suddenly answered, "Jack. His name is Jack." With that, she did pass out.

Jennifer grabbed her wrist again, "Her pulse is weaker, but still there. Is there anyway to move her without moving her?"

"If we laid her on a shield, and used it to carry her to a drop ship, it might work," Tral said. "Let me talk to Iala, she might have an idea.

On board the UNSC Hidden Decent

"Sir, the Covenant ship is holding position here."

Captain Mai looked out the window, the ship visible in the feint light of the star they were near. "Where are we?"

"Uninhabited system, 3 planets. Sir, we're in the middle of nowhere."

"They're hailing us."

Jack sat up, he had been in the back of the bridge, "Sir, can I try again?"

"Sure, answer it."

The shipmaster they had spoken to before appeared. "Shipmaster Tral," Jack said, walking over to the screen.

"Jack," he replied. Something about his attitude was different. "I need to talk to you."

Jack nodded, "Yes you do."

"Emma's been injured. We have no way of operating on her," he said. He looked behind him, obviously were Em was. "I want to send her to your ship."

Jack looked at Mai, "On what conditions?"

"On of us will accompany her. You must remain in this system, and once she is healed, you must let her do as she wishes, even if she wants to return here," Tral outlined. "In exchange, we will release our other Human captives to you, and we won't destroy your ship."

Mai nodded, "We accept. Who will be joining Emma?"

Another Elite walked into view, "I will be. I am Lyoy 'Nolomee."

"We will open our hanger for your ship," Mai said. The communication ened. "Get a medical team to the hanger, and tell them to expect the worst."

"Sir, permission to-"

"Go Jack." Jack smiled, and left.

Notes from the author:

Well, this is Chapter Ten. Sorry it's short. The next chapter will the end of Part 1. I'll be taken an extended break to write more. Chapter 11 is about 30% complete, and I will try to post it either tomorrow (Tuesday) or Wednesday. We'll see how much I get done on the bus tomorrow (I'm traveling 8 hours home by bus).

Comments, Reviews, Criticisms all welcome, as always.