Vashti was escorted to a small housing complex by two Cardassian soldiers. They insisted dragging her by the arm even though she showed no sign of resistance. She might not be happy about her fate but she knew there was no escape or better alternative. At least she served a purpose. As long as she did that she would remain alive and well fed.
They knocked upon a single door and it opened a sliver. An unremarkable Cardassian man stood in the threshold. He looked as though he hadn't slept in years. He handed them an ID and they scanned his prints to properly identify him. She studied him as critically as she dared. This man had paid a high price to convince her owner to rent her out. The fetish they shared was considered a bit unusual in both Bajoran and Cardassian society.
"Enjoy your new comfort woman!" her escort said, shoving her toward him.
"Try not to let this one die!" the other jeered.
Vashti's almond eyes flashed with alarm at that. Why did it seem like the plain and ordinary soldiers proved to be the cruelest? The last man had seemed nice enough but he had still bruised her breasts and caused her nipples to bleed every time he indulged himself. At least he had never used the rest of her body like a typical comfort woman. She wondered how rough this man would be.
Her temporary owner pulled her into his apartment gently but slammed the door so violently she let a muffled sound of fear rumble in her throat. He reached out a hand and she half expected a blow, but instead, he was offering her flaxseed bread. Small wonder since flaxseed was good for milk production.
"You are a wet nurse, correct?" the Glinn's voice made him sound as bone tired as he looked.
"I am, sir."
"Don't call me that."
"What shall I call you? Master?" she resented the word so much but did her best to sound neutral.
"Call me Paneck. That's good enough."
"Fine, Paneck, it is."
The soldier drank a stinking sour beverage she assumed must be a stimulant like red leaf. That was a native Cardassian drink she had never tried before. He wasn't looking at her.
"I only require your milk and will never ask for other services even if you graciously wanted to grant them. Let's get that perfectly clear."
She sighed with relief, "Understood, Paneck."
She removed her blouse and bared her heavy breasts. All the other men had looked eagerly as soon as she touched her clothes. This man seemed apathetic.
"Now is good timing," she said, a little confused. "I am full."
Paneck scoffed and added a splash of kanar to his drink. That was a Cardassian alcoholic beverage she was all too familiar with. Half of her clients forced the stuff down her throat because they thought her looks of disgust were comical. Others wanted her to partake wondering if it would change the flavor of her milk. The way the man laughed eerily like a madman she wondered if he was about to make her guzzle the strange concoction or worse.
"What's your name?" he asked.
"Vashti."
"Your milk is not for me, Vashti."
"What?" she rasped, half in shock and half in horror. "Do you expect to share me with friends? That was not written in the contract between you and my master."
"No. A moment, please?"
He disappeared into a closet and produced a basket. She was growing more curious and confused. He lifted what she thought was merely a bundle of blankets from it and then revealed it to be an infant.
"This is my little monster," Paneck sighed as he presented him to her. "He is starving. The baby formula only seems to give him the runs. He is three days old and his mother is dead."
"Your former comfort woman?" Vashti gasped.
"She named him Benjen," he nodded.
Benjen was a hybrid child. He had a tuft of dark brown hair rather than Cardassian standard black. He had his mother's distinctive Bajoran ridges on his little nose. He had small bumps where about half of the typical Cardassian's ridges would grow. He also had one brown eye and one blue eye. She had never seen such a thing before. The 'little monster' was so weak he didn't cry but gazed at her and wrinkled his face and puckered his pale lips.
A memory of another baby sprang to her mind. Benjen managed a barely distinguishable sound like a pathetic whine and she was hooked. She held him to her breast and was afraid he might be too weak to suckle. However, the child was half Cardassian and thankfully a bit stronger than a Bajoran infant. His instinct prevailed.
She looked up at the father who looked so sweetly relieved she thought he might burst into tears and declared, "I'm more than happy to feed a child instead of a man!"