The door clanged shut behind her. Rose sat upon her cot and eased herself under the thin blanket provided to her. Her body ached as it often did when she left the General's company. Of all his girls, she was his favorite. She stretched out on the cot in her attempt to find some comfort. The other girls shifted around her. Her gaze wandered around the dim room as she tried to ignore the troubled emotions of her bunk mates. As she often did when she couldn't sleep, she began to think of her mother. Some nights she imagined that she heard her mother's voice calling out to her in response to these thoughts. She didn't know whether she hated her parents or yearned for their presence. Her memories of her father had dimmed over the years, but her mother's image remained clear as day in her memory. A narrow face framed by ebony tresses that rippled down over her shoulders, kind, dark eyes that could pierce the soul, and a soft smile made up the figure that she held onto. More than all that, however, were the emotions that radiated off her mother: love, determination, and strangely, fear. The woman she remembered would not have given her up willingly. That was the only hope she'd held onto after nine years in the General's care. That hope is what keeps Rose focusing on that face, reaching out with her feelings to remember the feel of a mother's love.
"Deanna," Captain William Riker pleaded for the hundredth time. The body lying before him refused to stir. Will stroked his wife's hair softly. It had been like this for three weeks now. Deanna had gone with an away team to a small, reportedly uninhabited, planet. She had sensed a life form on the surface and had requested to accompany the away team to investigate. He should never have let her go. Whatever entity had been on the planet had attacked the away team, leaving Deanna in a comatose state. Dr. Ogawa had made little to no headway in finding a way to revive her. The captain grasped his wife's hand as if it were a lifeline. He missed her smile. He missed her company. She kept him focused, and despite being half alien herself, she kept him human. There was no doubt in Captain Riker's mind that he would go crazy if Deanna was gone too long. For the first time since she was first declared hopelessly comatose, Will let tears flow freely down his face. It was almost worse than if she had died. He was forced to watch her still form while holding onto the futile hope that she would awaken. Will sat with her in silence. The captain's head shot up as he examined Deanna's face again. He could swear he had felt her hand move. Deanna's eyes twitched under her eyelids. Will stood up and cupped his wife's face.
"Deanna can you hear me?" Will asked desperately. Deanna remained still for a moment.
"Tea…" she mumbled before returning to her previously immobile state.
"Doctor!"
Rose strolled down the corridor followed by the other girls. Maize, the youngest, only nine years of age, clung to Rose's arm as they travelled to a studio at the end of the hall. Upon arrival, Rose picked up Maize and addressed the rest of the girls.
"The General is expecting some guests at the end of the week. We will be performing for them," she informed the girls. The resounding sigh that rippled through the group was not unexpected. The General had handpicked these girls for his entertainment. Most were young girls between the ages of twelve and seventeen. The oldest, Kitty, was twenty-two. Despite being younger in age, Rose had emerged as leader of the group. Having been with the General for the longest, she was the only one he'd ever started so young and kept so long. She was his prize, molded into his perfect plaything. She had grown up fast. She had to. Rose began instructing the girls in a dance and outlined their duties for the coming festivities. Suddenly, a voice shouted from Rose's communicator.
"Rosie! Docking bay four. Now!"
"I'll be back," she informed the girls. She hurried down to the docking bay and was met with a throng of people.
"Rosie baby, over here," a voice called. Rosie approached the human male. He was an older, sturdy man, though fairly thin, with a receding hairline and sharp features. His hair was jet black with flecks of gray throughout. His apparel was gaudy, sewn with gold thread and adorned with precious jewels.
"General," she greeted slipping under his outstretched arm.
"I brought you some new ones honey," he sang in his naturally repugnant way. Rose scrutinized the people before her. They appeared to be very plainly dressed humans. They were disheveled and had quite obviously been brought aboard the ship against their will.
"Welcome," she greeted kindly. They remained silent.
"I want you to help me pick 'em baby," the General interjected. Rose looked questioningly at her master.
"Pick them?" she asked.
"How many do you have now?" he asked as he returned his attention to the captives before him.
"Including myself there are seven of us," she replied.
"Oh, that won't do," he balked, "I'll give you five more. I want to impress our guests."
"I don't know if I can have them ready in time," Rose argued.
"You wouldn't wanna disappoint me now, would you Rosie?" the General asked, gripping her arm more tightly. Rose shook her head and looked at the people before them. The General smiled. "Take the men away," he commanded his male slaves. When only the women remained, the General began to walk through the group. Rose watched with uncertainty. "Which ones do you like?" he asked with a smirk. Rose looked at the women and could not bring herself to condemn them to the fate the General indicated for them.
"It is your pleasure General. You should pick," she stated meekly.
"Don't presume to tell me what I should do," he screamed, slapping her as he spun to face. Rose felt the flesh of her cheek burn as she regained her balance. "Now I told you what I want Rosie, and I won't say it again," he growled.
"Forgive me," she said calmly.
"Aw Rosie, you know I love you baby," he said, immediately changing his demeanor to one of cheerfulness. Rose nodded with a small smile. "Pick me some winners, Rosie." Rose gingerly walked about the women. There were few women of the ages the General usually preferred, but she tried to pick suitable specimens. She picked a young girl, who appeared several years her senior, with long blonde hair past her waist. She hoped that the addition of another blonde might take some attention away from Maize. Two more, closer to Kitty's age that appeared identical, were added to her line up. Both looked strong and she figured the General would find their similarity fun. She continued to walk through the women. Finally, she came upon a young girl, younger than herself. She could feel the girl's fear, but Rose knew that this girl would be singled out by the General if he saw her. He had recently been bringing in younger girls, the latest of whom was Maize. A woman standing next to her seemed to notice Rose's attention on the girl. The woman was older, appearing to be in her thirties, yet she was still very attractive. Rose felt the woman's fear as well, but it was for the girl not herself. It was as if she was begging Rose to spare the girl. Rose looked around. None of the women surrounding her appeared to be over forty, yet few of them were younger than the oldest girl in her current group. She glanced back at the woman and the girl. She glanced at the General, who was shrouded by the other women. She quickly shoved the girl behind a cluster of older women. She then grabbed the older woman and added her to the three she had already chosen. Then, she chose one last woman from the group the General had been salivating at from the other side of the room.
"General," she said. The General came to look upon the girls she had chosen.
"Very good Rosie. You have a good eye. You believe they can do what is required of them?" he asked her.
"Yes sir, they are all suitable," she responded. The General eyed the final girl she had picked with unyielding lust.
"Very good… this one is older than the others. Why?" he said, indicating the woman who had protected the younger girl.
"Yes, she is older than the others, but you cannot deny she is beautiful. Her age seems not to have touched her appearance, and you yourself claim to enjoy new and exciting experiences," she replied with a smirk. The woman looked between them, obviously frightened. Rose gave her a reassuring nod as the General examined her. The woman flinched as he began to laugh outright.
"You pose a convincing argument Rosie… very well. You may keep them. Prepare them for our guests. They should be arriving within the week."
"Yes sir," she nodded.
"And Rosie," he called after her, "prepare that one for me tomorrow." He was pointing at the last girl. Rose nodded and turned back to the exit. She beckoned the women to follow her. Rose led them to their quarters, wishing to let them acclimate to the ship before being introduced to the other girls.
"Welcome," she said once they had all entered, "These will be your quarters. I'll introduce you to the other girls once you have all settled."
"Where are we?" the older woman asked.
"The General's ship. I'm afraid I am unable to give you any more information than that. I know not where we are nor how to escape. I apologize if you hoped for that. You are here to pleasure the General, though you may already have guessed as much," Rose explained.
"Yes," the older woman replied again, "that is why I did not want him to take Daria."
"The girl?" Rose asked. The woman smiled gratefully and nodded.
"What are your names?" she asked.
"I am Anij," she greeted.
"I am Alora," the young blonde said, stepping forward meekly.
"Noasha, and this is my sister Naliki," said one of the twins. The other glared balefully at her from next to her sister.
"Kim," said the final girl whom the General had taken an interest in. Rose nodded.
"Pleased to meet you all," she said genially, "You have lovely names, but I must warn you the General will not use them. You must quickly adjust to whatever he decides to call you."
"Are you in charge here?" Alora asked.
"Not really," Rose answered.
"You must have some authority for him to rely on you to choose us over the others," she replied.
"The General… favors me. I unofficially organize the girls and prepare them to service him," Rose said.
"You are younger than any of us. Why should we defer to you?" Naliki asked icily.
"I suppose when one is raised by a man for the sole purpose of pleasuring him she becomes quite experienced with his preferences," Rose responded stiffly.
"Do you assign which girls pleasure him?" Naliki asked undeterred.
"No. The General enjoys making his own decisions as you may have noticed on the deck. If you are implying that I would avoid his bed by using the other girls, I can assure you the opposite is true. I must inform you that if you insist on causing problems the General will not tolerate it. He will kill you. Now if you are quite finished, I would like to continue," Rose calmly replied. Naliki looked uncomfortable but nodded.
"I know you're scared, but you must ignore that. I will provide you with more details about what is expected of you later. All I will tell you now is that you are best advised to give the General what he wants when he wants it."
"How can you ask us to let him use us like that?" Naliki argued.
"Because he will hurt you if you don't," Rose yelled. The women looked at her shocked. She hung her head sadly. "That is the last thing I would want for any of you. I know you're afraid and I know it's unpleasant but is it worth your life?" she asked.
"How will he hurt us?" Noasha said gently. Rose slowly removed her outer cloak to reveal her bare back. The scars that ran up and down her back were extensive. The scars were layered over each other making it evident that she had been struck repeatedly over many years.
"How long have you been here?" Anij asked softly.
"Ten years," she replied, "It's the longest the General has ever kept a girl."
"How did you come to be here?" Anij pressed further.
"That is not important. We need to hurry before he realizes we are not at work," Rose replied, "the quick version. We are the entertainment for the General. We pleasure him and dance for him. We perform at evening meals and special events for the General. The community we've created here is your best chance at staying sane. We support each other and comfort each other. If you wish to survive… we are the best shot you have."
"Is there any positive outcome we can take away from this?" Alora asked.
"The only consolation I can give you is that the General's men are forbidden to touch you. You belong to him and only he can use you unless he gives another permission. He will not give permission to anyone he doesn't want something from," she replied, "come, I'll introduce you to the girls." Rose led them back to the studio where she had left the other girls.
Kitty looked up as the group entered. "Where have you been? Who are they?" she asked.
"It's alright Kitty. We have some new friends," Rose replied.
"He hit you again," Kitty noticed.
"It's fine. I'm alright, I promise," she assured her friend as she grasped her hand. Kitty nodded before glancing at the new recruits. The new women gasped as they laid eyes on the other girls. The General's girls all looked puzzled at their reaction.
"I'm assuming you haven't met many other species," Rose asked them. All the girls but Anij nodded. Kitty smiled at them.
"I'm sorry if I startled you. I'm Kitty," she greeted them.
"What are you?" Alora asked admiring Kitty's green skin.
"I am Orion," Kitty said. Anij looked at her questioningly.
"Wouldn't it be dangerous for the General to have an Orion slave? Couldn't you manipulate him?" she asked.
"I have been… altered… to protect the General from my pheromones," she told her. Anij nodded in understanding.
"Well let's meet the rest of the girls," Rose said, regaining their attention.
"I'm Star," said a Bajoran girl who looked about the same age as Alora.
"Dove," said an Elloran who gained many stares from the new girls.
"Princess," said the half Vulcan half human girl next to her.
"I'm Jewel," said a young human girl with bright red hair.
"And this is Maize," Rose said of the young yellow haired Qomar girl at her hip. Rose then gestured to the newcomers. "This is Anij, Alora, Naliki, Noasha, and Kim. The General's girls stepped forward to greet their new sisters.
"I missed you Rosie," Maize said as she wrapped her arms around the older girl.
"I wasn't gone long sweetheart," Rose assured her.
"Rose," Kitty said gently.
"Yes?" Rose asked, turning to her while still holding Maize.
"Have you checked the assignments for today?" Kitty replied. Rose looked warily at her friend as she slowly shook her head. She released Maize gently as she crossed the room to her data pad. What she saw on the screen made her suddenly pale. She looked back at the rest of the girls who were getting to know each other. She sighed sadly as she dropped the pad and crossed back to the girls.
"Give us a moment," she said as she reached for Maize's hand. The others nodded and led their new friends to the other side of the room. Anij lingered behind to watch the exchange.
"Maize honey," Rose said softly, "you're on duty tonight." Maize looked uncomfortable. "You remember what I taught you?"
"Yes Rosie," Mazie replied.
"Good girl," Rose said, "you're going to be fine. We've made sure he'll be gentle with you tonight. He wants you because you're fragile. He'll treat you like it."
"Promise?" Maize asked innocently.
"Oh baby," Rose said hugging her close, "you'll be fine. I'll take care of you. I promise." Anij watched from a short distance away. Her eyes were moist as she watched the exchange. Rose released Maize and called the other girls over. She began to teach them a dance for the coming gathering. They were to entertain the men during dinner and would be offered to pleasure them in the evening. When they finished for the day, Rose took the new girls to receive new clothes, appropriate for their positions. They entered a large room with fabrics of every color. Rose led Alora to a rack of fabrics. She pulled out a baby blue jeweled brasier, and matching bottoms.
"They're so… revealing," Alora grimaced.
"I'm sorry, but the General requires you to wear these. You can wear this wrap until you are required otherwise, but you'll get used to it," she said holding out a dark blue wrap. Alora took the clothes tentatively. "You can change in the alcove on the north side of the room." As Alora disappeared, Rose beckoned Naliki forward. Each girl was given her clothes and sent on her way. The last to receive clothing was Kim. Rose pulled out a deep purple brasier with beaded fringe hanging from it with a matching fringed skirt. Kim disappeared into the alcove while Rose found a matching sheer robe. When Kim emerged, Rose helped her don the robe.
"This is different from the others," Kim noticed.
"You are different," Rose replied, "the General shows special favor to you."
"Is that good?" Kim asked. Rose smiled sadly.
"I don't know. As one who has his favor, it depends on the day. You may receive more privileges, but if you're with him often enough you see more of his temper too. He has already chosen Maize for tonight, but he wants you tomorrow. Come with me. I'll show you what to do." Rose laid a hand on her shoulder and led her out of the room.