STAR TREK: NEMESIS- Chronicles- By the Lightless Flame
Story Concept Created by John Logan, Rick Berman, and Brent Spiner
All Star Trek characters and related concepts are property of Paramount. All concepts created solely by the Lightless Flame are the property of the Lightless Flame. Violators will be prosecuted by Federal Law.
The title of this chapter, "Angel's Punishment", is a title of a song copyrighted by Lacuna Coil.
CHAPTER ONE - Angel's Punishment
The fires of the Clan of Vrhizak burned lower in the early morning hours before the labor began, and the bevy of Reman males gathered around in small sects as they ate whatever they could scrounge from Remus' bounty. Along the campsite, home-made tents of varying sizes flapped in the putrid air that seemed to darken the whole morning to a darker haze of grey as still half-asleep Remans climbed forth.
Aradia slowly stirred, her mind coming back to consciousness bit by bit. She first felt the chill of the hard ground below her, and then the thick moist smell that it perpetuated. Instinctually she cringed in disgust, and she snapped her eyes open when she heard a loud distant growl that brought back the memory of the Reman. The growl seemed to reverberate in her mind like a flashback that stopped at the point when she had lost consciousness.
The most suffocating darkness she'd ever known invaded her eyes, and Aradia slowly lifted herself onto her elbows. At first she thought that she had gone blind, but looking from side to side, she peered into the changing shadows and saw distant movement. Aradia felt a rising panic in her throat, and swallowing hard, she tried to sit up.
"Oh God..." Aradia whispered to herself. She rubbed her forearms, bringing herself close to her own body in the chilliness before peering down at her body in disbelief.
Her clothes that she usually wore over her work outfit were torn and barely covered her nakedness. Aradia, feeling ashamed despite being alone, gathered the spoiled silky cloth and tried in vain to cover herself more. Her body felt as if it was recoiling from a trauma she couldn't quite remember.
"Oh God...no...This can't be happening," Aradia heard her own voice and it scared her. She hadn't sounded that weak since she had first been sold from the streets of Earth.
She pushed the memory from her mind and tried to steady herself with her hands. She stood shakily, her legs threatening to collapse like thin sticks buckling under their own weight. The terror inside her continued its steady rise as she turned a full circle to see the surroundings. Senator Hiremus was no where in sight.
The area was a sea of dark ground with large black rocks stained by a coal-like residue. The sky's dark gray met the horizon, broken by the rough line of jagged rocks. The orange of the fires in the distance played off the sky's color, turning it into a sick oxide color closer to the jagged ground. Aradia thought of the ancient dumpster pits that poured forth the same poison on Earth, and she suddenly felt trapped in the darkness. It closed in and threatened her calm sanity.
You'll never be anything you stupid whore.
He had done this to her. Senator Hiremus...he had abandoned her. Like the others...he had abandoned her.
I promise...parties, fine food...and shelter.
"Damn you!!" Aradia suddenly exploded, and she threw her fist into the oblivious sky above. The panic turned into pure rage within seconds, and with tears of frustration, Aradia blindly struck out at whatever was around her. She closed her eyes and fought the tears, but as the memories of her father, her brother and her two previous masters flashed in her mind, she couldn't help but collapse onto the ground in a choking scream of agonizing desertion.
Aradia landed hard on her wrists in a new spot with a loud splat, and she frowned through her pain. She looked at her hand in curiosity and nearly flew to her feet when she realized the matter she'd landed in. Pure sickness crossed over her bruised face, "Goddamnit! I'm in a shit field!"
Syzhok cracked his wrists as he rose from the small fire, and stepping away from the camp, he took a deep breath. He looked down at his talons and nitpicked through their silver curve, cautiously testing their sharpness against his forearm. His small eyes narrowed as he went further away from the camp to the lavatory grounds, his nostrils picking up a scent that didn't fit in with the rest of the waste of Remus.
Suddenly he heard a choked cry that resembled a cry he had never heard before. Syzhok froze and lowered himself to the hard ground, his talons caressing the Reman soil. As silent as the small stars that shimmered above, he crept forward and hid behind the large flat rocks that jutted from Remus. His eyes then caught the view of the strange human, half- naked, a few meters away in the center of the waste-field.
By uncontrolled instinct, a low threatening growl rumbled in his throat. The shadows shifted and he felt the human's anxiety as she heard his brash threat from the darkness. As the human turned in his direction, he had to hold back an even louder groan of surprise. It was a woman.
From his line of sight, he could see the curves of her small body, her long thick hair flowing freely around her gently arched tanned shoulders. A million feelings ran through Syzhok all at once: curiosity, cautiousness, suspicion, anger.but most of all, power. He realized that with her size alone, she was a damned creature on Remus. The rush of emotion flooded into his chest, and he crept forward.
Aradia tried to stand as she swirled around, forgetting about the waste around her. The soft footfall suddenly came closer and as Aradia glared in its direction, Syzhok slinked from the shadows, revealing himself. A warm breeze moved across the surface of the harsh land, and Aradia froze, her hair falling over her shoulders. In shock she tried to conceal the trembling of her body. As the Reman's small eyes met hers, his smooth skin seemed to lighten in surprise.
"Go away!" Aradia barked, trying to quell her own fear. She fell back and tried to scoot away, freezing when she hit the back of a large thin rock a meter away.
Syzhok pondered her for a moment and then his face turned furious at her demands. But his small eyes still glimmered in youthful curiosity. Syzhok was much younger than the ones Aradia had seen, his skin smoother and the thick bones in his face more angular. Across his torso, he wore nothing but what he slept in and the youthful muscles in his arms flexed as he stepped towards her. A large tattoo across his pectoral muscles glimmered in the eerie firelight, and Aradia found her eyes drawn to its tragic beauty. Syzhok ignored her stares and leaned down to reach his claws to Aradia's neck.
"Get off! Get off!" Aradia squeaked, unable to thaw herself from the sub-zero terror that ripped through her veins.
"Who are you?!" Syzhok glared down at her, his face inches away. Aradia flinched and found her sense of smell assaulted by his musk. Nausea inside the pit of her stomach grew and she had to choke back her own vomit. Syzhok sensed her oncoming illness, and he rose with his claws holding her thin neck, still feeling uncertainty about her in the pit of his large chest.
"Aradia! I'm Aradia...God, get OFF of me!" Aradia nearly screeched the words.
Syzhok snarled, not wanting to kill her, but wanting to at least silence her. He hissed, more quiet, "How dare you address me!"
Aradia moaned in anger and finally reached up with her hands to try to pry the monster's claws from her neck. Syzhok was slightly amused by her attempt to escape, and he dropped his claws, letting her fall to the ground. Aradia, surprised, rubbed her neckline sorely and looked up at him. Her large violet-blue eyes shimmered, begging for her freedom without words.
Syzhok, closer to her, looked at her body and felt a small tinge of pity. Her human state seemed deplorable to him, and her near nakedness only made him more cautious and puzzled. He had never seen a female before, but the subtle curves of her body and its color stopped him from killing her on the spot. Syzhok rubbed his neck with his claws ambivalently, growling with every breath in frustration. He doubted her potential to be a threat to the Vrhizak Clan, but out of all his training, he failed to find a reason not to take her as the greatest threat of all.
Aradia sensed his insecurity, and she lifted her hand, "I'll make you a deal!"
"No!" he roared back at her, trying to buy time.
Aradia fell back at the volume of his voice, and she felt it shake the very rock she fell back on. It didn't deter her desperation to get as far away from the Reman as possible though. "Wait! You give me a good hideout and I will give you whatever you want...parties, illegal drugs..."
Syzhok's stern facial expression stopped her. He crossed his arms and took a deep breath of frustration. "Silence! Where did you come from?"
"I...don't know!" Aradia bit her lip. "I was knocked out...I think I was drugged. I know you're a Reman...so this must be..."
Aradia suddenly had the flashback of the Reman before she'd fallen unconscious. The feeling of his heavy body pinning her...his claws...
Syzhok waited for the rest of her story, and in his mind's eye he imagined what would happen if he didn't end her life. Vrhizak would personally kill him for insubordinance and disloyalty. Irritated by her lack of details, lifted his hand again and pinned her neck quickly, threatening to crush her larynx. Aradia pushed herself closer to the rock, trying to breath.
"Everyone remembers their passage into Remus!" Syzhok pushed harder.
"Okay...so this is Remus. There has to be something you want! I can get it for you...just please, let me go!" Aradia felt tears springing in her eyes. Her temples began pounding and she felt every heartbeat.
"But everyone remembers..." Syzhok growled more insistently.
"Then I'm a black mark on that record!" Aradia choked.
Syzhok blew out of his nostrils hard. "Why did you come here? You are a woman!"
"And you're a man!" Aradia swallowed hard. "Now let me go and I'll show you what I can do..."
"You will tell me whether you are free or enslaved."
"I'm free!"
"Romulan ally!" Syzhok's eyes grew more infuriated, and he pushed harder. Aradia suddenly felt as if her head was going to explode, and she threw her hands up. The Reman let go a bit, and waited for an answer.
"Ok! Okay..." Aradia struggled to regain her breath, annoyed at Syzhok's bluff. "I'm a personal escort for Senator Hiremus. I do what he wants me to..."
"That explains nothing!" Syzhok loosened his grip and stood, half- expecting a lie. He flexed and loomed over her. Aradia's eyes searched him for weakness, "He's Romulan! He had a party...and I had to entertain for a group of his. There was...a man there. I danced for him and then...I woke up here."
"No man would bring a woman to Remus!"
Aradia clenched her teeth in frustration, which chased the anxiety away. As she retold the story, she felt the bitterness towards the Reman and Hiremus overcoming her. No matter what happened, it now didn't matter whether she lived or died to anyone else. She was here on her own accord now and there was only a sliver of hope left for her rescue. Aradia frowned and spat at him, "He wasn't a man! He was a monster."
Syzhok felt his blood boiling inside him again, "What?!"
"I said he was a Reman!" Aradia hissed at him, her rage matching his by pure adrenaline. She threw her right knee up into the air between his legs as he was caught off guard by her statement. Syzhok, undressed for battle, took the hit in his testicles and screeched loudly, his fangs glimmering with a ferocity that sent chills through Aradia's spine. A sick crack echoed in the rock fields, and Aradia smiled widely, knowing she hit the spot. Syzhok threw his head back in alarm and Aradia darted from under him as she tried to ignore her physical weakness. She rose quickly and rushed back and forth in a zigzag to a large rock. Falling behind it while struggling, she peered back to see Syzhok's shadowy silhouette attempting to stand. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the rock, pressing her back to it. She felt relieved.momentary safety.
Suddenly someone cleared his throat loudly in front of her, and Aradia's eyes snapped open. She half-expected to see more Remans, but when she saw three large Romulan guards, she felt even more surprised. They stood in the impending darkness, heavily armed and right in front of her about 3 meters. Sick smiles appeared on their faces, and the middle one stepped forward. In one hand he bared a Romulan disruptor rifle, and in the other, a makeshift Teral'n.
At first Aradia felt even greater relief at seeing a non-Reman, but when she saw their smiles, she could nearly feel malevolence seeping from them like an aura. Aradia grasped the ground with her hands besides her, trying to stay calm.
"Well look what we have here..." the first Romulan smiled twistedly. The smaller Romulan stepped behind him and flexed his fists together. "Now where did you come from?"
Aradia eyed the weapons, "I'm Aradia. I've been abducted..."
The small Romulan laughed loudly, "Haven't we all?"
The large Romulan with the Teral'n sneered. "Shut up, Cha'Thel. So, Aradia, which illegal camp joint did you come from?"
Aradia's mouth dropped open, "I swear, on my humanity! I am a personal friend of Senator Hiremus. I'm sure he's looking for me right now!"
The third Romulan spoke up, his face angry, "How dare you insult the name of Hiremus."
Cha'Thel frowned, "The man who raised our pay grade?"
The large Romulan rolled his eyes, "Yes, you idiot. Alright then, Aradia. How did a 'friend' of Senator Hiremus end up on Remus? I'd love to know."
Aradia felt the panic rising again. "I told you, I've been abducted!"
Suddenly the other two Romulans pointed their disruptors straight at Aradia. Their faces grew harder and they stepped closer, as cold and unfeeling as stone. Aradia stiffened her whole body, her face becoming hotter by the moment.
"I see, so you were abducted? Do you know what we do to people who are abducted down here...?"
Aradia whimpered, "I wasn't abducted HERE, I was abducted from up there!"
The third Romulan impatiently thrusted the disruptor at her, "She lies. I want first dibs on gutting her."
Aradia whispered loudly, "I'm not lying!"
Cha'Thel snickered, "Or maybe she is telling the truth, men. Perhaps we should examine her to see just how abducted she is."
Aradia turned her face away, instinctively becoming defensive, "Don't you dare touch me..."
"She's right. Let's not touch her. Let's just shoot her..."
"First one of the whole day! And it isn't even time for work to start..."
Cha'Thel laughed hideously, "And burn her body with the rest of other Remans."
Aradia glared at all three of the Romulans, the anger building inside like a heat wave. The cool tip of the Tirel'n pressed harder, her skin beginning to tingle.
The largest Romulan sneered, "You see...Aradia, and normally we would allow such abductees the right to live. But you, my darling, have been utterly confused for a male. Whoever this imaginary abductor is obviously didn't understand the irony of dropping you off in the middle of the largest male Reman labor camp."
Aradia felt her voice trembling, "Labor camp?"
"Don't play stupid, woman. This is hell and you know it..."
Cha'Thel laughed to himself, "It's more than obvious with your attire and your injuries. Probably sustained from your work here as an illegal prostitute and transport good!" Cha'Thel grabbed Aradia's forearm and hissed in her face, "Got a good beating from your Reman master last night, didn't you? Nice claw marks..."
Aradia shivered and snarled at Cha'Thel, glaring him off and grinding her teeth in frustration. "I swear to you..."
Syzhok rose on his knees, holding his groin precariously. He looked around the campsite for help, knowing his roar must have been heard throughout several hundred meters.
"Syzhok?"
Syzhok turned towards the hoarse voice, and he felt relief when he saw Vrhizak approaching him cautiously. Vrhizak frowned deeply, looking about at the darkness. He offered his arm to Vrhizak, still cringing at every movement.
"I got kicked!" Syzhok choked and tried to stand, his pride hurt.
Vrhizak's ancient face frowned more deeply, "By whom?"
"A human! A female!"
Vrhizak's eyes widened and he quieted his rough voice, "It was a she?"
Syzhok got to his feet and balanced, not willing to move. "I don't know any man who would kick this hard..."
Vrhizak pressed his lips together and put his hand on his hip. "I'm not surprised. You're foolish to go into the darkness to confront someone without your gear."
Syzhok snarled to himself, "She's not even half my size. What harm could she have done, I asked myself."
Vrhizak raised his brow and looked around, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Get what you deserve."
The young Reman scowled and followed suit with Vrhizak, whose hand firmly rested on the thick-barreled handle of his Reman knife at his side. Despite his position as a slave, Vrhizak was highly regarded and respected as one of the oldest Remans in the Clan, one who had seen the days before the Romulans had outlawed Reman texts and writing, one who knew the "old ways" and how to use their secrets.
Vrhizak's sharp night eyes focused on a small movement in the distance, and Syzhok followed his line of sight. Five meters away, three blurry figures bent down over a rock and jammed their arms down. Syzhok growled under his breath and almost darted forward when Vrhizak firmly spread his thick arm in front of him.
A frantic voice echoed, "Let me go!"
Syzhok's eyes narrowed as he hissed, "That's her! The guards have her..."
Vrhizak took a deep breath of concentration and stood momentarily, his mind working to decide his next move when he nodded with a stiff neck to the direction of the voice.
Syzhok smiled approvingly, "I want my vengeance!"
Vrhizak frowned, "No! We will find out her purpose."
"She is useless to us!" Syzhok looked at him flustered.
Vrhizak scolded him harshly, "Any human is of use to us. You know WHY. Perhaps she will have ties to the outside world. Perhaps...she can help us."
Syzhok softened his voice, "I'm skeptical. She looked neither from the Federation nor Romulan Star, like she claimed."
Vrhizak's eyes glimmered, "Then we can at least use her as something."
Syzhok stopped for a moment and a small twisted grin crossed his face. Vrhizak rolled his eyes and ignored the teenager's mental activity. They slinked side-by-side silently, Syzhok feeling enthralled while Vrhizak became anxiously cautious. The Romulans had powerful weapons and the last thing he needed was another dead Reman brother, especially one as close as Syzhok. Within a meter of the back of the large rock, the older Reman lifted the gleaming ancient blade and settled back on his legs, coiled like a snake waiting to strike.
Aradia's voice chimed in front of the rock the three Romulans peered over, "I swear to you! I've been abducted! I'm not a sex slave here!"
"We can make you anything we want you to be, you little bitch."
Syzhok looked at Vrhizak, expecting the opportune moment to occur instantly. Vrhizak stopped him though, waiting patiently. Syzhok saw Vrhizak's blade and he grabbed a large slab of rock, cocking it in his hand approvingly.
"So you're too good for a Romulan, but you'll fuck a Reman?" The Romulan spat in Aradia's face, his spit glimmering on her face.
Aradia's face was cold, unflinching for the Romulans in stubbornness, "I've never fucked a Reman!"
"Liar! Tell us the truth, bitch!" The unarmed Romulan came forward and slapped Aradia's face. Aradia's head flew to the left, hitting the rock with a sickening thud. She moaned loudly, trying to move in protest. Cha'Thel reached back, ready to stab her throat with the Tirel'n while the larger Romulan pressed himself against her chest, keeping her down like an animal.
Cha'Thel's muscular arm swung down with the lethal bladed stick, when suddenly a curved claw caught his tricep and stopped him dead mid-throw. In the shadows, Cha'Thel looks up at his arm and sees the claws that hold his arm. "Fire!! Open fire!"
The larger Romulan rose from Aradia's body quickly, but too late to escape the hard rock the younger Reman smashed towards his head. A clear spurt and crack of blood and bone echoes violently while the remaining Romulan cocked the disruptor. Vrhizak's leg flew out from under him and struck him, knocking the disruptor blast off target.
The bright blast struck the rock right next to Aradia's head. Aradia's eyes opened wide in shock, and she gasped as she is called back from half-consciousness by the blast's heat and light intensity. Syzhok dropped the limp body of his victim and lunged at the disruptor-bearing Romulan, who stared in confusion at the battling of Vrhizak and Cha'Thel.
Syzhok barreled into the confused Romulan, who fell hard to his back, the wind knocked from him. Using brute strength, Syzhok straddled his victim, extended his claws and uppercut him, jamming his long talons up into the Romulan's much more delicate chin. Another crush of bone and fluid filled the battle scene, and Aradia screamed as she saw the claws extending far into the Romulan's jaw.
"No..." the Romulan moaned loudly, falling back. Syzhok smiled wickedly and ripped his claws from his chin, stained with bright red blood. The Romulan was still alive but severely disabled, weakened by pain and blood loss. In dying anger, Syzhok rose and kicked the Romulan's body, looking over at Aradia in caution and coldness when he heard her scream of horror at the slaughter.
Meanwhile, Vrhizak, despite his age, already had his blade to Cha'Thel's throat as Syzhok wiped his claws on his pants. Cha'Thel jabbed uselessly with his long Tirel'n, and Vrhizak roared to his younger companion. Syzhok snickered and grabbed Cha'Thel's wrists, forcing him to drop the long Tirel'n.
Cha'Thel spurted with whatever threat came to his throat, "You'll get it!! All of you! All of you are going to die!!"
Syzhok snarled and his long teeth glimmered as he threw the Tirel'n into Cha'Thel's chest without hesitation. The thin jagged blades ripped into the Romulan's chest, and he screeched in pain as a cough of blood spurted onto Syzhok's dark armor.
Vrhizak pressed his claws to Cha'Thel's throat, his eyes burning with hatred, "We might die, but we will go quickly...and not before you suffer your own death slowly and before our eyes."
Cha'Thel looked at Vrhizak's eyes as his consciousness faded. The pain that ripped through his chest threatened to make him scream again in pain, but he bit his tongue, not allowing the Remans the pleasure of hearing his agony. Finally he succumbed to the darkness, and Vrhizak felt the monster's life leaving his small body. Satisfied, he let the Romulan drop, and Syzhok snarled in the victory over the small Romulan band.
Aradia heard the Reman's victorious hollers over the corpses of the three Romulans, and she blinked in pure disbelief at her luck. She pressed herself to the rock harder, believing that in moments she had gone from bad to worse situation-wise. The Romulans had torn off the remaining part of her top during the beating, and large welts had begun to form on her breasts from their beatings.
Syzhok turned and looked at Aradia, his eyes scanning her body critically.
Vrhizak stepped forward slowly, a slow breeze seeming to shift the shadows as his glowing eyes looked down at her. "I am Vrhizak."
Aradia looked up at him, cowering at his size. She was speechless, nodding slowly for lack of a better action. Her eyes moved to Syzhok, and remain locked on the younger Reman who stepped forward threateningly.
"Who are you? Tell the truth this time. And don't you dare pull another escape attempt...or what will happen to you will be ten times worse than what we just did to these worthless pieces of Romulan flesh."
Vrhizak bared his fangs, "Syzhok!"
Syzhok pursed his lips and glared at the older Reman. Vrhizak accepted the challenge and firmly looked at Syzhok in the eye. Vrhizak pushed him with an unnecessarily hard shove, and he lowered his glance at Aradia. "It is a good idea to listen to him. As you can see my patience is waning."
Aradia struggled to find the words, and her lips moved with great effort as nothing coherent came out. She swallowed hard and tried to relax, but her eyes kept wondering to the bloody mess in between them. She imagined Syzhok's claws going through her own jaw, and she cringed. The images shook her sanity and it took effort to even stay sitting with the nausea that followed.
"Please...I am not a sex slave. I am...not supposed to be here. I was a mistress for a Romulan Senator, and I was abducted by a man. I remember him...he appeared much like you two do now."
Vrhizak looked at Syzhok, and he lifted his brow, "Now why would one of our own bring a weak human female such as you here?"
"I'm not that weak," Aradia wrapped her arms around herself, feeling smaller by the second. "I don't know...I can't remember anything. I just don't know...we were...dancing, and then..."
Aradia lost the words. She tried in vain to remember anything from before losing consciousness, but it was just a black hole of memory and pain she couldn't explain. Her suspicions she denied with her whole mind, trying to quell the fear inside that a Reman had raped her. Vrhizak looked at Syzhok, who read her thoughts quietly and skeptically smirked. "She must work with us then. The Romulans will kill her."
Vrhizak frowned, "Would you rather the responsibility to kill her fall on us?"
Syzhok sighed, his growl loud in frustration, "She is a worthless human! A female."
"We don't know that yet. We will NOT kill her," Vrhizak shot back at him garishly. He leaned down and peered closer at Aradia, who looked back up helplessly.
Aradia closed her eyes, blocking the images from her mind. "What is this place? Do I get a choice to leave or not?"
Syzhok cackled with a growl rumbling in his throat. He bent down slowly besides Vrhizak and brought a claw to the curve of Aradia's chin, raising her head to look at him. "My darling, you will never leave this place after this day! Not alive at least. And most likely... Not dead either."
Vrhizak scowled further at him, "That is enough. We will take her to camp and we will decide what to do with her then."
Aradia looked back and forth wildly, looking for a way out. Syzhok roughly grabbed her forearms and dragged her to her feet. Stumbling and still sore from her excursion, she looked at Vrhizak desperately for companionship. Vrhizak met her gaze momentarily, not compassionate towards the weak human. Aradia read his face and felt her own falling in complete despair.
The way back to the glowing fires in the distance is short, and Aradia was pushed by Syzhok's rough handling as he grabbed both of her wrists and led from behind. Their silhouettes appeared momentarily against the horizon, Aradia fighting the shameful tears that threatened to burst from her swollen eyes.
Story Concept Created by John Logan, Rick Berman, and Brent Spiner
All Star Trek characters and related concepts are property of Paramount. All concepts created solely by the Lightless Flame are the property of the Lightless Flame. Violators will be prosecuted by Federal Law.
The title of this chapter, "Angel's Punishment", is a title of a song copyrighted by Lacuna Coil.
CHAPTER ONE - Angel's Punishment
The fires of the Clan of Vrhizak burned lower in the early morning hours before the labor began, and the bevy of Reman males gathered around in small sects as they ate whatever they could scrounge from Remus' bounty. Along the campsite, home-made tents of varying sizes flapped in the putrid air that seemed to darken the whole morning to a darker haze of grey as still half-asleep Remans climbed forth.
Aradia slowly stirred, her mind coming back to consciousness bit by bit. She first felt the chill of the hard ground below her, and then the thick moist smell that it perpetuated. Instinctually she cringed in disgust, and she snapped her eyes open when she heard a loud distant growl that brought back the memory of the Reman. The growl seemed to reverberate in her mind like a flashback that stopped at the point when she had lost consciousness.
The most suffocating darkness she'd ever known invaded her eyes, and Aradia slowly lifted herself onto her elbows. At first she thought that she had gone blind, but looking from side to side, she peered into the changing shadows and saw distant movement. Aradia felt a rising panic in her throat, and swallowing hard, she tried to sit up.
"Oh God..." Aradia whispered to herself. She rubbed her forearms, bringing herself close to her own body in the chilliness before peering down at her body in disbelief.
Her clothes that she usually wore over her work outfit were torn and barely covered her nakedness. Aradia, feeling ashamed despite being alone, gathered the spoiled silky cloth and tried in vain to cover herself more. Her body felt as if it was recoiling from a trauma she couldn't quite remember.
"Oh God...no...This can't be happening," Aradia heard her own voice and it scared her. She hadn't sounded that weak since she had first been sold from the streets of Earth.
She pushed the memory from her mind and tried to steady herself with her hands. She stood shakily, her legs threatening to collapse like thin sticks buckling under their own weight. The terror inside her continued its steady rise as she turned a full circle to see the surroundings. Senator Hiremus was no where in sight.
The area was a sea of dark ground with large black rocks stained by a coal-like residue. The sky's dark gray met the horizon, broken by the rough line of jagged rocks. The orange of the fires in the distance played off the sky's color, turning it into a sick oxide color closer to the jagged ground. Aradia thought of the ancient dumpster pits that poured forth the same poison on Earth, and she suddenly felt trapped in the darkness. It closed in and threatened her calm sanity.
You'll never be anything you stupid whore.
He had done this to her. Senator Hiremus...he had abandoned her. Like the others...he had abandoned her.
I promise...parties, fine food...and shelter.
"Damn you!!" Aradia suddenly exploded, and she threw her fist into the oblivious sky above. The panic turned into pure rage within seconds, and with tears of frustration, Aradia blindly struck out at whatever was around her. She closed her eyes and fought the tears, but as the memories of her father, her brother and her two previous masters flashed in her mind, she couldn't help but collapse onto the ground in a choking scream of agonizing desertion.
Aradia landed hard on her wrists in a new spot with a loud splat, and she frowned through her pain. She looked at her hand in curiosity and nearly flew to her feet when she realized the matter she'd landed in. Pure sickness crossed over her bruised face, "Goddamnit! I'm in a shit field!"
Syzhok cracked his wrists as he rose from the small fire, and stepping away from the camp, he took a deep breath. He looked down at his talons and nitpicked through their silver curve, cautiously testing their sharpness against his forearm. His small eyes narrowed as he went further away from the camp to the lavatory grounds, his nostrils picking up a scent that didn't fit in with the rest of the waste of Remus.
Suddenly he heard a choked cry that resembled a cry he had never heard before. Syzhok froze and lowered himself to the hard ground, his talons caressing the Reman soil. As silent as the small stars that shimmered above, he crept forward and hid behind the large flat rocks that jutted from Remus. His eyes then caught the view of the strange human, half- naked, a few meters away in the center of the waste-field.
By uncontrolled instinct, a low threatening growl rumbled in his throat. The shadows shifted and he felt the human's anxiety as she heard his brash threat from the darkness. As the human turned in his direction, he had to hold back an even louder groan of surprise. It was a woman.
From his line of sight, he could see the curves of her small body, her long thick hair flowing freely around her gently arched tanned shoulders. A million feelings ran through Syzhok all at once: curiosity, cautiousness, suspicion, anger.but most of all, power. He realized that with her size alone, she was a damned creature on Remus. The rush of emotion flooded into his chest, and he crept forward.
Aradia tried to stand as she swirled around, forgetting about the waste around her. The soft footfall suddenly came closer and as Aradia glared in its direction, Syzhok slinked from the shadows, revealing himself. A warm breeze moved across the surface of the harsh land, and Aradia froze, her hair falling over her shoulders. In shock she tried to conceal the trembling of her body. As the Reman's small eyes met hers, his smooth skin seemed to lighten in surprise.
"Go away!" Aradia barked, trying to quell her own fear. She fell back and tried to scoot away, freezing when she hit the back of a large thin rock a meter away.
Syzhok pondered her for a moment and then his face turned furious at her demands. But his small eyes still glimmered in youthful curiosity. Syzhok was much younger than the ones Aradia had seen, his skin smoother and the thick bones in his face more angular. Across his torso, he wore nothing but what he slept in and the youthful muscles in his arms flexed as he stepped towards her. A large tattoo across his pectoral muscles glimmered in the eerie firelight, and Aradia found her eyes drawn to its tragic beauty. Syzhok ignored her stares and leaned down to reach his claws to Aradia's neck.
"Get off! Get off!" Aradia squeaked, unable to thaw herself from the sub-zero terror that ripped through her veins.
"Who are you?!" Syzhok glared down at her, his face inches away. Aradia flinched and found her sense of smell assaulted by his musk. Nausea inside the pit of her stomach grew and she had to choke back her own vomit. Syzhok sensed her oncoming illness, and he rose with his claws holding her thin neck, still feeling uncertainty about her in the pit of his large chest.
"Aradia! I'm Aradia...God, get OFF of me!" Aradia nearly screeched the words.
Syzhok snarled, not wanting to kill her, but wanting to at least silence her. He hissed, more quiet, "How dare you address me!"
Aradia moaned in anger and finally reached up with her hands to try to pry the monster's claws from her neck. Syzhok was slightly amused by her attempt to escape, and he dropped his claws, letting her fall to the ground. Aradia, surprised, rubbed her neckline sorely and looked up at him. Her large violet-blue eyes shimmered, begging for her freedom without words.
Syzhok, closer to her, looked at her body and felt a small tinge of pity. Her human state seemed deplorable to him, and her near nakedness only made him more cautious and puzzled. He had never seen a female before, but the subtle curves of her body and its color stopped him from killing her on the spot. Syzhok rubbed his neck with his claws ambivalently, growling with every breath in frustration. He doubted her potential to be a threat to the Vrhizak Clan, but out of all his training, he failed to find a reason not to take her as the greatest threat of all.
Aradia sensed his insecurity, and she lifted her hand, "I'll make you a deal!"
"No!" he roared back at her, trying to buy time.
Aradia fell back at the volume of his voice, and she felt it shake the very rock she fell back on. It didn't deter her desperation to get as far away from the Reman as possible though. "Wait! You give me a good hideout and I will give you whatever you want...parties, illegal drugs..."
Syzhok's stern facial expression stopped her. He crossed his arms and took a deep breath of frustration. "Silence! Where did you come from?"
"I...don't know!" Aradia bit her lip. "I was knocked out...I think I was drugged. I know you're a Reman...so this must be..."
Aradia suddenly had the flashback of the Reman before she'd fallen unconscious. The feeling of his heavy body pinning her...his claws...
Syzhok waited for the rest of her story, and in his mind's eye he imagined what would happen if he didn't end her life. Vrhizak would personally kill him for insubordinance and disloyalty. Irritated by her lack of details, lifted his hand again and pinned her neck quickly, threatening to crush her larynx. Aradia pushed herself closer to the rock, trying to breath.
"Everyone remembers their passage into Remus!" Syzhok pushed harder.
"Okay...so this is Remus. There has to be something you want! I can get it for you...just please, let me go!" Aradia felt tears springing in her eyes. Her temples began pounding and she felt every heartbeat.
"But everyone remembers..." Syzhok growled more insistently.
"Then I'm a black mark on that record!" Aradia choked.
Syzhok blew out of his nostrils hard. "Why did you come here? You are a woman!"
"And you're a man!" Aradia swallowed hard. "Now let me go and I'll show you what I can do..."
"You will tell me whether you are free or enslaved."
"I'm free!"
"Romulan ally!" Syzhok's eyes grew more infuriated, and he pushed harder. Aradia suddenly felt as if her head was going to explode, and she threw her hands up. The Reman let go a bit, and waited for an answer.
"Ok! Okay..." Aradia struggled to regain her breath, annoyed at Syzhok's bluff. "I'm a personal escort for Senator Hiremus. I do what he wants me to..."
"That explains nothing!" Syzhok loosened his grip and stood, half- expecting a lie. He flexed and loomed over her. Aradia's eyes searched him for weakness, "He's Romulan! He had a party...and I had to entertain for a group of his. There was...a man there. I danced for him and then...I woke up here."
"No man would bring a woman to Remus!"
Aradia clenched her teeth in frustration, which chased the anxiety away. As she retold the story, she felt the bitterness towards the Reman and Hiremus overcoming her. No matter what happened, it now didn't matter whether she lived or died to anyone else. She was here on her own accord now and there was only a sliver of hope left for her rescue. Aradia frowned and spat at him, "He wasn't a man! He was a monster."
Syzhok felt his blood boiling inside him again, "What?!"
"I said he was a Reman!" Aradia hissed at him, her rage matching his by pure adrenaline. She threw her right knee up into the air between his legs as he was caught off guard by her statement. Syzhok, undressed for battle, took the hit in his testicles and screeched loudly, his fangs glimmering with a ferocity that sent chills through Aradia's spine. A sick crack echoed in the rock fields, and Aradia smiled widely, knowing she hit the spot. Syzhok threw his head back in alarm and Aradia darted from under him as she tried to ignore her physical weakness. She rose quickly and rushed back and forth in a zigzag to a large rock. Falling behind it while struggling, she peered back to see Syzhok's shadowy silhouette attempting to stand. She closed her eyes as she leaned against the rock, pressing her back to it. She felt relieved.momentary safety.
Suddenly someone cleared his throat loudly in front of her, and Aradia's eyes snapped open. She half-expected to see more Remans, but when she saw three large Romulan guards, she felt even more surprised. They stood in the impending darkness, heavily armed and right in front of her about 3 meters. Sick smiles appeared on their faces, and the middle one stepped forward. In one hand he bared a Romulan disruptor rifle, and in the other, a makeshift Teral'n.
At first Aradia felt even greater relief at seeing a non-Reman, but when she saw their smiles, she could nearly feel malevolence seeping from them like an aura. Aradia grasped the ground with her hands besides her, trying to stay calm.
"Well look what we have here..." the first Romulan smiled twistedly. The smaller Romulan stepped behind him and flexed his fists together. "Now where did you come from?"
Aradia eyed the weapons, "I'm Aradia. I've been abducted..."
The small Romulan laughed loudly, "Haven't we all?"
The large Romulan with the Teral'n sneered. "Shut up, Cha'Thel. So, Aradia, which illegal camp joint did you come from?"
Aradia's mouth dropped open, "I swear, on my humanity! I am a personal friend of Senator Hiremus. I'm sure he's looking for me right now!"
The third Romulan spoke up, his face angry, "How dare you insult the name of Hiremus."
Cha'Thel frowned, "The man who raised our pay grade?"
The large Romulan rolled his eyes, "Yes, you idiot. Alright then, Aradia. How did a 'friend' of Senator Hiremus end up on Remus? I'd love to know."
Aradia felt the panic rising again. "I told you, I've been abducted!"
Suddenly the other two Romulans pointed their disruptors straight at Aradia. Their faces grew harder and they stepped closer, as cold and unfeeling as stone. Aradia stiffened her whole body, her face becoming hotter by the moment.
"I see, so you were abducted? Do you know what we do to people who are abducted down here...?"
Aradia whimpered, "I wasn't abducted HERE, I was abducted from up there!"
The third Romulan impatiently thrusted the disruptor at her, "She lies. I want first dibs on gutting her."
Aradia whispered loudly, "I'm not lying!"
Cha'Thel snickered, "Or maybe she is telling the truth, men. Perhaps we should examine her to see just how abducted she is."
Aradia turned her face away, instinctively becoming defensive, "Don't you dare touch me..."
"She's right. Let's not touch her. Let's just shoot her..."
"First one of the whole day! And it isn't even time for work to start..."
Cha'Thel laughed hideously, "And burn her body with the rest of other Remans."
Aradia glared at all three of the Romulans, the anger building inside like a heat wave. The cool tip of the Tirel'n pressed harder, her skin beginning to tingle.
The largest Romulan sneered, "You see...Aradia, and normally we would allow such abductees the right to live. But you, my darling, have been utterly confused for a male. Whoever this imaginary abductor is obviously didn't understand the irony of dropping you off in the middle of the largest male Reman labor camp."
Aradia felt her voice trembling, "Labor camp?"
"Don't play stupid, woman. This is hell and you know it..."
Cha'Thel laughed to himself, "It's more than obvious with your attire and your injuries. Probably sustained from your work here as an illegal prostitute and transport good!" Cha'Thel grabbed Aradia's forearm and hissed in her face, "Got a good beating from your Reman master last night, didn't you? Nice claw marks..."
Aradia shivered and snarled at Cha'Thel, glaring him off and grinding her teeth in frustration. "I swear to you..."
Syzhok rose on his knees, holding his groin precariously. He looked around the campsite for help, knowing his roar must have been heard throughout several hundred meters.
"Syzhok?"
Syzhok turned towards the hoarse voice, and he felt relief when he saw Vrhizak approaching him cautiously. Vrhizak frowned deeply, looking about at the darkness. He offered his arm to Vrhizak, still cringing at every movement.
"I got kicked!" Syzhok choked and tried to stand, his pride hurt.
Vrhizak's ancient face frowned more deeply, "By whom?"
"A human! A female!"
Vrhizak's eyes widened and he quieted his rough voice, "It was a she?"
Syzhok got to his feet and balanced, not willing to move. "I don't know any man who would kick this hard..."
Vrhizak pressed his lips together and put his hand on his hip. "I'm not surprised. You're foolish to go into the darkness to confront someone without your gear."
Syzhok snarled to himself, "She's not even half my size. What harm could she have done, I asked myself."
Vrhizak raised his brow and looked around, his eyes scanning the horizon. "Get what you deserve."
The young Reman scowled and followed suit with Vrhizak, whose hand firmly rested on the thick-barreled handle of his Reman knife at his side. Despite his position as a slave, Vrhizak was highly regarded and respected as one of the oldest Remans in the Clan, one who had seen the days before the Romulans had outlawed Reman texts and writing, one who knew the "old ways" and how to use their secrets.
Vrhizak's sharp night eyes focused on a small movement in the distance, and Syzhok followed his line of sight. Five meters away, three blurry figures bent down over a rock and jammed their arms down. Syzhok growled under his breath and almost darted forward when Vrhizak firmly spread his thick arm in front of him.
A frantic voice echoed, "Let me go!"
Syzhok's eyes narrowed as he hissed, "That's her! The guards have her..."
Vrhizak took a deep breath of concentration and stood momentarily, his mind working to decide his next move when he nodded with a stiff neck to the direction of the voice.
Syzhok smiled approvingly, "I want my vengeance!"
Vrhizak frowned, "No! We will find out her purpose."
"She is useless to us!" Syzhok looked at him flustered.
Vrhizak scolded him harshly, "Any human is of use to us. You know WHY. Perhaps she will have ties to the outside world. Perhaps...she can help us."
Syzhok softened his voice, "I'm skeptical. She looked neither from the Federation nor Romulan Star, like she claimed."
Vrhizak's eyes glimmered, "Then we can at least use her as something."
Syzhok stopped for a moment and a small twisted grin crossed his face. Vrhizak rolled his eyes and ignored the teenager's mental activity. They slinked side-by-side silently, Syzhok feeling enthralled while Vrhizak became anxiously cautious. The Romulans had powerful weapons and the last thing he needed was another dead Reman brother, especially one as close as Syzhok. Within a meter of the back of the large rock, the older Reman lifted the gleaming ancient blade and settled back on his legs, coiled like a snake waiting to strike.
Aradia's voice chimed in front of the rock the three Romulans peered over, "I swear to you! I've been abducted! I'm not a sex slave here!"
"We can make you anything we want you to be, you little bitch."
Syzhok looked at Vrhizak, expecting the opportune moment to occur instantly. Vrhizak stopped him though, waiting patiently. Syzhok saw Vrhizak's blade and he grabbed a large slab of rock, cocking it in his hand approvingly.
"So you're too good for a Romulan, but you'll fuck a Reman?" The Romulan spat in Aradia's face, his spit glimmering on her face.
Aradia's face was cold, unflinching for the Romulans in stubbornness, "I've never fucked a Reman!"
"Liar! Tell us the truth, bitch!" The unarmed Romulan came forward and slapped Aradia's face. Aradia's head flew to the left, hitting the rock with a sickening thud. She moaned loudly, trying to move in protest. Cha'Thel reached back, ready to stab her throat with the Tirel'n while the larger Romulan pressed himself against her chest, keeping her down like an animal.
Cha'Thel's muscular arm swung down with the lethal bladed stick, when suddenly a curved claw caught his tricep and stopped him dead mid-throw. In the shadows, Cha'Thel looks up at his arm and sees the claws that hold his arm. "Fire!! Open fire!"
The larger Romulan rose from Aradia's body quickly, but too late to escape the hard rock the younger Reman smashed towards his head. A clear spurt and crack of blood and bone echoes violently while the remaining Romulan cocked the disruptor. Vrhizak's leg flew out from under him and struck him, knocking the disruptor blast off target.
The bright blast struck the rock right next to Aradia's head. Aradia's eyes opened wide in shock, and she gasped as she is called back from half-consciousness by the blast's heat and light intensity. Syzhok dropped the limp body of his victim and lunged at the disruptor-bearing Romulan, who stared in confusion at the battling of Vrhizak and Cha'Thel.
Syzhok barreled into the confused Romulan, who fell hard to his back, the wind knocked from him. Using brute strength, Syzhok straddled his victim, extended his claws and uppercut him, jamming his long talons up into the Romulan's much more delicate chin. Another crush of bone and fluid filled the battle scene, and Aradia screamed as she saw the claws extending far into the Romulan's jaw.
"No..." the Romulan moaned loudly, falling back. Syzhok smiled wickedly and ripped his claws from his chin, stained with bright red blood. The Romulan was still alive but severely disabled, weakened by pain and blood loss. In dying anger, Syzhok rose and kicked the Romulan's body, looking over at Aradia in caution and coldness when he heard her scream of horror at the slaughter.
Meanwhile, Vrhizak, despite his age, already had his blade to Cha'Thel's throat as Syzhok wiped his claws on his pants. Cha'Thel jabbed uselessly with his long Tirel'n, and Vrhizak roared to his younger companion. Syzhok snickered and grabbed Cha'Thel's wrists, forcing him to drop the long Tirel'n.
Cha'Thel spurted with whatever threat came to his throat, "You'll get it!! All of you! All of you are going to die!!"
Syzhok snarled and his long teeth glimmered as he threw the Tirel'n into Cha'Thel's chest without hesitation. The thin jagged blades ripped into the Romulan's chest, and he screeched in pain as a cough of blood spurted onto Syzhok's dark armor.
Vrhizak pressed his claws to Cha'Thel's throat, his eyes burning with hatred, "We might die, but we will go quickly...and not before you suffer your own death slowly and before our eyes."
Cha'Thel looked at Vrhizak's eyes as his consciousness faded. The pain that ripped through his chest threatened to make him scream again in pain, but he bit his tongue, not allowing the Remans the pleasure of hearing his agony. Finally he succumbed to the darkness, and Vrhizak felt the monster's life leaving his small body. Satisfied, he let the Romulan drop, and Syzhok snarled in the victory over the small Romulan band.
Aradia heard the Reman's victorious hollers over the corpses of the three Romulans, and she blinked in pure disbelief at her luck. She pressed herself to the rock harder, believing that in moments she had gone from bad to worse situation-wise. The Romulans had torn off the remaining part of her top during the beating, and large welts had begun to form on her breasts from their beatings.
Syzhok turned and looked at Aradia, his eyes scanning her body critically.
Vrhizak stepped forward slowly, a slow breeze seeming to shift the shadows as his glowing eyes looked down at her. "I am Vrhizak."
Aradia looked up at him, cowering at his size. She was speechless, nodding slowly for lack of a better action. Her eyes moved to Syzhok, and remain locked on the younger Reman who stepped forward threateningly.
"Who are you? Tell the truth this time. And don't you dare pull another escape attempt...or what will happen to you will be ten times worse than what we just did to these worthless pieces of Romulan flesh."
Vrhizak bared his fangs, "Syzhok!"
Syzhok pursed his lips and glared at the older Reman. Vrhizak accepted the challenge and firmly looked at Syzhok in the eye. Vrhizak pushed him with an unnecessarily hard shove, and he lowered his glance at Aradia. "It is a good idea to listen to him. As you can see my patience is waning."
Aradia struggled to find the words, and her lips moved with great effort as nothing coherent came out. She swallowed hard and tried to relax, but her eyes kept wondering to the bloody mess in between them. She imagined Syzhok's claws going through her own jaw, and she cringed. The images shook her sanity and it took effort to even stay sitting with the nausea that followed.
"Please...I am not a sex slave. I am...not supposed to be here. I was a mistress for a Romulan Senator, and I was abducted by a man. I remember him...he appeared much like you two do now."
Vrhizak looked at Syzhok, and he lifted his brow, "Now why would one of our own bring a weak human female such as you here?"
"I'm not that weak," Aradia wrapped her arms around herself, feeling smaller by the second. "I don't know...I can't remember anything. I just don't know...we were...dancing, and then..."
Aradia lost the words. She tried in vain to remember anything from before losing consciousness, but it was just a black hole of memory and pain she couldn't explain. Her suspicions she denied with her whole mind, trying to quell the fear inside that a Reman had raped her. Vrhizak looked at Syzhok, who read her thoughts quietly and skeptically smirked. "She must work with us then. The Romulans will kill her."
Vrhizak frowned, "Would you rather the responsibility to kill her fall on us?"
Syzhok sighed, his growl loud in frustration, "She is a worthless human! A female."
"We don't know that yet. We will NOT kill her," Vrhizak shot back at him garishly. He leaned down and peered closer at Aradia, who looked back up helplessly.
Aradia closed her eyes, blocking the images from her mind. "What is this place? Do I get a choice to leave or not?"
Syzhok cackled with a growl rumbling in his throat. He bent down slowly besides Vrhizak and brought a claw to the curve of Aradia's chin, raising her head to look at him. "My darling, you will never leave this place after this day! Not alive at least. And most likely... Not dead either."
Vrhizak scowled further at him, "That is enough. We will take her to camp and we will decide what to do with her then."
Aradia looked back and forth wildly, looking for a way out. Syzhok roughly grabbed her forearms and dragged her to her feet. Stumbling and still sore from her excursion, she looked at Vrhizak desperately for companionship. Vrhizak met her gaze momentarily, not compassionate towards the weak human. Aradia read his face and felt her own falling in complete despair.
The way back to the glowing fires in the distance is short, and Aradia was pushed by Syzhok's rough handling as he grabbed both of her wrists and led from behind. Their silhouettes appeared momentarily against the horizon, Aradia fighting the shameful tears that threatened to burst from her swollen eyes.