Disclaimer: Just own the words, not the folks.

A Small Transaction - Chapter 2

Kagato smiles as he watches them walk toward the hotels on the harbor. This was the best plan he'd ever had for dealing with Ryoko. Mentally forcing her into submission and renting her out to whomever he chooses has proven both practical and profitable.

Since she was a child, he'd looked for sound methods of controlling her. Even after numerous beatings and punishments, she'd refused to obey him.

In her late teen years, Kagato attempted other means of control, but she'd always fight him off. Her struggles against him only fueled his desire for her and his determination to dominate and control her. During one of his many attempts to have her, she suddenly evoked an enormous psychic ability, hurling him across her room and through her bedroom door. The crash alerted her mother, who discovered him unconscious and badly hurt and Ryoko trembling in a corner.

Several days and many tests later, Washu discovered a barely tapped well of power within Ryoko. Deciding she and Kagato would be safer if Ryoko couldn't access that power while around them, they set up a psychic damper. Not only did it block Ryoko's access to the well of power, but it also allowed Kagato to use his own considerable psychic abilities to keep Ryoko consistently subservient.

The first few worlds they stayed on Kagato learned valuable lessons about the types of clients who shouldn't rent Ryoko. Loud, obnoxious types and total sleazebags broke his mental conditioning. She'd knock them out, or kill them if they didn't fall easily, and then try to run away, always forgetting that he had total control over her. He'd let her run a while, then clamp down on her spirit and force her to come to him. His lip curls in a sinister smirk as he remembers how much he enjoys "punishing" her. Sometimes he'll hook her up with a sleazebag just to force the issue so he can "punish" her later.

Remembering the money he'd just received for Ryoko, he puts half into the floor safe in the living room and half into the inside pocket of his outer robe.

'Maybe I'll buy Washu something nice,' he muses. 'She hasn't been herself since her cash cow escaped.'

Not that they needed the money, since there was plenty still in their accounts and Ryoko kept them living very well daily, but Mihoshi was Washu's pet project. In her former life, Mihoshi had been a Galaxy Police officer. Washu did something to her mind and turned her into a pleasure-seeking simpleton. She would do anything with anyone at anytime and Washu took her to the limit, sometimes renting her out to clients for weeks at a time. On average, she'd bring in 40 to 50 thousand Jurai a month.

'I'm sure we could have relied on Mihoshi for our entire lively-hood, and then I could have had Ryoko for myself,' he grins wickedly.

Unfortunately, Washu rented Mihoshi to someone that she wasn't absolutely sure about and she never came back.

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Three months ago:

Kiyone Makibi, a merchant from the Mendoza Province on Philos, knew Mihoshi from her stint there as an undercover operative. In the six months that Mihoshi worked on Kiyone's home planet, the two women became the best of friends. For years they shared their lives with each other, spending many holidays and vacations together.

If not for Kiyone's persistence, no one would have known Mihoshi was missing. When she suddenly resigned her commission and disappeared, there was much speculation at Galaxy Police Headquarters that Mihoshi's last assignment had simply been too much for her. Kiyone knew all about the last assignment. While working undercover on the hostile planet Sirus, a traitor in the Galaxy Police blew Mihoshi's cover. She was captured by one of the warring factions and tortured for nearly a year before the GP found her. She and Kiyone discussed it extensively, Mihoshi trusting that her dear friend would support her. They'd just made plans to meet on Philos the week she disappeared.

Even after calling in most of her favors and spending lots of her own money, it took Kiyone nearly 4 years to find Mihoshi. Her best lead came when she found out that Mihoshi was last seen having a drink with the infamous scientist, Washu. By the time Kiyone actually caught up with them, Washu was renting Mihoshi out on Rotaria. As there were no laws against forced prostitution on that planet, Kiyone had no legal recourse to get Mishoshi released.

A fortunate capture on her home planet put her in a position to set up a "rental".

When the authorities finally caught up with Ker Bryan, Kiyone knew she had to talk to him before he was sentenced for his crimes. . Ker had many dealings with Washu, some legit, some not. A mind wipe was the preferred method of rehabilitation for career criminals like him, so it helped to have 'friends in high places'.

Kiyone had gone to vocational school with the grandniece of the governor of Dakor Province, Nilsa, and they still spent a few weekends together when their schedules allowed. After Kiyone filled her in on the details of her investigations, Nilsa called her granduncle and imparted the importance of Ker staying exactly who he was for the time being. Her granduncle agreed and even offered to question Ker in his official capacity to speed things along. Ker was very forthcoming; especially since lying to the high council was punishable by surgical castration. Nilsa thanked her granduncle for his assistance and Kiyone got the information she needed.

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"Makibi, huh," Washu scowled at her. There was something about the girl that she didn't quite trust, but nothing she could put her finger on.

"Yes," she'd replied haughtily, as though it were an insult for Washu to even speak her name. Washu knew that most of the merchants on Philos were prima donnas, having done business with them before.

"And you were referred by Ker Bryan of the Dakor Province," she continued. Washu knew Ker very well. He was a scoundrel. If this Makibi had been referred by him, she wasn't as pristine as her demeanor implied. Still, she might have only heard about Ker and planned to use that knowledge for her own scheme.

'This girl could have just gone to public records and gotten my name from one of the merchant contracts I had with Ker', she deduced. 'Or…...'

"How do I know you actually know him", Washu scoffs, "you could just as easily gotten his name from the 'vid feeds." Washu also knew that Ker was always wanted for something.

"He said I should remind you of the mountains on Prius if you doubted me," Makibi whispered sensuously, leaning closer to Washu and licking her lips.

Washu's eyes got huge and she sputtered, "Well, yes……well……let's just uh…..get on with this then!"

"What about the mountains of Prius," Kagato had questioned, seeing Washu react in a manner quite atypical for her.

"N-nothing, honey," she'd stammered, knowing she'd have to tell Kagato every detail of her weeks with Ker in that paradise of pleasure and pain. Just a moment of remembrance aroused her; until Makibi spoke again.

"So, how much for three weeks?"

Regaining her composure, Washu replied, "For a friend of Ker's, 40,000 Jurai."

"27," Makibi retorted.

"39," Washu shot back.

"28."

"38."

"29."

"37."

"30 or I'm leaving her here. You and I both know she's only worth 25."

"30 then; 25 up front."

"22 and a half up front and you have a deal," Makibi declared, crossing her arms and leaning back in her chair.

"Fine," Washu mumbled under her breath.

This girl drove a hard bargain, but Washu knew she was right. The purity and innocence of spirit implanted by Washu started wearing off a few weeks ago and Mihoshi wasn't bringing in as much money. Not that things were bad, far from it. Washu just wanted to continue getting the same fees she had 5 years ago and Mihoshi's rate had fallen off about 15 percent. Washu planned to re-implant Mihoshi's conditioning and advertise for new clients once this latest rental was done.

But Makibi had taken Mihoshi for three weeks and never returned. Despite several attempts Washu made to contact her, Makibi hadn't responded. Washu inquired with the merchant's guild on Philos, only to be stonewalled on a planetary level and then informed that she was no longer welcome in their space.

She was furious! How dare they! Didn't they know who she was? She could reduce their planet to rubble with one, just one, of her thousands of inventions!

"All I'd have to do is push a button and it would all be over; that pitiful planet would be history", she'd grumbled, scowling at the image of Philos on her holo-laptop.

Though very angry, she decided a nice romp with her soul-mate would clear her head better than blowing up a very important world and then becoming wanted by nearly every cop in the universe.

'That would definitely be bad for business,' she laughed to herself.

Hopping up from the breakfast table in the kitchen, she made her way upstairs, giggling with anticipation.

"Kagato," she purred from the doorway of Ryoko's bedroom, "why don't I show you what happened with Ker?"

He'd smiled evilly and unceremoniously dropped Ryoko to the floor. There were many bruises on her face and across her nude body as she sat up slowly, glaring daggers into Kagato's face before he'd turned with a sinister laugh and walked away.

'Ryoko will kill Kagato one day if he's not careful', Washu had grimaced.

Almost as if she'd heard her, Ryoko transferred her gaze to Washu, who'd shivered inwardly, knowing the only thing keeping her and Kagato safe were the inhibitors on Ryoko's psyche. Outwardly, she'd smiled menacingly and followed Kagato to their bedroom for a several hours of pleasure.