Broken Shackles 16

Jim struggled with his disappointment all the way up to leaving for vacation. Ella and Thomas badgered him about why he was down in the dumps until he told them it was the result of a disappointing test score and he'd get over it.

Mostly he thought Spock had likely changed her mind about him and decided to let him down easy. He couldn't blame her, but it hurt. It would be very hard to see each other once she was an officer on a Starship and he was on the other side of the galaxy dealing with smugglers.

He deliberately made sure to let his beard grow and took pains to look as anonymous as possible for the trip to earth. He knew most people still thought he was dead and he preferred to keep it that way, especially since he'd be visiting Starfleet itself.

He'd told Bones when he'd be arriving and his friend was going to meet him at the shuttleport. The whole trip to earth Jim spent torn between anxiety and excitement. He was returning to his home planet for the first time in ten years: a planet he had left as a prisoner tied up in the bowels of a slave transport.

"I was knocked out and woke up chained in the hold of a cargo ship with about fifty other prisoners. It was dark, dank and dirty and everybody was gagged or muzzled. We had Shackles on our wrists and ankles and were connected to the wall by a chain attacked to an iron collar around our necks. I realized pretty quickly what I was headed for seeing that all the other prisoners were young and healthy and good-looking. These guys were serious about profit and picking their targets carefully. But what I ended up as was worse than I'd imagined."

"Bones!" Jim greeted the familiar figure as he stepped off the shuttle on planet Earth.

His friend grinned and slapped Jim on the back jovially.

"Good to see you again, Jim. You look pretty good except for that shaggy mop."

"How dare you insult my flowing locks?" Jim said in feigned outrage.

"It's a necessary style to frighten away strangers."

Bones raised his eyebrow.

"It's workin' alright because you're sure as heck scaring ME. You gonna show up at Spock's place lookin' like that?"

"Sure thing, Bones. She's too logical to care about external things like that. She's used to it."

Bones shook his head. "She's too polite to say anything, that's all."

"Well, let's get out of here so I can tell you all my nefarious plans for ridding the galaxy of the blight of slavery."

"That's a pretty high goal, Jim," his friend said cautiously as he grabbed Jim's other bag and directed him to a waiting hovercab.

He stopped abruptly when two people approached. Jim went still at the sight of Captain Pike and Spock approaching, deep in conversation. Spock was wearing the red cadet uniform and looked downright gorgeous.

"You wanna stop and chat, Jim?" Bones said meaningfully. Jim hesitated. He really wasn't in the mood to talk to Pike, being unduly irritated with the man for reasons he couldn't explain.

"Not right now, Bones. I told her I'd be stopping by tomorrow evening and I want to avoid another recruitment pitch from Pike." He grimaced at the thought, ducking behind a burly man to avoid being spotted.

"All right, then," Bones said. "Let's get going. We've got plenty of catching up to do ourselves. Looks like college has been good for you."

Bones and Jim had a nice guy time with the doctor expressed approval of Jim's recovered health and Jim describing his studies and fellow students in detail.

"So, you're dead set on staying on Betazed?" He asked, as they finished lunch the next day.

"Yes. Starfleet doesn't have the track I'm looking for." Jim said shortly. A Vulcan who's part of the IBI came and talked to one of my classes and I'm more certain than ever I'm going to apply to join. But I'll drop by occasionally, if only to see my friends and rub the rejection in Starfleet's face."

Perhaps it wasn't very mature of him, but where had Starfleet been when he'd been standing on an auction block, being sold like cattle?

"The auction houses were like a zoo of different species being herded around to and from the sales. In general, They looked as terrified and miserable as I was, but a few were merely resigned, like me when I was sold the second time.

There was a tracking chip inserted in the collar around my neck-a collar that could not come off unless the master gave the release code.

A lot of Orions inspected me and decided I was too young and scrawny. Then a very important looking guy came along and looked me up and down-must mostly down, if you get what I mean. He gave this leery grin and said "He would make a fine present for my lovely Andromeda; keep her cozy while I'm away."

When he was leading me away by my chain he said, "You're lucky, boy. I've saved you from the filthy pleasure houses. My wife treats her property very well."

I sure didn't feel lucky, I can tell you that."