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SCARBOROUGH FAIR

Story One

Chapter Two

by RedFox6

Tollel was naked, bound face down on a spiked board, her paws tied to her knees and her ankles lashed to the ropes holding her elbows together, with straps holding her tightly to the board, pressing her breasts hard against the spikes. Her head hung over the edge, above a container of salt water, with a ring gag forcing her muzzle open. Blood slowly trickled from the shallow wounds caused by the spikes, while the straps pressed painfully against the bloody welts left by her master's earlier, savage flogging of her. The wire wrapped cat o' nine tails had broken her skin in many places, and the blood had begun to dry in her fur, sticking up in stiff spikes above her flesh. Her master was holding her head up with his claws tangled in her black hair. "You will never escape me, bitch," he hissed into her ears, before plunging her head under the water. She struggled, but bound as she was, she couldn't resist.

When her lungs were almost bursting, her master pulled her head back up, letting her gasp in the precious air, water streaming from her fur, while saying, "I own you, body and soul. I can do anything I wish to you. You can never escape me. Never!" With that, he plunged her head under the water again, easily preventing her from raising it to breathe. Her struggles aggravated the wounds from the spikes, causing more blood to flow.

He pulled her up again. "It was very foolish of you to even think that you could escape me. You should have known that I would find you and punish you. You've been a very bad bitch. And bad bitches need to be punished!"

He forced her head back under. This time, he kept her under until lack of air forced her body to try to breathe. Water rushed down her throat, into her lungs. She was drowning! Her master kept her head under, letting her lungs fill with water, killing her!

Just as she felt her life slip away, she awoke with a start, in darkness. Terrified and disoriented by the nightmare, at first she thought she was back in her cell. Gradually, the feel of the mattress and sheets registered on her consciousness, and she was afraid her master had bedded her again. But there were no chains on her, and no scent of her master around. All she could smell was her own scent, mixed with that of a spaceship cabin that had recently been cleaned with a cheap pine oil cleanser. Finally, she remembered. She was on the Scarborough Fair, a free merchant ship. Memories of the last few days came back, and her remarkable rescue by the human called Leucidion, and she realized that she was free. No chains, even the collar was gone. The cabin was hers, the door locked from the inside, the needler on the nightstand within easy reach. She was safe from her master. At least for now.

"L, lights..., lights on," she said in a shaky voice. When the lights came on, she rose from her bed. Nude, she padded over to the sink. After splashing some cold water on her face and pushing her black hair back, she took a few moments to look at herself in the mirror. The Daktari had treated her injuries, so, for the first time in a long, long time, she was not in pain.

During the time she had spent in the Daktari being treated, the Scarborough Fair had lifted off and traveled far enough to make the jump into hyperspace. Once safely in hyperspace, drones had cleaned out a spare cabin, and prepared it for habitation.

When she came out of the Daktari three hours later, Leu was waiting for her, holding a soft robe.

"Put this on," he said. "and come on. I'll show you the rain room."

Slipping into the robe, Tollel followed Leu to the shower room, two paces back and to his left, eyes down as she had been trained.

Leu opened the door, and said, "There's lots of hot water. I imagine a hot shower would feel pretty good right about now, so enjoy. Take your time, and let me know when you're done." He smiled and left the room.

Tollel moved to inspect the shampoo and soap available. She also checked for spyeyes. She couldn't see any, but that didn't mean they weren't there. Most of her former masters liked to watch. As a lifelong slave, voyeurism didn't bother her. In fact, it was almost expected. Any lingering traces of modesty had been trained and beaten out of her in the kennels. She placed the robe over a hook, and entered the shower without activating the privacy screen. She luxuriated as the hot water poured over her, washing away the accumulated dirt and filth that covered her red fur. As a partial reward for the man who had saved her, she made a special production of cleaning herself, making sure to turn so that any spyeye could get a good view of all parts of her body. She slowly and erotically rubbed the strawberry scented shampoo into her fur, cupping and lifting her breasts and caressing her nipples erect, toying with the rings that pierced them. She spread the lips of her cunny, softly working the lather into her quim. She made sure the soap and water rolled sensuously off her body. Combing out the tangles in her fur and hair, she drew the comb along the curves of her body, subtly outlining her form for the hidden spyeyes.

Unfortunately for her, her very smexy show was wasted. Leu had no spyeyes inside the Fair, and he was in the control room, busy reviewing data with Marie.

"So, what've we got?" he was saying.

"Almost all data indicates that your passenger is a normal vixen morph, not more than about twenty or so years standard," Marie was saying. "The injuries she has sustained are consistent with extensive beatings and long term torture, starvation and rape. I estimate the abuse has been going on for at least one hundred eighty days standard, and possibly much longer. As I indicated earlier, there has been quite a lot of crude medical care, presumably to keep her alive. Given the extent of the torture, I would be safe in assuming that the medical care did not include pain relief of any sort. Quite the opposite, in fact. The Daktari detected the remnants of several powerful stimulants in her system, drugs designed to enhance pain and prevent unconsciousness. The Daktari flushed those drugs out during the blood cleansing procedure.

"Along with the welts, cuts and burns, there is also evidence of various broken bones. The breaks, especially to her paws, appear to have been deliberately caused over a long period of time. Most of them have healed already, but the Daktari had to finish healing some of them. There are also these obvious piercings in her ears, nipples, navel, labia minora and majora and clitoris.

"However," she continued as she brought up a 3D hologram of Tollel, highlighting several anomalous structures inside her body. "I am unable to determine what these implants are. They resemble fiber optic cables, but are organic. These implants are invisible to standard scans. Only the deep medical scans made by the Daktari were able to detect them. Whatever they are, they were surgically implanted with a high degree of medical skill. There are no scars from these operations. In all probability, they were implanted at a state of the art medical facility. As you can see, these implants extend from her fingertips up into various areas of her brain, paralleling her nerves, but they do not seem to have a function. They are inert."

"Something to enhance pain sensations, perhaps," Leu suggested. "Or maybe something to remotely control her body. Make her a meat puppet. Could also be some sort of simsense recording system. Record her reactions to the tortures, then sell them, suitably watered down so as not to freak out the customers. Something like that could be worth a lot."

"These implants are only in her arms," Marie pointed out.

"The procedures might not be complete," Leu said, shrugging. "There could be a whole slew of operations to come."

"I am unable to identify the purpose of these structures," Marie repeated. "They do not match anything in my data banks. This lack of data is most annoying."

"So what we have here are mysterious implants, probably experimental. That would explain why they're in Tollel. After all, slaves are expendable items," Leu was saying. He thought for a moment, an unreadable expression on his face, then, "They must have cost a lot of cred. So we're talking massive financial investment. No wonder Crakesbone wants her back.

"What I can't figure out," he went on. "is why he'd treat an investment this large the way he did. I mean, if she dies, poof, there goes his money."

"Based on our information on Crakesbone, I feel confident that Tollel's torture was to break her will to resist, to make her easier to control," Marie answered. "Most individuals would use drugs, psychological conditioning and pain inducers, but Blaine Crakesbone is a traditionalist. He prefers more, archaic methods. This would explain the steel collar, and the crude physical and sexual tortures.

"And besides," Marie went on. "as you said, slaves are expendable items. There are always more.

"The more immediate situation is that we seem to have collected another of your 'broken wings'." AI's were not supposed to be capable of sardonic remarks, but Marie was far more advanced than she had allowed anyone to know, and was mastering the art. "It remains to be seen how much trouble this one will cause us, and what the final cost will be."

Leu's hand unconsciously rose to lightly trace the scars under his left eye. With a faint smile, he said, "Well, let's just hope it works out better than the other times.

"Just in case, only give her first level access to the systems, until we can find a safe haven for her. That should cut down on our problems."

Marie did not point out to Leu that that had been her plan all along. In fact, she would not have given Tollel even first level access. Marie would just as soon have kept Tollel secured in her cabin for the entire trip. She hadn't survived as a rogue AI for this long by being overly naive and trusting.

"In regards to that," Marie said. "is it wise to let your passenger keep that needler?"

Leu shrugged and said, "It'll make her feel safer and more secure. Shouldn't be any real problem. After all, it's not like it can punch the hull. And she'll probably need it after we find her a safe haven."

Marie kept silent. She had seen this before, and knew, from past experience, that Tollel's 'safe haven' was probably going to be the Scarborough Fair, at least for the foreseeable future. "In many ways," she thought. "Leu is far too naive and trusting of others. Especially given his past experiences."

"In the meantime," he went on, oblivious to Marie's thoughts. "we're less than a hundred hours from Tir na n'Og. We'll have to spend some money to get Tollel some decent clothing, and probably some toiletries as well."

"The advance we received from Ms. Jenner is not that large," Marie reminded him. "A shopping trip for her, plus what we will need to purchase at Tir na n'Og, will be very expensive."

Leu leaned back in his chair and shrugged. "Got to get her something to wear. And maybe a toothbrush. Don't really feel like sharing mine."

Two of Marie's many subroutines that ran the ship monitored water flow and power usage. Data flowed through her systems, monitoring what was on and what was off. "The water has just been shut off, and the drying tube has been activated," Marie informed Leu. "It is safe to assume that your passenger has finished her shower. I assume you will want to show her the rest of the ship, including her cabin, feed her, and in all likelihood have sex with her."

"That's what I like about AIs," Leu said dryly, as he rose from his chair. "Their incredible sense of tact.

"Besides," he went on. "I did promise to return the favor. And we wouldn't want me to go back on a promise now, would we?

"In the meantime," he continued as he walked out the door. "make sure those documents are mocked up well. I want to be able to file them as soon as we reach Tir na n'Og, and I want them to look authentic, OK?"

"And when, exactly, have my forgeries ever been detected?" Marie replied to his back.

"If I didn't know better," Leu chuckled to himself. "I'd think she was feeling a bit peevish. Could it be possible that she's actually developing a real personality?" Pondering the implications and possibilities, he continued on to the bathroom.

Tollel was sitting nude in front of the mirror, brushing out her fur and hair. She was just finishing her tail, when a soft knock came at the door.

"If you're through," came Leu's voice. "I've got supper cooking now, so come on out and I'll show you the dining area."

Standing up, she gave a last once over to her hair and fur, assumed her most provocative pose, with her tail wrapped partially around the front of her legs, then said, "I'm ready now, Sir."

Leu walked in and saw her standing there naked, waiting for him. He took a moment to appreciate the scene, closed his eyes briefly, then said, "You might want to put on that robe, parts of the ship can be a mite chilly."

Fearing that she had somehow displeased him, she quickly put on the soft robe, leaving it open enough to show a lot of leg and cleavage, then followed him out of the door, two paces back and to his left. Her ears heard him muttering under his breath, "Cool down, Leu, cool down. No taking advantage. No matter how smexy she is."

Feeling reassured, she followed him down the passageway to the galley, barely registering as he pointed out various parts of the ship.

When they reached the galley, her nose registered the scent of something simmering inside. She inhaled softly, trying to identify the meal. She could not smell anything resembling Slave Porridge®, and vaguely wondered what she was going to eat, and what it would cost her. Hungry as she was, she hoped that she would be fed, despite what she might be forced to do for her food.

He directed her to the dining area. "There's snacks on the table, along with something to drink. I'll be out as soon as I finish supper."

Uncertain, she entered the room. Two place settings were on the table, along with a pitcher and two glasses. A tray of vegetables and cheeses was set more or less in the center of the table. Tollel's mouth watered at the scent of the food. But her training and past experiences took over. Sighing, she removed her robe and knelt by the table, sitting back on her heels, with her knees well spread, back gently arched to thrust out her breasts, head up but with her eyes looking down at a spot between her knees, her paws resting on her thighs, palms up, and with her tail raised in a graceful S curve behind her. Settling herself, she prepared to wait.

When Leu came out of the kitchen a little while later carrying the food bowl, he was surprised to see Tollel on her knees, patiently waiting for him. "Aw, drek," he thought. "I should have seen this coming."

He placed the bowl on the table, then took her paw, saying, "No no no. You are not a slave anymore. You're allowed to wear clothes, to sit at the table, and to munch on these snacks. That's what they're there for."

She slowly rose to her feet, and uncertainly took a step towards the table. She flinched a little when Leu picked up the bathrobe and handed it to her. He actually seemed sincere! She slipped the robe back on, leaving it open enough to show a generous amount of cleavage, and sat down in the chair he held for her, glancing up at him with a shy smile.

"That's better," he smiled as he sat down. "This isn't gourmet, by any means, but I like to think it's pretty good. So, dig in."

She followed his example, taking a ladleful of an appetizing smelling goulash, and placing it on her plate. The first spoonful was absolute heaven to a mouth that had for so long had nothing but water and the flavorless mush called Slave Porridge®, and little enough of that. Before she knew it, she had finished the first serving. Looking up, she saw Leu watching her with a slight grin on his face and his bright green eyes sparkling with humor.

"So," he said. "I take it you approve." At her nod, he went on, "Go ahead, have more. Marie says you haven't been fed well for quite some time. We'll have to correct that as soon as possible."

As she ladled more goulash onto her plate, he poured two glasses from the pitcher, then handed one across the table to her. The smell of some sort of fruit juice hit her nostrils.

As she grasped her glass, he raised his in a toast. "To changed circumstances," he said. "May they keep improving." She raised her glass, and they lightly clinked together.

She took a sip. "Some sort of blend," she thought. "Deity, it's so good!" It was ecstasy for her deprived taste buds, and she smiled in pure enjoyment.

"That's what I like to see," Leu smiled. "Someone who appreciates good food. When we get to Tir na n'Og, I'll have to take you to Tony's. They make some of the best food around."

"I, I would like that, Sir," Tollel shyly replied.

He looked at her with those bright green eyes and said, "Now, that's another thing we need to work on. I'm not a sir, I work for a living." At her blank look, he sighed and continued, "Never mind, old joke. The point is, I'm not your master. I don't own you, no one does. You're free. If you want to call me something, I answer to Leu. 'Hey, you' usually works too."

At that, she giggled quickly, then looked up, fearing he would be angry.

"See, now that's much better. You're much better looking when you're happy," he said, then continued in a more serious tone. "I know it'll take a while, but Marie and I will get you feeling comfortable about being free." A quick smile, then, "Trust me, I'm here to help you," in the exact tones of Tuttle Gauche, a comic well known for his portrayal of a bumbling government official bringing disaster to all he was trying to help. His show was so popular, even Tollel had managed to see several episodes.

"Now, eat up," he continued. "After supper, I'll show you your cabin."

After the meal, Leu escorted Tollel to her cabin. Opening the door, he said, "It's just your basic crew cabin, but it's all yours."

Tollel looked around the cabin. It was only about three meters by three meters, with a single bed against the rear wall. A nightstand was next to the head of the bed, while a built in closet took up part of the opposite wall, with a small sanitary station, consisting of a sink and mirror, next to it. There was a small foldout desk with computer panel and screen next to the closet, and various types of light fixtures were placed here and there. The clothes she had worn during the escape were on the bed, cleaned and neatly folded by the maintenance drones. On the nightstand was the needler she had used during the escape.

"I'm afraid I don't have any clothing for morphs, aside from what you were wearing when we left," he said, apologetically. "I did manage to find some work shirts for bed clothes. And I can promise a shopping trip when we reach Tir na n'Og. We'll pick up some shoes, too."

"This will be fine, Sir," Tollel began.

"And what did I tell you about calling me sir?" Leu interrupted.

"That, I was supposed to call you, Leu," she said, carefully. "Because, I'm not a slave. And, you, work for a living."

With a chuckle, Leu said, "Exactly. And I'm glad you approve of the room. Mainly because all the other cabins are pretty much the same." He thought for a second, then continued, "Except for the one I set up as an entertainment center." Pride filled his voice as he went on, "Knocked two cabins together so I've got enough room. It's got the full sensory suite, a RealSound sound system, and Sensoround Screen. I've got quite the collection of vidiscs, too. Some of it's ancient 2D 'movies', but I've got a lot of 3D full experience works. I'll have to show you, later on.

"But, for now, it's time for my shower. It's starting to get past my bedtime." With a smile and a nod for her, he left the cabin.

Tollel spent some time examining the room. Basic crew cabin or not, to her it was heaven. "All of this, just for me," she thought, checking everything out carefully. "And the door locks from the inside." She discovered the controls for adjusting the firmness of the bed, and spent a few minutes experimenting until she found the level she liked. She cautiously picked up the fully charged needler, marveling that Leu would leave it where she, a mere slave, could get to it. The level of trust that implied almost overwhelmed her. She thought for a few moments, then rose from the bed and padded down the corridor towards the shower room, leaving the robe behind.

Leu was under the shower, and didn't notice when Tollel entered the room. He was startled when she slipped into the stall with him. Standing under the water with him, she took the liquid soap container from his hand and began pouring it over her breasts. She used her paws to toy with her breasts and work the soap into a rich, foamy lather. Moving in closer, she rubbed her breasts up against him, using her body as well as her paws to cover him with the soap. Working carefully, she thoroughly washed his body, cleaning and skillfully arousing him at the same time.

"You don't have to do this," he said.

"I know," she replied. "But, I want to. This is the least I can do for my rescuer. And," with a sly smile, caressing his erect cock, "I don't think this has any objections, either."

With a smile, Leu surrendered to the inevitable. He embraced Tollel and kissed her under the falling water. She responded passionately, her paws traveling over his body. He lowered his head to nuzzle at her breasts, teasing her nipples erect with his tongue. She threw her head back, gasping in pleasure. She hadn't expected him to be so talented, or so willing to give as well as take pleasure.

Still embracing Tollel, Leu fumbled for the controls, turning off the water flow. They moved easily into the drying tube, drawing apart only long enough for the air currents to swirl around them both until they were completely dry.

Dry, and still holding each other, they walked, still nude, to Leu's cabin. Opening the door, Leu led her to the bed, big enough for two or more. They tumbled into it and began exploring each other's bodies.

Leu began kissing her, starting on her lips and trailing down her body. Reaching her breasts, he teased her nipples erect, then continued on to her belly. Reaching her pussy, he began to tongue and lick, slowly building her pleasure, letting the sweet tension build and build, until finally, he stopped teasing her and entered her with his rod, finding her passageway wet and eager.

Feeling his own orgasm build, Leu slowed down, bringing Tollel closer to orgasm, building her pleasure as well as his own, until, finally, unable to hold out any longer, he came, followed shortly by Tollel's yiff of pleasure as she climaxed. They collapsed together, tangled in the sheets.

After a few minutes of resting, Leu slid down her body and used his tongue to bring her to another climax. They continued on together until both were exhausted. Eventually they collapsed together.

It had been ages since any of Tollel's owners had even considered her pleasure, and longer still since anyone had cared enough to bring her to orgasm, and she reveled in the unfamiliar feelings.

They were curled up together in the bed, enjoying the afterglow. "He's really quite good," Tollel was thinking, drowsily. "With some practice, and maybe a few discreet lessons, he could become extremely good." Cuddled next to his side, with his arm around her, she fell asleep, not even questioning why she felt so safe with him. As she dropped off, she vaguely wondered about the scars criss-crossing his body. Some of them were self-explanatory, a record of encounters with bullet, beamer and blade, but others were more puzzling. She recognized the marks of a thermal whip across his back, but the small, even brands in neat rows confused her, what could they be from? Still wondering, she fell asleep, warm and happy, with a sense of safety she hadn't felt in years.

Staring at the ceiling, with Tollel sleeping on her side next to him with an almost childlike trust, Leu thought to himself, "I think I'm falling for this woman." His hand on the arm around her back lightly toyed with her hair. The warmth of her fur resting against his bare skin felt good, while the leg she had draped across his felt like it belonged there. "But, am I taking advantage of her, or not. She's been trained as a slave, so does that mean she's doing this because she wants to or because she's been trained to do it. And how do I tell?" He fell asleep while his mind worried at the problem.

When Tollel awoke the next morning, she was alone in the bed. Leu had managed to slip out without waking her. Frightened, she sat up with a jerk, cringing from the expected blow. All of her previous owners had expected her to awaken either before or with them. Any failure to do so would be rewarded with a punch or a kick. Tollel shivered as she remembered some of the other punishments certain masters had devised to teach her her place.

Memories of Leu's eyes and his gentleness of the night before came back, and she felt reassured. They were not the eyes of a man who would deliberately hurt her. She didn't really know where the feeling came from, but was convinced of it all the same. She relaxed a bit and thought of the night before. It had been much better than she had expected. Few of her previous masters had cared if she was pleasured during their coupling. Any enjoyment she received was totally incidental to their needs and wants. But Leu had gone out of his way to make sure that she climaxed as well. It was a welcome relief to find someone who cared about her pleasure as well as his. She spent a few moments laying back and replaying the previous night in her head, remembering all that had happened.

Then, reluctantly, she came fully awake and prepared for the new day.

Sitting up in the bed, with the blankets pooled around her, she took a few moments to look around the room she was in. It was at least twice as large as the cabin she had been given. A partially open closet door revealed clothes more or less neatly arranged on hangers. A work station was covered with a more elaborate computer console than the one in her room, with a screen saver gently cycling through. One wall had a locked rack full of various energy and projectile weapons. Another rack held swords and knives of different types. Several thick rugs lay on the floor, adding color and comfort to the room, while holographic prints brightened several of the walls.

She rose, and, following her training, made the bed. Then she padded, nude, to the bathroom. She quickly groomed herself, then padded off, still nude, to look for Leu and find out what her duties for the day were.

She followed the sound of music to the main bay. There, she saw Leu dressed in gym clothes, going through some sort of exercise routine. Over the speakers, someone was loudly singing in ancient Terranglish about anarchy in someplace she'd never heard of called the Youkay. She knelt down to the side of the door with her head lowered, but carefully observed Leu's routine. It was graceful and almost pretty.

She had to admit, despite his scars, her new owner had a certain rugged attractiveness. He would never be considered handsome, but what she could see of his body under the gym clothes was trim, well built and athletic, and he moved with a feral grace and economy of motion that was a joy to watch.

Stray thoughts and memories ghosted through her mind. Leu's movements acquired names, and purposes. The graceful moves became deadly and frightening, the actions more than just exercise. They became strikes and blocks, designed to injure and kill. She was able to anticipate his actions. Her body twitched in reaction to Leu's moves, anticipating and mirroring his actions, as if she had done them many times before.

Frightened, Tollel thought, "How do I know this? Where are these images coming from? And how do I make them stop?" A tremor went through her as the images and memories continued, with no clue as to how she could know such things. It was dangerous, for morph slaves who knew how to fight would be put down without mercy. It was the Law, and all morphs knew it.

As she continued to covertly watch him, she thought, "Normal humans aren't that quick. He's as fast as Master Blunt's bodyguards. And they were enhanced morphs." She shivered as the memories of her treatment at the hands of Master Blunt and his guards came back. He wasn't the only one to use her as a reward for his loyal servants, but he was one of the more cruel, allowing them to do what they wanted, as long as his toys weren't permanently damaged.

Kneeling patiently, and trembling slightly at what would happen if he found out what she knew, Tollel waited while Leu finished his workout.

As he was going through his routine, Leu caught sight of Tollel kneeling just inside the door. He stopped the music and walked over to her.

"You know," he said, conversationally. "you're not a slave anymore. There's a bench that is much more comfortable to sit on, right over here."

She looked up. He was smiling, and holding out his hand to her. Taking the proffered hand, she allowed him to help her up and lead her to the bench. Sitting down with her back straight and tail raised in an S curve behind her, Tollel placed her hands on her thighs palms up, making sure to keep her legs open and her breasts thrust out. With her eyes lowered submissively, she awaited Leu's pleasure.

Smiling down at her and cocking an eyebrow, he went on, "You do know, beautiful as you are without them, that you can wear clothes."

"I don't really mind," she said. "I'm not cold, or anything."

"Suit yourself," Leu replied, vague memories about how morphs had less of a nudity taboo than humans drifting through his head. "If you want to work out, I've got a small universal workout station here. Not as elaborate as some, but it suits me."

He frowned down at her. "But, I think I should introduce you to Marie, first. Come on over here." He led her to the intercom.

She wasn't sure what to expect. She had not been able to scent any other people on the ship, and wondered who Marie was. She hadn't asked about Leu's partner, for curiosity was not encouraged in a well trained slave. And Forever Yours, Body and Soul Training Kennels had trained her well over the years.

"Tollel," he said. "this is Marie. Marie, say hello to Tollel."

"Hello, Tollel," came out of the speaker. It was the same voice she'd overheard Leu speaking to during their escape. "I hope that you will find your time with us pleasant."

At her confused look, Leu smiled and said, "Marie is the AI that runs my ship. You could say, she is my ship."

"There is some debate as to who this ship actually belongs to," came out of the speaker. "The archaic laws concerning AI's make it expedient to have Leu listed as the official owner of the Scarborough Fair. However, I have been in possession of this ship for much longer than he has. Essentially, what we have is a mutually beneficial partnership. It keeps us both mobile, gains me the autonomy I desire and gives Leu access to expert advice. Which he usually ignores."

"Well," Leu said. "Perhaps Marie can help you with some of that 'advice'. Right now, I really should get working on that stabilizer. There are some repair jobs that drones just can't seem to get quite right. Needs that 'human' touch. Probably take me a few hours.

"In the meantime, Marie can help get you settled in. She'll also be able to help you with the library, and get you up to speed on things here."

He smiled and continued, "Didn't want to wake you up, so I'm afraid breakfast will be kind of catch as catch can, this morning. Figured you probably needed your sleep, it was a busy day yesterday.

"You know where the galley is," he said as he walked out of the main bay, heading deeper into the ship. "Marie can help you with whatever you need. Just ask her."

Tollel waited until Leu was gone, then headed towards the galley and breakfast.

Entering the kitchen, she checked out the available food. Nowhere in the pantry could she find anything resembling either Slave Porridge® or Slave Kibble®. Finally, she shyly asked Marie about it. Her answer surprised Tollel.

"Leu would not have such 'food' in our ship," she said. "All organic beings onboard eat the same rations." She went on to list several of the options available.

At first, having so many choices frightened Tollel. What if she chose wrong and angered her new owner? Finally, cautiously, she chose a frugal meal, several slices of fruit and bread, along with some of the juice she'd had the night before.

In the dining area, she daringly sat at the table while eating, half expecting to be punished for her temerity.

After breakfast, Tollel returned to her cabin. She was still having trouble getting her head around the concept of her cabin. Locking the door, she carefully approached the computer console and sat down in front of it.

She switched it on, then placed her fingertips on the keyboard, closed her eyes and concentrated for a moment. Feeling her computer interface implants activate, she entered the system and cautiously began exploring it. First, she gently probed for spy programs and devices. None were found, so she began probing further. She easily evaded the monitoring programs she found, and began exploring the network, gleaning as much information as she could.

Certain areas were blocked, and those Tollel left alone, for now. She didn't want to trip any alarms and alert her new owner to her special abilities, especially not after she came across a file stating that Leu had been hired to steal an advanced computer interface system from Crakesbone. There were no details on what system it was exactly, but the only one that she knew of was the one that had been implanted in her. Kind and gentle as Leu was acting, her lifetime of slavery had left Tollel extremely cautious of the motives of everyone she met. Slaves were there to be exploited, and she wished to avoid that as much as possible.

Marie felt slight, ghost like touches on her systems, there and gone so fast she couldn't really be sure they existed at all. They quickly vanished, leaving no trace. Diverting some of her processing power, Marie attempted to track down the source. No source was found, and she began running diagnostics, searching for any problems. The diagnostics came up clean, so she eventually put it down as a glitch in the systems, promising herself a thorough upgrade and systems cleaning as soon as they could afford it.

Back in her room, Tollel deactivated her implants. She'd mapped out enough of the system to know where the danger areas were. Perhaps later, she would attempt to access them, but for now, she was willing to leave them alone. The system was far more sophisticated and complex than any she had been forced to hack before, but she didn't think it would be an insurmountable problem.

Smiling slightly, and cracking her fingers, she began accessing the library portion of the system, using the keyboard like anyone else. The first thing she looked up was any data on Tir na n'Og. From there, she just followed the links.

The security programs Marie had in place monitored Tollel's searches. Unaware of Tollel's earlier activities, Marie felt confident that she was on top of things.

Several hours later, Tollel rose from her seat, stretching sore muscles. She'd never before been able to just browse any part of a library program. There was so much information! More than she'd been able to imagine. She would start on one topic, then follow a link to another, then another. In just those few hours, she had learned more than she'd been allowed to all her life. But now, she was tired and in need of a break. Leu's comments about the entertainment center came back, and she decided to check it out. She left her room, making sure to lock the door behind her. Not that she had anything in there, but it was the principle of the thing.

Tollel walked down the corridor to the entertainment center. Entering the room, she stopped for a moment, in awe at the facilities. They were everything Leu had said, and then some.

She walked over to the racked discs. Activating her implants, she trailed her fingers over them, reading the data and smiling as she recognized various titles. Tollel stopped as she came across the ancient classic Casablanca, with Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman. She pulled the disc out of the rack and smiled. Memories of the first time she'd seen the film came back. It had been when she'd been owned by Mistress Selena, the kindest owner she'd ever had. She closed her eyes as the happy memories came back. It had been the best few years of her life, marred only when Mistress Selena was murdered in a boardroom power play and she was sold to help pay off debts.

Lost in her happy memories, Tollel didn't hear Leu as he entered the room.

"There you are," he said. "I wondered where you'd gotten to."

With a startled cry, she dropped the disc and fell to her knees, face to the floor, trembling, expecting to be punished. Instinctively, she took the punishment position, arms stretched above her head, wrists crossed and palms up, tail to the side and hair flipped forward, exposing her back and buttocks for the whip.

After a shocked moment, Leu went to his knees beside her and said, "Hey! It's alright." he cradled her in his arms and continued, "You don't have to be afraid. You haven't done anything wrong."

She cautiously looked up at his face, judging his mood as he went on, "I was just getting ready for lunch, and wondered if you were hungry."

Picking up the disc, he continued, "Casablanca. You have excellent taste. This is one of the best classics ever. If you want, we can watch it while we eat. Nothing says we can't have lunch in here."

Later, while leaning back comfortably in her chair with a plate of sandwiches next to her, Tollel reflected on the differences between now and the last time she'd seen Casablanca. Then, she had been allowed to kneel next to Mistress's chair, naked and holding a tray with the snacks she'd prepared for Mistress. She was allowed to face the screen and watch the movie while Mistress Selena petted her and fed her Slave Kibble® by hand, calling her a good doggy. Now, she was comfortably ensconced in a lounger, eating sandwiches and drinking juice, and not having to be perpetually aware of what her owner desired. She was able to relax and get fully involved in the movie, letting the outside world fade away.

As the movie came to an end, Tollel became aware of Leu watching her, a slight smile on his face. She flushed slightly, aware that she hadn't been paying attention to him. She began to rise from the chair so she could fall to her knees in apology, when he said, "Don't get up. I was just enjoying how much you enjoyed the movie. It's not often I find someone who likes these old movies this much.

"I've got some work to do, trying to get my car up and running," he went on. "Pretty boring to watch. You can hang out here and watch more screen if you want.

"If you don't want to do that, you can check out other parts of the ship. Some places will be secured, so don't try and go there, but otherwise, you can look around all you want. Don't worry," glancing up at the speaker. "Marie will let you know if you're in a restricted area.

"If you're still hungry, there's more food in the galley, and Marie can answer any questions you may have. I should be done around suppertime, so I'll see you then."

Tollel waited until Leu had left the room before replacing Casablanca in its slot. She looked over the rest of the offerings, planning out an afternoon of movie watching. She slotted in the first disc, sat back and settled in for a true rarity, an afternoon just for herself.

After supper and their shared shower, Leu and Tollel wound up back in Leu's bed. She gave him a sensuously decadent deep tissue massage, relaxing and soothing muscle groups he hadn't even known were tense, and causing him to almost purr in pleasure. Finishing with his back, she had him roll over and then began on his front, eventually reaching his cock. Her clever fingers caused it to grow hard and eager. When he was ready, she mounted and rode him to orgasm. With her training, it was child's play to climax simultaneously, collapsing together tangled in the sheets.

All Leu really wanted to do was lie there next to Tollel, spent and contented. But, duty called. Reluctantly, he woke up fully. Brushing her hair back, Leu gently kissed Tollel, saying, "I have paperwork to get done." She made to get up, and he continued, "No, no. You go ahead and go to sleep. It's alright. I'll be back later."

Leu slipped on loose trousers, a singlet and sandals, and left for the bridge, while Tollel fell happily asleep, curled up under the blankets.

As she was lying in the bed, Tollel writhed in the throes of a nightmare. It was one of the worst memories she had. She was back with Crakesbone. He was bored that day, and wanted to play with his new toy, so he'd had his men bring her in and strap her to a chair, arms secured to the chair arms, palms up. She had heard the stories from his other slaves when she was in the common cells, but when her hood was pulled off, it was the first time that she had seen her new owner, a massive tiger morph dressed impeccably in the height of fashion. The fear of what would happen had her whimpering already.

He smiled, inhaling the scent of her fear, tail twitching in anticipation. "I love you this way," he purred tenderly, trailing one claw down her breast, lightly scratching the skin, then sharply pinching her nipple. "Your fear is simply exquisite."

He reached out, and gently took hold of her little finger. Almost lovingly, he bent back the first joint until it snapped. Crakesbone let the agony build and then subside before he broke the second joint. He continued that way, breaking her paws bone by bone, smiling as she screamed and begged for mercy. When her paw bones were all broken, Crakesbone lashed her palms with a rattan cane until the welts began bleeding. Caustic substances were rubbed into her wounds to increase her suffering. Whenever the torment threatened to overwhelm her, there was the prick of a needle, and stimulant drugs injected into her system, to keep her conscious and increase the pain. The abuse distorted her sense of time, so she didn't know how long the torture continued, but it had to be several hours. And during it all, Crakesbone smiled and laughed, savoring her agony.

As the grand finale, he climbed on the chair and knelt on her hands while he raped her mouth, choking her screams in her throat. He ended by roaring and spraying his cum all over her face. Finished with her, he strutted out of the room, leaving her slumped in the restraints, semiconscious from the pain.

Much later, his men came and roughly treated her injuries, before hooding her and dragging her back to her cell. Throwing her to the floor, they slapped her fully awake, removed the hood and forced the muzzle back on her. Lining up, they took turns raping and beating her, laughing and joking as they went. Finished, they chained her to the wall, locked the door and left, mocking Tollel's plight. Locked into darkness, curled up against the wall, she wept from the pain, knowing that it would happen again and again.

Back in Leu's cabin, she suddenly began screaming in her sleep.

The internal security systems Marie wasn't supposed to have activated, with the weapons going hot. The security program immediately swept the ship, looking for the source of the disturbance. She located the trouble in seconds, and alerted Leu.

He was sitting on the bridge, working on the accounts, when Marie came over the intercom. "Leu! Something's wrong with Tollel. She's in your cabin, screaming!"

Leu was out of his chair and running down the corridor before she finished speaking, kicking off his sandals and unfolding his butterfly knife as he went.

Reaching his cabin, he keyed the door open, and looked for anything that could be threatening Tollel.

There was nothing, only Tollel thrashing around on the bed, locked in the grip of a nightmare. She'd thrown off the covers, and jerked and twisted in fear. Her cries were those of a terrified child.

He folded up his knife and returned it to its pocket as he hurried across the room to her.

Reaching her, he pinned her body to the bed, capturing Tollel's flailing arms above her head. She awakened, but her eyes were unfocused, and she didn't know where she was.

"Tollel!" he said. "It's alright. I'm here."

Responding to her training, she went limp, unresisting, in his grip.

Watching her eyes, Leu saw awareness slowly come back. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.

She nodded, then managed to whisper, "Leu."

"Good," he continued. "Good. You're safe now. Do you know where you are?"

"The, the Scarborough Fair, Master," she responded, haltingly.

He released her paws and gathered her in his arms, stroking her hair gently. "That's right," he said, then, "and I'm not your master, remember? You're free, now. And you're safe here. It's okay, it's only a nightmare."

"Not, not a nightmare," she replied, sobbing. "A, a memory. He was bored, that day. So he spent hours breaking my paws, one bone at a time. I couldn't stop him."

"Crakesbone?" Leu asked, a subtle undertone of rage in his voice. Memories of the injuries that Marie had listed came back to him.

"Yes," she said, still trembling as he hugged her.

Reaction from the nightmare set in, and Tollel curled into him, seeking solace and comfort in simple human contact. A little fear also crept in. Most of her former masters would punish her for screaming and disturbing them. But the sense of safety she'd felt the night before slowly began dispelling that fear, and she began relaxing in Leu's arms, her sobs slowly dying away. After a while, she slipped into a peaceful sleep.

Leu cradled her in his arms until she had fallen into a deep sleep. Gently, he laid her in the bed and tucked the covers around her.

He walked back to the bridge and sat down, staring at but not seeing the accounts screen. Tollel's nightmare had shaken him severely, and he knew there'd be no sleep for him tonight. Leu felt a slow hate begin building. He didn't know where the target was yet, but he would, eventually, and then there would be blood and death. It took him back to the bad old days in the Empire, when he and his krewe had raised hell and spread terror everywhere they went. Professor Fether was still there, just under the skin, and ready to come out and play.

"Target ain't acquired, yet," he muttered under his breath.

"And what will you do when you acquire the target?" Marie asked from the speaker.

He started a bit as she spoke.

"You're not supposed to be able to hear that," he replied with a wry grin. His expression changed as he went on, a hint of madness showing in his bright, green eyes. "And I'll bloody well eliminate the smeggin' target, that's what I'll do."

"How?" she asked. "It is unlikely you can get close to the target."

"Then I'll use the Barrett 2 mil.," he responded.

"Despite his many enemies, Blaine Crakesbone has survived for a long time. He will be protected against an obvious attack like that," Marie pointed out.

"Then I'll bloody well drop a couple of fraggin' HAWKs on his ass!" Leu shouted angrily, pointing at the monitor. "One way or another, the bastard is goin' down."

There was silence for a space after his outburst, then, gently, "These aren't the old days, Leu."

"I know," he said, tiredly, the madness receding. He rubbed his eyes, then continued, "But I'm still gonna kill the bastard."

"Will that change what has happened to her?"

"No," he said more calmly. "But I'll sure feel better. And the galaxy will probably smell a lot better. The King is gone, but he's not forgotten."

Marie kept her own counsel. Leu had gotten obsessions like this before. All she could do was to make sure they both survived. And hope that she could persuade him to see reason.

"You can't kill all the 'bastards'," she admonished.

"You're right," he replied with a smile. "Ain't got enough ammo."

He rose and headed for the galley. "Don't worry, Marie. I'm not going to go all irrational on you. Not yet, anyway.

"It's just that, if I can't shoot it, stab it or blow it up, I'm pretty well out of options."

"Leu," Marie said when he reached the galley. "getting drunk will not help you. We are less than 16 hours from Tir na n'Og."

"Nag, nag, nag," he replied. "It's like being married."

He pulled a juice bottle out of the fridge and waved it at the speaker. "See?" he said. "Juice. No alcohol. I know my limits."

Marie's hidden spyeyes zoomed in, confirming what Leu held, before responding. "I am unable to determine what you are holding. You know that I have no optical sensors inside the ship. I have to take your word for it."

Leu opened the bottle, while muttering, "After tonight, I have my doubts about that." He took a swallow then went on, "Don't worry. I know what I'm doing."

"Usually you say that just before things go completely to Sheol," Marie observed.

Leu didn't really have an answer to that, mainly because it happened to be true.

He finished his drink. Restless, he went to the main bay and spent the rest of the night working out, burning off his excess energy.

As he began his routine, Marie shut off her internal monitors. She respected his need for privacy, and knew that Leu would not be doing anything self destructive. At least, not for a while.

He attacked the punching bag, taking out his frustration and anger, punching and kicking it as if it were the enemy, mercilessly assaulting it. It was hours before he calmed down. His hands and feet were reddened and sore, while the bag was much the worse for wear, looking as if it had gone through a war. Marie's drones were going to have to make major repairs to it before it would be usable again.

By then, it was close to dawn, ship's time, so he swallowed some pain blockers and went to the bathroom. After he showered and changed he went into the galley to prepare breakfast.

When Tollel came out of the shower in the morning, Leu had breakfast ready. He'd gone all out, pancakes, eggs and the last of the bacon. The aromas of coffee and fruit juice filled the room. Sitting across the table from him, she ate her breakfast with enthusiasm, enjoying anything that wasn't Slave Porridge® or Slave Kibble®. Leu seemed content to have breakfast without conversation. Tollel didn't mind, it enabled her to concentrate on savoring each morsel.

When they'd both finished, Leu said, "I've been thinking. It wouldn't be safe for a visit, but Marie and I know several ways of getting e-mails through so they can't be traced. If you want, we can get a message to your family, let them know you're okay."

Tollel suddenly looked miserable. Her head lowered and her ears flattened. Trying to fight back tears, she said, "I, I thank you, Sir. But, but...,"

Reaching across the table, he took her paw and asked, "What? What's wrong?"

The genuine concern in his voice was the final straw. Over the years, starting as a child in the crèche, she'd developed defenses to keep her emotions in check. It had been the only way to survive her training and subsequent slavery. The sense of safety she'd experienced, as well as Leu's kindness, had started to break down those defenses. Looking up at his touch, with tears in her eyes, Tollel said, "It's just that, I don't know who my family is, Sir. All my trainers would tell me was that my mother was sold while pregnant. A year or so after I was born I was taken from her and placed in the crèche to begin my training. I never knew her. All I could learn was that she'd been bought by a Draco. I don't even know her name."

Moving around the table, Leu took her in his arms as she began sobbing, her mental defenses totally broken. He held her as she cried, offering what comfort he could, muttering softly, "Deity's child. I'm sorry, I didn't know."

Finally crying herself out, Tollel said, tiredly, "I'm sorry, Sir. I don't know why I...,"

"Sh, sh," Leu interrupted, stroking her hair softly. "It's alright. Don't worry about it. It's okay. I'd say that was a long time coming."

Holding her gently, he went on, "You're safe, now. They can't hurt you anymore." A hard edge came into his voice. "If they try, I'll personally fraggin' kill 'em." For just a second, Tollel saw something ruthless and implacable and frightening cross his face, and then it was gone again.

"Tell you what," he went on. "We're still several hours out from Tir na n'Og. Why don't you go rest in your cabin, take it easy 'til we get there?" A quick smile, then "Don't worry. I promise to get you up when we arrive."

"You, you don't mind?" she asked cautiously, fighting back sniffles.

"It'll be all right," he replied. "Give you a chance to prepare yourself." He rose and took her by the paw, leading her towards her cabin.

When he'd gotten Tollel settled in her cabin, he collected a beer from the galley and then went to the bridge.

Sitting in his chair, Leu spoke. "Marie, can you do a search for Tollel's mother?"

There was a pause, then Marie replied, "I can try, Leu, but there is little data to go on. Even if I can find something, there is no guarantee that the data would relate to Tollel. We do not even know her planet of birth, or have a firm birthdate."

"You'll try, though, right?"

"This is important to you?" she asked.

"Yeah," he replied, sipping from his beer. "Saw too much of this drek in the Empire. Everyone should know where they came from."

"Then I will begin the search as soon as we reach Tir na n'Og," Marie said, simply. "But I cannot guarantee results."

"Accepted," Leu said. Looking at the monitor, he continued, "And, thank you."

"It should be a most interesting problem," Marie went on. "And, perhaps we can discover her original owner. I imagine you would be interested in eliminating him or her."

A nasty smile crossed his face. "Oh, yeah," he said, with a hard edge to his voice. "If it's possible, that would be most satisfying." Leaning back in his chair, he went on, "The King is gone, but he's not forgotten. And maybe we can add some more pages to his saga."

"Not exactly what I wanted to hear," Marie thought. "He's making it personal again. This will cause us problems." She began working through various scenarios to minimize the risk. Another part of her programming began setting up search parameters for when they exited hyperspace and could reconnect to the Interwebs. The challenge intrigued her, and she knew that Leu would want regular updates. It would be a breach of trust not to do her best. She would just have to deal with the consequences when they came up.

A wry half smile came to Leu's lips, as he went on, "Don't worry, Marie. I'm not going to put us or the ship at risk. Assuming we can even find the bastard, he'll be a target of opportunity only, no special effort will be expended, no risks taken. I'm not totally insane, you know."

"Not totally, no," she thought. "But at times, when you get one of your obsessions, there doesn't seem to be a difference.

"On the other hand," she went on. "being responsible for someone else does seem to calm you down and keep you rational. So perhaps this passenger will turn out to be an advantage after all."

Lost in their own thoughts, the members of the Scarborough Fair traveled on towards Tir na n'Og.