Journey In The Sparse Sector

Story by Vylarx on SoFurry

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The first installment for my written story Journey In The Sparse Sector

A raiding party gone awry leads to Varyn, a debt slave pirate, finding herself in a strange agreement with the kind of person she used to rob.

Hope you enjoy the story, and thank you for reading.

Story length: 5,000 words


Well, there were worse ways to go out. Spheres of blood drifted weightlessly in the air. This kind of escape pod didn't have the luxuries of a gravity generator. Thankfully, however, it had been equipped with a medical kit. Varyn had been using the gauze from it to stop the bleeding in her chest. And as painful as gunshots were, she'd gotten used to its burning sensation.

All she could do was look out the window and wait for her distress call to be answered. Not that she could see much, the internal lights were bright, exhausting, and made it difficult to see out the window. All she could really see was her reflection.

Familiar, cold silver eyes stared back at her dark figure. She looked like a wingless dragon, but with smooth skin instead of scales. It was a sky-blue color, with a flood of dark purple covering her back, and droplets of purple reaching down to her legs. Small scars sparsely littered her body, with one alone isolated on her cheek. Her body was sleek, muscled, and most importantly, healthy.

Not for any good reason, though. Her work was what kept her that way. Long ago, she was in a rough place, with barely enough money to get by. But it was one unfortunate night that sent her down the path that led her here, battered and bleeding in an escape pod. Someone had managed to rack up thousands in debt in her account. She was given a convenient offer to get all of it paid off if she accepted a simple contract. What she didn't know was that she'd be working for pirates.

Sure, there were other options, but panic and fear kept her from them and left her stuck in a cramped ship with people she didn't and would never know. It was the worst year of her life. At least now, she'd get her peace. The intense serenity of the life pod was the most relaxed she'd felt in a while.

She was getting tired anyway, even with the burning sensation of the bullet in her side. But with the way she floated in zero gravity, and the quiet hum of electricity, it didn't seem unreasonable to rest for a while. Even as something started beeping rapidly, it just became background noise to her. The more concerning thing was when the lights seemed to slowly darken, but even then she was too exhausted to care as she slowly drifted to sleep.

Varyn blinked her eyes awake. The beeping persisted, but it sounded slower now. Not only that, but she felt herself pressed up against something cushioned. The air felt crisp and cold like a winter morning, though she could tell she was still in space. And it smelled familiar but different, the kind of scent she'd get on raiding parties but without the stench of her crew mates.

When she shifted in place, there was the jostle of some wire stuck in her side. An IV tube was sticking out of her wrist, a familiar sight from how many times she'd been injured in raiding parties. And thankfully, when she realized she was in a med bay, it wasn't the same one she knew.

This was a ship for sure, hopefully some rescue ship or trader. After all, this area of space wasn't exactly patrolled by any law enforcement. The Sparse Sector was known for how little jump beacons there were, and how often people had to go long spans of time stuck in supercruise. Expensive hauls to remote planets were frequently intercepted by pirates, but despite that, traders never stopped due to the lucrative amount of money a single haul could get them.

But pirate crews were more plentiful than anyone else, which made the sector still quite dangerous. The only good sign for Varyn was that there was no distant chatter signifying the presence of others. So she was either on a large ship, or there was barely any crew.

Carefully, she slipped the IV out of her arm and slid off the elevated table she'd been sleeping on. Varyn stumbled as she landed, and a rush of light-headedness overtook her. It'd take a day or two to recover from the blood loss, but she felt good enough to walk. First things first, getting to know what kind of ship she was on. The only hint was the exposed paneling and wires mixed with the cables hanging from the ceiling. It was either old or heavily modified, and not a commonly used ship model. If anything, the cockpit would tell her the rest.

With a couple of careful steps, she rounded the corner to the hallway, only for her eyes to meet with a wingless quadruped like her. The only difference was that he had crimson scales, and a forest of tendrils that hung from his head like hair. But what perturbed her the most was the leather collar he was holding in one paw.

They traded stares while the moment grew more and more awkward. He didn't seem friendly or malicious, frankly he didn't give her more than an expectant glare. And it was getting to the point that Varyn felt like she needed to say at least something.

“Hello?” Well, it was the best she could muster, talking wasn't her strong suit.

“Glad to see you've recovered well. Stab wounds aren't as easy to heal from.” He was polite, and his voice was smooth and calm, which was at least some kind of comfort to Varyn.

“You saved me from that… can?” She decided against calling it a coffin, despite that pretty much being what it was.

The person sat down politely, the collar still hanging from his paw. “There's not exactly anyone else who could've. Luckily for you, I scan for these kinds of things.”

Which was an odd thing to do, the Sparse Sector wasn't exactly known for its altruistic inhabitants. And scanning usually put someone at risk if they were anything but a pirate. Given the lack of weaponry, Varyn didn't take this other quadruped for the violent type.

“I'm not sure what to say.” Which honestly was the case. She didn't want to say anything to make this person regret his choice.

He offered a kind smile and a tilt of his head. “You can start with your name and occupation.”

“I-uhm, Varyn, I was…” She couldn't exactly say pirate, but she couldn't lie either. That escape pod didn't exactly hide what ship it came from. But at that moment, she realized that the only thing she could say that wouldn't wipe away any sympathy for her in an instant, was something honest, “... in debt to pirates and worked for them.”

“So you were a debt slave,” he stated bluntly.

Varyn sheepishly looked away. “Yes, that. But I assure you I hated every damn second of it.”

“I'm very sure of that, and it's good to meet you, Varyn.” He lowered the collar down and puffed out his chest as he introduced himself, “I'm Baronalli Hallaquech, but ‘Baron’ will do just fine.”

Varyn hadn't realized how much she missed manners or any form of politeness until now. And given Baron's clear respect, Varyn could relax just a little. He didn't seem to be a horrible figure, nor a member of any great organization. Baron's lack of any identifiable equipment or clothing only spoke to him being very casual despite his occupation. He was like one of the many traders she'd seen, but confident enough that he didn't have any protective equipment.

“I welcome you aboard my Vessel, The Theramin.” Baron smiled as he rambled. “Named after one of my favorite ancient instruments. It was my own custom order built with the most reliable stealth measures money could buy. Not exactly the most pristine, I'll admit, but I can assure you, I haven't and will never be caught by any of those disgusting ill-minded pirates.”

Varyn winced at the remark, as if it was aimed directly at her. And to that, Baron's Stoic smugness softened. “I'm sorry miss, I didn't mean that as any insult to your person. I don't exactly consider you a pirate now that you're out of that wretched ship.”

Varyn let out a huff, her eyes still fixed on the floor. “I'm still in debt, so I don't exactly have a way out of it besides continuing to be one.”

In a couple of steps, Baron sat down in front of her. He was roughly twice her size, having to tilt his head down just to make eye contact. “You'd be surprised, Varyn, at how awfully written their contracts are. You'll be stuck with the ‘pirate’ label, yes, but they didn't say anything about you getting another job in order to pay. Say, how much is your debt?”

Varyn slowly lifted her head, working for him? Of course, there wasn't exactly much of a choice given that she was stuck here, but anything was better than working for pirates. “Fifty-three thous-”

“Good, you’ll have to be here for two round trips, so all you need to do is work for me in the meantime.” Baron was quick to interrupt, and he was oddly nonchalant about how much money this actually was.

Varyn gave him a confused glare. “You have that kind of money?”

Baron chuckled. “Well, if you heard of the planet, ‘Utopia,’ then you'll realize that the rich knobheads there who terraformed the place pay a lot of money just to be able to eat anything good.”

And he was right on that, she heard some talk about it. The richest people in the universe made a secluded planet for themselves to spend the rest of their days in, which they named ‘Utopia'... and then were laughed at for how underprepared they were for it. But no one ever talked about the trading scene for it.

“That's… well actually that's wonderful, but I don't think I can do anything worthwhile.” which wasn't the best thing to say, but lying to the person that saved her would've been worse.

“Well, Varyn, I doubt you're any engineer. Are you perhaps a cook? Or possibly a health expert or navigator?”

Varyn shook her head and all three. “Wish I couldn't say it, but it wasn't unexpected.” Baron said flatly. “Given their usual demographic, anyway. But I do have one line of work that you'll fit into quite easily.” It was like the request left him before his mouth even said a word. Varyn pretty much knew what he was about to ask. With a voice unwavering and almost too casual, he propositioned, “I'll have you as a pet, just for the rest of the trip.”

“Pet?” Varyn echoed before she even thought to. She was expecting something sex related but not like that.

“Yes!” Baron shuffled in place, seemingly excited by the idea of it. “As in someone that I get to cook and care for, who only does simple things I ask of them.”

At first, her instinct was to curse him out, but she forced herself to think before she spoke. ‘Pet’ did seem demeaning, but at the same time, she was getting all her debt paid, and for what? To serve someone? It didn't seem all that bad, though she had to ask, “What kind of things would you be asking for me to do?”

Baron grinned, “Well, for paying your debts and giving you some extra spending money, all you'll be doing is handling some minor responsibilities, acting as a servant, and some sexual acts here and there.”

Wait, sexual? Everyone in that pirate vessel kept trying to get under her tail, she wasn't exactly comfortable with just letting someone she just met there. She hasn't even, well, really done anything along those lines, so it was difficult to agree to his terms.

“I'm not sure about doing anything, well, sexual.” Varyn's face was scrunched up as she spoke.

“Haven't had a good experience with it in the past?” Baron assumedly questioned.

Varyn rubbed her foreleg, “It's more just a lack of. And it didn't exactly seem like something appealing.”

“Probably because the only choice was self-obsessed pirates.” Baron muttered. “Look, I'm paying your debts, and you'll be eating, drinking, and living in whatever's mine. Rest assured, any concerns you have, I can easily and instantly accommodate them.”

Varyn let out a long sigh through her nostrils. It was a difficult offer to consider, but she didn't have a way out besides working off her debts for the rest of her life. And Baron didn't seem like the type to go back on his offers.

“I'll do it.” Varyn reluctantly accepted, after which Baron promptly tossed the collar over to her. Varyn only returned glaring eyes.

“It's my security system. And helps monitor your vitals.”

Varyn inspected it closely. It had no buckle, but it was quite sizable and would easily fit over her head. Its circumference was decorated with metallic rectangles detailed with intricate circuitry. The inner part of the collar had a soft rubber interior for long-term wear.

“It can't shock me or make me pass out, right?” She asked.

“Not unless you want it to.” Baron nonchalantly replied.

Varyn blinked incredulously.

“Varyn, my apologies, but if you're done ogling at it, I'd like to get to making dinner.”

“Right.” Varyn hastily dragged the collar over her face before letting it settle right behind her head. Automatically, it tightened to be snug on her neck, yet it was loose enough to move it around so it didn't chafe. A few moments after it had tightened, Varyn felt a sharp prick in the back of her neck, and she quickly slapped the spot with a paw. Only to realize that the feeling had gone away. She didn't think much of it.

“Right this way then. I don't know your palette, but I'm sure this'll be infinitely better than whatever pirates cook.”

Varyn patiently waited at the helm as Baron prepared their food. It was a bit cramped, but warm. There was only enough space to sit on the pilot seat, or beside it. But the desk in front of the seat was spacious, with enough room for the both of them to set their plates. It also had a lot of space underneath it, presumably for the tail and legs of the pilot, though it could entirely fit a person under it with decent room. Unlike the cold metal of the medbay, the helm was decorated with rich wooden surfaces and clean metal. Only the most scrutinous of eyes could make out the faint scratches from usual wear and tear.

Because she'd been waiting a while, Varyn learned a couple of things about the collar. For one, she wasn't able to grab it. The collar could be nudged or adjusted, but never properly gripped to be removed. The sensation was weird, like her body just wouldn't respond to her when she tried to remove it. She also learned the feeling that emanated from the collar. It wasn't pain or discomfort, just sheer feeling without any actual sensation. And it only happened when she tried to grip the collar, or when some intrusive thought told her to touch the ship controls.

Distantly, Varyn could hear the rhythmic scratches of Baron's claws on the metal floor getting closer. She could tell by the rhythm of his steps that he was only on three legs, and eventually, she saw why. He came in with a large plate filled with fish, fruit, well decorated meats, as well as a couple of pastries and some more cylindrical crimson junk food. It was a lot.

Without a word, Baron scrambled off for the second plate, which he brought back to set down in front of Varyn. Then, he seated himself and grabbed a very intricately decorated fork. It was like various strands of metal were braided to make the handle, untangling into five sharp prongs. Varyn had to stand on her hinds to comfortably reach her plate. When she scanned it for a similar fork, she didn't find one, or any utensils for that matter.

“So, before we eat, Varyn.” Baron's head was tilted up, while he looked down at her. “I'm going to explain the collar and lay down some rules you'll follow as a pet.”

Varyn silently turned her head to him, attentively watching. She wasn't sure what else he could say about the collar. Any information about her new ‘job’ was welcome, just as much as the pristine plate of food was.

“It's a modified neural interface relay. Based off what I say, I get to control your body, conscious, subconscious, and perception.” Baron explained. “I have my own neural interface, with an implanted relay. Which in this case I'll be testing for the first time.”

Control her body? Her mind immediately snapped to the fact that she couldn't grip her collar or touch her food. Suddenly it made much more sense, and it was terrifying. He proved that this thing could stop her from doing things, and if it could force her to do certain actions…

Cautiously she asked, “you're not going to hurt me with it, right?”

Baron's eyes widened in an instant. “Hurt you? I'm not going to hurt the first person I've seen in half a year. The collar is entirely for our enjoyment.”

“How am I going to enjoy you controlling me?” Varyn spat.

“It's not just for that. Here.” Baron tilted his head to the side, and flatly ordered, “You can now feel all the touch from my left paw.”

And just like that, Varyn felt the warmth of the seat under what felt like her left paw. But when Baron raised his paw up and rubbed his fingers together, she felt the rough texture of his digits as if they were her own.

“It can do a lot of things, but using it to harm you would hurt me more than it would you.” He sifted his fingers through his head tendrils, making it feel as if fine sandpaper was being rubbed between her forepaw's fingers. She shook her hand at the sensation. “I wouldn't have made you a meal as good as mine if I had bad intentions, neither would I have you eating with me. Just trust me, okay?”

It was so alien to feel someone else's paw going through something she'd never touched. But it looked like Baron had a point that he wanted something good for her out of this collar and meant to prove it. But she couldn't exactly think how.

Varyn gave the moment a couple seconds of silence. Still feeling the air brush past Baron's fingers as he held his paw up. As much as it felt weird, it was equally fascinating that they could both feel the exact same thing. He didn't seem dishonest, and it did seem like he cared, just in a manner different from what she was used to.

“I just.. Don't want you to force me into anything,” Varyn slowly explained.

Baron gently nodded, “If you start to suffer from a command, it'll stop. Now, I'd like to eat before our food gets cold.”

Attempting to lighten the mood, Varyn tried her luck. “Only if I get a utensil.”

This gave Baron a soft glare on his face. She wasn't sure if what she said landed correctly with him. But she did want to try to move past their stressful conversation. Thankfully, Baron spoke up. “Just this once, and only if I get to put you under an order while you eat.”

Varyn was about to instantly reject the deal, but something said otherwise. Baron wanted her to trust him, and he promised that she'd enjoy what he had in mind for her. He was bailing her out of the worst time of her life, so despite all her reservations, maybe this all wouldn't be as bad as she feared. She nodded.

Baron smiled softly in return, and offered the fork to her. He tilted his head, “You can use the fork for this meal only, but-” He paused for a moment, his eyes elsewhere in thought, but he didn't move his head. “You'll slowly grow more aroused until I say otherwise.”

A feeling came from the collar again, but Varyn didn't feel anything besides a shot of adrenaline. Anxiety racked her, but so did hunger. And given that he ordered she'd ‘gradually’ become that way, she was keen on getting right to eating. Tasting the kind of food Baron prepared was night-and-day compared to the dirt she had to eat with pirates. She was so enveloped in the flavors that she didn't even notice the video series Baron had started at first. Though, it was a good piece of entertainment to have while she tried to get through the large amount of dinner she had.

It was only halfway through her plate that Varyn started to notice something off. Just that her breathing became heavier than usual, and the area between her legs felt damper. But she tried not to pay any mind to it. The real distraction was the fact that Baron didn't get a utensil for himself, though he was still picking up his food and eating it. Despite his well-mannered, clean and groomed appearance, he seemed to carelessly leave bits of sauce and softer foods on his fingers.

Varyn quietly chuckled to herself, if he had just a couple bits of cybernetics and stopped showering, he'd be indistinguishable from a pirate. While eating at least, he was polite, calm, and relaxed. Nothing seemed high-strung about him besides if she herself was having a problem. Though then again, she didn't know much about the guy. But nothing about him felt unsafe. From what she knew of people, those who avoided questions or vaguely answered were the ones to be scared of. But Baron went through more effort than he needed to just to keep her calm and informed.

If he was right, and from the way that she still felt the phantom touch of his paw picking up his food, he'd be able to make her do anything, and she couldn't say anything about it. Yet despite that, he gave her infinitely more choices than he'd ever need to. All that was left now was learning what Baron had in mind for her, and what the collar was really capable of.

After getting through a couple of the meats, she felt full yet still had an appetite. So she set the fork down, and leaned up against the armrest of Baron's sizable chair. And just by that small readjustment, she realized just how wet she'd become. Her slit felt sensitive, the slightest rub up against the floor or her leg sent shocks of pleasure up her spine. Quietly, she let out a small grunt, and tried her best to shut out what was starting to be an incessant feeling.

Thankfully, Baron seemed too invested in his food to notice. While she had only managed to eat half of her food, Baron was pretty much done with his plate entirely. It was only after he finally gulped down the last bit that he sat back in his seat, the curve of the backrest melding perfectly with the seat to keep his quadrupedal form comfortable.

With a content sigh, he started wiping off his fingers and mouth with a nearby cloth. “You'll get used to the meal size eventually.” Baron set aside the dirty cloth and reached out for Varyn's head, only for her to reflexively pull her head away. Just that little shift alone brought her slit right back to the forefront of her mind. But she forced herself to stay still, as strongly as she wanted to roll her hips or move her legs, she didn't want to start losing herself in front of someone else.

“Is there a problem, Varyn?” Baron questioned. Varyn wasn't sure if he was asking about what her nethers were feeling or the lack of touch. But she wanted to prudishly assume the latter.

“Sorry, I just… Well-” It was hard for her to really explain it.

But Baron seemed to catch on when he finished her sentence. “-don't like being touched?”

“Yeah.” Varyn said quietly, she wasn't ashamed, more so.. embarrassed? It was hard for her to tell. “I'm just not used to it.”

Baron nodded gently, “I understand, though physical contact is necessary for our deal. But I'll be courteous for the future.” He reached out again with the same paw, “May I?”

Simultaneously, she felt both respected as a person and treated like an animal. But it seemed like something that would please Baron, and this was a good step up from what she was used to. So, as much as she felt like rejecting him again, she slowly leaned her head back towards the armrest. But again, that same movement gave her that slightest bit of stimulation, only, it felt so much more than slight. “Mmph.” she couldn't help but let out.

Such a slight sound made Baron smirk with an amused huff. His thumb gently brushed over Varyn's brow. “Glad you seem to be enjoying my little command from earlier.”

Varyn couldn't reply, all her focus inched further and further to this incessant itch to roll her hips and get just a little more stimulation. She knew Baron had said something, but she hoped that just letting him demeaningly pet her was good enough. It was confusing what she was meant to do from here. It was a desperate fight against rolling her hips and losing herself to the stimulation. She still wanted to look contained and cordial to Baron. But after minutes of fighting it, the need just got too strong, enough that she started shifting in place just to get the slightest bit of stimulation. But slowly it grew into her. Gently rolling her hips rewarded her with small sparks of pleasure that started to drive her crazy. She couldn't help but let out a series of soft, short moans.

“Stop moving.” Baron ordered, which stopped Varyn's paw just short of touching her slit. “Follow me.”

Her legs followed shortly behind Baron of their own accord. They matched her pace exactly with his as they weaved through the halls. The need to grind against something was overwhelming, just the feeling of the air brushing against her slit alone constantly teased her. She couldn't change the way her legs were walking, but pressing her tail against herself managed to get her some of that stimulation she so desperately wanted.

At this point, Varyn was almost panting, the air felt so cold that she just wanted to bury herself in something. Blankets, pillows, someone else, it didn't matter. She just wanted to grind against something, either with her snout or slit. Harder she pressed with her tail, trying to shift it about, but all it did was drive her arousal even further.

She didn't even notice she had entered a different room until Baron ordered: “Lay down on your back,” while he went to open a leather-encased box.

The room's floor was entirely cushioned, it felt like walking on a firm bed. Solid reds and yellows decorated the room as far as the eye could see; even the lights were tinted slightly to serve the room's warm feel. There were piles of blankets and pillows strewn about haphazardly, and some buttons set on panels on the walls.

But then her full attention was brought back to her slit when she felt a breath of air run across it. Baron was inches away from it, staring up at her. Immediately, her mind went to him running his tongue across her lips or plunging his fingers inside of her. It was enough that she thrusted her hips up at his snout, only for him to gently recoil his head.

Instead, he laid down on his side next to her. Baron’s dick was inches away from touching her neck, while his head wrapped around her leg and hovered just above her slit. Then he tilted his head and commanded, “Don't move your spine, stay on your back, and be as aroused as you were before dinner.”

The order felt like it sucked something out of her. Varyn was still warm from all the arousal, but any sexual feeling she had dissipated in a heartbeat. Suddenly, she was entirely lucid, no longer drunk on lust, and fully aware of just how wanton she’d been prior.

Still, Varyn laid panting on the floor. Her heart still pounded in her chest, but she was calming down nonetheless. It was surprising, if not a little intimidating, that a single order could get her as mindless as she was. It was especially bad with how long it'd been since she did anything remotely sexual. And while the arousal was gone, there was still that residual itch to have something inside her.

That was when Baron rested his head upon Varyn's slit, causing her to grind against him for a moment before calming down. Her body went limp. Despite all the energy she had left in her, Varyn felt exhausted and opted to lay her head back on the soft flooring. Fortunately, he didn't keep her like that for long. Though, being so lost in arousal after being denied it was exhilarating, especially while she was as comfortable as she'd been throughout it.

And of course, trusting strangers, especially with this much power, wasn't exactly a good choice for her wellbeing. And the order in place to keep her from doing anything harmful hadn't exactly sold her on it. But if the collar was so integrated with her mind that it could keep her like that, she couldn't exactly complain. Especially considering that this alone would cover her debt, she'd just have to bear it for a while.

Baron shifting his head a little reminded her of that itch, and that there was someone else in the room with her. Groggily, she lifted her head, curling it down to look at Baron, who seemed content with resting his head on her.

Baron lifted his head off of her slit, giving a tinge of pleasure from her wetness being exposed to the air. “So Varyn, there are some things you'll need to know.”

Varyn only stared, words were difficult in the sexual state she was in. Despite his command, her arousal was quickly returning just from him being where he was. Unexpectedly, he shoved two fingers into her slit, instantly drawing out a short, half-moan from her.

Baron tilted his head, “Now listen.” he ordered, and a sensation emanated from the collar. “First of all, you're going to be sleeping on my schedule. You'll wake up roughly when I wake up.”

His fingers pressed expertly into her walls. Her arousal from before seemed to leave her oh-so sensitive. And despite how she was racked with pleasure from Baron's fingers pumping into her, Varyn focused on his words as much as she did on all the pleasure he was giving her.

“Secondly,” Baron continued. “You'll be on my diet, so you're only getting one large meal every four days, as well as some supplements.” Suddenly, a new pleasure took over, one that had her clenching her legs tightly to her body. Baron seemed unfazed by her reactions as he started rubbing her clit gently.

“And third, you're allowed to have hobbies, I'll give you adequate time. As well as an order to make sure that whatever order I have you under won't get in the way.”

Baron used his other paw to start pumping into her while the first drew circles over her clit, rapidly sending her hurtling towards the edge. Her head dropped low to her chest as the jolts of pleasure up her spine practically wiped any thought she had out of her mind. He hadn't even been going for that long, but time had just made her so sensitive.

Suddenly, Varyn’s whole body clenched in pleasure. She keened, and her forepaws tightly gripped a nearby blanket, while her thighs squeezed Baron's paws tightly. Her pussy constricted his fingers, which kept relentlessly plunging into her through the throes of her orgasm. The continued stimulation of her clit bordered on overwhelming. Her high felt endless, especially with Baron's ministrations prolonging her pleasure for as long as possible. It felt like minutes had gone by before her contractions finally died down, and her head limply fell back on the floor.

“Is that understood then, Varyn?”

She could only nod dumbly.

“Good girl.”