Slave

A story of a spy for the free worlds, who's in a tight spot until a slave passes out on his floor and of slave who becomes a spy so she can be free.

 

Slave

STAR DATE 8.5.4583

Vera stepped into the dorm room and looked around.  There was a bed, an actual bed, in the corner and the place was incredibly clean.  Sitting on the other bed was an athletic looking girl.  Vera put her bag on the bed and opened it.  She looked eagerly at the stuff that was in there.  “Don’t bother.”  grumbled the other girl.   “They took away everything but the basics.   I’m Lari by the way and your…”

“Vera” Vera gave the girl a quick smile, but she continued to finger through the bag like the contents were gold.   

“So what do you think of this first game they came up with?”  Lari asked pulling a brush out of the bland green bag marked toiletries.

“You mean the “guessing the others background” game?  I guess as spies we’d have to be able to read other people right.  I think it will be interesting.” said Vera, as she zipped up her bag and sat down to face Lari who was pinning up her bright red curls.

“Um, hum,” said Lari “So are you going to drop your roomie any special hint about your background?”

Vera frowned and shook her head no.  In a way, she was glad of the game.  She didn’t have to worry about anyone thinking less of her for what she was before.  Of course, the biggest challenge with Lari was changing clothes because the second Lari saw her back, she’d know what she was.

Two Space years earlier on Paria. STARDATE 12.6.4581

Vera stifled a sob in a forgotten section of the slave halls where she had thrown scraps of cloth down in the corner for her bed.  Blood ozzed from her back, and the food she had stolen was now useless since she had vomited it up.  It had been a long time since she had to endure an out and out beating.  Now something hurt worse than her empty stomach, and she had to wake up earlier and work longer with fewer rations than before. 

She whimpered as she forced herself up.  She bit her lip to keep from crying out as she pulled herself up into a shaft space towards the known slave barracks above.  Luckily the guards were lazy and predictable. They only did a real head count on the day after leftover day.  She groaned as she attempted to tie a knot so her tattered dress would stay on.  It would be another fourteen sunsets before leftover day came again, and she could replace her dress.  Perhaps if she snuck to the disposal bins, she could find something useful.

At Base STAR DATE 8.5.4583

Vera eagerly dug into the plate of food.   She silently watched the other cadets with her sea green eyes and listened as they complained about the food and gossiped in general.  “I hear the high general of this base is quite the hunk!”  said one girl across from her, testing the mystery meat gingerly with her fork.

“I hear he is the best spy they have had in like two hundred years.  I wonder what he’s like?”  said a young man who couldn’t have been in his adult years long.

“He’s good and kind,” said Vera in a whisper. 

but nobody has ever seen him.”

“I have, and he’s good and kind.”  She insisted rather emphatically.  The others just lifted their eyebrows.  Who was she that she knew the General?

On the Slave world Paria. STARDATE 12.12.4581

Vera scraped up the rest of the ashes from the fireplace.  She always saved this room for last because it was her favorite.  On the shelves in the corner were wonderful books.  She didn’t remember where she had learned to read and write, but she knew that she was one of the few slaves who knew how.    She was too weak now, and it was too late for her to do her usual secret browsing.

 Her stomach growled, and she felt a dangerous wave of dizziness wash over her.  She knew she had to leave fast.  Her punishment would be terrible if she passed out in a master’s quarters.  She made her way to the door when the second wave of dizziness hit and she collapsed on the floor.   Weakly she got on her hands and knees to crawl out.   She heard the door swoosh open.

Her world went dark, but she heard a man’s voice.  “Oh you, poor thing.”

“Sorry Master.”  She managed to eke out before she blacked out completely.

Vey spy headquarters STARDATE 8.14.4583

“General Allan Praig, please stand and give your statement.”  said the historical recorder.

Allan nodded at him and then stood at attention.

 “What were you thinking?”  the oldest more conservative of the counsel demanded.  Allan sighed.  His methods were often unconventional, but they always worked.  Standing before the council and having to give an account of his actions was, unfortunately, becoming a matter of routine.

“I was thinking I was in a tight spot because Costen Harve was very suspicious and paranoid about everyone.  I had been working for a solid six months at different angles and was close to having to call the operation quits because there was no safe way to get close to him.  I had one last ditch plan I was going to try that had an equal chance of getting me killed than working.  Thanks to her I never had to initiate that plan.”

“But a slave.”

“ex-slave.  She is part of the free worlds of Vey now.  And if it wasn’t for her there, I would have never gained Costen Harves’s trust enough to enter his inner circle and get the information for the invasion to the Military Generals.”  General Praig started to pace.  “You didn’t choose me to do the job because I was conventional, you chose me because one way or another I’d get it done.  Anyway, if I hadn’t run interference, the girl would have died the very night I met her.”

“Tell us.  Let us understand the events that happened there.”  said Councilwoman Stirn, who was considered to be the wisest and most level headed of all the council.

Allan drew a deep breath…

 Paria. STARDATE 12.12.4581

Allan bent over the too thin body of the little dust girl.  In a way, he felt a connection with her.  He had watched her more than once with the spy cameras.  She would sneak in and read some of the simpler books in his library.  When he discovered her doing it, he added a variety of simple books to his library.  He’d “forget” and leave out trays of food were she would take a little of this and that but never enough for anyone to realize food was missing.  He admired her control because he knew without a doubt she was very hungry.

 He looked her over carefully.  Her back was not only torn and bleeding, but it was oozing green slime, and the skin itself was starting to turn green.   Now that he saw her closely and not just on video he was surprised to find that she was a young adult.   Most of the low cleaning slaves died from some form of malnutrition and never reached adulthood. (It was the Lodis form of population control) She must have been fairly clever to stay alive as long as she did.

He ignored the stench of the infection and her unwashed body, lifted her carefully and took her to the couch being careful to lay her face down on it.  He pulled up the screen in the bathroom, set the bath settings to low fill and warm water with antibiotics.  He set the body scrubbers to deep but gentle. He tried to gently peel the clothes off her without reopening her wounds that had already closed, but they were to plastered on by sweat, dirt and blood.  Her wounds began to ooze even more.

He gently eased her into the bath and gave her a shot of antibiotics from the med kit.  It was an amazing transformation.  She went from being an indistinguishable, greasy mud ball to being a beautiful girl with platinum blond hair and…  Allan froze when he saw the rest of her features.  The dark brown skin, the sea green eyes, the high cheek bones and feathery eye brows that were almost bird like.  “A full blood Weovow,” his whispered to himself.  “How did the likes of you get lucky enough to become a dust slave.”  

He ran the med scanner and shook his head in wonder. According to the med scanner, the girl had never been touched. “And what family did they kidnap you from?” He carefully bandaged her wounds, and he covered her up with blankets on the couch and then went to take a shower to get the blood and grime off himself.  He had just stepped out of the shower when one of Slave Lord Harve’s Lieutenants came busting through the door.  He saw the Weovow girl on the couch, and Allan in nothing but a towel laughed.  “Well, well, it looks like you past the first test.”

“First test?”  Allan asked in an irritated voice.  Allan knew of the tests; he just had something different in mind to pass them.  The problem was he didn’t know if what he had in mind to pass it was demented enough for the likes of Slave Lord Harve.

“Yes, those Moralistic “free world” Vey spies wouldn’t dream of having a Weovow sex slave not even for the sake of their cover.  How do you think our beloved Lord has stayed free and clear of them?  They give themselves away by things they won’t do.” 

“I’m aware of that.  I haven’t gotten this far in selling what I do by worrying about morality or kindness.  I do not appreciate having my locks overridden and being spied on.  Tell your master if he wants anymore of my particular product he better show more respect or I’ll find another Lord to sell it to, Perhaps Lord Kerieen would want some of what I have to offer.  Also, if he sends someone else in unannounced, I’ll happily give another demonstration of the effectiveness of the weapon.”

The lieutenant turned dead white and apologetically backed out of the room.

STARDATE 9.14.4583

“Ah, I see said the councilwoman, “You were discovered with her and had no choice but to have her as part of your cover.  And I note from the academy medical records that you kept her safe and untouched.  Given Slave Lord’s Harve’s appetite for women that must not have been an easy feat.”

“No, it wasn’t. and I had to drop a few bodies before I convinced him that the Weovow was mine alone but it did make a useful demonstration of the weapon I was testing. “

One counsel man chuckled.  “And how disappointed was he do discover that all our men were inoculated against that particular poison?”

Allan grinned.  He loved councilman Rava; he understood that “why” behind Allan’s methods.   “Very” said Allan smugly.

At Base STAR DATE 8.7.4583

Vera stood at attention in line and shivered as a brisk breeze blew by. “I’m Siva, and this is Crain we are going to be your trainer for the next three space months.  You will be tested both body and mind because only the best of the best will graduate from spy school.  You have been chosen from all walks of life and all with different skills.  First, we’re going to get a run in.  So just like you did in high school gym, were going to stretch.  First, do the…”

Vera looked around at the others and mimicked them nervously.  It wasn’t the first time today she had struggled with a basic lack of knowledge that every free person had.  Even some of the basic machines used in the cafeteria were a mystery to her.  She was the last to leave and was almost late for lineup because she spent the hour watching others in order to figure out what to do.  But Allan had warned her not to tell even the trainers of her past until he did a little digging and could find out who her family was.

 The game of discovering the others past proved awkward as well.  She only knew one world, and that was the slave world. She more often than not had no idea how to answer or even understand some of her teammates digging inquiries and knew nothing of the free world to inquire about them herself.  She wasn’t even a day in, and she knew she would fail that test.  She would do her best for Allen.  He had confidence she would learn everything quickly, just like she learned how do play different rolls to help him before.

Paria. STARDATE 12.12.4581

Vera woke up with a terrified start.  Looking around in horror, she realized she had done the forbidden and fallen asleep in a Master’s area.  Looking around for her cleaning supplies, fear gripped her even further as they were nowhere to be seen.   She curled into a ball in terror when she saw a master walk through the door. 

“I’m sorry master, didn’t mean to fall asleep master. Could I please have my cleaning supplies back master, so the mistress downstairs don’t beat me for their being missing,” Vera flinched as the master walked towards her.

“Relax girl; I have no intention of turning you back over to your mistress.  I’ve informed her that you are my slave now to do what I wish with.”   Vera swallowed; her terror rose to a whole new level.

“What do you wish me to do master?”  she managed to whisper.  She knew there were slaves that had it worse than the dust slave and as a female slave especially.  Vera’s philosophy was the less the Masters noticed you, the better.  Vera had become a professional at being unseen.

The man sat down across from her and sighed.  “First of all, I want you to know I’m not going to hurt you. And I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you.  All I want you to do for now is honestly answer any questions I have.  First question, “Are you hungry?”

Vera nodded yes.  At that, the man stood up and ordered some very thin soup from the replicator.  He brought it over.  “Eat slowly; I don’t want you upsetting your stomach.  I’ll wait till you’re done to ask you the rest of the questions.” 

Vera ate slowly and nervously.  Her fear subsided enough that she realized she had soft, clean clothes on, and she felt something soft falling her down her back.  She reached back and felt her hair clean and unmatted.  A vague memory from the happy time stirred of a beautiful woman brushing her hair.  She looked up nervous and expectantly at her new master.   Clean in the slave world did not always mean better.  She would rather die by her own hand than to be one of the High Girl slaves.

The tall master with the broad shoulders ordered both him and her a hot drink.  “My name is Allan. When you are not around the other Masters or slave’s I want you to call me by that name.  What is your name?”

“Cago” Vera replied.

The tall master rolled his eyes.  “That’s not a name. That’s a word and a very bad word at that.  What were you called before you became a dust slave?”

“You mean from the happy time?”  Vera sipped at the drink as she bent her head down trying not to look the master in the face.  The drink was bitter, but she liked it and vaguely remembered drinking it before.

“Yes, from the happy time.”  The master named Allan said as his piercing blue eyes seemed to look into her very soul which made her turn her face away from him again.

“Vera, Master Allan.”

“No master, Vera, just Allan when it is just you and me.”

“Yes, Allan.” 

“Do you remember when you became a dust slave Vera?   When the happy time ended?”  Allen asked taking a sip of his drink.

“A little bit, Allan.  I was in a space plane then there was fire, and then there was a man who put dirt and mud and stuff on me and told me never let the dirt come off, or they’d hurt me in bad sorts of ways.  He threw me in a pit with a bunch of other dirty children and said he’d come back, but he never did.”

“Ah a space raider then, possibly with a spy on board who gave his life to save the kids.”  Allen sat back and tapped his finger on his chin.

“Tell me how extensive is the duct system that you crawl through when you sneak in to read my books.”

Vera's head jerked up, and she looked at him with a stunned look.  She swallowed.  He knew, but he wasn’t angry, but he might get angry if she didn’t answer his question.  “It runs through the whole castle, master, like a spider web; there’s a vent like a doorway to every room.  The vents are covered by holograms for aesthetic reasons I suppose Master, I mean Allen.  The masters do not realize they’re there.” 

Allan thumbed his fingers together as if he was considering something.  “Are you familiar with the big room with the glass tables and green chairs? Can you listen unseen and unheard by the air ducts there?”

“Yes, ma..Allan.”

“Good, good.  For now, I need to ask you to do something else for me.  I want you to put these high slave girl clothes on and pretend to be one for me when I go to a meeting.  Remember it’s just pretend I’m not going to hurt you or force you to do the things the high slave girls are forced to do and I’m not going to let anyone else hurt you, but you have seen how they behave in public, could you behave like that.  Just to put on a kind of show for others?”

“Yes, Allan.”  said Vera as she swallowed.  She was unsure of this new master of hers, but she got up the nerve to ask him a question.

“Allan?” 

“Yes. Vera?” 

“If I’m not a dust slave or a high girl slave for you, what kind of slave am I to be?” 

Allan took a long drink and put it down.  He looked at her shivering in fear.  He knew this was going to take a lot for her to stop being afraid.  “You’re not to be a slave anymore Vera, but if you wish, for a time I’d like you to be my helper.”

“Not a slave.?  Vera asked her voice a little bolder.  This new master didn’t get angry at questions.

“Yeah, not a slave, like the happy times,” Allan told her. 

 

 At Base STARDATE 8.6.4583

 

“Okay here is mock mission one.  You are to go in, find information on where the next mock meeting is, and come back with information about it. There will be a group watching the video whose job is to determine which of you are spies.  If they tag you, you’re out. Go to makeup and chose any role you want.” 

Vera stood, stunned at all the fineries.   “Well, what are you going in as roomie?”  Vera shook herself and spied the costumes she knew best.  “I’m going in as a server slave.”  

“A server slave, really?  You know you are supposed to be somewhat familiar with the role.”  Lari said with her eyes narrowed.

“I am,” Vera said as she slid into the outfit.

“Man, your family must be rich, rich, rich, for you to have servants. Is your family rich?”   Lari dug.

Vera shook her head and said truthfully.  “I don’t know.”

“I don’t know?  Ha, I got your card! You come from some uppity wealthy family so rich they don’t know what to do with it all.”  Lari laughed as she handed a serving tray to Vera.

Vera remained silent.   The six months she spent at the rescue in reintegration camp was supposed to help freed slaves assimilate into society.  But being a slave was what she knew and in a strange way while she was not happy as a slave she was more comfortable with that role. 

Vera easily passed the test.  Siva and Crain were stunned at her performance until they got a note from above.  “You have one who is from the slave worlds. Create some assignments where they have to blend into the Vey civilian world as well.”

“Well, it won’t be the first time we had to train a traitor.”  Said Crain.

  “Traitors who hate slavery more than anyone because they had witnessed it firsthand.”   Siva reminded him. 

Paria. STARDATE 12.12.4581

Vera was careful not to make a sound as she padded in silently behind her new master, who was not her master, in an outfit that was not only uncomfortable but covered very little, making her feel rather conspicuous.  The biggest challenge they faced was the fact that Vera was severely emaciated and way too skinny for a high girl.  Allan had her wear some sort of necklace that was supposed to create a holographic illusion that made her look more filled out than she was.  Illusions only went so far, but Allen felt none would get close enough to notice.

She lowered her head and tried not to shake as they entered the room where a group of men were sitting at a table.  She sat obediently at the feet of her master as she had observed high slave girls do before.  “So the new weapon’s dealer decided to bring his newest little pet.”  Jeered one of the men who reached to grab her, only to gasp his neck as a small needle hit it.  The rest of the lieutenants’ eyes grew large when two seconds later he hit the floor dead as his body shriveled up.  “Newest in Bio War fare folks.  Hands off the Weovow she’s mine, and as you know her kind aren’t exactly cheap, especially one so very well trained.”  Allen gave a playful tug at her now braided hair and Vera stayed as still as a statue.

“Now, when can I get a decent offer of a price for my product from your Master?”  

“If you didn’t bring the Weovow to play why did you bring her?”  asked a captain, eyeing her hungrily in a way that made Vera want to crawl away and hide in a deep dark hole.

“Please, and have High Lord Harve waltz in and take her?  Oh by the way…”  Alan pulled up a two-way video feed of his apartment where one of the high lord’s captain had broken in.  The men in the apartment froze when they saw his face on the wall screen.  They tried to scramble out of the room when they saw the button in his hand.  “Can we say trap…”  Allan pushed the button, and gas was emitted, and soon the men in the room were nothing but puddles.”

One Colonel stood up in anger.  “Fool, you poisoned your own room, you won’t be able to go back!”

“Oh but you’re quite wrong; that’s the joy of this weapon. The effects last in the air just long enough to kill but changes to something harmless within minutes, leaving you free to invade gas mask free.”

“High Lord Harve will not stand for…”

Allan Yawned. “Will not stand for what?  If he doesn’t want his men getting killed, then he needs to tell them to keep their paws off other’s property and as I told Lieutenant Hage earlier, that if he doesn’t want my business, I’ll be more than happy to peddle it elsewhere.  Like to Mistress Mayve, I hear she is quite the high bidder.  Allan watched with pleasure as they bridled in anger.  There Lord would be none too happy if one of the top weapons dealers started dealing with one of the other slave masters he loathed. 

They muttered among themselves.  The head colonel of the group stood up.  “We’ll bring it up to our general and see what he says at the next meeting.   

“Let me know soon will you, I’m growing bored.”  Allan swung his feet off the chair and made his way back to the room.

 He smiled and waved at the bugs planted there and then set off and electronic bomb that shut off every bug in the room.  He turned to Vera, “now quickly I need you to make your way to that room we talked about earlier through the vents and listen in on what they say.  This is a test to see if his men are bugged. He’ll know I’m a spy.”

“Spy?” Vera froze. She had seen how they executed spy’s when they were caught. She shuttered.

  “If you’re too scared to do it I’ll understand.” said Allan, who also knew the terrible torture that a spy had to face if they got caught.

 Vera considered and thought of the whispered rumors among the slaves.  “Is it true on your spy worlds there are no slaves, and you fight this war to free us?” 

“Yes.”  answered Allan.

“Then I’ll go for you.”  Vera pulled herself up and slid into the air vents; soon she was over the room. She listened carefully.

“High Lord he killed” …  came a whiny voice.

“I know what he did, I saw.  He’s gutsy this one, but that doesn’t mean he’s smart.’’  came a deeper bellowy voice.  “Anyway, he did pass the first two tests, let’s see if he passes one more.  Gas his room tonight and while he’s sleeping, grab that Weovow of his and the new weapons he’s trying to sell us.” 

Vera skittered back to Allan and told him what she heard.   Allan nodded, not surprised.  “Alan why are you calling me a Weovow and why do you keep saying I’m valuable? What’s a Weovow? 

“The Weovows are a proud and fierce free race.  The only way to get a hold of a pure blood Weovow is to kidnap them young because the older ones will find a way to kill themselves rather than to be enslaved. You are one of them Vera, and the raid on that space ship you were on was probably to kidnap you.  Only they just partially succeeded. You were intended to be a High slave girl, but that is when that man who was probably a spy put mud and dirt on you and threw you in with a bunch of other scared and dirty kidnapped children he intended to hide your race otherwise…

“I would have been one of them…”   Vera shuttered.  She knew what they did to them and had seen the terrible diseases the high girls died from.   

“So what do we do now, Allan?”    Vera asked with increasing boldness and trust.

Allen frowned. “I have an idea, but you are going to have to trust me and believe me when I say I’m not going to hurt you.”

.

STARDATE 9.14.4583

Vera stood silently as everyone cheered about the getting to go out on the town for R and R.  The only key was that if any of the spy’s stationed in town caught on to the fact they were from the academy they were to be sent back.  Vera swallowed. How would she handle being in town?  Then she remembered back to her reintegration training.  Freed slaves struggling to learn the ropes of society was part of the Vey culture especially since more and more slave worlds had fallen to them in the last couple of years.  She just needed to be herself, just not around the others.

Vera’s worries about having to put on a show for her fellow trainees vanished as they all dispersed to different places.  She walked down the main street and looked into the different market windows.  In a way, it was nice to be alone and see all the wonders without a group of fellow ex slaves tagging along with her.  She glanced at the still unused bank card in her purse.  After the integration training, they gave them a certain amount of money along with a choice of job training to start their new life with.

 All the councilors were stunned when she insisted she wanted to train as a spy.  They explained to her she would have to go to the military first, and they only chose the best of the best; that just because she joined didn’t mean she would get chosen.  She insisted that was what she wanted.  She poured so much time and effort into her military training that she didn’t spare anytime for civilian life and so her bank card remained untouched.

She stopped at a restaurant and ate, but it was lonely eating alone.  She glanced over at the military base.  Since she had been free she had only gotten to see Allan once.  They didn’t say that they couldn’t return to base before the two day’s were up.  She had done enough research that she had a pretty good idea where she could find him.  On a few of the slower training days, she had she reverted to her old ways and found the crooks and crannies of spaces between the walls and she was fairly certain she could reenter the base without getting caught.

Lari watched Vera from a hidden corner.  She was determined to find out her background.  So far she had figured everyone else out, but Vera remained a complete mystery.  Lari was an expert at fishing out information from people.  The problem was Vera either didn’t answer Lari’s inquiries in a way Lari expected or she stayed silent and didn’t answer at all.  So far her trip into the market place had been downright dull.    She watched as Vera walked back towards a side wall of the base.  She just about jumped as she saw her disappear into the side of the wall.  Lari put her hand in and was surprised to find there was a small open space that was covered by a hologram.

Lari carefully followed.    Vera moved through the inner walls and ceilings.  She would pause now and then and listen as if she was looking for something.  She then paused ahead as voices came from below.  Vera paused to listen then to Lari’s surprise she dropped right to the middle of the room where the voices came from.  Lari moved forward and peered over at the meeting below.

 One councilman dived under the desk as Vera landed on her feet catlike in the middle of the council room.  A couple stood up in shock, and Allan fought back the urge to laugh.  “I am Vera.  Ex-slave under Lord Harve and for the events there I can answer for myself.  I decided for myself.  Allen did not force me to help.”    The guards moved to draw their weapons, but Allan signaled them to put them away.

“Young Lady, that is definitely not how you approach the high council of Vey!”  huffed the councilman who had dove under the desk and was now standing up and brushing himself off.

Councilwoman Stirn smiled at the girl.  “Yes Councilman Writh, it is not the standard to approach the council, but I do believe we are seeing the fire in the girl that Allan was speaking of.  And what does an ex-slave so recently freed know of approaching the council?  Her request to tell her side of the story is not unreasonable.”

“With permission Councilwoman Stirn, We’ll both tell it.”  Allan turned to Vera and frowned.  “Then you can tell me how you bypassed security to get in here while you’re supposed to passing your civilian test in town.” 

“Civilian test?”  said Vera weakly.

“Yes Vera, as an ex-slave you know how to blend in to the slave master world, but sometimes spy’s have to blend into the free civilian world, something you’ve been avoiding interacting with since you graduated from the reintegration camp.”  

“Oh…”

Paria STARDATE 12.13.4581

Vera was exhausted, and she didn’t have to fake the sleep as she snuggled against the general’s back.  She was sleeping on a floor mat that was soft, and for the first time in a long time she was full and not too hot or too cold, and for the first time in a long time, she felt safe.  Allan was good to his word and had not harmed her, and she knew that neither lasers nor gas would get through the shield he set up. 

 Allan didn’t sleep.  He sighed as he waited for death to come to the fools that Harve sent to kill him.  Lord Harve’s Lieutenant busting in and finding Vera forced him into an uncomfortable predicament with the girl.  She was smart and rather gutsy for a slave.  He would have to do some in the field spy training with her for this to work. 

Allan closed his eyes and faked sleep as he heard the sound of Lord’s Harve’s men attempting to enter the room quietly.  Allan knew Lord Harve wanted a show and knew the men would die.  He also wanted to know if Allen really was the weapon’s dealer he claimed to be or a slightly more cleaver spy.  Inadvertently, Vera’s appearance had given Allan a window that let him move in the direction of gaining Lord Harve’s trust sooner than planned.

Allen opened his eyes as he heard the screams of men dying as they walked into his death trap.  He soon  got the expected call.  He answered and scowled at Harve’s rather ruggedly handsome smug mug on the three dee.  “Okay truce, truce Mr. Karn (Allan’s undercover name) I am interested in your wares.  Shall we meet then?”  Allan nodded and arranged the meet. 

“Also I want a new room. The smell of burned flesh just permeates everything.”   added Allan with a growl.

“Of course, of course, Mr. Karn.” 

 

At Base STAR DATE 9.14.4583

So you two met with Harve several different times after that?” asked one of the councilmen.

“Mainly just Allan, sir.”  said Vera, who took Allan’s cue and was standing respectfully before the council.

“So what did you do while Allan met with Harve?”

“I went through his rooms attaching chips on all the computers that Allen told me to.”

“But you two were almost caught weren’t you?”

“Yes sir, but not by Lord Have.  And not attaching the chips.  The problem came when Lady Tillis came to pay a visit, sir.”

“What made her suspicious?”

“The scars on my back sir.  I guess the Weovow high slave girl was so rare, and they wanted their bodies to be perfect so when they punished them, they did it in ways that wouldn’t physically show. “

One of the councilwomen looked through her notes. “Ah and you were an ash slave.”

“No Ma’am a dust slave.”

“Ash slave, dust slave what’s the difference?” 

“An ash slave gets rid of the ashes of the dead slaves and is allowed to approach the outer gate.   A dust slaves cleans the fire places and such in the house and is to be in the house only sir,” Vera informed her.  

“General Praig, at the beginning you said she saved your life. “

“Yes sir, if it weren't for her interference I would have died at Lady Tillis’s hands.”

“Please tell us what happened.”

Paria. STARDATE 4.1.4581

Vera dropped into the living room of the suite they were now in from the duct above.  “Lady Tillis is here and Lord Harve wants to show off his new weapons master and his pet.  They are heading to our room now.”  Vera shouted as she ran to change out of the Ash slave outfit she was wearing to the High slave girl outfit.

Allan almost hissed.  Lady Tillis was the leader of the spies for the slave worlds if anyone smelled anything fishy, she would. “Put your room up. Allen shouted to her.” 

Vera finished changing and then rolled up her sleeping mat and hit a button on the dresser slid into the wall and was replaced by a closet of clothes.  “Put the knife away.”

“Allan?” 

“Lady Tillis is trained to notice those things, the hand to hand I taught you will have to do but only if you have no choice.  Now put it away.  And Vera, Clothing mode A.” 

“Ugg, in other words…”

“We have to convince her beyond a shadow of a doubt that you’re a good high slave girl, and I’m a nasty, perverted, callused, weapons dealer.”

“Fine but I get the big room for a solid two weeks this time.”  came her voice.  Allan almost chuckled.   Vera had come a long way from the frightened slave girl he met two months ago.  The invasion army was due to arrive in two weeks and the last tidbit of information that she had been helping him gather was going to open a nice gateway for him to the next world he went to.  But he didn’t need Lady Tillis setting any of his plans back. 

Allan deliberately mussed up his hair and took his shirt off waiting a good ten minutes to answer the repeated constant buzzing from his bedside.  “What you want?”  he answered gruffly. 

Lord Harve’s face graced the screen.  “Sorry to interrupt your playtime, Mr. Karn but I do have a guest who is wanting to meet you.”

A face that had one too many anti-aging treatments applied appeared on the screen.  “Oh hello, what a handsome man you are, and is that your little Weovow I see in the background.  How unusual for a weapons master to acquire such a rare slave.  I hear she’s well trained.  I do so want to meet you. I’m Lady Tillis by the way.”

“Lady Tillis, The Lady Tillis, curious about me?  Let me get dressed and I’ll be out to let you in.”   Allen turned the com off and turned to Vera.

“Now shower and dress mode C, go. And time it.” 

“Surely she’s not…”

“Surely she is that observant, you have to be the perfect High girl slave no slip ups.”

Allen got dressed and opened the door.  “Come in Lady Tillis, Lord Harve.” 

“How may I serve you today?”

“Well, darling I understand you can get your hands on some rather unusual bioweapons, and I must say I’m very interested.  I was suspicious at first, and I had my men investigate, and It seems that they are authentic and not something the free world has a cure for.

“You mean like that spy.  Oh, what was his name, who sold the ex-lord weapons of diseases that the Free Worlds had a cure for long before?  Please do you take Lord Harve to be a fool and not to know such things and if I was a spy do you take me to be so foolish as to repeat another spy’s known game. And those were Bio-plagues, What I sell is Bioweapons, new and lab made; there is no cure and I promise you, you can search high and low, far and wide and you’ll not find it.  My weapons and the labs that make them are top of the line.”  said Allen standing up.  “Now I hate to be a bad host to a Lady such as yourself. Do you wish anything to drink?”

“Caye with cream and the real stuff darling not any of the synthahol stuff.”  said Lady Tillis, who eyed Vera a long while as she came out of the shower and went and stood silently in a corner of a room.

“Lord Harve, your usual I presume?”

“Of course Mr. Karn.  What did I tell you Keara?  He is very civilized, is he not.  None of the barbaric mannerisms of the free worlds and such a gracious host. “

“My, my, she is a beauty, where did you get a Weovow slave? And one so well trained at that, she must have been captured very young.”  Lady Tillis purred.

Allen took a long slow drink and shrugged.  Lord Verno owed me a debt, while he was having some financial difficulties and so offered her as payment at the time. “

“Lord Verno, ah yes he had quite the gambling problem, while he was alive that was.  Yes, well the Menews can be very vindictive about debts owed to them, can’t they?  Oh please, darling I’m fascinated, please call her over here.  I want a better look.”  Lady Tillis said in a voice that was meant to be girlish but came out chilling instead.

“Slave come,” Allen commanded.

Vera came and bowed.   Lady Tillis stood.  “Oh my, how unusual.  Who in his right mind was foolish enough to beat such a valuable beauty with a kale whip?” said Lady Tillis fingering the scars on Vera’s back.  Vera, like a good slave did not move though she longed to shiver as Lady Tillis’ claw like fingers ran over her back.

Allen shrugged, “She had those when I got her.”

“Very, very unusual.  The scarring! It’s real, and she is very much a Weovow.  Mr. Karn, please order your slave girl to answer my questions for me. I would so much like solve this mystery.”

“Slave you will answer Lady Tillis.”  Allen said as he casually sipped his drink.

“Yes Master,” answered Vera in a humble voice.

“How long have you been a slave?”  came Lady Tillis’s cold voice.

“I have always been a slave, Master.”

“Hum too young to remember when she was taken from her accursed race.”

“How did you get the scars on your back?”

If Vera learned anything from Allen, a partial truth was much more effective than a whole lie.  “I stole food when I was a dust slave and was beat for it, Master.”

“A dust slave?  What fool would have a Weovow for a dust slave?  How did you become a high slave?”  Tillis grabbed her face and looked her over like she was a piece of meat.

 “A master saw me and bought me from my old master and made me a high slave.”

“Who was your original master?”

  “Master Haigus. “

 “That drunkard, figures, and who bought you?”

 “Master Tane.”

“And how did you come to be owned by Lord Verno?”

“Master Verno won a bet, and I was the prize.”

“Well, well then you’re not such a mystery after all then.”  Vera didn’t so much as flinch when Lady Tillis slammed her heal into her side, because to do anything but bow was to invite a much worse punishment.

Allen sniffed. “So when do you want that weapons demonstration?”

 “This afternoon darling, Lord Harve arranged it for me already at his gym.  Are you sure you won’t be able to make it Costen? “

Lord Harve shifted uncomfortable under her gaze.  “Sorry love but you know that I have to meet with the generals at that time.  There is a war on you know. “

At last they left.  Vera stayed in her spot until Allen finished the bug sweep and gave the all clear.  “Are you okay?”  he said glancing at her side.

“I’m fine.  That little kick was nothing.  Anyway, it was a test for you, Allan, she wanted to see if you reacted to me getting hurt.” said Vera.

Allan nodded.  “I don’t like meeting with her alone.  She’s not going to like not being able to immediately track everyone on that list of masters we gave her and she’s killed people for just not having the right feeling about them before.” 

“There’s a vent that leads to his gym I can listen in and drop in if I need to.  We can use the slave dummy in a shell holli trick in case she wants a visual on me.” Vera said as she went to change into less revealing clothes.  Allen nodded as he left to ready the weapons for the demonstration.

Allen looked around the gym.  The lack of slaves alarmed him.  He resisted the urge to look up to see if Vera was in place yet.  He approached Lady Tillis with the usual pomp and arrogance expected of an arms dealer.  “Hello, Lady Tillis.  Are you ready for the demonstration?” 

“Of course.”  Allen gasped. Lady Tillis turned and used Allen’s own bioweapons on him. 

“Why darling, that so interesting. It seems you lied to us, and you are immune.”  Before she could draw her own gun and shoot him, Vera dropped from the ceiling and landed on her and knocked the breath out of both of them.  Allen moved quickly and disarmed Lady Tillis.”

“But Tillis you are not a lady or immune.” said the general as he shot her with the bioweapon.   “Now Vera are you ready for your first super big role?”

Vera stripped Lady Tillis of her clothes and put on the mask that made her look like Lady Tillis.  “Of course darling but what about her people on the ship.”  Said Vera mimicking her false syrupy voice perfectly.

“I’m afraid you, Lady Tillis, are quite despised as a spy by many including Lord Harve. If I know Lord Harve, he’ll take care of our problem and blow up the ship for us.   Oh, I got an update on the invasion plans love; I’m afraid you’ll only get the big room for a week.  Because in a week the army will be here and you will be officially free. “

At Base STAR DATE 9.14.4583

“So now the council has been updated, and the council agrees that while your methods are unique as always, you managed to stay within the bounds of the laws of war.   We look forward to your next report.  But we are curious, have you found out anything about Vera’s family?”

“It took a while but yes, I believe I did.  In fact, I was going to meet with them right after this.  I suggest you bring in the head of security and debrief her on how she got back into the base to begin with before sending her back along with her friend who followed her.  Private Lari, you can come down now!”  Allan shouted. 

Vera looked surprised.  Private Lari dropped to the floor.  “I saw her… I just want to…”

General Praig laughed.  “She’s no enemy spy, Lari.  But a girl who doesn’t know how to stop being a slave to survive. Help her with that part of her training.  Show her how to live a little.” 

“Allan I do…”

“No Vera, even when you say my name you use it in a way that the word Master falls in too easily there.  Go learn to be a free girl and have some fun.”

 STAR-DATE 2.30.4584

The Trainees all stood in line ready for the announcements of the scores and assignments.  “Now for the fun part of this, the list of names and past occupations and the points for those who guessed correctly.”  They went down the list and paused when they got to Vera.

“As you know, we were not told of your occupation either, and the top scoring candidate was so good that none guessed her occupation correctly not even us so… We get to find out her occupation together in this letter.”  The trainers opened it and turned white.  One of them managed to choke out the word “SLAVE. “

“There are further special instructions from the high council themselves that we are to wait for the High General himself to come and give.”  Excited murmurs spread across the graduates.  They were going to meet the high General.

  Vera looked up expectedly.  “Allan!”

“No Corporal Vera Caleni.  You did pass you training so while we are here you are to address me as General Praig only.  Not Master, Not Allen.”

“Yes, Ma, A, Ge.  Vera shook her head.   Yes sir”.

“Better Vera, Better.”  said Allan nodding his head.

“Unlike your fellow trainees, you had much of your training in years of harsh conditions without a break.  It is the council’s order that you take a year of paid vacation and spend it with your family before you serve.  The first six months will be with your mother’s family and the last six months with your fathers’.  At the end of that year if you still wish to serve as a spy you well serve directly under me as my helper.  The council felt we made a good team and would work well together again.”

General Praig turned to the Trainer. “Pronounce her passing. “

“Yes Sir!”

“Private Vera Caleni, you are now Corporal Vera Caleni and you are no longer a Slave but a Spy.” 

Allan held out his hand to her. “And now your vacation begins.  I want you to go meet your grandparents.” 

Lari muttered.  “A Weovow with the last name of Caleni?”  Lari laughed and called out to Vera.  “I wasn’t wrong!  Your family is rich, rich, rich.”