Captain Emrah Jackson Ch. 20

This ongoing sci-fi series will contain non-consensual elements.

All my debts were now settled, and my ship was now ready to leave. I had spent most of the remaining money on resupplying for the long journey. Hella had helped me greatly and I owed her more than money. Willow seemed to be settling into her new life at the medical center. It wasn't the luxury house she was used too, but in time she would get used to living freely.

Hogarth was also enjoying his new life. He mostly sat around the docks with a vacant look in his eyes, dribbling, and subsisting on food passing people would toss at him. There was nothing left of his mind, except the basic concepts of survival. I had been merciful not to kill him, although many wouldn't see what I had done to him as mercy.

I too was getting used to my new self. Cara was gone now and I was Emrah Jackson once again. It had been a lot to deal with, but I was finally accepting who I really was. More importantly I now had my destiny in my hands. I wasn't relying on anyone this time. I had a ship and a mission.

Ferrin was my destination, and according to Hella it was a pirate stronghold with little regard for laws or government. Getting there wasn't going to be a problem, but what I was going to find when I got there filled me with trepidation. In Dex's message he had given me a few scant details on how to find him. If he had found Talia, then he was going to need my help rescuing her.

I had bought some weapons, and kitted out the closets with clothes that could deal with all weather and atmosphere types.

With somewhat of a sad goodbye I left Hella and Willow, promising that I would send a message if I was successful in my goals. I doubted I would ever return, and I think they both knew that. Once Talia and Dex were back with me, we would be going back to UEN territory. We had all been brought to the free systems against our will, but our home wasn't here.

My long journey began with hope, but soon turned into boredom. I left the borders of the free systems heading towards the edge of the galaxy. Even the small highlight of passing transports ceased. I was well into deep space, and spent most of my time working out. My body had lost a lot of its muscle tone and it was an ideal opportunity to start getting back into shape. Thankfully the ship had a shower and a small sleeping area. I did regret not buying some books to pass the time. Instead I studied the star charts around my destination. The was little in the way of information besides the names of the planets. It was an area that hadn't been explored much, it seemed.

As I neared my destination I thought back to the beginning of all of this. Talia had been my junior officer on the Calypso when we were attacked by pirates, and Dex had been my engineer. We were the only survivors. I had been sold as a slave to a rich man, while the other two had been kept onboard the pirate ship. Dex hadn't told me much about what had happened after I left, but I could only imagine what they had done to Talia. She was young and pretty afterall. It was too much to think about, but I could be glad that she was still alive. On my ship she had been my lover, and friend. I was desperate to see her again.

I tried to imagine what her reaction would be, and thought back to when I had found Dex. Back then he hadn't recognised me due to my surgery, and my mid wipe had kept me in the dark. Some would think that looking twenty years younger than their true age would be a blessing and an opportunity for a new lease of life, but I only saw the disadvantages. It was harder to blend in anymore, and my beauty made me stick out in a crowd.

Two more weeks, I said to myself, and continued with my routine.

**********

I arrived at the system I wanted, and set my nav computer for the planet of Ferrin. I could see more ships now, and the traffic to and from the planet was more than I expected. The settlements must have a lot of trade, I mused. Hella had called the place lawless, but I knew there must be a type of order to keep everyone in some sort of check.

Dex's message had given me the coordinates for the main city, which I entered into the computer. The ship glided into the atmosphere, and I could immediately see how dry and dusty the place was. It was a desert world with rocky formations breaking the landscape up. The city emerged into view, and like the traffic, it was greater than I had imagined. It was spread out over many miles. Most of the buildings looked small and tightly packed together. I could pick out some pyramid structures, but I couldn't tell if they were buildings or monuments from this far away.

As I flew over the city, I noticed a large circular complex that looked like a sports arena with a large spaceport aside it. My comms system lit up with various landing co-ordinates. I picked one of the smaller ones. As I vectored in, it looked more like a junk yard from the air. I brought the ship into land, and then grabbed some gear from the back. A lazer pistol that went into my belt, and a long coat, that had a hood attached. I didn't want to walk around as a lone female, and the hood would provide some much needed discretion. As I changed I noticed how better my body was looking, there was a lot more definition in my limbs, and my stomach was very flat and hard. I had a much more athletic appearance now. I ran my hands through my short blonde hair, thinking that I may keep it this way in the future.

A young girl approached me as I stepped off the ship. She asked me for a docking fee, and I was surprised at how small it was. As I handed over the credits, I asked why they charge so little, and she told me that most people don't return from the city. It was an ominous warning delivered with glee.

For a few extra credits she gave me the lay of the land. The city was divided into districts. Some were safer than others. To the east was the arena, and beyond that a large dockyard that was exclusivly used by pirates. To the north was a more affluent area that would be off limits to me during my stay. The rich residents could afford better security and better services in their sections. She told me that I was in what was called the old town. It was mostly for visitors and less fortunate residents. To the west and south was the open desert and she told me that no one went out there.

She said, the pirates mostly kept themselves to themselves. Their docks were heavily guarded, and I wouldn't be able to get in there even if I tried. The rest of the population had grown over time around them.

The pyramids I had seen were in fact, ancient relics of a long forgotten civilization. No one lived in them anymore. They were far north and not somewhere she suggested that I visit. The sports arena was a gladiatorial arena, that was very much in service.

"Lots of people get killed in there," she said, with a wide grin.

I tried to put it out of my mind as I made my way into the old town. I knew roughly where I was heading. The buildings were mostly two or three stories tall, and built out of sandstone. They looked rundown and the streets had a shabby look to them. The place was bustling with midday activity, and the food vendors sold strange looking meats to passing customers. The people I saw looked poor, and a lot of them were openly carrying weapons. I saw no security, or police force. I kept my head down as did a lot of the locals. The girl had told me there was a security force, and even a prison. It was there to protect the richer residents though.

It was an odd place, not as lawless as I had first imagined, perhaps the girl had been teasing me for some fun. In some ways it reminded me of mars. The burnt orange sky gave the place a familiar feel. As I walked I could pick out the locals from the offworlders by the colour of their skin. The residents of Ferrin had a tanned, almost golden complexion. I must have looked very pale in comparison

Dex hadn't given me an address, just a set of coordinates and a brief description of a building. As I weaved my way through some back alleys, I came across a lot of beggars, who pitifully held their hands out for money.

Finally, I found the building I was looking for. It had no windows, and the walls were covered in crumbling white plaster. I knocked on a bare wooden door, and after a few moments, a gruff looking man answered.

"Yeah," he said.

"I'm looking for a man named, Dex."

He thought about what I had said for a minute, then nodded. "Yeah, he's inside," he said, opening the door for me.

It was a dark and dusty room, with little in the way of furniture. I could hear voices from the floor above, though.

"I'll take you upstairs to him," he said, "you got any weapons?"

I nodded, and he told me to leave them down here. I was a little wary, but he assured me that it was just a precaution as he didn't know who I was. It seemed fair, and I laid my pistol next to the foot of the stairs.

He smiled and let me go up first. There was a couple of doors, and I was directed to one at the end of the corridor. I felt the anticipation of meeting a long lost friend as I entered the room. Sadly though, he wasn't there. Instead, there were two people sitting on a ruined couch.

It was a man and a woman. The man had a shaved head, and thick arms covered in tattoos. The girl was bone thin, and was dressed in her underwear, she had a dazed, almost sleepy look on her face.

"She's looking for a man named Dex," the gruff man, announced.

"Is that your pimp?" the man on the couch asked, and laughed.

I smirked, and told him I had been asked to meet him here. They certainly didn't look like people Dex would associate with, but on this planet, what choice did he have.

"Just a little joke. Come and sit down, my colleague will go fetch your friend, okay."

I shrugged, and sat next to him. The gruff man said he would be long and made his way back down the stairs.

The man introduced himself as Tigh, and I told him my name was Emrah.

"Is that girl, sick?" I asked, and pulled down my hood.

"Nah, she's just relaxing."

I assumed that he meant she was either drunk or high.

"Dex didn't tell me he knew any beautiful women."

I didn't like his attitude, but there wasn't much I could do. I had to wait for Dex, so I shrugged off his comment. He then suggested I get more comfortable, and take off my coat. They way he said it, made my skin crawl, but I did it anyway just to be polite.

"Will he be long?" I asked.

"Not long, he told me to keep you company."

It was an odd thing to say, but I wasn't in any position to doubt him. "Have you known him long?" I asked.

He gave a vague nod, then inched closer to me. "He told me you were a friendly girl."

I was going to let the comment pass, but then he placed his hand on my knee, and I jumped up quickly.

"Do you know him or not?" I snapped.

"Listen honey, forget about him, I can give you what you want."

It was obvious to me now, that he didn't know him. I felt like a fool, but I still had to find Dex.

"Fucking idiot," I said, as I stormed out of the room.

I headed for the staircase, and took two steps at a time, but I stopped before I reached the bottom. The gruff man was standing by the door holding my pistol.

He aimed it at me and told me to go back up. There was no way to cover the distance before he could fire, so I began to back up the steps. As I turned to look for another exit, Tigh appeared. There was a gun in his hand too. It wasn't a lazer weapon, but an old style electric pistol.

"Where are you going, honey?" he asked, tapping the gun against his leg.

I was trapped between then, there wasn't many options other than trying to rush one of them and try to grab a weapon. I slowly inched towards him with a sly smile on my face, then with as much force as I could manage, I leapt towards him. He was far quicker than I imagined, and fired his gun into my stomach. The air lit up with a heavy static charge, and a thin bolt of pure electricity burned into my shirt. I doubled over in excruciating agony, and I could smell burning cloth.

He quickly came towards me, and with his hands under my armpits dragged me back into the bare room. With a grunt he hauled my body onto the couch, and lay me face down. The electric shock had numbed all my limbs, but slowly the feeling was returning. He grabbed my wrists, and pulled them painfully behind my back. A cord was then wrapped around them tightly.

I still couldn't tell if this was some sort of trap, or if the men had just taken advantage of my situation. Either way, I was in trouble.

"Is she okay," the gruff man said, as he appeared at the door.

"Yeah, she'll live."

The gruff man stuffed the pistol into his belt. "She didn't look the type to put up so much of a fight."

"Yeah, she's a bold little thing," Tigh said, and I felt his hand squeezing the back of my thigh.

"What are you going to do with me?" I asked, trying to buy myself some time.

"Go fetch the boss," he said, to the gruff man, ignoring my question. As he left, I looked to the sleepy girl at the end of the couch for either an explanation or some aid. She looked back at me with a blank sleepy expression.

"You got some good muscles here, honey," he said, feeling the backs of my legs. I wriggled the best I could, trying to move away from his touch, and told him that if he untied me, he would find out how strong I really am. His response was to run his hand over my ass and tell me how nice it felt. He fondled it for a few moments in silence.

Then he told me that he wanted to see the rest, so he rolled me over onto my back. With a big smile on his face, he straddled me, and sat on my legs. My arms were now pinned painfully underneath me. I squirmed underneath him, but it was useless.

"My friends will be here soon," I said, as he reached for my breasts. His hands hovered in midair, and his face was suddenly full of concern.

"You're lying."

I shook my head slowly.

"Okay," he nodded, with a broad grin, and began to unbutton my shirt. "Are they all pretty like you?"

It was obvious that he took my warning as a lie, but I continued with my threat and told him there would be serious trouble for him, if he didn't let me go. He continued with his undressing though, and opened my shirt. I was wearing a black bra, but still felt somewhat exposed and vulnerable.

"Is it sore?" he asked, and traced a circle around my flat stomach with his finger. It was where he shot me, there was no mark, but it still stung. I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of telling him that though.

"Want me to kiss it better?" he asked, rhetorically as he lowered his head and pressed his mouth against my skin. I shivered, and felt his stubble rubbing against me. "You smell great," he mumbled as he stuck his tongue into my belly button.

I had to buy myself more time. "Who is your boss," I blurted out.

His head emerged, and he told me to relax. "Just me and you here, honey. We've got plenty of time." His attention then turned towards my chest. "I love a girl with nice big tits. I bet you love them being played with," he said, and covered them with his hands. His eyes were fixed on my face as he massaged my plump breasts.

I just looked away, and tried to think of another way out. With some relief the groping stopped, but it was only because Tigh was now unbuckling his belt.

"Before your friends storm the building, you got a decision to make, honey. Do you want it in your ass, or your mouth?"

Neither was appealing, but as I watched him unbuttoning his trousers, I knew the decision would be made for me if I didn't choose. I decided in the end to not give him the satisfaction, and stayed quiet.

Then all of a sudden, he stopped, and with a cursed word, began to do up his trousers again. There were noises coming from downstairs.

"Looks like your friends have arrived," he said, smugly. He climbed off me, and pulled me up into a seating position. It must be the boss the gruff man had gone to fetch.

All I could do was sit there and hoped I could somehow talk my way out of this. Tigh was relaxed and even put his arm around my shoulders, as we waited. I could hear a lot of footsteps coming up the stairs, and then the door was opened by a girl.

"That's not her," she said, looking at me.

She was about my height, and had part of her head shaved, which was covered in tattoos. There was a long scar running down one cheek that gave her a fierce appearance. Then it dawned on me who I was looking at. It was Talia. The person I had come to rescue.

I called out her name as I stood up. I couldn't believe it.

"Who are you?" she said, turning back to me.

"Emrah, Emrah Jackson."

She shook her head, and accused me of lying.

Tigh reached out and grabbed the back of my belt and pulled me into his lap. "Can I keep her?"

"Fuck her, kill her, whatever you want," Talia said, and began to leave.

"Ensign Talia Keynes, communications officer, your first posting was the UEN Calypso," I said quickly. Then as she turned back, I told her that I had been given facial surgery.

Her demeanor began to change, and I saw the spark of recognition in her eyes.

"Why does she have her shirt open, didn't I say she wasn't to be touched," Talia barked, to her men.

It was Tigh that answered, he told her that he was only having a little fun. What ever their relationship was, ended right then and there. She pulled out a lazer pistol and fired it into his face. The bolt of light missed me by inches, and I felt his lifeless body slump against the dirty couch.

"We need to talk," she said, coldly.

**********

Tigh's body, and the sleeping girl had been removed, and I was left alone with Talia. She wasn't the young officer I remembered. There was hardness about her, and as she began to tell her story I slowly realised why.

After I had been sold at the auction the pirate captain who had captured us, gave her to the crew as a reward for the money they had made. They took great pleasure in humiliating and using their captured UEN officer.

"Each night I was with a different man, sometimes it would be a group of them. Dex had it easier, he was an engineer. They had him working in the engine room. They only wanted me for my body."

After weeks of being their plaything, she began a private relationship with one of the crewmen.

"He had a particular fetish, that I catered for." She didn't tell me what it was, and I didn't ask.

Eventually she convinced him that maybe he should be in charge of the crew, and together they staged a mutiny. It had been successful, and Talia had gained a position as the new captain's consort.

"Even though I was his lover, he still expected me to service the crew. I was used as a reward for their good behaviour or withheld as punishment."

After Dex escaped, she told me that she got to know more about the crew and made alliances in return for special favours. After some time she became a fully fledged member of the crew. She explained she had learned to be ruthless, and her UEN training came in handy in certain situations. The crew started to appreciate her more and more, especially as she started to make them money. Then after a deadly accident that befell her lover, she was named the new captain.

"I could promise them easier ways to avoid UEN ships when they conducted their raids. It was a simple decision made out of greed."

I asked her why she didn't escape then and there, but she stayed silent on that point.

"They gave me something, you never did," she said, "they taught me how to survive."

I began to explain my side of things, but she cut me off. Suddenly her whole attitude changed to one of anger. She asked me why I didn't come to rescue her, why I abandoned her, why I let my ship be destroyed. It all came gushing out of her. I tried again to speak, but it was useless.