Growth and Lust Ch. 05 - Hurt

Veronica coddled her cheek, looking up to her father and seeing that same hateful stare. The same judging hate that he had looked down on her with since she could first grasp a memory and hold it. Always treating her like a worthless piece of rubbish that had no right to call itself a 'Blackstar', the look of a sour taste on his lips whenever he spoke her name. She scowled; she had spent so many years trying to be the daughter he wanted. "Yes...Father." She whispered through gritted teeth.

Dawson, let the air exhale from his lungs as he felt his point had been made.

......

>>>The planet is Toray-su, but it gets complicated.<<<

'Just tell me where on this planet she resides currently.' Ginrar typed back.

>>>Toray-su, Neberu village. But the village cannot be accessed by shuttle or truck.<<<

'Is it not on land?'

>>>It is on a mountain, but the minerals the Growth company has her researching will cause all flight equipment to lose center and you will never land. The terrain is too aggressive for truck, not that a Tallhee needs a ride, but you would have to find a guide.<<<

'Does she have a guide currently?'

>>>Yes, a man named Perta Cavestrom is her guide, they left from his residence at the edge of entry to the forest but have not returned. Call transcripts show that she has stayed in the village longer than expected, her return should be coming very soon.<<<

'Give us the location of his residence, we will meet them there.'

>>>Ok, I'll send them to your friends shuttle, the Moke Steed. I may look into the guide, but I don't think he will pose a threat.<<<

Ginrar narrowed her eyes, wondering how he knew of Reeduses shuttle and how much other info he was aware of.

>>>But the real danger is the forest itself, reports of caravans going missing and people ending up lost and never seen again. The mountain and village are surrounded by local legends of spirits, do not enter the tree line, if you go, your best bet is to wait until they return.<<<

'Noted, is there anything else you can inform me of at the moment?'

>>>No but I will keep in touch, I'm invested in clearing my own name so please trust in the things I've told you.<<<

Ginrar leaned back from the console, seeing the lockouts on the ship release and the firewall fault clear, she set the shuttle to 'Return home' and stood up to leave. Stepping down the ramp and out onto the grass, letting the ramp close behind her and walking clear of the jet blast. She looked up to the stars, taking in a long deep breath through her nose and wondering where Roke was as the engines exhaust stung her senses. Then seeing Saffee approaching her, she pursed her lips and tried to put on a grateful face, feeling the people close to her had been on edge since she returned.

"Ready to go, den?" Saffee asked with concern.

"It's time, Reedus should be receiving some kind of coordinates on where we are to travel, I'd like to leave as quickly as possible." She replied.

"Ginrar, um-" Saffee gulped, hesitating as the words caught in her throat and she couldn't bring herself to speak. Her mind snapping shut for a moment as the fleeting image flashed through her thoughts and was sealed off again, she flicked her eyes to Ginrar and then behind her.

Ginrar felt pain as Saffee did this, wanting to reach out a hand in offering of comfort and to show her that she wasn't that same person. The young woman that had destroyed so much in one night, that sat on her throne of blood and bone that she once called father. That her anger was not to attack the ones dear to her; but stirred up by the guide and what she had seen when she was on the other side.

"Ginrar." Teloo said, trying to gain her daughters attention.

Ginrar watched as Saffee averted her eyes and turned around, marching towards the shuttle and retreating inside. She didn't turn around to face her mother, feeling a pain in her chest every time she looked at her, every time she saw the mark she left on her. "We have a destination." Ginrar said.

Teloo nodded, "We'll be taking another with us, his name is Gresh, he's an excellent tracker-"

"Mother. Do what you feel is necessary, but we must leave quickly." Ginrar said as she marched away, not wanting to waste any more time.

Teloo looked to the man who would be helping them, opening her mind and connecting to him, 'Please, be patient, but do not speak of it.'

Gresh listened to what she said, looking down on Teloo and nodding, his ivory crown of four points glinting the light of the moon. He balled his fist and steadied his nerves as he followed Ginrar, marching to the shuttle and up its ramp.

Teloo watched as he went to the shuttle, his shoulders were broad and rolled with confidence as he made his way up the ramp. The furs adorning him signifying his life in the harsher environment of the north, the golden ring adorning his hand reminiscent of a past life. Teloo shivered as she felt a cold presence pass by her. Her nerves recoiling and searching the empty air for the sign of danger that presented itself, but knowing she wouldn't find it.

Ginrar entered the shuttle and looked to Reedus, "Have you received anything?"

Reedus nodded, "Whoever he is, he's already aligned the ships trajectory and constellation maps to where we need to go, should only be a few days."

"You heard his warning about the landing?" Ginrar asked.

"I did, there's a port nearby for shuttles entering, we can land there."

Ginrar nodded before saying, "You'll drop me at the location of his home, then land at the port, stay in the shuttle and we'll reach out to you when we're ready."

"How?" Reedus looked at her in confusion.

"This Bakaree woman, if she's on a mission like this she should have comms devices to reach out when needed. Our informant will pick up on it and send you a notification, something tells me he may be listening even now." Ginrar said, then turning and walking to the rear of the shuttle, assuming bunk rooms were made up and available. "Once we have everyone onboard, we leave, no interruptions."

Reedus nodded, seeing a large Tallhee man enter and look around for a moment, he looked at her and Reedus couldn't help but see his kind concern. A far cry from what she had heard his father to be like, "Please come, we appreciate the help you offer." Reedus said to him.

Saffee shook her head, nervously avoiding the greetings and trying to not voice her objections, verbally or mentally. She stepped around him and to Reedus, taking her hand and squeezing it, feeling a light bit of ease as Reedus squeezed back.

Teloo entered last, bumping an elbow into the door button to close it, "Reedus, please." Then stepping and heading to the rear of the shuttle following Ginrar.

Reedus nodded and spun herself into the pilots seat, pushing herself back into its grip and pulling the restraints over her shoulders and latching them. She looked down at her screen and raised an eyebrow in anger, seeing a message on her screen from the informant.

>>>She's correct, I am listening.<<<

Saffee kissed her two fingers and then touched them to Reeduses cheek, "We're in your care, den." She said, then feeling Reedus touch her fingers in acknowledgement before returning her hands to the controls.

Reedus ignited the engines and checked the cabin pressure seals, focusing on her instruments and trusting the work she had put into the craft. Fuel cells were brimming and life support systems were working flawlessly with new carbon filters and liquid oxygen pumps ensuring they wouldn't suffocate. She felt the craft jostle as its engines began to lift it from the ground, no matter how many times she flew, there were always butterflies in her gut.

Teloo caught Ginrar before she could enter the narrow hallway at the back of the shuttle, two doors on either side making the four bunk rooms. Ginrar hit the door button for the first room, letting it open and looking inside, she saw someone's items already inside, hitting the button again she moved to the next room. "Ginrar, how are you feeling?"

Ginrar didn't look at Teloo as she heard her speak, "I am fine mother, do not worry about me."

Teloo watched as she entered the second room, going to the threshold and seeing Ginrar moved to one of the empty bunks. Reaching up to hold the railing for the top bunk with her back towards Teloo. She could see Ginrar was still in a bad state, she wanted to speak to her, wanted to hear about the life she had lived. But knew now wasn't the time, when she tried to reach out with her mind all she heard in return was a sound akin to wind blowing through grass. The crackling pops of wood burning in a fire, she could see darkness all around her as she stood alone.

Teloo hurt inside as well, feeling pain over not knowing what to do or say in this instance, "I'll leave you to rest," Teloo stepped back out of the bunk room. She raised her hand and put her pointer finger on the door button, pressing it and feeling the tactile click of the button sinking to her pressure. Hearing the hiss of the hydraulics, she looked at her daughters back as the door slid closed to block her view. Teloo heard one final thought from Ginrars mind, making her chest tighten as she felt tormenting pain inside of her.

'...Baba...'

......

Veronica sat in her chair and raised the cigarette to her mouth, gently taking it between her lips and loosely holding it. Ensuring she didn't wet the tip with saliva as she brought the lighter up and struck it, the flint being hit and sending dazzling sparks across the gas and igniting it. Touching the dancing fire to the tip and watching the first bit of paper ignite followed by the tobacco, she sucked air through it and into her mouth. Letting her cheeks cave in and then puff back out slightly, using two fingers she took the cigarette away and blew out the smoke that was mixed with the fumes of the gas from the lighter. Then taking it again she drew in a deep drag from the cigarette, rolling it in her maw for a moment before inhaling it into her lungs. Her eyes rolled as she enjoyed the robust flavor mixed with the menthol sensation cooling her throat and lungs.

"Mh, it's the little things like this I fear I won't be able to enjoy in the future, I'm sure you can appreciate that statement more than anyone else here." Veronica said, she took in another drag and looked at 779 who sat across from her. Haphazardly tossed into the chair, her disembodied head lying on its side. Her left eye smushed into the leather as her right one lazily looked at nothing in particular, her curly hair a mess as that had been her carrying handle for Veronica all day.

779 couldn't bring herself to speak, someone had been touching her body somewhere else in the estate but now she could no longer feel it. She felt so much torment before, but now she only felt like a living doll, unable to command her own being as others tinkered and toyed with it. She wasn't sure how she was breathing, how she was even alive and sentient in this state, but she had seen what Blackstar money could do. Her father may have scolded her for wasting funds, but no one in this household would ever see the well of wealth go dry. So she took it for what it was worth, a fortune had been invested in her, and Veronica would have her fun with her till she saw her as dull. 779 almost smiled at the thought, because right behind it another one followed, 'Maybe then I'll be allowed to die.'

Veronica stood from her chair and grabbed 779 by the hair once again, leaving the room and letting the head flail about as she strut. She had Peter stowed away in the lower hollows of the estate, doctors and staff waiting for her fathers approval for funds. Where they would repair Peter, coddle him and ensure he was in good health. She imagined they would give him milk and cookies before putting him back on a shuttle and sending him off to wherever it was that 779 had found him.

'Back to whoever that harlot was.' She thought as her feet froze in place, the last woman he had betrayed her with was currently in her clutches. She couldn't let the next one get away, no that would be a defeat she would never forgive herself for. She stormed down the halls, with each turn her rage growing, each step closer to him was another twisted inkling to sate her revenge. Revenge she was owed, and who was to say that she wasn't. Who could really look her in the eye and say she doesn't deserve violent retribution, 'No if Peter doesn't love me, no one will love him!' Bursting into the room she almost whipped 779s head against the door in her anger, seeing the staff watching her with bated breath.

"Ms. Veronica, your fathers approval for funds has just come through and we're designing the atta-"

"Shut up!" she screamed as she grabbed the white coat of the woman who was speaking. "Peter Hammerstead will get no such things from this estate!" she boomed. She felt joy in her chest as she witnessed the staffs wide eyes fearfully watch her, so eager to abide by her order. Not wanting to anger her, to be the next ones on the chopping block for her. "No no no, he gave up that option, he no longer has the chance to be put back together. Instead, I want to take him apart, I want to teach that man who he cheated, he made a promise. To love me, to be with only me, to only look at me, to ONLY FUCK ME!" she screamed. Raising the whimpering head of 779 and holding it like a mad trophy of a wicked conqueror, "You know what I did with the last one that thought they could touch my property."

They waited for her to elaborate, not one of them wanting to be the first to speak. Until a man in the back of the room stood up. Stepping towards her and putting his hands behind his back with a curt head nod and saying. "Of course, Ms. tell us what you would like and it would be our utmost pleasure to accommodate you. Nothing is out of reach and with funds approved there should be no issue as long as we stay in the budget provided."

Veronica gave a toothy smile to the man, "Good, now what do we do to teach an ornery dog to behave?"

......

*

"C'mon, it's a fucking Tallhee, you know how many credits we'd get for that oversized fucker? We could almost retire off a quick sell of it!" Jerns said to Gillant.

Gillant shook his head, "Naw man, remember that's what you said about the fucking pure concubine we picked up awhile back. And she's still in the same box without any interest."

"No interest? Aren't you jerking off to her everyday?"

"Hey fuck you!" Gillant snapped back.

"Look, all I'm saying is if we can rope that mother fucker in and get a slave collar on his neck, we'll have a fucking cash cow on a leash. Leave it to me and I'll take care of it." Jerns said with a smirk. He looked at the collar in his hand, seeing the green dull light signifying that it was ready to go around a poor souls neck and reduce them to an obedient husk.

GIllant felt uneasy about the idea Jerns had proposed, the guy was always headstrong and most of the time his ideas never worked out. But maybe he was right this time, "You've heard the rumors though?"

"The mind reading shit, that's all farc shit, we'll be fine."

Samaran woke up to a loud thump outside, listening for a moment and wondering if it was feeding time. She could see sunlight slipping through the edges as the box started to grow stuffier inside. She raised a hand and rubbed her eyes free of the sleeping crusties that had formed, sitting up in the small confines and listening to the outside world.

'Maybe today will be the day...' she hoped.

She took a deep breath and put her chin on her knees, waiting for one of the handlers to come and open the box. They kept her locked away most of the time, not wanting the sun to turn her pale porcelain skin to an undesirable shade of tan. She was free of scars and any other blemishes, long blonde hair tied into a braided ponytail and wrapped in a protective mesh to keep bugs and dirt from it. She shifted on the hard floor of the crate and wondered if it would be slop or gruel for breakfast today, and how much of it she would receive. They even regulated how much she ate, not wanting her to gain too much weight and turn into an undesirable shape.

Her body was an hourglass figure that was more sought after than standard concubines, and when a prospective buyer arrived, they wanted to make sure she was at peak standards. Her life was forfeit, only ready to be used as a toy for the wealthier class, weather that was through torture or lust. She had been the in-house goods of two slave traders four countless years, men that had been trying desperately to sell her off for a small fortune. Being human would grant them a hefty amount if they could hold out and find a suitable buyer, but Samaran often thought of another way out.

She heard a single set of heavy footfalls walking around the crate, its shadow blotting out the streaks of sun that came in through the cracks. She could hear sniffing as well, raising an eyebrow and burying her mouth into her knees. She wondered if it would be her buyer.

'I'm hungry.' she thought.

The footsteps stopped outside, a pause for a while before they turned in the dirt and walked towards her crate, Samaran listened to them circle her. She couldn't see who it was, but could tell they were intently looking at the box, she figured it was the purple man. She was used to him peering through the cracks and taking long looks at her, breathing heavy as he wrestled with something in his grip, 'animal' she thought as she grimaced.

*CRACK*

Samaran jumped as the lock on the front of the box was ripped off, a torn hole in its place as sunlight and dust spilled in. Then she could see something red blocking it out, she knew one of them was purple and the other was blue, but she never saw a red counterpart. She then recoiled as she saw an eye peering in, a pool of black with a fiery ring in the center, 'Is- is this the day?' she thought with excitement. A set of large red fingers came through the hole, brown claws on the end clinging to the crate and tearing into it before yanking the door off. She watched as the red beast stepped back and then kneeled, looking into the crate and wearing a look of distressed confusion.

Samaran waited for a moment, looking back at the beast as it looked at her, it was massive. Its skin was a lighter shade of red, muscles all over its body with shaggy black hair, she looked at the horns on its head for a moment. Coming out from each side and then going forward, contouring close to its skull and having two points on either horn. After staring for awhile she figured it was time to come out, she scooted on her butt and got to the edge of the crate. She stood up and braced herself against the crate. Her legs shaking from not being used often enough, she gulped as she looked at the beast. Then looking around she widened her eyes in surprise, seeing streaks of what had to be blood all across the small camp the two men had set up. She looked at the other crates, seeing them empty and wondering if this thing killed the others as well. 'Then it is today' she thought, smiling as she looked at it, feeling at ease and ready.

Desher looked at the small thing that came crawling out of the crate, he had seen all of the other ones in standard cages. Opening them all and releasing them, he pointed them towards a settlement that was over the hill to the north, he wasn't surprised to see them run in terror. But after looking around and ensuring the camp was clear he was just about to leave when he heard a small voice whisper out. Not verbally, but mentally, coming across like a soft melody of grace that had chimed out. He found it was coming from a more secure box, he had killed the two slavers without much care. Knowing they were trying to take him as property, he was disgusted that they thought they had the right to buy and sell sentient beings.