Bought and Sold

[sassinaskirt]

The mercenaries dropped her crate and laughed as she bounced painfully against the lid, biting the inside of her cheek. Even though she despised slave markets, it was better than being stuck with these men any longer. A month with them after they had killed her previous master had left her bruised, battered, and starving. Daniela didn't know how

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[hesdead_jim]

A slave market. Not his usual haunt but he'd heard whispers around the ship. Rumors spread by arrogant little Ensigns trying to get a foot higher, or even crewmen trying to earn a rank by impressing others with their ability to gossip and protect. Whispers that he was losing his touch. Whispers that despite the women he had at his beck and call, he was weak. Weak because he was the only one with high rank that didn't have a woman to do his dirty little bidding. Jim had his woman. Even Spock had a young crewman that followed him around like a lovesick puppy. But Leonard resisted. He would take a woman to his bed, but not invite her to be his main one

[sassinaskirt]

One of the mercenaries was still trying to freshen her up, and he licked his thumb, brushing his spit across her cheek. Wanting to gag, she held herself in check and continued staring out into the middle distance without focusing on anything. She had a feeling her dirty face was still cleaner than his dirty mouth or thumb.

The two left watching the path suddenly hissed lowly to each other and then moved back to her and the cheek cleaner.

"Some guy's looking at her. We might gotta sale here. Bring her up, c'mon."

The rope at her chaffed wrists was grabbed and she was pulled forward. She didn't resist, and obediently followed behind them, while imagining some far off planet somewhere beyond the reaches of the Empire that she might escape to someday.

[hesdead_jim]

Leonard tilted his head to the side as he neared her, eyeing the men around her carefully, almost cautiously. He had his phaser slung by his side should they prove to be trouble for him.

"Tell me 'bout her. I'm in th' market for someone to take with me. I need to take them today, so no bullshittin' me, you got it boys?"

[sassinaskirt]

The men sized him up, realizing this wasn't some wet behind the ears local. Still, there were three of them and one of him, so they felt pretty confident that this stranger would be no problem should negotiations go south.

There was one problem, though. They actually knew nothing about Daniela. They just called her "girl," or "slave," and since they had never sold a slave before, they weren't sure how to talk her up.

"What's your name again?" one asked her.

"Daniela," she answered as clearly as she could with her parched throat. She hadn't spoken in nearly a week, so her voice was scratchy.

"Right, fine. How old're you?"

She paused. "I don't know." One mercenary grabbed a chunk of her hair and yanked, making her gasp.

"Answer the question!"

"I don't know the year, so I don't know. Early twenties." She swallowed hard and tried to focus or anything other than her throbbing head.