Welcome to the Cathouse

Karmlyn Sen-Tiago shivered against the unaccustomed chill. It wasn't as though her environs were cold, they were not, but more due to her nakedness. Six hours. Six hours had passed since she'd been taken aboard the pirate's vessel, stripped of her clothing, and collared like an animal.

At least, she mused, fighting against panic, it isn't a cage this time.

But it was a cage. A cage made of silk tapestries and populated by scantily clad felinoids. Most were Mymar, some not, but all distinctively feline, and female.

She tugged at the ornate collar about her neck and remembered the warning she'd received from the hulking peppershaker prison guardian droid with its many arms and gadgets for subduing even the most obstinate ward. "Step outside your chamber once and receive a nasty jolt. You will not step outside a third time."

Naturally, Karmlyn had tested these boundaries, and there would be no second time, much less a third. And the sight of the other girls on the ship as they passed by her little hovel equipped with little more than a large bed and a semi-private bath facility it became painfully clear just where she was. In a harem.

Her roommate stirred slightly and Karmlyn gathered a damp rag to place on her shivering brow.

You almost got us both killed, Karmlyn thought, what were you thinking? I'm rich enough to ransom, and my uncle considers it a great responsibility to take passengers. You will be ransomed as well.

They're just pirates, she thought. She'd known full well that even though their captors plied their crooked trade in a surplus Prusslyn dreadnought they all understand that a wealthy freighter captain was worth more alive and unharmed than dead...or worse. At least that's what she thought as the interceptors surrounded the Red Star and the grappler field dragged her ship into the dreadnought's cavernous hangar. She'd thought that right up until the guardian droids boarded her ship, stripped her and her passenger, collared them both, and led them to the harem on a chain. Well, it was "led" in Karmlyn's case, and carried in the case of her passenger.

The passenger stirred again and Karmlyn thought that perhaps her blaster setting had been a little high.

"Kendel?" moaned her companion.

"No, it's Karmlyn," she replied. "Easy, Lynsyl. Don't try to sit up."

"Kendel? Please stop, I hurt."

"Lynsyl, it's me, Karmlyn."

"Where are we Kendel?"

"We're on the pirate ship."

Lynsyl's eyes snapped open and she looked around incredulously. Then she opened her mouth to scream in horror.

Karmlyn fought a losing battle against Lynsyl's flailing arms and retreated out of swinging range.

"You!" screamed Lynsyl, "You put us here! Do you have any idea where we are?"

Karmlyn covered herself with her arms and shuddered. "It's just a pirate ship. As soon as we see the captain we'll be ransomed for sure."

"You might be!" Lynsyl screamed, "You might be, but me? Do you have any understanding what you've done?"

Karmlyn stiffened, "My uncle-"

"Your uncle," retorted Lynsyl, "can't stop these...people!" Then she buried her head in her hands. "I can't believe that after all the running and hiding I've done I'm back."

Karmlyn was about to ask about that curious statement when another's question answered it for her.

From outside their enclosure another voice asked, "Lynsyl? Is that you?"

Lynsyl jerked her head up and emitted a miserable cry. The stranger, another Mymar with a deep brown pelt and ornate jewels in her mane, dressed in a filmy red skirt and top burst into the room and threw her arms around Lynsyl's neck. Bells decorating the stranger's clothing jingled as the two burst into a single sobbing mass.

"Oh Mimlyne," gushed Lynsyl, "After all these years, you're still alright. And in charge of the roost, I see. Is Telyn..."

The one named Mimlyne looked away in sorrow. "You know what happens once our looks have faded."

Lynsyl, still sniffling, replied, "You have a ways to go, time has been kind..."

Mimlyne looked down at herself and said, "If that were only more true than it is..."

They held onto each other silently for a moment before Mimlyne spoke. "Oh Lynsyl, when they find out who you are..."

Lynsyl's eyes lit up. "You mean they don't know?"

Mimlyne shook her head.

"Then my name is Islyne Jixsi." With that Lynsyl broke free of her friend's embrace and bolted into the bath area.

The woman, Karmlyn could tell she was about forty, rose and turned to face her.

Suddenly more self-conscious, Karmlyn covered her breast with her arms and looked away.

Mimlyne summoned another girl into the room. This one had a golden brown pelt and large vacant green eyes. She bore an armload of clothing, all practically see-through filmy red and decorated with numerous brass bells.

Karmlyn smiled at the "cards" analogy and nodded.

"I leave you with Lolyn," said Mimlyne. "She will assist you as you get dressed. Pay close attention to her, or rather to how the only other girl to escape this ship ended up once they caught her." Then she turned and left the room leaving Karmlyn alone with her 'valet.'

The vacant eyed girl went through the motions of dressing Karmlyn expertly; save for when she pinched the base of Karmlyn's tail with the skirt clasp causing her to yelp in pain. Lolyn curled up on the floor and whimpered pitifully until she recovered enough to see that Karmlyn wasn't about to hurt her.

Mother of Mixin, what have they done to you? Karmlyn thought in horror as she herself finished getting dressed. The "outfit" was made of a fabulous material, soft, nicely scented, and terribly sheer. Karmlyn offered thanks to The Creator that there were opaque undergarments provided, even if they crawled up her behind under the base of her tail and pressed her breasts into uncomfortable, and provocative, shapes.

Twenty minutes and a strong scent of cosmetic fur bleach later "Islyne Jixsi" stepped out of the bath area.

Lynsyl, now sheet white and blue eyed, went immediately to the pile of clothing and deftly donned the whole kit with measured practice.

"I see now why you would choose death over capture by these people," said Karmlyn, gesturing to Lolyn.

"Why," snorted Lynsyl, "I'm Islyne Jixsi and have no idea who these people are."

"By your candor I gather we're not being overheard, then. Are you sure just changing your colour is going to work, those droids have already seen you."

"Customers?" spat Karmlyn, shocked.

Lynsyl snorted. "Welcome to the Cathouse. Spectacular dining, lodging, spas, meeting rooms, and of course, horizontal refreshments."

Karmlyn's eyes bulged out, and Lynsyl laughed.

"So, Karmlyn Sen-Tiago, what finishing school for young ladies did you attend? I attended this one. Is it any wonder about my career path, Miss rich girl?"

"You're not being fair-"

"Fair! Life isn't fair, Miss Sen-Tiago. Or did you lose this concept in your ivory tower?"

With great effort Karmlyn suppressed the urge to slap Lynsyl Xixin. Instead she worked her jaw and said, "Yourself. You are not being fair to yourself."

Lynsyl abruptly sat down, shivering. Karmlyn sat beside her and placed an arm around her shoulders.

With a quiver in her voice Lynsyl said, "Well, I can think of worse company to have right now."

Karmlyn let out a little laugh, "And here I thought I was your arch-nemesis."

Lynsyl looked Karmlyn directly in the eyes and said, "You haven't met John yet. Or John. Or John."

It was Karmlyn's turn, then, to shake uncontrollably.

"Karm, Drak understands money. If you can get yourself out of here, do it, but promise me something if you have to leave me behind..."

"Your brother Kendel?"

Lynsyl snarled, "Doing your own little research project on me? But yes, tell him that Jolyne can't see him any more. He'll understand. And make damned sure he finishes his degree."

Karmlyn crossed her arms. "When you fly with Sen-Tiago, you get where you're going."

Lynsyl's eyes briefly turned red, then back to blue. "Forget star chart coordinates, my ultimate destination is to see my baby brother through school. Forget what Mimlyne said, I'll handle her, if need be."

Karmlyn nodded, then looked closely at Lynsyl's eyes. "How do you do that?"

Lynsyl snapped her eyes shut and opened them again, her eyes mirroring Karmlyn's perfectly. "Good enough to fool an iris scanner, but not a retinal." Then she snapped them back to blue, while Karmlyn made a mental note to upgrade her ships security. "I've had both yours and Jinx's in memory since our last-" She abruptly stopped speaking and began to shudder violently.

"I've never seen you shake like that before, Jinx," hinted Karmlyn.

Quick on her feet Lynsyl replied, "I've never been in this situation before, Karm."

Karmlyn sat down beside her and whispered, "Is someone coming?"

Lynsyl nodded.

"Jinx doesn't have whiskers."

Lynsyl gazed into space for a second and reached up. In two deft pulls she yanked her whiskers from the sides of her muzzle and rolled them into the waistband of her skirt as a trio of guardian droids rolled into the room with Mimlyne in tow, literally, by a length of chain to her collar.

Karmlyn cringed at the thought of yanking thirty odd whiskers in one pull. She, being like most modern Mymar had only two or three on each side, which she'd been plucking since her teens. Plucking one hurts, let alone a face full.

The valet girl, Lolyn, cringed in fear as the droids entered and slipped from the room as soon as the doorway was clear.

Karmlyn watched Lynsyl's eyes mist up and teardrops roll into her fur. Either this girl is a hell of an actress or I should be very afraid right now, she thought.

"Stand," stated the droids in unison.

Lynsyl remained seated, shivering and Karmlyn took the cue, herself remaining seated as she eyed the droids in fear, some of it feigned, but most of it genuine. Abruptly she was wracked with blinding pain as her collar sent a terrible jolt through her neck.

"Stand and follow," commanded the droids.

Karmlyn, still shaken by the jolt, struggled to her feet and assisted a quivering "Jinx" to hers. The droids then affixed chains to their collars, one woman to a droid. Then they had no option but to follow, or be dragged along behind.

She has a thing or two to learn about the real Jinx, thought Karmlyn, but then she thought for a moment that Lynsyl might just be forcing her to be the strong one. The negotiator. The one to get them out of this mess. Deep inside, past all the fear, Karmlyn actually relished the opportunity to try her charms on a pirate captain from an inferior position.

They followed the droids through a bewildering array of miniature pavilions past many a feline harem girl, mostly Mymar with only a few exceptions, to a large pressure door. The door yawned open and the group proceeded into the more "regular" portion of the dreadnought, if it could be called regular. Rich tapestries adorned the bulkheads and more than once Karmlyn caught herself thinking, what I wouldn't do for a ship such as this...

A small droid, an astromechanical, rolled past and followed them with its eye as the group carried on towards the bow of the ship. Karmlyn wondered if she would have the opportunity to negotiate her own droid, Beepo's release as well, or if she would even ever see him again.

Funny, she mused, how a droid has become a "him" in my mind. I need to get out more often.

A trio of human males in bathrobes approached from another hallway and bid the guardian droids stop.

"Well," hooted the biggest one, "I didn't see you two in the catalogue," as he grasped Karmlyn's tail.

Karmlyn raised a fist to let the man know exactly what he thought of him, but Mimlyne caught her arm, twisted it and pinned it up behind her back.

Karmlyn began a cutting protest only to have Mimlyne wrap her hand firmly around her muzzle.

"I'm sorry, gentlemen, but these are very new and haven't yet been broken."

"S'alright," the man slurred, "I like it when they play a little rough."

"Perhaps I can play rough in her place later, then," Mimlyne offered.

Karmlyn was astonished by this, although scared out of her wits and angry beyond reason, she was growing a strange respect for this woman who would offer herself up for a complete stranger.

The man guffawed. "Yer lookin' too over the hill fer my needs." And the men laughed as they strolled away.

The guardian droids resumed their steady motion down the hallway and for a moment Karmlyn saw a terrible fear in Mimlyne's eyes that was replaced with a steely determination.

Mimlyne began to speak, "Drak is a Prusslyn artificial intelligence, in essence, it is this ship. This ship was the Prusslyn Empire's largest, most advanced dreadnought, and as such, the most expensive. So the AI was programmed to take action to preserve the ship against crew incompetence. Unfortunately for the crew, that meant that as soon as they attempted to take the ship into battle Drak took over all functions, hyperjumped out of the combat arena and spaced every living thing on board."

Karmlyn felt her hackles go up while Mimlyne paused for dramatic effect before continuing, "That was twelve years ago. Drak soon ran into the problem of maintenance, acquiring parts mostly. Since it is programmed to survive it had taken to raiding supply lines, until it captured a transport filled with Mymar refugees, mostly women, widows and young girls. I was the communications officer. The rest is history; welcome to the Cathouse, spa to criminal bosses anywhere. We're here."

Swallowing the lump that had developed in her throat, Karmlyn followed her droid through a heavy blast doorframe and came into the presence of the master of the ship. Not what she'd been hoping to see, she'd fancied a dashing pirate captain with an eye patch, not an array of blinking lights and humming machinery.

"Karmlyn Sen-Tiago, Islyne Jixsi, stand in the yellow circles," commanded the droids.

This time, not wanting another jolt, they both obeyed instantly stepping into the circles that formed in the floor. A scanning wave passed over them, taking their measurements precisely to the last bit of their bodies, their irises included.

"Captain Drak," began Karmlyn.

"Silence," replied the machine's grating voice. "Karmlyn Sen-Tiago. Age twenty-six, owner-operator of Red Star, agent of Sen-Tiago Shipping Company, healthy. Ransomable. Next. Islyne Jixsi. Age unknown, presumed to be twenty-four based on scan results, healthy, known psionic, dangerous. Space her."

"What?" shrieked Lynsyl, "I am not!"

Karmlyn and Mimlyne looked at one another in horror as Lynsyl was yanked from her circle by the droid to which she was chained and dragged screaming out the door.

Karmlyn tried to chase after but the instant she stepped from her circle she was brought to her knees in searing pain. As she crawled back into the circle she silently lamented, Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.

Mimlyne stared down at her incredulously and closed her eyes. She knelt down and helped Karmlyn to her feet taking the opportunity to whisper into her ear, "That, wasn't your fault, but at least she will go quickly rather than be a broken shell."

The machine spoke again, "Mimlyne, Karmlyn will be of use before ransom. Estimated useful timeframe before ransom becomes more profitable than onboard use, nine years. Oversee her conditioning. Go."

"What?" screamed Karmlyn, this whole situation being beyond her wildest nightmares, but Drak had spoken and she was being forcefully dragged out of the AI entity's chamber, across the hallway and into a small chamber with nothing but a single dentist's chair surrounded by a bewildering array of equipment. Still screaming she was roughly shoved into the chair by the droids and fastened to it with many a strap around her arms, legs and body.

As Karmlyn's head was roughly pulled backward by the collar, Mimlyne looked down at her with saddened eyes. "After this you'll be more...comfortable with your situation," she said and turned away.

"Help me..." gurgled Karmlyn panic robbing her of her voice as a metal shroud lowered itself over her head cutting off all her senses save for touch. Whirling colours danced before her eyes and she couldn't quite fathom whether they were the product of some machination or the result of too high a pulse.

Slowly her heart rate began to drop and she began to breath more evenly. She tested the bonds holding her to the chair to no avail, so she waited for her vision to clear to the point of maddening utter blackness.

So this is how they "indoctrinate" their girls, Karmlyn thought. Sensory deprivation, enough to bring the mind to the breaking point, but not quite over...unless it suited their purposes at the time. Poor Lolyn...and poor Lynsyl. Lynsyl.

It was too late for both of them when Karmlyn had opened the Red Star's hatchway to her passenger. The money was paid and the engines were hot. The trip being a weeks travel promised to be tense, especially when at the time Lynsyl arrived at the ship both she and Karmlyn were dressed identically, right down to eye colour. But despite the tension they both managed to maintain decorum.

A day into their journey Karmlyn had been "staying out of the way" on the bridge of the Red Star when Lynsyl strolled in and sat down in the "gunner's chair." They avoided eye contact for a long time and when it appeared the ice might have been broken they were pulled from hyperspace by an artificial gravity well. Drak's Cathouse. A neat ambush by a droid run ship for a freighter that just happened to be hauling droid and hyperdrive parts. Karmlyn supposed that there being two Mymar females and an astromechanical droid on board was merely gravy, an irresistible target. And they met dressed alike and they parted dressed alike, Karmlyn undergoing "conditioning" and Lynsyl undoubtedly floating in space, frozen solid, or scattered into a fine red mist.

Karmlyn descended into despair and self-loathing for a time wondering if all Lynsyl had accused her of was true. Was she indeed just some rich girl who had no comprehension of "real world" situations, or was it Lynsyl whose skewed upbringing left her at the mercy of her temper. Perhaps, Karmlyn thought, a little of both.

She felt a tiny pinprick in her arm and numbness ran through her body.

Karmlyn heard a voice screaming. The shroud lifted and she looked into Mimlyne's wide eyes.

"Karmlyn! Calm down!" Mimlyne shook her violently at the shoulders. The screaming had been Karmlyn's own.

Her voice raw and tears flowing from her eyes, Karmlyn recovered somewhat and begged, "Let me up! For mercy's sake, let me up! I...promise to be good." Then she broke down crying.

"Shh," Mimlyne soothed, "Something's wrong, all the guardian droids have stopped working." Then Mimlyne pulled an emergency release on the guardian droid detaching the chain from her collar and went to a systems panel.

"How, how long?" croaked Karmlyn, her voice returning.

"Eight hours," Mimlyne replied.

"It felt like a year," sobbed Karmlyn.

Mimlyne returned to Karmlyn and put a hand on her forehead. "I know," she whispered, her head hung low. "Believe me, I know."

Over the ship's loudspeaker rang an acidly sarcastic voice, "All your function are belong to me."

"Lynsyl!" the women chorused.

Lynsyl's voice rang loud and clear throughout the ship, "How do you like it Drak? How do you like being violated? Oh no, don't do that or I start deleting kernal256.exe files. You really shouldn't have gone with Macrosoft on that last upgrade, sure it's cheaper, you moneygrubber you, but it has so many holes! No, I'm not Dave, and yes, you are losing your mind. How'd you like to wind up in a pocket calculator? But first, a math quiz. Calculate pi to its last decimal. Can't do it? Fine stop once you reach the bazillionth decimal. Well, check your database for 'bazillion' again! Still can't find it? Run a diagnostic on every shipboard system."

On and on Lynsyl railed while Mimlyne unfastened Karmlyn from the chair. "It seems you'll be leaving us now, Miss Sen-Tiago."

"Dang straight," snorted Lynsyl from the doorway. Accompanied by an unfamiliar astromechanical droid, she looked ruffled, but otherwise unharmed. "I have Drak on a continuous loop, but it's only last so long. And Karmlyn, I hope you don't mind, but your ship has just been booked for a few extra non-paying passengers."

Karmlyn shook her head in disbelief at the turn of events as she slowly sat up in the chair, testing her muscles. They weren't sore, not exactly, but they tingled. Gingerly, she slid to the floor and tested her strength. Satisfied she was able, despite the hours of immobility she let go of her support and nearly collapsed. Mimlyne caught her and pressed a needle into her skin. Warmth spread throughout her body from the injection point, accompanied with a strange burst of euphoric energy.

"What is that?" she asked, fanning at herself.

Lynsyl grasped Karmlyn by the shoulders, her eyes wide and their more habitual amber. "Are you alright?"

Karmlyn, feeling a little giddy from the shot, but much more able to stand, grinned and replied, "Great!"

"That's not what I mean," Lynsyl countered.

Mimlyne put an arm around both of the women and in a low, soft voice said, "Karmlyn is a strong girl. But now I believe she understands us a little better."

While Karmlyn struggled against a flood of uncomfortable emotion to maintain a sense of decorum, Lynsyl returned Mimlyne's hug and said, "You laughed when I said I'd come back for you."

"Sweet child," Mimlyne wept, "I refuse to believe that you orchestrated this on purpose."

"I didn't, but you know that things happen for those who hope."

"And who taught you that?"

"You did," Lynsyl purred. "We have very little time. Karm, this droid will take you to your ship, we'll be along as quickly as we can. But first we go this way."

The three women bolted from the conditioning chamber and began a quick jog back towards the harem followed closely by the astromechanical droid.

"How many?" asked Karmlyn.

"Seventy-five," Mimlyne replied, drawing a snort from Lynsyl.

"They've been busy recruiting I see. More illicit purchasing from orphanages?"

Mimlyne merely grimaced in reply.

Seventy-five! Karmlyn shuddered at the thought, realizing they'd all be piled one on top of the other in a ship as small as the Red Star.

The women came to the intersection where they were to part and ran face to face into the three drunken mobsters that they'd met hours earlier stumbling out of a dining room.

The six eyed each other in surprise for a moment until in a moment of reckless imagination Karmlyn strolled confidently up to the mobster in the middle, her bells jingling musically as she threw her arms around the man's shoulders.

"Someone order dessert?" she purred.

Lynsyl and Mimlyne, shocked for a split second at Karmlyn's response to the situation, quickly followed suit.

Karmlyn's gangster wrapped his arms around Karmlyn's waist and grinned lustily as he placed his hands on Karmlyn's buttocks.

"Well kitty, seems ye've been tamed a bit," he slurred.

Karmlyn wound her tail tightly around the man's wrists and he slurred again, "Still likesh it rough, kitty?"

"Oh, yes," she purred, as she liberated the mobster's weapon from it's holster.

"Whathehell?" he stammered as he tried unsuccessfully to pull his hands from the loops in Karmlyn's tail.

With a sharp crack Lynsyl's mobster's head snapped backwards with a little help from the repulsorlifts in her heels and the man fell to the ground in a heap.

Karmlyn rolled the weapon's setting back to heavy stun, smiled sweetly for the mobster, and shot him full in the chest. Then she released her tail's grip and let the man slump to the floor as she turned the weapon towards Mimlyne's assailant. Or rather, victim.

Mimlyne had the man locked in a deep, passionate kiss. His struggles grew weaker and weaker, his face turning an unhealthy shade of purple, and she finally let him collapse to the floor, out cold.

"Mimlyne," joked Lynsyl, "I've hurt people with that technique of yours."

"Then you're out of practice," she replied.

"How did you do that?" Karmlyn asked, her jaw agape.

"Dear," Mimlyne replied, "It took me three days to teach Lynsyl, we simply do not have the time." Then she turned on her heel and walked into the harem.

Karmlyn turned to Lynsyl, eyes wide, and asked, "Taught you? How?"

Lynsyl grinned wickedly, pressed Karmlyn up against the bulkhead and ran her tongue across Karmlyn's face from chin, across her tightly pursed lips, and up to her nose. Then she too turned and went into the harem, her hips and tail swaying saucily.

Karmlyn scrubbed her face with her forearm, promising herself a long shower as soon as convenience allowed.

Her droid accompaniment whistled for her attention and rolled down the corridor to the main hanger, along the way it seemed as though the entire ship had been deserted. Every corridor, every alcove, every station, even the hangar which should have been busy with droids maintaining the ship's interceptors was eerily vacant. She followed the droid across the tarmac to a gleaming red freighter, her freighter, the Red Star. She ascended the landing ramp behind the droid and was met by her own personal astromechanical droid.

"Beepo!" she cried in joy as she threw her arms around the little unit. She'd honestly feared she'd never see him again, and was quite frankly overjoyed. Until, that is, she saw the new friends he'd acquired. The Red Star was absolutely crawling with droids of all shapes and sizes. Medicals, astromechs, even a few hulking guardians jockeyed for space in the hallways and every room.

Beepo chirped and whistled excitedly as a guardian rolled up the ramp behind Karmlyn.

"My apologies, Miss Sen-Tiago, for my earlier behaviour. And thank you for the rescue. Free at last, free at last, thank the First Spark, we're free at last."

"Well," snorted Karmlyn to no one in particular, "Things just got a little more crowded."

She pushed her way to the bridge, bells jingling against the multitude of droids who cheered at her each in their own fashion as she passed. After lifting a small observation droid out of the pilot's seat she sat, strapped in, and began warming the power core.

A light came on indicating a shift in weight in one of her cargo bays. She swung the external cameras around to look and saw a white Mymar in a cargo loader lifting a cargo palette from the bay.

In irritation, Karmlyn flipped on the external speakers and shouted, "Excuse me, that is expensive equipment!"

"You have insurance, don't you? Besides, I have seventy-five witnesses here who say it was stolen by pirates, which is true," came the irritated reply.

"Well, leave that and take the droid parts! They're cheaper! Do you realize what this will do to my deductible?"

Lynsyl flipped Karmlyn a rude gesture and pulled out the second cargo palette. "Remember that thing around your neck? You don't want to be around when Drak wakes up."

Karmlyn grimaced as a steady stream of harem girls filed into the bay, pausing only for a pair of guardian droids to do something to their collars as they passed by. Once all were aboard, Karmlyn closed the bay and waited for the locks to clamp down.

"We're all good here, Karm," crackled Lynsyl's voice over the intercom.

At the flick of a switch the ship's engines roared to life and the little vessel moved slowly into a launch tube. A moment later, the air evacuated from the tube and the Red Star burst free into space.

A guardian droid muscled it's way into the bridge gesturing with a grappler arm saying, "If you will allow me, Miss Sen-Tiago?"

"Please," replied Karmlyn as she cocked her head to one side allowing the droid to deactivate the infernal collar around her neck.

"Miss Sen-Tiago, Drak awakens. We guardians will shut down to avoid incident."

The thought of the prison droids running amok on her ship sent shivers down her spine. She looked over her shoulder to watch the droid's meters drop to inactive then resumed her astronomical calculations, trying to determine where the devil they were. One could cover a lot of ground in half a day's hyperspace travel.

The bridge door slid open and Karmlyn, relieved it wasn't a guardian who'd missed the cutoff, watched Lynsyl climb over an astromech droid into the bridge proper.

"Did I miss any...AAAAGGGHHHH!" she screamed.

"Lynsyl?" asked Karmlyn looking over her shoulder saw her in a writhing heap on the floor, her hands tearing desperately at her collar.

"Lynsyl!" Karmlyn screamed as the Red Star shook from incoming weapons fire. Hesitating no more than a second, Karmlyn pulled the harness release and leaped out of her chair. "Beepo, take the helm," she commanded, "Full evasive maneuvers."

Karmlyn tried desperately to access the guardian droid's grappler arm that held the key to the collar's mechanisms while her ship bucked wildly under Beepo's direction. At her feet Lynsyl began frothing at the mouth as her kicks and struggles grew weaker and weaker. Karmlyn dropped to her knees and grasped hold of Lynsyl's collar in desperation and received a terrifying jolt for her trouble. Weakly, Lynsyl formed her hands in the Absolini sign for brother.

"No," snarled Karmlyn, "When you fly with Sen-Tiago, you get where you're going." She reached into her emergency locker and withdrew an electrical bypass. "Any volunteers?" She asked the droids present.

Beepo spun around from the helm and stuck out his charging port.

"No Beepo, I need you."

Beepo stuck out his electroprod and gave Karmlyn a stiff jolt.

Her eyes wide with surprise, Karmlyn looked down at Lynsyl, dying before her eyes, and she stuck the bypass into Beepo's charging port and held the other end to Lynsyl's collar. Momentarily blinded by the spark and stunned by the acrid stench of ozone, Karmlyn fumbled to get her bearings. The ship rocked from further weapons fire, but for the moment she trusted her maintenance schedule to hold the Red Star together a moment longer. The spots faded from her eyes and to one side Beepo stood ominously silent, his charging port blackened beyond recognition.

Lynsyl, in a harsh voice, said, "I think I'm blind."

Karmlyn hoisted her up and gave her a hug, tears running down both of their cheeks.

I almost watched her die, thought Karmlyn.

The ship rocked again and Lynsyl pushed Karmlyn away. "Fly the damn ship, you idiot."

"Ingrate," Karmlyn smiled. Satisfied that Lynsyl was going to live she climbed back into the pilot's seat fighting against the ship's bucking under the weapon's fire. After few quick jerks on the yoke, the incoming fire making contact lessened dramatically.

"I am definitely blind," growled Lynsyl as she fumbled her way into the gunner's chair. Her eyes were filmy white, dead, like the eyes of a doll.

Karmlyn shook her head at the sight and resumed her location calculations.

Abruptly, the Red Star began shaking violently under massive weapons fire.

"What?" screamed Karmlyn. "What now?"

"Interceptors," deadpanned Lynsyl. "What sort of ship to ship armaments do you carry?"

"What are you going to do, fire wild? You're blind."

"Not anymore I'm not."

Karmlyn craned her neck around and watched two droids, an astromech and a medical, pulling wires from the Red Star's central computer panel, fusing them one by one to the whiskers in Lynsyl's hand and inserting them into her muzzle.

"I'm detecting three class three laser turrets, forward, belly, and aft, and a missile launcher armed with disrupter warheads. Am I right?"

Karmlyn nodded, shocked by the sight of the opti-cable forest growing from Lynsyl's muzzle.

"Well?" asked Lynsyl, "We don't have time for a database search."

"Uh-yes. Three turrets and missiles."

The ship rocked and the lights dimmed momentarily.

"What the hell are they using?" snarled Karmlyn as she twisted the yoke from side to side trying to lose her pursuer's locks.

"Disrupters. They want us alive, for obvious reasons. I'm detecting a distress signal transmitting, is that you Karm?"

"It's me," rang Mimlyne's voice over the intercom. "Try to make a prostitute out of a Space Force Reserve Communications Chief will they? Ladies, we have six interceptors shooting the hell out of our tail end, remember there're seventy-six of us back here."

Karmlyn veered sharply from left to right trying to lead the interceptors fire with little success, her freighter simply hadn't the maneuverability. It did, however, have plenty of power to spare.

"Mimlyne!" shouted Karmlyn, "would you see if you can get those astromechs to work on the power system? I don't know how much longer the core will hold out against those disrupters."

All over the Red Star droids began jamming their ports into any accessible node, be it a maintenance hatch or a glow rod socket, each intent on buffering the power surges with their own bodies if necessary. But the freighter's guns remained silent.

"Lynsyl," murmured Karmlyn, "we could use some help here."

"A little closer...yes...get a little more arrogant...goodbye."

The aft turret spat light at the nearest interceptor piercing it until it disappeared in a ball of flame.

"And you too," Lynsyl muttered, "and you and you and you. Dammit!"

"What?" asked Karmlyn between jerky maneuvers.

"I lost the turret!"

A chime on the console sounded announcing a task completion.

"No matter, we have our jump coordinates. Hold tight!" Karmlyn yelled triumphantly.

A shower of sparks rained down from behind Karmlyn's seat.

"Was that bad Karm?" asked Lynsyl.

Karmlyn's blood ran cold as she watched the 'hyperdrive ready' light wink out. "Yes...it is."

"Mixin...the drive?"

"What's left behind us?"

"One interceptor pulling back for another run. I think he's aware we're out our rear turret, and the Cathouse itself firing long range disrupter missiles. Anywhere to hide?"

"We're in deep space, nothing here but pebbles."

"If we get that last interceptor we can outrun the Cathouse, hopefully long enough for our army of droids to put the remaining hyperdrive parts to good use."

Karmlyn began to respond but Lynsyl made another chilling announcement. "Karm, the life support is out."

"It's getting stuffy in here," called Mimlyne over the intercom. "What's going on up there?"

"Mim...hold a minute. Karm, I think I speak for everyone back there when I say I don't want to be taken alive."

Karmlyn desperately wracked her brain for ideas, any patchwork to get some sort of air filtration whatsoever. In the main cabin two people could live for hours without life support, but that many in a cargo bay?

"I don't want to be taken back there either."

"Excuse me," called Mimlyne over the intercom.

"Oh Mimlyne, I'm sorry..." said Lynsyl.

"Will you shut up a second? There was a signal behind us. I ran it through the translator and it came back as a 'Brilliant Waterfowl of Beauty' whatever that means. Drak is now jamming short range transmissions."

Lynsyl choked and asked, "Is it a carrier?"

"Yes, old Galactic Union Peregrine class. Strange, the standard procedure for a carrier dehyping without an escort is to launch fighters, but they're not."

"Turn around Karmlyn."

"Are you insane? In case you've forgotten, there's a Prusslyn flagship back there that wants us badly!"

"Dammit Karm! That's the Radiant Swan back there! A civilian vessel!"

"Umm, ladies?" called Mimlyne, "A medical droid says we have five minutes of air back here..."

"Karm..." pleaded Lynsyl.

"How many of those girls have ever known freedom?" asked Karmlyn.

"Some can't even read or write, not an 'occupational skill' according to Drak."

Karmlyn pulled back on the yoke until the Prusslyn behemoth filled the canopy. "Where is it?"

A dot appeared on her heads up display beside a holo representation of Lynsyl's face. "We might make it if we give it all we have." The flight path would take them right down the throat of the Cathouse. "Care to gamble?"

Karmlyn grew a wide grin, "You just said the magic word." Then she hammered the throttle to full.

"I have that interceptor incoming... hold it steady."

Karmlyn kept the Red Star's course dead straight for an unnerving length of time while the two ships exchanged weapons fire.

"Dammit this one moves fast," snarled Lynsyl as she fired a missile. "This'll keep him busy for a moment."

The missile homed in on the interceptor, and faded from the radar screen.

"Karm, what happened to that rocket?"

Then the interceptor exploded.

"Special delivery," snorted Karmlyn.

"I'll say, you know those are illegal?"

"Then let's get rid of the evidence..."

As they drew closer to the Cathouse they received a one-word transmission. "Surrender."

"What do we say Karm?" asked Lynsyl as she shot down an incoming disrupter missile.

"Well," said Karmlyn as she wove back and forth dodging weapons fire, "If I weren't a sophisticated socialite used to fine company, I'd say fuck you."

"I'll pass the message on." A series of missiles launched from the Red Star and winked out of radar. All across the Cathouse's underbelly turrets disappeared in clouds of fire. "Well, Miss Sen-Tiago, I see a clearer path..."

"Why thank you, Miss Xixin. Hang on tight, this is still going to be close."

Karmlyn skimmed the Red Star death defyingly close to the hull of the Cathouse, so close she missed the massive planetary bombardment cannons by mere meters.

"Wow Karm, we're so close I can't see it anymore," joked Lynsyl.

"Seriously?"

"My eyes are ship's radar for now. Not much good at this range."

Karmlyn spotted something in front of them, moving fast. "Lynsyl, I think we have something incoming."

The Red Star rocked from laser fire, momentarily shaking Karmlyn's hold on the yoke.

"What is it? I can't see a thing."

"They're firing lasers at us now, looks like Drak wants us dead. I swear I saw something."

Karmlyn held her course terrifyingly tight against the Cathouse's hull to stay beneath the arc of the majority of the dreadnought's turrets. She was pushing the Red Star to the edge of its limits for sure, but she knew she had no other options. A brilliant glow appeared before the Red Star and Karmlyn screamed, "Incoming missile! Shoot it!"

"I can't see a thing!" shouted Lynsyl as the turrets fired wildly forward.

"Cargo grappler! Widen the beam!"

"Searching for it...oh shit!"

Wide green beams sprang forth from above the cargo bays catching the missile and pushing it wide, detonating it against the hull of the Cathouse.

The Red Star's hull screamed in protest from the shockwave and the ship was thrown away from Karmlyn's tightly plotted course into a wall of laser fire. Karmlyn rolled the vessel, pierced in several locations, to one side to protect the port cargo bay. Although heavily shielded, there were seventy-six lives at stake, trusting she would bring them to freedom. Fighting against the ship's screams of protest and trying to ignore the wail of numerous alarms drove her focus to a very fine point; the carrier looming before her.

"Karm," said Lynsyl, "That was a freaking antimatter warhead. We've lost all shielding, the starboard engine is indicating stress damage and the Cathouse is on a power build-up. I think I hit something bad."

Karmlyn checked a sensor gauge. Indeed, the Cathouse was emitting a terrifying amount of radiation. "I think you hit the power core, it's going to blow."

Mimlyne's voice crackled over the intercom, "That carrier is preparing to jump, and we're getting groggy back here."

Frantic, Karmlyn asked, "Do they see us?"

Lynsyl answered, "They do, but who are we to them when a ship that big is about to blow. They're bailing. Mim, can you get me a voice link to the Swan?"

"Too much interference...and I'm seeing double..." her voice faded away.

"The Swan's starting to move..." murmured Lynsyl.

"Lynsyl, we're going in that hangar bay, or spattering ourselves against that carrier's side."

Karmlyn, holding onto the throttle, for no particular reason beyond comfort felt a warm hand on hers. Looking over, Lynsyl had her eyes closed, not that they would have been of any use if they were open, and the Red Star's engines screamed with the auxiliary power the wired-up girl was forcing into them. The sound of shearing metal assaulted their ears as the starboard engine threatened to rip away from the hull.

"Hold on," Karmlyn snarled, "this is going to be a rough landing."

Disoriented, Karmlyn awoke to the sound of a cutting saw. She looked around in confusion, finding everything where it should be, but something was wrong. Perhaps it was her mane standing straight up. But as the fog cleared from her mind and the weight of her slave collar made its presence known against her jaw, the problem became clear. She was upside-down.

The Red Star's canopy fell away in one piece and she looked up, or rather down, at a retrieval droid carrying the canopy away. Sore all over, she fumbled for her harness release.

"I wouldn't do that, doll," rang a clear voice speaking her native language of Absolin. "It's a long way down."

She looked, and saw a Mymar man of about forty with a shining gold pelt and deep brown mane dressed in a fire-retardant jumpsuit grinning back up at her.

"Hang on while we get your friend down first."

"Port cargo bay," Karmlyn croaked.

The man smiled, "The girls are shaken up, but the gravity held. We're waiting to flip the ship before we unload them. Those gravity inversions can be disorienting and they certainly don't need further injuries."

The retrieval droid returned clipped the wires from the unconscious Lynsyl's face then plucked her, seat and all, from the bridge. It disappeared from view, returned and lifted Karmlyn away, returning her to an upright position and depositing her chair next to her former bridge companion on the Swan's hangar deck.

A medical droid, satisfied that Lynsyl was alive and recovering, turned its attention to Karmlyn. Being too weak to put on a show of bravado she let the droid go about its business poking and prodding. She distracted herself by surveying the damage to her ship. Massive structural damage front to back, laser marks everywhere and the starboard engine was missing, leaving behind an ugly gash in the hull. The remains of the engine appeared to be embedded in the wall of the hangar near the entry. Broken cameras and lighting equipment from what appeared to be a film production set lay scattered around the battered Red Star and several men and women milled about the edges of the hangar in bathrobes.

Karmlyn jumped slightly when Lynsyl spoke.

"I see we interrupted a shoot."

"See?" Karmlyn turned to watch an astromech droid replace Lynsyl's left eye, the right already repaired. She shuddered, "That's disturbing."

"The shoot or my eyes?" Lynsyl winked.

Karmlyn looked at the people in bathrobes and shuddered. "Both, I think. Where are we?"

Lynsyl grinned wickedly. "We're on the Kalina Productions ship Radiant Swan."

Karmlyn rolled her eyes. "A blue-movie studio..."

"Lots of room on a hangar deck, and mobility to get to any location."

"And you know these people?"

"Well, I know the captain and crew, but I've never worked with anyone over there," she said gesturing to the curious bystanders.

"Weird way to make a living," snorted Karmlyn.

Lynsyl snarled, "Don't start with me Karm, when I broke out of the Cathouse the first time I didn't have much of a skill set. Those are normal people I assure you."

A petite tan skinned woman with pointed ears broke away from the pack of actors and offered both Karmlyn and Lynsyl to help themselves from a bag of cookies. Famished, both women accepted the offer. The woman then opened her robe, winked at them, and went back to the group of actors.

Karmlyn laughed. "You were saying?"

Lynsyl grumbled and replied, "That wasn't normal."

The medical droid chimed a clean bill of health for Karmlyn and both women detached themselves from their harnesses and somewhat unsteadily got to their feet. After shaking their disorientation they strode, bells jingling, to the man who'd directed the droid that'd plucked them from the cockpit.

Without turning around the man spoke in clear Perinese Absolini. "Hello Lynsyl, I take it you're not here for work or to take me up on my offer."

"Nope," she replied. "I have a real job now. Thank you, by the way."

"For the rescue, or for the connections?"

"Both, of course."

The man turned around and kissed Lynsyl's hand. "You're most welcome." He then turned to Karmlyn and introduced himself. "Alqua Kalina, president of Kalina Productions. And you?"

Karmlyn put on her best smile, knowing that although this man was the self-styled 'porn king of Absolin' she'd literally crashed his home and good graces, not to mention destroyed thousands of credits worth of film equipment. The matter of the destruction wrought upon his hangar was another factor to consider.

"Karmlyn Sen-Tiago. Agent of Sen-Tiago Shipping Company."

Confused, Kalina looked back and forth at the two women, then finally laughed. "The Karmlyn Sen-Tiago? The same Karmlyn Sen-Tiago that Lynsyl here virtually begged me to run a nasty rumour about in my Midnight Star magazine? Why Miss Sen-Tiago, with the outfit you wore then and the one you're wearing now, I could make you even more notorious."

Suddenly self-conscious, Karmlyn looked down at herself. She'd entirely forgotten what she was wearing, but was forced to admit, it was comfortable to the point where it was easy to forget. She rallied her smile once again and replied, "Why thank you for the offer, sir, but my performances are strictly private."

Kalina winked at her and turned back to Lynsyl. "I see you've brought some fresh talent with you this time. Did you manage to rescue all of them?"

Before Lynsyl could reply Mimlyne's voice rang out. "Like hell my girls are fresh talent."

Her bells jingling, she strode directly up to Kalina stopping when they were almost nose to nose. Both of respective sets of whiskers bristled at the sight of each other.

"And you are..." snarled Kalina.

"Sub-Commander Mimlyne Tanzer, Space Force Reserve ship Pelligos. And as last officer of said ship, I am still in charge of these women until I declare they are on safe soil. You will not be exploiting these women."

"They are on safe soil, this ship is under Absolini registry and I have no intention of exploiting anyone. We are en route to Absolin now where the proper authorities can take over. But don't bar those of legal age employment opportunities. Look at Lynsyl, she came to me a confused starving wreck from that ship with no life skills at all. Now she's commanding a good contract price."

"As a pin-up girl!" Mimlyne snarled. "Do you have any shame whatsoever Mister..."

"Kalina. Alqua Kalina. And do you realize what your girls are going to have to go through to reintegrate themselves into society? Do you realize the government agencies that are going to regard them as a job for life? Peligos was an orphan transport, right? They will have absolutely no privacy whatsoever should those without families get dropped into government hands. They will get poked and prodded and psychoanalyzed to the point they believe something is wrong with them."

Lynsyl tried to interrupt, "Um, people, I have an idea."

"Shush, Lynsyl," retorted Mimlyne as she renewed her assault. "So you believe that turning unpaid slave harlots into paid harlots substantially increases their social standing?"

Karmlyn grew disgusted with the scene and shouted, "Will you two shut up?"

Mimlyne and Kalina stopped and stared at her.

"What do we have here?" began Karmlyn. "I see seventy-five scared girls. Mimlyne, what do they do well?"

"Get used by dirty old men," Mimlyne spat, eyes narrowed and fixed on Kalina.

Kalina began to form a catty remark but Karmlyn, with her business gears turning, talked over him. "Specifics, Mimlyne. Do they cook?"

"Yes, best in the galaxy."

"Are they masseuses?"

"Ditto."

"Dancers?"

"Yes."

"Singers?"

"Have you heard Lynsyl?"

Karmlyn crossed her arms and leaned back waiting for something to sink in.

Mimlyne and Kalina simply stared at her blankly until Lynsyl snorted in disgust.

"Sounds like the makings of a destination spa to me," she grumbled.

"Just like the Cathouse, only the girls would have the opportunity to say no without getting tortured into obedience."

Mimlyne and Kalina stared incredulously at Karmlyn, then Lynsyl, then at each other.

Kalina muttered, "I like that. No more ridiculous films, but that's a big capital outlay." He scratched behind his ears.

"I take it you'd need an investor," said Karmlyn.

Mimlyne held up a finger, "A caveat, you won't be plunking contracts down in front of anyone without my seeing them first. Some of the girls can't even read."

"You're a dangerous woman, Miss Tanzer," said Kalina as he bowed to her.

"Mister Kalina, I am the most dangerous woman you will ever meet."

He laughed. "Compared to the women I've had on this ship, well, I'd say you make the top ten, but most dangerous?"

She grinned evilly. "A demonstration." She grasped him by his coveralls and locked her lips with his.

Karmlyn began to giggle as Lynsyl began counting down from ten. Slowly, Mimlyne began to struggle but Kalina grasped her around the waist and behind the neck bending her backward until she was nearly horizontal before relenting.

"I fell for that during Lynsyl's job interview and woke up in the hospital. I'll not be falling for it again."

Mimlyne's eyes wandered back and forth in bewilderment for a moment before she asked, "Can we take this discussion somewhere private?"

Kalina looked at Lynsyl. "Would you be a doll and look after the ladies in the cargo hold? Make any changes you need; I have a feeling we'll be renovating soon. I have negotiations to conduct with their agent."

"Aye, aye captain," Lynsyl chimed with a wide grin on her face.

With tails coiling tightly together, Kalina and Mimlyne retreated from the hangar deck.

After feeding the girls and piling them two to a cabin throughout the Radiant Swan, Karmlyn and Lynsyl collapsed in the private quarters Lynsyl kept aboard the Swan.

The quarters were very spacious as far as ex-military ships went, clearly the quarters of a two high ranking officers a door between them making for an apartment. They called for a second bunk to be installed and while they waited Lynsyl hooked her whiskers into a curious device, then she pressed a holovision remote. An image of a young brown-furred girl in harem costume, her eyes milk white with blindness, appeared above the emitter and began to sing.

They watched unmoving for almost an hour, one song after another until Karmlyn commented, "This is exquisite. Is that you?"

Lynsyl shrugged, "It was, once upon a time."

"Something you went back for?"

Lynsyl sighed. "I think I'm seeking closure. Drak is dead, I don't have to hide and run anymore. And this is part of my life, I couldn't leave without these recordings this time."

Karmlyn thought to herself, What she needs is an agent to see these. A good agent, not more pin-up girl jobs.

"Tell me," Karmlyn began, "When will my clothes be ready?"

"The quartermaster said the smoke damage was pretty bad in the cabins. For now you're stuck with the uniform." Lynsyl jingled the bells on her sleeves and giggled.

Karmlyn rolled her eyes and adjusted the uniform's brassiere. "Why don't you get changed? You have a full closet here."

Lynsyl shrugged. "I'd offer you something, but my clothes are pretty tight on me. No offence, but you're a little bigger than I am."

"None taken, but that doesn't explain why you don't go get changed."

She shrugged again. "I guess I feel it would be sort of wrong, leaving you dressed up as a plaything while I'm in normal clothes. We could find you some coveralls if you like."

Karmlyn thought about the rag Jinx constantly wore and shuddered. "I'm fine. Oh, and thank you for the thought."

A chime rang and Lynsyl called out, "Yes?"

"Message for Miss Sen-Tiago. The droids she brought aboard have managed to salvage a droid identifying itself as Beepo."

Karmlyn smiled widely and replied, "Thank you, tell him I'll see him soon, and if he'd make himself useful to our hosts in the meantime."

"Will do ma'am. Always room for another astromech. Control out."

"I like that little droid," said Lynsyl. "He's full of funny stories."

Karmlyn eyed her suspiciously. "Oh, what sort of stories?"

Lynsyl winked. "He backed himself up in the Red Star's computer before he dashed valiantly to my rescue. While I was wired in, he gave me the tour to the ship's systems and acted as my little helper. And now he has a better idea of why most of your passengers sleep in guest cabins while a select few sleep in yours..."

Karmlyn's ears and nose glowed bright red as Lynsyl made a lewd kissing noise.

"Can we change the subject?" snarled Karmlyn.

Lynsyl laughed. "Your secrets are safe with me, at least they are now, after what we've been through. That uniform you're wearing makes you one of us, Miss rich girl."

They sat in silence for a time until Karmlyn said, "That was weird. I thought Kalina was toast."

"He is. They'll be negotiating like rodents for the next ten hours, sleeping ten more, then getting married as soon as we reach Absolin."

"You sound so sure..."

Lynsyl laughed. "Kalina says he's waiting until he meets his match. Well, he just did. And Mimlyne, she's wasted ten of the best years of her life as a harem slave. Several times when we were bunkmates she cried the night away wishing she were married, and the mother of cubs. She thought she was going to die a slave and she definitely won't be wasting any time. Kalina's playboy in the penthouse days are over."

"But that kissing thing..." Karmlyn shuddered.

Lynsyl stuck her tongue out then said, "You know how it is, a girl out on her own a lot. Never know what surprises we need to employ to protect ourselves. I could teach you. Like Mimlyne said, I need the practice."

"Not in a million years."

"If I can keep a secret, how about one in fifty-three?"

Bewildered, Karmlyn eyed her suspiciously.

Lynsyl produced a deck of cards, shuffled, laid it before Karmlyn and said, "There's a joker in there. Care to gamble?"

Eyes wide and adrenaline pumping, Karmlyn grinned nervously and cut the deck.