The Adventures of Whirlwind

Warfare in the Thirtieth Century

Episode 2

The Mercenary

Chapter 13 Deliverance

The whimpering of the Greek mech pilot alerted Shroz to the fact that she was regaining consciousness. He got up and walked over to the table he had helped place her on. He and a couple of the other men had cleaned her up and tended to her wounds. It was part of his reward for picking up Drhan that he got to fuck her first. She was almost healed; the stripes that Drhan had placed on her had faded with the administering of the healing drugs. She had been sleeping since her session with the rippers. That had been quite a scene. He had never heard such screams before. Not that he blamed her for making all that noise; the pain must have been unbelievable.

He shook his head. Drhan had left her hanging from the ceiling until she had screamed herself senseless. That had taken her several hours. It was longer than any other woman he had ever seen tortured that way. The mech pilot’s eyelids fluttered. She was almost awake now. By the stars she certainly was a looker! He couldn’t remember seeing a more beautiful woman. Long tapered legs; full rounded thighs; flat stomach; slightly rounded abdomen; sweet little cunt. He could hardly wait to force her thighs apart. And those tits! Like a couple of ripe grapefruits. Not to mention those succulent pink lips. Christ! If she didn’t wake up fast he’d fuck her while she was sleeping.

Aello’s eyes fluttered open. It took her a few seconds to orient herself. She had been having the most wonderful dream. She and Carter were… Where was she? Her chest tightened and her eyes widened when she caught sight of the pirate looking over her. Instinctively she attempted to move away from menacing figure. Attempted. She could not move her arms or legs. Her arms were strapped over her head and secured to the top of the table she was lying on. Her legs were similarly fastened to the bottom.

The blood drained from her face as memories of her rape and torture flooded back into her mind. She recognized the heavyset dark-haired man standing over her. He had been one of the men who had helped Drhan to have his way with her. She remembered distinctly the painful touch of his hands on her breasts. He had pinched them black and blue. She had little doubt as to what the man wanted. The fact that she was totally naked only confirmed her fears.

Another man came into view. He was short and swarthy, with an oriental cast to his features. He must have been standing behind her. “Well, Shroz,” he said, “she’s awake. We gonna get started or are you just going to gawk at her?”

The taller man glared at the speaker. “Just remember who you’re talking to, Wang. Drhan might be in charge now, but when he’s gone I run this ship.”

“Sure captain,” said the shorter man, apparently completely unafraid. “But Drhan’s ship was blown to bits so I hear. I expect he’ll be running this one for awhile yet.”

Shroz spat in Wang’s general direction without actually hitting him. He was chewing Lhat, a mildly narcotic, and very addictive stimulant. Supposedly it heightened the sexual experience. The black juice of the drug splattered on the floor. “I’ll decide who gets to fuck her after me,” he said. “And you can be damned sure it won’t be you.”

Aello struggled with the ropes as she listened to the exchange between the two pirates. It mattered very little to her who raped her first. After her ordeal at Drhan’s hands she was terrified at what the pirates might do to her. Any will to resist she had once had was long gone. She only wanted to get away. But her struggles were in vain. Her wrists and ankles were firmly bound. Unless she was untied there would be no chance of escape.

“Enough time wasted,” said Shroz, “I think our entertainment is becoming impatient.” He placed his hand on Aello’s left breast, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Broken by the terrible torture she had endured, the mech pilot trembled as the pirate massaged her soft flesh. “Yeah,” he added, “I think she’s ready. Untie her,”

Wang complied, loosening the ropes that held Aello’s hands and feet. For a few seconds she was free, but then Wang pinned her arms behind her back and Shroz spread her legs. “Alright, baby,” he said let’s see how tight you are.” He unzipped his pants, releasing his ready phallus.

Aello suddenly jerked to life. Why had she not tried to escape the instant she had been unbound? She had missed the obvious window of opportunity. She cursed herself for her cowardice in allowing her captors to take advantage of her without resistance. Now, as she thrashed wildly to escape the clutches of the two men that held her, she was at a distinct disadvantage, outnumbered and outmatched in sheer strength and position.

“Still fighting?” Shroz asked, his tone of voice expressing his surprise. “Thought you had all of that knocked out of you. This is going to be more fun than I thought.” He held onto her legs above the knees, locking his arms about them and letting her struggle.

Shroz had not expected the Greek mech pilot to fight. If he had he would have been more careful about untying her. She was a strong, fit female. She might have broken away. It was fortunate that she had not started to struggle until he and Wang had a firm grip on her. He wondered why she had hesitated.

Aello knew why. For a split second she had been so overcome with fear that she had been unable to act. Her brutal rape and torture at Drhan’s hands had paralyzed her. She had given in to her fears rather than responding as she should. She was filled with a deep sense of shame. She thought of herself as a warrior, but she had behaved as a coward. It did not matter that she had been forced to endure hours of the most humiliating and brutal rape and torture, all that mattered was that she had failed to honour her clan. And now she was going to pay the price for it. Her struggles weakened. Shroz shifted towards her, his shaft only millimeters from the entrance to her well of passion.

Aello opened her mouth to scream. She would never get used to being raped no matter how often it happened. It was a form of degradation and dishonor that no warrior could submit to. Shroz thrust toward her. The shriek rose in her throat and then suddenly, she and the two pirates were lying on the floor in a tangle of arms and limbs.

Aello recovered first. Her mech pilots reflexes took over and she kicked herself away from her two assailants. Wang started to follow and then another convulsion seized the ship, knocking him from his feet again. Aello never gave him the chance to recover. Rolling fluidly to her feet she executed a perfect side kick, exactly the way that Carter had shown her. The edge of her foot caught Wang in the throat, crushing his larynx. With a gurgling scream he collapsed, gasping for air.

Shroz scrambled to his feet. What the hell had happened? There was no way that the AG field should have fluctuated like that. Except…

Drahn’s voice crackled over the intercom. “Shroz, get up here. We’re under attack.” There was an unmistakable sound of fear in his voice.

“You’re going nowhere,” Aello said coldly. She was stalking the pirate like a panther. Terrified at the turn of events, the pirate backed away from her, moving slowly toward the door. Aello cut him off, forcing him to choose between fighting her and making a run for it.

“You’re making a mistake, bitch,” said Shroz, but the fear showed plainly on his face. His eyes darted about, looking for a way out of his predicament.

Aello’s breath hissed between her teeth. “You gutless, bastard,” she swore. “You’ve raped your last victim.” Slowly but surely she moved toward him, her dark eyes gleaming with menace. She felt something she had only felt when behind the controls of a mech. It was a sense of power and purpose. She lost the sense of where she was, forgetting that she was completely naked and in the heart of a vessel filled with her enemies.

Shroz took a step backward, coming up against the wall. Panicked, he struck out wildly at the stiletto-eyed woman who was stalking him. Aello ducked the blow, and came up inside his guard. With lightning speed she struck with her warrior’s speed, hammering her fists into the pirate’s ribs, and driving him into the wall. Relentlessly she kept up the attack, driving her knee into his groin and then smashing the same knee into his face as he doubled over.

The pirate went down, clutching his crushed testicles, blood streaming from his shattered nose. Viciously, Aello continued her attack, driving her foot again and again into the pirate’s writhing form. She did not stop until he ceased moving. Breathing heavily she staggered back from the two men she had killed. These were the first two opponents she had ever engaged in hand to hand combat and the effort left her physically and emotionally drained.

Slowly she flexed her bruised knuckles. Although Carter had taught her basic martial arts techniques, and she had executed them well, but her body was not yet tough enough to deal out punishment without sustaining some injury. An ugly blue bruise coloured her knee where she had driven it into Shroz’s head, and the skin had been scraped from her knuckles where she had contacted the pirate’s body. She shook her hands, loosening the tenseness in her muscles. She was still naked. First on her list of things to do was to find some clothing.

She was in a room just outside the Ship med centre. Probably there would be something she could wear inside the room. Opening the door she entered and looked around. Spotting a supply cupboard she opened it and selected a simple jump suit intended for wear by patients. It would do until something more suitable was found. Unfortunately the only footwear was a pair of light slippers. She put them on. They were better than nothing.

Properly clothed, she felt much more confident. It was amazing how vulnerable the lack of clothing made her feel. But perhaps that was not too surprising when surrounded by thugs interested only in raping her. However, she was still trapped aboard a ship full of enemies. Where the rest of the pirates had gone she had no idea, but somehow she had to find a way off the ship before she was captured again. She started down the corridor outside the med centre, and was almost immediately thrown off her feet.

Again, there had been a massive fluctuation in the ship’s artificial gravity. She had felt the sensation before when Carter’s ship had been attacked and captured by the pirates. Was it possible that the pirate was now under attack as well? She would have liked to find out, but it would be too dangerous. Her best plan of action must be to find a way off the ship, if she could do so without being recaptured. It was unfortunate that the two men she had killed had been weaponless. It would have given her a much better chance of survival.

Cautiously she moved through the ship, heading toward the shuttle bay. Somehow she hoped that she would be lucky enough to find the area deserted. If it wasn’t then she would have to improvise. But the main thing was to avoid capture. Another shudder ran through the ship. This time she was able to catch hold of a safety rail as the AG failed. In a few seconds the AG was restored. It was clear now that the ship was under attack. How much damage it had suffered was difficult to determine. Moving faster, Aello hurried toward the shuttle bay.

“You’re taking us Drhan, or you’re a dead man.” The voice sounded from beyond the door to the shuttle bay, and it was filled with unmistakable menace. Aello skidded to a halt and listened just outside the room.

“You think so, Hansen? Well think again. There’s only room for one aboard the shuttle on a long space voyage, and it isn’t going to be you.” The second speaker was unmistakably Drhan. Aello opened the door a crack and peeked into the room.

There were four men, obviously engaged in a confrontation. Aello had never seen three of them, but Drhan seemed to be arrayed against all of them. His back was to the door of the shuttle bay and he faced the men in a semicircle. In his hand he held a laser pistol, but each of the men was similarly armed. In a shoot out, he could not hope to take them all.

“Fuck you,” said one of the men; probably the one Drhan had called Hansen. “If I don’t go then you don’t go.”

A tall man with blond hair and a goatee spoke up. “This is getting us nowhere. The space cops are closing in while we argue. And it is only a matter of time before the crew realizes where we are. Then we’re all screwed. We’ll all take the shuttle and head for Alda Rahan. We can get another ship from there.”

Drhan seemed to consider the matter. “All right,” he said, lowering his pistol, “we’ll all go. No point in arguing until we are caught.”

The man with the goatee smiled. He stepped forward toward the shuttle lock, but as he did so, he interposed himself between Drhan and the other two men. Like a striking snake, Drhan shot Hansen from under the man’s arm, at the same time he shoved the man with the goatee into the third man, knocking him off balance. As Hansen dropped, shot through the heart, Drhan let loose two more laser bolts, killing both remaining men.

“Stupid bastards,” he said, giving Hansen’s corpse a kick. “They ought to know better than to fuck with me.” He turned to the air lock and activated the door. At that moment Aello struck.

Drhan’s back was to her as she leaped across the room. She made almost no sound, but some instinct prompted Drhan to turn at the last second. He swept his gun upward, forcing Aello to change her attack. She had hoped to hit him squarely in the back, but the danger from the laser pistol forced her to disarm him first. Her right foot lashed out, knocking the pistol from his grasp and then she crashed into him, driving him back against the wall.

She struck hard and fast, but to her chagrin, Drhan blocked all of the blows and then counterattacked, forcing her to retreat. He followed her only part way, halting a few feet from the airlock. “You again,” he said, his face twisting in anger. “You just keep coming back. I don’t know how you got away this time, but I’m going to make sure you wish you’d never been born.”

Aello regarded the pirate chief coolly. Her first few seconds of combat had shown her that he was a deadly opponent, but he was no longer armed, and as long as she kept away from him shoe would be safe. She realized from the conversation that she had overheard that the pirate vessel was probably in trouble. If she could avoid Drhan she could probably expect rescue. All she had to do was make sure that he did not try to pick up one of the weapons on the floor. She readied herself to attack if he did. He would be most vulnerable then and she would be able to take advantage of the situation.

“Stupid bitch,” Drhan sneered. “You think a pistol is all I’ve got?” He reached inside his tunic and pulled out a small rod about eight inches in length. Before Aello could move he touched a switch and a long whip extended from the end of the device. With a flick of his wrist he sent a ripple through it, cracking it in the air.

Aello took another step back. Drhan was holding a neuronic whip. A single touch of the weapon could inflict crippling pain on anyone it touched. “What’s the matter, mech warrior?” Drhan sneered. “Afraid to fight? What’s happened to your courage?’ He stepped closer and snapped the whip toward Aello.

Aello twisted away from the lash, using her agility to avoid the brutal lash. Drhan laughed at her efforts. “Stupid bitch,” he taunted. “You never learn do you? How many times have I beaten you now? Three? This time is going to be the last, and the most painful.”

Concentrating on her opponent, Aello moved warily around the room, keeping well away from the deadly whip. “You make me laugh, Drhan,” she replied, her voice filled with derision. “You’ve never beaten me. You’ve always used your goons to take me on. I doubt that you have the guts to take on anyone without a weapon of a dozen of your men to back you up.”

“We’ll see, bitch, we’ll see,” Drhan replied. Aello could see that he was seething with rage. She hoped to goad him into making a rash move. It was her only chance to get past the three metre length of the neuronic whip. If it touched any part of her even slightly, the fight would be all over.

Drhan cracked the whip toward her. It moved far too quickly for her to avoid, but she had anticipated the blow. The tip of the lash, moving at hundreds of metres per second passed harmlessly beneath her as she leaped a metre into the air. She landed on her toes and immediately shifted beyond the range of a backhand strike. It was well that she did, as the whip cracked through the place where she had been, missing her only by inches.

“Fucking twat,” cursed Drhan. “What are you some sort of bloody jackrabbit?” He stepped toward her cracking the whip once more. Again Aello avoided the whip, this time jumping backwards and thanking her good fortune that the area outside the shuttle bay was large enough to allow her to maneuver. Drhan cursed again. Aello allowed herself a moment of mental congratulation. She wanted Drhan angry and her ability to avoid the brutal pirate’s attacks was achieving just that. She needed an opening and if Drhan became angry enough, he would provide it.

“Stand still, you bitch,” Drhan bellowed. He lurched toward, swinging the whip so violently that he almost caught himself as the whip recoiled. It was the opening Aello sought. As the pirate thumbed the switch to deactivate the whip as it threatened to strike him, she moved in. Her attack was perfectly timed. Almost. She had forgotten just one thing. In focusing on the whip she had overlooked Drhan’s own abilities. Unlike Shroz, he knew how to fight with his hands and feet. At Aello stepped within his range he footswept her perfectly, taking the inexperienced martial arts fighter’s feet out from under her.

The startled mech pilot caught herself on her hands and immediately rolled toward Drhan, attempting to avoid the whip which was once more descending toward her. Moving the other direction would have taken her directly under the electronic lash. She avoided the whip, but not Drhan’s boot, which drove into her midriff and lifted her from the floor. The impact of the blow left her momentarily breathless, and Drhan struck again this time bringing the whip down across her shoulders.

Paralyzing pain shot through her. She felt at if every rib had been broken. Gasping for breath she tried desperately to avoid the next blow, but it caught her across the small of her back. The pain of the whip arched her spine so severely that she feared her back was broken. Her limbs went numb from her fingertips to her toes. Unable to draw breath she thrashed helplessly like a fish out of water.

Almost leisurely Drhan walked over to her. “Not so tough now are you bitch?” He hammered his boot into her side, the impact driving her several feet across the room. Then he pounced on her, settling his full weight onto her quivering body. “Enough time wasted,” he said as he wrenched her arms behind her. “It’s time to get out of here.” Taking each of her sleeves he pulled them over her hands and tied them in a knot, effectively securing her arms behind her back. Then he yanked her trousers down to her ankles to prevent Aello from using her legs.

Picking her up as if she was a child, the big pirate swung her across his shoulder, one hand over her naked backside, and then punched in the code for the entry lock. Aello had now recovered from the pain of the whip. Her ribs still hurt where Drahn had booted her, but the effect of the lash had worn off. Despite the incredible pain it created the psionic whip inflicted no permanent damage. Kicking her legs, she tried to break free of the Drhan’s grip but succeeded only in losing her pants and slippers. Her legs were now free, but Drhan held her easily, using his other arm to keep her from breaking free.

Aello strained her arms, trying to shed the sleeves of her tunic. But the long sleeved garment fitted her too tightly. It had no zipper or buttons and she had pulled it on over her head. Unless she could find a way to get it off, her arms were trapped by the fabric of her own clothing. Drhan had now carried her into the shuttle. Still holding her tightly, he deposited her in the copilot’s seat and strapped her in, carefully adjusting the fastenings so that there was no way she could remove them.

“Hold on, bitch,” Drhan said. “I’m taking us to somewhere private.” He flicked his fingers over the controls and the shuttle shot out of the pirate mother ship. Strapped helplessly into the seat beside him, Aello continued to struggle without success, succeeding only in working herself into a state of exhaustion. She saw to her surprise that Drhan was not moving toward Alda Rahan as she had thought. If he had there might have been some chance of the ship that was attacking the pirate vessel overtaking him before he reached the planet. Instead, however, he was guiding the shuttle toward the airless surface of the moon.

As the moon loomed ever larger in the view screen, Aello stopped fighting. She was covered in sweat, her tunic was soaked through, and she was no closer to breaking free than she was when she had started. “That’s it, bitch,” Drhan said. “Conserve your strength. I want you strong for what I am going to do,”

Drhan appeared to be heading straight for one of the large craters on the moon, but as they neared its surface he leveled the ship out and headed for the side of the crater. Directly ahead of them was what Aello first saw as a tiny black dot. The dot grew rapidly in size as swept toward it, eventually revealing itself as a tunnel in the side of the crater. It was an opening that was large enough to accommodate the shuttle with ease. Drhan flew rapidly toward it apparently familiar enough with his destination that he could keep the shuttle moving at high speed. Within a few seconds the shuttle swept into the darkness of the tunnel. The tunnel angled sharply down shortly after they entered it taking them deep into the bowels of the moon. Aello realized that from space this hiding place would be almost undetectable. Wherever she was being taken it would be most difficult to find her. The old sensation of fear replaced her anger at being captured. She was completely at the mercy of the brutal pirate chieftain. And the likelihood of rescue now seemed very remote.

They descended the darkness of the tunnel for several minutes before Drhan cut the acceleration. They came to a halt in total darkness, but Drhan seemed to know exactly where he was. There was a slight noise as the shuttle docked, and then Drhan released himself from the pilot’s chair. Moving over to Aello he secured her legs with several lengths of rope and then removed her from the copilot’s seat, tossing her over his shoulder once more as he moved toward the airlock.

“Welcome to Hang-Tor Moon, mech warrior,” he said mockingly. “It’s going to be the last place you ever see, so prepare to make the most of it.”

Passing through the airlock, Drhan threw a switch. Aello saw that she was in a large room. Most of it was filled with large crates and a variety of goods that were obviously pirate loot. She appeared to have been taken to Drhan’s secret hideout. He didn’t give her much time to speculate about it. Carrying her to a large table, he bent her face down over its surface and made sure that she would stay where he put her by tying a rope to her neck and lashing the other end under the table preventing her from raising her body. After that he undid the knot he had tied in her sleeves temporarily freeing her arms. Holding on to her right arm he secured it to one of the corners of the table. Then he did the same with her left arm. Her arms stretched out in the shape of a “Y” she was helpless. No matter how much she struggled she would not be able to roll off. Moving behind her, he untied her legs and spread them. Then unzipping his pants, he moved between her thighs and prepared to take her.

Aello prepared herself for another round of rape and sodomy. There was nothing she could do to stop Drhan from having his way with her. The tip of his phallus pressed against her vulva, but he did not penetrate her right away. Instead he reached under her and fondled her breasts through her tunic. “Such a great set of tits,” the pirate taunted. “Too bad you’re going to lose them.” He held something in front of Aello’s eyes. “You see this, bitch? I expect you know what it can do.”

Aello shuddered. A cold lump filled her stomach. Drhan was holding a powerblade in front of her, a laser knife that could cut through anything. She had no doubt that he intended to use it in the most painful way he could imagine.

“Unghh!” She grunted as Drhan penetrated her without warning. His first thrust was deep and hard, and she squirmed in pain as he sank into her dry love garden. He withdrew slightly and then thrust in again, this time a little more deeply. Then he began a steady pounding, all the while mocking her by describing what he was going to do to her when he was finished.

“Think I’ll start with your tits. It should be fun to watch your face as I carve them up. Then I’m going to rip open that flat belly and eviscerate you like a turkey. Oh, and don’t worry about fainting. I’m very good at what I do. The last women I entertained lived for six or seven hours. And you’re much stronger than she was. I expect you’ll still be screaming long after I’ve cut off your ears and gouged out your eyes.” He laughed. The sound sent a chill of fear through Aello. She was in the hands of a madman that was so sadistic that being raped would seem almost pleasurable compared to what he was ultimately going to do to her.

She tried to free her arms, but she had tied them far too tightly. All the while the Drhan continued to drive into her forcing her to arch her back against the pain. He was fully engrossed in the rape now, apparently intent of enjoying her to the utmost before beginning to dismember her. Or was he really intending to do what he had promised? Perhaps it was just another of his sadistic jokes. Perhaps he just wanted to give her something to worry about while he ravished her.

With a grunt Drhan withdrew from her. His great rigid tool was dripping with semen, but he was far from spent. Adjusting his grip on Aello’s hips, he raised his aim. “Ahhh!” Aello protested as she felt Drhan thrust into her anus, forcing his way into the tiny bud in the centre of her backside.

“Didn’t think I’d let you get away with just having your pussy punched did you bitch? If this is going to be your last fuck I’m going to make it a good one.” Drhan punctuated his words by driving his pelvis forward and breaking through the defences of Aello’s tight sphincter. Her gasp of pain brought a smile to his lips. “You think that hurts just wait until I’ve finished screwing your tight ass. Then I’m really going to make you howl.”

Aello gritted her teeth and suffered the final agony of the rape in silence. Drhan drew it out for as long as possible, even stopping his persistent pounding when he was close to climaxing. But finally, he reached orgasm, jetting his thick fluid over her backside.

Panting, from the exertion Drhan staggered away from the humiliated woman he had just raped. He needed to rest. A few feet away there was a lavatory. He lurched through the door and cleaned himself up a bit and then returning walked over to a large steel door set into the wall. Opening it he revealed the interior of a large and well stocked refrigerator. He took out a container of Lapsan beer, a beverage well known for its ability to restore rather than inebriate. Upending the flask he drained its contents, finishing with a loud belch. “Ah that’s better!’ he exclaimed. Looking at Aello he laughed. “I’d offer you some, babe, but it would just be wasted. You won’t be needing anything to eat or drink after I’ve finished with you.” He took out the powerblade. “Time to get started.”

Aello made one more effort to escape as Drhan moved toward her once again, but as before the crude restraints held. She could only watch wide-eyes as he prepared to operate on her.

He retied her first, removing the ropes from her arms so that he could flip her over and centre her entire body in the middle of the table. Aello kicked at him with her legs, but he adroitly avoided her and slapped her head so viciously that for a second she thought her jaw was broken. He used the opportunity to lash her arms over her head, securing each of them to one corner of the table. Then he did the same to her legs, stretching her body into the shape of an “X.”

Drhan stood over her, the powerblade shining in the artificial light. “Anything to say before I begin? If so you better say it now. It’s my experience that in a few minutes you’ll be too busy screaming to make any speeches.”

Aello turned her head and spat blood. She knew that Drhan expected her to plead for mercy. He would listen to her and then laugh and carry on as he intended. She decided that the best way to show defiance was to say nothing at all. Despite the temptation, and the terrible fear that clutched at her guts, she held her tongue and looked directly at the ceiling.

“A fucking heroine to the last,” Drhan sneered. He flicked a button on the powerblade. A faint humming indicated that it had been activated. A thin blue line extended about fifteen centimeters from the end of the device. Anything that line touched would be instantly vaporized.

Drhan lowered the instrument toward her. Aello expected excruciating pain, but instead Drhan methodically cut through her tunic slicing away the thin fabric without touching her body. Teasingly he removed the last of her clothing. His eyes swept over her perfect body. Caressingly he moved his hand over her velvet skin. “It’s too bad, babe,” he said, almost regretfully. You would have made a damned good whore. Too bad you were too stupid to realize when you were well off.”

He stared almost longingly at her. His dark eyes moving over her from head to toe. “Well,” he said at last, “where do I begin. I think I said the tits didn’t I?” He reached out and squeezed her left breast, stretching it slightly upward, and lowered the powerblade.

Aello winced as Drhan made the first incision. He cut slowly, starting at the top of her breast and slicing through the soft flesh, the powerblade cauterizing the wound as he went.

“Aaaggh!” The scream of agony was not Aello’s but Drhan’s. He reeled back from the table, the powerblade falling from paralyzed fingers.

“Hurts doesn’t it, you son-of-a-bitch?” Aello almost wept with relief. Senia stood only a few feet away, Drhan’s psionic whip clutched in her fingers. The tall blonde’s eyes were filled with a look of hatred that was fearful to behold. “I found this little toy in the airlock,” she continued. “Guess you forgot to take it with you. Saves me from having to use this.” She raised a laser pistol she held in her other hand.

Drhan rubbed his arm, a look of rage, consternation, and fear crossing his face all at once. “You fucking bitch,” he swore. “You’ll pay for this.”

“I don’t think so,” the menacing blonde replied. “You’re finished. The other pirate scum are all dead or prisoners of Starfleet Command. And now you have me to deal with. There are more than a dozen shuttle craft all looking for you. It was just my good luck that I happened to be the one to find you.”

She smiled, but it was the most chilling smile Aello had ever seen. “You’ve raped and tortured women all over the galaxy,” Senia continued, “but now you’ve got me to deal with.” She flicked the whip for emphasis causing Drhan to step away.

The pirate’s arrogant features were now distorted in fear. He wiped his hand across the sweat that beaded on his forehead. “Look babe,” he pleaded, “we can make a deal. I’ve got a more than fifty million galactic credits stored here. We could split it and run. You’d never have to work again.”

Senia looked at Aello. She acted as if Drhan had never spoken. “You alright, honey? Don’t worry I’ll look after you. I just have to take out the garbage first.”

“You stupid twat,” raged Drhan, “didn’t you hear what I said? I’m offering you a fortune.”

Senia turned her icy blue eyes on Drhan once more. “I heard you, scum, but I’ve got other plans for you.”

“Other plans?” the pirate asked in disbelief. “Oh, I get it. You’re going to take it all. You fucking bitch!” He ended his speech with a shout and launched himself at Senia.

The tall blonde was ready for him, however. He barely made it halfway before the whip took him down. “Naughty, naughty,” mocked Senia. “You will have to be punished.” As Drhan shrieked in agony on the floor she brought the whip down again and again, her face a mask of cold fury. “This is for Lina,” she said. “And this is for Aello. And this is for me. And this is for the redhead.” Each time she spoke the whip descended bringing howls of pain from the writhing pirate chief.

Finally Aello could stand in no longer. “Please Senia,” she pleaded. “Stop, you’re only degrading yourself.”

Senia paused in the middle of another blow, her eyes wild, and her chest heaving. She looked at Aello almost uncomprehendingly and then lowered the whip. With a look of disgust she hurled it into a corner. Drhan lay on the floor whimpering in agony.

“Sorry, honey,” Senia said. “I forgot about you.” She hurried over to the table, picking up the powerblade on the way. Quickly she sliced through the ropes. She glanced at Aello’s left breast. “It’s Ok, honey. I got here just in time. It doesn’t look too deep. I’ll get you to a med centre.” She helped Aello to sit up. “Can you stand?”

Aello nodded. “Just get me some clothes.”

Senia walked over to Drhan and gave the pirate a boot to the head. “Stay here, asshole. I see you move and I’ll give you an extra opening in your head.” She moved over to a bank of lockers and threw open the doors on each of them until she found what she was looking for. She reached in a pulled out several blue one piece tunics, discarding several until she found one that was suitable. “I think this will do,” she said. “There seems to be a washroom over there. Why don’t you go in there and clean up while I take out the trash?”

Aello nodded. There was no way that she could miss Senia’s meaning, but she only wanted to get someplace private and get dressed.

She spent longer than she thought she would in the washroom, partly due to the fact that she burst into tears as soon as the door closed behind her. Her terrible ordeal was over and the pent up fear and emotion she had been carrying around for the last few days burst out of her. But she regained control and making use of some of the salves and lotions she found in one of the cabinets she tended her wounds. What she really wanted was a good shower, but she did not want to wash the healing ointments off, so she contented herself with a sponge bath. It would be a long time before she felt free of the gunk Drhan had spurted into her, but for now she felt a little refreshed.

When she reemerged Senia was waiting for her. She looked around the room. “Where’s Drhan?” she asked.

“Oh, I let him go.” She paused and then continued. “I thought it was what you wanted.”

“But I wanted him turned over to Starfleet Command,” said Aello, shocked. “How could you do that. The man’s a depraved maniac.”

Senia shrugged. “Sorry honey. I just did what I thought was right. It was either that or kill him.”

Aello sensed that something was not right, but she was too tired to pursue the matter. All at once all she wanted to do was sleep. “Let’s get out of here,” she said.

Senia nodded. Taking Aello’s arm she walked her to the airlock.

An hour later she was back aboard Carter’s ship. It was dwarfed by the giant Starfleet Command vessel that was docked alongside it. “A class III battle cruiser,” Aello thought. “Why would Starfleet Command commit such a vessel to hunting down pirates?”

Her question was answered a few minutes later when a stunning redhead entered the control room. She was dressed in a bright blue Starfleet Command tunic. She extended her hand to Aello. “I want to thank you for saving me,” she said. “I’m sublieutenant Riona O’Sullivan.”

Aello’s eyes widened in comprehension. It was the redheaded women she had seen being raped by the pirates when she and the other mech pilots had stormed into the crew quarters. Obviously she had not been dead after all. “It’s a damned good thing we did,” Carter said. “We had no chance of getting you away from that pirate ship by ourselves, but when we contacted Starfleet Command and told them that the pirates had captured one of their officers they sent help in a hurry, as you’ve noticed.” Carter pointed to the image of the battle cruiser in the viewscreen.

Aello nodded. Taking Riona’s hand. “And it was you who blew the first pirate ship apart wasn’t it?”

Riona nodded, ruefully. “Yes, and I’ve got a price to pay for that. Starfleet Command doesn’t like it when one of their ships is lost.”

“What about us?” Aello asked. “Starfleet isn’t too keen on mercenaries either.”

“We lucked out,” smiled Carter. We helped to bring down two pirate ships so they are willing to pretend that we were never here provided we leave as soon as possible.”

Riona nodded. Aello noticed that the woman seemed subdued. But then again so was she. It would take awhile to forget what Drhan had done to her and she expected that Riona was probably suffering from the same malady. Being gang raped would be a lasting negative experience. She extended her hand once more to the Starfleet officer. A look of understanding passed between the two women and then without another word Riona turned and left, heading for the airlock.

Drhan screamed. But no one heard him, of course. Sound doesn’t carry in a vacuum and his suit communicator had been deactivated. Several hundred feet above him shuttle craft moved back and forth from his lair, carrying away his hard earned treasure. He was in considerable pain. The massive dildo the blonde bitch had rammed up his ass was agonizing, and made even worse by having his legs tied together. But even worse than the pain was the fear generated by watching his oxygen gauge slowly drop. In less than an hour he would be out of air. Then he would die, slowly suffocating on the waste air of his own body. He screamed again and for the hundredth time tried to free his arms, but it was no use. The blonde bitch had tied him too well. Now all he could do was watch from the bottom of the tunnel where she had dropped him, and hope that by some freak chance the Starfleet shuttles that were stealing his loot would notice him. With a sob, he broke, tears steaming up his faceplate.

“Mmmm,” moaned Senia. “That enough of a reward for you, big boy?” She had been riding Jeff for the best part of an hour. When she and Lina had awakened Jeff had been the first person they had seen, guarding them as he had been ordered by Carter. To give Jeff his due, he had refused to take any credit for rescuing them, giving that recognition to Aello, but neither Senia nor Lina had any real interest in women and so Jeff had been the one to receive their ‘thanks.’

“Maybe a little bit more,” Jeff drawled, drawing the blonde’s body down onto his shaft. I’m just getting started.”

Senia moaned again and then kissed him gently. “Why don’t you give Lina a turn? She’s been waiting outside for an hour.”

“Really, why didn’t you tell me? The more the merrier.” Pushing down the button on the bedside communicator he spoke, “Lina, babe. Come on in. Senia wants a threesome.”

“Asshole,” Senia said, with a smile.

“Later,” replied Jeff. “Right now I’m much more interested in your pussy.”

Aello arched her back, her fingernails ripping long streaks down Carter’s back as she writhed in the throes of passion. After her ordeal she had been afraid that she might not be able to make love again. But Carter had proved very patient with her. He had invited her to his quarters, ostensibly to see how she was doing, but Aello knew that there was much more to his invitation than an interest in her well-being. She had gone willingly, but not without some serious misgivings. How would she react when Carter touched her? Would she ever be able to lie with a man again without reliving the brutal rape she had suffered?

She needn’t have worried. The touch of his hand on her arm as he escorted her to his food-laden table sent an electric charge through her. Carter had chosen the menu well. How had he managed to learn most of her favourite dishes? She had no recollection of telling him anything about her food preferences. Then she realized that all he had to do was check the ship’s records as to what choices she had made when dialing up her meals from the synthesizer. Still, it was a nice touch, and as the meal progressed she found her tension leaving her, especially after a few glasses of the excellent wine Carter had selected. It was a vintage from her home planet and unlike the food, was not synthetic.

They progressed naturally from the table to the bed, the lights dimming at Carter’s command. They made love slowly the first time, Carter’s gentle caresses easing the tension from Aello’s body. Her orgasm, when it came, brought a release from the terrible memories she carried with her. After that she slept, cradled in Carter’s arms. She awoke a few hours later to the sensation of Carter kissing her nipples. This time she did not hold back, riding Carter as if she was trying to break a horse. As she climaxed Carter clamped his hand over her mouth to muffle her screams, and held her close until her excitement subsided.

“I’m going to have to put mittens on you my little wildcat,” Carter said as Aello snuggled into him.

“Mmmm,” Aello murmured, content for the moment to be where she was. Tomorrow would no doubt bring another assignment. But for now she would not have traded places with anyone in the universe. She lay quietly for awhile as Carter softly stroked her hair. Then reaching between his legs, she sensed he was ready again. Shifting her body she helped him ease into her. Within seconds she was lost in another round of sexual ecstasy.

A short distance away her comrades exchanged glances. There were four of them now, Kamna having joined them univited, but not unwelcome. “Well, you heard the lady, babes” Jeff said. “Let’s get with it.” A few seconds later he was gasping for air as he was buried in female flesh. “I must have died and gone to heaven,” he thought. Then he was too busy to think at all. Outside the ship, the vastness of space stretched in very direction. Moving on autopilot the ship sped through the void, carrying its very active cargo.

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