The Warrior's Pet(6)

"Yes of course."

"The Toufik planet has some nasty surprises on it, no wonder it's killing so many of the beasts."

"What was it?"

"No idea. It's a lethal sulfur chlorine component. From the Toufik hand motion they call it Empty Death." The Jurou Biljana made a gesture like the hairy beast would, or Toufik as they called the Wookiees.

"You are a genius."

"Where there is profit to be hand." One of the reptiles waved his hand dismissing the compliment.

"Too bad you only had enough for one blitz."

"Ah but now that we know it has a market." The repugnant Jurou Biljana replied with a smirk.

Giselle frowned at the reptiles. They were clearly scum profiting on death and misery of others.

There was a movement on her right and several Jurou Biljana entered. The four reptiles pushed the cage which hovered over the ground. Two more parted the tent flaps as her shiny prison moved into a large arena.

Giselle looked around in awe and trepidation. The tent was the size of a stadium and filled with hundreds of spectators all staring as she was moved towards a central stage. The crowd grew quiet as she passed. Giselle glanced at the new aliens that peered back at her.

These creatures were the largest yet. Their flesh was red like some kind of demon might be, with hair a uniform dark black, though it varied in length and style. From what Giselle could see their eyes were a stone cold obsidian hue. Their noses were like hers though the bridge was a bit more defined. Giselle then noticed the fearsome creatures had long tails that rose out from what looked like chain mail kilts.

"Oh god!" Giselle shrunk back trembling uncontrollably when she saw the creatures also had sharp fangs.

They're demons! Giselle shook her head trying to calm her mind, but it was impossible. She felt like a rabbit trapped among wolves as predatory eyes followed her. Suddenly her cage felt more like a shelter than a prison.

Just as her fear mounted to a barely restrained level something suddenly popped in her head, like a switch flipping. It wasn't the comforting words of a philosopher from some distant era that filtered into her terrified mind putting her at ease. No, it was more the summation of what Giselle had come to believe in life, that reinstated itself with a vengeance.

Once as a child a group of children had stolen her candy on Halloween. Far from being angry as her sister's were, Giselle had felt sorry for the other children. They felt they needed the candy so much they were willing to steal it. If that was how great their need was then they needed it far more than she did. It was a reflection of them not of her worth.

Giselle realized that she could do little about what someone chose to do to her. It was the same here as at home regardless of the terrifying foreign circumstances. All she could do was honor herself and behave in a way she would respect till her final day, even if that came sooner than she expected.

Giselle steeled herself as the cage came to a halt on the stage. She then stood up straight and proud as she looked the frightening people of the front row square in the eyes. She refused to cower. They may make her a slave or pet in name, but only she could make herself chattel in spirit.



Kagan quo Rordan

Kagan quo Rordan pulled his cloak low to shield his face. He had been waiting all season for the Jurou Biljana to return to sell their new stock of chattel along with other goods deep in Scelus Cadi territory. Despite the danger of entering the enemy province Kagan had business to handle.

Kagan looked around for the Jurou Biljana contact that had agreed to bring the parts he needed. The Vidya Cadi starships were in desperate need of maintenance. The civil war with the Scelus Cadi had steadily expended more and more resources over the last few centuries. And by necessity the Cadi had turned away from star exploration as they quarreled amongst themselves. It was imperative to not let the few remaining ships waste away and lose that technology entirely, they were practically relics as it was.

Kagan shook his head as he thought of all they had forsaken for this war. It was foolish to depend on foreign traders so heavily. It was equally foolish that nearly every family was conscripted into military service, to the extent they now had to depend on slaves like the Toufik for the simplest of subsistence tasks.

Sadly it was the problems that faced the Cadi now that had divided his ancestors. From what Kagan could glean from the old texts the Cadi were once unified the world over. But as they explored the stars and learned, they were not alone the people had become divided. Some resisted change, resisted expanding into the universe thinking it a foolish waste of resources.

"Look where the bickering has gotten us." Kagan snorted at the thought.

Not only had Cadi spent exorbitant resources fighting with each other, but alien people like the Jurou Biljana still came to their planet, like it or not, desirous of change or not. And now because they had abandoned the stars and were a house divided they were at the mercy of anyone who might choose to take advantage. That was a hard pill for a warrior such as himself to swallow.