When I wake up I am in a bed with rails on the side. As I look around I realize that the room is a med bay on a ship. I try to get up but I am shackled to the bed. I start to jerk and scream as I try to get free but it's no use. I have no idea where I am or where my Master is. I'm usually shackled to his bed in his bedroom and I don't know how I got where I am.
As I am thrashing and screaming the door slides open and several men come running in. I don't know them. I've never seen them before. And if I had seen them in any other situation I would think about how handsome they are, but right now my brain can only panic.
"Hey, calm down." A deep voice comes from the largest of the men as he nears my bed and I continue to scream out.
I am in my bikini that my Master makes me wear all the time. I feel my collar that has been there since I can remember around my neck. The shackles are leather and not metal so they do not cut into my hands and feet as I pull against them. I want to go home. No, I want to go back to Master Gerrick but he is dead. I hate my current Master, he is cruel and evil but I don't know these men and I need to get home before I am beaten any more than I know I will be.
“If you stop jerking I’ll undo the restraints.” A man stands next to me with blond hair and I don’t know what to do. “Will you calm down and we’ll undo these?”
I nod and sniffle the tears that came with my terror. “Take me home. My Master will come after you.”
“That fat old man is dead.” The third man in the room chuckles.
“Do you not remember last night?” The largest man looks at me as he speaks and there is something familiar about his voice. “We’re the Knights of Ren. We came to your Master’s home and Ren won you in a card game. Then Cardo killed your old Master and we burned his house down after taking the valuables. Do you really not remember that?”
Everything clicks into place and I do remember that. I remember all of it. “Where’s Trudgen?”
“I’m Trudgen.” The largest man replies and gives me a furrowed look.
“Oh.”
He reaches forward and undoes the restraints on my legs and then my hands. I’m able to sit up but I shrink back against the cold steel wall that is behind me. I remember my seven new Master’s now. I remember that they killed my old Master and burned his house. I remember being carried away from hell by Master Trudgen and then I woke up here in this med bay.
“Come on, pet. You need to meet the others.” Trudgen offers me a hand and I place mine gently in his as he pulls me from the bed.
“Thank you, Master Trudgen.”
I am led to a large room on the ship with a long bench along one wall and four tables in front of the bench. On the other side of the room is a round table with some kind of hologram game that two men are playing while shouting. Somewhere in the ship a blast door opens with a loud hiss. Heavy footsteps seem to come from above until another door opens and a man emerges. I can see the stairs behind him that lead up to another level another man comes stomping around the corner into what I’m assuming is a common room.
Master Trudgen leads me over to the bench and pushes me roughly into a seat. “Okay, so it seems that we have acquired a slave thanks to Ren.”
“Awesome.” One of the men grins at me. “I hate cleaning this ship.”
“I think we need to discuss if we should keep her or not.” Trudgen turns to the other men in the room.
“Oh, she’s staying.” The man named Ren with the bare and scarred chest walks forward. “I won her and I say she stays.”
“Well, that was easy.” A young looking man smirks and returns to his holo game with one of the others.
“Alright. What her are duties then?” Trudgen turns to face Ren who was behind him.
“Keep her out of my fucking cockpit.” The man who came down the stairs glowers at me and I shrink back into the padded back of the bench that I am on.
“Calm down, Kuruk.” Trudgen sighs before he turns to me. “Okay, that’s Kuruk, stay out of the cockpit. He’s a dick about it. That’s Ushar and Cardo playing Dejarik. This is Ap’lek and this is Vicrul. Ren, you’ve met.”
I nod and stare at each man trying to make their names stick to their faces. I don't want to forget one and get backhanded. I’m silent as I take in the ship around me and I try to stay calm as these men take me to wherever their home is. I’m not excited to see my new home but maybe I won’t be shackled to a bed again.
“What’s your name?” Vicrul is the one to ask and I look up at him with wide eyes.
“Whatever you want it to be, Master Vicrul.”
“Are you getting smart with me?” Vicrul takes a step towards me and I try not to flinch but I do anyway.
I quickly look down at the floor as I wrap my arms around my body to shield my ribs. “No, Master Vicrul.”
“Then what’s your fucking name?” Vicrul practically growls at me.
“My previous Master called me bitch or girl.” I stare at my thighs as I hold myself tighter. “Master Gerrick called me Mesh’la. My master before that just called me slave.”
Vicrul sighs in frustration and I brace for the hit I know will come with a frustrated Master. “What is your birth name?”
“Oh. I...I don’t know.” I look up at him and can’t hide the tears in my eyes. “I don’t remember.”
The ship is silent other than the hum of space travel and the systems keeping us going. I stare at Vicrul not daring to look away until he does. I don’t miss the hint of what almost looks like pity in his eyes though, as he stares back with a frustrated expression. When he finally turns and paces away I look to Master Trudgen who looks equally frustrated.
“You can call me whatever you like.” I offer quickly. “I’ll answer anything you wish as long as I know that you’re referring to me.”
“Well for now I think we’ll call you, pet, and then we’ll figure the name shit out later.” Trudgen steps forward and holds out a hand. “Come with me.”
“Yes, Master Trudgen.”
Trudgen leads me down a set of stairs and I see that we are in a holding cell area of a ship. The long hallway has rows of cell doors throughout and I’m realizing I will most likely be locked up for a time while I am on the ship with them until we reach home. I’m led further down the hall and a door is opened. Inside is a large refresher. It looks like two cells have been combined to make a communal refresher with several showerheads and toilets.
“Get cleaned up.” Trudgen pushes me into the refresher and points to a stack of black fabric to me. “These are Cardo’s since he’s the smallest.”
I want to laugh because Master Cardo is not small, he's not as big as Master Trudgen but he is not anywhere near being called small. “Yes, Master. Thank you, Master.”
“Use whatever soap is in here we don’t care. When you’re dressed you will come back up the stairs to the room we were just in. Do you understand?”
“Yes, Master Trudgen.”
“And throw that fucking bikini in the garbage. We don’t want to see it again.” Trudgen turns and leaves, the door sliding shut behind him.
I am overwhelmed by the fact that I have been left alone and cannot even begin to understand why. I quickly strip off my bikini and take a moment to rip it to pieces before tossing it in the bin by the sink. After turning the water to a boiling temperature I step in and let out a hiss as the scalding water turns my skin red. I stand in the corner shower stall and there is a mixture of different soaps and shampoos. Some of my new Masters are bald but some have hair that looks soft and well kept. And as I see the expensive bath products I realize that they take good care of themselves.
I use just enough product to clean my hair after a few days of grim. My old Master was stingy sometimes when it came to showers and baths. If he didn’t shower I couldn’t shower. And he didn’t shower often. I scrub my body with a washcloth I found on a shelf and decide if it wasn’t allowed I would gladly take the beating in order to feel truly clean. I wince when I get to my bruises on my face and my ribs and have to scrub softer and slower.
Once I am out of the shower I wrap a towel around my body for a few moments as I find a comb and quickly detangle my hair. I slip on the sweatpants and t-shirt that are too big and I tie the waist string tight before rolling up the pants legs. I imagine that I could have been taller if I hadn’t been a malnourished slave my entire life. But it is what it is now and I will just have to deal with it.
I straighten up the refresher and make sure to leave it cleaner than I found it. The sink is gross so I wipe it down quickly with the towel I had used for my body. I need to get proper supplies to clean the mirror and the shower though. I find the laundry bin and toss the towel inside. It’s almost full and I’ll have to find their washing machines and dryer so that I can wash all the towels and clothes that are in there.
I leave the refresher and do as Master Trudgen instructed and head up the stairs to the common area. They’re all there except Kuruk but the door to the stairs that leads up is open. I stand at the edge of the room and wait for instructions from any of the men in front of me.
“You look better.” Cardo stands from his seat. “I think I like you in my clothes. We should only give you those to wear.”
Before I can say anything Ushar responds to him. “No. It’s not practical. We’ll get her a maid outfit. Something skimpy to show off those legs. I don’t like her covered up.”
“Both of you shut up,” Ap’lek grumbles from his seat as he eats rehydrated noodles.
“Ap’lek’s right. Both of you shut up.” Trudgen grumbles from his seat and I see him eating noodles as well. “We’ll get her some shit in her size next time we land somewhere.”
“Fine.” Cardo and Ushar both grumble in response.
Ren is in the corner eating as well and I watch him watch me. He doesn’t talk but his eyes never leave me as he slurps his noodles. I hang my head to stare at my bare feet and the dirty ship floor. It’s covered in a layer of mud and grime and I can only imagine how long it will take me to get it clean.
“So, pet. Are you good at anything?” Vicrul chuckles over his bowl of food. “Or are you simply a sex slave?”
I know they shouldn't sting but Vicrul’s words do. I wince before I clear my throat and speak softly. “I can clean, I can cook and bake. I have raised children so I’m good at dealing with tantrums.”
“That’ll come in handy when Cardo and Ushar fight over Dejarik.” Ap’lek laughs as he interrupts me.
I wait for him to say more and when he doesn’t I continue. “I have extensive field medic training.”
Trudgen interrupts this time. “How’d you get that?”
“Many masters ago I belonged to a bounty hunter. He was injured a lot and I patched all of his wounds. He hired a medical professor to come and spend weeks teaching me in case something bad happened in the field. I can perform small operations to extract projectile weapons and stitch wounds closed.” I keep my eyes on the floor as I speak.
“Well shit. That’s useful as fuck.” Vicrul grunts into his bowl of food.
“Any other skills?” Ap’lek asks.
“Not that I can think of, Master Ap’lek.”
“As bad as your last master seemed to want to keep you, there has to be something else you are good at,” Ren speaks and I look up to see him staring hungrily at me. “You were a virgin before your last master?”
“Yes, Master Ren.”
“And he never had you fuck his friends?”
“No, Master Ren.”
“Hmm.” Ren stares at me and licks his fork with a long tongue and I have to suppress the shiver as I look down quickly. I hear him get up from his seat and he walks in my direction with his now empty bowl in his hand. His arm brushes mine as he walks past me and out of the common room.
“Do you have any questions, pet?” Vicrul lets out a loud burp after his question to me.
“Yes, Master Vicrul.”
“Hmm. I like when you say that. Sounds so good off those pretty lips. What’s your question?”
“What duties do you wish me to perform? Am I to clean? To cook? Or perform other...services?”
“What do you want to do?” I know Vicrul is testing me as he asks the question.
“I will perform whatever task you ask of me, Master Vicrul.”
“Hmm. I’m still hungry. Go cook me something.”
“Yes, Master Vicrul.” I turn and realize I don’t know where the kitchen is. I turn back to Vicrul and am about to ask when Trudgen stands up and pulls me by the elbow.
I’m led down a hallway off the left of the common room and there is a little kitchen with a large wall that is all cold storage. Cupboards line the upper walls and are filled with non-perishable food and dishes. There is a sink full of dirty dishes and no dishwasher. A small cooktop is across from the sink and a set of ovens are in the wall. It’s actually a really nice kitchen to have on a ship like this and I look up at Trudgen with a raised brow.
“Ap’lek likes to cook when he’s pissy. So he put this in last year. Got tired of reheated food all the time.”
“It’s very nice. Master Trudgen. May I use anything or am I not to touch certain items?”
“Hmm. That’s a good question.” Trudgen turns and yells down the hallway. “Ap’lek!”
A few moments later the doorway is blocked by the large blonde man. “What?”
“Anything off-limits to our little pet?” Trudgen asks him.
“No. I guess not. Just don’t break anything. And if we’re running low on something, put it on the list so we can restock when we stop.”
“Yes, Masters. Where would I find the list?”
Trudgen taps the wall and a built-in data screen pops up. He shows me where to go to find their supplies list and there is a grocery section as well as a weapons and ship parts section. I smile at the organized lists and nod as I look through it.
“Go ahead and cook for everyone not just Vic’s dumb ass. We’re all tired of those fucking noodles.” Trudgen smirks and leaves the kitchen with Ap’lek and I am left alone to figure out what meal I can make to impress my new Masters.
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