Chapter 2 - A Game Of Chess
Jack stared, debating five different options in his head, but like so many choices in his life lately, it seemed none was much better than any other.
"You going to move sometime in the next month?"
Jack's gaze tracked slowly upward to the source of that comment.
"Sorry." Paul Falco forced a smile. "Are you going to move sometime in the next month... Captain?"
Jack couldn't help but chuckle. "No need for titles here, Mr. Falco. I only pulled rank on Mei so she wouldn't run off by herself again."
Falco grabbed his glass and took a long drink. "So, despite puttin' it to her best friend, you still give a damn about the poor woman?"
Jack's jovial attitude was fading quickly. "Do we really need to go over this ground again?" Jack placed a finger on his Rook.
"Can't you see how much it's hurting her?"
"I can imagine how she feels, but saying I'm sorry doesn't seem to help much." He moved the piece forward three squares.
"You'd have to mean it for it to help."
Jack's attention left the board. "I do mean it."
"The hell you do." Falco studied his next move. "All you give a rat's ass about are the life you and Vargas hope to have."
"That's not true!"
Falco slid his Queen toward Jack's Rook. "Hey, I'm not saying it's wrong or anything, just be honest about it." He held up the captured Rook for a brief moment of triumph. "Two people in love are expected to be obsessed with their own happiness."
"I don't know if obsessed is the right word."
"If it isn't then you should end the relationship right now."
Jack grinned and moved a pawn forward.
Falco leaned back in his chair. "But that only makes things worse for your ex-wife."
"I would have hoped she'd have developed a more adult way of looking at this all by now."
Falco moved his Queen again. "In my experience, people are at their most childish when it comes to matters of the heart. You're dealing with their self worth. That goes back to all that mommy and daddy stuff."
"Is that so?" Jack asked, his attention now more on the board than Falco's poor attempts at psychoanalysis.
"Yeah, it is."
"And when did you became a counselor?"
"It's called life experience, McCall."
"I suppose I ought to get me some of that eventually," Jack said with a smirk.
Seeing that reaction, Falco released a frustrated sigh. "All I'm saying is you shouldn't expect people, especially an ex-wife, to act out of some ultra-enlightened sensibility when it comes to this kind of thing."
"And what is your suggestion... Doctor Falco?"
"Put some space between her and you."
"A little hard to do considering the circumstances."
"I mean when we get back."
Jack nodded and moved a Knight. "She's scheduled to transfer to Kel-j'na."
"See, I was right."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I knew if I got you talking about all this shit I'd be able to win." Falco moved his Queen once again and smiled. "Checkmate."
Jack's eyes widened. "Impossible!"
Falco was about to reply when one of the few pieces of equipment they'd been able to salvage from the Abdiel began squealing.
Jack ran over to the offensive machine and squelched its alarm. "It appears our time on this world has come to an end."
"It sure the hell took Starfleet long enough to find us!"
Jack made an adjustment to the scanning device. "Wait." He watched the display. "Unfortunately, those aren't Starfleet vessels in orbit." Before Falco could react, Jack tapped his communicator. "Melissa, Mei. Please respond."
"We're here, Jack." It was Melissa's voice.
"You two hurry back. We've got company."
Falco stared at the display. "From the looks of it, we've got a hell of a lot of company."
That and who they might be was what worried Jack.
***
Paul Falco made another adjustment on the sensor station, peeling back the veil of sky to let them observe what transpired in the vacuum above. And what he found didn't please him.
"Shit!"
"What is it?" Jack ran back to him, pausing his watch for the two female members of their small gang of castaways.
"A small ship just left the largest vessel." He turned to Jack with a scowl. "From what I can tell of their trajectory, they're headed right for us."
"Time?"
"Thirty minutes. Maybe less."
Jack cursed himself. The city Mei-Wan and Melissa had journeyed to would have probably been their best option for a place to hide. Though Jack knew it would have only bought them time, and nothing more. It also meant he and Falco would have needed to leave more than an hour earlier which would have left them blind as to what was transpiring in space.
Jack had his doubts about Falco's ability to move quickly due to the injuries he still nursed.
No point in recriminations now, he thought. What's done is done. They'd face this here.
Suddenly, two female figures hurried, out of breath, over the sand dune directly to the west tossing a cloud of sand into the air.
"About damn time!" Falco shouted.
"Hey!" Melissa snapped. "How about you try running two kilometers without a break in this heat!"
"I'm not the damn fool who wanted to go exploring."
Mei-Wan was about to jump in, but Jack had no interest in seeing this particular distraction continue.
"We can discuss that later," their CO ordered. "Right now we need to come up with a plan that keeps our options open."
"Has anyone transported down?" Melissa asked.
Jack explained the situation with as much brevity as possible. Neither Mei-Wan or Melissa appeared pleased with what they heard.
"I say we head back to that city you just came from," Falco offered.
"No!" Mei-Wan blurted out. "We'd never make back in time. All we'd end up accomplishing is the destruction of what might be the last evidence of a lost culture."
"Screw them," Falco grumbled. "I say we take care of the living."
"We won't live for long if we go there. The area is radioactive."
"We sure won't last long if that's a G'voda ship coming down here!"
Jack took a deep breath. "No, Mei's right. They'd eventually find us anyway. They had to have noticed the wreckage of the Abdiel by now, and out in the open desert, it wouldn't be hard to track us. No, tactically, our best bet is stay here." He looked at the other three. "Frankly, I'm tired of running."
Forty minutes later, the four of them sat behind a barricade of metal panels and large containers they had fashioned into a wall. While it wouldn't defend against an airborne attack, it did give them a place to make a stand against a ground assault. In the end it probably wouldn't matter, but it would allow them to go out with some small sense of pride in the face of certain death.
At least that's the way Jack sold it to them. Mei-Wan suspected it had more to do with giving them something, anything, to do while they waited for the arrival of their visitors. It had worked for as long as it lasted.
But now all they could do was wait.
For her part, Mei-Wan hoped their visitors were some passing group of ships intending to offer aid after having picked up the Abdiel's distress beacon. From the looks on the faces of her companions, she had the impression she was the only one who entertained such thoughts.
"Where the hell are they?"
"Itching for a fight, Commander?" Melissa asked Falco.
"I've made my peace and I'd like to get this over with," Falco said with a grunt. "Is that too much to ask?"
"In this universe, it appears so," Jack said, glancing over their defenses.
The quiet death of the desert was shattered by the whine of engines in the distance.
"You know, they might be friendly," Mei-Wan finally said.
She received only frowns in reply.
"Haven't we been through more than our share of bad events for the last two weeks? Things have to balance out sometime."
Falco chuckled as the whine turned into a roar. "No matter how bad things are, they can always get worse."
The arriving ship had the appearance of a collection of different size grayish-black boxes welded together into a form that seemed too non-aerodynamic for the task at hand as it slid across the dunes to hover nearby. Its landing jets kicked up enough sand to obscure the view of the survivors of the Abdiel's last mission.
"I'm serious, Jack," Mei-Wan pressed on. "It doesn't at all look like a G'voda vessel, so we shouldn't leap to the conclusion they're hostile."
"We'll find out soon enough."
"If their intent was to kill us, we'd be dead already," Mei-Wan said as the sandstorm from the ship's engines began to subside. "Let me go out and greet them."
"She's out of her goddamned mind!" Falco shouted.
"We sent out a distress signal," Mei-Wan reminded them. "It's entirely possible we've intruded on their territory. I don't think hiding behind a barricade with weapons drawn is the best way to say hello."
After a moment, Jack smiled. "You're right. I guess after all we've been through lately, I've let the suspicious side of my nature rise too much to the surface."
"Great." Mei-Wan started to leave.
"But I'll go," Jack said, taking hold of her arm. "I'm the CO. It's my responsibility."
"You're as nuts as she is!" Falco said with more than a little disgust.
"I’m the one with the least tactical training," Mei-Wan countered. "And I've got more direct first contact experience than the three of you combined." She closed her eyes a moment, the weight of what she was volunteering for had finally hit her. "I'm the most expendable of the four of us."
"She's right," Melissa leaped into the conversation before Jack could argue the point. "Except for the last part."
Mei-Wan found it hard not to smile at that. "Thank you."
Jack exhaled slowly. "I still think this is a bad idea..."
"Damn straight," Falco murmured.
"But," Jack continued. "It is the right idea."
Mei-Wan handed her phaser rifle to Melissa, now less sure about this course of action.
"Good luck," Melissa said as Mei-Wan padded around their defenses.
The vessel's engines went silent and a ramp descended from the underside of the ship which now rested on four landing struts upon the golden sand. Three hulking, nearly two meter tall, figures marched down the ramp onto the desert floor.
Mei-Wan began to shorten the hundred yard distance between herself and the ship. She could see the three beings had taken notice of her, but had yet to pull out anything resembling a weapon.
Once she was halfway to them, a flash of recognition filled her with hope. She'd seen this species before when she'd been in the alternate timeline with Hank Evans.
They had the same grayish-green, leathery skin, the same tuft of hair on the back half of their heads, and the same piercing red eyes.
They were the Fashod.
"I am Lieutenant Mei-Wan Lau of the starship Chamberlain, representing the United Federation of Planets," she called out to the three males clad in only pants and boots. She stopped walking and held her hands out in plain view.
The lead Fashod snarled and reached behind his back.
Mei-Wan's heart raced at that response. "Our ship crashed and..."
The bare-chested male pointed a large rifle-like object at her and again snarled.
Falco was right, she thought. This idea was nuts.
A flash of light filled the world and Mei-Wan felt as though she were floating.
She was unconscious before she fell to the soft carpet of sand at her feet.
***
Mei-Wan's eyelids popped open at the sensation of something sliding up her left side past her hip. Her field of view was filled by a stern looking visage with bright red eyes, sharply tipped ears, and a rough, dark grayish green, scale covered skin.
She realized the sensation on her torso was this creature's hand exploring the terrain of a world that had caught his attention.
"You're awake, good," the two meter tall figure said. "Tell me, little one, what were you doing on Callix?"
Mei-Wan nearly cried out as his fingers probed near her breasts. Where are we? Was Callix that world we crashed on?
His head leaned forward and his large nostrils flared and blasted warm moist breath into her face. It had a musky, animal smell to it--- the aroma of desire.
Mei-Wan struggled to move, but found her hands and ankles bound in wall-mounted metal shackles that didn't budge in the slightest. The creature took in the fragrance of her own labored breathing and appeared very pleased with the experience. She hadn't felt this helpless since being captured and taken to Nybiros more than a year ago. And before that, when...
No, I have to stay in the here and now. It's the only way I can find a way out of this!
Mei-Wan summoned every bit of courage she could from a well that at this moment felt like it had run dry long ago. She set her jaw and did her best to make her eyes as fierce as she could. "Leave me alone," she growled.
His head moved back and after a moment of indecision, he smiled. "You've got some fire in you. I'll enjoy that." He stepped back and looked up and down her body. "You're small, and far too pale for my tastes, but I think I can get some measure of enjoyment out of you."
Going fierce had been a mistake. Now she had to figure another way out. "The reason I'm pale," she began, with a much friendlier tone. "Is that I'm very ill. Normally my complexion is as dark as yours."
"Really?" He looked her over again. "Perhaps I should check to see how far this illness has spread." His hands reached for the top of her shirt.
Good move, Mei! she screamed silently to herself.
The creature gave the shirt a sharp yank, splitting the zipper down three inches until it jammed. He seemed confused that his exploration had met a snag.
Mei-Wan took the opportunity to catch her breath, fearing it would be the last moment of peace she'd have for some time. She tried to tell herself she could take the mindset of a disinterested observer. She could go through the horror to come with an academic...
But her fear caught up with her and was near to becoming a full blown panic as the creature pulled at her shirt again.
"Afel, what do you think you're doing?"
His hands stopped. The creature appeared angry.
"Step away from there," the voice behind her attacker said.
"I was preparing to interrogate the prisoner," Afel stated. "Is there something wrong with that, Seren?"
Seren gave Mei-Wan a quick glance. "I doubt your method would have gained any useful information. But then we know that wasn't the point, don't we. Your interest was more on indulging your rather peculiar appetite for alien sexual experiences."
"We must take the opportunities life affords us."
"Taking that which is the prerogative of the masters is likely to get you executed, Afel. Something I would surely enjoy."
"The masters are not here, and they're not likely to return for some time."
While the two continued to argue, Mei-Wan noticed Jack, Melissa, and Falco were on walls perpendicular to her, shackled in the same fashion she was. Those walls appeared old and worn, covered with more rust and grime than Mei-Wan had ever seen on a spacecraft.
Her three shipmates stared at her with what she assumed was a look of concern. She guessed they had been watching all that had transpired over the last several minutes.
"I doubt the governor would approve of your methods or the risks you'd enjoy taking with these four," Seren told Afel. "And while I command this unit, such risks will be avoided."
"Yes, Seren."
Both creatures left the small compartment, but not before Afel gave Mei-Wan a last leering glance.
"You okay?" Jack asked Mei-Wan now that their captors were gone.
"I think so." A lie. She felt her arms and legs shaking. Fortunately, her bonds kept it to a minimum. "Were all of you interrogated like that?"
"No," Melissa chimed in. "For some reason he seemed fixated on you."
"What is it about me? Am I some sort of magnet for every sexual deviant in the Galaxy?"
Falco chuckled and looked at Jack who appeared less than pleased.
"Sorry, Jack," Mei-Wan said. She hadn't considered what that said about Jack since he was her ex-husband. "You know what I mean."
"Don't worry about it," Jack said with a forced smile. "Our primary concern is looking for a way out of here."
"We're on a ship of some sort..." Melissa said just as the vessel shook sharply. "And not a very good one by the feel of it."
Falco gave a sharp tug to his shackles. "Brilliant observation, Vargas. Where's that leave us?"
"Once we land, they'll probably take us somewhere else," Jack replied. "We look for opportunities."
"And if there aren't any?"
"Then Commander Falco, we make some of our own."
***
The remainder of their journey was uneventful, at least as far as visits from their captors went. Once the transport landed, they were escorted down a ramp into a world that couldn't have been more different from the one they'd left.
The air was heavy with moisture and the nearly choking smell of plant life. The small landing field the craft had set down on was walled in by towering trees and bushes that appeared determined to one day take the land the ship sat upon.
The four Starfleet officers were placed in a large, armored ground vehicle which sped away on a narrow dirt path as soon as everyone was loaded aboard.
Mei-Wan quietly struggled against the metal shackles on her wrists. After the futility of that became clear, she turned to Jack who sat next to her. "If we could get into that jungle, they'd have a hard time tracking us," she whispered.
"And go where?" he asked, whispering as well so the guards wouldn't overhear.
"That ship we came on, unless you know of another way off this planet."
"I'd much prefer finding a communication station and getting a signal off to Starfleet."
"Jack, we have to face the possibility Starfleet didn't come through that battle we left."
He took a long breath.
Mei-Wan felt stupid for bringing that up now. If Starfleet had lost, that likely meant they had little to nothing to return to.
"Okay, but what do you suggest we do while we wait for Starfleet to charge to the rescue?"
A deep roar bellowed from the jungle as though some slumbering force of nature had suddenly stirred to life.
"I certainly don't want to have to fight whatever's in there."
Mei-Wan sat back in her seat, deciding rather than arguing possible escape plans now with Jack, she'd wait until they found out where they were being taken.
***
After a half hour of a bumpy, winding road, stifling humidity, and leering glances from Afel, Mei-Wan was glad when they entered a large clearing where four dull gray metal buildings stood surrounded by the oppressive jungle.
Howls and cries drifted out of the dense wall of vegetation from seemingly every direction. Even their captors appeared frightened by the loudest of these screams.
For Mei-Wan, the hidden source of the din seemed more a single, dark force than an alien catalogue of zoological oddities. There was a cadence to it, a rhythm that resonated with something within her.
Once inside the nearest building, the full confidence of their guards returned and they seemed determined to make up for their lack of courage outside by pushing and shoving Mei-Wan, Jack, Melissa, and Falco at every opportunity.
This was hardest on Falco due to his previous injuries. At one point Mei-Wan thought he was about to swing around and punch the guard behind him, but he managed to restrain himself until they reached their destination.
Finally they were ushered into a ten foot square room, the walls covered by a green furry substance resembling mold. The only light came from a dim panel in the ceiling. In a corner sat a pile of dry lumps on the floor that Mei-Wan couldn't explain in her mind until she became aware of the absence of any "facilities" as her grandmother used to call them. It was with that realization that the stench of their cell crashed into her consciousness. It took all the will she had to keep the tasteless meal the Fashod had given them on the trip here from surging up out of her stomach.
With the crash of the heavy door closing, Falco found a clean section of floor and sat down. "This certainly is an improvement."
Jack grinned. "Especially the smell."
"I was about to get to that," Falco replied with a chuckle.
"I don't see anything humorous about this," Mei-Wan chided them.
"They're just being men," Melissa said with a frown. "It's a universal defect of the male gender to find humor in foul odors."
Falco smiled as he leaned back against the wall. "I could switch to sexual humor if that would make you happy."
"Don't exert yourself," Melissa said. "I'd hate to see you tax what mental abilities you have left."
Falco's smile turned into a sneer. "Hey, I was trying to lighten the mood a little and all I get is the two of you..."
"Alright," Jack interrupted. "How about we get back to the issue at hand?"
Melissa glanced around their new home. "Metal walls, a metal door, and a single light panel." She turned to Jack. "About all I see is we find a way to get the current from the light to the door, electrocuting one of the guards."
"That is assuming they're using metal wiring, instead of capacitance conduits." Falco closed his eyes. "I say we sit tight until someone comes to open the door, then we make a break for it."
"A break to where?" Mei-Wan asked. "In case you didn't notice, we're out in the middle of a jungle."
"With the nearest spacecraft over fifteen kilometers away back at that landing field," Melissa added.
"The landing field is our obvious choice," Jack said. "The problem is how to get to it without being noticed."
"I doubt they'll lend us a vehicle." Falco folded his arms across his chest. "And that road had guard posts every couple of kilometers or so."
"Which means we go through the jungle and we'll have to..."
A loud clang from the door interrupted Jack. Two Fashod guards entered their cell followed by another figure who wore tattered robes whose color had faded long ago. There was a deadness to this one's eyes that didn't frighten Mei-Wan, but instead filled her with sadness. He carried himself as if there was a pride buried deep within, but had been crushed under a burden no being was ever meant to carry.
"I am Chalush," the robed Fashod said in a voice far softer than his appearance would have suggested. "Is there anything you have need of?"
"We have need of transportation off this world," Jack said.
Chalush stood quiet for a moment, seeming torn about how to respond. "That will happen soon enough, though I doubt you will be pleased with the destination."
Jack took a breath. "And where would that be?"
"To the homeworld of the Fashod Empire where you will be executed for your crimes."
"And what might those be?"
"Of that, I do not know. But your arrival here on Vologda means Governor Parvus intends to execute you."
"That's just great," Falco blurted out.
Jack pressed on. "Couldn't it be we were just brought here because this was the closest world to the planet we were found on?"
"No," Chalush said. "All those brought here are eventually interrogated and then executed by the governor on my order."
"Your order?" Melissa asked. "Why would you order us executed if you don't have any idea what the reason is?"
"I am the hereditary heir to the Fashod throne," Chalush told them. "No one can be executed except upon my order. The guards follow only my commands."
"You don't look like any king to me," Falco said with a shake of his head.
"When the G'voda invaded the Fashod Empire..."
"The G'voda?" Mei-Wan interrupted.
"I see you've heard of them. I hope then you will understand why things are as they are." Chalush lowered his head. "When they invaded us five centuries ago, they offered our Empress, Cilda, a choice: our people, our society, and our way of life would be allowed to continue as long as the royal line agreed to serve under the G'voda Governor for the rest of eternity. Given their technological advantage, Cilda chose survival."
Mei-Wan was tempted to tell this Fashod what she knew about Cilda, how she had survived in the form of a copied consciousness locked in a G'voda body. However, not knowing the Fashod or their culture, she wasn't sure how such news would be received and decided it best to not say anything for now.
But she could sense the same nobility in Chalush that they'd found in the machine copy of Cilda. These were a proud people, beaten, yet something of their formal selves had survived. The G'voda hadn't destroyed it. Not yet at least.
"Help us escape this place and maybe we can help you end the tyranny the G'voda have held your people under for so long," Jack said, taking a step toward Chalush.
"How could you help us? If I were to disobey the governor, a fleet of G'voda vessels would destroy our homeworld." Chalush looked at Jack. "Our freedom would be very short-lived."
"What if the G'voda fleet no longer exists?"
Chalush appeared to let such a hope enter his thoughts for only a moment. "You're only seeking a way to escape a certain death. Under the circumstances, I don't fault you for this attempt at deception. But I will not risk the lives of my people on such foolishness." He turned to go. "Your fate is set. Do not waste what little time you have left with thoughts of escape."
"You could come with us," Jack said.
"I am more a prisoner here than you shall ever be."
And with that, Chalush and the guards were gone.
***
An hour later, a guard unlocked their cell door. When the door swung open, Mei-Wan immediately recognized him. It was Afel.
"Well little one, are you ready to resume your interrogation?" He swaggered up to her as two other guards blocked the doorway.
Jack started toward him, but Mei-Wan caught his arm. "No, Jack."
He spun around to her. "Mei, I can't let him..."
"You won't be able to stop him," she said. "All you'll end up doing is getting yourself killed."
"Mei, no." Melissa looked at Mei-Wan with a pleading look in her eyes. "We can..."
"You can stay here and try to find a way to escape." She tried to indicate what she was getting at with her eye movements, but Jack and Melissa seemed so upset with what was happening that she didn't think they understood her. All she could hope for was that they'd figure it out later.
Jack, however, didn't heed her admonition. He leaped at Afel, landing a solid kick to the Fashod guard's midsection.
Within moments, the other two guards began pounding away at Jack McCall.
"Stop it!" Mei-Wan cried out. "I'll go with you!"
Afel nursed his ribs with one hand, but the pain in his face quickly changed to a smile at Mei-Wan's words. He raised his other hand and the guards stopped their assault on Jack.
"A wise choice," he said. "If you please me well enough, I may decide to spare him for daring to harm me."
Mei-Wan didn't want to think of what was about to happen to her. She just wanted it over with.
"Can we please just go?"
Afel approached her with a wide smile. "Bind her hands," he ordered the other guards.
Mei-Wan's wrists were shackled and she was led out of the cell trembling as her imagination conjured up possibilities of what she might endure in the hours to come.
***
The other guards had left her to Afel who gave her a sharp shove in the back at each turn in the winding passage leading deeper and deeper into the prison's bowels.
Please let if be quick, she pleaded with the universe, but, as many times before in her life, the universe provided no answer but silence. The last moments of her life would be heaped in fear and buried in dread, the walls of this prison hiding her suffering from a universe that didn't concern itself with someone as small as her.
The waves of her thoughts finally became too much for her and Mei-Wan began to weep. She did her best to choke down the spontaneous cries for help. She didn't want Afel to know how afraid she was. Mei-Wan was certain he'd take great pleasure in that knowledge.
He shoved her down a set of steep stairs, causing her to almost trip several times.
It wouldn't take much to fall, she thought. If I land just right, I'd break my neck.
That possibility frightened her at first, but it would let her avoid the suffering of the next few hours and it would deny him what he wanted.
But just as she was about to shift her weight forward, all of the plans, all the dreams she'd had for her life came rushing into her mind. She didn't want to die!
Think! she told herself. Think!
There had to be a way out of this. She just needed to find it.
Her moment of hope ended when Afel opened a heavy door into a small room of mildew covered walls. Despite the dim light, she could see torn patches of clothing scattered about the floor, along with dried pools of what looked like blood.
He's used this place before, she thought.
The stench of raw sewage assaulted her nostrils. Mei-Wan tried to hold her breath to keep her stomach from heaving.
Faced with this as the place of her last moments, Mei-Wan's knees gave way and she fell.
"Get up!" Afel pulled at her long hair, forcing her to her feet. Her cries were lost in screams of pain.
He spun her around to face him. His eyes rolled up and down her body as if uncertain where to start.
Tears falling down her cheeks, Mei-Wan closed her eyes. She begged for someone, anyone in the universe to come to her aid. For once, she'd even welcome the Vedala.
No one is coming.
But instead of more fear, Mei-Wan felt something else: anger. Not at everyone in the universe, but at herself. She was the only one here. She was the only one who could save her.
Mei-Wan opened her eyes and watched her tormentor remove his weapon belt. Not that it gave her any hope. He was double her weight and most of that appeared to be muscle. She could never overpower him physically.
She might outthink him, but to do that she couldn't wallow in self pity or fear. She had to figure out how to use his strength and desire against him. Otherwise she was going to die in this place.
He reached for her, but Mei-Wan took a step back. Afel smiled and took a step forward. She took another step back.
"You can only go backward so far, little one," he said with a wide grin.
Mei-Wan took a deep breath and stood her ground this time. "You're right."
He hesitated, seemingly unsure what she meant. But a moment later, his desire consumed his thoughts again. He took hold of her shirt, then pulled at it with so much force it nearly tore the zipper from the flimsy fabric as he ripped it open.
Mei-Wan fought the urge to scream. She couldn't stop herself from trembling.
Afel leaned toward her, his heavy breath stinking of rotten flesh. He ran his dark red tongue up the side of her face, leaving a moist path in its wake.
He stopped and looked at her. "Did you like that?"
Mei-Wan remained silent.
"I asked you a question?" His eyes stared into her own.
"Since you don't give a damn about what I do or don't like, why should I bother answering?"
"So the little one shows some spirit!" he said with a laugh. "I may enjoy this more than I thought."
"I'm surprised that brain of yours is capable of thought," Mei-Wan said, her voice nearly breaking from fear.
His smile changed to a frown. His hand rose into the air to strike her.
Mei-Wan stepped back and thrust her knee as hard as she could into his groin. But instead of having the debilitating effect she'd hoped for, Afel's face twisted into a rage.
"You are going to suffer, little one... suffer horribly."
He threw her up against a wall, his full body weight pressing against her. "Go ahead and fight me!"
With one hand he pulled at her bra, and with the other, her pants. Mei-Wan couldn't keep from crying out.
But it wasn't the cry of helplessness Afel had expected.
Just as her pants collected around her ankles, Mei-Wan knocked the hand pulling at her bra aside and completed the movement of her arms toward the Fashod male's head, her shackled hands grabbing his face.
Their collective center of gravity was thrown off just enough that Afel toppled backward, hitting the ground hard.
Still yelling, Mei-Wan's thumbs found their target and sank into his eye sockets with as much force as she could give them.
Afel howled just a moment before Mei-Wan felt liquid ooze onto her hands. His arms flailed about as he screamed. Finally, he grabbed her hair and pulled hard.
But Mei-Wan wasn't about to give up now. She raised her now soaked hands up and brought the shackles down onto Afel's face, striking his skull as hard as she could. And again, and again.
Her wrists hurt like hell, but she didn't dare stop. Mei-Wan pounded away at Afel. Soon her hands were covered in more than the fluid from his eyes.
But Afel didn't surrender either. His hands finally found her neck. His fingers wrapped around her windpipe, making it difficult to breathe. Mei-Wan tried to push away from him, then to pull his hands off her, but he was far to strong.
"My only regret," Afel yelled. "Is I won't get to see you die!" He tightened his grip. "But I'll get to feel you go limp in my hands."
Mei-Wan's vision became blurry. She had only seconds to do something before his boast became a reality. "We can die together." She pounded away at his neck with the metal shackles.
Startled, Afel's grip failed, and Mei-Wan got her chance to push away from him. But she didn't rest. He was too dangerous for that. She raised her legs up and brought both her boots down onto his chest. After striking him three times, she heard what to her ears was a most agreeable crack.
"Now who's going to die... you son of a bitch." Mei-Wan finally allowed herself a moment to catch a breath. She glanced over at her attacker. His body jerked this way, then that, but it wasn't conscious movement. He was convulsing and spitting up what she assumed was blood. She figured she must have punctured a lung with that last hit.
The sound of metal striking metal filled the room. Someone was at the door.
Mei-Wan reached down to pull her pants up. A moment later, she cursed herself for thinking of modesty at a time like this. But then she realized the practicality of it. She'd have only a moment to get past the guards and into the hallway beyond. She couldn't get far with her pants down.
Wait, Mei! Wait! she thought. They'll go to him if I lie still enough, then I can...
The door opened.
But instead of anger, she heard laughter.
"It appears justice has finally been done."
The two figures walking into the room weren't Fashod. In fact, Mei-Wan wasn't sure what species they were. The first had almost a regal look to him, his dark hair combed back, his eyes piercing. At first Mei-Wan thought he might be an Orion, but the tone of his green skin wasn't right and what she assumed were tattoos of some type on his forehead weren't typical of Orions. The second figure, while similar, didn't carry himself the same way. He was definitely a follower to the other's lead.
The first male approached Mei-Wan and offered a hand. "Are you all right?"
She couldn't help smiling at him. "I think so," she said as he helped her up. "Who are you?"
"I am Thunupa, and this is Beraan," he said, returning her smile. "We were in the midst of escaping and heard screams coming from here. Since this is where Afel always brings the female prisoners, we couldn't leave without attempting to stop him." He looked over at Afel. "Though it appears our help wasn't needed." He turned back to her, his smile widening. "You did quite well."
"Your help is certainly appreciated," Mei-Wan replied. "We'd better get out of here before the other guards come looking for him."
"I doubt they'll be too concerned about any noises from here, but there's no point in risking a chance encounter." He reached for her hands. "I can remove those, if you'd like."
"I'd like that very much."
Mei-Wan watched Thunupa remove the shackles from her wrists. There was something very attractive about him and it wasn't just that he'd come to her rescue, nor was it simply his physique. He had a magnetism she couldn't place or explain.
She rubbed her wrists as the metal restraints fell to the floor.
"We know a way out of the prison," Thunupa said. "We can take you with us."
"There are three others with me."
"Then we will free them as well."
Before they left, Mei-Wan walked over to Afel's discarded weapons belt and took the holstered gun. She figured she might need it.
***
Jack sat against the wall, trying his best not to think about what Mei-Wan was going through at that moment. Despite their divorce, he still cared deeply for her. That would never change.
It was obvious to him Melissa had the same problem. She paced the small floor of their cell looking more agitated every second without some sign of the woman who was once her best friend.
Paul Falco broke the silence that had existed since Mei-Wan had been taken. "I doubt he'll kill her."
"And what makes you so sure of that?" Melissa snapped. "You have insights into the sick mind of rapists that Jack and I don't?"
"All I'm saying is he'll probably want to have..." Falco hesitated. "He'll want to use her more than once."
Melissa shook her head. "Just shut up, okay?"
"Look, sitting here stewing isn't going to help her or us," Falco shot back. "We need a plan."
"I am open to suggestions," Jack murmured.
"We could jump the guards when they open the door."
"They'll likely have one or two out in the hallway," Melissa said. "And they'll be armed."
Falco shook his head. "Well, we have to do something."
"Something is fine, something stupid isn't."
"You know that bastard will move on to you once he's through with..."
"I know that!" Melissa shouted.
Jack stood and walked over to her. "We'll jump the guards when they bring Mei back."
"Jack..."
"Falco's right. We have to do something."
"About damn time somebody recognized that," Falco said.
Melissa spun away from Jack. "What was that?"
"What was what?" Falco asked.
"A noise."
Jack and Falco listened a moment.
"I don't hear anything," Falco said, folding his arms across his chest.
"You and those ears," Jack said with a smile.
Falco looked up. Finally he realized what Jack was getting at. "Right, the Vulcan ears." He stood, joining Jack and Melissa just as the latch on the door made a loud clanking noise.
Melissa took a position next to the entrance as the last latch moved.
"We have to push them out into the hallway if this is going to work," Jack told them. "Whatever happens, just keep moving forward."
"You got it," Falco said, mentally preparing himself. "I'm going for the first weapon I can get my hands on."
"What about Mei?"
But Melissa's question came too late for an answer. The door swung open.
The three of them rushed toward the door, but stopped as Mei-Wan instinctively raised the weapon she held in her hand.
"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, surprised.
"How'd you get a gun?" Falco asked.
Melissa smiled. "More importantly, are you okay?"
Mei-Wan smiled. "Yes."
Thunupa walked in behind her. "We need to go, Mei-Wan." He looked at the others. "Hello."
"Let's get out of here," Mei-Wan said, motioning them to the door.
Jack grinned. "How in the hell did you pull this off?"
"Like you said, we make our own opportunities."
