“Yesss?” the slaver inquired. “You were sssaying?”
“I was saying wrap him up.” Trin sighed. “I’ll take him.”
Chapter Two
“He’s groaning again.” Sidna, The Alacrity’s resident medic, frowned at the huge slave who was sprawled on a small cot.
After wiping out her bank account to buy him, Trin had been forced to pay even more to have the security Crangs carry him aboard her ship. He was out cold—possibly brain damaged from the punishing jolts of the pain collar—and much too big and heavy for her to even try lifting or dragging on her own.
Currently he was installed in the only spare room on The Alacrity—the small connecting cabin that linked with Trin’s own suite of rooms. The space had originally been designed for a body slave to stay in since the ship had been built on Yonnie Six. It had been empty for the entire five years she’d been captain. Now it was filled to capacity—the massive Havoc took up the entire cot and overflowed it, his muscular bulk barely leaving room for the med-bot Trin had stationed in his room for assistance and security.
“I still think you should put him in the brig,” Sidna said. She was a small, trim woman of about fifty cycles with short, no-nonsense iron gray hair and sharp gray eyes to match. “That’s where we kept the Gox we transported last cycle.”
“The Gox was a dangerous animal with three inch long fangs and claws like knives,” Trin objected. “We took hazard pay to transport it. This is just a slave.”
“Don’t fool yourself, Trin—he’s a dangerous animal too.” Sidna nodded at the Havoc. “All males are but this one looks especially hazardous.”
“You can’t tell that just from looking at him,” Trin said uneasily. At least, she hoped not although what Sidna was saying actually matched with her own first impression of the Havoc male.
As she watched, a low groan broke from the slave’s lips and he twitched in his sleep, his face contorting into a mask of agony.
“Do you think he’s still having pain?” Trin asked, looking at the other female.
“Impossible to say.” Sidna shook her head. “How long did you say the pain collar was activated?” she asked.
Trin shrugged. “Don’t know. Five minutes maybe? I turned it off as quickly as I could but that bastard of a slaver had it set to its maximum pain threshold.”
Sidna sighed. “Could be permanent nerve damage—those collars the Yonnites use are no joke.”
“What can we do for him?” Trin asked. “I know the whole situation is a pain in the ass but I feel responsible for him now.”
Sidna shook her head again.
“Nothing to do but wait and see what happens when he wakes. I still don’t like him being so close to your room, though. He’s huge.”
“He might take a little handling,” Trin admitted reluctantly. “But the med-bot can manage him. I’ve got it set to alert me when he wakes.”
“What if he wakes up agitated or aggressive?” Sidna protested. “Think what kind of damage an animal of this size could do to the ship! Not to mention everyone aboard it. You’re not safe with him so close. Please, Trin, move him to the brig.”
“I know how to manage big animals,” Trin said grimly. “I grew up riding every day, remember?”
“A male is not a morse,” Sidna said severely.
Trin smiled. “A horse. They’re animals from Earth. My mother bought me a pair because I was so interested in the planet where she got the sperm that created me.”
“Yes, I’ve seen pictures—they’re huge,” Sidna said. “And so is this Havoc you bought but that doesn’t make them the same kind of animal.”
“I’ll be careful,” Trin promised her. “An animal is an animal—they just need to be gentled.”
Sidna sighed in exasperation. “At least keep a blaster on your belt.”
“I’ve got a stunner if it makes you feel better,” Trin said. “See?” She pulled out the small weapon and handed it to Sidna to make her point. “But I’m not going to use it on him—his nervous system has already been ravaged by that damn pain collar.”
“Which begs the question, will he ever recover from it enough to do you any good?” Sidna looked at the big form twitching on the bunk skeptically.
“You can answer that better than me,” Trin said. “If there isn’t permanent damage, do you think he’ll be up and around soon?”
“Hard to say. Havoc are said to be hardy—they’re an offshoot of the Kindred after all. And the Kindred are supposed to be damn near unkillable. He may make a full recovery but I don’t know if it will be in time to stand at your side through the next negotiation on Yonnie Six.”
“That’s been pushed back a bit,” Trin said. “I don’t have anything to bargain with right now and we’re low on credit.”
“Low on credit?” Sidna’s gray eyebrows shot up. “You said we were flush from that last deal you did in Charn. We made enough to give the whole crew bonuses. What happened?”
“He happened.” Trin sighed and nodded down at the prone slave. “I…had to pay a bit more than I planned for him.”
“How much more?” Sidna wanted to know.
“I’d rather not say,” Trin said briskly. “Anyway, it doesn’t matter. I have a little left—enough to buy a good shipment of Jaxite crystals for the trade negotiations when we do get back to Yonnie Six.” She didn’t mention that the little credit she had was her personal nest egg—the small amount she kept back only for extreme emergencies and never touched. If this deal didn’t go well, she would be completely out of options.
“Jaxite is rare,” Sidna pointed out. The smoky blue crystals were used in the distillation of Dream Gas—a high priced commodity on the decadent Yonnie Six. “If you only have a little credit left, how are you going to afford them?”
Trin busied herself with making sure the med-bot’s settings were correct.
“I’ve heard from a reliable source that there’s a load of it for sale in the Demon’s Eye and I’ve already contacted the seller. If we can get there before anyone else, he’ll sell them to me at cost.”
“The Demon’s Eye?” Sidna put a hand on one slim hip. “Just how desperate are you, Trin? That place is a cesspool of filth and danger. I know hardened pirates who’d be afraid to cross its boarders. The crew won’t like this—not a bit.”
“They don’t have to like it,” Trin said stubbornly. “Once we get there I’m going in alone.”
“What? But you can’t—”
“I’m the captain of this ship and I can do what I deem necessary.” Trin hardened her voice purposefully. “I mean it, Sidna—I don’t want to hear any more about it.”
The medic looked like she wanted to say something else but Trin lifted her chin and frowned at her, letting her know she wouldn’t tolerate any more talk about the matter.
She didn’t like to pull rank on Sidna—the older woman was like an aunt to her and she normally gave good advice. But in this case, Trin was backed into a corner. Her credit was almost nonexistent, the payment on The Alacrity was due, and they only had enough fuel for one more run. They had to get liquid and fast. The Jaxite shipment seemed like the best way to do that—even if it wasn’t the safest way.
“I can handle it, Sidna,” she said, making her voice a little softer. “Really.”
Sidna looked at her, her lips thinned down to a bloodless line.
“Fine, Captain. Should I tell the navigator to set a course for the Demon’s Eye?”
“I’ll tell her myself as soon as I finish tending to my new…acquisition.” Trin grimaced as she looked at the huge Havoc, still twitching on his small cot.