K’rra felt a mix of feelings as she knelt naked before the two free people sitting on the couch. She wished she could close her knees. While Kaster avoided looking at her open charms, Kae seemed to delight in letting the slave see her hungry gaze.

“So, like we were saying, K’rra is a new slave,” Kae said to Kaster. “What do you enjoy most about having a servant at your beck and call?”

Kaster’s face was stoic as he considered the question. “Honestly? I’m not used to it just yet. I think we are still finding our footing. Wouldn’t you say so, K’rra?”

K’rra wanted to disagree with him, but as she was thinking of a diplomatic way to contradict her owner, Kae interrupted, “Are you kidding? Look at her. She is sex embodied. Full hips, big tits, lips made for taking a man in her mouth, and that delicious shade of blue. If she were mine, she’d spend entire days on her knees between my legs. Gythian slaves are among the rarest in the galaxy. You should be enjoying her every single moment you own her.”

Kaster blushed almost as brightly as K’rra herself did. If she weren’t so flustered by the prisoner’s manners, she’d have accepted the compliments gladly.

Flustered, he said, “Well, I don’t think of her in terms of use like that… She’s been the one that initiates…” Kaster let the sentence.

Kae laughed and reached out, touching Kaster on the shoulder with a supportive gesture. “Please, please. I understand completely. You’re a man, and few could resist charms like that.” She gestured at the kneeling slave.

“I may be a man, but I hold myself to a higher standard,” he said.

“I understand completely… the training,” Kae said while squeezing his shoulder. “And, I’m a woman who’d relish in her service without shame.”

Kaster’s eyes bore into K’rra’s, but he said nothing.

Sensing his hesitation, Kae continued, “We’re not like the Furys. We embrace our emotions, not hide them. Look at her and delight in how she makes you feel. I can tell. I can feel it. You want her. She was made to be irresistible. Just one look at you, and it's obvious you have a hunger. She’s yours, indulge.”

Turning to look at Kae, he explained, “I’m not a Fury. I don’t crush all emotions. Neither do I indulge in every base notion. If I had a hunger for you, should I throw you down and take you?”

“Who says you’d have to throw me down?” Kae said. The two on the couch stared at each other. Kae bared her teeth in a wicked smile. Kaster stared at her, working to read how serious her comment had been. After a long pause, Kae went on, “Besides, some women, myself included, might even find that… alluring.”

Kae gestured with the hand in her lap while Kaster watched her face. An audible click came from the passageway leading to the cockpit. When Kaster looked in that direction, Kae glared at K’rra and rolled her eyes. The message was clear: she wanted K’rra to leave.

K’rra was torn. This woman was working hard to seduce Kaster, and he seemed oblivious to it. Kae was young and seemed clever, but K’rra recognized the effort quickly. There was, however, a sword hanging over K’rra’s head. Displease this woman, and she would spill K’rra’s embarrassing truths. K’rra knew she was only a slave and who her master chose to sleep with was his own business. It stung, however, that she might not be enough for him. She wanted to stay and throw obstacles in the young, silly girl’s path. Ultimately, she was a slave. Kae might not be her owner, but K’rra had no place in a discussion between free people.

“Excuse me, Sir. I’d like to check the nav-comp, and maybe run some ship diagnostics. If you don’t mind?”

Kaster nodded and then opened his mouth to say something, but Kae cut him off, “Do you often find yourself throwing women down?”

“Well… I…” Kaster fumbled, “To be honest, there weren’t many options. I grew up in hiding.”

K’rra stood to leave, but she wanted to hear more about Kaster’s early life, something they had regrettably never had much of an opportunity to discuss. The lingering took too long, and Kae shot her a glare. K’rra understood and left the common room.

In the cockpit, she first checked the nav-comp. She was alarmed to see they were in a system near Obeza, where Kaster had fought the Furys at their temple. Why was he going back? They had a prisoner for Hol Vydon; they should be making breakneck speed to deliver her. The auto-pilot was currently taking them to Bandya, another low-pop world with some amenities and a working starport. K’rra made a note to mention shopping for a new jumpsuit when they arrived in a few hours.

Next, she began running diagnostics. There had been no better way to kill time in the Federated Navy than to run endless diagnostics. Promotions could be made by increasing performance by half a percentage point. She did not miss those days. However, it gave her something to do while her Master and the prisoner talked.

She yearned to hear what they were talking about. While she doubted there’d be any discussion of herself, she was despondent to have missed hearing about Kaster’s history, especially his upbringing. She considered the problem, then turned to the ship’s emergency systems. She activated the emergency comms with a few strokes of the keyboard. A few more strokes and she turned the mics on in the common room without a warning sound pinging through the ship.

<<They killed my people too. Gave them a choice, surrender the children or we’ll take them by force.>> Kae said.

<<I’m sorry.>> Kaster replied.

<<I know. I can feel it. They searched the commune and found some of us.>>

<<I’m glad you escaped.>> Kaster said.

<<Me too. But my sister… She wasn’t so lucky>>

<<I know she was your twin.>>

<<Are you reading me with your Focus? Should I put up my defenses?>> Kae asked.

<<Sorry. Habit.>>

<<You’re right, we are twins. Our parents could barely tell us apart.>>

<<They took her and trained her into their dying order?>>

<<Yes, they turned her into a soulless monster, like the rest of them.>>

<<How did you escape?>>

<<A few of us hid and weren’t discovered. I was only eight. Jakkib was sixteen, nearly ready for his trials. He taught the few survivors what he could.>>

<<But he was no master.>>

<<No. and when they returned to hunt us, he was the first one they killed. He bought the younglings time to flee. And they kept coming until I was the only one left. I thought you were one of them and that it was finally my time.>>

<<Can I ask you something?>> Kaster said.

<<Anything.>> Kae murmured. K’rra didn’t like the low, husky voice Kae used. She was playing him.

<<What sort of ship does your sister have?>>

There was a pause. <<An old scout vessel. Some sort of Needle class.>>

<<How do you know?>>

<<Because she still hunts me.>>

<<Your own sister?>>

<<The Furys have totally brainwashed her. She returned to hunt me. Tried to convince me to join their decrepit order. When I refused, she attacked me. Tried to kill me with the same blade that took your arm.>>

<<And now I must ask: are you using your Focus? I never mentioned how I lost my arm. Should I put my defenses up?>>

<<Sorry. Habit. The wound is fresh. And so clean. Only a WaveBlade would be so precise. With your questions about my sister and your obvious loathing of the Furys, it was easy to deduce that not only did one cut your arm. But it was probably my sister as well. You just confirmed it. Why are you so interested in her?>>

So, the prisoner was more than a silly girl, K’rra thought. She was clever as well.

<<There’s a bounty on her. I’ve taken a keen interest in any bounties on Furys.>>

<<You do? You hunt them? Let me join you. They’ve tried so many times to brainwash and kill me. I’m not even interested in the money. I’d help you just to wipe them from the galaxy.>>

There was another long pause. K’rra could only imagine that Kaster was taking her request seriously.

<<Please.>> Kae begged.

<<I’d like to. It would be good to have another Focus user’s help. But…>>

<<But, what? I can stand on my own.>>

<<Truthfully? You can’t. Your combat training is subpar. You had a Blade and I was still able to capture you while unarmed.>>

<<Train me then.>>

<<What? I’m no master.>>

<<I don’t care. I’ve never had a real master. But you are more skilled than me. You could teach me to fight more effectively. Together, we could bring down their entire order. Please, let me train with you, and together, we’ll send these fossils into the history books.>>

There was another long pause and K’rra wished there was video she could watch just to see the looks and gestures on each.

<<Please. I’m no slave, but I would do anything, even the services of a slave, if you took me as an apprentice.>>

<<I’m considering.>>

<<Please, sir. I’ll do anything. If another mouth is too much to feed, we could sell the slave, and I’d take on all her duties to do this. All of them.>>

K’rra was horrified. This was Kae’s game. She would weasel her way into Kaster’s graces and dispose of K’rra. Kaster had many Fury skills, he was a capable warrior, but could he fend off this woman’s charms, especially if she were using her own Fury-like skills to seduce and corrupt him?

<<I don’t think that would be…>> Kaster said. There were sounds of rustling and then something wet.

<<Have you ever been intimate with another with open Focus? Use it now. Search my feelings. There’s no denying how you make me feel.>>

K’rra couldn’t afford to sit passively any longer, listening to this woman’s seduction. She marched out to the common room. Kaster and Kae were sitting together, engaged in a deep kiss. K’rra ignored it.

“Well, Master,” She announced. “Diagnostic is now complete; I was able to reroute the thermal shunting giving us a two percent increase in engine efficiency.”

The kiss broke as K’rra went to the center of the room and knelt, knees apart. It wasn’t an appropriate position when free women were present, but K’rra wanted all her charms on display and available for her Master. And, she rationalized, Kae had stated an apparent interest in those charms as well, even if it was just a ruse to muddle and confuse her Master’s feelings.

The look of fury was unmistakable on Kae’s face. More alarming was Kaster’s expression. He seemed somewhat bewildered as if he’d suddenly woken from a deep slumber.

“Oh, stars! My apologies for interrupting, Master.” K’rra exclaimed, feigning ignorance.

“No worries, slave-girl,” Kae said as she turned Kaster's face back toward hers. “You aren’t interrupting anything.”

Kae pulled Kaster into a long, wet kiss. Now K’rra could see Kae’s other hand was buried deep inside Kaster's trousers, stroking him.

First:

Rogue Fury – Part 1