Pulling on the chains holding her hands above her head, Neira sighed loudly as they once more refused to give way despite her best effort. Shifting her knees so as to alleviate the uncomfortable feeling created in them by the hard metal floor, she looked up and around the cargo bay, surrounded by a number of other women, all in a similar predicament as her. A couple of men, probably from the same group of pirates that had attacked her ship, were moving among the numerous rows of captives in the hold, one roughly handling the women while the other entered something into a datapad. The sight made Neira frown: she had been doing something similar just yesterday, except with the cargo on the freighter of which she was a crew member.

      “Or used to be,” she muttered as she thought aloud. Taking a deep breath, another irritated sigh followed, just in time for the pair of men to approach her, the frustration evident in her posture and expression only making them laugh.

      “What’s the problem, greenie? Don’t like your new position in life?” the first of the two asked mockingly, one of his hands reaching down to grab the ponytail her long hair was kept it and pull it back harshly, making Neira yelp a little.

      “What kind of creature is this bitch? Dark green skin and shiny green hair…and those cute little angry looking golden eyes,” the second commented, punching in something onto the device in his hands. “I’ve never seen one of her kind.”

      “I think they’re called ‘Helopalans’ maybe. I don’t really care. You don’t need to know slaves’ names or anything else about ‘em.”

      “Just as long as you can fuck them?” the second questioned his friend, amused grin on his face. Seeming to have finished with whatever they had been doing, the two moved on to the girl to her right, this one a blond and very scared looking human, who merely whimpered and looked away as the men started their routine with her. Neira growled lowly at the other woman’s sniveling attitude, though she knew that she was just as scared on the inside.

      The pirates’ ‘inspection’ continued for another hour, moving from each person to the next, and then finally leaving the cargo bay, the women inside shrouded in complete darkness once again. Shutting her eyes as there was nothing to see, Neira tried to get some sleep, despite the constant pain in her stretched arms.

*****

      And she remained that way for what seemed at least another couple of days, as she judged when a portion of the women were let out twice during the journey, to be fed and allowed to relieve themselves. Then, when it appeared the same would occur for a third time, instead of just a few nonchalant guards coming in, a large number entered the hold, armed and lacking the non-serious demeanor. Business-like and efficient, the others were unchained, though their wrists remained shackled, and escorted out one at a time.

      When Neira’s time came, she thought about resisting, but the stun prods in the two gruff men’s hands, their effectiveness proven on a resistant girl early on, convinced her now was not the point for struggling. Standing up when her wrists restraints were unlatched from the chain, she followed after the leading guard as the trio moved through the ship’s corridor and to an airlock, and then through the passageway into the next vessel, which upon further review was most definitely a station, as the area which she was ushered into was far too big to be one on a starship.

       

       Directly in front of her a very bored looking man sat a desk, leaning back in his chair, head supported on an upraised palm. Standing to his side, an equally bored, though trying to not show it, timid man held a datapad. One of her fellow captives, a purple-scaled woman with a tail, and another pair of pirates stood in front of the desk while the sitting man and his assistant exchanged some words. With a dismissive wave of his hand, the man in charge shooed them away, and Neira was guided to the desk.

       “What is this one’s designation?” the weary-looking one asked to no one in particular.

       “The pirates have…H75 down in the information, sir,” the other, standing man responded, eyes fixed on his pad.

       “That’s fine. Put her with the other exotic ones and prep her for the auction tomorrow. And make sure she’s cleaned thoroughly. This thing’s stench is unbearable.”

       Neira’s eyes narrowed on the man behind the desk, but she had no chance to rebuke him or explain the smell on her clothes, as she had no time to wash from moving freight when she had been abducted, as she was pushed away and to the left through a door, the mechanical entryway swishing shut behind her. A short walk, and then into a small, sterile room, white and bare except for a drain and yet one more chain hanging down above it. Shoving her reluctantly moving body forward, her hands were again pulled above her head and then one of the guards produced a knife.

       Gasping quietly before she could contain the sound, Neira clamped her lips tightly closed, eyes following suit as her gray and dirtied jumpsuit was cut and ripped from her. The tanktop and panties underneath it follow soon after, the tattered scraps left lying at her feet, exposing her thin, toned body. The men with her ignored the opportunity to molest her in her vulnerable state, and focused a stream of tepid water at her, Neira twisting as the high-powered spray knocked her around. Left dripping, a few loose strands of glistening hair plastered to her face, the escorts exited the room, door locking behind them, as if she actually had any chance of reaching it.

      Maybe fifteen minutes later, a single, balding man entered the room, dressed in a white labcoat, old-style frames over his eyes. Grinning a bit in Neira’s direction, he wheels in a tray with him, a number of items on it, the most prominent, and disturbing to her, a thin golden-colored metal band: a collar. Pushing the cart to her side, the man looked over her nude and still wet form, droplets of waters running down her dark, verdant skin. Gritting her teeth, a slight blue flush coming to her cheeks, Neira remained silent as she was examined.

     

      “They were certainly right to put you in the exotic section of the auction, H75” were the first words spoken, the man chuckling at what he must have thought was quite the intelligent observation.

     

      “My name is Neira.”

     

      “It may be, but that doesn’t really matter any more, H75. Please try to keep quiet while I work,” the man giving little care for her attempt at defiance, which only infuriated Neira more than she already was. Growling lowly as her body was poked and prodded, she kept quiet, though her breathing became increasing huffy, cheek twitching as she strained to keep herself under control. A small cylindrical object of some kind was run over, humming loudly in the otherwise noiseless room, as the technician removed any hair on her body below her neck, leaving only a small tuft directly above her sex, which he trimmed down neatly. Setting the device down, he reached for the collar, Neira immediately taking a step back, tugging at the chain stretching her arms together and upwards. Laughing, the man slid it around her neck, and it snapped obediently in placed, the weight readily apparent even from the smallish thing as it was let go.

     

      “Settle, settle, girl,” the labcoat wearing man offered with a smile and a pat to Neira’s ass. “It looks very nice on you…matches right up with those eyes, too.”

     

      Clenching her teeth and turning her head away from him, Neira was not quite so impressed with the metal about her throat. The man spent a few more seconds feeling her up, much to her chagrin, but eventually gathered his tools back onto the cart and wheeled it out, leaving her alone once more, a few parting words of warning to be good over his shoulder. Cursing him out in futile anger, she screamed at the top of her lungs, the yell rebounding back and forth through the small, empty room. Left panting, she sagged against her aching arms, waiting.

*****

      This time the wait was longer, at least an hour before two more guards arrived, dragging her out and along another passageway, only to toss her into a smaller cell, the floor at least padded to break her fall. Sliding up onto her knees, grimacing as the motion causes pain to shoot through her strained arms, Neira peered about the tiny room and noticed a ball in the darkened, back right corner. Seeing the pinkish hue of human flesh, she frowned and moved to the opposite side of the cell, leaning back against the wall, golden eyes focused on her cellmate. The compact mass did not move for the first two hours.

     

      Tired of the almost constant silence she had been treated to throughout the day, and perhaps getting some information as well, Neira called out.

     

      “Hey! You! Wake up!”

     

      A little stirring was evident.

     

      “C’mon…dammit. WAKE UP!”

     

      The last exclamation made the girl jump out with a start, flipping around to face Neira and rising up onto her knees, bowing her head.

     

      “I’m…sorry, Miss. I didn’t mean to be lazy,” the female human murmured, not even bothering to look up to see who she was addressing. Arching an eyebrow in startled curiosity at the woman’s behavior, Neira sighed.

     

      “Calm down…I’m stuck here just like you…get your damn head up,” Neira barked at her, the girl shivering but slowly raising her head. Upon seeing both Neira’s nudity and the gold collar around her neck, the young woman’s body relaxed and she nodded once.

     

      “Sorry…I didn’t know who you were. I…um…I am Katherine,” the girl said meekly, still having trouble making eye contact.

     

      “I’m Neira. I guess you’ve been in this place quite a while…or at least, a slave for some time.”

      

      Katherine nodded rapidly. “Yes, I have been both here and a slave for a long time. But…my last Master got tired of me, or so he said, and sent me back to the authorities for resale.”

     

      Rather than respond, Neira frowned deeply, wringing her hands around as her wrists were still shacked to one another in front of her. The movement caught Katherine’s eye and she shuffled a little closer, inspecting the alien and her binding closely, her own limbs free from any restraint.

     

      “You are new, then, if they keep you bound in here,” the human girl noted, hesitantly sitting next to Neira, gaze studying the Helopalan in some awe. “I haven’t seen someone like you on the station yet, slave or free.”

     

      In return Neira shrugged lightly, though her golden eyes widened some at the confirmation of her current location in fact being a space station. Stations could be hidden on…and escaped from much easier than a ship. Standing, she walked over to the door of the cell, looking through the barred window allowing the only light into the space, but only seeing empty corridor in either direction. A light pull at her ankle, and she peered down to see Katherine tugging at it weakly.

     

      “They don’t like when we do that. Please sit back down…”

     

      “Fine.” Neira moved from the door and sat back down against a wall, resting her wrists upon her risen knees and her chin upon them. Katherine followed along after her, continuing to stare at the alien woman openly. The constant presence on the eyes on her naked body finally got to Neira and yelled at the human girl again. “What is it?!”

     

      Katherine flinched and slid back a couple steps, lowering her head. “Sorry. I just think that… That you’re very different and pretty looking. I’m sorry.”

     

      Shaking her head at her unnecessary outburst, Neira turned and looked at the girl closely. She was thin, brown-haired, pale skinned, all very normal for a female human. And for clothing, a ragged, short dress that might have once been nice looking but had since been torn, stained, and generally fallen apart. Her long hair was unkempt and fell about her face and shoulders haphazardly as her head stayed bowed in supplication and a little fear. All in all, the picture of an abused slave Neira had unfortunately come across from time to time in her travels, and now looked to be on her way to becoming, unless she managed to find a way out soon. Very soon.

     

      “Sorry, Katherine. I didn’t mean to scream at you,” Neira said with the best smile she could managed, putting out her restrained hands to lift the girl’s head up to face her once more. “And…thanks for the compliment, I guess…I heard something about an auction tomorrow?”

     

      Beaming with the sudden kindness, Katherine nodded quickly. “Yes, there is an auction tomorrow! Hopefully a kind Master or Mistress will buy me. My last Master wasn’t very nice…but one time a nice man bought me. He was gentle and fed me well, and got me pretty clothes, too!”

     

      Neira smiled and nodded back as the human continued to describe her ‘nice Master’ from long past, trying to hide the horrible dismay building within her mind, and the sickness developing in her stomach. All she could think about was whether she would end up like this poor girl as well, or perhaps worse. But, she would not let it get to her. Not yet, not only after a couple days. There was still time, still a chance some idiot would ‘buy’ her tomorrow. She could lull him into a sense of safety, and then try her escape once she knew more about where she was stuck for the time being. Raising her hands and putting on a fake smile once more, she addressed Katherine.

     

      “That sounds really nice, Katherine. But I’m tired, so I want to get some sleep alright?” she explained, before carefully moving onto her side and resting her head on the padded floor. Katherine nodded, almost apologetically, and scrambled to the other side of the cell, fiddling quietly the end of her shabby dress, pulling absentmindedly at the torn ends and glancing over to Neira, who had shut her eyes, chest rising and falling slowly.

     

      In her thoughts, Neira went over her hastily made and rather uninformed plan, knowing as it was it stood little chance of success, especially with the professionalism shown by most of the workers at whatever facility she was in. That, and that it also depended on whether or not someone would try to buy her tomorrow at the auction, and what type of person that would be. In the end, she could only hope some miracle would prevent her from ending up like the girl sitting across from her…