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Scarborough Fair

Story One

Chapter Three

by RedFox6

Tir na n'Og

The Scarborough Fair came out of hyperspace in the vicinity of Tir na n'Og. As the Fair's sensors were unscrambling from the transition to realspace, the Defense Grid sent out an electronic demand for identification. As they waited for a response, the automated sentry satellites locked their weapons onto the ship, and a fighter patrol prepared to intercept.

The Scarborough Fair's sensors quickly unscrambled, but Marie was careful not to respond to the challenge until a regular ship's sensors would be able to. With the security handshake completed, the satellites stood down while the patrol continued on its rounds.

At the end of the process, the harbormaster came on the viewscreen. "Captain Leucidion. Good to see you again," the gray and white female husky morph said in Lingua Franca. "It's been a long time. I assume you have the appropriate fees."

"Of course, Harbormaster Mikels," Leu said. "Transmitting data now. It's good to see you, too."

The transmission was made, then, "Any chance of a drink, later on?"

The husky morph smiled, then replied, "I don't get off for several hours, and have quite a few things planned. But, perhaps later. We should get together at Mickey's. You buy the first round, of course."

"Of course," Leu said, smiling in anticipation. "I'm looking forward to seeing you and your wife, Becky."

The formalities over, the Scarborough Fair was assigned a docking bay. Marie moved the ship into contact with the station, hooking up to the power and communications umbilicals. With a slight clunk, the station and ship airlocks mated and sealed into position. With data links established, a monitor activated, showing station time, 1540 Terran Standard.

As the status lights came up green, Leu leaned back in his chair and smiled happily. Something going right, for a change.

"Leu," Marie's voice came over the intercom. "We have a problem."

With a deep sigh, Leu said, "You know I hate it when you say that. What's the problem now?"

"I was preparing to transmit Tollel's documents when I did a search," she said. "Someone has placed a flag on Tollel's biometrics."

"Crakesbone."

"That would be a safe assumption," Marie said. "Regardless, it raises difficulties."

"We can't file her freedom papers."

"No."

"We need to get her an ID," Leu went on. "You can't operate around here without a valid ID." A pause. "So, what are our options?"

"Extremely limited," Marie answered. "The ID process requires strict biometric readings."

"Can we fudge the biometrics?"

"No, the DNA cannot be 'fudged'," was the reply. "When she goes through scanners, her readings must match the card readings." After a short pause, Marie continued, "There is really only one option. We must use a slave ID. That would use your ID as the base. Then her ID would only register whether her biometrics fit what is encoded on your card. Listed as property, her data would not be uploaded to the Interwebs. I see no other option that would give her a valid ID that would also keep her data off the Interwebs."

"I don't like it," Leu said, petulantly. "She's free, frag it! I won't take that from her."

"We don't have a choice," Marie said gently. "If we register her as a free citizen, Crakesbone's organization will track her down and capture her. I do not believe we wish to return her to that,"

Leu sat back in his chair and sulked and thought. "Well, Deity's child frag it all anyway!" he finally said in disgust. "I don't like this. In fact, I hate it. But, you're right. We don't have a choice. We have to keep her a slave." He looked up at the monitor plaintively. "But, I promised her freedom. How...?"

"Explain to her that it is for her own safety," Marie said. "And, treat her as a free being. As you are doing now. We really have no other option. Crakesbone will kill you and re-enslave her. It is best for all concerned to keep her below the radar." Unspoken was what Crakesbone could do with control of a fully operational military grade AI.

Fingers drumming nervously on the control panel, Leu finally muttered, "Ain't no good time, so might as well do it now." He flipped a switch and spoke into the intercom. "Tollel, could you come to the bridge, please?"

She entered the bridge wearing the clothes she'd worn during their escape, with the sleeves rolled up and the shirt tails tied off below her breasts. They'd found some flip-flops for her to wear in the station, until they could get some shoes.

Leu's heart almost broke at the happy expression on her face, knowing what he had to do. He rose as she came in. "Tollel, I," he started, then, "Aw smeg! There ain't no way to do this easy. We've run into a problem. Marie was getting ready to transmit your papers, when she discovered someone had placed a flag on your biometrics."

"I, I don't know what you mean, Leu," she said, hesitantly. "What are 'biometrics'?"

Her response brought him up short. "Of course," he thought. "Why should a slave know about such things."

Aloud, he went on, "Biometrics are your physical data, fingerprints, retinal scan and DNA readings. Everything that identifies you as you. Every time you use an ID card, that data is uploaded onto the Interwebs. A flag means someone is monitoring for that data, so they can track it."

"So, they could find me?" Tollel asked.

"Yes," Leu replied, nodding. "We think it's probably Crakesbone, your former owner. Private citizens can't do that, legally. But I doubt that bothers Crakesbone much. The short form is, we can't file your freedom papers without exposing you to recapture. But, you also need to have a valid ID here. The only way we can do it is by using a slave ID for you."

"Then, I'm still a slave," Tollel said, her face falling, ears flattening and tail drooping. Disappointment and resignation were in her voice as she lowered her head submissively.

"No! That's not true," Leu declared. "You're free. I promised you that, and I won't go back on that. It's just that, we can't tell anyone about it. We'll just have to pretend you're a slave when we're off the ship, that's all. I swear to you," he went on, his hands hanging helplessly at his side. "if there was any other way of doing this, I'd do it. But, there really isn't any other way to do it.

"C'mon, we'll head down to the workshop. While Marie is making your ID card, we can work up something for a, a collar," Tollel heard him muttering disgustedly under his breath, "A collar." Shaking his head, he went on, "Deity's child, if they could see me now, they'd probably shoot me on the spot. And I can't say as I'd blame them."

Only partially reassured by his explanation, and wondering who 'they' were, Tollel followed Leu to the workshop.

Reaching the caster, Leu programmed in his request. "Lightweight plastic," he said to Tollel. "Doesn't have to be plasteel, just has to look like it. I'm going to set it up so you can remove it easily, if necessary. And, I'm adding a tracking device. Just in case we get separated."

Waiting for the caster to finish, he went on, "Honest to Deity, if there was any other option, I'd take it in a heartbeat. But, I can't think of one. Even Marie can't come up with a better alternative."

With a ding and the hiss of a drawer sliding open, the caster finished its work. Inside the drawer was a light gray plastic collar, indistinguishable from a real slave collar.

Picking it up, Leu turned to Tollel and said, "I really am sorry about this. The latch is right here, keyed to your fingerprints so you'll be able to open it yourself."

Tollel reluctantly took the collar and hesitantly placed it around her neck. As it clicked shut, a small tremor went through her body. Fingering the collar, she opened the latch, making sure it worked properly. Despite Leu's reassurances, her face showed how unhappy and apprehensive she was about the situation.

"Tollel," Marie's voice came over the speaker. "Your ID card is finished, and waiting for you. We have placed two hundred crowns on it, for purchasing a wardrobe for yourself. If you would return to the bridge to pick it up."

"Thank you," Tollel said, still unsure how to address the AI.

As she left the workshop, Leu looked at the speaker and said, "Nice move, putting cred on her card. Thank you."

"It will help her to feel free and independent," Marie explained. "That is what you wanted, isn't it?"

"Yes. I just wish...," Leu replied with a sigh, then followed Tollel to the bridge.

When he arrived on the bridge, Tollel was studying her ID card. The small plastic rectangle looked old and worn, even though it was fresh out of the printer, still slightly warm to the touch. Marie was just finishing up her explanation of how to use it.

Tollel ran her fingertips over it, lightly activating her implants and reading the information on the card, verifying its contents. She was moderately surprised to learn that Leu had purchased her on BelAire almost six Terran Standard years ago. A strange feeling came over her as she confirmed the money credit encoded on the card. She had never had an ID before that had money on it, and wasn't quite sure how to react.

"I hope it meets with your approval," Leu said, startling her slightly. With a grin, he went on, "Don't worry. Marie's forgeries are almost impossible to detect. That card should be good anywhere."

A loud sniff came from the speaker. "There is no 'almost' about it," Marie said. "My forgeries are indistinguishable from the real thing."

"So far, anyway," Leu said, pleased to have gigged Marie. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out some crowns and handed them to Tollel, saying, "For miscellaneous expenses. Quite often cash is easier than carding. There's enough there for some knick-knacks or something."

Tollel placed the card and cash in a pocket, and waited while Leu finished preparing to go out.

He was already dressed in nondescript clothing, worn boots, denim jeans and work shirt. A small collection of blades was on the console, and he began arming himself. He sheathed a short dagger in his right boot, and strapped a large bowie knife with a brass knuckle guard low on his right hip. As he slipped a flat throwing knife up his left sleeve, he explained. "Tir na n'Og is not all that safe a place, especially some of the parts we'll be going to. Have to have something to defend ourselves with. And besides, I just don't feel comfortable without at least one sharp on me. Can't carry a firearm 'cause the Security and Protection Force doesn't want anyone to outgun them. And they want to minimize the chances of blowing a hole in the station's skin. With vacuum on the outside, that could be very bad.

"They also don't allow bodyarmor, leastwise not without a ridiculously high permit fee," he went on. "They figure you're more likely to cause trouble if you're armored. Theory's sound, anyway, but I'm not sure it really slows some folks down, much."

He put on his wraparound glasses, gave his easy smile and said, "Ready?"

When she nodded yes, he led her towards the airlock.

Preliminaries over, they exited their ship and got in line to go through CHI. The queue was filled with humans and morphs, along with the occasional alien, all waiting, more or less patiently, to go through the Customs, Health and Immigration procedures. The process was fairly straightforward. As the individual reached the security station, they handed over their ID and passed through the scanner. Putting their card in a reader, the guard would confirm that the data matched. The scanner also checked for infectious diseases, and other undesirable biological vectors, along with any contraband the person might be carrying. Once cleared, the people moved on into the station itself.

Ahead of them, a lynx femfur handed over her ID and entered the scanner. A red light began flashing, while a buzzer sounded. Immediately, two security guards came forward, stun rods raised. The femfur tried to turn and run, but the gate wouldn't open. Turning at bay, she snarled, facing the guards in a martial arts stance with her claws extended. The guards moved in from two directions while others approached. With the lightening fast reflexes of a cat, the lynx was able to sidestep the blow from the first guard. Grabbing his arm and tugging just right while he was off-balance, she pivoted and flipped him across the room, slamming him painfully against the wall.

Another guard moved in, swinging his stun rod. The femfur deflected the first two strikes, but the third one got through, partially stunning her. Still, she lashed out, catching the guard across the hand with a vicious slash of her claws. His tendons severed, he dropped his weapon and fell back with a cry, clutching his hand. His glove had absorbed most of the impact, but blood still flowed freely.

While she was occupied with the second guard, a third moved in from behind and struck her with his stun rod, getting in a solid hit, and dropping the femfur in her tracks.

As Tollel watched in shock, the guards immediately began beating the femfur as she lay there, stunned and helpless. The rest of the crowd watched with varying degrees of interest.

"What are they doing?" she asked, turning to Leu. "Why are they beating her, she's helpless!" Memories of the beatings she'd suffered came back, and she just barely restrained herself from rushing to the lynx's aid.

"My guess," Leu said calmly, his hand on Tollel's shoulder, to restrain her if necessary, "is that she was trying to smuggle something onto the station. Or maybe she was Banned, and came back too soon. Both of those earn you a beating. If she's lucky, and hasn't done this before, they'll just beat her, throw her back on her ship, and tell her to shove off."

"And, if she's not, 'lucky'?" Tollel asked, not sure she really wanted to know.

"They'll beat her regardless. The other penalties can range from being Banned for a period of time, to fines, imprisonment, and even enslavement. If her offense was severe enough, they'll throw her out an airlock, and confiscate her ship," Leu said, matter-of-factly. At Tollel's shocked gasp, he continued, "This is the far edge of Confed space. The Star Enforcers don't get out here much. It's very much a wild frontier. Everyone knows the rules here, and everyone knows the penalties. She took a chance and she lost."

Tollel was very quiet as they went through the scanners. She watched in sympathy as the guards dragged the unconscious femfur off.

Their ID's checked out and confirmed, Leu paid the entry fees and the weapons permit fee for his knives. Leaving CHI behind, Leu led Tollel towards a bank of elevators.

Exiting the crowded elevator at the correct floor, Leu took Tollel to the zocalo. They were in the first of a series of vast chambers, on several different levels of the station, filled with merchants and vendors of all kinds. Here, you could buy just about anything, from tourist trinkets, to rare jewels, weapons to information, and everything in between. The cacophony of voices speaking in every language was an almost physical assault, until one became accustomed to it. Then it became merely a sort of audio background, rising and falling almost unnoticeably.

Leu took a certain perverse pleasure in watching Tollel's wide eyed reaction to the shock of the zocalo. She'd never seen such a place, and at first the sensations threatened to overwhelm her.

"Deep breaths," he said with a smile. "And just keep moving. You get used to it after a while. Stick with me and you'll be okay. We're going to stop at Armani's Clothing first, get you some shoes and other clothes."

Following along behind him, Tollel couldn't keep her eyes still. Everywhere was something new and exciting to see. Here, a cook prepared food, making an art form of chopping it up and cooking it on a small grill in front of the customer, knives flashing in the light. There, a merchant hawked "Genuine Al' haRem fashions, as worn by the Great Houses themselves." Another merchant loudly advertised, "The latest in tri-vid entertainment. Get it now, before it hits the theaters!" Other merchants loudly hawked their products, claiming they had the best in the Confederation. Mixed in with the throng were hustlers of every type, selling dubious products and services, while pickpockets trawled the crowds, taking the money of those foolish enough not to carefully guard their wealth. Armored Security and Protection Force personnel dressed in the traditional police blue and equipped with needlers and stun rods traveled in pairs, keeping an eye on things, and discouraging the more blatant lawbreakers. The smells of cooking food, drinks of all kinds, and fresh produce mingled with the scents of all the people there to create an aroma that was strange yet enticing all at the same time. And everywhere there was color and movement, as a multitude of beings, humans, morphs and aliens of all kinds, moved through the zocalo, buying and selling to their heart's content. Traveling in small groups through the crowd were the rich and powerful, some nobility, some not. Regardless, they were surrounded by their heavily armed bodyguards, who were glaring at all and sundry and forcing a pathway for their clients while their sycophants trailed along behind. It was all a glorious riot of color, noise and scent, powerful enough to send a newcomer into sensory overload.

Moving through the crowd, they finally reached the entrance to Armani's. The two security guards, one human and the other a puma morph, were quickly examining people as they entered and exited through the security scanner.

Leu and Tollel easily passed through, and entered the store. The quiet inside, created by noise dampers and excellent sound proofing, washed over Tollel, and slowly started to remove the rather stunned expression she was wearing.

"Kind of overwhelming, isn't it?" he teased, not unkindly.

"I, I'm sorry, Sir," she replied. "It's just that, I've never seen anything like this before. It's, it's...,"

"Exactly," he said, smiling. "But, you'll adjust. And then it won't even phase you. Trust me.

"But, for now," he went on. "we need to get you some more clothing. Armani's has good stuff, durable and not too expensive. Our budget isn't unlimited, you know."

Drawing on her training, Tollel focused herself, bringing her attention back to Leu and the immediate situation.

Leu turned to the stylishly dressed human woman who came forward, saying, "Hi. We need to get some shoes and other clothing for my companion. It needs to be durable, but, attractive."

"Very good, sir," she replied. Turning to Tollel, she continued, "If you would come with me, miss."

Ignoring Tollel's collar, the salesperson looked her over professionally. "This way, please," she said, leading Tollel over to some racks of morph clothing.

Leu sat down to wait. Pulling out his PPC, he logged onto the intrastation net and began contacting several trustworthy vendors he had dealt with before, arranging for food, fuel and other supplies to be sent to the Fair. Dealing with people took a certain human touch that Marie had not yet mastered. Plus, Leu enjoyed the give and take and the wheeling and dealing.

Working together, Tollel and the salesperson discussed fabrics, styles and colors. Using her training, Tollel selected several outfits that were both durable and attractive. They added underwear, socks, shoes and boots, along with other accessories, including some subtle cosmetic enhancements for morphs.

Most of the outfits were practical, but she also purchased two dresses, sexy little body hugging numbers designed to heat the blood of most males, and many females. As a treat for Leu, she also purchased a barely there bra and matching dental floss thong. The bra just barely covered the tips of her breasts, with the nipples poking out through the material, clearly outlining the nipple rings, while the thong covered only her pussy lips, leaving everything else bare. She smiled as she anticipated Leu's reactions when he saw her in it.

They left Armani's after arranging to have the rest of their purchases sent to the Fair. Tollel was wearing some of her new clothing, skintight knee high boots with moderate heels in black leather, tight short shorts in blue denim, and a short sleeved white cotton shirt, with the tails tied off below her breasts. The outfit set off her fur and highlighted her beauty.

As they were moving through the crowd, a rather sibilant voice behind them said, "My, what a lovely toy. Is it for sale?"

As he turned, Leu already knew what he'd see. His hand brushed against the bowie strapped to his hip. Before him was a Draco. With his tail extended, the Draco would be over 4 meters long, while the wings would stretch over 10 meters. With wings furled and tail curled up, the Draco was slightly over two meters tall. He was dressed fashionably in the latest craze for the nobility, pseudo-Victorian. He wore a charcoal gray suit with a faint hint of pinstripes, tailored perfectly to his body, worn over a starched white shirt with detachable collar and a black silk tie, and topped off with a black top-hat. Black leather shoes with white spats and an ebony walking stick completed the ensemble. Leu's experienced eye could tell that the suit was made out of a SpiderSilk® weave that cost more than most made in a year and was capable of stopping most impact and energy weapons. Beside him, two human bodyguards did their best to look dangerous and intimidating, both dressed in light composite armor, with their hands resting conspicuously on their swords and daggers. Unfortunately, the bright yellow and green color scheme of their uniforms rather diluted the threat. Nevertheless, the crowd eddied around them, moving to give the Draco and his party plenty of room.

Observing them, Leu wondered how much extra the Draco had to pay to get them to wear those silly looking colors. Just what was the going rate for a mercenary's dignity, anyway?

Tugging on the leash in his left paw, the Draco pulled forward a naked vixen morph in a choke collar, with her arms bound behind her in a monoglove, elbows touching. A cruel looking muzzle was strapped tightly to her head, the spikes on the inside pressing painfully against her mouth and nose. Leg irons hobbled her steps, the cuffs rubbing the fur off her ankles. There were multiple piercings in her ears, and weights swung from her nipple rings. She looked rather the worse for wear, terribly thin, blood trickling down her muzzle, and with obvious burns and whip marks covering her body. Her tail was lowered to the floor and her eyes had the dull gaze of one who has given up all hope. "It's just that, mine is almost totally worn out. It no longer responds properly, and where's the fun in that? I was just heading down to the Kennels to purchase a replacement. But, perhaps we can do a deal here? I can offer you a most handsome sum. In cash."

With Tollel behind him, Leu settled himself, one hand on the hilt of his knife, then said something in a harsh sounding language Tollel had never heard.

Astonished, the Draco replied in the same language, then continued in Lingua Franca, "A human who speaks Lingua Antiquitas. I am most impressed by your fluency, sir." With a slight bow, the Draco went on, a cold edge to his voice. "If you were to change your mind, I will be around. My card, sir."

One of the guards held out a small plastic rectangle. Leu looked at him calmly until, flustered, he returned the card to his pocket.

"We will see each other again, sir," the Draco said, ominously. With a tip of his hat, and a last long, cold look at Tollel, he turned and moved off, his guards hurrying to keep up, while his slave stumbled along behind him, half strangled by her collar.

"Olde language my ass," Leu said to Tollel. "Dracos haven't been around for more than about a century standard, no matter what they like to claim."

Turning to Tollel, Leu saw she was trembling, cringing in fear. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, yes Sir," she replied in a soft, shaky voice. "It's just that, I've never seen a Draco before. And, the way he looked at me...,"

"They have a well earned reputation for cruelty," Leu said. "Not many people like them, and they seem to enjoy that. They also use up a lot of slaves. Don't worry," he continued. "Even if you weren't free, there is no way in Sheol I would sell you to such as that." Glaring at the retreating figure of the Draco and fingering the hilt of his bowie, he continued under his breath, "Fraggin' worms think they should be allowed to do anything they want. They think it's the Empire or something."

Leu tapped his wristcom on and said, "Marie. Do you have a reading on our 20?"

"Not an accurate reading," came Marie's answer. "The interior of the station has a tendency to scramble my sensors. Is there a problem?"

"Probably not," Leu replied. "A Draco just offered me a lot of cred for Tollel. I turned him down, but, you know Dracos."

"Do you wish me to notify Security Chief Dhein? Perhaps he could assign someone to you." Marie's genuine concern came across the link.

"Can't afford that. But we should be okay," Leu responded. "I just wanted to give you a heads up. We're heading over to Tony's now. There should be several deliveries coming your way. And we should even have some cred left at the end of the day."

"According to my reckoning," Marie replied. "there will not be much left. You are seriously depleting our money reserves."

"No problem," Leu said. "Once we deliver that interface to Ms. Jenner, we'll be rich again."

Behind him, Tollel flinched as she heard those words. She quickly composed herself, before Leu turned.

He smiled, then said, "C'mon. Tony's is down a level or two. And don't worry, no one's going to cause trouble here."

Despite his words, Tollel noticed that Leu was more alert, carefully scanning the crowds, his hand on his knife hilt.

"Leucidion," Marie's voice came over the link. "Be careful. Dracos can be vindictive, and they have long memories. It would be a good idea to keep your link open. And, watch your back."

"Always," he replied, fingering his bowie, as the two moved towards an elevator that would take them to Tony's.

Leu and Tollel crowded onto the next elevator, heading down two levels. People entered and exited at each stop, each making their own unique contribution to the overall ambiance.

When they reached the right floor, Leu threaded his way through the crowd, with Tollel right behind. This level had less of the open air markets and more storefronts. The majority of the businesses here dealt with food in one form or another. There were restaurants of all kinds, serving everything from fast food to elaborate feasts for humans, morphs and aliens. The smells of cooking food mixed together to form a most distinctive aroma, enticing and exotic at the same time.

As they headed for Tony's they came across a small group of Basti performers from the Mummer's Dance, a traveling carnival ship. The cat morphs had set up in the middle of the corridor and were giving a preview of their show. A male fur performed acrobatics, holding himself up with one arm while balancing on a large ball. Two others juggled clubs with each other, creating intricate forms and patterns in the air. Several femfurs danced seductively to the music of flute, drum and sitar, played by musicians standing nearby. Two muscular males armed with hook swords were close by, while a Master of Words hawked the show that would start in a few hours, encouraging everyone to come and see the complete performance.

Tollel was entranced by the performers. She was fascinated by the acrobat's actions, and the elaborate patterns created by the jugglers. She eyed the dancers professionally, evaluating their performance, and taking mental notes for herself. "My trainers could have used a few lessons from them," she thought.

Watching the Basti, Tollel observed something else that piqued her curiosity. "That's odd," she thought. "They have the same color eyes as Leu. I wonder why? Could there be some sort of connection?"

Leu was splitting his time between watching the crowd, the Basti and Tollel. Noting her enchantment, he leaned over and said, "Would you like to go to the show?"

She looked up at him with bright eyes and said, "Could we, Sir?"

"Of course," he replied with a smile. "Their show doesn't start for a couple of hours, yet. Plenty of time to eat at Tony's, and then catch the show before we have to leave."

Delighted, her tail wagging in joy, she impulsively hugged him, saying, "Oh, thank you Sir. I'm so grateful to you."

Leu smiled, thinking, "It doesn't seem to take much to make her happy," A sobering insight crossed his mind. "Probably 'cause slaves have such low expectations for happiness."

The preview ended, and the Master of Words had the dancers circulate, bowls in hand, asking for donations. Tollel dropped some coins in the bowl, smiling shyly back at the dancer as she passed by, envying her her grace and confidence.

As the crowd broke up, the two continued on down the corridor, finally coming to a double door over which was a sign proclaiming simply, Tony's.

Tollel's training had taught her to be sensitive to the moods of her owners. The familiar way Leu entered the restaurant told Tollel that he was a regular here, and felt safe as well. She watched as some of the tension eased in his demeanor. Even so, she noticed that he gave the interior a quick, professional once over. The dining area wasn't large, capable of seating perhaps sixty customers, if everyone was extremely friendly with each other. There were only a few customers at this hour, and Leu quickly checked them out. It was a mixed group of humans and morphs, quietly sitting at tables and being served by the well trained and efficient staff. A low murmur of conversation filled the room, punctuated by bursts of happy laughter, and mixed with the clink of utensils against plates.

An older, rather battered looking collie morph with black and white fur in a white jacket was behind the counter. Looking up, he exclaimed, "Leu! Welcome back. It has been far too long," Speaking into the intercom to the back, "Hey, Tony! Look who's here. It's Leu, come to grace us with his presence again."

Coming around the counter, he gave a short bow to Leu and took Tollel's paw in his. Raising it

to his lips, he said, "And you have brought a most lovely lady with you, this time."

To Tollel, he said, "I am most charmed to make your acquaintance. I am Vito, maitre'd of Tony's." With a sly glance at Leu, he went on, "Captain Leucidion, he has no breeding. He does not even introduce us properly."

With a short laugh, Leu said, "Vito, this is Tollel, my companion and partner. Tollel, this is Vito D'Angelo, maitre'd and part owner of Tony's. One of my oldest living friends. And not to be trusted around beautiful women."

It was a new sensation for her, being treated as a person and not an object, and Tollel ducked her head in embarrassment while Vito said, "Ah, Leu, he is just jealous because I am so much more charming than he could ever be. And much better looking, too. Anytime you wish to move up, I will be ready and willing and eager."

"You old dog," Leu said affectionately. "Is a table available here, or should we go somewhere else?"

"Hey! Watch the speciesism," he replied, then, "For you, we can always find a table. Especially with such a lovely guest."

As Vito led them to their table, an older human male came out of the back. Spotting Leu, he came over and grabbed him in a bear hug, saying, "Leu! Welcome back." Stepping back and holding Leu at arm's length, he went on, "Finally, you come to see your old friend, Tony." Shrewd brown eyes quickly looked Tollel over, noting her clothing and especially her collar. He also took notice of the happy expression on her face.

"For you, and your most lovely lady," Tony said , bowing, "I think the special, yes?"

"But of course," Leu said, smiling happily. To Tollel, he went on, "You're in for a treat. Tony makes the best food. I hear that several restaurant chains have offered him lots of money for his recipes."

"Ah, them," Tony snorted, leading them to their table. "They have no appreciation of real food. They would use freeze dried vegetables, premade sauces, artificial flavors! Is it any wonder I turn them down?"

Turning to the server standing by patiently, Tony said, "We will start with the salad here. Vinegar and oil, and a light red wine. When they are ready, the main course." Looking at Tollel, he went on, "It is my own. The very finest pasta and the best meats, seasoned with my own recipe. Your taste buds will think they have died and gone to Paradise!" He swept off back to the kitchen as the servers began bringing the food.

The meal was magnificent. Even her kindest masters had never fed Tollel this well, and none had allowed her to sit at a table in public. The wait staff ignored her collar, treating her as a free being, while Leu's pleasure in her enjoyment of the meal was quite evident. The food was everything Tony had said, a treat for the senses. It was a blending of flavors and textures that combined to create not just a meal, but an experience. Tollel could see why Leu had bragged so much about the place.

Nevertheless, Tollel observed that Leu drank sparingly of the wine, taking sips while also drinking the water provided. Tollel followed suit, as her training had taught her to keep her wits about her, the better to serve her master. Despite Leu's and Marie's best efforts, it was still difficult to go against her lifetime of conditioning.

Still, it was the best meal she'd ever had, and she felt true happiness slowly work its way into her mind. "Perhaps," she thought. "things really are changing for the better."

After they'd finished a dessert that she couldn't even begin to describe, Vito presented Leu with the bill, saying that Tony would personally accept payment.

Telling Tollel to wait with Vito, Leu rose to cross the room. Behind him, Vito launched into a series of tales of times past.

As Leu was paying the bill, Tony finally had the chance for a few private questions. Looking across the room at Tollel, who was being entertained by Vito and his stories, he asked, "I take it there is a story here, yes?"

"Oh, yes," Leu said with a wry grin. "One you're better off not knowing. Suffice to say, it's for her own safety. You should know me better than that."

"Ah," Tony replied. "But people change, my old friend, people change."

"If I change that much," Leu snorted. "you have my permission to shoot me dead on the spot."

"That would be a great loss," Tony responded, sadly. "There are not many of us left anymore. I heard that Malthazar died recently. Toquet's cancer. A bad death for one of us. And still, no one knows where Andy is. She has vanished out of the galaxy, almost as if she never existed. Three years now, and not even a note to Vito."

Leu shook his head. "She must be dead, then. Those two were as tight as they come. No way would she go this long without word." Looking at Tony, he went on, sighing, "Johnny Rotten's dying out. Few more years, nobody's even going to know we were there, or what we did."

"Oh, Vito and I, we still keep our paw and hand in," Tony said with a small grin. "Not so much with the 'terrorist' actions, but we do what we can.

"Speaking of which," he went on, watching Leu carefully, "we have some 'packages' to deliver to the Marrakesh Night Market. Perhaps, you would be interested?"

"Well," Leu began. "I did cause some trouble on LeGrand, and it would be advisable to let that die down before I go back to finish the job. I assume there'd be enough to cover expenses."

Knowing he had him, Tony smiled and said, "Of course, old friend. I can't afford charity, much as I'd like to. There might even be a little profit for you."

At Leu's skeptical glance, he went on, "I have an anonymous donor who helps out with money. I have a pretty good idea of why, but do not feel like killing the goose, aye?"

"How many?" Leu asked.

"Eight," Tony replied. "They have been here for only 100 hours, and are anxious to get further away from the Empire. I will have Vito deliver them as soon as you can arrange it."

"Let me call Marie and set it up. Should be able to get them onboard within an hour. And then it's off to sunny Marrakesh."

"Thank you, old friend," Tony said.

They bumped fists as Leu replied with a smile, "Rust never sleeps."

"The King is gone, but he's not forgotten," Tony replied. "Even if he is a little long in the tooth, nowadays.

"One thing," he went on. "One of them has been abused very badly. Not so much physically as mentally. He is almost catatonic and does not react well around humans. The others look out for him as best as they can, but...,"

Leu smiled and said, "I'll be as gentle as I can."

Leu finished paying for the meal, then called Marie on his wristcom and arranged for the 'packages' to be delivered to the Fair.

Moving back across the room, he paused to observe Tollel. She was listening to Vito's stories, delight showing plainly on her face. Vito was just finishing up the one about Leu and the twins when he arrived.

Looking over his glasses at Vito, he said, "If you are quite finished telling her lies, we have a performance to go to. I promised to take her to see the Mummer's Dance."

"I do not tell lies," Vito proudly declared to Tollel. "My stories are all true. Some of the names have been changed to protect the innocent, of which Leu is most assuredly not.

"But, I must not keep you from the show," he went on. "The Mummer's Dance does not get here all that often, and their show is well worth seeing. Go. Have fun. Enjoy the show and remember, I will always be here for you." He gave her a roguish wink, then turned to wait on the next customers.

Shaking his head fondly, Leu offered Tollel his arm, and they exited the restaurant to go to the show.

They were walking down the hallway when a rank smell came to their nostrils. Six figures ghosted out of the shadows, four in front and two in back. Each wore a long, filthy duster, and carried some sort of weapon, club, chain or knife. They spread across the hallway, blocking Leu and Tollel. The stench of unwashed bodies and clothes filled the air. The hallway quickly emptied of people as they appeared. The sounds of doors being shut and locked echoed through the corridor.

"Crusties," Leu thought, drawing his bowie. "And they've cut us off. This can't be good."

Smiling evilly while tapping a pipe in his hand, the leader, a human with spiked hair dyed purple, said, "The toy comes with us. And you get a beating, to teach you your proper place."

The leader moved forward, swinging his pipe overhand. Leu waited until he was committed to his swing, then sidestepped and brought up his knife, much swifter than seemed possible. The keen edge sliced through the sleeve and into the arm muscle, grating against the bone. The impact jarred Leu's arm, but the crusty screamed, and dropped his pipe. He fell back, clutching his badly cut arm, trying to staunch the arterial flow of blood.

Leu recovered, spinning to his left to face the next crusty, a female mink morph, her fur dyed in swirling colors of blue and orange. She moved in, swinging a long chain. He jumped back from the first swing. The crusty swung again. This time, Leu threw up his left arm, catching the chain as it wrapped around his forearm. Ignoring the pain, he pulled hard, unbalancing his attacker, and moved in, stabbing up into her abdomen. The morph tried to dodge, but Leu was too fast. His bowie went in up to the hilt, warm blood spilling out onto his hand. She fell back, trying to hold herself together.

The other two learned fast. They moved in together. The flashy way they waved their knives around told Leu they were untrained street fighters. Still, he fell back. Switching his bowie to his left hand, he drew his throwing knife and snapped it at his left hand attacker, a male mink, his fur dyed the same as the female's. Eyes widening in fear, the crusty tried to duck, but wasn't fast enough to get completely out of the way. Instead of hitting him in the chest, where Leu had aimed, the blade entered his throat. The crusty fell back, vainly trying to stop the flow of blood from his carotid artery.

Switching his knife back to his right hand, Leu faced his last assailant.

The last attacker, a cat morph with dark fur, was very good with his blade, a long, broad dagger serrated on one edge. He coupled lightning fast thrusts with slashes from the claws of his off paw. The pupils of his eyes were pinpricks, while the rest of his eyeball was a sickly green, sure signs of a Blood user. A potent cocktail of illegal combat drugs, Blood sped up the reflexes and deadened pain, at the long term cost of burning out the body's neuron connections. Most users didn't worry about that, figuring they'd be dead long before that happened.

With the Blood racing through his system and augmenting his natural reflexes, he was able to block almost every thrust Leu made. The few that got through were blunted on his duster, so encrusted with filth that it acted as light armor, giving him the advantage. The Blood enabled him to ignore the pain of the cuts that did get through. The longer the fight went on, the more desperate Leu got.

As they circled each other looking for openings, Leu thought, "Have to finish this fast! Tollel doesn't stand a chance against them."

"No beatin', now, skin," the crusty said. "Gonna kill ya now. Cut ya up good." Feinting, he came in fast, trying to overwhelm Leu with a flurry of wild slashes.

Leu pivoted into the crusty, using his left arm to deflect his attacker's knife, and punching with his bowie. They were too close for him to use the blade, but he connected with the knuckle guard, smashing the crusty's jaw. He fell back, stunned, and Leu followed up with a vicious slash across his throat.

His attacker dropped his knife and wrapped both paws around his throat, trying to staunch the flow of blood. Not even the drugs could save him from this wound.

Leu spun around, catching the end of Tollel's fight.

The last attackers, two human males with elaborate tattoos covering their shaved heads, moved in on Tollel. Expecting no trouble from a mere femfur slave, they came in casually, laughing and joking about what they would do to her and how much she would enjoy it.

Frightened, Tollel tried to back away as they reached out to her. With nowhere to go, she let her reflexes take over, just as she had during the escape from Crakesbone's warehouse.

As the first attacker reached out for her, she dropped down, spinning on one leg, and kicked out with the other. She struck the crusty behind the knees, sweeping his legs out from under him, dropping him painfully onto the floor.

Completing the spin, she rose up and launched a side kick at the second crusty. He was fast enough to dodge, but it put him off balance, spoiling his attack and gaining Tollel time to prepare for her next strike.

Cursing loudly, the first attacker painfully pushed himself up from the floor, while the second pulled out a club.

"Shouldn't 'ave done that, bitch," he snarled. "Gonna mess ya up, now. Ya ain't gonna be pretty no more, after we done with ya."

He charged forward, swinging his club at her head. As Tollel deflected the blow with one paw, she jabbed a finger strike at his throat with the other. With a sickening crunch, his larynx collapsed and he fell back, trying desperately to breath.

The other crusty moved in more cautiously, pulling a stun rod from under his duster. Tollel crouched down slightly, weight balanced on the balls of her feet, paws extended to block or strike, and watched her attacker carefully, waiting for his move.

Snarling, he moved forward, striking with his stun rod. Tollel moved back, deflecting the blows, and waiting for an opening.

With a swift, sudden move, the crusty charged, closing with her. The smell coming off his clothes caught in Tollel's nose, causing her to sneeze. The crusty took advantage of that to thrust forward with his weapon. With her left paw, Tollel grabbed his wrist, deflecting the blow. Pivoting in, she brought her right paw up under his elbow, and pushed, hard. His elbow snapped with a most satisfactory sound. He began to scream as she pushed him back with her shoulder. She turned towards him and drove the palm of her left paw into his nose, driving the cartilage into his brain and killing him.

"Frag," Leu thought, admiringly. "For a life long slave, she's got some wicked moves." His next thought was more sobering. "Smeg! If SPF sees that, they'll kill her for sure!"

He moved forward as she turned towards him, wild eyed and hyperventilating, terrified at what she'd been able to do.

"Leu, what...?" she began as she went to him. She began to come down from the adrenaline high, and started shivering in reaction and fear.

He took her into his arms as he said urgently. "Tollel. Listen to me. I killed all these people. You didn't do anything. I killed them, not you."

Understanding quickly worked its way into her confused mind. "Yes Sir. I understand. You saved me. I don't really remember what happened. I didn't see much. It was too fast." Her lifetime as

a slave stood her in good stead, enabling her to quickly understand the danger she was in, and to accept the plan that Leu offered.

Responding to reports of a fight with weapons, three teams of guards pounded down the hallway, needlers drawn and pointed at Leu and Tollel. "SPF!" the leader yelled. "Drop your weapons! Raise your arms above your heads and turn away from us!"

Leu released Tollel and carefully dropped his bowie on the floor. They separated as they turned away from the guards, raising their hands above their heads.

As he raised his arms, Leu noticed for the first time that the cat morph had scored with his claws, shredding the shirt sleeve and leaving bloody cuts on his right forearm. The blood ran down past his elbow, and he knew that the pain would start as soon as the adrenaline wore off.

"Aw, drek," he thought. "and I really liked this shirt."

They didn't react as three guards swiftly but efficiently frisked them. The guards quickly found and removed the dagger from Leu's boot.

The other guards checked the crusties, looking for any signs of life. There were none, and the security personnel turned hard, suspicious looks towards Leu and Tollel.

The frisking over, the guards zip tied Leu's and Tollel's wrists behind their backs, and took them to the main holding facility.

Leu's arm had been bandaged as soon as they reached the station, and he'd then been locked into an interrogation room, with his wrists shackled to the table.

After spending an hour alone in the interrogation room, Leu decided he was getting tired of it. They'd confiscated his gear, including his wristcom, so he was out of touch with everyone. The room was painted the traditional institutional puke green. The table and chairs were secured to the floor, preventing someone from using them as weapons. His chair was designed to be less than comfortable, helping to put the occupant on the defensive. The only sound was the monotonous hissing of the ventilation system. The unblinking lens of the spyeye covered his every move.

He'd spent several minutes scraping as much of the blood off his hands as he could, but there was nothing he could do about his clothes until he reached the ship. And even then, the clothes might not be salvageable.

The various injuries from the fight were starting to stiffen up, while the pain from his arm had died down to a dull, throbbing ache.

"You're not as young as you used to be, old man," he thought, trying not to worry too much about the others.

His main concern was Tollel. They'd been separated as soon as they reached the station, and Leu worried about what was happening to her. He was afraid an interrogation would drive her back into her slave mentality, negating all the hard work he and Marie had done. He was much less concerned about his ship. Marie wouldn't let anyone on board and, if necessary, could make a hot launch and escape from the station.

Eventually, Security Chief Dhein himself entered the room and sat down opposite Leu. The badger morph looked at him and sighed deeply, unlocking the shackles. He handed over some pain blockers and a container of water, scratched his muzzle, then said, "What the frag are we going to do with you, Leu? Six dead. Even for you, that's a little, excessive."

"They attacked me and my, slave," Leu responded. Dhein caught the hesitation, but said nothing as Leu continued. "It was pure self defense." He swallowed the blockers and washed them down with the water.

"Do you have any idea why they would attack you?" Dhein asked, not really expecting an answer.

"In point of fact, I do," Leu said. "They were hired by a Draco I met earlier today. He wanted to buy Tollel, but I turned him down."

"And you know this, how?" a skeptical Dhein asked.

"When they attacked, the leader referred to Tollel just like the Draco did, and said I was to get a beating, 'to teach me my proper place'."

"Sounds like a Draco, all right," Dhein said. He spent some time on his PPC, then continued, "There's only one Draco on station right now. Lord Aurelius, Dux Bellorum, House Vortigern. His bodyguards wear eye searingly bright yellow and green uniforms."

Leu winced a little as he remembered the uniforms. "That sounds like him," He sat back in the uncomfortable chair and continued, "There won't be any evidence, of course. He'll have paid cash, and have an alibi in case anyone got caught."

"Yes," Dhein sighed, then went on. "The eyewitness reports confirm your story. The crusties targeted you and your, property.

"There does seem to be some confusion as to who killed who, though. Some of the witnesses claim that your slave killed two of the crusties, using some very professional moves."

He paused, and watched as Leu tensed up, then continued, "The fight was over very fast. We both know morph slaves aren't allowed combat skills, so, obviously, the witnesses were confused, and your slave just got lucky."

When Leu relaxed, Dhein went on, "I'll have a team escort you and your, 'property', to your ship. You'll get your gear back there. All of your cargo has already been loaded. I've gotten you a priority launch window. I would like you to leave as soon as is convenient" A hard edge entered his voice as he went on, "As long as Right Now is convenient. You might also want to stay away for awhile."

"Am I Banned?" Leu asked quietly.

"Of course not," Dhein snorted. "It's just that, it would be a good idea to let things die down before you return."

"And the priority launch?"

"This Draco got into a little trouble down in the Kennels," Dhein said. "He threatened Billie."

"And the guards let him live?" Leu asked, incredulously. "I would have thought that Sola would've personally tossed him out the nearest airlock, probably without his balls."

"Yes," Dhein went on. "Billie insisted on it. She just asked that he only be locked up for awhile." Shaking his head, he went on, "Twelve year old humans, what can you say?

"But I can't hold him for too much longer. I just think it would be a good idea for you to be gone before he's released from custody."

Dhein rose and offered his paw. Leu shook it and said, "I heard about your father. I'm sorry. Malthazar was a good fur, and a good friend."

"Thank you," Dhein said. "He thought a lot of you, too. That's probably why I give you as much slack as I do." He looked at Leu, then went on, sighing and shaking his head, "One of these days, you're going to do something I can't get you out of. Be careful, OK?"

"Do what I can," Leu said, then continued with mock outraged innocence. "But things just seem to happen around me. It's not my fault."

"Yeah, right," Dhein smiled. He opened the door and they left the room together.

Tollel was sitting waiting with an SPF team. When she saw Leu, she stood up and much of the tension went out of her body.

Leu looked her over as he crossed the room. Relief washed over him. She looked nervous but okay. There were no obvious marks of abuse from the guards. Still, he would ask her as soon as they were on the Fair.

Leu crossed over to her, brusquely said, "Let's go," then led the way out of the station, with the guards escorting him and Tollel heeling two steps back and to his left.

As they were going to the ship, one of the guards, an older human male with chocolate brown skin by the name of Anders, shook his head and said, "Frag, Leu, you always seem to make life interesting here."

Leu chuckled and said, "Wouldn't want your life to get boring, now."

"Gee, thanks," Anders responded, then went on, "Tony's sent over a large shipment of food and other 'items'. We made sure that they got stored onboard your ship all right."

"Thanks," Leu said. "I appreciate that. And I'm sure Tony does, too. Drop by his place, he'll probably give you a meal in appreciation."

"Already planning on it," Anders said, a smile creasing his face. "Been meaning to take the family out anyway. And I think they'll like Tony's."

Escorted by an SPF team, they made good time to the docking bay. People just seemed to get out of their way. A few looked on, wondering what they had done to be escorted off of the station, but most just ignored the situation. If it didn't involve them, they weren't interested.

They reached the airlock to the Fair without incident. As Marie opened the door, Leu accepted the bag of equipment one of the guards handed him. He shook hands with both of them, then he and Tollel entered the ship while the guards turned and left.

The Scarborough Fair launched as soon as they had a window, and went into hyperspace as quickly as possible, traveling to Marrakesh.