Questionable Morality - Chapter 5
Questionable Morality
Chapter Five
He stared at the monitor; the eight specs of light traveling
at warp five on Enterprise, specifics of their lives now narrowed down to the
chemicals inside them. Reed sat in his quarters mulling over his decisions over
the past month and regret steadily seeped into his apathetic nature. He wanted
to follow Enterprise as soon as the ship disappeared from his sight, but knew
he had to bide his time. An agreement had been made, account information had
been exchanged and a slow chink in his heart started to throb.
Reed was renowned for his patience, but even more so for his
temper. At that moment, he wanted to throttle something; he wanted to excise
the memory of her � he wanted � her. Thoughts of Archer and his crew touching
her made his stomach lurch and he could feel the acidic bitterness in his
mouth. Memories of their 'lessons' haunted him as he looked over to his bed. He
closed his eyes and her sighs of excitement sounded in his mind. Silently, he
damned her � damned her for making him promise to rescue the crew first.
--
Her eyes were swollen from crying and Mukai curled up into a
fetal position when they tossed her into the cell. She was naked and whimpering
and incoherent. Hoshi wrapped Mukai in a blanket, forcing it upon the younger
woman as she tried to resist the barest touch. There were bruises all along her
neck and back, but most damning were the bruises along her thighs. Those
commingled with the smell of sex left little to the imagination.
Hoshi held the other woman in her arms, shushing her
whimpers with soothing words. "Leta �" her voice caught in her
throat. She wanted to tell the other woman that everything was going to be
okay, but she knew none of them could control anything that happened to them.
She damned Reed, but more so herself. It was her decisions that had led to
this.
Leta sniffled, straightened uncomfortably and pulled away.
Hoshi stood and held out a hand to the other woman.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
Mukai grasped her hand and stood up weakly, leaning on her
captain and moaning her absolution. "Captain, we all knew what we were
getting in to. It's not like you shanghaied us into running guns with
you," Lita winced as she sat down.
Hoshi remained silent, guilt burning her.
"I �" Lita hesitated. "I hope you're
experienced now, Captain. Just do whatever he tells you to do and you'll be
okay. That fucking bastard is a real sadistic son of a bitch."
Sato turned her back to her crewmate as the sound of
somebody coming was heard. The brig wasn't lit well, the price of running at
warp five for extended periods of time. The person on the other side of the
cell couldn't see her and she couldn't see them. The shadow pressed the comm
button and a familiar voice spoke. "Back away from the door, Ma'am. The Captain
requests your presence in his quarters."
She squinted at the figure, walking toward the door and
disobeying the order. "Travis?"
The figure stepped into the light, confusion marring his
young features. "Hoshi?"
Lieutenant Travis Mayweather opened the door quickly, but
stopped short of stepping over the thresh hold, glancing up at the camera that
monitored the cell. A hard mask concealed his emotions. "Captain Archer
requests your presence, Ma'am."
He stepped back and motioned for her to follow him.
Hoshi followed him quickly; hope glistening to life within
her. She almost didn't hear what he whispered under his breath.
"We're being watched."
They walked down the corridor and Hoshi observed the cameras
up and down the hall. "What are you doing here? I thought you were still
aboard the Horizon."
"Thing's change," he stated softly, wanting to
tell her more but becoming silent as they neared the Captain's quarters.
"Just do whatever he wants and you'll be okay."
He pressed the chime to signal their arrival and the door
opened immediately. "Sir, Captain Sato, per your request," Travis
barked and started to leave.
"Come in Travis. Welcome Captain Sato," leered
Archer as he approached her. "Now you know why I had you go and get the
Captain, Travis. I figured you and she would like to talk about old
times."
"Sir�" Travis spoke.
"Travis came highly recommended by his father here.
He's the best stick and rudder man around. I couldn't have the fastest ship in
the fleet being piloted by a novice, could I?" Archer surmised more to
himself than to the two other people in the room.
Archer stood a little over two meters tall, clean-shaven
with a glint in his eye that could leave anybody guessing. "Please, have a
seat, Captain Sato. You and my helmsman have a lot of catching up to do, I
assume."
Travis stiffened. "I have nothing to say to her,
Captain. She's a spoiled rich kid who used my family to get off of Earth. She
jumped at the first opportunity to abandon the Horizon and my family."
Sato bristled as she sat down, knowing what he said was a
lie and knowing in her heart he was trying his best to protect her.
"Well then, you won't mind if I fuck her." Archer
hovered just behind Sato, gingerly stroking her hair.
Travis froze, rage and duty conflicting inside him. If he
acted now, he would blow his cover. The families of the E.C.S. conglomerate
were counting on him.
Hoshi spoke first, breaking the tension and trying to sound
confident and casual. "Shall we do it here on the table or on your bed, Captain
Archer?"
Archer laughed and motioned for Travis to leave.
With one last look at Hoshi, Travis left, his sense of duty
winning above his brotherly love for her.
--
Archer leaned against the table in front of her. "I'm
so glad you are cooperative. Crewman Mukai was up to a point. Seemed she didn't
care for being � penetrated by more than one lover at a time. My crew is
enamored with the lesbian antics of Crewmen Bishop and Lindsey. They'll take it
anyway they can get it." His voice was husky.
Hoshi wanted to tear him from limb to limb, but simply
leaned back and looked up at him. "And what are you expecting from
me?"
Archer ran his fingers through her hair and said nothing,
seemingly lost in the sensation of her hair.
She winced when he pulled her head back sharply and closed
her eyes when his face closed in of hers.
"Total submission," he growled against her lips,
as he undid her zipper and bared her breasts to him.
The chime to his quarters sounded and he cursed. "What
is it?" he bellowed.
"Sir, I would like permission to speak to the
prisoner," Travis's disembodied voice sounded in the cabin. Archer opened
the door.
"This had better be good!" he barked.
Travis wasted no time as he walked up to Hoshi and
backhanded her. She fell to the ground and he pounced on her, punching and
cursing her. "You goddamn bitch! You're the reason my father's dead."
Hoshi went still and took the beating knowing that Travis wasn't hitting her with
one hundred percent of his strength. If he did, she would likely be dead. The beating was still painful and
most definitely causing damage, but it was more tolerable than fucking Archer. But
Mayweather's words struck at her heart and she half-heartedly defended herself.
She didn't know Thomas was dead. Travis struck at her face repeatedly. Her ears
rang with each blow and she welcomed the blackness that consumed her.
"That's enough, Lieutenant," Archer stated calmly.
"I've seen some sibling rivalry in my time, but never anything where it
resulted in beating somebody unconscious."
Travis backed away from Hoshi and left. He was sick to his
stomach, but it was the only plan he could come up with to save her from
Archer.
Archer nudged Sato's lax body with his boot. "Pity.
I'll just have to fuck you later."
--
Three days later, Enterprise �
"Cackle! Tweet! Flutter!"
Sato shivered, cold and hot at the same time. She was in a
jungle, judging by the sounds. Somehow she managed to pry an eye opened, her
other eye still swollen shut. The glare of artificial lighting told her she
wasn't in a jungle. Her memory came rushing back as flashbacks of Travis
punching her senseless replayed. She winced as she tried to smile. She had to
hand to him. She would rather have the shit kicked out of her than be Archer's
fuck toy.
"Cackle! Tweet! Flutter!"
She turned her head to survey her surroundings. That was
when she heard the low murmurs of a conversation.
"I don't care what you have to do, Doc. Get her up and
running well before the rendezvous."
"Captain, she sustained a substantial head trauma, and
those take recovery time," a voice with a Denobulan lilt to it replied.
"I don't care, Doc," Archer menaced. "You do
what you have to do, or I'll include you in the next shipment and I'll find a
new doctor."
She heard the hiss of the door open and feet walking away
and she moved to sit up.
"Lay down," the doctor hissed softly, and gave her
a harsh shove. "He's got cameras everywhere."
"My crew?" she asked.
"Are still alive," he informed her. "The
female couple has only sustained minor injuries regarding their activities. I
have been giving daily sedatives to Crewman Mukai and I have been sedating you
to spare you her fate. I have yet to treat any of your other crew."
Hoshi sat up and the doctor gave her another shove, but she
resisted. "I appreciate the sentiment, Doc, but I won't play possum while
my crew is in danger."
�Are you certain that is the wisest course of action,
Captain?� the Denobulan questioned. �Captain Archer seems intent on �
gratifying himself with you.�
Sato tossed her legs over the side of the bed and the room
spun while she got her bearings. �You just keep my crew alive.�
--
A week had passed since he transferred the bait to Enterprise.
Reed cursed Jonathan Archer�s cautious nature and studied the PADD he held in
his hand. He shifted in the Captain�s chair onboard the Intrepid, having opted
to pull a double shift because the other areas on board that he normally went
to were haunted by his guilt. The week had been torturously slow for him, as
sometimes he would find himself staring at the white dots on the computer
screen that signified the crew.
Reed had been cautious, even going about Intrepid�s business
and making the system rounds. He made sure they were out of range of Enterprise�s
long-range sensors for he didn�t want Archer to get spooked and kill the bait.
Bait � The term repeated in his head over and over again. It
had been so easy to obtain the Celestial�s cooperation, but he hadn�t planned
on Hoshi Sato.
He had pulled up her civilian record the other day and
couldn�t help but be impressed with her accomplishments. She came from money.
That was for sure. But a side note stated she had been cut off for reasons
unknown. She obtained her position of the Horizon due to her linguistics
ability where she served for a few years. Then she became captain of the
Celestial.
She was young. He was very much her senior. Minus the
scarring, he looked older than what he really was before the accident. He
stared at her picture, guilt over goading her finally entrenching upon his
sleep. If he had known, she was the Celestial�s captain; he would have gone
somewhere else for volunteers. Reed drew heavily on his cigar, holding the
smoke and letting it burn his lungs before finally releasing it.
--
Two days passed since her release from sickbay and every
time the door opened, she and Mukai jumped. Sato looked at the cell across from
her and watched as Lindsey walked from the bathroom to her bunk. Diagonal to
Sato's cell was the cell that housed the rest of the crew. They had been left
alone for the last few days, and she said a silent prayer that their journey
was almost to an end.
Hoshi started pacing her cell, trying to exert some of the
pent up energy that kept her from sleeping. The hallway to the brig was dark,
but she could see across to her crew.
The mechanical lock to the outside door sounded and a young
ensign stepped through, the shadow of his hand over his phase pistol.
"Captain Archer requests the honor of your presence, Ma'am."
Hoshi scoffed as the formal request was made, and shivered
as she realized her time was up.
The cell door opened and she stepped through.
--
The dread of what was to come escalated with each step she
took. Hoshi stood in front of the Captain's quarters while the ensign signaled
their arrival. She could not hide her surprise when the door opened and a
candlelit dinner greeted her.
Archer watched her reaction with acute clarity and grinned.
"That will be all, Ensign."
The ensign left and Hoshi stood just inside the door, arms
crossed and on guard.
"Tomorrow, your crew will be sold," Archer stated
matter-of-factly, as he poured two glasses of wine. "We will arrive in the
Nantellis system tomorrow, where they will be sold as laborers."
Hoshi smirked, secretly elated that prostitution hadn't been
mentioned. "Lindsey and Bishop will be disappointed. What will my crew and
I be doing in the Nantellis system?"
Archer took a sip of his wine and set the glass on the
table, pulling out a seat for her to take. "They will mine pennelium until
they die."
She sat down and played along.
"You, on the other hand �" Archer's eyes captured
hers. "I've decided to keep for myself � for a little while anyway."
Hoshi raised her glass to her lips and drank her wine,
ignoring the slight burn of the alcohol as it trickled down her throat.
"Won't that cut into your profit? Even I have to admit, that's a little
pricey for a prostitute."
Archer lifted the trays off of the food and revealed their
meal � Filet mignon, string beans and a pasta dish. "You've been holding
out on me, Captain Sato."
Hoshi's stomach did a flip, but she didn't flinch. "How
so?"
He cut his food, taking his time and letting her ponder his
statement. "You come from money and lots of it. You're being ransomed.
I've already contacted your family to set up an exchange."
Hoshi was taking another gulp of her wine to deaden her
nerves when he informed her of his plan. She started coughing and choking. Did
she hear him right? Surely this was some stupid dream and she was finally asleep
in the brig. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she started to laugh.
Archer sat there perplexed. "What do you find so
amusing?"
"You obviously didn't do your homework very well,"
she laughed and wiped the tears away.
He remained silent, eating his food and waiting for her to
enlighten him.
"I've been disowned, disinherited, cut off, nada, zippo!
They would more likely pay a ransom for my mother's dog before they would pay
for me," she informed him with glee. "Perhaps you should rethink your
profit margin."
Archer wiped his mouth, set his napkin down and stood up.
She could feel him touch her hair and she resisted the urge
to dodge his touch. He moved her hair to the side, touching his lips to her
neck. "Don�t worry. You'll earn your keep."
-----
TBC