Voices by M J Marlow (uplifting novels txt) 📕

the taking and she hasn’t been fed. She will be weak and in
pain.”
“Then find her,” Kur snapped. I heard footsteps hurrying
off and sank into the corner of the room where I could not be
immediately seen. I blacked out a moment and opened my eyes to
see his hated face. He was smiling quite nastily as he yanked me
up onto my knees and bound my arms behind my back again. “You
are a troublemaker, Princess,” he snarled as he gagged me. “Did
you really think you could escape us?” He hefted me over his
shoulder and carried me back to the room. He dumped me inside
and smiled down at me. “I don’t think Durn is going to be much
help to you now, female,” he laughed as I saw Durn and my eyes
widened in horror. “He won’t be helping anyone for quite some
time.” I backed away from Kur as he came towards me, shaking
my head. He crouched down and ran his hand along my breast. “As
much as I might want to have you, female,” he said as he patted
my cheek; “I am not that stupid.”
He left me alone then and I curled up in a ball and cried.
There had to be some way I could get out of this nightmare; but
right now all I could concentrate on was the fact that I had no idea
how long I had been here. I knew I had not been fed and my body
was cramping. I tried once more to call for help and there was a
brief answer before I passed out again. But only to wake again as
pain struck. I opened my eyes and saw Durn looking at me; his
eyes begging me to help. He had managed to get the wrench again
but it had slipped out of his hand as the pain made his arms shake
and it had struck me in the leg. He indicated that I should turn and
I moved closer to him and let him untie me. I ripped out the gag
and got to my feet. The leg hurt but the pain kept me conscious.
“Don’t worry,” I told him as I picked up the wrench and
put it in his hand. “I will get you some help.”
“I know where she is,” Andira said as she ran into Aitli’s
office after the failed touch. She nodded to Wainwright and David.
“The touch was brief; she was in a great deal of pain, but she is
alive.” She approached the map of the station and pointed to the
bottom of one of the spires below the docking level. “They have
the Princess locked in a room with another prisoner. All I caught
was his name – Durn.”
“I’ll go, sir,” David said, looking at Andira strangely. He
nodded to the two men in the corridor and they went with him.
Thirty minutes later, they were carrying Durn into the Infirmary.
They laid him down and stepped back so the Doctor could examine
him. “He woke up twice on the way up but kept slipping back.”
“He should be all right,” the Doctor replied. “Seriously
dehydrated and malnourished, bruises, lacerations, broken bones.
There are some fractures on his skull, but Ferengi have hard heads.
He won’t be down long.”
“I heard that, Doctor,” Durn hissed as he woke up again. “I
didn’t think anyone would ever find me.”
“You owe your rescue to Counselor Aitli’s daughter,
Maya,” David told him; “and his wife, Andira. They haven’t
stopped searching for you…”
“Where is the Princess?” He looked at David in disbelief.
“You waste time with me when that glorious little female is still in
distress?” He tried to get up and David held him down. “We have
to find them before they get her off this station!”
“Who, Durn?” Major Thompson demanded.
“Daimon Kur,” Durn hissed past the pain. “He and his foul
men are planning to sell her to Nagus Wesh.” He saw David pale.
“Yes, boy. Now you know why you have to hurry. My torturers
thought splitting her skull open would keep her quiet,” he
continued as he lay back and closed his eyes. “Find her before they
do worse.”
“Is his word valid,” Thompson asked as he turned to David.
“Durn has been spying on the Ferengi for the Federation for
decades,” David nodded. “He is the reason I am alive and back
with my family.”
“You wouldn’t have been slave long, boy,” Durn said
weakly. “It might have been wiser to let you slit the bastard’s
throat. Would have saved us all a lot of pain.”
“Get going!” Thompson barked at David and his men.
“Find Princess Melaura.”
I bit my lip as pain continued to build in my leg. I wanted
to stop, but I knew I couldn’t. Durn needed my help. So I
continued moving. I found the ladder and pulled myself up it;
getting off on a level I did not recognize. I saw no one as I hobbled
along the corridors looking for an intercom or terminal so I could
get someone to help Durn. I tried to call with my mind but it was
not working, the head wound had done some damage. My vision
was beginning to blur again from the pain and hunger. I was nearly
blind as I went around a corner and ran into someone. His features
were blurred and I cried out in fear.
“Princess?” Doug cried as I collapsed at his feet. “What are
you doing down here?” He picked me up and carried me to his
quarters. Hank and George got to their feet as he laid me on the
bed. “Call her Grandfather,” he said as he ran for the first aid
supplies. “Let him know where she is.”
“Why, Doug?” Hank asked as he looked at me. “They’re all
running around looking for Ferengi right now. I say we keep the
girl.”
“She came to us for help,” George nodded. “She’ll be much
better off with us.” Doug looked down at me lying there helpless
and he felt a stirring of lust. He knew it was wrong, but there was
just something about me that made a man want to keep me close.
“You said we would get a woman next trip. She’s a woman,
Doug.”
“Not her.” Doug looked at his friends sternly. “We need a
strong woman; someone who can handle hard work.” He looked
down at me. “This princess is not that woman, guys. I’m sorry,
but…”
“He always was too soft,” Hank said as he looked down at
Doug. He dropped the wrench he’d used on Doug’s head. “I’ll get
the ship prepped. You bring the girl.”
“What about Doug?”
“He’d only be trouble,” Hank said. “Leave him.”
They packed their things and carried me to their docking
port. George set me down just inside the vessel and stowed their
gear. When he came back to collect me, I was on my feet looking
around in confusion. I saw him and my smile died as I saw his
expression. I turned to run and George caught me around the waist,
struggling to hold on to me as I screamed and kicked and clawed.
Hank came to see what the trouble was and he helped George drag
me towards the ship. They both froze as a phaser blast struck near
his head and turned to look back towards the corridor.
“You were about to make a very unwise decision,
gentlemen,” David said as he raised his weapon. He motioned
them to come out into the corridor and they did so. Two other
security men were waiting to take them into custody. David
watched the joy light my face as Aden picked me up in his arms
and ran off. He knew where my heart was now and he wished us
both well. “Take them to the Brig. I’m certain Major Thompson
will be very interested in their reasons for trying to abduct an
imperial princess.”
I was getting tired of falling asleep in one place and waking
up in another; I thought as I opened my eyes and saw the
unfamiliar quarters. A woman approached the bed and I saw a
resemblance to Aden in her. She offered me something to drink
and I took it with a grateful smile. She waited for me to finish and
then moved away with the empty cup. I got up and limped over to
the windows to look out at the stars. My leg had been fractured
when Durn had dropped the wrench and Zun had fractured my
skull subduing me so it was several days before I was allowed out
of the Infirmary. I had slept through the entire time in the
Infirmary, it seemed. I frowned as I saw all the vessels massing
outside.
“They are here because of us, my love,” Aden said as he
came up behind me. He put his hands on my shoulders and held me
in place. He pointed to the vessels that had an emblem that looked
like a winged snake on its side. “Our people; the Hazri; as well as
four Romulan vessels, and four Federation starships. All in equal
number to keep an eye on each other.” He bent down to kiss my
shoulder and I did not move. “The Emperor and his general are
aboard the station now. They are demanding a meeting to discuss
this matter.”
“It has not been settled?” I asked him wearily. “I thought
that your grandfather said he agreed with this union? ” I frowned.
“Admiral Wainwright has already told me that the Federation is
out of this. I am your property by the word of your Hazri
grandfather.” I looked at him then. “So why are we still here?”
“We have a unique opportunity here, Melaura,” Tal began
his speech as he joined us; “to forge new relations between Hazri
and Romulan…”
“At the expense of the peace the Federation has forged over
the past several centuries,” I broke in. “They will not allow you to
do what you are planning, Tal. They will not let you spill out of the
Neutral Zone and cause trouble in the Federation.”
“You are an innocent, aren’t you?” Tal shook his head and
met my angry look. “The Empire is not going to storm in and take
over, my dear princess…”
“I don’t want to hear it,” I broke in and held up my hand.
“Because no matter how you plan to do it, the end result is the
same.”
“Your Highness?” a guard spoke as he entered. “The
shuttle is ready to leave when you are.”
Tal nodded and he turned to order the women to prepare
me. The women took possession of me when he released me,
placing a veil over my head and holding it in place with a gold
circlet. Aden placed my hand on his arm and we left the
apartments. I did not look anywhere but straight ahead of me. I
could feel the anguish in the minds of many of the people watching
us leave. A quick glance at Tal told me he was very pleased with
the success of their ploy.
“Since we are the neutral party in this matter,” Admiral
Wainwright said as we paused by the hatch; “you will be traveling
on one of our vessels to your destination.” He smiled at Tal’s
anger. “It is in keeping with the wishes of all parties involved,
Your Highness.” He offered his arm to me. “Princess, if you will
allow me.”
My terror fled as he escorted me aboard the shuttle. My
grandfather was already there with Counselor Aitli and David
Wainwright. We sat down and my family moved in around me so
that Tal was forced to sit across from us. The shuttle left the space
station and we flew through the other vessels to the Federation
starships. I