Chapter Four
Lord Aurzac took her into his arms as he picked her up. Sobs racked her whole being. The warmth of his body calmed her down as sheer exhaustion made her swoon. She was light as a feather, yet her slim body felt soft and curvy in the right places. He felt as if he were holding a precious being, so delicate that he needed to protect her. Her head rested on his shoulder as he carried her toward his ship. Lord Aurzac had never felt like this before. As he held her in his arms he felt the connection like a jolt that seared through him, numbing him.
After the Council meeting was over, he had wanted some time alone to think things through. He had dismissed Shanra, asking her to get the ship ready for its homeward course and to wait for him to join her later. The Council members had still not given their consent to help him. The Zorg leader, after hearing the proposed terms for peace from the Argarians, was biding his time so he could delay the decision.
Perturbed, Lord Aurzac wanted to clear his thoughts, so he went for a stroll. It was during his stroll, when he was passing through the bazaar of Babylon, that he saw her. He had felt the bond, as strong as any, from the moment he looked into the depths of those warm brown eyes. How bizarre, he thought, that he would find her here, among the slaves. And she wasn’t from his world. She was unusual. Small and frail compared to the women on his planet. But she was destined to be his bride. That he was sure of.
Once inside the ship, he delivered Renaya to her room. She was still unconscious. He pressed a button on the panel on the wall and called the ship’s doctor.
Dr. Aldon was a tall thin man with dark blond hair and blue eyes. He wore a dark green suit and a white cloak. He entered as Lord Aurzac led him toward the patient.
“Good to see you, doctor. Please make sure that she's okay. And I need a sample of her blood,” he instructed. A thorough blood scan would reveal her race and the planet she was from, in addition to her health condition.
Dr. Aldon pulled out a cylindrical device and scanned her body for injuries. He then pressed another syringe-like tube to the inside of her thumb and drew a few drops of blood as a sample. He handed the small vial of blood to Lord Aurzac.
“Thank you, doctor,” Lord Aurzac said.
“Always at your service, My Lord,” Dr. Aldon replied.
“Let me know when she wakes up.”
“Yes, My Lord,” the doctor said, slightly bowing his head.
Aurzac nodded. His gaze went toward Renaya’s reclining form, as he saw her wrists bruised by the shackles. He turned and reached for the door, leaving her in the doctor’s care.
***
Lord Aurzac took the blood sample to Lady Shanra in the control room and told her to run it through the DNA scanner.
“Shanra, after the scan is done, tell Aerav to run it through the central database and give me the report,” he commanded. Aerav was the ship’s technician in control of the database archives.
“Yes, My Lord,” she replied and set to work.
He left for his quarters, where he would get the report in a few hours. By then she would probably be awake. Dr. Aldon told him she was stable, stressed but stable. The Zorg had treated her harshly. The marks on her wrists and ankles said that her body was fragile, not strong enough for fighting. Women in his world were warriors. They fought in ground battles. Lady Shanra was a fierce warrior, and she was good with swords. She had earned her place as his second-in-command. This woman... she would learn... he didn’t need her to be a warrior, but a healer, he thought. He reached his quarters and sat at his desk to review the battle plans.
***
The unfamiliar light gray ceiling came into view as Renaya woke up. She was in a large room with white walls. The first thought that came to her mind was that she was back home and in a hospital. That it was all a bad dream.
But her hope was quickly doused as her eyes drifted to the large oval window on her right, overlooking the black void of space. The bed was a flat slab of white with a mattress made of an unusual material. It was hard but not uncomfortable. A soft warm glow lit up the room, which was soothing. She was still a bit groggy. Thoughts raced through her mind. This didn’t seem like the Zorg ship. Then it all rushed back to her... the auction... the handsome stranger who took her. A movement in the shadows to her left startled her. The white wall silently slid back, and a man stood silhouetted in the doorway. She cringed thinking it was Ex’ilk. But as he stepped into the light, she saw a man dressed in a green overall suit, with a soft white linen coat draped over his shoulders.
“I am Dr. Aldon, My Lady,” he addressed her in his sober voice, as he came toward her.
She simply stared at him, her eyes riveted to his pointed ears. He was fairly humanoid with the exception of his ears, which were the same size as a human ear, but pointed at the tip. He reminded her of an elf from some fantasy movie. A smile tugged at her lips.
“Can you understand me, My Lady? Is your translator working?” he asked gesturing toward her ear, concerned at the expression on her face.
She touched her ear and felt what seemed to be a soft earpiece. She nodded and her head spun.
“Where am I?” she asked, as her hand went up to her head.
“You must be feeling dizzy? I would advise you to eat, please.”
“Where am I? Where have you people taken me?” Renaya asked, and he saw anxiety in her eyes.
“You are aboard the Starship Sorion. Please try to rest, My Lady. Lord Aurzac would like to see you shortly.”
He bowed and turned to leave. As soon as he left, a woman entered with a large tray. It had soup, sandwiches, a platter of hot rice and some kind of broth. She set the tray on a small oval table near the bed and turned toward her, bowing. She wore a plain dark brown suit that fitted her body and a dark green belt around her waist. Attached to it was a small gold brooch that looked like a phoenix. Her blonde hair was neatly tied in a chignon and her green eyes showed wisdom. She was young, twenty-something, and her skin was fair.
“My Lady, I am Ayana and I will be at your service from now on,” she explained as she clasped her hands in front of her. “Anything you need, I will get you. Please have your meal, as Lord Aurzac awaits you.”
“Who is this Lord Aurzac?”
“He’s the one who brought you here, My Lady.”
Oh, so he’s the handsome stranger.
Renaya slowly got up from the bed. But again her head spun and she sat back down. Ayana helped her to the table, encouraging her to eat. Renaya took a few sips of the soup. It tasted delicious, making her mouth water. She was suddenly hungry as she devoured the soup and sandwich. The food was similar to that back on Earth but still the taste varied. It was as if the spices and the flavors were alien to her, but still it was mouthwatering. Maybe because she had not tasted anything so fresh in so many days, that it seemed heavenly. Ayana went toward the wall in front of her and tapped a hidden panel there. It slid open without a sound. A row of clothes, mostly suits, in colors of blue, green and white hung there. Ayana pulled out a blue suit for her and pumps that blended perfectly with it.
“This will fit you,” she said as she laid the suit on her bed.
“How do you know it will fit me?” Renaya asked perplexed.
“The computer picked this size for you. It will fit, My Lady,” she explained while Renaya finished her food. “I will show you the bathroom. It’s this way.” Renaya followed her to another shaft in the wall which she hadn’t noticed before.
The bathroom was small and simple. It had an oval mirror, oval toilet, and a sink. The shower was oval too. Ayana showed her how to use it. Instead of water, there was ionized steam, she explained. The steam particles would thoroughly clean the body, Ayana reassured when she saw the doubtful expression on Renaya’s face.
Renaya felt much better after the shower. Ayana was right, she thought. The suit was close-fitted and clung to her in the most exquisite way. It had a V neckline that beautifully accentuated her small breasts and subtly showed off the delicate curves of her body. She looked at herself in the large oval mirror that appeared on the wall and was surprised at her own reflection. She looked different. Ayana had let her hair loose so that it flowed down her back. She looked simple and elegant, with a little blush on her cheeks and a soft pink hue of lipstick.
Ayana then led her outside the room. They stepped into the dimly lit passageway that curved to their left. Warm white lights lit the gray pathway as Renaya followed her, taking in the white walls. She would never be able to find her way around here, she thought. Her stomach knotted at the thought of seeing Lord Aurzac. What did he have to say to her? She was his slave. Would he set her free?