Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Ten days had passed since Lilly had been released from the med bay, and Ronan had asked her to be his wife. In public Ronan, was polite and kind to her, careful not to show how much he truly cared for her in case they drew unwanted attention. Lilly had finally bowed to Ronan’s requests and moved into Ronan’s chamber so he could protect her and so they could be together without drawing unwanted attention or censure from the others.

In public, they made sure not to touch each other, but once they were in private, they couldn’t keep their hands off each other. They hadn’t gone past making out like a couple of horny teenagers, not that Lilly hadn’t been tempted and Ronan more than willing, but she was still terrified of what might happen if she gave all of herself to Ronan. While he had asked her to marry him, they were both still slaves at the mercy of the master. Then there was the fact that Ronan was someone of great importance, of which she was sure. Would he still want her once he was free and home? He’d said his planet was lacking females and that they were compatible, but what if he found a female more to his liking, then what? There was also the fact that he was a male prostitute to think of. He’d said he’d stopped having sex with the other females, but what if he was lying just to make her feel better? Did his species get STD’s it was too much to wrap her head around at times.

Lilly, since her recovery, had made two trips to the ruined city. She had brought back what was the equivalent of two ancient laptops, several hundred feet of fiber optic cable, and parts to fix the navigation console. With Eacha and Cahir’s help, she’d repaired both ancient laptops. She had also used the cable to patch the computers into the Dome’s surveillance system by way of the underground tunnels. Lilly was hoping that they would be able to take over the surveillance system and use it to help Ronan and the others escape.

Eacha and Cahir had also worked on repairing the console with her; they had both grudgingly admitted that she was not the mindless animal they thought she was and that she was intelligent for a female and for a member of an inferior race. Lilly had thanked them for their compliments and finished repairing the console on her own when they’d both been called away to work. After getting the console working it had taken another hour to patch it into the Dome’s power grid without blowing the intergalactic version of several fuses. Once that was done she then patched it into the uplink satellite. After a little trial and error had managed to log into one of the orbiting satellites used to broadcast advertisements to the various pleasure domes.

The end result of all her hard work and sweat was that the navigation console had been able to obtain their galactic coordinates. Ronan and his men had learned that they were on a planet called Astrol and that it was far out on the fringe of their galaxy where only pirates and marauders lived. Astrol had once been a colony planet of Proxima, who was Tyrell’s people, but who had all been killed in some kind of unprovoked attack by the Reapers some two hundred or years in the past. The planet had been rediscovered by a group of pirates and intergalactic junk dealers who had decided to make it into a pleasure planet with fighting and brothels as well as gambling, sort of like an intergalactic Las Vegas. The planet had no police or governing body but the various dome owners had formed a consortium and established a list of rules they all had to live by or face the consequences. These rules included how the slaves were to be treated and that they could eventually earn their freedom if they earned enough credits.

Lilly earned twenty credits a day for maintaining the Pleasure Dome’s electrical systems she had also started to sell some of the servos she’d repaired in the wide open-aired street market that was in the center of the town, banking the money she made to help buy Ronan his freedom. There were seven pleasure domes, which formed a circle around the town, with a spaceport just outside of town set in the desert and the combat arena to the west of town in the area between the desert and the jungle. A variety of humanoids had set up shops and businesses in the no-name town supplying goods from around the galaxy for sale.

Before Ronan Lilly had been afraid to spend too much time in the town, but now that she was under the protection of both Ronan and the dome she spent more time there. She would investigate the town and make video recordings to share with Ronan and his men to help them make escape plans. The spaceport while about five miles from the Pleasure Dome was not guarded, it didn’t even have a fence or wall around it. Ships just seemed to come and go as they wished, with no oversite at all, this lack of security would make it easy for Ronan and his men to steal a ship if they could get off their collars and make it to the spaceport without being captured. The penalty for trying to escape was harsh either a hundred lashes or being sent back to the fighting pits or both.

While there was no central government in charge of the planet the dome owners had formed a consortium to govern and control the planet. They had hired males as enforcers to act like police and keep the peace. Apparently, even backwater planets founded by pirates, smugglers, and junk dealers needed order of some kind and had to have the rules enforced. Public drunkenness was acceptable but brawling and spitting on the streets, was a punishable offense as was molesting females on the streets or in shops. Theft was a crime that would land you in the fighting pits or in one of the domes as a sex slave.

Lilly finished washing the sweat and grime off her face, arms, and neck, then patted herself dry on the scrap of fabric she used as a towel. She’d gone to the town’s trash dump and found what appeared to be three cleaning servos that had recently been dumped, probably from one of the many ships that came and went every day. The servos just needed a good cleaning and a few repairs and they would be working again, she could either sell them or put them to work in the dome’s garden depending on how well they worked once she was done. The garden needed more servos to keep the weeds at bay and to maintain the flowers she’d planted with Lars’ help, she shouldn’t care about the dome’s appearance but she did. The place was her home for the time being and growing the flowers made her happy and gave her the illusion of control over her life.

Lilly checked her appearance in her tiny mirror and then finger-combed her hair into some semblance of control. She’d never cared what she’d looked like before Ronan and now she did. Not that she was one to primp or spend a lot of time in the mirror but she did like to look pretty for Ronan. She checked her hair one last time and was reaching for her robe when her wristband lit up and began to flash; a moment later a message appeared that she was wanted in the dome and was to come to the dining hall immediately. Lilly frowned wondering why she was needed, the electrical system was working fine, and the new solar panels she’d installed were working well as the new wind turbines. Her stomach clenched for a moment as she was attacked by nerves, but she quickly squashed them. Captain Tyrell was more than happy with her work and since the incident; she’d not laid eyes on master Perion.

Lilly fought down her nerves as she slipped on her robe and gloves and then hurried from the maintenance shed. Even though she was in a hurry to report to the dome she was careful to take the long way through the forest and slip out into the garden. When she stepped out of the forest she paused to look around to be sure no one had seen her step out of the forest. Few of the other slaves and none of the guards ever voluntarily enjoyed the gardens during the day as the twin suns often made the heat close to unbearable.

Lilly hurried through the stifling garden gratefully slipping into the air-conditioned comfort of the dim dining hall. Flipping back her hood she looked about quickly spotting Tyrell, Ronan, and overseer Cheng standing at the back of the deserted dining hall.

Lilly made her way to them, as she approached Ronan caught her eyes and dragged his fingers through his long bangs pushing them back from his face, he gave her a fleeting smile before schooling his face into an expressionless mask.

“Overseer, Captain I was summoned?” Lilly asked nervously wishing she could go and stand beside Ronan, his presence always soothed her.

“Yes, please be at ease Lilly you are not in trouble,” Tyrell said motioning for Lilly to sit on one of the benches. “Before Overseer Cheng begins I would like to thank you for all your hard work on the energy grid, since you made those modifications the dome has not faltered once and for the first time in the Dome has been able to run at full capacity. Isn’t that true Cheng?”

The dark-skinned reptilian man gave her a toothy smile as he nodded. “Yes, per the Captain’s suggestion a hundred credits have been added to your account as a thank you.”

“Thank you,” Lilly murmured looking between blue-skinned Tyrell and Cheng.

“Yes well, the reason you have been summoned is that for the past ten solar days numerous requests for you have been coming into the Dome every day.” Cheng said.

“Lilly is not a sex worker, and never shall be, she belongs to me.” Ronan snapped moving to stand beside Lilly as she sank to a bench.

“Yes, yes we have been explaining to the many males that have contacted us that fact. However many of them have expressed the desire to see her dance. In fact over thirty offers have come in, asking to watch her dance in person. The master and I were hoping Lilly would oblige, she would of course be well compensated.” Cheng said giving Lilly a smile that reminded her of a rattlesnake about to strike.

“What do you mean by compensated?” Lilly demanded as beside her Ronan let out what sounded like a growl.

“The standard fee for a performance is three hundred credits per person; you would receive twenty percent of each fee,” Cheng stated.

“Make it eighty percent and I will agree to dance,” Lilly replied thinking about how much money she could make.

“That is outrageous.” Cheng hissed.

“I will be the one dancing,” Lilly replied.

“Forty percent.” Cheng countered.

“Seventy-five percent and no less, which still gives you twenty-five percent profit per person. You stand to make a sizable amount of money for nothing if I agree.” Lilly stated enjoying her feeling of power.

“Fine, fine,” Cheng replied flapping a taloned hand at her. “How soon can you report to the Dome?”

“I have not agreed to this.” Ronan snarled in annoyance. Ronan knowing he had no choice but to agree had to fight his feelings of jealousy. “And this agreement must be put in writing and witnessed.”

“Ronan is correct, I want it in writing. In addition, seventy percent of my earnings shall go directly to Ronan and the other five to me.” Lilly stated earning a surprised look from Ronan.

“Very well, agreed.” Cheng pulled a tablet from the pocket of his loose blue robe and quickly typed something into it before handing it to Tyrell.

Tyrell looked over what was written then placed his thumb on the screen, before handing the tablet to Ronan. “It is what you asked for and I witnessed it, is there anything else you want before you agree?”

Lilly looked at Cheng in surprise, the lizard man had given in so easily, perhaps he was telling the truth. “I will need garments to wear, they will be expensive to have the replicator make. You will have to pay for them.”

Cheng appeared annoyed but nodded his head in agreement; he pulled a small white card from his pocket and handed it to Tyrell. “Agreed, bring her to the Pleasure Dome in an hour and report to the backstage.”

“She isn’t going anywhere without me,” Ronan growled.

“I agree Ronan should be present to act as her protector,” Tyrell said.

“Fine, fine just bring her to the Dome in forty minutes; I will let the clients know she has agreed to dance,” Cheng said before stalking away.

“Well, that went easier than I thought,” Tyrell murmured giving Lily a fleeting smile.

“I have the feeling you are behind this, out with it.” Ronan snapped.

“Actually yes and no; since the unfortunate incident of you uploading the video of Lilly dancing and the two of you, well the two of you together the communication center has been flooded with requests for Lilly to both dance and to recreate. I was able to keep most of them a secret, but not all of them. Master Perion is always eager for more profit, so I suggested that perhaps you could be convinced to simply dance and that Ronan would be agreeable to that. At first, he wanted to buy Lilly back but I told him that you’d never agree to that.” Tyrell shrugged and held up the white card he’d been handed.

“Thank you but I don’t like it,” Ronan growled, not liking the idea of other males looking at Lilly.

“I thought as much, but the master is eager to make more profit. If you refused to allow her to perform I was going to try and convince you into it, he isn’t happy that you have been refusing to recreate with customers. You are costing him credits.” Tyrell replied. “Now let’s go to the fabricator and you can order what you need, this is good up to six hundred credits.”

“Six hundred credits.” Lilly gasped in surprise that was a fortune. “How much am I allowed to spend?”

“All of it I’m guessing,” Tyrell replied.

Ronan took the card from Tyrell and handed it to Lilly. “Go order your garments. I need a moment to speak with Tyrell.”

Lilly saw Ronan scowl so she simply nodded and hurried to the back of the dining hall where there was a dispenser. The machines as best as Lilly could guess were advanced 3-D printers, where you could request just about anything as long as you had the credits to pay for it, and the object wasn’t made out of metal or glass. Lilly slid the card into the payment slot and the ordering screen lit up, Lilly looked back over her shoulder to see Ronan and Tyrell were deep in conversation. With a shrug, she turned back to the screen and pressed select garments on the design app, oh this was going to be fun she thought.

“First I will say thank you. Then I will ask why are you helping us?” Ronan asked.

“I told you before I like you and Lilly, especially Lilly she is kind, sweet, and clever. After all that has happened to her, she hasn’t turned into a selfish monster like Sorcha. And there is you, I know you are someone important, a fleet commander or an admiral. One day your people will find you and when that day comes I want your word you will help my men and I leave this place.” Tyrell replied.

“You wish to leave?” Ronan rumbled.

“By the moons yes! While I am captain of the guard I am as good as a prisoner here myself.” Tyrell shook his head. “Perion pays only a fraction of what he promised us; in addition, he is friends with many of the ship captains that make landfall here. I can’t afford to buy a ticket off this dust ball even if I could find a captain willing to take me and my men. So you see I’m trapped here too, and lastly, I want to know what world Lilly comes from.”

“All right I believe you, but why do you want to know Lilly’s origin?” Ronan demanded.

“Because she is a beautiful and clever female, my people are from Proxima, we are a founder species like your people which means I am genetically and physically compatible with Lilly’s people. If I can ever get off of here, perhaps one day my men and I could get a ship and go to her world and find females of our own. Your world is not the only one lacking females.” Tyrel replied.

Ronan raked his fingers back through his hair black hair as he nodded. “You have my word I will help you if you can, but you must help me protect Lilly.”

Ronan turned to look at Lilly at the end of the room. She was standing before the fabricator punching something into the design screen, even dressed in her shapeless black robe he thought her lovely.

“Of course, in addition to liking her, she is the only one who has been maintaining the solar panels, without her we’d be in the dark and have no force dome at night,” Tyrrell replied then gave Ronan a wink. “I shall go fetch Lars; he can help watch Lilly when we go into the pleasure Dome.”

“Why Lars and not one of your men?” Ronan demanded.

“The few men I have are all required elsewhere and Lars cares for her. He will do all in his power to protect her. They were friends long before you came here, he will let nothing happen to her. Now I must go, I shall come to your quarters in thirty minutes see that she is ready.” Tyrell gave Ronan a nod then hurried from the hall leaving Ronan alone with Lilly.

Ronan fought down another wave of jealousy. He’d had lovers before and never cared if they saw other males, but Lilly was different, she was special to him, more than special. She was fast becoming his obsession and his salvation, when she was around the overwhelming rage he felt at his situation was muted and he was able to think rationally. He’d pondered the idea more than once that she was his mate, that she was destined to be his, shaking his head to clear it he walked to Lilly.

“I’m almost finished. I am ordering two costumes as well as new undergarments, and I still have close to a hundred credits left. I’m almost done I just have to look everything over one last time and then it will be delivered to your chamber.” Lilly examined the outfit she’d designed one last time, being sure everything was correct before she hit the create button.

Ronan looked at the screen over Lilly’s head and frowned in annoyance, the dark green garment as in two parts leaving her stomach bare while also showing off a great deal of her magnificent cleavage. He was happy to see that her legs would be covered and that the garment came with a sheer veil that covered her face and most of her hair, but still parts of her would be naked.

“Your stomach and back shall be exposed,” Ronan commented in annoyance.

“It’s the style of the garment. Besides it’s more modest than what many of the women here wear,” Lilly replied both flattered and annoyed at Ronan’s jealousy.

“But they are not my female, and they are sex workers, and you are not,” Ronan replied.

“Don’t be jealous. I’m nervous enough as it is; other than dancing for you, I haven’t danced in forever. Besides, it’s not like I have a choice, and the credits I earn can go to freeing you.” Lilly replied before hitting the create button.

Ronan sighed, then slipped his hands about Lilly’s waist and turned her to pull her against his chest. “I do not know what deity was responsible for sending you into my life, but I am grateful. You have become so important to me; you are all that keeps me calm and sane. You give me a reason to go on some days when all is bleak. I appreciate your desire to help me, but my buyout price is now one million credits.”

Master Perion, as punishment for Ronan refusing to lie with females for the past month, had raised his buyout price so high that Ronan had no hope of ever buying his freedom. All he could do now was hope to find a way to escape or for one of the messages they had sent off somehow finding its way to a member of his fleet and then them coming to rescue them all.

“That is indeed a fortune, but every little bit will help, won’t it?” Lilly looked up at Ronan, who gave her a fleeting smile and then brushed his lips against hers in a brief kiss.

“It will, but as I have said before, I shall never leave you, Lilly, where I go so shall you,” Ronan replied.

“Then we had better go to our chamber. I need to wash, dress, and prepare my music before Tyrell returns for me. You will watch, won’t you, I’m so nervous I don’t think I’ll be able to dance if you aren’t there.” Lilly said looking up at Ronan.

Ronan gave Lilly a hug and then released her before taking her tiny hand in his.

“Yes, I will be there. I would not let you go into the Dome alone. The place is foul, Lilly, and I will not let you out of my sight.” Ronan replied as he and Lilly headed towards the door of the mess hall.

“I will hold you to that promise for I won’t be able to do this without you,” Lilly said, already thinking of what music she would play and what moves she would use. While she was nervous about dancing again, she was pleased that she would be helping Ronan. She’d long ago surrendered to her fate; there was no chance of her ever finding her way home, but Ronan had a chance, and she’d do anything in her power to help him get home.

* * * *

Lilly had been prepared for an all-out orgy based on how nervous Ronan had been about her entering the Pleasure Dome for the first time. But instead of a sex orgy, the Dome reminded her more of a rundown casino. Tables of chance were scattered around the room with four armed Uxmal dealers handing out square cards or piles of rectangular chips. Two long bars of glass and dark metal wrapped around the opposite walls and were staffed by scantily clad Uxmal and Hyperion females who were serving drinks and what looked like bowls of chips.

In front of the bars were sunken seating areas with tables and what looked like black plush lounge chairs. Beings of many different races and of every size and color in the rainbow sat in the chairs drinking and talking while other females served them drinks. Lilly only had a few minutes to take it all in before Ronan gave her hand a hard tug. She was pulled towards the back of the large room and through a wide door into a small sloping theater with about a hundred seats.

Lilly pulled her hand from Ronan’s as she took a moment to take in her surroundings. There was a low stage at the front of the room with stairs on both sides and a narrow door at the back of the room. About thirty males of various species were sitting in the threadbare black chairs mostly ignoring each other while staring at the dark stage or at their communicators. Lilly felt a moment’s panic at the thought of dancing before all these males but she quickly fought it down, Ronan was there to protect her as was Lars who was standing at the bottom of the stairs leading to the stage.

“Promise me you will stand back here so I can see you, and that you won’t leave till I’m done,” Lilly said as she squeezed Ronan’s hand.

“I shall never leave you,” Ronan replied.

Before Lilly could reply, Tyrell appeared beside them and gave her a nod.

“It is time. Cheng said they are getting annoyed to have waited so long,” Tyrell said.

“I’m ready.” Lilly reluctantly released Ronan’s hand and followed Tyrell down the short passage to the bottom of the stairs beside the stage, where Lars stood. Her friend gave her a toothy smile as she stopped before him to slip out of her robe and hand it to him.

“I will let no one up to touch you,” Lars said, his black-on-black eyes holding her’s for a moment.

“Thank you.” Lilly reached up to press her hand against Lars dark tanned and scaly face earning another toothy smile. Lilly had long ago overcome her fear of Lars’s appearance, his wide flat face, black eyes, and spiked head ridges reminding her of a giant horned toad.

“Come, Lilly, do not be afraid, Lars will remain here and I will be on the other stairs, you shall be safe,” Tyrell said then turned to hurry up the steps.

Lilly took a deep breath and followed him up the steps to stand beside him on the stage.

“As promised I present the female Lilly.” Tyrell said motioning to Lilly, pressed a point on his wrist unit and a spotlight suddenly hit Lilly. Tyrell quickly stepped from the stage leaving Lilly alone in the spotlight; she felt her palms begin to sweat and blinked against the bright light hitting her in the face. Fighting another case of nerves Lilly motioned for Tyrell to start her music, Lilly squinted against the light to find Ronan standing at the back of the theatre, with a deep breath she forced down her nerves and locked onto his face. The music swelled and Lilly let it fill her and soon there was only the music and Ronan, and she began to dance.

Ronan couldn’t take his eyes off Lilly as she began to dance, her dark blue and silver costume both hiding and accentuating her lithe body. She was graceful and energetic, demure and the most erotic thing he’d ever seen in his life.

“By the moons, I didn’t know females could move like that.” Cahir sounded from beside him, and Ronan pulled his eyes from Lilly to see his friend standing beside him, his eyes riveted to the stage.

“Nor did I.” Ronan ground out as he fought against a wave of jealousy. The other males in the audience were as transfixed as he was by Lilly’s dancing.

“To think such a female was hidden away under that ugly black robe all that time, and no one ever knew. It was lucky for you or some other male would have grabbed her up long ago.” Cahir said. “I like her, by the way, she is clever and brave, she will make an excellent wife one day.”

Ronan tore his eyes from Lilly to glance at his friend who gave him a quick smile.

“Once we are free, you will have to have several ships seek out her home world. I would like a female like Lilly for my own.” Cahir added.

“That is what Tyrell said,” Ronan replied, turning back to watch as Lilly finished her second and last dance. She stood in the middle of the stage, her pale skin flushed pink, her breasts heaving as she took deep breaths, aye she was lovely, and she was his and his alone.

In the theatre, the patrons began shouting and hooting, demanding another dance as they all surged to their feet and began heading towards the stage enemas.

Lilly took a nervous step backward as the males began swarming towards the stage shouting her name, others shouting amounts of money. Lars dashed up the steps and pushed her behind him as Tyrell appeared at the edge of the stage holding up his hands and shouting for silence.

Lilly nervously peered around Lars to see several males coming up the steps to the right of her, and then Ronan appeared shoving theme to one side he dashed up on the stage and grabbed Lilly. Ronan swung Lilly up in his arms and hurried back down the steps as Cheng dashed up the steps to begin shoving the males aside with the help of Lars.

Ronan, his arms tight about Lilly, raced down the steps and then out the back door of the small theatre, kicking the door closed behind him. He ran several paces before setting Lilly on her feet and took a deep, steadying breath.

“Thank you, but won’t they follow us?” Lilly asked, looking nervously back the way they had come.

“They can’t the door only opens to those with a security bracelet.” Ronan brushed locks of hair from Lilly’s face, then pressed a kiss against her forehead. “I will admit that you were amazing. I did not think that females could move like that. I was both jealous and proud. I thought every male there wanted you but you belonged to me and only me.”

“Ronan.” Lilly began to protest, and Ronan silenced her with a quick kiss.

“You are mine in the sense that you are my female that I have promised to wed you, not that you are my slave. Later when you are alone, will you dance for me?” Ronan asked.

“Of course,” Lilly replied.

There was the hum of the door opening and closing and Lilly and Ronan turned nervously to the end of the hall to see Tyrell and Lars coming their way.

“You did very well, Lilly, amazingly so. All the patrons have already requested you dance for them again; several wanted to purchase you outright, while others made offers to recreate with you. I informed them that you were not for sale at any price, but for the right amount of credits, you would consider dancing again.” Tyrell said.

Lilly gave Ronan a nervous look. She wanted to say yes right away, but she didn’t want to upset Ronan.

“While I would say no, it is up to Lilly. All I say is that next time she should be better guarded.” Ronan replied.

“Then yes I will dance again,” Lilly said as Ronan slipped a hand about her waist.

“Excellent, go rest and clean up, dinner will be served soon. I will tell Overseer Cheng and Laoni of your success, and then we shall plan for your next performance.” Tyrell said.

“Thank you for your help Lars, I will see that your account is credited fifty credits for your help as a guard,” Tyrell said before motioning for Lars to precede him down the corridor.

“You need not pay me, I did it for Lilly.” Lars turned his dark eyes to Lilly as he gave her a toothy smile before following Tyrell down the service corridor.

“Thank you for guarding me and for being there. I would have been too nervous to dance if you hadn’t been there. I imagined we were alone and that I was dancing only for you.” Lilly said.

“I will always be there for you, I know you do not believe me but you have found a place in here.” Ronan touched his chest. “Now come you must change and then eat as you shall need your strength.” Ronan gave Lilly a wicked smile and took her small hand in his huge one.

Lilly felt her heart still for a moment. In his own way, Ronan had said he loved her, now she just had to work up the courage to give herself to him fully. She knew he wanted to make love to her, but she was still afraid of what would happen if she did.

“Thank you, you have a place in my heart too,” Lilly replied, earning a smile from Ronan.