Author's Note: I have been working on this for a little while now, I've finally decided that it might be worth posting. I have rated this story as "M" because there is a chance that the language, violence, and certain scenes might not be appropriate for all audiences. If abuse and killing bother you please do not read this story. I enjoy getting feed back, so don't be afraid to drop a line; flaming however, is not welcome.


CHAPTER ONE

Bought and Paid For

Jay kept her head down as she was dragged through the confines of the cargo ship, her wrist burned from her struggles against the rough iron bands and the shiner on her eye had just started to swell shut. She hated being a slave but there was nothing she could do about it since she was only human. Humans sold well on the market when they were young and healthy. She was both of those things although she didn't look like it. Standing at five foot seven inches, she was above normal for human women in the galaxy, which made her hiding as a man even easier. Masquerading as a man made it easier for her to survive, not everyone wanted a human man as a slave; they could not have their way with them. Heck, in this market, women sold the best and made the best worker since you could do more with her. As it was, Jay was rather certain that today she was going to sold again, even after the sudden death of her other masters.

They were going to try selling her again, part of her wished that they did not make a profit from her but she also hoped that whoever bought her had a lot of money so that when she did make a break for it, it would not be with empty pockets. She never left without robbing them blind first, which made her escape even more worthwhile. She gave a sharp kick at her captor as he; she assumed it was a he anyway (you never could tell with Baraka'hu), attached her chains to the floor of the stage. She glared at him with her good eye and wished for a knife to embed in his scaly back. He tapped the microphone standing in the corner of the stage and waited for the noise of chatter to die down before he began the auction.

His assistant, a scaly Baraka'hu that happened to be carrying an old human cattle prod began to show off the merchandise. Jay was near the end, they always save him for last; after all, he caused the most trouble so saving him for last made it easier. Jay watched as one by one her companions were dragged from the stage and into the waiting clutches of their new owners. She felt pity for them but it didn't last for long.

"We 'ave a meecanic for zee 'ighist biddah," said the Controller, his lidless eyes locking onto Jay making her squirm. He started the bidding higher than the rest much to the dismay of most of the patrons, there were ten left bidding now and Jay looked at each of them in turn. She tried to follow the bids but she couldn't, he was speaking his native tongue while the amount was being flashed on the board behind her and she couldn't turn to look thanks to the clawed hand gripping her short hair.

Hushed whispers spread through the crowd and the Controller stopped talking, his jaw dropping slightly. Jay struggled against the chains and received a sharp shock sending her to her knees with a gasp.

"I diddnet 'ear yuu right, ser," he said slowly, stumbling over his English. A man in dark metallic clothing stepped forward as Jay was towed to her feet; he eyed her for a moment before turning his attention back to the alien.

"You heard me right, sir, now update the bid," the man stood up straight, a trait not seen often at the auction blocks. The Controller swallowed, depressed the button on the side of the microphone and grimaced as the other bidders began to eye him darkly.

"Do we 'ave an 'igher bid?" he asked weakly, hopeful eyes scanning the crowd. No one seemed to be willing to cough up more for a scrawny male even if he was a 'mechanic'. Quite a few people in the cargo bay took a step back with their heads down in submission. The man in metallic clothing had won.

"Zen yuu 'ave zee meecanic."

The man nodded and walked to the side of the stage where he was more than willing to wait for his merchandise. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest as the assistant walked over to him leaving Jay in the middle of the stage.

"For such a…large payment, you'll have to come with us after we close down," the smaller aliens English was quite a bit better than his employers thanks to all the time he spent dolling out punishments and other various treatments to their humans.

"See to it that he doesn't get damaged then," said the man, from his proximity Jay realized that he had his face shielded with what she couldn't tell but she knew that it made him hard to identify. Squinting she tried to get a better look hoping that it was not some god-awful alien that bought her.

Jay cried out as her hair was yanked back, nearly sending her airborne, forcing her to look in the beadlike eyes of the Controller, the grin on his face made her sick. She knew that look; he was going to send her with her new owner with a reminder. A sharp growl cut through the air making the Baraka'hu release her, Jay collapsed to the hard floor her head cracking hard against the metal.

"Do not touch my property again," the threat was unspoken but it carried heavily through the air knocking the Controller back a few steps from the human on the ground at his clawed feet.

"Oof coorse not, sur, I onlee ment tu chek foor weepons," the words fled the aliens mouth quickly as he made sure not to even glance down at the human who had given him so much trouble. Truthfully, he was glad to be rid of Jay, the murdering thief of a human.

"I will take care of that, thank you. Let's get this taken care, I have more important things to do than waste more time with scum," the man was looking at the Jay the entire time he spoke, as if he was talking to her instead of the one truly in charge of the situation. Maybe he was speaking to her, either way his voice got them moving. Jay's chains were removed from the stage and she was taken to the back behind the makeshift curtain hiding the cages where even more human were being kept.

Jay kept her head down; she could not bear to look at the pitiful faces of the abused and neglected. If she wanted to look at her new owner she would have to turn her head and that was out of the question since making her movements obvious would surely get her beat.

When they stopped at the rear of the cargo bay near the stairs she felt as if her life was over, the Baraka'hu seemed to fear the man in the metallic clothing that she had now identified as some type of armor. It puzzled her although she would keep her tongue behind her teeth for a while longer, no sense in making the man regret his choice just yet.

The Controller cleared his throat then spoke, "Zah paament foor zee huuman, plees."

Without an apparent second thought, the man withdrew a thin computer from the metal compartment on his hip and began to tap away at the screen. Silence fell over the quartet, three out of the four fidgeting back and forth, one of which was bound at the wrists. Once the man was satisfied with his work, he turned his attention to the Baraka'hu, "A deposit has just been made into your accounts. Now take off those chains."

The younger Baraka'hu rushed to do as he said; the chains dropping to the ground, Jay looked up at her new owner. The man placed his computer back into the compartment, the sound of metal clinking reaching her ears. He led his new property out of the ship via the exit ramp, his hand resting possessively on her shoulder. Once she saw an opening Jay broke away from her owner, running as quickly as her legs could carry her. The man watched a smirk on his face as he silently counted down before taking chase.

The air fled her lungs in a sudden rush as she found herself pinned to dirt, a growl echoing in her ears. She felt his weight shift until he was in front of her; he grabbed a fist full of her hair and pulled her up as he stood. Jay stared into the bottomless blue eyes of her capture, and then spit into his face. In a blur of movement, Jay found herself once more on the ground with him growling in her ear and a sharp sting across her face where his open palm had struck.

"Don't ever do that again," his breath stirred in her ear as he pressed his right knee sharply into her back. He grabbed her forearms and forced them behind her back, clasping them tightly with one large hand while he retrieved his own set of cuffs. She put up a fight once she felt the chill of the metal but it was no use, he overpowered her easily.

"Now get up!" he commanded, lifting her once again to her feet. Keeping a firm grip on the links of the cuffs, he lead her out of the small market town and into the surrounding countryside covered with plants that she had never seen before. Releasing her in her stunned state, he pressed a button hidden on his wrist plating and kept a careful watch on the battered and bruised man at his side while the roar of engines filled the air.

Jay looked up, her good eye letting her see the outline of a ship as it landed before them, her jaw dropped slightly before she caught the reaction and stopped it causing the man to smirk. Once the ship had landed, he grabbed her by the upper arm and propelled her through the open cargo bay hatch letting her stumble once the door had risen quickly behind them. He looked at his new companion with a mixture of distain and pity. Crossing the floor, he dragged Jay along behind him by the cuff links, pulling her up the stairs to the mess hall of the ship. Releasing her, he disappeared through a doorway and came back with a metal collar.

Jay felt her blood run cold the moment she saw the object in his hands, she took a step back until she was backed against the wall. Grabbing her, he fastened the collar around her neck, a sharp pain forcing her to her knees with a cry. "That is simply the pain of it connecting to your nervous system, it will pass."

The nonchalance of his voice filled her rage but she couldn't get to her feet yet, she felt like she had just been beaten, repeatedly. Through blurry eyes she watched as he walked away, exiting through a door that must have lead deeper into the ship. Jay felt a lurch as the ship rose into the sky, building speed as it prepared to break past the ozone of the planet. Hanging her head she willed the pain to ease, slowly it did allowing her to get to her feet. Shaking with the remains of the pain she walked around the mess hall, noting the scarcity of dirt, clearly her new owner kept a tight rein on his ship. And if the collar was any indication, he planned to keep the same amount of control over her.

"Go pick a bunk," Jay jumped, spinning to face the man; he had shed his helmet while out of her view. Piercing crystal blue eyes stared into her making her nervous, the dim lighting of the ship shone off his sandy brown hair that he kept trimmed as short as her hair.

"Go pick a bunk," he said again, raising a remote in his hand to show her. Jay didn't know what the remote went to but she had a sinking feeling that it triggered the collar around her neck; her suspicions were confirmed moments later.

"The collar around your neck is capable of sending one-thousand volts straight to your spinal cord, the remote controls it. I won't tell you again."

For a moment she thought of disobeying just to see how far she could push him but the look in his eyes made her change her mind. Turning she walked out of the mess hall, her head down as she peered through doors to find the bunks. Finding a room with bunks attached to the walls she walked in and eyed the space. It was bigger than she was used too, so much room was strange.

"The bunk on the left wall is mine." Again, Jay jumped out of reflex and nearly crashed into him in her attempts to face him. He gave her a push backwards; stumbling Jay righted herself before she could tumble to the ground.

"What is your name?" Jay simply stared at him in shock, her owners rarely asked for her name, often opting to simply call her 'slave' or 'man'.

"Jay," she answered simply, her gaze lowering humbly under his stare.

He nodded and seemed to think before speaking again, "Showers are through the door, bathe then stay on your bunk until I call for you. Under stood?"

Jay nodded after glancing at the door he gestured towards, she turned to walk towards the room when she heard his voice again.

"Fresh clothes are in the locker."

For a moment, Jay fought the urge to thank him, biting her tongue she walked through the door. Much to her amazement, the room she entered held many shower stalls and toilets. Had the ship held more people at one point? Her brow furrowed she cast a quick glance over her shoulder towards the bunk room. She couldn't see her master, and thus she striped down and stepped into a stall.

The cascade of hot water felt good on her skin, washing away the grim and filth of slavery. At least until her hands hit against the collar around her neck, closing her eyes she let the water pound onto her head. It wasn't right that humans were second-class citizens, the poor captured and sold as slaves while the ones lucky enough to have money stayed free.

Sighing, Jay stepped out the stall, grabbing a towel from the bench; she wrapped it quickly around her body. A quick search revealed that the locker wasn't in the bathroom. Grimacing she rushed into the bunk room, she dressed quickly in the clothing provided to her. Fear kept her from exploring the ship, she sat meekly on the bunk, her hair wet and dripping down her neck.

She didn't know how long she sat on the bunk, lost in thought of her life; of the nightmares from her childhood. She decided long ago to hide as a man, but that didn't stop the beatings; if anything it made them more brutal. Scratching through her brown hair, she longed for freedom, to be able to live as she wanted, not at the disposal of some despicable man. Glaring at the door, she wished for her new master to drop dead.

"Jay," he called as if on cue. Scowling she got to her feet and walked in the direction of his voice. She found him standing in the mess hall; he stared at her as if waiting for something.

"Yes, master?"

A small smirk formed on her face as she watched a scowl form on her master's; clearly, things weren't going as planned.

"Do not call me that," his eyes narrowed at her sending shivers down her spine.

"Then what should I call you?" she asked bravely.

"Wolf."

"Wolf?" she echoed, one eyebrow rising making her wince.

"Yes." He gestured towards the small kitchen before speaking again, "Eat something, I have plenty on the ship and you look like your about to pass out."

"No," she shook her head.

"Eat," Wolf said raising the remote to her eye level, his voice threatening. Again, Jay shook her head, she wouldn't eat. She couldn't eat.

With a sigh Wolf depressed the button on the remote, Jay's scream echoed off the walls of the ship as she fell to the ground, her back arching as electricity raced through her body. He released the button four seconds later; scowling, he knelt down and lifted Jay up by the collar ignoring the tears streaming down her face.

"You will eat," he said slowly. Weakly, Jay shook her head again. Releasing her, he sent another wave of electricity through her.

"Eat."

Through her sobs, Jay spoke, "I can't!"

"Why not?" he asked curiously, his eyes locked onto hers.

"I'll get sick," Jay whimpered as she curled up on the floor.

"Eating makes you sick?" disbelief was clear in his voice.

She nodded quickly.

"You have to explain this to me," Wolf stated.

"I eat once a week, that's all we were fed. Please, don't make me eat," she sobbed, her glistening eyes locking onto his blue ones.

"You need to eat, at least something small. Work up to eating daily," he said gently, pity shown in his eyes as he thought of the treatment she must have endured. "Get up," he lifted her up by the arms, easing her into a chair.

Jay looked at him, terrified and yet surprisingly calm as he busied himself in the kitchen. He returned to her with two plates, setting one down in front of her he sat at the chair on the other end of the table.

"Eat," he said gently as she eyed the fruit on the plate before her. He watched as she slowly picked up a piece of fruit and began to eat. Satisfied that she was following his orders he ate the fruit on his plate.

Once her plate was cleared, he instructed her to return to her bunk and sleep. Reluctantly, Jay walked back to the bunks, her stomach rumbling angrily as she lay down on the bunk. Rolling to face the wall, she drifted into a light sleep, the slightest noise making her flinch.

Jay rolled onto her stomach her hands pillowed under her cheek, the blanket pulled up around her head, shielding her from view. The clang of metal hitting the floor made her open her eyes, Wolf was taking off his armor. Keeping her breathing calm, she watched as piece after piece hit the floor until he was wearing a black body suit. Wolf turned from his bunk and walked into the bathroom, the sound the rushing water reached her ears lulling her slightly.

Time passed before Wolf walked back to his bunk, the scars on his bare skin making Jay blush. Perhaps he had forgotten that she was there, or, she remembered, he thought his roommate was another man and thus is wouldn't matter if he saw anything. Jay closed her eyes; she couldn't get the image of his strong form from her mind. She heard the creak of his bunk as he lay down for the night, risking a quick peak she glanced at his bunk to see him lying on his back with his eyes closed.

I survived the first day under his command. Who knows about tomorrow…Jay's thoughts raced as she remembered the feeling of the auction, the shock of the collar and the look in his eyes.