"Shackled and Hopeless"
[Previous post: "Conundrums… and Ideas", written by the unstoppable Brian Matthews]
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Setting: CABRY III, City of Xian-Fer, Market Square
Curled up in the corner of her cage Lea tried not to cry. The CMO had
seen the fight unfold between Pravat and Broot. Lea had wanted to help
but all the CMO had been able to do was watch. Pravat had put up an
amazing fight worthy of a Marine. Unfortunately the MCO's skilful lunging
and parrying had proven to be insufficient against the large man-cat.
Bruised, bleeding and unconscious Pravat had been tossed back into his
cage. Maya, Susan and Lea had each called out to the Marine but to no
avail. As far as all three had known Pravat could have been dead. Susan
had done her best to calm everyone but even the Cns had to admit that
it had not looked good. From where she was Susan could not see any
motion from the Marine. All they had left was their hopes.
Broot had been quick to openly boast of his victory to the other
captives. For a moment Lea had feared that the man-cat would reach into her
cage and grab the CMO. The fight with Pravat had pumped the muscular
feline to such a height that he seemed ready to continue the fight.
Instead he had been happy to insure that the shackles and collars around his
other prizes had been tight and secure.
As a Starfleet officer Lea tried to focus on escaping this predicament,
but her mind could not stay on subject. The frightful images of the
fight between Pravat and Broot haunted the CMO. Lea had wanted to help but
there had been no way. Eventually Lea withdrew within the safety of her
being and found comfort in the binding tightness around her wrists and
neck. As strange as it had seemed the CMO discovered these to provide
her with an unexpected freedom. Lea did not have to move or even think,
someone else had taken full control of her. Bound as she had been the
CMO could only obey the whim of her captor and hope in his benevolence.
Several friends and acquaintances of Broot came to visit the four
captive aliens. Some laughed while others appeared genuinely entertained by
the display before them. Whatever had been their reason for being there
Lea had paid them no attention. The comfort she had found within her
restraints had also provided her with a shield. As long as the CMO and
the others remained the *possession* of Broot their fate would be out of
their hands. At least that had been the manner of think Lea had used to
stop her from crying like the lost soul the Doctor felt like.
The CMO had been so absorbed by her abandonment of her situation that
Lea had not realised that night had fallen. The market square had become
quiet with only a few Cats staying behind to insure that nothing
happened to their prize possession. Numbed from her experience Lea reached up
to her neck to see if the collar had still been there. The leather of
her restraint felt oddly smooth against the tips of her fingers. Lea
found herself tracing the contour of the band wrapped around her throat.
With tear filled eyes Lea raised her head and looked through the bars
of her cage. How had they managed to land into such a predicament? As
much as the CMO tried Lea could not bring herself to think clearly.
Without the powers of the ANUBIS they all would need to rely on their
personal skills. At that moment though the CMO's skills had meant nothing and
their fate had rested in the hands of someone else.
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Lt. Lea Summers 2006 post #277
Stardate: 61037.1400
Tiffany Rose {lady_tiffany_rose@mail.com}
Chief Medical Officer
USS ANUBIS
