Project A-Ko Fan Fiction / Ranma 1/2 Fan Fiction ❯ Honeymoon Hentai ❯ Profiles in Bondage... ( Chapter 17 )

Nabiki 1/2

Honeymoon Hentai

(A Very Scary Thought)

Written by Jim Robert Bader

Proofread by Shiva Barnwell

Based Upon the Altered Destinies Storyline

Inspired by the works of such fans as

Wade Tritshler

Richard Lawson

James Jones

And Many Others

Standard Disclaimer: This is inspired by the work of Takahashi Rumiko and is not my original creation. All characters belong to her. This is only a fanfictional work, and is not intended to compromise the rights of the original owners, distributors and publishers of the Ranma series. I have no money to spare and would very much appreciate if no one tries to sue me.

It was hard to think straight after several days of being treated like a proverbial piece of meat, occasionally taken down and subjected to bondage games of dominance and submission, forced to lick bush for her daily meal while having her own bush be licked, probed and fondled on a routine basis, to say nothing of what the rest of her was subjected to, including her breasts and every inch of skin that could possibly be played with! On top of this were those water elemental ladies who came flowing over her body every so often, cleaning her inside and out so that she felt as scrubbed and clean as a newborn baby, and generally subjected to every form of humiliation that the human mind could imagine.

Other than this, Nila Caulder felt just peachy.

The dark haired, dusky-skinned beauty was getting bored just daring at the ceiling in her rope-bound state. This was not as much fun anymore, nor did she feel like paying her compliments to the management in terms of her present living accommodations. The place leaked something awful, there was a peculiar smell that filled her nostrils at every waking moment, and she was horny as hell, feeling just about excited enough that thinking of a doorknob was enough to make her lubricate. What were these people thinking treating her and these other girls like they were mere playthings for their amusement? Nila enjoyed a bit of sex as much as the next mature and reasonably well-adjusted college-aged coed, but this wasn't like getting drunk and going down on her best friend, or letting her boyfriend play with her tits to get him in the mood for a bit of fun. These women were treating her as though she were a toy, not an actual person. It was enough to make her want to write her congressman, even if an ocean voyage did tend to put one beyond the normal US diplomatic jurisdiction!

Okay, so her captors were having a bit of fun with her. Nila could take a joke, ha-ha, but this was starting to look like a bad bondage romance novel come to life, and Nila was the sort who didn't like to be this passive about anything. She was very much an action-sort of person…had inherited that trait from her parents, along with certain…hidden talents. Being no stranger to the bizarre and the unusual, she had long ago figured out that these people were regarding her as some sort of sex-slave in training, and under different circumstances she might even be flattered that they considered her to be worth all the effort, but this was more than slightly embarrassing to one of her professional standing. She was on a case when she had let herself get jumped and ambushed by the water ladies. She had reacted instinctively by employing her mutant power, but in the end it had done little good and she was overwhelmed by them and hauled off in good order.

Awakening to find herself stripped naked and disarmed she had expected the worst, nor was she all that disappointed. It was one of the more annoying things about her line of work, the risk of capture and what bad guys often liked to do when they had a cute piece of ass like her at their mercy. A real bother, in fact, being so pretty that people tended to overlook her other qualities and just concentrated on screwing with her body. After a while you got used to things like that as just being a part of the game, not something to welcome but more to be expected. Heck, she might have even been insulted if her current captors (from what she could so far determine they were a ruthless all-girl gang of lesbian slavers) had not considered her worth a casual pick-up. After all, she was being paid a lot of money to investigate the disappearance of a runaway whose wealthy parents were willing to pay a lot for her return, and-from the looks of things-Nila had definitely stumbled onto paydirt.

Rumors had suggested that the harbor port of Taiwan was a frequent haven for flesh peddlers and White Slavers, so following her hunch she had hung out in that seedy bar playing a local girl looking for a good time and some cheap thrills. When she had been approached by that sultry Asian beauty she had met, who had made no secret of having an interest in Nila's companionship, it had seemingly confirmed the validity of her assumptions. All it took were a few exchanges implying that Nila was a bored prostitute looking for a way out of her dead-end life, and her new acquaintance had responded with a lilting promise of offering her a more positive change of outlook, disguising the offer coyly as an intended seduction.

Nila had played along and allowed herself to be led away into what was supposed to be a private assignation, only it had turned out even better-or worse-than she had dared to hope would be the case. Her Uncle Cliff might have chewed her out for her carelessness in allowing herself to get taken like a rank amateur, but at least she was where she had to be if she were to expose this major operation. Now all she had to do was to get free from her current dilemma and find out more about this ship and its weird crew of rug-munching Diesel Dykes. Feminazi slave cults were all fine and dandy for pulp magazines and the comics, but if they had something to do with the missing daughter of her clients, then they'd just have to suffer the consequences of coming between Nila and the earning of a pay check.

Too bad a plan for escape was eluding her at the moment. If only these guys weren't such thorough professionals, having found all of her hidden tools and weapons, not to mention tying her in such a way that she could not bring her powers into play, nor even wiggle so much as a finger. It was monotonous just hanging there waiting for something interesting to happen. At least things had gotten faintly amusing when that one girl somehow went berserk and tore herself free from her ropes a while back-was it a day already? So hard to tell without the sun for a reference…well, anyway, at least it had been something novel to break the pattern. Now if only she knew how to bust free from her own ropes like that other girl, she…

All at once Nila thought she heard something, and she felt a tremble pass through her body as one of the ropes did fray on its own, and-without further warning-gave loose, causing Nila to swing free of it unexpectedly, supported above the floor by the other three ropes currently wound about her body. For a moment she just dangled there in surprise, wondering how the rope had burst like that for no particular reason. Then she made a surprising discovery…the rope wound about her right hand was loose, and by a little judicious effort she was able to work it free from entanglement, then flexed in front of her own eyes, feeling the sensations start to flood back into her fingers.

Nila smiled, seeing opportunity at last come knocking. The one problem with her Ice Power was that it would not work without her hands helping to conduct it as a focus. She couldn't just project a wave of cold with her eyes, like her mother, but had to give it a direction by pointing her fingers and allowing the wave of cold to flow out of her body at whatever point to which she projected. By this means she was able to freeze the other rope to super-cold temperatures, so cold, in fact, that they shattered under her own weight without further preamble.

Nila fell to the floor like a limp piece of hamburger on her Uncle Larry's grill, but after a few moments was able to pry herself back up to a sitting position and remove the ropes that were still tied about her wrists, body and ankles. Thus freed she slowly stood to her feet and flexed her body to restore full circulation. She limbered herself and kinked herself loose, then glanced up to see the other ten girls looking down at her from where they hung in various other positions. Nila considered liberating them, then decided against this, reasoning that they would only get in her way and were in no immediate danger remaining where they were for a couple more hours. If she were to be of any help to them she would have to escape and bring back help when she was able.

Her course of action decided, now she just had to choose a direction of escape and follow her instincts. She started to turn around when one of those water-women started flowing up from the floor to challenge her, another two of them falling and forming into human shape from the ceiling.

"Hold it right there!" the lead of these three said in a quavering, surreal kind of voice, "You're not going any-WHA…?"

That was as far as they got before Nila reached out with a hand and concentrated, freezing them where they were into living ice statues.

"Don't bother showing me the way out," Nila smiled, "I tend to make my own exits."

She dashed down the corridor to her left, figuring that one route was as good as another, and hoping to snag something to wear along the way. As much as she could dig the "Naked is Beautiful" bit, she was grateful that whoever owned this place kept it warm enough with just enough humidity to make the lack of wardrobe at least (ahem) bare-able. But dignity required that she at least try and get something on that would diminish the running peep-show that she was giving these people. As proud as she was of having such an excellent figure, she really would have preferred leaving a little something left to the imagination.

Racing down the next corridor and the next, she managed to elude any pursuit that might have followed after her, all the while wondering just how big a place this ship was supposed to be…from the length of the rooms that she passed on a dead run it had the feeling of a supertanker, but that hardly made sense as everything appeared to be made of wood and nothing so far appeared to have been manufactured in this century, or even the last. How could anything so big hold itself together?

And then she saw a set of double-doors that looked promising enough and pivoted in mid-run to shoulder her way past them. That was when she came to an abrupt halt, finding herself not at an exit but in a rather sizeable room, and as she skidded to a complete stop she looked around in amazement on a set right out of a Sheherezade movie, albeit the motif was more Chinese than Arabian, and there were no burly guys in tight loincloths holding swords the size of Buicks in either hand. In fact what she found were semi-nude or completely nude women lounging about doing various things that seemed rather ordinary, right out of a college dormitory.

"Uh…" she said, feeling very lame and awkward at the moment.

"Oh," one of the girls looked up, "If you're looking for the Mistress, she's over there delivering a baby," and she pointed further into the silk-partitioned chamber.

"She's what?" Nila asked, about to back out and retrace her steps when she heard the sound of running feet and turned to see women-human women this time-and holding weapons ranging from swords, spears and more modern firearms in a manner that suggested that they were in no mood to talk, let along give her the proper directions out of this place.

Seeing nothing else to be done for it, she turned and charged ahead the way the other woman had pointed, only to come to an abrupt halt once again and stare at what seemed to be a concentration of people gathered around some sort of fancy Jacuzzi in which other people were presently residing. As she perked up her ears and listened she heard the sounds of activity going on, which were more-or-less self-explanatory…

"Easy now…push hard…that's it…don't hold back…" said a woman with pale blue-green hair floating in the water.

"I'M TRYING!!!" cried a redhead who was also in the pool, obviously in a great deal of distress and struggling against unseen hands that were holding her down in the waters.

"She's trying too hard!" said a woman whose body was composed entirely of water, struggling to maintain her position at one side of the redheaded woman.

"We can barely hold her down!" another blue woman declared, "She has the blood of the gods within her…she's too strong by more than a half!"

"I know the pain is terrible, Aiko-chan," said a silver-haired girl, hovering by the side of the pool and looking quite anxious, "But you must hold out until the baby is in position…please don't quit now, Aiko-chan…you're almost there…"

"I could use a little HELP FROM YOU y'know, BEIKO?" the redhead snarled, "This is your fault that I'm in this way, you know!"

"I know," the silver-haired girl said, bowing her head, "Because I overstepped my bounds and wanted too much from you…but you must believe me, Aiko-chan, I wouldn't be here now if I didn't believe in you and what we are doing."

"Easy for you to say-AAAAAHHH!!!" the redhead cried out and thrashed violently within the water, causing the watery women to buck and thrash with her as though holding on for dear life.

"Easy, Aiko-chan," said a brown haired woman in the water beside the blue haired woman, "You're doing great, little sister, just push and breathe deeply…you're no worse off than I was when I had little Joan-chan."

"If that's so," said a six foot tall chained woman with green hair being held on a leash by another tall girl with strawberry blonde hair, "Then I think I owe you an apology, Mom…well…sort of…"

"Almost there," said the pale blue-haired woman, "Yes…I can feel the baby is now ready…now…just relax and I'll take over…"

All at once the redhead sighed and visibly relaxed, but not so the water-girls, who both seemed to be suffering from a sudden spasm of weakness and collapsed back into the water, dissolving into their constituent elements as the waters went surprisingly still, followed moments later when the blue haired woman lifted up a tiny form and smiled in obvious triumph, turning to the redhead and saying, "Congratulations…you have a healthy daughter."

All at once the silver-haired woman sagged her shoulders and almost fell into the pool but for the hasty way that the pig-tailed redhead beside her arrested her movements. The redhead in the pool gave a weak smile of incredulous relief and accepted her baby into her arms with gratitude and longing.

"Well then," said the blue haired woman in the pool as she moved back and allowed the silver-haired girl to replace her, "My work here appears to be happily concluded. I'll have a certificate drafted to authenticate the birthing so you can be registered as her legal guardians and parents."

"Thank you," said the silver haired girl, "We are forever in your debt, Captain."

"Not at all," said the woman designated as the captain replied, "It was my pleasure and an honor. Since you went to the trouble of coming out here, the least I can do is to make it worth your while, just as I did for my niece and her Airen."

"Just the same, you have my thanks," said the brown haired woman beside her, "That was an incredible delivery…you just seemed to ease the baby right out of her womb…"

"Just a process of manipulating the water molecules in her body," the captain replied, "Your sister has an incredible ability to absorb elemental energies to fortify and give strength to her body, but once the baby was in position to exit the womb, I merely had to move her muscles in the correct manner and nature did the rest. Quite simple, really, if you know how to bond with the element of water."

"Mistress," said one of the water women, who reformed herself beside the captain, "We tried to hold on, but she was leeching energies from our bodies as fast as we could replace them…"

"It's quite all right, Nimue," the captain replied, "You did your part quite well. You and Lamia can have the rest of the day off to recover yourselves. I'll see you again after you are rested…but in the meantime…we have another guest who needs my attention.'

"Eh?" said Nila, who saw the captain look directly at her.

"Who is that?" one of the woman gathered around the Jacuzzi asked.

"Never seen her…oh wait! Isn't she one of the newbies?"

"I think you're right," another said, "I think I was rimming her just yesterday…"

"Time to leave," Nila said to herself as she started to turn around, only to hear the sound of semi-automatic rifles being cocked and readied directly behind her back, "Uh oh…"

"Going somewhere?" purred a mean-sounding woman holding one of said weapons being trained on her.

"At ease, Sergeant," the captain said as she exited the Jacuzzi, "Ms. Caulder here is my guest. You may return to your posts…you know that I detest having weapons around my ladies."

"As you wish it, my lady," the mean-sounding woman said deferentially, and Nila risked turning around to see a tough-looking 'marine' in full combat gear sporting an eyepatch, flanked by a number of similarly hard-looking women with other varieties of weapons in evidence, who similarly stood at ease as the lady sergeant called out, "Stand down, girls…this one's for the Captain to sort out."

Without pausing to glance back over their shoulders the solder-girls turned to make their exit, leaving a confused Nila standing where she was being confronted by the pale-blue-haired captain and a score of naked women who were all eyeing her as though she were a sideshow freak exhibit.

"What's this all about?" said a nearly naked man wearing a loincloth, one of the only two guys presently in evidence in the middle of this henhouse, "Who is that?"

"That," said the captain with a faint smile, "Is someone I have been meaning to invite into our midst for quite a few days now. Silly me, overlooking a thing like that, though I trust that my women were not too rough with you in giving you the hospitality of our abode?"

"What?" Nila asked, "You mean all the fucking and bondage stuff? What about it?"

"What indeed," the captain mused, "I am Lao Kung…the Captain of this vessel and your present host, Nila Caulder…"

"How do you know my name?" Nila frowned.

"I know a great deal about you," the captain inclined her head with a sardonic expression, "I have had my eye on you for quite some time, ever since my people alerted me to the particulars of your rather unique case. I had meant to bring you here under more…formal circumstances, but it seems that you freed yourself without my help…curious that, a rope giving way like that for no particular reason…"

"Just what the heck is going on here?" Nila demanded, "Is this some kind of weird nudist cult or something?"

"Ah, well," the captain glanced over her shoulder with a rueful expression," I suppose that depends on whom you ask."

For some reason the tall boy was scowling when the captain said this, and there was a very cross expression on the face of one of the redheaded girls present, as if they were taking some issue with the powder blue-haired lady. Other expressions ranged from dubious to sympathetic to the captain's position, indicating to Nila that there was some sort of dispute raging on two sides of a very touchy issue, though the majority position clearly weighted in with the captain.

"Um…look," Nila tried again with a bit more tact than was her usual wont, "I don't know what's going down here, but if it's all the same to you…"

"Of course you don't know," the captain smiled, "And that was the point of my wanting to invite you here in the first place, to help gain a fresh perspective. I would like to use you as an example of something I have been trying to convey all along now, and your outlook would be much valued at this critical juncture."

"…" Nila began, then after her second attempt managed to say, "Run that by me again? And how come we're all speaking Japanese all of a sudden?"

"Don't look at me," said the strawberry blonde haired girl, the one holding the leash on the green haired girl beside her, "I barely passed English Lit, and I usually just read the subtitles."

"Come this way," the captain urged, "Let us convene a meeting in the main room, where all may find comfortable seating while we discuss this issue in greater detail. You need have no fear, Ms. Caulder, no one is going to chain you up anymore…in fact, you will, in due time, be released to your own recognizance, a bit wealthier and much the wiser for your quest, if you but have patience with me for another few moments."

Nila watched the tall woman striding past her with a lilting hint of her smile that at much as said that she found Nila very attractive. Normally Nila would be flattered by the attention, but under the circumstances…she wondered why she had the impression of a great predator stalking past her, sizing her up as though she were prime choice on the menu. It was such an…ominous thing that she found it hard to relax, even when one of the semi-nude girls took her by the arm and urged her gently to come along with her, a raven haired beauty who smiled often at Nila and seemed to suggest that she was the sexiest person in the room (doubtful given the fact that everyone here was nothing less than drop-dead gorgeous, and the boy was a hunk too, but it was nice to complimented).

In due order they all sat down, the Captain assuming a divan formed out of pillows that made her look like the grand Sultana of this seraglio, and once a chained and (otherwise) naked servant-girl poured her a goblet full of wine, she called everything to order wish a friend, casual air that was not at all predatory, and even seemed to suggest that she considered everyone here to be a co-equal (the phrase "some are more equal than others" did come to mind as Nila thought that over).

"Well…now that our number has been successfully increased by one more new life," Captain Lao began, "It is time that we resolve a matter that has been something of a sore point here separating us from our esteemed guests…that matter being the issue of how women are treated here, especially the new arrivals. Nila Caulder here is one of those new inductees who was scouted out by one of my concubines, who went into a waterfront establishment with the sole intended purpose of finding someone like her…or rather, the person she supposed her to be, and recruited her through the usual methods…"

"You mean you Shanghaied her," the tall brown haired, pig-tailed boy frowned sourly.

"Precisely," the captain tipped her goblet in his direction, "But-upon subsequent examination-it was discovered by my Undine servants that Ms. Caulder is not quite what she appeared to be…or rather not what she presented herself as being. Rather than being a woman at loose ends turning tricks for anyone who would pay her wages, it turns out that she is a detective gone undercover…and not just any detective, one with ties to Caulder industries…in point of fact, the Chairman's daughter."

"Caulder industries?" said the brown haired woman beside her, who was in the process of putting gold chains onto her own wrists and ankles, "I know about them…Niles Caulder is a prominent industrialist who was rumored to be dead a while back, only to turn up a few years later not only alive and well but with a wife he met in Calcutta. This is his daughter?"

"Indeed," Lao replied, "But more than just the daughter of Niles Caulder…she has inherited some of her mother's own natural talents with…special modifications. She is a latent Meta-human…what some would term a Mutant, gifted with the ability of controlling temperature, and who goes by the code-name of Fahrenheit, daughter of Celsius…"

"What?" Nila reacted, "How could you possibly know about…?"

"Your ties to the Doom Patrol?" the captain gave a faint glimmer of appreciation in her nod, "I know many things…you would be surprised at the extent of my knowledge."

"All right," said another brown haired girl who had not spoken before, one who had distinctly Asian features, "So you kidnapped an American superhero by mistake…seems par for the course for you, Sugar, so…what are you gonna do about it?"

"It's simple," Lao replied, "I can't undo what has been done, but no real harm has been rendered, so I must reluctantly release Ms. Caulder from any and all contractual obligations in this matter. She is my guest, so long as she behaves herself and does not interfere in ship matters. Besides, with her powers she could prove to be a real nuisance…already some of my Undine servants are being thawed out as we speak. I should hardly wish her to turn this entire ship into a floating iceberg, which she is fully capable of doing if she goes all out and exerts her full power."

"Ah…" Nila decided not to bring up the fact that such an overuse of her powers might prove to be too much of a strain for her to handle. It would hardly fit in with her "tough girl" image to suggest that she had limits, and if the captain was wary of her powers, so much the better as it gave her something with which to negotiate. She decided to play along for now, but curiosity made her ask, "This…outfit of yours…what exactly is it you do for a living?"

"I am a Pirate," Lao said matter-of-factly, "I kidnap young women and turn them into sex-slaves, then sell them at exorbitant prices, all but the best, which I keep for myself here. Isn't that what you were suspecting all along, Detective?"

"A…okay," Nila frowned, "So you kidnapped me and were gonna turn me into one of your pampered women?"

"That was my original intent," Lao admitted, "But though you do have some rather interesting…personality traits…I have discovered that you are not suited to a life of servitude and bondage. You have a very strong personality grounded on your independence…what I term an Invulnerable Persona, one that does not bend nor break no matter what duress is applied upon you. Besides which you have strong ties to the outside that would not be to my advantage to antagonize by keeping you with me…"

"If you mean my old man," Nila winced, "You've got nothing to worry about there…he might even pay you to keep me."

"I am well aware of the fact that you and your father have…issues that separate you," Lao replied, "But the simple truth is that it is not worth my while to keep someone who is not suitable for training as either a submissive nor as a dominant. It is not…cost-effective by the terms of my profession. Since letting you go is infinitely preferable to anything else that I might do with you in my custody, I have no choice but to return you to that rather interesting life that you are currently leading. Besides, it amuses me to think that you came all this way looking for someone like me at the behest of another who is paying your wages…"

"Ah…about that," Nila said, "You being a pirate/White-slaver and all that…you wouldn't happen to have kidnapped a girl who stands around five-two, medium brown hair, reddish-brown eyes and goes by the name of Asagiri?"

"Sadly no," Lao answered, "Though I have encountered many women who fit your description, the one you seek has never been in my custody, though perhaps she did fall prey to one of my rivals. Ah yes…I know her story quite well…a wealthy heiress, spoiled and privileged, yet under-appreciated by her wealthy parent, hungry for love and desperate to escape her lonely life. She takes up with the first gallant adventurer she meets, one who makes her feel special and appreciated and might even actually care for her, a bit, only to have the both of them vanish into the night-excreta, excreta, etc…"

"You've…seen this kind of thing often, I take it?" Nila asked dubiously.

In reply, Lao raised her gaze and asked, "Who here thinks that I was just telling her life story?"

Several women present held up their hands, including both of the brown haired women who had spoken before, all giving Nila looks that as much as said, "Been there, done that, wrote the novel…"

"Mind you," Lao resumed, "I am sympathetic to your position in attempting to resolve this matter. I could even give you suggestions on where to look…I-quite naturally-know the addresses of other slavers who do business in the sex trade. Since your business obviously is not with me, I'd be more than willing to render what assistance I may as compensation for all the trouble that my people and I have caused you so far. In fact, you may partake of the hospitality of my home and consider it yours for the duration. I'm sure that Xiong Fu and my other girls will be eager to render you any assistance that you may need, and do feel free to snoop around my ship if it will satisfy your curiosity and suspicions about me, since I obviously cannot take it for granted that you will accept my word as final on the matter."

Nila became all the more conscious of the luminous-eyed girl sitting beside her, leaning forward with a suggestive leer while offering a succulent morsel on a toothpick that had been plucked from a canapés tray. Obviously the "hospitality" here had considerable perks that beat out the cheap motels she often frequented during her assignments all to heck. She wondered if she were being bribed to keep her silence, then decided that it probably didn't matter since Captain Lao clearly wanted to keep things social between them, which was fine and dandy from Nila's admittedly awkward position.

"Okay," Nila said, "Where exactly do you suggest I should look?"

"My guess would be that the quarry you seek is no longer in Taiwan but may have returned to the Japanese Main Islands," Lao replied, "That is assuming he did not just discard his girlfriend randomly or grow tired of her and left her behind. Since he was a prominent, well-to-do scientist, and hardly seems the sort to risk the wrath of an employer in such a callous and off-handed manner…"

"How can you possibly know all of this?" Nila frowned, "My sources said that they had gone to that wharf dive and met up with a smuggler, but I'd heard hints that they were probably both kidnapped, but there's no way you could know any of that by just doing simple research…I didn't even file a report with my boss yet, let alone put any of this in writing…"

"Simple, actually," Lao replied, "I'm psychic."

Comprehension dawned on Nila and she said, "You been in my mind? You read my thoughts? You invaded the privacy of my memories?"

"Yes," Lao replied, "It's standard procedure around here. Why, are you offended?"

"No," Nila shrugged, "I was just going to give you my condolences. There's a lot of stuff in my head that even I don't like to think about…"

"So I've noted," it was Lao's turn to wince and look uncomfortable for a moment, but then she shrugged the point aside and said, "Well…anyway…as to the point why you are here now…we have something of a raging debate that I should like to settle once and for all, with your further indulgence."

"Uh…okay," Nila winced, "But if it's about politics or religion…"

"Nothing so droll as all that," Lao assured her, "It pertains to the nature of my business…Pleasure Slavery. There are a few here who think that my work involves far more slavery than pleasure, despite my repeated assurances that I do observe some limits."

"Well…what's there to discuss?" Nila asked as tactfully as she could manage, "You are a major-league criminal type, right?"

"Oh, undoubtedly," Lao conceded, "I take innocent young girls and mold them into exquisite sex objects. I'm sure that there must be some people in the world who would have a bit of a problem about that."

"Involuntary induction is still rape in my book," the brown-haired Bo-hunk said flatly, "And that's not even taking into account your mind games, brainwashing of prisoners, mental and physical cruelty and the abuse you hurl about just because you think you can get away with it."

Lao heaved a very great sigh, one that made her large breasts heave in a most interesting manner, "I am guilty of some of what you say, but I would dispute the notion that I am cruel and heartless. It is the subject of brainwashing that is at issue here, is it not? Well…for the record, Nila Caulder here is immune to any such mental influence. She has a remarkably resilient personality, but I could not force her to think or act in any way that is contrary to her nature if I used the full resources of the Kraken. She is far from a slave and definitely not a submissive, so I wish to employ her here as a semi-impartial witness to give evidence to my claim that I do not practice the most cruel and destructive forms of mental duress, which you keep insisting is in place for the rest of my women."

"Auntie," a girl with purple hair spoke up, "Is no fault of Airen that he think you make womens here say and do you bidding. Is no like can deny that you make womens obey you and no care if they say they want you as their leader."

"All right," Lao replied, "I'll concede the point that I do use what means are at my disposal to influence a girl into cooperating with my program. I use standard induction methods pioneered by the great French Marquis himself, refined by centuries of Chinese discipline to teach my women how to obey me and enjoy it. The fact is that I do this with their full knowledge and participation…I only blank out memories that could cause them permanent trauma. I never use excessive force and I never break a girl's resolve when it is made clear to me that she is not suitable for training, like Ms. Caulder here. If anything, I try and make the process as enjoyable and fun as is possible, using the means at my disposal…"

"FUN?" the brown haired boy declared, "You raped me…!"

"…And made you enjoy it," Lao replied, "Tell me this, Tendo-san…which is the worse crime in your opinion…that I forced myself on you, or that you enjoyed it?"

Nila blinked her eyes at this, then became aware of a hand that was resting on a part of her anatomy that normally was strictly off-limits to others. She turned to glance at the girl…Xiong was it? And saw her smile back in a perfectly frank declaration of her intentions.

The boy remained silent, though his glare spoke volumes. At her side the redhead with the pigtail frowned and declared, "Isn't it enough that you made her do stuff that Nabiki never meant to have happen? What's the big idea chaining us up and sticking us together like this, just 'cause you knew we'd be unable to do anything but play along with your stuff…"

"Why, Saotome-san," Lao smiled, "Do you mean to say that you permitted your…husband…to have sex with you while you are like that? Oh my…how distressing…your mother back home would hardly call that manly behavior."

The redhead glowered at this and was about to speak up when the other brown haired girl at his side said, "You made love with Nabiki as a girl, Ranma-kun?"

"Sugar," said the other brown haired girl with a shake of her head, "You are one for the books…"

"Hey!" the redhead protested, "It wasn't like…ah…well…it kind of was…but…"

"All right then," Lao sighed, "I am at fault. I inflicted a situation upon you that neither one of you had asked for and arranged things so that your inner natures would take their natural course…exactly as I did for you and your Airen, Niece. It was morally wrong and quite criminal on my part, I was callous to your feelings in the matter and should have sought your consent in advance. Would it help if I said that I was sorry?"

"Not likely," the brown haired boy glowered back.

"Well, there you go," Lao shrugged, "If you can't accept the fact that I am a villain, by your lights, then why act so surprised when I do things that you consider to be of a villainous nature? I'm not running a welfare agency here…this is not a charitable institution. I am a Slaver…that is what I do for a living. The only point which I contend is the notion that I am breaking people into a mold for which nature never intended them…committing mental rape, as it were, and brutally forcing them to act in a manner that is completely contrary to their own best interests. That's why I've called these other examples here, to give you a chance to see my screening process in full operation."

"My lady?" asked another pigtailed redhead (who-oddly enough-looked like the older twin sister to the first), only to turn with a surprised look as a number of other chained and helpless women were herded into their midst, many looking confused and bewildered as they were guided along by the blue-skinned water-women.

Nila was sufficiently distracted from what her dark-haired companion was doing to take notice of these new arrivals, and then to belatedly react with a start as she recognized them as the other girls who had been hanging with her from the rafters…and quite a few more who seemed to be in similar such condition. There were eighteen of them in all (nineteen if she counted herself), every one of them a stunning beauty in her own right, and not a few looking a little bit frightened, though a few others seemed intrigued as they studied the chamber and the people contained within it.

Lao sat upright and said, "Greetings…I am your hostess, Captain Lao Kung. You are my guests, so…feel free to stand at ease."

The boy sat more upright and said, "What's the meaning of this, Lao? Who are these people?"

"These," Lao replied, "Are the women my people recruited while we were docked in Taipei. The new arrivals, if you will, of whom Nila was herself recently a member. They are my present cargo…the new ones who have just begun the orientation process. I called them here so you could examine each one of them for yourselves and decide whether or not my people chose wisely when they were selected. I haven't had the time to personally review their cases until now, but this looks like a splendid time in which to screen them for their…qualifications."

The brown haired woman in gold chains took an interest at this and said, "These are the sorts of women you normally go after?"

"Precisely," Lao replied, "A good cross-section of likely candidates who have the potential within them of being courtesans and ladies of refinement. Feel free to ask any questions you like and decide for yourselves whether it is worth my time to continue with them in the program. They are still relatively raw and are quite free from any mental influences that might taint their personalities, their memories or the choices that they might make of their own free volition."

"Oh yeah, right," the brown haired boy-Nabiki was it?-snorted derisively, "Like I'll believe that! You've had them in your custody for at least three days, Lao…that's more than enough time for you to mentally screw them over…"

"No it is not," Lao said quite firmly, "The creation of a false personality, with memories that supplant the actual person, is a far more complex operation than you surmise, Tendo-san. A total submergence of the will into a false ideal state takes time and patience to craft and often leave deep emotional scars that can be detected easily on cross-examination. I never bother to employ such distasteful methods…they scar a woman and destroy her individual personality traits…those elements that make her a unique and distinctive individual, much like the cruel methods employed by the 108 Dragons. You do remember Lady Akiko-chan and what that renegade did to her mind, don't you?"

"Yeah," Nabiki-kun said grudgingly, "He turned her into a ticking time-bomb…a wind-up assassin…"

"A robot…programmed to act in a certain way when given the right set of commands," Lao said without smiling and in bitter tones that denoted strong disapproval, "The 108 Dragons employ a combination of pressure-point acupuncture and other coercive techniques that forces their victims to behave in a way that is carefully and precisely measured to insure obedience and an inflexible loyalty to the 108 Dragons. Their current leader-Crying Freeman-was such a victim for a time before freeing himself of his involuntary status. Believe me…they did things to him that I do not even like to speculate about, but it was Freeman who undid the blocks on lady Akiko's mind and freed her so that I could undo much of their damage. Ask Keiko-chan and Kodachi-chan if you would like to know the details, they were witnesses to the entire process."

"It's true," the redhead sitting next to the sultry pony-tailed brunette replied, "We saw how they did it, Nab-chan. It…wasn't pretty…"

"Compared to the methods of the 108 Dragons," Kodachi shivered, "Mistress Lao's techniques are a genuine blessing."

"Well, enough about the past," Lao mused, stepping forward, "Let us meet your new guests and get to know them individually…starting with the cute one on the far right. What is your name, please?"

"Me?" shivered a girl whose hair was a darker shade of purple than Shampoo's own color, "Um…well…my name is Lilly Chiang, and… I don't understand…are we…?"

"Let's just stay on one subject at a time for the moment, shall we?" Lao asked, "Now…tell us a little bit about yourself and how you think you arrived here…and don't be shy, we're all friends here…" she pointedly ignored Nabiki's snort of derision.

"Well…" the girl replied, "I remembered my uncle saying that I should go down to the coast for a few days to…to forget about…something…that he said I shouldn't remember…"

"You don't need to tip-toe around the subject here," Lao said gently, "Your husband beat and raped you…and your father found out about it. You were in an abusive situation…and your uncle is the sort of man who doesn't take insults within the family very well, is he?"

"How did you know…?" Lilly gasped.

"Because your uncle is the head of the Chiang conglomerate," Lao said directly, "A very respectable public front for one of the most powerful Tong outfits along the Sea of China and Japan. He's also a…business associate of mine, a ruthless individual with a very strong sense of integrity and honor, but no boyscout by any measure, and he…asked me to look out for you. In point of fact, when he heard that I was in port, he specifically contacted me and asked that I give you a way out of your present legal dilemma."

"Of my…" the girl blinked, "You…know my Uncle?"

"To be more exact," Lao said, "He is paying me to give you an…education. Certainly a better sort of life than you would have had if you had remained in Taiwan and faced a possible murder charge for the death of your husband, no?"

"You…" the girl took a half-step back that was arrested by her ankle chains and trembled.

"There now," Lao made a placating motion, "You won't be harmed…at least, no more than will be necessary. It was self-defense, at least as far as I'm concerned, though the law is little less than exact on the subject. Unfortunately your…late husband…was a prominent member of the Muslim community with diplomatic ties to the country that his family hails from, so it was not too likely the law there would have looked kindly upon you, especially with your ties to a major Tong family. There are limits to how much influence even your uncle's money can buy, but with you safely out of harm's way he can placate the authorities and wait for things to die down before buying you back from me with…certain requested modifications."

The brown haired woman in gold chains standing next to the captain looked at her and said, "Her uncle is paying you to do this?"

"What can I say?" Lao smiled, "He loves his family…and it is that kind of a world. Now…you…" she turned her attention to the second girl in the lineup, a willowy brunette with almond-shaped eyes and an almost haunted expression, "Your name please?"

"My name?" the girl only hesitated for a few seconds, "I'm Hu Bang Yu…and I'm nobody…"

"Not really," Lao remarked, "You used to be a film star with the Taiwanese cinema. I've seen a few of your movies…very nice moves. You studied Wu Shu martial arts?"

"I was…a stunt double…and then I briefly became an action star," Hu Bang Yu glanced down, "Back when I was pretty…"

"A yes," Lao mused, "The studio dropped you after you got cut up by your boyfriend…he slashed your face to mar your beauty, and because you could not afford plastic surgery you could not find any work, and so you drifted into a life of prostitution."

"What about it," the woman asked miserably, not raising her eyes to acknowledge these statements.

"Take a look in the mirror lately?" Lao smiled, "You might be surprised by what you see."

Hu Bang Yu looked surprised at this, then she tentatively placed one manacled hand to her face and felt along the edge of her jawline. Amazement crossed her features as she felt along the side of her cheek and her nose, as if trying to find a familiar sensation on the creamy-surface of her golden-hued features.

"They're gone…" the action-star-turned-prostitute remarked with a look of disbelief in her expression, "But…?"

"Cellular regeneration," Lao replied, "One of many arts at my disposal. Your beauty has been restored, even as your body has been purged of the disease and toxins that were polluting your system. You are now as clean and pure as the driven snow, and no man will ever tarnish your beauty again. I will you teach you how to make men beg for your attention, and you will learn to grow strong from your ordeal, and stronger as a fighter, that I sincerely promise."

She then turned to the next in line and said, "And you are?"

A shy looking girl wearing glasses hesitantly said, "Um…I'm just an animator…I draw stills for a company that produces American-made Anime…"

"The inferior quality stuff," Lao nodded, "And that beside you, I take it, is your employer?"

A haughty looking blonde with an absolutely voluptuous figure sneered, "Do you have any idea who I am? I'm an American citizen, I have rights, I…"

"Georgina Tyler," said Lao with an odd lilt, "Executive Producer in charge of greenlighting projects for children's programming at Nakajima Studios' branch in Korea for the past two years, during which time your assistant, Wan Sing, has had to slave in executing your ideas and suggestions with designs and sketches that have resulted in the insipid shows that children have to watch on American TV every Saturday morning. What have you to say for yourself for the horrors that you've inflicted upon the innocent?"

"What are you talking about?" the blonde blinked her eyes, "Our shows have the American Family rating!"

"I rest my case," Lao said with a very droll expression.

"Nakajima Studios?" the brown haired woman frowned, "I believe that's one of my outlets…uh…that is…I believe I own a controlling share through Morgan Enterprises…"

"Mom," the green haired girl spoke up, "Have you ever actually watched the cartoon shows your studios put out on Saturday mornings?"

"Well…no," Martha admitted, "I do have a lot of other concerns that take up too much of my time to spend watching television…"

"Sounds to me as if the issue of responsibility is shared around on this one," Lao mused, "Which is appropriate, considering how you got to your current position, Georgina."

"I resent that!" Georgina protested, "I got where I am through talent, hard work and effort…"

At her side the shy-looking but cute Asian girl wearing glasses just rolled her eyes while Lao continued to smile in a knowing and insinuating manner, then added in sweet tones, "Sleeping around with every executive who can advance your career is certainly a lot of hard work, and you certainly have the…talent for that. I do believe that we can have a very interesting time talking business over the next few weeks, and I'm sure that I can find a…position…that will make adequate use of your potential. Now…as for you, Wan Sing…"

"Um…" the girl in question asked meekly, "Do I…really have to be here? I mean…what did I ever do to deserve being in a place like this…?"

"Nothing you've done to deserve it, per-se," Lao replied, "But after grinding away under the heel of this woman, I should think you have earned some…quality time together…preferably where you get to indulge in a little much-deserved payback. Are you interested?"

"Interested?" the demure beauty blinked her eyes.

"In whipping this bitch's tail until she's as red as a fire hydrant and twice as ready to gush on your command," Lao replied, "Think about that and we'll get back to you in another moment. Now…as for the next one in line…what's this?"

"Yes?" asked a light haired feminine-looking person, who was next in the lineup.

Nila wondered what it was that had caused the change of tone in the captain's voice and looked up from the rather…interesting things the girl beside her was doing with her body to focus on the party being singled out. Lao herself had moved closer to the lineup in order to confirm her observation, but then she looked sharply at the one who had drawn her attention and said, "You're a boy…"

"So, you finally noticed?" said a particularly Bishonen looking…person…grinned broadly in a seemingly feminine voice, "The name's Shun Kisaragi, and I was with a tour group when your people seemed to mistake me for a girl and…"

"All right," Lao turned across look towards the women who seemed to comprise her personal harem and growled, "Who's the wise guy?"

"Eep!" one concubine winced and paled noticeably, "Um…would you believe I made an honest mistake, Mistress?"

"How many times have I told you people," Lao growled sourly, "When you grab someone who looks like a girl, MAKE SURE THAT THEY REALLY ARE A GIRL BEFORE YOU GRAB THEM! This is so…embarrassing. I don't even know what to say…"

"That's a first," said the brown haired boy in some amusement.

"Gee," said one of the girls beside him, "Think maybe I could introduce the captain to Tsubasa?"

Another brown haired girl gave a short sniff of amusement.

"Does this mean I don't get to be trained and sold as a concubine, Captain Kung?" the…boy…named Shun asked in a surprisingly cheerful tone of voice, "And I was sooo looking forward to getting to know your people better…"

Lao covered her face with a hand and seemed to count to ten before looking beyond the boy to the next woman in the lineup, "And you are…?"

"I'm Passion Spice," said an auburn haired Asian girl with a frankly knowing expression, "And of course I've heard of you, the Pirate lady who closed down Darken Lite's operation and exposed a police commissioner-literally-to public exposure. You kidnap girls and raise them to be high class whores…only I'm kind of low-class for you, aren't I?"

"That all depends, Boa Lung…that's your real name, isn't it?" Lao duly noted, "A whore you may be, but I sense in you the potential to be even better. Are you interested?"

"Are you kidding?" the auburn Asian girl smiled, "I'd be a fool to pass up an offer like that from a first rate Madam like you. My old Pimp can go fuck himself for all I care, the dirty old sow doesn't even appreciate what he has in the girls who surround him…"

"Meaning that he never paid the kind of attention towards you that you felt you deserved, being the best from his stables," Lao noted, "Always a pleasure to meet a new convert. And you…Carol Manders, right?"

"How did you know?" asked a nervous looking sandy blonde girl, towards whom Lao had directed her question.

"We'll get to that later," Lao waved the point aside, "My apologies…it appears my people made another mistake. You closely matched the description of a girl whom they were sent to find. I'm terribly sorry about that…it seems my people were in a bit too much haste when they hit port and got a little careless."

"Ah…well…" the blonde was obviously frightened, but she managed a weak smile and tried to adopt a stance with as much dignity as one could when they had their hands tied behind their back.

"Now then," Lao turned to the next girl in the lineup, a petite redhead, "I don't believe that I got your name properly. I believe that you are…Lina something?"

The redhead just glowed with her crimson eyes and raised her hands and said, "Then I'll be happy to remind you…Dragon-BLUP-BLUP-BLUP!" she was cut off as undine immediately rose up from the floor to surround her body, forming a pillar of water that prevented her from completing her invocation.

"Oh yes," Lao nodded, "That one. Someone is really going to roast over the coals over this one…but never mind that now. And you are…?"

A deranged, maniacal laughter filled the room as the tall (and very filled out) woman standing next to the girl named Lina spoke up in a haughty voice, "I am the beautiful but dangerous Mistress of Mysticism, come to this world with my trusty sidekick here through means of a spell gone awry. Nagha the White Serpent, at your service…"

"Oh yes," Lao's expression grew strained as she murmured to herself, "Who is the fool who forgot to leave this one gagged?"

Several Undines pointedly started looking in different directions.

"As for these!" the one named Nagha held up her manacled wrists and said, "I demand you remove these cuffs of cold iron and release my faithful servant from her watery prison before you really make the both of us angry…" Before she could continue one of the concubines hastily popped a ball into her mouth.

"We'll talk about that a bit later," Lao made a placating motion before adding to one of her servants, "Be sure you leave the chains on both of them for the duration. I don't want any spellcasting from mages on my ship, at least not without my express permission."

"As you wish it, my Lady," the concubine in question responded.

"Now then," Lao said as she surveyed the remaining ten women, "As for the rest of you, we shall each review your individual cases and determine how many that remain are worth considering for release and/or special training. Due to my rather hectic schedule of the past few days I haven't had time to get fully briefed on all of you, but I will do my best to expedite things so that those of you who are to stay can be processed along your normal training regimen, while those who are to leave can be inconvenienced to the most minimal level. Any questions?"

One of the remaining girls timidly held up a hand and said, "Processed?"

Lao just smiled, "Don't worry about a thing, Princess…it will all be handled with the minimum fuss and feathers and can be allotted. Now…does anyone here have a question?" she turned a glance to the left and the right to indicate her nearest companions before setting her gaze upon the brown haired boy, who arched an eyebrow in a sardonic manner.

"You're asking us to help you decide which one of them are to become slaves and which ones will be given back their freedom?"

"I am asking you to give me your counsel on the matter, yes," Lao replied, "But the final decision remains with me. I will decide who is worthy of special training and who is not fit to remain here among us."

"I'll concede that a few of them look like they actually want to be here," the brown haired woman in gold chains to her other side remarked, "But there are others…I really don't think it would be fair having to decide among them. Why not let them go and wait for another day to make another capture?"

"Indeed?" Lao eyed with woman with speculative interest, "And why should I give up on so many promising new subjects?"

"I could make it worth your while," the other woman remarked, "I could buy them off of you as is and pay whatever fee for expenses you think is reasonable, subject to a bit of negotiation."

"Intriguing, my dear Martha," Lao nodded, "I will admit that this lot has a very high percentage of…undesirables…due in no small part to the haste with which they were acquired during our last in-port stop. Often I have to take whatever I can find and sort through them to determine the best, and sometimes I wind up even having to take a loss from my profits as there are those girls who are literally more trouble than they are worth, such as the fiery redhead over yonder."

"Hey!" sputtered the girl who had almost drowned before, one who had remarkably small breasts and seemed a bit underaged for such a sexual setting, in Nila's opinion.

"That's why I'm willing to take them off your hands," Martha replied, "You said that you normally just strand them in whatever port city you can find with a small amount of pocket money as compensation for their troubles, why not make a profit instead by trading with me? I can make it worth your while if you're willing to consider…a little business proposition."

"Indeed?" Lao sounded intrigued at the offer, "Well, I never could say no to any proposition a beautiful girl made to me, but…why don't we discuss the terms in my private office?"

"I'm at your disposal," Martha replied, rattling her chains with a smile that had particular meaning.

"Oh yes indeed," Lao leered back in token acceptance of the offer, "Have our guests entertained and serve them whatever they request that is on the menu. I'll be back in a while to…supervise the final determination of this matter…and Tendo-san? Why don't you and your husband mingle with the new arrivals for a bit? That should help to give you a proper focus on why I conduct my business the way that I do…"

"Ahem," the brown haired, pig-tailed boy frowned darkly, "Do you mind if we change first? I'm not quite feeling like myself at the moment…"

"That's what I was going to say," remarked the redhead beside him.

"Oh, if you must be a bother about that," Lao raised a hand and conjured up two round balls of condensed moisture, properly heated with a movement of her fingers, and then splashed the pair, causing a rather startling transformation!

"That's better," the boy-no…make that a GIRL?-remarked, sputtering only slightly at her newly moistened condition.

"All right!" said the handsome dark-haired boy who now stood in the place of the redhead, flexing his arms and staring at his hands while grinning, "I'm back to myself…awesome!"

"I told you that it was only a temporary curse," Lao replied, "But I trust your experience has given you a new outlook on life, Saotome?"

"Uh…yeah," the boy said sheepishly, "You could say that…"

"Welcome back, Ranchan," one brown haired girl at his side took his arm and smiled grandly.

"Is good to see Ranma as boy self," said the purple haired girl hovering beside the pigtailed girl who had been a man a moment before.

"I don't know," said another brown haired girl, "I thought you looked kind of cute that way, Airen."

"I couldn't agree more," said the somewhat taller redhead, "But it was just too much like staring into a mirror. Don't make a habit out of doing that, okay?"

"Um…sure," the boy named Ranma half-smiled, half-grimaced.

"And you, Tendo-san," Lao addressed himself to the transformed boy-girl, "Consider that you have only four more days in which to make a decision regarding the child that you carry. No matter what opinions you may have about me, you can trust that I do not wish to see either you or the child harmed, so…consider my offer, and I'll get back to you again when you have made your decision."

"Right," the girl scowled slightly, but there were troubling hints of deeper concern written plain in her expression.

"Now then," Lao reached out with a hand and attached a chain to the collar around the brown haired Martha, then led her off on a leash like a stray pet, "Let us discuss personal matters, you and I…I will be most fascinated in hearing the full details of what you have to offer."

"Mom?" the green haired, statuesque woman with a star-shaped tattoo over one eye asked as she watched the captain lead the other woman away, only then she herself yelped a bit as her chain was yanked every-so-lightly by the strawberry blonde girl beside her.

"Well, that's enough diversion for now…come along with me, darling…the rest of your training awaits."

"Uh…can't we talk about this?" the green haired girl asked nervously as she dutifully followed her apparent 'girlfriend' out of the chamber.

That seemed to call an end to the formalities as everyone started to get comfortable and the chained women were urged to sit down on pillows that were provided for their benefit, the group forming a rough circle about the center of the room with couples and groups pairing off for what looked to be the makings of a spontaneous orgy. Nila took note of this as the transformed boy turned to the transformed girl and said, "Well…might as well relax for a bit. I'm up for a bit of chow, how about you guys?"

"Sounds good to me, Ranchan," one of the women clustered around him remarked, "The captain even gave me permission to make some okonomiyaki for everyone, so I'll get started whipping up a batch right away, my treat."

"Is good to relax now that Airen back to normal self," said the purple haired girl as she latched onto the arm of the brown one wearing a pig-tail, "Not that Shampoo mind when you boy-type Airen…"

"Uh…yeah," the transformed girl in question said nervously as she accepted the glomp, "Sure thing, Honey…but…I'm not really in the mood to do anything too much. I have to be on my guard on account of Lao…"

"Let her get her own date," Ranma leered as he took the girl by her other arm, then linked arms with yet another brown haired girl (the one with large, nicely shaped breasts), "Besides, we're supposed to mingle, right? So let's mingle…"

Nila found that she could no longer spare any attention to watch the rest of these proceedings as her designated companion was being all-too-insistent that she pay more attention her way, and-not being one to rock the boat-she decided to adopt a "When in Rome" policy in accepting the hospitality that was being offered. Other servants busied about setting up tables and laying out food that seemed just magically appear as trays of the stuff was paraded out and laid before them in sumptuous and lavish detail.

Before too long there was a party in full progress with lots of liquor being served and plenty of fondling, suckling and other kinds of exchanges. Some couples drifted off to be by themselves while others remained and openly flaunted their affections for one another. Some even went so far as to lay themselves out on their tables and put food on their bodies, encouraging their nearest companions to dine off these "living plates" which did seem more than a bit kinky. The one redhead with the small breasts was purely interested in the food, but could not help noticing the way her sultry companion(who had been ungagged on promise of good behavior!) was admiring the show and displaying…a bit too much fondness for the redhead for her personal liking…

One of the newcomers seemed shocked at the way everyone was behaving, even going so far as to say, "What is this, a Lesbian Nudist colony? Doesn't anyone besides me find this behavior…a little vulgar?"

"I was going to suggest that it reminds me a little too much of a warped version of Fraggle Rock," said the woman nearest to her, "But as long as nobody's pawing my ass, I just want some of that food…I'm starving!"

Nila decided to tune things out, having her mind squarely focused on the girl making herself so unmistakably "friendly." This Xiong Fu girl had everything that one could want in a bit of one-time nookie, a beautiful face with sultry and exotic eyes, a body that looked and felt like it was sculpted to please the senses, and a willing attitude that left one in no doubt at all of her intentions. Being something of an opportunist at heart, Nila found herself warming up to her companion with a rising heat that demanded satisfaction. The golden tone of this other girl's skin contrasted nicely with Nila's coffee-cream-brown complexion as the two of them began exploring each others bodies with lips, hands and other body parts that twined so nicely together as they rolled out on the pillows and started making out like two otters in heat. Nila had to silently give her compliments to the captain as she indulged herself in the delightful presence of the other girl meshing breasts together in her arms…this Madam Lao sure knew how to throw one hell of a good party!

And of, course, for the rest of the afternoon Nila would be busy sampling a bit of that hospitality…over and over…just to be clear and certain to all concerned that the effort was well appreciated…

"What's up?" Blossom asked as she entered the bridge, "This Mistress is having another communal orgy, so this had better be important."

"I think it is," Lotus replied as she lowered her binoculars, standing at the port wing of the bridge and staring over the distant ocean before them, "There is a…dark shape ahead of us…I can see it through the infra-red filters now, and we discovered it by sonar readings after our advanced scouts said that they had encountered an island mass off to our port side."

"So?" Blossom asked, "The Mistress asked us to keep out for an island we could use to restock our provisions…"

"Yes," Lotus replied, "Only this island doesn't exist on any charts, and depth readings indicate that no island should be there at all. It is not grounded against the ocean bottom but appears to be…floating."

"Floating?" Blossom did a double-take, "How large is this thing anyway?"

"About five kilometers from one end to the other," Lotus replied, "Selke and her scouts report that it is covered in lush vegetation and may indeed support life, perhaps even have some of the provisions we are looking for, though we will have to send people on land to confirm this."

"I see," Blossom said, "Then the Mistress must be informed of this fact at once."

"I'll send someone along to bring her up to speed on our findings," Lotus nodded as she lowered her glasses, "Can't make too much detail out through the dimension inversion layer, but there is something about this place that seems…disturbingly familiar somehow…"

"A floating island in the middle of the South Pacific Ocean?" Blossom sniffed, "I'd say that was memorable…but you're right…I do seem to remember hearing the Mistress mention something about a place matching that description. Well, it's probably not too important…so hurry along and tell her of your finding."

"ME?" Lotus blanched as she turned to stare at her blue-haired partner, "What about you? Why do I have to do this?"

"Because the Mistress is presently engaged in serious…negotiations…with one of her guests," Blossom replied, "And besides which, I outrank you."

"But…you know what she's going to do to me if I…?" Lotus paused as she saw her fellow Amazon just smile at her, "Oh…you do know, huh?"

"Better you than me when it comes to these things," Blossom smiled, "I'm still smarting from the last time I got flogged for disturbing the Mistress in the middle of her fun. Of course, if you know of anyone else among the crew upon whom you'd care to inflict such…reprisals…"

"No, I'll do it," Lotus sighed, looking like a condemned prisoner who had just volunteered to test out the new gallows, "But you're gonna owe me for this later…Partner."

"Never let it be said that I fail to honor my obligations," Blossom reassured in a cocky manner.

"At least not to your face anyway," Lotus grumbled in faint undertone as she passed her friend and fellow officer by, heading for the galley stairs while hoping their Queen would be in a good mood to receive extra company. If she got really lucky, (and prayed hard enough to her ancestors) she might even get roped into the fun and spend the next few hours being the object of sport for the Lady and her newest conquest. If-however-she were not discreet in making known her presence…

She swallowed a lump that formed at the base of her throat, recalling altogether why her Mistress was known as the "Tigress of the Seas," and having very little urgency to wind up as "catfood" on her lady's menu, as did quite frequently happen to those who wound up on her really bad side, as only one who loved her Mistress well could fully appreciate the perverse…appetites…of her lady…

Continued

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