Page 14 of Joven's Bride
“This is Captain Crazell. I am now in charge. No one will be harmed as long as you follow my instructions. All passengers will come out of your cabins and stand in the corridor for inspection. Anyone who does not comply will be punished severely.”
As Carly listened, she realized that her language implant was fully functional because she understood every word without a translator.
Joven had been frank about her impending captivity. He knew of some marauders who would rape and torture their captives for amusement, but he didn’t speak of that to Carly. She was already frightened enough, perhaps because she was thinking of it.
More likely, they would be ransomed or taken to the slave auctions. It didn’t matter what they attempted, Joven would get her back, and Crazell would pay.
Half an hour later, Carly was standing in front of her cabin door in the corridor with all her neighboring passengers. Unlike the landing bay where they came in, the passenger hallways were carpeted and reminded her of a decent hotel.
Three big men came off the lift at her end. Carly noticed right away the tallest was a feline. She guessed he was just a few inches shy of seven feet, with long, pale blue hair and silver-blue cat’s eyes. He was dressed in black synthetic leather with a slender braid on each side of his head.
Carly trembled as the trio stopped in front of her and the apparent leader put a finger under her chin and pushed up, so she had to look at him. From the gleam in his eyes, he seemed pleased, but she was afraid to guess his intentions.
“A very beautiful sapien. All of these females will bring a good price,” he said. “It will be worth our trouble to take them to Se’Nar. What happens to them after that is not our concern.”
