Her nickname is "Tanj", and she's certainly living up to it. For her, it seems, "There Ain't No Justice." As a young engineer on a tramp space freighter, this Cheetah-morph found herself the victim of a scam, sold into slavery, and trained as a sex-slave. Sold to pirates, she finds herself as a pawn in a much larger struggle. This story contains bondage, non-consensual sex, and hopefully some humor, adventure and intrigue. Adults only, please!

Tanj's Tale: Tanj's Return
By Kittiara

Tanj's new owner, a wolverine morph by the name of Lord Xylex, was the chief financial officer for the Harrich Consortium, one of the larger and more powerful corporations on Elysium. His lusts, however, were not of the flesh, but for power. As a result, Tanj and Hinoki spent a LOT of time in their kennels. They were fed regularly, and exercised, but aside from that, they mostly just sat. Tanj learned that Xylex's wife had "left" years ago, under somewhat unclear circumstances, leaving him with a young daughter, upon whom he absolutely doted. Some said that his wife had just left, fed up with a mate that only had an interest in accumulating power. Some of her keepers insisted that she'd left because he tried to extend that power to her, constantly playing mind games to dominate her. Others darkly claimed he'd had her killed because he couldn't dominate her. In any event, Tanj was ushered into Lord Xylex's presence only when his gonads told him to seek relief, when his hormones were interfering with business. Tanj was peremptorily "used" and then sent back to the kennels. None of her skill, or even displays of enthusiasm could break through his shell, and she was never allowed to remain long enough to learn anything about his business dealings. Still, as such events were the only break from her monotony, she did look forward to them...

Tanj was quite surprised one day, when a young female wolverine morph snuck through the door to the kennels. Across the room, chained to his pallet (and unfortunately well out of reach), Hinoki was sound asleep. Tanj looked up, and measured the newcomer with her eyes; "Now here's trouble, if I ever saw it" she thought to herself. "Gotta be Xylex's daughter..." she mused. The way the girl was acting, Tanj was convinced the guards didn't know she was here, and by extension, that the guards would be upset if they knew she was here. In situations like this Tanj knew that if Xylex's daughter was caught, despite the fact that there was no way Tanj could have brought her here, she'd still get the blame. As such, she watched the girl approach with wary eyes, laying on her side, head propped up with one hand. The girl approached slowly, tentatively; as she approached, Tanj decided she must be about fifteen or sixteen years old. She stopped about six feet away, as if knowing just how far Tanj's chain extended. She looked at Tanj for a moment, her eyes more appraising than Tanj would have thought for someone her age. After a minute she nodded; "I'd heard Daddy had acquired some new slaves. I just had to come look." Tanj just shrugged. After another long moment, she sank down, to sit crosslegged, elbows braced on knees, paws cupping her chin; she looked at Tanj for a long time, her eyes wandering over her nude form. Finally she sighed; "Tell me what its like being a sex slave. Do you like it? How did it happen to you?"

Tanj was dumbfounded! She shifted her position, rolling to sit up, crosslegged, the chain from her collar a tight diagonal to its ringbolt in the floor; "Thats a helluva question, Missy. There's no simple answer to that. And whatever answer I might give, well, they've messed with my mind so much, what with the conditioning and all, you couldn't believe any answer I might give anyways." The girl made a gesture as if encouraging Tanj to continue. Tanj just sighed and looked at the girl; "The way I wound up in this life was completely and totally objectionable. Folks that I cared for died. The rest were also enslaved through no fault of their own. The training was... well, most of it I hated, but there were moments..." Tanj smiled to herself thinking of Marla the she-wolf, of Zassa, that marvelous Tiger, and of course her Lion. Her Lion? When did she start thinking of him like that? "Uh, as to whether or not I like it, most of the time its boring, occasionally frightening, frequently painful, and occasionally wonderful. That give you any clue?" The girl just grinned and shrugged; "I'm probably over- romanticizing, but I think it looks marvelous! I wonder if I could get Daddy to let me play with you... Oh, by the way, my name's Wanda, not "Missy"." Tanj held her gaze steady and her face neutral, but inside she groaned!

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" Lord Xylex roared, staring at his daughter; "You're a virgin and you'll REMAIN a virgin until you can be properly married!" Wanda thought to herself "Yeah, to a family that will help you extend your power; sometimes I'm just another bargaining chip in your business dealings..." Then she grinned to herself; "Well, Daddy, if I left the male cheetah alone, what about the girl? SHE couldn't take my virginity! Besides, don't you think it was time I got a maid of my own?" Lord Xylex Hmmmmmed, looking thoughtfully at his daughter.

"You understand your new duties?" Lord Xylex demanded. Tanj knelt in the middle of his office floor, head bowed; "Yessir". "You understand that whatever else happens Wanda is to retain her virginity. Should it be lost, I promise you, you'll regret you ever born!" He growled. Tanj thought to herself "That wouldn't take much; this ain't much of a life kiddo...", but she nodded her head in acknowledgment. Xylex nodded to himself and reached down to grab Tanj's leash, jerking her to her feet, and dragging her out the office door. Wanda was waiting, and beamed in delight when her father handed her Tanj's leash; "I know I'm going to regret this; don't prove me right!" Wanda nodded in turn and tugged experimentally at Tanj's leash, leading her out of the offices.

"So, now that I've got you, what am I supposed to do with you? How does a mistress act? Especially in public." Tanj smiled to herself; "Well, first off, you don't ask advice from slaves; Mistresses are always in control, and never publicly mindful of their slave's comfort, or desires..." Wanda grinned, and Tanj found the display of teeth disconcerting... Jerking the leash, she yanked Tanj to her knees; "You mean like this?" Tanj gulped and nodded, thinking "Fast learner..." Indeed, Wanda was a fast learner; when they got back to the Xylex mansion, she had Tanj tell her about every bondage situation she'd ever been in, or even seen. Needless to say, this took them into the wee hours of the morning, Tanj crudely chained to the foot of her bed, Wanda laying on her stomach looking over the edge at her, like a kid with a new puppy. Tanj had lost track of the calendar, and wondered if Wanda would have to get off to school in the morning, but nope, the next day Tanj was dragged by the leash (Lord, she was either a natural, or a VERY fast learner) to a number of different supply houses where Wanda purchased a seemingly unending supply of restraints, chains, and other toys... Sadly, the only thing Tanj didn't see purchased were dildos... The kid didn't seem to have any kind of a limitation on her budget at all... When this cornucopia of hardware was delivered to the mansion, Wanda made Tanj install all the eyebolts, and assemble the assorted "toys"... The rest of the evening was full of leather straps, cuffs, collars, gags, chains, and spreader bars, as Wanda experimented, tying Tanj in just about every position she'd told her about. As Tanj grunted, Wanda tying her arms tightly behind her yet again, she thought the kid must have total recall...

Tanj was in a tight hogtie, her back bent like a bow. It felt like her wrists were secured to her knees, and her ankles to her elbows. Of course her hair was tied off to the spreader bar holding her knees apart. An inflatable gag was filling her mouth, thankfully not pumped as full as some she'd known. Wanda was sitting crosslegged on the floor behind her, gently exploring Tanj's sex with one finger as she caressed herself with her other hand. As she stroked her, Wanda would murmur; "Mmmmmm, do you like this as much as I do? How about this? Or this? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm." Tanj would moan or purrrr into her gag, almost in harmony. While Tanj enjoyed the touching, Wanda didn't seem to know how to bring her to a climax, and Tanj thought that was something she'd have to talk to her about...

It was several nights later. Tanj had spent the intervening days playing maid during the day, and sex toy during the night; she suspected Wanda was learning alot about sexual response through her. Wanda had tied her at the foot of her bed, but this time face up. Her legs were bent at the knee, ankles strapped to her thighs. Her wrists were hooked to a D ring on the back of her collar, and for once she didn't have a gag filling her mouth. Wanda had just finished her shower, and was sitting next to Tanj, her fur still spiky wet, idly toying with one of Tanj's nipple rings. "What's it like to have one of these? Is it exciting? Does the least movement make it wiggle, and does that feel good? Or was it put there to hurt you, say, if someone yanked, like this..." Tanj squealed, and lifted her head and shot Wanda a hurt look; "They were put there as a punishment; frequently I was tied by them..." Tanj regretted that as soon as it was out of her mouth as Wanda got a delighted look on her face... "I'd never thought of that; ooooooh, I bet that would be delicious torment..." Tanj just groaned, but Wanda seemed delighted; she rose to her knees and moved, to take Tanj's other nipple ring in the fingers of her other paw. This left her straddling Tanj's head, and Tanj immediately took advantage of the situation, by licking up at Wanda's virgin pussy...

Of course, feeling Tanj's tongue down there made Wanda rise up in surprise, and in doing so, she tugged hard on Tanj's nipple rings. Tanj gasped, but refused to be distracted, craning her head up to continue to lick, using just the tip of her tongue to tease Wanda. It wasn't moments before Wanda sank back down with a sigh, pressing herself hard against Tanj's muzzle; she twisted and tugged at Tanj's nipple rings, almost as if working the reins on a horse, as she ground her hips into Tanj's muzzle. Tanj licked softly at first, but with increasing vigor, softly spreading her labia, nibbling lightly, teasing but never letting her tongue tip venture too far into her channel for fear of disturbing her hymen. Wanda, on her part seemed to respond with amazing sensitivity, and when Tanj's tongue grazed her clitty, she howled and yanked hard on Tanj's nipple rings. Tanj was sure that Wanda'd had her first climax, and resumed licking softly, but Wanda would have none of that; she obviously wanted more, and pushed herself down onto Tanj's muzzle so hard, Tanj was finding it hard to breath...

Wanda was quite demanding, having discovered this joy, and was frequently dragging Tanj off to some dark corner to have her lick her to yet another climax. Tanj, for her part, got a kick out of how enthusiastic Wanda was, but after a while she found she was getting just a little peeved, as Wanda, in her enthusiasm, was completely forgetting that maybe, just perhaps, that Tanj might like a little in return too...

It was inevitable; whatever vacation Wanda had been on ended and she resumed school. While away, Tanj was left to her own devices, usually just chained loosely to the foot of Wanda's bed. The bathroom was in reach, as was the remote for the audiovisual center, but still, she found it boring. After a few days, Wanda came back all giggles. "Going to have a few friends over Saturday night" she grinned. "I've been telling them about you and I just can't WAIT to show you off to them..." Tanj's eyes went wide; "Uh, Mistress, I'm really NOT sure thats such a good idea; what would happen if your father were to find out what was happening?" "Oh, don't be silly!" she bubbled; "I'm still a virgin, that hasn't changed, so we're both safe". "Yeah" Tanj thought; "but not still an innocent, and I bet Xylex won't be happy about that..."

The night of the party, Tanj fussed over Wanda, making sure she looked just right, and then Wanda fussed over Tanj. Tanj still wasn't wearing anything of significance, but she had to admit that some of Wanda's jewelry did make her look... well, if nothing else, then a little moresophisticated. Emmy, a teen-aged mink arrived first, and stared at Tanj, kneeling at the foot of Wanda's bed, eyes downcast, palms on her thighs, as if she was some exotic sculpture. Annabel, a rather snobbish Ferret, pointedly ignored Tanj. "So far, things should be manageable" Tanj thought to herself; "The first one's too shy, and the second one wouldn't be caught dead having anything to do with a lowlife like me..." Then Jennifer arrived. Jennifer was a gray wolf, and from the corner of her eye Tanj caught the hungry look as Jennifer went "Oooooooo, what have we here?" Jennifer marched right over and looked down at Tanj with glee; "Oooooooo, Wanda I love her! Such a sexy little slave! Tell me all about the things you've had her do to you!" And with that the four girls huddled, as Wanda related the whole story, from the moment she'd first laid eyes on Tanj, to the previous night's escapades. From time to time, one of the girls would steal a glance at Tanj, but mostly, the attention was fixed raptly on Wanda as she spun her tale.

Of course, the girls experimented, tying Tanj this way and that; by dinner time, Tanj was hanging upside down, legs spread wide by a spreader bar. Her bound paws were chained to the ring at the foot of Wanda's bed, leaving her hanging at an angle. She was in such a position that anyone entering Wanda's room would basically come face to face with her sex... Before the girls left for dinner, Jennifer had used a gold chain necklace, looped through Tanj's nipple rings, and had proceeded to hang whatever she could find from the chain. Tanj mewled softly (as expected) as each item was hung on the chain, shaking herself occasionally, making her breasts and the chain sway, much to Jennifer's delight.

It was rather boring hanging there, until the girls came back. Luckily, Wanda had brought her a plate and the girls took turns feeding her by hand as she hung there. As she expected, Jennifer teased her the most, holding each morsel just out of reach, pulling it back when Tanj tried to get it. Eventually, however, the girls tired of this, and after talking for a while, they started a popular "soap opera" on the audiovisual center. As they watched, Jennifer sat on the bed, occasionally reaching out to tweak one of Tanj's nipples, or to stroke her exposed pussy. Tanj couldn't see much of the visual display, but to her the audio portion sounded rather silly, and she couldn't understand why these girls were so interested in it...

At the show's conclusion, Jennifer reached over to tweak both Tanj's nipples; grinning she looked up at Wanda; "Why don't you show us all what you get this slave to do to you, when the lights are out; I'm sure we'd all love to know." Wanda looked uncertain, but the other girls all chimed in, and before long, Tanj was retied, on her knees, arms behind her back in a tight leather sheath. She was kneeling at the foot of the bed, with Wanda sitting on its edge, her legs spread wide, her pussy inches from Tanj's nose. Tanj didn't have to be told what to do, she closed her eyes and slowly started to lick her mistress, her tongue softly exploring the folds of her pussy. It wasn't long before Wanda laid back on the bed, panting and moaning in pleasure, the other girls watching raptly. When Wanda squealed and arched, her climax claiming her, Emmy looked frightened, as if Tanj had hurt Wanda, and Annabel looked derisive, as if whatever Tanj had been doing could scarcely be worth all the fuss. As Wanda calmed down, and sat up, Jennifer rather rudely shoved her over on the bed to take her place with a; "Me next!"

Tanj spent the next several hours licking each of the girls to a climax. Jennifer was as wild as Tanj thought she'd be, yelling instructions and demands before she howled at her climax. Annabel panted politely, as if a Lady wouldn't carry on such, no matter what. Emmy just bit her lip and moaned, although she was the quickest to climax. As Wanda was reclaiming her rightful place on the edge of the bed, Jennifer grinned and pushed her back; as Tanj began to lick at her mistress, Jennifer roughly crouched over Wanda's head; "Lets see if you can give as good as you take; I don't feel like waiting my turn..." Tanj licked softly at her Mistress as her Mistress devoured her friend hungrily. "Have to give her some pointers on style and technique" Tanj thought to herself. Tanj was too busy to see Annabel pull the dildo from Jennifer's overnight bag, but when the Ferret brought its head against Tanj's sex, she knew they were all in big trouble. She tried to raise her head to warn them, to tell them that if Xylex found something like that here, with all his concerns about his daughter's virginity, that they'd be in REAL trouble, but Wanda just grabbed her by both ears and yanked her back against her muff. by now, Emmy had moved behind Jennifer and was softly massaging the Wolf's breasts. Annabel took great delight in teasing the poor bound slave with the dildo, until, as Wanda screamed again in the throes of her climax, Annabel roughly shoved the dildo into Tanj's twat. Tanj almost bit Wanda in the process. It was of course at this very instant that Lord Xylex chose to investigate the strange sounds coming from his daughter's bedroom.

The front door of the mansion slammed hard, hard enough to be heard through the entire building. The last of Wanda's guests had been dispatched home, their tails between their legs. Tanj waited, kneeling in the center of the floor of Xylex's office, Wanda pacing nervously behind her, awaiting the return of her father. When he returned, he closed the door to his office gently, but the look on his face belied his rage. "All right young lady, you want to tell me just WHAT IN THE HELL WAS GOING ON IN THERE? What the HELL did this miserable slave do to you, to your friends, to make them act in such a manner? I've half a mind to kill her right here and now!" Wanda's eyes went wide; "Oh, no Daddy, you mustn't! It wasn't her fault!" "Well then," he rumbled; "who's fault WAS it? That wild Jennifer?, that snob Annabel? Surely it wasn't Emmy? WELL?" Wanda looked down; she started slowly but then the words all came out in a rush. "Well, Ah, I guess it was, kinda all of us; it wasn't like we planned for this to happen, it just did; no one's at fault, and we're all at fault; but you can't blame Tanj! She was all tied up and only doing what we told her to do!" Xylex grumbled; "I don't know about that... For now, you'll take her back to the kennels and LEAVE her there. Then you'll go to your room and STAY there until I figure out just what to do with you!"

After Wanda left, Tanj looked over at Hinoki, still chained to the same pallet where she'd last seen him; "Been having fun?" he grinned. "No..." Tanj replied, and then told him the whole story. "Awwww, poor little rich kid runs amok" he grinned when Tanj had finished. "Oh, I don't know" Tanj mused; "She's not that bad; she could have blamed the whole thing on me, and her father would have bought it hook, line and sinker, just because he didn't want to believe his little girl could do things like that. Instead she stood up to him, and I think thats the only reason I'm still breathing..."

It was three days later when servants came to collect Tanj and Hinoki. They were collared and hooded and led into a ground vehicle. After a ride of medium duration, they arrived obviously at some sort of shuttle port, were led inside a vessel, and chained in the back. They heard others arrive, things stowed in their compartment, and then, after a period of quiet, the shuttle launched. It had been about three hours, Tanj guessed, when someone removed her hood; blinking, she saw Wanda looking down at her. "Daddy's taking us all to a business conference at Salaba. After that, we're going to Aden, where he's enrolling me in a boarding school! Oh, Tanj, I don't want to go there!" Tanj just shrugged and looked over at Hinoki's bound form; "Sometimes we don't get to do what we want, Mistress, but I'm sorry thats to be your fate." She grinned and looked up at the girl; "Somehow I doubt there's much I can do about it, but if there's anything I can do, I promise you, I will"

It was perhaps another hour into the flight when the shuttle made a stop somewhere. Tanj heard voices, as Xylex greeted guests. Obviously he'd stopped to pick up business associates going to the conference. Tanj hoped that they'd work during the flight, and leave her and Hinoki alone; at this point, the boredom was preferable to what she thought Xylex might do. However, this was not to be, and when the shuttle achieved cruise, one of Xylex's guards came back to fetch Tanj. As she was led into the passenger cabin, it was obvious that they'd prepared an open space for her. At the guard's prompting she knelt in front of her 'Master'. "I'm still not convinced that you were innocent in that little affair, which..." he looked around, "shall remain nameless. Its my desire that our entertainment on this little journey be provided by you, not necessarily to your own, ah, enjoyment." With that, he signaled the guards. Before long, Tanj was on her back, laying on her bound arms; her wrists were tied to a floor bracket, and her ankles were tied, spread wide apart, to fittings on the ceiling near the opposite wall. She was bent almost double, with her knees, well, they would have been touching her nipples had they not been so widely spread. For some reason, they left her ungagged.

Tanj craned her neck, trying to see, as they led Hinoki in. They'd strapped him in some sort of ... "pouch", his balls and his sheath encased in shiny black rubber studded with little metal circles. Tanj would find out later that these were the backs of rivets, holding sharp metal cones on the inside of the pouch. It was obvious that any erection that Hinoki would get would stretch the rubber of the pouch, forcing the metal points even harder into his cock and balls... Xylex stood; "Slave, I'm sure you've seen much much more than the rest of us put together. This female slave has displeased me, in the extreme, through her sexual antics. Accordingly, I want you to punish her, in a sexually related way. I want you to make her scream, begging for mercy and begging for more. Begin."

Hinoki blinked at Tanj, and shook his head as if reluctant to begin his assignment. Finally, after a warning growl from Xylex, he shrugged and padded over to her; "OOohh... what'd you do to get tied up like that?" He padded softly around Tanj, standing over her, looking down at her bound form, closely inspecting her softer bits, as if he were a butcher at a meat market... Tanj just shrugged silently, watching him closely. "Well, far be it from me to miss an opportunity such as this. Now, where do you think they keep the toys?" Looking up, Hinoki raised an eyebrow at one of the guards and was rewarded with a gesture pointing him towards a suitcase. "Now, how can I be creative..." Hinoki rumbled as he pawed through the suitcase. "Hmmmm, yes, but I'll need a few other items..." Rising, Hinoki turned to one of the guards and whispered in his ear, both of them glancing towards Tanj. The guard grinned and nodded and moved off towards the front of the shuttle. While the guard searched, Hinoki made a grand show of producing something from the suitcase, holding it up for all the others to see; unfortunately, not being able to see through Hinoki himself, Tanj had no idea what he'd come up with. Tanj squirmed, testing her bonds, knowing she couldn't escape, but unable to keep still. She wondered just what Hinoki was going to come up with, and how he'd balance trying not to hurt Tanj with not getting reprimanded himself... a difficult proposition. As she watched him, from the look on his face, from his body language, she was afraid she was about to see Hinoki's dark side... Hinoki turned, keeping whatever he was holding behind his back, out of sight of Tanj. Padding over to the bound slave, he grinned, and with a deceptively innocent smile, he withdraws his right hand from behind his back, dangling it afore Tanj's eyes. "Oh Lord" Tanj thought to herself, "he's got himself a rather impressive speculum..." "And I DO think you know where it's going to go, little one..." he grinned. Tanj knew she was "playing to an audience", but still, the sight of the medical instrument made her eyes go wide, and biting her lower lip, she moaned softly.

Hinoki purred softly to himself, withdrawing the second thing from behind his back. This was revealed to be a large bottle of lube, which he applied VERY liberally to both the speculum and to Tanj's sex, much to the amusement of the onlookers. Tanj moaned again as Hinoki slowly pressed the device into her sex, working it back and forth. The slick chrome slid into her with minimal effort (and minimal discomfort, although the way she carried on, she hoped that the audience didn't realize that). She mewled as she felt every inch, every millimeter of it's progress as he worked it deeper... deeper, until its end lay flush with her outer labia. She shivered at the cold steel, and bit her lip a little harder as she writhed in her bonds, as if in doing so, she might escape it. Or perhaps at least warm it up some... As she thrashed, she caught a glimpse of Wanda watching from behind some of the males, wide eyed, and enraptured. Suspecting whats to come, Tanj mewled most plaintively.

Hinoki purred and took a moment to gently caress Tanj's forehead. "Now now, sweetling... no need to gasp YET... we've barely even begun!" He purred and rubbed her tummy, gently massaging her as she became acclimated to the device. After a moment, he reached down and turned the screw, opening the tines of the speculum. Tanj gasped as the feeling of the device within her seemed to grow, making her feel full, and then fuller still as the tines of the speculum slowly started to open, spreading her pussy WIDE! Tanj gasped as felt the cool air of the room flow where it usually isn't; she bit her lip a little harder as she was stretched first nicely, and then further and further until she couldn't help but whimper... She felt as if she was as wide open as the mouth of a tunnel, but of course this sensation was all in her mind; that she was no more spread open than for a normal gynecological exam... well, allright, a very THOROUGH exam...

Hinoki nuzzled Tanj and then actually backed off the opening forced by the speculum until it was merely pleasantly tight, held at the VERY edge of where the discomfort begins. He rubbed her forehead, blotting away the droplets of cold sweat... "There there... that wasn't so bad, was it, sweetling?" He purred and chuckled, and bent over to peek. "Goodness... I can see all the way into you, dear..." Hinoki exhaled softly, and Tanj could feel a puff of air flow all the way into her uterus. She mewled, and thought to herself; "If I'm this wide open, spread this wide, what could he possibly have in mind? What's he up to? At least the crowd seems to be eating it up..." Tanj twisted her head up to look at Hinoki, with something akin to panic in her eyes, panting softly.

Hinoki grins as if he had heard Tanj's thought... "Now I suppose you're wondering what comes next, hmm?" He grinned and stood up to padd over to the guard he'd talked to earlier; the two talked in whispers, heads close together, and the Guard passed Hinoki something. Once again, he came back, once more holding something behind his back. Tanj licked her lips; her mouth felt as dry as her pussy felt drenched... Hinoki looked into Tanj's eyes, noting the conflicting anger, curiosity, and panic; he just laughed, and nuzzled her neck, chuckling. With a flirty wink, he padded back to sit by her, ah, posterior, well past the point where she could easily see what he was doing... Hinoki grinned to himself, and Tanj heard a brief clinking noise and then something cold spattered against her warm depths... Tanj's hips jerked as best she could, and she wondered, could he have... Tanj MOANED as she realized that he had somewhere come up with some crushed ice, and was slowly tossing chunk after chunk into her stretched pussy! She considered what a pussy packed with ice would be like and HOWLED! She remembered the class at the academy that dealt with ice dildos, about how you had to wet the surface to make it slick, or it would stick to sensitive tissues... She'd hated that class, felt cold for a week afterwards! Hinoki grinned and purrrrred as Tanj's hips arched upwards into the coldness. "Mmmm that was fun... let's do it again, shall we?" He laughed and tossed another ice chip, this one rather sizable so that the cold lingered... oh, how it lingered and flowed through her! Tanj HOWLED in indignation and shuddered at the cold; she bucked her hips as best she could (which isn't much), trying to dislodge the ice... Hinoki chucklepurrrrred and tossed several more in rapid succession until he tired of that. He purred, and padded back over to Tanj's head, to offer her some of the icewater to drink, knowing that she was probably parched, from the way she was panting. Tanj shuddered and panted and lapped softly at the icewater, shooting Hinoki a very dirty look in the process.

Hinoki purrrrred and let her drink her fill, smiling gently down at her. "Now I bet you're cold, aren't you, sweetling?..." Tanj panted and nodnoded, several chips of ice still chilling her, the cold spreading through her whole body (and even so, she sweats...). Tanj panted and thought the cool of the room air was a unique sensation... especially there... Hinoki nodded to himself and crooned softly... "We can't have that... we don't want you to catch a chill... So we'll have to warm you back up..." He set the icewater aside and grinned. Producing the other item he had gotten from the guard, he holds it up for all to see. A bottle of Tobasco sauce. Tanj's eyes got even wider and she howled; "NNNNOOOOOOOOOO! you WOULDN'T!!!!!!!" Hinoki grinned and nodded. "I would... and AM dearling..."

Hinoki grinned wickedly and cackled as he unscrewed the lid. The potent aroma of the spices... the hot peppers... pervaded the room... As Tanj bucked wildly in her bonds, managing to move a few inches at the most, she looked over the room; Lord Xylex and his associates stared in rapt fascination, leaning closer as they watched. The guards were also staring in fascination, lewd grins plastered on their faces. Even Wanda was watching raptly. Turning back to Hinoki she screamed; "I'm going to GET you for this; I know exactly HOW, too!" Hinoki laughed as he watched her writhe... "Now now... Stay still... conserve your strength..." And with that, he applied a liberal dollop of the Tabasco sauce... directly onto Tanj's clitty...

Tanj's body went rigid as she felt the spicy sauce hit her clitty; it BURNED and she yowled at the top of her lungs! She panted and shuddered, all her muscles bulging as her entire world shrunk to that one burning point... Hinoki quickly leaned down and lapped at her clitty, soothing the savage burning with slow, gentle strokes. He purrrrred... tasting her juices and the spice of the sauce, thinking it a heady mix indeed. Tanj's noises were somewhere between a moan and a purrr as she felt Hinoki's tongue on her tortured clitty; she mewled loudly, the pleasure and the pain combining strangely... Hinoki lapped energetically at Tanj's clit until she relaxed a little; then he chuckled again and reached once more for the bottle. Tanj, panting hard, eyes shut tight missed this completely; however, when Hinoki put a drop on a finger and lightly rubbed it over her anus, her eyes flew wide open and again, she yowled at the top of her lungs! This time Tanj hunched her hips down, trying to escape his finger, trying to escape the burning, trying to rub her bottom on the floor; however, the way she was tied, she misses doing this by at least a foot... Yowling, panting hard, she raised her head to glare once again at Hinoki, giving him her best indignant dirty look!

Hinoki gave her his best grin in return and played with the contrasting sensations... applying a bit of the ice to her clit even as her tailhole began to burn... he leered at her, a rather self satisfied smirk on his muzzle... Tanj shuddered and mewled, oscillating between the two extremes, panting hard, until she started to mistake one sensation for the other, the different sensations blurring in her mind. Hinoki in turn grinned wider; this is exactly the effect he had intended. Finally, however, the bottle of Tobasco sauce is near empty and all the ice had melted; Tanj squirmed helplessly in a puddle of melted icewater, Tobasco sauce, and her own juices.

Returning to the suitcase once again, Hinoki turned and grinned at Tanj. Brandishing the item he had retrieved as it were a talisman of penultimate power, he shows it to the crowd; as he turned, Tanj caught a glimpse. It was a feather, a long, slim feather! Tanj just groaned and let her head flop back, hitting the deck with a quiet thud; she closed her eyes and moaned in dread. Hinoki grinned and knelt again by her bottom, carefully inserting the feather between the tines of the speculum, making sure it didn't touch her until his fingers were almost at the infernal device holding her spread, the tip of the feather lightly caressing her cervix. At this faint touch, Tanj's eyes again went wide and she bucked her hips violently, screaming "What are you DOOOOOOOIIIIINNNGNGGGGG????????????" Hinoki grinned yet again, and twirled the feather about within her, giggling madly... "Why, nothing... nothing at all, dearling!"

Tanj strained hard against the restraints; tempted to scream out that she'll confess, that she'll tell you whatever you want to know, anything in the hopes that you'll stop, the thought flashing through her mind that if she told them about her part in the affair with the space station, it would distract them from their current pastime, but with the last shred of control she possesses, she converted coherent thought into a mindless moan that trailed off into a series of giggles. The touch of the feather, however, is having its effect on her, and to her shame, she was wetter than ever! Hinoki laughed and grinned widely at Tanj's flailings. The feather lightly tracing the borders of her cervix, teasing in a little deeper... backing out some... then plunging back in to tickle at the upper portion of her uterus... Tanj HOWLED and squirmed, but all to no avail! As he tormented her, Hinoki began to lightly rub at Tanj's clitty with a finger of his other paw; as she squirmed and mewled, Tanj, unable to ignore this touch either, began to pant... the pleasurable sensations building in concert with the mad tickling. After a while Hinoki looked up pointedly at Lord Xylex; after a moment, Xylex shrugged; "I guess she's paid enough for whatever part she had in that affair; go ahead." With that, Hinoki withdrew the feather and bent to apply his tongue to Tanj's poor clitty; instants later, Tanj's howls had taken on a different timbre as she climaxed to the applause of the onlookers.

The crowd left Hinoki to unstrap Tanj, to take her into the back of the shuttle, and to clean her up; Tanj, not unsurprisingly, having been bound for so long found it difficult to walk, her arms and legs very stiff, her pussy and ass still burning from the Tobasco. Moaning with each motion, she fervently looked forward to getting wherever they were going and having a nice long bath!

The conference, or business meeting was being held in a luxury hotel; one of those large, full service places, and of course they had kennels for the slaves. As Lord Xylex and Wanda, and their guests headed for a penthouse, Tanj and Hinoki were led to a basement level, and handed over to the staff there. Tanj pleaded with the attendant to be allowed to take a bath, and for a small "service fee" she was shortly led to that portion of the kennels. With a heartfelt sigh, she lowered herself into a steaming hot bath, her paws rubbing her crotch hard, hoping to relieve some of the residual burning. "I'm going to get him for that" she thought; "that was MEAN!" She was chin deep in the steaming water almost asleep when another form entered the baths and stepped down into the water. Opening one eye, Tanj beheld red through the mists, the form gradually resolving itself into that of a young vixen. Tanj's other eye flew open as she recognized the vixen as her old friend from the academy, Zassa! Moving with the speed that cheetahs are famous for, a speed that surprised even herself, she leapt from the water, pouncing Zassa hard! A moment later she dragged the spluttering vixen to the surface to hug her tight, kissing her hello! Zassa spluttered and gasped, her eyes wide! Where had this furry missile come from? It didn't take long to recognize Tanj, but by then the attendants were running in to see what was going on! Convincing them that all was well, and that they were behaving took a few minutes, but eventually they were left alone. "Zassa, what are you DOING here?" Tanj stage whispered, her eyes shifting from her friend to the doorway and back. "Oh, I'm here with my Master; he's attending some sort of financial thingy, and dragged me along to, ah, help him lobby some of the other bigwigs in attendance. What are YOU doing here?" That of course wound up in Tanj telling Zassa a very edited version of what had happened to her since they'd last met. Zassa giggled at the story about Wanda, and Oooooohed at the story of what Hinoki had done to her.

As they cuddled in the steaming water; Tanj looked at Zassa; "We've GOT to escape..." Zassa blinked; "After the last fiasco, you want to try again?" Tanj sighed; "Got to; I'm not where I belong and I want to get back there. No, don't ask, I'll explain later. Don't YOU want to go home?" Zassa looked thoughtful for a moment; "I'm not particularly wild about this Master, but I do admit this life has its moments." Tanj thought of the Tobasco sauce and shuddered; "Yeah... that it does; I still want to get out. If I can think of something, will you help?" Zassa sighed and shrugged; "Yeah, if I think its got half a chance, I'll help; Win or Loose, it could be interesting". Later, Tanj kinda wondered at that... When the attendants came to get them out of the bath, wondering what had taken those two so long, they found Tanj and Zassa passionately making love to each other, with their tongues. By the time they'd finished, they had quite an audience (not to mention quite a reputation among the staff), not that they cared in the least.

For Tanj, the rest of the conference was quite routine. Xylex had her work a few parties, doing whatever his guests wanted, which for the most part was simply straight sex. Some nights she was loaned to some friend or business associate, and that also was seldom out of the ordinary. By the time the conference was ending, various guests were greeting her with smiles and calling her by name, and the impression she'd made on them seemed to please Xylex. Unfortunately, in the course of the conference, she'd picked up little that she thought the pirates could use. Hopefully a thorough debriefing might lead to the revelation that she had picked up more than she'd thought. She'd seen Zassa at a distance, across a crowded room, from time to time, but hadn't had the chance to say anything else to her. Tanj had also spotted someone else she knew, the Tiger guard that had so roughly used Zassa in the corridor at the Academy apparently was now a body guard for one of the businessmen there. In fact, one time, Tanj had caught the Tiger looking pointedly across the room at Zassa and smiling as if plotting further deeds...

Tanj and Hinoki again knelt in the back of the Shuttle. Xylex and Wanda and their retinue had boarded, but they hadn't taken off yet. Tanj suspected, as on the way out, Xylex would give rides to some folks he needed to do business with, and darting a glance at Hinoki, Tanj wondered if there'd be a repeat of the previous performance. Looking up at a commotion, Tanj was surprised to see Zassa led into the back of the shuttle, her leash tied to the common ringbolt in the floor. At least she thought it was Zassa; her arms were tied tightly behind her in a leather sheath, and a discipline hood covered her head. Tanj wondered if this was a standard traveling outfit for Zassa, or if she'd displeased her master somehow...

As the shuttle settled down to cruise mode, the guards came and retrieved Hinoki and Tanj; apparently another little show was in order. This time, however, there was to be greater audience participation. Xylex was apparently quite pleased at the way things had gone at the conference, and was determined to celebrate. The only one who didn't look happy was Wanda, and Tanj remembered that on the way back, she was to be dropped off at some boarding school. Probably wouldn't be allowed to participate in whatever was going to happen, either...

Tanj and Hinoki were suspended from the highest point in the cabin, their wrists bound together, hanging face to face. Their legs were tied WIDE apart, to opposite rows of seats; Hinoki was quite hard, and his sizable cock was buried nicely in Tanj's pussy. Normally Tanj would have been delighted to put on a show like this, but this was not all there was to it. Two of the guests, both male, both nude, both Wolves, came up to kneel behind Tanj, and behind Hinoki, and shortly, both were being vigorously fucked in the ass. Of course, Tanj wasn't minding this too much, as the guy driving into Hinoki made his cock jump most delightfully in her pussy, a fact that did not escape the guy who had his cock in her ass. As the cabin ceiling was low, and their legs widespread, Tanj (and Hinoki) weren't too far off the floor, and two more guys, a Lepine and a Fox, managed to find something to stand on, on either side of the assemblage. The rabbit morph reached down and turned Tanj's head to the side, presenting his hard cock to her muzzle, as from the other side, the fox did the same to Hinoki. As her tongue stroked the lepine, as cocks pounded in her ass and pussy, Tanj caught a glimpse of red to the side; the big Tiger had once again found Zassa and was forcing her to suck his cock, performing for a small audience. Well, forcing might be a bit strong; Zassa looked like she was having the time of her life, her eyes closed, her head bobbing back and forth with relish...

When the Wolf driving into her ass shot his wadd, one of the other guests quickly took his place. When her dancing tongue caused the Lepine to spurt his cum all over her face, someone else took his place. Tanj was beginning to think folks were coming back for seconds, when the activity finally petered out. Xylex bent down to inspect Tanj's filled snatch from point blank range; "Can't believe it; I'd told the male not to cum, and it actually looks like he didn't. What do you think, think we should let him cum?" The crowd roared, yesses and noooooos mixed together; Xylex leered at Tanj; "You want him too?" Tanj just nodded, trying to look bright and enthusiastic, even if she was dragging... Xylex shrugged and nodded at Hinoki; "Go ahead, if you can spurt within ten seconds, you get desert; if not, I'll leave you hogtied all night." Hinoki's hips started to churn and Tanj concentrated, rippling her vaginal muscles, caressing him with her "inner hand", trying to help him cum. After about eight seconds she felt his cock start to throb and by nine seconds he was howling, as his cock filled her pussy with his jism. The crowd applauded enthusiastically.

One of the guards lowered them to the floor and released one of Tanj's cuffs; "Release yourselves and then go get cleaned up" he grinned; "you're both a mess!". Tanj and Hinoki slowly undid each other, straightening and stretching, and gathering up all the restraints. Tanj noticed that Zassa had finished off the big Tiger but now had her mouth full of Wolf cock. Bending, Tanj picked up an unused spreader bar...

Tanj straightened quickly, swinging the spreader bar in an arc as hard as she could, slamming it into the side of the head of one of the guards, a panther. He howled and went down like a dropped sack of cement. Tanj brought the bar back around to jab the end into the stomach of one of the Wolves, and then she stepped back, to swing it around again to catch a coyote square in the stomach. As he went down, Tanj threw the spreader bar at the Tiger, and rolled across the floor coming up with a stunner that the Wolf had dropped when he'd collapsed. Moving quickly, Tanj shot the Tiger, amused at the shocked expression as he folded backwards. In rapid succession, Tanj shot almost every other guard, and any other fur that looked as if they'd be a problem, pausing only long enough to pick up a dropped blaster. To her amazement, Hinoki had grabbed another stunner and was watching her back. Zassa had her teeth locked around the wolf cock that had been in her mouth when the fracas started, and from the pained look on the wolf's face, he wasn't going to give anyone any trouble.

"Watch these guys, I've got to get the flight crew" Tanj hissed to Hinoki. "Hope you know what you're doing" he growled back. Tanj hit the intercom switch just outside the pressure door to the flight deck; "Help, oh Help" she mewled, in her best panicked voice; "One of the guards has gone berserk!" "Wondered what was going on back there" a voice growled out of the speaker; "Stand clear, we're coming back" Tanj grinned and did no such thing, and when the door opened, she fanned the stunner back and forth across the entire flight crew. Checking to make sure the ship was still on autopilot she dragged the unconscious bodies back to the others.

Hinoki had now acquired a blaster too, both weapons filling his paws. Zassa had released the wolf, and was using gauze from the medical kit to tie up the passengers. "Have you lost your mind?" Xylex asked with what Tanj thought was a very mild tone for someone in his position. "You'll never get away with this!" Tanj just grinned back; "Oh? Well, maybe, maybe not, but in the meantime, I claim this ship and all its contents for the Brethren". Tanj grinned as all present, including Hinoki and Zassa gaped at her. "The pirate clan?" the fox asked, a bewildered look on his face; "They don't deal with slaves, except to sell them; what makes you think they'll take you in? They'll probably just sell you back to us, and THEN you'll be in trouble! Why don't you just put down the gun, and I'm sure we can work this out with minimal punish... AGGGGGG!" The fox collapsed in a heap as Tanj ended his sentence with her stunner. "They'll deal with me, believe me. Hinoki, you keep an eye on them as Zassa ties them up, I'm going to go see if I can establish a tight beam link with..."

The hull booooomed as something large docked with them. Tanj looked up, a half grin on her face; could the Lion be here already? Could he have been tracking Xylex's movements, and been planning their own rescue? If so, it was amazing timing, and therefor highly suspect...

Tanj watched the airlock cycle, standing firm, blaster in her left paw, stunner in her right, determined to meet whoever came through the lock on an equal footing. She knew this wasn't going to be easy, nude as she was, with droplets of jism dotting her face and breasts, her own juices matting her thighs... As the door dilated, she saw the lock crammed with armored figures, armed to the teeth; not Elysium troops she noted with relief, but neither were they any of the pirates she knew. "This ship has already been taken by the Brethren! Under pirate law, its MINE! State your business or leave now!" A low chuckle emerged from the crowded airlock, a black pantheress in scarred battle armor pushing her way past the troops and into the shuttle. The Pantheress reached out as if to touch Tanj's cheek, one clawtip scratching lightly in the process. "I'm Jenka, of the Black Fleet, and, little one, you're my prisoner if I say you are!" "The pure bloody hell I am!" Tanj growled, staring up at the leader of a rival band of pirates. "I..." Tanj never finished whatever she was going to say as blackness closed around her. As she collapsed, her final thought was; "Neurotoxin on the clawtips; gotta remember tha..."

"Sir, we've identified the other ship; its one of the Raiders belonging to the Black Fleet." The Lion looked up at Ben; "Jenka's mob? What're they doing this far out? Getting pretty pushy if they're hunting in our back yard." Ben just nodded; "We have both speed and guns on them. If you want to teach them a lesson, this'd be a gooooooood time". The Lion nodded; "Perhaps, but we'd probably loose the booty in the process. And remember, Tanj's most likely over there somewhere..." Lets put a shot across their bow and see if they want to "negotiate"

Tanj woke up in the Lion's bed. At first, she was sure she was hallucinating, but it was a pleasant dream, and she rolled over and snuggled down under the covers and drifted back off to sleep. She had no idea how much later it was, when she awoke; unable to sleep any more, she gradually came to the conclusion that she was either completely crazy, or really home. She was half way to the bathroom before she realized she hadn't been chained to the foot of his bed either!. Her metallic fabric dress was where it usually was, and slipping it on, she padded out to find out what was going on. Everyone greeted her with cheers when she stepped into the Cafeteria. Ben was there, sipping a cup of coffee, and he explained; "The boss came to a kind of an "accommodation" with Jenka. Yes, you'd claimed the prize, and a slick piece of work that was too; but she'd claimed you. In the end, they agreed to split the proceeds by some rather complex formula, with a few exceptions." He grinned, showing stained fangs; "I think you're one of those "exceptions"..." Tanj nodded thoughtfully, thanked Ben, got herself a cup of coffee, and headed for the door; she thought for a moment about food, but decided that could wait; she had to find her Lion.

She found him in Mining Ops, laying out a plan of attack on a new rock, figuring how to split it to expose the parts they wanted with minimum fuss. He grinned when he saw her, and made her pirouette, nodding that she looked as good as ever. Saving the file he was working on, he bade her sit and had her tell him the entire story, from end to end, in excruciating detail. He asked very pointed questions about some of the things she'd heard Lord Xylex say, and called over a mouse fem to listen as she talked about the conference she'd "attended". The mouse asked more questions, nodding thoughtfully and taking copious notes, but not loosing her poker face until the very end until she grinned at the Lion; "I think this answers a few questions, although it raises more... Still, we're further along than we were. Thanks!" and with that she was off, leaving Tanj looking puzzled. "Want to know what that was all about?" the Lion asked. Tanj nodded. "Good, I think you'll get your chance. While your little stunt netted us some folks that we've been wanting to "talk" to for some time, it had the negative effect of associating you with us beyond a shadow of a doubt. I'm afraid your days as a secret agent are through. Still, you seem to have a flair for collecting information, and I'd like to move you into the intelligence operation." Tanj could only nod, wide eyed.

Things were getting back to normal. Negotiations were proceeding for the ransom of the industrialists from the shuttle. Jenka and her folks were just kinda hanging around, waiting for the resolution, and the payoff, and there was a lot of good natured kidding between the two groups. Tanj still trained in armed and unarmed combat, but this was mixed in with other things as well. She worked occasionally in Engineering, teaming up with Mark, but increasingly she worked with the intelligence group, which to this point had consisted of the lady mouse, Emma, and her boss, literally a sly old fox by the name of Byron. Byron had been in the Imperial military, in intelligence, and after his retirement, had gone looking for something to do; he'd found it helping the pirates. He seemed to genuinely love his work, treating the whole thing like some gigantic jigsaw puzzle. Tanj wondered what he'd do when he solved this particular puzzle...

They were at breakfast as usual; Tanj had awoken in her usual place, on her pallet at the foot of the Lion's bed; after they'd both cycled through the bathroom, and walked to the cafeteria, she'd gone to get their breakfast as he started his usual round of informal meetings and discussions. Tanj had resumed her duties as secretary, making notes as she ate as to who was doing what, changing priorities, supply needs and bright (and some, she thought, not so bright) ideas. As the Lion was finishing up with a couple of guys from Pirate Ops, talking about a prospective joint raid with Jenka's group, the Pantheress strolled by. Grinning, she bent to give the surprised Tanj a quick kiss. "Can't wait to finish our negotiations" she smirked at the Lion; "I'm looking forward to getting my paws on this little one"... and with that, she was gone, leaving a wide-eyed Tanj looking after her. Turning back to the Lion, Tanj exclaimed; "Uh, master, just what did she mean by that?" The Lion just grinned. "Well, you see, you were part of the settlement... Part of the deal is that when the ransoms are paid, and the mission closed, well, you get loaned to Jenka for a month, for her to do with you as she will... I kinda doubt you'll object too much, given from what I've come to know of her..." Tanj just blinked. "If its any consolation" the Lion continued, "you're officially the liaison between the two groups. Expect joint missions. You'll coordinate." Tanj oh'd and looked off, her mind awhirl.

The Lion was eating and quietly talking to one of the medical staff when Reggie and Slasher walked up to the still shocked Tanj. Without a word, Slasher handed Tanj an envelope. Looking up, Tanj asked "Whats this?" Reggie just grinned; "It's PAYDAY!", and Slasher nodded in accompaniment. Tanj shook her head; "Even if it is, what are you doing paying me?" Slasher just shrugged; "Hey, it might be a form of "double-dipping", but the boss there set you up on the payroll. On the other hand, if he lets you keep it, well, we all definitely think you earned it!" Tanj tore open the envelope and looked inside; "Gotta be some mistake, this is a fortune!" Reaching up and grabbing the Lion's ear she pulled his head around, to find him smiling at her; "Where'd all this money come from?" she demanded. He just shrugged; "Your share of the operations you participated in. As you were feeding us information from the station, I'd guess that was almost everything we did until they took you down to the planet. Oh, and since you pretty much single handedly captured those jerks, I'd imagine you'll get a pretty good return on that one, as soon as they're ransomed, or sold." Tanj's ears flattened; "Sold?" Slasher nodded, and then shrugged, and the pair moved off to hand an envelope to another fur.

Tanj turned back to the Lion, who was just finishing up the last of his breakfast; Tanj's food was almost untouched, but suddenly she had no appetite. "Master, whats to happen to the two that helped me take that shuttle, Hinoki and Zassa?" The Lion looked at her and shrugged; "Well, they weren't members of the organization, so I guess they'll go the way of any other captured slaves. Hadn't really thought about it; why?" Tanj was aghast; "Because they helped me; I might not have been able to do what I did without them! How can you just auction them off after they've been of help?" "Because those are the rules. I've got a bunch of cutthroat types working here, who expect their share of the proceeds; if I were to deny them what they consider their fair share of the booty, I'd have a riot here, or worse. Besides, whats the problem? If they're so special to you, why don't you just put in a bid for them, as anyone else does when they see a piece of loot they particularly covet. Its all in the handbook..." Tanj remembered the handbook, a piece of useless hardcopy she'd been given by somebody when she first got here; she'd been sure at the time that whatever it contained it wouldn't apply to slaves; now it seemed she had been wrong. The Lion smiled as he watched Tanj's emotions play out across her face; "Go talk to accounting; you should have more than enough in that paycheck to liberate your friends... Go on, Scoot!" Tanj nodded, and lost in a whirl of thoughts, rose and headed out of the cafeteria, leaving her food untouched and the dishes still on the table, much to the Lion's amusement.

It was much later that night; the station had eased into its graveyard shift routine, and Tanj was cuddling with the Lion in the middle of his bed. The covers were all rumpled and tossed by their first session of lovemaking, and they were both still regaining their breath. "I went down to accounting like you told me. Seemed there weren't any other bids on Hinoki, and Zassa, well, the few bids that were on her were low. I think the bids I put in should take them... if thats OK with you." The lion just shrugged as he stared at the ceiling; "Its your money; I won't interfere with how you spend it, as long as it doesn't interfere with my basic interests..." Tanj grinned and moved to straddle his waist. Placing her paws on his chest, she grinned down at him; "And what would you think if I kept them, instead of just freeing them and sending them home?" The Lion looked up at her and Hmmmmmmed; "I dunno; you know everyone around here has to pull their own weight. We'd have to find them jobs... And you know as well as I do, we need more skilled folks than cannon fodder..." "But perhaps there's a way you could convince me" he finished with a grin. Tanj sighed and shook her head, trying hard to suppress a grin of her own. Moving gently she started rocking her body back and forth, rubbing her still wet pussy against his sheath... It took most of the rest of the night, but she finally "convinced" him, obtaining permission to keep Zassa and Hinoki.

The next day, Tanj found time in her schedule to visit the kennels, where she talked with Hinoki and Zassa, telling them of her plans, making sure they understood that this was by no means certain, but that she thought they had a good chance... Of course, the small conference turned into a small orgy, as Tanj and Zassa made very good use of Hinoki, and his talents (not that he seemed to object at all...). On her way out, Tanj noticed that Wanda, Lord Xylex's daughter, was also confined in the kennels. Stopping to see how she was doing, she found that Wanda was beginning to wonder if perhaps the boarding school would have been a better alternative, but at least she seemed in decent spirits. Tanj told her that she'd talk to the boss about her, to see what he had in mind, and then kissed her good-bye (much to Wanda's surprise), and returned to her current duties, analyzing intercepted subspace transmissions for the Intelligence group.

It was about four days later when the negotiations for the ransom of the industrialists were completed, and all the other details finalized. The other captives had been loaded on a shuttle, for their trip to auction, and Tanj headed for the pirate Cruiser for rendezvous with the Elysium ship that would redeem the prisoners. She was intercepted near the docking port by Ben; "You're not going like that, are you?" he asked. Tanj shrugged; "Its all I've got go wear; should I go nude?" Ben sighed and shook his head; "No, the boss wants you there, and I'm sure he's told you why, but for cryin' out loud, Tanj, if you're going to go, you've simply got to look more... piratical! We've got an image to uphold! Oh, come on, the ship's leaving; we'll just have to find you something."

It was an interesting trip to the rendezvous point. Ben took Tanj down to the crew's quarters, where they all got very involved in sorting through spare clothing, looking for things that would fit, things that would give the proper impression. Finally, Tanj pirouetted in front of a hooting, grinning crowd, showing off her new outfit. She wore a pair of very worn, torn camouflage pants, covered in cargo pockets. A web belt held them up, along with the holster for a truly nasty looking disrupter (which didn't work anymore). A dagger hung from the opposite side of the belt. Over this, Tanj wore a very abbreviated combat harness/vest, the material straining against her breasts, the straps pulling little valleys in her fur. They all agreed that if anyone could make the outfit look sexy it was her (although they all agreed they liked the dress better, and absolutely nothing even more than that). Tanj grinned and blushed at the compliments and thought they'd change their minds if they'd caught a glimpse of Zassa. Well, with luck, she'd still be runner up...

When the Elysium ship, a destroyer, had docked with the Pirate cruiser, Tanj swaggered down to the airlock, doing her best to look, well, piratical. "This is silly" she thought to herself; "I am a pirate, one of them, so however I look has to be piratical..." But with a shrug she figured there wouldn't be any harm in doing whatever she could to frighten the Destroyer's crew. Leaning against a bulkhead, she watched them; the Captain had wisely stayed on the bridge, sending a junior officer to deal with the pirates. She did her best to memorize names, faces, and to gauge their attitudes; anything that might be of later use. The Industrialists were turned over to the officer, one by one. Each was naked, but well groomed, and obviously well treated. Their restraints were removed, and they were allowed to enter the Destroyer's airlock. Last was Lord Xylex; he was just about to step across the airlock's threshold when he turned; looking at the officer he said; "My daughter's already over there, isn't she?" The officer looked back blankly and then down at his padd; "Your daughter, sir? I don't show her on my manifest; I didn't even know she'd been traveling with you!" Xylex looked up at the pirates, his face clouding over, his paws balling into fists... Tanj straightened from where she'd been leaning against the wall. Pacing out to face him directly, she said; "My Master has instructed me to tell you that your daughter is being held... hostage, to insure your future cooperation. You have his assurance that she'll be well treated, and that you will be periodically able to communicate with her." Xylex scowled; "Why you insolent little... SLAVE, how DARE you!" Tanj was convinced that he was about to leap, to take out his frustrations on her personally, but was determined to back down. From the look on the officer's face, he probably would have joined in, but just then there was the high pitched whine of an energy weapon being charged from somewhere among the pirates... Thinking better of it, the officer put a restraining hand on Xylex's shoulder; "Sir, don't throw your life away; I'm sure they'd like nothing better than to kill you, now that the ransom's been paid. Besides, with you dead, who knows what they'd do to your daughter!" Xylex shook off the officer's paw, and with a growl, turned back towards the airlock. Just before he ducked through, he turned to look directly at Tanj, a glare full of hate; "I won't forget you, you can count on that!" And with that, he was gone. The Elysium troops backed through the airlock, keeping a careful eye on the pirates. The ships separated moments later, the Elysium destroyer raising shields and taking evasive action as if the Pirates would attack at any second. The cruiser however, simply cloaked (much to the surprise of the bridge crew of the Destroyer).

After they'd docked at the pirate's asteroid, Tanj made her way down to the residential section. There, she found Wanda sitting on the bed of a modest room, apparently very bored. Wanda looked Tanj up and down, her eyes wide at the wild costume. Tanj just grinned and turned to show it off; "Like it? First thing resembling normal clothes that I've worn in years, and I have no doubt tomorrow I'll be back to my usual". Wanda just shook her head; "Now you really look like one of these pirates. I would never have believed it... So, when do I get to go home? Daddy settle the ransom yet?" Tanj sat on the bed, and looked at Wanda; "I'm afraid I've got some good news and bad news on that subject." Wanda nodded her head slowly, as if all her fears had suddenly returned; "Whats the good news?" Tanj grinned; "The good news is that you don't have to go to that boarding school after all, although you don't get to escape school entirely." "And the bad news?" Tanj sighed; "The bad news is that the boss has decided to keep you here as a hostage, to make sure your father behaves. As long as you're good, you'll have the run of the place, with a few exceptions. You'll attend school, just like all the others Of your age on the station, and like everyone else, you'll have some duties to perform. I can offer you a job in either Child Care, or in Medical. And you'll be paid for your work too (although I'm afraid the nearest mall's quite a ways away). The boss has assigned me to look after you, to keep you out of trouble (now there's a hoot!), but aside from that, you'll be pretty much on your own. Oh, I guess you'll be on your own more than that; I'll be gone for a month it seems... uh, if you have problems, go find Zassa, I'll ask her to check in on you..." Wanda looked at the wall for a long time before finally saying; "So whats the down side?" Tanj's mouth opened and closed, speechless. Wanda grinned and moved to give her a hug; "Daddy never let me do ANYTHING; this place should be fantastic in comparison! Can I look over the child care and medical jobs before I have to make a decision? OH! and are there any good looking boys my age?" Wanda rattled on for some time as Tanj tried hard to keep up, amazed at how she was taking it...

Tanj had arranged for Hinoki to work as a sensor tech, in the mining side of the operation, at least to start, and for Zassa to work in supply. They were "entry level jobs", but she was sure they'd both shine, eventually. As they huggled good bye Zassa asked Tanj what happened to the servants, retainers and guards that the bigshots had with them. Tanj shrugged and replied that the bigshots apparently didn't want to ransom them as well, so the Pirates did what they always do; sell them to the highest bidder, on the Slave market. "What almost happened to YOU!" she grinned. As she hugged both Hinoki and Zassa, not wanting to leave, Tanj continued; "'cept for that big Tiger who liked to treat you so mean. I put in a word with the boss; HE got sold to the Academy. As a slave. Let him get a taste of his own medicine!" Zassa pulled back to look at Tanj, her eyes perhaps a little sad, perhaps a little amused; "You DIDN'T!" Tanj grinned and kissed her "I did, but now I've got to go. Take care of Wanda for me, and take care of your selves too!"

Having made all the arrangements she could for their well-being over the next month, Tanj reported to the airlock where Jenka's ship was docked. She'd changed back into her metallic fabric dress, but she could tell by the look on Jenka's face as she rounded the corner, that she probably wouldn't get to keep it... Jenka and the Lion were standing by the airlock, talking quietly, both turning to look at Tanj as she approached. It looked as if Jenka was forcing her face into a frown; "You're late!" "Uh-oh" Tanj thought; "I think I've been set up; the Lion didn't TELL me when to show up here, just to come when I had everything done..." Shooting a dirty look at the grinning Lion, Tanj knelt at Jenka's feet, head bowed; "Forgive me, mistress". Jenka petted her head for a moment and grinned at the Lion; "I'm glad she hasn't forgotten the proper way to behave; I think you're entirely too lax with her!" The Lion just grinned and shrugged; "To each their own; as long as she obeys me, thats all I'm really interested in." Turning to Tanj, his voice got sterner; "I'll forward instructions on the joint operations to you. I expect you to coordinate the activities, and in that I will accept nothing less than perfection!" Tanj gulped and nodded. As she was looking at him, Jenka bent over and attached a leash to her collar; a short tug bade her rise to her feet, and then she was led through the airlock and into Jenka's ship.

The new slaves were kneeling in the courtyard of the Academy, awaiting their "introduction lecture". A Wolf guard, slowly moved down the line of kneeling slaves, looking them over, idly slapping his thigh with his riding crop. Suddenly he stopped and turned, to retrace his path a few steps. Using the tip of his riding crop to raise the chin of a large male Tiger, his eye widened with surprise; "YOU! What are you... I thought... WHAT HAPPENED?????" The tiger grinned up ruefully at his old partner; "Tanj happened"...

This story is a work of fiction, and any resemblance to any characters, living, dead or imaginary is purely a coincidence. Tanj and these stories are copyright Kittiara's player, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000. Kittiara can be found on Furrymuck; telnet 209.100.167.128 8888. Hinoki, Zassa, and Jenka copyright their players, also to be found on FurryMuck. Mark is copyright Ann'katar, also of FurryMuck. Comments, suggestions, or flames can be directed to ha_seng@hotmail.com.