Kadance

40a

"Tanker, Baron I'm Kadance. This is my security team."

Baron looks at her, "You're the one they were afraid of. They fired on your transport." She looks over her team incuriously until she sees Tommy. "Thompson!" She says as she recognizes him. "I thought it might be you. You are the only one ever able to override my programs. I thought you were dead. They said that Sigma is dead."

Tommy rolls forward, "Sigma is dead. I, Jayse," and he gestures to Jayse, "and Tanker are the only Sigma left and we're all redliners. The battle that took out Sigma took my arm as well."

"We've been looking for you since you disappeared," Lighten says, and Tommy gives him a dirty look for breaking in on his conversation. "I'm sorry that it has taken so long to find you."

"Baron, let me introduce you to my team. Tommy you know, or at least know of. Jayse is the team lead. Borden, Candlen, Rackem, Marks, Amgle, Dall, Dest, Mareton, Trader, Maren, Kelan, Sandlee and Colonel Lighten is with MI and is liaison with Adm. Jannsen.

"Kelan is our Medic, she's very good. She's managed to keep that scapegrace Tommy alive," Kadance smiles warmly at Tommy.

"Whatever, yes Kelan is very good," Tommy says with a bit of a blush staining his cheeks.

Kelan steps forward, "Where would you like to be examined? We can go back to the shuttle or appropriate a room here at the shuttle port or we can go back to Dunworthy Holdings." At Baron's shudder, "okay not the Holdings office."

Jayse speaks up, "There's a security room over there, would that be acceptable?"

Baron looks to Tanker and takes a deep breath, "Yes."

"We will remain outside with Tanker, would you like Kadance to accompany you as well? She's a nurse and can easily assist Kelan." Jayse offers gently not wanting to make Baron feel pressured.

Baron shudders again but nods her acceptance. They all move over to the door. Jayse summarily ejects all occupants, "Tommy turn off all recording devices for security."

"Done Jayse," Tommy says.

Kadance, Kelan and Baron enter the room. "I'm sorry, this will be pretty invasive. I need to see if there's any internal problems from the rapes."

"You can hold my hand if you want," Kadance says soothingly. Baron grabs and holds onto Kadance's hand tightly. Tears leak from her eyes.

"I couldn't stop them, I tried. The first time I managed to kill one, but then they took away my knives. Then they beat me to unconsciousness. When I woke up one of the bastards was on top of me and another had already finished, I saw him do his pants up. I don't know if more had gone before or not. I blacked out again when they hit me for fighting. Next time I woke up I was naked and sore, so very sore, I hurt anytime I moved. I think I passed out again. Next thing I remember we were on a ship and I didn't hurt so much. I could at least move without crying anyway. They came again that night. I fought the best I could, but I was too weak, too sore.

"When they left they called me a whore and said my food was my payment." Baron starts crying even as she continues, "Day after day this continued. The same five each time. I fought the best I could. I felt so filthy, I just wanted to crawl into the shower and scrub myself raw. Sometimes they'd take me in there to rape me. I wanted to curl up and die. Sometimes I vomited afterwards.

"Once we hit planet side they forced me to use my programs for security. That's when I found out they had civies here, prisoners. If I refused or didn't do it right, they'd rape the women and children, little ones. They'd make me listen and watch the first time I refused. The little girls cry haunts me. I couldn't stop my rapes, but I could theirs," she breaks into sobs. "What could I do?We're supposed to protect the civies."