Chapter 1 of Asses & Adept, sequel of Be Prepared on SOL

[Han van Meegeren]

The job was to take 8 pre-pack specials from Earth. There was only one ship available. It had not been used for good reasons since, well… since forever. The Somnambulist needed a crew of 13, but HQ said 5 would be enough for a quick snatch, full dash. On their way back, HQ ordered them to change course to Zorath-1, 52 weeks away from Earth. And the tension increased every single day for Drew and his concubines.

Here is chapter 1. Rest will follow as I am writing it.

Sponsors and concubines filled the hangar bay. We were both handcuffed, Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson and I, with our hands behind our backs. An excited murmur filled the room. Sgt. Vic Barrett called for silence. No one wanted to get in her bad books, so it wasn't long before you could have heard a pin drop.

 

“As if we didn't have enough problems on this voyage, Mr Giraut has taken one of Mr Bronson's concubines, Elena, as his own. It's a golden rule here on board that the sponsor only concerns himself with his own concubines and leaves those of other sponsors alone. Mr Drew Giraut has admitted to stealing Mr Bronson's concubine and has no intention of returning her to her rightful owner. If it had stopped there, we have procedures on this ship to deal with such offenses. The crew and the other sponsors would have distributed Drew Giraut’s concubines among themselves, and they would have recycled him.”

 

“However, Mr Bronson — by his own admission, as an act of revenge — raped Mr Giraut's concubine, Aislinn. Several witnesses have confirmed this. This has resulted in death threats from both sides. Given the difficult and extraordinary circumstances we currently find ourselves in, and the urgent need for every man and woman to reach Zorath-1 in one piece, I urge both men to reconcile their differences. If Drew apologises to Cade and returns with his concubine, and Cade apologises for what happened with Aislinn, then we can resolve this conflict peacefully and maturely. However, we cannot and will not continue with two men who are out to kill each other. We work too closely together for that. We don't need to become friends, but we also don't want an atmosphere on board where people want to snuff each other out. Is that clear, and can we resolve this here?”

 

Sgt. Victoria Barrett placed her hand on my shoulder and, with her superior strength, forced me to my knees. "Apologise."

 

I swallowed. “I have nothing to apologise for. It's Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson who should be apologising. What I did was what any decent person would have done. What he did to Aislinn is the lowest thing a human being could do to another human being. He...”

 

“Enough!” the sergeant thundered. “Cade, is it possible for you to accept that your concubine has chosen another sponsor and wants to stay with him?”

 

“No way. He must die. And I will gladly kill him, slowly, painfully, and mercilessly. This nerd’s ruined enough, and this broke the camel’s back. And I will break his neck.”

 

“This rapist is a danger to everyone on this ship. No concubine will be safe if this is tolerated. The only solution is for him to leave this ship permanently and immediately. Dead or alive,” I said, seething with anger.”

 

“In that case, the protocol leaves me no choice. If both cannot live together peacefully, they will have to fight it out until one of them gives up. Preferably alive, with the promise to accept defeat, otherwise dead. Dead or alive, the loser's concubines will be divided among the crew and sponsors.”

 

“This is madness! How can you allow a fight between a trained soldier and a scientist? That is criminal!” Joyce shouted.

 

“Mr Giraut, please tell your concubine tot keep her mouth shut? This reflects badly on you again. This is a final warning to keep your concubines under control.”

 

“Joyce, shut the fuck up,” I said, suddenly tired. I didn’t need to hear that I stood no chance against that incredibly muscular bastard, especially considering his extensive background in combat training. I knew that. But there was no other way.

 

“You know what? After you surrendered, I will rape your ass, just as I did to that she-male of yours, and I will let you live. From then on your pussy will be public property, and everyone who feels like a piece of that soft white ass of yours can have a go at you.” Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson sneered.

 

Sgt. Barrett held up her hand to Cade 'the Blade' Bronson as if that would stop him. “That’s enough. We will handle this in an organised manner. Each participant can select two weapons they prefer for the battle. We prohibit guns because they are too dangerous for the ship. Before the fight commences, both participants will affirm their readiness to compete. Following that, the rules cease to exist. The battle begins tomorrow at 6:00 AM from the ship here in the hangar bay. The mandatory presence tomorrow of everyone on this ship for this fight should serve as a harsh reminder of your singular authority over your own concubines and to keep your hands off those of others. If we don’t, we'll kill each other before we reach Zorath-1. Until then, you'll each be locked in an empty pod so you can consider whether this is what you really want.”

 

I was escorted to a pod on the first floor. Just an empty pod with the bare essentials. Of course I knew I didn’t stand a chance of surviving this fight. This guy was a fighting machine. But I would not give Elena back to him. I do not know how people could watch this… person treat his concubines, but I couldn’t live with myself if I stood there and did nothing. I don’t believe my death tomorrow would benefit her, as the sponsors would probably return her to Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson.

 

How sad it was that just a few weeks ago we'd boarded the ship with such high hopes and dreams for the future, and now look at us! I'd hoped my concubines would be divided among the two men I trusted, but that wasn't likely. I missed them more than ever tonight. I knocked on the door and asked for a pen and paper, but I didn't get any. When they brought dinner, I asked if I could speak to them one last time, but that request was also denied.

 

I'd never felt the need to watch TV shows about people on Death Row, but if I had, I would at least have had some sense of how to behave. Of course, I didn't sleep that night. Staying awake only caused me worry, but I couldn't relax enough to fall asleep. At 5:30, someone knocked on my door. Sergeant Vic Barrett came to ask if I'd changed my plan to commit suicide.

 

"It's not suicide, Sergeant."

 

"Oh, so you think you can win this morning?"

 

"No, that's highly unlikely. But that doesn't mean I can do something against my principles."

 

“Yeah, a man with principles,” she said as if that were the worst thing on Earth. Or in Space. “Come on then, let’s get you killed.”

 

Everyone was already present in the hangar bay. They all stood in a U-shape around an imaginary ring. Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson was already there in the middle.

 

“Although the duel is rarely used anymore, it is indeed an ancient ritual with fixed rules. The first rule is whether we can resolve this without violence. Cade, are you willing to apologise to Drew for the brutal rape of one of his concubines?” Sgt. Vic Barrett asked him.

 

“There is nothing for me to be sorry about. If you can’t keep your hands off someone else’s girl, expect the same to happen to you.” The rapist said like it was the most natural thing in the world.

 

“Drew, will you apologise to Cade and return the woman that rightfully belongs to him?”

 

“I can’t. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I did that.”

 

“You're both a disgrace as sponsors. When we so desperately need our sponsors in order to survive, you two are going to fight to the death. The duel is over when one of you is no longer alive or has surrendered. As soon as either of you shouts "surrender," I will stop the fight. The one who surrenders becomes the other's concubine. An old rule is that the fight must be held naked, undoubtedly to make wounds easier to assess. Strip!” The sergeant walked to the side, and Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson was already taking his clothes off. The guy was a muscle factory. My naked body looked like it was: the body of a man of science.

 

Like a tennis referee, Sgt. Barrett said: “On this table there are objects that are allowed in the fight. Each of you can choose two weapons. There are two of each on the table. Choose wisely.”

 

Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson took a long iron chain and a 60 cm machete from the table. Sharp points serrated the top of the machete. It's an instrument that gives you chills. It did to me, at least. I stood before the table where a second chain and machete lay, neither of which I had any use for. Besides a pair of brass knuckles, there was an assortment of knives on the table. I picked up the woodsman's knife, weighed it in my hand, and set it down again. Then I did the same with the other knives, carefully checking the sharpness of the point and trying to determine the blade's stability.

 

Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson started teasing. "It doesn't matter what you choose, you pathetic little professor, in 10 minutes your head will roll on the floor. Let's just get this over with."

 

I leisurely inspected all the knives again, holding them one by one. Finally, I chose two small but razor-sharp knives.

 

“Can I have one request?” Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson asked Sergeant Victoria Barrett.

 

She nodded. “It’s not unusual at this stage. If it is a reasonable request, we can accommodate it.”

 

“All of this is getting me really horny. Can I ask you to suck me hard? I would like to show all the women here what a proper weapon looks like.”

 

Victoria Barrett, the sergeant I had silently admired from the day we arrived here for her beauty and the calm she radiated, the ease with which this woman asserted her authority, which I had been completely in awe of, this Vic Barrett sank to her knees for Cade 'the Blade' Bronson, took his dick in her mouth and sucked him until he was completely hard.

 

“You are, of course, free to ask a concubine to do the same for you,” Sgt. Barrett said, looking over her shoulder, with her hand jacking the guy’s prick off.

 

I shook my head at my concubines, who were already about to walk toward me. I had no desire to break my focus. I knew that if he came anywhere near me, my chances were practically zero. I would have to deal with him while I was still out of reach of his chain. I would get one chance, probably not a second. Everything would depend on how he approached me. If he approached me like a boxer, leaping back and forth, agile as a ballet dancer, my chances were gone. The 'independent referee' in our fight took her mouth from the guy’s dick, a hard rod glistening with saliva.

 

I considered this a last wish, and I couldn't refuse. Both of you take 10 steps back, and the moment I blow this whistle, the fight begins. The sound in the background swells. A lot of encouragement for the rapist, my concubines made their voices heard for me in the corner behind me.

 

Her whistle cut through the murmur and the cheers. A duel brought out the worst in people, even before Roman times. Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson came toward me, a wide grin on his face. In his right hand, he ostentatiously swung the chain like a standard-bearer doing his tricks. He walked toward me with complete confidence. This was my chance. It had to happen now; later would be too late. I took the knife in my hand, slightly past the point. I was a skilled darts player who threw relatively heavy darts, but 32-gram darts were no match for this knife. I couldn't wait for him to get any closer; the moment he saw my throwing position, he would react. Fortunately, he was so self-assured, focused on himself, that he hadn't yet noticed I raised my hand.

 

I aimed for the largest object in front of me, right in his chest, preferably near his heart. I focused completely on my throw and then, with substantial force but also with some control, launched the knife at him. My eyes were a slow-motion camera following the knife's flight. I was afraid I'd thrown too softly and the knife would land somewhere near his feet. The chain almost caught the knife, but with a satisfying squeak, the sharp point struck him squarely in the chest, penetrating three-quarters of his body, hopefully causing significant damage.

 

Like a professional darts player, I already had my second blade in hand. Ideally, it would have gone straight for his throat, but given the uncontrolled movements, the chances of hitting my target this time were slim. Therefore, less than five seconds later, my second blade landed near the perfect marker I could have aimed for. No one expected the fight to end before the first blow was thrown, least of all Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson. He howled in pain and dropped his chain to pull the blades from his chest. Nice quantities of blood spurted from his chest. I was now defenceless against the machete, and all I could do was stay well clear of him, so I danced to the corner he'd just emerged from. With his machete in hand, he came at me, howling with pain and rage, leaving a trail of blood. I made sure not to slip on all that blood and ran for the chain he'd dropped. The wound in his chest had left none of the speed he'd displayed at the beginning of the fight. From a good distance, I wrapped the chain around his feet, and with a jerk that stung my shoulder, the bleeding lump of flesh fell to the ground. He lay gasping for breath, but still didn't give up.

 

The blood bubbling in his mouth showed that he would not recover. With a foot on his wrist, he had to let go of the two-foot-long knife. I quickly picked it up and dodged his hand that was about to grab my ankle. Without thinking, I lifted his penis off with a single blow of the machete. I'm not very proud of it and did it without thinking. The object that had got him into such trouble now lay idle on the ground beside him, and he was bleeding heavily from his groin. When a man is in so much pain, it's inhumane to watch him bleed to death. With a single stab of the machete, I put him out of his misery. I had killed my first human being.

 

Mentally and physically exhausted, I collapsed beside him, my legs no longer able to support me. My concubines surrounded me, trying to drag me away from him, as if he might rise at any moment and harm me. I vaguely heard the sergeant declare me the winner, and the room fell silent. Perhaps I'd robbed them of a good fight, but no one had told me it was supposed to be a fair, heroic fight, with Cade ‘the Blade’ Bronson ultimately emerging victorious.

 

“He never meant to keep me alive,” was all I could say to my girls.