Agent in Distress Ch. 01

This is a novel-length story with themes of fantasy, non-consent, plus a bit of sci-fi and mind control, set on a barbarian world of swords and slavers. There is a lot of setup so those impatient for sex may want to skip a chapter or two. :) There are currently six chapters, and will likely be 8 total.

Your wonderful comments motivated me to submit this to Lit, rather than a commercial site, thank you! Hugs, Tanuki.

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Space was a lot more exciting in the imagination, thought the young woman seated in the back row of the GWA transport ship.

Lana Torina looked out the portal with a sigh. Five years in the Telepathic Institute and she was finally getting to spread her wings and venture out to flex her newfound skills. But instead of flying in a sleek GWA gun ship, she was sitting in the passenger section of a plodding commercial transport, staring out the window at the blackness like a tourist. She knew if not for the war with the Rim worlds she'd never have become an Arbiter, for the Institute had started taking adult students to fill the depleted ranks. But still, she had proven herself, hadn't she?

"Would you like something to drink?" It was the attendant, a young woman probably no older than Lana's 23 years. Lana declined her offer and went back to staring out the window. She wore the dark gray cloak characteristic of an Arbiter of the Institute. The attendant was still standing there, looking down at the pretty brunette.

"You're a Galactic Agent?" she asked. Lana looked back up at her. The woman's expression said it all. The GWA had fallen on hard times, and Lana no doubt looked too young and petite to be an Arbiter.

"Yes, we are called Arbiters. I'm . . . still in training," responded Lana, smiling politely.

"Oh," said the girl, smirking slightly as she walked away. Lana frowned and pulled the hood of her cloak over her head. Young or not, she knew this mission was important for the GWA, or they wouldn't have sent her.

The transport made a special, unscheduled stop at the planet Dellune, a primitive pre-technology world, with rather barbaric cultural traditions, and off limits to anyone without special GWA credentials. It was a planet on which the GWA wouldn't spare a second thought, except that it happened to be the refuge of a renegade high-ranking GWA officer, who'd fled after his duplicity had been uncovered. Her government was seeking this man not just for justice's sake, but because he had broken the GWA's First Law, regarding interference with primitive cultures. The officer had brought several plasma weapons with him, and was reportedly using them to create an unstoppable empire on the planet. Lana was to capture him if possible, and if not, to eliminate him, by whatever means necessary.

Lana still had one year left before she could graduate from the Institute, yet she had exceptional telepathic sensitivity, equal to that of the Elders, what few were left. Telepaths had been the first targeted in the war, and it was another reason Lana had been sent to an uninteresting backwater planet. She could accomplish an important mission with minimal risk of assassination, and gain valuable field experience.

The GWA had already established ties with one of the leaders of Dellune. The background info she had been given described the world as primitive and violent, and Lana had noted with disgust that most regions still tolerated slavery. She knew she should try to understand their perspective, but the idea of people in bondage was simply incomprehensible. Her trainer, Elder Dyrra Orlova, had told her it was best not to judge primitive cultures - at least she'd said that when she was alive. Her master had died six months before, another victim of Rim assassins. Still, to honor Dyrra's wishes, Lana would try to keep an open mind.

The transport shuddered out of hyperspace and began to slow. They wouldn't be docking with a spaceport, for there wasn't one. Instead, the Alliance's local ambassador would be docking his small craft and picking up her up. The ambassador's shuttle was the only technology the Alliance allowed on the planet. Lana gathered her pack and walked up the aisle to the airlock, ignoring the amused look from the pretty flight attendant.

Minutes later, she walked through the airlock into the small cabin of the diplomatic shuttle, where the Alliance diplomat was waiting for her. Ambassador Max Veers was a slightly pudgy middle aged career diplomat, and he tried to hide his impatience as the Telepath walked into his ship. He watched the hooded officer stride confidently toward him and couldn't help a stab of fear. This Arbiter was obviously a female, from her diminutive size, but still she looked dangerous . . . and scornful. He wondered if this woman could sense that only hours before, he had pleasured himself with a slave girl.

Then the Arbiter pulled back her hood, and bowed in greeting. Max's eyes widened a bit in surprise as the hood revealed the soft features and bright green eyes of a young woman, probably no older than the slave girl he'd just had in his bed. Instead of scorn, the girl's expression was curious, and a bit unsure perhaps.

"Ambassador Veers, I am Lana Torina, Arbiter of the Galactic World Alliance," said the girl, her voice more pleasant than he'd expected. "I hope you are well."

"Welcome to Dellune, Arbiter," answered the diplomat with a broad smile that looked a bit too friendly. "I . . . was led to believe you were a student at the Institute rather than a full Arbiter . . ."

"Oh," responded the girl, embarrassed. "Yes, I . . . have a year remaining at the Institute. Nevertheless, the Elders have promoted me to full Arbiter status for this mission. I assure you I am quite capable."

"Yes, I'm sure you are," he nodded, motioning her to a seat. "So you are a Telepath. Uh, are you also a mind reader? I hear some Arbiters can do that."

Lana cocked her head slightly, "Do you have something to hide, ambassador?" She tried not to grin at the stricken look on his face. One didn't need to be an Arbiter to read him. Telepaths couldn't read minds in the classic sense, at least not any Arbiter she knew, but the ambassador didn't need to know that.

Max smiled awkwardly, trying to purge his mind of the amorous slave girl, yet his efforts only made the images stronger. With a nervous cough, he directed the young woman to her seat. He tried to make small talk. "Do you Arbiters always wear your hair in a bun like that?" he said, instantly regretting it. He didn't want to offend the young woman, and Arbiters were notoriously lacking in humor.

Yet to his relief she showed no anger, instead held a hand up self-consciously to her head. "Yes, we do. However, I let my hair grow out for this mission. The research I did said the women of this planet wear their hair long. I'm . . . not used to the feeling, so I tied it up in the traditional bun." Then the girl saw Max looking at her in a more than casual way, and the unsure look suddenly disappeared from her face, replaced by the calm, certitude of an Arbiter. "Is it a problem?" she asked, sternly.

"Oh no, of course not!" said Max, pulling his eyes away from her. "It is just a style I don't think exists on Dellune. No matter, uh, please buckle up for the journey down to the surface."

With his passenger strapped in, the diplomat piloted his shuttle down into the atmosphere of the planet. Minutes later the girl appeared at his side and sat upright in the copilots seat, to watch as they broke through the clouds. Dellune was a beautiful blue planet, much like Lana's home world, and she grinned with excitement as they flew over the lush green hills and bare mountain peaks to finally settle over a large bustling city. Max engaged the visual camouflage system, which would keep the shuttle invisible to the world's primitive people. Lana leaned forward in her seat to watch the bustling crowds as the craft dropped down silently into a walled courtyard that must have been what passed for the embassy.

Exiting the shuttle, Lana was immediately struck by how bright the Dellune sun was as it warmed her face and made her squint. She'd elected not to bring sun shades for her eyes, for the indigenous people did not have such luxuries, but she was starting to regret it. Lana pulled her hood back over her head, to protect her eyes from the sun. Her instincts told her to keep her identity here secret, for her target might very well have spies in Lord Khan's castle.

"Tell me about this planet, Ambassador," she said to Max. "You've lived here quite some time, how have you adjusted to the local culture?"

Max looked uncomfortable for a moment before regaining his composure. "It uh . . . takes some getting used to, but I've settled in well here. You may find their customs . . . a bit shocking."

He watched the young Arbiter carefully, but she showed no signs as to what she was thinking, she only nodded and looked away. As they walked out his front door, Max turned to his right, and Lana nearly stopped in her tracks. She hadn't seen it from the shuttle, but now facing them was the largest stone castle she'd ever seen. It's towers blocked the sun, and the walls they approached must have been three stories high. Lana marveled that these primitive people could build such an impressive structure, without gravity lifts and laser cutting tools. She turned to say something to the ambassador, but his eyes were not on the castle. Instead he gazed on a young woman who passed by, dressed in sheer, flowing gowns. Lana raised her eyebrows as she noticed bronze rings on the woman's wrists, and a similar one on her neck. "Good day, Master," said the girl suggestively, giving the ambassador a winning smile. Max looked as if he'd been stuck in the back by something sharp.

"Ambassador," said Lana sternly, looking up at the man beside her, her green eyes hard beneath the hood. "I trust you are not becoming a little too comfortable with the local customs? Need I remind you that you are still an Alliance officer?"

"Who, me? I . . . of course not!" stammered the Ambassador. Lana sensed deception, although she often did when men spoke about female companionship. To read more deeply into a mind required intense concentration, and she did not think it worth her time. In a moment he seemed to regain his composure and went on the offensive. "I hope you will remember you are a guest here, Miss Torina. You must respect their culture, and not impose your own cultural norms on these people." Lana opened her mouth to respond, but remained silent, her eyes narrowing slightly, and they continued on in silence toward the massive palace gates.

Minutes later, a stern-looking royal guard was escorting the two Alliance representatives through the stone corridors of Lord Khan's sprawling palace. Lana marveled at how large the palace guards seemed to be. Every time they passed another guard, they towered over her by a full head, and were probably over twice her mass. The guards wore colorful leather and chain armor, and carried enormous long swords on their hips. Few Arbiters at the Institute even bothered to train in primitive weapons, but Lana had always been fascinated by them. Some worlds banned firearms yet allowed blades, so she thought it was a useful skill. Her blade looked tiny compared to that of the palace guards however. Perhaps it didn't matter, for her hyper alloy blade would cut through their primitive steel like butter, or so she hoped.

Their stern escort stopped before a massive set of ornate wooden doors guarded by two more men in armor, and one man dressed in the bright green uniform of Lord Khan's palace administrators. The guard spoke to the administrator quietly, gesturing at the two, and then the man spoke, his voice deep and slightly accented.

"Master Veers, it is good to see you." The administrator was a little taller than Lana, and well built, and he smiled broadly at the ambassador at her side.

"Master Lamare, always a pleasure!" responded Max, genuinely. They appeared to Lana to be on friendly terms, and she watched as they exchanged hands and embraced, in what she knew to be Dellune custom. Then the man looked at her, frowning slightly, as if seeing something amiss?

"It was my understanding you were to send us one of your best warriors?" the man said, his voice unsure as he gestured at the hooded Arbiter. He'd clearly been expecting someone bigger.

"An Arbiter of the Alliance, our keepers of the peace. I'd like to introduce to you Lana Torina. Lana, this is Master Lamare, Lord Khan's chief administrator."

The man's rich blue eyes widened before he quickly recovered his composure. "Yes of course. Welcome to Dellune, Miss Torina. I hope you find your stay with us to be . . . pleasurable." Lana couldn't help noticing that the administrator was remarkably handsome, with the manner of a man used to getting what he wanted. And yet, he didn't seem the least upset that the Alliance had sent a woman, which surprised her. She responded with a slight bow, then spoke to the two men in a hushed tone.

"Master Lamare, Max, I think it best that my presence here be kept strictly confidential. I trust the knowledge of my visit has been kept within Lord Khan's inner circle?"

Lamare nodded and spoke in an official-sounding voice.

"Of course, we thought so as well. Only myself, Lord Khan, and Master Warrick, his Master of Arms, know the purpose of your visit. Let us go immediately to meet them." Then he looked at her apologetically. "Miss Torina, I'm afraid guests of his majesty are forbidden to bring weapons beyond this point. I ask that you surrender your weapons, if you have any. They will be returned to you upon the completion of your visit to the palace."

Max gave a little cough and turned to Lana expectantly. Behind the hood that covered her face, the young Arbiter was roiled in thought. She hadn't brought the plasma pistol she'd been trained so extensively on, and she was surprised they were concerned about her blade. She'd trained in the blade out of personal interest, for they were rarely called upon in the age of plasma weapons. An Arbiter was taught never to relinquish her weapons, it was foolhardy. But her mission was to bring this planet into the Alliance, and a refusal might jeopardize that vital mission. She turned to look at Veers.

Max could see her hesitance, and after a long pause, he leaned in to whisper to her. "Now remember, I am in command of this mission. Give me your weapons, please, before they get suspicious!" he whispered.

Still she was still reluctant. It was true, the Institute had instructed her that the Alliance's representative had full authority - she was not an Arbiter, technically, and therefore the Diplomatic Corps had been able to set the ground rules. She was to defer to the ambassador's wisdom whenever possible. Max was getting impatient, obviously eager to please his friend Lamare, who stood there waiting patiently. She thought maybe the administrator's look was a bit smug, his eyes a bit cruel, but she might have been mistaken.

"Miss Torina, you have been instructed to defer to my command, shall I report your disobedience to the Institute?" Max was beginning to sweat a bit on his balding head, and Lana found herself fascinated by the shiny drop of liquid rolling down his pale forehead.

She wanted to reprimand him for revealing too much before their hosts. But she didn't want to take the confrontational approach. Before the pudgy diplomat blew his top, she reached behind her head and lifted her dark gray sword along with its black composite scabbard. She held it in both hands and handed it to him. With one last angry glare in her direction, Max smiled and reached out, holding the weapon awkwardly. The palace administrator reached out both hands to allow Max to place the weapon into a velvet pouch. Then with a nod, the man gestured to the guards.

The two large men pulled open the massive doors, as Lana found her eyes drawn to their rippling muscles. The doors swung open to reveal a cavernous room dominated by an enormous elongated wooden table. At the far end, past a dozen ornate bronze and wood chairs on each side, sat three men, obviously having a discussion over a map laid out on the table. Seeing the doors open, the largest man stood and smiled, moving around the table to come over and greet them. As he approached, Lamare gestured for the guards to leave, then asked for the other two men at the table to excuse themselves, leaving the four of them alone in the huge hall.



The large warrior was even more imposing than the guards who'd just left, and Lana found herself marveling at his physique as he approached them in long purposeful strides. He was all muscle and power, and looked too young to be the king of this land, maybe 35 years of age. He also had a supreme confidence about him, and Lana guessed he'd never lost a battle. As he moved closer, she resisted the urge to pull her sword, before remembering she no longer possessed her weapon; instead she stood tall and willed herself to be calm.

"Welcome, master Ve-yars," boomed the deep voice from the warrior, mangling the ambassador's name. "My Lord is looking forward to seeing you again." He turned to look at the hooded Arbiter with an inquisitive look on his face.

"Who is your companion. Might I see his face?"

Max returned his greeting, and turned to look at Lana. With a nod, she reached up and pulled back the hood of her robes to reveal her face. The look of surprise on the warrior's face was almost comical, but he quickly recovered and smiled. She noticed Lamare, the administrator was staring at her curiously, but it was Warrick who spoke.

"Why Max, you did not tell me your companion would be a female, and an exotic beauty at that!"

Max chuckled. "Master Warrick, I'd like to introduce you to Lana Torina, from the Institute of the Galactic World Alliance. I have brought her here on a vital mission as I explained to Lord Khan."

He brought her? thought Lana. Shaking off her indignation, she gave Warrick a short bow, then froze mid-bow when she saw the look on his face.

"Max," said the warrior. "Is . . . this all? She is the one you brought to help us?" He seemed to realize how that sounded, and he smiled at Lana. "Forgive me, milady, I meant no offense, but we were promised one of the Alliance's greatest warriors . . . to help us in our cause."

Lana finished her bow. "I understand, Master Warrick. This is not a joke, I am here to assist you. I may be small, but I am quite capable, do not worry."

The warrior looked surprised, and then skeptical, flashing Max a look before returning his gaze to her. "I see. In that case, welcome, Lady Torina." He turned his head a bit as he looked at her. "Lady Torina," he said, "you look . . . Calambrian . . . yet your eyes are green, not brown. Are you from our world?" He was staring at her, perhaps at her hair.

"Calambrian?" said Lana, awkwardly pronouncing the unfamiliar word.

Max piped in, explaining. "Miss Torina, Calambrians are a people on Dellune who live far away, and are rarely scene here. They are considered exotic . . . the women are renowned for their raven hair, soft tan skin and . . . errr . . ." he paused.

"Calambrian females make some of the best pleasure slaves," finished Lamare for him. He was looking intently at Lana to see her reaction. When he didn't get one, he continued. "Their females are highly coveted in the slave markets. They are naturally submissive, exquisitely sensitive, and have skin as soft as velvet."

Lana broke out of her silence with a gasp. "And . . . you think I look like one of these women?" she asked, stunned that he would say such a thing.

Warrick was shaking his head. "Not really, my dear. Calambrians are shorter, have brown eyes, and they wear their hair long." He couldn't tell how long her hair was due to her bun, and he seemed disappointed.