REBORN © BGM The boy's fingers twitched in an automatic wish to kill and claw at his restraints. From my vantage point, it was a delicious sight. I watched him steadily as he eventually decided to attempt neither. Not here, not now, with the Klingon's pain stick hovering next to his thigh menacingly. I realised that, for this rare instance, fear had won over his pride. He kept his features hard, however, snarling animalistically at the occasional rude comment hurled at him. He was just that. An animal. Long tousled hair draping over covered bronze shoulders, chin covered with a four day stubble and his slender body framed with useless rags. Nonetheless, what lay beneath the rebel exterior was clearly a pretty man, and the crowd did not fail to recognise this. Nor did I, OR the woman who now trailed a sharp nail lazily across the strip of flesh at his chest where the cloth was torn. He shivered in fury, his eyes dark and menacing, and the sight triggered a sharp wave of arousal throughout my body. I only clenched the bar tighter as the woman laughed. "Aaaah, it's _good_ to be back," she finally sighed, loud enough to address the whole audience. Bajorans, Klingons and Cardassians alike burst into a cheer, loudly applauding her. She smiled brightly and sashayed to the front of the piedestral with her usual promiscuous sway. I smiled at this, unconcerned that in my position she could not see me even if she'd happen to glance my way. "Again amongst you all, my loyal followers," she smiled, her eyes crinkling with false cheer. Only I could take note of it. "This is a momentous occasion my friends," she rattled on, and I took the opportunity to savour my kanar slowly as she went on to praise the Alliance's strength and power in overwhelming the Rebellion. I only listened to the interesting sections, specially when she finally mentioned the prisoners we'd captured. Depositing my glass on the bar, I looked up and listened, my lips still twisted in a smile. "The Rebels thought they could get away ... snatch luxurious freedom and wallow in it undeservedly. Well. They should have known better," she smiled, and all around me officers and civilians applauded and cheered. I merely watched, glancing every so often at the delightful man standing behind her, not bothering to conceal disgust and fury at the whole situation. I looked around me, and I was somewhat amused by the intensity of those whose attention were usually sparse. The Intendant was back ... it was a second chance to many. A fresh new start. "Traitor," she clipped, glancing at the man, "is a far too generous term for them. They have deliberately thrown away _all_ that we'd built for them. I offered them a chance ... and they rejected it. Well it's time we rejected theirs. I put it to you all, friends, that from this day on, _all_ Terran slaves are to be executed." A murmur of disapointement and bewilderment rose in intensity all around me. I too frowned, then looked back at Kira with a questioning look. She was holding up her palms to quiet the room. "People, people ... fear not," she smiled brightly. "We have an envoy docking soon to Terok Nor with a new shipment of working slaves." She held her lower lip in suspense, and everyone leaned forward in anticipation as she mouthed, "Romulans." Everyone cheered madly, applauding and clasping each other shoulders with stupid grins. I took a sip of kanar to imbue my lips, and finally deposited with a distinct loudness. The people next to me glanced reproachfully, but I ignored them. Tugging at my uniform, I smiled and addressed the Intendant with the full force of my voice. "Commendable Intendant ..." People silenced at this, and I only applauded solitary, deliberately mocking her. "Very commendable indeed. The Regent would be most ... pleased," I sneered. Astonished whispers crawled over the gathered crowd and Kira spent a moment searching the audience before she spotted me, staring murder. "You!" she finally blurted in a splutter of rage. "You were supposed to be--" "Dead?" I retorted with a magnanimous voice that rolled lazily. I almost smiled when she narrowed her eyes in a nervous twitch. She hadn't anticipated this ... O delight of delights. "Now, now Intendant ..." I continued, straightening up from my position near the bar. "Surely you must know that I am enterprising enough to ... take care of myself? " She looked away for a moment, verifying the crowd's reaction, knowing that most would be fools to remain completely loyal to her with my arrival. She had not anticipated this variable in her little illusory equation, and I simply sneered again, locking my hands behind me as I waited for the inevitable. "What do you want," she hissed at me, descending the stage and glowering at the patrons. "Go on!" she told them. "Disperse!" Reluctantly, they eventually converged in groups, speaking no doubt of this new enlightenment. I looked upon her with firm resolve. "Simple," I said with a cheery grin. "I wish to be reinstated as First Officer on this station, and furthermore ... I want him," I added, pointing at the young man now growling at his Klingon keepers. She glanced over her shoulder, then back at me with those usually effervescent dark eyes. "You could take my position," she tossed at me with a grim bitterness in her voice which I could only smile at. "Why your old post?" "Oh I don't know ... let's just say I enjoy leaving the responsibilities to you my dear," I chuckled, patting her leathered ass with a deliberately slow hand. She moved to shove me off, but thought better. I studied her face carefully, and caught the glimmer of lust I'd become so used to. "Besides," I added, pacing forth to ascend the stage. "My position DOES afford some ... interesting venues of entertainment," I drawled, pausing before my new slave. He allowed himself to glare at me for one moment before resuming his fruitless struggles against the steel-grip of the Klingons. I chuckled and turned to face the Intendant, her features now looking absolutely ravishing shadowed as it was with irritation and underlying arousal. Yes, indeed ... it _was_ good to be back, was it not? The party lasted not much longer following my interruption. Such a shame that my arrival had caused such a ... downcast of emotions. I thought of this as I played idly with a lock of my slave's freshly cleaned hair, watching the stars idly as he remained chained next to me, kneeling beside the bed where I lay. I turned to him then, tugging the lock so that I could speak to him more closely, and of course indulge in a much anticipated scrutiny of his evidently celestial features. "What is your name?" I whispered, my eyes roving about his bronze face with the curiosity of a child upon looking over his new toy. He derided me with his eyes, and spat out his name like an insult. "Julian." "Julian," I rolled the name over my tongue, licking my lips in the process. He looked away in disgust, and I chuckled. I let go of his hair to lay back more comfortably, watching him steadily from my vantage. "You know there is no escaping this life anymore my sweet ... might as well live and enjoy it. Makes it much simpler, you know." His eyes held pure jevonite as he stared back at me through the curls framing his tanned face. His sculpted lips parted to utter words, but all he managed was a mute curse. I laughed at this and slapped his cheek as I would an infant. "I have years to teach you," I said, enjoying the light of terror that briefly cast shadows to those refined lips. Yes - years. Ah my love ... what a life you and I shall lead. I leaned back against the headboard, and considered all the wonderfully sadistic things I would bestow my new vassal, basking in the shadowed stare he offered me from the side of the bed. As I drifted to sleep, I smiled, hearing only the soft ching of his chains as he moved relentlessly. END