Captain Jamie T. Kirk had just finished a successful mission: stopping a ridiculous civil war and persuading the natives that peace and federation membership was the best thing for them. The native ambassadors had done much bowing and smiling and complimenting and then they suddenly begged permission to present her with a gift to show their appreciation. She had accepted politely, not wanting to be rude, but regretted it a moment later when the aliens brought forth the "gift."

It was...a human man. A chained up, scowling, well-built man. Jamie looked at Spock frantically. She hadn't known this people group owned slaves. She would have never agreed to this if she had.

"Uhura, is there anyway I can get out of this and not look bad?" She whispered to the lieutenant next to her. Uhura shook her head slowly, making a face.

"I'm afraid not, Captain. We can give him his freedom back, though. The chains don't appear to agree with him much."

Jamie had to agree. She walked over to the man, standing sullenly between the two attendants who held the leash attached to his collar. Manacles were attached to his wrists and ankles. Disgust at the practice simmered inside of her as she examined the slave close up. He didn't show marks of mistreatment, but looked rather thin for his build: tall and broad-shouldered. He was clad in a plain but clean tunic and trousers. Fierce hazel eyes glared out at her from under his messy brown hair.

Meanwhile, the ambassador was pointing out the man's traits as if making a sale. "He is a very hard worker despite his sour manner. See this muscle!" He poked the man's biceps and gestured to his chest. "A fine specimen and he is yours, Captain!" He beamed at her.

Jamie mustered her most

diplomatic acceptance, and soon the Enterprise party and their acquisition returned to the ship. As soon as they hit the transporter pad, the poor man's knees buckled and he pitched forward, landing awkwardly on his hands and knees.

Jamie scrambled over to help him. Transporters could be tricky when one wasn't used to them.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, observing his nauseous expression. He closed his eyes, taking several deep breaths before he answered her in a rather breathless, rumbly, and very southern tone.

"It's unnatural. No one's atoms should be scrambled like that. One mistake and you're flying through outer space or whizzing around in pieces forever. Course I'm not fine."

He opened his eyes and stared at her, as if this was all her fault.

"Then there's the little matter of being passed around like livestock. Slavery's supposed to be illegal in the Federation."

He glared at his manacled hands. Jamie couldn't imagine what he'd been through and how a Federation human had ended up in this position in the first place.

"Scotty! We've brought a guest! Get your lock-picking stuff and get these chains off of him!" She called to the engineer.

"Aye, Captain. Right away!" Scotty called back.

The man had risen to his feet by this time and leaned against the wall, trying to recover his equilibrium. Spock broke the silence with a question everyone wanted to ask.

"May I enquire as to your identity and how you came to be enslaved?" The man looked at Spock warily, but replied.

"Name's Leonard McCoy. Up until three years ago, I was a respected doctor in Georgia. Then my wife left me and took everything but my bones. Woman went completely berserk. The people she hired to kill me decided to profit off me instead and I ended up in an Orion slave house. You can imagine the hellish place THAT was. I'm a doctor, not a whore."

He looked even more grim, eyes darkening with ugly memories. Jamie felt for him. She had seen the worst of humanity in her early teens and was forever changed by the experience.

Leonard continued, "Last year, even the Orion scum couldn't stand me anymore and I got sold to these lively individuals who so kindly presented me to you. They weren't too bad, comparatively." He gave a snort of derision.

Scotty finished with the manacles and Leonard began to rub his limbs vigorously.

"Thank you. It'll be nice to have my circulation back," he said gratefully, giving Scotty a more friendly look than any Jamie had yet seen. "This collar will come off pretty easily. It's a cheap leather imitation," Leonard added

"Glad to be of service, Dr. McCoy. I'm Montgomery Scott, chief engineer of the USS Enterprise. Welcome aboard." The genial Scot shook hands with Leonard who looked surprised at the last words.

"The Enterprise? Flagship of the fleet?", he questioned, eyebrow flying up. He turned to Jamie. "Then you must be..."

"Captain Jamie T. Kirk, at your service." Jamie smiled and held out her hand. "Welcome aboard, Doctor! You're a free man again."