Captain James T. Kirk cursed himself for not seeing this situation coming as the diplomat, Vern Davis, had wanted to know so much about the Enterprise, far more than diplomats usually asked. Davis had been a starship captain a few years ago then turned diplomat. He said he was interested in the changes made to the ships. How fast it could really go, how many people it could carry, its armaments. It was all fitting into place now. He would have the Enterprise, he would use the unrest in the area as a reason for staying here when all the time that unrest was controlled by him. Supplying the demand for whatever from off planet for a profit. They had talked about the planet Lanner and its customs, especially how they controlled law and order by slavery. The only time off-worlders were enslaved was if they went into sensitive areas or restricted areas without permission from the council. The area he was arrested in was a restricted area but the map that Davis had shown him had it as public domain. He had been arrested, his hands tied tightly behind his back, and taken before thirteen Lanner officials. Davis had been there and he had seen a slight satisfied smile on his face before his professional persona returned and Davis had simply said it was an unforgivable error and that the Federation and Starfleet would not interfere with their laws and means of punishment. When he had tried to speak he had been slapped so hard several times that only the two men holding him up kept him from falling and a gag had been pushed into his mouth. He had vainly struggled against the men as the guards pulled him away towards the massive official who had claimed him.

So clearly he remembered seeing Davis smiling as he watched, saying he would take command of the Enterprise if necessary to ensure there was no interference from the crew. He saw Davis joking with the two officials who filed the official claim against him, saw them handing Davis something before Davis had looked back at him and smiled, "Starfleet has trained it to obey. It will make an excellent, possibly even an exceptional, pleasure slave. It will be an asset in your breeding plans. You will find it is well endowed." The massive official had slapped him again to make him pay attention, "I will mate it with the three female you got me as they have produced good stock and with its physical lines there will be a big demand." the others had all laughed as the man had reached into his pants and laughed as well when he said, "Oh, it most decidedly feels like it is more than well equipped to do the job."

The man had stripped him, bound his elbows and hands behind his back, put a collar around his neck, and fondled him in front of the others, laughing and slapping him again when he tried to move, "Behave! It has been a long time since I had a slave with such spirit." Kirk saw Davis laughing with the others as the hands continued their task and he struggled to remain still, "Yes, I will enjoy this one in so many ways. It will please me in bed and I will mate it with all three of the females you delivered two years ago as they will produce good stock." With great delight the man lead him out of the building and along the crowded street to the civic centre where he paraded him on a stage, "This was found in a restricted area and is mine now. I shall enjoy it first and if others wish to later they may come and see me. As you can see it is young and fit so there will be years of entertainment and enjoyment for all. It will be a good stud for the appropriate stock."

Stock. The word had rung in his head. Also being referred to as an it.

After a long walk along the way to the official's home the official had stopped and allowed him to be felt and fondled. He heard many talking about using it as a stud, of borrowing it for a night's entertainment. Either the man or the person he was speaking with would be touching him whenever they stopped. He saw other male and female slaves being treated the same. It was no wonder the crime rate on Lanner as there could, in his mind, be nothing worse than being legitimately treated as an object to be used and abused at the whim of another, of having no rights and not even your body being your own.

When they arrived at the official's house another man came up to them and looked at him, systematically and thoroughly rubbed his hands all over him, removed the cloth from his mouth, examined his mouth, pushed a smaller more foul tasting cloth into his mouth, then looked at the official, "Top quality stock, good responses. To add to the excitement of owning such a one tonight let it see what is in its future, let it watch how it will serve you. I will select a suitable example. I have found that there is something in them seeing what their life is to be that makes the first time all the more enjoyable as they resist more."

"Good. I will trust your decision. Clean this one and prepare its place then bring it to my room. This will be a most enjoyable and entertaining evening."

The man who led him away from the official clearly had handled slaves before as he was rough, thorough, clearly thought nothing about the discomfort and pain he was causing, and knew exactly how and where to strike to ensure a slave did not try to talk or to move. Almost before Kirk had realized what he had done the man had untied his arms and hands only to tie his wrists together, secure a hook to the cord binding his wrists, and raise him off the ground. "You are now a slave, get used to that idea. You will move only when told to and you do not speak unless it is to answer a question. You live only because you serve some purpose to your master. Your master can hurt, maim, or kill you for any reason at any time. Who and what you were before means nothing. Nobody will come for you. Nobody will help you." All the while the man had been talking he had also been thoroughly washing him, removing the gag and keeping his mouth open to pour some foul liquid in that he was made to swallow as the man laughed as he stroked his throat. The water had been very warm but the oil that was massaged into him was even hotter. "You will get used to your routines, such as this. It will take time but you will learn to sleep where and how you are kept when your master does not want your services. Your body is now his. There are clear indications you have taken great care of it so you will be treated well as such a body will certainly please your master in many ways."

There had been something in the liquid for he had felt himself getting weaker and realized that he could not really remember the man untying his arms nor securing them over his head. He also wondered why he could no longer feel the ground beneath his feel. "During the day, while you await your master's summons, you will be here as you are now. Here and only here will you be fed, have your systems cleared, be thoroughly washed, and wait. There will be some days when you will be too busy entertaining your master to be back here and other days when you will be as you are now all day. There is a special place in his room for you at night once he is finished with you. I must go as your master wishes to give you a demonstration and I know of the slave that will serve well to show you your duties to your master."

"Spock!" in a moment of pure fear and panic Kirk had mentally screamed out to the one person who could possibly have helped him and immediately regretted it. This was a hands-off planet. He had to control his mind as he could not, would not let that better part of him go through it too. There was no doubt in his mind that the Vulcan would have suspected something by now but with all that was at stake he had to know they were pawns in the chess games of others. Mentally he tried to think of when he had been in a worse situation and could not and did not allow himself to remember all the places they had been where slavery of some sort was still widely practised.

"It is time for you to see how you life will be from now on. You should know that this slave is experienced as it has survived six months as your master's main pleasure slave. It is regularly used five nights a week and if your master has visitors it may be two days before it returns here. I remember when it first came and had promise and now it is spent. It still performs its duties but I can tell the master tires as there is no challenge. You have a body that will please your master longer and satisfy his needs and fulfill his many fantasies. You will challenge him, it is in your carriage and in you. I will ask if I may be present when he claims you the first time as, although he is an expert at claiming even the most challenging of slaves, I wager you will give him a real fight before he claims you." The man pushed him and when Kirk looked up he saw a series of tracks and that the hook was connected to the track. The man spanked him and laughed, "Makes it easier to move slaves around. You will welcome it, not having to move, after you have properly served and thoroughly pleased your master."

In the room the council man had smiled while the man placed him where he would be able to see all that happened in the room, "This will show you what you will become." What he had been made to watch and hear that night chilled him deeper with fear and dread more than anything else he had witnessed. It had that impact on him, he knew, because he was seeing his future life. To know that the rest of his life he would be as abused and used as much as that young man had been terrified him to the core, knowing there was no escape, knowing there was no hope, knowing they would keep him alive, and knowing that there was no way he could kill himself.

While the slave who had been used lay moaning and shaking while curled in the fetal position the council man had come over to where he hung and smiled, "I look forward to so properly introducing you to your new life tomorrow night. As you saw in future you will have other things in your mouth but the gag stays in tonight. For now you need to sleep. Get used to sleeping as you are as during the night I may wish to look at you in your glory. Tomorrow night you will be caged," he had pointed to a cage that had shackles in the four corners, "and able to sleep better but for tonight you sleep there."

The rest of the night had been almost unbearable and his mind kept repeating so many things. He was extremely uncomfortable, he kept hearing "Nobody will come for you. Nobody will help you." and, although he had always thought he would die alone, it was not like this. Several times during the night he thought of his ship, his friends. He knew that it would return as there was an officer McCoy had left on the planet for total rest but he also knew they would not know where he was and even if they did there was no way they could get him off the planet. Special permission had to be given for people to beam up from the planet or down to the planet. All items were to be scanned. He would have to not think about that, of them being so close.

A stream of cold water jolted him into full awareness and he saw the council man looking at him and smiling. "You will accompany me to my office as you are." The man clipped a leash to the collar around his neck and laughed, "I will lead you around for some exercise first as well as to show others your assets and see how many others have fit mates for you. Your issue will not know you as it is custom to remove the issue from the parents as soon as possible and to raise them as true citizens of Lanner. We are a civilized people and only those who break our laws become slaves, not their issue nor their family. We do not imprison or kill our criminals, we simply enslave them and use them when and how we please. Our only two laws with regard to slaves are owners cannot kill them without full council approval and a slave cannot be owned by their own family nor the family that was wronged. While I am from true citizens of Lanner my wife is the offspring of a slave and our children are true citizens."

Although it had been early in the morning there were many people out, some also walking slaves, others with their children. Kirk noticed how the other slaves were all naked and led around carrying things like pack animals. From how even the young children behaved it was natural and accepted that there were owners and slaves and slaves did not need clothing as they were things and not thought of as beings. A few of the people stopped to talk with the man and he allowed them to fully examine him while he examined their slaves, smiling when he saw how he did not like being touched the way most touched him and often the man would smile as he saw the enjoyment the others were getting and his obvious discomfort.

"Nobody will come for you. Nobody will help you." Kept echoing and taunting him.

In the man's office was a slightly raised platform in an alcove that the official had him stand on with his hands above his head and his feet apart. Very slowly the platform started to turn and the dark walls vanished so that those walking by could see him. "You will stay there. And you will stand still no matter what is done to you. How you are treated tonight depend on how you act today."

Clearly having him on display as he was had caused a stir and people were coming in to see the councilman throughout the day, briefly chatting with him before they would come over and talk about his assets and when he would be ready for stud work. He had heard the payments to be made and found he found it a curious way to think of one's value in terms of physical objects.

Mentally he stopped being aware of the people after the sixty-ninth. It was all hands, words, noise, services booked. Slaps, pinches, rubbing, pokes. Model, entertainment piece, stud, thing. Laughter, giggles, ohhs, ahhhs. While he had started to master some of the Vulcan mind control things Spock had been teaching him he knew he should have, as Spock had said, paid more attention to the correct methods. He could block out some but "Nobody will come for you. Nobody will help you. Nobody will come for you. Nobody will help you." kept repeating and repeating.

Time had no real meaning but he realized that it was late in the afternoon and the councilman was smiling as he shut the door on the last person to enter and started walking over to him. "You've not even been fully tested and yet you are a real earner for me. So many great offers for your various services it will be difficult to say no to any of them but I will want some time to enjoy you by myself. It is so good to know that I will be able to watch you perform when you are working for others as I do want to ensure they get good service. I have agreed to some of the matings as I believe it will be most interesting and entertaining to watch you in action. You seem the sort of stud who knows how to perform so it will be amusing to watch." Cold hands rubbed downwards from his chest and Kirk steeled himself for what was to come.

Without knocking a man with even more than a mere suggestion of a man used to working with slaves walked right in and up to the councilman, pointed a finger at Kirk and said, "I am here for him."