"Do you, Captain Apollo, swear to uphold the law regarding ownership of pleasure slaves as well as the codicils that pertain to the slave being transferred?" Solon intoned.
Anton, who was also present, nudged Apollo, who seemed on the verge of making a politically incorrect response regarding those codicils. He shook his head slightly and looked significantly at Sire Uri. The portly Sire was smirking and rocking back and forth on his feet as he regarded the legalities with his beady eyes.
"I so swear," Apollo responded correctly.,
"And do you, Commander Adama, swear that you are transferring ownership of this slave to Captain Apollo of your own free will and under no duress?"
"I do," the deep voice replied.
"And have you, to the best of your knowledge, disclosed all facts concerning this slave, his background, and any constraints or limitations, physical, mental, emotional, environmental, or of any other sort."
"I have."
"Do you believe this to be true, Captain?"
"I do."
"This transfer is a gifting. Therefore, no benefit is being derived by you, Commander, is that correct?"
"It is."
"And you, Captain, are offering nothing of monetary or other value, including but not limited to goods or services in exchange for ownership of the slave?"
"That is correct."
"Then by the power vested in me by the Council of the Twelve Colonies, I declare that this exchange is valid and lawful and affix my seal to the documents presented here to so attest. If you would sign here, Commander?" Solon paused while Adama signed the documents. "And you, here, Captain." Apollo signed where Solon indicated. "Would you care to witness with me, Sire Anton?" Solon asked politely.
"It would be my honor," the elderly Councilor replied and signed with a flourish. "I shall be equally happy to add my signature to the emancipation documents when this nonsense is seen for the travesty it is."
"As will I, old friend," Adama agreed.
"And I," Solon said somberly, then smiled at the surprised looks he got. "Gentlemen, as Chief Opposer I will uphold the law without question, but that does not mean I must refrain from speaking out against it if I feel it's unjust."
Apollo nodded his agreement, then looked down as something brushed softly against his leg. It was Starbuck's head, nuzzling him.
***
"Thanks, Pleiades. I can make it the rest of the way myself."
"You sure, Bucko? You don't look very good." He dropped the leash and looked down at the bruised body. Uri insisted that Starbuck crawl home on his hands and knees. Pleiades thought that this time it was just as well; Starbuck couldn't have gotten to his feet and walked anyway.
"Yeah, I'm sure. I just gotta get cleaned up and dressed before my Master gets home. He doesn't like me lounging around naked and smelling of sex."
"I'm not supposed to just leave you, you know," Pleiades said, hesitating at the door.
"It's okay, really. My Master isn't like ... Master Uri. I couldn't displease my Master if I tried."
"I don't understand why he lets Uri..."
"Look, let's not go there, okay? I don't feel all that great, but I can manage." He paused thoughtfully. "Pleiades?"
"Decide you need my help after all?" the young servant said hopefully.
"Yes, but not with getting myself cleaned up."
"Sure, Starbuck. You know I'll help you any way I can - as long as the Sire doesn't find out."
Starbuck had settled on the floor lying on his side, his knees hurt too much to continue crawling or kneeling, and he knew he couldn't sit or lie down on either his back or stomach. "Believe me, I understand. He could make sure you never found work again if he wanted to. The man has too much power and he abuses it to boot." He chuckled and winced. "Sorry. Bad pun."
Pleiades shook his head. "I don't know how you can joke about what he does to you."
"Survival technique," Starbuck explained. Then he returned to his original topic. "If, somehow, his ... excesses ... came to light - through nothing you did, of course - and you were asked to testify to what you might have seen or heard in the course of your employment ..." Starbuck stopped. He knew he was risking everything if Pleiades was loyal to his employer. But Uri had lost control this time - the first time Starbuck and been with Uri since Apollo became his Master. Apollo hadn't even had the opportunity to meet with Uri to discuss a new schedule. Starbuck knew he was badly hurt, much worse than he was willing to let Pleiades know, and feared they, or at least he, was running out of time. He felt the need for a backup plan. Uri would pay, Starbuck was determined, even if he wasn't there to see it for himself.
"Would I lie for him?" Pleiades finished for Starbuck, thinking the injured man had paused to wait out a wave of pain. "No. I'd tell the truth. I'd tell everything I saw and heard. He doesn't own me." He reddened. "Sorry. Bad choice of words. His cubits don't buy any loyalty. They just pay for the work I do." He squatted next to the blond. "You're not all right. Let me get you into a bath and then a bed - you do sleep in a bed here, don't you?"
"Yes, I do. And no, thank you. I can manage." Starbuck rolled onto his knees and gasped. "Please, get out before Apollo - I mean my Master - gets home. I want to be fully clothed and under the covers so he doesn't see most of this. It just upsets him needlessly. I'll be fine by next duty cycle. I always am."
"Starbuck, you can't see it, but that belly wound doesn't look like just a bruise ..."
"It hurts like Hades, too. But I'll ice it and it'll be fine."
Pleiades stood and stepped towards the door, which slid open at his approach. He turned back and hesitated again. "You're sure."
"Please." Starbuck's face was white as he forced his body to obey him and rise to a standing position. Slowly he moved towards the turbowash. "Go. Now. I'll see you in a secton."
Pleiades had turned away again when he heard a thump and a weak cry. "Oh Gods! Starbuck!" He ran over to the fallen man and turned him onto his side. Blood ran from the slack mouth and dripped from the discolored penis. The blue eyes were vacant and staring.
"What have you done to him?" came a cry from the still-open doorway. "Starbuck! Starbuck!!" Apollo dropped to his knees next to Pleiades. "Emergency med alert!" he yelled in the direction of the Comm unit. "To this location immediately." Cradling the limp blond's torso in his arms, he turned to Pleiades and repeated, "What have you done to him?"
***
"Is he all right?"
"All right is a relative term," Dr. Salik, finally finished with all he could do for Starbuck, answered the question Apollo had asked every time the Doctor came out of surgery for a break.
"Doctor, all we'd like to know is Starbuck's condition."
"Ah, so you'd like the prognosis on your pleasure-slave?" Salik knew he was bordering on insubordination, but one of his favorite young pilots, although he'd never admit it, was teetering between life and death and he really didn't care about political correctness at the micron - not that he ever paid much attention to it.
"He's not my pleasure slave," Apollo retorted hotly, then immediately backed off. "Well, he is legally, but I don't use him ..." He trailed off, realizing the futility of his defensive response.
"Doctor," Adama said in a stern voice, "What is the prognosis for Lieutenant Starbuck?"
"Ah, the prognosis for Lieutenant Starbuck is what you want," Salik said in a voice dripping with sarcasm. "*Lieutenant* Starbuck can survive this attack if he wants to." He paused for that to sink in.
Adama sighed and shook his head. "Doctor," he said patiently, "We'd like to know the condition of our ... good friend Starbuck, as well as any information you can give us about his recovery - how complete it will be and how long it will take."
"Humph. Well, if you're going to get all legalistic on me, Adama," Salik began.
The Commander interrupted him. "We just want to know how he is and what we can do to help him recover."
"Freeing him and keeping him out of Uri's clutches would be a start." Salik had to force himself to say that. It was his expected response, but it didn't quite fit the definition of "in the patient's best interests", not after what Starbuck had told him. "All right, I'll stop the snide comments. Starbuck isn't out of danger and he's drifting in and out of consciousness. I'm not convinced he wants to survive this." That was all he could say without breaching doctor-patient confidentiality, and to Hades with the notion that slaves didn't have that right.
"But if he doesn't survive ..." Apollo began then didn't know how to finish the sentence. 'If Starbuck doesn't survive, I'll have no reason to go on living. True, but do I want to make a public announcement? If Starbuck doesn't survive, Uri won't be punished. Possibly true if no witnesses stepped forward, but since Starbuck was his only target, it would be a moot point. If Starbuck doesn't survive, it will be my fault. Now that was self-serving. If Starbuck doesn't survive, he'll die without knowing I love him. Well, we're back to public announcements - too late to do any good, too. Well done, Apollo.'
Fortunately for Apollo, Adama spoke up. "What can we do to convince him, Doctor?" he said quietly.
Salik sighed. 'There's not much you can do,' he thought. 'Now your son, on the other hand...' But again doctor-patient confidentiality prevented his saying the words aloud. "He's drifting in and out of consciousness, but he's lucid when he's awake. I think he can hear even when he seems unresponsive. So perhaps if you both spoke to him and told him ... how much he was needed, how much you want him back, well, if you're sincere maybe it will make a difference."
"Of course we will - and there's no question of sincerity - I love that young man ... as much as I do my own children," Adama said, hesitating only as he considered how the word 'love' might be misconstrued under the circumstances. "Apollo?" he prompted the Captain.
"What? Oh yes! Anything! He has to survive! He can't die," Apollo responded, coming out of his reverie.