Spoil of War

One man’s prize is another’s nightmare.

When Briar’s partner Kai returns from the Federation’s latest skirmish with a handsome prisoner in tow, Briar is both envious and wary. It is common knowledge that the tribespeople of Ganymede are violent brutes who delight in murdering and enslaving their enemies, and Dallan can be no different.

As an officer with the Federation’s propaganda machine, Briar has produced plenty of material to substantiate the need to wage war in the asteroid belt. Kai, for his part, has slain many enemies while on active duty and watched just as many of his friends perish in combat.

For a foe to save rather than end his life is unusual in the extreme. Sparing him the horrors of a prison camp seems like a fair exchange, even if the only alternative he can offer is thralldom.