First in the Asteroid 6969 series

"…In the outer reaches of the Crab Nebula, in a godforsaken corner of the sprawling Milky Way galaxy, lies Asteroid 6969, depleted of its resources. Those who can afford to leave have gone. The town has become a den of iniquity—law and order have vanished. Travelers are advised caution when entering the area. The Federation has removed Asteroid 6969 from its jurisdiction. Anything that happens there is your own problem…"
- From The Revised Galactic Dictionary, section fifteen "Asteroids", appendix A

As soon as Captain Lance Rocket arrives on Asteroid 6969, he knows he's going to have problems. Not because of the bath in the bordello, but because of an auction. A young woman had been auctioned off to the highest bidder. The winner, some sadist pirate, is torturing her on the other side of the wall. What can a space captain do? He gets out of the tub and, stark naked except for his stun-gun, breaks the door down. And sees Heidi handcuffed to the bed. She's naked. She's got huge gray eyes, red-gold hair, and a body to damn a saint. Now he's really in trouble…