Forging Alliances (Solhi & Zett Meeting)

The dark Jedi didn't need chains to keep Solhi under control.  He hadn't for some time.  Two years of enduring his sadistic games and mood swings had ensured that the young woman didn't attempt to defy him.  Recently he had grown accustomed to bringing her along on his trips to gather new slaves.  The man was a psychopath that took immense pleasure from watching those around him suffer.  It was on trips like these that he would test the extent of his control over Solhi.  Sometimes he would make her help him pick the slaves he would buy knowing what he would do to them later.  Each time it happened Solhi wished that she would die.  She lacked the energy or desire to even hope that the situation might be different for she knew it wouldn't be.

Solhi stared ahead blankly.  Her master was beside her, arm wrapped around her waist.  She knew that the slavers and her master were talking, acknowledged somewhere in her mind that that was what was happening but none of their words registered.  Her mind was blank, void of thought or feeling.  This tended to happen when she found herself in public with the dark Jedi.  At least at his home there was familiarity, something she could count on.  In places like this Solhi felt so overwhelmed that she usually shut down.  Only the gentle rub of the man's hand snapped her out of it.  The intimacy of the gesture made her skin crawl.  He didn't mean it.  He never did.  The kind gestures made her wary.  Yet at the same time some part of her clung to the kindness like a drowning man clung to a raft.  Her dark eyes turned to the hand but quickly turned away once she realized her master noticed.  The men continued to discuss business until something very unusual interrupted them.  The ship was docked and boarded. 

Solhi was whisked away to the holding where the other slaves were being kept.  It was the safest place for her, or that's what her master had believed.  She stayed huddled with the other unfortunate beings who found themselves the victims of trafficking.  Despite herself, Solhi searched the faces for Minsol's face but saw nothing.  From there her thoughts turned to what was happening in the rest of the ship.  She wasn't sure what to think, what to make of the situation.  She was not optimistic enough to believe this was a rescue mission.  Instead she believed that whoever was attacking the ship had even more sinister intentions than those who had held her.  Closing her eyes, she sunk to the floor and pressed her back into the corner.  She prayed to any god or entity that would listen that she would meet her end that day as painlessly as possible. 

From outside the doors Solhi could hear the slavers running to and from.  Something was happening, something bad.  She closed her eyes for a moment and hoped that the slavers would get rid of them quickly.  If other slavers got a hold of them there was no knowing what might happen to them.  Maybe the slavers would just open the cargo doors and let them float out into space.  Solhi imagined that such a way would be painless and quick.  I will get to see mother and father again soon.  I hope Minsol is there too.  Solhi slowly unfolded her hands and released her prayers to the universe.  She hadn't prayed in years but maybe these ones would be heard. 

"What do you think is happening?"
Solhi opened her eyes and glanced at the source of the question.  Most of the beings in the hold were young female Twi'leks, young ones at that.  The one who had spoken was close to Solhi and looked up at her with big eyes.  The others either stayed quiet or spoke amongst themselves using their headtails as a means of communication.  Solhi had never picked up that part of the language, but could probably guess what it was they were talking about.  Each one probably wondering what their fate might be.  Some still probably clung to the hope that they would be saved and returned home.  Soon enough they would learn the truth. 

The doors opened which caused all the women to start.  None of them dared move, but all of their eyes were fixed at the person at the door.  Solhi recognized him as one of the slavers her master had been speaking to.  She searched the space behind him for the dark Jedi but did not see him.  From down the hall Solhi could hear the faint sound of blaster fire.  Some of the other slavers must have been fighting off whoever had come onto the ship.  They must have sent the man ahead to dispose of them all.  She knew what was coming next.  Again she closed her eyes so she wouldn't have to see.  The first blast made her jump.  The screams from the other slaves deafened the other shots, only for them to be cut off one by one.  In her mind's eye she cycled through the faces of her departed family.  One of the women's bodies landed against her, squishing her between the dead weight and the wall.  A final shot rang out, followed by a cry but followed by nothing.  Solhi wasn't dead.  Slowly she opened her eyes and looked around at the bodies that lay around her.  Laying at the entryway was the slaver who had been sent to end their lives.  Solhi's eyes went wide as she realized that the man had been sent too late-- the invader was already here.

The new man wore Mandalorian armor.  Her eyes went wide and she shrunk underneath the weight of the dead body.  She hoped that maybe the man wouldn't see her.  She had heard stories about men like him and they frightened her.  Then the man did something quite strange.  He held his hands out as if in surrender.  He showed the survivors that he in fact did not have any weapons or intentions to harm them.  Instantly Solhi became suspicious.  If he wasn't there to take them as slaves for the market then what did he want?  He quickly made his rounds, gathering up the survivors.  Solhi was the last to be checked on.  She heard him mutter something under his breath. 
"They better hope for their sake they don't come in here again."
She started slightly but followed him to the door with the other slaves.  Solhi knew she wasn't in a position to refuse the man.  If she stayed he might hurt her.  He was probably acting kindly to them to gain their trust.  It would be easier to get the slaves to his ship if they didn't struggle. 

Solhi remained huddled with the other slaves, silent.  Her heart was pounding again.  The calm she had gained while she accepted death had gone.  Everything was out of her control and she had no way of knowing what would come next.  Where was her Master?  Her mind thought of a million different ways this could end and none of them were good.  Her hands twisted together until they were each white.  Through her haze of confusing and adrenaline-fueled anxiety, Solhi realized something. They weren't leaving.  If they weren't leaving why was he keeping them there?  She wasn't given much time to think about the possibility because the sound of what remained of the slavers running their way broke through her thoughts.  Solhi ducted behind the wall to get cover from the shots.  The other slaves joined her, screaming for fear their lives. 

Once the fire let up the group made a move to another part of the cargo hold.  Solhi stayed towards the edge of the group but kept close to them.  All the while she kept a look out for the man that owned her.  If he saw her running around with the Mandalorian he would be angry and probably punish her.  Once the lot of them were safe in cover the Mandalorian began to tend to their wounds.  Under his breath he cursed the slavers who had hurt them.  Solhi scowled at it.  He was really trying to sell them on his genuineness, wasn't he?  She would have preferred if he was straightforward with his intentions.  He then turned his attention to her, checking her body for injuries.  Probably seeing what I'll be worth.  As he got near she jolted back as if he were made of lightning.  His attention on her was short lived as he rushed out to meet what remained of the slavers who had been sent to finish them off. 

Solhi leaned back against the wall and rocked softly.  She could almost feel the hope of the other girls.  They'd survived thus far and maybe they would get to go home.  Solhi knew better, besides there was no more home for her to go to.  Not long after he had left the sound of an explosion was heard followed by the return of the Mandalorian. 
"Okay, our ride is here... I'm going to lead and make sure everything is safe for you, but we're trying to get back to my ship. I have some stuff there that might help the wounded, but can anyone first of all, understand basic, and second of all, any good at helping the wounded?"
There was a long silence as the Twi'lek women look amongst themselves and then finally back at Solhi.  The girl timidly raised her hand but kept her head bowed.  "I...I speak Basic," Solhi answered.  "And I know how to tend wounds."  She knew all to well how to treat wounds.  She had treated her own and the other slaves that passed through her master's clutches.  With this information, Solhi anticipated that the Mandalorian intended to use her to fix the other slaves before they went to other owners. 

Once again Solhi took the rear of the group as they made their way to the Mandalorian's ship.  All the while Solhi kept looking for her master but did not see him.  The ship shook from the attack of the 'back up' that had arrived to help the Mandalorian escape.  Solhi braced herself against the wall of the ship before rushing to catch up with the group.  She was the last slave on the ship.  Her eyes darted around the new ship thinking of ways to escape, places to hide from the man's wrath once it came out.  She was the only slave who seemed to share this concern, however.  Finally, her eyes turned to the armored man with a look of terror and distrust.  She did not trust him and she doubt she ever would.   

"Okay, can you help them?"
Solhi started slightly at his request but nodded. He walked right past her and into the cockpit of the ship.  Solhi stood there, frozen.  Her mind attempted to process what was happening.  Yes, she was probably going to be sold to another slave owner but she was free from her old master.  Perhaps her next owner would be better.  The thought made her feel warm and happy for a moment.  The ship jolting as it broke free from the slaver's ship snapped Solhi back into reality.  Her attention turned back to the situation at hand.  Her new owner, the Mandalorian, had asked her to attend to the other slaves and that was what she had to do.  Out of the corner of her eye she spotted a medical kit.  She pulled it down and brought it back over to the slaves.  Her dark eyes glanced around at the slaves.  Most all of them seemed to be fine.  They had all gotten onto the ship on their own.  However, she set to work tending to the various wounds.  Shep aid particular attention to the flesh wounds that any Twi'lek had sustained on their headtails. 

After applying bandages to those who needed them Solhi made sure that all the slaves were seated and as comfortable as possible.  Tending to the beings brought her some comfort.  It was strange that such a thing could make her feel that way.  Under the ownership of her master, tending to the slaves he tested only brought her suffering because she knew all too well that she was fixing something that would be broken again and again until there was nothing left of it to fix.  But maybe it would be different.  She had heard that Twi'leks sometimes got less brutal slave positions.  Maybe if Solhi made them appealing enough, made them healthy enough they could find that.  Maybe they could find something close to happiness.  Having finished, she sat down on the floor of the ship and looked at her work.  Everyone was mending and Solhi could feel that the other slaves were happy.  For now, at least. 

Solhi picked herself up off the ground and slowly made her way towards the cockpit.  She hung in the doorway like a shadow, not sure if she should approach the man or not.  Would he be angry for speaking to him when not invited to do so?  Solhi watched him for a moment before finding courage enough to speak. 
"Is there more I can do for you, sir?" she asked quietly. 

Anxiety twisted her stomach into knots as she waited for the Mandalorian to answer.  When he finally noticed her he nearly jumped out of his skin which in turn made Solhi jump just a little.  It was a reaction, afraid he might strike her.  No strike came and surprisingly he told here there was nothing he wanted.  Solhi knew this wasn't true.  Nothing in the galaxy was free.  He wanted something, there was always something for a slave to do.  Maybe the man was new to owning slaves, it might explain how he interacted with the other women.  He removed his helmet and for the first time Solhi was able to catch a glimpse of the man.  He was handsome enough, but scrawny.  And young, most likely the same as Solhi.  It hurt her a little to think of how two people that were the same age could end up on two sides of the same trade.  She wondered for a moment what exactly he had done in life.  ".. You don't owe me anything." Solhi moved as close to the wall as possible as he got up and began to take off his jetpack. "Just tell me where i can drop you off."

I see.  So this is how you want it.
Solhi took a deep breath.  She understood what he was getting at now.  He gestured for her to follow him back to his bunk, all the while pulling his armor off.  Once they had passed the sight of the other women Solhi reached for her own belt, loosening it from around her waist.  All the while he peeled off his armor bit by bit.  When he had spoken to her his voice had been soft and kind.  Solhi had learned that some people liked to speak this way, it was some kind of make believe game.  It made the reality of sleeping with a slave more palatable.  It appeared that the man wanted to pretend they were friends, or maybe lovers?  Solhi wasn't entirely sure but his intentions were obvious.  It wasn't anything she hadn't experienced before and doubted this would be the last time. 

"I never had a taste for this slavery thing. As best i can figure i can drop the Twi'lek's off on Ryloth... none of them seem to be able to tell me any different. But Humans come from everywhere, so i have no idea where your home is."
His words struck a cord with her.  Home.  She didn't have one, not anymore.  Once they were both in the room she closed and locked the door behind them.  With shaky hands she pulled at her belt more firmly, pulling it from around her waist.  He still hadn't faced her yet and she took that moment to close her eyes and mentally prepare for what was to come. 
"I don't have a home," she answered him simply with as pleasant a tone as she could muster.  "But I'm sure you can find me one."  As he turned around she gripped the edges of her shirt and prepared to slip it off of her shoulders.  Solhi forced a smile, though it was obvious to anyone it was not remotely genuine.  "I'm ready when you are..."

"Wowowow ease up missy!"
Solhi stepped back, slightly shocked by his reaction.  She had expected that he might be a little shy since he had gone the role play route but it seemed like he didn't want her at all.  His eyes instantly closed and he looked away.  Solhi looked down and saw the long painful scar across her belly and quickly closed her shirt.  It was all she could do to keep tears from spilling over her eyelids.  She knew she wasn't pretty, that her body was a disturbing record of her master's psychosis.  Her arms wrapped around her middle and held her shirt closed as if it were the only thing protecting her from an awful chill.  When her eyes finally opened they darted away, averted in shame.  No, she hadn't wanted to have sex with him.  Not even a little, but somehow the fact that he had recoiled at the thought stung. 

"If you wanna thank me, just say so, you don't need to..uhh yeah... all that.  I'm flattered, really! But that is not what i meant at all!"
His actions still hurt but now he tried hard to meet her gaze, a gaze she begrudgingly held.  "I am serious, i'm not some creepy slave dealer! I just wanna take you and the Twi'Lek's home."  Again Solhi repressed the urge to cry.  Crying made her weak and she couldn't afford to be weak, not now.  He seemed genuine, something that Solhi hadn't seen in over two years.  Why would anyone be this nice without expecting something in return?  She tried to grapple with the idea but couldn't quite grasp it.  The idea of being free, which seemed to be what she was now, was terrifying.  There was nothing for her on her old planet.  No family to go to, no home, nothing but the burnt and salted remnant of what had once been her life.  Solhi closed her eyes and shook her head quickly.  She had no where to go, no one to live for. 
"I...I'm sorry," she said as she fumbled around to tie her belt around her waist again.  "...I...I don't have a home."  She added the last part quietly, refusing to meet his gaze again.