Cover 8/27, PG-13 - Anakin, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ferus Olin, Yoda, Quinlan Vos, OCs
Disclaimer: George Lucas owns Star Wars. I just like playing with other people's toys. Oddly enough, I don't get paid for it. It's a tough galaxy, kiddos.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ryn hadn’t been crazy about the Podracing arenas on Malastare. They were filthy, dnagerous, and full of criminals. But at least they were mostly intact and hadn’t reeked of Hutt. This place ... not so much.
The races themselves she might have enjoyed, if the death rate had been just a little lower, or if she had been less convinced that the whole experience was rigged.
Or if she hadn’t been quite so worried about finding Cam.
She’d come because she knew Ziro had a stake in the obstacle races, and she figured that meant he’d have someone on hand, and she might be able to coax an invitation back to the compound out of this person. She’d thought that walking in with an invitation would be easier than breaking in through a window or vent.
But after only half an hour in Ziro’s company, she was beginning to revise her opinion.
She hadn’t had any noticeable success yet, but that wasn’t really the problem. Ziro’s thoughts were spilling all over the place, and Ryn was privvy to more than she’d like. He was very eager to have her come hang around his compound and look dangerous and expensive, so it seemed likely that an invitation would be forthcoming if she could just manage to stay put for a little longer without throttling him.
He was also anxious for her to take off her clothes.
Ryn wasn’t deluded enough to think that Ziro was attracted to her. On the contrary, she could feel that he found her as repellent as she did him. But surrounded with humanoids, Ziro had developed a fine eye for the trophy woman, and he thought she might fit the bill. She could almost see him ticking off the points in his head: “Young - yes. Fit - yes. Symmetrical features - yes.” He even gave her long black hair a favorable appraisal.
A young Twi’lek woman stepped forward and put a drink in Ryn’s hand with a calculated simper that Ryn felt sure wasn’t for her benefit.
“Compliments of Lord Ziro,” the Twi’lek murmured, headtails twitching. “Is there anything else you require for your comfort?”
Ryn probed gently and found a muted misery that suggested there were many places the Twi’lek would rather be. “Some company?” she suggested, trying to look friendly.
The Twi’lek nodded. “I can arrange that. What are your preferences?”
Ryn blinked. “My preferences?”
“Species, sex, and age.”
Ryn tried not to gag as her meaning sank in. She opened her mouth to explain that that wasn’t what she’d meant, then abruptly stopped herself. It wasn’t what she’d had in mind ... but it might be a way to locate Cam. At least it was worth a try.
“Ah,” she said. “Human, male, about my age?”
A hint of concern flashed across the Twi’lek’s face and was smoothed away. “Milady, these very young men, they have not always the control of a more experienced man. Are you --”
Ryn flicked a hand in what she hoped looked like bored dismissal. “My own age, please.”
The Twi’lek cringed. “Yes, milady.”
Ryn traced the Twi’lek’s progress back and forth across the room, making a mental note of each being she spoke to in order to question them later if needed.
Progress, she thought. And then, as one of Ziro’s atendants turned and gave her a fierce scowl: well, maybe.
~*~*~
Ryn waited about fifteen minutes before another of these attendants, a male Twi’lek with deep green skin and avarice in his eyes approached her.
“I believe milady has requested some company?”
Ryn, who had been watching pit repairs with a careful eye, turned and looked him over. “I didn’t request you.”
The Twi’lek bristled and then hid it. “Just so, milady. But for such specific tastes ... a trip to Lord Ziro’s palace might be in order.”
Ryn raised an eyebrow. “His palace?”
“Lord Ziro maintains a very fine house for those who wish to enjoy his entertainments for a few hours.”
Ah. So not the compound. It sounded more like a brothel. But if this lackey was willing to bring Cam there, security would almost certainly be looser than at Ziro’s compound, which could only help her situation.
“Of course,” the Twi’lek was saying, “such visits can be quite expensive.”
Ryn nodded. She had been expecting to spend hand over fist on this venture, and Evinne had prepared her accordingly. “Credits or ingots?”
“Ingots are preferred.”
“And how many would you consider appropriate?”
The Twi’lek named a sum and Ryn shuddered.
“I could buy a man of my own for that. Why should I give Ziro the same for a few hours of play?”
“Our boys are clean and well-trained,” the attendant said, lifting his chin in an all-too-human gesture. “And our rooms are some of the finest on Courscant.”
Oh yes. Definitely a brothel. “I’ll want to see what I’m getting first.” Because Evinne would kill her if she spent that kind of money without getting Cam.
“Of course. I will escort you.”
It all sounded terribly distasteful. Not to mention downright sleazy. With a side of evil. Ryn glanced back at Ziro and thought, A change is as good as a rest. “Let’s go.”
~*~*~
The brothel was a large, ornate structure that Ryn thought might once have been a hotel, lavishly overdecorated and apparently divided into regions according to species. Ziro’s assistant put Ryn in a parlor that showed a bit too much of Ziro’s influence in the decorating scheme and called for human boys in her age range to be paraded in front of her.
Ryn locked her memory of the holo Evinne had shown her in her mind and waited for Cam to turn up. But boy after boy entered the parlor and was presented, and to each Ryn made some objection. There were a lot of them, and as the time wore on and the attendant tried to conceal his impatience, Ryn’s heart sank.
What if Evinne was wrong and Cam was sold off-world immediately? Or maybe he was assigned to something else entirely ... kriff it, I need more intel.
As yet another sad-eyed youth left the room, Ryn turned and laid her hand on the attendant’s arm. “Forgive me, but these boys are all noticeably older than me. Do you not have any lads of twelve or so?”
The attendant looked down at her, trying to hide the irritation in his eyes. “We have a few,” he said, restraining himself with an obvious effort. “I must warn you, however, that boys of that age are ... ah ... unreliable in their performance.”
Ryn gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “That will not be a difficulty in this case, I assure you.”
The Twi’lek shuddered and went off to make the arrangements.
Ryn took advantage of the momentary privacy to activate her commlink and contact Evinne.
“I haven’t much time,” she said, when Evinne picked up. “I am in Ziro’s Pleasure Palace, and the attendant has gone to find younger boys, but there is no guarantee that I’ll find what I’m looking for. I think you should consider other options, just in case.”
“Forget that,” Evinne said. “You’ve got bigger problems. The Jedi Council is looking for you. Skywalker’s left the Temple without permission, Kenobi knows you’re gone ... and I’m pretty sure Ferus Olin is about to do something rash.”
“Ferus wouldn’t do anything rash if you paid him,” Ryn said. “Get Anakin back to the Temple before he does something rash.”
“I can’t,” Evinne said. “I’m too busy keeping everybody else off your ass. And Skywalker’s not answering his commlink. Get back here and -- oh, hell. I have to go.”
“Evinne?” Ryn said, but there was no answer, and she shut off the commlink and slid it back into her utility belt.
She went through six young boys with her best imitation of ennui, then told the attendant -- who was definitely ready to throttle her -- that she wanted to see something fresher. “These boys are all so practiced,” she murmured, flicking a hand at the door in a gesture that she hoped looked elegantly bored instead of slightly panicked. “They’ve been trained, you can tell. I want something ... different.”
“We pride ourselves on our well-trained staff,” the Twi’lek said, trying without success not to grit his teeth. “However, I believe we have managed to acquire a new boy just last night. He is still in processing, but if milady’s needs are urgent, I am sure I could expedite the matter.”
“Excellent,” Ryn said, clapping her hands with a hint of real relief. “I should be delighted to meet him. Do please arrange it.”
***
Anakin? Anakin, where are you?
Ryn? I’m in the ventilation system of Ziro’s compound. Where are you?
Ziro’s brothel, apparently. I don’t recommend it. Listen, get out of there. You’re going to get caught.
Get caught? I’m trying to help you!
No, damn it! I have things under control, for the moment. Ryn’s sense in his mind was harried. Get back to the Temple and do some damage control. I should be there soon.
You can’t order me around. I’m not --
Anakin, please.
She sounded -- well, felt -- so tired, so sad. And worried, about so many things he couldn’t pin them all down. Fine, fine.
Thank you.
Ryn’s presence faded from his mind with a last trace of warmth, more muted than it would have been a day or two ago. Anakin tried not to resent that, since the new distance between them was his fault.
That didn’t make it any easier to take.
With a sigh, Anakin turned and began to work his way back toward the exit.
***
When Cam was finally ushered into the opulent parlor, Ryn breathed a quiet sigh of relief and stood to meet him. “Hello there,” she said, holding out her hands in greeting, ignoring his resentful eyes.
Cam hunched his shoulders and glowered at her while the attendant looked on, worried.
“As I said, milady, he’s been with us hardly more than twelve hours. He’s not yet trained in the --”
“It is all right, Attendant. I assume we may be alone together?”
“Ah ... yes, of course,” the Twi’lek said, recovering quickly. “This way, please.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ryn hadn’t been crazy about the Podracing arenas on Malastare. They were filthy, dnagerous, and full of criminals. But at least they were mostly intact and hadn’t reeked of Hutt. This place ... not so much.
The races themselves she might have enjoyed, if the death rate had been just a little lower, or if she had been less convinced that the whole experience was rigged.
Or if she hadn’t been quite so worried about finding Cam.
She’d come because she knew Ziro had a stake in the obstacle races, and she figured that meant he’d have someone on hand, and she might be able to coax an invitation back to the compound out of this person. She’d thought that walking in with an invitation would be easier than breaking in through a window or vent.
But after only half an hour in Ziro’s company, she was beginning to revise her opinion.
She hadn’t had any noticeable success yet, but that wasn’t really the problem. Ziro’s thoughts were spilling all over the place, and Ryn was privvy to more than she’d like. He was very eager to have her come hang around his compound and look dangerous and expensive, so it seemed likely that an invitation would be forthcoming if she could just manage to stay put for a little longer without throttling him.
He was also anxious for her to take off her clothes.
Ryn wasn’t deluded enough to think that Ziro was attracted to her. On the contrary, she could feel that he found her as repellent as she did him. But surrounded with humanoids, Ziro had developed a fine eye for the trophy woman, and he thought she might fit the bill. She could almost see him ticking off the points in his head: “Young - yes. Fit - yes. Symmetrical features - yes.” He even gave her long black hair a favorable appraisal.
A young Twi’lek woman stepped forward and put a drink in Ryn’s hand with a calculated simper that Ryn felt sure wasn’t for her benefit.
“Compliments of Lord Ziro,” the Twi’lek murmured, headtails twitching. “Is there anything else you require for your comfort?”
Ryn probed gently and found a muted misery that suggested there were many places the Twi’lek would rather be. “Some company?” she suggested, trying to look friendly.
The Twi’lek nodded. “I can arrange that. What are your preferences?”
Ryn blinked. “My preferences?”
“Species, sex, and age.”
Ryn tried not to gag as her meaning sank in. She opened her mouth to explain that that wasn’t what she’d meant, then abruptly stopped herself. It wasn’t what she’d had in mind ... but it might be a way to locate Cam. At least it was worth a try.
“Ah,” she said. “Human, male, about my age?”
A hint of concern flashed across the Twi’lek’s face and was smoothed away. “Milady, these very young men, they have not always the control of a more experienced man. Are you --”
Ryn flicked a hand in what she hoped looked like bored dismissal. “My own age, please.”
The Twi’lek cringed. “Yes, milady.”
Ryn traced the Twi’lek’s progress back and forth across the room, making a mental note of each being she spoke to in order to question them later if needed.
Progress, she thought. And then, as one of Ziro’s atendants turned and gave her a fierce scowl: well, maybe.
~*~*~
Ryn waited about fifteen minutes before another of these attendants, a male Twi’lek with deep green skin and avarice in his eyes approached her.
“I believe milady has requested some company?”
Ryn, who had been watching pit repairs with a careful eye, turned and looked him over. “I didn’t request you.”
The Twi’lek bristled and then hid it. “Just so, milady. But for such specific tastes ... a trip to Lord Ziro’s palace might be in order.”
Ryn raised an eyebrow. “His palace?”
“Lord Ziro maintains a very fine house for those who wish to enjoy his entertainments for a few hours.”
Ah. So not the compound. It sounded more like a brothel. But if this lackey was willing to bring Cam there, security would almost certainly be looser than at Ziro’s compound, which could only help her situation.
“Of course,” the Twi’lek was saying, “such visits can be quite expensive.”
Ryn nodded. She had been expecting to spend hand over fist on this venture, and Evinne had prepared her accordingly. “Credits or ingots?”
“Ingots are preferred.”
“And how many would you consider appropriate?”
The Twi’lek named a sum and Ryn shuddered.
“I could buy a man of my own for that. Why should I give Ziro the same for a few hours of play?”
“Our boys are clean and well-trained,” the attendant said, lifting his chin in an all-too-human gesture. “And our rooms are some of the finest on Courscant.”
Oh yes. Definitely a brothel. “I’ll want to see what I’m getting first.” Because Evinne would kill her if she spent that kind of money without getting Cam.
“Of course. I will escort you.”
It all sounded terribly distasteful. Not to mention downright sleazy. With a side of evil. Ryn glanced back at Ziro and thought, A change is as good as a rest. “Let’s go.”
~*~*~
The brothel was a large, ornate structure that Ryn thought might once have been a hotel, lavishly overdecorated and apparently divided into regions according to species. Ziro’s assistant put Ryn in a parlor that showed a bit too much of Ziro’s influence in the decorating scheme and called for human boys in her age range to be paraded in front of her.
Ryn locked her memory of the holo Evinne had shown her in her mind and waited for Cam to turn up. But boy after boy entered the parlor and was presented, and to each Ryn made some objection. There were a lot of them, and as the time wore on and the attendant tried to conceal his impatience, Ryn’s heart sank.
What if Evinne was wrong and Cam was sold off-world immediately? Or maybe he was assigned to something else entirely ... kriff it, I need more intel.
As yet another sad-eyed youth left the room, Ryn turned and laid her hand on the attendant’s arm. “Forgive me, but these boys are all noticeably older than me. Do you not have any lads of twelve or so?”
The attendant looked down at her, trying to hide the irritation in his eyes. “We have a few,” he said, restraining himself with an obvious effort. “I must warn you, however, that boys of that age are ... ah ... unreliable in their performance.”
Ryn gave him what she hoped was an encouraging smile. “That will not be a difficulty in this case, I assure you.”
The Twi’lek shuddered and went off to make the arrangements.
Ryn took advantage of the momentary privacy to activate her commlink and contact Evinne.
“I haven’t much time,” she said, when Evinne picked up. “I am in Ziro’s Pleasure Palace, and the attendant has gone to find younger boys, but there is no guarantee that I’ll find what I’m looking for. I think you should consider other options, just in case.”
“Forget that,” Evinne said. “You’ve got bigger problems. The Jedi Council is looking for you. Skywalker’s left the Temple without permission, Kenobi knows you’re gone ... and I’m pretty sure Ferus Olin is about to do something rash.”
“Ferus wouldn’t do anything rash if you paid him,” Ryn said. “Get Anakin back to the Temple before he does something rash.”
“I can’t,” Evinne said. “I’m too busy keeping everybody else off your ass. And Skywalker’s not answering his commlink. Get back here and -- oh, hell. I have to go.”
“Evinne?” Ryn said, but there was no answer, and she shut off the commlink and slid it back into her utility belt.
She went through six young boys with her best imitation of ennui, then told the attendant -- who was definitely ready to throttle her -- that she wanted to see something fresher. “These boys are all so practiced,” she murmured, flicking a hand at the door in a gesture that she hoped looked elegantly bored instead of slightly panicked. “They’ve been trained, you can tell. I want something ... different.”
“We pride ourselves on our well-trained staff,” the Twi’lek said, trying without success not to grit his teeth. “However, I believe we have managed to acquire a new boy just last night. He is still in processing, but if milady’s needs are urgent, I am sure I could expedite the matter.”
“Excellent,” Ryn said, clapping her hands with a hint of real relief. “I should be delighted to meet him. Do please arrange it.”
***
Anakin? Anakin, where are you?
Ryn? I’m in the ventilation system of Ziro’s compound. Where are you?
Ziro’s brothel, apparently. I don’t recommend it. Listen, get out of there. You’re going to get caught.
Get caught? I’m trying to help you!
No, damn it! I have things under control, for the moment. Ryn’s sense in his mind was harried. Get back to the Temple and do some damage control. I should be there soon.
You can’t order me around. I’m not --
Anakin, please.
She sounded -- well, felt -- so tired, so sad. And worried, about so many things he couldn’t pin them all down. Fine, fine.
Thank you.
Ryn’s presence faded from his mind with a last trace of warmth, more muted than it would have been a day or two ago. Anakin tried not to resent that, since the new distance between them was his fault.
That didn’t make it any easier to take.
With a sigh, Anakin turned and began to work his way back toward the exit.
***
When Cam was finally ushered into the opulent parlor, Ryn breathed a quiet sigh of relief and stood to meet him. “Hello there,” she said, holding out her hands in greeting, ignoring his resentful eyes.
Cam hunched his shoulders and glowered at her while the attendant looked on, worried.
“As I said, milady, he’s been with us hardly more than twelve hours. He’s not yet trained in the --”
“It is all right, Attendant. I assume we may be alone together?”
“Ah ... yes, of course,” the Twi’lek said, recovering quickly. “This way, please.”