Star Wars Jedi Tahiri & Alema Rar

Alema Rar seemed to be having similar problems with her emotions. "Anytime, frakking girl!" She spat out.

The Majordomo quickly laid out the rules. Fight till the other one gives up. No eye gouging or permanent injuries. If ordered to stop, stop fighting immediately and back away. The two Jedi followed by the spectators were taken to a shallow area of the pits. The guards freed their wrists, arms and ankles, and removed the trays that were locked to their collars. Tahiri then removed her muddy heels. Alema Rar's were already on the deck.

Keeping their balance in the calf deep mud was tricky with the ysalamir frame still welded on their backs. The spectators started laying out bets. Tahiri Veila, Jedi Knight, was oblivious to the fact that she was about to engage in a naked mud fight with a fellow Jedi for the amusement of a bunch of criminals.

All the resentment that Tahiri had been holding back since the Twi'lek had tried to steal Anakin away on the mission to Myrkr came boiling the surface. She lunged at Alema Rar, trying to tackle her and use her weight to wrestle her down.

The lithe dancer side-stepped and kicked her in the thigh. In the gooey mud, both lost their balance and fell. Tahiri face down, Alema Rar on her back. Tahiri dived again, and landed half on top of her opponent. Alema Rar tried to twist away, but Tahiri grabbed one of her head tails, and pulled it back. Howling in pain, she drove an elbow into Tahiri's solar plexus.

With an ummph, Tahiri lost her grip, and Alema Rar squirmed away, just enough to plant a swift kick to the side of her head. Tahiri fell into the shallow mud face down and Alema Rar landed on top of her. She grabbed the prone girl's hair and held her under. Tahiri slapped vainly at her hands, but the Twi'lek held on. Tahiri switched tactics and reached back, finding a bar on her ysalamir frame. She pulled and Alema Rar fell off, allowing Tahiri to rise and take a much needed breath.

Both grappled for about a minute, with neither gaining an advantage. From her back Tahiri pushed Alema Rar away with both legs. The Twi'lek got up and caught her breath. Tahiri did the same.

A few seconds later, they both attacked. Alema Rar tried to kick her in the knee, but Tahiri dodged and trapped her in a leg lock. Both went down, lost their balance and went down again. Both girls landed on their backs, with Tahiri on top of Alema Rar. Tahiri had kept her grip on the Twi'lek's leg, and was trying to twist her ankle, while Alema Rar was attempting a choke hold while keeping her own head out of the mud.

The ysalamir frame, as well as Tahiri's weight, was making it difficult for Alema Rar to breathe. Her knee and ankle were both killing her from the leg lock Tahiri had on. Her own choke hold was ineffective because of the frame and the wide collar that Tahiri was wearing.

Alema Rar released the choke hold and grabbed Tahiri's left arm. She pulled it back to the ysalamir frame and with the quick-snap lock and the D-ring on Tahiri's cuff, locked her wrist to the frame.

Tahiri muttered a curse when she felt her cuff lock to the frame. She reflexively yanked on the durasteel cuff in vain.

Alema Rar meanwhile got hold of her other arm and tried to pull it to the other snap-lock. She wrapped her legs around Tahiri's waist to hold her in place.

It was a losing struggle. Centimeter by centimeter, Tahiri felt her wrist being pulled closer to the snap-lock. She suddenly stopped trying to pull away and grabbed the frame. Unfortunately the frame and Tahiri's hand were both coated in the slippery mud.

Alema Rar quickly broke her grip and locked her wrist to the ysalamir frame. Ignoring the groan of frustration, Alema Rar leaned close to her ear and whispered to her. "Everything is gonna be OK. Just trust me."

While Tahiri was distracted by the whispered confession, Alema Rar threw her off and climbed to her feet. With a triumphant smile, she took a moment to catch her breath.

The spectators begin exchanging credits. Most seemed disappointed; they must have bet on Tahiri. One female human in particular, seemed especially disgusted. Alema Rar turned back to her shackled opponent. She was on her knees, trying to struggle to her feet. Alema Rar was about to make her submit, when Schliebak shouted, "Enough!"

Experienced in what was expected of a Hutt's slaves after entertainment, Alema Rar turned to Schliebak and bowed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Tahiri following her lead.

"Stand," Luattir instructed them after Schliebak gave permission. Alema Rar had to help Tahiri to her feet. "After we wash the two of you, Jedi Alema Rar will receive her reward for being triumphant." Alema Rar knew that a Hutt's 'reward' was probably not much of one, for her anyway.

The two Jedi were taken out of the mud pits and re-shackled. They were then taken to the kitchen and a small cleaning closet. There they were hosed off with frigid water. Without even being allowed to dry off, the shivering girls were led on leashes back out to the repulsor deck.

The Majordomo welcomed them back, and announced Alema Rar's reward. "The Great Schliebak has proclaimed that for your reward for winning the slave girl mud fight, Alema Rar will have the honor of being auctioned off first."

Tahiri stood in stunned disbelief. She was going to be sold? Like an old speeder? Or broken droid? Alema Rar cursed and Tahiri glanced at her. For the first time since their capture, the Twi'lek was visibly despondent. Tahiri, on the other hand, felt a glimmer of hope. She didn't know what kind of security measures any of the buyers had, but they couldn't be as extensive as the fat one's.

The auction began for one female Twi'lek Jedi with a ysalamir frame welded on her, two additional frames, and three Force suppressing ysalamiri. Special pricing for additional supplies was also included. Tahiri idly wondered if the 'special' prices would be more or less than the regular prices.

The bidding swiftly rose. All the guests seemed to want a slave Jedi. Tahiri did notice that the one Human woman didn't even bother to bid, she just stayed busy on her datapad. One by one, all the other guest dropped out. A Hutt finally bought the Twi'lek for a price that would have bought a small island on an Outer Rim world.

Alema Rar was led to her new owner by her leash and the auction for Tahiri began. She noticed several guards slip away.

The bidding for Tahiri was just as intense. All the guests bid, even Alema Rar's new owner and the Human that hadn't bid on her. After about 10 minutes it was down to the woman and one of the Hutts. The price was already well past what was paid for Alema Rar, which honestly surprised Tahiri.

The human woman bought Tahiri for an outrageous price, nearly half again more than Alema Rar. Tahiri was led to her new owner by her leash. She looked like a veteran spacer, closer to 50 than 40, tall, with dark brown hair. Probably quite attractive in her younger years, still what one might describe as handsome.

The Majordomo accepted payment and passed her a datapad that he said had information on the ysalamiri, the frames, and the slave. Raven, as the Majordomo called her, thanked him and Schliebak for the wonderful time, and departed for her ship, Tahiri following on her leash.

They piled into one of Schliebak's speeder vans for the trip. Tahiri, her 'owner' ―or soon as I get a chance, victim, Tahiri thought―her four Human guards, and a driver employed by Schliebak. Trailing them on a speeder bike was one of the Mandalorians. The woman, her guards and Tahiri rode silently. The driver tried to start up a conversation, but the woman was busy reading the datapad Luattir had provided her.

"Ma'am, how much would it cost for some time alone with that pretty little Jedi of yours?" The driver asked as they came to a stop at the landing pad. Tahiri hadn't considered what she would do if her owner tried to turn her into a whore.

The woman looked up and considered the question a moment. "Your life," she replied without a trace of a smile. Tahiri was confused by the answer.

The driver just laughed while they piled out. The woman held Tahiri's leash, but didn't pull on it like everyone else had been doing the last few days. They walked across the landing pad and to a mid-size freighter. The landing ramp was down, and they went up. As soon as the ramp closed, everything changed.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ Chapter 4 ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

"Kriffing Hutt!" The woman cursed loudly as the ramp clanged shut. She turned to Tahiri and bowed, "Greetings from Queen Mother Tenel Ka. I'm Commander Ai'ria, you're safe now." Two of the guards disappeared, while the other two released Tahiri's arms and legs from their bonds.

"What?" Tahiri asked incredulously.

"I was sent to investigate pirate activities in this sector. Schliebak's gang has hit several Hapan trading ships. When I found out that you had been captured, I contacted the Queen and she sent a fleet. We are rendezvousing with it now."

Things were moving too fast for Tahiri. "What about Alema Rar?"

"I'm very sorry, I could only come up with enough credits in time to buy your freedom," she said with a grimace. "I tried to bet on you to get the money for both of you, but that didn't work out," she added.

Sithspit! Tahiri thought. If I'd won that stupid fight we'd both be free. If it wasn't for this stupid frame I'm wearing. . .

"Hey, get this frakking thing off me!" Tahiri told her when she thought about the horrible ysalamir frame welded on her.

"Sorry. Can't, at least not yet," Ai'ria replied holding up the datapad. "Did you know that that thing has a bomb built into it?"

"Yes," Tahiri replied, disappointed.

"OK. Well, the bomb is wired to a life monitor that is hooked up to the ysalamir. If it dies, the bomb explodes."

"Oh. . . I see," Tahiri said, trying to think of something else.

The ship took off and headed for space. "We can get you some clothes to wear though," Ai'ria said as she eyed Tahiri's nude body.

Tahiri blushed with embarrassment. She had been naked so long that she had completely forgotten.

The ship reached the edge of Spraikela's atmosphere. A crew member brought Tahiri some clothes and Ai'ria left for the bridge. Tahiri thanked him and pulled the simple gray spacer jumpsuit on. It was far too big, but it had to cover the ysalamir frame. She declined the boots, preferring to go barefoot.

Instead of the bridge, the crew member took Tahiri to a cargo hold. Apparently, he was the resident ordinance expert, and Ai'ria wanted him to look at the bomb. First he had Tahiri pull down her jumpsuit. Then he had her lie down on a cargo container and he started examining the bomb on her back. Tahiri felt the ship enter hyperspace through the container.

After consulting the datapad and inspecting the device for several minutes, he decided that he did not have the expertise to safely defuse the bomb. He did explain to her and Ai'ria that Tahiri could go to the bridge, as the bomb was very small.

"How small?" Tahiri asked.

"Well, it probably wouldn't even exit through your chest. It's a wide dispersal explosive, and burns very hot. It's basically designed to kill the wearer and no one else."

"What about just disabling the ysalamir life switch thingy?" Tahiri asked. If she could get the Force back, she could live with having a bomb on her back awhile longer.

"Sorry," he replied. "I wouldn't risk it. The fleet has some real experts. Maybe they can help," he said with a shrug.

"Alright, bring Jedi Tahiri to the bridge. We'll rendezvous with the fleet soon," Ai'ria instructed him. By the time they made it to the bridge, the ship was exiting hyperspace.

The flagship of the Hapan fleet was an old Victory-class Star Destroyer. Tahiri was no expert on capital ship design, but the flagship looked to have been substantially modified from the other ones she had seen. Also present were trio of the famous Hapan Battle Dragons, five Nova cruisers, and about half a dozen smaller support ships.

The jumpsuit that they had given Tahiri was several sizes too big so it would fit over the ysalamir frame. She had to roll up the sleeves and legs to make it fit better. Somehow she felt more self-conscious about her exposed collar and cuffs with the jumpsuit than when she was naked.

Ai'ria contacted the flagship and gave the Admiral an update. The three Battle Dragons and one of the Nova cruisers disappeared into hyperspace. Tahiri wondered how she was going to save Alema Rar as she played with the D-ring on her cuff.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

Alema Rar shuffled down the hallway towards Nevible the Hutt's ship. One Mandalorian and three guards were escorting her. One of the guards was an ex-soldier of the Galactic Alliance, and had served during the Yuuzhan Vong war. Schliebak had hired quite a few former soldiers as mercenaries. This was great news for Alema Rar. She had made lots of "friends" during the war.

From the ceiling, a 125kg Togorian landed on the Mandalorian. The two guards in front of Alema Rar turned and brought up their blasters. Blue stun bolts from the one behind her washed over the one on the left. Before the other could react, he was stunned by another ex-soldier from behind.

Two more of Alema Rar's allies came up from behind her. Their assistance wasn't necessary. The Togorian was staggering to his feet, the Mandalorian's helmet in his hand.

"Kriffing bucket head! I practically had to rip his head off to get this thing off," he said as he let the helmet clang to the floor. One soldier freed Alema Rar's arms and feet, while the others moved the stunned bodies and dead Mandalorian to a storage room. They took their comlinks, and stun-cuffed the live ones.

"What about Tahiri, my lightsaber, and this thing on my back?" Alema Rar asked the ex-soldier that had been escorting her as they finished hiding the evidence.

"We got a some people working on the lightsaber, Jedi Alema Rar. Raven took Tahiri to her ship and blasted off almost immediately. As for the frame, we are going to take care of that now. If you can take a deep breath for me?"

Alema Rar silently cursed Raven for taking Tahiri out of her grasp so quickly. She knew that she couldn't do anything to help her fellow Jedi now. While she held her breath, he slid a thick durasteel plate between her back and the bomb.

"We don't know for sure if that will save you, but the bomb is small and we think it will keep you alive if it does go off. We got a jammer in place so they can't set it off too easily, but we don't know how long that will work either." He took a breath. "Now we're going to get the guy that designed that little number, and make him disarm it."

"Thanks," Alema Rar replied as she took off the heels, so she could walk easier. "How long till they figure out what were up too?"

"Hard to say. None of them got off a signal, but we don't know how often the Mandos communicate with each other. By the way, I'm Captain Prestiin, formerly of the 53^rd Special Ops Group." Alema Rar took the blaster carbine that was handed to her.

"Nice to meet you Captain Prestiin." Alema Rar frowned slightly. "Have we met before? I've met so many soldiers, I sometimes forget." She checked the power level on the carbine.

"Nope," he replied with a smile. "But I defiantly know you by reputation,"

Alema Rar returned the smile and added a wink. They were joined by six more confederates just before they arrived at the bomb maker's workshop. One of the Weequays in the new group told Alema Rar that the Hutt had taken off before they could retrieve her lightsaber.

"Thank you anyway," Alema Rar told her. "Thank you all for this. I'll make it up to all of you."

"Forget about it," one of the Humans said. "If it wasn't for you and the other Jedi, we'd all be scarhead slaves now." Several voiced their consent in his point of view.

They split into two groups and stormed the workshop. The bomb maker, an elderly human, was relaxing on a couch, watching a holomovie. He didn't seem particularly distressed at the blasters pointed at him.

"Ah, the Hutt's mercs are dissatisfied with their employment," he said sarcastically. Then he caught site of Alema Rar's naked form, and the blaster she was carrying.

"Oh, a Jedi rescue party. Even better." He paused the holomovie. "Just so you know, the Hutt keeps this place monitored at all times." He pointed at a couple of holocameras mounted in the corners. "So I don't think I'll be defusing that bomb anytime soon."

That sent a serious hydrospanner into the works. They needed some time to bribe/threaten/torture him into defusing the bomb so they could kill the ysalamir, Alema Rar thought.

Major Prestiin looked up at the holocams, then back at the bomb maker. "Don't you think that we know that? The people monitoring the security cameras for the whole building are with us." He turned back and waved at the holocam.

The bomb maker's smile turned to a frown. "I see," he said slowly. He smiled again. "Well, my fee for diffusing the bomb on the Jedi is transportation out of here. Hutts don't take kindly to betrayal."

Captain Prestiin considered this a moment. "Done," he replied.

The bomb-maker had Alema Rar lie down on a bench, and started working on the bomb. Ten minutes later, he was done. After reminding him that his life was forfeit if she died, Captain Prestiin opened up the protective cage on the frame and ripped the ysalamir out, killing it.

Alema Rar felt the Force return in a rush. It was like a long anticipated orgasm. She felt so alive! For the first time since the trap had been sprung, there was a Jedi on Spraikela.

Someone found an old model laser cutter and started cutting the frame off Alema Rar's back. She was barely paying attention, still basking in her returned Force awareness. Once the ysalamir frame was removed, he carefully started on the harness, which was tight against her blue skin. When the heat from the cutter touched the harness, she yelped in pain. The soldier quickly apologized, and pulled the laser cutter away.

"Forget about it," Alema Rar said to him. "Let's get a ship, and get off this rock."

"You don't want the harness cut off first?" Captain Prestiin asked her.

"Time enough for that later. I'd love to take out Schliebak too, but you guys have done enough for me. I'll get him later."

"Fair enough. What about him?" Captain Prestiin asked, gesturing towards the bomb maker.

"Hey! You said you'd take me with you!" he screamed in outrage.

Captain Prestiin ignored him, and waited for the Jedi's answer.

"I guess he can tag along," Alema Rar replied after a moment. "Find some stun cuffs or something for him, though."

The bomb maker was restrained, and they prepared to go to the port and steal a ship. "You want something to wear?" Captain Prestiin asked her, after he notified his other troops of the revised plans.

"Nah, I'm fine," Alema Rar replied with a smile.

He paused a moment, as if trying to figure out how to say something delicately. "Um, Jedi Alema Rar, you're kinda distracting some of my soldiers. Including me."

Alema Rar hadn't noticed the soldiers eying her. It was a part of life to her. As natural as breathing. A quick search of the workshop turned up nothing in the way of clothing. The group gave up, and headed for the port. With her Jedi skills, Alema Rar took point.

People were running everywhere. At first Alema Rar thought that they were all looking for her, but they all seemed surprised that she was carrying a blaster and was free. Unfortunately, none of them survived to explain what was going on.

Ten more joined the group in a storage warehouse, which was the last building before the port. Across the open landing pads, Schliebak's soldiers had set up a defensive position in the port operations building. A firefight was already in progress.