Disclaimer: Nothing of Star Wars belongs to me.


A/N: Request. Set between the stories 'Caught' and 'Reaching Out' written by Moony3003.


Family Business

Night had descended on Nal Hutta and silence prevailed throughout the grand palace located towards the North. The stars and moon glittered behind a haze of fog and thick cloud, their beauty going unnoticed by all, even the guards that stood outside the front entrance.

The insides of the palace were silent. Each corridor was empty and most rooms vacant of life. Towards the inner most room, in a private sanctum, Vogga the Hutt sat in the centre of the ostentatious area on a long, comfortable platform.

Large green eyes roamed the room, gliding across the elegant white walls decorated with tapestries painted in black and gold and passing along the aesthetic water fountain that was mounted in the corner, the soothing sound of rushing water filling the air. But it ceased when they hit the tall slender human standing on his left.

The human's long, platinum blonde hair cascaded down her svelte, pale body, ending at small waves above her hips. A traditional slave outfit covered her body, a sheeting of opaque material shielding the areas that were off limits to the prying eyes of others.

Jade's slim fingers worked against his thick skin, making shivers of pleasure rush through his body. As she worked, he turned his attention back onto the datapad in his stout hand. His round eyes roamed over the information pouring onto the screen, most of it quite pleasing.

After several more minutes of silence a consistent beeping sounded through the room and Vogga looked up in vague interest, watching as the transmission communication system buzzed to life. The familiar figure of a male Arconan rose up from the floor, semi-transparent from the holo transmission. Jhrag Sojrak looked as he always did; swathed in a floor length mahogany robe, pinned together by an emerald jewel at the front. Even through the holo form, his bronze skin showed through as did the gold eyes that held Vogga's gaze.

"Lord Vogga," spoke Jhrag politely, giving a slight bow.

"Yes," drawled Vogga, lazily looking through the majordomo. "What is it?"

"Master Motta requests an audience," answered Jhrag in the same tone.

"Granted, of course," said Vogga, joyously, handing the datapad off to Jade who placed it on a small, silver table that sat against the wall before retaking her place.

Jhrag nodded his odd shaped head once before sidestepping out of view and a Hutt took his place, slithering into sight. The two Hutts looked at each other, both of their faces showing contentment at seeing one another. They each gave a polite gesture and it was Vogga that spoke first.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, Motta?"

"I am coming to visit, brother," answered Motta. "We have business to discuss and I would finally like a chance to see your wonderful fighter in action this time around."

Vogga chuckled, his skin wobbling along with it grotesquely. "It is a sight to see and will be worth the wait, I promise," boasted Vogga, a wide grin plastered across his face. "When will you be coming?"

"Within days," declared Motta. "I'm not far away. I look forward to seeing you."

"Likewise," said Vogga.

The transmission ended and the holo form of Motta vanished into thin air. Vogga closed his eyes and seemed to take a deep breath before reopening them and focusing on Jade, gesturing for her to move in front of him which she did, leaning in close without any hesitation.

"Inform the others of the special guest that will be arriving in a few days," said Vogga. "I expect nothing but the best from all of you and I expect you to keep everyone in line. Do not let me down."

Jade bowed. "Yes, master."

A gesture was given for her to leave and Jade obediently turned and left the room, instantly heading towards the slave quarters. Vogga watched as she left and as soon as she was out of sight, he waved a stubby hand behind him, calling for his majordomo. Tarquin was in sight in seconds.

"Give Shu'Rahn an extra round of training this week and make it interesting," ordered Vogga.

The Hutt went silent, humming to himself smugly, knowing that Tarquin would come up with the perfect idea on his own as he usually did. The green Twi'lek slipped from the room noiselessly and Vogga smiled. Motta's visit, although unexpected, was sure to be eventful and opulent.


The palace gym was empty, save for two people. A guard stood at the door as lookout, keeping an eye on the young boy in the pool. The sound of water was all that filled the room, the splashing getting slightly louder each time he reached the end and turned around to go back again.

After thirty-five laps were completed, Shu'Rahn stopped and glanced around the barren gymnasium. The Weequay guard stood rigidly still, his deep yellow eyes focused directly ahead of him. Even though the eyes weren't on him Shu'Rahn knew that he was still being watched. The guards here were good at their jobs, they never missed a thing.

For a few moments Shu'Rahn treaded water, waiting for his breath to return before restarting again. But just as he was about to go, he stopped as the main door opened, echoing through the room. Shu'Rahn's eyes shot towards it, watching as a green Twi'lek entered, his long robes of dark brown sweeping behind him.

"You have a special training session," stated Tarquin sharply. "Shower, change and report to the training room located in the dungeons."

"Yes, sir," said Shu'Rahn.

In the brilliant natural light spilling into the room from the high windows that surrounded the gym, Shu'Rahn could see the small glint in Tarquin's eyes that gave him a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. There's been a few times in the past where that look had been there before and it never turned out good.

Shu'Rahn pulled himself up out of the pool and looked towards the door again. The end of Tarquin's robes swished out of sight and the door shut with a solid thud. Streams of water rushed down Shu'Rahn's legs from the soaked purple and white swim briefs as he walked towards the changing room, the guard moving to follow him.

The room of wooden benches and metal lockers soon came into view. The tiled floor was cool under his feet, his wet feet making it more noticeable and he walked towards the showers. As the clean pure water washed his body, Shu'Rahn's mind raced with all the possibilities he could think of as to what Tarquin's words could mean but he wasn't sure any of them were close to what was the truth.

The shower only went a couple minutes and Shu'Rahn dried himself off quickly, going to his locker for his clean and dry black loincloth that hung there and speedily, he changed, not wanting to keep anyone waiting too long. The locker closed with a metallic slam and he left the change room, nodding once to the guard to show he was ready.

Without acknowledging it, the guard turned and began leading the way. They left the gymnasium and went through several floors and flights of stairs before they reached the dungeons. The deeper levels of the palace were one of the darkest and dampest places he'd ever seen. Just the thought of coming down here made his stomach flip unpleasantly.

The stale smell hit him instantly but he remained impassive and continued following the guard to the far side of the room, passing all the cells that the dungeons contained. The far door opened on its own accord and the guard stepped to the side, telling Shu'Rahn only he was to enter.

Feeling his nerves rising, the young boy stepped in, jumping faintly as the door slammed shut behind him. The room was horribly familiar. There was only one window and it was where Tarquin or whoever wanted to watch him could. The walls were of white stone, stained with blood and smears of other substances that made Shu'Rahn swallow hard as his eyes looked around anxiously.

A figure appeared in the window and Shu'Rahn instantly recognised the green Twi'lek, who stood up there stiffly, his hands behind his back. When he spoke, he voice boomed through the room, bouncing off the walls, making Shu'Rahn wince at the noise.

"Today you will fight a droid that plays with fire."

A dull clunk echoed the training area as a blunt sword was thrown in. Shu'Rahn glanced towards it, pausing for a second before moving and picking it up, swinging once as he normally did to get the feel of it again. Shu'Rahn glanced up at the viewing window, the comment about fire weighing on his mind.

But whatever questions he had were soon answered as a camouflaged door across the room opened, the sound of metal feet hammering against the ground. An antique white droid emerged and Shu'Rahn's eyes immediately looked it over, wanting to know what he was up against. Mounted on the left arm was a flamethrower and in the right hand was a sword.

Shu'Rahn took two small steps back before hitting the sullied, cold wall. The droid's head turned and the lifeless eyes focused on him. There was no hesitation with the machine. It stepped forwards, towards him. The silver blade in its hand shot up in flames, the blaze illuminating the room in an orange glow. Shu'Rahn's eyes shot to the flamethrower but it didn't seem to be active just yet.

The droid got even closer but Shu'Rahn didn't move until the last second, just as the droid striked with the flaming sword. It missed and hit the ground with a solid crack. Shu'Rahn fled to the other side, his eyes still on the droid, still looking it over to find a way through without getting burned. The fact that he could move much faster gave him a little hope.

When far enough away Shu'Rahn turned around and faced the droid again. It spun round and started towards him, no holds barred. Shu'Rahn sidestepped carefully, wanting a plan to form first before he did anything.

The flaming sword swung at him again when close enough but Shu'Rahn jumped back. The sword rolled back downwards and Shu'Rahn reeled his own sword up, connecting with it. The pressure pushing against him was great and he continued to push back, determined to get the weaker weapon out of the way.

But a click caught his attention and Shu'Rahn looked towards the other arm. The flamethrower activated, a stream of liquid fire pouring from the tip. At the last possible second Shu'Rahn jumped clear of the stream of fire but he didn't escape uninjured. Flames erupted from the hem of Shu'Rahn's black loincloth and as he skipped quickly away from the droid, patting the burning area.

The flames died down without much of a fight and he put his focus back on the droid that was already advancing. The flaming sword was raised and it came down towards him with frightening speed but Shu'Rahn was ready. He met it with his sword and pushed with all the strength he could muster. To his surprise the flaming sword shot out of the droid's metal hand and hit the wall behind it before clanging to the floor loudly.

Shu'Rahn took his opportunity and whirled his sword at the droid. Metal scraped against metal, creating a screeching sound that echoed through the training room. Shu'Rahn winced at the sound but held strong. The sword passed through the droid's side but wasn't deep enough to cut all the way through. The droid's now free arm swung at him, knocking him off his feet.

The young boy skidded across the floor, coming to stop metres away, the sword coming loose in grip. The droid turned to face him and the flamethrower heated up again, shooting out another beam of fire right at him. Shu'Rahn cried out in fear, scrambling along the ground towards his sword, wanting to avoid being entirely burned.

Swiftly, Shu'Rahn picked up the blade by its hilt and he ran towards the droid that was turning around again. But before it could turn completely he rammed his sword down against the droid's arm, cutting the flamethrower in half. Showers of fire rained down, spilling onto the white floor. A hint of a smile tugged at Shu'Rahn's lips as he twirled the sword, ready to give the final blow.

"Enough!" boomed a voice from above.

Shu'Rahn stopped midway through his action to look up to the viewing window. Tarquin stood in the centre, arms folded over his chest and a scowl across his face. The body language was enough for him to know he was in trouble.

"Vogga wants to see you," barked Tarquin before disappearing from sight.

The droid was remotely shut down and Shu'Rahn's shoulders slumped slightly as the door opened and two guards appeared. The Weequay had been joined by a bulky Trandoshan that hissed lightly under his breath. Shu'Rahn dropped the sword and walked through the door, towards Vogga's private room, the guards following behind.


On entering Vogga's chambers, Shu'Rahn didn't look up. Instead, he chose to keep his eyes on the pristine floor, trying to will away the ringing in his ears that had become apparent in the quiet room. Tarquin stood beside Vogga as did Jade, although on the other side, her ministrations not stopping. The guards remained at the door and Shu'Rahn came to a stop, feeling a little unsure.

"Come here, boy," ordered Vogga, a stubby finger gesturing at him.

Shu'Rahn obeyed and stepped forward. At a few metres away, he stopped. Subtly, he glanced towards Jade but there was no response from her. It seemed Jade knew he was in trouble just as much as he did but what it concerned he wasn't entirely sure. He hadn't done anything wrong since the last time, unless he was getting an extra punishment for it.

"How do you think you did?" drawled Vogga.

"Fine, sir," answered Shu'Rahn.

"Fine?" questioned Vogga.

Shu'Rahn frowned at the question but he kept his mouth shut. He nodded, not quite understanding. Considering it had been something new, he figured he'd done pretty well. The room turned even quieter, even Jade's actions were slowing a little.

"You did poorly!" yelled Vogga, startling the boy. "No, I take that back; poorly doesn't begin to cover your performance. Anything to say for yourself?"

Shu'Rahn stuttered for a moment before finding his voice. "I thought since it had been something I hadn't done before then-"

"Then you thought wrong!" shouted Vogga, his large face turning a different shade as it normally did when he was angry. "Performing badly against something just because it's new is no excuse. You'll have to face the consequences."

'Yes, sir," said Shu'Rahn, hanging his head.

"In a few days' time my brother, Motta will be arriving and I will not have you fail in such a disgraceful way when you fight," said Vogga in a dangerous tone, his round eyes narrowing. "You will improve and show me what you're really capable of or else."

"Yes, sir," repeated Shu'Rahn.

"Take him to the dungeons," ordered Vogga. "Since he couldn't handle fire perhaps the punishment should be hot. Use the irons."

The guards at the door moved and the Weequay grabbed him and with the Trandoshan followed, hissing menacingly all the while. All too soon the dungeons were back in view and Shu'Rahn felt himself dragged towards a door he'd never been into but had heard rumours about.

The Trandoshan pushed open the heavy iron door they came upon and the heat instantly hit Shu'Rahn in the face, making him flinch backwards. The Weequay grunted and pushed him inside. The guards trailed behind and closed the door once all were inside.

Shu'Rahn's eyes widened as he looked around the room. The heat was intense, more than anything he'd ever felt before. Fire burned in two corners and the space was dark, the only light from the flames that danced, making him nervous.

Across the room his eyes caught a male Feeorin. The orange light lit up his dark yellow skin and ominous bright red eyes. The grip around his arm tightened and the Weequay pushed him towards one of two tables in another corner. The guard lifted him and made him lie on the hot slab.

"New meat for you, Zeb," whispered the Trandoshan in a raspy voice.

Shu'Rahn was roughly pushed into place and two straps enclosed around his wrists while a third wrapped around his ankles and one was also pulled across his torso. When the two guards turned their backs, Shu'Rahn pulled up against the bonds, checking to see how strong they were and instantly he realised they would be impossible to break free from but even if he wanted to, he also knew he wouldn't even get halfway to the door before being caught.

The two guards left the room, leaving Shu'Rahn alone with the very big and brawny Feeorin. Shu'Rahn's breathing turned shallow as Zeb approached. Large hands grabbed the sides of the table and pulled it. He only moved a few feet before it stopped again but above him Shu'Rahn could see two large irons above, each one searing red with heat.

The Feeorin moved back to his station and Shu'Rahn's breathing turned worse, knowing exactly what was going to happen. The sounds of machinery filled the room and the irons began to lower towards him. As they got closer, Shu'Rahn held his breath. They landed on his chest and the screams were instant, ringing out through the dungeons.


The torture ended with the irons being lifted and the guards returning to pull Shu'Rahn free off the metal slab. With him unable to walk on his own, they dragged him to his cell. The metal door slid open and they threw him inside, not caring where he landed or that he groaned in pain, rolling onto his side, bringing his legs up to his chest.

The walls, floor and ceiling were made of stone, sloping down towards a drain that sat in the middle of the floor. There were no windows, except for the one in the door that allowed the guards to see into the room before retrieving him. The only furniture in the cell was a flat mattress in the corner and a trunk at the end of it.

Shu'Rahn gasped, taking in a large gulp of air before attempting to move. Pain radiated through his body as he managed to crawl to the side, using the cool stone wall to prop up against. The coldness of them was almost unbearable but it was a nice change to the searing heat of the irons that had been pressed against his chest for an indistinguishable amount of time.

He didn't know how much more time had passed before the door opened again. Shu'Rahn half expected the guards to come back in and haul him somewhere else but it wasn't them that appeared in the doorway. It was Jade. She was still in the traditional white slave outfit and he could see both hands were full. In one was a bucket of water and the other was a tube of cream.

Jade's silver eyes landed straight on him and slowly, she stepped into the cell. Settling beside him, she placed the bucket and tube down gently. Giving him a small smile, she grabbed the small pale yellow sponge and dampened it.

"This might hurt a little but it'll be cooling at least," said Jade sympathetically.

Shu'Rahn nodded, acknowledging that he heard her but he gave no reply. Instead, he watched as Jade cautiously took hold of his shoulder to steady him while she sponged his chest. At the initial contact, Shu'Rahn jumped and hissed through his teeth but after a few seconds, he calmed. When Jade was satisfied the wounds were clean she picked up the tube of cream.

"This will sting," she warned.

"I know," said Shu'Rahn in a low voice.

Jade applied the cream to the wounds and almost immediately, Shu'Rahn whimpered at the pain it caused. Jade hung her head and concentrated on getting it on, no matter how much it hurt. This had to be done to make sure there were no infections and that he healed quickly.

"You know Motta is coming," said Jade, wanting to get the boy's mind off his wounds and onto something else.

"I know," repeated Shu'Rahn. "And I'll have to do much better or I won't survive the next punishment."

The thought made Jade feel sad but part of her knew there was some truth in his words. This was probably the angriest she had seen Vogga at Shu'Rahn and it was only training. She hated to imagine what the Hutt might do if it was the real thing and he did just as bad.

"It'll be alright," said Jade. "We're here. Just recuperate and refocus. When the time comes, you'll do great."

"I will," assured Shu'Rahn determinedly. "I will."

Jade managed a small smile at the boy's words and she nodded, agreeing with him. She knew that after what had happened that Shu'Rahn was going to do everything to make it back in Vogga's good graces.