Chapter 2. The Saviour
The cantina at this time of the day was almost completely empty except for a few humans and other aliens sitting down alone drinking.
Jaden followed her fellow twileks as they walked through the cantina and past the stand were they were to dance and towards a back door where they were to prepare.
Walking through the backdoor they arrived in a rather small room relative to the size of the cantina room they had just been in.
'Come on now girls remember to be good or else we won't get much food tonight!' Minara said clapping her hands together as she pointed at the dancers outfits that were waiting for them on a nearby clothes rack.
Jaden sighed as she watched the others quickly walk forward and argue over what coloured dancer clothes they wanted for themselves.
'Stay at the back dear and let us deal with the drunks and talkers.' Minara said walking up beside Jaden and putting her hand on her shoulder. Jaden looked up and gave her a small smile.
Jaden had been with Telo and Righter for about 2 years now and she knew how sometimes the patrons treated her and her fellow slaves and she was just glad that Minara at least didn't deal with those type of people. Jaden was lucky she had someone like Minara looking out for her and her fellow slaves, if there was ever a problem she would be the one to speak with Righter. Jaden was no fool and knew that sometimes Righter when he disagreed or argued with Minara didn't allow her to eat with Jaden and the others but Minara didn't care she always seemed to put everyone else before herself. Sometimes Jaden even saw her as a mother figure but would never let Minara know this.
Walking forward Jaden picked up whatever colour outfit was left and put it on as they waited for the cantina to fill up a little more as the sun outside quickly began to set.
-
Dancing on the stage Jaden kept fake smile on her face as she stared out blankly into the audience in front of her. Minara had always taught her to never make eye contact with anyone and instead just focus on a point at the back of the room and stare at that as to not give any of the drunks any ideas.
As she was dancing she suddenly felt something strange it was strange feeling of presence in the room, something she had never felt before.
Looking away from the empty point in the room she looked around the room trying to find the person who seemed to be emanating some type of energy. As she looked she suddenly stopped at a tall togruta male at the side of the room who was looking directly at her. He had this regal presence about him that no one else she had ever met had had before. Staring at him for a few moments she quickly looked away shaking her head. She was being silly that's all it was nothing and besides she had to concentrate on her dancing till the night was over.
-
It was quite late at night when the cantina patrons began to kick the last few of the drunks and others out of the cantina for the night.
Looking around the room Jaden quickly noticed that the male togruta from earlier in the night seemed to have disappeared. She breathed in a sighed of relief as she turned around to walk off stage when she suddenly looked straight at the togurta who was sitting right beside the stage. She watched as he slowly stood up and walked over to her. It wasn't until he was standing right beside her that she realized how tall he actually was and that he towered over her.
'Look you have to go we're finished!' Minara said standing in front of Jaden and staring up at the togruta.
'Apologizes young lady I will speak to your master first but I do wish this young twilek to accompany me.' He said in a deep voice looking down at Minara who frowned and was about to say something with Righter appeared in the cantina.
'Hey you those are my dancers and are not for sale!' He said marching over to the group.
'Ah you are the owner of these young ladies?' The togruta said looking at Righter whom he also towered over but Righter didn't feel intimated in the least. 'You are an adept business man I see, you pick your dancers well.'
'What do you want? You will not butter me up!' Righter said crossing his arms.
'Oh no I can see you are a man of authority and I will not waste your time! I wish to speak to you about this young child.' The togruta said pointing back at Jaden who looked a little worried.
'Hmm you speak the truth I am important but you do seem to understand my time cannot be wasted so I will give you a few minutes but this better be important.' Righter said pompously.
'Jaden tell me do you want this because if not I will say something.' Minara said looking down at Jaden and whispering to her.
'No Minara it is alright I feel as though he is not a bad person…' She said looking at Minara who sighed and put her hand on Jaden's shoulder.
'If you need me dear don't be afraid to call I will be in the next room alright.' Minara looked down at Jaden who gave her a reassuring smile.
'Hurry up the rest of you! Go get changed! Telo said marching over to the twileks and clapping his hands. 'Into the back room now unless you do not want to be feed tonight.'
Jaden watched as her fellow slaves and Telo left the cantina room leaving her, Righter and the togruta alone.
'Now…' The togruta said turning to Righter. 'It has come to my attention that this young lady is well under age to be doing this type of work.'
'Wait a minutes you…'
'Listen to me carefully you slave trader I am going to make you a deal.' Suddenly Jaden saw a shift from the togruta being quite calm and collected to be quite menacing as he stood over Righter. 'You either release this young lady right now or I will make sure that you and this little slave business of yours is shut down.'
'How dare you! I will not be intimated by a worthless refugee!' Righter said angrily.
'Release her to me or I will shut you down and make sure that you never leave this rock.' The togruta looked back at the door where the other twileks disappeared to. 'You may keep the others they all appear to be the right age but this young child is no longer your slave.'
'Are you threatening me?'
'Of course not! But this is a cold desolate world in the middle of nowhere so you must understand that people go missing in that jungle beyond the city walls and never return right?' The togruta looked down at Righter who began to looked a little worried.
'Fine if you take this slave then you have to make sure that I never see you again!'
'Agreed, you hand her over to me and you will not see me again and I will not speak a word of your illegal slave business to anyone.'
Jaden stood there stunned as she watched her life, her existence being bargained for by her master the slave trader and by another male she had only just met.
'What do you have to say about this?' The togruta as though sensing her thoughts turned to her.
Jaden had this feeling that this male meant her no harm and couldn't sense that he was trying to deceive her. She sensed that he actually had good intentions and her ability to be able to sense people and what they were feeling were usually right but she did have to admit she was a little afraid. She had known no life outside the slave trade and what did he actually want with her if he meant her no harm.
'There is no reason to be afraid my child…' Coming from a tall, proud and strong male togruta those words weren't to comforting to the young Jaden. 'But please trust me my child that you will be safe however, if you choose to remain then I will leave…'
Wait a minute was this togruta giving her a choice? No one had ever given her such a choice as to what she wanted to do with her life before. As a slave she had no such rights and yet here she was about the make a decision which bordered on her being a slave for the rest of her life or going down an unknown path with this togruta.
'Hurry up Jaden I am a busy man!' Righter said angrily tapping his foot on the floor. Jaden glared back at him with a frown before turning to the togruta.
'What…what do you want with me?' She asked softly.
'To give you the life you've been missing, a life you deserve…' He said in his deep booming voice and again Jaden could feel that he was telling the truth.
'My friends…' Jaden said glancing back at the door to the room behind her with Minara and the others.
'They must stay but I do believe the one who cares for you will understand of the better life you deserve and want you to come with me.' The togruta said looking down at Jaden who looked surprised at how he knew of her close relationship with Minara.
'May…I say goodbye?' Jaden said looking back at Righter who was about to say something when the togruta gave him a fierce look before Righter rolled his eyes and nodded.
'Minara will meet you outside the cantina but you may only speak for 1 minute no longer you understand!' He said and walked away towards the back room leaving Jaden and the togruta standing alone together.
'Who…' Jaden started but didn't get to finish.
'Say your farewells young child then I will answer all your questions.' He said as he began to walk towards the cantina entrance. Jaden quickly followed after him until they were both standing outside.
Jaden waited patiently until she heard someone nearby and watched as Minara quickly walked up to her.
'I will give you some room my child…make sure to cut your ties here.' He said looking down at Jaden as Minara walked up beside her. Jaden watched as the togruta walked away a couple of paces before stopping.
'Listen to me Jaden you don't have to do this…' Minara said holding back her tears.
'Minara I can feel that he is not going to hurt me and there is something about him that feels so familiar.' Jaden said looking up.
'There was always something different I could feel about you Jaden, you always deserved better than this horrible business.'
'No one deserves this Minara and I wish…'
'Shhh, don't make pointless wishes my dear just understand that this is my place in life as yours is somewhere better than this. Go and live, forget about me and all of this…be somebody for me.' Minara said as she closed her eyes and hugged Jaden who hugged her back. 'Remember dear never let anyone push you around, your stronger than that alright?' She whispered to Jaden as they ended the hug. 'Goodbye.' She smiled down at Jaden who felt tears swelling up in her eyes.
'Goodbye…' Jaden said softly as she watched as Minara walked back over to Righter, Telo and the other twileks before they disappeared into the darkness.
Jaden glanced behind her as the male togruta walked up beside her. 'You have many questions my young child but all will be answered tomorrow. For now we must leave this place. This city after is no place for you. Now come.' He said as Jaden turned around and looked up at him as she turned around and began to walk away.
Jaden quickly followed after him for about ten minutes till they reached the city wall where a man was standing beside a small door which Jaden guessed lead to the outside. The togruta walked up to the man and spoke with him for a few moments before the man nodded and opened the door. Jaden watched as the togruta had to duck down quite far to go under the door whilst she just walked through.
Once she was on the other side she could see that beyond a 1 or 2 metre clearing from the wall lay a dense forest but because it was so dark it was hard to see anything else.
Walking close to him through the thick forest it seemed like they had been walking for hours before they finally reached a small house. The two walked inside where the togruta quickly turned on the lights so that Jaden could see. The house was actually quite small with very few possessions inside.
'This way.' He said and walked towards the back of the room where he opened a door to what appeared to be a large bedroom.
'This is your room.' Jaden said looking in the room. 'It is yours now, now please rest.' He said looking down at Jaden as she slowly stepped into the room and jumped slightly when he closed the door behind her. Quietly she walked up to the bed where she sat down. The room was almost completely empty except for the large bed in the middle of the room and small chair in the corner and what appeared to be some type of metal box with a lock on it at the end of the bed.
Despite the fact this small house appeared to be in the middle of a dense forest Jaden was surprised that she couldn't hear anything outside her window, everything we dead silent very unlike most of the places she had ever been before.
Lying back on the bed she suddenly felt very alone, she used to always share a room with the other twilek slaves and so always felt secure that they were there in case something went wrong but here she felt so alone despite the fact she knew the male togruta was just outside.
Closing her eyes she sighed, she was a little scared and over whelmed at what had just happened but she was more tired than worried and soon without even noticing she fell asleep.