III
For Aveyla, the fundamental tenets of slavery were realized as a possession of Fennri Kenu. She was a piece of property, not valuated by her knowledge or beauty but because she was something to be owned. Any preconception she had living in Abe'ian's manor was destroyed on the decks of the Skvat and when the ship docked at Fennri's port on Tatooine. Aveyla was a slave, and she lived her life at every whim and desire of her new master.
Fennri Kenu was a successful spice runner who dealt primarily with the Hutts. She was shrewd enough to remain independent, but still benefit from the vast network of crime commanded by the criminal group. Her cunning amassed her considerable wealth, enough to pay the hefty price tag demanded by Abe'ian for his prized merchandise. Fennri had determined at first sight she would buy the young girl, regardless of cost.
All while developing into a young woman, Aveyla was owned by Fennri. As she was the Rodian's most valuable possession, she was never harmed in any physical way, as a measure to maintain how beautiful the young girl was. She was paraded in front of Fennri's rivals and dressed in fine linens that were in steep contrast to the clothing provided her while in her cell. Regularly, she would be forced to lie naked in Fennri's bed with her, the woman soaked with drink and running her rough hands over Aveyla's body. She had a penchant for molesting the girl's lekku, which made her feel strange and ashamed. At all times, she was forced to revere the woman and never look away.
This life would further push her away from others. She would always obey her master, but she didn't socialize with her other slaves, which made the others see her as acting superior to them. They furthered her isolation, yet the girl found solace in it.
Inside, she felt empty and alone.
During her years with Fennri, there was also uproar about strange occurrences in her palace and on her ship. Power converters would randomly explode and strange ground shakes put cracks in the building's foundation. The servants and slaves would whisper in the shadows about their master's favorite possession, but nothing was ever spoken aloud. Fennri was too enamored with the young girl to listen, and no one dared to incite her wrath.
About the time Aveyla's body began mature into a woman, Fennri became more aggressive with her. Their encounters became explicitly more sexual and the Twi'lek fell further into despair. She didn't know how to deal with these advances and the strange occurrences became stronger, once even causing a part of the palace to collapse. The tremors happened most viciously at night and threatened to tear the very palace down around them, something Aveyla began to wish for more fervently than ever.
Then a Hutt came.
Myutta the Hutt was a cousin of the late Jabba and a lieutenant in the crime family. He was also the sponsor of Fennri in her business dealings and occasionally came to receive homage from the Rodian. Unlike with other rivals or guests, Aveyla was always kept out of sight when a Hutt came to visit. This was because Fennri knew she could easily lose her prized possession to someone important to the syndicate.
When Myutta came this time, there was really only one reason why. He demanded to see the exotic slave Fennri had been hiding from him. Rumor of her beauty had permeated the network of criminals and pirates, and when Myutta discovered that it was Fennri that possessed such a slave, he became furious and came straight to Tatooine to resolve the situation.
Fennri reluctantly called her slave out, dressed in a seductive outfit that revealed her budding breasts and shapely body. Myutta was visually appeased by her appearance and ordered her to dance, making Fennri's local musicians play a droning, sad tune that perfectly fit the girl's feelings.
It was the first time she was directly addressed in Huttese and Aveyla thought back to Abe'ian, her lips pursed in sadness. She couldn't cry, especially in front of a guest, so all she could do was dance, moving in seductive arcs and slow gestures that called out the emotion of the music.
Myutta watched, entranced.
Fennri was as apprehensive.
"This is the rare jewel you have hidden from me, Fennri. Would you have denied me to the grave a chance to see this precious thing?" Myutta growled in Huttese at the woman, still unable to pry his eyes from the dancing slave.
"I thought her not worth your time, venerable Myutta," Fennri responded, groveling to him in her own palace.
Myutta laughed deeply, sliding his large eyes over to her. "Then you are as foolish as you are ugly. I have not seen such a slave since Jabba was alive," he responded, flicking his rank tongue out across his lips.
Fennri clenched her fist, but said nothing, instead looking back to the seductive movements of her precious slave. Myutta's interest in her was exactly why she was hidden away whenever he was around, and she regretting parading the girl in front of her rivals. In retrospect, she wished she had kept the girl permanently shackled in her chambers, kept secure in her sheets and ready at any moment to satisfy her master.
After Myutta left, that was exactly what would happen.
"Take her to my ship," demanded Myutta, much to Fennri's horror.
"But she is mine! Surely there are others…" she protested, but Myutta's sharp glance silenced her.
"Know your place, Rodian scum. Don't forget it is I that allows you to be here. Such a jewel is wasted on a boar like you. You have ten minutes to take her to my ship, or I'll bury you in your own palace," the Hutt roared.
Fennri was aghast. Her black eyes shot to the young girl, who was standing perfectly still in the wake of Myutta's rage. Her petite face was pressed down and her eyes were empty of the matter. She was so beautiful that Fennri contemplated defying the Hutt, despite the consequences of certain death. Her worst fear had come true, just when she had realized how much she desired the young girl.
Fennri relented and ordered Aveyla to be taken to Myutta's ship.
The Twi'lek was indifferent to what was going on around her. She walked without expression behind Myutta, a metal shackle kept around her neck. It bit and tore her soft skin, but felt distant to her. Who her owner was became irrelevant. There was little chance she would ever get to go back to Ryloth and she would always be enslaved by another master. These thoughts were darkness in her mind, but she showed nothing on the surface, even as she was led up the ramp to Myutta's ship.
As her new master sped her away from Tatooine, the cell of Aveyla's door deep within Fennri's palace finally fell from its hinges and came crashing to the floor.
