OPTIONS
by ardavenport
- - - Part 10
Obi-Wan stood in the back of the lift full of police, prisoners and Jedi. And Mayb.
She had retrieved her metallic gold dress and shoes, kept the white robe to hide her bruises and wrapped a complimentary hotel scarf over her 'ruined' hair. While she had done that, he and Qui-Gon had more or less gotten the rest of Master Devano and Knight Yudis' story.
Aimoh'toh and his enforcers had been following Mayb, hoping to capture her since she had been promised to a 'special' customer. Aimoh'toh did not seek out cheap, sentient labor for use on backward worlds where it was cheaper than droids and their maintenance. He supplied sentient flesh to rich criminals who craved the sinister luxury of dominating another being, the cruelest form of slavery.
Strangely enough Aimoh'toh had not tried to kill Hawxol. That attack had come from three former students of the Yube Krim Academy who had been Aimoh'toh's former victims and freed from their slave masters by Yinis and Binoka. One came from a family of means and the three of them had vowed a pact of revenge before they set off to expand Yinis and Binoka's work. But none of them were assassins and Yudi and Devano had easily stopped them. Devano declared them to be nothing more than an annoying distraction, but he admitted that they had been useful in frightening information out of Hawxol. They had been left behind in the custody of the local authorities on Massko, though Devano expected them to be eventually let go with only a warning.
The lift doors opened and they all moved out into the lobby. Aimoh'toh snarled at the constables who had a firm grip on his upper arms. The slaver's anger burned hotter than even Mayb's fit of outrage.
They crossed over Qui-Gon's saber gashes in the marble floors and separated into two groups. The police would take Aimoh'toh and Hawxol. Slavery or enabling slavery was a crime against the Republic and could be prosecuted on Cucadu. The Jedi would remain for a few days until the local authorities and the sector prosecutors had questioned them for the courts. And Qui-Gon would arrange for accommodations and transport back to Massko for Mayb.
Obi-Wan spotted Zi-Zom Edoma's maroon suit across the lobby as they went to the manager's office to make arrangement for the considerable damage done to the hotel. The lawyer stood with four others, two men and two women. Three of them broke off from the group and headed toward the moving knot of police.
"Aaaaaaaauuuuuuggggghhhhhh!!!!"
Devano's yell filled the huge lobby. People jumped and looked around while others on balconies a few floors up looked down. Devano and Yudi, blue and green sabers lit and swinging, leapt high, landed and ran toward the three people approaching the police who had their weapons drawn. Activating their own sabers, Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon rushed after them.
"What are you doing here?" Devano bellowed. "I left you on Massko!" Both Devano and Yudi had their sabers pointed toward them, but the three appeared to be unarmed, or if they had weapons, they were smart enough not to draw them. They were all humanoid young adults, wearing similar utilitarian gray jump suits. One was a beautiful Twi'lek woman with a light purple complexion and a diamond tattoo on one cheek. Another was a large, muscular male human with reddish blond hair and a big chest. The third, standing in the middle before the other two was a pale-skinned, sliver-haired humanoid, as tall as Yudi and Qui-Gon. She pressed one hand to her chest, all her body motions smooth and elegant, like a dancer.
"Looking for a little more revenge are we?" Devano challenged the tall woman, apparently the leader of the three.
She made a face, showing her distaste for the short Jedi Master barring her way. Her expression changed to virulent hatred as she looked toward the police prisoners. Obi-Wan sensed an anger, a betrayal and fear that had been nurtured for a long time. Hawxol looked away. Aimoh'toh leered evilly. Obi-Wan sensed that the slaver had enjoyed his work. Too much.
"They're not worth our freedom," she declared, though there was no vehemence behind her words. Nothing to compare with the loathing that she clearly felt toward Aimoh'toh and Hawxol. Obi-Wan realized that they had to be the three former Academy students, and former slaves, who had been freed by Yinis and Binoka.
Devano sneered, swung his lightsaber downward, flicked it off and clipped it to the wide belt around his middle. Yudi, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan did the same.
"That's not wisdom I see," Devano declared, "but I suppose it's a start."
Click, click, click, click.
Mayb's small shoes approached them over the polished marble floor.
"You are ALL BUCKETHEADS," she declared, her lips thin and angry. Obi-Wan heard his Master sigh next to him. Then her expression shifted to surprise when she recognized the three former slaves.
"Pom? Sedda Hed?" she said, looking toward the pale purple Twi'lek woman and the elegant, silvery-haired female. "And. . . ." Mayb's face tensed in near-recognition toward the muscular Human male with reddish blond hair. "I know I've seen you. Didn't you all graduate last year?"
"Wym," the male muttered his name toward Mayb.
"I used to be like that," the beautiful Twi-'lek woman, Pom, muttered to the others who silently agreed.
"Mak! No!" A male Human in a swirling green cloak approached with Zi-Zon Edoma hurrying after him. He looked as if he could have been Zi-Zom's brother. Or son. He was broad shouldered, with the same thick brown head of hair with reddish highlights. He wore a long metallic gold suit tunic and pants; he had a neatly trimmed linear mustache and manicured hands.
"You're her," he announced, looking Mayb up and down. Eyes wide and challenging, she straightened.
"Mak, you cannot talk to her," Zi-Zom came around him to stand between him and Mayb. "She's exclusive."
"Because of that ridiculous option? With. . . ." he looked from Devano to Qui-Gon to Yudi to Obi-Wan. "One of them?" He waved a cape-draped arm expansively toward them all. "They're JEDI, Zi-Zom. They CAN'T get married. They're all EUNUCHS!"
"I am not," Devano said, offended.
"Nor me," Yudi added. Then her expression changed to puzzlement. "Married?"
Qui-Gon rolled his eyes. Obi-Wan cringed when Mayb pointedly looked at his crotch and then at Qui-Gon's. Then she folded her arms tightly across her chest and tossed her head away from them.
"You're Mak Edoma? The real Mak Edoma," Mayb demanded.
"An imposter. I knew it," Zi-Zom muttered with a note of triumph. Then, horrified, she saw her cousin and Mayb looking each other over. She put herself between them again. "Stop this right now. Mak, you can void any chance you have for a good contract later if you start something now." Zi-Zom desperately waved her hands between the two, vainly trying to stop them from looking at each other. Obi-Wan noticed that their metallic gold and green outfits matched.
"What's wrong with your hair?" Mak Edoma asked, ignoring his lawyer.
Mayb opened her mouth wide in surprise, then pointed an accusing finger at Obi-Wan.
"HE ruined it! He locked me in the fresher and I had to use the fire alarm to get out and then a whole ocean of water came down on me and THOSE people," she pointed at the prisoners and the knot of constabulary around them, all transfixed by the shouting match before them, "came in and started shooting things and that repulsive man," she pointed at Devano, "came through the window screaming like a mad man and waving that light thing and - -"
"Stop talking right this minute. I forbid it!" Zi-Zom yelled still trying to keep Mayb away from her client.
"If I may." Qui-Gon stepped forward. "I believe that I am allowed to give permission for Mayb to - -"
"You don't give permission for me to do anything!" Mayb tried to hit him, swinging wildly and Qui-Gon easily deflected it. She struck again, but this time she snagged the ends of Qui-Gon's long hair. Grinning viciously, she pulled hard and eyes wide, Qui-Gon was dragged down. He grabbed her arm, but she grabbed another handful and they began circling in place.
Obi-Wan and Yudi rushed forward to rescue Qui-Gon, but they got in each other's way. Mayb let go suddenly when Devano kicked her shin, and Yudi yanked the scarf off her head and grabbed her damp, disheveled hair.
"Let go!" Mayb screamed. Yudi swiftly withdrew her long bony hand, her expression smug. Obi-Wan stayed at Qui-Gon's elbow while he straightened his robe and ran his fingers through his hair before flipping it back over his shoulder. It didn't look like Mayb had pulled any out.
"Of course, if you're willing to sign something - -" Zi-Zom said to Qui-Gon. Mayb pushed her aside and stepped up to Mak. Her hair hung down in dark blond, ropy strands but her facial accents were still undamaged.
Suddenly seizing Edoma around the neck, she pulled him down into a long kiss. Mak's hands flailed at first before sliding over her hips and lower back. Obi-Wan gulped when he saw Edoma tighten his grip on her body, turning his own body so his leg went between hers.
"Get a room you two," Devano finally complained loudly.
Yudi looked bored. A few of the constables leered and the three in gray jump suits looked a bit disgusted. Obi-Wan looked up at Qui-Gon who just folded his arms before him impatiently.
Obi-Wan felt. . . .nothing. All afternoon he had thought of little else but erasing any unwanted passion for Mayb Oeschus Arimba. And now that the passion was gone he felt empty, like he had excised something that might not have needed to be removed.
Finally breaking their lip lock, Mak Edoma had a lecherous gleam in his eye. Mayb's eyes were closed as she rubbed her hair into his shoulder. Mak whirled around, taking her with him and they hurried across the lobby toward the front desk. Zi-Zom chased them, yelling at them about not having anything signed yet.
"Show's over," the stern faced inspector announced. With a grunted farewell, the crowd of police moved their prisoners toward the doors. The three in jump suits seemed to enjoy seeing the constables roughly hustling the prisoners along. Devano gave them a disgusted look, shaking his head of wild gray hair.
They heard Mak Edoma shouting, "SHUT UP, ZI-ZOM!!" from across the lobby.
"Well, we still have to sort you three out," Devano grumbled at the former slaves.
"We should go somewhere to discuss this," Qui-Gon invited, extending his arm. The Jedi and three others followed him down a wide corridor leading away from the lobby. Huge colorful hanging sculptures slowly turned overhead. At a turn at the end of the corridor they walked through a wide entryway, under a pink, glowing sign that read "Mimi's". A sleek service droid escorted them to a booth in the back of the lounge. The four Jedi took the seats with their backs to the wall, facing the three former slaves.
"Now, how did you get away from that sheriff I left you with, Hed?" Devano challenged the silver haired woman as soon as the droid left with their orders.
"Sheriff Drakom respects my family's position back on Massko," she replied evasively.
"Hawxol said we couldn't trust the locals," Yudi commented in her soft, whispering voice. "He demanded that we take him with us," she explained to Obi-Wan and his Master. "He said he wouldn't be safe from you," she finished to Sedda Hed.
"How did you know to follow us here?" Qui-Gon asked.
"They knew about Mak Edoma," Yudi replied. "Hawxol confessed everything to us in front of them."
"You didn't seem to mind having us threatening to kill him then?" Pom, the Twi'lek noted, her pretty face scornful.
"True," Yudi admitted. "His fear of you was convenient for us. At the time."
Devano growled, only his head, shoulders and bushy gray beard were above the tabletop in his place between Yudi and Qui-Gon.
"You vowed true vengeance for Hawxol for what he did to you. All of you. What changed?" Yudi asked, her tone only calmly curious.
The three glanced at each other.
"Like she said. It wasn't worth it," the man, Wym, said wearily. "I never wanted to do it anyway. Al and PohPoh. They told us. If we wanted to do any good, we couldn't waste what we had on revenge." He sadly looked toward his comrades and received their silent agreement.
"Then why did you come here then, if it wasn't for vengeance?" Qui-Gon asked.
"We didn't want Hawxol to get away," Sedda Hed replied.
"He was with us," Devano slapped the table with his palm. "He wasn't getting away."
"And Mayb was with us. She was safe," Qui-Gon affirmed.
"Really? And how many slaves do Jedi free? How many slavers to they stop from trapping people into bondage?" Sedda Hed's eyes smoldered with the wrongs that had been done to her.
"There are not nearly enough Jedi in the galaxy to deter all the slavers in it. But there are legions of those who have been wronged by them. Such as yourselves. And Yinis and Binoka. Their deaths are a loss to the galaxy," Qui-Gon finished solemnly.
Pom gasped. Wym lowered his head. Sedda Hed glared at Devano and Yudi.
"You knew. You knew they were dead," she accused.
"That wasn't our information to give," Devano stated. Contempt smoldered between Sedda Hed and the Jedi Master, but they said nothing else.
"I presume you intend to continue with Yinis and Binokas' work?" Qui-Gon asked, ignoring the confrontation.
"What if we are?" Wym challenged.
Qui-Gon did not answer. They all sat in mutual silence as the droid returned and delivered their orders, cups, tall clinking clear containers, a couple of plates of appetizers. Everyone's eyes followed the machine as it left them again.
"Our original mission," Qui-Gon began. All eyes went to him again. "Was to contact Yinis and Binoka. Their work had become. . . .known. And while the Republic has no legal power to oppose the slave trade outside its boundaries, it is. . . . friendly toward those who do. We had hoped to extend that friendship toward your liberators."
The three would be slave liberators stared back, apparently speechless.
"You want to help?" the Twi-Lek asked.
"The Republic wants to help. Unofficially," Qui-Gon corrected.
"They send Jedi for errands like this?" Sedda Hed asked critically.
"Yinis and Binokas' calling is dangerous. And crowded with deceivers. It is necessary that an offer of assistance come from someone who can be assured to be sincere."
Sedda Hed and her companions kept looking at each other. Obi-Wan could see that they wanted to discuss this offer. Privately, Obi-Wan did not feel that these three would be reliable. They had hardly more than determination and good intentions between them, not the years of experience or hundreds of freed slaves credited to Yinnis and Binoka. But Qui-Gon's instincts were sound and guided by the Living Force.
Qui-Gon produced a data chit and extended it to them. Sedda Hed's thin hand took it.
"The contact information there will deteriorate after three days. You have that long to think it over." Qui-Gon told them, folding his hands before him. The Twi-Lek woman downed her drink all at once.
Sedda Hed nodded to her companions and stood. The male Human grabbed a handful of snacks from one appetizer plate as they left.
"Not sure anything will come out of that," Devano grumbled, helping himself to some crackers.
"Possibly not. But that will be their goal to lose, not ours," Qui-Gon replied with raised brows.
"More likely they might lose their lives. From their own stupidity. Before they ever get a chance to get smart." Devano sipped his tea, carefully keeping the edge of his cup from spilling into his bushy gray beard.
"That is possible." Qui-Gon lowered his eyes. "Do you forsee that, Master Devano?"
Devano grimaced, his eyes closing, his shaggy brows lowered. Obi-Wan sensed the concentration of the Force, like a thickening of air about the short, shaggy Master. They all watched him.
"No," he finally answered, his features going slack. "I don't."
Qui-Gon smiled minimally.
Yudi nodded agreement. The smile on her all-bone and tendon face was sad and Obi-Wan wondered if being killed was the worst thing that could happen to Sedda Hed and her companions. Yudi picked up a slim, clear-plas of juice.
"I am told," she began in her speaking whisper after taking a sip. "That you are getting married, Master Qui-Gon."
Obi-Wan started. Qui-Gon grimaced. Devano chuckled.
"Yes, what has been going on?" the hairy Jedi Master asked. "Hawxol kept swearing that you ran off with that girl to elope. Even you aren't that much of a rogue."
Obi-Wan picked out a few nuts and dried fruits from the appetizer plate before him and keenly watched his Master's face. He saw some discomfort, some weariness, but no regret. Though Obi-Wan now sympathized more with the decision to take Mayb with them, using the marriage contract option to do it was still highly irregular. Qui-Gon did not need to explain the details to his Padawan, but he could not refuse an inquiry fellow Master.
Qui-Gon told Devano and Yudi about his strong sense that Mayb was in immediate danger at the Ob Krim Academy. He also gave more details than Obi-Wan had heard before about his private interview with Mayb at the school, especially about her refusal to believe that Dean Hawxol might do her harm. After spending a couple of days with her, Obi-Wan well understood her obstinance. In retrospect, Qui-Gon's mind influences on her seemed completely sensible.
Yudi looked mildly amused.
"You are brave, Master Qui-Gon," Yudi said with a thin-lipped smile. "I would have thrown her over my shoulder and kidnapped her before binding myself to her, even to get her out of danger."
Devano slapped the table.
"Good instincts!" he declared with a broad grin under his hairy mustache. "Aimoh'toh was right behind you. That slaver was probably coming in the front door while you were going out the back. He'd moved on to go after the girl by the time we got there, but we got the whole story from Hawxol." He took another gulp of his tea.
"And you followed Aimoh'toh here." Qui-Gon surmised. His fellow Master nodded and wiped his mouth.
"He made a few stops before arriving at Cucadu, presumably to arrange for his attack," Yudi explained. "We arrived at the spaceport at nearly the same time and followed him directly here. But we did not understand why the fire alarm was activated. The slavers seemed to be as surprised by it as we were. But apparently it was the girl herself who did it." Yudi turned her skull-like face toward Obi-Wan. "After you locked her in the fresher?"
Obi-Wan felt a bit of nut catch in his throat. He swallowed, but the piece of nut seemed to stick there. Qui-Gon, Devano and Yudi were all looking at him, patiently waiting for his explanation. Obi-Wan took a big swallow of tea.
"She made an aggressive sexual advance toward me. And I pushed her away. And locked the door." His explanation was as short as he could make it. Obi-Wan kept his gaze steady on his fellow Jedi.
There was surprise on Qui-Gon's face. And then. . . .sadness, sympathy. They would discuss this later. Obi-Wan knew now that the Force had guided him to push Mayb away, but his feelings were still his own. And he was not happy with them.
Devano and Yudi only looked surprised, though the younger Knight also seemed amused.
Devano slapped the table again.
"Hah!" He pointed a stubby finger at Obi-Wan. "You've got instincts like your Master. If you had taken her offer, you would have been caught with your pants down. They were getting ready for their ambush right then. The Force is with you." Obi-Wan blushed.
"Would you have taken her offer?" Yudi wondered, looking down at the small man next to her.
Devano shrugged. "I suppose I might. And you wouldn't have?" he challenged.
"Since I have only seen her angry and screaming, I can't say that I would find her very appealing," Yudi said with disdain. "We are not all excited by shrieking and sweating and struggling." She leaned down toward Devano for emphasis.
"Oh really?" He looked unimpressed. "What about you and Master Poof?
"Master Poof does not scream," Yudi said with satisfaction.
Obi-Wan had heard more than he wanted to know when Yudi got to 'shrieking and sweating'. Clearly these two knew each other well enough to be acquainted with their sexual habits. And the conversation continued. Obi-Wan's eyes widened at Yudi's casual mention of the size of Devano's anatomy. The size and species differential between the two made them an unlikely couple and as their conversation continued Obi-Wan learned that the significant activities had required the assistance of at least one other person.
Opposite him at the table, Qui-Gon looked on with mildly bored interest.
"Well, I am familiar with Ayta Magah," Qui-Gon answered Devano's inquiry about mutual partners. "But it has been a few years," he said wistfully. But he offered no other details. With not at trace of discomfort he picked out a puffy appetizer and began munching while Yudi pointed out some difficulties that she had encountered in interspecies couplings.
Obi-Wan looked at his Master's tranquility with undisguised envy. That was what he strove for, a quietude of mind that even the most primal instincts could not disturb. What did he need to achieve it? Discipline? Experience? Or was it just age? He supposed that this was one thing that separated the Masters from the Padawans. He had foolishly thought that he had reached this goal, but just a brief cuddle from Mayb shattered that illusion. Now he was caught between embarrassment and indecision.
A light came on to his left and he turned his head to look, hoping for something that would turn the conversation away from the current topic. After a moment's puzzling over the activity by a raised platform at the far end of the room, Obi-Wan realized that it was exactly what he needed.
"Well, I think you're supposed to put the oil on first - - " Devano was saying.
"Ah, Master Devano?" Obi-Wan interrupted.
The older man looked at him curiously. "Yes?"
"Can you sing?"
Everyone else at the table stared at him, but Obi-Wan just pointed.
A technician with a pointy-toothed grin checked the height of a hovering voice enhancer. A few more patrons had wandered into Mimi's and they clustered at open tables around the platform that was rapidly being transformed into a stage with lights and a sparkly curtain for the evening entertainment. A tune droid, as garish and top-heavy as anything that had ever serviced the night-life on Coruscant trundled up to the technician and blatted out test bursts of recorded music. Whirling wheels and cylinders spun in time with the varying beats. Light patterns zoomed around strings of lights all over the droid's body and it honked out a few multi-toned 'whooo-whooo-whooooooooooo!' The nearby patrons perked up, clearly ready to display their vocal talents.
Even Qui-Gon looked alarmed.
They hastily left.
- - - End Part 10