A/N: I have returned to this story from my 3 year long hiatus, haha! Hi to everyone again :-) I'm so sorry to the few people that I left hanging in the dark when I first published this story and randomly stopped. I have rewritten the first chapter (and am almost finished with the second) and I am much more pleased with the story. Lannera has a new job, a new friend, new enemies, and will have a new introduction with Anakin! I hope yall enjoy the story and please favorite/follow/review
TW for very mild non-consensual groping, brief mention of sex work, description of blood
The dressing room was an incredibly cramped space. A closet for outfit changes was situated on one side and a vanity with a stool sat on the other; flashy clothes were spilling out of the wardrobe and makeup was covering the latter leaving no space for anything else to fit. The atmosphere in the confined room was thick and uneasy, and the two girls currently present in it felt as if they were being suffocated by the unsettling aura and lack of spaciousness. Lannera sat on the wobbly stool, fiddling with her hands atop her lap while Na'sara was seated on the floor, clutching her slender legs to her chest. The usually talkative duo instead sat quietly, the hushed noises of their breathing being the only audible noise filling the dim and dingy room.
Na'sara turned her head towards the brunette, eyeing her with a solemn look painted across her face. "Well… today has definitely been an experience, huh?" She murmured, breaking the silence and disrupting the stillness within the room. Lannera nodded in response, brushing back a tendril of brown hair that had drooped into her vision.
"I'd say that's an understatement, Na'sara…" She whispered, her voice soft and timid as she peered over at her friend. Lannera didn't even have to ask what the question was in reference to- she already knew the answer to it, it's just that neither one of them wanted to speak of it aloud in more detail than what was necessary.
"I-I don't understand why he had to do that to him…"
Unsure of how to respond to that comment by her friend, Lannera simply shook her head, lowering it and fixing her eyes on the dusty floor instead. Her mind processed the statement for several moments, regrettably thinking back to the instance in which they were referring to. She finally turned to face Na'sara, her usually pale face growing red with anger and disgust. "I-I… I don't know, Na'sara. I really don't. But look at where we work, and who we work for. They're horrible people– I wouldn't put anything past them and I really hope that we're not next."
The Twi'lek nodded her head. "Yeah, I know. It's good money but damn, I'm tired of dealing with these crazy bastards sometimes…"
Lanera chuckled dryly, her head bobbing in agreement. "I'm with you on that one."
Na'sara laughed at her friend's comment, kicking out her thin, blue legs and stretching them out in preparation to leave. "Are you ready to go home, Lany? After today I really don't want to walk alone, and I'm sure you don't want to either."
The brunette begrudgingly stood up from her stool, her muscles aching from being on her feet all day. She groaned softly, placing her dainty hands on the makeup vanity for support. "You don't even have to ask me that question." She said, pushing herself away from the table and walking towards the closet to retrieve her coat. After slipping it on with ease, Lannera grabbed her bag from the wall hooks and draped it over her shoulder, turning to face the Twi'lek still seated on the floor. "I'm always eager to leave this place, so let's get the hell out of here already."
Na'sara agreed without saying a word, immediately hopping up from the dingy floor and brushing off the dirt that latched onto the bottom of her dress and bare legs. Once readjusted, she grabbed her own bag and slung it over her arm, immediately heading towards the automated door with Lannera in tow. They were eager to leave the hell-hole that they were currently confined in, and didn't glance back once as they entered the hallways and bid their nightmarish day at work goodbye.
The two young ladies remained quiet as they navigated through the dim corridors, not because they disliked each other's presence, but because there was simply nothing to say. Neither of them wanted to talk about what had happened, nor did they want their thoughts to dwell on such an instance. It was unhealthy and caused nothing but stress and sadness; they couldn't change the past, so why bother worrying about it?
Still, the fury and revulsion regarding the situation remained fresh in their minds as Na'sara abruptly let out an annoyed groan, splaying her hands into the air in anger.
"It's always so damn loud in here!" She barked, her tone laced with bitterness. "It's the middle of the night and everyone's still getting it on in this damn place!"
Lannera agreed with a nod of her head, glancing at the numerous doors as they strolled down the dim corridor. The Outlander really was always rambunctious with noise: raucous laughing from patrons, the sickening thuds of fights occurring, and even the ever so soft moans and groans from customers getting their credits worth. Lannera internally grimaced at that last thought. Thankfully she didn't have to do the latter, but it was certainly a common discussion to be had in the club whether it was patrons asking for her to provide those types of services, or even Boss Carden begging for her to finally do so. However, she always refused, never wanting to stoop to a level as low as that- no type of money was worth it to her.
The duo finally neared the entrance of the lift and once in front of it, Lannera pressed the button to go down to street level. It was taking an awfully long time and the women continued to grow more and more fatigued by the second, the day weighing heavily on their minds and the rigors of being on their feet all day causing their muscles to ache with a harsh vengeance.
Instant relief was to be had when there was a ding signaling that the lift had arrived on their floor. The door began to creep open but as it did, it revealed none other than Sorlo Kesyk, the infamous leader of the Inkruulya Crime Syndicate and worst of all, their boss. He was a tall, well-built man and looked capable of destroying anything in his path. Scars littered his pale skin, evidence of the atrocities he was involved in by leading the crime syndicate for the past however many years.
Lannera held back her grimace and shock and instead put on a convincing façade, smiling sweetly at the brute of a man.
She had easily gotten used to it over the years.
"Lord Kesyk… how it's always nice to see you, and at such an unexpected time as well." She said, her voice soft and supple. He smirked at the petite brunette, stepping forward and standing directly in her path to freedom.
"Why Lannera, you're such a sweet girl." He murmured, his large hand gingerly reaching forward and cupping her round face. The warmth of his hand was instant against her cold flesh and she was forced to hold back the instinctive desire to pull away, especially as his calloused thumb began to brush the apple of her cheek. Lany bit back her disgust and tried to ignore the affectionate act as much as possible- it was always hard, but it was always necessary to do so. She then leaned forward ever so slightly into his touch, smiling innocently and batting her thick lashes.
"Are you two ladies off for the night then? Heading home?" He asked, edging an eyebrow up as he was still focused on the darling brunette standing before him.
Na'sara decided to speak up first. "Yes, Lord Kesyk, Lany and I were just heading home for the night. Is there anything you might need from us before we go?"
Lannera's gaze shifted to the blue Twi'lek, her eyes demanding an answer for such an outrageous proposition. It was time to go home! Not to stay here and do more favors than what was necessary for such an awful man!
Lord Kesyk retracted his hand from the brunette's cheek and turned to face Na'sara, smiling at her thoughtful proposal. "No. No thank you, dear. I had a more than… satisfactory… day. I won't be needing anything else until tomorrow."
The two women nodded their heads, bowing in respect. "Yes, Lord Kesyk. We shall see you tomorrow then." Lannera said, her gaze still focused on the floor as she remained lowered before him. He chuckled quietly, once again reaching his hand forward and gently resting it on the young woman's cheek, beckoning for her to look at him.
"Go and get rest, Lannera, you'll need it for tomorrow… You as well, Na'sara."
Lannera and her friend held in their gulps, unsure of the meaning of his words. They were definitely ominous, that was sure, but what did he have planned? Surely nothing like today would happen to them, right? The two friends could do nothing but nod their heads, bowing once more as the brute of a man finally walked off, his figure growing smaller as he traveled further down the darkened halls.
"What the hell did that mean?" Lannera asked bluntly, not waiting a second longer now that he was out of earshot. Na'sara shook her head, a sullen expression plastered across her face. She couldn't even turn to look her friend in the eyes, the fear raging through her body keeping her frozen in shock.
"I… I don't know. A-And I wish we didn't have to find out at all." She stuttered, her gaze still focused on the retreating figure of Kesyk looming in the distance.
Lannera sighed, rubbing her face in frustration. "And what the heck was that about too? 'Is there anything you might need from us before you go?' What were you thinking?"
"I-I was afraid if I didn't ask then he might take it upon himself to give us something to do." She murmured, turning to look her friend in the eyes. The brunette's mouth opened into a small 'o', the realization dawning on her. Makes sense– smart idea.
"I understand… Sorry for getting annoyed." Lany mumbled, bashfully raking her slender fingers through her mess of curls. "Well, are you ready to just get outta here? I've had enough of this place for the night…"
Na'sara didn't even have to be asked– she was already pushing the button for the lift by the time her friend had finished talking. Once it arrived back to their floor, the friends immediately stepped in, eager to escape the nightmare that they both knew as work. But as the door to the lift closed, all Lannera could think about was what type of hell was she going to endure tomorrow at the hands of Lord Kesyk, and what the hell could she even do to prevent it.
The apartment was eerily quiet, aside from the soft sound of Lannera's footsteps carefully tip-toeing through the home. She walked cautiously, avoiding anything that could possibly make noise and rouse the home's other inhabitant from their sleep. It was pitch black inside and the young woman didn't notice the box in front of her when she suddenly walked directly into it. The impact sent it flying across the hallway floor and caused a loud 'wham' to reverberate through the thin and cheaply made walls, startling her and causing a loud yelp to split past her lips.
"Who is that?!" A scream suddenly erupted from one of the bedrooms, followed by the clatter of objects crashing to the floor. Lannera cursed under her breath.
Of course she was clumsy enough to accidentally wake Erek up.
Now that he was up and moving around - evident from his bickering and the clashing of objects - she reached out and turned the light on. The dark apartment was quickly illuminated with the press of a button and the girl sighed as she stared at the ground, kicking the box lightly in frustration for causing such a ruckus.
Not even a moment after Lannera turned on the lights, the door down the hall whipped open and out ran Erek, half-dressed in unbuttoned trousers and wielding a pipe of some sort. She couldn't help but snort, chuckling dryly at the scene before her. "And what were you going to do with that?" She asked, eyeing her friend up and down as he stood before her in a defensive position. "And obviously, it's just me, as you can see." Her hands outstretched in sarcasm, furthering her point.
Erek immediately lowered the pipe and rubbed his sleep-ridden eyes with his free hand. "Yeah, I can see that now, Lany…" He mumbled, stifling a yawn that tried to escape from his mouth. "But I did not know that when I heard a loud bang in the middle of the damn night! You could have been some thug for all I know!"
Lannera nodded her head. "Yes, yes, I know… I'm just joking with you, Erek." She said, walking towards him and giving him a light, teasing punch to the arm. "Go back to sleep. I'm gonna go to bed myself." The man's mouth contorted into a frown and his dark brows furrowed in confusion.
"What are you even doing coming back this late at night?"
She glanced into his eyes momentarily before looking away, focusing her attention on anything other than the young man standing in front of her. "It was a long day- let's just leave it at that, alright?" Lannera knew that he wouldn't take that for an answer, but she certainly didn't want to delve into the gruesome and morbid details of her excruciatingly long day at work. She knew that Erek already disapproved of her working at the Outlander, and she definitely knew he would dislike her working there even more when he found out that she had watched Lord Kesyk murder a man right in front of her tonight.
Erek simply nodded, his features softening slightly.
Good. Maybe he finally understands to quit pressing for more details…
Just as Lannera thought her dreams had come true, his features tensed up without warning and his words came out in a snarky tone. "You know I don't like you working there, right?"
"Of course I do, you only tell me it every single day."
He scoffed, throwing out his hand in annoyance. "Th-This isn't a joke, Lany! It's dangerous work! Your boss lets criminals work and stay at that club, and don't even get me started on your other boss, the one that is an actual criminal. The one that is the head of a crime syndicate!" His tone was filled with anger, not necessarily directed at his dear friend, but at the entire situation. He and Lannera were childhood companions and he cared deeply for her, and she never should have been put into this situation in the first place.
"Do you think I don't know that?" She snapped, narrowing her eyes in defiance. "It pays well and that is the only thing that I care about, okay?"
Erek sighed, lowering his head in shame. "I know, Lany. I know…" He murmured, his words hushed and sincere. "I'm sorry. I really am. I-It's just that we've been best friends for… years! And I don't know what I'd do if I ever lost you. We managed to get out of the underworld together and move up here for a better future and honestly, I'm just scared for my friend sometimes." He admitted, glancing up to look her in the eyes. Lannera's stoic features had relaxed, and her steely eyes softened immensely as she stared at him in understanding.
"I know, Erek. I know." She said, stepping forward and resting a gentle hand on his toned forearm, her slender fingers delicately tracing the fabric of his nightshirt. "I know you care, and I know you're concerned- I know all of this and I understand why. But… you have to trust me, okay? I'm doing this for the money, to save up and hopefully move up in the world. Coruscant is a very… difficult place to find where you belong in this galaxy, but I am determined to figure that out. I need to have money saved up to do so, so that is what I will keep doing."
The man raked his fingers through his short, blond locks, trying to calm the anxiety that was still brewing within him. He understood Lannera perfectly but he was still terrified for his friend's safety, and that fear certainly wouldn't go away instantly. However, he knew he had to trust her, one way or another; he just hoped that his anxieties would go away soon.
"Okay, I understand what you're saying, Lany. Just be safe, alright? Please?"
She nodded her head, a teasing smirk growing on her face. "You know I always am."
"Yeah, I know…" He chuckled slightly, finally beginning to turn away and head back to his room. "Goodnight, I'll see you tomorrow morning."
"Goodnight, Erek. Sleep well." Lannera said, her voice kind and soft. She smiled as he stuck a hand out in a wave before retreating back into his bedroom, promptly closing the door with the click of a button. Returning her focus back to what she was doing before she awoke Erek, the girl picked up the box and moved it to a spot where she wouldn't walk into it again, before going to her own room and closing the door behind her.
Her bedroom was cramped and very confined - much like the club's dressing room - but at least this was home to her. It was simple and quaint, only possessing a bed, closet, mirror, and a desk. This was enough for her though, and as long as she kept it clean and organized, she didn't feel that same claustrophobic feeling like at the Outlander.
Lannera stepped forward towards the mirror and began to undress, slipping her plush coat off from her shoulders and arms and hanging it back in the closet where it belonged. She kicked her high heels off to a corner of the room and breathed a sigh of relief as her feet finally laid flat on the floor for the first time in almost eight hours. The brunette's attention turned to the mirror and she couldn't help but eye her dress for a moment, noting just how short and revealing it was. Then again, what was expected of a lady who worked at the infamous Outlander Club? She definitely wouldn't be able to wear her usual pants and shirt, and not even her occasional, long dress.
She continued to inspect herself, leaning towards the mirror and taking notice of every flaw that she could find. As her tired eyes settled on a splotch of red near her midriff, she lowered her head to peer at it further, her eyes scrunching in the dim light to make out what the mark was. In a moment of realization, Lannera pulled her head back up and stared at the reflection of her face in the mirror and watched as her emotions began to take her heavy-weighing mind over.
It started with her lips turning into a frown, and her dark brows furrowing into anguish, and finally her blue eyes began to grow blood-shot as the tears started to form and trickle down her cheeks.
It was blood. Plain and simple.
She thought that this awful day of work had been put behind her but once again, work seemed to have a habit of following her home no matter the circumstances. Of all of the days in her life where she just wanted to strip herself of her clothes and fall into bed and enjoy a nice, relaxing, deep slumber, work always had a way of messing that up.
The young woman stood in the mirror, frozen in time as her eyes never left her reflection. She stood motionless, crying silently as she yearned for a different job, a different life, a different destiny. One that was happy, filled with joy and all the splendors she ever dreamed of- one where she wasn't subject to Lord Kesyk's horribly cruel actions and demands.
Lannera wiped the tears away from her eyes, black makeup smearing across her pale cheeks. In an effort to rid herself of the memory at work, the brunette grabbed the tight, obsidian colored dress from above her breasts and began to pull it down, wiggling it off her body in a defiant struggle. The form-fitting dress eventually fell once past her thighs, and the shimmery material pooled at her bare feet. Without hesitation she kicked it away and it flew towards the door where it would remain until she gained the strength to deal with it.
She hurriedly threw on a nightgown and turned the lights off, hopping into bed and pulling the covers over herself. In an attempt to fall asleep as fast as possible, Lannera closed her eyes and focused on her breathing, one deep breath after the other, over and over.
After what felt like a century, she surmised that it was futile - her mind could only focus on the one thing that had been plaguing it for the entire day.
One minute everyone was joking and getting along, drinking and dancing. That was until a man who she had never seen before was escorted into the room, followed by several thugs pointing blasters at his back. Everyone grew quiet, not a peep emitting from their mouths. Not even a minute later there were punches being thrown at the man, accompanied by shouting courtesy of Lord Kesyk. And not even a minute after that a knife was pulled and it was forced into the gut of the nameless man. The knife was retracted and shoved into his flesh over and over until blood had coated the floor like a disgusting painting. Lord Kesyk was covered head to toe in the man's blood, his once white suit painted a horrifyingly bright shade of crimson.
After what felt like a century of hearing the sounds of the man crying for help and mercy, and that awful sound of the knife being plunged into his body, everything was silent and the limp body was dropped to the floor. The bright red substance never stopped leaking from his body and it pooled around him in a giant puddle. It was horrifying, and utterly disgusting to say the least. Lannera knew that men were capable of committing such atrocities but she never thought that she'd witness such visceral acts in the flesh, right before her eyes.
Thinking of the fear that she felt coursing through her body during that moment reminded her of another memory, one where she came close to feeling that same level of terror. Lannera closed her eyes, focusing on the stark darkness in her vision. Her breathing slowed as she recounted the memory, thinking back to the moment that she met the most despicable man she has ever known.
"Hmm… Very nice, this one." The brute of a man said as he turned the girl's head every which way, his grip on her jaw iron-tight as he proceeded to inspect her features. Lannera's breaths were heavy and her eyes darted around the confined room, the animal instinct in her body telling her to run far, far away from this detestable place. For reasons completely unknown though, she stayed motionless though her mind so desperately told her to leave. 'I need the money', she thought, closing her eyes for a moment to think. 'I just have to be brave… I can do this. I know I can.'
"She is one of our finest girls, Lord Kesyk. I hope you are pleased with this proposal." Carden said, bowing slightly and gesturing his hand towards the petite brunette. Kesyk nodded his head, a grin plastered across his scarred face as he stood back to marvel at his new toy.
"I'm more than pleased." He said simply, his eyes looking the girl up and down as if she were a piece of meat. "Now - as for working arrangements - I know that she can converse with my men and I, serve drinks and food, dance, do other small, meaningless tasks, but is there anything else she can or can't do?"
Carden walked towards Kesyk and leaned in, his voice hushed and quiet. "Anything in particular you were wondering about?"
Kesyk smirked and raised his brows. "You know… can we have 'fun' with her?"
The man frowned at the question. "Unfortunately, Lord Kesyk, the answer is no. She is unwilling to perform those duties, however if she randomly decides to do it one day then by all means, help yourself." He said with a smile, patting Kesyk on the shoulder.
He simply grumbled, slapping Carden's hand away. "I-I'm sorry, but we do have plenty of other women who perform those duties, Lord Kesyk…"
"That's not good enough." He said, stepping closer to Lannera and peering down at her small, shivering figure. "I want her."
Those three words made the frightened girl's blood run cold and she stepped back in fear, her body trembling with anxiety. 'No, he can't force me! Boss Carden already told me that - he'll get in trouble with the club if he does!"
Carden chuckled nervously, walking up to the two and placing a hand on Kesyk's broad shoulder and the other on Lannera's. He smiled anxiously, his eyes darting back and forth between the two. "Who knows! Maybe you two will end up really liking each other, yes?" He said, trying to defuse the situation by giving Kesyk possible hope that he may one day fulfill his carnal desires.
Once again Kesyk pulled away from his grasp, his brows furrowed in anger. His hand reached towards the girl's thin waist and he gripped it tightly, pulling her petite body close against his. She whimpered under his touch as her face was pressed against his firm chest, her arms hanging limp at her side and her hands bunched into fists.
"I'm going to leave for a moment, Lord Kesyk. Please, feel free to continue growing 'acquainted' with your new worker." Carden said suddenly, his voice timid and quiet. Lannera could hear his footsteps quickly leave the room, along with the sound of the door closing behind him. She shut her eyes, fearing the worst now that her employer had abruptly left her in the possession of a disgusting, good-for-nothing criminal.
"So, are you going to be a good girl to me?" Kesyk asked, feigning an affectionate tone. Lannera nodded her head against his chest. She kept her eyes shut tightly and took deep breaths, trying to relax in the grip of the leader of the Inkruulya Crime Syndicate. His scent filled her nose as she took breath after breath and it grew intoxicating; it was a distinct, woodsy smell, like nothing she had ever encountered. She wondered where he had to have gone to catch such a distinct fragrance, and then her mind pondered what he was doing in such a place. 'Probably killing someone, or smuggling something to a far off system…' She thought morbidly, clenching her eyes at the horrible notion.
Her thoughts were interrupted when his calloused hand suddenly began to move from her waist, inching lower and lower until it was positioned on her bottom. He clenched tightly, melding the flesh beneath his rough touch. Lannera's eyes grew wide in fear and she whimpered into his chest, her breathing beginning to grow erratic as panic quickly started to take over.
"I-I promise I'll be good to you, Lord Kesyk…" She finally responded, growing more and more fearful by the second. His rough hand pulled away and he stepped back from her, smirking down into her tear-ridden face.
"I know you will. I'll make sure of it, dear." He said, his tone dangerously genuine. Lannera's breath hitched in her throat and all she could manage was a small nod of her head. It was probably for the best anyways; she didn't want to risk saying anything that would make the situation any worse than it already was. Kesyk made sure to give the brunette one more devilish smirk before turning around and heading for the door. His work here was done; he'd have her wrapped around his finger in no time.
Lannera shot up out of bed, her hand clutching her chest as the panic from the flashback quickly set in. She could feel her heart pounding beneath her grip, the erratic thumps further fueling her anxiety. Her head was pounding, the memories of her first meeting with that dreadful man giving her a headache that was beyond recognition. All Lany could do was groan in anguish as sobs began to rock her frail body, tears trailing down her puffy cheeks and mixing in with smeared makeup and beads of sweat.
Looking back at her past self, Lannera realized just how terrified and meek she used to be. She truly believed that she had grown stronger - both physically and mentally - but was that really the truth? The more she pondered that thought, the more she realized the answer to it.
She didn't believe it, not one bit- especially with how she was now reacting to the day's events.
Lannera was still that horrified, young girl all those years ago, trembling beneath the touch and cowering to the voice of Lord Kesyk. She had her moments of bravery, that was true, but was she really courageous, unwavering to the dominance of Kesyk? Or was it just a façade, brought on by her years of experience beneath him?
It was definitely the latter, she surmised- it just had to be. There was no way that someone like her would be courageous enough to stand up to a man like Kesyk, and to be able to withstand the bullshit that he put her and everyone else through. It just wasn't possible, not for someone like her at least.
A sigh escaped from Lannera's quivering lips and she flopped back onto the bed, rolling over on her side in a fit of frustration. She shoved her aching head further into the pillow and whined pitifully, not understanding her life one bit. Nothing was worse than having an existential crisis when one was so exhausted and desperately in need of rest, especially when a certain someone told her to do just that.
A/N: I hope yall enjoyed the first chapter! I can't wait to finish the second one and post it soon I am also currently working on a Captain Rex/OC fic as well that also has the first chapter published, so if you enjoy his character go and check out that one as well! Thanks for reading and let me know what yall thought in the reviews!