Chapter 50

"Are you anxious?" Alex inquired as they both dressed for the evening. The day had fled by quickly and it was now early evening. The heat of the day had ebbed, and the clear sky of morning had been replaced by air heavy with moisture and clouds that promised rain and no little lightning and thunder later on.

"A little," Meri conceded in answer to his question. It had taken a few moments of pondering, but she was feeling slightly uneasy and she wasn't certain of what, be it the mission or the position she was soon to be in.

Her outfit for this particular outing was no less risqué, in fact probably more so. She had again opted for the skintight pants as opposed to the skirt that had been provided. She wasn't ready to show that much skin. Besides the skirt would be a hindrance if it came to running around, something which she undoubtedly would be doing at some point later that night. Her top hid only the minimal essentials and left the rest on display.

The last thing she put on was a bracelet that circled her right forearm. It was gold and made in the form of a coiled snake, which Meri found rather disturbing. The head was at the lower end, with red gems as its eyes. To Meri, it looked as though it had embedded its fangs in her arm.

Alex watched her put it on, a smile tugging the corners of his mouth upward. It wasn't difficult to see her distaste for the adornment.

Meri sent a half-hearted glare in his direction. "You're enjoying this mission entirely too much," she groused. "I can't count the times you've laughed at me."

The master just laughed then, the sound helping to set her nerves a little more on ease.

"Are you ready yet, my little pet," he teased as he fastened his black cloak and then concealed his lightsaber from view.

Meri grinned at his words, moving to don her own midnight blue cloak as she spoke. "Now there is a new term for apprentice, Master. Perhaps you should bring that up before the Council and see if they won't adopt it as the newest title for padawan."

Alex smirked, but then the expression faded. "Stay close tonight, Meri," he warned seriously.

Before he could go on, Meri flashed him a playful grin and ran her hands under his cloak and up his chest. "I thought that was my only mandate," she breathed glancing up at him with one dark brow arched in a mocking attempt at seduction. The mischievous smile faded as she saw his expression, felt his breathing deepen and she stilled her hands, her fingertips tingling before she could quickly pull them away. She wanted to ask what was wrong, but she hesitated, afraid of the answer.

Discomfort hung heavy between them as Meri quickly stepped away, confusion filling her dark eyes.

"I'm sorry," she began not even understanding why she was apologizing.

"No, don't," his words stepped on the heels of her previous words as though he couldn't get them out fast enough.

As Meri paused, glancing back up at him, Alex released a light sigh and then smiled reassuringly. "Don't apologize, I'm rather a bit uptight about tonight Meri, I'm glad that you feel comfortable enough to joke about it. You will need that comfort level later."

His words held an almost ominous tone for Meri, but she tried to push the thought away. A finger brushing against the curve of her cheek brought her quickly back to the present and to Alex, who stood before her.

"Focus," he instructed, pulling the Force around them both. His hand dropped away as she nodded. And then he smiled boyishly at her, the light reaching his indigo eyes and twinkling from them as he grinned.

"That's better," he said.

And for just that moment, everything was.

*****

"Master…"

The young Jedi knight awoke from his fevered stupor, his dark eyes barely showing beneath drooped lids. The sound of his master's voice echoed in his mind, but he hadn't the strength to raise his head even if he had been convinced it was not a figment of his imagination and a result of his raging fever.

Moments of clarity, such as he was experiencing now, were becoming far and fewer between, and they left him wondering for the thousandth time where he had gone wrong in his mission.

Things had started out well enough and he had just begun to make serious headway in discovering who in the Senate was behind the crime ring. He hadn't believed what all the information was suggesting, but he hadn't been given time either. All he knew was that the Jedi Council needed to see that information. And now the only proof was within his mind.

Over the course of a week, he found himself becoming dizzy and lightheaded, frequently losing his balance. At first he thought it stemmed from the long nights of research and the stress of keeping his identity a secret. But gradually it worsened; he became nauseated and couldn't keep anything down, while his fever climbed.

Eventually he must have passed out in the 'fresher, for he awoke on the 'fresher floor to find himself surrounded by the men that he had worked for. He vaguely remembered being accused of treachery and being a Jedi, but he wasn't in any position to argue.

The next time he awoke, he had found himself here and he wasn't all that certain of where "here" was. It was dark, dank and smelled of mildew, that much he knew. Sick as he was, his captors obviously weren't taking chances with a Jedi, and he found his hands and feet bound, with chains attached to the stone wall.

The knight didn't know how long he'd been here, only that he had grown weaker, until even moving his finger was a chore. Simply breathing was becoming difficult. His sense of the Force was like trying to hold on to running water, when he was conscious enough to try and grasp it.

He knew. Behind the feverish haze clouding his mind and the detachment from his body, he knew he was dying. There was nothing he could do to stop it, not now, but just before the darkness rose up to claim him, he found the childish thought and wish crossing his mind.

*I don't want to die alone…*

***

A few floors above the captive Jedi, Alex and Meri were in the thick of the very group responsible. Discussions that only bordered on a business nature had already taken place. Things had begun to tilt toward the more personal side, with the men present starting up a friendly rivalry --— on the surface at least --— of who had the most well built slave.

This change of discussion was initially a relief to Alex. He was uncomfortable and he suspected he was on dangerous ground making comments on subjects he knew nothing about. He was fast changing his opinion however, as the eyes around him began a lengthy inspection of his apprentice, who sat reclining against him. It wouldn't have bothered him as much if they weren't all well on their way to inebriation as well as becoming rather rowdy.

The drinking had started some time ago, and because he knew it was imperative to fit in, he was forced to consume more than he would have liked. Because of his ability to filter the alcohol content, Alex only felt a slight buzz.

"Solail, stand yours up and let us get a good eyeful of that one!" The request was loud and immediately caught the attention of the others around the room. Attention was one thing Alex hadn't wanted, but now all eyes were on him.

Remaining where he was, reclined against cushions, he lazily waved his hand in a command accompanied by a rather bored. "Stand up."

Meri, fighting down the queasiness in her stomach, obeyed instantly to the hoots and other rude sounds thrown her way. If she had looked up she would have seen the lust glittering in the men's eyes and the jealousy in a few of the other female slaves.

Alex's blue gaze frosted, but it was his only visual response to what he was feeling and sensing coming from these men. The tips of his fingers moved in an indiscernible fidget as he listened to the comments flowing around the room. All the time he tried to appear bored.

A somewhat portly man at Alex's side elbowed him good-naturedly. "Does she bore you that much?" He leered. "Perhaps we could trade for the night? You don't seem to want her."

Alex squashed the un-Jedi-like idea of grabbing the man's throat and squeezing, while restraining the look of disgust that wanted to cross his face. Reaching up, he grabbed Meri's arm possessively and with a rough jerk she landed in his lap. He could feel her start of surprise through the Force as he slid an arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest.

"No," he said in a deceptively calm voice. "I think I'll keep her," he pretended to study her face and then ran a hand down her side. "For now," he added.

Meri was stiff as a board against him and as the eyes slowly began to turn away from them, the conversation resumed. Alex, however, had the feeling that they were still being watched closely.

"Relax," he breathed against her ear so only she heard him. He felt her do so, but only marginally. Finally he released her with the command to go freshen up. He'd seen many of the other girls coming and going and knew it would give his apprentice time to relax a little.

Meri rose gracefully and Alex watched her until she disappeared through one of the grand arched doorways. Once she was gone, he took the time to scan the room, noting that things were getting louder as the drinks flowed and that a few of the men, despite an audience, were getting a little caught up in a more than affectionate display with their slaves. They were encouraged with much laughter by their surrounding companions and Alex looked away in revulsion. This was not something he had ever wanted Meri to be a part of.

At the thought of her, he realized she should have been back by then. He waited a few more minutes and was just about to rise and go after her when he felt something strange over their bond.

Alex rose to his feet quickly, ignoring the way the world seemed to briefly tilt in the light of his concern for Meri.

Something wasn't right.

*****

As Meri glanced around the lavish room that had been designated a as "freshen-up" retreat for women, it was clear to her that whoever was behind all this was extremely wealthy.

As she stepped into the hall, Meri shook her head, trying to understand why she had been so tense and shaken at the way she had felt herself responding to her Master's touch. Telling herself it was just an act on his part hadn't seemed to help. However, her thoughts turned away from this line of thought as she took in her surroundings. When she and Alex had first arrived, she had, of course, kept her head down. This was her first chance to glance around the expansive hallway. Thick marble columns reached up to the vaulted ceiling in support and a great curving marble staircase led to the upper floors.

Even inside this room — provided for beings who were really nothing more than slaves, it spoke of wealth. Several plush seats had been provided before looking glasses. A marble sink sat beneath the mirrors and Meri only had to move her hand towards the faucet for the water to automatically start.

Sticking her sweaty palms under the cold water, she wished she could splash her face with it as well. She left her hands under the frigid water until they began to tingle and then reached for the hand towel that had been provided.

Closing her eyes, the padawan took a moment to center herself in the Force before returning to Alex. It was a struggle to keep all her confused thoughts at bay and focus only on this mission. Releasing a deep breath, Meri took her first step towards the doorway and stopped short at the sight of the man standing there.

He was young, with olive skin, dark eyes and hair. He was only a little taller than she and in the moment it took for her to remember to drop her eyes she saw an expression of wanting on his face.

In that brief instant she recognized the young man as one who had been watching her the entire evening. He had his own slave, but he hadn't been paying much attention to her.

Advancing towards her, he eyed her, taking his time as his gazed burned its way from the top of her head to the soles of her feet.

"Exquisite," he murmured to himself as he took the remaining steps to her.

Meri held back a grimace of disgust at the feel of his hands on her arms. She didn't like this and wasn't quite certain how she was going to extricate herself from this developing crisis.

"Look at me."

Meri obeyed the command with eagerness, her eyes blazing with clear defiance.

The man's motions ceased and his eyes narrowed as he studied her. She pulled back slightly, but the movement was enough. His hand clamped down like a vice on her wrist and suddenly she found herself pulled roughly into his arms.

She felt a swell of something almost like panic as she smelled the alcohol on his breath and it took everything within her not to pull away.

"Stop," the whispered word escaped before she could stop it.

"What did you say to me?" The tone was hard and cold as the man pulled back, still holding both her arms in a vice-like grip.

Meri didn't answer, but only stared past the young man's shoulder.

"I can do whatever I want! You're a slave," he almost spat. His words were accompanied by a violent pinch on a tender part of her anatomy.

Meri hissed in a breath and it took everything within her to keep from releasing a powerful force-push in self-defense … but she couldn't, she knew that.

*Master,* she thought desperately. *I need you, now!* By this time she was trembling, though not from fear. It was taking everything within her to keep from using her powers as a Jedi. Powers that if used too soon might alert someone to their presence.

"Scared?" the man asked amidst his fumbling efforts, mistaking her trembling for something else entirely.

Meri wanted to scoff at this, but knew she didn't have the time. Closing her eyes she ignored the man to the best of her ability as she delved into the Force. The man had a strong mind, but his drinking had weakened it and it was probably the only thing that allowed her to succeed.

She wasn't as learned in mind manipulation as her master, but with some effort she managed to trick his mind into thinking he wanted to sleep. As the man's arms were still around her, she wasn't prepared for the heavy weight as he collapsed on top of her.

With a small "Ooof," Meri landed on her backside with the man's weight pinning her down.

"I knew it," a voiced murmured grimly.

Meri glanced up to see Alex peering down on them, his expression serious as he surveyed her predicament before he reached down and hefted the man's dead weight to the side allowing Meri to crawl out from under the inert form.

"What happened?"

"Well, I was trying to get back to you, Master, but I was delayed," Meri voice was trembling as she brushed imaginary dirt from her front, her eyes averted from Alex's probing ones.

"I should have known. He's been looking at you all night. Are you all right?"

At the soft voice Meri bit her lip and nodded, her eyes on the floor.

"He's drunk. I'll inform a attendant on the way out," he said with a cold glance at the man.

Stepping closer, Alex enclosed Meri within the circle of his arms. "This isn't working, Meri. They suspect something," he whispered.

She knew he meant the act only to protect them from anyone hearing, but she couldn't explain the relief she felt at being there, despite his serious words. He spoke of the distance they had held up to that point, but she knew with how things were going, Alex was going to have to act as something other than her Jedi master; if only to protect her, as well as him from discovery.

Alex moved one hand to the nape of her neck, his fingers toying with a few curly strands there. "I … well, you're just going to need to trust me tonight, Meri."

He wasn't simply informing her, he was requesting something of her and she wasn't certain what. She glanced up hesitantly into his eyes and his fingers stilled at the back of her neck.

"Yes, Master," she breathed, offering in that single word, everything.

Alex's blue eyes darkened slightly as he studied her intensely, hearing within her words more than obedience and something much more than respect. His fingers played across the skin of her nape in a tender caress before he pulled his hand away and led her back to the hall.