Hey guys, it's time for another chapter! I'm so happy about the support I've gotten for this story. I love writing it, and I love hearing your comments and ideas about it. This will probably be a major chapter in the story but I'm not sure yet. I guess we'll see what happens! Finally, here's the chapter!

Ch. 14: Captured

(Luna's POV)

I slowly woke up and immediately felt a striking pain in my head and arm. All I saw was darkness for a while. I was conscious, but I couldn't open my eyes. It was like I was trapped in a trance or some neverending sleep paralysis. After what felt like an eternity, I finally opened my eyes to see the cold marble of a black-shaded floor.

"Son of a…."

I wondered what had happened until it all came back to me. That bounty hunter attacked Cal and me. I remember him shooting fire at us, but everything after that is hazy. I tried to rub my temples to ease the pain of the migraine I had, but I couldn't. Tilting my head up, I noticed that my arms were tied above my head on a chain attached to the ceiling. A lock with a keyhole bound my wrists together, causing the loss of circulation in my limbs. It hurt to move my head up and down, but I felt the strongest urge to look at my legs and feet. No wonder I couldn't feel them.

"W-What…?" I mumbled incoherently.

I wasn't wearing the outfit I had picked out for myself on the Mantis. In its place was more akin to a swimsuit than anything else. My long blonde hair was freshly brushed with thin, intricate braids flowing down my back. A golden hairpin held the braids together. I had on a bronze-like bra harness that left little to the imagination. My arms and stomach were completely bare. Below my abdomen, I had on a matching bronzed skirt that barely covered anything. For some reason, my shoes were the same boots I always wore. Why am I wearing all this stuff? Did the bounty hunter put it on me?

A slight breeze ran through the room, and I shivered as it hit my skin, goosebumps appearing on my arms and legs. Speaking of the room, I lifted my head to look around. As I said before, the floor was a black-colored marble. The walls were adorned with exquisite decorations and trinkets. Splashes of bright red and bronzed gold covered the room like it was a museum or something. It was disgustingly gaudy. Staring too much at some of the room's paintings made me nauseous.

I closed my eyes for a few seconds to see if this was a bad dream, but it wasn't. It was all real. Was I the only one in here? Where were Cal and BD-1? Looking around again, I searched for them, but they weren't in the room with me. A sense of panic ran through my bloodstream, and I finally found my voice.

"C-Cal? Cal!? BD-1!? Where are you!?" I yelled in desperation. I writhed myself to see if I could escape my chains, but it seemed like an impossibility. I couldn't use the force because my hands were constricted. My legs were barely touching the ground, so moving them at this point was difficult. I struggled for a few minutes until my body wouldn't let me anymore. I went limp, and I panted for air. Sweat ran down my face as I tried to regain my sanity.

This was bad. This was extremely bad.

I didn't know where I was, and I didn't even know if Cal and BD-1 were still alive! I hope they're okay.

I tried shouting for them once again.

"Cal! BD-1!" I screamed as loud as I could but to no avail. I went silent for a moment and felt tears forming in my eyes. I didn't want to cry, but I couldn't stop my eyes from watering. A few tears streamed down my face before a loud metallic-sounding thud rang throughout the room. My head shot up, and a man was standing at the door.

It wasn't Cal.

An Umbaran man stood at the door with a devilish grin on his face. He seemed pretty happy with himself. He looked middle-aged, with gray hairs starting to form in his otherwise brown hair. He had on a lurid suit that only someone full of themself would wear. He wore a white shirt with a large red overcoat on top of it. The shoulder pads that the coat imitated were enormous. Underneath his top was a pair of tight black pants with bright carmine-colored boots. The probability of his personality matching his sense of style was almost inevitable.

"You clean up well, Jedi. Those clothes you had on were too constricting. This outfit fits you better," he said, walking over to me. His boots clicked with the floor with each step. I didn't say anything as he stopped in front of me. Lifting his hand, he wiped the last remaining tear on my face. I jolted away from him as soon as his fingers made contact.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed at him. He just smirked and dropped his hand to his side.

"I thought Jedi were supposed to be calm and collected."

"Who are you?" I questioned him, ignoring his snarky comment. His eyes widened with surprise as if I had hurt his feelings.

"You must be kidding! Have you never heard of me? Why my name is Sorc Tormo! I am the crime lord of the Haxion Brood crime syndicate!"

I remember seeing the crime syndicate mentioned on the news before. I bit my lip at the mention of the name. What did he want with me? I've never crossed him or anything like that.

"Okay, well, why did you kidnap my friends and me!? Where are they!?"

A light flashed in the man's eyes before he spoke.

"No need to yell, Jedi. I promise you it's nothing you or your friend did. However, mutual responsibility exists. Your acquaintance, Greez, owes me a lot of money from his gambling expenditures. He's been dodging me for years! I would let it go, but I'm a man who doesn't forget. If I'm owed money, I will get it one way or another. I had my guys obtain any info they could on the bastard, and word on the street said he's taken up two young apprentices on his crew. I never dreamed that said apprentices would be Jedi! Absolutely marvelous!" he yelled with delight.

He just said there was no need to yell but okay.

"...Anyway, I hired a bounty hunter to capture said apprentices to lure Greez back. We'll see if it works in the long run. In the meantime, I figured I would take advantage of my good fortune. Your friend was thrown in a cell on the lower level. He should be awake by now. If he's competent enough, he should be able to make his way to the arena from where he is now."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

"The arena?"

"Oh, yes."

He snapped his fingers, and a part of the wall beside us began to lift. The once quiet room was now filling up with the roaring of a crowd. I couldn't see any people, but I did make out the shape of large bright lights attached to the ceiling.

"This room sits beside a grand battle arena. Many freestyle fights happen here, and the crowd bets on who they think will win. The arena generates a large amount of profit for both the syndicate and me. Do you know how many people would be willing to pay to see a Jedi fight? The answer is a lot. Everyone! When your friend reaches the arena, we'll throw everything we got at him until he drops. The number of bets that have been made already blows our best numbers out of the water!"

Cal probably doesn't even know what he's getting into. I have to get to him somehow! The thought of him dying in front of all those cheering people…It's sickening.

"You're a monster," I muttered. He seemed to enjoy making me upset.

"You don't have to tell me something I already know. As for you, I have different plans. I had my men bring you here so I could enjoy your company and so you could witness your friend's great battle for his life. You have the fortune of being a woman, a beautiful one at that. Then, you're joining the other girls who work for me when it's all said and done. You'll love it! Greez coming back with my money is just the cherry on top!"

I glared at him, and my voice came out low.

"That's not going to happen."

"Silly Jedi," he started, putting his hands on my arms, "You're so naive and unwilling. I'll fix that in no time."

He leaned in close to my face, and I violently thrashed my whole body away from him.

"Get away from me! I'll bite your tongue off if you try to kiss me again!" I screamed angrily. He stared at me for a couple of seconds before chuckling to himself. He then lifted his right hand and slapped me across the face. I yelped from the impact of his hand on my cheek. The painful sting of the hit was terrible. I could feel my face turn red, and my eyes watered again involuntarily. He then grabbed my throat and leaned in close.

"You're going to learn to obey, whether you like it or not. You're lucky it was just a slap. Now, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to check on your friend's progress, and then we're going to watch him fight for his life. After that, we'll celebrate," he said, putting his hand on my thigh and gliding it up to my chest. I looked away from him and hoped he would leave soon.

"Please stop…" I whispered, my willpower diminishing a bit. I don't know how much more of this I can take. Both my arms and legs barely had any feeling in them, so I could hardly fight back against him. I needed to think of something to get out of this horrible situation. I just needed him to leave so I could clear my head.

"See? You're already using your inside voice," he said, removing his hand from my body. He turned and waved at me. "...I'll be back in a few. You sit tight…or stand tight, I guess."

He walked away from me and left out of the door he had come in from. I stifled a little, and more tears began streaming down my face. I felt utterly hopeless. Thinking about what he might do to me made me shiver. I'd rather die than suffer here for the rest of my life. And what about Cal and BD-1? They must be so worried about me like I am them.

I shook my head to get the tears out of my eyes. I needed to form a plan now. Feeling sorry for myself wasn't going to help me get out of here. I looked around the room for anything I could use against Tormo. There weren't any objects that I could reach with my foot. I was essentially in the middle of the room. I was able to look to my side, and I could barely make out a small table with my gear on it. My clothes were folded on the table, my lightsaber resting on top of it. If only I could use the force to pull it towards me. I can't while handcuffed like this. I have to think of something else. I could always do what I told him I would do if he kissed me. I could bite off his tongue, and then he might bleed to death. I could do the same with his…other parts…Ugh, why did we have to get into this situation? I know Tormo said Greez owed him a gambling debt, but I think it's unfair to blame Greez for all this. He didn't know Tormo was going to target us. If we're being realistic, Greez probably forgot about his debt long ago. Even so, I'm still going to give him a stern talking-to when I get back. If I get back…

Now that I think about it, Cal and I need to talk to Cere too. She wasn't honest with us about Trilla. I'm sure she was just scared to speak to us about her since she was her apprentice. There are always two sides to everything. I don't want to be that person that accuses someone of something without all the information.

Thirty minutes passed, and my head was still void of ideas. This would be much easier if Cal or BD-1 could somehow sneak their way up here. The roar of the crowd from the arena grew and lessened every few minutes. I think they were having monsters fight each other. I imagine it's similar to a dog fight. These people were the worst of the worst. All they care about is how many credits are in their pocket.

Attention: The next battle will commence in five minutes. The countdown for chances is one minute. Make last-minute bets on how many monsters a Jedi can defeat before dying.

My breath hitched in my throat. That had to mean that Cal was close to reaching the arena. Did they capture him again, or did they let him make his way over here by himself? I couldn't think more about it because the door across the room opened again. It was Sorc Tormo. He looked ecstatic as he skipped over to me. I averted my eyes away, not making eye contact at all.

"Just like I predicted, your partner made it all the way to the arena. I watched him on the security cameras. He's impressive for someone so young. It almost makes me want to throw you in the arena to see how you measure up to the competition," he said with a seductive smile. I fought the urge to roll my eyes.

"Then let me fight. I'll fight in this getup; I don't care," I said to him. Fighting in the arena would honestly be better than being trapped with this creep. I would have more room to work with. The man let out a cackle and shook his head.

"Oh no! No, no, no, no, no, no," he repeated, waving his finger at me. "I wouldn't dare let a treasure like you slip away. Many of the women that visit me in this room are worn. Homely, if you will. But you? You're so innocent and untouched—a diamond in a field of coal. I have bigger plans for you than just throwing you in the ring. Your lightsaber will fetch a hefty price on the black market. I briefly considered putting it on a pedestal as a trophy, but I don't want to risk you finding your way back to it," he told me, grabbing my chin and lifting my head up to look at him. I did my best to keep my composure as his eyes stared into mine. There was no goodness in his eyes, only darkness. Any conscience this man had was long gone.

"How old are you, Jedi," he asked in curiosity. I hesitated to tell him.

"Eighteen…"

He snorted in laughter and clapped his hands.

"Ah, the magic number! The perfect age for a woman! Old enough to make decisions for herself and young enough to still be inexperienced in those decisions."

"Why are you doing this?" I asked, trying to change the subject. This guy was so perverted, I swear.

"I told you already. Greez owes me a great debt for his gambling habits, and I'm using you and your friend as bait."

"I know, but why go through all this trouble to make Cal and I suffer? We've never done anything to you, and you're treating us like we've wronged you in the past. I don't get it," I told him, mainly to stall for time. I still couldn't think of a way to escape at the moment. Tormo seemed surprised by my line of questioning. It was as if I had asked a question with the simplest of answers.

"You're so cute, Jedi. I was right when I said you were innocent. Shall I let you in on a little secret? In my line of work, when someone owes you a debt, everyone related to that person suffers until that debt is paid. Those people will suffer for the rest of their lives if it's a large enough sum of money. In this case, the amount of credits Greez owes me doesn't meet that threshold. However, there are no guidelines on what I can and can't do. You and your friend are Jedi. Jedi are extremely valuable these days and can profit me more than Greez could hope to do. You got the short end of the stick in life, sweetheart. Learn to live with it," he explained grimly.

I went silent as I couldn't think of anything to say back to him. The crowd roared unusually loud after he got done talking, and he returned to his happy-go-lucky demeanor.

"I think your friend has arrived."

"His name is Cal," I growled in annoyance. He raised his hand at me, and it took everything I had not to flinch. He held his hand in the air but didn't slap me this time.

"From this moment on, you don't speak. I don't want to hear a sound come out of your mouth. Unless I say you can speak, keep your damn mouth shut! You hear me!? I don't give two shits what his name is. He won't be alive much longer anyway."

He dropped his hand and walked to the balcony where the roaring of the crowd was coming from. Once he reached the edge of the balcony, he turned to me, took a remote from his pocket, and pressed the "up" button. The chains I was attached to shifted abruptly towards him, and I was dragged over to the balcony. The muscles in my arms and legs made me groan in discomfort as more and more of the arena came into view. The arena was large and looked like it had been built in a cave. Rows of red, protective windows lined the floors below, filled with cheering people. On one end of the arena was a large opening where the fighters entered the pit. On the other side was a force field that led out to Space. I assume the arena also acted as a loading dock for potential bidders.

Down below, near the arena entrance, a boy with fiery red hair walked into view. If you looked closely, you could see a small droid clinging to his back. It was Cal and BD-1! They were alive! Tormo gasped joyfully, and a spotlight pointed at the two of us.

"You finally made it! I didn't know how much longer we would have to wait!" he said to Cal, his voice coming out loud like he had an automatic microphone turn on before he spoke. Cal looked up at us, and I saw his eyes widen when he noticed me hanging from my chains beside Tormo.

"Luna! Are you okay!?" he yelled as loud as he could. Hearing the sound of his voice almost made me tear up again.

"Cal! I'm fine! Are you-"

I was cut off by the back of Tormo's hand hitting me across the face again. The smack made me accidentally bite my lip so I could feel a trickle of blood pouring down on one side of my mouth.

"I thought I told you not to speak," he scolded.

"Don't fucking touch her!" Cal screamed in anger. He started running in our direction from below, but Tormo raised his hand to stop him.

"Stop right there, young Jedi. You'll get your chance to come up here if you defeat everything I throw at you."

Cal was already done with this guy's nonsense.

"Who are you!?"

The question caused Tormo to laugh out loud. I cringed at the loudness of it.

"Me? I'm Sorc Tormo, baby! I'm in charge of this arena! You're probably wondering why you're here. You can thank your pal, Greez, for bringing us together. And I have to say, the two of you are so intriguing!"

"I'll thank him once I get Luna and myself out of here!" Cal responded. Tormo clicked his tongue.

"Tsk tsk. You can't leave yet! You need to prove yourself first! Though, I doubt you'll be able to! Ladies and gentlemen, we have a special challenger for you tonight. The star of the show! A warrior from a previous era! A Jedi! Let's see what talent he possesses, shall we!? Someone fetch the kid his toy!" Tormo commanded. From above, Cal's lightsaber dropped through an opening in the ceiling, and he caught it before it hit the ground. He turned his lightsaber on, and a glowing hue of blue filled the arena. The crowd cheered even louder at the sight in front of them. This was going to be a fight worth waiting for.

A door rose on one of the arena's walls and revealed a group of creatures. Three of them were insects, while another looked like an enormous frog. Cal landed the first blow. He used the force to push all three insects onto the ground. He then ran over to each one and split them open. As for the frog, its long, fleshy tongue shot out of its mouth and hit Cal's side. He flew to the floor with a grunt but was quickly back on his feet.

"Oh yeah, this is what I was hoping would happen. He's putting up quite the fight, don't you think?" Tormo asked, turning to me. I stared at him with blood still flowing down one side of my mouth, and he sighed.

"You can talk now, stupid girl."

"You're going to regret letting him fight. He'll defeat all your monsters, and then he will come up here and save me."

"Yeah, we'll see about that."

We looked back down as Cal ended the frog's life.

"Oho! You took care of them fairly quickly!" Tormo praised. Cal glared up at him.

"Why don't you come down here and fight me yourself?"

Tormo grinned and wrapped his arms around me from the side.

"I can't! I'm too busy having fun with your friend here! She's too irresistible to leave up here all alone!"

I gave Cal a pleading look, and he returned my gaze. I could tell he wanted nothing more than to rescue me from this evil man's clutches.

"I'll be up there soon, Luna! I promise!"

"I know you will!" I yelled back with a hopeful smile. Tormo grumbled in disgust and shoved me away from him. I held back a whimper at the aggressive movement on my tired limbs. The pain was worth talking to Cal. I trusted him to get to me, and he trusted me to be strong.

"You two are gross…Send in more monsters!" Tormo ordered. Sure enough, more insects came out of the wall and attacked Cal. He used the same tactics as before, but it was more difficult as more deadly creatures showed up. One of them was a familiar-looking spider we had seen on Kashyyyk. The arachnid was massive and probably four times as big as Cal. I watched as the spider shot its web at the boy and caught him in a trap. He grunted as the spider ran over to him. Luckily, BD-1 was with him. The droid sliced the web open with an electronic energy blade he had stored in his system, allowing Cal to break free just in time to block the spider's incoming attack. I desperately wished I was down there with him to help. I felt worthless right now. The only thing I could think of to do was cheer Cal on, even though I knew I would be punished for it.

"You can do it, Cal! I believe in you! You're the strongest guy I know, and these monsters have nothing on you!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. I could practically sense the grin forming on Cal's face as he pushed the spider back and sliced its entire body in half.

"Alright, that's enough of you! You and I are going to have a little chat when this is over. It's going to be a long one~" Tormo purred at me. His breath reeked of alcohol and cigarettes. I looked away from him, and he pressed the "down" button on his remote. The button caused my chains to move further away from the balcony. He stopped the chains as soon as the arena pit was out of view.

"You lost your spectator privileges!" he yelled at me before turning back to watch the fight. I huffed in frustration and peered around for anything I could use. Again, there were no objects close enough for me to use against Tormo. At this point, Cal had defeated another army of beasts Tormo had sent after him. I could tell he was becoming irritated by how tight he was clutching the balcony. He must have assumed Cal would be dead by now.

"I've got to admit…you're better than I expected, Jedi. That doesn't mean I don't have an ace up my sleeve! Your next opponent is someone you might have met before! Everyone, give it up for The Huntsman!" he announced. I froze in place at the name. It was the bounty hunter that put us here in the first place! In my heart, I knew Cal was ready for him this time. The bounty hunter wouldn't go down easy, though.

"I won't lose this time!" I heard Cal say to the bounty hunter. See? Told you! The fight between the two commenced, but I was still unable to see what was happening. Out of nowhere, I began to hear quiet muttering in front of me. It was coming from Tormo. I couldn't make out what he was saying under his breath, but it sounded like he was pissed. The bounty hunter appeared to be his last fighter. He greatly underestimated Cal's skills as both a Jedi and a warrior.

Another thing I noticed was that Tormo was focused only on the fight. He didn't take his eyes off the two men battling it out. It was as if he had forgotten all about me. That gave me an idea…

Even though my legs were giving me the worst pain I've ever felt in my life, I had to make them move for me. Starting off slow, I rocked myself back and forth quietly so I wouldn't alert Tormo, who was only a few feet away from me. Swinging forward and back, I was gaining speed and momentum.

Let's hope this plan works.

I continued to swing myself, so I could eventually gain enough speed to kick Tormo. The plan was to either knock him out or kick him over the balcony. A few seconds passed of Tormo not noticing me until the chains that restrained my hands suddenly made a loud ringing sound.

Crap.

Tormo turned his head from the match and turned around to look at me. His dark eyes went big, and he started stomping his way over to me.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" He screamed as I swung backward away from him.

This was it. This was my chance.

Using all the energy I had built up, I extended my legs and kicked him right in the center of his face. He cried out in pain, his hands flying to his nose as his entire body was forced away from me. Being so close to the balcony, he tripped over his own feet and fell backward over the edge. I stood there, gasping for breath, as my body filled with adrenaline.

I can't believe that worked…

A few seconds passed before I heard Tormo's body hit the ground below. He cried out again, which meant he must've survived the fall. The crowd screamed in shock, and I could hear the stand below clearing out. Since Tormo was the boss of this operation, they must've feared that they would be next or something. I took a moment to catch my breath before going limp, still attached to my chains. That kick took all of the remaining energy I had left. I was grateful that it did what I intended for it to do.

"Argh!"

I looked up at the balcony after hearing a painful scream from the arena. It was the bounty hunter's voice. Not long after, Cal called out to me.

"Luna! I'll be up there soon!" he said. The amount of relief that washed over me was hard to describe.

"I'll be here!" I said back to him. Sighing, I lowered my head again and noticed something on the floor near the balcony. It was the remote Tormo had used to move my chains! He must have dropped it before he fell over the railing. Maybe it's the key to releasing me.

A couple of minutes went by before Cal ran through the entrance to the room. His green eyes widened once he saw me, and he ran as fast as he could over to where I was.

"Luna! You okay!?" he asked, immediately setting his sights on the lock on my hands. I gave him a small smile and nodded.

"Yes, I'm okay. Exhausted, but okay. Are you alright?" I asked back. He had a few minor cuts and bruises on his face and arms but nothing major. They would probably heal by tomorrow. He nodded back at me.

"Yeah, I'm alright. Just a few scrapes…Is there a key to this lock?"

I looked at the remote, and he followed my eyes.

"He used that remote to move my chains across the ceiling. Maybe there's a button to unlock the lock on my hands. Before you do, I just want to let you know that I can't feel my arms or my legs at all. I'll probably fall as soon as you unlock me."

He smiled and shook his head.

"Don't worry; I'll catch you."

I felt myself blush a bit as he picked up the remote. He walked back over to me and examined the buttons on the device.

"Those go up and down. This should do the trick," he said as he pressed a separate button on the top of the remote. I heard a slight clicking sound from above my head, and my hands were finally free. As expected, my whole body fell to the ground. Luckily for me, Cal was there to catch me. My arms fell onto his shoulders, and we both lowered ourselves to the ground. I rested my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around me. He held me tight and rested his head on my shoulder as well. We stayed like that for a minute, not saying anything. We just enjoyed being back together again. The warmth I felt from him was so inviting. I've never missed someone this much before. I immediately felt safe in his arms and couldn't believe we had survived the whole ordeal.

"I was so worried about you, Luna. When I woke up in that prison cell and didn't see you, I thought you were dead," he said quietly. I heard some sniffling coming from him, and I slowly pulled away to see his eyes watering up. I looked at him sympathetically as he began speaking again.

"...Luna, I'm so sorry this happened to you. I should've been better when the bounty hunter attacked us. I should've got here earlier so you wouldn't have had to deal with that piece of shit. D-Did he do anything to you?" he asked slowly, the water in his eyes threatening to roll down his face. He was going to make me cry right now. I put my hands on his cheeks and wiped the bottom of his eyes with my thumbs. I shook my head in response.

"No, he tried to kiss me, but I didn't let him. He hit me a few times but didn't do anything sexual. He was going to if you hadn't shown up. None of this is your fault. You know that, right? All of this was Tormo's doing."

To be honest, seeing Cal like this made me happy. Not happy because he was on the verge of crying, but happy because he cared so much about me. I…wanted to kiss him. I wanted to take all of that emotional pain he was feeling away. But…I couldn't do it. I wasn't brave enough. The most I could do was pull him back into my embrace. We hugged each other again and just enjoyed each other's company for a bit. Cal wiped his eyes with his arm and looked around.

"Where is that guy anyway…" he asked. I chuckled and glanced at the balcony.

"I swung back and forth on the chains while he was distracted and then kicked him in the face, sending him over the edge of the balcony over there."

That got him to smile finally.

"Heh, nice work."

"Thanks, it was the only plan I could think of," I said with a shrug. I looked down and realized I was still half-naked in front of Cal. My breasts were barely, and I mean barely, covered by the bronze bra Tormo put on me. I also wouldn't call the skirt I had on a skirt. It was like I was wearing nothing! I put my hands over myself and looked away, my face red.

"And I'm sorry, Cal. I didn't pick out these clothes…." I said in embarrassment. I looked back at him, and he was blushing hard. It almost made me laugh at how cute he looked right now.

"N-No, don't be sorry! I don't mind at all! Wait, no, I mean…I mean…" he then just sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "...Sorry, I can't speak words right now."

I let out a laugh and patted his arm. Yeah, I missed this boy so much. I looked over at my gear on the other side of the room and slowly stood up.

"That's okay. I can't either most of the time. I think my stuff is over there."

He stood up with me and helped me walk to my gear. The feeling in my legs was beginning to return, giving me a severe case of pins and needles. I hated it with a passion. I didn't want to change in front of Cal, so I picked up my clothes and lightsaber and kept them in my arms. I can change on the ship.

"Ready to head back?" he asked me.

"Definitely," I replied with fatigue in my voice.

"Me too. BD-1's downstairs scanning everything. I tried to tell him to stick with me, but he got too curious. I just told him we would meet him back downstairs," he said.

"I'm glad he's okay too. I was concerned for the both of you the entire time I was up here."

"Likewise," he replied with a sad smile. We walked down to the arena pit, and I could finally walk on my own without Cal's help. Though, I didn't tell him that. I still let him support me. Down in the arena pit, BD-1 was scanning all of the monsters that Cal had defeated. He looked to be finished because he ran up to me as soon as we came through the door.

"BD! I'm so glad you're okay!" I said lovingly. I hugged him, and he rubbed his head against my chin. This droid was so adorable. Cal tapped the top of his lens and then set him on his shoulder.

"Alright, up you go, little buddy. Luna will be able to give you all the hugs and kisses once we get back on the Mantis."

BD-1 beeped happily, and we walked deeper into the arena.

"W-Wait…"

Stopping, I looked to my side and saw Sorc Tormo lying on the ground around some rubble. I immediately glared at him.

"What do you want!?"

He was bleeding from his mouth, but I don't think he was dying. Now, some broken bones here and there? That was a high possibility.

"You're not going to finish me off? Even after all I did to you? Now would be your chance while I'm helpless to stop you," he said with a dry chuckle. I frowned and shook my head at him.

"No, that's not the Jedi way. Jedi act as peacemakers, not aggressors. We don't take revenge on those we dislike, especially if they're in a vulnerable state like you are now. Hopefully, you'll take what happened as a lesson for the future. What you did to me was sick, and what you planned to do to me was just plain evil. I hope that you can be a better person from now on and use today as a turning point in your life," I told him. He stared at me and then snorted violently.

"You're really something, aren't you, Jedi? That's alright; I didn't want to play with you anyway! As soon as I recover, I'm coming for the both of you! Wherever you're hiding, I'll find you!" he screamed immaturely. I leaned in close and said my final words to him.

"We'll be waiting."

I backed away to Cal as Tormo let out a list of profanities. He was never going to change. He was too far gone. Cal put his hand in mine and gave me a look of comfort. I smiled and squeezed his hand back.

Attention: Rogue ship incoming. Rogue ship incoming.

We looked at the forcefield that led out to space and saw the Mantis gliding through it at lightning speed. Greez's piloting skills were hard at work as he landed in front of us. Perfect timing, I guess.

"Greez! Get your four-armed ass out here and pay me what you owe!" Tormo yelled pathetically. We chose to ignore him and get on the ship. When we got to the door hatch of the ship, Cal looked at me and grinned.

"What you said to Tormo back there...It was really brave. I know it was hard for you to keep that restraint going. I'm proud of you, Luna," he said. My heart fluttered hearing him say that. My response was a simple yet caring one.

"Thanks, Cal."

We boarded the Mantis, and Greez and Cere were there in the cockpit waiting for us.

"Hey, Greez. You're famous down there," Cal said, looking unamused. Greez turned in his chair to look at us, and I could tell he felt guilty about what had happened.

"Yeah, they're an ugly group, huh? Most of them smell like droid oil," he said, trying to lighten the mood. After he figured out we weren't going to laugh, he continued, "...You two alright?"

"Yes, and I'm not mad at you, Greez," I told him before walking away. I just wanted to take this crap off, take a shower, and go to bed. I'll deal with everything tomorrow. I heard Cal questioning both Greez and Cere about their separate issues, Greez with his gambling issue that caused us to get kidnapped and Cere for lying to us about Trilla. I went to my room and stood there for a second, trying to process what had happened to us over the past two days. Looking down at myself, I groaned and took everything off my body. I felt filthy and needed to scrub myself with soap for at least an hour. That's an over-exaggeration, but you get the point. I stood in the shower until I deemed myself sufficiently clean and then put on some comfortable clothes to sleep in. I usually wear a soft shirt and a pair of short shorts. I was fluffing my pillow when I heard a knock at my door. The only person I wanted to talk to right now was Cal. I walked to the door, and it was him.

"Sorry, were you about to go to sleep?" he asked.

"That's okay! Did you want to tell me something?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to give you a quick update. Can I come in?"

I smiled and let him in. We went over to my bed and sat on the end of it. I sat criss-crossed on the sheet as Cal talked.

"So…You're sure you're okay?" He started off with.

"Yeah, the whole thing was horrible, but I'm good. I'm just glad to be back on the ship. You doing okay?"

"Yeah, but it's going to be hard to forget everything that happened…I didn't yell at Greez, but I wanted to. I did get mad at Cere, though. I asked her why she lied to us, and she dodged the question," he said, clearly frustrated. I put my hand on his arm to comfort him.

"What did she say?" I asked.

"She just said that she was her apprentice. She had to know that we would eventually find out if the Second Sister continued to trace us, right? Then she changed the subject and said we've received an update from Kashyyyk. The rebels sent us a hologram saying they've found Tarfful."

"That gives us a new lead, at least. I was planning on talking to both of them tomorrow. I'm too tired to do it today…Thank you for everything you did today, Cal. I'm sorry you had to fight all those monsters alone."

He shook his head and put his hand on mine.

"Don't worry about any of that, Luna. It was nothing compared to what you had to go through. That guy deserves to be in prison, not enjoying a life of crime and luxury," he said.

"I agree. He was such a pervert too. He was constantly making references to what he was going to do to me. We better not see him again. Did Cere say anything else about Trilla?" I asked him. He thought for a minute before answering.

"We both agreed that we would talk about it later. It's probably better to focus on the mission rather than fight with each other."

I smiled and took a deep breath.

"I agree. We can all talk about everything when we get some breathing room. Thanks for trying to talk to her for me. It's like…I want to know why she lied, but I don't want her or Greez to be mad at me. I still feel like I owe a huge debt to them for taking me in. Plus, I've never been a person who likes drama," I told him with a sigh. He nodded and matched my smile.

"It's no problem at all. I get what you mean because I feel the same way. I guess we'll have to deal with all that later. Greez set the course for Kashyyyk just now. That gives us a day to recover from everything that happened."

That was a relief. I wasn't sure, but I could almost feel my body still shaking from anxiety. A day would be good for both my mental and physical health.

"Is there anything I can do for you before I head to bed?" Cal asked with a look of concern on his face. He was always considerate of my feelings and needs. Did I need anything? I was about to go to bed, but I'd prefer it if he stayed with me longer. I felt embarrassed asking him for my next request.

"Can…I have another hug?"

Ugh, I can't believe I just asked him that. I wanted another one, though! To my relief, he was more than willing to fill my request. He smiled and embraced me affectionately.

"Yeah."

I hugged him back eagerly. He was a good hugger. That sounds weird to say, but he was. I didn't want the hug to end, and I felt like nothing bad would happen with us like this. This was the first time I'd ever felt like this with another person, much less a guy. In the past, I told Cal that I'd dated a couple of guys. Being older, I feel like those relationships were meaningless. I just wanted to say I had a boyfriend like the other girls I knew. Now that I'm in the present, I realize that that was a really dumb reason to date someone. You need to have a genuine love for the other person, and they need to reciprocate that love. With Cal…I think I'm developing feelings for him. Sure, it helps that we're the same age and that he's cute, but that's not the only reason for it. His personality is amazing, and he makes me happy whenever I'm around him. He's such a likable person! I don't think I've ever gotten mad or annoyed with him for something he's done or said.

Even though our journey so far has been kind of rough, I feel happier. It's strange, I know. And I think the reason for that is because of Cal. He and I have this connection that I can't quite describe. What I can say is that it's a strong one.

"Cal?" I said after a few seconds.

"Hmm?" he hummed, pulling away to look at me.

"Do you think it would be okay if you slept in here with me tonight? You don't have to, but I would feel safer with you here."

He looked surprised at first before nodding and standing up.

"Y-Yeah! If I'm being honest, I'd feel safer being with you too. Let me change real quick, and I'll be back," he said with a chuckle as he left the room. I sat there on the bed with widened eyes. He feels safer with me too? I mean, I would do anything I could to protect him in a bad situation…I never knew he thought of me that way.

Okay, feelings for Cal intensified.

He's truly perfect in every way! I looked down at my chest and realized my heart was beating abnormally fast. I rested my hand where my heart was and took a few deep breaths. Luna, you need to calm down. Don't get so nervous around him. He's super sweet, but he's going to think you're weird if you're stuttering or hyperventilating around him.

"Ugh, but I am weird," I muttered to myself with a groan as my thoughts scolded me. I guess this is what having an actual crush feels like…And now he's about to sleep with me in the same bed! I only have myself to blame for putting myself in these types of situations. We've slept next to each other before, so this should be a piece of cake! At least, I hope it will be.

"BD-1 already powered himself down in my room, so I had to be quiet while changing," Cal laughed, coming back into the room. He had a similar "sleep outfit" as me. He wore a comfortable-looking shirt, athletic shorts, and black ankle socks, otherwise known as the best clothes to sleep in! That or being naked, if you think about it.

"He was exhausted too, then," I said with a gloomy look. Poor little guy…

"Yeah, he was. He was pretty brave today. They had him in this room full of droids that had run out of charge. It was awful. He ran to me as soon as I entered the room and jumped in my arms."

Cal walked to the side of the bed and lifted the covers to get in. I pushed myself off the end and did the same on the other side.

"Because he loves you," I said with a smile. He grinned and laid his head on his pillow.

"I love him too. He likes you too, you know. When it's just him and me, he's always complimenting you on something you did for him."

I put my hand on my chest again.

"Aww! He's such a good boy! I'll have to give him extra pats tomorrow," I said.

"He'll like that," he replied. We both turned to each other in the bed as we laid there. It felt right to have him here beside me. I liked the way the blue light of hyperspace shined on his face in the dark. He had this glow about him that I admired. He was smiling at me and put his hand on my arm.

"I'm glad you're okay."

I smiled back and scooted a little closer to him.

"I'm glad you are too…Goodnight, Cal."

"Goodnight, Luna," he said back as we practically cuddled. Okay, maybe it didn't meet the technical definition of cuddling, but he never removed his hand from my arm as he closed his eyes. His hand was warm on my skin, making me even sleepier, almost like the comfort you feel from a cozy fireplace. I closed my eyes and fell asleep in a matter of seconds.

After everything we had gone through today, we both deserved a good rest.

And that is the end of the chapter! This turned out way better and longer than I envisioned. In my opinion, it's one of the better chapters I've written for the story! I had a lot of fun writing it! Please leave a review or follow because it definitely motivates me to get back to writing! Finally, I'll see you guys next time!