Hey! Again it's been over a week! I'm sorry. Hopefully, I can get back to the spacing being closer together! Thanks for the reviews and faves! You all keep the muse alive!

Happy early Saint Patricks Day!

Disclaimer: I own nothing. ;)

XxX

Chapter 13

Lesser Beings

Sarita stepped into the throne room. She could just hear the jingle of the bells on her ankle bracelet. She wore her dark hair pulled back from her heart-shaped face and a strapless black bodystocking. A half-full wine glass dangled from her fingers. She swayed slightly; it was just enough to take the edge off. And this was only her third glass since Fortuna left her less than a standard time unit ago. She fortified this one and the other drinks with spice, she was going to need it and most likely much more.

She paused on the steps, looking about the room for Spiker. She knew very little about him other than he was large; he had blue skin and glowing red eyes. He wore red spiked armor and was a swoop bike gang member. The last, Bib Fortuna, had only told her earlier today. Before now, she had been careful to steer clear of him and the Moggonite he was usually with; they were an intimidating pair. Spiker towered over most sentients she had seen, but the Moggonite made Spiker look small.

Her yellow gaze landed on his tall, broad-shouldered form. An inkling of apprehension slid through her, dulled by the drugs she took. Entice him. Give him what he wants, Fortuna had said. I've seen him watching you, he added. The Twi'lek himself watched her with his beady red eyes from Jabba's side.

Share his bed, Fortuna mused. Give him your body, and he will tell you everything you want to know, Fortuna said. I'll make sure you're rewarded, he promised. What Fortuna meant was the creature might tell her everything he wanted to know. It was either this, or she might find herself a particular entertainment for tonight's festivities. He hadn't needed to say anymore. Sarita had heard plenty of stories.

She drained the rest of her glass, dropping it on an empty tray as one of the

servers passed.

A sharp stab of fear penetrated her drug-induced cloud. Her father would never forgive her. He would rather she die than allow any of this filth to touch her. Sarita shoved the thought away; her father wasn't here. Kiya told her her memories would make her weak. Sarita didn't know if there was anything that could make her strong. She ignored the knowledge Kiya stood behind the she Hutt. Sarita had just caught a glimpse of Kiya in the pit earlier. She looked like a different person when Yarna finished with her. Sarita no longer looked like herself either but in a different way. Yarna said if Kiya were lucky, the Hutt would take her back to Nal Hutta and make Kiya her handmaiden permanently.

The idea of Kiya leaving was overwhelming.

Sarita had tried to stop using the spice as Kiya begged her to, but she found the numbness it provided was her best ally and friend. Especially today in this moment.

Her attention alighted on the biker standing across the room again, she started toward him. His elongated helmet was absent at the moment; he had a head of thick dark hair. He leaned his shoulder against the wall watching the Max Rebos girls as they began to sing. Fortuna had promised to keep Sarita from being passed around among Jabba's other patrons if she "befriended" the swoop bike rider. The idea filled her with panic. She reminded herself one was better than them all. She paused just behind him, hesitating for a minute before she touched him. His red armor was surprisingly cool to the touch; it suddenly shifted under her palm. Sarita tensed, nearly recoiling as he turned. Her heartbeat turned erratic. She had to crane her neck to see his face, she opened her mouth but found words wouldn't come out. A slow smile slid across his face. Sarita swallowed the bile rising in her throat and forced a smile on her own face.

XxX

Decanter of Korriban Wine in hand, Kiya watched Sarita sway across the room. Yarna had replaced the ribbon Kiya had worn earlier with a thin circlet of silver that rested across her forehead before it disappeared into her hair. It matched the armband and bangles she was given to wear this evening. She had since learned they belonged to Jiliac's last handmaiden. Yarna had also colored her cheeks and lips. Kiya hadn't paid much attention to the physical change after what Yarna told her about Nola's father.

A dull, sick feeling settled in her stomach, compounding the disquiet that was already there as she watched Sarita. She stopped just behind the large swoop bike rider with blue skin Kiya had thought of earlier. She lifted her hand then hesitated for a moment before placing it on his back near his shoulder. He spun around, his hand shooting to his blaster, and froze. Sarita's back was to Kiya, but a slow smile slid across the male's face, revealing surprisingly attractive features. He towered over Sarita and everyone nearby. He put his hand on Sarita's shoulder, slowly running it down her arm, and took a step closer. The sick feeling Kiya felt grew. She bit her bottom lip. Sarita swayed toward her companion; her hand settled on his chest, and she leaned into him.

Kiya pulled her attention away as Her Ladyship pushed the goblet she was drinking from to the edge of the tray attached to her chair. Kiya approached, refilling the glass with the blue liquid before she melted back into the background. Yarna seemed to take it in stride that Nola disconnected from reality. She didn't see the harm because it allowed Nola to function. Kiya questioned what would happen when Nola was no longer a child. That time would come much too quickly in a place like this.

Yarna also dismissed Sarita. Dismissed might not be the right word. Like Nola, sometimes you had not to see things to survive. You also had to harden yourself toward the inevitably of what was coming. At one point, in the not-so-distant past, Kiya would have watched disconnected. It was far easier to survive this life when you concerned yourself with only yourself. Kiya could even look at her own life with cold analytical dispassion. She had learned that with the Pyke's and Gorgo. You had to be smarter than them. She even knew Yarna was right. There was no way Sarita would make it. She couldn't seem to let Sarita go, and she would never allow herself to with Nola. Maybe that was because Nola could too readily become Sarita.

The giant suddenly yanked Sarita closer, lifting her off her feet and against his chest. He turned, propelled her back toward the wall, and dipped his head, and Kiya forced herself to look away.

She kept her attention focused on Lady Jiliac.

Nola arrived a few minutes later, taking up a place near Kiya. She smiled up at her.

Kiya smiled in return. Nola had been scrubbed and dressed in a new blue tunic and loose harem pants of dark grey. "Hey, kiddo," Kiya said.

A while later, Bib Fortuna appeared at her side also. He had already sent Nola on another errand. He asked Kiya to go to the kitchen and remind Porcellus it was nearly time for the fifth meal.

Kiya nodded; moving behind Lady Jiliac and Jabba's dais, she followed the throne room's perimeter. Her attention shifted to where Sarita sat, perched on Spiker's knee at one of the tables across the room. Sarita looked up, meeting Kiya's eyes for a moment before they turned back to her companion. Kiya pulled her attention away and skirted around the band, and slipped through the door hidden beside the Corellian.

XxX

Boba Fett made his way down one of the narrow corridors in the recesses of the palace. The tunnels and stairways of this place weren't well lit. At the moment, the dense shadow made his job easier. He had set his helmet to adjust to the light automatically. Jabba was obsessive about specific security measures but only to the degree of tasking Bib Fortuna with the responsibility. For instance, how well guarded the main door was. They ignored things like poor lighting and the tunnels in the rock below the palace where the B'omarr Monks now resided, however. They reached the outside in the dunes a kilometer and a half to the east. No one besides the monks used them unless Bib Fortuna needed to smuggle things in and out of the palace without drawing Jabba's attention. The entrance wasn't easy to find, and most of Jabba's patrons were too disturbed by the brain walkers to venture into their domain.

It suited Bib Fortuna to make sure things were safe ordinarily, but Jabba's security was only as strong as the Twi'lek wanted it to be. So far, Boba Fett hadn't seen anything too suspicious or more suspect than usual.

It was well-established Boba Fett didn't trust the slimy Twi; that was one reason he suggested Dengar guard the room this morning. He didn't trust Dengar anymore than the Twi'lek, but Dengar wasn't apt to do anything to jeopardize his standing with Jabba. But again, like every sentient, Dengar had a price. Right now, Jabba was paying him well. Honestly, when Fortuna finally made his move, Boba had no idea what side of it, Dengar would come out on. There was every chance he would stay out of it and let things happen how they would. Bossk would go whichever way was the most lucrative regardless. There was also a good chance they'd both follow whatever he did if he informed them of his plans. Boba Fett didn't work well with others, as recent events had shown. He didn't work with anyone unless it was a necessity anymore. The last partner he worked with regularly, stole his DNA and gave it to Vader, all the while telling Boba Fett how well they worked together on and off the field. Boba Fett was a confident man. He would catch up with Xasha again someday. He had thought about chasing her down and ripping her limb from limb. By the time he returned to Nar Shaddaa, all traces of her were gone. He let her go. She knew him. She knew he was capable of anything. She would always be watching for him. He'd find her when the time was right. Then she would pay.

He left the thought behind.

He had completed his second security sweep; he needed to get back to the throne room. The Hutt's would be arriving soon. Movement at the end of the tunnel caught his attention, and he paused. The Wroonian girl hurried down the steps, not looking up. She turned to the right when she reached the bottom. He started moving forward again, and the sound of more soft footsteps reached him.

The slave girl appeared in the opening a moment later. He melted deeper into the shadows watching her. She chewed on her bottom lip, her brow furrowed. She didn't follow the steps up, she continued past them, behind the other slave girl. Boba Fett followed her, stopping when he reached the corner; he carefully looked around it.

She paused in the doorway to the dancer's pit, wrapping one hand around the sandstone opening. After a moment, she stepped inside. He moved closer, sliding behind a stack of crates in a small dead-end hallway by the door, and listened. If he ventured deeper into the space, he would find the Noutolan girl's haven, hidden away from the outside. He expected Melina Carniss insisted that she be allowed to use the area for storage because of the girl.

XxX

Kiya paused just inside the doorway to the dancer's pit. Sarita snorted something from her blue hand, sniffing several times afterward. She licked her top lip, then grabbed a wine glass from the dressing table. She looked up, freezing when she finally saw Kiya in the mirror.

"Why are you doing this?"

Sarita scoffed derisively. "What do you care?" She drained her glass. "Like I have a choice." She went on before Kiya could speak. "We can't all play maid to the she Hutt."

Kiya stared at Sarita. Like she had a choice either.

"The girls have bets about why Fortuna promoted you as a servant rather than one of us. Rystall says it's because you opened your legs for him," Sarita added.

Kiya's fingers twitched.

For a moment, Kiya almost crossed the room and slapped her. The compulsion was there. Sarita looked away as soon as the words were out; Kiya shook her head. "Just be careful, Sarita."

The girl still wouldn't look at her. Kiya dropped her chin, letting out a deep breath. If this were how Sarita wanted it, Kiya would leave.

"You act like we have any choice what happens to us," Sarita said softly. "Like anything we do makes a difference."

Kiya watched Sarita for a moment. "The moment you accept any of it, your fate is sealed. No one is going to rescue any of us, Sarita. If you want to live, you have to make the decision. There are no heroes." There never would be. Kiya knew she would have to be her own.

"And tell me, how long have you been a slave, Kiya?" Sarita asked, finally meeting her gaze again.

Kiya remained silent for a second. "Six years."

Sarita scoffed mockingly. "And you haven't managed to rescue yourself yet. Who is more unrealistic."

Kiya opened her mouth, then just nodded in agreement. "Right."

Sarita knew nothing of where Kiya had been or the length that her uncle had taken to ensure she remained gone. She also didn't realize that Kiya had decided to survive when she was close to the same age as her. The first hell Kiya had known proved there were things far worse than Jabba the Hutt's palace.

Kiya turned.

"Kiya, please," Sarita said, panic lacing her voice. Kiya turned back around.

Gone was the meanness of moments ago. Tears misted Sarita's eyes. Just like that, she was the same terrified girl Kiya met a few weeks ago. She hurried toward Kiya, hugging her. Kiya hugged her back.

"Fortuna. He isn't giving me a choice."

Kiya tensed; a sick feeling spiraled through her. She pulled back, looking at Sarita. Apprehension filling her.

"I can't do this, Kiya," Sarita said, stepping away. " He said if I..." Sarita paused for a moment as if struggling with what she was trying to say. "Befriended Spiker; he would make sure the others left me alone."

Kiya's eyes narrowed. "Why?"

"He wants me to tell him things."

Kiya's hands tightened into fists. Helplessness boiled inside her, mixing with her anger. That son of a… she didn't finish the thought. "Get him as drunk as you can. Some males over-imbibing will render impotent." Kiya didn't have to say more; her gaze drifted down Sarita's features.

"I've seen him passed out in his cup more than once since we came here." She had. What she hadn't seen was him pawing at the girls or paying much attention to them.

Sarita nodded. "Do you think it will work?"

Kiya nodded. "For tonight at least. Ask him to play Sabacc for you and keep the drinks coming." She had seen him at the card table more than once. They both knew it was only a temporary fix and wouldn't protect her if Spiker realized she was telling Bib Fortuna things she heard.

"Be careful."

Sarita nodded, stepping back. Sarita wiped tears from her eyes.

"We both better get back upstairs."

Sarita nodded. She grabbed Kiya's hand as they stepped out the door.

Brow creased, Boba Fett watched her pass the opening, his gaze drifting along the line of her spine. He stayed where he was listening as she started up the stairs. Her earlier declaration filled his head. He left his hiding place a moment later and followed her up the stairs.

Later That Night

Kiya filled Jiliacs cup then stepped back, placing the decanter back on the sideboard. She took her place behind Jiliac again, she folded her arms behind her back. The round table had no head, but it was clear everything centered around Jabba. She looked up at Bib Fortuna. He stood there by the others so smug and superior. For half a second, Kiya contemplated grabbing a carving knife from the counter and stabbing him through the eye. He deserved far worse.

She let out a deep breath and looked away. She pushed the anger to the back. Somehow someday, she would find a way to pay him back.

She made herself focus on the conversation flowing around the table. It was difficult to follow. But Kiya was reasonably confident they were talking about a marriage of some sort. She had asked Nola to help her learn to understand Huttese. Nola had offered to teach her to speak it also.

The smallest Hutt present, Nola had told Kiya was Jabba's son Rotta, but their reunion would have made the close familial bond clear without the knowledge. Kiya was reasonably sure; the enormous Hutt attending by holographic image to Jabbas immediately left was referred to as Mama by most others. His son sat in a hoverchair to Jabba's immediate right. Jiliac sat next to him. Across from her sat the one with the weird sort of brass monocle on. He was Jabba's nephew Kiya believed.

Kiya watched the female Palliduvan as she approached the table and filled his cup.

The girl looked over her shoulder, openly watching Fett where he stood by the door as she made her way back to her place, near Bib Fortuna and the young blue-skinned twi'lek girl who served Jabba's son.

Kiya turned her head slightly, looking at Fett also. She hadn't thought much of him and their earlier exchange with everything that had happened today, but she was still perplexed by his reaction. He plainly had an issue with the Jedi and the clone army. She did agree with him, but she hit on a nerve. His response felt oddly personal, not just that of an observer. It very possible he had lost something or someone to that war as many had, something that colored how he saw everything.

Fett shifted his stance; his head turned in her direction. Kiya flushed and looked away, despite not knowing what held his attention. It could just as easily be the Palliduvan. She was quite lovely, with her pale greyish purple skin that turned darker around her eyes and blue hair. Kiya had seen he didn't mind a beautiful female hanging on him. The image of Rystall Sant running her hand slowly across his chest yesterday filled her head. The image lingered, and Kiya again found herself wondering what lurked beneath the cold regard of that helmet. So much anger, but there was so much more also. Something had given him that anger. Somehow his anger made him seem more human again.

She wondered what Rystall would think about the Palliduvan so openly watching Fett. Her lips twitched, and her eyebrow rose with the possibilities. It might be like a Loth-catfight 'til the death.

A moment later, he stepped away from the door and started in her direction. Kiya kept her gaze straight ahead and lifted her chin, quelling the need to fidget. He moved past her from behind, stopping a few feet away. Her heartbeat picked up.

He remained where he was for a moment before he moved again, making his way around the table. Kiya watched him through her lashes. There was nothing easy or languid in the way he moved. He also didn't seem like he was overly tense or on edge either, but he was aware of everything. Anyone who didn't think he was was stupid. He stopped near the lightsaber where he had this morning, standing in the same place.

She followed his attention to the door. The cyborg who had stayed outside the door this morning strolled into the room, a female on his arm. He made his way toward Fett.

XxX

"You wanted me, Boss?" Dengar inquired, one of Jabba's Twi'lek girls tucked under his arm. A cup dangled from his fingers.

Boba Fett continued to look at Dengar but said nothing.

"Where are my manners?" Dengar said after a moment, deliberately misinterpreting the silence. "This is my new friend, Lee Ara," he said, kissing her on the temple. "Lee Ara, this is my… This is Boba Fett."

Boba Fett said nothing; he didn't need to. Dengar had brought a companion just because he could. He persisted in talking for the same reason.

"You'll have to forgive my friend. He's a stellar conversationalist," Dengar apologized, for effect. He kissed the green-skinned Twi on the temple again. "I'll find you later, love," he said, letting go of her.

"I want you outside the door," Boba Fett said.

Ignoring Boba Fett, Dengar nodded but didn't move. "Under your skin, isn't she?" Dengar asked, obvious amusement in his voice. "I think you could say it's mutual." The edge of Dengar's lips lifted into a half-smile. He nodded in her direction. "She's trying her very hardest to keep us from noticing her watching."

Again Boba remained silent. He didn't look at her either. She had been hyper-aware of him ever since she noticed him by the door earlier. Then again, she always was. He also failed to inform the cyborg it wasn't for the reasons he thought.

"She isn't what I'd call beautiful, but she is attractive enough." He assessed.

"A warm body might improve your attitude." The cyborg's green eyes lit with a light; Boba knew well, and he didn't have to look to see it. "How longs it been? I know you haven't been getting it from the Thellin." At one point in their lives, they had known each other well. That made Dengar think he had certain privileges. He also knew some of why Boba Fett didn't get close to anyone. "I can't imagine why any female would want near you with all that charm and all those oratory skills of yours."

Dengar stepped away from the wall. "As always, it's been a pleasure, Boba. We'll just add this to my bill."

Dengar made his way around the room, stopping beside her, draining his cup. He tilted his head to the side, saying something to her. Her eyes grew big, and hot color flooded her skin, making her scar more noticeable. She looked up at him. Dengar said something else, and a smile appeared on her face.

He moved away from her a moment later and left the room. Boba Fett's attention stayed with her, she looked forward in time for him to see the remnants of the smile still playing about her lips.

XxX

Thanks so much for taking the time to read!