Disclaimer: I own nadda save any OCs....all else is a product of Geroge Lucas' wonderful mind.
There was darkness everywhere. Velvet blackness highlighted by points of light, Nadari hadn't even seen another ship since they'd left. She wondered where she was, where she was being taken. But mostly she thought about her family, what if one of the blinking stars was her home galaxy? How far was Courescant? Her eyes stung at the thoughts, but there was no use for them. Nadari was certain she would never see her family again anyway.
How much time had passed? Her lavender eyes darted around the cockpit. No sign of anything that could tell her the time the Standard Basic. Also still no sign of her owner. She stood, and walked a circle around the whole area. All the symbols and lights made her head hurt. The girl peered down the passage she saw her Master go down. What was down there? She took a careful and equally quiet step down the corridor, and shivered. Her Zeltron clothing was suited for warm weather at the least, the long orange skirt split to the hip on each side and the tunic hugged around her chest, dipping low in the back and exposing her flesh through loose crisscrosses. Another few steps and Nadari decided she didn't want to know what secret things may be down the passage; she turned on her heels to go back.
The Zeltron felt a hand catch her at the elbow, and a wave of panick washed over her. She turned back to face her demonic looking Master, who held a fast grip on her arm.
"What were you doing?" He growled in a low voice to her.
She blinked. His voice, now that she actually paid attention to it, possibly frightened her even more than his looks. Dropping her head some, she apologized. He tightened his grasp on her, and pulled the dark haired girl closer.
"You didn't answer me."
So much for that route.
"Walking." Nadari said softly. When this only elicited a more intense stare, she elaborated.
"I was walking around. Zeltrons tend to be more...," she searched for the best word, "..more energetic than most species. Movement and activity takes the edge off somewhat."
Her gaze flicked down to his hand at her elbow. Red and black; she wagered that the markings probably covered his whole body. His skin against her own stung ever so slightly, in part because Zeltrons were sensitive to physical touch. The other came from the fact that Zabraks had a two hearts, pumping twice as much blood twice as fast, making them almost radiate heat.
Energetic. The word chosen made a hint of a smirk form on the corners of his mouth. He released her arm and laced his fingers into her hair again, running a thumb across her browbone as he recalled her hearing her thoughts earlier of him possibly plucking out one of her eyes. That same fearful thought resurfaced again in the depths of her mind as the said hand glided down her jawbone to her neck and gave it a squeeze. She was a fragile thing, he could easily break her neck with little effort, and she sensed this. Nadari's own hand sought to push him away but was little help.
"What are going to do to me?" She gasped. The pressure on her large artery was making her feel dizzy, like she may black out. The girl inhaled deeply. It was all beginning to be too much. The icy cool air in the cabin, the fact she couldn't move enough, his heat filled touch that stung her skin in the most exsquisite way, the mind numbing wooziness that was consuming her. Too much, she couldn't take it much longer and she knew it, closing her eyes.
And he sensed it, something raging in the girl's mind that was unclear yet close to overtaking her. For a breif moment he entertained the possibility that she may be hating him as she did the old slaver T'leth. Maul released the pressure on her neck, expecting her to fall back. Instead, Nadari stood rooted in place with eyes now open staring furiously at him.
"Forgive me, my Master, but I feel the need to move again." She clipped, brushing past him as she headed to the cockpit. He inhaled her scent, sweet like honey that her kind was known for, as she took her leave. The girl paced around a bit, unnerved at what she almost had given into. Zeltron were, yes, sexually charged creatures most of the time. Her being half meant her desire was usually only triggered by intimate, skin to skin contact for an extended period. Such as before. Movement was failing her this time, however. It still felt like her skin was on fire, she still had that burning urge which should have left her by now!
Maul eyed her, arms folded, with a mild interest. He had heard about her kind, their ways. Her lavender eyes shot him another glance and she stopped her paces.
"Do you think this is funny?" she snapped.
His face remained stoic. "A female pacing tracks into the floor does little to amuse me."
He advanced toward her, and this time she took a step back, holding a shaking hand out infront of her. "Please," her voice waivered and she sucked in a labored breath. She tried to move back once again but came against a wall.
The Zabrak hooked a hand behind her neck, pulling her face dreadfully close to his, all but nose to nose. He trailed his fingers over the ridges of her spine, and leaned in closer.
"Never run from me." He reminded her, his lips brushing against her ear as he spoke in that low, threatening tone once more. His free hand snaked up her hip and under her tunic across her ribs. Nadari made a soft sound of protest as the other that once held her neck drifted down and traced the outline of her collarbone under the fabric.
"All Zeltrons are fond of physical intimacy." He whispered again in her ear. She didn't know if this was meant as a question or comment, nor did she really care now. Releif from this torture, at least to a certain extent, was all she wanted.
She laid her hands at his shoulders, waiting as his own roamed from her ribcage to the small of her back. What she wanted is for herself to stop shaking so, but it was useless. Nadari wondered how he would react if she touched him. She wanted to, needed to. And after all, he was touching her, fair is fair, her brain ordered. Still feeling his warm breath on her ear, she leaned into him, pressing her cheek to his and she heard a low growl resonate in his chest. Now, as much as she had endured his roving hands, it was his turn. At first she was fearful to touch his bare skin, but she met no resistance and took to tracing the heavy black patterns under his eye with an interest. Nadari could only imagine how much it had hurt.
Still she kept going, running a line up to his forehead with her tiny fingers. The purple eyed girl wanted to ask about the designs, maybe later. She smiled softly, and Maul kept his eyes trained on her. He had let no one person be this close to him in years, let alone set their hands on him. The unusual contact made him tense, but at the same time calmer than he'd ever been. A strange mixture.
Nadari's eyes settled on the crown of horns, and ever curious, she reached out to touch one, her hand stopping just before doing so.
"May I?"
"As you wish." His reply came, but she barely heard it.
She reached to touch the smallest one by his ear as a starter. The things looked sharp, she thought as she ran her finger over its edge, but it wasn't even close. Her hands still shook and he took a sharp inhale, causing her to pull away. She let a sigh escape her lips; the flames that licked her skin and almost consumed her had subsided. For now, at least, it was over.
Nadari composed herself and gave a little push against his chest, and spoke up.
"We are fond of touch, my Master," she stated, deftly tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear, "at times we even need it. But the extent of the need is not alwas the same each time." A blatant lie, she thought of the last part, but a necessary lie at that.
"Such a beautiful," He grasped her by the shoulder and spun her around infront of him, "beautiful liar."
The Zeltron's eyes widend at the comment. Maul swiftly tapped a finger against her her forehead, startling the girl. "Your mind tells me the truth where you refuse to." He stared at her now with such intensity she had to fight the urge to bolt away. Nadari had seen predatory animals stare down their prey in a similar fashion, right before they slaughtered them.
"Rest assured I didn't buy you to use as a display ornament." The Zabrak added as he strode back to the cockpit.
Nadari thanked the Gods that her owner was seemingly unaware of her presence after this. So much so to the point of not even turning his head when she ventured down the passageway. She walked swiftly, noting the keypads set into some doors. The non-locked ones, however, she craned her head into. Either empty, or filled with what looked like useless junk to her. Just as she reached the last room, she heard heavy footsteps coming behind her. Nadari made a note that obviously, this man was aware of damn near everything. He just chose not to acknowledge her until it suited him. The door infront of her snapped open on its own, causing her to jump.
"Clean yourself up." Maul ordered, "We'll be arriving shortly."
"Arriving where, Master, if I may ask?"
"Courescant." he stated blandly as he guided her into the room. She caught her breathe. Courescant!
"Yes." He said, almost to himself upon picking up her excitement, "Unfortunately for you, your time will be spent close by my side or with a guard."
She resolved herself to find some way, any way to sneak a visit with her family. Although she didn't dare entertain the thought of leaving and staying gone, she made is her goal to, at the very least, go say proper farewells.
"Don't even contemplate doing anything stupid, or you will regret it."
With those words, a chill crept over her. Alone at last, she surveyed the space. In one word, it was scarce. Bed, shower, and other necessities, all looked like something you'd see in a trade station rest stop. Only sans the dirt and grim. The door shut behind her and she jumped again, cursing herself inwardly for being in this situation. To have them be so close by, but just out of reach was pure hell. Her hand instinctively reached for the metal locket resting at her chest.
Nadari settled herself onto the bed, which wasn't as bad as it seemed after all. Her delicate hands popped the locket open and the woman and child gazed back at her once again. This time she slid a finger across a nearly hidden button on the underside of the metal, and an eerie blue haze filled her palm.
"Jero. Come here, Jero!"
The tiny figure of the woman appeared in the blue haze, motioning for someone who was still outside the range of visual recording. Her long sleeves and skirt swayed in an unseen breeze, and her dark hair swirled around her. Herself, less than three months ago.
"Mother! Send Jero so I can record a hologram with him!"
"One second, dear." An elder woman's voice played in the background, so faint Nadari had to hold her breath to pick it up. Her mother.
Her lavender eyes were glazed with tears, and for the first time since being captured and sold she allowed them to flow freely. Gods, she missed them so!
"Here I come!!" The little red boy barreled into the holo, skipping excitedly infront of the woman.
"OK love," The woman said, crouching down into the position the phot was taken in, "tell Mama what today is?"
"My birthday."
"And how old are you now?" A slight smile crept over her face as she wrapped her arm securely around him.
"Three!!" He announced, raising a hand into the air and plastering a huge grin on.
Nadari pressed the button once more and the hologram faded to the surrounding darkness. She was openly sobbing, other hand clamped tightly over her mouth to keep quiet.
A/N: Thanks to Mahogony Rose for the advice. Sadly, my writing mechanics are really, really rusty. But hopefully will improve with use. Keep the R&R going!