Naked, miserable and helpless, Qi'ra lay on the floor of Asmodeus's playroom. Exactly how long she had been imprisoned in it she did not know, because there were no days and no nights in that foreboding room, though there were periods where the lights went off for long periods of time. There had been at least seven light-cycles since Asmodeus had left her in the room. Tasteless food and fresh, but plain water had been shoved through a slot in the door to her by a Hork-Bajir seven times. So she estimated that she must have been in the room for at least a week.
Qi'ra had been trying to find a way escape her imprisonment, but she could see no way to do so. The collar around her neck could not be removed and while the chain connected to it was long enough for her to reach the food and water that was passed into her, it was not long enough for her to reach the door or the drawer.
During her imprisonment, Qi'ra had come to realize there was something strange about the chain which bound her: it was not made of metal… at least not normal metal. The material it was made of looked like bone mixed with vine. What's more, every time she pulled hard against the chain, it sizzled and sent an electric charge through her body, almost as if the chain itself was alive.
Qi'ra sat up. She shivered and put her arms tightly around herself, wishing she was clothed. The room was not cold enough to make her freeze to death, but it was still cold enough to make her uncomfortable, especially since she was wearing nothing but her collar. The air of the room made her skin crawl, and the collar, so tight around her delicate neck, pinched and chafed, making breathing and swallowing uncomfortable. For perhaps the tenth time, Qi'ra pushed her fingers into the collar in a futile attempt to loosen it, but once again, the collar sent a painful electric charge through her body and she quickly desisted.
Qi'ra sighed. She missed her clothes, her ship, and her chair. In a way, she missed her crew, and even Asmodeus. He might have tortured her, but at least she hadn't been alone when he was around. But most of all, she missed Han, and she was regretting her long-ago decision to abandon him to pursue her ambitions more strongly than ever. This is NOT my fault, she told herself, unable or unwilling to face her guilt. This is all Asmodeus's fault.
That thought had hardly passed through Qi'ra's mind when suddenly the door opened, and Asmodeus came in. He walked slowly in front of Qi'ra. "Hello, my pretty, I'm back," he said mockingly.
Feeling a sudden surge of pent-up fury, Qi'ra rose to her feet and lunged at Asmodeus, hands outstretched, ready to strangle him while he was still in his human form.
"ARGH!" Qi'ra choked as the collar around her neck dug painfully into her throat as the chain connected to it went taut, stopping her from reaching Asmodeus, and sending another painful electric charge through her body. The naked woman fell to her knees, gasping for breath, rubbing her tender neck. "OW," she moaned in pain.
Asmodeus chuckled with cruel amusement as he watched Qi'ra. "Was your time alone invigorating, Qi'ra?" he asked mockingly.
"Not really," Qi'ra growled.
"I see," said Asmodeus. "Well, then, let's…" he trailed off, his eyes widening in genuine surprise as something small, white and furry climbed up his back and onto his shoulder. It was a rat!
But to Qi'ra's surprise, Asmodeus didn't seem to mind it at all. On the contrary, he smiled warmly at the rat.
"Hello, Whitey," Asmodeus said to the rat. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to stay in your nest?"
The rat squeaked softly and opened its mouth, as if waiting for something.
"You want another treat?" asked Asmodeus with an expression mixed with warm affection and amusement. "Oh, alright, then." He reached into his bag and drew out a banana. He peeled off the skin, broke off half of the fruit inside and handed it to the rat, which took it immediately and began to eat it. "Good boy," said Asmodeus, stroking the rat's head gently. "Now, get back to your nest please."
The rat squeaked softly again, and then, it affectionately touched his nose to Asmodeus's nose!
Qi'ra's eyes bulged!
Carrying the fruit in his mouth, the rat jumped off Asmodeus's shoulder and scurried unhurriedly away. "See you later, Whitey," Asmodeus waved at him.
Asmodeus watched the rat go. Then, when the rat was out of sight, he turned around and looked back at Qi'ra. When he faced her, his warm smile had faded, to be replaced by a cold expression.
"Where did you get that rodent?" asked Qi'ra.
Asmodeus paused for a moment before answering. "That rat was once the slave of one of the Hutt twins," he explained. "Poor thing got thrown at my feet by his owner. The stupid Hutt thought he could distract me that way. But I didn't kill the poor fur-ball. Instead I adopted him and gave him a name: Whitey. Now my home is his home."
Qi'ra stared, hardly able to believe that this man who had so ruthlessly killed her men, destroyed her ships, and so cruelly stripped her of her power, her freedom, her clothes and her dignity could be so kind to such a common, tiny creature like a rat: an animal she considered to be insignificant.
"Anyway," said Asmodeus, "back to business, Qi'ra. Are you ready to tell me everything I want to know?"
There was a long pause as Qi'ra hesitated. "Why are you doing this?" She asked suddenly.
"Why am I doing what?" asked Asmodeus, clearly surprised.
"Why did you destroy Crimson Dawn?" Qi'ra clarified. "Why do you care so much about a bunch of animals you don't even know? Why are you torturing me?" In spite of the unbearable humiliation this man had caused her, and the anger and hate she felt toward him because of that, she did want to know the reasons behind his actions.
"Really? I didn't think you cared," Asmodeus said. He paused for a moment, genuinely pondering his answer. "Well there are several reasons to be honest," he said at last. "In the first place, when I was young, I witnessed how cruel sentient beings could be to animals… and to each other. I saw horrible things… even some things you don't need eyes to see. When I saw how you and your cronies were abusing and murdering those poor animals you were using as slave labor, I knew had to stop you. And I knew gaining the ability to morph into you would be most useful to my plan to bring down the other syndicates, who do much the same as you. When I first heard about you Qi'ra, I assumed you were some common lowlife. But, to my delight, you turned out to be one of the most beautiful and desirable women I have ever seen. I want to rid the galaxy of animal cruelty and drug smuggling, and of those who would try to control everything, so as to make it safe for me and my friends. Having you as my plaything is just a bonus."
Qi'ra hung her head. She was genuinely angry and bewildered by Asmodeus's answer. "So that's why you ruined my plans to conquer the galaxy?" she blurted out.
Asmodeus stared at Qi'ra. "'Conquer the galaxy'?" he echoed. "So that's your plan was it? Tell me Qi'ra, even if you succeeded in conquering the galaxy, how long did you hope to hold and rule it for?"
"Until the day I died," Qi'ra asked.
"And then what?" asked Asmodeus. "Did you expect your new Empire to rule the entire galaxy forever? The Republic and the Empire tried to rule the galaxy and they both fell. Nothing lasts forever."
"If that's true, why are you even bothering to try making a difference in this miserable galaxy?" Qi'ra defiantly shot back.
"One must live," Asmodeus said, almost solemnly. "And to live, one must have a purpose."
"I was just trying to make an honest living when you came along!" Qi'ra retorted.
"I wasn't going to let you and the rest of those bullies torture those poor animals to death," Asmodeus growled hatefully.
"And now you've caged and chained me like an animal!" Qi'ra snapped back.
"I know. Poetic isn't it?" said Asmodeus, sadistic pleasure gleaming in his mismatched eyes.
Qi'ra stared at her captor.
"Now, let's back to business," Asmodeus said with a shrug. "Are you ready to tell me everything I want to know, Qi'ra?" he asked again.
For a long moment, Qi'ra hesitated, as a storm of thoughts and feelings battled within her. As much as she hated to admit, she was afraid of Asmodeus, and the last thing she wanted was to be tickle tortured again. Her resolve wavered. Maybe if she talked, Asmodeus would let her go? Some small part of the more cunning side of her told her to talk, that there was some plan she had forgotten that might get her out of this. But then, she remembered how Asmodeus had tricked and humiliated her, and her pride and her anger returned. "I will tell you nothing," Qi'ra said.
Asmodeus smiled. "Then, let's resume our playtime, my pet," he cooed. Without another word, he bent down, grabbed Qi'ra's wrists, forced them above her head and clamped the manacles that were hanging from the ceiling around them again. Then, the clamps on the floor bound Qi'ra's feet to the floor again.
Smiling widely, Asmodeus approached Qi'ra, raised his hands like the talons of a clawed predator and began to tickle torture Qi'ra again, this time with his bare hands, poking and stroking her armpits, her boobs, her belly, and her waist with his long fingers.
Qi'ra's tortured laughter echoed through the playroom.
"Hahahahahahahaha! OH! OH! OH! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"