27.   Elektra.

 

Finally Scarlett starts moving.  Apparently she’s not as amused by our bondage as I am, her tugging furiously on the chains.  The gags have to go first – we do need to discuss out situation, but before I can take care of them, the door opens letting the bright light into the room.  At first, I can only see three pairs of legs approaching us, then I recognize the rat-face as he bends over Scarlett, unlocking her collar, and drags her out.  I try to ignore two pairs of groping hands, thinking instead of what I shall do to him the next time we meet.  The hands are all over me, removing the chain connecting my wrists and ankles, unlocking my manacles and then chaining my hands again but this time above my head.  The chain connected to my collar is unfastened, I’m lifted up and a short chain between my wrists is caught on some hook.  In no time I find myself suspended from the ceiling by my arms, my feet a few inches above the floor.  One of the two creatures in front of me – I cannot tell whether or not they were on the spaceport team – produces a long whip cracking it off the floor.

 

 “Time for a warm up, slavegirl!”   

 

I’m not amused any longer, but once again I’m left no time to act.  Both creatures suddenly drop to the floor, stunned or killed by two rapid discharges of an energy weapon in the hands of a man entering the room.  He comes closer to remove the gag from my mouth.  Somehow I’m not surprised to see my ‘partner’, though he looks much more imposing now in a black cloak and high leather boots – taller, thinner, very agile. 

  

“Are you Bubba?”

 

“No, Ele.”  He gives me a broad smile flashing perfect teeth.  “Actually I’ve been looking for him myself for the last few years.  And finally I’m about to succeed… with your help.  But first let’s make you a little more comfortable, Ele.”

 

He lowers the hook I’m suspended from, although not very much, just enough for me to stand on my toes.  “But perhaps,” he continues in Thari, “You’d prefer me addressing you properly, as Lady Fiona?”

 

I don’t even know what astounds me more, the sounds of Thari or what he’s saying.  Me as Fiona?  It’s rather hard to laugh while on your toes with your arms stretched above your head, but the absurdity of being mistaken for Fiona in this particular situation is too much for me.

 

“I… I’m not fff… Fio… Fiona!”

 

“You aren’t?”  He steps back, my unexpected reaction being too genuine to be doubted.

 

“I’m Elektra, daughter of Brand!”

 

“Brand has a daughter?”  He makes another step back, clutching his weapon.  Indeed, my father’s name induces somewhat more fear than Fi’s does.  “Hmm… Elektra… Ele… I see now…and the second girl?”

 

“Ohh, she’s Fiona’s daughter, alright.  But who’re you?”

 

“Hmm… perhaps that’s what caused the screw-up.  Forgive me for not introducing myself earlier though.  I’m Darth Voor, a resident agent of the house of Sith on this world.  The spaceport cantina is a rather convenient cover to keep track of comings and goings.” 

 

I sense no Logrus, nor am I familiar with the house of Sith, but then, there’re so many of them at the Courts of Chaos.

 

“I had a privilege to witness your work at the inn via a planted camera.  Very impressive indeed,” he continues.  “You see, most of the inn’s maids are also in my employ.  That’s when I made a little arrangement with the bounty hunters and delivered both your images to my superiors.  But I was told you were Fiona…”

 

“We’re of the same height, same hair color… my feet are smaller though… and more tender…” I glance down at my pointed toes.”

 

He acknowledges my hint with a wry smile but makes no move.  “I had to make sure first, but when you produced water out of an old spaceship which has been sitting on the field for the last six months, you passed the test with flying colors.”

 

“And what’s the purpose of all this?”

 

“Everything in good time, my lady.  You see, this particular Shadow has a very interesting property.  We call it ‘The Force’.  The exact nature of it is unknown, but someone attuned to it acquires many endowments usually associated with the Logrus, although not all of them.  As you doubtless realize, controlling such a valuable Shadow may some day benefit the house of Sith.  However, we’re challenged by a group of mystics called Jedi knights, small in numbers but extremely powerful with The Force…”

 

“What kind of power are we talking about?”

 

“They can’t traverse Shadow, but as far as the rest – physical prowess, mind control, telekinesis – all kinds of stuff.  Actually the previous head of the house was killed by a young Jedi named Luke Skywalker with the help of his father Annakin, who seemed to be on our side at first, but then turned to the evil ways of his son.”

 

“Oh, so those… err… Jedi are evil?”

 

“They most certainly are, my lady, and they took a particular liking to Tatuine, perhaps for the reason of their leaders Skywalkers being native to this world. In fact, we’ve strong reasons to believe that Bubba’s one of them.  It may well be that Bubba’s Skywalker himself…”

 

“Annakin?”

 

“Luke. Annakin didn’t survive the fight.  Now you’ve seen some of this world.  Were Jedi not evil, would there be all this slavery and suffering going on?  Just look at the bounty hunters.”

 

My eyes follow his to the two lifeless bodies on the floor.  “I see your point there, but I still don’t understand what is it you want from us?”

 

“Bubba was made aware that the bounty hunters have brought two powerful witches to his palace.  There’re about sixty of them in here  – hardly enough for two of you.  Bubba and his Jedi would have to come.  Then, you will kill them all.”

 

A faint smile crosses my lips.  So I’ve succeeded after all, although the Chaos party turned out to be quite different from what I thought it would be.  Do they really expect a Princess of Amber to serve as a pawn in their power games?  This Force does seem very interesting though, perhaps I should return to here when I have more time to spare.

 

“I have no quarrel with Skywalker or Jedi, evil or not.  I can’t fix all Shadows to my liking.”

 

He grins back broadly.  “Not all, my lady, just this one.”

 

“And if I don’t?”

 

“But you will, my lady.  The way to the Courts of Chaos is a long and tedious one… unless one takes a shortcut leading directly to the Keep of Sith at the Courts.  When Jedi are dead, I’ll show you the passage.”

 

A passage to the Courts!  Jedi aren’t important, reaching the Courts quickly is.  “I shall consider it.  As soon as you take me down from this hook.”

 

He lifts me off the hook easily, and I feel his hands on my hips.  He doesn’t let me on the floor, holding me in his arms, his probing hand forcing its way between my inner thighs.  I blush red lowering my eyes, him being now fully aware of my excitement, which grew no less from being nude and suspended in front of him in the course of our conversation.  I don’t resist while he lays me on my back on the floor, unchains my ankles and forces my legs wide apart and high in the air.  He enters me roughly, both of us enjoying the moment – him taking me as a common slavegirl, and me being one, chains on my wrists, a collar on my neck…

 

“No one gonna believe…” he mutters as my screams and his moans subdue and he pulls out of me.  “But let me take these chains off you…”

 

“Never mind the chains, I do need to freshen up,”  I study him through my drawn down eyelashes while my chains and collar lose their texture slowly dissolving into a small fortune.  I collect some of the water in my palms and splash my sweaty face.

 

“You... ugh… you could do just like that?  Whenever you wished?”

 

“But of course.  Like father like daughter,” I get up giggling at his open mouth. 

 

“I be damned if I’d ever understand women,” he mumbles taking off his cloak and wrapping it around me.

 

It finally occurs to me that a fair amount of time has passed and Scarlett is hardly proficient in changing molecular structures.  How could I forget?  “We must find Scarlett!”

 

“I have to depart, my lady, Bubba and Jedi will be here any minute.”  He starts handing me his weapon, but then just shakes his head grasping that I have no need for one.

 

“Wait!  Have you been to the Courts yourself?”

 

“Of course, my lady, many times.”

 

“Have you ever heard of the Place of Prior Existence?”

 

“Hmm… Don’t think I have, my lady… what is that place?”  But I’m already out the door.

 

I don’t have to run down the corridor further than an adjacent room to find the rat-face crawling to the wide open door with his pants or whatever suffices for them around his ankles.  Thanks Unicorn, Scarlett apparently took care of herself.  At the sight of me the rat-face goes limp on the floor, his mug turning completely white.

 

“Remember what I told you the last time, son of a mutant?”

 

“Please… forgive…”

 

“Where did Leta go?”

 

“Please… forgive…”

 

Not much use of this one.  I’m rather meticulous in keeping my promises, but I’m not really in the mood.  What the hell, a lady’s entitled to change her mind now and then.  I grab the rat-face by his long ear tightly, my mind quickly running the Pattern.  On a gloomy, roughly paved back street, I deposit my quarry in front of a dumpster into freezing rain.

 

“Welcome to New Jersey! I bet they’d love to have you here.”  I’m back in the corridor before the Pattern window closes with one thing on my mind.  Where is Scarlett?

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