Dathomir - Part 2
The Nightsister walked around Nico, inspecting him before she finally laid a hand rudely on his shoulder and pulled him into a kneeling position. Nico ventured a look at her face and was almost immediately sorry that he did. Her hair was long and black. Twigs and dried leaves were tangled into the greasy mess. Her face was twisted and looked to be pox ridden in the dim light. She was wearing close to nothing, save some skins and some war paint. She was spattered with dry blood, as if she had just been in a fight where she was the victor.
Nico remained quiet for a long time as she looked him over, never releasing her grip on his shoulder. As he peered at her, he tried to probe into her mind, starting ever so slightly at first as he always did, so that if she was immune to the power, she wouldn’t notice his attempt. However, she was strong with the force, and his attempt yielded nothing.
“You have the look of one who wishes to speak, my new slave. What is it?” For the first time, Nico noticed that she was not speaking, but instead spitting the words directly into his mind. The trick was not uncommon, but the coldness with which she did it was a rude awakening.
“I wish to negotiate for the life of my friend. He is badly wounded and needs medical attention.” Nico communicated telepathically with the woman. In response to his message, the woman pulled Nico to his feet and, without releasing him, spun him around to face Walbord and Chad. There were four other Nightsisters inspecting his friends, Two of them were running their hands over Walbord and poking at the cut on his face, speaking out loud to him in some foreign language. Walbord was doing his best to appear dignified and unafraid, but Nico didn’t even need to use his empathy to know that he was frightened out of his mind. The other two Nightsisters were inspecting Chad, who was still asleep on the sled.
“Your friend seems fine to me,” the Nightsister spoke into Nico’s mind, “his cut will scar, so he will not be as beautiful a find as you.” At this, the Nightsister pressed herself against Nico’s back. He could smell her breath and maintained control of a shutter that wanted to break over him at her touch.
“I was speaking of the other. He is badly wounded and-” Before Nico could finish his thought, the Nightsister holding him gave a motion and one of her followers standing over Chad thrust a spear into his throat. Chad did not even give a shutter or make a sound before he was dead. Nico was too shocked to make further comment. Instead, he grabbed the wrist holding him and torqued it at an angle, forcing the sister to double over in pain. Nico spun on her and, using the force, pushed her feet out from under her. He had never been too proficient moving objects with his powers, but on an unsuspecting and prone opponent, he tumbled her easily.
In a flash, Nico wielded back to where the other opponents were over Chad. Nico’s lightsaber was in his hand before he really knew what was happening. As the thin blue light burst from his hilt, Nico realized the foolishness of his actions. He was acting on emotion, and quickly put himself into check. Chad was dead, and he could do nothing to save him. A quick glance at Walbord confirmed his suspicion that he would receive no help in the fight from his still living team member. However, before Nico could retract his lightsaber, Nico felt an unearthly push from behind. He was sent flying, spinning onto his side before he struck a tree. Nico gasped for breath and reached for his deactivated lightsaber, trying to regain his bearings. Standing over him now was the Nightsister whom he had knocked to the ground.
“Perhaps you should be shown your new place, for after an action like that, it might be reasoned that you think you can best me. Tonight I will show you that I truly am your new master. In every regard.” She kicked Nico sternly in his already throbbing gut before gathering him and forcing him to walk.
Nico and Walbord were forced to march for the rest of the day before a dark evening settled in. The four nightsisters aptly cleared an area while Nico’s master looked after the slaves. Nico tried not to retch as she licked the side of his face, simultaneously running her hand up his inner thigh. His mind was fighting to think of a rational way to avoid this situation. He had no leverage to bargain with. This was a race of women who took what they wanted, especially if what they wanted was a man. It was obviously clear to Nico that men were not considered too highly thought of on this world. The nightsister commented again into Nico’s mind that he was an excellent find, being so fair and having use of the force as well. She continued to lick him, biting roughly from time to time, as she sent him images of the daughters he would father for her. At this point, Nico finally started, gently at first, to push her away.
This is absolutely ludicrous! Nico thought to himself. I’ll not be a slave to her! Before, she threw me into a tree, and could probably break me in two using her powers. Her mind isn’t so weak as for me to sway her... what do I do, tell her I have a headache? I doubt that will fly. Nico continued to push her away, scooting backward. The nightsister simply grabbed his hair and yanked him to her. Nico let out a soft yelp at that, and braced himself against the ground using his palms. She gave Nico one more pull before she slumped forward, a spear protruding from between her shoulders.
There was a terrible yell, as if from a group of mad women, and Nico quickly caught his bearings. The nightsisters were being attacked by another separate group of warrior women. In the darkness, Nico could not make out any faces or features, but he could see that the attackers outnumbered the attacked nearly three to one. With the advantages of numbers and surprise, the fight was over quickly. Nico scanned the faces for Walbord as the invading party of women let out triumphant cries and whoops of victory. Walbord looked worse than Nico presumed he did. His shirt was ripped open and he had bite marks running from his arms to his neck, some of which were bleeding slightly. They both exchanged a look and rose to their feet. Nico straightened his hair and combed it briefly with his fingers. Walbord pulled his torn shirt around him and flipped the collar up in an attempt to hide the marks. Nico only had a moment to gather his senses about him before he was approached by one of the victorious women.
Like the nightsisters, she was covered with paint and dressed very provocatively. She was heavy set and had long hair. Unlike the nightsisters, she was not disfigured. Based on the women Nico had seen, she was homely, yes, but nothing as awful as what was just trying to slither into his pants. She looked him over and Nico cocked his head to the side, trying to get a reading from her. Her mind was simple and uncomplicated. She was powerful in the force, but nothing really compared to the women she had helped vanquish. She softly laid a calloused hand on Nico’s arm and turned to the rest of the raiding party.
She proceeded to make a deceleration in her native language. Nico could not understand exactly what she had said, but he was bright enough to understand that she was claiming him. This is great thought Nico, a proverbial jump into the fire. Have the women on this planet no respect for men at all? Nico noted that she did not grip him firmly as the nightsister, and her voice when speaking was not assertive by any basis for comparison.
Nico looked over to see Walbord enduring the same treatment and deceleration from another women. He told him telepathically to wait things out and see where chance took them. There was no use running at this point, for they would be running into the wilderness, while the women chasing them would be running through their own backyard.
There was a murmur and another voice spoke up. Nico craned his neck to see who was approaching. It was one of the other warrior women. She was running her eyes up and down Nico. At that point, he felt a tingle in the back of his mind, as if she was trying to probe his thoughts and emotions. It was possible, on lesser empathists, for Nico to project false thoughts, feelings, or memories once they began probing his mind, but Nico was no longer in the mood for games and harshly shut the door to his mind. The smile of the slender warrior who was testing him deepened. Apparently she was pleased at his use of the force. She made a move close to Nico. With only a look, she shorter, fatter woman who had originally claimed Nico stepped back. She muttered something and joined the rest of the party.
The woman who now, apparently, owned Nico looked him over once more. His new master was slender, but rather well built. Her skin was a dark tan and her long hair was rather well kept considering. Her movement was like that of a large cat as she slinked up to Nico and she held her head high, her pretty bright eyes glistening. She called over her shoulder to the other members of her war party and Nico heard them begin to work. Nico wanted to crane his neck around to see what they were doing, but his lips were firmly pressed to his new masters’. His eyes widened in surprise and he didn’t have time to react before she pulled her mouth back away from his.
“You taste like fine spice, my man. I will treat you as the dearest of all my things if to submit totally to me.” Her words rang quiet at first in Nico’s mind at first until Nico opened the door to his mind again.
“Sorry, I’m not interested, but thank you for saving us.” He projected a dignified and diplomatic presence back into her mind. She shuttered and closed her eyes at that and Nico looked confused for a moment before she hooked her fingers down the front of his pants and pulled his hips to meet hers.
“When our minds touch like that, it is very... pleasant. You are strong with power, speak well, and are as delicate as a forest flower. The thought of bearing your daughters makes me warm.”
“Tempting... but no. I have received that offer once today, you understand...” Nico let the words trail off and he put his hands on her shoulders and began pushing her away. With the quickness Nico could scarcely believe, his captor withdrew her hand from his pants and slid his hands down onto her breasts. A wide smile broke over her face and she closed her eyes.
“Your touch... I could live off it. For once in my life, I now know what those silly songs about ‘love at first sight’ were all about. Before, I thought it was foolish for a warrior to truly lover her slave but now...” She opened her eyes and looked at Nico with the hunger of a predator. Nico began to get impressions from her. She truly was in love with him! His grace and poise had served him well among the social elite, for it was a sign of a good upbringing. Through her, Nico sensed that among her people, a man who had the same qualities was highly desired as an object. In male-dominated civilizations like this, a women who was fair and beautiful was a prize, and here the men with the qualities were equally sought after. From the emotions he was picking up, she had apparently seen her future life-mate in him. It didn’t change the fact that Nico would still be her slave, which was as of yet unacceptable.
Nico withdrew his hands, and quickly gave her a light tap on the chest which he used to produce a force push. She took a step back and righted herself. Her reflexes were quite impressive. Nico took a step away from her and told her, “I don’t want to hurt you...”
“Highly unlikely.” she responded, and used her powers to give him a rude jostle which sent him to the ground. Her reflexes are better than mine, and so is her telekinetic. Her mind is weaker, but not so weak where I can control it. This is proving quite a problem. “Tomorrow,” she told him while approaching him, “we will go back into camp. However, tonight...”
“That is unacceptable.” responded Nico. He started to get up when she laid a hand on him and lightly prevented him from getting up.
“I can understand,” she said, taking a deep breath to calm herself. “I must show some control. After all, you have been through a lot tonight and we will have a lot of time to know each other later. For tonight, I will take care of you, and we will get acquainted. I will provide for you, and you will see how strong I am.” With that, she turned and walked back to the rest of the members of the party she had arrived with. Nico was a bit shocked to see how much they had accomplished in such a short time. Three tents, two small and one large, were constructed out of animal hide and bone. The bodies of the slain nightsisters were taken away out of sight, and one member was working to start a fire. Walbord was sitting at the far side of the makeshift camp, with the arm of the woman who claimed him around his shoulders, not for affection, but as a signal to the others to keep away.
Later into the night, a fire was burning and an animal was being cooked for food. Nico noticed that three women were standing guard around the camp while the others were chattering away in their own language. They laughed back and forth and there was hardly a moment of quiet among them. No matter the planet or species, women are still women. Nico assessed the situation once more. Running was still not an option, but things were not as bad as they could be, all things considered. His owner, who’s name was Koranthis according to snippets of conversation Nico picked up, offered Nico a large chunk of cooked meat. Nico took it gingerly and thanked her for it. He paused to blow on it before taking a small bite. He noticed how their conversation turned into a soft murmur. Koranthis threw an arm around Nico and beamed at them. Nico truly was thankful for the food and finished soon after. Conversation was dwindling down and Nico noticed that Walbord’s master softly kissing his cheek. He tried to resist a bit, but she was having none of it. When she made a move to drag Walbord into one of the smaller tents, Nico rose to his feet.
“Great victors,” Nico began. Projecting his thoughts into so many minds was a bit tricky, but he soon got the hang of it. He wasn’t sure exactly what to say, but needed to stall them before they took advantage of his friend. “We are truly grateful to you for saving us but a few hours ago...”
The woman who was making advances at Walbord turned to Nico and projected loudly to all assembled. “Quiet slave! Who asked you to speak?!”
Koranthis jumped to her feet and drew a dagger made of something Nico couldn’t identify, responding loudly in return, “You will treat my things with respect! If he wants to speak, then I allow it!” With that, she cast a glance at Nico with a small, crooked smile pressed on her lips.
Nico continued, “To show our thanks, I will recite a poem. It is customary on my home world in order to show thanks.,,” Nico recited the lyrics to a song he knew from the Drawl on Corillia. From the best he could figure, they were a rather savage people, and their songs might appeal. Most of the women were just impressed with how well spoken Nico was, and were bored with the poem, including Walbord’s owner. Koranthis, however, and the larger woman who originally laid claim to him looked at Nico with admiration. They hung on his every word and stared at him with small, polite smiles on their faces. When Nico had finished some time later, Walbord’s master was somewhat out of the mood and slunk into her tent by herself. Most of the other women stretched and retired into the large tent. Koranthis took Nico lightly by the hand and pulled him to the other small tent. Once they crawled inside, and the flap was fastened, she began to disrobe.
“You shouldn’t have spoken like that to the others.” She remarked as her top came off. Nico wanted to avert his eyes, but she was really quite pretty.
“I’m sorry. I did not mean to embarrass you.” He replied to her. He was beginning to feel uncomfortable, but kept his emotions in check.
“You will learn. There was no harm done, so I can forgive you. Just don’t do it again. The next time you speak without being addressed first, I will have to discipline you.” She knelt in front of Nico now, completely naked. She looked to him, and Nico caught the drift that she was expecting him to undress as well. He was removing his shirt when something caught his eye. His color blanched as he stared. Between her breasts were a necklace. It was identical to the one he had worn for nearly a year and had given to Saede right before he had left. It had been years, but Nico remembered vividly the piece of jewelry as well as the look on Saede’s face when he had given it to her. Koranthis mistook his look and ran her hands over her body.
“Do you like what you see?” She began crawling on her hands and knees toward Nico.
“Where did you get that?” The look of disappointment on her face was obvious. She glanced at the medallion for a moment before looking back up at Nico.
“I found it.” With that, she pressed herself against Nico. With his hands still tangled in his partially removed shirt, Nico was unable to stop himself from falling backwards. She laid on top of him and rubbed herself up and down against him.
“I can’t believe I found you... you are truly the most beautiful creature I have seen.
Nico kept his cool and responded casually, “I thought tonight we were just going to get acquainted.” She shuttered once and pushed herself off of him, obviously disappointed but maintaining control over her instincts.
“Very well. Again, it has been a long day for you, so I will humor you.”
“I am curious to know about you and your people. Please, tell me what you will of yourself and your tribe.” It was clear that she liked being addressed like this, referring to her as the greater party. She began making chit-chat about life among the Singing Mountain Clan. She gave him a brief description of life and their customs. Without going into too much depth, she rolled onto her side and gazed at Nico. To say he was uncomfortable under her gaze was an obvious understatement. Before long, however, she grew tried and closed her eyes for sleep. Nico pulled his shirt off and rested on his side, facing away from her. Before either of them fell asleep, she pulled herself close to him and draped an arm over him. Nico remained motionless until he fell asleep.
When dawn broke, the rest of the clan had already taken down camp and were ready to move out. Koranthis dressed and hungrily watched Nico sleep for a bit. Before long, they marched to the encampment of the Singing Mountain Clan.
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