Ryloth

Vette woke in a holding cell, a sharp pain in her neck confirmed her worst fears – a slave collar! She moaned and started to look around. She wasn't alone, three other prisoners were held in the same room as she was. Damn! In retrospective it has been a very, very bad idea to try to steal Sith artefacts from Korriban. It was not only a bad idea but downright insane. They were too arrogant because all missions thus far had been successful… but where were the other gang-members? Perhaps they got away, and with that thought a faint glimmer of hope sparked in Vette. Flash, Plasmajack and Taunt would rescue her!

After a few days of interrogation, respectively after a few days of random electro-shocks her resolve started to crumble. Although Vette stayed as cheeky as possible with the warden, she couldn't dissociate herself from the thought that her gang was dead or thrown in the slave-pits like herself. She wasn't the first time in a prison, at first it didn't scare her much. But yesterday she witnessed what it really meant to be in a prison on Korriban. A tall pure-blood Sith, whose face was covered with golden piercings, conducted the interrogation of her fellow inmates and killed every last of them! She watched in horror how a smile crept over the Sith's lips as he mutilated and killed sentient beings. The warden saw of course how she was affected and tried to break her completely with a combination of electro-shocks and food withdrawal. But Vette summoned her iron resolve which had saved her countless times and was determined to keep quiet about her Twi'lek companions – even if there was only a remote chance that they were still alive. Taunt implied on several occasions that she thought that Vette was completely naïve because of her ability to joke no matter how dire the situation was, but in truth it was Vette's only mental defence against the harshness of her live – born into slavery, abused and sold on countless occasions – it was necessary to keep the darkness away from her. Laughing to keep from crying.

As wilful she was, Vette lost almost her wits when the cruel Sith entered the prison again. Nobody he could kill or torture was left – except for her.

With a malignant smile the warden turned to the Sith: "Look who's back!" The Sith looked coldly at her, the message was clear, she was nothing to him. "Word has it that you're Lord Baras new apprentice," continued the warden, "congratulations."

"Silence! I'm here to relieve you of this Twi'lek. I am going to take the slave to the tomb where it was found." The Sith stepped closer. "And you will show me the secret entrance to the Tomb of Naga Sadow."

Vette was scared but her mental defences kicked in: "You got some kind of secret business in that tomb, huh? And none of you can figure out how to get there – bad luck."

The Sith yanked the shock-collar devise from the warden's hands and held down the button until Vette thought she would pass out from the pain. "You will show me the secret entrance or your punishment will be far more severe!"

"I suppose I can play tomb-tour guide…" whispered Vette.

She showed him the way, not without been shocked on several occasions and as she watched him kill another acolyte Vette feared that she would be killed the moment the Sith completed his quest. The Twi'lek thought fleetingly about getting away as the Sith engaged the undead Sith after obtaining his lightsaber – by the way one of the creepiest things she has seen in her life – but she knew that it would be futile. Everybody knew that Sith were bad news, they could kill you with a mere gesture and this one just had to push a button. No, she had to play this right, after all she knew how to behave like a good slave, even if it was nauseating.

When they returned to Darth Baras it occurred to Vette, that she hadn't know the Sith's name until the bulky man with the mask – she gathered that this had to be Darth Baras – addressed his apprentice: "Badesh, I am beside myself. Not only did you get the Twi'lek to cooperate, but you completed the task und claimed the ancient lightsaber." Vette remained silent and followed the conversation between master and apprentice, Badesh surprised her as he bowed down before Baras and pleaded to follow his instructions, so even this powerful Sith had to answer to someone. But why was she still here? Did they talk so lightly about murder in her presence because they have already decided to kill her? Suddenly Vette felt how Baras attention came to her, there was this strange cool feeling in her head when the Darth turned his head into her direction. Vette almost panicked, she had encountered Sith of course, but this was different, Baras was really powerful, powerful and dangerous. "Take the Twi'lek slave as my gift. Do with her as you wish. If she'll be of use, by all means, take her with you to Dromund Kaas." Vette felt how she blanched. By the stars! They wouldn't kill her, instead she would become a slave to this Sith monster! Thoughts about Tivva crossed Vette's mind, and how her beloved sister had become a personal slave for their master, despite her mother's best efforts. She was too young back then to understand why her Mother broke Tivvas nose just to make her ugly… she did it of course to spare her this fate but in the end it was for vain. Now it was Vette who would be forced to become a slave, a 'personal slave' perhaps even. Vette managed to distance herself from this dark line of thought and followed Badesh to the shuttle to the Imperial Fleet.

They sat silently in the shuttle for over two hours before Vette cleared her throat, the Sith's gaze met hers and she took it as permission to speak. "My Lord, I just wanted you to know that my name is Vette…"

"Do not speak unless spoken to, slave!" snarled Badesh and reached for the shock-remote. That alone was enough to keep Vette quiet for the rest of the six hour long trip.

Once arrived on the Imperial Fleet they boarded the transport ship Black Talon for their journey to Dromund Kaas. Of course travelling with a Sith meant to kill the Captain of the Black Talon and go to a suicidal mission to kill a defected Imperial. To Vette's surprise Badesh yanked two Blasters from Captain Orziks body and gave them to her. "You will accompany me slave! And if you even think of aiming those blasters at me…" He gestured with his right hand and Vette felt a force grip around her neck, "…I trust you understand."

They boarded the Brentaal Star and fought republic soldiers, Vette got several grazing shoots but thanks to the incredible fighting skill Badesh possessed she wasn't seriously wounded. She got an adrenalin rush and followed the Sith's lead until they encountered the Jedi Yadira Ban. Vette was shocked to see a Twi'lek wielding such power and was even more shocked that the Jedi attacked her as well even before she lifted her blasters. Luckily her reflexes allowed her to dodge the swirling lightsaber. Yadira used a force push to hurl Badesh in a pile of crates and lifted her lightsaber again to kill Vette who stumbled and fell on the floor. "Wait! I'm just…" the blue Twi'lek called out, but the Jedi interrupted her: "You made your choice, now pay the price harlot!" Before she could strike Badesh jumped with an incredible speed towards her and beheaded the Jedi. Vette wanted to scream as Yadira's head fell next to her but instead she began to hyperventilate. She wanted to kill me! I'm a Twi'lek and she would have killed me! Thoughts were rushing through her mind, and Vette was unable to rise from the floor although Badesh commanded it.

"Stand up!"

"My… my Lo… lord…"

"Come now slave!" Badesh briskly walked away and Vette followed him hesitantly, still trying to control her breath.

xxxxx

As soon as Badesh found and killed the defected General they headed back to the Black Talon only to discover that almost everybody was dead – a riot had broken out after the Sith had left the ship. Vette literally waded through blood that day, she was bruised, her wounds started to hurt and she felt left completely alone. She couldn't stop thinking about that Twi'lek Jedi who had attacked her without second thought. Of course, after all she was a Sith's lackey, a minion of the Empire, it didn't matter if she was a slave or not. After the debriefing with Grand Moff Kilran, Badesh demanded to be brought to his quarters. "As satisfying it is to bath in the blood of my enemies, I prefer not to reek of republic blood."

"Of course my Lord," replied the droid who now commandeered the freighter, "I recommend that you utilise the late Captain Orziks quarters. Is your slave in need of her own quarters?"

Vette feared for one moment that the Sith would abnegate but without a moment's hesitation he answered "Yes, and bring her new clothes, it reflects badly on me if my slave wears torn rags."