Pleasure & Pain: Chapter Three

I hang in the dark, trying my best to ignore the pain and shocks and thirst. I try to ignore my hungers.

Yet as I hang there with my eyes closed visions of Lumiya, Aunt Mara, and Tahiri flow before my mind’s eye. They are mixing becoming one entity. I dismiss thoughts of my own insanity.

As those visions and thoughts flow through my head, I feel an odd sensation. A hand has grasped my leg, and a semi-moist sand papery feeling thing is rubbing down the other side.

It really is an odd sensation, one that makes me think of home, of happier times. Of childhood. I know I have felt it before, so I focus on what it is, what it means.

Then I realize what it is. I can feel someone giving me a sponge bath. I open my eyes, and look down. There kneeling before me is a Yuuzhan Vong. Not the one I spat on when I first awoke, but a different one, another one that I can feel in the Force. She’s holding some type of sea sponge, and washing my legs. I feel a surge of lust and power flow through me at her posture and bearing.

I watch her, as she carries out her task. Dip in the water. Slowly rub down my leg. I notice that she wears the same type of shift as Lumiya; I also note that she appears to be around my age, or at least the age I was when I died, maybe a few years older, at most 20 standard years.

Her black hair is long and loose, covering her shoulders.

I can only assume she feels my stare, because she lifts her head and looks into my eyes. I notice she has green eyes as well. A green I could get lost in. Warm where Lumiya’s are cold. I frown as I look at the three scars on her forehead, wondering where I had seen them before. When my mouth goes dry, it has nothing to do with dehydration.

I find the scars strangely compelling. I think I want to kiss them.

“What’s your name?” I notice that my voice is not nearly as gritty as it had been while talking to Lumiya.

She smiles at me, and I notice that she has no scars on her lips. “I am called Nethi Kwaad.”

Her voice is sultry, causing me to shiver.

For some reason, I am happy that her lips are unscarred. I have seen to many warriors with frayed lips. Of all the wounds and scars they did to themselves, the Yuuzhan Vong desire to cut and flay their lips was one that caused me the most confusion.

Maybe it’s because all the women I have loved have full, supple lips.

She stands, and lowers my robe, causing all of those little daggers to slowly pull from my skin. I can almost feel her smile as she does this, at the fact that I don’t scream at the pain.

Oddly, I am smiling as well.

She walks around me, and I can feel her begin her ministrations to my back. I consider it. It is a very sensual feeling. One of subservience. I idly wish that my restraints were loosened, so I could turn to see her again.

She finishes my back, and moves back in front of me, her head lowered. I briefly wonder if she’s acting coy.

She raises her head, and captures my gaze. Then runs her hand through my hair; her face inches from mine. “You pleased Lady Lumiya immensely today Anakin.”

I find myself shivering once more, as she gently bites my lip.

I close my eyes to the sensation, and unbidden an image of my Tahiri rises up in my mind’s eye. I see her blonde hair flashing in the golden light of Tattooine’s sun. How it felt when she would bite my lip in a similar manner. I hear myself whisper, “Tahiri.”

Nethi’s blow swings my face around; I can feel the sting, the pain. I can taste the blood from my cracked lip.

Her eyes flare with defiance. “You would do well to remember who is around you. Lady Lumiya may allow you to mention that Jeedai with such impunity, but I will not.”

She then walks back behind me. I briefly wonder if she’s going to continue giving me a sponge bath.

As she drops the first of the slimy things on my back, I realize probably not.

I control my shivers of disgust as the things begin sliding around my back.

I bite my tongue, to hold in my scream, as the things begin to bite me.

She walks back in front of me, and roughly pulls my head back by my hair. Her green eyes flashing fire and anger. “We could have had fun together, but you had to go and bring her up. You had to start the pain again.”

She shakes her head in disgust and releases my head, which slumps forward, my chin to my chest.

I can feel the slimy things, with their simple mission: move, bite, release, repeat.

I hear myself sob. “I’m sorry.”

Move, bite, release, repeat.

My heart sinks as Nethi lifts the container of water, and dumps it upon my head. “Think next time.”

Move, bite, release, repeat.

My heart sinks even further as she says one final thing, her voice a hiss. “Dummy.”

Move, bite, release, repeat.

As Nethi walks away, I once more notice that where the robe covers my skin, the pain increases. I wonder which one is worse, what my body is feeling or what my heart is.

The things on my back ignore her leaving, as they do the screams that finally erupt from my lips.

Move, bite, release, repeat.