Pleasure & Pain: Chapter Nine

I wait, but Nethi does not come to see me. I wonder about that, and it makes me sad. I enjoy her visits; enjoy the sight of her toes.

I wonder if she somehow found out the contents of those dreams of mine that she is featured in. I wonder if she did find out, if they would scare her or excite her.

I feel the lessening of the pain and in walks Lumiya. Her smile is gone this time, she appears tired and haggard. Like her sorrow has beaten her, and left this shell in her place. "Please Anakin, today is your final chance. Serve me, please?"

"I, I will not kill Neth…Tahiri."

I silently curse myself at my own confusion.

She sighs, and leans against a control panel. "This is the final small task I have. After you complete this task, then you must make a decision on serving me and getting released from this pain, getting Nethi, or not serving me, and rotting here, in pain, never to see Nethi again."

I bark a laugh. "What am I to kill today Lumiya?"

She releases me from the repulser, and I stand. I miss that feeling of wholeness that I used to get when I stood.

She presses a button on the panel beside her. "Today, kill as you desire, stop the heart, chocking, lightning, even rip it apart with the Force. It matters not."

As soon as she finishes talking, the doors open and in walk two of her guards. They are carrying a young human female, not a girl, but not yet an adult, around my age, with brunette hair and blue eyes. She's pretty, in a girl next door type of way. I can feel her terror in the Force. It fills me, sustains me for what I know I am about to do.

Yet I still hesitate. Lumiya's voice is harsh, compelling, demanding. "Kill her, kill her now."

As Lumiya announces her fate, the girl starts to scream and kick. She attempts to get away from the guards. Yet their grips on her arms hold her there. And the two guards finally subdue her, one of them holding her head up so that she is forced to watch me.

I look to Lumiya as she stands on the other side of the room from me. I can feel the sorrow well up from my heart. "Who is she? What has she done to deserve death?"

"It matters not who she is, as for death, it comes to us all. Now, kill her."

I close my eyes and gather to the Force to me. "Open your eyes and watch."

I sigh and open my eyes back up, and find myself staring into the girl's terror-filled ones. I can hear her whispered plea. "Please don't kill me."

For a moment, I watch as the tears slide down her cheeks.

I press my lips together tightly and stretch out my arm. I feel my hate gather at my fingertips. Not hate for this innocent girl, and the Force screams at me her innocence, but hate for myself, hate for what I have done, for what I am about to do, and hate for what I have become. I gather my hate and I let it fly.

I notice that I am crying, but the tears have as much of an effect on me as the girl's screams for mercy. I just send wave after wave of Force Lightning at her, until she stops moving.

Until her presence in the Force is gone.

I do not stop. I feel the anger and hate, as I turn the lightning on the two guards as well. I smile coldly as they drop limply to the ground, the burns from my lightning adding odd blackened marks to their armor.

I turn to Lumiya and feel a surge of desire and power as she smiles at me.

"Will you serve me? Do as I command? Will you accept my gift of Nethi?"

I hesitate as I open my mouth. The mantra is on the tip of my tongue, an automatic response, but I stop it.

I push down that deep part of my mind which is screaming at me to not give in, bury it under my anger and hate, and lock gazes with Lumiya.

"Yes, yes I will serve you."

"Kneel. Do you swear allegiance to me, to your new Master?"

I kneel before her, silently wondering if having me in this position before her gives her that same sense of power that having Nethi kneeling before me gives me. "Yes Milady."

"Rise, Darth Rachat."

I look at her, and she smiles and starts walking from the room. I stand and watch her. She pauses in the doorway, and looks over her shoulder at me. "Are you coming?"

I smile sheepishly and start following her.

She gives me a brief tour of the facilities. She shows me the armory, the brig and cafeteria. We walk pass one door, which appears older than the rest of the facility and I ask about it. She merely says that I should never go down that hall, and we continue our tour.

We finally arrived at a portion of the building that appeared to be used less than the others. "These are your chambers."

She pushes open the doors and I glimpse an exquisitely appointed room. Something my mom would love. I see the large bed, and glimpse a tub in the 'fresher.

I feel the large smile on my face and turn to my Mistress. "Thank you."

She looks my way, and runs her hand down my cheek; I notice that it still leaves a trail of fire where she touches me. "I promised you relief from the pain if you served me."

She walks into the rooms, and looks at me, a smile on her face.

I walk in after her, walk to her.

She leans in close, her lips brushing mine. "Thank you Lord Rachat."

Then she kisses me, and I'm enthralled in her motions.