Thank you, my friends, for your replies. I hear you, and I also heard Thorns and Ciner.

Today I took the time to get another small part written. I hope you do enjoy it!

 

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#44

 

The anger consumed the last of my energy. Numbness replaced coherent thoughts. Feet dragging, I follow Ciner. When he stops in front of a door I bump into him. He tells me to wait for him, and I catch a glance into a dorm as he enters. What am I supposed to do? I mean, except waiting. Slave. Baras confirmed my status. Ciner already threatened to kill me. Only weaklings make threats they won’t execute. I am not dealing with a weakling. From a different point of view, threats make for excellent promises. The easy way out remains an option should I decide to give up. In the back of my mind Ce’na promises to kick my @ss if I do. The temptation to join her smiles at me offering a pillow and a soft blanket, painless sleep without sorrows and concerns. Sleep sounds great. Exhaustion is a bad adviser. A good night’s rest and a cup of caf before I make any real plans. For now, I’ll do as I am told, I’ll wait. Ce’na nods her approval.

 

A few minutes pass, then Ciner returns with two large duffel bags and a bundle of clothes. He gives me a once-over before he thrust the bundle at me. “Desperate times call for desperate measures. Follow me.”

 

I tote the bundle after him, its weight multiplied by the depressing state I’m in. When we reach a corridor one level up I start to wonder about our destination. The decor here resembles the Sith-y one below with a few more details like carved slaves bearing the wall-mounted lamps. Also, the number of doors has increased, as has the dark aura assaulting me. Single rooms for stronger Sith than acolytes I conclude. Ciner confirms my assumption after he stops in front of the door at the end of the passageway. He produces a code cylinder from one of his pockets.

 

“Let us see if this works. Academy policy reserves these rooms for apprentices. Since my orders tell me to leave Korriban I am not entitled to one. Yet administration should have updated my access authorizations by now.” He swipes the code cylinder in front of the keypad. There is a soft click and then the door slides open. It doesn’t admit us to a single room but to some kind of locker room. “Ta-dah! Welcome to the apprentices’ bathroom.” He wrinkles his nose. “Still subpar, yet a significant improvement when compared to the acolytes’ communal bathroom.”

 

I take a look around and can’t imagine what he’s used to if he calls this hall of polished dark stone and shining metal subpar. Ciner drops the duffel bags on one of the benches. I place the bundle beside them and remember to close my mouth. Flickering lamplight bathes the walls in a warm sheen. Vents provide a gentle stream of heated air, and for the first time in I don’t know how many days I don’t feel cold. Instead, I feel out of place in my dirty rags. Whoever handles the cleanliness of the place is bound to end up with a heart attack if they saw me touch anything here. I run my fingers over the surface of the bench anyway. Its smoothness makes it feel almost soft. Despite the soreness of my bones it invites me to take a nap here and now.

 

“Hey!” With a snap of his fingers, Ciner interrupts my awed reverie. “Do not fall asleep before you have seen why I brought you here.”

 

Healthy suspicion wars with exhaustion. “Why…” A good yawn keeps me from finishing my question. He’s going to tell me anyway.

 

“You can sleep once we are on board the shuttle. But first, we have to get rid of your smell. Whether you classify as a chemical or rather as a biological weapon the personnel will not care about. They will not allow you to join me in first class.”

 

I manage a scowl despite knowing he is right. With my current luck, I’ll end up with the animals in the cargo hold. Not that they wouldn’t provide a better company. Still, who’d spurn the opportunity to travel first class for the very first time in their life, because the seat neighbor wasn’t exactly their first choice for traveling companion?

 

Ciner smirks. “We will have to wash that dirty look off your face together with the rest of the grime.”

 

I become aware of the air’s humidity. Did he say wash and meant like with real water?

 

His grin broadens. “I doubt a sonic shower would be able to get the job done, so why not combine the necessary with the pleasant?”

 

He meant water! “Whom do I have to kill?”

 

Ciner laughs. “My only concern right now is to prevent you from killing yourself — without intention, of course — by short-circuiting your shock collar.”

 

“They are supposed to be waterproof.” Aren’t they? Slaves do work in rainy weather all the time. Maybe not on Korriban. It doesn’t rain on Korriban. But on other planets. There are so many slaves on other planets. Force, I’m a slave now, too. I’m …

 

“I will take it off to be on the safe side. Who knows whether you and Knash have not put too much strain on this one.”

 

A small sarcastic Ce’na inside my head congratulates me on my skill to manipulate the Sith. Yes, yes. I’ll work on that. I’m tired, okay?

 

Ciner takes off my collar and drops it onto the bench without a second glance. I struggle to look away from it. That’s one of my main problems right there. When I look back at the Sith his grin is still there and a mischievous sparkle in his eyes has joined it. Again I wonder at his age.

 

“Last one clean carries the bags!” he hoots before he turns to dash into the adjoining room dropping discarded pieces of clothing in his wake.

 

“Nice try!” I call after him. “You won’t get me out of this shower under half an hour even if I have to carry you on top!”

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Note

 

 

Edited August 25, 2018 by frauzet

I love the little truths and observations of Thorns as he trods his way through his predicament. It's a very blatant honesty that gets right down to the meat of things, and I do appreciate the minute detail in every thought. It's especially welcome when Ce'na peeks out to prod him from time to time.

 

And YAY, Thorns finally gets his shower and a halfway decent set of clothes. And maybe a nap and a decent meal. It would be nice if Ciner left the slave collar off. One can only hope.

 

Very enjoyable read.

 

Psst: just between you and me, I'd hate to never see these two again. I've become rather attached.

That was great! I never tire of Ciner and Thorns. I loved the description of the bathroom and Thorn's reaction to it, and also his excitement about real water and getting cleaned up. I can't blame him for wanting to linger in the bath as long as he can.

 

I also appreciated his thoughts on getting to travel first class for the first time in his life, and little mind Ce'na is awesome. I can practically imagine her sitting on his shoulder at times

 

I hope you get time to work on these two, I love them.

Good Morning Always happy to see you have posted.

 

 

Thank you all for your feedback.

I fought a while with this last part, mainly because I wasn't sure whether to include another character or not. A special thanks to Misha for giving me a little nudge a few days back <3

I finally made up my mind, not least because of your input. I am able to continue this story and still tell a lot of the things I came up with for TDaOC. So the new characters will have to wait for the next part

 

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#45

 

Hot Water drains off in a hypnotic eddy. Lather, now white instead of muddy gray, dances atop miniature waves. I squash some of the bubbles with my foot. One more rub through my hair and the water stays clear. If I scrub any more the tan will come off. Along with the filth, at least some of the tension in my muscles has gone. Now I raise my hands, press the palms against the wall, then stretch my shoulders. It’s been a while since I enjoyed comparable luxury. Ciner already went back to the antechamber. The sound of him rummaging through his bag has stopped, so he is getting dressed. I should do the same, but I’m just going to be a good slave and wait for my orders. Sighing I close my eyes, think of nothing but warmth and wetness. The water drums an intricate solo on my scalp. Even with the stings of a multitude of cuts, nicks, and scrapes on my skin, this is better than sex. Sex. It’s been a while. Hell, I haven’t even been thinking about it. It only takes a slight nudge to let my imagination run wild and to forget about the sorry state of my hide. It’s Taunt’s pointed teeth probing my neck, Iz’s fingernails digging into my back. The ladies are met with an immediate reaction, my relief in tow. The numerous electrocutions didn’t do any lasting damage to my more sensitive parts. My **** starts to throb in rhythm with my quickening heartbeat, drowning out the beat of the water raining down on me, promising a whole other level of relaxation. Just a few strokes…

 

“Before you get too comfortable in there, I would have you know that at this close proximity tuning out your emotions is staggeringly hard. No pun intended!”

 

The water turning ice-cold couldn’t have had a more thorough effect. Taunt and Iz vanish without even saying goodbye, so does my b0ner.

 

Ciner chuckles. “I had not deemed you prude.”

 

Then why tell me at all? A huff is the only reaction he gets. I’m used to sharing sleeping quarters. Once the lights are out, the decent thing to do is to ignore your comrades and give them the chance to ignore you in return. I’m no prude, but I’m no exhibitionist either. Not today, anyway. Not with him lurking around the corner. I turn off the water. Shaking my head sends the water drops flying. I grab my towel from the hook on the opposite wall. Drying myself off I walk to the antechamber. I resist the urge to wrap the towel around my waist. Instead, I drop it in front of the bench and step on top. Prude. I’ll show him prude. There was no way to hide beneath the shower earlier. And everything is just as safely attached now as it was then. And after all, my dick’s larger than his anyway. I rummage through the pile of clothes searching for the briefs. They prove to be very brief indeed. The thong has no nexu-stripes but is plain black. It’s important to be thankful for the little things. I hold it up inspecting it. “A bit small,” I muse.

 

“If protruding is too uncomfortable you can always choose to go without.”

 

I feel his gaze on my back as I sort everything in its right place. Next, the bundle reveals a pair of black socks. My circulation is a bit wonky, so I sit down to pull them on. They fit. So does the black tank-top. Trousers in dark gray and a matching long-sleeve. The material is soft yet resilient, reinforced in several places for better protection, and shows only moderate signs of wear. Ciner and I are about the same height, but given my malnourished state, the clothes fit rather loosely. Besides the boots, there are two items left. The overcoat, though only short-sleeved, could come in handy. I’m not even sure what the other thing is.

 

“The tunic comes first,” Ciner advises.

 

Sighing I pull the dark garment on. It has no sleeves, no buttons, and cascades down to mid-thigh.

 

“You have to wrap it around your body.”

 

I do as I’m told. Then I catch my reflection in the polished stone walls. “You want me to wear a dress?”

 

“It’s a tunic.”

 

“That a fancy word for a short dress?”

 

“Force! It’s a shirt. And it hides your bony @ss when you are not wearing the overcoat,” he exclaims. “The whole stretch material is wasted on you. I will ask Marun for advice about a proper diet and workout for your muscle development.”

 

The remark brings my blood pressure up to an unhealthy peak. “I’m not one of your pets!”

 

“You would not look half as neglected if you were.”

 

“So I should be grateful you’ll be putting me back on my leash.” The slave collar still lies where he put it.

 

“By now you will have realized I do not need the collar if you force me to punish you. It is up to you whether you need it as a reminder of your situation or not.”

 

So that’s how this is going to work. I will only be punished if I’m asking for it. Whatever he decides to do to me, I’ll be the one responsible. “You think I’d be able to forget?” I hiss while I stomp my feet several times in my new used boots. They are made from real leather, reach up to over my knees, and are worth several times the cost of my former outfit. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were made for me.

 

Ciner waits until I also donned the cloak. “A shave and a haircut and you will look like a human again.”

 

Straightening my back I take another look at my reflection. I don’t know who that man is, but I know something. “No matter what I look like, I will still be a slave.”

 

“Do you believe in destiny?”

 

“That’s a strange question from someone who told me I need to accept responsibility for my actions.”

 

“I did not choose this any more than you did,” he claims. “A few days ago I would have laughed at the question. Now I am not so sure. By some higher will, you are still at my side despite my efforts to the contrary.”

 

“That higher will has a name, and that’s Baras.”

 

He scowls. “That is Darth Baras for you. You would do well to remember.”

 

“Darth Baras, then.”

 

Ciner eyes me skeptically. “Maybe you are right. Darth Baras is a master manipulator. It is hard to tell what game he is playing.” He holds out the belt with the pistols. “I have an offer for you. Pretend to be working for me. You do not get vacation days and there is only one way to quit the job, but it offers a solid health plan. There are worse bosses than me.”

 

I grab for the belt. “What about payment?” I ask while I fasten the buckle.

 

“Expenses are paid out of my petty cash. You will have a small allowance. Enough so you will not have to rob any more tombs. Usually, you would be paid in order to be able to buy your freedom once you earned your worth. Since you are sentenced to life, this will not be possible in your case, I am afraid. You could send the money to your family instead. We will work something out.”

 

My family. I am too young to come full circle. I don’t even know if my brother is still alive. “We will work something out,” I agree.

 

Ciner spits into his palm and then holds out his hand. I mirror his gesture, and once more we seal a deal by handshake. For now, I’ll play along. The rules still remain a mystery to be figured out by trial and error. However, I’ll watch out for the proper set of cheats to circumvent them, too. Willing or not, Ciner broke his word. By doing so he sanctioned any dirty tricks on my part. Two people write this rulebook. Even my pride agrees to the plan. I have done worse in my life than playing to be a good slave. My chance will come once Ciner lets his guard down. Until then I will bide my time.

 

The End of Part 1

I do miss these two when they are absent for too long. I felt a gentle nudge was forthcoming and have been well rewarded.

 

 

 

 

Altogether well done and greatly enjoyed. Thank you.

Yay! Another Thorns and Ciner installment I'm glad you wrote. The whole thing was wonderful, but I have to admit I smirked and chuckled out loud about the shower scene. Poor Thorns. It would've been nice if he had been able to pursue his...um...thoughts. Well done! I look forward to more.