By Dark Lady

Where Khameir recites a child's story of Iridonia to Hanshara.

"Beloved, tell me about Iridonia" she said sleepily, nestling in the crook of his arm.

"To what purpose?  It is many years since I was on my homeworld." And he stretched lazily against her, touching her skin wherever he could, making little agreeable growls.

He slid his hand to her breast and fondled her, then moved over her belly to the junction of her thighs.  She caught his hand before its actions distracted her totally.

"Tell me about Iridonia."

"After."

"No, before."

"I will tell you a story of Iridonia," began Khameir, "but while..." and he put his arms around her and pulled her closer.

"Now, many thousands of years ago," he began, "when Iridonia was young, and before so much was laid waste by war, the land was rich and verdant.  Many herds roamed the plains, the forests covered the south, and there was water in abundance.  Life was good."

Khameir showered her face with kisses and teased her mouth, tasting her.  She loved the metallic tang of him, she opened her mouth for more.  He obliged.

"The Zabrak peoples lived simply then, making their young more easily than they do now but even so, not many for they were never over fertile.  They lived in low houses of stone, perhaps by a river, with a well and fountain in the garden.  For then there was water in abundance."

Kissing her throat and shoulders he continued.

"Since forever, the Zabrak were warriors, priests, and scientists.  We were also merchants and traders, artists and artisans.  Others were farmers and hunters.  Above all, we had the custom of Tai Shan.  And that you know of Beloved."

And he kissed the side of her neck where her scent was most seductive.

His hands roamed over her body and his eyes were closed.  He gave a contented sigh and continued.

"Then from the stars came two visitors.  The first was the goddess Nimith, with a chariot riding upon fire itself and a sword made of light and song.  She wanted water and strange metals to replenish her starship.  Now the water the Zabrak freely gave her, but the metals they knew nothing of.  The goddess claimed them from the earth herself, teaching the Zabrak how they may also do this wondrous thing, and thus they started on the long road to the stars."

He moved to her breasts and kissed them avidly, circling the nipples with his tongue, stroking and playing until she thought he had forgotten the story.  Taking his hand she kissed the palm.  "and then..."

"Ah, yes.  So Nimith became the teacher of the Zabrak, and many years passed as the people learned and prospered and made her their goddess.  Then came the next visitor.  He found peace and harmony on Iridonia, and acquainted himself with our goddess.  To her horror and his distress, he found himself in the grip of Tai Shan, and was overcome with violent desire for her.  He could not help himself, and despite her protestations, he waylaid her and forced himself on her."

Khameir pulled her under him, and took her head in his hands, kissing her face again, nibbling her ears.  He slid his knees between hers and gently pushed her legs apart.  She twisted away.  He hissed at her.

"Just so my Tai Shan, but Nimith was not of a mind to do this at all, whereas you are, and she had a light sabre at her belt, and she used it, defending her virtue.  You see, she was Sith and had promised to be chaste, and while she might have put aside for a time the doctrine of fear to make her people love her and worship her, this threat reminded her that she might use it again."

Hanshara found herself firmly held down and her legs forced apart again.  Her hands were held at her side, the wrists gripped tightly, uncomfortably.  She struggled a little.  He held her and continued, his voice becoming harsher now.

"So the Jedi, for it was a Jedi my Tai Shan, made war with her.  Together they used many weapons and strange devices, forgetting the Zabrak who cowered in great fear in the midst of all this commotion.  Eventually, Nimith saw their fear, and, strangely for a Sith, tried to desist, but the Jedi would not, wishing above all to force her to his will, as if she was a nothing, something to be used, then disregarded."

He held her shoulders and pushed himself roughly inside her, hurting her, as she drew in her breath sharply.

"Nimith tried to flee, but her ship needed more water, so the Jedi, the Jedi my Tai Shan, took the water from Iridonia, and from the Zabrak, and from Nimith the teacher, so she could not flee his attentions."

He started to move inside her, thrusting painfully and powerfully, eyes far away.  Then he stopped, for although his natural inclination was towards violence and pain and the pleasure with it, there was no pleasure in inflicting pain upon her, and so he desisted.

"So Nimith called truce, and gave him his desire.  As she did, she killed him and hid his body, then hid all the weapons, the ships, the devices, (and some are rumored to be most strange and wonderful!) and helped her people survive.  For the water was not in abundance now, and life was hard."

Whispering to her, kissing her gently at first then more passionately, soothing and caressing now, he said...

"So, most precious of women, my Beloved, my Tai Shan above all, that is the story of Iridonia, and how the water was lost, and how we found our goddess."

***