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Sidious had recently begun adding bits of information for Maul to reflect upon during his off-times, as if there was a vacation scheduled for the Sith Apprentice. This one was a lesson in duality, whatever that was supposed to mean.
Maul was used to missions that required cunning, deceit, surveillance, and of course, murder. These diplomatic missions of coercion and thinly veiled threats were not to his liking. But this was apparently necessary given the dual nature of the universe.
Duality.
Sith and Jedi.
Master and Apprentice.
Dark and Light.
Power and weakness.
Maul tried to concentrate on the lesson, to understand it's greater importance and meaning - the one behind the words themselves. The one he was likely to miss, given past experiences, and be punished for failing to understand.
Duality.
Sleep and wakefulness.
Conscious and unconscious.
Death and life.
Pain and pleasure.
Maul rubbed his temples and switched off the viewer. He thought he might meditate on the words, but the console bleeped and informed him he would soon be dropping out of hyperspace. No time for meditation. He would have to simply hope the lesson would reveal itself during the mission.
Trust in the Force and it's guidance, his Master's voice rang in his mind. It will lead you to the appropriate path. Maul gripped the manual controls and steered into the atmosphere of the planet.
The Infiltrator landed slowly and with precision, reflecting the ability and confident demeanor of its sole occupant. A group of elegantly robed diplomats along with a small quarry of droids waited off to one side as he disembarked, carefully examined his surroundings and then approached.
"Greetings, Lord Maul," one of the group stepped in front of the others. "I am Baccer Scott, Chief of Security here on Sagittarius Nine. It is a pleasure to receive you and I look forward to your visit."
Despite his words, the tall dark haired man certainly did not feel much pleasure at the sight of this one. He was, Scott believed, the epitome of evil. He even looked like a demon, though it wasn't his look that put Scott off, it was his manner. It was the way he walked into their domain like he already owned it. Scott knew the financial failure of his planet's government had brought them to this, but couldn't help but think there must have been some other way. In the half-cycle since they entered the deal with the Sith the planet's population had been fed, but the contents of the deal were continually shifting in favor of the secretive order to which they were indebted.
Darth Maul looked over the small reception committee, silently naming each of them from the information he had studied on his way to the planet. None of them were of any consequence.
"Where is Emperor Magist?" he demanded. He had no time for these minions.
"Right this way, my Lord," Scott scowled to himself and lead the Sith to the throne room of His Majesty, Emperor Magist. Lord Maul was announced, and the Emperor, against the wishes of Scott and Captain Kamplin, ordered everyone else out of the room.
Scott paced frantically outside the door, his fingers twitching at the handle of his blaster as he waited for some sign of trouble. None came, though they were alone in there for well over an hour. Eventually the door opened and Emperor Magist exited beside the Sith, looking pale and shaken, like he had just heard news of a loved one's death.
"Prepare one of the royal sleeping chambers for Lord Maul," the Emperor instructed. "He will be our guest for a short time. Make sure the chamber is prepared with all the appropriate amenities for a visiting Lord." Scott did not miss the look of understanding passed from the Emperor to the Captain of the Guard, but cleared his mind as best he could. He knew of the Force powers of the Sith and hoped his Majesty had remained equally closed-minded.
"Baccer, please assist Lord Maul in securing his ship from the night storms."
"Yes, your Majesty," Baccer Scott replied with a bow, and lead the Sith back to the landing area. Darth Maul said nothing to him as Scott attempted to make conversation about their small planet, the violent nighttime storms that made it necessary to secure every loose object before nightfall, and other various news worthy topics of the Republic. Maul ignored him at every turn, and Scott eventually gave up. He took plenty of time to secure the odd ship in one of the empty hangers to give the others time to prepare Lord Maul's suite.
Captain Kamplin stomped up and down the small parade of females brought before him. He wasn't sure if he was angry, concerned or just downright frightened. Lord Maul's room had been taken care of with listening devices, video equipment and various forms of food imported from Nynolic - not poisoned, unfortunately. At least, not yet. D3-10, Kamplin's golden protocol droid informed him that the species of the Sith Lord - Zabrak, the droid called it - did not eat anything that had been cooked, so only fruit and raw plant foods had been delivered. Originally, Captain Kamplin had assumed the Lord would be vegetarian, but after seeing the Sith he wondered if they shouldn't have just thrown the carcass of some animal over the table.
There was only one detail left - the selection of a suitable distraction for the monster.
Captain Kamplin studied each of the four women in front of him. It was a shame to waste such creatures on something like that Sith. Next to the Klax Crystals, Sagittarius Nine was probably most famous for their virgin sex-goddesses - the Ahlon-rahs. They were trained from puberty to satisfy the sexual desires of anyone but never touched by a man until their time came to do service for their Empire. Usually, an important diplomat from the other side of the planet or a neighboring solar system would come to do business or talk politics and would be treated to such treasure. Other times, they would be used as reward for some great deed or accomplishment. His only experience with such a woman was when he was made Captain. He had hoped to make General, but feared their system of government would no longer be functioning when his time came. The Sith promised they would fix that, but he had his doubts.
The Captain looked them up and down again, feeling like he was picking out a helpless baby rodent for a pet reptile to consume. The fate of the Ahlon-rahs was sealed as soon as they were chosen, but Kamplin had a feeling which ever he was to select would not even make it through the night. They weren't supposed to be brutalized, but enjoyed. Whichever woman he selected could not possibly understand what awaited her.
He sighed heavily and shook his head. He didn't like feeling responsible for this, and decided to just get it over with. He flung his hand out, almost absent-mindedly selecting the light skinned, light haired one in the middle.
"Have her prepared and sent to chamber four," he instructed. He saw the slight smile on the Ahlon-rah's face, obviously pleased she had been deemed worthy, and having no idea what was in store for her. Perhaps that was best.
Illia faked a smile as the droid led her away from the other Ahlon-rahs to a small, quiet room where she would be prepared for whatever visiting VIP she had been chosen for. Her whole life had been building to this point, well, it had actually been just a little over four years. She was chosen from her parent's farm, way out away from the capitol city. Was chosen the right word? Was she given the choice? Her parents had been thrilled - it was a great honor, they said. And they were paid dearly. Now she was the chosen
Ahlon-rah the day after she became eligible! Somehow she had thought she would have longer.
At the door of the preparation room the droid left her in the care of two other droids. She would see no other living person before her love would take her. Inside the room, one of the droids helped her remove her Ahlon-rah's formal robe and slip into a warm, perfumed bath - so different from the shared, dormitory-like showers she was accustomed to. It felt so good! She had become used to a life of simplicity - Ahlon-rahs were not given luxuries.
Candles were lit around her and their aroma made her sleepy. She relaxed back in the tub as the droid washed her hair and was nearly asleep when it was time to get out. She was slicked with softly scented oils and dressed in a layer of fine, silky, white clothing. The material itself was translucent, but the multiple times it was wrapped around her concealed her intimate parts. There were no undergarments offered.
"Is there anything you request before you are delivered to Lord Maul's room?" the protocol droid asked.
"I don't think so," Illia answered, then frowned a little. "Lord Maul? That's an unusual name."
"He is not of Sagittarius Nine," the droid answered. "He is from off world. A Zabrak, I believe."
"A what?"
"Zabrak," the droid repeated. "From the planet Iridonia. Humanoid species, of noble breed according to his horn-count, decorated with tribalistic tattoos, though I am not sure of their purpose…"
"A what count?" Illia shook her head a little. Zabrak? Off world? She wasn't sure she heard right.
"Horns," the droid paused a moment as it accessed the information from long-term storage. "The Zabraks of Iridonia have a strict social structure, those with the most numerous crown of horns are considered the most worthy and noble, and therefore hold the highest positions in their government. His horn count is ten, including the side horns. I believe he would be considered royalty."
"Not human?" Illia felt her knees getting weak. She wanted to ask the droid more, but she couldn't even open her mouth to speak. When she finally found her voice, the protocol droid was gone, and the preparation droids were covering her head with more of the flimsy cloth and leading her out the door.
Illia had never seen a non-human in person before. She hadn't seen a man of any sort until just a few hours ago, when Captain Kamplin was brought before her cluster. Not even her own relatives! She had been in shock at that point, knowing she was supposed to be happy - proud to be selected. The others in her cluster were excited for her. She hadn't even thought about the Captain's expression until now. He wasn't excited, or happy. He looked nervous. Who was this Lord Maul? He had to be important, or he would not be treated to one of her kind.
Illia glanced around at the various hallways and doors as she was lead up to the top of the high tower. She thought about her training - the experienced women, medical professionals and teachers that gave her the Ahlon-rah knowledge. The knowledge that was reserved for one night alone - this night. All her teachers were women - she had never seen a real man unclothed. Illia swallowed hard.
The droid deposited her at the entrance to a grand suite, reserved for guests of honor. The room was dark and a little cold. The light from a few candles scattered about did not illuminate much and gave off negligible heat. There was no one else in the room, and Illia secretly wished it would stay that way.
It was supposed to be her night of bliss, but she was nothing more than frightened. She had no idea what was in store for her at the hands of some off-world horned Lord. The people of her world respected her and even treated her order with awe. How would an off-worlder look upon her? She had heard stories of strange and terrible off worlders coming to their planet to raid crystal mines and attack their way of life, but had never been exposed to such horrors. Her order was protected and sheltered from all unpleasantness. If she had been concerned when she was picked, now she was petrified.
She moved slowly in a clockwise circle around the room. There wasn't a lot to see - it was spacious, but devoid of a lot of trappings. There was a single table with two chairs. The table contained a selection of fruits and a variety of vegetables. Beyond the table was a door leading to an oversized bathing room with tub and separate shower. The remainder of the room was taken up by the large bed in the center. Illia felt a shudder run through her body at the sight of it.
She was still standing there, staring open mouthed at the bed when the door opened behind her with a soft click, causing her to jump. It startled her so much she almost ran screaming down the hall.
"Forgive me, Lady Ahlon-rah," Captain Kamplin bowed to her. "I did not know you had already been delivered. I meant no disrespect," he averted his eyes. "I hope I didn't startle you too much."
Illia couldn't answer. The Captain paused silently for a moment.
"Have you seen him?" he asked quietly. Illia felt and heard his concern. She shook her head and noticed his tight-lipped expression. "You have heard, though?" She nodded. "I'm sorry," he said. "This is not what you are meant for."
Kamplin had nothing else to say, no words of comfort so he took a last look around the room and left Illia alone.
Walking away from the door, Illia found herself standing at one of the windows to the side of the bed. Night was falling, and up in the high tower of the Emperor's palace the storms would be not only seen, but felt. She had spent most of her life at lower levels, and had rarely been so close to the storms. The electrical magnitude of the lighting coupled with the wind was enough to frighten the most arrogant of warriors if they were caught outside in it. No one caught outside survived for any extended period of time.
With her thoughts focused on the darkening sky and the coming storm, Illia didn't even hear the door open. She didn't hear anyone, but she felt her entire body go tense and the room seemed to get a little colder. When she turned her head to see him, her breath caught in her throat and she couldn't move.
A cloaked and hooded figure in the doorway slowly scanned the room, taking no more notice of her than he did of the furniture. He tossed back the hood of his cloak and she could see in the dim light that he did indeed have horns and his face was oddly marked with red and black tattoos. Illia remained frozen, watching his every move.
Maul glided a few steps into the room and closed his eyes part way. His hand raised slightly as he concentrated. After a few moments he walked to one side of the room not far from where Illia stood at the window. There was a shaded lamp on the table in the corner. He reached into the top of it, pulled out a small electronic device and crushed it in his fingertips. Then he turned to Illia and looked her up and down.
Illia could feel every part of her body his eyes touched and it made her quiver. After a short moment he looked away, apparently not finding her of any interest, and went to the food on the table. He looked over it with the same gaze, and she realized he must somehow be inspecting it for poisons. She wasn't even sure how she knew this, but thought he must have done the same in evaluating her. He had deemed her of no threat to him, and so lost interest. He had used the same technique to locate the listening device and destroy it.
The food must have been all right, since he reached out and plucked a piece of fruit out of the bowl and bit into it before surveying the rest of the room. At one point he hovered near the bed and pulled a long black rod out from his cloak. Illia gasped when his laser weapon ignited and he used it against a video recording device in the corner of the bedpost. He seemed satisfied the rest of the room was secure and removed his cloak, placing it on the back of the chair by the table.
Lighting flashed out the window behind Illia and was followed immediately by a loud crack of thunder. She jumped a little, stifling a cry. Glancing over at Lord Maul she saw he had not moved except for removing his gloves and peeling some oddly shaped fruit.
Illia began to think she might go mad. She could not just stand here, waiting for something to happen. If something did happen, she was sure it would not be pleasant for her. If nothing happened, well, she didn't think much of that either. She couldn't just watch some alien man eat on her last night.
Man, she thought. He is a man, even if he's not human. Illia was trained to please men, and she didn't think this one could be so different. She looked him over carefully - bipedal, facial features more similar to humans than not, no hair - just horns. Well, that was different, but he still had the right number of eyes, ears, noses and mouths. She couldn't really see what the rest of him was like under the billowing tunic and pants, but she believed he would be more similar to a human than dissimilar.
"Lord Maul?" she took a timid step forward. He did not look in her direction or give any indication he had heard her. She wondered if he even knew why she was here - perhaps that would explain it - he did not know what she had been delivered for, and probably believed her to be another form of listening device.
"Lord Maul," she said again. "I am an
Ahlon-rah. I have been brought to bring you pleasure." She waited for a response - anything, but he just sat as he was, slowly chewing the fruit. "I have been trained…" her voiced trailed off as he stood up and moved away from the table. He strode towards her - fast and with purpose. Illia nearly fell as she tripped over her own feet and found her back against the window. Her flight reflex moved in, but her body was paralyzed and unable to act on it.
He's going to kill me.
Maul went straight up to her and gazed down into her eyes. She was immobilized with fear as he brought his hand up, placed his fingers against her forehead and stroked downwards over her cheek. His hand came to rest on her throat, and she could feel the muscles in his tattooed fingers contracting and crushing against her larynx.
Illia wanted to close her eyes, accept her death but not to watch it. She couldn't move - her eyelids did not respond to her mental commands and she could not stop from staring into those eyes. They were not of one color, but two - deep, blood red wrapped menacingly around bright fire yellow. She knew she was shaking, her whole body trembling under his death grip. Her pulse weakened against his fingers.
When she thought she was about to lose consciousness, he released her neck and turned around, went back to the table and sat as if he had never moved. Illia crumpled part way over, managing to catch herself on the edge of the bed as the blood and oxygen began to circulate through her brain once more. She lowered herself slowly until she was sitting on the floor. She could still see him there, over the edge of the bed, but chose to look at the floor instead.
Maul finished eating some of the fruit, but had not consumed much of it. The vegetables were left untouched, though he did indulge in some of the wine left for him. Illia watched out of the corner of her eyes as he rose from the chair and again walked over to her. His stride not as quick this time, nor with as much purpose. His manner was one of browsing through a library with no particular book in mind.
When he reached her he looked down at her sitting on the floor, her legs drawn under her and her head bowed. Illia tried to get a hold of herself, tried to control her fear long enough to look up at him - after all, she was here for a reason. No matter how alien he was she had her duty. This is what her life was for, and she could not ruin the name of her order by not acting on her duty, despite what her inner beliefs told her.
Mustering all the mental and physical strength she could, Illia stood up in front of Lord Maul. She kept her head bowed slightly, hoping he would see it as a sign of respect. She noticed her fingers were nervously fiddling with the cloth at her waist and willed them to stop.
"Would you like me to pleasure you?" her voice was a barely audible whisper, even to herself, but getting it out once was all she could manage. She didn’t attempt to repeat herself any louder.
Maul slowly spread his arms out to his sides without saying a word. Illia glanced at him, trying to read his face, but his expression revealed nothing. He spoke only with his actions - offering himself and waiting for her to fulfill her promise of pleasure. Instinctively, she allowed her training to take over where her mind could not quite follow.
Reaching out with both hands Illia touched the fabric against his chest. It was softer than she thought it would be. His demeanor seemed to make everything associated with him appear hard. Pushing a little more, she could feel the firm muscles underneath. She let her hands slide up to his shoulders and over the skin of his neck, stopping at his jaw. She looked up into his wild, fiery eyes again and forced her body to remain still in his sights. She moved forward a little and brought her lips to his, wondering if his culture kissed.
If kissing was not common among his people, an off-worlder must have given him extensive and complete lessons.
She had been taught the proper way - the way a man would find most pleasing, but she had never actually kissed one before. In her training, no one but another woman was allowed to touch her and teach her. His lips were soft, but his kiss was hard and demanding. He pushed against her, touching her lips with his tongue and forcing her mouth open with it slightly. When they broke apart, his stance had not changed - he still stood with his arms spread away from his sides, the palms held out towards her. He remained silent and still, waiting for her to make another move.
Illia began to understand. He was not going to give her any information, but would simply wait for her to practice her art, to determine if her ability to give pleasure extended to his kind. This was also part of her training - watch a man's movements, his posture and breathing - these things will tell you his desires. Illia didn't know if she could or not, but her order and her teachings told her to try.
Stroking downwards, her fingers met with the top of his tunic and she pushed the cloth away from his neck a little. The 'V' shape opened, exposing part of his chest and additional tattooed patterns of red along the deep black of his skin. She ran the tip of one finger lightly over the sharp geometric patterns. The touch was gentle and teasing - she just barely made contact with his skin. Illia remembered why this technique was taught to her - to stimulate using the tiny hairs across a man's skin. But this man had no hair on his body - his skin was completely smooth.
Illia placed her palms on his chest, wondering if her intent was to stimulate him more or to keep the trembling in her fingers from showing. She pushed outward, his shirt opening farther and revealing more of his muscled chest and shoulders. She slipped one hand down and found the clasp holding the tunic at his waist and released it, the garment dropping slowly to the floor like a leaf caught in autumn winds.
Illia looked back up into his eyes, but his expression remained indeterminable. Another lesson presented itself in her mind - men's attraction came more from what they could see than what they could feel. She reached up behind her head and began to unwind the white silken fabric from her head and shoulders. When she was exposed to the top of her breasts, she noticed his eyes were focused not below her neck, as she expected, but on her hair, tightly woven on top of her head.
Of course, she thought.
Hair holds an attraction to him, because it is unusual to him. She released her dress and reached up to the top of her head, pulling the pair of slender pins from her hair and letting it drop around her back and shoulders. She watched carefully as his eyes traveled around the frame of her face, taking in the sight of the gold strands as they released around her. Illia was sure he would reach for her hair, sure that he wanted to touch it but he remained perfectly still. She noticed - just barely - Lord Maul taking one long, deep breath, but otherwise did not move. He was going to force her to do everything.
Well, Illia thought, if that's what he wants, that is what he shall have.
She moved to one side of him, her fingers trailing along his skin, though not as lightly as before. She let her lips and hands move down his outstretched arm until, on her knees, she reached his fingers. She rubbed her forehead against his displayed palm, then tilted her neck so her hair entwined with his fingers. She pulled back and down, letting her hair twist through and around his hand. She felt his fingers clench a little. Just enough to let her know he was responding. She slowly raised her body, keeping his hand against her back and pulling through her hair. Eventually his fingers met with the top of her shoulder blades where the wrapped blouse was. She pushed back a bit more, forcing his fingers inside the cloth to pull it down as she stood.
Turning slowly to face him Illia made sure her breasts were slightly hidden under her hair. She could see his eyes lower just slightly and only for a moment before his gaze turned back to her face and made her shake under his intense stare. She heard him take another of those long, deep breaths.
Illia let her eyes drop and her hands slide over the fold of fabric at his waist. She leaned forward and let her tongue flick out over one of his darkened nipples, then the other. She felt herself tremble with …what? Anticipation? She wasn't sure, but only recognized that it was no longer fear. Looking more closely at his ridged stomach muscles made her want to see more. She touched each of the horizontal muscles across his abdomen in turn, the last one still concealed under the rim of his trousers. She let her fingers slide beneath the cloth
and was surprised at how quickly she came to the tip of a hard, upright member.
She rested her forehead lightly against his chest and pushed her hand farther inside until she could feel it all. She ran first one finger, then two at a time over its length, hearing herself gasp a bit at the thought of such a thing entering her body. She encircled it with her whole hand and stroked up and down, now hearing his breath coming a little faster. She pushed gently, holding his length up against his abdomen as she tried to ease his trousers down with her other hand.
She couldn't figure out the clasp. She had never seen one like it before, and part of their training was centered around undressing. But this was unusual, and complicated. Illia's fingers were shaking and making it more difficult. She tilted her head up and thought of asking for help, but his expression remained the same. She knew he would not move to help her. It took her a few tries, but eventually it came apart in her hands.
Kneeling in front of him, Illia removed his boots and pants from him slowly, marveling at his balance when he did not use her for support while on one foot. She looked up from where she was on the floor, her eyes growing wide at her first real sight of his hard organ jutting out from his body, waiting for her to complete her promises. She reached up for it with both hands now, caressing his tight scrotum below with one hand while the other concentrated on his shaft. The lack of hair made his skin so smooth and soft Illia thought she could spend days touching it.
When she looked up at him lightning flashed outside, bathing his body in brilliant white light. He was watching her actions but still did not move. Keeping her eyes locked with his, Illia moved her mouth to him, her tongue stroking up one side of his length and down the other. She could see the reaction in his eyes, though he didn't move. His breath was definitely faster now, as was hers.
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Moving forward, she took him past her lips and sucked as much of him as she could into her mouth, surprised at the smoothness of his skin against her mouth and the sweet taste. Illia felt and heard him try to take another deep breath, but seemed to fail and she felt a quiver run throughout his body. She dropped her eyes from his and concentrated on giving him the most sensation possible from her hands and tongue. She alternated between gentle and quick, soft and rough until she felt his hands against the side of her head, his fingers now winding themselves into her hair. She felt his fingers grip and release slightly and matched the rhythm she knew he was setting for her, silently encoding the pace into her memory.
Illia wasn't sure how long she continued, but her knees were starting to ache as well as other parts of her, though the ache there was different. As fearsome looking as this Lord Maul was, Illia was now more aroused than any of her teachings had ever accomplished.
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His soft, smooth skin covering hard tight muscles, the deep contrast of red and black swirling around in her mind even when her eyes were closed to him, the intense stare from his yellow-red eyes - all of these things she now found exciting and no longer frightful.
Illia pulled back, releasing him with her mouth but still lightly rubbing against the underside of his erection with her palm. She rose and took his mouth with hers, enraptured to feel his grip on her back, his claw-like nails pushing against, but not puncturing her skin. It occurred to Illia that he was being very gentle with her, but he did not have to be. From the strength in his embrace she knew he could crush her if he desired.
The Dark Lord pushed against her lips with more pressure, his tongue entering her mouth and running up and down her tongue. Illia felt his hand move around from her back and stroke upwards until he reached her breast. He pushed her hair back away from it and massaged her nipple with his thumb. Illia sucked in her breath, breaking back from the kiss as the electric sensations rippled through her body. She thought she might have fallen to the ground if it weren't for Lord Maul holding her upright. She took a breath and looked into his eyes.
"Would you like to lay down?" she asked in a whisper. The bed was directly behind him, and he only needed to take a step backwards before he could sit on it. He pulled her with him, he sitting and she standing before him. From her new angle a little above his head, she could clearly see the crown of eight horns on top of his head and the bright circles engraved around them. Tentatively, Illia reached up and traced one of the red circles around a horn.
At first, Illia thought the sound she heard was from thunder outside, but quickly realized it was not coming from the window, but from Lord Maul. A deep, guttural growl - not quite a moan, but approaching one. His eyes were half closed, his mouth part open, and his fingers against her breast had suddenly stopped their movements. She watched his face intently as she reached up with her other hand and stroked around the base of another horn. The growl deepened and she could feel the vibration from it in her feet and hands. He closed his eyes completely, his tongue darting out across his lips. Illia caressed both horns at once, then spread her fingers to reach multiple horns with one hand and lowered her head over him to add the pressure of her tongue to his frontal horn.
Maul was completely still except for the vibration resulting from his purr and his rapidly increasing breath. He seemed to have stopped trying to slow them down, and Illia could even feel his racing heart beneath his muscled chest. His hand began to stroke her breast again, sending a tingle through her torso. His thumb and first finger gripped her nipple, twisting it gently until she gasped.
Illia felt his hands running down her arms until he gripped her by the wrists and pulled her hands from his crown. He lay backwards on the bed, pulling her over on top of him, his feet still dangling on the floor. Illia straddled him, his upright organ pushing against her inner thigh. Her muscles clenched between her legs at the sensation of having his hardened mass against her sensitive flesh and she felt wetness and orgasmic pressure building between her legs.
Inexplicably, Illia forgot everything she had been taught to do. Her mind simply would not respond and she began to panic, unable to do anything but feel the sensations running through her body. Maul's hand reached up and caressed her cheek, Illia's breathing relaxed instantly and her panic left her. With their eyes locked together, she reached down between them and guided his penis to her opening and lowered her body over him, encompassing him completely.
Illia tried to stifle her cry when he entered her. She was, of course, prepared for some pain, but her knowledge did not protect her or keep her silent. She closed her eyes against the searing feeling on her delicate inner flesh as he slid into her and she let out a wail barely recognizable as her own. She almost collapsed against his chest when she felt her body reach his, his length completely embedded within her body. She started to breath again, but her breath was in hard gulps until his hand reached up for her again and ran along her face and neck.
Panting, Illia raised herself up a bit, watching droplets of water collecting on Maul's chest and understanding they were her tears. He rubbed them away from her eyes and pulled her back down to his chest and held her there. She gasped again as he moved inside her, then tried to catch her breath while his hands moved up and down her back.
After a few minutes, there was no more pain, just the sensation of his flesh within hers and growing feelings of want and need inside her. She pulled back from his embrace and moved her hips slowly up and down until waves of intense pleasure washed over her. Maul placed his hands on her hips, urging her movements faster until she felt his release within her body. She fell over him again, trying to slow her breathing to match his.
After a few minutes, Lord Maul pushed up against the mattress with his heels, pulling them both up to the head of the bed where he lay back, arms encircling her waist and fell asleep. Illia marveled at how wonderful it felt to be laying against him with him still inside her and wanted to just stay awake and think about it, but exhaustion overcame her and she dreamt.
"I trust our hospitality was to your liking, Lord Maul?" the Emperor asked. Magist wished the Dark Lord would pick up the pace - he walked so damn slowly! He tried to convince himself Maul was just admiring the palace rock sculptures and fountains, but he didn't believe that for a second. He was actually quite sure Maul was doing it on purpose - just to drive him crazy.
"You are generous," Maul replied.
"And how do you find our Ahlon-rahs?"
"Is that what you call her?"
"Yes," the Emperor turned to look at the Sith. "They are unique to us, of course. It is very rare that off-worlders experience their particular talents."
"You should check into the species of your visitors before you offer another one," Maul stared at the Emperor.
"And why is that?"
"Because if you had studied the mating tendencies of my people you might not have been so generous."
"Our Ahlon-rahs are considered sacred by my people," the Emperor stated after a pause.
"They are not sacred to me," Maul countered. The Emperor was silent for a moment.
"Did you harm her?" he finally asked, wondering if he had made a terrible mistake
"No," Maul replied. "But I have great restraint. If another Iridonian happens to visit your planet, I would suggest you keep your Ahlon-rahs to yourself." Maul stopped walking and turned to the Emperor. "Our discussion has swayed. Despite your bribe of the flesh, you have exactly one standard year from today to increase your production levels to what Lord Sidious demands or he will return here himself to deal with you."
"That won't be necessary," the Emperor was visibly shaken at the thought of a visit from the Sith Master. Lord Maul was bad enough. "You will leave immediately, then?"
"Yes," Maul replied.
"Our custom requires that the suitor of an Ahlon-rah attend the final ceremony this night," the Emperor told him. "Will you honor this tradition and attend her sacrifice?"
"Sacrifice?"
"Her purpose is for the pleasure of her innocent flesh," the Emperor stated matter of fact. "She is no longer innocent. Her spirit must be released to come into the next
Ahlon-rah born."
Maul considered this, wondered why humans considered the Zabrak barbaric, then put it out of his mind. "No," he said.
Magist knew he should protest - she should have her mate with her when she died, but he also thought the best thing for all concerned was to get this
thing off his planet as quickly as possible, so he let the matter drop.
Maul met with the Security Chief outside the hanger where his ship had been stowed for the night. He was both amused and annoyed to find yet another detection device hidden on the outer hull. He removed it and destroyed it like the others he had found here and in the room they had prepared for him. As much as the Emperor wanted him to be gone, Maul wanted to leave even more. He didn't like these diplomatic missions, and much preferred those tasks more along the lines of espionage and assassination. These were his fortes as well as his preferences.
As Maul headed to the ramp of his ship he felt a disturbance. Another tracking device? Maul wondered.
No - something else. His lips curled in a snarl-smile and he entered without hesitation. The flight plan was already coded into the memory banks of the Infiltrator's computer, and in seconds the Dark Lord was piloting the ship off the ground and heading for space.
Once the ship began to rise past a few thousand feet, Maul walked slowly to the rear or the ship with his arms folded across his chest. As he walked, the word
duality rang through his thoughts.
When Illia woke, Lord Maul was no longer in the room. She checked the bathroom, saw it had been used recently, but he was not there either. She pulled her dress around her and sat at the table, trying some of the untouched vegetables she found there. By the time she had had her fill a droid knocked and entered the chamber, bringing her fresh clothes and a more substantial breakfast.
The night before had started out terrible and frightening, but now she felt completely different. Not just happy or ecstatic - words didn't fit. She had no idea it would be like that! She also had a suspicion that it would not have been like that with some man from her own planet. This one was very, very different.
The droid helped her bathe, adding some scented oils to her skin and telling her that Maul would not be attending the ceremony that night, but would be leaving the planet any time now.
"Not attending?" Illia could not hide her disappointment.
"My understanding is that he will be leaving the planet before the ceremony is to begin," the droid told her. "I am in need of more supplies to prepare you. I will return shortly."
Once the droid left her, Illia went to the window and looked over the palace sculptures and fountains. The view from the tower was spectacular - the glistening dew over stones and flowers and the colorful robes of the caretakers, cleaning up the plant debris from last nights storm. She leaned against the glass with her forehead to get a better view and saw the Emperor emerge from the palace with Lord Maul next to him. She could only see them for a few seconds before they disappeared around the far side of the gardens, but by that time her knees already felt weak and she had to sit down.
He's supposed to be there, Illia thought. She hadn't really considered what was going to happen that night - her death was something known and accepted since she took the vows and was joined to her cluster. It was simply to be, and not something to dwell upon. It had also come a lot quicker than she had expected.
Illia thought about never seeing Lord Maul again. She thought about never feeling him touch her again, and about him not being the one to escort her to her funeral pyre. She looked out the window again, and snapped.
Once is not enough! Illia thought. She jumped into the short black gown brought by the droid and slowly opened the door to the room.
She had never walked freely about the palace. She had no idea how to even get down the tower and outside but knew she had to be quick or it would be too late and he would be gone.
The droids, she thought. She would need one to show her the way out. She scuttled through the few corridors she remembered from the day before until she nearly collided with D3-10.
It took little effort to convince the droid to take her to the hanger where Lord Mauls' ship was being prepared. Droids obeyed - that's the way they were programmed. The droid had not been given instructions to the contrary, so he obeyed and led her to the docking bay. Relief washed over Illia as she approached the ship and knew he was still on the planet. She turned back to the droid.
"Now remember," Illia pointed her finger at the droid. "This is supposed to be a surprise gift for Lord Maul and you must not talk about it with anyone. Understand?"
"Of course, Mistress," D3-10 turned around and headed back to his duties. Illia turned back to the ship.
Two security guards were fiddling with something underneath the ship, near the landing gear. Illia skirted around the guards and to the back of the craft that did not look like all the others, assuming it to be Lord Maul's. The hatch to the cargo area was open and several cases of Klax crystals were nestled inside the small compartment. Without thinking, Illia climbed up into the cargo hold and hid herself between two crates. She wasn't there long before she heard footsteps approaching and the muffled voices of two men talking outside. She wished she could see them, but as it was, she could only hope it was Lord Maul and that he wouldn't realize she was there until they had left the planet.
Left the planet? Illia shivered. She hadn't really comprehended what she was doing until just now. She had never left the planet before, despite how common space travel had become in the past decade. She hadn't even left the palace grounds for years. What was she doing?
Panic welled up inside of her as she felt the ship begin to rise. The ascent was so quick that by the time she stood up and ran to the hatch door, they were already too high for her to escape. Illia's panic made it hard for her to breathe.
Oh no, Illia felt like a cold hand was placed on the back of her neck as she realized that it was not panic affecting her respiration, but the pressure. The cargo hold wasn't pressurized and at the rate the ship was carrying her upwards toward the stars she would be dead in a matter of seconds.
Illia screamed and turned to bang her fists against the cargo hold's inner door. At this point they were still not far from her city, maybe he would hear her and just take her back home. Otherwise, she though it might be best for her to die right here.
As Illia raised her fists to hit at the hatch she looked up through the transparasteel portal. Her head was beginning to swim already and she half considered the darkened face on the other side to be an illusion.
Through the viewport to the cargo hold, Maul watched the desperate face of the woman he had slept with the night before as she struggled against rapid decompression. The ship flew higher into the atmosphere. The faces of a dozen others he had watched die this way paraded through his thoughts. Maul considered adding this young one to the group, but she had awakened something kept dormant inside himself for too long. At the last possible second he reached over and activated the control panel.
When the hatch opened, Illia dropped down to the floor in front of Maul, gasping for breath. She was still unable to breathe properly when he turned on his heel and went back to the cockpit.
Once her brain was oxygenated again, Illia pulled herself up onto a low bench and placed her head in her hands. Her temples throbbed. What was she doing here? She had been sure that he was going to watch her die instead of opening the hatch. Illia felt like a fool. He didn't want her here and she had certainly angered him by stowing away. How could she think he wouldn't know she was there? He found every tiny electronic device, how could he not find a grown human being?
"Now that you are here," Illia whispered to herself, "what are you going to do?"
Maul's boots appeared in her field of vision. She looked up at him slowly and tried to gauge his mood. Instead she found herself trapped by his stare again and unable to think. It took her a few moments to even realize what happened when she found herself flat out on her stomach with her face to the floor.
He hit me, she thought, her mind dancing from the idea. She was an Ahlon-rah. She was supposed to be treated with reverence, and this man had just pulled back and backhanded her across the face. She couldn't even collect herself long enough to cry out before she felt her body lifted off the floor of the ship by her hair.
Maul wrapped one arm around Illia's neck and pulled her ear to his mouth. As he tore open her dress with his free hand, he spoke to her for the first time in a soft, clear voice.
"My turn."
Maul threw her back to the ground and Illia landed on her hands and knees, her clothing torn free from her body. She heard his cloak hit the floor with a light thud and felt him reach for her again. He tangled his fingers into her hair and pushed until her face met with the floor of the hull once again.
He moved so quickly Illia didn't have time to breathe, let alone comprehend what was going on. It seemed to her no more than the briefest moment had passed between his hand connecting with her cheek and his entry into her body. She cried out in surprise as much as fear and pain, but Maul silenced her with his fingers around her throat. There was no gentleness or concern for her this time - just raw animal lust.
Illia felt his claw-nails scrape across her pale flesh leaving long red streaks, but never quite breaking her skin. It was better than when he was choking her. As long as she was silent, he allowed her to breathe.
He held her there against the cold metal for what seemed like both an eternity and much too brief a time for Illia. He withdrew from her without warning and pulled her back onto her feet, spinning her around to face him. He crushed her mouth with his and steered her body towards the far wall. Maul used his body weight to hold her up against the wall and pulled her legs around his waist. He impaled her over and over until Illia could do nothing but grip his shoulders tightly and hold on.
Again, time became meaningless to Illia. She knew nothing but the feeling of Maul's hard shoulders under her hands and the quick thrusts he made into her body. His movements became harder and faster until he came to an abrupt stop, pushing her flat against the wall, and released into her.
For several minutes he just held her there, his forehead against her shoulder, eyes closed. His breathing slowed. Illia was shaking uncontrollably, though she didn’t feel any chill. Maul pulled back and let her fall to the ground in front of him. Without a word, he turned away and went back to the cockpit of the ship.
Illia wrapped her arms around herself and stared after him. She couldn't think - her body and mind appeared to be in shock. Not more than an hour ago, she was stowing away on an alien ship, going who-knows-where with an alien captain she knew nothing about.
You are insane, Illia told herself. He will kill you.
You would have died on the planet, too, a voice inside her head whispered back.
So what difference does it make?
A lot of difference, she smiled and reached up to touch the side of her face. When she brought her hand back, there was blood on her fingers. His horns had scratched her.
No pain, she thought, and smiled again.
Illia saw her clothes laying in a heap on the floor. She picked them up, but they were beyond repair. She shivered. It was not overly warm in the ship. She looked down at Maul's cloak on the floor and wondered if she should consider wrapping up in it. She was too cold to think about it for long, and decided to take the chance. Knowing she should now be walking the aisle to be killed made her feel a little braver than she would normally have been. Besides, he didn't seem to be coming back.
Maul stayed in the front of the ship for some time, leaving Illia
wrapped in his dark cloak and alone with her thoughts. When he did approach her again, he was still naked and walked towards her slowly. Once he reached where she sat on the small bench he stopped and looked down at her. Slowly, he spread his arms out and rotated his palms towards her.
Illia just stared for a moment, not comprehending. Maul offered her a tight smile, cocking his head to the side a tiny bit. Illia smiled back, recognizing the same invitation he had given her last night.
One for you, one for me, Illia thought.
I can live with that. She reached forward and took his hand.
Maul allowed her to do as she pleased, knowing the next time would be for him alone.
Duality, he thought, is a lesson well learned.
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