Star Wars: Return to Trigalis

The outline of the waistband of her chastity belt was a couple of centimeters above her nerfhide belt, which was stiffened with a thin layer of durasteel inside it. A strap went from the nerfhide belt down the outside of each of her hips to another strap that encircled each of her thighs. Her holster was attached to the right strap. She also had a chest harness formed by straps running from each side of the front of her belt over her shoulders, and back down to the belt again. A nerfhide strap encircled her chest just below her tits, and another one just above them. Both harnesses had a assortment of black plastex D-rings to attach weapons and equipment to. Her nerfhide head harness matched the chest harness, except without the D-rings.

While she was waiting for landing clearance at the spaceport, she had learned that there was an arrest warrant for a female blue-skinned Twi'lek and a human male accomplice. They had allegedly killed five members of the Blood Riders swoop-bike gang at the same docking pit Tahiri's ship had been at. She and Wyric had had a shootout with the Blood Riders, but they just stunned them. The Zoloz had arrived just as they were boarding Tahiri's ship. They must have killed them after she and Wyric had left with Tahiri, and somehow her and Wyric had been blamed. She would have to do something about that, if she could.

Maybe tip off the police. Anonymously, of course. The Zoloz couldn't smuggle weapons if they were in prison.

As she approached the clubhouse, Ta'tan'ia reached out with the Force . . . and was surprised to sense someone in distress inside. A human woman, by the feel of it. She wasn't panicking, but she definitely didn't want to be there. As far as she knew, the Zoloz hadn't been holding anyone hostage when she had been at the party the day before. Well, except for Tahiri, who did want to be there, because they had drugged her. Ta'tan'ia thought a few moments, and decided to do a little investigating. If the Zoloz had kidnapped someone to replace Tahiri, then she felt a little responsible for it. And if the Zoloz had been able to kidnap someone else so fast, that was all the more reason to deal with them as quickly as possible.

A minute later she was peeking through the same window she had climbed through nearly two days ago when she had been looking for Tahiri. There was a single Zoloz sitting on a chair watching a datapad. Ta'tan'ia recognized him from the party. He went by Skifter, if she remembered correctly. The woman they were holding was behind a nearby door. Skifter didn't seem very attentive. He was probably just there to make sure the prisoner didn't escape. She could sense at least four or five more Zoloz upstairs in the clubhouse as well.

At first Ta'tan'ia was going to try putting the guard to sleep, but he didn't feel tired enough. In fact, he felt very alert, almost like he was high or something. After moment's thought, she reached out with the Force and gave him the urge to pee. It didn't seem to be working at first, but after about half-a-minute or so, he got up and headed towards the 'fresher, still engrossed in whatever was playing on his datapad.

Ta'tan'ia watched him go into the 'fresher, set the datapad on the counter. . . and leave the door open. She let out a silent curse in frustration. A Jedi couldn't let something like that stop them though.

The next thing Ta'tan'ia had to do was unlock the window with the Force. That barely required an effort.

After the window was unlocked, she used the Force to keep Skifter's attention away from her. At the same time she lifted herself up, and opened the window. Then she made sure he hadn't noticed anything, and quickly and as silently as possible slipped through it into the garage. Her wedge heeled boots were designed for stealth—at least as much fifteen-centimeter heels could be. They didn't make a sound as they hit the duracrete floor. The fact that she wore towering high heels basically every waking minute of every day didn't hurt either.

Once her feet touched the floor she moved out of Skifter's line of sight in case he glanced towards her. As she hurried towards him across the garage, she pulled out her blaster, and double checked that it was set to stun. It might be heard by the other Zoloz upstairs, but if she didn't take him down quietly, a fight would definitely be heard.

In a few seconds Ta'tan'ia was next to the 'fresher's open door. The guard was still peeing. As she stepped into the doorway she raised her blaster. A startled expression had barely formed on his face when she fired a single stun bolt into the side of his head.

Ta'tan'ia quickly leapt forward to catch him before he hit the ground. She holstered her blaster, and quietly lowered him the rest of the way down. Then she stepped back out of the 'fresher, closed the door, and locked it. If his buddies came looking for him, maybe it would buy her a couple of seconds or so.

Next Ta'tan'ia went to the door Skifter had been guarding, and was mildly surprised to find it wasn't locked. She opened it, and found a closet about one meter wide and two deep. There was also a naked woman sitting on the floor. A black durasteel collar with PROPERTY OF ZOLOZ on it was locked around her neck. Her wrists were cuffed in front of her and her ankles were shackled together. Both sets of cuffs were also locked to a restraining ring anchored in the floor.

"I'm here to free you," she told her as she examined her chains. "The name's Seha," she added after a few seconds. She didn't want to reveal her real name if she didn't have to. The Zoloz might learn who she really was, and connect the Jedi to Tahiri.

"Thanks," the woman replied after a couple of heartbeats. "Valliry Plaxx. These swoop-bikers kidnapped me."

Something didn't seem right, but Ta'tan'ia didn't have time to figure it out. "How do they unlock your cuffs?" she asked her, gesturing towards her wrists with the toe of her boot.

"I think there's a remote," Valliry responded, glancing down at her cuffs. "But I don't think they keep it anywhere nearby, though," she explained, raising her cuffed hands. "They tortured me some, locked this shock collar on me—"she paused to tug at the band of durasteel around her neck—"then injected me with something that put me out for at least a few hours, I think. I haven't seen one since they got me," she said in dismay.

Ta'tan'ia hadn't really thought about her being restrained. Her lightsaber would cut the chains easily, but she didn't want to use the one thing that would almost certainly identify her as a Jedi.

"I'll be right back," Ta'tan'ia said, heading back towards the 'fresher.

She quickly searched Skifter's pockets, and found a remote device. It just had a simple slide dial on one side, a blue button, and a red one. Hopefully it would unlock all of her shackles. Ta'tan'ia took a moment to put the Zoloz into a Force nap to make sure he stayed out, then closed and locked the 'fresher door on her way back out.

"Found it," Ta'tan'ia told her, displaying the remote.

She glanced down at it, and promptly hit the blue button.

Valliry let out a yelp of pain and grabbed for the collar—which was still locked securely around her neck.

"Oh stang! I'm so sorry!" Ta'tan'ia said apologetically, realizing she had accidentally shocked her. She quickly hit the red button, but nothing happened.

"What the. . ." She trailed off, frowning as she hit the button a couple more times. "I guess this isn't it."

"I think you have to hold down the red button a few seconds," Stormie suggested with a painful grimace.

"Oh."

Ta'tan'ia held the button down, and after a few seconds, heard the distinct—and familiar—sound of a maglock unlocking.

"Thanks," Valliry said as she reached up and pulled the collar apart in the back. She set it on the floor, then asked, "What about these?" she asked, tugging at her cuffs so the chain rattled a little.

The slide dial on the side of the remote was probably just to adjust the power. That meant it wouldn't unlock her cuffs. Ta'tan'ia didn't see any other choice but to just cut the chains, especially with the other Zoloz upstairs.

"Hold out your wrists," she told her as she dropped the remote, pulled out her lightsaber, and ignited it.

Ta'tan'ia was expecting her to be surprised, even a little scared of, the lightsaber's blue blade. She simply held her cuffed wrists and ankles out towards her though. She made a few quick slices, and the chains fell to the floor, leaving just the durasteel cuffs and shackles locked around her wrists and ankles.

"Thanks," Valliry said as she held her hand up towards her.

"You're welcome," Ta'tan'ia responded, obligingly reaching down and helping her to her feet.

"You wouldn't happen to have anything I could wear?" she asked, glancing down at the shock collar on the floor.

"Yeah," Ta'tan'ia replied after a moment's thought, sliding one arm out of her cloak.

A couple of seconds later she handed it to the naked woman, who quickly pulled it on as they both headed for the window. First Ta'tan'ia helped Valliry up and out. As she pulled herself up to the window, a Zoloz descended the stairs behind her.

Ta'tan'ia muttered a curse and threw herself through the window, just ahead of a blaster bolt. Valliry mostly caught her, saving her from the duracrete.

"Thanks," she muttered as she jumped back to her feet.

"No problem," Valliry replied with a matter-of-fact nod.

"I've got a speeder-bike around the corner," Ta'tan'ia told her, taking off towards alley's exit. "Come with me."

Even in her fifteen-centimeter wedge heels, Ta'tan'ia made it to end of the alley in a matter of seconds. Valliry wasn't quite as fast though. For one, she was running barefoot in an alley strewn with broken glass and other debris. She also wasn't a Jedi.

Ta'tan'ia paused at the end of the alley, and turned to wait on her. She looked back just in time to see a Zoloz step out from the garage door.

"Get down!" Ta'tan'ia shouted, pulling out her blaster.

Valliry didn't hesitate. She was on the ground in an instant, the Zoloz blaster bolt passing where she'd just been. Ta'tan'ia's bolt missed the Zoloz by mere centimeters. She fired a couple more as he ducked back into the garage.

"Move," Ta'tan'ia told her, keeping her aim on the garage, and letting the Force guide her on when to shoot again.

Once again Valliry didn't need to be told twice. She scrambled to her feet and sprinted towards Ta'tan'ia, making sure she stayed out of her line of fire.

Ta'tan'ia fired another stun bolt as the Zoloz peeked out of the doorway. He dropped to the ground, but another one leaned out behind him, firing his own blaster.

By this time Valliry had turned the corner at the end of the alley. Ta'tan'ia fired a couple more stun bolts towards the garage, then turned and followed her.

They made it to the speeder-bike without being shot at again. Ta'tan'ia still felt imminent danger through the Force though. Just as they were climbing on, a swoop-bike appeared from around the corner in front of them. Ta'tan'ia fired off a quick stun bolt, and missed. Instead of shooting back, the Zoloz was talking on his comlink.

Frakk.

As Valliry climbed on behind her, Ta'tan'ia slid her blaster back into her holster.

"I can shoot while you drive," Valliry commented as she turned to watch the Zoloz turn around to follow them.

"What?" Ta'tan'ia asked in surprise.

"I can shoot them while you drive," Valliry repeated, leaning closer against her.

"Inside left pocket," Ta'tan'ia replied over her shoulder, also watching the Zoloz. She hoped she could handle the blaster well enough not to kill anyone—except the Zoloz chasing them.

Valliry reached into the cloak, and pulled out a compact blaster. "Thanks," she answered, checking the setting. "By the way, where exactly are we going?"

Ta'tan'ia hadn't really worked out that part of the plan. The Zoloz' swoop-bikes were much faster than her rented speeder-bike, especially with two of them on it. Her ship was too far away for them to get to, and only had room for one person anyway. She guessed they would just have to evade the Zoloz, and hide out until it was safe.

"I don't know," she called back. "Pretty much anywhere but here."

"I've got a ship at the spaceport," Valliry said, shouting over the sound of the engine and wind. "You know how to get there?"

"Yeah," Ta'tan'ia answered as a blaster bolt went by them a couple of meters to their left.

Valliry turned and fired back at their pursuer. He responded with a couple more blaster bolts—both of which missed.

"You're not from here?" Ta'tan'ia shouted back at her.

"Na," Valliry replied. "I'm a spacer. I was just on Trigalis making a delivery."

Something about the uninformative answer seemed off to Ta'tan'ia. She was probably a smuggler, she decided after a heartbeat. If she was freighter pilot for some company, she'd say so. A smuggler was also a lot more likely to be associated with scum like the Zoloz.

Suddenly Ta'tan'ia swerved hard to avoid a speeder emerging from a side street, and heard a curse from her passenger.

"Hang on," she called back belatedly. It felt like she was hiding something, but she was a bit busy at the moment.

"I dropped the kriffing blaster," Valliry shouted, reaching for Ta'tan'ia's thigh holster.

Ta'tan'ia silently nodded her head in consent as she pulled the blaster out. Valliry twisted halfway around and shot back at the pursuing Zoloz once again. Ta'tan'ia hoped some kid didn't find the kriffing blaster.

Two more Zoloz quickly joined the first one. Since the Zoloz' swoop-bikes were faster than hers, Ta'tan'ia had to make a lot of last-second turns to keep them from catching up with them. She could have actually cut some of her maneuvers a lot closer and lost them, but she didn't want to lose her passenger at over a hundred klicks an hour. She also hoped no innocent bystanders got hurt during all this. Either from a blaster bolt or a crash.

As they entered the spaceport Valliry told her which pit her ship was docked in, and fired another bolt back at the Zoloz.

"You got a comlink?" Valliry asked her. "I can open my cargo hatch, and we can just fly this thing in before they catch us."

That'd be nice, Ta'tan'ia thought. Since hers was permanently maglocked on her wrist though, she didn't use a hand held one. For that same reason, she had rented a speeder-bike without one built-in. It saved the Order's expense account five credits a day after all.

"It's maglocked around my wrist," she answered, keeping her eyes on where they were going.

"I got an idea though," Ta'tan'ia said after a few moments' thought. She quickly pulled the sleeve of her bodysuit back to reveal her comlink. "Hold on."

As Valliry wrapped her arms around her waist, Ta'tan'ia put both her hands back on the handle bars, and accelerated. If she could get to the docking pit and be out of the Zoloz sight for a few seconds or so, she had an idea on where to hide long enough to stop and let her use her comlink.

Half-a-minute later they arrived at the docking pit Valliry's ship was in. Two of the Zoloz were still close enough that they could see them go in. Ta'tan'ia slowed down as little as possible, and swung around behind the ship. Then she adjusted the speeder-bike's repulsor, and flew up onto the top of the ship. She came to a stop facing aft, on a flat part of the hull, with the higher center line between them and the entrance to the docking pit.

Ta'tan'ia began hurriedly tapping and sliding her finger across comlink. In seconds she had isolated the frequency of Valliry's ship, and synched with it. The ship's security seemed a bit complex for a mere spacer, even a smuggler, but she didn't have time to worry about that right now. She wasn't trying to slice in anyway. Ta'tan'ia twisted around, held her wrist out towards her so she could use the comlink, and told her to hurry.

While Valliry opened the cargo hold, Ta'tan'ia kept watch for the Zoloz, and listened to the Force for danger. She could hear their swoop-bikes enter the docking pit, and one coming towards them. She held her breath as he came around behind the ship. . . and kept going, not thinking to glance up a few meters.

"Let's go," Valliry shouted, pushing her wrist away.

As Ta'tan'ia took off she felt her grab her chest harness strap going across her back. They dropped down to the ground and she turned hard back towards the ship, coming within a meter or so of the docking pit wall. The cargo hold was opened almost completely. Just as they reached the top of the ramp, Ta'tan'ia felt the Force completely disappear.

Ysalamiri!

Ta'tan'ia slammed onto the brakes as hard as she could. A heartbeat later she felt Valliry's arm around her neck, and the barrel of the blaster—her blaster—in her back. As the speeder-bike came to a hard stop against a bulkhead, she felt the numbing pain of a stun bolt. Luckily her armored bodysuit dissipated most of the effect. Ta'tan'ia reached up and grabbed her forearm around her neck with her left hand, and reached back for her lightsaber with her right.

Valliry's thigh and forearm blocked her from reaching her lightsaber. Then Ta'tan'ia grunted as she fired another stun bolt into her.

The bodysuit did its job again. Ta'tan'ia kept trying to get her lightsaber, but the kriffing schutta kept blocking her with her leg and arm. Suddenly Ta'tan'ia changed tactics, grabbed her wrist and forearm around her neck with both hands, and twisted to her left, trying to break her grip.

With Valliry's legs and arm tight around her upper body though, they just both came off the speeder-bike together. Ta'tan'ia hit the deck, with Valliry on top of her. By that time, Ta'tan'ia had changed her grip from her wrist to her hand. As they landed, she bent Valliry's hand down, and drove her elbow into the deck. She felt the schutta's wrist snap, and heard her howl in pain.

Valliry's head also landed on the thick part of her tchun—her left lek—which hurt like hell, and dazed her a bit. She reached back for her lightsaber again, and felt yet another stun bolt in her side.

Next Ta'tan'ia tried to turn out from underneath her. The traitorous schutta managed to stay on top of her though, and shot her again.

Still stunned from the spacer's head landing on her tchun, and with the bodysuit's armor weakened from the previous bolts, this one almost knocked her out. She grabbed for her broken wrist, and squeezed it as hard as she could. She was rewarded by another howl of pain from the schutta.

The next thing Ta'tan'ia knew something was hitting the side of her head, hard. Then she let out a gasp, and went limp.

Somehow she wasn't completely unconscious though. She was vaguely aware of Valliry straddling her lower back, then putting something around her neck. Then she felt her weight disappear from her hips. Sometime later, it didn't seem like very long, she felt her arms being pulled behind her back. She did her best to resist, but quickly felt something being wrapped around her wrists. When she let go of them, her hands stayed together behind her back. Next she felt her push her feet together, cross her ankles, and wrap something around them too. After that she felt her pull her biceps closer together, and wrap something around them as well.

After that Ta'tan'ia was rolled over to her back, and she felt someone grabbing the back of her chest harness. Then she was dragged a bit. They stopped, and she was was dropped, her head hitting something hard. That jolt knocked her out.

~ * ~ * ~ * ~ END PART I ~ * ~ * ~ * ~

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