The Channel

After her gown appointment, Selera did as she was told and returned to the apartment. The assistant who had been following her around was going to stay with her, but Selera sent her back to the Senator's office, where she could be more help. Selera said she was tired and was going to take a nap.

Once she was alone, Maul stepped out of the shadows.

Selera smiled. "Where have you been?" she asked as she collapsed on the sofa and stretched.

"Taking care of my master's business, and you?" he asked as he tugged off his gloves. Apparently he had also just arrived.

"Doing the things a good niece does when on vacation on Coruscant," she answered.

"Hanging out with the local riff-raff?" Apparently he was aware of their lunch with the Jedi.

"Are you jealous?" she asked, smiling coyly. "You may have reason to be - I certainly do want that young Padawan," she teased.

He just smiled in response. "Do you know what I plan on doing to that Padawan if you ever get your hands on him?" He moved around to the back of the sofa that she was lounging in.

"No, what?" she craned her neck to see him. It could be a joke, but with Maul, she wasn't entirely sure.

He leaned over and ran his hands from her shoulders, down over her breasts and back up again. He rested them on her shoulders and gripped her tightly. "I'm going to hang him up by his heels and torture him until he admits the night sky is yellow." He stood back up and quickly removed his cloak and threw it over the back of the sofa. He was clearly jealous, very jealous.

"You wouldn't?" she exclaimed.

"Why wouldn't I?" the smile left his face.

"Even if Sidious asks me to?"

"I will let you do our master's bidding," he responded, "and then I will hang the Padawan by his heels and coax his life from him."

She could not conceal her shock. "What if he asks me to bed other men?"

"I will do the same to them." He moved around the couch, sat down across from her and removed his boots.

"Even if Sidious will not let you?"

Maul let out a laugh at this, "Not torture and kill a Jedi? You underestimate your master."

"Well, perhaps Lord Sidious needs them for something...." she continued, playing devil's advocate.

"Then I will wait until my master is finished with them and I will exact my revenge," he answered with all due seriousness.

Selera looked at him. "And if Sidious himself rapes me again?"

"Because he is my master, I cannot prevent him from taking his pleasure. However, he is aware of my claim upon you," he looked down momentarily and then brought his head up and stared hard into her eyes: "But no man, especially no Jedi, will touch you without answering to me."

Selera looked away. Maul stood up and took her by the chin, forcing her to look at him.

"I found you, you are mine. My Master has even admitted so much to me." His eyes looked right through her.

Selera wrenched her face from his grasp, stood up and walked away from him. She ensured there was some furniture between them.

"So, is that all I am to you? Property?" she said quietly as she turned to face him. She was angry. She had thought their relationship was mutual. Had she wanted a relationship where she was nothing more that chattel, then she could have stayed on her own planet. She thought she was there by choice.

Maul moved slowly around the chair she had been careful to make sure was between them. Selera backed away still; she felt much as she had when they first met: scared and confused and unsure of why she was there.

But Maul moved toward her without being threatening and grasped her shoulders. He caressed her neck and touched her forehead. He ran his fingers through her hair.

"You are as much a slave to me, as I am to my Master," he answered quietly. "And, yes, you are here by choice, just as I am. The further down this path you go, the more you will understand."

He placed his mouth over hers. She resisted, but he held fast, drawing her tongue into his mouth. As much as she didn't want to, she could feel her body respond to him.

When he released her, she looked in his eyes. "What sort of mood is this? What is going on?" she asked.

He just gave her a dark stare as he stood thinking.

"Why do you want that young Jedi apprentice?" he asked suddenly.

"Well, I suppose because if I must have one of them, I may as well make it a pleasant experience," she answered. "You disapprove. I suppose you would rather I chose that Jedi Master, Qui Gon Jinn, eh?"

"Yes, it would probably be more productive." Then he smiled. "I honestly doubt that Jedi Knight has ever been with a woman. I would like to see you seduce him." He gave a wry smile.

"Well, Palpatine seems satisfied with my choice," she answered, pulling away from him. "At least he's not said anything about it. Besides, you were the one that suggested something to this effect long ago."

"Well, that will change, My Dear, that's what I'm here to do." It was Palpatine.

"Master," Maul said, turning from Selera and bowing his head to the senior Sith.

"My Lord," Selera imitated.

He removed his outer clothing to get comfortable. "Come sit down, Selera."

She did as he requested.

"I realize you are attracted to this young man, but you must not touch him until after the cotillion, you understand?"

"Yes, My Lord," she answered. "My Lord?"

"Yes Selera?"

"Exactly what information do you wish me to get from this man?" she asked.

"Nothing in particular. It's mostly a test, you see," Palpatine began. "I want you to bring him back here and do what you do to men."

"But won't he tell his masters what I can do?" she asked.

Palpatine smiled kindly, "That is a risk I'm willing to take." She wasn't sure she understood. She knew the Obiwan was very likely going to tell the Jedi High Council about her and then she feared she would have to skulk in the shadows much like Maul.

"You are a very smart girl, Selera, I'm sure you will think of something to ensure he does not want to tell the Jedi Council," Palpatine encouraged. The look in his eye was that she had better come up with something or it was her neck. Or more likely, Obiwan's.

"Yes, My Lord, I may have something in mind," she answered quickly.

"Good girl," he said, patting her on her leg.

"Now, Lord Maul, I have need of you," Palpatine stood and faced his apprentice. "I have another mission for you to get started on."

The two men walked into the next room as Palpatine talked. Selera did not pay any attention to the details of his mission. She sat and thought about Maul's claim upon her. The more she thought about it, the more she disliked the thought of it -- no matter how much she might like him.

She deliberately cluttered her mind with thoughts of the cotillion and how she would seduced the young Jedi. Behind those thoughts she considered her options.

Yes, she was there voluntarily. But she did not see any reason that she was obligated to stay. The thought of leaving Maul caused her distress as she thought of all they had gone through together and how unusual he was. He rescued her from her dreary life on that small, out-of-the-way planet and opened up her mind to such amazing things. But his soul was the color of the night sky and she detested his master, no matter how generous he could be.

But how could she protect herself? She sighed heavily.

"Selera, seducing a Jedi is no different than seducing any other man. They have the same weaknesses, the same desires," Palpatine interrupted her reverie and she jumped. "And as lovely as you are, My Dear, he will not willingly resist your charms."

Selera smiled, embarrassed that her thoughts of the Jedi were so distracting.

"I'm sure," she answered. He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder and managed to pull a few visions through her mind. She gasped at the suddenness of it. Then the Senator released her.

Palpatine smiled. "Remarkable," he said.

She lowered her eyes and felt a momentary pain of regret at leaving her simple life for one that was so much more intricately complicated.

"Do not be disheartened, My Child," he said. She looked at him and saw something that looked almost like sympathy.

"No, My Lord," she accepted it as a command.

****************

That night she dreamed of her home and many of the people she knew there. She found herself struggling to talk to them, but they could not see her and it distressed her immensely. She woke sobbing into her pillow.

A light touch on her brow made her stop and look up: it was Maul. He stood over her momentarily before removing his clothes and crawling under the sheets with her. He stroked her face and wiped the tears away.

"What does not kill you makes you strong," he whispered into her ear. She wasn't quite sure why he said it, but then he continued. "Go home, Selera. Go home..." And he drew the energy through her and she followed it home.

**********

Palpatine woke Selera before he left for the Senate.

"My assistants will be here shortly to prepare you for meeting the young Padawan," he informed as he put on his robes of state. "You will remember what we discussed?"

She nodded, "Yes, My Lord." She yawned and rubbed her eyes.

Palpatine's assistants arrived almost as soon as Palpatine had gone and had Selera dressed and coifed before whisking her off to Palpatine's offices. When she arrived, Qui Gon and Obiwan were speaking with the Senator.

"There she is," Palpatine stretched out his hand. She took it and he kissed her on the cheek. "Sleep well?"

"Yes, I did," Selera blushed furiously before the Jedi. She looked at Obiwan and she thought she saw him blush as well. He certainly had high color in his cheeks for some reason.

"We are terribly early, I'm afraid," Qui Gon apologized.

"That's not a problem, I'm ready to be gone," Selera answered.

"Unfortunately, my schedule does not allow me to go with you," Qui Gon replied. "I hope you are not too disappointed that I must leave you in my apprentice's capable hands for the day. Don't let him drag you to too many boring sites," he said in jest.

"It certainly couldn't be any worse than hanging around the Senate all day," Selera responded.

"Don't be too late, My Dear," Palpatine responded over his shoulder as he returned to his chambers.

An exchange took place between the Padawan and his master, but not a word was said.

"Shall we be going, then?" Obiwan said as he gestured to the exit.

When they had finally sequestered themselves from the prying eyes of Palpatine and Qui Gon, there was an uncomfortable silence. They were taking a transport somewhere; however, Selera didn't know where they were going.

"We are going to the Crystal Gardens and then I thought we'd visit one of our moons," he said, as if reading her mind. He probably is, she thought in the back of her mind.

Selera smiled pleasantly, "I was just wondering what we would be doing today."

"I know," he said, but did not offer any other indication that he had actually read her thoughts.

She tested again by wondering about the young man: where he came from, how old he was when he became an apprentice to Qui Gon. Did he like being trained as a Jedi?

He finally laughed, "You'll have to slow down a bit, Selera, or I'll never be able to answer all your questions."

"You are reading my mind," she accused.

"Well, begging your pardon, Selera, but it's rather difficult not to. Your mind is almost as loud as if you had spoken the questions."

"Oh," she managed a blush, "I've been told that before by...a Jedi," she answered. "I'm a little uncomfortable around Jedi for that reason, you understand. It's difficult to keep secrets that way."

Obiwan laughed, "So I noticed."

Selera feigned extreme embarrassment, as she remembered the rather forward thoughts she'd been throwing at him since she met him.

"Yes, I heard those as well," he answered.

"This is terribly embarrassing, I'm very sorry," she responded.

"Don't be, I'm quite flattered that such a refined young lady as you would find a Jedi apprentice attractive. To be honest, I find you to be a lovely and interesting person," he offered. "But most young ladies are not impressed by the apprentice, usually only by the true knights and masters."

Selera smiled. "I don't see why not," she began, "you must be approaching the end of your training, are you not?"

He nodded. "Yes. The next couple of years will see my final training. It is up to the council to decide when I am ready to advance to Jedi Knight."

"I'm sure you will make a fine Jedi Knight," she answered. "Your master seems a little hesitant to let you escort me," she continued, "What possessed him to let you escort me alone?"

"It, um, took some council persuasion, but they thought it was best," he began, "you are, after all, the 'niece' of a diplomat that has offered much support to the Jedi Council. Master Yoda thought to return the favor."

Selera raised an eyebrow and cocked her head. "By ensuring that the girl is properly... entertained?" She did not attempt to hide her meaning in her thoughts. Neither did she hide the brief thought of their naked bodies entwined.

He blinked. She just smiled and turned away to watch the view go past the window.