The Channel

Selera had become good enough at clouding her mind, that she could do it selectively. She knew she would have to keep parts of her day from Palpatine. He would want to know just about everything.

When she entered the apartment, Palpatine stood pouring himself a drink.

"There you are," he said. "How was your day?" he asked in his usual pleasant manner.

She always thought it was so odd how he talked to her as if she were just another courtesan, but treated her as if he would snap her neck at any moment.

"I'd do it if I thought you'd betrayed me or my apprentice," he added casually.

Selera laid down the items she had acquired on her site-seeing trip and then sat on one of the sofas in the main living area. Selera smiled at Palpatine, bearing her teeth a little too much, "Yes, Uncle, everything is fine, we had a wonderful time. Thank you for asking."

Palpatine laughed, "You do have a rare sense of humor, My Dear." He brought her a small snifter of the same green liquor that she'd had before. Sitting next to her, he offered her the glass.

She looked at it dubiously. "What is this for?"

"A little insurance," he said.

She wasn't sure what he meant.

"Drink it up, it's just a little. Nothing to keep you down for the evening," he said. She didn't want to take it, knowing full well the intoxicating effects. Selera finally shrugged and threw back the entire shot. It made her shudder, but the warmth quickly spread to her limbs and she began to relax.

"Mmmm," she said, sitting back and laying her head back on the couch. She took a deep breath. "What are we doing tonight, My Lord?"

"You are going to please my apprentice," he answered, reaching up and smoothing the hair back from her face.

"Oh, My Lord," she said teasing, "You didn't need to give me that green liquor to make me do that." She smiled and reached out, touching his face. "Perhaps you would like for me to please you instead, mmmmm?"

"As much as I might want to do that, I'm sure you realize that the shape I would leave you in would preclude you from going to the Cotillion," he whispered. "My apprentice will have to do, My Dear."

"My Lord?" she asked, closing her eyes once again as the liquor began taking affect. "What sort of insurance will having me sleep with Maul afford you?"

"It's a mental imprint," he continued to whisper, "when Obiwan sleeps with you, he will see you are hardly the good little girl you are portraying."

Selera laughed. "Oh, My Lord, he already knows I am far from being a good little girl." She laughed again, the liquor having taken its toll. "I doubt we stay long at the cotillion for all that I have promised him. You were right; he is a man with all the common failings. I should have tried for his master; it might have been more of a challenge."

The next thing Selera knew, Maul was before her helping her up and carrying her into her room. He used her hard and was relentless when she told him he was hurting her.

"What are you doing?" she asked as he pushed harder.

"I want him to see exactly the kind of woman you are," he was angry.

The liquor loosed her tongue and she smiled, "Are you afraid I will enjoy myself too much with that young Padawan?"

He glowered at her and growled low as he continued his assault.

"He is fine and ready for my body," she said grinding her hips into his.

Maul drew back and raised his hand to strike, but Palpatine caught his hand before he could strike.

"We can't have that, now," he said as he released Maul's wrist. "She has a job to do. There will be plenty of time for that later." He eyed her as she lay flat on her back. Selera gritted her teeth and despised him.

"And you, My Dear," Palpatine said as he stroked her forehead, "Perhaps you and I shall spend some time together after all."

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

Selera was on her stomach and could hardly open her eyes. *At least he didn't leave a mark on my face,* she thought.

"Get up," said the voice again. It was Maul.

"I hate you," she groaned.

"Good, because I shall do the same to you when you are finished with your young Padawan," he said. "But only after you watch me tear his heart out. Now get up."

"I can't."

"He only gave you about twenty stripes," Maul said as he examined her back. "I would have given you five times that."

"And how am I supposed to go to the cotillion like this?" she asked mournfully. "How am I even going to stand up?"

Maul lowered his voice to a gentler tone. "I will help you, and you will do what you are supposed to," he said.

"This was not part of the bargain," she moaned as he helped her sit up. Maul took her by the upper arm and helped her to her feet.

"We will have to dress the wounds on your back or you will bleed through your gown," he said eyeing her wounds once more.

"Why...why...why did he do this?" she panted, gripping his hand tightly.

"You were insolent and fearless," Maul said, "Never doubt your master's intentions, Selera -- for your master, he is."

"What did I do?" she moaned as Maul dressed her back.

"You angered me," he answered.

"No one worries about making me angry," she blurted.

"You are the servant, I am your master, and he is mine. It is very simple, Selera."

Selera shook her head. "I don't like the way this is turning out," she said, wincing as he continued nursing her back. "Why didn't you just leave me be?"

"Because you need to get ready for the cotillion."

"No, I mean, why didn't you leave me on my own planet? I was happy there." A tear slid from the corner of her eye and she swallowed hard to keep more tears at bay.

"Were you?" he asked, lifting his head from the work on her back. "Or were you just surviving like everyone else on that primitive planet? I got the impression that you wanted to come with me."

"I think I was curious...then," she answered. "I'm definitely not curious any more."

"Selera, this is the path you have chosen. Live with the consequences," he answered as he resumed dressing her back. "There are still many benefits that we can offer you. You must just keep your impulses in check."

"You mean *the dark side* -- I am not Sith," she said, hugging a pillow tightly to her chest to compensate for the pain.

"No, but as I said before, you work for the Sith." He said no more until he had finished dressing her back.

Selera wiped her eyes and got dressed. It turned out things were just a simple on Coruscant as they were on her planet: complete obedience was required. But even that might not save you. Once she was dressed, she felt a little better, but moving was still torture. The heavy makeup definitely helped her look better, but she was still in a great deal of pain.

"Here, this will help," he came forward with a med-ejector and was about to put it to her neck. Selera caught his hand, eyeing him suspiciously.

"What is it?" she asked.

"It will ease the pain and let you function tonight," he explained.

She released his hand and he pressed it to her neck.

"It won't make me giddy?" she asked after he had administered the medicine. She rubbed her neck briefly.

His tone softened. "No. Just make sure you don't drink anything else tonight. You must maintain your guard with all the Jedi that will be there," he counseled.

Selera nodded. "My Lord?" she called quietly and bowed her head.

"Yes?"

She looked up at him. He seemed satisfied with her subservient attitude.

"Will you still beat me when I return?" she asked, wondering if what he had said was just an idle threat.

"I have said so," he answered, "so it will be."

Selera bowed her head and closed her eyes. *And Obiwan?* she thought.

"He will die before your eyes, he answered quietly. There was no emotion, just simple truth.

"I'm sorry Obiwan," she whispered.

"He is here."