The Channel

When she woke, she was on the bed, her head aching from the experience. Selera glanced around the room to see the man sitting at the table watching her.

“What does it all mean?” she asked wearily, “Did you put those visions in my head?”

He stood abruptly, and gracefully walked to the side of the bed and sat down.

“Yes and no,” he answered. “I can not make you see anything in particular, but I drew the images through you by the Force.”

The look on Selera’s face must have been that of total incomprehension.

“You use channels to divert water that is flowing else where to put it where you need it, is that correct?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“In the same way, I can use you to divert the energy flowing freely through the universe to where I need it.”

“What do you do with it when you have it where you want it?” Selera could not understand what a person could do with thoughts and visions.

“Thoughts are power, My Dear. Knowledge of things unseen means even more power,” he said reaching up to brush some stray hair from her face. For the instant he touched her, her mind opened up and the visions briefly reappeared. She gasped as the suddenness of it. But as soon as he moved his hand away, the feeling disappeared.

“I cannot control when they happen, can I?” she asked.

“No, but I can. It is my power that draws them,” he explained. “However, I cannot draw them without you, so you see, we need one another.”

Selera didn’t understand how this gift helped her at all besides making her black out and give her a headache.

“Those should pass, with time,” he answered. He placed his hand on her head once again, and instead of drawing energy from her, he pushed some of his own energy to her. This relieved the pain almost immediately and gave her strength.

“From what we understand, the more you do it, the fewer problems you will have,” he explained. “But it will take time and training.

“While you cannot control anything that you see right now, you will learn to push your mind in certain directions and retrieve information that otherwise would not be possible.”

Selera sat up on her elbows and frowned, “Am I to be like a spy, then?”

He cocked his head, “Actually, that is exactly what you will be.”

Selera lay back down and rolled away from the man, thinking about this for a moment.

He leaned down and spoke quietly into her ear: “There are many benefits to being our ally.”

“And if I choose not to?”

“Why would you want to?” he asked. Selera suddenly felt a tugging at her mind, her own will vacillated.

“Stop it,” she said, looking fiercely back at him, “I don’t like that.”

Once again she felt it, much stronger this time. “Stop it, I say,” she protested louder and sat up, scooting away from him. “Stay out of my mind.”

This appeared to catch him off guard and he smiled, then laughed.

“I hardly find it funny,” she scowled at him.

“Well, My Lady, it appears you have me at a disadvantage,” he still seemed quite amused. “While I can read every single thought that comes from your underdeveloped mind, I cannot bend your will to my own.”

Selera’s eyes narrowed. “I think I like it that way,” she said, giving him a side-long glance.

He stood from the bed and held out his hand, “Come, we need to find you some suitable attire befitting an imperial guest and ally.”

“Yes,” she answered as she took his hand and rose from the bed, “I do not mind being your guest for a time. However, I am cautious about being your ally.”

He placed her arm around his and escorted her to the door. “What do you have to lose?” he asked.

“What, do I have to gain?” she asked as they passed through the doorway into the hall.

He half smiled once again and replied, “More than you could ever imagine.”

She wasn’t sure she liked how he said that. Then something very odd struck her….

The man sensed this and answered: “You are Selera Elia,” he said. “You’ve lived outside the city walls now for three years. Before that you were a prostitute, sold to the brothel at a young age by your father,” Selera stopped walking, removing her arm from his. He stopped and turned to her.

“That’s not funny,” she said. She was deeply hurt; she had wanted that part of her life forgotten.

He bowed his head slightly. “Forgive me; I did not know it would offend you so. Where I am from, being a prostitute is nothing to be ashamed of.”

She wasn’t sure if he was telling the truth, but he appeared to be sincere about the apology.

“Why don’t I tell you a bit about myself, then?” he said, gently taking her hand and replacing it around his arm as they continued through the castle.

He told a very short story about his barren home planet and how he was rescued by a nobleman from a nearby system. He currently served under this man. When he completed his story there was a brief moment of silence.

“Go ahead and ask your question,” he said.

“You already know what I am going to ask,” she said.

“Yes, but you should ask it, nonetheless.”

She sighed. “My Lord, what shall I call you? I mean, surely you have a name?”

They stopped in front of a door and he pushed a button on the wall to make the door open. “The name my master has given me, is Darth Maul. But you may address me as ‘Lord Maul’.”

Selera blushed at the inference of her low station.

“Not at all, My Lady,” he responded. “We are simply…..unacquainted.”

He led her into the room. It was unlike anything Selera had ever seen. Very bright, like her own room, but containing all sorts of things she did not recognize….except for the bath in the far corner.

“You may bathe here,” he said walking her to a table up against the wall. “There are all sorts of oils and perfumes here for your use.” He picked up a small glass bottle, pulled the stopper from it and smelled it before replacing the stopper and setting it on the counter top.

Selera was startled to see two other people on the other side of the table, but then realized it was merely a reflection of her and the lord. She had never seen such a clear reflection of what she looked like. Selera approached the glass, stretched her hand out, and touched it. “Is this a mirror?” she asked, looking back over her shoulder at the lord.

He crossed his arms and a visible smile passed over his face. He nodded. “I can tell that educating you is going to be an interesting experience.”

He stepped back and pressed a button on the wall.

“I am stepping out for a while,” he said. “I am sending some assistants to bring you new clothes and help you with your hair. When I return, we will begin teaching you what you need to know.”

“But I haven’t said ‘yes’ yet,” Selera replied.

He raised his eyebrows. “When I return,” was all he said before leaving and closing the door behind him.

Selera wasn’t sure what she was supposed to do with all the gadgets and oils and perfumes. She settled for doing the one thing she did know about: she removed her clothes and slipped into the bath.

It was very warm and deeper than she had originally thought. She had no idea how they kept it warm, but it felt wonderful. Only a few minutes passed before the door opened and a female servant entered.

“Hello, My Lady,” she began, “My name is Kanri. Our Lord has instructed me to help you get dressed.”

My Lady? That is a unique experience, indeed, she thought. “Yes, thank you. I’m afraid I do not know what is in all the bottles. I was afraid to use the wrong one.”

The woman showed her how to use all the different items and even washed Selera’s hair for her. When Selera got out of the bath, Kanri dried her off, dressed her, and combed her hair. Selera was not used to such attention and it made her self-conscious. By the time she was escorted back to her room, she was dressed more like the nobles that had once inhabited this castle and her hair had been braided and twisted with gold and silver: Selera felt like a queen.

“Well, you certainly look like one,” said a familiar voice from the door.

“My Lord,” she said. She couldn’t help smiling because of her new appearance. Darth Maul crossed the room, eyeing her critically before nodding.

“I approve; you are beautiful,” he said in a very matter-of-fact manner. He stepped closer to her, getting a closer view. He reached up and felt the skin on her shoulder, as if he were sampling some cloth. “One so beautiful…they will never suspect you.”

Selera immediately became dizzy, but she could feel him control the amount of energy he took from her, and she did not black out this time. He stepped closer to her, maintaining his touch: enough to keep her from resisting, but not enough to make her black out. He put his mouth on hers and an explosion of visions filled her head. It was a mixture of all the sexual encounters that were going on throughout the universe and the secret plans of many that Selera realized would very likely not come to fruition.

When he released her she found herself strangely aware of everything going on within the castle. In that final second, she had seen everything within the castle walls. Selera felt an exhilaration that she’d never experienced before. She looked into this strange man’s eyes, for a man he was. She had witnessed the passion behind those sun-burst eyes and it excited her. She tried to steal another kiss, and with it another glimpse of the universe, but he withdrew from her.

“Does your head hurt?” he asked as he walked across the room and laid down on the bed.

“Yes, but not as bad as before,” she answered, bringing her hand to her forehead and rubbing her eyebrow. She looked at him strangely.

“Lord Maul, why do men fear you?”

He paused before answering. “It is…as it should be.”

“You are a Sith Lord.” It was more of a statement than a question.

“Yes,” he replied, “Do you know what that is?”

She nodded slowly, “I believe I do.” she responded. “Your enemies plot against you and your master.”

“That is as it is,” he answered, putting his hands behind his head.

“You have enemies in the castle.”

“Not unexpected,” he answered.

Selera cocked her head at him and he smiled, already knowing the question: “If that one kiss revealed all that to me, what would be revealed if I took you into my body?”

“My, aren’t you ambitious this afternoon. And all that talk of not wanting to help us?” he asked.

“I still may not.”

He laughed.

“Then remove your clothes and I will reveal all to you.”