"Chumani"
By: Yelara Neerou - Former Shipyard Foreman
Dannen Haj [NPC] - Rebel Pilot

Location: Drogen Shipyards
Date: Selene 22, 3 ABY

***

"Yelara Neerou?" the stranger asked from behind. Yelara turned around slowly. She was still sluggish from the hell she had put her body through over the past two and a half weeks, but the colour in her cheeks were beginning to come back and her eyes were bright and focused again. Kace had stuffed her full of food, trying to build up her bulk again, but her body was still dangerously thin and weak. She masked her frail appearance by wearing clothes a size too big for her, as well as shirts and pants that didn't expose too much flesh.

Kace had been a comfort to her, and continued to be so even now. She trusted him implicity, especially after the nights they spent together, sleeping side by side without him laying a finger on her, except to hold her close and make her feel safe. She didn't deserve to be consoled and fretted over; Kallia was the one who needed the shoulder to cry on and a friend to lean on. Yelara saw herself as the enemy and Kallia the innocent victim she had preyed upon. Yelara would punish herself the rest of her life for the cruel way she had handled Kallia and the vicious words she had spoken to her.

"So, are you Ms. Neerou? The man back there told me you were," the young man repeated, looking at Yelara curiously.

She shook her head gently, trying to shut out the memories of the past and focus on the man before her. "I'm sorry. Yes, I'm Neerou. What can I do for you?" she asked, staring back at the young man now. He couldn't have been more than 26 years old, and had a head of short, sandy blond hair. His brown eyes scanned Yelara up and down, as he furrowed his brow.

"Strange, you look different from the picture that they supplied me. That's why I checked with that worker over there to see if it was really you."

Yelara walked closer to the man and eyed him. "What do you mean 'my picture'? Who are you?" she asked suspiciously.

"Don't worry, Neerou. My name's Dannen Haj." The man leaned in closer to Yelara, causing her to step back, not certain what he had in mind. He smiled gently, realizing Yelara's apprehension and stepped back himself. "I'm an ally - Chumani...if you know what I mean," he whispered, winking at her suggestively.

Yelara examined the man's face and eyes. She could always tell a liar, even the best of them and she knew this man was being truthful. She also knew exactly what he meant. She nodded her head and stepped closer to Dannen this time. "I understand. Come on, we can talk over here."

Yelara led Dannen towards a secluded area of the flight deck, looking back from time to time to see if they were being followed. She pulled him behind a starship, docked but not being worked on by anyone.

"Just as a precaution," Dannen said as he pulled out a jamming device and placed it on a ledge behind him.

"Chumani, huh? I always wanted to know who thought that codeword up," Yelara said with a half-smile as she stood close to Dannen.

Dannen laughed quietly and shook his head. "I know, it's not the most original, but since the majority of the members of our cell are Corellian, they figured it was something we would remember easily."

"Well, they were right. So, what are you doing here?" Yelara asked, wanting to get right down to business. She always felt uncomfortable with these meetings out in the open. Dargus had listening devices and spies everywhere. He didn't care what Yelara did in her spare time, as long as she wasn't dating other men, but if he did find out she was working this closely with the rebels and felt it was putting himself in jeopardy, he would turn her over in a second, especially after their falling out.

"You heard about the attack on the Imperial shipyards on Ihopek, I assume?" Dannen began, his eyes glancing around, checking for eavesdroppers.

"Yes, I did. I've been waiting to hear reports on the attack," Yelara answered, her curiousity piqued now.

"Well, we suffered some heavy casualities, ended up with alot of damaged ships, but we hit them good. They'll be repairing the facility for months, which means production of their ships will be heavily delayed, putting a hole in many of their fleets. I'd say it was a success." A jubilant smile spread across Dannen's face as he began recounting the assault which, he so proudly noted, he had participated in.

Yelara listened intently to Dannen's vivid account. His eyes lit up and his hands danced in the air as he demonstrated every dip and turn his starfighter took, and provided sound effects as he re-enacted the firing of his torpedoes, his body jerking as he depicted them impacting with the Imperial ships. Yelara bit her lip as she pictured herself there on the front lines, watching the torpedoes rocketing across the heavens, setting the shipyards ablaze. It was a beautiful sight, even in her mind's eye.

"Simple hit and run," Dannen added, after taking a deep breath, his face still gleaming with excitement, "but we hit them hard."

Yelara smiled at Dannen, hearing the pride in his voice and seeing the youthful innocence on his face. He was older than Yelara, but he just seemed younger to her. She had been so naive and arrogant when she arrived at the shipyards, but her experiences with Dargus and Kallia had caused her to grow up faster than she ever would have if she hadn't met either of them. "I'm glad to hear about the victory, but what does this have to do with me? I mean, you didn't come all this way just to give me a detailed report of the battle, did you?" Yelara prompted.

Dannen gave a laugh and nodded his head in concession. "Sorry, Neerou. I guess my excitement got the better of me." Dannen's smile turned to a small frown as he sighed and leaned against the wall. "The assault may have been a strategic victory, but we suffered casualties - lost some of our best soldiers. Some of our ships are in pretty bad shape too and we don't have the supplies or the money to repair all of them."

"And since I work at a shipyard, you thought..." Yelara interjected.

"We thought you'd be able to give us some of the resources we require. The guys up top have calculated that we need at least 250, 000 creds to get our ships up to par again and to refresh our supplies - food, weapons, bacta...that sort of thing. We have nowhere near that amount of money and right now, there is no way we can pay for new ship parts."

Yelara stifled a laugh as it began to dawn on her just what Dannen was getting at. "You want me to smuggle out ship parts, am I right?"

Dannen sighed and nodded his head, deciding it better to cut to the chase rather than continue alluding to what it was he wanted from Yelara. "I mean, if you had 250, 000 creds, that would be great, but we'd be willing to settle for the parts," Dannen teased.

Yelara sighed and leaned against the ship behind her. She no longer worked on the flight deck, so smuggling out parts would be rather difficult now. She didn't have access to the storage lockers anymore and could no longer fix the inventory lists so they could smuggle out the parts without anyone noticing them missing. Yelara began to laugh bitterly. This was her one chance to do something meaningful for the rebellion, yet she couldn't because she had given up her position, her money, any little influence she had, when she gave up Dargus.

She began to think about all the rebels, out there fighting on the battlefield and dying for a noble cause - her cause - while she was sitting around feeling sorry for herself. She could help them immensely, and all she had to do was give her body and most of her freedom to Dargus. She suddenly felt so selfish and arrogant, truly disgusted with herself. "I can do it,” she said after a long pause. "I can get you the parts and the money. Hell, I can even get you 1 million creds if you want."

Dannen's eyes shot open and his jaw dropped. "What? How!?" he asked in disbelief.

"Don't worry how. Just stay on board today, and tomorrow you'll have everything you ask for," Yelara said, her voice grim and quiet. She glanced at Dannen, giving him a curt smile, then turned and walked away. She would get him his money and his parts, and all she had to do was turn herself over to the devil himself. A small price to pay for helping the rebels...a small price in their minds, but to Yelara, it would cost her more than all the creds in the galaxy.

---

"Many Happy Returns, Part 1"
By: Yelara Neerou - A Nobody Drifter
Dargus Kandran - The Lovesick Crimelord, Kandran Syndicate

Location: Holovid network and Dargus' Ship
Date: Selene 22, 3ABY

***

Yelara stood with the holovid booth before her. In her mind, she knew what had to be done, but her body refused to cooperate and wouldn't allow her to activate the device. One call. That was all she had to make and she could give the rebels their money and their parts - her contribution to the rebellion. If she went back now, she would be admitting defeat, admitting that she needed him and that she couldn't succeed without him. Yelara could already see the smug grin on that bastard's face, his hands travelling up and down her body as she gave him what he wanted in return for her needs. She had gotten away from him once, but if she went back now, there was no way he would allow her to leave again...not alive, at least.

"Damn you," she cursed under her breath as her fingers danced across the control pad. She shuddered as his face appeared on the screen, a smile lighting it up.

"Well well," Dargus Kandran said, his voice like the oily slime covering a Hutt's body. "Come to put another knife through my back, through my heart?"

"I need to speak," Yelara interjected abruptly. "Now."

"You have my attention," Dargus snarled.

Yelara bit her tongue, trying to keep herself from spewing insults at Dargus and telling him where to shove his holovid. She couldn't afford to lose her temper now, not when so much was at stake. "Not over the line, Dargus. In...person," she managed, her voice almost refusing to cooperate and sticking in her throat.

"Very well," Dargus said, a sneer curling his lips. "If you'd like I can bring a real knife for you to plant between my shoulder blades."

"Dammit, Dargus! Stop being so proud and stubborn and just let me talk to you!" Yelara exploded, but tried to hide the desperation in her voice.

"Fine," Dargus snapped with a dismissive wave. "Be at the shuttle dock; I trust you remember where that is? Wait...where are you, Yelara?"

Yelara paused, trying to think of an answer other than the truth. She couldn't very well tell him she was in another man's room; she was already having enough trouble getting him to see her. "That's not important, Dargus. I just need to see you. And don't worry, I'll leave the dagger at home," she said, giving him a sly grin.

"Well, I will need to know where to send that shuttle, won't I? Tell me where you are, and I'll send it."

"Why don't I just meet the shuttle in the usual place? This is not some sort of setup, Dargus. I really do just wanna talk with you," she answered reassuringly. He was angry alright, she could sense that from the look in his eyes, but she hoped she could appease him, even though he might find the shape her body was in rather revolting. Still, she had to try.

"Fine. I'll see you in thirty minutes."

***

Yelara never thought she'd have to see this place again. Dargus' floating ship - most likely staying afloat courtesy of his giant ego. Yelara walked off the shuttle and was immediately surrounded by two guards. It was obvious Dargus didn't trust her to roam the ship on her own anymore, and possibly didn't trust her, period. The guards stood close by Yelara as they led her to a part of the ship she had never been to before. The corridors in this area were large, towering above her so high, she could barely see where the ceiling ended.

The guards stopped in front of a room with two tall doors, which appeared to have been made entirely of gold. As she stood there, she couldn't help thinking how those doors themselves could pay for the rebels' parts. It reminded her of the importance and urgency of the situation, giving her more reason to go through with it.

As the doors were pushed open slowly, Yelara's eyes grew wide as a lake of black marble enveloped the room. The floors were so shiny, they gleamed and Yelara was almost afraid to walk on them for fear she would dull the finish. Lining the entire room were rows upon rows of golden sculptures, all of them nudes, of course. This was Dargus' throne room, after all. Yelara tried to keep her mouth from gaping as she stared up at the high ceiling, from which long, spiraling chandeliers hung made of gold and sparkling crystal. Yelara became aware that Dargus was obviously trying to show her all the splendour she had given up by dumping him, making her regret ever leaving him. Unfortunately, it was working.

As her eyes traveled from the ceiling back to eye-level she stopped and stared ahead. Her face was expressionless as she saw Dargus sitting in a large, white marble throne with a contented grin on his face.

"You wished to talk," Dargus said, motioning her forward. She was sickly and thin, nearly unattractive.

Yelara walked closer to Dargus. She could see the way he looked at her now, his eyes seeping with rage and also looking almost disgusted by her appearance. She didn't know how she could appease him in her condition, but people were relying on her and she had to succeed. "Can we talk in a more private setting, Dargus? The matter I wish to discuss is somewhat...touchy," she said, trying to sound as pleasant as possible.

"This is as private as I can make it, my dear...that is, unless you would prefer the join me in the chambers of my concubines...though that is a one-way trip. So, why have you returned to me after leaving me like you did?"

Yelara was beginning to realize she would not be able to bargain with Dargus. His emotions were too high right now, and he obviously despised her to the point where he could barely look at her. She stepped even closer to Dargus, standing only a foot from him this time and looked at him as he sat on his throne. "This room will do, Dargus," she answered, knowing this was the only way she would get to speak to him.

"I..." she began, becoming suddenly at a loss for words. She looked up into his eyes and noticed that what she saw in them didn't mirror the rage in his voice. There was almost a sadness lurking within them and a pain, one she hoped she had not caused, for it would only make it more difficult for him to take her back. "I need your money, Dargus," she said simply and to the point.

"And, I need your heart."

Yelara almost rushed to Dargus' side, taking him in her arms and soothing him, but she couldn't - not yet. She had to make sure she got what she came for first, then she could let herself feel whatever it was she felt for Dargus. "I need 1 million creds," she added plainly, looking away from his eyes, not wanting to see the sorrow in them. "That is all I ask of you. The money and my job back. We forget the past and begin anew."

"Why should I, Yelara? Once you have it, you'll just leave me again."

"In the end, Dargus, you left me no choice. You gave me an ultimatum and that pissed me off. So, to spite you, I left." Yelara looked up at Dargus. She ventured nearer to him and placed her cold hand atop his. "If you give me this money...I can't and won't leave you again."

"Fine. One condition, however."

She looked at Dargus, furrowing her brow and trying to read what he was thinking. It didn't matter what the condition was. She couldn't reject it even if she wanted to because she had already vowed to get the money. Whatever it was, her answer was yes. "Go on, Dargus. I'm listening."

"You will go to my bed. You will be comfortable and warm. You will rest, eat, and regain that healthy glow you used to have. Once you're yourself again, you will stay with me for two weeks. Every night you will be in my bed, doing as...well, I think you know. You will get a quarter of a million now. The rest at the end of two weeks."

Yelara pulled her icy cold hand away from Dargus' and gritted her teeth. She knew he would ask for something unreasonable - she had expected it. She paced past Dargus, her eyes scanning the floor as she pretended to deliberate his offer. "You do know you have me at a grave disadvantage, Dargus," she began, still pacing with her hands clasped behind her back. "I am in no position to reject any demand you make of me, so you have the luxury of asking for anything you want and I will have no choice but to accept." Yelara stopped in front of Dargus' throne, staring up at him with steady eyes. "I want 400,000, up front, transferred to a secret account, plus I want bacta, at a discount, of course. You can take it out of the 400 thou."

"I know you don't love me. You, however, I love. All I desire is the chance to have you with me, on my arm, to make everyone else jealous. Fine, I'll manage a twenty-five percent discount on bacta. It'll be added to your bill. I'll have a chip drafted for four hundred grand, but you have to promise me you'll do as I've asked. My med droids will have you fixed up in no time, my dear. You'll be feeling fine before you know it."

"I feel fine, Dargus. Never been better," she answered dryly. "I don't want your med droids anywhere near me, after all, you may order them to secretly implant me with a tracking device, or better yet, give me a brain implant that forces me to give you my undying devotion and obediance."

Yelara stepped back up to where the throne stood, staring down at Dargus with contempt. He had her cornered and he knew it, as well as loving it. "You expect me to be with you for half the week on a continuous basis? What do you need concubines for, Dargus, when you've got me, your new whore, sharing your bed almost every night!?" Yelara closed her eyes, breathing deeply and trying to temper her emotions. If she angered him, she could ruin everything and there would be no money or bacta.

"What will you do, Dargus? Lock me up in your ship so you can have me all to yourself?" she asked coolly. "Even if you did allow me to return to the shipyards, I would be under your constant watch as if I were still on the ship, Dargus. That isn't exactly keeping up your end of the bargain, so I want a modification made." Yelara leaned over towards Dargus, placing her hands on the armrests of the throne. "When I'm on the shipyards, I get to do what I like. That means no having me followed, no surveillance, no spying whatsoever. I get to have a life of my own outside of this ship without you interfering. That is the only way I will accept." She kept her face expressionless and didn't let her gaze falter once.

Dargus barked out a laugh. "Very well. Deal's off. I keep my million, and you return to poverty. I don't want you as a concubine; I want you. If you want to continue making these outrageous demands, you will get nothing."

Yelara clenched her teeth as Dargus laughed in her face. She stood straight up again, staring past him and looking at the black, marble wall behind him. From there, she could see the reflection of herself, her thin, sickly body looking unthreatening; it was no wonder Dargus didn't take her demands seriously. She was no longer the tall, supple beauty who exuded a confident, powerful presence wherever she went. She realized, standing there and staring at her almost withered body, that she would have to accept anything Dargus offered her. She would have to relent, surrender to him. The only thing comforting her now, was that everything she was about to give up would be for a good cause. "I understand completely, Dargus," she replied, her eyes still staring at her reflection. She shifted them back to Dargus and asked wryly, "So when does the ravaging begin?"

"You need to put on a little weight first. It'd be like having sex with one of those old skeletons you find in museums. Once you're healthy again, then the ravaging will begin. Now, come along, it's time to feed you, my lovely."

---

"Many Happy Returns, Part 2"
By: Yelara Neerou - a nobody drifter
Dargus Kandran - the lovesick Crimelord, Kandran Syndicate

Location: Dargus' Ship
Date: Selene 22, 3ABY

***

Yelara shuddered as she walked into the same dining room she and Dargus had dined in her second night on the station. They didn't eat much that night, as she remembered, but the table did come in handy for the after dinner activities. The corners of Yelara's face curled into a smile as she recalled that evening's events, but she grimaced as she also remembered the pain and the humiliation of that night. Dargus, even then, had treated her badly and used threats and even physical force to get her to comply to his wishes. It was fitting that, upon her return to him, tonight, he brought her here...most likely to stir up those memories and remind her that if he didn't have her obedience, he had the means to force it from her.

"I've been eating...somewhat. I just can't keep it down, that's all. My stomach has been unsettled for weeks." Yelara glanced sideways at Dargus. He must have been feeling quite content with himself right now, which disgusted Yelara even more. She would not be able to keep down any food she swallowed as long as that smile was on his face.

"Oh, no need to worry about that," Dargus said with a wide grin. "I have a little draught here for you that will take care of that in no time at all." He held up a glass filled with a bluish green liquid. "It should settle your stomach and bring back your appetite. Actually, the only thing it won't do is put hair on your chest."

Yelara looked at the tonic, and for a moment, panic rippled through her as she believed Dargus was trying to poison her - a punishment for leaving him; a message to all his other women, deterring them from ever leaving. A look of terror flashed across her face and she stepped back from Dargus. "I...I don't want that," she said almost breathlessly.

Dargus watched her for a moment, incredulous, and then sighed. He took a sip from the glass, made sure she saw he had swallowed it, and then regarded her. "Perfectly safe, and it has a nice, minty aftertaste. Please, Yelara. Drink."

Yelara sighed as the preposterous thought quickly faded in her mind. Dargus wouldn't poison her. No, he would choose a more bloody and painful death if he truly wanted her dead, one indicative of Dargus Kandran's style. Yelara grabbed the tonic from Dargus' hand and drank it down. "Happy now?" she asked, handing the empty flask abruptly to Dargus and walking further into the dining room.

"Quite," Dargus answered. He motioned for her to sit. "Now, you should be ready to eat again soon. Now, let's talk about something and be nice to one another."

"Fine. What shall we talk about?" Yelara answered plainly as she took a seat at the table, one far away from Dargus'. "Let's see...we don't have anything in common, Dargus...well, except for the fact that we were both born on Corellia and we have no real family left." Yelara said playfully. "I assume you don't have any family. I mean, you never mention them and, frankly, I don't think a person as hateful and violent as you could have been born from a woman's womb. I always pictured you as being some evil demon spawn."

"I have a mother and two siblings, a brother and a sister. They have their share of the syndicate."

Yelara gave a sardonic laugh as she played with the fork on the table, picking at the tines with her finger. "So, in other words, you treat them like your concubines. You make sure they are well provided for, but you couldn't care less for them. Am I right?"

"They don't care for me, so why should I waste the emotion on them? And, to correct your obvious misinterpretation, I do care deeply for all my girls. I give them the world."

"At least you have a family, Dargus. And if you didn't care for them, you wouldn't be providing for them," Yelara answered, letting the fork drop and placing her elbows on the table. Yelara chuckled to herself and shook her head in disbelief. "You really don't expect me to believe that you have enough love in that tiny heart of yours to spread around to 100 concubines, do you?"

"Oh, but you see, loving someone and caring for them are two entirely different concepts. I love you, but I care for them. Caring is implied within the love, but love is not implied in the caring." A droid entered with food, but Dargus promptly ignored it. "I am afraid, my dear, that your view of me is quite...jaded. You sit in judgement of my tiny heart yet you are incapable of returning my love. It sounds like I'm not the one with the tiny heart, my dear."

Yelara stared at Dargus, her eyes filling with rage. She detested the fact that Dargus could go around, killing whomever he wished, treat her like dirt, and meanwhile, call her the heartless one. "If that's what you think, then why do you even bother with me? If I'm not capable of loving you, then why do you insist upon intruding in my life?"

"Please correct me if I'm remembering this incorrectly, but...you came to me. I'm not interfering in your life, you came back into mine. When you are kind and calm, you're wonderful to be with; however, when you get agitated, you can be a real bitch. Still, I do love you, or else I wouldn't bother with those attitudes. If I could figure out a way to keep you pleasant to be around, I'd do so. Though, for now, I'll endure."

"I only came back to you because I need your money, Dargus. Besides, the sex isn't that bad either," Yelara said, looking up at him with a sly grin. "At any rate, I'm here now. Can we just forget what happened in the past? I'm tired of discussing things that we no longer have control over. I know I left you, but consider it as my needing time away from you in order to realize I truly need you," she added, her smile sweet and somewhat disdainful.

"That's good enough for me," Dargus answered. "Now, what I can't wait for is for you to put on a few more pounds and to get some colour back."

"Yeah, can't wait," Yelara said, somewhat enthusiastically as she put some food on her fork and brought it to her lips. It may have been meaningless to Dargus, but to Yelara, taking this bite of food and swallowing it down would mean that she was sealing her fate. She would become healthy again, then Dargus could have his way with her. The rebels would get the supplies they needed, Dargus would get Yelara back at his side and in his bed, and Yelara...Yelara didn't exactly know what she was getting out of this deal. She knew it was giving her the resources she needed to help out in the rebellion, but she was beginning to wonder if this really was the way to honour her parents and avenge them.

She could just throw the plate of food at him and get the hell away from Tae'Karada, but she had no idea where she would go or what she would do if she did.

Yelara stared at the food upon her fork, her hand trembling gently. "Don't worry, Dargus. I should be in peak form before you know it," she said quietly as she pushed the fork into her mouth and began chewing. She had made her choice now. Dargus had her and would have her for the next two weeks. All she would have is a job, new clothes and her apartment back. She figured she could live with that...at least for a while.

---