Chapter 31 - Kane Arc (2): From A to Z

So waking up strapped to a table was something new. My arms and legs bound in manacles as I woke up in a dark chamber. I had apparently been stripped to my underwear and I could see my gear and equipment tossed haphazardly onto a nearby table with a tall curvy woman looking over it absently.

She had a really nice butt, and a wondrously curvy body with lime green skin. She wore a tight shirt and pants that showed off her body but in very a tasteful and respectable way. What I also noticed was that her hand was covered in an odd cybernetic glove. My attentions were unfortunately drawn away from her very nice ass towards the massive albino Kath hound looking at me.

"Oh you're so cute!" I smiled at her, she was just so freaking adorable and such a lovely white coat. I loved dogs, and cats… essentially anything with fur really, but especially dogs. Don't tell Milky.

"Why thank you, I try…" the woman said absently, with a rather humored smile while she still examined my gear.

"I was talking to the kath hound…" I added absently causing her to look up and slightly over her shoulder confused, and a little insulted. "Who's a good girl?" I smiled at the big dog. It tilted its head, apparently confused at my voice and manner. I loved it when they did that it was so damn cute. "Who's a good girl?" I repeated and to my immense happiness its large tail began to wag affectionately on the floor. "You are!" I laughed as she began to pant happily, "Yes you are!"

She barked suddenly as if agreeing with me, her tongue happily lolling from her mouth, apparently unused to verbal affection. "Onara!" the woman scolded, obviously surprised at her guard dog. She turned to face the large kath hound accusingly and immediately the dog whimpered and stopped; lying down obediently on the floor.

"Ah she was just being nice…" I scolded the woman as she turned to look at me fully. "I love dogs…" I smiled looking down at Onara as her tail wagged at my attentions subtly.

"She's not supposed to be nice…" the beautiful green woman approached me, "She's a guard dog."

I examined her very well sculpted features; I think once upon a time I met one of her species. A male had come to one of my mother's private gatherings when I was much, much younger. "…Are you a Falleen? I think I met one of your kind before…"

She smiled, she was very pretty in a 'mad scientist' sort of way. "Really? I'm rather surprised you recognized my kind. Do you remember the name? Not many of us leave our home world…"

"…Kabiro?" I said hesitantly and her smile faded just slightly, "I think? It was awhile and I didn't meet him for very long."

She stroked her chin with her ungloved hand looking at my face thoughtfully. "…Kasiro?" she asked coolly. And suddenly it clicked.

"Yeah!" I laughed at the recognition, "Kasiro! That was it… I didn't really meet him actually I just saw him in a crowd at a party I wasn't allowed at."

She sniffed absently, and hummed dismissively, mostly to herself. "Well… its unimportant." She added pulling away from me. "So… any questions before I begin?"

I blinked at her, opening my mouth and promptly closing it. I wasn't expecting that but I managed to recover. "Well, okay I got a few… why am I here? Because if you're looking to ransom me i'm going to go ahead and tell you that you're out of luck…"

"Well you are here because I needed a superior human specimen to test my mind controlling chemicals on…" she smiled cheerfully at me, "…And you're the one that caught my interest. So, good for you." But her smile faded a little, as her brilliant mind registered my words, "Ransom? What do you mean ransom?"

I blinked at her, "…Just what I said…" my eyes narrowed at her for a moment, "…Never mind forget it."

"No. No now I'm curious what do you mean by ransom?" she asked leaning away and watching me intently. Her arms crossing across her nice chest.

I sighed sadly, "Well… I guess it's better if you don't call her for one, since we'd all probably horribly die but, my mother is Moff Altora Kane…"

Her hands suddenly slammed onto the table I was strapped too and she stood up shocked, "You're Aiden Kane!?" she began laughing cheerfully as if meeting an old friend "I haven't seen you since you were a little baby!! Look how big you've gotten!" then eyeing my underwear she added with a rather knowing tone, "…Look how big you've gotten…"

"Wait… have we met?" I asked her, suddenly concerned, "I don't think we…"

"Oh! No, no of course you wouldn't remember me you were just a baby." She sat on the table, slapping my scarred leg with her ungloved hand, "You mother of course called me to examine you and…" she paused, eyeing me thoughtfully for a moment. "…Wait, you don't know me. She never told you about me." she frowned in thought and scowled angrily getting off the table, "Fuck. My experiment is compromised."

"Wait what?" I asked as she began scowling and pacing angrily. "I am so confused right now."

She waved her hand dismissively, "Nothing. Its not important just incredibly inconvenient." She sighed again, "Well damn it…" she eyed me again, tapping her arm lightly as she watched me. "…What am I going to do with you?" she grumbled, "All of Torga's money wasted… he's going to be so annoying." She dropped into a chair near the kath hound and absently scratched Onara's head, "I can't just kill you that would be such a waste."

"I agree that would be a waste…" I replied nodding my head quickly. Trying to get her off that subject as quickly as possible.

She sighed again, eyeing the kath hound absently. "I can't just let you go… what should I do with you?" she scowled at me, "I can't even risk drugging you. What a damn waste."

I let my head drop softly back onto the table, "Okay. You put a contract on me, kidnap me, tied me to a table and now you aren't going to do anything with me?" I rolled my eyes and then closed them, "…Really? All of that?"

"I know right?" she mumbled, agreeing with me, "…What's worse is I'm going to have to deal with Tuuba… he's getting so damn tedious now. Not even worth sticking around and he's just wasting my talents… and I've gotten so bored of making his stupid movies."

"Well how about a handjob or something?" I said more joking then anything, "Come on, you spent all that money and I'm seriously considering adding gigolo to my job resume.'"

"No." she replied bluntly. Ignoring me and continuing to ponder…

"You can always tell him to ransom me." I mumbled halfheartedly, "Probably get him nuked from orbit though."

She went rigidly still, eyeing me just a little more curiously, "…Really?" she leaned towards me, giving me a soft smile as a manic glint of an idea appeared in her emerald eyes. "…Are you sure?"

"My mother hates me." I said softly, sitting up and eyeing her hesitantly, "If anything she wouldn't tell my sisters, and have them to bombard Tuuba's palace trying to kill me. She doesn't negotiate."

She started chuckling, then that grew to laughter, then full on mad scientist guffawing. "Bloody fucking brilliant!" she smiled at me and gently pinched my cheeks, "Ah Aiden… you really are one in a million." She was pinching my cheek almost affectionately and clapped her hands suddenly brisk, "Onara come! We need to get everything packed! I imagine Babayaga would be happy to put us up as long as we behave."

And she left me, strapped to a table and waiting in the darkness. "Uh… hey! Miss? Hey!!" I shouted but no answer, so I simply laid my head back down and closed my eyes. I might as well sleep if I couldn't do anything else. But after what seemed like a moment I opened my eyes to find her standing over me again, installing a blue cartridge into her glove. "Oh no… what the fuck is that?" I grumbled.

"My drug injector." She replied, approaching me, "I have to thank you… I've been trying to figure out a way to get out of Tuuba's slimy grip for awhile. And while my experiments won't be as productive under Babayaga they will be significantly more appreciated."

"What experiments?" I grumbled, trying to struggle away as she approached. She paused for a moment, her gloved hand outstretched to grab me hesitating.

"…My father." She said softly pulling her hand away, "Kasiro, the man you met, sired me with his mistress, a Zeltron. I've always been fascinated by my whore of a mother's natural gifts: the empathic abilities and the pheromones. I am trying to apply both to these drugs, trying to influence the brain and emotions. To control people with a touch." She flexed her fingers in the glove. "…Mostly to pass the time you understand; 'For Science!' as it were. The process has been lucrative; monetarily and fascinatingly so. I have become the foremost expert in the field really. Although to be fair the field is pretty small.

Onara's head slowly brushed against her ungloved hand and she gently stroked it, "I'm close… I can feel it. I'm narrowing it down… I need more test subjects, human subjects, strong willed people, the list is endless." she grinned cheerily, "Imagine the time I've put into this!"

"Well I'm happy for you…" I mumbled sarcastically, "So… why can't you use it on me? Not that I'm complaining…"

She eyed me for a moment, then taking her ungloved hand she slapped my face gently, "Don't worry about it." then a pair of gamorreans, one was a very a familiar bulky one, appeared behind her as spoke, "Just enjoy your nap." And she slapped her glove on my face and I felt the blissful sleep once more…

I woke up to a fist slamming against my face as the bulky gamorrean brawler punched me awake. I groaned angrily and spat out a small amount of blood before my eyes settled on the bulging frame of Tuuba the hutt, one slimy warty hand caressing a human slave girl as he watched me.

"Hard to believe you have cost me so much money…" he said, grinning greedily at me, "And that you've gotten me so much more… I'll have to thank Xalbaia later…"

It might have been the minor concussion and the mixture of drugs in my system but I seemed to be more delirious than usual. "…Please tell me you didn't ransom me…" I grumbled.

"Awe… is the whiny rich boy afraid of his family money?" I couldn't help but feel the irony behind that considering who was saying it. Tuuba laughed, and disgustingly licked his slave girl with his wide fleshy tongue. "The trade should be happening anytime now… Xalbaia knocked you out good."

"Oh fuck me…" I groaned angrily, "We need to get to a bunker or something this palace is going to be glassed…"

"Shut up." Tuuba grumbled, as he forced the skimpy dressed girl to rub against his body, "Every cent. You are going to get me back every! CENT! Of the money you cost me!" he roared, losing his temper and shoving the girl away as she scrambled quickly from him as he flowed down his dais to grab me by the collar.

Oh hey I've been redressed… that was nice of them. I wanted to look my best before I was incinerated in ship fire.

"I have lost hundreds of thousands of credits! All your fault!" he spat at me, I just took it. Fuck we were all going to die anyway might as well let him vent a little more. "If they didn't offer me so much money for your miserable red hide I would feed you to my hounds!"

I sniffed at him indignantly, then instantly regretted it, he smelled like shit. He must have recently taken a hutt bath. "…Have you actually contacted your Xalbaia since she handed me over to you?" I asked calmly, sighing as the look on his face seemed to soften, "Because seriously, we need to get out of here…"

"Be silent you human shit!" he hissed angrily at me, his hands gripping my neck as if resisting the desire to strangle me. "Be fucking silent!"

"… You just aren't very smart are you Tuuba?" I finally said, trying to get everything moving, "Because I don't know what she told you… but my mother doesn't negotiate. Especially not for me…"

As if on cue the entire palace suddenly shook violently as something smashed into it. Then heavy blaster fire and more explosions as the palace continued to shake. The trap door on the floor suddenly opened up and swallowed a terrified guard as the shaking increased.

"What is going on!!" roared Tuuba tossing me away and grabbing a nearby guard while a plethora of scantily clad slave girls screamed and ran out of a nearby hallway trying to dodge blaster fire. At least half a dozen dark troopers being led by what looked like a male Cipher Agent expertly took down dozen's of Tuuba's guards as they approached.

"Get the target!" one of them shouted, probably the agent.

The look of utter defeat and dejection on Tuuba's face would've been funny if he wasn't so broken. He didn't even resist as they black bagged me and dragged me away. I felt one of them keep my head down as they lead me away, firing everywhere as we went. It was like an action film. I was so drugged and tired I didn't even try to ask what was going on as I suddenly felt my feet slap against the metal of a ship.

"Target acquired!" came the voice again, "Extracting the target now!"

I felt the ship move beneath me and realized we were up in the air. "Sir? What are your orders concerning the hutt?"

"Tell them to wreck the palace but pull out once we've returned to the ship." the voice replied, "Shoot anything that shoots back."

"Yes Sir, relaying orders…"

"Is the black bag really necessary?" I asked as I felt my hands bound tightly in my lap.

"Yes." Came the first voice again, I'm just going to refer to him as the agent. He didn't elaborate on a reason, but his curt and firm reply told me not to push it. The ride was silent and awkward; nobody said anything as I sat there. Honestly I was a little surprised I was extracted, Mother would've had the Tuuba's palace glassed from orbit with me inside…

...Holy shit did Tolara and Kavilla save me? If so I owed them a drink, and dinner… probably something really nice like a new blaster.

I felt the ship land, and I was pulled to my feet. Held by two separate guards I was led down the ramp and suddenly I could tell a massive gather of troopers was around us, and they stomped their feet untied in attention. Then the bag was pulled off my head and my blood went cold…

Green eyes, red hair, long legs… But not Tolara or Kavilla…

"…Mother…" I said, legitimately surprised that she was here in person.

Her eyes twitched as she heard the words leave my mouth, like I slapped her in the face just by speaking them. Then she eyed the Cipher Agent standing beside me, "Do it."

And as he slammed his rifle butt against my head. I wished for Xalbaia's drugs.

-

Today was… not a fun day. This was my what? Third? Fourth knockout? honestly I lost count. But my head rang, my body ached, and honestly I wasn't sure if 'today' was still 'today' it might have actually have been several days.

I was cold, if the air was cold then that meant… I sat up on the cell cot I had been tossed on. I scowled as I looked around. Yep. I was in the brig of a Star destroyer all right. I stared at the massive pink forcefield that held me in the cell. Just outside of it sat the Cipher agent in a folding chair, he was mask less now revealing a heavy burn scar on his right cheek, blue eyes and blonde hair. He stood up as I got off the cot and held up his com to his mouth, "He's awake…"

"Yep…" I grumbled, rubbing my head, "Did you need to hit me?"

He didn't answer; he just stood there glaring imposingly at me and waited. I glared back for a moment, but seeing as it wasn't getting me anywhere I began to pace, occasionally looking at him. He hadn't moved at all, it was unnerving. But soon I heard a pneumatic door open and close, and the echoing of feet coming towards me.

…My mother Altora Kane approached the Agent. "Thank you Cipher 3 that will be all… give me privacy please."

Cipher 3 saluted, and pulled a small device from a pouch on his suit, pressing it the lights flicked briefly and he promptly walked away. I soon heard the pneumatic door open and close again. My mother was no better company, glaring at me emotionlessly as I continued to pace. Watching me with her eyes as I did so.

"You are, by far, the worst mistake I have ever made in my life…" she said finally after a long moment of silence; factual and to the point, like a super glue laced band aid being ripped off my balls.

I laughed to myself, "Tell me something I don't know." I scowled back at her, rolling my eyes.

Her mouth twitched ever so slightly, almost a smile. But that was impossible, she never smiled at me it would destroy her face. "…Sabiel was so proud of you." She said softly, I paused as she used dad's name. it had been so long since I've heard it that I almost forgotten it. "So happy to have a son…" she scowled and shook her head, "…Such a disappointment. I'm glad he's not here to see you now."

I rolled my eyes again, "Uh huh…" I replied, not really listening and still pacing. "Seriously mother? Get to the fucking point."

"So much like your father…" she scowled angrily, "Open your ears for once and listen to me Aiden." I glared at her and she continued, "...I will say this about you Aiden. You saved my marriage…" she said nodding thoughtfully, "…If I hadn't conceived you I have no doubt that Sabiel would've left me. So thank you Aiden. I'll never say those words to you again."

"You've never said them to me before so I'm not surprised. Are we done now?"

But she just kept talking, that same steady voice echoing in my cell, "He was just… so disappointed that I didn't give him a son first. Two remarkable young women, massive potential and simply perfect in every imperial way but no, he wanted a son. We tried of course, I did truly love him after all…" she sighed disappointedly, "…But there were some nights when the fighting just got so bad… it made me want to drink."

"I don't hear you getting to it mother…" I scowled turning away from her and staring at the far wall as if suddenly expecting to find a door.

"…Do you know the odds of an interspecies couple producing a child?" she asked bluntly, I turned to face her and opened my mouth to answer but she scowled me to silence. "Essentially 1 in two million…"

"So?" I asked annoyed, "Like you give a shit about interspecies-"

"Yes… you have quite a few, don't you? Your Cathar whore and your twi'lek slut… even that republic cunt that you met on Dormund Kaas…" she hit every button and I suddenly wanted to stab her. Well even more than usual, probably with a vibro knife I knew how much that hurt. "You do have a fondness for the lesser breed don't you?" she sniffed indignantly, "You get that from your father…"

"Dad never had an interest in alien women." I snarled at her, "For some fucking reason mother he only had eyes for you."

"I wasn't talking about Sabiel I was talking about your father…" she repeated cruelly, and the whole world went cold and quiet.

I stared at her as the implication registered. No. She was fucking lying…

"You're fucking lying…" I said softly, my mouth agape as my eyes widen. "What the fuck are you talking about?"

She snorted angrily, "I told you so many fucking times Aiden…" she replied coolly, swearing at me to make sure I was paying attention, "You are the worst mistake I ever made. One in two million. What were the odds that the one time I was too drunk to resist I would be impregnated after a one night stand?"

"You are fucking LYING!!!" I roared at her walking right up the field and screaming at her, "You're just trying to fuck with me!"

"You father was a worthless, degenerate Zeltron bartender gigolo who liked to intoxicate and screw women in his bar like a rapist." She hissed brutally, "Like father like son… You are part Zeltron, Aiden… I have to admit we were lucky that you inherited my good looks." She added, turning away from me, "But make no mistake your father was that Zeltron… I was pregnant long before I tricked Sabiel into thinking you were his. Of course that Zeltron fool had to go, so I had my Cipher at the time take care of it."

"FUCK YOU!!" I roared at her but she remained unflinching, slamming at the force field with my fists and taking the burning sensation in my hands, "FUCK YOU!"

"Actually that reminds me… do you know the qualities of Zeltrons? Fascinating but disgusting things…" she turned to me and regardless of her stoic and cold face there was a cruel manic glint in her eyes. "They have minor empathic abilities and pheromone powers… they can project their feelings onto others. I imagined that's how your worthless father truly got me…"

"Force fucking damn it." I hissed, angrily at her, "Maybe you just liked fucking aliens you gods damn hypocrite!"

Then the most horrific thing happened. She actually smiled at me. It would haunt my worst nightmares forever. "Aiden… did you ever wonder why those women you are so fond of are so attached to you?"

…My heart literally stopped as my mind registered what she was asking me… and I dropped to my knees as they gave out. I angrily willed myself to stand back up but my body betrayed me.

"They are so fond of you…" she repeated slowly, her words squirming in my ears like a parasitic worm. "But… wait a moment." she gasped mockingly covering her mouth as if realizing something, "Haven't your relationships with them escalated rather quickly?"

"…Shut up…"

"I mean. What are the odds?" she began again, slowly pacing before me as if legitimately in thought. "You meet your favorite holo slut… and in the same day she's in your bed practically declaring her love for you?"

"Shut up."

"Or that togruta spy, that Scarlet whore. She seemed a little too attached after just meeting you didn't she? She became quite obsessed."

"Shut up!!"

"And your twi'lek… I know she's a sex slave… but you got her to do exactly what you wanted her too when you first met her didn't you? She was probably the easiest of your conquests."

"SHUT UP!!" I roared slamming my hands against the force field ignoring the searing crippling pain as I tried to beat my mother to death. "Shut up!! Force damn it. SHUT UP!!!" finally my body just couldn't take the pain anymore.

I collapsed into a heap on the floor from the pain, and she glared coolly down at me… "If it makes you feel better, I truly believe that you love them…" she said, cruelly sympathetic, "…But they are all living a lie, Aiden…" she hissed venomously, "…They don't love you. It's all you, forcing your feelings onto them with your natural abilities. Just like your father… a date rapist." She leaned close, whispering piercingly in my ears, I couldn't block her out. Even as I tried to cover my ears with my singed hands, "At the end of the day Aiden… you are still worthless and alone. A mistake…" She pulled away, back straight and utterly proud of herself, "…And I have no need for you anymore. It is no longer lucrative to let you roam free. But you can still provide me with one last benefit. My friends on Korriban need fresh and healthy slaves…" she began laughing, walking towards the door of the brigs, "And I am to please…"

I don't… I didn't know what to say anymore… I don't know what to think. I just lied there… alone in my cell, feeling colder and colder. And not just because of the AC. That's why Xalbaia knew me as a baby… my mother obviously brought up the discussion about my lineage with her, how to prepare me, maybe even use me. Maybe that's why even though my sisters, who were so much like mother, loved me like they do. Because I loved them, I was forcing those sibling affections onto them.

The more I thought about it, the worse I felt. And the worse I felt the more I wished Yura, and Milky, and Newt and Scarlet were here. And the more I wished for that the more I thought about it, and the spiral began anew but become steadily worse and worse as the horrible feeling in my stomach grew… I made them fall in love with me, and not in a natural way. I was subconsciously forcing them into our relationship. Curling up on the floor like a whimpering child, I believed that my mother was right, it was all a lie. And as that thought dominated my mind I began to truly believe my mother was right about one more thing…

I really was a mistake…