Beyond - Legends OTP Challenge #18: 5+1 The Courtship of Jacen Solo (Jacen/Tenel Ka AU)

Title: The Courtship of Jacen Solo
Author: Anedon
Characters: Jacen Solo, Tenel Ka Djo
Genre: Romance, Adventure
Timeline: Legends AU, 34 ABY
Summary: While exploring rumors about a civilization of force using warrior women on the forgotten world of Dathomir Jacen finds himself captured by one of them.

Summary: Five times she goes out of her way to show him kindness, one time he returns the favor.

Author's Note: This story is set in an AU timeline, with the main divergence, when it comes to this story at least, being that Dathomir has remained isolated during the entirity of the galactic civil war with(except a certian Hapan prince...) and still a myth by 34 ABY when Jacen goes to investigate the rumors he heard. Keen eyed readers also might stumble across a few more differences that could be referenced.

Thanks to @Adalia-Durron for her help and support.


One

When Jacen awoke his head was still hurting, the memory of the crash still flashing before his eyes. He had believed it would be the end of him, had cursed himself for coming here alone, for his curiosity that had once again gotten him in trouble. Slowly as his head began to clear and his senses he returned to him. He was in the open, he heard the sounds of nature, a forest surrounding him. Jacen felt, the sun and shadow alternating on his face and the tattered remains of his Jedi jumpsuit. And he felt the ropes tied around his hands and feet, holding him upside down at the side of a living, moving creature. Then his eyes finally cleared themselves and he could see where he was. He was hanging upside down from side of a large Rancor, a Rancor ridden by a young woman, Jacen guessed her in her early twenties, his own age. Wearing an armor made from what seemed to be leather, war paint on her face and a long spear on her back she looked wild, dangerous, but also beautiful. "What?" Jacen muttered and the woman turned her head towards him.

"You are awake," she said, sternly but Jacen could feel no outright hostility in her voice. "What is your name?" she asked him.

"Jacen..." he said instinctively as he began to struggle against the ropes tying him to the Rancors saddle, his head pained him due to his uncomfortable position.

"Well Jacen, I am Tenel Ka Djo, daughter of Teneniel , great granddaughter of Augwynne, Warrior of the Singing Mountain Clan, and you will be my slave."

Slave?

Jacen felt panic raising inside of him, so he took a deep breath to clam himself down. He needed to focus if he wanted to get out of this, if he could use the force to loosen his bonds he could surely. "I would stop that if I where you." Before he could even notice the woman, Tenel Ka had taken her spear off her back and now pointed it at his throat. Jacen felt how her mind touched his in the Force. Whoever she was, she too had the force. "Are you a witch?" Jacen asked, remembering the legends that had inspired him to come here in the first place, to see if truly tribes of wild women lived on Dathomir who mastered the Force.

"I am, what are you? A warlock?" She asked.

Jacen decided that, at least for now it was probably the best to play along for a time, and thus answer her questions. "No, I am a Jedi," as he said it he instinctively looked for his lightsaber but it wasn't on his belt, he had probably lost it during the crash of his ship.

"My Clanmother has told stories of the Jedi who lived beyond the stars, my sisters will be jealous of such a catch, the best since my mother found her life-mate, he came from the heavens as well." This information overwhelmed Jacen a bit but it seemed that conversation was successful vessel to keep her from killing him. There was no hatred in her mind, not even cruelty, for her taking him as a slave seemed to be the most normal thing in the world. His headache from hanging upside down became worse and he closed his eyes for a few seconds while he used the Force to ease the pain. Her spirit had noticed his pain as well and he felt compassion for a few seconds, but when he opened them again he felt her spear on his throat once more. "If you promise to behave I can get you more comfortable," Tenel Ka offered.

"I do," Jacen said, desperate to get away from the pain. "I will behave." He felt how Tenel Ka touched his mind again to see if he was honest, then she grabbed the remnants of his flightsuit with one hand while cutting the ropes around his legs with the other. She kept his hands tied behind his back as she pulled him up and helped him to sit in the saddle in front of her. Jacen couldn´t help but notice and admire her strength, his eyes briefly running over her bare muscular arms and legs.

"Better like this?" She asked. "Yes, thanks," Jacen said as he felt how the headache lessened more and more. It had been a gesture of kindness, something that told him Tenel Ka wasn´t his enemy, even if she tried to enslave him. If he could further appeal to that side of her, he would surely find a way out of this situation.


It was already dark when they reached Tenel Ka´s village, on the way here they hadn´t spoken much. Jacen had tried several times but his captor had shot him down, insisting on him keeping quiet until they reached their home. So Jacen had followed her command not wanting to risk provoking her. Still there where many questions in his head, and so he had turned and tried to remember everything he had heard about Dathomir before. Allegedly the Jedi had exiled some of their own there in the distant past, with their descendants forming tribes of warrior women tough there had been no mention of their males, where they all slaves? He remembered how Tenel Ka had called him a warlock, but he knew nothing more of this and he couldn´t ask her to learn further things.

When he was able to ignore his own situation the planet they traveled across fascinated him. The forest was as filled with life as the rainforest on Yarvin, but here in addition to it the force was present as if it was woven into the land itself. It was neither the light or dark side, not even a clear balance, here the force was wild, untamed, just as the land. Jacen wished he was able to explore these forests undisturbed, and study the animals. But more than even that he wished his silent captor would talk to him.

The village was larger than he had expected, surely large enough to house several hundred people it was located at the slopes of the mountain the tribe living here took its name from. Jacen felt dozens of sleeping minds ahead, many of them where force sensitive. In a large enclosure a bit further along the mountainside he felt several dozen Rancors.

"Good Hunting?" Someone called out to them, when Jacen looked to the ground he saw a dark haired woman, around the same age as himself and Tenel Ka with a torch who looked up to them.

"Better than ever," Tenel Ka replied but without many emotions in her voice. "I´ve got myself a slave from beyond the Stars."

"He is from, beyond?..." The other witch said and took a closer look at Jacen. A look that turned from curiosity into something else, desire. Jacen felt uncomfortable and turned his gaze away. "You aren't selling him are you?" The woman on the ground asked.

"He is my first captive, Nyssa, he belongs to me and only I decide what to do with him," Tenel Ka responded, sharply, perhaps the first time Jacen had ever noticed her raising her voice. "That's a fact."

 

Cool!!! Fantabulous start!

 

Thanks @WarmNyota_SweetAyesha
Its a bit of a different take on their relationship, so I´m glad you are enjoying it.


Tenel Ka's hut was a bit larger than those they had come across before. After leaving Tenel Ka's Rancor at the enclosure where the witches guarding it had mustered Jacen in a way similar to Nyssa the guard. So Jacen had been glad when Tenel Ka had taken his still tied arm and lead him through the village towards her home.

The floor of the house was made out of blocks of carved rock, at one side Jacen saw a stone fireplace with a stack for the smoke, though for the moment it was cold. A large stone table and a few wooden stools filled the middle of the room and in the back he could see a stone sleeping platform with several furs.

"Then let's see if you can make yourself useful, boy from the stars," Tenel Ka said as she untied Jacen's hand. After so many hours of being tied Jacen took a moment to rub his wrists before he turned towards his captor. Now that he was untied he might have a chance at overpowering her, but this was her world, her home, she clearly held the advantage. And even if he did overpower her where could he even go? When he closed his eyes and reached out in the force he felt how, hundreds of her sisters surrounded them, no for now his only hope was to stick with her.

"Get a fire running," she ordered.

Jacen smiled to himself as he knelt down next to the cold stone fireplace, wood was already there, Tenel Ka seemed to be a very well organized person. Next to the fire he found flint stone and cinder. Thanking the Force for having learned this skill from the former TIE pilot Qorl when he had visited him in his refuge in the forests of Yarvin. Jacen managed to get the fire going within a few minutes.

"You aren't used to this are you?" Tenel Ka said but it was more of a finding than a question.

"That's a fact," Jacen said, remembering her words as they had entered the village.

For the fraction of a second he believed to have spotted the merest hint of a smile on her face but in the next he was sure he had imagined it. Reaching out with his mind he tried to touch hers for a few seconds but she blocked his attempts. Now that light filled the hut Jacen took the opportunity to look around. He saw several wooden cupboards, filled with all sorts of curious items, various herbs some known, others unknown to him. Several spears and a bow with arrows where placed in holdings amongst the walls. A few colorful banners where placed in another corner, near to the fireplace he spotted also a large wooden tub.

"There is a well outside, did you see it was we came?" Tenel Ka asked and Jacen nodded. "Get us some water for the tub." Jacen stood up and took a bucket from besides the tub and made his way to the well. Thankfully it was not far, just about a dozen steps from Tenel Ka's hut, which in combination with the somewhat larger hut made Jacen think that she was an important figure in the tribe. As he lowered the bucket into the well he briefly considered fleeing again but he saw that Tenel Ka stood in the entrance of her hut, watching him, so he gave up on the idea.

It took him several walks to the well and back to fill the tub with enough water. During his later tracks he noticed Tenel Ka wasn't watching him anymore but he still felt that flight was out of the question.

While the fireplace slowly began heating up the water in the tub Tenel Ka asked him if he was able to cook. Jacen shook his head and said the only dishes he was able to cook where simple pressed rations, nothing real. He saw disappointment on Tenel Ka's face, but only for a brief moment before she began instructing him how to prepare a simple meal for them with the ingredients he found in one of the cupboards. While he was working on the cooking his captor bathed in the tub, Jacen kept his eyes on the food, his face burning red as he successfully fought the urge to look into her direction. Soon the food was cooking and after several minutes it was ready to be eaten.

He and Tenel Ka, now bathed and clothed in a simple leather tunic sat down at the stone desk to eat. Jacen had forgotten how hungry he was after hours and hours since his last meal and so he was glad when Tenel Ka handed him a bowl.

"Not bad considering its your first try," she said and Jacen smiled at the compliment. They ate together in silence. After the meal was finished Tenel Ka stood up. "It's time for you to take a bath and I will see to find some new clothes for you."

Glad to hear this Jacen began to get out of the remains of his jumpsuit. His captor seemed to have felt his discomfort and so she turned around as he took of his underwear and climbed into the tub.

"I will leave you alone to get something for you to wear. Don´t run away." Her gaze was stern and Jacen was sure she would have one way or another to find out if he took the risk. The bath was wonderful and Jacen felt thankful for it as felt it wasn't something a slave would often be given. As he laid in the hot water he closed his eyes and calculated his options. He was probably able to flee from the house, maybe even to overpower Tenel Ka or another witch, but he would hardly be able to fight several of them at once, and here where hundreds of them who knew the lay of the land and where able to ride on Rancors, alone and on foot he had no chance of escaping. For now staying with Tenel Ka truly seemed his only option. She had shown him kindness and protected him from the leering stares of the other witches. If he stayed with her he was safe, for now. Hopefully long enough for his family to notice his disappearance and come looking for him. Jacen felt as if he could hit himself for not telling them where exactly he was going, but he knew sooner or later they would find him, whether with the tracker in his ship, if it still worked, or via his and Jaina's twin bond.

"You call those 'clothes'?" Jacen asked after Tenel Ka had given the piece of leather to him. It was essentially a pair of leather shorts, that reached down to about half of his thigh and nothing else.

"It's the usual wear for young slaves outside of winter," Tenel Ka said, her voice once again dead serious while her eyes wandered over Jacen's muscular upper body. "I can get you a tunic," she offered. "But it might get you in trouble with other witches."

Jacen gave her a short nod for her kindness but then said, "no its okay. For now at least." She had taken a few steps in his direction, now it was for him to swallow his pride. He sensed attraction in her mind as she continued to eye him in his new outfit. Not in a lustfull, desireing way, but more as admiration? For a brief moment Jacen thought back to how Master Alyaa Secura had told them how in her youth she had worn revealing clothing to distract her enemies, maybe he could attempt the same thing here. Tenel Ka returned his nod and sat down next to the fire, gesturing to do the same.

"Jacen, let me make this clear to you, I have no intention of hurting you, or doing anything cruel with you. As you probably noticed some of my sisters have a different mindset on things like that, they would take you as it pleases them. But my father taught me that kind of behavior is wrong.... If you are a good slave and serve me well I will be a kind mistress and give you more freedoms, more than most of my sisters would. If you turn on me or try to flee I will catch you, and sell you the cruelest one of them. Does that sound fair to you?"

Of course it did not but Jacen knew better than to provoke her in this situation. "It does, I will do my best not to give you troubles." At least until my siblings show up to get me out of here.

For a moment they sat silently next to each other, and in this moments Jacen felt how loneliness overcame him and fear. He was here, away from his family and anyone he knew, a slave and the only person he had any connection with was his mistress, of who he knew only little. Taking a deep breath and calming himself down in the force he decided to make another attempt at learning more about her. "Who are you Tenel Ka? I see you are a strong warrior, but I know so little about you and your culture."

"I'm the great granddaughter of Agewynne Djo, our clan mother, and the first huntress of our tribe," she pointed at the banners in the corner. "These are trophies I won in conflicts with other tribes."

"Can you tell me more? About you? About your world?" Jacen asked.

And while he learned about her and her exploits he also began to learn more of her through the Force. He noticed her determination, her commitment to her tribe and also, in a way to him. He now knew that everything she had said and the 'arrangement' they had made where true and genuine. She would protect him, but also expected him to pay her back with hard labor. He also noticed how she likewise looked at him through the Force, and let it happen. She didn't ask much about his story and his life before he came here, Jacen felt as if she wasn't particularly interested, at least not yet. Though the fact that his mother was a Queen seemed to impress her. During their talk the barrier between them had disappeared, or at least been moved to the background, now they were just two young people talking with each other.

Then with both of them struggling with tiredness Tenel Ka said, "I will get you a few furs, usually we tie up freshly captured slaves during the night, just to be sure, but if you promise me you will not try to escape you I will save you that."

"I promise I will not try to escape while you sleep," Jacen said and he felt again Tenel Ka checking his mind if he was honest.

Half an hour later Jacen had fallen asleep on his furs next to the fire. First he had felt too cold with the little clothing he had but Tenel Ka had given him several additional furs that kept him warm.

 

Nice progression as they get to know one another better and set out the details of his "servitude."

 

I love Jacen and Tenel Ka. I didn't love most of the plots in the YJK books, but I loved the characters and Jacen and Tenel Ka were always my favorites. Dathomir is a lot of fun, too, so seeing them together in this context is great. Looking forward to more!

 

That definitely sounds like an offer I wouldn't refuse. This is a delightful take on CoPL, and I think that Jacen could probably really get to like Dathomir....once we get past the whole slavery thing. Thank you for writing!

I had originally toyed with the idea of doing a 5 things for these two, but chickened out. Perhaps I'll rethink!

 

Thanks, yeah given how straightforeward Tenel Ka is I feel she would be like it in such a situation as well.

Always felt it being kind of a wasted opportunity we never really saw the two of them interact on Dathomir, they had quite a bit with Hapes and stuff but the other side of Tenel Ka´s heritage never really came up in regards to Jacen I feel. Glad you like it.

Oh that´s for sure, it has a great wildlife as well as a deep and rich history and present when it comes to the force. Its defenetly a place Jacen Could feel at home at, where there not that slavery inconvenience.

Cool, let me know if you decide to do it.



Three

Now Jacen understood why the slaves wore so little, the work in the heat of the Dathomirian autumn had him sweat all over his body. This form of harvest with at best some old sickles to cut the straws was so utterly outdated to the rest of the galaxy that in other circumstances Jacen had enjoyed it for the historic value of the experience. But now he instead thanked the physical training of the Jedi order and the Force for helping him remain on his feet. The other slaves surrounding him, most around his age seemed more used to this but even they had sweat running all over themselves. They where watched by a group of witches patrolling between them and occasionally grunting a command. Some of them wore leather whips at their belts but to Jacen's relief so far hadn't used them on anyone. Tenel Ka was here as well, she had explained to him that the witches took turns in watching the slaves while their sisters were out in the wilds to hunt. During the hours of his work Jacen had felt Tenel Ka's gaze on him and sometimes even her spirit had reached out to him. Several of the other witches where looking at him as well, but their thoughts felt different, worrying him, while also confirming what Tenel Ka had said, that she was likely his only protection here.

Jacen wondered what his siblings would say if they could see him in this moment scantily clad while sweating like a Bantha toiling under the gaze of these warrior women while his thoughts wandered time and time again to the one calling herself his owner. He assumed that, at least at first, both Jaina and Anakin couldn't help but laugh at his pitiful state and that was nothing to how his aunt would probably react. Prince Jacen of Alderaan, hero of the Jedi order and veteran of the Vong war, now turned shirtless slave by a bunch of primitive warrior women. That almost made himself chuckle, until a sharp pain hit his back. It wasn't the worst he had gone through in his life, when compared to some of the weapons the Yuuzahn Vong this whip was nothing.

"Don´t get lazy new one!" He was glad it wasn't Tenel Ka's voice but that of another witch. She was a bit older than him and Tenel Ka, probably her thirties and wore her dark hair in a tight knot. When he looked at Tenel Ka Jacen saw no emotions in her face, and even her mind didn't gave away any discomfort. For her this is the most normal thing in the world. It was understandable but also depressing at the same time, but probably hardly a surprise for someone who grew up in such a place.

"You've heard her, get back to work or I'll give you another one," Tenel Ka commanded, her voice being sharp again.

Jacen nodded and turned back down to the field, raising his sickle to cut the next stalks, collect several of them, than tie them to a bundle using one of the longer straws, before getting to the next. The speed the witches demanded from them was high and Jacen felt himself more than once using the Force to help himself keep up with the other slaves. All the while his thoughts continued to circle around his situation. He knew he shouldn't judge Tenel Ka for what she was doing, but at the same time, after their conversation yesterday evening, he had hoped there was something deeper between them, then just a strict but fair mistress/slave relationship.

This, physical and dull work was truly a new experience for him, in many ways it was the complete opposite to the life of a Jedi, but in many ways just as exhausting. Wiping of the sweat from his face Jacen turned to the next set of straws before him, the sickles the slaves had been given where blunt it seemed, the witches truly took no risks with them it seemed. A part of him still considered the option of fleeing, the fields would give him little cover but if he could make it to the tree line in the distance? Even then he had little hope, the witches knew this place better than he ever could and in groups riding Rancors they would easily be able to hunt him down. There was at least a dozen of them surrounding him, too many for him to defeat at once. Maybe he could get the slaves to aid him? When he looked at them or reached out with his spirit though he found little fire within them, they had long since accepted their fate, a fate that had always been theirs from their first breath onwards. Jacen pitied them for that but also knew there was little help to be expected from them.

He wondered if his mother had felt a similar powerlessness when she had briefly been enslaved by Jabba the Hutt so many years ago. Well she had at least been comforted by his uncle's plan, probably clung herself to it, as Jacen now clung himself to the impression he had gotten of Tenel Ka yesterday. That she would protect him, make sure he wasn't mistreated. That it might even be possible for him to build a relationship with her, to turn her into a friend or at least an ally. The leering stares though, they were probably little different from what his mother had experienced in Jabba's palace. Most of the witches looked at him like that, though that hardly surprised him. Jacen's fitness, his brown hair and eyes had gotten him quite a bit of attraction in the past, and here compared to the more thin and plain bodies of the other slaves his muscular physique he stood out even more.

After several hours of work in the hot sun, the witches finally allowed them a break. The strike across his back had been the only time any of them had used violence on them which relieved Jacen a bit, at least they didn't torture their slaves like the Vong had done.

Sinking to the ground Jacen simply breathed for a few seconds while relaxing his muscles from the work. As he sat up he saw one of the witches had left him a plate with a small bread and a few stripes of grilled meat. Having suppressed his hunger until now Jacen quickly devoured the meal in front of him. Disappointed at how little it was, Jacen first didn't realize that Tenel Ka had sat down next to him. Her meal was considerably larger then what he had been given, which didn't surprise him. What did was how she took several bits of meat from her plate and about a third of her piece of bread and placed them on his.

"Thanks," Jacen said, a bit taken aback by this gesture.

"Can't let my best slave starve to death," she said so utterly serious Jacen truly wondered if she had been dead serious. "Best be careful when taking a break, the others won't tolerate a lazy slave," she explained to him. "And neither will I."

Jacen nodded slowly as he remembered the deal they had made the past evening. "I'm sorry, I'm..."

"It's okay, you did well, once you got used to it you will be faster than most here," Tenel Ka told him.

For a moment the two ate next to each other in silence. After they had finished their meal Tenel Ka took his hand and lead him a few meters through the fields to a small pond at the edge.

"Thought you might want to clean off a the sweat before you get back to work." His mistress said as they both together slowly stepped into the cold water. Its coolness was a welcome change from the heat on the fields and Jacen felt how his body welcomed the cold embrace. The pond was a bit deeper than Jacen had expected and in the middle of it both he and Tenel Ka stood to their upper arms in it.

Beginning to washing the sweat of off him Jacen noticed how Tenel Ka again looked at him with admiration and clear attraction. As he was mostly clean he decided to be a bit rebellious and used the Force to throw a small wave of water at her.

It was a mistake he knew the second after he had done it, she would punish him for that. But then, instead of a frown he saw the merest hint of a smile on her face, "you want a fight? Then you shall have it!" The Force told him how excited she was about the prospect of a good fight, and so he decided to give it to her.

It was a tough fight, where both of them used their physical and Force skills, finding themselves evenly matched, and just as it had in the previous evening the barrier between them was gone. Now they were again just two young humans having fun rather than mistress and slave. In the end though Tenel Ka overcame his defense, her muscular arms slung around his body holding him tight.

Still laughing Jacen gave up, "I surrender, you win!"

"Off course I do," Tenel Ka said, with triumph in her voice. After leaving the water she laid down on the grass next to the pond to let the sun dry her body and clothes, while gesturing Jacen to do the same.

Laying next to each other Jacen once more felt Tenel Ka's eyes wander over his body and this time he did the same. Admiring her muscular arms and long legs, her toned stomach in her cropped top, but most of all her beautiful red hair. It was a bit more towards orange than the one of his aunt and much more wild but Jacen thought it looked better than Mara's.

Are you seriously getting attracted to her? The woman who made you her slave? He couldn't believe his thoughts but a feeling was there. A feeling that both worried and intrigued him.

"You look good," he said, possibly the dumbest compliment he had ever made and so he felt how his face turned red. He had never been good at this, Anakin and Jaina never had much trouble flirting but never knew what to say.

"I can return that," Tenel Ka responded seriously.

Jacen's face turned even more red so to not let her notice he turned towards the fields and saw that the other slaves had begun working again.

"I should go back," he said, hoping to escape this situation with it.

"You will do as I tell you," Tenel Ka said. "And currently I want you to remain here with me, and tell me where you learned to fight like that."

 

Great as they feel a natural tug

 

I don't know why, but this line made me chuckle. Long live nerd Jacen! Ditto with the '....possibly the dumbest compliment he had ever made....' line.

 

Oh that´s defenetly there for these two even in this strongly different circumstances.

Thanks, felt it would fit Jacen to be a bit nerdy. This Jacen is mainly based on the pre Traitor NJO one, but also retains some of his YJK traits. Glad you like him.


Four

When he had been a kid and his aunt had babysat him and his siblings they had sometimes played 'Rebels and Imperials' a game that usually ended with the 'Imperial agent Mara Jade' being captured and tied up by the brave Rebels of the Solo family. It turned out kids on Dathomir played a similar game, tough here it was called 'Witches and Warlocks' and now he was the one to be captured by the heroine.

"And done, captured you," Allaya said with a grin as she watched Jacen's futile struggle against his bonds.

"You meddling witch," Jacen said while returning the grin. "I would have gotten away with it if not for you."

He was living on Dathomir for about a month now and during that time had learned more about this place and its people. It was a paradoxical relationship he lived in. During the day when he was tasked with working in the fields or the forests Tenel Ka was a strict, but still fair, mistress to him, demanding to work hard and dedicated. But when they returned to her home, or took a break together during the day they became more like roommates and by this point friends even. Talking together as equals, cooking and sharing a meal together or engaging in friendly wrestling matches where Tenel Ka didn't even mind losing to him on occasion, though she still won the vast majority of the time. Due to that she had become more than just his protector to him, more than just a person he clung to, to ensure his own safety. She was a friend now, someone he trusted and cared for, while the Force told him the feeling was mutual, even if she rarely expressed it directly to him. This bond between them made it easy for him to give her the loyalty she required and with it most of his thoughts about escaping had disappeared. He was content, at least for now with what he had.

"Forget it, the Singing Mountain clan will always triumph over evil doers like you!" Allaya said sticking out her tongue to him.

Enjoying himself in his villain role Jacen growled in frustration as he responded, "I will get you next time little witch!"

"You wish, my tribe has a nice deep dungeon for folks like you, or maybe I just feed you to my Rancor." The young warrior told him as she tickled his feet.

"No please!" Jacen begged as he burst out into laughing. "I will be good!"

In one point Tenel Ka had been right. The work in the fields had become easier as he had gotten used to it. With his far more developed Force skills he had been able to soon surpass the other slaves, and so he had turned to doing what he could to aiding them in their daily work. While also getting to know them better. Some, the luckier ones seemed to have similar relationships with their owners as he had with Tenel Ka, while many, especially the younger ones belonged to the tribe as a whole and thus had no one looking out for them. What surprised him was that he rarely heard stories of outright abuse, things had been different in the past and still where to some older witches he heard, but Tenel Ka and her mother had little tolerance for it and would step in if a mistress became too cruel.

"Of course you will," Allaya continued but mercifully stopped tormenting him. Instead running her hand through his brown hair, it had become quite a bit longer since he had arrived on Dathomir and Tenel Ka seemed to like it that way, as she had asked him to shave regularly but leave his hair growing. "I hope one day I can find a boy like you to catch as well."

"You have the tying skills for it," Jacen admitted and she gave him a smile.

"Is it too tight for you?" She then asked, a bit worried.

"No it's okay," Jacen responded, not wanting her to feel bad.

Just as the slaves all had different stories so had their mistresses. After the first few days the desiring looks had begun to fade away and they had accepted that he was Tenel Ka's. Instead some of them had become interested in him in a different way, wanting to hear his story of his home beyond the stars, while others, once his skills had become apparent had asked his mistress to have him work on their fields. He had even gotten to know some of them a bit, some friends of Tenel Ka who had visited them in the evening, some who had sat down next to him when he had been working in the fields to talk to him. Many of them were like Tenel Ka, they where caring, curious, kind even yet at the same time enslaving a male was the most normal thing in the galaxy. When he had to name a favorite amongst the witches tough it would be Allaya, Tenel Ka´s little sister had with her nine years more wisdom than all of them. For her, there was no paradox, for her Jacen and the other males where equals, not only behind closed doors but also when outside. She could never hear enough of Jacen stories and often pestered her big sister to allow her spending time with her slave. Like today, Tenel Ka had headed out to hunt and with her parents busy elsewhere she had tasked Jacen to babysit her younger sister until they returned.

"Can you tell me another story?" Allaya now asked him.

Jacen nodded, and thought about it for a brief moment before he began talking. He told her about a state visit to Eriadu, how he and his siblings had snuck away from the banquet with the regents daughter, to explore the lower levels of the capital city. About the workers they had met down there, and the fun they had. And how the regent and his mother had turned the whole planet upside down when they discovered their kids were missing.

Over the story though Jacen felt the longing to see his siblings again return, why had they still not found him even if the tracker within his ship had been broken their twin bond should have lead Jaina here by now.

"Seems my sister got her first catch," a voice called him out of his thoughts and as he looked up he saw Tenel Ka enter the house. Tenel Ka's parents home was a bit larger than their daughters and featured a small room for Allaya in additions to the main living space.

"Jacen is great at this," Allaya said smiling.

Tenel Ka gave him a thankful nod, "good to hear. But now please untie him so he can help us preparing dinner."

They ate together at the large stone table in the middle of the room. And it was now that Jacen finally gathered his courage to tell about his desire to see his family again. For a moment he saw disappointment on Tenel Ka and especially Allaya's faces.

"You want to leave us?" Allaya asked him and looked at him with utter sadness.

Jacen felt sting in his heart, he had grown to like these people, maybe even more with Tenel Ka, there was at least a part of him that wanted to stay with them.

"I... I´m..." Jacen stuttered, seeking for words as to not hurt her.

"He wants to see his siblings again, not leave he has made a promise," Tenel Ka said and Jacen with a look that said, we will talk about this later in private. Jacen gave her a thankfully nod.

They finished their meal in silence and once Teneniel finally returned Jacen and Tenel Ka left towards their home. Sitting down next to the fire like they did every evening, Tenel Ka came straight to the point.

"The reason your sister can't reach you with a spell, and neither can you is Dathomir itself," she explained. "The whole planet is, drenched in the gift the Force as you call it. It overshadows the presence of every spirit, witch or otherwise on it."

Jacen thought about this for a moment, then he nodded. "some Jedi used something similar when hiding from the Empire. The Sith couldn't sense them when they were in place where the Force is strong." He made a pause, then he continued. "I wish I had told where I was heading, they might eventually stumble over this planet, but it could take forever."

Tenel Ka looked at him, more serious than usually, like when she had outlined the rules of their 'arrangement'. "Jacen you promised you stay here and obey my orders. We have an arrangement and I won't allow you to break it."

She made a pause and Jacen began to feel uncomfortable, was the bond he had imagined between them, truly just in his head? Was he just a piece of property to her?

"But I won't stand between you and your happiness. If your siblings find you and you decide to leave I will allow them to 'buy' you back for a symbolic price, keeping within the customs of my people. On the conditions that until they arrive you continue to be as loyal and hardworking as you have been in the last month." She then continued.

Jacen let out a sigh of relief, "thank you."

"But," Tenel Ka then said, "do you really want to leave? We have become friends haven't we?" This was the first time any of them had ever mentioned the word, and it once again surprised Jacen how blunt Tenel Ka was at all times.

"We are friends," Jacen said and nodded, while staring into the fire, a part of him even wished to add and maybe could even be more. "And yes there is a part of me that wouldn´t mind living her with you, but I miss my family."

"Maybe we can find a way to contact them eventually," Tenel Ka told him and when Jacen looked back to her he saw something he had rarely seen on her face before, a smile. "That is, if any of us lives that long..." she made another pause. "The matriarch asked us not to tell the slaves but... a war is on the horizon, the Nightsisters grown in strength and with every week they become bolder. I think they will clash with the tribe before the winter comes."

 

I enjoyed reading of Jacen's feeling comfortable but also naturally wanting to see his siblings and also assure them he's alive etc. Tenel Ka's words at the end are wonderful as they show her understanding and feeling of friendship; then followed by Jacen's realization he wouldn't mind more. Ominous rumblings of war looming.

 

Very well done! Wonderful Anedon!

 

Thanks, glad you liked it Yeah Jacen defenetly doesn´t mind staying here but his family is something he can´t forget. Which Tenel Ka understands and even supports.

Good to see you as a big Jacen fan enjoy it. Thanks for commenting.


Five

From the higher slopes of the mountain Jacen looked outside over the now harvested fields and towards the forests behind them and the smoke rising there in the distance of the evening. Several weeks had passed since Tenel Ka had first mentioned the growing threat to him and during them the danger had only increased. Several witches had gotten into fights in the forest and while working in the fields Jacen had felt a dark presence watching him several times. But now it seemed the Nightsister's where making their move and in return the tribe had begun to prepare for battle. Tenel Ka was currently out there, scouting trying to get a better estimate on their enemy. She had left Jacen behind with her father and little sister and now all they could do was waiting.

"The tribe has faced the Night Sisters before, hasn't it?" Jacen asked the older man next to him.

Where the younger slaves only wore their leather shorts, Isolders' advanced age and status seemed to come with further privileges as he wore a full tunic and pants in additions to a simple silver bracelet indicating his allegiance to Teneniel Djo the heir to the clan.

Isolder nodded. "They have always been a threat on Dathomir from what I've been told, from the renegade daughters of Allaya, those who turned to the darkness, onwards." He made a pause, before he continued. "But yeah, around the time I came to Dathomir they had grown in strength considerably and there was outright war between the tribes. Many people died back then, including Teneniel's mother, the original Allaya. But in the end we defeated them, my wife... ah I mean mistress killed their leader and they were scattered."

Jacen allowed himself a little smile, he hadn't met Tenel Ka's parents very often but he knew by now that at least in private their relationship was far more equal than they let out to the outside. And they weren't the only ones, as by now Jacen wondered how many witches in the tribe had a similar relationship with their slaves behind closed doors, probably more than he initially could have guessed.

"But these Nightsisters, the ones out there," Isolder continued. "They seem to be different, younger angrier. Not the crones of two decades ago. Their numbers have been growing for quite some time now." He made another pause. "With Teneniel and Tenel Ka leading the tribe in battle the Singing Mountain Clan has become quite powerful in recent years. But that also made us... them a lot of enemies. I suspect many of them now joined with these Nightsisters."

"You can drop the doublespeak in my presence," Jacen said with a friendly smile. "I know what you have done: Abuse against slaves isn't tolerated anymore and neither is taking them into bed by force. Teneniel might be the one who set these rules but you where the one who brought them up."

Isolder gave Jacen a small smile, "you overestimating me. Teneniel, she always had a compassionate heart, I just gave her a little nudge here or there. Made it clear to her that of the slaves are content they will work harder and be loyal to the clan in times of crisis."

"That at least seems to pay off," Jacen pointed out, he had half expected that with the Nightsister approaching some of the slaves would try to flee or even think of rebellion. But instead they had stayed loyal.

"It does, will help improve things in the long run," Isolder said. "I was born in a matriarchal culture and I've seen how it can eventually destroy itself through oppression." A sad expression came onto his face and as he briefly touched Isolders mind Jacen felt that there was a question burning in the older man's soul, a question he wanted to ask but at the same time was afraid of.

"Mine used to be as well," Jacen said with a smile. "Alderaan was female dominated in its early days, but today it's pretty much completely gone. Heck my younger brother might become King one day." Both he and Jaina had never been particularly interested in the throne, preferring the life of a Jedi, but Anakin, well he had the charm for it.

"I have a brother as well," Isolder said after a moment of silence, "or had I do not know if he still lives."

Jacen noticed his voice was shaking, he knew what question Isolder wanted to say but was also afraid to. As he looked into the older man's face he noticed something, and in his mind combined it with what he knew of Isolder. "Kalen?" he asked. "Is he your brother, your cheekbones are similar, though his hair his dark."

"You know him?" Isolder said stepping closer to Jacen.

"Not really, I've only seen him a couple of times during diplomatic meetings, never talked to him."

"Is he okay?"

"Yes, at least he was when I last checked, before I got stranded here."

The relief on Isolders face was only comparable to that of his own parents after he and his siblings had returned from their mission to Mykr. "Thank the Stars. And thank you Jacen for easing an old slaves mind."

"Glad I could help you," Jacen said with a smile.

"Kalen, he... he was always the hero of the family," Isolder began after a while and as he looked up Jacen saw tears in the older man's eyes. "He was always trying to save the world, to make Hapes a better place, to fight injustice wherever he saw it, but he would also be there for his little brother when I was afraid. To sing me into sleep..." He made a pause and Jacen chose not to interrupt it.

"But his ideas, they where dangerous, revolutionary. Eventually, when our mother found out he was in contact with rebel groups she tried to have him killed. But he survived and with that the war began."

"The Hapan Civil War," Jacen said. He had learned about it as a child. After the Queen mother's attempt on her sons life she had been killed by her own disgusted palace guards, throwing the Consortium into chaos as noble houses, pirates and rebel forces fought each other for supremacy.

"I was at my brothers side during the early periods of it," Isolder continued. "But eventually he sent me out, into the galaxy to find allies for our cause. But my departure was noticed by our enemies and they send assassins to chase me. They chased me through system after system, making one hasty jump after another. But eventually in a forsaken system far away from Hapes I was able to get the drop on them, at the cost of my own ship. My only hope was using an escape pod to the surface of a nearby planet...."

"Dathomir," Jacen said aloud what they both knew. "I don't suspect you managed to save a comlink?"

"No," Isolder smiled sadly. "Had nothing with me but the clothes on my back. If Teneniel hadn't found me I would have died."

"I hope my family will find me eventually," Jacen said, trying to sound optimistic. Shortly after he had told Tenel Ka about his desire to see his sibling again she had taken him back to the crash side of his ship to see if something could have been salvaged. But the tracker was irreversibly broken while his luggage had been burned ash in the wreck, including his lightsaber.

"These days I think it was fate that brought me here, so I can do some good, maybe make my brother proud if he ever finds out." Isolder mused.

"I think he would be, he is King Kalen now, made an alliance with a noble house, I think the Zel by marrying their young leader. They rule Hapes together now. My mother described them as capable and fair to their people." Jacen explained.

"Sounds like my brother," Isolder said and smiled. "He would make a capable ruler."

For a while the two men stood next to each other in silence, looking down the mountain at the fires in the distance.

"There you are," Tenel Ka´s voice lead to both men turning around. Jacen saw the exhaustion on her face, the exhaustion of a long day. Her mother stood next to her breathing heavily as well.

"There are more of them out there than we thought," Teneniel said. "At least a hundred if not more. We will attack them tomorrow at dawn, so we should all get some rest until then."

Jacen felt how he was shivering as he followed Tenel Ka down towards her house, like so often when a battle was ahead, and the fact that this time he wouldn't partake made it somehow worse. Inside Tenel Ka sat down while Jacen quickly got a fire going and placed the already prepared meat over it.

"Can you help me with the armor?" Tenel Ka asked him as the smell of spices filled the room. Jacen nodded and stepped behind her. When in battle Tenel Ka wore a sleeveless corset of hardboiled and sturdy leather over a her light cropped top. The bracers at her forearms where made of a similar material, and in combination with her knee high Rancor leather boots gave her a decent protection while also allowing full movement of her limbs.

As Jacen began working on the ties of the corset he made another attempt at convincing Tenel Ka. "Please, you know I can fight. I can help defend the tribe, be worth several Nightsisters."

"That is a fact," she responded gently. "And I appreciate the offer Jacen, but.. the other Witches won't accept it. Treating a slave like human being is one thing, but entrusting them your life, fighting alongside them? The tribe is sadly decades away from that."

Jacen swallowed hard at it while Tenel Ka slipped out of the now loosened corset.

Once the flesh was done they ate together in silence before sitting down in front of the fire like they did every evening.

"I'm not going to lie, it will be a tough battle," Tenel Ka admitted after a moment of thinking. "We had hoped the other tribes could help us, but I've talked to Marie today, her people are under attack as well.

Marie Firestone was one of Tenel Ka's best friends and the daughter of the Misty Falls clans matriarch. Jacen had briefly met her when she had visited Tenel Ka a few weeks ago and knew she shared many of the more open minded ideas as his mistress.

"How did the Nightsisters became so strong? Didn't your mother defeat them in the past?" Jacen asked.

"She did, but we have made ourselves many enemies." She gestured towards her trophies. "Our clan is stronger than it has ever been before, and that creates hatred and jealousy."

"You said war on Dathomir is usually different," Jacen remembered.

"Yeah, usually conflicts, whether over lands, slaves, artifacts or others are settled via single combat of the tribes best fighters. Sometimes it's a small ritualized battle between groups. But it never becomes very lethal, the goal is to subdue and not to kill the enemy as killing creates grudges while the goal of a trial by combat is to prevent them. The tribe that looses has to hand over the disputed, maybe pay a tribute, sometimes the best warriors of the clan need to be given as hostages to the winner, but are usually released after a few months when the heat in the minds has been cooled down again." Tenel Ka explained. "But this, it's different. The Nightsisters will try to kill us, and we might be forced to do the same."

"You wish it could be different?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah," Tenel Ka said flat out. "Many of them are angry teenagers, not evil bad girls. I wish, and I hope that we can saved at least some of them from the dark path they have taken."

Jacen's respect for Tenel Ka only grew at these words and for a brief moment he thought of the Vong.

For a while both of them said next to each other in silence. Then Tenel Ka continued. "Tomorrow I want you to stay with Allaya and my father. If we lose the battle I want you to bring them, and my great grandmother if you can convince her, out of the village. The Nightsisters will likely pillage it. If you make it out head for the Misty Falls Clan, I will give you a map, but dad knows the way as well. Marie will be able to give you shelter, if her tribe doesn't fall as well that is. Can I trust you with this?"

Jacen nodded. "Of course, I will get them to safety."

Tenel Ka gave him a short smile. "I know I can count on you." Another pause, then she said. "I might die in battle tomorrow."

"Don't say that," Jacen interrupted her.

"It is a fact Jacen, and I won't close my eyes to it." She said seriously. "In case I die, my mother has promised me to look out for you. She will keep you safe and ensure to reunited you with your family if there is any way."

"Tenel Ka, that is..." Jacen said, as he realized he had been right she did truly care for him.

"If she falls as well but the battle is still won," Tenel Ka cut him off. "My great grandmother our matriarch has promised me the same thing, she is too old to be able to accompany us into battle."

"Thanks, just thanks," Jacen said as pulled Tenel Ka into a hug. She was surprised only for a second, then she returned it. They held each other for a moment then moved back.

"You have been a good slave these two months," Tenel Ka said. "But also so far more, you are a friend, well almost a member of the family."

"Likewise," Jacen admitted. "I have grown to care for you, be careful out there tomorrow, so you can return to me."

"I will do my best." Tenel Ka said and once again silence filled the room.

Jacen's thoughts where racing through his mind. This might be his last evening with her, the last evening with the woman he... loved. It was now or never and this time, unlike when he had declined Danni's invitation to travel with her after the Vong War, he wouldn't be a coward.

"I love you Tenel Ka, I might be insane to love the woman who enslaved me but I love you." He spoke out what his heart has known for a while now.

"I love you too Jacen," Tenel Ka said as she wrapped her strong arms around her and pulled him into a kiss. Her lips where hot and soft, when she began moving back after the first gentle kiss Jacen's eyes assured her to go on. This time she went a bit deeper. It was the best kiss of his life and he returned it with a passion he himself hadn't thought he was capable of before.

When they finally released each other from the kiss both where breathing heavily.

"So this it," Jacen said with a grin. "I'm kissing my slaver on evening before she might die in battle."

"We still have the night," Tenel Ka said as she stood up and took Jacen's hand. For her second their eyes met and Jacen answered her unspoken question with a twinkle. Tenel Ka's smile turned into a playful grin. "One final night for you to perform your male duties."

This night, Jacen didn´t sleep on his furs by the fire.

 

I enjoyed hearing more of Isolder's back-story.

If Jacen's family do happen to trace him there, the wreck will make them fear the worst.

A serious battle ahead leads to a wonderful admission.

 

Easy there, Jace....don't want to wear out your love on the eve of a major battle!

Like Ny, I really like the way you fleshed out Isolder's past a bit.

 

I like this.

 

Thanks, really wanted to give a bit of an explanation on how he still got to Dathomir with the planet being much more isolated than in the normal timeline.

If they would find it yeah. Tough with the tracker being broken its unlikley they will ever even find it.

Thanks, really tought a tense situation like that could help both of them admit their feelings.

Well they probably consider that its no or never.
Yeah, I always had this headcanon that Isolders brother was a bit rebellious against the Hapan system and that´s why his mother had him killed. Like the books never go in detail other than "she killed him for political reason/because she saw him unfit to rule" which can pretty much mean anything. So I always felt it was because Kalen was a bit too headstrong and liberal, while his mother wanted a puppet who would do as told.

Glad you do.


Six

"What do you mean, captured?" Teneniel was furious, Jacen didn´t need the force to feel that, and neither to notice his very own worries rising. The battle had been lost, he had felt it in the force before the first escapees had made it back to the village, he had been ready to lead Isolder and Allaya to safety, but something had held him back. Maybe he didn´t want to give up on Tenel Ka, not after what had happened yesterday evening, maybe it had told him that the Night Sisters weren´t pursuing their enemies immediately. Then more survivors had reached them, as Teneniel had been able to at least organize a retreat once she had seen that the fight was lost, but even if many witches had made it, many others hadn´t, including Tenel Ka.

"I´ve seen how several of them wrestled her to the ground," a young witch with a nasty, bloody wound on her face told Teneniel. "She wasn´t dead last I saw her."

At least something, Jacen thought, even if it didn´t have to mean much, what the young witch had seen could have happened hours ago. Having been tasked with helping take care of the wounded he had asked several of them about Tenel Ka as well but gotten no answers.

"They were trying to capture main of us," an older witch with a bloody hand that was missing at least three fingers said. "Especially the younger ones."

Teneniel nodded slowly. "Seen that as well." She took a deep breath, "I will head out again, look for my daughter."

"It's too risky," the witch that Jacen was currently patching up said. "They have won, all we can do now is to seek protection behind our palisades and prey to Allya that some of our allies can support us."

"I will not stay here if my daughter is in danger, if any daughter of the clan is," Teneniel said, but no one agreed with her. Jacen saw defeat on their faces, and fear. It reminded him of the darkest days during the Vong war, after...

"I´m coming with you." A voice that Jacen to his shock recognized as his own called through the silence. He felt how the gaze of every witch surrounding them turned towards him. "I would die for Tenel Ka."

"You?" Teneniel looked at him, surprised, but not even angry. Jacen suspect she knew more of his skills than he had initially thought. Tenel Ka and maybe Isolder as well had probably talked to her.

"Please, let me help," Jacen continued. "I can be useful here."


"We got another one!" A nightsisters voice cut through the darkness as she gestured one of her sisters closer towards herself and the young witch she was wrestling with.

Jacen and Teneniel cowered in a small ditch close to them, both having closed their eyes and reaching out with the force to ensure the two Nightsisters where the only ones close to them. Once they were sure the two exchange a quick nod and without even needing a command rose from the ditch and snuck towards their enemies.

Jacen was surprised how well he and Teneniel worked together. After leaving the village behind they had almost instinctively formed a mental connection through the force, not as deep as the one he had shared with his siblings on multiple occasions but strong enough to almost know what the other was about to do. The battle itself was over it seemed though there were still stragglers, he and Teneniel had found two scared young warriors of the tribe in a similar ditch as this, who had been too afraid to make a move, until Teneniel had comforted them and send them back to the village to get some rest. Small groups of Nightsisters scouted the era, the now harvested fields before the village, seeking for witches that had escaped them so far, but thanks to Jacens force skills it had been easy to avoid them.

Jacen grabbed the right Nightsister in almost the same second as Teneniel threw herself on the left one. It wasn´t a tough fight as he had the element of complete surprise it wasn´t too hard for Jacen to wrestle her to the ground, then he used a force stun to let her fall unconscious. When he looked at Teneniel he was pleasantly surprised that she had decided to avoid lethal force as well, even if she was considerably more harsh with her fist against her opponent. She is keeping her anger in check. He remembered what Tenel Ka had said about the Nightsisters, most are more angry teens than murderers.

"You?" The young witch the two nightsisters had attacked looked up to him. Jacen recognized her as Nyssa, the young guard who had leered at him when he had first come to the village, but he hadn´t seen much of her since then. "Allya's blood you are the last one I was expecting."

Jacen knelt down next to her, "are you okay?"

She nodded slowly, "yeah, you came just in time, never thought I would say that but thanks."

Glad she was able to show him thankfulness Jacen decided to let bygones be bygones and helped her up. When she saw Teneniel turn towards them Nyssa lowered her head. "Forgive me, I was with Tenel Ka but we where separated during the battle, I couldn´t prevent them from capturing her."

"It's okay Nyssa," Teneniel said after taking a deep breath. "I should have been there for her as well, are you sure she was captured?"

Nyssa nodded, "her and at least a dozen others." Again she hung her head in shame, "I was hiding in a tree watching the aftermath. Their leader ordered them to take the young ones alive, as well as look for members of your family, specifically."

"Makes sense," Teneniel said. "They want to turn our kids." Clinching her fists, she spat on the ground.

"There was something else tough," Nyssa continued. "Their leader also asked for him." She pointed at Jacen.

He froze, "me?" How did the Nightsisters even know who he was? Had their scouts just seen him with Tenel Ka? Or where they aware who or what he really was?

"You never had any contact with them before didn´t you?" Teneniel asked him and Jacen shook his head.

"Their leader was specific about him," Nyssa said, "almost as if she expected him to be in the battle."

"He has a name," Jacen said before being able to stop himself. But Teneniel just smiled. "Maybe they felt my strength in the force? Or someone told them that I´m a Jedi."

"Both possible, Jacen," Nyssa said apparently not wanting to look even worse before her war leader. "They have several men in their ranks as well, former slaves they trained."

Teneniel nodded, "they cost us the battle, we stormed into their camp but paid no attention to the males, we thought they were just slaves. But then they attacked us in the back when we fought with the female ones."

"And their leader asked for me specifically?" Jacen asked.

"Yeah, you, Tenel Ka and Teneniel where to be brought to her personally she said," Nyssa answered.

"And these Nightsisters are a large group right? From many different tribes?"

This time Teneniel nodded, "yeah, what are you suggesting? Do you have a plan?"

"I do, or rather my uncle has it," Jacen said with a smile.


"You're going to get both of us killed," Nyssa said as she shoved the blunt end of her spear into his back again. His hands tied on his back Jacen was stumbling in front of her.

"Not if you continue to play your role." he responded as they were getting closer to the Night Sisters camp. He had heard the story about how his father and uncle had saved his mother from the Death Star a million times in his life, and now he was recreating it.

"This outfit is utterly ridiculous I don´t know how the Night Sisters are able to wear it, it itches everywhere," having 'borrowed' the clothes from the two nightsisters they had overwhelmed Nyssa now looked like one of them, clad in a black robe over a short dark red top and pants. The face paint had taken the longest, as they had been forced to improvise out on the fields but it would hopefully be enough to fool the other Nightsisters.

"I think it suits you," Jacen said and gave her a grin.

Nyssa growled, "just continue like that I had you over for real."

"Then you would get to wear that stuff all the time, wouldn´t that be a great reward?" her 'captive' teased her.

"Maybe I could get you on top of it," Nyssa fired back but Jacen felt she hadn´t been serious.

"Now that would be a deal," Jacen said. "But given my skills maybe she would rather give you to me to win me over."

"Honestly, if we survive this night, we will have a fight in the ring, then I will show you actual skill," Nyssa responded.

"Deal. Looking forward to it already. Say if you lose you have to wear this for an entire week?"

They continued to bicker as they moved closer towards the camp, to get rid of their nervousness and to build a bit of fake tension between their spirits so the Night Sisters wouldn´t get suspicious. When they finally reached the camp they were stopped by three Nightsisters. Jacen felt Nyssa's nervousness and used the force to both comfort her as well as hide their true thoughts from their opponents.

"Got him!" Nyssa said triumphantly as she once again hit Jacen in the back with the blunt end of her spear. Falling to his knees Jacen did his best to play exhausted.

One of the Nightsisters grabbed his head and forced him to look up to her. "Seems to be, yeah. Gave you quite a fight from the looks of it." To make their cover more believable Jacen had asked Teneniel to help him look a bit 'damaged' to which a bloody nose and a few bruises on the upper body now could attest. Taking a beating wasn´t a thing he enjoyed but for Tenel Ka both of them had reckoned it was a worthy sacrifice.

"He did, but nothing I couldn´t handle, had almost made it back to their village and was exhausted," Nyssa said, and the smugness in her voice was almost too real.

"We will bring him to Garrowyn then," one of the Nightsisters said.

But before she could grab him Nyssa stepped forward. "Excuse me 'sister' but he is my captive. And I will hand him over to Garrowyn, not let you who sat in camp all night take the reward."

Nyssa was risking much and for a moment Jacen thought she had played too high and now a fight would follow. But after a few seconds of staring the Nightsister backed down.

"You have a skill for talking to them, are you sure you aren´t secretly one yourself?" Jacen whispered as the two made their way through the camp.

"Only when you are around," Nyssa mumbled back. Her dark eyes scanning the camp. It wasn´t very well made. Most of the tents where pretty makeshift made from wood and wool, some Nightsisters even slept beneath the Stars it seemed. It was also the first time Jacen had a look at the males, which he dubbed nightbrothers. They wore the same dark cloaks as the Nightsisters but where shirtless beneath. He even saw some of them tightly embraced with some of their female counterparts and again thought of Tenel Ka's words. But he also saw those who weren´t just angry teens, older to middle aged these warrior women looked like a fierce threat and Nyssa tried her best to get not to close to them.

"Our sisters are in that direction I think," she muttered to him and Jacen looked himself. The tent there was a bit larger and several Nightsisters stood around it guarding the entrance.

He nodded, "seems so, but first Tenel Ka, think of the plan." Jacen was feeling her now, she wasn´t far, in the tent in the middle of the camp. Garrowyn, the leader of the Nightsisters seemed pretty confident in herself as Jacen saw no guards at its entrance. Tough he felt Garrowyn herself, a powerful warrior no doubt.

When they entered the tent Jacen noticed it was made from Rancor leather instead of wool like most of the smaller ones.

"I´ve brought you a captive," Nyssa announced as they entered. Garrowyn looked up to them. She was shorter than most witches, but more muscular as well. Her long brown hair was braided in Dathomirian style and her skin was fair. She would have been attractive had it not been for the expression of hatred on her face and what Jacen saw behind her.

Tenel Ka was tied to a post in the middle of the tent, she had been stripped of her armor and there was blood on her face and bruises on her body. When he reached out with his mind he felt that she was beyond exhaustion but still defiant. Still ready to fight. She instantly realized their scheme and gave him a twinkle. Close to the post Nyssa once again shoved her spear into his back to have him kneel down. He felt hatred rising in her, the same he felt within him when he looked at Tenel Ka.

"Him," Garrowyn's hateful mouth turned into a smile. "Great, she was right again, as always." She turned to Nyssa, "you´ve done well sister, the outsider will hear of your action. But tell me how can I reward you?"

"There is only one thing I want of you," Nyssa said and Jacen readied himself. "Blood."

Using the force to slip out of the ropes he and Nyssa threw themselves at Garrowyn together, not giving her a second to react. Nor defend herself as four fists began slamming into her body. Disregarding any thought of weapons Jacen and Nyssa only cared to give their enemy pain.

But as quickly as it had come the rage subsided and Jacen gently pulled Nyssa back from the barely moving Nightsister. "Nyssa, it's enough. She will be more useful alive."

"But she killed our sisters, tortured..."

"I know, but we can´t allow us to become like her," he said, controlling his breath with the force while fighting with his anger.

"Nyssa, he is right," Tenel Ka said, coughing and Jacen turned back to her. Cutting the ropes holding her he caught her body as she collapsed into his arms.

"I´m here, it's okay." He said gently as he held her.

"We are still in danger," Nyssa reminded them.

Tenel Ka nodded, "yeah, let's keep the hugging for after our victory. I hope you have a plan to save the other captives as well."

"I do," Jacen said, "but we´ve got some time until we get to it, let's see if we find something in here to help you back on your feet while we tell you about it."

While Tenel Ka rested herself on Garrowyn's luxurious bed, after drinking two flasks of water and eating at least two plates of her former captors food, Jacen and Nyssa explained the rest of the plan to her. While the two of them where to infiltrate the camp, take down the Nightsisters leader and free the prisoners Teneniel had made her way back to the Singing Mountain Clan to gather as many warriors as she could.

"Do you really think she was able to convince them? After such a defeat?" Nyssa asked while giving Garrowyn now tied at her feet a kick.

"She was, trust me," Jacen replied. He had told Teneniel how to shame the tribe into action. 'Tell them a slave is currently risking his life by going into the enemies camp with his hands tied, while the warriors do nothing'. "And even if she fails, she could ask the other slaves for aid, they don´t need to fight, just bring torches."

"A fire attack?" Tenel Ka asked and Jacen nodded.

"The camp is poorly made and in the heat of the last few days these primitive tents will burn quickly. It will cause chaos, while at the same time we and the freed prisoners attack them from the inside," Jacen continued.

"And with their leader unable to do anything," Nyssa said taunting towards the furious Garrowyn. "We should be able to shatter them."

They were lucky that Garrowyn wasn´t expecting any more visitors during the following hours while Tenel Ka rested and Jacen meditated to notice the return of Teneniel.

"They are here," he finally said, opening his eyes. "Time to do our part."

 

Superb, as Nyssa and Jacen team up

 

Thanks
Had a lot of fun writing Nyssa in this, she is a nice contrast to Jacen.


Epilogue

The dungeons of the Singing Mountain Clan where a dark place. Build inside the mountain they consisted of several small natural caverns that had been turned into cells for several prisoners each, while below them a few smaller cells for more dangerous captives where located. Torches lit up the small corridors and let at least a bit of light shine into the cells as well. Through the gridded door of one of the larger cells Jacen looked at a group of captives, he recognized the two Nightsisters that had attacked Nyssa on the field as well as a handful of further young men and women taken captive during the later battle. Most of them where disheveled bruised or had light burn wounds.

The fire attack had be a success and attacked from the liberated prisoners from within and Teneniel warriors from outside the Nightsisters and brothers had been easy prey, many had fled in all directions while many others were killed or captured. It had all been over before the morning had risen over the Singing Mountain. They had forced the captives to help bury the dead on both sides before bringing them here.

"Don´t look half as dangerous anymore don´t they?" Nyssa asked him, leaning against the opposite wall and looking into the cell. Now once more clad in her normal warrior attire.

"No," Jacen had to agree. All he saw was a group of broken, exhausted and frightened teenagers.

"What will happen to them?" he asked his new friend.

"We will keep them down here for a while," Nyssa explained with a smug grin. "So they can cool their heat and think a bit about the mistakes they made. Most of them are still young, not lost to the darkness like the older ones. Sooner or later, they will regret their misdeeds, then we will allow them to make up for their crimes, through hard labor of course. After a few years, when they have learned their lesson and proven themselves trustworthy they can return back into the community."

"And that works?" Jacen asked.

Nyssa nodded. "It did, the last time... my own mother was one of them. Now she is a proud member of the tribe."

"That explains a lot," Jacen said with a grin.

But Nyssa just chuckled, but then became serious again. "Up until today the tribes would kill all males who had allied with the Nightsisters, but Teneniel now insist they are given the same chance as the women to redeem themselves."

Jacen smiled at the thought, change was there even if it came slowly. But then his face darkened again. "What about Garrowyn?"

Nyssa's looks turned dark as well, "don´t worry, she will get what she deserves. There are many who want some payback on her. But you where right, alive she is more useful to us. She knows probably a lot about her sisters plans, the planned attacks on other tribes. Her knowledge might save many lives. For now she can enjoy the comforts of our deepest, darkest cell."

Jacen nodded. Then he asked the question that worried him the most. "What about Tenel Ka, do you think she will..." She had been valiantly alongside them during the battle, on sheer willpower but had collapsed unconscious afterwards. Jacen had personally helped carry her back to village and the healers. He had wanted to stay at her side the entire time, but in the end Teneniel had convinced him that currently many helping hands where needed.

"She will," Nyssa assured him. "She is our strongest warrior and will shrug of the beating she got in no time. I think she will be back on her feet at the ceremony tonight."

"Ceremony?" Jacen asked.

Nyssa smiled, "The tribes of Dathomir have over the years developed many different customs, but there is one rule that all of them share: If a slave saves the life of another witch he is freed. It rarely happens but when it does there will be a ceremony."

"So I won't be a slave anymore?"

"No, from this day on you are considered a male witch by the tribe. I think you are the first in over a century, and you not only saved one witches live. But as I was the first I will have the honors to speak for you."



Night had gathered over the village and the first cold winds of winter blew across the Singing Mountain. On the open place in front of the matriarchs hall the tribe had gathered. Many of them still showed signs of battle, like patched up wounds or bruises. But they had all come, to watch him join them. Jacen recognized Teneniel, Isolder, Allaya and Augwynne the matriarch. He knelt in the middle and all eyes rested upon him. Nyssa stood next to him, but Jacen had only eyes for the woman in front of him.

Tenel Ka stood, once more clad in her warrior armor, proudly before him. The bruises on her face and along her arms had already began to disappear and the smile on her face was strong and genuine.

"Today this man steps in front of us to join our ranks are proving his bravery and skill in battle against our most hated foes," Tenel Ka said. "Who will speak for him?"

"I will," Nyssa said. "He saved my life."

"As well as mine," Tenel Ka continued. "Many homes in the village would be empty today if not for him."

"He has proven that he is a true warrior," Nyssa added. "He might be a male, but he has the soul of a true daughter of Allya."

"Will you fight by his side?" Tenel Ka asked the next question of the ceremony.

"I will, from here to the ends of the world he shall be my brother in arms," Nyssa affirmed.

"Then he shall be for the whole tribe," Tenel Ka continued.

She stepped closer towards Jacen,

"Do you swear to honor your tribe and never betray it?"

"I swear," Jacen replied.

"Do you swear to obey your matriarch? To respect your sisters and be loyal to them above all?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to treat your slaves fairly and never be cruel to them?"

Jacen had no interest of ever getting slaves but he nonetheless said, "I swear."

"Do you swear to fight the tribe's enemies and honor the tribes allies? To fight fairly and honorably?"

"I swear."

"Do you swear to keep the tribes interests in mind and your sisters in your heart even if you should ever leave them?"

This question was pointed directly at him, and Jacen felt how Tenel Ka worried a bit awaiting his answer. But he had made his choice, he wanted to see his family again, but this place had become his home.

"I swear."

A smile appeared on Tenel Ka's face.

"And do you swear to, above all, never concede to evil?"

"I swear."

"Then it is settled, rise Jacen Flamecaller, Warrior of the Singing Mountain clan." Tenel Ka said as she stepped forward to embrace him. "I hope that for now, you will stay in my home, at least until we find you one of your own."

"Don't think we need that," Jacen said as he kissed her. "My home is where yours is."

"Done with snogging?" Nyssa asked him with a grin after he and Tenel Ka had finally let go of each other. Then she embraced him. "Tenel Ka is truly the luckiest girl in the tribe, brother. But don't forget that fight we still have ahead of us tomorrow."

After Nyssa Teneniel was the next to embrace him, and then Isolder and after him Augwynne and several others.

-----------------------------

It was a long evening before he and Tenel Ka where finally at home, next to each other by the fire.

"We didn't have the time to speak privately since then," Tenel Ka said after a moment. "But I want to thank you honestly for saving my life. For the commitment you've shown to the tribe and to me."

"That's what lovers do," Jacen said as he felt his face turning red.

"It's far more than most would have done. So in addition to your freedom I will make you a promise: I will work tirelessly until the end of my days to ensure you can see your family again. We will find a way and if it costs us years."

"Thanks, that... means a lot to me," Jacen said, then he remembered something else. "Flamecaller?" He asked raising an eyebrow.

"Witches without a family will usually gain a name based on something they did, and I want people to remember your fire attack." Tenel Ka explained. "There are worse names, trust me."

Jacen allowed himself a little smile.

"The war isn't over with that isn't it?"

"No," Tenel Ka said. "We won a battle, an important one but there are still many enemies out there. Other tribes are under threat, I fear much blood will be spilled until Dathomir can find peace again."

Jacen nodded slowly.

"But it was a victory," Tenel Ka continued. "And we have captured one of their leaders who will hopefully provide us with more information on our enemy. Not the angry teens nor the old crones who don't understand when to stop..."

"The outsider?" Jacen asked, remembering what Garrowyn had said.

"Yeah," for the first time since he knew her Jacen felt a hint of fear in her voice. "Whoever she is, she knows you. And Garrowyn was utterly afraid of her, she asked me time and time again if your family knew you were here. I think whoever this outsider is, she is one of your enemies from beyond the stars."

"My family has many enemies out there. Maybe Garrowyn can tell us more about her," Jacen suggested. It worried him that their enemy knew who he was, and with the few information's he had he was unable to figure out who this mysterious woman was.

"Maybe," Tenel Ka agreed. "If this outsider is truly so terrifying she might enjoy her new home over having to crawl back to her mistress in failure. Serves her right."

"It does," Jacen agreed. "maybe we can pay her a visit tomorrow to find out more. Who knows, maybe this outsider could also be the key to contact my family."

"Hopefully," Tenel Ka agreed, taking his hand. "But whatever the future will bring, we will face it together."

"That's a fact," Jacen agreed.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This marks, for now at least, the end of this story. I was inthially debating wether or not to end with Jacen being found by his family. But this plot and the whole 'closed cyrcle on Dathomir' situation really intrigue me and so I decided to end it the way I did. And as the epilogue hints at Jacen and Tenel Ka's adventures on Dathomir are far from over yet.
Will probably revisit this AU setting in the not too distant future probably involved with other challenges.

Just wanted to thank everyone who read, liked and commented on the story.
Was really surpised how many of you where intrested in this Jacen Solo AU. Big thanks to all of you.

 

Wonderfully gratifying conclusion & I am glad this AU will return.

 

This has been a really fun read and challenge response!

You know that I'll always read a Jacen/Tenel Ka story.

 

I definitely way to see more of this AU.

 

"Hopefully," Tenel Ka agreed, taking his hand. "But whatever the future will bring, we will face it together."

"That's a fact," Jacen agreed.“

J/TK the catchphrase.

Wonderful chapter Anedon!

 

Thanks, great to her you enjoy it.

Glad to hear, will say this idea has been spooking inside my head for quite a while now.

There will be more, I promise.

Thanks, kinda tought it to be fun to turn it around here tough.


Also for those who are intrested I´ve posted the first chapter of a quasi continuation: Living with a Nightsister, focusing on Nyssa but will also feature Jacen and Tenel Ka.