The Rise of the Valkyrie *ON HIATUS*

Chapter Forty-Eight

It had been a few days since Ashara had left Coruscant. Her ship was running low on fuel, and she was forced to stop on the nearest planet to refuel her ship. As she exited her ship she was greeted by a few weequays with blasters aimed at her. She raised her arms in surrender. She was glad she had decided to leave her lightsabers on the ship in a hidden compartment under bunk. Weequays were known for being pirates, especially weequays from Florrum. She didn't need them trying to take them. 

"I'm just here to refuel my ship", she said calmly. "I can pay handsomely."

The weequays looked at each other. "We're taking you to Hondo."

She internally groaned. Anakin had told her about a few encounters with the pirate Hondo Ohnaka, and she suspected that this was the same Hondo. 

"Alright, just let me close my ship", she said. "I don't trust you guys not to rummage around in it."

She could feel the weequays slight offense, but she knew that they wouldn't stop her, and so she closed the hatch on her ship. She followed the group inside a building, where she was taken to an extremely drunk weequay.

"Hondo", one the weequay escorting her said. "This one here says she needs fuel for her ship!"

The drunk weequay looked over at them and slurred something. "Tellll her to goo away... No visssitorss at this time..."

Ashara rolled her eyes and spoke. "I can pay you handsomely for the fuel."

That seemed to catch Hondo's attention, even if he was very drunk. "How much are we talking?"

"500 republic credits", Ashara stated firmly. Hondo clicked his tongue and stood, stumbling around.

"No good. 800."

"550", Ashara bartered, not willing to go up higher than 700.

"Ah, you're trying to swindle old Hondo, aren't you? Well, it won't work!" Hondo proudly declared. "I am a pirate. I'm better than some... some... whatever you are at swindling."

Ashara sighed. "What else can I offer you?"

Hondo looked her over, and smirked. "What's the highest amount of credits I can get out of you?"

"I'm not willing to go above 650", she growled. Hondo's grin widened.

"Very well", he said. "650, and you give Hondo a kiss, and I'll give you the fuel you need."

Ashara's face scrunched up in disgust. "I'm not doing that."

"Then no fuel for you", he said, walking away. Ashara debated it in her head, and she groaned. There was no way she was going to stay on this planet, and she could feel the force calling her elsewhere, and she didn't know what else she could do. She groaned, and pulled a pouch of credits off of her belt.

"I'll give you 700 credits, and you give me the fuel", she finally said. Hondo chuckled. 

"I already made up my mind, little girl", he said, turning to look at her. "650, and a kiss."

"And here I thought you would have jumped at the chance to get a profitable deal."

Hondo laughed. "You know nothing about Hondo Ohnaka!"

Ashara sighed in frustration. "Fine. But I don't want anyone watching me kiss you."

Hondo snapped his fingers, and everyone in the room cleared out, leaving the weequay and togruta alone. Once the last door shut, Ashara smirked.

"That was a bad idea on your part, honestly", she muttered, before waving a hand in front him. "You will accept 700 credits for fuel."

Hondo's eyes glazed over and he repeated what she said. "I will accept 700 credits for fuel."

She handed him the pouch. "There's your money", she said sweetly. "Now if you'll just tell me where I can get the fuel, that'd be really nice of you."

Hondo's eyes unglazed, and he stared at her in shock. "What... What did you do to me?! We had a deal!"

"And we completed a deal. One that would be more profitable to you", Ashara stated. "You agreed after all. 700 credits, and you'll give me fuel. Now where is the fuel."

"Gah!" Hondo spat at her angrily. "I'll have one of my men show you where it is."

"Thank you for your cooperation, Hondo", the togruta said sweetly as she walked to the door. "And I'm sure the Jedi Council will be pleased to know that you're willing to help out a Jedi."

"What?!" Hondo nearly shrieked. Ashara just blew him a kiss and winked as she walked out the door, where one of the weequays from earlier was waiting.

"Your boss decided that 700 credits was acceptable for fuel", she said sweetly. "I'm sure a big strong weequay such as yourself could help me out."

The weequay turned quite bashful and nodded, helping Ashara get the fuel she needed onto her ship. She smiled, and blew a kiss at him as well, before closing the hatch in his face. She quickly began the refuel, and started heading to the cockpit, happy to be leaving the stupid weequays behind.

Ashara's eyes shot up, and she noticed that she was shackled together and held in sort of a blue ray thing that kept her floating in place. She growled softly, especially when she saw Hondo drinking with two female weequays feeling him up.

"You know, you really should let me go", she spat. "I don't know if you remember the last time we met, but I can do the same things then now."

"But can you do it while you are tied up?" he said coolly. "Besides, last time you swindled me."

"No, last time, I gave you more money we originally agreed upon", Ashara argued. 

"You swindled me out of a kiss from a Jedi, though I have to admit, I had no idea you were a Jedi until after you brainwashed me!"

"It wasn't brainwashing", she muttered. "It was a Jedi mind trick. And I wasn't about to let my first kiss be with some weirdo on a random planet I stopped on."

"Wait a minute!" Hondo exclaimed. "Did you guys hear that?! She swindled me because she didn't want that to be her first kiss!"

The weequays laughed, and Ashara rolled her eyes. "You're a horrible person, you know that, Hondo."

"Oh, I know. But we can't all be as good as the Jedi now, can we?" He got really close to her face, and smirked. "Tell me, Ashara", he said as he gently brushed a hand across her cheek. It was surprising when he suddenly gripped her chin tightly and forced her to look at him. "Have you had your first kiss now?"

"That's none of your business", Ashara hissed, yanking her face out of his hand. He just laughed and walked away, clicking his tongue.

"Sounds to me like someone hasn't", he said to the crowd. "It would be a shame to let that stay the same, wouldn't it?"

The crowd cheered, and Hondo moved back toward her and she tried to back away from him, but she was unable to move. He gripped her face again, and pressed his lips harshly against hers. They were rough and uncomfortable and nothing like she imagined Rex's to be like.  He pulled away and smirked, while Ashara just glared at him.

"See, that wasn't that bad, was it?" 

Ashara spat at him, and he shrugged, going back to the two ladies that were waiting for him. The togruta kept her strong face on, but inside she was a mixture of anger, fear, and disgust. She was afraid of what else Hondo might try. He had had a weird interest in her since that meeting and she didn't like it. And now she was his prisoner.