Two

Chapter 1

Deep breaths, she reminded herself. Deep breaths. Stay quiet. Stay alert.

Nima treaded carefully and cautiously through the swamps of the planet. Sighing, she paused and looked around for somewhere to rest. Spotting a fallen tree, she headed over to it and sat on it. She hugged her legs to her chest as she tried to cover her skin. Her detested skimpy outfit was made for dancing in, not running through swamps.

While Nima was sat on the uncomfortable tree, she allowed herself to relax slightly. She was far away from the Hutt palace. Her moment of peace was disturbed by a noise. Not the normal noises of small creatures that lived in the swamps but footsteps.

As quick as possible, Nima scrambled to her feet and searched for somewhere to hide or to run. But she'd never be able to run through the dense thicket and trying to sneakily climb a tree didn't seem like a good idea if she was trying to be silent.

She considered running through the bushes and moved to do so but then she spotted the person who had made the noise. Gulping, she stepped away from him and felt a branch scrape against her legs.

"Who are you?" he asked as he stepped towards her. Nima realised he may be a bounty hunter sent after her. She would have to tell him a false name. "Well? Can you speak?"
"Shiri," she replied quietly, still anxious that he had been sent to search for her.
"What are you doing out here, Shiri?" he asked, stepping closer again.
"I..." Nima took a deep breath again and reminded herself to be careful. "I'd rather not say."

The two shared brief eye contact before Nima broke it and looked at the floor.
"You're a Zabrak, right?" He nodded.
"And you're Twi'lek."

Nima stared at him for a few moments at a time. He was dressed in black robes with a black belt. Black tattoos were etched into his face and a lightsaber hilt was hung on his belt. He could be a bounty hunter with a stolen saber but they usually wore armour. The person in front of her had none. She glanced at him once more before deciding that he couldn't have sent after her, otherwise he would have captured her and taken her back to the disgusting Hutt by now.

"You seem awfully quiet," he said.
"I'm not actually Shiri. That's not my real name," she blurted. "My name is Nima. That's... that's my real name, I promise."
"Then why tell me a false name?" The man was curious.
"I thought you were a bounty hunter."
"I'm not part of that scum," the Zabrak said. Nima let out a sigh of relief.

Then she had a thought. Perhaps he could take her off this stupid world and away from the people who had enslaved her.
"Could you help me?" she asked.
"Help you?" he repeated. "What would you need my help with?"
"I want to get off this planet," Nima said. Her hatred of Nal Hutta was evident through her words. "I want to get away from the Hutts, as far away as possible. Could you help me do that?" He seemed to think about if for a second before nodding. Nima smiled as a thank you and anxiously stepped forward.

Nima followed the Zabrak through the swampland and to a large ship and stared up at it. She hadn't seen a ship that big in ages but... what was a Jedi doing on Nal Hutta with a large ship? What was a Jedi doing on Nal Hutta in the first place?

"Are you a Jedi?" she asked. The red-skinned man turned to look at her but didn't answer. "I'm guessing that's a no then. So are you a rogue Jedi?"
"No." Nima furrowed her brow and nervously shuffled away.
"What's your name then? I told you mine."
"Maul, Darth Maul."

Sith.