Chapter Text
Two hours. That was the time allotted to them by Ewin.
Three hours. That was how much time had passed. And for whatever reason, Luke, Kora, and Sulvi had not returned. The delay made the crew on the ship feel uneasy.
Not to mention, it made Arset feel frustrated. He had sent the report to the empire hours ago, and there was still no sign of an imperial ship coming. On the one hand, if the others, with Skywalker, came before the empire did, that would make a mess of Arset's plans. But if Skywalker didn't return at all, there would be hell to pay. You couldn't afford to mess up when Darth Vader was involved.
When Wedge, Ewin, and Mur decided to look for the rest of the crew, Arset volunteered to stay behind and keep an eye on the ship. It was a stroke of genius on his part. This way, he could stall for time until the empire arrived.
He watched through the viewport as the silhouettes of Wedge, Ewin and Mur climbed up the stairs to the temple. He was tempted to shoot them with the ship's cannons. It would mean three fewer rebels to worry about. But he restrained himself. He had heard how Skywalker was prone to mishaps and accidents during missions, so on the off-chance that the Jedi needed help, he kept his hands off the weapons. He needed him captured alive, after all.
So Arset leaned back, waiting in silence for the imperial ship that would come any moment now. His mind wandered, imagining the things he would do when he received his reward, and could finally stop pretending to care about the rebellion's cause. With the amount of credits promised on Skywalker's bounty, he could live the rest of his life in comfort. Maybe he would spend a few years on Canto Bight. He would have to be careful not to gamble his money away all at once, but he could make it big in a place like that. Maybe even charm a rich woman and spend all of her money instead. So many possibilities.
But Arset's daydreams could not last forever, no matter how sweet they were. When he looked out of the viewport this time, the mountainside was swarming with people. At first he thought he was still daydreaming, or experiencing some hallucination. But no matter how many times he blinked or rubbed his eyes, the figures would not disappear. And they were only getting closer.
As the figures approached, Arset could make out more details. The figures were naked, emaciated women of all kinds of species. Their mouths were wide and grinning, red with blood.
Arset fumbled with the controls of the ship, starting the engines. Whatever was going on with these women, he didn't want to stick around for it. The engines of the ship turned on and started warming up. Arset cursed the older ship for having such a slow startup. With every second, the strange women were only getting closer. His eyes widened in horror as he could make out several of the women fighting over scraps of meat. Green rodian meat.
Once the engines were ready, Arset flipped the switches that would retract the landing gear, but the ship wasn't responding to his commands. He flipped the switches over and over again, but nothing happened. By now the women were swarming around the ship. He could hear them banging on the hull.
Arset yelled in frustration and fear as he tried to get the ship in the air. The engines were firing up, but the ship refused to move. It was as if an invisible pull was holding it in place. The hatch creaked and moaned, the locks bending to keep the door shut. But whatever wanted inside wouldn't take no for an answer. Arset watched in horror as one by one, the locks opened, and the hatch was pulled wide open.
Arset held his blaster ready, prepared for the monsters outside to come swarming in. But instead of a stampede, one tall woman stepped inside the ship calmly. Her matted hair reached her ankles, and her skin was a pale and sickly yellow. She seemed to be only skin and bone, yet Arset could feel an imposing and terrifying aura around her. The most notable thing about her was the body in her arms. Skywalker's body was mangled and bloody, and Arset would have thought him dead if it weren't for the slight rise and fall of his chest.
The woman turned her ghastly face towards Arset, staring at him with hunger and slight curiosity. "Are you a pilot?" Her voice was raspy and coarse from neglect. It sent a chill down Arset's spine. He was afraid to move, or draw attention to himself, feeling like cornered prey. He could only manage a slight nod.
His response seemed to please the woman. "Very good." As she spoke, the women outside entered the ship, waiting politely in line. They stared at him with animalistic hunger, but this woman, who was clearly their leader, had a presence that kept them back. "Fly us away from here. Now."
Arset's instincts told him not to obey her. If he left now, he'd fail his mission. And the thought of releasing these monsters to the galaxy terrified him. His eyes went to Skywalker in the woman's arms. If a Jedi couldn't defeat her, what chance did he have? He turned to the console, which responded perfectly to him now. He kept his eyes forward, trying not to think about the woman approaching him from behind as he flew them out of the atmosphere. "Please... Please don't kill me," Arset whispered.
Arset felt the woman's breath against his ear, stinking of blood, meat, and rot. "What is your name?"
Arset swallowed. "I... I'm Arset. Arset Nebul." His hands shook with fear as he prepared the ship for hyperspace.
The woman's bony fingers on his shoulder were clamped on him like a vicegrip. "Do not fear, Arset Nebul. You will not die today, I swear it on my name as Lady Caravashta. I have a reward for you." a wet piece of meat was pressed to his lips. "Eat. Eat and grow strong, my son."
Arset wanted to hurl, to do anything. Instead, he was frozen. He opened his mouth and bit down on the meat.