clean_kitchen
TMF Poster
- Joined
- Aug 14, 2002
- Messages
- 114
- Points
- 0
Installment 3 of a story I wrote this morning. This is the final bit that is mostly backstory. People start to get it in the next part.
THE REH'HAEF
by clean_kitchen
3: SHE WHO LAUGHS FIRST
-----------------------
Tora sat across from Sari, a trusted friend and fellow padawan. The Twi'lek was roughly the same age as Tora. They had been friends since their earliest days of Jedi training.
"You're right, that is strange," Sari agreed as Tora recalled her conversation with Master Luun, "I thought that the Reh'taef were just a legend."
"Me too," Tora repeated for about the dozenth time. "It's almost too strange to be true."
"Maybe it isn't," offered Sari matter-of-factly.
"Huh?"
"Maybe it's a test of some sort -- to see if you're ready for the trials."
Tora pondered this for a moment. She had heard of things like this before, and she was approaching the end of her apprenticeship, but it seemed a bit too contrived.
"But why make up the Reh'taef story?" Tora thought aloud. "There are thousands of scarier things in the galaxy than some childish tickle monster."
"Maybe the strangeness of the situation is the test," replied Sari, "and maybe they want to see if you can withstand torture without actually hurting you."
"Torture?" replied Tora mockingly. "It's just a little tickling."
"Oh, so you don't think tickling can be torture?"
"No. It's just silly. Besides, I'm too old for that kind of stuff."
"Have you ever been tickled. I mean, REALLY tickled?"
"I guess not."
"Well then don't knock it. It was enough to scare Master Luuna, unless she was faking it."
"Good point. I think an experiment is in order." Tora had learned as a good Jedi to attack a problem from the simplest perspective, working to the more complicated. It seemed that the first piece of this puzzle was to learn more about being tickled. Testing this with her close friend would grant her safety from any alleged ill effects that tickling might offer.
"Would you tickle me, so I can see what it's like?" Tora asked Sari.
"I guess so, if you think it will help."
Tora removed her robe and the rest of her clothes down to her bra and panties. She knew that tickling involved light touching of the skin, and so she needed her skin to be exposed. Besides, the closeness of her friendship with Sari and the nonsexual Jedi mentality left little need for modesty.
Tora sat on the couch and held her arms out to her sides in a "T". "OK, do your worst," she said, mocking the pseudo-torture that Sari was about to inflict.
Sari reached out and danced her nails on Tora's bare stomach. Tora squealed and doubled over in defense.
"Waoh!" Sari was surprised by the reaction. "Still think it's not so bad?"
"It just startled me, like an insect crawling on me." She once again sat upright and raised her arms. "Try again," she commanded.
This time Sari started by wriggling her fingers on Tora's sides near her hips and worked her way up her sides and along her ribs. Tora stifled the laughter for a few seconds, but quickly shrieked and brought her arms down to protect herself.
"That's worse than I thought," Tora giggled, "but it's still just tickling. It's still not something that I would be afraid of as a real torture."
"I guess there's only one way you can know for sure," offered Sari. She thought this was silly, but she was enjoying it nonetheless. "It's one thing to be tickled for a few seconds when you can protect yourself. It may be another to be restrained and just have to endure it."
That made sense to Tora. "I guess you're right. Get some rope."
* * *
The guards had completed their task, simple though it was. Amidala now stood in the middle of the room, her wrists bound to a chain attached to the ceiling. Her arms were stretched straight up, pulling her nearly off the ground; her feet touching the metal floor, but just barely. The guards had removed the blouse of her pajamas, leaving her in her pajama pants, slippers and bra. Their last task was to remove her blindfold.
The senator blinked and squinted to see her surroundings. She saw only Count Dooku standing before her, but much of the room was dark. She didn't need her eyes to feel her bonds and understand her predicament. She didn't know what Dooku had in mind, but she was sure it would not be pleasant.
"It's now time for you to bring me what I seek," said the Count.
Two spindly creatures appeared from the shadows -- or, kind of appeared. They were unlike anything she had ever seen. Each stood nearly seven feet tall with elongated features. They were dark, but nearly transparent, almost like puffs of smoke. Their feet and hands terminated in long thin fingers and toes nearly a foot long. They seemed to float, walking lightly and silently on their almost stringlke toes. Their fingers waved like blades of grass in a summer breeze.
These were the creatures who had taken her from her apartment.
"I believe you have met my associates, but I doubt you were properly introduced" continued the Count. "Senator Amidala, meet the Reh'taef."
He couldn't be serious. He could just as well have said they were the Tooth Fairy or the Mon Calamari Ghost Eels. Nonetheless, she suddenly had a strong desire to lower her arms.
"That's right, Senator," said Count Dooku, sensing her recognition and disbelief. "These are the very same Reh'taef you have heard about, and I sense that you have guessed what they are going to do to you."
Amidala was silent. She wasn't sure how to respond. Tickling? She knew full well that she was very ticklish, but could this really be so bad? Her sister had tickled her when they were younger, and she had survived that. Surely she could endure more of the same ... couldn't she.
"Did you really bring me all this way just to tickle me?" asked Amidala, trying to sound defiant.
"Yes, I did," relied Dooku as the Reh'taef approached their victim.
[to be continued...next: Rude Awakenings]
THE REH'HAEF
by clean_kitchen
3: SHE WHO LAUGHS FIRST
-----------------------
Tora sat across from Sari, a trusted friend and fellow padawan. The Twi'lek was roughly the same age as Tora. They had been friends since their earliest days of Jedi training.
"You're right, that is strange," Sari agreed as Tora recalled her conversation with Master Luun, "I thought that the Reh'taef were just a legend."
"Me too," Tora repeated for about the dozenth time. "It's almost too strange to be true."
"Maybe it isn't," offered Sari matter-of-factly.
"Huh?"
"Maybe it's a test of some sort -- to see if you're ready for the trials."
Tora pondered this for a moment. She had heard of things like this before, and she was approaching the end of her apprenticeship, but it seemed a bit too contrived.
"But why make up the Reh'taef story?" Tora thought aloud. "There are thousands of scarier things in the galaxy than some childish tickle monster."
"Maybe the strangeness of the situation is the test," replied Sari, "and maybe they want to see if you can withstand torture without actually hurting you."
"Torture?" replied Tora mockingly. "It's just a little tickling."
"Oh, so you don't think tickling can be torture?"
"No. It's just silly. Besides, I'm too old for that kind of stuff."
"Have you ever been tickled. I mean, REALLY tickled?"
"I guess not."
"Well then don't knock it. It was enough to scare Master Luuna, unless she was faking it."
"Good point. I think an experiment is in order." Tora had learned as a good Jedi to attack a problem from the simplest perspective, working to the more complicated. It seemed that the first piece of this puzzle was to learn more about being tickled. Testing this with her close friend would grant her safety from any alleged ill effects that tickling might offer.
"Would you tickle me, so I can see what it's like?" Tora asked Sari.
"I guess so, if you think it will help."
Tora removed her robe and the rest of her clothes down to her bra and panties. She knew that tickling involved light touching of the skin, and so she needed her skin to be exposed. Besides, the closeness of her friendship with Sari and the nonsexual Jedi mentality left little need for modesty.
Tora sat on the couch and held her arms out to her sides in a "T". "OK, do your worst," she said, mocking the pseudo-torture that Sari was about to inflict.
Sari reached out and danced her nails on Tora's bare stomach. Tora squealed and doubled over in defense.
"Waoh!" Sari was surprised by the reaction. "Still think it's not so bad?"
"It just startled me, like an insect crawling on me." She once again sat upright and raised her arms. "Try again," she commanded.
This time Sari started by wriggling her fingers on Tora's sides near her hips and worked her way up her sides and along her ribs. Tora stifled the laughter for a few seconds, but quickly shrieked and brought her arms down to protect herself.
"That's worse than I thought," Tora giggled, "but it's still just tickling. It's still not something that I would be afraid of as a real torture."
"I guess there's only one way you can know for sure," offered Sari. She thought this was silly, but she was enjoying it nonetheless. "It's one thing to be tickled for a few seconds when you can protect yourself. It may be another to be restrained and just have to endure it."
That made sense to Tora. "I guess you're right. Get some rope."
* * *
The guards had completed their task, simple though it was. Amidala now stood in the middle of the room, her wrists bound to a chain attached to the ceiling. Her arms were stretched straight up, pulling her nearly off the ground; her feet touching the metal floor, but just barely. The guards had removed the blouse of her pajamas, leaving her in her pajama pants, slippers and bra. Their last task was to remove her blindfold.
The senator blinked and squinted to see her surroundings. She saw only Count Dooku standing before her, but much of the room was dark. She didn't need her eyes to feel her bonds and understand her predicament. She didn't know what Dooku had in mind, but she was sure it would not be pleasant.
"It's now time for you to bring me what I seek," said the Count.
Two spindly creatures appeared from the shadows -- or, kind of appeared. They were unlike anything she had ever seen. Each stood nearly seven feet tall with elongated features. They were dark, but nearly transparent, almost like puffs of smoke. Their feet and hands terminated in long thin fingers and toes nearly a foot long. They seemed to float, walking lightly and silently on their almost stringlke toes. Their fingers waved like blades of grass in a summer breeze.
These were the creatures who had taken her from her apartment.
"I believe you have met my associates, but I doubt you were properly introduced" continued the Count. "Senator Amidala, meet the Reh'taef."
He couldn't be serious. He could just as well have said they were the Tooth Fairy or the Mon Calamari Ghost Eels. Nonetheless, she suddenly had a strong desire to lower her arms.
"That's right, Senator," said Count Dooku, sensing her recognition and disbelief. "These are the very same Reh'taef you have heard about, and I sense that you have guessed what they are going to do to you."
Amidala was silent. She wasn't sure how to respond. Tickling? She knew full well that she was very ticklish, but could this really be so bad? Her sister had tickled her when they were younger, and she had survived that. Surely she could endure more of the same ... couldn't she.
"Did you really bring me all this way just to tickle me?" asked Amidala, trying to sound defiant.
"Yes, I did," relied Dooku as the Reh'taef approached their victim.
[to be continued...next: Rude Awakenings]
