The jungle air was thick, suffocating in its humidity, clinging to Vila's skin as she ran. She couldn't see the stars through the dense canopy, and the moon's faint light barely filtered through the thick, tangled web of leaves and vines above her. Her bare, bleeding feet left behind a bloody trail, each step of hers glinting with red. It was a pathway, an invitation laid out to the thing pursuing her... Somewhere behind her, the guttural growls of a predator echoed through the trees, growing louder with each passing moment, clearly following the sweet aroma of her fresh blood.
Her lungs burned as she pushed herself forward, dodging low-hanging branches and gnarled roots that clawed at her like skeletal fingers, wanting to trip her and force her to stay with them forever. Still, her body moved with unnatural agility while running, avoiding them, always looking ahead because she simply didn't dare glance back over her shoulders. Looking back always made it worse.
A moment later, the faint outline of a trap came into view as she burst through a thorny bush to reach her goal. It was a sturdy, metal cage hidden beneath a cluster of overgrown foliage, ready to be sprung. Vila's stomach twisted as she saw it because this was the worst part of it all. She hated it—the anticipation, the waiting, the fear—but she knew what would happen if she didn't follow orders. She would be abandoned, and the creature would be captured while it was gorging on her body.
The growling was closer now, accompanied by the snapping of branches and the hiss of disturbed leaves. She couldn't see the creature yet, but she could feel it. Its oppressive presence, the primal hunger radiating from the darkness—it was the ruler of this jungle, and its aura was pressing down on her like a weight she couldn't shake off.
Skidding to a halt, she was just a step away from the activation tile. But... the beast had to be standing on the trap. Precisely. Her heart pounded in her ears, drowning out every other sound except the predator's approaching steps. Her small, purple hands clutched the edge of the tattered clothes she was wearing, her knuckles whitening as she tried to steady herself, turning around and watching the jungle rustle.
"Stay calm. Don't scream. Let it get close," she repeated in her mind, trying to push down the rising tide of panic. She did her best to draw on her inner strength, something that somehow always found a way to help her out of tricky situations. She could trust nobody, but she could trust herself.
The beast emerged from the shadows, its glowing yellow, cat-like eyes fixed on her body. It was massive, taller than her, its muscular frame covered in sleek, black fur that shimmered faintly in the moonlight. Jagged fangs protruded from its snarling maw, and its long tail lashed out at the air behind it. Looking into its eyes, Vila froze, her breath catching in her throat as it prowled closer, its body low to the ground, its every movement deliberate and lethal. Something... was not right. The monster's aura was strange, it... it dispelled all her courage and washed her over with fear that completely paralyzed her body.
She wanted to run. She tried to scream. But she couldn't. She couldn't do anything, not even breathe. She was now entirely under its powers.
The beast paused, its nose twitching as it sniffed the air. It snarled at her, a deep, rumbling sound that made Vila's entire body shake. It was then that her master's voice echoed in her ear, this time for real, coming from the earpiece she had in it.
"Snap out of it! Wait until it's on the trap. Trigger it right then!"
The trap—yes, the trap. She was just the bait... not the dinner. She knew it, but the thought didn't bring much comfort to her.
The beast inched closer, its eyes scanning its surroundings as if looking for others, looking for something being out of place. Its breath was hot and rancid like a rancor's, and Vila could feel it hit her body as it leaned forward, sniffing at the air between them. Her entire body trembled, but she didn't move. She didn't dare... no, once again, she couldn't. The moment she looked into the eyes of the apex predator, it was as if she had been hypnotized. Her body answered to her no longer.
The cage's release mechanism was behind her, hidden by leaves and branches. All it would take was one step—a single, tiny step backward—and the trap would spring, the cage would fall, and she would be safe. But her muscles refused to obey her.
"Just one step. Move!" She groaned, biting her lips, drawing blood, trying to use the pain to force herself.
But her legs refused to cooperate. The beast growled again, louder this time, and it crossed the distance between them in an instant, faster than she could react. She felt as the creature pushed her to the ground, its paws pressing against her chest, yet its claws remained retracted. It was... dissatisfied. She could feel it. It wanted to hunt. It wanted... more.
"Please…" she whispered, though she wasn't sure who she was begging—her master, the beast, or the powers of the unknown themselves. Still, it was the beast who answered her, its jaws opening wide, and Vila squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for the inevitable.
And then came a loud whip crack, filling the air with electricity, striking the animal.
The animal recoiled with a startled roar, and Vila felt the pressure on her body vanish. She opened her eyes to see her master standing a few paces away, the long, electrified whip in his hands flickering under the faint moonlight. His expression was one of cold disdain as he snapped the whip again, driving the creature back, herding it to the perfect spot, and arousing its anger. It was now excited again, wanting to tear the newcomer apart, refusing to leave.
"You're pathetic," her master spat, his voice dripping with contempt. "You can't even do this right."
Vila didn't respond. She couldn't. Her body was half-frozen, her limbs heavy and unresponsive.
The beast snarled and lunged forward again, but this time, her master was ready. The whip cracked once more, and the creature yelped as the lash struck its side. It hesitated, its glowing eyes darting between Vila and her master, jumping back, realizing that this fight was an uneven one.
"Get up!" her owner barked, his command overriding her exhaustion. "Get up, or I'll leave you here with it!"
Vila scrambled to her feet, her legs wobbling beneath her. She knew why... the beast was in its perfect position. She took a shaky step backward, then another, until she felt the edge of the activator beneath her heel. The cage mechanism clicked, the metal bars springing up around the beast just as it lunged toward her again, deciding that it would have its trophy, no matter what.
The creature's roar of rage shook the air after it banged against the cage, but it was trapped now, clawing futilely at the bars. Vila's chest heaved as she stumbled away, her back colliding with a tree as she slid back to the ground, wanting to cry but having no tears to shed.
Seeing her state, her master loomed over her, the whip coiled in his hand finally deactivated. Before saying anything, he whistled as more of his men appeared ready to sedate the beast and transfer it back to their ship. Watching her, his eyes were cold, ruthless, and uncaring.
"You're lucky I was here," he said, his voice low. "If there is a next time where you fuck up, I won't save you."
Vila felt a kind of anger that made her vision swim, but it was more than that. As her anger grew, the jungle blurred, the edges of the world twisting and warping like a reflection in a suddenly disturbed pond. She tried to stand, but her body refused to follow her will. The creature's growls returned and reverberated around her, multiplying and coming from every direction, making her vision swim.
Her master was gone. The cage was gone.
She was now alone.
Then, the growling grew louder and closer. What... what happened? Did the beast escape?! Vila turned around frantically, her eyes darting through the darkness, but she couldn't see them—no trees, people, or the cage. What surrounded her were the shadows themselves. But... where is her master? Where is the jungle? What is happening?!
And then, one by one, the same predatory creature emerged from the darkness, bringing along its entire pack.
They were larger than before, their glowing eyes more numerous and intense, their fangs sharper and glinting from drool. Their bodies seemed to shimmer and shift, becoming more monstrous with each passing moment. Their aura was also different—menacing, wild, and bloodthirsty.
Vila screamed as the first beast lunged toward her. She scrambled backward, but her hands and legs found no purchase on the slippery, muddy ground, making her fall multiple times. The beast's jaws snapped shut inches from her face, and she felt the rush of its hot breath, the stench of death assaulting her senses.
Another one pounced, its claws raking through the air, and Vila rolled to the side just in time to avoid it. She tried to crawl away, but they were everywhere, circling her, closing in. There was no escape.
"Please!" she cried, her voice breaking. "Somebody, help me!"
But no one came.
The largest of the beasts stepped on her like before, its eyes burning like twin red giants, pushing her to her back. It growled low, leaning close to her face, huffing at her. Vila's body was pressed against the ground, her hands trying to force the paw off of her chest, tears streaming down her face.
And then it bit down.
She woke with a start, her body jerking violently as she sat upright in her bed. Her heart hammered in her chest, almost bursting through it while her breath came in short, ragged gasps. For a moment, she didn't know where she was. The darkness of the room felt oppressive, closing in on her like the jungle had in her dream.
But then her senses returned.
She wasn't in the jungle anymore. She wasn't bait. She wasn't a slave. Not anymore.
She was in the Jedi Temple, on Yavin 4.
The realization hit her like a wave, and she clutched the coarse fabric of her blanket, her hands trembling, pulling it before her face, wanting to hide the fact she was crying. The room was silent, save for the faint hum of the Temple's ventilation system. There were no growls. No whips. No owners and no chains around her wrists and ankles.
She was safe. At least, she was repeating it to herself in her head.
In the end, she swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her bare feet touching the cool stone floor without hurting, without fresh cuts that would bleed and lead a monster to her masters. She ran a hand over her face, wiping away the sweat and tears that clung to her skin. Her lekku twitched faintly as she took a deep, shuddering breath, forcing calmness upon herself.
"It's over," she whispered. "It's over. I'm safe. Relax, Vila. Stop crying."
But even as she said the words, her body refused to fully believe them. Her muscles were tense, her hands shaking, her chest still tight. The memories of her past were not so easily left behind.
She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing. It was advice that Ben Skywalker had taught her earlier that day when she was exploring the Temple, memorizing its layout and searching for possible escape routes. She couldn't help it; it was in her nature. When she ran into him, he decided to invite her for a quick lecture, wanting her to try it out. He probably felt her thoughts, her constant nervousness, being on the edge... and she wouldn't refuse him, not after saving her from the clutch of his masters.
"In through my nose, out through my mouth—slowly, deliberately." She repeated his instructions aloud, starting to try and follow it.
With each breath, the tension in her body began to ease. The shadows of the nightmare still lingered at the edges of her mind, but they felt distant now—like echoes of a world that no longer held her in its grasp.
"I'm safe," she said again, more firmly this time.
After a few more breaths, she finally stood up, wrapping her arms around herself as she paced within the small room. The air was cool against her damp skin, grounding her and pulling her further away from the effects of her dream. In the end, her eyes drifted to the window of her abode. Through the narrow opening, she could see the faint glow of Yavin 4's moonlight filtering through the trees, entering her room and her eyes.
"I'm not there anymore," she thought. "I'm here. I'm free."
She didn't know how long she stood there, staring out at the moonlit jungle beyond the Temple. But when she finally returned to bed, her body felt lighter. The nightmares would come again—she was sure of that. But for now, at least, she was safe.
And that was enough.