Zoe stood there shaking again. She had been told to take her clothes off before, but that usually preceeded a beating of some kind. She stared after Jaina wondering what she had done wrong to deserve punishment. After a few moments, she started apologizing profusely for whatever transgression she had committed, begging for forgiveness and pleading not to be beaten.

Jai looked at her, totally puzzled. Finally, after about 5 mintues of Zoe's string of pleadings, Jai grabbed her by the shoulder lightly with one hand and put a finger over her lips with the other.

"Shh...Kid...it's ok, you didn't do anything wrong. And, trust me, I don't "beat" kids. Listen, I only want you to get undressed so you can take a bath, so you can get clean, to get all this dust and stuff off of you. Ok? That's all, Zoe. I'm not going to hurt you...do you really think I'd ever hit you?"

Zoe looked at Jaina a minute after calming down. She had relaxed and decided that Jaina really was okay. She reached down and pulled off her makeshift dress. There were scars all over her back and arms as well as one long scar running across her stomach

Jai cringed for a moment. She knew how it was to be a slave, haveing to work agianst your own will, but she'd never been beaten, only tattooed without any skin deadeners. That seemed like nothing compared to the scars that Zoe had.

Jai closed her eyes and stood, then motioned to the bathroom.

"Cm'on, Zo'...let's get you cleaned up."

Zoe moved over to the side of the tub and looked down into the water, then back up at Jaina, then back at the water before looking back at Jaina again.


You expect me to get in there?

"Well...yeah."

Jai leaned over and swirled her hand around in the water, "See? It's not gonna kill you....it's just water. I take baths all the time, and I'm still here."

Jai tried to demonstrate as she explained, and only ending up makeing herself look like a fool..."Look, Kid...ya just pick your foot up...put it in the water...then the other...and then ya sit down. That's step one. Try."

Zoe did as instructed and got into the tub. She sat down a little too hard, however, and fell back into the water, sitting up and sputtering and coughing and trying to get out

Jai held in a snicker and steadied the poor girl. She looked like a drownd rat.

"Aw, Kid. just relax...your ok. Calm down. Aiight?"

Once she seemed alright, Jai handed her a washrag and a bar of soap.

"Ok..now...put the rag in the water, get it wet, then rub the soap on it. Then i'll take the soap and you rub the cloth all over you....but not on your face, it'll get in your eyes and burn like all frell."

Zoe looked at the things in her hand in complete confusion. Since there was no Huttese word for soap she had no idea what that bar thingy was in her hand. She handed them both back to Jaina and shook her head, looking away.

Jai sighed and did it herself. She got the cloth wet, soaped it up and rubbed it on Zoe's arm..."See? Now you try." She pushed them back into Zoe's hands and gave her a look that showed a slight hint of fustration.