Ani hovers behind Elesse, though she experiments with adopting a firmer posture, one - quiet, still, someone who knows her place, but leaning a bit more heavily on that place being as Elesse's manservant and therefore, possibly, bodyguard. She has a small blaster concealed only mostly well, and a small vibroblde concealed only slightly better (and more weapons actually properly concealed, of course, but not ones Ani's supposed to have here). It possibly helps with the slavers delivering their 'passengers.' Makes Elesse seem more serious about this.

She examines the three 'passengers' with a critical eye when they're first brought in, cataloging apparent physical abilities, health, attitude, how likely they seem to try for defiance or escape, how likely to remain meek. She tries not to look harsh, though, but... It's a hard dance.

She offers, mentally, to take the lead on getting their 'passengers' settled.

Elesse receives the collar remote and makes a show of beckoning Ani forward and passing it to her. "She that our 'guests' are properly settled," she says.

"Yes, Master." She turns to their 'passengers,' gaze even, and says, softly but firmly, "Follow me," as she turns toward the slave quarters.

(Her gut's roiling, but shockingly little of it's showing in her body, mostly in a stiffness of her limbs. Elesse being right here - having a plan - mind reading her - helps, there, though Anakin hates it and can only maintain this by drawing Ani even tighter around her, and by longing intensely for the private comfort of Elesse's bunk.)

The two Gamorreans snuffle along peaceably enough, but it takes a sharp word from the handler to get the Weequay moving.

She'll keep an eye on him, then.

Once they're definitely out of earshot: "Do any of you need food, water, or medicine?"

The Gamorrean brothers are feeling peckish, they could eat.

The Weequay sniffs coldly. "Don't talk to me, lapdog. If it weren't for this collar, I'd rip your arms off," they say in Huttese.

She turns fully to face them, her gaze demanding theirs. "Do you announce your intent this clearly in the arena?" she asks, in the same language - and far more coldly. Then, without waiting for a response: "If so, I doubt you could best me."

She turns aside then, dismissing them, and more warmly to the brothers and returning to Basic: "We have some actual food still, not just rations - I can fetch it."

The Weequay huffs, and leans back, playing cool. Through the Force, it's clear that was more bite than they were expecting.

The brothers are excited for real food! It's been a while since they've had a chance to eat that sort of thing.

She's happy to provide, then. 

The slave quarters are cramped, of course, but she does what she can to make them comfortable - and makes sure the brothers are fed, of course. 

They'll happily eat everything in the ship's stores, if permitted.

She draws the line at reasonable portions, which is far short of the ship's stores. (A bit more than needed just to get them to like her, but - Anakin's kind.)

She draws them into a first pass of conversation, though, about the matches and the organizations there - at least until Elesse needs her. (Anakin mentally asks Elesse to need her soon enough; she wants to break this up more.)

Elesse will call her to the bridge for takeoff.

She makes sure their 'passengers' are settled well enough, and then she goes to her Master's side.

"Is everything okay back there?" Elesse asks.

"Yes, Master," she says, mentally testing to see if they're observed. "The Weequay is likely to lash out if given the chance, but the brothers seem more or less content. I set them up with supplies for now."

They're private.

"Use caution. I don't want you to have to hurt them."

She slumps, letting herself be Anakin. It's harsher than it normally is - Ani's a slave and happy there, and objects to others' enslavement mostly because she thinks they should get to be happy, too. Ani had been exasperated by the Weequay, unbothered by and fond of the brothers...

Anakin - doesn't like being complicit, even a little. 

"I think I scared them enough they won't try anything right away. And... Power struggles like that are really common among Hutt slaves. We don't have power over ourselves, so we seize what we can from others, but... Repeatedly trying to upset the pecking order gets you killed, and I don't think that Weequay was enslaved that recently."

(It bothers her that she doesn't know their names.)

"I'll stay alert, though."

Elesse locks in their course and reaches over to hug Anakin.

"You're doing a very hard thing. I'm proud of you."

Snuggle! She loves Elesse, and - Anakin doesn't know if she can be proud of herself, not yet, but it helps that Elesse is. 

Being held helps, too.

"Thanks," she says, voice thick and slightly muffled from where her face is pressed into Elesse's shirt.

"I'm here for you, Anakin. We will make the galaxy a better place before we're finished."

Soft smile. "I love you."

She wishes it was simpler. She wishes the galaxy didn't need fixing, that nothing was broken, that she and Elesse could simply - be. And even if it must be fixed - she wishes that fixing it was simpler. More straightforward. 

None of that's the case, of course. And - Elesse's the best person to have in her corner when it isn't. 

Pat pat.

"Together we'll sort it out."

Nuzzle. "Together."

The rest of the trip goes by without any major incidents.

When they land, more Black Sun operatives are there to meet them and take the gladiators away. Elesse is given her payment, and told where to meet for the next job. Also offhandedly mentioned is where the fighting ring is and when the next matches will be, if they want to see their cargo's worth.

(She doesn't want to watch.)

...But - if they want to put Ani in the matches...