Emperor Ming of Mongo and Klytus, his most trusted underling were inside his private meditation chamber. The goateed man sitting behind the computer console had been in deep meditation for a good number of hours, but what he sought continued to elude him as if deliberately trying to frustrate his will. He considered satiating his desires with one of his concubines, but he didn't find that thought particularly appealing at the moment.

"Klytus," Ming intoned, "the day is filled with such overwhelming, relentlessly tedious, dullness. We are bored."

The simple, concise statement reflected his mood and required no further elaboration. He was bored, terribly; in dire need of some diversion - any diversion to provide him with some sort of amusement. More often than not, when Ming was bored he sought out an obscure body in the farthest reaches of the galaxy to toy with or simply obliterate. The urge only came occasionally and in most cases the extensive natural disasters and eventual destruction of the world he chose would curiously coincide with ancient native prophesies of global Armageddon. Just as frequently, his close confidant was there by his side to suggest an alternative to arouse his excitement. Stoically, Klytus stood vigilantly by his Emperor's side. He was dressed in a flowing black robe and cowl, his face almost completely obscured by a metallic silver mask except for two piercing, steel-cold eyes that stared out from inside. Klytus had seen the Emperor in this mood enough times to know instinctively what would raise his spirits.

Toward that end, he offered a suggestion to alleviate his boredom, "Perhaps a plaything to relieve your all-consuming boredom, Your Majesty?"

Klytus noticed his Emperor's countenance brighten somewhat at his suggestion. The tall man turned slightly in his direction and Klytus moved forward to the console. He pressed a small button and a screen miraculously appeared on the wall, taking up virtually the entire space from one corner to the other, floor to ceiling high. On the huge screen appeared a vast star field comprised of extensive number of galaxies spanning a seemingly insurmountable distance. As if at random, Klytus pressed another series of buttons on the console and the screen's computer enhanced and enlarged a galaxy situated toward the lower right hand corner. Klytus repeated the process with the southernmost section of this sector and so forth until the screen was filled with a single solar system. Finally, he zeroed in on the fifth planet from the sun.

"There's an obscure body in the ZX-823454 system that may provide some amusement, Your Majesty," Klytus spoke as the screen repeated the process yet again until the chosen planet filled the entire screen; lazily rotating on its axis in the endless blackness of space. The planet was a murky grayish color, giving an impression of being absolutely devoid of all life or animation. There was something about the obscurity of the dead-looking planet and its immediate surroundings that reinforced the Emperor's presently weary disposition as it just hovered there and rotated unceasingly; the blue sun casting a dim glow on its surface. The Emperor stared silently at the screen for quite some time before he responded, "How dreadfully dull this world appears..." Then, he was suddenly struck with another thought. "Tell me, Klytus," he queried. "Are there signs of life on this world? Advanced, sentient beings who might prove a danger to Us?"

Klytus knew the Emperor asked in the hopes of an affirmative answer, for if there were inhabitants of this desolate satellite they might decide to travel through space and discover the source of their impending devastation and meet their doom at the hands of its benefactor. Nobody passed through the doorway from the universe into his domain and lived to tell the tale; their fate - as well as that of their world - forever remained a mystery. Klytus looked up the pertinent information about the world on a nearby readout, gathering the data before addressing his Emperor. "The indigenous life forms of the planet - known as Dagobah to the inhabitants of its section of the galaxy - are primarily primitive creatures, Your Majesty. However, we've discovered a handful of intelligent beings have inhabited this remote planet for a small number of their years. Two of these them in particular have recently acquired a, shall we say, rather unique power they've learned to use to their advantage. They refer to it simply as... 'the Force'," Klytus finished with detached interest.

"So," said the Emperor turning, his sense of curiosity apparent in his changed tone. "This 'Force'? It enables these beings to accomplish feats alien to their kind? Interesting," he reflected, then spoke up again. "Do you believe Our hand and that of the great God Dyzan would be recognized by these creatures? In all likelihood would they respond accordingly?"

"Most certainly, Your Majesty," Klytus agreed. "Surely they'd provide an entertaining diversion should We decide to, ahem, play with their home a while. Shall We probe their minds, Your Majesty?"

"Why not, my dear Klytus?" came the answer; the Emperor's interest growing exponentially. "Proceed."

Klytus pressed a series of buttons. Machinery came to life and invisible waves of energy reached out across the cosmos, traveling light years until they reached their intended destination where they sought out the brain waves and biorhythms of the intelligent individuals of the remote world of Dagobah. The images quickly returned through the channel opened across the vast reaches of outer space, revealing themselves on the gigantic screen as a montage of images as from a dream; blending and twisting in upon each other as the Emperor and his underling watched intently. The images that caught their attention in particular were those of an epic struggle recently waged between a vast empire and a rebel alliance including an image of a man clad all in black armor with a frighteningly grotesque breath mask. "Hmm," Klytus intoned with profound interest as the images of Lord Darth Vader flickered across the screen, "now HE showed promise..."

Fleets of enormous military vessels and a sizable space station laying waste to an entire world replaced the figure in black. Those images in turn were replaced with a host of others, including a young woman who was apparently in a position of importance in the political order of their section of the galaxy. An image of this woman in some award ceremony merged with another of her, inexplicably dressed in what closely resembled a harem girl's uniform. The Emperor and Klytus shared a wordless exchange as if considering the same thing as her picture was overlapped by another, and then another. The pictures incessantly exploded on the screen; the entire history of the apocalyptic conflict between two sides vying for control and freedom, until they finally ceased, leaving the Emperor and his underling with a clear impression of the identity of the two inhabitants of the planet Dagobah and its importance to the new democratic government they were instrumental in forming. But petty politics were, after all, of very little interest compared to the challenge they posed and the opportunity for an exciting game.

Now familiar with the beings occupying the distant planet, the Emperor announced, "My dear Klytus, soon we shall see whether either or both of the Skywalkers are worthy of Ming the Merciless. For the moment, I prefer to play with my toys before I annihilate them." Emperor Ming's private chamber echoed with his mocking laughter and that of Klytus as Ming leaned forward to work yet another series of controls. Unseen by the normal human eye, bright crimson waves of pure energy lanced out and struck the orbit of Dagobah, causing various natural disasters to occur on the planet as its orbit slowly shifted closer to the center of the solar system. "Most impressive, Your Majesty," Klytus chuckled as they watched as the surface of the planet buckled and erupted in molten magma as the chaos they were creating come alive on the screen right in front of them; earthquakes, tidal waves, floods and torrential storms filled the screen as they threw back their heads and roared with laughter.

As things were, it wouldn't be long before there was a response...

"General Kala. Single occupancy spacecraft of unknown configuration approaching from beyond Hawkman City."

General Kala approached the view screen. A tiny spacecraft of alien design was approaching from afar through the Sea of Fire which lay beyond the Hawkmen's floating castle A rather unexpected development, that much was certain, but still expected to happen around this time.

"Shall I blast it to atoms, General?"

General Kala turned to the lieutenant of Ming's Imperial fleet and withered him with a single look. She remembered that Klytus and Emperor Ming himself advised her an unannounced arrival would happen soon, leaving express orders to ensure any strange spacecraft be safely transported to Mingo City. "Negative. Secure a tractor beam on the craft and land it at these coordinates. Tell the Emperor and Klytus we have a visitor."

Silently General Kala watched as the tractor beam caught the small craft and guided over the landscape of Mongo until it was brought down approximately a mile from Mingo City.

In spite of her present predicament, Princess Leia Organa found Mingo City breathtakingly beautiful.

It had been barely ten minutes since her Y-Wing was landed by the tractor beam in front of the sprawling complex to which she was being taken by guards dressed in gold-crimson armor who had greeted her immediately upon her disembarking. Situated against a flaming red sky, the city rose tall and majestic as if defying the gods who created its builders. Leia and her escorts headed for the edge of the city that seemed to loom high above her, dwarfing her presence here as if she were insignificant by comparison. The effect was both striking and intimidating as Leia was escorted into the maw of the inner city that resembled a doorway to a vast palace beyond. The Princess reminded herself to not get too carried away while she took in her surroundings; after all, she was there for a reason.

"I sense a profound disturbance in the Force," Yoda had solemnly warned she and Luke Skywalker when his specter appeared to them the night before the cataclysmic events. When pressed, the Jedi Master simply explained the nature of the disturbance was one with which he was completely unfamiliar. Since the fall of the Galactic Empire, they'd begun training a new generation of Jedi Knights - "the New Jedi Order" - on the remote world of Dagobah. Now, the existence of this New Jedi Order itself was threatened by the tremor Yoda felt in the Force in the form of unseen waves of energy that shifted the orbit of Dagobah, pushing it toward the sun at the center of their solar system. The sudden shift in orbit caused major upheavals including earthquakes, floods and other natural disasters on a global scale. The inhabitants of Dagobah imagined the shift in orbit could well affect the gravitational forces of the rest of the solar system - and quite possibly beyond it as well, which could spell disaster for their part of the galaxy!

On the night of the first attack, Yoda's specter returned with that of Obi-Wan Kenobi and they told Leia her first test as a fledgling Jedi Knight would be to cross a vast distance and wage a great battle for herself and for her people. She would go where no one from her galaxy had gone before; leaving her known universe and piercing the veil of the fabric of time and space itself in a journey into another world beyond. Yoda and Obi-Wan had told her she would have to rely on every single ounce of her Force as well as her inner strength to see herself victorious in this battle. If she had faith in her powers, they told Leia she could prevent the impending destruction of the New Republic. When Leia agreed to make the journey, Yoda and Obi-Wan thought it best if Luke stayed behind to continue training the new Jedi's, so she left for the other world alone; remembering what she'd been told about keeping her inner strength.

So that's where we find her now, about to confront the evil behind the attack on Dagobah and fight to save the galaxy. Following her intuition, Leia found the source of the energy waves attacking Dagobah, passed through the doorway between universes and ventured to whatever lay beyond it.

The interior of the city was every bit as striking as the exterior, thought Leia as she was escorted by the guards into a vast throne room. There, she was presented to a variety of the varied species encompassing the kingdoms in Ming's domain, including Arboria, Ardentia, Frigia and the castle of the Hawkmen. In addition to this motley assortment of subjects, there were a number of the obligatory scantily clad harem girls, all of whom eyed the Princess warily as she strode into the throne room wearing her Rebel Alliance flight suit to be brought before Ming the Merciless. The only time any of them saw a woman in military dress were the members of the Emperor's military. Confronting Ming the Merciless face to face, Leia announced who she was and the purpose of her mission. In turn, Ming told the Princess that he and his confidant Klytus had been expecting her arrival, and they were aware of the test she'd have to take on behalf of her people.

Suddenly, a young woman emerged from behind Ming's throne, striding with casual confidence across the dais, coolly looking over the subjects in Ming's throne room. She appeared roughly the same age as Leia, and carried herself with an air of dangerous importance, as if hers was a voice no one dared ignore. She was dressed in a long, flowing gold robe attached to a prominent shoulder ensemble under there was a tight fitting, skimpy, bodice of the same golden material as the skirt which began low on her exposed midriff and fell to her sandals. It was slit up one side to expose her shapely thigh and calf encased in more gold material formed in various designs. Her lengthy auburn hair lazily cascaded over her ensemble and down over one side of her handsome face, completing the intended effect that her appearance had on the male members of the motley gathering of subjects and species. The young woman regarded the various species gathered here as if they were culinary pleasures and she was a connoisseur.

There was a lascivious manner in the way she gazed beyond the dais that simultaneously fascinated and repelled Leia. Her general aura as she assumed her place alongside Emperor Ming was both refined and animal at the same time. As if picking up on the Princess' mental vibrations via some unseen wavelength, the woman scanned the gathering until she noticed the outworlder looking her over. She met Leia's gaze across the distance between them, her soft features suddenly hardening and her expression taking on a look of annoyance and contempt as she regarded Leia coldly from the dais. As their eyes locked firmly, Leia mentally reached out with the Force as they stared one another down for several seconds. What she felt was a powerful combination of curiosity, hostility ... and a dawning interest in something Leia couldn't exactly put a finger on. The woman standing beside Emperor Ming regarded Leia intensely for a few more instants, outwardly unmoving while she studied the Princess over from head to toe, her hostility growing with each second. Growing on the borders of this hostility was that mysterious dawning interest again.

Leia noticed the woman looking directly at her, almost as if imagining what the Princess would look like wearing clothes that left far less to the imagination ... Then, with a superior air, she turned her back on Leia and leaned forward to whisper in Ming's ear.

"Father," she cooed seductively, as if already convinced she would get her way. "is it necessary to execute her outright? Perhaps, with my help, of course, she could provide Us with some amusement."

This seemed to pique Ming's interest somewhat. "Aura, my dear daughter," he said, "what are you suggesting?"

"I want to fight her," Aura continued eagerly, turning toward Leia to throw another hostile glare at her

Ming smiled slightly. For a long time the Emperor had been aware of Aura's penchant to pit herself against other women, though he was skeptical granting this opportunity for his daughter, the sole heir to the throne of Mongo, to match her fighting skills against this outworlder. "So, you've finally grown weary of combat with the members of my harem?"

"Obviously those sluts allow me victory, do they not, Father? They all know you'd have them executed if they dared do otherwise."

Ming surmised that might not be very far from the truth, after all. "Princess Leia Organa," he intoned, his voice booming throughout each corner of the throne room, "since your spirit seems most indomitable and you would rather fight for your people than allow them to be destroyed, I will grant you an opportunity to save your Jedi Master's home world."

"According to Article Seventeen of Ming's Law," Klytus added from beside Ming, "no captive of Mongo may be denied the right to a trial by combat."

Sharing a look with the Emperor, Klytus indicated Princess Aura with a courtly nod of his head as Ming's daughter stepped forward. Princess Aura glared openly at the outworlder, her expression and body language leaving no doubt as to her intention. Stopping at the edge of the dais, Aura looked Leia directly in the eyes as she proclaimed her terms for the trial in question.

"I challenge you to a contest of physical strength, stamina and fighting ability," Aura announced, her voice carrying across Ming's throne room almost as effectively as Ming's had. "Unlike the women belonging to my father's harem, you not only seem unintimidated by my presence, but willing to fight for your freedom, which makes you a worthy candidate for what is - shall we say - a favorite pastime of mine: physical combat with women. My father's wives make engaging opponents but too often they allow me to win because they're afraid of what might become of them otherwise. You, of course, seem to have no compunctions of allowing a fair fight between us? The only similar occurrence before your arrival here," she continued, "was when the Princess of Frigia agreed to fight me under like circumstances. She eventually lost, and my father blasted her kingdom!" she finished with a triumphant flounce of her long hair. "To make it particularly interesting for both of us, the stakes for this contest shall be your life for the lives of your brother and your New Jedi Order. If you win, their lives and the planet of Dagobah will all be spared. In the event you lose, they will die, Dagobah will be no more and YOU will be publicly executed in this palace as an example to those who dare defy my father."

Leia was unimpressed by Aura's bravado, but conversely she didn't much care for the terms - or the probability of what could happen if she chose to refuse the challenge. "I take it I'll be executed if I refuse?" Leia said with a tight smile.

"Precisely, Princess," Ming confirmed. "In other words, you have no alternative. A chance at life, or certain death for you and your friends. Which shall it be?" the Emperor finished, leaving his question hanging in the air. Leia Organa, knowing all too well that her own fate - not to mention the fates of Luke, the New Jedi Order and quite probably the fate of the New Republic - hung on her next words, conceded.

"In that case ... I accept."

Ming smiled, almost warmly, at Leia's assent. "Splendid," he said. "The contest will commence tomorrow evening and, as they say on a planet known as Earth, 'may the best woman win.'"

The Emperor imagined the idea of a physical contest between this outworlder and Ming's daughter would prove very interesting indeed, as he and Klytus watched Aura who was still standing at the edge of the dais glaring openly at Leia as the palace guards led her away to prepare for the fight.

The first combatant entered the throne room which had been cleared to make room for a fighting circle. She wore a look of fierce determination as, accompanied by several scantily clad females and clad in a flowing electric gold robe, Princess Aura strode confidently to the middle of the throne room. The overhead lights reflected brightly off her long auburn hair, which provided a stark contrast to the bright quality of her robe. Aura carried herself with the utmost confidence, eager to test her mettle against the outworlder. The opportunity to destroy Leia Organa in front of her father and his subjects burned within her mind as she calmly looking over the gathered subjects.

The circular fighting area was in the throne room's center and was twenty feet high and twenty feet in diameter, with soft padding lining its bottom. Aura could feel her excitement grow as it always did at the prospect of a grueling match against another woman. She felt her excitement rising just walking around the circumference of the fight area awaiting the arrival of her opponent. There was an audible murmur from the audience as the outworlder entered. Like Aura, she too was accompanied by several scantily clad females as she made her determined way to the fight area. In contrast to Aura, Leia was clad in an electric silver robe made of the same material and length as Aura's. Locking eyes with Ming's daughter, Princess Leia returned Princess Aura's fierce glare calmly.

Knowing what a tough competitor Aura was reputed to be from the stories she'd heard from the female slaves who dressed her for the impending fight, Leia was fully prepared to give this contest absolutely everything she had to save Luke, the New Jedi Order and the New Republic from annihilation at the hands of Ming the Merciless. Leia was all too aware that to accomplish her task, she'd have to channel her energy as well as use the best physical tactics necessary to win the fight. Leia noticed the arena was marked by an elaborate crisscross of metal girders with spaces wide enough to walk through and a padded floor that appeared it could withstand a great deal of pressure As they faced one another at the edges of the fight area, Leia saw how exhilarated Aura was by the impending fight as her female slaves peeled off her silver robe to reveal an electric silver thong bikini that hugged her voluptuous figure like a second skin. Aura's attendants removed her gold robe, revealing a similarly revealing electric gold thong bikini that accentuated her curvaceous body.

Eyeing the outworlder confidently, Aura intoned, "I must admit, Princess, you have quite an alluring body," as her eyes seemed to crawl over Leia's half-naked frame. Her eyes taking on a decidedly darker hue, the Mongian princess added, "It will be a great joy to crush it with my legs."

"Confident, aren't we?" Leia quipped sardonically at Aura's spoken thoughts, fighting the urge welling up inside her to use the word "overconfident" as she carefully studied the Mongian for any possible physical weaknesses. She shivered as in the back of her mind she felt Aura's eyes crawling over her body like small, groping fingers. Leia could only wonder what lascivious fantasies Ming's daughter was concocting. "Keep in mind I'm perfectly capable of 'crushing' you as well," Leia reminded her, flexing her bare thighs ominously, staring into the Mongian's eyes as she did so.

"We shall see..." Aura retorted, flexing her own thigh muscles in display for Leia, returning the outworlder's stare. "When you are suffering between my thighs, pleading for mercy, I shall remember your boast."

As Aura finished speaking, the throne room around them suddenly erupted into frenzied cheers of "Hail Ming, hail! Ruler of the Universe!" heralding the arrival of the Emperor of Mongo accompanied by his cohort Klytus as he took his place on the dais. Eyeing the two scantily clad females on either side of the fight circle, Ming regarded his daughter with a courtly nod before he shifted his gaze to Leia. The look of lustful ardor in the Emperor's eyes gave the Princess a stab of self-conscious regret about her minuscule vestments, almost as self-conscious as when she'd been the "guest" of a certain infamous gangster by the name of Jabba the Hutt. For a fleeting moment Leia considered the possibility of wrapping a chain around the arrogant Mongian princess' throat and strangling her with it, wondering what else she might do with it if there was a chain on hand.

Ming raised his hand, calling for silence from his subjects who were gathered to witness the fight, then Klytus cleared his throat and intoned a simple proclamation, "Our guest, Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan, has agreed before Us and Our subjects to engage Princess Aura, daughter of Ming the Merciless in physical combat. The stakes of the contest are her life as well as that of her brother, Luke Skywalker, the existence of the New Jedi Order and the New Republic." His tone becoming solemn, Klytus concluded, "Combat will continue until one is unconscious; then..." He trailed off as he fixed his glare on the Princess, his unspoken alternative all to plain to the outworlder as the silence grew almost unbearably thick

At a signal from a guard, Leia and Aura entered the fight area as Ming, Klytus and the Emperor's subjects leaned forward eagerly to watch their preparation of the fight. When they were both inside, another guard activated an invisible force field behind them in order to ensure there was no escape for either. Leia randomly chose a spot on one side of the fighting area. Having claimed her corner, Leia watched Aura as she stared across the open space between them, then began to dance, writhe and sway seductively to music she imagined inside her head. The erotic dance that Aura performed was an obvious attempt to gain an early advantage by upstaging Leia before the fight started, to intimidate the Princess with a showing of her physical prowess and to gain the audience's support. Smiling wryly to herself as Aura glared at her from across the vast fighting area, the Princess opted to take Aura up on her unprecedented challenge, performing fluid movements that rivaled the most seductive motions Aura could muster, taking care to focus all her thoughts on what was necessary to defeat her opponent-to-be in combat.

Leia instinctively suspected the heat inside the palace would cause her to use a great deal more energy than normal and she didn't want to waste it unnecessarily before the outset of the fight. Already, she felt herself breaking out in a light sheen of sweat, and she knew there was far too much at stake here for her to waste too much of her energy on a silly dance contest, even if it was a pre-fight show that catered to her rival's ego. As Aura continued her erotic dance, directly trying to outdo Leia in front of her father Ming and his subjects, Aura found herself longing for the thrill of using her legs to squeeze the fight out of Leia and feeling some strategic part of Leia's body - perhaps her waist or her neck - slowly giving way between her crushing legs. The thought excited her all the more as she continued her pre-fight exhibition, her movements becoming progressively more and more pronounced as Leia intensified her own movement. Aura felt an exhilaration that grew in intensity with each kick of her curvaceous legs as she redoubled her energy, feeling her animosity toward Leia simmer to the surface where it threatened to explode like a reactor. Aura anticipated a fight that neither of them would forget as she felt the erotic effect her movements had on the male members of the audience.

Aura could feel the heat from the overhead lights on her curvaceous body, warming her skin. After a few more brief moments she found herself absently rubbing her breasts through her bikini top, feeling her nipples harden beneath the material. Breathing more heavily, Aura allowed her hand to drift down to her crotch as Leia noticed for the first time that her rival was masturbating herself. Aura either failed to notice the shocked look on Leia's face or ignored it as she continued to masturbate through her bikini bottom, eventually bringing herself to a mini-orgasm before the match started so there would no longer be the possibility of that distraction. Once her orgasm subsided, Aura sneered as she walked to one side of the fight area and watched Leia continue to dance, until she eventually stopped her movements as well. It wasn't long before Klytus gave the signal for the fight to commence. Stepping away from her side of the fight area, Leia made her way toward Aura, the overhead lights reflecting off her electric silver bikini as she stopped in the center of the arena and taunted, "Now that you're finished pleasuring yourself, can we get down to business?"

Unimpressed, Aura gave a single nod of assent, left her side of the area, walking forward to stand toe to toe with Leia only a few inches apart. Both women seemed less than intimidated by each other's attitude and disposition and Ming imagined this fight would probably turn out to be very intense and hard fought indeed. Studying Leia for a few brief moments, Aura moved in a circle around Leia who in turn watched every move Aura, tensing herself for the coming fight. Neither were taking any chances rushing into things half-cocked. A few more moments then their arms intertwined as Aura, digging her fingernails into Leia's biceps, reached forward to grab her hair. Leia twisted her body aside to avoid Aura's hands, attempting to snare a bearhug on her but Aura surged forward to avoid the outstretched arms. Leia suddenly dropped to the floor, kicking her legs in between Aura's thighs and causing her to stumble and crash directly on top of her. Wrapping her slender legs around Aura's midriff, Leia sharply pulsed her thighs, flipping Aura over flat on her back.