The Enigma

The Hunted

Ember watched closely as travelers hustled to and from the dusty street. Nevarro was like many other planets-run down, dirty, and little place to hide, especially following the wake of destruction and mess the Empire left after the fall. Life as a runaway slave with a bounty on your head didn't come easy, but this was her life-the only life she ever knew. After sneaking onto an Imperial cruiser flying for days, eventually landing on an unknown planet, she made it priority to lay low, only going out in the open when it was busiest so as not to attract any unwanted attention. A sudden aching pain in her stomach caused her to reach into the tiny pouch hidden underneath her tunic only to be disappointed to find it empty. Her stomach growled ferociously and she quickly padded it down with her palm thinking the whole town would hear how hungry she was. Stealing had become a daily practice-the only way she stayed alive on these god-forsaken planets and the only means of survival. Even the couple of credits she had apparently lost were stolen, now in the hands of some other lucky individual. With a sigh she silently and none conspicuously strolled through the marketplace, blending in with the hustling crowd. So far it seemed no one had traced her here, yet she didn't know how much longer she would be able stay on Nevarro. The moment she found a place the next moment she was on the run again. Nowhere was home-the word itself didn't exist in her vocabulary. 

As she glided through the street her eyes were drawn to a delicious looking display of fruit. She spotted a lone man leaning against the wooden frame of his house waiting for any customers to find interest in his stand. She had used the trick plenty of times and it always went in her favor. She walked up to the stand and pretended to look interested, glancing downwards and taking in the mouth watering sweetness displayed before her in a colorful array. Her eyes were drawn to a oval shaped yellow fruit and took it with her hands inspecting it for a second. She lifted her head, eyes on the door behind the man and with her other hand pointed curiously. 

"What is that?" 

The man instinctively turned around like she predicted and in one swift movement swiped the fruit in her hand covering it discreetly within the folds of her tunic, without his knowledge. She knew not to run as running always caught the attention of onlookers, so instead she slowly continued down the street as if nothing had happened. She'd only been walking a short distance when she thought she noticed something, or someone, besides herself, out of place in the crowd. Something shiny reflecting the suns hot rays among the unsuspecting customers. She glanced again above her lowered head this time making out a man in helmet and armor. He didn't seem to be paying any attention to her as he passed her by but she began to feel uneasy seeing someone other than one of the locals. She calmly reminded herself that other previous hunters had been upon her before she had a chance to run. Yet her attempt to ease her conscience wasn't helping. Desperately needing to eat her fruit she shifted through and past the growing crowd of people, keeping her face hidden and low to the ground, stepping into a cantina  and taking a seat on the nearest counter. She would have taken a more secluded seat but they were already taken. She would only be a minute. Eagerly and at long last she bit down on the yellow fruit, it's juicy substance quenching any pain of hunger she had been previously feeling. She savored each bite taking her time as it would be the only food she ate for the evening. 

Before she had a time to react, her attention was immediately aware of the presence of someone who had taken a seat besides her. She didn't turn her head but from the corner of her eye she could clearly see the light bouncing off armor. Her heart rate sped up pounding so fast she feared the whole town could hear her panicking inside. The man, whoever he was didn't say a word, didn't order a drink, just sat there intensely silent. The uneasiness she was beginning to feel was nearly unbearable and she contemplated making a run for it while she had the chance but she stopped herself-the last thing she needed was a public brawl. 

"How's the fruit?" His words were slow and calculated as he eventually broke the silence. Without looking at him she nodded her head in approval focusing instead on her next bite. From the corner of her eye she could tell he was looking straight at her, her cheeks on fire. 

"You know, it's better when it's not stolen," he interjected, body stiffening. 

How did he-  his suspicious presence, the way he was so tense, it was making sense to her. Her eyes darted to the pistol  slightly hidden beside his right thigh. Her heart quickened stronger than before as she realized she was being played with-his silence waiting for the right moment. Her eyes darted to the door, her escape route, and like lightening, jumped out of her chair leaving the half eaten fruit abandoned on the counter. She bolted for the door, pushing back aggravated pedestrians out of her way. So much for staying hidden. She quickly glanced over her shoulder, sure enough the armored man was pushing his way through the crowd. Strangely he didn't seem to be in such a hurry to catch up with her, almost like he was enjoying the hunt and knew she was an easy target. Rounding the corner trying to avoid travelers, she darted through a darkened alleyway that lead deeper into the city, a part of which she was not familiar with. She continually fought the urge to look over her shoulder and keep pressing forward. The path before her was cold, dark and too many turns. There came a fork in the alleyway and she paused only for a second crossing her fingers as she pressed on towards the right. As she sprinted down the empty street she was discouraged to find it a dead end leading to nowhere.

She was trapped. Desperately she looked around for any way over the building structure. Her eyes caught a long pipe running alongside the stone building and realized it was her only option. Without a second thought she leaped forward gripping the metal pipe with a firm grasp, but the pipe was too slippery and her arms were too weak. With all the energy and strength she could muster she hoisted herself another two inches up the pipe but not before gloved hands were yanking her legs downward. Frightened, she clung to the pipe as if it were her only hope but eventually the strength of the man overpowered her sending her on top of him.  In that moment she used her strength to punch and kick but was no match against his armor. He had her pinned to the ground in an instant, looming over her, his weight unmatched to her frail, weak body.

"We can do this the easy way or the hard way," he growled as she continued to squirm under his arms. She instantly relaxed all her muscles causing him to believe she was giving in, his grip also lessened. With as much strength she kneed him in the groin, a trick she'd used before, the unexpected force causing him to briefly let go. She used this to her advantage, attempting to twist around and lift herself up from the ground but he had already recovered and was on top of her once again. There was a blow to her head causing the darkness around her to close in around her. A hazy "I guess it's the hard way," were the last words she heard before everything turned to pitch blackness.