Star Wars: Spirit of Survival #Watty's2017

Chapter Twelve-Taken

On the farm city of Felucia

18 years B.B.Y.

Spirit sat up and looked over the cards again before glancing at Chance and throwing two cards on the table.

"I win," he said and smiled a little before getting up and stretching. He felt better after these few weeks of living like a human being again and being treated like one too. However, he was a little tired of staying on the ship all the time with Chance or Knox while the other went out to either shop or work. He liked the ship and all, but there was only so long one could stay cooped up for.

"Ugh, fine. I give up," Chance said and got up, throwing down his cards dramatically. "I'll never beat you," he scowled. Spirit smiled a little and let Chance sling an arm over his shoulders. Spirit was still the smallest of the three, even with Chance letting him have dessert most nights. He didn't mind too much anymore, though. He didn't feel like he was starving anymore, and that was all that mattered to him. 

"Can we go outside now?" he asked quietly, following after Chance quietly as they walked to the kitchen. Chance grabbed out some of the snacks Knox had bought not too long ago. 

"I dunno," Chance said through a mouthful of food as he passed the container to Spirit. Spirit picked out of it quietly for a minute as he nodded.

"Can't we comm Knox and ask? I'm tired of sitting around playing card games all day..." he admitted quietly. 

"I guess," Chance said and got up, looking around for a comm. Spirit sat there and picked at the food in the container, eating small bits from time to time until Chance got back. Then her perked up some, listening quietly but only catching the very end of the conversation.

"What did he say?" he asked once Chance turned off the comm. Chance grinned brightly, shoving the comm in his pocket.

"He said we can go, as long as we stick together," he said. Spirit stood up and smiled back, a little more excited than he thought was normal considering it was just going outside. It had been so long since he'd been off a ship, though, and he just wanted to breathe fresh air again, even if it was only for a few hours. 

"C'mon," Chance beckoned and Spirit nodded, following the younger man off the ship. 

It was warm outside, sunny actually. But it was loud and crowded and Spirit stuck closer to Chance, following close behind the bold younger man. He was better with people, not looking down or avoided their gazes, but he was still uncomfortable in the crowds and the noise was unsettling. He tried not to focus on it, though and kept right beside Chance the whole way through the crowd. 

Eventually, they made it to a quieter market area and Spirit relaxed considerably. It was shady there, cooler, and with only a few people milling about. It smelled like grass, though, and wet dirt. Somehow, the smell was welcoming and Spirit looked around at the vendors selling fruits and vegetables as well as other foods and some were even selling pottery. 

Breaking away from Chance slightly, Spirit walked over to look at some of the items for sale, just wandering around and taking it all in. It felt good to breathe in air that didn't have the tang of a purifier or the stench of blood and sweat. He almost closed his eyes but refrained from it considering how many people were probably watching him. He did let himself relax, though, and just followed the pathway of vendors, wandering along a few feet behind Chance.

Every now and then, Spirit glanced up to see where Chance was and make sure they hadn't gotten too far apart. After a little while, though, he stopped looking up and became absorbed in looking around. It looked like they were in a sort of half city half farm town. There were animals and farmers carts everywhere but tall apartment buildings and other large towers surrounded them. There was a musty smell to everything and none of the perfect cleanliness from back on Kamino.

That was the best thing, was that it felt like real people living real lives lived here. Spirit wished he could be one of them, but he looked like a million other men all strewn across the universe and he was just a soldier...no, a former slave. 

Quickly, Spirit shook the idea off, trying not the let his thoughts wander to that again. Chance had reminded him for weeks that he was human too, not some slave and he was trying hard to remember, but every time he looked at his hands or caught sight of that scar across his face in the mirror all he could think about was how he'd earned them; through bad behavior. 

Jerking his mind away from the more pessimistic thoughts he closed his eyes a moment to refocus on his surroundings. He focused on the shuffling of feet and the yelling of vendors and the footsteps right...behind him?

Spirit snapped out of his own mind in a second and spun around, old militaristic instincts kicking in as he stopped in front of whoever was behind him. He almost threw a punch but suddenly saw it was an older woman, probably one of the natives. She appeared blind and shuffled past him a moment later. 

Slowly, Spirit relaxed and realized how tense he'd gotten. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves. All this thinking about the past had gotten him tense again and he hated it. Looking around he realized he couldn't see Chance, though, and started a little. He needed to find the younger man and stick with him like Knox had said to. 

Looking around more frantically, Spirit started down the line of vendors. He thought of calling for Chance but was afraid of drawing too much attention to himself, so he kept quiet and just looked over the groups of people as best he could, almost breaking into a run. 

Even after a few minutes, he couldn't find Chance anywhere, though, and fear started settling in. If he got lost and they left without him he'd be stranded and someone else could pick him up. His breaths grew short as he started running back, carefully pushing through the crowd.

"Chance!" he yelled, straining to look over the growing crowds when suddenly he was sent spinning and realized he'd run into someone. Twisting onto his back, he landed on the ground and grunted in a small bit of pain, but pushed himself back up and started getting to his feet when a hand snaked around his neck, cutting off his air supply. Instantly, Spirit stiffened, gasping and managing a quick breath before he couldn't breathe. 

Twisting in the grip, he tried to work a hand or an arm around the arm of the person suffocating him but to no avail. their grip was too tight and his vision was growing blurry. In a final attempt to escape, Spirit choked out a plea to be let go before his vision blurred into pixels and he slumped down just before it all went dark.

Gasping, Spirit was jerked awake as something icy splashed over his head. He started up and found he couldn't move his hands. Move cold water was suddenly splashed over his head and shoulders and he yelped at how cold it was, trying to pull back but he could feel something or someone restraining him. Struggling to lift his head he managed to crack his eyes open and through a blur of water and hazy vision made out two slim figures standing in front of him. They looked pale, but it was hard to tell in the darkness.

"He's not too skinny," a voice from one of the figures hissed as Spirit blinked and tried to clear his vision.

"But not too strong..." a second voice said in a low lilting tone. Spirit strained almost to make out the words.

"He can take a hit," the first answered. Spirit frowned. Were they talking about him? Where was he? What did they want?

"Yes...many, perhaps," the second answered. Spirit tugged a little on whatever was holding him and felt more cold water splash over him. He yelped and shivered, feeling his shirt sticking to his skin and the cold sinking into his bones. 

"Take him to the training pits then...we can use him there," the first voice said. Spirit blinked again, trembling with cold. His vision started to clear and he looked up to see who was talking but the moment he lifted his eyes, someone pulled something over his head and his vision was blocked before he was jerked back. He started in terror, but couldn't break free. All he heard as he was dragged away was the second voice answer the first.

"Yes, take him to the training pits."