Rebel Fighter

Chapter 1

Cassian walked through the cold winds of his home planet Fest, holding the hand of his new parent. He didn't even know his name. The only thing he knew about him is that this very person saved him.

Cassian wore the man's jacket. It was way bigger than his size, but the most important thing is that it was warm. He could still feel the cold at his back. His cheeks were red and his nose was cold.

The weather on Fest is something you don't joke about, especially during the cold season. Every single person wore layers and layers of clothing, a huge hat that covered his or her face and for men a huge beard was necessary. During snow storms, icicles would hang from their beards.

Cassian couldn't walk anymore through the storm. His feet hurt and he couldn't feel his arms or legs anymore. All that he knew was that he was walking, holding the hand of someone.

"Hey, ¿todo bien por allí?" The man asked. Cassian wanted to respond him, to say he was okay, but his lips couldn't move. The man looked down at him and stopped walking. He bend down and took Cassian in his arms. He put his head on the man's shoulder and wrapped his little hands around the man's neck. The man started walking again and Cassian felt warm again.

After some time, the man entered a warm place. Cassian raised his head and looked around. His eyes stuck to a fire in a the fireplace. He pocked the man.

"Qué pasa?" Cassian pointed to the fire. "Ahan. Bien, bien." The man placed Cassian next to the fire and walked to another room.

His little hands extended to the fire. The warmness of the fire made him smile.

Cassian's eyes slowly started closing. A yawn escaped his mouth and he laid down facing the source of warmness.

"Cassian, toma la máscara." His mother said handing him the mask. Tears were starting to form in the corner of her eyes.

"¡Mamá!" Cassian said pushing the mask from her face and looking both at his mother and father.

"Se un hombre, Cassian. Se valiente. Toma la máscara." His father said taking his son's hand in his own. His hand was full of scars from work.

"Nó!" Cassian yelled, tears rolling down his cheeks. His mother had her face already wet. A single tear escaped from his father's eye. After a few seconds, Cassian gave his parents a small nod and his mother put the mask over his head. She gave him a sad smile.

"Te queremos, Cassian."

Through the green lentils of the mask he saw something black coming from the floor. He put his hands over his parents' mouths trying to protect them from the gas.

"¡Mama! ¡Papá!" He yelled as they both collapsed on the floor. Tears were running down Cassian's cheeks.

A man with a mask entered the house. "Ven conmigo." He said. Cassian couldn't speak anymore. His hiccups were the only sounds in the building. The man came and grabbed Cassian's arm and he was dragged from his parents. He was kicking and screaming to get back to them, but he was pulled outside and into a forest were the gas didn't come and it surely won't pass it. There have been many more explosions on this planet and they never passed an area of 5 km.

He continued running with the man until they reached the end of the forest, then they got their masks off and started walking through the snow storm.

Cassian woke up crying. The first thing he saw where he woke up was the fire. He loved the way the colors of red, orange and yellow combined together. It captivated him.

Cassian heard a voice from another room. "Solo encontré uno pequeño. Bastante fuerte para su edad. Podría ser de ayuda. ¿Su nombre? ¿Crees quee pregunté? Estaba tumbado junto al fuego y se quedó dormido. Está bien, le preguntaré cuando se despierte."

Suddenly, a very hard cough took over his body. It wasn't the type of cough he had when he was sick, it felt different... The back of his neck hurt like someone would have hit it with snow. He curled up in a ball and held his fist to his mouth. "Chico?" He heard the man say from the other room. The steps of the man were louder and louder. Two firm hands rose Cassian's back and started hitting his back: not very hard, but the hits moved the child's body. "¿Has respirado un poco de gas, no?" Cassian nodded a little and a few moments after, the cough stopped. The man took Cassian in his arms and carried him to a small bedroom with a bed that had its white sheets were beginning to have a yellow shade because of how much time passed since somebody had washed them. The kid was laid gently on the blanket. Cassian looked up at the man. He smiled and went out of the room bringing with him after a few moments a glass of water and a small white pill. Cassian was trying to decide if the man was going to poison him or help him. The man had the face of a friend, he wouldn't kill him, right?

The man nodded and smiled at Cassian. Maybe he wasn't going to kill him. With shaking hands, he took the pill and swallowed it with the help of the water. Cassian gave the glass back to the man and laid back on the bed. "Dormir." The man said. He smilled at the kid again and left the room. Cassian felt his eyelids get heavier and without even knowing, he fell asleep again.

The next day, Cassian was woken up by someone who violantely shook his shoulder. "Vamos, hoy nos queda todavía mucho por recorrer." The man smiled.

"¿Cuál es tu nombre?" Cassian asked. His voice was barely hearable. He wondered if the man could hear.

"Andoft Claw. ¿Y tu?"

"Yo soy Cassian Andor." The child said. Andoft smiled again.

"Hola Cassian." Andoft said and walked into the hallway. Cassian looked around the room for a little and saw a small bottle of protein milk on the nightstand. He took it up and, because of his hunger, drank it immediately. Cassian put the empty bottle back on the nightstand and stood up. His head buzzed a little. He walked out of the room and looked around. "Señor Claw?" He asked. Andoft came to Cassian and handed him a thicker jacket. He made a sign with his head towards the door and started walking to it. Cassian put the coat on and the hoodie over his head and walked out.

They walked like that for hours. For most of the time they were holding hands, something that made Cassian think Andoft was like an uncle or even a father to him. The rest of the time, especially when the snow storms were heavier, he was carried by him. Cassian didn't know where they were actually going, but he followed Andoft. "Casi ahí." Andoft said. Cassian turned around from Andoft's hold and saw a big grey building. He was put down and soon they were in front of the door of that building. They entered.

Inside there were a lot of men, most of them young, but not as young as Cassian.

"Bienvenido a tu nueva casa, chico."