(Aboard a slave trader’s ship, somewhere above the planet Lok)
It was a struggle to think coherently through the throbbing in her head, and opening her eyes was out of the question at present. Instead, she pressed her eyes closed tight and breathed through the pain, an attempt to collect herself.
**Twenty-five minutes earlier...**
Lok—a dusty, barren planet that had acquired the reputation of being “not much of a planet.” Atris had never been to Lok before, and to her knowledge Nym’s Stronghold was the only major city on the planet. Named after a warlord living during the time of the infamous Clone Wars and who later declared war on the Trade Federation, Nym’s Stronghold attracted pirates, smugglers, slavers, and petty criminals.
Due to the planet’s location on the outer rim, its barrenness, and its past history with warlords and pirates—it was an ideal place for anyone who wanted to disappear. Atris was here to find one such disappearing trandoshan and return him to Coruscant where he would pay for his crimes against the galaxy.
Nym’s Stronghold’s, by all appearances, was like any other city that attracted the smugglers and criminals of the galaxy—dirty and run down. It reminded her greatly of her hometown, Mos Eisley.
As Atris was passing by a dark alley one evening, in search of the trandoshan, a small, quivering voice called out to her. “Miss! Miss!” Approaching the small twi’lek child while Atris from the shadows, she took a crouching position to become eye level with the child.
“You must help me,” the twi’lek girl pleaded, her lips quivering. Atris felt sick to her stomach when she saw the scratches and bruising on the girl’s beautiful purple skin.
“Of course I will help you,” Atris assured her, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on the girl’s arm. “What is your name?”
The girl did not answer. Her arm momentarily trembled under the touch of Atris’ hand before relaxing into it. “They... they took me from my mommy...and—and my daddy.” She began to sob, her shoulders shaking violently.
“Where are your parents?”
“I... I don’t know—they took me from home—“
Slavers, Atris thought with distaste. The important thing was to get the child to safety before dealing with these scum. “Come along... take my hand, and we’ll go somewhere safe. We can make you comfortable and see about getting you back to your parents.”
The girl’s eyes became frantic, her mannerisms choppy. “No—! No, they—we have to go to them now! They—they took my little brother!”
“They have your little brother?”
“Yes,” she nodded emphatically. She wrapped her small arms around Atris’ neck and squeezed tight. “Please, miss! You have to help me!”
“I will,” Atris promised the girl. “Lead me to your brother. I want you to stay behind me and hide, alright?”
The girl nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes. I understand.” She took hold of Atris’ hand and led her at a fast past through one alley after another, finally coming to a stop in front of a rundown and abandoned warehouse.
“Your brother is in there?”
“Yes,” the girl whispered. She pointed to a window on the second floor. “I escaped through there. Please... be careful.”
“Hide behind those crates. I will be back shortly.” Atris scaled the decaying siding and entered the warehouse through the open window on the second floor. It was pitch black inside the warehouse. She reached for her lightsaber on her utility belt. The second she took a step forward in the darkness, several sharp blows were struck to the back and her head, and she collapsed in a heap on the floor.
Lok—a dusty, barren planet that had acquired the reputation of being “not much of a planet.” Atris had never been to Lok before, and to her knowledge Nym’s Stronghold was the only major city on the planet. Named after a warlord living during the time of the infamous Clone Wars and who later declared war on the Trade Federation, Nym’s Stronghold attracted pirates, smugglers, slavers, and petty criminals.
Due to the planet’s location on the outer rim, its barrenness, and its past history with warlords and pirates—it was an ideal place for anyone who wanted to disappear. Atris was here to find one such disappearing trandoshan and return him to Coruscant where he would pay for his crimes against the galaxy.
Nym’s Stronghold’s, by all appearances, was like any other city that attracted the smugglers and criminals of the galaxy—dirty and run down. It reminded her greatly of her hometown, Mos Eisley.
As Atris was passing by a dark alley one evening, in search of the trandoshan, a small, quivering voice called out to her. “Miss! Miss!” Approaching the small twi’lek child while Atris from the shadows, she took a crouching position to become eye level with the child.
“You must help me,” the twi’lek girl pleaded, her lips quivering. Atris felt sick to her stomach when she saw the scratches and bruising on the girl’s beautiful purple skin.
“Of course I will help you,” Atris assured her, reaching out and placing a gentle hand on the girl’s arm. “What is your name?”
The girl did not answer. Her arm momentarily trembled under the touch of Atris’ hand before relaxing into it. “They... they took me from my mommy...and—and my daddy.” She began to sob, her shoulders shaking violently.
“Where are your parents?”
“I... I don’t know—they took me from home—“
Slavers, Atris thought with distaste. The important thing was to get the child to safety before dealing with these scum. “Come along... take my hand, and we’ll go somewhere safe. We can make you comfortable and see about getting you back to your parents.”
The girl’s eyes became frantic, her mannerisms choppy. “No—! No, they—we have to go to them now! They—they took my little brother!”
“They have your little brother?”
“Yes,” she nodded emphatically. She wrapped her small arms around Atris’ neck and squeezed tight. “Please, miss! You have to help me!”
“I will,” Atris promised the girl. “Lead me to your brother. I want you to stay behind me and hide, alright?”
The girl nodded vigorously. “Yes, yes. I understand.” She took hold of Atris’ hand and led her at a fast past through one alley after another, finally coming to a stop in front of a rundown and abandoned warehouse.
“Your brother is in there?”
“Yes,” the girl whispered. She pointed to a window on the second floor. “I escaped through there. Please... be careful.”
“Hide behind those crates. I will be back shortly.” Atris scaled the decaying siding and entered the warehouse through the open window on the second floor. It was pitch black inside the warehouse. She reached for her lightsaber on her utility belt. The second she took a step forward in the darkness, several sharp blows were struck to the back and her head, and she collapsed in a heap on the floor.
Atris could perfectly recall what had occurred and wished she couldn’t; she was furious with herself for being so stupid and charging into that warehouse like a mudhor. Now able to open her eyes, she glanced about the dimly lit room she found herself imprisoned within. She was seated on the floor, her hands restrained behind her in binders. They were on a ship, most likely somewhere above Lok. Not much time could have passed since she had been knocked out. It was a large ship, so there had to be an escape pod.
She groaned in her throat, still furious with herself and running through her options in her head. She shifted to scoot backwards but found that she was not alone. Turning her neck to see her companion bound behind her, she asked, “And how did you end up here?”
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