STAR WARS: RETROSPECTION- Trials

You're fine as long as you don't try to fist-fight anyone soon.

Almost on cue, the pirates shut the side doors of the transport and the engines power up. A few startled gasps are heard amongst the crowd as the transport lifts off, while most others are yelling out of fear and anger.

Before long, the transport leaves Pydyr's atmosphere and zips off for the edge of the Almanian System, along with four or five others.

Xavier makes no noises, no real movements. He simply waits for them to reach their final destination.

The large freighters reach their destination unhindered.

On the edge of the Almanian system a ship lies in wait, an enormous vessel that the transports approach. You cannot see it, but momentarily you are expelled from the transport by your captors, into the battered docking bay toward the bottom of the vessel.

Xavier tries to keep up and moving with everyone else. He did his job, he got captured now it is time for him to lay low for a little bit.

The pirates guide the captives from the hangar bay like cattle, prodding you along with electro-pikes and stun clubs. They mock those that protest or stumble, giving them fiercer shocks to keep them in line.

You witness an old man collapse from a blow to the back of the head before you even leave the hangar. The pirates were unsure why they had taken him and they drag him away to toss him out the airlock.

Not long after, Xavier, as you follow the column of slaves (roughly 125 people, excluding you) into the hold. You are met with the stench of humanity at its worst as the pirates shove you into the hold. The heavy blast doors slam shut behind you.

You are now staring at an enormous room, just as packed as the transport you were just on. You are staring at hundreds of dazed and shackled prisoners, slaves destined to be sold on the market.

Such a waste Xavier thinks to himself. These people could be used for so much more, yet now they are going to be run down. Most will probably die within a year from over working. Such illogical behavior needed to be stopped.

The pirates eventually return to strap you all down in the slave hold. You are slapped in stun cuffs and chained to one of the many columns in the room, alongside a dozen others.

A pirate guard is stationed to keep watch over you, eyeing you with contempt and always having his rifle on you. Every so often, the black-clothed Pirate Leader comes down to check on you.

Hours pass. You are exhausted from your fight and your wounds that the Pirate Leader dealt you. Eventually, the lights are shut off. The pirate guard remains, but he dozes off in his chair.

"Psst," a voice comes to you, from nearby.

Xavier almost in the dazes of exhaustion himself hears a voice. He looks over see who made the noise.

In the pitch darkness, you cannot quite see anything. You look towards the noise.

"Yes, you," comes the voice from the darkness. "I have a question."

Xavier tries to focus his Dark Silver eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of the person.

"What is your question?"

Not happening. You can sense this person easily, but there is no light anywhere in the hold.

"What did you do to get a guard posted in here?" he asks. His voice is somewhat a combination of gurgling and stepping on gravel with metal boots.

"Apparently I'm a dangerous person," Xavier answers.

"Apparently," the voice says. "But not dangerous enough. You ended up here."

"True," Xavier replies.

"Although I don't plan on staying for long."

"Not many ways to get out of here," he says. "Other than being sold on the markets in the farthest depths of the Outer Rim, or embracing the release of death by antagonizing the guards..."

Xavier not wanting to reveal too much simply says, "I'm sure there will be other ways soon, hopefully."

"Who are you?"

"Call me Trax," he says.

(I knew it!)

"So how did you get caught?"

"Caught in a raid," Trax sighs. "This very ship bombarded my village from orbit and took captive whoever survived. I was one of them; my family was not. But that was long ago."

"Where are you from, Trax?" Xavier asked insensitive to the loss of his Family.