Star Wars: I Am a Slave ✓

Chapter 7 - Raid

Over the next year, Unkar's crews excavated the Super Star Destroyer Ravager, which had been half-way revealed with the large sandstorm. Anything that could be recycled was. Everyone in Unkar's household was assigned to either scavenging or cleaning duties for the wreckage. Unkar even gave up his real food for ration packets in order to squeeze every druggat out of the recently unearthed ship.

Rey was no longer chained, but she was now required to sit at the cleaning tables with Grekka, under the watchful eye of Plutt from his exchange booth. The scavenger crews brought in salvage by the power sleds and speeders. Unkar had about two dozen slaves working on the wreckage, with another three dozen freelancers who exchanged salvage for ration packets.

Ships were constantly arriving from other systems, purchasing the salvage from Unkar and leaving again. Usually one ship every few days would arrive, but never more than one ship per day.

Which is why when five ships landed around the small Niima Outpost, surrounding the complex, everyone knew they were being raided. Pirates raced down the boarding ramps, firing blasters at anything in the bazaar. Particle blasts burst glass bottles hung from a stand, shattering glass everywhere. Other blasts ignited the fabric awnings over the booths.

Unkar quickly closed his booth and grabbed a recovered E-11 blaster that still had a charge. He shot at anything that moved. Fortunately, the sight was off balance, and he missed hitting anyone.

The workers in the booths and at the cleaning tables scattered in every direction. Some of the pirates grabbed every item they could from the cleaning station and then broke into Unkar's trading post. Other pirates grabbed anyone they could lay their hands on for the Hutt slave trade.

After falling while running away, Grekka was taken by an alien Rey had never seen before. Grekka struggled as she was taken up the ramp of a freighter near the cleaning station.

Rey tried to run faster, trying to get to the safety of her cellar, but a human male with long dark braids grabbed her from behind and lifted her up. Rey kicked and screamed, elbowing the man in the ribs. She threw her head back and knocked the man in his forehead. She did it again, hitting some of his teeth out.

The man grabbed onto her chest even harder, trying to squeeze the air out of her.

Rey screamed, "Ani! Help!"

She kicked the man in his belly again as she tried to break free. Another man joined him and grabbed her by the legs while the first pirate grabbed her arms. They carried Rey this way between them back to their ship.

"She's going to bring a nice price. Such spirit," the first pirate said with drool dripping from his mouth. "So young! Voras will want this one for his personal household, I'm sure."

Rey continued to struggle in their grasps. She knew that Hutts were bad. Her mommy had warned her never to go near them. She wiggled some more, desperate to break free.

As she struggled, the man holding her feet jerked his head backward and then fell to the ground, releasing Rey from his grasp. Rey then saw Ani throw his whole body at the first pirate's chest, knocking him to the ground and freeing Rey.

Rey quickly got to her feet and ran faster than she knew was possible. She called on the Force to power her legs, running at full speed to Unkar's dwelling a click away. Ani continued to run interference for her, toying with her would-be abductors.

When Rey reached the cellar trap door, the doors were closed, but not locked—definitely not how she left them this morning. She warily opened one of the doors and crawled inside, feeling around with the Force as Ani had taught her. Unkar was hiding in a corner in fear behind some shipping crates. Rey ignored him and ran to the back wall.