When Alona woke up she found herself chained to the others. The slavers had removed the guys' helmets. They took all weapons.
Her breathing was quick and shallow, every atom in her body screaming not again. "No, no." She mumbled, stammering as she searched for a way to escape. No. She started violently tugging at the heavy metal chains. No, no.
"Alona, look at me." Hunter said from beside her, scooting closer to her. "Stop or you'll get-"
The Zygerrian slaver presses a button that triggers a metal collar-that Alona hadn't even noticed she had on her-to send a shock through her body.
Alona yelps in pain, only deepening her panic and severe need to run. "No, not again." She shook her head, choking on breaths.
Hunter held out his chained hands, trying to keep her from continuing with her actions. "Alona, calm down. Pay attention to me." He hisses.
Alona turns her head to him, her hair falling into her face. She watched his expression drop when he saw how truly panicked she was.
The leader of the Zygerrian slavers walked out of the old building. He had his arms crossed behind his back, smiling evilly at his growing collection of people on his fountain. "Look at what we have here. Four new slaves to add to my collection," he said, then focused his eyes on Alona. "And one that's back to where she started." He smirked.
Hunter looked back at Alona with a sudden realization. Back to where she started.
Alona felt like throwing up. Her skin got clammy and she felt her mouth salivate.
"The Republic outlawed slavery." Echo retorted angrily after catching onto the Zygerrian's words.
"We're not in the Republic anymore, skug."
Alona forced herself to take deep breaths, trying to prevent herself from hurling into the grainy sand.
She had a plan. She closed her eyes, concentrating on her lightsabers that were sitting in the pile of gear by the Zygerrian. She extended her palms, calling her weapons to her hands.
The second the metal hilts touched her skin, she ignited them and cut off her chains. Alona jumped up and ran towards the Zygerrians, cutting through two at a time.
The horrible scent of their burnt bodies only fueled Alona to keep going. It's what they deserve.
An animalistic growl is heard from a large cage. Alona spots Omega removing the lock and running in the opposite direction. She didn't listen to Alona or Hunter.
The Zygerrians chase after her, but don't make it too far before they meet their end with Alona's sabers. A large rancor busts out of the metal cage, roaring loud enough to make everyone wince.
Wrecker broke out of his chains with ease, then ripped Alona's shock collar off.
Alona ran over to her friends that were still chained up. She cut the chains off of Hunter first, then went down the line doing the same thing to Echo, Tech, and two other slaves until she reached the child, Muchi.
She was careful to show the kid she meant no harm as she removed the chains.
Alona switched off her sabers. She knelt down in front of the scared child. "Hey, it's okay now. You're free."
Omega walked over. "It's okay, Muchi. We're here to take you home." The blonde smiled sweetly.
The child's father shakes his head and starts speaking his native tongue. It took a second before he realized they couldn't understand him. He resorted to pointing and shouting one thing, "Muchi! Muchi!"
He was pointing at the freaking rancor.
"The rancor is Muchi?" Echo questioned in disbelief.
Hunter, Tech, and Wrecker return with their gear back on. "Gear up. We have to go after Muchi." Hunter said, putting his helmet back on. He then turned to Alona, placing his gloved hand on the skin by the gash in her forehead from the rock.
She hadn't even noticed the dried blood that had fallen in streaks down to her eyebrow. "Are you all right?" He asked, dropping his hand hesitantly.
Alona sighed. "Mentally, emotionally, or physically?" She asked, then frowned in thought. "Actually, they all have the same answer. That joke backfired."
Muchi roared in the distance. "Let's go." Alona announced, running ahead of the group.
They all stopped on a hill that had a great view of the Zygerrians fighting Muchi.
"What about them?" Omega asked, pointing to the other slaves that Alona freed. They were following them, unsure what to do.
"Omega and I will get them to safety. You guys get Muchi." Echo said, nodding to Omega. They lead them away from the chaos below.
The remaining group got down the hill and stopped a few yards from Muchi, watching her effortlessly take down the Zygerrians. Wrecker lifted his helmet onto the top of his head. "She's doing fine on her own." He declared. Muchi knocked out the last Zygerrian.
Or so, they all thought. The actual last Zygerrian flew in on the dragon. He landed on the ground, whacking its tail into Hunter's blaster. The blaster sparks and makes a weird sound.
Hunter was fed up. Alona watched him jump onto the dragon and tackle the Zygerrian to the ground. Alona ignited one of her lightsabers and cut the ferocious dragon's head off.
"I can take care of him. You three get Muchi." Hunter orders, pulling out his knife. The Zygerrian pulls out his whip and smacks the ground with it. Alona pauses, images of many whips made out of many different materials popping in her mind.
Tech grabs her arm and pulls her along.
"Any ideas how to stop that thing?" Wrecker asked. They stop behind a rock, hiding from the stray rancor.
Tech lets go of Alona's arm and pulls out his device. "Rancors adhere to a social hierarchy. You have to challenge the alpha for authority." Both Tech and Alona stare at Wrecker expectantly.
"Oh, that I can do." Wrecker grins, pulling his helmet all the way back on as he charges towards the rancor.
The battle for authority started off really strong, the two repeatedly throwing boulders at each other's heads. Then it turned into throwing and punching. It was the most entertaining thing Alona had seen for weeks.
Hunter walked over, having finally taken care of that Zygerrian. He stood with his arm pressed against Alona's. Their fingers grazed against each other's, but their hands never connected, much to Alona's disappointment.
Five minutes passed and the aggressive punching regressed to mere fist bumps from the both of them.
Echo and Omega finally returned, parking the speeder by Tech. They got off and watched Wrecker and Muchi. "How long have they been at this?" Echo asked, standing on the other side of Alona. He doesn't press his arm against hers, unlike Hunter.
"Too long. He's losing his touch." Tech hummed.
Wrecker and Muchi were both whining with every swing. Most punches weren't even making physical contact. Alona crossed her arms. "This is just pitiful." She smiled.
Muchi fell on her side and immediately started snoring. Wrecker collapsed onto his knees and laid his head against the rancor, obviously on his way to falling into a deep sleep too. But he had won. Wrecker won the battle for authority.
Omega walked up to the sleeping rancor. "Aw. She's kinda cute up close."
Hunter walked past the group. "Nicely handled, Wrecker."
–
It took a while for the squad to find the easiest way to transport Muchi to the other side of the planet, but eventually they settled for strapping her up and dangling her from the Marauder like a heavy cargo shipment.
Tech and Echo were back in their pilot and co-pilot seats, Wrecker was passed out in the chair behind Echo, and the fourth seat remained empty because the remaining three refused to take it. Hunter said he was trying to be a gentleman, Omega said she preferred to stand, and Alona just wanted to be difficult.
"That didn't take long." Hunter grinned as he listened to Wrecker's loud snoring.
Omega suddenly walked up to Alona and wrapped her in a tight hug. Alona tensed, not having a clue what to do. "WHat are you doing? What is she doing?" Alona asked, awkwardly patting Omega's back.
"She's giving you a hug." Tech states simply.
"I heard what that Zygerrian said back there. I am so sorry you had to go through that." Omega said softly, burying the side of her face in Alona's abdomen.
Then she remembered. They know. She didn't want them to know. They didn't need to know. "Oh, yeah, I-well, it's-no, yeah. It's...life." Alona stammered, trying to free her arms from Omega's grasp. The blonde finally lets go. "Just...another reason I hate Tatooine so much." She smiled uncomfortably.
Omega put all of her attention into the small trooper doll that Echo gave her. She had customized it to look like it was part of the Bad Batch.
Alona smiled at her before exiting the cockpit. She headed towards the navigation systems table, taking a seat in one of the two chairs. She sighed, closing her eyes and tilting her head back so that it was resting against the headrest.
It's life. Alona scoffed at her own words. A terrible life. A life nobody should ever live. She wouldn't wish slavery on her greatest enemies. Her enemies were still living beings. People should never be used like that. Sold and forced into work. Treated like property, exploited for someone's personal gain.
"Penny for your thoughts?" Hunter asked quietly, standing behind her chair. He places his hands on either side of the headrest.
Alona shook her head, keeping her eyes closed. "You don't want to know my thoughts." She mumbled, wiping her clammy hands on her pants. She opened her eyes, looking up at Hunter.
"What if I do, though?" He asked with a small smile. He spun Alona's chair around so that they were facing each other.
Alona averted her gaze, chewing on her lip while she thought. "Ten years." She rasped out. Alona knew that just the expression on her face could tell him that it was rough. "I was a slave on Tatooine for ten years." It was Mace Windu that came and took her away nine years ago.
She shook her head. She was a slave longer than she had been a Jedi.
Hunter stayed still, looking down at her. She had been bottling it up for years. Until recently, the only people that knew Alona had been a slave were people who had been close to her for years and the members of the Jedi Council. Nobody had ever spoken about it, though.
"You didn't deserve any of the bad things that happened to you, Alona. You better know that." Hunter finally said, his eyes scanning her face. He reaches his hand out slowly, pausing when Alona backs her head up slightly. When she doesn't give any protests, he continues moving his hand until it rests on her cheek.
Alona freezes upon contact, feeling Hunter's gloved hand pressed onto her face.
Her breathing became shallow when he started tracing her scar with his thumb. It slowly slides down her cheek, pausing just above her lips.
She meets his gaze, sensing an unreadable emotion radiating off of him.
His thumb runs over, tugging at her bottom lip as he continues tracing it to its end point on the bottom of her chin. He drops his hand back to his side.
She had a feeling he finally knew where her scar came from. After a year of catching him staring but never questioning, he finally knew.
"I won't let this happen to you again."
Alona managed a small, longing smile. "Don't make promises you can't keep, Hunter." She says quietly.
She had a feeling that much worse was going to happen to her.
By the time they landed on the other side of the planet Muchi and Wrecker were both wide awake. Wrecker tied a rope to Muchi's collar so he could guide her through the city.
Omega loved the rancor, she showed no fear towards her. Alona smiled at Omega and picked her up, placing her on Muchi's back. She rides up there all the way to the outside of Cid's bar.
Muchi roars and a group of...Jabba's men walk out with happy looks on their faces. Alona threw her hood on and turned her back to the men. "Kriffing Hutts." Alona muttered, cowering behind Hunter. Of course the rancor was from Tatooine.
"What?" Hunter asked quietly, turning his helmeted head over his shoulder to check on her. Alona waved it off as nothing.
Jabba's men were talking to Muchi in Huttese. Bib Fortuna even hugged her.
Cid walked out with a surprised expression on her face. "See, Bib? All is well. Now, about the matter of payment." She rubbed her pointer and thumb together to symbolize credits. Bib nods to one of the others, who hands Cid a box full of money.
Bib Fortuna, Muchi, and the others started to walk away. Wrecker removed his helmet and waved to the rancor. "Bye, Muchi." Muchi roars in response.
Alona turned around once Bib Fortuna was out of sight.
Cid walked up to the squad. "Gotta say, fellas. I wasn't sure you could pull this job off." She admitted.
"You could have told us we were going after a rancor." Echo expressed frustration. Alona knew how Cid was, though. She should have known there was more than what she had told them.
"Hmm. Must've slipped my mind." Cid shrugged, then turned to Alona and Hunter. "Bitch-face, dark and broody. My office, you two." She said, turning around and starting down the steps.
Alona and Hunter followed hesitantly. "Dark and broody?" Alona smiled, bumping her arm into Hunter's.
"Bitch-face?" Hunter grinned.
"We never really got along. She has something against Skywalkers." Alona explained, reaching the bottom of the steps. They follow Cid to the back of the bar where Cid's office was. The reptilian lady projects the blue hologram of the bounty hunter.
The one they were looking for. "Your bounty hunter is Fennec Shand. She's new to the scene but has already proven herself to be cunning and ruthless."
"Who hired her?" Hunter asked. His face twisted in anger for the woman.
"Unknown. My sources in the Guild say she's working on a direct commission. With someone like her nipping at your heels, you're going to need two things: friends and money. Mostly money." Cid explains, placing her hands on the table.
Alona sighs. "Well, at the moment we're not swimming in either." She muttered, crossing her arms behind her back.
Cid smirks. Alona could already tell what she was going to say. "I guess it's a good thing ya met me then, isn't it?" She asked, turning the hologram off. She turns around and grabs a bag of credits. She throws them, and not in a very nice way, at Alona. She catches them, but not without flinching first. Cid was scary. "Here's your cut."
Alona looked into the bag, surprised at the amount of credits they received. She exchanges looks with Hunter.
"There's more where that came from...If you're looking for work." Cid said smoothly.
"I'll think about it." Hunter replies. He turns to Alona and nods. They start to walk out of Cid's office, but get stopped.
"It's interesting, a bounty of Fennec's caliber being after you. You fellas must be pretty valuable. I know you most definitely are, Alona. " Cid mentioned.
Hunter spun around and glared at Cid, his hand on his blaster. Was Cid going to give them away?
"Don't worry. I'm good with secrets." Cid replied.
Alona eyed her wearily. "You better be."
–
I got an Ahsoka funko pop for Christmas:)