Chapter Two

Over the next six days Zakacha pushed himself through the intense workouts that the slug put him through breaking his body down each day to be rebuilt each night by his grandmother in the cell they shared beneath Findo the Hutt's fighting pits just on the outskirts of Mos Eisley.

For the last eighteen years Zakacha and his grandmother have been slaves after they were abducted by a crew of Trandoshans and brought to the slave market of Mos Eisley where Findo bought them as a package deal. Things weren't too bad under the slug at first until Zakacha turned sixteen.

His grandmother had unintentionally embarrassed Findo in front of a business partner and was about to have the elderly woman beaten when Zakacha stepped between her and the would be punisher and quickly painted the floor with the man's teeth and blood. Findo had been so impressed by his show of power and earning potential that he spared the old woman her punishment and that she would be taken care of well, for a slave that is, in return for Zakacha fighting for him in the pits. What choice did he really have, there was no way that he could say no to an offer the keep his grandmother safe, she would have been beaten to death if he said no. So, with some reluctance he had agreed to Findo's offer.

So for the last twelve years Zakacha has been fighting in the pits, becoming the best fighter in the greater Mos Eisley area, winning fight after fight through submission or knockout, with the occasional killing if it couldn't be helped. The healing slaves that his grandmother prepared on a nightly basis for him worked nearly as well as bacta in repairing the damage that his body had received during the fight with the Devaronian and the past six days of training. He was as ready as he was going to be for this fight.

"You look like you could take on a pack of Wookies my boy," Findo told him as he wormed his way into the cell with his two guards.

"I think just one would be enough for me Master, but I appreciate the confidence in me," Zakacha said with a slight bow to the Hutt. "Are we leaving now?"

"The confidence comes from knowing that if you fail there will be dire consequence for you," the slug snaps back, "and yes, we will be leaving shortly. The fight is this afternoon so we will be attending an auction when we arrive at Mos Eisley. I hear that there is a new crop of slaves coming through from off world and I wouldn't mind having a new dancer or server if I can find one that I like."

One by one the Trandosans empty the dozen cages that their captives occupy and Sava is hauled out and chained to the rest of her companions to be taken to the auction block. It is a long humiliating ride in the speeder truck as they weave their way through the crowded streets of this wretched hive of a city. When the speeder comes to a stop the Trandosans pull the new slaves out of the cargo area and lead them through a long winding hallway that opens into a large lit hall somewhere underground with a large open floor and a raised platform around three of the sides. The fourth wall is occupied by the stage where they will be placed on display for buyers to make their offers.

After humiliating one slave after another while they are on the platform the Trandosan captain drags Sava onto the stage and she strikes him with her manacled wrists and he just turns to the crowd and says, "As you can see this one still has a little fight in her," then he strikes her in the face dropping her to her knees with a split lip, "but it shouldn't take much to break her and get some good years of service out of her." Then he made an obscene gesture to the crowd eliciting a laugh from the crowd. One of the other Trandosans lifts her back to her feet and holds her in place as the captain lifts her face and begins the bidding. Stating low at one thousand credits the amount increases by two or three hundred until it reaches three thousand with a bid from a human male with lust filling his eyes as he looks at her, she shudders at those eyes being on her.

"Five thousand," a deep bellowing voice announces in passable basic. All eyes turn to the voice and Sava sees a large Hutt eyeing her inquisitively surrounded by three men, two obviously armed guards, and the third possibly being a slave or servant of some kind. The third refuses to look at her and she is strangely curious why he seems to be the only one not looking at her. The Trandosan captain then announces to the crowd, "I have five thousand from the generous Findo the Hutt. Are there any other bids? No? Five thousand go once… twice… and sold to the Hutt for five thousand, you may claim your purchase at the side of the platform."

She is then hauled down the stairs and held in place as the Hutt and one of his guards make their way over the claim her and pay the Trandosans. The other guard had disappeared with the third man she had seen with the Hutt to somewhere.

"Well my dear," the Hutt pulls her attention, "are you a dancer or more of a servant?"

"Servant? What do you mean by servant?" Sava asks.

"Serving drinks and food, cleaning, cooking, nursing fighters back to health. Those sorts of things… Well?"

"A servant sir," she answers not meeting his gaze.

"Very well," he responds, "let us go before we are late for the fight. I have a respectable amount of money on the line today."

They go down a long hallway that opens up to another large room with a cage in the middle where there were two men locked in combat surrounded by a large number of shouting spectators. Making their way around the hall they go through a small door where there is a holding room with a number of barred cells containing men to go out to the ring she had just seen. Following the Hutt she then sees the third man, he's practicing throwing punches and kicks facing the side of his cell as the second guard observes.

Another man comes up to the Hutt and says, "your man's up next, get him to the gate to come out."

"Very well," Findo answers then turns to the fighter, "are you ready my boy?"

"Yes master," he responds. The he notices Sava and his eyes go wide he turns his head ever so quickly and makes his way passed and heads for the gate to the arena. Why won't he look at her is all she can think but then follows the Hutt back through the door and to one of the observation platforms to have a good view of the fight.