Chapter Three

The shuttle ride in to Mos Eisley is no different than any other time that Zakacha had accompanied Findo to the place. The leather restraints around his wrists are uncomfortable as usual when he leaves Findo's compound but they are a nice change to the iron manacles that used to be placed on him before the slug had begun to show him some measure of trust. The pilot takes the shuttle down a narrow street and turns into an inconspicuous building that hides a ramp that goes beneath the street level into a cavernous parking area with various shuttle, speeders, and even some pack animals.

Upon exiting the craft Findo, accompanied by Zakacha and his two bodyguards proceed into a corridor on the far side of the parking structure that leads down to an even lower level bellow Mos Eisley. The room is open and large with a raised platform around three of the sides. The fourth wall is occupied by the stage where the slave traders will be showing off what they have to sell.

After about an hour of watching slave after save of various races go up on the auction block Zakacha sees a small group of Trandosans leading a group of slaves up to the steps of the platform. His hands grab a hold of the railing in front of him and start to shake as the anger at seeing the race that enslaved him and is grandmother a lifetime ago do the same thing to another poor group of people. Findo glance over and sees the death grip that he has on the metal railing, "Don't hurt your hands. You need those to make me money today."

"Yes master," Zakacha apologizes, "it's just that… I don't like Trandosnas."

"Well they did turn you into a slave," Findo responds, "I'd imagine not. Don't dwell on it and you'll live longer in the ring today."

Zakacha shakes his head in agreement but stops short as he sees a female of some kind being dragged by one of the Trandosans on to the stage. Zakacha sees that her skin is a beautiful deep blue with long black hair, and bright solid red eyes. Strange but alluring red eyes. She hits 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, Zakacha's hands return to the rail putting an ever so slight bend into the metal, "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. As one of the other Trandosans lifts her back to her feet and holds her in place Findo notices the bend in the metal beneath his fighter's hands. Something's got him worked up today and it's not just the Trandosans, then he glances to wear Zakachas eyes are looking, Ah the girl, he likes her. I can probably use that to my advantage. The Trandosan lifts her face and begins the bidding. Soon the bidding reaches three thousand and dies off and Zakacha can't bear to see any more slaves be carted off by this point but then goes wide eyed looking at the ground when he hears his master's deep voice announce, "Five thousand." He just bought the beautiful blue woman. There are certainly worse masters to have, but still, there are better than Findo.

Findo turns to one of his guards an orders him to take Zakacha to the arena in the next hall and start getting him ready for the fight, it should be anytime now. The guard pushes him out of the room and down the hall to the arena where the fighting cage is on display in the center of the room with two men beating each other bloody.

Moving through a side door Zakacha and the guard find a barred cell with Findo's mark on it and enter. The leather restraints are removed and Zakacha removes his shirt and shoes and socks, fighters are only allowed to wear pants in the ring. Zakacha starts going through some warmup exercises and running through punching and kick combos as Findo slinks up with the other bodyguard and the girl in tow. Another man comes up to the Hutt just then and says, "Your man's up next, get him to the gate to come out."

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

"Yes master," he responds. That's when he sees her and his eyes go wide and he turns his head ever so quickly, she's the most beautiful thing he's ever seen. He's not sure what to do so he makes his way passed and heads for the gate to the arena.

When he gets to the gate he smacks himself two, three times to knock himself back in the game, he about to fight against an unknown opponent and he's nowhere near mentally ready. The guard who accompanied him here from the slave auction is still with him and when they are given the signal escorts him through the crowd and into the ring.

Pacing around the ring Zakacha looks at the gate waiting for his opponent to be brought out. When the gate opens he see another human slave, taller than he is, but not as heavily muscled. Then man enters the ring and a knife is thrown at each of their feet, then Findo's guard just outside the ring hollers to him, "By the way this fight's to the death."

Shaking his head, a squats down to pick up the knife never taking his eyes off the other man.

They are both are holding their blades and a bell rings to begin. The two circle the ring slowly eying each other close. The other man comes in with a slash and Zakacha jumps back before the blade can touch his skin. Then in a moment of inspiration Zakacha throws his blade at the man's face making him duck out of the way giving him enough time to close the distance and deliver a kick to the man's hand knocking the knife to the ground before delivering a heavy hook to the man's face. Long arms wrap around him as he is the lifted in the air with one arm free. So he raises his arm high and drives his elbow down on the tall man's right shoulder making him drop out of his opponent's grip and rolling to the side and grabbing one of the discarded knives.

Zakacha then runs and jumps into the air to meet strong outstretched arms that swing him to the ground hard on his back, knocking the wing from him. Two punches to the head later he is able to kick the other man back and regain his feet and comes in with a strong kick aimed for the center of Zakacha's chest.

He side-steps the kick and lashes out with his knife, slicing into the man's thigh and following in quick succession with a quick slash to the chest. Blood begins pouring from the wounds and the other man hollers in pain and anger grabbing Zakacha's arm and twisting it behind his back and wrenching it high force him to loosen his grip on the blade only for his enemy to catch it and bring it high and stab down into Zakacha's side.

Muscling free he gets a few steps away and yanks the knife from his side. The blood begins pouring out down his right leg and staining the floor of the ring, the crowd cheering at the spectacle. He knows he needs to end this fight now before bleeds out.

Feigning weariness he lures the other man to come in for a tackle knocking him to the ground. As the other man strikes him in the face Zakacha swings his feet up from behind the man's back to lock under his arms and half hold them in place long enough to bring the knife blade up and drive it into the man's heart one… two… three times before letting the body slump to the side.

Laying there bleeding out Zakacha is able to roll to his hands and knees and slowly rises to his feet covered in the other man's blood and much of his own. The gate to the ring opens and Findo's guard quickly moves to him to half carry him out and back to the holding area where he is laid across a bench to wait for Findo who always comes down immediately after a fight to gloat about how much money he made off of the bloodletting.