Chapter Ten - The Private
Jasmele couldn't feel her legs, but her eyes were open. She looked around in the dark cell, she was dizzy and disorientated beyond belief, and breathing the cold air all night just protected by a blanket had made her throat soar. She heard a voice over the speaker, but she couldn't make out the words. As she moved and tried to get on her feet she felt a sharp pain between her legs, her privates were sore and when she finally got up and moved a hand down there, warm blood met her fingers.
"Right… Of course this happens now" she thought to herself. Coughing she walked over to the bed, and truly enough the carcass was still there, the smell was horrible and the visuals not too pleasant either. Loud thumps were heard as footsteps made their way down the cell block, and Jasmele gasped, almost falling onto the ground, startled to death. Prisoners were heard yelling as the guards walked past, stopping outside the bars of Jasmele's cell. These men were dressed in grey uniforms with leather boots, a cap with a short shade of leather barely an inch out were placed upon their heads.
"Another murder, we can't sell this one" the elderly man said pointing at Jasmele. The other man nodded and turned to someone Jasmele couldn't see "Have a private take her out back" he said, and with that a few shouts were heard, and the sound of more boots thumping echoed out in the hall. About a dozen soldiers walked up behind them and in between them was the young man that had led her to her cell, she recognized him and they made eye contact briefly, his eyes concerned, but soon again stone. The elderly man pointed at the private and commanded him to take her out back.
The rest of the commanders and troops moved down the cell block, and the young man walked over, unlocking the cell "Turn around and put your arms behind your back, get on the floor" he said, moving in once Jasmele followed his orders. Ripping her from the ground without care she grunted, dangling in the handcuffs that nearly covered her entire forearms. He escorted her out in the hall and the light blinded her momentarily, being dragged she didn't get to see much before they reached a door. They came out into a cold alleyway, and on her right she noticed ranks of prisoners walking, cuffed and without clothing. She looked left and saw a large metal machine with a hole, the stench coming from there reminded her of the carcass from the cell, and with that she knew.
She felt her breath become heavy and quick, she almost panted as she turned to look at the young soldier, he must've only been eighteen, perhaps seventeen. He was tall and looked pretty masculine for his age, but he had a boy's face, and the look in his eyes told her everything she needed to know. "Get on your knees" he said, hanging his automatic blaster of his shoulder, picking his pistol out of the holster. Jasmele looked at him in despair, her eyes were begging, but she did not say a word. "Get on your knees!" the boyish voice crackled and Jasmele slowly lowered herself.
Jasmele felt like she had burned out, there was nothing to do but to accept her fate, it was over. The private took a step closer, putting the barrel of the blaster on her forehead, he removed the safety and took a deep breath, putting his finger on the trigger. Jasmele was looking at his feet, "What tiny feet" she thought to herself, she didn't know why, but she somehow was alright with this, this was okay. Thirty seconds went by, and the private hadn't fired, she could feel the barrel moving slightly around on her skin, he was shaking.
She looked up, the blaster still on her head. "Don't look at me!" he roared, and with those words it became apparent that he was at the brink of crying, a tear made its way from his eye to the end of his cheek, but he swept it away with his hand "I have to do this! Don't you understand? Stop looking at me!" he yelled at the top of his lungs. Jasmele kept looking at the boy, not saying a word.
He briefly moved the gun from her forehead, swearing to himself under his breath he had begun weeping, but within seconds he pressed the blaster against her cheek ever harder than before "…Shit… " he muttered under his breath, his finger moving on the trigger, his teeth visibly gritting. "Do what you have to do" Jasmele said, her facial expression not changing in the slightest, but she moved her head away, looking up towards the blue sky. Birds were flapping around above them, they must have it good up there Jasmele thought to herself, and she felt a tear roll down her cheek, and it came as a surprise, she did not feel like crying.
The young guard moved his blaster away, breathing heavily, but he soon pressed it back again, this time against her forehead. Jasmele muttered "Do it" looking back at the young man "If this is what you have to do, Kedo, then go ahead" the boyish looking teen still had tears in his eyes, his cheeks red "How do you know my name?" he said with a whisper. Jasmele looked into his eyes "Your superior introduced you yesterday, remember?" Kedo nodded "Oh yeah.." he looked down, nodding.
"Won't your superiors wonder why you are taking so long?" Jasmele said, almost feeling sorry for him. "That's not your business is it? You're about to be killed and you worry about my schedule!" he yelled "You idiot why did you have to get caught, huh? Now I have to kill you, you fucking prick!" he slapped her across the face and her body went sideways down on the stone. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry" he gasped as Jasmele's head hit the ground with a thump. "Hello, are you awake?" he lowered himself, slapping her across the cheek several times. "Wake up!" he yelled at her, as a drop of blood ran down her forehead, she had hit her head it appeared, as a small amount of blood trickled down her face.
"No, no, no… I didn't mean it! I take it back" he gasped for air as he tried to wake her up. He looked around, no one in sight and cursed himself as he made a drastic decision. Holstering his pistol he picked Jasmele up over his shoulder and carried her inside the cell block, it was nearly empty but for Donov whom was also a private, he was standing at the far end, looking at him. "I see you shot that Tatooine whore Kedo! Why is she not in the garbage yet?" he asked, "Going to inspect her body in the back!" Kedo yelled back "You dirty devil! Leave some for me!" Donov yelled with a smile. What a fucking pig Kedo thought to himself as he opened the blast door to the supply room, putting Jasmele up against a box he locked all doors behind him, covering the two cameras with blankets, only walking in blindspots.
"You need to wake up" Kedo said with a frantic whisper as he lowered himself to Jasmele, taking his key out he unlocked her cuffs and put them away. Her head was dangling, her hair concealing her face. He put a gloved hand gently under her chin, lifting her face so he could see it, she was a pretty girl, not something he had noticed when he was pointing his blaster at her, but she was bruised. "I'll get you out of here, you hear me? I promise you I will" he said, standing up and turning his back to Jasmele, putting his blasters on an ammo box, gathering his thoughts.
Suddenly he was lifted from the ground and swung into the ground, he hit the cold steel with a heavy thump and grunted as he felt a kick connect with his side, he managed to see a figure over him, battering at him with fists. The person wasn't too powerful, a weak man perhaps, but as it tried to punch him he caught the fist and jerked it closer, flooring the person on top of himself. Onto his chest landed Jasmele, their faces only inches apart he only got to say "But wai-" and she moved her head back, sending it forward in a powerful headbutt.
He screamed as he struggled, she was stronger than he expected, and they wrestled on the ground for a while "I am saving you, you idiot!" he said, putting her on her back with a thrust. Jasmele cried out "You were going to kill me!" she struggled in his grasp, but he wouldn't budge. "Why do you think you're still alive, hmm? I am the only chance of survival you have! And I've already risked my own ass just by bringing you back in here alive! So you listen to me now!" he roared in her face, and Jasmele went quiet, ceasing the struggling.
"We're going to need to escape by patrol scooter, and it won't be an easy task, but I can do it!" His sentence was nearly interrupted by the blast doors springing open, and in came the commander with the leather cap, and four privates. Locked and loaded they pointed their weapons at the two on the floor and the commander spoke "Treacherous little rat, I knew I couldn't trust you…" Kedo didn't speak he just looked at the commander in fear. "Take them both and strip them of their identities, sell them cheaper than cheap to the nastiest hut you can find, and let the hut know just how much they enjoy serving" he said with a face of disgust.
The privates rushed over and brought them apart, cuffing them in large metal casings and brought them past the commander. "Sell them off as meat gentlemen, not as people… We do not repay treason with that privilege" the commander said as they were carried away. Jasmele was tired of all this dragging around and all these twists and turns, she wanted nothing but to go home, but it didn't look like it was happening. Everything went dark, as she dangled in those arms, she knew it was over, truly.