Chapter Six

Two hours later she found herself lurking into what was once the sanctuary with her looming shadow behind her. She was still miffed that he had left her hanging and he knew it. He kept trying to touch her in subtle ways and she kept swatting his hands away. This would cause him to chuckle or just smirk at her. He was going to be the end of her she had no doubt. The front door was unguarded and once they were through not a soul in sight. He stuck close gripping the weapon she had provided and wearing the the coat with the hood she had provided. It wasn't much but it was all she had. She lead him down the long corridor checking all of the empty stalls which not more than a few weeks ago had been full of life. Things had been thrown around leaving a trail of liter all about. It was as if everyone had left in a hurry. She motioned for him to follow her as she lead them into a stall that carried mostly clothing.

"Keep a watch. I'm going to get what we need." She harnessed her blaster as she started to grab clothing and shoes that she hopped would fit him as well as a few things for her. Stuffing them into one of the bags she had brought with her she turned when she heard a shuffle behind her. She quickly turned toward it her blaster suddenly coming out. She scanned the area only to hear a faint scarp once again. "Who is back there?" She called out.

"Karis, is everything okay?" Hux called out to her. She didn't answer as she walked closer toward the noise.

"Come out." She called again stepping even closer

"Karis…" Hux called out again. Alarm and annoyance that she wasn't answering evident in his voice.

"I know someone is back there so you need to come out." She moved a few container boxes only to have one come flying at her knocking her to the ground. It dazed her for a minute but when she was able to crawl off from under it she stood and found Hux in front of her holding onto the arm of a child ho couldn't be more than five or six years old.

"Let me go!" The girl screamed as she tried to kick him in the shin. She almost made contact too but he grabbed both of her hands and moved out of the way, barely.

"Ow! Hold still you!" She bent to bite his hand but he pulled it away again and spun her around pulling her against his back keeping her in a tight grip. She thrashed and tried to throw him off but he tightened his grip and turned his attention back to Karis.

"Are you okay dove?" he asked to which she responded with a quick nod as she approached him and the girl. She held her hands out in a friendly gesture in hopes of calming her down.

"Hey, its okay. We're not going to hurt you we just want some information." The girl stood still but bared her teeth. She was filthy with tangled hair and she was covered in bruises. She had a split lip and a black eye. No wonder she was in such a fight mode someone had worked this girl over. Karis brought her eyes level to the girl who was trying everything to not look her in the eye Hux still held her tight. "Whats your name?" She asked kindly. The girl looked at her in silence until she mumbled.

"Mia"

"Mia, thats a pretty name. Are you alone here?" She nodded. "Okay, can you tell me what happened? Where is everyone?" The girl swallowed hard and shrugged her shoulders as Hux loosened his grip on her.

"You don't know?" She shook her head again. "How old are you Mia?" The little girl held up five fingers. "Five? Where are your parents? Where are your mom and dad?" She looked down at her feet and in that moment she knew that something horrible had truly happened in front of this child. Something had happened to her. "Ari, you can let her go."

"Are you sure dove?" Karis nodded as she held her hand out in a friendly gesture.

"She can't hurt us and we wont hurt her." She answered looking up at him with a look that told her he knew exactly where she was leading with this. She turned her attention back to the girl who looked like she wanted to bolt at any minute. Karis knew this because it was like looking in a mirror. She had been ten when her family was taken from her. Casualty of war they had told her, wrong place wrong time. She had lived in a peaceful village once upon a time far from the war neutral to everything going on around them. Then the resistance had come through with empty promises to keep them safe. Promises they couldn't keep. A highly trained, highly violent group of bounty hunters came through looking for the rebels who had used her home as a hid-away. It had been a massacre, in a matter of minutes everyone she knew, trusted and loved was gone. Most had been killed in the cross fire, some had been killed by getting in on the fight and some, like her mother had been used as a human shield. He father had been killed trying to get to her and she herself had been left behind to tell the story. She had a very bad feeling that this little girl had seen pretty much the same thing. "Mia, it's okay, I know your scared…"

"I'm not scared!" The girl bit back. Karis wasn't sure rather it was to convince her or herself she just but she had spunk and she would need that.

"Okay, not scared but I know you saw bad things happen here. We just need to know what, okay." She gave her a reassuring smile but the little girl just stared at her. This was not going to be as easy as she had hoped. She looked up slightly defeated at Hux trying to figure out what to do next. She knew what she wanted to do but she had him to consider. It was almost like he had read her mind because he nodded his head.

"Its whatever you want to do dove." He answered is a quiet gentle voice.

"Are you sure?" He looked at her with a soft almost unrecognizable look.

"Of course." With a determined nod of her head she turned her attention back to the girl in front of her.

"Okay Mia, I wont ask you any more questions but I really don't think that it's safe for you to be here by yourself. We were just passing through to get some supplies and then move on. You are welcomed to join us." She watched as the little girl seemed to weigh her options. Her gaze shooting back and forth between the two adults in front of her. She looked scared but tried to hide it, she seemed unsure on rather to trust them or not. What she had seen made her wary to trust anyone at that point. Something that Karis understood very well. The girl looked up at her with a very determined look in her eye. Her decision made.

"Where are you going?" She asked. Her voice sounding much older that she actually was.

"Somewhere safe and far away from here. We plan on leaving all of this behind."

"I can come with you?" She asked not sure rather it was true or not. It was Hux this time who answered as he too bent to her level. He looked her in the eye so that she could understand every word he said.

"Of course you can little one. I know you don't know us and that you have been through hell. So have we and I can promise you that we will keep you safe and that no one will ever give you bruises like this again." He gentle brush one along her cheek. She flinched slightly but didn't pull away. Karis noticed a slight frown crease his brow but he stood firm. "I too come from a place where there was a lot of hurt, a lot of anger and a lot of hate. It wasn't until I met Karis here that that all changed." He blindly grabbed Karis' hand, entwined his long fingers with hers and brought it under his arm and lay it on his heart. His other hand gently reached for Mia's. Taking it he also placed it to over his heart. "Do you feel that?" She looked at him curiously. "That's my heart beat. Up until a few weeks ago I didn't believe I actually had one. That if I kept it cold and dark no one could hurt it. But then I discovered something. Do you know what that was?" The girl shook her head. "Hope. Hope and love." As he said these words he stole a look at Karis. "A chance for redemption, forgiveness and a chance to heal. I have done horrible, unforgivable things. Things I have to live with for as long as I am breathing. I never knew anything else but now…now its different, I'm different. So what do you say little one? Are you coming with us?" Mia looked back and forth between the two adults for a long moment. Both began to worry slightly because she wasn't answering. Hux glanced at Karis with a slightly concerned look only to turn back toward the child when Mia squeezed his hand gently. She looked at him with a slightly hopeful look.

"Papa's dead. They killed him." A sick though settled in the bottom of his stomach.

"Who little one?" He asked as tears filled her eyes.

"Men, lots of men with helmets."

"Storm troopers?" He asked She shook her head and pointed to something behind him. Both he and Karis whipped around expecting to see someone there instead it was a single helmet. Karis walked to it and picked it up. She recognized it immediately. She knew exactly what kind of people that had been here.