Tatooine, Mos Espa.
It had changed. Places that he knew from his childhood, had disappeared and new places had appeared in their place that he did not recognize then stops suddenly, holding Nula close to him as he senses that he is being watched from behind.
He turns his head, looking back slightly at the crowds of Mos Espa and sees that a group of Bounty Hunters – speeders parked nearby them – are watching him and Nula. Mostly he sees that the Leader of the Bounty Hunter's with scar running down the side of his face, permanently blinding his left eye and with scruffy mohawk, blowing smoke into the air each time they take a drag from their pipe are looking straight at Nula.
This makes Anakin, tighten his hand around her waist in certain way – indicating to the Bounty Hunter – that she belonged to no-one else. This makes the man, un-lean from the wall and walk up to him as Nula, pulls her hood closer around her face.
Did she know this Bounty Hunter Leader?
How?
They tilt their head to one side, pipe held between their teeth and reaches a hand out to Nula's face, making him pull her further away from the Bounty Hunter Leader, giving them a glare that makes them chuckle at him as the other Bounty Hunters, close in on them.
"Oh…. Protective aren't you of her." They say to him, which makes Anakin clench his metal fist slightly under the long Jedi Cloak, tightly as the normal eye of the Bounty Hunter Leader, flicks down to it with just one glance then suddenly, before he can react at what happens next, his metal wrist is suddenly grabbed by them.
They pull hard, flinging him over their shoulder – using one of the old fighting moves that did not involve any weapons - and he lands on the sand, which makes dust rise around him then coughs slightly, when it fills his mouth, finds himself suddenly hauled to his feet by the collar of his Jedi Robes by the Bounty Hunter Leader.
This causes his Jedi Cloak to slip off his shoulders and soon land on the sand with muffled thump noise, making all the Bounty Hunters, step backwards from him. The only person, close to him is the Bounty Hunter Leader, who seems not at all surprised that – what they thought a Jedi – was standing in front of him and they suddenly flick their eye to Nula, who is close to the wall with her hands clenched tightly that Anakin can see by just looking that she is frightened of the Bounty Hunters and their Leader around her and him. Her body showing signs of trembling.
"Some strange, company you picked up, Nula-chan." The man says, making him look at her with wide eyes and she lowers her head down to stare at the sand as Anakin, looks at man, who is smirking at him with a look that makes him, bring his metal fist up.
She knew them.
But, what connection did she have with this Scum?
Clenching the metal fist, he punches them man so hard in the face that feels the crunch of bone breaking under it and this causes Bounty Hunter Leader to stumble backwards soon collapsing to the sandy ground, holding the part of the face that been smashed to bits by the metal fist then picking up his cloak, he slips it back on.
He felt angry and betrayed by the face that she betrayed by not telling her about her hidden past it seemed then Force-step outs the way, when blaster shot hits the spot where he had been standing.
Grabbing hold of Nula, he takes hold of her arm and starts to run with her through the streets of the Mos Espa, hearing shouts coming from behind from the Bounty Hunter Leader.
He keeps on moving, soon out of the town and into the Desert of Tatooine, increasing his speed of running by using the Force as the shouts, soon get fainter and fainter as the distance becomes larger between them and the Bounty Hunters.
He just keeps on running, not stopping at all in case they had gotten their speeders and suddenly Nula's hand slips out of his, making him fully turn around as she collapses to the sandy ground with muffled thump noise then blood begins to pool out from underneath her body, which makes him rush over to her.
He collapses on both knees in front of her and rolling her over, sees that blood is staining through her Jedi Robes, turning it crimson as he sees that the gaping wound that is in her side, which makes him try to think back to when he grabbed hold of her.
Nula.
How could she have gotten wounded?
Sliding his arms, under her body and lifting her up bridal style, he cradles her close to him then continues to run – using the Force powers within more than ever – as she weakly, grips with her hand., his Jedi Robes, trying in vain to fight the encroaching coldness that was starting to seep into her body.
He had to keep on moving. He had to keep on moving.