No. 23 – You Break It, You Buy It
Auction | ransom | pursuit
Cold stun cuffs bit into Anakin's wrists. Shaking wracked his body. A seven-foot-tall alien forced Anakin forward with a craggy hand and claws digging into Anakin's hair. Sharp rocks turned under his bare feet. He stumbled past large grey rocks and reaching trees. A wooden platform sat in a clearing up ahead. The seven-foot-tall aliens gathered in front of the platform with craggy hard light brown skin, sharp fangs, claws, and leather armor.
The alien marched him up onto the platform and pushed him down. He crashed to his knees, his head swimming.
The alien cuffed him in the head. "This interloping human is a Jedi, trying to control our own planet. Now we control him and his powers." The alien grabbed Anakin's hair and wrenched his head up. "Who will give me fifteen peyahs for this Jedi?"
Anakin passed over the greedy mass to lock eyes with Obi-Wan, pinioned between two of the aliens. They had no avenue for escape, but Anakin still drew strength from his presence. He passed by him to Ahsoka, held in the air by one alien as she struggled and growled. His heart ached. She was so feisty, and if they didn't find a way to escape, that would be squashed.
One alien raised his hand. With that, the alien pulling Anakin's hair jumped into a flurry of rising prices so fast Anakin couldn't keep track of it until finally the flurry stopped.
"Five thousand peyahs! Five thousand peyahs going once, twice, sold!"
Another alien climbed up to the platform and seized Anakin's arms. "Come on, slave."
Anakin tugged against the alien. A pulse wracked his body, partially stunning him. The alien struck Anakin's head, spinning pain through him. The alien dragged him off the platform, his feet dragging on the wooden planks and across the grass.
"Anakin!" Obi-Wan called. The aliens dragged him up onto the platform.
"Master," Anakin whispered.
"I am your master now," the alien that had bought Anakin said.
Anakin shuddered. He had been free for so long, but somehow he found himself succumbing as the alien dragged him off to his waiting speeder in cuffs.