Summary: In which prison is unforgiving and there are consequences for actions and attitudes.

R&O: Part Four

Luke was left alone while he showered. He made it quick on principle; this was hardly the kind of place he wanted to be vulnerable in. Besides, the water itself was icy cold and there was only a small dispenser of soap on the wall. He used it to clean himself off, relishing in the feeling of not being grimy and disgusting for the first time in over a week. It was marred in part by the empty, hollow feeling that came from being separated from the Force. He felt off-balanced - like he was dizzy and in danger of putting his foot down wrong. Luke shook his head and then scrubbed some soap into his hair before quickly rinsing it out again. The water turned off on its own just as he finished - figures that there would be a time limit, Luke thought, grabbing a towel and drying off. No one here got to decide anything for themselves.

He got dressed again and thought not for the first time that he wasn't a fan of these clothes - they were bulky and the fabric was stiff and uncomfortable. Nothing for it, Luke supposed. But he could make do - that was how desert people had always lived, after all.

In a couple of hours, Luke would have the thought that he really should have been paying more attention to his surroundings, especially considering that he had told the section head honcho that he wasn't interesting in playing by anyone else's rules. He should have had his guard up and been quicker to remember that he was surrounded by bad people that were all here for a reason. But, when he stepped out of the shower and back into the section, he wasn't thinking any of those things; he was caught up in the thoughts of feeling lonely and wondering what it would be like once he got out of here. His father frightened him and Luke was afraid that his situation might only get worse once. He was trying, not for the first time, to remind himself to take it all one step at a time -

- Luke barely registered that someone was waiting for him outside the shower before he abruptly got punched in the face. He stumbled backwards, feeling stunned and dazed but managing to keep his footing. It didn't matter - he barely had time to think fight back before someone grabbed the front of his jumpsuit, slamming him into the wall, knocking his head, and forcing the air out of his lungs. Then he was getting pounded on - being viciously and brutally punched and kicked, over and over again - he hit the ground hard and tried desperately to cover his head with his arm. Someone kicked him so hard in the gut that he almost puked and he faintly registered the sound of someone cussing him, his parents, and his entire bloodline out.

Then, almost as quickly as it started, it all stopped.

His heart was pounding rapidly and Luke knew he was bleeding and everything hurt.

" - hear me, bitch?"

His head was ringing. It sounded like an alarm was blaring but when he dared open his eyes, no one else in the section as doing anything except watching with mildly curious expressions on their faces. No guards. No droids. It was like no one was even watching.

Someone kicked him again, forcing more air from his lungs. It was the red guy from earlier. He and a couple of his groupies had jumped him, Luke realized dazedly.

"Did you hear me?"

He'd been in a fair number of scraps - Tatooine wasn't exactly a nice place to live and it was inhabited by people that were willing to kill someone for looking at them the wrong way. He'd tried to avoid it because getting punched or stabbed was hardly his favorite thing to do and it was always a sure way to upset Beru - but sometimes, it just happened. He'd used to have Biggs to back him up though. And he'd rarely been stupid enough to get caught off guard like this. But he was stupid enough to continue to stand his ground and not bend his knees just because someone was personally out to get him.

Maybe he was a little like his father that way.

"I'm not your bitch," Luke spit out, glaring up at them. "But I heard you."

He hadn't heard a word.

A/N It'll probably get worse. But Luke is also a Skywalker and not a cheap damsel in distress. He will be okay. Mostly. Probably. Thanks for reading! ;)