"Psst, do as you're told or we're all in for it," the older man behind him warned. He was one of the few elders in the group. Most of the slavers didn't deal with older slaves, but this man must have ended up on the wrong side of a bet or blaster. The details didn't matter, but the old man's plea did. The boy stepped quietly in line, and the man nodded gratefully. "What's your name, boy?"
"No talking!" The Zygerrian yelled and struck the back of the old man's head with his staff that had a shock blade for a tip sending him to the ground. Activating the blade, the Zygerrian zapped the man causing his body to convulse. The slaver smirked then waved his weapon toward the line of captives. "Anyone else feeling chatty?"
The line of slaves exchanged desperate looks among one another and then lowered their eyes to the ground shuffling slowly in line toward their transport.
"I didn't think so," the Zygerrian said glaring at the boy whose name was Wyb, as though he was responsible for his actions.
Wyb had been in Zygerrian custody for a week. That morning his mother had woken him from bed and told him to follow her with no questions. This was normal for Web as his mother and him had been on the run since as far as he could remember. Over the years he could see her grow more and more distant and anxious. But once he turned eight he saw through the woman who gave him life. Her eyes, empty and expressionless face each day triggered a deep fear in Wyb that he would be abandoned at any moment. But this particular morning he couldn't imagine his days of running would end in the sale of his freedom to the Zygerrian Slavers Guild.
"Hey," another older boy whispered to him. The slavers were distracted with preparing to leave port and settling their stationing fee. "Where you from?"
Wyb said nothing. The truth was he didn't know where he was from.
"Be quiet!" a woman hushed the older boy. "Did you not see what they did to the old man?!"
"That's cus he's old," the boy said. "Younglings like us are more valuable. They won't hurt us. But you probably should keep your trap shut."
"Drydak," the woman muttered as she stepped onto the transport.
Once all had boarded and were huddled shoulder to shoulder in the freighter compartment, Wyb watched as the Zygerrian closed the door and left no light inside the car, as though they were a herd of blurry in transport.
"Don't worry. We won't be in the dark for long." he heard the voice of a young girl. She was standing next to him and wrapped her hand around his. "They're on their way, the forgotten doesn't forget its own."
"Lay off the fairy tales will ya?" the older boy whined, as the slaves shifted their stance to balance as they departed. The freighter moved out of the port swiftly and sharply. Wyb did his best to keep his footing but fell to his knees as the freight made a quick turn and accelerated. This was it. It was all over. He wanted to scream for help, cry out of dispersion, for someone to rescue him. But all he could do was remain on the floor of the compartment and hope for a swift death to escape his horrible fate.
It had been some time since they left port, the freighter shook side to side as though something had landed on top of the car.
PEW! PEW!
Everyone gasped at the sound of blaster fire. Someone was here. Perhaps a rival slaver's guild, maybe it was pirates, or worse Pykes.
BOOM!
"What's happening?!" a woman cried out.
"They're here," the young girl said with confidence. Everyone in the car fell silent as the door violently swung open.
"Sorry folks. Hope you don't mind but we're taking a detour," a man wearing a visor helmet and hanging from the side of the car. He shouted back to his partner who was driving a medium size speeder van "It's gonna be a tight fit.'"
"We'll manage! Quickly, we don't have much time," the woman replied back as she pulled alongside the car.
"Mind the gap," the man commanded as he helped one person at a time off the freighter. Everyone except for Wyb.
"Come on kid! Let's go!" The man yelled. Wyb did not move paralyzed with fear.
"Jord! What's taking so long?" The woman called out.
"We got a stray," He answered, keeping his eyes on Wyb.
"Switch with me," the woman said.
"Now you've gone and done it, kid. The boss lady's coming for you," the man laughed and switched with his partner. Within moments a woman appeared. She was small but looked light, a force to be reckoned with. She grabbed hold of the side of the freighter as it began to jerk, hitting a few bumps in the road.
"Hello there," she said calmly."I'm Lenore Tersu. I'm here to help."
"Hurry up," Jord yelled.
"What's your name?," Lenore ignored the man's warning and crouched down to meet Wyb's eye-line.
"You're running out of road!" Jord yelled.
"Look, I can't imagine what you've been through," She said. "But you got a choice to make right now. Do nothing and we both die, or come with me and get a second shot."
"Lenore?!" Jord repeated in a panic.
She extended her hand out to him. Wyb's heart raced as he could sense the danger of death approaching them.
"We?" Wyb asked, perplexed. Was she going to stay aboard with him if he chose to stay behind?
"You're a choice. " She said with her hand still extended.
"Lenore!" Jord screamed as the front of the freighter crashed into the side of a hill. At the moment of impact, Wyb grabbed Lenore's hand as she fired a fiber cable to pulled them to safety avoiding the crash. They hit the speeder van floor hard. Lenore groaned slightly as she slowly sat up with Wyb in her arms. Jord rushed to their side.
"I'm fine. I've had worse landings," Lenore assured Jord. As she stood, Wyb saw the imperial emblem tattoo on the woman's left forearm. Was she from the Empire? His heart sank and he felt he had made the wrong choice. He should have stayed on the freighter. She dusted her clothes off and kissed her partner on the cheek.
"Don't scare me like that," Jord said as he pushed back a strand of hair from Lenore's face.
"I don't make promises I can't keep," She smiled cheekily. She had done this before.
"Alright everyone, get cozy, it's going to be a tight ride until we hit our destination," Jord alerted and took the autopilot off the wheel and stirred away from the slaver's route.
"You sure like to play it down to the wire, kiddo, but I'm glad you chose the ladder," she said, smiling down at him. She saw his eyes focusing on her tattoo. Her smile disappeared and she sighed. "That was a lifetime ago."
"You're an imperial," Wyb muttered.
"Was," Lenore said. "And for that I'll have no peace. But it reminds me of where I've been and where I don't want to be."
"Where are you taking us?"Wyb demanded to know with as much courage he had left filling his stomach ache from hunger.
"Somewhere safe," Lenore said and took out a spice roll from her waist pack. Wyb took it quickly and nearly swallowed it whole. Lenore smiled and turned to join Jord.
"Are you the forgotten?" Wyb asked calmer.
"Seems our reputation is spreading," Lenore said to Jord who proudly nodded.
"Yes," she responded. "Don't worry anymore. You're not forgotten anymore."
"Wyb," Wyb finally answered. She stopped and stared at him. "My name is Wyb."