V.1-C.3│Escape From Slavery I│

Tatooine.

The desolate desert sands of Tatooine howl, and the cold arid air of the planet causes freezing temperatures as half of the planet cools because of the setting of the suns. The three moons, Ghomrassen, Guermessa and Chenini slowly orbit and illuminate the starry night sky leaving no room for darker shadows.

Within the de facto capital, Mos Espa, was the muffled sounds of activity echoing from every building in the main district. In contrast was in the slave distract where slaves were placed was entirely quiet.

A haven for smugglers and criminal activity. Every so often one could spot the disembodied brains of those who belong to the B'omarr Order floating in jars that hung below their spider-like droid bodies.

At night when most deals made through the black market created on the planet of Tatooine was taking place. Most wealth eventually found its way into the city of Mos Espa, with most of it procured from gambling and off-world trade, especially through the lucrative black market.

The influx of commercial ventures fueled Mos Espa's growth, eventually securing its regional importance as a hub of economic and financial activity. Most of the primary economic exported goods traded out of Tatooine was dilarium oil, silicax oxalate, and of course slaves. What was imported was various technology, consumables because of the planetary conditions and water.

With high tariffs imposed by the Hutt's, some believed themselves able to escape paying them by doing business in the planet's de facto capital, however often found themselves scammed and broke if not through gambling, through simple bad luck.

Within a building, where many a noise was being produced, where the more economically wealthy of patrons come to gamble away their credits or other owned things including slaves.

At a table a game was taking place by four individuals of very distinct alien features and one that is of human origins. One of the alien individuals was a Toydarian, a sentient, winged species capable of flight.

Male features, blue skin color, orange eyes. A diminutive small height of 1.37 meters, webbed duck-like feet, three fingers and toes, his face was shaped in a weird way with facial hair and a hooked long snout resembling a trunk and crooked teeth and facial tusks.

His looks not too dissimilar from a hybridized overblown fly. A unique feature to note is that Toydarian's were known to be strong-willed and resistant to mental manipulation with the Force.

His name is Watto, no last name as Toydarian's were only allowed to have a last name if they came from a noble or royal family. Most of his life was spent in the army of the Toydarian government as a soldier serving a monarchy. However, he left Toydaria after he suffered an injury and went to Tatooine, where he watched the native Jawa's sell used goods and decided to start his own business.

This resulted in him starting a Junkyard, aptly named Watto's Junkshop.

Today is the day he would be winning some new slaves, or would've been but may very well be his last time he would see the light of day or the sands of Tatooine.

[]

Gambling was the betting of credits or possessions in wagers or games like sabacc, and had been a popular form of entertainment in the galaxy for millennia. Gambling was rampant on Tatooine, propagated by criminal activity and the developing culture overruled by the Hutt's. Gambling, in fact, proved quite influential in and throughout Galactic history and would continue to influence the years to come.

One common game played on Tatooine between avid gamblers was sabacc.

Sabacc is a popular card game that was often played for high stakes. When played professionally, the game was overseen by a dealer, either organic, as in Coruscant's Outlander Club, where four-armed Kiughfid dealers passed out the cards and took up money for the house, or mechanical, as in other locales, where automated sabacc dealer droids oversaw proceedings.

The Ryn claimed to have invented the sabacc deck and cards as a means of fortune telling.

The game of sabacc used a deck of seventy-six cards featuring sixty numbered cards divided into four suits, and two copies of eight special cards.

Each player is dealt two cards (sometimes five, depending on the set of rules in play at the table) which make up their hand. There are four phases within each hand: Betting, Calling, Shifting and Drawing.

Within the current setting four players and a automated dealer droid surrounds a table. A Human, a Toydarian, a Siniteen and a Hutt is currently engaged in a game of sabacc.

Only two out of this group is left to play out the current match, and the biddings is at a high price.

If one were to look closely, you would be able to identify the Hutt as Gardulla the Elder. Through an intermediary, Gardulla the Elder is using to make a gamble. This gamble includes two of her slaves, and if she were to lose, she would have to transfer the ownership of her slaves.

These two would be identified as Shmi Skywalker and her young toddler three years of age, Anakin Skywalker.

Spoken through the Huttese language, "Tee-tocky buttmalia. Chuba! Ateema uba wan ma, minkee jos. No bargon. (Time to bet. Hey you! This time you will pay, little fly. No bargain.)" Speaks the gargantuan in size Hutt.

The translator assistant speaks basic galactic so those at the table my understand. "My mistress said, It is time to bet. You Toydarian will pay and there will be no bargaining." The translator omits some details and changes some words to better convey and hide some insults.

'Che~. Stupid fat Hutt's and their even fatter ego.' Thinks the Toydarian on the inside but further expresses his utmost desire to please the female Crime Lord. "Yes, yes, thank you. If only I could be as great as you."

The other players can obviously tell what the Toydarian is trying to do, garner favor, and it seems to work a little.

"Grancha, minkee jos. Bos bsha da. (Very good, little fly. Lets move on.)"

"My mistress says, very good, and to continue with the game." The slave translator, translates. Obviously omitting certain details again.

So, the last high intensity match begins, to decide whether Watto will finally get some slaves for himself, or will Gardulla the Elder win back the losses incurred.

[]

As the planet slowly rotates and continues its 34 hour, 17 hour to 17 hour day-night cycle. Time slowly passes by, as in the illumination from the moons of the night, one building in particular is louder then most.

Inside the intense game taking place between Gardulla the Elder and Watto, the new in town junk dealer. So far the game between the two had not progressed very far, leeway was made on Gardulla's side, but Watto had something up his sleeve.

The Hutt's deep laughter rings out across the gamblers den. "Hou-hou-hou-hou-HOU! Ateema dolpee koona da nu, won ubana nabukee nu, bsha da. (This time I am going to win, and you'll never win, little fly.)" Says the Hutt Crime Lord in an arrogant tone.

The translator of course keeps the translation cordial. "The mistress says, I am going to win and you will not."

Adding his own two cents, the translator also adds, "To put it simply."

With a straight poker face, Watto does not give away his inner thoughts, while the audience is also quiet in fear of potentially incurring the wrath of an infamous Hutt Crime Lord.

The crowd in anticipation of the end game results, draws silence.

"Game set, the winner is Watto." The automated dealer droid announces as the crowd starts to disperse for two reasons, not wanting to be around an angry Hutt Crime Lord and because the excitement of the game is now over.

"Choy?! (What?!)" Outraged that she has lost, she lets out a few curses in her native language.

"Hehehe." Watto does a small twirl in the air flapping his tiny fly-like wings, like a princess while quietly mumbling to himself in a drunken stupor.

Gardulla the Elder in a huff, briskly starts to leave the casino, but not before giving a important piece of documentation over to her slave-assistant translator.

Gardulla speaks briefly at the fly-like alien, "Bu malia tu tuna, an ba wa pooluy bed cheet me kee me shags! (The bet is done, and you have managed to cheat me of my slaves!)"

After raging a bit, she then further elaborating on her instructions speaks to her slave translator, "Chalya bu bsha da bu chuunmooleeaquee an bu shags nibokawwan, row boska! (Give the little fly the documentation and the slaves controller, then let's go!)"

The translator doesn't even bother translating before throwing the documentation and placing the slave controller on the casinos table before promptly following his mistress.

Watto slowly comes down from his state of elation. Not only has he won a generous amount of credits, but has also now been able to get his very own slaves. Human slaves, but slaves nonetheless enabling to probably take some of his workload off.

What he doesn't know is not only will his new slaves free themselves but even if he did, he would come to that the slaves would be useless to him in being able to help him. Where one would be but a toddler and the other a weak woman, especially of the human species, barely capable and manual labor and of minimal education.

[]

Tatooine.

It had been three years since his rebirth, Anakin and Shmi were sold to the Hutt Gardula Besadii on the desert planet of Tatooine, and the two were brought to the planet by a freighter though they were not permitted to know their destination, and the ship's single refresher backed up during the flight, making the crowded ship's passengers extremely uncomfortable.

During the flight, he had premonitions of podracing, and he saw a vision of himself as an older man, racing across the flats of Tatooine.

'Strangely enough, I have been receiving more than just dreams of podracing.'

Awoken from his dream by his mother, who carried him out of the ship when they landed, they were lined up before Gardulla and her aides.

'What a ugly species, at least ugly to my normal human sensibilities.' Anakin was correct in saying that the Hutt's did not look too appealing to the eye, especially to the people who did not have attraction to them.

More time passed and Anakin had grown accustomed to living here on Tatooine.

While he was a slave of Gardulla, he became friends with fellow slaves Kitster Chanchani Banai and Pala Kwi'teksa, a Human and Twi'lek. Though the three were eventually sold to other masters, they remained friends, as they all lived in Mos Espa.

Anakin had decided to stick to the plot for now, as it would be easier to escape from slavery if it was Watto and not the Hutt's.

Several months after his arrival on Tatooine, while repairing a vaporator outside Gardulla's residence, Anakin decided to take the initiative, and modify the device.

His handiwork was observed by Watto, a Toydarian junk dealer who frequently gambled with Gardulla on podraces, or on gambling games within the local area.

Impressed, the Toydarian gambled for custody of the Skywalker's and won, becoming the pair's owners two days later.

Only that Watto will be in for some pain later on.

Anakin had enough time to secretly steal some droids away from his previous slave owners, than when being moved over to Gardulla he also stole some from her as well.

Carefully but stealthily he had hid the droids here on the planet Tatooine after arrival.

Mechu-Deru sure was a piece of work, he had to give it that and he wasn't too surprised that he was able to learn it so quickly given the originals talent.

But now that he is three he had developed along to be able enough to use a weapon, not that he would need it considering his droids would become weapons but that doesn't mean he would not train himself to use one.

The top of the line weapon in mind was a gun, with some assistance through the Force it would be made possible to properly hold and aim correctly at where he would need to shot.

For now though, that would be left to later.

He has a fly to deal with now.