These crates were not the same ones we had carried yesterday. They were fucking not.
They felt almost twice the weight. Maybe more.
This was going to be a nightmare for me.
Wrecked as I was from the injuries I had sustained during the night, I was probably going to collapse sooner or later and earn myself even more damage.
Still, I managed several trips purely on willpower.
My body was screaming in agony, but I built a mental wall against that tempting whisper to just give up and let them kill me if they wanted.
One at a time.
One at a time.
The day has got to end. Everything has got to end.
I kept repeating that to myself.
The only good thing was that it was not just me struggling. Most of the slaves were barely holding it together.
And it was not just our crates that were heavy. Even the older slaves looked overwhelmed.
'What the fuck is inside?'
Unlike the previous day's crates, these were not easy to open.
They were completely sealed on both the top and bottom. You would have to tear the whole crate apart to know what it carried. And if you tried, you would probably be dead before you found out.
I also noticed the enforcers seemed sharper than the day before.
On the plus side, none of them was trying to trip any distracted slave. Maybe whatever was inside these crates could not be nicked as easily as a sachet of spices.
It was around our eleventh trip when we heard voices coming down from the ramp.
Maybe newcomers.
I never thought I would wish this fate on anyone, but at that moment I was praying it was more slaves. That would at least lighten our burden.
Soon enough, I realized they were not newcomers.
It was the familiar voice that gave it away.
Hato.
He was coming down accompanied by three enforcers and a fat, beautiful Twi'lek woman. Her two lekku were just as heavy as the rest of her.
"This way, Hato," she said as they reached our level. His hand gestured toward the lower floor where the girls had been taken.
One look was enough for me .
She was Probably the first client for the girls.
I was just glad the Zeltron boy did not seem to notice.
The woman, however, did not follow Hato immediately.
"Hato, darling, you seem to have more handsome men in your latest batch. You animal, you did not tell me you had a new lot."
Hato the Bad suddenly did not look so bad as he smiled at her.
"They just arrived yesterday," he said with a dazzling grin that made me think he had a crush on her. "And they are nothing to interest you, my lady. Your interest should be in what lies ahead. I assure you, it will delight you."
"But dear, you know women have needs too. I get female clients quite often now. I might need two or three handsome men. Can I see them?"
The request was delivered in a voice no man would find easy to refuse.
I did not blame Hato when he caved.
He nodded to the overseer.
"New lot. Stop and gather round."
We dropped the crates where we stood and shuffled toward him.
The Twi'lek woman was already upon us before we had even aligned.
"My, my, Hato, you selfish man. You have a Zeltron boy. This is splendid. Surely you will add me this one."
"Now, now, my dear Kenda, calm yourself. Do not get your hopes up."
But Kenda was not calming down.
"And this one. Oh, dazzling. He has the make of an aggressive lover. My female clients in the corporate district would cherish his kind."
She reached for me and twisted my face to the side.
"And you are already messing their faces. Look at him. Swollen lip. Still, he will definitely do."
She let go of me and turned back to the Zeltron.
"Hato dear, there has to be something I can offer you. I will take four of the human boys. And the Zeltron. I will pay you well."
Part of my hope rose.
Working in a brothel had to be better than this smuggler's backyard. Honestly, it was better to die on top of a corporate bitch than under a crate of illegal cargo or an enforcer's boot.
But Hato's firm answer crushed that hope.
"My dear Kenda, you know I cannot do that. My operations have expanded. I need more men. Place an order with me and I will look specifically for them. Last time you said you needed females. I delivered the finest lot. I am sure you will agree."
Her beautiful face fell in disappointment.
"You selfish monster. How can you break a lady's heart?"
Hato beamed.
"I hope my lady will pardon me. I am in dire need of the men. But I will make it up to you."
Her disappointment dissolved.
With it, so did our hope.
"Back to work," Hato said.
The overseer repeated the command, this time backing it with a shove, and we scrambled back to our crates.
Fuck.
I muttered it under my breath.
Not as loudly as the Zeltron behind me.
"Hey, what did they mean?" he whispered as I bent to grab my crate.
"Fuck off," I whispered back. "You will get us killed."
But he would not drop it.
I finally snapped once we delivered the crates to the hold.
"You heard the fucking woman, did you not? You know what they meant."
An enforcer caught us talking.
"No talk. Move, move, move. Crates not moving. Catch you talking, take your teeth."
I was not about to test that threat.
By the time we returned, Hato and his client had disappeared to the lower level.
I tried to put distance between myself and the now paranoid Zeltron.
He followed anyway.
"You think they meant the girls we came with? My sisters?"
"Yes," I muttered coldly . I wanted him quiet before he got us both killed, I mean we had been through this already .
"Where are they taking them? Surely they are not…"
I did not answer.
I already knew the woman would take the whole lot.
Sure enough, on the fourth trip after she arrived, we heard voices coming back up the ramp.
Enforcers were pushing two human girls up first. They handed them to guards waiting above, then went back down for more.
Like goods stored in a warehouse.
When the first two Zeltron girls were shoved up the ramp, I heard crates crash behind me.
I did not need to turn.
The screams told me everything.
The Zeltron boy had finally given in to his urge to interfere.
May the gods, or the Force, have mercy on him.
"Get your hands off them. Get your hands off my sister."
He did not make it halfway.
He collapsed, writhing as his collar activated.
Three enforcers were on him instantly, kicking and punching every inch of him.
Hato stepped in.
"Stop, you fools. You want to kill him?"
He grabbed the boy and lifted him almost off the ground, just like he had done to me.
"Did I not warn you? Do you want to die?" he growled calmly into his face.
The girls were screaming too, but the enforcers dragging them did not slow down.
Their voices faded toward the upper levels.
"If you want to live long enough to pay your debt and maybe see your sisters again, you will never interfere with my work. Do you hear me?"
"Yes. Yes, sir," the Zeltron stammered, shaking. He looked seconds away from pissing himself.
Hato had that effect.
"Oh, pardon him, Hato," Kenda said lightly. "Surely you understand how deeply a brother cares for his sisters. All the more reason to sell him to me. Then they will be reunited."
"Stay out of this, Kenda. This one stays."
He shoved the Zeltron back to the ground and whisperd to the Nikto before turning to escort his client away.
Even she seemed to understand a line had been drawn.
And she did not cross it.