THE HUNT

Nine

"No. Get up and try again." Ushar hits me in the back of the head with his staff. A little harder than necessary. "Ren wants you back in shape." I wordlessly stand, returning to my previous position with my arms braced in front of me. My forearms are bruised from hours and days of trying to block his metal weapon with nothing but my body. "Ren said they wanted to promote you to commander. Were your superiors just blind?" He lunges towards me, and I flinch, lifting my arm to protect myself. The impact of the metal shatters pain through my body. I cry out, falling to my knees again. He reaches down, grabbing a fistful of my long braid. "Get up!" I force myself to rise again, tears pricking my eyes. The staff swings towards me again, and I try to grab it. My hands wrap around the metal, but he sends his foot into my stomach, sending me back to the ground.

"Stop!" My voice breaks from my throat. "This isn't fair!"

"Your opponent won't be fair." He says, gaze frigid.

"If I'm in a real fight, I'd have a weapon and be in shape!" I'm yelling, and tears force themselves down my cheeks. "I've been treated as a prisoner for five months!" I rise slowly to my feet with a short groan. "This isn't fair."

He hits me again.

I don't bother to block as his weapon cracks against the side of my head.

I fall to my knees, a gasping sob releasing from my chest.

"Up." He uses the end of the staff to lift my chin. "Get up."

"Give me a weapon." I say, meeting his gaze. Tears still stream down my face.

"You have to take it from me." He replies.

"No. I know when I'm beat, and I know what fairness is."

"Nothing is fair." He tells me. "There is nothing you can do in a fight if you do not know how to use your hands."

"I know how to use my hands." I hiss. "But I have no muscle anymore." His face is still stoic as he hits me again. This time in the chest, forcing me on my back. I flinch as the door to the training room swings wide open, and four men come stumbling in.

The Knights of Ren.

"Hide!" Vicrul grabs the front of my shirt, pulling me too my feet as if I weigh nothing. I stumble, anxiety ripping through me.

What could they be hiding from?

Cardo slams his hand into a panel on the wall, and it slides open to reveal a room. Someone pulls me in, and the door slides shut.

"What did you do this time?" Ushar snaps in the darkness. Almost immediately, the lights flicker on, as well as a screen that shows the training room. After a moment of stifled laughter, Ushar tries again. "I thought you got rid of the last panic room after Ren found you."

"We made a new one." Ap'lek says, hushed.

"What did you do?" Ushar repeats.

"We plastered everything in his room down." Vicrul laughs as Kuruk rushes into the training room, fury twisted on his face as he starts banging on the walls, clearly knowing that we're hiding inside.

When he gets to our panel, it opens with a hiss.

Then we're face to face, the other Knights' hands pushing me forward as a shield. He grabs my by the front of my shirt, throwing me onto the ground behind him.
I feel something in my side pop, and I bite back a cry as pain radiates across my right side.

I force myself to rise, squeezing my eyes shut as I stand.

I can't be weaker than I already am.

I watch as Kuruk manages to beat each of the Knights until they can hardly pick themselves off of the ground. Once he's done, he turns to me. I have my arms crossed over my chest, trying not to double over in pain.

"What happened to you?" He reaches forward, gripping my wrist, pulling me until my elbow is fully extended. I try to hide my wince, but he sees it anyway. "You're done until these bruises are gone."

"Wait-" He cuts me off, pulling me towards the door.

"You're done." He repeats. "Ren doesn't want a broken spy."

    "Thank you." I say quietly, even though I can hardly breathe. He continues to pull me, and I half stumble as he drags me from the room.

    "Don't thank me." He says, almost as if I'm an inconvenience. "Ushar is not the kindest trainer. He will work you until you die." We pass a group of stormtroopers, and they pause to stare. "Then Ren will make his life hell."

    "Doesn't he make everyone's life hell?" I ask. Kuruk stops, then pushes me roughly against the wall. The pain in my chest makes the gasp I suck in feel like fire.

    "You have no respect." The knight hisses. "This is why the Resistance is losing."

    "Let go of me." I manage. The pressure is too much, and tears rise in my eyes. "I- I can't-" He drops me, and I fall to my knees.

    "You're weak. No amount of training will ever fix that." He snaps.

    Then he's gone.

    And I have no idea where I am.

    Panic races through me as I try to stand, several times, never once getting to my feet.

    "This is fine." I gasp, grateful that the hall is empty now. "Great. I'm doing great." I spot a doorway a few metres away, and decide that if I can make it into the crevice of the doorway, then I can recover my breath.

    There might be cameras watching me crawl across the floor, but I don't care. Maybe someone will come and help me.

    After what seems like forever, I reach the doorway and pull myself into it. I rest my head on the wall, sucking in heavy, painful breaths.

    I hardly notice the door slide open. Or the red-haired man standing above me, clearly shocked to have me in front of his door.