#I am so looking forward to the final two parts of Mandalorian's Mercy!! It will be so fulfilling to finish and yet so sad. | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

cora-vizsla · 3 years

Text

Hypnotic (Taking Over Me)- Chapter 3

Pairing: Eventual Jedi!OC x Sith!Obi Wan

Word Count: 3.7 K

Story Rating: E (18+)

Chapter Rating: I’m just gonna move these up to E now because I’d rather be safe than sorry.

Warning: Swearing. Threats of violence. Cannon typical violence. Calm kidnapping. There was only one bed. Almost naked cuddling. Dare I say fluff??

A/N: Please let me know if I missed any tags!

Zara was unable to fall back asleep. She could feel when Obi Wan finally succumbed to his own exhaustion and it set her on edge. She looked around quietly, keeping tabs on his signature across the building. There had been hope she could find her saber, but he must have stashed it away somewhere.

When she looked down to see her boots by the door, she decided she had no other choice. She couldn’t stay with her captor. There was a lack of clarity she wanted to rip out of her head even if it meant doing something risky. She told herself that Anakin wouldn’t sit around and wait at the mercy of anyone. It wasn’t her normal avenue of actions but hers obviously weren’t working. She shut her eyes and spoke like a mantra that Anakin would want her to fight. He would want her to escape.

Zara quickly pulled on her boots and grabbed a large jacket by the door. She could feel the chill coming through the door but knew that was the only time it was going to happen.

“I am a Jedi knight. I can do this. I can get back and warn the counsel. I can save Anakin.”

She winced when the cold hit her face and she realized then Obi Wan would feel the air change. She pulled the door shut and started running off in the direction she thought they had come from. There were still some footprints, but it was hard to follow. Snow had drifted over part of their journey, so she stopped to look around. Between the cold and running, her chest was heaving trying to pull in air.

“Zara! Zara you are going to die trying to run off like this!”

She whipped around to her captor having already caught up to her.

“I can’t stay here! I can’t let you manipulate me and hurt Anakin. I won’t!”

“You’re smarter than this!”

“Let me go! If you have one shred of decency in you, let me go!”

He stood up tall and shrugged his jacket off, letting it fall to the ground. He tossed something to Zara, and she caught it quickly, gasping when she realized it was her saber. She looked back up at him as he ignited his blood red blade.

“Fight me. If you can best me, I’ll deliver you back to the temple myself.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then you stay here and stop trying to get yourself killed.”

She looked down at her saber and considered what he was saying. She had yet to actually see him fight.

“Letting me go would be directly going against your Master.”

“It would.”

“Then why offer me this?”

“If I can’t best a new Jedi Knight then I don’t deserve to keep her captive.”

Resolution washed over her. She ignited her blade and a sick smile spread across the Siths face. She carefully pulled off her own jacket and set it down, not taking her eyes off her enemy. He spun his saber a few times easily and fluidly.

“Come on, darling, it’s cold out here. Time to get this over with so we can get back in the warmth of our home.”

Zara wanted to snarl but instead closed her eyes and took a deep steadying breath. She let herself feel everything within the force. She trusted herself and her abilities. When she opened her eyes, she had a new look of determination. She no longer looked at him as Obi Wan, lost Jedi. He was Lord Veth and he needed to be defeated.

Veth was the first to move forward, quicker than she expected, and their sabers clashed together. He gave her a dangerous smile and broke away, quickly striking again with a fury she was not prepared for. She was able to block every swing, but it frustrated her she couldn’t turn it, so she was on the offensive. She could tell he was holding back and only pushing forward to keep her unbalanced. He felt her frustration and laughed when they locked their sabers together again.

“Darling, have I told you how stunning you look in my clothes?”

In frustration, Zara shot her arm out, using the force to push him back. He was able to keep himself on his feet as he immediately moved forward again. With a grin, Zara raised her hand again and a bright light emanated around her. Veth shielded his eyes, temporarily caught off balance.

“Little knight you surprise me.”

“Stars, do you ever shut up?”

“How rude, we were having such a good conversation. How long are you going to keep this up? I’m stronger than you are, sweetheart. You aren’t going to best me in battle.”

She knew he was right. Between fighting off the cold and trying to use the force so much she was getting exhausted. She stepped forward a few steps, hoping the blinding light would protect her movements just a bit. When she dropped her arm and ceased the blinding light, she quickly brought her saber down. Veth seemed to be expecting it when his arm shot up, using the force to wrap tightly around her throat.

“Now, now. That wasn’t very admirable. You are so much better than cheap tricks.”

He kept the force on her long enough that she dropped her saber and clawed at herself. He watched her struggle until tears welled in her eyes.

“Do you yield, darling?”

She shook her head and he sighed in annoyance. He let go, letting her crash to the ground with a thud. When she tried to move further than up to her knees, she realized that he was still using the force to keep her in place.

“I’m not killing you. Nice try though.”

He held his saber up to her chest and watched as the red danced off her face.

“Yield.”

“Why? You said you won’t kill me.”

“I can maim you. Maybe cut one of your legs off so you can’t run anymore. You only really need one hand. Hope you get my point.”

She glared up at him in defiance. He sighed and moved the blade forward, pressing it against her shoulder. Zara cried out from the burn and he shifted his weight, clearly annoyed.

“I’m not really into torture, dear. Please just yield so we can go inside.”

“No.”

“Fine.”

He reached forward and touched her head, rendering her unconscious instantly. He caught her and pulled her limp body close to his. Once he made sure he had both sabers he started towards the cabin.

“You have so much to learn, little knight. Hopefully you can accomplish that without many more scars.”

---

Zaras eyes fluttered open to immediately seeing the fireplace. She took inventory of her body and other than the tingle of warming limbs, she seemed to be okay. There were blankets under her as padding on the hard floor and a pillow under her head. When she shifted, she realized that the blankets felt way too soft against her skin. She peeked under the blanket to see that she was wearing nothing but her breast band and underwear.

“Your clothes were wet. Not that you believe anything I say but nothing unfavorable happened to you. I may be a monster, but I am not that type.”

She turned her head to look at him. He was sitting leaning against the wall wearing fresh clothes and his hair was wet where it fell in front of his eyes. She sat up slowly making sure one of the blankets was wrapped around her still.

“I placed a bacta patch on your shoulder. It shouldn’t scar too badly.”

She nodded and continued to look at him.

“Surprised you didn’t put force binders on me.”

“Why? The force is the only reason why you didn’t die out there. I don’t think you understand how inhabitable this planet is.”

“You’re mad at me.”

He sighed and brushed his hair back, finally making eye contact with her.

“I’m disappointed that you would be that reckless. You easily could have died.”

“What does it even matter? You accomplished your goal either way. Anakin is at the mercy of your Master and I am out of the picture.”

“You.. Zara I have met many beings in my travels in my life. I have traveled to many planets and seen wars rage around me. Up until I saw you on the battlefield, I had only ever known of one person that cared so deeply for life. It.. got her killed and the galaxy is darker for it.”

“The one you were in love with?”

He nodded and pulled one knee up so he could rest his arm on it. Zara caught herself wanting to console him but kept still. Master Windu had told her multiple times that her compassion could be dangerous. She didn’t want him to be right, but she was trying to figure out how to console her Sith captor.

“S-Satine. Her name was Satine. I was a padawan still when I went to Mandalore to protect her.”

“She was a Mandalorian?”

“Yes, the leader actually. She needed help because she saw a brighter future for her people. A future free of war and loss. She saw peace when no one else could, myself included.”

“Is that why you fell?”

He scoffed and shook his head.

“No. I told you, the Jedi did that to me. Though finding out she was gone did contribute to my anger.”

“I still don’t see how this connects to me.”

“The first thing I noticed about Satine was the fact that she cared so deeply. When faced with opposition she didn’t want to raise a weapon, she wanted to figure out how to stop everyone else from doing so. I followed you and Anakin on one of your first missions. It was the first opportunity that I could get to you without a Jedi Master sensing me the moment I landed.”

“That was nearly two cycles ago.”

“I know. I stood where I could keep the high ground in case you two noticed me. I expected you two to run in with absolutely no plan.”

“That’s what Anakin wanted to do.”

He nodded and she smiled softly at the memory.

“You though, darling, you had a plan. You had a plan to keep every one of your clone troopers safe. Clones. Quite literally made to be dispensable and replaceable. Yet you talked to them and listened to them. Your plan was good. Not strategic or quick, but it was the path of least resistance.”

Zara’s face fell and she sighed.

“I lost three troopers that day. The counsel let me know it was a success but all I felt was heartache. Life had been lost.”

“I saw that too. You don’t look like her nor do you act like her. Not really. You have the same heart though. I thought it was one of a kind but here you are, shining so brightly it’s sickening.”

Zara laughed and wrapped her covered arms around her legs, resting her head on her knees.

“Wont your Master find you weak for not killing me?”

“No. I told him I could turn you to the dark side.”

“I won’t.”

“I know that, sweetheart. I knew that from the beginning. I also knew that his greed and lust for power would see two incredibly young and strong force users under his control. He only needs Skywalker. He won’t pay as much attention to you. You’re just a bonus.”

“That’s.. devious.”

He chuckled and finally smiled fully.

“What else do you expect? I thought that’s all you saw in Sith.”

“You’re openly deceiving your Master.”

“The end goal of a Sith is to overpower their Master. We don’t work with them. We don’t trust them.”

“That sounds like a very lonely life, Obi Wan.”

He gave her a genuine smile. It was free of malice and ulterior motives. Zara couldn’t help but smile back at him, feeling a strange sense of peace flowing between the two.

“So is a life devoid of love and connections. We have two different types of master’s that lead us to the same cruel fate.”

Zara wanted to argue with him. She wanted to tell him that she was happy being a Jedi and didn’t mind the compromises she had to endure because of it. There was a line she had recited a thousand times when faced with questions about her chosen life. At that moment she couldn’t seem to form it into words.

“Your silences speak volumes, Jedi.”

“So do your actions, Sith. Where does that leave us?”

“I suppose we can figure it out tomorrow.”

“Why rush it? Doesn’t seem like either of us are going anywhere anytime soon.”

“How right you are, little knight. A Jedi and a Sith climb into a ship.”

Zara laughed and grinned at her own joke.

“And somehow find a way to understand each other.”

“For now.”

“Right. For now.”

---

Zara wished she wasn’t comfortable. As she laid next to the fire wrapped in comfortable blankets, she felt warm which was something she had been missing for days. The two had fallen into a comfortable silence. When she heard Obi Wan sigh, she turned to look at him. He looked much less comfortable than when she had woken up.

“Are you okay?”

He startled and looked at her, nodding.

“I’m fine, darling. Don’t fret about me. It’s unbecoming of a Jedi Knight.”

She huffed out a sigh and looked at him closer. She noticed the small tremors in his hands.

“You’re cold.”

“You are so rather perceptive.”

“Is your room warm?”

“Not particularly.”

She looked at all the blankets she was wrapped up in and felt guilty.

“Why don’t.. why don’t you come over here?”

His head snapped up at her question and it made her stifle a laugh.

“I can see that you’re cold. Instead of being warm in your own home you’re making sure that I am.”

“What kind of host would I be if I let you freeze to death.”

“Veth.”

“Again, not that kind of monster. Can’t imagine freezing to death would be very comfortable.”

“Can’t imagine? Looks like you are right now.”

He chuckled and went to retort but Zara wasn’t having it.

“Obi Wan.”

He fell silent and looked at her.

“If you can’t look at it as an act of kindness, look at it as an act of self-preservation. You want me to make smart choices, right?”

“Self-preservation.”

“If you die, I’m stuck on the planet with no idea where your ship is. Sitting in the house with a frozen Sith doesn’t sound fun.”

He chuckled and got up, walking over to where she was curled up by the fire. He slipped his outer shirt off and hesitated. Zara held open the blankets, so he climbed in, making sure he wasn’t touching her. When he let out a sigh at the heat she smiled.

“Between the fire and how warm it is in here you should be comfortable soon.”

“It’s already leagues better.”

“Good.”

He looked at her steadily enough that she could see all the shades in his eyes. When he wasn’t threatening or yelling at her she thought that they were almost beautiful. He reached up and gently pushed her hair back, his fingers grazing her skin.

“Stars, Obi Wan, you’re freezing.”

“I’ll survive.”

“You’ve really got to stop running out into the cold chasing stupid Jedi.”

He smirked and nodded, looking down as Zara took his hands in hers.

“Not to be crass, but you would get warmer if you weren’t wearing your clothes.”

He chuckled and shook his head.

“You’re taking all my lines, sweetheart.”

“Just self-preservation, remember?”

“Right. Not an ounce of kindness.”

“For you? Absolutely not. Never.”

He hummed and slipped his shirt off before doing the same with his pants. He was left wearing only his own underwear making it easier for Zara to see just how discolored his skin was.

“Veth, now who is being foolish.”

“I like it better when you call me Obi Wan.”

“Well, Obi Wan doesn’t sound like a fool. So, when you’re acting foolish then I’ll call you by a foolish name.”

He chuckled and shifted closer. They both told themselves it was to get more heat. Both were convinced that the only reason the other was close was to ensure they survived. Survival was smart. Sharing a bed with a sworn enemy was not. So, the easiest way to deal with their situation was to convince themselves that everything was simple.

“Then what do I call you when you’re being foolish?”

“Hmm. You usually call me Jedi.”

“It is one of the worst insults I know.”

“Watch it.”

They both laughed and Zara yawned.

“Get some sleep. Please don’t bolt out the door again.”

“I couldn’t escape without waking you regardless. You’re on the outside of this blanket cocoon. I’d have to uncover you.”

“Very true.”

“Turn around. Face the fire so you can get some heat from it.”

“You could just tell me I’m ugly.”

“Shut up, Veth.”

Obi Wan chuckled and rolled to his right, reveling at the heat of the fire on his face. He didn’t want to admit it, but he had been rather cold. When he felt a small arm wrap around him and Zara’s body press against his back, he had to stop himself from flinching. He felt her rest her forehead against his upper back and nestle in. He could have groaned at how warm she was but absolutely didn’t want to scare her off.

“Maker you’re cold. Next time you kidnap someone bring them to a more temperate planet.”

He chuckled and gently moved his arm, so he could place his hand over hers.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Good.”

He felt her nestle in deeper, getting comfortable up against him. He smiled to himself when her sigh danced across his skin right before she fell asleep. He knew that he should be trying to turn her to the dark. His Master would be furious at his weakness. The idea of trying to corrupt someone so light and kind was repulsive to him.

He could feel her breath steadily fan across his back as she slept peacefully. He hated the Jedi, that much was true. He would never be able to go back nor would he be able to escape the darkness that held him so tightly. Zara didn’t make him forgive the Jedi, but he found himself forgiving her for being one.

It had been a very long time since Obi Wan felt anything but contempt for another living being. He could hardly remember what it felt like to have someone’s arm wrapped around him, no matter the circumstance. He tried to tell himself that he shouldn’t feel anything but the physical sensation of warmth.

The truth though? That warmth meant everything to him.

---

When Zara woke, she didn’t want to open her eyes. She felt warm and comfortable regardless of how sore her body was. She nestled her face into the warmth in front of her and let out a sleepy sigh. When she felt something shift, she froze.

“Did you forget you fell asleep next to me?”

She opened her eyes and found herself looking directly at Obi Wan’s bare chest. He had his arms wrapped around her, holding her close to him.

“I guess I did. Uhm. Sorry.”

“Don’t be sorry. We are both warm. Survival, right?”

She nodded against him, tentatively letting herself nestle back into the heat surrounding them.

“I didn’t.. I didn’t wake you at all I hope?”

“If you had any nightmares they didn’t show. Do you have them most nights?”

“Sleep isn’t something that is usually peaceful for me.”

“Perhaps there was enough darkness around you that your mind didn’t need to manifest any of it.”

Zara looked back up as he looked down, locking eyes with her.

“Your darkness is.. different.”

“Oh?”

He had an amused look on his face but the hesitance in his eyes told Zara that he was uncomfortable. She shook her head and looked back down. They had come to a tentative peace, but he was still dangerous. A different type of darkness didn’t mean it wasn’t dangerous. Obi Wan gently hook his finger under her chin, tilting her head back up.

“You have nothing to fear, darling.”

“We both know that isn’t true.”

He hummed as he ran his thumb across her bottom lip.

“I suppose you are correct. I don’t want you to fear me though. I will not harm you outside of necessity. Now tell me, what did you mean?”

Zara took a steady breath, willing down the nervousness and trepidation. She wasn’t used to being close to people, let alone someone who was an enemy of everything she stood for. She was vulnerable which was something she just was not comfortable with.

“That first day that I saw you, when you confronted Anakin and me. I felt your darkness. I felt it long before I saw you. I’m no stranger to the dark side but I also have never felt it the way that you carry it. You’re dark but.. you’re not chaotic. I see you calculating everything. As much as you say that I am different for my reverence for life, you are different too.”

“You picked all that up when we met?”

“I picked up on it but the longer I’ve been around you the more I see it. I’ve run into other Sith. I’ve fought them. Their energy was hard to be around because it was so unstable.”

“Are you saying I am less of a Sith?”

“No. Your eyes let me know that truth. It’s not that you’re light.”

He chuckled and moved his hand, so he was cupping her face.

“Your darkness is strong. It’s powerful but it isn’t all consuming like the others I’ve come across. You have a control over yourself that rivals even some of the strongest Jedi I have known.”

“Hmm, that almost sounds like a compliment.”

“I guess it is. At the very least it’s an admittance of me being taken by surprise. You are.. not what I expected.”

“Neither are you, darling. Neither are you.”

Tag List:

@mapplestrudel

If you would like to be added/removed please let me know

#sith!obi wan #sith!kenobi #sith!Obi wan x OC #Jedi!oc #jedi!zara #ZaraFross #star wars imagine #starwars #star wars #there was only one bed

62 notes · View notes

codenamewitcher · 4 years

Text

Betrayal || The Mandalorian x reader

A/N: So I was doing a deep dive on Wookiepedia and I came across Darth Traya's page and found this quote: "Know that there was once a Darth Traya. And that she cast aside that role, was exiled, and found a new purpose. But there must always be a Darth Traya, one that holds the knowledge of betrayal. Who has been betrayed in their heart, and will betray in turn." and it gave me an idea for this fic so here we are. Also I don't know if this will be a oneshot or a series, I left it where if I decide to make it multiple parts I can do that, but if I don't it's able to stand alone. But if I do make it into a series and you want to be tagged, let me know!

This is my first Star Wars based fanfic, so I hope that y'all like it, and thank you for taking the time to read this!

Pairing: Din Djarin (The Mandalorian) x force sensitive!reader ; Din Djarin x ex-Empire!reader ; Din Djarin x F!Reader

Word Count: 4k

Warnings: Graphic depictions of violence, cursing, a little angsty

Song: Start - Ellie Goulding, serpentwithfeet

Betrayal is like playing with fire, you're just asking for the betrayed to turn around and bite you right back. My Jedi Master was playing with it when he handed me over to the Empire in order to gain a higher ranking within the hierarchy. Shortly after I was tortured by Darth Sidious who promised the safety of my family if I pledged my loyalty to the Galactic Empire, and I did. I didn't hold onto much hope for the Jedi's to come save me once I first got captured because I knew that the moment one started going to the dark side, they would never fully be light again. And it angered me that they gave up on me because going to the dark side was never much of a choice I had, because every time I showed any form of resistance in going dark, Sidious had no problem dragging my sister in and causing her some type of pain until I did what he said.

For 6 years, I served the Empire as a flight commander, doing things that I didn't want to do, nor I am proud of. Starting on my seventh year, a year before the Battle of Endor, Sidious failed to uphold his end of the deal and killed my family. He blamed it on the Rebellion, but I didn't believe him because I knew his handy work along with the Rebellion's, and all the signs pointed to him. So, with nothing or no one no longer holding me back, I began to feed the Rebellion any information I held on the Empire. I continued to stay with the Empire during that time, taking enjoyment in watching as every information leak chipped away at the Empire, but also waiting for the prefect moment to enact my revenge which ended up being during that fateful battle. I didn't go after Sidious; I knew what battles were and weren't mine. During that last year I also rekindled the relationship I once held with my old Jedi Master and in the time of that battle, I killed him. I would be lying if I said it didn't hurt when I did, but his betrayal hurt more.

Afterwards I finally left the Empire and spent the last five years hunting down ex-Imperial officers and saving innocents from their grasp, doing what was never done for me. Which that path lead me here on Nevarro standing face-to-face, blaster-to-blaster with a Mandalorian, the only thing preventing me from shooting him was the shiny, new beskar armor that gave me an idea on exactly who he was and what he did. I knew using the force was always an option but that came with consequences, like remnants of the Empire finding out that I was still alive; I worked hard on keeping my identity a secret. I've only ever used it when I found myself in life-threatening situations where everything else failed, the same goes for the light saber that sat at my waist, hidden by the cloak I wore.

"So, you're the bounty hunter who handed the child over." I state, breaking the tense silence between us. "Do you have any idea on what you've done?"

The Mandalorian's body tensed up further than it already was, and his body shifted in the slightest, he was trying to contain whatever anger he held under his armor.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?" His modulated voice snapped.

"Fixing your mistake. What are you doing here?" I ignored the other question, not wanting to give him my name.

"Fixing my mistake." He grunted, I was a little shocked with him admitting that, most of the people I know and have come across, refuse to take responsibly for their mistakes.

Before I could get another word in, a stormtooper walked into the hall we were in. The Mandalorian turned and shoot him down while I took that as my chance to shoot the electronic panel to the door adjacent to me. I could feel the child in there through the force, which I also used to keep tabs on the Mandalorian behind me, not trusting him one bit. As the door slid open, I had enough time to avoid a blaster shot, which hit the Mandorlian's armor, and quickly shoot down the offending stormtrooper. I turned the corner to find Imperial Doctor Pershing standing next to a operating table that had the child strapped down on. I raised my blaster, aiming it at Perching's head while the Mandalorian stepped up next to me aiming his on the machine hooked onto the ceiling about to perform a task on the child. I could feel that there was an unspoken understanding between the two of us to protect the child, but I still didn't trust him because I knew the moment we got out of this, we were going to get into a fight on who takes the child.

"No, no, no, please." Pershing begged as he held up a hand in the air, surrendering. The Mandalorian shot down the machine while I stepped forward to Perching. "No, no, please, don't hurt him, he's just a child."

An icy like feeling spread throughout my veins as I looked at the Doctor and anger begun boiling its way up through my body as I grabbed Pershing by the collar and threw him up against the wall, my blaster lodging itself underneath his chin.

"Please."

"Shut up." I hissed but before I could say anything else, the Mandalorian spoke up.

"What did you do to it?" Pershing started his rumblings again but the Mandalorian cut him off. "What did you do to it?"

"I-I'm protecting him, I'm protecting him. If it wasn't for me, he would've already been dead, please." With that, I let go of him and he crumpled to the floor, before I could step away, he looked up and seen my face under the hood, by the widening of his eyes and how he tried to back himself further away from me but couldn't due to the wall, I knew he recognized who I was. "I'm so sorry about what I helped him do to your family, I'm trying to m-"

Without hesitation I grabbed his head and brought it down on my knee, knocking him out and breaking his nose. It took every bit of self-restraint I held to keep from killing the doctor, the broken nose and concussion would be considered a mercy if I'd let myself go on a full rampage. I turned around to find the Mandalorian looking at me, the child cradled in his left arm, his blaster was still in his hand but was pointed at the floor. I knew he was suspicious of me by his grip on the blaster, ready to be raised, aimed, and fired whenever.

It didn't take but a second for me to notice the stormtrooper quietly coming up behind the Mandalorian ready to shoot him, but I was quick in my actions of slightly pushing him out of the way and shooting the trooper down.

"We need to go."

"You're not coming with me." The Mandalorian walked ahead of me out to the hallway, the child still tucked in his arm. I let out a snort and followed him.

"You think I'm leaving you alone with the child?" I asked, after we shot down two more troopers, he turned to look at me. I felt another stormtrooper headed in my direction, so I turned around and raised my blaster. Just as the door slid open, not giving the trooper a chance, I fired my weapon, knocking him back and killing him.

I turned back to the Mandalorian but didn't get the chance to figure out what he was going to say back because three other doors leading into the room we were in opened and stormtroopers started walking in.

"Freeze!"

"Don't move!"

My back came in contact with the Mandalorian's as eight stormtroopers in total filed into the room.

"Hands up! Drop the blaster!" The Mandalorian and I hold our hands up, blasters dangling from our fingers.

"Wait. What I'm holding is very valuable." I feel the Mandalorian start to kneel behind me. "Here."

I continued standing, internally weighting my options. I could easily take all of them out with the force, but if I did that, the remains of the Empire would know I'm still alive and would hunt me down. I also knew that if I allowed myself and the child to be captured, the Empire would torture us to death, and I was not going back to the Empire. But then again there's the fact that Pershing seen my face and that Jedi were the enemies of Mandalorians.

But he's protecting the child, surely, he knows.

"Drop your blaster and get down." A trooper in front of me yells, taking a step closer to me.

I take a deep breath and slowly start to lower myself down, I hear the child whimper, and I just as I was about to make my decision to use the force, I heard the slight sound of one of the Mandalorian's vambrace weapons lock into place. I froze, dropping my blaster to the floor, knowing that whatever the Mandalorian was about to do, I did not want to move and become a target.

"Stand up." Then whatever weapon he charged up was released, a whistling sound followed thin projectiles that blew up when they found their mark. I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding after the troopers were down and there was no longer a sign of immediate danger coming from the Mandalorian's vambrace. I felt him move behind me and him pick up his blaster, I followed suit, and followed him out onto the street.

It was quiet between the two of us as we walked down the street, the townspeople and visitors watching our every move made my skin crawl, their stares making me feel restless and like a caged animal. I eventually felt a few people following us and could barely hear the quiet beeping of a tracking fob.

"We're being followed." I whispered as we entered the town square.

"I know." The Mandalorian muttered back, we slowly came to a stop in the middle of the square as armed bounty hunters surrounded us, blasters trained directly on the two of us. A man walked out and blocked the town exit, and by the looks of it, he was a dealer for the bounty hunters.

"Welcome back, Mando!" His right hand moved to his hip, grabbing the handle of his blaster, but not yet taking it out of its holster. "Now put the package down."

Anxiety crawled its way up my throat and in my mind, there was no way I could take this many people down using the force, it would leave me too exhausted. Despite spending years under Sidious' rule, being trapped like this never sat right with me, it brought back way too memories that needed to stay buried deep within my subconscious.

I took deep breaths in and out trying to keep the anxiety at bay, knowing that I could lose control if I didn't calm the hell down.

"Step aside, we're going to my ship." The Mandalorian spoke beside me, I was a little surprised at the mention of ‘we’.

The bounty hunter smiled. "You put the bounty down and perhaps I'll let you pass."

"The kid's coming with me."

"If you truly care about the kid, then you'll put it on the speeder, and we'll discuss terms."

The Mandalorian turned his head to look at the speeder next to me, the labor droid beeping under the Mandalorian's stare.

"How do I know I can trust you?" I tensed; he wasn't going to give the kid up, right?

"Don't do it." I lowly hissed. The familiar feeling of betrayal started to set in and I froze yet again. What the hell was wrong with me, I haven't even known the Mandalorian for 30 minutes and I allowed myself to trust that he would protect the kid?

"Because I'm your only hope." The bounty hunter states, not at all seeming fazed by this predicament.

The Mandalorian walked past me but stopped at the edge of the speeders trailer, looking down at the child.

That son of a bitch.

Anger started to regain its grasp on me and started to drown out the anxiety with the pounding of my heart being heard in my ears and my blood beginning to boil. It became clearer to me today that no matter how hard I try, the anger I held while I was the commander I once was still lived within me despite hating that part of myself, never wanting to be like that, and trying everything to destroy that part of me. But somethings from the past carry themselves with you to the present and this just so happens to be one of those things.

I also knew this anger wasn't just towards the Mandalorian, but towards myself, everyone who had their blasters pointed at me and the child, and at the makers of this galaxy for letting it be like this. I'm so sick and tired of being fucked with and having my hand forced into things I did not want to do. But I knew before I did anything drastic, I needed to wait for the Mandalorian to put the child down so I curled my free hand into a fist, nails biting into my palms skin, but the sting was a welcomed feeling.

The Mandalorian turn his head to look back at me, taking note of my anger, and then he did the unexpected by grabbing his blaster and shooting a hunter. He was quick in hooking his elbow around my arm and throwing all three of us in the speeder. My back hit the bottom of the spender, knocking the wind and anger out of me and causing black spots to cloud my vision. Blaster bolts bounced off the speeder while the Mandalorian point his gun at the droid, yelling at it to drive. I gasped for air, panic settling once again because I couldn't breathe, and my arms were not doing what they were told. It felt like hours, but I knew it was only seconds when I finally regained my breathing.

The speeder begun moving as the Mandalorian started shooting at the hunters. Once I regained function over my body, I fumbled for my blaster, and aided the Mandalorian in shooting down bounty hunters.

Oh, how I'm going to kill that fucking tin can once we make it out of this.

We'd made it a great distance towards the exit before someone shot the droid, causing the speeder to stop abruptly and send me and the Mandalorian flying into some of the barrels on the speeder.

I gritted my teeth in pain as the Mandalorian slowly grabbed the sniper rifle and aimed it up at one of the roofs. He fired the weapon, the target being reduced to ashes, killing him, and then aimed at another. I let him do his thing as I slowly moved my body away from the edge of the barrel digging into my back. I finally reached for and grabbed my spare blaster once I got away from the offending barrel and begun taking out hunters that had yet to scatter in fear of the rifle.

"That's one impressive weapon." The bounty dealer yelled out.

The Mandalorian and I stopped, and he turned his head in the direction of the bounty dealer's voice.

"Here's what I'll do. We're going to walk to my ship with the kid and you're gonna let it happen."

I clenched my fist again; the anger crept its way back in. I knew, even though I didn't know the bounty dealer, I knew the he wasn't going to back down, and let us walk away like the Mandalorian suggested. The next thing he said proved my suspicions right.

"No. How about this." I nudged the Mandaloria's foot with my own, gaining his attention, pointing around us at the hunters I just noticed creeping up on us. He nodded his head in return and turned back to his rifle. "We take the kid, and if you and that that girl try to stop us, we kill both of you and we strip your body for parts."

The Mandalorian kicked the barrel out besides me, causing it fly into a hunter who he then electrocuted with his rifle. He got back down to reload his weapon and I shot up shooting down some more hunters. Behind me I heard the Mandalorian get back up and shot out with the flamethrower in his vambrace. It didn't take long for it to run out of gas and the two of us were back down again, taking cover.

He looked down at the kid, I could tell defeat was settling in. As I watched the two, I couldn't help from being reminded of my family, and I knew right then that this child could not, whatsoever, go back to the Empire's grasp even if it meant I went back.

"Do you know about the powers the child holds?" I decided to ask him, knowing that this would either end up in me using the force or us being dead and the kid taken if I didn't do something. He looks up at me and nods his head in the slightest. "I have the same powers; I'll be able to hold them back long enough for you to get to your ship with the kid and leave."

His body froze at my confession. "That's why you came, you're like the kid."

"Yes."

"Then why haven't you used it yet?" There was a hint of anger in his voice, but I didn't blame him, I had him believing I was just an ordinary human being.

"Because with what I'll have to do, it'll exhaust and weaken me, and I would just hold you back. So, I must know that you can make it out with the child, and that you don't move until I go down because I can possibly take you down too."

The Mandalorian nods his head in understanding.

"Okay." I close my eyes and took a deep breath in, remembering the fear I felt with Sidious' torture, the pain of being betrayed by my Jedi Master, the Jedi turning their back on me because I was considered too far gone in the dark side even though it was never my choice, and then the anger of having my hand forced, Sidious killing my family, and how the Empire continued in wanting to hurt innocent people and the child. I held that breath in as I got up, letting those emotions settle, and when I'm finally to my feet, I exhale, letting all of those emotions out into a pulse of force. It knocked everyone on the ground back, some hunters flying into walls, object being knocked into some more, and others just falling on their backs, getting the wind knocked out of them. The only area that wasn't hit was the area of the speeder and the hunters on the roof.

After the release of energy, I couldn't keep from my knees going out beneath me, but before I hit the hard metal of the speeder, the Mandalorian caught me and gently laid me down. Why wasn't he going?

"Go." I whispered out, I was so mentally and physically drained that it took a lot of effort into saying that single word. He nodded and picked up the kid, cradling him in his arms once again, blaster in his other hand.

Before he got the chance to stand up and jump out of the cart, a flare shot across the sky and hit a roof with a hunter on it. My eyes started to burn with unshed tears at the sound of more blasters being fired, I couldn't see anything that was going to on out there, but it didn't sound good. I wanted to cry in frustration, my own hope of the child getting out drained out of my body.

"Get out of here! We'll hold them off." A modulated voice spoke that was not the Mandalorian's voice in front of me.

There was more of them?

"You're going to have to relocate the covert." The Mandalorian spoke to someone off to the side.

"This is the Way." The other voice spoke, the Mandalorian repeated the phase back.

Out of the corner of my eye I watched as the Mandalorian moved over to me and placed the kid in my arms.

"Hold onto him." It took everything in me to wrap my arms around the creature, but I held onto him as the Mandalorian picked me up in his arms and got out of the speeder. Over his shoulder I seen the hunters that had ran off when the Mandalorian got out his rifle were back and more Mandalorians out on the field firing back at them.

The Mandalorian ran with me and the child in his arms up to his ship, which we surprisingly made it to without running into anyone. He walked up the ramp of his ship and right as soon as he sat me and the child down on the floor and against a wall, our momentary luck ran out.

"Hold it, Mando." The bounty dealer said as he claimed down from some compartment within the Mandalorian's ship, the dealer had his blaster trained on the Mandalorian's back. He slowly stood up and turned to face the man. "I didn't want it to come to this, but then you broke the Code."

The Mandalorian's head glanced to his side and then he shot out a whipcord at a control panel, causing the compartment to fill up with steam. I held the child close to me as the bounty dealer blindly shot into the steam in which the Mandalorian disappeared in. Then, out of nowhere, he shot his blaster and hit the dealer in the chest, knocking him down.

The Mandalorian wasted no time in kicking his body down the ramp and the pulling the ramp back up. He walked back through the ship and as he pasted by to go up to what I assumed was the cockpit, he told me to stay put - like I could go anywhere anyways.

Shortly after, the ship started to take off.

The child cooed, I looked down at him to find a green hand reaching up towards my face. I reached one of my own hands up and grabbed his, smiling down at him, as his three little fingers wrapped around my thumb, melting my heart in the process.

"You know, I once knew someone that was like you. I wish I knew where he came from so, I could take you back to your family, but sadly I don't." The child cooed once again.

I heard the clank of the Mandalorian's boots before I seen him, he walked over to me and the child, squatting down and reaching his hand out to the child, a small metal ball in his hand. He dropped it in the child's outreached hand.

"We're in hyperspace now." He finally spoke as he sat down on the floor, watching the child play with the ball while continuing to hold onto my thumb. A smile found its way to my lips as a thought crossed my mind.

"I thought you said I wasn't coming with you." I joked, the Mandalorian shook his head.

"That's was before you admitted to having the same power as the kid."

"So, you kidnapped me." I hummed and he snorted at that remark.

"You seemed pretty reluctant on going wherever the child went." I leaned my head back, closing my eyes as I let out a soft chuckle at his remark.

"You know both me and the child will but hunted down now, right?"

"I know."

I wanted to make another comment but the adrenaline from the fight was gone, and exhaustion was pulling me into its deep, dark depths that I couldn't formulate any sentences in my hand and mouth did not want to open. The last thing I heard was the child's coos before sleep pulled me under.

— ‡ —

If you want to check out my other works, my masterlist is in my bio, tumblr’s tagging system messes up when I link stuff.

#the mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian x you #the mandalorian x y/n #mandalorian x reader #mandalorian x y/n #mandalorian x you #din djarin x reader #din djarin x y/n #din djarin x you #the mandalorian #din djarin #star wars x reader #star wars x you #din djarin imagine #the mandalorian imagine #mandalorian imagine #star wars imagine #star wars

112 notes · View notes

bonesaldente · 4 years

Text

Ferocious I Darth Maul x Reader

Chapter 6: The Interrogation

last chapter

all chapters

ao3

words: ~1800

_____

He hears the prisoner before he sees her. The woman who was so inconspicuous in the throne room is now cursing him, the troopers, and the entire Republic out at the top of her longs, her voice echoing through the corridor. At least he highly suspects it is her voice; it is undistorted and clear, much lighter than the voice he remembers.

“... And your brothers and every single person who has taken part in this, no mercy, no survivors, and if you think you can-”

The angry ranting stops at once when Obi-Wan steps into the woman’s view.

For a moment, his breath is taken away. This face… It is like he is back on Naboo, carrying the lifeless body of Master Qui-Gon. The memory hits him hard and unexpectedly, causing him to falter in his step for the fraction of a second before he regains his composure.

“You,” the woman looks daggers at him through the force field that separates her from the outside, suddenly not looking like the woman he remembers at all but much more like how one would expect Spectress to look like under that signature mask, except for much more… human. And vulnerable.

He does not like the swell of pity he senses rising in himself when he catches a glimpse of her bloodshot eyes and the bruising on her cheek - after all, she stood by and watched as Satine was killed, slaughtered by Maul, and even appealed for his own execution.

But Revenge is not the Jedi Way… And neither is resentment, no matter the deed.

“General,” The guards salute him. “We have confiscated her belongings and searched them for any tracking devices.”

“And you are certain that she is unarmed?”

“We’ve run several scans, sir.”

“Good.”

He assesses the situation briefly, taking in her hands that are cuffed to the table.

“Open the cell, I wish to speak to her.”

She has stopped speaking, only glowering at him when he enters the claustrophobic space.

“You got a lot of nerve-”

“Please,” he interrupts, sitting down. “Do not make this any harder than it needs to be.”

“I am- It was you who kidnapped me!” Her features are contorted in rage and with it, her light accent shines through otherwise flawless Basic.

“Kidnapped?” Obi-Wan questions. “You have multiple open arrest warrants and were complicit in the violent takeover of Mandalorian rule-”

“That took place in a neutral system and is thus not under Republic jurisdiction if I have to remind you. Besides, it was Pre Vizsla who pushed your duchess off her throne,” Her voice takes on another, more malicious undertone while she widens her eyes mockingly sweet, “Obi.”

The old nickname stings more than he would like to admit, especially coming from someone who was there when it happened, but he forces himself to remain objective... and fair.

“We have a few questions for you. If you cooperate and answer them truthfully, we will be able to lower your sentence considerably.”

Considering she is responsible for the assassinations of multiple senators, her prison sentence is still going to be at least two digits, but there could be worse things. Aside from that, Obi-Wan has seen how quickly one could escape from prison. Somebody like Spectress, who is already known for being one of the... craftier faces of the underground could probably-

“Lower my sentence?” She sounds almost offended. “After you unlawfully took me from my planet? I don’t think so.”

His heart sinks when it becomes painfully obvious that she will do anything but cooperate, even though he expected that going into it.

The prisoner leans forward on her elbows, a dangerous glint in her eyes. “You will regret this, Kenobi:”

“Look, as much as you may dislike this, we have the upper hand here. We can start simple. Your name?”

“None of your concern.”

“Since you have committed crimes against the Republic, it is, actually.”

She rolls her eyes shifting away from him again, unresponsive.

“Perhaps something else, then. What do you know of the creation of the clone army?”

“The clones?” The mercenary furrows her brows. “What would I know of them? And why would you care, isn’t it you they work for?”

He chooses to ignore her last question, instead pushing further.

“We know you were acquainted with Jango Fett, and that you’ve been to the facilities on Kamino.”

She only quirks an eyebrow, in turn ignoring him.

“Pardon my choice of words, the clones don’t work for you, I forgot. They don’t get paid, do they?”

“What was your relationship with Fett?”

“Again, none of your concern. Hey, you!” The woman looks over his shoulder at one of the two guards standing by the cell. “Do you get paid for this? And did you choose to risk your life for people who don’t even care about you?”

Obi-Wan glances at the trooper, Flamer if he recalls correctly, who remains unmoving, though his back straightens almost unnoticeably.

“Again, it is my concern. Were you related?” She scoffs in response. “Were you a client? Partners? Lovers?”

The last word makes her grimace in distaste.

“We were friends, Kenobi, a concept I’m sure must be quite foreign to the likes of you.”

“Friends?” He raises an eyebrow. At last, something to go off of. “Do you know who hired Fett as a genetic donor?”

Her eye twitches.

“I find it quite presumptuous of you to be asking me all these things… After all, it was one of your Jedi knights who decapitated him. Perhaps if you had been more considerate then, you’d now be able to ask him yourself.”

For a moment, heavy silence hangs in the room like a cloud of smoke. “But you can’t,” she concludes. “Because you murdered him.”

Oh, her tone is so bitter, Obi-Wan knows his death struck her hard, even though it had been years back.

“I do not believe he was solely a friend of yours,” He comments. “I think he was more than that, or you would not be so caught up on his passing.”

“His violent murder? You are correct, it was quite memorable, not only to me but also to his son,” she spits. “I believe you’ve met him, haven’t you? How does it feel knowing one of you slaughtered his father before his own two eyes? How can the Jedi be so morally condescending after all the families they have ripped apart?”

“Your family amongst them?”

“Numerous families, Kenobi. And yes, most recently, you have torn me from whatever I had on Mandalore.”

“Did you consider Jango Fett family?” He presses on further.

“Does it matter? Certainly not to you, right?”

“We are trying to get to the bottom of a case here,” he explains calmly. “And any information you have may prove to be useful.”

“Why would I help you?” She snorts. “To get one life sentence instead of two? A cell with a window? An autograph from the famed Jedi general himself?”

Obi-Wan has a strong urge to bury his face in his hands in frustration. Instead, he puts on the kindest smile he can muster at this moment.

“Because I believe that you, contrary to popular opinion, do have morals. We are looking into something that goes deeper than a simple feud you have with our order, even deeper than the hatred Maul harbors for it… and me.” He closes his eyes for a second to reflect.

“I am asking you, in all seriousness, if you can give us anything that could possibly point us in the right direction.”

The woman looks at him differently now. The constant scowl is gone from her features, replaced by a slight frown.

“You speak of the Sith.”

“What do you know of them?”

She glares at him. “More than you.”

“Then I take it you know who the master is?”

Something flashes across her face, brief enough to miss it if he blinked. Silence ensues as she seems to ponder, intense eyes focused on something invisible in the air

He holds his breath, feeling the revelation so close.

“I…” she finally begins hesitantly, “He is-” She gulps and goosebumps rise on Obi-Wan’s spine when he sees her fingertips tremble against the metal table, wondering who could have the ability to instill this much fear in a person.

Her mouth opens to continue, but no words come out. She blinks in confusion, trying again and looking down to the side when the words refuse to leave her mouth.

“He is… he controls…” The words come out in a strained voice, but before she reveals concrete information, she starts choking as if something is closing around her windpipe.

True, sincere panic fills her eyes when her hands struggle against their restraints as she attempts to claw at the invisible force around her throat. Intuitively, Obi-Wan reaches out, despite there being no physical enemy. His hand drops when she flinches away from him, too, but in that moment the invisible attack ceases and she gasps for air, slumping forward, facing the sterile floor.

Neither party speaks for a minute.

“I can’t help you,” the woman eventually states, voice hoarse. “Just know you face an evil of a scale that you can’t… comprehend yet.”

The atmosphere has gone through such a complete change that Obi-Wan feels it is unwise to continue the interrogation much longer.

“Thank you for your cooperation.”

“I am not cooperating,” she hisses, right back to being the renowned mercenary. “I just know we have a common enemy. Which does not” Her glare tells him she knows he was about to make a hopeful comment about working together, “make us allies. I still despise you and everything you stand for.”

“Well, it was lovely talking to you. We will resume tomorrow.” He pushes the metal chair back, moving to stand up.

“Wait.”

The urgency in her voice makes him freeze for a moment.

“Something else you would like to tell me?”

“Give it back.”

“Give what back?”

“My stuff, Kenobi. You have taken several of my possessions, some of which were,” she curls her lip, “of value to me.” “What exactly are you talking about? Perhaps if you show more willingness to work with us in the future, something could be arranged.”

“For one, I want my anonymity back, but you destroyed that option when you took away my mask while I was unconscious.”

The last words are delivered with force, her gaze downright deadly.

“But that’s not all. You took something else, something of… sentimental value.”

She glances at her hands.

“When I was kidnapped by your rebel friends, I was wearing a ring on my right hand and somebody took it. All I want is to have it back, is that too much to ask for?”

A ring? He didn’t expect a request so… mundane.

He gives her one last look before turning and leaving the cell.

“We will talk tomorrow.”

“Can’t wait.”

_____

notes: Whew, quite a bit of dialogue in this one, though I have to admit that I do really enjoy writing it :)

See you all next week ~

@princessayveke @spaghetti-666 @noiralei @larawl @secretnerd00 @bagpipes606 @zabrak-show @brilliantbutbatty @eleine-t1d

#darth maul #maul #darth maul x reader #maul x reader #star wars reader insert #swtcw fanfiction #sith

29 notes · View notes

aerynwrites · 5 years

Text

Liberation - V

Chapter 5: The Moral Dilemma

Author’s Note: Yay, here’s part 5! I’m so sorry for the wait on this chapter, I was just really really motivated to write requests and stuff so i was busy with those and I’m not back in college so unfortunately that takes some precedent over my writing (boooo). So, just to keep y’all in the know I am probably going to only be updating Liberation once a week with a couple request thrown in there between chapter postings! I’m sorry if this is an inconvenience at all, I just feel like this is what will work best. Thank you for understanding and i hope you enjoy the new chapter! as usual i love hearing from you all! <3

Word count: 4.3k

Warnings: mentions of death, battle, cursing.

Chapters: Prologue, One, Two, Three, Four, Five (here), Six, Seven, Eight

/////

You and Mando entered the Nevarro cantina, immediately drawing the attention of every patron in the establishment. You were still not used to the attention of running around with a Mandalorian, let alone the attention you received from being with a Mandalorian covered in beskar. You both received many glares and stares of awe as a deafening hush fell over the room as you and Mando headed for Greef, who was sat in his usual booth.

He seemed to finally notice the shift in the atmosphere and looked up from his drink, a wide smile adorning his face when he saw the two of you approaching.

“Ah, Mando, (Y/N)!” he lets out a low chuckle as you both finally come to stand next to the table, “They all hate you because you both are legends!” he boasts proudly.

You roll your eyes and cross your arms over your chest as Mando speaks, “How many of them had tracking fobs?”

He scoffs and gestures around the bar, “All of them. All of them! But not one of them closed the deal. Only you guys, only you.”

“yeah?” you bite, “At what cost?”

Greef looks to you and gestures to you and Mando, “Well it seems the cost was not so great, as you both are standing here with the richest reward the parsec has ever seen.” He points to the seats across from him and sit back in his seat slightly, “Please sit, my friends.”

Mando unclips his rifle from his back and sits, motioning for you to do the same. You follow his lead and sit, rather snuggly, in the booth with him. You see Greef look at Mando momentarily before Side eyeing the other patrons.

“They’re weighing all that beskar in their minds, but not me. No. I, for one, celebrate your success. Because it is my success as well. Hell, even I’m rich!” he proceeds to flash you both three bars of beskar before hiding them once more, “Now, how can I show my gratitude to my most valuable partners?”

Your mouth tugs into a frown at his words. Just a few days ago he hated you, and now you were one of his most valuable partners? You have to stop yourself from rolling your eyes.

“I want my next job.” Mando deadpans.

You look over to him in shock, “Mando what the hell I thought-“

A quick jab in your side and a quick tilt of his helmet shuts you up, mouth snapping shut so hard your teeth click. So, this was part of his plan it seems.

“Next job?” Greef asks incredulously, “Take some time off. Enjoy yourself!” Greef gestures behind him vaguely, “I’ll take you to the Twi’lek healing baths,” he says suggestively.

Your face twists up in disgust, “You know I’m still here right? Ew.”

Greef casts you a somewhat annoyed look but Mando speaks up before he can say anything, “We want out next job.” He reiterates.

“Sure. Fine.” Greef relents, “You hunter’s like to keep busy. Right?” he pulls a sack from beside him and dumps out some pucks, “Well, these are all far away.”

“The further the better,” Mando says.

“Well take your pick, you’ve earned it.” Greef responds, crossing his arms.

You watch as Mando picks up a puck and sets it on the table watching as it flickers to life.

“Ahh,” Greef sighs, “That’s the best of the lot. A nobleman’s son skipped bail,” he chuckles, “Looks like you’re headed to the ocean dunes of Karnac.”

Mando swiped the puck from the table, turning it off, and nudges you slightly, motioning you out of the booth. You do as he says and stand wait for him to grab his rifle before he stands as well, turning to leave. You go to follow but almost run into him as he stops short.

“Any idea what they’re gonna do with it?” He asks.

“With what?” Greef asks.

Mando finally turns back to face Karga, and you move out of his way to stand beside him, “The kid,” you clarify.

Greef sighs, “I didn’t ask. It’s against the guild code.”

“They work for the empire,” Mando’s voices is a bit more convicted now, “What are they doing here?”

“The empire is gone Mando.” he stands straighter at this, “All that are left, are mercenaries and warlords. But, if it bothers you, go back to the core and report it to the New Republic.”

You huff, “That’s a joke.”

Greef ignores your comment and looks to Mando again, “Mando, enjoy your rewards. Buy a camtono of spice,” he suggests, “By the time you come out of hyper drive, you will have forgotten all about it.”

Mando says nothing as he turns and walks to the door, you follow behind him. you continue to follow him but are increasingly confused as you see the razor crest come into view.

“What are we doing?” you ask as you both reach the ship and board it, “I thought we were going to get the kid.” You argued as Mando sits in the pilot’s seat and fires up the ship, ignoring you.

“Hey, hey!” you grasp his shoulder roughly and force him to face you, “you said we were going to get the kid, so what the hell is going on!” you demand.

Mando shrugs your hand from his shoulder and turns to face the front once more, “Karga was right. It’s against guild code. We can’t do anything.”

You watch in stunned silence as he continues to fiddle with the controls and you feel a small lump form in your throat as you see him reach for a lever, only to see that the small silver ball is missing. And memories of the small child playing with said silver ball flash through your mind. You shake your head as you see Mando hesitant slightly before screwing the ball back on slowly.

“Well, I’m not going to sit here and do nothing,” you said, “I’m going to go and try and do something to make this right. With or without you.”

You turn on you heel, your cloak fluttering behind you, frustration boiling up in as you move to exit the ship. But before you can even press the button to lower the ramp you hear the engines whine to a stop and the ramp opens before you. your eyes widen slightly, and you look to your left seeing Mando step to stand beside you.

“Let’s go make this right.”

You feel the corner of your mouth tug up in a half smile as you both walk down the ramp towards your new mission.

* * *

You follow Mando as you approach the alley the clients building is situated in. As you both walk down the alley, you see Mando slow to a stop next to a dumpster and peer in. you peak a glance over his shoulder and you feel your heart sink as you spot the all too familiar bassinet laying discarded in the trash. Mando stares at the object for a moment, before straightening up and you can almost feel the resolve and anger roll off of him. The next thing you know you both are perched on a rooftop adjacent to the client’s hideout and Mando as scanning the building. You sit in silence next to him as he adjusts various things in his helmet and gun before standing once more and walking back down to the ground.

“Did you find anything?” you asked curiously as you followed behind him.

“They want something from the kid, not sure what. And it sounds like they are running out of time.” He explains simply.

“Well we won’t let them take him.” You say firmly as you both approached the client’s door.

You watch as Mando knocks firmly on the door before stepping back. A small camera mechanism burst from a small hatch in the wall and you immediately grab in in your hand and rip it off before swiftly following Mando and taking cover behind the corner.

You hear a pair of Storm troopers exit the building, “Search the perimeter,” one of them orders.

You stay in your place and watch from the corner of your eye as Mando places a small explosive device on the wall and returns to you to take cover as a deafening explosion grant you both access to the facility. You quickly move towards the gaping hole in the wall and enter the building before taking cover behind some crates.

Another set of troopers enter the room and hastily search the area, not seeing either of you as they pass your hiding spot to observe the damage. Then, as their backs are to you, you and Mando each fire a blaster shot into the troopers, killing them.

“’The empire’s dead’, my ass,” you mutter as you both exit the room and move deeper into the building.

You come upon another guard, and Mando quickly dispatches of him with his grappling hook, driving his blade into his neck. You move over to a locked door and shoot the panel to the left of the door, opening it. You just barley manage to block a blaster shot from the trooper within, by raising your beskar clad arm in front of your face. You quickly shoot him before looking at your arm guard an impressed look on your face and cast a quick glance to Mando.

“This stuff is the shit!” you exclaim excitedly.

Mando just nods and moves past you to the next door, “Don’t mention it.”

He shoots the next panel and you both enter the next room, and you immediately recognize Doctor Pershing, as he cowers against the medical bed hands held in front of his face.

“No, no, no, please!” he cries, “Please, no no!” he cowers even further as Mando points his blaster in his direction before shooting an advancing security droid from the air.

You both have your blasters pointed at the flustered doctor, but he continues to block the medical bed, “No please, please don’t hurt him. it’s just a child.” He pleads.

Mando ignores his cries for mercy and steps forward shoving him to the side as you move to look at the child. He was in some sort of machine, various monitors displaying different symbols and numbers. The child seemed to be unconscious. You saw Mando look over the child as well, before you moved around him, pointing your blaster furiously at the Doctor now lying on the floor.

“What did you do to him?” you spit, “What did you do?” you wanted to shoot him right then and there.

But the doctor held up his hand, “I protected him! I protected him. if it wasn’t for me, he’d already be dead!” he defended, “Please, please.”

You lowered your blaster and took a step back looking from the whimpering man back to Mando. He just nods to you and you take that as you’re cue. You move to grab the child, gently cradling him in your arms and follow Mando out of the room, leaving the doctor behind.

You have your blaster raised ready to fire of necessary, and you watch carefully as Mando too has his blaster ready. You enter another room and quickly duck behind a pile of crates as two troopers enter the room. You wait until they leave through the other door and leave your hiding place continuing your path to the exit. You enter the next room and see two more imps enter through the door and you try to hide once more but you must’ve hit something electrical because it causes a spark to ring out in the room and alerted them to your presence.

“Look there!” one of them called, firing a few blaster shots in your direction.

You both ducked to the side dodging them and moving further into the room to hide.

“split up,” one of the troopers command, “We’ll flush ‘em out.” As they start to approach your position you both move silently a few more feet away.

“Give it up! there’s nowhere to-“ Before the trooper can finish Mando bursts from the shadows and dispatches him quickly before moving to the next just as fast. It was over in the millisecond it took you to blink and you were moving out of the room and into the next once more.

You spot a trooper coming out of a door to your left and you turn to fire a blaster shot at him, landing the shot squarely in the chest. You hear Mando turn to attack a different trooper who had entered the room and cringe slightly at the immense heat that comes from the flames of his bracer. You hear the agonizing screams of the trooper only momentarily before he too falls to the ground. A small coo coming from the bundle in your arms causes you to finally look at the child. And you smile when you see his large bright eyes looks up at you. You don’t have time to dwell on the fact before Mando motions to you.

“Come on, we need to move.”

You nod your head curtly and swallow thickly. You had a bad feeling about how this whole thing was going to end. You follow behind him as you enter a rather large room and the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. But before you can warn Mando the doors on each wall open and four troopers enter the room, blasters aimed directly at you.

“Freeze!” one of them commands, “Don’t move!”

“Hands up and drop the blasters!” another one yells.

“Wait!” Mando says, raising his blaster in a surrendering manner, “What she’s holding is very valuable,” Mando informs, crouching lower to the ground, “Here.” He sets his blaster on the ground and stays crouching.

“Mando what the hell?” you whisper, blaster still raised.

“Just do it.”

You cast him a questioning glance, but you relent and slowly move to crouch next to him, setting your blaster and the child on the ground in front of you. The troopers bite out another command, but you can’t hear it over the blood rushing in your ears. You cast a glance at Mando and see a mechanism on his arm guard open up revealing several small blue glowing lights. Before you could figure out what they were Mando pressed a button and four of them shot from his forearm and soared through the air, hitting and killing the troopers around you.

You look over to him, shock clear on your face, “What were those?? Have you always had those?” you question.

“New upgrade.” He says simply.

And before you can question him further, he is grabbing his blaster and standing to his feet. You follow his lead and scoop up the child and your weapon and follow him out of the base and into the evening air of Nevarro. You both walk quickly, but calmly towards the front of the town, you are whispering quiet reassurances to yourself.

“Just stay calm, act calm, and no one will notice anything,” you whisper, “Just act natural. And everything will be fine.”

“What are you doing?” Mando asked, annoyance dripping from his words.

You glance up at him before looking back down to the child rubbing a finger along his forehead gently, “I’m speaking our success into existence,” you say, “and also trying to calm myself down.” You explain nervously, pushing past the lump in your throat.

But as you come closer and closer to the town square you are increasingly aware of the several bodies following you, then finally surrounding you as you both step foot into the large empty area of the town. The incessant beeping of tracking fobs filling the night air.

“You were saying?” Mando says bitterly.

You glance from all of the bounty hunters surrounding you to the front of the square and narrow your eyes as you see Greef Karga step out from behind a crate hand on his weapon.

“Welcome back, you two!” he greets with fake enthusiasm, “Now put the package down.”

Mando’s hand hovers over his weapon, and so does your as he speaks, “Step aside. We’re going to my ship.”

Greef lets out a quiet chuckle, “Put the bounty down, and perhaps I’ll let you pass.”

“The kid’s coming with us.” You say, taking a threatening step forward.

“If you really care about the kid, then you’ll put it on the speeder,” He points to the droid run speeder and you and Mando glance at it quickly, “Then we’ll discuss terms.”

“How do we know we can trust you?” you ask skeptically.

Greef scoffs, “Because I’m your only hope.”

You look to Mando for guidance on what to do. Was he going to make you give the child up? after all you had done to save him? he doesn’t do anything for a moment before he jerks his head in the direction of the speeder. You nod curtly, and you both walk over to the speeder with the child. You both still as you reach the machine and you cast a glance at the child in your arms, eyes closed and blissfully unaware of the danger you all were in. You cast another glance to the Mandalorian next to you before glancing discreetly at the bounty hunters close to you then to the speeder. Mando tilted his head slightly, seemingly confused. You sighed inwardly, for a bounty hunter he was really bad at reading cues. So, you glanced at the hunters nearest to you again and then pointed minutely to the empty space in the speeder. He seemed to understand what you were saying and nodded. Before anyone realized what was happening, Mando fire off two shots, killing the two hunters closest two you and then the both of you flipped over the side of the speeder and behind cover. Blaster fire filled the air as they fired back at you. Mando had landed slightly on top of you in your hasty attempt for cover and you struggled against him.

“Mando-“ you gasped, “You’re crushing me.”

You hear him mutter an apology before rolling off you and you fire back at the other bounty hunters wile Mando threatens the droid into driving the speeder out of the chaos. You keep the child tucked under you safe from any stray blaster bolts and continue to fire back against them alongside Mando as the speeder moved through the square. You and Mando both landed many successful hits against them but were suddenly thrown forward as a well-aimed hit from Greef made the speeder come crashing to a halt. Silence filled the air and you saw the remaining hunters close in on the speeder. You looked down at the child who, was now awake, and cast a worried glance to Mando.

“What are we going to do?” you whisper, fear lacing your words.

Mando says nothing as he pulls his rifle from his back and aims carefully. He pulls the trigger, the sound of the gun going off deafening in the silent square. He manages to take out four more hunters before they are all behind cover, and Greef speaks up once more.

“That’s one impressive weapon,” he calls out.

Mando lowers his weapon slightly, “Here’s what I’m going to do,” he begins, “We’re going to walk to my ship, with the kid, and you’re going to let it happen.”

“No,” Greef responds, “How about this? We take the kid, and if you try to stop us, we kill you and strip your body for parts.”

As Karga stops his spiel, you notice a figure sneaking up on the speeder. You quickly kick a barrel close to you, stunning the figure before raising up and firing your blaster. Your action causes all hell to break loose as everyone in the square opens fire onto you and Mando. You instinctively curl back around the child and try to fire shots off. You hear the tell-tale sound of Mando’s flames erupt beside you followed by exclamations of surprise around you. you feel your heart sink as the machine splutters to a stop and blaster fire continues to rain down upon you. You see Mando drop down next to you and he stares at you and the child, and he seems to deflate. In that moment you realize that he doesn’t have annoy other ideas. You watch as he stares down at the child between the both of you, and a little coo erupts from his mouth. You feel your hand tighten around the small bundle and you look at Mando, a defeated look in your eyes.

“We tried,” you said, voice loud to be heard over the blaster fire, “That’s all we could do.”

Mando doesn’t respond so you continue, “Thank you, for going back for him.”

You can feel tears burn at the back of your vision at the hopelessness of the situation, and you have to blink them away. You see Mando reach a hand out for the child pulling the cloth down to look at him. you thought he was going to say something, but before you could find out for sure, a high-pitched whistling accompanied by a bright light caught everyone’s attention. You watch as a projectile flew over your heads and into a figure standing on a roof several yards away. You look to Mando, eyes wide, before casting your eyes back to the sky only to see a large group of Mandalorians flying into the square and firing on your attacker. You watch in complete awe as the Mandalorians proceed to almost completely wipe out the threat. Mando also returns fire, and so do you before a Heavy Infantry Mandalorian lands a few feet from you, gun firing rapidly.

“Go, get out of here!” he instructs, “We’ll hold them off.”

Mando stops shooting to look at his comrade, “You’re going to have to relocate the covert.” He calls back.

“This is The Way.” Is all he offers.

“This is The Way.” Mando repeats, before grabbing your arm and hauling you off the speeder and to your feet.

He takes the child from your arms and you offer no complaint as you both sprint towards the razor crest, the sounds of battle fading behind you. You see Mando slow to a job in front of you and followed his lead, a few paces behind him as he enters the ship. You both failed to notice the figure climbing down the ladder behind you. You were only aware of it when their boots hit the ground and you whirled around drawing your blaster. But before you can fire off a shot a rough hit to your temple sends you crumpling to the ground, and Mando quickly turns to face your attacker.

“Hold it, Mando.” Greef’s voice fills the hull of the ship, and you groan as you try to sit up right.

“I didn’t want it to come to this,” Karga says, “But then you broke the code. And you-“ he gestures to you now, still on the ground trying to get your vision to stop swimming, “I knew you were trouble from the start. And I told you to stay away, but you didn’t listen.” He seethes.

Mando says nothing, his head just tilts down slightly to look at you before he raises his arm in front of him. Greef tenses at the movement but cannot react before Mando’s grappling device fires into a nearby panel and fills the room with steam. You cover your eyes instinctively and Greef fires blindly into the ship. He stops firing, looking for the Mandalorian, but a well-aimed blaster bolt hits him in the chest and sends him stumbling from the ship and falling onto the ground. Mando closes the ship doors as you stand up slowly, stumbling slightly.

“Are you alright?” Mando’s voice cuts through the silence and he lays a steadying hand on your upper arm.

You nod your head and give him a warm smile, rubbing your temple, “Yeah I’ll be fine. He just surprised me is all.” You reassure.

Mando just nods, and climb up the ladder to the cockpit, you follow closely behind. You take the child from his grasp as he takes the pilots chair, and you sit in the chair to his right, the child in your lap.

The ship lifts off the ground in into the air, past the clouds. You look out the window, watching the setting sun and let out a quiet gasp when the figure of a Mandalorian pull sup next to your ship.

“Mando look!” you slap his arm frantically while waving at the Mandalorian out the window, a silent way of saying thank you.

The Mandalorian gives you and Mando a two fingered salute before pulling away and back to the ground. You let out an amused chuckle and sat back in your chair.

“I have got to get one of those,” Mando murmurs.

You let out a loud laugh at this and nod your head, arms wrapping securely around the child in your lap, “Yes you do. That would so cool!”

You look down at the child as he wriggles in your grasp, reaching his little three-digit hand out in front of him. you follow his line of sight and a smile tugs at the corner of your lips when you see what he wants.

“Uh Mando.”

He hums in response, and you just hold out the child in front of you, so he is closer to the lever, “I think the little guy wants something.” You say amusedly.

Mando’s helmet turns to the side until he is looking at the child, grasping for the small metal ball on the lever. You watch curiously as the usually stoic and seemingly uncaring Mandalorian unscrews the little ball and carefully drops it into the child’s hand. The kid lets out a happy giggle and turns the ball over in his hand, as you pull him back into your lap.

“I think the kid’s making you soft Mando,” you tease as you leave the planet’s atmosphere.

Mando just shook his head as he continued looking forward, fully aware that it wasn’t just the kid who had an impact on his life. You did too.

////

Liberation Tag: @therobinathome @lirinchi @x-wingwarriorbbpoe8 @fucking-dip-shit @maryan028 @s0yboy69 @c1996 @notmyspaghetti @humbleseame @peter-psrker @riddlersfate @fandoms-equal-my-life @kaialisonflame @goth-pigeon @hollybee0987 @izdevett @witheringblooddemon @katelicon @sparrows-books @twofacedbassy @hnerals @crazy-obsessed-fangirl @eternallyvenus @lewismerryweather

Mandalorian Tag: @tryn25 @igotmadskills @dizzydazed @theforceofdisney @jeepangel @maryan028 @Mandalorian-theway

Permanent Tag: @fleurdemiel145 @lord-wolfgen @petalduck

#The Mandalorian x reader #the mandalorian #mandalorian x reader #din djarin x reader #din djarin #star wars

260 notes · View notes

ryder-s-block · 5 years

Text

Jaig Eyes (Ch 4)

Chapter: 4/?

Always available on fanfic! https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13221379/1/Jaig-Eyes

Chapter Four: Emergency

“Can I ask you a question?” I glanced up from where I lounged in the plush chair, cleaning my pistols. The senator of Naboo was dressed elegantly, as usual, her sleeves long and billowing, her hair piled high on her head. I constantly wondered if her neck hurt from the heavy headpieces.

“If it’s about your new proposal on the relief effort, I’m really not the person to ask.”

She laughed, shaking her head. In the two weeks that I’d been guarding her, she’d taken a liking to me. While I tried not to get attached--something Jango had taught me-- I had to admit that I’d taken a liking to her, too.

“No, I know. Though I think you don’t give yourself enough credit,” she called from where she stood behind her desk. I gave her a smirk and a teasing roll of my eyes, my gaze back on my pistols. “No, I wanted to ask about…” She paused, her tone changing from teasing to somber.

My eyes lifted immediately.

“I wanted to ask about the brand on your arm.”

I was quiet for a moment. While I’d maybe call us friends, I didn’t think we were that close. Then again, Senator Amidala was of curious nature. So should I have been surprised?

“You called it a brand,” I said softly, my focus remaining on the cleaning of the guns. “So you already know what it is.”

The senator appeared before me, her hands clasped gently before her purple robes. “You know that’s not what I mean.”

I looked her up and down before leaning back and regarding her. I wasn’t a massive sharing person, despite growing to trust her. Maybe it was a short time, but I could sense her honesty. Her determination to achieve moral goodness.

Still, that was a sensitive topic.

“I really don’t think you knowing my deep dark past is a necessity for your protection.”

“Maybe I don’t feel comfortable not knowing anything about my protector,” she countered, trying to convince me.

I smirked, leaning further back in the chair. “Well you already hired me and I feel just fine. Besides, you know my name, as well as my track record as a bounty hunter. Not to mention my already having saved you.”

She frowned as she sat across from me, her hands placed delicately in her lap as she thought. If nothing else, I think some part of her enjoyed having me around for the playful banter. Still, her voice was soft when she spoke again.

“I’d still like to know. How long were you a-” Her voice tapered off.

“Slave? You can say the word, you know. It doesn’t hurt me.”

“Sorry,” she offered, but I gave her a merciful smile.

“I’ll cut you a deal. You can ask me about my past if I can ask you something about your life.”

She beamed. “Deal.”

I figured I’d go first. “I was a slave from a young age. I bounced around between owners for some time. The first I remember was Corellia, but I don’t know if I was born there or not. I was owned, more or less, by a crime boss there. I was little, so ran petty thief jobs and infiltration jobs.” I sighed, rubbing my hand over my forehead. “Local authorities eventually busted the crime ring and we were left to the streets. It didn’t take long for me to be picked up and sold to the Zygerrians. That’s where I got this.” I gestured to the raised white scar on my inner left forearm, depicting the Aurebesh letter.

“S,” the senator spoke, her eyes brushing over my forearm. She wanted to touch it, her hand lifting, but dropping to her lap again as she met my gaze. “Why?”

“For slave,” I explained, giving a dark chuckle. “But the Zygerrian guards usually said it stood for scum.” I sighed, settling into my seat again. “I was sold, finding my way to Tatooine.”

“Tatooine?” She seemed surprised.

I lifted my eyebrow, smiling. “You’ve been there.” It wasn’t a question.

“Yes, when I was much younger. When I was still the queen of Naboo.”

I hummed, tilting my head and reading her, but letting it go. “Well I was sold to Jabba and worked at his palace for some time. He favored me and I won’t lie, I was actually treated well. I was one of the few people who could enter the rancor pit without getting eaten alive, so I think he valued that. I kept out of the way and stayed useful. Because I was on Zygerria for so long, I actually picked up a lot of languages. So when his droid shorted out, I stepped in.” I shrugged, leaning forward and brushing my fingers over the brand. “He never let anyone touch me. I was only eleven when I entered the palace.”

“How did you get to Jango?”

I smiled. “I’m getting there. I’d met Jango when he’d done some jobs for Jabba, but never spoken to him. When I was thirteen, Jabba had sent me as a translator for a bargaining deal with his right hand man. But we never made it. We were in neutral space and attacked by Death Watch. They killed almost everyone, except the slaves, of course.”

“They took you,” the senator inferred.

Despite my best efforts, I felt shudders run under my skin. “I was only with them for six months, but I’d have traded years and years under the Zygerrians and a thousand brands in order to never have experienced that.”

“Did they…” she stopped, unable to complete the question.

I was quiet, but regarded her silently. I didn’t answer. I suppose that was an answer in itself, anyways. “They were doing a deal and Jango was there. They didn’t like him, but he was transporting the weapons they needed. He saw me and…” I looked past the senator, remembering the way his helmet had tilted as he regarded me. The way his eyes were hard, but softened when they turned to my bruised and beaten form.

“Forget the money,” he’d said, his helmet held at his hip. “I’ll take the girl.” His hand gestured to me, and despite his kind eyes, I felt myself slip into a cower.

“The girl?” a Death Watch member laughed, his voice automated through his helmet. “You’re sure?” Jango didn’t respond, merely staring hard at the Mandalorian. “Fine,” the man said, snapping his fingers. Rough hands grabbed my bruised arms, dragging me to my shaking feet. Despite their brutality, my fire hadn’t gone out, my heels digging into the muddy ground and my arms flailing wildly as I tried to pull away.

They threw me down before Jango, one backhanding me across the face. I fell to my hands and knees, spitting out saliva and blood, my lip having split. Jango looked down at me, his face expressionless, before handing over the key to the crates of weapons.

“Pleasure doing business with you, beroya,” one of Death Watch spit, before glancing at me. “Enjoy the little slut. We certainly did.”

I cringed, flinching away as the man knuckled my cheek and walked away. I trembled before Jango, the bounty hunter watching in silence until Death Watch had receded from the vicinity of his ship. He knelt slowly, his armor shining and perfect.

“Hush now, ad’ika,” he spoke gently, his fingers dipping to lift my chin. I shook my head, slapping his hand away. Despite his pitying look, he chuckled lightly, lifting his hands into the air in a peace offering. “You’re a fighter.” He nodded quietly to himself. “That’s good.”

He reached for me again, and I lunged backwards, growling in Mando’a through my teeth. “Ne shab’rud’niӧ!” He chuckled lightly again, shaking his head before putting on his helmet.

“Your Mando’a is good,” he admitted, offering me his hand gently. When I hesitated, I heard him sigh through his modulator. “I’m not going to hurt you, ad’ika.” I still didn’t move. He straightened and moved to the ramp of his ship. “Do you want to get off this planet?” he called back. I nodded furiously. “Then you better get on board before I take off.”

“It took him a while to coax me out of the inner workings of his ship, but when he did...he took care of me.” I smiled to myself. “Taught me. Trained me. Treated me like his own daughter.”

The senator watched me quietly, her eyes downcast. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be,” I offered, forcing myself out of my memories. “Everything that happened...good or bad… made me into who I am. If I wasn’t a slave and wasn’t in the situation that I was, Jango wouldn’t have ever saved me.”

“That’s a great way of looking at things,” she offered, but I saw her downcast eyes.

I hummed, watching her closely. “I know you weren’t a fan of him.”

She blanched, but shook her head finally. “He did try to kill me.”

I laughed genuinely, easing her tension. “Yeah, he did. Not very well, might I add.” She laughed at my joke, but I sobered quickly. “I always told him that taking the job was stupid,” I said softly. “I told him not to do it, but he told me that I would understand when I was older.” I swallowed, thumbing my brand a final time. “The next time I saw him, he was being killed.”

The senator was silent for a moment, her thoughts jumbled. I felt her pity, as well as her genuine concern. “So...do you understand now?”

I shook my head, smiling slightly. “No.” I swallowed thickly, sitting up to get back to cleaning my pistols, shaking away the nostalgia and sorrow. “So I think I get to ask now.”

She allowed my change of subject, waving for me to speak as she stood to grab a drink. “Please do.”

I bit my lip, watching her for a moment and smiling. No one was in the room, so I knew I could ask without actually endangering her position. “How long have you and the jedi been a thing?”

She froze mid-pour, stopping to glance at me in shock. She managed to control her expression, letting out a tight laugh. “What do you mean?”

“You know what I mean. Skywalker.”

“Anakin? I’ve known him since he was a little boy. I was actually with the group that found him on Tatooine before bringing him to the Jedi Temple.”

“Ah,” I chuckled, examining my pistol for a moment. “So it was young love. Tell me, was he stricken with you from the beginning or did it develop over time?” I felt her tension as I laughed again. “No, don’t tell me. I can tell he loved you when he met you. He seems like that kind of guy.”

The senator cupped her glass of water in her hands as she tried to wave off my words. “The Jedi code strictly forbids love. Why would he love me?”

“He wasn’t a jedi when he met you. And no offense to him, but he has very little control over his emotions,” I teased, leaning back as I deemed my pistol clean. Her worry radiated off of her in waves, making me decide to ease her tension. “Stop worrying, Senator. I’m good at keeping secrets.” She glanced at me, but said nothing. I gave her a smile, and shook my head. “It’s okay. I got my answer. Are we done with the game of discovering each other’s deep dark secrets, now?”

She didn’t respond again, but I straightened, making her frown in confusion. It didn’t take her long, though, the woman practically jumping out of her skin as the door opened. She whirled, her hand on her chest, to see Skywalker, flanked by his captain and Senator Organa.

“Oh! An- Master Skywalker,” she stuttered, making me smile.

“You seem frightened, Senator,” the jedi said lowly, giving me a look.

“Oh, it’s nothing,” she said, waving in the air to brush it off. “Kida and I were just…” She seemed at a loss, so I jumped in as I stood, slipping my pistol back into its holster.

“I was just telling her my deep dark secrets,” I said with a smirk. “The usual chatter.”

The jedi hummed, unamused, but Senator Organa seemed unfazed. “The next session is beginning soon, Senator Amidala. We should go.”

“Yes,” she responded, flustered and rushing to her desk. “Yes, of course.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes as I glanced at Bail. “Oh goody,” I said sarcastically. “Another long, uneventful session with the Senate.”

“It better be uneventful,” Skywalker muttered darkly, giving me a side eye. “If you do your job.”

“Relax, jetii,” I grunted back, the Mando’a word making the captain’s head lift slightly. “I’ve got it under control.”

The senator’s exited the room, followed closely by the jedi and the captain. I fell in step with the jedi, glancing over his form. I’d seen him multiple times under the guise of him relieving me of watch duty.

“What are you staring at me for?” he asked suddenly, making my eyes flick up to meet his.

“How’d you lose your arm?” I felt everyone tense around me, but Skywalker didn’t seem bothered. If anything, he almost rippled with pride.

“I lost it in a duel with Count Dooku when I was a padawan.” I blinked for a moment at his response, humming to myself and looking forward. “What? No quip to respond? Nothing about how I clearly lost?”

I smirked, shaking my head. “Dooku isn’t someone people mess with. It’s a miracle you only lost an arm, especially as a padawan.” Skywalker seemed surprised, but nodded slowly. I couldn’t help it. “But you did lose, so…”

The senators shook their head in slight amusement and to my pleased surprise, Skywalker laughed too.

We rounded to the Galactic Senate chamber, the senators splitting to find their own repulsor pods. I stood outside the Naboo pod, nodding the Representative Binks as he passed me. Surprisingly, the captain joined me, taking guard on the other side of the door while the jedi went off to find his padawan. I watched the captain leisurely, chuckling at his rigid stance.

“What?” he asked, not fully turning to look at me.

“Nothing,” I offered. “You’re just making me look bad.” That made him look, and while I couldn’t see his expression, I could feel his confusion. I laughed, gesturing between the two of us, comparing our stances. He stood rigidly...like a soldier. I less stood than...lounged, draped across the entryway to the repulsor pod, one leg kicked out lazily.

He cleared his throat and looked forward again. “I’m at the ready to protect the senator.”

“So am I,” I countered, lifting my eyebrow to watch him give me a glance. He didn’t say anything. “What? You don’t think I am?” He didn’t respond again, making me chuckle and give a casual glance back at the senator as she prepared for the session. I was about to speak when my communicator beeped. The captain glanced at me as I rolled my eyes, tapping my wrist and stepping away from the door.

“Good morning, miss,” the AI spoke through my wrist comm. I felt the heads turn towards me in curiosity, including both the captain and Senator Amidala.

“Apex, love,” I said with a fake smile on my face. “I told you not to call me while I’m working.”

“I’m aware,” he droned back with sass. “But I assumed emergencies were an exception.” My breath hitched. The AI may have had a bit of a bold personality, but he wouldn’t call something an emergency if it wasn’t.

“What happened? Did the Palliduvan come back?”

“No, miss. There was a break in this morning at the club.”

My heart leapt to my throat. “What? How? Why wasn’t I called immediately?”

“Apologies,” Apex spoke evenly. “But Merl insisted that I didn’t notify you.”

“Why?”

“Nothing was taken, miss. Merl was able to stop the petty thief.”

“I fail to see an emergency, Apex.”

“Merl was wounded in the fight. He insisted it wasn’t serious, but collapsed a few moments ago.”

I whirled, glancing at the senator as she stood in the entryway to her pod, watching me. “Medics?”

“On their way. They’ll take him to the hospital.”

“Go,” the senator spoke immediately. “Master Skywalker can guard me while you’re gone. But take Captain Rex with you.”

“I don’t need-”

She cut me off. “Protecting me has put as big a hit on your head as is on mine. You should have someone to watch your back.” I sighed, but she continued. “I’m not asking, Kida. Now go and get back when you can.”

I paused, listening while the captain, apparently named Rex, called his general to the Naboo pod. Finally, I nodded. “Thank you, Senator.” She gave me a smile and a nod as I turned quickly, expecting Rex to follow. If he didn’t, I didn’t really care. That wasn’t my fault. “Apex,” I said into my wrist comm. “Keep me updated on his condition and notify me the moment you know which hospital.”

“Of course, miss. Your speeder is on its way to you now.”

I hurried from the Senate building, the captain’s presence following on my heels. “I can call for Oddball to-”

“No,” I called over my shoulder, cutting him off. “We have a ride.”

He seemed confused until we reached the edge of the platform, my deep red, open topped speeder rising over the edge. “That’s different than your last,” he commented, following me as I leapt in.

I gave him a smirk as I gripped the joysticks and maneuvered it away from the platform. “A woman like me can’t just have one.”

Surprisingly, he gave me a chuckle before sobering. He breathed deeply as I sped us through the Coruscant skies, heading towards a column I knew would lead down to lower levels...closer to my club.

“I’m sorry about your friend,” he said, surprising me with how gently he said it.

“He’s going to be fine,” I responded curtly, tapping my dash to bring it to life with a flash of red light. A sound wave streaked across it as Apex connected, his voice coming through the speakers.

“Medics have arrived. Merl is stable and being transported the third level medical center. Sending navigation now.”

“Thanks, buddy,” I responded quickly, turning the speeder to begin its descent to the lower levels.

“Of course, miss.”

As we dropped lower, Rex regarded me with a curious gaze, despite being hidden below his visor. “Apex is…” he started, unsure how to ask.

I chuckled, letting the captain ease my worry for now. “He’s an AI. And a good friend.”

“How kind of you to say, miss,” Apex cut in from the dash.

I rolled my eyes. “Don’t let it go to your processors there, bud.”

“An AI,” Rex thought aloud. “A droid, then?”

“No. Poor guy is confined to only every computer I grant him access to. Technically he can take over a droid if he wanted. He actually took over my droid, Pinky once.”

“Pinky?”

I lifted my eyebrow at Rex’s chuckle, navigating the speeder through the crowded tunnels of Coruscant. “Hey, I fixed her up when I was pretty young. I was only...fourteen I think?” I glanced his way to see him tilt his head in amusement. “Naming things wasn’t my strong suit, okay?”

“I named myself,” Apex tried.

“You did not, now how’s Merl?”

“His comms are reading stable signs still, though he’s lost a lot of blood,” he responded immediately. “You’re nearly there.”

I hummed to myself in worry, teasing my lip raw and navigating the speeder into the docks for the hospital. Rex followed me inside, both of us earning looks from the workers and patients alike.

“I’m here for Merl. He was brought in from the Fury club only a few minutes ago,” I said quickly to the droid at the front desk.

It made some beeps before responding in an automated tone. “Yes, he is currently in surgery. Your relation?”

“I’m his boss.” I paused, glancing down at my hands. “And his friend.”

It made a few more beeps. “He is currently stable, but has suffered a severe wound to the chest. You may wait here and I will notify you after his procedure has concluded.”

I swallowed, nodding frustratingly. Rex led the way to the crowded waiting room, finding us a secluded corner with fewer bodies. I sat heavily beside the clone captain, my gloved hands kneading my eyes.

“I’m sure he’s going to be fine. A few days in a bacta tank should clean him up quickly,” the captain offered, but I laughed.

“Not everyone can afford those, Captain. Especially down here.”

“But you can.”

“Sure. But the hospital won’t call for one if he can survive without it. Also, in the end, he’s a bartender and club manager...he’s not someone they’ll really fight for.

Rex seemed confused, taking off his helmet slowly and rubbing his gloved hand over his buzzed hair. “Droids can’t be biased. It’s their programing to save lives.”

“Maybe,” I responded darkly. “But the droids, in the end, obey orders. And they aren’t the ones who really run the hospital.”

The clone fell silent as he thought, likely hyperconscious of the eyes on us.

“Apex,” I whispered, tapping my wrist comm again. “Did you get footage of the break in?”

He didn’t respond, instead bringing up the footage to project out of my wrist comm. Rex turned and watched with me as a section of wall blew out and a lanky figure stepped through. She was pale and tall, her copper hair pulled high on her head and her eyes dark.

“That bitch,” I cussed.

I watched silently as she moved to head towards my office before Merl stepped in, the Weequay fighting hard against the bounty hunter. In the end, she overpowered her elder, which didn’t really surprise me. She and I had our own scraps and the results were often close.

“Aurra Sing?” Rex asked, giving me a questioning glance.

“She and I have a bit of a history,” I explained vaguely before turning my attention back to Apex. “She wanted to get to my office. Lock it down with blast shields. I want all my files transferred to the hub at home, understand?”

“Yes, miss. Do you want the files erased at the office?”

I sighed, squeezing the bridge of my nose. “Yes. Do it. And when I have time, I’ll transfer any spare gear back too. But I want any files on Padme Amidala transferred and erased first. That’s probably what she wanted.”

“Right away, miss.” Apex signed off, making me lean back heavily with a worried sigh.

“Did Aurra and you run jobs together?”

I shrugged. “A few. Never really by choice, though. I’m not a huge fan of her due to her apparent lack of moral judgement.” Rex’s eyebrow lifted slightly, but he tried to school it down. I laughed anyways. “I know, I know. I shouldn’t judge.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“But you thought it.” I breathed slowly through my nose. “I also know she’s been influencing Boba. And she knows I hate her for it.”

“Boba...Fett?”

I nodded, both of us falling silent. After a moment, I spoke to the face of Jango, but a soul of another man entirely. “I was there on Geonosis, you know. I’d gone because I’d heard about the jedi collecting a clone army. I knew it was Jango’s army. I had...I had to save him.” I looked up at the ceiling, trying to balance my worry for Merl and the mourning for Jango that seemed to have surfaced again. “I was there when the clones descended on the arena. When Jango was stupid and jumped into the fighting only to get killed.”

“His life wasn't your burden,” Rex spoke. I wasn’t sure why he felt that he had to console me...but for some reason, I appreciated it.

“He was family,” I responded quietly, my sorrow turning my chest cold.

Rex seemed shocked. “He… I wasn’t aware that Jango had-”

I cut him off with a light chuckle. “Aliit ori’shya tal’din.”

Rex hummed, nodding in agreement. “So what about Boba? Did he know you?”

“Yes. I met him when he was only a baby. And while I was off doing jobs a lot of the time and didn’t live with them on Kamino, I visited a lot as he grew older.”

“So why didn’t you take him in? Mentor him like his father did for you?”

I sighed deeply. “I tried. After Jango died, I was the one who got Boba out of there. But he wanted nothing to do with me. He said that I betrayed Jango by abandoning him. By not jumping in and saving him.” I shook my head. “What was I supposed to do? Fight a jedi? Fight an army of men who look just like Jango?”

Rex watched me carefully, his eyes sliding over the planes of my face curiously.

“Maybe he’s right,” I admitted. “And he has a right to feel that way and find his own path, but Aurra will use him. Use his anger and his hatred to mold him into something his father wouldn’t be proud of.”

Rex was quiet for a moment. “In time, we all learn. He’ll figure it out.”

I chuckled. “You sound like Jango.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“For now.”

We fell silent for a while, sitting together in solidarity. While I didn’t think I needed someone to watch my back, I wondered if the senator knew I’d benefit from having someone with me for comfort.

“So your name is Rex,” I said finally, smiling softly.

He chuckled. “Yes. And you run a club.”

I hummed softly in response, but turned to look at him curiously. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Why didn’t you ask?”

I pursed my lips, nodding in agreement. “Valid point. How’s Jesse’s face by the way?”

Rex laughed softly, aware of the eyes that remained on us. “He’s milking it, but he’s fine.”

“Didn’t hit him hard enough, then,” I teased. Rex chuckled, but I could tell he was growing tense under the gazes cast our way. “Ignore them,” I advised softly, casting my gaze around harshly to make them look away.

“They’re staring because I’m a clone.”

“Yes,” I responded, casting him a look. “You have to understand that down here in the lower levels, we don’t see clones as soldiers.”

“What are we then?”

“Honestly?” I whispered back. “Clones are the dogs of the Republic down here. We rarely see your brothers outside of hunting down criminals and accompanying jedi.”

Rex breathed slowly through his nose. “The dogs.”

I shrugged. “You asked.”

“You don’t have much of a bedside manner.”

“And the Kaminoans did?” I chuckled, rolling my eyes. “If you want bedside manner, I’m really not the person to talk to.” He hummed, looking down at his gloved hands. I glanced at him, feeling his confusion and disappointment. It made him sad that he and his brothers were viewed that way. “But hey, not that it will probably help, but you and your brothers are certainly changing my perspective.”

He cast me a glance, but said nothing. Despite that, I could feel his gratitude. He swallowed thickly before looking up, gently nudging my elbow with his own. I looked up in turn, seeing a droid approaching.

“You’re here for Merl Daario?” it asked in its automated tone. I stood immediately, Rex rising beside me.

“Is he alright?” I didn’t hate droids, but I hated that I couldn’t read them as I could living creatures. Droids had no understanding of the force and the force didn’t move through them. It left me blind.

“He is out of surgery and stable. He has asked for you.”

I pushed past the droid immediately, making my way to the recovery rooms. I scanned each name above the doors until I found my friend’s room, bursting in.

The elder Weequay lifted his head from his cot, giving me a lopsided smile. “Hey, kid. What took you so long?”

I smiled, seeing his stable readings on the monitor. “Hey, what did I say about getting hurt when I’m away on business?” I teased, crossing my arms and walking towards him.

He laughed, but stopped suddenly. At first, I thought it was from pain, but then I saw his eyes flick over my shoulder.

“Who’s the clone?”

Rex tensed behind me, but I gestured him in easily. “This is Captain Rex of the 501st. Senator Amidala sent him with me when Apex called me.”

“She thought you needed a bodyguard?”

I hummed. “He’s a good fighter. I might to have someone watching my back for once.”

Merl chuckled slightly, rolling his eyes. “I’m so glad you listen to a senator before me.” I smiled, walking to his bedside easily. Rex, however, remained near the door, rigid and watching the hall. “You can relax, clone,” Merl spoke past me. Rex glanced at him, still holding his helmet at his side. “I’m sure Apex has been running inside the hospital since Kida hit the front desk. He’ll watch the halls for us.”

Rex’s eyebrow lifted as he turned to give me a look. I smiled slightly, giving him a shrug. “I slipped a popper onto the back of the computer module while the droid accessed its database. It’ll be easier to keep an eye on Merl when I have to go back to work.”

“Why did you leave anyways? You have money to make,” Merl scolded, gently swatting my arm.

“You could’ve been killed.”

“And racing to my bedside would fix that?” I went to argue, but he stopped me, his eyes gazing over the both of us. I felt his nerves spike, my mind following his thoughts easily. He never really liked me doing it, but got used to my gentle mental prodding over the years.

“What?” I asked, trying to make sense of his thoughts without pushing too hard on his mind.

“Aurra. It was Aurra who broke in.”

“We know,” Rex spoke up. “Apex sent Kida the footage.”

Merl gave me a look, his lips grinding together angrily. I furrowed my eyebrows, not following, but his thoughts practically screamed at me. I blinked, glancing back at Rex with horror on my face and disbelief at my own stupidity rolling off of me.

“Kriff,” I cussed. I grasped Merl’s hand in my own briefly, giving him a kiss on his cheek. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t apologize,” he yelled as I rushed past Rex and into the hallway. “Just stop her!”

Rex followed on my heels immediately, his own mind racing as he tried to catch up. “Apex,” I called into my wrist comm, dodging nurse droids and patients alike. “Keep an eye on him and start my speeder.”

“Yes, miss. No alarms have been triggered at the Senate Building.”

“She did it on purpose,” Rex put together as we exited the building and hopped into my speeder. “Aurra knew you’d go to him and leave Senator Amidala alone.”

“And I did just what she wanted,” I growled, maneuvering the speeder wildly through the bustling streets.

“You couldn’t have known,” Rex offered, but I could feel his own frustration and anxiety.

I breathed slowly through my nose, trying to stay focused on getting to the surface and back the Senator’s side. “But I should’ve.” Rex glanced at me, but said nothing, somehow knowing I couldn’t be consoled.

As my speeder shot through the tunnels of Coruscanti underground, slowly bringing me closer to the person I was being paid to protect, I thought aloud to myself nervously. “We have to make it. We have to.”

Mando’a

Ad’ika -- little one

Beroya -- Bounty hunter

Vod -- brother

Jetii -- Jedi

Aliit ori’shya tal’din -- family is more than blood

Ne shab'rud'niӧ -- Don’t mess with me

10 notes · View notes

captainignatiuspigheart · 5 years

Text

Ah, February, My Old Nemesis

Alright, that’s a bit melodramatic… I’ve perked up considerably and the prospect of February brings me neither fear nor hope. It’s been a very quiet week, or at least… I think it has. I’ve spent much of today in a courtroom in our dress rehearsal for Light Night: The Glowstick Trials on Friday at the National Justice Museum (you should come along, especially if you have kids – get em judged by strangers!), and I feel a little perplexed about what I might actually have done this week. Let’s see… Ah, I have it. I’ve spent an inordinate amount of time doing minute photoediting at work this week, and I think it’s turned my brain inside out. Don’t get me wrong, I really love learning more about Photoshop (since I use it every day for book design and layout at Aconyte Books, and for doing a similarly wide range of graphics stuff for MissImp, I’d better learn to love it), but I’ve been kinda embedded in the same task, and can no longer perceive the colour blue. Ho hum.

Reading: Between Books

I’ve foolishly ended up reading a pair of books alternately. It wasn’t intentional, but rather situational. I am very fond of my Kindle – it’s amazing to read a book with one hand while brushing my teeth or wandering around the house, so it’s an automatic go-to. On the other hand (or both hands, I guess), I love to read real books with the paper-fondling and all that. So I’ve ended up on two. I’ll not review them before finishing them (that would be daft).

First up, Adam Roberts’ Splinter, which is a curiously Jules Verney adventure about a chap whose dad predicts the end of the world, and turns out to be correct (probably), leaving he, his father and a bunch of believers (in his father) are stuck together on a little chunk of Earth. It’s odd, and I’m struggling to drag myself back it a bit. On the plus side, it’s got this gorgeous cover by Darius Hinks (whose splendid fantasy novel The Ingenious we published back at Angry Robot. He’s a very fine chap too).

Second, I’m back in the Malazan world with Ian C Esslemont’s Return of the Crimson Guard. Kinda digging it. Also noticing more differences from Steven Erikson’s storytelling: there are far fewer “thus”es.

Doing: Lego

I’m at an awkward point in Lego building. I’ve failed to build anything for myself (as in, not as dictated by the instructions in an official Lego set) since my Wizard of Oz at the beginning of last year. That’s a combination of having very little time (mostly due to doing far too much admin for MissImp), and having relatively little space to get all the boxes out for rootling through them. I’ve managed to have a few breakdown and sorting periods which I find very relaxing, but I’ve not felt the necessary inspiration for building. Trying to build and getting nowhere is really grim. Last week I pulled a couple of boxes out and made some intricate and horrifically fragile gold gates, but didn’t know what to do with it.

But yesterday I had the day entirely to myself and after getting a few things done, I got everything out! Ah, six hours crosslegged on the floor leaves a chap utterly unable to stand, but it was totally worth it. I’ve expanded the gate, framed it and started building a structure around it. The tiled floor is very pleasing (I got loads of those quarter circle coral pink tiles from Leicester Square Lego Shop last year). The long hexagonal shape is putting enormous stress on some of the bricks, but I’m pretty chuffed with it. I suspect I’ve over-greebled the walls and will need to tone it right back down, but overally I feel deeply happy about the whole thing. It’s raised up so I can build some terrain and foliage around it when I’ve got some idea what’s going at the back. Some kind of tower…? It’s actually a little further along than these pictures show – check out Instagram for more continuous updates!

Gates!

Flooring!

Acquiring: The Dinosaur Films of Ray Harryhausen by Roy P Webber

I’m rarely able to help myself when it comes to Harryhausen stuff. The man was a fantastic artist, animator and all-round nice fellow. This one’s been on my list for a while, and I’ve finally added it to the stack. Unlike the recent (fantastic) Titan tomes on the Hollywood special effects genius, this one is all black and white and a lot more text and commentary. Accordingly, it’s going to take me a lot longer to get into and through, but I’m delighted to have acquired it.

Acquiring: Fake Lego Mandalorian

Disney’s super-secret hiding of the baby Yoda spoiler in The Mandalorian was an absolute delight but it has left us with fuck all vital Baby Yoda merchandise! The AT-ST from that brilliant shrimp-harvesting episode (I’m trying to avoid spoilers) is the only real Lego set currently available, so I was utterly at the mercy of knock-off merchants on eBay. The Mandalorian himself has a rather cack helmet print, but the body and armour printing is great, and the overall quality of the parts ain’t bad. Baby Yoda filled my heart with joy though. Shame he’s got a slight nick out of his green face paint (revealing the generic pink below). I’m quite pleased. The Mandalorian is a fantastic show, by the way, the perfect space Western that Star Wars is supposed to be and you should watch it. I’m on my third re-watch now…

Watching: Titans

Ah, this is what I’ve been doing this week… I watched both of these shows last year, but damned if I could recall a single salient story sliver. Titans season 2 popped up on Netflix, and that seemed like a fine opportunity to dive back into season 1 with Marilyn. It’s really fun! I’ve got no idea who any of the characters are (save Robin and Wonder Girl). I feel this a a DC thing – other than Batman and his usual coterie of villains, I’ve never taken to and absorbed a general sense of the DC heroes and villains. The parlous state of their movie universe pretty much guarantees my feelings will stay this way. The show picks up a very violent Robin and a couple of his street-scrapping chums to protect a young girl who appears in dire need of exorcism. They team up with a guy who turns into a green tiger and a spectacular woman who can channel the energy of the sun into burning stuff. It’s proper comics far – somewhat perplexing about why anything’s happening, but it’s all done with a pleasingly gritty tone without too much winking or spandex. The fights are pleasingly violent too – it’s no fun being twatted with a staff, and Titans does not pull those punches. The effects are a bit poor occasionally, but it doesn’t really detract much.

youtube

Watching: Star Trek: Discovery

ST: Disco was a delight last year, and caning through it again while playing with Lego and every other activity is proving equally satisfying. I like Discovery because it’s got plenty of mental episodic drama, fun characters and splendid special effects. It’s really all I want from Star Trek. Like DS9 it’s got a strong narrative arc which pleases me, and the cast is pitch perfect (Michelle Yeoh, goddamn). As with all the prequel storylines, I end up completely forgetting that this much better looking, higher tech world with cooler uniforms is actually set way before the hilarious jumpsuits of Next Generation. Great fun, and I’m looking forward to its return with season 3.

youtube

Last Week, Sunday 2 February 2020 - lots of TV (Titans and ST: Disco), Lego funtimes (real and fake) and some bookish bits. #reading #lego #harryhausen #glowsticktrials #babyyoda Ah, February, My Old Nemesis Alright, that’s a bit melodramatic... I’ve perked up considerably and the prospect of February brings me neither fear nor hope.

#Adam Roberts #AFOL #Ian C Esslemont #lego #lego building #Malazan Book of the Fallen #ray harryhausen #Splinter #Star Trek Discovery #the Mandalorian #Titans

0 notes