The Mandalorian's Slave

The Battle

Time seems to slow to a sluggish halt. The village is bustling, yet it seems like everyone is holding their breath. The non-fighters are sent to a house in the middle of the village. A few are given guns in case things get bad. The wall is built, and while it looks sloppy, it should hold. The trench has been dug and filled with water and reeds. I just pray the plan works.

The sun is setting rapidly. I know I shouldn't be so nervous about the Mandalorian facing off against the raiders. He is a Mandalorian, after all. And he's a bounty hunter. He should be more than prepared for this. Plus he's got Cara at his side. But for some reason, I'm still nervous.

The child shifts in my arms. Soon I'll deliver him to Winta and the other children hiding during the fight. But for now, we wait. My Master is getting prepared, strapping himself with a small arsenal of weapons. He's silent. I wonder what he's thinking about.

He turns to face me. "Are you sure you want to fight? Maybe it would be better if you stayed with the Child."

"I'm positive about this. I need to fight."

He's silent for a moment before nodding. "Be careful. Try to stay near someone who can protect you, like Omera."

"I'll be near Caben." I should be grateful for Omera's help. But for some reason I felt the need to rub Caben's presence in my Master's face. As if he cares about me like that.

"Caben can barely hold his own. He's no fighter. Stay near someone who can protect you." The Mandalorian stiffens.

"I can protect myself." We stare at each other for a long moment, neither of us saying anything. Finally, he lets up.

"Fine. Take the Child and give him to the other children. I must go now." He turns and walks towards the door, without saying goodbye.

"Wait!" He turns, just slightly. "Good luck." He nods, then walks away.

Time seems to stretch on forever as I give the Child to elders and children of the village. The shadows of the forest grow, stretching deathly fingers toward us. I hope their plan works.

Each minute lasts a decade as I wait in the darkness, half-hidden by the makeshift wall. Caben crouches near me, and though he would never admit it, he's more nervous than me. I sit as quietly as possible, my ears straining to hear any sound. It's silent, except for the sound of Caben's shuddering breath. Then I hear it.

The sound of trees cracking echos nearby. It's followed by the thud of the Walker. The forest is suddenly light up in red as the Walker fires at Cara and the Mandalorian. I just pray that they return safely.

Two figures break out of the forest. Cara and my Master run wildly, adrenaline coursing through their veins. They hastily duck under the makeshift wall. The Mandalorian, I notice, hunkers near me. His breath is ragged but he seems unharmed.

"This is it," hollers Cara. "Once that thing steps into the pond, it's goin' down!"

I tighten my grip on my pistol. I'm nervous. Trees creak, with each step getting louder, reminding me of how big this thing is.

"Weapons ready!"

I see two glowing red orbs peak through the trees. The forest quakes. Tendrils of mist curls over the ponds. I can't tell if it's a blessing or a curse.

The Walker breaks through the line of trees. It's metallic feet squelch through the muddy grass. It's bigger than I imagined, yet not very sturdy looking. We'll use that to our advantage.

"Just a few more steps," the Mandalorian whispers to me.

The Walker takes another step forward and then- then it freezes. As if the raiders know our plan.

"It stopped." It's a cloudy night, with only small torches to illuminate the darkness, yet I see the fear and confusion on the villagers faces. If the Walker opens fire now, we're gone for.

The Walker turns on a blinding white light, pointed straight at us. For a moment, I stare at it and freeze.

"Get down, get down." The Mandalorian hisses and he firmly presses me against the muddy ground.

"I am down," I mumble through a mouthful of dirt. Except he's not talking to me. At my side, Caben stand boldly, stupidly. The spotlight freezes on his face. We're done for.

The Walker fires, sending red laser beams directly at Caben. Perhaps the fog is a blessing, because it misses him narrowly.

"You fool! Stay there. Hold your position." The Mandalorian commands, still on top of me.

The Walker takes one small, hesitant step forward. This is it. The Mandalorian gets up, and I do the same. Then I feel it.

A wave of raiders breaks from the shadows of the forest. They're screaming in some alien language. Fuck.

"Open fire," Cara screams and they run through the reeds.

I raise my pistol with a shaky hand. I fire blindly. I feel strange, almost as though my body is in autopilot. I ignore the cries of a raider as I shoot one down. I ignore Caben cowering behind the wall next to me. I ignore the Mandalorian, firing each shot perfectly.

The Walker fires another blast, this one completely demolishing a section of the wall. Caben and I are exposed, with raiders charging towards faster than I can shoot.

"We gotta get that thing to step forward." Suddenly the Mandalorian is besides me, firing away at the strange, pig-like men.

I'm in a trance. Or maybe I'm in shock. I lower my pistol, shoving it into my boot. I extend my arms, almost as if I was a child begging for my mother.

"Aster, what are you doing?" My Master is right next to me, yet he sounds a million miles away.

I feel a strange energy course through me. There's a strong, pulling sensation in my stomach. I close my eyes, yet I can see the battlefield clearly. There's the Mandalorian, stepping in front of me, shooting down the raiders. There's Caben, staring at me as if I'm crazy. Maybe I am. There's the raiders, charging towards us as fast as their stubby legs will carry them. And then there's the Walker, a mere few feet away from the trap.

As if using an invisible hand, I yank. I pull with a weird sensation that vibrates through my core. The Walker takes one step, then another. And... one more.

One leg sinks to the bottom of the pond, and the Walker topples. Suddenly, I've snapped out of whatever trance I was in. The Mandalorian races forward, a grenade in hand. He throws it perfectly. The Walker explodes in a ball of searing orange flames.

The raiders freeze. They stare at their burning weapon. One cries out, and as quickly as they came, they begin retreating. I collapse to the ground as the villagers begin to cheer.

Everyone is smiling and laughing but I can't move. I'm exhausted. The Mandalorian walks up to me.

"Are you alright?" He doesn't mention what I just did. Maybe he doesn't know what I did.

I nod. "Yes. I'm sorry. I can't believe I just killed someone."

"You did what you had to. I'll walk you back to the barn, then I'll grab the kid." He offers me his hand. I take it gratefully.

I feel hallow as we walk back to the barn. Did I really make the Walker move, or was that just luck? I want to talk about it, but I'm tired and the Mandalorian is walking fast.

"Sleep wherever you want," he leaves without saying anything else. I settle down into a pile of quilts, exhaustion taking hold.

The door opens. My head jerks up, expecting to see my Master. It's Caben.

"Are you ok? You look funny." Caben's eyes have a crazed look in them. He marches over to me, I notice that he still has his gun. His hands are shaky. He points it at me.

"You're a witch."