- 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘬𝘭𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘷𝘦.
For as long as Kasia Torelo can remember, luck and survival have gone hand-in-hand.
Kasia was only seven years old when the Empire attacked her planet. Singled out for their telep...
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Not needing any more invitation, Kasia turned and ran like her life depended on. Behind her, the AT-ST continued to slowly walk forward, its movements mockingly slow as it easily kept up with them. Suddenly, laser bullets burst from its guns, the blasts barely missing the trio as they veered off to the right slightly.
The three of them grunted as they ran over the forest ground, dodging plasma and running through the sparks that the blasts kicked up. Kasia couldn't decide whether she envied Mando for his armor which certainly protected against the stings of the sparks or pitied him for the heavy armor that he was having to run with.
As they broke through the trees, the mech right on their heels, Kasia had never felt more relieved to see a ragtag gang of farmers holding blasters that they scarcely knew how to use. She panted as she, Mando, and Cara ran across the small spit of land which offered passage through the deep pits they had dug and slid to a stop behind the poorly constructed barricade.
"This is it," Cara called out, panting as she spoke. Honestly, Kasia was impressed that she was able to speak after the marathon they had just run. "Once that thing steps into the pond, it's goin' down."
Hopefully.
Around her, nervous energy crackled in the air as the entire village seemed to take a collective deep breath, eyes pinned on the woods. The ground began to shake slightly as the sound of the mech's footsteps reverberated, echoing throughout the valley.
"Weapons ready!" Cara barked as the thudding of the mech grew louder and louder.
Kasia glanced at Mando at her side, anticipation and nerves making her heart beat faster and her body feel numb. He too glanced at her and gave a reassuring nod.
Taking a last deep breath, Kasia turned back towards the woods and raised her blasters. She felt Mando's helmeted gaze linger on her face for a moment longer before he too turned towards the emerging metal monster.
Gods I hope this plan works.
The eyes were the first thing visible through the trees, two red pinpricks of light between the branches. Then suddenly the AT-ST was in front of them, knocking down trees as it sauntered forward towards the congregated villagers—and towards the trap that they had set.
"Just a few more steps," Mando vocalized what they were all thinking, his modulator keeping his tone neutral and hiding the nervous energy that Kasia could feel radiating from him.
She couldn't breath as she watched the walker take one step closer, two—her heart dropped as the walker suddenly halted, one of its metal legs poised over the pond and over the trap. So close, they were so close...
"Shit," she whisper-yelled as the mech's metal leg retracted from over the pond and settled back down on solid earth, the sound reminding Kasia of a nail in a coffin. "Shit."
"It stopped," Cara said aloud next to her, sounding breathless.
