𝐑𝐎𝐆𝐔𝐄 → 𝐃𝐈𝐍 𝐃𝐉𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍

▹ 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯

Din gestured for Toro to stop and the two speeders came to an halt.

"What's going on?" Toro questioned Din, removing his goggles.

"Look. Up ahead," Din said, pointing at something Artemis couldn't see. She stood, placed her hands on Din's shoulders to steady her, and narrowed her eyes.

Two Banthas were standing a mile away from them. Artemis jumped off the speeder and followed Toro, who had taken out his binoculars, to have a better look.

"Tusken Raiders," Toro said. "I heard the locals talking about this filth."

"Tuskens think they're the locals," Din told him, making Toro scoff. "Everyone else is just trespassing."

"Whatever they call themselves, they best keep their distance," Toro said.

Artemis, who felt two presences approach them, turned around. "Yeah?" she said, eying the two Tusken Raiders. "Why don't you tell them yourself?"

Toro turned around and jumped up upon seeing them. His hand went to his blaster but Din stopped him.

"Relax," the Mandalorian said, who started to talk to the Tuskens by sign language.

"What are you doing?" Toro asked, while Artemis merely observed him.

"Negatiating," Din replied flatly, continuing the sign language.

"What's going on?"

"We need passage across their land," Din said, awaiting the response of the Tuskens.

"Let me see the binocs," Din said, holding his hand out.

"Why?" Toro questioned.

Din simply looked at him and Toro sighed, handing him the binocs.

Din threw it over to the Tuskens.

"Hey! What?" Toro exclaimed. "Those were brand new."

"Yeah? They were," Din said, stalking back to his speeder before climbing back up and holding out his hand out for Artemis, who swiftly got up after him.

She glanced at Toro, feeling a bit sorry for him before wrapping her arms around Din's torso once more. 

The two speeders continued to fly over the desert landscape and it wasn't too long when Din raised his arm once again.

"Get down," he ordered Toro while pulling Artemis down with him.

"What? Oh," Toro said, jumping off his speeder and staying low.

The three of them hurried up the hill and fell down onto the sand, looking right over the edge.

Artemis saw a dewback with the rod still attached to its now dead rider.

"All right," Din began, glancing at Toro. "Tell me what you see."

"Dewback," Toro answered, as if Din was his master and he was his student. "Looks like the rider is still attached. Is that her? Is that the target?"

"I don't know," Din replied honestly. "I'll go. You cover me," he added, taking out his blaster.

Artemis nodded and took out her blaster before positioning herself next to Toro.

"Stay down," Din added.

"We'll be fine," Artemis told him. "Be careful."

Din gave her a slight nod and ran down the hill towards the dewback. Artemis' eyes darted over the sand hills, trying to spot anything that might be a danger to them.

"Well, is it her?" Toro called over to Din, who had turned the body around. "Is she dead?"

"It's another bounty hunter," Din called back.

"Hey, I hope you don't plan on keeping all that stuff for yourself," Toro said. "Can I at least have that blaster?"

Suddenly, a feeling overwhelmed Artemis and her eyes widened.

"Get down!" she yelled over to Din, who immediately fell onto the ground, missing a shot by inches.

Artemis pulled Toro down with her but could hear that the next shot hit Din.

"Mando!" she yelled, just as he leaped over the hill and landed next to her.

"What happened?" Toro questioned.

"Sniper bolt," Din breathed. "Only a MK-modified rifle could make that shot."

"Are you all right?" Toro asked him.

"Yeah," Din said. "Hit me in the beskar and at that ranger beskar held up."

"Wait, Lady Rogue and I don't wear any beskar," Toro realized.

"Nope," Din said, but Artemis could tell he was worried about her.

"Well, so what do we do?" Toro asked.

"You see where that shot came from?"

"It came from that ridge," Artemis said, nodding over to the other side.

"Okay, we're gonna wait until dark," Din told them.

"What if she escapes?" Toro said.

"She's got the high ground," Artemis pointed out. "She'll wait for us to make the first move."

Din nodded in agreement. "We're gonna rest. You take the first watch. Stay low!" he warned the young man.

Artemis sat down next to Din and leaned against the speeder.

"Can we trust him?" Din asked quietly so that Toro wouldn't hear him.

"He's young," Artemis replied just as quietly, "and hasn't been influenced yet. So far, he's a good kid."

Artemis then closed her eyes while intertwining her fingers and placing them on her stomach.

"Wake me up when it's our turn to take watch," she muttered, before drifting off in what would be a short sleep.

Word count: 2274

Another chapter finished! I hope you liked it! And thank you for reading, voting and commenting!!

"Lady Rogue" has a nice ring to it, doesn't it? ;)

Published: 02.03.2021