DEFENDER • THE MANDALORIAN

TEN

The Child looks over to Alya, cooing at the woman. She glances at the Mandalorian who is focused on piloting the ship then at the Child. Quietly she picks the Child up and seats it in her lap.

The Child wraps a small hand around her finger as it watches the planet outside the window get bigger. Alya takes a small intake of breath as she realizes that they have made it to the planet that the Mandalorian will abandon them.

Her mind begs her to have faith in Yoda's words but as they get closer to the planet, her doubt grows. What would happen if the Mandalorian didn't help them?

Sure she may be able to get out, but the Child is a whole other battle. She would die before she abandoned the Child that sits in her lap.

At this moment, the Jedi realized the attachment she grew towards the Child; something she is not supposed to have towards anyone. Jedi are supposed to remain unattached, unbiased, but she is betraying that ideal.

Yoda always warned her. Attachments would be the first step to the Dark Side.

But as she looks down at the innocent child in her lap, she wondered how her attachment would make her evil. For the first time in her life, she questioned the Jedi Code.

Soon the ship landed, a bump shuddering through the ship as it does so. The Mandalorian turns off the ship as Alya places the Child back in its carrier.

The Child looks up at the woman, confusion gracing its face. The Jedi gives it a reassuring smile, placing a hand on its head.

The Mandalorian walks over, hands digging in his bag. The same pair of handcuffs she wore in the beginning are revealed in the Mandalorian's hand.

She turns towards the man, a tight feeling sprouting in her chest. The Mandalorian's shoulders are squared as he looks down at the Jedi.

Sighing slightly, she gives her hands up to the Mandalorian.

Behind the mask, the Mandalorian's eyes furrow, having expected some sort of restraint from the woman. Instead the woman says nothing as he hesitantly cuffs her hands.

Alya wants to say something to the man, but realizes that he must make his own decision of right and wrong.

The trio soon walk away from the ship as the Mandalorian leads them through the town. Throughout the entire walk, Alya remains close to the carrier, not wanting the Child to become frightened.

Eventually the trio turns down a dark ally and stops at a door. Alya takes a deep breath as she tries to subdue her nervousness.

The Mandalorian knocks on the door, causing an droid's eye to pop out of a hole near the door. Holding up a card, the Mandalorian lets the droid scan it.

The door unlocks with a clank, revealing stormtroopers. The soldiers walk out and look down at the Child and the Jedi, before gesturing to follow.

The Mandalorian hears the Child whine and a small pang in his chest hits but he does nothing. Alya walks in first, the carrier and then the Mandalorian following. Inside is a hallway that they begin to walk down.

Inside, two stormtroopers flank the Jedi's side, suspicious. From the back, the Mandalorian watches as the troopers tower next to the lone woman. One stormtrooper grabs onto the carrier, causing it to rock slightly.

"Easy with that." The Mandalorian criticizes. For a moment, Alya thinks she hears worry in his tone. Hope flares through her but no amount of hope will get her out of the situation she is in currently.

"You take it easy." The stormtrooper tells the Mandalorian. The Child whimpers slightly as it looks from Alya to the Mandalorian, not knowing what is going on.

A door opens as they reach the end of the hallway and they file into the large room. Inside is an older man, along with a young man.

The pair walk up to the carrier first, the old man looking down at the confused child with delight. A tracking fob is in his hand as it continues to beep erratically.

The younger, scrawny man pulls out a scanner, scanning the Child's face. The Child moves slightly, trying to get out of the bright light being shone in its face.

"Very healthy. Yes." The scrawny man says, smiling. The older man turns, seeing the Jedi in between the two stormtroopers.

"Wow." The man calmly strides over to Alya, looking at her face. "A Jedi in the flesh."

His hand goes up to her head, before gripping tightly onto her jaw. She winces at the tight grip but does nothing but look directly into the man's eyes with a fierce glare.

"And calm too. I'm surprised you captured her." The man harshly releases her jaw. He turns to the bounty hunter who stands near the door. "Your reputation was not unwarranted."

The Mandalorian is tense, looking at the Jedi who stands as still as stone. He turns his head to look at the man who still holds the tracking fob.

"How many fobs did you give out?" There is a slight hint of accusation in the Mandalorian's tone as he questions the client.

"These assets were of extreme importance to me. I had to ensure their delivery." The man turns towards the table in the center of the room. "But to the winner..."

The man then pulls out a machine from under the table, placing it on top.

"Go the spoils."

Flipping a few switches on the machine, it opens up to reveal several bricks of Beskar. The Mandalorian walks forward, eyes locked on his reward.

Alya's shoulders slump in disappointment as the Mandalorian picks up two bricks, inspecting them. She can't help but feel a small hint of betrayal sprout in her chest.

"Such a large bounty for such small packages."

Alya tenses as stormtroopers take the carrier away, the Child inside. Hearing its cry, Alya steps forward, not even thinking. The stormtroopers beside her snap into action, taking her arms.

"Okay, you will be."

Hearing the voice of her mentor, the Jedi drops her head. She needs to have faith.

The Mandalorian watches as the Child is taken away, hand holding the bricks lowering slightly. He glances over at the Jedi, who has stormtroopers restricting her. Defeat is in her eyes as the stromtroopers escort her through another door.

The Jedi, who sees the Mandalorian watching her, nods slightly before disappearing behind the door.

Looking down at the Beskar and then back to the man, the Mandalorian questions him. "What are your plans for them?"

"How uncharacteristic of one of your reputation," the man says coldly. "You have taken both comission and payment.Is it not the Code of the Guild that these events are now forgotten?"

The Mandalorian's eyes catch stormtroopers that come back from the doors that both the Child and the Jedi had disappeared behind. A cold feeling takes over his body as the Mandalorian's eyes go back to the client.

"That Beskar is enough to make a handsome replacement for your armor." The Mandalorian places the Beskar bricks back into the case, closing it. "Unfortunately, finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding steel."

The Mandalorian takes the case, walking to the exit, thus leaving behind the Child and the Jedi.

•••