Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
"Celeste? Celeste please, come in." Mando's frantic voice spoke into the com. "Damnit, where is she?!" Mando did not dare move from his hiding spot at the base that had been blasted open by Imperial soldiers led by Moff Gideon, a leader of the Empire presumed to be dead.
Suddenly, the sound of the child came over the communication device. "Kuiil has been terminated. Celeste was not seen at the site of the ship." The voice of the IG-11 unit spoke over the communication device.
After the child had been kidnapped by Imps, the IG-11 that had been reprogrammed by Kuiil—and brought along for the trip—to nurse and protect the child had recaptured him. Additionally, he stole a speeder and was riding into town where Mando was to return the child to safety. "What did you do?" Mando automatically assumed the droid had killed Kuiil.
"I am fulfilling my base function." The droid explained to Mando.
"Which is?" He growled.
"To nurse and protect." IG responded.
"The child? Where is Celeste?!" He questioned.
"Again, she wasn't seen at the site of the ship. She's gone." The IG-11 unit replied to him.
* * *
Celeste groaned as her eyes fluttered open to adjust to the blinding white lights. Her head was still pounding from the mental beating she had taken from seeing her child being ripped away from her. She turned her head to look at her surroundings, she was tied down to a chair with straps restraining every limb. She struggled against the straps, but they didn't seem to be moving anywhere with her little physical strength. "Finally," a low, man-like voice croaked out. Celeste turned her head around to see a tall-statured man with a confident stance. He stood proudly before her, flaunting his high ranking uniform. "you've awaken."
Celeste's eyes scanned the man. She had no clue who he was, but she could only assume he was someone important based on his uniforms. Soon after, a few stormtroopers entered the room with their blasters drawn—this only confirming Celeste's suspicions that the man was important. "So...you and the Mandalorian, huh? He right in the building over there." The man pointed his thumb back behind him, despite there being a wall; suggesting that the building wasn't too far in that direction.
Celeste instantly looked around for an escape route, but, the man caught her in the act. "Aht, aht. There's only one way in and one way out of here. I made sure of that in case your little boyfriend tried to get creative."
"Peculiar, you two. Of course, I've heard of a Mandalorian or two becoming Jedi. But, never a Jedi in a relationship with a Mandalorian. Well, the Jedi weren't very often found in relationships...for obvious reasons." He chuckled.
"I am not a Jedi." Celeste hissed at him.
"Ah yes, of course not. And you won't become one, either. You will fulfill your destiny as a Sith Lord." The man's words fueled the fiery anger in her. She began to feel the force compress around her as she focused herself to use it against her new enemy. Small flashes of lightning like electricity flashes between her fists, indicating her soon to be explosion. But, the man quickly reacted by sending some of his troopers, who were supplied with sedatives, to sedate her.
Celeste thrashed, screamed and kicked to keep them from pushing the needle into her arm, but it was to no avail. They still managed to weaken her through the medication. "Do you know who the fuck you're messing with?" Celeste's speech was slowing as time went on as the sedation was taking effect.
"Indeed, I do. You are Celeste Bruten. You go way back with the infamous Jabba the Hutt and the notorious Vikkal—may they rest in peace. I know a lot about you, Celeste. Mostly from my old boss, Palpatine. He was very interested in you for a while, then lost interest toward the end of the civil war. I'm not sure why, he never blatantly spoke about it. He tracked you since you were born. Your parents were nobodies, but were slain on Palpatine's orders to assure you'd grow without support and unconditional love. He was preparing to claim you your entire life. All I know is, I need someone like him by my side if the Empire is to rise again. And you are my only known option." He explained his entire plan to her, villains tended to do that a lot once they got what they wanted in their clutches.
Celeste's eyelids grew heavy as she struggled to keep them open. "Oh, I'm sorry, I don't think I introduced myself." He falsely apologized to her. "I am Moff Gideon."
Suddenly, loud gunfire and explosions could be heard from outside the stationed ship they seemed to be in. Gideon snapped his head over to the troopers, gesturing for them to head outside, quickly. Gideon quickly approached Celeste, placing his face inches away from hers. "Soon, you will see light in the dark side and have no choice but to join me." He told her, right before he left outside to deal with Mando, Cara, Greef Carga, IG-11 and the child.
Celeste fought the urge to fall unconscious again. She needed to get out of there, and fast, but she had no strength to do so. She felt a sharp pain in her chest. She could sense someone very important to her had just been severely injured and could possibly die. Celeste's vision became blurry and she saw images flash before her eyes of Mando and Cara. Cara reached to the back of Mando's helmeted head to touch his exposed skull. She pulled her hand away and it was covered in fresh blood. Celeste's heart dropped to her stomach. Mando. She thought to herself as she realized the apparitions she was seeing was in real time.
Suddenly, the images cut out. She didn't know why, but it was making her panic. Her physical body was quite still and relaxed, but, her mind was chaotic. Millions of thoughts and words were flying through Celeste's mind as she frantically worried over Mando—wondering if he were dead. Wondering if they managed to escape whatever trap they were in. I just need to get to him, I can save him. She thought to herself, but she was helpless. She couldn't even move one finger because of how strong the sedation was. Soon enough, the sedation took over her mind, too. And she was knocked completely unconscious.
* * *
Fortunately, Mando quickly recovered with the help of IG-11 from the blow to his head. Though the rest of the escape wasn't accomplished with much ease, the details remain apart from this story. Mando and the rest managed to escape the Imps. Mando and the child made it back to his ship while Greef Carga and Cara stayed behind on Nevarro. Unfortunately, IG-11 took a fatal end on the escape.
Once Mando took to his ship, he plopped himself down on the pilot's seat. He looked to the empty copilot chair, where Celeste once sat, then looked over to the child—who's eyes were wide and watery. "Mama?" He cooed out for her.
"We're going to find her, I promise." Mando gritted his teeth and held out a gentle finger to the child. He had plans to find the child's species and return him to his people, but, only after he saved Celeste—in which he could not rest until he achieved.
author's note: I hate when authors rewrite the episode/movie and add practically no substance to the original storyline, so I didn't rewrite the final episode to not bore you guys. Celeste wasn't in this episode so I kept to what's happening to her since y'all already know what happens in episode 8 season 1. and yes, Celeste is still in the possession of Gideon even after his crash landing.
