As soon as he stepped outside, Mando began to shoot down troopers with a single shot. Rael followed him outside and activated her sabers. She heard someone follow them and glanced behind her as she deflected a blaster bolt to see Greef Karga fighting with them.
Out of the corner of her eye she could see Mando getting thrown to the ground, but he easily kicked the trooper in the chest and was back on his feet, shooting his attacker square in the head. What she didn't notice was a one of Moff Gideon's personal guards running towards her with a Z2-stun baton.
At the last second, she saw him and crackles of electricity rang in the air as her light sabers pushed back against the baton. While blaster bolts zoomed past them, Rael and the trooper were locked in a fight. It was clear the trooper had some sort of combat skill other than blaster training, but he was no match for a Jedi. She let the Force guide her attacks and movements.
No more than 30 seconds had past when Rael pierced his chest with one of her blades. As he dropped to the ground, Rael heard the child's cry through the chaos and looked around, desperate to catch a glimpse.
Her eyes found IG-11 still shielding the child, but being forced to crouch to the ground as six troopers slowly approached, firing at them. Rael ran as fast as she could towards the droid and kid, cutting down any trooper who crossed her path.
Just as she reached them, she jumped on top of a near by crate and launched herself into the air. As she landed in front of the troopers, she summoned the Force and threw her hands out towards them. The four troopers were thrown back 10 feet and into the building behind them, knocking them unconscious.
"Imperial scum...", Rael hissed as a dull ache crept into her bones. But, she didn't have anytime to think about it, because a new group of troopers zeroed in on them. Rael lunged forward and began to deflect the bolts sent towards her and IG-11. "I can't hold them off for long!", she grunted at the droid, trying to not break her concentration. "I am calculating the best strategy.", he replied.
But before a plan could be made, the sound of the E-Web being fired drew their attackers attention. Rael didn't dare look away from them, but IG-11 reported what was happening. "It would seem that the Mandalorian has taken control of the E-Web blaster." He announced.
The young Jedi quickly cut her eyes over, and sure enough, Mando had taken the heavy blaster off of its stand and was no turning in a slow circle, cutting down every trooper in sight. "He couldn't have done that earlier?", Rael mused as she helped the droid stand back up.
As she was covering IG-11's back, a loud explosion went off and Cara's machine blaster went silent. "They're inside!", Rael gasped and made a start to go help Cara, but a new figure caught her eye. Moff Gideon had reappeared and was walking calmly into the middle of the square.
Moff Gideon raised his blaster and fired a bolt straight at Mando. To his dismay, Rael threw a hand out and deflected it. The bolt hit the ground by his feet, still making the bounty hunter whip around to see who had fired at him. When he realized who it was, Mando raised the E-Web back into position, prepared to end the battle.
But Moff Gideon was clever and fired at the power cell right next to the Mandalorian. A huge ball of fire appeared and a shockwave knocked Mando into the air and he hit the ground hard. Rael had been thrown off her feet and crashed into the transport the reinforcements had arrived in.
"We must go." IG-11's voice brought her dazed mind back to the present. She pushed herself to her feet and felt blood drip down her face. She looked around and saw Mando laying flat on his back, unmoving. The droid moved forward, firing his blasters as Cara appeared from the safe house doorway.
Rael watched the woman showcase her impressive strength as she hooked her arms under Mando's and almost carry him back towards the door. Karga walked backwards next to her, providing cover, along with IG-11. Rael shook her head, trying to get her vision to clear up and reconnected her hilts, reforming her staff-saber.
She lunged forward and cut down a few of the troopers who had grown confident and taken a couple steps forward. "Rael, c'mon!", Cara shouted as she dragged the Mandalorian inside. The girl slowly backed away as she easily deflected the bolts fired at her and locked eyes with Moff Gideon.
The man only wore a calculating stare as she glared daggers at him. Her feet stopped moving as she felt strength course through her body. 'I can do it. I could end him from here.' she thought as she felt her finger tips prickle with power. 'Do it' a soft whisper encouraged. Images of the distressed child, Cara's fearful eyes, and Mando laying motionless on the ground flashed across her mind.
A cold feeling had began to wash over her as the people and sounds around her became muffled. 'That's it...' the voice hissed, as the last bits of her surroundings melted away into nothing.
'No, Rael! Come back, my child...' a voice called loudly, snapping her out of the trance she had entered. Her vision focused and she saw her outstretched hand, clenched in a fist. 'Fight it...' the voice repeated softly.
In front of her, six dead troopers lay on the ground...in pieces. Struck down by her sabers. Shots were being fired at her, but they bounced off the air around her. "No..." Rael said loudly and dropped her hand. The trooper hit the ground but his body was unmoving.
Moff Gideon had stepped forward as his hand hovered over something beneath his cape. "Force forgive me..." Rael breathed out before breaking the Force-shield around her, throwing those approaching a few feet back and she ran into the safe-house.
The door slammed shut behind her and she dropped to her knees, hands shaking. A cold sweat had formed on her skin and her mind was swirling. "What have I done! What have I done...", she whimpered out and raked her fingers through her hair.
"Hey! Hey, Rael! I need help. Now!" Cara shouted. The girl snapped her head up, and the shock trooper saw her splotchy skin and tear-streaked face. "Are you hit?", the woman questioned quickly. Rael stared at her, not really hearing the question, but a groan from the injured Mandalorian made her focus.
"Oh gods..." She mumbled and stumbled to them. "You guys need to go. Leave me. You know I'm not gonna make it." Mando choked out. "Bantha fodder." Rael said quietly as she looked over him, but of course, all his injuries were shielded from view.
Cara held up her hand that had been supporting his neck to show Rael. It was covered in bright red blood. "We're gonna need to take this thing off." Cara told him and reached forward to his helmet. "No. You leave me. You make sure the child and Rae are safe." He told her and stopped her hands from lifting his helmet.
"Here. When you get to the Mandalorian covert, you show them that. You tell them it's from Din Djarin. You tell them the foundling was in my protection, and they'll help you." Mando said painfully as he pulled off an amulet and shoved it into Rael's hands.
Still reeling from what had just happened, the girl was unable to form any words. "No. We can make it!" Cara told him firmly. Rael nodded her head slowly and said, "She's right. Let's go." She stood up and grabbed hold of his arm as Cara did the same with his other.
He twisted his arm in Rael's hand and gripped her arm, pulling her back down to his side. "I'm not going to make it and you know it." He told her, but before she could respond, blazing hot fire poured in through the other entranceway that had been blown up. Through the flames, the Fire Team stood outside the door.
Cara and Rael quickly covered Mando with their bodies until the attack stopped, but the damage had been done. The room was now full of flames and smoke. Rael looked around the room and was relieved to see the child was unharmed and in his pack by the droid as it was cutting into the sewer system.
Mando squeezed her arm and she pulled back to look at him. "I can hold them back long enough for you to escape. Let me have a warrior's death." He pleaded. Her eyes pierced through his visor as she said, "I won't leave you here to die. I can't." Mando kept his grip on her as he said, "This is the Way."
Another series of flames came through the door and almost burned them, but Rael pulled her arm from his grasp and threw her hands out with the amulet still clutched in one. The flames crashed against the force-shield Rael summoned, but it was taking all her energy to hold it.
Just as the attack stopped Rael dropped to the ground, her legs giving out. "Druk." She growled as she saw the first Fire Team member enter the building. Rael closed her eyes as summoned what remained of her strength and got to her feet.
There was no clever way out of this, like Han was always able to find. This was to be her and her friends end. She had failed Luke and all the Jedi before her. She would never see her family again.
The trooper raised his flame blaster and she raised her hand up to try one last time. But just as the flames appeared at the end of the blaster, a small coo sounded next to her. Rael looked down and saw the child with his hands out stretched and eyes closed.
The flames were stopped at least 5 feet from them as Rael stared in awe. With a flick of his wrist, the child sent the ball flames at the trooper and knocked him out of the safe house. The little one dropped to the ground and let out a sigh. The girl quickly scooped him up in her arms.
"It's open! We have to move! Now!", Karga shouted as IG-11 came over and took the kid. Rael turned around and heard Mando tell Cara, "Take them both and go now." This made her angry. "Stop telling us to leave you!" She shouted and marched towards him but Cara stood up and caught her.
"Rael... He's lost a lot of blood. Even if we can get him in the sewers he won't make it far." The woman whispered to her as Rael stared at the weakening man. The girl said nothing as she pulled from Cara's grasp and knelt next to him.
"I can heal you, Mando. I-I'll cover my eyes and you can take your helmet off. I won't see your face. All I have to do is touch your wound." She rambled and pulled her now bloodied scarf from her neck. Mando caught her wrist. "Din. And the Creed says I cannot take it off in front of any living thing. Even if their eyes are covered." He explained.
Rael racked her brain for a way she could heal him without touching or being near him, but even at her full strength she had never done that before. "Go with the others. I will stay with the Mandalorian." IG-11 said from behind her.
She looked up to see Cara awkwardly holding the child as Karga climbed into the sewer. Rael looked back at Mando before shakily standing up. "Promise me you'll bring him." She told the droid with a weak voice. "You have my word." IG responded.
The girl nodded as she took a few steps towards the vent. She hesitated at the entrance and turned back to look at Mando. "May the Force be with you, Din Djarin." Not waiting for a response, she dropped down in to the sewer, clutching the amulet tightly in her hand.