╔═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╗
𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙋𝙏𝙀𝙍 𝙀𝙄𝙂𝙃𝙏 : 𝙍𝙀𝘿𝙀𝙈𝙋𝙏𝙄𝙊𝙉
╚═*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*═╝
"Cover us." Din tells Cara as he pulls Shivani to the door of the cantina. Cara hops up onto a table and begins gunning down troopers with her repeating blaster. The door opens, unleashing Mando and Shivani into the fray.
Mando acts as a temporary shield for Shivani as his armour deflects many hits. Greef follows behind them as Shivani blasts any trooper in sight. One Death Trooper grabs Mando by the throat but Shivani sends it flying back with a kick before shooting it dead. The swarms of troopers seem never-ending as Shivani and Mando fight with their backs touching. The mere presence of the man behind her is enough to keep her determination strong. It reminds her that she has something worth fighting for, someone she wants to survive for. Not only is she fighting for the people she's lost, she's fighting for the people she has gained.
IG-11 takes a hit to the legs, which buckles and sends him stumbling down to the ground. He manages to shield the child from any danger and Shivani dashes away from Din to help protect him. Meanwhile, Din notices that the E-Web has been left unattended and uses it to his advantage. He heaves the large blaster off its stand and guns down stormtroopers with the heavy repeater cannon. He covers Shivani long enough for her to get IG-11 back on his feet and start fighting back.
A loud explosion from the cantina alerts the group that a Death Trooper has detonated the entryway. Shivani knows that Cara can handle herself against the troopers and focuses instead on the man who strolls casually through the battleground as if he was invincible. There's no room for fear left in her body. She's spent her whole life being terrified of this man. Haunted by his voice. Unable to sleep without him plaguing her mind. Now she feels rage. This was her chance for revenge. Who knows when she'd get a chance like this again? She was going to kill him. For Aurelia. For Katali. But most importantly, for the Mandalorian and the child.
Any stormtrooper in her way is given a swift end with a blast to the chest. All she can see is red clouding her vision, eyes narrowing in on Gideon's intimidating figure. She wouldn't let this opportunity slip through her fingers. She couldn't.
With a scream of fury, she kicked a trooper out of her path. Moff Gideon turned to the sound to see Shivani Rai marching towards him on a rampage, obliterating all Imperial troops in sight. A murderous glint of gold flames lit up her eyes as she stormed forward. He would be lying if he said there wasn't a flicker of fear inside of him. But he did not show it. Instead, his gaze shifted over to the Mandalorian. The man who had hunted the Aurelian down, captured her and traded her in for a reward. But also the man who had rescued her, fought for and with her. The man who had wormed his way into her heart and made himself at home. Her weakness has always been her heart. Moff Gideon smirks. He knew what to do.
Shivani's heart stops as Gideon raises his blaster, not to point it at her, but to aim for the one person she couldn't bear to lose. Din. "No." She mumbles, eyes wide with terror as the first shot pings off Mando's armour. He grunts at the contact and stumbles for a moment but remains unharmed. Recovering quickly, he whirls around with the E-Web and prepares to shoot Moff Gideon. But the Imperial is smart. Noticing the box of ammunition located close to the bounty hunter, he adjusts his aim. "No!" Shivani raises her own blaster with Gideon as her target, but something restrains her arms from behind.
Time seems to move slowly for her as she is forced to watch the man she despises pull the trigger. The box of ammunition detonates in an explosion of fire which blasts Din's body backwards. The rising flames do nothing but stoke the burning rage that has been building inside her. She yells out in agony, kicking and struggling as Din lies motionless on the charred ground of Nevarro. The Death Trooper, who had grabbed hold of her, dragged her kicking and screaming body over to Gideon.
"Hush, girl." He harshly commands, striding closer to the asset he had been yearning to attain. "All this fuss over a man who isn't worth the beskar covering his body." He tuts disapprovingly with a patronising shake of his head.
"Din Djarin is worth more than you will ever be, Moff Gideon." Shivani protests, her tired body still fighting against the trooper. "You will die writhing in the flames of your own destruction. And I promise you that I will be there, watching with a smile on my face as you burn in the hell you brought upon yourself."
Gideon scoffs out a laugh of disbelief. "Maybe so, my dear." He sneers at her tauntingly before aiming his blaster at Din's lifeless form once more. "But your precious Din Djarin will not be there with you."
Shivani growls furiously before driving her foot into Gideon's blaster and knocking the weapon out of his hand. Then she grips onto the arm of the trooper restraining her and uses it as leverage to lift her feet off the ground. Her legs then propel downwards, digging into the ground to allow her to tug the trooper's body over her and onto his back in the dirt. Fueled on by her anger, she whips a gold Aurelian dagger from the holster on her thigh and drives it ruthlessly into the neck of the trooper.
This now leaves her in a predicament. Moff Gideon stands before her. Unarmed and unprotected. More vulnerable than she's sure he's ever been during his Imperial career. The door is wide open for her to have the revenge she desires on the man who has caused her such pain and suffering. However, Din has still not moved. He lies mere metres away from her, caught in the crossfire of a battle he never would've been in if it wasn't for her. He'd done so much for her. Sacrificed his reputation, his livelihood and even put his life on the line. All to protect her and the child. The choice became easy. She wanted to kill Gideon for the home he had robbed her of. But with Din she found the home she deserved. This time, she had the chance to save her home. Din is worth more than Moff Gideon will ever be.
She sprints away from the Imperial, feeling nothing but satisfied with her choice. IG-11, Cara and Greef cover her as she reaches Din's side. With the strength of a thousand Valkyries watching over her, she heaves his body up and hauls her Mandalorian into the temporary safety of the cantina. The doors shut behind them as they hide themselves away inside. Cara helps Shivani to drag Din's body further into the room.
"Stay with us, buddy. We're gonna get you out of here." Cara grunts as the two women lower him to the floor.
"This is our only path out. Can you clear it?" Greef asks the droid, who robotically marches over to the grate. Shivani cradles the back of Din's helmet as his head sways limply.
The child, who is nestled in a brown bag, is placed on the floor as IG-11 turns to Greef. "If you go near this child, I will have no choice but to kill you."
"I understand." Greef exclaims urgently. "Can you do anything to move the grate?"
"Yes, of course." The droid replies and kneels down to get to work unsealing the grate.
"Oh, I love IG units." Greef declares giddily.
Din begins to stir, making Shivani sit up and hover over him. His vision swirls uncontrollably, but she remains clear as day to him. "Shivani." He murmurs in a light-headed daze.
She places her hands on either side of his helmet, as if she would be cupping his cheeks. "I'm here, Din. It's alright. We'll get out of this."
"Vani, I'm not gonna make it. Go." He groans which makes her shake her head.
"You're gonna make it, Din." She protests passionately, her hand sliding round to support his neck. "You'll be fine."
"You just got your bell rung." Cara adds in, trying to convince herself as well as Din and Shivani.
"Leave me." Din grunts out through staggered breaths as Shivani shakes her head again. She goes to refuse until she feels a warm substance trickle onto her fingers. Struck with horror, she pulls her hand back to reveal blood staining her skin. She gasps out and looks to Cara, who stares wide eyed at the red liquid.
"We're gonna need to take this thing off." She decides, reaching for Din's helmet.
He catches her hand swiftly and grits out, "No. You leave me." His breathing is rough and jagged as tears prick Shivani's eyes. "You make sure the child is safe. Here." He rips a mythosaur necklace from his neck and passes it shakily to Shivani. "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."
Shivani grips the necklace tightly, scared to let go of such a precious item. "No, Din. We can make it. I-- I'm not leaving you. I refuse."
"Come on! Let's go!" Cara shouts in encouragement, trying to lift Din to his feet.
"I'm not gonna make it and you know it." He tells them. As Shivani tries to reply, a blast of fire burns through the cantina. Shivani instinctually throws herself on top of Din to shield him as the furniture of the interior is set ablaze. "You protect the child. I can hold them back long enough for you to escape. Let me have a warrior's death." Shivani's eyes shut in pain at Din's words. "Please, Vani."
Shivani cannot hold back her tears any longer. "I can't-- I won't leave you."
"This is the Way." Din responds before another blast of flames shoots through the cantina doors. The incinerator trooper steps over the threshold and stands before them menacingly. Shivani shuffles in front of Din as the trooper prepares to burn them out. But then she watches the child stand defiantly before the oncoming flames, raising his small arms in the air. The fire meets an invisible wall of resistance as the child forces it back. She can feel Cara and Greef's eyes flicker to her for answers but she is too busy staring at the child in amazement. With one flick of his wrist, the child sends the inferno right back at the trooper, blasting him out of the cantina. Drained of strength, the child falls backwards in exhaustion. Shivani is quick to lunge forward and catch him gently, cradling him to her chest.
"Well done, my little star." She coos softly as he struggles to keep his eyes open.
IG-11 gives the grate one last kick, forcing the hatch to fall ajar. Greef jumps up eagerly. "Come on! It's open, let's go!"
Shivani turns back to Din, whose attention is solely focused on her. "Go. Go." He urges but Shivani doesn't move.
"We have to move! Now!" Greef demands as Cara places her hand on Shivani's shoulder.
"Go." Din insists, the pain in his body feeling like nothing compared to the agony in his heart. "Please, Vani."
"You promised." Shivani cries out in despair. "You promised you wouldn't leave me behind."
Din weakly yanks the glove off his right hand, lifting it up to place on Shivani's jaw. Her skin is soft and warm to the touch as he brushes his thumb over the curve of her cheek. "I'm sorry, cyar'ika."
"I don't need you to be sorry. I need you to keep fighting." Shivani begs, covering Din's hand with her own. "I need you to keep fighting for me, Din. Please. You are my moon, my galaxy... my home." Shivers run down Din's spine as Shivani turns her head to place a delicate kiss to his palm. "Please don't leave me."
"I will stay with the Mandalorian." IG-11's robotic voice does little to comfort Shivani. "Escape and protect the child."
"I'm not going anywhere." Shivani announces assertively, determined to stay with Din till the very end.
Cara catches Mando's visor and knows what she has to do. "Promise me you'll bring him."
"You have my word." IG-11 vows and Cara strides back over to Shivani.
"No!" Shivani yells as Cara seizes the woman harshly. She kicks and screams in protest but Cara doesn't waver. "Cara, let go! Cara!"
The ex-shock trooper looks to Mando again. "Get her out of here, Cara." He pleads desperately, feeling his heart break with every tear that escapes Shivani's eyes. Cara nods sadly and lifts Shivani carefully over her shoulder, ripping the woman away from the only person she never wants to part from. Din stares after her sorrowfully until she disappears from sight. He can rest easy now, knowing she's safe. All he has ever wanted is to protect her. His mission is fulfilled.