✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*
Images blurred in front of me. Shining and perfectly untouched black, and the familiar shine of silver beskar. My body felt weak as it laid on the cold metal floor. I told myself to move, yet my mind and my body weren't connecting. I could see Din fighting in front of me. Struggling to keep up against the dark troopers.
I watched as my lightsaber fell from Din's belt, rolling down the floor in front of me as his body flew across the floor. My body yelled for me to get up and to fight. To help Din. But my mind still wanted to give up. We had lost. Gideon got what he wanted. This was the end. My eyes slowly began to close again.
But then voices began to echo around me. Those of loved ones from my past. Devron's voice came in first.
You've got to get up Amara
Then the voice of my mother
This isn't the end my child. Get up.
My eyes opened slowly to the sound of her voice. Searching around the room for that soft familiar melody. More voices began to pour in. Obi Wan, Cassian, even voices of those I had never heard before. They echoed on top of each other, all full of words of encouragement. I stared blankly at my lightsaber in front of me, and my hand stretched out towards it as one last voice filtered through.
My fathers.
There's still so much you must learn Amara. So much I didn't tell you. You must continue to fight. Fight and see everything your future holds.
It was with his voice the Force returned to me. I felt it flowing throughout my body and into my hands. The lightsaber shook for a second in front of me, before shooting across the floor into my hand. I stood up, my legs shaking under me.
My steps towards the Dark troopers we're silenced by their metallic stomps. I approached slowly, getting close behind them as one reached back down towards Din. Wrapping its metal hands tightly around Din's neck.
I ignited my lightsaber behind them. The orange hue reflecting off their black metal shells. I reached my arms up, quickly slashed against the Dark trooper holding onto Din. Its parts melted away as my lightsaber moved through its chest. I quickly pushed against the metal, slashing all the way through quickly before doing the same to the other.
The dark troopers' bodies slid down, and the parts began to spark on the floor as Din stood back up quickly. His helmet started down towards me, and the two of us stood silently as we began to catch our breaths. It was only for a few seconds, as if neither of us believed it was real.
I retreated my lightsaber quickly as Din rushed over towards me and reached for his helmet. Removing it quickly. His hand reached out, and reached for my face. Pulling me in quickly as his lips crashed into mine. I could feel all the worry he had held these past few days. The fear he had that something bad had happened and that I was gone for good.
When our lips parted he pressed his forehead onto mine, and I could tell he didn't want to part, but we needed to get back to reality.
"Are you good to move on your own?" He asked quietly.
"I'm okay." I reassured him.
There was a slight hesitation as Din pulled away. I could tell the two of us wanted to just pretend we were anywhere else but here. I watched as he placed his helmet back over his head. The sound of the air hissing from it filling the silence between us.
"Do you remember where they had Grogu?" Din asked.
I nodded my head, "His cell was next to mine."
"Take me."
Din and I moved quickly through the ship, and his hand held tightly to mine. Every turn we made into a hall a new group of stormtroopers would be just ahead. Din would quickly duck us behind a wall or a pillar, knowing I didn't have the energy to give a full fight. I led him to the last hallway and just ahead I could see a pair of stormtroopers guarding the door. Din and I said nothing, and instead pressed our backs against the wall.
I looked up at him and nodded, knowing he wanted to take them out on his own. I watched as he snuck towards them quietly, before grabbing his spear. The beskar gave a high pitched vibration as he lifted it into the air. It was then the stormtroopers finally noticed him, but it was too late.
Din took them out quickly, and their bodies scattered around the door. Din turned back towards me as I stepped out and followed him to the door. Something, however, sat heavy on my chest. I turned towards each end of the hallway, waiting to hear another round of footsteps approaching, but they never came.
This felt wrong. Grogu and I are all that Gideon wanted. Years spent hunting us down and capturing us. It wasn't like him to not put up a bigger fight. For us to break out so easily.
"Something isn't right." I said as Din inserted the code cylinder into the panel. Pressing the button without hesitation.
"What do you mean-" Din's words we're quickly cut short as the door raised open.
My heart fell to my stomach. Grogu sat on the dark bench. His hands cuffed together, and next to him stood Gideon. The darksaber ignited in his hand, right in front of Grogu. Grogu coo'd almost pleadingly. His shackled hands reaching out toward us.
I quickly reached for my holster. My hand just barely getting a grip onto my lightsaber. "I wouldn't do that." Gideon said calmly as he pushed the darksaber closer towards Grogu. My eyes shifted between Grogu and the Darksaber, trying my best to decide how quickly I could get to Grogu. But I knew better. My hand dropped back to my side and my back stiffened.
"Drop the blaster slowly." Gideon then said to Din. Next to me he moved just as Gideon asked. Placing his blaster onto the ground. "Now kick it over to me." he demanded again, and Din quickly obliged.
"Give us the kid." Din demanded.
"The kid is just fine where he is." Gideon responded. He began to wave the saber over Grogu's head, and a breath hitched in my throat. My hands clenched into a fist so tightly I could feel my nails creating indention into my palms. I wasn't sure what to do next. No level of training ever taught me how to diffuse a situation like this. Instead, my eyes just followed to darksaber closely.
"Mesmerizing, isn't it?" Gideon asked, catching my stare. My eyes shifted back up to him. My body was still tense as I tried to keep a calm demeanor. "Used to belong to Bo-Katan."
My eyes widened at her name.
"Yes. I know you've been traveling with Bo-Katan." Gideon continued, "A friendly piece of advice, assume I know everything. Like the fact that your wrist launcher has fired its one and only salvo." His eyes then shifted to me, "I even know everything about your past. Things even you have yet to discover."
A glare set in my eyes, "Where is this going Gideon?"
"This is where it's going. I'm guessing that Bo-Katan and her boarding party have arrived at the bridge, seeking me," Gideon lifted the darksaber in front of us, "or more accurately, this. But I'm not there. And I imagine that they've killed everyone on the bridge, being the murderous savages that they are. And now, they're beginning to panic. You see she wants this. You know why? Because it brings power. Whoever wields this sword, has the right to lay claim to the Mandalorian throne."
"You keep it. I just want the kid and Amara free." Din said calmly.
Gideon's sight shifted between Grogu and I, then back towards the darksaber. As if he really was contemplating it.
"Very well." He said as he retreated the darksaber back into its hilt, "I've already got what I wanted from them. Their blood." My stomach grew sick once more as he continued, "All I wanted was to study their blood. They both are extremely gifted and have been blessed with rare properties that have the potential to bring order back to the galaxy."
Gideons face almost softened, and I wanted to believe he was being truthful, "Take him. But you will leave my ship immediately and we will go our separate ways."
Din and I looked at each other. It all felt too easy and I could feel it once more that something wasn't right. But then Gideon stepped away from Grogu. Din took a step forward, but I reached my hand out. Stopping him from moving closer.
"I'll grab him." I said before glaring at Gideon, "He refuses to kill me."
"That's because I was instructed not to." Gideon answered simply.
My brows furrowed and my jaw clenched, "By who?"
Gideon said nothing, and instead tilted his head towards Grogu. Silently instructing me to grab him. My eyes searched his face, looking for any possible answer he could have, but he wasn't going to give me anything. I wanted to ask what he knew. Who wanted me alive? What else he could know about me that I didn't? So many questions sat at the tip of my tongue.
I clenched my jaw tightly. It was just another one of his tricks, and we didn't have time to play any of his games. I took a deep breath. Keeping my eyes on Gideon as I took steps slowly towards Grogu. The child coo'd quietly and reached his arms out towards me. Once he was in my arms, I felt a wave of relief.
I walked back slowly as Din watched us closely. Only a few steps and we were going to be out that door. But when Grogu and I took our last step just past the door, Din turned his back to Gideon. It was then I felt a wave of the Force surround me. A warning.
"Din!" I called out to him as we both quickly turned. Our eyes catching Gideon releasing the darksaber once more.
Din raised his wrists up in front of his face as Gideon slashed the darksaber down towards Din. The beskar covering Din keeping the saber from hitting him fully. The beskar rang as Gideon continued to thrust the blade against Din. Forcing us back into the hallway with each hit.
I held tightly to Grogu as Din circled around Gideon. The two in a complete stare down as Din reached for his spear. I reached my hand down towards my hip, gripping onto the hilt of my lightsaber.
"No!" Din yelled out as he kept his back towards me, "Take Grogu and get to the bridge."
"But-" I tried to fight back.
"Go. You're in no shape to fight again."
My eyes shifted between Din, then to Gideon, and then to the darksaber. My heart pounded in my chest. I couldn't leave him to fight alone. I couldn't just sit back and wait for him to return. Not again. I could feel my lips begin to tremble as Gideon smirked.
"Trust me." Din said quietly.
I sucked in a breath before nodding my head. "I trust you." I replied. Taking a few steps back before fulling turning down the hallway. The only thing I could hear behind me as I ran was the sound of Din's beskar spear ringing.
Oddly enough I didn't see any stormtroopers patrolling the hallways as I made my way to the bridge. Another question of just what Gideon was planning. Did he really put that much faith into the dark troopers? My body began to hurt, and my legs began to shake when I made it to the bridge. The adrenaline finally disappeared and giving me just enough energy to open the door. When the door slid open, all eyes fell on me, and I collapsed to my knees.
Cara and Fennec are the first to my side. Koska followed behind them, taking Grogu out of my arms so the others could help me up. Just at the end of the room, Bo-Katan stood by the large window. Her head turned slightly towards us as Fennec and Cara helped bring me to my feet and move me towards one of the chairs.
I let out a slight groan as they lowered me down. Cara quickly moving towards her bag to grab a med pac. Bo-Katan said nothing as she turned back towards the window, staring out into the galaxy.
None of us said anything as Cara began checking my wounds. No one dared to ask me any questions of what I went through. It was obvious enough. It was then my mind finally caught up with what happened. Everything Gideon had said to me.
Cara let out a deep breath as she finished wrapping the last wound and pulled away, "There. Mostly bruises, but the few cuts you have should be fine."
I just stared blankly at the wall behind her. "He had been watching me for a while." I said quietly. Cara's head quickly snapped back towards me, and her brows pushed together, "He knew more than he let on."
My stare finally met hers, and I could feel the tears begin to well, "He knew about Cassian."
Cara sucked in a breath as her head tilted slightly. Her lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but they were falling short. There wasn't anything she could say. My hands shook as I quickly clenched them together. Trying my best to hide the fear and guilt I was feeling.
"I was never really free." My voice cracked.
Cara thinned her lips to a small smile. She placed a comforting hand on my shoulder, "You we're with them."
I wanted to cry, because she was right. Despite everything that I had gone through. Abandoning my family, fighting Inquisitors and wars, I had Cassian. Losing my family, living on the run, fighting for my life and the child's...I had Din. I was lucky to have them both.
The sound of the door sliding open once more caught all our attention. All eyes fell on Din with Gideon in cuffs in front of him. I could feel the energy in the room quickly change. Some of us happy that Gideon was caught and alive. While the rest of us focused closely on what Din held in his hand.
The Darksaber.
When the door closed behind them, Bo-Katan finally moved. "What happened?" She asked, her voice clearly not happy like the rest of us were.
Cara stood up and walked cheerfully towards Din, "He brought him in alive, that's what happened. And now the New Republic's gonna have to double the payment."
"That's not what she's talking about." Gideon spoke up. He turned towards Bo-Katan. A smirk fell on his face. I could tell he felt like he won. The tenson building in the room. "Why don't you kill him now and take it?"
Cara quickly pulled his arm, keeping him away from Bo-Katan. Gideons body falling onto the steps in front of Bo-Katan. He chuckled to himself, staring back towards Din, "It's yours now." He said.
I stood up slowly, reaching my hand into my cloak and pulling my saber out. My hand gripped tightly around the cold metal. I wasn't sure if it was that or the situation at hand that sent a shiver down my spine.
"What is?" Din asked.
"The Darksaber. It belongs to you." Gideon answered.
Din stared for a second before retreating the saber back into the hilt. Reaching it out towards Bo-Katan. Willingly giving up the Darksaber. "Now, it belongs to her." He said. I held my breath, watching the two closely. Unsure of how Bo-Katan was going to react. But she just stared down at Din, looking defeated.
"She can't take it." Gideon spoke up, "It must be won in battle. In order for her to wield the Darksaber again, she would need to defeat you in combat."
"I yield. It's yours." Din said simply.
"It doesn't work that way, Din." I spoke up. All eyes then fell onto me. I tried my best to mask the fear I was feeling. The worry that the situation would turn on us. I knew Bo-Katan wasn't going to be happy with me. "It's a symbol. The story is what holds the power. Without the proper claim, she cannot rule Mandalore."
Bo-Katan's eyes began to set in a glare, "You knew."
"Yes."
"You knew and still let him go into battle." Bo-Katan's voice grew louder.
"What did you want me to do? You had every chance to find Gideon. Instead, you stood here and waited for him to come to you. While I sat on a chair being tortured."
Bo-Katan stepped forward, and my grip on my lightsaber grew tighter. Before anything could happen, a loud beep came from one of the control panels behind her. The two of us stared for a second before changing our focus towards the sound.
Fennec ran towards the panel as Gideon just smirked. "Perhaps she'll get another crack at it." He said smugly.
"The ray shields have been breached." Fennec said, "We're being boarded."
"How many life forms?" Bo-Katan asked as we both moved towards another screen. Pushing the fight away for the next one coming to us.
Fennec stared at her screen for a few seconds before turning to us. Her face telling us more than her next words.
"None."