The sun was barely above the horizon when we started walking again. With there only being one burg, Kuiil was the one to ride it. I walked close to Mando and Cara, trying not to drag my feet across the ground. The hunters and Greef were in the front leading us to wherever we were going.
"Do you think there having second thoughts?" Cara asked in a quiet voice.
"Could be." Mando responded. "I need your eyes."
"I'm watching."
The closer we got to the town, the more my anxiety grew. My hand was holding my Crystal with a white knuckle grip.
Finally the town came into view. The hunters had migrated behind us and Greef was now walking on the other side of Mando. I glanced over at the pram. It was still closed and the Child was still safe.
Once we came to a stop Greef spoke. "I guess this is it."
Then in a split second, Greef turned around and shot both the hunters. Who had been slowly sneaking up to us.
Mando shoved me behind him and both him and Cara pulled out there blasters.
Greef raised his own blasters in surrender. "There's something you should know."
He walked towards the dead hunters, flipping one over to make sure they were dead.
"The plan was to kill you and take the kids. But after what happened last night, I couldn't go through with it."
No one moved.
"Go ahead you can gun be down, right here and now, and it wouldn't violate the code. But if you do, these children will never be safe." He pointed at me and the Pram, which was now open.
"Will take our chances."
"The Imperial client is obsessed with obtaining these assets. You tried to run but where did that get ya?"
"This is ridiculous." Cara voiced.
"Perhaps you should let him speak." Kuill joined in.
"We both need the client eliminated. Let me take the kids to him, and then you two-"
"No." Mando pushed me farther behind him.
"Let's just kill him and get out of here."
Mando started to lower his blaster. "He's right."
"What are you doing?" Cara asked.
"As long as the Imp lives he will send hunters after the kids."
"It's a trap."
"Bring me" Mando said.
"What?!" I yelled.
"Bring you?" Greef asked.
"Tell them you captured me. Get me close to him, and I'll kill him."
"That's a good idea. Give me your blaster."
"No it's not a good idea!" I shouted as Mando handed over his blaster to Greef.
"I'm with the kid, this is insane!"
"It's the only way."
"Well I'm coming with you." Cara said, holstering her own blaster.
"Uhm, excuse me? I still don't think this is a good idea!" No one listened.
"No, no, no. That would make them suspicious."
"I don't care, I'm coming." Cara growled at Greef.
"Tell them she caught me."
"Fine, then she can bring the kids."
"No. The kids go back in the ship." Mando said, his voice holding no room for argument.
"But without the kids none of this works."
"I have a plan. Kuill ride back to the Razor Crest with the kids and seal yourself in. When you're inside gauge ground security protocols. Nothing on this planet could breach those doors."
Kuill walked over and handed Mando a com. "Here's a com link. I will keep the children safe."
"I'm not going!" I crossed my arms.
"Mara." Mando warned.
"No Mando you listen! I'm not about to go hide again while you go off risking your life for us!"
"Mara, I need to make sure your both out of harms way." Mando set a hand on my shoulder.
"But what about you?" I whispered.
"I'll be back. Do you trust me?"
"I do."
"Then I need your Crystal and I need you to go with Kuill."
I sighed and slipped off my necklace. I placed it in Mando's hand and stared him in the visor.
"You better come back." I hugged him before running off to join Kuill on the burg.
I sat behind him and watched as Greef cuffed Mando and started to lead them into town.
'Stars, please keep him safe.'
~🌓~
With me riding behind Kuill I held onto the Child while he drove.
"The Mandalorian will be ok, young one."
"I'm still worried. He's been the closest thing I've had to a dad in a long time."
A dad. Was that what Mando was to us?
Kuill didn't respond, he only pushed the burg to go faster
3rd person pov:
Greef lead Mando and Cara into the cantina. "Here we are."
The door slid open and Greef shoved Mando in. Four Stormtrooper heads turned to them.
"See four." Greef muttered.
The client stood from his booth apon seeing Mando.
"Look what I brought you. As promised."
"What inquisitived craftsmanship." The client drug his hand along Mando's chest plate and helmet.
It took every in Mando to not slap his hand away and shoot him right there.
"It is amazing how beautiful Beskar can be when forged by its ancestral artisans." He then turned to Greef. "Can I offer you a libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?"
"I would be obliged."
"Please sit." He motioned to the booth. Mando sat first then Greef. Cara stood next to them.
"It is a shame that your people suffered so." More troopers walked in. "Just as in this situation, it was all avoidable. Why did Mandalore resist our expansion? The Empire improves every system it touches. Judge by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now." He stared Mando down. "Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos."
"I would like to see the Baby and Girl."
"The baby is sleeping and the girl is dead." Greef dropped Mara's crystal on the table.
"We all will be quiet." He reached for the pram. "Open the pram."
Then a trooper walked over and whispered something to him.
"Don't think me to be rude. I must take this call." He stood and walked over to the bar.
Mando slipped out of the cuffs silently. "Give me the blaster."
Greef handed Mando the blaster, from under the table. "You get one shot."
"This is bad." Cara whispered. "You said four."
"Well there are more, what can I tell you?"
The client turned on the hollow projector. A man in black armor appeared. "Yes Moff Gideon?"
"Have they brought the children?"
"Yes they have, currently it is sleeping, but the girl is dead."
"You may want to check again."
Then blaster shots bursted through the window. One hit the client and the other troopers. Mando, Cara and Greef were able to flip over the table and hide behind it.
Once the firing stopped they all ran to the wall for better coverage.
Outside there was a line of Dark armored Troopers, blasters aimed and ready to shoot. A shuttle arrived and more troopers ran out and lined up behind the Dark Troopers.
"Kuill are you back to the ship yet." Mando said into the com. "Are you there, do you copy?"
"Yes."
"Are you back to the ship yet."
"Not yet."
"Get back to the ship and bail! Get the kids out of here! We're pinned down!"
Kuill pushed the Burg to go faster. Mara held onto the Child tighter, the same words flying through her mind. They failed. They failed.
Back with Mando the sound of a TIE- Fighter was heard. It landed right behind the lines of troopers.
"Kuill! We have speeders incoming!" Mara yelled
A man in black armor climbed out of the TIE. He walked through the troopers and stopped right in front of the Window.
"You have something I want."
"Who's this guy?" Cara asked.
"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not."
"Kuiil, are you back to the ship yet? They're onto us!Kuiil, come in!" Mando yelled into the com.
The speeders were closing in on the burg. Mara held the Child closer to her chest. A memory flashed through her mind.
A older white haired woman was carrying a young girl, around five, through the streets. Troopers closing in on her.
"In a few moments, they will both be mine."
She darted into an alley and set the young girl in a crate. The young girl looked up at her mother with wide purple eyes. The woman kissed the girl on the head before closing the crate.
"Kuiil! Do you copy? Kuiil!"
The ramp to the Crest opened. They were going to make it!
"They mean more to me than you will ever know."
The girl watched through a hole as her mother raced out of the alley. Then after a few moments the sound of a blaster and screams reached her small ears.
"Kuiil! Are you there? Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil, come in. Kuiil? Are you there? Do you copy?"
Mara laid on the ground. The Child still clutched tightly in her arms. A speeder zoomed by and grabbed them.
"Kuiil?!"
"Mara!"
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AN: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! That is episode 7 completed. Next comes the final episode of season one!
Wc:1542
Thank you for reading!
K out!