chapter nine - act one
REPENT FOR YOUR SINS
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The burning of intoxicating liquid within the throat of Eden does not offer any comfort to her aching heart, yet she continues downing the horrid-tasting drinks in hopes that, eventually, she'll forget how she'd condemned the life of a child. Even the light haze that'd begun to cloud her mind cannot subdue the memories of the child's tearful eyes, silently begging her to save it from the Empire whilst she merely watched.
Lowering the drinking glass from her lips, she slams it against the surface of the bar, gesturing for the bartender to make her another. The hairs on the back of her neck remain stood at attention, the angered gazes of other bounty hunters never straying from her. She knew nearly all people within the guild had received fobs for the bounty she and Mando had received, and upon hearing someone had beat them to the task, they'd grown jealous.
Thanking the bartender as they slide another drink to her, Eden wraps her hands around the glass, her finger tapping absentmindedly upon it. Before she can raise it to her lips, her movements fall to a stop, her muscles tensing. The all too familiar beeping of active fobs erupts throughout the area, stemming from the ones other bounty hunters had placed upon the countertops; the fobs she knew to lead only to the child.
Rummaging through the contents of her jacket pockets, Eden retrieves the tracking fob which hadn't been active since she'd found the child on Arvala-7. Confusion washes over her upon seeing it, too, is beeping frantically, directing her to wherever the tiny creature may be. The Empire would never willingly set the asset free, which would leave only one option of how it'd escaped; Mando. Yet even now, after she'd grown to have some small sense of respect toward the man beneath the armour, she was doubtful. She couldn't believe it unless she witnesses it with her own eyes.
In hindsight, maybe Eden should've remained within the cantina, to remain blissful toward the events beyond those walls. But, as she watches the other bounty hunters unsheath their weapons and follow the path laid by their tracking fobs, her instincts win out. Whether it be the intoxication or her heart guiding her actions, she knows not, but she follows the crowd of bounty hunters all the same.
Through the sea of criminals that crowd around a specific area, Eden's eyes lock upon the familiar sight of Mando, though his armour appears newer than before. Her heart drops within her chest as she notices the unconscious child held gently in his arms, wrapped tightly in a blanket. Mando stands tense among the group of bounty hunters, the man surrounded by those who seek to kill the very creature he'd saved.
"Welcome back, Mando!" With authority woven deeply within his voice, Greef Karga, the man who held power over all those within the guild, emerges from the crowd. His hand rests lightly upon his hip, where his weapons remain holstered. The stony gaze in which he holds remains set upon the Mandalorian, sizing him up for a fight. "Now put the package down."
"Step aside," Mando demands, his slightly muffled voice ringing through the tense air with cation. Every muscle within his body is tense in anticipation as his mind works desperately to concoct a plan of escape, his hand lightly grazing over the cold metal of his sheathes blaster. "I'm going to my ship."
"You put the bounty down and perhaps I'll let you pass."
Eden slowly makes her way toward the edge of the crowd, treading with caution as she grows closer to Mando. Her weapon is drawn, though it is aimed toward neither him nor the other bounty hunters, for her mind had yet to choose the side she stands upon. For one, the guild had offered her a home when all was lost, and she had been given the opportunity to respectfully retire. But in doing so, she would be condemning the child and Mando, the former for the second time. And the flicker of desperation in his voice as he retorts only complicates her decision. "The kid's coming with me."
"If you truly care about the kid, then you'll put it on the speeder and we'll discuss terms," Greef gestures vaguely toward the speeder in which lies to the Mandalorian's right, though he does not dare to glance away from the metal-clad man for even a moment.
Mando's eyes shift toward the idle vehicle, the navigation droid within it turning toward him, a beep echoing from it. The gears within his head begin to grind as the ghosts of a plan starts brewing, his gaze turning back upon Greef. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"Because I'm your only hope."
Though the action is so subtle one could easily overlook it, Eden watches as the helmet of the Mandalorian turns ever-so-slightly toward her, enough so that he could look upon her. Her uneasy gaze locks upon his helmet, and despite being unable to glance upon what lies beneath the metal, she could feel his desperate eyes burning into her. For a moment, memories flash through her mind; of the child's innocent eyes staring upon her, and the way Mando had practically carried her through the desert when he could've so easily left her to die.
Eden's heart pounds within her ears as the Mandalorian steps closer to the cart, gently placing the baby's small form upon it. The tension among the bounty hunters breaches the point of suffocation as Mando remains unmoving, his muscles tense beneath his armour. In the blink of an eye, he yanks his blaster from its holster, shooting down a few of the bounty hunters before him. Mando throws his body into the cart for cover, the blaster shots unrelenting.
It was as if they were back upon Arvala-7, and the mudhorn were preparing to take the fatal strike upon Mando. Her gut-instincts kick in, subduing the battle that'd be wreaking havoc within her mind. Without the time to doubt her decision, and weigh the consequences it may reap, Eden aims her gun at a bounty hunter with a perfect shot on Mando, squeezing the trigger. Dodging beneath the blasterfire which is now directed upon her also, she bolts toward the cart, the heat of narrowly-missing bolts scorching her skin.
With no time to slow her pace, Eden volts herself into the cart mere moments before it begins moving, the droid steering it. Her body slams onto that of the Mandalorian, unintentionally using him as a crashmat for her fall. A small groan echoed from the man's lips at the impact, glancing upon the woman with a glimmer of surprise brewing in his eyes. Eden hovers above him, her hands placed on the ground beside his head to prevent herself from collapsing onto him. She sends him a brief, sheepish smile. "Hey."
Eden maneuvers her body to instead lay beside Mando, a more practical position, the pair shooting at the bounty hunters in rebuttal to the onslaught of blasterfire that's directed their way. Though luck did not appear to be in their favour, for when a bolt slams into the droid directing their cart, their movements halt. Seizing the opportunity, those in the guild begin to close in around them, severely outnumbering the pair.
Mando slowly takes the rifle off their back, cautious as not to alert the enemy. The end of the weapon peaks out from the side of the cart, and with the simple pull of the trigger, he disintegrates one, followed by others. They scatter to the sides, ducking for cover from the Mandalorian. Eden joins in best she can using her blaster, shooting at whomever she can. Soon, they reach a stalemate, no person able to leave their cover without facing death. Greef, from a place amongst the crowd, calls out to them. "I'm surprised, I didn't think you two could ever get along."
"Here's what we'll do," Mando shouts in return, his voice echoing out in the silence, the blasterfire having stilled. Neither he nor Eden dares to stand and peek above their cover, knowing every bounty hunter holds them in their sights. "We're gonna walk to my ship with the kid and you're gonna let it happen."
"No. How about this?" Greef's voice holds the level of authority one would expect the guild's leader to possess, his every word calculated. Eden's eyes scan the area around them through a crack in the vehicle's side, but she can't catch sight of the man. "We take the kid, and if you try to stop us, we kill you and strip your bodies for parts."
The two having been distracted by the man's words, a Rodian bounty hunter has the opportunity to surprise them. They grab onto the legs of Eden, yanking her toward them, using the way she's taken aback as an opportunity to raise their blaster to her head. The Mandalorian is quicker, darting forward and grasping onto the weapon. Eden uses this time to kick the Rodian, allowing Mando the upper hand to disarm and shoot him. But the purpose of distraction had worked, allowing the other bounty hunters to close in on them once more, forcing them into the cover of the cart.
Hearing the muttered curses that roll of the tongue of the woman close by his side, Mando glances at her, their eyes meeting. A flicker of defeat shines brightly within her darkly coloured eyes, an emotion he would have never thought her to accept with open arms. Something ignites deep within him at the sight, guilt weighing heavy upon his conscious. He'd dragged her into this, and he had to get her out. And so he rises into a crouch, putting up one final fight.
He sends a vibrant flame from his armour at the bounty hunters that stand close-by, scorching them, and fending the others off. But after a short while, his weapon falters, the flame flickering into nothingness. Like a predator to prey, the bounty hunters circle around them once more, the distance between them closing. Their blasterfire forces Mando to duck once more, his body pressing against Eden's in the small space of the cart.
With death coming to greet them at any moment, Mando's eyes flicker upon the woman who had fought beside him, even when presented the opportunity to be free. Her grime-coated features are illuminated by the red light of the blaster bolts above their heads, yet somehow, he manages to find a manner of beauty to her, though he may refuse to admit it. Fear shimmers within her earthy-brown eyes as she meets the gaze of Mando, yet, despite it all, she conjures the courage to offer him a small, comforting smile.
Their eyes remain entwined for a few moments more before their gazes shift upon the child. In the midst of chaos, the innocent creature had awoken, its eyes fluttering open. It looks upon them with the very same innocence that'd stuck with Mando and confirmed his decision to rescue it, innocence which was rare in these trying times. Through the veil of blasterfire that had descended upon the town, the soft cooing of the creature catches within his ears, and it is almost as if it's the only sound.
The false peace that'd settled upon the battle-worn Mandalorian is broken when a small missile slams into a nearby rooftop, one which had held a bounty hunter. A spark of hope arises within Mando as, from behind the buildings, arises other Mandalorians, his people fighting back against those in the guild. They hover in the air, using the jetpacks worn upon their backs, slowly lowering themselves to the ground surrounding the cart. His people had come to save them.
"Holy kriff," The amazed mutter of Eden echoes through the air as she watches the metal-clad warriors engaged in a battle against the bounty hunters, saving them when they could not save themselves. Taking out her own weapon, she rejoins the fight with a newfound fervour.
A heavy infantry Mandalorian hovers just beside them, using a bulky weapon to send rapid-fire toward the enemy. Their finger still tightly upon the trigger, they spare a glance toward the odd pair who are crouched within the cart, their voice authoritative as they speak. "Get out of here! We'll hold them off!"
"You're going to have to relocate the covert."
"This is the Way."
"This is the way," Offering one final respectful nod, Mando cautiously stands from the cart. Eden takes the child within her grasp, wrapping her arms around its small body to prevent harm from reaching it. Together, they sprint toward the place in which the Razor Crest is docked, not having the leisure of time to waste.
The pair bolt up the ship's lowered ramp, their pace slowing only slightly upon reaching it. Their guards lower as they're met with the false safety of the aircraft, an action they quickly regret. A soft thud echoes out from behind them, followed by the all-too-familiar click of a blaster's safety switching off. They both freeze on the spot, their muscles tensing as they anticipate a bolt to the back.
"Hold it," The two recognise the eerily calm voice of Greef within an instant, his voice unmistakable. Carefully, as to not alert the man and cause him to be trigger-happy, Mando turns around, while Eden remains still, protecting the child with her own body. "I didn't want it to come to this. But then you broke the Code."
Mando's gaze shifts to the side, the control panel to his right catching his eye. A brief moment of tension passes by, before he sends a grappling hook out to it, pressing a button which causes a fog-like gas to fill the ship's cargo hold. Greef tries blindly to shoot through the haze, yet none of his bolts his target. Growing tired of the man's attempts, Mando shoots Greef in the place his heart lies, causing his body to fall back down the ramp, and out of the ship. Whether he was dead or wounded, they cared not.
Closing the ramp, the pair of rogue bounty hunters and the child make their way to the cockpit. Taking the same positions they had when leaving Arvala-7, Mando makes quick work of lifting the Razor Crest off the ground, beginning their ascent into the atmosphere. Through the window beside the pilot's seat appears a Mandalorian flying alongside them, offering them one final salute. Mando, beneath his breath, says, "I gotta get one of those."
A small, breathless chuckle passes by the cracked lips of Eden, drawing the man's attention back to her. His gaze momentarily shifts toward her, his breath threatening to hitch within his throat when he notices the genuine smile that dances upon her lips, and the way in which she looks at him. Pushing aside the thoughts swelling within his head, clearing his throat in the process, Mando utters a few earnest words to her. "I'm sorry for dragging you into this."
"Did you kill the ones who took him?" Eden inquires, the smile that graced her lips fading at the mere mention of those loyal to the Empire. Mando pauses for a moment, taking both her words and the brief flash of vengeance in her eyes into consideration before he nods. "Then we'll call it even."
The melodious cooing of the child breaks through their conversation, the smile worn upon Eden's lips returning at the sight of it reaching toward the ball upon the end of a lever. Mando, in stark contrast to how he'd handled the same situation prior, willingly unscrews the ball, gently handing it to the small creature. And, though none will gaze upon the expression, his lips twitch upwards in a grin.
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𝙰𝚞𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚎
the weird little space family
is back together again, and
holy damn, i love them 🤧