PURPOSE | The Mandalorian

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After Greef finally handed the trooper his chain code, the guard scanned it before unceremoniously tossing the card back at the magistrate's chest.

My whole body tensed when the trooper's eyes landed on me, taking his sweet time looking me over. I could tell Din desperately wanted to intervene, but I prayed he didn't start anything. The last thing we needed right now was a huge shootout before we even got inside the city.

The trooper huffed a quick laugh. "I'll give you twenty credits for her helmet," He joked.

My nose twitched as I forced myself to stay silent, and Din was practically vibrating with anger. His fists clenched in front of him, despite being told to look defeated.

"Not a chance, trooper," Karga snapped, pointing his thumb at his chest, "Both of them are going on my wall."

I was glad for my helmet at that moment, because neither Greef or the trooper could see me roll my eyes so aggressively it hurt. His wall? Really?

My muscles tensed again when the trooper glanced in my direction again. His body froze, and he leaned his head closer to me, almost like he wanted to get a better look.

"What?" I snapped bitterly. Both Din and Cara flinched back when I spoke, like they were surprised to hear my voice. "See something you like?"

The trooper chuckled to himself before stepping forward, towering over me by at least eight inches. I craned my head back to look at where his eyes should be as he purred through his modulator, "Take the helmet off and I'll let you know."

"Fat chance," I spat, shouldering him in the arm while sidestepping him to follow Greef and Cara towards the meeting place. Leaving the pristine stormtrooper to his job guarding the gate, I walked beside Din once more. He took one quick glance at me before turning his attention to Karga's shoulder blades.

"Your wall?" He hissed incredulously to the magistrate, and Karga tossed him an apologetic look over his shoulder.

As we continued to walk, the ominous presence of the stormtroopers stalking the streets made me uneasy. Cara seemed to share the same feeling, because she hissed to Karga in a low voice, "You said four stormtroopers. There are way more than four stormtroopers here."

After a short moment, Greef spared the shocktrooper a quick glance. "I said four guarding the client. There are many more here in town." Then he nodded his head back towards Din as he continued, "Things got complicated once you trashed the safe house."

Cara glanced at a nearby squadron of troopers, and I was impressed at how unfazed she seemed by their presence, even though I knew it was eating her alive on the inside. Once the troopers passed, she said urgently, "Slip them their blasters."

But the magistrate shook his head. "Not yet."

My heart started to race as we approached a nondescript entryway that was guarded by two stormtroopers. Din tensed as soon as his eyes landed on the building. It seemed to be the entrance to a cantina of some sort, and I could have guessed this was where Din would collect his pucks before being sent out on jobs. While he worked for the Guild, at least.

Greef led us inside the cantina, and the troopers stationed at the door peeled off and followed us inside. Once my eyes adjusted to the dim lighting, they immediately settled on the old man standing by the empty bar.

"Just as promised," Greef called out to the client, and the old man slowly walked towards us. He stopped just in front of me and Din, glancing at my face before flicking his gaze to Din's. I bristled when he brought his arm up to brush my helmet with the back of his hand, doing the same to Din with the other.