Mandalorian Menace

Chapter 19 - Finale

Author's Note: Enjoy the final chapter! There's only an epilogue left now... unless I decide to add a bonus chapter or two someday. :)

PS. There is Mando'a in here, and I put all the translations at the end. Let me know if I missed anything! ^-^

~ Amina Gila

"I was going to kill them," Palpatine mocks, flipping away as Yoda leaps at him, green laser sword blazing. "I was going to throw their bodies at your feet, so you would realize how big of a mistake you've made."

A furious anger burns to life inside of Din when he realizes what Palpatine is saying, when it registers what the dar'jetii was planning to do. "You won't touch them," he growls. His foundlings, his ade, his aliit. Palpatine won't hurt them. He won't. Din won't let him.

"They're powerful," Palpatine says gleefully, batting aside the Jetiis' blades like they're nothing, though he keeps on moving, not staying in the same place for long. "I'll keep them."

Din is this close to launching his whistling birds at Palpatine. He only doesn't because it would probably hurt the Jetii as well. "You won't," he snaps again, bringing up the Darksaber to block Palpatine when he lunges towards him. Sidious is a better duelist than Ahsoka, than Moff Gideon, and Din knows that he's no match for him on his own. One red blade hits his pauldron, falling off harmlessly while the other crackles against the Darksaber. They exchange a few rapid blows, Palpatine using one hand to fend off the Jetii. An invisible force throws Depa backwards, but she lands on her feet some distance away.

"I wonder how the younger would react if I killed you," Palpatine mocks.

Din knows, by now, that Palpatine is only trying to throw him off-balance, trying to make him lash out in anger, but that alone isn't enough to let him remain calm. Grogu has lost enough. Ahsoka had said she feared what might happen to him if he was trained, because of his attachment to Din, and Din doesn't really understand how Jetii magic works, but he knows that the kid would never recover. It's not – he can't and won't let that happen.

Palpatine turns to block Depa, throwing in a sudden, surprise move, stabbing her in the side. She stumbles back, collapsing, injured but alive, though Din doesn't know for how long. Palpatine spins again, far faster than Din can react, but the red laser sword only hits his chestplate. Din swipes upwards at the dar'jetii's hand, and he jerks his hand out of the way. Their blades cross, and Din, still filled with a silent, burning fury, kicks him... in a certain place.

He probably feels way too smug when Palpatine stumbles back with a grunt, nearly impaling himself on Dooku's laser sword. The violet blade grazes Palpatine's shoulder, and though it obviously injures him, it doesn't really slow him down much. Everyone is slowing down as they begin to become a bit worn out, Palpatine most noticeably, because he's fending off so many attacks. He catapults himself over everyone, raising his hands towards the brush, and with a jolt of horror, Din knows what he's about to do. He dives in the way, in front of where Anakin is hiding, just as Palpatine unleashes lightning.

Din's been electrocuted before, but nothing like this. The pain is sharper, more intense than anything he's ever felt. It feels like he's being burned from the inside out, but he clenches his jaw, refusing to scream and refusing to move. The assault lets up suddenly, and Din forces himself to raise his head – he doesn't even remember falling – to see Dooku standing in front of him, blocking the assault with his laser sword, protecting him.

He feels drained suddenly, uncontrollable tremors running through his body, even though he tries to fight them off and stand. If he's going to die, he's going to die fighting on his feet, not on the ground. "Buir," he hears Anakin whisper, sounding horrified and panicked all at once.