The Mandalorian's Bounties | Din Djarin

Chapter 16 | The Rescue (Part 2)

Din opens the door to the bridge and enters, carrying Cordelia in one arm, the other holding the lightsaber at Moff Gideon. 

"What happened?" Bo-Katan asks as she approaches them.

"He brought him in alive, that's what happened. And now the New Republic's gonna have to double the payment." Cara says, joining them. She spots the bandages peeking out of Cordelia's clothes and places her hand on her arm. "You okay?" She asks.

"I'm okay now." Cordelia answers, tightening her hold on her husband and child.

"That's not what she's talking about." Gideon says, turning towards Bo-Katan. "Why don't you kill him now and take it?" Cara grabs him by the binders around his wrists and slams him to the ground. "It's yours now." He tells Din.

"What is?" He asks, holding Cordelia closer to his side.

"The Darksaber. It belongs to you." He answers. Din presses the button to retract the saber back into the hilt and moves forward, holding it out to Bo-Katan.

"Now...it belongs to her." He says.

"She can't take it." Gideon says, a smile on his face. Cordelia glares down at him, wishing her leg wasn't hurt so she could kick the smile off his face. "It must be won in battle. In order for her to wield the Darksaber again, she would need to defeat you in combat." He explains.

"I yield. It's yours." Din says, holding it out to her agian.

"Oh, no." He chuckles. "It doesn't work that way." He says, getting to his feet. "The Darksaber doesn't have power. The story does. Without that blade, she's a pretender to the throne."

"He's right." Bo-Katan says.

"Come on. Just take it." Din insists. An alarm blares behind them, grabbing everyone't attention.

"Well, perhaps she'll get another crack at it." Gideons says as Fennec approaches the beeping screen.

"The ray shields have been breached. We're being boarded." She announces.

"How many life forms?" Bo-Katan asks.

"None." She says. 

Cordelia squeezes her eyes shut and buries her face in Din's neck, knowing that the troopers who took her and Grogu are coming for them. Din shifts his hold on her and begins rubbing circles on her back, trying to comfort her without words.

"You're about to face off with the dark troopers." Gideon says. He turns to Din. "You had your hands full with one. Let's see how you do against a platoon." He taunts. 

"They're headed this way." Bo-Katan warns as the group gets ready. Din carries Cordelia to the edge of the bridge and sets her down behind one of the consoles. He kneels in front of her, cupping her cheek and placing his hand on Grogu's head.

"Don't worry. I'm gonna get you both out of here." He assures. Cordelia nods, cupping her hand over his. He leans in for a Keldabe Kiss and rubs Grogu's head before he stands and joins the others. Cordelia holds Grogu in her lap, keeping one arm around him and gripping her blaster with the other.

"Seal the blast doors!" Fennec orders. The doors are sealed just before the Darksabers reach the hallway to the bridge.

"They're here." Koska announces. The group turns their attention to the door, drawing their weapons. After a few moments of waiting the Darktroopers begin punching the door, trying to break through. 

"You have an impressive fire team protecting you. But I think we all know, after a valiant stand, everyone in this room will be dead...but me...and Cordelia...and the Child." Gideon says as the Darktroopers continue hitting the door. It begins to dent under the force of their hits.

Another alarm beeps, getting everyone's attention again. They turn, spotting an X-Wing approaching. Cordelia watches it fly past, that familiar feeling tingling her brain before it disappears at Bo-Katan's voice.

"An X-Wing." She announces, moving towards the console.

"One X-Wing? Great. We're saved." Cara says sarcastically.

"Incoming craft, identify yourself." She says into the comms. There's no response as the ship enters and lands. The Darktroopers stop pounding on the door.

"Why did they stop?" Fennec asks as she and Cara approach the door slowly, blasters drawn. Cordelia uses the edge of the console to pull herself up and limp around to Din. She wraps her arms around him and he does the same, keeping one arm free to point his blaster at the door.

"A Jedi?" Bo-Katan says softly. Cordelia leaves Din to join Bo-Katan, ignoring the pain in her leg as she moves. She watches the screen, spotting the Jedi defeating the Darktroopers with their lightsaber. Cordelia clutches her head as the familiar feeling returns, much stronger than before. 

"Delia?" Din asks, concerned. She waves him off.

"I'm fine." She replies, closing her eyes and rubbing her temples, hoping to relieve some of the pain. Bo-Katan moves back, giving Cordelia room to take the seat in front of the console.

Once she does, Moff Gideon stands, using the blaster he had hidden to shoot Bo-Katan repeatedly on her chestplate. She falls to the ground, and he turns to aim at Grogu. He fires, but Din dives in front of him, blocking the bolts with his armor.

"Drop it!" Fennec orders as the rest of the group stands with their blasters pointed at him. He looks around the group before pointing the blaster under his chin. Before he can fire, Cara knocks the blaster from his hands before knocking him out.

Cordelia rushes to her family as quickly as she can with her injury, dropping down next to Din. She holds him and Grogu to her chest, sighing in relief.

"Don't scare me like that." She whispers. Grogu coos, touching her cheek before turning and reaching towards the console. She sets him on top of it and he moves to the screen, pressing his hand to it.

Din wraps his arm around Cordelia, lifting her to her feet as she stands. She wraps both arms around him and leans on him as they watch the Jedi enter the elevator to the hallways just beyond the doors. He takes out the rest of the Darktroopers before standing in front of the doors.

Grogu turns to the door and whines, looking to Din and Cordelia. Din grabs Grogu and holds him in his other arm as they turn.

"Open the doors." He says. He and Cordelia move towards the door. "I said, open the doors." He repeats when no one moves.

"Are you crazy?" Fennec asks. Din ignores her, setting Grogu down in the chair of the nearest console before pressing the button to open the doors. Cordelia tightens her grip on him as the doors open and they move to the front of the group.

The Jedi enters with his lightsaber still activated. He stops a few feet from them before deactivating it. He attaches it to his hip before reaching up to remove his hood, revealing his face. He scans the room, his eyes landing on Cordelia. His eyes widen.

"Cory?" He asks.