𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 - DIN DJARIN

Chapter 68: The Pursuit

chapter 68: the pursuit •••

Din had fought the hardest he could, and he's still not done.

It was the smartest thing for him to go limp. It ended up with tight restraints on his ankles and his wrists, but it's left him with only two Imperials to take care of. All he has to do is fake it for a little bit longer. Considering just how much dissociation he's had to make himself do ever since the ambush started, it shouldn't be too hard.

He tracks their progress through his visor. Once they approach the next corner, there'll be enough distance between them and any potential backup for Din to attack. His boots continue to drag along the floor as his helmet hangs between the two Imperials. Just a little bit longer...

Din doesn't hold back. He pushes off the ground and swings his feet towards the wall to do the very same thing. The sudden action forces all three of them against the opposite side of the corridor. Din slams the back of his helmet against the Imperial behind him and tucks to roll and flip the other onto the ground. He takes the quick moment he has to draw a blade and cut his ankles free.

He doesn't have time to do more. The trooper behind him has since recovered and starts to fire blaster bolts at Din. He grunts as it hits his armor and knocks the blade from his bound hands. Din stands and takes a few calculated steps towards the Imperial before he rolls again and stands to shoulder the trooper into the wall.

Now, the other Imperial's also recovered and reached for his blaster. Din takes the hits to his armor while he thinks of his next move, but it doesn't help when the second trooper adds his flamethrower into the mix. He lowers himself down against the wall and rolls towards the Imperial with the flamethrower, wrapping both his legs around one of the trooper's to take him to the ground. Din's momentum continues and gives him the advantage, where he's able to grab the trooper's arm and direct the flames towards the other trooper.

Once that Imperial's had his fill, Din slams his arm against the ground to stop the flames and does the same with his head. The other trooper aims his blaster at Din, but the Mandalorian's unsurprisingly quicker. He steps to the side to avoid a bolt and takes a hold of the trooper's arm, slamming it against the wall before twisting it behind him. The pain takes the Imperial to the ground, which allows Din to hook his bound wrists around his neck from behind.

One strong pull upwards is all it takes to snap his neck.

Din's given no time for victory. A fibercord whip wraps around his neck from behind and pulls him backwards hard enough to make his back hit the ground. Din struggles against the whip, pushing his feet against the ground in a vain attempt to escape it. The Imperial forces him to sit up as he pulls harder. Din's vision starts to go spotty as he fights for his life.

He refuses to go. Not like this. Not with his wife, son, and daughter all in danger. Not without getting to remind them just how much he loves them.

Din fears he's lost all the rest of the fight left in him when he hears a relieving voice from just behind him. "No," IG-12's voice calls out. "No. No. No."

"No!" Astra joins him, her voice strained in a way that makes Din's weakened heart ache. He hears the sound of a vibroblade sinking into flesh before IG-12 severs the fibercord whip from Din's neck, finally taking care of the last Imperial.

The sound of the vibroblade is constant even as Din chokes and coughs for air. He's too distracted now to think anything of it, with Grogu inside IG-12 administering a heavy amount of bacta spray. "I'm okay," Din assures Grogu in a hoarse voice. "I'm okay." Once he has enough air in his lungs, he speaks again. "Help me up."

Grogu obeys, using the strength of IG-12's arms to help Din sit up. Din reaches around his cowl to remove the whip and forces himself to take a deep breath. It's Grogu's worried coo that puts Din back in fight-or-flight as he follows his son's gaze.