Promises and Deals | The Mandalorian

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 Pain.

So much pain.

All she can do is watch the fight unfolding before her, watch as Bo-Katan wields a weapon that she is not yet comfortable with. Gideon is far more trained than most, and Bo-Katan can only hold her own for so long.

And what about Grogu and Din? The Praetorian guards are trained to slaughter anyone, even Jedi. Especially Jedi. And she is useless. She cannot help.

The pain thrums against her skin, but it dulls with the fury rushing through her veins. It turns cold enough to burn every time she tries to move out of the electricity's light. It grows with each passing second.

It grows as Bo-Katan lets out a warrior's cry and keeps battling. It grows as Gideon takes hold of the Darksaber and crushes it in his fist. It grows as Gideon removes Bo-Katan's helmet.

"The Darksaber is gone," Gideon proclaims. "You've lost everything. Mandalorians are weak once they lose their trinkets. Just as Jedi are nothing without their lightsabers."

The fury grows when he motions to her, and the pain increases tenfold.

"Mandalorians are stronger together," Bo-Katan sneers.

A shot from nowhere knocks Gideon off balance. Alora has never been happier to see Din's armor, but the pain is almost overwhelming. It comes in waves, and her vision begins to blur.

And then the pain vanishes. Alora blinks as a coo echoes to her side. Grogu places a palm against her cheek, showing her the destroyed device in his hand along with her purple saber, too large to fully fit in his grasp. She lets out a small sob of gratitude before the platform shakes vigorously.

She grabs hold of Grogu to protect him, even as the shaking steadies and sparks fly from above. More shooting echoes as she sees Bo-Katan on her stomach and Gideon shooting Din.

"No," she rasps as she pulls herself up. "Grogu, stay here, stay safe." She places him behind some boxes, but her legs hurt so much. Everything hurts, even a small step as Din falls to his knees.

"Stop!" She screams. The word rips through her throat. "Gideon, stop! Don't you dare!"

Gideon only laughs, but she has nothing as she runs forward, her fist swinging wide as she topples behind him. "Take me!" Alora says as she looks up at the helmet. "Don't hurt him."

Gideon laughs and shakes his head. "Foolish girl. Hurting him hurts you. You are a poor excuse for a Jedi. You'd be much better as something else."

He turns his back to her, and the fury replaces the fear. Gideon keeps shooting at Din, forcing him to his knees, even as Bo-Katan uses her small shield to protect them. Alora has nothing, not even her strength.

Only her rage.

Her fingers flare at her side. She knows her lightsaber is too far away, but her rage-filled mind ignores that fact. She just swings as if she holds all the power in the world.

Metal hits her palm, and she strikes.

✦✧✦✧✦

This might be the end.

Din heard the plan through the comms. This whole base will be taken out in a blast of fire. Din is helpless to stop it, and everyone he cares about is right here next to him.

Each blast from Gideon takes him down. It hits his armor, but it hurts. It is painful. Even falling to his knees is painful. The echoes of the hits remain even as Bo-Katan kneels in front of him, her shield at the ready.

He looks out from behind Bo-Katan to see Alora. She looks so afraid, so small compared to Gideon looming over her. Tears slip down her face, but Gideon's attention is no longer on her.

That will be the last mistake he ever makes.

Alora struggles to her feet, her normally dark eyes shining in the destruction around her. Din watches as she holds out her hands, spreading her fingers as far as they will go. He can see every crack, every bend from her history with the Empire.

Her lightsaber flies into her hand. The hair on the back of Din's neck stands. The lightsaber isn't right. Something isn't right. He normally feels nothing, but that lightsaber makes him want to run.

With a shout, Alora plunges the lightsaber through Gideon's back, right in between the pieces of beskar armor. Light from the saber ignites the room and reflects off of Din's armor even as Alora pulls back the saber and knocks off Gideon's helmet, spinning him around to face her.

Gideon starts to laugh before Alora swings again. This time, Gideon's head rolls off the edge of the platform, his body following after she kicks it.

Alora stands with her back facing Din and Bo-Katan, her lightsaber still ignited at her side as she stares down the ravine. Din struggles to his feet with Bo-Katan next to him as Grogu waddles over, and she stops them from moving toward Alora.

Alora turns back to them. Her face holds nothing but the fiercest rage Din has ever seen. Her breathing slows as she blinks, the harsh lines on her face softening until the old Alora stares back at him.

But then she looks down at the lightsaber in her hand.

Of all the colors Alora had spoken about, Din had never seen a red lightsaber before.

The Mandalorian-commandeered Imperial cruiser crashes into the facility. Alora's eyes widen as she snaps her deactivated lightsaber to her belt and holds her hands out, shouting, "No!"

Fire erupts from the ravine as Din hides behind Bo-Katan's shield. This is the end.

But the flames do not come close. In fact, Din cannot even feel the warmth of the fire, just cool air whipping past them. Alora stands with one of her hands towards the center of the explosion and the other directed at their small group. The fire avoids them completely as she struggles to concentrate. The bubble of safety she creates is as big as his Razor Crest was—even bigger, perhaps.

But she is struggling. Her arms shake and blood drips from her nose. Grogu reaches up as well, and the bubble expands by an inch.

As the fire lessens and smoke fills the air, Din watches as Alora slowly lets her hands fall to her side, blood dripping down her chin. She stares at him with her palms towards him. When she takes a step, she stumbles, her eyes falling closed as she falls to the ground, unmoving.

✦✧✦✧✦

My dear, you have strayed from the path set before you. You must fix it. You must fix yourself. If not for your sake, for theirs.

✦✧✦✧✦

Who doesn't love a good villain arc?

Hope you enjoyed!

-L