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"Fucking shit!" Zoya yelps, hitting the hard, paneled floor of the Razor Crest.
She'd been taking a quiet, much-needed nap in the back of the ship, dreaming of soft green fields and piles of yellow flowers and sunlight sparking off Beskar and a warm, comfortable bed, when all of a sudden, the ship had lurched dramatically, sending her flying off the bench she'd curled up on.
"What the hell?" She rubs her elbow where it had slammed against the ground, wincing as a twinge of pain radiates through her arm. "Mando?" Zoya yells, raising her voice to be heard from the depth of the ship.
No response.
"Mando!"
The ship shudders again, and a tendril of fear snakes down Zoya's spine. Mind whirling, she darts to the ladder, climbing up from the belly of the ship, boots making clanging sounds on the metal rungs. When she reaches the top, Zoya darts through the hallways, making her way directly towards the cockpit.
"Mando?" she calls again, bursting through the doorway. He wrenches the ship to the side, and a bolt spirals past the window, glowing against the onyx backdrop of the galaxy. "What the fuck is going on?"
"We're being hunted," he grits out.
Zoya steps to the child, who stands whimpering in a makeshift seat they'd built it in the corner. Touching his head comfortingly, she keeps her eyes on the windows, where twins of bright red bolts can be seen, flying past them. "Who's hunting us?" she asks, nerves swirling within her stomach.
Before he can answer, a voice crackles through the chamber from the comms. "Hand over the child, Mando." A burst of electricity causes sparks to fly in the cabin, and Zoya ducks, hunkering over the child to protect him. "I might let you live."
"Fucking asshole," Zoya snarls. "Shoot back and take him down!"
"Trying . . . to . . . evade." He spits out the words in a stilted fashion, piloting the Razor Crest in a wide, sweeping arc.
The whole ship shudders as it takes a hit. Zoya stumbles to the side, loosing her balance. The child cries out in fear, and a flash of bright red spots before her eyes. Bracing herself, Zoya stands beside him, throwing an incensed look at the back of Mando's head. He pulls the yoke back, directing the ship higher, stars flickering in the distance as they drop out of view.
