𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 ── ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏʀɪᴀɴ ✓

1.4

FOURTEEN.
complicated warfare

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The only thing that filled the night's air were the sounds of our footsteps. After searching around for a bit, we had finally found the raiders' camp. Outside, there was a small campfire that was occupied by two raiders -- blocking our path into the camp.

Mando, Cara, and I were hiding behind some trees, preparing to ambush them. I held my hand up, wanting to fight these two on my own. They nodded as I rushed out from behind the tree, attacking the two raiders.

I grabbed one of the raiders' head and smashed it into the other's while they were trying to attack me. They both fell to the ground -- motionless and most likely dead due to the harsh impact. I turned back to look at Mando and Cara, gesturing for them to follow me.

We slowly snuck into a tent while the raiders were distracted, holding our blasters out in front of us. We glanced around but found nothing that was of threat to us. Mando nodded, walking over to a pole and placing a small time bomb on it.

Suddenly, we heard footsteps and laughter approaching the tent. Cara whistled, indicating that we should hide and prepare to ambush them. We hid behind the tent's wall, right next to the entrance.

Just then, the raiders came flooding in. I stepped in front of them, kicking one in the stomach and blasting him in the neck. I grabbed another raider, shoving him to the ground as Mando finished him off.

To our surprise, more came rushing in to confront us. As we continued to fight the raiders, the ticking sound of the time bomb kept ringing in my ear -- it distracted me. While I wasn't paying attention, a raider smashed me to the ground.

I quickly kicked him in the front leg and pushed him away from me. I punched him in the side, using my blaster on the raider's head. That's when more came in, shooting at us.

Mando, Cara, and I hurried over to an area that was full of boxes, using it as a shield. Mando began shooting at a wall to make an exit, while I shot back at the raiders; the time bomb ticking faster. Mando turned to me and Cara, waving over at us to escape.

"Come on! I'll cover you guys."

We ran over to where he was, pushing the wall down that Mando had shot at. As if on cue, the whole tent blew up in a matter of seconds after we left. We all crashed onto the ground, each of our bodies aching with pain.

"I hope the plan worked." Cara said, breathing heavily. Then all of a sudden, we heard a loud and disturbing sound that echoed throughout the whole forest.

I turned to look at the thing that had just made that noise. What I saw was.. the AT-ST. I gulped nervously. We all quickly stood up, slowly backing away from it.

"Go." Mando exclaimed, running away from it as it began to chase after us. "Go!"

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It felt like an eternity of running away from that thing. Within a matter of minutes, we had finally caught glimpse of the village. We ducked under the barricades, getting into position.

"This is it!" I yelled through the AT-ST's booming footsteps. "Once that thing steps into the pond, it's going down for good..!"

"Weapons ready!" Cara exclaimed as everyone aimed their weapons towards the forest. After a few seconds of waiting, those familiar red eyes were back into view.

"Just a few more steps.." Mando whispered over to me, watching the AT-ST continue its way to the village. However, it stopped once it saw the pond.

"It stopped," I muttered under my breath, furrowing my eyebrows as Mando turned to look at me. "Damn it."

Just then, the AT-ST shined a bright, white light, onto the barricades. Mando bent down, whispering to everyone, "Get down.. Get down!"

The AT-ST began revolving its light all around the village as if it was trying to find something to shoot at. After looking around for a while, it had finally spotted a couple of people that were hiding behind the wall. The AT-ST started shooting at them, making all the citizens begin to panic.

"Hold your positions!" I yelled through the blaring blasts. I kept my eye on the AT-ST as it took another step forward; raiders running from out of the forest and towards the barricades. I shouted once more, "Open fire!!"

Everyone, including the three of us, began shooting at the raiders and AT-ST. It was all going according to plan -- besides the fact that the Walker wasn't going to step in the pond anytime soon.

Mando shifted over to face me and Cara, "We gotta get that thing to step forward."

"I'm thinking." I replied as I continued to shoot at the incoming raiders. To put matters worse, the AT-ST's blasts were coming in hot at the citizens. I growled, "New plan."

"What do you have in mind?" Cara asked as she shot at the AT-ST. I placed my blaster back in my emissary belt, taking out another rifle of mine.

"Just cover me." I said to them as I jumped over the barricades, running into the pond as Mando and Cara shot at the incoming raiders.

I aimed my rifle up at the AT-ST's head and shot. It looked down at me and took a few steps forward.. but not enough for it to fall down into the pond. I cursed under my breath.

"Come on, come on, come on.."

As if on cue, some of the citizens that trained with Cara ran out of the barricades, attacking the raiders with their weapons. The AT-ST shot at me as it took another step closer to the pond. I growled, ducking into the water to avoid its shots.

Suddenly, I felt my lightsaber sticking out of my emissary belt. I grabbed it, eyeing its hilt before activating it. It illuminated its blue light as I threw it up at the AT-ST's eye. The Walker malfunctioned, stepping forward and falling face first into the pond. Before it could sink any deeper though, I pulled out my lightsaber from its eye as I moved further away from the machine.

Mando came rushing over, placing a time bomb on the AT-ST's body. Right as the bomb exploded, Mando plummeted into the water, falling down next to me. Parts of the AT-ST flew all over the place as I placed my lightsaber back into my emissary belt.

"Was that the plan?" Mando asked, breathing heavily. I turned to face him, chuckling a little.

"Something like that."