4.4

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FOURTY-FOUR.
the final sacrifices

🔹️🔹️🔹️

"I must be destroyed."

At that exact moment, it felt as if I stopped breathing; I was just completely frozen. Greef grew agitated, "Are we gonna keep talking, or get out of here?!"

"I can no longer carry this for you." IG-11 said to Mando, placing the jetpack on the side of the boat. "Nor can I watch over Adalyn and the child."

"Wait," I gulped and took a step towards the IG unit, handing the child over to Mando. "You can't self-destruct."

"Weren't you the one who told me that your base command was to watch Adalyn and the child? That supercedes your manufacturer's protocol, right?" Mando asked aggressively, adding onto my remark. He stood next to me, facing the IG unit. "Right?"

"This is correct."

"Good, now grab a blaster and help us shoot our way out." Mando said.

"Victory through combat is impossible." IG-11 announced, stopping us from preparing for battle. "We will all be captured; the child will be lost. Sadly, there is no scenario where the child and Adalyn are saved, in which I survive."

"Look, you're not going anywhere. I don't care if I die," I said, pushing back the tears forming in my eyes. "We.. I need you. We just need to come up with a--"

"Please tell me both Adalyn and the child will be safe in your care." IG-11 interrupted me as it turned to speak to Mando. I growled.

"Are you even listening to me--?!"

"If you do so, I can default to my secondary command."

"But you'll be destroyed." Mando replied.

"And you will live, and I will have served my purpose."

Mando's voice grew soft, "No.. we need you."

"There is nothing to be sad about," IG-11 replied. "I have never been alive."

"I'm not.. sad." Mando said. I ran a hand through my hair, shaking my head.

"Yes, you are." IG-11 said. "I'm a nurse droid -- I've analyzed your voice."

The child cooed. IG-11 looked at the child and grazed its index finger over the child's ear as a final goodbye. I grabbed IG-11's arm with my hand and stopped it from walking towards the edge of the boat.

"Please," I begged, tightening my grasp on its arm. "You don't have to do this.. I can't afford to lose you too."

IG-11 paused for a moment before placing its hand on top of my head. The IG unit ruffled my hair, "Kuiil told me that I was your project; you created my new purpose as a droid. And now, it is time I repayed you for it."

"I just.."

"Do not mourn over my destruction; be glad that you have survived." IG-11 said, patting my head with its hand. "You will not be losing anything, Adalyn."

𝐑𝐔𝐓𝐇𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒 ── ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴀɴᴅᴀʟᴏʀɪᴀɴ ✓Where stories live. Discover now