𝑩𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑻𝒀 𝑯𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹 - The Mandalorian

twenty three

23|FOUR STORMTROOPERS

The small group quietly approached the run down town, two stormtroopers on guard suddenly sitting up as they spotted the intruders.

"Chain code?" One stormtrooper stood up and demanded.

"I have a gift for the boss." Greef Karga answered, gesturing to the tied up Mandalorian.

"Chain code?" The soldier repeated with a harsher tone. Greef sighed and pulled out a small card, passing it to the stormtrooper who processed it. "I'll give you 20 credits for the helmet."

"Haha! Not a chance." The bounty hunter leader laughed. "That's going on my wall."

"On your wall?" Asra heard Mando softly ask mockingly.

"Go ahead." The stormtrooper gave back the card and allowed the group to enter the town.

"You said four." Cara spat quietly to the older man, grabbing Asras wrist and pulling her closer for safety. "There are more than four troopers."

"Four guarding the client. Many more here in town." He replied. "Things got really heated once Mando crashed the safe house."

"This is starting to bring back bad memories." Asra announced, clutching her medical bag as she tried to calm her breathing.

"Slip him his blaster." Cara told Greef, placing a hand gently on the females back.

"Not yet." They finally entered a smallish room with four stormtroopers and the "client". "You see? Four." Greef led the way to the client who met them half way, staring at Mando with surprise. "Look what I brought you. As promised."

"What exquisite craftsmanship." The client admired the Mandalorians armour, stroking his hand across the metal. "It is amazing how beautiful beskar can be when forged by its ancestral artisans. Can I offer you libation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?"

"I would be obliged." Greef nodded his head and forced Mando to sit at the table before sitting beside the bounty hunter.

"It is a shame that your people suffered so." The client continued to converse, Asra and Cara noticing extra stormtroopers entering the room. "Just as in this situation, it was all avoidable. Why did Mandalore resist our expansion? The empire improves every system it touches. Judge by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace. Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now. Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos. I would like to see the baby."

"Uh, it is asleep." Greef smacked his lips before stopping the older man from opening the bed.

"We all will be quiet." He was persistent. "Open the pram." They were cut off by a stormtrooper relaying a message causing him to stand up. "Don't think me to be rude. I must take this call."

"Give me the blaster." Mando whispered to Greef after the client left.

"You get one shot." Greef Karga warned, passing the blaster subtly to the Mandalorian. Asra saw this and stepped behind Cara, prepared for what was about to happen.

"This is bad. You said four." Cara leaned down and whispered to the bounty hunter leader.

"Well, there are more. What can I tell you?" He shrugged, eyes darting around to count all the stormtroopers.

"Get down." Asra grabbed Caras wrist and pulled her down as blaster shots were fired through the window, killing the client and all his stormtroopers. The four of them jumped behind the flipped table, preparing for what was about to happen. Mando and Greef went to one side of the window, weapons raised while the two women went to the other side.

"Four stormtroopers?" Cara sassed as even more soldiers arrived on transport vehicles. "This is bad."

"Definitely starting to feel like Marana all over again." The healer joked, checking her weapons.

"Kuiil? Are you back to the ship yet?" Mando said through the communication device. "Are you there? Do you copy? Are you back to the ship yet?"

"Not yet." Asra heard his voice and let out a sigh of relief.

"Get back to the ship and bail. Get the kid out of here." The bounty hunter commanded. "We're pinned down!"

An Imperial fighter ship landed behind the wall of stormtroopers and Moff Gideon walked forwards.

"You have something I want." He stated.

"Who's this guy?" Cara questioned with a confused face.

"He killed my family, my people, everything I know and love." Asra breathed heavily, feeling her heart sink.

"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of, but you do not." Moff continued, his voice deep with command and authority. Mando continued to contact Kuiil but got no answer, the small group all began to become anxious. "It means more to me than you will ever know."