GALDANA || the mandalorian

PART FORTY-ONE

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"Help me rescue my family and you can have whatever you want. They're my only priority."

°°°

The only sound Mando heard was his boots thumping against the floor of the long metal hallways.

He pushed himself against the wall as he heard troopers pass, but sprung out from his hiding place as soon as they were clear. For every door he passed he remembered the map the doctor had shown them, the child's holding cell only a few doors away from Fwega's. He would pick up Grogu first, then he would break Fwega out and be reunited.

But whenever he thought of her the doubt in his chest resurfaced, the lack of her emotions worrying him. That wave earlier was the last he had felt from her, and he hoped she couldn't feel his worry. She probably had enough on her mind.

He would be damned if he let anyone lay a hand on her. And if she died? His sorrow would be enough to overflow planets, and his anger would be enough to explode them. Her killer wouldn't die quickly.

Mando turned a corner and skidded to a halt, taking long strides over to the control panel outside of the child's cell. The dark troopers had did a number on him, but he wasn't about to let that stop him from recovering the only things in his life he had truly loved. He took a minute to chuckle about the scolding he would receive from Fwega if he had tried to sacrifice himself before pushing her completely out of his mind to focus on his task.

The doors opened, but he was not met with a tearful reunion.

"Drop the blaster."

Gideon's voice was stone-cold, his demeanor mirroring the front Mando often adopted to seem more sure of himself. Beneath which only Fwega knew.

"Slowly."

Mando complied, his eyes only on the child, who seemed almost relieved to see him. The darksaber hummed threateningly.

"Now kick it over to me."

He kicked it, metal against metal. It clattered to a stop at Moff Gideon's feet.

"Give me the kid."

Gideon tilted his head. "Ah, ah, ah. I think the kid is just fine where he is. And your pretty little plaything... Fwega, was it?"

Mando stepped forward, but the Moff tutted, sweeping the darksaber over Grogu's head, close enough to where Mando hesitated.

"Mesmerizing, isn't it?" The blade's humm grew louder, a menacing presense that was almost living. "Used to belong to Bo-Katan. Yes. I know you've been traveling with Bo-Katan. A friendly piece of advice, assume that I know everything. Like the fact that your wrist launcher has fired its one and only salvo."

Mando tilted his head. "Where is this going?"

Gideon chuckled darkly. "This is where it's going. I'm guessing that Bo-Katan and her boarding party have arrived at the bridge, seeking me or, more accurately, this. But I'm not there. And I imagine that they've killed everyone on the bridge, being the murderous savages that they are. And now, they're beginning to panic. You see, she wants this. Do you know why?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Because it brings power. Whoever wields this sword... has the right to lay claim to the Mandalorian throne."

"You keep it. I just want the kid and Fwega."

"Ah, there it is. The truth, finally. You do know that there are troopers in her cell, and that if I die, they have orders to kill her, too? You don't want your little family to be reduced to nothing, now would you?" He advanced, his smirk growing wider. "I've already gotten all the blood I need from your little child. But Fwega, why, she only has a week or so until she dies from the poison. That is, unless Zita decides to kill her first."

Mando's hands shook, inching towards the spear on his back.

"But, no worries. You take the child, and get off my ship, and we go our separate ways."

Mando walked forward slowly, reaching for the child. But just as he was about to pick him up-

He crossed his arms as he fended off the darksaber, feeling the heat even through his beskar. Mando threw Gideon off, slipping the spear from his back and parrying the next barrage of strikes. They were locked in a deadly dance, the scraping echoing down the hallways in a deadly duet.

For each strike he landed Mando thought about Fwega, for each strike he missed he thought of Fwega, for every parry and countermove and strike and kick he received he thought of her wavy pink hair, her turbulent green eyes, her lopsided smile. He blinked the tears away, shouting as he landed another blow to Gideon, then another, another. He fought for her, he fought for their child, he found for his family.

But when he saw Gideon on the ground, fearful eyes watching him raise his spear, he steadied his hand. He did that for his family too.

Instead he grabbed the front of Gideon's uniform and brought his head down, hard, knocking him out and halting his self-righteous statement.

Mando dragged his limp body into the cell, grabbing a pair of handcuffs and cuffing Gideon. He sat beside the child, waiting for the Moff to wake.

The child looked up at him.

"Hey there, Grogu." He laughed lightly as the child held up his arms, Mando complying to his silent command and holding him on his lap. "I've missed you so much. Have you seen Fwega? Do you know where she is?"

The child curled his fingers in, mimicking what he saw Fwega do whenever she wanted Mando to come closer. Grogu put his hand on Mando's helmet, the two of them closing their eyes...

"Tell Mando I said goodbye, okay? Tell him I'm searching for him. I have to find another jedi, we don't have enough time-" Fwega looked sickly, and her bead-less hair was unfamiliar to Mando, who couldn't take his eyes off her face. He couldn't fathom how much he had missed her.

A loud bang sounded and Fwega's eyes darted to glance at the door, Grogu's eyes wandering to see what she was looking at. Mando just caught a flash of curly blue hair before a voice sounded: "Time's up, your highness!"

Fwega cried gently and Mando watched Grogu's hands touch the purple-tinted tears, feeling his confusion.

"I love you so much, Grogu. We'll meet again, okay?"

Grogu was set down, but he refused to let go of Fwega's finger. She looked back at him, smiling a watery smile.

But, suddenly she was tugged away from Grogu's hand and the door snapped closed, Grogu's ears just catching a last "I love you!" before her voice stopped. The child waited for her to return, but his next visitor had not been so friendly.

Mando opened his eyes, sputtering as he felt his eyes fill with tears. No, he couldn't let his emotions get in the way of-

The child was crying, too.

Mando tugged him closer into his chestplate, not allowing himself to think of the possibility that she might be dead. He would've felt something, he would've known...

Mando stood up as Gideon's eyes opened, roughing tugging him to his feet.

They walked through the hallways silently, but this time, Mando couldn't halt his feelings. And how much he missed her.

°°°

"Where's Fwega."

"I think we have bigger problems here-"

"Shut it, Bo-Katan. Where's Fwega." Cara voice was like rock, her eyes hard against Mando's helmet. He threw Gideon to the floor.

"She's gone. I don't know where, but we'll find her."

Cara yelled, turning and slamming her hand into a control panel. Her hair hid her face from view, but her frustration hung in the air thickly.

"Or maybe, she'll find you." Boba Fett's voice was a whisper, but he looked up when everyone was silent around him. "You said there was something special between you two. Maybe she'll find you."

Mando nodded slightly. "Yeah. Maybe she will."

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