A Life Without Meaning

𝕋𝕙𝕖 𝕁𝕖𝕕𝕚 (𝕀𝕍)

A few minutes later, the odd group was trudging through the forest once more.

"She has a small army of guards armed with A350 blaster rifles, two HK-87 assassin droids, and a hired gunfighter." Din was explaining. "He reads ex-military to me. Combined, not even your laser swords would be able to protect you from all that firepower."

As their walk took a brief pause, Ahsoka looked as if she was holding back a smile.

"True." she noted, "But don't underestimate the Magistrate either."

"Who is she?" Din asked, "She offered me a staff of pure beskar to kill you." he informed.

Ahsoka crossed her arms over her chest,

"Morgan Elsbeth." she started, "During the Clone Wars, her people were massacred. She survived and let her anger fuel an industry which helped build the Imperial Starfleet. She plundered worlds, destroying them in the process."

Ellia found herself glancing around at the very-much-dead world around them.

"Yeah, it looks like she's still in business." she muttered under her breath.

Ahsoka turned her head back to them,

"When you were in the city, did either of you see any prisoners?"

Ellia nodded immediately,

"There were three villagers strung up just outside the inner gate." she said, swallowing heavily at the memory.

"We must find a way to free them." Ahsoka said boldly.

Ellia looked back and forth in between the two standing in front of her, and couldn't help the small laugh that emanated from her throat.

"A Mandalorian and a Jedi?" she noted, "They'll never see it coming."

That earned a smile from both of them, not that she could see of course.

. . .

After dropping Grogu off at the ship for his safety and hashing out a final plan, the group of them made for the city with haste as the sun slowly fell below the horizon line.

Ahsoka was to gain the attention of the guards at the front gate, while Din and Ellia would sneak around to the far side of the city calls, ready to jet behind enemy lines once Ahsoka had engaged the Magistrate.

As they crouched silently at the edge of the forest, they suddenly heard the sound of shouts coming from the top of the gate.

"It's her! Sound the alarm!"

The orders were immediately followed by blasterfire, and the tolling of the large gong that stood atop the wall. From inside, they could hear the sound of many boots marching as the legion of guards organized themselves against Ahsoka's presence, no doubt panicked villagers trapped underneath it all.

"They're moving." Din whispered. "Let's go."

With that, they sprinted out from the forest line, running straight towards the side of the wall, bracing themselves flat up against it as they shuffled further down.

From behind the stone, they could hear the sound of the fighting, signaling that Ahsoka had made her way inside.

"Are you sure about this?" Ellia suddenly asked as they continued to creep along the wall, her voice raised only enough to be heard over the noise coming from inside the city.

She heard Din sigh in response,

"Are we really about to have this conversation again?"

Ellia blinked in surprise.