The Enigma

The Client

The ship hit the ground with force, the walls around her reverberating on impact. She was glad for the seat belt strapped tightly around her chest as it was the only thing stopping her from being tossed around the cockpit. Once the ship was stabilized and powered down, her captor stood up from the pilots chair, walking a few steps and yanking her up from the seat. Without a hesitation the all too familiar sensation of cold and metal was felt being clasped behind her back. The bruises and scrapes that were already present and sore were almost too much to bare as the metal dared to cling to whatever it could. She tightened her throat, refraining from a single tear to fall from the corner of her eye-she wasn't going to give him the pleasure of showing weakness. 

Her captor stayed usually quiet as he led her through the bustling streets, hand clasping down firmly around her wrist , as if the handcuffs weren't doing there job. He moved at an even  pace, occasionally yanking her closer to him as it was difficult for her to keep in step with his large strides. Pedestrians didn't hesitate to hold back their stares as the bounty hunter strolled through the streets with his prized bounty. The thought disgusted her as it always had when a hunter managed to find her and bring her back to the torturous life she lived in. He led her through the crowd into a less busy alleyway adjacent to the street the large structures on either side obstructing little light to make its way through. He halted once they reached the all too familiar metal door that was already warning Ember of the presence inside. A hole on the side of the wall opened up upon arrival and a cylinder robot popped out. 

"Identification," it beeped. Her captor held up a chip card and the robot retreated back into it's lair. A second later the door was opened and her captor pulled her in beside him. Every step she took was more painful than the last and the thought about running wasn't far from her mind. They wouldn't kill her. He needed her alive and yet the possibility that one of them might just try to shoot her wasn't a bad idea. There were times when death seemed like a welcome and a better place for her than living as a slave. After a series of long dark hallways they entered through a smaller door an upon entry were met by four guarded Stormtroopers. The room was cold and dank just like the gaunt face of a man sitting across his desk who now stood up upon their arrival. He immediately let his eyes scan the girl. 

"Yes," The Client rolled out the s symbolizing a slithering snake. He took a brief moment to look up at the bounty hunter. "You're reputation was not unwarranted."

"How many fobs did you hand out?" her captor was uninterested in the compliment and questioned the man, the hint of malice in his tone unmistakable. 

"This asset was of extreme importance to me," The Client's tone sending a set of chills down her spine. His gaze was once again averted to her, eyeing her up and down like she was a spectacle. Fear told her to keep her head lowered to the floor now in the presence of her old master. 

"I had to ensure her delivery." He reached underneath his desk, lifting something large out and slamming the containment atop for her captor to see. "But to the winner goes the spoils." He then stepped away from the desk and slowly made his way over to where she stood, leaning in closer to her, inspecting further. He seemed o enjoy seeing her in discomfort as she did her best to keep her eyes lowered. "Such a large bounty for such a measly package." He lifted his hand to her face and lifted it up towards him so her eyes would meet his but she refused to make contact. Her refusal angered him and he roughly snatched her arm ordering the nearest Stormtrooper to hold onto her. The bounty hunter stepped forward and picked up one of the metal ingots-his payment, observing and feeling the authenticity between his gloved fingers. He set the payment down and looked over at the man, pausing a moment before speaking. 

"What are your plans for her?" The words escaped his mouth almost as quickly as he thought them. The Client's ominous figure came within inches of him, in a means to intimidate the hunter but her captor stood stoic and unmoving.

"How uncharacteristic of one of your reputation. Is it not the code of the Guild that these events are forgotten?" He turned slightly waving a hand over towards the payment on the desk. "That Beskar will be enough to make you a handsome replacement for your armor. Unfortunately, finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding teh steel." He turned around noticing the girl still within the Stormtrooper's grasp and motioned for him to take her into an adjacent room. The Mandalorian watched as the Stormtrooper roughly manhandled the girl in a chance to remove her but Ember wasn't gonna give up without a fight. She could not-would not go back into that room of death. She squirmed under his weight but it din't help her, only tightening the trooper's grip. 

"You monster! You'll never"- a gruff armored hand covered her mouth practically carrying the kicking girl. Her eyes were briefly met by the the Mandalorian's gaze before disappearing behind slammed doors. Everything went deathly silent until The Client cleared his throat, breaking whatever aberrant filled the room. The Mandalorian quickly placed the Beskar ingot back into its containment and closed the camtono, picking up the bounty and getting out of there as quickly as possible.