Another Way: A Mandalorian Story

Cuyan

cuyan - [koo-YAHN] - survivor

Summary: You're cornered in the desert by two bounty hunters and must find a way to escape.

You have known the deserts of Tatooine your whole life. Their cacta bushes and rocky soils were the backdrop of your childhood playground. They introduced you to banthas and massifs and krayt dragons, and painfully taught you that the sting of a rock hornet won't kill you. They taught you the value of shade and water, and how to survive with little of either.

In the desert, the line between life and death is sharp and quick.

The words were ingrained in you practically since the day you were born on the desolate planet, a constant reminder than you should always be prepared, as death could easily be lurking behind every rock or under every grain of sand. No matter how safe you may seem, there's always something that can change that in the blink of an eye.

Of all the valuable lessons you learned growing up on Tatooine, there was only one that didn't stick: Keep your mouth shut. You don't know how many times the phrase was uttered to you, your parents trying to keep you from causing trouble whenever Hutt's henchmen came to collect their taxes. But you didn't listen, vowing from a young age to never be silent, especially in the face of injustice.

Boska, sleemo, you had once yelled at one of the men, who had beaten your father in his own home for not having payment. Get out, slimeball.

Schutta, chicka, he responded before slapping you. Shut it, girl.

But now, standing withing feet of two armed men, you debate whether if it sometimes pays to be silent. You probably should keep quiet. You've been in a similar situation before, in Canto Bight, barely even a month ago, and your words likely didn't help with deescalating the situation then.

I don't know where you get your delusions, laserbrain, but I won that money fair and square.

You were assaulted, nearly raped, possibly worse. But Din had saved you. He was always there to save you. This time, however, you have to come to terms that the Trandoshan is right: your "metal friend" won't be showing up to save the day. It's up to you to get yourself out of this.

But how?

You quickly analyze the situation. You cannot run. Besides the fact that they're in the way of the only escape route, there's no running in the Jundland Wastes. They're called the Wastes for a reason. The region is remote, hardly anyone or anything. You don't travel lightly through here. And if you were to come across one of the few clans of Tusken Raiders while on foot, there's no guarantee that they would be friendly.

You contemplate reaching for your blaster. It's clear that the line between life and death will be laid by whoever is the sharpest, the quickest, maybe even the luckiest. If you can grab it quick enough, maybe you can shoot them before either one can react. Or maybe you can duck behind the landspeeder and engage in a shootout from there.

You hear Din's voice in your head. It's not the first shot that wins the blaster fight; it's the most accurate.

The most accurate...

Do you have the accuracy that this situation so desperately requires?

You've been shooting for years, and one of the best shooters in the galaxy has helped you sharpen your skills. However, you have no idea how you could possible best not one but two bounty hunters who've been doing this since... well, since before you were born. Not to mention they have the advantage of already having their blasters drawn. Surely, they're watching your every move, predicting what you're going to do before you even think to do it.