Bounty hunting is a complicated profession

Darkness

Cara looked at you, shock marking her features. Figuring she was deeply disappointed for risking her life for a no-one like you, her question took you by surprise.

"Your surname... You're from Alderaan?" She asked softly and you nodded in confusion, not understanding how she could know that.

"I say we hear him out." Greef cut through.

Cara shook her head energetically. "The minute we open that door, we're dead."

"We're dead if we don't. At least out there, we've got a shot." 

"That's easy for you to say. I'm a Rebel Shock Trooper. They'll upload me to a Mind Flayer." Cara said, agitated. "I'm shooting my way out of here. What about you, Mando?"

"I know who he is." He said, not answering her question. "It's Moff Gideon."

"No." Cara assured him. "Moff Gideon was executed for war crimes."

"It's him. He knew my name." He said as the already well-known feeling of grief flowed through him. Still, you couldn't stop a small spark of joy when he verified that that was indeed his name — you knew his name and your heart fluttered at the thought.

"So? What does that prove?"

"I haven't heard that name spoken since I was a child." Your joy vanished as he said that, for you knew how hard it was to live a life without no-one knowing your name, to never hear anyone utter it. That's why it made you so happy the few times Mando called you by it.

"On Mandalore?" Greef questioned.

"I was not born on Mandalore."

"But you're a Mandalorian."

"Mandalorian isn't a race. It's a Creed." He specified and you could tell he was remembering all of it since the feeling of grief emanating from him just grew stronger. "I was a foundling. They raised me in the Fighting Corps. I was treated as one of their own. When I came of age, I was sworn to the Creed. The only record of my family name was in the registers of Mandalore. Moff Gideon was an ISB Officer during the Purge. That's how I know it's him."

"That's how he knows who we all are." Cara said in a defeated voice.

"Hand me over." You signed the moment Mando looked at you.

"No."

"Save you." You added pointing at all of them. "Best option."

"You heard him, he 'would gladly break any promise and watch us die at his hand'. We can't trust he'd let us go if we give you to him, so he's not getting you." He said with such anger in his voice that left no place for discussion, neither from you nor from anyone else.

"Hail the Ugnaught again, maybe he's on his way." Greef said.

"Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil? Nothing. They might have jammed the link." He suggested, a small hope filling you for a moment until a voice came through the comm.

"Kuiil has been terminated." IG-11 said and your heart felt heavy as you processed the meaning of that statement.

"What did you do?" Mando asked fiercely.

"I am fulfilling my base function."

"Which is?"

"To nurse and protect."

The sound of an explosion close by reached you and Cara got closer to the window to see what was going on. As the noise grew louder and closer, Mando got to you.

"Hey, stop. I know what you're thinking so stop beating yourself up." He said as he put a hand on your shoulder, guilt written all over your face. "It was his choice to come and help us."