The Mandalorian and the Jedi: Book One of the Mandalorian Series

Prologue

Dedicated to Abigailk8

     The Mandalorian glances at the tracking fob in his hand, which beeps persistently, informing the bounty hunter that he is nearing his target. He stores the fob in his utility belt before walking along the frozen port into town, the icy winds of Pagodon nipping at his heels and causing his battered cape to flap like the feathery wings of a convor. Meanwhile, inside one of the local cantinas, a blue-skinned Mythrol is pinned down by a Quarren.

     "Look at his glands!" a bearded man says in Huttese with a throaty laugh. "I bet we could sell them at the port."

     The man's cohorts sneer and tease the Mythrol as those in the cantina glance in their direction before quickly looking away. When the Mythrol pleads for his life and offers to give the bounty hunters his credits, the Quarren picks him up and pins his arms against his side. As the Quarren keeps his head still, the man draws his dagger and prepares to harvest the Mythrol's glands, the mercenaries hoping to profit from the sweet musk they produce. When the blast door opens, the man pauses and turns to find the Mandalorian standing just inside the threshold of the cantina, merely a silhouette against the white backdrop of the raging storm.

     The cantina's inhabitants whisper amongst themselves as they stare at the Mandalorian, most only having heard the stories of his kind. Despite being covered from head-to-toe in the metal native to Mandalore, the Mandalorian is also heavily armed, a trait common to all Mandalorians. Those who had survived the purge, that is. Besides providing its wearer with almost impenetrable protection, a Mandalorian's armor is an expression of who they are. In the Mandalorian's case, his chrome-colored helmet represents his search for redemption, while his rust-colored chest-plate, left shoulder pauldron, right thigh guard, and vambraces honor his parents.

     His remaining shoulder pauldron and thigh guard – along with the armor that protects his hands – are a mixture of blue and white, which symbolizes the Mandalorian's reliability and his wish for a fresh start. As the Mandalorian makes his way to the bar, the man accuses him of spilling his drink, though he himself had knocked it over while taunting the Mythrol.

     The Mandalorian ignores his fellow bounty hunter, who glances at his friends in disbelief before shouting, "Hey, Mando! I said...you spilled...my drink."

     As the man slowly walks towards the Mandalorian, the bartender turns to his silent customer and translates, "He says you spilled his drink."

     When the Mandalorian refuses to reply, the Quarren and a second man join their boss, the Mythrol crawling beneath a table as he watches the standoff.

     As the bartender offers to replace the man's drink and walks away, the bounty hunter glances at the Mandalorian's armor and asks, "Is that real beskar steel?"

    The man runs the blade of his knife over the Mandalorian's chest-plate as the bartender slides the new drink across the counter. The Mandalorian reaches out and takes the drink before throwing it over his shoulder, the second man squealing as glass shatters in his face. As the injured bounty hunter backs away, the Mandalorian grabs the Quarren by his tentacles and slams his head against the counter. The Quarren falls as the Mandalorian turns and grabs the first man's arm, bending it backwards before stabbing him in the back with his own dagger. The two injured men wisely decide to back away from the Mandalorian, but their Quarren counterpart tries to escape.

     The Mandalorian launches his fibercord whip, dragging the Quarren backwards when the wire wraps around the mercenary's leg. As he is pulled across the threshold, the Quarren draws his blaster and fires, but the round merely bounces off the Mandalorian's right shoulder pauldron. Drawing his own IB-94 pistol, the Mandalorian returns fire and destroys the blast door's control panel. The Quarren squeals as the circular door closes, cutting the final mercenary in half and effectively ending the fight. As the Mandalorian holsters his blaster, the Mythrol laughs and pulls himself off the floor, thanking his apparent savior.

     The Mandalorian remains silent as the Mythrol gathers his credits and expresses his heartfelt gratitude. When the Mythrol realizes the Mandalorian is still staring at him, he offers the bounty hunter his credits, quickly falling silent when the Mandalorian places a bounty puck on the table.

     When the Mandalorian activates the small holoprojector, the Mythrol stammers, "Uh, there must be some mistake. I-I can get you more credits.

     Resting a hand on his holstered blaster, the Mandalorian finally says, "I can bring you in warm...Or I can bring you in cold."