Mandalorian Revived

Chapter 4

The pirates are not very impressive. There are only six of them, and they're currently trying to break into the school of all places. Din and I stand back as Greef approaches them.

"Greef Karga, my old friend. I knew you wouldn't insult us!" The first pirate exclaims, throwing his arms to the side. The others rally around him. "Come, join us for a drink." He jerks a thumb at the school and the trembling protocol droid standing in the doorway.

"Let's continue this conversation back at my office," Greef offers. "This is a school."

"Well, that explains why she wouldn't let me inside," the pirate replies. The rest of them cackle at his joke. "I forgot, it was your cut of my boss's treasure that built this saloon."

Greef steps closer to the pirate clan. "Pirate King Gorian Shard's name is familiar to all in this sector."

"Never heard of him," I mumble loud enough for only Din to hear. He hums beside me.

"Come, join me for a drink back at my office," Greef says again. "We'll toast to your captain."

"We drink here," the pirate warned.

Greef sighs. "That is a school now."

"I say it's still a bar." The pirate hovers a hand over his blaster. "Now bring us a drink, and some entertainment." He looks over at me, his eyes raking over me like a predator sizing his next meal. "She'll do."

Din pushes himself off the tree he'd been leaning on. "Is there a problem here, Magistrate?"

Greef raises an eyebrow at the pirates. "Is there a problem here? What do you think?"

The pirate shrugs. "Not if you serve me a drink."

Greef's kind face grows hard. "Not in my school."

The pirate scoffs loudly. "You hear that, boys? His school." He moves a little further into the street, glaring at Greef. "You paid us for murder and mayhem inside these doors." He sets a hand on the blaster at his hip. "Sounds like you went soft."

"You think so?" Greef scoffs. "Try me." He pushes his robe to the side, laying a hand on his own blaster. Din does the same and I roll my eyes, sighing as I move behind Din.

The pirate whips out his blaster, but Greef shoots his hand before he can fire. The townspeople start screaming and running, but the pirates don't move.

"Tell Captain Gorian Shard that Nevarro is no longer friendly to pirates. Now get out of here!" Greef demands.

The pirates start shrinking back, and just when I think they might actually crawl back to their Captain, one of them grabs his blaster. Between Din and Greef, all of them aside from the leader are on the ground in moments.

"Get out of here, Vane. Now," Greef orders, raising his blaster. As expected, the spooked pirate makes a run for it.

"You sure you want to let him go?" Din asks, holstering his blaster. I step out from behind him and glance at Grogu, who is safely in his pram.

"He'll let it be known that Nevarro is respectable now and not to be trifled with," Greef says before turning to the lingering protocol droid that followed us from his office. "Have the service droids scrub up out there."

Greef starts making his way back down the street, in the direction of his office, and Din and I move to follow. Din is still looking around, but I suspect it's to look out for pirates now instead of admiring the new Nevarro. He reaches a hand toward me, not holding mine, but clearly trying to signal me to stay close. It amazes me how he's still so protective after all this time.