THE MANDALORIAN: CHAPTERS 9-16

CHAPTER 16: THE TEMPLE

Din's thoughts were clouded by agony, so he was barely aware of what Gideon was doing. He could hear Cara yelling but he could not focus his vision until the vibrating sound of the Dark Saber swinging reached his ears. The humming sound jarred him back into the moment just as he heard Cara exhale sharply — as the blade impaled her.

Cara's head fell back to the table and slid to the side. She fought to keep her eyes up long enough to look over at Din. Her eyelids began to fall as she searched his helmet face, she wanted just a glimpse of his eyes in her last moments of consciousness. Din stared back at her in disbelief, watching her skin go suddenly cold on the visual display thermal scan. Her lips tried to form a word, but then her eyes drifted closed, and her body sagged against the blade that had gone through her and into the table.

"CARAAAA!!" Paz screamed before the cry could escape Din's mouth, because Din had no breath left.

* * * * * * * * *

Ahsoka looked down at Tarre as she ran, and she could see the fierce determination in his face.

I felt her too, Tarre. You are doing well, control your anger and your fear. We are almost there.

Ahsoka turned a corner and with two flicks of her lightsabers she blocked and redirected the blaster fire of three troopers rendering them unconscious.

* * * * * * * * *

Gideon turned toward Paz, "And now — for you."

Gideon pulled the Dark Saber from Cara's chest and the table behind her, causing her to sag even more against her restraints and her blood smeared over the table.

Paz looked at Din who was struggling to maintain consciousness and then at Cara, who was bleeding liberally from her chest. For a moment sheer panic gripped him, but suddenly, he remembered Din's words. Paz closed his eyes and searched deep inside himself to find a place to make peace with his fate.

"Love...trust...honor..." he reached out to his nephew, "Tarre — this is the Way..."

* * * * * * * * *

Tarre heard his uncle, and he tried to reach Din and Cara but they were fading too quickly from his mind to reach them, so he put a hand up as Ahsoka leapt over the fallen troopers she had just subdued in the hall outside the office.

Ba'vodu — Buir — Cyare — trust the Force.

* * * * * * * * *

Paz gasped as he felt Tarre reply and he opened his eyes and saw Gideon holding the Dark Saber above his head — and his teeth were clenched — because he was struggling to move.

The office door was open, and outside Paz could see several incapacitated troopers. Ahsoka was standing there calmly with one hand up toward Gideon and she had the former Imperial frozen in place. She watched as Tarre's pram approached Din and Cara.

Ba'vodu — trust the Force, Tarre repeated.

Tarre was standing up in this pram, hovering between Din and Cara. He held both of his tiny hands up and his face completely placid as he gently lifted both of their sagging bodies up against their restraints for what seemed like an eternity. Paz was holding his breath, straining to see any sign, any movement from either of them but he saw none.

Then he heard Tarre sigh audibly, and set Din and Cara gently back down in their restraints again.

"Din?? CARA??" Paz yelled. Din groaned and looked up slowly, but Cara did not move.

Tarre turned toward Paz, and with a flick of his wrist he released the restraints so that Paz could cross over to Cara before he released her restraints and she fell down into his arms. Din was released as Cara was, and struggled up off the ground then moved to Cara lifting her head up and brushing her hair back from her face.