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"Bad news," The Mandalorian begins, his slightly muffled voice poised with a manner of bluntness. He stands upon the porch of one of the village's housing quarters, staring out upon the townsfolk who look up to him with hope glistening within their eyes. Lingering a few steps behind him are both Eden and Cara, the two allowing him to inform the people of their findings, neither truly wanting to be the one to break the news. "You can't live here anymore."
An orchestra of downhearted mutters ripple among the crowd of villagers, shouts of disagreement aimed toward the bounty hunters they'd entrusted to save them. With an amused smirk dancing upon her lips, Cara turns her gaze toward Mando, quirking a brow. "Nice bedside manner."
"You think you can do better?"
"Can't do much worse." The corners of Cara's lips fall from their upturned position as she steps toward the edge of the porch, facing the rowdy crowd of people before them. Her gaze shifts between each of the townspeople, a stony look within his eyes. "I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, but there are no other options."
"You took the job," One of those among the crowd shouts in response, many perking up to utter their words of agreement. From behind the other two bounty hunters, Eden casts her eyes around at the people around her, her heart aching for them. She knows the agony which comes with losing a home, yet she knew the risk that helping them would require. The life of both Mando and the child would be put on the line, and all she had grown to care about could so easily be ripped from her grasp, all for a fight that should have never been theirs to begin with.
"That was before we knew about the AT-ST," Cara shoots back, a small twinge of annoyance toward their refusal to tell them of this enemy seeping through her pointed words. When another person calls out, questioning what she is speaking upon, she continues with a sarcasm-laced tone. "The armoured walker with two enormous guns that you knew about and didn't tell us."
A sickly song of mutters begging to be saved, of accusations toward them, and shouts of refusal to abandon their homeland echo throughout the tense air. But in the end, Cara's stance isn't swayed. The ex-shock trooper spares a brief glance back at Eden, silently asking if she would like to continue with the task of breaking the news, for she had yet to speak. Eden shakes her head swiftly, and with a sigh, Cara turns back to the crowd. "I understand. I do. But there are only three of us."
"No, there's not. There's at least 20 here!"
"I mean fighters. Be realistic," Cara's voice raises to a shout to be heard over the chattering of the townspeople, yet they continue to speak all the same, begging for a chance, even one chance to preserve the only home they've ever known. With each shout that echoes out, Cara grows more overwhelmed by their stubbornness. "I've seen that thing take out entire companies of soldiers in a matter of minutes."
