𝑩𝑶𝑼𝑵𝑻𝒀 𝑯𝑼𝑵𝑻𝑬𝑹 - The Mandalorian

twenty four

24|REDEMPTION

"Is there another way out?" Cara questioned, eyes darting between the men and the troopers.

"Not, that's it." Greef Karga answered and gestured with his blaster to the many stormtroopers.

"What about the sewers?" Mando suggested.

"Sewers?"

"The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers." He explained to the older man. "If we can get down there, they can help us escape."

"Yeah, sewers are good." The two women nodded in agreement to the new plan.

"Checking for access points."

"What the hell are they waiting for?" Cara voiced her thoughts, refusing to lower her weapon. "Hold up. They're setting up an E-Web."

"It's over."

"We are dead meat."

"I found the sewer vent." The Mandalorian announced after scanning the building with his helmet.

"Let's get the hell out of here." The shock trooper said as everyone dived back to the vent, moving the chairs out the way while staying hidden. Cara and Mando attempted to pull off the grate but it would not budge.

"It's assembled! How long until that thing's cleared?" Greef warned them, acting as look out.

"Blow it."

"I'm out of charges." Mando shot back, looking around for something.

"Get out of the way!" Cara grunted, lifting her weapon and shooting the grate. The gun fire barely doing any damage except informing Moff of their plan.

"Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation." Moff Gideon spoke up after his pregnant pause of silence. "I would prefer to avoid any further violence, and encourage a moment of consideration. Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advice you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporized mid-decent facing the predecessor of this particular model.

"Or perhaps the decommissioned Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin, has heard the songs of the Siege of Mandalore, when gunships outfitted with similar ordnance laid waste to fields of Mandalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears. And I cannot forget our dear Asra Blen, only living witness to the rain of bullets that destroyed her planet. I adviced your parents to share your advanced medical skills but instead you are a Queen without a throne.

"I advise disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga to search the wisdom of his years and urge you to lay down your arms and come outside. The structure you are trapped in will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end."

"What do you propose?" Greef shouted to the man after his long monologue which shook up everyone.

"Reasonable negotiation."

"What assurance do you offer?"

"If you're asking if you can trust me, you cannot." Moff answered truthfully. "Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hands. The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest, which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit. I will give you until nightfall, and then I will have the E-Web cannon open fire."

"I say we hear him out." Greef twisted around and said to the other three.

"The minute we open that door, we're dead." Cara stated, clenching her jaw in annoyance.

"We're dead if we don't." The leader sighed, leaning against the wall. "At least out there we got a shot."

"That's easy for you to say." The shock trooper began to search the dead bodies. "I'm a Rebel Shock Trooper. They'll upload me to a Mind Flayer."

"Those aren't real. That was just wartime propaganda."

"Well I don't care to find out. I'm shooting my way out of here." Cara snapped, picking up all the blasters.

"I'm scared." Asra sighed and leaned her head against Mando's chest, feeling the cool metal against her skin. "He will won't kill me, he will use me for this stupid thing inside me."

"What about you, Mando?" Greef looked at the stilled man.

"I know who he is." The Mandalorian informed everyone. "It's Moff Gideon."

"No. Moff Gideon was executed for war crimes." The woman denied it, stopping what she was doing to face the man.

"It's him. He knew my name."

"And my family background." Asra added, folding her arms over her chest in shame.

"So? What does that prove?" The bounty hunter leader asked the pair.

"I haven't heard anyone other than Asra speak that name since I was a child." Mando stated with a sigh.

"On Mandalore?"

"I was not born on Mandalore."

"But you're a Mandalorian." Greef said with surprise.

"Mandalorian isn't a race." Cara spoke up softly.

"It's a Creed."