This Is The Way

In The Hands Of A Frenemy

Clutching his side, painfully he was limping past burning buildings and laser blast flying blindly past him in the dust and smoke that was all around. Their were blasts from every direction. The sounds of imperial soldiers shouting and feet stomping through the sand emitted from everywhere.

The sounds were fuzzy or far away. He couldn't tell. From the hot and nauseated way he was feeling under his armor, Mando knew his confusion in partial hearing loss had to be from blood lost. Glancing down at his hand that pressed against the wound in his lower abdomen where he'd been shot it soaked the fabric beneath.

A deep saturated red shown throw making its presence known as it began to seep more into the fabric, until it began to drip to the ends.

He returned his gaze back ahead of himself, gritting his teeth at the hot pain that began to bloom in his aching torso. With a sharp right turn, he'd found himself in an empty alley way. Continuing his stride, he gave a brief glance behind to make sure he wasn't being followed. The blasts continued and shouts were heard fading in and out.

They were catching up.

Quickly, he managed to get himself into a light sprint. The hot pain in his abdomen was brutal, but he pushed himself to keep going until he reached an abandoned pub. The door was open, briefly he glanced back at the levitating crib that followed him through the battle. The child was okay.

Entering through the door, he was met with relief until the moment was taken away from him when he'd seen three raiders, looting the vacant vicinity. Stopping in his tracks, he rose his free hand as the three armed creatures pointed their weapons at him.

"It's a Mandalorian." The one man behind the bar who had paused his packing of exotic liquors in his bag had spoke apprehensively. The most muscled member beside the man eyed him. He didn't seem too happy about that when he held his weapon more securely.

"I'm not here for you." Mando exhaled while keeping his hand pressed into his injured side," let's make a deal. You let me pass through without any problems I'll make sure they don't put a bounty over your heads."

The muscled man scoffed," and we're to believe you?"

Mando gave a light nod," you have my word."

Their was a tense silence. One that could be cut with a knife. Din stood with his hand still rose in the air, eyeing the man who kept his blaster raised his way. The man beside him kept his gun leveled as well and the third guy who was just a few feet away from him, standing with a bottle in hand didn't look so reasonable either.

Din was in a bit of a problem here. He was bleeding. He'd been shot and had limped his way here with all the energy he had somehow mustered up to get to safety that turned out to be more problematic than it was drawn out to be.

They stood threatening. Not once letting their guard down as they stood in the middle of a show down. A headache started to bloom from his near death experience and the stress of the situation wasn't helping.

The man teetered his head side to side, thinking over his option. Taking a moment before a deviled smirk crossed his scarred face.

"We'll take our chances."

Immediately Mando reached for his blaster on his hip, but wasn't fast enough when his right shoulder plate had pinged from a shot fired. The force of the blast sent him stumbling backwards with a now pulsing agony radiating in shoulder.

Backing into a table, Mando grabbed his blaster. With a quick push of his hand, he'd pushed the levitating cradle into a corner away from gun fire before Aiming towards the two raiders behind the bar only to find they'd disappeared. For a quick moment he'd hesitated on confusion until his blaster was kicked out of his hand knocking it onto the stone flooring. He only caught a brief glance at the man beside him before a large bottle was slammed onto his helmet.

His vision was filled with rapid black dots as shattering pieces of glass fell to his feet when he was brought to his hands and knees from the blow. The strong stench of alcohol soaked his armor and burned his nostrils. His arms wavered as he tried to lift himself up.

He was more nauseated then he was for sure. Sweating bullets underneath the suit, his shoulder throbbed and his shot wound felt like he was being stabbed repetitively to a point of pure agony.

He groaned, lifting his head, he reached for his blaster only to be kicked in his side right where his wound laid.

His arms gave out, dropping himself onto the cold floor when a cry of anguish left his lips behind his helmet. Mustering up the bit of strength he had left from burning pain and anger, he rolled onto his side and kicked at the man beside him. Taking him down with a good blow to the knee, the man stumbled backwards hard into a table behind him knocking some chairs over.

Quickly, Din reached for his blaster. Hot pain rushed throughout his whole side as he painstakingly lifted himself from the floor. Breathing heavily, he'd made it onto his knees before pushing himself onto his feet with the help of the wall beside him to support his weight.

He witnessed in his dazed state the recovered raider lifting himself to his feet and trudging his way towards him. As the man closed the distance between them Din stayed against the wall. Letting go of his wounded side for just an agonizing moment he saw the burly man swing.

With his blaster wielding arm he blocked the hit. Teeth gritting, he used his free hand and whipped a metaled fist across the mans face before raising a heavy foot and kicking him away. Stumbling far enough for him to raise his blaster and shoot the man in his chest plate knocking him to the floor buying him some time.

From the corner of his helmet Mando saw the two figures that had once disappeared before come out from behind the bar sprinting his way. Shooting at the pair he'd nicked one on the arm while missing a few shots. He was a lousy hit when in such a state of burning agony and exhaustion.

Fists swung at him faster than he could react. Seeing that he was holding his side must've gave him away when he'd felt a heavy blow hit the burning area. He tried to muffle the sound of pain, but was to no avail when a deep groan had forced its way up his throat and past his split lip.

He was being pounded. Hit after hit, he raised his arms, blocking his face as best he could from any more knocks to his head, but when he tried they only aimed for his open wound once more. Pain welled his body in an inferno of fire. It was to a point of being unbearable.

He was exhausted. Shot, beaten and still losing blood to a point of nausea and passing out.

Every hit felt like a bag of bricks. Each one getting heavier than the one before. Hands then grasped the front of his armor and dragged his dead weight away from the wall. His hands were bound behind his back and Mando couldn't find the energy to fight back.

A brief moment his heavy eyes met with the cradle he'd pushed in the corner from the previous gun fire.

The kid..

A hit to the helmet sure enough knocked his gaze away from the cradle. Senselessly he was hit across the face. Feeling himself slouching as his captivator struggled to hold him up. He was at his last straw.

Losing consciousness, his eyes began to fall shut as he'd seen the brawny raider pull an arm back for a final shot. He didn't think he'd go out like this. The powerful urge of sleep came upon him. Filling his mind and dragging his eyelids down. Numbing the pain with its darkness until gun fire was heard once more.

Eyes closed, Din felt the floor shaking from the vibration of the gun power. He felt himself falling from the grasp of the man behind him and onto his knees he went. Failing to catch himself as he fell onto his stomach laying motionless as his breathing slowed.

The sound of metal boots scrapped against the stone flooring as they got closer.

The hands on his shoulders this time felt careful. Gentle in a way that still radiated pain from the slightest touch and made him groan.

"Hey, this is no way to go down soldier" the fuzzy voice, so sternly spoke lightly shaking him to get him to respond, but his throat felt raspy and he didn't have the energy. The hands rolled him onto his back causing a low painful groan and nothing more. A hard pressure was felt on top of his injury.

"Stay with me, Din. You keep fighting."

And he was out.