Notes: A funny side note: As I wrote this chapter I went from using Mando to Din, just as the show did. I kept having to back up and erase, because I had used his name as Mando for so long my brain didn't want to type Din.
It became a real struggle.
ALSO, the ending is going to have changes, probably a lot of them to fit into my story, so I hope you enjoy!
Chapter 49: A Bad Day part 1
Fayra was jarred awake by blaster fire. She could only see darkness. Something was covering her head. Something made clanking sounds near her. She groaned trying to shake the groggy feeling. She tried getting up but her hands and feet were tied.
"Let me check on this thing. This is crazy." A strange and odd voice said. "Any update yet?"
"That's a negative. Still waiting on confirmation. He just killed an officer for interrupting, so this might take a while." Another voice said.
"Thank you. Standing by still. Unbelievable."
What is happening? Where was everyone? She asked herself a hundred questions and began going through the last things she remembered. Nothing told her how she ended up on the ground tied up with some kind of dark bag over her head. She tried pulling her hands through the cuffs to no avail.
"You ever see who The Moff is after?" Another voice asked.
"No."
"Aren't you curious?"
"No."
"Oh, come on, let's take a look."
Suddenly hands were on Fayra's legs pulling them. She yelped. Another pair of hands were on her arms pulling her up.
She screamed, pulling her knees to her chest and kicking as hard as she could. She hit something hard.
"Ow!" The voice said, then retaliated and kicked her in the thigh.
"Uh!" Fayra grunted.
"Stop that." IG demanded. Fayra's heart leaped. She knew that voice.
"Identify yourself!"
"I am IG-11. I am this girl's protector and require that you remand her to me immediately."
"What? I thought it was a hunter. Aren't IGs usually hunters?"
"Yeah, well, evidently this one's not. I'm sorry, but you're gonna have to get out of here." Blaster fire rang out.
"Are you refusing my request?"
"No. I'm telling you to get out of here."
Fayra cringed when the two men began screaming and grunting. She heard snapping sounds and thuds. Metal crashed and twisted. Suddenly she was lifted swiftly in the air, then back down to the ground on her feet. The bag lifted from her head.
"IG! If my hands weren't cuffed I'd hug you!"
"That is not necessary." IG snapped the cuffs from her wrists and ankles. "Hold still, I will scan you for any injuries."
"What happened? Where's Manny and the others?"
"It looks as though you were given a mild sedative." She thought about Mando placing his hand on her neck. He had done this, when she refused to obey his command. She was going to kill him.
"Kuiil was terminated, I picked up a transmis-"
"Wait, what?!" She shook her head, hoping she didn't hear him right.
"Kuiil was terminated, I picked-"
"No! That can't be." Tears stung her eyes.
"I scanned him myself. He was termin-"
"No, no, no. Stop."
"He was bringing you back to the Razor Crest, but these two caught up with you first. He was terminated and they took you."
With tears slowly rolling down her cheeks she looked at the men on the ground. They looked similar to the ones the Client surrounded himself with.
She took a deep breath, perhaps IG is wrong. But she couldn't think about that now. If Mando went through with his plan then something has obviously gone wrong.
"Where's Manny?" She asked, turning back to IG.
"I picked up a transmission. They are surrounded inside a local Common House. We must return to the Razor Crest."
"No. I'm going to help."
"I am under orders to protect you, you must return to the ship. It is the safest place."
"No, I'm giving you new orders". She climbed aboard the speeder bike. "We're going to go get them. You drive."
IG mounted the bike in front of Fayra and they were off. It only took a few minutes to get to the town. They ditched the bike and climbed up a small mound of dirt to get a bird's eye view of the scene. They kept their heads low to avoid detection. A sea of troopers surrounded a building that looked as though it had been through war. Every one of them aimed their weapon toward it. Except one. A man dressed in black with a long cape flowing down his back. He looked similar to Mando, except no helmet.
"Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation." His voice sent a cold shiver down Fayra's spine. He continued, "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."
"That doesn't sound good." Fayra whispered aloud.
"If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporized mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model."
Fayra's heart skipped a beat at hearing Cara's name. She'd never known her full name, Cara didn't really like talking about her time in the Rebellion.
"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 the fields of Madalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears."
Fayra's heart completely stopped. She had to roll the man's words over and over in her head. He was talking about Manny, did the man know him. He knew his name. Din Djarin. Manny's name was Din!
"Is there something wrong? You are not breathing." IG said.
Fayra swallowed and took a breath. The man was giving them an ultimatum. Well, she thought, she has an ultimatum of her own. At least they had a little time.
"Okay." She began. "This is what you're going to do. You're going to ride through the town, take as many of them out as you can, and keep as many of those white armored guys away from me as possible?"
"And what will you do?"
"I'm going for him." She pointed to the man in black. He began turning and walking away from the group.
"Go." She whispered.
"How about you hear my suggestion!" Fayra called out, standing to reveal herself. The man skidded to a stop. The back line of the troopers turned, aiming their weapons at her.
Upon hearing Fayra's voice Din peered out the broken window. Fayra stood above the small army of troopers. She was beautiful, her hair flowed around her and her bright blue eyes glittering, but he could see the fear.
"Fuck." He muttered under his breath.
"What the hell does she think she's doing?" Cara scolded. "She gonna take on all the troopers herself?"
"Hello, Fayra." The man addressed her, smiling wickedly.
Fayra found herself suddenly confused. Why… how did he know her? She wondered.
"You probably don't remember me."
"No, I don't." She stated in the best nonchalant tone she could.
"I am Moff Gideon." He announced, his cape splitting as he displayed his hands out to the sides. The red underneath caught her eye. "I have been searching for you for a very long time. I see you've grown into a beautiful woman. I've known you since you were a baby, Fayra. I placed you with a foster family to keep you safe."
"Keep me safe, they sold me!"
"Yes, I know. They believed me dead. But look at you now, you're stronger."
She had Mann- Din to thank for that, she thought. "I don't care who you are. All I know is that you are standing between me and my friends and that's not a good place to be." She warned.
Gideon smiled and nodded. "I must admit you've taken me quite by surprise. But I think you will care a great deal. You see, I am the only one that can offer you the knowledge of who and what you are. I can teach you all you need to know."
"I know who I am and what I can do."
"Oh, I very much doubt that, Fayra." Another wicked smile spread across his face. She wondered what he could have meant by that, then she had that small doubt that had been bubbling up at the bottom of her stomach for weeks.
"If you come now, I'll let your friends go free."
"I know what you want, you sent that old man to kill me. Why would I ever believe anything you say."
"I killed that old man for his betrayal."
She looked around at the situation she was in. They were far out manned and majorly out gunned. How were they going to come out of this alive? She remembered Cara's story. If she wasn't willing to do what was needed her friends would die. Could she save them?
She stared hard at Gideon. Could he be telling the truth? Would he let them go free? Could this all be over in a matter of moments if she would give herself up? Would she ever see Din again? Or Cara? Or Winta? Silence and tension grew and filled the spaces between them as she tried to decide what to do. She tore her eyes from Gideon to the Common House. She couldn't see anyone.
"Don't you do it." Din silently demanded, watching her weigh her choices.
Fayra turned back to Gideon and watched him as a hard sweat broke out upon his brow, a single droplet rolled slowly down his cheek. He was nervous. Why would he be nervous, she wondered. Then she saw it. He was afraid, afraid of her.
He saw his answer in her eyes. The only answer she would give to anyone who ever wanted to control her again.
"Kill her!" Gideon ordered. A sea of gun fire came hurtling toward Fayra. She slammed her hands down on the ground. A wall of dirt and rock sprang up. The blasts pelted the wall violently. She stood and blasted the wall toward the storm troopers.
IG came blasting through from the side. Flipping off the bike as he sent it hurling toward more troopers. It exploded.
Fortunately Fayra had made her contact with the earth as soon as her bare feet hit the mound. She was ready and called reinforcements to take action. The sky darkened as the flying creatures from the night before filled the sky.
"Go get 'em." She commanded. They began diving for the troopers. A hail of gunfire began pelting the troopers from inside the Common House. Din came blasting his way through the door. Fayra's heart burst at the sight of him, then she remembered that he rendered her unconscious.
Then everything began happening at once.
"Fire." Fayra stretched out her hand catching the stream of flames in her hands and blasted it toward a group of troopers advancing on Karga. She ducked to the ground looking for Gideon. She spotted him in the middle of the chaos. She began making her way toward him. Using her powers to clear her path. She remembered the conversation Din and Cara had. If they take out the main guy, all of it would be over. She sent more fire, this time to IG who was beginning to be overwhelmed. The creatures in the sky began yielding. There were just many troopers firing at them. Karga was struggling as well, coming under too much fire. A group of troopers advanced on Cara.
Din ran for the E-Web gun. Suddenly, Gideon appeared in her peripheral vision. She turned, calling for her wind.
"Look around you Fayra, you're losing."
His victorious smirk fell as she blasted her hand toward him, sending the wind circling around him like a storm. As he became trapped, his body went taught. He struggled to control his movements. Fayra lifted her hand, the storm encircling Gideon lifted him from the ground. Fayra pushed the wind harder and faster. Gideon groaned and grunted through his teeth. He struggled as he raised his weapon. But he wasn't raising it toward her. She looked around to see his target, but it was too late. He sent a blast toward a box filled with ammunition. An explosion rang out. Fayra screamed as she watched Din's body crash to the ground. With Gideon forgotten she ran for him. Cara reached him first. She picked him up and began dragging him back into the Common House. Fayra followed , then Karga and IG. The firing seized as the door slid shut behind them.
"Stay with me, buddy. We're gonna get you out of here." Cara said.
"Here, right here." Fayra instructed. Cara lowered him down.
"Stay with me." Cara repeated.
"I'm not gonna make it. Go" Din said, his voice weak. Fayra knelt down next to him, she'd never heard his voice sound that way before.
"Don't say that." She demanded. "Don't you dare say that." She could heal him, she thought. Why would he say that.
"Shut up. You just got your bell rung. You'll be fine." Cara lifted her blood covered hand from the back of his head. Fayra's expression turned grim. She scrambled for his hand. She needed to make contact with him.
An explosion rippled through the building. Fayra threw herself over his body, protecting what she could.
"Fayra, I'm not going to make it."
"No! I just need to heal you, just hold on." She pulled his glove off and interlaced her fingers with his. She closed her eyes, calling that power within her. She pulled it and pulled it. She felt it sputter. She tried again. Nothing. Mando cupped her cheek and wiped away the blood trailing from her nose.
"You're not able to." He said.
Fayra began panicking. She hadn't realized how much power she'd been using, add the healing she did the night before and she didn't have enough strength to heal him now.
"I can hold them back long enough for you to escape."
"NO!" She screamed. "I'm not leaving without you." Blood tinged tears streamed down her face. "I just need to rest a moment. We'll get you back to the ship, and I can heal you."
"I won't make it. You have to go."
She sobbed, shaking her head. "No."
"Take this." He ripped something from his neck. It was a necklace with a steel pendant hanging from it. He placed it around her. Another blast of fire rang down.
She screamed her frustration.
"I'm not leaving you." Fayra felt as though she couldn't breath. "You have to get up."
"Make sure she's safe." He turned to Cara. Cara had been here before. She'd seen many of her comrades in arms fall. She knew they had to leave him.
"No, you get up." Fayra began pulling on him, trying to force him to stand. She couldn't move him. Her sobs intensified. She beat on his armored chest. "You're a Mandalorian!" She screamed at him. "You're the greatest warrior in the galaxy! Now you get up! Get up! Right now."
Fayra fell to his chest, sobbing. "Please." She whispered. "I can't do this without you."
"You're going to have to." Mando replied, his voice slightly weaker than before. Her body shook, then she grabbed his hand, preparing to try healing him again.
"Here it comes again!" Karga called out.
The inferno blasted into the building again. Fayra felt it's intensity. It would reach them. She had no choice. She let his hand drop from hers and raised it to the fire streaming toward them. She demanded it to stop as it blasted forcefully against her control. She gathered her last bit of strength and pushed it as far from them as possible. And explosion rang out and the building shuddered.
Out of breath she fell against his chest. She felt the trickle of blood falling from her ears. His hand came up and lifted her chin. "Please." She begged him. Tears blurred her vision as they filled her eyes. He gently caressed her lips with his thumb. Fayra refused to believe that it would be the last time he did that.
"I'm staying." She said. "I'm not leaving."
He grabbed her roughly, grunted through his pain. "Don't make me watch as he rips you from my arms." He paused and took a ragged breath. "Let me die a warrior's death knowing you got away."
Her tears fell and rolled down his dark visor.
"This is the way."
Fayra pressed her lips to his helmet, imagining she was kissing his lips. She held him for as long as she could.
The vent fell away.
"We gotta go." Cara pulled Fayra away.
"I will stay with the Mandalorian." IG declared.
"Promise you'll bring him." Fayra demanded.
"You have my word."
Cara dragged her into the vent.