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CHAPTER VIII: THE DEAL
As night fell on Trask, Zakia broke through the main entrance of the blackmarket base.
Gino trailed behind, reloading his blaster cartridges. They had picked off all of the men whilst on the wall, leaving a complex full of terrified people. Wary eyes watched the pair push through the door. Women gripped their children, and others huddled together for safety. Zakia took a step forward, intent on searching Mari out of the group. However, she was curious as to why the indentured were not running towards the entrance as soon as it was taken from enemy hands.
"You're free to go." Zakia urged, motioning to the gaping hole in the metal wall now free of a barricade.
"The monitors keep us here."
Gino and Zakia eyed the Rakata who had spoken. In tandem, their gaze fell to the anklets each person had.
"We've got to start gettin' these off." Gino knelt by a young man's foot and began fiddling with the device as Zakia surveyed the compound.
Gino and herself were certainly imposing, in their black outfits and with concealed faces. Both had long guns slung over their shoulders, and dual pistols on their legs. Zakia understood why the slaves were being so withdrawn, but something still seemed off to her.
It wasn't until she took a step forward that one of them actually made contact with her. A bony hand wrapped around her wrist, squeezing tight. It belonged to a mousy-haired woman with sunken eyes and hollow cheeks.
"There are many of them. The walls are hollow."
The walls are hollow.
Zakia's blood ran cold, and she looked to the walls of the base.
A square conglomeration of storage containers.
The gate they had broken through, a metal door broken from an old storage container, suddenly creaked, swinging back shut. Gino pulled both pistols, wielding them upwards in anticipation.
"They've known since we breached the wall." Zakia breathed. Goosebumps shot across her entire body, and she stepped back with pistols drawn.
As if they were cued by some twisted playwright, beings began to filter into the pit. They came from the top of the wall, and man-made doors etched into the storage containers. Zakia and Gino began firing as fast as they could, picking off enemies as they approached.
"Pomekiuog ateema!"
Zakia recognized the demands to surrender, even in Huttese. The slave traders' numbers continued to grow, and she felt their chances slipping. The only way she was giving up is if they dragged her away screaming.
And if their shrinking odds meant anything, they probably would.
Zakia continued to fire, up until the point her pistols were out of cartridge and she was backed against a wall. The group was made up of Kubaz, Trandoshan, Twi'lek, and various species of smugglers. She knew the slave syndicates were far-reaching and numerous, but seeing this many men work together to enslave others made her absolutely sick.
"Any ideas?" Gino shouted over his blaster fire.
"Is negotiation on the table?" Zakia breathed as she pulled her knife. Gino did the same, pistols becoming useless shortly after hers.
"Worth a shot."
Zakia raised her voice so it reached the approaching men. "Jee-jee are wata che wanga!" We are here for only one.
Her Huttese was rusty, but it was worth a shot. Zakia sent a silent thanks to the Maker that she had picked up the language over her time in the Guild.
"Nobata wanga nenoleeya!" No one leaves!
"Uba will nee choo wata!" You will die here!
Zakia bit her lip, trying her last ditch effort to stall their demise. "Whao uba jot mi nem, Meecooda woy uba." If you let me live, I can make you rich.
"Puohesa." Explain.
The last command came from a towering Trandoshan that was decorated in fancy coats and shining armor. He seemed to be the leader of the operation, as the men surrounding them- now outnumbering them by at least twenty- bowed out of his way.
"Jee bla see wa wah chee dah tah planeeto kanu koumhaptece cuee ai kae shag." I know of a bounty on this planet worth far more than any slave.
It wasn't a lie, but Zakia was sure as hell not giving up the location of the Child, nor telling these smugglers who the bounty was.
"Kava che?" How much?
Zakia came up with a random number that would satisfy them. "Domon don keemon dokwacha." Two hundred thousand. "Meecooda paknee ata uba heee." I can take you to it.
The boss seemed to consider her offer for a moment, and turned to a Kubaz to his left. They hissed back and forth, allowing Gino a moment to whisper at Zakia.
"We need to take a few and pick them off outside. Regroup."
Zakia sensed the pain in his voice as he was pulled further away from getting Mari back. "Gino, we're not going to be able to-"
WHOOSH.
Everyone in the vicinity ducked automatically as a streak of gold shot overhead. It was mechanical and fiery, leaving behind the slightest exhaust trail. Zakia's hands covered her neck as she anticipated a drone strike, but it never came. She peeked up at the sky, again catching a glimpse in spite of the dark sky.
It was then she realized that the lights were indeed from exhaust trails and thrusters, most likely affixed to jetpacks.
Not any jetpack, either. It was the telltale high-pitched whistle of a Rising Phoenix.
Once they came near enough for her to recognize their armor and helmets, Zakia let out a breath. Four figures rocketed downward, landing in the narrow space between Gino and Zakia and their encroaching enemy. One being Din, gloriously familiar in his silver beskar. He was flanked by two women and a man, all outfitted with various colors of blue paint and designs on their helmets.
The firing began as abruptly as it had ended. The familiar 'ping' of blaster bolts off beskar, and the thuds of hand-to-hand combat. The Mandalorians were ruthless fighters, as Zakia had known Din to be. They fought with smooth and deadly skill, gracefully lethal and only firing shots when they couldn't snap a neck with their own hands or get close enough to do so.
Zakia took the moment of cover to reload her blasters and nudge Gino. "Go get Mari. They'll get us out of here."
The Keshian hustled away, firing a few shots with fresh cartridges. Zakia stepped to Din's left with her own blasters, firing into the stragglers which remained. Most had fled at the sight of Mandalorians, but the blue-painted ones chased them down. The chaos reigned for less than two minutes, four Mandalorians almost unstoppable as shots simply ricocheted off their armor. The complex slowly descended into quiet, the only noise being that of whimpering people.
Din holstered his weapons as Zakia approached.
"Thanks for the rescue. We didn't expect such a large number of men." She looked to the trio of unknown Mandalorians that were using various tools in their armor to permanently open the front gate. "I see you found what you were looking for?"
"Not exactly." Din said. "I was about to leave them when I tracked your location."
Zakia screwed up her forehead in confusion. "Leave them? We came here for them."
"I'll explain later." His hand drifted to her back as the aforementioned approached.
The entry into the complex was wide open, the slab of metal tied in place with rope and cable. Bodies were strewn about, and those previously captive frantically tried to free each other from their anklets.
"Have I sufficiently proven our worth?"
Zakia cocked a single brow at the female voice. It came through a familiar vocoder, out of the helmet decorated most extravagantly with patterns and a rich blue. Her hands rose far enough to grasp the sides of her helmet and pull it off as she approached.
The blonde stared as the helmet revealed a red-headed woman wearing a thick headband that acted as a comlink and control piece. She turned her head to the side, eyeing the only Mandalorian familiar to her.
"So, not what we were looking for?"
With a breathy chuckle, the red-head spoke to Zakia. "Not according to your friend, no."
Din sighed. "Your help is greatly appreciated, but I did not ask for it."
"Will you at least allow us to buy you a drink? Your friend is welcome." Her voice was calm and soothing- a leader's voice. This idea was reinforced by the other two Mandalorians she seemed to have the respect of, both standing to the side but ready to move at a moment's notice.
"Allow us a moment." Din ushered Zakia a few feet away, into a corner far enough away that no one could hear them. She deemed his behaviour unusual, but it was not often they ran into other living, breathing Mandalorians anymore. Din was distant, less hovering than he had been in recent weeks. Zakia suspected he was trying to protect her, no matter how many allies they seemed to have.
Away from the group, she could almost taste the salt on his clothes and smell the seawater that seemed to permeate every inch of him.
"Is everything alright?"
Din ducked his helmet. "The kid is with the Frog couple. We were ambushed on the ship, but-"
"Ambushed?" Zakia exclaimed, examining him for injuries. "What do you mean?"
"I'm getting there." Din chided. "It was Koresh all over again. They wanted the beskar, but Bo-Katan and her people saved me."
Over her shoulder, the Mandalorians were helping free slaves of their anklets and allowing them an easy path out. Zakia did her best to inspect them inconspicuously.
"They show their faces?" The fact that they found Mandalorians was no less interesting, but Zakia was far more intrigued by the removal of a face covering.
'Our secrecy is our strength'.
Din had repeated the mantra to her many times, and Zakia had taken it at face value to include all Mandalorians.
"They claim to be descendants of those from Mandalore." His voice was a rumble, low to avoid detection and thick with a strange emotion Zakia could not find it in her to pinpoint.
"But if they don't cover their faces, how is that-"
"She says the faction I was raised in belonged to zealots." Din's tone remained even despite the evident irritation in his posture. "But those who don't cover their face do not follow the Way."
"I explained to your partner that he is a Child of the Watch."
Bo-Katan, Zakia assumed, stood a mere foot or two away, lips turned up in the corners in what could be taken as a smug grin.
"Care to explain what that means? I've never met a Mandalorian who willingly shows their face." Zakia stepped around Din to face the other woman.
Bo-Katan was at least five inches taller and covered in beskar, but Zakia stood firm. The Mandalorian woman surveyed her opposer, managing to look partially intimidated by her boldness.
"Have you ever met another Mandalorian besides this one? I do not feel the need to provide an answer to questions posed by outsiders such as yourself."
"Enough. It's time we go our separate ways." Din cupped Zakia's elbow gently, removing her from Bo-Katan's space.
As she was tugged away, she noticed the other two from their group had replaced their helmets and appeared ready to strike at a moment's notice. Zakia scoffed at all three, shoving Din's had off of her arm.
"We will be staying to aid in the slave's emancipation." Bo-Katan declared.
In sync, the trio turned and headed into the crowd of people. Zakia rounded on Din, pointing a finger at his chest. "She's lucky she's covered in beskar."
"Relax. They are not Mandalorian as I know it." Din said, "We need to find Gino and return to the mainland. We're leaving this planet."
Zakia adjusted the rifle strap as it laid over her chest. She scanned faces for any that looked familiar, doing a double take on a dark head of hair that was facing away from her. The woman was accompanied by an even more familiar man, and Zakia smiled.
"Gino! Mari!"
Both bodies spun a rapid circle. Mari's face was thin and sunken in around her eyes, but the expression hadn't changed in the years that passed.
"The Bounty Hunter's Guild. I'm impressed, Zakia!"
Zakia sat in Mari's tiny kitchen, watching as the Keshian woman brewed a pot of tea. The cool breeze from Codia's mountains swept in the cracked window, keeping the room at a comfortable temperature.
"Thanks. I couldn't have done it without Gino's help. He's taught me a lot." She cupped her mug with two hands, letting the warm caf inside thaw out her fingers. "I'm just glad it's legitimate work, you know?"
Mari, unfortunately, was all too familiar with illegitimate work. Gino had been caught up in several cartels and blackmarket trades before he started to flee. Zakia had spent many nights with Mari, praying for the safe return of her foolish partner.
"Do I ever." Mari agreed, "I saw both Niyo and Fennec fall by the wayside, I wish anything but that for you."
Chewing on her lip, Zakia nodded. Fennec had been a good friend, and visited Codia many times to train with Zakia, but her skills were tainted by Niyo's corruption. He was influenced by the Hutts and twisted far away from the teen who grew up several years older than Zakia in the same school.
"I want to do good, Mari. You know that."
Mari smiled. "Of course, Zakia. And you will do good- it's who you are."
"Zakia!"
Mari's voice was an icy relief after her confrontation with Bo-Katan. Fire was rushing through her veins, and the voice of an old friend allowed elation to replace the anger. Zakia jogged towards her and Gino, wrapping both of them in a hug. She slung an arm around each of their shoulders, squeezing tight.
"I can't believe you're both here." Zakia murmured, taking a step back.
Mari reached out and held onto one of Zakia's hands. "You saved me."
"Oh no. Gino had the plan, I just happened into it." She glanced at Din, who was standing about ten feet away. His helmet was turned to the side as if it provided some semblance of privacy. "We both would have been dead if it wasn't for him."
Mari followed Zakia's eyes, pressing near Gino's side as she drank in Din's appearance. "I thought I saw Mandalorians."
"I know how you feel about them, Mar. But he's good. Kept Zakia safe all these years. Isn't that right?" Gino directed his words towards Din, motioning for him to join them.
The Mandalorian approached slowly, sensing Mari's discomfort. Zakia took note of the fear, and reached her hands out to Din.
"I've done my best to keep her in line." He answered Gino's question, giving Mari a wide birth and staying near Zakia.
The blonde folded her outstretched arms around his arm, squeezing fondly. "Mari, this is my partner Mando. Mando, Mari."
Gino's wife stared at Zakia a moment, then at their entwined arms. "It is a pleasure to meet you, Mando. Any friend of Zakia's is a friend of mine."
Din dipped his helmet in a respectful greeting. "Thank you. Zakia has spoken very highly of you both."
Mari was emboldened enough to place a hand on Zakia's arm, near Mando's cuirass. "I'm thankful for your presence. The Makers knew Gino needed you. We must catch up."
Zakia looked to Din. "We needed supplies from the market, right?"
Despite his obvious discomfort with staying longer than necessary, the Mandalorian nodded. "Yes. Rations are running low."
Gino looked around. More and more people were free of their anklets, heading to the open doors. Bo-Katan and her crew were working on placing small devices throughout the base, and Zakia deduced them to be blast charges. They were going to destroy the walls.
"Mari and I are going to get people on the freighter and get back to the main port. Feel free to join us."
"Are you going to fly back?" Zakia asked Din, tapping a finger on the jetpack.
He surveyed the complex. "Not if you're going on the boat. I'll stay with you."
In hindsight, Din should have figured that Bo-Katan wouldn't let him slip away that easy.
He boarded the freighter behind the last of the freed slaves, Zakia, Gino and Mari on either side. They all settled below deck, and women bustled about as they tried to make tea for everyone aboard.
Zakia was thrilled to be back with her old friends, and Din was intrigued to hear their stories. Mari and Gino were almost parent-like to Zakia, congratulating her successes and commending her for effort in situations that did not go as planned. Mari fussed over the scar on Zakia's cheek, causing Din to become the slightest bit protective over her, but he kept it at a simmer.
They were almost an hour into the cruise when Bo-Katan appeared in the galley hallway. Din saw her before anyone else, and stood from Zakia's side to approach her.
"What do you want?"
She shrugged. "I have some things to discuss with you. And as I said before, she is welcome."
Din followed Bo-Katan's gaze to Zakia as she approached slowly. Her movements were stiff and slow, as if Bo-Katan was a cat waiting to strike. The animosity was tangible, and Din could only hope that sitting down with the apparent imposters could smooth it over. He was insulted by their accusations at his covert, and torn by their behavior. While Din had never met a Mandalorian who removed their helmet, Bo-Katan's knowledge of his culture went far beyond that of a casual bystander who had come into possession of Mandalorian armor.
In short, his brain was scrambling to hold onto a solid answer.
After agreeing to a meeting, Din and Zakia followed Bo-Katan to a secluded bulkhead normally used as the captain's quarters. There, the other two possible Mandalorians were seated on a small couch. A brief introduction followed, identifying them as Koska Reeves and Axe Woves. Zakia and Din ended up on another small loveseat, with Bo-Katan occupying a lone chair that sat at the end of a small caf table. Their thighs were pressed together, beskar to canvas, their close proximity and apparent comfort monitored closely by the mysterious trio.
"Trask is a black market port." Bo-Katan started, keeping her voice low. "They're staging weapons that have been bought and sold with the plunders of our planet. We're seizing those weapons and using them to retake our home world."
Her words were met with nods from Koska and Axe, while Din stared forward. She couldn't actually be referencing Mandalore, not with the havoc the Empire had unleashed upon it. The covert had often said it was a cursed world, serving nothing but death to those who stepped foot upon it.
"Once we've done that, we'll seat a new Mandalore on the throne."
Din felt Zakia's eyes on him, and he suppressed the instinct to shake his head. "That planet it cursed. Anyone who goes there dies. Once the Empire knew they couldn't control it, they made sure no one else could either."
"Don't believe everything you hear." Bo-Katan told him. "Our enemies wanna separate us. But Mandalorians are stronger together."
"That's not part of my plan." Din's arm stretched the length of the couch behind Zakia. We've been quested to return the Child to the Jedi."
Again, the trio watched all interactions between Din and Zakia with extreme scrutiny. Din assumed they were not thrilled that an outsider was hearing their plans, though he decided not reading into it was better for everyone involved.
"What do you know about the Jedi?"
"We don't know a whole lot." Zakia spoke up, "That's why we were looking for other Mandalorians."
"I was hoping you would help me by Creed." Din added.
Koska and Axe exchanged a look that told Din they knew something, and Bo-Katan smirked.
"I can lead you to one of their kind. But first we need your help on our mission."