Chapter 6 - The Prisoner (1/2)
The Child stared obsessively at the sphere-topped stick which sat to the right of Din, who looked out of the window, motionless, as the Razorcrest hurtled through the galaxy towards its next destination. Signe sat in the seat that had now been claimed as her own, inspecting her dagger that she had pulled out of its sheath through pure boredom. Not a word had been spoken since she got back on board the ship that morning, after spending the night up on the cold rocky mound on Tatooine. It was, ironically, the best night's sleep she had experienced since she'd started travelling with The Mandalorian. It wasn't so much through a lack of decorum or manners that she found herself sitting in silence in the cockpit, but rather the fact that she still hadn't fully come to terms with the eventful nature of their previous trip.
The Vicingian cast a watchful eye over to The Child, who sat to her right in the other passenger seat. She noticed that he was fixated on the control stick, eyeing up the spherical top. His fascination confused her, yet she found herself staring towards it herself, just moments later. Signe zoned out completely, unaware of anything going on around her. The ambient hums of the engines and the sporadic gurgles of The Child were drowned out by her sheer focus on the ball. For whatever reason, unbeknown to her, she was focused on it with some sort of primal urge… until her focus was broken by something startling. The ball turned to the left ever so slightly, as if being unscrewed.
"You're quiet back there… Are you okay?" asked Din. Signe snapped out of her trance and looked towards The Mandalorian, who had turned his head to the left to peripherally view her.
"Yeah… Uhh… I'm fine. Where are we headed? Somewhere quiet I hope," she quizzed, turning to the kid and smiling gently.
Din huffed and turned his attention back to the cockpit window.
"Sadly not. We've used up a month's-worth of fuel in one round trip. We need to completely refuel but the price keeps going up. We're going to see an old friend of mine."
Signe rolled her eyes in contempt. All she wanted to do was take it easy for a day or two. Somewhere quaint.
"And who may that be, exactly? It's just that people who supposedly used to be your friends seem to have a lot of bad blood with you… I mean, Eelbus, The Bug… LOM?"
The Mandalorian dropped his head and shook it disapprovingly.
"His name is Ranzar Malk… We used to work together a while back. I reached out last night… He has some work for us. It's not ideal, but we need the credits if we are going to be able to carry on evading the Imps. The Child comes first," affirmed Din, to which Signe sighed with reluctant acceptance. She looked over to The Child, who was looking around the cockpit, mouth wide-open and ears twitching.
"What kind of work?"
Din turned around once more.
"The kind that pays,"
The two exchanged glances before the navicomputer beeped several times. The Mandalorian turned back to his forward-facing position and pulled the Razorcrest out of hyperspace. Signe and Din looked out of the window, as their destination came into view. A space station. Small and circular, with multiple communication antennas protruding out of the underside of the upper structure, similar in shape to that of the floating colonies on Bespin. The station appeared to have one main entry point in the form of a large hangar door, sealed off from the vacuum of space with the typical airlock shielding.
"Here we are… The Roost. Just keep your wits about you. You thought Mos Eisely was bad…" warned Din, as he carefully guided the ship into the hangar, making sure not to crush any of the many droids and workmen that went about their business in the relatively small bay. The crew touched down and unbuckled, heading into the lower deck of the gunship. Signe picked up the small, green alien and carried him down the ladder with her.
"Put the kid in the sleeping quarters and shut him in. I don't want anyone knowing he's here." instructed The Mandalorian, pointing over to the door that had now opened.
The Vicingian nodded and carried him to the room, carefully placing him on the bed, before gently pinching his right cheek and winking at him. He gurgled as she left the room, the door shutting behind her. Signe picked up her axe which stood leaning rather carelessly against the wall, placing it on her back holster and standing next to Din, who opened the hull door moments later. She reached to her blaster, priming it just in case. She winced slightly when she felt her arm and chest throb in slight pain and she quickly took a couple Resyolla petals to help soothe her discomfort.
The two bounty hunters walked slowly down the ramp and into the hangar, where the smell of burned-out engines and welded metal filled the air. They walked slowly towards the back of the bay, winding in and out random ship parts and passers by, who were mostly masked due to the nature of the work. On occasion, the odd worker would raise their welding mask to cast eyes on the pair, specifically Signe, who was being admired for reasons other than the fact she was an outsider. She looked up and Din, who walked at a steady pace, towards a gentleman who sat resting on a scavenged Y-Wing engine, before standing up to greet them.
"Mando… Is that you under that bucket?" joked the man. He was short and on the larger side, with a long grey beard that reached the middle of his chest, and hair of the same length and colour. He extended a hand, before exchanging a shake with Din.
"Ran." murmured The Mandalorian, as the pair ceased their handshake. The man looked over to Signe and smiled as he realised that the woman had travelled with Din.
"And who may you be, young lady?" he asked with a grin on his face.
"(Y/n)," she said, with a stoic expression, whilst reaching out for a hand shake.
Ran's grin widened across his face, as he took the woman's soft and turned it over, kissing it.
"I'm Ranzar Malk… But you can call me anything you like," flirted the man, much to the annoyance of Signe and apparent disapproval of Din, who tilted his head in a suggestive manner. Ran let go of her hand, putting an arm round Din's right shoulder, as the three walked further into the hanger.
"You know… I was a little surprised when you reached out to me. I've heard that things with you and The Guild… Well, isn't that great,"
"I'll be fine," replied The Mandalorian, wishing that for just one moment, he could forget about his troubles with The Guild.
The man removed his arm from Din's shoulder and held both his hands up in a sarcastic, apologetic fashion.
"I understand the policy… No questions. You know, you're welcome back here any time," chuckled Ran, as they continued their walk towards the back of the hangar.
Signe frowned at Ran whilst he was occupied with Din. She didn't trust him, nor did she like the way he tried to come across as friendly and relaxed after all the time he had spent apart from The Mandalorian, especially due to the fact that there was an element of grievance to their backstory. The young Vicingian interrupted the seemingly friendly conversation, eager to get straight to the point.
"So… What's the mission, then?"
Ran turned back to her and grinned in the same menacing way he did when he first lay eyes on her.
"This one doesn't hang around, does she?" he laughed whilst looking at Din, who simply shrugged, awaiting the information.
"One of our associates ran afoul of some competitors and got himself caught. So I've assembled a crack team to spring him. It's a five person job, I already have four, but it seems we have another set of hands as well as yourself...which could be useful," he once again turned to Signe, winking this time.
"Oh and of course… we need the ride," Ran looked back at The Razorcrest, which was already being seen by a handful of small worker droids, which checked for any carbon scoring and external damage.
"The Crest? That wasn't part of the deal," complained The Mandalorian, who looked over to Signe, subtly wishing that she would pipe up once again.
Ran moved in closer to Din, until they were practically touching faces, smiling with grimace.
"You know… the ship is the only reason I let you back in here, Mando. Now unless you or your pretty little friend here have any other ideas… I suggest you keep schtum and let us crack on with the mission," The short man then turned his back to the two bounty hunters as he guided them towards a work area at the back of the hangar. Metallic cargo boxes stood piled on top of each other, whilst random tool boxes and engine parts lay scattered around the floor. A makeshift welding station had been set up on the left hand side, as well as a charging point with enough room for two Astromech droids, which was being used as a clothes hanger. In the middle of the work area was a metallic table, littered with tools and an empty cup.
As the three made their way into the area, they noticed a tall, bald man fiddling with a tool whilst standing with his back to them. He was dressed in all black, put for a brown, strapped holster vest which hugged tightly to his torso.
"Hey… Mayfeld!" yelled Ran.
"Yeah?" was his responsein a rather annoyed tone, likely due to the fact he had been interrupted in his work. He turned to face the group, revealing a relatively young-looking face, with pale blue eyes and ginger stubble that hugged the lower half of his face. His forehead was somewhat aged with frown lines, however he didn't look a day over Thirty. Two blasters were holstered on his front, whilst a third blaster was mounted to a small metallic arm attached to his back, similar to that of 4-LOM's hidden weapon arms.
"This is Mando, the guy I was telling you about. We used to do jobs way back when… He's brought a friend, too,"
Signe huffed, taking his lack of introduction to heart, whilst putting it down to the fact that he was an ignorant, abhorrent scoundrel.
Mayfeld approached them as the trio came to a stop on the other side of the table. He placed two hands on the surface and eyed The Mandalorian up and down, unamused and disinterested in getting to know him.
"This is the guy?" he scowled, before looking over to the blonde in a similar fashion.
"Yeah… We were all young, trying to make a name for ourselves… But I tell you what, running with a Mandalorian… That brought us one hell of a reputation," boasted Ran.
Mayfeld's lack of amusement persisted, as he maintained the same expression.
"Oh yeah? And what did he get out of it?"
Ran looked to Mando and then back at Mayfeld, who awaited the answer in anticipation.
"I asked him that once… and you know what he said? Target practice!" chuckled Ran, wheezing with every other breath he took. Signe rolled her eyes, pitying the apparent arrogance that Din possessed when he was younger, whilst Mayfeld held his hands up in front of him, reacting as if impressed, but oozing with sarcasm.
"We did some crazy stuff, ey Mando?"
Din nodded gently. "That was a long time ago," he added, eager to move on to the more pressing issue.
The tension was palpable.
"Yeah, well - I don't go out much anymore. That's why Mayfeld here is taking point on this one… If he says it, it's as if it's coming from me… You okay with that?"
Mayfeld looked at Din, wincing before raising both his eyebrows twice.
"You tell me,"
Ran looked to Mayfeld, before glancing at Signe who was already staring awkwardly back at him. It was an intense conversation.
"Things have changed around here… You'll see," whinged Mayfeld as he walked away from the group, over to the Razorcrest.
"You're in good hands, you two. Mayfeld here is one of the best triggermen I've ever seen. Ex-Imperial sharpshooter," Signe grinned.
"Well that's not saying much… Have you seen how those imps shoot?" she scoffed, much to the annoyance of Mayfeld, who turned around quickly.
"I was not a Stormtrooper, wiseass," he yelled, as the group followed him towards the old gunship.
The young woman smiled to herself, looking over at Din and Ran, who both silently admired her boldness.
"Razorcrest… I can't believe that thing can fly. It looks like a Canto Bight slot machine," huffed Mayfeld, as he led Ran and the two bounty hunters towards the group's ride for the mission.
From the left emerged a towering figure. Bulky and grotesque, with a face that had trouble written all over it. Two horns protruded from his head, which was large like the rest of his body. A Devaronian. He was wearing a long, grey jacket with trousers to match. The Devaronian walked towards the group, carrying a large container, which he dropped moments later, causing Signe to wince, tucking her head into her shoulders as a way to cover her before glaring intensely at the larger creature. His strength was evident.
"The good-looking fella with the horns over there is Burg. It may surprise you to hear, but he is our muscle," joked Mayfeld, as the beastly figure approached Din, standing up to him before walking around the back of the group.
"So, this is a Mandalorian… I thought they'd be bigger," mocked Burg, as Ran and Mayfeld huffed with amusement. He then cast his eyes over to Signe, who stood glaring back at him. Burg walked over to her without saying a word, simply looking her up and down, pitying her due to the fact she was a human female.
"You know, I've heard stories of Devaronians, but none of them capture just how damn ugly they are," quipped the Vicingian, who had clearly surprised Burg with her no-nonsense attitude. The Devaronian simply grunted at her, blowing air out his nose, which lightly brushed her hair.
Mayfeld then turned the attention over to a bug-eyed Protocol Droid, charcoal in colour, with a single antenna on the right side of its head. It was armed with an EE-3 carbine rifle and donned a similar holster brace to that of Mayfeld, however, the droid's contained ammunition and explosives.
"The droid's name is Zero," informed the man as his metallic counterpart moved closer, looking Din up and down.
"I thought you had four?" quizzed Din, before being startled by a familiar female voice from behind him.
"He does," spoke the voice, causing The Mandalorian to turn around slowly in the direction of which it came. The bounty hunter was met with a sight that he hadn't seen for a long time. A female Twi'lek, lilac in complexion with mischievous eyes and large canine teeth. She wore an outfit similar to that of Mayfeld, with the bespoke addition of a brown leather headpiece, with holes to allow her Lekku to fit through. She walked with a borderline flirtatious swagger, accentuating the curves of her torso and hips as she approached the somewhat stunned Mandalorian, spinning a small dagger in her hand.
"Xi'an," gasped Mando, as the woman walked sleazily towards him as Signe looked between the two of them with an arched brow.
"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cut you down where you stand," teased the Twi'lek, before lunging towards Din, holding her blade to his neck, failing to unnerve him.
"Nice to see you too,"
She looked up at him, admiring his shiny new armour. She took her blade and chinged it against his left pectoral plate.
"This is shiny… You wear it well," The Twi'lek flirted, as she ran her tongue across her bottom lip, biting it. Signe frowned even more at the Twi'lek's odd behaviour before rolling her eyes and casting her gaze elsewhere.
Mayfeld looked around at the others, awkwardly.
"Do we need to leave the room or something?" he asked, in a semi-humorous way, slightly worried by what was going on.
Ran butted in for the first time in a few minutes, which annoyed Signe, as she was getting used to his silence.
"Xi'an has been a little heartbroken since ol' Mando here left our group,"
Xi'an rolled her eyes at Ran, before looking over to Signe who stood with her arms crossed, frowning at the promiscuous humanoid. She walked towards the Vicingian in the same fashion that she did with Din, eyeing her up and grinning evilly.
"I see you've found a new partner here, Mando. I hope she hasn't replaced me entirely, now. Although saying that… nobody could replace me," she laughed, as she approached the young woman, stroking her blade across Signe's face. The Vicingian stood, unbothered by the Twi'lek's teasing nature.
"Okay ladies, that's enough. Save it for when you're on the ship. Right now, we don't have a lot of time," ordered Ran, as he ushered the group of mercenaries towards the Razorcrest, stopping next to a metallic container. The man nodded at Mayfeld, who placed a device on the flat surface, which projected an image of the prison ship they were due to hunt down. All of the group stood around and listened to Mayfeld, bar Zero who had entered the ship to begin a pre-flight inspection.
"Alright, so listen up. The package is being moved on a fortified transport ship. We've got a limited window to board, find our friend and get him outta there before they make their jump,"
Din observed the image, whilst a degree of discomfort filtered through his body. This was no ordinary ship that they were dealing with. It was a prison ship, one which would be heavily fortified and tracked by the New Republic. This wasn't what he and Signe had signed up for, and made his reluctance clear.
"That's a New Republic prison ship. Your man wasn't taken by a rival syndicate… He was arrested. That's a max security transport, and (Y/n) and I aren't looking for that kind of heat," he protested.
Ran and Mayfeld sighed, irritated by Din's apparent lack of enthusiasm.
"Well, neither are we… So just don't mess it up," dismissed Ran, who had already grown tired of The Mandalorians moaning. He looked towards Signe and raised an eyebrow.
Xi'an walked around the table towards Din once again, no doubt ready to tease and torment him.
"The good news for you, is that the ship is manned entirely by droids," teased the Twi'lek, knowing full well that he had a thing for them, prompting another snotty input.
"Still hate the machines, Mando?" she laughed, nodding and looking over to The Razorcrest, where Zero had begun to walk down the boarding ramp and over to the group, right arm raised in an authoritative manner.
"Despite recent modifications, this ship is still quite a mess. The power lines are leaking, the navigation is intermittent and the hyperdrive is only operating at 67.3% efficiency. We have much better ships, why are we using this one?" complained the droid.
"Because The Razorcest if off the old Imperial and New Republic grid… It's a ghost. It will allow us to jam New Republic code, too. So when we jump out of hyperspace, we will bank to an altitude which will put us right in their blind spot. We can dock while the ship jams the signal," smarmed Mayfeld, who was relishing the opportunity to give direct command.
Din shook his head in disapproval, knowing that it would be far too difficult to execute a maneuver which involved such precise movement.
"It's not possible, even for The Crest," he groaned, unhappy with the idea that the ship was to be piloted in such a way. However, the words that left Ran's lips moments later made him feel even more uneasy.
"That's why Zero is flying…. I know you're a good pilot, but we need you on the trigger, not the wheel,"
Din shook his head in disbelief, looking over to Signe who stood pouting, staring into space, evidently concerned with the fact the droid was flying. Zero walked over to Din.
"Don't worry, Mandalorian. My response time is quicker than organics… and I'm smarter, too," boasted Zero, who was quickly dismissed by Ran before following the others into the ship, taking his place in the cockpit.
Signe looked at Ran, bewildered with the decision.
"How can you trust him?" she asked.
Ran laughed to himself.
Ah, sweetheart… I don't trust anybody," he joked as Din and Signe entered the ship, leaving Ran standing on his own. The ramp started to raise slowly, which gave the man one last chance to quickly shout at The Mandalorian one last time before they departed.
"Just like the good old days, Mando… Just like the good old days,"
Ran winked and waved lightly towards Din, moving his fingers back and forth, mocking him slightly. Din turned his back as the hull sealed. The man's hair blew wildly as The Crest's engines activated. He watched it intently as Zero slowly reversed out of the hangar, turning the gunship around to face away from The Roost and jumping to hyperspace in a matter of seconds.
Once the ship had vanished, Ran turned around and walked towards the back of the hangar, hands in pockets, whistling an old Anuran folksong he had once heard whilst on a mission with Din. It was nice for him to see his Mandalorian companion after all that time, but he couldn't escape the feeling that somewhere along the line, all the bad blood and disharmony there had been, would eventually surface and spill over. But until that moment came, he was just happy that he had a capable pair of hands to help with a job that he knew was risky.
"Will you sit down?" snarled Xi'an, as Burg paced the hull of The Razorcrest with anticipation. He was eager to get to work and feel the rush of adrenaline that came with such a difficult mission. His enormous frame thudded along the ground with such power, that it somewhat jolted the Twi'lek, who was concentrating on balancing a dagger on the palm of her hand, sharp side down. The Devaronian turned his attention to the weapon storage compartment, opposite the foot of the ladder, whilst Signe stood beside the sleeping quarters door, staring at him with a glum expression. Mayfeld was perched on top of a container, with his back against the wall, looking around the ship. Burg huffed and poked the buttons of the control panel with more force than required, unveiling the impressive arsenal of weaponry that Din had hidden away in there. The humanoid chuckled, looking over to Mayfeld, who could sense his excitement. However, his joy was quickly interrupted by the Vicingian.
"Has anyone ever told you not to rummage through other people's things?" she asked, forcing an irritated groan from the Devaronian, who turned to face her. Moments later, the doors of the compartment closed, as Din made his way down the ladder.
"You think I give a damn about what you say, worm?" growled Burg, fists clenched in eager anticipation that trouble may arise. Signe moved closer to him, looking up at his desperately ugly face. She unsheathed a dagger and pressed the tip against his abdomen.
"You'll give a damn when I pull a horn out of your thick skull and use it to drink my mead out of," she warned, with a raised eyebrow.
Before anything else could be said, Din stepped between them, gently palming the dagger away from the Devaronian, turning back to Signe and gently shaking his head. She glared into Mando's visor, irritated that she wasn't able to confront the beast further, but knew that it was for the best. Xi'an and Mayfeld watched on, taken back by the ballsy approach she had taken when confronting him. Unsatisfied with his exploration of the ship, Burg turned his attention to the sleeping quarters, reaching for the access panel. He was met, almost instantly, with Din's hand which grabbed tightly around his wrist. Signe once again drew her dagger and held it to his neck, whilst Burg grabbed his blaster and aimed it at the young woman.
Keen to somewhat keep the peace, Mayfeld leaned forward from his relaxed position and yelled at the trio, who were locked in an intense stand-off.
"Hey, hey! I get it! I'm a little funny about my personal space. The quicker we get this job done, the quicker you'll never have to see our faces again… Okay?"
Signe sighed, sheathing her dagger, whilst Din released Burg's hand. The Devaronian holstered his blaster reluctantly and eyed the pair up and down, gritting his teeth.
"Can someone tell me why we even need a Mandalorian?" he complained, looking over to Mayfeld.
"Well, apparently they're meant to be the greatest warriors in the Galaxy… or so they say," explained Mayfeld, shrugging his shoulders as if suggesting the statement to be untrue. Burg grinned menacingly, brushing past the two bounty hunters, deliberately shoulder-checking Signe.
"Then why are they all dead?" he mocked.
Mayfeld, Xi'an and Burg all erupted into laughter, whilst Signe and Din stared back at them, unamused and doing their best to bite their tongues and avoid any more trouble. The commander stopped laughing and looked at The Mandalorian, quizzically. He squinted whilst admiring him, before asking the question that everyone was wondering… Even Signe.
"Hey! I wonder what you look like under there," he asked, sparking a giggle from Xi'an.
"You seen what he looks like?" he asked her, whilst she ran her hand along one of her Lekku in a sheepish way, smiling and winking at the man.
"A lady never tells," she whispered.
Mayfeld pouted and nodded his head, looking back at Din.
"Maybe he's a Gungan. Is that why youssa don't wanna show your face?" he joked, imitating the renowned dialect of the Gungan species. Signe shook her head, disappointed that Mayfeld had taken to impersonating and mocking other species for humour. It was a low blow, for sure. However, it didn't stop the other two mercenaries laughing, as their fascination grew stronger.
"Come on, Mando! We've all gotta trust each other. Show us something! Let us see your eyes,"
Din stood motionless, staring back at him. Mayfeld glanced his eyes over to Burg, nodding slightly. The Devaronian reached for Din's helmet, failing to even touch it before Signe pulled his hand down and spun him round to face her. She snarled at him, pushing him into the wall next to the sleeping chamber. He stumbled back with the force of the woman's push, sticking a hand out to his side for balance, which inadvertently opened the door to the sleeping quarters, revealing a sight that was a surprise to the guests on board.
Burg looked in bewilderment at The Child, whilst Mayfeld and Xi'an stared over at him, lips parted with awe and confusion. The man stood up and gingerly walked over to the infant who tilted his head and moved his ears slightly.
"What the hell… Did you two make that?" accused Mayfeld, pointing at Xi'an and then Din. The pair simply looked back at him, as Mayfeld approached The Child further, observing his tiny frame.
"What is it? A pet or something?" he enquired further.
Din shrugged his shoulders, "Yeah, something like that,"
Mayfeld scoffed, unamused by Din's secrecy. He had never seen anything quite like it, in all his years of travelling The Galaxy. Mayfeld had seen all sorts, from Ithorians to Verpines, but had never witnessed such a peculiar little being. He reached down towards The Child slowly, picking him up off of the edge of the bed, receiving a furious glare from Signe, who stood eager to snatch the poor infant away from him.
"You know, I was never one for pets… I mean, I tried - but I never had the temperament, you know? Patience and all that but I'm thinking… Maybe I'll try again, with this little guy," joked the man, as he turned to face Mando and Signe, with The Child in his grasp. He smiled childishly, before pretending to drop him, laughing as the young Vicingian glared at him.
"Asshole," she huffed.
Moments later, Zero's voice blared through the hull, making a few members of the group jump with fright.
"Dropping out of hyperspace…. Now,"
With that, the entire ship jolted as its speed decreased from lightspeed to a drastically slow cruising speed, sending Signe, Burg and Xi'an hurtling to the floor. Mayfeld's grip on The Child loosened, as he smacked back against the wall, causing the baby to fall to the ground. Thankfully, Din had managed to somewhat keep his footing, and fell to the floor when he saw The Child fly out of Mayfeld's arms, catching him just a few inches off the ground. The droid continued the dramatic maneuvers, which did nothing but startle the crew further, whilst they flung around the hull. After a few moments of death-defying, unfathomably dangerous flying, The Razorcrest settled down and coupled with the ship below, via an entry duct on the underside of the gunship.
"Coupling complete, we are down," confirmed Zero, as if nothing happened.
Signe sat up, holding her head from where she had slammed into the ground. She rolled her eyes at the lack of warning the droid had given, which appeared to be the sentiment of the rest of the crew, as they slowly found their feet again.
"That useless droid didn't even give us a proper countdown," moaned Xi'an, as Din placed The Child back in the sleeping quarters, before grabbing a device that he would momentarily use to hack into the coupling system of the prison ship, gaining them access. He knelt down and opened the hatch, before plugging in the wired remote into a socket on the floor. Moments later, the hatch opened, allowing the crew to drop into the ship below.
He stood up and looked at Mayfeld, who already had the eyes of Signe, Xi'an and the Devaronian on him. He seemed tense and anxious, almost as if afraid to take point in front of Mando and Signe.
"It's me?" he asked somewhat worriedly.
"Always you," affirmed Burg whilst grinning and nodding.
The man huffed and dropped to his knees in front of the hatch, he leaned forward and poked his head down, hanging upside down from the ceiling of the prison ship for a moment, whilst he surveyed the layout. Long, symmetrical corridors, with octagonal doorways, which were lined with prison cells and various control points was what met his eyes. Two R1 units floated across a cross junction a couple dozen yards ahead of him. Mayfeld waited for the droids to disappear before dropping into the ship, turning as he fell in order to land on his feet.
Xi'an then followed, dropping into the hallway and instantly drawing her daggers. Burg eyed Signe up and down, before entering the ship below with a thud that seemed to travel throughout the entire vessel. She sighed and looked up at Din, who was looking over at the sleeping quarters, with tangible anxiety.
"He'll be okay, Din. Don't worry," she smiled, placing a gentle hand on his bicep. He looked back at her, seeing some comfort and reassurance in her eyes and smile before sighing and then giving her a reluctant nod.
Signe removed her hand and carefully climbed down into the ship, where the three thugs stood waiting for her. A few moments later, The Mandalorian dropped down, ready for whatever met them next.
"Zero, get us to the control room," ordered Mayfeld.
"Sub-level three. Disabling onboard surveillance,"
Mayfeld turned back to the other four and nodded, taking point as they moved their way through the ship, turning immediately right at the first cross junction. It was deathly quiet on board, but for the faint footsteps of the group and the occasional groan or murmur from many of the on-looking prisoners, who walked up to the doors to observe the group as they crept their way through the ship, weapons drawn.
Mando looked cautiously at some of the prisoners.
"I don't like this," he murmured, his eyes glancing to Signe beside him who gave a single nod in agreement.
Xi'an giggled and rolled her eyes, "You always were paranoid, Mando," she joked.
Mayfeld shook his head, having become tired of the Twi'lek's apparent attempts at flirting with The Mandalorian.
"Is that true, Mando? Were you always paranoid?" mocked Mayfeld in a whiny voice, before jumping out of his skin when a bulky, near-humanoid prisoner smashed against the door of his cell. The group chuckled softly, careful to avoid embarrassing the man who appeared to already be feeling the pressure of leading the group.
"Approaching the control room, make a left at the next junction," instructed Zero over the comms device.
Mayfeld nodded and led the group to the mouth of the junction, taking cover behind one of the corners, peeking round to survey the area. He signalled for the group to fill in one-by-one. However, their progress was interrupted by the unexpected appearance of a Mouse Droid, which chirped joyfully before reversing back slowly, away from the group. Burg grinned and approached the droid, much to the disapproval of Mayfeld.
"Burg, come on. Leave it alone, get back here!" he pleaded, knowing that his Devaronian counterpart was up to no good.
"Oh come on… It's just a little mousey," he joked, extending a hand out towards the droid, trying to get it to come to him as if it were a small pet. The droid refused and began to turn around. Annoyed with the rejection, Burg drew his blaster and blew the droid to pieces. Which led to a much bigger problem.
Guard droids.
The metallic clanking of their footsteps alerted the group, who instantly took cover behind parts of the octagonal walls which protruded further out than the rest of the corridor lining.
"Intruder alert. Open fire!" ordered the commander of the four droids, as they drew their blasters and unleashed bolt after bolt at the group. Burg and Mayfeld opened fire, occasionally peeking out from behind their limited cover to try and land shots on the droid. Noticing a lack of fire from behind him, Mayfeld turned around to see that Mando and Signe were nowhere to be seen.
"I knew it!" yelled the man in frustration, suggesting that he thought the pair would betray them at some point. However, a few moments later, Signe and Din emerged from the other end of the corridor, behind the droids.
Din nodded to Signe, who drew her axe and ran full speed at the first droid, sliding on her buttocks as she approached it and pressed the button to turn on the laser that ran along the blade and cut one of its feet off with ease. Before it had a chance to retaliate, she stood up from her sliding position and sliced her axe down the middle of the droid, from starting at its head, cutting it perfectly in half. The next droid turned and aimed its blaster at her head, but didn't manage to open fire, as Din fired his grappling hook towards its hand, yanking the droid towards him. As the droid stumbled towards him, The Mandalorian headbutted it and drew his blaster, shooting it four times in the abdomen, destroying it.
Signe hurled herself towards the remaining two droids, blocking and deflecting a blaster bolt from one of them with her axe, which landed perfectly on the right shoulder of the other, causing it to stumble back. Din turned his attention to the droid that had just been hit by the bolt, wearing a few shots from the droid, before throwing a dagger at its neck. Sparks flew from its head, whilst Din primed his flamethrower and set it alight. Moments later, its head exploded as Signe was making short work of her droid, throwing her axe towards it, which wedged into its left shoulder, disabling one of its arms. The Vicingian then slid between its legs and stood behind it, drawing her blaster and shooting through the back of its head.
The droid clanked as it hit the floor, which ended the raucous that had just occurred. She bent down and removed her axe from the droid, sheathing it back into its holster again. The group looked back at them, in amazement of what had just happened, Mayfeld's eyes lingering on the miserable Vicingian a little longer however they failed to show any kind of gratitude towards the pair who had quite literally saved their lives. Mayfeld walked towards the two bounty hunters and snarled.
"Make sure you clean up your mess," he mocked, as he walked past the pair, followed by Xi'an and then Burg, who deliberately shoulder checked Din.
"You're welcome," Signe sighed sarcastically, loud enough for them to hear.