Chapter 3: The Truth
Scorching flames blazed, wholly engulfing my surroundings.
Pandemonium erupted in the distance as panicked screams pierced the cold, night air.
I was floating, it seemed, as I trudged through a hazy urban area, attempting to grasp at a hooded form in front of me. A cry of frustration escaped my lips as I found I could never do it; it was always a mere inch or two away. "Keep running," the voice was muffled, almost to the point where it was inaudible. "Don't look back!"
I did as she asked without hesitation, willing everything in my being to force my heavy feet forward. Through blurred vision, I could see her form begin to move farther and farther from me. It faded, then materialized, the apparition becoming more faint as I pressed forward. Though I tried to catch up, I couldn't move any faster. My laboured breaths echoed around me as I extended a hand outwards.
My legs were bound, rooted to the ground.
The apparition was how at the edge of the horizon, almost out of sight, as it was enveloped in darkness.
A shadowy phantom with a horned helmet, akin to a bull, materialized in front of me. The contours of its face were shaded, almost imperceptible; I could only see its piercing, red eyes as it locked on to my form.
I then felt a heavy, perpetual pressure upon my torso. I looked down. A knife oddly stuck out of my abdomen, my blood spurting in all directions as my vision slowly faded.
"There's no running away this time, girl."
I awoke with a gasp, my body suddenly alert. With panicked breaths, I frantically examined the breadth of my torso.
Nothing.
I shut my eyes for a moment as I attempted to slow down my heart rate. The murmur of the ship's engine greeted me. My vision reminded me that I was still in the cockpit of the ship, which was now soaring through the vast expanse of space. A quiet mew sounded then, and I noticed the little green creature standing right in front of me, perched on a panel, its arms tucked closely at its sides. It flapped its large ears, as though sensing my discomfort. I gave it a smile of reassurance and looked out of the window to my right.
My heart punched at my chest then.
As the ship maneuvered to descend, it appeared in the distance.
My home planet of GrĂ¡.
Its colour used to be a light shade of green. Healthy. Vibrant. Now, it was speckled with darkness, as though diseased.
Adrenaline began to rush through me as my predicament worsened. "Please," I hissed, attempting to gain the attention of my captor, who occupied the pilot's seat, "you have to let me go."
He turned his helmeted head almost imperceptibly towards me, then returned his attention to the flight path in front of us without a word.
"Diabhal sent you to find me, didn't she?" I pressed, baring my teeth. "Did she tell you that she and her marauders invaded and ransacked my planet? Did she tell you that she's enslaved my people?" When he continued to ignore me, I spat, my voice laced with utter contempt, "But maybe all of that doesn't matter, because all you care about is your bounty."
"Stop talking."
I stared at the back of his head with disdain.
The ship began its controlled descent. Visibility became progressively limited as we passed through raging storm clouds. I held on to the side of the cockpit as best as I could as the vessel was roughly tossed, its engines whining in complaint. Through breaks in the cloud, I peered out at the planet below. I wasn't able to recognize the dismal scenery.
As soon as we touched ground, my captor powered down the ship, abruptly stood, and grasped my cuffs. With a tug, he commanded, "Get up."
The creature cooed at this exchange as a frown formed upon its countenance. I gave it a sympathetic glance, then threw my captor a searing gaze. I ripped my hands from his hold and exited the ship on my own.
With calm strides, he led me through a city called Neart. Once a bustling, prosperous centre, it was now akin to a wasteland, stripped of all of its beauty and life. The streets were deserted, market stalls abandoned. Buildings and what were once proud, stone structures were toppled and mangled, left to decay in their own ruin. The lifeblood that once flowed through the veins of this cosmopolitan city was gone.
What have they done?
As dusk settled, I could see my captor examining our surroundings, his bewilderment evident even through only his posture.
"This is what we fought against," I informed him plaintively. He twisted his head to look at me. "Diabhal and her troops sieged and raided our planet. Many of my people fought and died." I attempted to quell the tears that threatened to form at the sides of my eyes. It became evident then that time had only bandaged the pain - not erased it. "As the battles continued to rage, she sought to rebuild her ranks and ordered her troops to search the planet to seize resources to supply her army. Only a few of us in the cities escaped with our lives."
He eyed me for a few moments, as though contemplating. After the stark silence, he said, "Keep walking."
(V)(V)(V)
"I didn't think it would take you quite this long, Mandalorian," a lighthearted voice sounded as we entered what appeared to be the edifice's great hall. We marched steadily through the length of the room as its large, stone archways loomed above us. Thick, marble pillars lined either side of the main area, its surfaces riddled with cracks and burn marks. The white walls were damaged and some stained glass windows were smashed to pieces, their rubble and remains left undisturbed. Had it not been for the torches that lined the sides of the walls, we would have been in complete darkness. The voice, closer now, continued, "Come, come! Let me see her pretty face."
My captor grasped my drenched tunic and pulled me farther inwards. I struggled in his hold, attempting to shake him off me to no avail. We passed several guards donned in scarlet clothing, standing at attention in a line on either side of us. Though they remained as they were, their flaming eyes followed us, hands gripping their rifles. A makeshift throne greeted us at the end of the hallway, poised upon a dais, with a woman clothed in the same scarlet slouched atop it. Her booted legs hung over the right armrest as she coolly supported her neck with her left arm. Her kohl-lined eyes grew with delight at the sight of me. As we stopped a few meters from her, my captor removed my cuffs and stepped to my side. "The job's done."
"That it is," Diabhal smirked as she let out a sharp laugh, revealing her ragged teeth. Her voice echoed around us. She speedily swung her feet forward and stood up with a jump. "So I guess the rumours were true! I was gifted with the best in the Guild!" She then tossed a sac of credits towards my captor, who caught it expertly. I eyed the exchange with utter contempt, moving even farther away from my captor's form. Diabhal wore a teasing expression upon her oblong face and continued, "Did you at least have some fun with the girl?"
She was met with silence.
"Ah, I forget - a Mandalorian never tells." Her side smirk didn't falter as her dark, almond-shaped eyes roamed through the guards surrounding her. She cocked her head in my direction. "Then I guess we'll never know, eh?"
At that moment, gauntlet-covered hands dug themselves into my upper arms and shoved me forward. I tripped on the uneven surface at the sudden force and felt myself quickly plummeting. I just managed to reach my hands out in front of me before my head smashed upon the hard ground. The hands grabbed at my tunic again to lift me on my feet once more. With what energy I could muster, I swiveled around viciously, using my arms and elbows to dislodge me from his grasp. At lightning speed, I was met with a solid left hook upon the side of my face, sending my head flying towards the opposite direction. A throaty grunt of irritation escaped my lips as I felt blood pooling inside my mouth.
"That's enough!"
The sudden order came not from Diabhal, but the Mandalorian.
He took a few steps towards me, his shoulders squared.
Diabhal let out a curt laugh, amused at the display. "My debt has been paid to you, Mandalorian. These matters are no longer your concern." She waved a ringed hand dismissively at him, motioning towards the exit. "You'll forget all about this after you walk through those doors anyway. Isn't that the code of your Guild?"
My heart constricted as I perceived him take a heavy step back. He clenched his fist at his side, feeling the weight of the credits in his grasp. Without a word, he turned away from me and strode brusquely towards the exit. Diabhal cackled with glee. I looked after him with wide eyes, bewildered at his actions. As though he felt my piercing gaze, he momentarily twisted his head to appraise me, then disappeared through the threshold into the darkness.
(V)(V)(V)
A marauder troop firmly grasped my upper arm as he dragged me through a narrow, stone tunnel. The air reeked of death and decay, the torches fixed upon the walls almost failing to provide us with light. At the end of the adjacent tunnel, we reached what they constructed as their dungeons, the cell bars rusted and peeling from overuse.
As he reached forward to open the cell door, I took a side step to the right, crouching low from his form. As he swiveled to grab me once more, I delivered a swift kick to his groin, then used my open palm to throw a violent blow to his face. He hunched over, yelling out in pain. I hastily climbed on his back, locked my arms around his throat, and coiled my legs around his torso. With unbridled rage coursing through my veins, I growled, pulling at the hold as hard as my body was willing to allow me. He slammed me upon the walls in an attempt to knock me down, but I held firm through the stabbing pains. After a few moments of struggle, the troop finally fell on his knees, then fully to the ground with an echoing thud. Footsteps echoed through the halls then. Without a moment to spare, I hopped off his unconscious body, seized his blaster, and scrutinized my surroundings. I began to make my way back from whence we came, moving deliberately, quietly, with my back as close to the walls as possible.
Light trickled through a wooden door directly in front of me. Low grumbles sounded from the other side. I carefully opened the door a few inches, peering out as best as I could. A pair of marauder troops appeared then, patrolling the perimeter of the edifice, rifles in hand. I cursed lightly to myself, hastily moving back inside the building. I pressed the length of my body against the wall, keeping the blaster drawn at my hip. I waited with patience until their footsteps were muted, then cracked open the door once more, looking for any signs of movement. When I finally found none, I took a calculated step forward, then bolted into the darkness.
I sprinted through the shadows of the deserted buildings, using every cover I could find. Though my destination was unclear at this point, the one thing that I did know was that I had to be as far away from Diabhal and her marauders as possible.
As I turned a corner, strong arms enveloped me.
Before I could struggle, a gloved hand gently pressed upon my mouth to cover it.
"It's me!"
That voice.
...That voice!
I shook the Mandalorian from my form, giving him a shove. With gritted teeth, I snarled, "Get away from me!" I stepped back, blaster poised in front of me, prepared to fire. "Let me pass!"
He didn't appear threatened at all. He remained still for a moment and said nothing.
Then, he took a sidestep, making room for my escape.
I furrowed my brows and threw him a look of disbelief. My eyes alternated from his form, then towards the freedom before me. I took a few, hesitant steps. When he did nothing but watch me, I muttered under my breath, "I thought you'd be long gone by now."
"I was coming back to free you," he replied simply.
I let out a scoff. "...what?"
"Diabhal lied to the Guild. She told us that you were a wanted deserter...a traitor." The frustration in his voice was palpable. He gave his head a firm shake, as though to cement his affirmation. "I would never have agreed to the job had I known that was not the truth."
"Why do you even care about that?" I replied in a hushed tone, stalking back towards him, "I thought a job was a job?"
"Because I have honour."
He took the sac of credits from his pocket and tossed it on the ground between us.
"There she is!"
I swirled around at the cry. A handful of marauder troops appeared a few meters from us. In a swift movement, the Mandalorian stepped in front of me, holding my form back behind him. As he did so, several other marauder troops appeared from the opposite direction, trapping us between an alleyway.
"On three?" I hissed, readying the blaster at my side.
"On three."
Shots rang out from out blasters at the count, lightening the darkness that enveloped us. Catching them by surprise, the marauder troops either fell to the ground or ducked for cover. The Mandalorian kept me close, blocking their returned shots with his armour. Through the chaos, I peered over his shoulder and saw a cleared path. "There! To the right!" I cried, grabbing on to his cape.
Without a moment's hesitation, the Mandalorian took my hand in his as we ran. He led me through the zigzagged streets, blaster readied in front of him. As we rushed into a clearing, I recognized his ship in the distance. We ran even faster, knowing that each step only brought us closer to safety. When we were only a few meters from the ship, the Mandalorian entered a code on his vambrace to open the side hatch. Before it even fully opened, we jumped inside the vessel. The hatch door quickly closed, and we fell to the floor of the ship, exhausted.
As we greedily gulped air, a familiar form approached us, standing in between our heads.
"Hey there...little guy," I greeted the creature in between breaths, my head lolling over to face it. It pressed a tiny hand on my forehead in greeting.
Still breathing heavily, the Mandalorian remained sprawled on the ground, but managed to give it a slight wave.
A little mewl, followed by a sharp giggle, escaped its lips.
The Mandalorian turned his helmeted head to face me. "We need to lay low."
I nodded in wholehearted agreement. "Where do we go?"
"...I know a place."
(V)(V)(V)
A/N: That was admittedly a tough chapter to write, but I pushed through and voila! I've planned out many of the following chapters and, I must say, I am very excited to write them. There is a lot more in store, so stay tuned! Let me know what you think so far. I would love to hear from you! Happy Holidays, everyone! xx IFHD
