CHAPTER X: RUN

Easy was an understatement when it came to taking out the three Klatoonians sitting around the fire. They had been drinking spotchka- stolen, no doubt, while chattering in a strange language Zakia had only heard a few times. Her, Cara, and Mando had all taken one. Armed with vibroblades courtesy of the Mandalorian, their first attack was silent. The plan had been hammered out on their way into the woods, and the trio maintained their silence. A nod of confirmation passed between them to acknowledge they were ready, so they headed towards the main tent where most of the noise came from.

"Damn." Zakia murmured. They had flattened themselves against the wall near the entrance, concealed in the shadows but a quick glance to the left found a fire on the far side of camp. The raiders were gathered around it, all conversing in their strange jibberish.

Cara nudged Zakia and looked to Mando, ensuring they were all ready to breech the tent. It was no use to go after all of them at once- their goal was to get the Walker up and moving and get the fight to their own turf. They wanted to draw the raider's attention, not to be outnumbered in unfamiliar territory.

All three burst into the canvas building, blasters drawn. Nothing answered them but bubbling vats of spotchka, the liquid glowing a pale blue in the dim tent. Zakia watched Mando pull a charge from his belt, striding to the opposite end of the tent to attach it to a post. He nodded at the two women, making his way back where they'd come.

A shuffling outside had all three of them frozen, and Zakia motioned to the door and nodded at Cara. Mando braced himself directly in front of the entrance, and the remaining to warriors moved to stand on either side of the door.

The Klatoonians came in a few moments after, feet bulky and trudging across the dirt. They paused upon seeing the Mandalorian in their tent, but Zakia and Cara were already on them. More began piling in as the sound of struggling drifted out of the tent. Zakia rammed her knee into her opponent's gut, causing him to double over and meet her other knee with his face. The beast lunged towards her, and Zakia leapt off the ground. One hand on his shoulder, she pushed herself up and over his back to wrap her legs around his neck. She dipped her weight forward and then to the side, bringing the Klatoonian to his knees as she could finally reach the knife in her boot.

They were trapped in the haze of battle, all too aware of the beeping charge in the rear of the building. Zakia ducked behind one of the spotchka tanks as the raiders came in shooting bolts, ramming her shoulder into Mando's pauldrons. She drew both blasters, holding them up in front of her.

"How you doing?" Mando breathed.

"Great, thanks for asking." Zakia's chest heaved, partially from exertion and partially from the fact that the charge near them was close to going off and they were trapped. "But we need to get out." She

"Hey!" Cara called from her own position behind a vat, motioning to a weak portion of wall just to their right.

Zakia pointed her blasters at it, firing repeatedly until it rattled with each shot. Mando helped haul her up, looking to Cara.

"You go, I'll cover you!"

Cara made a run for the wall, Zakia following once the shock-trooper had rammed it down. Mando was hot on their heels, and all three were tossed into the dirt like ragdolls when the explosion went off. Zakia blinked the fuzziness from her eyes and shook her head in an attempt to stop the ringing in her ears.

"I hope the plan worked." Cara said from the other side of Mando.

Zakia was about to reply when a mechanical clanking replaced the crackling of the fire behind them. All three looked up at the same time, and ice shot through Zakia's veins. Two huge red opticals shined through the trees, rising up as the AT-ST was awakened.

"I think it worked." Zakia muttered breathlessly, climbed to her feet. She was promptly shoved forwards by Din.

"Go! Go!"

Zakia didn't need to be told twice. Her and Caria were in the front and rear, respectively, with Mando between both. They had only made it a few meters when the machine began firing. Each shot was ear splitting and the group, sans Mando, were instinctively reaching to cover their ears as they ran in a confused zig-zag. The jig confused the giant droid enough that no shots came in too close of proximity, but still close enough that the three were running top-speed out of the woods. The trees near the village were thicker, and it allowed them to put some distance between themselves and the robot.

There were already guns waiting for the three. Cara slid into position next to the villagers, and Mando adjacent to her. Zakia scaled one of the smaller huts, where the Amban rifle was hovering on its stabilizers. She lined up the sights with the opening they had come through, waiting for the Klatoonians to make their inevitable appearance. The villagers had been wary of her position above them, but the Mandalorian assured them it was the best place for her to be.

"This is it. Once that thing steps into the pond, it's goin' down!" Cara called to the lines of people. Each one was armed with a weapon, whether it be a firearm or spear. They were crouched behind wooden stakes in the ground, which acted as a wall to control the appearance of the raiders.

"Zakia, can you hear me?" Mando's voice crackled through Zakia's com unit. She was pulling her headwrap on as he spoke.

"I got you." She answered, taking care to conceal herself as best she could.

"Keep in touch. Cara's listening too."

Zakia realigned her sights, bringing a long breath and holding it until her heart slowed. It was an ancient technique, but she was in firm belief that it improved her shooting. She kept up until they were on the brink of attack.

It was not long before the trees started swaying and the metallic clanking from the forest met their ears. Zakia could feel the ground shaking even from her position on the roof, and she turned up the stabilization on her scope. She shivered when the glowing opticals became visible, and lifted her head to watch.

The AT-ST lumbered towards the camp, slowly padding until it was just in front of the trap they had dug for it. One foot hovered over as if it would step, but the Walker froze. Its opticals took in the environment, and seemed to decide otherwise. It withdrew the foot and locked into place just outside the camp.

"Mando, It-"

"I know. Can you get a shot at one of the opticals?"

She squinted into the scope, dialing in on the AT-ST's massive form. Zakia cursed at the shutters which shaded its 'eyes'.

"No. I can't get by the shutters."

"Keep trying."

"I-"

Zakia's jaw snapped shut when a harsh white light sliced the darkness in half. She shuffled as far as she could to her right, until the small dormer blocked her from view. Mando hissed at the villagers to get down, and they all slowly complied.

"Are you hidden?"

"You know me. Like a ghost." Zakia tried to stay aligned with the positives, but the possibility of getting out alive seemed to dwindle each second. She stayed still until the AT-ST's spotlight swept by her, watching everyone duck down.

Caben, however, was too slow. The Walker froze when it's head turned in the man's direction. Its right gun fired, but overshot the barrier. It struck a small hut used for storage, and Zakia jerked as sparks flew in her direction.

"Zakia?"

"Intact." She peered through the scope, and thermal indicated a group of bodies approaching quickly. "Heads up. They're coming in."

Zakia took the first shot just before Cara called out for the village to open fire. Her target burst into ash, and others began falling from the rain of bolts hurtling towards them. Zakia reloaded and aligned her shots periodically, watching raider after raider fall or burst into ash. She could see Mando and Cara trying to communicate, obviously struggling to figure out what to do.

"Can one of us get right down in front of it?" Zakia called through her com. "In the pond? It won't be able to fire straight down, but we might provoke it enough to walk."

"You stay there. I'll go." Cara and Din switched weapons, and Zakia watched from her elevated position. "You have a clear path to cover me, blondie?"

Zakia snorted. "I've got you."

Cara ran and leapt into the pond, firing shots into the crowd of raiders. The villagers all followed, striking out with their spears and going head to head with the Klatoonians. Zakia kept a steady pace, picking off anyone who came too close the the barrier or compromised a member of their team.

She swept the scope towards the AT-ST as the giant beast began moving again, taking Cara's bait. The dark haired woman shot at it from the edge of the pond, and the mechanical monster began to move. Zakia sucked in a breath as her sights locked onto one of the optical units, no longer hidden from the shutters at this angle.

"I have a shot on the optical." Zakia reported through the com.

"Take it!" Cara replied through the static of the link, waving a hand Zakia could only see through the scope.

"Taking."

With a long exhale, Zakia fired the slug. It sailed into its mark, and the Walker's right unit sparked dangerously. It moved to take a step back, but the foot moved forward instead. Zakia clambered onto her feet as it slipped forward, and the ground beneath it eroded away. It fell hard onto its side, and Mando raced from his position to throw a charge into the busted eye.

"Brace yourself."

Mando dropped into the pond beside Cara, and Zakia ducked behind the dormer once again. The Walker exploded into a ball of flames, an orange plume of dust and smoke rising from it. When it cleared, Zakia could see the raiders fleeing back towards the forest. She took the time to disintegrate a few more, eventually holding her fire to crawl from the roof.

The townspeople cheered when all the Klatoonians had disappeared, and some embraced Zakia as she stood at the base of the hut, rifle strapped onto her back. A small frame peeked out from the farthest dwelling, and Zakia recognized it to be Winta.

"You can come out now."

The little girl ran out with the Child in her arms. Winta handed the baby to Zakia before hugging her tightly. The blonde sucked in a sharp breath, ignoring the faint stinging behind her eyes. She returned the girl's embrace at the same time the Child gripped onto her hair and chittered happily. When Winta released her and raced to find her Mom, Zakia held the Child out so she could see him. The big brown eyes were bright and sparkling, and its little mouth was drawn into a smile at the sight of Zakia. It snuggled close as Zakia returned it to her body, clawed hands digging into her headwrap where it lay around her neck.

"So this is how it's supposed to be."

They stayed on Sorgan for three and a half weeks.

The village was rebuilt completely, and they were free of raiders. The people were happy, and the Child was entertained by the rest of the children. Zakia and Mando finally had the chance to settle down, for far longer than they ever had together. The planet was exactly what they needed.

Zakia found herself helping with chores; fishing for krill and learning to brew spotchka. Din had been oddly silent, standing as a constant sentry on the small apron protruding from their hut.

"What'chya thinkin' about?" Zakia asked one day as she came to lean into his side. The Mandalorian let himself sway with her actions, one hand lifting to rest gently on her hip.

"This place. The Child." He replied, applying pressure to her side to nudge her towards the hut.

Zakia's brow furrowed at his actions, but she allowed him to move her inside nonetheless after she checked Winta was still playing with the Child. She watched him carefully, and tilted her head as his shoulders dropped.

"What's wrong, Din?"

The Mandalorian squared his shoulders and placed his hands on his hips. "I just wanna talk to you about the kid."

"Sure." Zakia sat on the small cot they had been sharing, reaching out for his hand. Her fingers locked with his, and she pulled him down to sit beside her. His cuisses and pauldrons were cold where they pressed against her clothes, but Zakia was more concerned about the sigh slipping out from beneath his helmet.

"I think we need to leave."

Zakia couldn't do anything more than gape at Mando, taken aback by the sudden proclamation. She lifted a hand to point, but dropped it back into her lap. Sorgan had finally allowed them peace, and he wanted to leave? To ruin it for the Child who wasn't old enough to protect himself from the looming Imperial presence?

"You- hold on, I don't think I understand." Zakia's voice morphed into a disbelieving laugh at the end. "You want us to go and ruin all of this? Go back on the run with a Child?"

"He wouldn't be coming."

Zakia stood from the cot, pacing the room like a caged lion. It was all she could do to keep her anger in check. He had just told her on Nevarro that he didn't want to lose another kid, but now her companion was suggesting they leave the Child on Sorgan.

"Zakia, we raised a lot of hell here. Word's gonna get out eventually, and we're going to have to leave them. If we have to go, I'd rather it be on our own terms." Din's shoulders were slumped, and he dropped his head into his hands.

"You just told me-" Zakia swallowed to rein back the tears that bit at her eyes. "You told me that you wouldn't leave another kid. Din, I can't. I can't leave him here. Why can't we stay? In the worse case, we'd be a deterrent. We could at least protect him from the Empire if we stayed."

Din dragged himself to his feet, stepping into the path Zakia had been treading into the floor. His hands held her wrists, and he pinned her in place.

"Omera said she would care for him. We can come back, let the heat die down." Mando's reasoning was solid, but Zakia shook her head, trying to pull from his grip.

"I'm not leaving, Din! I lost our child. I'm not leaving this one behind." She cried, fighting the iron grip on her wrists. "Since when do you hold her opinion above mine?"

The Mandalorian froze, and he dropped her hands. His visor seemed darker than ever as Zakia stood toe-to-toe with him, frustration coming to a head with her words. He took a full step back, and Zakia refused to move. Her icy eyes were pointed directly at his helmet, swirling with fury.

"Do not try and turn this around." He spat. "The idea to leave was my own, and I asked Omera. I went through everything you did. I held you, and I took care of you."

Zakia opened her mouth to respond, but the Mandalorian swept a hand out in front of him in a silencing gesture.

"I'm not done." Din growled. "Do you know how many times I've almost broken the Creed I was sworn into? For you? Because I want you to be able to see me? Not a helmet, and not armor, just me. So don't ever suggest that someone else is more important."

Her brain scrambled to keep up, but it was too floored by his words to form a response. She could read the emotion in his body, and see his hands clenched into fists. The physical signs were there, but this was the first occasion his real feelings had been articulated. Zakia and Din had been together for longer than she cared to remember, and he had never told her any of this.

"Y-You wanted to break the Creed?" Zakia stuttered. "For me?"

Din's head fell, and he dropped back onto the cot. "Want. I want to stay here with you and the kid and Cara and everybody. It's just not feasible."

Zakia took in a ragged breath, crossing the room to her Mandalorian. He sat with elbows on knees and his helmet resting in his hands. "Maybe it is."

"We'll be fighting our whole lives." Din looked up at Zakia, who twisted her shirt nervously.

"We're going to be fighting no matter where we are." The blonde murmured. "It's what we do."

Zakia brought one hand up to rest on Mando's helmet, and her fingers brushed down to the rim. They slid underneath, stroking gently at his hairline. Din's hand eventually found hers, pulling it away from his neck and holding it.

"Take it off."

Zakia's joints stiffened, and she froze into place. She knew exactly what he meant, but her brain didn't want to believe it. Her hands were stuck in place, and Zakia was fairly sure she couldn't move if she tried.

"Din, I can't. Your tribe- t-the Creed." She found herself unable to form a coherent sentence, and the feeling was exaggerated when he stood into her personal space. Her hand was still folded in between his, and he brought it to rest against his helmet. The beskar tilted towards the doorway of their hut, shining in the bright light from outside.

"It's been a long time since I've felt the sun." His voice was soft, longing

Tears leaked from her eyes, falling down her face in shining rivers. "I love you."

Zakia's hands ran along the brim, tips of her fingers brushing his chin. She lifted gently, feeling the metal rise with her hands. She bit her lip and allowed her eyes to fall closed. It felt wrong to watch his identity to be torn away. To watch his life change forever.

BANG.

Both parties jumped up straight, chests heaving. There was no mistaking the sound as anything other than a gunshot. Zakia looked at the visor- once again- and they both ran for the door.

"Find the kid!"

Zakia bolted from the door, adrenaline pumping through her veins. Din had ran for the woods where Cara was yelling. She raced to the spot where the Child and Winta had been playing, spotting the kids all huddled together in fear. Omera was crouched beside them, arms outstretched around them.

"What's happening?" The woman asked Zakia.

"It was a gunshot. I don't know." The blonde managed, leaning down to pick up the Child. His face was squished in concern, and he whined when Zakia pulled him close.

"Are you alright?" Omera continued.

Zakia could see Cara and Din exit the woods, the former shaking his head and looking at his feet.

Zakia nodded. "I'm fine. But I think this might be my last day on Sorgan."

She wasn't wrong.

They loaded their belongings into the speeder later that day. The shot had come from a bounty hunter with a tracking fob, and it was a clear sign they were not safe. Din and Zakia had spoken only as necessary since she'd almost removed the helmet, but there was no words to convey their feelings.

"When our paths cross."

Zakia turned from the speeder, looking to where Mando and Cara had firmly grasped each other's wrist in a reflection of their first meeting. The shock-trooper turned to Zakia, holding out a hand. Zakia returned the gesture same as Mando.

"Take care of this one." Cara nodded at Mando, and the blonde chuckled.

"I try my best."

Omera wandered to them to say her goodbyes, giving Din a brief nod and Zakia a tight hug. The Child was placed onto the back of the speeder, followed by its two guardians. Mando told the droid to move and they drifted towards the woods, leaving Sorgan behind.