Cara sped across the black lava flats towards the caves. She couldn't put her finger on why but she knew he'd be there. She had noticed that the child and the Mandalorian and developed a sort of bond that no one could begin to understand. The felt each other's presence, even each other's pain. She just hoped that she wasn't too late. Glancing over her shoulder she saw that Greef Karga and his chosen men were hot on her heels. Four fighters are definitely better than one.

§

The beatings got more and more savage as Moff Gideon tried to extract the information he wanted but no matter how hard he hit him or how deep he cut, Din wouldn't crack. He was now laid in a pool of his own blood, he could feel his life slipping through his fingers as he desperately tried to hold the vital fluid in.

'Just tell me where the child is and I can make all of this stop.' said Gideon, leaning forward on his elbows as he observed Din with his dark eyes.

'You may as well kill me.' Gasped Din, sucking air through his teeth as he tried to bite back his pain 'I will never tell you where he is.'

'As you wish.' replied Gideon as he motioned for the Deathtrooper to continue.

Its black talons grabbed Din by his neck and lifted the man so that they were eye to eye. The Mandalorian clawed at the hand around his throat as he desperately tried to suck in air. The Trooper laughed at his struggling before plunging his blade deep into Din's soft flesh, eliciting a gasp from him as his belly erupted in white-hot pain. The Trooper let go of the Mandalorian, his legs buckling underneath him as all his remaining strength left his tiring body. Hot tears formed in his eyes as he willed it all to be over. He prayed for death to come quickly. His fever still raging and bringing new waves of pain, Din had to bite his lip to stop himself from screaming.

§

The child wailed as they parked up their bikes a few clicks from their destination. They did not want to bring attention to their presence but if the child continued to scream they wouldn't remain unnoticed for long.

'Shhhhh' Cara bounced the child in her arms as she desperately tried to quieten its cries 'We can't save Mando if we're dead'

The child stopped its screams but its tears continued to flow. She looked into his big brown eyes and saw pain. Was the child feeling what his protector was feeling? Were they hurting Mando?

'Right we wait until the sun sets and then we will head in.' she said as she placed the child in the bag IG-11 had carried him.

Greef and his hunters nodded, holstering their weapons ahead of the battle they knew was to come. Cara tried desperately to hide her fear, slinging the bag over her back in the hope that it would keep the child out of the firing line. Now they waited.

The sun dipped down behind the craggy cliffs, blanketing their already black surroundings in complete darkness. Now was their shot. Creeping quietly over the solid ground they climbed their way up to the caves that now glowed orange in the twilight.

'Someone's up there.' Stated Cara as she drew her blaster and they crept closer to the entrance of the cave.

They could hear faint voices as they stood at the cave's mouth. Cara peered her head around the corner and saw that there was no one in the immediate area. They must be deeper inside she thought to herself as she motioned for the others to follow. Stepping quietly and carefully the voices got louder but they could hear new sounds. Mando's laboured breathing.

'I told you Din Djarin that I will make you beg for death.' Cara's stomach dropped at the familiar voice.

'It can't be.' she breathed as she looked at Greef Karga, his expression matching hers.

She felt sick as she heard Din yell out in pain, clearly, it was getting too much for him as otherwise, he wouldn't have given the imp the satisfaction of hearing him scream.

'Please.' he whispered and Cara's heart shattered.

'Sorry I didn't quite catch that.' Laughed Gideon.

The Mandarorain cried out again and Cara thought she would be sick when she heard the crunch of bones.

'What did you say?' goaded Gideon.

The woman managed to position herself so that she could see the horror of the Mandalorian's torture. Din had pushed himself so that he was on his hands and knees, blood dripping from his visor. She could see his body shake as he fought to hold himself together. She watched as the man lifted his head to look at his torturer, she was sure if he could spit at him he would. Din said nothing which angered him, the Imp clenching his teeth as he removed a small blade from his belt. Kicking the Mandalorian onto his back he knelt beside him, his face mere inches from the hunter's helm. He placed the knife against the fabric around Din's neck.

'Drop your weapons.' she shouted as the hunters leapt from their hiding place.

Gideon jumped at the woman's sudden expulsion but he did not move.

'You saviours are here it seems.'

'Get away from him or I will shoot you between your dead eyes.' she growled as she waved her blaster at him.

'Do it.' Gideon provoked as he continued to point his blade at the Mandalorian.

Cara yelled as she threw herself at the Imp, grabbing him and throwing him to the ground. Tears flowed freely as she stood over him, her blaster aimed straight at his head. He went to open his mouth but she fired before he had a chance, his head falling to one side and his eyes unseeing. She stood there a moment breathing heavily, the gravity of what she had done dawning on her but her attention was soon grabbed by the pained groans of Din Djarin as he lay there beaten and bloody. She dashed to his side, leaving her comrades to finish off the trooper.

'God Mando.' she choked as she took in his condition.

He was covered in cuts and bruises. Two in his belly oozed blood at an alarming rate and the others were superficial. She noticed Gideon's blade protruding from his shoulder.

'How… d…did… you find… m…me' stuttered the Mandalorian , grabbing her wrist as she attempted to pack some of his wounds.

'The kid.' she replied as she slung the bag off of her shoulder.

The baby waddled out of the pack and to its father's side, its eyes sad as he saw the state Din was in. Din weakly stroked its ear, too weak to say what he wanted to. Cara finished what she was doing, before moving onto the blade in her friend's shoulder.

'This is going to hurt.' she said as she placed a bandage around the base of the blade and grabbed the handle.

She nodded at the hunter, silently asking if he was ready and the Mandalorian nodded back. With that, she pulled the knife out in one swift movement which caused the man's back to arch from the ground as he yelled in pain before going limp.

'Help me get him to the bikes.' she ordered as she hooked his arm around her shoulder.

One of Greef's men did the same and another carried his legs. Between the three of them, they carried the unconscious warrior down to the bike, placing him in front of Cara who'd mounted her bike. Greef followed closely behind with the child and his other hunter. He knew that the Mandalorian was fading and that he needed medical attention and soon.

'I will fetch a healer from Nevarro and meeting you at the Razor Crest.' he stated as handed the child to one of his men 'Escort Cara Dune and Din Djarin back to their ship. We all know that he will not be safe if we take him into Nevarro in this state.'

Cara nodded and fired up her bike.

'Be quick.' she said before speeding off, disappearing quickly into the distance.

§

Cara held on tight to her friend as the Razor Crest came into view. Tapping her Vambrace the door lowered, clanging loudly as it came to rest on the ground. Once again the hunters helped her carry the Mandalorian, this time into the ship. Laying him on the ground she dashed to his cot where she grabbed a pillow and his blanket in an attempt to make him more comfortable.

'At least we can treat this fever.' She stated as she grabbed a syringe from the supplies that she had bought in town.

'Come on Buddy.' she said as she threw the empty syringe away and started to clean his wounds with the Bacta wipes that she had acquired but she knew that his deeper stab wounds would require a different treatment.

The other hunter who had been passed the baby placed the child at Din's side. It wailed as it threw its little arms around the Mandalorian. The Child's cries then stopped as it raised its hands and closed its eyes. Cara knew immediately what it was trying to do and stopped it.

'Nooooo… little one.' she said as she pulled him away 'you won't be able to heal him but help is coming.'

Hours passed and Greef arrived with a healer who wasted no time getting to work on the wounded Mandalorian. Cussing under their breath that a Bacta tank would have been better as he sewed the warrior's wounds. Once he was done he left them with medicine and bandages before taking his money and leaving. Cara had managed to move the Mandalorian's mattress onto the floor and Carefully they lifted him onto it, making sure that his wounds were not disturbed.

'Thank you for your help.' she said to Greef and his hunters as they exited the ship.

'Call me if you need any further assistance.' he stated as he gave her a wave before the bay door closed behind him.

'Right we need to get you off of this planet' she stated to the child and the unconscious Mandalorian.

After getting the ship off of the ground and out of the atmosphere she punched in a destination that she knew they would be safe at for a while. Once she was happy the ship was taking them where they needed to go she descended the ladder and sat herself back down beside Din. Watching him take in each shaky breath. Placing her fingers on his bare skin she was pleased to find that his fever had broken. She just hoped that the worst was behind them.