A/N: Hi guys. Sorry it took a bit longer to get this chapter out. I wanted to post it last Friday, but I had to help my parents move and then I stepped on a bee so you can imagine the kind of stress I'm under. But here it is, finally.
Chapter 15 – Best Laid Plans
"You remember the plan?"
Sinead suppressed a deep sigh. "Yes, Mando, I remember the plan. I was the one who came up with it."
"There are a lot of people here."
"That makes blending in with the crowd easier. Uh, for me at least."
Mando grunted and moved away from a human woman who had leaned too far into his personal space. They had waited in line for the arena for what felt like hours, standing in the pale yet sharp Loovrian sun.
The plan depended on Mando finding a seat as close to the Undercroft as he could, while Sinead would wait on the upper levels until the fighting was underway. Mando hadn't been happy when she told him that he had to stay back yet again, but if she was caught, she could conceivably talk her way out of it. Mando, not so much. It would've been easier if she'd still had her servant robe, but that had been rendered unusable after her walk through the sewer.
"The kid didn't like us leaving him again," Sinead said.
"No."
"We should get a nanny droid or something."
"No droids," he barked out, startling the people around them.
Sinead gave him a look. "You never told me why you hate droids so much. There's gotta be a story there."
Mando was quiet for so long that she thought he'd never answer. "Not here. Later." He pointedly looked everywhere but her.
Smiling to herself, she stayed quiet as she didn't want to press her luck. It wasn't every day she had a chance of learning something new about her silent companion.
An excited hum went through the crowd as the line started moving.
"Wonder who's fighting tonight," Sinead said as they inched along.
Mando made a sound of disgust.
"You know, you really surprise me. I thought Mandalorians were all about the glory of battle."
"Not like this. There's no glory here. Only blood."
The entrance came into view with banners fluttering in the wind.
"One could argue that that's the case with all combat. We've both seen our fair share of action, and none of it's been pretty."
"It's not the same. We fight for survival or to settle disputes, not for the entertainment of others. There honor in the act of battle, not meaningless death."
She watched him out of the corner of her eyes. There was a sort of terrifying beauty to him when he fought. "It doesn't get more meaningless than this." Images of Kyen alone deep beneath the arena threatened to topple her, and she forced herself to focus on a grubby Dug next in line.
Once they passed under the entrance, Mando leaned close to her. "Don't take any chances, okay? If anything feels off, you get out of there, and we'll find another way."
Sinead pretended to stretch and cast a quick look around; the guards seemed as inert as last time. "Our friends down below don't have that kind of time."
"That won't matter if you get caught."
"Fortunately, I don't plan on getting caught."
Mando made an exasperated noise, but whatever retort he planned was drowned out by a loud voice.
"Madame Farr!"
Sinead grabbed Mando's wrist before he could draw his blaster, trying to make the movement seem natural to the confused Rundu, who watched from the doorway to a less crowded corridor. Two guards flanked each side of the opening to keep the rabble out. Feyvik, his Wookiee bodyguard, pushed his way through the crowd, showing the Dug out of the way before motioning for them to follow.
"Please, keep it cool," she hissed to Mando as she let him go and followed Feyvik to where Rundu greeted them with open arms.
"Madame Farr, I thought it was you. And ..." His large eyes flickered to Mando. "Your Mandalorian. I am so glad to see that you've decided to give Strako a chance. I assume that's why you're here?"
Sinead shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "You're getting ahead of yourself, Master Rundu. When we come to a decision, I promise you, you'll be the first to know."
A shadow fell across Rundu's face for a moment. "I see."
She felt Mando shift beside her, felt the anger and unease building. "We figured since we're already here, why not watch another fight. Indulge in all that Strako has to offer."
Rundu's wide mouth split in a smile that did not reach his eyes. "Indeed. Please, do me the honor and accompany me in my private box. I assure you that the view is unparalleled. You do not have to tolerate the-" he cast a disdainful look at the masses behind Sinead and Mando- "common folk."
"I ..." her brain spun in circles, trying to find a way out.
"Unless, of course, you have another appointment?"
"We'll be honored to," Sinead said, feeling Mando seethe beside her. "You gentlemen can go ahead, I have some private business I need to take care of before the fighting starts." She smiled as innocently as possible. "Will you point me in the direction of the refreshers, perhaps?"
Rundu's lips curled in disgust. "Ah, yes, I suppose that has to ... be dealt with. Down that way, you'll find the … ah, area. Feyvik can-" he stopped when his eyes fell on the Mandalorian, and for one moment, he seemed nervous. "I'm sure you can find us when you are done. Box number three, and if anyone stops you, just say you are my personal guest."
"Thank you, Master Rundu." As she passed Mando, she pressed the back of her hand against his, hoping that he could find some way to stall. Once she came back, they just had to improvise. She had to do this. It wasn't only Kyen's life at stake.
She went down the corridor that Rundu had so helpfully pointed out until she came to the first staircase packed tightly with the citizens of Strako come to see another bloodbath. There was no time to waste, so she rudely shoved people out of the way as she took the stairs two at a time.
Up in the nosebleeds, the spectators were of a very different caliber; mean-looking sentients were pressed together tightly, and a fight had already broken out between two Trandoshans. She waited for the guards to jump in to stop it before scurrying through to the servant stairs, the opening only covered with a ratty curtain.
The upper landings were deserted, but Sinead could hear noise further down as servants hurried up and down the steps carrying trays of food or bottles of liquor that had cost more than the Razor Crest.
She kept looking back over her shoulder, sure she would see Feyvik come barreling towards her.
No one followed her. When she made it to the top, she pressed a hand against the hidden door and cracked it open, making sure that the corridor on the other side was empty. The bright lights felt like needles in her eyes after the gloomy stairwell. She waited until two shadows appeared where the corridor bent and quickly pushed the door shut, listening to their footsteps as they passed her.
Every second that ticked by felt like a weight added to her shoulders. When she was done, she had to come up with a killer excuse for why she'd been gone for so long.
Once the guards' footsteps had faded, she pushed open the panel and slid onto the floor, waiting just a moment before hurrying down the corridor. She kept close to the wall while counting the identical doors under her breath until she reached the right one. Or she hoped this was the right one. Even if it was the repository, there was no guarantee that the records were in there. There was no guarantee there were any records at all, or that Kyen was on them.
At last, she found it, as gold and garish as all the others. With hands lightly shaking, she pressed the code into the keypad and waited, glancing down the corridor every other second. The moment seemed to go on until there was a faint click, and she took a deep breath before pushing the door open. This was the most unpredictable part of a very risky plan; if anyone were in there, she'd have to find an excuse, and fast.
No voice raised in alarm, no blasters aimed her way. The repository, if you could call it that, was empty.
The opposite wall was made entirely out of a single pane of glass, what she'd thought was mirrors down in the stands. Her stomach flipped when she saw that most of the arena was filling up quickly.
The rest of the room looked more like an armory; shelves displaying blasters, blades, flails, and strange devices lined the walls. A wicked sword made from a glowing metal cast strange lights across the floor.
There was a desk in one end and a plush chair. Behind it, a safe.
"Finally," she mumbled and skirted around the desk. The safe was set into the wall, a big clunky thing with a small keypad and three yellow lights above it.
She punched the code for the room. The safe beeped, and one of the lights turned red.
"Fuck!" She scrubbed her mouth with her hand.
Something caught her eye; on the shelf above, a razor-sharp metal disk with a hole in the middle was propped up on a velvet pillow. A number had been lasered into the metal.
She punched it in, ignoring how her hands shook, and the second light turned red.
"You've got to be kidding me!" She whirled around, repressing the urge to kick something. Maybe if someone was stupid enough to write down the access code for the room, then …
The desk was empty, the polished surface gleamed in the light. Sinead grabbed one of the four drawers and pulled. It didn't budge.
A snarl forced its way out as she sat down and grabbed the knob with both hands, pulling at it while using her legs as leverage, but the drawer remained stubbornly shut.
Doubt entered her mind like small seeds blooming into panic; this was a stupid plan. There was no guarantee that the records even existed. There was no time to examine any other place, there wasn't even time to check any other rooms. She should've gone with Mando and freed the slaves, waiting until the dust settled and then gone back to find the records.
The lock snapped with a loud crack, and she flew backward, scattering the contents of the drawer all over the floor.
She got to her knees and shifted through the useless knickknacks, her movement becoming more and more frantic.
Her hand closed around the knob for the next drawer, ready to take the entire desk apart if she had to when a small wire running along the empty place where the drawer used to sit caught her attention. She grabbed one end and pulled it out, examining the frayed ends where it had snapped.
Realization hit like a punch to the gut.
An alarm. And she'd just tripped it.
The door burst open, and two guards tumbled inside, waving their blasters wildly around the room. They noticed the desk.
"Who's there?" Shouted the taller one, keeping close to the door. The other guard hit the ground.
Sinead swore under her breath and tried making herself as small as possible. The only means of escape lay behind the guards. She still had her blaster strapped to her side, but if the alarm she'd tripped and the shouting guards hadn't already attracted all the attention, blasterfire definitely would do the trick.
"Don't shoot!" She called out, and a blaster bolt immediately shot over her. It pulverized a part of the wall behind her, collapsing a shelf and sending weapons raining down around her.
"You ... who are you? What are you doing here?" The tallest guard took another step closer to the table, his voice quivering. "Show yourself!"
She lifted both hands over the table, and another blaster bolt fizzed by.
"Easy!" She yelled, pressing her hands to her chest. "I'm coming out!"
Slowly, she got to her feet while keeping her hands in clear view of the guards, one of them still lying on the floor.
"Get up," the tall guard snapped, making the other guard scramble to his feet. "Who're you?"
Sinead wet her lips. "M-my name is Zan Forr. I work for Duiy Rundu."
"The Neimoidian?" The short guard said, earning an angry glare.
"Area's off-limits. What're you doing here?"
"I didn't know, I swear! Rundu sent me up here, told me to find some information for him. I didn't know I wasn't allowed!" She stared wide-eyed at the tallest guard who seemed to be the one calling the shots.
"How'd you get in here?"
"The door was open."
He scoffed. "No, it wasn't! I checked it myself."
"I swear, I'm telling the truth."
"Sure you are. Let's take you downstairs, see what the Master thinks about you." He gestured to the other guard. "Your blaster, throw it here. Keep your hands where I can see them."
Her hand started inching towards her blaster, eyes never leaving the two guards. There had to be a way out of here.
Suddenly, a voice exploded behind her. "WELCOME, CITIZENS OF LOOVRIA-"
The guards jumped. Sinead drew her blaster and shot the nearest guard, who screamed as he fell to the floor. She threw herself behind the desk, narrowly missing a volley of blasterfire. The desk shook with every hit, and the air filled with the smell of ozone and burning wood.
The big glass pane shattered, sending a shower of shards into the arena. She could hear distant screams.
Something metallic glinted under an old flail, and she shifted it aside, finding a slim dagger intricately woven with gold and green gemstones; the blade was as sharp as a Gungan's wit, but maybe that didn't matter.
The desk groaned and tipped to the side.
Staying crouched, she leaned out from the desk and threw the dagger. The guard's eyes followed the object as it sailed past him, and Sinead shot, hitting him in the shoulder. He crumbled to the floor, and she jumped over the ruined desk and ran outside, leaving him to moan in pain on the floor.
The corridor was empty, but it wouldn't be for long.
She reached the hidden door and yanked it open; behind it, a surprised guard nearly dropped his blaster.
"Wha-"
She crashed into him and sent him toppling down the stairs, narrowly avoiding getting dragged with him. It sounded like a rockslide, his armor the only thing saving him from a fractured skull. He came to a standstill on a small landing where he lay unmoving as Sinead rushed past him.
Guards started pouring out on the landing above her, and a blaster bolt fizzed over her head, destroying a tablet hanging on the wall. A metal fragment sliced her upper arm, but adrenaline dulled the pain.
At last, she made it to the ground level and shot under the arch. She turned and slammed directly into what felt like a brick wall. Strong hands grabbed her shoulders to steady her. She looked up and saw Mando.
"Sinead, what the-"
"Run!" She gasped out just as the first guard made it to the ground.
Mando whirled her out of the way of a blaster bolt, and she used the momentum to grab his wrist and pull him down the corridor. The nearest exit was close.
Two guards jumped out from a doorway, and Mando sped up, smashing into one of them like a mudhorn, who knocked into the other guard and toppling them both.
The entrance was visible behind a line of guards, who stood like an impenetrable wall between them and freedom. They were forced to turn, but guards blocked the way back.
One of the guards shot first, and Mando whirled out of the way, pulling his blaster in a fluid motion.
A hand closed around Sinead's arm, and she kicked back, hearing a small whimper as the guard let go.
She dodged another hand and skirted around her attacker.
It seemed like the flow of guards were never-ending. Whenever one fell, two took their place.
Suddenly, the ground beneath her feet disappeared. A strong smell of petrichor filled her nose, mouth, lungs. A great force contorted her body, lifting her into the air.
A hush went through the crowd, and the guards fell away.
Mando turned.
The ring of onlookers parted silently, and the Master stepped into view.
Even by Pau'an standards, he looked ancient; his gaunt body, hidden beneath a black robe that shimmered with red, was stooped, and his hollow cheeks made him look skeleton-like. He walked with confidence, his staff lifted into the air and aimed directly at Sinead. Yellow light writhed around the tip.
A force pike.
"What do we have here?" His red eyes scanned the carnage.
Mando moved, and a dozen blasters were trained on him.
The Master lifted a hand. "Stand down. There has already been enough senseless death."
Reluctantly, the blasters were lowered.
"I am terribly sorry about this," the Master said, "but my guards tend to react … harshly when someone breaks into my quarters. I'm sure you understand."
Mando's shoulders heaved with every breath.
"I would like to let go of your friend, but first, you have to surrender your blaster. For your own safety, as well as ours."
Mando looked at Sinead. His hand clenched around the blaster.
"Nn-"
Pain exploded along her spine, behind her eyes.
Mando's blaster hit the ground with a clatter, and the pain faded away. A guard broke rank and snatched the weapon up from the floor before retreating to safety.
"Thank you."
Sinead was lowered onto the ground, and as soon as the strange force disappeared, her knees buckled.
Mando caught her before she hit the ground and lifted her to her feet. She felt like she just might keep going, floating gently up in the air. He held a strong arm around her shoulders.
"Now, we can have a civilized discussion." The Master bared his teeth in a smile. "Ovinik?"
"Yes, Master?" A guard stepped out of the crowd.
"Please guide these good people back to the stands and notify the Ringmaster that the competition will recommence shortly."
"Yes, Master."
"As for you two," he turned his attention to Mando and Sinead. "I would like to talk with you somewhere more private if you please. I assume bindings won't be necessary. We're all civilized here, after all."
"What do you want with us?" Mando said.
"I have … questions. Mainly about how you managed to get so far." He studied them with his red, runny eyes. "If you're worried about your safety, I give you my word you'll come by no injuries under my watch. My staff, however, might not be so generous. You did kill quite a few of their colleagues."
Mando's grip on her tightened.
"But come. Follow me."
They were escorted through the arena, flanked by what looked like all the guards in the building. Mando half carried, half dragged her through the corridors and up the stairs, his grip on her never faltering. She wanted to lean into him.
The Master led the way, the force pike tapping on the floor with every step. Whenever someone stuck their head out through the opening to watch them go by, a guard would roughly shove them back in.
They ended up in a room on the upper level, furnished in gold and rubies. The big window showed the arena below. As before, shelves and racks filled with weapons adorned the walls, but these were laid out on small velvet pillows, some encased in protective glass.
The Master sat on a plush lounge and regarded them with a mild look.
Life had started to seep back into Sinead's legs, bringing with it an intense prickling that was almost worse than the pain. She kept hanging onto Mando. If anything happened, she had an ace up her sleeve.
"Well?" The Master crossed his long legs.
Silence.
He smiled. "I see I have to be a bit more specific. Let's start with the most pressing one: how did you get into my arena?"
Sinead bit the inside of her cheek before saying, "we were invited."
"Oh! By whom?"
"Duiy Rundu."
For the first time, the Master looked surprised. "Indeed. How curious. Ked?"
A human stepped out of the ring of guards surrounding them. "Yes, Master?"
"Go fetch Duiy and put him in the green lounge. I'll deal with him later."
The guard left, and the Master returned his focus on Mando and Sinead. He pressed a long grey finger to his lips. "I suppose I have gotten complacent in my old days. I let my subordinates have too much freedom."
Sinead clenched her jaw so hard her teeth creaked. He thought he gave them too much freedom when slaves were wasting away under his arena?
"Next question: what was important enough to risk your life? That room hasn't been used for anything other than storage for a long time. I doubt you'd find anything useful in there."
Of course. Sinead bit her tongue hard enough to break the skin.
"No answer? As you wish. Grab them."
Rough hands grabbed Sinead and tore her away from Mando, who was buried under a mountain of guards, trying to hold him down. He snarled and fought but was soon forced to his knees.
"Let go of me you-"The press of a cold blaster barrel made the words die on her lips.
"Certainly," the Master drawled. "Once you tell me why you invaded my arena."
Mando's shoulders shook as he tried to throw the guards off him.
There was an ominous click behind Sinead's ear. Beads of sweat ran down her temple.
"What will it be, Mandalorian?"
She looked at Mando and felt their eyes meet through the helmet, could feel his anger and fear.
"There are rumors that a slave went through. We're looking for him," Mando ground out.
"Ah!" The Master folded his hands in front of him. "The truth finally comes out." He waved a hand, and the blaster fell away. "You're a bounty hunter, I take it?"
"Yes."
"As your kind are wont to be. Shame so few are left."
An imperceptible shudder went through Mando.
"What I don't understand is why you wouldn't simply ask? I would've gladly helped in any way I can. The … cruel practice has been outlawed on Loovria for quite some time as you probably know, but we still keep quite extensive records." He steepled his hands together. "I would like to propose a deal: since your companion so rudely interrupted the fight, it'd only be fair if you were to step in the ring. It would be interesting to see if you measure up to the Mandalorians of yore."
"Absolutely not!" Sinead strained against the hands that held her back.
The Master looked down at her with a small smile. "No? I can't see why you would object. If you win, which we'll assume that you will, you'd be free to peruse the records for whomever you're looking for, after which you'll leave Loovria for good. If, however, you decline the offer, I'll have no choice but to find a suitable punishment, and Loovria takes trespassing very seriously. Even if you were invited, your companion was certainly not welcome to wander into restricted areas and wreaking many thousand credits worth of damage. And that's not even mentioning the murders."
"Go to hell!" The words were out of her mouth before she could stop herself.
The Master smiled and got up, holding out a hand to the nearest guard who handed him his force pike with a look of reverence. The light caught the chrome as the Master held it out for all to see.
"The force pike. As you have probably already noticed, I have amassed a large assortment of weapons, gathered over many decades. Out of all the gems in my collection, nothing compares to the force pike." He started towards them, his robe rustling with every movement. "So simple, yet versatile. The origin has been lost to time I'm afraid, but the force pike will always endure."
He stopped in front of Sinead, and she craned her neck to look him in the eyes. Her breaths came out in short bursts.
"On one end-"the vibro-edged tip hovered over her collarbone- "we have a vibro-blade strong enough to cut through durasteel." He looked at Mando struggling on the ground. "It wouldn't do much against your armor, sure, but not everyone is fortunate enough to have that kind of protection."
Sinead shuddered. The Master seemed to grow larger until he was all she could see.
He sighed. "Remind me, which side is a human's heart on again?"
With a roar, Mando's arm came free and he struck the nearest guard before trying to get to his feet. A Devaronian leaped and forced Mando back onto the ground.
"If your goal is to control, not kill, we have the force module." The Master swirled the pike in the air until the module pointed at Sinead. "It can deliver electrical shocks. Even on the lowest level, the pain is excruciating, I've been told." The tip glowed like an ember before it was enveloped in yellow light. Jabbing heat danced across Sinead's face. "It can cause paralysis or even death. But without all the messy stuff."
She tried to lean away, but the guards' iron grip wouldn't budge. The smell of petrichor filled her lungs, choking her.
"So, Mandalorian. What is your answer?"