The Mandalorian

by FourShadow

Chapter 3: Florrum

Author's Note:

And we are back! ^^

The next day, the Sweetie Drop finally came out of hyperspace, outside of a desert planet; Florrum. A world owned by some of the most nefarious beings in the galaxy, Weequay pirates. Those marauding miscreants were always in the shipping lanes of the Outer Rim Territories, looking for cargo to claim for their own, or travelers to hold for ransom money. Now Florrum remained their stronghold, which held just enough food, drink, places to stay, and one of their most valuable resource, spice.

While these pirates stole from everyone and could steal practically everything, they stayed away from the conflict of the war, preferring to remain neutral only if there was no chance of making any kind of profit. And these were just the kind of people that the Mandalorian needed to meet right now. The Sweetie Drop flew through the clouds and headed straight down to the landing space, unfolding the landing gear. Now that it was parked, the engines slowly powered down.

The Jedi Knight felt the ship sitting still, and pulled herself up. She saw the Mandalorian climbed down her ladder, with a small bag and a handful of credits in her pouch.

"Why have we stopped?" Lyra asked.

"I'm just stopping to get some fuel and pick up a package, it shouldn't take too long," The Mandalorian said, grabbing her guns.

"Does this pickup include killing anyone?"

The Mandalorian didn't turn her body around to face her, only turning her head slightly, peaking out the side. "No, it does not. I'll be back, just try not to touch anything or blow anything up?"

"I'm protective, not dumb," Lyra snarked.

"Just..." The Mandalorian sighed, shaking her head. She pressed the button to open the hatch, and the walkway opened up, bringing light from the outside into the ship. She walked down, leaving the Jedi, the baby, and her astromechs alone.

As the Mandalorian walked down, a few heads of Weequays turned to look at her, gawking at her armor. But then their eyes looked over at the captain who held total control of everyone and everything in this lovely port. A long red coat with no dust or ripped pieces of thread, only weighed down by the metal padding on his broad shoulders. A pair of green tinted goggles, only implementing more marks into his wrinkled face. And to top it off, black cap to hide his unruly head, but not his friendly smile.

"Ah, my best customer, welcome back to Florrum," The man chuckled.

"Good to see you again, Hondo," The Mandalorian greeted.

"What brings you back here?"

"I need to fuel up, and if you don't mind, if any of your boys have anything available to buy..."

The leader of the pirates just laughed. "Of course, of course! Please, follow me. Boys, please give our guest her fuel."

"Right boss."

Lyra peaked her head down the hatch, looking to see where the Mandalorian was going. She was going away with Hondo, oh joy. Hopefully she wouldn't be back for too long, and, wait a minute. She was walking away from the ship... and no one was guarding her, or holding her hostage. Now was her chance to escape!

Not taking any chances, she opened up the crib and pulled the baby out, holding her in a comfortable stance that still had a strong grip on her.

"Hang on, sweetie, we're getting out of here," Lyra said, calmly. The baby gave confused babbles, and Lyra shook her head. "Don't worry, we're going to be okay."

"Chorup? Chirp chirp chirp."

"Cheep, I'm sorry, but we're not staying here. We need to leave. I hope whatever happens to you and the rest of your boys is a continuous good journey," Lyra said, walking out of the ship. Cheep waved his arms in protest, but Lyra just ignored him. The baby whined a little bit as she waved goodbye, but she couldn't get out to give him a hug. Lyra would have to find something for the baby to hug another time.

Slipping past the Weequays who were honoring their word (surprisingly) by fueling up the ship's tanks, Lyra managed to roll right on past them and found herself into an open space where dozens of Weequays and various sketchy characters walked about. An open market where various items were sold either for outrageous prices, or items that were stolen to be sold on black market deals. This was clearly some black market area. However, she wasn't about to do anything to stop them, not that she could. Even then, she had to find a way out off this planet before the Mandalorian came searching for her.

"Okay, let's see, if we pay one of these pirates handsomely, maybe we can get ourselves a ride or a ship. Assuming we can find something," Lyra said out loud, with the baby being the only one to listen.

Click.

"Hand over the asset, Jedi. And no one dies," a feminine voice spoke.

Little Flurry whimpered when she saw the scary lady with horns on her head. Lyra could hear the gun clicking, and only turned her head slightly. A pale-skinned Zabrak woman was the one holding the trigger, ready to kill.

"Waki der, e zeperai?"

And so was Embo.

"Aren't you two working together or something?" Lyra asked, raising a brow.

"The Storm Empire demands that you hand over the asset at once."

And now IG-88 was here.

"So make that three?"

"Correction," Dengar said, pointing a pistol at her. "Four of us."

"Hand over the asset, or face termination," IG-88 emphasized, holding up his two pistols.

Lyra could see she was outnumbered. One wrong move and she'd get hurt, and worse, they'd take Flurry. She wasn't about to let any of that happen. Fighting her urge to smirk, she started to talk.

"Okay. I'll hand over the asset... but who am I taking it to? I mean, you four don't seem like the kind that would work together as a team, and clearly two of you are a team, and well, you two clearly came alone, so that's three different types that are here for the asset soooo who do I hand it to?" Lyra asked playfully.

"Hand it over to us," Sugi pushed her gun at Lyra's face.

"Hold on now. I found her first, the asset is mine," Dengar slapped her gun away from Lyra's face, now getting into the Zabrak's face.

"Technically speaking you arrived last, but the asset is mine," IG-88 declared.

Embo started to butt in as well, speaking something in various profanities that made Lyra cover Flurry's ears. No way she was ready to have her innocence taken from her, especially at this age. Well, more of her innocence, really.

Now that she had her chance to depart, she started to make a run for it. She was proud of herself, fooling them all without having to use a single mind trick. However, it seemed like it didn't work for all of them...

"Hand over the asset or be terminated," IG-88 declared as he marched after Lyra.

IG-88 completely ignored the other hunters in-fighting, and kept his primary objective to obtaining that asset. He was a droid, he wasn't going to allow their fighting to stray him away from this. Lyra looked back at the IG unit who still followed her, trying to track her down and not lose her.

She had to think of something, fast! But what? Wait, what was she thinking, she was running in an open market with a bunch of Weequay pirates, they had to have guns on them!

"This IG unit has buyer's remorse!" Lyra shouted as she ran past them.

"Buyer's remorse, now huh?"

Some of the Weequays stepped out to stand in the way of the IG unit, keeping him from leaving. One of them was ready to shoot the assassin, but IG-88 was programmed to handle this kind of situation. His arm swung a gun up and fired at the first Weequay who was ready to shoot.

Another pirate was ready to fire, but IG-88 threw his other arm up and shot back. Two pirates from the sides were ready to shoot this time, except the assassin was ready for them. His entire upper torso spun around and his arms extended, shooting the two pirates at once, not even moving his legs. Another one got ready to shoot, and he went down as well. With only one more ready to shoot from behind, but one of his scope eyes turned to look and shot him before he had a chance.

His eyes spun back around, and focused back onto Lyra who was getting further away.

"Idiot. Never send a droid to do a man's job," Dengar snarled, pulling out a gun and charging right past him. He pulled the trigger a few times, but with no success hitting any shot on Lyra, only managing to hit pieces of market stands, barrels, and walls.

Dengar fired more shots at Lyra, hitting more andom barrels and cargo crates around her. But when he shot again, she blocked the shot with a quick lightsaber swing, which unintentionally bounced off and shot one of the Weequay shop-keepers in the shoulder, making him drop.

Lyra's eyes and mouth drooped as she put her lightsaber away, and the other shop-owner glared at her with murderous intent.

"Um... he did it," Lyra pointed at Dengar.

"WHAT!?"

Suddenly the Weequay pirate pulled out a gun and started to shoot at Dengar, and he shot back. And very soon more pirates started to join the fight, all pulling out their guns and firing at Dengar and the rest of the bounty hunters. Now everybody in the market started to pull out their guns and shoot at them like madmen.

Lyra took one look at the situation and cursed herself internally. This may not have been the best idea...

---

“Oh, before I forget, I wanted to give you a little present,” Hondo chuckled, watching his pirate boys haul something large and heavy over to her. It looked like a damaged tactician droid, those Storm Empire models used to command legions of battle droids and Stormtroopers. This one was purple and gold in color, and was rapidly falling apart with each step. “Some Storm boys forgot a few battle droids, and I know how much you like to make things your own. I thought you could take this one with you.”

“Oh this one’s perfect,” the Mandalorian said, gleefully grabbing the parts. She lifted the head, flipping it around to look further. “K2-B4. I will be making heavy use of this one.”

Their happy words were interrupted with the sounds of laserfire somewhere down in the market, making them turn their heads.

"Is it usual for your boys to start shooting up in the market?"

"Only if we have rowdy customers," Hondo said walking over to check out the fight.

One of the pirates came running out of the fight, panting and breathing heavily. "Some bounty hunters are causing a ruckus. They're after a Jedi and some little brat."

"What!? I told them to stay put, ohhh that's it!" The Mandalorian pushed past the pirate and darted straight into the market fight. When finally walked into the ruckus, she watched the entire scene unfold before her; pirates shooting up a storm at the bounty hunters, into the skies as they let out the call of the wild, and some even beating each other up, weirdly.

Through that crowd, she was able to find Lyra running with the baby in her arms. And not too far behind, pushing through the crowd like a tank was IG-88, blasting and shooting anyone in his path.

"What the devil?"

The Jedi did a ninja jump over a stand, and over another table, kicking it down for some cover. She ducked behind it, trying to keep herself safe from the onslaught. The Mandalorian ran over to her position and slammed her armored against the cover.

"I told you to stay in the ship!" The Mandalorian yelled. "I said I'd bring you and the baby to Naboo, and I meant it!"

"You handcuffed me!" Lyra argued.

"Because I can't trust you to go running off alone!"

"Well how am I supposed to trust you then!? Especially when you drag me to your ship in handcuffs!"

"I was making the illusion of you being my prisoner, I was going to free you... eventually," The Mandalorian said, ducking some more fire. "Listen, I promise I won't do that again, but we have to get out of here together, are you with me?"

Lyra blocked another laser blast with her lightsaber, gritting her teeth. "Alright, fine! But do not kill anyone!"

"I haven't killed anyone... today. Can we discuss this later!?"

"Fine!"

The two of them jumped out of hiding, joining the firefight. Lyra swung her lightsaber around, blocking every laserblast that came close to hitting her body. The Mandalorian twirled her gun around, shooting at some pirates who were now focused on trying to shoot them straight back.

"Do not let them get the baby! We have to escape!"

The Mandalorian fired multiple shots at Sugi who managed to dodge every shot. Sugi flipped a knife around from her boots, and ran at the Mandalorian, attempting to slash at her.

"You're very persistent!"

"We will be leaving with the asset. I am a woman of my word, and I do not break deals," Sugi growled, swinging her blade at her.

"Too bad the deal you're doing a part of has no honor," the Mandalorian huffed, kicking her in the stomach, and pushing Sugi away from her. Embo soon saw this, and now he knew who to maim. He began a running charge, lifting his bowcaster to fire a few shots at the Mandalorian. The Mandalorian shot back, managing to get the gun out of his hands, but it didn't stop him from running.

Embo brushed through several of the pirates in his way. The Mandalorian braced herself for impact, waiting to feel a heavy bang against her body. She waited... and waited... but there was no feeling of the pressure. When she opened her eyes, she saw Embo just held there in place, his head still held down like an angry bull, only he was now struggling to break himself free from whatever was keeping him like this.

The Mandalorian's head turned and when she saw what was making him like this... she could not believe her eyes. Neither could anyone else in the entire market yard. Flurry Heart, the little baby, no taller than a womp rat, was holding her hands out like she was using the Force, and Embo was being held in place, not allowed to mow down the Mandalorian.

Lyra saw it too, and when she did, she could not help herself; she squeed like a little girl about to open a birthday present. And even more so when Embo was forced to spin around, no longer facing the Mandalorian. The baby let go, and Embo was let back on his feet to run and he slammed right into another market stand.

When the baby finally stopped, she plunked herself on her behind and suddenly everyone came to the same conclusion.

That's one powerful little baby.

Now that the baby was done, everyone just went straight back to fighting on their own, either the other shopkeepers, or the bounty hunters that originally came here.

"Hand over the asset or be terminated," IG-88 repeated yet again.

Lyra ran to try and save the baby, but Sugi stepped in, kicking her down, placing a foot on her head to try and pin her, ready to shoot her. Dengar saw this chance to try and grab the baby who did not look happy at the scary stranger coming close to her.

"We're just going on a little ride, little one. All the way to the Storm Empire..."

Lyra in a fit of rage, threw Sugi's foot off her and swung her foot around, smacking her in the face. "Get away from her you bounty-hunting scum!"

She used the Force, pushing Dengar away and slammed him against a wall, up in the air. She wanted to choke him and finish him, right here, right now. He was getting to her baby, and the thought of her baby being held hostage by these strangers both scared and angered her to the core.

Taking her chance, Sugi got back up and fired at Lyra who tried to duck her shots, but got hit the shoulder, making her cry out and drop Dengar. She held onto her shoulder, feeling the intense pain from the hot blast. Sugi's gun twirled as she clicked it, ready to finish the job. But a gloved hand punched Sugi in the back and hit her with a stun of her gun. The Mandalorian rushed back into the fight, shooting a stun attack on Dengar as well, rendering him unconscious.

Embo was ready to get back up and finish them again, but he was kept busy thanks to Hondo's men trying to shoot at him. Only one left; the IG unit. He held up his weapons, pointing them both at the Jedi and the baby. The Mandalorian wasn't about to let him be the cause of their deaths, and so clicking her gun back to kill, he fired multiple shots at the IG unit's head, shooting multiple times until he finally shut down and just collapsed on the ground, now smoldering from the attack.

The bounty hunter looked all around her; the Weequays were still infighting with each other, but thankfully their attention was not set on her or the Jedi. Sugi and Dengar were temporarily stunned, Embo was busy with some Weequays, and now IG-88 was destroyed. At least he would be until the others fixed him. But either way, she now had a chance to escape. She looked at Lyra, still struggling to get up, holding onto her shoulder.

Lyra looked at the Mandalorian extending a hand to help her up. Smiling, she took her hand, pushing herself to get right back up on her feet.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm hit, but I think I'll be alright," Lyra said, removing her hand from her would. The Mandalorian got a better look now; not only did part of her robe get ripped off, but there was some intense heat and some little bit of blood coming out.

"We'll get you patched up. But we better leave now before they come to," the Mandalorian advised.

"Right."

She leaned over to try and pick up the baby, hissing at every ounce of pain it took just moving her shoulder. It was a struggle, but she finally got the baby in her arms, safely cradled. The Jedi jumped at the feeling of another arm touching her, but quickly found that the Mandalorian had moved one under her, trying to help her stand up straight, at the very least, provide more strength to help make sure the baby didn't fall.

"Come on, let's go back to my ship. Hondo should have it refueled by now, and it'll be on our way to Naboo," the Mandalorian said. Unbeknownst to her, two figures poked out from behind some boxes, having listened in.

The Jedi sensed a disturbance within the Force, and her head whipped back. No one in sight, outside of the Weequays who were slowly getting back to normal, well, mostly. But none of them were focused on the two of them, thank goodness. Now it meant they could escape without being caught.

Recovering from the fight, Dengar and Sugi got back on their feet, brushing off the dust and sand they were flung into. Their sights focused on IG-88 who was laying destroyed on the ground, smoking in the central brain. And across the market they saw a freighter take off from the ground, escaping for the clouds. Now the Mandalorian had escaped.

Worse, Sugi was hearing a faint signal beep from her holo-device. She picked it from her side, turning it on.

"Why have I not heard from any of you? Do you have the asset or not?" Varan huffed, crossing his arms.

"We've had a little bump. We're after the asset, but that Mandalorian bounty hunter you hired is now helping the Jedi and the asset escape," Dengar said.

"Then bring the asset and that Mandalorian back! I don't care how many people you have to kill, JUST BRING THEM BACK ALIVE!"

And the transmission cut off before any of them could say another word.

"Really has a way with words, doesn't he?" Dengar snarked. "I don't see any way for us to find that bonuty hunter, she's probably long gone by now."

"Not for long," a feminine voice called.

The two looked to the call, watching as Cad Bane, Aurra Sing, and the newly-arrived Bossk walk towards them.

"We overheard their little conversation. The Mandalorian's dropping her off at Naboo. We just need to follow her and catch her when she arrives..." Cad Bane said, raising his head a little to let his red blood eyes be visible to the rest. "Since we're all against the Mandalorian, how about we all split the reward for taking in that traitor and the asset?"

Comments

[Scholarly-Cimmerian]

Hondo! I always loved that guy. Great to see him make an appearance in this chapter. Really got a kick out of the action in this one, especially with the bounty hunters versus Mando and all.

Though our protagonists have managed to evade capture once again, they're not by any means out of the woods yet...

[Ri2]

Good old Hondo. Always a pleasure doing business with him.

[Machine]

Cool

[Shadowsnake89]

Great story so far. Honestly I've never watched The Mandalorian but this is pretty great. Lyra is a nice addition and it took me a second, but after reading the name of the protagonists ship, the character's color scheme should have been a dead giveaway. Can't wait to see what happens next in this chase across the galaxy.

[FourShadow]

10376658

I am glad you are enjoying it. ^^

But yeah, even if you haven't seen the show, it's okay. Honestly, the only inspiration (around the time I had been writing this) had just been around the first two episodes, and Clone Wars. Even though I've seen it all now, I'm still gonna stick to what we've got goin' right now. :3

[BradyBunch]

Now the only two bounty hunters we need to complete the set are Zuckuss and 4-lom.