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CHAPTER TWENTY 

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THERE were more stormtroopers than Greef had initially told them, Artemis noticed, as the four of them made their way towards the city entrance. A lot more.

Artemis' eyes darted over the main street, observing the stormtroopers. She could feel Din tense up beside her and she quickly gave him a reassuring glance.

"Chain code?" One of the two stormtroopers who were guarding the entrance, said.

"I have a gift for the boss," Greef said, gesturing at the closed cradle, Din and Artemis.

"Chain code?" the stormtrooper asked again.

Greef sighed and took his chain code out. The stormtrooper grabbed it and scanned it.

"I'll give you twenty credits for the helmet," the stormtrooper said, glancing at Din.

"Ha ha," Greef laughed. "Not a change. That's going on my wall."

"On your wall?" Din said softly.

"Go with it," Greef hissed.

"Go ahead," the stormtrooper said, handing back the chain code.

The four of them entered the city and Artemis could feel the stares they were getting.

"You said four," Cara said quietly from Artemis' right side. "There are more than four troopers."

"Four guarding the client," Greef replied. "Many more here in town."

"You failed to mention that," Artemis said dryly.

Greef ignored her and continued, "Things got really heated once Mando and Bryce crashed the safehouse."

"Slip him his blaster," Cara told him, as she subtly gave Artemis hers.

"Not yet," Greef said, shaking his head slightly.

"Here we are," Greef said, once they arrived at the cantina.

The door slid open and they were met by four stormtroopers.

"You see?" Greef said, glancing at Cara. "Four."

The client, who had been sitting down in a booth, stood up and made his way over to them. It was an elder man, but Artemis noticed that he carried himself with dignity.

"Look what I brought you," Greef told the client. "As promised."

The client glanced shortly at him before his eyes darted towards Din.

"What exquisite craftsmanship," he said, touching Din's chest armor before touching the helmet. "It is amazing how beautiful beskar can be when forged by its ancestral artisans." His eyes then settled on Artemis, who stood next to Din. "And if it isn't General Bryce," the client continued. "I have heard much about you, General."

"All good things, I hope?" Artemis questioned him.

"You have your master's wits," was all the client said before turning back towards Greef. "Can I offer you a libatation to celebrate the closing of our shared narrative?"

"I would be obliged," Greef replied.

The client nodded at the droid behind the bar before sitting down again. "Please sit," he said.

Din slid down onto the seat with Artemis beside him. Greef sat down next to her while Cara stood behind them.

"Is is a shame that your people suffered so," the client told Din, as two more stormtroopers entered the cantina. "Just as this situation, it was all avoidable. Why did Mandalore resist our expansion? The Empire improves every system it touches. Judge by any metric. Safety, prosperity, trade, opportunity, peace."

Artemis gritted her teeth at that last word.

"Compare Imperial rule to what is happening now," the client went on. "Look outside. Is the world more peaceful since the revolution? I see nothing but death and chaos. I would like to see the baby," he added, looking at Greef.

"Uh . . . It is asleep," Greef told him.

"We all will be quiet," the client assured him. "Open the pram."

Artemis tensed up as his hand went to the cradle, but he was interrupted by a stormtrooper that whispered something in his ear.

"Don't think me to be rude," the client began. "I must take this call."

Artemis looked down at Din's hands to see them out of their handcuffs. She did the same and her hand went over to her saber.

"Give me the blaster," Din whispered.

Greef handed it to Artemis, who handed it to Din.

"You get one shot," Greef reminded him.

"This is bad," Cara hissed to Greef. "You said four."

"Well, there are more," Greef said, not looking too happy. "What can I tell you?"

The Force shifted and Artemis tensed up. A dark presence lingered just outside of the cantina.

"Get down!" she shouted, pulling Din with her under the table only seconds before shots were fired off. The client and the stormtroopers fell down onto the ground, dead. Artemis turned around and saw that Cara and Greef had taken cover behind another table.

Just as quick as it had begun, it was over. Din and Artemis exchanged a glance before the two of them ran towards the side of the cantina to have more cover.

When Artemis glanced towards the now broken window, she saw a row of Death troopers standing in front of it. All of them had pointed their blasters at them.

An Imperial Troop Transport arrived, carrying a contingent of stormtroopers.

"Kriff," Artemis cursed under her breath.

"Four stormtroopers?" Cara said loudly to Greef.

The four of them watched more stormtroopers arrive.

"This is bad," Cara said and Artemis couldn't help but to agree.

"Kuiil?" Din said, using the comlink. "Are you back to the ship yet? Are you there? Do you copy?"

"Yes!" Kuiil's voice came.

"Are you back to the ship yet?" Din asked urgently.

"Not yet."

"Get back to the ship and bail," Din ordered. "Get the kid out of here. We're pinned down!"

Artemis glanced at Din and for a moment, they just looked at each other, knowing that in the next few moment, they could all die.

And then the familiar sound of a TIE fighter was heard, making Artemis avert her eyes from Din towards the sky. It landed behind the rows of stormtroopers and out came a man Artemis didn't know. He walked towards the front and eyed them intently.

"You have something I want," the man said.

"Who's this guy?" Cara asked, looking at Greef, Din and Artemis.

Artemis shrugged.

"You may think you have some idea of what you are in possession of," the man continued, "but you do not."

"Kuiil, are you back to the ship yet?" Din said into the comlink. "They're onto us!"

Artemis heart skipped a beat when the Ugnaught didn't reply and she tensed up in worry.

"Kuiil, come in!" Din said, urgently and Artemis could feel his worry flow off of him.

"In a few moments, it will be mine," the man said.

"Kuiil, do you copy?" Din yelled into the comlink. "Kuiil!"

"It means more to me than you will ever know."

Artemis glanced outside and suddenly, a feeling hit her. She stumbled back into the wall.

"Kuiil! Are you there? Artie, what's wrong?" Din asked turning around to face her.

"Kuiil's dead," Artemis breathed, looking up at him. "They have Grogu."

Din swore under his breath as Artemis pushed herself off the wall.

"Is there another way out?" Cara asked.

"No, that's it," Greef said, gesturing at the window.

"What about the sewers?" Din suggested.

"Sewers?" Greef repeated.

"The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers," Din explained. "If we can get down there, they can help us escape."

"Yeah, sewers are good," Cara said, nodding.

"Checking for acces points," Din said while Artemis glanced outside.

"What the hell are they waiting for?" Cara asked. She, too, was looking at the troopers.

"Oh, no," Artemis said, as she watched a couple of stormtroopers assemble an E-Web.

"Hold up," Cara said, seeing the E-Web, too.

"They're setting up an E-Web," Artemis said.

"It's over," Greef sighed in defeat. "Unless we've got luck on our side."

"In my experience there's no such thing as luck," Artemis said. "Mando, have you found anything yet?"

"I found the sewer vent," Din said.

"Let's get the hell out of here," Cara said.

All of them made their way towards the sewer vent that was situated under a seat. Din and Cara pulled the seats away while Artemis glanced over her shoulder towards the E-Web that was almost assembled completely.

Din and Cara tried to open the vent by pulling at it.

"It's assembled!" Greef exclaimed. "How long until that thing's cleared?"

"Blow it," Cara told Din.

"I'm out of charges," Din said.

"Get out of the way," Cara exclaimed, taking her blaster and shooting at the vent.

"It's no use!" Artemis said. "Here," she added, giving Cara one of her sabers. "It can get through anything."

Cara nodded, took it and turned it on. Blue light was filling the cantina now.

"Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation," the man's voice came and the four of them looked back outside. "I would prefer to avoid any further violence, and encourage a moment of consideration. Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster."

Greef turned to look at Cara who was currently working on the vent with Artemis' lightsaber.

"If you are unfamiliar with this weapon," the man continued, "I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise you that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporize mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model."

Cara stopped working and looked up upon hearing her full name.

"Or perhaps the decommissioned Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin," the man continued, "has heard the songs of the Siege of Mandalore, when gunships outfitted with similar ordnance laid wast to fields of Mandalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears."

Artemis shivered as she recalled the Siege of Mandalore. She and Ahsoka had been sent there to take down Maul and she'd never forget it.

"Let's not forget our most famous guest," he continued. "Jedi Master Artemis Bryce. Commander in the Clone Wars. General in the war against the Empire. I must say, I am impressed by all that you have survived. So it isn't really a surprise to hear that you fought in the Siege of Mandalore at only seventeen and beat Darth Maul. If only times were different, I think you and I would get along splendidly."

Artemis blinked, unable to say anything at all. She could feel Din, Cara and Greef's stares.

"I advise disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga to search the wisdom of his years and urge you to lay down your arms and come outside," the man continued. "The structure you are trapped in will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end."

"What do you propose?" Greef called over to him.

The man smiled. "Reasonable negotiation."

"What assurance do you offer?" Greef asked.

"If you're asking if you can trust me, you cannot," the man said. "Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hand. The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest, which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit. However, I might have something that would interest General Bryce."

Artemis looked up at him, frowning.

"Bring the prisoner."

Artemis watched two stormtroopers get a man out of the transporter, a sack over his head.

"You might remember CC-2224 from your time as Commander," the man said and Artemis eyes widened. "But I believe you have another name for him."

He pulled the sack off the man's head and Artemis gasped when she saw his face.

"Cody."

Word count: 1907

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Published: 11.10.2021