Ep V: Chapter 31

The bodyguard’s name is Setna. She’s been miraculously unobtrusive so far, and frankly, she’s been doing what Enthea should’ve been all along.

Now she raises the rifle in a skillful fashion that also makes it clear how disinterested she is. Enthea looks on with interest, noting the Mandalorian’s tactical stance. War is the culture of Mandalore, but they’ve all got different ways of going about it. Different schools and different cultures. It’s a pity that they need to keep their distance. They both have jobs to do and while Enthea has no particular grievance with Mandalorians, most Mandalorians don’t feel the same way about the Jedi.

Several of the guests cry out and point, but Setna’s already seen the chanwolf bounding along between the craggy rocks below. Rather than aiming down, Setna abruptly aims up and fires at the same moment that Enthea senses danger.

Setna’s shot punches through the chest of a pirate on a speeder. He topples off, but there are plenty more behind him. The guests all see them coming and panic, getting down as blaster fire fills the air. Setna took care of the pilot, but now there’s an unmanned speeder bike hurtling toward the land skimmer.

Enthea leaps onto the bar, igniting her lightsaber. One slash leaves the bike in two glowing pieces, which pass within centimeters of a frozen Scora, smashing through the handrail and disappearing into the storm. Enthea deflects a blaster shot and uses the **** to knock another pirate free. The security team returns fire, tracking with the bikes as they scream past.

Setna takes her rifle back from the startled Scora and blasts another bike out of the sky.

Scora comes to her senses. “Get down! They’re coming around for another pass! Myra! Where are you?”

“No! Forget them!” Enthea calls out to the guards, pointing with her lightsaber. “It’s them! Shoot them down!” The bikes were a distraction; a small transport aircraft is coming in hot. Setna listens and opens fire, but it’s too late, and she can’t shoot down a craft like that with small arms.

Blaster shots splash harmlessly against light armor as pirates of all species pour onto the deck of the skimmer. Enthea deflects as much fire as she can while Setna has to grab a Twi’lek and turn to present her back so that her Beskar can stop it.

Enthea cuts down a Rodian with a repeater and uses the **** to knock down an **** droid. She whirls and flings her lightsaber as the aircraft tries to move on, using the **** to send it through the forward windshield and into the chest of the pilot. She yanks it back to her hand as the aircraft falls away into the storm.

Setna smashes a pirate flat with the stock of her rifle, and a shining object rolls from his senseless fingers: a thermal detonator.