CHAPTER 01 THIS WAS NO PLACE for a child The Mandalorian made his way down the backstreet backstreet with the silver pram floating alongside him its tiny occupant safely within reach Inside the Child sat wide-eyed taking in his surroundings with a whimper The slums of this Outer Rim planet were flooded with menacing shadows every one of them threatening trouble Rows of streetlights flickered overhead casting casting their uncertain glow across the graffiti-strewn walls as if fearful of what they might find The sweltering air around them was motionless and hushed yet the quiet was deceptive They were not alone In the darkness eyes gleamed Mando stopped in front of a darkened doorway where a Twi’lek guard stood with his arms crossed
Like all of his kind the Twi’lek was humanoid in most respects with the exception of the two elongated lekku that protruded from his skull His gaze was cold an unspoken challenge to anyone unlucky enough to have found their way there by accident as he waited for the Mandalorian to state his business I’m here to see Gor Koresh Mando said and the Child cooed in agreement After a moment the doorman doorman moved aside gesturing them in Enjoy the fights the Twi’lek said Stepping inside Mando could already hear cheers and applause and the clang of metal on metal In the ring two massive piglike Gamorrean fighters were battling battling each other with vibro-axes while the spectators whistled and roared in a half dozen different languages and dialects Mando scarcely bothered to glance over although the Child seemed fascinated by the display of brutality inside the ropes Surveying the crowd Mando found the one he was looking for Gor Koresh was a green-skinned Abyssin with a flair for style adorned in a spotless white suit earrings and nose ring Four heavily armed bodyguards surrounded him their attention riveted to Mando and his companion companion in the floating pram Koresh’s solitary eye moved
from the Child to Mando with a mixture of bemusement bemusement and disapproval You brought the kid Wherever I go Mando said he goes Koresh snorted So I’ve heard I have been quested to bring him to his kind Mando said If I can locate other Mandalorians they can help guide me I’m told you know where to find them Koresh scarcely took his attention from the fighters fighters It’s uncouth to talk business immediately he said Just enjoy the entertainment Entertainment wasn’t the word Mando would’ve chosen to describe what was going on inside the ring but he waited as the two fighters swung axes at each other pounding their way through the final act of their sweaty desperate drama One of them caught his opponent opponent with a blow to the mid section knocking him to the mat and the crowd roared Bah Koresh grunted clearly displeased by this outcome My Gamorrean is not doing well He raised his voice to a shout joining the jeers and cries of the mob Kill him Finish him As if in response to this command the injured Gamorrean recovered his balance and launched a
