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
counter attack Koresh jerked his head toward the bounty hunter Do you gamble Mando Not when it can be avoided the Mandalorian said Koresh laughed unpleasantly I will bet you the information you seek that this Gamorrean is going to die within the next minute and a half And all you have to put up in exchange is your shiny beskar armor Mando turned to look at him I’m prepared to pay you for the information he said I am not leaving my fate up to chance Nor am I Koresh said Inside the ropes the winning winning fighter had raised his ax to finish off his opponent Without hesitation the cyclops rose to his feet pulled a blaster from the shoulder holster beneath his suit jacket aimed and fired into the ring hitting the standing standing Gamorrean squarely in the chest and knocking him off his feet ending the fight As a shocked silence fell over the room Koresh swung the blaster around on the Mandalorian Before Mando could draw his own sidearm the surrounding bodyguards had already responded their weapons trained on the bounty hunter at point-blank range Around them the crowd seemed to have suddenly lost all interest in bloodshed They jumped from their
seats and scrambled toward the exits leaving Mando and the Child alone with Koresh and his thugs Thank you for coming to me Koresh said Normally Normally I have to seek out remnants of you Mandalorians in your hidden hives to harvest your precious shiny shells He chuckled again Beskar’s value continues to rise I have grown quite fond of it Give it to me now or I will peel it off your corpse The Mandalorian didn’t move Next to him he could see the Child peering up from the edge of the pram following following the discussion with rapt attention Tell me where the Mandalorians are Mando said and I’ll walk out of here without killing you Koresh’s eyebrow tightened in a scowl I thought you said you weren’t a gambler I’m not Mando said Seeing what was coming the Child ducked into the egg-shaped pram and snapped the shell closed just as Mando activated the brace of homing missiles in his wrist gauntlet The whistling birds swept through the bodyguards in a deadly swarm dropping all of them in a matter of seconds There was a howl of rage as the surviving Gamorrean gladiator vaulted over the ropes plunging toward Mando Mando stepped back and the Gamorrean crashed to the floor with a bone-jarring thud An instant
