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
later the bounty hunter felt a pair of arms grabbing him from behind as three more armed fighters in Koresh’s employ charged him with an onslaught of punches and kicks One of them swung a battle hammer and Mando ducked in time to see Koresh dashing for the exit Mando smashed the Twi’lek in front of him with a fist to the skull then pivoted and took out the thug behind him before ejecting a spring-loaded blade from his wrist and finishing off the last two fighters with lethal efficiency He picked up his blaster and sprinted for the door in pursuit of the Abyssin Outside he found Koresh scurrying down the alleyway alleyway elbows pumping making little grunting noises of panic as he fled The Mandalorian raised his arm and fired a grappling cable snaring the cyclops around the ankles and yanking him off his feet then dragging him backward Mando looped the cable around a lamppost and hoisted Koresh into the air so he was hog-tied and dangling upside down his soiled white jacket flapping around him like a pair of useless wings All right Koresh said Stop I’ll tell you where he is But you must give me your word that you won’t kill me I promise you won’t die by my hand Mando said He could already hear the red-eyed creatures in the
shadows creeping closer Their claws made eager little scratching noises as they approached Now where is the Mandalorian you know of Tatooine Mando looked at him in surprise What The Mando I know of is on Tatooine Koresh said Having already sacrificed all dignity his voice cracked as he sought to preserve what remained of his composure I have spent much time on Tatooine Mando said I have never seen a Mandalorian there My information is good I tell you The city of Mos Pelgo The Abyssin’s voice was starting to sound hoarse as if he was struggling to breathe I swear it by the Gotra Tatooine it is then Mando said and turned to leave the Child’s pram floating alongside him Wait Mando Koresh cried You can’t leave me like this Cut me down That wasn’t part of the deal Turning the Mandalorian shot out the streetlight above Koresh All around him emboldened by the darkness the red-eyed shapes lunged at their prey and Gor Koresh began to scream Wait what are you doing Mando I can pay Mando But the Mandalorian didn’t look back
