Vigilante problems (Burden of the Mandalorian)Pt.1

[Valah Hagen]

The Mayor's face crumpled. "Please," he whispered. "You have no idea. This city — it's just a pawn in their game. You can't even begin to fight them."

Valah's finger twitched on the trigger, but Andrew held up a hand, signaling her to wait. He leaned in close, meeting the Mayor's bulging eyes.

 

[Andrew Lonek]

"Oh, we're not gonna fight them," Andrew said, voice like poisoned honey. "We're gonna embarrass them."

 

[Valah Hagen]

"And then," Valah added, voice metallic and cold through her helmet, "we're gonna burn their whole empire down."

The Mayor whimpered — and somewhere outside, thunder rumbled across the skyline like the city itself growling in approval.

 

[Andrew Lonek]

Andrew stepped back, looking at Valah with a spark of adrenaline flashing in his eyes.

"Looks like the job just got bigger," he said.

 

[Valah Hagen]

Valah tilted her helmet toward him slightly, her version of a smirk.


"Hope you packed enough toys."

 

[Andrew Lonek]

Andrew grinned wide. "Sweetheart, I brought the whole armory."

 

[Valah Hagen]

Later that night, back at Valah's apartment-turned-command-post…

The Mayor sat slumped in a durasteel chair, wrists bound, sweat slicking his brow. Andrew had disabled the panic button embedded in his wrist — an antique, expensive model disguised as a ring. It now sat in pieces on the table beside a blinking holo-map Andrew had pulled from the Mayor's encrypted datapad.

Valah stood in the corner, arms crossed, helmet off, eyes cold.​

 

[Andrew Lonek]

Andrew paced in front of the Mayor like a teacher waiting for the dumbest student in the galaxy to finally get the lesson.

"So let's try this again, Your Corruptness," Andrew said, gesturing to the map. "You said the Circle operates offworld, but you're just the lapdog running errands. Where's the hand holding your leash?"

 

[Valah Hagen]

The Mayor hesitated.

Valah didn't.

She fired a stun bolt that singed the wall an inch from his head.

"I've got no problem making a few holes in this place if it means you talk," she said flatly.

The Mayor jumped, trembling. "Alright! Alright! There's—there's a relay hub beneath the old transit system in District 12. Hidden behind the collapsed freight tunnel. That's where they coordinate surveillance, drop points, clean communications... it's one of their nests. But it's guarded. Heavily. You'll never make it in there alive!"

 

[Andrew Lonek]

Andrew turned toward the map and began tapping coordinates. "Challenge accepted."

"And there's more," the Mayor added quickly, desperate now. "A data transfer happens every three days. That's how they move intel offworld without slicing. One of their enforcers shows up — guy named Korl Vesh."

 

[Valah Hagen]

Valah's head snapped up. "I've heard of him. Ex-Mandalorian. Thrown out of the clans. Works for credits now."

 

[Andrew Lonek]

Andrew's brow raised. "Mando versus fallen Mando. Oh, that's poetic."

He turned toward Valah, his smirk returning. "So here's the plan. We intercept the transfer. Hijack the data. Get the Circle's dirty secrets and maybe even a trace on their network."

 

[Valah Hagen]

Valah nodded slowly. "And when Korl Vesh shows up?"

 

[Andrew Lonek]

She didn't need to ask the rest.

Andrew grinned. "We introduce him to your upgraded blaster and my charming personality."

He looked to the Mayor, whose eyes were wide with dread.

"Thanks for your cooperation," Andrew said, tapping a key on his gauntlet. The binders around the Mayor's wrists locked tighter. "You're going to stay right here and not make any noise until we get back. If we get caught, well..."


he leaned in, voice low and full of menace. "Let's just say the Circle won't be your biggest problem."