Arriving back at my shop just before dawn, I quickly flipped the sign on the door. The plaque read, “We’re sorry for the inconvenience, but the store is closed today,” a message I used on the rare occasions when exhaustion or illness kept me from work. Today, the excuse was a bit more... pressing.

  “Teya, gather some provisions and anything you think would be useful from the back. I have some things to grab up here,” I told her, urgency lacing my tone.

  She nodded, her expression focused. “Alright, I’ll meet you back here in a few.” She grabbed a duffle bag and disappeared into the back room.

  I moved quickly, unlocking the secret compartments built into my desk. Inside, I found the small bag containing two metal slugs—heavy, dark, and cold in my hand. These weren’t ordinary slugs. Some reckless soul had gotten their hands on Mandalorian steel and fashioned them into slugs for a droid-mounted slug shooter. How they got the steel, I could only guess, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it ended with a Mandalorian blade at their throat. The Mandalorians don’t take kindly to the theft of their birthright. In their eyes, all Mandalorian steel is rightfully theirs.

  I was interrupted by the creak of a door behind me, followed by the sound of heels clicking on the floor.

  “We’re closed today,” I said, keeping my voice as steady as possible.

  “Oh, but I’m sure you’ll make an exception for me, sweet cheeks,” purred a sultry voice.

  A cold shiver ran down my spine as I turned to face her. Retra, the female Zabrak Inquisitor I had become far too familiar with, lounged in my doorway. Her grey skin almost blended in with the dim light of my shop, and her smirk was all too confident.

  “Miss Retra, what brings you here today?” I asked, forcing a polite tone.

  She leaned against my counter, her eyes glinting with mischief. “Other than your pretty face? Well, we had a little... incident. A platoon of troopers was attacked by a saberless Jedi in a tunnel rumored to contain Kyber crystals. Now, a Jedi like that might need parts to build themselves a lightsaber, and your shop happens to be one of the first places a person like that might come. Seen anyone suspicious?”

  I swallowed, keeping my expression neutral. “No, just a bunch of requests to fix droids.”

  Retra’s smile widened, her teeth sharp and predatory. “Funny, because the shopkeeper next door mentioned seeing a young, pretty green Mirialan enter your shop. So, what is she? A customer... or competition?”

  Her tone dripped with amusement, but beneath the surface, I could sense the edge of a threat. My mind raced as I tried to maintain my composure, but the situation quickly spiraled out of control. Over Retra’s shoulder, I caught a glimpse of Teya stepping into the room, her lightsaber drawn and her face set with grim determination. Panic spiked in my chest.

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  “Teya, no—” I tried to signal her, but she charged forward, igniting her saber with a snap-hiss.

  Retra’s saber ignited in a flash of red, catching Teya’s strike with a hiss and a shower of sparks. Her smirk turned into a predatory grin. “So, you were here after all...”

  Teya aimed a kick at Retra, but the Inquisitor casually swept her back with a wave of her hand, sending Teya stumbling. Their lightsabers clashed again, each meeting of the blades sending sparks flying across my shop. I could see it clearly: Teya was outmatched. Retra’s strikes were precise, her movements fluid and deadly. Teya was barely holding her own, each block and parry growing more desperate.

  Desperation clawed at me as I watched my friend struggle. Even though Retra had taken an unsettling interest in me, I knew she wouldn’t hesitate to kill Teya—or me, if it came to that. I searched frantically for a way to turn the tide, any solution that might give us a chance to survive. And then I saw it, a risky idea forming in my mind.

  I clutched the Mandalorian steel slugs in my hand, knowing that if I acted now, I’d lose the element of surprise. But there was a chance—a small one—that I could use the slugs to disable her lightsaber. If I could plug the emitter with something saber-resistant, it might just cause an overload. It was risky, but it was the only plan I had.

  With a deep breath, I cast aside my reluctance. Easy come, easy go...

  I focused, guiding the slugs through the air with the Force. They moved into position, one behind the other, and I sent them hurtling down the length of Retra’s red blade. The first slug melted against the intense heat, shielding the second, which lodged itself deep into the emitter. The molten metal sealed the lightsaber’s opening.

  All Retra saw was her lightsaber suddenly sputter and power down. Her confident smirk vanished, replaced by confusion. “What the fu—”

  Boom!

  The lightsaber exploded in her hands, the blast shredding her grip and sending shrapnel tearing through her body. Blood sprayed across the room as she crumpled to the ground, staring in horror at the stumps where her hands had been. She let out a scream, high-pitched and primal, before collapsing into unconsciousness.

  I stood over her, panting, the Mandalorian steel still hot in my hand. I stepped forward, raising my other hand to finish the job, but Teya’s voice cut through the haze of adrenaline.

  “Don’t!” she shouted, her voice trembling.

  I froze, turning to her. “Why not? She’ll hunt us down after this.”

  Teya’s eyes were wide, her lightsaber still glowing faintly in her grip. “Roan, she’s defenseless now.”

  I glanced down at Retra, bleeding and broken on my floor. “We’ve taken her hands, Teya. She’s an Inquisitor, a Sith agent. If we leave her alive, she’ll come after us. You think she’ll show us mercy next time?”

  Teya shook her head, tears welling in her eyes. “I know... but this... it just feels wrong. I can’t be a Jedi if I kill someone like this.”

  I tightened my grip, anger, and frustration twisting inside me. “And what happens if she comes back and hurts us—or someone else? Would you leave a wounded predator behind, knowing it’ll strike again?”

  Teya stepped closer, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Please, Roan. If she comes after us, we’ll deal with her then. But not like this. Don’t become something you’ll regret.”

  I met her gaze, the fire in my chest clashing with the desperation in her eyes. For a long moment, the room was silent except for the faint hum of Teya’s saber and the ragged breaths escaping Retra’s unconscious form.

  Finally, I lowered my hand, letting out a harsh breath. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you, Teya.”

  She nodded, her expression pained but relieved.