Promises and Deals | The Mandalorian

.124

The Armorer waits as if they knew Alora would come. "Allow me to assist," Alora says as she approaches. "With the feast."

The Armorer's helmet tilts as they look at her. "In exchange?"

Alora purses her lips as she pulls out one of the discs she recovered from the Temple. "I would appreciate it if I could borrow some tools from you. To fix this."

The Armorer steps off the box and approaches, gently running a finger over the exposed disc. "This appears beyond repair."

"I fixed one. It is possible. I do not ask for your assistance, just tools."

"My assistance you shall have." For a moment, Alora is struck by the cadence of the sentence. She picks her head up to stare at the unforgiving helmet. "I enjoy a challenge. Let us start right away, Alora of Alderaan."

Her chest tightens, and she looks down.

"Your necklace is new."

Alora's hand instantly covers the charms around her neck.

"I shall have to reinforce the chains. Come when you are finished reuniting with your little one. It seems the Magistrate is waiting for you."

Looking back, Alora sees Grogu halfway to her with Greef waving her over. She lets out a heavy sigh, and says, "I shall find you tonight. Thank you." She does not wait to run and meet Grogu, a smile taking over her lips as she runs her hand over his head. "I missed you, kid!" She says with as much enthusiasm as she can spare.

Grogu giggles and leaps into her arms, pushing her hood back as they meet Din and Greef by the ships. Din now holds an expensive bottle of wine from Coruscant. "He has a present for us," Din says without looking at her for too long.

"Ok, lead the way," she nods.

It does not take long for Greef to get them back to his office in the main part of the city. They wait in relative silence as Grogu eats the chocolates on Greef's desk happily. Alora sits in Greef's seat and rests her feet on his desk, despite the look he sends her.

She looks up as mechanical steps echo through the hallway. Standing, she leans over the desk to see IG-11 carefully stepping into the room with the Anzellan mechanic in the chest.

"What did you do to IG-11?" Din asks.

"No, that's IG-12 now," Greef replies. "Do you like him?"

"Do I like him?" Din repeats.

"Don't worry, he's safe."

"You're sure?" Alora asks as she steps around the desk, partially blocking Grogu's view.

"Well, the Anzellans stripped IG down to his base motor functions. They removed his memory circuit. The pilot provides cognition."

The Anzellan in the chest cavity presses a button, and a robotic voice says, "Yes." Grogu laughs and approaches as the Anzellan climbs out of the seat.

"Think of it this way, it's more like a vehicle. It's safer that way."

The Anzellan climbs down and hops onto the desk as Grogu approaches. "Bad baby!" He exclaims. "No squeezie!"

Din sighs. "Well, he's too little to operate this thing."

"No," Alora shrugs. "Let's just see if he fits." Without waiting, Alora helps Grogu into the seat and smiles. "What do you think, kid? Comfy?"

Grogu grins as Din once again sighs from behind her. "They do nice work, I'll give them that, but Grogu is too young to operate heavy machinery. Maybe when he's older—"

Before Alora has a chance to scoff, Grogu presses a button, and the IG unit says, "No."

Din spins to Grogu as Alora tries to keep her laugh contained behind her hand. "What do you mean, 'No?'" Din demands.

Grogu presses the same button. "No."

"I think he's saying he's old enough to operate it," Greef grins.

Grogu presses the other button. "Yes."

"Mmm-mmm," Din shakes his head. "Get him out of there."

"No," IG-12 says.

"At least let him try it out in this office," Alora replies, crossing her arms. "If he destroys something, then it's not ours."

"Yes." Grogu coos.

"No, this is not a good idea." Din steps forward, but Alora straightens in his way, narrowing her eyes at the helmet. He steps around her, but Grogu and IG-12 are already on the move. "Hey!"

"Would you look at that?" Alora smirks, though she is only watching Din. "He's doing great."

"Yes," IG-12 says.

"Yes, what?" Din asks, exacerbated.

Grogu just continues to press the yes button over and over again as he begins to smile and laugh.

Alora chuckles. "I think we'll take it. Thanks, Greef. You've made the little guy very happy. And you've given me the perfect weapon to annoy the shit out of our favorite Mandalorian."

Din must be glaring at her under the helmet as she helps Grogu direct himself and the droid out of the door with Din following them. Grogu has yet to stop pressing the yes button, so they have to listen to Grogu's excitement the entire way down to the street. Even in the streets, Grogu continues, despite the looks that come their way.

When the yeses stop, Alora pauses and cannot help but cackle when she sees Grogu happily eating some food from one of the many street vendors.

"What are you doing?" Din demands as he rips the food away. "Stop, Grogu. No. You have to pay for those. No."

"Yes." Grogu holds up a juicy fruit.

Din reaches and tries to snatch it away. "Grogu. No. Give it. Grogu, give it back—"

Grogu squeezes the fruit so the juices explode. His ears fall a bit as he looks at Alora and Din.

With a sigh, Alora hands over some coins to the vendor and picks up the two items Grogu had singled out. "Here. Thank you, and sorry for the inconvenience." As she hands them to Grogu and IG-12, she whispers, "Best gift ever."

Din growls, "This isn't working for me."

✦✧✦✧✦

Grumpy Din! And some tension coming in the next chapter!

Hope you enjoyed!

-L