xix. and I hate you for what you
did and I miss you like a little kid
MANDO WALKED DOWN THE STEPS. He had finally found some people who had survived the massage of the Mandalorian covert and was hiding out with them.
He hobbled over in pain after getting into a fight and the armour called out for Paz Vizsa to tend to his wounds.
Mando removes the leg bandage to show a dark burn and the bacta managed to fix it but there was still questions on what caused the wound.
"What weapon causes such a wound?" The armourer questioned.
He held out the saber, watching as it lit up. She seemed intrigued at how he was wielding the weapon that would rule all Mandalore.
"Bring it to me," she said and Paz Vizsla brought it over to her, "What do you know of this blade?"
"It is the Darksaber, whoever wields it can rule Mandalore," he explained, taking a deep breath as the bacta began to take effect.
"If it is won by cred in battle. If however, it is not won in combat then it will be a curse unto the nation," she explained, looking at it deeply.
"I have completed my quest," Mando said and she nodded.
"Then you may join our covert as we rebuild," she said, handing the weapon back to him.
"This is the way," They all said, the words echoing through the room.
As Mando walked over to the fire with the armourer, giving her the beskar spear to look at, he wondered what Allana was doing now.
She was probably out there living the life she deserved and he was living the one that was chosen for him. They were both of the right path so why did it feel so wrong?
The armourers question pulled him out of his thoughts, "Where did you come upon the beskar spear?"
"It is the gift of a Jedi," he explained, thinking back to that day on Corvus, the day he realised how he felt.
"It's mere existence puts Mandalore at risk," she explained as Beskar was the only weapon that would penetrate their beskar armour.
"Then forge it into armour," he suggested and the armourer nodded.
"The dadksaber is a more noble weapon for you to wield," she said, taking the beskar spear, "What shall I forge?"
"Something for a foundling, for Grogu," he explained and she nodded.
She turned to look at him, "He's no longer in your care," she stated, almost confused.
"I want to make sure that he is safe," Mando explained, trying to sound as neutral as possible.
"Jedo must forgo all attatchemt," The armourer explained as she put the beskar into the fire.
Mando shook his head, "That is the opposite of our creed. Loyalty and solidarity are the way," he said.
The armourer forged him the a chain mail breast plate for Grogu, handing it to him in a small packet.
He held it, putting it away as he prepared to walk away. That's where he was confronted by Paz Vizsla who seemed to believe that he was the rightful owner of the darksaber.
Din put up a good fight, getting knocked over countless times before finally managing to knock Paz to the floor.
He held the darksaber at his throat, looking at the man on the floor when he heard the armourers voice, "It is done,"
The men stood away from each other, both looking up at the armourer as she stood on a higher platform.
"Paz Vizsla, have you ever removed your helmet? Has it ever been removed by others," she asked and there was a sickening feeling in Dins stomach.
"Never," Paz Vizsla said with certaintiy, proud of himself.
"This is the way," she said before turning round, 'Din Djarin, have you ever removed your helmet?"
He hesitated for a second. He had taken his helmet off for Grogu and Allana twice, once to save them and once to say goodbye.
"I have," he stated, almost not guilty about it because he did what was right.
"Then you are a Mandalorian no more," The armourer said and he shook his head.
There was a sinking feeling in his stomach at the fact that he had been kicked out of the Mandalorians.
"I beg you for your forgiveness, how can I atone?' He questioned, his voice getting more desperate.
'Leave, apostate,' Paz Vizsla spat out, disgusted to be on his presence.
"According to creed, one can only be redeemed in the living waters beneath the mines of a mandalorian," she explained.
Mandos brows furrowed underneath the mask as he looked at her, 'But the mines have all been destroyed," he said.
The armourer did a small shrug, "This is the way,' she said.
At that, Mando turned around and walked out of the room to go to the 9nly place he knew he would be safe. Tattoine.
☆☆☆
THE FIRST THING HE DID WHEN HE left was get the next ship to Tattoine. He knew Allana wouldn't be there but he needed to get a new ship and he trusted Peli.
He waked to the shop, seeing the woman arguing with her droids like normal.
"Mando," Peli said, a smile on her face, "What do we owe the pleasure? You here to slay another dragon? Come to reunite with my daughter again?"
He furrowed his brow beneath the helmet, "Is she here?" He questioned.
Peli nodded, "She's been trying to contact you for three weeks," she stated, putting her toolbox down as she walked over.
"I've had my transponder off," he said, confused as to why she had come back, "Why is she here?"
"They kicked her out of the jedi thing, I knew that Luke was good for nothing," Peli explained, a bitter tone to her voice.
"She left the child," he said almost absentmindedly, taking it all in.
He had let her leave that day for the sole purpose of looking after the child. If he knew she'd leave they'd be together now, travelling the galaxy.
"She's been heartbroken about it for weeks," Peli explained.
Allana had heard the commotion outside and waked out, a jacket wrapped around her.
She seemed shocked when she saw Mando standing there, "Din," she stated. As she looked at him, she thought about that last kiss, about the way he looked under that helmet.
"Lana," he replied, his breath hitching in his throat as he saw her for the first time in weeks.
"Why didn't you answer my messages?" She asked, folding her arms across her chest.
"My comms device was off. I've been doing big jobs," he said before changing the subject, "Why did you leave the child?"
"I didn't have a choice Din, I was told I was too dangerous and they kicked me out," she said, almost shocked at the way he was reacting.
She had never seen him so tense before, so accusatory and she couldn't figure out what had happened to him during their time away that had made him like that.
"You swore to me you would protect him," Mando said and Peli looked at the two.
"I know," she stated, brows furrowed as she looked at him.
"Th only reason I let you go that day was so you could stay with him," he said, voice raised.
"The only reason you let me go?" She repeated with a scoff, "I chose to leave and do you know how hard that was?"
There was a tension in the air and Peli looked at them. They were acting like a real couple, bickering over the slightest thing.
She sighed, brushing her hand through her hair, "I'm sorry that I left him, I was trying to contact you, I really was," she said.
He nodded, also sighing as he stepped towards her, a hand coming up to grab onto her arm gently, "I'm just glad you're okay," he said.
She smiled, a blush rising to her cheeks as she stepped slightly closer to him. She had missed him after a month away and it was nice to be in his presence.
"Okay you two, you can catch up another day. I need to show Mr Mando here my new repayment for th Razor Crest," Peli said.
Allana turned back confused, "We don't have a replacement though," she said, shaking her head.
"Oh yes I do," Peli said, walking towards the shelter, turning back and gesturing to them, "Right this way,"
"This is an N-1 starfiggter mum, you can only fit two people in it," Allana said with a scoff, "It's junk,"
"Two people, you two!" Peli said, arms waving around as she looked at the two of them before stopping,"Okay, okay, sorry to waste your time,"
Peli smiled as she looked between the two, even after so long away they seemed so comfortable together, leaning into each other.
"I know she doesn't look like much but I haven't ben able to finish. I've got all the parts and I'm going to add custom modifications so she can jump into jyperspace with no docking ring," Peli explained
Allana sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose as she looked at the ship and then back at Mando, "There is potential here," she stated.
"At least let me put her together before you decide," Peli said and Mando nodded.
The three of them spent the next few hours putting the ship togther, laughing and working and talking about what they'd done since they last saw each other.
"Great news, I found you a turnonic venturi power assimilator," Peli said, walking in and seeing them, "You're gonna be th fastest ship in the outer rim,"
Mando stood up, holding his hand out and letting Allana take it as he helped her up with ease.
"Where did you get this?" He asked, looking at the machine part.
"The Jawas?" Allana questioned. She knew her mothers weird connection with the Jawas.
"Tattoine is a garden of many bounties,' she said, a smirk on her face as she made a commeng, "I dated a Jawa for a while, they're very furry,'
Three Jawas came into the room, a crate if parts in front of them as they started to speak to Peli
"If I give them a list of parts could they get them for me?" Mando asked.
Peli shrugged and nodded, communicating to them before turning back to Mando, "They said make a wishlist and they'll see what they can do," she said.
He listed the parts that he wanted and Peli translated them into Jaw for them. They nodded before scampering off into the distance.
Allanas face crinkled up as she looked at her mother, "I can believe you dated one of those," she said.
She walked over to the toolbox on the other side of the building, leaving Peli to power up the machine with Mando.
'Do you know how lucky you are to get one of these?" She questioned when she saw him staring at the ship.
"Get me a Razor Crest and I'll give this right back," he said, looking at the woman.
'More Spacious am I right?" She joked, eyebrows raised, "She told me, about, you know, the kiss,"
He was silent as he thought about that. She had told her mother about the kiss. He hadn't stopped thinking about it and clearly she hadn't either.
"She hated that you hadn't answered any of her messages she sent you," Peli said when she saw his silent response.
"I didn't do it on purpose," he said and Peli scoffed.
"Which one?" She questioned, going silent when she saw Allana walk back over, a smile on her face and a special wrench in her hand.
After getting the parts from the Jawas, they finished the building on the speeder and Allana wheeled it out into the main arena.
"It's beautiful isn't it," Peli said, watching as Mando brushed a hand over it.
Allana looked at him with a smile, "You wanna test run?" She asked and he nodded.
She hopped into the back of the seat and he sat in the front seat, closing the roof of it before flying off into the caverns.
"It's a little bumpy," Mando said as they maneuvered it through the caverns.
"It's a starfighter, handle it like one," she said and he did, the tide becoming smoother.
They flew into space, the two if them floating in space as she laughed at the speed they were at. He smiled at the sound of her laugh, he had missed it.
"Wooo!" She exclaimed, a smilr om her face, "This is so great. I always wanted to do pod racing,"
The speeder started to beep and she leant over his shoulder, 'Dank Farrik," he exclaimed.
Two new republic ships pulled up next to them, looking at the duo. Their ship wasn't certified at all yet and they were going to be in big trouble.
"Was I doing something wrong officer?" Mando asked, hands gripping onto the wheel.
"You were running without a beacon," one of the men said as they looked into the ship.
The other man nodded, "Your engine model doesn't match the power drive," he continued.
Allana looked between the two ships who were sandwiching them and she wondered how they were going to make it out.
"We just built her, haven't been able to update the registration yet," she explained.
One of the men nodded as they looked at the ship, "I think we can let them off eith a warning this time," he said.
The two ships flew away and Allana let out a sigh of relief at how lucky they were to escape the punishments of not having a beacon.
"Lets go home," she said and the words made Din smile as he thought of home.
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