~~~~~
"Are we sure about this? I mean from what you told me, the Armorer isn't your biggest fan. Not to mention you're bringing two outsiders to their hidden conclave.", Rael questioned from her seat behind Mando's. The man brought the starfighter out of hyperspace as he said, "It probably won't be the warmest greeting, but they won't kill us on the spot." As she watched the planet grow larger, Rael huffed, "That's not as comforting as you think it is." Din ignored her as he navigated the ship to where there was a mass of heat signatures on the surface.
As they broke though the clouds, a chaotic scene greeted them. "Uh what is that thing?", Rael mumbled as she leaned around Din's seat to get a better look at the massive creature attacking a group of Mandalorians. "Let's go find out.", he replied before taking the small ship into a dive. "Please just remember this thing is like the size of a ration can compared to the Razor Crest!", Rael shouted as she pushed herself into her seat and closed her eyes. "It's not that bad...", the man retorted.
Before Rael could snap back at him, Din opened fire on the beast. Its angry roar was so loud that they could hear it as Din did a circle around the canyon walls surrounding the lake. "And... down you go.", Mando said under his breath as he made a direct hit on the creature, bringing it down. Rael grimaced a bit as she felt its life slip away and joining the Force. "You can open your eyes now.", Din said as he cast a glance behind him. Grogu cooed excitedly as he looked out the window and saw that they were landing.
Rael sighed as she unbuckled her safety harness, unable to shake the wariness she started to feel as soon as Din told her of his plan to track down the Conclave. "You're sure about this? I'm guessing that's the big guy over there that tried to kill you for the Dark Saber?", the Jedi said as Din released the cockpit's canopy. "Relax, Rae. It's gonna be fine.", he told her, but his helmet couldn't hide the air of tension rolling off of him.
Grogu let out another excited cry as he climbed onto Rael's lap and leaned out of the ship. Both Din and Rael followed his gaze and found not only a large group of armored Mandalorians staring at them, but the Armorer's shielded gaze boring into them. Everyone was frozen for a few seconds before the woman turned on her heel and strode into the cave's opening.
~~~~~
After a very awkward walk past the conclave Din, Rael, and Grogu found the Armorer inside a chamber that had been made into their forge. The Jedi hung back a few steps with the kid as Din walked into the room a bit more. "You have removed your helmet. What's worse, you did so of your own free will. You are no longer Mandalorian." The woman said. Grogu cooed curiously and tilted his head as Rael's cheeks flushed slightly, thinking back to when she saw Din's face.
"The Creed teaches us of redemption.", He said, keeping his head held high. The Armorer walked over to the Forge as she said, "Redemption is no longer possible since the destruction of our home world." Din took a step forward and asked, "But what if the mines of Mandalore still exist?". The Armorer kept her gaze on the beskar she was melting down and firmly said, "All was destroyed in the Purge."
Din reached behind his back and pulled out a shard of green crystal and said, "Is this inscription not Mandalorian?". This caught the woman's attention as she watched him sit down at the small table and lay the item down. Grogu waddled over to get a better look at the thing Din had kept out of his reach for the past few weeks. "Where did you come upon this?", she asked as she hesitantly joined Din at the table. Rael watched as the woman carefully took the crystal in her hand as Din recounted the story of finding it.
"If the story is true, then it only proves that Mandalore's entire surface has been crystallized by fusion rays. Rael felt Din only become more determined as he insisted, "But a traveler was able to retrieve this, so perhaps it is not poisoned. If I visit the planet and I can bring you proof that I have bathed in the Living Waters beneath the mines of Mandalore, then by Creed, the decree of exile will be lifted and I would be redeemed."
The Armorer looked down at Grogu, before setting her gaze on Rael. The Jedi could was hit with a heavy wave of suspicion as she tired not to look away. A moment later the woman turned back to Din and said, "This is the Way." Din let out a barely noticeable breath of relief before standing up. "Then I will see you again.", he said confidently and headed to leave. Rael scooped up Grogu but just as she was turning to follow the man, the woman's voice cut through the silence."Are my suspicions correct?".
Rael turned back to face her as Din stopped just at the exit. "E-excuse me?", Rael stuttered. The Armorer stood up and came face-to-face with her. "A trained Jedi can sense the thoughts and feelings of others. I assume you have had sufficient training if you have survived this long. So, I ask again, am I correct?", the woman said. Din appeared at Rael's side but she was focused on tentatively looking into the Armorer's feelings.
She got flashes of a regal woman with short blonde hair and a familiar crest she had seen on another Mandalorian's armor. She had figured it out, the Armorer new of her connection to Mandalore. Din must have seen the concern on Rael's face and thought back on his previous conversation with the cloaked warrior. 'She might know...', he thought before clearing his throat. "We should go. It's a long journey and we need supplies.", Din said as he took Grogu into his arms, snapping Rael back to the present.
"U-uh sorry. I'm not sure what you were speaking of.", Rael forced out before hurrying to the exit, Din following closely behind. "She knows. How did she figure it out?", Rael hissed to him as they quickly passed the others who had begun to clear the shore of the creature's remains. "I don't know. Just get to the ship.", he said lowly, glancing behind them and once again found the Armorer watching them from the cave's entrance.
~~~~~
A/N
OMG wow guys. I don't know what happened to me but sorry for the disappearing act!! I just moved to a new city and started my master's degree! Hoping I can start to be semi-regular again!! It's a short and rough chapter but I need to get back in the swing of things<3 More this coming week!
- hawkins_2000