Metanoia | The Mandalorian

Chapter 16

It's been quiet for a while, the soft snores of the child the only sound as Mando piloted the ship. Juno was down in the bathroom, trying to braid her hair, but failing miserably, having no mirror to see what she was doing and her hair being far too long for her liking. It's been a few years since she last had it cut and now it reached the low part of her back, almost reaching her behind.

She groaned in frustration, walking loudly up the ladder and to her chair behind Mando. "I hate it." She huffed.

"What?" Asked Mando a bit amused.

"There's no mirror here. And my hair is too long." Suddenly, she looked up at him with wide eyes, an idea forming in her mind. "Will you cut it for me?" She asked him.

"No." He shook his head.

"Why not? Come on. Please." She stood up and stepped next to him, grabbing his elbow and pouting.

"I don't think that I'd be good at it." He tried to deny but then looked at her pouting face and her hand holding his arm and sighed. "Fine, I'll try."

~

That's how they found themselves down in the ship, Mando standing behind a sitting Juno, carefully cutting her hair. "Stop twisting so much. It's gonna be uneven." He said.

"Are you sure you're doing it correctly?" She asked skeptically when she noticed a particularly long piece of hair falling down. "I don't think you're supposed to cut that much off. I said I wanted it a bit under my shoulder blades."

"You have it under your shoulder blades. I'm not cutting it too short." He rolled his eyes under his helmet. "I think I'm done." He said, putting down the scissors. "It looks good."

"Okay." She mumbled, standing up and looking into his visor, seeing her reflection on it. She turned her head, grabbing the ends of her hair.

"What are you doing?"

"Checking my hair. I can see myself in your visor." She explained. "We really need a mirror here. But, I gotta say, it looks alright to me."

~

A few hours have passed, Mando was piloting the ship with the kids sleeping behind him, snoring softly, when a holographic message of Greef Karga started playing. "My friend, if you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive." Mando listened as he watched in disbelief. "You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even. A lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you is still here, and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown. They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while."

The noise from the transmission woke Juno up. She looked around, confused and went to stand next to Mando, leaning on his shoulder. "What is it?" She asked quietly. Mando just raised his palm up, making her stop talking as he listened carefully to Karga's message.

"You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize. So, here is my proposition. Return to Nevarro. Bring the children as bait. I will arrange an exchange, and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you keep the children and I will have your name cleared with the Guild, for a man of honor should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism."