Metanoia | The Mandalorian

Chapter 17

They landed near Kuiil's home. Mando lead the way with the kids and Cara following him as Kuiil invited them inside.

"They haven't grown much." He said, looking at the children.

"I think it might be a Strand-Cast." Said Mando.

"I don't think it was engineered. I've worked in the gene farms. This one looks evolved. Too ugly." Started Kuiil. Juno looked at him and frowned, then looked at the child.

"You're not ugly Buddy. You are so cute." She told the baby.

"This one, on the other hand, looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora." Kuiil continued, looking at Cara.

"This is Cara Dune. She was a shock trooper." Explained Mando.

"You were a Dropper?" He asked and Cara nodded, looking at the tattoo on her arm.

"Did you serve?" She asked.

"On the other side, I'm afraid." He said, sitting down. "But I'm proud to say that I paid out my clan's debt, and now I serve no one but myself." He finished as a droid walked inside. Mando and Cara immediately stood up and pointed their blasters at it, Mando pulling Juno behind him.

"Would anyone care for some tea?" Asked the droid as it held a tray with cups on it in its hands. Juno nervously stood behind Mando, holding his arm as she remembered the last time she saw the droid. Kuiil held up his hands to Mando and Cara, stopping them.

"Please lower your blasters. He will not harm you." He said.

"That thing is programmed to kill the children." Said Mando, holding Juno's hand.

"Not anymore." Said Kuiil as the droid put down the tray. Juno slowly walked from behind Mando and stood next to him, still holding his hand. "It was left behind in the wake of your destruction. I found it laying where it fell. Devoid of all life. I recovered the flotsam and staked it as my own in accordance with the Charter of the New Republic. Little remained of its neural harness. Reconstruction was quite difficult, but not impossible. It had to learn everything from scratch. This is something that cannot be taught with the twist of a spanned. It requires patience and repetition. I spent day after day reinforcing its development with patience and affirmation. It developed a personality as its experiences grew." He explained as the droid grabbed a cup, filling it with tea.

"Is it still a hunter?" Asked Mando as Juno sat back down, now being more comfortable.

"No. But it will protect." He said as the droid lifted its hand, holding out the cup.

"Tea?" Asked the droid.

"I'll have some." Said Juno and grabbed the cup with a smile. "It's good. Thank you."

After a moment, Mando stood up with Kuiil and went outside to talk while Cara, the kids and IG-11 stayed inside.

~

They were on their way to Nevarro. Kuiil sat next to his blurrgs, feeding them as Cara and Mando arm wrestle. Juno sat on their side with the child in his pod next to her, both watching them.

"I got you, Mando." Said Cara.

"Care to double the bet?" He asked in return, both of them panting and grunted, trying to overpower the other.

Juno stared at them with an excited smile. "Come on, Cara. Kick his ass already."

"What did we say about watching your language." Mumbled Mando. "And you're supposed to be on my side." She just smiled wider. That's when Cara started suddenly gasping and grabbing at her throat, choking. They all looked around, confused, before Mando noticed the child squeezing his hand, realizing it was him choking Cara. "No! No, no! Stop!" He said, standing up and grabbing the child. "We're friends, we're friends. Cara is my friend!" He explained as Juno moved to him, looking at the child.

"That is not okay." Exclaimed Cara.

"Hmm. Very curious." Mumbled Kuiil.

"Curious? It almost killed me!"

"The story you told me of the mudhorn now makes more sense." He continued, moving closer to them.

"What is it?" Asked Mando.

"What it is, I don't know. But what it does, this...This I've heard rumors of."

"What? When you worked for the Empire?" Said Cara accusingly.

"When I was sold to the Empire, in indentured servitude." Replied Kuiil.

"Yet somehow, you walk free." She continued, standing up.

"I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labor of three of your human lifetimes. Do not cast doubt upon that of what I am nor whom I shall server." He defended himself as IG-11 stood protectively behind him. He and Cara looked at each other while Juno grabbed Mando's arm, looking up at him.

"Tell you what. I could really use your craftwork right now." Started Mando as put the child in his pod while he cooed. "Can you pad this container so the child can sleep better?"

"I shall fabricate a better one. Then perhaps this Dropper can see how one can win their freedom with the skill of one's hands." Said Kuiil as he left and got to work on the pod.

Mando took both kids to the sleeping quarters, putting the sleeping child in first and then turned to Juno. "You should sleep too." He told her. Feeling tired and not in the mood to argue with him, Juno nodded and went to lay in his bed.

"You need to sleep too. When will you rest?" She asked.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry about me." He tried reassuring her. She didn't believe him but after the time they spent together, she knew him well enough to not argue with him. So instead, she looked up at him and smiled.

"Good night." She said.

"Good night." He replied and covered her with a blanket, hiding a smile of his own under his helmet.