Metanoia | The Mandalorian

Chapter 27

They traveled the whole day before finding a group of Tuskens and camped with them. They were all tired so they decided to sleep for the night and continue traveling the next morning and with the first light of the next day, they continued their way to Mos Pelgo. After long hours on the road, they finally reached the town. Din slowed the bike as he drove through the street, seeing the people looking at them distrustfully.

He stopped the bike in front of a canteen and got off with Juno soon following as she picked up the child from the bag. Din walked in first and saw only the bartender was there so he went to him while the kids slowly walked inside and next to Din.

"Can I help you?" Asked the bartender.

"I'm looking for a Mandalorian." Answered Din.

"Well, we don't get many visitors in these parts. Can you describe him?"

"Someone who looks like me." Answered Din dryly and Juno tried not to snigger.

"You mean the Marshal?" Asked the bartender.

"Your Marshal wears Mandalorian armor?" Din questioned.

"See for yourself." He replied and they turned to look to the doors where a man, wearing the armor, stood.

"What brings you here, stranger?" Asked the Marshal.

"I've been searching for you for many parsecs." Said Din.

"Well, now, you found me. Weequay, two snorts of spotcha." Said the man. The bartender pulled out a bottle and two glasses and the Marshal took them, walking to sit at a table. "Why don't you join me for a drink?" This made Din and Juno confused. She knew that Din never took his helmet off in front of someone else and it made her question the man. Their confusion only grew when the man took off his helmet and set it down. "I've never met a real Mandalorian." Din stayed quiet, getting angry at the man for wearing the armor when he wasn't a Mandalorian. "Heard stories. I know you're good at killing. And probably none too happy to see me wearing this hardware. So, I figure only one of us walking out of here. But then I see the little ones..." He pointed to the kids, Juno crouched next to the child inspecting a vase. "...and I think, maybe I pegged you wrong."

"Who are you?" Asked Din.

"I'm Cobb Vanth, Marshal of Mos Pelgo." He replied.

"Where did you get the armor?" He asked again.

"Bought it off some Jawas." He answered and drank some of the spotcha.

"Hand it over." Demanded Din.

"Look, pal, I'm sure you call the shots where you come from, but 'round here, I'm the one who tells folks what to do." Said Vanth.

"Take it off. Or I will." Said Din as he walked closer to the table.

"We gonna do this in front of the kids?" He asked and both kids looked at them, the child cooing.

"They've seen worse." Replied Din

"Right here, then?" Vanth asked.

"Right here." Vanth sighed and stood up. Both men stared at each other, waiting for the other to make the next move, when they suddenly heard and felt the ground rumbling. Vanth walked to the door to look outside as Din checked on the kids. When Juno nodded, silently saying they were fine, he walked out as well as alarms started beeping.

The people outside started screaming and running inside their houses as something under the ground came rushing through the town and killed one of their banthas.

"Maybe we can work something out." Said Vanth. Inside the canteen, Juno picked up the child who hid inside the vase and went to stand next to Din.

"What was that?" She asked him.