Metanoia | The Mandalorian

Chapter 30

They have been on the ride for long hours now, both kids awake as Din drove the speeder fast back to Peli's place. They drove through rocky hills when suddenly, a rope popped out of nowhere, sending the speeder flying. Juno and the child rolled on the ground, getting their breath knocked out as they heard Din fighting some people.

As the girl went to stand up, she felt someone grab her and put a knife on her throat. She started breathing heavily as she noticed the child being held next to her. The commotion stopped and Din turned to see the kids being held down.

"Wait! Don't hurt the children." He said as he raised his hands. "If you put one mark on them, there's no place you will be able to hide from me. We can strike a bargain. There's a lot of value in this wreckage. Take your pick. But leave the children."

The child cooed while Juno kept breathing heavily as the hunter looked around. He pointed his knife at Din and spoke in his language. Din looked behind himself at his jetpack, then back to the hunter, who pointed more urgently at him and then on the ground.

"Okay." Said Din as he slowly removed the jetpack from his back. "Here. It's yours." He took a few steps forward and placed it on the ground. "Take it. It's okay." He reassured as he took a step back while the hunter walked forward. The child whined and Juno calmed her breathing a bit. He took the jetpack and started running away.

As soon as they're let go of, both kids ran to Din, who took the child up to his arms and held Juno close to him with his other arm, inspecting them for injuries. "You both okay?" He asked them. The child cooed while Juno replied.

"Yeah, I think so."

Din turned and through his vambrace activated the jetpack, making it fly in the air with the hunter. He pressed the vambrace again, making the hunter let go of the jetpack and fall to the ground with a loud thud. The child snorted as Juno chuckled, both looked at Din who just shrugged his shoulders as the jetpack landed in front of them.

They looked at the destroyed speeder and Din sighed as he went to collect all the important things. "Juno, come help me tie this together." He told her. When they were finished, Din took everything on his shoulders, even though Juno tried to protest, saying she could take some of it. He refused but gave her the child ho carry.

~

After long hours of walking in the desert they finally made it to Mos Eisley, heading to the canteen where they would meet with Peli. When they reached her, she was sitting at a table with her companion, playing a card game.

"You finally found a Mandalorian and ya killed him?" She asked when she noticed them, seeing the armor hanging at his hip.

"He wasn't a Mandalorian. I bought this armor off of him, though." He told her.

"What'd that set you back?" Asked Peli.

"Killed the krayt dragon for him." Explained Din.

"Oh. Is that all?" She asked jokingly and Juno smiled at her.

"He was my last lead on finding other Mandalorians." He complained.

Peli's companion said something in his language and Peli translated.

"Okay. Well, you might be in luck. Dr. Mandible says he can connect you with someone who can help you, if you cover his call this round. It's what he said." She explained and raised her hands, shrugging.

"What's the bet?" Asked Din.

"Five hundred." She answered after a moment.

"That's a high-stakes game." He commented.

"Hey, he's on a hot streak." She replied. Din sighed but threw some credits on the table. "Is the pot right?" Peli asked and Dr. Mandible replied in his language before she laughed. "Ha! Idiot's Array! Pay up, thorax!"

"I thought you said he was on a hot streak?" Asked Din annoyed while Juno quietly chuckled.

"Oh, stop your crying. You'll rust." Said Peli before Dr. Mandible spoke again. "All right. He says the contact will rendezvous at the hangar. They'll tell you where to find some Mandalorians." She explained before asking. "That's what you wanted, right?"

"Yes." He answered.

"All right, well, stop your moping. More importantly, did you bring back any of that dragon meat?" She asked as she walked out of the booth and put her arm around Juno, pulling her with as they walked out of the canteen. "Better not have any maggots on it. I don't like maggots."

Juno laughed at the woman next to her as they walked in front of Din. He smiled under his helmet at her laughter. With each passing day, he thought of the kids more and more as his own and knowing both Juno and the child were happy made him happy as well.