Breakaway ---The Mandalorian

Chapter 22: Desperate Times

    Din sat with Melvin for hours eating and drinking together. His helmet never far out of his sight, but for the first time he began to feel the parts of himself that had hardened over time start to melt. Every fiber of his being had been trained not to trust, those parts of himself that were soft that needed nurturing had been cut off. Limbs amputated to save the body. He had a long way to go to becoming whole again but this was the first step down that arduous path. "It's been nice talking to you Din, I never thought I would meet someone from the covert again." Melvin said, taking a long swig from his drink. "Thank you for meeting with me, you didn't have to do this." Din said, not sure of his next move. "I feel like I have a duty, to help you, to show you what you have been missing, a life that is fuller than you could ever imagine."
    Din was grateful but his inner ledger, of owing and being owed refused to allow it. "I owe you so much already, I simply can not accept anything more." He said without thinking. Melvin laughed, leaning back into his seat. "Always a task, always a bounty. What if you do a job for me, and then I can do something for you, then nothing is for free." He said, fully understanding that the code would never allow Din to accept gifts from him. "Yes, I can do a job, but I am here on a mission already. There is a bounty on my head, a tracking puck." Melvin raised his eyebrows "the hunter becomes the hunted, its bound to happen eventually. No one can handle success, and by the looks of it you have been very successful." Din looked down at his Beskar now shinier than it had ever been thanks to his efforts. "Removing a tracker is hard but not impossible, it helps if you have access to a healer, but there are some devices out there we can find." Melvin moved to get up, he was running late for an appointment in another sector now, and his communicator was beeping. "I need this part for a machine, its been stolen so many times that I have lost track, but the last location is listed here. Get me the part and I'll help you remove the tracker." On the table was a holo device, and map appeared. The sector was across Coruscant but accessible with transport. "Din, I don't need to tell you this but these people are dangerous, the parts I sell are all former empire, they are hard to find and fetch a high price." Din simply nodded and walked out. He had taken the job.
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Clara was alone now in the chamber. She remembered letting go of the handle with Grogu and falling to the floor, but to her surprise the floor was divided in two, she went right and he went left. Alone in the dark she quieted her mind and reached with the force. Grogu was near but not in the same area as her. She was alone for this task. She started by finding a wall and leaning against it. She lit her saber for light and saw a podium at the center. In the middle was another keyhole, she inserted her saber and the room lit up.
    The walls depicted the story of the first human Jedi. After learning the ways of the force from the serpentine creature the human set forth to help others. The story showed great success, teaching others to feel the force and saving lives. Yet along the way there were always some who used the force for personal gain. To hurt others, to gain more wealth and power. Clara knew that these were the early members of the dark side. However, these people did great good and great evil. They helped many and hurt many as well. The original Jedi became angry with these people and set out to kill them. However, the more that the Jedi fought against the dark side the more powerful it became. The Jedi formed the first temple and began preaching the ways of the force. The Jedi turned people away, people he thought would become evil, so they joined the dark side instead, and became evil.
    Clara could see the message before her, believe that people are evil and they will become that way. We must accept that all creatures are both dark and light, they are capable of great good and great evil. Only when the whole person is accepted will balance be restored. Clara became angry and frustrated. If this was true, if this was the core Jedi teaching, why did they exclude so many? Why were Jedi never able to form attachments and love? Why did they abstain from emotions and lead from a place removed from feelings? What had Yoda seen that made him make this decision, to lead the Jedi this way?
    A door in front opened to a long narrow path. On either side of the path there was darkness and Clara could feel the wind passing by her. She walked slowly and carefully, balancing on the narrow beam. Once she reached the middle she could see nothing in front of her and nothing behind. She continued along the beam for some time until she reached a platform. In the middle were two statues of the first Jedi. They were facing each other, touching hands. At the bottom was a message, solve the puzzle to open the door, fail and you will stay here forever. "So solve the puzzle or die." Clara said. Great.