Partners | The Mandalorian

ixx

"Calidora, go." He wheezed out but she didn't move. "Now."

"I-I can't." She physically couldn't move.

Her thighs burned from the uncomfortable squatting position she was in, but her skin was being cooked alive from the fire the trooper torched the place with. Calidora's right hand cradled Din's head, the sticky substance that was his blood coating it but she refused to let go.

"Please." He begged. "Get the kid out, protect him."

Calidora wanted to get up, she wanted to listen to him just to give him some sort of consolation, but she couldn't. She just stared at him with a frightened face until Cara finally yanked her up and gave her the child.

"Promise me you'll bring him." She pointed at IG-11 and the droid gave her its word.

Calidora held onto the child for dear life, but after seeing what he was capable of, she knew it was more for her sake than his.

"Let's go." Greef said at the entrance to the sewers.

Calidora took once last look at the Mandalorian, trying to convince herself that he would be alright and that she would see him again. Not wanting to have the mental anguish of that debate she left, Cara following right after.

The tunnels were dark and damp, Calidora's heated body got a much needed chill and the child babbled at her. She didn't look at him but stroked the top of his head. Her eyes couldn't focus on anywhere for long as the four of them tried to navigate the maze. She regretted so much fighting Din to be here, but at the same time if he really didn't make it, at least she could have been there with him.

She stopped in her tracks, at first to tell Cara and Greef Karga that she was going back to him, but when footsteps that weren't theirs were heard, all of them turned back.

And out walked - and limped - IG-11 and the Mandalorian.

Calidora almost cried out in glee ( she would have if her voice could work), and ran back to them, handing the child to the droid so her and Cara could help Din walk.

"I got you." Cara said, shouldering most of the weight herself.

They continued to try navigating, even Din didn't know these tunnels well enough, they all just hoped that they would find a way out before the Imps found them.

"Stop." The Mandalorian said, letting go of Cara and steadying himself. He grabbed Calidora's hand in his. "I can stand."

"The bacta infusion is working." IG-11 informed them but Calidora didn't know what that was., she just wanted to hold Din's hand and get out of there.

"I'll try to find tracks." He said, and lead them down certain paths, eventually making their way into an opening with clutter all around.

But the center of attention was the enormous pile of Mandalorian helmets on the ground, Din nearly crushed Calidora's hand. No ones eyes could leave the helmets, whether it be the ones on the ground or on Din's head, no one knew what to do.

Calidora knew this was bad, really, really bad. She could tell this was the breaking point for Din, hers was a while back. He let go of her hand as someone said they should go.

"Is this the work of your bounty hunters?" He asked Greef Karga, Calidora couldn't stop stare at each individual helmet.

"When you left the system and took the prize, the fighting ended and the hunters just melted away. You know how it is. They're mercenaries. They're not zealots." She heard a protest and more shouting before a new voice cut in and all attention - including Calidora's - was on her.

It was the armourer. Her voice was steady and confident, she moved around her space and spoke with such assurance that it calmed Calidora a bit. She could finally become aware of her breathing again and regulate it to calm her down even more.

They spoke of the child, the reason for all the destruction. And Din, by creed, was sworn as the father figure until he reunited with its own kind or until the kid becomes of age. And Calidora knew there next adventure that instant.

Cara interrupted the prequel to remind them that the Imps would be here soon and they better split. The Armourer refused to go with them, her place was here until everything was salvaged. But she did give the Mandalorian a new Signet, a jet pack, and told him to restock his munitions. Then she sent them off with directions and Calidora silently wished her luck (she still didn't trust her voice).

The lava river was another source of heat that Calidora didn't appreciate, and if they made it out alive she would ask the Mandalorian if they could go somewhere cold. Maybe he would cuddle her then.

The ferry droid was fried, and the boat was sealed to the platform, but they (Cara) managed to unstick it (shoot it until it broke off). As they boarded the boat, the ferry droid miraculously turned on, and, after being asked, started to steer down river.

Calidora could see the light at the end of the tunnel, but didn't want to breath a sigh of relief in case something else happened.

And it did.

"Stormtroopers." The Mandalorian said. "They're flaking the mouth of the tunnel. It looks like an entire platoon."

Calidora was done fearing for her life today.

The other people discussed, argued, shot the ferry droid, and tried to come up with a plan. Calidora couldn't contribute, she was inexperienced and unfamiliar with these things while the others seemed to know more than her.

IG-11 told them there was no way they would make it out alive, it was going to sacrifice itself, and Din, to Calidora's immense surprise, wouldn't let it. The first droid he's ever trusted, he couldn't let it die. But IG-11 was never alive to begin with, so it stepped into the lava river, the flowing molten slowly wearing away its legs as it walked. The stormtroopers never saw it coming, and IG-11 exploded.

Calidora looked at the Mandalorian, his back slightly hunched, shoulders in, and head hung.

The sun greeted them with silence, but it didn't last long as an engine ripped through the air.

"Moff Gideon."

His shots missed but they knew there was no guarantee the next time around, there blasters were useless against the fighter. But the Mandalorian, in all his determination and stupidity, strapped the jet pack to himself and flew up to the fighter. By himself. Against a tie fighter.

"That dumbass." At least Calidora could talk.

She watched as he got whipped around like a rag doll holding onto the fighter. If she wasn't scared for his life it would have been so cool. But it wasn't.

Then he let go, and the fighter exploded, sending it crashing into the horizon, and the Mandalorian flew down to the ground in front of them.

"Impressive, Mando." Greef Karga said and Calidora ran to him, wanting to hit him for doing something so stupid but he wrapped his arms around her for a hug and she immediately melted into him. "Very impressive."