Early in the morning, I'm finding Mando waiting for me outside. We're loading the parts he bought on the platform and we're ready to go.
«Be a good kid.» he says to the Child.
I didn't mind having the little one with us but he insisted to leave it at my house.
«Bye, little one.» I'm saying as I'm handing over a cumareen.
Cumareen is a bittersweet fruit with red crispy skin and soft inside. It's so rare in this part of the planet and extremely expensive. «Be careful of the pit.» I'm saying and pat it softly.
«Who adjusted the platform on your Landspeeder?» Mando asks.
«Why?»
«He did a good job.»
I'm smirking while getting up on the Landspeeder. «I did it!!!»
We're spending the next hours fixing the Crest. Mando seems pretty attached to his ship because he's not letting me do any repair on my own. The only thing he allows me to do is to hand him over the parts.
The sun is on its zenith and the heat is unbearable as we're returning back.
When I'm opening the door I'm finding the Child holding the helmet I crafted the other day in its hands.
«Where did you find this?» I'm asking confused, trying to remember why didn't I throw it away like the rest of the others.
«A Mandalorian helmet.» Mando says surprised.
«No. It's not.»
«Where did you find this?»
«I made it.»
I'm certain that underneath his helmet he is confused.
«How do you make your armory?» I'm asking him.
«We have our smith. They forge our armors. Why did you made a Mandalorian helmet?»
I'm staring with a blank stare as I'm recalling the first time I saw a Mandalorian in my life.
«Yesterday you asked me about the ruins of the old village.»
He nods positively.
«Jalysta was amongst the planets the Empire was planning to conquer. When the Empire fell a general gave the order for invasion. They burnt our crops, killed our people. For no reason. We were just another planet they didn't get to conquer and therefore had to be destroyed.»
Mando stays quiet as he listens to my story.
I was only five years old but I still remember every single detail.
«They razed our village and gathered those who survived outside the ruins to be executed. It was that moment, when the Stormtroopers were aiming at us when the Mandalorians came. They saved us all.»
«And what happened after?»
«The Mandalorians took the orphans and left. We rebuilt the village but nothing's the same.»
«Why are you making an armor?»
«Because I want to be like you.»
«It's not that simple.»
«Tell me.»
«You're too old. We've been trained since childhood. How old are you?»
«I'm fifteen.»
«You're too old.»
I'm lowering my head disappointed. «Yeah, you're probably right.»
I'm jumping from my seat as I'm hearing knocks on the door. Deep down I know who it is. Because that's what he always does. The fact that he wasn't at the market yesterday didn't mean anything. Bamboon always comes to take what he's been owned.
«Stay here.» I'm telling Mando.
Bamboon stands on the doorstep with a snobbish look.
«Keirah.»
«Bamboon.»
«You owe me one hundred credits.»
«What? There were sixty.» I protesting.
«You're two days delayed. I warned you that if you delayed the price would go up.»
I'm closing my eyes disappointed. «You'll have all your credits by tomorrow. Just give me time 'till tomorrow.»
«Alright then. But tomorrow it will be one hundred and twenty.»
«Wait!!!» I'm hearing Mando's voice from the doorstep. He's approaching Bamboon who's looking at him with awe. He extends his hand and gives one hundred credits to Bamboon.
«I heard about your friend at the market Keirah. The truth is we need someone like you.»
«I'm not available.» Mando answers harshly.
«Just bear in mind that there's a job for you here my friend. And Bamboon pays well. Have a good day.»
As Bamboon walks away I'm turning and look at Mando.
«You didn't have to do this!!!»
«I thought this was your home.»
«It's not.»
I'm not feeling comfortable talking about my life, especially with someone I barely know. And Mando seems to get it since he's not asking anything else.
«I'm gonna need a few more parts for the Crest. Maybe tomorrow we'll be ready to leave.»
I'm nodding positively. Skeptical and disappointed at the same time. I wish I could go away with him too but that's not gonna happen.
«The market opens in the sunrise. I'll be in my room.»
I'm waking up earlier than Mando, feeling a knot on my stomach. A knot I was feeling since last night. Like some kind of a warning.
I'm sitting on a corner of the storeroom counting my credits, trying to estimate how much I'm gonna earn from the last pieces of metal I have.
«I thought you didn't have credits to pay.» Mando says out of the blue scaring me. Was he that quiet or was I so focused on my thoughts?
«These are my savings. I'm saving credits for years. But I don't think I'll make more.»
«Because you made a deal with the Jawas.»
«You speak their language?»
«I only understand it. I owe you a big favor.»
«We'll talk later about how you'll pay me off.»
When we're getting at the market we surprisingly see a lot of people gathered there. The sun hasn't raised yet and still, the market is filled with people. As we're getting closer I'm noticing that the people are not buying anything. They're talking.
«Good morning!!!» Jeembo says full of joy.
«What's going on? Why are all these people here?»
«The mines of Dondor have opened again. Late last night me and my brother saw some ships flying there. These are great news.»
I feel that knot on my stomach getting stronger and that familiar feeling of warning takes over me. «Then why do I have a bad feeling about this?»
«You always have a bad feeling about everything.» Jeembo says laughing.
«Are you forgetting what happened the last time the mines opened?»
The smile on Jeembo's face slowly fades as he recalls his childhood memories and that his childhood innocence was ripped off from the invasion.
«What happened?» Mando asks.
«The Imperials invaded the planet!!!»
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Soundtrack: James Newton Howard - Katniss (Hunger Games: Catching Fire OST)
YOU ARE READING
THIS IS THE WAY (A Mandalorian / Star Wars Fanfiction Story)
FanfictionA long time ago in a galaxy far, far away... Keirah leaves a normal peaceful life when the ship of the Mandalorian Din Djarin crashes on her planet. And everything changes. Based on the Disney+ tv series "The Mandalorian", set on the Star Wars Unive...
