Chapter 7 - The Reckoning
The Child lay sleeping peacefully as Din tampered with the control panel. It was nice to be able to sit in silence, not having to worry about anything after narrowly escaping yet another attempt on his life. Signe had made herself scarce, relaxing in the sleeping chamber, away from the bemused Mandalorian . Despite his best efforts, he couldn't help but let his mind wander back to when Signe dragged the unconscious body of the Twi'lek to him. Din knew that Signe had attempted to justify her actions, yet he couldn't help but feel like there was more to it. When he saw the wounds that the Vicingian had inflicted, he could tell they were personal. Din's focus was quickly broken by a hologram message… To his surprise, it was Greef.
"My friends, if you are receiving this transmission, that means you are alive! You might be surprised to hear this, but I am alive too. I guess we can call it even… a lot has happened since we last saw each other. The man who hired you, Mando, is still here and his ranks of ex-Imperial guards have grown. They have imposed despotic rule over my city, which has impeded the livelihood of the Guild. We consider him an enemy, but we cannot get close enough to take him out. If you two would consider one last commission, I will very much make it worth your while. You have been successful so far in staving off their hunters, but they will not stop until they have their prize. So here is my proposition. Return to Nevarro. Bring the Child as bait. I will arrange an exchange, and provide loyal Guild members as protection. Once we get near the client, you kill him, and we both get what we want. If you succeed, you both keep the Child and I will have yours and (Y/n)'s names cleared with the Guild, for a man and woman of honour should not be forced to live in exile. I await your arrival with optimism,"
With that, the transmission ended. Din slumped back into his seat, anger boiled within him. After what Greef had pulled back on Nevarro, he had very much wished that the old man had died during the skirmish on the streets of the city that evening. The Mandalorian zoned out momentarily, thinking back to the young Mandalorian who died right in front of him, attempting to protect The Child, along with many of the others who he assumed had perished. He quickly snapped out of it, when a voice from behind startled him.
"So are we going to give him a hand?" Signe asked, leaning against the open door with folded arms. Din quickly spun round to face her not expecting her to be there. She stood, waiting for an answer.
"I was going to come find you, tell you and ask for your opinion. But it turns out you were already here and heard everything so… what's your take on what he said?" the ash blonde sighed before taking a seat and looking at The Child.
"Honestly, I think it's an awful idea to go back there… but it needs to be done. Not only do we have the Empire on our backs, but we have the Guild, too. I know what Greef pulled was wrong and believe me, I'm angry at him too. But the fact of the matter is, he is giving us a chance, however implausible it seems, to rid ourselves of the pursuit of both parties… We have to. If not for us, then for him…", Din turned slowly to look at the sleeping alien.
"I agree. " He said, before turning his attention back to the emptiness of space. Signe could tell something wasn't quite right with him.
"What's wrong?" she huffed, unamused by the tense atmosphere in the cockpit. Din sighed and sunk his head, shaking it from side to side before turning round to face her.
"What happened with Xi'an?" he quizzed.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what exactly I mean. Knocking her out? Fine. Makes sense. Beating her to a pulp. Not so much.," Signe's green eyes hardened on her companion. She knew that Din realised that this was out of character for her, unless it was truly necessary.
"She was almost unrecognisable, Signe… It was personal. She made it personal, didn't she?"
Din got no response. Instead, he was met with a foul look on the Vicingian's face, which grew more and more intense with every passing second. He had never seen her look so vexed before, and to a degree, it unsettled him.
"I was already angry, she just wasn't helping the situation and so she was the unfortunate soul who had to endure all of my pent up fury. At first, I was angry at myself because I couldn't save him, I was angry that I really only brought despair to my village and had hurt everyone there by going back. I took my siblings' father just like that, the first thing their sister does when she gets back, is get their beloved father killed,''
Din sat and listened, he remembered how troubled she was when they had left Vicingi and when they landed on the space station, he wanted to talk to her about it but he needed to hear what she had to say when she was ready. Her voice began to soften along with her facial features, as he began to see the vulnerability in her eyes as she spoke, staring at the ground.
"But then, when we got on that bloody ship and met those arrogant bastards… and that promiscuous Tweek who just wouldn't shut up… I was already on my last straw but there was something she said that really set me off and I just felt I needed to prove myself to myself… that I was better than her in every way,"
The Mandalorian stared at her and found himself empathising with her. He moved forward and kneeled in front of her, gaining her attention. She seemed surprised by the move but she could sense how awkward he felt.
"Look, I'm not good with this kind of thing but… I know how you feel. I lost my family, as you may remember and I was angry too, for a long time. I resented all Droids and found myself killing as many as I could, whenever I saw one. A pointless endeavour, of course. As I grew up, I learned to tolerate them although seeing one does frequently make my blood boil. But I don't act on it. You will be the same for a while. You will take your anger out on things occasionally and that's okay, but you must remember that even though you lost a lot that day, you gave your people an amazing gift. Freedom. It didn't take a genius to see how grateful they were. Everything comes with a price, Signe and sometimes we must sacrifice some things that we love for other good things to happen, I've seen it before. It's like us sacrificing our livelihood for the kid… that sacrifice has brought some good to us, right? We found each other and if we are being really honest here… I have discovered someone who I can call my friend, a real one too,"
With that, Signe's eyes glossed over.
"What I'm trying to say is… your father is proud of you, Signe. He always has been, I could tell the moment he laid his eyes on you again for the first time in years… you could never do wrong in his eyes," Signe sniffled and let out a small chuckle.
"When did you become so wise?"
"I didn't, I just thought of what you would say if you were thinking straight,"
"You got me pretty good I think," She laughed softly before turning seriousand looked up into where she thought were his eyes. "Thank you Din," she smiled softly as she placed a hand on his shoulder. She felt him tense under her touch. Composing himself, he stared into her sad eyes, noticing a single stray tear run down her cheek. Before he knew it, he lifted a hand and wiped the tear away with his thumb. He then moved his finger down to her chin and nudged it up slightly in a lighthearted manner.
"Chin up. You're a good kid, Signe… and I'll always listen if you need to talk," with that he stood up and went back to his seat, quickly getting back to piloting the ship. The Vicingian stared at him wide eyed, astonished by the random act of affection. From the outside, he seemed calm and collected but on the inside his heart was pounding erratically. That was way too out of character for him, and he figured she would've noticed that too. Din simply sat, once again staring out into space.
"Are you going soft?" she asked, peering round at him to see his reaction. He was silent for a moment before he voiced his objection to the question in a calm tone.
"No," he turned back to the control panel, Signe raised a brow at him, not entirely convinced but sat back down.
"If you say so. Are we heading back to Nevarro then?"
"Yes, but there's someone I'd like to pick up first," the young woman frowned before realising what her companion meant.
"Ah, our friend Vito Tang," she scoffed.
Din stayed silent and nodded, causing Signe to sigh and roll her eyes. "Alright then Mandy, let's get to it,"
"Don't call me that ever again,"
The RazorCrest flew low over Sorgan, readying to land. Signe looked over the lush green forests as the sun rose over the horizon. The Child sat in her lap babbling and cuddling up to her as he reached his little hands up. She picked him up and let him watch the view with her. He looked at her and pointed at the outside as if recognising the planet, making her grin as she saw herself in his curious brown eyes. She gently cradled his head as she pulled him in close for a hug.
"You know where we are, don't you?" she sighed, as she heard him giggle and felt his small hands pat her cheeks. She couldn't help but melt at the creature's affection. "We're not going where you think we're going I'm afraid kiddo, we've come for Miss Tang," she watched as his ears flattened and his little smile turned upside down as he made a sad sounding noise. "I'll get you some bone broth to make up for it?". He immediately perked up at the offer of food, remembering just how good the broth was the last time they were here.
"I see he's got you wrapped around his finger," Din said as he began to land the RazorCrest near the restaurant like before.
"Yeah well, I'm not the only one," she stated confidently..
Din huffed, quietly to himself, smiling softly at the light-hearted banter he had just shared with Signe, before putting the ship down to land, just a few hundred feet away from the small building.
The two bounty hunters stood up from their seats, before heading down into the hull and walking down the ramp onto the muddy forest floor below. Din lead the way, with Signe walking closely behind him, Child in arms. The small alien gurgled as his ears twitched with the sounds of twigs snapping and strange creatures chirping from the tree tops. Hunger quickly ensued once the trio approached the building, with the welcoming scent of warm food filling the air around them. As they neared the building, the sound of cheering and guffawing interrupted the peaceful woodland air.
The Mandalorian stopped at the entrance, before looking at Signe. He gave her a slight nod as she brushed past him and into the building, clutching The Child tightly as she made her way inside. A large, boisterous crowd took up most of the room inside the canteen, as they stood jeering and yelling as two citizens fought brutally in the middle of the room. It was of no surprise to Signe or Mando, that Vito was one of the two people involved in the brawl.
She stood opposite a pink-fleshed Zabrak, distanced roughly a metre or so away from him when not engaged in combat, but restricted from going any further by a restraint belt which encouraged either participant to fight. This was common practice amongst some of the planets in the Outer Rim. Regulated bar fights were a way for citizens to make money fast, whether it be through betting or fighting. The two bounty hunters stood next to a young Rodian, who jumped up and down with excitement as the two fighters landed punch after punch onto each other.
It was an exhibition of the brutal culture of the Outer Rim, with the Zabrak landing several punches onto the small woman, drawing blood from her left brow, whilst also winding her badly after slamming a knee into her hardened midriff. Tang buckled over momentarily, puffing her cheeks and laughing sadistically, before twisting from her crouched position with pace, punching him firmly as she performed a large upper cut onto his chin. The shock of the punch sent him stumbling, which allowed the assassin to then leap towards him, slamming him into the bar top behind him.
He slumped down towards the ground, dazed and clearly injured. The fight had clearly been going on for some time, as the fatigue of both fighters had begun to set in. Tang kneeled down in front of him, lifted his chin up with one hand and began to strike him several times around the face with the other. The woman landed six punches before the Zabrak spluttered "I yield, I yield…".
Tang chuckled to herself as the Zabrak tapped firmly on the circular device that formed his end of the restraining belt, closing it off. Vito leapt in the air and stuck both hands above her head triumphantly, before extending a hand to help the Zabrak up. He wiped the blood away from his lips, before holding her hand a little longer in order to shake it sportingly.
"Well played, Tang. Well played" he grumbled, as he broke a slight smile and walked off to the bar for a drink.
The woman smiled back at him and patted him on the back as he walked off.
"Pay up, mudscuffers" she teased to the crowd, as members of the audience begrudgingly lined up one-by-one in, slamming various currencies into her hands, frowning at her as they did so. It was clear that Tang dominated this particular event on Sorgan, though with her military background, could anyone really be that surprised?
"Who's next?" she yelled, pointing over to Trandoshan who sat atop of a barstool, with his arms folded.
"Hey, come on Trellsk, I know you want some!" joked the former assassin, to which he simply replied…
"Shut up, Tang,"
The small crowd of punters dispersed after giving her their credits, revealing three familiar figures. The Mandalorian and Vicingian were back with the strange little green creature, a sheepish smile stretched across Signe's face as she waved timidly.. The Assassin stared at them and rolled her eyes.
"What do they want?," she muttered to herself.
Din walked forward, brushing past the last of the dispersing crowd members, before stopping in front of her and looking her up and down.
"You looking for some work?" asked Din, sparing any formalities.
Tang raised an eyebrow and peered round The Mandalorian to look over to Signe, who had claimed a table for the group to sit at. She pulled a seat out for Tang, tapping her hand on it lightly to jokingly instruct her to come and take a seat. The woman reluctantly obliged and followed Din towards the table.
Din and Vito joined Signe at the table and sat awkwardly for a few moments in complete silence, as a barmaid poured Spotchka into some wooden cups that had already been placed on the table, awaiting the next group of thirsty passers-by to come and kill some time. Tang slurped at her drink, whilst Signe spoon fed some broth to The Child.
"It seems like a pretty straight forward operation. They're providing the plan and firepower… I'm the snare." began Din.
Tang frowned.
"I don't know. I've been advised to lay low. If anyone runs my chain code, I'll rot in a prison cell for the rest of my life. I've done a lot of things since the war ended, many of which carry a life sentence. If I so much as book passage on a ship registered to The New Republic, then I'm done for."
"We have a ship… We can get you there and back, with a pretty handsome reward, too. You'll be free of worry," added Signe, eager to gain the help of the former Rebellion assassin.
Tang turned to look at Signe, frowning slightly.
"I already AM free of worry. I'm not interested in coming to deal with some local warlord. You can forget it,"
The two bounty hunters looked at each other slowly, before turning their attention back to Vito.
"He's not a warlord… He's Imperial," added Din, sitting back in his seat knowing full well that this would sway Tang's decision.
A smile formed gradually on her face, as the excitement of dealing a blow to the Empire's attempted resurgence made this opportunity too good to miss. She picked her cup up once again, guzzled the rest of her drink and slammed it down onto the table, before standing up and turning to the door.
"Off we go then," Din turned his head to Signe, seeing her startled face before she shook her head and got up.
As the Razorcrest drifted through space towards Navarro, the three humans sat in the hull of the ship whilst The Child waltzed around, making his way towards the ladder, unbeknown to his counterparts.
Signe took a seat on top of one of the many container boxes that lay around the lower decks of the Razorcrest, whilst Din leant against a wall, opposite to the weapons compartment which Tang stood in front of, gawking with delight.
"Pick one…" Instructed Din, which excited the woman. She feast her eyes on the plethora of weapons, all scavenged or stolen from past quarries, almost licking her lips at the sight of the Mandalorian's impressive collection. Tang reached for a thermal detonator, picked it up and juggled it, before placing it in a pouch on her right hip. She looked over to Signe, who rolled her eyes at Tang's rather precarious actions, shaking her head too.
"So this contact… Do you trust him?" quizzed Tang.
Din and Signe shared a quick glance, thinking the same thing.
"Not particularly… He, Signe and I had a run-in the last time we were there on some Guild business…"
Tang frowned quizzingly, looking over to the Vicingian who nodded in agreement.
"So then why are we going? It sounds like the last place you'd want to head towards, Mando."
Signe stood up from her makeshift seat.
"Because we don't have a choice. We saw what happened on Sorgan. They'll keep sending hunters… The kid won't be safe until the Imp is dead.
Tang hung her head, knowing that what Signe said was true. There was no way of guaranteeing The Child's safety unless the Imperial client was killed, along with his band of remnant troopers and mercenaries. A sombre silence fell in the hull, as the trio realised just how much danger the Child was in. However, their moment of reflection was quickly broken, when the ship began to shake uncontrollably.
Signe flew to the ground with a thud, but quickly composed herself and followed the other two up the ladder and into the cockpit, where The Child sat in front of the control panel, tugging on the control stick. Tang reached forward to grab the small alien, before handing him over to Signe, whilst Din stumbled across to his seat, managing to sit down and regain control once again.
Tang puffed with relief, as the Razorcrest was balanced once again.
"We need someone to watch over that thing," she exclaimed, to which Din simply replied;
"Yeah, and I know just the person,"
The Ugnaught watched as the Razorcrest flew over the dunes of Arvela - 7 to his home and slowly lowered to the ground, stirring up sand as well as upsetting the Blurrgs. He comforted them to make sure they wouldn't attempt to run away or potentially injure someone through fear-filled defence.
The gunship touched down a few moments later, causing a raucous in the quiet valley that Kuill had spent many a year watching over. Visitors were few and far between, and return visitors were even more uncommon. Yet there he stood, ready to welcome a Galaxy crosser, who was all too familiar.
Tang, Signe, Din and The Child approached the expectant Ugnaught, who stood snuffling his snout as the group proceeded towards him. Din, who led the way, stopped a few feet in front of his much smaller counterpart and bowed gently, to which Kuill did the same. Tang and Signe looked at each other, wondering whether or not to follow suit, but instead opted for a soft smile, which earned them a nod of acceptance from the Ugnaught.
Kuill led the group inside his small and cosy abode, as the two bounty hunters took a seat and placed themselves cross legged on the floor. The Child remained inside his hovering cot, looking around the room, whilst Vito stood leaning against a wall, facing the curious Alien. The Ugnaught inspected The Child, frowning curiously and turning back to The Mandalorian.
"It hasn't grown much, has it?"
Din nodded.
"I think it may be a strand cast"
Kuill shook his head in disagreement.
"I've worked on the gene farms. I don't think this was engineered. It's too evolved, too ugly. This one however, looks like she was farmed in the Cytocaves of Nora." teased Kuill, pointing towards Vito, who grinned with amusement.
"This is Vito Tang, former Rebellion assassin," added Din.
"Assassin? Hmm… Doesn't sound like the sort of thing the alliance would opt for…", smarmed Kuill, twitching his nose.
Vito's face dropped.
"I did what I had to. You seem to have your opinions on the alliance, did you serve?"
"On the other side, sadly. However, I have paid off my debt and now serve nobody but myself", announced Kuill proudly, just as an unexpected guest entered the room.
Din and Vito simultaneously drew their blasters, whilst Signe leapt to her feet, drew her axe and pressed the button that ignited the Kyber blade. Ready to slice through the IG assassin droid that made its entrance.
"Would anyone care for some tea?" he asked politely, casting Din's memory back to just a few weeks prior, when he saved The Child's life from the very droid that stood in front of him.
Kuill, clearly stunned by the instant aggression, stood up and placed himself between the droid and the trio, raising his hands in an attempt to defuse the situation. Din's trigger finger twitched as the droid stood tall after having crouched to enter the room a few moments ago.
"Put down your blasters… He will not harm you" spoke Kuill, softly.
"I put a hole in its head for a reason. It's programmed to kill the baby"
"Not anymore. I recovered its remains after you fled the valley, following your wake of destruction. I reprogrammed IG-11 for service and nursing. He will not harm The Child. Now if you'll excuse me, I must attend to my Blurrgs. I have spoken".
With that, Kuill turned his back towards the onlooking group, before exiting the room and heading outdoors, turning right toward the Blurrg enclosure that sat a couple dozen of metres away. Din's head sank low with annoyance, unable to accept the fact that the droid may well have changed since their last encounter. He sensed that Kuill would insist on having the droid around, even if he and the others refused its help. With a hefty sigh, Din stood and followed the Ugnaught out of the room, thankful for the cool evening breeze of Arvala-7, which just about snuck under the front of his helmet. Vito and Signe decided to take turns in getting some shut eye, whilst the one who wasn't sleeping kept an eye on the baby.
Din's boots crunched along the arid terrain as he approached Kuill, who despite his already small size, was kneeled down in front of a Blurrg, passing food into its grateful night. Signe followed aimlessly behind Mando while Vito kept an eye on the kid. The chirps and whistles of Womprats sporadically filled the air, as the Blurrg chomped on its food. The Mandalorian stopped a few feet away from the Ugnaught, looking down on him.
"I've encountered some… trouble," murmured Din.
Kuill turned his head and stood up to face him.
"I figured as much. Why else would you return?"
"I could use your service, Kuill," sighed Din.
The Ugnaught shook his head and frowned.
"I am retired from service,"
"We can pay you handsomely," Din attempted to bargain with Kuiil once again and it reminded Signe of when they first met him, clearly The Mandalorian had learnt nothing about how this Ugnaught worked and clearly did not respect his wishes. He needed convincing in a way that meant he wasn't going to be rewarded with money but with some other prize.
"We need someone to protect the baby, Kuiil and you are the only one we trust," Signe spoke this time which gained her a look from Din, she could tell.
"I'm not suited for such work," hearing this, Signe frowned at the Ugnaught in bafflement.
"Of course you are, you're hidden away and very responsible," the blonde paused for a moment, catching sight of the tall droid. "... besides you have IG-11 to help you. I'm sure you can reprogramme him again," that idea apparently didn't sit right with the Beskar warrior as his head quickly snapped from staring at the ground to glare at her.
"Are you serious, Si- (Y/n)?!" he corrected himself swiftly upon her sharp look. "I don't want that droid anywhere near him,"
"Why're you distrustful of droids?" Kuiil asked gruffly. Signe wondered too, she had been on a bad end of Din's temper once for allowing 4-Lom aboard the Razorcrest. She noticed it but never really thought to ask about his persistent avoidance of them. Din's response may have been suitable to Kuiil but not Signe, she knew there was more to it.
"It tried to kill him,"
"It was programmed to do so. Droids are neither good or bad,"
"It depends on who programmes them, Mandalorian. That's the beauty of droids, they're a lot easier to manipulate than carbon copies," Signe replied, not understanding the point he was trying to make. He really was blinded by his hatred for them. The young woman could sense his glare and the irritated aura that surrounded him, however, she ignored him.
"I've seen otherwise," he huffed, looking out to the dunes of Arvala - 7.
"Do you trust me?" Kuiil asked the two, receiving a quick nod from the Vicingian.
"From what I can tell, yes,"
"Then you will trust my work," the Ugnaught spoke defiantly but kept his calm respectful tone as if telling the Mandalorian to 'shut up and deal with it'. "IG-11 will join me," Hearing that, Signe gave Din a smug look, he can't always have it his way. She watched his head turn away again, knowing that he was probably clenching his jaw in vexation. "And we do it not for payment, but to protect the Child from Imperial Slavery. None will be free until the old ways are gone forever," Reluctantly, the Beskar warrior decided to agree. It was very clear that Din respected the Ugnaught. "The Blurrgs will join me as well," The short creature said before waddling off elsewhere.
"The Blurrgs?" Din questioned, which only made Signe snicker. She couldn't help but think that the Mandalorians' picky behaviour had irked Kuiil somewhat and he was trying to exasperate him even more. Especially when he used his usual utterance to let everyone know he was done talking.
Signe watched in amusement as two of her friends were engaged in an arm wrestling competition. The 5 of them were currently on their way to Nevarro and to pass the time, Vito had challenged the two. Signe politely declined however Din decided he wanted to have a go. The little Sprout was beside her in his floating cot and he watched curiously as the Assassin and Bounty Hunter made jeers to try and put each other off.
All was well when Vito suddenly dropped her hand and reached to her neck. It seemed she was having trouble breathing and was trying to remove whatever was choking her. The two Bounty Hunters stood up in alarm, unsure with what was wrong until the Vicingian noticed a little outstretched hand and she quickly snatched up the Child, which broke whatever power he had on the Assassin. She stared wide eyed with a slight fire in them.
"That was not okay!"
She shouted as Signe spoke to the baby, telling him how wrong it was of him and that Vito wasn't a threat and was in fact a friend. She had no idea if he understood but he cuddled up to her when he realised he had caused upset.
"Hmmm. Very curious," the Ugnaught mused as he came over to check on the Child, looking up at Signe.
"Curious?! It almost killed me!" Vito wasn't too happy and rightly so. Din too came over and stood beside the younger woman, his chestplate brushing her shoulder as he leaned in to peer at the saddened creature.
"I- I think he thought Mando was in danger. Please forgive him. It was a misunderstanding," Signe tried to calm her but she only received a harsh glare from Vito, making her shrink away. Kuill cast his gaze to Din.
"Now the story you told me of the Mudhorn now makes more sense," The Beskar warrior gently caressed the creature's green wrinkled head.
"What is it?" he asked, hoping for an answer.
"What it is, I don't know. But what it does, this… I've heard rumours of,"
"What? When you worked for the Empire," Vito replied snidely, making a certain green eyed blonde turn sharply toward her with a warning look. Kuiil however wasn't about to be looked down upon and was swiftly answered back.
"When I was sold to the Empire, in indentured servitude,"
"Yet somehow, you walk free," Vito stood up, like she was ready to start a fight with the Ugnaught.
"I bought my freedom through the skill of my hands and the labour of three of your human lifetimes. Do not cast doubt upon that of what I am, nor whom I shall serve," As the Ugnaught spoke, IG-11 silently approached behind him which seemed to make Vito a little uneasy. Din and Signe shared a look, unsure of what to make of the two's small argument. Mando, however, swiftly changed the subject before things got even more awkward than they already had.
"Tell you what. I could really use your craftwork right now," he said while carefully taking Sprout from the Vicingian who watched him curiously, wondering what he wanted help with. "Can you pad this container so the Child can sleep better?"
"I shall fabricate a better one. Then perhaps the Assassin can see how one can win their freedom with the skills of one's hand," he then walked away as Vito's eyes shifted gingerly to the two Bounty Hunters again and she only received an unreadable expression from the Vicingian blonde before she turned away to follow after Kuiil.
Tang and Din decided to go up to the cockpit to check on their course while Signe stayed in the Hull with the kid and Ugnaught. Mando sat in his chair, checking the RazorCrest statistics while the Alderann woman took a seat behind him in Signe's usual spot with a sullen expression crossing her features.
"So we're going to Nevarro?"
"Have you ever been?" Mando asked, continuing his button pressing.
"No, but I knew of some assassins we lost there. It stayed in the Empire's control 'till the end of the war,"
"The warlord we're taking out was an Imperial Officer,"
"What station?" Tang questioned as she cleaned her Tyrod Blades.
"Hard to tell. No insignia anywhere. (Y/n) and I took out the safehouse when we snatched the kid. More Imps have reinforced since,"
"There's something more going on,"
"Maybe, we'll find out more when we land," Mando picked up the sound of the cockpit doors opening but continued to look forward. IG-11 had to bend down through the door to enter before standing properly again and clasping his metal hands together in a polite manner.
"I have prepared a second meal, would you prefer it served here or below?" Din swivelled round in his chair to look up at the tall droid, however his brown eyes flickered to the blonde who appeared from behind IG-88. A bowl of food in one hand and a spoon now in the other.
"I'm not hungry," Mando stated before turning back around. Signe let the giant droid move back and down to the Hull before moving into the cockpit herself, she stopped in her tracks though when she saw her usual spot was taken. She felt a little disheartened but she didn't show it as she moved to sit in the other chair, her left leg crossed over her right as she stared aimlessly out to the dark abyss that was Space, occasionally taking a spoonful of broth and bringing it to her lips. In her peripheral vision she saw Din turn to look at her. The woman pivoted her head and gazed at the visor, hoping she was making eye contact with him.
"Under no circumstances, does that thing leave the ship," with wide green eyes, Signe nodded slowly. Tang laughed from her seat.
"You've got a real thing for droids, haven't you? You know the reason for that?" Vito attempted to get an answer out of Signe but the youngest merely blinked at her cluelessly and shook her head.
"I got a real thing for that droid," Mando said in an irked tone.
"Kuiil said he rewired it, Mandalorian," the Vicingian said absentmindedly as she blew on her broth to cool it. Vito nodded in agreement.
"That droid was designed to kill things, I don't care how much wiring he replaced. It goes against its nature," As Mando and Tang continued to talk, Signe held her gaze on the Beskar helmet.
She wondered where his hatred for droids came from.
His deteste for them was very passionate, so bad it seemed he didn't entirely realise that not all were a threat. He was so blinded by IG-11 originally being a bad robot that he couldn't wrap his mind around the fact that it could be redesigned. Honestly, Signe didn't understand his point at all when the Mandalorian went on about its nature, droids didn't have a nature to them, they were just metal and wires structured in a way to make them useful. They weren't sentient. If anything Din should be aiming his hatred more at real life people, they're the ones who can't be trusted easily. Signe snapped out of her thoughts when she heard the cockpit doors close and she looked to her left to see the seat was now empty. She quickly scurried over and nabbed her throne back to quietly slurp at her broth in the tense silence that was left in the room.
"Do you trust it?"
Hearing his soft voice through the modulator surprised her, she thought he was miffed off and was in one of his miserable, broody moments but turns out she was wrong. She thought for a moment, staring at the buttons on the console with a frown. It was when she heard the rustle of his clothing, she glanced up to see him waiting for her answer. Her eyes flickered back to the console.
"I trust Kuiil's work,"
Wrong answer.
"Do you trust it?" he repeated but with a slightly reinforced tone. Green eyes squinted at the visor, trying to figure out what he meant. Did he mean the droid specifically? She looked to the ground thoughtfully again before staring where she guessed the Mandalorians hidden brown eyes were. She gave him a firm nod.
"I do," with that answer he seemed satisfied and he whirled back round to face the front smoothly while Signe stared at the side of his helmet with wonder.