Chapter 12: The Armor
"Greatness from small beginnings.
That is one way to describe the origin of Mandalore. For the glorious land was indeed created from something small; an idea. The continent of what is now Mandalore was home to native Grimm known as the Mythosaurs. As far as the eye could see, these mindless creatures roamed the land. Never stopping to rest, never attempting to leave. The Mythosaurs were once the true rulers of the land.
The land and its potential treasures drew the eyes of all the Kingdoms of Remnant. Their ambitions led to many attempts at laying waste to the Mythosaurs, despite their scouts claiming the idea was impossible. But each Kingdom paid no heed to these warnings, and sent their best warriors and sailors to claim the island. Hundreds made the pilgrimage. Few returned.
As the years passed on, the kings and queens of Remnant began to settle with what they had, tightening their hold on their own land. But in the back of their minds, each ruler wished to claim the unknown land for themselves.
But they would never get their chance, as the Taung family of Mistral began to strive for freedom from their king. The family was a mediocre one, with little money. But the eldest son, Hennat Taung, believed his family's misfortune was because they did not belong in Mistral, or any Kingdom for that matter. He had heard about the failures of claiming the unknown land. When he presented his wish to his family and the ruler of Mistral, they warned him of the might of the Mythosaurs. But Taung remarked that he was not afraid. So, the king gifted the brave human a ship and former prisoners as soldiers. The king offered the island to be an independent nation as a reward for the claiming of the land, but he knew the task would be impossible. No man, alone or with an army, would return with something from the island.
The expedition returned one week after travelling. The king himself attended the return, expecting to find the arrogant fools empty handed. But once all of the prisoners and Hennat Taung returned with seven Mythosaur skulls, the expedition was welcomed back as a group of heroes. News of the success spread quickly, and many people, human and Faunus, arrived to aid Taung in his conquest. All were welcome, in exchange for their aid in laying waste to all the Grimm on the island. The deed took six months, and all Kingdoms reluctantly accepted the island as an independent nation. The settlers decided that the name of their home needed to show greatness. To show success, determination, and fearlessness. So, one word was created to express all of these ideas: Mandalore.
And Hennat, for his vision, was crowned Mandalore the First. He split the land between his closest lieutenants and colleagues. They became known as the Mandalorian Crusaders, comprised of Mandalore the Conqueror, Mandalore the Indomitable, and Mandalore the Ultimate. Together, and with others along the way, they created their own nation: Mandalore the Great."
"Cinder."
The young girl looked up from the brown book to see the Mandalorian looking at her. "We're here?" she quickly asked.
"We'll be landing soon," said Djarin. "But we're about to be boarded as well. Don't attack anyone unless I say so."
"Boarded? Why?"
"Let's just say they're not very fond of Mandalorians."
Cinder nodded and sat next to Djarin. She also looked out the window to see a beach with small brown houses on the shore. She couldn't get a close look, but she knew the people walking around were Faunus.
This was it. The Razor Crest had arrived at the island of Menagerie, once the land known as Mandalore. Cinder decided to read about the founding of Mandalore again, since she was about to visit it for the first time. She knew things would be different than what her book had described, but she was really excited about seeing the island.
Djarin had been contacted by a small communications group once the ship was in view. As he said earlier, the Faunus there weren't particularly fond of Mandalorians. He had a good idea as to why, and he would find out soon enough. The Mandalorian was instructed to land his ship in a small clearing located in a group of trees. There, two other Faunus would inspect him and his ship, making sure there wasn't any threat.
Just as the ship touched down, the ramps extended and the doors opened. Cinder and the Mandalorian exited the cockpit and were greeted by two Faunus in armored uniforms. One was a man with a scar on his face and the other was a woman with brown cat ears.
"Alright, you two," said the man. "Come down slowly and-"
"Hold on," said the woman. She stepped up the ramp and got a closer look at the Mandalorian, who was having a good look at her as well. "Wait. You're the-"
"I remember you," said Djarin. "You were with that group of Faunus-"
"That you helped get here!" the woman said with a smile. She turned around to her partner. "It's alright, he'll be fine."
"Gabriella, you know this guy?" the man asked.
Gabriella nodded, remembering how the same Mandalorian had helped her and her friends get to Menagerie in the first place. Of course, the main reason was to get his rifle back, but he had nonetheless helped her get here.
"You've done well for yourself," said Djarin.
"Yeah, I took this job as soon as we came here," said Gabriella. "Thanks again for your help." She looked down to get a look at the young girl at his side. "Good to see you're not travelling alone."
Before he could reply, Djarin heard the other Faunus come up the ramp. "You seem okay in Gabriella's book," he said. "But I still need to search your ship and hold onto any weapons you have."
"And you'll take us to your leader?" Djarin asked.
"Just as long as you cooperate."
Djarin slowly handed the Faunus his rifle and his blaster. He then stepped aside for the Faunus to take a look at the ship and looked down to Cinder. "He might take your swords, but don't worry. We'll get them back soon."
"...Okay," said Cinder. "But is there a reason for all of this?"
"I'm sure being human helps, but the main reason is because we're Mandalorian."
"How come?"
"You'll see soon enough."
The police officers were escorting Djarin and Cinder to the residence of their chieftain. Cinder was constantly moving her head left and right, examining each structure she saw. She could see wooden houses, docks, a restaurant, but she couldn't really see anything that seemed Mandalorian in design. She was enjoying the sights, but the amount of people was something she could live without. Djarin seemed to share her thoughts on this.
"Is Menagerie always this... crowded?" Djarin asked Gabriella.
"I'm afraid so," she answered. "But you'll have more arm room up here." They were walking up a large flight of stone stairs, which led to larger houses, vast trees, and a stone mansion in the center of the village. Cinder's jaw dropped as she stared in amazement.
"It's... beautiful," she said in amazement. She then looked closer at the larger house. Her eyes widened when she realized it was a very familiar building. But she needed confirmation from Djarin before coming to any conclusions. "Is that-?"
"It is," Djarin confirmed. "The House of Parliament. The residence of the Mand'alor and where each clan leader would meet for special occasions."
Cinder's jaw dropped even wider as she marveled at the sight. It seemed to be the only thing of Mandalorian design here and she was more than excited to see it up close. She began to walk a little faster, eager to see Mandalorian history up close. Djarin was close behind her, as his eyes were on a different sight. Dozens of Faunus seemed to be staring at the Mandalorian, most with looks of disgust and fear.
"Before we talk to your leader, I need to know something," Djarin said to Gabriella. "Has anyone seen other Mandalorians here?"
"They live beyond those mountains," she said as she pointed to a group of mountains behind the House of Parliament. "They come here from time to time, but we never notice them for a while."
Djarin realized this group was uncovering their faces, watching the Faunus go about their business. "How many are there?"
"We usually see the same three people. No more than that. Chieftain Belladonna can explain more."
As soon as they arrived at the front doors, Gabriella lifted a large knocker on one door and slammed it down. A few seconds later, the door opened to reveal a large bearded man wearing a purple robe with a large pauldron on his shoulder. He looked at the group and back at the two Faunus. "Come in," he said. The group entered the house and saw a large hallway mainly made of wood with a large walkway near the ceiling. The group walked to a small table with cushions for seats. "I have to talk with these officers for a moment. Please, sit down."
Cinder and Djarin sat on two cushions and watched as the large Faunus walked into a separate room with the two officers. Cinder looked around the room, taking in each detail. "It looks different than I imagined," she said. "But I can't believe we're here."
Djarin slightly chuckled at this. "You're really enjoying yourself," he observed.
"And you're not? This is amazing! We're right where all the Mand'alors lived and governed everything!"
Djarin was happy to see Cinder smile again. She still seemed a little unnerved after the incident with Clan Eldar, and she apparently had a lot on her mind. But it seemed showing her living history made the child happy again. Although he was glad to see her spirits up again, a part of Djarin was nervous about what she would see later on.
The large Faunus returned to the table and sat down. The officers stood behind him, watching the humans. "Forgive me for being cautious earlier," he said. "Our experiences with Mandalorians aren't very... pleasant."
"I understand," said Djarin. "Which is why you should know I'm not part of the clan that lives here."
"Gabriella told me, and I've trusted her instincts since she came here."
Cinder leaned closer. "I'm not a threat either," she said.
The Faunus laughed at this. "Don't worry, little one. I'm sure you're not."
Cinder was slightly annoyed he wasn't taking her very seriously, but it was good he didn't think of her as a threat. "Good. My name's Cinder."
"Ghira Belladonna," the Faunus introduced himself. "Welcome to Menagerie." He turned to his other guest. "And... you are?"
"Din Djarin," the Mandalorian introduced himself.
"Pleasure to meet you," said Ghira. "Now that introductions are out of the way, may I ask why you're here?"
"We're looking for more of our kind," Djarin replied honestly. "We need help with a mission we're on, and the clan here might be the only one who can give us the guidance we need."
"...And what exactly is this 'mission?'"
"We can't share all the details... but your home isn't involved. We don't share their goals."
"..."
Ghira remained unsure of this claim, despite what Gabriella told him about this Mandalorian. But his worries were set aside when Cinder asked a simple question.
"What goals?"
Djarin looked back to her, realizing it was time to give Cinder an explanation. "Cinder, the clan we're looking for isn't here to hide. They want to reclaim Mandalore for themselves."
"They do?"
Djarin nodded. "Their goal is to remove the Faunus that live here and take back the island for themselves."
"...And you disagree?"
"Not because of the situation with the Faunus, but because the island is cursed."
Cinder was confused by this idea. "It doesn't look cursed to me."
This time, Ghira explained a little more about the continent. "I think he means the rest of the island," he said. "Two-thirds of Menagerie is desert and wasteland, a result of the Great War. Kuo Kuana is the only habitable city here."
Cinder began to understand the situation better. If what they said is true, reclaiming the island seemed like a fool's errand. And starting a war with the Faunus here might destroy the island even more.
Djarin turned back to the chieftain. "All we want is passage across the desert," he explained. "We need to find the Mandalorians we're looking for, and we'll leave."
"...I can see you're telling the truth," said Ghira. "I can provide you with proper transportation across the desert... but I could actually use your help with something else."
"You want us to make them leave?" Cinder assumed.
"We can handle the Mandalorians another day. What I need is more important than that."
"Which is?" Djarin asked.
"I'm not sure if you noticed, but this house is awfully large for one man."
Djarin and Cinder looked around, noticing the different rooms and remembering the size of the house. And from what Ghira implied, he had a family here. "You have a family?" Cinder asked.
"My wife took our daughter to visit some of her relatives in Vacuo," said Ghira. "They were supposed to be there for a week. It's almost been two and I haven't heard anything from them." Ghira looked down at the table, bringing up his missing family only made him even more worried. "If you find them, I can provide you safe passage across the desert."
Cinder let Djarin make this decision. He had more experience with negotiation, and she would follow his lead. "Deal," he said. "Where were they visiting their relatives?"
Ghira looked to the Mandalorian. "Kali has a sister that lives in a city near the capital of Vacuo, a small town called Mos Pelgo. Please... bring them back safely."
Djarin nodded and stood up. "Looks like we're going back to Vacuo," he said to Cinder.
"Now, can I get you two anything else?" a brunette woman asked an older and younger man.
"Well, I'm fine for now. How about you?"
"I think I'm-Hey, look at that!"
The trio turned to a large window and saw a gray airship land a few feet away from the building. The woman looked closer and smiled. "He's back!" She turned to face her customers, who had an uneasy look on their faces. "Don't worry, it's just a friend of mine," she assured them. She then went out a back door to greet the armored man who was walking down a ramp.
"There you are," said Djarin.
"Mando, welcome back!" the woman said as she stopped at the edge of the ramp.
"Good to see you too, Auntie Em."
"What brings you back so soon? And where's-"
The sound of someone else walking down the ramp answered Auntie Em's question, as she sighed in relief at the sight of Cinder.
"Auntie Em!" Cinder said with a smile as she rushed down to see the kind woman. As soon as she joined Djarin, Auntie Em wrapped her arms around Cinder.
"Thank goodness!" she cried out. "You two had me worried ever since you left." Auntie Em let go of Cinder and looked back to the Mandalorian. "So it all worked out, then?"
"More or less," Djarin replied. "Although things didn't go as we hoped."
"Well, come on in. You two can explain more with a spot of lunch."
Auntie Em prepared some food for the duo, a bowl of soup for Djarin and two hot dogs for Cinder with a side of sugar cookies. As she happily ate, Djarin explained how they had been quested to find Ozma, while leaving out the parts about Cinder's powers and Salem. He said their current mission was to find two Faunus that weren't far from her inn.
"Hmm... I can't say I ever heard of someone named 'Ozma,'" said Auntie Em. "But I know where Mos Pelgo is." She took out her Scroll and placed it on the table. A small map of the area the inn was showed up on the screen. Auntie Em dragged her finger on the screen and the map moved left. A few dots appeared, showing the nearby towns. When she pressed one dot, the words "Mos Pelgo" appeared. "That's it. Just a day's journey across the Dust Bowl."
"Have you heard anything major happening there?" Djarin asked. "Should have happened recently."
"I'm afraid not. Word doesn't travel very quickly around here."
"Well, at least we know where to go," said Cinder.
"Think you can watch the ship while we're gone?" Djarin asked.
"It shouldn't be hard, since you parked it next to the garage," Auntie Em replied. "But are you sure you won't stay longer? You just got here."
"We have a job to do," said Djarin.
"Sorry, Auntie Em," said Cinder. "This is really important."
"Don't worry, dear. I'll see you two when you get back." Auntie Em turned to the Mandalorian. "That speeder of yours is still in the garage."
"Thank you." Djarin and Cinder stood up and walked to the front door. "Sorry for the inconvenience."
"Oh, don't worry. It's always a pleasure when you visit."
This was the first time Cinder had travelled across the Dust Bowl, she was holding onto Djarin as he steered the speeder bike. Just as Auntie Em said, it was about a day's journey through the desert to Mos Pelgo. In that time, Djarin introduced Cinder to a few Tuskens while they stopped to rest. They each shared their life's stories around the campfire and Cinder became acquainted to Tusken culture. She also began to train more with her swords, as the Tuskens had offered Cinder some practice with melee weapons. After they left, they arrived at the gates of Mos Pelgo just as the sun began to rise.
The city had a small stone wall with an open gate. As they drove inside, they could see multiple small houses made of sandstone. The largest building seemed to be some kind of restaurant and bar, but didn't stand as tall as the houses. Djarin and Cinder looked around and stopped the bike in the town square. As they stepped off and drew their weapons, they realized the same thing.
"It's... quiet," said Cinder.
"Too quiet," said Djarin.
"You think everyone's still asleep?" Cinder asked. It seemed to be the most logical explanation, as the sun was starting to come up.
"That wouldn't explain why they left the gate open. And unguarded."
Cinder realized this was true. Either everyone abandoned the town, or something bad happened here.
"No signs of a Grimm attack," Djarin said as he looked at the ground and each building. Cinder agreed, noticing no tracks on the ground or any destroyed buildings. "Whoever lived here might have abandoned this place."
"Didn't Auntie Em say there were a couple of towns nearby?" Cinder asked.
Djarin pressed a button on his gauntlet and a map of Mos Pelgo appeared on a screen. "I'm seeing two right now," he said. "Looks like they're ten miles away, but I guess they could-"
"Freeze!"
Cinder and Djarin quickly turned around to see a man wearing a white jumpsuit with black accents. He was pointing an automatic rifle at the duo. Just as they raised their weapons in retaliation, more people wearing jumpsuits and holding rifles began to surround them.
"Drop you weapons!"
"Lower your weapons or we will shoot!"
Djarin and Cinder looked at each other, and then back to the surrounding men and women. They began to lower their weapons.
Cinder felt a strange sense of familiarity by looking at the uniforms these people were wearing. "Who are they?" she asked. "Atlas soldiers?"
"Worse," Djarin said, his eyes locked onto a woman's shoulder pad. A large white snowflake was on top of the black fabric. These people weren't the military. They worked for the Schnee Dust Company.
Another uniformed man wearing a cap with the SDC symbol walked in between two of the soldiers. "Well... what do we have here?"
"Caught us a Mandalorian, sir," a woman said. "We thought they were some Faunus breaking curfew, but they probably came in through the front."
The man stepped forward again and got a closer look at the Mandalorian. "An interesting find," he said. "Why don't you tell us what you're doing here?"
"You first," Cinder retorted. The only answer she received was a loud laugh from the soldier.
"I'm in charge here, kid," he said. "Now, let's try this again." He turned to the Mandalorian. "What are you doing here?"
"...We're looking for two Faunus here," said Djarin. "A woman and a child."
"We got plenty of those here," the soldier said. "But that can't be all you want."
"What?"
"We heard what your people did to our boss. And now you've found a good opportunity to ruin our honest business once again."
"We didn't know any of you were here."
"Bullshit. I bet you were hoping to catch us in our sleep, weren't you?"
"Weren't you trying to do the same thing to the people here?" Cinder asked. "And it looks like we caught you in the act."
"Let me assure you, our presence here is perfectly legal," the soldier said. "When it comes to the Council of Vacuo, a little persuasion can send you to a lotta places. But we can't have people like you here." The soldiers began to raise their weapons. "Now, I'm gonna give you a chance to get outta here while you have the chance. And leave the Beskar, we'll need that."
Djarin placed a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "You'll have to take it from me," he said.
The commander smiled. "Alright." He walked back to the rest of the guards. "Don't dent the armor too much." As he walked away, the soldiers aimed at the Mandalorian. Just as they pulled their triggers, the duo disappeared.
"Shit, where'd they go?!"
"Fan out! Find them!"
Before they could spread out, tiny whistling birds came out of nowhere and hit some of the guards in their chests and faces. They turned to see Djarin activate his flamethrower and run back towards his guns and Cinder's swords. Cinder was behind him and was able to grab her swords to fight back. Djarin was only able to grab his pistol before reinforcements arrived.
While Djarin fired his blaster and the SDC's bullets bounced off his armor, Cinder rushed towards everyone else and began to strike their weapons. When their weapons were lost to them, Cinder would attack them with her swords, striking their chests and legs.
Djarin was forced to use his Semblance as more and more soldiers came his way. He kept trying to get his rifle back, but more soldiers shooting at him forced Djarin to worry about his weapon later.
"Aaah!"
Djarin turned to see Cinder holding her arm, a soldier pointing her weapon at the young girl. Djarin shot a wire at the rifle and pulled. The soldier turned to see her weapon run away from her and a red blast hit her chest. Djarin ran to Cinder as an orange glow began to envelop her arm.
"Just a scratch," she said, focusing on her Aura. "Was that all-?"
*BOOM*
An explosion close to them made the duo fly towards a wall. Both their Aura's shattered, and Cinder hurt her leg when she hit the wall. Djarin quickly recovered and looked up to see a large machine walking towards them. With more soldiers right behind it.
"We need to get out of here," Djarin said as he grabbed Cinder. He activated his jetpack, but it took him two feet off the ground before it stopped working. Djarin tried again, but it wouldn't work. A few sparks formed at the bottom, it seemed the impact caused it to stop working. Cinder realized what was happening and tried to use her powers to make them fly. But moving her arm to fly was too painful.
Djarin knew their only option was to make a run for it, so he grabbed Cidner and ran for the main gate. The Paladin fired another shot and blasted them even further than the first time. Cinder landed a few feet away from Djarin and saw him get back up. He turned back to her and then looked at the soldiers.
"You have to get out of here," Djarin said to her.
"What?" Cinder asked.
"I'll hold them off, you run as fast as you can!"
"No, I'm not leaving you!"
"You have to! You're hurt, you can't fight now! Keeping running straight, I'll find you outside the city!"
"But I-!"
"Go!"
"..."
Cinder looked back at the soldiers, who were focused more on the Mandalorian than her. She needed to take this chance and get to safety. So, the child turned around and started running. She grabbed a metal bucket with a lid, which probably had water to help traveling across the desert. Before she left, Cinder took one last look at Djarin moving and firing at the SDC.
"...I'll come back," she promised. She took off running.
Two Beowolves were roaming the desert sands, keeping their eyes forward. Their gaze was locked on a set of footprints, which might lead them to an unlucky person walking the sands. As the trail led them to a city, the first Beowolf was turned to dust after a burst of energy hit its chest. After a few seconds, its companion was also turned to dust.
"Whoa, good shooting!"
"See? I told you this gun could disintegrate things."
Two SDC guards were outside Mos Pelgo's walls, one of them holding Djarin's Amban rifle. They were tasked with watching the outer walls, and they decided it was a good opportunity to test the weapon the Mandalorian had lost. They were lucky he had lost his sash of bullets as well, otherwise the gun wouldn't work.
"Incredible," said the first one. "This might make up losing that Beskar."
"I wouldn't worry about it," his partner reassured. "Wherever he is, he'll either be killed by the Grimm or heat stroke. Without a working jetpack, he won't get far."
"True. Taking it off a dead body should be easier."
The SDC members were referring to the fact that the Mandalorian escaped long after Cinder ran away. They couldn't kill him thanks to that Semblance of his coming back at the last minute, but he couldn't kill all of them. It was a kind of stalemate between the two, but the SDC had the upper hand.
"Any luck on our transportation?" the first one asked his partner.
"Some," the second guard replied. "We managed to scavenge some tools and some spare tires. Once that fuel line gets fixed, those Faunus will be on the first trip outta here."
"It would be better if we just offed those freaks."
"No arguments there. But we gotta keep this legal."
"Yeah, I know. I just-" The guard suddenly raised the sniper rifle. "Contact."
"How many?" the second asked.
"One," his partner replied. "Wait... it's that kid."
"You got a shot?"
"Yeah, but... she has her hands raised. And she's dragging a sack."
"What? Let me see."
The first guard lowered the rifle and handed it to his partner. When he looked through the scope, he realized the first guard was telling the truth. Cinder was walking towards them unarmed, and dragging a large sack. "Looks like she's surrendering," he said.
"Yeah," his partner said. "But what do you think's inside that sack?"
"I don't know. Go check it out, I'll cover you from here."
The first guard began to walk up to Cinder while keeping his hand on his sidearm. His partner watched carefully as Cinder stopped walking and his partner stopped in front of her. Cinder patted her body, showing that she wasn't hiding any weapons. They began to exchange some words, but he couldn't hear what they were saying. Cinder pulled up the sack towards him, gesturing for him to open it. While the guard had a look, the sniper had his eyes on Cinder, just in case she decided to try anything. These worries were dropped when he saw his partner take the sack and walk with Cinder back to the gate. He lowered the rifle as they came into eye view.
"She's clean," the first guard said. "She just came to talk, come with me."
The second guard lowered the rifle and stepped inside the gate. They all began walking inside the city, where the Faunus began to come outside and look at the guards escorting the young girl. "What's in the sack?" he asked.
"Something for the boss."
The guards had brought Cinder throughout the city to a small building close to a large cave. The cave was surrounded by mining equipment and two Paladins, guarding the entrance. The first guard opened the door and they all walked in to find the squad's leader sitting in a chair, dusting off his cap. He put it back on once the trio had walked inside.
"Well, look who's back," he said with a smile. "That was fast."
"She says she's here for her friend, sir," the first guard said. "You know, the Mandalorian we captured." Just as he finished saying that, he winked at his commander. Who lifted his eyebrows in understanding.
"Right, right," he said. "Your friend put up a good fight you know."
"Where is he?" Cinder asked.
"In the worker's quarters. He'll be working in that mine pretty soon." He pointed to the cave the Paladins were outside of. Cinder quickly realized that's why the SDC was here. They wanted that mine, and all the Dust inside. "It's kind of ironic really. He'll be working in the same place he tried to blow up."
"Well, I don't care about the mine or this stupid town. I want to make a deal."
"Yeah? What kind?"
"A trade."
The commander looked at the second guard, who was holding the sack. "I assume there's something in there you think I want?" he asked.
"Trust me, sir," the second guard said. "You'll wanna see this."
The commander got off his chair and walked to the second guard. He opened the sack and took a look inside. His eyes widened when he looked at its contents. He reached inside and pulled out a Mandalorian helmet and looked at it closely. The helmet had fading green paint with red accents on the visor. A feature that stood out was a large dent on the forehead.
"It's a full set," said Cinder. "Chest-plate, shoulder pads, kneepads. There's even a jetpack with two missiles."
The commander took out more pieces and saw that Cinder was telling the truth. A full set of Mandalorian armor was right in front of him. It was fading and dented in a few places, but it was still Beskar.
"All of this can be yours if you let him go," the child promised.
The commander looked up at Cinder. "...Alright," he said with a smile. "You got a deal. I'll take you to him right now." He began to step outside with his guards. But before he opened the door, he saw Cinder lean down and pick up the jetpack.
"The armor's in bad shape, but this thing works," she said with a smile. "I can show you outside." The commander walked over and grabbed it out of Cinder's hands without a word.
The group walked outside and the commander pointed to a small shack. "You two, go wait over there," he ordered. The guards left and the commander turned to Cinder. "Hey kid," he said as Cinder turned to face him. "You ever see one of these before?" Cinder saw that he was holding what looked like a ball in his right hand. Before she could get a closer look, the commander threw it at her. The ball expanded and formed a wire, which wrapped around Cinder as she fell. She began to struggle as the commander walked up and laughed at her. The guards from before began to walk up and join in the laughter.
"That was really stupid, kid," the first one said.
"Can't believe she fell for it," the second guard included.
Cinder looked up at the trio as she grabbed the wire. "What are you saying?"
"We don't know where your Mandalorian friend is," the commander said as he grabbed Cinder. "But with you here, drawing him out should be easier." His impromptu strategy had worked like a charm. By lying to Cinder, he got his hands on a rare suit of Beskar, and more would be on the way when the Mandalorian found out she was here. He barely held his own against a Paladin. He wouldn't stand a chance against two.
Cinder frowned when she heard this. She quickly looked around, seeing if there was any sign of Djarin. After looking for a second time, Cinder looked up to the commander. "So... he's not here?"
"Nope," the commander said. "Just you, kid." He was expecting Cinder to cry or scream when she learned this, the gravity of the situation would surely crash down on her.
Cinder's response... was a smirk.
"Good."
The part of the wire Cinder was holding had snapped, freeing her. Before the guards could realize what she just did, Cinder's eyes began to burn and a gust of wind knocked them back. The commander drew his pistol and prepared to fire, but Cinder lifted her palm and a fireball flew right through his chest. The commander began to spit blood as he looked at the hole in his chest. He was dead before he hit the ground.
Cinder's plan had worked. That armor was an easy ticket back into Mos Pelgo, back to the commander who was responsible for what happened earlier that morning. She had been training with her weapons, hand-to-hand, and her powers. Now seemed like the best time to train with her powers. It was a trial by fire, but it needed to be done. All she needed to do was make sure Djarin was out of harm's way. Cinder didn't know where he was, but she knew he would come back. All she needed to do was make sure nobody could keep him out.
Cinder's feat had captured the attention of the citizens of Mos Pelgo, as they ran outside to see what was going on. Unfortunately, it also caused more SDC guards to come running towards her with their weapons drawn. Cinder began to levitate off the ground, the sand around her being blown by the wind she was making. As soon as they opened fire, Cinder created more fire and pushed her hands towards the little sandstorm she made. The flames died quickly, but the sand had turned to glass shards and shot towards her enemies. Some managed to dodge the attack, but others were stabbed by numerous glass knives.
The soldiers who recovered forced Cinder to run away from the oncoming storm of bullets. She then heard loud footsteps coming from behind her. Turning around, she saw a Paladin moving towards her. She quickly flew to the left as more bullets came her way. As she recovered, more soldiers and the Paladin were moving towards her. She was outnumbered... but she had another trick up her sleeve. One that required most of her strength, energy and concentration.
As she closed her eyes and held out her hands, the sky began to rumble. The soldiers looked up to see a small dark cloud appear out of nowhere. Cinder had been practicing this attack for a while. She had mostly been able to create a small cloud and cause it to thunder, but lightning appeared in the cloud the last time she tried it. It always made her feel tired, but she didn't have much of a choice at this point. With a loud yell, she threw her hands down and a lightning bolt struck the Paladin. The electricity caused a large explosion, taking out the mech and the soldiers. Cinder opened her eyes and reveled in her work, but fell to the ground in exhaustion.
"Watch out!"
A metal foot reached Cinder as the warning from a Faunus came too late. The kick and the impact had caused Cinder's Aura to shatter. She had been training to use her Aura with Djarin, but it wasn't strong enough to block something like this. All she could do was take the hit and try to stand back up. But she was too tired from the power she exhausted and the kick caused difficulty breathing.
Cinder cursed her ignorance, she had forgotten the other Paladin in her efforts to get rid of all the other soldiers. As she looked back at the Paladin aiming at her, she knew that her plan had failed. And who would have guessed this was how it would all end? Blown off the face of Remnant by an Atlesian of all people. But the worst part of it was she was about to die alone. Djarin wasn't going to get her out of this one. All she could do was close her eyes... and pray death came quickly.
*BOOM*
The explosion caused Cinder to open her eyes. Which was strange, since she expected the explosion would be closer and more painful. But as she looked ahead, she saw the Paladin fall to the ground, its back on fire. Standing behind the Paladin was Djarin, holding the rusty jetpack in his arms.
Cinder began to stand and laugh as she saw the Mandalorian drop the jetpack and run towards her. Tears fell down her face as he quickly embraced her.
"You okay?" Djarin asked.
"I... am now," Cinder replied.
He let go and looked her over. "Cinder, do you have any idea how dangerous that was? You could have been killed! You're lucky I was just outside the wall, I could have-!"
"I know, I know." Cinder looked down in shame. "I'm sorry, I just... didn't know where you were. You said you would find me, but you didn't come. I guessed you'd come back here, so I had to make sure they wouldn't be here too. I didn't have a choice."
"..."
Djarin sighed and stood up. "Don't... Don't go against something this big alone. Okay?"
"Okay," Cinder looked back at the Paladin. "How did-?"
"I found that jetpack with the missile. I fired it at the Paladin, looks like I hit it in the right spot."
"Lucky shot."
Djarin chuckled at this. "Cinder... that's a Mandalorian jetpack," he said. "Does that mean-?"
"There's a whole set of armor in there." She pointed to the building where the commander used to work.
Djarin's eyes widened under his helmet. "How did you find something like that?"
A few hours ago
"Young lady?"
Cinder's eyes slowly opened as she adjusted to a familiar surrounding. Her shoes were filled with sand, the sun was scorching her skin, and her throat was parched from a lack of water. But the one thing that felt different was the wooden surface on her back.
"Wh... What?" Cinder slowly asked herself. A shadow crept above her and she could see the silhouette of a person looking down at her.
"Don't move too much," a man's voice ordered. "Drink this." He handed her a canteen, which Cinder quickly took. The cold water quenched her thirst and Cinder could quickly feel her strength return to her. Her vision became clearer and she could see her savior. A man in a brown cloak with yellow eyes and fair skin was staring back at her.
"Thank... Thank you," Cinder said as she took another drink. As she drank, she saw a bandage on her arm. It still hurt, along with her leg, but the bandages seemed to stop any bleeding.
"Are you alright?" the man asked her.
"I'm... I'm okay. Who are you?"
"My name's Jacob," the man replied. "I'd ask your name, but I'd rather like to know what you're doing out in the desert with a canteen of Wind Dust."
Cinder looked back at the large metal cylinder she grabbed from Mos Pelgo. She thought it had water in it for the trip, but she found Wind Dust instead. "I was... being attacked. My friend and I were... Oh no!" Cinder quickly stood up, remembering the earlier events. She remembered how Djarin was alone at Mos Pelgo, probably in the hands of the SDC. She knew she had to go back, she had to find him. "I need to get to Mos Pelgo, my friend's in trouble!"
"Well, Mos Pelgo is that way," Jacob said as he pointed behind Cinder. "I was on my way to do some business there, but if there's trouble like you said, I should head back."
Cinder looked back to see Jacob next to a large horse drawn carriage, with pieces of both rusty and new technology in it.
"What... is all this?" Cinder asked as she looked around at the various pieces.
"My business," Jacob said. "This is all certified J.A.W.A material."
"Jawa?" Cinder asked.
"Jacob's Advanced Workplace Appliances. J.A.W.A for short. I travel to Atlas on occasion and sell most of its tech to villages like Mos Pelgo." Jacob turned his eye to the canteen of new Dust, and an idea struck him. "If you're serious about going to Mos Pelgo, maybe you can find something here to help you. I can trade you that canteen for a few things here."
"I... don't think there's anything here I need."
"Well, just take a look. How about this?" Jacob held up an Atlesian Knight arm, a built in turret included.
"Um... no thanks."
"Okay, well what about this?" Jacob pulled out a case of Scrolls. Some of them had cracked screens while others looked new.
"Listen, I don't really-" Cinder stopped talking as she looked at a chest-plate the arm and case were hiding. It was a piece of metal with fading green paint. "What's that?"
"Ah, very good choice. I have the whole set, actually." Jacob began to dig around and pull out various items and placed them on the ground. Cinder looked at each piece, a plan coming to her mind.
"How much can the Dust get me?" she asked.
"All of it," Jacob promised.
"...Alright. I'll take it."
Djarin was looking over the rest of the armor that Cinder showed him. It looked beaten and faded, but it was still Mandalorian armor. "And you just bought it off him?" he asked. "All of it?"
"I guess Wind Dust is rare around here," Cinder answered. "He was willing to give up Beskar for it." Djarin kept looking over the armor. "Can we keep it?"
"For now. We can find another Mandalorian who might need it. If we don't... it might look good on you in a few years."
"Eh, green's not my color."
Djarin chuckled and gathered the armor into the sack. Just as he put the helmet in, they heard a knock on the door. Cinder opened it to see all the townspeople outside, everyone thanking the duo for freeing the town from the SDC. Djarin took this opportunity to find what he was originally looking for. "Excuse me!" he yelled. The crowd immediately fell silent. "Is there a Kali Belladonna here?"
"Here!"
The crowd began to move aside as a woman in a black dress with cat ears came to the front of everyone, a little girl in a gray shirt and black pants holding her hand.
"Kali Belladonna?" Djarin asked.
"Yes, that's me," the woman replied. "This is my daughter, Blake." She gestured to the young girl, who was hiding behind her mother's back. The sight of the Mandalorian seemed to be scaring her.
"Ghira sent us. We're here to take you home."
Kali sighed in relief. "Thank goodness. He must be worried sick about us."
"What happened here?" Cinder asked.
"We came here to visit my sister, Shiva. A week ago, the SDC came and had a decree that Mos Pelgo was now their property." Kali pointed to the cave entrance where the Paladins used to be. "Apparently they wanted to make this town into a center for Dust mining."
"And you wouldn't let them," Djarin assumed.
"This town is home to so many people," Kali responded. "We protested at first, but things got... worse. They put the city under their jurisdiction, using excessive force to keep us in line."
"Why didn't they just kick you out?" Cinder asked.
"They would have, if their supply truck hadn't broken down. They planned to send us all to the closest city once they were ready. But thanks to you... we won't have to worry about that anymore."
"Mommy?"
Kali looked down at her daughter, who was tugging at her dress. "Does this mean we can go home now?"
Kali smiled and picked up her daughter. "Yes, sweetheart. Let's go home."
A group of four people carrying various weapons were being led across the desert by a hooded figure.
"It shouldn't be far now. My Scroll says we're less than a quarter mile away."
"And we'll be ready."
"What's the plan?"
"We can find a place to watch the town and see what the SDC is up to. Then we'll-"
"Wait, what the heck is that?"
The group could see a figure running towards them. The hooded man took a rifle off his back and looked through the scope. He could see a white haired woman running towards them, waving her arms.
"It's her," the man said. His friends immediately rushed over to the woman and some of them hugged her.
"Holy crap, are you alright?!"
"You had us worried sick!"
"Why was the SDC here?"
The woman let go of her friends before speaking. "I'm fine, I'm fine! Listen, the SDC is gone, they won't be back anytime soon."
"Aww, we missed all the fun?" a woman with pale blonde hair asked sarcastically.
"Yeah, sorry guys. But listen, I saw something else at the city." The young woman walked up to the hooded man. "I found it."
His eyes widened when his friend said those three words. "You're sure?" he asked.
"I caught a glimpse of it, and I recognized the helmet. I found it."
"Where is it now?"
"A Mandalorian has it. I tried to find them out here, but I lost them. I was about to head back to the city until I saw all of you."
"Show us which way he went."
Author's notes: found some time on my hands to write this chapter, hope you enjoyed it. If you didn't, things will get back on track next chapter.
To The new Guy, glad you like the story. And yes, Cinder kind of has a romanticized view on the Mandalorians, even though they're ultimately people.
To D.N Works, glad you thought the division between the Mandalorians was interesting. As for your question, Clan Eldar met the Maiden when Clan Kryze came to them (I said that in last chapter). As for how she met Clan Kryze, that will be discussed next chapter. Hope that answered your question.
To Mandalorian00, I wouldn't say Gar Saxon is back from the dead. This is a story in which the Mandalorians are native to Remnant, so no events from Rebels here.
To joeyginise, glad you're interested. I felt bad for Clan Eldar as well when I wrote this. And you'll see what these crusades are later.
To Marc-Ello-Re-Yes, I'm glad you like Mando's views on the Mandalorians. As for the helmet, you'll have to wait and see. And you're right about Saxon's Semblance, it works like Sabine's weapon from Rebels. As for a young Blake, here you go. You'll see here more next chapter.
To GojiraFan455515, hope you enjoyed this one. As for Bo-Katan, you'll have to wait and see next chapter.
To I Yorick I, I'm glad to hear that, thanks for the support.
As I said before, I may need more time to write and balance my school life, so I hope you don't mind waiting. Thank you for all the support you've given me. Make sure to leave a review, and if you haven't already, feel free to favorite and follow this story. Thanks again, see you next chapter!