Chapter 13: The Heiress
"We're here."
The Mandalorian and Cinder stepped off the speeder bike and went over to Kali and Blake, who were riding along in a mining cart powered by Gravity Dust. Djarin hooked the cart to the bike so they could make one trip back to his ship. The ride was surprisingly comfortable for the Faunus, but they were eager to stretch their legs out. Kali tried to pull out the sack they took from Mos Pelgo, but Djarin had to help her.
"Sorry," Kali said. Her eyes turned to the inn they stopped in front of. "Would it be alright if we get some food for the trip?"
"...Sure," Djarin replied as he put the sack on his shoulder. He looked back to Cinder. "I'm going to put this in the ship. If you want to get some food before we go, now's the time."
Cinder led the Faunus into the inn as the Mandalorian went to the Razor Crest. As he was carrying the sack, he couldn't help but wonder what happened to the Mandalorian who once wore this armor. It seemed rare for a Mandalorian to willingly leave it behind, so the armor was either stolen or it belonged to a dead Mandalorian. It was strange the vendor didn't seem to care about proper maintenance. A good suit of Beskar could cost ten times more than a cylinder of Wind Dust. But that didn't matter now, it was more important that the armor was back in the hands of a Mandalorian. And sooner or later, it would find another owner.
Djarin put the armor in the cargo hold and walked back inside the inn. He saw Cinder talking to Auntie Em while Kali was sitting with her daughter. An empty plate was in front of them, so he took it as a cue to leave.
"Cinder," he called out. The young girl turned to the Mandalorian. "It's time to go."
"But we just got here," Cinder pointed out. "Can't we-?"
"No. We need to get back to Menagerie."
"...Okay." Cinder looked back at Auntie Em. "Thanks for the cookies, Auntie Em."
"You're welcome dear," the kind woman said. "Come back anytime."
Cinder hopped off the stool and walked to the door, with Kali and Blake joining her. Just as Djarin was about to leave the inn, Auntie Em called him over. "Have a seat," she requested.
Djarin didn't sit down. "I have to go," he said. "I need to-"
"Mando, this will only take a minute. Please, sit."
Djarin sighed, but sat down. He didn't like being held up when he was working, but it didn't seem Auntie Em would let him leave without having her say. "What is it?" he asked.
"Before Cinder left, she was telling me how you've been helping her and training her," said Auntie Em. "You're doing a good job at keeping her safe."
"I have to," Djarin pointed out.
"Okay, see? That's part of the problem."
"What?" Djarin was taken off guard by this. First Auntie Em was talking about how he kept Cinder safe, now she seemed to be criticizing him. He wasn't offended, but confused. "What problem?"
"Mando, do you know how much you mean to her?"
"..."
"Well, you mean a lot to her. She sees you as more than just a guardian."
"She told you this?"
"She didn't have to. I've raised children like her, so believe me when I say a mother knows."
Djarin was slightly surprised to hear Auntie Em talk about her family. He knew about her late husband and kids who grew up, but she only talked about it once. She was more focused on running the inn now.
"Do you have a point?" Djarin asked.
"My point is you have a lot to learn about raising someone like Cinder," she replied.
"I wouldn't say I'm... raising her. I'm trying to find someone who can take care of her."
"You wanna find that person? Look to your left."
Djarin looked to his left and saw his reflection in a mirror on the wall. He sighed again before replying. "Look, I know I have a responsibility to her. But I'm not who she thinks I am."
"Not right now, no. But let me just say you and her have different ideas on what she needs. And it wouldn't hurt seeing yourself in her eyes every once in a while."
"..."
"And it wouldn't hurt seeing yourself in her eyes every once in a while."
The Mandalorian was ruminating on this idea while he flew the Razor Crest back to Menagerie. Normally, he would be focused on the task at hand, but Auntie Em's words kept playing in his head. So Djarin found himself wondering how Cinder actually saw him. And more importantly, how he compared himself to this.
As he said earlier, he knew he had a responsibility to Cinder. By choosing to come back for her and taking on this quest, she was in his care. And that meant doing whatever it took to keep her safe. But Auntie Em seemed to think there was more to it than that. She seemed to think he could do better. It was easy for the Mandalorian to disagree. In his life, Djarin had become many things: bounty hunter, warrior, Mandalorian. But one thing he knew he wasn't was a role model.
But if that was true... why did Cinder seem to look up to him? Was it because of everything he did for her? Or did she see something in Djarin that he didn't see himself?
To say the past two weeks were hard would be an understatement. Was it because of Cinder? Yes. But she wasn't a burden to Djarin. Not in the slightest. She was... possibly the best partner he could have asked for.
Djarin quickly refocused on his current mission. There was a bigger picture involved, finding Ozma was the only thing he needed to think about. Cinder having a teacher for these powers would be for the best, rather than her constantly traveling across Remnant to avoid Gideon or anyone else hunting her. Besides, it's not like learning how to use the Power of Old would be hard for Cinder. She had already accomplished so much, she could do anything she put her mind to. Cinder was strong, cunning, brave, and above all else, she was loyal to a fault. Or in this case... to someone who didn't really deserve such loyalty.
"Mando?"
Djarin snapped out his thoughts at the sound of his nickname.
"Are you alright?" Cinder asked.
"I... I'm fine," said Djarin. He didn't even notice he was staring at Cinder while he was lost in his thoughts.
"Are you sure? You've been staring at me for a few minutes." Cinder frantically began to move her hands in her face. "Wait, is there something on my face?" She felt something on her bottom lip and rubbed it. It was a stain from some soup she had at Auntie Em's. "Mando! Why didn't you tell me?!"
Djarin chuckled at Cinder's reaction. And it reminded him that she was the only person who could make him laugh from time to time.
A soft beeping caught his attention and he looked out his window. They had arrived at Menagerie and were being contacted by the same people he spoke to earlier. After explaining his situation, he was ordered to land his ship in the same spot he did before. Gabriella was waiting for them at the bottom of the ramp. She smiled when she saw Kali and Blake.
"Welcome back, ma'am," she said to Kali. "Are you two okay?"
"We're fine," Kali said with a smile. "How's Ghira?"
"Well, he's the reason this guy came in the first place." Gabriella gestured to the Mandalorian. "He'll be happy to see you back home. And we shouldn't keep him waiting."
The walk back to the large house was quick, Kali and Blake were eager to see Ghira again. Djarin still noticed the stares from the rest of the Faunus, but he ignored them. The stares didn't stop until they reached the Chieftain's house, who was eagerly waiting out on the front steps. As soon as he saw his wife and child, Ghira ran down the stairs and embraced the two of them.
"Thank goodness you're home!" said Ghira. "I thought something terrible happened!"
"I'm sorry, dear. We're alright," Kali said. "But if you didn't send help, I don't-"
"Don't worry about that. All that matters is that you're safe." Ghira turned to the Mandalorian. "I... I don't know how to thank you."
"We still need passage across the wasteland," Djarin reminded the Faunus.
Kali turned to the Mandalorian. "The wasteland?" She turned back to her husband. "Ghira, why does he-?"
"He's looking for more of his kind," he replied.
"But, that means-"
"We just want to talk to them," Cinder spoke up. "We don't want to hurt anyone."
Kali looked unsure, but she trusted her husband's judgement. So she decided to trust the child's claim.
"Gabriella will provide you passage," Ghira said.
"Of course, sir," the officer replied. "I'll have the skiff ready." She turned to the Mandalorian. "Come with me." The trio left the house to let the family celebrate their reunion, and Gabriella led them to a long brown hovercraft, powered by Gravity Dust.
"This is how we're getting there?" Cinder asked the Mandalorian. "Can't we take the Razor Crest?"
"I'm afraid not," Gabriella replied. "I'm sure your friend knows, but the wasteland isn't a practical place to land a ship. The wildlife and harsh environment requires us to keep moving at all times."
"Gabriella's right," said Djarin. "This is our safest way to Mandalore."
"We better get moving. It's getting late."
The skiff didn't take long to navigate a path through the mountains. It wasn't very safe to move through there, but it was the fastest way into Mandalore.
Cinder knew she should expect a desolate place, but she was excited to see Mandalore regardless of its current state. She had read so much in her book, from the founding of Mandalore to the days before the Great War. This was something she wanted to see since Djarin gave her that book. And a small part of her was thinking that it wasn't as bad as they made it sound.
As soon as they left the mountain pass, Cinder was right. The situation of Mandalore wasn't as bad as everyone was saying.
It was worse.
The entire ground had changed from luscious green to sandstone and glass. As far as the eye could see, the ground was burnt to a crisp. It was as if Cinder's powers had been amplified to one hundred times her current state. No rain or planting would ever bring life back to the soil.
And the buildings were even worse. Small houses, large towers, and commonplaces were all shattered and rusting. Others had been destroyed and left on the ground to rot like an open wound. It was a wonder some of these buildings were still standing at all.
Cinder was no stranger to pain. She had known the concept her entire life. Whatever form it came in, pain always found the young girl, no matter where she was. But as she looked at the ruins of a once glorious land, Cinder's heart began to ache more than it had ever before in her life. And for the first time in a while...she was speechless.
Djarin had heard what happened to Mandalore, but he never saw it first hand. The desolation made him feel uncomfortable, seeing the creation of the Mandalorians reduced to nothing wasn't a pleasant sight. But the fact that his people survived and helped spread their name across Remnant was comforting. He realized the same couldn't be said for Cinder.
"I know it's bad," Djarin said to the girl. "But this doesn't mean the end of our kind."
"..."
Djarin put a hand on her shoulder. "You're seeing this as one of our greatest failures, aren't you?" Cinder nodded, not taking her eyes off the grounds. "You're not wrong. But there's something beyond that. Something that can't be seen right away." Cinder looked up at him, skepticism on her face. "Our people knew what the likely outcome of the war would be for Mandalore. But they still chose to fight. They didn't give up... even after everything they lost."
Cinder's doubt disappeared when she looked back at the wasteland. Djarin had a point. If the Mandalorians simply gave up, the wasteland wouldn't exist. But that went against everything they believed in. They remained true to themselves, despite what they were about to lose.
"They didn't give up without a fight," said Cinder. She looked back at the Mandalorian. "I won't either."
"I know you won't."
Gabriella smiled at the small exchange between the clan of two. And Djarin had an interesting point. Despite the fighting and destruction, the Mandalorians who lived here didn't compromise their way of life.
Djarin turned to the Faunus. "How much longer?" he asked politely.
"Hard to say." she responded. "We don't really travel out here. Last time we did, we tracked the Mandalorians to... actually it was right here." Gabriella stopped the skiff and looked around. Djarin took his scope off his rifle and looked around the wasteland. But despite zooming in all the way, he couldn't find anything.
"Do you have any way to contact them?" Cinder asked Djarin.
"I could try sending a distress signal," he replied. "Other Mandalorians should be able to hear it."
"Worth a shot," said Gabriella.
Djarin pressed a few buttons on his gauntlet and a soft beeping began to sound. "Alright, any Mandalorians within a ten mile radius should be able to hear this. Keep your eyes open."
Gabriella looked from the front of the skiff, Cinder moved side to side. Djarin looked at his gauntlet to see if anyone responded. After a few minutes, Gabriella turned to him.
"We could probably-"
*THWIP*
A web-like substance shot around the Faunus and she flew backwards. Djarin and Cinder ran to the side of the skiff to see her on the ground with a blue female Mandalorian standing over her.
Just as they were about to tell her to stop, Cinder felt something grab her back and take her off the skiff. Djarin looked to see another female Mandalorian with blue and gray armor with white accents throw Cinder on the ground next to Gabriella.
A male Mandalorian in blue and gray armor landed next to his comrades and pointed a pistol at the two girls.
"Wait, stop!"
All three looked to see Djarin with his hands extended as he stepped off the skiff.
"Don't hurt them," he begged. "The Faunus gave the Foundling and I transport here."
The white accented Mandalorian looked down to see Cinder holding her Mythosaur necklace. She extended her hand to Cinder, which she slowly took. "Sorry, kid," she said sincerely. "We thought you were with this outsider."
Gabriella began to squirm in the webbing the other Mandalorian fired at her. The blue armored female simply put her boot on Gabriella's chest. "We heard your distress signal, thought the outsider captured you," she said to Djarin.
"That was just to get your attention," Djarin replied as he looked over Cinder, making sure she wasn't hurt. "We've been searching for more of our kind."
"Well, we found you first," the white accented one said.
Gabriella looked up at Djarin. "Mando, little help here?"
"Quiet," the blue armored one ordered. "You're working with this outsider, brother?"
"Only to find you. She won't hurt you, I promise."
The blue armored warrior looked to the white accented one, who did nothing. "You shouldn't have brought her here."
"She was giving us transport," Djarin replied.
"This isn't her place to travel," the blue armored female stated.
"Menagerie is their home."
The male looked over to the white accented female. "He's one of them."
"Goddamn it," she said under her breath. She quickly drew two pistols and pointed them at Djarin. "How many outsiders are here?"
"It's just me."
"Liar." The other Mandalorians drew their weapons. "You're just like the others aren't you? Letting outsiders walk on Mandalorian ground?"
Djarin's gauntlet readied to fire whistling birds. "And you're just taking claim to a cursed wasteland."
"You are a disgrace to your armor."
Cinder walked in front of Djarin and towards the leader of the group. "Leave him alone," she demanded.
"Or what?"
Cinder's eyes began to burn, catching everyone except Djarin off guard. "Or I'll make you."
"I'd listen to her if I were you," said Djarin.
"A Maiden?" the leader said under her breath. She looked back to Djarin. "Why are you here?"
"We know you've worked with someone like Cinder before. We need to find whoever she is."
The leader lowered her weapons and looked over to the blue armored Mandalorian. "Let her go," she ordered. The web broke off Gabriella's chest and she walked back to Djarin. "We can give you transport back when we're done talking. Tell your friend to leave."
Djarin turned to Gabriella. "You should go," he said.
"You can't trust these people," Gabriella protested.
"We'll stand a better chance than you if things go wrong. Go."
Gabriella got back on her skiff and took one last look at the Mandalorians before leaving. After she was gone, the three Mandalorians took off their helmets. The blue armored Mandalorian was a dark skinned woman with brown hair braided in an "X" on her forehead. The male was light skinned with sharp teeth and a few scars on his face. Their leader was a light skinned woman with red hair and bright green eyes.
"You wanna take that thing off?" the leader asked Djarin.
"No," he said. "This is the Way."
The other woman sighed, realizing that Djarin was a Child of the Watch. "Suit yourself," she said sarcastically.
"Let's... not worry about that," said the leader. "Who are you?"
Cinder decided to introduce themselves. "I'm Cinder, this is Din Djarin."
The leader nodded. "I am Bo-Katan of Clan Kryze. My grandparents were born on Mandalore and led my clan in the Great War," She gestured to her friends. "This is Koska Reeves and Axe Woves." The other Mandalorians nodded. "You said you're looking for more of our kind."
"I am," said Djarin. He gestured to Cinder. "I've been told you know someone who possesses the Power of Old. Like Cinder."
"So your Foundling's a Maiden," Koska observed.
This was the second time Cinder was referred to as a "Maiden." Now she was curious as to what it meant. "People keep calling me that," she said. "What do you mean?"
"...What do you know about your powers?" Bo-Katan asked.
"Nothing."
"Our people call it the Power of Old, you're right. But the person we knew called herself a Maiden."
"How come?"
"You ever hear The Story of the Seasons?"
"What?"
Djarin spoke up. "It doesn't matter what Cinder's powers are called," he said. "We're trying to find someone who can help her understand them better. Do you know someone like her?"
"She not only helped us reclaim Mandalore after we were driven out, but she laid the foundation of our new home."
"The Faunus here drove you out?" Djarin asked.
Axe Woves spoke up. "The Grimm."
"How did Grimm get here?" Djarin asked.
"We don't know, but that's not important now," Bo-Katan replied. "She helped us clear the Grimm, now we can rebuild."
"Rebuild? What are you talking about?"
"...We'll show you."
The Mandalorians flew deeper into the wastelands of Mandalore. Since Cinder could only fly a few feet off the ground, Djarin held her while they soared through the air. It wasn't the first time he needed to do this, so Cinder made a mental note to practice her flying. That way, she would be one step closer to mastering the Power of Old. Or rather, the power of the Maiden. She stopped thinking about this when they touched the ground and saw a marvel to behold.
The group had landed in front of a crater the size of a small forest in the ground. Buildings and sand surrounded the landscape, but there was something here that stood out. In the center of the crater, deep under the ground, seemed to be machinery and metal. Instead of where there should have been more sandstone, the canyon floor was metal. Automated cranes were bringing metal down to the ground and curved metal beams reaching the sky. To say this was an intriguing operation would be an understatement.
"What is all this?" Cinder asked.
"Our new home," said Bo-Katan. As Cinder and Djarin turned to her for an explanation, Bo-Katan pressed a button on her gauntlet. A screen appeared and showed a blueprint for a dome structure. From what they could see, the dome was made entirely of metal and large enough to cover the entire crater. Bo-Katan pressed another button and the dome split in half. The inside revealed small buildings and walkways. From what they could see, this dome would be acting as the outside of a small city.
"Is this... a city?" Djarin asked.
"It will be," Bo-Katan replied. "These are blueprints for an extension to the kingdom of Atlas. Cities would be built across the tundra with the domes offering heat and protection against the cold."
"Where did you get the metal? And all this equipment?"
"Ever since the Atlas army split up, there's been fighting across each kingdom. We were able to scavenge metal from airships and armor to make this much progress. As for the cranes and other equipment, we got them from shipments to Mistral."
"And the blueprints?"
"We stumbled upon them on an expedition last month. It's useful, but not quite what I was looking for."
"Looking for?"
Bo-Katan lowered her arm. "Atlas has something I want." she said. "A weapon that can complete our crusade, make sure the Faunus and even the Grimm won't set foot here. It's either in the hands of the kingdom or the insurrection."
"What is it?" Cinder asked.
"I thought you were more concerned about the Maiden," said Koska.
"We are," Djarin said, regaining his focus. "Where can we find her?"
"Bo-Katan!" Axe shouted as he landed in front of the group. "Two Atlesian airships are coming this way! One of them is insurrectionist!"
The news alarmed Bo-Katan, but she knew fighting was inevitable. They had made so much progress on Mandalore, risked too much to watch their plans turn to dust. The first thing she needed was a plan. After taking one look at Djarin and Cinder, a plan was starting to form in her mind.
"Captain, the insurrectionist ship is in range."
"Fire."
An Atlesian officer obeyed her superior's order and pressed a few buttons on her computer. The large airship they were in had made contact with a rogue airship, and the Atlesians were the first to attack. The procedure was to aim at the back wings, hoping they would lose stability. But the lasers the ship fired didn't affect the wing.
"Ma'am, we've made contact," the officer informed the captain. "But our lasers can't cut the wing."
Before she could respond, the insurrectionist ship fired on the Atlesian ship, causing the captain to fall off her feet. As she stood up, she looked to another officer. "Damage report!" she ordered.
"They barely missed the bridge, they seem to be trying to focus on the docking bay," the officer reported.
"Then we fight fire with fire. Move the ship and retaliate in the same way."
"Yes ma'am. Preparing to fire." Before the officer could retaliate, a red flash appeared on her terminal. "Ma'am, we seem to have been boarded."
The captain turned to the officer. "By who?"
"One moment."
Two black uniformed officers were opening fire on the Atlesian ship that had discovered them. Their captain wore a gray uniform and was watching as they were trying to retaliate against them. But what the enemy wasn't seeing was a prototype shield on their ship, which absorbed each laser and left the ship intact.
"Are our Hard-Light Shields operational across the ship?" the captain asked an officer.
"Yes sir," the officer replied. "Only our weapons and docking bay are lowered, ready to send out our Mantas."
"There's no need for Mantas. This battle will take no time at all."
The officer was about to raise the shields again, but a flashing light appeared on his terminal. He pressed a button and showed green lights turning red.
"Captain, we're receiving emergency signals in the docking bay."
The captain turned to the officer. "What seems to be the problem?"
"Unclear, sir. I'm establishing contact now."
A whistle sounded on the bridge and the captain walked over to the officer's terminal. "What is it?" the captain asked calmly.
"Sir, we've been boarded by pirates. Suffering severe casualties!" Through the voice, the officers and captain could hear shots firing and small explosions.
"How many are there?"
"Hard to say, at least ten. Maybe more!"
The officer pressed a button on his computer and looked closely. "Sir, there are only three life forms."
Three life forms? Attacking this ship? The only way they would make it look like a slaughter would be if these intruders were Huntsmen. Or perhaps-
"Wait, they're Mandalorian! Wait-GAH!"
The officers looked up to their captain, fear written on their faces.
"Ma'am, did he say-?"
"Mandalorians," the Atlesian captain confirmed. "Put all sections of the ship on high alert. Open a visual on the docking bay."
A blue screen appeared on the window and showed two Mandalorians, a man and a woman, walking through the ship. The woman was using webs to pin each soldier on the wall and grab their weapons. The man was pouncing on each soldier as their bullets bounced off his armor. After he landed on them, claws appeared on his hands and he would claw at their exposed skin. The man brutally closed in for the kill while the woman's strategy involved exposing the soldiers and killing them.
"Ma'am, it seems they're making their way to the bridge," the officer said.
"Do whatever it takes to make sure these savages don't reach the bridge," the captain ordered. "And send our Mantas against the rogue ship."
"Sir, the ship has just launched fighters against us," an officer said. "What are your orders?"
"Focus half our power on the shields," the captain commanded. He turned to one officer. "You. Keep our guns focused on the Atlesian ship and the fighters." The officer nodded and turned back to his computer. His first action was to shoot the enemy's docking bay and then focus on the fighters. The captain turned back to the other officer. "And you'll keep me posted about the Mandalorians. Where are they now?"
"They're approaching the weapons storage. I've ordered our men to meet them there."
"Excellent."
Bo-Katan's plan had worked like a charm. By splitting the group up, they would be able to take both ships before they would destroy each other. Once their tracking beacons had been deactivated, the Mandalorians would take the airships back to Mandalore and use the metal to build the dome and the city. More work would be required, and the project would take a long time. But the result would be worth it in the end. While Koska and Axe volunteered to take the Atlesian ship, Djarin and Cinder agreed to help take the insurrectionist ship in exchange for the location of the Maiden. They were now heading towards the bridge of the insurrectionist ship with Bo-Katan. Nothing was going to stop them now.
Well, except a few insurrectionists with heavy artillery.
The soldiers had taken two Dust Repeaters out of their storage and were firing on the trio. They were forced to hide behind narrow arches in the corridor, with no way to advance.
"How many do you see?!" Djarin yelled over to Bo-Katan.
"At least four!" she yelled back. "Two with Dust Repeaters!" Bo-Katan pulled out a pistol and a yellow blast shot out. The blast missed the troopers and hit the back wall and generated electricity. The troopers continued their attack.
Djarin quickly had an idea. It was risky, and it might put Cinder in danger, but it was their only option. But he was sure not to take too many risks.
"How's your Aura?" Djarin asked Cinder.
"I'm fine," she replied honestly. "What about you?"
"I'm fine. Listen, I have a plan. Do you think you can clear a path using your powers?"
Cinder looked at the corridor, thinking of a way to clear a path. Her eyes burned as her Aura activated and she stepped out of cover. Multiple Dust rounds hit her protected body, so she would have to make this quick. Pushing her hands forward, two bursts of wind forced the soldiers to move out of the way.
Djarin could see a path cleared and the back wall more clearly. He used his Semblance to teleport to the back wall, behind the soldiers. Taking out his knife, Djarin slashed and stabbed into their exposed skin. Cinder stopped using her powers as she saw Djarin at the back. Once Bo-Katan fired her blasters again and the soldiers fell to the ground, Cinder ran up to Djarin.
"Good thinking," said Bo-Katan. "But we're not out of the woods yet. Keep moving."
"They've made it how far?"
"They just cleared the first level, ma'am. The bridge is just beyond the elevator."
The captain looked out the window, looking for a solution. She was stuck between a rock and and a hard place, with little chance of triumph.
"Can you establish contact with other Atlesian personnel?" the captain asked, hoping that someone could help her.
"I've been trying, we've made no contact," the officer replied.
One officer stood up. "Ma'am, with all due respect, there seems to be no way we can win this. Let these savages and traitors have the ship."
The captain sighed, she didn't want to lose this ship. But her subordinate was right, there was no sign of victory here. At least there was nothing to stop them from leaving the ship and fighting another day.
"...Agreed." The captain walked over to a computer and pressed a button. "All hands, abandon ship!"
"Sir, we've lost contact with the first level. They may be coming this way."
The captain of the insurrectionist ship knew the officer was right. But losing this ship would only be a last resort. The insurrection couldn't afford losing an asset as important as this. They needed help.
"Can you establish contact with anyone?" the captain asked calmly.
"Negative, we're too far out of range," the officer replied.
"..."
Both officers looked at each other in fear. The idea of their captain not having a plan or another order could only mean one thing; they were doomed.
"Sir... what do you command?" the first officer asked.
"...They cannot take this ship," he replied.
"What are your orders?"
The captain cleared his throat. "...Plunge the ship into the ocean."
Both officers looked up. "S... Sir?"
"But sir, that's suicide!"
*BANG*
*BANG*
The captain didn't take his eyes of his dead officers as he placed his weapon back in its holster. He then took the controls and moved the thrusters downward. The ship began to shift down towards the ocean and increase speed.
"...Exactly."
A beeping sounded from one of the computers. The ship had begun to lose altitude quickly. At the moment, it was at ten thousand feet in the air.
The captain removed his hands from the controls.
Nine thousand feet.
He felt cold sweat run down his cheek.
Eight thousand feet.
A shame he couldn't live to see Gideon's New Order. But it would exist nonetheless.
Seven thousand feet.
Long live the New Order.
Six thousand feet.
"There he is!"
The captain turned around just in time to see a female Mandalorian grab him and throw him against the wall. A male Mandalorian and a child ran up to the controls.
Five thousand feet.
"Get it back in the air!"
"I'm trying!"
Four thousand feet.
A knife appeared out of Bo-Katan's wrist gauntlet and it was against the captain's neck.
Three thousand feet.
"Where is it?" Bo-Katan asked.
"Where's what?" the captain asked in response.
Two thousand feet.
"The Darksaber. Does he have it?"
"If you're asking, you already know."
One thousand feet.
"Got it!"
Djarin had just stabilized the airship before it hit the ocean. The captain sighed in disappointment and self-loathing. If only he had made the order earlier or the Mandalorians never came here. Now the insurrection had just lost a vital asset.
"I'll let you live," Bo-Katan promised. "But you will take me to him."
"You might let me live," the captain realized. "But he won't." He bit his cheek, and an electric shock ran across his entire face, killing him before he fell to the floor.
"NO!"
"Lady Bo-Katan. Lady Bo-Katan, are you there?"
Bo-Katan let go of the corpse and walked over to a computer. "...I'm here, Koska. We have the ship."
"And we have this one. We disabled the tracking beacons, and it doesn't look like they sent a distress signal."
"Good work. I'll see you back home." Bo-Katan looked over the intel she acquired from the ship's computer and turned to the duo. "You two have proven to be fierce allies. According to this, the next place we need to go is Vale. Are you sure you won't join us?"
"There's something I need to do," Djarin responded as he stood up from the controls.
"The offer stands if you change your mind."
"Where can we find the Maiden?"
Bo-Katan removed her helmet. "Take the Foundling to Anima, beyond the city of Mistral. Somewhere, you'll find a tribe of bandits led by Raven Branwen. Tell her you were sent by Bo-Katan, and she'll let you speak with the Maiden. The girl's a member of her tribe. And thank you." Bo-Katan looked down to Cinder. "Both of you. Your bravery will not be forgotten. This is the Way."
"...This is the Way," said Djarin.
"This is the Way," said Cinder.
With that, the clan of two prepared to leave the ship. Before she could leave the cockpit, Bo-Katan put a hand on Cinder's shoulder. Djarin noticed Cinder fall behind, so he looked back to see what Bo-Katan was doing.
"Before you go...I have a request," she said as she reached into her belt. Bo-Katan took out a small envelope. "When you're in Anima, you might meet a member of the Mistral Council. Her name is Satine." Bo-Katan placed the envelope in her hand. "Please... give this to her."
Cinder looked at the envelope, but didn't open it. Before she could say anything, Djarin quickly took her hand.
"We need to go," he said.
Cinder quickly followed him out a door that led to the outside of the ship. Holding each other's hand tightly, Djarin and Cinder jumped and flew away.
The Mandalorian had charted a course to Mistral when they left Menagerie. Their lead wasn't very solid, he would likely have to search the entire kingdom. Maybe even the entire continent of Anima. But that idea didn't falter Djarin, he was still determined to find the Maiden. Besides, he was glad to be as far away from Bo-Katan as possible. He didn't need Cinder's head to be filled with ideas of reclaiming Mandalore.
But there were a couple of ideas that had seeped their way into Cinder's mind. The first was the power of the Maiden. Bo-Katan said it was related to something called The Story of the Seasons. She had never heard of it, but it seemed to connect with her powers. The second idea was something she wanted to talk about with Djarin before going to bed.
"Mando, I've been meaning to ask you something," she said.
"If it's about Bo-Katan, we're not talking about it," he responded.
"No, it's not about her or reclaiming Mandalore. I was actually curious about one thing she said."
"...Alright. What is it?"
"She talked about something called... the 'Darksaber.' What is it?"
The Mandalorian turned to her. "A weapon. One that doesn't exist anymore."
"How do you know?"
"It was lost during the Great War."
"Oh. Well... what kind of weapon was it?"
Djarin put the ship on autopilot. "Let me show you," he said as he walked to the cargo hold. As Cinder followed him into the cargo hold, he was flipping through her book. He landed on a page and showed it to Cinder. She took the book and saw the title of the page was "Fables." Below the word was an image of a sword with a black blade. She looked back to Djarin.
"It's... just a story?" she asked.
"Not quite," he replied. "From what I heard, the weapon was real. This is a story I heard when I was a Foundling. You can say it's like a fairy tale." Cinder sat down on her makeshift bed as she looked at the picture. Djarin began to walk back to the cockpit, leaving Cinder to learn more about the Darksaber.
"...I'd like to hear it," she whispered.
Djarin turned back to her. "What'd you say?" he asked politely.
She looked back up to him. "It seems like a good story. I'd... like to hear it."
"Read away." Djarin looked back to the cockpit.
"I'm... too tired to read. But I'd really like to hear it."
Djarin was about to tell her to read it in the morning, but stopped himself. He realized that Cinder was asking him to read it to her. He needed to get back to the cockpit in case any trouble showed up, but remembering Auntie Em's words from earlier made him reconsider. He looked back at the cockpit, he could barely see a clear sky ahead of him. He looked back to Cinder.
"It's not a long story," he thought to himself. "I can read for a minute." He went back to where Cinder was sitting and reached out for the book. Cinder handed it to him with a smile and laid down on her makeshift bed. Clearing his throat, he began to read the legend of the Darksaber.
"Once upon a time, Mandalore was ruled by an ambitious Mand'alor. He had faced many warriors and Grimm in his life, and he walked away from each conflict victorious. But now, the great ruler was on his deathbed, too ill to even raise his blade. The one thing on his mind was who would take the throne in his passing. He knew of three Mandalorians that were worthy to be his successors. One was a proud leader, one was a skillful forger, and the last was a noble warrior. The Mand'alor knew all three were true Mandalorians, but they needed to prove themselves capable of ruling a nation.
So, he gave each Mandalorian a single challenge. Somewhere in the world, there existed an ability that transcended Auras and Semblances. While the origin of this power wasn't known, it had become the Mand'alor's goal to obtain it. He claimed to see its potential first hand, and his ambition to seize it grew by the day. Whoever could capture this power and bring it back to Mandalore would become its next ruler.
And so, all three Mandalorians left their homeland to find this power. The leader took a small army that consisted of Mandalorians willing to die for him. The forger crafted herself a new set of armor and various weapons. The warrior took only his sword and armor.
One of the leader's soldiers returned to Mandalore to explain her leader's failure. They had found two women with the powers the Mand'alor had described. The leader took them by surprise and had them outnumbered, but the women slew them in self-defense. They left one alive and let her return home.
The forger had found a woman weakened from a battle with Grimm who possessed the powers the Mand'alor had sought. While she slew the remaining Grimm with each weapon, her Beskar could not protect her from the woman's wrath. She died quickly, but her courage was not forgotten.
The warrior had found a man standing alone against Grimm that were invading a small village. The man fought with a cane and abilities the Mand'alor had described. The Grimm had exhausted and wounded the man, he was about to die. But the warrior arrived and protected both the man and the village, making quick work of them all. The man was grateful for the Mandalorian's aid, and knew his heart was pure. But the Mandalorian had come too late, the protector was dying. The warrior told the man why he had come, and humbly asked for a small part of his power to return to Mandalore. The man knew this Mandalorian's actions and future deeds would be noble, so he agreed. Taking the Beskar sword, the man used his power to transform the blade. The blade had become black as night and capable of cutting through almost any material.
The warrior took this weapon back to Mandalore and presented it to his ruler. The Mand'alor was pleased with his result, and made the warrior his heir. His first act as Mand'alor was making the weapon he dubbed the Darksaber a symbol of authority. Rather than give the same challenge to his heir, the warrior declared that the next ruler of Mandalore would be decided by the Darksaber. Whoever defeated its current wielder in combat could lay claim to the Mand'alor's throne. And that decree has lived on to this very day."
Djarin closed the book as he finished reading. "You see?" he asked as he turned to Cinder. "It's only a-"
Cinder was fast asleep. Djarin didn't even notice while he was reading. He also realized this was the first time he had ever read a bedtime story to someone. Then again... this may have been the first time someone was willing to do so for her. Maybe Auntie Em was right. He did have a lot to learn about looking after Cinder.
He put the book down and slowly walked out of the cargo hold. But before he went back to the cockpit, he took one last look at the sleeping girl.
"...Good night."
Author's notes: hope you enjoyed this chapter. I don't think I made it as exciting as the real episode, but I'll do better next time.
To aklike95, I'm glad you like the Jawa idea and the Belladonnas. Sorry you didn't see them a lot in this episode, but you'll like what else I have planned. Especially with Boba.
To D.N. Works, the idea is depressing, you're right. But part of Bo-Katan's character is fighting for Mandalore, no matter who has claim to it. She fought Maul, the Empire, and Gideon. Glad you enjoyed the SDC getting their just desserts, hope you enjoyed this chapter.
To Mandalorian00, another great letter. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
To 54godamora, I promise no harm will come to the Belladonnas in this story.
To joeyginise, I'm glad you like the Jawa idea. I think I need to integrate more Star Wars lore in this story than just the Mandalorians. Also, you'll like what's going on with Boba. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.
To GojiraFan455515, hope you enjoyed this chapter. Glad you liked Boba and that you're excited.
To Rook435, good observations about Djarin and Cinder. She is indeed inexperienced, but she has some good ideas with her powers. Djarin also knows how to fight well with his Semblance. Also, I hope you liked how I depicted Mandalore here and the two Faunus Mandalorians I used here. I'm really glad you're enjoying the story, thank you for the support. Hope you enjoyed this chapter.
To I Yorick I, thank you for the compliment. I hope you're still loving this.
Thank you everyone for your support! Please leave a review, I want to hear what you think. And if you haven't already, please consider favoriting and following this story. And if it's not too much trouble, please let me know what you think about my writing style. Anyways, thanks again for all your support! See you next time!