Chapter 2 - The Sin (1/2)
The trio came out of hyperspace, moments before entering the planet's atmosphere. The small green creature had awakened from its nap of healing and peered over the edge of the pod. He looked curiously around the cockpit before casting his eyes toward the Mandalorian who was busy pressing buttons and tampering with the controls. He then cast his attention to the young Viking, who snored softly in her seat, before climbing down from his pod and climbing onto The Razorcrest's control panel. A beeping noise sounded and a hologram of a middle-aged gentleman formed in front of them.
'Mando! I received your transmission. Wonderful news! Upon your return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I'm not sure of his plans for it, it'll either be he'll eat it or hang it on his wall, but he's very antsy about it. Safe passage. You know where to find me,' when the message had ended Din pressed a button and the man disappeared. Hearing movement to his right, he turned to find the Child playing with the spherically-topped control lever, attempting to unscrew the ball.
"No! It's not a toy," he stated sternly before grabbing the back of the Child's robe and lifting him back into the pod.
The green creature gurgled in bewilderment before looking to the other passenger, yet again climbing out from the pod as Din descended through the sky. The Child managed to climb up the woman's leg and into her lap, staring at her sleeping face. His brown eyes moved to look at her odd clothing, but something else caught the small creature's curious eye. His little hand reached up to a small area of skin that was blemished severely, but before he could touch it, the Razorcrest jolted as it prepared for landing, waking Signe abruptly, causing her to almost jump out of her seat with a yelp. She managed to catch the small alien before he fell off of her lap who also screamed in shock. After a few moments of light hovering, the Razorcrest touched down with a thud on the muddy ground below.
"Dear Erasil! Must you land so roughly!" she said as she grasped a hand to her chest to feel her pounding heart, ensuring herself it was still there. Din said nothing and instead simply shut down the engines before standing up and leaving the cockpit.
"Hurry up and get into your armour, we need to get it back to the client," he said before descending down the ladder.. Signe rolled her eyes and looked down at the little sprout in her lap who stared up at her with wide eyes.
"Miserable again, I see," she chuckled as the Child giggled before she picked him up and placed him in the pod.
"Alright Sprout, let's head down." Signe didn't waste time in gathering her armour and weapons, putting them on in no time at all, she had just finished tightening the last braser as she slid down the ladder, landing with a metal clang, gaining Din's attention who was waiting impatiently with his hands on his hips.
The Pod came to her side as she held the buckle strap in her teeth, tightening it before she strolled past him, Sprout in tow. "Come on kiddo, the Mandalorian wants us gone and he wants his payment, let's not waste his time any longer, shall we?" the provoking comment made Din sigh and roll his eyes before following after the woman and quarry. This woman was such a nightmare.
He quickly took the lead as he was the only one who knew where they were supposed to be going. As the trio made their way towards the town, another medium-sized ship landed to their right, startling The Child who cowardly sunk back into his pod. The Mandalorian took his two companions through a large, stone archway that led into the main street, which was bustling with life and if anything, a bit overcrowded. Townsfolk from all walks of life stared at the trio as they made their way through the muddy boulevard, dodging in and out of the hoards of smugglers, Astromech Droids and various other sentient species. A pair of obnoxiously loud and intoxicated Quarrens jeered menacingly at The Child, who had only just found the bravery to poke his head out of the pod again, after his last scare.
After a few minutes of walking, Mando pointed towards the entrance of an alleyway, which the three turned down, before coming to some stairs, which led them to a derelict stone building with a rusting metal door. The Mandalorian knocked four times, summoning a gatekeeper droid, which emerged from the small hatch to the right of the door, addressing them instantly.
"Ac'chu apenkee?" quizzed the droid, as it stared at the Beskar-Clad visitor.
The Mandalorian pulled some form of identification out from a pouch and showed it to the droid. It spoke one last time before retreating back into the building's wall, the small alien looked up at Signe making a cooing noise before turning his head to the door which opened slowly, with a rusty grinding noise. The trio were instantly greeted by two remnant Stormtroopers, who both wore damaged, filthy armour. Signe's face dropped into a look of malice. She didn't know that the client was related to the Imperials, the bounty hunter who had told her about the quarry had failed to mention that fact.
The two dirty Stormtroopers stared at the Mandalorian, then the Viking and then the Child, who stared back at them owlishly. Signe noticed his ears lower with what she assumed to be fear. Her eyes softened before they flickered to her left to glance at The Mandalorian who was still facing the troopers. One of them nodded and turned as if to say 'follow me', whilst the other stepped to the side, ushering the visitors in. The child floated in after him, gurgling at the Beskar warrior. Din and Signe followed thereafter, as the second trooper made his way in after them.
As they made their way through the dimly lit corridor, the foremost Stormtrooper roughly pulled the Pod closer towards him and kept his hand on the edge, dragging it along, which sparked a brief moment of annoyance in the Mandalorian.
"Hey, easy with that."
"YOU take it easy." The Stormtrooper fired back.
Signe scoured at the trooper, unamused by his attitude and how he was treating the little Sprout. The Mandalorian kept quiet as the group approached a door at the other end of the corridor, which as they approached it. The group slowly piled into a large room, filled sparsely with containers. There was next to no furniture, but for a small table and four chairs, where two men stood waiting, one young and one old. The older man grinned with evident excitement upon their entry, picking up a tracking FOB that blinked rapidly before approaching the pod.
"Yes, yes, yes," whispered the client.
The younger man approached and the two bent down slightly to get a better look at the unknown creature who cooed up at them curiously. The younger man, who was dressed in what appeared to be Imperial scientist attire, pulled out a reading device, emitting a red light which shone on to the poor baby's face, which scrunched up in discomfort as he tried to look away. Signe frowned as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.
"Very healthy. Yes," the bespectacled, younger man smiled upon consulting the readings. The elderly man stood up properly again and faced the Mandalorian.
"Your reputation was not unwarranted. I see you have another companion with you. Did she help?" He was met with silence before the warrior spoke up, completely ignoring his question.
"How many FOB's did you give out?"
"This asset is of extreme importance to me. I had to ensure its delivery..." Signe found the man's desperation suspicious. Why was this small green thing so important to him and why did it have to be healthy? She eyed him dubiously as he walked back to behind his desk.
"But to the winner... go the spoils," he affirmed, before reaching below the table, pulling out a white container. The man entered a short code, unlocking the mysterious package. It hissed as the compartments opened to reveal a stash of Beskar bars. Twenty to be precise. Signe looked to Mandalorian with narrowed eyes, but her attention was drawn away from him when the old man addressed her this time.
"Apologies, I have nothing to reward you with and I don't think Beskar will help you in any way," the woman stuttered as she shook her head.
"It is fine, I do not care for a reward," The Mandalorian and the old man looked at her, surprised by her response.
"Very well." Din then took the liberty of approaching the desk where his people's most treasured possession lay. Signe moved to his side, eager to observe the precious metal. He took two slabs out, inspecting them, ensuring that what he was seeing was real.
"Such a large bounty for such a small package," the man said, in an almost provoking tone. Din and Signe's attention was then drawn to the left of the man, as they noticed The Child floating towards a door with the younger gentleman. The creature stared at them and made a whining sound, as if to say, 'how could you?'. The crying sound saddened the woman greatly, as his small ears lowered once again. The Mandalorian and Viking held eye contact with him until he was gone from the room and the door slid shut.
"What are your plans for it?" Din questioned, suspicious of the man's intentions. Both bounty hunters stared at the old man, whose face had turned from one of triumph, to evident frustration and anger.
"How uncharacteristic, of one of your reputation. You have taken both commission AND payment. Is it not the code of the guild, that these events are now forgotten?" snarled the man, as two more Stormtroopers entered the room via the door that The Child had exited through just moments ago.
Signe's eyes followed the troopers as they positioned themselves behind the client, not at all being subtle that they were there in case trouble ensued. She had never been on a quarry that had this much mystery surrounding it. It was a far cry from the usual assasination or kidnapping that she'd usually be involved with.
"The Beskar is enough to make a handsome replacement for your armour. Unfortunately, finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding the steel" continued the man, making a snide remark to the purge of Mandalore, which cost thousands of Mandalorians their lives.
Mando grabbed one last bar to inspect, before slipping it into his pouch. He then grasped the handle of the canister, causing it to close. He picked it up with one hand and turned towards the exit, without saying a single word to the client, who stood with a triumphant look on his face. Signe scowled at him for a couple of moments, before turning to catch up with the Mandalorian, deliberately brushing shoulders with one of the Stormtroopers who stood either side of the door.
"Hey, watch it." he moaned, as the young woman ignored him completely and made her way through the corridor with the Mandalorian. The pair walked slowly towards the exit, silently ashamed of what they had done. Worry filled the woman's head, as she turned to her companion.
"So... What now?" she asked.
Without turning his head, Din responded.
"I need to pay a visit to someone who can help me."
The two bounty hunters exited the building, back into the busy streets of the town.
___ ___ ___
The walk led Mando and The Viking to a more quiet part of town, away from the constant chatter of Jawas trying their best to trade with passers by, or the chaotic ambience of the food markets, where hungry travellers slammed credits down on wooden surfaces in order to quickly aid their hunger. It was no more aesthetically pleasing than the rest of the settlement, in fact if anything, it was probably less pleasing on the eye than the rest of the place.
He led the woman towards a dull, grey building, with chipped walls and a narrow doorway which led to a dark stairway. Mando turned to the young woman slowly.
"Now I've gotta warn you. It isn't nice down here. This is where my people have been forced to hide since The Purge. Living in the sewers isn't exactly what we had in mind. But it works. Do not speak a word of this to anyone, or else."
It didn't take a genius to work out what The Mandalorian was implying when he gave his instructions, but Signe knew that she was safe in the knowledge that she wouldn't speak a word of it to anyone. She was somewhat excited to see other Mandalorians. She had heard the stories and was already astounded enough when she met Din just a few days prior. The opportunity to see more of them fed her curiosity.
"Understood. You can trust me," she affirmed, before following him through the doorway and down the narrow staircase.
Their descent led them to a long, almost entirely dark tunnel, which continued for hundreds of metres to both their left and right. The pair walked directly across the tunnel, through another entrance. Mando led the way through the narrow tunnel, catching the eye of several Mandalorians who stood leaning against the damp walls of the sewer. They cast their eyes on him, as he carried the white container. Signe was also a subject of the collective glare of the sewer-dwelling Mandalorians, whose heads turned slowly, watching her every move. Some huffed and groaned in judgement as the young blonde made her way through the tunnel.
Signe couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with the fact that the eyes of her silent audience were cast menacingly in her direction. Not a single world was muttered, as the pair made their way to the end of the tunnel and through a doorway which opened up into a circular room of searing heat. A furnace and smithing station sat in the middle of the room, blue flames already burning. In front of it sat a female Mandalorian, different to the others. She wore maroon Beskar, with brown gloves. An unidentifiable brown fur was draped over her shoulders, and her face was hidden with a golden helmet, different in design to the Mandalorians they had walked past moments ago.
She sat at a small table, barely two feet off of the floor. Din kneeled in front of her, before turning his head to look at Signe, who sheepishly did the same. She knew that she wasn't meant to be here and therefore did her best to be as inoffensive as possible by following his every move.
He opened the canister for the woman, who removed several bars of Beskar, placing them on the table. She inspected the metal, noticing an Imperial signet cast on the top left corner of each bar. The woman looked up at The Mandalorian and then turned her head slightly towards Signe.
"You have brought an outsider into our sanctuary. For why?"
Din hung his head in apparent shame.
"She helped source the Beskar. She has nowhere else to go. I'm sorry."
She cast her eyes back to the bars of Beskar.
The mood changed instantly, as several Mandalorians, including one wearing what appeared to be a heavy variation of the standard armour, entered the room and stood in the background, keen to find out what was going on.
"This amount can be shaped many ways," she informed the warrior.
"My armour has lost its integrity. I may need to begin again..." suggested Mando, looking down at his damaged, battered armour.
The blacksmith concurred. "Indeed. I can create a full cuirass. I believe that would be in order".
Mando simply nodded, gratefully accepting the offer that she had put forward to him. It had been such a long time since he had received new armour. It filled him with silent happiness. However, that was cut short when the heavily-armoured Mandalorian stepped alongside Signe, looking ominously down at her, before picking up some of the reward. He inspected it, before filling with disgust and outrage at the sight of the Imperial signet.
"These were cast in an Imperial smelter. These are spoils of the great Purge. The reason that we live hidden like Sandrats," he groaned, as he carelessly dropped the Beskar back down to the table, narrowly avoiding the Viking who sat below him, which startled her somewhat.
The blacksmith acknowledged his point, but quickly attempted to divert his attention to the bigger picture.
"Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength" she quipped, gently placing the bars to their original position.
The heavy Mandalorian filled with even more rage, unable to accept what he was seeing.
"Our strength was once in our numbers. Now we live in the shadows and only come above ground one-at-a-time. Our world was shattered by the Empire, with whom this coward shares tables. Not to mention the fact he has brought an outsider into our so called "safe place".
With pure rage, he grabbed the young Viking by her shoulder and threw her to the side, causing her to roll and land in front of three Mandalorians who stood watching. He then turned his attention to Din, grabbing him by the neck and hoisting him up to face him. Din planted a swift punch around his face, before his aggressor wielded a dagger, swiping it at Din who stepped back to dodge, before wielding his own. The pair met once again and grappled for control, hand in hand. The blacksmith sat motionless at the table, ignoring the tussle.
Angered by the heavy's actions, Signe drew a small dagger too and stood up, preparing to help Din in his struggle. One of the Mandalorians which stood behind her grabbed her arm, hoisting her backwards to stop her getting involved, to which Signe kicked backwards, before turning to face him with her dagger pointed at his neck. He too drew his weapon, in the form of a blaster pistol. The two stood locked, waiting for the other to make the first move.
Din's tussle came to an end, when both Mandalorians managed to break free from each other's grasp, before taking similar stances to that of Signe and her opponent. They stood staring at each other, breathing heavily. The blacksmith rose from the ground, slamming her hand on the table to get their attention.
"The Empire is no longer, and the Beskar has returned. When one chooses to walk the way of The Mandalore; you are both hunter and prey. How can one be a coward when one chooses this way of life? Have you ever removed your helmet?" she addressed Din.
"No." he groaned, dagger still drawn at the heavy's neck.
"Has it ever been removed by others?" she followed.
"Never..."
She turned her head to look at the heavy, Signe's aggressor and then back to Din.
"This is the way."
Din and the heavy exited their battle stance and sheathed their weapons, repeating the words of the blacksmith, as the rest of the Mandalorians did. Signe put her dagger away, to which her opponent nodded and did the same.
The blacksmith turned her attention to Din once again.
"What caused this damage?" she asked.
Din returned to his sitting position.
"A Mudhorn..."
She nodded "Then you have earned the Mudhorn as your signet,"
Din looked around at the other Mandalorians, knowing that there was still a degree of judgement amongst them, despite the peace now being made between himself and the heavy. He hung his head, ashamed of what he was about to admit.
"I can't accept. It wasn't a noble kill. I was helped. Keep some in reserve for the foundlings, I will accept anything else you offer to craft, but I have not earned the right to a signet."
The woman sat back.
"Very well, I will forge Whistling Birds instead, along with your armour". Mando nodded in response, as the other Mandalorians slowly filled out of the room. The heavy cast one last look back towards Din and Signe, before leaving last. The blacksmith gathered the Beskar and began working on his new armour. Signe sat beside him in her original position and looked at him. He turned ever so slightly and nodded, before the heat of the furnace hit them both, as the Beskar began to melt almost instantly.
Several hours had passed since the woman had begun her work, but both bounty hunters sat with intent, keen to watch the blacksmith at work. After cooling off the various components, she inserted the Whistling Birds one-by-one into the wrist holster, activating the launcher which tucked them in tightly to the sockets. Din approached the workbench where his newly-constructed cuirass lay. He picked it up and admired it contently, turning his head to the woman.
"I can't thank you enough. These will do well."
The blacksmith nodded gently.
" Forgive me for bringing her here. The woman is sworn to secrecy. She knows the consequences her actions would bring if she were to speak of what she has seen," the woman turned to look at Signe.
"It is a strange action, yes. But if what you say about her helping you is true, you may well have never returned the Beskar here. She has helped provide for the foundlings as much as you have. This is the way."
Din bowed to her, and Signe did the same ever so slightly. The Mandalorian looked back up to her.
"This is the way".
❋❋❋
'Mando! I received your transmission. Wonderful news! Upon your return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I'm not sure of his plans for it, it'll either be he'll eat it or hang it on his wall, but he's very antsy about it. Safe passage. You know where to find me,' when the message had ended Din pressed a button and the man disappeared. Hearing movement to his right, he turned to find the Child playing with the spherically-topped control lever, attempting to unscrew the ball.
"No! It's not a toy," he stated sternly before grabbing the back of the Child's robe and lifting him back into the pod.
The green creature gurgled in bewilderment before looking to the other passenger, yet again climbing out from the pod as Din descended through the sky. The Child managed to climb up the woman's leg and into her lap, staring at her sleeping face. His brown eyes moved to look at her odd clothing, but something else caught the small creature's curious eye. His little hand reached up to a small area of skin that was blemished severely, but before he could touch it, the Razorcrest jolted as it prepared for landing, waking Signe abruptly, causing her to almost jump out of her seat with a yelp. She managed to catch the small alien before he fell off of her lap who also screamed in shock. After a few moments of light hovering, the Razorcrest touched down with a thud on the muddy ground below.
"Dear Erasil! Must you land so roughly!" she said as she grasped a hand to her chest to feel her pounding heart, ensuring herself it was still there. Din said nothing and instead simply shut down the engines before standing up and leaving the cockpit.
"Hurry up and get into your armour, we need to get it back to the client," he said before descending down the ladder.. Signe rolled her eyes and looked down at the little sprout in her lap who stared up at her with wide eyes.
"Miserable again, I see," she chuckled as the Child giggled before she picked him up and placed him in the pod.
"Alright Sprout, let's head down." Signe didn't waste time in gathering her armour and weapons, putting them on in no time at all, she had just finished tightening the last braser as she slid down the ladder, landing with a metal clang, gaining Din's attention who was waiting impatiently with his hands on his hips.
The Pod came to her side as she held the buckle strap in her teeth, tightening it before she strolled past him, Sprout in tow. "Come on kiddo, the Mandalorian wants us gone and he wants his payment, let's not waste his time any longer, shall we?" the provoking comment made Din sigh and roll his eyes before following after the woman and quarry. This woman was such a nightmare.
He quickly took the lead as he was the only one who knew where they were supposed to be going. As the trio made their way towards the town, another medium-sized ship landed to their right, startling The Child who cowardly sunk back into his pod. The Mandalorian took his two companions through a large, stone archway that led into the main street, which was bustling with life and if anything, a bit overcrowded. Townsfolk from all walks of life stared at the trio as they made their way through the muddy boulevard, dodging in and out of the hoards of smugglers, Astromech Droids and various other sentient species. A pair of obnoxiously loud and intoxicated Quarrens jeered menacingly at The Child, who had only just found the bravery to poke his head out of the pod again, after his last scare.
After a few minutes of walking, Mando pointed towards the entrance of an alleyway, which the three turned down, before coming to some stairs, which led them to a derelict stone building with a rusting metal door. The Mandalorian knocked four times, summoning a gatekeeper droid, which emerged from the small hatch to the right of the door, addressing them instantly.
"Ac'chu apenkee?" quizzed the droid, as it stared at the Beskar-Clad visitor.
The Mandalorian pulled some form of identification out from a pouch and showed it to the droid. It spoke one last time before retreating back into the building's wall, the small alien looked up at Signe making a cooing noise before turning his head to the door which opened slowly, with a rusty grinding noise. The trio were instantly greeted by two remnant Stormtroopers, who both wore damaged, filthy armour. Signe's face dropped into a look of malice. She didn't know that the client was related to the Imperials, the bounty hunter who had told her about the quarry had failed to mention that fact.
The two dirty Stormtroopers stared at the Mandalorian, then the Viking and then the Child, who stared back at them owlishly. Signe noticed his ears lower with what she assumed to be fear. Her eyes softened before they flickered to her left to glance at The Mandalorian who was still facing the troopers. One of them nodded and turned as if to say 'follow me', whilst the other stepped to the side, ushering the visitors in. The child floated in after him, gurgling at the Beskar warrior. Din and Signe followed thereafter, as the second trooper made his way in after them.
As they made their way through the dimly lit corridor, the foremost Stormtrooper roughly pulled the Pod closer towards him and kept his hand on the edge, dragging it along, which sparked a brief moment of annoyance in the Mandalorian.
"Hey, easy with that."
"YOU take it easy." The Stormtrooper fired back.
Signe scoured at the trooper, unamused by his attitude and how he was treating the little Sprout. The Mandalorian kept quiet as the group approached a door at the other end of the corridor, which as they approached it. The group slowly piled into a large room, filled sparsely with containers. There was next to no furniture, but for a small table and four chairs, where two men stood waiting, one young and one old. The older man grinned with evident excitement upon their entry, picking up a tracking FOB that blinked rapidly before approaching the pod.
"Yes, yes, yes," whispered the client.
The younger man approached and the two bent down slightly to get a better look at the unknown creature who cooed up at them curiously. The younger man, who was dressed in what appeared to be Imperial scientist attire, pulled out a reading device, emitting a red light which shone on to the poor baby's face, which scrunched up in discomfort as he tried to look away. Signe frowned as she shifted her weight from one leg to the other.
"Very healthy. Yes," the bespectacled, younger man smiled upon consulting the readings. The elderly man stood up properly again and faced the Mandalorian.
"Your reputation was not unwarranted. I see you have another companion with you. Did she help?" He was met with silence before the warrior spoke up, completely ignoring his question.
"How many FOB's did you give out?"
"This asset is of extreme importance to me. I had to ensure its delivery..." Signe found the man's desperation suspicious. Why was this small green thing so important to him and why did it have to be healthy? She eyed him dubiously as he walked back to behind his desk.
"But to the winner... go the spoils," he affirmed, before reaching below the table, pulling out a white container. The man entered a short code, unlocking the mysterious package. It hissed as the compartments opened to reveal a stash of Beskar bars. Twenty to be precise. Signe looked to Mandalorian with narrowed eyes, but her attention was drawn away from him when the old man addressed her this time.
"Apologies, I have nothing to reward you with and I don't think Beskar will help you in any way," the woman stuttered as she shook her head.
"It is fine, I do not care for a reward," The Mandalorian and the old man looked at her, surprised by her response.
"Very well." Din then took the liberty of approaching the desk where his people's most treasured possession lay. Signe moved to his side, eager to observe the precious metal. He took two slabs out, inspecting them, ensuring that what he was seeing was real.
"Such a large bounty for such a small package," the man said, in an almost provoking tone. Din and Signe's attention was then drawn to the left of the man, as they noticed The Child floating towards a door with the younger gentleman. The creature stared at them and made a whining sound, as if to say, 'how could you?'. The crying sound saddened the woman greatly, as his small ears lowered once again. The Mandalorian and Viking held eye contact with him until he was gone from the room and the door slid shut.
"What are your plans for it?" Din questioned, suspicious of the man's intentions. Both bounty hunters stared at the old man, whose face had turned from one of triumph, to evident frustration and anger.
"How uncharacteristic, of one of your reputation. You have taken both commission AND payment. Is it not the code of the guild, that these events are now forgotten?" snarled the man, as two more Stormtroopers entered the room via the door that The Child had exited through just moments ago.
Signe's eyes followed the troopers as they positioned themselves behind the client, not at all being subtle that they were there in case trouble ensued. She had never been on a quarry that had this much mystery surrounding it. It was a far cry from the usual assasination or kidnapping that she'd usually be involved with.
"The Beskar is enough to make a handsome replacement for your armour. Unfortunately, finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding the steel" continued the man, making a snide remark to the purge of Mandalore, which cost thousands of Mandalorians their lives.
Mando grabbed one last bar to inspect, before slipping it into his pouch. He then grasped the handle of the canister, causing it to close. He picked it up with one hand and turned towards the exit, without saying a single word to the client, who stood with a triumphant look on his face. Signe scowled at him for a couple of moments, before turning to catch up with the Mandalorian, deliberately brushing shoulders with one of the Stormtroopers who stood either side of the door.
"Hey, watch it." he moaned, as the young woman ignored him completely and made her way through the corridor with the Mandalorian. The pair walked slowly towards the exit, silently ashamed of what they had done. Worry filled the woman's head, as she turned to her companion.
"So... What now?" she asked.
Without turning his head, Din responded.
"I need to pay a visit to someone who can help me."
The two bounty hunters exited the building, back into the busy streets of the town.
___ ___ ___
The walk led Mando and The Viking to a more quiet part of town, away from the constant chatter of Jawas trying their best to trade with passers by, or the chaotic ambience of the food markets, where hungry travellers slammed credits down on wooden surfaces in order to quickly aid their hunger. It was no more aesthetically pleasing than the rest of the settlement, in fact if anything, it was probably less pleasing on the eye than the rest of the place.
He led the woman towards a dull, grey building, with chipped walls and a narrow doorway which led to a dark stairway. Mando turned to the young woman slowly.
"Now I've gotta warn you. It isn't nice down here. This is where my people have been forced to hide since The Purge. Living in the sewers isn't exactly what we had in mind. But it works. Do not speak a word of this to anyone, or else."
It didn't take a genius to work out what The Mandalorian was implying when he gave his instructions, but Signe knew that she was safe in the knowledge that she wouldn't speak a word of it to anyone. She was somewhat excited to see other Mandalorians. She had heard the stories and was already astounded enough when she met Din just a few days prior. The opportunity to see more of them fed her curiosity.
"Understood. You can trust me," she affirmed, before following him through the doorway and down the narrow staircase.
Their descent led them to a long, almost entirely dark tunnel, which continued for hundreds of metres to both their left and right. The pair walked directly across the tunnel, through another entrance. Mando led the way through the narrow tunnel, catching the eye of several Mandalorians who stood leaning against the damp walls of the sewer. They cast their eyes on him, as he carried the white container. Signe was also a subject of the collective glare of the sewer-dwelling Mandalorians, whose heads turned slowly, watching her every move. Some huffed and groaned in judgement as the young blonde made her way through the tunnel.
Signe couldn't help but feel slightly uncomfortable with the fact that the eyes of her silent audience were cast menacingly in her direction. Not a single world was muttered, as the pair made their way to the end of the tunnel and through a doorway which opened up into a circular room of searing heat. A furnace and smithing station sat in the middle of the room, blue flames already burning. In front of it sat a female Mandalorian, different to the others. She wore maroon Beskar, with brown gloves. An unidentifiable brown fur was draped over her shoulders, and her face was hidden with a golden helmet, different in design to the Mandalorians they had walked past moments ago.
She sat at a small table, barely two feet off of the floor. Din kneeled in front of her, before turning his head to look at Signe, who sheepishly did the same. She knew that she wasn't meant to be here and therefore did her best to be as inoffensive as possible by following his every move.
He opened the canister for the woman, who removed several bars of Beskar, placing them on the table. She inspected the metal, noticing an Imperial signet cast on the top left corner of each bar. The woman looked up at The Mandalorian and then turned her head slightly towards Signe.
"You have brought an outsider into our sanctuary. For why?"
Din hung his head in apparent shame.
"She helped source the Beskar. She has nowhere else to go. I'm sorry."
She cast her eyes back to the bars of Beskar.
The mood changed instantly, as several Mandalorians, including one wearing what appeared to be a heavy variation of the standard armour, entered the room and stood in the background, keen to find out what was going on.
"This amount can be shaped many ways," she informed the warrior.
"My armour has lost its integrity. I may need to begin again..." suggested Mando, looking down at his damaged, battered armour.
The blacksmith concurred. "Indeed. I can create a full cuirass. I believe that would be in order".
Mando simply nodded, gratefully accepting the offer that she had put forward to him. It had been such a long time since he had received new armour. It filled him with silent happiness. However, that was cut short when the heavily-armoured Mandalorian stepped alongside Signe, looking ominously down at her, before picking up some of the reward. He inspected it, before filling with disgust and outrage at the sight of the Imperial signet.
"These were cast in an Imperial smelter. These are spoils of the great Purge. The reason that we live hidden like Sandrats," he groaned, as he carelessly dropped the Beskar back down to the table, narrowly avoiding the Viking who sat below him, which startled her somewhat.
The blacksmith acknowledged his point, but quickly attempted to divert his attention to the bigger picture.
"Our secrecy is our survival. Our survival is our strength" she quipped, gently placing the bars to their original position.
The heavy Mandalorian filled with even more rage, unable to accept what he was seeing.
"Our strength was once in our numbers. Now we live in the shadows and only come above ground one-at-a-time. Our world was shattered by the Empire, with whom this coward shares tables. Not to mention the fact he has brought an outsider into our so called "safe place".
With pure rage, he grabbed the young Viking by her shoulder and threw her to the side, causing her to roll and land in front of three Mandalorians who stood watching. He then turned his attention to Din, grabbing him by the neck and hoisting him up to face him. Din planted a swift punch around his face, before his aggressor wielded a dagger, swiping it at Din who stepped back to dodge, before wielding his own. The pair met once again and grappled for control, hand in hand. The blacksmith sat motionless at the table, ignoring the tussle.
Angered by the heavy's actions, Signe drew a small dagger too and stood up, preparing to help Din in his struggle. One of the Mandalorians which stood behind her grabbed her arm, hoisting her backwards to stop her getting involved, to which Signe kicked backwards, before turning to face him with her dagger pointed at his neck. He too drew his weapon, in the form of a blaster pistol. The two stood locked, waiting for the other to make the first move.
Din's tussle came to an end, when both Mandalorians managed to break free from each other's grasp, before taking similar stances to that of Signe and her opponent. They stood staring at each other, breathing heavily. The blacksmith rose from the ground, slamming her hand on the table to get their attention.
"The Empire is no longer, and the Beskar has returned. When one chooses to walk the way of The Mandalore; you are both hunter and prey. How can one be a coward when one chooses this way of life? Have you ever removed your helmet?" she addressed Din.
"No." he groaned, dagger still drawn at the heavy's neck.
"Has it ever been removed by others?" she followed.
"Never..."
She turned her head to look at the heavy, Signe's aggressor and then back to Din.
"This is the way."
Din and the heavy exited their battle stance and sheathed their weapons, repeating the words of the blacksmith, as the rest of the Mandalorians did. Signe put her dagger away, to which her opponent nodded and did the same.
The blacksmith turned her attention to Din once again.
"What caused this damage?" she asked.
Din returned to his sitting position.
"A Mudhorn..."
She nodded "Then you have earned the Mudhorn as your signet,"
Din looked around at the other Mandalorians, knowing that there was still a degree of judgement amongst them, despite the peace now being made between himself and the heavy. He hung his head, ashamed of what he was about to admit.
"I can't accept. It wasn't a noble kill. I was helped. Keep some in reserve for the foundlings, I will accept anything else you offer to craft, but I have not earned the right to a signet."
The woman sat back.
"Very well, I will forge Whistling Birds instead, along with your armour". Mando nodded in response, as the other Mandalorians slowly filled out of the room. The heavy cast one last look back towards Din and Signe, before leaving last. The blacksmith gathered the Beskar and began working on his new armour. Signe sat beside him in her original position and looked at him. He turned ever so slightly and nodded, before the heat of the furnace hit them both, as the Beskar began to melt almost instantly.
Several hours had passed since the woman had begun her work, but both bounty hunters sat with intent, keen to watch the blacksmith at work. After cooling off the various components, she inserted the Whistling Birds one-by-one into the wrist holster, activating the launcher which tucked them in tightly to the sockets. Din approached the workbench where his newly-constructed cuirass lay. He picked it up and admired it contently, turning his head to the woman.
"I can't thank you enough. These will do well."
The blacksmith nodded gently.
" Forgive me for bringing her here. The woman is sworn to secrecy. She knows the consequences her actions would bring if she were to speak of what she has seen," the woman turned to look at Signe.
"It is a strange action, yes. But if what you say about her helping you is true, you may well have never returned the Beskar here. She has helped provide for the foundlings as much as you have. This is the way."
Din bowed to her, and Signe did the same ever so slightly. The Mandalorian looked back up to her.
"This is the way".
❋❋❋
