Another Way: A Mandalorian Story

Echoylir

Echoylir - [eh-choy-LEER] – to grieve, to search, to mourn

Summary: Din and you process the news received from Greef Karga and try to decide how to act.

Gideon escaped, and Cara is gone.

Din's words swirl through your head like the clouds of dust blowing against the cockpit windows. You desperately try to grasp his words, to make sense of them, but shock turns your mind into a sieve, and the words elude you

"What?" you finally ask, feeling as though your brain had been stuck in reset and is now ready to function. Trying to find some comfort, you hug your arms closer to your chest. "What do you mean 'gone?'"

"She's gone, cyare," Din reiterates solemnly, as if emphasizing the word "gone" would make it make sense. "I'm sorry."

Your feet feel stuck, as if the floor of Slave II had turned to quicksand and trapped you. Din, however, turns away and takes a seat in the captain's chair, immediately moving to prepare the ship for takeoff. As you watch him, you are puzzled, not understanding how he could move on as if he had not just dropped a proton bomb on you.

Finding yourself unable to speak, you try to make sense of it yourself. As far as you know, Moff Gideon has been in the custody of the New Republic. Cara delivered him to the Republic's capital on Nakadia herself, after apprehending him on his light crusier many months ago. She has been working for the Republic ever since. But how? How could this happen? How could the Moff escape, and Cara just be...gone?

"I don't...I don't understand," you falter. "What happened? What did Karga tell you?"

"I don't have time to explain," he says while frantically manipulating the controls, pushing forward with departing Mos Eisley.

You furrow your brows in confusion and anger, both at the fact he is taking off in these conditions and at the fact he doesn't deem what happened important enough to discuss. "What do you mean you don't have time to explain? We're in the middle of a sandstorm. Visibility is low and winds are strong. We can't take off in this."

"Didn't you hear me?" he spurts. "Gideon is free."

"And Cara is dead," you remind him bluntly, almost in disbelief that he seems to be grazing over that fact.

Din freezes, stopping just before bringing the engines to life. He lets go on the controls and sits back in his chair.

"Yeah. And there's nothing we can do about that," he says lowly, turning his head in your direction but keep his gaze low. "But we can stop Gideon."

"Stop him?" you question, cocking your head and narrowing your eyes. "From what?"

"From finding Grogu," he replies assuredly. "It's the first thing he'll do. We destroyed all the blood samples could find on the cruiser. He'll have no choice but to hunt him down for more."

You're hesitant, but don't immediately argue, trying to gauge how deeply he's thought this through. "How do we stop him?"

His voice is firm, absolute. "We find Gideon."

You can't help but scoff. "That's insane."

Din rises from his seat, seeming confused by your reaction. "We found him once before. We can do it again."

"Yeah, because that was easy," you retort, your tone sarcastic. "Between what happened at the refinery and on the light cruiser, do you really expect it to be any easier now?"

He doesn't answer. Instead, he walks across the room, past you, your eyes watching him as he seems to think.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy. The Remnant won't be unwary anymore; things will be more classified, harder to reach. He knows that.