Ner Kar'ta

Chapter 2 - Parting

Author's Note: Yes, there's a cliffhanger. No, I don't apologize. :)

PS. There is Mando'a in here, and I put all the translations at the end. Let me know if I missed anything! ^-^

~ Amina Gila

Din moves like a shadow as he glides through the darkness in the city towards his destination. He slips, undetected, past several patrols on the way, but arrives without incident, thankfully. He doesn't pick up anyone in the vicinity when he scans, and he senses that they'll be alright if he makes it quick, but he still decides to check in with Grogu. "Are we good to make the call, kid?"

The toddler tilts his head, considering, and presumably doing whatever weird magic he can do, before nodding with a happy babble. Maybe for anyone else, it would seem stupid to rely on the opinion of a mere child, but Din is well aware that Grogu is no ordinary child. His instincts have helped many times, and Din literally owes the kid his life. Many times over, in fact. Din steps around the corner cautiously, blaster still clasped in his right hand as he approaches the comm center with a long-distance transmitter. Once he sends out the signal, he knows the Imperials will likely catch onto it, so he'll have to be quick.

Hastily he enters Cara's frequency, and thankfully, it connects. He's never felt so relieved to see her before. "Cara," he greets before telling her his exact location on the planet. It's somewhat... embarrassing to ask for help, but this is for Grogu, not for himself. "We're in a situation. A group of Imperial remnants have locked down the city. They're searching for us. I need your help. If I didn't need to protect the kid, it wouldn't be a problem."

Cara's expression is grim. "I'm on my way, Mando," she assures him, breaking the connection.

Din doesn't have a chance to breath out a sigh of relief because he can hear – and sense? Sort of? He doesn't know how to explain it – the approaching stormtroopers. He doesn't back into the darkness fast enough, and the light from a nearby window glints off his beskar'gam, drawing their attention. He shoots them down before breaking into a run, disappearing into the shadows again and losing his pursuers. It's frustrating how he's able to stay hidden so well while being unable to so much as get off the ground and into space.

Grogu coos, pointing to a pile of junk and other odds and ends, and Din takes shelter there, trying to catch his breath while the troopers pass by. "Thanks, ad'ika," he whispers once it's safer. He might have noticed the spot himself if he wasn't so stressed.

He has no idea how long it will take Cara to arrive and if she'll arrive alone or not, but in the meantime, he needs to keep moving. It won't be the first time he's gone without sleep for an extended period, and he's used to it. Thankfully, he got a proper rest after the last job, so he's not tired. Stress and adrenaline will be keeping him awake for a while, even if he could safely sleep. He pulls out another ration bar, passing it to Grogu.

"You must be hungry," he says when the child grabs it eagerly, not even making a face like he often does. An ear flicks in acknowledgement, but the kid is too busy tearing open the wrapping to respond verbally. "We'll be waiting until Cara comes here," he continues, settling back, careful to keep his voice low lest any passersby overhear him. "She can help us scout the area and find the best way out." He takes out another ration bar, pushing up the bottom of his buy'ce enough to eat it. It's not as if he has any idea when he'll be interrupted, much less when he'll have another moment to breathe.

It must have been at least twenty minutes before Din hears the telltale sound of passing stormtroopers. Neither him nor Grogu moves as they walk by. The quiet of the street is interrupted when one of the troopers stops and begins speaking. "New orders have come in," he announces. From his tone and the fact he's talking, Din suspects he must be a higher ranking officer. "The Grand Admiral wants them both. Alive."