What's a Mandalorian? || Din Djarin

24|Prove It|

"Our plans haven't worked well," Din tells me. "If I leave you here, you're vulnerable. If I bring you along, you're vulnerable."

I nod my head slowly, agreeing with him. We haven't had the best track record with the bounties so far. We're exposed either way.

"You're a distraction to me when we're both on the mission."

I nod again, knowing he's right. It sounds rude, but I am most certainly a distraction. He's more worried about my well-being than he is about keeping himself alive. And as much as I want to be a part of the mission, I know it takes away from his focus. 

"So, you're going to be on your own," he says. He pauses. "But on your own mission."

I look at him, confused. I can see the gears turning in his mind, trying to piece together this elaborate plan he's concocting. Din turns around to face me.

"This last bounty is known for being heavily guarded. There's no way we'll both get in if we're together. We can sneak in his base separately and work from the inside to avoid any major alerts."

"You're letting me go into this alone?"

"You're capable. And fierce. It's time I let you actually use your skills."

My eyes go wide and my mouth opens into a giddy smile, excited to have an integral part in a bounty. I never expected to actually be a part of anything.

Din shines a hologram of a map of a building from his helmet. "This is the base. It's on Meruta, just under an hour away now." He rotates the map, showing a large, heavily fortified base in the heart of what looks like a snowy jungle. It's several stories tall with caged windows and thick doors. "There are only a few points of entry, all guarded."

How does one break into a building with guards at every entrance?

"There is a duct system, though. And I think you're small enough to fit."

My expression drops and I look at Din. "You want me to crawl through a bunch of vents? By myself?"

"Yes, but no. I can't fit in them, and I would be too loud with my armor anyway." He zooms in to a place on the roof of the building. "This is an exhaust vent. It looks like it goes straight into the building, into some kind of vent closet, or like, a utility room."

"... Okay." I follow along, suspicious of what he wants me to do.

"I jetpack you up there and drop you off. You slide in there and crawl through the vent over this way," he follows a vent with his finger, showing me where to go, "and once you get to this opening, you pop off the cover and hop down into this room."

"Okay, then what? I stand in a closet?"

"Actually, yes. You wait there while I blast my way through one of the side entrances."

"Hold on, you said sneak. Blasting your way in doesn't sound very stealthy."

"Well, yeah. I'll hide behind a tree or something, then take the guards out quietly. Then I'll slip inside."

I think for a moment, racking my brain for any better alternatives. Din stares at me, awaiting my response. There has to be a better way.

"I don't think it's smart for you to just blast into one of the entrances if we're trying to be quiet and avoid any alerts," I tell him.

"I'll be quiet. Nobody will know a thing," he says.

"Are you sure?"

"Koda, this isn't my first bounty. I've taken out camps twice the size of this one alone. I know what I'm doing."