May The Way Be With You

Return to Nevarro

The sun is setting when we land at Kuill's farm. He smiles at us as we walk up, the baby in the basket Din made. Didn't realize it could float, could have saved my arms from some fatigue. He lets us in, and takes a look at the baby as we sit.

"It hasn't grown much." He sighs. Din mentions he thinks the baby is a Strand Cast, and I look at him in confusion.

"What the hell is Strand Casting?" I ask.

"It's how your people were first created. I thought you knew this." Din says. I shake my head and Kuill speaks up.

"I've worked the gene farms, the kid is too evolved and too ugly to be a Strand Cast." He sighs, "But Thief, on the other hand, definitely pretty enough to be the offspring of a Strand Cast." I try to be mad at him for calling the kid ugly, but am flattered he called me pretty.

"By the way, I learned my name. And that of my parents. My name is Kira, and my parents are Kyson and Husena." I tell Kuill. He smiles at me while Cara chokes on her spit. I pat her back, asking if she's ok.

"What... What were your parents names again?" She asks. I repeat them and she looks at me with wide eyes. As if she sees me in a new light.

"Did you know my parents too? The person I learned all this from housed my parents for a bit. Apparently watched me be born." I tell her. She shakes her head.

"Know personally? No. But during my resistance days, I heard rumors. Apparently the higher ups were trying to create an alliance with your people. They never did because they couldn't find them. From what I heard, your parents are the leaders of your people." I look at her in surprise.

Kuill mentions he thinks Cara farmed in something called the Cytocaves of Nora, which judging by her smile, means he called her pretty too. Din introduces her, and Kuill sits down as he tells Cara that he worked for the Empire, but earned him and his clans freedom. Cara side eyes me, waiting for me to be pissed.

"Kuill and his people had no choice. They were basically enslaved like my fellow orphans were. I do not fault him." I sigh. Through the door walks in a bounty hunter droid carrying a tray of cups and tea. Both Cara and Din shoot up, drawing their blasters.

"Would anyone care for some tea?" The droid asks. Kuill tells Cara and Din to lower their weapons, for the droid won't harm us.

"That thing is programmed to kill the baby." Din tells us. I look to the droid, my hand on my blaster. Kuill tells us it's not anymore. He found it in the wake of Din's destruction after getting the kid, and Kuill fixed the droid up, reprogrammed it, and helped it develop his own personality with patience and affirmation. "Is it still a hunter?" Din asks, not really trusting it.

"No, but it will protect." Kuill says. The droid and Din seem to be staring each other down, before the droid offers a cup of tea. Cara takes the first cup, and it pours another. Din and Kuill head outside, leaving Cara and me with the baby and the droid. After a few moments, I get curious.

"What's your name?" I ask it.

"My designation is IG-11." It answers.

"What's your purpose?" Cara asks.

"I assist Kuill on the farm, lifting the crates too heavy for him to lift, and completing chores necessary to keep the farm running." It answers, handing me a cup of tea. Cara turns to me.

"Why is Mando so distrustful of droids?" She asks. I bit my lip, not sure if it's something I can share.

"I... Don't know if I should share this. So this stays between us. Understood, IG-11?" I turn to the droid. It confirms, and I sigh, "His parents were killed by droids in a Separatist attack." Cara cringes and nods.