Metanoia | The Mandalorian ON HOLD

Chapter 20

"Is there another way out?" Asked Cara as the troopers still stood outside.

"No, that's it." Answered Karga as Mando looked around for a possible way out while Juno kept on holding his arm to help ease her anxiety.

"What about the sewers?" Asked Mando.

"Sewers?" Asked Karga.

"The Mandalorians have a covert down in the sewers. If we can get down there, they can help us escape." He explained.

"Yeah, sewers are good." Exhaled Cara.

"Checking for access points." He said and pressed a button on his wrist to start scanning the room with his visor.

"What the hell are they waiting for?" Asked Cara as she looked outside again.

Juno peaked out as well and noticed the troopers started to put together some weapon. "I don't like this." She mumbled.

"Hold up." Said Cara and sighed. "They're setting up en E-Web."

"It's over." Said Karga.

"I found the sewer vent." Said Mando.

"Let's get the hell out of here." Exclaimed Cara. They all moved quickly to the vent, Mando keeping Juno in front of him and pushing her gently to move faster, and Mando and Cara started clearing it and pulling it off.

"It's assembled! How long until that thing's cleared?" Said Karga while he kept peaking outside.

"Blow it." Said Cara.

"I'm out of charges." Replied Mando.

"Get out of the way." Said Cara and grabbed her blaster. Mando quickly pulled Juno behind him as Cara started firing at the vent. She kicked it but it did nothing.

"Your astute panic suggests that you understand your situation. I would prefer to avoid any further violence, and encourage a moment of consideration. Members of my escort have completed assembly of an E-Web heavy repeating blaster. If you are unfamiliar with this weapon, I am sure that Republican Shock Trooper Carasynthia Dune of Alderaan will advise that she has witnessed many of her ranks vaporize mid-descent facing the predecessor of this particular model." Said the man outside.

The group all looked at Cara as they heard her name.

"Or perhaps the decommissioned Mandalorian hunter, Din Djarin," he continued. Hearing his name for the first time, Juno looked up at him and held his hand while he stepped closer to the window. "has heard the songs of the Siege of Mandalore, when gunships outfitted with similar ordnance laid waste to fields of Mandalorian recruits in The Night of a Thousand Tears."

At this, Juno hugged his side to try and comfort him and he put his hand around her shoulders and pulled her closer.

"I advise disgraced Magistrate Greef Karga to search the wisdom of his years and urge to lay down your arms and come outside. If you won't, I am sure the young princess Juno Vanserra of Pillio will tell you how her people were wiped out of existence by this weapon." Hearing this, memories came crushing to Juno's mind. She heard the screams of terror of her family, her people, and more tears started flowing down as Mando hugged her tighter. "The structure you are trapped in will be razed in short order and your storied lives will come to an unceremonious end."

"What do you propose?" Asked Karga.

"Reasonable negotiation." He replied.

"What assurance do you offer." He scoffed and asked.

"If you're asking if you can trust me, you cannot. Just as you betrayed our business arrangement, I would gladly break any promise and watch you die at my hand. The assurance I give is this: I will act in my own self-interest, which at this time involves your cooperation and benefit. I will give you until nightfall, and then I will have the E-Web cannon open fire. I need the girl alive so I suggest you do what I say." And with that he turned around and walked away.

"I say we hear him out." Suggested Karga.

"The minute we open that door, we're dead." Argued Cara.

"We're dead if we don't." Said Karga. "At least out there, we've got a shot."

"That's easy for you to say. I'm a Rebel Shock Trooper. They'll upload me to a Mind Flayer."

"Those aren't real. That was just wartime propaganda." Said Karga.

"Well I don't care to find out. I'm shooting my way out of here." Protested Cara and Karga looked at Mando.

"What about you, Mando?" He asked.

"I know who he is." He said and everyone looked at him. "It's Moff Gideon."

"No. Moff Gideon was executed for war crimes." Protested Cara.

"It's him. He knew my name." He explained.

"So? What does that prove?" Questioned Karga.

"I haven't heard that name spoken since I was a child."

"On Mandalore?" Asked Karga.

"I was not born on Mandalore." He said.

"But you're a Mandalorian."

"Mandalorian isn't a race." Said Cara.

"It's a Creed." Said Mando. "I was a foundling. They raised me in the Fighting Corps. I was treated as one of their own. When I came of age, I was sworn to the Creed. The only record of my family name was in the registers of Mandalore. Moff Gideon was an IBS Officer during the purge. That's how I know it's him." He explained.

"That's how he knows who we all are." Said Cara.

"He says he needs us, which means the child got away safely. I was worried when the Ugnaught didn't respond, but if they'd captured the kid, we'd already be dead and he would have taken Juno." He said.

"Hail the, again." Cara told him.

"Come in, Kuiil. Kuiil?" He asked. "Nothing."

"They might have jammed the link." Suggested Cara.

The comlink beeped and they could hear the child's cooing and laughter, before they heard IG-11 speaking. "Kuiil has been terminated."

"What did you do?" Asked Mando accusingly.

"I am fulfilling my base function." The droid replied.

"Which is?" He asked.

"To nurse and protect." Answered IG-11 before the link turned off. Suddenly, they heard blasters being fired in the distance.

"What is that?" Asked Juno as she looked outside from Mando's side.