Metanoia | The Mandalorian ON HOLD

Chapter 28

The next day, they joined the Tuskens on the way to the dragon's lair. Juno held the child in her lap as she sat on the bantha in front of Din, leaning against him with her eyes closed while he held the kids. When they finally reached the lair, the group started to get off the banthas.

Din gently shook Juno awake before getting down first, then helping her and the child get down. When they were standing on the ground, they walked to join the others huddled at the edge of a cliff, watching as one of the Tuskens lead a bantha to the entrance to the dragon's lair.

"They say it lives in there. They say it sleeps. It lives in an abandoned sarlacc pit." Translated Din.

"Lived on Tatooine my whole life. There's no such thing as an abandoned sarlacc pit." Said Vanth.

"There is if you eat the sarlacc. They're laying out a bantha to protect the settlement. They've studied its digestion cycle for generations. They feed the dragon to make it sleep longer." He explained. "Watch, the dragon will appear."

They watched as the Tusken shouted to the cave. The child whimpered while Juno frowned nervously as the dragon growled loudly. The Tusken began running away as the ground shook and the dragon emerged from the cave, heading right to the Tusken, ignoring the bantha.

The child whimpered, hiding behind Juno, while the girl yelped and turned her head to the side, not wanting to watch. The dragon then returned to its cave, leaving the bantha behind.

"They might be opened to some fresh ideas." Said Din.

~

Both kids stood next to Din and Vanth as they watched the Tuskens talk around the model of the dragon and it's lair.

"What are the bones?" Asked Vanth.

"That's the krayt dragon." Replied Din.

"And those little rocks?" He asked again.

"That's us." He explained.

"It's not to scale." Said Vanth.

"I think it is." Replied Din.

"Really? But that's too big." Said Juno and Vanth nodded in agreement. Din spoke to the Tuskens for a moment before replying.

"It's to scale."

"I've only seen its head and neck. It's bigger'n I guessed." Said Vanth. "Might be time to rethink our arrangement."

The Tuskens spoke to Din and he quickly responded. They added more rocks to the model, representing the group.

"That's more like it. Where are they getting the reinforcements?" He asked.

"I volunteered your village." Replied Din and Juno chuckled at his antics, not really surprised.

~

They returned to Mos Pelgo and gathered the town in the canteen. Vanth, Din and the kids stood at the bar while the rest of the people sat at the tables.

"This here is a Mandalorian. You know what that means?" Started Vanth.

"We've heard the stories." Said the bartender from the crowd.

""Then you know how good they are at killing." He continued. "Now, this one's got a problem. I got a suit o' salvaged armor and the Mandalorian creed says it's his to take." The crowd started murmuring. "But I've got a problem, too. A krayt dragon has been peeling off our pack animals, and sometimes, taking our mining haul with it. It's just a matter of time before it grows tired of banthas and goes after a couple of you townsfolk, or even, so help us, the school." The people began once again talking amongst themselves. "As much as I've grown fond of the armor, I'm even more fond of this town. The Mandalorian is willing to help us slay the leviathan in exchange for returning the armor to its ancestral owners."

"Well, that settles it." Said the bartender.

"There's more." Said Vanth. "We can't take on the krayt alone." He hesitated for a moment before continuing. "And the Sand People are willing to help."

The moment he said it, the people started protesting.

"They raid our mines!" Said one of them.

"They're monsters!" Said another.

"I've seen the size of that thing. It will swallow your entire town when the fancy hits it." Said Din as he stepped forward. "You're lucky Mos Pelgo isn't a sand field already. I know these people. They are brutal. But so is the Dune Sea. They've survived for thousands of years in these sands and they know the krayt dragon better than anyone here. They are raiders, it's true. But they also keep their word. We have struck a deal. If we are willing to leave them the carcass and its ichor, they will stand by our side in battle and vow never to raise a blaster against this town until one of you breaks the peace." He explained.

~

Din and Vanth looked over the people as they prepared for the arrival of the Tuskens while Juno and the child stood behind, making funny faces at each other to pass time. When they arrived, they started preparing the weapons. There was a small conflict but it was quickly resolved and everyone got back to working together again.

Once they were ready, they headed to the dragon's lair, where one of the Tuskens went to check if the dragon was inside while the rest of the group waited at the edge of the cliff.

"What'd he say?" Asked Vanth.

"He says it's sleeping. If we listen carefully, we can hear it breathing." Explained Din. "Let's get to work."

The Tuskens and the townspeople started setting the explosives under the sand. Juno with the child sat on the ground, listening to Din as he explained the plan to Vanth. When he finished the explanation, he turned to the kids and crouched in front of them.

"I want you both to stay here. Do not come any closer, okay?" He told them. "I'll be back soon."

Juno nodded while the child cooed. "Fine. Just, be careful. Please." She said as she looked into his visor.

"Everything will be fine. Don't worry." He assured them as he squeezed her knee and patted the child's head before he stood up and went back to join Vanth. "Stay here. I mean it." He told them again and Juno smiled.

Din and Vanth moved closer to the people as one of the townspeople approached them. "Careful, Marshal." She said and handed him the detonator.

"Thank you, Jo. And you stay safe, huh." He replied. She nodded and walked away. They walked closer to the group watching the cave while three Tuskens got closer to it and started yelling, waking up the dragon.