The Mandalorian: Beskar and Bone

Chapter 24: The Return

Elaine and Grogu ran together to Mando. They had split off from the rest of the Mandalorians to save their father. Neither of them knew what they were doing, only that they had one goal.

Adrenaline coursed through Elaine. The girl was only six, but she was ready to fight anyone with all her strength. She almost felt as if her newly acquired armor gave her strength, as if the signet of Clan Mudhorn was powering her resolve.

They ran through the Imperial halls, Grogu ahead of Elaine in the IG. Sounds of a struggle were heard. They rounded a corner and found Mando fighting off the beskar adorned troopers, and losing to the last one.

Grogu rushed in. "No. No. No. No. No." He took out the trooper choking Mando.

"Papi!" Elaine rushed to him as Grogu pressed the button to spray bacta on Mando.

"I'm okay. I'm okay." He rasped, pushing away Grogu's incessant helping. He coughed. "Help me up."

Grogu used the IG's arm to lift up Mando. Elaine moved to him, looking up in concern at his bound hands.

"Will you cut me loose?"

"Yes." Grogu did as he asked,

Mando panted some more, finally catching his breath after the trooper choked him. A more pressing question came to his mind. Why were his kids here? He shook it away, they had bigger things to deal with.

"Thank you for your help." He said. He looked to each of his children, grateful they couldn't see the fear in his eyes. "Grogu, Elaine, I'm going to need you to be brave for me, okay?"

Grogu babbled earnestly and Elaine nodded, clenching her fists.

"We can't keep running." Mando told them. "If we don't take out Moff Gideon, this will never end. You with me?"

Grogu babbled in confirmation. Elaine nodded. "You got it, Papi."

As worried as Mando was for their safety, he couldn't help but feel a swell of pride at their determination. He nodded, taking Elaine's hand in his before running down the halls.

They stopped briefly so Mando could steal a jetpack from a dead Imp. In that time, he contacted Bo-Katan.

"Bo-Katan, come in." He said.

"Received. Where are you?" She sounded out of breath.

"We're safe. I escaped. I have the kids." He told her. "I'm going after Moff Gideon. Do you have a location."

"No. We are under attack. I have to get the troops to safety."

"Understood."

"Stay safe." Bo told her friend before signing off.

They continued to slink through the halls, stopping at junctions to wait for troops to pass.

"R5. Come in, R5." Mando said. "I need you, buddy."

R5 beeped through the comms.

"You're gonna have to scomp into the base and get me the location of Moff Gideon's command center."

R5 beeped nervously.

"I'm sorry. I don't speak Binary. I'm counting on you."

Elaine tugged on Mando's hand. "I remember when you hated droids." She whispered.

"Not the time, Sarad'ika." He whispered back as they snuck around. "R5, how are those schematics coming?"

The droid beeped proudly. Mando pressed a button on his vambrance that portrayed a holo of the base layout. "Got it. Good job, buddy." He pointed a gloved finger at a glowing red dot. "That's the command center. The communications log says that's where he operates from. That's where we're going. You ready?"