𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐒𝐈𝐗

❝  THE SIN  ❞

          The Razor Crest exited hyperdrive as it set it sights closer on the planet Navarro. Arista was sitting in her designated seat cleaning her vibro blades. Din was flipping a switch in the console to stop the beeping and continued steering the ship. The child had awoken after Arista set it back in its pod when she woke up. Arista was too busy to see the child escape its pod and waddled closer to Din.

          A device on the console beeped, signaling an incoming transmission. Din flicked the switch and a hologram of Greef Karga appeared. Arista perked her head up at the sound of his voice coming in. She saw something move at the corner of her eye, the kid wobbly made its way over to Din. She let a small smile grow on her face, the kid was growing fond of the two hunters by the days. Arista focused her attention back to the transmission and away from the kid.

          "Mando. I'v received your transmission. Wonderful news. Upon your and Manda's return, deliver the quarry directly to the client. I have no idea if he wants to eat it or hang it on his wall, but he's very antsy. Safe passage! You know where to find me." Greef's transmission ended.

          Arista peered over and saw the child now up on top on the console, gnawing at the ball shaped knob from a switch. The kid must've been eyeing for a while. Din noticed and reached over and took it out of its hands, "it's not a toy." Din put the knob down on the console. The kid looked sad as Din grabbed it by the back of its robes. The kid cooed as it was placed back into its pod. Arista chuckled, "the kid seems to think other wise. Lighten up, Din, it just likes you." She grabbed a blade sharpener and struck the blade creating sparks. "I don't need it to like me." Din said. Arista rolled her eyes and struck the blade again. "Whatever you say, grumpy pants." Arista said and aimed a spark right at Din helmet. The spark bounced off his head making Din react by looking back quickly at her. Arista let out a laugh and the kid cooed at the sight between the two.

          Din just irritatedly turned back to focus on flying. He knew he couldn't stay mad at her, especially at the sound of her laugh. But he also knew that he couldn't keep up with the lie for his attachment to the kid as well. Din shook his head of his thoughts and turned back to descending the Razor Crest through Navarro's atmosphere.

          The Razor Crest landed on the outskirts of town, near the lava rivers. Mando and Manda exited the ship with the child's pod following closely behind them. The child looked on as another ship descended causing wind to catch its floppy green ears and the hunters capes. The child's eyes moved all around taking in all the new sights that it's never seen before, even though bleak Navarro wasn't really much to look at. Manda could hear the coos from the child as they went further into town and towards the client's building.

          Walking up to the familiar door, Mando banged heavily on the door. The "eye" of the door extended outward of its slot and spoke in Huttese. Mando showed the chit to the eye. It scanned the chit and unlocked the door. Before Mando and Manda could take a step, two stormtroopers stood in front of them and blocked their path. The trooper in front of Manda looked over at the child. The hunters both looked back at the child, Manda took a step forward in front of the pod to block the troopers view. Mandas impulsive move made Mando tense in worry. Manda could feel the glare from the trooper but the trooper turned to its partner and nodded. The main trooper nodded towards the bounty hunters for them to follow in.

          The main trooper went in while the other waited for the hunters and the bounty. Mando raised his hand to the small of Manda's back to guide her in. The pod floated close behind the two of them as the last trooper followed in. The trooper in front pulled on the child's pod. The rough movement angered Manda and Mando. "Take it easy with it." Manda spat. "You take it easy." The trooper mocked. Manda growled from underneath her Mandalarian helmet. Mando heard her growls and used his left hand to reach out towards her right hand, out of view from the troopers. Once he made contact, Manda's fiery demeanor could be seen to be somewhat extinguished. She let out a breath and still held onto his hand to calm her down and prevent her from killing the troopers.

          The second door open and revealed the client and Dr. Pershing at the table. A tracking fob that was on the table began beeping loud and rapid. Just like the other bounty hunters on Arvala-7 that Manda and Mando had to kill to protect the kid. Manda caught sight of the client gettng out of his seat, almost excitedly. She gave Mando's hand a tight squeeze before letting go, they still had a reputation to uphold.

          The client got out of his seat and walked over to the child with the blinking fob in hand, "yes. Yes. Yes!" Dr. Pershing took out his scanner and scanned the child. Manda stood there confused at what was happening. She had never seen a client do something like this with a bounty. Unless they might have some kind of plans for the kid. Plans that no child should go through.

          The red beam cascaded up and down the child. The red beam also reflected in the Mandalorian and Mandalarian helmet, almost as if the bounty hunters were being evaluated as well.

          The device beeped and Dr. Pershing showed a satisfied smile, "very healthy. Yes."

          The client arose and spoke, "your reputations were not unwarranted." Mando then asked a question that had been brewing since the attack of Arvala-7, "how many fobs did you give out?" "This asset was of extreme importance to me. I had to ensure its delivery." He replied and then moved towards the table. "But to the winner..." The client then reached down and set two camtonos on top of the table. "Go the spoils." He finished. He put in the codes for both of the camtonos and they opened to multiple bricks of Beskar inside.

          Mando and Manda both moves away from the child and towards the table. Manda did take a quick glance back at the child. Both of the hunters reached out and grabbed a brick.

          "Such a large bounty for such a small package." The client spoke. Mando was staring down at the Beskar. Manda rubbed her thumb against the Empire insignia burned into the Beskar. They both snapped their heads up when the child's pod was being moved across from them. The child whined, in an almost crying like manner, as it was taken into a different room and out of sight from the hunters.

          "What are your plans for it?" Manda asked the question that shouldn't be on their minds.

          "How uncharacteristic of one of your reputation. You have taken both commission and payment." The client said. A door to the right had opened and more stormtroopers had entered the room. "Is it not the Code of the Guild that these events are now forgotten? That Beskar is enough to make an exquisite replacement for your amor." Mando and Manda then placed the Beskar bricks back into the camtonos.

          "Unfortunately, finding a Mandalorian in these trying times is more difficult than finding the steel." The client said and then looked directly towards Manda.

          "Especially, to the more extinct Mandalarian."

          Manda stared daggers towards the client. There was only so much that a person can take but Manda held her composure. She just closed the camtono and grabbed onto the handle with a strong tight grip. She looked at the client and then took a few steps back. Manda then turned away and walked straight out that room without saying a word. If she did, her weapons would be doing most of the talking. Mando followed suit and walked out with her. Not before taking one last glance at the door where the child was taken.

          Mando and Manda both made strides through the busy streets of Navarro to make it back to covert.

          With every step forward Manda wanted to take a step back to the child. She can still hear its cries echoing within her conscience. It was almost haunting her. Mando lead the way into the covert and was about to enter but didn't feel her presence behind him. He turned to see her lingering a ways away. He quickly looked around before he called out to her, "Arista." She then snapped her head at the mention of her name and gripped the camtono tight. "Hmm?" She hummed out. Din walked up to her with only a few inches in between them. He reached up and placed a hand on the side of her helmet gently. "Tell me, what's wrong?" He softly spoke. He tried to make out the outline of her eyes through their helmets but she removed his hand and looked away. "It's nothing. Let's go redeem our rewards right?" She said unenthusiastically and walked down the stairs of covert.

          Din knew that what was bothering her ran deeper. He didn't know that what she was feeling were the same feelings he tried to burry.

          Din had caught up to her and they both continued their path through the covert.

          Mando walked beside Manda through the hall. Other Mandalorians were going about their own business but certain cargo caught their wandering eyes. They all saw the two other hunters dawning their own camtonos as they sauntered to the Armourer. Mando and Manda dared not to make any kind of eye contact with any of them. It wasn't their fault the others failed to mind their own business.

          The skull of the great Mythosaur came into view, once again. The Armourer was seated as Manda and Mando entered. They both set down the camtonos and opened it to reveal the returned Beskar to the Armorer.

          Manda and Mando both took a seat across from the Armorer as she grabbed bricks from both camtonos. She examined the bricks and then spoke, "this amount can be shaped many ways." "My armor has lost its integrity. I may need to begin again." Mando said.

       "I as well. I wish to uphold the traditions of the Mandalarian." Manda stated.

          "Indeed. I can form a full cuirass. This would be in order for your station." The Armorer said to Mando. She then adressed Manda, "I can uphold your request for the sake of the Mandalarian."

          "That would be a great honor." Manda responded.

          "I must warn you. It will draw many eyes."

          The Armorer was referencing towards the Mandalorians that now crowded the room and surrounded Mando and Manda. The heavy infantry mandalorian, Paz Vizsla, decided to be bold enough to confront the two. He then grabbed a brick of the beskar to see it for himself. He scoffed, "these were cast in an Imperial smelter." He raised it to the crowd, to show the Imperial emblem engraved in the sacred metal. "These are the spoils of the Great Purge. The reason that we live hidden like sand rats." Paz then tossed the brick back onto the table. His words began to anger Manda and Mando.

          The Armorer reached for the tossed brick, "our secrecy is our survival. Our secrecy is our strength." "Our strength was once in our numbers. Now we live in the shadows and only come above ground one at a time." Paz said and then motioned towards the crowd. "Our world was shattered by the Empire, with whom this coward and the inbred share tables with."

          Manda was fuming from his words. The insult and the false narrative of even insinuating that she would ever share tables with the Empire was absolutely ludicrous. But Paz's next actions set both of the hunters off. Paz then reached over to Mando and attempted to take off his Mandalorian helmet in front of everyone.

          Mando reacted immediately by grabbing his hand. Paz then grabbed him by the shoulders and brought Mando to his feet. Manda got up in an instant and backed away from them, she had her faith in Mando that he can hold his own. Mando gotten the upper hand against Paz by deflecting his grip away from his wrist and reaching for his vibro blade. He then sliced across Paz's chest cuirass until he blocked Mando's next attack. Out of worry, Manda then jumped across the armor's table as the two wrestled. She landed behind Paz and pointed her own vibro blade right underneath the slit of his helmet, directly at the base of his neck. All three hunters were now at a stale mate with vibro blades. "Put the blade down. I don't want have to kill you where you stand." Each word Manda spoke was laced with venom. Her threats were never empty. Especially when Mando's life could be on the line.

          The Armorer then stood up to interrupt the childish behavior, "the Empire is no longer. And the Beskar has returned. When one chooses to walk the Way of the Mandalore, you are both hunter and prey." The Armorer then turned towards Manda, "even if you choose to become the best of us."

          She then continued to speak to everyone, "how can one be a coward if one chooses this way of life? Have you ever removed your helmet?" She asked.

          "No." Manda and Mando both answered.

          "Has it ever been removed by others?" She asked again.

          "Never." The two both answered.

          "This is the Way." The armorer said.

          "This is the Way." The Mandalorian group behind repeated. Paz and Mando both yielded but Manda didn't until she saw that the blade wasn't directed at Mando anymore. "This is the Way." Paz begrudgingly spoke.

          Manda shoved pass Paz to stand to Mando's left. "What caused this damage?" The Armorer was referring to their damaged armor. "A mudhorn." Mando said as he and Manda took their seats. "Then you have earned the Mudhorn as your signet. I shall craft it." The Armorer went to began but Manda interrupted, "we can't accept. It wasn't a noble kill. We were helped by an...enemy." Manda was reluctant to call the child an enemy, she knew that it was anything but that.

          "Why would an enemy help you in battle?" The Armorer asked. When Manda didn't answer Mando moved his hand over hers and took it upon himself, "it did not know it was our enemy." The Armorer's body language took confusion in response. "Since you both forgo a signet, I shall use the excess to forge whistling birds."

          "Whistling birds will do well." Mando said.

          The Armorer turned to Manda, "To uphold traditions of the Mandalarian, I shall forge a Dragon Fang." Manda nodded respectively, "A Dragon Fang will be perfect. Reserve some for the foundlings."

          "As it should always be. The foundlings are the future. This is the Way." The Armorer said.

          "This is the Way." The group of Mandalorians echoed.

          "This is the Way." Manda and Mando said in unison.

          The Armorer then began the forging process. She laid the bricks into a melting mold and heated the Beskar down to a liquid. Manda and Mando looked on as she then brought over the Whistling Birds for him. "Whistling birds are a powerful defense against multiple enemies. Use them sparingly, for they are rare." She cautiously placed each little ammunition into its own slot on his wrist gauntlet.

          The Armorer then brought over a blade made of Beskar and installed in into Manda's wrist gauntlet. "A Dragon Fang is a signature weapon of the Mandalarian. The blade is able to retract in within close combat. The Beskar makes it virtually indestructible."

          She walked over to her console table and uploaded the design plans for the two hunters. Opposite sides of the table emitted a hologram of Manda and Mando. The molding process had begun once she yanked a lever down to release the Beskar press for the armor molds. Once the loud bang sounded in the room, Mando clenched his fists in his lap.

          Everytime he kept being reminded of that day. The day he wants to forget but can't seem to withdraw it from his memories. He still remembers of how terrified he felt. He still remembers holding her trembling body in his arms. He still remembers the loud explosions and then the sudden sight of the Sepratist Droid about to go in for the kill.

          He was drawn out from his memories and to the present. His left hand felt warm and a tight grip woven through his fingers. He looked down and that Manda had intertwined their fingers and was holding his hand.

          Manda taken notice of his clenched fists. She had been recalled to his demeanor from the previous visit. She had a feeling that he was being bothered by something. A potential memory? Maybe that day? She knows that he still struggles with that day but won't pry until he's ready to recall it.

          The Armorer had completed the new pieces and assisted in replacing the armor. Mando's all new sleek silver pieces had been locked into place. Then Manda had her all new black and white pieces that had accents of gold, very traditional Mandalarian. As Manda was locking the armor into place she could feel a presence from behind her. She turned, her black cape twirling from her movement, and saw Mando staring but then quickly looked away. He tried to play it off by focusing back towards his own.

          "Saw that." Manda quipped.

          Mando slumped back his shoulders in defeat. Manda let out a small chuckle then thanking the Armorer, "I can't thank you enough for helping us." "This is the Way." She said. "This is the Way." Manda replied and the two shook hands and parted ways. Until they meet again.

          Greef Karga was back at the canteen doing what he does best, arguing with other members of the Guild. "Look, I told you. I'm not interested in your excuses!" The hunter argued back in Huttese, trying to plead their case. "You had your shot, dust breather, but you failed. No pucks for you. Now get outta here." Greef dismissed.

          The door to the canteen hissed open and the aura intensified. Greef looked up from his pucks astounded at the sight of the bounty hunters entering. Manda was the first to enter with her eyes set straight on to Greef with Mando following suit right behind her. All eyes were on the pair as they strode to the table. Manda caught the eyes of all the men and even most of the women in the canteen but she paid no mind.

          "Ah! Manda! Mando!" Greef laughed. "They all hate you two. Because you're legends!"

          Manda rolled her eyes from beneath her helmet, "let's bye past the formalities, Greef." "How many of them had tracking fobs?" Mando asked.

          Greef scoffed, "all of them. All of them! But not one of them closed the deal. Only you two, Manda and Mando. Only you two. And with it, the richest reward this parsec has ever seen. Please sit, my friends." Greef gestured to the seats across from him.

          Mando looked over towards Manda and they both nodded. She unhooked her rifle and slid into the seat with her rifle propped to her right. Mando sat right next to her with his rifle propped to his left. Greef chuckled at the sight of the new looks of the hunters. "They're all weighing the Beskar in their minds, but not me. No. I, for one, I celebrate your success. Because it is my success as well. Hell! Even I am rich." He then flashed two bricks of Beskar. Mando and Manda took great offense to this. They were both thinking of how disrespectful it was for him to be flaunting the Beskar. Flaunting pieces of their stolen home land.

          "Now, how can I show my gratitude to my most valuable partners?" Greef spoke loudly enough for his voice to carry throughout the canteen. "We want our next job." Mando said.

       "Next job? Take some time off. Enjoy yourselves. I'll take you to the Twi'lek healing baths." Greef offered.

          Manda huffed a smirk, "tempting. But we want our next job."

          "Sure. Fine. You hunters like to keep busy, right? Well, these are all far away." Greef then emptied out a bag of fobs on the table. "The further, the better." Mando mumbled. Manda already begun to reach out for the fobs and got a read of the descriptions. "Well, take your pick. You two have earned it." Greef said.

          Manda passed the fob that she had already been reading over to Mando. He read it over before agreeing with her choice. He set the fob on the table to activate the hologram. "Ah. That's the best one of the lot. A nobleman's son skipped bail. Looks like you two are headed to the ocean dunes of Karnac." Greef said.

          Manda began to get out of her seat and strap her rifle back. Mando grabbed the fob, got out of his seat and grabbed his rifle. He went to follow Manda but stopped in his tracks. "Any idea what they're gonna do with it?" Mando's words made Manda pause. So he affected by the kid then?

          "With what?" Greef asked.

          "The kid." Mando said turning to face Greef.

          Manda then met Mando's side, also wanting to know more about the child. "I didn't ask. It's against the Guild Code." Greef said. Manda's blood began to boil from the same useless answer.

          "The client wore an imperial crest. They work for the Empire. What are they doing here?" Manda spat.

       "The Empire is gone, Manda. All that are left are the mercenaries and warlords. But if it bothers you, just go back to the Core and report them to the New Republic." Greef suggested.

          "That's a joke." Mando scoffed. "Their efforts of a democracy are fledgling at best." Manda belittled the New Republic.

          "Enjoy your rewards. Buy a camtono of spice. By the time you come out of hyperdrive, you will have forgotten all about it." Greef said.

          Arista and Din up and left Greef at the canteen and walked back to the Razor Crest. They were both left in a weird headspace after everything that had happened. Arista kept playing the child's cries in her mind. It was almost as if it was on a constant loop. Between not getting any answers on what would happen to the kid, she felt intense guilt. Leaving a child, with its kind of power, in the hands of the empire. And then, there's Din.

          Din felt as if his head was going to explode. Seeing how the child had became attached to him and Arista, it hurt him to see the look on the child's face as they took him away. Then the memories of that day, having to relive it again. It physically, mentally, and emotionally pained him. But then, there's Arista.

          They were both walking side by side as they inched closer to the Razor Crest. Din noticed, from the corner of his view, that Arista would look back every now and then. He had a feeling that she was thinking about the kid. Just from the way she used to hold it and the way the child would sleep on top of her. There was no doubt in his mind that she has a connection with the child. But, so did he.

          The two entered the ship through the side hatch. Arista climbed up into the cockpit and slumped down in her seat. Din sat at his pilot seat and began to start the engines. Arista's eyes glanced around until they landed on the lever that was missing the top. The same top that the child was playing with. Her heart sunk. The feeling inside her chest dropped and she heard a faint high pitch ringing. The signs were getting too strong to resist. But then as Din was starting up the engines he went to flip the same lever and also stopped.

          Din was instantly reminded of the kid. He reached over and picked up the knob. He held it in his hand and rolled it in his fingers. The sound of the child's coos echoed in his mind. He was reminded of himself as a kid. The scared little kid. He then placed it back on the lever and secured it into place.

          Arista saw his actions. She saw his hesitation. Once she saw him turn it into place the ringing intensified and she instantly got up from her seat, "I'm going back." She grabbed her rifle and open the door to the cockpit. "Arista!" Din called her.

          She turned to face him, looking deep into his eyes through the eye slits of their helmets. "I can not allow anymore evil to go forward. The child was given to the hands of the Empire and we did that. I did that. I've committed an inaction. I'm going back for the child, whether you're coming or not."

Din stood there taking in all her words. He knew she was right.

She then turned away from him and descended down the ladder. She was about to press the button for the hatch when the sounds of the engine shutting down rang out. The hissing of the cockpit door caught her ear and she turned to see Din coming down the ladder.

He walked right up in front Arista. She stood up straight and held a strong stance against him. He couldn't stop her from leaving, even if he tried. But his next words ensued great confidence.

"I won't let you go alone. I'm coming with you."

- - - -

EDITED: 11/15/2020
i just changed Arista's color palette to black, white, and gold.

wow i finally updated. really long update to make up for lost time.

SO with the storyline that i want to do is kinda clashing with what i've been hearing about season 2 so what i've decided to do, moving forward with the story, is to CONTINUE with what i originally planned out and if anything kinda falls out of place, i'll fix.

also shoutout to you if you can pick up the deeper meaning of the title of chapter 5 and also the foreshadowing throughout this chapter.

ALSO HEY THERES STILL A PANDEMIC HAPPENING SO PLEASE WEAR A MASK! SOCIAL DISTANCE! AND STAY HOME, DON'T GO OUT ONLY IF YOU ABSOLUTELY NEED TO

anyways thanks for reading!

feedback is always welcome!