The beauty of Din and Grogu’s similar life experiences being paralleled by these shots. <3
Both lost their families, both were taken in by Mandalorians, both found a home and a family in the Mandalorians. And they have these amazing comparative shots to show that.
Din and (y/n) slowly walk down the dirt street of the dark, urban landscape, the Child floating in his pod beside them. The building walls were coated in graffiti and the entire place looks quite run-down.
As they walk throughout the seedy town, the Child takes notice of numerous lairs of red eyes staring at them from the sides of the street. He lightly whimpers in fright, which (y/n) sensed this and she looks over at him. “It’s alright.” She assured him as he looks up at him with his big brown eyes.
She gives him a reassured smile just as they approach a door, which a sinister looking Twi'lek doorman is guarding. “We're here to see Gor Koresh.” Din tells him and the doorman glances at the Child, who coos, before moving aside and allowing the door to open. “Enjoy the fights.” he tells them and the trio descends down some stairs into a fighting area.
Spectators surround an elevated platform, where two Gamorrean warriors are clashing with axes. Various flags with vibrant designs hang above the platform as well. The spectators cheer and shout in alien languages as the Child looks around curiously.
Din settles into a seat next to Gor Koresh, a chubby Abyssin dressed in very fancy attire, while (y/n) takes the seat next to Din. “You know this is no place for a child.” Gor tells the hunters. “Wherever we go, he goes.” Din tells him, which makes Gor chuckle. “So I’ve heard.” he said.
“We’ve been quested to bring him to his kind. If we can locate other Mandalorians, they can help guide us. We were told you know where to find them.” Din said to him. “It’s uncouth to talk business immediately. Just enjoy the entertainment.” Gor said and they turn their attention to the ring.
The Child coos in slight distress and surprise at the Gamorrean’s axes fiercely clanging together, as he observes the intense brawl. The opposing Gamorrean knocks Gor’s Gamorrean to the ground. “Bah! My Gamorrean’s not doing well. Kill him! Finish him!” Gor shouts and the opposing Gamorrean slashes down with his axe, but Koresh’s warrior rolls out of the way just in time to dodge.
“Do you and your friend gamble, Mando?” Gor asked. “Not when it can be avoided.” Din replied as (y/n) shakes her head. “Well, I’ll bet you the information you seek that this Gamorrean’s going to die within the next minute and a half…and all you have to put up in exchange is your shiny beskar armor.” Gor said after he chuckles and gestures at Din’s armor. “I’m prepared to pay you for the information. I’m not leaving my fate up to chance.” Din warns.
“Nor am I.” Gor said and he pulls out his blaster out of his coat and shoots the opposing Gamorrean, which falls over dead on the floor. His axe clangs down next to his head.
The spectators gasp in surprise as Gor’s henchmen rise from behind and beside him, drawing their guns to Din’s and (y/n)’s head, along with Gor himself. The spectators flood out of the arena.
“Thank you for coming to me. Normally, I have to seek out remnants of you Mandalorians in your hidden hives to harvest your precious shiny shells.” Gor chuckles. “Beskar’s value continues to rise. I’ve grown quite fond of it. Give it to me now or I will peel it off your corpse.” He threatens.
“Tell us where the Mandalorians are and we’ll walk outta here without killing you.” (Y/n) growls at him and Gor chuckles. “I thought you said you weren’t a gambler…” Gor said.
The Child looks on as Din readies his whistling birds for attack and he quickly closes himself within his crib. “We’re not.” Din said and he releases the whistling birds. They shoot out and kill four of the henchmen. (Y/n) kicks the Child’s crib out of the way and the Gamorrean jumps down from the platform to tackle her.
As she shifts to the side, the Gamorrean smashes into the wooden bench and is knocked out. The Twi'lek doorman grabs Din from behind but is quickly dispatched by him. Gor runs out of the arena, frightened, as Din and (y/n) fight with two Zabraks and a human warrior.
The human is knocked out as one Zabrak is stabbed by (y/n). The second Zabrak charges towards her but Din throws a blade into his chest, making him fall. The two hunters see Gor escaping out of the exit and they snatch up their pistols, which were dropped during the fight, and they began to follow him.
Gor flees outside but the hunters were quick to pursue and Din shoots out a grappling hook and catches Gor by the legs. Gor falls into the dirt and Din pulls him in and slings the rope around one of the street lamps lining the dirt path, tying it to the bottom and pulling Gor upwards, making him hang upside down.
“All right, stop, stop! I’ll tell you where he is. But you must give me your word that you won’t kill me.” Gor pleads as he faces them. “We promise you will not die by our hands. Now, where is the Mandalorian you know of?” Din asked him. “Tatooine.” Gor groans and this shocks the hunters.
“What?” They asked, confused. “The Mando I know of is on Tatooine.” Gor replied with a groan again. “We’ve spent much time on Tatooine. We’ve never seen a Mandalorian there.” (Y/n) tells him. “My information is good, I tell you. The city of Mos Pelgo. I swear it by the Gotra!” Gor groans again, more prominently this time.
The two hunters look at each other before (y/n) nods. “Tatooine it is, then.” she said and they began to slowly walk away with the Child’s carrier in tow. “Wait, Mando! You can’t leave me like this! Cut me down!” Gor shouts as he was still hanging upside-down. “That wasn’t part of the deal.” Din said and he turns around and shoots the street lamp, causing it to go out. A shroud of darkness falls upon the hanging, squirming, struggling body of Gor.
“Wait, what? Wait, what are you doing? Mando! I can pay! Mando! Mando!” Gor screams, loudly, but as they walk away, many ominous pairs of red eyes appear surrounding Gor. He struggles more and begins screaming as Din and (y/n) continue to wake away.
The Razor Crest flies into the planet of Tatooine and through some canyons, which attracts the attention of a Tusken Raider, who is mounted upon a Bantha. The Tusken Raider looks upwards at the ship as it passes while the Bantha groans. The ship flies towards Mos Eisley Spaceport and Peli Motto, who is working on a podracer engine, glances up to the skies with an open mouth, as the Razor Crest lands in her hangar.
She blows on a metal instrument and looks smugly upon it landing. Her pit droid crew pick up their tools, ready to work on the ship just as Din and (y/n) descend down from the ramp. "Alright.“ Peli mutters then she turns to the pit droids. "Hey, hey, hey! Sorry, gang. Come on! You know he doesn’t like droids!” she shouts.
“May as well let them have at it. The Crest needs a good once-over.” Din said. “Oh! So he likes droids now.” Peli said then she turns to the droids again. “Well, you heard him. Give it a once-over!” She shouts and the pit droids walk up to the ship as Din and (y/n) approaches Peli Motto, who chuckles.
“I guess a lot has changed since you were last in Mos…” she said but she abruptly stops speaking as (y/n) reveals the Child, hanging in a pouch over her shoulder. Peli takes him out of the pouch, grinning. “Oh! Thank the Force! This little thing has had me worried sick. Come here, you little womp rat.” She chuckles as she takes the Child out of the pouch. “Looks like it remembers me. How much do you want for it? Just kidding. But not really. You know, if this thing ever divides or buds, I will gladly pay for the offspring.” Peli said before she looks over and shouts. “Hey!”
She is distracted by the pit droids working on the ship, as one of them has let an air tube loose, causing a loud, unpleasant noise to emit from it. "Oh, geez. Watch what you’re doing up there! He barely trusts your kind! What, you want to give all droids a bad name? Thank you!“ she shouts as one of the pit droids - the one who had messed up with the air tube - gets the tube sucked into its face. The second one balances on top of the third one, examining the ship’s mechanics.
"We’re here on business. We need your help.” Din tells her. “Oh, then business you shall have. Care for me to watch this wrinkled critter while you seek out adventure?” she asked them. “We’ve been quested to bring this one back to its kind.” (y/n) said. “Oh, wow.” Peli chuckles. “I can’t help you there. I’ve never seen any like it. And trust me, I’ve seen all shapes and sizes in this town.” Peli said as a Gonk droid waddles around behind the trio as they speak.
“A Mandalorian Armorer has set us on our path. If we can locate another of my kind, I can chart a path through the network of coverts.” Din explains. “You’ve been the only Mando here for years from what I can tell.” Peli said. “Where is Mos Pelgo? We were told there’s one there.” (y/n) said.
“Oh. Boy, I haven’t heard that name in a while.” Peli said. “It’s not on any of the maps.” Din said to her. “That’s ‘cause it was wiped out by bandits. Once the Empire fell, it was a free-for-all. I didn’t dare leave the city walls. Still don’t.” she explains.
“Can you tell us where it used to be?” (Y/n) asked. “Depends who’s asking. You want to see it?” she asked then she shouts, loudly. “R-5! Bring the map of Tatooine!”
TheR5-D4 slowly scoots over towards the trio, beeping incessantly. One of his back head panels indicates that he once had a bad motivator that needed replaced. "No, take your time. Seriously. You just can’t get good help anymore. I don’t even know who to complain to! Let’s go, let’s go.“ Peli scoffs. "Waiting! Ok.”
R5-D4 slowly, but surely, stops in front of them, projecting a yellow hologram map of Tatooine. Peli Motto walks over to it, and moves it around with her fingers, indicating certain locations as she speaks to Din and (y/n). “This is a map of Tatooine before the war. You got Mos Eisley, Mos Espa, and up around this region, Mos Pelgo.” Peli explains as she points at different regions on the map.
“I don’t see anything.” Din said. “Me either.” (Y/n) said. “Well, it’s there. Or at least it used to be. Not much to speak of. It’s an old mining settlement. They’re gonna see that big hunk o’ metal long before you land.” she said. “You still have that speeder bike?” Din asked her. “Sure do. It’s a little rusty, but I got it.” Peli said.
Later, Din and (y/n) ride throughout the sand dunes of Tatooine on the bike. The Child is on the side, sticking his head out in enjoyment of the rush of air, his ear flapping back like a dog’s would. They ride around a cliff then set up a campfire for the night with a small group of Tusken Raiders, a bunch of Banthas standing around in the background of the shot. The group gesture with their hands to communicate, presumably telling stories to each other.
The next day, Din and (y/n) ride throughout some more ridges, past a Bantha skeleton. The vastness of the Tatooine desert, as their speeder approaches a very small settlement nestled in the middle of the vast, sandy landscape. As they slowly ride into town, they scare off a couple scurriers, who flee from the area, while many villagers stare at them.
Some are looking out of their doors, or out from their decks, and some are standing around doing various chores at the moisture-farming stations. Din and (y/n) finally come to a stop in front of a saloon, slowly getting up and walking inside. The Child looks up from his pouch as they leave him and enter the small building.
A Weequay bartender looks up to them from working on a drink mixture of some type. The Child slowly peeks around the corner of the door, watching as Din and (y/n) approaches the proprietor. "Can I help you?“ the bartender asked. "We're looking for a Mandalorian.” (y/n) said. “Well, we don’t get many visitors in these parts. Can you describe him?” the bartender asked. “Someone who looks like me.” Din said.
“Mmm…You mean the Marshal?” The bartender asked. “Your Marshal wears Mandalorian armor?” Din said. "See for yourself.“ The bartender grunts as he gestures with his head over to the door of the saloon, where a figure is standing. The man is wearing the old, beaten-up helmet, torso-piece, wrist-cuffs, ankle-cuffs, kneepieces, jetpack, and other armor of a famed Tatooine-based bounty hunter - in other words, part of a set of Mandalorian armor.
He slowly approaches Din and (y/n), his ankle-cuffs clicking. "What brings you two here, strangers?” The Marshal asked. “We’ve been searching for you for many parsecs.” (y/n) said. “Well, now you found me. Weequay, three snorts of spotchka.” Marshal said. The Weequay bartender pulls out a flagon of blue liquid; a bottle adorned with a net-like rope, as well as three small cups.
The Marshal grabs them and slowly walks over to a table in the seating area. “Why don’t you join me for a drink?” he asked then he slowly sits down and removes his helmet, setting it upon the table, revealing a smirking, middle-aged, grey-haired man.
“I’ve never met a real Mandalorian.” He chuckles. “Heard stories. I know you’re good at killing. And probably none too happy to see me wearing this hardware.” He said as he pours the spotchka into the small cups, before eventually setting the flagon back on the table. The Child is cooing as it is examining and touching a spitoon.
“So…I figure only one of us is walking out of here. But then I see the little guy…and I think, maybe I pegged you wrong.” the Marshal said. “Who are you?” Din asked as he steps toward him. “I’m Cobb Vanth, Marshal of Mos Pelgo.” Cobb introduced
“Where did you get the armor?” (Y/n) asked him. “Bought it off some Jawas.” Cobb replied. “Hand it over.” Din demanded. “Look, pal, I’m sure you call the shots where you come from, but ‘round here, I’m the one tells folks what to do.” Cobb said. “Take it off. Or I will.” Din demands again. “We gonna do this in front o’ the kid?” Cobb asked as the Child glances up from beside the spitoon, somewhat worriedly.
“He’s seen worse.” (Y/n) tells him. “Right here, then?” Cobb asked. “Right here.” Din said and Cobb sighs then gets up, pushing his chair back. The two men wearing Mandalorian armor and the former Mandalorian stare each other down for a while, in a tense moment. Their hands flit around their blaster holsters and the bartender watches with suspense.
Suddenly, there is a loud rumbling sound and Cobb Vanth raises his finger to signal that he needs to check on it. The trio exit the building and look out onto the town, as the Child whimpers and the Weequay bartender leaves from another exit. An alarm blares as the windmill gradually begins spinning faster, scurriers look up in alarm, a bantha groans, and citizens flee to the buildings.
A large creature seems to be slithering through the sand towards the town center, making whooping noises. It reaches the town and passes through it then down the center road, its back scales sticking up through the sand, as all the citizens look on. The creature approaches a tied-up Bantha, jumping out of the sand and consuming it, revealing the massive head of a Greater Krayt Dragon. It quickly flees.
“Maybe we can work something out.” Cobb said as the Child fearfully peeks out from inside the spitoon.
As Din, (y/n) and Cobb walk through the town in the wake of the Krayt Dragon, many villagers were repairing the buildings from the destruction of the beast - settling wooden planks down on the decks, hoisting up large tankards, and welding pieces of speeder bikes back together.
“That creature’s been terrorizing these parts since long before Mos Pelgo was established. Thanks to this armor, I’ve been able to protect this town from bandits and Sand People. They look to me to protect ‘em. But a Krayt Dragon is too much for me to take on alone. Help me kill it, I’ll give you the armor.” Cobb explained. “Deal. We’ll ride back to the ship, blow it out of the sand from the sky, use the Bantha as bait.” Din said.
“Not so simple. The ship passes above, it senses the vibrations, stays underground. But I know where it lives.” Cobb explained. “How far?” (y/n) asked him. “Not far.” he replied.
Din and (y/n) ride on their speeder bike through the Tatooine desert. Cobb Vanth comes up beside them on his speeder, which is the repurposed engine of a podracer. As they ride, Cobb begins a conversation. "You don’t understand what it was like. The town was on its last legs. It started after we got news of the Death Star blowing up. The second one, that is. The Empire was pullin’ outta Tatooine. There was blaster fire over Mos Eisley. The occupation was over. We didn’t even have time to celebrate. That very night, the Mining Collective moved in.“ He explains as (y/n) looks over at him.
"Power hates a vacuum, and Mos Pelgo became a slave camp overnight. I lit out. Took what I could from the invaders. Grabbed a camtono. I had no idea it was full of silicax crystals. I guess every once in a while, both suns shine on a womp rat’s tail. I wandered for days. No food, no water. And then…I was saved. The Jawas wanted the crystals. They offered their finest in exchange. And my treasure bought me more than a full waterskin. It bought my freedom.” he said as they continue to zoom through the desert on their speeders.
They travel through a rocky quarry, alongside some cliffs, quite slowly and cautiously, where they hear a close-by growl/screech of something. Cobb raises up his arm, motioning for Din to stop and they halt their speeders and jump off, whipping out their guns and taking defensive positions.
The growls echo around the rocky, brown cliffs as Cobb nervously glances around the area. The growls and cries grow closer, and finally a Massif, a reptilian-doglike creature, walks out from behind a large rock. These dogs are often known to accompany Tusken Raiders. It opens its mouth wide and snarls, and Din and (y/n) lower their weapons, while Cobb keys up to shoot the animal as more approach from the boulders.
Soon a whole pack is approaching them, snarling loudly. Cobb stands his ground, keeping his gun steady. Suddenly, Din calls out a Tusken cry, causing the creatures to immediately cease their hostile behavior. They look up to him as he walks forward towards them.
“What the hell you doin’?” Cobb asked as (y/n) gestures for him to stay back and stay peaceful as Din walks forward towards the vicious creatures, grunting in the Tusken language.
Cobb slowly lowers his weapon, as Din kneels down to pet an approaching Massif, who shakes in joy as Din rubs them on the side. Cobb fully lowers his blaster pistol, as Din continues petting the Massif under the chin then (y/n) kneels down and starts to pet the Massif as well.
The three compatriots look up as a few Tusken Raiders come out from behind a rock. Cobb looks around nervously, as the Child peeks out from the sack he is in on the side of Din’s speeder. Din and the Tusken Raiders speak Tusken back and forth for a bit, using hand gestures as well.
“Hey, partner, you want to tell me what’s going on?” Cobb asked. “They want to kill the Krayt Dragon, too.” Din replied after he talked to the Raiders.
That night in a Tusken Raider camp, where a Tusken is cleaning the teeth of a Bantha with a gaffi stick. A Massif is following a Tusken Raider through the camp, as Din, (y/n) and Cobb sit around a flickering campfire with several Tuskens, who are speaking to them in their Tusken language.
As a Tusken stands up a higher rock and looks out, surveying the desert, Din speaks to the crowd around the fire in Tusken. The Child looks around, unsure about the conversation between Din and the Tusken Raiders. (Y/n) looks down at the Child and holds him closer to him, comforting him as she sensed that he was a bit uncomfortable. A Massif looks at him and licks his lips, and the Child coos quite nervously.
One of the Tuskens cracks open a black gourd, a type of fruit that plays an important role in Tusken society, with his thumbs and hands it to Cobb. Black powder steams out of the top of it, as Cobb very reluctantly takes it then smells it.
“What am I supposed to do with this?” He asked Din and (y/n). “You drink it.” Din replies. “It stinks.” Cobb said, disgusted. “Do you want their help?” (y/n) asked him. “Not if I have to drink this.” Cobb said then one of the Tuskens begins angrily shouting at him.
As Din speaks, the Tusken continues angrily talking. "He says your people steal their water and now you insult them by not drinking it. They know about Mos Pelgo. They know how many Sand People you killed.“ Din tells Cobb. "They raided our village. I defended the town.” Cobb said, his voice getting louder. “Lower your voice.” (y/n) said to him, calmly. “I knew this was a bad idea.” Cobb growls, angrily.
The Tusken angrily stands up in a confrontational stance, screeching out even louder. “You’re agitating them.” Din tells him. “These monsters can’t be reasoned with!” Cobb yells as he stands up himself to confront the Tusken. The Tusken continues arguing viciously in its native language, and Cobb quickly addresses it. "Sit back down before I put a hole through you! I’m not going to say it-“ Cobb said but then, very suddenly, Din activates his flamethrower, causing a spiral of flame to erupt next to the two arguing people.
They both immediately cease their arguing, and Din stands up. The Child looks at the fire from his seat on (y/n)’s lap, squinting his eyes. Din turns off the flamethrower and both Cobb and the Tusken look at him in surprise. Din quickly tells the Tusken Raider something in the Tusken language.
”What are you telling them?“ Cobb asked Din. "The same thing I’m telling you. If we fight amongst ourselves, the monster will kill us all.” Din tells him. The Tusken and Cobb slowly sit back down around the campfire. Din addresses them both again, speaking in English, and gesturing in Tusken. “Now, how do we kill it?” he asked.
The next morning, there was a single file line of Tusken Raiders riding atop Banthas in the Tatooine desert. Don, (y/n) and Vanth are accompanying them, riding on Banthas as well. The Child, hitched to the side of Din’s Bantha in a tan pouch, looks out onto the Tatooine desert in awe. A group of six Banthas and their respective riders slowly walk atop a hill, and a canyon opens up below them.
Later, a Tusken Raider slowly leading a Bantha on a rope towards the large cavern where the Krayt Dragon lives. Cobb, Din, (y/n) and the other three Tuskens watch in suspense from the ridge above. One of the Tusken Raiders begins speaking to Din in Tusken. Then he turns to Cobb Vanth to translate. "They say it lives in there. They say it sleeps.“ Din tells him.
A Tusken Raider hands Din a pair of macrobinoculars, which he looks through. He scans over the large opening on the side of the cliff. "It lives in an abandoned Sarlacc pit.” Din said. “Lived on Tatooine my whole life. There’s no such thing as an abandoned Sarlacc pit.” Cobb said. “There is if you eat the Sarlacc.” (y/n) said.
Cobb looks confusedly towards the large pit, and Din lowers the macrobinoculars, handing them back to one of the Tuskens. He continues to watch his fellow Tusken Raider lead the Bantha up to the large pit. "They’re laying out a Bantha to protect the settlement. They’ve studied its digestive cycle for generations. They feed the dragon to make it sleep longer. Watch, the dragon will appear.“ Din explains as the Tusken hammers down a pole attached to Bantha’s rope into the ground.
Cobb looks on, fascinated, as the Tusken calls out into the large cavern to get the Krayt Dragon’s attention. The Child looks on from the ridge as well, whimpering.
The growling of the dragon is heard, and a low rumbling begins. Cobb looks up, incredibly alert, as the sand begins to give way as the beast travels out of its home. The Tusken turns around and runs as fast as it can away from the cavernous opening. The Krayt Dragon shoots out of the sand, missing the Bantha entirely, and swallowing up the poor Tusken Raider.
The Child ducks behind the ridge, terrified, as the Tusken with the macrobinoculars quickly lowers them in shock. The Krayt Dragon very quickly retreats back into the cave, leaving the Bantha alone by the entrance. "They might be open to some new ideas.” Din said as the Child slowly raises his head, peeking back out from behind the cliffside. The Bantha at the cavernous opening groans a bit more.
Back at the Tusken Raiders camp, the Raiders speaking to each other in their language and lay out a diorama with rock and bones to represent the Krayt Dragon and its cave, as well as the scale between the creature and the humanoids who intend to fight it. The model of the Krayt Dragon is far larger than the small stones that represent the others.
“What are the bones?” Cobb asked the hunters. “That’s the Krayt Dragon.” (Y/n) replied. “And those little rocks?” Cobb asked. “That’s us.” (y/n) said. “It’s not to scale.” Cobb grumbles. “I think it is.” Din said. “Me too.” (Y/n) said. “Can’t be. That’s too big.” Cobb said and (y/n) rolls her eyes.
The Tuskens begin speaking to Din, who speaks back to them for a moment, before turning back to Vanth. "It’s to scale.“ Din tells Cobb. "I’ve only seen its head and neck. That’s a whole lot bigger than I guessed.” Cobb said as the Tuskens continue speaking amongst each other, clearly planning out a strategy to attack the Krayt Dragon in some way.
“Might be time to rethink our arrangement.” Cobb mutters. The Tuskens and Din converse briefly, and Din seems to suggest something. The Tuskens look at each other, and then one of them grabs another handful of rocks and sprinkles it around amongst the others in the model. "That’s more like it.“ Cobb said then he looks at Din.
"Where are they getting the reinforcements?” He asked. “I volunteered your village.” Din replied. Cobb widens his eyes and looks a bit worried and confused at this.
Later, Cobb, Din and (y/n) ride across the Tatooine desert again on their speeders and pull back into the town center of Mos Pelgo. As they skid to a halt at the side of a building deck and Cobb dismounts his speeder, then he begins another conversation. "They attacked us less than a year ago. Killed half a dozen of us by the mining camp. I’d say I took down about twice as many Tuskens.“ he said.
”The town respects you. My guess is, they’ll listen to reason.“ (Y/n) said. "I wouldn’t be so sure.” Cobb said. Din and (y/n) look a bit contemplative as Cobb walks away, and then proceeds to get off their speeder and follow the Marshal into the saloon.
Inside of the saloon, the townspeople are gathered in the seating area; Cobb, Din and (y/n) face them, standing right in front of the bar. Cobb addresses his citizens as they murmur amongst themselves. "This here is a Mandalorian. You know what that means?“ Cobb said as he gestures to Din.
”Well, we’ve heard the stories.“ The bartender said. "Then you know how good they are at killing. Now, this one’s got a problem. I got a suit o’ salvaged armor and the Mandalorian creed says it’s his to take.” Cobb tells them and the townspeople murmur in discontent. “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.” he said.
At this assertion, the townsfolk murmur and chatter a bit more, shaking their heads at the implication that a Krayt Dragon could destroy their way of life even further than at present. "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.“ Cobb said. "Well, that settles it.” said the Bartender.
“There’s more. We can’t take on the Krayt alone. And the Sand People are willing to help.” Cobb said and immediately, the crowd grows restless in protest of this. Some of them stand up and start shouting incredulously.
“They raid our mines!”
“They’re monsters!”
“I’ve seen the size of that thing, it will swallow your entire town when the fancy hits it. 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.” Din tells the townspeople.
The townspeople contemplate this and slowly nod their heads, tap their fingers, and glance at each other, clearly coming to the realization that this is the best course of action to go with.
Later, the townspeople gather up supplies in a storage shed at the edge of town. Din, (y/n) and Cobb Vanth stand in the entryway as people carry crates, boxes, and various other containers around them. "Think it’ll work?“ Cobb asked. "It better. Joining forces is their only hope.” Din said.
Some townspeople open a container and lift out some white explosive canisters of something, as the trio walk outside to the deck. They look to their left to see a large, single file line of Tusken Raiders approaching on Banthas. The townspeople stand around and look in awe.
One woman taps a younger man on the shoulder to get him to see this odd sight, and they look on, a bit frightened. Multiple Tuskens ride atop each Bantha, and they slowly approach the unsettled townsfolk of Mos Pelgo. They eventually come to a halt.
Later, the Tuskens help the townspeople unload cargo and prepare for the journey ahead. One man hands a Tusken Raider an explosive canister of sorts. "Here. Grab this.“ the man said as the townsperson keep handing the Tusken the white canisters, and they load them onto the side of a Bantha.
The townsperson quite quickly hands the Tusken one, causing the Tusken to drop it onto the deck. Din, (y/n) and Cobb look up, alert. "Hey, hey! What are you doin’? That’s an explosive! What, are you trying to blow the whole place up? What? Is that what you want?” the towns man yells as the Tusken gets up in the townsperson’s face in a confrontational mode.
Cobb Vanth quickly pushes past the Tusken and confronts the townsperson. “Take it easy. It was an accident, okay?” he tells him. “What do you want to do?!” The man yells. “It was an accident!” Cobb yells back at the towns man.
The townspeople and Tuskens continue to work together to load things up. Some male townspeople mumble things such as “Let’s go” and “It’s not gonna work out.” Cobb Vanth walks back over to Din and (y/n) and looks at him, soon speaking in a sarcastic tone. "It’s gonna be great.“
Sometime later, the Banthas ride along a single file upon a sandy ridge in the Tatooine desert, Tuskens and townspeople mounted on their backs. Large expanses of desert stretch before the travellers as they slowly meander along. Cobb, Din and (y/n) slowly ride their speeders alongside the Banthas as they travel, before the line of Banthas finally approach the Krayt Dragon’s cavern.
As they stop, a fair distance away from the cave, the Tuskens and townspeople dismount and chatter amongst themselves, running around in preparation. In a large crowd, everyone steps forward together towards the edge of a short ridge overlooking the cave, toolboxes and explosives on hand, watching as a single Tusken Raider steps towards the entrance of the den.
The Tusken stops at the mouth of the cave, getting down on its knees and leaning its head towards the ground, and resting its hand on the sand. The Child gazes out of its pouch, nervous.
After a moment, the Tusken looks up, and a low rumbling is heard from the cave. The Tusken turns back towards the crowd and signals something to them.
”What’d he say?“ Cobb asked Din. "He says it’s sleeping. If we listen carefully, we can hear it breathing.” Din replies as a Tusken Raider hands Cobb another black gourd, which he begrudgingly accepts and takes a large drink from, sighing.
“Let’s get to work.” Din said and the Tuskens begin running about and herding the Banthas around, townspeople carry small explosives. The Tuskens and townspeople work in unity, throwing ropes and weapons to each other to set up, showing that even very different, fighting cultures can become stronger together if they work to defeat something that plagues them both.
“The Tuskens say the belly is the only weak spot, so we have to hit it from below. First, we bury the charges at the opening of the cave. Then, we wake it up. We have to get it angry enough to charge. Once it’s far enough out, and the belly is above the explosives, you hit the detonator.” Din explains to Cobb as everyone gets ready.
The townspeople hand white explosive canisters to each other, and begin to dig large trenches around the mouth of the cave. The Tusken Raiders set up large crossbow-like weapons in a line around the mouth of the cave to use against the creature. They turn wheels and pulleys, and position the large metal arrows so they are pointing in the direction of the cave. The workers continue to dig the trenches, lining them with the white explosive canisters.
A townsperson powers up a detonator, readying it to be used at the push of a button. She slowly makes her way over to Cobb, Din and (y/n), who walk forward towards her. She hands the detonator to Vanth. “Careful, Marshal.” She said to Cobb. “Thank you, Jo. And you stay safe, huh.” he said to her. Jo nods her head and walks back over to the other townspeople.
Cobb, Din and (y/n) walk forward, and look out on the line of Tuskens and townspeople facing along the mouth of the cave, with their weapons at the ready. It is eerily quiet as the workers stand along the mouth of the cave, and several Tuskens lead their Banthas away. Three Tusken Raiders walks straight forward, stopping right at the cavernous opening. They lean their weapons up against their sides, and put their hands to their mouths, screeching out into the large cave to wake the Krayt Dragon.
The beast’s growling can soon be heard, and the Tuskens quickly turn and run back to the line of defenses. The Krayt Dragon slowly reveals itself, shooting out of the sand, its mouth open and wide. Cobb Vanth looks petrified, coming to the realization of just how dangerous this could be.
The Tusken Raiders yell and shoot the arrows from the crossbow-devices, however it barely affects the large beast. Two of the three Tuskens who summoned it reach the line of defenses, as the other trips, causing the Krayt Dragon to bite down on it, swallowing it. (Y/n) looks through her spyglass, as the creature begins backing up into its cave.
“Dank farrik, it’s going back in.” (Y/n) growls as some of the Tusken Raiders frantically hold onto the ropes that are attached to the metal arrows that have been shot into the dragon’s head. However this merely pulls them along the sand towards the beast, and some of the arrows soon come loose.
Many Tuskens run forward to save their brothers, as a few townspeople shoot at the Krayt Dragon, to no avail. "It’s retreating.“ (y/n) said and Cobb looks down at the detonator in his hands. "I’m going to hit it.” he said but Din turns to him. “No, wait. We only have one shot. We’ve gotta get it out.” Din said.
The townspeople begin throwing small grenades at the Krayt Dragon to try and get it further out of the cave. The Weequay bartender shoots a rifle at it. Some Tuskens begin shooting as well, and the creature finally begins moving towards them again.
The townspeople and Tuskens continue their barrage of shooting and grenade-throwing, to the extent that the massive Krayt Dragon opens its jaw very wide and charges right towards them with a new anger.
People scream and run as it screeches, and shoves its head into the sand, missing the targeted townspeople it was going for. "Now?“ Cobb asked as he seemed a bit impatient. "Not yet. It’s gotta come out further.” (Y/n) said as she continues looking through her spyglass-like object, as the Tuskens shoot off more of the grappling-hook crossbows, holding tight onto the ropes and coaxing the dragon a bit more towards them.
The giant beast roars and lifts its head, causing Tuskens to fly into the air. The Weequay bartender looks up at it in utter fear, as it roars loudly. The townspeople and Tuskens begin turning and retreating, as the Krayt Dragon suddenly begins spitting its green, slimy venom at them, inflicting very heavy casualties. It dives forward towards them, slamming its head into the sand again and closing its mouth. "Almost, almost.“ she mutters then shouts. "Now!”
Cobb clicks the detonator, and the explosives go off underneath the Krayt Dragon, causing it to roar out in pain. The townspeople and Tuskens fall backwards the duck for cover of flying sand. Cobb, Din and (y/n) flinch, and the Child looks on, squinting at the explosion.
The workers duck and cover their eyes, as the particles blow at them, and the dragon sinks down into the desert sand. They begin to look up again, as it becomes quieter, and help each other up. They slowly approach the place where the beast disappeared with curiosity. "I don’t think it’s dead.“ Cobb said. "Me either.” Din and (y/n) said.
As the workers look around, a low rumbling is heard, and everyone looks up to the cliff face above the cavern. The Krayt Dragon bursts through the rock, roaring viciously, and begins shooting its venom down from its gaping maw, high above its attackers, again inflicting heavy casualties of Tuskens and townspeople. "It’s picking us off like womp rats. Let’s get after it.“ Cobb said.
They grab their rifles as the Child looks on from his pouch. Cobb puts his helmet on then the two men in Mandalorian armor and former female Mandalorian use their jetpacks to fly up towards the dragon. The Child angles its head upwards, looking curiously at them.
They fly high into the sky, and land on the rocky ridge next to the Krayt Dragon, right beside its head. They ready their guns, and point them at the creature, shooting near its eye, which does absolutely nothing. "This ain’t doing a thing!” Cobb shouts. “Just keep shooting.” Din said as they keep firing. Finally get the Krayt Dragon’s attention, and it turns its head towards them, opening its mouth wide.
They fly away to safety just before the creature bites down on the rock they had landed on. Flying back to the ground, they get in defensive positions, pointing their guns towards the dragon on the ridge. The creature retreats back down into the rock face, and everyone looks on in suspense.
Some of the Tuskens lower their rifles as an ominous cloud of grey dust travels down the rocky ridge-like hill, and the Krayt Dragon suddenly bursts out of the sand behind them. Cobb, Din and (y/n) swiftly turn around, and the dragon glides through the sand towards them and their allies.
“There he is.” (Y/n) shouts as rhe dragon continues to burst through the sand, consuming a few townspeople and Tuskens. (Y/n) looks over to a whining Bantha with a large amount of the white explosive canisters hitched to its side, and seemingly has an idea.
“I’ve got an idea. Get its attention.” She shouts at the men and Cobb and Din obliges, as Cobb swiftly using his targeting rangefinder to shoot his back rocket towards the beast, hitting it in the head and causing a large explosion, while Din fires his rifle at it. The Krayt Dragon screeches in pain, and angrily turns its head towards the trio.
Tuskens and townspeople yell “Go!” and “Run!”, scrambling off away from their large attacker. "We've got its attention! Now what?“ Cobb asked. "You still have that detonator?” (y/n) asked and Cobb quickly grabs the detonator and hands it to her, frantic to kill the beast. "Take it!“ he said while Din looks at her.
"What are you doing?” He asked, obviously worried about her as she digs in her bag and pulls out a familiar Mandalorian helmet and puts it on. “I don’t know, but wish me luck.” she said. Cobb looks at her in shock as she slams the back of her rifle into Cobb’s and Din’s jetpack, causing the men to fly into the air in order to stay safe from the beast.
(y/n) activates something on the detonator, causing the explosives on the Bantha to activate. As the Banthas moans, the Krayt Dragon swallows another Tusken Raider and moves straight towards the former Mandalorian. The stake for the Bantha shoots out of the ground, and she scrambles to grab it again. "No! No, no, no! Hold on! Hold on! Whoa, whoa, whoa!“ she said, frantically, before she successfully secures the Bantha and turns back towards the Krayt Dragon.
The beast charges right at her and opens its mouth wide, diving towards her and swallowing both her and the Bantha whole. It disappears into the sand, as the remaining Tusken Raiders and townspeople look on in shock.
Cobb and Din were able to secure their malfunctioned jetpack and land on the ground, Cobb's targeting rangefinder having been flicked down by accident in the chaos. It quickly flips itself up, and he begins panting while Din stands up, his heart racing. "No!” He growls, fearfully. “She’s a Mandalorian?!” Cobb asked, confused. “She was.” Din mutters as he watches over this with baited breath.
A few Tuskens slowly approach the place where the dragon leapt into the sand, and Cobb removes his helmet, looking on in shock while the Child whines from his pouch. Many of the townspeople start putting down their weapons.
Suddenly, another loud rumbling is heard, and everyone looks around, unsure. The Krayt Dragon bursts out of the sand again, opening its mouth just as (y/n) flies out of it, who had shocked the inside of its mouth with her rifle to let her out.
With the Bantha still inside of the beast, she clicks the detonator, which causes a massive explosion from inside of the Krayt Dragon. Tuskens and townspeople duck and cover, as a shockwave shoots out in all directions. The foul creature screeches its loud, whooping call one last time, and falls into its wreckages.
(Y/n) lands and turns to see the fallen creature, her armor dripping with its venom. Cobb looks on and smiles, chuckling slightly, and getting up, along with the remaining townspeople and Tusken Raiders. Underneath his helmet, Din smiled with relief once he sees her safe as everyone begins cheering, and lifting up their weapons.
The Townspeople and Tuskens pat each other on the back, and Cobb smiles at (y/n), grateful for her help. Din walks up to her as she removes her helmet and he stands in front of her then leans his head towards her and gives her a Keldabe kiss.
“Sorry, I didn’t have time to explain.” She tells him. “No need.” Din tells her and she smiles at him.
When the dust around the carcass had cleared, half of the dragon’s innards are exposed, its ribs and meat sticking out of the sand. The Tuskens begin to harvest the meat with their gaffi sticks and other tools.
The Child examines a piece of Krayt Dragon meat that Din had put onto the speeder. He covers it with a sheet, and turns to Cobb, who is approaching, holding his armor. He hands it over to (y/n) gratefully. “Here. It is well earned.” He said and he and Din shake hands then he and (y/n) shake hands.
“I hope our paths cross again.” He said. “As do I.” Din said and (y/n) nods. “Oh, and you tell your people I wasn’t the one that broke that.” Cobb said and he walks away over to his townspeople.
One of the Tusken Raiders, digging through the meat of the Krayt Dragon, discovers a large Krayt Dragon pearl, which is a prized treasure on Tatooine. He lifts it into the air to show the others of his kind, and they all begin cheering in triumph, lifting their weapons in the air in sheer celebration.
Din and (y/n) mount their speeder and take off from the area, the twin suns are setting as they drive across the desert. But what the two hunters don’t realize was that they were being watched by a hooded figure, miles away from them.
Din wants Grogu to be able to see his face. He wants that close bond. They’ve developed this strong attachment to each other; it is a father-son relationship and it naturally makes sense for them to be able to see each others faces.
But it goes against everything that Din has stood for and believed in. There’s this huge internal conflict within him where the thing that his heart desires, the thing that is so natural for just about every parent and child in the galaxy, goes against his own identity.
He’s been raised to believe that without keeping his face hidden, he cannot be considered Mandalorian. It’s the one rule that will make or break his own identity. But his heart is telling him something else. Din doesn’t want to hide from Grogu. He doesn’t want to remain this anonymous man under the helmet but it’s not that simple for him.
Just this quote alone shows how much of an internal conflict this man is going through, to decide between what his heart wants and what he had been told is the only way. And ultimately he chooses Grogu.
But then he chooses to atone. Din took the risk and he’s been kicked out of the creed and stripped of his identity (though we still know he’s definitely a Mandalorian) and that hurts. Who he is has been taken away from him.
And he’s in this war within himself. Din can choose to be a father to Grogu, to fully let himself take on that role, or he can return to following The Way. The problem is, whichever he chooses will result in a major sacrifice.
Ultimately, we know that Grogu will always mean more to Din than the creed, but this doesn’t mean that he isn’t incredibly torn.
I just noticed that when you like any tweet with #ObiWan and #ObiWanKenobi the heart turns into a little lightsaber and now I need the same to happen but with the Darksaber when Mando S3 happens.
After watching the teaser trailer, I have a question (well I’ve got quite a few questions, but here’s one):
Why did Din go back to the Armourer?
During TBOBF he admits to taking his helmet off and she kicks him out of the creed. So why is he back there again?
Because in the trailer she’s condemning him for his actions (which she’s already done) and telling him he’s not a Mandalorian (again). If the only way he can atone is on Mandalore, then she’s already told him that!
I think it may be a different location to TBOBF, so did Din just bump into her somehow? Or did he go back to tell her that Grogu was back in his possession? Why is he there???
There’s gotta be more to that conversation but now I’m sad that we gotta wait until Feb to find anything out. ;-;
Sending my love to all the people who (like me) are in a different timezone to Anaheim and are gonna miss all the announcements as soon as they come out and will have to catch up the day after everything has dropped.
The first five months of this year have gone by so quick, but I can guarantee that when they announce the release date of Mando S3, the progression of time will cease to exist and we’ll all be 80 by the time it arrives.
Question for people who have been to a Star Wars Celebration or at least know a little bit about how it works:
I’ve never been to one before (mainly ‘cause I’m a relatively new SW fan) but I’m seriously considering going to the next one because it’s accessible to me.
Roughly how early do tickets go on sale in relation to the event?
I’m still not entirely sure if I’m going to be able to find a way to pay for it, but I would love to know approximately how much time I have to find a possible solution.
I cannot….. even begin… to describe just how much of a total & complete sucker I am… for the trope where an older, closed off, broken down man who has become a rugged, disillusioned shell of who they once were due to significant past trauma that is still haunting him, unexpectedly has his soul renewed by needing to protect a small, spunky child that rekindles his ability to care & love & whom they will eventually either somewhat or entirely adopt as their own.
