Din steps forwards to better hear Jar Jar's report when the Gungan returns, shaking water off his body. Anakin comes running back from where he was examining a flower, coming to a stop near his mother where she's standing next to Padme. The Queen and her handmaids are all clustered together, tense and waiting.
"Desa nobody dare," he tells them, sounding a bit confused. "The Gungan city is deserted. Some kinda fight, mesa tinks."
The Jetii exchange quick, sharp looks, and Din feels the first stirrings of unease inside him. "Do you think they have been taken to the camps?" Captain Panaka queries.
"More likely they were wiped out," Obi-Wan says quietly.
"Mesa no tink so," Jar Jar asserts.
"Do you know where they are, Jar Jar?" Qui-Gon asks before Din can open his mouth.
"When in trouble, Gungans go to sacred place. Mesa show you. Come on. Mesa show you!"
With those words, Jar Jar darts away into the trees, and Din scoops up Grogu, tucking him into the satchel as the entire group follows the Gungan. They walk for a time, and in the distance, Din can hear the faint buzzing of droid patrols, probably combing the forest for them. Shmi was right, he has to admit grimly. She and the children wouldn't have been safe staying on the starship, though that does little to alleviate his current anxiety over their presences.
Suddenly, Gungans riding some type of animal, carrying spears and other weapons, emerge from the trees, surrounding them on both sides, and after a brief exchange, they're led to the camp where the rest of the Gungans are located. There are ruins here, evidence of an older civilization, Din suspects, perhaps of the Gungans themselves.
"Your Honor, Queen Amidala of the Naboo," declares the Gungan who led them in.
The Queen is in the front of the procession, her handmaids grouped behind her, while Jar Jar stands at her side. The Jetii are close behind, and beside them are Din and his aliit. The rest of the guards and pilots are in the back.
"Uh, h-heyo dadee, Big Boss Nass, Your Honor," Jar Jar says, waving. He sounds a bit wary, which does little to reassure Din.
"Jar Jar Binks," Boss Nass declares, "Who's da uss-en uthers?" Murmurs of unease and distrust ripple through the other Gungans, and Din tenses, bracing himself for the possibility of a fight.
"I'm Queen Amidala of the Naboo. I come before you in peace." Her voice is level, and she shows courage, despite the obvious opposition.
"Ah, Naboo biggen. Yousa bringen da Mackineeks. Yousa all bombad." Even though Din has only seen them interact for a few minutes, he can already see the hard feelings that are present on both sides: not unlike the settlers and Tusken Raiders on Tatooine. If the Queen can't work this out on her own, perhaps he can try appealing to the Gungans himself. Without the Gungans' aid, they're all doomed.
"We have searched you out because we wish to form an alliance," the Queen continues, undeterred, though Din can sense something almost... hesitant about the way she's speaking.
"Your honor," Padme interrupts, pushing to the front and stepping in front of Amidala. Suddenly, Din gets the feeling that he knows what's been going on this whole time.
"Whosa dis?" Boss Nass demands.
"I am Queen Amidala," she answers, as Din thought she would. Clever girl indeed. He might never have figured it out if she hadn't just outed herself. It's impressive that she was even able to fool him. Perhaps she wouldn't have if he'd known more about Naboo and its customs and culture, but still, an impressive feat to be sure. Anakin sucks in a startled breath, but the Jetii don't seem surprised. They must have figured it out, probably with their magic. He wouldn't be surprised in the least.
"This is my decoy, my protection, my loyal bodyguard." Padme glances back at the "Queen," and Din can now recognize the same steely determination in her eyes that he had seen in the Queen's eyes when they strategized together. "I'm sorry for my deception, but it was necessary to protect myself. Although we do not always agree, Your Honor, our two great societies have always lived in peace. The Trade Federation has destroyed all that we have worked so hard to build. If we do not act quickly, all will be lost forever."
She pauses for a moment, looking up at the Gungan leader. "I ask you to help us. No, I beg you to help us." She drops to her knees, and after a moment, everyone else follows her example. It grates on Din to do this, but... he will not risk ruining their only chance for help. "We are your humble servants. Our fate is in your hands."
Padme falls silent, and it's as if everyone is holding their breaths, waiting for Boss Nass' reaction. And Din... he finds that, in this moment, he truly admires Padme. She is brave and courageous, putting her people ahead of her own feelings. She is truly a worthy leader, and he admires her spirit, her idealism. It is somewhat rare for him to find anyone outside of his own people who he respects, but Padme has now made it onto that list. And she's only a child now. Imagine what she might be capable of as she grows older?
Boss Nass starts laughing, and after a moment, he calms down. "Yousa no tinken yousa greater den da Gungans? Me-e-esa lika dis! Maybe wesa bein friends."
The relief is palpable as everyone rises to their feet. Now, they might actually have a chance. As Padme begins to explain their plans to Boss Nass and the other leading Gungans, Panaka is sent to perform reconnaissance of Theed. Din would have offered, but he doesn't know the city as well as Panaka, so he won't know where to go. Instead, he listens in on the discussions, contributing what little he can while keeping one eye on Grogu, who is toddling around, completely ignoring the adults. Anakin is off with a Gungan lookout, waiting to bring the word that Panaka is returning.
"They're here!" Anakin shouts, running up and skidding to a stop next to Din.
"Good, they made it," Padme sighs with relief as a few speeders fly up and their occupants climb out, moving to join the assembled. Her eyes linger on two young girls, both of whom seem exhausted, and one of whom is limping slightly. More handmaids Din assumes, but he doesn't ask. She looks at everyone, hesitating before moving to greet them. "Yane. Sache." Her voice is quiet, but Din is still close enough to hear. "I'm so glad you're alright." She embraces them both, quickly, before rejoining the group as Panaka approaches.
"Your Highness," he greets her respectfully.
"What's the situation?" Padme asks, whatever emotions she had been experiencing a second ago quickly tucked away and hidden as she refocuses.
"Almost everyone's in camps. A few hundred police and guards have formed an underground resistance movement," Panaka tells her. "I brought back as many of the leaders as I could. The Federation army's also much larger than we thought, and much stronger. Your Highness, this is a battle I do not think that we can win."
Padme is not cowed. She doesn't even look afraid. "The battle is a diversion," she replies calmly. "The Gungans must draw the droid army away from the cities. Artoo?"
The astromech whistles, rolling over and projecting a map of the city. Din studies it carefully, making a note of the routes and passages as Padme points them out. "We can enter the city using the secret passages on the waterfall side. Once we get to the main entrance Captain Panaka will create a diversion. Then we can enter the palace and capture the Viceroy. Without the Viceroy, they will be lost and confused. What do you think, Mando, Master Jedi?"
It's not lost on Din how Padme asked him before the Jetii. Perhaps she, like many people in the galaxy, is hesitant to put her full trust in them because of how mysterious and elusive they always seem to be. Or maybe, it's because she recognizes that they, unlike Din, will not fight for her. They already stated that they can only protect her. It seems stupid, but Din has better things to do than argue about it.
"The Viceroy will be well-guarded," Qui-Gon points out.
"The difficulty is getting into the Throne Room," Padme agrees. "Once we're inside, we shouldn't have a problem. Mando, do you think you could manage that alone?"
He considers it for a moment before nodding. "If you're there, fighting, I should be able to slip past the security and take the Throne Room on my own, though I don't know what kind of droids they'll have." He has explosives and the Darksaber. He can use both. The battle and super battle droids he has seen before. Droidekas – destroyer droids... he has heard of them, but he has never fought them. They won't be nearly as hard to stop as the Scorpenek droids. The mere thought of them is enough to make him feel mildly panicked so he forces those thoughts from mind. They're too far in the past for any model like that to exist.
"We'll have to work together but splitting into smaller groups is probably a good idea," Padme says speculatively. "The droids won't be able to anticipate all of our moves, and if we stretch out their forces, it'll be easier to get past." She has a point.
"There is a possibility, with this diversion, many Gungans will be killed," Qui-Gon cautions.
"Wesa ready to do our-san part," Boss Nass assures him, seeming unconcerned about the possibility of deaths among his forces.
"We have a plan which should immobilize the droid army," Padme offers. "We will send what pilots we have to knock out the droid control ship orbiting the planet." That is their only hope. If they can't stop the droids that way... well, Din supposes he could possibly splice into the network and give them a manual shutdown, but it would take much longer and risk that many more people. He has knowledge of future technology, so that will give him an advantage.
"A well-conceived plan. However, there's great risk," Qui-Gon warns. "The weapons on your fighters may not penetrate the shields."
"And there's an even bigger danger," Obi-Wan adds, "If the Viceroy escapes, Your Highness, he will return with another droid army."
"Mando won't fail," Padme replies, unruffled. Such faith she has in his abilities. But it's true. Din will either capture the Viceroy, or he'll kill him and go after his subordinate. They're corporate leaders. They've probably never gotten their hands dirty in war. Of everyone, Din is well aware that he's one of the most skilled when it comes to missions like this. He's never done anything with such large-scale repercussions, but he'll adapt like he always does.
They leave not long later for Theed, and Din takes the opportunity to talk to Grogu. The upcoming battle will be hard, and he knows that it will make Grogu unhappy. Shmi, it has been decided, will be going with Padme. She, apparently, knows how to use a blaster and is quite proficient with one, even though she hasn't used one in many years. Once they get inside the Palace, Din will find a safe place for Anakin and Grogu to hide until the battle is over.
"How much of what's happening do you understand?" he asks the kid, cradling him close. Grogu coos, blinking up at him. "Mmhmm, that's what I thought." He lets out a breath slowly. "Some bad people are threatening the planet," he explains. "I'm going to be helping the Queen free her planet, so there will be fighting. When we get to a safe place, you need to stay there, okay? I'll come get you once it's over. Anakin will be with you."
Grogu babbles again, and it seems to a promise to listen. Good. Early on, Din had taught him how to respond in dangerous situations. He'd explained that he would be able to fight better if Grogu stayed hidden and let him handle it. So far, the kid has listened to him, and he doesn't see any reason why that would change now.
It's not long before they're sneaking along a wall, towards the hanger of the Theed Palace, and Din takes off the satchel, placing it in Anakin's arms. He knows that Anakin won't let Grogu come to harm, and the boy has grown up in a dangerous place. He'll be able to follow his instincts to do what he needs to, to keep them hidden and safe. But Din won't leave until he finds them somewhere to wait it out.
Their group splits in half; Sabe – Din finally learned her name – is dressed as the Queen, and she and two of the handmaids, Yane and Sache, go one way to enter via a secretive back entrance, while Padme, Eirtae, and Rabe go with the other group. Their group is split as well, with Captain Panaka accompanying Rabe and Eirtae on one side of the hanger, while Din, Shmi, Anakin (and Grogu), and the Jetii are with Padme.
Padme and Panaka exchange signals – flashing a light across the hanger to signal their readiness – before the attack begins. Din lets the guards do their jobs – taking out the droid tanks – while he focuses on his, pulling out his blaster and shooting down droids as they move towards the hanger. The Jetii cover them, blue and green laser swords flashing as they deflect blaster bolts. Nifty. It's a pity he can't use the Darksaber for that purpose. It would make his missions so much easier if he could fight like the Jetii are now.
It's an easy feat for the small force to overwhelm the droids and gun them all down. It'll only be temporary, Din knows, because reinforcements will likely be coming. And soon. They need to hurry because time is of the essence. Every second counts. He glances at Shmi briefly, but she's holding her own as well as any of the handmaids are.
"Get to your ships!" Padme shouts, and the pilots scatter, racing towards the fighters.
How ironic that Din knows how to fly a ship like this: his modified N-1 was manufactured during this period; it might even have been flown in the space battle which will occur. But he doesn't take the time to think about it, eyes falling on the fighter closest to the hanger bay wall. It's relatively safe, and the droids won't do anything about it as long as they don't realize that it's occupied. Din keeps his body between his foundlings and the battle, letting any stray blaster bolts ping off his beskar'gam.
"Come," Din instructs Anakin, gesturing to the last fighter; its pilot was shot on the way, so it will remain unoccupied, and it's probably a far safer hiding spot than many others. He backs towards the fighter, letting Anakin scramble up the stairs and duck inside, holding Grogu tightly. "Stay here," Din orders him. "Keep your head down. Don't draw attention to yourself."
With most of the droids down, Din turns his head to glance at the departing fighters. They leave one by one, though one is struck by a blast from a tank and spirals down out of sight. That's two starfighters down. He has to help in capturing the Viceroy, but if he didn't, he would suggest that he take the last fighter – and leave his foundlings elsewhere – up to space to help with the most difficult aspect of the fight.
"My guess is that the Viceroy is hiding in the Throne Room," Padme says, somewhat superfluously. She glances around at everyone briefly. "You know what you need to do now."
"Everyone, this way!" calls Panaka, gesturing them to the large doors leading from the hanger bay to the interior of the Palace.
"Stay in that cockpit!" Din calls to Anakin – and Grogu, of course – as the groups walk together towards the doors. His instincts kick in, warning him of danger the moment the doors slide open of their own accord.
A dark-cloaked figure is standing on the other side of it as if waiting for them. He was waiting for them. Din's heartrate increases as he points his blaster and fires. Somehow, he knows that something is different about this adversary, and he's abruptly reminded of the vision Anakin had while they were still on Tatooine. But Din is a Mandalorian, and he never backs down from any type of challenge.
The figure ducks casually as if completely unconcerned about the multitude of people facing him before tossing back his hood, revealing himself as a Zabrak with a red and black tattooed face, yellow eyes glistening with a dark glee that instantly sets Din on edge. He's seen that look before in his many years as a bounty hunter, and only in the most dangerous of killers. Not good. And then, the Zabrak draws and ignites a double-bladed laser sword. A red one. Dank farrik. A dar'jetii then? And how many colors to laser swords come in? He's seen white, green, black, blue, and now, red. Maybe they can be any color the wielder wants.
Din might not have fought a... Force wielder to the death before, but he is confident that he'll prevail now. This Zabrak is the biggest threat of all right now, even more than the droids, and his ancestors – relatively speaking; more like the Mando'ade of old – have fought and killed Jetii. There is only one, and Din has two Jetii at his side.
"We'll handle this," Qui-Gon states authoritatively, advancing towards the dar'jetii.
"We'll take the long way," Padme acquiesces, as she and her group back away with obvious reluctance before turning towards the side exit. They'll be okay, Din knows. He saw them fighting, and even if Padme and her handmaids are young, they're good. Not as good as him, of course, but still good. Especially for a planet which is in favor of peace.
But then, behind him, Din can hear the sound of approaching destroyer droids, and he knows that there's no way that Padme and the rest will get through the door without suffering casualties if the Jetii are focusing on this Zabrak. Din can try to deal with the destroyers, but he doesn't have Jetii magic. They'll be better.
And so, he makes a decision.
"I'll deal with him," he declares, stepping forwards and withdrawing the Darksaber. He's used it before, even if he's not entirely used to it, and he knows how to use a sword: all Mandalorians do. All he needs to do is connect with the blade like Goran was trying to teach him. "You two, go take care of those droids."
X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X-X
Mando'a Translations:
Jetii - Jedi
aliit - family, clan
beskar'gam - armor
dar'jetii - Sith (literally: not Jedi)
Mando'ade - Mandalorian (literally, sons/daughters of Mandalore)
Goran - armorer