Here and back again

[foundlingfather]

WHO: Mando, TheChild™, open
WHERE: Fountain, around Tembra
WHAT: Arrival in the city
WHEN: Couple days before event start, cause let's give these guys a chance to settle in first
WARNINGS: Season 2 spoilers for kid's name and events, just to be safe. Will update if needed

Rude awakening - Closed to Grogu

Last thing Mando remembers, is him and the kid--no. it was Grogu now--aboard the Razor Crest, leaving the planet Corvus. They'd found a Jedi, Ahsoka Tano, who'd refused to train Grogu in the end. Insisting the kid was too attached to him. Mando had been a mix of both frustration and, oddly, relief. But she did give them a lead to the planet Tython, one more attempt to try and find a Jedi to train Grogu. A last chance to finish the quest. Or at least that's where they were SUPPOSED to be headed.

Mando didn't remember blacking out, but suddenly he's waking up to rough uneven ground underneath him, instead of the pilot seat of his ship. It's only a moment, before he becomes fully aware again with a start and quickly climbs to his feet. Pistol automatically drawn from it's holster, in the ready as his visored gaze took in his surroundings. Somewhere in the back of his mind, the ruined city looked familiar, but he couldn't place why. His gaze eventually fell on the orb, and he found himself drawn to it. Touching the surface with his free hand and the information, and memories, came flooding into his mind.

He stumbles back from it, free hand coming up to grasp at the helmet for a moment, as he shakes it to clear his head. Agra-10, this maker-forsaken planet and the damn Agrii. What the hell was he doing back here? Then he drops the hand, and looks up with a start.

"Kid?" Had Grogu come with him once again? He tried to keep calm, as he looked around frantically for a sign of the small green child.

Exploration - OTA

Eventually father and son will move out to take in the city and see what, or who, they can find. Mando has Grogu tucked in one arm, or if not, the kid might mot be too far away. Just expect a pistol drawn on you, if you startle Mando. He's tense and on alert. One of the stops is to the hangar, the fact that the First Breath refused to open for him making him frown under the helmet. Eventually finding that the Twin Roses and the Starduck open when they get near them. He tilts his helm to the side and down to look at the kid.

"Want to check them out?"

And being the mischievous kid he is, Grogu of course is prone to wandering off on his own to explore. Fortunately for the kid, Mando's usually not too far behind in looking for him.

Comments

[foundlingfather]

It wasn't that long ago, that Din, Cara and Greef had taken on the Emperial base on Navarro. So hearing the brisk stride, and coming across somebody in all white armor, here on Agra-10, is a bit of a start.

Luckily for Echo, Din's less of a shoot first, ask questions later sort of guy these days. Still, he keeps the blaster leveled at the clone, eyes narrowing under the helmet, as he takes in the subtle differences and colors of the armor.

"You Emperial?" He's willing to give Echo a shadow of a doubt. He didn't sound quite like the Stormtroopers they'd encountered, and the lack of immediate return of a gun drawn on him. Plus he seemed...familiar, and Din was trying to place why.

[on_repeat]

Imperial. For what little he now knows of the Empire, it still leaves a bad taste in his mouth. It should be a good sign that Din hasn't tried shooting him in the face yet, but the ARC Trooper plays it safe, staying as he is while frowning under the helm.

"For the Republic," Echo states evenly, his vocal inflections different from most storm trooper voices. "The Empire doesn't exist here."

[foundlingfather]

The Empire's not all that great, even after it's fallen. Din knows that all too well. It's another moment of the stand off, before Din shifts his stance, blaster slowly being lowered as he straightens.

"Clone trooper, then." Din hadn't met them back home. But no one missed the mews of the War back then. "Good to know." Eventually he lifts the blaster to skyward, dropping into a less threatening stance. His helm tilting as he takes Echo in.

"Have we met before?" It feels odd asking, but he can't help feeling like he knows him.

[on_repeat]

Looks like no one is losing their heads today, which is good for both of them. Echo relaxes as well, arms dropping slowly so that he cradles the blaster in a resting stance.

The more he studies Din and his armor, it brings back a faint memory. "I think we have. Briefly. The armor looks familiar, anyway." He then tilts his head slightly. "The name's Echo."

[foundlingfather]

Indeed, Din certainly doesn't want to lose his blaster, considering last time he didn't come with any of his guns. Having it was a pleasant surprise.

"Call me Mando." He responds, with a nod, yes recognition coming the more he takes the clone in. He eventually flips the blaster down to drop it back into it's holster. "I see not much has changed around here."

[on_repeat]

"Mando it is," Echo nods, finding nothing wrong with the alias. That's practically how clones operate, nicknames and all. "Come to think of it, Reeve mistook me for you back on the ship." He shakes his head. "Although I don't see how he can mix up our armor. They're completely different."

He then looks off to one side, a soft sigh audible in his voice. "Well, I guess it hasn't. Not since the last storm that brought us in."

[foundlingfather]

Echo can't see it, but the mention of the clone being mistaken for him get a raised eyebrow, and a shake of his helm. Really, Reeve?

"Was he on anything, at the time?" Guy needs to get his eyes checked if he can't tell between white and silver. His helm tilts at the last information. "What happened?"

[on_repeat]

A faint snort precedes a chuckle. "Nothing that I know of. He only ate whatever was being served after asking me about the foundling." Because, clearly, Echo still holds some confusion over the question since he initially arrived alone.

There's a subtle shift in the clone's stance, distributing weight from one leg to the other during a short pause. "We all took to the shuttles, only to crash-land on the planet. The storm was already in progress by the time any of us came to. And it brought about...ghosts," he describes, almost as if he doesn't believe his own words. "Familiar voices. Except none of them were friendly."

[foundlingfather]

"Strange." He gives a snort of his own. He's going to have to ask Reeve, if he ever sees him. He can imagine the confusion. His helm tilts to the side as he watches Echo's stance.

"So they sent you down here. Knowing there was a storm going?" He frowns a little under the helmet. Unfriendly ghosts did not sound like a fun time to crash into. What the hell, Agrii? "What were they ghosts of?"

[on_repeat]

The ARC Trooper almost shakes his head. "I'm not exactly sure," is all he can say for the Agrii involvement in the whole thing. "I don't remember them sending us off. They stopped the ship outside of range of the planet, considering their deal with the storms and all..."

Although the feeling of being compelled to go back on their own doesn't sit well with him either.

A noticeable pause comes and goes before Echo answers the Mandalorian's other question. "...In my case? They were my brothers."

[foundlingfather]

Mando tilts his head, brow raised under the helmet. "So not the Agrii's doing then."

No no, being compelled down into a storm doesn't sound pleasant at all.

He's quiet for a moment after Echo's admission, then...."I'm sorry." Echo doesn't need to say it, he can guess.