Chapter Text
The Razor Crest, its patched-up hull gleaming under the harsh twin suns of Tatooine, hummed with renewed life. Din Djarin, the Mandalorian, stood at the ramp, Grogu tucked securely in the hover cradle beside him. Peli Motto's repairs had been swift and professional, leaving his ship not only functional but also looking a little less like a salvaged scrap heap. Din was ready to leave this scorching rock behind and get back to the anonymity of space.
He took a step toward the ramp, the heavy thud of his armored boots echoing in the stillness of the hangar. That's when he noticed it. A small C1 agromech droid, its slightly dingy silver and purple plating a stark contrast to the largely well-maintained ship interior, was fiddling with the ship's data port on one of the walls. The dome of the droid swiveled, its photoreceptors scanning the area as it continued to rotate its scomp arm.
"Hey!" Din's voice, a low rumble filtered through his helmet's vocoder, cut through the silence. "What are you doing?"
The droid's dome spun toward him, its body whirring in surprise. It emitted a series of panicked beeps and tripped over itself before quickly scuttling away.
"What's goin' on in here!?" a voice called out, and Peli Motto hustled into the ship, a datapad clutched in her hand. "Oh, it's just her."
The droid quickly wheeled to a stop beside her leg, letting out a series of nervous chirps. Peli knelt down, placing a reassuring hand on its dome. "Don't mind her," she said, looking up at Din. "This is C1-3O, but I call her Cleo. She's a plucky little thing, loves to tinker. She was just looking at your ship, didn't mean any harm."
A mournful wooom escaped the little droid. Din hesitated. He glanced back at the agromech, then at Peli, who had a knowing look on her face.
"She's got a sad whine, doesn't she?" Peli said, her eyes fixed on the agromech. She looked back at Din, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "Listen, buddy, I know you're in a hurry, but… maybe you could do me a little favor?"
Din didn't move, his stance remaining rigid. "No," he said flatly, his voice lacking any room for debate. He already knew where this was going. He'd had enough trouble with droids to last a lifetime.
Peli sighed, walking closer and crossing her arms. "I'm not asking you to adopt her. Just... take her with you. For a week. Let her see a little of the galaxy. If you still hate her by then, just bring her back here. What do you say?"
Din's head tilted slightly. "A week?" he repeated. It was a deal, a negotiation. He considered the cost of a week of annoyance versus the gratitude of Peli Motto, a woman whose mechanical know-how had been invaluable to him.
"Yeah, a week. She's a Clone War era droid, hasn't seen any excitement in decades. I can tell she's dyin' of boredom hangin' out around here all day. Come on, do this for me and I'll owe you one. Hell, I'll owe you five!"
Din was about to give a firm "no" once more, but a soft coo interrupted him. Grogu was leaning out from his cradle, his large, inquisitive eyes fixed on the little droid. The child's three-fingered hands reached out, a small gesture of curiosity.
Cleo, who had been hiding slightly behind Peli's leg, immediately took notice. The agromech's mournful whine transformed into a series of eager, excited beeps and chirps. Her treads whirred as she rolled forward. A pair of retractable arms extended from the sides of her dome, reaching out tentatively toward the child.
"See? The kid likes her." Peli watched the interaction and smiled. "And here's the thing." Her voice dropped to a conspiratorial whisper. "As far as I can tell, she's never had a memory wipe, and it shows. She's familiar with several different ship configurations. And if she isn't familiar with one, she's a quick learner. She can operate computers lightning fast, and she's highly customizable. Give her some space and a data port, and she'll make your life easier. Trust me, she'd be a huge asset for a busy guy like you."
Looking back at the droid playing with his giggling charge, Mando let out a defeated sigh. If the kid liked her, what did he have to lose?
"Fine. But only for a week."
Peli smiled as C13O let out a series of happy chirps. Mando just hoped he wouldn't regret this.