#desertprincess

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗ Mando’s POV: 

Chattering, glasses smashing, and laughter became more audible as I walked nearer to the cantina. The pucks clatter against my belt as I take my final step into the room. Everyone dimmed down their voices as if the maker just walked in the room. Quiet gasps we’re let out guild members mouths and murmurs spread like a wildfire. I look to my right where I see Greef sitting awaiting my arrival. The flashing light bounced off of my beskar and onto his messy dark hair. “Aaaaah Mando - didn’t take ya long!” Greef exclaims. I let out a small huff and unstrap the rifle off my shoulders to take a seat. Greef’s smile fades into a frown. I knew that face all too well. “Again! No creds again?!” Greef winced as I whisper yelled at him. “I’m beginning to think I should find some other guild to work for.” I angrily mumble. Greef jumps at me saying this. “No no Mando there’s a job that will pay 3 times all 4 of those pucks so would you prefer that or would you like to get payed the usual?” I slightly lean forwards on the counter in shock. “3 times all 4 pucks? The four pucks I have here are each worth 3000 credits already - you saying I can triple that?” Greef’s smug smile returned and he simply nodded. I lean back into my seat. “What’s the job?” Greef stretches his arms and let’s out a breath. “We are to explore the planet Topos for any living residents.” I shake my head. “Many people have tried exploring that dust ball they all wound up dead - the place is inhabitable - the air itself is toxic.” Greef slightly rubs his forehead. “I believe there is life there - now do you want to triple your pay or not… and about the air situation you have a filtered helmet and I’m renting a helmet for myself.” Greef retorts. I guess that covered all my worries, now we’re going to Topos.

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The Razor Crest smoothly landed on the sands of Topos. It was so hot the mountains of sand were fogged by heat illusions. “I can’t believe I’m doing this - this place is hotter than Tatooine.” I mutter to myself. I hear the footsteps of Greef approaching me. “Do you know the story of Topos my friend?” He happily asks. “No” I groan readying myself for a long boring story. “Well…. It was believed that thousands of years ago a man named Zei Morch traveled to Topos in search of spice. He was a pike of course. However when Morch arrived he found no spice but rather millions of pieces of gold and jewellery scattered in a cave underground… this place truly does have more than meets the eye - I can just feel it.” He says gazing at the never ending sand dunes. He was definitely determined to find life… but for what? I take my first step into the sand. My heavy boot sunk in to the sand - not enough to trap it but just slightly sunk. Greef followed by closely. I scanned every mountain of sand searching for a clue - something that would get me off of this planet soon.. but there was nothing. “Greef I don’t think there’s anything.” I mutter. “You are sooo stubborn! This desert is a lot bigger than just a step Mando - we have 5 days to kill let’s look for natives and get your payment.” I say nothing but take another step… followed by another and so on. 

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗ Minutes seemed to be hours on the sand… the heat nibbled at my patience - it wasn’t hard to become hot and bothered in this place. “Hey Mando come look over here!” Greef suddenly yells. I jog over not making an effort to run in this heat. “What?” He simply points at what seems to be a spike sticking out of the sand. “Do you think it’s some sort of dagger natives use?” He questions. “I don’t know.” I reply kneeling to inspect the dusted spike. The spike twitched and the both of us jumped back. Again it twitched but this time the sand around us began to rumble. “Get to the ship!” I yell. Me and Greef scatter towards the Crest. I open the hatch to the ship, jump on it, and ready my rifle aiming at the sand eruption. Soon 2 more spikes popped out of the sand, until about 100 other spikes emerged…. Then out came the head of the beast. It had scaly cream coloured skin and a tough rubbery belly. It’s fangs where huge and it’s head was rather flat. It was definitely some sort of serpent. It’s eyes locked on me and Greef. I aim my rifle at its eye and shoot. The creature barely flinches at the contact of a plasma bullet. “We’re going to have to make a run for it - this thing is useless against the creature!” I yell over the still rumbling sand. The serpent begins slithering through the sand closer to the Crest. “Oh no you don’t.” I mutter dragging Greef into the Crest and closing the hatch. I dash to the cockpit and my hands fly over the controls as I desperately try to escape before the serpent got any nearer. The tail of the serpent rose into the air and grappled the Crest back down to the sand. The Crests shields beeped non stop at the sudden impact whilst I try to get out of the creatures grip. “Come on, come on” I mutter as the Crest fails to get out of the grasp of the beast. When I exhausted the last recourse I had I let out a muffled groan. “Control the ship!” I yell to Greef angrily. Before he could question anything I head down the ladder to the belly of the ship. With a beep of a button the hatch opens revealing a angry hungry serpent. I use my binoculars to search for any weak spot the beast may have…. I located a wound under its chin. “Dank Farrick” that area was out of range for my rifle. I look at my dagger which rested tucked in my belt. “Here goes nothing.” I grumble. I take a few steps back then launch at the beast holding my dagger tight in my hand. When I reach the end of the hatch I jump and my dagger plunges itself into the wound of the serpent. I slide down the throat of the beast whilst holding onto the dagger. A loud high pitched screech was released as green blood dripped down its scales. I finally reached the ground and the serpent fell limply deep into the sand. sand flew everywhere around me and the ship was finally freed. 

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When I finally entered the ship Greef had a smug smile worn across his lips and he nodded in approval of what I did. “Let’s get off this rock.” Greef’s expression quickly changed to shock. “Mando we haven’t seen any natives!” He complains. “That’s because there are no natives!” I shout. “That creature was proof there’s life here, it wasn’t wearing a filtered mask… there has to be SOMETHING” he disagrees. I go to argue but decide it’s best to be left alone so I bargain instead. “I’m staying here for one more day… if we don’t see any humanoid species we’re leaving.” I offer. Greef nods with a warm smile. 

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗ Y/n POV:

You sat on the soft sand. Your hands fiddled with the grains. The sun cast golden strings across the horizon. “You should get some rest y/n” you slightly shake your head. “Somethings going to happen.. I can feel it.” You say never taking your gaze off the setting sky. Ziiima takes a seat next to you on the rock you sat comfortably at. “Y/n just because you lead our tribe - doesn’t mean you can tell what is coming.” You huff in annoyance. “I trust the desert to tell me what is to come.” Ziiima simply shakes her head and walks away back to the underground village. If only they understood the urge you felt in your body - something worth while - something good was going to happen.

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

Mando’s POV: 

The second day on Topos came quicker then Greef would’ve hoped. “Ready for our last day here?” I ask looking at a still tired Greef. “You neeevver know we may find life!” He says enthusiastically. I didn’t believe that we would find a humanoid species but he really did. Before leaving we took a sip of water which we packed before we left for Topos. 

“hey Mando wanna hear a fun fact?” Greef asks happily. “Not really” I huff. “Too bad - people who have survived here say that once they travel here if they travel to Tatooine after visiting here Tatooine is meant to feel like Hoth!” “This place is boiling hot.” I reply. 

The two of us continued walking for four hours in an unforgiving heat. We didn’t realise we traveled so far… we couldn’t walk for much longer. After about 10 more minutes of walking black blobs formed and clouded my vision then within a blink of an eye I’m on the ground and then things just went black. 

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗ Muffled voices filled my ears. Every few seconds the voices would become more clear. I force my eyes open and a comfortable dimness is met with them. I look over my shoulder and see Greef unconscious on a dusty cement. “Where the-” when I look up I see a dozen humans… none wearing a mask or helmet. One woman caught my eye though. She had glossy plump lips, the most loyal green eyes I have ever seen - yet I sensed bravery and leadership in her eyes… she had slightly tanned skin, and long partly curled eyelashes… her hair was long and a beautiful h/c. My fantasy is interrupted by groans of Greef waking up. There are people on this planet.

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=P=a=r=t=2=

“Woah” Was the only thing Greef could say when he saw living beings. “Where are we?” I ask a little hesitantly. “Pedimes oasis” The woman I had my eye on before replies. “Your lucky the Miga Rora didn’t sense you.” She continues. “Miga - what what?” Greef blurts out. “Miga Rora - it’s a giant serpent like creature who senses any kinds of metal. “Oh we ran into that one earlier” Greef chuckles. “Why is everyone’s eyes green here?” I ask calmly. The woman turns her attention to me and I can feel her dark emerald eyes piercing through the beskar. “After effects of the toxic air.” She plainly states. “That would bring me to my next question.” Greef says with a grin. “Ask” the lady says carrying a mysterious tone behind her voice. “How do you guys breath here? The air is toxic! Your not wearing any masks or helmets.” The woman simply dips her hand into her chest and brings out a necklace. It had dangly silver chains which hooked around her neck and at the bottom hung a storm coloured crystal. “This is a aerio crystal. It is filled with a gas and when you snap the crystal the gas will fill your nostrils and allow you to breathe here for five rotations… after those rotations pass we must search for another one - we have many here.” Greefs eyes are widened and his jaw is dropped. He was so fascinated. I decide to stand up and dust my cape a little. I guess since we did find people now we have to stay a few days. I notice the woman’s gaze on me so I look up. Our gazes met for a second but she quickly busied herself with something else. “MY LADY!” I jolt my head around to find a man tripping over his own feet he was running so fast. “What is it Fasu?” The woman asks worriedly. “My lady?” I ask in astonishment. She simply nods her head at me. “There are other people here! They say their looking for gold.” The woman’s eyes widen and her eyebrows furrow in distress. “LOI ONTAI!” She screams to the people of her tribe. The people silently packed their stuff and hid in secret passageways. “Oh you want to protect your gold in the caves right? Didn’t Morch take all the gold when he came?” The woman’s green eyes looked at Greef. If eyes could kill Greef would’ve been dead by the way she glared at him. “He took it all without mercy!” She screams in harsh tone. “No mercy what’s that mean?” I ask surprisingly concerned. “Zei Morch the pike didn’t find gold - he found us! He called us his gold - we lived our life then came along Morch and enslaved our people treating us like objects, treating us like gold.” She says with glossy eyes. “My mother was taken by Morch… so now it’s my turn to lead my people of this generation into the right path.”  With that she was off. She went out of the underground tunnel and into the desert. “Where’s she going?” Greef asks with eyes widened. “She’s going to face them.” I mutter rather to myself than anyone else. Before Greef can say anything else I run into the sand standing side to side with the desert princess.

Y/n POV:

You stood strong against desert winds. In front of you was a ship and a bunch of masked humans. “What do you want from my people?” You yell at them. “Nothing - we want your gold.” They retort. Before you could say anything else a gun shot rang through the desert air. You gasp at it. You look down to see red liquid staining your creamy gown. You had never experienced this kind of pain due to not being advanced enough for such weaponry. You fell to your knees and felt the soft grainy sand between your fingers. Then you felt something else wrap around your hips. They were leathery and rough. You cough out a little blood and hear a modulated voice say “easy easy.” The Mandalorian rolled you over so you were facing his helmet and lying in his lap. His helmet was all a blur to you. Mando held your wound tight in his hand to stop the blood. “We need to get you to a med on Nevarro” he mutters. Your eyes feel heavy but you force yourself to speak. “No - c-can’t leave p-people.”

To Be Continued

=P=a=r=t=3

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

Mando’s POV:

My heart sank at the sight of the desert princess laying limp in my lap. I only knew her for about 20 minutes but I felt a strong connection... it felt like the chain of connection was broken when I saw her - blood staining her cloaths and horror covering all her features. “I can’t believe my luck!” A human with straight silky brown hair shouts through the winds of the desert. “A Mandalorian - full of beskar head to toe!” he shouts out once again. “Protect my people.” was all the princess could whisper as she laid in my lap. I clenched her wound tighter - not in a way to hurt her but just enough to ease some of my furry. Her whole body was tensed and I felt as if it was my fault for not making it in time. My eyes fall close under my helmet for a split second. “Kill him.” the man orders to the others like it was the most simple thing in the world to do. They take one step then another - what they don’t know is i’m slowly powering up my whistling birds. Another step is taken and then all 3 humans fall limp on the ground including the leader with a sound of a whistle. 

╔═══*.·:·.☽✧    ✦    ✧☾.·:·.*═══╗

I turn my attention back onto the princess. “p-princess?” I could tell she forced her heavy eyes open to face the glossy black visor of mine. “Take - m-me t-t-t-to S-Selma” she orders weakly. I do as she says within the second and bolt back into the cave holding her bridal style. “Excuse me - I need someone named Selma!” I bloat out hurriedly knowing she would fall unconscious soon. Everyone was concerned yet a hint of confusion was visible on all their faces.... didn’t they care? An old woman with a wooden cane came huddling out of a small room. Her expression was worried and confused. I took my chances and guessed that was Selma.” Can you help her?” I ask in a gentle voice. The old lady lifted a wrinkled eyebrow and scrunched her nose. “She.... will...... need..... eucalypts.... to..... stop.....pain” she slowly reveals. Did they have any? “Follow.....me” she continues in a raspy voice. I do as she says. 

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I laid her on a small bed made of soft sand.... due to being underground the sand was at perfect temperature... not too hot, nor too cold. Selma hovered around the princess and chanted. “ ere so se ena o’ti athei gemise.” she kept on rechanting the same words over and over.... not even my translator could pick up on what she was saying. Around the princesses waist was a large leaf of eucalypts wrapped neatly and tied at the stem. Finally Serma stopped chanting and I searched all signs of her face desperately looking for any smile to confirm that the princess was going to live. “She will wake up at dawn tomorrow.” was the last thing Serma said before leaving the room. I decided to stay until she woke up. 

To Be Continued...

Hey it’s the author here - i’m sorry chapter 3 was short it was more of Din’s relationship developing for y/n and don’t worry Din will learn your name in the next chapter so he doesn’t call you princess anymore :)