#mandalorian reader

Anakin sighed breathlessly as he sat in your lap, his front against yours as his legs were hooked around your middle. It was very difficult, if not outright impossible for you two to spend any time together ever since the war started. With Anakin leading his own group of clones and being well known across the galaxy as the hero with no fear, to you being a Mandalorian member of a covert, meaning you didn’t want any attention on you, or said covert.

But there were times you two could find little pockets in your busy convoluted schedules to spend some time together, even if that meant Anakin having to sit in your lap as you were seating in the pilot seat of your ship, the galaxy outside rushing by thanks to hyperspace. Normally you two would have used this little time you had together to get a quick fuck in, to get as much out of one another as possible and to wring the other dry. But something must have happened on Anakin’s last mission, as he had situated himself in your lap, seating himself on your cock and just feeling you.

Anakin was never one for patience, so it left worry niggling in the back of your head as your jedi lover slowly rolling his hips. There wasn’t any exact purpose to his movements, there was no hurry to get either of you over the edge, there was simply a search for closeness and love.

You could feel him kissing at the little piece of skin exposed between your helmet and the flight suit you wore, Anakin’s hands loosely gripping your biceps as he sucked a hickey the one area he was able. It was a shame you couldn’t take your helmet off around him, not without you two getting married, but you hoped the day would come soon. Instead, Anakin had to settle with kissing your chin, or the few times you would pull your helmet up high enough for him to kiss you on the lips.

Soft praise in mandoa passed from your lips as his insides squeezed slightly around your shaft, making you groan softly in appreciation. You were nowhere near close, but that didn’t seem to matter to either of you. All that seemed to have any importance right now was the fact that you were inside him, and Anakin was warming you, creating a connection that could only be shared between lovers.

It was the closest you two could get in some cases. You weren’t force sensitive, and even if you were, the beskar of your armor wouldn’t have allow any type of mind connection, so warming your cock was another way to feel that type of closeness. That’s what Anakin said at least.

With a kiss to the top of his head through your helmet, you settled your hands on his hips, lazily rocking him along to the pace he had set himself, satisfaction filling your veins when he sighed softly in warm pleasure and devotion, a deep burning feeling that was returned just as strongly in yourself.

As the stars rushed by outside the windows of your ship, you reached up to push your helmet up just enough to expose your lips, the lips that rarely saw the light of day, and were so rarely seen by another person. Anakin peeks an eye open and cracks that handsome smile of his that always has your heart fluttering, and with a soft pull at his hips, he leans in and carefully kisses you. His insides squeeze around you, making you huff against his lips, but Anakin just laughs.

With a grin, you adjusted the controls, leaning back in your worn pilot’s chair. Your black and blue painted armor gleaned dully in the cockpit lights, reflecting the occasional flicker from the starry display. The rhythmic beats matched your heartbeat as you primed your ship for landing on the nearby planet’s spaceport, for some repairs and supplies

You checked your dwindling credit’s and winced. Just then however, a flicker of static interrupted the music. A message blinked into view from your transceiver. You clicked the answer button, sliding your helmet back on as you did so, leaning back in your seat as Saw Gerrerra popped up.

“Saw.” You greeted, but the man looked like pleasantries were way off the table. “We need you on Eriadu, I'm sending you the coordinates now with your mission details. Then com me and meet me at the rondevu.” He instructed before ending the call. You huffed, quickly taking the joysticks of your ship's center console, maneuvering out of the asteroids and into free space, typing in the coordinates that were sent before jumping into hyperspace.

When you had arrived at Eriadu you followed Gerrerra’s instructions, which were basically fly around and prepare for pickup. You were flying low, hiding your ship in the canyons surrounding the empire’s main base of operations. You had scrambled your ship's signature in order to sneak by the sensors, so they had no idea you were here.

You were flying slowly, hidden by the fog but still able to see where you were flying… and that was when you saw someone falling from the rail carts. Your eyes widened, and you quickly maneuvered your ship towards the falling figure, placing your ship in “float mode” as you ran out of the cockpit and down the ramp.

You had equipped your jet pack so you just flew straight out of the ship, plummeting down towards the falling man. Before he could hit the ground, you managed to catch him in your arms, the added weight making you stumble as you ran across the ground before sliding to a stop.

“Hey man, you good?” You asked once landed, the man still held in your arms as he looked at you, eyes wide in surprise. His helmet was strange, with goggles instead of a shielded visor. Eventually you put him down, and he stared at the ground, and then back at you.

“yes i-” The man paused, nodding again. “Thank you.” He added, and you nodded. “You with Saw Gerrera?” You asked, but he shook his head. “No- i’m here with my brothers… Do you perchance have a vessel?” The man asked, and you nodded. “Yeah. First you're gonna tell me your name, then we can figure out what to do next.” You teased me. The man nodded, removing his helmet.

He was quite cute, his hair forming soft curls against his forehead, a lighter brown that accentuated his amber eyes. He was around your height, if not a few inches shorter. “My name is Tech.” He introduced, and you nodded, slowly removing your helmet as well.

Tech’s eyes widened, but you didn’t notice. You also didn’t happen to notice the slight blush on his cheeks too. “My name is Y/n. Now I'm gonna have to carry you again.” You stated, winking at Tech before placing your helmet back on your head. Tech nodded and did the same, and you picked the man back up in your arms.

He wrapped his arms around your neck as one of your arms supported his back, the other his knees and you lifted off into the air, flying back through the ramp and cargo entrance before setting Tech down again as you landed on your feet. You closed the ramp and ran up to the cockpit, seeing a beeping transmission.

You answered it. taking the controls of your ship again as Tech sat in the seat beside you. “We need pickup Y/n! Where are you?” Saw shouted, and you huffed. “On my way, I had an unexpected pickup.” You answered, soaring out of the canyon and towards the rondevu point. You kept your ship hovering, lowering the ramp as Saw and the others entered.

You flew away, breaking through the atmosphere before setting coordinates to one of the rebel planets and jumping to hyperspace. You released the controls, setting your helmet down on the top of the console as you turned to Tech. “I gotta deal with them, then I can help you.” You explained, gesturing for him to stay put before you walked out of the cockpit and to the center room before your tiny sleeping areas.

“What happened?” You asked as you saw Saw, who looked stressed. “Clones happened, The Bad Batch more specifically.” He huffed, and you raised an eyebrow as he gave you a brief explanation. “Ah okay, well they are right you know.” you stated, and he glared at you.

You raised your hands in surrender, but continued. “They’re only going to re-establish their ranks, if you want to end this empire, you gotta take out bigger ideas. Like infantry units, training centers. Communications centers and command stations.” You listed, crossing your arms over your armored chest. “Anyway, all I'm saying is that killing officers will only halt progress for a little while. Then you’ll have to do it again, and again and you’ll never stop fighting.” You finished, waving at them to rest up as you walked back into the cockpit.

Tech stared up at you as you entered, having removed his helmet again. “I heard what you said… Those were my brothers he was talking about.” Tech stated, and you hummed. “So you're a clone? you don’t look like a clone.” You stated, seeing him smile a little bit before explaining that he and his brothers were an experimental enhanced unit made during the clone wars. Their DNA was twisted, and they came out much different.

Tech had superior smarts, amongst other things, but his brain was information central according to his brothers.

“I see, well that's quite cool.” You started with a grin. “I guess that almost makes you Mandalorian.” You joked, and Tech chuckled for a moment. “Not really, however, I appreciate the sentiment.” he stated.

Soon you dropped from hyperspace, and dropped Saw and his mercenaries off at their destination. You topped up on rations and fuel, and did a bit of repairs with Tech’s help before taking off again.

“So, you have a home Tech?” You asked him, almost feeling… disappointed that he was going to be leaving so soon.

“Yes, Pabu is where i… reside with my brothers.” He answered, and you nodded, putting in the coordinates, only to feel Tech’s hand on yours, stopping you for a moment.

“I know we have only been acquainted for a few hours, but I have enjoyed conversing with you. And I would love to learn more about your culture, discover more than what is in the datapad.” He paused, pursing his lips before he looked at you again. “What I am trying to say is, you saved my life. And I would like to spend more time with you.” He breathed out, almost expecting the hard reality of no, or a disgusted look.

But instead you smiled warmly, nodding. “I would love that Tech, thank you.” You beamed, and finished setting the coordinates before entering hyperspace. “Here, you can use my transceiver to contact your brothers and let them know you're alive. Keep an eye on the controls while I go make us some food.” You stated, pointing to your transceiver before you walked away.

When you had come back you noticed Tech was still talking with his brothers, who were all talking over each other as they argued. When they saw you however, they went quiet. The one who looked and held himself as a leader spoke up.

“You saved our brother, and we are so grateful. If you weren't there we- well, he would have died. So thank you, burc’ya” The man spoke up, using a word in your native tongue which made you smile. “It was no problem, truly. Tech has been an amazing company, and a good friend in this short time.” You expressed, and the man nodded.

“That's good to hear. See you soon. And Tech? never do that again.” The man stated before the transmission ended. You chuckled, handing Tech a bowl of Tiingilar, a hearty Mandalorian dish which Tech devoured.

It was about a standard rotation’s worth of hyperspace travel before you reached the island of Pabu. Since you were across the galaxy after dropping off Gerrera. Tech told you where to land, where you already saw quite a large welcoming party.

You landed, opening the ramp as you and Tech stood up, both your helmets under your arms as you walked up together. However as Tech scanned the area, he realized that one was missing.

“Where is Omega?” He asked, and the leader, whom Tech had told you was Hunter, frowned. “We went back to Ord mantell- and Cid she- she betrayed us to the empire. They took Omega.” Hunter explained.

Tech balled his hands into fists as he stared at the ground, shoulders sagging when he felt the warmth of your hand through his armor.

“Then we find her.” You spoke up, determination lacing your voice. “I have some contacts spying within the empire, I can ask around, acting like a bounty hunter in case it gets traced. Not like it will- but still-” you rambled for a moment, before pausing.

“This Omega, she's obviously a very important foundling, yes?” You asked, and Hunter raised his eyebrow foundling?” He asked, and you huffed, readying to explain.

“Yes, a young being abandoned by its parents, raised by others.” You explained simply. Hunter nodded. “yeah… she’s our sister.” Hunter stated, and you nodded. “There! even more of a reason we should find her yea?” You asked, nodding to yourself. “I'll get on it then, is there somewhere more secure to have my ship in the meantime?” You asked, and Tech rubbed his chin.

“Yes, there is a cave entrance where you can park.” He stated, and Hunter gawked. “What? when did that exist?” Wrecker spoke up with a shout. Tech sighed. “I thought it was obvious.” He started, looking over at you with a smile. “Thank you, for helping us.” He stated, grasping your hand in his own.

You nodded. “Of course Tech, it’s the right thing to do.” You stated, nodding to him once more before you released his hand and entered the ship, taking off to park your ship in a more secluded location.

There you scrambled your signature again before reaching out to your imperial contacts. There really wasn’t much in the way of where Omega could have been taken, or why. But there was talk of something called M-count, and a name. Tantiss.

So for weeks you worked alongside Tech and his brothers, hunting, searching and gaining intel, almost getting killed quite a few times, especially by living vines. Now that was exhilarating.

But almost all intel you and The Bad Batch had gathered had been of no use, there was nothing about Tantiss, barely anything about Hemlock either, the man who took omega in the first place. You could tell the brothers were starting to give up hope, traveling back through hyperspace when the comm’s suddenly went off.

It was Omega, and she had sent coordinates to meet her on one of the moons of Ryloth. It could’ve been a trap, but with you and Tech there, the chances of living were a lot better.

So you went, and watched as Omega embraced Tech and Wrecker, so relieved that Tech was alright. Hunter walked up to you, and you nodded to him, placing a hand on his shoulder as a form of comfort, watching as he walked down before running to meet omega, hugging her tightly.

The reunion was heartfelt, but you could feel tensions rising when a second person stepped out from the imperial ship, a taller man, bald with piercing eyes. Omega argued that he had changed, that he had been betrayed by the empire, But Tech, Hunter and Wrecker were still very much on edge.

You walked down the ramp, ready to aid them if need be.

You stood behind Tech, looming behind him as you turned to look at Crosshair. Your helmet was on, but despite that it looked as if his eyes met yours. You saw the hurt, the guilt and regret in his eyes, and you removed your hand from where it was resting on your blaster.

“We need to leave, before the Empire shows up.” You stated, and walked back to the Marauder with Tech on your heels as his hand once again found yours. Hand holding has become a form of comfort between you and Tech these past weeks. And you found yourself feeling more for him than just friendship.

But now wasn’t the right time, and you both knew that.

But soon, Omega and Crosshair were back on Pabu, and the whole bad batch was reunited it seemed, as Echo was waiting on Pabu for them, for Crosshair’s information more specifically.

While they talked, you felt a tug on your poncho, which you had started wearing more recently after finding it in a Pabu stall.

You looked down, noticing the young girl, Omega, smiling at you. “So are you Tech’s boyfriend?” She asked, and you let out a choked sound, glancing over at Tech who seemed to have the same reaction.

You knelt down, removing your helmet as you stared at her. “No young one… but would I have your blessing if I wanted him to be?” You asked quietly, and she squealed in excitement. “Yes! of course!” Sh exclaimed, and you chuckled, looking over at Tech with a smile before standing up again.

So much more had happened after this, Omega was taken again, and everyone was devastated, including you, since you had grown to care for the young girl during the calm before the storm.

After Omega was taken, you had been relieved to have hidden your ship elsewhere, since the Marauder had been destroyed. You had to move some stuff around, but you had made the addition of four other people work, especially since you and Tech started sharing a room.

Getting Omega back was the only thing on all of your minds, but that didn’t stop the light touches, the hand holding. You didn’t complain when Tech would slip into your quarters after enjoying a meal with his brothers, and he would relax into your embrace before falling asleep.

Echo had joined up in your efforts when you had actually located Tantiss. You had left your ship at one of the clone rebels' bases, and piloted an imperial ship instead, in order to sneak into Tantiss. Omega was smart enough to break herself out, but during that time you and the other batchers, including Tech, had gotten separated.

You were with Echo and a new addition, Emerie, when you hid against a wall as clones and troopers walked by, and your eyes widened when you saw Crosshair, Wrecker and Tech’s unconscious bodies being carried away.

After that you fought like hell until everyone was safe. Even Hunter couldn’t deny that you were a ruthless warrior, even before you snapped you were incredible.

But Tantiss was destroyed at the end, The Bad Batch reunited, and you had decided to settle down on Pabu, your’s and Tech’s growing relationship finally able to blossom. You had taught the younger clones on the island all about Mandalorian traditions, and it felt like you had started your own clan on Pabu. Clan 99 you had joked.

But in reality these men had become your family. And Tech would stand beside you through it all.

“Ner cabur.” Tech whispered into your chest as you laid with him, you smiled, kissing the top of his head.

“Ner kar’ta, Ni kar'tayl gar darasuum”

➺

Tag list:

Tech tag:

Tbb:

“W-Wolffe,” you breathed, stepping to the side.

“Echo said you’d turned this place into a bakery,” he hummed as he looked around. “I mean, it was pretty much already one but I guess now it’s official.”

“Yeah,” you said again, cursing your apparent inability to say anything else.

“Still got that spare room upstairs?” he continued. The question seemed innocent, but the way his gaze landed on you sent your heartbeat racing.

“I- um, well, not exactly,” you stumbled. “Since I opened up the downstairs to be the bakery, my living room and kitchenette are now in that spare room.”

Wolffe nodded, though his eyes never left you.

You could feel yourself shying away from that intense, mismatched gaze, so you quickly returned to your kitchen, and back to working the large mound of dough.

Wolffe had followed you, leaning against the entryway to watch you work.

“That looks like a lot,” he hummed.

“It’s fine,” you shrugged.

“I-I could help,” he said. “If you want.”

You barked a laugh as you left the dough to wash your hands. “Yeah, Mister I-Can-and-Have-Burnt-Water,” you smirked. “Like I’m gonna let you in my professional kitchen.”

“I’m not that bad,” he scowled, though the hint of a smile tugging at his lips told you he wasn’t actually offended.

“Why are you here, Wolffe?” you asked abruptly, pointing your bench scraper at him. “You and I both know Echo already told you about how I rearranged my house.”

Wolffe scratched at the back of his neck. “Yeah, he did.”

“What do you want from me?”

Wolffe went silent, not meeting your eye. You sighed and went back to cutting and shaping small balls from the mass of dough.

“A second chance,” he finally murmured, moving closer to you until he stood at the other side of your workbench. “I-I was an idiot, sarad. I got scared and–”

“You got scared,” you repeated, setting your work aside and wiping your hands on your apron. “You disappeared. You went off on a mission with Rex and then had Gregor tell me you weren’t coming back.”

“Sarad–”

“Don’t ‘sarad’ me, Wolffe!” you growled, stepping around the table to get in his face. “You just show up one day and sweep me off my feet, calling me ‘sarad’ and ‘mesh’la’, taking me out on dates. Maker, you spent a year romancing me, and then when I say you could move out of Hunter’s house and into mine, you disappear in the middle of the night? And now, two years later, you want back in?”

He stood silent, never dropping his eyes from your fiery gaze, but his hand lifted, slowly and gently coming up to brush away some errant flour from your cheek. That briefest moment of contact sent shivers down your spine. You couldn’t quite recall the last time anyone had touched you with such soft intent.

“Meh ni reta’naa’vaabir bic an,” he whispered, his hand still resting softly against your cheek. “Ibac cuy an ni reta’vercopaanir bah vaabir.” [If I could undo it all, that is all I could hope to do.]

Your breath was taken for a moment, but you quickly regained your senses and pushed his hand away. “Tion’jor ne’ret gar rejorhaa’ir ni ru gar ru’ba’slanar?” you hissed back in your native tongue. [Why couldn’t you tell me before you left?]

Wolffe turned away. “I have no excuses,” he said. “I shouldn’t have left at all and I never should have sent someone else to tell you. I was hutyc.”

“You hurt me, Wolffe,” you said, wrapping your arms around yourself. “You broke my heart.”

“I don’t expect you to ever forgive me or trust me again,” he continued. “But I’ll never stop trying to earn it.”

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Thanks for reading! - River

12 Days of Christmas Master List DangRaccoon Master List Tag List Form Read on AO3

To put it shortly, he makes great Gi dumpling soup. And Tiingilar. His Mustafarian Lava Bun is absolutely delectable, not to mention the Franikhad he cooks up, or that Corellian Ryshcate he made for you after you got some disease from a snotty Mon Calamari child... Oh, and the Quor'sav Fried Steak he made for you after that one hunt, or the one time where he made his own, slightly healthier version of the Raxus Slider from Dex's Diner.

There's nothing you love more than coming back from a long, arduous hunt to the smell of hot, just-out-of-the-oven food, apart from maybe the hug that follows - usually involving you dropping the bounty on the floor, chucking your rifle in the opposite direction (once you check the safety's on, of course) and hurling yourself at his back, trusting his connection with the Force to inform him that a heavily armoured Mandalorian is flying in a collision course for his ass. The expression on his face is always priceless, the soft melody dying an untimely death in the back of his throat as he drops the wooden spoon in his hand and catches you with the strength and precision of  a Sith lord. You can almost the strong grip of his powerful arms now, can almost hear the deep chuckle he'll let out as you kick your feet, toes brushing the ground from where he's lifted you into his embrace.

Your feet drag in the desert dust. How you wish for the insufferable, hot headed Zabrak now, with an unconscious bounty that feels like it's made of the solid beskar slung over your shoulder, the sun beating down on you as you trudge towards the ship - a mere speck on the horizon. Yes, you may tease him all the time that you're the bread winner, but sometimes you wish you were the one at home, pottering around in a 'please do nothing to the cook' apron and humming contentedly to yourself. You reckon you might even be able to avoid burning the whole ship down, although the food you produce may or may not be inedible. It's safe to say that the roles you both carry are fitting - you can't prepare food for your life, and if you put Maul on a hunt he'll either lose patience or find some trace of Kenobi that he can pursue eternally until you remind him that you'll all starve if he leaves you alone to do the cooking.

With every step, the arches of your feet radiate pain all the way up your legs, and the tiny silver glimmer on the horizon seems to slip further and further away, taking with it your promise of food and a pretty, tattooed, Zabrak man wife. The bounty over your shoulder groans, and you don't even think twice, you just sling the Iktochi onto the ground, watching passively until he stumbles, tripping over a rock, and you shoot out a hand to grab his arm in a vice like grip, steadying him. Digging the barrel of your blaster into his back, you urge him forward.

"Don't even fucking think about trying anything," you huff grumpily.

Without the heavy, insistent weight of the bounty on your back, you relax a little, picking up the pace and forgetting your plans to just leave it all to hell and kill him, even if it meant you had to take half the pay. You roll your eyes when the Iktochi trips again, this time dropping to his knees on the ground. It doesn't escape your notice that he scoops a rock off the ground, probably a last resort weapon, but you ignore it for now - he'll be in carbonite soon, and if he tries anything, he'll have to deal with a grumpy, half starved Mandalorian and a Sith Lord with anger issues.

You're almost to the ship, happily trundling along, so close that the sun reflects off the hull and right into your eyes, when the bounty makes a break for it. It's rather pitiful, if you're being honest. All he does is launch himself in the opposite direction, the rock that had been previously hiding in his sleeve reappearing and rebounding with a clear, laughably bell like noise off your helmet. Maybe he'd been banking on the fact that you'd rather have him alive so wouldn't shoot immediately, but you're smarter than that - the blaster setting flicks to stun in a millisecond, and in the next, he's falling, eating the dust.

Staring at the unconscious body before you, you wrinkle your nose. Are you really going to drag that dead weight all the way up to the ramp, prop it up while you prepare the carbonite chamber, then struggle to not get your arm frozen in the process? It takes less time for you to decide than it took for you to stun the quarry. No. No way.

"Maul!" You yell, banging on the side of the ship. "I'm home!"

A few seconds later, the ramp slowly lowers, and he pokes his head out, a smile brightening his face. He's a sight for sore eyes, shirtless and clad in nothing but some boxers and the iconic 'please do nothing to the cook' apron that he bought for himself after you... attacked him while he was cooking too many times: a common morning occurrence, which he claims is a bother, but secretly, or not so secretly, enjoys. His tattoos form constellations up his arms and across his muscle sheathed chest, and you watch, starry eyed for a few seconds before you shake some sense into yourself. Maker, you don't even have the strength to run into his arms today, instead waving helplessly at the body on the floor with a sheepish smile.

"Some help?" You ask. "I'm in a bit of a Sith-uation here."

He groans. "My love; that was awful."

"I beg to differ, Maul. It was hilarious."

The crimson Zabrak rolls his eyes, strolling down the ramp and over to you. He pauses before you, and you think he's going to bend down and hoist the bounty into his arms, but instead he lunges forwards and grabs you, throwing you easily over his shoulder. You yelp in protest, beating your fists against his back, but don't do much else in terms of struggling - you can finally relax, and although you'd envisioned actually sitting down while Maul supplied you with a glass of water and a kiss on the head, this will do just fine. Swinging your legs, you watch from your upside down position as Maul stoops to grab the Iktochi's tunic, slinging him onto the opposite shoulder like a sack of those fried Protatos they sell in Coruscant.

"Alright," you sigh. "I can see you're trying to make a point here."

"Was it with success?"

"Yes, unfortunately," you growl. "Put me down, Oppress."

"No need to get feisty," he croons. "I made Tiingilar."

It's actually almost embarassing how fast you perk up. Food will do that to a hungry Mandalorian like you, you guess. No one makes Tiingilar like Maul does - you haven't tried something as authentic tasting since you left Mandalore, but then, it would make sense, as he was ruler of Mandalore for a while. Knowing Maul, he probably figured out how to make the dish in private, testing out and measuring the exact mass of the spices to add.

Maul sets you down gently at the table as he hauls the bounty over to the carbonite freezer, and you dig into the steaming stew, setting your helmet on the table beside you. Smiling, your Sith sits down beside you, pausing your hurried eating when he cups your jaw, tilting your face to his so he can kiss you, his lips pulling up into a grin against yours as you snake a hand around the back of his head to pull him closer, leaning into his touch. Once he releases you, it doesn't take you long to eat the food he's prepared for you, and you groan, cradling your food baby as you set the clean bowl onto the table.

"That was so good, Maul," you sigh. "You spoil me."

"Anything to see that pretty face of yours," he replies with a disarming grin.

"Oh, so that's why you cook so much," you tease.

"And because I love you," he whispers, voice dropping a few octaves.

You smile - so hard your cheeks begin to ache. "I love you too, Maul."

————

The entire time I've been looking for this bounty, someone else is a few steps behind me. How do I know? Well I backtracked and paid a bar keep to get ahold of me with any information about someone asking about the individual I had. The Twi-Lek contacted me only hours later with a description. She sounded worried but not for me when she said "All I know is he looked just like you." Two Mandalorians hunting the same bounty? Strange but not completely out of the ordinary. I mean a lot of our people resorted to bounty hunting, with our skill sets and love for getting into fights makes us the best at the job. I decided I would make my way back and tail him for a bit, seeing if he took the bait. Thanks to my cunning wit he did.

    This must be the one the barkeep was talking about - I think to myself. A Mandalorian man walks a few paces ahead of me covered in mismatched pieces of armor topped off with a shiny chrome helmet. I chuckle to myself, knowing that because of my cloak he won't know who or what I am. He stops momentarily like he's aware of my presence but little does he know, I'm a master of hiding in the shadows. Spinning around on his heel he walks my direction, hand hovering over his side arm. I take the opportunity to slip further into the dark, down an alley. He stops in almost the exact spot I was only moments ago. Now that he's closer I can now get a good look at his stature, he's taller than me and definitely more muscular.

    His shiny helmeted head slowly looks my way down the alley - so he's smart...I'll give him that. Taking a few cautious steps, he makes his way towards me. I climb up onto the rooftop of the short building next to me. He should paint that armor, he sticks out like a Bantha in the ocean of sand on Tatooine. Smirking to myself I wait until he is directly below me before clearing my throat. He immediately looks up, drawing his blaster taking a shot at me. Crossing both vambraces in front of me, the bolt pings off my armor, breaking the cold dark silence of the night with a loud crack.

    As if time stood still, I jump down in front of him and one hand connects with the elbow of his outstretched arm causing it to bend, pointing his blaster away from me. Using my other hand, I free the blaster from his grip sending it somewhere into the shadows. He counters with a left hook which passes over my head as I duck, rolling back into the shadows. He loses track of me and frantically spins around preparing for my next move.

    I slink around him in the darkness just out of his view, like a predator circling its prey. He reaches up in a slow careful movement, for his vambrace likely to change the setting on his HUD - I would do the same. To stop him, I crouch and in one swift movement of my foot I catch his ankle, pulling hard, and sending him to the ground face first with a grunt. Standing to my full height, I can't help the chuckle that escapes watching the large man hit the ground by my hand...or foot.

    His head snaps in my direction and I'm immediately full of regret. Using his whip cord, he grabs my leg pulling me flat on my back into the light. I hit the ground so hard it knocked the wind out of me. Next thing I know, he's standing over me staring down at me through his visor. His body language shifts and I realize why, my hood fell while I was being pulled to the ground exposing my helmeted head. Slamming my fist and throwing my head back on the ground, a string of curses in Mando'a leave my lips. When I pick my head back up, he is still standing there staring down at me, the T-snapped visor is almost menacing at this angle.

"You could at least help a girl up" my sassy tone, exaggerated by my helmets modulator.

    He offers me a hand, I take it and he pulls me to my feet.

"I'm sorry if I had known—"

"You weren't supposed to" I cut him off, my tone annoyed "Kinda the point of the hood." I'm not sure what annoys me more, his reaction or the fact he actually got one over on me. I brush myself off and straighten out my Kama. Looking up, I realize he is watching my every move.

I break the silence, getting right to the point "So you've been tracking me? Or my bounty at least. Why?"

"Quite honestly, I didn't know I was tracking you. You cover your tracks well." He compliments me and for a moment my pride swells. I didn't work this hard to become the expert I am just to have some di'kut (fool) ruin it. He pulls out a bounty puck from his pocket, showing it to me. It displays the face of the same man I'm hunting.

"Well I hate to break it to you, but I was here first." I say, poking him square in the chest plate. Now with how close we are and standing still, I can see how worn his armor is. It probably belonged to a family member of his or something. Although with the shiny shoulder pauldron and helmet, it makes me wonder if he's a foundling. They often use whatever armor they can find or are given until they can make their own. These days however, beskar is quite difficult to come by.

His voice pulls me from my thoughts, "How about we work together. Share the profits?"

I immediately scoff, crossing my arms over my chest and shifting my weight to one leg. "I don't think so. I work alone. Plus I'd be taking a pay cut."

"Your loss" He says monotone before turning to pick his blaster up before walking away.

    I'm taken aback by his comment. Does he really think he's better than me? One of my biggest downfalls is people doubting me just because I'm a woman.

"You know...the last man to doubt me ended up with a broken nose and stitches."

He continues walking as if he didn't hear me, but I know he did. "Te jatne beroya kelir parjir (may the best bounty hunter win)" I whisper under my breath. Flipping my hood back over my head, I storm off in the opposite direction he went.

    Cursing to myself in my native tongue, I take a few moments to collect myself from the encounter and get back to work. Before the Twi-lek had gotten a hold of me about my tail, I had tracked the bounty to a small village a few kicks due north. It's quite a distance to walk but I really don't feel the need to take my ship there. Thankfully I've stashed my speeder bike on board, it makes for tight living quarters but it works I guess.

    Once I reach my ship, I give the bike a quick once over before dragging it down the ramp. Giving it a quick start, it seems to be running fine. I hop on and speed off towards the small down, in hopes my counterpart hasn't already caught on. Luckily for me, I paid the Twi-lek a little extra to send him astray.

———

    By the time I make it to the village, the early morning sun is beginning to brighten the sky. The village also appears to be waking up which is perfect. A few people are milling around giving me strange looks and at first they are stand offish - which really is not a surprise to me...people seem to be afraid of Mandalorians. I approach an older woman who doesn't seem to be bothered by my presence.

"Excuse me, I'm sorry to bother you but I'm looking for someone and was wondering if you might help me?"

She doesn't stop what she's doing and speaks quietly, "Not here...follow me." She turns and heads between two of the small huts.

Leading me into a small hut that appears to be some kind of storage shed, she stops. "I figured it was better we talk here."

I cock my head at her. "The locals around here are uneasy about people asking questions. I think I know exactly who you are looking for. You see there have been mercenaries lurking around."

I don't move or say anything and she continues, "You look like a capable warrior....get rid of them." She must sense that I'm eyeing her.

"You must be wondering why I would trust some stranger...I've heard the stories about Mandalorians...it will be easy work for you and solve our problem."

I offer her a curt nod, "Where can I find them?"

———

    Having followed the exact directions the old woman gave me which lead me to a camp just east of the village. I find a good scouting spot and perch myself at the top of a hill near some brush. Using my HUD's thermal scan, I get a read on how many are down there - 12...I've taken out worse...Leaving my perch, I walk towards their camp and they do exactly as I had expected. A group of 2 meet me at the road while 2 others stand guard.

"You lost?" One of them asks. I tilt my visor between the four of them, calculating my move depending on how this conversation goes.

"I asked you a question."

"I heard you" I sass.

Scoffing the man turns to the others laughing.

"Did I say something funny?" I snap, starting to lose my patience.

"This one seems to be a little slow" another one says, his tone mocking me.

"You've got quite the mouth on you, young lady" The first man says walking a circle around me checking out my armor.

I'd take him out right there but there's always a bigger fish. Not only that, he'll get what he deserves,

"No. I'm not lost. I'd like to speak to the one in charge, since it's clearly not you."

After he finishes his circle he stops in front of me with a disgusted look on his face, "Follow me." He leads me into the camp with the others trailing behind.

Stopping at the fire, and the man turns to me "Wait here." He disappears into their ship.

    Looking over my shoulder, I make a mental note of where the other 3 are standing behind me. As I look around more come out of the woodwork, coming to a grand total of 10 - someone's paranoid and rightfully so. Just then the man from earlier appears followed by 2 more - one wearing the face of the man on my puck.

"I hear you asked to speak with me" he says, voice booming through the camp.

"There's a bounty out for you. I'm here to collect" my tone is flat, this group seems like one that would get spurred on by irritation.

The bounty takes out a blade and starts walking towards me laughing "Darling..." He starts and drags the flat side of the blade across my chest, to my shoulder, and around my back.

"Wonder how much we could get for armor like that? What'd ya think boys?" There's a series of whoops and hollers.

He stops dragging the blade and leans in to whisper, "or maybe I'll just keep it as a trophy."

I smirk to myself, "Be careful what you wish for" venom dripping from my words.

Sliding my hands down towards my blasters, I get ready to draw them. Just as I'm about to, their leader takes the knife and puts it to my throat, getting in close, "I don't think so."

    Kneeing him in the crotch he drops to the ground in pain. Seconds after blaster fire begins to ping off my armor. I let out a low growl that sounded quite feral through my modulator. A few of the mercs begin to drop but not by my hand, blaster fire from an unknown source rings out through the air. The men in front of me look around in confusion and I take the opportunity to quickly restrain my bounty and knock him out. I then draw my blaster firing at the 3 closest to me and their bodies slump to the ground. Bending over I grab the blade - that was previously dragged across my armor - and send it flying through the air before burying itself into the chest of the man taunting me earlier.

    Getting both myself and my bounty to cover, I make mental note of the direction the blaster fire comes from. Once I figure out where they are, I pick the bounty up - who thankfully is a small human man - throwing him over my shoulder, and racing to my speeder. Putting as much distance between me and the sound of the fight behind me as fast as I can.

    Once I get there, I quickly throw him on before starting it up and jumping on myself. A blaster bolt flys over my head and a familiar modulated voice yells something that I can't quite hear over the speeder's engine. Annoyed, I whip my helmeted head around, to see the Mandalorian from last night running in my direction. With a smirk plastered on my face, I speed off towards my ship. Getting away with the bounty we both wanted.

"I guess we know who the better bounty hunter is."

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