#wopc

The dead silence in the Crest isn’t enough to put a stop to the thoughts that are currently going through Din’s mind. 

He almost forgot how much he can no longer stand the silence. It’s something he got used to for such a long time. Nearly every night was filled with dead silence, but now not a day has passed without any noise thanks to you and the kid- not that he’s complaining. If only that were the case right now.

Even when his head is spinning with thought after thought, the only thing Din can focus on at the moment is the humming of hyperspace. He thought that being alone is exactly what he needed, but it isn’t helping the slightest. Usually being alone helped Din sort through his thoughts in the past, distracting himself by getting away from everything, but not this time. 

It reminds him of a time when his afternoons were spent like this. He’s gotten so used to his days being filled with noise that he forgot what it was like to be in complete silence, and it’s something he hasn’t missed in the slightest. This should be the perfect place for Din to clear his head, but it isn’t. As hard as he tries, he can’t seem to process everything that has happened in the past day or so. When you returned back to the Crest after everything that happened on Nevarro, Din’s first instinct was to be alone with his thoughts, thanks to his old habits. He can’t focus on what he’s thinking longer than for a minute- so much is on his mind as the ship is in transit. Everything had changed just by one afternoon spent in the cantina that the two of you had grown so familiar with. One moment you’re trying to lure an ex-Imperial officer to his death and the next, you’re trying to survive a shootout. 

Then the next thing Din knows, he finds out that you’re considered to be an enemy. A Jedi. 

He doesn’t even know what it means to be a Jedi, or even what a Jedi is, but based on what the Armorer told him, it sounded like they’re the enemy of his people. 

He feels as conflicted now as he did then. 

Even though you don’t consider yourself to be a Jedi anymore, you still knew about the strange abilities the kid has and didn’t mention anything to him about it. You even recognized what species the child was when you found him and still didn’t mention anything. 

The more he thinks about it, the more questions he has. 

Why didn’t you ever mention anything about the Jedi? Did you not trust him enough? Or was it something you weren’t proud of? 

You were never one to shy away from reminiscing about your past. You’ve told Din plenty of tales from your childhood, and even when the galaxy was at war, but never your time with the Jedi. Something must have happened with your time with them. 

Maybe that’s something he can ask you about once the Crest jumps out of hyperspace. 

Glancing behind him, Din follows the source of the only sound in the cockpit. The child is still fast asleep in his makeshift bed, unbothered by his surroundings. The long day all three of you had obviously got to him as well. A sigh leaves Din’s modulator as he continues to glance at the sleeping child in front of him. Usually this would help him ease his nerves, but nothing seems to be helping with the thoughts gnawing at his brain. 

Why didn’t you say anything to him? 

Din’s told you things that he hasn’t told anyone in years, hell, he doesn’t think he’s ever told anyone the things that he has shared with you, but you haven’t shown him the same courtesy. There have been so many opportunities for you to do so, but you never spoke up. There have been so many times that you could have explained things, made it easier for Din to understand the strange child, but you didn’t. You only kept your mouth shut when Din was confused about what was going on with the kid.

Though he understands why you never mentioned your history with the Jedi, afraid you would be putting yourself in harm’s way if you did, it still doesn’t help with the tight knot in his stomach. It would have been a difficult conversation to have, sure, but you still would have shown the full trust you have in him by telling him the entire truth- not hiding it until you were forced to explain yourself. 

Shaking his head, he immediately disregards the thought. He can’t blame you for a decision that clearly has haunted you on a daily basis. 

There’s a reason why you never told him before and you told him why when the two of you were in the hull just a few hours ago. You were afraid.

You were afraid that if you told him about who you were, you were going to be either killed or turned in as a bounty. 

Being on the run simply because you were raised by the Jedi was all you knew for years, and Din can’t blame you for that. He doesn’t know how long you were with the Jedi or when you began distancing yourself from their ways, all he knows is that you did it to protect yourself. if you hadn’t, then your paths wouldn’t have crossed.

It’s not an easy thing to digest, but Din knows the decision to hide this from him must have not been easy. It’s not easy to open yourself up to someone you’ve only known for a short period of time, especially when you have been stabbed in the back on multiple occasions in the past. Din knows that feeling all too well. There have been things Din hasn’t told you, or spared you the details of, because he wanted you to protect you. Though the details were minor like playing off an injury he got from a fight or something bad that happened that day- he understands why maybe you never revealed your past to him. 

There must have been a good reason for it. You wouldn’t have made that choice with a blink of an eye. It would have been one of the most difficult decisions you’ve ever made. You’ve always been so open with him about everything. It hurts for Din to think about why you never told him about it before, but he tries to not think about it too hard. 

Maybe that’s just how you were raised. Keeping certain truths away from others to protect them. You never judged Din for the customs he grew up with the Mandalorians, so he can’t judge you too harshly on the customs the Jedi raised you with. He may not know exactly what they are, but he can’t judge you too much until he learns more about them. You’ve shown him that same courtesy, always asking questions about the Mandalorians and their traditions without any judgement, even when you knew about the history your two people have with one another. The least he can do is show you the same courtesy. 

The Mandalorians always told him to be wary of who to trust. If you trust everyone that comes in your path, then you’re bound to have others taking advantage of your naivety. Perhaps you were raised with similar principles. 

The Jedi can seem like mysterious people to outsiders. The outside world knows hardly anything about them, even when they were highly renowned during the Clone Wars. All people knew during that time is that they had weird powers that wielded laser swords. No one really knew what their beliefs were or what their Code was. All most people knew is that they would try their best to help others by siding with the Republic. 

Without knowing, the many things Din admires about you is because you were raised by. Throughout your journey together, you’ve shown him your true colors. You’ve tried your hardest to let that part of your life go, but the teachings of those who raised you have been engraved in your mind. You’ve shown this to your partner by your willingness to help the defenseless on multiple occasions.

The first time Din was able to see this side of you was when you received the bounty puck to retrieve the child. It seems like such a long time since that day. Before arriving on Arvala-7, you always kept your mouth shut when it came to a job you disagreed with. You always told Din how you felt about a job, but this was the first time you told him how you really felt. You refused to bring an innocent child into the hands of the Empire. He was only a child.  The kid would be defenseless and you knew that you had the power to do something about it. You couldn’t just step aside and let the Imperials do whatever they pleased- you had to stop them. 

You always put the kid’s well-being before your own while he was in your care. You put yourself in danger during the short fight with the Trandoshans to make sure the child remained safe, and kept an eye on him when the three of you were returning back to Nevarro to hand him over to the men who hired you. During the ride back, Din made sure you were safe as well. 

The relationship between the two of you changed during this trip. He was able to see how caring you were towards strangers you just met, something he hadn’t seen in you before. You ensured other people’s safety before your own. 

Before you took this job, you always showed a tough exterior to the outside world, but you showed Din the real you. You showed kindness and empathy towards others. You were finally beginning to grow comfortable with his company, which is something not many can say. Something about the kid changed something deep within you, and Din cannot be more grateful.

If it weren’t for you and your kind nature, he wouldn’t have been able to tell you the things that he has over the past several months. When your walls came down, his came down as well. He shared a few things with you at this point, but your relationship only began to grow since that day. Your compassion let him see you, not his bounty hunter partner, but you. You had qualities he hadn’t seen in another person in a long time- he almost forgot what it was like for someone to do something out of the kindness of their heart, not because they felt obligated to. 

And that’s what Din admires about you. When you know something is wrong, you aren’t afraid to say so. You were wary from the start, saying how you weren’t sure if you should even go through with this job in the first place, but went through with it anyway because Din told you to. You put your own personal beliefs to the side for the job’s sake. When you found out that the bounty you tracked was a kid, you weren’t afraid to voice your concerns. There have been times where you felt uncomfortable with a few jobs you were tasked with, but you never accepted a job where it was an innocent child. 

You couldn’t find it within you to go through with it. If you did, then would there be a limit to what the two of you would or wouldn’t do? You had to put your own emotions to the side during your hunts, but you showed Din that you had a heart, a conscience, during this adventure. Not many hunters showed this part of themselves in the Guild. Din got used to seeing blank stares in the cantina back on Nevarro, but seeing the intimate interaction between you and the kid showed him just how different you are from the other hunters. Almost none of them would have been able to express themselves the same way you did that afternoon.

Without realizing it, that afternoon changed everything for Din. Everyone he knew had such difficulty connecting with others, but you were able to do it with such ease with the kid. It took a long time for you to be like that with Din, but you were able to eventually tell him stories from your past. The relationship you had was slowly growing from strictly professional to friendly by the occasional banter you would have. If it weren’t for the kid entering your lives, then your relationship wouldn’t have grown into what it is today. Neither of the walls you or Din put up wouldn’t have been able to come down.

Not once did you ever grow irritated by the little information Din shared with you about the Mandalorians when you asked about them. Before meeting, you knew very little about his people, but with time, you consider yourself lucky to learn more about them each day that passed by. By this, you asked the questions that came across your mind rather than making an assumption. He would give you vague answers at first, not wanting to reveal too much just in case you parted ways, but with time and patience, you were able to learn more about them than you ever imagined, even more so when you decided to stay by his side when he decided to rescue the child from the Imperial safehouse.

“I’m with you until the very end,”  You told him that day. Those words haven’t left his mind since that afternoon. Even when you hardly knew a thing about him, you still showed him where your true loyalty stands: with him- not the Guild, but him. It’s something he hasn’t been able to forget. 

One of the most important things to the Mandalorians is sticking with those you care for and keeping your word, and you showed that to Din when you supported him with one of the most difficult decisions he’s ever made. Not many would have made the decision you did. Many would have left his side, or even tip off other hunters, but not you. You always were different from other hunters. That day, Din was able to see who you really were. Not only were you kind and patient towards a child when you thought your partner wasn’t paying attention, but you also showed one of the most important virtues regarded to his people: undying loyalty. It’s one thing to say you will never leave someone’s side, but it’s another to actually stay true to your word. You never once made Din question where your loyalty is, and that’s something he can’t take lightly. 

What he didn’t realize until recently is the purpose he has. Things can easily get messy and complicated in this galaxy. When you both agreed to have a shared partnership, Din knew that you would be under his protection and he would do anything to make sure nothing bad happened to you, but what he didn’t realize was just how important your safety is to him until a few weeks ago. When deciding to take the kid in, he saw how he can use his training for good instead of bad. Instead of taking a life, he now can ensure the safety of two. Now, he’s not some hunter- he’s a protector of now two lives, and he’s been able to prove that by the several dangerous situations the three of you have been in together. From a cantina brawl on a random planet to that pazaak situation you accidentally put yourself in, to the weeks you spent on Sorgan, Din’s been able to keep the three of you safe even when a great danger exposes itself. 

The threat on Sorgan didn’t seem that bad at first, only a group of outsiders stirring up trouble with the local village, but things only escalated the longer you were there. The real threat exposed itself when inspecting the nearby area. The outsiders not only were greater in size, but they also had an AT-ST in their possession. The odds didn’t seem to be in your favor at that point, but with great determination and training, you were able to help the local village fight off the attackers. Din was hesitant to help at first, thinking that the odds were too great, but you disagreed. You believed that with the villagers’ support, you would be able to help them with their raider problem. Instead of worrying if they would survive the next harvest, they would be able to work in peace. And you were right- with hard work and perseverance, the attacks were finally put to an end with one final confrontation. 

After that night, the majority of the time you spent in the village was almost pure bliss. If you hadn’t been so persistent in helping them, then none of that would have happened. Din wouldn’t have been able to see the kind of life that he’s always thought of. Most of his life has been spent in hiding, whether it was literally hiding in the Mandalorian covert for so many years or it was hiding himself from the galaxy, Din never knew what it would be like to stay in a place that reminded him so much of home village before it was taken away from him. It wasn’t something he thought he wanted until he saw it right in front of his eyes. 

He never saw the true beauty of a community until the three of you became a part of one- for the time being at least. He never spent as much time with the villagers as you had, but he saw the charm in it. The villagers never hesitated to ask for help from himself or you, but seemed much more comfortable asking you. When they did, you always agreed with a giant smile on your face. It was something Din hadn’t seen before. You were always willing to help others when they needed it, but he’s never seen you this carefree before. 

Nobody had to worry about the dangers the next day would bring. The problems here on Sorgan almost seem minuscule compared to the ones you had when you went rogue from the Guild. You were preoccupied with your worries before arriving on the peaceful planet that you forgot what it was like to not worry about a thing. Instead of chatting about your worries, you were finally able to pass the time by the conversations you two would have throughout the day. One morning, in particular, pops up in his mind- the final day you spent at the village before you were forced to leave. 

That morning, Din told you things he hadn’t told anyone for as long as he can remember. He told you what his childhood was like, how similar his village was to the one you were currently staying at. He hadn’t felt this peaceful since he was a boy. 

It was something he missed greatly. He’s missed the feeling of connecting with another person- he never let himself grow too close with someone ever since he lost his parents. Losing them was bad enough, he wouldn’t be able to handle the heartache of losing someone else he cares deeply for. The only person he’s allowed himself to grow close with is you. 

He’s missed the feeling of not doing much during the day. Most of his days were spent completing task after task, never having a moment to enjoy the little things. To the average person, seeing a town go on with their daily lives may not seem that spectacular, but it brought comfort to Din. His days were always filled with adventure, never knowing what the next day might bring, but seeing the everyday lives of the villagers brought a fire in his belly as warm as your hand had felt that morning. It’s a feeling he hasn’t been able to forget. 

It’s been such a long time since he’s had such an intimate moment with another person that he can remember almost everything about that moment. He can remember how fast his heart was racing when your fingers intertwined with his, how the weight resting in his hand replaced the weight he felt on his chest, or the feeling he got in his stomach when his eyes locked with yours when you were silently listening to him. No matter how hard he tries, that moment isn’t able to leave his brain. It’s the only thing that has been playing on repeat late at night. 

It was a simple gesture from you, a silent sign of support as he continued to tell you the fate of his parents. It was difficult for him to do, the words barely left his mouth as he described the destruction of his home, but you were patient with him, as you always have been. You never interrupted him or grew restless with how long it took him. If it took him a millennium to say something, even if it was just one detail, you would be more than willing to wait for what he has to say. 

And that’s another thing that he admires about you. Not only have you been nothing but patient when it comes to him opening up to you, but you also have such a gift when it comes to connecting with others. After describing such an awful memory, you were sympathetic towards him by revealing the similar fate your parents suffered as well. It wasn’t easy, but you did it so that he wouldn’t feel as alone. 

You both had similar upbringings and were adopted into different cultures, but those who raised you shaped into who you are today.  For Din, he closed himself off from others so that he wouldn’t have to experience losing anyone else, but you were the complete opposite. Instead of closing yourself off from the galaxy, you never let your past experience of losing someone stop you from forming relationships with others. A wall was always put up from being vulnerable with almost anyone you met, but you let it down when you finally met someone you trusted completely, like Din. It took a while for you to get to this point with him, but he’s the first person you’ve been completely raw with since the fall of your people. 

That same wall lowered the same day you arrived at the village. Something about the locals made you immediately trust them, Din noticed. It’s something he hadn’t seen in you before. Thanks to that feeling, you were able to help them with their problem. Instead of backing down when things got tough, you never took ‘no’ for an answer when it came to helping them. Despite all of the trouble you’ve had in the past, of others using your good nature against you, you never lost faith in the village, believing that with their help, the raidings would be put to an end. You were right. With their help, all of their problems stopped. 

That’s something that Din still struggles with- seeing the good in every situation. As much as he tries to, his pessimistic side always gets the best of him. He thought that the odds were too great to provoke the intruders, but he was wrong. If it weren’t for you, then who knows what would’ve been the fate of the village. Ever since that day, he tries to see the light of every situation, but that gets hard at times. There were many times when Din doubted the battle would be won in your favor, but thanks to your selfless act to protect the villagers, everything turned out alright in the end. 

From that battle to the last morning you spent there on Sorgan, Din hasn’t been able to forget about the time you spent together. As much as he tries to, he can’t stop replaying the simple gesture of both of your hands touching for the first time. It wasn’t even an extraordinary moment at the time, just a small sign to show your patience with him, but for some reason, the moment hasn’t been able to leave his mind. Even when his mind is filled with so many thoughts late at night, he gets the same feeling in his stomach as he did when you put your hand in his. 

Hand holding is still as tender now as it was then, even with the multiple times you’ve done it at this point. It’s a sign of showing support towards each other, but that morning was the first time your skin grazed him on purpose. Maybe he’s looking way into it, but when your hand touched his that morning, he got a feeling in his stomach that he hadn’t felt in a very long time. The last time he can even think of feeling remotely similar to this was when Xi’an was in his life, but even she couldn’t make him feel the way he feels towards you. He felt it during your last day on Sorgan and he felt it again when you traveled to your destination on an isolated planet where there was nothing but flowers in sight. 

The warm feeling in his stomach returned when he heard laughter coming from inside the hull after landing on the foreign planet. He didn’t know what the cause of your laughter was, but he didn’t care during the moment. All he cared about was knowing you were happy and safe. He knew that all three of you would be safe here for the time being. He wouldn’t have to worry about what would happen if he left you alone on the ship. Instead of his afternoon being spent worrying about what he would have to do to make sure you’re all safe, he can finally rest. His days can be like what they were when you were on Sorgan. The day can be spent doing whatever you want, not putting yourselves in danger just so you can survive to see nightfall. 

It’s something Din hadn’t allowed himself to feel in a very long time- to be at ease. He didn’t even let himself be completely vulnerable during the weeks you spent at the village. He was afraid that the moment he let his guard down, there would be something to interrupt what he was feeling, and in a way, he was right. The morning he let his guard down was the same morning that the bounty hunter was able to track you down and almost kill the kid. 

It was just bad luck. Word eventually got around about the fight that took place and that’s how you were eventually found. Thankfully, that didn’t happen on the planet you were laying low momentially. Din had hoped that you could’ve stayed here longer, enjoying the peace that seemed to linger in the air, but the decisions he made in the past decided to catch up to him. Instead of laying low on this peaceful planet for a few weeks, you were only able to stay here for a day or two, but the time you spent here hasn’t been able to leave Din’s mind.

He found an abandoned planet when trying to find a safe place where the three of you could lay low for a while. With a low population density, the chances of someone spotting you were slim to none. You wouldn’t be able to stay here longer than a few weeks with the supplies you have, but staying here meant that you would be out of danger, and that’s all Din cared about. If keeping your head low on an abandoned planet meant that you wouldn’t be in any kind of danger, then he would be more than willing to hide away from the galaxy with you. With the great amount of danger you both have been in lately, Din’s more than willing to stay here.

When first stepping foot on this planet, the sound of local wildlife greeted Din. Birds were chirping, tiny animals were chatting, and even the simple sound of the tree branches swaying back and forth brought a sense of comfort in his bones. The planet didn’t offer much, only the beauty of its atmosphere, but you didn’t need much to be safe. All you needed was a secluded area and enough food and water to last you for a while, and that was enough for Din. If your afternoons were spent with each other’s company, that’s more than what he could ask for. 

Din was quick to make sure the area was safe shortly after the Crest landed. When he was doing so, he had the company of your laughter coming from the hull of the ship. The sound was so distant at first. If things weren’t so quiet outside, he wouldn’t have been able to hear it, but he’s so glad that he did. It’s a sound he hadn’t heard in a while- a sound he didn’t know he missed. He heard it almost everyday when you were at the village on Sorgan, but ever since you were on the run again, the sound became rare. 

Hearing your laughter in the past always brought Din joy, knowing that you’re enjoying yourself for the time being, but hearing it this time brought a different feeling inside his chest. To this day, he still doesn’t know exactly what that feeling is. Knowing that you’re happy even after being in danger just a few days prior made Din happy too, but the feeling in his stomach is foreign. He hasn’t had this kind of a reaction to something before. The only time he’s had a feeling in his gut is when his stress is beginning to get to him or when he knows he’s in danger, never to a sound as delightful as your laughter. 

Then the feeling only got stronger when he saw your reaction to where you would be staying for the next leg of your journey. The kid was giggling as he was running through the nearby flower field, but the only thing that captured Din’s attention was how soft your features were in the moment. From the way the eyes were in awe from your surroundings to the gigantic grin plastered across your face, the only thing Din could focus on is you. You somehow were able to put him under some kind of spell without trying to. 

The feeling he had in his stomach spread throughout his entire body. It’s weird to explain, but somehow it spread from his stomach to his chest to his bones. He doesn’t know how to explain what it is but it’s something he never wants to go away. It’s something he hasn’t felt in a long time, knowing that he was the reason behind your happiness made the feeling even stronger. No one’s been able to have this effect on him before, except you. Without even trying, you managed to capture a part of him he didn’t even know he gave to you. He’s kept his heart locked up for so long that he forgot what it felt like to give it to any person. 

He never has to worry about whether or not you’ll judge him harshly for something he’s done in the past. He knows that you’ll have an open mind about things and only have an opinion on it once you’ve asked questions about it.

There hasn’t been a single time where he’s felt judgment coming from you. You haven’t agreed with everything he’s done, but you respect the decisions he’s made, and that’s something he doesn’t take for granted. It’s rare for someone to be as patient and open-minded as you are, most people form an opinion far before they know every single detail, but not you. The only time you’ve only criticized a decision he’s made is when you don’t agree with it. After being partners for so long, there have been a handful of times where you don’t agree with a plan of his, but you still support him because of the amount of trust you have in him. If he said nothing bad would happen, you would take his word for it. It’s a sign of trust you’ve shown towards him and that’s something he can’t take lightly. 

Loyalty and family are the two most important things to his people. Having undying loyalty to those closest to you shows just how much you trust the other person. It’s something he’s only seen in the covert. Putting your complete trust in someone, knowing they will put your best interest in heart, is something he’s only seen Mandalorians show towards other Mandalorians. They put their full trust in each other because they’re like family, and family will do anything to make sure the rest are safe, like you. Din admitted this shyly one afternoon, afraid of what your reaction would be when he admitted he saw you as a part of his family, but seeing the look on your face told him you felt the same as well. Your people may not have as strong a belief in family as his people do, but you know the importance of him referring to you as family meant to him. 

He was so nervous during the moment that he didn’t even notice how his stomach turned into knots when your hand touched his after he admitted this. A weight was taken off of his shoulders after telling you this- he didn’t even notice his body physically reacted to you touching him. 

He got that same feeling again when seeing your reaction to the planet the Crest landed on. You had such a childlike wonder to it that the radiance beaming from you was contagious. Like you, the biggest smile was on Din’s face when he glanced around his surroundings before heading back to his task. The moment between the two of you didn’t last long, as the little one began running off towards the nearby trees, but Din hasn’t been able to get this memory out of his head. He doesn’t even know why. 

Even when you were gone, his thoughts weren’t able to escape you. He couldn’t stop thinking about how happy you seemed here even when you just got here, or how the sun bouncing off of your skin seemed to give you such a glow- not from the sun itself, but from within. Your warm nature being prevalent on the inside and outside. Everything about you was able to easily rub off of Din. 

He doesn’t even know how mind came across the things that it did. One moment he’s thinking about what the three of you could do on the planet to pass the time and the next is what your future together would be like. The future together is something he’s thought about a lot recently since the child came into your lives- he always thought about what life would be like once you found a safe place for the baby, but thoughts like these never came across his mind until that sunny afternoon. 

Rather than wondering what the two of you would do in the future, like if you would ever return back to Nevarro someday or if you would continue traveling the galaxy together, thoughts about settling down came across his mind. He doesn’t even know how that thought popped up. The two of you never discussed settling down together, you’ve both expressed wanting to have a peaceful life someday but never together, so he doesn’t know where this idea came from. It’s probably the atmosphere of this place, he told himself. 

Neither of you ever talked about what exactly your relationship is. He knows this partnership you have goes way beyond what you both agreed to, more than just collecting bounties together, it’s a bond neither of you has felt in a very long time, but the unclear relationship you have doesn’t exactly help Din figure out what he felt during the moment. Why is he only able to think about you? Even when he’s trying to figure his future, whether that would include just himself or with someone else, the only thing he’s able to think about is you- how much things have blossomed between the two of you ever since leaving the peaceful village. Never in a million light-years did Din think he would be able to feel towards another person with how he feels towards you. It’s a foreign feeling, something that he has to figure out one day.

The only thing he knows for sure is that he trusts you more than anyone else in the entire galaxy. If there was something you were uncertain about, he would gladly hear you. If you decided against a decision of his, he would try to figure out another way. 

After everything you have been through together, the only thing he knows for a fact is that he doesn’t want a future without you. It’s hard to imagine a life without you, whether that meant continuing the lifestyle you’ve shared for the past year or if that meant a more domestic one. 

There’s so much he’s told you about himself that he hasn’t dared to share with another soul, whether it was the simple reveal of his name, or where he came from, or even what life was like when the Mandalorians took him in, he’s never told anyone the things he’s told you without thinking twice about it. He hasn’t trusted someone this much-  the last person he can think of was before he was adopted into his creed. 

When he told you about the ideals he was raised with, you never made any judgements towards him. The only thing you told him was that he was more than the beskar armor he wears daily. Though he was adopted into Mandalorian customs, you always told him he’s more than what he was raised by- that he’s his own person. He’s gotten so used to others making critical judgements about him just because of who he was raised by that he was taken back to hear what you had to say. 

It’s not often he heard someone speak about his people in such a collected manner- most people were quick to judge their warrior ways that it was nice to hear such good things come from someone who isn’t accustomed to their ways. Hearing you talk about your loyalty to him, to Din, not to the Mandalorian warrior, was something he didn’t know he needed to hear. He grew used to people either admiring or condescending his warrior ways that he forgot at times what it meant to be his own person.

Thanks to you, he’s been able to see that part of himself again. He’s hidden it away not only from the galaxy but from himself as well, and you’ve been able to show him that he can be his own person beyond the armor he dons. There’s no doubt that his creed has shaped him into who he is today, but he’s also more than that. He’s someone with a heart, empathy towards others, putting others before himself- something he’s never thought of himself as until you pointed it out. You were able to see the best parts of him when he didn’t even see them.

When you were able to see the best parts of him, he saw the best parts in you when you returned with a simple gift when you were gone for a bit. Glancing back at the memory, the gesture wasn’t that big, just a bunch of flowers bundled up together, but to him, it meant so much to him. He can’t even remember the last time someone did this thoughtful for him, let alone giving him a gift. It’s been such a long time since he’s experienced this much joy from a single action. It probably didn’t seem that big of a deal to you at the time, just something to take his mind off of things for the moment, but he can remember everything about that moment- the warm feeling in his chest returning when he saw the bundle of flowers shaking slightly in your hands, the nervous expression on your face, the feeling of the sun beaming against the sliver of exposed skin at the nape of his neck. He wanted to remember every single detail of that moment, not wanting to forget what it felt like. He never wanted to forget what it felt like to be this happy, not having to worry about anything happening to the three of you. He just wanted to stay here.

He wanted to see more of this side of you. Seeing how happy and carefree you were here reminded him of the memories he has of his mother. When he was a boy, his mother and father used to do so much to express the love they had for one another, and a lot of the memories he has of them is the gifts they would give each other to show how much they loved each other. It’s something that his parents always made sure he was a part of- he would try to help them as much as he could to help pick out the gift. It was something he always looked forward to as a boy and it’s something he’s seen on multiple occasions during his trips throughout the galaxy. 

Gift exchanging is a common thing among married couples- like his parents, married couples want to express their love by giving their significant other something they know they’ll like, and Din can’t help but think of these things as he inspected the bundle of flowers you gave him that day. It wasn’t the most lavish gift, but it was more than he ever could ask for. It showed that, he too, was on your mind even when you were separated. You wanted to express how much you care for his well being by giving him something that you had access to, and with the current environment you’re staying in, you have very limited choice. He didn’t care what the gift was, all he cared about was the thought you put into it. 

The thoughtful gift is what reminds him of the qualities you have that his mother also had- your thoughtful nature, the way you put others first before yourself, offering to help others in any way you can. His well being was your first priority. You tried to ease his mind as much as you could, you tried to take some of the burden off of his shoulders by offering to repair his very torn cape that he dons. It was something that you didn’t even think twice about, just wanting to help him in any way that you can, but it’s something he hasn’t been able to forget. It’s just one of the many ways you’ve shown him how considerate and thoughtful you can be without even realizing it. 

~

There’s so much about that day that he hasn’t been able to forget, even when he’s alone in the cockpit as the Crest is in orbit of your next destination.

So much has happened within the last week of your lives. One day you’re able to find sanctuary on a nearly abandoned planet and then the next, he finds out about the one part of your life you never shared with him before. He can think about why you never spoke about this part of your life before but at the end of the day, it’s a decision that you didn’t take lightly. With how open your relationship has been lately, it’s hard to imagine just how difficult this decision must have been for you. Not only to keep this from him, knowing about the messy history both of your people have together, but to move on from who raised you. Even when the Empire was hunting his people, Din always had the support of those who took him in, but you didn’t. You had to survive on your own. If you hadn’t, then your paths wouldn’t have crossed. 

There must be a reason why your paths crossed. It’s the only reason he can think of- because the galaxy wouldn’t be so cruel as to force his path away from the one person he trusts the most, right?

It’s not an easy thing to digest- to find out the one person you trust the most was hiding something as big as this. A Jedi. He can’t get the Armorer’s words out of his head. Not only were the people who took you in considered to be enemies of his people, but you also knew more about the child than he did and still didn’t tell him. He can’t help but feel that you don’t trust him nearly as much as he trusts you. 

He disregards the thought, shaking his head. You didn’t have the same kind of support as he did when the Empire rose to power. He had others in his covert to rely on when things got tough, but the only person you had was yourself, something he knows all too well at this point. 

He closed himself off from others just so he wouldn’t have to feel the weight he feels in his chest. He understands why you made the decision that you did, but he can’t ignore the aching feeling he feels throughout his entire body by the thought of you not telling him sooner. You only revealed that part of your life to him because you were forced to. He told you things he hasn’t told anyone else since, well ever, not even someone in the covert. He had so much faith in you that he told you anything he could think of. It doesn’t feel fair to expose parts of himself to you just for you to keep something hidden. 

There have been a few times where you almost told him about who raised you, but out of fear, you backed down. He doesn’t know what things were like when your people fell, maybe that’s something the two of you can talk about once you land. He hardly knows a thing about your people, and like you, he can’t be one to form an opinion on a group of people he doesn’t know. You never cast judgment on who raised him. You always asked questions about his beliefs in a respectable manner, and he should have that same common courtesy.

He knows that he should see you as an ‘enemy sorcerer,’ something the Armorer referred to your people as, but he didn’t see that when he was looking at you as you were confessing where you really came from. It wasn’t an easy topic to talk about for you, that’s obvious by how your fingers fumbled with each other as you looked down at the floor in shame, but it’s something you confessed to him, even when you were scared. You didn’t know how he was going to react to the news, thinking he was going to leave you behind. For that, he can’t hold the decision you made against you. There have been so many decisions you both have disagreed on, and this is one of them. He would have preferred if you told him about this sooner, but he can’t hold this against you when it’s clearly haunted you at night. 

“What do you think, kid?” Din asks as he turns around in his seat, to find the child has just woken up from his overdue nap. With one swift movement, the child is secure in the crook of his arms in a matter of seconds. Even when his surroundings are as peaceful as they can get, his mind won’t stop turning a million miles a minute. 

“Why didn’t she tell me…” He mumbles out, mainly to himself. When he glances down at the child wrapped in his arms, the look in the child’s eyes is trying to tell him something that Din can’t seem to decipher. It’s like he’s trying to tell the masked man something important but can’t understand it. 

When a few moments of silence are passed in the hull, another question comes from Din’s mouth, one he almost doesn’t want to know the answer to. “Did you know?”

The only kind of coherent response the child gives is a series of giggles, not knowing the true connotation. Sighing, Din lets his head fall back as he lets his mind wander. 

“Regardless of what has changed your mind about her, I sense she will help you with your journey.”

Even when his mind is going almost nonstop, the words from the Armorer haven't been able to leave his mind- it always has a way of coming back to him. 

The emerging of your two paths had to happen for a reason. 

For whatever the reason may be, Din knows the only person who would be able to help him with his journey is you. He doesn’t know where to begin to even find the people who raised you- it would be damn near impossible if you weren’t by his side. Though you don’t see yourself as a Jedi any longer, you can still aid him in his journey of returning the child back to the Jedi. Maybe you could even help him understand more about the weird powers the child has, or even help the kid gain more control over them. After what he experienced in the cantina on Nevarro, Din finally sees just how powerful the little one really is. He can’t protect him without your help. It will be a long and difficult path, but it’s one he doesn’t want to do without you. 

“Alright kid, let’s go.”

The only thing you can hear is the ringing in your ears. Everything that just happened is the last thing on your mind. You pay no attention to the now destroyed tabletops, or the broken glass that’s on the floor, or even your partner’s limp body. The only thing you can focus on is the persistent high pitched noise ringing in your ears. 

Just moments ago, you were in the most grueling blaster fight you’ve ever been in, fighting against a plethora of storm troopers who were under the orders of an Imperial officer. 

When the fighting first began, you thought that maybe, just maybe, the four of you would be able to make it out of this alive. Greef was able to take down several troopers as he remained near the cantina doors, Cara seemed to be taking as many men as you were, and Din was the one leading the fight. He took out more men than you ever could. When you saw him handle the E-Web machinery, you couldn’t be more proud. Seeing him take out a dozen or two troopers in a matter of seconds brought a huge smile on your face.

Thanks to Din, maybe this battle could be over sooner than you expected.

But then, the Moff made himself known.

Not only did he shoot at your partner to gain his attention, but he did the one thing you never thought was possible. He nearly killed Din.

Right when it seemed like this battle could be in your favor, your entire world came crumbling down when you saw Din’s body flying in the air. Sure, he’s had his fair share of being knocked off of his feet, but this was different. He could die from this. Only one of you would probably make it out of this fight alive. 

All of the hope stripped from your skin when you saw Din’s lifeless body on the floor. You knew something was wrong, really wrong, when he didn’t move after a few seconds. You knew returning back to Nevarro was a bad idea. 

When you arrived back in town, you had a deep feeling in the pit of your stomach telling you to head back to the ship, to head to some planet where hopefully the three of you could be safe, but you couldn’t run any further. 

You tried to ignore the feeling, telling yourself everything will be okay because it had to, right? With everything you and Din have been through together, there’s nothing that could tear the two of you apart. That is, until your partner was nearly killed by the same piece of weaponry that made the battle turn in your favor. 

You saw the Moff strutting his way into battle.

You saw him aiming his blaster at your partner.

You saw the devilish smirk on his face as he pulled the trigger.

You should’ve done something.

Why didn’t you do anything?

Anything would’ve helped. Warned Din. Shout. Scream. Anything.

But you didn’t.

And now, Din could die because you didn’t do anything about it.

How did things go so sour so quickly? 

The next thing you know, everyone is retreating inside the cantina. The entire room is spinning around you. That’s when you were unable to hear your surroundings, only the high pitched sound. 

Then, the ringing suddenly stops. 

Suddenly, a hand wraps itself around yours. As you glance down, you find Din is currently leaning up against a piece of rubble. Reaching out to you with the little amount of strength that lives in his bones. The nickname that he has called you on so many occasions leaves his lips. Just hearing that one word brings you to your knees.

Much like Din, it seems like all of the strength in your body was suddenly stripped from you just from one action. 

This is really happening. You know that it is truly serious because Din’s never been one to be so vulnerable in front of others. The only time he’s ever been vulnerable around you is when the two of you were alone. 

He’s going to die and there’s nothing you can do about it.

Well, there’s- no, that’s something that you haven’t done since the war. You can’t do that.

“Take the kid. You need to leave.” If you weren’t so close by his side, you wouldn’t have been able to hear Din’s request.

“I’m not leaving you behind.”

“You have to, for his sake.”

“But, Din, I-“

Tears you didn’t know we’re falling down your face were caught by Din’s leather-covered thumb. 

“It’s the only way.”

“No, I’m with you until the end.”

“Gedet’ye,” Please. The heavy feeling in the pit of your stomach returns when you hear his plea. You’ve never heard such emotion, such heartache, in a single word. Just hearing that word is worse than a punch to the gut over and over and over again. The weight in your stomach makes it damn near impossible to breathe. 

Everything in your life always ended up with death. 

You don’t even want to imagine how hard all of this has to be for Din. You’re not the only one that’s losing something. You’re only losing one person, but he’s losing two. Two people he’s grown to care for extremely during these past few cycles. He could easily let the two of you be around as he takes his final breath, but he can still protect you even when wounded.

His death could ensure the safety of you and the baby. That’s all he’s been trying to make sure of since the two of you have entered his life.

“Guys, come on!” Greef hollers as he begins to duck in the now open sewer vent, “We need to move!”

Cara quickly follows suit. 

But before you’re even able to consider moving a single muscle, Din’s grasp on your hand tightens.

His other hand tightly grasping a piece of metal you’ve never seen before. 

“You’ll need to show this to the Mandalorians so they’ll help you.”

Even though you know almost nothing about his people, you know how big of a gesture this is. He’s waited until the two of you are alone so that he can give you something very special to him. He’s giving a part of himself to you.

“Are you sure about this? I-I could stay.”

A modulated voice you haven’t heard since you were on Arvala-7 interrupts the moment. “If you wish to survive, you need to evacuate.”

This is really it.

You’re going to have to leave Din behind- the last thing you wanted to do but it’s almost inevitable at this point.

“I hope we’ll see each other again, Din.”

“Ret’urcye mhi.” Maybe we’ll meet again.

“Ruusaan, are you okay?” A voice asks as suddenly a hand appears on your shoulder. 

Din’s alive. He’s here. He’s alright. 

“You’re here.” You whisper out. 

“I was letting everyone know what to expect when we land, just in case.”

“We shouldn’t be doing this.” The words come out of your mouth as faint as a whisper. You can’t help but feel like returning back to the place you once called home will only bring more trouble into your lives. 

“What are you talking about?” He asks as he takes his seat in the usual spot in the cockpit, where you apparently are. You must’ve passed out at some point once everyone got acquainted after leaving Arvala-7, where you picked up your second passenger for the trip to Nevarro. 

“Nothing good will come out of us returning back there.” Din’s helmet turns at you in curiosity when he spins in his seat, so you continue. “I- I had a dream that everything went horribly wrong when we went back to Nevarro.”

“We’ll be fine. It shouldn’t take us for more than a day or two, then we’ll be on our way. Plus, we have backup.”

“That won’t be enough.”

“How do you know?”

“Because of my dream.”

“You had a nightmare. Happens to all of us.”

“But it seemed so real.” The words come out almost like a whisper. “Everything, it- it’s hard to explain.”

“Humor me.”

“There were troopers everywhere. The whole cantina was destroyed. Then he showed up.”

“Who?”

“I don’t know, some Imperial officer. A different one from the one we met when we were there last time. Then I saw you-“ You can’t even get the next words out of your mouth. If you say it out loud, then the images from your nightmare will just replay in your head. Closing your eyes, you try to block out the horrific image from your dream but it doesn’t help. Your hand twitches in its spot on the top of your thigh as you relive the worst part of the dream. 

“You’re really shaken up about this, aren’t you?”

“I’ve had dreams that seemed so realistic before, but this time was different. It was like- like a warning.”

“About what?”

“To not go through with this.”

“But we have-“

“I know we have no other choice, but I just feel like everything’s going to change once we get there.”

“For better or for the worst?”

“I don’t know, but I just know something bad’s going to happen.”

“If you’re feeling this uncertain, we don’t have to go through with this.” He suggests. 

“No, no, we need to. He’s depending on us. We can’t let him down when we’ve come this far.” You motion to the now sleeping infant in the seat next to you in the cockpit. 

“Are you sure?”

“It’s not like we have anywhere else we can go.”

“We can go anywhere you want.”

“We ran from one side of the Rim to the next and it got us nowhere. If we stay in one place for too long, someone is bound to find us there.”

“You’ve never been this pessimistic before.”

“I think I’m just tired.”

“We’re only going to be there no longer than a few days then we’ll leave.”

“I know.”

And just like in the oh-so-real dream you just had, the former hunting droid interrupts the moment. “Would you like to have second meal up here or downstairs?”

“I’m okay.” You tell the droid.

“I’m not hungry.” Your partner says shortly after. 

Then silence.

“Just think things over. We'll be there shortly and you can stay behind if you want.”

“No, no, I’ll be fine.”

“Nightmares show us our worst fears. It’s always hard dreaming of something horrible happening to those we care about.”

“Yeah…”

Hopefully, you’re wrong. Hopefully, everything will go smoothly when you return back to Nevarro then you and Din will be able to return to your normal lives. Little did you know, this dream was indeed a warning. Your journey Din will forever be changed by the events that will occur within the next forty-eight hours. 

Everything on Nevarro has gone more smoothly than you anticipated. Shortly after the Crest landed on the outskirts of town, Greef Karga greeted your party with his, consisting of three bounty hunters he brought as protection. He was taken back when he noticed you and Din brought back up as well. He should’ve known that you would come prepared. After all, you never walk blindly into a situation. 

The first day back on Nevarro went without any hiccups, that is, until nightfall came. 

When everyone was settling for the night, your anxieties about Nevarro returned. Every so often, you would catch glimpses of the other hunters glancing at you. Their stares never failed to make you feel sick to your stomach. You’re not sure what it is about them, but there’s something about them that doesn’t sit right with you. You tried to ignore it at first, trying to distract yourself by eating dinner or with the little one, but even that didn’t help. The knot in your stomach never went away. Din noticed how uncomfortable you got suddenly and asked you about it, but you reassured him that everything’s fine, not wanting to start an uproar. Every time you caught one of their glances, you would just scoot closer to your partner, a vain attempt at trying to gain back some of the comfort you lost when your eyes locked with theirs. 

Then out of nowhere, flying creatures invade your makeshift camp, probably because they could smell one of their own being cooked. You were able to fight them off. One of the creatures was successful in killing off one of the hunters thanks to the poison from the creatures. 

Then, Greef’s pained groans gathered everyone’s attention once the short-lived battle was over. His entire arm was infected by the poison as well. Everyone thought his life too would end soon, but the little one who has been in your care changed everyone’s minds. With a simple touch of his hand over the wound, the baby was able to save the man’s life. No one can explain what they just saw. The air was taken from your lungs when you saw this happen with your own eyes, knowing all too well of what just occurred. 

That’s when you should’ve known things were only going to go downhill from here. You had your hesitations from the start and now they’ve returned. Little did you know what would go down the next day…

“Are you alright?” Din asks you when you continued with your journey the following day. 

“Fine. The sooner we get there, the better.” Glancing over your shoulder, you see that the two hunters still have their gaze lingered on your figure. The uneasiness from the night before returns. A cold shiver runs down your spine as your eyes lock with one of the hunters. Your head quickly faces forward as you try to ignore him.

The sooner you’re out of here, the better.

“Just be glad I don’t wear a helmet as ridiculous as his.”

A snort escapes from your nose as you both take a quick glance at the two hunters who have seemed to keep their distance from the two of you. One of the hunters is wearing a hat that covers from his eyes up, where a pair of dark goggles are placed where his eyes normally would be.

“I don’t know how I would be able to deal with seeing that everyday. I think I would go mad.”

“More than you already have?”

The only kind of a response you give him is narrowing your eyes at him, your brows furrowing at his comment. It’s not long before laughter is exchanged between the two of you. Smiles appear on both of your faces. 

“You’re one to talk.” 

Just when you thought this exchange between the two of you went unnoticed by anyone else, Cara was able to see it all unfold. She saw how close the two of you were on the Crest and the first night you stayed on Nevarro, but nothing like this. She noticed how something changed between the two of you since leaving Sorgan, but she didn’t know the extent of it- until now. She didn’t need either you or Din to tell her, she could tell by the banter exchanged between the two of you. 

With how far she is from the two of you, she can’t hear what the two of you are talking about, but she knows the two of you are enjoying yourselves momentarily. It’s not often you’re able to escape the stresses of your lives by being in each other’s company, so she stays silent until she sees Mando’s hand quickly squeeze your bicep until he leaves your side to catch up with her.

“Did you ever tell her?” Cara asks Mando when he’s back at her side again.

“Tell her what?”

“You know…” She trails off. “Back on Sorgan, it was obvious that you wanted to tell her something.”

“I never said-“

“You didn’t have to. It was pretty obvious.” She says as she catches Mando’s glance before continuing: “It’s obvious you care for her on a deep level.”

“Of course I do. We’ve been partners for a long time.”

“It's more than that. You can fool yourself but you can’t fool me.” 

Din’s silent by Cara’s words. Of course he cares for you on a deeper level. He’s told you things he hasn’t told anyone else in rotations, not even to anyone in his covert. There’s so much more that he wants to tell you, but he always can do that in the future. The two of you have all of the time in the galaxy, after all. And telling Cara all of this wouldn’t exactly be easy. How does one admit not being able to stop thinking about the future with someone they just met little over a rotation ago in passing? 

“Things are… different from when we last saw each other.” Din admits. 

“I know, I can tell.” She says with the outer corners of her lips lifting slightly. “You seem happier, both of you.”

“We are.”

“I’m glad.”

“Sorgan changed everything for us.”

“Maybe you can tell me more about it once we leave this place.”

“Yeah, maybe…” 

The subject is then dropped, much like how it was back at the village. Everything has changed between the two of you since your arrival on Sorgan. The gentle breezes that you would experience everyday brought a calmness into your lives. It’s almost like the weather at the village represented a shift in the tide of your relationship. Before arriving on Sorgan, things between the two of you were stiff. Not uncomfortable, but it’s a feeling the two of you have gotten used to over the months. 

Arriving at the village changed everything for your relationship. Complete silence between the two of you is now foreign. It’s almost unnerving if that happens. Your days aren’t filled with complete chatter, random conversations happening throughout the day, but silence for hours on end no longer occurs anymore. If things ever get too quiet on the Crest, someone will break it to ease the tension. 

The dynamic in your relationship is one that Din never wants to break away from. There’s been so much that he’s wanted to tell you ever since the two of you were introduced, but he always kept his mouth shut because he knew what type of relationship you both agreed to. Business partners only. Nothing more. But he’s so glad the relationship you share goes much deeper than that. Din isn’t exactly sure what kind of a relationship you have or even how to describe it, but he wouldn’t change a thing about it. 

Even when the two of you aren’t communicating, you’re both in sync. While Din’s mind was preoccupied with thoughts about how much your relationship has changed recently, your mind is also plagued with similar thoughts. Though you aren’t pondering how things have changed, you’re wondering how it will change once the Client is dead. How is your future going to look after this? Will the two of you continue with your search for a safe home for the baby? Even if you were able to do so, what would your future with Din look like? It’s not like the Guild will welcome you back with open arms. Everyone will always see the pair of you as traitors. 

Or would your plans change? Would the three of you live the remainder of your lives on a safe planet? Finding some peace along the way? Neither you or Din have ever talked about the possibility of settling down. The furthest either of you have spoken about your future together is agreeing on finding a safe planet for the baby to live, nothing beyond that. You don’t even know if your future together is on Din’s mind. 

Maybe he would introduce you to his people, as he promised he would. He would probably want to spend his remaining days with them, with or without you by his side. Who knows how things might change once you finish the job you were summoned here in the first place. 

A low humming halters your footsteps momentarily. The sound is so low that you wouldn’t have been able to notice it if it wasn’t so quiet. The only sound that can be heard is footsteps running through the gravel on the floor and the low humming that only you can hear. A warning. A heavy feeling suddenly appears in your chest as your anxieties about this entire mission reappears. It’s like a dark cloud has suddenly appeared over you, almost like a physical warning of the upcoming threat.

Your hand hovers over your blaster out of instinct. It’s like you don’t even have control over your movements during the moment, like something is guiding you, warning you something bad is about to go down. If you weren’t listening so intently, then you wouldn’t have been able to hear the soft click of two blasters.

A heavy sigh leaves your lips.

You knew coming back to Nevarro was a bad idea. 

Everything seems to be put on hold when two loud BANGS can be heard throughout the valley. Dead silence. A breath you didn’t even know you were holding is released. Erratic breathing leaves your lungs as you try to process what just occurred. 

As you look down at the now two corpses, you see that your suspicions were right. Blasters remain in both of their hands.

You were brought here to be killed. 

They were going to kill you and Din then take the baby to do Maker knows what. 

“What did you do?!” Din asks you. 

“Woah, you’re quick!” Greef exclaims. 

“And you tried to have us killed!” You snark at your former boss.

“Okay, I admit the original plan was to kill you and take the kid, but after last night, I couldn’t go through with it.” He explains.

After he was bitten by the poisonous creature, everyone thought that would be the end of the ex-magistrate, but the little one proved otherwise. You’re not sure where he learned how to do it, but he was able to save the man’s life by somehow transferring some life from his own body to Greef’s. You never thought you would see the day again where someone’s life could be saved just by one touch. 

“I told you coming back here would be a day idea.”

“Not now.” Your partner scolds you.

“So, what do we do now?” Cara asks.

“You can shoot me down and it wouldn’t go against the Guild code, but we both need the Client to be dead. If he’s still alive, neither you or the child will be safe.” 

“He’s right. What do you want to do?” Din asks you.

“As long as he’s alive, hunters will be sent our way. No matter where we run, they’ll find us. His death is the only way we can ensure our safety.” You reply.

“It’s a trap.” Cara reminds you all.

“Bring me.” Your partner suggests. 

“Bring you?” Both you and Greef ask simultaneously. 

“Tell him you captured me. Get me close enough to him and I’ll kill him.”

“That’s a good idea.” Greef agrees. “Give me your blaster.”

“This is insane!” Cara says exactly what you were thinking. 

“What the hell are you thinking?”

“It’s the only way.” Din tells you.

“I’m coming with you then.” Cara says.

“So am I.” You state. 

“No,” Greef declines. “That would be too suspicious.”

“How? We started this together and it would be even more suspicious if I weren’t there.”

“It’s safer for you to be on the ship.” 

“I don’t care. I told you I’m not leaving your side and I don’t plan on backing out now.” You tell your partner. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Chain code?” One of the troopers asks you as he gets off of his speeder to greet your party.

It didn’t take long for the four of you to come up with a plan for your next move. Both you and Din would appear to have been captured and brought in as bounties with stun cuffs wrapped around your wrists. Though you didn’t agree with this plan at first, Din reassured you that this is the only way, given the circumstances. While the four of you made your way towards the town, the baby was being safely escorted back to the ship thanks to Kuill. 

“I have a gift for the boss.” Greef explains.

The trooper is only irritated by the answer he’s given, so he reiterates his question with irritation in his tone. “Chain code?”

With saying another word, Greef rummages through his pockets to find your ticket into the town: his chain card that allows him to enter and exit the town whenever he pleases. 

Fortunately, you were free to enter the town without any problems, that is, until the trooper 

on your right who gave the okay says something that causes a twitch in your eye.

“I’ll give you twenty credits for the helmet.” He offers.

“Not a chance! That’s going on my wall!” Greef plays off. 

If you weren’t standing so close to Din, you wouldn’t have been able to hear the soft scoff along with his comment of. “‘On your wall?’”

Just when you thought that was bad enough, the other stormtrooper who was watching all this happen chimes in. “How much for the girl?”

“She’s not for sale.” Cara says, not leaving room for argument as she nudges you forward. All four of you begin to enter town. If this whole mission weren’t so crucial, you would’ve loved to smash that helmet off of his head, but you don’t have the time for that. So, you move in sync with the others. 

Everything about the town is different. There was a life to it before, it resembled the closest thing you’ve ever had to a home since yours was taken, but much like every planet in the galaxy, the remnants of the Empire have stripped every aspect of home here. There’s hardly any vendors. There’s almost one trooper per building. No one is able to live their life freely like how they were able to do before. 

You never loved it here on Nevarro but returning here always brought comfort. You always knew that you would be able to have a home cooked meal made by one of the vendors or even able to have some sort of contact with others, but thanks to the Imps, that’s no longer an option. It’s almost exactly what life was like when the Empire was around. Boring. Lifeless. Dead. 

Nothing ever seems to be the same as it was before if the Empire is involved.

“Here we are.” Greef announces as all four of you arrive at the building you're familiar with, but the interior is completely different. 

Much like the town, there’s no sign of the locals, only ex-Imperials. Greef was right when he said the Client wasn’t heavily guarded. Only four stormtroopers watch over him, just like how they did when you and Din first met him a while ago. 

There’s no life in the cantina anymore. No hunters. No drinking. No chattering. Nothing. Rather than being a social area, the cantina now acts as the Imperial’s base for the town. 

“Look what I bought you, as promised.” Greef says as he shows that he has indeed ‘brought in’- the Guild’s two highest bounties, minus the asset you were hired to locate. Greef then guides you and Din to the table where the ex-Imperial officer is sitting. 

The older man comments on Din’s beskar, saying how the fate of the Mandalorians could have been in a better light if they had sided with the Empire instead of fighting them. Once the man stops talking, you can tell the subject is making your partner upset by the way his whole body tenses up. Due to your hands being restrained, you cannot comfort your partner in the way you wish you could, so you stay still as the man in front of you continues to talk. 

“And you, oh, my employer will be so happy about your capture.” 

“Me? Why me?” You ask. 

“Because he knows who you are, or should I say what you are. You’re much more valuable to him than the Mandalorian is.”

He knows. He knows who you are, or at least, who you used to be. No matter how far you run, the Empire has managed to hunt you down and threaten you with your past.

One of the troopers makes their way over to the table, quietly informing their boss about the incoming call he has. When he leaves the four of you alone, your anxieties seem to have made their return. 

One shot and this all will be over. 

Everything will be able to go back to normal. 

Even Greef seems to be nervous as his stare is focused on the older man after he silently returns the blaster back to Din. “You get one shot.” He tells the hunter. 

The older man takes one last glance at the four of you before all hell breaks loose. 

Just when you thought everything would be okay, you would be proven wrong. With just a blink of an eye, the former Imperial officer is shot dead as multiple blaster shots come raining in. Everyone immediately takes cover. The table you were sitting at moments ago now acts as a makeshift shield. All of the stormtroopers in the room are shot dead. Din begins shooting blindly at whatever the source of the intrusion was. Cara hands you your blaster so you could do the same. 

Then it all stops.

Silence fills the air.

The room is filled with dust. 

Everyone’s heart rates are through the roof by what just occurred. 

With a nod of his helmet, you and Din head for the right side of the cantina while Greef and Cara head for the left. Din’s body shields your own just in case any incoming blaster fire returns. 

Shouting can be heard in the distance. 

Whoever’s coming, you’re definitely going to be outnumbered by the time you figure out why the attack began in the first place. 

You knew coming here was a bad idea. 

You don’t need to ask to know you’re doomed, but you can’t help but ask. “How many?”

“Too many for us to take out.” Your partner tells you.

“We’re doomed.”

Quickly pulling out the comm link from his pocket, Din informs Kuill about the situation, telling him to get to the Crest as soon as possible and to leave. If Din believes you can’t get out of here alive then you know you’re doomed. He’s always been able to get out of a really tough situation, but even this is out of his hands. 

Everything is dead silent.

Until the roaring of a TIE fighter approaches and lands directly in the middle of the town. 

Now you know you’re in trouble.

Now you know you’re definitely in over your heads. 

You’re doomed.

“You have something I want!” A booming voice breaks the silence. 

“Who’s this guy?” Cara asks. 

“You may think you have some idea of what you’re in possession of, but you do not- well, one of you does.”

Your breath hitches in your throat. He’s the man the Client was warning you about earlier. He knows everything about you. 

Din’s pleas to get the baby to safety only become more desperate. 

“In a few moments, it will be mine. It means more to me than you will ever know.”

Closing your eyes shut, you try to steady your breath. Your heart rate is going almost a hundred miles per hour. The only thing you can hear is Din’s pleas getting as desperate as you’ve ever heard it before. 

The darkness from right before the hunters were going to turn on you returns. All the mysterious man wants the baby is for his own gain. Who knows what he’ll do with him once the baby is in his grasp. Who knows what he entails for you once the baby is finally taken away from your protection. 

No matter how many times Din says his name, Kuill never responds. 

There’s no way you're getting out of this now. You’ve officially lost. The child is no longer in your protection.

 “We’re doomed.”

Mando first noticed just how quiet everything got when he was talking to one of the townsfolk about the recent attacks they have been experiencing. He didn’t get a whole lot of information from the man who approached him earlier and getting a clearer idea of what’s been happening in this area will make it easier to prevent another attack from happening.

From the few individuals he’s already spoken to, they always tell the same story: one unseen attacker will come into town with their face covered as they raid a vendor or two for some supplies that they can live off of for the next few days. After hearing the stories, Mando sees the reason why they keep coming back: the townspeople make easy prey since they don’t fight back. They’re so filled with terror that they’ll do anything to appease the attackers. The only time someone was able to fight them off was during the first attack, where one of the townspeople tried to fight off the attackers, only for the villager to spend the next week in the local medcenter thanks to their injuries.

As Mando is speaking to one of the townsfolk, he notices that their attention is suddenly pulled away from him and is now focused down the road. Nothing seems to be out of the ordinary at first glance, but before he’s able to investigate it, a loud scream is all that can be heard. His blaster is immediately in his grasp. He tells the person he was previously conversing with to get someplace safe as he goes to investigate it.

When he heads in the direction where the scream was heard, nothing seems to be out of place. The closest vendors on this side of the town seem perfectly normal: all of the items they’re trying to sell are still neatly piled on their tables. Besides the vendors no longer taking guard of their shops, everything seems the same as when Mando first entered the town. But sees how wrong he is when he spots one of the locals laying down helplessly on the grassy floor.

As he quickly approaches the figure, blaster still in his hand, he sees that they were only knocked unconscious. When he crouches down, he finds their pulse is normal after checking. No life-threatening injuries could be found on their body.

From what he’s learned about what has been happening in this town recently, this attack seems bizarre. Attacking an innocent for no reason. All of the attacks all happen for the same reason: for supplies. But this attack is different from the others.

Standing up to his full height, Mando can feel that something is different all of the sudden.

Before he’s able to gain a sense of his surroundings, a sudden blaster shot deflects off of one of his pauldrons. A yelp leaves his lips as he turns around, only to be faced with one of the assailants, he assumes, that has been terrorizing the town.

Their face is covered. Their eyes are the only feature that are visible. Dark eyes. Brown eyes.

Their figure is small. Much smaller than yours. Not small enough to think that they have no strength, but small enough to be able to blend in a crowd easily. But before he has the time to aim his blaster at them, the trees make their figure disappear into thin air.

Thanks to the many features of his visor, Mando is easily able to follow their footsteps. As he follows in the direction of the footsteps, their marks are almost undetectable to the naked eye, but thanks to the thermal scanner that’s embedded inside of his helmet, Mando is able to easily follow the attacker’s footsteps. The outline of their feet guides him forward and as he follows them, Mando notices how small they are- much like their figure.

Their small figure makes it easy for them to blend in with their surroundings- they could blend in high in the trees or even behind them and use it to their advantage, so they can strike at their prey at any given moment, but the beskar-cladded man isn’t like any other prey. He doesn’t always start head first into a fight, he always uses his skills beforehand. Most hunters would just go trotting into the forest, blaster in hand, rapidly searching for their attacker, but not Mando. No, he uses his surroundings and his tech to his advantage. He doesn’t have to constantly search for his prey, the thermal vision from his helmet does that for him- all he has to do is be prepared to fight at any given moment.

The footprints stop directly next to a tree that’s right in front of him. He stops dead in his tracks. With the blaster that’s in his hand, Mando could easily move quickly to shoot them down, but that’s not the way he was taught to fight. No honor in shooting them down right then and there. No killing unless he has to.

His hand slowly reaches down towards his holster to put his blaster away. The only noise that could be heard in the local forest is the whistling of the winds hitting the fallen leaves on the floor and a slight jingle of his blaster being secured in his holster. Once his blaster is out of his grasp, the same hand that grasped the weapon reaches up towards his chest to unclasp the weapon that is currently residing on his back: the pulse rifle. The pulse rifle makes a similar sound to his blaster as it’s being unbuckled. A slight jingle noise is all that can be heard in the area. Tightly grasping the long weapon in both of his hands, Mando quietly makes his way to the other side of the tree, aiming the rifle, but doesn’t find a figure there. The footsteps stop right beside the tree, but the attacker is nowhere in sight.

Using the scope from his rifle, he slowly takes in his surroundings around him to locate the person, but to no avail. No thermal outline can be found. Slowly lowering his weapon towards the floor, he looks directly above him to see if they somehow made their way in the branches. No.

“Behind ‘ya, Mandalorian.” A voice suddenly appears from behind him.

As he quickly whips around, multiple blaster shots hit against his cuirass. The first two or three shots catch him by surprise, the last few though, make him determined. The small figure ahead of him continues to shoot at him. Mando begins to make his way towards them, the blaster fire only getting more and more frequent. None of the shots ever come in contact with his skin. The blaster fire will be deflected in every which way thanks to his armor. His cuirass protects a majority of the shots, but every now and again, Mando will use his vambraces to deflect a few of the shots as well. When he’s a few feet away from them, the attacker tries to run away from him once again but is unable to because of the grappling hook that is released from one of Mando’s vambraces.

The individual collides face-first onto the ground. A mixture of grass and dirt entering their mouth. They immediately begin spitting out whatever they can. Not much was in their mouth, but the taste still lingers on their taste buds.

With them so close in his grasp, Mando quickly drops the rifle that resides in his free hand and begins to pull on his grappling hook to pull them closer to him. Their body begins to flail, moving almost akin to a child who’s throwing a tantrum when things don’t go their way, but the individual eventually gets out of his grasp by quickly pulling out a knife that’s secured in its holster at their hip. The blade effectively cuts off the cord that was once wrapped around their ankles. Right when they begin to make their way to get up, Mando’s figure is already hovering over him, blaster pointing directly at their head.

“What is it that you want?” Mando asks the figure.

The figure doesn’t say anything in response. Their eyes only narrowing themselves on the figure above them.

Mando’s figure joins them on the ground as he’s suddenly kicked down to the ground. The person, who is now next to his side, easily gains an advantage when both of their legs enclose his body. Their hands immediately go to grasp the wrist that has the blaster in his hand, but Mando’s strength is too great for them to pose any kind of threat towards him. Just the strength of one of his hands tightly squeezing their wrist is enough for them to let out a blood curdling scream. Their efforts immediately stop as they begin to throw punches at his arm. Their free hand hits anywhere they can get: his bicep, his collarbone area, and finally, his chest, but they only let out another scream as their first harshly collides with the beskar.

With one swift kick to their chest, Mando is now the one who’s hovering over their body, his forearm pinning them against the soft, luscious grass. The person beneath squirms in a similar fashion as when he effectively caught them with his grappling hook earlier, but now they have no one where to run or hide.

“I’m going to ask one more time: why are you doing this?”

The person’s attempt of trying to be released from his grasp diminishes as they realize that there’s no way they can get out of this situation. One of their hands reaches up to remove their masked face. Once revealed, Mando sees that the attacker is a woman that’s much younger than he is. No wrinkles or lines can be found on her face. Her dark eyes heavy with under eye bags- probably from just trying to survive by stealing from the nearby town. Her thin lips letting out deep exhales as she tries to catch her breath. Her dark brown hair all messed up when she removed the piece of fabric that once covered her features.

But the only thing she responds with is laughter. The pressure on her chest only gets more painful as Mando applies more pressure.

“I wonder if your partner survived. Maybe they’ll be next.”

“What are you talking about?” The pressure on the woman’s chest only gets heavier and heavier.

“A Mandalorian went rogue on Nevarro a few days ago and then a few days later, a Mandalorian was spotted at a cantina only a few sectors over. You didn’t think you would go unnoticed, did you?” She asks as a soft chuckle leaves her lips, “Then a ship enters this planet’s atmosphere and word travels fast when one of your kind is spotted, especially around these parts. It’s not that hard to put two and two together.”

The only thing that goes through his mind is the safety of you and the little one. Were you both safe? Are you hurt in any way? Did they- No, he can’t think of that right now.

With one arm against her chest and the other holding a blaster, it would be easy to just shoot her and be done with it, but no, he’s not going to let her off that easy. Death would be too good for her. The townsfolk can decide what to do with her for all he cares.

The first thing Mando hears when he walks up the ramp to the Crest is whistling.

When he actually steps foot, he sees your figure crouched on the floor as your eyes scan your surroundings, obviously looking for something.

“What are you doing?”

The voice suddenly coming from behind startles you, nearly jumping out of your skin. Obviously still shaken up by the experience you had not even an hour ago.

“You’re back.”

“Yeah, uh, sorry I couldn’t comm you earlier. Got caught up in some stuff.”

A hum leaves your lips as you rise to your full height, stretching out the tense muscles in your thighs and calves.

“What happened?”

Mando begins to tell you of his day: of how apparently the local town had some trouble and that’s when he was able to offer his aid in exchange for some credits.

When he’s in the middle of telling you about his day, he stops midsentence to glance around the hull and  realizes there’s only two people in the hull, “where is he?”

“Who?”

“The kid. Where’s the kid?” His visor beginning to rapidly look around the hull. Mando even presses the button at the side of his helmet to use the thermal vision.

With the bag in his hand discarded, where he got it you don't know, as he looks all around. He looks underneath some discarded items that you placed on the floor, the small area where the two of you rotate to take naps. His search gets more and more frantic with each passing second. He even checks to see if the baby somehow got inside the weaponry cabinet.

His search finally stops when you call out the

name you always call him by, “calm down. He’s right here.” You motion towards a collection of boxes. The light tap your hand makes on top of the boxes is what summons the little one out.

When he enters Mando’s line of sight, the tension in Mando’s shoulders physically leaves his body.

He never thought he would be so relieved to see the weird, little baby.

And the baby feels the same exact way because when he sees the familiar ‘T’ visor, he runs towards the giant of a man as fast as his little legs will allow him. His small claws attach themselves to his boot.

As the visor glances down, a small coo leaves the baby’s lips. Though you and the baby are unable to see it, Mando immediately smiles at the sight of the little one looking up at him, with a smile as big as his face will allow it.

“What were you guys doing?”

“Playing.”

“Playing?”

“A game from my childhood.” You begin as you glance down towards the floor, where the baby is adorably playing with the leather of Mando’s boot, “I was teaching him this game where you have to hide. I thought that it would be good for him to know how because it’ll help him in the future, like, like someone wouldn’t be able to find him. And what if we weren’t there to protect him? I just thought it would be good for him to know, just in case something happens, you know?”

As you glance up to look at your partner’s visor, you see that it’s still focused on the baby that’s currently attached itself onto him.

“That’s a, a good idea. Thank you.”

It’s your turn to now nod in response.

The wind coming from outside is the only sound that can be heard in the hull.

The sound of Mando’s feet banging on the metal floor creates an echo inside the hull as he tries to walk in the direction of the cockpit, but is held back by the little creature that won’t leave his side.

Rather than making his problem simpler by picking up the little one, Mando simply drags his foot along the floor, where he accidentally kicks his foot into yours.

A muffled groan vibrates in your throat. You bite your bottom lip as you try to wait for the wave of pain to go unnoticed by your partner. Like always, he’s always aware of every little detail that goes on around him, no matter how minuscule it is.

“What is it? What’s the matter?” His visor immediately begins to scan your body for any visible injuries, only to find none. None that are viable to the naked eye.

“It’s nothing.” You brush off. After what he briefly told you about his day, the last thing he needs is for you to find out about the attack that happened to you earlier in the day.

With the tilt of his helmet, his gloved hands on his hips, you know that he isn’t going to leave you alone until you tell him.

You thought about lying to him, making up some story that your foot collided hard with some random corner of the ship, but, no, you can’t lie to him. You’ll need to tell him what happened to you sooner or later.

“The kid and I were having lunch earlier, outside, since it looked so nice out and I didn’t see the harm of it at first, but out of nowhere, this guy attacked me. Luckily the kid was able to hide because of the game we were playing earlier, but during the attack, he was able to sprain my ankle.”

“I knew I shouldn’t have left you two alone.”

“But we’re alright- we’re fine.”

“I should've been there to protect you.”

“It wasn’t your fault. There’s nothing you could’ve done.”

“But-“

“It wasn’t your fault. You were protecting us, but in a different way.”

His helmet tilts further, ever so slightly, encouraging you to go on.

“You can’t always be here to protect us. You were protecting an entire town from a threat that’s been terrorizing them for weeks. There’s no way you could’ve been in both places at the same time. There’s nothing more that you could’ve done.”

“I suppose you're right.”

He moves towards the direction of the open hatch door, but stops when he sees you shift your weight from your injured foot to the other.

“How bad is it?”

“Not that bad-“ Hearing your name coming from his modulator interrupts you, “I’ve had worse but I’ll be fine.”

“You should rest.”

“I’m fine.”

“Have you even been resting since it happened?”

“No, the kid-“

“Have you eaten?”

“Not really, no.”

“Would you like to?” It’s now your turn to tilt your head at him, “the town, they gave us some precooked meals as a way of thanks for helping them.”

“What about you? Have you eaten?”

“I’ll eat later.” Your tilted head only tilts further as you know that’s a load of bantha. For as long as you’ve known Mando, he’s never been known for looking out for himself- always you, and now the kid, “I promise I will.”

A soft hum leaves your lips as you rest your back against a nearby wall.

“We should probably eat before we leave. Then you can rest.”

You open your mouth to protest, but a home cooked meal while being in the presence of your partner is something that seems to be calling your name.

“Lead the way.”

Quick lunch outside was something that you didn’t know you needed. With the frequent breezes of the winds, the hectic day you’ve already had slips through your mind. The home cooked meal that your partner brought is one of the best that you’ve had in a long time. It’s not often that you get the opportunity to have a hot meal, usually just prepackaged foods that you manage to pick up on your trips to random marketplaces from all across the Outer Rim, but this, this is something that you missed greatly. It’s a luxury that was stripped away from you as a child.

“How is it?” You hear your partner ask you.

“Good. So good. Are you sure you don’t want any?” You ask as you offer the rest of the food on your plate, only for him to decline.

“I’ll have some later. I promise.”

Leaning back against the tree you’re currently resting against, you close your eyes to let your other senses take over. The feeling of the breeze lightly hitting your face and gently moving your hair off of your shoulders. The sound of the wind hitting against the leaves. The sound of the little one letting out giggles of joy as he runs across the grass. The slight chuckle coming from your partner’s modulator as he, assumingly, admires the kid. The scent of the food that you just ate still lingering in the air. The chirps of the nearby birds chatting with each other. A small smile appears on your face as you try to remember all that you can.

Moments like these are far in between but they make all of the trouble with it.

“How did it happen?” You hear a voice as a light tapping can be felt on the tip of your boot.

As you reopen your eyes, you see that Mando’s gloved hand lightly grasps your ankle, not that you can really feel it thanks to the thickness of the leather.

“I’m not really sure, to be honest. The kid and I were having lunch outside and the next thing I know, there’s this stranger approaching us and before I could ask him anything, he just starts shooting. That’s when I told the kid to go inside. Luckily, I had my blaster on me and I was able to fend him off for a bit, but that’s when he knocked me off of my feet and I guess he got it pretty good because it’s still a bit sore.”

“I’m glad that you’re alright.”

“Thanks, but that’s not when I was worried.”

“What do you mean?”

“After he had hit my ankle, he said something that hasn’t been able to leave my head. He said something about how his partner would be here soon and that’s when the ‘real fun’ would begin, saying that my partner would soon be dead.” You finish as you put air quotes around the two words.

“She said the same thing to me.”

“Who?”

“His partner. There were two people terrorizing the town. Only one would come out at a time. There was an attack while I was in town. I was able to capture her, alive, but she said the same thing. She knew about our escape from Nevarro. She knew about our presence here before I even made it to town.”

“If she knew, then the entire sector knows.”

“I know.”

“And if we just travel to a sector or two over, then they’ll know soon, if they don’t already.”

“I know.”

“Then we should probably go somewhere further, the next planet that we go to.”

“I know.”

Silence falls between you two again, but it’s not an uncomfortable one, but a peaceful one at that. It’s similar to the ones that you’ve gotten used to on the Crest but it’s also different. Instead of breathing in the same stuffy filtered air, fresh air enters your lungs. There’s a live aspect to it. Not by the noises of the local animals or the soft noises the baby makes every now and again as he entertains himself, but it’s the slight shift in the air. Maybe it’s the fact that there’s something different about your partner. You can’t exactly put your finger on it, but something’s seems different about him ever since the two of you decided to rescue the child. Like a shift in destinies.

“We should probably head out soon.” Mando says as he begins to get up from his crisscrossed position on the floor. As you look in front of you, you see that the day is beginning to take a toll on the baby as well as he is now sitting on the floor, his ears beginning to droop, along with his eyes.

“Yeah, I suppose you’re right.”

When you use one of your arms to support yourself against the tree, you hear a chuckle, ever so slightly, come from your partner.

“Need some help?” He offers a hand out to you.

Both of your hands both tightly grasp at each other’s forearms. With the combination of your efforts, especially your partner’s strength, it’s not a difficult task to get you up back on your feet.

The feeling of leather gloves leaves your wrist. The warm feeling when his hand touches your skin leaves your body, but not for long because Mando notices how you begin to limp with each step you take.

“Let’s go.” He says as he wraps an arm around your waist, so that your weight can lean against his, “is this okay?”

Nodding your head at him, you reply, “yeah, yeah, it is.”

“Come on, kid. It’s time to leave.”

The warmth that left only a few moments ago returns as your partner begins to guide the three of you back to the ship. You know he only offered help because of your injury, but you can’t help but smile at the thought of him caring for you in this manner. He could’ve waited for you to get back to ship on your own, but he didn’t. He probably doesn't think much of it, helping when he can, but to you it means so much more.

At the beginning of your relationship, Mando was very closed off. Only speaking when necessary. Only offered aid during combat. Never doing more than what was necessary. But his actions as of late show of how much more comfortable he is around you. Before, he would only tell you the major details on a bounty that you didn’t join him on, but today just shows how much your relationship has grown.

When he returned, he could’ve made plans to go to another planet as you rested in the hull, but no, he took it upon himself to make sure you got the proper care that you need. To others that may seem like the basic standard, but to you, it’s so much more.

Not only has he not shown this compassion to others in presumably a long time, but it’s also been so long since you’ve experienced it. You can’t remember the last time you experienced such kindness from a person, a friend, since the war began. When the war began, it stripped everyone of their nativity and their kindness. Seeing such kindness from someone as war experienced as Mando is such a rarity. He’s the only one from the Guild who showed a resemblance of being somewhat pleasing towards you. He was a bit hesitant of working with you at first upon first meeting you, but now he doesn’t show that.

He shows his emotions through his actions. He’s been vocalizing his feelings more lately, but he still shows his gratitude in other ways, like spending a little extra time and care on you to make sure you’re alright before you leave to your next location.

It may not seem like a big deal to Mando, but the extra attention, even if it’s for a few minutes, means the world to you.

You’re brought out of your thoughts by the loud sound of the hatch door closing, the artificial lights that you’ve gotten used to during these past few cycles turning on.

The sunshine no longer kisses your exposed arms. Cold, filtered air brushes up against your skin. You’ll adjust to it shortly.

“Will you be okay to walk?”

“Yeah, I’ll be fine.”

The hand around your waist leaves. Your arms slowly drop to your side as your partner makes his way to his usual spot in the ship: the pilot’s seat.

It’s a struggle but you’re able to join him in the cockpit shortly, with the baby also trotting behind you.

“What is this?” He asks.

“Lunch- or at least it was. I made it for you while you were gone and I thought you would want some. I didn’t know when you would be back and I wanted to make sure that you would eat and I knew that you couldn’t eat with us because of the,” you say as you motions towards your face, referring to the most important aspect of his creed, “so I wanted to make sure that you ate.”

“You didn’t have to.”

If you weren’t listening as intently as you were, you probably wouldn’t have been able to catch the ‘thank you’ that comes out broken from his modulator.

“Someone’s gotta make sure that you eat. Maker knows you don’t.”

“Thank you.”

“You would’ve done the same.” You say as you finally take a seat in your usual spot, with the leg of your injured foot jutted out.

When Mando’s about to follow suit so that the ship can get airborne, he’s interrupted by the baby latching onto his boot for the second time.

He begins at first getting the little guy off by gently shaking his foot, only for the baby to latch onto him even tighter.

“All alright.” He says as he grabs the kid by its sides.

“Do you even know how to hold a baby?”

Before he’s able to say or do anything in response, you get up from your seat and take a few steps towards your partner.

“May I?” You ask as you gesture towards the baby in his grasp. With the nod of his helmet, you continue.

“First, you don’t grasp him like he’s sort of bomb. He’s not going to hurt you.” With the direction of one of your hands, you guide the baby to be in the crook of his arm instead of being lifted up in the air like being the subject of a sacrifice. The baby immediately likes the comfort of the multi layers of clothing that Mando wears because it acts as a pillow. The baby gets comfortable as soon as he finds his new comfort spot.

“Then with your other hand, you have to support the nape of the neck. Just to make sure he’s as comfortable as possible.”

As much as Mando wants to focus on your words, the only thing that he can focus on at the moment are where your hands touch. The touches you give him are almost as light as a feather, similar to the kind of a touch you give an injury, as you help guide him on how to properly care for the baby. Every once in a while, he’ll be able to actually feel the warmth radiating from your hands when you accidentally brush against the bare skin that’s right above the cuff of his glove, and the warmth from your hand travels through his veins. Your actions affecting him.

The touch of your skin against his goes unnoticed by you, as you continue to guide him, but it’s the only thing on Mando’s mind- much like how it was shortly after the battle on Nevarro, where all he could think about was you. Not narrowly escaping death or what the future of the covert could be, but the feeling of your hand touching the bare skin between his shoulder and his neck.

No matter how hard he tries, he can’t seem to focus on your words. He can see that your lips are moving, giving him guidance, but he can’t focus on any of that. He can only focus on you. On the softness that’s in your eyes as you help him. The soft smile on your face as your fingers softly graze the child’s cheek. Holding a baby is so foreign to him, but for you, it’s second nature. Almost like you could do this in your sleep. It’s a side of you that you don’t show often, but you’ve been exposing more and more the longer the baby is in your lives.

“You get it now?”

The words faintly register in Mando’s head as he sees that your lips are no longer moving, your eyes awaiting for an answer.

“Uh, yeah, yeah, I got it.”

With the nod of your head, your grasp on his wrists leaves as you head towards the door that leads to the lower levels.

“You should eat.”

Before he’s able to let out any sort of rebuttal, your figure leaves his line of sight. Nothing to distract him from the thoughts that roam his head from what just occurred between the two of you.

“Well, kid, it’s just you and me now.”

Today was not how he thought it would go. He first began it by being woken up to the sound of your laughter as you were playing with the baby, and now, he can’t hear any sounds from the baby. Only thinking about how your skin felt against his and how he never wants that feeling to end.

“‘Guard the ship’?” With that, Mando presses the button on the console that lowers the hatch. Harsh winds immediately make their way inside the ship and your arms instantly make their way around your frame in a vain attempt to keep yourself warm. 

“See, you’re already cold. Stay here, I’ll be back soon.” Before you’re able to interject again, your partner leaves you alone on the ship. 

The wind nips harshly on your skin as intense breezes fill the hull. 

All of the warmth from your body is immediately snatched from you. Your cheeks and the tip of your nose are already beginning to go numb. 

Frost is already to begin attaching itself to the metal armor that’s currently wrapped around your forearms. 

When you close the hatch door, the bitter winds no longer torment you as you make your way towards your sleeping quarters so you can warm yourself back up with one of the blankets that you own.

“‘Guard the ship.’” You jeer, “what a load of bantha fodder. We’ve been partners for months and he still doesn’t trust me?” 

As you wrap the blanket tightly around your shoulders, you begin to make your way to the cockpit, where hopefully it isn’t as freezing as it is in the lower level. 

After being a part of Mando’s crew for a few months now, times like these make you question whether or not he trusts you anymore the day you took him up on his offer to be partners. By his reputation, you assumed that he would be uptight at first, but you’ve never seen him relax in the months you’ve known him. His demeanor around you has never changed: always on edge and ready for a fight. You thought that he would be a little more comfortable around you by this point, but nothing has changed. By the way you see it, it’s as if he still isn’t sure if he can trust you even when you’ve proven your worth time and time again. 

You’ve tried to make him more comfortable around you by telling him stories of your past but you still don’t know anything more about him since that day you met him in the cantina on Nevarro. 

Had you done something that offended him? 

There’s nothing that you could think of pops out at you that could suggest this.

Maybe that’s just the way he is? That may be the case but you’ve seen how he loosens up a bit with Greef Karga on Nevarro whenever the pair of you return to get your next set of bounties. 

You can’t think of any reason why your partner wouldn’t trust you at this point. You’re not quick to trust others either, but you’ve at least tried to make an effort. You’ve tried time and time again to try to loosen him up, try to get a laugh or two out of him, but to no avail. 

You first joined Mando’s crew after working together on a few bounties that Greef Karga suggested that you two should work together on. By being the Guild’s two best hunters, it’s a wonder how your paths didn’t merge earlier. After seeing you in action, Mando offered you a spot on his crew, at first you declined. After working for so long on your own, you just got used to doing everything yourself and not having to depend on anyone, but you eventually gave in 

when he offered a second time because you realized the benefits outnumbered the consequences. Not long after becoming partners did the pair of you become known as an unstoppable force.

Your bounties were caught far quicker than if you did them on your own. 

When you would struggle with something, your partner would always have a suggestion and vice versa. Both of your skills and struggles complimented the other. There have been a few particularly hard bounties that would stump your partner and you would always have an idea as to how to catch them. Without each other, some of the bounties may have been near impossible if you two hadn’t worked together as a team.

Over the past few months, the bounties varied from very easy to near impossible. A few bounties, like your current one, were almost ridiculously simple where only one of you needs to go capture the bounty. Even though it’s not necessary to go hunting every single time, you’ve been beginning to enjoy the company of your partner and you just hope he feels the same.

Your thoughts of doubt continue to gnaw at you as you sit down in your usual spot in the cockpit. The blanket around your shoulders is still wrapped tightly around you. The more your thoughts continue to swarm your brain, the tighter you would grasp the piece of cloth. Tucking your legs underneath you, you close your eyes and begin to take a few calming deep breaths, attempting to clear out your worries.

Little did you know, this was only the beginning of your journey with the Mandalorian that would change your lives forever.

Once you put your foot on the first step of the ladder, you hear another voice coming from the cockpit, repeating the sentence you heard just moments ago but in a more scolding tone, “stop doing that. I told you that’s not a toy.”

“What’s going on?” You ask as you find your partner holding the baby by gripping at his sides as he holds the little one in the air.

“The baby, he…” He trails off as you see one of the baby’s hands reaches up to his mouth. A sucking sound comes out of his mouth as his hand is now in a little fist. As you walk closer to the two of them, you finally understand what chaos you woke up to. 

Holding out your hand slowly towards the little one, his hand moves away from his mouth and meets yours. When your much bigger hand covers his, there’s a mixed sensation of warmth and cold that can be felt when his little claws lightly scratch at the coarse skin. A small silver ball can be found in the palm of your hand as you unravel it. 

You look at your partner to explain what you missed out on as you raise your eyebrows at him, “he was- he was trying to eat it and I told him not to, but he wouldn’t listen.”

You can’t help but chuckle. You’ve had plenty of experience of being around children and their crazy antics. You don’t know how much experience Mando must have with the limited amount of Mandalorians that are left in the galaxy, but it’s probably limited.

“That’s what children do.” You say as you shrug your shoulders at him, “they’ll do anything. They won’t listen- that’s just how they are.” 

“But he would’ve choked on it if I didn’t-“

“That’s why you constantly have to have an eye on him.” 

“All the time?”

“Yeah, they don’t know any better and it’s your responsibility as the adult to keep them out of danger, even if it’s from themselves.” 

A beeping comes from the console behind you interrupts the conversation you and Mando were just having.

Before you know it, Mando is offering the child to you, in which you gladly accept, as he scrambles in the pilot’s seat. Looking over his shoulder with the baby tightly secured in the crook of your arms, you see the various colors that are on the exterior of the planet that you are traveling to.

“Where’s our next stop?” 

“The Gopani system,” Mando replies as he toggles with a few buttons to his left, “it’s a nearly deserted planet except here,” he says as he examines the planet’s information, “there’s a cluster of people near the middle of the planet. We can land there, look around, and work our way from there.”

“Sounds good to me.”

The landing on the Gopani atmosphere goes like any other landing you’ve had on a foreign planet. 

You only shifted in your seat a few times, tightly grasping at the sides of your seat as you try to minimize the amount of times you rock in your seat. As much as you love traveling the gaucho

galaxy with Mando’s company, you’ve always hated landings in the Crest. Looking over to your right, you find the baby feels the exact opposite as you by the few giggles that he lets out with the biggest smile on his face, clearly enjoying the slightly bumpy landing. 

Even with the limited time the baby has been in your care, he’s been able to lighten up the Crest’s atmosphere in a matter of hours. From his giggles to his overall happy demeanor, it seems like the smile on your face hasn’t left since you saw that both Mando and the baby were able to escape the fight on Nevarro without being harmed. 

You wish that life with Mando would have always been like this, but maybe this is the start of something new. Maybe now, you’ll be able to see a different side of your partner. One that isn’t 

uptight all the time but one that he doesn’t share with the rest of the galaxy. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll finally be able to get to know more about the man underneath the thick layer of beskar- not Mando, but him.

A slight tugging at the ends of your pants brings you out of your thoughts. As you glance down, you see the green little baby is continually pulling at your pants and is pointing in the direction that goes towards the lower level of the ship. After taking a quick glance around the cockpit, you see that only the two of you are now here. Mando must’ve left when you were too distracted with your thoughts. 

“Where did he go?” You ask the baby as you take him in your arms. He only lets out a few gurgling noises at you as one his hands motions to your right- where the door is still wide open, “well, I think we should go check up on him, don’t you think?” The only somewhat appropriate answer you get out of him is more giggles coming from him. Wrapping the strap of your bag from the floor, you decide to go investigate where your partner must have gone to. 

Making it down the ladder is a bit difficult when you only have one free hand, but you’re able to make it down with no problems. A soft grunt leaves your lips when your feet hit the ground, leaving a loud echoing noise in the hull. One of the first things you see as you look around is your partner is looking through his weaponry cabinet. A variety of weapons can be found, from different types of blasters to grenades to vibro knives. 

“You ready to go?” You ask as you look over at your partner’s shoulder.

“You don’t need to come. It’ll be-“

“‘safer if only one of us goes.’ Yeah, I know, you always say that.”

“If anyone spots us together-“

“They won’t-“

“If they do, we’ll be putting it in danger.” Mando says as he motions to the baby that’s in your arms.

“And with the both of us there, he’ll have twice the amount of protection.”

“You’re not going to give up, are you?” 

You shake your head at him in response.

He mutters something that you can’t hear underneath his breath. Probably scolding you and your stubborn behavior in the tongue of his people, something you noticed that he does whenever you’ve agitated him enough. 

You continue to stand in your position next to the weaponry cabinet as your partner walks away from you without saying another word, pressing the button that releases the hatch door. As he glances at you, seeing that you haven’t moved a single muscle, his helmet motions for you to follow suit, “come on, we don’t have much time.”

You immediately follow right behind him, but not before you gently place the baby back in the pram so he can be hidden just in case something bad happens. Maker forbid it, but just in case.

The walk to town doesn’t take that long. Along the way, you see a sea of trees that are home to various birds. Their chirps are the only sound that can be heard.  After your experience of growing up on a world where noise is almost nonstop, the subtle noises of birds chirping and the gravel making a loud CRUNCH as you continue stepping in it is all that you can focus on as you walk towards the town. It’s not much, simple really, but you’ve come to really enjoy the quiet moments that have become normal with your partner. Whether it’s the two of you locating your next bounty after walking for a full day or two, or it’s the unspoken contact as you travel through hyperspace, you found the silence between the two of you to be unnerving at first but now you’re beginning to find the comfort in it. 

You thought Mando deciding to not speak to you, only when it was necessary, was because it was you, but you’ve come to realize recently that that’s not the case. That’s just who he is. He’s just a secluded person. 

For the longest time you thought you did something to offend him, maybe done something that he didn’t agree with, but within the past few days, you’ve come to realize that you were completely wrong. You thought his silence was a sign that he still doesn’t trust you, but it’s not that at all. Your partner may not be the most talkative man in the galaxy, but he shows his trust in various other ways, like mentioning about the hidden Mandalorian covert after your escape. He could’ve just said that the man flying next to the Crest is a Mandalorian and dropped the subject, but he showed his trust, albeit very subtly, by telling you about the covert that is now dispersed on Nevarro. His signs of trust are very different from what you’ve experienced in the past. Mando doesn’t use his words to convey how he feels, but rather, from his actions. 

That’s all you can think about as you admire your surroundings. Everything looks the same. The trees seem to go on forever. The birds continue to chirp. Their nests are secured on the highest branches of the trees to be away from the predators that lurk underneath. And the dirt underneath your feet continues to make a crunching noise the further you get away from the Crest. 

At one point, the outline of the town finally becomes visible after walking for a mile or two. From the looks of it, the town isn’t much, just a few shops open for business as they’re located in front of a few buildings- probably just a cantina and their homes. 

You don’t even realize how fast you guys have been walking when your partner, and the pram, come to a complete stop, waiting on top of a hill that drops right back to the streets of the town. The muscles in your calves immediately begin to untighten themselves as they begin to get the rest they deserve. A slight throbbing sensation can be felt as your legs continue to rest. 

“So, what was your plan once we got here anyways?” You ask as you glance over at your partner, “like ask where we take a wanted baby or where rogue hunters go?”

Mando’s visor turns away from the outline of the town and towards you, tilting his helmet at you, as if he’s asking ‘really?’ without actually having to say anything. 

“Sorry. But what was your plan?”

“We ask around and see what the locals know. We should probably start with the cantina and go on from there.” 

You expected him to walk on without your input, but to your surprise he waits for your response, in which you nod at him and give him your approval. 

It gets louder and louder the closer you get to town. Seeing the locals gets clearer and clearer. Children chasing each other in the streets. The vendors being friendly to potential customers. The scent of food cooking enters your nostrils. Everything about the town puts a smile on your face. It reminds you of the planet that you just left but it’s also so much more. It’s so unlike anything you were ever to experience as a child. It’s an experience that hopefully the child in the pram by your side will be able to experience plenty and be fond of those memories as he ages. You can’t imagine all of the horrors he’s already had to experience if the remnants of the Empire sent a plethora of bounty hunters after him. He deserves to at least have some resemblance of peace- even if it’s for a little while. 

And that can’t be possible when he’s in your care. He deserves to be able to roam free in the streets, to eat a warm meal every night, just like the children in this town are able to. As you walk past the children, the smile on your face only increases. They’re so carefree. They run and laugh without a care a world- in a world where they never had to experience the cruelty of the galaxy.

You stop in your tracks as something hits the back of your leg harshly. As you look behind you, you find the group of children are trying their best to contain their giggles as a single red ball stands still right behind you. Shaking your head at them, you laugh along with them. Now you see why they were running in crazy directions. 

Bending over, you grab the red ball in your hands you quickly make your way to the small group of children as you smile back at them. Oh how you wish your childhood could be filled with moments like these- not filled with terror. The children’s faces all have mixed reactions: some of them are curious of who you are while others are scared by your tall figure, but the smiles slowly come back to their faces as you crouch down to seem less intimidating. 

Reaching out towards them, you offer their ball back to them, “I believe this is yours.” 

One of the kids, a young boy who couldn’t be older than seven, takes the ball gingerly from your grasp, “yes, thank you so much!” He exclaims as the big smile on his face returns from earlier, “so sorry for hitting you.”

“It’s quite alright,” You say as a few giggles fall from your lips, “accidents happen.”

You stand up from your crouched position and you’re about to say your goodbyes and make your way back to your partner so you can try to get out of here as soon as possible, but as usual, he beats you to it. The scared expression on the children's faces are now on all of their faces and you frown at the sudden change of their disposition. 

“We don’t have time for this.” You suddenly hear the all too familiar modulated voice, “we need to keep moving.” He says as he grabs your wrist a bit too tightly for your liking, as he tugs on it. 

You open your mouth to give some sort of rebuttal, but you know it’ll do no good. It’ll only cause your partner to be in more distress than he already is. And you know he’s right.

The longer you’re on the planet, the more likely you’ll be spotted.

With his grip still strong on you, you quickly glance behind you and you find the children have resumed their game. The sides of your mouth slightly lift up as a small amount of happiness enters your body for the moment. Small moments like the sight before you makes all of the horrors you’ve experienced worth it- even if you can’t experience them personally. 

The final tug on your wrist brings your attention back to your partner.

“We’re here.” He states simply as his grip disappears. 

As you follow shortly behind, Mando tells you he’s going to ask around for information. Maybe about the surrounding systems. You begin to make your way to the bar. Maybe you can get information from the locals as well and get out of here as soon as possible. 

As you glance around the cantina, you find that it’s surprisingly crowded, especially considering it’s the middle of the day. The only time you’ve seen a cantina this busy in the middle of the afternoon is the one back on Nevarro and that’s because nearly the entire Guild in this sector lives there. 

A spot at the bar becomes available when one of the locals walks out the cantina. Taking the free spot, you order yourself a drink and as you wait for it to be made, two men approach you: one of them a Twi’lek and the other a human male. 

When they make their way to the bar, they trap you by standing on both of your sides, not allowing you to leave. You take in a deep breath, shutting your eyes shut, and just hope they leave you alone. But you’ve never had such luck, so why should it start now?

“Here’s a new face.” The Twi’lek on your left begins. Out of the corner of your eye, you see that his dark blue lekku slightly bounce off of his back as he tries to get a better look at you. He’s only an inch or two taller than you. At first glance, he doesn’t pose that much as a threat. His friend on the other hand, seems to be more intimidating. 

“What’s a pretty one like you doing here all alone?” The taller man asks. 

“I’m just passing through, thanks.” You quip as your eyes look straight forward, not looking at anything in particular, but it’s something to focus on while the two men breathe down your neck. 

“Aw, come on, that’s no way to treat a stranger, ain’t it?” The human make, who has breath that smells worse than a bantha, says, “you’re here all by your lonesome. You must be a lonely thing.” 

You take in another deep breath and exhale out of your nose. 

Out all of the time you’ve been traveling all across the galaxy, you’ve met different types of people. There’s been generous individuals who tried their best to help you in any way they can and then there’s people like these two men, who just don’t know how to take ‘no’ for an answer and are the absolute scum of the galaxy. You’ve met a lot of people like these two who always get up in your business for no apparent reason, maybe they want something from you, maybe they’re just bored, a bit intoxicated, but there’s something weird about these two. You can’t exactly put your finger on it, but something just seems weird about them.

“I’ve been fine on my own, thanks.” You manage to say. The man on your right seems to be getting closer and closer to you the more you interact with him. With how close he is, it makes it harder for you to breathe. You can feel your heartbeat in your throat. You’ve even had to begin breathing through your mouth to make sure you don’t show how physically shaken up the man is making you. When you try to move away from the bar, but the man on your left doesn’t let you, grasping your wrist harshly, so unlike the grip your partner had on you just a minute or two ago. Even though Mando’s grip was a bit painful, you know it was only because he’s in such a hurry and wouldn’t outright try to harm you, unlike the Twi’lek on your left.

“Where are you going? You haven’t even let us buy you a drink yet.” 

“I’m not thirsty.” And just your luck, the drink you ordered earlier arrives.

“Here you go.” The bartender says as he walks away to take care of other customers.

“Not thirty, eh?” The Twi’lek comments. You scowl at the man in response, scanning his body as he releases his grip on you. The Twi’lek has a smaller figure, a figure similar to your own. As you glance at the two men, they remind you of how other hunters must have seen you and Mando as. The human male has a much larger figure than his Twi’lek partner, much like you and Mando. Everywhere you went with Mando on business, everyone has always assumed that your partner was the one in charge, and in a way that’s true, but at first glance they wouldn’t know of how collaborative a relationship you have. Of how neither of you make a decision without the other. 

You know nothing of what their relationship is like, but you know better than to underestimate the Twi’lek based solely on the size of his frame. 

The much taller man says something to catch your attention, but you’re so lost in your thoughts that you only catch his last words. 

“-better company.”

You can’t even think of a response. You don’t even care what in the galaxy the man is going on about. You just want to get out of here. As you glance around the cantina to find Mando, the two men take notice. 

“Looking for someone?”

There’s no point in arguing with them anymore. No matter what you say will only continue to encourage them to talk to you. Maybe, just maybe, if you ignore them long enough, they’ll get irritated and leave you alone then you can move on with your day. 

“What, no response?”

You only take a sip of your beverage as you look in front of you once again, just hoping this all could be over very soon.

But you’ve never had such luck. 

“Not even a glance?”

“You know, it’s rude to ignore a stranger.”

“It’s also rude for you to harass them.” The words came out of your mouth so fast without a second thought before you could stop yourself. 

“Harassing?” 

“Are we harassing you?”

“Considering you won’t leave me alone, yeah.”

“You never told us to go away.”

Looking over to your right, you find the man, the much larger man, is now towering over you as he tries to seem as intimidating as possible but it doesn’t work. 

His broad shoulders make him seem more intimidating than he actually is, along with his puffed up chest. The sight of him trying so hard to be as intimidating as possible is a sight to see. 

You’ve fought guys his size before and you could fight him now, but for the sake of blending in, you don’t. 

‘Just a few more minutes. Keep it together.’ You tell yourself.

But the next words that fall out of the man’s mouth are what make your heart drop in the pit of your stomach.

“You know, there’s a pretty large bounty on your head.” 

Thanks to the limited amount of space that’s left, staying in your comfortable position from earlier is no longer an option. Normally you would be just fine staying in a curled up ball and call it night, but you can’t thanks to your injured ankle.

It hurts like hell to even walk for more than a few minutes, let alone sleep on it. Sleeping on your side wouldn’t be an option. But in order to even get some shuteye, you would need to put pressure on your wound.

Finding a comfortable sleeping position is such a difficult task. Laying on your side doesn’t work- it only causes pain. Stretching out your legs isn’t an option because you’ll only knock over a few of the boxes Mando loaded on earlier. The most comfortable position you can find is sleeping on your side, but even that isn’t enough because your neck is limp. There’s nowhere for your head to rest comfortably. Bunching your jacket in a makeshift pillow doesn’t help. No matter how hard you try, you can’t get the one thing that you so desperately need right now: sleep. It’s so hard to focus on anything when your entire body aches in pain.

Mando and the ex-shock trooper are currently talking about the threat that has been terrorizing the village lately: a large group of bandits attack the village once a large amount of krill fish has been collected by the villagers. No one knows why they began their raidings, but the villagers are easy targets because they cannot defend themselves.

Hearing the two villagers recall of the hell they’ve been through angered you. It’s not an uncommon story in this galaxy where attackers will target a defenseless village, but it still doesn’t make it any easier to hear, no matter how many times you’ve heard a story like this one. Helping those in need isn’t always an option. You wish you could help others whenever you can, most of the time you can’t, but in this case, you can. You can bring back the peace that was stripped from this village. Maybe even find some peace for yourself, and Mando can as well, for a short period of time before you have to be on the move again.

You wish you could find some peace for yourself right now by your body granting you sleep, but it seems that everyone except for you was easily able to fall asleep.

At least, you thought everyone was asleep until you heard a low modulated voice.

“You alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”

“How’s your leg?”

“It hurts a bit, but I’ll be okay.”

Every time you adjust yourself to try to relax your body, it gives the opposite effect. The muscles in your calves begin to cramp up on you. Your neck strains from the lack of support it has.

The discomfort that you’ve been feeling all evening has not gone unnoticed by your partner though, who has been quietly observing you ever since you landed on Sorgan. Every shift of your body, every time you squirm in silent pain, caught Mando’s attention as he tries to devise a plan for the village's problem. Cara would suggest some sort of a plan, trying to get Mando’s input, but his attention will drift from Cara to you as he tries to make sure that you’re alright without saying it outright.

As much as he wanted to make sure that you’re alright, he continued the conversation he was having with the woman who’s sitting across from him. He would be able to check up on you later when it’s just the two of you.

“You know, you could rest against me, if you want.”

“What?”

“If it would bring you ease, you can lean against me until morning.”

Hearing your partner’s suggestion throws you off. The only time he’s ever shown any type of physical contact has been shortly after you’ve been injured in any way, never as a way to provide comfort in the way he’s suggesting. You’ve always had to recover in the comfort of your own bed, alone, never with your partner in sight.

“You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll be fine, just go back to sleep.”

“You haven’t been able to get any rest since we left the Gopani system. You need to get some rest too.”

As much as you hate to admit it, he’s right. Giving reassurance doesn’t come easy to him. Making his offer must’ve been hard for him. The only reassurance he’s ever said to you has been directly after a fight when the guilt begins to eat up after you took a life.

His hesitation is shown by how his hand reaches out towards you, but never close enough to physically touch you. His hand stays by his side, but inches towards you.

Akin to your partner, your body hesitates to inch closer to Mando. You would be lying if you said that this exact scenario hasn’t crossed your mind over the past month or two. Every time you lay alone at night, one thought that has always been in the back of your mind is wondering what it’s like to have someone lay by your side. Having someone to whisper sweet nothings in your ear. Reassuring you with their grip on you. Just not being alone when you needed someone the most.

But right now, you can finally have that kind of comfort that your partner is offering you. With a small amount of courage, you take him up on his offer.

It’s a bit awkward at first. You try to scooch towards him as best as you can. It’s hard. Adrenaline runs through your veins. You’re not sure what it’s from, whether it’s from fear of waking some up or how close you’re physically getting with your partner, your heartbeat can be felt in the back of your throat. Goosebumps litter your skin when your arm gently brushes up against your partner’s. The warm feeling of his thigh brushing against yours is the first feeling of comfort that you’ve felt all evening. It’s not uncommon for you two to be this physically close to each other, thanks to the endless amount of times you shared a booth in the cantina on Nevarro, but this is different. Something about the way your leg brushes against his being unsaid between you two.

Pain shoots up your leg as you give your body one last push to make sure that there’s no distance between you and your partner. You mumble out a ‘sorry’ when your side hits against his, but he’s unphased by it, only responding by resting his arm against the exterior of the vehicle.

When your cheek first meets contact with his beskar covered shoulder, shock goes through your body by the cold sensation. You physically pull away at first. The piece of metal being even colder than the midnight air, but the warmth from your body heat eventually overpowers the coldness of the metal.

The longer your cheek rests against him, the more at ease you feel. It’s been such a long time since you’ve been this intimate with someone, even a friend, but it’s a feeling that you long forgotten. The beskar isn’t the most comfortable, but it’s much better than your previous attempts. Maybe the true comfort is coming from your partner and not what you’re resting against, but with sleep heavy on your mind, you don’t care where you found your solace.

As Mando glances down, the painful expression on your face from earlier is replaced with peace. Your brows no longer furrow in pain. Your eyes were shut as you suffered through pain earlier, but now your eyes are fluttered shut. Your mind finally at ease.

All of his surroundings is filled with peace. The ex-shock trooper has been asleep for most of the trip. The two villagers rest on each other. The baby sleeping by your side is sleeping peacefully for the longest time ever since he entered both of your lives. And now seeing you, Mando’s mind can now be at ease, allowing his body to finally accept the rest it’s been so desperately been asking ever since he agreed to help the local village. His eyes finally shut as he allows his mind to be like the animal habitats you pass: letting the midnight breeze lure them to sleep. His hand rests against your frame as he too begins to drift off.

But before he completely falls asleep, you say one final thing to him for the night.

A quiet ‘thank you’ leaves your lips as your eyes stay shut. Unconsciously moving to get as close to him as you possibly can.

“That’s what friends are for. Goodnight, ruusaan.”

What wakes you up the following morning is the sound of children’s laughter.

With the bright sun beaming directly upon your eyes and the loud environment of the local village, it’s hard not to come out of your slumber. It’s a welcomed feeling that you could get used to.

With your eyes still closed, your other senses are heightened. The sound of the birds singing, tree leaves rustling, children laughing, and the other villagers chatting with one another is all you can hear as your mind becomes less foggy with every passing second.

The sunshine beaming across your body acts as a natural blanket. The combination of the sunshine and the morning breeze hitting against your skin is an unfamiliar, yet so, so wonderful.

You’ve gotten used to waking up in a nearly freezing, dark room that you forgot how it feels to wake up the sun blinding you.

“Ruusaan, it’s time to get up.”

Your eyes flutter open at the sound of the new nickname Mando seems to have given you. You recall hearing it faintly last night and it gave you the same warm, fuzzy feeling in your stomach that you feel right now.

What makes you sit up in your seat is the incoming shouts from the children.

“They’re here!”

“Come on, hurry!”

“Help is here!”

The little one that was once by your side now resides at your feet as he enjoys the attention he’s currently getting from the children. The children that live in the village have the biggest smiles on their faces as they interact with the baby. Giggles come from both of them as they introduce themselves.

“Will you be able to walk on your own?” Your partner asks you as the villagers begin to unload the cart.

“I think I can manage.”

It’s a bit difficult to get up at first, but once your feet hit against the grassy floor, you’re able to join your partner’s side once you’ve collected your stuff.

One of the female locals gives the two of you a brief tour of the village. It’s not much, just a few lakes and some cabins, but it’s home. The small community they’ve managed to built on this secluded planet is amazing. It’s been such a long time since you’ve seen anything like it.

While you’re glancing around the village, Mando is close to your side just in case anything happens. After seeing what had happened to you during that fight and knowing that he could’ve prevented it from happening, protecting you from any potential harm in the future is the best that can do.

“How long have you guys been here?” You ask as your head finally comes back down from the clouds.

“We’ve been here for a couple generations, actually.” The villager responds, “our ancestors migrated here in search of a new home, a peaceful home, when their previous one was destroyed. It’s not much but-“

“-but its home.” You finish for her.

“Yes.”

As you pass each little cabin, you can see that each one is so similar but different from one another. One will have a cluttered space while the next is neatly kept. Each one having a different personality than the last.

“And you’re krill farmers?” You ask.

“Yes. We’ve been making a living here peacefully for our entire lives when the bandits came out of nowhere. We don’t know why they started or for how long it’ll go, but we need help.”

“What would the bandits want with krill fish?”

“Krill fish is a popular item on Sorgan, typically because it’s the main ingredient of spotchka.”

“Spotchka?”

“It’s a popular drink here- mainly at the common house, but we also enjoy drinking it here if there’s an excess of krill fish after the harvest.” As she glances behind her to get a glance at you and Mando, she turns back around, “here we go, just head inside.”

“Thank you.”

The woman begins to walk away from the three of you.

“She seems nice.” You comment. Mando wordlessly nods his helmet at you as he gestures for you to head inside the hut first. Not much can be said about it. It’s a very tight space, possibly one of the few available spaces they have left. A large sort of boxes line the walls, much like how it is on the Crest.

When you first set inside, another local is inside, making the last few touch ups for your arrival.

“Hello.” With a sweet smile on her face, the woman gestures for you to come inside.

“Please, come in.”

Even her voice sounds sweet.

“Thank you.” You respond.

Wrapping the rope that’s in her hands, she firmly hangs it up so that fresh air and sunshine can continue greeting you.

“Sorry that we only have the barn left.”

“It’ll be fine.” Mando assures her.

As you glance around you, you don’t know how the three of you will be able to make do in here. The room only has enough room for one, maybe two people, not all three of you.

Besides from the bed that takes up a majority of the room, the only other resemblance for a bed is one that’s in the corner of the entrance. And knowing Mando, he would insist that you take the comfortable bed while he takes the small area that has a few blankets stacked there.

“I can always bunk somewhere else, if there’s not enough room.” You offer.

“You’re not going anywhere.” Your partner says.

The sudden friendly atmosphere is stripped away when Mando immediately reaches for his blaster when soft footsteps can be heard from behind him.

“Relax.” You tell him.

“This is my daughter, Winta. I’m Omera.” The woman says as she wraps her daughter up in her arms. Once she reassures her daughter, you immediately see her maternal instincts kick in. Her warm personality rubs off of her daughter as her spirits are lifted. The small smiles that were on their faces earlier have now returned.

“Please, let us know if there’s anything more that we can do to make your stay more comfortable.” Omera says as she gestures for her and her daughter to leave.

Mando only offers a nod at them as you watch them leave. The only distant sound that can be heard is from the villagers. Laughing, chatting, everything going back to normal as you begin to make yourselves comfortable in the room for who knows how long.

A few silent minutes go by. Sitting criss crossed on the bed with the baby in front of you, you let a few more moments of silence pass by before you speak up.

“What does it mean?”

“What does what mean?”

“‘Roo-sun.’”

For the first time today, a chuckle leaves Mando’s modulator, “it’s ruusaan. Roo-sahn. It means someone who is trustworthy or reliable.”

“Oh. Well, thank you. Is there anything that I can call you?”

“ ‘Mando’ is fine.”

“Are you sure?”

“Positive.”

With that, the conversation is dropped and silence once again lingers in the air.

It’s not long after that you, Mando, and Cara make your way deeper and deeper. Mando had insisted that you should stay back and let your ankle heal, but you insisted on tagging along.

Walking on it doesn’t hurt as badly as you thought it would, but like when you first arrived at the village, Mando stays close by your side as the three of you try to find any clues as to who could be behind the attack. After talking to a few villagers, it sounds like a large group of raiders are behind the attacks. They always come in with their blasters in their hands, weapons charged as they gather up all of the perfectly packaged up krill fish. Hearing the different stories from the villagers breaks your heart. You hope that you can help them as much as you can.

Finding any sort of tracks or clue is hard to the naked eye, but the feeling of Mando’s hand touching your arm is what makes you stop dead in your tracks.

“About fifteen or twenty of them ran here by foot.” Mando observes as dozens of thermal footprints become visible to him thanks to his visor, “and something big sheared off those branches.” He points up at the trees above you. With that, him and Cara continue to make their way through the forest, with you closely behind them.

What makes all three of you stop dead in your tracks, though, is the large footprint engraved in the soil, as more branches high above you are broken off.

“AT-ST.” Cara recognizes as she gets a better look at it.

“How did it get on the surface without anyone knowing?” You think out loud.

“I’m not sure, but this is more than what we signed up for.” Mando says as he begins to walk away with Cara following closely behind him, but you don’t move a muscle.

Mando notices how you haven’t moved and motions for you to follow along, “come on. We have to tell them-“

“That we’ve decided not to help them?” Crossing your arms across your chest, you firmly stand your ground. You gave the village hope by promising them to help them with their problem. You can’t just walk away when things get tough.

“As much as I would like to help, we can’t.”

“Why not?”

“This wasn’t a part of the deal.” Cara chimes in.

“So, that’s it? We’re giving up just like that?”

“It’s not that we want to, but-“

“But a village is petrified, not knowing when the next attack will be. They’re struggling enough as it is and we’re supposed to be helping them, not giving them false hope.”

“But-“

“We cannot simply stand by while they’re being terrorized.”

“And what exactly are we supposed to do?” The ex-shock trooper asks, as she mimics your pose.

“We keep our word and help them.”

“There are over twenty of them and three of us. We will not stand a chance against them.” Mando reminds you.

“Then we get help.” You say.

“From who? The mercenaries in town?”

“From the village.”

Skepticism comes from the two warriors standing in front of you. Mando’s visor shifts from looking at you to glancing at his feet, shaking his head. Cara lets out a few chuckles out of belief.

“You’re not serious, are you?” She asks.

“Why not? There’s at least twenty, maybe even thirty of them. With us by their side, we can help stop this threat for once and for all.”

“They have no weapons.” Mando points out.

“We can figure something out.”

“What if they say no?” He asks.

“Then we can be on our way, but with them on our side, we can win this fight.”

“You better be right.” Cara says as she suddenly begins making her way back towards the village.

With his visor focused on you, Mando watches as you finally begin to make your way back to the village.

“Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes.”

Persuading the villagers to aid in the attack surprisingly is easier than you thought it would be. Cara and Mando first voiced their frustrations, saying of how the village never warned them about the AT-ST or how many of them there are. At first, the villagers worried that this meant that you were no longer going to help them. That is, until Mando tells them of your suggestion. Enthusiasm comes from the crowd. They’re more than willing to protect their home, no matter the cost.

Soon after, you and Cara help one group of the villagers with hand-to-hand combat while Mando helps another group with their shooting skills. You thought that Mando would want you to help them shoot, but he proved you wrong when he told the villagers that they would be learning from “one of the best fighters” he’s ever seen. A light blush appears on your cheeks at his compliment.

Making their makeshift weapons from wood didn’t take that long, but teaching them how to fight, on the other hand, is another story.

Cara teaches those near her as you do the same. After demonstrating a simple moves to them, you wait for them to copy, only for a few of them to not do it properly. You will demonstrate a simple swinging manoeuvre, but once the villagers do it, it’s all wrong. One even managed to hit you on the head when you didn’t back up quick enough. They let out a string of apologies, only for you to tell them that it’s alright and to try again. You show them the move that you’re working on once again and wait for them to get the hang of it. If they don’t, you try your best to relax them and reassure them that it’s okay, that they’ll get the hang of it eventually.

When you glance over at Cara, you thought that she wouldn’t be enjoying this as much as she is. The villagers will also get the maneuver wrong, but she shows them how to do it. Even a smile is on her face as she teaches them combat moves.

You’re so preoccupied that you don’t notice that you seem to have gotten Mando’s attention as well. The sound of blaster firing stops as he looks at you. When one of the villagers was unable to copy the position you just showed, they let out their frustrations, only for you to gently reassure them. He can’t hear exactly what you’re saying, but he knows that you’re getting through to them with your kind words and simple touch. Something that you’ve done with him whenever his frustrations get the best of him. A smile appears underneath his helmet at the thought.

“Uh, sir? What now?” One of the villagers ask as they struggle to hold one of the rifles that Mando has leant to the village.

“Fire, again.” And once again, blaster fire repels off of the metal kitchenware. As they continue firing, Mando gets one final glance at you as you’re observing the villagers’ fight position. A big smile is on your face at their noticeable improvement. As you glance around the village, you see that Mando’s visor quickly turns away from your glance as you both continue training the village.

You don’t realize how late it has gotten until the sun begins to set. After deciding to take a break for a little bit until night falls, both you and Cara go to your separate sleeping quarters.

When you make your way inside the place where you’re staying, you see that the baby is safely secured in a crib that the village was so nice to offer.

“Hey there, little guy. How are you?” You ask as you crouch down to his level. He doesn’t say anything in response, only letting out a few incoherent babbling noises.

“You did good out there.”

You suddenly hear a voice coming from behind you. As you turn around, you find that your partner is leaning up against the doorframe, his arms crossed against his chest.

“Thank you, Cara helped a lot.”

“It wasn’t just her, you- you really connect to people.”

“Well, it’s easy when you know what it’s like.”

“What do you mean?” He asks as he tilts his helmet to the side.

“I don’t know,” You say as you shrug your shoulders, “my village, too, was attacked and destroyed, so I know what it’s like to do anything to protect your home.”

“Sorry.”

“It’s not your fault,” shaking your head, you continue, “maybe that’s why I was so determined in persuading you to help them. I don’t want anyone else to have to go through what I did.”

“That’s very noble of you.”

“It’s just who I am, I guess. Plus, you would’ve done the same.”

“Still, most wouldn’t have done what you have. It’s one thing to say that you’ll do something, but it’s another to actually do it.”

“Thank you for the kind words, Mando. You should be proud of yourself as well.”

He nods his helmet at you in response.

“So, what are we going to do now?” You ask, “do all three of us find the raiders then lure them-“

“You’re not going.”

“What do you mean? I’ve helped train the villagers, the least that I can do-“

“One of us needs to stay back and guide them. The village is already enamored by you. They’ll listen to you when the time comes. They need a leader.”

“Oh, well, when you put it like that…”

“They trust you almost as much as I do. I know that if the occasion should rise, you would give your life to protect them, ruusaan.”

“Thank you, Mando, for putting that much trust in me.”

The room then grows silent. Besides from the soft sounds coming from the baby, no more words are said. The two of you slowly begin your preparations for the upcoming battle.

The moonlight luminates the stars in the sky. Shortly after informing the villagers that Mando and Cara just left to locate the raiders, everyone scrambled to get everything in place. All of the children are safely secured in one of the huts. Each villager grabs the weapon they practiced with earlier as you guide everyone in their battle positions.

Waiting for your partner to return was more nerve wracking than you thought. You thought your nerves were through the roof when you were waiting for him to return back to you with the kid back on Nevarro, but somehow, this is worse. You don’t know how, but it is. You know that there isn’t a huge threat with them agitating the raiders, but fear still lingers through your veins with each passing moment. The villagers will ask about how long it will, but you, along with Omera’s natural positivity, will reassure everyone that everything will be okay in the end.

Before their anxieties can get the best of them, distant blaster fire can be heard.

“Battle positions!” Omera hollers.

“Weapons ready!” You yell out shortly after.

The blaster fire gets louder with each second and soon after, your partner is quickly making his way towards the small sheltered area, which is literally a large hole in the ground with a wooden fence acting as more protection.

Now is when the real fight begins. Mando joins you by your side as the two warriors ready themselves for the upcoming battle.

“Did the plan work?”

“The AT-ST followed us. The rest should follow suit.”

With that being said, the loud thumping noises get louder and louder as the AT-ST gets closer. All that anyone can focus on is its red-like eyes. Silence fills the air. Then, the screams. Battle cries are suddenly heard as a dozen or so of the raiders come marching it with the walker shooting heavy firepower.

“Open fire!” Both you and Omera shout at the same time.

The villagers with their wooden spears stand around. The others begin shooting at any incoming targets that they can. A lot of the blaster fire doesn’t hit any of the upcoming targets, but thanks to you, Omera, and the two warriors fighting by your side, you’re able to make up for it. A few of the villagers will get lucky and get one of the raiders, but for the most part, the raiders get closer and closer. Heavy blaster fire comes from your opponents. Every other second, you have to take cover just to avoid being shot at.

You’re so focused in the fight in front of you, that you nearly miss Mando handing over his beloved Amban pulse rifle to Cara. You don’t miss her running towards the fight, miraculously not getting shot in the process, before she takes cover in one of the village’s many lakes.

“What is she doing?” You shout over the loud blaster fire.

“Acting as bait.” Mando responds, “we have to give her cover.”

Nodding your head in response, none of the raiders were able to take her down, thanks to you and Mando. Once she successfully takes out one of the ‘eyes’ of the walker, you notice how dangerously close a few of the raiders have been able to get to the villagers.

Tugging on your partner’s sleeve, you motion towards the villagers that are struggling fighting off two or three of the raiders.

“Go! I got this.”

Nodding, you get up from your crouched position and make your way over to the villagers as quickly as possible. It’s a bit difficult with the small amount of walking space there is and with the whizzing blaster shots, but you manage. On the way, you’re able to take a few shots and take down a few of the raiders as well. So much adrenaline is flowing through your veins that the growing pain in your foot is unnoticeable.

When you finally come to the villager's aid, the raider only laughs in response, not knowing of his upcoming faith.

“Remember what I showed you!”

The villager, a man, nods at you as he takes another jab at his opponent, only for the raider to easily dodge it. The raider takes a swing at the villager, who takes a rather harsh punch to the stomach. The man hovers over in pain and drops his spear in the process. Quickly thinking, you grab the weapon off from the floor and kick the raider where the spear once was. He begins swinging, and like him, you’re easily able to deflect it with your own weapon because he’s aimlessly swinging. You eventually are able to disarm when you knock out his stick from his hand. And with one blow to his chest, the spear pierces through his skin. Blood quickly seeps through the wound as the raider’s body remains still. His final breaths passing through his lips moments later as you hand the spear back over to its original owner.

“Thank you so much! I don’t know what I would’ve done-“

“It’s alright. Just remember what I showed you earlier and protect the shooters!” You shout as you pick up the raider’s weapon and make your way deeper and deeper into the battlefield.

Luckily, a majority of the villagers are able to defend themselves thanks to your’s and Cara’s teachings. A small smile appears on your face when you see them successfully performing the moves you taught them only a few hours ago.

The heavy blaster fire begins to dim once Cara was successfully able to lure the AT-ST into the body of water.

The fight isn’t over yet, though. You still need to finish off the handful of raiders that remain.

A few screams of pain can be heard from behind you. As you turn around, you see that one of the villagers was scathed. Blood dripping down down their arm.

Quickly making your way towards them, you ready yourself for an upcoming fight, when suddenly a huge explosion can be heard.

The AT-AT was destroyed.

The remaining of the villagers are pulling back.

This could be it.

But one more raider remains in front of you.

With you by their side, both you and the villager are able to make quick work of your opponent.

His body drops dead when the villager stabs him in the gut.

Screams of celebrations can be heard from the entire village.

It’s finally over.

You guys won.

You never thought you could be so relieved for a fight to be over.

The villager by your side is celebrating their success, thanking you for all of the help that you’ve given them.

You simply acknowledge them and begin to make your way back towards where the others are.

“So, what happens next?” One of the villagers asks.

“We celebrate our victory.” Omera says as more shouts of joy can be heard from the others.

The celebration goes on for the majority of the night. After the long day you had from arriving at the village to aiding in the battle, you would’ve been happy to call it a night, but the villagers were insistent on everyone celebrating their win- especially you, Mando, and Cara since victory wouldn’t have been possible without you three.

A weird bright blue liquid is found in almost everyone’s hands as they chat amongst themselves. You never thought you would be so happy to see smiles on some many faces. The children are even having a good time as they play with each other, finally being able to be truly free.

Music is being played. Married couples dancing with each other. A buffet of food being cooked and served as a part of the celebration.

Peace.

“You did a good thing here.” A sudden deep voice comes from beside you.

“We did a good thing. Look at how happy they are.” You say as you motion towards the locals. When you first arrived, you could tell that the villagers were happy with their home but the threat of the raiders held a dark cloud over them. But now, they can be free. They can be at ease. Not worrying about their safety, or their children’s safety, or anything else. They can live life like they used to and carry on without a single worry.

“Thank you, for this. It means a lot to me.” You say as you take your eyes off of the villagers to glance quickly at your partner, where you look back at the sweet sight before you, “I couldn’t just let another helpless village live in fear. Not another one.”

“I get it.”

“You do?”

“Yes, my home was stripped away from me when I was younger, just like yours was. So, I get it. You want to honor them.”

“Yes.” Never in a million parsecs would you be able to explain why you felt this strong need to protect these people. Mando explains it so much better than you ever could.

“Thank you, though, for sticking by my side.”

“It’s like what I told you. You’re the one I trust the most.”

“Yeah, but-“

“That means if you want to do something, then I’m with you- to the end.”

‘...’

“You didn't have to stand by my side on Nevarro but you did. The least I can do is the same. Honoring one’s word, no matter how high is the risk, is a part of my Code.”

“Well, I am glad to have you by my side.”

“As am I, ruusaan.”

“Guys!” Your conversation suddenly comes to a halt as Cara has gained both of your attention, “come on! Join the fun!” She says as she gestures with her half-full mug of spotchka.

Mando’s visor glances over at you, awaiting for your answer. Offering your hand towards him, you wait for him to guide you.

“After you.”

Learning how to ride a blurrg is much more difficult than you initially thought. 

With only enough room for one of the blurrgs to be in the containment area at a time, Mando offered to go first as you observe on the sidelines with the Ugnaught by your side. Attempt after attempt, Mando continues the same method that he’s been using for the past twenty minutes or so: slowly approaching the creature and once it seems calm enough, he jumps on the creature’s back, only to be ultimately thrown off almost immediately. With the great amount of force the creature uses to throw him off, it’s amazing that Mando can even last a few seconds on the animal’s back.

After being thrown off for the umpteenth time, Mando lets out a frustrated groan, only to try again. A few chuckles manage to escape your lips when your partner is unsuccessful in being able to mount the creature properly. In this attempt, however, Mando falls particularly hard on the ground that provides no cushion. You can’t help but cringe as he lets out another grunt of pain. 

His body lays still on the ground, not moving a single muscle, as his chest raises up then floats down at an alarming pace. 

“Need some help?”

 Mando suddenly hears as a dark shadow now covers his view. As he cranes his neck slightly to the right, you’re all he can see in his view of sight. Your hair moving slightly thanks to the wind. A slight smirk on your face when he lets out a sigh of defeat.

Before he’s able to support himself off of the ground, one of your hands reaches out in his direction. With a strong grip on each other’s forearm, you’re able to help your partner up from the ground. 

“Think you can do better?” He quips. 

“Watch and learn, partner.” You say as you lightly slap his shoulder, beginning to make your approach to the creature. When you get closer to the creature, the animal lets out a loud growl. Rather than taking a similar approach as your partner of immediately getting on the creature, you decide to take a different one. The blurrg immediately lets out several growls at you because of the agitation it feels because of the experience it just had with your partner. Mando’s method was to be the one in control right from the start and that got him nowhere. You need to allow the creature to feel like it has control over the situation with you being at its mercy. 

When the creature lets out the loudest growl you’ve heard today, you stop in your tracks and reach out in the direction of the creature, showing the creature that you mean no harm.

Based on experiences you’ve had in the past, you know that you need to gain the animal’s trust before you can even attempt to mount it, so that’s exactly what you’re going to do. Rather than agitating it multiple times as your partner did, you’re going to let the young foal come to you. Staying in your place, the young creature slowly begins to make its way towards you as you do the same. With your hand still in front of you, you take half steps towards the creature, subtle enough to not frighten them. 

With your full attention on the creature that’s a few feet away in front of you, you don’t notice the look that’s on Mando’s face. 

Not like you would be able to if you were looking at him because he has the safety of hiding underneath his helmet. You wouldn’t be able to see the way his eyes are analyzing every single movement you make, seeing how you visibly react to the creature’s actions. You wouldn’t be able to see the way his eyes soften by seeing how gentle you’re being with a creature you met a few minutes ago. It’s one of the things about you that’s intrigued him since you became partners- not just for your skills as a bounty hunter, but you. 

Seeing the way you’re interacting with the animal shows the side of you that you haven’t revealed to anyone in the galaxy in a long time- only Mando has been present to see, one that he’s honored to be able to see. To be able to see a vulnerable side of you is a sign that shows how he has been able to gain your trust over the past few months. 

When these thoughts stop, Mando notices how close you have been able to get to the animal. 

The blurrg is close enough that you’re able to gently place your hand on the side of its face. The creature lets out a sigh of content, clearly happy with how patient you’re being. The creature’s eyes shut close as you gently pet the coarse skin. With your hand never leaving its skin, you slowly walk towards the blurrg’s middle. The soft caresses that you give seem to be giving puts the creature’s mind at ease as you quickly jump onto the back.

The blurrg immediately starts to panic, thrashing you around and trying to get you off just like it had done with Mando, but you’re determined for the creature’s trust to come through. You tightly grip the leash that’s around the animal’s neck as you lean over to the side to caress the same area of skin that you had when you first approached the blurrg. The young foal lets out another sigh of content as its nerves begin to go away. 

Your grip on the leash loosens as your hand continues to rub against the rough hide. Your face is so close to its side that if you spoke, only the creature could hear you. 

The words ‘it’ll be alright. You’re doing so well. You can do it.’ Sentiments of encouragement continue to leave your lips. With the calm tone of your voice and your actions reflecting your words, the creature only continues to mellow out as you continue stroking its skin. 

It’s not long after that you have gained the creature’s full trust. The animal no longer tries to thrash you off, but rather has accepted the new passenger. The animal slightly bounces beneath you as it takes the first few steps since you mounted it. With the light grip you have on the leash that’s around its neck, you softly encourage the animal to take a few laps around the area. A smile is on your face as the wind blows through your head, the sunshine beaming on your face. The direct sunlight is blinding, but it’s so unlike anything you’ve experienced lately. As of late, you haven’t had anything out of the ordinary happen to you. You and Mando follow a strict routine: get a job for a new bounty, travel to a distinct planet to track them down, return back to Nevarro, then do the cycle all over again. But this, this, is something completely different. You’re able to see a part of the galaxy that you haven’t seen before. You’re able to see that there’s still good in the galaxy. The darkness on the Crest isn’t a constant, you can enjoy the brightness from the galaxy if you could just enjoy moments like these more often. 

You can’t think about this right now. Shaking your head, you try to dismiss the thoughts that won’t stop coming and try to focus on the moment. The warmth of the sunshine hitting your skin. The slight burning sensation of the sunlight hitting your eyes. The breeze that hits your skin and moves your hair off of your back. 

When you finally decide to jump off of the creature’s back after a few minutes of riding, you quickly say your goodbyes to the creature, all the while you’re gently stroking the hide, a habit that has put the animal at ease. 

As you make your way towards the two men, you see the Ugnaught has a smile of satisfaction on his face as Mando has one of confusion, or at least you assume, based on the tilt of his helmet with his hands on his hips.

“What?” 

“How did- when did you learn how to do that?” 

You shrug your shoulders at him, “I’ve always known how- I learned when I was very young.”

“Well, you’re a natural.” The Ugnaught comments.

“Thank you.” You say with a smile on your face.

“I don’t think I’ve ever seen a young foal act so calm. You have a gift.”

Turning around to look at the young animal, only to find that they are currently roaming around the pen, still content from the short period of time you spent bonding with them. The sight of the creature’s happiness reflects off on you as your spirits continue to lift with the experience you just had with them. 

In all of the months that you’ve spent bounty hunting with the Mandalorian, you can’t remember you’ve been this happy on the job. That’s not to say that you don’t enjoy spending time with Mando, you do, but carefree moments like these are a rare occurrence.

After you glance back at the Ugnaught and Mando, you see that he wants to attempt again. His steps are hesitant. He only gets a few steps towards the creature, but he stops dead in his tracks and looks back at you. 

“Bond with the creature. They’ll eventually make their way to you. Just be patient.” You emphasize the final word because you know how easily frustrated he gets. Even with being the talented bounty hunter that he is, Mando’s still prone to anger when he’s not able to complete his task straight away. 

Thanks to your advice, he’s able to successfully mount and ride the blurrg once he’s actually patient. The creature panics in the same way as it did with you when he jumps on its back, but with extra care, Mando is able to successfully ride the creature as it runs around the pen when it gets used to the extra weight. 

With the two being able to ride the creature, the Ugnaught is now willing to guide the two of you to the location of your next target.

As you ride through the hills and broken ground, you notice Arvala-7 looks pretty much the same no matter where you go. Besides the Ugnaught’s settlement, the entire planet almost looks exactly the same. Dust is in the air as you continue riding at a fast rate. Every once in a while, there'll be a large gap where the blurrg will jump the distance, the sensation of landing always jolts you. If you didn’t have such a vice tight grip on its leash, you’re sure you would’ve been thrown off by now. 

Arvala-7 doesn’t have many sights to offer, but you’ve always been able to find beauty in the smallest of things, like the few insects that you’ve managed to take a glimpse at as you travel. 

The outline of a nearby settlement is faint, but after a minute or two, you’re able to see it more clearly. It’s not much, only a few buildings that make a circle. The settlement seems to be getting bigger and bigger the closer you get. Eventually, the fast pace of your blurrg mount 

come to a complete halt when you get to the nearby cliff that oversees the settlement. 

The Ugnaught begins to explain why he’s decided to help you and Mando find your next target, “since they’ve arrived,” he begins as he gestures to the plethora of men that reside in the settlement, “this territory has been an endless stream of mercenaries seeking reward and bringing destruction. Those who live here, come to seek peace.” 

Upon hearing his words, the bad feeling you felt back on Nevarro comes back. There’s something off about this place. It’s unknown why this feeling suddenly came back, but you’ll discover the reason why in a matter of minutes. 

Shortly after the Ugnaught leaves for you and Mando to begin your hunt. 

Following closely behind him, the two of you walk closer to the edge of the nearby cliff to scout the area, only for your partner to sigh deeply after he finds dozens of mercenaries are guarding the area. 

“How bad is it?” You ask as you turn your attention away from the settlement and look at your partner.

“A dozen, at least, maybe more.” He begins, “there’ll be more inside- oh, no.”

“What?” 

“Bounty droid.” You’re about to voice whether or not you should begin making your way towards the settlement but the sound of distant blaster fire gives you your answer. 

“Great,” you mutter underneath your breath as Mando lets out a modulated sigh, “that makes our job much harder.”

“Droids.” Mando says as he gets up from his scouting position and motions for you to follow him in the direction where the shooting just happened. As he leads the two of you, you can hear in the distance the bounty droid repeating its automatic request of the bounty. 

Based on his increasing pace, you can just feel the frustration radiating off of him. Nothing good can come from this. You’ve only seen Mando lash out in anger a handful of times and it never ends well.

When he marches towards the droid, he barks out, “IG unit, stand down!”  Where he is ultimately shot on sight and lands harshly against some nearby barrels, surely to be bruised on his backside by the time you leave this planet. 

You can’t help but let out a few chuckles, you don’t mean to laugh at him but the droid’s actions surprised you.

“I’m in the Guild!” Mando shouts as he shows the droid the same chit card that Greef Karga gave him in the cantina back on Nevarro. 

Thanks to your help, you’re able to get your partner from the floor for the second time today with the tight grasp you have on each other’s wrists. Instead of letting go of your arm when he gets up, he drags you to a nearby pillar that acts as protection, in case any mercenaries decide to ambush you just like they had with the droid.

The pillar that you’re hiding behind has such a limited amount of space that you and Mando are forced to stand directly next to each other. 

The tight grip he has on you is still there as he tries to persuade the droid to team up with the two of you. 

Before the droid is able to make a decision, 

mercenaries on rooftops pop out of nowhere and begin shooting at the droid. Mando immediately releases the grip he has on you and shoots at the people that he can see with his limited range of view. 

With the three of you, you make it short work of the mercenaries that make their way out of their shelter. You try to shoot at as many as you can, but with the combination of the heavy firepower and the limited space you have behind the pillar, it’s difficult to shoot down your enemies. 

Once it seems that the blaster fire is beginning to dial down, more mercenaries replace the ones that you just shot down. If you stay in the same place, it’ll do you no good because you will be soon cornered. You need to find some sort of way to escape. 

As you trail behind your partner to move away from the firepower, you constantly look in every direction possible to see where any of the mercenaries are at. Even on the move, it’s still difficult to take down a good amount of the men who are ambushing you. You’re able to shoot down men who lurk on the rooftops, but there are too many men on the ground level, who shoot at you then take cover. 

When it seems like you’ve taken out a good amount of enemies, two more men replace the one you were able to take out. 

When you’re not glancing over your shoulder, you check up on your partner, but you should know that he can handle his own. Every time you check up on him, he’ll have his blaster pointed at a target or he’s physically taking someone down.

When you glance over in his direction this time, you see that he throws a Niko down to the ground with ease, thanks to his strength. Then he quickly takes shelter behind a nearby speeder bike that has cargo boxes stacked on top of it.

Before you’re able to join Mando by his side, a tight grip on your upper arm prohibits you from doing so. Turning around, you find one of the Nikos has been able to sneak up behind you and separate you from your partner. Screaming out in pain when his grip tightens, you use your free hand to try to fight him off. 

When you throw multiple punches his way, on his arms, his chest, his nose, the grip on you only gets tighter and tighter. The more you aggravate him, the more determined he is to not let go of his grasp on you. 

With all of the blaster fire that’s coming your way, it’s so hard to avoid it. Almost like it’s a miracle that you haven’t gotten shot at yet. Why aren’t they shooting at you? As you glance at the other men, you notice that they aren’t shooting at you but at your partner and the droid. 

You don’t have time for this. You need to find shelter and quick. 

Kicking the Niko in his shin, he yelps out in surprise as he releases his grip on you. He’s about to aim his blaster at you, but before he’s able to, you kick him in the chest with extreme effort as he lands harshly on the ground. His blaster is released from his grip. His focus goes from you desperately grabbing his weapons. His hand is a few inches away from his weapon when you aim your blaster at him and shoot him, making your way to rejoin your partner by his side.

“Are you alright?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.” You say as you rub the area where he gripped you so tightly. You’ll probably have bruises there in the morning.

Nodding at you, Mando takes out the tracking fob from his pocket and finds that the door behind you is the same one that you need to get into for your bounty. Looking over at you, you offer to cover his back as he heads in the direction where the beeping is directing him. 

Once he leaves your side, it seems as if the blaster fire has doubled as you struggle to cover your partner’s back. If you thought the blaster fire was bad before, it’s nothing like what you’re experiencing right now. You’re able to take out many men, but as before, it seems as once you’ve taken down one, two more pop up. 

“There’s too many!” You holler at your partner.

Suddenly, the blaster fire stops. As you slowly descend from your covered position, you find that all of the mercenaries are beginning to take cover, as you do behind a pillar as you reunite with your partner and the bounty droid.

“What’s going on out there?” Mando asks you.

“I’m not sure,” you say as you quickly look back at where the shooting suddenly stopped, “but I’ve got a bad feeling about this.” You say as you try to catch your breath, the fighting of the endless stream of mercenaries finally catching up to you. Gripping your wrist lightly, Mando encourages you to stay by his side and to be protected by the pillar you’re currently using. 

When the two of you try to devise a plan, you’re interrupted by the bounty droid stating how he cannot be captured and he must begin his self-destruct sequencing as a thermal detonator appears from his chest area. The droid’s stubbornness only aggravates your partner even more, that much you can tell as his grip on you slightly increases, as he scolds the droid multiple times to not self-destruct. 

“Cover me,” he says to you as he immediately makes a run for the console as his grip on you disappears, in which heavy blaster fire is immediately met. Even with your years of experience of fighting, this is definitely one of the more difficult battles you’ve endured. You, along with the droid, try your best to cover Mando but it’s almost all for nothing. Whenever one man falls, another two take his place. 

The heavy blaster fire continues to rain on you three, where Mando eventually seeks cover by the droid’s side. You continue to take down as many men as you can, but you’re outnumbered. 

Once again, the various blaster bolts suddenly stop whizzing by you, and before you’re able to check out why, heavy blaster fire meets your ears again. You quickly peak your head around the corner and find that they primed and are using a blaster rifle to shoot at the pillar on your left.

Thanks to Mando, the remaining mercenaries are able to be taken out permanently once he takes control of the weapon. 

You feel like you can finally catch your breath once the only sound you can hear is the slight wind. The vice-tight grip you have on your blaster loosens once you see the sea of dead bodies on the floor. As you walk towards your partner and the droid that is now on the floor, you all can now finally devise up a plan to enter the building that you need to get into.

Mando and the droid begin suggesting plans to each other, where one offers a plan the other declines. As you look behind you, a plan immediately pops up in your head, “uh, guys?” You chime in, gesturing to the weapon that Mando had used to end this battle.

The door eventually falls with a big thud after Mando used the heavy rifle to take it down. The coast seems to be clear. A mercenary in the doorway attempts to sneak attack you, only to be another fallen victim of Mando’s blaster. 

As you make your way through the room, a weird feeling overwhelms you, similar to the one you felt after leaving the Imperial safehouse on Navarro. It’s not a foreign one, no, you’ve experienced this heavy feeling all over your body before but it’s been so long that it takes you by surprise. You can’t exactly put your finger on it, but it feels like something is guiding you. An oval object on the other side of the room catches your attention as you begin to approach it. The movements of Mando and the droid are the last things on your mind. All you can focus on is what’s inside the oval object. 

The beeping of Mando’s tracking fob only gets more intense when he joins you at your side. As you stand there, your nerves are the most intense you’ve felt since you landed on this planet. Your heartbeat seems to be stuck in your throat when all of your limbs are stuck, unable to move. Your feet might as well be cemented into the ground.

It’s hard to describe what’s going on in your mind, but you can just feel like something’s going to happen. 

Your partner eventually puts his blaster back into its holster, as you do the same, when he presses one of the buttons in the front of the pram to expose the target, “wait- they said fifty years old.” 

Once you make eye contact with the bounty, it seems as if the world around you stops. You black out the conversation that Mando and the droid seem to be having. 

Your heart rate continues its brutal assault. Your breathing halts. The breath that was stuck in your throat is released when you realize why the feeling you felt earlier was so familiar. You’ve seen an individual of this species before- before your whole life changed forever. 

You don’t hear the blaster fire that goes through the droid’s head. You don’t notice Mando’s helmet tilting out of curiosity. All you can focus on are the giant, brown eyes of an infant as he reaches out to touch the gloved finger that Mando is offering. 

You’re suddenly brought out of your thoughts as you could feel a pair of eyes on you. Looking to your right, you see Mando’s visor is staring at you. Before he’s able to say anything, you break the silence without thinking.

“I used to know someone of his kind before- before the war, before everything changed for the worst. It's been a long time, but when I was younger, they were someone who helped guide me on my path.” You leave your partner’s side before he’s able to ask you anything else and you contemplate whether or not you should tell him the full truth.