Silence.

Darkness.

Not a single gunship in sight.

For the first time in weeks, Din Djarin felt at ease. Peace and quiet.

He leaned back into his seat, taking a moment to stretch his sore limbs. It had been some time since the battle on Nevarro against Gideon and his troops, but Djarin would be damned if those blasted stormtroopers hadn't done a number on him. Under the supposed "impenetrable" beskar steel, the Mandalorian was still speckled with cuts and bruises. That, combined with the hours stuffed in the Razor Crest's crowded cockpit, equaled one hell of an achy, stiff bounty hunter.

Djarin slowly rolled his neck back and forth, releasing the knots of tension. Just to his left, he caught sight of the Child in it's pram, sleeping soundly, save for the occasional chirp and babble. Warmth pricked at his heart. Never before would he imagine someone as stubborn and cold as a Mandalorian falling head over heels for such a strange, wrinkly, bug-eyed...thing. Yet, here they were. Side by side, traversing the universe. They had been through a lot, and Djarin would be lying if he said he hadn't developed quite the attachment to little womp rat.

"Mando, come in Mando!"

The mercenary jolted in his chair, spinning back to face the control board. He could hear the Child prattle sleepily from behind him, abruptly awoken from the crackling of the holoprojector.

Greef Karga, illuminated through the fuzzy blue filter, appeared across the dashboard. "Good to see you in one whole piece, my old friend!"

"You, as well." Mando replied, adjusting in his seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Child crawl clumsily out the pram to get a better view of the commotion.

"Now, Mando, I know you're enjoying your hiatus from all the regular, ah...plundering and adrenaline, but-"

Djarin held up a gloved hand. "Greef, I've told you before: I'm not taking any jobs. No questions." Unexpected from a Mandalorian, but true. After the battle on Nevarro, Djarin swore to himself he would focus all his energy into finding the Child's home and protecting it, no matter the cost. It had been a boring, fruitless adventure so far, and Djarin still had more questions than answers regarding the creature's true nature. But he had a duty to fulfill, and he would not give up.

Greef's grin dropped slightly; Djarin knew he absolutely hated a refusal. "Yes, yes, I know, but this is different. Quite an exciting task, if you ask me."

The Child popped its head up before the dashboard, reaching its chubby hands as if to say "Up, up!" Mando sighed, obliging as he lifted the creature into his lap. "I thank you for the offer, but I have to refuse."

"The client is the head of the Ido clan."

Mando froze, staring hard at Greef's projection. Not a flicker of trickery showed through his old partner's face. "The Ido clan? As in the Idos from the InterGalactic Banking Clan?"

"Well, uh, technically yes. Though the IBC's legitimacy within the current authority is...questionable, that is the one…" Greef replied, waving his hand dismissively, "Regardless, the Ido's have raised a bounty on one of their younger members."

"Who?"

Greef's holographic form dissolved rapidly, transforming itself into the face of a young woman. She had a heart-shaped face with clever, upturned eyes. Her pouting mouth was half open, as if she was about to spit out a snarky comment. Choppy bangs fell over her arched eyebrows, and though the holoprojector's filter distorted the color, Mando could identify the chunky white highlights in her dark hair. She certainly was distinguishable, that was for sure.

The hologram dissolved, returning itself back to Greef Karga. "Quite the sight for sore eyes, isn't she?" The magistrate chuckled, though his laughter quickly turned into awkward coughing after seeing Mando's lack of reaction. "Um, ah, anyhow. Dafnea Ido disappeared from Muunilist a few months ago, conveniently on the day of her arranged wedding to a Muun banker. Being the sole heiress to the Ido fortune, and the future bride of the figurative hands and feet of the IBC and, that is to say, any nationalized commerce guild throughout the galaxies, the Idos have stressed that their daughter must be returned to them safely and promptly."

Mando scoffed. "You want me to play babysitter to a run-away bride? My hands are already full here, Karga." The Child babbled eagerly in agreement.

Karga raised his hands defiantly. "Look, Mando, I know it seems silly. But this little harpy has been playing hard to get. She's taken a good portion of her inheritance with her, and has been jumping from one galaxy to the next, bribing anyone she crosses paths with to shut their mouths and not tattle. She's a hell of a con artist, and a slimy one, too. Not to mention, she's racked up quite a few unpaid bets, thanks to her gambling habits. The bottom line is this: the Idos want Dafnea back, and they're willing to give good compensation in return."

Djarin let out an aggravated sigh. "Greef, I'm not interested. I'm not doing this again-"

"35,000 credits."

Djarin stared at the magistrate's reflection in disbelief. "You're kidding. For that brat?"

Karga shrugged. "It's true. They also promised to throw in an extra 10,000 credits if you return her in five days. I guess the Munn's patience is wearing thin."

The Mandalorian couldn't help but gawk in incredulity. 35,000 credits. That was more chips than he had seen in his 37 years alive. Even his beskar armor was worth less than that. For that much, he could do absolutely anything he wanted. The Razor Crest could be remodeled, the armory could be restocked...

An lingering thought glued itself to the back of Mando's mind: he could stop. The fighting, the running, the death and destruction; it could all stop.

He glanced down at the Child, who was playing peacefully with its favorite knob from the console's gear shift. Wherever, or whenever, they found the Child's home, they could settle down. Build lodging, stay with it. Make sure it and himself were safe, trained, fed, and healthy. Perhaps, Djarin could even resettle the Tribe. Start anew. With that kind of money, they could be secure for a long time.

A very, very long time.

He looked back at Greef Karga's eager face. "Well," Din Djarin said, placing the Child back in it's pram before resetting the directory guide on the Crest's console.

"I guess Dafnea Ido will finally have to get over her cold feet."

author's edit (3/19): thank you so much for the all the support on this series so far! i hope you guys are enjoying it, and please let me know your comments/questions, i would love to talk about my ideas and story with you all :) you may also notice, if you read this chapter before, i've updated a few things just to clarify Djarin's reasoning behind accepting the hunt, just bc i realized i didn't make it clear at all lmao. anyways, hope you guys are staying safe and this series can be a happy distraction from the craziness our world is facing!