Chapter 20 - The Job

Mando returned to the bay and everything was quiet. He went to check on Fayra to let her know he would be gone awhile. When the door to her quarters slid open she wasn't there. Mando didn't see her anywhere else on the ship as he passed through. He unlocked his quarters. No Fayra. He walked back outside to confront the sleeping woman who was supposed to be repairing his ship.

"Hey!" He yelled.

"I'm awake! I'm awake!" Peli gasped.

"Where's the girl?" He demanded, walking toward the wild-haired woman.

"Here I am." Fayra's voice came from behind. Mando turned as Fayra appeared from the other side of the ship. Her hair swayed around her shoulders and waist in the breeze as she walked toward him.

"Anyway, I started the repair on the fuel leak." Peli began to explain. As Fayra joined him at Mando's side, she smiled up at him. "I had a couple setbacks I want to talk to you about." Peli grabbed her monitor. "You know I didn't use any droids, as requested, so it took me a lot longer than I expected. But your girl here is a pretty good assistant."

Mando took his gaze from Fayra to the other woman.

"So we've been working together, I figured you were good for the money since you have an extra mouth to feed. Which I did, feed her, by the way." Peli said.

"Thank you." Mando replied.

""Oh, I guess I was right." Peli said, smiling. "You got a job, didn't you?"

Ignoring the question, Mando turned to Fayra. "I need to speak with you." he said grabbing her elbow and leading her away.

"Yeah" Peli said, waving the two away.

Mando dragged Fayra back inside the ship. "I told you to stay on the ship."

"You did." She agreed. "Well... I didn't say I would." She declared when Mando stayed silent. She imagined the disappointed look on his face. She turned her eyes to the ground at her feet. After a moment he still didn't respond.

"For crying out loud," Fayra yelled squirming at his hand, still gripping her elbow. "If I'm your prisoner just put me back in chains and lock me away."

Another moment passed. He let go. "You're not my prisoner." He declared. "I told you, you didn't have to fear that from me." he sighed. Fayra did remember that conversation, mostly the part when he had her pinned against the same wall they stood at now.. "But I do expect my orders to be followed."

She nodded. "Peli needed help." she explained. "You won't let her use the droids."

"I have a job." he explained as he walked past Fayra to his weapon's cabinet. "I'll be gone overnight." He began arming himself with various weapons. "I'm teaming up with another hunter. But the reward is big enough to keep us hidden for a good while."

"Like near a waterfall?" She asked, but not giving Mando time to answer. "Does this have to do with any poor, helpless girls in chains?"

Mando huffed as he turned to face her. She was teasing him with a smile.

"No." He replied. "She's an assassin. Murderer."

Fayra swallowed, this was probably dangerous.

"Hey, Mando!" A male voice called from outside the ship. Mando walked passed her off the ship, she followed behind him. As they emerged back outside she peered around him to see a tall male in black leather, also loaded down with various weapons.

When their eyes met the man stood up a bit straighter. "Toro Calican." He declared, smiling, looking her up and down as Fayra slid from behind Mando. He winked at her once Mando's back was turned as he walked past them and toward the bay's exit. She gave him a suspicious look as they followed.

"What do you think? Not too shabby, huh?" Toro said, displaying the speeder bikes as he came up behind Fayra. When Mando said nothing, Toro took that to mean he was unimpressed..

"What'd you expect? This ain't Corellia."

Fayra joined Mando at his side. "Don't leave the bay." He commanded mounting the bike.

"Okay." She replied. He took a quick glance at her and then forward again.

"Don't worry, I'll look after her." Peli declared from behind them. And then he was gone, leaving a trail of dust behind.

"Come on, let's get this ship fixed." Peli said, turning. But something glaring in the sun caught her eye, it was in a pile of scrap against the wall. She knelt down beside it to get a closer look. She reached her hand out but quickly jerked back when it beeped to life.

"Oh no, no don't mess with that." Peli begged. Fayra backed up as the droid rolled out. It was small. It had two sphere shaped body parts. A larger one on the bottom and a smaller one on top. It stood no taller than Fayra's knee. It was a dark blue color with a white stripe encircling its head. She laughed as it came toward her beeping.

"Oh!" Peli said again. "That thing has been hanging around here for a month. Leave it be."

"Why?" Fayra asked wiping some of the dirt from it.

"It's a stray droid. If you don't stop, you'll never be able to rid yourself of it."

"What's a stray droid mean?"

"It doesn't have a home." Peli explained. "And I don't need another mouth to feed around here. It cost me a lot of money to keep even these droids powered up."

Fayra stood and followed Peli back into the bay. She giggled when she heard the droid following her.

"See, I told you." Peli said, shaking her curly haired head.

"Maybe it'll be useful." Fayra said. The droid excitedly circled around her as she walked.

The two worked on the ship the rest of the day. Peli instructed Fayra on what to do here and there. Fayra giggled as she watched Peli work, which was mostly yelling incoherently and banging on things with a tool. When Peli got too frustrated she suggested they take a break.

"Go ahead, I'll be down in a minute." Peli called down from atop the ship.

Fayra fetched them some dinner and a drink. She set it down on the table as Peli was climbing off the ship. The little droid had been following her all day.

"I'm gonna call you Blue." Fayra declared laughing as it hopped over a small pebble..

"You're naming it," Peli sighed. "That's bad." She sat down at the table and grabbed a sandwich. Fayra looked up at the sky. It was turning dark, a few stars were beginning to shine. Fayra sighed. Manny has been gone all day.

"You're worried about him, aren't you?" Peli said with a mouth full of food.

Fayra just offered a weak smile.

"Well, if what I've heard about Mandalorians are true, you don't have much to worry about." Peli said, shoving in another bite.

"I've heard many people say that, but I've never heard them tell a story." Fayra said.

"What?" Peli's eyes grew wide in shock. "You've never heard any stories about them"

Fayra shook her head. "I… never really got out much." she confessed.

"Well, they're very hard to kill. The galaxy's greatest warriors!" Peli said. "I even know of one that crawled his way out of the stomach of a Sarlacc, right here on Tatooine." She clicked her tongue and knocked her knuckles on the table.

Fayra scrunched her face in disgust. She didn't know what a Sarlacc was, but she was sure that having to crawl out of anything's stomach would be horrible.

"So, don't you worry… he'll be back." Peli said as she stood and stretched. "Well, I'm turning in, you should too! We got this baby ready to go." She pointed at the Razor Crest. Smiling at her accomplishment.

"Goodnight Peli"

"G'night" She said, punching her droids in the nose. Each one popped shut as she left.

Fayra walked up the ramp, but halted when she heard Blue following close behind. "No, no." She told it. "You can't come on the ship, Manny won't like it." it beeped at her. It sounded like it was pleading with her. "No." She shook her head. "You have to stay here." She pointed to the ground. It pleaded with her again. "No, I'm sorry." she said, frowning. Fayra looked into it's little golden eyes. It looked like it was tearing up. "Well, alright, come on."

Fayra tossed and turned the whole night. She couldn't stop thinking about what could be taking him so long. She worked out different scenarios in her head. She was up before the sun. She thought a shower would help, though it didn't. She dressed in the same crop top but paired it with the long skirt. There was one good thing about Manny not being back, she could get Blue off the ship before he could see him. She opened the bay door, but when the dust cleared. She saw Peli laying face down on the ground. She ran to her side.

"Peli!" She called. "Peli!" She turned the woman over. She had a small cut on her forehead that had been bleeding. "Peli!" Fayra called again. She was breathing, but knocked out cold.

Suddenly Fayra was harshly jerked to her feet and spun around. She yelped at the pain. Just as she saw a figure forming before her everything went black.