NOTES: Hi everyone! If you've been reading this far and if you're anything like me you're waiting for Fayra and Mando to get a little closer. Well, here's a taste. It took me a long while to write so hopefully it's worth it.

Chapter 32 - Third Base

Mando came through the galley a few days later and saw Fayra with the droid. He stopped to watch the pair. Fayra's hair cascaded down her back, she had on a strapless teal dress that accentuated her curves. He pushed the bloodied and nude image of her from his mind's eye. Her back was turned from him as she prepared a meal. The droid was projecting different pictures of various places. Mostly planets with waterfalls. The droid hadn't been all that bad, he confessed. It helped Fayra with various chores. It also kept her company. He was a bit relieved the pressure was off him. She was right, he didn't explain himself often. Never felt the need to, but he had understood when she was frightened. She smiled and giggled at the pictures.

"Where is that one?" She asked the droid, pointing at the picture of a three tiered waterfall.

It beeped at her.

"If you have a picture you should know." She suggested.

It beeped at her twice.

"That's ridiculous! You got it from somewhere?"

"It's Valerious." Mando answered.

Fayra gasped, turning to face him. She had not realized Mando had been there. She looked him up and down. He wore his helmet but lacked the rest of his armor. He wore his tunic and pants in black today. No other part of him was visible except his hands were bare.

"I should tie a bell around your neck." She stated. "At least I'd be able to tell when you were coming and going." She turned back to her food.

"You're cooking?"

"Maybe." She replied.

"You're still angry with me."

Fayra didn't answer. She heard his footsteps descend the ladder and immediately felt guilty. But she also felt she was well within her rights to be angry, even though he let her keep Blue.

Blue beeped furiously at her.

"I know, I know." She spat at him. She huffed and sat her utensils down.

"You stay here." She pointed at Blue, then followed Mando down the ladder. He sat at his weapons table laying them out one by one. "You're cleaning them again?"

He nodded as she came up beside him. She turned to face him, sitting on the edge of the table.

Fayra watched him for a moment. She noticed he purposely avoided touching her as he continued to work. She smiled and scooted closer.

Mando set his weapon down and sat back in the chair. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Yes." She nodded scooting till she was directly in front of him. "Apologizing."

He huffed and went to stand, Fayra shot out her leg to stop him. To her surprise she knocked him back into the chair. But an even bigger surprise came when he leaped toward her grabbing her wrists, roughly yanking them to one side. Fayra yelped, her heart jumped at the sudden movements. Mando saw fear spread through her as her body tensed, her eyes widened and her chest heaved.

"If you think I'm going to apologize -"

"What?" She said, eyes even wider now, trying to squirm her hands free.

"-I'm not, and if you want to go another round we can. But you have my word, you'll end up in one of those." He pointed to the frozen carbonite.

She shook her head.

"No! No, I meant me." She blurted. "Me! Me, apologizing to you." She swallowed hard, hoping he'd understand. "Sorry. I'm - I'm sorry! I just came here to tell you I didn't want to argue with you, to fight with you. That I'm sorry."

He released his grip on her wrists.

He grunted as he sat back down, rubbing his forearm.

Fayra stayed where she was, afraid to make any sudden movements, after a few moments she slid from the table. He groaned again.

"What's wrong?" She asked quietly.

He grunted, shaking his head. She braced herself on Mando's legs and kneeled down at his feet looking up at him. Moving as slow as she could, afraid he'd lash out again.

He groaned, grabbing his forearm again. She eyed him suspiciously. She tried to touch his arm, but he snatched her hand and pulled it away.

He shook his head, "No."

"I can feel the heat coming from you, you're hotter than normal." She explained. He released her hand.

"Let me help you." She demanded.

He looked down at her as she moved her hands to his arm and rolled up his sleeve, revealing a bandage.

"What is this?" She asked, unwrapping it.

"The speeder bike crash." He explained. "It was the only thing that didn't heal."

"That was a month ago." She said, "this hasn't healed at all." The gash looked horrible. It was festering and spreading up his arm.

"I'm taking care of it." He stated.

"Not very well." She replied.

She stared at it for a moment. Then she stood, keeping his hand in hers. She pulled her dress up just slightly and mounted him. His hands shot up defensively.

"What are you doing?"

She smiled into his visor, grabbing his arm.

"Fayra." He warned.

"Either throw me off you or let me help."

She saw him considering the options, she pursed her lips and furrowed her brow at him.

She placed her hand over the gash and closed her eyes. Her skin began lighting up.

"No." Mando protested. "Stop."

Fayra opened her eyes confused, as her skin faded. "Why?"

He hesitated a moment. Fayra felt his heavier breathing.

"Last time you did this it almost killed you." He said quietly.

"That won't happen this time. It's small, I used to do it all the time." She explained.

"No. It will weaken you, you haven't regained all your strength yet."

"Please… trust me." She eyed his dark visor for a moment.

Finally he nodded.

"Now be still."

She tried again. Mando watched as her eyes went a bright white and her skin illuminated the dark cargo bay. Light leaped from her body. As her power intensified she arched her back and moaned. Then it went dark. She fell back, but he caught her. Mando's arm immediately felt better. The pain was gone as her weight fell on him.

"Fayra." He called, fearing the same result as before.

She brought her hands to his chest, her head came forward and rested on his shoulder as he pulled her into him.

"You see? I'm fine." She said through heavy breaths.

"You're not fine." Mando shifted, beginning to stand.

"Wait!" She groaned. "Wait. The room is spinning. Just give me a second."

He sat back in the chair and silently waited for her. After a few moments she shifted against him. Fayra felt his hands lightly gripping her hips. Her thoughts went to the reaction he had to her just a few moments ago. How he could go from zero to one hundred and twenty in just a few seconds. He was mysterious, lethal and unpredictable.

But she couldn't deny how safe she felt in his arms right now, how good they felt holding her. How good he felt next to her, his warm body near, his voice, his gentleness when she needed it. She couldn't stop herself from grinding her hips toward him. Though she thought if that invite was too much, he might actually throw her off. So she moved slow, very slow. She felt a fire starting to burn low in her stomach, an urge deep in her groin to have more of him. She wondered why he hadn't taken her yet.

"Can I ask you something?" Fayra said the dizziness finally fading away.

"Hmm."

She swallowed. "You're a man… well, everything I've seen anyway."

"Yes." He replied.

"Well, from what I know about men, they have certain needs they like to satisfy." She continued, pressing her hips lightly into him again as slow as she could. The urgency she felt intensified. It pulled her to him, she pushed her feet to her tiptoes rubbing her thighs against his as her clit began to ache.

"Fayra."

His voice saying her name made the ache stronger. He glided his hands from her hips to her knees. Fayra pressed into him again this time a bit harder in response to his bare hands on her skin.

He moaned deep in his chest.

"Does that warrior code you follow allow those needs to be… satisfied." She raised up to face him.

"Yes." He said.

She had expected him to say no and that's why he hadn't tried anything with her. But the yes sent that urging fire overboard. Her heart leaped as she gyrated against him, moving slowly bit by bit.

It may be crazy on her part, allowing a man she can't see, have her, but she couldn't explain it. She was drawn to him. Something about him pulled her in. It had from the beginning, and that's why she helped him defeat the Mudhorn.

"There are rules." He stated.

She nodded, of course there were. She offered a small smile.

"How long has it been?"

He tensed.

Fayra nodded, gyrating against him deeper than before, she tensed when she felt his growing reaction to her. A growl deep in his chest vibrated her ribcage.

"You can have me." She said.

Mando watched as Fayra's hands came to her chest and pulled her dress down to her waist, revealing her breasts, her pink nipples hard and ready for him. He shifted under her, which allowed Fayra to feel exactly how much his body was reacting to her offer. She bit her lip, he was ready to take her. She gyrated again pressing harder. Her clit began to throb. He glided his hands along her thighs, and pressed them into the bend of her hips, pushing her further into him. She gasped loudly at the full feel of him beneath her. She wondered if Mando could feel her clit pulsing against him, since she wore nothing underneath. Her wetness grew as Mando continued up to her waist, dragging her dress with him. He pulled her closer as she arched her back, moaning for him again.

He shook his head. "This isn't a good idea." He said softly, breathless, but he wasn't one to pass on opportunity. She moaned and closed her eyes when his hands lightly messaged her breasts. He thrusted his hips forward, pushing her up. Mando watched as her breasts bounced at the sudden jolt. Her skin suddenly illuminated as it did before, streams of light extended out and licked her skin. She gasped loudly as she felt his hardness fill the empty space between them. Mando wrapped his arms around her and stood. She brought her legs up at either side of him, squeezing his ribcage.

Mando carried Fayra to the edge of his table and set her down. She placed her palms down behind her bracing herself on the table, as he grabbed her hair at the nape of her neck and pulled down softly, leaning her back to get a full view of the beauty on display.

He was mesmerized by her for a moment. Her skin grew brighter as he watched those bright blue eyes fill with need, desire, excitement and fear. Her lips were full and slightly parted. Her breasts heaved deeply, she arched her back sending her hips pressing into him in anticipation.

He glided his free hand down her neck, between her breasts and then to her clit, gently stroking it with his thumb, releasing the pulsing ache and turning it to pleasure. She cried out at his touch, closing her eyes. By her reaction, Mando knew it wouldn't take long for her to climax. Each time he stroked her he applied a bit more pressure, moving faster. She cried out again, as he pushed her to the very edge. Mando could feel her body beginning to tremble as she came closer to climax.

Mando knew if he had her, if he took her right now, he would never let her go. And he would die to keep her. If he was truly honest with himself, he was already past that point.

Suddenly the two were pulled out of their trance as an alarm sounded from the flight deck. Fayra jumped from fright of it being another attack. The light inside the weapons cabinet burst. He moved quickly to block Fayra from the shattered glass pelting them. Out of fear she reached for him, suddenly her sense returning. She was in a very vulnerable position and questioned her actions, second guessing herself.

Once the glass had finished falling, Mando wrapped his arm around the small of her back, still holding her head with his other hand, he pulled her to his chest. "It's alright. You are safe." She trembled, but Fayra knew it wasn't from fright, it was from the absence of his hand not finishing what he had started. Her heart pounded in her ears.

"We're closing in on our destination."

She moaned her understanding, breathing heavily. Mando slid her dress back slowly over her breasts. He pulled her down from the table, releasing her hips from his grasp, her skirt fell back into place. As her feet hit the ground, she could feel herself still pulsing and how wet she was for him. Her clit ached and throbbed in anger.

"I need to put the rest of my armor on."

Fayra nodded and watched him climb the ladder.

She gave herself a few moments to recover, then went back to the galley. She had lied to him before, she was making food for him too. Blue stayed on the counter like she instructed. She smiled at him and continued her work.