Chapter 36: Valerious

Over the next week Fayra could hardly contain her excitement. According to Mando they had just a couple of days left, and he wasn't making it easy on her. He taught her lesson number two, which was to never be too eager to rush your opponent.

During her lessons, he didn't do anything to hurt her, much anyway, there was no more punching or kicking. The bumps she took were enough, bruises littered her body. She felt like she was learning nothing but nonsense, she often had to force herself to follow his instructions. If it was what would get her to Valerious, then she'd do it.

"Fayra."

"Whoa!" Fayra yelled as her back hit the ground, her teeth vibrated in her skull. She looked up at him, frowning.

"You lost focus… again."

He helped her up. Scolding her through with his stare.

Suddenly Fayra clasped her hands over her ears, the stars began screaming at her. Why were they so loud, she wondered. She looked at Mando, who was now shaking her, she couldn't hear him, if he was speaking. She couldn't hear anything, but the stars. She couldn't make out what they were saying. Then she felt something awful behind her.

Fayra turned around looking for the impending threat. But there was nothing but the wall of the ship.

"Something's wrong." Mando leaned back as she screamed at him. She realized he couldn't hear it. Then the stars silence.

Warnings began blaring from the flight deck as the normal sounds of the ship came flooding back to Fayra.

The two were launched forward when the ship jerked. The lights exploded around them. Fayra screamed, throwing her hands up around her head as they were thrown across the floor.

The ship jerked again. Blue rolled across the room wailing. Mando reached for Fayra as they slid. Mando tossed his arm around her waist catching her, but not before her forehead connected with the leg of the table.

The ship rocked in the other direction as more explosions went off. Mando pulled Fayra's limp body to him as they slid to the other side. He moved to cover her from the flying debris. The ship rocked back in place.

"Fayra." Mando moved the hair from her face. There was a small gash bleeding in the corner of her forehead.

"Those were warning shots, Mando!" A male voice came over the intercom.

Mando checked her breathing, then picked her up and laid down on the bench, strapping her in. He headed up to the flight deck. Another explosion rocked the ship.

Mando clicked autopilot off. He pushed the throttle to full power and the ship took off.

"Oh, come on Mando!"

Mando maneuvered the ship from side to side.

"I know you have that bounty on your ship. You have a price on your head too." The man laughed.

Mando hit the break and threw the ship in reverse.

"Whoa, nice try Mando!"

Mando pushed the throttle to full power again and headed for a small asteroid field nearby. Warnings blared at him loudly, lights flashed. He zigzagged the Razor Crest through the floating rocks.

"I'll tell you what, hand over that bounty, I'll let you go. The one is enough to set me up for a long while." The man proposed.

Mando sideswiped an asteroid knocking debris. With the other pilot temporarily blinded he hid the Razor Crest behind a larger asteroid. Once the ship passed him he came up behind him and took his aim. It took several hits. The ship's lights blinked and began drifting away. Then it went totally dark.

Mando lined up the ship with his radar, he aimed again then paused a moment.

"Okay, okay. You got me." The man said. "Looks like I'm adrift, my systems down."

Mando maintained his radio silence with his finger on the trigger.

"Well, whaddya say? A bit of help over here?"

"Maybe next time." Mando replied then brought his ship about and flew away.

"You could finish the job, not leave me here to starve…"

Mando switched off the coms as the man began bargaining. He was uninterested.

Now out of the asteroid field, Mando jumped into hyperspace. He needed to gain some distance. It would put him a day ahead, use up extra fuel, but he was fine with that.

The ship dropped from hyperspace, Mando clicked on autopilot and made his way back to Fayra, grabbing the field kit on his way. She still lay on the bench, strapped down where he'd left her. He knelt down next to her and unstrapped her restraints. He slid his hand under her neck, turning her head to face him.

Mando brushed her hair away, he took a moment and glided his thumb gently across her lips. She groaned quietly. After cleaning her wound he hoisted her over his shoulder and took her to her room.

Fayra awoke in her dark room. Light filtered in through the open door. She blinked a few times noting the pain. She lifted her hand to the source. She felt the tender spot on her forehead, she winced when she pressed too hard. Blue came to life and rolled next to her.

"Hi." She responded. She sat up and swung her feet to the floor. She was still in the clothes she wore when she trained with Mando. That was the last thing she remembered, training with Manny, she thought.

"What happened?" She remembered the ship rocking and lights bursting. Then the stars burst her ears wide open. She stood, deciding to find Mando and ask. She went straight to the flight deck. When the door slid open and she saw the rays of sunshine filtering in through the windows, she gasped.

Mando wasn't there but she ran to the windows to look out. Fayra could see a beautiful landscape of green trees surrounding the ship, which sat on a field of tall grass and colorful flowers and a stream of water flowing through, disappearing into the trees.

She smiled, and so excited and practically slid down the ladder. She ignored a twinge of dizziness.

"Manny?" She called. The door was open and the scent of fresh wild flowers flowed around her. When her bare feet hit the grass, she felt a rush of revitalizing energy and the dizziness disappeared. The wind whirled around her sending her long locks in every direction. She giggled at the tickling sensations on her skin. "

Manny?" She called again stepping around to the underside of the ship. Where was he, she thought.

"Manny?"

"Fayra."

She turned sharply. Mando was standing behind her. She looked from side to side, wondering where he had come from. She was sure she hadn't seen him there before.

"Where did you come from?" She asked.

Mando noticed the rays of sunshine were stretching farther under his ship, reaching for Fayra. He propped his Pulse Rifle against the landing gear and walked to her.

Her instinct was to retreat, but she forced herself to stay put. She tensed when he reached for her, cupping her cheeks in his gloved hand. Mando tilted her head up, inspecting her wound.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Bounty hunter." He replied, releasing her. He turned, grabbing his weapon and strapping it to his back.

"Where are we?"

"Valerious."

Fayra's heart jumped. She followed him. "Are we close? When can we go? How long will it take? Are we staying here a while?" She began bombarding him with questions regarding the waterfall.

He turned, she had to skid to a stop to avoid bumping into him. "Slow down." He paused looking at her. "I have business in town."

He watched as her excited expression fell to disappointment.

"It's close." He assured her.

"Well, when are we going to town?"

"Not we."

"What? Why?"

"You go to town, so do they." He pointed to the trees. Fayra followed his gaze, she didn't have to look. She already knew. She could feel their presence. Just past the tree line were animals of all sorts.

"They've been growing in number since we landed."

She looked at her feet.

"So why, the lizards, birds, this? And not the wolves?"

She took a quick glance at him then backed down shrugging.

Mando recalled the events with the wolves as he watched her avoid a lie. Then he realized not one wolf had gone after her, only him.

"They were protecting you." He huffed and nodded.

She took another nervous glance at him, biting her bottom lip.

"You fired on them first, after that I couldn't do anything."

She looked to the stream and heard the water flowing, calling to her. "Can't we go there first, then your business?"

"No." he began walking again.

"Why?"

"I'm expected soon."

Fayra thought for a moment. "How long?"

"I'll be a couple hours max?"

"No, how long have they been expecting you?"

He didn't answer. Fayra rushed ahead of him, he side stepped her to avoid crashing into her.

"We were coming here this whole time?" She stepped in front of him again, This time he stopped.

He didn't answer.

"You tricked me!"

Still he said nothing, all she got in return was that cold, hard stare of his beskar helmet.

"We were coming here this whole time, whether I agreed to training or not."

He stepped around her again without offering a single word. All she could do was stare at his back as he boarded his ship. She turned and walked toward the tree line.

She sat down in the grass just at its edge. And closed her eyes. She tried to focus on the animals, she wanted them to leave, go about their lives. She wasn't sure how to tell them. She'd never practiced it before. But all she could think about was his lie, how he had manipulated her in doing what he wanted. A tear fell down her cheek, as Fayra remembered Xi'an's words. She thought they'd be past this. They were beginning to trust each other. She sat there for a while, letting the wind blow across her skin, the scent of flowers filling her nostrils. She breathed deep, trying to concentrate.

"It's time for me to go." Mando said from behind her.

Her eyes popped open. As usual she never heard him approach. Her teeth clinch with her anger toward him. She knew what he wanted. He wanted her locked up in the ship until he returned. She stood and without words walked straight to her room and closed the door. She even shut Blue out, ignoring his rambled whistles to her. She listened as the door below closed, in a few moments Mando would be gone.

That was fine, she thought. She had her own plans. Fayra decided she wasn't going to stay in her room. She showered and changed into a red, off the shoulder crop top with ruffled layers and a pair of black, high waisted cargo pants. She packed a backpack Omera had given her, with extra outfits as she could and some food.

In the cargo bay she opened Mando's weapons cabinet. She grabbed the small blade with vines and leaves winding around the handle, a blaster, though not sure how to use it. She's seen Mando use it and Cara. As well as the Niktos. I didn't look hard. She also took rope, and one of those explosive charges. She pulled out the small drawer and popped up the bottom, revealing a hidden compartment, grabbing a couple handfuls of money. She's probably over doing it, but according to Mando, one can never have too many resources on hand.

She tossed everything in and pulled the drawstring tight. She slid her head through the strap and adjusted it on her shoulder. Blue rolled along right behind her.

Fayra opened the door, as it lowered to the ground the light beamed in. She went back to the edge of the trees and kneeled down where she had been before. She felt and heard the animals scurrying around and chattering. As a child she never had so many follow her. They were easily ignored. It seemed as she grew and her powers grew so did they, especially recently.

"I've never tried this before, but I want you to go." She paused, putting her hand to the ground. "I don't want you here." They scurried, their noises grew louder. "Go away!" she demanded, but they ignored her. What? Did her life have to be in danger for them to respond, she questioned. "I want you to go."

Mando's words came to her, that she did things subconsciously. She needed to control it.

She dug her fingers into the grass, down into the dirt. Fayra didn't want anything following her and drawing attention. She also just wanted to be alone. She's been with Mando in close quarters for months. His presence not only filled a space, he devoured it. Some time to clear her head and think would do them both good.

"Leave me alone!" She screamed, the wind roared and blew vigorously, whipping Fayra's hair around her. It carried her command as it whirled around, when it reached the tree line the animals became frantic and began running away. Her heart pounded against her chest. It felt intense, much more than she thought it should have been. She really needed to practice more. She stood and made her way toward the small river.

Blue spewed several beeps and whistles at her. "I'm going, you can stay here if you like." She turned to the small droid.

He protested.

"Then let's go."

He protested again.

She sighed. "Maybe I am wrong, but I'm going. I'm stronger now. I can do things I've never been able to do before."

Blue stopped in front of her, she tripped over him and landed on her backside. "Blue!"

He blurted out a series of furious noises.

"Look, I can't expect to stay with him forever. I've got to get out on my own at least a little."

He stared at her for a moment then beeped quietly.

"Well, if he leaves then he leaves." Her heart suddenly jumped in fright. Was she really that angry with him, she asked herself. Would he leave her? The thought of being on her own was suddenly terrifying. She'd actually never been on her own.

She stood and kept walking.

With Blue at her feet, she halted at the entrance of the path leading to the waterfall. Fayra turned toward the Razor Crest, like his armor it glinted in the sun. The ship had turned into her home. Mando would be angry, especially for taking his things. If he did leave, perhaps it would be for the best.

She's disrupted his life, his space, his work. He said she wasn't his prisoner, so that meant she was free to make her own choices. She was going to see the waterfall, if he was here when she got back she'd go with him. If not, well, this was a beautiful planet, more than most. There had to be something here for her. He wouldn't have to worry about her anymore. Lie anymore or hide away in that armor.

She took a moment longer, unsure which she would want more of: this planet or him.

She turned and walked into the forest.