Well, as promised, I have another chapter out. Thanks so much to everyone who wished me well. I promise, I am not suffering from any lingering effects from my COVID case, I'm completely recovered and hopefully will be going back to work soon.

So, I added a few things in this chapter from the movies' and series. Mainly from the Clone Wars animated series and the movie Solo, which I really liked, but I know has mixed reviews in the fan base. In any case, I'm pretty happy with how it turned out.

And while I know many were hoping the Zechs would get his dues, as I see it, the Star Wars universe doesn't always have the endings people want and there are alot of crooked people living in it, so he's still lingering around. But its unlikely he'll play anymore parts in the story, so there's that comfort. But without anymore adduces, on with the story.

The exchange of 'The Heart of Alderaan' went very smoothly. Zechs had attempted to extract more credits from the client at the time of the meeting, claiming that the risk and expenses had been greater than he'd expected. Mando and Val had shut him down, back up by the other two members of the team. The bureaucrat had paid for them to retrieve a portion of a shattered civilization and the fact that Zechs was trying to take advantage of that felt wrong to her. Obviously, the others felt the same way. Either that, or they were just following along to get one over on Zechs. He hadn't been very popular after the heist was done.

Val had thought once the Mandalorian and her were alone again on the Razor Crest, that a lot more would happen between them. After all, the attraction was clearly present, both of them felt the pull. But when they'd finally returned to Chronos and headed off again after spending a bit of time with Chips and Laze, nothing had happened. Things had returned to a semi normal state between them, he hadn't advanced like she'd been expecting. The spark still existed, still flared strongly, but when she'd stepped in, he'd pulled back.

While Val had no issue being the initializer of some situations, she also respected her partner enough to not push. Clearly, the solitary man was trying to figure out a few things, working on how to process the draw between them. Given his discipline, the teachings of the Mandalore and the code that he held so close to his chest, he might not even be allow to pursue a relationship with someone who wasn't a Mandalorian outside of a one-night stand. She didn't know the details of his Creed, of what he called "The Way", and she wasn't going to be the one to tempt him from his chosen path. If he wanted to take their partnership to a higher level, he'd have to be the one to start it. She'd already stated that she was interested and she was willing to leave it at that.

So with that, she was just going to have to deal with the obvious sexual tension between them and try not to overstep. Not an easy task, given the tiny space allotted by the Crest. At least the baby kept her fairly occupied and Mando had been kind enough, or more likely desperate enough, to purchase quite the trove of holo-pads. Which was sufficient enough to keep her entertained for long periods of time.

Lounging on her stomach with her feet kicking carelessly in the air, Val flicked a finger over the screen to turn to the next page of the novel she was reading. The thin mat that served as her bed was under her, the blankets were bunched up around her waist and the pillow was tucked under her arms as she contently lost herself in the fictional world the author had created. She heard the sounds of Mando descending from the cockpit, walking over to the kitchenette. He looked over at her as he riffled through some of the vacuum sealed packs of food.

"Why do you insist on sleeping on the floor? There's an extra berth, you can use it, you know. Or I can set up a cot for you."

Val hummed back distractedly, "Beds are set up against walls and that berth is in an alcove with a door lock. I don't like being pinned in, I prefer open space."

"Your open space happens to be underfoot. I've almost tripped on you a dozen times."

"Stop walking around at night then."

"We're in space, there is no night. We make our own schedules." His voice had shifted to annoyance and she grinned slightly, still mostly focused on her reading.

"You sleep more than I do, I fail to see what the problem is."

"Brat. You're arguing for the sake of arguing, aren't you?"

She laughed a bit, "A little. Mostly I'm arguing because I like sleeping on the floor. It's comfortable."

There was a long pause following her words before he spoke again, "You...don't get cold, do you?"

His concern for her wellbeing was touching, even presented in his awkward, slightly gruff way. She smiled softly while reading over the next paragraph, "No Mando, I don't get cold. I'll let you know if I do."

He made a non-descriptive sound and continued to dig through the stores, finally finding something he wanted. They'd restocked on Chronos, filling the ship with more palatable meals with the extra credits received from the last job. The child was thrilled about that, he really loved his food. Since then, the Mandalorian had been mostly drifting around with no real destination set into the navcomp. He didn't need to take on any jobs for the time being, both of them were well set for quite a while. With that thought in mind, Val off handily commented as her partner puttered around the cook area.

"We should go somewhere."

A silver helmet turned towards her, "Go...somewhere?"

Val could not stop herself from snickering, pressing her face into the pillow to muffle the sounds of glee. His voice had shifted in tone, sounding like someone that had just stumbled on a freshly woken up Rancor and was trying really hard to appear non threatening. Composing herself, she turned to look at him with a beaming grin.

"Yes Shiny, most beings in the cosmos refer to this bizarre phenomena as a vacation. I know it's a completely foreign concept to grasp, but it tends to be quite enjoyable."

He still looked like she'd just suggested they strip naked and paint each other blue. Which actually might be more fun than she first thought, but Val put down her holo-pad and propped her chin on her fist, looking over at the Mandalorian expectantly. Finally he moved a little, leaning back against the counter behind him.

"And where exactly would we go?"

She smirked in amusement, feeling her shoulders shake a little, "Wherever we want. It's not like you need to be in a rush to restock your credits for a bit. I've heard Naboo is beautiful. Might be nice to visit there."

Mando tilted his helm a bit, "Naboo's a Mid-Rim planet. Unless I'm hunting quarry, I don't have the proper chain codes to bypass the checkpoints."

"It was a suggestion, not a request Shiny. Do you not have someplace you've always wanted to see?"

There was a long stretch of silence from the man. His posture changed, he looked more solemn, almost sad and withdrawn. No longer amused, Val frowned at him, wondering what she'd said to set him off. Before she could ask, he finally responded to her question.

"There is one place...but...it's..."

Shifting, Val sat up on her bed, crossing her legs and leaning back, bracing her hands on the decking behind her, "Alright. What place?"

Again, another long round of quiet filled the hold. Val forced herself to be patient, Mando was a secretive and solitary man, harder to crack open than the stomach of a Sarlacc at times. Her diligence paid off as he spoke in a halting, hesitation tone.

"I've never been there. Heard the stories, know the legends and songs...but...never travelled near it. I thought about it, when I was a foundling...thought about what it would be like," he stopped partway though, pausing like he wanted to not continue. Val arched an eyebrow expectantly, waiting silently and he did eventually keep talking, "I...don't even know if any of them are there, after everything...it might just be barren wasteland...but..."

Val waited again, watching as he shifted around and turned his head away from her, staring at the rear hatch of the ship.

"Manda'yaim..."

The word was unfamiliar, spoken in his people's tongue and she stayed quiet for a minute before responding, "What's that mean in Basic?"

"Mandalore, the home world of where we originated from."

She blinked a bit. In the many holo-pads she'd read, some of which touched on the ancient warrior culture of the Mandalorians, she'd heard passing of the fabled world from which the armored people came from. Nothing with great detail, more fairy tale like writings, but still a fascinating place in theory.

"They have, like, giant lizard creatures there, right? Like a Krayt dragon, but...you know...way, way bigger?"

Mando nodded back, "Mythosaurs. Legend tells that our ancestors learned to tame the beasts, turning the alpha species into fearsome mounts that cause enemies to tremble."

"Sounds absolutely terrifying." Val pursed her lips in thought, eyes sparking at the Warrior, "Sooo...you want to go there?"

The beskar man stayed quiet and still for so long that Val was convinced she'd just gravely insulted him. She opened her mouth to apologize and take back the comment when he finally reacted, a harsh barking laugh exiting the high-pass filter on his helmet.

"Sure...Why the hell not. You only live once, right?"

She sent a wild grin back at him, excitement bubbling under her skin. Life was certainly never boring with this man, at least she could confidently say that much.

Din stood by what he'd said...Valriya Kordes was a bad influence. Not just to his foundling, but to him as well. Before she came along, the very idea of traveling to the ancient home world of his Tribe's ancestors only crossed his mind in small passing, flickering thoughts that came in the pauses between jobs and when exhaustion overwhelmed him.

However the 'Ghost Runner' was, at her deepest core, a Dreamer. A wild, free spirt that went where she wanted, did what she wanted and played by no ones rules but her own. She didn't have a Creed like him, didn't follow an ironclad code or diplomatic set of laws. She lived in the moment, not dwelling in the past and thinking only briefly into the future, most often when she needed an exit or something to entertain her. And damn if she didn't drag everyone around her along for the ride.

It was part of what attracted him. Well, there were a lot of things about Val that attracted him and her untamed passion for life was only a small part of it. She was a temptress, a dark eyed succubus, something that dug at his discipline and gnawed at his vows to the Creed. Because Din was fearful that if he let himself take what he wanted from her, if he allowed himself to fall into her like he craved to, he'd loose himself. Much like when Omera tempted him on Sorgan, asking him to stay in the village, live among them as a regular man, engaging in a carnal relationship with Valriya would pull him from the Way. While he might want - need - Val naked and arching under him, he needed the Way more. It was what saved him, rebuilt him from the traumatized child that watched his parents get slaughtered and gave him purpose in life.

So, he fought the desire, resisted the urge to pull her close and sink into her soft warmth and endless rapture. He would not become Dar'manda.

That didn't make it any easier when he climbed down out of the cockpit a few days later and saw her curled up on the floor like a content Loth-cat, long chocolate hair fanned out over her back with his son bundled up snugly under her arm while they both slept like dead men. The image was so heart wrenching that Din had to physically stop himself from moving closer, the urge to brush his fingers over her soft cheek almost overwhelming him. She was so good with his Ad'ika, nurturing and protective, and the child adored her in return. If and when she ever decided to leave, it was going to be a devastating blow to his foundling. Din chose not to think about that for the time.

Bypassing the slumbering pair, Din shut down most of the lighting in the hold before he walked into his quarters, the door hissing closed behind him. Sleep was calling to him as well. Going through the motions of stripping off his armor almost on muscle memory, Din arranged the scared beskar neatly on the shelf above his berth, standing only in his bodyglove and helm. The weight of the helmet was comforting, but also restricting. Glancing to the door, he hesitated before carefully pulling off the curved headgear. Val had proven to be a trustworthy individual. She always called up into the cockpit when she knew he'd taken a meal up to eat, making sure it was safe to come up. He didn't believe she'd purposefully try to sneak a look at him when unmasked, but the deep set instinct to hide his face as per his teachings was strong. Rubbing a hand over his eyes tiredly, Din set his helm within arms reach and laid down, stretching as much as possible over the small bed. He was asleep within seconds.

He had no idea how long he slept. In the quiet darkness of the Crest, time lost meaning. But the next thing Din knew, he was jolting awake with adrenaline surging through his blood as a loud, high pitched scream of terror reverberated through the ship, piercing even through the metal barrier of his quarters. His body woke up in full fledged battle mode, he was launching himself to his feet and grabbing his blaster before he'd even really registered what was happening. The shrieking faded away, but it was almost like Din's mind was on a ten second delay. He burst through the doorway without thought, heart racing as he bolted forward, hell bent on ending whatever threat had caused his partner to howl in such panic.

Such was the chaotic state in which he'd been thrown into, that Din didn't even realize he'd flown from his room completely bare. It was only when he felt the cool air of the larger hold hit the skin of his face that the horror hit him full force. Whipping his eyes towards the bed Val occupied, his blood ran cold at the sight of the tangled blankets. The mat was illuminated in the dim light, completely empty, holding no female body.

Relief slammed into him with the force of a crashing meteor and Din spun quickly, rushing back to the berth and jammed his helm back in place. Once the heavy metal settled on his head, he ran back out, looking around quickly. The area was empty, which only left one place she could be. Scrambling to the ladder, Din ascended into the cockpit. As his head cleared the hole, he spotted Valriya in the pilot chair, hands flying over the console. Even from where his position was, he could hear short, desperate gasps coming from the women and see her arms shaking from whatever had pulled her from her slumber. On the co-pilot seat was the confused, sleepy form of his Ad'ika.

"Val!" he yelled loudly, hoping to grab her attention. She didn't response to his voice, continuing to do something on the console. Rushing into the cockpit, he saw she was scanning the planets of the sector they were in. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand with the intent of asking what the hell she was doing. She did not react well to his touch.

"No!" she screamed, flailing in his grip and jumping to her feet, lashing out and kicking him in the shins. A muffled curse left his mouth as his hold falter and she yanked away, continuing to search the surrounding worlds. He paused, not really wanting to get hit again, but needing to understand what the hell had her so damn spooked.

"Val? What's wrong, what happened? Say something."

She panted wildly, pale as death and glued to the small navcomp screen before she finally stopped the scan, staring at the result before whirling towards him with wide eyes, pointing at the computer.

"We need to go here! Right now! We have to hurry! There's not much time! They need...!"

"Val!" Din grabbed her shoulders tightly and gave the panicking woman a hard shake, trying to jolt her back to reality, "Calm down! Breath!"

A jagged gasp left her mouth, like her head had just broken through the surface after being underwater for a prolonged period of time, and her rolling eyes finally settled, the glazed look fading. She blinked several times, refocusing on him and shaking in his arms, breaths coming in heavy pants as she spoke in a wavering voice, "M-mando? What...?"

"Hey..." he said softly, feeling relieved that at least she was aware enough to recognized him, "You back now?"

"I-I..." she looked around, seeming to be confused that she was in the cockpit. One hand raised to rub at her temple and she pulled away from him, sinking back down into the chair. Giving her a moment to recover, he questioned her again.

"You okay? What happened? You sounded like you were getting murdered."

Val shook her head, pressing fingers to either side of her skull and slumping forward, elbows resting on her knees, "Not me...but someone is going to be killed...or...maybe already has been? I can't tell..."

Confused at her words, Din felt his eyebrows pull together, "What are you talking about?"

"I-It's...hard to explain. Sometimes I have...dreams, I guess? Only, they're not really dreams, more like...visions? Images of...things that haven't happened yet...things that might happen."

More stable now, the dark haired woman blew out a breath, closing her eyes tight. Din stayed quiet for a long while before responding, "So...you're saying you can...what...see the future?"

She winced a little at the skeptical tone of his voice, rubbing her hands over her arms like she needed to warm herself. He saw that even though the ships interior was heated to be relatively comfortable, her skin was lined with goosebumps, like she was freezing cold.

"I know what it sounds like, believe me. But its happened before. Normally its about me, some situation I need to avoid or a hint about some hunter coming after me. I've never seen one about someone else...except when he showed me the one about you. But, that wasn't mine, it was his."

He turned towards his foundling after Val motioned to him. The little alien's ears perked up at the attention, now more awake and curious about what was happening. It sounded so far-fetched, everything these two could do. Exhaling through the modulator, Din stepped forward, looking at the world she'd been so determined to find.

Carlac, a frozen ice ball of a world in the middle of nowhere. Looking back at Val, he paused again, trying to figure out what to say.

"So...what. You want to go here and help some random people? Is it someone you know, a friend or something?"

Now she frowned back at him, looking puzzled and annoyed, "What? No, it's not mine, Shiny, it's yours. There are Mandalorians on that world. And I think they're in major trouble."

Din's breath caught in his chest and his heart jumped up in speed at her words, "You...are you sure?"

"No..." she responded quietly, rubbing at her head again, face pinched in pain and voice distant, "No, I don't know for sure. I saw...a battle, a gun fight...Blaster bolts and darkness, fear and panic. But...I'm pretty sure there were kids, some smaller ones...hiding in the background. Then...pain...burning, overwhelming pain."

He hadn't thought too much about Val's power for the most part. He'd seen her use it sometimes, of course, but it had become more of an interesting side note than anything else. He hadn't thought of how much of a burden it could be for her. It hadn't seemed like it was that bad, more of a perk, much like his Whistling Birds were. But now, seeing her pale form curled in the dim light of the cockpit, watching her shudder from phantom pains, torn asunder from a vision she didn't ask for, Din almost pitied her. It was no wonder Val lived life as she did, trying not to think too hard on what might be or what had been.

"Did you see a signet? Some marking or indication of what clan they are from?"

She shook her head and closed her eyes in concentration, eyebrows pinching together, "No, nothing like the Mudhorn you wear. I couldn't really see that great, it was dark and cold. But...I'm pretty sure the adult was male. His armor is sort of like yours, but...thicker? Bulkier? Does that make sense? It was grey, I think...or maybe blue? It was so hard to tell. He was huge, bigger than you by a lot."

Her description, even as vague as it was, made Din immediately think of Paz Vizsla. Had the Heavy survived the attack on Nevarro? Taken some of the foundlings and tried to find a new place to rebuild the covert? If he had, then Din was bound by the Way to do all he could to aid them. Especially if they were in trouble like Val believed. Nudging her out of the chair, he unlocked the autopilot, heading for the frozen world.

"Can you find them if we land there?"

Val shifted over to the co-pilot seat, picking up the child and setting him in her lap before snorting a little, "I'm not a locator beacon, Shiny. All I know is that they're on the planet. You hunt people for a living, use some of your skill sets."

Her sharp tongue was coming back. That was a good thing, it meant she was getting back to normal. He snipped back, relived she was stabilizing so quickly, "You're such a Brat."

"You love it."

Din chuckled lightly before sobering, increasing the engine output and flying straight to Carlac. His people were in danger, he would not stand by and allow more of the Tribe to suffer for his mistake.

There weren't a lot of populated places on the iceball world. Mando chose to land at the largest one. His logic was sound, if his people were anywhere on the planet, it made the most sense to be in an area where they'd be most likely to get supplies. Digging out the winter wear she'd picked up on Chronos, Val patted her head, making sure her hair was fully secured as she waited for her partner to finish atmo entrance. The ship rattled a little, a groan echoing through the hull. She frowned at the ceiling, making a mental note to have a talk with Mando about getting the Razor Crest a serious tune up. The poor old girl was in desperate need of one.

Sliding the long coat on, which fell to her knees, Val kicked off her hiking shoes, putting on a pair of mid calf boots more suited to walking on ice and snow. A curious garble had her turning to the baby as the ship finally settled on the ground. As Mando descended down, heading to his weapons locker, Val pipped up in concern,

"How's he handle the cold anyway?"

"Don't know, I've never taken him to an ice world. Likely not well." He looked up at her, seeming to think for a bit before speaking again, "Maybe you two should stay on the ship. If there's trouble like you think-"

"No." Val bluntly replied, interrupting him, "He can stay if you want, but I'm going. I'm the one this...vision...came to, so I'm apart of it. I'm going with you, end of discussion." She rubbed her temples, feeling residual pain from the rude wakeup she'd gone through still lingering in her skull, "Besides, I won't sleep properly till this is dealt with anyway."

A heavy sigh left Mando's modulator before he continued to rifle through his weapons, "Fine...there are some heat pads over there. Use those, they should help a little."

Looking to the area he pointed, she dug out the palm sized packets. Normally they were used to keep humanoids hands and feet warm in the fridge climates, but they would work. As her partner geared up, Val bundled up the baby, wrapping him tightly in two layers of blankets till only his little eyes were visible. The child squirmed in the cocoon, muffled sounds of malcontent coming from him, but her fabric burrito was snug enough to prevent his escape. Cracking the pads, she wiggled them between the layers while trying to comfort the child.

"You're going to be thankful for this once that door opens, kiddo. Believe me."

Standing again, Val waited while Mando pulled out a sling. She helped get the baby settled in the over the shoulder carrier and he arranged the child carefully against his side, moving his cape over top to conceal him. Flipping up the hood of her coat, she stood beside her partner as the back ramp opened. Even though they were docked inside the spaceport, Val felt the chill in the air penetrate through the winter clothes. It was going to be worst once they were out in the elements. Stars, she hated ice worlds! Shivering despite the thick layers, she walked down the ramp and heard an annoyed voice yelling at them.

"Took you long enough! I've got better things to do than wait around while you mosey out! Now, you have to register your ship and-" the male Zabrak that was berating them stopping talking upon seeing the towering form of the Mandalorian, his eyes narrowing. Even in the dingy lighting of the bay, Val could see his agitation.

"Do you people multiple when no ones looking? Never seen a Mandalorian before in my life, now I've met two in less than a standard week. This better not become a normal occurrence."

Mando went rigid beside her, every muscle seizing up, "Another one came before me? When?"

The spaceport worker scowled at the demand but did response, "The last one who landed still has his ship docked here. He arrived four days ago. Haven't seen him since."

Val decided to jump into over conversation, walking closer to the engineer, "Do you know where he is? Did he say why he came here?"

The Zabrak turned his attention to her, "Didn't talk much that one, and I wasn't going to pry. Mandalorians are not welcomed well here, the locals are rather hostile towards your people."

"Why?" Val questioned.

"Do you not know the history? Of Carlac and the Mandalorians? Of the Deathwatch and the destruction they wrought during the Clone Wars?"

The armored man beside her had his fists clenched tightly and she could see small tremors vibrating through him. Part of her wanted to reach out in comfort, but she doubted that he was in a state of mind to accept such a thing. So she helped out in the best way she could. She kept digging.

"No, I wasn't aware. The Clone Wars happened a long time ago. That's quite the stretch for people to hold a grudge."

"True, but the pains and scars of the natives still run deep. Those that survived the onslaught passed down the vendetta to their children. You'll not find many freinds here. So, if I were you, I'd lose that helmet and hide the beskar. Otherwise, you're liable to end up in a bad spot."

Val glanced at her partner from the corner of her eye, "Maybe you should be the one that stays on the ship."

She felt the harsh glare he sent back and was supremely glad he considered her a friend, otherwise she'd probably have gotten punched for that comment. Looking back to the dock worker, she pursed her lips in thought, "You said there was ship here? Can we see it?"

The Zabrak frowned deeply, but jerked his head, turning and walking through an adjoining door. Val followed the man and looked up at the older model of the Lancer Pursuit Craft that sat peacefully in the bay. Mando stayed silent, staring at the starship. The worker briskly waved at them in irritation.

"I'm not going to hold this here forever. Don't get many people wanting to land on Carlac and transport ships carrying supplies take priority over small freighters. If this ones owner doesn't come back soon, I'll move it outside. Don't imagine it'll last long once the locals see it. Same goes for yours."

Puffing out a breath, Val dug into her jacket pocket, pulling out a handful of credits. Extending out a hand, she dropped the chips into the Zabrak's palm, "Keep them both docked for a while longer. We'll be in touch."

The engineer snorted slightly, "Sure you will." He looked like he was about to leave, before pausing in thought,

"One more thing you should know, seeing as your here. There've been rumors floating through the town about others like you, out in the wilds. Some people have claimed to have had goods stolen, or seen someone in a helmet, far in the distance. No idea how valid the stories are, might just be that the residents are making things up to keep the torch burning, fearmongering and all that, but figured it was worth mentioning."

Val frowned again, "Did another group land that you know of?"

"Not that I'm aware. If they landed on Carlac, they didn't do so through normal channels. Take from that what you will."

With those parting words, the man walked away. She watched him leave, turning back to Mando once they were alone. He was still staring at the ship, unmoving. Beside him, the child let out a muffled coo, barely heard by Val's ears.

"You recognize it...don't you?" He didn't verbally response, only giving a sharp nod. Giving him a few moments, Val finally nudged his arm with her elbow, making him turn his silver helm towards her.

"Come on. Let's get going."

Her partner still didn't say anything and didn't move for a while. She finally got annoyed and walked away, heading for the exit out into the town. Val heard him follow after a small pause, falling in step beside her. As they neared the door, she finally heard him speak.

"Thank you..."

Glancing at him from the side, she scrunched up her face, "Don't thank me yet. I doubt this is going to be fun. You know this man that landed? He's a friend of yours?"

"He's...a member of the Tribe. I don't know if I'd call him a friend. We've...had some differences. I'm not sure how he'll react to my coming here."

"Who hasn't," she responded lightly, moving down the street. Her shoulders hunched up at the blast of cold from a sudden wind, snow flying through the air, "All families have issues. You've met mine, I doubt yours is worst."

Val was happy when she finally coaxed a small laugh from the stoic man. This situation was weighing heavily on him, she could sense the crushing pressure from a mile away. A light brush on her mind made her gently push back as the baby struggled to understand what was happening. She was getting better at keeping her shields up, but the child still liked to reach out and touch her from time to time. Val wondered if he did the same thing to Mando and how he dealt with it.

Shaking that thought from her head, she focused around her. There were some stalls set out, people selling food, winter goods, some supply booths and other random vendors. The eyes of them followed the pair, glaring out with malice and hate. Val could feel the hostility in the air, see hands shifted to hidden weapons, wares pulled down and moved out of sight. More than once she heard nasty murmurs, thinly veiled threats and a few people call her "Whore".

People avoided the Mandalorian, moved out of his way and shot nasty looks to him. She'd seen reactions like it before, he was an intimidating man, but not to this level. It felt like everyone around was one heartbeat away from lining up crosshairs on the Warrior. Three times her partner approached an individual and was either ignored or harshly turned away. She didn't fair much better. After walking through the town for a bit, receiving no welcomes or indications of anyone wanting to talk to them, Val finally sighed a little.

"Maybe we should split up, it'd be easier for me-"

"No," was the brisk, harsh reply, cutting her off with no chance to argue, "I'm not leaving you alone here. Stay close."

"Mando, we're getting nowhere. No ones going to help us without serious persuasion."

"I can do that." Val almost rolled her eyes. His overprotectiveness was sort of sweet, but also incredibly inconvenient. She suddenly spotted something and perked up. Without responding, she marched forward, outpacing him, heading for the small shop. Outside was a tall, lanky droid, probably a GC class of some sort.

"Excuse me, droid. Can you help me out?"

The glowing optics of the machine turned to her. Behind her, she sense Mando's agitation and sent a narrowed eyed look over her shoulder before looking back to the robot.

"How may I assist, Organic?" The electronic, monotone voice was a little grating, higher pitched than she was expecting. It was unclear if this droid had much of an AI personality, so Val choose to ignore its comment and waved to the Mandalorian hovering at her shoulder.

"Has anyone that looks like him come through here?"

Emotionless lights meant to represent eyes looked over the man and the machine responded in a robotic tone, "Affirmative, Organic. Four standard days ago, one metal Organic came. They rented a SD-390 snow speeder and left the town."

"Where did they go?" Mando's voice was clearly displeased. Fortunately, the droid didn't seem to care.

"Unknown, Organic. Speeders rented are installed with tracking devices to ensure units can be found if not returned. Speak with the Master for more information."

Her partner might have major issues with droids, but he wasn't stupid. An exchange of credits with the store owner, who wasn't as hostile as most of the populace, and they had a winter speeder of their own rented. Slinging a leg over behind the armored man who was looking over the controls, she moved his cloak a bit, checking on the child before they left. So far, the kid looked okay, still bundled up. He wasn't shaking or seeming to be too affected by the cold.

"He looks alright, hope he stays that way. Why would your comrade be heading out into the ice fields anyway?"

"Might be he found something more about those rumors the locals are kicking around."

She wrapped her arms around his waist, trying not to squirm as the cold beskar touched parts of her skin, "You think he went looking for the others?"

"You said you saw younglings, right?"

"I said I might have seen them. Like I said, it was dark."

"Doesn't matter, if there's a chance there are foundlings out there, we go." He started the speeders engines and gripped the handles tightly. Val tightened her hold and yelled over the noise.

"If I die out there, I'm haunting you for the rest of your life!"

He offered no reply as the transport took off, but she felt his sides quiver slightly under her arms as he silently laughed.

Din's mind was whirling. As the snow covered town filled with hostile beings faded away behind them, he finally let himself fully mull over the bombardment of information he'd gotten, guiding the speeder more on habit and instinct than with concentration.

He'd been completely unprepared to heard the name of his Tribe dropped so causally by the spaceport worker. Hearing that the Kyr'tsad had been present and left such a dark mark on Carlac, one that was still dwelled upon even after so many years, had felt like he'd gotten punched in the gut. His mind had been assaulted by the memory of his Buir's, the soft arms of his Mother that had held him at night when nightmares of his village being destroyed woke him from his sleep. The strong, steady voice of his Father, coaxing him to push himself just a little harder in training, the pride in his tone when Din had worked through the pain and completed the trial. They were happy memories, not something associated with the death and destruction of a planet.

The outright hate and anger that had permeated the air as he'd searched the town made him want to question his Alor and demand to know what atrocities his ancestors had wrought here to cause such lasting scars. But there was no time for that. With the knowledge that Paz was not only on Carlac, but actively doing something out in the wilds, Din pushed back the anxiety with some difficultly. A presence not his own hovered near the edge of his consciousness, picking up on his distress and he didn't want his foundling to get frightened.

He was starting to get used to the child's emotions lingering in his mind. It had been alarming at first. Din was used to his head space being occupied by only his thoughts. So having another brush against something that was supposed to be private was unnerving, but in some ways, he was also somewhat grateful that he was able to do such a thing. The child didn't speak much, didn't know how to express his needs or wants. So his strange way of connecting did make things a bit easier.

Val's arms tightened around his waist and he felt her press her face into his shoulder. The cold wind whipping past was bone chilling, cutting deep even through thick winter clothes. His beskar helped a little, but metal was still metal. Refocusing on the task at hand, Din pulled up the tracker signal on his helm. It was pointing to the north. With the high powered speeder, they came upon the area quicker than he expected. He slowed the transport, looking over the daunting sight.

Etched deep into the ground was a massive chasm. It stretched for miles, large enough in its center that Din couldn't see both edge in his field of vision. Near the start of the enormous break in the earth was a lone speeder, the same design as the one they were on. Pulling their ride to a halt next to the abandoned one, he waited for Val to climb off before following her. He moved instantly to the other bike, closely inspecting it. Frost had gathered on the frame, icicles hanging from the handles. It hadn't moved in days.

"Shiny...Over there." Val called to him, drawing his attention. Looking up at his partner, she pointed over the crevice. Focusing past her finger, Din saw a starship parked in the distance. Without a word, he started to walk towards it. She followed at his heels. The ship was small, some kind of LS model. It looked to be in pretty rough shape, which Val confirmed upon closer inspection.

"It's been in a dog fight. Recently, judging from the scorch marks, maybe 2 weeks ago. Still capable of flying, no serious damage."

Din frowned, feeling his trepidation grow as he noted the cannons outfitted to the craft, "Its been altered. Those guns are black market grade."

"Hunters?"

"Maybe, could be pirates or mercs too. Someone's looking for someone around here and I doubt they're interested in a friendly conversation."

"Terrific..." came the dark mutter from his partner.

He didn't response, starting to walk towards the downward incline. She fell in a step beside him, reaching under the edge of her coat to pull out the small blaster, holding it down at her side. Din mimicked her and switched his helm to night vision as they moved deeper into the scar together. As they walked, Val dug into the deep pockets of her coat and pulled out a small flashlight, flicking it on, letting the dim beam stretch forward. The walls of the canyon towered above them as they moved deeper in. Light from the sun faded away, shadows creeping up, making everything look haunted and terrifying. It was the kind of place that played tricks on the mind, making you think voices whispered from the dark and monsters stalked you from the edges of your vision.

Neither spoke as they walked, but Val did shift slightly closer, keeping pace with his longer strides. Luckily her light source didn't affect his sight, as she wisely kept it pointed down to avoid casting too much of a glow. The pathway broke into three different routes ahead of them. Din spotted something on one of the ice walls and narrowed his eyes. Slowing his pace, he stopped by a mark etched into the frozen water. It was a simple line, the lower end angled towards the path they'd come down. But the mark was surprisingly clean. Taking out the vibroblade from his boot, he traced it, noting that the knife fit perfectly inside. As he replaced the weapon, he spoke to his partner.

"It's a mile marker, something done to help find your way back."

"Any idea how long ago it was made?"

He shook his head, but pointed further into the dark, down the leftmost passage, "Someone went that way."

"Friend or foe?"

"No way to tell." He shifted the sling, moving the child further back so his chest plate covered him more before looking to Val, "Stay behind me."

She nodded and shifted to his back, keeping a hand on his lower spine, fingers gently coiled in the fabric of his cape. Without asking, she turned off her light source, trusting him to guide her. Together, they moved deeper into the unknown. It felt like they walked for days, time seemed to drag on. In reality, it was probably only an hour or two, but in the crushing silence, perspectives were warped and twisted. Movement on his helm had him jolting to a stop, shifting to the heat signature setting. The distance red images of a group of humanoids popped up in his vision, several of them.

Without a word, Din spun and wrapped an arm around Val, pulling her into a narrow passage in the wall, using a section of jutting ice to hide them from the approaching party. She let out a soft gasp, but made no other sound, curling into a smaller ball as used his body to hide her light colored coat. Hidden in the shadows, he waited, holding his blaster tighter. The group moved closer, a brighter glow of light approaching and their conversation filtered through the air.

"How much longer are we going to keep searching this damn place!? We've been up and down this crag with no signs of the brats or the big one in over two days."

"Quit your bellyaching. The brutes probably already dead, we just need to track down where their escape pod crashed. Scans showed that it ended up in here somewhere."

Someone else spoke up, "We've lost three guys on this job and no one said anything about going up against that monster. He wasn't even on the Crimson Dawn's list. We loose anymore manpower on this assignment and I'm out."

"It'll be over soon. The survivors are unguarded now, their bodyguard's are dead. Keep looking, only so many places they can hide."

Din fisted his free hand, tempted beyond measure to lunge from hiding and rain hell down on these bastards. But there were at least five of them, maybe more judging from the sounds of the steps. If he'd been alone, there would be no hesitation on his part. However, his Ad'ika was with him, as was Val. If he failed to take down all of them, the return fire would put them in danger. So, even though he wanted to kill every one of them slowly and painfully, he resisted the urge to move out, staying still at they passed by. Din was grateful that they didn't noticed the prints left behind in the snow, either they weren't good at tracking or simply weren't paying attention. He wasn't going to count himself lucky just yet, they could still double back. As darkness engulfed them again and the sound of the group faded away, Val squirmed out, turning on her flashlight again. He grabbed her arm,

"What are you doing!?" he hissed in a whisper-yell.

"Look," she responded, also speaking in a soft voice, twisting her wrist and pointed the beam to the wall, "I saw it when they passed by with their lights."

Turning his attention to the snow, Din saw what she was trying to illuminate. On the frozen surface was a faint, red smear. Glancing at the ground, he saw traces of footprints. Stepping closer, he pulled off his glove and ran a finger over the crystalized substance, rubbing it between his pads. He was certain it was blood. Looking deeper into the narrow opening, he nodded to her and she flicked off the light, taking up her position behind him once more.

The pass shrank more as they walked, some areas so small that Din had to turn sideways and pull himself forward to squeeze through. More red blotch's of blood appeared as they travelled. Then, the crag suddenly opened up before Din. He stopped, staring at the sight before him. A crashed escape pod sat in the ground, covered in snow with the door open. Even as he switch his helm back to heat sensor, he sensed the change in the air, instincts warning him of danger. Val was half a step ahead of him, yanking on his cape as they dove for cover behind a large chunk of ice in near unison. Blaster fire flew from the open door of the downed pod. Skidding on the ground, Din pressed his back to the solid surface, mindful of the child still bundled in the sling. The shots were wild, a flurry of bolts that chipped at the ice block. With his heart pounding against his chest, he yelled without thought.

"Oya! Ke'pare! Udesii! Ni Mando'ade!" A long pause followed his shout. Taking a risk, he shifted and peered around the cover. The red glow on his helm was large, coming from inside the pod. Finally a voice that was achingly familar called out hoarsely.

"B...Beroya...?"

He was fighting to get back to his feet and dashing to the open pod without a second thought. The sight that greeted him had his breath catching in his throat. Sprawled out inside the downed craft was the wounded form of Paz Vizsla, a freezing pool of blood under his body and jagged gasps leaving his helm as his life faded before Din's very eyes.

Manda'yaim: The planet Mandalore

Dar'manda: A state of not being Mandalorian - not an outsider, but one who has lost his heritage, and so his identity and his soul - regarded with absolute dread by most traditional-minded Mando'ade

Kyr'tsad: Death Watch, the order that took Din Djarin in

Ad'ika: Little one, son, daughter

Ke'pare!: Wait!

Udesii!: Calm down! Take it easy!

Ni Mando'ade: I'm Mandalorian, sons and/ or daughters of Mandalore

Beroya: Bounty Hunter

Ok, so that's where I'm ending it this time. Yes, I'm horrible and I love cliffhangers. Its a thing I do.

I hope everyone is ok with me adding Paz to the story. I've read a lot of fics with him as the main characater and I really like him. There'll be more in the next chapter so stay turned. In the meantime, onto shout outs.

zenrobbins0021: I feel great Zen, thanks so much for your concern. Hope you're doing well too and enjoy the chapter.

Annieonymous: Thanks so much for your concern Annie, but I'm totally fine. Barely had any symptoms. Funny you should mention the action movie script, I did take a few ideas from various sources. I hope I'm managed to build up a good atmosphere between Mando's new crew.

Love. Fiction. 2020: Always a pleasure to see your reviews Love. Thanks so much for sticking with me.

Guest: I'm sorry, I know everyone wanted Zechs to get killed in the most painful way possible, but unfortunately, karma doesn't always work. Hope you still enjoyed the chapter. XD