The Pilot: Part 3: The Who?
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They were alone, some time ago Overhaul left, and now they're waiting for his return, that's how things are going here usually. Then why they've heard fight and destruction outside of their room? To them, suddenly the room's door opened and looking behind their bed they saw a green droid with a big gun and a cape.
They tried to hide, but the action was futile, they were spotted by the droid. Unknowingly to them, the "machine" kneeled.
"It's fine now. I am here." declared calmly the droid and they peeked again behind the furniture.
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Green Hunter opened the door and saw someone hiding quickly behind the bed in the bare room. Someone very small. Small like a child.
The Mandalorian calmly kneeled to the ground and put their rifle to their back worn scabbard, above two vibroswords and declared gently their presence. "It's fine now. I am here."
Behind the bed a small head of a child peeked, a girl with an unkempt, messy and waist-length hair, this was white with some strings paler than most, possibly from bad experiences. She wore a worn, plain, pale tan colored dress, this short-sleeved cloth couldn't hide the bandages on her arms and legs, stopping at the wrists and ankles respectively. From her size it was clear to Green Hunter that she is six years old. Her wide, bright eyes looked at them with curiosity and fear.
"You don't have to fear little child. I am here to save you like a hero." told her the Mando.
"Are you a hero?" she asked them shyly.
"Yes, I am. I hunt the vile people like Overhaul." replied the savior patiently.
"Where is he?"
"He is dead. As well everyone else from the Shie Hassaikai. They can't hurt you anymore."
"Why did you come?"
"To save you."
"Who are you?" she asked them, still afraid and shy.
"I am Eiyu." answered the person. Analyzing them, she learned that Eiyu's armor is mainly green, but narrow golden outlines surrounded the armor's plates, below those were black and gold, small, boxy chainmail-like plates, the knee guards are black with red outlines, elbow pads were similar, the shoulder pads were green and their outlines were blue, the green helmet had a black visor, with a very narrow white outline, around that was a golden one and there were small red markings akin of fire or dragons. Their cape was rugged and looked like worn for very long time and its color is dark brown, they had a rifle and possibly two swords. She saw pistols on their holster and some knives.
Gathering some courage, she slowly walked to Eiyu. 'Still afraid.' noted the Mandalorian to self.
"Would you like a hug? You know, you can hug me." told her the Green Hunter and she reluctantly hugged them, and they hugged back.
"Do you have a name?" asked her the bounty hunter.
"Eri." she replied shyly.
"You don't have to be afraid from me. Do you have a family?" they were gentle and nice, first time in her life!
"No." she told them.
"Can I adopt you? With that both us become a clan of ours. Even if we're the part of the clan Hikari. What do you say?" asked her gently the Mando as they caressed her gently.
"I felt their death. Is that because I am cursed?" she asked them, not noticing first their question.
"Sensing the Force is not a curse. True that can hurt us, but it isn't a curse. It's a blessing. The Force connects every living in the world." explained to her the rescuer and Eri cried.
"You're so nice." she exclaimed.
"You're right. I am nice."
"What if you adopt me?" she asked them with more courage, she wondered, are they a man or a woman. They looked like a muscular man with the armor.
"We'll become a family." Would you like to become a family with me?" told her the Mando.
"Yes." she replied, and she smiled for the first time in her life, then she turned scared. "Don't leave me."
"I won't leave you. Ni kar'tayl gai sa'ad - Eri. I know your name as my child Eri. From now I adopted you into my clan known as Hikari. You'll be my daughter officially, technically my younger sister. We're now one family. And we also must make it official at our home planet where I came here through a detour. Is it okay?" said the Green Hunter as they adopted the little Eri.
"Can I see your face?" she asked them curiously.
"I destroyed the cameras. I'll show you my face but only to you and other Mandalorians like me. However, after I kill the man chasing me and forced me to wear helmet all the time. I can choose to take it off in front of others. And I'll tell you a name with you can only call me when we're together without any company. Do you promise?" replied the savior to Eri.
"Yes, I won't break it." promised the child and the rescuer took of their helmet to let her see their face.
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The storm troopers accompanying Mirio Togata cleared the debris with the help of droids and vehicles as the young leader of the taskforce watched the operation with two death troopers on his side. They were in the main gate of the compound.
Suddenly he saw the Green Hunter coming out as the bounty hunter's ship parked automatically on an empty spot. The blond also saw the warrior holding a child in their left arm. The little girl eyed them warily and leaned closer to her protector's chest.
"You surpassed my expectations." complimented happily Mirio to the bounty hunter.
"Are you sure? I dropped the bodies on the floor." replied the Mandalorian.
"You really killed them all. Not that was an issue. Here your payment." said Togata as he showed a large chest on a hover carrier. Opening that the Green Hunter and Eri saw a lot of metal.
"What are these?" asked the child from her guardian.
"Beskar. I valuable metal used by the Mandalorians." explained to her the Mandalorian.
"That's right. This is the best way to pay to a warrior like you." said Togata to the hunter as the latter closed the chest.
"Seeing your smile, you haven't finished." told him the Mando.
"It seems the girl stays with you, so I give you this too." replied Mirio as he gives a small doll to the warrior.
"A tooka doll." noted the viridian fighter as held the toy, although Eri didn't seemed to like its spiky teeth. "A large chest of beskar and a tooka doll. Sometimes I wonder how I get weird payment. However, the purple Jawa robe is still on the top." noted the Mandalorian.
"Who would give you a purple Jawa robe?" this made the admiral-deputy confused, even his bodyguards exchanged an aside glance thinking someone lost their mind.
"Thank you for the business. I'll leave with the generous payment." said Green Hunter as they led the carrier to the opening door of the Ashcrest, from that a tall droid walked out with another chest and put over the metal.
"And what will you do with her?" asked Togata from the bounty hunter, who looked back.
"She is with me." replied the warrior and as the exchange finished, they sent the carrier with the chest back to Togata, entered their starship with Eri, closed the door and departed.
"She is with him." commented the blond, knowing that from now she is a foundling taken care by the Mandalorian and it would be a bad idea to mess with them.