15.
Zo woke to the sound of Mando's heavy boots on the floor beside the bunk. She sat up and watched him as he tucked away blasters and double-checked supplies. "Are you at least going to tell him goodbye this time?" She asked as he slung his gear pack over his shoulders.
"No. He wouldn't understand anyway." Mando replied.
"He understands more than you think." She said, running her thumb over the sleeping baby's forehead. "May the Force be with you, Mando." She sensed his stubborn resolve; asking him not to go would be a waste of her breath and serve only to irritate him. There was no swaying the Mandalorian from his chosen path.
"And you as well, Zo Mara."
"It always is." She crossed her arms over her chest and shivered. "You'll be back in two days?"
He shrugged as the ramp lowered, "Give or take."
"Give or take," Zo nodded, rubbing her hand along the base of her skull, the dull throb still there. "Take the com, please?"
"No. I can't be distracted." He replied not looking at her. "Keep your weapons close and the child closer. Watch out for garu-bears." She watched him until he disappeared into the tree line.
The kid woke up grumpy. Once again unhappy that his shiny guardian was nowhere to be found. His mood lightened as Zo led them outside and let him play in the mud banks of the creek while she prepared his breakfast. After he ate they explored the forested clearing Mando left them in. The throbbing in her head eased up as they moved away from the ship and into the cool, lush forest.
She sensed nothing sentient among the tall, ancient pine trees. Just the warm swirling Force presence of animals and insects living their simple, peaceful lives. The planet was sparsely populated by humanoids and they were far from any settlements. The animals here were more curious than frightened of the interlopers. Lizards and birds followed them at a safe distance. A family of Vrill-rabbits hopped into their path, their long purple whiskers trembling with interest at the odd pair. Cricket looked up at her and cooed a question, his ears twitched and the rabbits mimicked the movement.
Zo slowly knelt trying not to frighten the rabbits. She didn't have Jacen's gift to connect with them and hoped they could sense her peaceful intentions. "Can you connect with them, young one?" Zo whispered. The vrill-rabbits slowly came forward, their four floppy ears bouncing with each small hop. They sniffed Cricket's robes and Zo's outstretched hand. She had a pang of remorse for eating the sweet little animals. Mando probably didn't even have to 'hunt' them, she could imagine them hopping right into his unforgiving hands.
One of the smaller rabbits hopped right up to Cricket's face. Its long whiskers tickled the baby's nose and he let out a huge sneeze. The rabbits reared up on their back feet and jumped up into the tree branches twenty feet overhead. They chittered and hissed angrily before scampering away through the thick boughs. The baby's bottom lip quivered and his eyes filled with tears.
"No need to cry, Padawan," Zo said, swinging him onto her hip. "They aren't gone. They just aren't sure if they can trust us…" The baby looked up at her and cooed again. "Yeah, reminds me of Mando too." She responded as they moved further into the forest.
They chose a quiet, cool glen to rest. They sat quietly for a few minutes listening to the birds sing and the trees move in the warm breeze. "Do you feel how the Force connects all the trees? The entire root system all over the planet. They speak to each other. Can you speak to them? Can you use the Force to call up a sprout?" Zo asked, placing her hand on the moist soil. Cricket followed her example. She was still trying to discover what dormant Force abilities he possessed. The baby dug his claws into the dirt and she held her breath hoping to see something green sprout between his fingers. Instead, he pulled a fat, wriggling nightcrawler out of the earth and brought it to his face. "No, no, no…" She sighed, prying the worm out of his hand. "Come on, let's head back. I'll get you some real food." She muttered scooping him back into her arms.
They turned to leave the glen and head back to the ship when they sensed a presence, ancient and curious. Cricket wrapped his hand in her tunic and she wrapped her hand around the butt of a blaster. "It's alright. It's friendly...I think." Zo whispered. The forest went quiet as if the trees themselves held their breath. Twigs cracked, leaves crunched and slowly a form appeared out of the darkness between the trees.
A giant elk ambled out of the trees. The animal's green-brown pelt perfectly camouflaged it among the giant conifers. A blue feathered Morai owl nested in the elk's giant moss-covered antlers. The dimming sun reflected off the elk's green fur as it stepped gracefully forward on six long legs. He dug his front hooves into the soft earth and snorted. The Morai ruffled its feathers and walked along with the antlers, never taking its crystalline eyes off the pair. "Whooo?" the owl questioned with an avian tilt of its head.
Zo released the blaster and touched her chest. "We are Jedi. I am Zo and this is Cricket." The baby waved one clawed hand. "We mean you and your home no harm."
The owl moved again, its head tilting and rotating on its neck. The Elk blinked and Zo heard it's the voice in her mind, sharp and loud like a tree splitting open, "Who?"
An image of a silver warrior flashed in her mind like lightning. "Who? The man in the armor? He's our friend," Zo continued. "Please give him safe passage."
The Morai's head spun 180-degrees on its neck so that it looked out over the elk's back. The Elk dipped its head and snorted once more before the pair turned and retreated into the forest. "Do you think that's a yes?" Zo asked the baby.
"Agoo." The baby answered.
Zo booped Cricket's nose. "Yeah. I'll take that as a yes, too. Let's just hope Mando doesn't try to eat one of them for dinner."
After a supper of leftover roasted rabbit and foraged vegetable stew Zo and Cricket watched the sunset while they waited for the lightning bugs to wake up. After more eating than she ever thought possible for a creature his size, the baby fell asleep in her arms. He radiated warmth, comfort, and love and she soaked it in. Zo held him for a long time as she stared at the crackling flames, her mind reaching out as far as she could trying to sense Mando. The pain in her head traveled to a knot of dread in her stomach as the hours passed. She decided the fear of what could happen was making her imagination run wild. As long as the child was near, she would do everything in her power to keep him safe. The Mandalorian was on his own just as he wanted.
That night she dreamt of darkness.
Mando's dark form moved as silent as a shadow between the trees. The forest was pitch black except for the occasional glint of dim moonlight that broke through the thick canopy of trees and reflected off his platinum beskar. Din didn't mind the darkness, he didn't need light to see as he moved with sure steps. Mandalorian night vision was more than sufficient; of course, he would have preferred to use his thermal scanners. But Falleen were repto-mammalian and Jox wouldn't leave any heat signatures to follow in the temperate forest.
So he relied on his natural tracking abilities and the high-res night vision feed from his helmet as he followed a trail of heavy footprints and broken branches. If the large splashes of blood and staggered footfalls were accurate Jox was injured and slowing down. He had perhaps another quarter mile before he overtook his quarry. Din swallowed down his cautious optimism along with the feeling of excitement that came with the completion of another job. He wanted to get Jox into carbonite as quickly as possible. In all honesty, he'd rather shoot the sick son of a bantha but Ranzar had given his stipulations.
A branch cracked, a Morai hooted in the darkness and something small and afraid scurried through the leaves overhead. Din paused, holding his breath, and adjusted his audio input as high as it would go. Something was moving towards him loud and fast, lumbering through the gloom without the heed of stealth.
A giant shadow burst through the trees snorting and shrieking. Din dove out of the way of a Loceras elk, its eyes wide and shining with terror. It reared up kicking its first four legs as another snarling form barreled out of the darkness. A garu-bear, twelve feet tall and three times as wide as Din, crashed through the forest. It swung its massive claws through a tree unlucky enough to be rooted in his path. The bear's thick claws sliced through the ancient tree like it was a sapling bending in the wind. The elk shrieked again, swinging its antlers as the garu-bear bore down on it.
The trees trembled as the two giant animals fought; one for survival, the other for dinner. Din dove again, flying between stomping hooves and deadly Beskar-shredding talons. He somersaulted down a muddy embankment as the beasts clashed. "Fuck…" He groaned, rolling to a stop on his back. He stared up at the thick dome of leaves above him before rolling onto his knees. Mud obscured his visor and he wiped it clean with the edge of his cape. A cursory glance at his surroundings indeed confirmed he had completely lost Jox's trail. "Fuck." He muttered louder as anger prickled up his back. His attempts at stealth were forgotten as he pushed through the thick underbrush. The sounds of battle in the glen behind him reached a crescendo as the garu-bear finally took down its prey. The forest slowly came back to life around him, creatures scurried along the ground, insects buzzed and nocturnal birds sang their moonlit songs. Din trudged on, ignoring the pleasant ambiance, and searched for signs of his elusive target.
A bent sapling finally caught his attention. The thin willowy stem cracked and partially flattened by someone's careless boots. Din knelt, examining the small puddle of blood at the base of the broken young tree. His HUD confirmed the chain code matched with Jox Grunseit.
Something moved in the giant fern to his right. The blaster was in his hand, the bright blue stun laser hitting his target before the ferns feathery leaves stopped rustling. Din stood slowly, blaster in hand as he went to investigate.
He brushed the fern aside and hissed a string of surly curses at a fat, stunned opossum that stared up at him with glassy eyes. He sensed movement a second too late as a form grew out of the gloom. Something whistled through the darkness-
"Din!" Zo woke with a gasp. The heavy scent of pine and blood stung her throat. She realized she had called out his name and slapped a hand over her mouth hoping he hadn't heard her. She wasn't in the mood to start the day with another fight.
It took her a few moments to blink away the confusion and come back to herself. The Mandalorian hadn't heard her, he wasn't even on the ship. He was out there in the forest somewhere. In the darkness. She sat up slowly scooting her butt to the edge of the bunk, avoiding the baby sleeping in his sling. She sighed, rubbing her hand across the nape of her neck, and realized the pain was gone. "That's a good sign, right?" She asked the sleeping baby. He snorted and smiled in his sleep, probably dreaming about his next meal. "I'm taking that as a good sign." She decided.
After brewing a hot cup of instant energy she lowered the ship's ramp. The air outside had turned muggy and humid overnight. It hung like a thick blanket over the Crest. Zo sat on the cool metal ramp, sipped her bitter caf, and watched the motion detectors slowly rotate as they tracked a moth fluttering too close to the perimeter. She flicked a finger, sending a tiny push through the Force that sent the moth on a new flight path away from the laser sentries.
As the sun rose, the heat of the day rose with it.
Once Cricket woke it became quickly apparent neither of them was in the mood for more exploring in the sticky heat. They lounged in the shade of the trees and the dark interior of the ship. She eventually let the baby run around the campsite in nothing but his cloth diaper, his thick robes too oppressive in the heat. She finally decided he looked much more comfortable than she did, sweating in her long-sleeved tunic and jeans. After she kicked off her boots and removed the offending articles of clothing they spent the afternoon splashing each other with water from the clear, babbling creek. The hours ticked on and she tried not to think about Mando's continued absence.
"How about you and I practice for a bit?" Zo asked finally taking the pruney womp rat out of the water. He stuck his little purple tongue through his stubby teeth and spit at her. "You sit quietly and meditate with me for a while…" He blew another unhappy raspberry and she wiped a bit of spit off her cheek, "Twenty minutes...and I'll give you a chocolate fudge cake." The child looked at her pensively, his ears twitched and he narrowed his large, almond eyes considering her offer. He slowly blinked once in acquiescence. Zo smiled and kissed his forehead as they clambered out of the water.
She sat them on a large flat rock near the bank of the stream and settled back on her knees, resting her palms flat on the tops of her thighs. She took a deep breath and cleared her mind. "Show me your favorite memories and I'll show you some of mine." She told the youngling before closing her eyes. The clearing dropped away, the sounds of birds and buzzing insects disappeared as she opened her mind. The Force swirled around the child like a cyclone, his strength and abilities only dampened by his young age and lack of instruction. Images slowly drifted through their link: younglings in a dark auditorium staring up at a projection of stars, a training circle, a floating combat remote firing brightly lit stun lasers, the Razor Crest, flying with Mando, crying, screams….hide Grogu!
The memory echoed so loudly through the Force it felt as if the Jedi Master that screamed it was standing right beside her. Zo broke the trance with a strangled gasp, "Grogu? Your name is Grogu?" The baby cooed softly and she buried her face in her hands and started to sob. His emotions overwhelmed her, sadness seemed to cloak all of his memories. All except for the memories he had created with Mando. Those memories were bright and happy and she wanted Mando to understand how much he meant to the child. And to her.
Grogu stood and waddled slowly towards her. He gently touched her face and she looked up at him wiping away tears. "Grogu, I'm so sorry you were alone…" He climbed into her lap and rested his head on her chest. Zo traced her fingers along the ridges of his ears, "Mando's gonna be so happy to know your name." She sniffed. Grogu looked up at her and cooed a question. Zo tucked strands of damp hair behind her ear, "He'll be back soon. Let's get dried off and I'll make lunch." The baby laughed and clapped his hands as she stood and walked them back towards the ship. She was running him through a list of possible lunch options when the motion detectors spun on their axles, the buzz of priming laser cannons filled the air and Zo turned towards the tree line. She sensed a presence. Clouded and fuzzy at the edges, angry, irritated, injured…
The laser cannons fired, making them both jump. Zo wrapped her hands around the baby as the guns cycled up again, twisting back and forth as they searched for their target. Then they stopped and powered down, each falling inert and silent on its pivoting base. She let out a long breath, feeling a bit foolish at her fear. "You forget about the motion detectors, Mando?" She called towards the smoking tree line. The great big bounty hunter probably felt even more foolish. She waited for him to appear, willing him to come stalking out of the smoke like an irritable loth cat.
'Keep your weapons close and the kid closer.' Simple instructions. Simple instructions are borne from years of experience. Her hand drifted to her hip in search of a weapon. Her lightsaber was laying fifty feet away on top of her discarded clothes. She reached out again and sensed nothing familiar, no prickly, annoyed aura of a man forever exhausted. Grogu's ears twitched and he hissed. "It's ok. Everything is going to be ok." She promised, pressing her lips to his forehead as she slowly knelt and set him on the ramp. "We're going to play hide and seek. You go hide in the ship and don't come out unless me or Mando call out your name, your real name. Understand?" A low, warbling cry bubbled out of the baby as a large figure stumbled into the camp.
Zo had never met a member of the Falleen race in person so she had no frame of reference to gauge this man's size. But he was larger than the Mandalorian which made him impressively massive. The afternoon sun made his greenish skin glow, his face and head were clean-shaven save for one long braid sprouting from his crown. A long ugly gash in his thigh oozed half congealed yellow blood.
"Hide, Grogu." She urged.
She didn't watch as the frightened child ran into the ship. She didn't need to. She sensed him following her directions, disappearing into the ship, making himself small and silent.
"Stop!" Zo yelled across the expanse as the man stalked closer. She put every ounce of command into her voice that she could muster. He sneered, showing her a mouthful of teeth filed to razor points, and walked closer. "I said stop!" She yelled, this time holding her free hand up, palm out. Jox froze, howling in anger, the muscles of his neck and meaty forearms stood out in thick cords as he fought against her. She halted a dozen steps from him and noticed the vambrace shoved onto his left arm. The shiny platinum Beskar dulled with rusty dry blood. "Where is the Mandalorian?" She didn't recognize her voice. Dangerously low and so much calmer than she felt. The tide of fear pulling at her was quickly turning into waves of cold anger.
"Witch! You fucking witch let me go!" He growled.
"Where is he!" The voice erupted out of her, echoing through the trees and space between them. Her lightsaber flew into her lowered hand, part of her unaware she had called it. Her will burned straight through his resistance, the Force in her voice pulling the truth out of him.
"I fucking killed him."
The space around her went cold and silent like a dead star. She heard nothing but the rush of blood in her ears. Why did it hurt so much? Mando was an asshole. Rough, mean, unyielding in his stubbornness. But he was also good, straight down to his core he was good. Grogu sensed it immediately and so did she. He had risked so much to keep the child safe, to keep her safe…and now he was gone.
Jox's lips turned up in a cruel smile. Her control wavered and he stepped forward. "I'm taking that ship." She felt his eyes roam over her exposed skin, stopping at the thin dark strips of damp fabric clinging to her breasts and between her legs. "After I fuck you bloody." His black forked tongue slithered out from between his lips. "Be good and maybe I'll let you enjoy it."
Zo smiled, her fingers curling around the hilt of her lightsaber. "Oh, I'm going to enjoy this very much."
Tap. Tap. Tap-tap-taptaptap.
He tried to ignore the noise. Stars above he tried. He liked the warm, empty, and most importantly quiet space where he floated. No Foundling screaming for a dry diaper or crashing boxes signaling the end of one of Zo's 'lessons. Just the quiet. Din sighed contentedly, slipping back into the embrace of silence.
Tap-tap-tap! The sound was more incessant this time. Loud enough to echo sharply in his ears. Something warm, wet, and rough swiped across his lower jaw. His eyes sprang open, his vision partially obscured by the odd tilt of his helmet. A large owl-like creature crouched over him and pecked at his glass visor. He shot up in confusion making the bird jump off his chest with an irritated squawk. "The hell?" Din groused, shoving his helmet back over his chin and gingerly running his hands along the base of his neck. The flesh there was tender and sticky with blood. His head and the wound on his neck pounded in time with his heart.
Two creatures came into view as the visor realigned itself. A moss-covered Loceras elk and a blue-green Morai owl peered down at him. The elk tilted its giant head down. Its thick green tongue slithered out of its mouth and across Din's visor. The animal's breath smelled like the sickly sweet scent of decaying leaves. "I'm up- I'm up," he pushed the elk away from his face. The animal snorted as it backed away. It took Din several long seconds to gather the rest of his senses as he struggled back to his feet. After a quick pat-down and inventory check, he was relieved to find the only thing missing was his control vambrace. He kicked around in the green detritus he had awoken in, hoping that his armor had simply been torn off when he fell. "Fuck!" He swore angrily. How exactly had he fallen? How did he end up in this clearing with these strange animals? A bent sapling and a large feathery fern caught his attention…the missed shot, the shadowy figure moving behind him- "Fuck." He groaned letting his helmeted head fall forward with a tired sigh. The partially scabbed wound on his neck ached and he felt the warm trickle of fresh blood. How much time had he lost lying unconscious? How far away was Jox now?
"Zo," The owl hooted.
Din stopped his angry stomping and turned to face the creatures staring at him. "What did you say?"
"Zo…Zo-Zo-Zo." The bird hopped along the elk's antlers, ruffling its feathers and growing more agitated as Mando stood dazed. The elk dug its hooves into the dirt and snorted angrily, swinging its massive antlers, urging the Mandalorian to move.
"How much do you know about the Falleen?"
"Not much."
He tore off through the forest cursing himself with every step.
Zo's arms were sore. A plasma vibrostaff had materialized in Jox's hands from the folds of his clothes. He was highly skilled in combat with the weapon. The plasma blades on either end hissed through the air as he swung the staff. He moved faster than she thought someone of his size could. His bulk blocked the sun casting her in shadow as they circled each other. Each time she blocked one of his strikes, painful reverberations rattled the bones in her arms, nearly knocking her off her feet.
Size matters not, Padawan. A Jedi's strength flows through the Force. Open yourself to it but be mindful of anger, aggression, hate; they are quick to ally you in battle but will lead you to the dark side. Master Vatari's voice rang in her ears. Right now she hated the calm voice of her long-dead master almost as much as she hated the man in front of her. She embraced the hate like an old lover, the cold insulating her from the pain of losing her only friend.
She tried to anticipate his moves but his mind was a brick wall, her Force senses bouncing off uselessly in what she could only guess was natural immunity. He lumbered forward like a charging bull, swinging his staff in a wide arch and she cartwheeled out of the way, flipping and twisting behind him. She pirouetted midair and kicked him in the small of his back, sending him sprawling to the ground.
He pushed himself to his knees cursing loudly in a language full of short, hard consonants. Zo dashed forward, aiming a killing strike with her saber to the back of his head when he suddenly spun towards her, his staff twisting end over end as he moved. The hard, vibrating rod caught her in the jaw. She flew backward hitting the ground with a sharp cry as her lightsaber tumbled out of her fingers. She spat up a mouthful of blood and ran her tongue over her teeth. It didn't feel like any were missing, thank the stars. She rolled to her belly trying to get her knees under her. "You put up a much better fight than he did," Jox landed on her back, pressing her into the dirt. He tangled one hand in her hair, pulling her head back towards his chest. "He died begging as he bled out. It was... disappointing. I want to hear you scream." He hissed, sinking his sharp fangs into the curve of her neck.
Zo gave him the scream he wanted as pain burned its way into her chest and through her nervous system. She slammed her elbow back, cracking it against his nose. Jox stumbled back, hands pressed to his face as blood the color of fresh egg-yolk spilled between his fingers. He cursed in that same harsh, hissing language as Zo clawed her way out from under him.
"What did you...what did you do to me?" She screamed, clamping a hand over the bite mark. The skin stung and burned. Her blood rushed in her ears, a deafening drumbeat that kept pace with her racing heart as liquid agony coursed through her veins.
Jox licked his lips free of blood. His forked tongue tasted the air between them as she swayed on her feet. "Give it a minute and you're gonna beg me to take the pain away…"
He ran at her then, enormous body barreling forward. She moved too slow, her limbs heavy and uncoordinated as her nerve endings caught on fire. He caught her around the middle and slammed her back into the ground. She was able to wrestle away from him, kicking and punching herself free. She shuffled across the dirt searching for her lightsaber.
Fingers like a vice clamped around her ankle and dragged her back. Angry hands flipped her over, his nails digging into her thighs as he pulled her roughly across the ground. Zo snarled and kicked her foot at his swollen face. He blocked her foot with one large forearm and smacked her across the face, her head slammed to the side and she tasted copper again. He hissed, his forked tongue darted between his teeth, and lapped up the sweat beading in the valley of her chest.
The scream caught in her throat as his fangs sank into the top of her breast. He laughed low in his belly as he yanked her closer, shoving her thighs apart as she grew weaker. An army of fire ants slowly made their way along her every nerve. "You're a tough one." He simpered in her ear. "Human women aren't built the same as Falleen. Don't die before I'm done." He palmed the excitement growing between his legs.
Stars everything hurt, she just needed the pain to stop so she could focus. His fingers pulled at the waistband of her panties, the thin fabric threatening to rip apart.
She was going to die. She was just as certain now as she had been when the Mandalorian cracked her skull. She preferred to have just died then instead of on her back in this strange forest pumped full of poison. She had failed again, giving in to fear and anger. Now the child would pay for her weakness.
"No!" She screamed, summoning the last reserves of her energy. She pulled with everything she had, her lightsaber once again found its way home and she jammed the end of it under Jox's square jaw. He had the briefest second to look down, confusion then dread passing through his eyes in the heartbeat before Zo thumbed the ignitor and the purple blade erupted through the top of his skull. His eyes went wide, his mouth slack and she pushed him off of her chest with a little help from the Force. Then she lay there in the warm sun as his poison coursed through her blood.
The fire ants in her veins steadily flowed lower, congregating in a pulsing mass between her legs. Emotions coursed through her: desire, passion. Pain. So much pain as she slowly sat up on her knees dragging in a ragged breath through her dry lips. The steady pulsing turned into a vicious spasm that bent her double as she clutched her abdomen with a sob.
She didn't hear the heavy footfalls crashing into the clearing until the figure was right on top of her. A hand latched onto her shoulder and she lashed out with her lightsaber. The purple blade ricocheted off something hard and silver as she stood on unsteady legs.
"Stop! Zo, it's me. Stop!" Mando shouted as she prepared for another strike.
"What?" She blinked several times through a heavy fog of confusion. "Mando. You're not dead. I'm so glad you aren't dead...You smell good." She reached her fingers towards him and he stiffened, drawing back slightly as she traced the angles of his helmet and down the line of his neck. She frowned when her fingers came away sticky with his blood. "You're hurt," She mumbled, inching closer to him.
"What the fuck happened? Are you alright? Is the kid alright? Zo, where's the kid?" His voice grew louder with each question.
"He got through the perimeter," She nodded her head towards Jox. "He...he bit me-" Her nose crinkled with disgust as she pushed her bandeau aside to show Mando the jagged puncture marks in her chest. "It hurts, it hurts so fucking bad I'm not going to be able to control it much longer."
Mando hissed out a curse jerking away from her. "Where's the kid?"
Zo swayed, blinking sweat out of her eyes. "Mando? You're alive-" Another spasm racked through her body and her knees buckled. "Oh, that kriffing hurts…".
"God damn it," He muttered. "The kid! Zoey, where the fuck is the kid!"
"Grogu?"
"Who the krif is Grogu? What did you do with the kid?" He grabbed her wrists, pulling her fingers away from his chest plate.
Her thoughts skipped around her pounding head. Mando was distracting her. His deep, rough voice. The tilt of his helmet and the rough bite of his fingers in her wrists. "The kid's name is Grogu. He's on the ship, he's ok, he's safe…don't let him watch me die." Mando jumped up, leaving her to sink onto the cool dirt, and ran to the ship. The pulsing between her legs grew more intense as she rolled onto her side in a tight ball.
"Kid! Come out!" Mando yelled as he thundered into the ship. His thermal scanners checked every nook and cranny. "Cricket! Come on...Fuck…" His shouts echoed through the silent ship. He spun around and around again looking at the toys, food wrappers, and empty water canisters but seeing no signs of where the kid was hiding. He'd tear the ship apart if he had to. He was going to start shouting again when he remembered the name she mumbled. "Grogu! Grogu, come out! It's safe-" A small grate behind him blew away from the wall. Two large pointy green ears slowly emerged from the tiny crawlspace. The child's big brown eyes were wide with apprehension as he shuffled out of his hiding spot worried he had broken Mando's rule about no hiding in the ship. "Dank farrik, kid, are you ok? " He knelt, hands outstretched as Grogu ran towards him. Din scooped the baby into his arms, gently checking him for any injuries. Grogu babbled and cooed with excitement pointing his little claws towards Zo. Din looked over his shoulder, "I know. She'll be ok, I promise." He didn't deal in promises but he promised this. He had seen Jox's venom in action a few times, it wasn't deadly but it was incredibly agonizing for non-Falleen without the right 'treatment'.
"You need to stay in here. Do you understand? Stay." Din pointed to the kid. Grogu nodded once as he shoved a macaroon into his mouth. "Stay," Din repeated before sliding down the ladder and locking him in the cockpit with enough snacks and entertainment to last a full rotation. Then he made his way slowly back to where Zo still lay.
She felt the poison enter her bloodstream the moment Jox's fangs tore through her skin. Part of her Jedi teachings was the ability to use the Force to filter toxins out of her body. But up until now, it was all theory. Theory that demanded attention, focus, and time. She quickly realized the poison would overwhelm her. The best she could hope for was slowing the progression of the poison.
So she focused on controlling the pain and keeping her mind intact enough to get back to the ship. To keep Grogu safe. But the moment the Mandalorian made his miraculous reappearance, the moment he touched her the angry throb between her legs turned relentless. He filled her every sense. The ability to focus and control her thoughts and the selfish desires she was taught to ignore disappeared.
"Fuck." He sighed. He knew he should go back to the ship or at least turn around. Instead, he stood silently ten paces away drinking in the sight of her.
She was lost in a fever dream, having apparently figured out how to anesthetize her pain. She squeezed her eyes shut and bit her lower lip trying to keep her moans from escaping as her fingers circled across her clit. Her body burned while she chased her release. It was right there, growing and growing under the movement of her hand. A tightening in her lower belly brought with it the promise of relief from the acid burn in her veins. Her breath caught, she covered her mouth with her free hand and her entire body trembled as she finally found that moment of peace and clarity. He watched her as she came down, hand slowing then stilling beneath her panties as she took deep, calming breaths.
Din made his way towards her knowing she had a few minutes of respite before the pheromone venom burned through her endorphins. "Uh...Zo," He cleared his throat as he knelt and gave her shoulder a gentle shake.
Her eyes snapped open, face blazing crimson as she yanked her hand out from her panties.
"Krif...this isn't what it looks like." She covered her face with her hands mortified he had caught her during her weakest moment.
"I'm pretty sure it's exactly what it looks like." He replied flatly.
Zo snorted in her hands mumbling, "You're such a fucking asshole."
"We need to get back to the ship. Can you walk?"
"Just let me die in peace, Bounty Hunter." She looked at him between her fingers. "Do me a favor and burn me when it's all over. That's the Jedi way."
"Quit being dramatic, jetii'ika." He sighed, "Are you really going to make me carry your ass back to the ship? Or are you going to get up and walk?"
"Fuck. I'll walk...it's starting to hurt again." She groaned, pushing herself up. Mando helped pull her to her feet then leaned down and swung her arm around his neck. Zo looked down as they stepped over Jox's body. "I killed Jox."
"I noticed."
"Ranzor wanted him alive."
"I don't give a fuck what Ranzar wanted. I'll deal with him."
"He told me he killed you. I got angry, lost control." She grimaced, legs threatening to give out as more pain seized her. "I was sloppy. Lost focus... It's my fault I'm dying. I'm the worst Jedi ever."
"You aren't dying cyar'ika and it's not your fault. I let him get away. I didn't warn you what he was capable of. " He adjusted her arm around his neck, grimacing under his helmet when she inadvertently rubbed his wound. He would have to dress his injuries eventually. After he got Zo stabilized. Heat radiated off her body, according to his scanners her vitals were unstable. She should be unconscious if not at least delirious with the amount of Falleen toxin in her blood. "So...Grogu? How'd you figure that out?"
"He...showed me more of his memories." She said as they made their way slowly up the ramp and into the ship. "He's ok?"
"Yes." He led them to the 'fresher and helped her lean against the wall. "Take a shower. Wash everywhere he touched you..."
"There's room for both of us in there. You can make sure I don't miss any spots." She blushed and looked down at her feet, shaking her head. "Fuck, I don't know why I said that...what the hell did he do to me?"
"Pheromone venom. I've got medication to keep you sedated until it wears off."
She looked up at him through her dark lashes, "What if I don't want to be sedated?"
"Take a shower, cyar'ika. Clear your head." He told her sternly then turned away from her before she could say anything else. Jox's body needed to go into carbonite and the campground resecured for the night. He brought the motion sentries back online through the ship's main com. Now that Jox was dead the only thing that worried him out in the forest was the garu-bears. Din pried his stolen armor off the dead man's arm cursing at the damage done to the circuitry. It would take hours to fix. "Not that I have anything else pressing," he thought derisively.
Zo was in the shower when he returned to the ship with the Falleen man's body slung over his shoulder. He could hear her quiet little moans and whimpers as she touched herself under the falling water. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..." He cursed under his breath every time she moaned. Her voice drifted out of the 'fresher, getting higher, more desperate. His feet carried him across the ship so he could hear her over the hiss of the carbonite. He told himself he could listen, he could watch but he couldn't touch.
Not unless she begged.
Maker part of him hoped she'd beg. He hadn't been with anyone since Omera. And that was what? Nearly a year ago? The memory of her was starting to grow blurry at the edges, barely enough to carry him through the lonely nights among the stars.
Zo stayed in the shower for quite a bit longer than he anticipated. Long after the steam dissipated and the hot water reserve was empty. Din had plenty of time to address the wound on his forearm and the back of his neck. The bacta stung and tingled as it mended his wounds. He was lucky. He should be dead, would be dead if Jox hadn't been so careless.
He was zipping up a fresh jumpsuit when the water finally cut off. Zo stepped out of the fresher with a towel wrapped around her middle. She smiled at him, a sarcastic twitch of her lips. "You should have taken my invitation. I used all the hot water."
Mando shrugged, "Cold shower'll probably do me good." He watched her tongue trace a line across her lower lip, collect a drop of water then disappear back into her mouth. The med-injector in his back pocket was a heavy reminder of their current situation. "Sit. Let me dress your wounds." He pointed one ungloved finger to his bunk. She did as he asked, clutching her towel to her body as she sat. The wounds in her neck and chest had grown strangely numb while she was in the shower, the skin around the bite marks felt spongy and cold. Thankfully Falleen poison only caused local tissue damage. Mando knelt in front of her, pulling her to the edge of the bunk.
She squirmed, rolling her hips against the mattress as he nudged her knees apart and leaned close with his canister of bacta spray ready. "Sit still." He breathed.
Zo moaned, "Fuck...I can't. It hurts." She rubbed a hand across her lower belly. "I've never felt anything like this; I can't focus long enough to get control of it."
His helmet tilted a fraction as he sprayed her neck then set about applying a nano-bandage, "Why not cyar'ika? Not enough time in the 'fresher? Sounded like you were enjoying yourself. All those pretty little sounds you were making-" Her eyes closed and she sank her teeth into her bottom lip as he gently tugged at her towel until it fell and pooled around her hips. Her rosy nipples stiffened in the cool air. "Are we still friends jetii'ika?" His voice was calm and quiet like an evening breeze as he repeated his ministrations on her other wound.
"Yes." Curly strands of wet hair fell in front of her eyes as she nodded.
He smoothed the dressing down, skimming his fingers over the swell of her breast. "I should have been here to protect you. You trust me to take care of you?"
"Fuck... Mando. Yes, please."
"I've got medication. It'll make you sleep through the worst of it. Is that what you want?" He tucked her hair behind her ear then traced his finger along the curve of her jaw.
"I want you to touch me; I want to know what you feel like inside me-"
He flicked his thumb over her nipple making her arch her chest into his hand. "Cyare, you shouldn't say things like that to me."
Zo hummed, deep and low in her throat. The buzzing fire ants in her blood marched along with a vengeance. "I feel like I'm dying, this will be our only chance. I've never been with a Mandalorian."
"I've never been with a Jedi." He answered after a beat. His fingers trailed down her ribcage, her skin was hot and flushed under his touch. "You aren't dying, Zo. That isn't how the poison works." He murmured. She trembled under his hands as he slid them up and down her thighs.
"No? It's burning me alive from the inside out
I have never felt pain like this…I can't, fuck I can't," She gripped the edge of the bunk hard enough to turn her knuckles white. "Everything hurts. Being near you makes it worse...oh, oh krif that feels-" She tossed her head back with a gasp, still clutching the end of the bunk to keep her upright as Mando ran one finger up her slit. "Oh, gods-that-please-more-" She rambled, eyes opening and staring into his visor.
His finger circled over her sensitive clit and her breath caught with a hitched sob. "Breathe, Zo Mara, breathe." His calm, smokey voice belied the growing tension in his chest and between his legs. Zo touched her forehead to the cool metal of his helmet, her breath fogged the glass and he imagined how her lips would feel on his. "This isn't something you can control, jetii'ika. Relax; nothing's gonna hurt anymore." He teased two fingers at her entrance, collecting her hot slick before sliding inside her.
"Oh fuck." Her voice was a barely-there blissed-out whisper. Mando leaned up on his knees pushing himself closer as his fingers plunged in and out, in and out. Hooking and curling, searching for something inside her. When he found it, soft and raised against his fingers, she cried out wrapping her arms around his neck like she was afraid she was going to float away.
"Let go, cyar'ika." He growled. Her whole body trembled, hips rocked in time with his fingers, fever-fucked words tumbling from her lips as the venom and his fingers ruined her. He circled his thumb around her clit, his rough, calloused skin deliciously massaging the tender little bud. She l spread her legs wide as he leaned over her pressing her back into the mattress as he fucked her with his fingers.
"Fuck-stars-right there-right there." She soaked his fingers as he pushed her closer to the edge, he felt her velvet smooth muscles tighten around him.
"Fuck, mesh'la. You gonna come for me?"
"Din, I'm gonna- fuck, Din," His name fell from her lips in a delirious cry as she came on his fingers. Her walls squeezed around his fingers as his thrusting digits carried her through wave after wave of pain-relieving ecstasy. His hard length rubbed uncomfortably against the rough fabric of his flight suit. He could feel the wet spot where he'd begun to lose control of himself when she screamed his name. The simple act of hearing her use his real name as a sinful prayer while she came was enough to have him throbbing with the impatience of his own release.
"Fuck, cyar'ika." Din rested his helmet on her forehead while she came down, a serene little smile playing on her lips. He slid his fingers out of her, leaving a wet trail on her thigh then brushed them along her lower lip. Her eyes opened, lit from behind by blissful star fire, and she met his stare in that strange way of hers. She opened her mouth for him. Her tongue, warm and wet, swirled around his fingers, licking all traces of herself from them. She smiled with his fingers in her mouth then bit the tips hard enough to make him jerk his hips forward. "Sheb ner." He groaned.
"Krif, I need more." She rolled her hips into him, rubbing the throbbing, greedy center of her pain and ecstasy against him.
"Ok…ok, yeah. I can give you more." He wanted to hear her scream his name again, pheromones be fucked, he'd deal with the fallout of this later if and when it somehow changed the dynamics in the ship. She pulled the zipper at his neck down, pushing the flight suit off his shoulders as she went. The injector in his back pocket rattled as she trailed her hands down his chest and around his hips."Fuck, Zo you're burning up." He hissed as her fingers curled around his cock.
"I'm ok-I'm ok-I'm ok," she mumbled, nuzzling her face into his neck. "Maker, I've missed you. Please take that helmet off and kiss me."
"Fuck, cyar'ika. I can't."
Zo laughed, dragging her teeth against his neck, "Of course you can."
He felt the edges of his helmet lift up, the cool air hit his jaw and he pushed himself away from her. "Stop it. I told you no one can see my face." His voice was rough as he slammed his helmet back down.
"I've seen your face a thousand times, Jacen."
"Jacen?" He breathed deep as confusion struck him. Zo squirmed under him, eyes fluttering half-closed as she drifted somewhere between reality and a fever-dream. "Fuck." Din dropped his chin to his chest with a sigh. He took a deep breath, pulling his flight suit back over his hips and zipping it in place. "Fuck, Zo, I can't…"
"Jacen, please- I need…" She grimaced, sucking in a breath and clutching at her belly. The spasm passed and she pressed her palms against her eyes. "Something's wrong. Please help me…"
How did he let it get this far? He thought angrily to himself as she started to sob quietly. "Zo, I'm going to give you something to make you sleep. When you wake up you'll be better." Her eyes opened and glared at him with fiery anger as the injector delivered a dose of sedative into her thigh. "Zo, don't-"
The invisible fist in his chest knocked the air out of him as he tumbled away from her. She crawled out of the pod on shaky legs as he rolled back to his feet. "What did you do to me, bounty hunter?" She hissed. Din held the injector at his side as she stepped forward suddenly unsure of his odds even though she was naked and unarmed.
"Zo, we're friends, remember?"
"I ugh-" She took another step and faltered. Her knees went weak and Din jumped to his feet catching her before she crashed into the steel floor. "I...Mando, you're alive-" She smiled weakly up at him.
"Yeah, Zoey, I'm alive." He sighed as he injected her with another dose of the sedative. A cold shower would do wonders to clear his head.