The Mandalorian sits in his seat piloting his ship, the child standing on the dash, and the woman, Kasari, sits in her own seat behind them.
The child coos before flipping a switch. The Mandalorian ignores it and fixes his systems. The child does it again and Kasari chuckles.
"Stop touching things." The Mandalorian says.
The child looks at the Mandalorian before slowly reaching out and flipping another switch. The ship rattles and the Mandalorian fixes the switch before turning to hand the child to Kasari. She smiles at the child as she holds him in her lap.
The Mandalorian returns to the controls, "Let's see. Sorgan. Looks like there's no star port, no industrial centers, no population density. Real backwater slug hole. Which means it's perfect for us," he says.
He turns behind him to look at the child in Kasari's arms, "You ready to lay low and stretch your legs for a couple of months, you little womp rat?"
Kasari sputters, "Womp rat?"
The Mandalorian ignores her, "Nobody's gonna find us here."
Kasari sighs and the Mandalorian finally looks up at her, she squirms in her seat, "Do they at least have somewhere I could get some clothes?"
The Mandalorian nods, "I'm sure we can find you something," he tries to keep his amusement out of his tone.
Kasari groans, "I've never hated these pajamas as much as I do now. Why couldn't those imperials at least give me shoes? My socks have holes in them from walking the streets of Nevarro."
The Mandalorian holds back a laugh as he smirks at her behind his helmet. He wasn't happy she refused to allow him to take the child and leave, but he understands. He wouldn't have allowed her to simply take the child and leave him either.
He turns back to his dash to continue flying, smirking to himself. She clearly isn't his biggest fan, but he likes her well enough. She doesn't seem to have any real defense training, but she isn't as helpless as her scientist friend back on Nevarro. She stood her ground against him and was willing to lay down her life for the child. Mando could respect that.
They make their way down to Sorgan and land smoothly in a field surrounded by trees.
He turns back to his passengers after shutting off the controls, "Now listen. I'm gonna go out there and I'm gonna look around. It shouldn't take too long." He looks right at the kid, "Now, don't touch anything." He looks at Kasari, "I'll find us some lodging, then I'll come back for both of you. Stay here." He looks at the child again, "You stay. Don't move. You understand?" He sighs and looks at Kasari once again, "Keep an eye on the kid."
He reaches into a compartment nearby and pulls out a small blaster, "Just in case." He says before walking away.
He makes it to the door, but by the time it opens, he finds Kasari standing behind him with the child, her face sheepish.
"He started squirming the moment you left. I think he wants to stick together." She says.
The child coos and smiles up at the Mandalorian.
He sighs, "Oh, what the hell? Come on."
They make their way off the ship, allowing the child to walk along with them, but Kasari quickly picks him up once they enter a diner of some sort. The Mandalorian finds them an empty table and takes the child from Kasari to place him on a seat. Kasari sits next to him and the Mandalorian sits on the other side of the child.
A woman comes up to them as soon as they're seated, "Welcome, travelers. Can I interest you in anything?" She asks politely.
The Mandalorian instantly answers, "Bone broth for the little one."
She smiles, "Oh, well, you're in luck. I just took down a grinder, so there's plenty." She looks at Kasari and the Mandalorian in turn, "Can I interest either of you in a porringer of broth as well?"
Kasari smiles, "Yes please."
The woman acknowledges her and then turns her attention back to the Mandalorian.
He shakes his head, "Just the two."
"Very well," she says as she turns to leave.
The Mandalorian stops her before she can, "That one over there." He gestures toward a woman seated alone at a table nearby, "When did she arrive?"
The woman stammers, "I- I've seen her here for the last week or so."
"What's her business here?" He asks.
She looks at him puzzled, "Business? Oh, well, there's not much business in Sorgan, so I can't say." She chuckles.
The Mandalorian places credits on the table for her, "She doesn't strike me as a long runner. Well, thank you, sir." She grabs the credits, "I will get that broth to you as soon as possible, and I will throw in a flagon of spotchka just for good measure. I will be right back with that," she says.
Kasari snorts, "Do you shove money at all your problems?"
The Mandalorian shakes his head, but hurries to his feet when he sees the woman is missing from her table.
He points at Kasari, "Keep an eye on the kid," and hurries out of the diner.
He makes it outside and scans the surrounding area, he sees nothing by his own eye, so he changes the setting on his visor and finds a set of footprints. He follows them around the side of the diner. He pauses in his tracking when the footsteps seemingly vanish.
He looks around and is suddenly kicked in the chest by the woman that was in the diner before. He flies back, but hurries to stand, she punches him across the beskar helmet. That had to of hurt her hand, but she doesn't slow for even a moment.
She goes to punch him again, but hits the wall behind him. He takes the opening and punches her twice in the gut before she knees him and tosses him aside.
Dank Farrik she's strong.
He avoids her kick and punches her twice in the face before she blocks him and hits him in the helmet again. They hit and block until the Mandalorian uppercuts her in the gut. She groans uncomfortably, but stays fighting. She grabs him by the neck and punches him hard enough to send him flying to the ground.
They both breathe hard and the Mandalorian attempts to use his flame thrower, but the woman steps on his vambrace and climbs on him, trying to keep him down. He flips their position, but she's quick to kick him off her. They flip over, head to head, and both draw their blasters.
They pant and catch their breath as a slurping sound reaches their ears. They turn to find the child slurping from a cup and Kasari standing behind him looking at them like they're a couple of idiots.
The Mandalorian turns his attention back to the woman he just fought, "You want some soup?" He asks and Kasari bursts out laughing.
The woman looks at them like they're crazy, but agrees, and they find themselves back inside. The Mandalorian and Kasari sit side by side across from the woman. The child sits to The Mandalorian's right.
The woman introduces herself as Cara Dune, and tells them a bit of her story, "Saw most of my action mopping up after Endor. Mostly Ex-Imperial Warlords. They wanted it fast and quiet. They'd send us in on the drop ships. No support, just us. Then when the Imps were gone, the politics started. We were peacekeepers, protecting delegates, suppressing riots. Not what I signed up for." She explains.
"How'd you end up here?" The Mandalorian asks.
"Let's just call it an early retirement." She says.
Kasari nods, "Same here."
Cara smiles at her before turning back to the Mandalorian, "Look, I knew you were Guild. I figured you had a fob on me. That's why I came at you so hard."
"Yeah, that's what I figured." The Mandalorian said.
"Well, this has been a real treat, but unless you wanna go another round, one of us is gonna have to move on, and I was here first." She says looking down at them and then leaving.
The Mandalorian sighs, "Well, looks like this planet's taken."
Kasari groans, "Can we at least get me some clothes before we move on?"
The Mandalorian nods his head, "Finish your soup and then we'll go."
She smiles at him and does as he says, once finished she looks up at him, "Look, I don't have anything on me aside from the clothes on my back. I don't have any credits, any supplies, they took me from my home and I'm pretty sure they left every possession I own behind, or stole it." She sighs, "I don't have a way to pay you for this. For food, shelter, or clothes. I can't go home. That's one of the first places they'll look for me, and I don't have any marketable skills to offer you. I farmed back home, and before that, I studied genetics and cloning. I can barely shoot a blaster, and I know very little about bounty hunting." She groans, "What I'm trying to say is that I appreciate all that you're doing for me, and for the kid, but I'd understand if you'd want to drop us off on some backwater planet and be on your way."
The Mandalorian shakes his head, "I'm not leaving the kid behind unless I know he's safe."
She nods her head, "And I'm not leaving the kid behind, period."
"Then we're stuck together." The Mandalorian says.
Kasari grins, "Guess so, best to get used to it."
She cleans up the broth from around the child's face and carefully picks him up. They make their way out of the diner and towards a place to buy Mandalorian smiles behind his helmet at the playful noises Kasari makes with the child as they walk.
The Mandalorian grins at Kasari and the child, their shopping trip went well and he didn't have to spend too many credits helping the woman fill a small wardrobe. She was actually pretty frugal with his money and he was surprised to find that she carefully bought items that were worth very little. He managed to get her to spend a little more on at least one outfit by telling her that she needed something moveable and sturdy if she were going to be helping him on potential bounties. It took some convincing, but she agreed to it on practicality reasons.
She sits on the floor of the razor crest with the child, rolling the small ball back and forth. He smiles at them from behind his helmet as he tinkers with his ship. Her black hair is braided now, using some of the ties she bought earlier that day, and she's wearing a practical brown outfit with no sleeves and a long back. Her pale blue eyes look up at him and she smiles. He nods at her and returns to his work.
They took a lot of time in town and didn't make it back to the razor crest until almost dark, so they decided they would tinker around and then sleep on the ship before heading out in the morning. Cara would just have to deal with them staying one night on her planet.
The Mandalorian leaves Kasari and the child playing and heads outside to make a few adjustments to the landing gear. He's not out there for long before someone calls from behind him.
"Excuse me. Excuse me, sir." He hears, but continues working.
"There something I can help you with?" He asks, not even attempting to hide his slight annoyance.
"Uh, yeah." One of the guys says nervously.
"Raiders," The other one says.
"We have money," the first guy adds.
"So you think I'm some kind of mercenary?" He responds.
"You are a Mandalorian, right?" The first guy asks.
"Or at least wearing Mandalorian armor." The other one says as the Mandalorian turns around, "That is Mandalorian armor, right?"
"It is" Mando confirms, walking around them.
"See? I told him." The second guy continues, "Sir, I've read a lot about your people.." He stammers, "tribe. If half of what I read is true…"
"We have money." The first guy cuts in.
"How much?" The Mandalorian asks, still looking at his ship.
"Everything we have, sir." The second guy says politely, "Our whole harvest was stolen."
"Krill. We're krill farmers." The first guys adds.
"We brew spotchka. Our whole village chipped in." The second guy adds, referring to the money.
The Mandalorian looks at the small pouch of credits and turns away, "It's not enough."
"Are you sure? You don't even know what the job is." The second guys says, trailing behind the Mandalorian.
"I know it's not enough. Good luck." He responds.
The first guy speaks again, "This is everything we have." He practically pleads, "We'll give you more after the next harvest."
The Mandalorian opens the door to the Razor crest and the men step far away.
"Come on. Let's head back." The second guy says to the first.
"Took us the whole day to get here." The first complains, "Now we have to ride back with no protection to the middle of nowhere."
The Mandalorian listens to the complaints and turns at the last statement, "Where do you live?" He asks.
"On a farm. Weren't you listening? We're farmers." The first guy says.
"In the middle of nowhere?" The Mandalorian confirms.
"Yes." The first guy says confused.
"You have lodging?" He asks.
"Yeah. Absolutely." The second guy answers hopefully.
"Good. Come up and help." The Mandalorian says as he turns back to his ship. He spots Kasari and the kid looking at him curiously.
"We're going to a farm." He tells Kasari. "Grab yours and the kids stuff and get yourselves situated on their transport. These two will help me with what I need."
Kasari nods her head, "Okay. H-how much do we need?"
The Mandalorian looks at her for a moment, then at the small sack she got today for all her stuff. She doesn't have much, "All of it."
She nods her head and quickly gets her and the child's stuff put into her bag and then carries him outside. The Mandalorian directs the farmers in what to grab and helps them load up their transport. He periodically checks on Kasari keeping the kid entertained while they move. It doesn't take long for them to be ready.
"I'm gonna need one more thing." He tells the farmers, "Give me those credits."
They hand them over and the Mandalorian turns back to Kasari and the kid, "I'll be right back. We're gonna need some help."
Kasari nods and settles back into her seat with the kid.
The Mandalorian finds Cara Dune leaning against a tree with a small fire. He tosses to coins beside her.
"Ready for round two?" He asks.
She looks at the money inside and follows the Mandalorian back towards the razor crest. He explains what he knows on the way and they eventually climb into the transport. The Mandalorian settles next to Kasari and the kid while Cara sits across from them. It's a tight fit, but they make it work.
"So, we're basically running off a band of raiders for lunch money?" Cara asks.
"They're quartering us in the middle of nowhere. Last I checked, that's a pretty square deal for somebody in your position. Worst case scenario, you tune up your blaster. Best case, we're a deterrent. I can't imagine there's anything living in these trees that an ex-shock trooper couldn't handle." He says to Cara before leaning back and getting comfortable.
He places his arms on the side of the transport, careful to not touch Kasari with his arm behind her, but she doesn't seem to care too much before she settles her back against the transport and leans slightly into him. The child coos from her arms and snuggles into her before closing his own eyes. The Mandalorian smiles behind his helmet at them before closing his own eyes for some sleep.
They wake the next morning as they arrive into town. The Mandalorian lifts his head to get a look around but pauses as he feels the weight on his chest and arm. He looks down and finds Kasari cradled onto his chest. Her cheek resting softly against his beskar and her arm wrapped snuggly around him and the child.
He pushes away the guilt of needing to wake her up and gently nudges her awake. She hasn't slept much since they left Nevarro.
She wakes with a start and quickly looks around, getting an idea of her surroundings. Her eyes are wide and she breathes rapidly. She notices the child in her arms first and sighs with relief. She pulls him close before looking at the Mandalorian beside her. Her cheeks flush pink.
"We're here." He says simply.
She nods and they both move to look around. Children play nearby and excitedly welcome them to their little farming village. They ooh and aww at the child.
"Well, looks like they're happy to see us." The Mandalorian says.
"Looks like." Cara responds.
Kasari introduces the child to the kids surrounding their transport. She smiles down at them as they tell her and the child their own names. When asked what the child's name is, she simply responds, "Cutie, Little Green Devil, Womp Rat," she shrugs and gives the Mandalorian a smile with the last one.
She can't see it, but he does smile back before climbing out of the transport. He walks into the village, leaving the farmers to get his stuff out, and moves to find someone to talk to about the raiders.
After a while, he's directed towards a small barn, "Your family should be comfortable there." The farmer says before walking off.
The Mandalorian sighs, and points out the barn to Kasari and the child, "We'll be staying in there. Grab your stuff."
He walks off, trusting the kid and Kasari to follow behind. He walks inside and finds the farmer named Omera inside.
"I hope this is comfortable for you." She says.
"This will do fine." He responds.
Kasari and the child walk in and settle into the room close to the Mandalorian.
"I stacked some blankets over here." She points to them.
"Thank you. That's very kind." The Mandalorian responds.
Kasari smiles and thanks the woman as well, but they're interrupted by the Mandalorian violently turning around towards footsteps coming from the door way.
He calms once he sees the child.
Omera walks over to her and hugs her, "This is my daughter, Winta." She introduces, "We don't get a lot of visitors around here. She's not used to strangers." She turns to speak to her daughter, "This nice man is going to help protect us from the bad ones."
"Thank you." Winta says.
The Mandalorian nods, feeling uncomfortable with the situation.
Omera turns back to her daughter, "Come on, Winta. Let's give our guests some room."
The Mandalorian turns back to Kasari and the child once they leave.
"They seem nice." Kasari says.
The Mandalorian hums in response and gets to work arranging his stuff around the room. Kasari places her meager items and the child's as well.
She looks at the Mandalorian and sets the child in his crib, "Would you like some help?"
The Mandalorian looks at her, but doesn't respond, she huffs, "You know, I may not be a Mandalorian, or a bounty hunter, but I did attend Alderaan University, was the top of my class, and the top of my field after graduation." He just tilts his head at her, she groans, "I'm trying to say that I'm smart enough to follow simple instructions. Just tell me what to do and I'll do it. You don't have to get everything together on your own."
The Mandalorian remains silent for a moment longer before nodding and giving her instructions for what to do. She quickly catches on and they work quietly while the child plays in his crib.
"Knock, knock." Omera calls from the door of the barn.
"Come in." The Mandalorian says as he messes with his pulse rifle.
He turns to look at her as she comes in with food. Winta is close behind her.
"Can I feed him?" Winta asks.
"Of course!" Kasari is quick to answer before the Mandalorian gets a chance.
He nods his head slightly in agreement. Winta gets on her knees and carefully offers the child food.
"Are you hungry?" She asks him and the child coos in response.
Winta giggles and the women in the room smile down at them affectionately. The Mandalorian continues to tinker with his toys, idly watching them.
"Can I play with him?" Winta asks.
Kasari is more hesitant this time, so the Mandalorian is the one to answer, "Sure." He sighs.
He helps the child out of the crib and onto the floor.
"Come on." Winta giggles.
The Mandalorian watches as Winta leaves the barn and the child follows, he moves to stop the child, "I don't think."
Kasari stops him, "They'll be fine," she assures him, "I'll go with them."
He still hesitates, "I don't-"
"They'll be fine." Omera says this time. Blocking his way as Kasari leaves the barn after the children.
The Mandalorian backs away, still worried, but accepting the situation.
"I brought you some food." Omera says, "I noticed you didn't eat out there. I'll leave it here for when I go."
"That's very thoughtful of you, but Kasari and the kid haven't had anything either." He responds.
Omera smiles, "They can both eat out there. I'll show Kasari to the food once I leave you."
The Mandalorian nods and goes back to his tasks.
"Do you mind if I ask you something?" Omera asks.
"Go ahead," he responds.
"How long has it been since you've taken that off?" She asks.
"Yesterday." He responds.
"I mean, in front of someone else." She corrects.
The Mandalorian turns to her and looks out the window, he points to the kids playing, "I wasn't much older than they are."
"You haven't shown your face to anyone since you were a kid?" She asks.
"No." He responds, "I was happy that they took me in. My parents were killed and the Mandalorians took care of me."
"I'm sorry." She responds.
"This is the Way." He states.
"Let us know if there's anything you need." She says to him.
"Thank you." He responds.
He watches as she leaves before turning to look out the window once again. He smiles as he sees the kid playing with Kasari and the other kids of the village. He sits down with his food and removes his helmet as he watches them play.
After eating he washes his face and puts his helmet back on. He goes to find Kasari and Cara. He finds Kasari first.
"I'm going to scout the area with Cara. Watch the kid." He tells her.
She rolls her eyes, "You don't have to tell me to watch him all the time. I do that on my own."
He gives her a pointed look and she huffs, "Okay Mando, whatever floats your boat. Of course I'll keep watching the kid. I care for him too, ya know."
He nods and leaves to find Cara. Once he finds her they set off to scout. They follow footprints before the Mandalorian stops.
"About 15 or 20 of them came through here on foot." He points out to her.
He continues scanning and finds broken limbs in the trees, "And something big sheered off those branches."
They continue to scout and come across a large print in the dirt.
"AT-ST." Cara says.
The Mandalorian nods, "Imperial walker. What's it doing here?"
"I don't know." Cara responds, "But this is more than I signed up for."
They return to the village and The Mandalorian grabs Kasari and the kid before they call the farmers in to listen. Kasari stands next to them holding the child as he coos in her arms.
"Bad news." The Mandalorian says, "You can't live here anymore."
Kasari winces at his poor bedside manner and the farmers question him.
"Nice bedside manner." Kasari says sarcastically.
"You think you can do better?" He asks.
"I don't fully know what's happening yet." She responds, "Cara?"
"Can't do much worse." Cara says before stepping forward to speak, "I know this is not the news you wanted to hear, but there are no other options."
The farmers complain, "You took the job." The guy from the other night says.
"That was before we knew about the AT-ST." Cara says.
The Mandalorian sees Kasari flinch back at the name.
"What is that?" A farmer asks.
"The armored walker with two enormous guns that you knew about and didn't tell us." Cara accuses.
The villagers beg for help.
"We have nowhere to go." Omera says.
"Sure you do. This is a big planet." Cara says, "I mean, I've seen a lot smaller."
Kasari steps forward, "Cara, this is their home. We can't expect them to abandon it."
Cara sighs, "I understand. I do. But there are only two of us."
The villagers are quick to correct her, "No, there's not. There's at least 20 here."
"I mean fighters. Be realistic." Cara says to them.
Kasari turns to the Mandalorian, "I can help too." She says. "If the villagers are willing to learn, so am I, and we can help."
He shakes his head at her while the farmers shout their willingness to learn.
"I've seen that thing take out entire companies of soldiers in a matter of minutes." Cara says.
"We're not leaving." Omera says.
Kasari turns to the Mandalorian, gives him a glare, and then turns back to the people, "Neither are we." She says.
Cara turns to her, "We cannot fight that thing."
Kasari opens her mouth to argue, but the Mandalorian speaks first, "Unless we show them how." He says and Kasari's smile blooms.
The villagers agree as Cara turns to glare at the Mandalorian now. She accepts defeat and they hurry to gather the villagers to begin practicing.
Kasari turns to the Mandalorian, "Thank you." She says sincerely.
The Mandalorian simply nods and moves on to begin training.
"You got two problems here. You got the bandits, and you got the mech." He says to the gathered farmers. "We'll handle the AT-ST, but you gotta protect us when they come out of the woods. And I don't have to tell you how dangerous they are."
He gestures to Cara, "Cara Dune here was a veteran. She was a drop soldier for the Rebellion, and she's going to lay out a plan for you, so listen carefully."
Cara speaks, "Now there's nothing on this planet that can damage the legs on this thing, so we're gonna build a trap. We're gonna need to dig real deep, right here," she points at the fields, "so that when it steps in, it drops. The two of us will hit their camp. Provoke them. That'll bring the fight out of the woods and down here to us."
The Mandalorian takes over, "I'm gonna need you to cut down trees and build barricades along these edges." He points to where he wants them. "I need it high enough so that they can't get over, and strong enough so that it can't break through." He pauses and then looks at the people in front of him, "Okay. Who know how to shoot?" He asks.
Kasari and Omera are the only two that raise their hands. The Mandalorian gives them a questioning tilt of his head, but moves on.
They begin with digging the holes and building the barricades. Everyone in the village helps, and once the Mandalorian is satisfied with that, he brings the villagers to his guns.
He opens one chest and starts handing out weapons.
He pauses on Kasari and gives her a questioning look before handing her a rifle, "You told me you weren't very good with a blaster." He says.
Kasari shrugs, "I'm not, but I had some training. It's not much, but I do know how to shoot."
He gives her a nod and then continues to hand out weapons. He moves to help them with blaster training while Cara trains others with staffs. Omera and Kasari can hold their own, but the others need some work. It takes some time, but eventually, they feel confident enough with the skills of the farmers.
The Mandalorian finds Kasari with the kid in the barn, "The sun is about to set, and we'll be leaving soon." He tells her, "When we return, we're coming in hot."
Kasari nods her head, "We'll be ready."
They stand there for a moment before the Mandalorian lightly pats her shoulder and leaves with Cara.
Nightfall comes fast and they quickly make their way into the woods. They find the raider camp easily. Cara and the Mandalorian carefully sneak up behind two Klatooinians sitting at a camp fire. They easily get the jump on them and take them out. Then they move on to the rest of the camp.
The Mandalorian places a charge at the entrance to one of their shelters before nodding at Cara. They work together to take out a few of the raiders that wondered in from the other entrance, but more came as the charge continued to count down. They both hide behind containers while the raiders shoot at them.
The Mandalorian turns and shoots at the wall behind him, "come on, I'll cover you." He says to Cara.
She nods and they both jump out of the structure before the charge finally explodes behind them. The blast throws them to the ground, but neither one is injured.
"I hope the plan worked." Cara says right before they see the glowing eyes of the AT-ST starting up.
"Go. Go!" The Mandalorian yells and they both start running back towards the village.
They run through the trees dodging the shots as they come. Eventually they make it back into the village and hide behind one of the barriers.
"This is it!" Cara yells, "Once it drops into one of the ponds, that thing is going down!"
"Weapons ready!" She calls as the AT-ST gets closer.
Everyone prepares as they see it get closer. The Mandalorian turns to Kasari and the farmers behind the barricade with him.
"Just a few more steps." He says.
The AT-ST moves closer and closer, but stops right before the pond.
"It stopped." Cara says.
Kasari looks at the Mandalorian with concern in her gaze. They both turn to look at the AT-ST as it powers on a blinding light.
"Get down. Get down." He says.
The light shines across the barricade and begins shooting a few of the farmers that didn't hide from the light.
"Hold your positions." Cara calls.
The AT-ST takes one more step forward before a small army of raiders come running out.
"Open fire!" Cara yells.
Everyone is quick to listen, but the AT-ST fires back.
"Gotta get that thing to step forward." The Mandalorian says to Cara, Kasari, and the others.
"I'm thinking." Cara says.
They continue to shoot until Cara speaks, "New plan."
"What do you have in mind?" The Mandalorian asks.
"Give me the pulse rifle." She says, and the Mandalorian is quick to listen.
"I'll cover you." He says.
"Be careful." Kasari says as her and the Mandalorian work on shooting the raiders.
They watch as Cara runs and jumps into one of the ponds, "Come on, you got this." The Mandalorian says.
The At-St takes small steps forward while Cara shoots at it. The villagers with staffs run in to attack the raiders. Kasari, the Mandalorian, and the other villagers continue to shoot them down.
"Take the bait, you hunk of junk." The Mandalorian says.
Finally, the AT-ST falls and the Mandalorian runs to place a charge on it before jumping into the pond with Cara at the explosion. The raiders run from the village and the farmers begin to cheer. Kasari runs to the pond containing the Mandalorian and Cara and jumps in after them.
"You did it!" She yells as she wraps her arms around them both.
"Okay. I don't do hugs." Cara laughs, but she doesn't push her away, and neither does the Mandalorian.
Finally she lets them go and smiles at them as the Mandalorian snarks at Cara, "Was that the plan?"
Cara laughs, "Something like that."
The Mandalorian chuckles and then looks to Kasari, "For someone who's apparently bad with blasters, you did extremely well tonight."
Kasari shrugs, "I don't use them that often, and I don't like to, but I guess the old training I did stuck a bit better than I thought." She smirks, "Or maybe you're just a good teacher."
The Mandalorian shakes his head and the three of them attempt to climb out of the pond. Kasari and Cara are both able to climb out before the Mandalorian, they sigh together as they help the man in heavy armor out of the water.
"You know, I think we should stay away from any planets with a lot of water." Kasari says, "You could drown if you fall in."
The Mandalorian gave her a look behind his helmet before they made their way to the farmers celebrating. They already retrieved the kids from their hiding place and Kasari and the Mandalorian are quick to find their kid.
The Mandalorian stops in his steps as Kasari continues forward. Our kid? He asks himself. He watches as Kasari picks up the kid and nuzzles him close. She turns around and smiles at him warmly.
The Mandalorian's heart picks up a beat, yeah, their kid. He smiles to himself and walks to join them. He rubs the kid's head and then turns to do the same to Kasari. She rolls her eyes at him, but continues to play with the kid.
They spend some time with the farmers before heading to their barn to finally sleep. They've been there for a couple of days already, but sharing the room with Kasari feels somehow different tonight. The Mandalorian walks into to room, completely clean from the pond, and sits on his bedroll by Kasari's. The village didn't have any extra beds aside from Cara's, so they decided to use their own bedrolls that the Mandalorian had made sure to bring. Just in case.
The Mandalorian sighs as he watches Kasari lay the child in his crib. He's already asleep. Kasari smiles softly at the kid and moves to sit on her own bedroll, the smile still on her face.
She's wearing the pajamas she had on when the Mandalorian met her, sans socks, and he chuckles softly.
She turns to look at him, "Something funny?" She asks.
He points to her pajamas, "I thought you hated those."
She huffs, "I do, but they're clean, and wearable."
He shakes his head, "You don't have to wear them. You bought other pajamas."
She sighs, "You bought me other pajamas, but these ones I bought for myself. There's no reason for me to not wear them. I wore the ones you bought last night. These ones work for tonight."
He hums and they both settle to lay on their bedrolls.
"Do you have pajamas?" Kasari asks shyly.
The Mandalorian chuckles, "I usually sleep in my clothes under the armor, but yes. I do have a pair or two for when I'm safe with the covert."
Kasari hums, "Do you always sleep in your helmet?"
The Mandalorian shakes his head and turns on his side. He finds her on her side as well, looking at him.
He smiles behind his helmet, "No, I usually don't unless I'm around other people or in an unsafe area. I don't usually sleep around other people if I can help it."
Kasari sighs, "I'm sorry you got stuck sleeping in a barn with me."
He's quiet for a moment, but then responds, "I don't mind."
She smiles softly at him, "Where are you from, Mando? We've known each other for a while now, and I feel as if I still know very little about you."
He hesitates before answering, "I'm from Aq Vetina. It was attacked by separatist droids during the Clone Wars. The Mandalorians found me and took me in. I've been with them ever since."
"And they taught you to be a Mandalorian?" She asks.
"This is the Way." He responds.
She hums, "Do you remember much about the Clone Wars? Forgive me if that's insensitive. If it's hard to talk about, you don't have to." She hurries to say.
He shakes his head, "I was young during it. Around 10 or 11 when it ended. My family and I weren't close to any of the action until our planet was attacked." He looks at her again, "Do you?"
She sighs, "I was about the same age as you, still young. I don't remember the fighting, or the war itself, but I remember the clones."
"Is that why you studied genetics and cloning?" He asks, remembering their conversation from the diner.
She shakes her head and then shrugs, "I guess? I don't know. My parents were consultants with the Kaminoans that did the cloning. I spent some time studying under them as a child, but they were very secretive. My parents knew a lot, but not everything. I wanted to follow in their footsteps, but take it a bit further, you know? I spent my entire youth studying the archives from the clones and the data we had salvaged. My parents were a part of a special group that was working on the potential for force sensitive clones. Like what the child can do." Her eyes widen and she sputters, "I am so sorry. I didn't mean to say it like that."
"It's okay." He says, "Keep going."
She sighs, "That's the research that probably led the Imps to want the kid. I wish I could have stopped it from happening back then. He'd be safe now." She pauses, takes a deep breath, and continues, "Anyways, I focused on theoretical genetics in college and really zeroed in on the premise behind that research. I wanted to see if there was a way to give someone access to the force. We found these things in the blood that connects everyone to the force, midi-chlorians. Everyone has at least a little bit of them, me, you, but the kid, he has more than I could possibly count. And there were others with similar abilities to him that could do the things he can, but none of them had the m-count that this child has. That's why the empire won't let him go. The other force users are all but extinct, and this one kid, all by himself, could potentially create an unlimited number of force users, or a few really strong ones."
The Mandalorian sighs, "And they want you to help them do it." It's not a question.
She groans, "It's my fault. My parents started some of the research, but it wasn't going anywhere." She sits up and the Mandalorian does too.
"And you continued it?" He asks.
She scoffs, "I did more than continue it, Mando. I finished it."
"Finished it?" He confirms.
She nods her head, "After I finished college, I got accepted into the same company as my parents, Dr. Pershing was one of the scientists there as well. He and I had similar interests so we worked together a lot of the time. As time went on, we got more and more work done, but we needed donors to be able to do anything substantial."
She swallows the lump in her throat and the Mandalorian motions for her to continue, "I asked for volunteers. People that were force sensitive that would like to donate their blood for a good cause." Her voice begins to shake, "W-we didn't know that the company we worked for was a part of the empire. I-I didn't know."
The Mandalorian moves to her side just as her first few tears start to fall, "Hey, it's okay. You don't have to tell me anything else. We can stop here."
She sobs but shakes her head, "No, you need to know." She takes a shaky breath, "By this point, the purge of all force users had already started and had been pretty successful. The Empire was strong and we didn't expect to be able to find a donor at all, but we received anonymous donations from time to time. Blood bags arriving at our door, and we just, didn't question it. We assumed they were scared to be found." She sobs, "We were so stupid. We were receiving blood from unwilling, and sometimes even dead, donors. Dozens of them, for years, Mando. They were finding force sensitive people, taking their blood, and sending it to us." She takes a shuttering breath, "we didn't find out until Alderaan. I was obsessed with this research. I was so close to finishing it, so I didn't go home with my parents. I stayed off world for a few more days because I was so close to getting it. And I finally did. Alone, in the lab, I finished the stupid research, and then I tried to call home. To let my parents know the good news."
She sobs and the Mandalorian puts his arm around her to hold her close, "they were already gone… It had been hours since Alderaan was destroyed and I didn't know…" She leans into his side as she continues, "I didn't tell anyone I finished. The other scientists came back to the lab and I kept the news to myself. It wasn't time to celebrate. I wasn't ready to tell them, so I hid my part of the research, I kept it to myself." She sighs, "A few weeks later, the lab was swarmed by stormtroopers. They went through everything they could find, but the research I did was safe in my home. I remember feeling numb when they threatened to kill us for incompetence. The emperor got tired of waiting and decided we weren't close enough to finishing. They asked which one of us was the lead scientist. Dr. Pershing offered up my name. They shot everyone else in the back of the head and told us to get back to work. Then they left. And so did I. As soon as they were gone, I left Dr. Pershing and told him I'd never return. I went home, burned the research I had, packed a bag, and left on the first transport off world. I spent some time traveling, took some shooting lessons, and learned a few new things. I was terrified they would eventually come for me, but I was able to find a small planet and set up a farm for myself. I lived off the grid as much as I could, and I had been there for a few years before they kidnapped me in my sleep. I assume they never truly kept their eyes off me. Just watched me until they had a new donor to use."
She began to breathe slowly and her tears finally dried. She sighed as she leaned into the Mandalorian's embrace.
He held her close as he rubbed soothing circles on her back, "None of it was your fault. The research, finishing it, using blood gifted by the empire, Alderaan. You didn't know. You were just doing what you thought was the right thing. What you believed would help people. That's admirable, Kas," She gasps at the nickname, but the Mandalorian continues, "You left the moment you learned the truth and you kept the research away from their hands. You were brave to leave, brave to burn the research, and brave to keep it to yourself all these years. You and I will keep the kid away from them, and the kid and I will keep you safe from them as well. You aren't alone in this anymore, I have your back and I won't let them take either of you."
The Mandalorian's breath knocks out of him as she jumps into his arms, "Thank you Mando. The kid and I will do everything we can to keep you safe too."
He smiles at her behind his helmet, "I'm sure you will." He chuckles, "Alright, we need to get some sleep. Daylight will be here soon, and I know the kid will wake us up as soon as it's here."
Kasari giggles as she climbs off the Mandalorian and sits back on her bedroll. He moves back to his own and turns his head to face her once he lies down.
She lies down and smiles at him, "Goodnight, Mando."
"Goodnight, Kas." He responds.
Weeks pass with nothing notable happening. They remained in the village and peacefully enjoyed their break from chaos. The Mandalorian walks around the farm and finds Cara lounging outside Omera's house. He joins her and leans against the house as he watches the children play. He turns his attention to Kasari helping a farmer out in the fields. Her hair is in braids again and she's wearing the outfit Mando made her get.
Omera comes outside and gives Cara a drink, "thank you." Cara says.
Omera smiles and turns her attention to the Mandalorian, "Can I set you something inside the house?" She asks.
The Mandalorian shakes his head, "Uh, thank you. Maybe later."
They watch the children playing for a moment, "They're very happy here." Omera says.
"They are." Mando responds.
"Fit right in." She says before walking away.
Cara watches with a smirk, "So what happens if you take that thing off? They come after you and kill you?"
"No, You just can't ever put it back on again." He responds.
"That's it?" She asks, "So you can slip off the helmet, and settle down with Kasari, and raise your kid sitting here, sipping spotchka?"
He looks at her and she shrugs before taking a drink.
"You know, we raised some hell here a few weeks back. It's too much action for a backwater town like this. Word travels fast. We might wanna cycle the charts and move on." Mando says.
"Would not wanna be the one who's gotta tell him." Cara responds.
"I'm leaving them here. Traveling with me, that's no life for a kid. I did my job, he's safe." He turns to look at Kasari, "she's safe. Better chance at a life."
"It's gonna break his little heart." Cara says, "Kasari's too."
"They'll get over it. We all do." Mando finishes.
Cara looks at him for a moment, "Will you?" She asks.
He doesn't answer. He leaves Cara to herself and goes to find Omera, she moved towards the fields while he was talking to Cara.
"Excuse me. Can I have a word?" He asks.
"Of course," she responds.
"It's very nice here." He says awkwardly.
"Yes." She responds.
"I think it's clear they… they're happy here." He says.
"What about you?" She asks.
"Me?" He asks.
"Are you happy here?" She asks. "We want you to stay. The community's grateful. You can pack all this away in case there's ever trouble. You and your family could have a good life." She smiles, "he could be a child for a while and she could settle down in peace. Wouldn't that be nice?"
He processes her words and looks at the child playing and Kas joining him in the dirt. Smiling and drawing pictures in the sand for him.
"It would." He says honestly, but he shakes his head, "I don't belong here. But they do."
"I understand," Omera says.
"We'll welcome them both into the community. I'll help Kasira with the child. Give her a place to stay." She assures him.
Suddenly, two blaster shots ring out and the Mandalorian pushes Omera behind him and runs to the source of the shot.
"Go get the kids." He orders as he runs into the trees.
He finds Cara in the woods behind a body. A beeping comes from beneath it. He kicks the body over and finds the source, a tracking fob. He picks it up.
"Who's he tracking?" Cara asks.
"The kid." He responds.
She nods, worried, "They know he's here."
"Yes." He responds.
"Then they'll keep coming." She says.
"Yes." He responds again.
He drops the tracker to the ground and stomps it with his foot, destroying it. He makes his way back to the village and stops cold. Somethings wrong.
The farmers surround one spot of the village crowding around someone. His heart beats out of his chest as he pushes his way to them and finds Kasari on the ground with a blaster shot wound on her side.
"Kas!" He calls and makes his way to her.
He looks around frantically for the kid and his heart settles a little when he finds him being held in Omera's arms.
"Someone get me a medkit!" He calls as he carefully checks Kasari's wound.
She looks at him and rolls her eyes, "I'm fine, Mando. It's just a little shot. Nothing vital." She points to a few inches to the right of the wound, "The vital stuff is over here. I'll be okay."
He shakes his head, "I should've been on guard. It was a bounty hunter after the kid."
"Here!" Someone says from beside him as they hand him a medkit.
He wastes no time cleaning and mending the wound. Kas winces as he uses the bacta spray on it. She sighs in relief after a few moments.
She turns her head back to look up at his and chuckles, "You can't be on guard all the time." She scoffs, "Don't look so worried, Mando. I told you. They missed the vital stuff, and you already have me healing." She places a hand on his helmet in a caress, "Nothing to worry about."
She smiles at him as he wraps his arms around her carefully.
Cara comes up from beside them and places a comforting hand on his shoulder, "She's okay Mando. Nothing serious. But I think it's time for you all to leave before more bounty hunters come."
Mando nods and scoops Kas into his arms before she could try to get up on her own. Cara laughs at the scene.
"Put me down, Mando! I told you I was fine. You don't gotta carry me!" Kas complains.
Cara follows behind them, having retrieved the child, and places him into the transport next to Kasari. She picks him up and smiles softly at him.
The child reaches towards her now bandaged would and she carefully pulls him away from it, "I think it's better if we don't touch it for now. Okay?"
The child coos at her and she smiles. The Mandalorian watches the exchange silently before turning around and heading to collect all their stuff. It doesn't take long and soon he's loaded up just about everything.
Cara comes up beside him, "Are you sure you don't want an escort?" She asks.
"I appreciate the offer, but we're gonna bypass the town and head right to the Razor Crest." He says.
"Well then, until our paths cross." Cara responds.
"Until our paths cross," he responds and they lock hands together.
Cara looks to Kasari and the child, "You two take care of him. And don't let him give you any of his bantha crap."
Kasari chuckles, "You take care of yourself too, Cara."
Cara steps away and Winta takes the opportunity to run up to the child and Kasari.
She wraps them both in a hug, "I'll miss you so much." She cries.
"We'll miss you too, Winta." Kasari responds with tears in her own eyes.
"Thank you." Omera says to the Mandalorian.
Finally, he climbs into the transport with Kas and the kid. He settles in next to them, careful of her new injury, and joins them in waving a slight goodbye to the village.
She turns to him as they cut into the trees, "Where to now, Mando?"
He turns his head towards her, "I haven't decided yet."
She hums, "You know, there's something I'm curious about."
He turns to her, "What's that?"
"The bounty hunter. Was he a lousy shot, or was he not aiming for the child?" She says.
Mando looks at her, "what do you mean?"
She sighs, "The kid wasn't anywhere near me when I got hit. Winta had called him away to play. I was sitting alone watching them, and Cara had admitted to shooting him just after he made his shot, so it couldn't have been her that caused him to miss."
"He wasn't aiming for the child." The Mandalorian concludes.
"But why aim for me? And in my side of all places?" She asks.
"They want you alive." He says, "They want you both alive and shooting you in the side, away from anything vital, would serve to incapacitate you but not kill you."
She pulls her knees up to her chest, "I was afraid of that." She admits, "Is it wrong of me to hate that they want me alive? I'd almost rather have them want me dead."
The Mandalorian shakes his head, "It's better that they don't want you dead, because if they did, that bounty hunter would have killed you."
She shivers and he places his arm around her back, "I won't let them take you or the kid, Kas."
She sniffs, "Thank you."
He rubs soothing circles on her shoulder and hums contentedly when she lays her head on his shoulder.
"Get some sleep, Kas." He says.
She hums in acknowledgment, already starting to doze off from the hectic last hour or so she had, and he smiles to himself as the kid climbs into her lap and snuggles between them.
The village called them a family, Omera called them a family, maybe they really are one. In some messed up type of way. He allows those thoughts to sooth him into a careful sleep.